GIVEAWAY SUPRISES

Today the postman came and dropped of a box of lovelies from my giveaway partner Vikki from http://giddystuff.blogspot.com/ it was all wrapped and presented beautifully with ribbons, hand stamped tissue paper and hand made labels. I slowly savoured the wrapped items and then began a tearing frenzy – ooh the excitement was just too much.

 Firstly came a little something vintage or with vintage style - a wondeful embroidered garden scene tablecloth just the thing for my dining room table when I have company.

A little something with a shabby chic style in the form of this very wearable felted heart with buttons.  

A little something thats full of colour and scrummy gorgeousness - a pair of vintage knitting needles and some tartan and yellow ribbon.

A sweet little suprise - yummy Hershey bars - must keep mother-in-law away from these as Hershey is her favourite chocolate and we always have to bring her some back when visit America

Finally last but not at all least is

 A little something brimming with loveliness - and lovely it certainly is a porcelain posy brooch - how did you know I have a collection of these have you been peeking in my house.....

Vikki I love each and every item that you have obviosuly spent so much time picking and would like to say a big thank you to you and to Tilly Rose for taking the time to organising it.  This was my first giveaway swap but I don't think it will be my last.

For those of you with eagle eyes yes I mixed up the labels when photographing the items - I did tell you that it was a tearing frenzy....

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW

Hubby and I always watch the Antique programmes on TV and we are quite addicted to the Antiques Road Trip and he is always saying to me “make a note of where that is” as if we are going to travel the country finding new and wonderful antique centres. Anyway the other day there was one in Warwickshire which is not too far from us – just over an hour or so – and so we decided that we would take some time out before eldest daughter's wedding the following Saturday and  take a trip out to do a little bit of antiquing and have dinner out.


We set of for  Barn Antiques Centre in Long Marston and the first item I saw as I got through the doors was this chap.

Now all our married life we have had a dog that is until a few years ago, but after our last dog Bella died hubby decided that enough was enough. Even though I have begged and implored, tried bribery and wiped the odd tear from my eye hubby refuses to budge on getting a new one until we retire when we stop being so busy - yeh right. He is usually so easy going but on this I cannot move him and so when I saw this old boy he just had to come home with me.

I already have a terrier on wheels that was looking for a doggy companion and so here we have my two dogs that have to take the place of a real one until I retire which will not be anytime soon.I really love his smiley face and my grandchildren will enjoy playing with him and I suppose on the plus side I don’t have to worry about leaving them  when I go away or out for the day.

Anyway back to the Barn Antiques we spent a while pottering around and I made some purchases for the booth and Etsy and then we ended up having a scone with cream at Violetta’s Bistro which is attached to the centre.

It is totally charming and I loved this room where one could sit and partake of lovely things to eat and drink.  How shabby chic is that and of course we finished off with tea and scones, just remembered to take a photograph before tucking in, truth be told it is Hubby's as I had already started on mine - greedy devil that I am.

Scone anyone?

HISTORIC HOUSES IN HALSTEAD

One of the good things about having a husband who travels around the country with his job is that I get to cadge a lift to new places to search out new items for my booth and Etsy.  One of my regular haunts is Halstead in Essex which has some good chairity shops and also an antique centre, he visits his clients in the area whilst I mooch around.

One of the things I love about this town is the unusual houses that are dotted around it.

Courtoulds the silk manufactorers came to Halstead in 1882 and they built housing for their employers. There is one street of houses that looks like it has been transplanted from Holland or Belgium.

As well as building houses for the employees of the factory, the Courtaulds also organised and funded a school, adult education classes, a library and institute, nursery, mother’s club, sick fund, amusement society, lodging house, Jubilee Fountain, Public Park, retirement homes and Cottage Hospital.

I love the doorway of this one with the original bottle glass window panel.  All the houses have little seats outside the front door and the street sits opposite the factory (now a Co-op) with a river in between and I can imagine the workers sitting outside their houses just watching the river go by after a hards days work at the mill chatting with their neighbours.

This is a terrace of houses aptly named Factory Terrace.  I love the leadwork on the windows of these houses.

Whilst I love the town it was not the most fruitful of days but I did pick up some children's books. 

 I do so love childrens illustrators and have quite a collection by different artists and I was lucky enough to pick up a nursery rhyme book with colour plates by S.B. Pearse who was the original illustrator for the Ameliaranne books.

I have put the book in the booth telling myself that I cannot keep everything but I do have a feeling that it might be coming back home with me if it has not sold.

IN AN ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN

We had my eldest daughter's family hen night at the house last night and I have to admit to feeling a little under the weather this morning and lay in much longer than I would usually - I had a cold compress pressed to my head and could be found under the covers muttering about feeling a tad under the weather.

I had previously arranged  that we would visit Ravensthorpe's NGS Open Day which is the next village up to us and so pulled myself out of bed and off we set. Iin the heat of the miday sun I found myself singing  "Mad Fools and Englishmen...." as we wandered around the village.  Mind you it was nice to do something that was not to do with the shop and of course there are lovely gardens to visit but I have to admit it was hard going and we kept trying to find shady spots to cool off in.

Cana Lillies by the lake

Cannot help wondering what is behind the door

How is that for a tidy veggie patch, hubby

 managed to come away with some leeks from there

Arrived home absolutely pooped out  and then just sat and read for the rest of the afternoon.

Now for something a little different, this little set of shelves has been up the side of the yard in Northampton Antiques for ages and eveyone who has tried to buy it has been told that they were not for sale as the gent that owned them was picking them up as he no longer had a booth there.  They have been picked up and put down so many times by disappointed buyers.  Anyway I commented that I wish he would take them away as they were just so lovely only to be told actually they were now for sale... Needless to say hand went into purse and I made the purchase.  I am going to paint them and I have just the place for them on my wall in the office.  Result

TODAYS BUYS - ROSES AND VIOLETS

A big thank you to all of you who have e-mailed or commented to wish me luck with the booth it is really very much appreciated.

The hardest thing I am finding is keeping it stocked with new and interesting items, it is a full time job just sourcing new bits and I had a little trip out this morning to my local charity shops and found some wonderful things with my favourite flowers Roses and Violets.

Lovely Violet covered sandwich plate

Wonderful Rose covered bedspread

I nearly ran out the shop with these two wonderful pictures - a 1930's embroidered garden scene and a signed water colour of miniature roses

They are just both very pretty and I would keep them but I have to be strong and stop listening the little devil on my shoulder whispering "keep them, keep them, go on you know you want to"....