THANK YOU MR TESCO

Every year we collect our Tesco vouchers up and in March we cash them in for a short weekend break with a Marriot Spa hotel - this time we chose the Hollins Hall Country Spa in Shipley Yorkshire.   This year my sister and her husband joined us which made it even more special as we have not had a break away together for some years.  All in all the stay not including dinners or drinks cost £4.00 now that is what I call a bargain.  A big thank you to Mr Tesco.

Our first stop on the way to the hotel had to be the spa town of Harrogate and of course no visit to Harrogate would be complete without a visit to Betty's Teas Rooms.

How about these for Easter Egss - the largest one was £220.00!!! I'll stick to my Cadbury's thank you.

A little light lunch

then onto the serious business of shopping.

Just down the road from Betty's we came across a shop that was selling the most wonderful vintage and retro goodies over two floors.SPACE the girl behind the counter was dressed in a forties outfit and was wearing her hair in a snood - mind you it was pink so a little bit of todays fashion had crept in too.

After some time spent browing we moved onto the Montpelier Quarter of Harrogate where the antique shops are situated and spent some time browsing in the lovely shops there.  I bought lots of things for the stall and the booth and I also treated myself to this deco handpainted part tea set by Grimwades which I could not resist.

Of course no shopping trip would be complete without popping into CK's and this was our final port of call before moving onto the hotel.

I was really taken with the latest range of bags being made from vintage fabrics that are only being produced in ones and two's.   Could kick myself as I walked away from one that I really liked and when I went back it had gone.....

A LITTLE BIT OF SHOPPING

Not long to go until the Northampton Vintage and Home Made Fair and I thought I would go a bit further afield to try and find some vintage goodies for the stall.  I have been on annual leave this week and decided to take myself on a trip to some antique places I had never been before.

Firstly I visited Bourne Mill Antique Centre in what was an old mill which is a warren of tiny little rooms over four floors filled with bits and pieces, some stuffed in nooks and crannies that you just had to peer into, very quint.  The owners were very friendly and helpful and I came away with a few items from there.

Second visit was up the road to the Antiques Warehouse the setting for this old converted barn is in wonderful fields of horses in paddocks and then up a gravel drive to

This was fullof exquisite antiques most of whcih were out of my price range but which were lovely to look at. 

If only I still had my big garden.  Mind you I did manage to find items in both places, some of which went straight over to the booth in Brackley and some I have kept back for the fair.

Here is s sneak peek of some of the bits I will be taking with me.

Also whilst out and about I found this young lady who has joined my other dolls.  I actually came across her in a Red Cross Charity shop.  Even though she is not in the best of conditions - needs a little bit of TLC with a needle and thread, I could not resist her and out the cabinet she came.

She has such a lovely face and her little red apple cheeks look like they have been kissed many times as they are a little rubbed.  Now she can join some of my other dolls (oops another of my  collections).

FEBRUARY MONTHLY MAKE

Ok so I have signed up for Annie Felt Fairie's  Monthly Make and as I am getting ready with bits for the Vintage & Home Made Fair I thought I would use my latest make as my show and tell for this month.

I had some old sheets lying around the house and I could not just throw them away and so I decided to tea stain and age them, rip them into lengths, fray the edges  and then hand stamp  to make ribbon ties for presents or just to use in general artwork, cutting them up into portions for cards, etc.

All my Christmas presents were tied with this ribbon, I used the word Joy and I was so pleased with them I thought I would repeat the idea and take them to the fair. 

So there are you folks my February Monthly Make - Simples.

MUSIC MAN - OR SHOULD I SAY GIRLS

Many years ago youngest daughter used to sing at open mic events in pubs and clubs in our area.  Sadly like the nightingale she stopped singing and we could not get her to even sing at family get togethers, it was almost like she had lost her voice.  Last year along with my neice who is studying music at college she decided that she would sing a couple of songs at her sister's wedding, this she did - I think the champagne helped to grease the vocal cords - and that was that.  Then a couple of weeks ago she decided that she would give it another go and together with her cousin's friend Jasmine who is an accomplished singer and guitarist they booked a spot on an open mic in a small village pub the New Inn in Abthorpe. 

Had to laugh at the sign above their heads.

Anyway to cut a long story short a very proud mum and dad listened as their nightingale found her voice again and at one stage she sang an Adele song acapella and the whole pub went silent, no mean feat when it is a lot of burly blokes downing pints.

A warm up...

The two girls together.

Looks like her dad and I could be visiting a lot of pubs in the near future...

ANOTHER OF MY WEAKNESSES

I sometimes have to agree with Dorcas Lane – and all of you who watch Larkrise to Candleford will know exactly what I am talking about -  when describing myself, I have to say I am a woman who has certain weaknesses, one of those is that I have too many collections.

I was perusing in Etsy (as you do) and found the sweetest little tin of talcum powder being offered by Mary of thelostrooms http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelostroom that would go just right in one of my collections and so my weakness overcame me, even though I had promised myself to be good this month and not buy anything  for myself, I found myself pressing the ADD TO CART  button and low and behold it was mine.

In my bathroom is my cabinet full of lovely pretty vanity items including bottles of perfumes from days gone by that when you lift the lid actually don't smell too good anymore but that I love.

These are nestled in amongst Victorian floral trinket pots, pots of lotions and potions and Victorian trade cards.

I have the excuse that this collection does not take up too much room - only one cabinet - but I really don't know that I believe that as I know eventually it will spill over, in fact what I have not shown you is that there is actually some more floral china sitting on the top of the cabinet..... as I say collecting is my biggest weakness.

JUST IN TIME

As you know I joined Felt Fairy's Monthly Make and set too with my new sewing machine only to meet with disaster and so had to rethink what I could make that did not invlove a machine.   I had purchased a template of a mini gift box from Pam who sells in Etsy as "fromthecraftroom" and decided that I need to get making some stock for this Springs Vintage and Home Made Fair in Northampton and so I set too with scissors and glue and made up some boxes.

After I had made them up I added a little bit of tissue to nestle the present in and then used vintage lace and old jewellery findings and fancy buttons to make them that bit more special.  Each box also has its own aged gift tag.
As we have now reached the 31st January I have just scrapped in for the January deadline...phew.

Talking about the Northampton Vintage and Home Made Fair there are those of you who know that in the past Ann of Vintage At The Corner House and myself have always arranged the fairs together.  Sadly this year I have decided to take a back seat as I feel that I need to divert some of my energy to other things with family and work commitments.  I am still going to be having a stall but I am going to leave all the hard work (and believe me it is hard work) to Ann and Mr Corner House.  Good luck to them both in their new venture together, they are looking to increase the amount of fairs they will be holding - they have four booked for this year already so put the dates in your diaries and I will see all the friends that I have made over the time I have been arranging them there.



A GRAND TIDY UP

Went to Brackley at the weekend and spent a good couple of hours tidying up the booth and moving items around after the Christmas period.  Took home the last of the Christmas themed bits and generally titivated for a while.  A flick with the feather duster here and a flick there, move this here, move it there, move it back again you know the thing.  It really is a curse being a Virgo as nothing is ever quite right, but when I had finally finished I felt satisfied with how it was looking.

Anyone for tea.

Whilst I have been out and about I have managed to find some nice items for myself - two of which had hidden surprises for me when I took the time to look at them.

Firstly I found this wonderful old glass Pear's storage jar - it has original thick glass.  Funny thing is I was looking at buying something like this before Christmas to put my vintage baubles in and only found new ones at around £40.00 so gave it up as a bad job.

I was so keen to snap it up before someone else that I literally ran with it to the counter and plopped it down - job done.  When I got it home I turned it around and low and behold....

what a fantastic label which had been preserved becuase it was on the inside of the jar and had not faded.



My second find was a childs book, I collect children's illustrators and one of my favourites is Honor C. Appleton, I really liked the cover on this book and so popped it on the counter along with jar.  When I got home I took a closer look and low and behold the illustrator was no other than Honor herself - and I only paid £1.00.

How sweet are these.

My thrid find was a childs cup and saucer in a charity shop in Essex - I had been out hunting for the booth and found this little cup and saucer.  When I turned it around it also had this little illustration which I love

Needless to say this has joined my collection of children's china - and whilst I am on the subject a mug I found on Ebay also warrants a little mention.

My mother-in-law is called Joan and she used to skip in the street as a child and so I could not resist a bid on this.

All in all a fruitfull couple of days.