You don't remember me - do you?

Good afternoon

Long time no see - entirely my fault, life got busy and I stopped blogging. Also my old desktop PC died and its taken a while to save to get a new shiny laptop and learn how to work it - even now I am unsure if this blogging lark will even work and if it does whether I can get back into the swing of it.

Lets see if I have learnt how to save photos and also if I can get them on here!

The easiest way to catch up is a photo mosaic from each month I have been missing.

So November - a smallest giant treat an afternoon of archery, Remembrance Parade, my other half took up Molly dancing my initial role to make a Molly style raggy for a Christmas display, a birthday cake for S and a treat night out - a Bellowhead gig.

December - so much stuff I got roped into Molly dancing, big son came home from Uni for a month, little son played his last brass engagement, we went to the panto (twice - 2 different ones) and we celebrated Christmas in style.

January - more dancing both Molly and Border, little son turned 17 and he gained a title!

Feb - we visited big son at Uni for his 19th birthday, there was Valentines day and Shrove Tuesday to celebrate.

March - more dancing, my birthday, mothers day, little nephews birthday, the eclipse and we bought a little caravan (more on that another time).

April - we danced for St George, celebrated Easter, had a very sunny day out at Southwold and spring began to appear in the garden.

May - more dancing and little stumble!, visiting big son again, decorating my dining room, garden sorting time and my first ever trip crabbing.

Ok so that's the past 7 months in brief - I will be back with proper posts soon and I want to catch up with bloggy friends and their lives.

Sorry its been so long

xxx Vintage Vicki xxx

52 weeks of Vicki - week 6 - more birthdays

Good morning

Well least I am sticking to writing these posts so far!! The other posts don't quite happen yet but they will eventually - when time allows. Seems weekends have been rather busy.

Today is a very special day here in the VV household - Big Son is 18 years old today. Yep my biggest baby is now an adult!! 

We had a get together yesterday afternoon for him - lots of Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles and Little Cousins - the most people this little house has ever held I think!!

One cake - designed by me and made by a very clever lady who has made so many cakes for us over the years. Of course all 18 year olds need a Toy Story balloon!!

Slightly embarrassed whilst we all sung Happy Birthday to him

Of course all birthday blog posts have to include a few baby photos -

Here's his birthday card - I chose some of my favourite pics and with some technical help they were scanned and turned into a big A4 card via one of those card companies that advertise all over the place.

Whilst all 6 cousins were together, we tried again to get a photo - still impossible to get them all looking at the camera at once!!

Last weekend it was baby nephews christening - as well as getting up early on a Sunday morning for church, my boys made lots of effort and smartened themselves up;

One normal pic - followed by a much more typical one of them;

Right - I'd best be off - have shopping for a steak dinner to do and an appointment at the Opticians for me - I know I need stronger specs and probably need to wear them all the while now.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

52 weeks of Vicki - week 5 - A hot date with Harry

Good evening

Almost the end of a very busy weekend - the lack of lie-ins is hitting me hard. No time for them this weekend - 2 early mornings for 2 very different reasons. Today the christening of my littlest nephew - pics from that another time. 

Yesterday was a very special day - a belated 16th birthday treat for Little Son - a trip to The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. Something he's wanted to do for ages and ages - he's been a Potter fan since he was bought the story tapes to try help him travel better when he was just 3 years old. He feel in love immediately and by the time the first film came out in late 2001, he knew the story almost word for word. Hence at the end of the film, a little voice belonging to a cute blonde boy in wizard robes and armed with a wand was commenting loudly about what bits had been missed out - he gained lots of looks from people who thought perhaps he was some sort of early reading child genius!! We didn't spoil it for them !!

Here's just a few pics from a brilliant day out - if you haven't been I would recommend it - it is really good fun - the boys loved it and so do I.

The last part of the Tour takes you to this amazing model of Hogwarts Castle - the detail is stunning.

There are loads of room sets from the films - this is the Gryffindor common room - I could have happily snuggled up in front of the fire on one of those squashy chairs and sofas.

Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley - again amazing detail. You just wanted to be able to go inside and choose your first wand.

All Potter fans will know there is one thing that the students love when they have time to go into Hogsmeade on their time out of school - Butterbeer - very expensive - 4 drinks in special beakers/tankards cost over £20 - luckily the boys Dad was paying!!

They managed to drink theirs without getting a Butterbeer moustache - I didn't ;)

The boys also went flying on broomsticks - I bought a picture of each of them doing that - and after a trip to the gift shop my purse felt rather light!! Luckily special birthdays don't happen to often - oh wait - its Big Sons 18th next week! Not sure what we're doing for that - am waiting for him to tell me!!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

52 weeks of Vicki - week 3 - with added cake ;)

Good morning

Another week has gone by - its been busy - my to-do list seems to be endless. Things to sort, trips to plan and in this family, more birthdays to celebrate.

This week it was Little Son's turn - though to be honest these days he is little in title only. He towers above me and his feet are catching up with those of his clown like older brother!!

Yesterday, my baby turned 16!!! I must have blinked too long - am sure he was just a little boy when I first started writing this blog!!

Every birthday boy needs lots of cards, a birthday balloon and of course a cake.

You know I prefer cakes which are a bit over decorated!! Hence the edible icing topper and little lego style Doctor Who figures!! 

Here's my boy on his first birthday;

and then 15 years later on his 16th;

He was a lucky boys - lots of cards from friends and family. We're off on a special birthday treat in a few weeks time - not sure who is most excited him or me!! I promise there will be plenty of photos from that day out!!

Right I'd best be off - going out with Big Son and his Dad to choose something special for Big Son's 18th birthday in a few weeks time!!

See you soon - I've got some fab vintage and CS finds to share with you!

xxx Vicki xxx

11 of 52 weeks of Happy

Good morning

Can't wander too far this morning as I am awaiting a bulky shopping delivery and don't want to miss the knock on the door!

Well lots of last week was testing to say the least - life is certainly a roller coaster ride and many times last week I just wanted to get off as I wasn't enjoying it. 

However I am a lucky girl and have a fab family and some truly wonderful friends who are being very supportive at the moment and are there with hugs and tissues when I turn into a snotty blubbing mess (again).

Hardly the right start for a happy post!! However despite everything there have been happy moments that I have managed to capture on camera and here they are;

1) It was my birthday on Friday and I was thoroughly spoilt - as I was planning a party on Saturday we just had French Fancies as a cake for Friday. I thought we'd just eat them but Big Son insisted they were arranged on a pretty plate and that I had a candle to blow out!

2) This was my cake for Saturdays party - I made it and Little Son iced it with a thick layer of chocolate ganache and then decorated it with a mini-egg flower - serious chocolate overload but very tasty.

3) This is my baby sisters dog - Lula. I went to visit last week and Lula was so pleased to see me - she loves visitors. As you can see whilst she stayed still for a photo, her tail did not!! Still no baby news - hopefully sometime this week I get to be an Auntie - I will know roughly when as I am dog sitting!!

4) New boots for Morris Dancing and my first stick - they sit in the hallway behind my desk and every time I look at them I smile. Thinking of dancing out days this summer and several weekends at festivals with new friends and old.

I am struggling with blogging at the moment and I owe so many people replies and I am behind with my reading too. Bear with me, I will get back into it properly - in the words of Chumbawamba - "I get knocked down but I get up again, You're never gonna keep me down."

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Wasn't he cute ;)

Good evening

Actually he still is - just that the jeans and converse are much, much bigger these days!!

Oh yes today - big son turned 17 - the photo above was taken when he was a few months old - we've decided he was probably plotting something - probably knowing him his next meal!!

After a birthday breakfast and a pressie and card opening session, we headed out as a family for a roast dinner and then onto Southwold. The wind was rather strong so the walk was much shorter than hoped but we made it to the Pier and spent time having fun.

 Air hockey - we played in various combinations - the boys gaming skills showed through and they were far better than us adults.

 Of course if you play on the Pier then you have to play the Penny Falls - he made his money last for ages.

Home then for cake;

The usual chocolate cake - a family favourite - decorated with a Brains from Thunderbirds in honour of Big Sons dressing up day in December and some special candles. These look like normal ones but are impossible to blow out!! 

My daft boy in his new sunglasses - obviously what you need indoors on a dull February day!! Oh how much smoke those candles produced - am glad I just bought one pack of 10 rather than the 17 we really needed!!

Of course he's hungry again - so the grill has just gone on with cheese on toast to cook!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Keep calm and get cooking

Good afternoon

Well the world is about to end! School is closed, the supermarket shelves were striped bare and my Instagram feed is full of snow pictures :)

Oh yes - a few more inches of the white stuff arrived overnight -making everything look pretty.

We woke to the news that school was cancelled - happy boys.

MrVV however has gone to work - he's hoping that this remains so he can pelt the boys with snowballs tomorrow!!

Little Son & I headed into town - there were a few bits we needed - we thought we might need another pair of wellies for him but fortunately due to my wellie hoarding a pair has been found that fits him!

Once home and after hot chocolate had been drunk, it was time do some cooking.

Homemade bread and carrot & coriander soup for lunch;

Enough leftover for the same again tomorrow.

In a while we're off into the garden to build a snowman and probably throw a snowball or two. Got to make the most of these boys of mine - perhaps in another year or so they'll think they are too old for all of this.

Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post - I was very pleased with those pics.

Here's just a couple more - I mentioned cake making and another birthday - here's Little Son's cake;

It seems you're never to old for Toy Story! The big candle was supposed to be musical - lets just say I've heard a more tuneful sound from a cat!

The official birthday photo;

Right time to hunt out something for the snowman to wear!

Have a good weekend.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

It's a charity thing

Good evening

Firstly - thank you for all the lovely comments on the frocks in my last post. However trust me I'm not talented - I was put off sewing at school by a very fierce teacher - whilst I've finally got to grips with my lovely basic sewing machine, there is much more I'd love to learn. Put it down to lots of practise and a determination not to pay high street prices for stuff when I can buy pretty fabric for a fraction of the price locally.

What a week - like most of the country Suffolk has been soggy - rain showers - some very heavy, claps of thunder and today the bonus of high winds. I've managed to avoid some showers but have also got soaked through several times. I didn't get wet today but got blown around by a head-wind which tried so hard to unseat me from my bicycle - I won (just).

Another shift in the charity shop today - am loving working there at the moment. My new boss is brilliant and has been training me in all sorts of new things. I love being on the till and meeting people but also still love the back-room stuff too. Contrary to popular belief we don't get first dibs at stuff - our shop is pretty strict and goods have to be out on the shop floor for 24 hours before staff are allowed to buy. Some nail biting moments sometimes if you've seen something you like and someone picks it up!! One item I loved was out this week and luckily no-one else picked it up;

Whilst the colourful needles look lovely in their jug (see this post ) - the boring grey ones needed somewhere all together - this vintage Bakelite box is perfect in every way.

I got the chance to wear one of new frocks last night - a girls evening at my Mum's for yet another sisters birthday. My Dad sensibly headed off to spend the evening with one of my BIL's - he's learnt its quieter that way. When said sister was visiting last she took a shine to my birthday pressie from Dawn - the first picture in this post. I decided to make her something similar - based loosely on her house which we all refer to as the Little Blue House;

Lastly for tonight - something I forget to tell you the other day - a cause for a big smile on my face. I heard on our local radio station the other day that one of my favourite groups were playing in a small theatre not far away later this summer. The tickets were due to go on pre-sale last Friday. After a battle to register for the sale I managed to get sorted and waited poised to strike when the tickets were released. A decision to pay via paypal meant I got lucky and on the Jubilee weekend, MrVV & I are off to see Mumford & Sons :) 

BTW - we've got seats - no dancing will be attempted ;)

See you soon - here's hoping for a dry day or two this weekend - well we can all dream can't we ;)

xxx Vicki xxx

Blossom, books & birthdays

Good evening

How has your week been? We're on week 2 of the Easter hols here and tbh its been far busier than I'd planned - actually I'd not planned anything but the days have filled up rather well. Probably a good idea as the weather hasn't been the sort for just lounging around in the garden which is what the boys did for these hols last year. Instead they've been to work with MrVV, cinema with friends, visited family and big son even went to school today for a GCSE Drama revision (final practise) day.

Easter weekend went rather quickly - there was lots of rain dodging, a few walks and for the boys plenty of eating chocolate. I managed to visit the Vintage Fair in Woodbridge with Dawn and also got to my first boot sale of the year (more on that later).

There's been a daily check on the progress of the blossom and this morning I managed to get some photos - of course it would look amazing with a blue sky background but they've been a bit scarce when I've the camera handy;

I think by the end of the month the whole tree will be out - just need a blue sky at the right time for the perfect photo.

Right back to the weekend - car boot sale on Sunday - lots of proper booters not just the traders. My radar was tuned to tatty enamel for planting in the garden - got a couple of pieces of that and I was as ever on the hunt for Ladybird books for my collection - I found 3 on 2 different stalls - grand spend 80p!!

Tuesday night was WI - I don't think I told you but I've joined up - a new group which is aimed at slightly younger, less traditional WI members. This was our 2nd proper meeting and it was amazing. We had a speaker - a wonderful lady from our local florists. She'd just started talking and demonstrating when it became apparent that the main hall was being used for opera practise - a huge chorus of 80 voices - all practising Verdi's Requiem. Well any other speaker might have struggled but ours was amazing and to be honest the two complemented each other well. 

I was lucky enough at the end of the evening to win one of the arrangements - those on Facebook might have seen this - my new addiction is Instagram - I discovered that it was now available for those of us with Android phones and have been muddling through with it rather too much this week - sorry Facebook and Twitter friends - the novelty will wear off soon!!

As part of getting the WI group together we've been all making letters to be turned into a banner - I handed my first one in the other night - quite pleased with myself for mastering some simple embroidery - its made me want to learn more stitches and improve my neatness;

Handing my homework in on time meant I was given another letter to create - this time I'm attempting it in crochet - results soon!!

Today has been a hectic on in the VV household, MrVV left early this am for a day in his warehouse, Big Son headed to school and that left Little Son & I. We were joined to lunch by 3 of my sisters, 2 nieces and one nephew. As it is one nieces birthday this weekend, I decided the cake should be more girly than I normally get away with - she loved it;

Right, I think that's me up-to-date - I suppose I ought to go and see what I can find for dinner tonight - we're at the Old Mother Hubbard stage again - so perhaps I can claim its a Heston style meal tonight and come up with something 'different'!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Pressies :)

Hello again

Day 2 of a post a day! So far so good ;)

Right - back to my birthday - I've promised friends I'd blog about my pressies - so here it is.

I was very lucky, I have a large family, some lovely S&B crafty friends and another bunch of lovely friends who live in my computer - between them they spoilt me rotten;

 From one of my sisters - a fellow blogger - she couldn't resist it ;) Big son came with me on Thursday night to my birthday evening with my Mum & sisters - he was totally bemused by this 7" vinyl single - he'd never seen one - boy did that make me feel old!!

 Lots of veryVicki pressies - russian dolls, chickens, camping, ladybird books and patchwork - just some of the themes.

Lots to read - the Homespun Style book is gorgeous - full of drool worthy photos (yes Dawn, I'll bring it to group on Wednesday ;) ).

Lovely jewellery - the spotty necklace and the one with the face were both made by one of my clever sisters. The spotty/swirly beads are handmade using polymer clay.

Last but not least - new converse pumps - oh what a choice of colours, I settled for purple;

There were other things too but some pressies have actually been used and therefore missed their chance to be photographed!!

Right - see you tomorrow - this time its the turn of the Monthly Makes post - I just need to decide which of the wonderful things the clever ladies have made this month to show you.

xxx Vicki xxx

A birthday weekend away

Good evening

You know that bout of Bloggers Block I was suffering with the other week? Well good news - its cleared - its been replaced by a dose of more posts than there are days of the week syndrome!! Here's day one of my week of blogging (well thats the plan anyhow!!).

We headed off to Cambridge almost as soon as the boys left for school on Friday - no point wasting any of this precious time away. 

Friday was spent shopping - mainly for me - birthday pressies :) A new frock and pretty new Birkenstocks (pics next time) from MrVV and some funky new Converse bought with birthday money. 

The weather was gorgeous - as well as shopping we walked through various parks and sat watching the world go by.

Saturday was tourist day :) Firstly we met up with my baby brother for a coffee and catch up. We then went our seperate ways - tourist time - photo opportunites aplenty - even managed to get loads towards the Photo Scavenger Hunt this month :)

 Cambridge - the city of bicycles

 Graduation ceremonies were taking place.

 Watching punting - we still never got round to having a go.

 The usual chaos - almost a collision.

 So sunny, a shadow picture had to be taken.

 Spring flowers blooming everywhere.

 The Mathematical Bridge at the back of Queens College.

 Reflections of the blue skies in the Cam.

Another bicycle - a very Vicki pink one.

We did more walking on Sunday - really happy to say my ankle held up really well.

We were so lucky with the weather - nothing I like more than wandering around in the warm spring sunshine.

See you soon - I might share some of pressies with you ;)

xxx Vicki xxx