Pretty and Practical

Good evening

Wow a week since my last post - where has the time gone? Mainly in a sea of unpacking, sorting, tidying and dealing with lots of work that's happened on the house this week (more on that in a while).

Pretty stuff first!! It makes for a better opening photo!!

When I was in hospital I was lucky enough to be given yarn & a hook by a friend and a book by a sister - putting the two together I started making a little string shopping bag. I continued for a while when I came home but wasn't happy with what I'd done. I re-read the instructions, swore and pulled more of it out!! In the last week in the evenings I've sat and crocheted a lot and finally I finished my little bag;

I love it and everyone who has seen it has too - I've started on another as a pressie - they are lovely to do and the pattern - if you read it carefully and not in a morphine induced state as I was when I started - is quite simple!! Its from the wonderful Granny Chic book which if you haven't got it you need in your collection.

A few weeks ago I went out with my friend Dawn and whilst we were browing a local vintage shop we spotted some kitchen stools - we both said we wanted one but at those prices it wasn't going to happen! Well I was working in the charity shop the other morning when I got a text from Dawn. She was across the road in another charity shop and had spotted 2 stools - utterly perfect and just £2 each!! Did I want one!!I downed tools and dashed across the road and met her just as she was paying for them both!!

They need a sand and paint/varnish and perhaps a new seat cover but otherwise they are perfect - mine has already found its spot in the kitchen - perfect for sitting on when dinner needs a close watch!!

Now for the practical - just really for my records. When we bought the house we knew we needed some work doing - one of the major tasks was a new boiler - the old one was ugly, very old and most likely uneconomical. Well work started on Monday and the has been mess, strange smells and some disruption. Lots of the plumbing work has taken place under little son's bedroom floor so he has decamped to the front room during the day. We've been without water and power at various times as old plumbing/wiring have been replaced with new, safe stuff.

The old boiler - trust me it was so useless it could barely cope with one bath full of tepid water! Though that might have been the hot water tank too - which rattled well when it came out of the airing cupboard and into the rubbish heap earlier in the week!

 Its replacement - modern, efficient and very cheap to run. The first night 3 hot, deep baths happened in quite, quick succession - it handled the task without a murmur!

I am now left with a space in the kitchen - I think I will clean it up, paint it, get shelves fitted and probably cover it with a curtain - am thinking patchwork because I've rather a lot of fabric!!

I mentioned a rubbish heap - well at one point the back garden could have rivalled Steptoes yard;

Lots of things from the utility room spent the week outside too as their space was full of plumbing and plumber!! We finally got rid of the last of it yesterday - a huge trailer load - luckily Big Son and his mates arrived just at the right moment and between them soon got the garden clear.

We are feeling rather chuffed and smug with what we've achieved this week - boxes are all unpacked and most things are now in their permanent places. We've recycled, sold and donated more 'spare' things. The best bit was when I finally got to unpack my china collection - I've kept as much as possible though some things are heading to the charity shop this week as there is simply not enough space and I don't want things living forever in a cupboard wrapped up - I'd rather they were being used/loved by someone.

Right I'd best be off - more photos next time - I've just realised I meant to take some more today but completely forgot! Instead I went to visit Bertie the caravan to let him know he's off on an adventure in a few days!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

PS - Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post. The boys and I are loving our new home. We have got relatively straight so quickly as we'd measured and planned where furniture was going after one of our many pre-move visits! We also decided as the year has been so disruptive we didn't want it to continue once we'd moved. Instead we'd work very hard and get things normal as quickly as possible. Meaning instead of boxes we can fill the house with family and our friends instead. Its lovely for the boys to have their mates over and I enjoy hearing them having fun and being so happy. Once I've got my new oven this week I look forward to making sure the cake tins are always full as its amazing how much 6 extra teenagers can eat!!
 

FH&CS Jubilee Swap

Good afternoon

I meant to do this post last night but somehow managed to get side-tracked elsewhere in cyberland.

A fair few weeks ago I signed up for Lakota's Jubilee Swap - I was paired with the lovely Miss_b from Retro Lovely and we happily stalked each others blogs and exchanged emails. We decided due to other commitments that we were in no real rush to exchange but as and when we were both ready.

Anyhow last week parcels were posted to each other and a minor miracle both arrived safely within days of each other. 

Mine turned up on one of those horrid grey & damp days we've had rather too many of recently - it certainly helped cheer me up;

Homemade cookies, a gorgeous pink rose china triplet set, a fan (handy when it actually gets warm) and a CD full of some rock-n-roll - I had this playing yesterday whilst I was in the kitchen tidying and cooking - shame there is no film of me jiggling about ;)

 This gorgeous card is for Bertie - I shall be fixing that to his wall :)

and this lovely cross-stitch card was for me. Cross stitch is something I've never tried - probably because you seem to have to be neat & tidy - not things that come automatically to me!

Here's what I sent;

Crocheted bunting

A UJ cushion

A UJ hook & notebook, a red rose ring and of course a swap isn't a swap without something edible ;)

Thanks to Lakota for undertaking the task of organising this swap and Miss_b for being my swap partner.

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