Happily still being green!

Afternoon

Funny how so much from my old life has seamlessly joined with my new life. I've always been a bit of a green/hippy/eco-friendly sort of a girl.

If you follow some of the labels in my sidebar you can see mention of recycling etc going back to the beginning of this blog - and before that to be honest. 

As a teenager I spent many a happy afternoon at a jumble sale with my friends - buying clothes which we'd alter to suit our tastes - making jeans skinny before the invention of lycra and turning old mans shirts into trendy collarless ones.

My first home certainly contained many old and upcycled things - a book case made from wine boxes - a Christmas gift in 1969 for my ex-husband. I delivered it back to him the other week when furniture came out of storage - whilst I loved it there is no room for it here so it needed to be back with its original owner.

This house is certainly full of recycle and upcycled things - along with those collected from charity shops, car boot sales and junk shops. Both S & I can't resist a good rummage through others peoples old junk - our little town contains 11 charity shops and we often do a full tour when we have the time.

The latest upcycling project - our old wooden bed into a garden bench!!

Made from about 95% recycled wood - the old bed and some pallets - only the front posts are from new wood!

It's almost built now - and partially painted - just need summer to return so we can get it finished!

Another project this week has been getting my bike roadworthy again. It spent 18 months in an outbuilding as we had no space at the flat. S has repaired the brakes and checked it all over. I have tidied the basket up - the wicker has got caught on stuff on many occasions and it was looking a bit sorry for itself - I decided to repair rather than replace;

I need to use my bike tomorrow - most days I can get to where I want on foot but I need to drop something off a couple of miles away. Am a bit apprehensive as the roads are busy here and my cycling skills a bit rusty!!

With the house we inherited two greenhouses (one full of tomatoes) and 3 raised veg beds - 2 of which were planted!! We have ended up with a glut of tomatoes and courgettes - time for inventive cooking!!

A rummage in the freezer for some mince and hey presto - the base for a lasagne!

We also inherited some squash plants - these were really quite tiny and seemed to struggle at first - however a bit of rain and some attentive watering and boom they grew like crazy. It was only after a veg gardening book was acquired on a recent charity shop trawl we discovered they like to climb!! Fortunately when the large bamboo plant was removed our friend saved the canes - more upcycling!! These now are supporting the ever growing squashes - come the autumn I will need some new recipes I think!!

Another step to becoming a proper blogger again is taking place as I type - my little camera is being charged!! Going to try to use this as well as my phone to get photos as it does take rather lovely pics.

Right I had best go and hunt down our camping gear - we are off to FolkEast later this week - to celebrate one year of being married!!!

See you soon with plenty of festival photos!

xxx Vicki xxx

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

3 @ No6 - settling in rather well.

Afternoon

Well nothing for ages and then 2 posts in 2 days and photos taken for another!! Blimey not quite sure whats happened - perhaps its the sunshine?

We've been very lucky here in Suffolk and its been a mostly lovely this weekend. I've spent time with some of my family - sitting in the sunshine yesterday at one sisters and today I've been to the big local boot sale with another. Have some purchases to show you another day.

Thanks for the welcome back. I thought I'd show you how well we've settled into our new home - been here 9 months now and it feels forever. All the big expensive jobs have been done and there is decorating which needs doing which should start to happen once exams are over and teenagers are about to help with the heavy lifting and high up bits!!

Have spent the last few weekends trying to get on top of the gardening - apart from a quick lawn cut nothing really happened when we moved in and there have been 9 months of weeds to clear - slowly getting there and now the fun bit of adding colour can happen.

 The patio got jet washed and we have been eating out here lots. The hammock is permanently outside so power naps can happen when it all gets too much!

 I forgot to take a picture when the apple tree was in blossom - trust me - it was gorgeous. See the bottom of the garden? Those are raspberries - going to be a bumper crop if we beat the birds!!

 A car boot sale purchase this morning - Norbert the Gnome - I love these little fellas - he's the first of many I hope for this garden.

Tomatoes growing in a sunny sheltered corner.

 Even the boring fence panels have started to get prettied up - strings of bunting to brighten the view from the kitchen window.

Now inside - I took these pics this morning and then spent this afternoon, tweaking things, moving things about and hanging more things on the walls! I am getting a dab hand with a hammer - tempted to buy a drill soon and learn how to use that!!

 The dining room is a sunny spot - I spent hours in here the other day getting reacquainted with my sewing machine. I bought muslin months ago to make new 'nets' for the front room - finally I hemmed it and they are up. More muslin to get tomorrow as my bedroom needs new 'nets' too. I've ordered some gorgeous red velvet curtains so when all is done I can show that space off to you.

 Still my favourite room - the front room. One sofa died and a second armchair was acquired - now both boys are happy and have man-chairs - complete with crocheted and handmade cushions and quilts!! This is one room which needs painting - we had to replace the radiator in January and the new  one doesn't cover the old space.

 My spot - complete with reading pile, project bags and my ipad.

 The ever growing photo wall - still space left and I've loads more pictures to get printed and framed.

 For once the fireplace is almost tidy!

The fireplace in the kitchen got shelved out and its proved most useful - I can fit so much stuff on there - must just paint the wall behind it one day!!

See that flowery thing to the side? Well its going to get used now - the ironing mountain is rather huge and I want to wear some of it this week!!!

See you soon with some pretty car boot bargains to share and (hopefully) pictures of a rather lovely WIP new skill I am learning!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Time to say Goodbye

Good afternoon

Its been a long time coming - I've been pondering this decision for the past six months since we moved into No6. Whether to keep blogging or to stop. I've tried to keep going but life has changed so much in the past 12 months and even more so in the past 6. It's time now to say goodbye.

For many reasons - our lives have changed and how we spend our time has changed. Those boys of mine are growing up fast and they are less keen on having their photos taken and their lives shared online. There have been changes in my life and again some stuff is not for sharing as not everyone is happy  with stuff being 'out there' online - all of this is fine with me. 

There's also the age old problem of people reading stuff who you'd rather didn't - I could make this blog private etc but I think its rather too much like hard work.

Instead I'll thank everyone who has ever read or commented on here. 

I am not disappearing entirely offline - I still have my Instagram account and can have a bit more control over that - I've now set it to private so existing followers can still see my pictures but I can control any new followers - sounds horrid doesn't it but one bad apple etc etc.

Thanks again

xxx Vicki xxx

A bit of a tangle

Good morning

You might have noticed or maybe not but this little blog disappeared for a few days. I nearly pulled it completely but opted instead for a few days of it offline while I thought about things.

Sadly in this world there are people who are not nice - they take great pleasure in others sadness and like to take things and twist things to make things even more unpleasant. Well it seems some of these people have infected my life and have tried hard to make things trickier for the boys & I when things are pretty tricky sometimes any way.

However I am a stubborn little person and someone trying to make things hard for my boys means I won't roll over and die instead I'll come back fighting. I like blogging, I've been doing it for many years now and 99.9% of the time the people are lovely and friendly and I don't want to give up something I like for a tiny little minority.

So I am back and blogging - if you don't like what you read or you feel that because of the changes in my life this year I shouldn't be happy and having fun please feel free to 'whatever'.

I will be back soon with a proper post and some more happy pictures too. I might even by able to show you where all that tangle of ends come from - am really hoping I get that finished very soon.

 

x x x Vicki x x x

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

The Christmas Cracker Swap

Good afternoon

I do love it when the postman brings a parcel for me - often just bits I've bought online but sometimes something special and today was one of those days.

I was partnered with Kerry @ Blueberry Heart in the Christmas Cracker Swap. Quite simple - take one kitchen roll tube - wrap it in festive fabric and fill it with lovely pressies for your swap partner.

Here's what I received;

 One cracker wrapped in fabric printed with stripey streamers.

 Inside 8 parcels including a chocolate Santa (he tasted great!!)

 A christmassy scented tea-light, a little pouch of festive pot pourri, 2 christmassy pegs and the most gorgeous little clay decoration with my name on it.

Also some festive stick-ons which will look lovely on some gift tags when I get round to making some and a felt snowman making kits - though this might get used slightly differently as I have a project in mind!

Here's what I sent to Kerry;

A little felt toadstool house decoration, some embroidery scissors, a christmassy tea-light, festive ribbon on a dolly peg, spotty buttons, some CK shower gel and of course chocolate in the shape of coins and christmas puddings. I forgot to take a picture of it all wrapped up in its red & white fabric with spotty ribbon.

Thank you Kerry for being a lovely swap parcel and Tracey for organising this swap. This has been such a lovely one to take part in - a simple idea and I had fun finding things that would fit inside my tube. I have to confess a couple of things wouldn't so an extra little package was attached!

Have a lovely weekend all - more carol playing for my brass players and I need to plan a little trip out of Suffolk for myself next week!!

xxx Vicki xxx

Ta-Dah Tuesday - Giant Granny is finished :)

Good morning

Just a quick post - I should be doing something else! However its sunny today and just enough good light for a picture of my giant granny square blanket that I finished this weekend. Oh yes Saturday afternoon rugby is ideal for this - one eye on the tv and another on the project!

53 rounds of trebles and 2 rounds of singles to neaten the edges and its done. Mostly in Stylecraft yarn and apart from the centre & edge all the colours are different. It started as a using up the odd bits project but grew - I now have more leftovers but that's fine as our families special baby due in March wants a colourful blanket!

Ta-dah

Its rather lovely to snuggle under on these chilly evenings. It will also come camping in Bertie with us next year I'm sure. We've got our first trip planned already - MrVV & I are off to Folkeast for the weekend together next August - first time I've ever persuaded MrVV to camp at festival!!

Oh if colourful is your thing then have a look here at the blog of a friend of mine - Scarlet-Sometimes - she's a colourful, clever lady who makes the most brilliant things and also renovates old caravans with her partner too.

Right - to the housework!!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Channelling your inner Granny Chic Soul - Granny Chic is cool

Good afternoon

Everything stopped yesterday afternoon - the postie came bearing a parcel with my name on it. At last the copy of Granny Chic I pre-ordered months ago :)

Why dust when you can read? and such a great read too.

Two fab bloggers on different sides of the Atlantic sharing a common love of Granny Chic.

The book has lots of projects to create and plenty of gorgeous photos too. I won't spoil it for those that are waiting till December 25th for their copy but I will show you a couple of my most favourite photos;

 Just loving Marvellous Maude the vintage caravan and her exterior patchwork - not sure my menfolk would approve if I wanted to do that to Bertie :(

2 friends together crocheting - oh how this reminds me of our Wednesday night Stitch & Bitch sessions.

One article made me chuckle;

 

 I looked at the list and then down at myself;

 Pinny - yes, always and clogs, yes around the house in the winter and out & about in summer.

Rose tinted glasses - ok so not actually rose-tinted but geek-chic specs are the next best thing.

 

Thank you Tif & Rachelle for writing this book - at last I have an identity - well I've always had it - just nice now to give it a name :)

 

BTW - this is NOT a sponsored post - just something I've bought and wanted to share with my bloggy readers. I shall be taking this book to S&B tomorrow night too - I think lots of those friends will love this book too :)

 

See you soon

 

xxx Vicki xxx

Anniversaries & Autumn Views Week 2

Good afternoon

Just found myself with a lull in the day - waiting for bread dough to finish in my bread maker so I can turn it into rolls for tomorrows lunches. Having to do this as the stupid machine is on its last legs and won't produce a decent loaf anymore but it can still produce decent dough. Hoping it last a few months longer - its that time of year when I'd rather divert spare pennies towards pressies for family for Christmas.

2 anniversaries happened last week - one I remembered and one I didn't. The one I remembered was my 22nd Wedding Anniversary on Saturday - so did MrVV & our parents too;

We decided on a day out together - we headed to Norwich for a mix of essential shopping for both of us and a rather scrummy Italian lunch too. We paused a while to watch some brilliant buskers;

They were called the He Hews and you can find them on Facebook & You Tube - brilliant musicians and excellent entertainers too :) We stood for a while listening and jiggling along to the music - the temptation to dance almost won!

2 new to me things to share with you - I'm quite into trying new recipes at the moment and attempting some new to me skills as well. First one a simple chicken puff recipe I found in magazine - I cheated and used ready made puff pastry - I've never been any good at making it from scratch. Rather than waste any I just divided it into 4 hence the odd shapes - but let me tell you, they were tasty;

Pre-cooking - they didn't hang around long after they came out of the oven!!

 I am attempting to dry some of the lavender from the garden - I've left some for the bees but I want some to turn into lavender sachets to hang with my clothes.

Right this weeks Autumn Views - not much has changed really - however these pictures were taken on a sunny day over the weekend;

 No wildlife on here this time - there have been plenty of visitors just not when I was around!

And Vix - its not a tidy garden - trust me we could do with spending hours out there at the moment - its just that time/right weather haven't collided much recently.

Oh the other anniversary - the one I forgot - just the 3rd birthday of this little blog of mine.

Thank you to all who read/follow/comment or do all three.

Right the bread dough is done - off to make rolls.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

My minds gone blank :(

Good afternoon

Yep a blank mind ie. bloggers block :(

I just can't think of anything blog worthy to write about :(

The crafting projects I'm working on need to remain secret until they've gone to their new owners. 

The charity shops have turned nothing up at all - no vintage bargains and theres not been the slightest hint of a Ladybird book in months :(

I have been busy - mainly spring cleaning but that's not worthy of any photos.

Even photo opportunities have been no existent - I've not even started on the Scavenger Hunt this month - in a normal month I'd be half way through the list.

Hoping this lifts soon - off to see if blogland can inspire me!

xxx Vicki xxx

Out & About

Good evening

Sorry I've been quiet this past week - I've not really done much that is blog worthy. Lots of sitting around, reading, a bit of crochet and lots of listening to the radio.  The best bit has been when friends and family have called round for a natter - that's the bit I'm missing most, getting out and seeing people.

One visitor was my friend who runs the S&B group - she brought with her a card (full of cheeky messages) and a gorgeous bunch of flowers;

Of course last week saw the boys go back to school. That didn't go entirely smoothly - little son developed a nasty ear infection which meant a trip to the doctors and him missing his first day of  high school. He managed the other 3 days of school last week - dosed up and by Friday night he was shattered. Luckily after lots of sleep and rest this weekend, he's finally on the mend, if slightly deaf in one ear. 

The highlight of the weekend for me, was leaving the house! We've hired a wheelchair and Sunday afternoon we finally had time to get out and use it. We headed to Aldeburgh and eventually found a suitable parking space and I got my first taste of sea air in ages. The menfolk all took turns to push - of course I knew that trusting big son wasn't a good idea - it was definitely hairy at times as we lurched towards walls and kerbs - however he had more control that he let on and survived the trip unscathed.  We even stopped by the boating pond for an ice cream.

 Trust me - there were loads of pretty model yachts being sailed - I just managed not to photograph any of them!! Beside the yacht pond is a statue of a dog - this is in memory of 2 doctors who served the town many years ago. Its been stolen a few times but the town have always raised funds to replace it. Here's little son and Snooks together;

 

Well if going out once wasn't exciting enough - I've been out today too. Back to the hospital for a modification to my cast - I can now stand using both legs - though I still my crutches to walk and can't walk with my bad foot down - that is something that will come eventually.

There are so many lovely swaps going on in blogland at the moment and I've been sorely tempted but have resisted as I have no idea how mobile I'll be for a while. I was signed up for one swap before the accident (the autumn one) - my lovely swap partner Dawn @ Rattling On has been very patient and understanding with me. I'm slowly getting sorted with that one and we're aiming to swap towards the end of the month. 

Birthday swap ladies - you will get your parcels but they may be a bit late - depends on when I can find someone to push me about around the sort of shops I like to visit. MrVV is wonderful but I don't think he's up to dealing with swap parcels!!

Right - off for a catch up with bloggy news.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx