Protest, thankyou & balls!!

Afternoon

All peaceful here - boys busy with technology and avoiding being asked to tidy their rooms and MrVV is watching the rugby. Am happy to watch England play but can't quite muster the same enthusiasm if its the others - sorry to my Scots, Welsh, Irish, Italian and French readers. A good win last night wasn't it :)

This morning started bright and early for a Saturday - no hanging around in pj's till lunchtime for little son and I - we were off to peacefully protest!! Oh yes our County Council wants to save money and close lots of our libraries here in Suffolk - s'ok they say there will still be some - oh but btw we are making cuts to the local rural bus service too so you'll need to allow a whole day just to change your books!! Enough to turn a girl to drink except they also want to close our wonderful recycling centre - making it a 50 mile round trip to get rid of anything they don't collect.

Our little town can sometimes be said to be apathetic so it was wonderful so see a big turn out of supporters - over 200;

Another meeting is planned for March 5th and little son and I shall both be there.

Yesterday morning I was feeling a bit down and sore - I'd spent a few hours on Thursday in hospital having a minor 'girlie' trip to the day surgery unit. There was a knock at the door and there stood my friend the postman with a parcel for me. It was my giveaway win from Em @ Garden Peas and Fleas - it was from her Banish the Winter Blues Giveaway;

Lots of shiny blue parcels and a card - all for me :)

Look what was inside - gorgeous fabric, pencils, notebook, CK tissues, chocolate, crochet cloths, a Yankee tart and also;

These sweet little brooches - I shall be wearing them lots, so pretty.

Look at this little sparkly fairy soap that Em made - she reminds of of a Lalique treasure.

Thank you Em - it arrived just at the right time and certainly hit the spot :)

Whilst watching the rugby last night I finished knitting another purse to be felted. After sewing the ends in I was left with some yarn. Being a fan of waste not / want not I needed to do something with these pieces. I've spent some time at the kitchen sink armed with a bar of soap (not my pretty one) and have turned the offcuts into little felted balls - not enough to do much with at the moment but hopefully eventually there will be enough for a bracelet;

Right - I'd best get one. Got a sister coming in a little while - she wants some sewing doing and then I ought to get sorted as we're planning a trip to the cinema to see the Kings Speech tonight.

Thank you to all who've asked after the family - MrVV & the boys are doing ok - though there is obviously a dread about the funeral on Monday, they are dealing with things in their own very matter of fact way - rather like my FIL would have done. Oh yes I can see FIL in MrVV (have been able to do so for a long while) and now the traits are coming through in Little Son too. Big son is more like my Dad - similar deep voice and warped sense of humour.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Sometime last week.....

Good evening

One afternoon early last week (before that news), I spent the afternoon with my SIL in Southwold. We had a lovely wander around the shops, browsing (me) and spending lots (her). I introduced her to my favourite little shop there - Ann Brewster's - which has an increasingly excellent range of CK lovelies. She had a big spend on pretties for herself and her daughter. I was good ;) and just bought a couple of little items that I'd seen online and knew I needed!! I've also spotted a bag I NEED for my birthday next month!!

I love her badges - I have quite a few now and I must say they even survive the wash quite often!!

I was pleased to find this thread tin in stock - I've needed something pretty to store my embroidery threads in - much easier now to find the colour I want.

Last week also produced some excellent CS finds;

A vintage travel scrabble set - just needs a pretty little bag to store the tiles in - otherwise its perfect. It shall end up in our camping box eventually.

A mother cute terrier and her 2 babies. I seem to be drawn now to dog ornaments - odd considering I'm really quite scared of dogs!

Some pretty vintage linen table cloths - the pink one is particularly lovely and I shall use it to cover the tables when I have stalls. The white one is rather small - not sure what to do with that yet.

Right for the first time in ages I have the house to myself - bliss. Off for an uninterrupted soak in the bath.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx



Thank you xx

Thank you for all your lovely messages on my last post - means a lot that so many people have taken the time to comment. I thought I would reply to your all individually but the list has got rather longer than I could ever cope with and I didn't want to miss anyone out.

I thought I would give up blogging until after the funeral but after a family chat over the weekend, we've decided to keep things as 'normal' as possible - meaning the boys will be out doing their hobbies this week (2/3 of the menfolk are at band practise tonight), MrVV has to keep working (downside of being your own boss) and the same goes for my BIL & his family - MIL agrees that this is the best way. Therefore as blogging is one of my hobbies I ought to carry on with it.

The boys had a home day on Friday which I think they benefited from - despite their often differences and arguments, they are really good friends and they were support for each other and company for me that day, as MrVV was out from very early.

Most of the weekend has just gone past in a whirl of phone calls, decisions to be made and the usual stuff that needs doing each weekend. I've started knitting another 'thing' to be felted - will probably end up as a purse for me. The first one was given to one of my sisters over the weekend and she was thrilled with it.

One thing I did notice tonight - is was still almost light @ 5pm - add that to the green shoots and snowdrops that are growing fast in my borders and you can really feel that spring is in the air - or just a tiny hint of it. I never got round to doing the RSPB Garden Bird survey over the weekend but spent a little time today watching the comings and goings of my feathered visitors - definite increase in activity and by the looks of it, early nest building is happening too.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

1935-2011

When I started writing my blog I decided to keep it as honest and open as I dare. This is why today I've to write a 2nd time about losing a loved one.

My FIL passed away this morning after a long battle with illness over the past few months. We thought he was winning but in the last week or so it became apparent that he wasn't. It was still such a shock to get a call early this morning asking MrVV to go to the hospital - even then we didn't realise the end was so soon.

I had to do the hardest thing tonight and tell my boys when they got in from school and it wasn't nice and its horrid to see those you love hurt so much.

I am going to take a little blogging break for a week or so till after the funeral.

xxx Vicki xxx

Up the apples & pears

Good evening

Well that's day one of the week almost over - blink and it will be the weekend again!!

Today was good - another physio appointment in Aldeburgh. I caught the bus and as I'd time to spare I thought I'd get off in town and have a look around - distinct lack of bargains in their one & one charity shop. Never mind it was good to look around. So off I headed to the little cottage hospital - up the town steps;

Pausing half way up to take a picture.

View from the top over the houses and out to sea

When the boys were small they used to count the steps as they climbed - they never could agree how many there were - and I forgot to count today!!

Good news - there is an improvement in my ankle and even better news I've got to go back in 3 weeks time.

Rewind to the weekend and in particularly Saturday. I had to go into town with little son as he needed a haircut - for someone with long hair he has lot of these. Afterwards we decided to pop in and see my sister in the charity shop so he could say thank you for his birthday pressie. Whilst in there just for a look we found;

3 more Ladybird books for my collection

A skirt for me - just what I wanted - I'd been eyeing up ones in Fat Face & White Stuff but this Monsoon one was far far cheaper and a perfect fit.

For my birthday last year I was given a dolls house - I've just started to collect things to go in there - this ex-display bathroom was a bargain - initially £10 it had been reduced to a fiver & by Saturday it was just £2.50!

A dresser for the dolls house too - I have the perfect tiny tea set to go on there once the rooms are decorated.

Little son also managed to find 3 James Bond books - I think we were the best customers of the morning!!

Over the weekend I finished my felted purse - rather pleased with this. I've ordered some more yarn in different colourways as I think I might like one for myself too;

I couldn't decide how to sew the sides up - I opted for one row of blanket stitch in a single colour with another over the top in 4 different colours to match. I put the zip in before I stitched the sides up - this definitely was a good idea - though this was quite an easy zip to battle with.

Peace and quiet here today (almost) little son & MrVV are at band practise and big son is battling monsters in cyber space. I think I shall take myself off to the front room, find some mindless tv as a background noise and start something else for my stall.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Sunshine & surprises

Good evening

Wow another sunny day - cold but sunny. I can see in the borders that the daffs and other bulbs are really coming through thick and fast now. I know we're 2 months away from the official start of spring but these little signs make me hopeful that longer days and less clothing are just around the corner.

When I got back from my CS shift yesterday there was a parcel waiting on my desk. It took me a few moments to remember that it was a recent giveaway win - from Gill the Vintage Gardener. She had a giveaway recently to celebrate her first blog birthday and I was the lucky first name out of the hat. It was a lovely fat parcel and inside there were loads of lovelies;

A felt Stanley(which I shall be hiding from visiting small nieces), some vintage linens (these were wrapped around some of the parcels), some wonderful tags that are just gorgeous, a bookmark, a pretty pin cushion and a picture that is truly lovely. I need to get MrVV to put the picture up in my sewing room this weekend - I love having reminders of blog friends around me whilst I work. Thank you Gill very much :)

I finished knitting with my felting yarn - it ended up making a reasonable sized piece;

(Before)

(After)

I think it will be big enough to turn into a purse once it has fully dried out, had some decoration added and I've battle with putting a zip in!!

As I said at the beginning today has been a sunny one here in Suffolk and this morning I decided to see how sunny it was - the test - getting a load of washing dry on the line outside!!

It worked - here's hoping there's many more line drying days coming up - I love the smell of line dried washing - just have to be careful I sniff a pile of clean shirts rather than a heap of freshly washed boxer shorts!!

Right - back to sewing - having fun with felt & buttons tonight

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Burst of colour, spring and bargains

Good evening

What a difference a day makes - yesterday was grey, wet & soggy - today was warm, sunny and lovely.

Perfect for getting out and about and also taking pics of some recent CS finds.

My favourite find recently was a huge selection of vintage cotton reels in a range of lovely colours;

Not quite sure what I will do with all of them - I think I might add some to forthcoming stalls - even if they just provide a splash of colour.  The bowl they are in was a CS bargain too - just £3;

I had a great find last week when I was working - I've been after curtains for our bedroom for ages but  its rare to get 2 matching pairs come in. These were on the rails and I had to have them - another bargain @ just £6.50! They need altering and lining but I've got a little while as decorating isn't planned till at least Easter.

My MIL has been sorting out things in her new house - she's been dropping a few items with me that she's thought I'd like - this week its been;

A little vintage leather suitcase - perfect for displaying things at fairs - just needs a little TLC inside first though.

To late for yesterdays cake making but it will come in useful for another time - a fab Tala icing syringe in its original box - I think this was a wedding present many years ago.

As today was so lovely and almost spring like it, I had a look in my garden and was pleased to see plenty of life appearing in the borders;

Lots of the bulbs are ones that were bought last year, that flowered indoors before being planted out in the autumn. I added to their number today - couldn't resist a pot of tete-a-tete bulbs from outside our lovely florists;

I've promised myself that during 2011, I shall endeavour to make as many birthday presents as possible - something which is easier for my female relatives/friends than the men. At the end of the month its a sisters birthday and I've struggled with inspiration until today. I popped in to see my friend in her habbie shop and noticed a new range of yarn which can be felted. So I've cast on 40 stitches and shall knit to the end of the ball - hoping it will produce a shape large enough to be turned into a makeup bag/purse - only time will tell - I shall let you know how I get on;

Thank you for all the comments on little sons cake - I wish I could claim it as an original idea but its not - I 'borrowed' it from an explorer unit party that big son went to in the summer!! Oh and the big portions at the carvery - well apart from meat its a help yourself option - hence the lack of veggies on little sons plate - after all it was his birthday ;)

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx