Happy New Year.....

I hope you all have a lovely evening seeing in 2012.

I'm staying in tonight as always...... working tomorrow so it will be a quiet night with a take away as a special treat.

I for one will be glad to see the back of 2011 as it's not been an easy year........ I look forward to welcoming 2012 & hope it brings better things!!!

Have fun what ever you do

Merry Christmas

Have a great day

It's nearly time......

Thank you for all your kind comments about Teddy....... he's taking his pills (with the help of tuna!) like a good boy so hopefully his blood pressure will go down by our next visit in the new year.

So the BIG day is nearly here....... I used to love Christmas eve as a child....... The Wizard Of Oz was a must!!

What do you love about Christmas???

My favourite things:

*Christmas music

*Christmas dinner with all the trimmings plus a bottle of real coca cola!

*Closing the door on Christmas eve & spending time with OH & Teddy!

Hope you have a fun filled Christmas eve

Poor old Teddy

After a lovely weekend off I braced myself for a busy week working, wrapping, buying etc.

Today I took Ted to the vets for his yearly check up &  get some flea treatment...... little did we know what would happen next!!!

Teddy was born in 1995 so getting old......... the vet gave him a good going over & discovered he is going blind possibly due to high blood pressure. He needs to have his blood pressure taken but he was so stressed out the vet didn't want to do it. He also has a touch of arthritis in his left hip. She took some blood because she thought he had liver & kidney failure but thankfully that came back all clear.

All this for a check up!!!! 

He has some blood pressure tablets which she hopes will stop the blindness & will need to go in for a whole day in the new year :(

1/2 hour of my time & £85 worse off!!!! We better make the most of this Christmas as it could be his last :(

I've been busy making gifts & will be back soon to show you..... this is my final day off before the BIG day...... so much to do!!!!

Hope you all enjoy the build up!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

What do you think?

It's only me & OH so I don't go over the top but I think it look festive! Can you spot my lovely new deer hanging in the middle?...... it was an early gift from my friend :) 

As you can see the cats with pudding are here again! I've had these for so long & look forward to getting them out.

Also my new curtains...... a bargain from LA at only £17.50!!!

My mantle piece is too full this year for my neon tree so it found a new home in the plant stand!

And the tree!!!

I was planning on getting a real one this year but with no car it's very difficult....... I think my retro white tree looks just as nice..... cheaper & kinder!

Looking forward to seeing your decorations 

I'll be doing a Christmas giveaway over on Facebook soon ..... pop over & say hello.

Advent Calendar

Teddy's loving his advent calendar!!!

It's the Make, Do and Mend Christmas party tomorrow night........ we're making Christingles!!!

November 2011

November was a busy month but at least I found some time to post!

Only 1 month of 2011 left......... time to get that tree up me thinks!!!

Welcome to the 1940's!

Back in September my parents took me to Castle Drogo for their 1940's event..... it was the first time we'd visited even though it's very close. It did not disappoint!!!

I have lost some of my photo's due to the computer change so all the outside & Dig For Victory seem to have disappeared..... but fear not I have loads of the inside of the house!!!

WARNING........ this post contains a lot of photo's!!!

We were greeted by an American solider with a wartime jeep..... now lucky mum had her stick because he gave us a lift to the house..... me in the bum seat waving to everyone! I would like to add I was in full 1940's dress...... not many people dressed up :(

The entrance fee is not cheap so be warned but even my parents agreed it was money well spent.

The beautiful dining room fire place

The detail of the chairs

The butlers kitchen...... lovely taps!

The butlers parlour...... love this fire!

Just look at that lampshade!!!

The servant would sleep here if they were on call during the night

Very modern shower...... this was not for the servants!!!

Beautiful kitchen

oh look it's Potato Pete!

Kitchen bin

The cosy air raid shelter.

In one of the bedrooms they had a large collection of make do and mend things...... well it would be rude not to take lots of photo's!!

And on to my favourite room...... this room was dedicated to their son who lost his life in WW1

He never lived here as the house build stopped during the war & it was said his parents never got over his death.....you can find out more about the history of the house here

Not a great photo's but I love this hat!

The view from the drawing room & bedrooms

In the chapel I found this

I've always wanted to go to Thiepval 

The restaurant was packed & very expensive..... mum had the good sense to bring a picnic so we retired to the grounds in the beautiful autumn sunshine. 

It was a lovely day out & I recommend it to everyone..... if you love Downton Abbey this is the place for you!!!

Hope they do it again next year!

Catch up soon

All The Fun Of The Fair

Wow...... Crikey was amazing!!!

I hope you enjoyed it if you came........ with nearly 1300 visitors through the door it was my best fair to date!

Can you see me???

It was so busy I didn't get time to take any photo's :(

This was my view 

Then we had the pleasure of these lovely people

ooohhh I love a good sing song & now I've learnt a new dance to go with Run Rabbit Run..... you've been warned!!!

The fair was also in aid of the Women's Land Army..... there was a lovely display of goodies.... shame you couldn't buy them but I did get some lovely Christmas cards, just wish I brought the plain cards too :(

If you'd like to find out more click here

My best seller????

My Mistletoe brooches sold like hot cakes on the day!!!

Even Teddy was getting into the vintage spirit!

He wasn't keen hence the blurred photo!!!!

My Internet is hit & miss at the moment so I can't catch up with you all over breakfast..... sorry I'll keep trying!

Have a good week

Crikey.....

I'm off to the fair!!!

Come & say hello 

Spicy Lunch

oohhh get me doing 2 posts in one week!!!!

Since I started in Laura Ashley I find I'm hungry all the time! In Habitat a sandwich would fill me up but now I find myself wanting something hot for lunch..... maybe it's all the stairs I have to tackle.

I'm not a great lover of soup,  reminds me of the 0 points soup I used to make when I was on WW..... dull & tasteless. So I brought a few Innocent veg pots, I find them really yummy & filling ,they're great when I'm going out straight from work...... I don't have time to eat before Make, Do and Mend!.... but at nearly £4 a time it ain't cheap!

Yesterday I found a recipe in the November County Living for kale, chorizo & butter bean soup, as I love all these things I gave it a go.....

I had a small bowl for lunch & it was lovely..... I'm rubbish in the kitchen but I can say this is one of the best things I've made.

I still had enough for 4 lunches...... all that for under £4! I've frozen 2 for next week, I just hope they taste as nice de frosted.

I's easy peasy if you want to give it a go

The County Living photo is better then mine!!

Enjoy!