The snowdrop walk...

It was the annual snow drop walk this afternoon so we wrapped up warmly and headed to Greatham to the hospital grounds

we followed the yellow brick road  winding round the trees

where we saw thousands and thousands of snowdrops,

swaying their pretty little heads in the breeze, what an amazing sight.

In among the snowdrops was ivy that climbed up the trees,

we went into St John the Baptist church where the foundations were laid in 1792,  and it had such lovely stained glass windows. Scattered around the walls the church warden had put some of his paintings up in a little exhibition.

As we were leaving we passed the almshouses in the grounds, what a lovely place to live.

The sheep were happily munching away in the next field as we made our way to the hall where the ladies had made sausage rolls, little coffee cup cakes and a much needed, to warm us up, cup of tea!!

It was well worth £2 and all the money raised goes to charity.

Love Lucey xxx



Happy 75th birthday Mam...

Today is my mam's 75th birthday and we couldn't celebrate such an occasion without a cake, as she can't eat fresh cream Julie made her her favourite rice cake. Mmmmm the outside is crunchilly delicious and the inside is moist and "ricey," we lit a couple of candles and  sang happy birthday to her.

A couple of months ago mam was watching Laurence Llewellyn Bowen in the afternoon on house gift and she saw this bronze "conker" made by artist Mark Hall  and she said "oh I'd love one of those" so we secretly  pooled together and got it for her.

Happy 75th  bithday Mam XXX

Thanks for leaving all the comments on the button post, I picked two out of the hat at random the first being Floss

and the second  is Country cottage chic

Please email me your addresses girls and  I'll post them out to you.

Bye for now

Love Lucey xx



The button box...

Buttons, buttons, buttons, any shape, size or colour, we love them all!!

When a cornish school appealed for vintage buttons so they could make bracelets to support the school they received a box donated by a dressmaker in her eighties. When they went through the box it was obvious it had never been tipped out and they could date the layers  of  buttons and rather than hide them away in the box the mothers made them into brooches, bracelets, rings, neclaces and hairbands and have not only given the buttons a new lease of life but have raised the school over £1000.

(Sorry about the quality of the pics but its a rainy grey afternoon)

How marvelous to think that 1. an old lady would give away her precious box of buttons and 2. some lucky people are now wearing beautiful jewellery.

This second article is labled "the button box" and it reads,

"My dream button box would contain as many beautiful and exquisite buttons as possible"

So I was thinking what would be in my dream button box??

I like the idea of old glass jars filled with rainbow coloured buttons, and I like buttons on cards displayed on cake plates but most of all I like mother of pearl buttons scattered in this very old music box that belonged to my dear old nan.

How do/would you like to display your buttons???

I'll make a brooch with one of my pearly buttons for the person with the best "button" comment.

The hurdy gurdy plays a beautiful tune but I don't know the name of it!!

Love Lucey xx

"Speedy" escapes...

"Speedy" is my daughter's pet tortoise and he's called speedy because he's so fast.

One minute he was in his "garden"  and the next he'd climbed over the fence and escaped!!

going... going ...gone....

And he's away.

I couldn't believe how quick he got out of there and then there was no stopping him, he speeds everywhere, I think I'll stick to my doggies!!

Love Lucey xx



Valentine swap goodies....

The lovely Tracy from mad about bags was my swap partner for the spread the bloggy love swap,  my gifts were all wrapped in red tissue paper

there was a gorgeous hand made envelope addressed to lemonade kitty and inside was a stitch kit can't wait to start sewing

a red   heart shaped plate, some tags and a pretty decorated  box containing heart shaped buttons and made with love charms,

a lovely candle in a glass jar I lit it last night and when the candles gone I'll be able to use it as a vase. Tracy had also made me  a lovely "heart" card

a heart shaped brooch that I wore on my grey woolie jumper today and some chocolate that dissapeared last night!!

Thank you very much Tracy I was delighted with my parcel (hope you liked yours) and thanks to Jackie from sew special bears for organising our swap.

Jackie's organising a "spring makes me sing"swap this time please join in as it's so much fun.

Love Lucey xxx

Happy valentines day...

A beautiful bunch of red tulips all for me!!

We shall be having a delicious 3 course meal with wine and choccies tonight (If I get down to M&S early enough!!!) to celebrate valentines day, back on the diet tomorrow. So far I've lost 10lbs and Mr Lucey has lost one and a half stones...well done, love you lots.

Happy Valentines Day

Love Lucey xx



This and that...

I've been off work this week, not doing anything in particular, just "this and that" tidying my craft room, looking after Alexa, and doing a spot of browsing on e bay.

I just had to buy this Cath Kidston needlecase it only cost £1.80 and it was brand new and still in the wrapper. 

I decided to make a "red" shelf in the armoire, I like  the red things   with the roses wallpaper

I also won a ladybird book I'd been after for a while,

"the nurse" was one of my favourites when I was a girl

this copy is in such good condition for its age.

Look what else I got, Mary Poppins is my favourite film ever so I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Tomorrow I'm going out for lunch with my mam and sister for a nice "girlie" day.

Bye for now,

Lucey xx

Flowers....

How gorgeous is this roses tin complete with hyacinth in it?

I knew I had the perfect spot for it,

right next to Alexa's baby picture.

 I think it will  be a pink bulb, should have read the label before I threw it in the bin!!

I can almost smell the perfume.....

It come with the pretty pink ribbon round it and there was another tin but with white roses on the front, wish I'd bought both now they were only £4 each.

I also bought this little posy for my Emma Bridgewater jug

I'm hoping I'll get my next flowers bought for me, red ones of course!!

Love Lucey

xx

PS I got them from M&S.

Spring's just round the corner....

I got some purple and yellow tulips at the weekend to go in the little "snug" at the top of the house,

flowers always make me feel so cheery, and so does a new magazine!!

Yesterday afternoon I sneaked an hour in the snug with a magazine and I read an article about a farmer called Kate Palmer who produces beautiful knitwear from her sheep.

I love this baby's set of a coat booties and shawl hand knitted in lambswool with apalaca, if only I had a babe to wrap them in

These are rare breed Leicester Longwool sheep and they produce soft, dence fleece, I can just imagine running my fingers through their wooly coats, I always think sheep have such sweet faces.

My pussy willow twigs I got in York are opening out, makes it feel like spring is around the corner

I love the way the tight brown velvet  buds turn into a beautiful  shade of green 

I'm the oposite way round to some people I like January, probrably because it's my birthday, but I don't like February as its bitterly cold and grey, just like today!!

Right must get myself off to work now,

Bye Lucey xx