"All Done", "Trimmed Up" and "Ready".

Working in retail you get to chat to the customers
and this  past week I've been asked if I'm "all done"

 "trimmed up" and  "ready" for Christmas!

Well, I've filled scales with baubles and fairy lights

and hung new baubles on the tree,

 spent an hour studding oranges with cloves to go on the "penguin" plate,

 sprinkled  glitter on the gingerbread house and 

 hyacinth bulbs have been planted up in antique moulds. 

 We spent an afternoon gluing cookie cutters together
to make a wreath and  added some jingle bells, 

I've posted cards, wrapped  presents,
  iced the Christmas cake, done the "big shop"
filled jars with sweets and hung stockings.....

So yes I think I am

 "all done, "trimmed up" and "ready" for Christmas!

Are you??

Hope you all have a  merry Christmas
 and a very  happy and healthy new year.

Lucey x

A Very Special Parcel

I love it when the postman knocks on the door and you know he has a very special parcel for you.

One that you've waited patiently for.....and when it's opened you'll cherish  forever.

On Wednesday such a parcel arrived,

 I very gently opened the box  and nestled inside 

a mound of tissue paper was

 "The Perfect Disguise" 

The lovely Julie Arkell had an exhibition at Ruthin centre and I saw this creature and fell in love with her, she's
 "practically perfect in every way"
 as Mary Poppins would say,

 and is the perfect partner for  "Pretending to be someone else" .....friends forever.

There was also a new red watch
"Tic Toc"
right time twice a day!

"The Perfect Disguise" is numbered 49 and Julie wrote,

49, week 31

The Perfect Disguise.

Have wanted to use this lovely

 red cloak for ages, then the right

creature came along.

I feel like Santa arrived a week early......yippeeeeeee

Today we bought oranges to go in the toe of stockings, placed all the presents under the tree, iced the Christmas cake and had mince pies and mulled wine at the carol concert.......

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Lucey x

Tearoom's

I do like a nice tearoom and if you haven't yet been then you must!!

On Thursday we went to Stokesley for lunch at 

"Lotti's Voluptous Delights".

There was a sprinkling of Christmas outside the shop,

  little trees with twinkling lights were  set in vintage crates,

and the door wreath had teacups tied on it,

"Baby it's cold outside".

Inside we were taken to our table in the window that was filled with hand made cushions and the light  fittings all had lovely old lampshades on them.

We ordered  warm  brie and cranberry sandwiches and had a huge slice of salted caramel cake mmmm.....

Just a short bike ride from where we live there's another tea room opened,

"Glady's vintage tearoom"

which is all done out in 1940's style.

They open early for breakfast, we tried the "Tally Ho" which was lovely  and popped back another day for tea and cake which was served on lovely old china, just what we needed after a  bike ride.

Girls on the next table had the afternoon tea and  a 3 tier cake stand was filled with sandwiches, scones and cake which looked delicious....maybe next time!!

Have you got any nice tearooms to share?

Lucey x

Sparkle

 Stitching and sewing, painting and creating, Lynn from "Sea Angels" blog, makes the most wonderful fairytale things you can ever  imagine.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading her blog when I saw she had sewn onto an old hanky a beautiful scene which she was going to make into Christmas cards. No sooner had I left a comment saying how lovely the cards were than a parcel arrived through the letterbox.

The envelope in itself was a work of art and inside were 4 of the loveliest cards, all tied up with  gossamer ribbon.

Each of the cards had a different saying typed on the front, and just a hint of glitter.

and even the envelopes "sparkled" 

Not sure if I can bear to part with them, maybe I'll thread them onto ribbon and make a garland!

 Thank you Lynn I love them. x

Sadly

Sadly on Monday our lovely Mam passed away in the Hospice.

  Mam went into hospital and we were told she  had just days left to live after being diagnosed with ovarian  cancer. We brought her home she fought for six weeks having many "good" days and many "bad" days but always with a smile on her face.

We laughed and cried and had  lots of special times and made happy memories.

Rather than just letting her body go to waste Mam has kindly donated her body to medical science in the hope that one day there will be a cure for cancer.

A very brave Lady...My Mam  XXX

Giveaway....I've Won!

When I saw that Viv of "Hens Teeth" fame was having a giveaway for a beautiful brooch I left a comment saying how much I'd love  to win then then forgot all about it.

(picture from Hens Teeth)

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win but the next day there was a message for me to say I'd won....

I was over the moon...

Having given Viv my address she posted "Clara" off to me,

 she arrived the next day with a postcard, all beautifully packaged in a "penguin story" bag stitched with red cotton.....

I couldn't have been happier had I won the lottery!!

As you all know I love brooches and I'm rarely seen without one, yesterday Clara went shopping with me and today we're off to a barbeque....

Thank you so much Viv, I'm a very happy bunny....

Love Lucey XX

The Postie Called Twice

Phew, it's been another scorcher of a day here and I'm lovin' it!!

I managed to get all the washing dried on the line, makes such a difference doesn't it drying washing outside, it comes in smelling all fresh and I need to iron it straightaway then  wash day is over and done with in a day.

The Postie called at the door twice, first with some gorgeous tins from Millie and Dottie's Emporium,

the digestive biscuit tin was given free back in the days of "His Majesty The King"

The little orange tin held children's cough pastilles... both were wrapped in green tissue paper and string  with a charming post card.

The second parcel come from Cath Kidson, 

I'd ordered some files to keep all my snippets and knitting patterns in,

two are flowered and two have budgies on and they're ever so "tweet"!!

And also a writing set (I do love a letter through the post) 

and the best bit was they were all in the sale.

The third parcel I had to collect from the GPO as I was out yesterday,

remember the lovely old "Boots" First Aid Case I got? it now holds a blue "eye wash" glass and a bandage that I got from MY Vintage World in Thirsk, a first aid booklet and some safety pins, it still needs a few more bits to fill it up.

As my Uncle would say, "segwaying" slightly, I've knit 2 poppy brooches for a friend, I think these are to be sold at a fair, 

sewn a tiny dress on linen to make into a brooch,

and managed  6 honeycombs out of the millions I need to make a blanket!!

I think that's going to be a looooong job.......

Lucey X

Flying a Kite

My lovely skirt made from a piece of Sanderson fabric that I got from Hope and Elvis studio, with a pocket on the front to hold a hankie,

it just needed a bit of lace and a few buttons sewing onto it and maybe a bird or two to pretty it up and it's ready to wear on a sunny day.

I just need to sort out a brooch,

 I think it's a sailing a boat, fishing for tiddlers and flying a kite kind of day.

Long Summer days are the best.......

Anyone got any plans for the weekend?

Lucey X

Vintage Pop Up Shop

On Sunday we tootled down to Thirlby in Yorkshire to visit, 

where everything was set out beautifully by Jackie and  Sarah.
Lots of old items for the kitchen,

a garland made from hankies, lace and post cards, a lovely idea,

sweet little green cupboard,
as soon as I'd snapped a pic of it  a lovely lady bought it for her kitchen.

This pretty blue hut was outside, it would make a lovely hideaway at the bottom of the garden for spending warm Summer nights in......

 This lovely old "Quality Street"sweet jar had to come home with me to go beside my scales, as well as a big glass jelly mould and an a "Boots first aid case" to go with my collection.

After a cuppa and a cake all set out on little tables with embroidered tablecloths and china we set off down the road to Sowerby " open gardens", I do love a nosey round other peoples gardens and we weren't dissapointed.

They all had perfectly manicured lawns, bulging borders,

seating areas to catch the sunshine and a summerhouse to sit and enjoy the garden,

beautiful blowsy poppies growing beside the roses,

even the log store looked lovely filled up ready to be burned on winter fires.

We enjoyed another cuppa and bought a few plants before setting off home to light the barbecue and have a glass of wine....

The perfect way to spend a Sunday in June.

Lucey X