Wedding Anniversary

This is a bit of a "show and tell" post so let's start with a day out in Corbridge  to celebrate our wedding anniversary. 

First stop was the lovely  RE, we visited a few weeks ago and just had to go again as there was so much to see,

love these cakes that were actually candles, I think they're far too nice to light, it was one of those "shall I or not" buys and now I wish I had. (maybe we'll have to visit again!!) 

There were trays of tin mugs,

and  "brown betty" teapots,

assorted glass jelly moulds,

and some lovely pieces of green milk glass. (Should have bought the jug aswell!)

I would have liked a pair of these wooden stockings to make a Christmas display but at £40 each they were a tad too pricey, I think they might have originally been to display socks in a gentleman's outfitters??

My dad was a master butcher and used to have loads of these tickets so I've started to collect them just for old times sake, when dad retired everything was sold off, wish I'd kept loads of things from the shop now!!

We sat on a bench  in the warm sunshine eating our picnic as I hate to spend half the day sitting in crowded cafes waiting for food to arrive when I could be enjoying the scenery,

A few goodies I bought were an "assorted jellies" sign, one of the butchers price tickets, some lovely brown paper table runner, a nice big yellow duster, reindeer fire lighters and some red string for hanging baubles on the Christmas tree....quite an odd assortment but that's RE!

In the Antiques shop next door I saw this lovely old "Wild Woodbines Cigarettes" box  to display my old cigarette packets in which leads me onto" Pickering war weekend" that we attended a couple of weeks ago.

It's a lovely weekend that everybody "enters into the spirit of" getting dressed up in their furs and suits, displaying vintage vehicle, prams and bikes...and this is ours...

Mr Lucey has spent the last year doing it up...

It was a complete wreck when we got it but after many hours of "blood, sweat and nearly tears" it's finally done up "in all it's glory" just like the one my dad would have rode when he was an errand boy, complete with a sign that reads "P. Kinnersley, Family Butcher"....my dad. x

"Lad's 'n dad's!

"mum's 'n son's"

"shopping for groceries"

Lucey x

Kirsty Elson Townhouse

A couple of weeks ago I asked the lovely Kirsty Elson to make me one of her "houses" to hang on the Christmas tree and when I got home from work yesterday the postie had delivered it.

Inside the box was the most lovely  house I ever did see, three stories high with a little red door just perfect for Christmas.

Love, love, love it!!

Kirsty is such a clever sausage she collects driftwood and rusty nails and makes the most gorgeous pieces, pop over and have a look when you have a mo, Kirsty Elson designs.

I called into Morrisons and got these lovely heathers at the weekend to fill the basket on the bike, I love the pinky, purply,  mauvy combination of colours at this time of year,

and I  knit a new bunting  as the other one had faded in the sun, I couldn't decide if I should  give the old bike a fresh coat of paint or leave it as it is.

Rummaging in the drawers I come across a cloth that had a neat little darn in the middle so out come the needle and thread to stitch a few words on it,

"the children were nestled"

"stockings were hung"

"night before Christmas"

I don't think it needs much more than that as it's not a very big cloth....well there might just be a little mouse!!

Lucey xx

One man's junk....

 

When we saw a sign saying "Antique and Collectors" fair in the local college yesterday we thought we'd call in.

 

Most of the stalls should say "rubbish that you wouldn't throw  in the bin is for sale here" ha ha, but occasionally you find a "gem" amongst them,

 

 

this is Julie's stall," The Cloth Shed", and it's full of lovely things, some from France.

 

I found some mustard   Kate Forman fabric  to make into an autumnal skirt,

 

 

and a pretty piece of printed cloth "enjoy the day"!

 

 

 

The blue John Bull puncture repair outfit tin was from another stall and will go in the bag on my bike, not that I'd have the faintest idea how to mend a puncture should I get one, but it will look the part!!

 

 

More loveliness from  "The Cloth Shed"( Julie has a blog of the same name)

 

 

On another  stall I found some lovely little glasses with hunting scenes on,

 

 

 

 two tiny port or sherry? glasses, and a gorgeous stemmed jug that I'll fill with fresh cream to pour over the mince pies this Christmas. I did see mince pies on the shelves in the supermarket this week but in my book it's far too early to be eating Christmas goodies.....

 

 

 

 

 while I was rummaging I found this pipe and cigarette packet for £2 each,

and   finally.....

 

 

 

a large white linen pillowcase with a tiny initial "E" sewn on the top....bargain of the day for only a pound.

 

 

One man's rubbish is another man's treasure!!

 

Lucey xx

 

 



Best In Show

 

In the winter months Mr Lucey's hobby changes from tinkering with bikes to wine making (and drinking)!!

 

The Elderflower wine he made last year is absolutely lovely so he decided to enter a bottle at Stokesley show on Saturday.

 

We were up bright and early and arrived there along with everyone else to display the bottles and then hopped back in the car to drop me off at work.

 

Fast forward a few hours later and we were back at the show to see the results

 

"WOW"

 

were we delighted, as not only had the Elderflower wine won First  Prize  but was chosen as "Best in Show"

 

 

 

 

I went off to collect the trophy while Mr Lucey chatted with the other entrants

 

 

 

and there was just enough time for a photo before we headed back home to do a bit of wine tasting ourselves, hick, hick!!

Lucey x

 



Jelly Moulds

 

After seeing some "jelly mould" lights for sale in a shop I decided to make some,  when I say "I" what I really mean is  "my nephew who is an electrician" made them for me!!

 

 

He gave me a list for a few bits and pieces that we'd need and popped round one afternoon last week to make and wire them up for us and after a bit of "drilling and wiring" an hour or two later  they were up.

 

 

 

 

 

They're lovely and  bright and we probably could have just had one  on each side but  as I have a large collection of moulds I thought we'd go for two.

 

 

 

These are some of my  moulds that I usually have dotted about the kitchen,  now it's darker it's time to draw the curtains and light some candles so I thought use some of the glass moulds,

 

 

 

 

 I got these battery operated tea lights from Poundland ( 4 lights for a pound) much safer than lit candles  with 3 dogs mooching about the room

 

 

 

and they look good turned upside down with the lights underneath

and  they give off a nice warm glow.

 

 

 

I saw some knickerbocker glory glasses filled with vanilla scented candles today I might have to have one or two for the kitchen windowsill....upcycling at it's very best!

 

Lucey xx

 

 



Cottage In The Town

 

 

 Mr sunshine is just lurking behind the clouds and I'm still in my pj's pottering about so I thought I'd show you what we've been doing.

First we decorated the snug, one wall has the CK roses wallpaper on and the rest  are painted white, I love the wallpaper it really brightens the room up and on a night it feels all cosy with candles lit 

 

 

which was just  the look I was after in this little room at the top of the house!.

 

 

 

The crinoline ladies were cut from an old tablecloth and  stuck  into the box frames that I already had and  I found some new postcards for the big frame,

 

 

 

 

 

 I have loads of lovely postcards so I stuck some along the top of the door frames

 

 

 

 

it's a good way to display them  and I can  change them with the seasons.

 

 

 

The shelf belonged to my sister and was pine so I gave it a couple of coats of white paint and found some nice things to display on it and got a new carpet laid,

 

 

 

 

 

 

the house martins were nesting just above the doors and you could hear them chirping and hear the bells from the church down the road......sounds like a cottage in the country doesn't it.....I wish!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to paint the staircase it seemed like a never ending job as I painted all 66 spindles!!

 

 

 

We were  desperate for a new carpet and I fancied a patterned one this time

 

and with the new peg rail in place that was  another room ticked off the list!!

 

 

 

 Finally it was the bedroom's turn, 

 

I got the CK roses  bedding  but instead of wallpaper we decided to paint the wall behind the bed blue and the other 3  white and I'm really pleased with how everything's turned out,

 

 

 

cosy "eidy" at the bottom of the bed ready for the chilly nights,

 

 

 

a little bit of  seaside going on here

 

 

 

en suite in the corner of the room,

 and the other side

 

 

 

 now I'm just waiting for the electrician to turn these jelly moulds into bedside lights and I think I'm done.....for now!!

 

 

Lucey x

 

 

 

 



Blue Sugar Bags

 

Usually just as the kids go back to school Mr sunshine makes an appearance for a couple of weeks after being indoors for most of the school holidays, but not so this year.

 

Just for a change he's been out every day for at least a couple of months, the kids are "brown as berries" as my old nan used to say and we've been able to have days out, picnics and bike rides without the obligatory cardys, wellies and umbrellas filling our bags!

 

 

We spent a day cycling into York (after parking in the park and ride) where a couple of my favourite shops are, "Ramshambles" sells gorgeous wools and I picked up a few hanks of  "blue faced Leicester" for some Christmas presents I want to knit.

 

 

 

 

This is the first of a pair of cushions, I'm reversing the colours for the other one,

 

 

 

 

 

 and this is a sneaky peek of a scarf to slip into my sisters stocking!

 

 

 

Further down the shambles is "Flax and twine" which to be honest doesn't look much from the outside but   the back of the shop is  filled to the rafters with all things vintage.....just up my street!!

 

 



 

 

"something for everyone"

 

 

 

"from days gone by"

 

 

 

hidden on these shelves were some treasures that had to come home with me,

 

 

 

I love these little blue sugar bags holding 8oz of sugar, just imagine the grocers shelves full of paper bags and packets....

and a mixed silver paper bag from a bank...there were no plastic way back then,

 

 

 

and an old brown paper carrier with string handles that I''ve hung on my new peg rail in the hall,

 

they were the days.....

 

Lucey x

 

PS sorry to mention the "C" word in September but it's never too early to start knitting!!