Thrifting Treasures

Last week was really good for treasure hunting - I wasnt going to bother as have so much to do at the moment.

Wednesday we had to pop in to our local village (more like a small town and certainly not in the quaint catergory), we needed a few provisions and to collect my prescription.

Luckily with it being Wednesday it is the Bric A Brac market (this also sounds much much better than it really is ).

Think tat and cheap mobile phone chargers, lots of plastic toys and a jacket potato stall !!

Hubby loves to get down there as there is one hardware stall that has lots of great nails and screws (yawn) - turns out that this stallholder has started doing some bric a brac as well.

The tapestry above was in a huge wooden frame about 8 inches thick and the same thickness in dirt and grime - I could just about make out the colours and loved them so asked how much ?

£4 !!!! well I couldnt argue at that could I ?

The doilies and embroidered traycloth were from another local town on Thursday - we needed to pop to there to a hardware store for a trowel (yawn again) so I nipped my head into the charity shops - these were 25p for 4.


Cat toffee tin from Bric A Brac stall - 50p




Old Terry choclate box - just love the colous and thought it would look nice in my sewing cupboard behind the glass - 50p (on another bric a brac stall, in a box, full of rubbish under the table.


Beautiful cake plate - £2.50 from charity shop

I did have some other little finds as well - so not bad when I wasnt even looking.

How bad is this wind we've got ?!

Next doors have huge conifers and I'm hoping they dont end up in our garden but the way they are swaying I'm not so sure.

Doing well with to do list - time for it all to go pear shaped though :)

Quick Hello

I don't know where this week has gone again !

I think instead of writing "to do" list I am going to start writing "have done" lists - although I get loads done I never feel satisfied as there are stll 3 million things on my to do list.

This weeks list so far:

Need to get listing on ebay as need some money to celebrate my 4oth in March

I want to create a "happy wall" - photos that make me smile so need to sort through the photo box, scan them in, turn to black and white and then get printed in various sizes to match frames (which I havent got yet !)

I want to carry on with my crochet blanket.

My crochet scarf that is nearly completed is not pleasing me as a scarf - so i think I am going to unpick squares and join them to make xushion covers.

I've set myself a target of 3 blog posts this week (yeah right)

I have had to install my scanner software as it has stopped working (have done this just)

The PC needs defragging desperately

SPyware needs running

Daughters laptop needs sorting as its running as slow as I do for a bus !

Washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning shopping.

Wednesday I am having a naughty wisdom tooth out in hospital as it is side on , wrapped round a facial nerve and the bone needs drilling (lovely)

Crochet edgings round my thrifted pillowcases

Embroidery for my friend

SO not much then .......................................

Sorry its not an image filled post but I have only just sorted PC out - will leave you with my test scanned photo - me when I was 3 - probably the only picture you will get to see with me in as I hate photos of myself !!

Will try and post tomorrow with last thursdays thrift finds and crochet squares and blanket :)

Thrifting Finds

Thursdays are my day off - sometimes I think it is only Thursdays that keep me sane.
When I worked evenings when the munchkins were little - Thursdays were my worst day of the week - I had to be in work for 5pm apart from a Thursday when I had to be in at 1pm for a team leader meeting.Every week the meeting would be the same - nothing achieved, nothing sorted, just a long boring waste of time - so I dreaded Thursdays.

Now though, Thursdays are so lovely . As you may know we home educate the kids and its brilliant but I think we do need a break from each other sometimes.My Mom and Dad have the children (and the dog) down to their house on Thursdays, cook them a lovely dinner and I think they all enjoy it. Kids get fussed over, Mom gets someone to fuss over and Dad gets a break from Mom fussing over him !!They do take some work with them to do in the morning but I think spending time with Grandparents is just as educational and important.

So Thursdays are "our" day - hubby doesnt work Thursdays so its our chance to get things done round the house, garden or go off exploring (which is my personal favourite).
Yesterday we were time limited as I had a hospital appt at 3pm so we just popped to one of our favourite towns anout 10 miles away. Its very pretty and has always served us well in the thrifting dept.


Yesterday was no exception :-Vintage skyline kitchen utensils - 50p each

Vintage embroidered linens - total price £4


Beautiful blank notebook and vintage cookery book - £1.70 total
Gorgeous 10 x 8 frame - unused - £3

And wool - £2 and lots of vintage unused buttons - 20p a pack
I was really pleased - just have to find somewhere to put them now !!

Christmas Prezzies (a bit late I know)

I know most of you very efficient bloggers did a show and tell about their Christmas presents at Christmas !!!I had taken the photos but they have just been sitting around till today - I think I may have found my MOJO - its early days and I dont want to get too excited but it may definately be on its way back.......

I ordered The Cath Kidston stuff on Christmas Eve from the John Lewis website who had already put their sale on - I treated myself to some of her pyjamas as well - a whole £17 off !!!!

I had wanted this crochet book for a while and may (if the MOJO hangs around for a bit) do some scarves for Christmas presents next year.


My work bag I bought from CK in Bath when I went away at the beginning of December with "the girls" - i did um and ahh as it's £35 but my friend said that sometimes you have to throw worrying about the money out of the window - I'm so glad she did - I think I've used it every day since then.


The other books were bought from ebay and that cheapy book shop that i can never remember the name of.
The Cool Girls Guide To Crochet and Sew Many Bags were £2 each - again from Bath - all my friends are buying clothes and I get on the coach with my Workbag and Craft Books !!!! I'm the youngest as well ........


Don't you just love this knitting pattern - I use a hot water bottle quite a lot as I have a fused vertebrae in my neck and get a lot of shoulder and neck tension.

I've always wrapped a clean towel round it when its too hot but I saw this pattern on ebay and thought it would be much nicer to snuggle up to. Unfortunately I cant knit so my Mom has been asked very nicely - I'm hoping I might have it by the weekend as she is so quick at knitting.


Right, better get back to helping the kids, they are starting work for their English and Human Biology GCSEs, we had the results for their Maths a couple of weeks agao and they had both passed - really proud of them - they are only 12 and 14.

Master T had an interview with the Open University in November and they have accepted him to start studying with them - his course is due to start on February 8th, he's doing Human Nutrition so I'm quite looking forward to learning about it myself.

Anyway they both seem a little distracted at the moment talking about facebook and phone cases so i better go and crack the whip (not literally - obviously) XX

Handcrafted Presents

I made quite a few presents at Christmas, I always find it a bit tricky as I dont want people to think I'm a skinflint so I think the recipients have to be chosen very carefully.

Luckily all the presents were very gratefully received, I think crafting for children is a bit of a safer bet then the grown ups (unless its your Mom or Nan).

The picture above was to celebrate the birth of another Great Nephew (makes me sound about 90, I was born much later than my sisters so my nieces and nephews are closer in age to me) - I do sometimes get introduced as "the mistake" :)

I normally like to make the birth pictures a bit more in depth but I ran out of time, I do quite like the simplicity and I suppose it wont age as much as a childish picture.





The Christmas stocking was a cheat - I bought a load of these stockings in the sale last year for £2 each and then just applique names on the cuff - which is very simple - all 6 little people know have their very own.




And finally my very first attempt at bunting - my niece gave me the stripy fabric as it matches the curtains in the nursery - I did make the reverse plain so they didnt have to have the name showing if they didn't want.

I'm trying to decide what to do with myself today - my hair needs drying before it turns into a big ball of fluff but after that I'm not sure.

Hubby works a 12 hour shift on a Sunday, Miss T is going out with her friend, Master t is working on a bike renovation at his friends house so its just me and the pets.

There's a load of housework that should be done but I feel like being more creative than that. Might make a cup of tea and have a think about it - trouble is before you know it its dark again and the day has just disappeared !!

Got to go the cat is screaming at the french doors to be let in !!

Quilts For Queensland

I dont know how many of you read the blog of Retro Mummy in Australia but her blog is amazing and I've followed it for over a year.

She has four beautiful children, runs a fabric web shop, bakes, goes to church, zumba classes, takes the children to dance classes and church groups and I get tired just reading about it all.

Queensland has suffered such devastation with the floods and there are so many sad stories of loss of life and homes that Corrie has set up an appeal.

She has launched a Quilts for Queensland appeal here , you dont have to make a quilt just a 12.5 inch square to be used for a quilt, she has a group of friends who are all going to put them together and she is asking her bloggy friends in the region for deserving families in their communities to send them to. Her husband has to fly to Queensland once a week so he will take them to save on postage (oh yes did I mention Retro Daddy works away for half every week as well - think I would be Nervous Breakdown Mummy not Retro Mummy.)

Please help out if you can, the link above contains all email addresses and information, appliques squares are just as welcome if you are unable to quilt and as Corrie herself said "this is not MasterQuilt !!!!!! just have fun.

We are having a go , I thought it would be a good DT project for the kids sometimes I do struggle with this home educating to think of things to do so hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of our attempts, hopefully they will be good enough to send.

Stress Over

I cant believe I havent blogged since December 7th (short sharp wrap over the knuckles). I was in such a panic back then, no presents bought (no money to buy them with), no decorations up, feeling very sorry for myself with my health, worrying about my Dad, kids, dog and everything else that poped into my mind on a minute by minute basis.

I look back now and feel slightly (well hugely) ridiculous - everything got sorted bit by bit, we did have a bit of a scare with my Dad but he seems back on his feet now.

I really must stop worrying incessantly - does anyone have any tips ????

When I'm in the midst of a worry phase my creativity hits a brick wall - a huge 10ft black brick wall.

Its making things that keeps me sane so I end up in a very vicious circle.

I read in a book recently that to change your energy and the energy that you attract you should thing of 10 things that you are grateful every day - so hear goes.

1. I have nearly finished my crochet scarf project.









2. Miss T and her friend are taking the dog for his walk in a minute. ( photo after his bath yesterday)



3. Master T seems much better after being ill for 2 weeks with the flu


4. I had a lovely lie in this morning

5. I love feeling snuggly and warm inside but hearing the wind gusting outside.

6. I have already tidied all the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher.

7. I have plans to start a present for my moms cousin

8. I won a lovely cross stitch book on ebay that i have just paid for

9. I have just sold three knitting patterns on ebay which paid for the cross stitch book

10. I only have 1 very tiny pile of ironing left



I know they arent ground breaking "I've just won the lottery !" but actually they all make me feel really warm and snuggled and I think I would probably be slightly stressed if I had just won the lottery though five and the bonus would be nice !! (if anyone up there is listening)