Only I could get excited about a kitchen sink

When we visited our friends in Holland in the summer, I told Little Miss J and P beforehand that the kitchen sink in our friend, Marianne's, house was simply the bees knees.

Little Miss looked at me as I was some sort of fool and said "Seriously, mum, no-one cares."

Little does she realise that my readers do care about such things.  Don't you?  (Don't let me down now will you?).

But before I show you a pic of said kitchen sink (I really know how to ramp up the excitement don't I?), I had a good old snoop round Marianne's house and took a few pics.  Just for you, dear readers.

Cute stag head in pink downstairs loo:

Cute lock on toilet door:

Cute little shrine thang going on - still in the downstairs loo:

I've always lusted after these Jielde floor lamps.  Sadly, they're really expensive and I am, as you know, a complete skinflint.

A foolish person posing next to the floor lamp and getting in the way:

I should have taken a photo of this Agfa (what the hell is it??) light box thingy when it was lit up:

Another pretty floor lamp:

I love these handy storage canisters in the kitchen:

Nika is their daughter:

Near vertical stairs are common in Holland.  They stem from the 17th century when canal houses were taxed on their width:

I adore this vintage wallpaper which they bought from a well known vintage wallpaper shop in Ghent, Belgium:

The wallpaper shop in Ghent which I visited a number of years ago.  It really is stuffed to the gunnels with rolls of to die for wallpaper:

And now, for the kitchen sink:

Sadly, not the best of photos but it's pretty fabulous is it not?  A blue and white tiled kitchen sink:  what's not to adore?

Who'd have thought that I'd be lusting after a kitchen sink for Gawd's sake?  Aaah, the thrills and spills of my little world.....

Actually what was genuinely thrilling was winning the Vanilla Squirrel's giveaway in the summer:

This is an adorable squirrel pin cushion (Cath Kidston if you please) which is currently on display in our front room as it's far too lovely to be put away in our sewing box.

How lucky am I?

Byeeeeee  xx

What we did last summer

Blimey, it's been so long since I last posted anything, I literally could not remember how to create a new post in Blogger. How mad is that!

So, we went on holiday to Holland for a week, came back for a few days then onto Portugal for a week, came back and then onto the Lake District for another week.  I'm not complaining but all that packing and unpacking was a little, how can I put it, boring.  The holidays were great though.

Before we went on holiday we ate Ramadam bread:

Yes, that's two loaves of delicious Turkish Ramadam bread

In Holland:  we snickered foolishly at "bastard" sugar:

Drooled over these beach cabins:

Marvelled at this shop which sold only sheep pillows:

Snuggled with an actual real live sheep:

Put on too much sun cream *raises eyes to heaven*:

In Portugal, we admired its many cute pastry shops:

Errrr.  Not so cute.  Yes, they really are meringue penises and boobies.  Gawd help us....

Windsurfed:

Took, what I thought were, arty schm-arty photos:

In the Lake District, some of our party climbed Scafell Pike - the highest mountain in England:

Grandpappy and Little Miss at the top

Grandpappy looking rather fetching in his knotted hanky.

Good old Grandpappy:  he's a mere 86 you know!  And need you ask where I was?  Charity shopping.  Of course I was!

Cumberland wrestling was the best ever this year with contingents from Brittany, Scotland and Iceland:

Kilt action

We found ourselves driving behind the Boogie Bus:

Blimey.  Perhaps we could get our car kitted out this way.....

It's curtains for my vintage linens

I've been collecting embroidered tray cloths for a while now.  The plan was to make a patchwork cushion cover with them a la Cath Kidston:

Only I realised I had far too many for one little cushion.  I even had two embroidered tablecloths to play with.  I never used the tablecloths, pretty though they were.  I'm far too much of a domestic slattern to spend time ironing the buggers.

Sooooooooooo, I laid out all the cloths, pinned them together in a pleasing stylee and sewed them up.

Lo and behold I've only gone and made a curtain panel:

Mr Fusspot J and P complained that it was a bit dark with the panel closed:

So I found a bit of lace, tied it like so

and voila! Let there be light (sort of):

Little Miss J and P thinks it looks "odd".  There's nothing like your beloved family to poo-poo one's creative leanings.....

Oh well, perhaps a holiday might put the J and Ps in a better mood.  Yes, we're off to Holland to camp for a few days and then we'll visit our friends in the south.  Yay.  Cannot wait.  See you anon. xx

If a picture paints a thousand words then these don't count at all

The art of photography has always alluded me.

And, so it seems, Mr J and P.

Mr J and P has many talents.  His runner beano vino (see here) may not taste the best but it sure hits the spot (as I know to my cost....er hem...).  His raspberry jam is delish:

 and as for his jar of Rhubarb Love....

Rhubarb Love?  What the heck is that about?  Mr J and P tells me it should be rhubarb jam but he was thinking of me when he wrote it.  Yeah right.

Anyway, here are some pics, courtesy of Mr J and P, of our exciting Saturday at the Rolling Stones (as mentioned in my previous post).

Photo warning:  they're not very good.

This is Temper Trap

These were Palma Violets.  We liked them.

The Stones!

That would be Keith

That's Ron Wood

In the midst of all the lights and bluriness, Mick is wearing a little white dress.  Yes!  He donned one for a couple of numbers.  A little white dress just like the one he wore at Hyde Park in 1969. 

I told you they were rubbish.  Could it have been something to do with the fact that every time Mr J and P went to the bar he kept coming back with 4 pints?....There were just the two of us.....(poor Mr J and P - must have been seeing double).

We both had terrible headaches in the morning.....

Well you have to don't you?

xx

Resistance is futile

Some of you may remember that I've got a ridiculous amount of jars cluttering up our kitchen worktop (see here and here for evidence!).  So, when I saw a set of three 1960s Crown Devon sugar, tea and coffee jars in Oxfam recently for a reasonable £9.99 (I've seen them for sale elsewhere for at least double that), I said to myself sternly  "Loo, you do not need yet another tea, coffee, sugar receptacle.  Walk away.  Walk away now before you do something you may later regret." 

Or words to that effect.

The design is "Carnaby Daisy" and was inspired by Mary Quant

So, I walked away. 

Later, Mr J and P, who had a half day off, rang me from the station to ask whether we needed anything from the supermarket.  I told him that we didn't but could he pop into Oxfam and buy the three vintage looking jars for £9.99 please. 

He did. 

I know, I'm a very bad person indeed. 

In other news, I was very lucky to win Emma-Kate's giveaway recently.  Just look at this beautiful wooden crate that she painted especially for Little Miss J and P. 

Isn't she clever?  Emma-Kate I mean.  You are too, Little Miss J and P, but you are "easily distracted"  (just like your parents) and need to focus more.  Plus you need to spend less time on social media.  Just saying.....

Where the heck was I?  (Perhaps, you could tell that we've recently been to parents' evening..).  Aaah yes, back to Emma-Kate.  I also got these glorious tea towels and fabby nail varnish. 

Thank you Emma-Kate, I love everything and Little Miss has declared the wooden crate "sick" which is high praise indeed.

Before I toddle off, just letting you know that this Saturday, Mr J and P and myself are off to see:

Too excited for words.....

Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend too. xx