Let's get culling

In case you hadn't realised, Mr J and P and  my good self are dreadful hoarders.  Mr J and P is a terrible one for his books and I'm just terrible with everything.  Yes, dear readers, it's official:  I've got too much stuff.

I hereby declare to cull my collection of jars, for a starter, which are cluttering up the kitchen work top.  Lovely though they are - some are just sitting there EMPTY - and I haven't got anything to put in them because everything is in jars or some such container already.  I know, it's madness.

I'd like to show you my collection of vintage sheets which I'm massing at a steady rate in order to make a patchwork duvet cover.  However, they're stuffed in bags in my wardrobes (yes, I have two - a constant irritation to Mr J and P who is not happy with his mere one) and I can't get to grips with them.  I can't shut the wardrobe doors properly and every time I open a door something falls out.  It's very annoying.

I need to get organised.....

I need to cull......

and, more importantly, I need to make room for more stuff..............

So, what have I been buying? Well, take a look at this 1970s "Revelation" vanity case complete with its tag and never used (ebay £9.99):

The inside is pristine

It even came with these plastic containers which I'm inexplicably overexcited about

It now houses my little collection of perfumes:

Look at my lovely orange plastic snack tray thingymebob.  The little trays spin round.  This makes me inexplicably overexcited too.

I love this picture.  It's big and much more vibrant in real life:

Bernard Cathelin:  Red Anemonies on a Blue background

I found the large genie bottle decanter in a charity shop for £9.99.  The smaller one was 50p at a car boot.

One last thing before I go and tackle my jars.  I'm joining Kylie and Donna's RETRO COOK OFF:

 

 

Why don't you join in too?  Go on, you know you want to....xx

Coffee anyone?

When I'm not going to  bed at 9 o'clock *pause for effect*.........  I know, I know, I need to get a life.  The other night I wanted to go to bed at 8.30 but Mr J and P wouldn't let me.  He said that I shouldn't be going to bed earlier than my 11 year old daughter.  I expect he's probably right.  Anyway, when I'm not going to bed at 9 o'clock, I've actually been making things.

Now, don't laugh, but this is a patchwork coffee cosy for a friend of mine.  Patchwork and pompom trimming are two very favourite things of mine, in case you didn't know.

One side:

The other side:

Yup, it's a bit bonkers.  I admit it.  But what's even more bonkers is that it matches my patchwork bathroom mat almost too well. 

I'm finding this oddly disconcerting:

Look, they're related!

I've also made cushion covers for little Miss J and P's room:

This seat pad for her new computer chair (£10 from ebay including delivery - cheap because it had a scratch on the seat which I've cleverly *er hem* covered with the seat pad) was made using a padded envelope.  Yes, I said padded envelope.  Instructions here.

I also painted this mirror which I blogged about here

aqua (from an old pot of paint festering in the cellar)

and it's now in Little Miss' room AND she actually likes it.

Talking of disconcerting things, Little Miss J and P's posters are not only multiplying but she appears to be displaying some unusual tendencies like superimposing Justin Bieber's head on this very muscular torso:

Eeek!

and Jessie J's head on Justin Bieber's body:

Should I be worried?

I've been snooping again

I was rummaging through Grandpappy's drawers recently, when I came across two unassuming tupperware boxes, the contents of which I am sharing with you today.  

I know, I know, I'm just too good to you.  Brace yourselves, dear readers, this is going to be so exciting.

Habadashery.  Don't you just love it?  Grandpappy had three of these 1950 needlebooks in the most wonderful nick.  Between you and me, I doubt he's done a great deal of sewing in his time.

Aren't they gorgeous?  The insides are pretty wundebar too, if you ask me.  Take a look:

Glorious.  As is this folksy ribbon:

Grandpappy can't remember where the ribbon came from.  Probably Greece or Italy we think.

I love these bird scissors.  Heavily tarnished but still so pretty:

The other tupperware box contained.....keep calm, dear readers, I know what you're like when confronted by..........a whole load of.........BUTTONS:

Look at this one.  It's nearly as big as my hand:

I love these flowery ones:

OK, that's enough excitement for one post.  I'll just show you the tapestry deers and flowers made by Gladys, grandpappy's mum.  Not only was she a genius at quilt making and painting (see post here), she was obviously a dab hand at tapestry too:

One last thing.  Little Miss J and P took a secret pic of this bar of unopened bar of Knight's Castile soap in grandpappy's cupboard.  She couldn't quite get over the half pence.



Half pences were taken out of circulation in 1984

Do you have anything lurking in your house that's way past it's best?  Don't be shy, do tell........

TTFN. xx

I made me a skirt out of an apron!

Oh yes indeedy!

Mr J and P bought me a rather large apron from the charity shop the other day.  It really was far too big for little old me but he liked the fabric and so did I.  So, I sewed up the ends and tied the ties and OMG I've actually made a skirt:

Yes, a skirt!  Made (almost) by my own fair hands.

I never ever find any decent vintage clothing in charity shops anymore but, joy of joys, I did discover this lacey little number lurking in one of our local charity shops for a couple of quid.

It's a bit boxey but I'm sure with my newly acquired dress-making skills *er hem* I can sort that out.

Loving the lacey sleeves

and the Peter Pan collar *squeal*:

Back to skirts and I bought this vintage style skirt for another couple of quid recently.  It's a skirt from Topshop and reminds me of my 50s skirts and dresses that I used to wear all the time but are now languishing in my wardrobe.  The trouble is *whispers* they're all a little bit snug these days.  I'm really going to have to get to grips with them one day.

My last charity shop buy is this little number which I'm loving and adoring big time.  It reminds me of a silk head scarf my mum used to wear.

Oops, you can't see it properly can you?  Here's a close up:

It's silk (from GAP orginally) and has cute horsey worsies cavorting all over it.  What more could a girl ask for!

Going to work recently,  wearing said silk skirt,  I got on the crowded tube, shuffled inside and stood in front of a woman sitting down, who was a little younger than me.  I noticed that she was staring at my skirt.  Admiringly, so I thought.  Seconds later she offered me her seat.  I was so taken aback that I mumbled something like "No, I'm fine thanks" and buried my head in my book.  Awkward.

Mmmmm, I expect I ought to be  flattered that the woman thought I was young enough to be pregnant.  Yes, dear readers, it's always good to put a positive spin on these situations and not dwell too much on the ample stomach issue.  Dontcha think?  Besides, my jam doughnut and cup of tea are calling me (they really are).  Gotta dash.

Bye, bye and hope you all have an embarrassment-free weekend. xx

Out with the grubby pink, in with the bland white

Well hellooooooo there.  It's been a wee while has it not?

We had a lovely time on holiday in bonny but a rainy and midgey Scotland.  Since we've been  back, Mr J and P and  myself have been driving Little Miss a wee bit bonkers because we've both developed a very annoying  lovely  Scottish accent and we really cannae stop.  Remember Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire?  Yes, dearies, just like that.  V authentic.

We went to the Isle of Mull:

Tobermory is the capital of Mull with a population of 700



Tobermory's colourful houses line the harbour

I like this picture of a church's gate painted in the Scottish flag colours

Little Miss J and P painting her nails on one of the many gorgeous beaches we visited

This beach was on the Isle of Iona.  And it was postively hot!

Mr and Little Miss had this beach on Mull all to themselves.  In the distance, those mountains you can see are on the Isle of Jura.  They are called the Paps of Jura, although there are three of them, oddly!

We also visited the Grandpapster himself in the Lake District.  Here is Little Miss J and P sitting, rather precariously on a fallen tree trunk in front of a raging waterfall (I promise you, it really was raging):

The Gosforth Agricultural show suffered from a little mud this year:

We've also managed to paint Little Miss J and P's room.  Now, I've nothing against pink but the grubby pink walls were really starting to grate.  So, we've obliterated all traces of pink and now her walls are a perfect white.  A little bland, I know, but, to tell the truth, I'm quite enjoying the blandness of it all.

Ruined only by too many pics of Justin Bieber:

Btw, guess who's drawn the short straw and is going with Little Miss J and P to see Justin Bieber in concert next year?  Not me!  Mr J and P is not a happy bunny I can tell you.  *snigger*.

Oh yes, back to the room........I have offered to perk up her exceedingly boring but very cheap bedside drawers from IKEA....

with a lovely patchwork of vintage wallpaper.  But she won't have it!  Mr J and P says that he doesn't blame her.  I know, I know, *shakes head sadly* they've got no taste.

See this:

Nice isn't it? 50p from a jumble sale. Perfect for Little Miss J and P's plethora of knicknacks, don't you think? I've offered to spruce it up a little. You know, paint it white and pop some pretty papers in the cubby holes.   She's not having that either. *cross face*.   I think I'm going to spruce it up anyway and drill it onto her wall when she's out. That'll teach her.

I was fully prepared for a snort of derision and a cry of "That's disgusting, mum" (as is her want) when I showed her this mirror.  I retrieved from the ancestoral home.  In fact, I remember my dad painting it gold many moons ago.  Anyway, Little Miss actually liked it. But not the colour.  Well, that's alright.  I've been rummaging in the cellar where we keep old paints and found the aqua colour that we used in our kitchen.  That'll do nicely, methinks.   I'll let you know how I get on.

 

 

 

Love you all. xxxxx