HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful evening tonight, and here's to a fantastic 2011.

Love

Jo xx

A Wonderful Day

Hope you all had a wonderful day with your families.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Jo xx

Happy Christmas!!

This will be my last Blog post for 2010 and I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Christmas and here's to a wonderful 2011. I'll leave you with some festive pictures.

Skinny Christmas tree decorated with vintage baubles and decorations.

Fairy lights and my old Steiff bear.

Even my beloved AGA has had the festive treatment.

We awoke to about five inches of snow this morning...hopefully we might (fingers crossed) have a white Christmas.

Have a great one all of you out there in Blog land and thank you for all your wonderful comments.  See you in 2011 and stay safe and warm.

Jo xx

Christmas Farmers Market

Every third Saturday of the month they hold a local Farmers market in Ashby De La Zouch about ten minutes drive from our village.  The town is a lovely old Leicestershire market town and has some wonderful shops.  The farmers market has a real mix of stalls, and what is so nice is that they are all local to the area.

The Christmas market always has lots of tempting goodies on offer!  We braved -3 and set off to buy some lovely bits for Christmas.

The cheese stall and Woodhouse Farm stalls where they sell the most divine Hog roast.

Bacon rolls and Hog roast mmmmmm!  Of course we had to sample some of what was on offer.

A local brewery and Wobbly Bottom Farm!

Blackbrook Farm who sell the most gorgeous Longhorn Beef.

Christine and Hubby from the Doggie Cookie Company.  PJ and The Fonz came with us (in their Christmas jumpers) and were very spoilt at this stand!!

Ashby High Street looking a bit gloomy I'm afraid as it was so freezing and the Christmas lights weren't on unfortunately.

Our haul from the farmers market.  A large gammon ham which I have grand plans for, the cider is also for the ham.  Local chocolates (which probably won't survive the week), Longhorn sausages, doggie treats and wonderful unpasteurised Camembert which Andy refuses to have in the house as it smells, it is banished to the garage!!  It tastes wonderful though, and nothing like it smells!  Hope you are all having a great weekend and getting ready for Christmas.  Hopefully we won't have too much snow, although it does look lovely.

Jo xx

Wreath Making & Christmas Greenery

I have been busy again today trying out my floristry skills (or lack of them compared with the professionals!!)  I have been busy at the kitchen table this afternoon making a moss wreath decorated with Ivy from the garden, an ornamental cabbage and five red roses.  Great fun and very messy!!

Here it is, the colours look quite striking against our oak front door.

I did a wreath making course last year at our local garden centre and this has given me the idea to have a go myself and make a Christmas wreath for the front door.  I would love to have a go at doing a floristry course properly.  We are lucky we have some wonderful Ivy growing in our back garden so I haven't had to go out raiding the hedgerows (which apparently is illegal!!)

Some of the ivy left over I have wound around the Sanctuary lamp in the dining room to give it a festive make over.

I should really light the candle in it to complete the effect.

I have also finished off decorating the mantlepiece in the dining room with some Ivy and sprigs of holly from the garden.

Even the miniature Victorian Greenhouse on top of the old linen press which houses the television has not escaped being decorated.  I am still in the process of finishing off decorating so will do another post showing it all completed.  Hope you have all had a great weekend, and glad you all liked the story of the Fonz pinching my mince pie!!

Jo xx

The Great Mince Pie Robbery!!!

The Evidence!

The Culprit!

Wanted For Stealing My Marks & Spencers Help Shelter Mince Pie !!


A big thank you to everyone who left lovely messages and Birthday wishes on my last post, I was quite overwhelmed by them all.


Jo xx

Birthdays and Pressies

A couple of days ago I celebrated another (ahem!!) forty something birthday.  As usual I had some wonderful presents, although I had my main one a bit early in the shape of my waspie waist mannequin.

Remember her?

Andy bought me Kirstie's Homemade Home, and Mum and John bought me Winston Churchill's My Early Life, so I will have plenty of bed time reading to do.

Now I am not really one for technology but since Andy and Louis have owned iPhone's I have been coveting one seriously!!  To my surprise Andy bought me one, and I have been really addicted to playing Trivial Pursuit, even in bed much to Andy's annoyance!!  Louis bought me some lovely perfume and I also had a couple of other bits and pieces from Mum and John.  So, all in all I had a wonderful birthday.

I have also been doing a little spending of my own, my brother and his wife gave me some money for my birthday so I bought myself this rather scrummy Comfy quilt.  I love it because of the, yes you've guessed it, faded roses fabric!!  It also has a plain underside, perfect for Christmas.  I have not seen a Comfy quilt in this design before.

I have also recently purchased this lovely gentleman's grooming set dating from 1920.  The two brushes are silver and monogrammed with the gents initials and date.  Weren't people stylish then?  It will probably either be destined for a fair next year or for the website.

Andy treated me to lunch yesterday as the roads were too dicey to venture out on my birthday.  We went to a little tea room near Market Bosworth which also houses a number of antique units....to be honest the antique side of it isn't brilliant but I did find this lovely Kilim style cushion cover and a gorgeous pair of 1940's floral curtains in super condition.  I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the Whitemoors Tea rooms, they serve the most divine homemade soups.

 I almost wish I had somewhere to hang these, they are the most gorgeous old linen.  Hope you have all had a great week and no more snow!!  Take care.

Jo xx

Website Updated at last!!

Today we have had a good sort through of all my eiderdowns and quilts and I have got round to listing some new ones on my website.  I am notoriously bad for keeping up to date with my website as I prefer the personal touch of meeting customers at the fairs. But I felt I ought to keep it updated as so many people take my card at the fairs and hopefully will look at the website.

Gorgeous pink ones

A lovely masculine blue 

A gorgeous pair of vintage Velvet floor cushions

I would have loved to have kept these but sadly they don't quite fit in with my cottage, they really need a 20's or 30's setting to be shown off at their best.

A lovely old eiderdown cover, could be used for the fabric or even as a duvet cover!!

Mr G sporting a lovely original Edwardian Top Hat in it's original box...absolutely stunning.  As you have probably guessed, these are a few of the treasures I bought recently from Lesley in Kent.  It has been hard to part with some of them I will admit...

Hope you are all safe and warm and coping with our Arctic weather conditions.

Jo xx

Fantastic time in Toddington

We awoke to two inches of snow on Saturday morning and my heart sank!!  I had worked so hard for the Vintage Fair in Toddington and I wasn't about to be out done by some of the white stuff.  We decided to head off for Gloucestershire and turn back if the roads were too bad.  Thankfully they improved as we headed for the M5.  It was the first outing for my new van, a green VW Caddy automatic, I will post some pics of her at a later date.  It does mean the 'Beast' does not suffer the indignity of having boxes and mannequins stuffed into it....

I was really pleased with how my stand looked.  I have been experimenting lately with different layouts and find putting the tables back to the wall is better as customers like to walk into the stand and rummage.  

Yes I did sell the potted ivy climbing the crown, it was bought by a lovely couple.  I also sold some of my handmade goods which I am always pleased about.  The fair was lovely, and the stands were of a very high standard as always.  The flow of customers was steady throughout the day, and we still had people looking and buying as we were packing up.

My lovely friend Vicky (Vicky Loves Vintage), she makes the most wonderful cushions, peg bags, aprons and purses to name but a few out of gorgeous 50's barkcloth and cottons.  She also sells lovely 50's homewares.  I keep nagging her to start a Blog which she promises me she will get round to so I will let you all know when she does.  It was also great to catch up with some fellow Bloggers, Linda and Jake from Tabbyroo, and Becky from Purple Sparkle Crafts.

An absolutely divine little vintage fabric cushion I couldn't resist, courtesy of my friend Liz Morris.  She has the most divine stand at Barn Antiques, just outside of Stratford Upon Avon, I can recommend a visit.

It was a wonderful day and the tea room kept us all fortified with home made cakes and soups.  A big thank you to Tonia who organised yet another successful fair.

A photo of the cottage in the snow this morning, we are experiencing blizzard conditions at this very moment, and I am wrapped in a double vintage paisley eiderdown whilst typing this.  Keep warm and keep safe everyone.

Jo xx

Charlie Bigham's Pies & a Spot of Flower Arranging

Just a quickie!!  I am cheating tonight for dinner and having a gorgeous Shepherds Pie courtesy of Charlie Bigham!!  Louis has got the equally yummy Steak and Ale pie.

Mmmmm.....can't wait!!

As well as labouring over the Aga all afternoon making these beauties :)  I have been indulging in a spot of flower arranging, well, planting up some gorgeous vintage French rusty pots that I bought ages ago on a trip to  

Devon.  I thought they rather lent themselves to some gorgeous Christmas Hyacinths covered in soft green moss.  I have also decorated the edge of the flower pot with French Vichy check and a French fabric lavender heart.  They will come with me to The Cotswold Vintage fair on Saturday and will be for sale (if I can bear to part with them).  I have also potted up a lovely Christmas Ivy in a vintage Sankey Terracotta pot and trained it up a lovely old rusty crown I have had for ages....I am really pleased with the results.

Really sweet, aren't they?

Hope you are all having a great week so far, and thank you for all the lovely comments you leave me, and a big hello to all my new followers.

Jo xx

Latest Creations.

Here are a few of my latest creations I have been busy making ready for the Cotswold Vintage Fair next Saturday.

I must admit I am rather pleased with the French Vichy check cushions and was very tempted to keep them.  I actually plucked up the courage to use this beautiful 19th century fabric I bought from Donna when we did the fair in Totnes.  I have also been modifying a pattern to make hot water bottle covers, a bit fiddly but worth the effort.

I thought people might appreciate a hot water bottle with a vintage fabric cover, something a bit different from the norm, and lovely to snuggle up to on winter nights.

I have also found a small part of a gorgeous antique 19th century cutter quilt I bought in Devon a couple of  years ago.  I didn't realise I had any left as I had made my friend some cushions when she had her shop.  I have made a large, rather shabby cushion from a piece, and probably have just about enough to make another.

Another hot water bottle cover, this time made in a vintage quilted 50's fabric.

I still have some making to do this week in the shape of  fabric coasters filled with cinnamon and crushed cloves.  When you place your coffee mug on them the heat makes them smell lovely, very appropriate for Christmas I thought!  Hope you have all had a great weekend.

Jo xx