country living?

Well I can dream can't I?

You know the part in 'Elf'

where Buddy decorates the store big time...

that's me when I decorate our tree.

More is more right?

ps

See that lovely Christmas cushion.

It's a giveaway gift that I won 

from one of my favourite bloggers

My Rose Valley

(more to come on that)

If you like my blog

you'll love Annette's.

loving decorating my tree from my own stock!!
photo was created via picmonkey

out of the dark

 and into the light.

 I am a fan of candles,

yet I rarely light them.

I've had this idea rolling about in my head for a year now,

since I saw a real wax flameless candle last year.

In an effort to spend as little as possible

and to make use of what I have,

I bought some battery flameless tealights,

took a fixed potato peeler to this pillar candle

carved out a hole about two inches deep
(I used the pointy end of the peeler
not the actual peeler part!)

and

tadah!

one flameless candle.

 two flameless candles 

(uh huh ha)

With my mind now in full flow.

I raced about the house finding things to light up.

The possibilities are endless....

so why not have a go?

Give your house a clumsyadult child/pet friendly glow.

* I bought my tea lights from Robert Dyas

6 for £2.99

They do sell flameless pillar candles too.

My only tip with the tealights 

is to try before you buy 

if possible.

These flicker,

which is a tiny bit artificial.

curtain call

I did it!

Dont you love it when a plan comes together?

I had just enough fabric to make two curtains.

 I had to add an oddment(of the same fabric)
 to the top of them to make them long enough.

If you look in the first picture
you can just about make out the additions
at the top.
I don't notice now,
I'm sure most wont!

*curtain, vintage fothergay fabric a bargainous £5
secondhand curtain header free!
chairs from the dump
picture dottie angel teatowel
heart decoration Winchester Christmas market
light fitting Laura Ashley
vintage letterpress tray ebay
trinkets around the house!
(thats another post)
dingy photoshopped snaps courtesy of mother earth!

home styling, interior designing or making a house a home?

  Whatever you wish to call it..it is the best bit right?

Time to re-purpose all those 'finds' that have been squirrelled away..

and there are many for I have been a squirrel for decades!

Remember these fabric finds?

The one on the right is a vintage fothergay 'anemone' piece,

alas I only have enough to make one curtain or two curtains with added fabric?

The piece on the left is an old patchwork quilt.

Both were were £5 and both from charity shops.

How do we feel on mismatched curtains?

This arts and crafts stool purchased at the Shepton Mallet fair,

has been crying out for some love for a long time.

 When you have an extension built
it doesnt leave you with much in the way of folding money,

so being inventive with squirrel finds is all the more rewarding.

Cheap shelves from B&Q painted in satinwood.

 Not all objects are easy to re-home however..

this lovely convex mirror belongs to my husband,

bought 20 years ago from a carboot!!

I have so far struggled to find it's place..

but watch this space I have an idea.

Anyone want to rummage in my loft,

I know there are many more nuts to find!

home stylin'

 Hey...just a brief glimpse today.

I think I may have just finished painting..

The kitchen colour is overtly olive by dulux.

I love where the white inner wall meets the green.

*library photo..no sun today!

Between the diying, I've been doing a little crochet..

after all when the Christmas country living mag is out,

it's surely time to use up last years gifts, ie the wool*

*big softie by sirdar~shade egg.

what no patchwork?

I know it's not necessary to make apologies when blogging...

But for those of you who have recently joined me,

expecting a wonderful quilting blog,

well I'm afraid it's all work and no play just now.

Okay so I am playing with felt

but it is with the hope of attending Christmas fairs

to sell my wares.

This is our new extension,

for those of you who remember the big doorway

used to be a lovely, but draughty,

period window.

I am whitewashing everything for now...

ps. yep I got back!

Anyone for tea?

Hydrangeas from my Mother in laws garden heavenly

Raspberry and almond cake delicious

New room spectacular

Time with the family priceless!

the doors

Today we have two new doors*

not just new doors but new doors with new rooms behind!

*vintage doors from 'house of reclaim' in Fordingbridge

chair from 'the dump' (painted by me)

cute vintage patchwork cushion from local carboot sale...

don't you love her madly?