Crafty Cupboard!!!!

Finally, I will have a proper crafty cupboard.

I found it in my fav CS on Monday when I dropped of a box for them.

It was expensive for what it is, and I have probably paid over the odds for it but I had to have it!! We picked it up, Lucky it fitted in Gav's car. He wasn't too sure to begin with as to be honest it does need a lot of work, and was filthy.

I washed it down and disinfected it as it looked like it was used in a shed or garage.

But once cleaned it didn't look as bad, it will still need to be completely sanded down, re painted and new glass put in one of the cupboard doors as they don't match at the moment.

It has a fold down hatch with a cold shelf in it, which I think my sewing machine will fit in perfectly.

It also needs some wood work which Gav isn't too sure about but I'm sure he can fix it.

We have had to put it in the spare room where it will live once restored as it looked a little odd in the middle of the lounge.
I looked it up on the Internet and it looks like it was a 1930's kitchen unit similar to a Hoosier cupboard, but who knows!

I also found a real bargain in TXMaxx, I said in an earlier post that my new motto would be Keep Calm and Carry On, and that I wanted the red poster for the kitchen. Well what was staring me in the face as I walked into the home wear department the blue version framed and ready to go at a bargain price of £14.99, the poster alone online is £10 and P&P is £5 so I got the frame as a bonus.

I will be with my family this week for the funeral of Nanna, so I have been looking for a Rhubarb Jam recipe as my dad loves it. It is quite difficult to find in the supermarkets unless you want to buy Bonnee Mamane, which yes I know is lovely but if I can make it myself with rhubarb from the garden it's then a special gift for him.

I found the recipe on the Guardian's website and gave it a go.

450g rhubarb, 450g sugar & 1 lemon rind grated.

Cut the rhubarb into 1inch cubes and put into a heavy based saucepan, pour the sugar over the top and slowly heat until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is soft, add the grated lemon rind. Bring to the boil for 10min's and then pot up in sterilised jars.

It only made 3 jars but now I know it works I will make more.

Well, busy one all round again and an other busy week, might not post again this week but will wait and see how we go.

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway, you still have over a week.

More goodies will hopefully be added from my fav fabric/haberdashery shop at Mum & Dad's.

Have a good one Sophie xxxx

Highs & Lows

It has been a very odd week in the Chez Sophie household, there have been Highs & Lows.

On Tuesday I posted about my Nanna passing away, Low.

My win of Stitchery Pokerys Giveaway, High.

And the start of my Giveaway, High.

On Wednesday I received my Giveaway from Stictcher Pokery, which really cheered me up.

I received some handmade beautiful seaside bunting, a lovely handmade UJ heart, a really pretty handmade heart keyring and a handmade flower broach. I felt truly spoilt and thoroughly cheered up, High.

On Thursday I had a very busy day at work, then Swiss Ball Class, (which I am paying for now !!!) wow my abs are hurting, Low.

Then home to cook tea, 4 massive parcels from Jamie At Home were sat in the hallway and then friends popped over for a drink and catch up, High.

11pm I am sorting through the parcels and packing up the orders ready to take to work on Friday morning, tired Low.

Today up early for work, car full of orders had to put the seats down to fit it all in!!

Long day at work, finished work, dropped off my mother in laws order (not actually mother in law as not married but you get the idea). Coffee and a chat with mother in law & sister in law, then was given some lovely gifts from them for no reason, High.

A Stair Basket - have been looking for one for ages, High.

Lovely, a new casserole dish - fab for crumbles me thinks, High.

And a Jamie At Home Tea Towel from her order, High.

Came home to find a very unhappy Gav!!! Low.

Play Station 3 has died!!! Low.

Has Yellow light of death showing on the front. Low.

Not sure what to say but can liken it to the Lap Top breaking or my Sewing Machine dieing!!

So hopefully we can get that fixed and then he will be happy again.

Gem came round for Chinese Take Away, High.

Dinner eaten time to blog, oh no must put load of washing on so can hang out tomorrow, weatherman says it's going to be sunny!! will believe that when I see it!!

Now Blog................

Thanks for all the messages left on my last post about Nanna, and thanks for entering my Giveaway, and thanks for the new followers, High.

A big thanks to Pomona from Little Cottage Comforts for linking to my post, pop over and visit her here.

Still plenty of time to enter my giveaway, details here.

Well must go to bed have to be up early to go and pick up an old fashioned kitchen dresser type cupboard from my fav CS! (popped in early on Monday to drop off a box for them and saw it, couldn't resist it).

Hopefully going to use it for all my crafting goodies. High.

Well must really go now, bed is calling.

Have a lovely weekend - Sophie xxxxx

Sad times but lots of Surprises, Thank You & A Give Away

This could be a long one, so grab a cuppa if you like.

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, we have had some sad news in the Chez Sophie household.

My Nanna of 90 years passed away on Sunday afternoon, she had been ill with Alzheimer's/Dementia for a long time and on Sunday she finally slipped away peacefully in her sleep. I have never had anyone close to me pass away before & I don't live near the rest of my family so it has been a weird few days for me. I know she is in a better place now so this post is dedicated to her, she was a wonderful woman, Love You Nanna xxx

Yesterday I had a welcome surprise & distraction though, I had a lovely message from Mummy Boo Bears at Stitchery Pokery saying I had won her Give Away. Wooohoooo.
I'm very excited as I have never won a giveaway before. Thanks Mummy Boo Bear xx

It was a bit spooky that I won a giveaway as I have been planning to run one myself to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all the people who have visited, commented or become a follower of my blog.

I have only been blogging for two months and the welcome I have had from blog land has been amazing, I value each and everyone of your comments, they make may day brighter.

So lets get to it...........

I am following the best practice of other bloggers I have seen running Giveaways,and the following rules apply.

1. UK only I'm afraid for my first Give Away.

2. Leave a comment on this post and you will be entered.

3. Become a follower and you will also be entered.

4. And if you post about "Chez Sophie" to share the Giveaway love you will also be entered.

5. Closing date 4th August 2009 - Two weeks today!!

So you have 3 opportunities to be entered into this Give Away, I will either use the random number genorator or get Gem's to pull a name out of a hat to find the winner. I Will then contact the winner for their details.

I have taken a photo of the goodies so far but will be adding more to it, I may even get the sewing machine out of hibernation and make something too!

Good Luck & Thank you again for all your support over the last few months.
Lots of love Sophie xxx

PS. I got this in the post today from Cowshed, another pleasant surprise xxxxx

I've Been To Lavender House Today

When I heard Emma from Lavender House was having an open house, and I thought it would be a great way to meet a fellow blogger. So this afternoon after my visit to 4 CS's a car boot and a Wedding Make up consultation (haven't told you about my wedding make up artistry yet will post soon)I pootled off to Lavender House. I wasn't exactly sure where it was, but when I saw the lavender coloured house and the bunting I knew I was there.

I parked up on the sea front - Lovely view, and walked towards the house.

As I walked in to the front garden I was met by a lady who welcomed me into her home, I asked " are you Lavender House" and she replied "yes", fab I've met my first blogger. I introduced myself as Sophie from Chez Sophie. We had a chat about who was exhibiting and I asked if I could take photo's "of course" Emma replied. So off I went in to the beautiful home of Lavender house. The items for sale were all beautiful and I could have spent a lot more than I did but I restrained myself.

I bought a beautiful Glass Heart to hang in my kitchen, Two of Emma's Photograph cards one is of the Lavender Fields she went to a couple of weeks ago which I was really taken with. And a lovely pair of Silver Earrings.

I picked up lots of leaflets about the artists on show and as I was paying, Emma saw that I had one of her post cards advertising her felt making workshop, she said she hoped I would come along to one, I would have loved to join in but they are in the daytime and I work full time which is a shame if there was an evening or weekend one I would definatly be there.

Thanks for opening your Lavender House Emma it was great.

The Open Houses event is still running, the open dates are Tomorrow 19th July and next weekend 25th & 26th July so pop along if you live nearby. Sophie xxx

An Evening to Remember

Well what an evening we had last night at my Jamie At Home Party.

I had invited lots of people because as they say in the Party Plan business invite double the amount of people you want to attend and tell them to bring a friend!

Well I didn't expect the turnout I got, 18 guests!!! There was not a space in the Living room left, I even had to bring the garden chairs in. Which was a good thing as the heavens opened just as the party started and we had a massive electrical storm pass over us. I had hoped the sun would still be shining so we could have an indoors outdoors party but we ended up indoors Ce la vie!

I had decided to make Pimms in my new jug which went down very well with everyone.

Alison my consultant was lovely and the party went really well. At the end of the night she told me I had earned £75 to spend on products from the Jme Collection, I was so so shocked I hadn't expected people to buy so much. As a host you earn 15% of your party total. You also earn Hostess points which earn you extra money to spend. I had two of my friends book a party which I will most definitely be attending, this earned me more hostess points which has given me another £50 to spend online. I knew exactly what I wanted to get, so I have spent the first £75 on the Antipasti Platter which is a version of what is used in the Jamie's Italian restaurants,

and more Blue topped kilner jars for my kitchen (as you can see in my Kitchen Make Over Post) I thoroughly enjoyed myself and so did my guests. I am looking forward to the next one at Juliette's and then Alison's and then I will have another one to do some Christmas Shopping!

So fellow bloggers if you fancy a fun night in with exclusive Jamie Oliver recipes, quiz's and lots of lovely home products book a party. If your in Sussex and want a party contact me and I will give you Alison's details.

Now I have to be patient and wait for the orders to arrive!

Have a fab weekend xxxxx

I'm a Winner!!!

With all the excitement of the Kitchen Make Over I completely forgot to tell you that I have won a competition!!!!

I entered the "Cowshed" competition on Cath Kidston a couple of weeks ago, and have thought nothing more of it. You know how it is you enter competitions but never win anything!

Well I had an email on Monday from Natasha at Cowshed congratulating me on winning £250 of Cowshed vouchers via the Cath Kidston competition. Wooooow I never win anything!!!!

Well I emailed her back and I have had a confirmation email that I am the winner and will receive my vouchers in the post shortly, I can use them online or in there Shops/Spa's.

So Mummy and I are going to the Spa for a Day in London.

There products are lovely and you can get free delivery when you spend £30 pounds online at the moment with the following code "JULY2".

Have to go now as my NEXT VIP sale slot is comeing up, Happy Shopping xxxxxxx

Kichen Make Over DONE!!!!

Well thank goodness that is over.
I think I have been high the past few days on paint & cleaning product fumes!!!

The Kitchen Make Over is finished and I am now a happy bunnie.

All the walls & ceiling have been double coated in Brilliant White paint, lovely and fresh.

The dresser tops have been painted white and dressed with my finds, and the Cook book shelf is up after another trip to the DIY store, when did brackets get so expensive!!

I have scrubbed all the cupboards, all the tiles, the floor, the oven even mad Gav remove the inside of the oven doors and anything else that needed scrubbing has been. There has been one trip to the CS this morning with stuff I no longer need and I have 3 more boxes of stuff to go tomorrow.
So here is the grand reveal...............

We have a long galley kitchen so I have focused on one end as this is the more decorative end, less kitchen appliances

Pretty Bule & White plant pot & plant 99p reduced in Co-op yesterday all it needed was some water...This is my bargain of the day, I stopped at the local CS on my way back from the garage and spotted this as I walked through the door £5.00.

My Jamie Oliver Jars full of ingredients, Jamie @ Home party on Thursday can't wait!

My Oxo tin - Friday's Find

My cook books finally have a home

And finally my Glass collection

So this is my kitchen, I hope you enjoyed the journey over the last few days.
Thanks for all the comments and support.

Sophie xxxxx

Kitchen Make Over Continued................

What a lovely sunny day to be off work with my man.

We decided that it was just too nice to start painting the kitchen first thing so we popped out for more painting supplies. On the way I dragged him to the CS down the road, I found some lovely old opera glasses for £4 bargain, and some building blocks with words on them in a wooden tray - going to put them up in the kitchen so we can leave messages for each other!!

So off to TP for the painting supplies, paint in the car but it's still too nice to go home and paint so we went to the Pick Your Own farm. The raspberry's weren't quite ready last time we went so I was on a mission to get some, more Jam is needed! The Strawberry Jam I made a couple of weekends ago has been in high demand and we are now getting low on it. If anyone has any recipes for raspberry jam let me know as I'm not sure what to do about the seeds!!! Seeds or no seeds, that is the question!!!!!

Well we picked a large punnet load, they are Delicious and it was lucky we hadn't had breakfast as we were able to pick our own and eat it as we picked the fruit!! Naughty Naughty.


We also went looking for strawberry's but after the bad weather last week there weren't any decent ones left so we opted for Beetroot instead. I know it's not quite the same as strawberry's but I do have an obsession for it, all my life I have loved beetroot. My mum tells a story that while she was pregnant with me all she wanted to eat was M&S baby beetroots, I think she got

me addicted in the womb!!!

Ohh and we picked broad beans.
Well I have digressed, we then came home via the CS so I could show Gav a fire guard I had seen in there in the morning and we bought it. Is desperately needed for the new bigger fireplace so the kittens (one next month) don't get too near to the fire.
Homeward bound, we ate lunch and then set to work on the Kitchen Make over part 2.

I gave the dresser tops a coat of white satin wood and Gav finished the walls and ceilings.

I also gave the shelf a coat of White satin wood ready for it to go up tomorrow for the cook books.

Painting done, and I was on a mission!!! I decided to have a clear out of the kitchen cupboards, 2 boxes for CS later and I scrubbing the doors, changing the extractor filter and cleaning the cooker, OMG I think I was high on the paint and kitchen cleaner because I kept going until 9pm tonight. Well I'm showered and ready for bed. Doesn't time fly when your having fun!!
I hope you like the photos of my trip out today, hopefully finished Kitchen Pics tomorrow.

Night Night xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kitchen Make Over

I love to cook and am always in our kitchen. My kitchen however is in desperate need of renovation but at the moment the best I can do is a make over!! The kitchen I out of the 70's with red tile brick flooring and red tiling on the walls, mottled beige melemine door fronts and cream spanish style artex on the walls!!

I have decided that I can cope with the red floor & wall tiles and that white and blue will make a good combination with the red, white walls and red and blue accessories. I am going to use the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" as my kitchen inspiration and I am going to buy the poster to put up when the make over is finished. I am also thinking that a union jack and some red & white gingham might look good in there.

So yeasterday late in the afternoon Gav and I set to work on the grand make over.

(Note not a 60 minute one!!)

I cleared the shelves & surfaces, all my cookbooks, vases and jars are now on the dining room table!! I the started to wash down the walls with cleaning spray to make sure the paint would take. We took down the shelves that could be taken down!! I have 2 pine dressere tops on the walls in the kitchen, which the previous owner had put up, We thought they would unscrew from the wall but they are artexed to the walls!! strange 70's obsession artex.

So they were left in situe and I washed them down. Gav painted untill at least 11pm when he finally fell into his chair. We were pleased with the progress we had made and planned to go out and get new ceiling light's today.

So off we went this morning, and we got some nice crome lights with great halogen spots in them, fab for highlighting my finds on the dresser tops. I also found an end of bath pannel which I am going to use to make a chalk bord as I saw Joan make on anything goes here. We came home and started painting again, Gav the walls and me the dresser tops. I have undercoated them today and will put a coat of White Satin Wood on them tomorrow. I also painted a long pine shelf that will hold my collection of cookbooks.

The kitchen is looking so much brighter, and bigger. We are off work tomorrow and Tuesday so we will hopefully have it finished before we go back to work on Wednesday.

I will post finished phots when my make over is compeat.

Have a lovely week, and remember Keep Calm And Carry On xxxx

Saturday Shopping

Charity Shopping, Clothing Sale shopping & Jumble Sale Shopping.

All on my list today.

We started (Gem and I) at 9am with a trip to one of our local parades of shops with 5 CS on it.

Only one find "The Green Beauty Bible", some light reading for me!!

Then we went to a Clothing sale called "Wardrobe Goldmine", it is a clothing sale run by mums in the local area. You buy a pack of 10 or 25 labels and then label up any unwanted clothes with the price you want to get for the items, the size etc. You take them along to the sale and they are sold. You then get 70% of what the clothes are sold for. It's a great way to recycle clothes that are too good to be thrown away, and somebody else gets to enjoy your clothes. I didn't buy anything this time but Gem got a fab pair of red penitent shoes. I bought in to the 25 label pack for the next sale in September, as I am due a clear out and this will be a great way of doing it. I have to say I have gone off selling on EBay of late.

The Mum's from the sale also run a group called Mum's Marketplace, that holds Crafts and Gift fairs in the local area, I'm defiantly going to try and go along to one.

We then set off to a Scout Jumble sale, I like to support the local community and if I can do that with thrifting it's a bonus. I got a vintage children's book only 20p.

It had been raining all morning, and I have to say we were pretty soggy by the time we had finished out shopping so home for a nice cuppa.

Sorry no photos today, such horrid weather will post some tomorrow if the weather brightens up xx

Friday Finds

My weekend started on Friday this week, lucky me!
I started with a visit to my fav CS, and picked up some lovelys.

A pretty Royal Worcester shell shaped dish, the name on the bottom is Strawberry Fair what with my recent strawberry addiction I had to have it.

I also found an old Oxo tin, I have been after one of these for ages some sort of childhood memory has made me want one of these.

I also got a lovely glass jug, just right for Pims O'clock!! and as I was paying for my finds I spotted something in the cabinet below. I asked to see it and it was an old ladys tape measure, with an embroidered top. £1.50 bargain of the day.

Next town beckoned with my in laws, we had a lovely lunch in my fav cafe Pestle and Mortar. Then we went shopping!!! I got a lovely new Ironing board for my CK Ironing board cover!! Now Ironing will be so much more fun.

Peas Please!!!!

OMG!!! I've just got back from watering the veggie patch and look what I found.

Pea's & French Beans and lots of them, they sure weren't this big yesterday or even there!!

This is my first attempt at growing peas & beans and they are really quite self sufficient vegetables, the hard work is all in the prep with the cane tripods. Luckily Gav made the cane frames for me while I planted the seeds.

I also had to show you one of my sun flowers. Last year we had loads of random plates pop up in the veg patch, we pulled some out as we knew they weren't potatoes (which is what I had planted) but we left 3 to see what they were and up and out came beautiful sun flowers. We pulled them up when they died and thought of them no more. Until they started coming up again this year in the middle of the onions, potatoes and peas!!! I didn't have the heart to pull them out as they do look so beautiful when they come out.

I also wanted to show you my water lily that Gav got me for the pond, unfortunately the flower only blooms for about 3 days and its in the day time so I kept missing it as I was at work, luckily Gav took a photo for me in his lunch hour and it is beautiful.

Have a great week let's hope the sun keeps shining xxxxx

Jamie at Home

Ohhhhhhhhhh what an exciting day!!
I picked up my Jamie at Home goodies today.

I went to a Jamie at home party a few weeks ago and it was fab. So fab I am having my own party in a couple of weeks.

It was great fun, you watch a DVD of Jamie Oliver cooking an exclusive recipe, you take part in a quiz where you can win Jamie Oliver prizes. Me being a geeky cook won the prize at the party I went to, a cool spaghetti portion measurer, fab as I always cook too much. The products are lovely and as you can see I did purchase a few things.

The kilner jars are fab, glass with a ceramic lid. They come in 3 colours blue, pea green and cream. I got one of each of the larger jars and two of each of the smaller jars in the blue. I also got some tea towels ( bit of a thing about nice tea towels at the moment got CK ones this week too!!)

And I got the 4 exclusive recipe cards for the month of June. When I have my party I will get July's automatically as I am a hostess & a nice binder to keep them in. I also got the hessian shopper bag which was on special offer, it's not normally sold as the consultants get their kit in them. Well I you fancy a party check out the Jamie at Home website. I will post again after I have had my party.

Very excited to see all the goodies in the flesh again and get them in my kitchen.

Have a lovely weekend and a fab 4th July xxxxxxxxx

A Parcel for me....

My Cath Kidston order arrived today, I placed it last week on the first day of the sale. I know CK gets a lot of PR from us bloggers but I wanted to show you my Sale Bargains. So my order consisted of

A new Ironing bord cover in floral gingham (thought it might make the ironing more fun!!)

A First Aid tin in red stencil

Two packs of Birthday Buttons

A red star book bag

A pair of Gardening Gloves in mini dot green (A gift for some one)

Some tea towels in stencil & shooting stars

Not bad I thought for £40, and it's lovely to get a big parcel in the post, especially one with pretty presents for me in!!! If you have a spare 5 minutes and some spending money, have a look on the Cath Kidston website and treat yourself. My top tip would be to phone and place your order as they sometimes have more products in the sale than online.

Happy Shopping xxxxxx