Beautiful Boudoir

Oh I just had to share this with you all.

(Image scanned from S Magazine)

My friend Barbie just sent me the most amazing clipping from yesterdays S Magazine, she said she thought of me when she saw it!

This is one of the images, I love the patchwork wall paper, such a cleaver idea for someone who just can't decide on one pattern, maybe I could re do my spare room??

I hope you enjoy the image as much as me.

Have a lovely week.

Luv  

PS. I have just found out that this beautiful image is from a wonderful stylist Selina Lake.

She has a beautiful Blog so if you want to see more loveliness pop over to her here. xxx

It's been a Pickle of a week....

Right then, the food shop is done, the washing is on so now I can Blog and himself can play war on his play station! (too be fair he had been building me beautiful shelves in a alcove all day)

I have been a busy bee this past week, work has been busy as usual especially with the BH Monday.

On BH Monday Gav and I went to our local Pick Your Own to see what they had left for the season and boy were we surprised. Raspberry's were still available so we had a punnet of them. The poor damsons had been all blown off the bushes except a few that were well hidden so I had a bag of them too now in the freezer waiting for a later date. Plums galore, I walked through the rows of trees picking different variety's and filling a huge bag. Then a spin round the farm shop for more goodies, and so reasonable too.

I was soo inspired by my morning out that I cam home and decided to make this.

I got a new toy last Sunday in Home Sense, a mandolin!!

They have always scared me before as you do hear horror stories about people chopping their fingers off with them.

But I bit the bullet and decided enough grating was enough, so now I can slice and shred as much as I like (with the finger guard obviously!!)

I pull the beetroot from the garden and still have some left in the ground to make another batch. Yummy.

On Wednesday my friend Alison from work brought me in 2 HUGE courgettes from her allotment.

I found a fab recipe for pickled courgette on the Internet and set to work Wednesday night with one courgette.

Here are the results.

They are thinly sliced with the mandolin along with shalotts from the farm shop & they are in a cider vinegar, mustard & chili solution.

On Thursday I found out that there are some apple trees in the grounds at work, so off I went scrumping in my lunch break!!!

I got a small haul as it looked like they had seen visitors recently.

Will be going back soon with a stick to get some of the higher fruit.

Friday evening I decided that the plums from the PYO really needed something doing to them so I decide to make Ruby Plum & Apple Chutney.

I started buy chopping & stoning all the plums.

Then I pealed & chopped all the apples from my scrumping mission.

I also added some figs that had been reduced in the super market, red onions, sultanas, garlic, ginger, spices, brown sugar & red wine vinegar and lastly some ruby port!!!

Oh my house smelt like Christmas.

My trusty preserving pan has had a busy week too.

I have to say I made my recipe up, and just let it cook for a really long time until it was thick enough to pot.

It thickened up really well, if I haven't made a certain type of pickle or chutney before I do use a recipe.

I used recipes for both the Beetroot & Courgette pickles.

I have loads more chutney & pickle recipes left to make.

I have decided to make all the Christmas Presents this year, be it hand cooked or handmade.

Friends & family seam really pleased with the idea.

I have some pickling onions in soak at the moment and I will pickle them tomorrow.

What are you pickling, Jamming or preserving at the moment??

Have a great week.

Luv

PS. Thanks for all the lovely comments on my hair cut xxx

Chaity Shop Withdrawal...............

I have had serious CS withdrawal this week as I didn't do my CS shift last weekend as my cousin was staying. So today I was super excited to get to work.

Now you might think this a bit odd but my favourite task in the CS (apart from dressing the window) is sorting in the clothes room. It can be a bit hideous when you get a yucky bag!!! Why oh why do people think we want their worn knickers I do not know!!! but when you get a good bag that you know you can hang almost everything in it, it's a fab feeling. 

Today I got some wonderful goodies.

Freda showed me this fab Le Creuset Cook Book Stand, I have been after a cookbook stand for ages so I knew this was going home with me today.

Especially as I also found this lurking on the book shelves in the shop.

Some yummy recipes in here, can't wait to try some out.

This lovely blue floral vintage biscuit tin had been put in the bin! so you guessed it it cam home with me too.

Looks nice on my kitchen shelf, don't you think?

My shopping didn't finish their, I also go 2 pairs of shoes.

These red ones are Spanish leather and soo soft and a perfect fit, we probably couldn't have sold them as there is quite a lot of wear on the soles.

These tan leather pumps also probably wouldn't have been sold as they have a slight mark on one shoe, and also have wear on the sole.

I know some people are funny about wearing other peoples shoes but I'm not.

I always give them a good clean and anti bac the insides, a little polish and voila.

I also fell in love with this beautiful pashmina, it's a green & gold paisley pattern.

I don't normally post pictures of myself but I thought you might like to see my new hair cut!!!

My final purchase was a white candlewick bed spread for my spare room.

So that when those naughty cats of mine manage to get in there for a snooze they won't leave hairs on the duvet cover. It s currently in the washing machine.

I hope you have had some lovely CS finds lately.

Luv

PS. I didn't get the Kenwood mixer on Ebay as it was broken!!!

So I'm still on the look out xxx

A wish for a Mixer!!!

As you may have seen in my post below I have fallen in love with a Mixer!!!

Don't worry Gav you still come first, but I am becoming slightly obsessed with the thought of a lovely new food mixer.

Now my ideal would be this

But sadly unless I win the lottery tonight I think it is a little out of my price range.

I also like the Kenwood mixers so maybe this one will be a little more realistic.

Not as retro looking but still a lovely mixer.

At the recent Vintage Festival, Kenwood had a pop up shop.

Late in the day on Saturday I popped along and bought 2 teatowls with vintage poster prints of mixers on them. They were being sold out of the back of the vintage kenwood van, which made it all the more special.

The girls also gave me some kenwood post cards which will look fab framed and hung in the kitchen.

I am currently watching a 1940's Kenwood chef on Ebay which is nearby but needs a little TLC.

Hopefully it will be affordable and may just become mine. 

Wish me luck.

So tell me about your preference kitchenaid or kenwood???

Have a lovely weekend 

Luv  

Finally My Vintage Experience At Goodwood

I know it has been a few weeks since Vintage at Goodwood and my last post, so I apologise for my tardiness.

My experience of Vintage started 2 days before the festival opened, with the building of  The Body Shop!

Lucy and I spend 2 days visual merchandising the shop, driving a huge lorry (which was a nightmare) and generally making sure that the shop looked amazing. I also spent all day on the Saturday of the festival doing make overs in the shop, the 60's black eyeliner & bright red lips was the most popular look as you can guess. I didn't get much time to look around the festival but did pop in to CK and John Lewis. 

So brace yourself for a photo heavy post!!!

Hope you enjoy the festival......

Our Shop

John Lewis Directly opposite our shop

(this is pre opening)

Inside JL on Saturday, wish I had had time to join a class!!

JL beautiful Lampshades over the workroom table

Dr Martins

Fab Cocktail Bar

The Kenwood Shop - I soo want a Kenwood Mixer!!

I wish I had had time to go back to school

Fancy a Fashion Show!!

Finally, I did get 5 minutes to have a go in this Sinclair C5

So that is my Vintage at Goodwood Experience, a great event with wonderful shops, music with the best Vintage feel.

Hopefully next year they will do it again and I will get to enjoy the full experience.

Have a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend.

Luv 

Vintage at Goodwood

I'm off to Vintage at Goodwood this week with work, to set up our shop on the High Street.

I got given my green access all areas wrist band today which as of Wednesday I will need to keep on my wrist until my shift is over on Saturday.

I hope it's going to be an amazing experience and that everyone will have a great time.

If I'm luck hopefully I will get to have a look around the festival as well as working!

So if your coming to Vintage, I will be in The Body Shop on the High Street on Saturday.

Pop along and say hello, it would be lovely to meet some more bloggers in person.

Have a great week.

Luv

Writers Block.............

Sorry I've been away soo long.

One day rolls into another and blogging has gone by the by.

Then I don't know what to write about..............

So here I go

 I have a couple of long overdue thank yous,

Firstly for my wonderful  Strawberry Swap all the way from the Netherlands, from the lovely Margriet.

She sent me such a beautiful parcel of goodies.

Thank You Margriet I love it all & sorry it has taken me soo long to post about it xxx

If you want to see what I sent Margriet pop over and see her here.

Secondly I have to thank Shara who was my partner for the Vintage Vacation Swap.

She sent me a trip across America parcel with trinkets and memorabilia from all over the US.

It was great fun opening it, red white & blue everywhere.

Thank you Shara it was a fab swap, if you want to see what I sent Shara pop over and see her here.

So hopefully this has got me back to blogging, I suppose I had a bit of a writers block.

Normally words come easily but I think I have been a bit stuck of late, perhaps it's the lack of chocolate!!

The diet is going well so far, I have lost 10.5lbs, in 4 weeks so lets hope I can keep it up.

I have ridden my new bike to the CS, I was a bit wobbly as I haven't ridden a bike in 15 years.

I still need to get a basket or panniers, bike bell & pad lock but I am trying to keep the cost down and be thrifty about it.

Well that's me for now, I'm off to visit you all now.

Have a lovely week.

Luv