local loveliness...

Hello, how are you this week?  I'm slowing down, getting ready for Christmas and looking forward to time off from all the usual routines...the school run seems to get harder every morning!  It's been so cold here, though we've been lucky with bright sunny frosty mornings...but I'd still rather be tucked up under a duvet watching movies with my boys than hustling them out of the door...

I had a busy weekend, starting with the Christmas Fair at Max's school; I'd been staying up late to make stock for a few days beforehand, but as usual the buzz of the fair kicked in and I enjoyed setting up my stall...

 

 

I had great fun painting and decorating this little display house and styling it with little vintage goodies; though I'm not sure about my lovely assistant's novel method of 'helping'...

Luckily lots of M's friends were there so he frolicked off to wreak mayhem while I enjoyed some quiet moments before the crowds flooded in....well, not crowds exactly - but it was busy enough.  I sold enough to make it worthwhile being there, and got some commissions for the New Year, so all in all a fun and successful day! 

Later on M's school took part in the local annual Lantern Parade, which was a brilliant community event involving children from at least 3 different schools and many individuals from all over the area.  It was a cold evening, but the kids had an amazing time as the traffic stopped and we took over the streets as dusk descended...

M's class have been learning about ancient Egypt this term, so they designed a Zombie Mummy lantern...

it looked pretty spooky as the sky got darker!

the parade finished in a park, where as well as all the handmade lanterns we were treated to a glowing hot air balloon...amazing.

After all that we went to a friends house where the kids ran riot while the adults warmed up with cocktails...a busy but very lovely day! 

Sorry it's taken me till now to share it with you...as you probably know I am guest blogging over here this week...if you haven't popped over to see what I'm up to there, please do!

Hope your Christmas preparations are going smoothly, it can be a stressful time of year.  I'm feeling pretty calm so far, but there's still a lot to do!

Rachel x

I did some sewing, yay!!

Hello lovelies, how are you today?  

I have had a bit of a rollercoaster week, my Dad has been ill and urgently needed major surgery, which was really nerve wracking.  He is recovering and his health should be improved after a period of recuperation, so in the long run it's a good thing...scary though.  And then just when I was having trouble sleeping cause I was worrying about him, the rain started dripping through the ceiling...

But!  This Saturday we are collecting our new baby, Floyd the Miniature Schnauzer.  The excitement level in our house is reaching fever pitch - only 2 sleeps to go - it's like an early Christmas present for our whole family. 

In the meantime, before I bombard you all with pictures of Floyd, I thought I'd show you something I managed to make...yes, I made time for some sewing, and it felt good!   I've been playing with these bits of fabric for a while...

 

I love these fabrics so much, and some of them I've only got a little bit of - there are barkcloths, and collectible fabrics from Heals, and Scandinavian fabrics.  I wanted to try something a tad more ambitious than my usual squares or strips, so I went for a rectangular log cabin type of arrangement...and as with most things I make, I planned it carefully, but I still got to the end and saw things I might do differently if I could make it again.  But that is ok, that is how we learn...and now instead of having to open my cupboard to look at all these gorgeous patterns and colours, I get to enjoy them every day, which makes me really happy.   

Before I go I'd just like to welcome my new followers, and anyone who has popped in to read or comment...it still amazes me that people spend time here, reading my ramblings...thank you, you're all totally gorgeous. I just have to give a special welcome to my newest follower, Donna Flower(!) who if you love vintage fabric (and if you don't, what are you doing here?!) you will surely know of - she sells the most fabulous vintage fabrics and haberdashery, both online and on her stall at various vintage fairs.  I actually bought the top bit of the cushion cover above from her, and now she's following my blog! Sorry, I'll stop now...just had to get a bit excited about that!

I hope you're all having a good week, and haven't been ill, or flooded, and have maybe managed a moment or two of creative fun...

Rachel xx

these are just a few of my favourite things...#1

Happy sunny day!

It is freezing cold here but bright and clear and spring is in the air.  Today I am saying goodbye to grey winter with a look at a few of my favourite black and white treasures from the wonderful world of the interweb, yes I am often all about rainbows but I do love the crispness of black and white.  Though as you'll see from 3 of these beauties, it works particularly well with a little bit of colour thrown in too! 

First up, a rather lovely cushion from Scandinavian brand Bantie at the ever fabulous Heal's, which not only ticks my black and white box but has birds all over it too! (Slightly bird obsessed of late, more of them another day!)

Yes I know I've got a house full of fabric and I can make my own cushion covers, but that doesn't mean I can't love other people's too!

Next, with a lovely splash of red to brighten our day, these gorgeous Miss Badger stackable coffee cups by James Ward from his Etsy shop:

He's got lots of different animals on his mugs, but Miss Badger reminds me of the Frances books by Russell Hoban, which my Mum used to read to me...I think maybe Miss Badger is Frances grown up?!

Here's a pattern I've been lusting after for a while, and it's not a crush that's fading, so one day I might have to give in....

It's from Marimekko at Heal's, a truly iconic brand at a shop to match - some of my favourite fabrics from my collection were from Heals in the 60s, though I've got very little by Marimekko....a lack that I must remedy one day.  This design comes in cushion covers, tea towels and oven gloves, so if you're a matchy-matchy kind of person, you can co-ordinate to your heart's content - as long as you've got a bit of cash to spare!

And lastly, with a fantastic splash of daffodil yellow to celebrate the sunshine and anticipate the coming of spring, this stunning wallpaper from MissPrint, which was brought to my attention  by the Queen of design blogging, Bowie Style at print & pattern:

What can I say? I love it.  Yellow used to be the one colour I didn't really get on with, but over the last few years it has crept up in my estimation to become a favourite - it doesn't suit my colouring so I can only get away with accessories, but I think it'll be turning up a lot more around my home. 

So there we are - a few moments in my day spent in design heaven.  Now I'm off to get on with a few mundane but necessary domestic tasks, I hope to be back tomorrow with more eye candy.

Rachel x