lately...

Oh my goodness it's been too long since my last post!  So to get me back into this blogging lark, here are some pics of recent goings-on round my way...

some of the lovely bits I won in Caroline's giveaway...

signs of spring...

hearts and pancakes (weeks ago!)...

another lovely spring flower...

a bonfire with friends...

our local city farm allotments have been yarn bombed!

my amazingly talented friend Cath made this tiny diorama which hangs in her living room...

crocuses are one of my favourite spring flowers...

a few finds from my weekend away - back at the beginning of Feb!

I never mean to take long breaks from blogging, but the last few weeks have flown by - I can't believe it's March already!  We have been given some 2nd hand kitchen units - our kitchen was in dire need of refurbishing so the last couple of weeks have been spent stripping artex (vile stuff!) off the ceiling, and plumbing, and living surrounded by the contents of our kitchen in boxes.  It's nearly finished but we still have the tiling to go, and as Frank's doing it all himself it's still going to be a week or two before we can stand back and admire the final result.  It's been hard work but it will be worth it!

I've been buying lots more fabric to restock for my next fabric sale so now the sun is putting in occasional appearances I'll take some pics and let you all have a sneak peek... :)

I hope you're enjoying the start of spring...I've been terrible at keeping up with all my favourite blogs (it was impossible to sit at the PC when Frank was working so hard in the kitchen - would have made me feel awfully guilty!) but I hope to catch up with you all soon.  

Thanks for reading and welcome to my new followers - lovely of you to join me here!

Rachel xx

January so far...

Hello, how are you doing?!  I've been living in the land of germs...both boys have been ill and our return to normality was delayed, as M wasn't well enough to go back to school.  There's so much I've been wanting to do, both here on the blog and in 'real life' - but all has had to be put on hold in favour of nose wiping, cuddling and dvd watching.  But today the sun was out, the coughing fits were less frequent and I'm emerging into 2013 feeling hopeful that things can only get better!

While browsing Pinterest - about all I've had the time and energy for - I came across this beautiful print by one of my favourite contemporary printmakers, Angie Lewin...

just beautiful.  I love the combination of grey and yellow...it feels like winter sunshine.

Also I'd just like to say hello to all my new followers - it's really lovely to have you here, and I'll do my best to get over to all your blogs to say a proper hello when everything's back to normal here.

Happy 2013 - fingers crossed for more sunshine and less germs! 

Rachel x

vintage treats...

Helloooo, how are you today? I've had a busy few days, making the most of the weather to get out with F and the boys - hurrah for the sunshine!  

We all went to a car boot sale at the weekend, we haven't been for ages because M always gets carried away and we end up bringing a load of plastic tat home. But I fancied a rummage in the sunshine so off we went, and in fact the boys were great, each choosing something small and then getting engrossed with playing with their new toys.  Meanwhile I scanned the tables, looking for that elusive treasure...and then....

well, I do like tins, though I usually go for a bolder design, but it's pretty...

 

the designs around the sides are a bit more my style... R likes the 'funny dancing boy'...

I love the crazy pointy beards...

how much was it? £5 with the contents - I don't usually spend that much on one thing for myself at a boot sale, it doesn't really feel like a bargain price, but I could hardly say no! 

 

Most of the reels are wooden, and apart from their obvious use they are just beautiful objects. 

These 3 are proper strong button thread, the blue and brown are linen...

these 3 are the smoothest and shiniest cotton thread I've ever seen...

and this one you don't find in every sewing kit!

I never used to haggle at boot sales but I tend to pick up a little extra something and see if I can get it thrown in...in this case, I think I did quite well...

3 rather gorgeous pairs of knitting needles.  I don't really knit - my Grandmother taught me a bit when I was little but I could never remember how to cast on or off!  But I'd love to learn properly someday...

I found the background fabric on holiday, in a little vintage shop in St Ives called Beatengreen Boutique (I don't think their website's been updated in a while, but I always like to provide a link where possible).  It's a very bright and psychedelic pattern, here's a close-up:

If you like it I'm going to be listing a cushion-cover sized bit of it on Ebay soon, along with a few other favourite bits of fabric; I'll let you have a sneak peek at them soon!

Before I go I must just welcome my newest follower; I had an odd thing happen the other day when 6 followers just disappeared - did I lose them down the back of the sofa?! maybe they didn't like photos of flowers?! - but having the super talented Jane of teawagontales more than makes up for that little mishap!  If you've never perused her lovely blog or Etsy shop I recommend it, especially if this applies to you too...

Isn't that just perfect?  I so need that somewhere on my wall!

I hope you're enjoying your week , 

Rachel x

this moment...

 

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Via Soulemama.

Have a lovely weekend.

Rachel x

home again, home again....

We're back, refreshed, recharged, rejuvenated.....oh dear, I wrote that bit first thing this morning, then got distracted by unpacking, laundry, hungry children, squabbling, mess, whining, and somewhere along the way I seem to have mislaid that feeling! 

We did have a fabulous time, and I will tell you a bit about it tomorrow.  Here are a few photos of beautiful Cornwall, maybe if I look at them for long enough I'll regain that holiday feeling...

 

aaah, that's better!  Thank you all so much for your lovely comments before I went, I hope you had a good week - I did dip into a few blogs while I was away (hurrah/damn you, tempting Wifi!) but I'm looking forward to catching up with you all over this week, in between the laundry and the refereeing fights over random toys.  Fingers crossed for sunshine tomorrow, I think a trip to the park is in order!


Rachel x

a day at the seaside...

Happy rainy Monday to you!  You wouldn't know it by looking out of my window right now (it hasn't stopped raining all bloody day!!), but yesterday afternoon the sun shone and the wind blew and we piled into the car for a few hours of blustery seaside fun....

M modelling Mummy's shades...

I did the balancing, M added the face...

 

more rock balancing...

and more...this one looks impossible from this angle!

 and then the boys chased each other around like lunatics for a bit before we came home...

a lovely family day, no squabbles or tears.  Nice and relaxing after the craziness of M's party the day before, which went very well but left me and F in dire need of a stiff drink!

So I'd like to put a request in to the universe - more sunshine please!  I can cope with rain while the kids are still at school, but in 2 and a half weeks the summer holidays will be here, and I would like to spend them doing more of this kind of thing, rather than endless days of lego in pyjamas (which I love, but that's what we do all winter!). 

What did you get up to at the weekend? I hope it was fun whatever it was!

Rachel x

bring me sunshine....please!!!

Oh for goodness sake, the rain is ridiculous!  Here is a collection of some sunny prints from my Pinterest Prints and Illustrations board, to cheer up this miserable Sunday...

by Kirsten Ulve

a lovely 1960s tourism poster by Gustavo Fortuna

Love this, but can't find who to credit, boo!

by Ty Wilkins

by Blanca Gomez

by Ben Javens

Spaceface by Tad Carpenter

There, that's cheered me up a bit! Hope you all manage to enjoy your day despite the rain, or maybe you're lucky enough to be somewhere sunny?! 

Rachel x