Monday 28 June 2010

The best of British




This weekend I was reminded of just how beautiful Britain can be when everything comes together at the right time. Obviously, the wonderful weather is a major component - it transforms even the most reticent amongst us and helps us to behave as though we were living in the South of France. I took part in the Open Gardens weekend in Wymeswold in Leicestershire at the invitation of a friend. It was a little slice of the English idyll. Thatched cottages, gardens bursting with beautiful blooms, children running around in mini-Boden, cream-teas, homemade james, blackbirds singing their hearts out, and that most traditional of traditions - Morris dancers. The sun shone, and meals were enjoyed outside along with a glass of wine as the day turned into balmy evening. I didn't want to be anywhere else, and I'm sure that those car-loads of Brits who head to the Mediterranean every summer would have been hard-pressed to match the simple pleasures of the stay-cation when the sun is smiling. My plastic-bottle flowers were a step too far for some of the less adventurous,  but the presence of the wonderful beekeeper next to my stall, showing off her hive and selling organic fruit and veg insured a steady flow of curious customers.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Summer

A big thankyou to all the friends who brought in their plastic bottles for me to turn into flowers. I'll be at the Wymeswold Open Gardens in Leicestershire this weekend (26th & 27th June) selling my flowers and talking hats! Do come along and say hello - it would be great to meet you. And if the weather stays fine - it should be a glorious couple of days.

Saturday 19 June 2010

I AM DEFINITELY NOT AN "IT" BAG


What do you think of my latest bag? A Mary Jane Millinery designed hold-all.

Blanket love

This is turning into one of those blogs where the annoying blogger (me) keeps bragging about her bargains! Sorry guys....but there is ANOTHER brilliant debt-friendly purchase I have to share with you. £3.50 for a double-bed sized crochet blanket. Found by chance in the normally pretty unremarkable charity shop in Greenwich. I was in there with a friend the other day bemoaning the increase in prices and decrease in quality, when I saw this crocheted mass squeezed onto a hanger. Further investigation revealed it was a handmade blanket...for the previously mentioned price. Now if I had the sort of camera that would do it justice, and the time to style it properly I would show you said blanket beautifully laid out on the bed, with the neighbour's cat cutely curled up on top. But I haven't got either the camera or the time, nor is the cat willing to pose,  so here is just a pretty picture of the blanket close-up. Apologies for bargain bragging - but I have to share my excitement with someone! OK - I'm off to the market now. I will try not to find anything worth bragging about (she lies!).

Sunday 13 June 2010

It's the little things

You don't have to be rolling in it to give yourself a fashion fix you know. I've had my first weekend at home for ages, and so of course I was able to give free rein to my foraging instinct and get back down to my favourite local market. I wasn't disappointed. I found a load of sparkly fabric off cuts for £2, a funky 50's hat for £1 - and then this dress for £3! The fabric is a really heavy type of cotton mix, so I think it must be fairly vintage, and it's almost a perfect fit - it just needs a bit of an adjustment round the waist. I was so excited when I saw it! I took it to the launderette straight away and wore it out last night with a red belt around the middle. This dress just kept putting a smile on my face, and I found myself wondering about its history. It has something of a feel-good factor about it!