A little fresh touch...

So, spring cleaning never hopped, skipped and jumped out of my reach this year, as we travelled to South Africa, and I never got round to doing it. I'm having to play catch up in a big way! The kitchen has been looking a little more shabby than chic of late, so I've had to reach for the old marigolds and cream cleaner in order to get it looking crisper! The 'Deep Clean' soon turned into a little re-decorating too, as the paintwork had suffered the gusto of a toddler hurricane! I'm pleased to say that, a WHOLE bottle of cream cleaner, four scouring sponges and a tidal wave of hot water later, it is now smelling fresh as daisies!

Sleeves rolled up, ready to start...it always gets worse before it gets better!

There is always reward at the end of a big spring clean. This time it was the discovery of a whole set of Jaj Rose Pyrex, which I have been coveting for a while! Found it in a charity shop and paid pennies for it! Happy girl...♥

I can smell the freshness!

The paint is dry...the cooker is clean...

Time for a cuppa...

Well, it feels great! The only thing is...there are many more rooms waiting for the duster...

Blessings
Tania ♥

Tickled pink!

We have enjoyed the most glorious, happy, sunkissed days this past week, and I cannot begin to express what this has done for my mood! I must admit, I didn't think we were ever going to feel the warmth of the summer sun this year with all the rain we've had! So, as you can imagine, we have made the most of our balmy days, with a visit to the seaside (previous blog post!), and a little excursion to Cambridge on our bikes. We cycled along the river into the city centre, and just soaked up the rays of sunshine, bird song, fresh air and cheery atmosphere.

It's not everyday you see cows so near to a city's centre...it felt like we were in the middle of the countryside!

Beautiful Cambridge...I love the university buildings with their aged character and architectural details.

Me and my crew...

Family time...

Cambridge is one of my favourite places to visit. It has a very special atmosphere and buzz about it, but at the same time it feels very tranquil and easy going...well worth a visit!

Over the weekend we also managed to visit our favourite Boot sale. Normally the children get a little bored with this, but not this time! I was surprised at their enthusiasm and bartering skills! They were left to their own devices to look for thrifty bargains, and boy, did they haggle their way to some discounted treasures! I was in my element with my thrifty finds too...

My Loot...yummy candy-coloured cuteness! Total spent: £8,75!

Dreamy letters...perhaps for little miss' bedroom?

Gorgeous, yummy bracelets, reminiscent of Bakelite to cheer up any summer outfit...£1!

Pretty little hankie in it's original box...50p

Heidi children's book, very good vintage condition, and a steal at 25pence!

Vintage buttons...50p

Little metal tins for a little project...£1

But, my favourite find of the day by far...Vintage Batger's tins at £1 each! Batger's was a British confectioner, and was established in 1748. It is hard to date these tins, but they certainly have some age to them. As can be expected, they're a little battered and bruised, but I think this adds to their charm! They look lovely in my kitchen!

Now, I have been hankering after a typewriter for some time now. I just love them for their craftsmanship, purpose, aesthetic beauty, and mostly because of the era that they're from. And, nothing looks nicer and more charming than a typed letter! My sweet girl knows this too well, so imagine my surprise when she tapped me on the shoulder during our Boot sale outing, and presented me with a big smile and a 'Mummy, I've bought you something you've always wanted!' Yes, you've guessed it...my little miss bought me a typewriter with her pocket money! She haggled, and paid the tiny sum of £4 for a pristine Daro Erika typewriter! I kid you not...It is in perfect working order, and in it's original leather case. When I read the first paragraph in the instruction manual, and had a good giggle, and a pang of nostalgia...

Well, I was tickled pink! I am so excited to put it to good use!

So, a bit of a lengthy post, but a lot to share! My sister and her kidlets are coming to visit for a few days, so blogging will have to wait for a bit. Hence today's waffling on my part! Have a fabby-dabby-doo week, until we meet again!

Blessings, Tania ♥

A little forgotten project...

Hello me lovelies! Well, I hope you have all enjoyed the Easter weekend, and are making the most of the last day! And hopefully you haven't over-indulged in chocolate eggs like I have. I tried something a little different this morning for breakfast. A nice warm slice of toast, topped with creamy cheesy spread and dotted with a few mini candy coated chocolate eggs...yum...I kid you not! Anyway, I've been meaning to share a project of mine with you for quite some time now. It's something I made for Easter a long time ago, and I was so pleased with the way it turned out that it stays out all year round. It hangs on our kitchen door, and only gets put away at Christmas and Valentine's day to make room for other decorations.

You all know by now that I am a huge fan of Tone Finnanger's Tilda creations, and own nearly every book! Inspired by her lovelies, I decided to make a wreath for Easter by sewing components from her books, and teaming it up with a few other spring-like items I already had...

A few hearts in assorted sizes, teamed up with paper flowers...

A couple of twirly fabric roses and pearly pins...

Little birdies and pastel eggs...

And voila! An Easter wreath to cheer things up!

Oh, and of course a bow to finish it off!

I was so pleased with how it turned out, especially as it was very inexpensive to make! This really appeals to my thrifty self! I used a Styrofoam wreath for the base, and merely covered it with a recycled skirt which I cut into strips. I then tied the strips around the wreath base, and added all the little extras. I have made a few variations since this one, and hope to share those with you too.

Happiness, joy, love and peace to you, wherever your feet may take you!

Tania ♥

Birthdays and blessings

Wow...what a weekend it's been! On Friday I celebrated my 35th birthday. Yip, I'm now entering the latter thirties, a slippery slope towards the big 40! In all honesty, I did have a few quiet moments of self reflection, trying to gage whether life is all I'd hoped it to be as I hear yet another loud tick on the old biological clock. Did I come up with any answers? Well, I realised that I may not know everything, I may not be at the destination I envisaged as a twenty-something year old, but this I do know...I am blessed. I am well and truly blessed.

I awoke on Friday morning, feeling that it is just a day like any other, with the morning rush kicking off with packed lunches to be made, school projects to hand in, a frantic search for swimming goggles, and empty grocery cupboards to fill. All this staring me in my slightly older, wrinklier face. So, lots of chores to be done, and no birthday frivolities planned. Thus is life when you're 35, and mum! But, the day quickly turned into one continuous party, with my gorgeous sprogs singing a sped up version of 'Happy Birthday' to me as we quickly opened pressies amidst the school morning chaos. They were under very strict instructions from Daddy to do the birthday wishing as he had to leave for work early and wouldn't be around. And did hubby surprise me this year!? Oh yes he did! I was bowled over as I opened my pressie, and found it was the vintage necklace I had been admiring for quite some time now in our local Antiques Centre...'The man done good...'

Gifts from Mom and Dad

Vintage necklace: Gift from Hubby

Scrumptious scarf from a friend

At lunch time my dear friend Dianne turned up and cooked me the most amazing lunch of sea bass, and vegetables, and joined by the another lovely friend Sue, we tucked in with gusto, laughter and cheer. Such fun! And so the day continued...

More friends came knocking bearing gifts and wishes, and dinnertime turned into a party as my gorgeous South African friend turned up with a huge pot of curry she'd lovingly prepared. I was completely overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. I spent the day surrounded by the love of friends and family, with phone calls and messages from loved ones far away.

Beautiful Butterfly Wall Art, made by Dianne...

Katie Alice Tins! Pretty!

Treats from South Africa...home comforts!

Homemade shortbread...Yum...

Shoes! Gorgeous shoes!!!

Shabby Chic Photo Frame

Posh Perfume!

Retro Style Tins...

'Girls night in' in a basket

Homespun Style and my favourite flowers...

On my 35th birthday I feel filled with a deep sense of gratitude for all the blessings that have come my way. Although Graham and I are so far away from our family that are back in South Africa, Namibia and Dubai (yes, they are EVERYWHERE!), I am thankful for Skype so that we can still talk over a cuppa, and feel the distance narrowing ever so slightly. And then I am very thankful for having friends who are like family to us, friends that go above and beyond any expectations, to make one feel loved and treasured. I thank my heavenly Father for surrounding me with His love. My life has been a bumpy one at times, but His love has never failed me.

I am blessed!

Sew a little love for Valentine's

I have never really been one to get caught up with Valentine's day and it's sugar coated commercialism. But, as this time of year is grey, cold and miserable, I thought I might indulge in it just a little in order to add a bit of colour and warmth to our home life. I won't be celebrating it in the traditional way with roses and chocolate, but I think it is a good opportunity to show the special people in our lives that we love them in a fun and creative way. And to get me started, I thought I'd make a little fabric collage for the photo wall, inspired by a little Valentine's memento I saw in a shop a little while ago. I took a picture of the framed picture in the shop as I liked elements of it.

I loved the words, and thought it would be a perfect element to add to our family photo wall. I used fabrics that I liked to create a collage to stretch over canvas. I embroidered the words onto the fabric in a  non-regimented, casual way, as I wanted the finished  product to look naive and 'handmade'. And perhaps more so because I'm not that great at embroidery! But, that's what I love about it being naive and a little haphazard. It adds to the charm! My favourite things in the whole world is lace and vintage buttons, so needless to say I used these for interest. And, although it's not a needlepoint masterpiece, I am really pleased with the end result. It now has pride of place on our photo wall. Why don't you have a go at creating a collage, and share it with us? I would love to see your creations! Here is mine...

Hope your weekend is a warm, cosy, happy one!

Our little wall of fame

Do you also love looking at photographs, and reminiscing about days gone by? I do. Having been a keen scrapbook enthusiast for some time, I often get the albums out and pour over the pages, taking a little wander down memory lane. But, unlike some home stylists who keep photos confined to album pages and drawers, I like to display them in our home. For a long time now I have wanted to create a special space, a wall of fame (or shame, depending on how you look at it!) in our home. As we finally got round to giving the stairs and landing a fresh lick of paint, I thought it the perfect opportunity to turn the wall on the upstairs landing into just this! It has slowly evolved over the last couple of weeks, and I'm not quite done yet, but I thought I'd show you how I'm getting on. The first step was to move my beloved blue French cupboard upstairs. I used this, and a beautiful large multi-frame that I was given for my birthday last year as the focal point. And so I set to work...

Our little wall of fame!

I decided that I wanted to display more than just photos on this wall, to add more visual interest. So I've added a few of my favourite things!

Handmade mosaic art tile, made by my daughter

Giant altered peg

I found this delightful giant peg at Hobbycraft. I painted it, decoupaged and distressed it, and added embellishments. Voila!

Pictured in black and white photo: Hubby and I
Photo in colour: Hubby's grandparents, Gogo and Poppy

 The glass 'frames' used above are actually small glass serving dishes from Ikea. I merely glued the photographs to the back of the dishes using acid-free, clear drying glue around the edges. I was very pleased with the result, as you can't see a trace of glue through the plate! The delicate flower in the little frame was a thrifting find.

This gorgeous mirrored frame was a gift from a friend. I adapted it slightly to fit in with my chosen colours, by opening it up at the back, inserting some ribbon, and re-gluing it shut. Tied into a bow it looks very girly. Just the way I like it!

I added a hand sewn set of wings for interest to the wall. I love using fabric, in any shape or form I can, because it softens the look and adds a cosy touch.



Multi frame focal point

The mini garland has found a permanent home. For now at least...



I painted the two small wooden frames, distressed them, and then joined them using fabric ribbon stapled to the back. Again, a little fabric love!

A few finishing touches...hand sewn cupcake, strawberry, handmade boat and Tilda angel.

And finally...the birds...Hopefully a little friendlier than Hitchcock's variety!

So, our photo wall is coming together. I'm sure to share a little more with you over the coming weeks as I add to it. Hope you've enjoyed taking a peek! I would love to hear what you do with your beloved snaps! Do leave a comment below.