dee dee's vintage retro delights

Sorry for my absence and vintage delights

2012-05-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

i am so sorry for my absence the past week in blogland time just seems to be running away. I have been struggling with a bad chest and head cold and its made me feel pretty yuk, i can't believe how one small nose can hold so much snot its horrible. I have also been trying to sort out everything for my stall next month and the Fair i am organising in July and they are both coming together nicely. I have also been ringing and searching things etc for the wedding and i have to say that i have found my dress and it arrived on friday afternoon, Its an orignal vintage dress from the 1950's and it fits like a dream its in amazing condition and still in its orginal box and i did cry even though i have been married before i never had a proper wedding dress or an evening reception or a proper main reception so im very excited being able to organise it. We have booked a 100 year old brick barn for the reception and we are going to view a 1948 bus today but i will tell you more and show you a few photo's of the wedding plans next time. But not of my dress im afraid i have to keep that secret until December ;-)

I have been vintage shopping again well chairty shopping and car booting here is what i have found..

Another gorgeous vintage coat in brown its pure wool with fake fur collar its a little large so im going to get it adjusted to fit. Even though i don't need another coat at £5.00 i just couldn't leave it there. Its a little bit of glamour i feel.

My 3 gorgeous early 60's hangers were given to me by a lovely friend they used to belong to her dad. I love them ;-)

I have wanted a black Kelly bag for ages but i refuse to pay lots for them which many chairty shops seem to be doing. This is in gorgeous condition with such a lovely gold clasp on and at £2.50 i was dancing as i left you think im joking but yes i really was skipping down the road much to Mr J's amusement ;-))

This little 50's gem is the 3rd one i now own and they are all different. I payed £1.00 for it yesterday at the carboot sale but i put my own 50's frosted glasses in it.

This little 50's beauty by Crown Devon England is now living on top of my vintage breadbin again £1.00 ;-)

As you know i collect 1950's frosted glassware my lovely mum found these for me ;-)

A lovely blue and white vintage serving plate by Royal Winton Grimwades

A lovely 60's tray which i will put onto the wall as its to nice to use

And another lovely 60's tray again i will put it onto the wall somewhere.

2 gorgeous 50's glasses and at 20p each they just had to come home

I am now aware of how many photo's are on here so i will show you my favorite item that was bought and leave the others until next time...

Isn't it just gorgeous a 50's compact for your handbag and its gone staright into mine.

Inside is a mirror, brush and comb and a complete manicure nail set its in brand new condition £2.50 it was my weekend gift from Mr J ;-) I adore it.

So what did i wear on our weekend Saturday vintage shopping trip..

One of my new 60's dresses the green and white one, with my white brouges and white vintage kelly bag.

We are off to Bristol childrens hospital this wednesday with Jake as he is finely having his endoscopy and no matter how safe being put to sleep is i hate seeing it happen to him he isn't good when he comes round bless him. But hopefully they will be able to tell us what is happening and we can then sort his medication out and also be able to get started more with his medical home tution.

I promise to pop over and visit you all and try and catch up with all your lovely blogs and posts this week.

Thank you so much for all your beautiful comments and warm wishes on my last post even though i have never met you all, you are such a lovely part of my life and i feel so very blessed that you pop over and share in it. I am excited to finely meet the lovely Emma at the end of the month from ivyandruby.blogspot.co.uk we have been following each for a couple of years now and she is such a gorgeous lady i can't wait.

Right i better go have a great week everyone,

Big hugs dee xx

My life is all engaged ;-)

2012-05-01T02:54:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone,

from a very wet Somerset my goodness is it ever going to stop i know they say April showers and all that but come on now its May ;-) At least it makes you want to craft its a good excuse for staying in doors. Do you remember me telling you about my summer house? well we had to stop building it as one of my stupid neighbours who i have to say complains about everyone and everything, and that i seem to do and what my fellow neighbours do complained to the council but today i have recieved the go ahead so its happy days ;-) So once this silly rain clears it will be full steam ahead. So today i thought i would show you the summer house so far and a few more of my buys. And just a little bit more exciting news.

The frame going up all recycled timber

Mr J is building me 2 raised beds to help with my joints and back i will fill them with cottage garden plants, herbs and vegetables ;-)

And this was it this morning as you can see the frame is up and so is the roof frame he is also building a patio so when you open the doors you step out onto it. Sorry for the washing line its been so horrible i didn't want to venture out there. I can't wait its going to be such a lovely area to use. It will be all decked out with vintage retro and i have the furniture and textiles all ready to go ;-) I just need to make cushions, curtains and a patchwork cover for the chairs.

So at the weekend Mr J and myself went off to Bristol for a moouch around the chairty shops there were slim pickings there this time so we decided to stop off at Weston Super mare on the way back. Were i found a few lovely things but the most magical one of them being Mr J got down on one knee on Weston pier and asked me to be his wife ( well actually he asked me to be his husband ha ha ha ) And i said yes ;-) An hour before we had been walking down a back street and came across a secondhand jewellery shop and he said do you want to have a look so we go inside and i see a lovely little ring and the man behind the desk said he could size it for me within the hour so Mr J says yes please and the man says do you have something to celebrate and we look at each other and Mr J says yes i believe we do ;-) So we go off and Mr J rings my dad and asks for my hand in marriage we head back and pick up the ring and head off to the Pier where mr J then gets down on one knee ;-) So im so excited we were going to set the date for next year in June. But my bestfriend who lives in Tasmania is coming home in November this year and going back at the end of December and as i want her to be my bridesmaid and for her little girl Maggie to be my flowergirl we are now planning to get married a week before xmas ;-)) I have so much to do the location is booked and we are off to look at a 100year old brick barn tonight where my friend had her reception and its a gorgeous place. We are able to light the log fire and i will be having a christmas tree i have so many ideas im afraid my head will explode ;-)) So now its full steam ahead and i am now hunting for a vintage 50's wedding dress. What with this and organising the fair in July and my stall and stock for June i feel like im full time worker.

So what did i buy just a couple of things..

A gorgeous 1950's frosted glass vase which is huge as you know i collect 50's frosted ware and at £2.00 i left with a huge smile on my face.

A very lovely 60's blue snowflake design pyrex serving dish

And a cute vintage duck pie flute ;-)

Right i better be off thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post. Have a lovely week and if your in England hopefully you wont get to wet. O yes one more thing...


Its a very pretty two banded ring with 30 tiny diamonds in that sparkle like a disco globe ball. And i love it the photo doesn't do it justice. Im not a huge jewellery lady i like delicate things and this is just perfect for me ;-)

Have a great week and take lots of care

hugs dee xx

100th Post and a Tretchikoff

2012-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Well this is my 100th post and i can't believe that on the 31st August i will have been writing my blog for 2 years. I can't begin to explain to you how great the journey on here has been so far and also how far my own personnal growth has developed and a lot of it is down to you guys. You that have always supported me and commented and helped my confidence to grow and the most thing of all inspired me and taught me to believe in myself and that anything is possible. So from the bottom of my heart thank you so much. I will arrange a give away for later in the year at my 2 year anniversary.

So life is hetic there is no doubt about it what with getting my stock ready for my first stall in June and now organising the handmade and vintage inspired craft fair it has given me no time this week for anything else. But i wanted to share with you my finds over the past few weeks that i haven't had a chance to show you so get ready for a photo heavy post and im saving the best until last ;-))

First is my little 1950's bambi well he is actually not little he is quite big really but i love him ;-)

Don't you just love this even without the lid i had to bring it home. A 1950's Egersund Norway casserole dish and at £2.00 what a bargain ;-)

3 little 1950's egg cups


Another Taunton Vale tray to add to my collection 50p ;-)

Opps yet another casserole dish by Johnson Bros

And the matching plates and bowls in a set of 4 but i didn't get them all out the cupboard to photograph so another set of 60's dinnerware i have ;-)

A gorgeous set of 50's tall glasses which i adore and just right for pimms ;-)

5 vintage dresses and a gorgeous 50's skirt and blouse i will show them over the coming weeks

The most gorgeous 1950's hat made by Mitzi Lorrenzo of London i am sure i will find an occasion to wear it ;-)

And another lovely vintage hat with white flowers all the way around it and brown bows

Have you see enough yet? ;-) I am sorry just a little more to go....

And i told you i was saving the best until last my Tretikoff print Pink Magnolias found at the carboot sale for £2.00 yes that is what i said 2 whole pounds can you believe it i couldn't ;-)) I snapped it right up. This is a print i have wanted for such a long time but as you all know Vintage in the past year has gone into stupid figures but it just proves to me that a real bargain can still be had ;-))

What do you think? doesn't it look gorgeous ;-)) im so pleased.

So after being a collector for myself for the past few years changing my house into a lovely vintage home i finely have one of the prints i have always wanted. So all good things do come to those that wait ;-)

And i will leave you there thank you again for all your lovely comments on my last post i will be catching up with you all over the weekend. Oh yes i nearly forgot just one my photo....

Another gorgeous nightdress this is so floaty and soft and edged in blue ribbon all across and around the shoulders i love it ;-)

If you have got to the end of the post and your not worn out then thank you ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone

Big hugs dee xx

Summer days handmade and vintage fair

2012-04-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

this is just going to be a quick post even though i have so much to show you i will have to leave it for another day. My Friend Lynne James and i are organising our very first Handmade and vintage themed fair. It will be held in Trull village hall just outside Taunton Somerset, On July 14th 10.00-4pm. So all you lovely crafters out there if you would like to be a part of something new please come and join us at the first Summer days handmade and vintage themed fair. Trull wants to bring back handmade items to Taunton so the emphasis will be on handmade textile items with a touch of vintage to. We want to encourage local craft people to share their work on a new and exciting platform. If you are interested please email me direct. The cost of the table will be £15.00. More details to be arranged and to follow. I am so excited to be involved with this and really want it to work for everyone as there are so many talented ladies out there.

So what do you think ladies would any of you like to join us? Be great if you can. I would love it and appreicate it if you could advertise this on your blogs to, to help me get the word out. Posters are to follow.

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post i appreciate everyone of them and it keeps inspiring me to do more and more with my life.

I will just share with you my new little line....

My little vintage inspired draught excluders made using 1970's vintage curtain fabric they will be coming with me in June and looking for a new home ;-)

And that its i can't wait to hear what you think and hopefully many of you can join Lynne and myself in July for the very first Summer days handmade and vintage themed fair ;-))

Take lots of care everyone,

hugs dee xx

I have taken the plunge

2012-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

i know 2 posts in one week whats going on ;-) But i wanted to share some more news with you. Work have accepted my notice to quit and as from Sunday i am no longer employed for the first time in my life. Am i mad? I don't think so after all children and one's health comes first. Am i excited or scared a little bit of both if im honest but everything in life is about timing and right now i feel its my time to try something that i love doing. So today i created a facebook page to advertise my stock for the fairs and to let people now where they can find me and when. So if you are on facebook please pop over and say hello i would love to see you there you can find me under the name Dee dee's vintage retro delights i tried to add the link to my post but i couldn't seem to.

As well as my aprons i have designed and made my own pegbags also and i thought i would share them with you so here goes...

Made using vintage fabric and lace this is a one off unique colour design due to having no more fabric.

Made using 70's fabric brown and yellow flowers with white lace

Vintage fabric orange and yellow flower and cream cotten lace

Pretty pink and brown leaf vintage fabric again this is another unique one off colour design.

Pretty purple and white vintage flower another one off unique colour design.

I have made ten in total all different vintage fabrics and colours but i thought i would just share a couple here with you. They will all be sold with lovely little wooden hangers. I will be selling on the 2nd June at the Thistle hotel in Exeter at the Crikey Queenie its vintage fair have a look here if you haven't done so already www.crikeyitsvintage.co.uk

I will leave you all there but before i go thank you to everyone that left me so such lovely postive comments on my last post. My mum and dad read them and my dad asked me again how the computer and blogland works bless his heart i tried to explain but i still don't think he understands how google works. He said what a lovely bunch of people you were and i so agree. You have all helped me to get where i need to be. So thank you for always being there and inspiring me and giving me the confidence.

Have a great weekend

Take lots of care dee xx

Decision's

2012-04-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

i hope you had a lovely weekend. I thought it was time i write again and share what is happening in my little world. I have made some serious decisions over the past couple of days and its going to change my life and hopefully make it a lot easier. My health is suffering again and i have been in a huge amount of pain with my joints and muscles i went back to the docter yesterday and had more blood takens i have now been referred to the Rheumatology department at hospital as they are not sure it is Osteoarthritis anymore. I have been signed off work for a another week which means i can rest at home. Jake is also still poorly with his Crohn's his MRI scan showed the small bowel to be ok so he is going up to Bristol childrens hospital next month to be put to sleep and have an endoscopy that way we can see if and where the uclers are. They are wondering if he is suffering with Chronic fatigue syndrome as well as his crohn's but at the moment with out further investigation we are still not sure what is happening. We are nearer to setting up medical home tution for him now which is great. So you could say were a right healthy bunch ;-) So with all this going on i have come to the decision to give up work i am finding it increasingly hard and people have been giving me advice for years about the fact i have to slow down and think about myself. Having been a single mum for years and having always done everything myself i am finely listening to my body. So i have given my notice in today. Mr J has given me his full support i am so lucky to have him in my life. It means now that i can be home to support Jake and it also allows me to work at home and sew and im really excited about that i will throw myself into the vintage fairs and then in time sell on line also and im not going to worry about the money im just going to believe its all going to work and what will be will be ;-)

I thought i would just show you a couple of my little buys and makes not many as its hard at the moment for me to sit at the computer.

This is my latest apron and i love the colours. Its made using a modern blue and pink spot and then a vintage pink and blue sheet. Vintage blue lace edged with ribbon and a pink lace also

Its one of my favorites

My large granny square crochet blanket is starting to take shape ;-)

I thought i would show you the size against a normal small granny square.

I have had a few vintage buys i will share a couple of them...

6 lovely 60's egg cups i love their colours

A cadburys chocolate tin for the Queens Cornation in 1953

A very pretty 50's plate from my lovely friend Lynne made by Royal Winton Grimwade.

And a gorgeous vintage Welsh tapestry bag pure wool from a chairty shop

I have also bought 4 new vintage dresses i will show one of them as i wore it when i went out at the weekend with my friend. The others i will show you next time. I also have to tell you that my summer house is being built and its huge i will show you next time to i am so excited about this because its going to be my work room and a space for Mr J's twin boys to stay over in ;-)

Its a lovely 60's navy blue and white stripe dress with gorgeous blue bobble buttons on.

And im going to leave you all there. Sorry its a bit of a bits and bobs post. Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post i am trying to pop over to all your lovely blogs when i can but at the moment its hard on this computer when i have my laptop back from the repair man it will be easier for me and more comfortable so please bare with me.

Take lots of care

hugs, dee xx

Crikey its dee dee

2012-04-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

well what a hetic week i haven't known if i have been coming or going my brain is full of things i have to do over the next 2 months. I have had no time for blogging sadly and im so sorry i have missed lots of your posts but sometimes real life has to come first and i have felt guilty enough this week with not cooking fresh meals etc for my family. I have been sewing away madly and at meetings with the tea shop which to be honest im thinking twice about, i wont go to much into it but i have had to stand up for myself and what i believe in and what feels comfortable for me and i think they are going to take over to much with my own designs. My real love and heart is set on the vintage fair and i have some fantastic news i have been asked by the Crikey its vintage team if i will do a stand at their Jubilee event on the 2nd June ( crikey queenie its vintage )and not in November like i asked i am so excited and have paid my fee and i am now getting my stock ready. I have been sewing from 7am in the morning and cutting out fabrics until 11pm at night some days. I am going to not only make my aprons and own design pegbags but some lavender patchwork pillows using vintage fabrics. I have also been collecting some beautiful art deco 1930's and 50's china a few different pieces to sell and some linens also. They asked also if they could feature me on their webpage its only a little mention but i was really chuffed you can find it here www.crikeyitsvintage.co.uk

So you could say its all go ;-))

Last Saturday it was Mr J birthday so i packed up the picnic basket full of goodies and homemade scones and jam and we went to Totnes to the vintage fair. I have never been to Totnes but its a beautiful town and with the fair and markets on it reminded me of Nottinghill in London. I bought a couple of things i will show you in a mo but i didn't take any photo of the town.

I wore my one and only 50's dress which i love it nips in so tight to the waist and cream cardigan and brooch.

While in Totnes we found a lovely vintage clothes shop i tried a few dresses on but sadly didn't buy as they didn't fit or look right. But i did try on 2 stunning 1950's wedding dresses i have never tried on proper wedding dresses even though i have been married before.

This was beautiful and i had a few tears when i saw it and touched it the lace detail is stunning. It was Mr J's idea to try them on it fit lovely around the waist but i couldn't do the back all the way up they had such tiny frames in the 50's. And i felt suffocated by its lengh. It was only a £100 .

But this gorgrous 50's dress was perfect in lengh it was stunning but again it fit everywhere except cross my back. And this was only £60.

Just look at the back on it ;-)

So during my travels last weekend carboots included i managed to find these delights...

A 60's wide eyed girl print for 50p ;-)

I adore this little boy by Constanza bedtime children

Another 2 vintage suitcases to add to my collection.

A gorgeous pink dressing table powder compact.

I haven't bought any clothes for ages but i did manage to find these..

A lovely 70's dress in brown, cream and red for £6

I love the pattern and the triangle zip

But my favourite has to be this... ;-)

My little green vintage coat 100 percent wool bought for only £3.50 it has to be the best bagain ever it has a lovely bit of detail on the back with a tie and buttons.

So that its, sorry for the large amount of photo's i didn't have time to put them into a mosaic. Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post and for all your continued support. I may be a bit quiet in blogland over the next couple of weeks i am finely returning back to work after the half term i will have had 5 weeks off in total and i can be honest and say i am not looking forward to returning i have really enjoyed being at home and being able to support Jake and being able to sew every day but the time was a gift and i have used it well. I will try and pop over to all of your lovely blogs when i can.

So i will say goodbye for now and leave you with a wish for a happy holiday and easter break from Mr J and myself...

Take lots of care everyone

Hugs dee xx

dee dee's delightful finds and news

2012-03-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Another Friday is here and we are having such gorgeous sunshine and warm days i can't believe i have been sunbathing in my bikini and its only March ;-) We have eaten all out meals outside for a week now and its been so lovely. Last night Mr J and i left all the dishes after dinner and walked up to the park hand in hand just to get the last rays of sunshine it was heaven. I have some news but i will save that until last but i do just want to say thank you so very much for all the lovely and postive comments you left me on my post about my aprons im glad you liked them it almost feels like you are laying yourself bare when you show something you have created you almost hold your breath its that little lack of self belief. But its been a really positive week and i will tell you more in a bit. I wanted to start off this post by showing you all some of my vintage delights i have found over the past 2 weeks. Last Saturday Mr J and i went off to Bristol infact don't laugh but in one day we visited 6 towns and hit their chairty shops we were both shatterd by the end of the day but hey it was such good fun.

So the day started off with me getting dressed in a bit of 60's vintage..


I bought this dress in Bath last year when i went away for the weekend to celebrate my 40th and its the first time i have worn it.

So first up are my gorgeous vintage storage tins my mum seems to remember tupperware doing this range they are in brand new condition and i adore them i payed £3.99 ;-)

Then while in Portishead i sported this lovely 50's white marble affect formica kitchen table for the bargain price of £14 i bought it with the idea of it going in the summer house and using it as my work table, but when we got it home and i opened it out and we both cleaned it i put it in place of my red one and i cried Mr J was like o god what is the matter and i couldn't talk he put his hand on my heart and said its in here isn't it and i just nodded. Its stupid i feel such an affection for the things i buy and my red formica table was the first item i bought to transform the kitchen but its not as big as this one or as stable so it will now go in the summer house instead ;-)

It just looks so bright and fresh

I also found this gorgeous Catherine holm look a like vintage bowl i payed 50p

Last Sunday i went to the first carboot of the year and came away with a load of goodies there was one stall which had a load of vintage items on it looked like a whole ladies collection i asked the man behind the stall and it belonged to his nan who is 92 and had just gone into a nursing home she was a very well dressed lady all her coats were there still with her brooches on along with her kelly bags and shoes and home wares. Here is what i got..

A 70's lamp which isn't to my taste but i just couldn't leave it there it cost me £3.00 the shade is sadly dented but i will change the shade and it will go in the summer house as it doesn't fit anywhere inside the house.

One of her Kelly bags in mustard and inside were 2 purses and a lovely pair of gloves the mustard purse had never been used. I payed 50p for the lot ;-)

This kelly bag is in brandnew condition and i have used it twice already ;-)

Another gorgeous vintage bag and at 50p ;-)

(If you click on these photo's they will appear larger ) Some more 50's frosted glasses to add to my collection these belonged to the mans grandmother, A Lloyd loom basket i paid £4.99 ;-) I will get it sprayed. A very lovely teaset i have a set of 4 its so pretty with the lady on it. I have one of the plates displayed on my kitchen wall. Some more Enid Blyton books and a very pretty little lady another gold vintage evening bag and 2 Strev 60's pictures which i adore i did pay £10 for these which was a bit steep but i got them off ebay and i never seem to find them anywhere else.

So i think i have done pretty well this past few weeks ;-)

Ok so now my bit of news. I met up with the lovely Lynne on Weds at Miles tea shop in Taunton she was the lady that i met at the Crikey its vintage fair in Exeter the other week she makes the most gorgeous knitted vintage inpired tea cosys and she sells them at the tea shop and also at the fairs. We were joined by the lady who owns the tea room with her husband. I showed them my aprons and they were very positive and they have asked me to design an apron for them in this seasons springs colours but with modern fabrics and a vintage twist. In the mean time they will show case my work on line and my vintage fabrics and hopefully i will be able to make to order if they really take off then they will also display these in the tea room ;-) We are going to go shopping for fabrics and then i can start making them. They would also like me to work with Emma Bridgewater fabrics which they will buy in. So you could say im in shock i have been told to believe in myself they were impressed by the quality of my work ;-) www.djmiles.co.uk you can find the Taunton teashop here. So its all a bit mad really but exciting to i will also i think sell on line via etsy but this may take me a couple of weeks to set up but i will let you know. I have also put my name down for the Crikey its vintage fair in November so hopefully that will come off also.

So as you can see its been pretty busy this week for me and im sorry i haven't got round to visiting you all as much as i normally do.

Have a great weekend everyone tomorrow Mr J and i are off to Totnes to the vintage fair ;-)

I must also say a big hello to my lovely mum who has just in the past couple of weeks used the computer for the first time in her life ever and is now able to read my blog and keep up with what i am up to ;-)

Take lots of care dee xx

dee dee's 1st vintage 50's inspired collection

2012-03-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you are all well and enjoying this lovely spring warm sunshine. I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone that left such lovely warm and heartfelt comments on my last post. I wish i could message you all personally but its impossible time wise for me. I am so glad that many of you feel the same love for the past as i do ;-)

As you know i am off work for a few weeks im not sure when i am returning at present it looks like it my be another week yet. So i have been using my time wisely and having both boys home it has given me the chance to sew. I will start a little further back... when i first started sewing 2 years ago one of the first things i did was design and make my own 50's inspired aprons i never did anything with them but gave them to friends as presents. Since then i have played around with the idea of making to sell but it wasn't until i met a lovely lady Lynne at the Exeter vintage fair that i thought yes maybe i can do it. I have been collecting vintage sheets and duvets for the past 18 months so im going to be quiet now and show you my very first collection and its a bit scary to be honest but here goes nothing ventured and nothing gained so to speak ;-)

All my aprons are designed by myself i use my own pattern. They are all made using vintage and modern fabrics, vintage lace and modern lace.

This is part of my Jubilee range modern spots with vintage pockets and vintage waistband. Both pockets are usable.

Still part of my Jubilee range.

This one is a one off as i edged the middle pocket with lime green cotton lace and i have no more.

This is the 3rd one in my Jubliee range made from a vintage sheet with a modern spot fabric for pocket and waistband.

This is part of another range my friend says it reminds of her Sugar almonds so thats its name. Made using a vintage sheet and a vintage lace and embroidered hankerchief .

And i added a little pink flower button. This is also a one off due to the pocket.

The 2nd one in the Sugar Almond range is a modern pink and white spot with a vintage fabric pocket and wasitband.

Edged in white and pink lace

Next up is my Sunshine range this is made using a vintage sheet and modern fabric for the pocket and waistband.

They are all edged in lace

And the 2nd one in the sunshine range is again made with a vintage sheet but its browns and yellow tones.

I have many other vintage sheets to use all different colour's but i wanted to start with these first. Each one i make will be slightly different due to lace i use or pocket fabric. And to finish them off i have added my own little label..

I wanted it to be connected to my blog as its where i have found so much inspiration from all you lovely ladies ;-)I also have washing labels on order.

So there you have it im nervous about what you will make of them. Its taken me ages to believe in my sewing and design work. I am a Virgo which means i am a perfectionist i will sit an unpick and do it again if im not happy with something so its taken me a while with these. I will tell you how i am going to market them next time i need to speak to a lovely lady first. But i wanted you all to be the first to see them as you all mean a lot and have given me so much inspiration and confidence over the past 2 years.

So please tell me what you think i will also make a little childrens range for girls in the same style later in the year if these take off ;-)

Have a lovely weekend everyone and take lots of care

dee xx

A love token and 100 years of history in my hand

2012-03-16T04:31:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

this is going to be a quick post today. I just found something really exciting and very magical and i just wanted to share it with you all. Do you remember those 3 old little pictures that i found at the jumble sale a few weeks ago they were made out of very old stamps?

I took the backs off this morning to see if could some how fit them to the wall and look at the history that was hiding and being preserved behind them ;-)

This is dated 9 March 1913 that is 99 years ago i was so emotional while reading it. It starts off by saying My dearest Daisy this is to greet you on your coming anniversary may the day dawn brightly on you. And bring you your hearts desire and many happy returns of the day. I hope you and the home are all enjoying excellent health and spirits. The heat has during the last couple of months been simply overpowering i have never felt the like before. I shall be delighted... and then it gets a little hard to understand the last few lines.

1913 a year before the first world war broke out.....simply amazing to me

And the second one is dated 1912 just think this is the year the Titantic sank im holding a 100 years of history in my hands and i have to say i feel so excited and blessed. I believe everything happens for a reason in life and when i see old things i want them to go to people that will love and cherish them and i will do that to these they are simply delightful. She must have made them all herself. I wonder where they lived and how old they were and what they looked like. But enough rambling.....

A 100 years of history in my hands ;-)

So Aunt Bessie you have made my day this morning i will treasure your writing's and my boys will also they were just as excited with them when i showed them ;-) Hopefully they will last for another 100 years in my familys care.

On Monday i went to the Antique Market its huge and sits on two floors i saw the most beautiful tiny vanity mirror on one of the stalls tucked away upstairs i didn't buy it and thought if its there next time its meant to be and i would do. I mentioned it to Mr J at lunch time and that evening i had a wonderful suprise. He had bought it for me, goodness knows how he has never set foot in there before but he asked me what my favourite stalls where in there ;-)

His words when he gave it to me where "this is a token of my love for you" ;-)

Its victorian and the little moth is lying on white silk and it is just the most precious thing i own and more so because of the way it was given to me. Mr J and i have been together 7 months now and its been the happiest of my life so far.

I am so lucky in my life yes times are hard sometimes but i have so many wonderful things to be thankful for.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post. I am off work for a few weeks its a long story but i have been using the time well this week and have started on my first vintage inspired items to sell i will show you my first collection next time i have finely had the guts to have a go but i will be needing some advice thats for sure.

Take lots of care

hugs dee xx

All the fun of the fair

2012-03-11T07:57:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend what gorgeous spring sunshine we have been having and its so mild its lovely. I just want to start off by saying thank you so much for all your lovely good luck wishes for Dylan the operation went well but he is very sore and making for a very grumpy demanding patient ;-)

Yesterday My best mate Vicky and i got ourselves dressed up for the Crikey its vintage fair in Exeter it was a fabulous day and we met some gorgeous people. I lost count of how many times i was stopped by people to say how lovely i looked and how gorgeous my hat was and at one point i was told i should put my name down to be in the fashion show for the next event. I was to shy to do this. It was also mentioned to me that i get making my vintage 50's inspired aprons again and start selling them in a certain coffee house in Taunton as this lovely lady is already selling her stunning knitted collection there and they are going to start having vintage fairs in there. I never sold them before i just made them for friends i will make a couple next week and see how i feel about it. But anyway we wondered round the stands and there were some lovely vintage clothes there were some very expensive stands and some that were priced just right for our budget. I bought 2 stunning dresses will share them in a moment.

So what did i wear......

My vintage green hat, vintage tea dress and little green belt and cardigan and i used one of my Kellybags in navy blue. And peeptoe kitten shoes. And of course one of my 50's brooches.

I love my hat it was admired and praised by many.

And Vic wore her gorgeous vintage skirt she made. The fabric i bought her last week at the rag and rummage fair for her birthday and it only cost £3 and there is enough there to make another she said ;-)

And here are a few from the fair..if you click on it they will appear bigger.

My gorgeous Vicky, Some Entertainment, fashion show isn't that blue dress just beautiful and dreamy ;-) The most stunning 50's vintage wedding dress that bought a lump to my throat and made Vickys mum cry and to lovely store holders and on the stairs The three Belles who i have to say were amazing.

I didn't really take many shots while i was there we were enjoying ourselves to much.

So what did i buy ;-) A very pretty 60's blue dress for the bargain price of £10.00.

I love it and the little silver detail.

Worn with little silver shoes.

And then i bought from the same lady a gorgeous 50's twin piece..

Little crimplene twin set

I love it Mr J gave me £20 before i left and it paid for this little number ;-)

And then with the jacket ;-) I teamed it up with vintage gold shoes.

A close up of those little vintage heels i have had these for ages.

And last but not least i will leave you all with a little photo that a lovely lady took who had a vintage photo booth www.jenniehill.com for those of you on facebook check her out there and look at her photo's this photo and many others from yesterday are on her page under her photo folders.

Hope you have enjoyed looking at the photo's as you can see i like clothes from many periods of time i buy what makes my heart flutter and what makes me feel good ;-)

Have a great week and take lots of care,

dee xx

Vintage fair delights and weekend fun

2012-03-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I know another post so soon and at the start of the week to. But i felt like writing and sharing things with you hence the post. Its been a hetic few days but nice ones. Saturday my best friend and i went along to the Vintage Rag and Rummage fair in Trull near Taunton. Its 5 mins from where i live so it was great to be able to pop along. I met the lovely Lizzie who organised it from thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com And another lovely blogger who had a gorgeous stand tedandbunny.blogspot.com where i bought some lovely items from. I bumbed into the lovely Julia from kcscourt.blogspot.com and was introduced to another lovely blogger salssnippets.blogspot.com
it was so nice to meet up and put a face to some lovely blogs ;-)

So what did i buy a few lovely things. In fact on one of these blogs is a photo of me at the fair wearing my favourite item ;-)

But this isn't it although it comes second ;-) My little 70's vintage green nightie its gorgeous and so floaty and at £3.00 how could i not bring it home....

I bought some vintage fabrics, a beautiful little pommander, a gorgeous little red rose china brooch and 2 vintage nighties and the best thing of all a blinking gorgeous..stunning vintage green hat which i love and adore ;-))

What a beauty she is i love and adore her and at £3.00 what a bargain. I have never owned or worn a hat like this but i am getting dressed up on Saturday for a special day out tell you a bit more in a mo ;-)

It was such a lovely morning and i am looking forward to the next one. In the afternoon we took miss vintage Betty out for our and her first ride we drove down to Shepton Mallet for the auto bike jumble but just before we went there was a little rain shower. Betty was so nice and clean but by the time we arrived it looked like we had all been off roading we were all plastered in mud it was quite funny really but Oh boy what a smooth ride she is it was a pleasure except my back didn't like it so we will have to get a back rest fitted. But well here she is before we drove off...

She is 30 years old and named after my dear old friend Betty who passed away 4 years ago at the age of 86, she is missed and thought about every day. And well me being a girly girly i just had to have my leathers with pink on them ;-) If you click on the photo's they will appear larger.

On Sunday it was wet in the morning but it brightened up by lunch time. Dylan was with his dad for the weekend (and Jake well he doesn't go anymore as he doesn't get on with him.) Jake hadn't left the house all week so we get in the car and head to Weston and go on the Pier and we had such a lovely few hours. We played air guitar, ice hockey, saw Robinhood in the 4d cinema which i have to say is amazing your chair moves you get wet with water and everything, had some hot donuts and a sit in the sunshine.

Jake, myself and Mr J. It was a right laugh but i was terrible at it.

It was good to get out the 3 of us, sadly the next day Jake spent most of it on the toilet but it was nice to get him out of the house for a couple of hours.

So this Saturday is my best friends birthday and we are going to the www.crikeyitsvintage.co.uk fair in Exeter and i can't wait i am very excited about it ;-)

There will be 1940's style singing by "The three Belles", Jive dancing performers, Vintage fashion show, 30 vintage traders and 15 handmade crafters, Pop up beauty parlour, Pop up cinema showing popular retro tv shows complete with retro popcorn cart, Mini tupperware party, Vintage wedding Emporium ;-) Burlesque workshop and much more.

And what will i be wearing well my green hat for starters ;-) And i have 2 gorgeous vintage green and flower dresses coming off Ebay they should be here tomorrow i have new shoes and then i will pick from my collection of vintage handbags and im going to wear red lipstick which i never wear unless its somewhere special i just cant wait to dress up, be with my friend and be part of the vintage scene and have no cares or worries for a few hours ;-))

Dylan is having his operation this Thursday morning there was a cancelation so he is a bit anxious bless him. But im going to leave you all there i won't post again this week but i will tell you all about the Crikey mother its vintage fair next time ;-)

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and continued support.

Take lots of care dee xx

dee dee's week

2012-03-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Im writing again so it must be Friday again ;-) This week its been a hard one in some ways I had to take my other little son Dylan to the hospital for his second appointment and he is now on the waiting list to have a little personnal operation done he was so brave and the decision was tough for him but im very proud of him. Jake has now had his MRI scan date through for the 26th of this month so we still have to wait he is now being referred again by the school for medical home tution after 2 weeks of messing us around and sending no work home so hopefully things will start to sort themselves out ;-) My work have allowed me to reduce my hours so from next week i will be working 3 days instead of 4. I am only on a temporary contract as i am covering a lady's leave but im hoping they will maybe keep me on after May fingers crossed. My hands and elbows have been really bad this week so sadly it hasn't allowed me to do much crochet so im going to show you my recent finds and my lovely gifts that i received this week from blogging friends.

So first up are these...

2 gorgeous Catherine Holm pieces, An olive green frying pan which i love and the orange saucepan i payed £4.00 each what a bargain ;-) A Taunton Vale tray ( £1.00 ) i have a lot of Taunton vale items. A little 50's glass frosted jam pot to add to my collection ( £1.00 )and a lovely pink art deco butter dish i did pay £4 for this. And a lovely Strev picture infact my mum bought it for me when she was down a few weeks ago and she paid £ 2.00 i love it my best friend thinks its hideous.

First up a pair of pink and purple vintage 60's curtains which i love i already have them in pink and also a set in yellow bought for £4.00. A pair of 70's curtains which are not me really but i will put them away as i have idea's floating around in my head. 4 rolls of vintage Marks and spencers wall paper a £1.00 a role its going up in my bathroom sometime this year. And a gorgeous bakelite lucite trinket box Mr J bought for my off ebay ;-)

And my little 50's formica table just perfect for my house phone ;-)

And my little pink art deco butter dish thought i would show you it again as it seemed to have been cut off in the mosaic.

I have been really lucky this week as i received 3 lovely parcels two that i knew about and one total suprise. First i won a gorgeous scarf from Debbie over at poetesswug-thewugsbackyardblogspot.blogspot.com she makes the most gorgeous crochet items, she sells on etsy and also has a lovely give away every month.

Its beautiful and thick and just perfect for those cold winter days and stomping round the woods or the beach ;-) Thank you Debbie very much i will treasure it like i do the blanket.

I then received a parcel from lovely Lucy at lucyvioletvintage.blogspot.com she had mentioned and showed her lovely vintage ladybird book collection and i said i would send her some more to add to her collection so she kindly offered to send me 2 babycham glasses to add to my collection.


Lucy lives in Australia they made it all the way back in one piece ;-) Its funny really to think these started off here in England went all the way to the other side of the world and back again ;-) My collection now stands at 13 or 14 i think i can't remember with out counting. Thank you so much Lucy.

I then received a wonderful surprise from the beautiful Vix vintagevixon.blogspot.com she sent me some wonderful vintage items I cried when i opened one of them it took me right back.


A truely beautiful jewellery box that works and plays and the ballerina turns around. ( I had a little one when i was little girl and she played singing in the rain )A lovely gold clutch bag in orignal box, 2 adorable little prints, a brooch, some crochet patterns and a lovely My home 50's magazine.


She reduced me to tears with this. I don't have a jewllery box and have been hunting for a vintage one for a long time. In side its so pretty with a ballerina wearing a spotty dress, pink velvet pannels and lace and gorgeous art deco mirrors. Wind her up and she plays a tune and dances. I absolutely love it thank you so very much Vickie im deeply touched by your thoughtfullness and kindness.

I will leave you all there but some more good news Betty passed her MOT hooray she is now taxed and insured etc and we are taking her out for her and our first ride tomorrow i cant wait ;-) I will show you a photo of our little vintage gem next time. I am also off first thing to the Trull vintage and textile fair and i know that a few blogging ladies are holding stalls so i am looking forward to meeting them.

Hopefully i will manage to get some crochet done this week and will have something to show you its taken me hour and half to write this post its daft it is.

Have a great weekend everyone have fun and take lots of care

dee xx

Bakelite delights

2012-02-24T04:19:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe its Friday again the weeks seem to fly by but at least that means the warmer weather will soon hopefully be here ;-) Its so lovely that the nights are getter lighter 5.30pm and its still light i love it. Thank you for those of you that have asked how Jake is there is no change and we are still waiting for the MRI scan and clinic appointment. And for school to set up work for him at home. I went back to work last week but yesterday i asked if i could reduce my hours from 20 to 16 and work 3 days instead of 4 i do find it a struggle to be honest and my joints seem to be getting worse to, hence i can't wait for the warmer weather to appear ;-))

But onto lighter things ;-), during half term Mr J and myself went to the Bakelite Musuem at Williton in Somerset it is only half hour drive from here and i can't believe i have never been before. It is one mans personnal collection, Patrick cook and he has it all displayed in a barn attached to his Mill home. I wore a vintage dress and boots as i felt i couldn't be a part of history any other way. It is a truely magical place like a little Aladdins cave filled to the roof with wonderful Bakelite. For those of you that don't know the history Baklite was first produced in1907 it was the early form of plastic it touched every aspect of 20 century life from the cradle to the grave. Patrick opened it up just for us and also lit the lovely open fire in the little vintage teashop next door where everything is served using vintage teacups and teapots and spotty napkins and little spring flowers on the table. Green washed floors and flower fabric topped chairs its truely delightful.

Please click on the mosaic photo's and they will appear larger.

Cookers and fridges, Tv, Telephones, Egg cups, Radio's, Toaster's, Sewing kits, Picnic baskets, dolls, Jewelry box, Coffin, Pram's, Fire's, Clocks, Lamp bases, Kitchen ware everything was made from this beautiful material. Did you notice i said Coffin :-) That had to be strangiest thing that was there can you imagin that being in the ground for year's ;-)

These red and white spotty toast racks and egg cups were one of my favorites and i so would love to find some even just one ;-)

He has a long row of picnic baskets but this pink marble affect one stole my heart and i would so have loved to take this one home, its beautiful.

And the old Valve radio's i adored each and every one Art deco at its pure and beautiful best for me. The top middle 2 i would love to give a home to ;-)

Sadly for Mr Cook the local fire service have given him 6 months to put in a new fire hatch in the top of the barn saying that people's weight and size has increased in the past few years and it is now a risk. So he is trying to raise enough money to be able to make the changes if not he will very sadly close. It would be a great lose i feel if that was to happen the barn is the right place to display, its oldness allows the charm of all his vintage treasures to shine in there own delightful way. So please if you are ever in the area go and pay him a visit. He can be found here at www.bakelitemuseum.co.uk but it is best to ring him to make sure he can open on 01984 632133. I will defiently be going back armed with a load of my girlfriends in the next half term.

And here is my own little bakelite collection..

My little 50's clock this is the first thing i ever bought and was the start of my vintage home. My Valve radio which i had serviced and works and sounds amazing. My late Nan's chair canisters, My lovely bergandy Marconi 50's radio and some of my Aunties buttons she gave me. Just a small collection but im still very proud of them ;-)

Hope you enjoyed looking at all the lovely items such a wide variety of things. I just want to leave you by giving a mention to another lady and a lovely blog. Her name is Vickie and she writes over here spongecurlersandcupcakes.blogspot.com she is another vintage loving girl and she sells some gorgeous items in her Itsy shop please if you have the time hop on over and say hello she would love to see you.

Have a great weekend everyone next post i will be sharing my vintage delights i have found and there are a few yummy things Catherine holm enamel frying pan and casserole dish being amongst them ;-)

Oh yes last Sunday we had our first ride of the year we took out Mr J's dads motorbike and went to Weston-super-mare walked on the pier and it was so warm it was lovely i took a photo from off there and for those of you that know Weston it looks like its somewhere else but its a beautiful shot and thought i would share it with you.... Our Bike Betty we brought at the end of last year is booked into the garage tomorrow for its Mot, service and new tires please keep your fingers crossed it passes we can't wait to be able to use it for the first time ;-)

A beautiful Spring day ;-)

Thank you for all your lovely comment's about my crochet blanket to ;-))

Take lots of care, dee xx

Crazy crochet

2012-02-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to get this post in before the end of the week. This week being half term has been full on but its been nice to be at home and have the freedom to come and go so to speak. I also had my parents down to stay at the start for a few days which was so nice. We spent a lovely few hours at the seaside on Tuesday at Lyme regis had a lovely walk on the beach and ate a light lunch in the pub. On Thursday Mr J and i had a few hours to ourselves and we went to the bakerlite musuem and Oh my what an amazing place i can't wait to show you my photo's and tell you all about that visit the owner opened it up just for us but i will share that next week.

I said in my last post that i was going to share my crazy crochet so here goes ;-)

You remember my very first attempts at crochet some shapes looked a bit like flowers and then i gave up for a while and finished off my patchwork quilts. Then at the end of last year i had another go and managed to make circles. Well i decided to join them all together not correctly of course they join up to one another and don't lie flat but to me that is part of its charm its thick and chunky.

The middle holds the first shapes i did and then around these i put the circles. And then i just edged it the only way i know how at the moment i haven't a clue what stitches i do as im hopeless at following a book. Im a practical learner, look at a picture and work it out kind of worker ;-)

And here she is Mr J says she looks like a Big Barnacle that lives in the sea as things have just attached to it.


Well what ever she is she does a great job at keeping my legs warm she is just big enough to do so and i love my crazy crochet first blanket ;-)

What do you think crazy or not?? ;-)

I want to spend a little time now thanking a few of you. A few weeks ago a recieved a lovely little package in the post from Sandie i had won in her little give away. sandies-patch.blogspot.com

I recieved a lovely little blue metal dish with some lovely rose soap in i use rose all the time and wear the perfume every day. Some gorgeous vintage buttons and threads to. So thank you so much Sandie its all lovely.

I recieved an award from fancyvintage.blogspot.com
She has a lovely blog where she collects vintage china and highers it out, thank you for the sweet thought but i decided a long time ago to keep my blog award and advertising free.

Early on this month i found the most delightful crochet blog infact her work just sent my brain into a delighted spin she makes the most beautiful blankets and is currently making flowers which are incredible. She uses the most gorgeous bright colours for her work and the use of black wool just highlights it all almost framing it. I was so deeply touched that she decided to write a post about my first attempts at crochet and she called it "Every now and then you come across a unique crochet artist" Susan has been crocheting for 50 years so this to me was credit indeed even though i don't really know what im doing ;-). She has a beautiful blog called "The 8th Gem" please pay her a visit over at 8thofthe8thofthe8th.blogspot.com So thank you Susan.

And last of all another lovely blogging lady this time a lady who is blogging in her 80's i can only just about put links up etc but she seems to be a wizz at it all ;-) She again mentioned my blog and i just wanted to say thank you. Her blog is called "Thoughts from meme's corner and she can be found here livinatmemescorner.blogspot.com

So if you have a little free time and fancy reading some more lovely blogs then please they would all love to see you. Hello to all my new followers and thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post.

I will leave you with what im working on now....

A large granny square blanket in bright colours im going to make this one big enough for our double bed.

Have a great weekend everyone and thank you for all your lovely comments and support.

Take lots of care

dee xx

A huge thank you....and a few delights

2012-02-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I don't really know where to start i was totally lost for words by all your kindness and support to me over my last post. I wrote it when i was feeling really low and actually i felt a little embarrassed when i hit the post it button. But after reading all your beautiful words of support and understanding and well wishes for us both it gave me the lift i needed again and made me feel i wasn't alone. And i know im not alone i have great friends and family but i don't always open up and explain how it sometimes makes me feel i just quietly cope but sometimes once in a while it gets to me hence it did a week ago. We did see the doctor at our local hospital last thursday and the bloods didn't quite show up what we wanted. So he is getting a second opinion from Jakes Top crohn's specialist at Bristol Childrens hospital and we should hear hopefully this week what the next course of action will be via treatment. But he his much brighter this week resting helps. So from the bottom of my heart thank you so very much you are an amazing bunch of ladies.

Now no matter what i write its going to seem a little shallow but life goes on and i have so much to share with you. My hall and stairs have been decorated and they look amazing i have waited for 2 years to be able to get them done. You all remember when i first started writing my blog it was about the transformation of my home from modern to vintage. And i went mad 2 years ago and ripped up flooring and painted all the rooms and bought 50's and 60's furniture when i saw it. Then my hands slowly got worse and i had to stop. Mr J being a painter and decorater is great and he offered to do it for me. So last weekend away he went ;-)

While he was painting i met my best mate in town and we went chairty shopping and i found the most gorgeous little 50's glass cabinet. I know i have a problem me and cabinets i just can't seem to stop buying them but i have run out of room now so it will have to end.

I have been very lucky with the secondhand shops just lately here are a few of my recent finds. If you click on any picture in the mosaic it will become bigger.

My lovely new 50's glass cabinet it has glass sliding doors at the top and also 2 at the bottom with great storage space inside. It now sits proudly at the top of my stairs and at £8.00 it was a real bargain. Next is my little art deco mirror bought for only £3.00. My late 60's clock i did buy on Ebay and paid £5.00 ;-) My little Tams plate 50p and my gorgeous little Amanda picture by strev my dear mum bought for me yesterday for £2.00.

My hallway i hated and was so in need of decorating it was the only part of my home i was embarrassed by when people came in but not any more. First the before photo's...

The walls were painted a very pale yellow and the horrible carpet was stained and had seen better days.

But now its warm and rich looking and a gorgeous 60's shade of raspberry ;-)

The vintage curtain was the backdrop for the colour this is over the frontdoor. Mr J painting ;-) The new floor being layed. The stairs having been wood stained with their first coat. My new glass cabinet at the top of the stairs, with vintage mirror above. The Art deco 50's lampshade, The driftwood shelf having been woodstained to, just over the stairs. A few of my vintage evening bags that i decided to hang. The other wall a few family photo's of people past. My Enid blyton books. And a collection of a few more of more childrens books including my ladybird ones.

I love it and my home and im one very lucky lady. I know the past few weeks have been tough but its my home and my collecting and making and the love of a very good man that have kept me focused. And of course all of you lovely ladies out there in blogland.

Next time i will show you my crazy crochet i have been doing and say a few personal thank you's to other bloggers that have sent me and given me awards etc.

So from the bottom of my heart thank you all so very much for your kindness, each comment really meant the world to me and put me back to where i needed to be.

I would love to be able to give you all a bunch a flowers to say thank you but a little virtual one is all im able to do. So these are all for you.

Take lots of care and big hugs to you all.

dee xx

unconditional Love

2012-02-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Sometimes life is a struggle and for the past few weeks i have been doing just that. Having a child with Crohn's disease is very hard at times and no matter how strong you think you are inside some times you have to let it show on the outside and that is what i am doing today. Today i need to talk and just write and i hope you don't mind if i share my thoughts on my blog with you. Because even though im not talking directly to you it helps to get everything that is running around my head out. My son was first diagonsed with Crohn's 3 years ago, he was 12 years old and had just started secondary school. He went in a space of 6 months from a strong healthy boy to such a weak poorly one in front of my eyes it was scary. For those of you that don't know what it is it comes under Inflammatory Bowel disease. The symptons include constant diarrhoea, severe tummy pain, extreme tiredness, feeling sick, lack of or no appetite,weight loss and failure to grow, blood in your stools, painful joints these are bit a of few. Jake has all of these except the failure to grow he now stands at 6'1 but is so skinny again you can see his spine etc.

He has missed loads of secondary school last year he missed 9 months and he became very withdrawn and depressed and scared about leaving the house. I worked on building up his confidence and self esteem and in September he managed to go back and started socialising again with his friends but slowly he has started to become unwell again. The lack of appetite and the huge weight loss again and the feelings of pure Exhaustion for him are hard to watch. After school on Monday he wanted to go on the bus to the next village and i had already said to him early in the day see how you feel he almost begged me to let him go. So i did and he has been in bed ever since. The sad thing is he now wants to do things and be with his friends but he just hasn't got the energy...How must that feel?

So this week i have had a few moments when i have cried and felt helpless. I went into work on Tuesday feeling torn and guilty i needed to be at work but i also felt i should be with my son. So i went straight to my new head and explained things and got upset it was a relief in a way to speak about it and she has given me unpaid leave and said don't worry family comes first.

So i am home and feeling less guilty. But i can't stop that helpless feeling, i want to make him better but i can't all i can do is make him comfortable and give him lots of love. This morning i popped to town quickly and bought him some new bedding and pillows and a book. Ran him a bath and made his room nice and have given him a cuddle. Today that is all i can do.

Excepting things we can not change i have to keep reminding myself of. Courage came into my head today and Jake has that a plenty he never complains he just excepts and deals with it in his own quiet way. He has a lot of mental strength i only wish that it could be applied to the rest of his body.

I have rang the hospital i am waiting for his doctor to ring to see if we can see him now instead of at the end of the month so fingers crossed we can start some treatment soon and hopefully get him well again.

So i will pull myself together now but i think its good to talk and share sometimes we all need to.

On a positive note i did finish my heart cushion spurred on by your lovely comments and im pleased with it. I think this heart represents a lot in my life right now. Mr J said it was beautiful like our love for each other and i can't disagree with that. But right now it represents my unconditional love for my lovely boy.

I backed it in pretty fabric

Made with vintage buttons. Ok it doesn't really go with my vintage house but there was a reason for me making it even though i didn't realise it at the time.

Hope your all having a good week, Thank you for always taking the time to read and leave such lovely comments here you are a truely wonderful bunch of people and you inspire me greatly.

Take lots of care,

Hugs dee xx

Home is where my heart is

2012-02-03T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe how cold it is here in the South West of England its bitter. I have been home for the past 2 days due to poorly eldest son with his Crohn's and he has a cold on top with no immune system its hard for him to fight anything off. But i am glad to be home in the warm i have no reason to go out so i have been sat with my wool and hook snuggled up on the sofa with my blanket and willing my hands and elbows to stop hurting. In the past 2 weeks i have made 2 crochet cushions which i am so pleased with i keep looking at them and thinking i actually made those ;-) Its a nice feeling. This week Mr J finished papering the living room and i am so pleased with the finished result. The wall with my old dresser on seemed to be crying out for some of that art deco looking paper so over the past 2 nights he got busy and up it went ;-) Im going to attempt to do a mosaic with my photo's today and thought i would share with you my downstairs area and also include my crochet cushion i have made ;-)

OMG i did it and it only took me and 1 hour 20 mins ;-) For goodness sake, me and technology are slow. So as you can see first 10 are of my frontroom and some of the vintage things in it. The next 3 are of my kitchen come dinning area. And the last 2 are of my crochet cushions i did, i made that star into one and it turned out great and then made 4 large granny squares and sewed them together to create another. And the last photo i have now decided to re do all my squares for my blanket and make them large i wasn't happy with them but now i have the crochet bug back to get on with it;-) These photo's seem a little small i hope you are able to click on them and make them bigger?

The first 2 photo's are off my lovely vintage cabinet i payed £5.00 for it, it is in beautiful condition it will go in the summer house when its built its currently in the loft ;-) At the jumble sale the other week i bought the 3 little pictures for 50p they are all made out of old stamps i don't know how old they are but i love them. I found the 60's vintage duvet cover for £2.00 i already have the curtains i will be using these in the summer house to make cushions and a throw. And the last one is of my large granny squares for my blanket i only re started it yesterday.

I don't think these photo's are very clear so i will share the ladies here again,

There that is better as i said there made out of old stamps i don't know how old they are but i love them.

Also i don't think the mosaic does my cushions justice either so here they are again to...

The star ;-) I backed it in the soft blue flannet that i made my sons dog at christmas.

I added 3 little vintage blue buttons from the 50's.

This is my large granny square ok its not perfect but for my second attempt i love it ;-)

Right i better go its taken me over 2 hours to write and do this post. We are going to decorate my hallway this weekend i can't wait i have waited 2 years i have new flooring so i can finely rip up the horrible carpet ;-) I will show you all next time I better get clearing everything out of there. I will leave you with a photo of something else im working on at the moment...

A heart cushion made from all my vintage buttons i am stitching them onto cream calico then i will back it in pretty fabric.

Right now home is well and truely where my heart is ;-))

Have a lovely weekend everyone and thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post.

Take lots of care, dee xx

Excited...come see my new, well old buys ;-))

2012-01-27T02:17:00.000-08:00

Morning Everyone,

Well England is full of cold again including me stupid bugs i seem to catch anything that is going at the moment the joys of working with the little ones i think. But enough of that OMG just wait and see what has happened in my home this week i am so excited and pleased i can't begin to tell you ;-)) Last Saturday Mr J took a break from his painting job to take me to Wellington which is a little town 10 mins away. And O Boy i found the most amazing piece of furniture in one of the chairty shops i nearly hyperventilated when i saw it. Its something i have always wanted but have never seen them not in my price range anyway. So i reserved it until the Monday took its measurements came home and measured the frontroom up and re arranged my house in my mind because i have many sideboards.( it cost only £35.00 ) Sunday we went to a kind of hardware shop and i found some gorgeous Art deco wall paper for only £3.99 a roll and that was it i was well and truely off ;-)) I have always wanted wallpaper but its something that has always scared me i can do most things but have never attempted this, but with Mr J being a painter and decorater/ lecturer i need say no more ;-))

So with no further a do.....here is my little gorgeous wooden delight

Well here she is but i have to tease you a little first as you can see Mr J got busy this week after work and sarted putting the wallpaper up

The middle has a little door, open it up and out pops a little drinks cabinet with the orignal 50's glass flower panel in blue and gold its beautiful

Isn't it just stunning ;-))

Underneath sits a little draw for your cutlery and then underneath that sits this gorgeous glass panel cupboard for your bottles etc and it still has its orginal red and gold glass panel in the bottom sadly this one has a little crack on the right but Mr J is going to fix it for me and to be honest you can't see it ;-) Isn't the pattern just stunning. The handles are all little flowers.

And here she is my gorgeous little 50's cocktail sideboard complete with art deco wallpaper and my little crochet granny square cushion to the right that i made this week but i will show you in my next post ;-)

I love it and just cant stop looking at her and my new paper. I bought a new silk affect cream lampshade for my 60's floor lamp you can see in the corner and got rid of its wicker one as it was so bent it was doing my head in ;-) And to the left of the sideboard you can see what happened to that huge star granny square ;-)) But again i will show you in my next post.

And this is the art deco affect wall paper i just adore it and Mr J went and bought some more yesterday as i would like it on a few more walls in the room to ;-))

So what happened to my little 50's glass cabinet.....

Well she now has pride of place on the kitchen wall and she just fits there so nicely.

It really is amazing how one piece of furniture and a bit of paper can transform the look and feel of a room so much. I am now going to look for a plush plum velvet old sofa and shock horror get rid of my 60's mustard sofa but i will keep the 2 arm chairs. Im still a girl who loves and adores the 50's and 60's but when you look back the art deco period carried over into people's homes and after the war people couldn't afford to replace things. So many homes become a collection for art deco along with the like's of the brighter furniture such is that is formica etc. And my home really is a collection of all those things i have a little bit of it all and i love it.

So what else did i buy lots but i will share those with you next time as this post is turning into a huge one again but i will just show you my little wooden lampbase that i got in the jumble sale i went to last weekend to i only paid £1.00 for it..

What a bargain i had already bought the sideboard at this point and i had the 50's lampshade at home already stashed away and it just looks gorgeous i think on the sideboard ;-))

I bought another gorgeous peice of furniture to and pictures etc i will show you next time. Im off to Wellington again tomorrow as my best mate Vic wants to go so i may have even more little delights to share with you. I have been making cushions and have a lovely little vintage button one on the go at the moment but will share all next time.

Thank you so very much to all of you that left such lovely comments on my last post. The meds are helping but with this cold spell that has just hit England again my joints are not going to like it but hey ho ;-))

Have a lovely weekend everyone im off now to do some housework and then i will spend some time catching up with you all.

Hugs dee xx

Osteoarthritis....buys and crochet

2012-01-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Just another little post as i wanted to share with you what i have been doing this week. Mon and Tuesday i had my little man home with a migraine and tummy upset. Which was just as well in a way because it meant i had to be home to and i haven't been feeling great either. My back and joints have been agony again i never have a day where im painfree. My back has been getting worse for the past 6 months and my joints well there a pain in the bum to be fair. I have had a really poorly painfull tummy to and been feeling sick and un able to eat its knocked me and i have felt weak and spent the last 2 days on the sofa at home. I went to the doctors this morning and to be honest after my last visit which i blogged about last year i was feeling really anxious and didn't want to be fobbed of again. So this time i saw a man and he is my eldest sons doctor and he is always great with him. Well he was great with me to, he checked me over did tests etc, looked back over my whole history etc and he finely told me he thinks i am in the early stage's of Osteoarthritis which when you know my medical history and the tramua to my hips etc makes sense. He gave me some strong anti-inflammatory's which i can take up to 2 a day and is sending me for some physio. I feel better in a way knowing that im not going mad and there really is something to how my body makes me feel. So its going to be self mangement again but at least i now have pain relief for when its at its worst and i can't cope ;-) And someone has finely listened to me ;-))

So enough of that now. Because i have been home and lay on the sofa i have been able to crochet and i have gone a bit mad with it. I ordered 2 books of Amazon can't wait for them to come i will show you next time. I have made all my first Granny squares larger and then made some much bigger ones and then i went a bit mad and made a huge cushion cover size one....do you want to see? ;-)) Well you have no choice im afraid ;-))

I have put one of my granny squares by it so you can see how big it is. I would love to be able to use it as a central piece for my blanket but as you can see its more of a dimond shape. Please could you help and tell me how to bring it back into a square??? i have already tried and squared of the corners. I tell you i never make things easy for myself.

I have made some larger squares to and 2 different types of granny squares. As i want to stagger the sizes on my blanket.

I made my first squares bigger

And made an attempt at doing a different style granny square.

Its fair to say i am addicted but i love it. I have wanted to be able to do it for so many years and have admired everyone that can ;-)) So this is what i will be working on for the next few months. Patchwork will now take a back seat in my life ;-)

And i just thought i would share with you my little buys. These will probably be my last for a long time as i am having a lot of work in my garden this year. I am having a 10 foot summer house built and i am so excited i can't tell you. Its going to be insulated and plastered and painted inside, with electic for lights etc. So when My J's boys come over they have their own space to sleep. I have said to them that im sorry it will have a bit of flower power in there ;-) I can look for a bit of vintage furniture to go in there though ;-)) Im also having a porch built and i just can't wait its great having a man that does DIY ;-))

A gorgeous 50's glass jug which will be great for Pimms in the summer and a really pretty little 2 handled cup.

Its very pretty

And a lovely little 50's glass bambi which i adore ;-)

And that is it i will leave you all in peace im going to go and rest again but i will be reading all your blogs over the weekend i will get Mr J to bring his laptop over ;-))

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post and i hope i haven't bored you all silly with more pictures etc of my crochet.

Take lots of care and have a lovely weekend

dee xx

Look crochet square goodness ;-)

2012-01-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend's. I am soooo excited to show you what i have been doing that im fit to burst ;-)) Last Wednesday evening i went to my bitch and stitch group the first time for a while for me, and one of my friends there brought out her blanket she had been making. She has taught herself to crochet squares and well we both sat there and she showed me how to do one and that was blinking it i went home and stayed up until quarter to midnight making sure i could do them. I woke up at 4 oclock the following morning and the stitches were running through my head.

Just look and see ;-)))

I have done 20 now and im so pleased with myself ;-))

I love mixing the colours thats the exciting part for me ;-)

These were the first 2 i did.

The brighter the better for me ;-) I don't know what to do with the ends yet i may have to ask those of you that crochet what i need to do next.

I can't tell you how pleased and excited i have been i have reached my goal for the year and its not even the end of January yet how cool is that ;-)) So at last i will be able to make my very own blanket ;-))

This morning we went to Chaplins which is a shop that sells everything for the home and they do the cheapest wool these 100g balls are only £1.29.

So this is going to be really short as i just have to go and start on those new balls of wool ;-)) I have found and bought some lovely vintage items to this week but i will save them and show you next time ;-) You may also notice that i have changed my blog a bit i have been wanting to do it for months but was always to scared to incase i mucked it up. But i love it now ;-))

Thank you so much for your lovely comments about my quilt i took it home to show my mum yesterday as it was her birthday and she loved it. And you know what my Dad has hung my mums 70's diamond style quilt i made for her above their bed and i was so touched it looks fab to.

This is where mine now has pride of place

Right i have to go as that wool and hook is calling me ;-)) Enjoy the rest of your weekend's and i will catch up with you all later.

Big hugs dee xx

I have achieved something to be proud of

2012-01-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Happy new year to you all i hope this year is a magical one for you all, i always say to myself its a blank canvas ready to paint anyway i like ;-)) So lets all paint it brightly ;-))

I started my blog and sewing in September 2010 never having sewn since leaving school and never ever making anything. Since then i have taught myself to make dresses and skirts. And although i felt such a good sense of achievement i have never thought of myself as clever even though you in blogland and my friends tell me i am. I started 3 patchwork quilts and completed 2 one for my son and then the 70's diamond shape for my mum. Do you remember the hexagon one i started in Sept 2010? well it has been sat in my frontroom for months needing to be quilted and i started doing it by hand but 4 days ago i sat and unpicked the hand quilting i had done already and then spent 2 days on the machine and i have finely finished it. And i can't explain how much this quilt means to me and how very proud i am of myself. I look at it and all the hours i put into it and the times it picked me up when i was down gave me a focus etc.

And i know this is going to sound stupid but it actually looks and feels like a proper grown up professional quilt and i can't believe that i have done it all myself.

I sewed all the hexagons by hand

And this is the finished result ;-))

A very grown up handmade quilt made all by myself ;-))

I quilted it in a zig zig design i just sat and looked at it and took the plundge on the machine

I love it ;-)) Not bad for a beginner ;-))

And i stitched a label just for myself...a little sad maybe i know ;-))

What do you think? i am very proud of me, for once i really feel i have achieved something in the sewing world ;-))

Daft i know ;-))

So its the new year and i have finished all the large projects i started well except my crochet blanket but im enjoying just picking that up in the evenings and there is no real rush with it.

My one goal for this year is to work out how to make a crochet square i can now do the circle but the square is a different story...so watch this space so to speak ;-))

Thank you so much for all your lovely kind comments on my last post they mean a lot to me and your continued support. I have joined in with a traveling craft swap but i have to go now so i will blog about it next time.

Take lots of care everyone and have fun

Hugs dee xx

Happiness

2011-12-29T01:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post to say i hope that you all had a lovely christmas i will start to catch up with you all over the next few days. The new year will soon be here we are having a quiet one and staying home but i will cook us a nice meal. I had a lovely christmas the best one yet spent with a gorgeous man and 4 lovely boys it was relaxed and fun. Apart from a visit home where we took everything all the small bags, the xmas hamper for my parents, the trifle the quilt i made...all except the main bag of presents we forgot. That's right we forgot to take the main bag of presents and its a 2 and half hour drive home but these things happen so we are taking another visit on my mums birthday a week saturday. The day we visited the 27th Dec it was 2 years since my nan died my mum's mum and all the family were there the first time we had all been together for many years. My sister took a pop at me and left me in floads of tears ( but my parents didn't see ) ( and after about half hour she did say sorry and not to take any notice of her )and my brother well i just don't understand some things and maybe its best i don't. I love my family don't get me wrong but i was the only one to move away and that has left a bit of jealousy, but i have made my life the way it is and it has not been easy at all but they don't see that. But hey ho we are who we are and that is that ;-)) Keep smiling.

Two days before christmas i got it into my head that i wanted to finish my mum's quilt that i had started i still had the edge peices to sew in and it needed to be quilted etc so i spent a whole day doing it and i was so pleased with how it turned out.

I used a 70's design and i used a mixture of vintage and modern fabrics. I hand stitched all the squares by hand and then machine quilted it.

I folded over the fabric to bind it.

And added a label to the back

I also made the other dog for my eldest son but i forgot to take a photo but they had them on christmas eve and my little son said after knowing it was made by me said...." mum i now have something that has a soul". Well what could i say to that......

A couple of days before xmas i recived a parcel in the post and to say it was a suprise was an understatement. The lovely Zoe at penny-blossoms.blogspot.com

Zoe had sent me this gorgeous 1950's frosted milk jug. It was such a lovely suprise and Zoe you know me so well. I collect 50's frosted glass but a jug is something i don't have. So thank you so very much i was really touched and by the words in the card.

And im going to leave this post here but i just want to say thank you so much for all the lovely messages on my last post i am very lucky to part of this blog world you have all been a great strengh at times this year and also a great inspiration.

It will be 5 months on Saturday and i have never been so content or happy in my life before and neither has Mr J ;-) He has a lovely huge family and they have welcomed me in with open arms and i feel so very blessed to be part of it and his life. For the first time ever i feel very loved and taken care of and for once i can let go and share the load of life with someone and its an amazing feeling ;-)) So from the both of us we wish you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.

See you all in 2012 ;-))

Big hugs dee xx

last posting and vintage goodies

2011-12-19T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. I just wanted to try and fit in one last post for this year. Its been a manic few weeks and i am slowly starting to wind down and im going to enjoy being at home this week. Work is all finished and i am no longer waking up in the night singing blinking nativity carols the words to those and the play have now kindly left my mind. I have loved every minute of working in the primary school this last term but it has been full on. I have loved all the xmas makes with the children and the parties on Thursday for them and for us were wonderful. Their excitment is infectious ;-)) So now its time this week to unwind and relax. I am going to ice and marzipan the cake today and i have the chocolate truffles to make and the presents to wrap and Jakes dog to make. The food is mostly brought and the decorations are finely up ;-)) I had my dinner and dance with the girls on Saturday night and i danced into the early morning hours in heels ;-) But sadly i have been popping the pain killers ever since but thats the price you pay for having fun, with dodgy joints etc but i don't care ;-)) Life is for living and having fun ;-))

So remember i said my partner had brought me a gorgeous polka dot 70's dress for xmas. Well i was going to wear it on Saturday night but Friday lunch time i popped into St mary's hospice and O Boy im so glad i did because i picked up a gorgeous emarald green 2 peice vintage outfit and i tried it on and it was so full of bling i fell in love with it and at £20 it came home with me.

It was handmade in Hong Hong by a company called Arts knitting fty they were established in 1974 all those little sequins and there are 100's have been sewn on by hand.

If you can't let your hair down at christmas and when your with the girls when can you...... ;-))

This was taken at the end of the night just before we went home not looking to bad are we ;-)) I have wonderful friends.

I have to just show you my other dress the little 70's polka dot sparkle ;-)

I love it but will save it for maybe xmas eve ;-) the top of it sparkles with silver.

I also managed to pick up another couple of vintage items to and considering i haven't been into the chairty shops for ages i was really pleased.

A very pretty baby blue bed lace bed jacket. My friend really thought i had lost the plot this time but im thinking little white dress and this on a summers evening ;-))

These gorgeous little gum seals for xmas cards never been used ;-) And for a £ a packet i don't know if i will ever use them it would be a shame to unwrap them i feel.

And a lovely little black and gold 70's Diana Marsh evening bag still in its box for £1.50 ;-))

My decorations this year on my tree are mostly all vintage ones apart from the felt ones i made last year and a couple of hearts. I didn't get a real one in the end as i thought i have already spent enough and my budget didn't really stetch any further. But i am really pleased with it and the vintage looking trimmings i have. One thing my house suits is ceiling decorations with all my vintage furniture it wouldn't look right without it.

Its very hard to take a photo of the tree

Paper decorations and streamers and tinsel i love them ;-))

Fariy lights, flowers and tinsel in the kitchen

So i will leave you all with a smile and a wish. I wish you all a wonderful relaxed christmas and i hope the new year is a magical one for you all. Thank you so very much for all your support and lovely, loving, kind and thoughtful comments you have left me this year. I raise my glass to you and look forward to sharing a new year with all of you very soon.

Love and hugs dee xx

December makes and the time that runs away

2011-12-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Im just trying to fit in a quick post in the madness that has been the last few weeks and the madness of the coming week still left to come. My life has been hetic and im shattered. Work is full on but today we did the last show of the nativity play and as lovely as its been its also been very tiring and i have been going into work earlier and leaving later. Meeting up with girlfriends that i haven't seen for months because time this year has just run away with us all. Work christmas meal was this week and that was so lovely to. Next week is full on at work with making christmas gifts with the children to take home, church and parties and my evenings are taken up with meeting more friends and parties to. I spent all of last Sunday finishing off and making my presents for my friends and family. So i thought this would be a quick post where i shared what i had been making. Do you remember that dog i wanted to make for my little son? well i made it and i have to say it was not an easy pattern i got half way through and thought right that isn't right and gave up with the pattern and went solo as there were pointy bits on the face where there shouldn't be but i am so dam chuffed with myself at the finished result. This is the first toy i have ever made and my eledest son saw it and he said " awwww mum" i said would you like one (im going to make and sew a label and sign it from myself) and that way if anything ever happens to me you have something personnal to remember me by and he said yes please but i don't want my friends to know ;-)) Bless his heart so i have brought some green soft touch fabric and i will make one for under the christmas tree for him to.

So let me introduce you to Mr Dog ( name to be decided by little son )

Well this was the cutting out stage ;-)

This is the stuff me and make me whole please stage ;-))

This is the UMMMMM....how dare you show my bottom stage ;-))

And this is the HELLO and who would like to give me a cuddle stage ;-))

This is ok dee dee gone mad stage and deciding last night that he needed a scarf instead of a ribbon stage and having never knitted anything except aload of squares and made a cushion with them. This is going to be the Doctor who scarf ;-)

These are my little cushions filled with lavender for my friends in the past i have quilted them but this time i left them plain and i really like them that way.

I decided to make a top with some silver sparkle vintage fabric and i made my own pattern from card and away i went its the first top i have ever made and im really pleased with it. Its such a basic pattern but the fabric allows it to be made this way.

Isn't the fabric lovely ;-)

Make a basic pattern

I teamed it up with a 50's style tight wiggle black satin skirt and velvet heels and i love it ;-)

Just a little close up of it. I love the way it sparkles ;-)

I have many others things to share with you also but i will save those for another time. I have the most amazing 70's dress for my christmas party with my girlfriends on the 17th dec. Its black and silver sparkle and polka dots ;-)) Yes i did say polka dots ;-)) I will share that with you after the evening has taken place.

Exciting news for us is that we may have found our motorbike ;-)) We are taking a 4 and half hour drive up country on Saturday to view, drive and hopefully bring it home in the van. We are both so excited and hopefully the 9 hour drive will be worth it i have a good feeling about it, its 30 years old and the same make and model as the one we have been borrowing but its the larger version which is going to be great for us so fingers crossed ;-))

And i will just end this post with a little photo of some xmas decorations i brought last week i think their very sweet ;-)

This is made from metal and cost £1.49

Love my little moose, raindeer and spotty heart and all for the price of £1.00 each ;-)

I haven't put my deocrations up yet but i will be doing it over the next week or so. So this will be my last post for a little while life is taking up to much time at the moment and time is really running away and christmas will soon be here. The only time i get to catch up in blogland is 20 mins before i leave for work in the morning if im really lucky so i will keep trying to pop by all your lovely blogs. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and well wishes for jake on my last post your thoughtfullness and kindness always touches me.

Have fun everyone and try and take it easy to in the madness that is the run up to Christmas.

Big hugs

dee xx