A fairy tale

Once upon a time there was a tatty but adorable vintage christmas tree that had just been thrifted. In the same house there was a little dolly, wearing an ugly homemade playsuit, who had been bought at a jumble sale many, many years ago. The little dolly looked like she might make a nice little christmas fairy, so her ugly outfit was unpicked

And lo and behold, her makers mark was discovered and guess what? She WAS a real vintage christmas fairy all along. A little fairy in disguise.

The little dolly was ever so happy to have a new outfit, and to be a special christmas fairy once more.

And she lived happily ever after.

The End

feeling pious

Apparently little girls like to dress up as brides - I didn't, I always wanted put a blanket over my head to be a nun!

I had very romantic, fanciful notions of piety (I blame some of the stories in my vintage bunty annuals!)

I still have a little bit of a 'thing' about being a nun to this day

I got this little carved angel from a jumble sale when I was about 6 or 7, so I could play at being a pious nun

I don't think i would make a good nun in real life through - no. 10 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods' - I am forever coveting vintage treasures

so, I think I am stuck with the occasional pious daydream and trinket

But that won't stop me enjoying the jam I got at a church fair last saturday, 'Blessed and approved by the Cannon', apparently!

And I still adore my 'Monastique' (I kid you not!) rose hand cream made by australian nuns, that I won at tombola at a nunnery :)

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

This week my christmas stocking swap parcel arrived! Yay! I was a very lucky girl and got paired with Lyn from everyday life. Wanna see?

Here is my stocking. Ooooooooooh, ahhhhhhhh

Here is what jumped out of my stocking, double ooooh ahhhhh

Clever Lyn must have phoned santa and found out that chocolate coins are always a stocking essential for me!

Now, I wasn't entirely sure if i was supposed to open the parcels right away or wait until christmas?

This little felt pouch wasn't wrapped, so it was clearly fair game to open it!

And i could half see through the tissue paper of this parcel. It looked like christmas cards so I thought I had better open it as well...

Yay christmas ladybird illustrations! I am sooooooo not giving these away, they are destined for my wire heart card holder!

And then i remembered spying this post and, hmmmm

Yipee, I was right! it was a bunting shaped package! And, as you can imagine, by that time I was on a bit of a roll, so I decided to go ahead and open the rest of the parcels!

fabric star decoration, cute polka dot notebook, and chocolates (that are sadly no longer with us...)

Pretty pretty pretty ribbon brooch

And twit-twoo, a little knitted owl! What a cutie!

Group shot!

Thank you so much Lyn, I love my first christmas present of 2009! I literally cannot wait to hang that bunting! not long now, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaay yipeeeee yayayayayayayay (overexcited overgrown child noises)

I am off to do some wrapping now so I can post a special parcel tomorrow.... am I allowed to put on christmas music yet?

label love

I heart sticky labels at the moment. How much greater is this little blanket, just cos of the little sticky label that was on it - "crocheted by a 90 year old lady"

And I nearly missed buying this ugly little box until I noticed the label - "full of buttons"

Full.

Of.

Buttons.

One of my greatest thrills in life is riffling through an old button box (I'm sure you blog ladies understand!)

What i like even more than the pretty buttons are the random little 'treasures' that inevitably seem to find their way into button boxes. I am quite sure I must have been a magpie in a former life...

Oops, I did it again...

Did what again? Not post for wayyy to long? Yes, that is true but it wasn't what I was thinking of.

Or maybe I mean this?

Nope, not that either...

Oops, i did THIS again... well, who could resist

just needs a lick of paint and a bit of new fabric! The lid is on hinges so I can hide secret things inside it...shhhh dont tell anyone ;)

wooooo-ooooooooh!

happy halloween peeps!

get your stockings out...

p.s. forgot to mention that I also signed up to this ace christmas stocking swap, which is kindly being organised by Bekki over at the ramblings of an everyday mummy :)

boo hoo I am rubbish and can't add the picture link like I am supposed to... so please join in via the link above if you haven't already!

xxx

look at my cake! look at my scones!

hello hello. Whoops I haven't posted for ages. I'm not sure why, I have been reading others, buying lots (and lots...and lots) of treasures, and even actually CRAFTING!

I have also been baking! yes, actually using my bowl/scales/aprons/cake tin/cookie cutter collections instead of just ooh-ing and ah-ing and displaying them.

gratuitous baking pic...

gratuitous apron collection pic...

I made my mummy this cake for her birthday. It was the first cake anyone had made her since she was a little girl!!!! shocking stuff. She was very impressed by my baking talents

gratuitious cakey close-up

and I made scones too!

mmmmmm with cranberrys instead of boring old raisins. wow i feel so domestic x

the vintage bedding fairy has been!

I tiptoed through to bed at midnight last night....

and look! the vintage bedding fairy has been! and brought me a grannylicious candlewick bedspread!

mmmm pink

mmmm textured

mmmmm fringed

mmmmm snug as a bug in a candlewick rug!

thanks vintage bedding fairy! (she is the tooth fairy's sister, dontcha know).

And remember - every time you say you don't believe in the vintage bedding fairy, some fool with no taste throws their grannys eiderdown in a skip! You have been warned!

3-6-9 the goose drank wine...

My mama brought me this little lady from a car boot sale a few days ago. She has made herself right at home in my dollies house.

She totally reminds me of one of my most loved songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnCB7oni8o

My friend once said that it made no sense, as who would want a rubber dolly AND be old enough to be kissing soldiers? then she said "oh wait, I can't believe I just asked you that"

I don't know what she means....




I much prefer sailors ;)

I'm baaaaa-aaack!

Did you miss me? I haven't actually been anywhere - my aged laptop finally gave up the fight and refused to switch on/sparked when I poked it last week.

So I now have a shiney new laptop, ooooh! (oh but the expense! I will not think about how many bargainous treasures it equates to, I shan't I shan't!)

£1 treasures like this dolly

And this knitting bag plus a few sets of my favourite coloured knitting needles

Or this fabby 'bambi' cross stitch

Which I have hung in my bedroom on my little £2 shelf that I have finally put up

Or the 50p wire heart I have finally hung beneath it (filled with cards that a few of you may recognise - plus my prized possession, a cupcake birthday card from 'the' colin & justin!)

Oh no. I'm not thinking about all the glorious pretty things that might have been

:( waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! why do boring necessities cost so much????

I am going to try and cheer myself up later with a cup of tea and an early night with not one but TWO brand new (to me) sets of pillow cases on my bed. Pretty rock and roll, huh?

humph :(

Boo hiss. I tried to get an early night last night, but my plan was scuppered by noisy people being noisy in my flat until very very late :(

Then I got up this morning, opened my curtains, and found out that my little windowbox garden had been BURGLED!


I had a little dolly sized watering can tied up just next to the birdhouse but it has been nicked during the night :(

I had better try and cheer myself up. Here are some pictures of my (10 year old) puppy Lucy (who is actually my mummy and daddys puppy)


All snuggled up in my granny blanket


Awwwww. Lucy and I won a3rd place rosette in the 'dog and owner most alike' category at a village fete last summer. I take this as a compliment!

is it a bird? is it a plane? no, it's needlewoman!

Remember this book I got a few weeks ago? Care for a nosey inside?


You know you are on to a winner when this is the first page...


I want to be this little girl!


Or maybe I'd rather be this vampy lady


I quite fancy making this tea cosy


or I could knock up a pair of 'evening mitts'


I love these little pixies too


And if anyone ever gets the urge to crochet their own brassiere let me know, I can sent you the instructions!