Cakes and more cakes..........

Well we started last week with a birthday - Oldest T was 12 - as tall as me and larger feet by 3 sizes! Goodness knows what 13 and onwards will bring.............

I did a bit of arty vintage styling with his enormous chocolate cake........

 Last friday, royal wedding fever hit the T family and we had friends round to celebrate - which obviously involved more cake eating.............

 In the excitement baby T thought he would be a princess bride too, wearing my original veil from 1996...

So this week sees a vintage tea party baby shower.... pics to follow...and next week a week off from cakes I feel.................

All cakes were made by the Dragonfly Bakery of Saltburn please facebook it for more details..............

Shopping with the feel good factor...........

Well today we have out and about to our local shopping centre - we always go by car but today I thought I would give the little T's a treat and go on the train. They thought it was great fun and with petrol and parking so pricey - it was actually a cheaper way to go - althought the shopping was heavy coming home ..............

We went to Laura Ashley and they were having a sale - so bargains galore - the fabric I wanted to cover my stool was half price and then a further 10% off !wow!- and I obviously had to pick up another couple of bits whilst I was there!!

When I shop I love to raid the charity shops to see what bargains I can find - I today I came across a fab vintage boutique - with bargains galore. It was all set out beautifully - china displayed on a shabby chic wooden farmhouse table, rails of clothes all laundered and smelling fresh, and a reading room with comfy vintage chairs to sit and read the day away.... I came away with a glass bowl with little feet- a snip at £2.49 and it will look great in my dining room...

And the name of this vintage boutique - YMCA - wow - I'm impressed they have taken on the love of all things vintage and turned their 'charity shop'  image into something on trend.....

We also had a have a few Easter makes - all half price at ELC...

Sweet or what?

birds...........

We have been feeding the birds in our garden and have had loads of the usual - blue tits, robins, sparrows, even little birds nesting in our box but we didn't expect this..........

A big fat greedy duck of epic proportions.........

Or this..............

We have named him Phil and he is very shy but has been back on several occasions.....



I'm back.............

Well here we are up and running again........
Mr T (with a little help) has been revamping our bedroom and here it is - in all its shabby chic/country cottage glory..........

Wow what a difference...............

So, the wallpaper is Abbeville and paint- pale biscuit, both from Laura Ashley, bed and chest from ebay, bunting and cushions made with Cath Kidston fabric by my friend at Moola in Saltburn. Bed throw to match in working progress......

The alcove with my Mother's Day basket from the little T's and my gorgeous letters looking expensive but actually very cheap!

Laura Ashley Abbeville wallpaper (very ditsy and country cottage looking) with my gorgeous bunting....

Top of my chest of drawers - french 1930's painted in Farrow and Ball Old English - similar letters as before, gorgeous little bee embroidered linen from a local charity shop and my black ladies as seen in previous posts......

My bed in full glory - I have just put plain white bed linen on from argos...

Wow I just love it all so much.....

Still to do

• Paint the brass lamp fitting in cream metal paint
• Prime and paint my pine dressing table
• Prime and paint my stool and find fabric for the top
• Pick up my new bed throw
• Make my own lampshades

So still plenty to do - will post again soon and please let me know what you think......

Spring time....

Well we have been enjoying the sunshine over the weekend and last night we even made it onto the beach .....

Three little T's enjoying the waves.......

We have been planting vegetables today courgettes, brocolli and potatoes as well as raspberries and strawberries, Mr T is busy with his plans for a raised vegetable bed and I'm planning a small herb garden - still wanting some chickens as my Mum and Dad have just got some - but they have a much much larger garden than me. I will just have to keep dreaming..........

 The spring flowers are still providing lots of colour and my tulips are looking good, they were £1 a pot and you took a chance with the colours, we managed red, yellow stripe and purple........

Well done boys........

Very lucky girl!

Well, we didn't win the piece of furniture we had our eye on at auction - it went for loads more than our highest bid - but some things are meant to be, and at auctions you have to be prepared to lose sometimes or possibly pay over the odds for something if you can't bear to not win it.

So we have been back looking on trusty www.ebay.co.uk we have had our eye on a few pieces and watching the rough prices that they go for. I am currently watching a victorian chest of drawers which was found in a barn and needs a lot of tlc - so we shall see.

Yesterday saw the final finishing touches to my dining room (apart from the back wall which we are undecided about whether to knock down or not!) but the antique curtain rail and new voiles went up (again off ebay) and I am really pleased with the effect. The table and chairs were another bargain of ebay - table £1.99 and looks fab with my antique table cloth - bought at auction a few years back...

Middle T's room was finished at the weekend - his union jack themed room ideal for a royal wedding year! The handmade cushion and gorgeous bunting again off ebay....

 Middle T is very happy with his room he especially likes the vintage mini and union jack picture picked up in our local pound shop!! He is now sourcing more union jack bits off ebay every day!! He has his eye on a mirror, some covered letters spelling his name and a very large canvas, and a cushion with a westie wearing a union jack! He collects westie dogs too!

Middle T's odd collection of westie dogs! (Birthday in 4 weeks and I have a large china westie dog for him found at a local charity shop)

Big T's gorgeous grown up room for a teenage boy with sofa found in a house clearance with fleece throw and odd cushions. Black and white prints from various places - new little New York pics found by Big T in the local pound shop! proving the vintage look is not always an expensive one....

Odd stress buster found by Big T at a brocante in rural France!

Obviously the vintage look has to be mixed with TV and laptop, but vintage style chrome lamp sits well on his desk and letter from Buckingham Palace from Prince Harry - take pride of place on the wall.....

Baby T has a very busy room with vintage Laura Ashley bedlinen and small vintage chair for sitting to read all those books!!

So what next....watch this space..............

The auction

Well today is the day of the big auction, we have been viwing the sales every week looking for a cabinet for our sitting room with no luck, until this week when we spotted a gorgeous piece of vintage wooden furniture. A cross between a drinks cabinet and a desk sounds hideous but beauty is in the eye of the beholder......
I have left a bid ( I can't go as I will keep bidding until I win it! so I followed Kirsty's tip! ) So we wait with baited breath to see if we have won it - will let you know tomorrow........

My dining room cabinet