White O'Morn Cottage

Mini Give-away results

The names drawn from the hat (red of course) for last weeks giveaway were Cathy, Cherry Menlove and Mary,

Please send me you addresses and I'll get them off to you. Congratulations! ...and thanks to everyone who entered.

A Weekend of R & R in Lovely Leitrim

I'm back... restored, recharged and re-energised after a great weekend in Lovely Leitrim. Yes, it's officially known as Lovely Leitrim. .....because...well, there is no  other way to describe it... it is simply lovely.

All of our counties are known by their special names...the Fair City is Dublin, the Rebel County is Cork, the Royal County is Meath, the Kingdom is Kerry and the Lovely County is Leitrim. It's true!!! I don't make this up as I go along you know.

Paul couldn't go at the last moment due to work so I celebrated our anniversary anyway. Here is a pic that sums up the weekend in Lovely Leitrim...

Them's my tootsies in my "Mad Cow" slippers relaxing on the deck of The Old Schoolhouse on Friday afternoon. It overlooks the girls' playground, the apple trees, in bloom with appleblossoms, and the view looks out towards the nearest town, Ballinamore.

I was just off the bus from Dublin (three hours) That trip was lovely too. I had my Ipod on all the way (Dixie Chicks and Il Divo) the scenery was wonderful and I dipped into my book now and again and refused to make eye contact with anyone in case they tried to talk to me. "FECK OFF - I'm on me holliers!

Next we tried out the swing that hangs from a very high branch in the girls playground. A fit of the giggles followed...as you can see, because instead of going back and forward, the swing started to go in circles! We decided Angie was either water divining or was having a girl! (you know...hold a threaded needle over a pregnant woman and if it goes in a circle it's a girl or back and forward it's a boy...try it -it works!)

Then a little meditation down at the 'Dry Toilets' for me (a child of the sixties and a card carryin' tree hugger - but if you look carefully you can see a look of pure devilment on my face)

Next it was a case of ..."put on lots of slap (make up) and "you take a nice pic of me and I'll take a nice pic of you 'cos we are Glam Sham-Rock Chicks"

Actually, the wall I am sitting on is the one that divided the boys playground ...behind me, from the girls playground, in earlier pics. Angie is seen here revin' up the BBQ or as she put it..."Ridin' the range"

Fri. evening we were joined for a BBQ by friends who have also bought homes in Lovely Leitrim to get away from it all. This pic was taken specially for you Debby Perry of Sanity -no longer an option...(on sidebar)

....This is... "The Psycho Pats" ...(or)... "Those of us for whom "Sanity - was never an option!"

left to right Zinda, Angie, Katy

Ed and Darrin.

Anyway the next morning at dawn, (well to be honest - it was 11am - it just felt like dawn)

... Zinda, who could represent Ireland in "Shopping" if it was an Olympic event, called to take us (much against our will) shopping in Enniskillen.

Now those of you good at geography will know that that Enniskillen is in another country entirely! Cross border...international shopping if you don't mind! We even had to change currency to Sterling from Euro.

Ballinamore is very near the border with Northern Ireland and everyone here has a sterling purse...(well the women do as men don't care for shopping in any country -right?) They go to watch "The Match" ... in "The Pub" (any match...any pub)

Love u Zinda, but feck off! - if you think you are bringin' this trolly dolly shoppin' in foreign parts again!

Zinda dropped me off at "White O'Morn Cottage" at six on Saturday evening (make a note...NEVER go shopping with her again, - go to pub with men instead...Yes, men know a thing or three)

After Zinda released me from shopping duty I had a lovely evening cleaning the cottage (huh? ...a lovely evening cleaning? Does not compute!!!) Well, you see, any evening in White O'Morn is a lovely evening. Smalltzee wench I am!

I had to clean the cottage as we are having visitors soon! The lovely Kimme of Irish Cottage Dreams and her husband, Patrick, are coming to visit soon from Germany (and so are sister Teeda and her hubby JOB (Joe O'Brien) from Canada.

Kimme does the most amazing computer art from photographs and super mousemats and calendars and stuff...check her out....see my blog list on sidebar and Teeda does handmade jewellery...see sidebar, Beadiva

Anyway I had a peaceful solitudious Sunday morning and when I looked out the window I saw this sight which brings meaning to the saying " the view was breathtaking" ....The creator had painted another masterpiece for me to marvel at...I swear that every time I look at it this view is different. Check out my collection of photos of this view to compare.

Ten minutes later the view had changed again and I zoomed in as far as possible and took this picture of the church in Augahwillan (where Angie's schoolhouse is) right on the horizon of the above picture. Bear in mind that this church spire is at least four miles away from my cottage. ....(the church spire is the tall white thingy just left of the church itself which is the reddish roofed building, just above left of the white house in the centre of the picture.) This is the churchyard where famous Irish author John McGahern is buried. I will post a close up picture soon of this pretty little white washed church....don't you just love these digital cameras? Four miles away and I captured it!

29 Years Married Today!

Happy Anniversary Paul...how are you fixed for the next 29?

Here is the card I made for him...We're off to Leitrim for the next few days to celebrate! I'll be taking lots of photos to share next week. Cheers...for now.

Happy Birthday Catherine!

My sister had a birthday this week and I decided to make her something hand crafted for it. I bought this little wooden shack designed to hold a photo in the frame at front and it opens to store hundreds more.

It was as plain as can be so I added:  her surname- Sweetman, in plaster molded letters, I used Tippex to write "Photo Shack" added the gold sticks, roses, bumble bees, punched paper butterflies and vintage photo. It makes for a very personal and useful storage for all her loose photos.    

Three Things That Delighted Me This Week

Delight in the little things...that's my motto and I even have a rubber stamp that says that. If I ever find it I will show it to you.

So here's what delighted me this week. I found my antique silver thimble ( I had thought I had lost it but it was in the safe place I had put it (I blame the mentalpause)

Paul bought me this last Christmas...because...

What do you buy the girl (I use the term loosely) who has everything?

That is the problem facing my husband every time a birthday or Christmas comes along. I have the same problem buying something special for him too. We have been married for twenty nine years on 15 May and were together for six before that  find that we have exhausted the list of possibilities…a nice problem to have.

So how pleased I was when he came up with an original idea for me. I have been doing a lot of sewing lately so what could be more perfect than an antique/vintage silver thimble!

These digital cameras with the macro setting are wonderful for checking out hallmarks. This one tells me it was made by JC & S in

Birmingham

,

England

from sterling silver and the date stamp is P inside a lozenge shape. I looked it up and as far as I can make out it is from between late eighteen hundreds to the twenties.

What a little treasure and I can’t help thinking about the lady or ladies who used before me.

Next I have for you a peek at one of my favourite cosy spots at home. It delights me every week, every day in fact. I wake up here every morning....No, no, I don't actually sleep here - I said I wake up here. I get out of bed and sleepwalk to the kitchen make a cup of tea and take it in here to the couch and slowly wake up. It is my treasured ten minutes every morning and everyone knows not to disturb me until I have surfaced or they risk a vicious growl.

...and last but not least...this handsome man gave me a big hug! He knocked on my door on Saturday morning and declared..." I am José and I am back!" "Eh, hello" says I a bit wary. "Who the hell is at the door?" says himself "It is your Spanish son" says José "Ah sufferin' heart" says I...and what himself said is unprintable... I looked at him and he looked at me (I knew for sure I had not had any dallience with no Spaniards in my youth...and even if I had forgotten ...I know I would have remembered having a child out of it - Let's face it girls....it's not very forgettable is it? One might forget where one put one's rubber stamps or ones antique thimble but one would not put a child down somewhere in Spain and forget where one put him, now would one? Himself (hubby) was desperately examining his conscience and I could tell it was like his life flashing before him - when José (much to everyone's relief) made it all clear "When I was thirteen I stayed with you for the summer to study English in Ireland...I am José and I am back! I have never forgotten my Irish "parents" and I called in to say hello and give you this present" Well, it was seventeen years since he had been here and now he is in his thirties and had a touch of gray hair and is a pharmacist (God knows what he made of us!) Anyway that was one surprise visit and big hug from my Spanish son that delighted me. Imagine looking us up after so long! What delighted you this week?

Amazing Anna's Photo Art

I want to introduce you to Anna. This is an example of her work...it is  a self portrait

Officially she is a friend or ours..... unofficially, she is a member of our family. She is zany, certifiably happy and a confirmed red hatter.

She is also an amazing photoartist and Photoshop genius. Here are a few of the wonderful photos she has done for us so far....

This is the postcard she made for us for when we invite people to stay in the cottage. (She has taken years off me in Photoshop so don't expect to meet this gorgeous a creature in real life!)

Ohh, Christmas pics in May! forgve me...

Here I am swamped by my very tall sons...left to right: Jamie 22, Stephen 28 and Chris 29

This is one I commissioned for Chris's birthday to mark his interest and talent in creative writing. She superimposed writings from Shakespeare in the background. Click to enlarge.

 

And this one was commissioned for Stepehen's birthday to reflect his talent and interest in music. Stepen has a grá for the stage and is in a band and she has captured that perfectly! Jamie's is a work in progress and will be added when it is finished.

...and this is another self portrait...don't you wish you had the power to make yourself look like this? If you want to commission Anna to make you a fantasy photo for someone special or a virtual facelift for yourself she charges only 35 Euro inc. shipping for an eight by ten photo (and of course, cheaper by the dozen) You will need to email her an good quality photo and details of what theme or changes you would like to be in the finished picture.

Here are some more of her ideas, makeovers and virtual facelifts for you to browse    

Beware phone eating skips!

I have raided many a skip/dumpster in my day. But here is a cautionary tale about it...While raiding a neighbour’s skip one evening "Fingers Flynn" (me) was delighted to come home with a treasure but then could not find my mobile phone. I had a bad feeling it has slipped out of my pocket and into said skip. "So" - says I to my long suffering husband "We'll take the dogs for a walk and when we are near the skip you ring my number"

Well, of course it worked fine as I could hear a cheerful tune coming from the skip that had swallowed my phone. I was running around it looking for light from phone and managed to spot it right at the bottom of skip.

So I had to climb half in and poor hubby is holding on to me by the knees and the three dogs started barking and out comes all the neighbours to see what is going on.

I instantly froze ...but this only served to look like rigor mortis. So poor Paul looked even more suspicious and guilty stuffing a stiff woman into a dumpster.

All became clear when they realised it was just me. “I’m just trying to answer the phone and the signal is clearer in here” says I with a sheepish grin.

We all had a good laugh and I got my phone back but now if I even cast a sidelong glance at a skip hubby activates the childproof locks and growls..."DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

Ah, the simple pleasures of life!

There is nothing simpler or more pleasure-able than having a day off.  I spent mine thrifting and visiting Angie (one of my beloved sisis...(sisters) ) and just lolling with Paul (my beloved hubby)

So - what did we buy? Well, first I found these kitsch vintage prints of guardian angels for 50 cents each...Ahhh, I don't know why...but I like these feckin' prints (feck is not a swear word here in Ireland...ah no! - not at all, at all)

(...and I will be framing them in shabby chic frames and sellin' them for a small fortune ...(but dont' tell me taxman) ...on me shabby chic websiste...wot I haven't got yet but will have when Teeda gets her arse in gear and creates it out of the ethers....) Are ye' with me? '...good....cos I will be askin' questions later.

... another word that sounds bad but is not,  is the word "hoor" Everyone here says things like..." Aren't the weeds a right hoor? The hoorin' weeds are a *&%^"*to get rid of and sure the feckers keep comin' back!... Them feckers just wont stay away...they're a shower of hoors, that's what they are...the lot of them!"

To be perfectly honest we all swear like "hoors" here. It's a national pastime - and we make no apology - as we are Irish and can get away  with anything.

Anyway, I digress, ...here is another vintage print I got for my new website (sis, Teeda is creating it as I speak...she's a right hoor that one) Sorry Teeda, I'm only messin' ...work away girl! Don't mind me.

The next thing we found was a box of toffees in the shape of a cute little Irish cottage....called "Colleen Assortment" Aaaggghhh! guess who is gettin' them? Well, Colleen of Main St.Memories is gettin' one from Angie and Kimme of Irish Cottage Dreams is gettin' one from me!  'Cos when we saw them we said  in unison..."They would be perfect for those hoors in Utah and Germany!"

Then I found a book on Maureen O'Hara - star of my favourite smaltzeee film " The Quiet Man" 

Next treasure was a set of fairy themed stationery that Angie beat me to ...(just as well, 'cos I would have bought it for my beloved, Paul - but Angie beat me to it so she got to pay for it and Paul got it in the end so I win...right?) Ha ha! (one up to me in the sibling rivalry/thrifting war...whooohoo!)

Teeda is coming over here from Canada at the end of May and all four of us sisis, Teeda, Pam,  Catra and Angie are goin' thrifting all day in Dublin city.

Our theme/ mission/ aim is to see who can buy a red hat first! Have you thrifters ever tried this with a bunch of pals?  Nominate a goal and see who finds it first and they get to have lunch paid for by the losers!

Plus we will have a mega givaway at the end of it all 'cos you know we will buy a load of stuff we love but don't need. Whooohoo! All winners...no losers! Watch this space!

Need a Good Belly Laugh?

Laughter is the best medicine - so if you are in need of a pick-me-up tonic then prepare for a fit of the giggles. I wish I could say I wrote this but 'fraid not. They were sent to me by e-mail. I just had to share with ye' all...

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies & Household Hints!

If you're choking on an ice cube, simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and hey presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself

Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the veggies while you chop away

Avoid arguments with females about lifting the toilet  seat - use the sink

For high blood pressure sufferers - simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in you veins, (remember to use a timer)

A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button

If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you'll be afraid to cough

You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and duct tape, If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Remember - everyone seems normal until you get to know them

If you can't fix it with a hammer,  you've got an electrical problem

And finally a thought for the day...Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs

Breaking News in Blogland!!!!:  Angie, my techno-phobe sister, has just left her first independant post on her own blog, "The Old Schoolhouse" on sidebar right hand side....I have been ghostwriting her blog for months and I'm knackered!) It is also a bellylaugher. Please, please leave a comment to encourage her to more hilarious ramblings, I know the stories she has to tell ...and they are well worth reading....but don't tell her I sent ye'...Pam (technophonic sis of technophobic Angie)

Exceptional Service & People Skills Award Card

Have you ever been in a shop or restaurant and received exceptional service or have been dealt with in a very warm, cheerful manner (...you know - above and beyond the call of duty)

Of course you have, and you smiled and said "thanks" profusely and left a generous tip and...well , what more can you do to let that special person know how much their extra efforts are appreciated?

Recently RoseMary, in Life in a Cordwood Cabin left this suggestion on my blog in response to "A Random Act of Kindness....etc" I thought her idea was fabulous so I ran with it and ordered a bunch of business cards to be given out to exceptional clerks, waiters..or whoever you want to know you appreciate their help and warmth.

These cards were free and I just had to pay a few Euro for the postage. Well guess what? They sent me 250 of them!

It says on the card "Exceptional Service & People Skills Award

...has been awarded to you by a very satisfied customer...thank you!"

They sent way too many for me as I only give them out occasionally. I have given a bunch of them to my family and friends and RoseMary or course, and I still have loads left. Soo....I am having a mini giveaway for three sets of 25 cards. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and I will draw the names out next week.

I have given out a few of these and they have been much appreciated by the lovely people who got them. One girl was a waitress from Poland with very little English but she made such an effort to be friendly. Now...  her boss is known to be a bit cranky with the staff. 

When I gave it to her, she obviously, could not understand what was written on it and through the window as I made my way to the car I could see the boss whipping it from her hand and....HaHa! ....his jaw dropped!

Don't you just love that???

Anyway if you would like some of these just leave a comment and you're in the draw.

Scottie Quilt and Furniture Makeover

Today I was browsing through the quilting book Angie gave me and I found a pattern for a quilt featuring a scottie dog. I've never tried quilting before but this is so appealing and I have some lovely red gingham fabric for the dog jacket.

It said it was for beginners with step by step instructions and I am thinking of trying it on a cushion cover first to give to Catherine (she's our quilting sister) and she'll be mega impressed if I do this....Wish me luck!

...Thanks Angie, just what I needed...something new to obsess about! Guess what ye're getting for Christmas?

Furniture Makeover

...and at last I have finished my wicker furniture makeover...I got this three piece suite about a year ago from www.jumbletown.ie one of the freecycle sites, with a view to making it into  shabby chic roses furniture. When I got it all the zips were broken, the wicker was gloomy and dark and the colour of the cushions was very dull. 

I could see the finished look in my mind and I made throw pillows to match from leftover fabric and vintage accordian pleat lace from slips. The fabric I used was bought on Ebay as vintage curtains. I did not even try to match fabrics. Instead I chose two rose prints with similar colours.  So -Roses is the theme and pulls it all together and the colours in the prints work so well that the throw pillows are interchangeable....I don't know why I took so long to complete this project as it only took a few hours in the end! Here is a close up of the throw cushions - I love how they turned out.

Sister Box Treasures

Angie, my sister, saw an idea on a blog recently called A Sister Box. How it works is that you get a largish shoe/boot box and fill it with serendipity type treasure for your sis or friend. You know the kind of thing that they love and it's great fun watching them opening it and finding the stash. A bit like a Christmas stocking full of stocking fillers but anytime of year.

So when my birthday came around Angie presented me with all these lovely things and I was ooohhing and aaaahhing and getting quite a thrill.... It was brilliant! Some of the things she got while on holiday in the Canaries and some she got in thrift shops. Now, I'm going to start one for all my sisters.

This is what was in my Sister Box.... What do you think this little bag contained.... A tiny mouthblown glass perfume bottle painted with gold and full of handmade perfume called "Celine" Beautiful...

A huge blue and white teacup/saucer planter, fluffy face towel, satin toilet roll holder and pretty blue/white plate...

...and floral stationery set.

and...a handmade, signed calligraphy prayer with shamrocks...  "written by Sr Mary O'Donovon"                                                                                                                                                                

A bottle of my favourite Morney lotion, a porcelain bell and a frilly basque to sell on my website.....Ohhh, there's more...

...An Art Deco quilting book, a true story book (I love true stories) a rosebuds tissue box cover ....and she couldn't resist adding a little pressie for Paul, my froglovin' hubby...a little statue of a mammy frog reading a story to a baby frog ....all together now....AAAwwww!!!

So a big THANK YOU to Angie for these treasures from a treasured sister. Love the bones of ya'

WARNING!

This post is dedicated to the following: Colleen, Mary, Teeda and Angie. .....you know who you are girls!

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go Or only bread and pickle for a week And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And pay our rent and not swear in the street And set a good example for the children. We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple. Jenny Joseph

Disclaimer for the post below this one.....

One of the things we love to do with our cottage is to offer it to friends and family for weekends we can't get up there. This is the poster that greets them. (I don't know how it got all gobbldygookish but I can't fix it so bear with me)...No, I have changed my mind - it's a design feature! Yeeeowh!

(Oh dear, I think I broke Typepad. Can they sue me do you think? Please don't tell them it was me)

Would ye' Like a Little Break in White O'Morn Cottage..At all, at all?

One of the things I like to do with the cottage is loan it to friends and family for weekends when we can't get up there. So- when they arrive this is a notice that greets them!

White O’Morn Cottage,

Curraghnabania Co. Leitrim

Thank you for choosing White O’Morn Cottage for your Country Life Activity

Holiday

!

I’m sure you will enjoy the calendar of events we have lined up for you!

…………………………………………………………………...

5am            Rise & Shine! Milk the cows

6am            Spread the slurry

7am            Get washed and ready – the A.I. man is coming

8am            Bring breakfast in bed to the Bean An Ti  (that’s me!)

9am           Turf cutting competition

10am          Drain the septic tank

11am          Milk the goat (the female)

1 pm           Sheer the sheep

4 pm           Walk the dog!

Thrift Shop Treasure

As you know I am always on the hunt for attractive storage for my inventory for the website. When I went into my local St Vincent de Paul last Thursday, I spotted these lovely large wicker trunks. They are lined with cotton fabric and look so much better than the gray plastic ones I was using. At only 10 Euro each (approx 14 dollars or 7 sterling) they were a steal!  I added hanging labels to each one with details of what is stored in it.

Then I picked up this beautiful hatbox with great vintage Paris/fleamarket/ dress shop graphics. It now stores my pretty vintage linen doilies and tray cloths waiting to be listed and....

...it also doubles as a prop for my photos of frilly lingerie for listing on the website.

Happy Birthday Da! Willa is 87 years young!

Today my dad is 87! I am going over there for a little party with Mam and Dad later tonight. Here is a picture of the birthday boy

In the meantime here is their wedding photo. I love old wedding pictures. Look at that fabulous dress. How I wish she had kept it.

I noticed that their crockery is blue Willow pattern...my favourite and the design I use in White O'Morn cottage!

The Silver Surfers of Baldoyle Library!

Hello to Kay, Jackie, Bernie, Beth, Doris, and Patricia. These lovely ladies are in my Golden Years Internet and E-mail class in my local library. They have named themselves "The Silver Surfers"  What a great name. Well done ladies - you are doing great!

More Irish Cottages in Dublin

Not all the pretty Irish cottages are located in the Irish countryside. Dublin is the capital city and has it's own share.

These photos were taken by me during my 15 minute walk home from work in my local library in Baldoyle. Baldoyle (or in Gaelic -Baile Dubhgall) is on the east coast of Ireland and used to be a fishing village. It is now a suburb of Dublin City.  These lovely cottages date from that time.

As they are in my locality, I am so used to seeing them I hardly notice them. But as you bloggers know - blogging makes you see things as potential blogging material! Enjoy these pretty cottages and cottage gardens.

Beautiful Bluebells in Suburbia & Blue Desks in Utah

I was walking home from work today when I chanced upon this garden full of bluebells. What a cheerful sight! It reminds me of those pictures of bluebell woods you sometimes see in magazines. This house is just around the corner from me in Baldoyle, a suburb of Dublin. I had never noticed it before.  When I got home I took my camera and went back to get the picture. They really do look like little bells...you can almost hear them tinkling! Pretty, pretty, pretty!

Oh, and while I'm on the subject of pretty blue things.....I have just been on Main Street Memories blog (on sidebar) and Colleen has done the most fabulous job on a small desk. She has before and after pictures and it is to die for! Check it out. Well done Colleen!

Shopping Trip Show and Tell

Yes, I have been shopping. It's not easy but someone has to do it. My husband hates it so I get to do his quota too!

I went looking for some stylish storage boxes for my vintage lingerie inventory for my website: Silver Screen Vintage.

At the moment I have them stored in ugly gray plastic boxes that I hate the look of...soooo - look at the beautiful hat boxes and small steamer trunk style box I found for them. They have amazing graphics on them (see close ups shown here) and are so lovely to look at I can store them in the conservatory.

The trunk box holds all my vintage nylon slips and the other three store the gorgeous pin up panties and bloomers and vintage hats. The link to site is on my sidebar if you want to have a browse.

Wendy at Crickleberry Cottage Creations & Collectibles                  Etsy (ctb003) sent me a wonderful sugar shaker stuffed full of buttons, brads, bits and bobs! ...and she threw in sweet little extras. I love them Wendy! Thanks so much. I will even make cute pink nests from the packing straw. Be sure to visit her on Etsy.com as she has the most wonderful things!

Then, this morning I got to pop into my local St Vincent de Paul thrift shop/charity shop and found this cheerful set of cottage stationery for only €4 (four Euro) about $6. It conists of an address book, a day book, 10 cards & envelopes. So my shopping addiction is sated for another few...(days!)

Repurposing - The Power of One

Today I entered a giveaway on a lovely lady's blog, Scented Candles from the Heart.  See sidebar. She asked us to say what recent change we had made to help the environment. This is what I entered.

Here in Ireland we have a chain store called Dunnes Stores and they use strong brown paper bags of different sizes when you purchase something. The bags have stripes and an old sepia toned photo on them.

I have started using these to package items I sell from my vintage website.  It makes a lovely vintage style parcel, very suitable for the items inside. They are stronger than the brown paper I was buying for this purpose and are also recycleable at the destination end.

I have all my friends and relatives saving me their Dunnes Stores bags so there is no shortage of them. Have a look around and see if there is something right under your nose that can be used or repurposed in a novel way.

We have a green campaign going on here in Ireland at the moment called "The Power of One" that asks "What one change will you make?"

I'd love to hear of any ideas you have

Repurposing a Beyond Repair Antique to a Garden Ornament

When I came acrosss this gorgeous antique but badly damaged teapot my first thought was to break it up for mosiacs to bling my birdhouse. But then I decided to try it out as an eccentric planter for my nastursum seedlings. I fill ed ith with compost and planted the seedling, then I tipped it over as if it was pouring because this allows the excess water to drain off down the spout. Lastly I just hooked the lid over the broken handle. I will add more pics as they grow and will probably place it in the cottage garden among the other flowers digging a depression in the soil to support it in this position.

Quirky, unique, free and green!

DIY Art and River Gods

I was having my (Dublin) bathroom renovated a few years ago and decided it would be a good idea to go on hols while the work was being done. So off I went to visit Teeda in Alberta, Canada . One of the things I wanted for the new bathroom was some nudes. It was to be tiled in white with a black trim and I fancied pewter coloured pieces to finish it off.

I spotted them in the very first shop! In we went to do the deed but when we chanced to look at the price tag......Uh oh, not affordable, well, not without taking a second mortage on the house)....A small fortune! They were hand made and the price reflected it.

"No problem" says herself (Teeda) "we'll just take a picture of them and make them ourselves!"

We just had to buy the  clay and pewter paint as she had all the rest in her art room, tools and such.

Then came the challenging bit..."I'll make the male and you'll make the female" says she - as if she thought I was a dab hand at sculpting the odd female nude any time I felt like it!

"Sure I know what to do and I wont let you go wrong, and we'll open a bottle of Wizzz (white zinfandel) to be sure"

Well what a fun night that turned out to be! After my nude was made (ala Picasso style and gillions of laughter...It was looking scarily like a self portrait!) Teeda stepped in and showed me how to build up the famale figure and gave it a few magic prods and pokes and "Voila" ...

my first and only sculpture was born. Here they are in my bathroom. They need a new coat of pewter paint I see! Picture at the top also shows the mirror, which was an old one, that I painted the frame of in matching pewter paint. Teeda also made me this wonderul river god. The rivers and waters of Ireland each have a river god dedicated to them. The one on the left is the Atlantic God and the original is on the Custom House in Dublin (this one is in my bathroom in Dublin)

The next one is the original head of the Boyne river god.

A Jog's Dob...Sorry - a Dog's Job

The work of dogs...

is to cause smiles

give endless welcomes

to keep you fit

to listen without comment

to lick tears before they reach your chin

The work of dogs is...

to cherish old bones

chase flies

and chew slippers

The work of dogs is to...

be on the wrong side of any closed door</