White O'Morn Cottage

A Picture Paints a Thousand....

...stories...well, yes I know it is really words.

I took this shot at home in Dublin of my back garden through the conservatory window. Nothing much happening..right? Well - What does this snapshot in time tell me about what was going on during that week?

*The vase of gorgeous roses were given to me by my students to mark the end of term at end of May so I know it was taken about then.

*I can see cans of decking oil on the garden bench and the shed door is open so I know I was (at least) planning to do the deck.

*At left you can see my dog Holly. I snapped just as she started to cock her leg for a pee..huh? (yes, I said SHE and "cock her leg") She is the only shedog I know who lifts her leg to pee!

*My neighbhour's sweetpea are just beginning to drop beautifully down my wall. He plants them every year, which saves me from the trouble!

* The garden bench along the wall is one of my favourite spots for a nice cup of tea.

*At the bottom of the garden on and beside the wicker chair are my pots and bag of compost. The flowers I planted at that time are now coming into flower at the cottage.

*Paul's collection of frogs (well, some of them) can b e seen on windowsill and on deck near the bench.

*And beyond the wooden fence of neighbours garden can be seen the trees that grow in the field at the back of my house where we take the "Girls" ...eh..I mean dogs for a walk.

Thanks for visiting...now you know me a little bit more!

Happy 4th July from across the water!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today! I'm looking forward to hearing about how you celebrated it. Cheers!

Cheerful Washday Apron

Today I turned up the cutest little vintage 50's peg apron. It is printed on both sides with pegs, cats playing with water (huh?) and happy little housewives hanging up the washing (HUH?) Does not compute...

Introducing ...the kitchen! ....and the Nualas are in the house!

I don't know it you have ever noticed but I have never put up a picture of the cottage kitchen  - and for good reason too!

It was a bit of a mess, storeroom, workroom and unusable as a kitchen or for dining. But this weekend it was the setting for the inaugaral dinner!

My two lovely friends, Ruby and Nuala came to stay for the weekend and this motivated me to sort out the kitchen for once and for all. Here is the table set for our special dinner. I used the lovely Willow Pattern dishes I have collected for years. Ruby and Nuala cooked and I set the table and we had a fabulous meal and finished it off with a bit of line dancing in the living room!

More Sheet Music Paper Ideas for you...

                                                                   

I was lucky enough to be offered this lovely old sheet music on our recycle site jumbletown.ie. I have lots of great craft and repurposing ideas for it. So far I have used it as giftwrap for a gift for a friend. I also used it to line some drawers in the bedroom. Add a few drops of lavendar oil to give it a lovely scent and deter insects.

I also used it to decorate the deep windowsill of the bathroom in the cottage. These walls are 18 inches thick and they make for a real feature in each of the rooms. I will paste it down and clear varnish it as it is in a bathroom. Isn't it  pretty?

Teeda's Craft's

When my sister, Teeda, was home a few weeks ago she brought a selection of her beautiful beads for our craft night. This is what I produced from her fabulous stash. She took over knitting my cottage teacosy while giving me instructions. I loved the colours of these aqua beads and the silver filigree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course she brought me some of her own fabulous work in the form of this Swarovski pink snowflake hatpin. I'm one of the few people who uses a hatpin!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More hatpin beauties were bought by her on Ebay. These ones are vintage...wonderful!

                                                                             

They look so lovely in my swan hatpin cushionwith the rest of my vintage hat and scarf pins.

Vintage Irish Table Linen Gifts

 

 

There is nothing I love more than old Irish table linens. So when I got a call from my friend Cecil saying he had a bag of table linens that had belonged to his mother I knew I was in for a treat. This is only part of what was in it. (Cecil is the man who made me the lovely wooden items in an earlier post.) 

A Battenburg tray cloth

Hand crocheted doilies and tatted tray cloths

close up of same delicate beauties

This beauty has tiny shamrocks on. I'll be outlining them in emerald green for someone I know.

 

Adorable homemade baby pillowcase with skipping teddies embroidery. In pink and blue (must have been done before baby  was born!)                                                                         

A set of hand appliqued napkins with the tinyiest hand stitches I have ever seen. I have used macro setting as it was so neat I thought it was machined but...no...all hand done

  

And some hand painted traycloths. Most unusual.                     

       

...And this one is my favourite...  brand new French made waffle design vintage guest towel and the lilac/mauve colour is perfiect for the bathroom!                                                            

 Thank you Cecil. I love them and will put them to good use in  White O'Morn and share some with Angie in the Old Schoolhouse. Angie and I are the only people I know who actually use tray cloths...and it looks like I have hit the motherlode of tray cloths!

Here's one I accidently collected earlier!

I had just painted and hung a shelf unit and could not decide what to display on it. I decided I should collect old teapots from now on. But of course...when I gathered the ones I already had...it was filled!  Who knew I had a collection around me!

I finally finished my hand knitted tea cosy so what better place to show it off!  It is a replica of White O'Morn. Kimme has some gorgeous tea cosies on Irish Cottage Dreams and she is doing a PIF on there at the moment. You'll find it on my sidebar...Will you have a tea cosy? Ah ye' will go on..go on go on....

Tomorrow Angie and I are going to a huge fete in Celbridge to help sort the donations. We are sure to find lots of goodies for ourselves. We'll be showing and telling on here and Angie's blog  - The Old Schoolhouse..see sidebar for the link.                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the original!

Bling your watering can!

I spent today volunteering for St Raphael's John of God's annual fete in Celbridge County Kildare. It will be on on 6th July and I will be on one of the stalls that day.

But today it was sorting day..... Which means we were sorting out the donations left in by the public.

So - of course, I found treasure while I was sorting...lots of it. But this is probably my favourite...An old watering can, painted dark green and then decorated with pictures from magazines pasted on and varnished over. It's a bit bockety and battered but this only adds to it's rustic charm! I couldn't even wait to clean it up before taking a pic of it for you!                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What else did I find? Well.....an old fibreglass roses tray....

...a vintage doll and dish for Angie at The Old Schoolhouse, a leprechaun for Debby at Sanity-no longer an Option. A cottage plaque for Kimme at Irish Cottage Dreams (to help fuel the dream) and..and andand...more vintage treasures. It was really hard work sorting all day but great fun. They are a really lovely bunch of ladies (and Kevin) who do wonderful work for St. Raphael's centre for special needs people......and I am going back with Angie in tow next Monday!  

Also I am going to Leitrim with Angie for the weekend so will be missing for a few days. Check back soon for more details of goodies as yet to be found.

 

Green Gift Ideas

I always save pretty boxes from gifts and any tissue paper and ribbons and trims from any presents or anything I buy. When it comes time to do up a gift for someone else you have a stash to hand.Lace, trims and bows from old bras or knickers are also great to salvage and use on hand made cards and gifts. (...Here's one that was on me knickers earlier! :-) ...always keep a sense of humour - it makes everything so much more fun!

GIFT IDEA.... that is as green as can be... in your local charity shop you will find very pretty china cups and saucers. Wash them, polish them and pop a nightlight candle in, or a little pot pouri or a string of vintage pearls or beads(loads of these in charity shops for pennies ) do them up with your salvaged tissue, place in a saved gif box, wrap it in a scrap of fabric, or old wallpaper, tie it up with salvaged lace or ribbon. Make a handmade card or tag and you have a sweet little gift for a friend or sister. (These fine china cups are semi transparent and allow a lovely glow from the candle to shine through) fabric makes a great giftwrap. This small gift costs about 50c if you just count the money (and that went to charity) but cost much more in thought and effort. Just be sure to give it to someone of like mind..or they'll have you down as one cheap chick!                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrifting Trawl Today

Today I went into Dublin city centre with Paul to meet our handome son Chris for lunch. I,  of course, took the opportunity to do a little thrifting on the side (while the hubby and son did a bit of male bonding) .....I did invite them to come along but strangely enough they declined preferring to sit in the restaurant and talk!

Anyway here is my haul.

a lovely rustic wooden ice bucket

vintage rolling pin

two boxes of vintage soap

a pink glass set of perfume bottles and tray

Vintage flower  trug (I'll be painting it duck egg blue and swanning around the garden snipping roses and laying them gently into it)

A gorgeous hand painted cheerful duck. He will live in my cottage garden.

A blue/green sugar shaker.  mmm...

two vintage small pillows with sunflowers fabric..

a very old blue handpainted perfume bottle -

Vintage beaded choker...

Cut glass bonbon dish..

blue and white faded old plate...a keeper this one. A true faded beauty...(like meself!)

silver plated cake tongs...keeping to go with my duck egg blue 3 tiered cake plate

silver plated nut dish...

a blush pink nylon slip for my  vintage lingerie site ...

..and a piece of broiderie anglaise fabric for crafting...

total ...€24 euro which is about 30 dollars.

A room with a view

I'm back and missed you all. I am busy catching up on all yer' goings on. I am so relaxed that - if I was any more laid back ...I'd be horizontal!

I had spent a very busy morning spring cleaning the cottage (yes, I know it's June but I'm just catching up) After all the building work it was time to wash all the china as it had a thin coat of sawdust,  which - I'm sure is full of fibre and roughage and is good for the digestion but I just don't like it. So, I got knee deep up to the elbows in hot sudsy water and washed all of it in one go!

I was busily drying each piece and placing it on the table when.... I looked up and stopped in my tracks. ...Not for the first time ... I saw it as if for the first time...the view framed in the kitchen window. The peaceful vignette formed by nature in the background and gleaming vintage china in the foreground. I hope the novelty never wears off. I grabbed my camera to try to capture it...Did I get it? Do you get it?

I'll be checking out all your doings and leaving appropriate comments thereon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS. on a more sombre note. Please send your loving, healing thoughts, wishes or prayers (whatever works for you) to Angie's 23 year old nephew, Colm, who fell and broke his back while on holiday last week. Miracle needed. Do what you can. Thanks.

A Chestnut Mare named....Napoleon

Meet Napoleon. I woke up at the cottage last Monday to see this beautiful creature nibbling the grass in my overgrown weed field (or wildflower meadow in blogspeak)

My neighbour from up the mountain, Noel, had offered to put her on my land to tame the grass there.  She is ten years old and has had several foals. Her latest foal died and Noel thinks she needs a change of scenery and a  little spoiling. This is where I come in with treats like carrots, apples and oats. She eats them from my hand and is so friendly and I love having her. I call her Napoleon (huh?) ...after the horse in The Quiet Man.

I am still on holidays - I just got a chance at a computer to keep you informed of what a great time I was having! I'm off to Angie's house - The Old Schoolhouse for the weekend and Teeda is coming down too. What fun that will be!

Kimme and Patrick of Irish Cottage Dreams are staying at White O'Morn this weekend and are going to visit nearby Strokestown so I told them to get lots of pictures of it for Colleen as it is her family's home place.

As promised - here is the finished scottie cushion. I used a pink gingham pillowcase, a piece of floral fabric from my collection of fabric and his doggie coat from red gingham fabric from a damaged baby's dress and two large white buttons for the closure from my button jar.

I am going on holidays for a week or so - I'll miss you all. See you soon...

Caught the knitting bug

While thrifting in my favourite charity shop this morning I found this lovely set of  wooden knitting needles in a cotton roll up holder with a fabulous vintage print on it. I haven't knitted in years but decided it was time I got back to it.

I bought a lovely pattern for  a tea cosy cottage and also some wool. This is a picture of the pattern...but of course, the colours I will use will make it a replica of White O'Morn Cottage with a green door, white walls and a grey roof and  roses around the door. I will be posting photos of it as it progresses. If it turns out well I might make the two story one for Angie with white walls and a red door to match the Old Schoolhouse!

And while I'm on the subject of crafting I have made great progress with my first quilting project of a scottie dog cushion cover.  Here is a photo of it and I should have it totally finished very soon. Watch this space!

Lacy Teacup Treasure Gift from Joan ....and more

It was with mixed feelings that I finished work today (for the summer) in the local library in Baldoyle, Dublin. 

A better bunch of students you couldn't ask for. Ladies... it was a pleasure to work with you and I hope you all sign up for year 2! Imagine -  I actually get paid to have this much fun!

 Thank you for all the lovely gifts. (the  photos are in an earlier post) I have,  and will enjoy each and every one of them...

 

...but I have to give special mention to this antique beauty.

Joan, (I know you check my blog regularly...sure - didn't I teach you everything you know about computing?) - so, knowing I love blue and white china you gave me this beautiful German 1900's teacup and saucer that belonged to your friend's grandmother. Thank you so much...I will treasure it and it will be going on my dresser for visitors to ooh and ahhh over. Just look at the delicate lacy pattern on it! 

It's a bit spooky... but this week seems to be Cup and Saucer week for me!

First, Kimme, of Irish Cottage Dreams (see sidebar) sent me a wonderful (blue & white!) handmade cup yesterday.

Today, Joan gave me this little gem...and Angie my friend in Cork, Ireland e-mails me to say she has some Willow Pattern crockery for me....and then  - just when I am coming to terms with gift overload (is that possible?)... my sister, Angie, The Old Schoolhouse (on sidebar to right) rings me to say she has got me the most beautiful cups and saucers (yes, cups, plural) on her solo thrifting trip. Thank you x 3!

Nora is 100 years young!...and Thanks to - Irish Cottage Dreams!

I don't know who Nora is but she is one hundred years old in two weeks. The call went out on Jumbletown, the recycle site, who's members have been so generous to me.

Nora's family was having trouble finding cards specially for a lady who is 100. I suppose there is not much demand for these. So I got busy and made one for her and sent it off. This is what I made

 

 

 

Then this morning there arrived in the post a parcel from Kimme of Irish Cottage Dreams (on sidebar to right) It contained lovely surprises like .....

... a floral and polkadotted, hand made cup with a matching cross and heart....

 

 

 

 

 

 

and her own designed and produced beautiful Irish calendar, (available for sale on her blog )- Irish Cottage Dreams  -see sidebar.

the illustrations are amazing - photographs made to look like paintings. They are quite stunning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 ...and these dainty little handmade cards, made by her elderly grandmother. These ladies look so elegant in their fine hats. So I thought....I'll  have a go at making one of these and HEY PRESTO!........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......Nora's family got another card made for her! A little more practice and I think I will have it down to a fine art. Thank you Kimme and Happy Birthday to you Nora...whoever or wherever you are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am also putting together a sister box for Herself in The Old Schoolhouse see sidebar to right.

I would love to show you some of the goodies I have in it already but Herself might be peekin'...

Well alright then - just one little peek  - and only on the inside of of one of the books...ANGIE!!! Stop lookin'! 

PIF on my blog why don't ye'?

I have just joined in my first PIF...which means Pay It Forward - on Linda's lovely blog, Somewhere In Time (see sidebar to right)

What happens is...She is making something for me and I promise to PIF on my blog by sending something nice to three people commenting who agree to PIF on their own blog. You can still comment without joining the PIF of course. Also it does not have to be handmade or expensive. Visit her blog to see details of the lovely gift she received in her last one. So, let's all PIF all over the place!

Oh -Photo has nothing to do with it...I just like it.

Dare to Dream

I've always wanted a pretty little cottage in the country. Ever since I was a child I dreamed of one but without any real hope of fulfilling it. However that did not stop me from dreaming my dreams and about 18 years ago while on holiday in Carlingford I bought this cushion cover in the local craft shop. 

  As you can see it features a tiny cottage half way up a mountain surrounded by fields with cows, flowers and trees. it is located just to the right - off a winding road.

I kept it all these years and sometimes would look at it and picture my ideal cottage.

I was always watching "The Quiet Man"  which is my favourite film and looking at other peoples cottages with a grá in my heart and wishing for and dreaming of one of my own.

Two years ago we somehow managed to buy White O'Morn. That is the name of the lovely cottage in that film and I named my dream home after it. 

I found the old cushion cover again recently and realised that the cottage I did eventually get is....a tiny cottage half way up a mountain surrounded by fields with cows, flowers and trees and it is located just off the right hand side - off a narrow winding road!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So if you have a dream...whatever it is - dare to dream it, keep dreaming it, visualise it, nurture it and who knows...someday....because sometimes dreams do come true.

 

 

A Grandma's treasure trunk

A lovely woman contacted me this morning through Jumbletown (the freecycle site we have here) to say she had a couple of old things that might be nice in the cottage. She had been cleaning out her grandma's attic and wanted to pass these on to someone who would enjoy them rather than her having to dump them. How exciting to go down to her not knowing what was waiting for me....

First these pretty pieces of vintage linens including a set of new mens linen hankerchiefs that Da will love as he never took to paper tissues. Also some damask tray cloths, pillowcases and pillow ticking fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then this crumbling, dusty, moulding box....what could be tucked in here for decades?....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what I found when I opened it....

A lovely roses china tea set that had never even been unpacked from the box. It is in the dishwasher as I type. Gorgeous!...

(Here is the china used as a prop for this vintage shabby chic tea cosy I have listed on Ebay this week - item no. 170222471232  If it does not sell on Ebay it will be listed on my vintage website www.vintageretrolingerie.com)

 But the best was yet to come..........

........a large antique, dome topped travel chest complete with the old destination labels on it! I love it...thank you Mimi!...and thank you Mimi's grandma.

I will enjoy restoring it and using it in White O'Morn Cottage to store my bedroom linens.

The labels are hard to read but say Dublin, Westland Row (a city train station), and Shannon. I have included some close ups of the antique cobwebs and spiders that came with it. These are the before pictures...I will - of course, be adding afters.

Goodies for me!

I woke up this morning whining "I don't want to go to school!"

"You have to go to school" says himself

"Why do I have to go?" whinges me.

"Because you are the teacher!" says he

Well, I'm glad I went 'cos it's coming to the end of term (adult ed. finishes end of May) and the students presented me these lovely gifts: Roses in a fabulous shade of orange, Max Factor make up set, a garden centre voucher, and beautiful cards that I will treasure. A big big thank you to you all. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you. Imagine! ...getting paid to have such fun!

Crafts from Rustic Roof Slates & Other Rusty Stuff

Here are some more of the nifty handmade signs I made from the old rustic slates of Angie's Old Schoolhouse roof. They had to remove some of them to put in a roof window.

They are natural slate - I think is called Blue Bangor Slates. It is quite beautiful in itself and it broke into interesting shapes. Also it is easy to drill with a fine drill if you need to hang it.

The Rose Room in basement of schoolhouse is one of my favourite rooms (I designed it - don't mind Angie if she says otherwise)

...so I made this little sign to go on the door.

The next one is a long narrow one - it is behind the rusty gate of the dry toilets at the end of the garden. In Irish it sounds so much nicer..."Leithris Tirim" so that's what I wrote on it.

The White O'Morn Cottage sign is also made from the same slate and I added a metal butterfly and some wire to hang it.

While on the subject of rustic even the garden shed has a rustic appeal...

...and can you spot the "rustic" almost disolved wheelbarrow in this picture? Shed door and wheelbarrow are both in Angie's schoolyard.

These tiny blue blooms are the Forget-Me-Nots in my cottage garden.

Nothing rustic about these pretty little flowers, I just love them. I grew them from seed last year and they are now running riot.

I have tried to get this picture before but could not get it just right. I wanted one flower in focus and the rest blurred.  Love these digital cameras!

This next one is for Kimme and Patrick...it shows the narrow boreen that leads up to the cottage  - the one I describe in directions as "has twists and turns and steep hills..." I hope you don't meet any traffic coming the other way! Don't worry, as the locals are well used to squeezing past on these very narrow lanes.

The photo was taken from the front door and has a lovely view beyond the trees.

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?