White O'Morn Cottage

A walk in the park

 

One of our favourite places to walk the dogs is St Anne's Park in Raheny, Dublin. We are always saying "We must bring the camera next time...so I did!                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

What's My Name?..... A Giveaway...and a before and after

Please get your thinking hats on. Because, - lucky me...my sister, Teeda, of BeaDiva Handmade Jewellery (see sidebar) is designing a website for me to sell vintage items for the home. We can't decide on a suitable name, so, this is were you come in. We do have a few possible contenders but maybe one of you will come up with a cracker. The website will sell vintage linens, craft items, china, crockery, figurines etc mostly sourced in Ireland and much of it Irish made.

Everyone who suggests a name will go into a draw for ...for...for...I don't know yet! But I will something really nice for you! UPDATE: It will have a small surprise and also there will be the centre copy of The Star Weekly that is featured in the post below. That's the one with the little boy falling off his seat. These date from 1951 and are a fabulous "snapshot" of the culture and values of the times. Fascinating, no matter what your interests are..Here are some more advertisements from it...

...Er...now I don't know about North America or Australia but on this side of the pond this is a really rude gesture! Shame on you Alan Ladd!

 

 

 

Stationery Cabinet Makeover

While I'm here I want to show you my latest project. It is a very small cabinet with mesh on the door. I was told it was an egg safe...

However, I thought my eggs were quite safe in the fridge and what I needed was a pretty little cabinet to stash my finest stationery...soooo. I just cleaned it, lined it with scrapbooking paper with handwriting on (for stationery - you see) added a bit of gingham trim and I am still looking for suitable knobs for the little drawers.

Look Kimme...can you see your handmade cards on display? I just love this. Yes, Teeda, (I'm typing this sheepishly) ...I know I should be selling it on the new website but it's hard to part with pretties...I NEED them.

 

Shaggy Dog & Frog Tales

How do dogs do it? You know...look so cute that you have to keep saying "where's the camera?"

My Chewie (short for Chewbacca - the big hairy thing in Star Wars) does that to me all the time. Here is the latest one. She is on the stairs because it is bedtime (...she has decided) and is trying to tempt my husband to go with her. Who could resist this "come to bed" look!                                                                                     

And here is one of Holly who will sleep on anything. As you can see she has "packed" herself away in my suitcase for her holidays ...or Holly-days!

Chewie wont be outdone in finding unusual bedding. Here seen on a tray! One could be forgiven for thinking we don't provide dogs beds for them. But we do...really! we do!

...and here is one where she is doing her "I'm a draught excluder for the bottom of your door " impression!

While I'm on the subject of dogs have a look at these great 1950's magazines that Angie brought home from Canada. I love the graphics on them.   Hey! Look at the pretty bathing beauty on the right. She is so busy smiling for the camera that she does not notice that her poor doggie is drowning and is absolutely terrified!

...and from cute dogs to cute frogs. 

This one is surely saying "Wass appp? ...Just chillin' havin' a Bud" 

Abc of me...

I have been tagged by Debby of Sanity-no longer an option (see my list) to do an ABC of me!

So here goes:

A...a red hatter!

B..Big heart...it matches my a....

C...Cute hoor for sure!

D...Delight in the little things..is my motto

E... engergetic...when I'm not tired of course

F...Feck off!...This is my other motto

G...Green as in the environment

H...Happy as a pig in s...

I...Irish ...and proud!

J...Jitterbug...is my favourite dance

K...Klevar... and very good at spelling!

L...Love.. ...my loved ones...ye' know who you are

M..Mad as a hatter...a red hatter

N.. Naughty but nice

O..Off me trolley...as often as possible

P...Paul..my Paul, he doubles as hubby and soulmate

Q..Quickwitted as in...er....er....ah feck off! I cant' think of anything!

R...Repurposeful..I don't think this is a word but hey! it's my blog. I love to repurpose things

S...Silent ...when it is called for.

T...Tough as nails ...when it is called for

U...Understanding... when it is called for

V...Violet Velvet. One of my favourite colours and fabrics

W...Wanton...er I mean Wanting...always wanting more of the good stuff

X...XXXX Love ya'll

Y...Yes, you have been tagged! ....Kimme of Irish Cottage Dreams, Teeda of BeaDiva Handmade Jewellery  and Sharie of View to the Hill.

Z..zzzzzzzzzzzzzz night night

Peace Day Sept 21

I just found this while bloghoppin' I found it on Cait O'Connor's blog and I found that on comments on Kimme's Irish Cottage Dreams blog (see list to right)

I got to make a peace promise for that day but I can't seem to get it on here...so you'll have to make do with the banner for now..anyway what I promised for that day was and I quote..." I promise to take time to be still and wish for peace ...for me...and you"

Holiday Post...photos added ...and Award Winners Listed.

I have now posted most of the photos I promised. So what have I got for you? well...

We made great progress with the kitchen and here are some photos to prove it!  

We were invaded by a few stray bats...yes, I said bats! ...and I have the pics to prove it. It is now sorted and we can all relax a bit. BE WARNED...I will be posting a photo of said BATS. So if you are squirly/squally about these things then...close your eyes and scroll to next bit.

*How to remove stray bats from the bathroom (now called the Batroom)

Step one..get up at 6 o'clock in the morning for a tinkle. Walk into bathroom and go "AAAGGGHHH!!!"

If you should find that this does not wake up DH say to yourself "Ah, sufferin' heart...I'm on me own here".

 Now get your camera and take a blurry pic of Drac so you can prove how brave you really are.... 6 am? who can focus?

 Drac is hanging from your tab top curtains and measures about 2 inches. Get a bucket and use end of a toothbrush to nudge Drac into said bucket. (Use your husband's toothbrush 'cos he did not come to your aid and if he had, he would have used the end of your's ...right? )

Drac will squeel like a pig - which is unexpected- and will frighten the **** out of you. Don't get psyched out by this - just say to yourself..."Self ..this has to be done for all our sakes"

Once Drac the Invader is in bucket run like a hare to release it into The Wild (which is is located just outside the front door)

Now, ...and this is important...run around in circles going... "Ahh,,oohhh,,ah sufferin' heart - I can't believe I did that..ahh,,,hoo, haa, hoohaaa, oh Gawd. ha hoo" 

Go back to bed with a smug smile on yer' face! You are hereforwith to be known as Buffy...Oh, the joys of country living!

 

Brialliante Blog 2008...BLOG AWARDS!

On a lighter note: I got an award from Sharie at View to the Hill...Thanks so much Sharie!!! I LOVE it....and also from Kimme at Irish Cottage Dreams.Thanks so much...love it!  More details of this lovely award to follow. Sharie's and Kimme's fab blogs are to be found on my list to the right.

So what goes with the award are some rules...Put the award on ones blog...done. Link to the person giving the award...done. Link to he people getting the award from you. ...done. So the wonderful blogs I am passing it on to are..in no particular order...they are all fabulous..

Beadiva Hand-crafted Jewellery

Sweet Repose

Sanity -no longer an option

Ideally Me

Country Cottage Chic

Main Street Memories

The Old Schoolhouse

All are linked in my blog list to the right. Visit and enjoy!

 

 

I took a series of photos while strolling down Main Street, Ballinamore. Just of little things that took my fancy, shop signs, quirky items etc..even litter bins and post boxes which are quite lovely! Come on ...join me for a stroll around beautiful Ballinamore...

When the Light Is Right

Another set of pictures I took I call... "When the Light is Right" These are mostly of items in the deep window sills with the sun streaming over them.

This is one of the free range duck eggs with the farmyard muck still on!

 

 

The one below is a garland that says... Failte which is Irish for Welcome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of the wildflowers that grow in the ditches around here. The bell shaped one is a foxglove and I don't yet know the name of the other one.

A cute pic of Chewy who decided that my gorgeous vintage tray with pristine tray cloth was a good place for a nap!  "Your Dog Is Served" is the title of this one.

I will be adding all the promised photos over this weekend. Cheers for now...

 

Chalkboard Makeover

Hi all. Here is my latest project...I have been very creative lately as I am not in work. it started life as a crumbling very old picture frame. I "rescued" it from a derelict house I was nosing around. "Fingers Flynn" was on the job!

I painted it, put some hardboard inside and painted that with blackboard paint. Next I used a front page from some antique sheet music to add an interesting touch at the top, trimmed that with some vintage wallpaper border.

 Then I just added a piece of chalk on a string...and wrote a cheeky message for my husband.

Result...hubby not happy - dog very happy!

I am going away for a couple of weeks but hope to have access to a computer during it to put a few posts on here.

Cabinet Makeover

I have long wanted a small cabinet in the kitchen just for my crystal (well - glasses really, but crystal sounds so lovely) and my vintage table napkins. I bought this at the charity fete I was working at yesterday.  

I painted it blue inside and white outside, lined the back with old sheet music, used two spare gingham curtain tie backs and old Irish hand crocheted doilies to frillify the shelves. Added a tiny ballerina and fine bone china duck figurine arranged the glasses and ....voila! I have a unique designer piece for my kitchen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

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!