The "squeezed middle" row

The weekend started off well with a parcel from the lovel Catherine of Potter Jotter blog fame. Catherine saw my picture of my utility ware and hearing that I was in need of more yelllow came to my rescue with a jug she had going spare! Isn't blogland amazing! Thank you so much Catherine - its lovely . I'll take a picture soon when I have it incorporated with all my other bits.



I had a great day yesterday at the Apples and Pears fair in Nottingham despite standing outside for 6 hours in the snow. It was my first encounter with thermal leggings and won't be my last! It was too cold to get pictures of the fair as my hands ceased to function properly and anything needing fine motor skills became difficult.

I spent the evening thawing out and decided to go to the harley Gallery at the Welbeck Estate near Worksop where they were holding their Christmas market. This is always a good event with lovely quality items. Unfortunately the scene below confronted me when I returned to my car.



Mine is the Ka surrounded front,back and both sides with other cars - 3 to the front one either side and 3 behind. I wasn't the only one in this position - talk about the "squeezed middle" - I wasn't going anywhere until somebody decided they had had enough of the beautiful farm shop, the garden centre, the restuarant, the open studios etc. The estate is large and "nobody has responsbility for the parking" was the response when I phoned for help! With no tannoy system I could do nothing but wait until a couple turned up to the car behind after an age, by which time you can only imagine my mood! I did ask sweetly whether they always park so considerately and chuntered to myself as they loaded up their car with buggy, child, purchases etc in their own time. Imagine my horror as I sat waiing for them to reverse out when I saw somebody coming straight into the same space! I bolted out of the car just in time to prevent a repeat.

Is it me? Why do people behave like sheep? Why wouldn't anyone in the third row actually notice that they had all trapped those in the middle? And when I challenged the driver - "well everyone else was doing it"! Well that's alright then!


Don't forget to enter the giveaway! (see last post)

Love Wend

Vintage Bauble Giveaway and new blogshop!

With a nod to Emma over at Silver Pebble blog (link thing not working) I thought I would share a "splash of colour" . This arrived today - a great buy from Ebay. I'm normally too mean to buy from Ebay but I did fall for this barkcloth fabric and thought I could make something nice with it. I was thrilled when it came today to see that it was a full length lined door curtain in amazing condition! I clearly hadn't studied the description properly. I now need to move some curtains around to find a place for it!



Although things are a little quiet (well relatively) on the thrifting front this biscuit tin was a great find. It's in immaculate condition - does anyone remember it from first time round? There is no clue as to which company made it but it's fab with matt black paint and glossy coloured roses in the style of the old gardening books...I love it!



Last but not least its time for a giveaway! I meant to do one when I got 100 followers but it didn't happen, nor did it happen at 100 posts, nor at my blogoversary so here goes. Last week when doing the charity shop run (so much more fun than the school run I find)I spotted an old C******** bauble and bought it. The next shop had bags of baubles including one full of vintage ones! Bought that. I then asked in the next few shops even if they didn't have them out on display. By the time I got home I was 50 baubles up for less than £10! Having see the price on e-bay I was thrilled. (I'm easily thrilled!) Sheer cheek - or vintage chic?

Some of you have asked after my treasure finds where I put everything and Niobe is still threatening to move out if I don't stop filling the house so, to try to maintain some domestic harmony, I've opened a little blogshop where I'm offering a few of my finds so that my blogging friends get a chance to buy these lovely vintage items at reasonable prices rather than competing on e-bay!

This is where the giveaway comes in. The bauble link in the side bar will take you to the shop which I will add to over the next few weeks. Anyone leaving a comment on either blog will be entered in the giveaway to win a selection of VINTAGE BAUBLES! New followers welcome!



And in case you can't think of anything to say the picture above taken at Swinderby Antiques Fair in the summer should provoke a reaction! The giveaway will close on 30th November. (If enough of you ask me to remove the gummy pic I will!)



Have a great weekend,

Wend

It's been great to be getting back into the car boots. It's been a bit quiet on that front lately but I think I mentioned a while back that I found several cashmere jumpers for 10 pence each - yes 10 pence! I'm afraid at that price I wasn't choosy about size and handed over my 50 pence for 5. This one had clearly been washed at too high a temperature so the fabric had become felted but cutting the sleeves off and adding a little light blanket stitching around the arm edge was enough to turn these into a respectable pair of wrist warmers. (Hey we still have early morning frosts round here and I was pleased to have them this morning as i defrosted the car!) I just cut a little hole in the seam and overstitched it for thumbs. I like the effect of the sleeve edging over the fingers. Who needs Jack Wills handwarmers at £19 a pair? (well other than the fashion conscious youth of today with more money than me!) Just need to decide what to make with the other 4 jumpers now! I'm thinking perhaps more decoration on another pair...

11 November

We will remember them...

My Folly and Glee - or "the one about the lampshade"!

I just have to share this with you!



My new lampshade. I don't think I have ever posted about anything new on my blog but am making an exception here as it is made up of vintage bits of barkcloth. Lots of you will know of my barkcloth passion so it'll be no surprise that when I discovered the creations of Polly at Folly and Glee I was smitten!



I love this lampshade for its patchwork quirkiness but there are lots of other shades made from a single fabric - http://follyandglee.bigcartel.com/ I had to have the patchwork one as I couldn't choose a single fabric. When it arrived yesterday I couldn't believe how ridiculously excited I could get about a lampshade!



Apart from lampshades Polly stocks other fabulous retro pieces including chairs and stools and the most gorgeous crocheted hangers.
Take a look!



I've tried to be subtle in my decorating but I'm afraid colour always sucks me back in!



This is probably as subtle as I go and is the design on a pair of curtains I found at a car boot last summer. They aren't barkcloth but certainly have a fifties feel about them. They had the simple curtain tape that all the old curtains have but looked far too narrow for my windows. For £2 I thought they were taking a chance. I was right -they were too narrow but very long ...



... so my mum chopped the bottom off and made some tabs to add to the top! They now lie flat across the window rather than gathered and fit perfectly showing off that gorgeous fabric! Upcycling at its best! Love it!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Love Wend

PS - if you like "lampshde" posts pop over to Jaboopee's blog - see sidebar.