Family, Finds and Flowers

Little-one has gone home now after staying with us for a few days, whilst we took care of her and her poorly Mummy...Our daughter is making a good recovery after her op and felt up to going back home on Wednesday evening. Its certainly a lot quieter around here.

***
I've been back at my shop as usual today and have been filling the shelves with vintage goodies and some handmade creations. I'm also working on several new dolls, which I hope to have finished in time for the upcoming Vintage & Handmade Spring  Fair, Chipping Sodbury, on Saturday 25th May. A list of stallholders attending this event can be found here. 

***

I wanted to check-in to my blog this evening, after being absent for a few days...I'll leave it for now with some photos of my auricula collection, which are happily flowering in our front garden just now...

Have a lovely weekend,
Niki x

Family First

My middle daughter has been in a lot of pain for over a year or more...On Wednesday she finally received the treatment needed (by way of an operation), which will hopefully set her on the road to a full recovery.

Whilst she has had all of this to get through, her little-one stayed with us over-night. Keen for her not to miss her Mummy too much, my youngest daughter and I took her out for some farmyard fun as a distraction. Already a definite animal lover, this was just the thing to keep her happy and thoroughly entertained all morning.

Young aunties have so many great uses! ;-))
Whilst my daughter recovers from her ordeal, I shall be on hand for lots more baby-sitting and helping in her home. I may be off the radar for a little while, until things get back to normal...I'm already aware that I owe several emails to people (two days away from my PC and I fall way behind!)  I'm also aware that I probably would have struggled being an older mother with young children...I'd forgotten how energetic little-ones are and the fun they like to have during their every waking moment - But its a joy trying to keep up! :)

I had to go into work today though...

Please excuse the dark circles around my eyes(!) - its been a worrying couple of days...but as a lovely distraction from all of that, look who came to visit my shop today! - It's Maria, with her hubby Sergio! Once again, they had travelled from Italy and stopped-by my shop looking for Nostalgic lovelies! :) ...

And in return I received these typically Italian tasty lovelies...Oh the calories!! 

***

Enjoy the rest of your week - I'll leave my blog now with some photos of our garden, taken on Tuesday when the sun was shining...

Niki x

Birthday and Bluebells

Sunday saw me turn another year older...Hubby and I were up very early to try to sell-off some old shop stock at the Shepton Mallet Flea Market. Once we were set up, Hubs gave me some pennies to treat myself from the other stalls. I chose this beautiful beaded purse.
I was also able to buy a few other treasures for my business...Most of which I am saving for the next fair I am attending on 25th May - The Original Vintage & Handmade Spring Fair, Chipping Sodbury.

We had a successful day clearing the stock and also came home with quite a sun tan! 

I was then able to put my feet up for a while and open cards and gifts from friends and relatives.

A lovely surprise was this gorgeous boudoir doll bought for me by Hubby! 

A flapper girl hat stand and pretty framed print from my friend Debbie.

A stunning handmade pincushion and vintage china picture frames decorated with violets from Maggie.

The sweetest silk hand painted Victorian child's hat, scented heart, soap and china dish and handmade lampshade from my friend Helen.

I had quite a few other lovely gifts too, plus some gorgeous flowers.

Finally, I was treated to a meal out with Hubby and our youngest daughter. We went to a lovely Moroccan restaurant in the centre of Bath.

A long, but enjoyable day.

***
We thought we'd spend the Bank Holiday Monday a little more quietly...So walked to our favourite local woods...
To see the bluebells...

It seems to have been a good year for many of the other woodland wild flowers too...

The most impressive displays were by the wood anemones...they were everywhere.

A little egg lost on the pathway... :( 
(Pheasant?) 

The dark shadows in the lily ponds are carp, enjoying the warm temperatures...

I hope you enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend too,
Niki x