Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Bringing in the Harvest

So...after a beautiful sunny Sunday...

We are now faced with the prospect of Hurricane Bill heading our way...how lovely!

The skies are already an ominous dark grey this morning...

I'm pleased that I harvested all of our plums at the weekend, or they could have risked being blown in all directions!
It's always a surprise to see how much beautiful fruit a small tree yields.
But what to do with lbs and lbs of the things? (Or am I supposed to say 'Kilos and Kilos of the things', to keep the powers-that-be happy?!!)
We made a plum crumble...but it didn't really make a dent...
So it was time for the annual jam making session again...8 jars of jam and still I have a basket full of fruit! We'll be eating these for weeks! (I'll be stoning and freezing the rest I think, before we all look like rosy plums.)

Yes, very satisfying to have some of them stored away for later use though - and all for free...well, except for the price of the Tate & Lyle!

My thoughts then turned to the hydrangeas on top of the cupboard...
They really need harvesting too, for drying...but I don't feel like venturing out today.

Although, looking back through my archives, I did this in October last year...so perhaps I am a little ahead of myself yet.

Hope all is well in your part of the world and that you are happy...whatever the weather...
*
Happy day,
Niki x

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Play Time...


Yesterday was such a fun day...
ladies came for lunch at The Stone House...
These cheerful and unashamedly brash dahlia flowers graced the kitchen table, whilst the four of us sat sipping teas and coffees, eating lunch, and chatting non-stop.
The homemade fruit cake seemed to go down well, thankfully...
And I was showered with gifts...
and pretty posies.

One of the guests decided she 'needed' to stay ;-))
Isn't she lovely? Michele kindly agreed to sell her to me and she's settled in nicely with my French boudoir doll as company.
***
Its funny when friends come to visit...they notice things around your home that you take for granted because you see them everyday...
This morning I started looking around our home with fresh eyes...
This chandelier in our kitchen is practical, hanging above the dinner table, but it is rather boring...
So I thought I might try to jazz it up a bit...and vintage china cups were going to provide the embellishment.
I have collected an assortment of cups over many years.
They were always a useful item to have in store as a last minute gift. They often proved themselves as ideal 'thank you' tokens to offer to my daughter's teachers at the end of school term time, being used to hold chocolates, homemade candles, or used as bulb plant pots, for example.

Anyway, getting back to the chandelier...
I used vintage seam binding to tie on the assorted tea cups, looping them through their handles and over the curves of the light fitting...
Hmmmm...I looked at the finished creation from all angles...
Upwards...
Downwards...

From underneath...
From the right...
And from the left...
But I just wasn't sure that I liked it....
So for now the cups have been taken down and have all gone back to their original storage places again!

Aw well, I tried, but just wasn't convinced...
But that's the fun of decorating a home, isn't it?...trial and error and sometimes things work out well...
Other times, not so well!

***
And whilst I'm talking about cups, I thought I'd show you this little beauty that I found on a recent buying trip...Its a little Victorian souvenir cup, made in Germany.
If I'm being honest, I wouldn't normally have been seduced by such a gaudy trinket, but on close inspection I noticed the words on the front; they read 'A present from Aberyswith' - (LOVE the spelling incidentally...I wonder why its spelt differently today? Or perhaps it was just a mistake by the painter?)
As regular visitors to my blog may know, Aberystwyth has become a special place in our hearts, as it is home to someone cherished by us.
It stands in the window catching the light amongst my other little cups, each with their loving sentiments hand painted across the front.
And whilst I'm here talking about recent finds, another was this lovely framed embroidery. The red roof of the little cottage made this a must-buy for me. It stands in the kitchen looking very at home...
This old wartime poster...
Gorgeous hand painted shoe stretchers...
I haven't seen any as pretty as these in a long time, so am thrilled to make them mine.
And this sweet little purse made from two polished limpet shells, hinged together and with a fine chain handle.
I've snuck them in amongst the vintage shoes in the glazed cabinet on our landing...
"Of course dear hubby, I've had all these things for years...haven't you noticed them before?"
...wonder if I shall be discovered?! Teehee...

And just when I thought that the charity shops around here were a lost cause for turning up pretty vintage pieces...I found this beautiful plate languishing on one of the shelves inside 'Sue Ryder'.
Dainty hand painted violets on an aqua green background, with a back stamp of 'Limoges - France'. Yippee!
I think its sad how most charity shops these days are trying to be just like all the other shops on the high street...all colour coordinated and tastefully arranged...Give me the grottier ones where you have the chance to have a good old rummage any day! ;-))

This tiny mossware pot has several chips, but still has lots of charm. It just fits inside my violets inspired cabinet. Again, hopefully unnoticed by hubby dearest...chortle, chortle!
(Don't worry, nothing broke the bank! - I am a very good girl really!
;-))
Hope you are having a fun weekend,
Niki x

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Reflections


'The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them'.
Thomas Merton.
I think I may have mentioned before how much I love vintage mirrors. I'm not a vain person I hasten to add - far too busy (read old!) to spend my time faffing in front of my reflected image!
Although I have enjoyed catching a glimpse of my daughters over the years, gazing at themselves, trying to decide if they like what they see...
Its all part of the teenage years, isn't it?...
'Do I 'fit in'?'
Or 'Am I unique?', depending on the level of their confidence...
I am happy to say that all three of my girls have far more self-confidence than I think I shall ever have and I admire them greatly for that...they shouldn't change a thing and should relish all that life brings them as they each move further and further away from my nurturing grasp...
The old mirrors that I place about our home have been collected over many years and are not just there to offer the approving evidence that my daughters seek...

The ones that generally find a home with us have ornate or quirky frames; after all, it is this which will provide the decorative feature within a room. French mirrors are an eternal favourite, with their rose garlands, curlicues, or acanthus swags providing a little opulence within an ordinary family home.
Of course the light they each reflect and bounce around a room is uplifting, particularly during the winter months. But it is often the framed views that they offer, that really make me content. Like ever-changing pictures on the wall, but with an added depth that is so tempting - I sometimes feel like climbing through into that other place...
The aged glass, frequently with a few areas of missing silvering or with a slightly yellowish tinge, reminiscent of those old black and white movies that crackle and flicker across the screen, reinforce that feeling that it would be somewhere secure and protected to escape to.
*
A few months ago when I had a stall at a local flea market, I had several assorted mirrors for sale amongst the treasures. A young girl picked up one of them and expressed an interest, but kept umming and ahhing....
She said she loved it, but already had a mirror in the room where she would like it situated.
And added 'You can't have two mirrors in one room, can you?'

I had to smile...if that's the case, then I've seriously broken the rules! ;-))
I encouraged her to go for it...Not because of the potential sale, but I was keen for this young girl to surround herself with the things that she loved and to not worry about what people might think. To create a nest personal to oneself is to create an environment where you feel safe and secure, at ease and completely comfortable - if visitors to your home don't like it, does it matter?
She made the purchase and we both exchanged beaming grins...I just hope that the views that she has created with that old mirror, bring her great pleasure and the magical touch of escapism.

More than ever before, I think its important for us to be happy in our homes. Many are in financial difficulties, or are stuck within a property due to the stagnant housing market, so to live amongst the adornments that speak and bring joy to us, can be a redeemer.

For example, adding a coat of paint to the frame, in a colour that makes you happy...
Where's the harm?

To express yourself in this way is truly liberating and is something that many of us love to do.

Do you worry about what others might think? Or are you courageous?

Would someone visiting your home for the first time be able to work out what sort of person lives there? Do you give yourself away by displaying the pieces that you love for all to see...or are you more guarded?
I personally feel that anything goes these days, as with fashion - we all wear what we please. Our homes are an extension of us and I think should reflect our lifestyle, loves, quirks and collections.

Why so many magazines and TV programmes promote a neutral scheme, and a 'light and airy space', is beyond me. (A pet hate of my hubby's - He hates the word 'space' when referring to a room - he says space is up there, its a room that you're decorating! - heehee...he'll often sit with me watching this type of show, but we both dislike them for what they try to encourage!)

You only have to take a tour around blogland to find hundreds of people who are happily doing their own thing when decorating and accessorising their homes...

So if you are one of those who are a little scared when it comes to decorating, then I say just have a go...if it makes you happy, then that is what is important. Ultimately, it is you that lives in your home, not the visitors that come and go and may not approve.
What do you think?

And what do you do when you find a frame minus its mirror?
Place a pretty piece of fabric within it and enjoy the beautiful design.
Have a fun day!
Niki x