One Week to Go!

I'm taking a short break from Blogging...
With just one week to go before our daughter's wedding, there's lots of last minute jobs to be completed. We'll be foraging along our local hedgerows for free flowers! More baking is on the agenda and then there will be the decorating of our local village hall nearer the time (It'll be a late night that night!) Lots to do and to think about, but I want to enjoy the process. My Mum is coming to stay next week to give us a helping hand, so it will be a lovely family affair.  
(I'll be in my shop as usual tomorrow, but then I shall be closed until October 11th.)
**
I'll leave you with this...Not that I don't think my little girl is a real catch for any man - (I really do!) -  But I just needed a little light relief this evening, that only Pam Ares could provide!...
Have a lovely weekend...
and following week,
Niki x

Yes, I’ll Marry You
by Pam Ayres

Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear, 

And here’s the reason why 

So I can push you out of bed When the baby starts to cry, 

And if we hear a knocking And it’s creepy and it’s late, 

I hand you the torch you see, And you investigate.

Yes I’ll marry you, my dear, 

You may not apprehend it, 

But when the tumble-drier goes It’s you that has to mend it, 

You have to face the neighbour Should our Labrador attack him, 

And if a drunkard fondles me It’s you that has to whack him.

Yes, I’ll marry you, You’re virile and you’re lean, 

My house is like a pigsty. You can help to keep it clean. 

That sexy little dinner, Which you served by candlelight, 

As I do chipolatas, You can cook it every night!

It’s you who has to work the drill and put up curtain track,
And When I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,

I do see great advantages, 

But none of them for you, 

And so before you see the light, 

I do, I do, I do!

Time to Tidy

It had to be done! - I spent half of the day today sorting out my very untidy workroom...
I've been trying to be ruthless and clear out some of the things I know I shall never use, which I shall save and offer for sale at the Vintage Jumble Sale in November.

I do feel slightly ashamed of my messy space when I look back to 2008 when I first set up my workroom...

But it is very much a working environment and I get a lot done in my little hideaway.

It was another very gloomy day today, so I'm sorry the photos aren't great...my workroom is down in the basement, so natural daylight is a little limited.

At least I managed to clear my sewing table and am now able to pull back the little curtains that have remained drawn for several months!

(A cushion I have made for a friend who has offered to help at my daughter's wedding.)

Quarter to five was time to think about cooking the evening meal...

So the rest of my very untidy pit is going to have to wait!

Have a lovely evening,
Niki x

PS: I've just realised this is my 900th post on this blog! - Thank you for visiting me here...its always nice to welcome you :)  x 

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation!

Thank you for all your recent comments on my blog...I'm sorry I don't get to visit many of your blogs at the moment, but my spare time has been taken up with all the wedding preparations (when I'm not at work.)
We had a bit of a bake-a-thon yesterday, which was a very comforting day - the rain lashed outside, but we were cosy and warm inside whilst cake smells wafted through the house and the windows steamed up!

I'd rather not show photos here yet, as some of my relatives read my blog, we want to keep lots of the special personal touches a surprise for now. Instead I'll share with you what I got up to on Saturday at my shop.

I'd bought a selection of fragrant French soaps which I wrapped in vintage wallpaper. I tied with vintage seam binding and decorated with dainty pink violets.

I love this dramatic black paper, but realise it isn't to everyone's taste, so I made another version using a 50's wallpaper printed in pink and turquoise.

These I tied with vintage velvet ribbon and the same little pink violets. 

***

Another task was to package some tiny Edwardian collar pins that I'd bought at the recent Antiques Fair.

I printed several images onto thin card, which I copied from the book that Anna kindly gave to me last month, and cut them out.

I then wrapped a small lengths of antique lace around the shoulders of my lovely ladies...
And fastened them with one of the pins.

Each presented in a clear cellophane bag.
(I've been bag making too.)

Hope you had a lovely weekend,
Niki x

Bake-A-Thon

Our daughter and granddaughter are coming to stay with us this weekend...
I think we'll find time for some more baking...

We have plans for lots more cakes for her wedding...

So I've fished-out this old copy of Good Housekeeping's Cake Making from the 1950's. 

You can't beat some of the traditional tried and tested recipes that have provided a treat to families over the decades...
The Tala icing set is at the ready! 

Wish us luck! :)

Have a lovely weekend whatever you have planned,
Niki x

A Quick Catch-up

Some photos taken in our garden this week...I wanted to capture some of the late summer sunshine we've had recently.

There's not been much time to sit and relax here though...

I can't tell you how much weeding I need to catch up on...

But at least on my blog it may fool you into thinking all is calm and organised here at the Stone House! 

I'm hoping that I may be able to harvest some of the late blooms for our daughter's wedding...

But with a couple of weeks still yet to go, anything could happen...

Hopefully the sedums will be something we can rely on...
They're a flower that always remind me of my Grandmother's garden, as she had masses of them lining her herbaceous borders which would attract hundreds of butterflies. 

Others may not fare so well if the weather turns on us soon.

I hope its not goodbye to summer just yet, but for sure, autumn is just around the corner.
**

Despite all the wedding preparations, I've still had time for some buying for the shop.
A lovely metal framed mirror, which had been painted in thick white gloss paint was one of my best buys.

A little 'Oh-la-la' -
Two c1950's French lingerie shop point-of-sale cards, complete with miniature undies - Perfect little scaled down versions of the real things!

(This little baby is staying with me.)

A fabulous (and very large) hand embroidered boudoir pillow from the 1920's in perfect condition, fresh from France.

(I sold today - thank you!)

 Lovely old floral French textile in an antique frame.
All of these and more arrived at my shop today and found their place on the shelves and displays...

I have lots of new mirrors, French textile boxes and the metal bed canopy (above) too.




Actually a piece from an old dressing table, but very attractive in its own right...The door to the little cupboard is on a swivel and is a mirror on the reverse.

Sea shells.

Edwardian print.

Antique tapestry kettle stand, all lovely and worn with age :)

Lots of new vintage brooches for my mannequin to wear...

And a tutu made from crochet lace doilies! 

Thank you for visiting...
Hope you are happy,
Update: I just wanted to mention my eldest daughter's blog. She recently travelled down to Christchurch in New Zealand for her Birthday and visited the CBD Red Zone 
- She's written a powerful post about the devastation there.
Niki x