paperdolly

'I just wanna' say I haven't been away,I'm still right here where I always was...'

2010-10-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

....um,hello remember me,I used to come here quite often for a chat in the good old days...

....so I just thought I'd pop by and see you again,its been too long and I've missed you! As I said I haven't been away I just kind of wandered off mid sentence,you know how it is,I'm all to easily distracted....

....now I'm back,I'll try not to get lost again,though I may stray from the path occasionally! So having renewed our acquaintance I leave you on a promise of a return to normal service very soon,please say you'll be here......x

words and pictures....

2010-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

....here I go again,laptop perched on my knee (usual tabs open-flikr,facebook,blogger,ebay-sound familiar!),one eye on the TV (we are watching a film 'Employee of the Month' oh,its funny!),cat precariously balanced on my chest,as I try to drink my tea at its optimum temperature! Lunches to be packed,dishes to be washed,uniforms to be ironed,that Sunday night back to school feeling....instead of doing my 'homework',I am tapping at the keys.....avoidance! But now I am here,I find the words don't come as easy as they once did,maybe I am just tired,I can confess to feeling a little overwhelmed just now,but rather than abandon my blog altogether,if its ok I'll just keep my hand in with plenty of pictures and a scattering of words for good measure.Enough said.....

....on with show and tell....

A recent rescue from a pile of modern apparel dumped on the grass at the boot sale,this sweet little tu-tu

For my birthday!Just look what my friend Nikki found for me,its very beautiful and it was carried by a 1920s bride,who also wore this....

....gorgeous sash with an intricate pattern of pearls and sequins,it has little ruched panels to nip it at the side.How I'd love to see her bridal gown,I hope she was a happy bride. I have the sweetest friends....

....I spotted this mirror on a friends blog-Jane and the Happy Crow,it was love at first sight,so she kindly kept it for me and I bought it with my birthday money,its so delightful....

....a cute little cupie orphan from the boot sale,I have promised her a new frock

....a delicate tortoiseshell fan,liberated from my local charity shop....

....as for these ,they are so precious and my most cherished find at last weeks boot sale,the lady selling them told me they came off an antique doll she was renovating,those pompoms and the diddy hand crocheted socks are so darling! Just 50p,but I carried them away like they were gold dust!

....a finely embroidered lawn baby gown,a birthday present from my mama-freshly laundered and she made a hanger to display it on,using vintage crochet,I'm a lucky girl.

Ok,back to work....its Monday morning already!

Bath time...

2010-06-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

....today it was my little friends turn to clean up their act,before Thursday comes around (and it is coming too fast!). These are my very special friends,treasured companions who all reside on the dresser infront of our dining room table,a jolly little motley crew,glorious examples of my passion for vintage plastic! They had become cocooned in fleecy dust jackets and had lost their plastic lustre,but after a bubble bath they are glowing and have had a little shift around,its good for them to mingle and make new friends! What a happy scene to greet sleepy heads at breakfast,how could you not smile! x

wash day....

2010-06-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

....something is afoot this week in our abode,something which means that we need to do a major post Spring clean,....either that or we need a miracle as our poor home has been sorely neglected of late!

If I didn't want to offend your senses I would offer up pictorial evidence to back me up,the little piles of life heaped up in each room,spilling over onto unswept boards and bitty carpets! The abandoned car boot treasures with nowhere to go,shoes cast aside in doorways,surfaces powdered with volcanic dust,boxes,bags,broken toys and as for the ironing!! I have never claimed to be a domestic goddess,but I did once at least try...I feathered my nest most prettily,even if I did sweep crumbs under the mat and fill cupboards full of strays...now,well the nest is pretty messy and we are all of a jumble,since mum became a working girl! But today we made a start,much noise has been made as all the appliances whirred and whizzed and we toiled in our labours,without a thought for those vintage housewives who struggled with their carpet sweeper and dolly tub! I think we may have skimmed the surface...but Thursday is just around the corner,and as Thursday could be the start of something special,I for one am still hoping for a miracle and looking for an empty cupboard!!

I miss you....

2010-06-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

....and I'm still here. X

Oh deery me.....

2010-05-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

....I think I'm loosing my mind,why else would I buy these first three items without shame or remorse and then be so bold as to parade them in such a brazen fashion! I am having a little dalliance with kitsch,'granny chic',novelties,hideous tat....call it what you will.....I know its love,I've been here before-except where once I kept it a secret,this time I'm going public!! Devil-may-care,bold-as-brass-thats me,proud to be seen to be doing my bit for the misunderstood ornaments of this world,so I'm wondering now is this a shop I'm running or some bizarre sanctuary for abandoned china animals!!The newest inmates are surely the grandest yet,I mean golden Bambis-how very ostentatious,but these little dears are so very shy they have been hiding in Fine and Dandys 'kitsch corner' all day-I think they are a little embarrased by their appearance,I persuaded them to let me take a photo to show you all,(please don't laugh)!! So I will keep taking these foresaken creatures under my wing,hopefully re-homing a few along the way,all I ask is that next time you consider buying a china ornament-you remember that 'its for life and not just for kitschness'! As I said I think I am loosing my mind...........

eye candy 3....

2010-05-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

....some pictures I took around Fine and Dandy on Sunday. Those glorious tulips are from Mr M's allotment,every bloom has been different and they are giants,like something you would see proudly displayed by Bert in the village hall horticultural show!They have been much admired this week-so Mr M is under orders to plant more bulbs for next year-supply and demand!! Things are ticking along nicely 'int shop-tomorrow we are featured in the 'business section' of our local paper 'The Cornishman',accompanied by a much dreaded photograph-so hopefully more people will find us (though the photo might put them off!)! Today has been Boot day of course and I came away with a loaded trolley but not such a haul as the previous 2 weeks and I have to say some of the little souls I have brought home and bathed are really rather bordering on....oh I don't know...maybe the wrong side of kitsch!!Imagine if you can a gold Bambi planter with attatched thermometer....you can't can you-ok I will take some snaps tomorrow,but I warn you,you'll all want one!!

P.s-loved all your comments on my last post 'worlds end',but having just admitted to purchasing a gold Bambi thermometer I'm not so sure my opinion is warranted!

worlds end!!!!!

2010-05-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

....sorry,I mean Lands End of course!! At the risk of causing offence here,I have to say that this is possibly THE most joyless and inappropiate tourist attraction that my beloved Cornwall has to offer,infact when you are engulfed by its 'attractions' you could be anywhere in the country-were it not for the signs,and there are plenty of those! You feel like you are on a film set,the buildings appear to have been temporarily placed-they are so at odds with the beauty mother nature has bestowed on this toe of land dipping in the sea! The 'shopping village' is an evil emporium,peddling amongst other delights-London buses and pencil sketches of Michael Jackson! The cafe even manages to vulgarise the humble pasty and serves a cream tea that surely was once labelled 'display only! We visit once a year,for one reason only-I am ashamed to say,not for the views (that also turn their back on this blot on the landscape) ,as I hate heights (even more,I hate to see my children near the edge!!) so I keep well back-no,we go only for Georges pleasure,Lands End is also-randomly-home to a rather sketchy Doctor Who exhibition,complete with dodgy mannequins displaying 'actual' costumes from recent series! I was momentarily cheered by the site of the swoonsome David Tennant (who has that geek thing going on),ok not him but his stripy suit,which I noted was alarmingly small-skinny whippet! Anyway the little fella' loves it,so we grin and bare it,all its gore,the scary creatures in their ill fitting costumes,the dodgy sets with bits falling off and Im not talking about the Doctor Who exhibition here!

shopgirl in a whirl....

2010-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

....well what a wonderful whirl of a week its been since we opened last Sunday-I feel that my feet have hardly touched the ground...business has been good,but that almost feels like an aside,I have had the best of times and have been truly overwhelmed by frienship and kindness! I have had the pleasure of treasured friendships,the kindling of new friendships and the joy of fleeting friendships,like the charismatic Canadian lady in her 60s and on a cruise who I met last week! She was a delight and we shared a happy half hour chatting away-she was carrying a lovely 'purse' fashioned as an airmail letter which she opened to show me her Kindle (electronic book),I want one! and a lovely wallet she had which was made from the a laminated page from a 'real' book,a copy of Little Women,she bought a notebook from me,made by mama,covered with a print taken from a vintage girls annual-it all seemed to be about books-before she retired she had taught childrens literature. She flagged down her passing husband (of just 3 years) to ask his advice on the notebook,which was a gift for a 12 year old 'Goth' whose family they were going to visit,this debonair Scottish gent was most pleased to note that I had been a demi-'Goth' myself once,'Och',he said 'theres hope,she may turn out like you one day then!'-poor kid!

I have also been showered with kindness this past week,I have been given some treasures which I will share with you on another day and kind words have been spoken here and here -so sweet,Lucy at Blue Door brought a tear to my eye as did my dear lil' sis Sofi who wrote this-thankyou to you all-you've made me a happy twirly whirly shopgirl!x

Servants' Undergarments

2010-04-26T13:59:00.001-07:00

Servants' Undergarments
Originally uploaded by LES® is more photography

.....this made me laugh today!!!!!! A friend was searching Flikr and found this picture,which just happens to be our washing on the line in our back yard! I am so pleased that I had hung my pretty pillowcases out to dry that day,this is a really popular spot for taking photos,people often look shocked when the gate opens and out we all troop! This is why I don't peg out our 'undergarments',though it would be great to hang out a line of giant bloomers and y-fronts for the tourists!!

virtual shop tour.....

2010-04-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

....well I made it,I am now a shopkeeper-a dream come true! It has been a mad couple of months making this special journey,but I can well and truly say that it has been worth the uphill climb and I now have a shop to share with my family and friends and it already feels like home! Last week is now a blur,Saturday night and Sunday morning felt like an episode of 60minute makeover,dashing about like a headless chicken and true to form I was I finished just minutes before the deadline,still making price tags at 1.45 when the grande opening was at 2pm! The sun shone in through the window all day long and we all enjoyed a selection of Mr Kiplings finest and prettiest offerings, and with so many special people around us it felt like our wedding day all over again,a delightful and memorable day that warmed my heart and killed my feet! When Monday morning came around I couldn't believe I was going to 'work' for the first time in 5 years-but of course it doesn't feel like that at the moment-this is the honeymoon period I know-I am surrounded by lovely treasures, treasured friends pop by for a chat and I am a very proud parent when customers admire my cute new baby! Today was my second day at the office,spent tweeking and fiddling,with a little bit of selling and a lot of nattering,tomorrow is my day off-its Wednesday...car boot day-so my mama is shopgirl for the day,Im sure she will undertake to chat on my behalf! For now,less of the chat lets get on with the tour,no more words,just pictures-hop to my flikr page later if you fancy a more detailed guide to the Fine and Dandy emporium....be lovely to see you any time!

I will start from the door and do a full sweep!

....hope you enjoyed your visit-opening hours are 11-5.30 Monday-Friday,closed Saturday,11.30-5.30 on a Sunday,

our address is;

Fine and Dandy

Melville House

Marazion

Cornwall

TRI7 OAP

Tel:01736 710611

take a peep....

2010-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

....just a little look at the Finest and Dandiest shop in the land! Still plenty to do-like add some stock,but I knew you'd like a preview before the big day on Sunday! No blogging now until after the event,but I will be thinking of you my blog friends in far flung places,thankyou for all your lovely words as I have realised my shopgirl dreams! I will take plenty of photos for your virtual tour and will be back very soon to share....

P.S do you recognise the chair from an earlier post,it had a makeover!x

booty shots....

2010-04-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

.....just wanted to show off yesterdays treasure after they had a bath this morning!Sorry I can't stay to chat,I really should'nt be here,so much shopgirl preparation still to be done......x

wood you believe it....

2010-04-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

....its happened again (see here for an older post) ....today is Wednesday,which means it's the very best day of the week (from April-October that is!),Wednesday is car boot day here. Todays was only the 2nd one of the year,Tonsilitis prevented me from cruising the aisles at the 1st meet of the year,I lay in my bed that day imaging all those little lost souls waiting for me to save them from the grassy blankets & wonky tressle tables & I shed a tear! Waking on a Wednesday is all about the weather,with the added pressure today of 2 mini-booters,keen as mustard to rifle through the piles of plastic-dreary,overcast-perfect! So much treasure to be had today and at give away prices (I have been known to give more than the asking price,if its too low- just to make the little lost souls feel more worthy,well I mean-2p-thats just an insult to any old china,'aint it!).Todays haul was almost all ceramic,6 jugs,2 vases,bird cruets,50s childs mug,2 Coronation mugs-also 40s sewing book,splendid buttons from a lady who was selling her vast collection 'Do you like buttons',she asked...'oh,I have lots more at home...& I founded a button society in London'....I was fit to follow her home!...ooh I just remembered 2 more bits of china-the most gorgeous 50s wall pocket with a kitsch blue lamb on it & a shell dish for my seaglass....a rosie enamel bowl....cuddly toy,teasmaid....ok,not the last 2! I will show you,but all the goods are still nestled in my shopping trolley & in desperate need of a wash! Thats the best bit,unpacking all the treasures you had forgotten about-the worst bit,the odd occasion when you get home only to find that your treasure has turned into tatty old junk-or worse maybe,that you left something behind! Oh yes,the hanger.....mama had a stall today & was all packed up ready to go home,I popped back to pick up my spoils when what should I spot lying all folorn on the deserted field but this little dear,surely a relative of the Wimpy 'found' hanger....I've said it before,but,you could'nt write it!!

going home....

2010-04-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

....just wanted to share this with you-the view on my way home from the shop tonight! Its a tough commute I know,but someones gotta do it!!

bright....

2010-04-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

....just a taste of the goodies that will soon be on sale in my little shop,I thought I would photograph the stock as I pack/price it.....by the end of the week I will probably have gone off that idea,as we plan to open on Sunday....mmmm yes thats this week-eeekkk!!!!!!

small world...

2010-04-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

....a sunny Sunday snap for Kirsty-who made this delightful driftwood boat card,which George has in his bedroom. I bought this card from the gallery I was working in 5years ago to decorate the nursery for the baby boy I was expecting and it has been in the little mans room ever since,though it is no longer a nursery-more like a recycling centre really! One evening whilst taking a stroll through blog-land I stumbled across Kirstys blog and recognised her work,hop over and take a peep-its a joy!

snap happy....

2010-04-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

...before being enticed into the realms of Blog and flickr,I had never really taken photos of my home and the treasues therein,after a while I guess we stop seeing the 'things' that surround us and take them for granted.Its not that we love them any the less,its just that we see them every day and forget that little thrill we felt when first we set eyes upon them and coveted them for our very own! Maybe the same could be said for the special people we surround ourselves with too,familiarity makes us a little complacent,then perhaps something happens that makes us remember.I never forget that I am blessed with a life that makes me very happy and I love my family and friends beyond words,never more so than at the moment when I feel their comforting embrace so keenly. The past few weeks have as predicted been an uphill climb with some very stony ground and the arduous journey has taken its toll,mentally and physically-I could not have carried my load without their help and encouagement.When you want something special and you work hard to get it,you treasure it all the more,so the shop will be all the more precious for being a true labour of love.We are so nearly at journeys end,sunshine is around the corner calling us onwards!

Last week our computer hardrive crashed,taking many precious photos with it,two years of happy pictures and memories-gone in a flash-devastating,I had always meant to back them up,but never quite got around to it,it would have only taken a minute.I cannot replace them,but I have plenty more memories in my heart and my head and room for many more.For now I knew what I must do and so I picked up my camera and set about taking photos of my home and family and falling in love all over again....

sunny smiles...

2010-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

....after spending much of Easter weekend in bed with Tonsilitis,feeling melancholy and woe begone,the spring sunshine was a tonic for my soul,so yesterday we spent a few hours in Newlyn-a fishing port across the bay from us-catching sun rays & sea breezes!I felt the true convalescent,strolling the prom with wobbly bed legs before sitting on a bench with a tub of Cornish sunshine-magic medicine-I got my smile back! The final photo shows the view looking back towards St Michaels Mount-our home-it amuses me that we can see our island home from so many places locally,my mama can even see us from her back garden a few miles up the road-I catch myself smiling to see the castle turrets peeping out fom unexpected skylines,keeping a watchful eye until I return!

...don't know how these sneeked in on the end of this post,but hey-enjoy!X

mothers pride....

2010-03-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

.....from Ruby age 10

....from George age 4

How lovely,the result of much busy-ness in Rubys room on Saturday! Dear Ruby-she is such a kind girl,so patient with little George & his boyish behaviour,she even let him loose on her felt tips!I wanted to blog tonight,but now I'm here I find words fail me,so I think bed & poor neglected Jane Eyre may be of more benefit to my weary carcass.Goodnight.X

roll up,roll up....

2010-03-07T02:19:00.000-08:00

....well,things are coming along very nicely at the emporium-much of my week has been spent there in the company of paint tins & some of the 'lost wooden souls',which have congregated there!I am not usually a hands on type of gal' when it comes to encounters of the DIY kind! We operate on a fairly traditional basis in the paperdolly household when it comes to chores,sorry my feminist sisters but I like a man-who-can,I am happy to forgoe the glory of putting up shelves & hanging pictures-because-well,I simply can't be bothered! I am not adverse though to a little light painting & the little shop is so deserving of her new coat(s)-3 of them!-that I cannot begrudge getting my hands dirty for a change,however I can find no joy amongst the shelves of B&Q & I am SO tired of wearing my 'painting clothes' EVERY day-grrrr! A little light relief came my way on Friday morning the wall paper I ordered was ready to collect from that other well known DIY store-you know it-Cath Kidston.....

....what?Well it sells wallpaper doesn't it! So me & mama went on an early morning jolly to St Ives to collect 2 rolls of happiness-be patient I will show you the happy in a moment-this is the sneaky photo I took with my spy camera,so that Mr M can whip me up some card racks just like these! We were very controlled & looked only with our eyes-coming away with just the paper & some fabric for mamas lovely creations (available soon!)-oh & a head full of ideas of course! It really was the most glorious of days outside,a day when you can see Cornwall through the eyes of a tourist & wonder at its beauty,then feel blessed indeed that you are part of it & it part of you.....

....St Ives is where my parents met,way back when...ahhh! Back then mama looked like a pretty Beatnik girl,tiny as a bird in her homemade micro-mini skirts,knee socks & clogs-clip clopping along the cobbles,dad was a handsome brooding brute with side burns & a roll-up! Nostalgia for mama & me,St Ives is where I went to secondary school-the branch line along the coast was my daily commute,not that I spent much time looking out of the window back then-too busy giggling or reading my Smash Hits magazine! Soon it will be claimed by the tourists again....

....it looks better than it tastes I find! Ok its now Sunday morning I have been up since 6.30,thanks to a very enthusiastic 4 year old boy who embraces every morning of every day as only a 4 year old can! I feel a cold coming on,I am trying to pretend it isn't but I feel a little wonky-please forgive my wobbly blog ramblings-what I really wanted to show & tell was what Mr Ms mum got up to yesterday with the rolls of happiness...

.....Isn't she clever,not an easy space to paper with that arch & with the added pressure of using paper from heaven & a perfectionist daughter in law,no pressure then!I stayed away-(afraid I might get my hands dirty!),until I could stay away no longer.....

....oh lovely shop,your new clothes suit you so well-many happy hours will I sit & smile at the loveliness! Thankyou S.x....

....Mr M is headed off to the circus now to do a bit more hands on,so I can continue weilding my paint brush next week-tissue in hand I fear,sneeze...sniff...In the meantime I must climb a mountain of washing & then tackle the tip that was once my home...

P.S-I forgot the most important bit,the shop has a name-'fine & dandy',I hope you approve-If you are a facebooker please feel free to be a fine & dandy fan!x

take a seat...

2010-03-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

....well,you couldn't write it! Dear reader I think I have a stalker,now don't be alarmed,don't be concerned for my welfare-this is not your usual kind of creepy raincoat wearer,truth be known I am not sure of my 'fans' identity,but I am sure they have my best interests at heart! I have little to go on,all I know is my 'friend' has noted my magpie tendancies,my weakness for giving a home to little lost souls,they are pre-empting my movements & setting tempting little traps for me to happen upon. In common with the previous 2 'stumbled-upons' (see Lost & Found & Pull up a Chair),todays was a wooden roadside rescue,but with the addition of a note-a little lacking in detail,hastily scribbled out,but it gets the point across....how could I refuse?

....well,I couldn't could I......

....I had a couple of other finds today,these weren't for free,but hey they were happy making bargains all the same...a brand new pair of Schuh shoes fom the charity shop for £7-green shoes-round toe shoes-ankle strap shoes-Schuh shoes...then just next door in Peacocks window I spyed some red & some spots-a very Cath Kidston-esque red spotty scarf for £6-oh I'm such a simple soul,easily pleased....

setting sail....

2010-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

.....well,I did it,I set off on my little journey on Tuesday-the rain poured,the wind huffed & puffed & the sea swelled,but I was not deterred from my mission.I knew it was a special day,a day I will always remember!So now I have started out on my chosen path,I shall happily reveal my destination....

....yes dear reader,here it is my hearts desire-a shop! My shop....mine,which means that I,yes me...I will be a shopkeeper!I will stand behind a counter,I will wrap things in tissue & put them in bags,I will stand on my doorstep & look up & down the street with my arms crossed-like you do when you have a shop....

.....just like Arkwright in 'Open All Hours',except my partner in crime will not be G-G-G-Granville it will my mama! This dear little unloved shop is in Marazion,a town which is just over the sea from the small island where I live-I pass it several times every day & have done for years-on several occasions since it was empty,pressing my nose against the glass & doing some 'shopgirl' fantasising! It is in a lovely spot,set back from the main square on the end of a row of rather splendid 4 storey town houses-next door is very posh,with splendid pillars-we are a little shabby just now but some fresh paint & a shiny new door will soon help us to fit in! The building is over 200 years old,the landlord tells us back then it was a coach house & possibly a house of ill repute-fabulous-our little bit at the front would have been the bar I guess,in more recent times it was an estate agents & before that a denture makers! Inside we decided it was worth doing a proper job of things,so we ripped down the bobbly wallpaper with glee & Mr M ripped out a very dodgy sink which was lurking in an arched alcove,we also tore up the dusty carpet & of course made things look even worse! But after making a flying start,full of enthusiasm,things are looking much better already...

....this wall is in for a little treat,it is getting some Cath Kidston wallpaper-just 2 rolls,at that price!I have spent some time there painting today & I feel so at home,it is so sunny & you can hear the birds in next doors garden-you can also hear the old boys TV upstairs,football...loud football!This space has been waiting for me all these years & I didn't know it-how could I,yet it now makes up the third point of a triangle of some places in the town which have made up my history...I am always fascinated that four walls can mean so much,some places we will never enter & some we will spend many hours within.I will no doubt spend many hours looking out of this...

....ok,I have already spent a little time looking out of it,seeing the same faces passing by,several times a day some of them,nearby is the Post Office,corner shop,chemist & bakers (with pasties!)-also 2 pubs,so there is lots of spying to be done,I am already on waving terms with some of the locals!I also have several dear friends very nearby,so it really is the perfect spot-oh & how could I forget,the charity shop is a stones throw away,if I can just get there before my friend Louisa who is a regular!This promises to be a very happy chapter in my life,it all seems so right,I will try not to bore you with shop talk-but I will keep you up to date,we hope to open at Easter...for now,I am so very tired that I must to bed & dream some more of my pretty little shop,you see dreams do come true-sometimes...

....'you gotta have a dream,if you don't have a dream,how ya' gonna have a dream come true' (Happy Talk-Captain Sensible)! ....night night.x

collections part 1.....

2010-02-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

.....another afternoon,idled away in the sunshine....bliss!

(click on my flickr photostream-right- for descriptions)

the call of the sea....

2010-02-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

.......another day,bathed in that magic light which heralds the coming of Spring,except today also brought a wild sea which threatened to engulf our tiny island! Sitting safely cocooned in my car waiting for the 'water-bus' to ferry me home I watched the angry waves,which seemed so at odds with the sunshine-the wind catching the top of the white horses created an ethereal sea-spray & the rushing sound-just like that from a pink lined conch shell. I am all too aware of natures powers,after all I am surrounded by the sea for most of my day- I guess an island cut off from the mainland for 16 hours in every 24 is not the obvious choice of home for someone like me who is rather afraid of the sea! After a visit here as a small child,I had a recurring nightmare of the place-always the same dream,standing at the entrance to the island I watched,helpless-with those legs you get in dreams,the ones that won't work (& the voice with no sound!)-as a giant wave engulfed me,my mama,the whole island! Terrifying & doubtless,highly significant.....yet as a teenager I was drawn back to this lifesize sandcastle in the sea,to take a summer job in the restaurant-(resplendant in a sailor top & deck shoes,much to the dismay of my 15 yr old demi-goth self!).So for several years,college holidays would find me here-serving cream teas & ice creams to the hoardes,never imagining that I would meet my husband here & make it my home one day! Given the chance to live here,those childhood nightmares were put to bed,the lure of this magical place was too strong to resist,rooted as it was in my romantically inclined heart-the roaring waves,craggy rocks,howling winds & isolation,straight from the pages of a classic novel! But still,my fear of the ocean never leaves me & I must confront it on a daily basis,on a calm day of course I am in love with its sparkling,glassy beauty-but on an angry day like today,it sets my nerves tingling knowing I am at its mercy,bobbing along until the safe harbour is reached on the other side.So today,I sat & watched knowing that in order to reach the home I love-so near & yet so far,I must first face the enemy....& here I am,I lived to tell the tale & make another cup of tea with shaking hand & pounding heart,it was a bumpy ride,but I've had worse-much worse.

Now,on to tomorrow & the start of a new journey on unchartered seas-no matter,I have a compass & a trusty crew,through the storms I will reach my safe harbour eventually & so,in the morning I set sail with a hopeful heart....land ahoy!

eye candy 2....

2010-02-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

.....I got nothing much done today but I had the loveliest time doing it!

dusty day.....

2010-02-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

.....a crisp,frosty day with the most glorious luminous light-perfect for photos without a flash.Also perfect for exposing a winters worth of dust,did I get out my feather duster? Did I heck I got out my trusty old camera instead! These were taken around my workroom,in the tidy spots! So many treasures....

Something around the corner...

2010-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

....some 'beguiling sunshine' is headed my way,I can catch a glimpse just around the corner!Spring is hastening like the eager bulbs peeping out from their earthy blankets. Something is afoot & I have a little spring in my step,carrying me along lifes path on the 'lightest feet'! Dear reader,I am making preparation for a journey,but just now I shall not reveal my destination,not until I have set out on the road 'brave & smiling'.I forsee a fairly steep climb ahead,but I will not travel alone & soon enough we will round that corner & feel the sun!

Sweethearts....

2010-02-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

....I am blessed & lucky indeed to have many sweeties in my life whom I love very much. X

Song of happiness.....

2010-02-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

.....a little bit of advice from Aunt Kate on a Monday-hope its been a happy day for you dear readers! I spent the morning with my lovely mama,that always makes me happy. Sadly,I will not be serving up a steaming dish of 'Brown Stew' tonight,though it is certainly dumpling weather here again! Those babies fluffy woolens made from rabbit wool sound divine-chubby little 1930s babies in bonnets & bootees-adorable!

Busy doing nothing.....

2010-02-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

......trying to find lots of things not to do!!! I am beginning to feel that I have taken early retirement,life this week has taken me on a very leisurely stroll along a path paved with cake & conversation,culminating in a coffee morning at mamas this morning! Mama has reintroduced these happy little gatherings in the last couple of years-they were a regular feature during my teenage years when I was a willing or reluctant little helper-depending on the hormones that day! Usually game for a laugh,at the end of the morning I would entertain the 'old dears' whilst they did the washing up & counted the takings,by dressing up in the leftovers from the clothes stall-a typical ensemble being;a brown nylon zip up catsuit with giant lapels,a pair of moonboots & pompom hat-cue much raucous laughter & several coughing fits! Always in aid of animal charities but not always encouraging charitable behaviour in the ranks,I have born witness to many a silver haired set-to over the pricing of cuddly toys! Today we were raising funds for Shelterbox with lots of lovely ladies ranging in years from 30-odd to 80-odd, I have been promoted to the 'produce' stall-playing shop again,no dressing up but lots of laughs none the less! Of course I did not come home empty handed;2 books to add to the holding bay-love the covers,Spring flowers I won in the raffle,2 more Alfred Meakin plates,some sweet retro cocktail picks & lovely cards made by my mama,also coffee & walnut cake (not pictured here-for obvious reasons!). It has been a self indulgent week of sweet nothings,I am a lucky girl,but all good things must come to an end-back to the job in hand-no regrets....well,I do wish I'd kept that catsuit!!

Daytrippers.........

2010-02-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

.....a day trip to St Ives today with my bestest friend Lulu & we had the happiest of days doing the things we like to do best;window shopping,talking & reminiscing,eating cake & laughing,always laughing! St Ives out of season makes for a grand day out-in Spring & Autumn its beaches are breathtaking,in Summer it belongs to the tourists & the seagulls-today was grey & drizzly but still there was its unmistakable light,glowing sands the colour of seaside ice cream & sea blending into sky. You cannot fail to be charmed by the narrow back lanes & alleys with the tall,higgledy-piggledy houses crammed into corners & spilling out of them,its not so hard to imagine how it must have looked in the artists heyday,when at every turn there was a picture in waiting. The town itself is awash with surf shops & so many cafes & bars,all having a little snooze before the rude awakening that is Easter! The little shops we crept into today were a joy to behold,my eyes feasted on so many glorious things I felt I would burst,oh we do live in such a pretty world-when we choose to see it that way & it gladdens the heart to know that some things are created simply for sheer delight & no other reason. So we satisfied our hunger for eye candy amongst pretty dresses,ribbons,books,cloth,china...so many darling pretties that I shall dream shop dreams again...Our desire for cake was satiated by taking tea at the Tate,with hypnotic views of that vanilla sand & we headed for home full to the brim......

........this dear little 'confectioners' has been here just as long as I can remember & it always makes me smile,I love that it remains unchanged-holding its corner & proudly displaying its wares.....also on offer today-'frozen rabbits',a snip at £2.50-we resisted!

Open all hours.....

2010-02-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

....tonight I will be dreaming shop-girl dreams again! Seeing an empty shop & those immortal words 'To Let' is what triggers the most delightful daydreams.....serving in a shop,standing behind a counter,wrapping things in tissue,putting them in paper bags,tidying shelves,folding,displaying....simple aspirations,considered a fairly low rung on the career ladder I guess,but what a joyous vocation & to have your very own emporium-can you imagine? I can.....& I do,I have been imagining ever since I can remember & I have a terrible memory,but I can picture all kinds of shops from my very earliest days....the fabric shop with the scent of fresh cotton & the lovely sound sharp scissors make cutting cloth,tubes of buttons,paper patterns & pattern books,reels of rainbow threads......ironmongers shops all metal & wood,bristles & iron,balls of twine,buckets,mousetraps,fly-papers & a smell like a garden shed on a sunny day.....the gruesome butchers shop with the sawdust floor,Mr Idris Stone hacking away with his cleaver & wrapping trimmings for the cat......post office counters,brown paper,ancient greetings cards,colouring books,the wet spongy thing for sticking your stamps & a pen on a chain.....the wonderous cave of a village shop,dark & enticing,penny sweets (halfpenny even) white mice,sour cherries,shrimps-sweets lined up in jars-aniseed balls,cola cubes,sherbet pips,pear drops,rainbow dust,coconut mushrooms-little tastes of heaven in a white paper bag,cards of elastic,shoe laces,combs & fuses......& as for the bakers,surely cake counters were made for little girls like me,to press up against the glass so that you could smell those synthetic concoctions of coloured sponge,hundreds & thousands,pretend cream & fondant-my granny worked in such a shop & smelt like that all the time! Is it any wonder I fell in love with shops at an early age & love them still,though the shops of my memory are just that,replaced with their modern day lack lustre counterparts-just somewhere to buy things with none of the ceremony. The shop in the picture still stands-the tales it could tell,my father in law worked there several years ago during its stint as 'Victoria Wines' & he says the upper floors were still full of remnants of its glory days as a grocers,tin signs,crates & display cards-all unceremoniously dumped!! The vacant shop I spyed today had its original spirit,lovely curved windows & pillars,floorboards,a proper doorstep too,the stuff of dreams & I'm sure I heard the ring of a till.......

Treasure Pleasure........

2010-01-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

......today the sun shone over our little spot of the world & though it was a crisp day it had an element of Spring, fresh green grass,pastel blue sky-pretty! My heart & my head flooded with light & I sprung back to life....our home was washed with magic & the colours sang in its golden glow.I fell in love with my treasures all over again, & set to with my camera to capture some of the loveliness I rediscovered upstairs....I was still in my pyjamas & about to embark on some Spring cleaning! Having seized the day....tonight I am in need of my bed & book,virtually unable to blog & somewhat distracted by a gripping episode of 'Silent Witness' that Mr M is watching....hence I couldn't get this text to sit with my pretty pictures- (below)! Heres to many more sunny days ahead....
P.S click on the pictures to see them supersize & have a look at my dust!

Eye candy........

2010-01-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

Be simple.....

2010-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

.....well,well,well....I am in the workroom,not sat by the fire as I usually am these wintry evenings....I am multi-tasking,having tidied my Blog,Iam tidying my Life......!!!!! Anyway I just picked up this book,as oft I do-Aunt Kates Day-by-Day Book;'A thought,a recipe,a household hint-for every day of the year',so I turned to 27th January which in 1937 was also a Wednesday! When I read the thought for the day it seemed so very appropiate as I have just read a dear friends Blog-post about writing letters as opposed to keeping in touch by more modern means,keeping it simple,Its so easy to get pulled along on the current of the modern world,sometimes we need come up for air.....That aside,Aunt Kate also gives us a recipe for Chocolate Cream Sandwich,then very thoughtfully a hint for removing cocoa stains-for when we drop our choc sandwich on our pretty crepe blouse,whilst shovelling it into our mouth!(click on picture for a read)....more from Aunt Kate coming soon girls!

for BupBup.......

Pull up a chair........

2010-01-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

.......its amazing what you find down by the beach! Imagine my surprise when I spotted this pair yesterday morning on my way to school! I could think of nothing else as I taxied the little people up the road & bundled them off into the classroom.....what if a fellow chair-fancier (or Kirsty Allsop!) had salvaged them in my absence or what if they had toddled off for a stroll on the sand,maybe a dog in need of convenience had lighted upon their spindly pins! I was delighted on my return to find the dear souls still there taking in the view......what to do? First a little kerb crawling,drive slowly past & oggle......then,park up at a stones throw,so as not to look too keen......next,alight car & walk past with a casual air,look out to sea-to blend in with the tourists.....turn,glance furtively around the deserted car park & up at windows to check for twitching curtains....get out mobile phone,take a photo,take a seat,phone mama to ask advice......look around once more,grab a chair in each arm & head for home! Oh the thrill-& so early in the morning too! This is becoming a habit (remember the coathanger in an earlier post?) I can only guess at their story,I was even a little sad to remove them-they were so perfectly placed for bay-watching,all they needed was a tartan rug & a Thermos to complete the scene,then it struck me that maybe this was some 'installation art' that I was disturbing! Then I was taken with the idea that a row of 'chairs' of different designs would make a wonderful alternative to the park bench- imagining them in a higgledy-piggledy line in parks & on seafronts.....obviously they would need to be nailed down,just in case they went walkabout!

So they both went slowly down,

And walked about the town,

With a cheerful bumpy sound

As they toddled all around

And everybody cried

As they ran up to their side

''See,the table and the chair

Have come out to take the air!''

Edward Lear-The Table and the Chair.

Please excuse the mess............

2010-01-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Essential maintenance work is being undertaken........

2010-01-26T03:55:00.000-08:00

......oh dear me,the green eyed monster has reared its ugly head! I am currently experiencing some Blog envy.....yes,I am ashamed,but at least I'm honest! I have resigned myself to the fact that January has been pretty much a non-starter for me,certainly for 'paperdolly',I won't even try to excuse myself,instead I will look on this month of inertia as a period of contemplation & research....in other words,I have been reading,watching,looking,drinking tea & spending my evenings by the fire-laptop perched on my knee-being drawn in to the world of Blog that Mr M likes to call-Bloggington! There have been brief daylight excursions into the workroom,some finishing off,some repairs,a modicum of tidying,but nothing of note & certainly not worthy of Blog-space! Meanwhile over in the shiny land of Bloggington....there is much happy-making afoot,those lovely little Blog folk-clad in polka dots & vintage florals-are stitching,knitting,baking,homemaking & then sharing it with those less fortunate,filling us with joy & eliciting in me those shameful, covetous feelings! I am now 'following' so many of these charming folk,that most evenings find me popping into half a dozen Blog dwellings for a little look around their wonderfully presented 'homes',with so much kerb appeal & such loveliness to be found within......then,while I'm there I have a little rummage around & take a peep at the Blogs they 'follow' & before I know it I've been whisked away on a Blog adventure again! So its time my Blog-spot had a little makeover,as I'm not too hot on technology it could get messy......
............sorry for any inconvenience!

Grey sky,red shoes......

2010-01-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

......January is the time for new beginnings,a fresh start,a clean page,the first chapter in the 2010 year-book,so much potential,my head is dancing with imaginings on a grand scale for this decade of dreams! Dreams of;stitching,drawing,making-sorting,gleaning,baking,writing-reading,reading,reading!!!!!! But January is not an eager participant in all this activity,it's brooding & sulky after all that December merrymaking-occasionally cracking a smile with some winter sunshine. My mind may be turning cartwheels but the flesh is weak & I fight a daily battle to stop me from doing this..................... ......& as well as taking comfort between the,all enveloping,pages of my new book,my ears are being soothed & caressed by the velvety tones of Morrissey,whilst I fritter away the first month of this year of promise.....its all in the planning!

.....however,having cast aside the brooch I started stitching during the 'snow' (it wasn't holding my attention) I took up with an old friend instead-this was a little vintage doll I started 're-dressing' last year,it was to be for my mama for Christmas until time ran out! This is a little 'hobby' of mine which I find very therapeutic-I buy old souvenir costume dolls,which are in abundance at car boots across the land,those funny little dolls brought back from happy holidays,cherished in childhood then abandoned.I strip off their 'national' attire & then make new tiny clothes for the plastic people,the dolls themselves are so charming with their chubby cheeks & quirky expressions,I have always had a soft spot for them and have adopted many dolly orphans over the years. Some of my favourites have macabre painted toes in place of shoes,this little cupie however has painted ankle socks & red shoes,she also has spiky fingers & a very stroppy demeanour-I love her! Here she is in my 'sofa-sewing' box,most cross at having to wait for me,originally she was dressed in a kind of Dutch costume but with a dear little felt pixie hood which I retained & trimmed-the red shoes & hat meant she was destined to become Red Riding Hood in polka dots...........

...........so,here she is today,all dressed up,just before going to live with her new mama-better late than never-such a cutie pie but still stroppy-mama is used to naughty girls,she had 2 of her own!

This big girl needs to pull her thermal socks up & seize the day before January becomes February,there will always be grey days but there beats within a bright red shiny heart!

Back to life.....

2010-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

.....today we ventured back into the real world..........the world that exists over the sea,beyond this tiny island I call home! Me & my little ones had last left the island last Monday before we were sent a small Mc-flurry of snow,however,it was not the snow that kept had us housebound but ice-our winding country style roads simply do not like it & the gritters save their grit for the more substantial roads. At times like these those much maligned,burly beasts-4x4 monster trucks come into their own & those of us sans 'Chelsea Tractor' must sit it out! School was shut for a week,the children were blessed,having only just emerged from the Christmas break,parents awaiting that back to school bliss,were less enchanted by it all! We had our day in the snow,then spent day after day,the 3 of us in the one room-the room with the fire lit-sure Country Living is all a bed of roses in Kirsty All-slops world,but in reality the idyllic country abode in winter can be as harsh as the snow queens palace! All draughty windows & doors & as for that rustic slate floor it simply transforms itself into floor level refrigeration,perfect for keeping ones feet on ice,3 pairs of socks & 1 pair of slippers (upgraded with sheepskin insoles) are no match for a chill which penetrates the bones! The woodburner was doing overtime providing us with 24 hr glow-wolfing down coal & logs,I provided my 3 hungry birds with homebaked crumbs from the kitchen-baking to keep warm,until the cupboards were bare,Mr M took on the role of hunter-gatherer venturing out to forage for food & rescue my mama from her hilltop home! Our enforced confinement took on a surreal & timeless quality,island life out of season is always secluded,in contrast to the months when we are just another stop on the tourist trail,but this was something else! Of course we are never really that cut off from the world in these days of virtual communication are we,as I type on my laptop-whilst watching TV with my mobile at my side....no-one is ever far away. Just before Christmas I started a book about the lives of the Brontes-a gripping read,that had me longing for bedtime & sneaking little reads at every opportunity. I chanced upon the book in Oxfam when I was on a desperate search for reading matter having just finished a book,reading is an insatiable hunger is it not,whilst absorbed in one I like to have another lined up ready to be devoured-after a respectable pause of course! Having conquered Wuthering Heights earlier in the year,I was hungry for more Bronte & when I saw on page 1 of this dog eared paperback that their mother Maria Branwell was born in my own home town of Penzance,I knew this was my next conquest.Oh, what lives they led up on that bleak Yorkshire moor,at the mercy of the elements with little to comfort body or mind,all of them virtually blind & suffering the pains of illness & heartbreak-not a cheery read-yet still they had a passion to write as though their life depended on it & it did. So in the days of this recent cold snap I was eeking out the final chapters as the Bronte sisters were eeking out their final days-racked with consumption,consumed by unrequited love,isolated & without hope & suddenly my own discomforts seemed so slight. When the end came,the last page,the final word,I was as always bereft-especially as the weather meant that my new book from Amazon had not arrived,I was like Charlotte longing for the postman,alas I waited in vain.....then yesterday it arrived... 'The Collected Works of the Bronte Sisters' oh goodness it is a tome 1,475 pages! I am not even sure I will be able to read it in bed,it is worthy of a lecturn......obviously it will keep me well fed for quite some time.......& I am secretly wishing for more snow!

Work in progress......

2010-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

.....at last there is some stitching going on here! After a frolic in the snow,me & the snow babies spent an afternoon infront of the goggle box,fire blazing up the chimney,chipping away at dad's Toblerone. I started on this brooch last night,late last night-a habit of mine,I am an owl never a lark. Wonderful to wake the next morning & remember you have a new project in the offing,like opening your eyes & seeing the shoes you bought yesterday,waiting to be worn-since childhood I have left new shoes where I can see them when I wake. While the mornings chores were carried out, the sewing was begging my attention downstairs,while upstairs my book was trying to get me back into bed-as it was I managed a bit of both,it is a very good book! As for the brooch,the idea is a kind of cameo,the pendant part attaches onto the bow by means of a very vintage hook & eye,which is part of a large ebay haul I never knew what to do with-until now! The 'portrait' is drawn & stitched,I am unsure how to finish the raw edge-blanket stitch maybe-as the pendant can be unhooked & turned round I can put another design on the reverse. A nice little project to start the year & get 'paperdolly' up & running (ok jogging) again. If only I could read at the same time,I can hear the Brontes calling me up to bed.......

.....just sometimes you get what you wish for!

2010-01-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Today the little folks got their much longed for snow...............not alot of it,but it worked its magic & set little hearts aglow!

......dear little birds perched on the bare branches,chests puffed,added a sweet song to the winter wonderland!

......snow rocks & icy sea!

......snow mummy,in need of tea & a macaroon!

......numb toes,wet gloves,red nose...time to go home!

Baby its cold outside......

2010-01-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

.....poor brass monkeys! Not a single flake of snow falling from our little piece of Cornish sky-just chilled rain,however after just one day in the classroom,my little dears get to stay at home with Mummy again! A Mummy with dreams,dreams of getting the dec's down & getting down to 'work'....the plans of mice & men eh? Like the Grinch I de-Christmassed the house with glee & robbed the tree of baubles(carpeting the floor in needles in the process),every year I pack the frippery away with the same thought, wondering what life has instore before those same boxes descend from the loft again in December. So having already put the rest of the days plans on hold,I decided such a cold day needed some comfort in it.....baking......warm kitchen,nice smells,yummy cake...... ......but first,hot tea & a flip through my new book for inspiration. This is a charming book which manages to combine two of my great loves,old fashioned childrens books & cake (no surprises there!). 'Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer' by Jane Brocket,celebrates the foodstuffs of classic children's stories-the wholesome picnics & nursery teas,enjoyed by Famous Five & the like,after an adventure or a bracing walk! Many of my own childhood memories are caught up in the pages of a book,or more often something lovely to eat,best of all a story with food in it! In the 'My Naughty Little Sister' books by Dorothy Edwards,is a story about an impish boy-Bad Harry who pilfers his party trifle,a creamy,spongey trifle with silver balls on the top,I didn't need an illustration of that trifle,words were enough! One of my very best books is Nigel Slaters,'Toast'-the story of a small boys hunger-never was food so lovingly & laughingly described,including a trifle that would have Bad Harry reaching for his spoon! As my own naughty little children were at home & I am trying to be good,I decided I would make jam tarts-their favourite,but not much of a challenge-except the tarts here are made with sweet pastry which I had never made! When my aunty came to visit recently she brought a little tin of macaroons she had made to use up some egg whites & two from a batch baked by my cousin Jack (baking genie) when he was home for the holidays-both scrumptious! I remembered this as I read that the sweet pastry uses two egg yolks & looked up macaroons-two whites-perfect!

As I have mentioned I am a baking novice,each new recipe is a new adventure,I tend to avoid the mountains & go for a leisurely stroll instead,so if a recipe has too many ingredients or tricky instructions I pass by & head for more familiar ground! Egg whites,icing sugar,ground almonds,almond essence-nothing scary there-however I have managed to get this far in life having never separated an egg or then beaten the white until it 'forms soft peaks'-two tiny hillocks I have climbed today!

The resulting Macaroons looked nothing like either Kaths-slim & biscuit like,or Jacks-plump & perfectly round.....mine are lumpy & as bobbly as an old cardigan! What I like most about Janes book is that there are no glossy photos,the recipes are accompanied by reproductions of the illustrations that inspired them,less chance of feeling a failure when you remove your baking tray from the oven! Thankfully,looks aren't everything......beneath that old cardi,lay a heavenly body!

My sweet pastry lay chilling in the fridge,a little unecessary given the temperature in my kitchen today,my icy hands perfectly suited to the task of handling it. I was struck by how yellow the pastry was,helped by free range yolks & marbled with butter,& when the tarts were baking they smelt like shortbread & appeared to be almost 'frying' in their patty tins! There was enough to make a tray of mini tarts also,half of which I filled with Seville marmalade-Nigel Slater again-I thought the bitter orange would be a nice contrast to the sweet pastry. The eternal wait for the molten jam to cool....then.....oh heaven,it was like eating hot,buttered toast & marmalade....a little too hot,as my tongue will testify! Now I have made this pastry I doubt I will stray onto the shortcrust path again! Not that my naughty little children seemed to notice that I had upgraded the humble jam tart,as for Mummy she was a very naughty girl & had another.....tomorrow is another day!

Part 2 of the year that was.......

2009-12-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

.....by mid 2009,settled once more into our old home,complete with fully functioning workroom,I could begin the slow process of getting back to 'work' once more. Being without a workspace had not prevented the creative imaginings & there was (still is) a backlog of new projects waiting to be given form. Much like being on a diet & torturing oneself with fantasy food,my mind,had for many months been fixated on cloth & haberdashery,& the procuring of it-the growing hoard of fabric,buttons & trimmings,waiting & winking,like a guilty stash of chocolate! Where to start.....stitchers block loomed,my once nimble fingers awkward & unwieldy,afraid to make a snip or stitch-beautiful cloth had become the pristine first page of a new sketchbook, my fine spiky needle,a jumbo black marker pen! Help was at hand in the unlikely form of a JML mini sewing machine,those child-size portable '.....ideal for home or caravan (?)...'machines,as seen on TV & in those gadget catalogues for the over 60s,who on earth would buy one of those things?Someone with a fear of full sized sewing machines & a co-ordination defect,that's who! Yes my mama is a skilled seamstress,but I emerged from the gene pool at the-unable to follow instructions/patterns,hold things properly,operate machinery,catch a ball-end,so the mysteries of dressmaking have always eluded me! But in need of chintzy cushions for my chintzy sofa & with a stack of Cath Kidstons charming florals,I got my JML fired up-ok,revving,its a Metro not a Ferrari-no bells or whistles,just straight(ish) lines stitched at a snails pace (though it will do tortoise speed for the more advanced user!) & produced a pile of cushions of which I was inordinately proud. In the meantime my nimble fingers had,once more, become needy of needle & thread & I had conquered a small machine.....just don't ask me to play catch!

..... meanwhile, Mr M was making busy out of doors-2009 saw the return of the island allotments & ours (I use the term loosely) is conveniently placed right outside the workroom window,perfect for spectator gardening! This is the second coming of Mr's foray into gardeners world,the first time being 7 years ago,when he grew vegetables & became infamous for his abundant sweet peas & my mama has never forgotten his giant onions,that would have walked first prize in any horticultural show! Instead,this time,much to my delight he planted his plot with cut flowers-row upon row of rainbow flowers,Dahlias,Snap-Dragons,Lupins,Ranunculas,Painted Daisys,Gladiolis & Sweet Peas of course,all ripe for the picking! The miracle of a tiny seed becoming a glorious bloom is akin to magic-of course Mr M is no Mr Magica,but he is a natural born gardener,happy to tend,hoe,weed & water until the light has left the sky or rampant midges drive him in & woe betide the foolish slug hoping for a tasty midnight feast-Mr M is armed with a torch & he will seek you out! So all Summer long,the flowers kept coming-much like the magic porridge pot in the fairy tale,I shouted 'stop'when all possible receptacles were full! The allotment now lies dormant,all bare earth & stubble,sleeping just beneath its surface Tulip,Daffodil & Snowdrop bulbs,Mr M head in a book-plots & plans his Spring sowing scheme & I sit back & wait for the magic to begin.........

I can't be sure why,but the overriding theme for our year 2009 seems to be domesticity,I think it came with the move back home & the need to nest or maybe its an age thing! What is domestic bliss,different things to different people I know,does anyone ever attain it & if they do,do they even realise it? Not long after we had moved in,a neighbour happened to glance in our sitting room window one Sunday afternoon & catch the 4 of us in a snapshot moment,looking they said like a 1940s family-Daddy reading in the easy chair next to the fire,Mummy sitting sewing by the light of the standard lamp,children-one of each-sat on the floor playing quietly! As I said,this was a glimpse,from the outside looking in-it didn't sound like our life,more like an illustration from a vintage children's book,none the less I loved that,in that moment this was how we had appeared.....

......so still in pursuit of domesticity,May 2009 saw the baking of my first cake!Pre-36,the baking had been confined to Home Economics lessons & some half-hearted attempts with mama. Always the perfectionist,I found the inconsistency of the resulting fare frustrating & disappointing & then there was the washing up! So I shelved any plans I had to become Delia, and was happy just to eat the cake of others,without envy. Then-It-happened,cake envy....at the birthday party of a child,how shameful....my friend had baked a delicious Devils Food cake,all dark & brooding-moist,shiny sponge topped with glossy chocolate buttercream,far too 'adult' for a kids party-an object of desire for young & old alike! Ruby carried home her slice of heaven with as much care,as if it had been a baby bird,then enjoyed every chocolatey mouthful-saying it was the best she had ever tasted....it was then I wanted a slice,not of the cake,but of the glory! So that weekend I took my first tentative steps,armed only with a baking tray & without a recipe book until I remembered that in my Ladybird book collection,I had a copy of Learning to Cook from the 70s, bought for 10p-purely for its retro photos of kids in flares & acrylic polo necks cooking with mum! Alas,no recipes for Devils Envy cake-a little ambitious for a first timer (or a freckled face boy in acrylic)-so I settled for flapjack & shortbread,revelling in the homely smell of my kitchen & the approval of my taste-testers! Humble beginnings,but I was hooked & set about acquiring the tins,spoons,sieves-I would need to bake a cake that would set hearts afire,Ruby's birthday was round the corner,imagine how delighted she would be to have 'that' cake & for it to have been made by her mother! I asked my friend for the recipe that would conjure up such a cake......'Oh,actually Its a Betty Crocker...packet mix!'.....bubble burst!.........

however.....I kept going & have progressed a little from Ladybird,though I still use the shortbread recipe,& I have a limited repertoire,choosing perfection over diversity (less chance of failure!),baking highlights,making my own Battenburg-well worth the effort & in July having a cake stall all of my own! As for the Devils own cake.....Betty Crocker got the better of me on that one.......

Amidst all these pastures new,rolling out over the past 12 months,there are times when,life at best can seem un-remarkable,at worst a little dull,as they say...thats life! But,looking back on our year through my photos,it was a memorable year,a year like no other.....& heres to the next one..........

That was the year that was.......

2009-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

.....2009,is fast departing us,time to reflect maybe or even just sort out the photos on my computer,same thing really!Here's some of my 'best bits'.......
In February,we got what we like to call snow,sorry to be a killjoy-but really it was more like Slush Puppy or the ground ice made by a Mr Frosty machine!But it was enough to create a picturesque landscape & more importantly to make a mini snowman,Ruby's 3rd (in 10yrs),Georges 1st!

In May we lost a dear old friend,our tabby cat Mog-aged about 16.Mog came to live with us not long after we had left the mainland & moved to our island home,she had been living with an old lady & a blind Yorkie dog-Mr Magoo-having turned up on their doorstep one day,looking for a new start!So the 3 of us started our life together,all learning as we went along & readjusting with each new addition to our family,kittens & babies-Mog disliked both in equal measure!She was quite the celebrity,spending her days with the tourists,having her photo taken & even letting them pick her up,her daily diet was supplemented with titbit's & clotted cream! Each evening with the lowering of the castle flag she would return to us with a round belly,fur smelling of the perfume & cologne of her adoring public!At home,it was affection on her terms,she barely tolerated her 3 furry brothers,let alone her 2 legged siblings & was a very fussy eater,but how we loved her & we treated her like a little person.By May our elegant feline had become a little old lady,thin & bow legged,seeking out the sunny patches as always,but mostly spending her days in her igloo,head always poking out-keeping an eye on things!How enormous is the gap left in our lives when these little creatures leave our side.........

......so,in July we decided our 3 furry boys needed a new mistress,enter a scrawny little tortoiseshell cat called Honey age 2!We all know the Internet can be dangerous,in this case it was fatal-do not google your local re homing centres unless you are prepared to have your heartstrings tugged at most severely!The animal equivalent of an NSPCC advert,these websites are not for the feint hearted or recently bereaved!So it was that Honey found her way into our hearts & our well used cat basket one rainy afternoon this Summer.She had been brought to the RSPCA,a stray with newborn kittens,long gone by the time we met-thank goodness-else we would've come home with 3,no doubt!The little scrap of tortoiseshell has blossomed into a rotund ball of fur,despite her idyllic surroundings she prefers to stay at home & eat,like the previous mistress she dislikes the fur boys & is not keen on our 2 legged rogue & his noisy,light sabre wielding ways!We are honoured with the odd knee sitting session usually as a means to getting fed,yet how grateful we are for these moments,on any terms!

Sometime in Spring,I finally sorted out my workroom.....

We moved back into the fully restored lodge house,that is our home,in the run-up to Christmas 2008,this was the 2nd time in 3 years.....since we had first moved in we had aquired a boy child,boy toys & a mountain of-stuff!I hold my hands up,mostly,my stuff-mama,I place the blame for this firmly at your door-brought up as I was amid the glory days of the jumble sale,village bazaar & best of all,flea market-where mama often had a stall!So the seed was sown,fed & watered,until a bumper crop of stuff had been harvested,packed in boxes & moved from house to house,loft to loft!This time however I was determined it was not going back in the loft,it had to be sorted-by me-& so,as it had its own room,I shut the door & left it!However the room it was occupying was also to be my workroom/studio & I had ambitious plans for it,having bought 2 lovely old shop counters-crying out to be filled with haberdashery & well,stuff!The room was originally used as a Parish Room,for parish meetings & social gatherings & is full of character,granite windows & an enormous fireplace,oak beams & an original parquet floor,in the half of the house that is in the castle grounds,it looks out on the gardens-away from the tourists!Like a scaled down version of rooms in the castle,it is at the same time filled with light & best of all,birdsong-perfect as a studio.So having ignored the skyscraper boxes for months & being without a workspace,I took courage & locked myself away ....several weeks,several trips to the charity shop,recycling bank & skip later,I realised my dreams & my drapers shop-workroom was born!Here I am surrounded by my treasures,one counter is used for storage (it holds lots of-stuff!),the other for displaying my collection of vintage haberdashery-gorgeous lace,ribbon,buttons,so many buttons,sylko threads,doilies,table linens,more buttons-all the lovely materials for my work.It is a very inspiring space,for which I am eternally grateful....& no more boxes.......well,just small ones.....

Frosty Fancies.......

2009-12-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

.....I could'nt let these delights pass through my-hands-without giving them blog space,so at least their short,sticky lives will not have been in vain!Tunnocks tea cakes,dare I say it,but Im really not that interested in whats on the inside,yes I know its shallow,but for me its all about good looks!They are so very handsome,the tea cake box is a triumph of colour & graphic design,some Christmases ago I found this big box on sale in Sainsburys,complete with the cheeky Tunnocks boy picture & choc full of mallows-cue,much excitement from me & some very bemused Sainsburys shoppers!For as long as I can remember,I have bought a box of these at Christmas,& every year they sit on the sideboard-shiny,stripey,star topped foil intact-resplendant in their box,waiting to be unwrapped,for someone to delight in their perfect brown shell & soft fluffy mallow,& in a final act of worship,to carefully smoothe every crease out of the foil wrapper....& still they wait!But just like Roses lime cordial (I miss the lovely old glass bottle!) & Maraschino cherries (still in the cupboard!)-it would'nt be Christmas without them!
.....as for these,Frosty Fancies from the house of Kipling-the minimalist cousins of those kitsch French ones!A triumph Mr K-just made for my new spotty plate (thankyou mama) & unlike the teacakes,not around for long.....well,'Mr Kipling does make exceedingly good cakes!'.

.....old dog,new tricks!

2009-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

My lovely lil' sis was home for Christmas & was trying to teach bis sis how to hone her blog skills,I really am trying.....very!Here is a (rare) picture of me,trying to look serene-mid the festive pre-amble,mmmm!

And here are my pots of Christmas marmalade,made under tuition from my dear friend Mary Brigid,a septiginarian (sp?) who is as I type winging her way to New Zealand-an inspiration & a marvellous teacher.I have been given custody of the jam pan for the duration of her trip,ooh heck hope I don't burn it.....!
So,this 30+ dog is learning new tricks from young & old,& crashing towards 2010 full of hope & intent....next stop,online typing school!

Tis 'the season to be jolly.......

2009-12-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

....deck the halls with boughs of holly.....

Its nearly here,how the days have flown in a flurry of preparation for those two special days!But they really are special,& yes we all know about the awful bits of Christmas;Slade,DFS adverts (no,you don't need a new sofa in time for Christmas!),queues-for everything,'novelty'gifts,I could go on.Mostly it is special because we spend time with those we love,we send cards to those we have'nt seen for years,but remember fondly,we pop in to see friends for a cuppa,lovingly choose & wrap gifts.We all love to moan about Christmas too,its part of the annual ritual,but how we would miss it!Making merry & making memories,like most,the smell of the Christmas tree or a satsuma are the smells of my nostalgia,conjuring a jumble of festive images,taking me on a sentimental journey!So here it comes again,faster than Santas sleigh,leaving chaos in its wake,robbing us of money,robbing the supermarket of parking bays,stripping the shelves of bread,sprouts,everything,taking with it charitable thoughts & a sense of humour & leaving us on the 27th of December dazed & confused!And here I am midst my own yearly sprint to Christmas Eve,wondering if I will reach the finish line-where new pyjamas & bed before midnight,are my dangling carrot-presents still to wrap,mince pies to make,washing,ironing......and I am tapping away at my laptop with my solitary finger (new years res'-learn to type!) blogging,like I have all the time in the world!But I have missed my blog & my finger was bored of sticking sellotape & I know this time tommorrow night I will be puffing & panting the last few metres of the mad dash & telling myself I'll make better time next year,but at least I will get my pyjamas & I will sleep the sweetest sleep of the year! x

Beautiful day.......

2009-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

......today was heralded with the most glorious sunrise,the kind that makes getting out of a warm blankety bed,bearable! After the battle that is the school-run,I got to take a solitary stroll on the beach with a joy that never ceases! Then driving home at dusk we caught the full heavenly glory of a perfect sunset with its rainbow sky! Tonight as my weary head hits the pillow, my heart is smiling........

Bye bye baby........

2009-12-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

On Monday my darling boy started full time school.I am lost........

Nightmare before Christmas..........

2009-12-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

.........scary Santa time is upon us!!
Is it me or Father Christmas looking a bit ropey these days? Look,I realise hes a busy chap,certainly its all go for him from now til'Dec 25th & he is carrying a bit of extra weight,ditto,but.....Santa, the image is slipping! Festive events in church halls & schools across the country are not complete without an appearance of the big man,so obviously Im not expecting the real one to put in a show,but surely being asked to be his stand in is an honour & hey its a chance to wear red velvet, fake fur and a cinch belt-in public,boys! So,come on guys,make an effort! Being a mummy means you get to rub shoulders with a fair few of these rotund imposters in the early years,before little boys & girls see through the disguise & become as discerning as their jaded mothers!So,today saw said mother taking her 10 year old cynic & 4 year old believer to a local craft show,on offer-a sleigh ride with Mr Claus-dashing through a muddy,waterlogged field on a tinsel decked 'sleigh'drawn by 2horses in felt antlers!We gamely hopped on,surely £2 would be a small price to pay for a magic moment that my boy would always remember.I plonked George down next to santa & took my pew opposite,so as to capture the full glory of the moment in my heart & on my camera,we set off with a jolt which threw me forward towards a big red tummy which had no need for padding! Looking up at that big 'jolly' face,surely 'twas not a leer I saw,but a merry grin!"If I'm lucky the pretty mums land on my knee!",ho,ho,hold-up Santa,we are making memories here!As for the apparel,since when did Father Christmas sport a dreadlocked toupee & a matted yellowing beard & what was that sticking through the old fellas whiskers but a label'Adult Size-made by Smithys-England'-shattered dreams!Look,I know not all these old boys can look as fluffy,velvety & twinkly as Dickie in Miracle on 34th street but,if only for the sake of the mummys,try a little harder & lay off the chat up lines!As for George,he was blissfully unaware of this sartorial blunder & had that wonderous look on his face that melted mummys' icy heart.......

Lost and Found.....

2009-12-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

........found,one blue coathanger,in a puddle outside Wimpy,downtown Penzance!
What can match the simple joy of finding something & bringing it home. Today me & mama made a quick trip to town to indulge in the guilty pleasure that is 'Poundland'....come on admit it,you love it too! And for those of you who are unfamiliar with this fledgling emporium,yes,everything IS a pound....my mama made me ask! Our 'pound of pleasure' arrived back in the Summer & jumped in the grave of dear old Woolies,R.I.P. Its arrival was heralded with guest star Anthony Cotton,{the gay one,from Coronation Street!} manning the tills & laughing in the face of Swine Flu as he kissed his adoring {misguided} female fans! Now it is an old friend,the mourning for Woolies is over,& we wonder what we did before it came along.However did we manage without all those things we never knew we needed.....?Woolworths may be gone but in my home town we still have a Wimpy,the fast-food king of my childhood,where burgers and chips {not fries} are served on china plates & eaten with knives & forks!My granny,Blessed,had a penchant for their knickerbocker glorys'back then,& many are the times I sat with her in the Crewe Wimpy,which was gloriously retro, & watched her enjoy every mouthful. I was, in teenage years always slightly embarassed by it & her deft scrapings with the long spoon,right to the bottom of the glass, especially if we sat in the window.Now she is gone,possibly Crewe Wimpy is gone too,I would give anything to go there with her again-knickerbockers'for two,window seat please.......
...........so how did this dear little childs wooden hanger,with chipped china blue paint,come to end up in a puddle outside Wimpy?It will remain a mystery,one thing was for sure,I was not going to leave it there to take its chances against roadsweepers,merrymakers & passing dogs!So with a deftness of hand {inherited from Granny Blessed} it was in my Poundland carrier bag,my mama said 'thats my girl!.......

Baking Day

2009-12-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was mainly spent in my dinky kitchen,looking like a farmers wife,with my rosy cheeks and a floury pinny...........baking cakes, for a coffee morning at my mamas today, what a wonderful way to spend a cold,wet December afternoon.My love affair with cake making began back in the Spring,the coveting & eating of cake has been a lifelong,passionate romance!Even the word, cake,conjures up the most wonderful images & memories of childhood....butterfly buns,the pale yellow buttercream under their cake wings-hiding a dot of strawberry jam.....the understated perfection of a glossy red cherry,atop snowy white icing......a plump, eggy, sponge cake with a dusting of icing sugar......church hall favourite,coffee & walnut.....all made by a loving hand & gone in an instant! My adoration is not confined to the homemade cake,I have a very special friend in Mr Kipling ,the Willy Wonka of the 'bought' variety......French Fancies are,in my opinion, his most perfect creation,the matt pink and lemon glace icing,the brown stripes,the sponge inside-dry and slightly salty,topped with a spot of synthetic cream,I am ashamed to say I shun their brown brothers,though my friend Emily likes these best......Angel Slices,a slice of heaven & my lads favourite......Mini Battenburgs,genius,though Lyons make the best big ones....these cakes were made to be shown on pretty cake stands and rosie teaplates,& always make a show at my childrens partys & even at afternoon tea on my wedding day!But of course you cannot match the smell of a homemade treat in a warm kitchen,I remember coming home from school to the cheery sight of a wire rack proudly displaying my mamas own buns,sure signs of a mothers love,or the seemingly endless wait for a bubbling jam tart to cool!Now it is my turn to be the hot,flustered mummy,creaming,whisking,folding,little people at my elbow,eagerly awaiting the bowl & spoon! Rolling out cool pastry and saving the trimmings for little hands to make into grey shapes! So the love of cake is passed down to my children and adoring children make for very proud mummys!

New shoes,blue shoes.....

2009-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

.......... these are the most perfect shoes I have ever seen! My mama bought them when she was in her 20s and a shoe shop was closing down,me and my sister were but a twinkle in her eye,she just bought them because she loved them! They are Start-rite and as mama says,like the Royal children used to wear,I can just imagine them worn with white ankle socks and a woolen double breasted coat,with velvet peter-pan collar. The colour is a perfect powder blue,the shape and button fastenings are just like in the story books of their era,and inside,printed in gold is the Start-rite logo of two cutie-pies walking up a path,my mama says as a child she would look at that picture and worry about where the children were going all alone!Their box is tatty and faded { the best kind of boxes are} but inside the shoes shine out like new,their pale leather soles have never touched the ground. I remember them as a child being in the bottom drawer of my mamas chest in her room, nestled among many other treasures;a tiny rosebud doll with a hand knitted trosseau of the smallest stitches imaginable,the pale pink bodice of a tutu, exsquisitely embroidered in silver,from mamas days as a seamstress at the Royal Opera House,impossibly small ladies white kid leather gloves,fastened with baby pearl buttons, and most fascinating of all for a small child on a rainy day,a fox fur stole-complete with head,tail,legs and beady glass eyes-gruesome glamour, lined in silk satin! Now Mama is clearing out many such treasure troves,crammed into drawers,boxes and under the bed,and though,thankfully Mr Fox is long gone,the' Rolls Royce' shoes and other delights have come to live with me.The shoes will be set free from their box { the box will be filled! } and will sit so prettily in my bedroom,I have photographed them on my best Jane Clucas 'moon baby' bag.....be still my beating heart!

Rainy days & Mondays........

2009-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

........dont always get me down!
My lovely little lad started school in September and today it was my turn to spend an hour in class to see just what he gets up to.It is Monday,it was raining and a multiples of 4 & 5 year olds are really not my cup of tea at the best of times!The noise inside was what you would expect,but all those chubby faces topped off with bed hair,was a cheery sight to warm even the coldest heart!They had just put up their Christmas tree.Amongst the sea of red sweatshirts was my own rosy cheeked cherub pasting gloopy glue onto a cardboard stocking with glee!3 other equally charming boys were around the table ,all applying glue liberally and shunning the dishes of twinkly glitter.It didnt seem so very different to my own memories of school in the run up to Christmas, when a tinsel trimmed angel costume was the object of my desire and the daily emptying of the red cardboard letterbox was met with eager anticipation! It was an unexpected hour of magic,finished with storytime, I sat on the carpet next to my beaming son and felt a tiny arm go around my back as a little girl wiggled up beside me and snuggled into my side.I hoped, as she gazed up at me,that she didnt notice me blinking back the tears........
.............this afternoon I went to the hairdressers who washed and conditioned, snipped and dried my limp winter hair until it was as fine and soft as a babies..........bliss! Then out in the street I had to battle to protect my locks from the downpour,I dashed into a 'cheap n cheerful' shop for shelter and my eyes lighted on a bunch of plastic tulips! Pastel coloured plastic tulips-pink,lemon and light orange-fabulously kitsch and not even trying to look like the real thing...sold! Clutching my tulips I braved the rain and suddenly I didnt care that my hair was damp and that my boots had let the water in.........
..............later back at my lovely mamas house,she gave me a box of delights {see above} and my Happy Monday was complete!

Ding Dong Merrily on High....

2009-11-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

.....here comes Christmas!

the joyous coming together of my two favourite colours,red & green!Not just any shade will do,for me it has to be glorious pillar box red,sitting prettily with a 1930s hue of dull minty green!I have been working on some festive bits for my lovely friend Luna to sell on her stall at http://horshamartfair.co.uk/ this weekend.As usual life got in the way of creativity,and it was a mad dash to get a little box of goodies off to her in time!I pillaged my delightful,if a little musty, collection of childrens annuals and they came up trumps with some jolly images, that I tinkered with on my trusty printer and turned into cards,tags & gift bags.I used the pretty ribbons to make bow brooches and alicebands.A simple little collection,but quick and easy to put together unlike my time consuming cloth dollies- above!I so enjoy the whole journey of making a doll,drawing the face,carefully choosing trimmings and turning scraps into dainty clothes,but I also love to work under pressure when ideas come fast and there is no time for faffing about!Now I just need to make some more to bestow upon my own friends & family,whats the betting I will leave it 'til Christmas eve......

new girl on the blog!

2009-09-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

hello there,well i'm here but i'm still testing the water,so please be patient and i hope to bring you lovely things to see very soon. x