Almost Mid Summer!

Well, here I am, the second week in and I'm writing a post!

Hopefully the summer solstice tomorrow will bring a return of the lovely weather we had before the rain this past week.

I picked some lovely David Austin roses from my garden...the roses are flowering like crazy at the moment.

I visited the outlet at Clarks Village and bought two skirts...now, I don't usually have much luck with skirts as I think they can look frumpy on me, plus you have to find a top to go with them. I find they often don't fit well as they fit on the hips but are too big on the waist. This time I was in luck...this appliquéd horse design with Pom Pom trim was from White Stuff and fits a treat. Plus it was marked down from £55 to £20! One for the Autumn/Winter with a jumper, tights and boots I think.

The second one was from Seasalt and is a longer length, reduced from £60 to £25, so two good buys!

On Tuesday Michele and I enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea at Tortworth Court Hotel. It was a decadent treat which included Pimms...two happy V&H organisers. 

A view of the roses from my bedroom window.

We have a long and very fast growing hedge along the back of our garden. There are about 60 Leyllandii trees...they truly are the devil's trees. They never stop growing... I don't know why anyone plants them as they need constant cutting. Mr Cottage has started work on reducing them, removing some and cutting back others. He has to check each tree for birds nests first of course. If you consider that the platform in the photo is about 6 foot high you can see how big these trees are. Just cutting back a few reveals our view across the farm again.

On Saturday we held one of our Vintage Jumble Sales in Box, Wiltshire. They are always such fun and you never know what you may find. The next one is on the 16th July in Rangeworthy.

See our website or Facebook page for more info.

www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk

Finally, another puppy pic....we will be bringing him home on Friday. There is much excitement and preparation going on here at Cottage HQ! 

Trying to Blog

I really used to enjoy writing my blog and interacting with other bloggers and readers, but it seems that I have ended up hardly doing anything at all. This morning I was thinking about it and was wondering if I could get back into it again. I have come up with a plan (a cunning plan perhaps?). I think the most enjoyable part of reading blogs is looking at the photos that are posted of houses, gardens, pets, vintage

 finds and outings etc so I wondered if I should try and do a weekly post of the photos reflecting what I have done the previous week? I wrote some posts like that in the past and it encourages me to take photos too.

So, if anyone is actually reading this after all this time, do you think? 

Shall I start one now as it is Monday morning...a good time to reflect on the past week and perhaps think about what is happening this week....

Last Monday Mr C and I had breakfast at The Canteen in Nailsworth.

I am working on a new flower bed and look who moved in!

I bought a new waffle maker so had to try it out for breakfast.

The Boy earned his keep by mowing two acres of buttercups that had exploded like invading zombies while we were away on holiday.

My garden roses are looking so pretty.

Our big exciting news is that we are getting a new puppy. We went to visit him again on Saturday, he is 6 weeks old now and Mr C is in love! 

There was manic puppy love for 10 minutes and then he promptly fell asleep upside down. He is a little Italian Greyhound and he comes home in two weeks time so brace yourself for lots of puppy pics.

We bought the puppy a little igloo bed and look who managed to squeeze himself in! 

Finally, this week I am looking forward to the next V&H Vintage Jumble Sale in Box where there will be vintage bargains galore. 

Easter Extravaganza

Where does the time go....I have just realised that it is a whole *year* since my last blog post!
I have no excuse except for being busy with life. I really would like to be blogging properly again....maybe I will be better in 2016?

The V&H Fairs & Vintage Jumbles have taken up my time, they are just as much fun as always & the Jumbles are becoming very popular.

Our next event is the Spring Fair in Chipping Sodbury which we are holding on the Easter weekend for a change so expect all things bunny, chicky & cute!

It will be an Easter Extravaganza on Saturday the 26th March. Now in our 8th year, the V&H is a firmly established favourite on the South West vintage scene. Our fabulous sellers from across the South West & beyond always make a huge effort to bring along their best stock & display their wares on attractively arranged stalls. The V&H has always presented the very best combination of vintage treasures & handmade delights.

Expect to find everything from vintage home wares, toys, haberdashery, fabrics, clothing, books, jewellery accessories & more, plus beautifully handmade hats, decorations & gifts to suit all tastes. In addition, our favourite vintage publication, Pretty Nostalgic, will be there & of course our fabulous tea room will be serving teas, coffees & home baked cakes to raise funds for local good causes.

So, why not join us on Saturday 26th March at the Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, South Gloucestershire, BS37 6AD. We are open from 10am - 3.30pm. Entrance is £1.00 (children free) & there will be special Easter treats for the first 50 visitors of the day.

Blow away the cobwebs this spring! It's time to look forward to lovely days out....so why not plan ahead and add the fabulous Original Vintage & Handmade Fair to your diary? If you are a fan of nostalgic days gone by and perfectly handmade creations then this is the event for you.

If home decor is your passion then you won't be disappointed as we have a wonderful selection of soft furnishings, small furniture, lamp shades, pictures, quilts, china, glass and country style brocante. 

If you are looking to spruce up your vintage wardrobe in anticipation of warmer weather or just fancy a little treat we have that covered too with beautiful vintage clothing, handcrafted jewellery, heirloom dolls, beautiful cloche hats, brooches and needlefelted animals.

For those who love to create their own heirlooms we have oodles of vintage fabrics, haberdashery, patterns and much more. 

Vintage toys and games are always to be found sprinkled around the hall with time worn and well loved bears, rabbits and even rocking horses awaiting new homes.

After enjoying this cornucopia of vintage treasures why not relax with a cup of tea and slice of homemade cake and support local good causes in our little tea room?

We look forward to welcoming you to the next V&H Fair which will be held on Saturday  23rd May from 10am - 4pm at the Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. BS37 6AD.
If you are one of the first 50 visitors of the day you will be treated to a free goody bag.
Entrance is just £1.00 (children free).
vintageandhandmade.co.uk

Many of our readers & visitors will know all about the fabulous Pretty Nostalgic Magazine & Society. You may remember that they launched at a previous V&H Fair where many vintage lovers snapped up magazines & memberships. No longer just a magazine, Pretty Nostalgic has evolved into a Society of dedicated Nostalgineers - those longing for the simple & charming ways of days gone by.

The Vintage & Handmade Fairs are proud of our association with PN & we are delighted to announce a fun new collaboration which will launch at the Spring Fair on the 23rd May in Chipping Sodbury.

The Pretty Nostalgic Society will be taking over the stage at this event to bring you all sorts of interesting activities & information.

Just some of the fun to be had on the day....Nicole & friends will run an upcycling activity, using recycled haberdashery to decorate Alice bands and make brooches etc

There will be a make do and mend exhibition of antique and vintage items which have been mended and repaired or were used to mend and repair.

They will host a crochet creation competition with a theme - everyone who enters will be given a free magazine and a prize will be given to the winner, so bring along your creations!

There will also be crochet and knitting advice and a drop in and learn area.

The stage will be set with tables & chairs so you can sit & try out an activity, chat about vintage & handmade & make new friends.


In addition, the first 50 visitors of the day will be fortunate enough to receive a copy of this wonderful publication to take home & treasure, so do come along & join us & the Nostalgineers for a truly lovely day out. 

This and that....

I have had a fairly busy few weeks so far this month. Last Saturday I attended the Vintage Bazaar in Devizes with Mr C for company. We had a very pleasant day with quite a number of my treasures going off to new homes including the lovely 1950's Mobo 'Prairie King' rocking horse. As you know, I am rather fond of rocking horses and have several dotted around my home. Unfortunately I can't keep them all as they do take up rather a lot of space so Mr C is always pleased when they canter off to pastures new!
Click on the pictures for a closer peek.

I have also been updating my stock at the Gloucester Antique Centre. They always do a great job with their themed window displays & this month it is a nursery window & there I spied my lovely vintage Silver Cross doll's pram which comes complete with cover & a fringed sun canopy. I had one of these as a child which provided hours of fun with my dolls so I am rather partial to them.

A job which I have been meaning to do for a long time is to have our headboard recovered as I fancied a change of colour scheme in our bedroom. Some time ago I bought a roll of this beautiful 'Doves' linen fabric when Lewis & Wood  had a sale. I finally had it done & it was returned this week looking so fresh & pretty. I think the upholsterer did a great job of placing the birds to their best advantage. I have plenty more fabric so curtains are the next project.

I have just realised that this Mother's Day will be the very first in 25 years that I have had without one of my children at home....The Boy is away at university & The Girl has gone off on a jolly to Edinburgh.....the joys of your children growing up!

This week will see me gathering together some vintagey bargains to take along to the next Vintage Jumble in Rangeworthy on Saturday 21st March which runs from 10am to 1pm.

It is held in the village hall (BS37 7LZ), entrance & parking are free & there are always lots of lovely goodies to be found at bargain prices, not to mention the delicious cakes served by the WI in aid of the senior citizen's annual village party.

Why not come along & join in the fun?

Jumble all the way....

Tomorrow is the first of the Original Vintage & Handmade Fair events of the year - so why not join  Michele & I for a fun day out at the V&H Vintage Jumble Sale in Box. 

Saturday 28th February 2015
at the Selwyn Hall, Box, Wiltshire
SN13 8NT
10.00am - 1.00pm

The Vintage Jumbles have become a firm favourite with bargain hunters locally & further afield. Some of your favourite Vintage & Handmade Fair dealers will be having a clear out & offering vintage goodies at bargain prices starting at just 50p.

There will be everything from china & glass, textiles & toys, books, ephemera & much more....something for everyone. The hall will be full to capacity with tables piled high with bargains galore, so come along & relive the days of the good old village jumble sale!

Free admission & plenty of free parking.

Home made cakes, teas & coffees will be available.

www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk

Aga Saga

This week I had the 18th visit from an Aga engineer. In human terms, 18 is an auspicious number - the number when you become an adult, it represents independence & freedom. Sadly, for my Aga it just means yet another rescue mission. Since this baby was created & delivered to my home it has been a very poorly child indeed with constant visits from the engineer to resuscitate & revive it. Now, while J the engineer is a very fine fellow I would prefer to not see him quite as often as I do! This past Christmas the Aga has once again been out cold in a coma awaiting J's expertise in the New Year. This is not the first Christmas that the poor thing has been dead & in need of a 'heart' transplant (or burner as it is known in Aga circles). It has been purely decorative!

This particular Aga (3 oven oil fired) has been such a troublesome child that Aga have stopped reproducing them & abandoned them. Now, you'd think that Aga, that great icon of the British country kitchen, would be concerned about the welfare of their offspring, but no, they have washed their hands of all responsibility & told us poor adoptive parents that it is our problem, not theirs, but we could have a complete change for a mere £5000! After spending a great deal to adopt this beauty & many more pounds to repair it, I somehow think not!

In the Aga publicity materials we are told that besides cooking, we will no longer need an electric kettle, a toaster, a tumble dryer...which is true when the Aga works. What they failed to mention is that we would need an entire other cooker to use when the Aga is out of order once again or else the family would starve!

Currently it is working after yet another new burner having been installed, but I fully expect it to give up the ghost again within the year.

So come on Aga...take pity on this ill conceived offspring of yours & come up with a proper & final solution for this problem child!