Saturday Sunshine

It's Saturday.

My absolute favourite day of the week.

When I was little, Saturday was ballet lesson day.

Then I went to my nan's house and got given 10p to buy sweets from the top shop.

Then it was Basil Brush time.

Basil Brush used to make me laugh till I couldn't breathe properly, and snorted my sweets.

Which used to really irritate my sister. 

If you're not familiar with the 1970's phenomenon that was Basil Brush, here he is in a public information film for children intent on trying to drown themselves on airbeds at sea.  (Is it just me or were there a lot of small children intent on setting fire to themselves, getting run over, and drowning at sea in the 1970's?  I remember a large number of public information films that spent a lot of time telling me not to do those things.  I remember feeling quite insulted.  I'd already figured out it was a bad idea.) 

Now I'm older.  But not necessarily more grown up.  And alongside Basil Brush, I have new loves.  

Including the wonder that is Cath Kidston.

So as it's Saturday, the sun is shining, Ernie is still sleeping on his knitted cat blanket, and all's right with the world, I thought I'd share a bit of gratuitous bag love.

Here is the canvas beauty my Significant Other bought for me.

Complete with jaunty flower clip added by me.

 Ernie, checking out the big bag doesn't contain fish steaks.  

A perfect bag for a perfect Spring day.

I hope you're having a gorgeous weekend in your neck of the woods.

Oh, and there are still two days to enter my giveaway.  Just click on the Mimi and Tilly Giveaway widget in my sidebar to go to the relevant post, and leave a comment.  I'll announce the winner on the 28th February. 


 

Ernie

This is my cat, Ernie, enjoying a snooze on his knitted cat blanket.

He likes to wrap his paw round his eyes. 

I knitted the blanket and now it sits on the window ledge in front of my desk where I type at my computer.

Ernie loves to be in whatever room I am in and sit near me.  Before I put his cat blanket on the window ledge, he would lie across my hands on the keyboard, and I would have to try and type with him lolling over my hands.  Even when I typed he refused to budge.  Typing while wearing a fat, cat glove isn't easy. 

So, I made him a cat blanket, hoping he might like it.

Like it?

He hasn't shifted off it in several days.  He gets to watch the birds, watch the computer screen, watch me and then sleep.  All without having to budge. 

Even my cats are loving me being creative! 

I hope your day is as relaxing as Ernie's.

P.S.  There's still time to enter my giveaway.  Go here !   I'll draw the winner on the 28th February.

A Glittery Giveaway

To say a huge, glittery, twinkly thank you to all the people who follow and read my blog, I'm hosting a giveaway.

The prize is a pair of gemstone and silver earrings, designed and handmade by me.  Emma. 

Here they are...

 

As it's February, the month of love, I've opted for hearts embossed onto aluminium sheet.  This allows for a larger earring without the weight!  Aluminium is also an excellent material to use for jewellery making as it doesn't tarnish.  I've used sterling silver wire and ear hooks, with genuine freshwater pearls and vintage faceted lead crystal beads from Prague.  

These earrings are an original Mimi and Tilly design, handmade from aluminium sheet and silver wire by me!  And I'll be giving them away to one lovely winner on 28th February!  

How To Enter Mimi and Tilly's Glittery Giveaway 

If you're not already a follower of Mimi and Tilly, please follow this blog via blogger.com by clicking on the follow button over on the right, in the Glittery Friends section, and then let me know you'd like to be included by leaving a comment at the end of this post. 

 If you're already a follower, just leave a comment at the end of this post, letting me know you'd like to be entered.  If you've already left a comment on my post prior to this one, you're already in the hat and don't need to leave another comment.

I'll draw the winner on the 28th February. 

For more chances to win: 

Copy and paste my blog giveaway button into your sidebar, with a link back to this post. (2 extra chances to win.)

Blog about my giveaway with a link back to me.  (2 extra chances to win)

Please leave a comment after this post letting me know if you've gone the extra mile and need me to put your name in the hat extra times.

So, all in all, it's possible to have 5 chances to win.

Good luck and thank you so much for being such brilliant, glittery friends.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you. 

LaaLaa's Giveaway

My friend LaaLaa from, Hookin With LaaLaa, is having a giveaway to celebrate reaching 200 followers.

Congratulations LaaLaa! 

LaaLaa is one of my tip-top favourite bloggers.  She's funny, and very talented.  And loves camper vans.

And her giveaway is chock-full of gorgeous goodies 

Pop on over and enter here . 

I'm making the prize for my giveaway today and will be posting pictures of it tomorrow, complete with full details of how to enter.  

It's glorious, giveaway heaven this weekend!

Hope you're having a great Saturday.

I'm relaxing in my stretchy troosers today.  It's one of those Saturdays that calls for oodles of hot tea, and a good black and white movie.   

Mimi and Tilly's Second Giveaway

I woke up today and logged on to my blog, only to find I now have 100 blogger.com blog followers. How in the David Dickinson did that happen?


Thank you so much for reading, following my blog and leaving comments. It really does mean a lot.


So to say a big resounding thank you, I've decided to do another Mimi and Tilly giveaway. I'm not sure yet what the prize is, but will let you know as soon as I've had a think about it.

In the meantime, if you'd like to enter, and are already a follower, just leave a comment after this post to let me know to put your name in the hat. I'll draw the winner on 28th February. If you're not already a follower and would like to enter, just click on the Glittery Friends Follow button and leave a comment letting me know "you're in" for the giveaway.


Thank you once again for being so supportive over the past 18 months that I've been blogging. I really look forward to reading your blogs each time I log on, and love the inspiration that comes from having so many creative friends.

Love

Today I received an email from a friend of mine. 

It was a message filled with love.  

Today, my friend reminded me of some things that I had temporarily forgotten.  She reminded me of how important it is for us to love ourselves as well as other people.

It's Valentine's day tomorrow.  In honour of that I'd like to share a little bit of the love my friend sent to me with you, in case you have forgotten to be loving to yourself too.  

It's loving to...

Allow yourself to be vulnerable.  This is a gentle, quiet strength.

Accept what is, without needing or trying to understand it.

Stay in your heart, in your place of trust, accept what is and let go of all judgements and the need to understand. 

Stay with your creativity - it is what makes your heart sing, and your soul dance.

Take each day as it is, one day at a time. Do each day what feels right for that day, and don't push yourself to do more, or be more. You are enough as you are! Let go of all the 'shoulds'.

Spend time with friends who nourish you. And allow yourself to be nourished.

We do not see the whole picture and we do not need to understand.

Be easy on yourself.

Be in the things that delight you.

I feel very lucky to have such a loving friend.  

(All photographs courtesy of www.weheartit.com
I have been unable to find the original copyright owners of these pictures.  If you own the copyright of any of these pictures please let me know and I will credit them to you, or remove them from my blog, whichever you prefer.)

Something That Made Me Laugh

At the end of the summer before the weather turned cold, my Significant Other and I went on a first date.  It wasn't our own first date.  We inadvertantly ended up on someone else's.  

It was my fault.  I saw a tiny table at the back of the coffee shop.  Tucked away in a little nook.  It was a great spot for drinking a hot chocolate and having a daydream.

Photo:  Becky Luigart-Steyner

I rounded the corner and plonked my bags down.  Only to find that the table was right next to a big ole leather sofa with two people curled up on it.

Their body language should have told me all I needed to know.  I probably should have walked away and got a different table.

But I didn't want to. 

When I sat down they went very quiet.  She lost the thread of what she'd been saying and got flustered.  He encouraged her to carry on.  I apologised and smiled.  They didn't really smile back.

Then my Significant Other arrived with our drinks.  He spotted the couple straight away.  And got out his paper.  I got out my book.  And neither of us read a word as we sat listening to what the couple on the sofa were saying.

He told her about the new car he had just bought.  This went down fairly well.  She told him about her dad.  This didn't go down so well.  The conversation hit a bit of a bumpy patch.  So he decided to bring out the big guns.

And said...

"I'm very proud of my collection of military grenades."

To which she responded...

"Wow!  Exploded ones?"

It took me a minute too...  

After that, my Significant Other thought it would be a grand idea if we got a picnic and went down to the river to eat it.  So we went into a shop, picked up a few goodies, and went to pay.  At the checkout, the girl serving us said...

"I've just stopped a guy from shop lifting."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  He was over there by the cider.  I saw him hide the bottle."

"What did you say to him?"

"I said, 'Excuse me Sir, can you give me what you've got stashed in your trousers?"

Frankly, I thought this could have gone one of two ways.  But luckily for the Saturday afternoon shoppers, apparently he retrieved the bottle, and then ran off.

"What did you do then?"  I asked her.

"I gave the bottle a wipe and put it back on the shelf."

OK then.  

Va-Va-Voom Vintage

Not so long ago my Significant Other and I went to a local vintage car rally.

My Significant Other loves vintage cars.  


So do I.


Obviously not as much as I love vintage shoes, vintage jewellery and vintage dresses. 

But if it's vintage, it's pretty much guaranteed I'll get on board.  So to speak.

Imagine my hand-clappy delight when I discovered the village hall next to the car rally was hosting a vintage fair.  

I was fair a-quiver with anticipation of the glittery, sparkly jewels I might find.

I knew I was on to a good thing when I saw a lady towards the back of the hall wearing a full length purple velvet cloak, and a huge feathered hat.  She was interesting and/or completely bonkers.  Both of which are very good things as far as I'm concerned.  So I headed her way.  And she had the most beautiful collection of vintage glitter I have ever had the good fortune to witness first-hand. 

Amongst the beaded and fringed 1930's purses, the twinkly brooches, and the pill-box hats, I found this complete treasure... 

A 1950's diamante and faux-pearl choker in perfect condition.  Complete with matching earrings.

The lovely lady selling them told me she had bought the set that week from a little old lady who was having a clear out.  The little old lady told her she had bought them in the fifties, worn them a couple of times and had wrapped them up and stored them away, not wearing them since.    Every bead perfect.  Every glittering stone intact. 


I wish I knew what events the lady had worn them for.  But I don't.  

So I've decided she wore them on one of her first "dates" with her beloved husband.  And that they were so special to her, she packed them away for safe keeping.  

Obviously, I'm stumbling over the part where she decides to sell them...  So have decided that it's because she wants to do something wonderful in her husband's memory, and will use the money she's made from her clear out to take her self out for a cream tea.  

Of course, if she's living on the bread-line and has had to flog her precious items in order to feed all her starving cats...  Because her husband left her when he couldn't stand the smell of cat one day longer...  Then I'm a tad upset on her behalf...     

Let's not pull at that thread.

Instead here are some more pictures to enjoy...

I have my va-va voom necklace and earrings on display.  Each time I look at them I think of the little old lady who owned them and where she went wearing them.  I fancy I'll wear them with a long-sleeve black t-shirt, my slouchy jeans, and a high pony tail. 

And just hope that the little old lady who sold them has a wonderful time when she goes out for her cream tea.