Pink Green

Yippee!

Hurrah! Tomorrow we are off on our long awaited holiday to sunny (or should that be frosty) Lincolnshire. We all look forward to it for the whole year (we go every year) - once Christmas is out of the way we start talking about it and making plans - which pubs to go to for lunch, which shops to go to, how often to play golf (never in my case), how many times a day we can go swimming (for the last time, Grace, it is once!), how long to sit in the sauna/ jacuzzi etc etc. I won't go on as I am sure you are all very jealous! 

I will be away for the rest of the week but will be blogging as usual (maybe more than usual - Andy is off to the US the day after we get home for a week) on my return. Thank you all so much for your really lovely comments for my last post. Bloggers are so kind, and you all made me feel much better. I spoke to the girl at the ad office and she was going to refer it to her manager. As they haven't managed to get back to me again for 3 days and I am now off for the week I have sent a cheque for half the cost of the advert, and hope that will be the end of the matter. I somehow don't think it will be though.

Still, on another positive note I was chased down the street today by the pharmacist who has a shop around the corner who asked me if I would be interested in putting some of my things in her shop. We met properly at the scout fair a couple of weeks ago, although she has given me advice and prescriptions in the shop before now. She offered to teach me to knit and we had a chat about crafts. Anyway, they have just had a refurb of the shop and they have a brand new glass fronted cabinet which is now full of Pink Green loveliness (although it is right by the chair with Anusol written on the back of it - she did say that was being replaced too, fortunately!). I went with a basket full of stuff to display, although I am very short of stock as my sister has been selling it all up North! Once she sends me what is left I can re-juggle some of it around. I have only got 2 more fairs in Cheltenham before Christmas, so not much more needed hopefully, and I can focus on the website and some more shops in the New Year.

I popped into town to get a few things for holiday, and couldn't walk past the charity shop without popping in. It looked very disappointing for a while, until I stumbled across this.

Bodie has taken possession of it, and won't let anyone else sit on it - even when the fire isn't lit! Now it is burning away he really is in his element.  He's off to kennels tomorrow so I hope he makes the most of this evening. Poor boy. He is getting a visit every day from my very bonkers but very lovely friend Hannah. She wants to go and play with him to cheer him up (she did offer to have him for the week, but it was a bit much as her hubby isn't keen on dogs and they have got the biggest Newfoundland who sleeps on the end of her bed! Her poor hubby!). She has an enormous menagerie of all different pets, and also has 3 adorable children, and I can't think of anyone else who would volunteer to go and play with someone else's dog every day for a week. She is a treasure.

I also picked up these wellies in the Debenhams sale for Ruth - aren't they cute?!

I am feeling very virtuous tonight as I have crossed everything off my current 'To Do' list. I still have along 'Things To Do When Back From Holiday' list, but all the immediate stuff has been done, including posting these to the very patient people who sent me their details. Sorry sorry for being rubbish and taking so long. You can't plant them until April though, so I don't feel too bad!

I hope you all had a jolly Thanksgiving if you were celebrating, and I wish you all a happy week. I will look forward to catching up on all your news when I get back (or while I am there if they have wi-fi!).

Cathy XX

Whinge Alert!

I just thought I should warn you that the following post is likely to be a tad whingey. Look away now if you are in a really happy, skippy mood!

My exciting news that I mention aeons ago has materialised, although not quite in the way I had hoped. I took out my first ever advert in a local glossy magazine, and here it is:

I am not too happy with the ad as I feel it looks a bit tacky and cheap. I could have designed my own (and will do next time), but I only had a day to get it in and didn't have time to do it, so the designers at the magazine did one for free. All fine I hear you say. However, I was only talked into taking out the ad because I would then get 3 of my products featured in the shopping pages of the magazine. All fine, I can still hear you say. Unfortunately I can't show you a copy as I can't work out how to get it from the mag to the blog at this moment in time (regular readers will know that my IT skills are a little lacking). If I could show you a copy you would see the problem. The pictures look great, and I am really pleased with how the 3 items are displayed.

However, instead of my website address they have printed my home phone number. Aaaah. Not so great now. They only had my phone number as I rang to chat to the advertising saleswoman, and we discussed at some length the website (which she had seen and loved - though she's bound to say that!), and how it would draw people in. Not much chance of that now. The ad on it's own is not great value for money - it was the featured products that I thought would catch people's attention. Still, at least it is only local and not national! 

So, I had a little rant and a little cry (I am slightly melodramatic at times it has to be said), and I sent said advertising saleswoman an email expressing my displeasure. She has offered me another larger advert for the same price as the smaller one in the next edition. Hmmm.

Not sure what to do now, but I will have a think about it. I know that far worse things happen at sea, but it has made me very down in the dumps.

Still, I have our holiday to focus on next week.

I'm not feeling so bad now.

Cathy XX

Size Matters!

Good evening bloggers. I hope you have all had a fabulous weekend despite the weather.

Is this the biggest basket you have ever seen?!! This was delivered on Friday and the box was so huge I could barely get it in the door! It is so enormous that Bodie looks like a puppy again, and we could all fit in with him - the girls have, much to his disgruntlement.

He now has the best bed in the house and loves it. He is so torn now between lying in the kitchen in his bed or stretching out by the fire. The other plus side is that Andy is now coming round to my way of thinking about a kitchen extension, which I have been on about for several years. Basically it will be a glorified kennel because the basket will still take up most of it, but it will be a huge improvement.

I am managing to relax a bit more this week. I don't have any fairs for a week or two, and my sister has all my stock as she has done a huge party up in Newcastle for me, so I am putting the business aside for a week or two as next Saturday I am off on holiday for a week. Bad timing as I have turned down 5 fairs for that week, but worth it! We are going to a place near Grantham in Lincolnshire with my parents for the week. We go every year to the same place, and we have the most amazing time. It is a cabin in the grounds of Belton Woods hotel, with its own jacuzzi and sauna, and use of the hotel facilities. We go for walks, do a bit of shopping and mainly float around and play board games in the evenings. It is heaven, and it was my Dad's 60th birthday present to himself a few years ago - but we all benefit (unlike his other birthday presents - dodgy music and sports biographies!). The only sad part is that my sister can't come with us this year as she is going into hospital on the Tuesday for an operation on her leg. We'll miss her heaps (who else is going to entertain the girls ;-) ).

The girls have been kept quiet all weekend too by the box the basket came in, which takes up the whole room, but has been used as a kennel, a house and a hospital. We've hardly seen them. I can't get in there to shut Grace's drawers or make the bed so it looks like a bomb has gone off and that is their shelter!

Thanks to the box I have been able to get on with some stuff I've been meaning to do for ages. I made our Christmas cake, which has been in the oven for nearly 4 hours and has made the house smell amazing.

I have hung some new mirrors that I got from the Croquet Club bric a brac sale a few weeks ago, and I have re-covered the blind in our bedroom with some of the fabric I thrifted ages ago. Our bedroom is looking much better, and I am working through my list of things to make for the house - which is enormous. I have got so much furniture to paint too, and I hate doing it so much, so I've been putting it off.

I had a fabulous day on Thursday shopping in Oxford with my good friend Stacey. We go somewhere further afield every year and do some Christmas shopping, have lunch and several coffees. It was good fun, and I love Oxford so much. We went to the Nosebag for lunch, which is a fab place we go to every time we hit Oxford - I would recommend it. Stacey bought loads of things, but I was very restrained. I don't do much Christmas shopping until December because I always find things I'd rather buy if I start too early. I got some good ideas though, and am formulating a plan for next week. The shops are great in Grantham and I am planning a trip to Newark too, and also to Decorative Country Living, but mainly for inspiration. Next door to the place we stay is a garden centre that has a house in the grounds that is done up as a shop. The kitchen sells kitchen things, the bathroom toiletries etc, and it is so great just to wander round. I will try to sneak some photos if I can, but I'm not sure how people feel about taking photos in shops.

I am off to do some ironing and read some magazines by the fire. I bought Romantic Home in Borders in Oxford which has got some great pictures in, and I got my copy of Marie Claire Idees through the other day which has some good ideas in too. I feel a gin and tonic coming on too while I am reading, while I wait for Andy to serve dinner and fix the washing machine! It's a tough life....

Cathy XX

Hi everyone. Sorry it has been so long since I last blogged - I have barely sat down long enough to finish a cup of tea in the last week or so, and so blogging has been sadly neglected. I have tried to catch up on what you are all up to, and I am sorry I have been neglectful in leaving comments - I have been reading your blogs intermittently when time permits. How did I ever manage without Bloglines?

So, what have I been up to? Well, I had my first fair of the season on Thursday at my friend Karen's house. She had a Ladies Night in order to raise money for Marie Curie nurses, and she made over £700 which is fantastic. She lives in an enormous manor house in a small village near here, and there must have been about 100 people there. It was a beautiful setting, and she was so well organised. I did really well, but forgot my camera, so can't show you any pics - sorry. It was a lovely evening, although my feet were killing me as I was wearing heels. I don't wear them very often as I am 6' tall and Andy is only 5'8", so ballet pumps are de rigeur here!

On Friday the girls went to my friend Hannah's for a sleepover (she has also got 2 girls of similar ages - it really pays to cultivate these friendships!!). Andy and I went out for a fabulous Thai meal and had a lie in the next morning. Hannah brought them back at about 11, so we had a leisurely morning - unlike most Saturdays! I then had a stall at a local fair organised by a friend of mine for the Scouts. It hadn't really occurred to me that Scouts tend to be boys and therefore wouldn't be into my stuff. It was a bit slow, but I knew several other stall holders and had a good chat, a mince pie and a cuppa, and was given a card stand, so it wasn't all in vain. I did take my camera this time, although the backdrop wasn't very special!

I've got another one tomorrow night and then that is it for a week or so. It is always manic before the first one and then calms down as I just pack everything away carefully and take it out again at the next one. I just top up stuff as I need it.

Here's a pic of my latest acquisitions from ebay. The pink spotty pillowcases are now on my bed, and very gorgeous they are too. The cushion goes perfectly on my pink and green stripey chair in the dining room, and the other pillowcases I have yet to use.

This is the laziest dog in the world - especially since we have been lighting the fire. We have decided to swap him for a cat. I was sat up late last night on the laptop and a mouse skipped right past his nose without him noticing. Grace said the other day she had seen a rat, and Andy told her not to be silly. Turns out she was nearly right - although it was the tiniest mouse I have ever seen, and nothing like a rat. I will be getting some top tips from my sis who is the world's expert on mouse removal (although this did involve getting her friend's boyfriend to come out in the middle of the night to remove one caught in a trap). She was over-run for a while and was not ever so brave about it all, truth be told. Apparently they like Bounty chocolate bars best. Seems like a waste to me.

By the way, is it just in Cheltenham, or has anyone else noticed that Christmas has gotten earlier and earlier? We drove around town at the weekend and noticed 3 houses with Christmas decorations up, trees and all. Now, I am all for going to town with the decorations and dressing the house in style, but I tend to go for the middle of DECEMBER, not November.

And finally, the great pumpkin give-away results are in. As you were all a little less vociferous in your comments - unlike my last give-away - I have decided to reward all of those people who left me a message on my last post with a packet of seeds, if you would like them. Please email me your address. Not the best give-away in the world I know, but I've got to do something with the seeds - I can't bear to waste them and we would cover the entire allotment site if we planted them all!

Hope you are all having a fun week. I promise to try to get round you all soon and catch up on your news.

Cathy XX

Another give-away and lots of photos!

Well, I am taking a well earned breather and thought I'd post some pics of what we've been up to. Hope I don't bore you all to tears - I should warn you there are loads! I did some thrifting on Friday and got some bargains, including a huge rug for Grace's Room,


6 metres of this fabulous fabric for £3.50,

these,

these (the God Jul mat is for my Swedish friend Sophie - more of her later), and a Lloyd Loom laundry basket that I forgot to photograph.

On Saturday we dropped in at a bric a brac sale at the croquet club (well, this is Cheltenham you know!), where I got some more amazing bargains including these vintage tree decorations, and coffee pot and 2 bevelled-edge mirrors - not bad for 10 minutes of browsing!

I then went to the park with the girls and their best friends Anna and Ebba, and their mum Sophie (from above), then back home to cook and prepare for the evening's entertainment. We went to a bonfire party at our allotment, which was a really really fun affair. We share our allotment with Sophie and family, and we all went together, armed with fireworks, sausages for the girls and mulled wine for us (we forgot drinks for the children, but at least the adults were ok!). I even made a batch of toffee, which kept us all quiet for a while. Loads of allotment holders were there, and we had a really long firework display as everyone had taken so many, and huge bonfire and barbeque. We also got to watch the huge event at the Racecourse for free, as it is very close to the allotments. We all piled back to our house for dinner with Sophie and Greg, and the girls all had a sleepover.

Yesterday we went back to the allotment - this time to do some work. We then went on our favourite walk in Miserden, and I remembered the camera this time! It really is breath-taking at this time of year. I spent the rest of the afternoon sewing while Andy cooked roast Pheasant for tea, which was delicious. Isn't this the most perfect tree?

So, this morning it was back to the sewing room. I have got a big event on Thursday night and I am trying to get heaps of stuff together in time. Sophie has a friend who lives in an enormous manor house in the country, and she is having a shopping evening to raise money for Marie Curie nurses. I am having a stall, along with my good friend Tala who has a jewellery stall. There will be loads of other stalls, and hopefully a good crowd. I finished off heaps of these robins whilst watching Joe's Palace last night.

The blue fabric in these Santa Sacks is one of my favourites, and I wish I'd ordered more now. I've made 3 of these and that's it gone. I've also finished off a ton of cards to new designs, and made heaps of tea-cup candles. Not bad for a day's work.

So, on to my next give-away (it may become a habit - who knows?!). You may have been impressed by my giant pumpkins this year (the local tea-leaves certainly were as one got nicked), and I have now dried the seeds. I will send a package of 10 seeds to 5 lovely people chosen by the random number generator (Grace) who leave me a comment. Claire, you only get 1 entry no matter how many comments you put in!

Hope you are all having a good start to the week.

Cathy XX

Post Halloween...

Good evening everyone. I hope you had a lovely Halloween - it looks from your pictures as if you all did. Ruth went off to a friend's house for a party and I had Grace and 3 of her friends back here pre-Brownies for games and sausage and mash for tea. They were all very excited and poor Bodie was a bit perturbed by all the witches hats and shrieking! This is the smallest of my huge pumpkins, and I have literally a ton of flesh to use up just from this one (yes, literally!). Ideas on a postcard (or in your comments) please!!

I have had a manic few days so I'm sorry if I haven't been dropping in and commenting on all your lovely blogs. Today was very nice and much slower paced - I cleaned the house this morning (at long last!) and then made chicken and veg soup and pumpkin bread for lunch with my lovely friend Olivia. We had several cups of tea, and she brought ricotta, toasted pine nuts and honey for dessert which was scrummy. I am off to my book group tonight, so all in all a much slower and restful day, topped with wine and intellectual chatter (or general gossip - both are likely!). Perfect!

Cathy XX