After all of the panic of recent weeks i feel a little relaxation coming on. I have that little tiny gap in the manic and mayhem of Christmas where i can breathe a sigh of relief. I have done all of the shopping that can be done at the moment. I have cleaned places in my home that i didn't know existed. Until i cleaned them that is!! I have a little break until tomorrow/ Sunday possibly. I'm hoping Monday. Having a husband that has a milestone birthday on boxing day, leads to a little planning shopping wise! I have a dinner for 9 planned on Christmas Day and a party for who knows how many on boxing day! So here's to a relaxing Saturday night. I know i have a shopping frenzy that is imminent!!
It came from a converstion with a customer. Having his haircut discussing random things. Like i say, a perk of the job. How else would you know that this box of loveliness could be bought for £15!!! Christmas cards from 1927, birthday cards from 1930. Greetings from 1947 and every two years there after. Postcards from far flung destinations dated various years in the last 100. Sometimes people dont realise what treasure they have in their rubbish. He was going to throw these out. He had no use for them. What use have i got for them............ none whatsoever. But i have saved them i wont throw them out.... Ever!!!!
I have some special ones but im saving them to show you another time.... x x x
Happy Christmas thrifting x x x
All of a sudden we had a gift so precious. He was perfect in every way.
You take us to crazy places. We go out for 10 minutes and come back 5 hours later. You buy me special dogs, you take me thrifting for endless hours, sometimes you moan. You put us all first. You sometimes buy me expensive flowers (please dont.... think what i could do with £40!!!!!). You dont moan when i buy old things. You look gorgeous when you cut the ribbon the with miss leicestershire. 
I miss you every day. We both do. Sometimes you make really strong tea and its the best!!!
Sometimes we own beautiful cars .
Sometimes we dont do any of these things. Sometimes we just love each other.
Sometimes we fall asleep on the settee BUT ALWAYS........................................................................................ WE LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE ................................. CB...... CLINTY BARBER.
OUR ONE AND ONLY. WE LOVE YOU MR CLINTY BARBER X X X X X X X X X X XX X XX X
Yes it is a little cold to be wearing such brief attire i must come in now!
I am very pleased with my gingerbread house and i have another to make for Christmas, this was the practice one. I decorated it with one of those sweetie bracelets. On the instructions it was done with smarties but in true Fiftiesgirl / shabbychic style i think the pastel colours compliment it a treat. Have you noticed the marshmallow smoke coming from the chimney?? Its eco- friendly!
This was a great kit however i fear i have committed the cardinal sin of melting sugar in your best saucepan! (sugar is what is used to stick it all together). Instead of scraping the oozy gloopy melted sugar into the bin whilst still oozy and gloopy, when finished, i'm now left with this mess and conundrum!! In the excitement of showing off the finished Fifties cottage to CB i have left the melting sugar to go hard in the pan. Then, in a moment of total random stupidity i poured cold water on it- result- one ruined pan!!!
I also pulled the brush out of it with all of my might. Resulting in hair glued forever to the pan and a bald brush!!
Note to self- Do NOT get carried away again no matter how excited you are over finished project.
At this moment in time i'm thinking, take pan out of water, allow to drain, heat sugar to boiling point, tip in bin, scrub pan, wash in sink, dry, put away, DONE!!!! or DUMB!
If the cap fits and all that!!!
Anyhow i hope that you are liking the tunes. Ive added some of my favourite music to try and make my blog more personal. Sorry if its not to your taste but i'm sure you have a volume button if not!!!
Further to my last post i did not complete my Christmas shopping on Thursday. CB had a hospital appointment and was a little worse for wear afterwards which resulted in us heading home earlier than planned. Ho hum there's a little time yet!
Saturday night we were blessed with a visit from Mamma Nesta and Grandad Col-Col ( SEE NESTA I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WOULD BE MENTIONED AGAIN SOON IN FG BLOGLAND!!!!) She is so organised ( Nesta is CB's mum!!) that she bought all of our Christmas presents over and they are now in my spare room!!! As I type this i am resisting the urge to open my pressie. They have given me a 'Car boot in a box'. IM SOOOOOOOOO excited. Only Ness would know my ideal pressie and she has given it to me this year. The box is enormous and full of treasure so i'm very excited to open it!!! Only problem is that i feel a set of shelves is due to provide a home for my ever growing collection ..... are you reading this CB??????. (Above the window is looking promising!!!)
I must also mention yesterdays magical mystery tour. We left here yesterday in our car clothes i.e.: expecting to be kept warm via heaters for the duration. Not wrapped for the elements. We went to the local farm and stocked up on our log quota for the week and a bit of veg for our Sunday Lunch. We then went to get Diesel. CB then decided that we would be embarking on a long journey to who knows where!!! 2 hours later we had our car parked in Lincoln and were walking around the Christmas market.
What an absolutely charming place to visit. The market was lovely but i was more intrigued with the shops.Little shabby shops selling Bridgewater and Cath!! Shabby Heaven!!! THEN to my delight i found an antiques shop. Yes, my radar was working and didn't let me down!! Two floors of FG heaven. Vintage Linen, jewellery, crockery, porcelain, OMG i could have been there all day. Finley took a liking to the owner of the shop and they chatted a while. We then walked down the cobbled street back to the car. I have never been to Lincoln before but it certainly left its mark with me. I liked it better than Bath and told CB we should relocate NOW!! Once home after 2 and a half hours drive ( the traffic was horrendous), i proceeded to search 'rightmove' for my dream home in Lincoln. It didn't take me long. I found one for my lottery win, a million pounds of course, just down the road from the city, and one for my 'real' life. A beautiful 4 bed edwardian townhouse within walking distance of the castle and cathedral. In the words of JLS on Saturday night i'm 'Already there' !! My furniture has been moved in, the walls have been painted and the tree is up! Just a FEW loose ends to tie up here!!!
Mamma you would have loved it (see that's twice now. You are almost famous!! ALMOST!!)
I will take you next time you will love it. x
If you have made it to the end of this post then well done. I'm rambling now!!!
Take Care Happy Thrifting x x x
I may not be around much in the next few days as the panic has finally set in!! I have to do my Christmas shopping.
This year it seems that the panic has set in more than ever.
This year will be the first year that Finley will understand Christmas i think. Last year he was only 1 and didnt really understand opening presents. He would open one then be quite happy to play with that for the rest of the day. He didnt understand that there were more presents containing more toys!
This year is a different story. He tells me what he would like, what colour it should be and how many of them he would like. His favourite time for doing this is the ad breaks on the Nick Jr channel, and what a lot of them there are. I begin to dread the adverts coming on as i know the converstation that will follow:
''I like it Mummy''
''Yes its nice isn't it''
''Get it please Mummy''
''We will ask Santa for it''
''No, dont like wait Santa, want it now''
''We will ask Santa for it IF you are good''
''Nooooooooooooo''...............................
I guess this is why its called the terrible two's!!
I think i know where he is coming from though. Can you all remember when you were younger, asking for something perhaps in late October onwards, the response was: ''We will see what Santa brings''. I didnt like waiting for Santa either! That feeling of anticipation and hoping that 'Santa' didnt forget to bring it!
So tomorrow, footloose and toddler free (he's at the childminders!), I will be buying as many Christmas presents as time and funds permit! No pushchair to load with bags though so will miss that, but wont miss the waiting for lifts, and trying to squeeze myself and said buggy around the shops without damage or injury to myself or others!!
Im hoping those much wanted 'must have' toys have not yet sold out and that i can return home laden with gifts! We will see.
I also notice that Laura Ashley have a 25% off sale starting tomorrow!! I may venture in to buy a few pressies for people and see if there is anything to treat myself too. But Shhhhhhh dont tell anyone!
So heres to preparing for a perfect, stress free, Christmas.
Just off to Tesco's now. Fingers crossed they have the latest, much sought after Christmas themed CK bag. You know to carry my shopping in tomorrow!
Take Care, Happy Christmas Thrifting x x
We have two trees in the fifties household. Every year i think that i might only put one up, but i have such a problem deciding which to leave in the box that i end up with both on display.
Im not sure which is my favourite. The white one is quite modern in style with just black white and silver decorations. The black one however is filled with my treasure. I love my tree decorations and have been collecting them and treasuring them over the past few years. Im aiming for them to become family heirlooms one day!
I love the white tree as its quite elegant and simple but i think that i do prefer the black one.
I like that there is a lot going on in it! Little treasures hidden here and there amongst the baubles.
Here a few of my favourites!
What do you have on your tree?
Continuing the festive feel i have made some Christmas inspired bunting for my kitchen! Im quite pleased with how it has turned out. I made it from felt. Just cut the shapes out and then sewed buttons and ribbons on to the trees and gingerbread men and then stitched them on to a length of ribbon. It brightens up a normally dull corner in the kitchen.
I have some other festive creations in mind that im hoping to have the time to make this week, toddler permitting!
I must sign off now as i have dinner to make.
Take care Happy Thrifting x
Have a cosy, lovely thanksgiving. Check out the photo, COSY. You should try hugging her, shes a walking hot water bottle!!!! x x x
HAPPY THANKSGIVING X
I bought this table and chairs awhile ago with my dresser from ebay. I had planned on shabbying them and selling them but then i had a little idea. Paint them lovely colours and keep them!!
There was a horrible breakfast bar in the kitchen which we always ended up using, which resulted in us sat facing the wall. So out came my hammer and screwdriver and with a lot of effort and a little cursing it was gone!! I them used the remnants of paint that i had in the garage left over from previous projects to makeover the table and chairs. I moved the dresser to the former site of the hideous breakfast bar and moved in the table and chairs. Im really pleased with the result. I also think that my teaset looks lovely on there with my rose placemats. CB however is not so sure and has mentioned words like ''grandma''.
I think its lovely and i have since added a vintage, embroidered linen tablecloth which i think is the icing on the cake!
So now we sit civilised at the table and I drink tea from my teacup served from my teapot! Theres something about teapot tea. It just tastes nicer.
The table and chairs are also very functional. I have sanded them down to get that shabby look and I dont mind if a certain little boy drags his vintage cars across the paintwork. It adds to the look! My other 'posh' dining table is now safe!!!
I must sign off now as i have somewhere to be. Blogging will shortly resume with tales of thrifting, crafting and baking.
Take care Happy Thrifting x
I write this post to explain my absence.
The past few weeks have been a very testing and emotional time for our family.
My Grandad passed away on November 5th after a long illness. He fell peacefully asleep with his 3 daughters holding him.
I need to take some time out from blogging to be with and comfort my family.
I shall be back soon .
x
Halloween preparations are now in full swing and im looking forward to the annual event that sees me making blood clot and pus jelly, cheesy feet and graveyard cake, courtesy of Nigella,
We also have a serious amount of halloween decorations and have of course been buying new even scarier ones for this year.
Yes just a usual day in the fifties household. Finley discovers a new use for the sticklebrick bucket. Not just a bucket but apparently also a dancing head bucket. Translation: You must put the bucket on your head whilst singing 'Corrina Corrina' and shaking your booty as fast as you can. Note: Do Not stand still for even a second, Mum might take your photo and put it on her blog for all to see. Blurriness = Anonymity. If all else fails push the bucket further down over your face. Never fails!
No not a dead dog, an ear dragging Shar Pei! For those of you who are not Shar Pei owners, heres the deal. Shar Pei's are not dogs they are a species of their own. They are completely different from every other bred of dog. ( I could go on!!) Extremely high maintenance and highly sensitive they will love you forever and be loyal forever. Originally bred as Chinese fighting dogs, they have come a long way. I may be Fiftiesgirl but one thing i don't like about the fifities is the fact that the Chinese decided to eat these beautiful creatures. They became a delicacy at first but then staple diet. Can you imagine eating your dog!!
Their skin is known as too big for them, the idea being that in the fighting ring when bitten, they could easily shake off their competitor. The so called 'meatmouth' (the gorgeous cheeks that i love to squeeze) was so that it was hard for competitor to bite the face and that the Shar Pei had a bigger bite. The ears are also quite strange. Almost sealed down to the face. Also in the ring less for the opponent to grab. Downside is now that these little gorgeous ears let no air into them what so ever, meaning the dog is plagued with ear problems if not correctly cleaned once a week. This weekly ritual becomes no easier each week and missy hates it more and more each time. Once a week i squirt the cleaner into each ear, once a week she tries to run away. Once a week she realises she cant get away so once a week she tolerates it. Then when its done she licks my cheek, shakes her head, sprays everyone and everything in the room with ear drops. Then for 10 minutes she does the funniest thing ever. She puts her ear on the carpet and runs in a circle. This continues until she is so dizzy that when she stands up she falls over!
How we love you China Belle.
Her full name is also quite amusing: Ula Punto Princess China Belle.
Ula: Her mothers kennel affix
Punto: She was born in a Punto on the way to the vets
China: Because we couldn't agree on a name. I wanted to call her Betty or Dolly but CB not so keen! We opted for something so cliche that its actually unusual. No-one surely would call their Chinese Shar Pei 'China'. Yes. We did. !
Princess: Because she is
Belle: Because she is beautiful!
So there you have it. Everything you never wanted to now about the Shar Pei. May i also add. She is the most fantastic, intelligent, stubborn, mind of her own, loyal, guard dog, warm water bottle snuggle, loving companion that i have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She is a treat to spend your day with and she is a mysterious lady who i hope will be with us for a long time.
Love you missy x
Who would think that anyone could get so excited about an everyday item such as a fridge! I have however been without such a luxury since 26th August!! I am now going to do a huge shop of chilled and frozen goodies and enjoy the commodity!!I have made my craziest cake to date for Jim.
Dont think you can get the full extent of it from the picture but i have named it the Elvis quiz cake. There are 17 hidden Elvis songs on this cake. The easiest one being American Trilogy, the three flags. If you get the idea!! Im not terribly good at drawing though so the rest of the clues drawn with the food colouring pens are a little less easy to fathom out. He first has to decipher my scrawl!! Should provide amusement though!!
I am really looking forward to tonight as the little man is staying at his Nanna's house allowing us grown ups to party into the wee small hours! The sun has also been out here today so has hopefully dried up some of the mud on the caravan site. If all else fails i will be sporting my multicoloured wellies. Great for mud but not so good for dancing!
I always aim to look glamorous when i set off to the van, but somehow after 10 minutes, with hair stuck to lipgloss, mud over clothes, i give up. I then retreat to my faithful black hoodie. When it gets that bad i can pull the hood up so as not to scare any young children in the vicinity!
Hoping the sun stays with us tomorrow as there is a boot sale on the way home tomorrow that i may just have to pay a visit to. CB permitting!!
Hope you have a great weekend, i shall return soon with campsite tales!
Happy Thrifting! x x x
No not me, Finley!!He has been to the childminder today for the second time ever. After being at home with him since he was born i was a little apprehensive about leaving him as he has spent so much time at home with me. Its only for 5 hours a week on a Thursday so that i can spend time in the office doing paperwork for Mr Taxman! Despite my reservations he thoroughly enjoys it. He talks about it all week and kisses me goodbye when i drop him off. Thank heavens there are no tears that would just be too much to bear! When i go to collect him he tells me that hes staying there and says bye to me in the hope that i will leave him there a little longer!!
No thrifting finds to report as the car boot season here has been well and truly rained off for this year. Oh how i will miss my Thursday boot sales. The anticipation of what you might find, the joy of finding that treasure, the excitement of the haggle, and the long walk home; thrifting bag laden with goodies and head full of thoughts of where to put my ever growing collections!! Finley has also become quite good at thrfting this year. His eyes are peeled for action men. He has even realised to look low for action men as they are usually in boxes on the floor under the tables. When he spots them he shouts 'actionman' at the top of his voice in a bingo fashion!! I dont know what i am going to do all winter with no thrifting fix. The charity shops around here are hopeless. Anything half decent costs more than it would have done when it was brand new, and any vintage goodies are priced higher than they would be at an antiques fair. I am craving looking at old things already and we are still in September!
We looked for birds, counted trees and picked blackberries
And on the way back we threw sticks and stones into the stream.
It was a lovely breezy sunny walk. Just what we needed after all of this rain!
We will be making a blackberry and apple crumble for tea. To be served with custard of course!
I hope the sun has been shining where you are today.
Happy Thrifting. x
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