Looking forward......

I am looking forward to getting rid of this cold that has plagued me for the past week.

Fin had an ear infection last week and now i have it. You know that horrible nagging pain in the ear. The only thing worse must be toothache!! We have been feeling totally bllleeeuuuuuggggghhhhhh.

We are looking forward to spring soooooo much now too. Getting out in the garden and planting seeds and bulbs. Seeing them bloom into beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables. It seems so long since the summer. This year we surely deserve a long hot summer after the last few disappointing rainy ones.

We had a lovely weekend spent at Mamma and Col-Cols house. There was plenty of singing, dancing, guitar playing, lovely food, drinks and laughter. We all had a great time, and i have acquired more treasure which i will post about soon.

I am the lucky recipient of two awards. The first is from the lovely Mary Poppins

The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming. This blog invests in proximity in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be new friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement. Our hope is that when ribbons of these awards are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give your kind attention to these writers.This has to be passed on to 8 bloggers who will choose 8 more and include the above cleverley written text to the body of the award.

I now have to pass this on to 8 people.

I hope that none of you have had this before so here goes..........

Vintage Kitten see here http://thevintagekitten.blogspot.com/

Silkie Sue http://silkiesue.blogspot.com/

Lucy Bloom http://lucybloom.blogspot.com/

Raspberry Grace http://raspberrygrace.blogspot.com/

Cloudbusting http://andrea-cloudbusting.blogspot.com/

Ragged Roses http://raggedroses.blogspot.com/

Hen house http://henhousehomemade.blogspot.com/

A thrifty Mrs http://athriftymrs.blogspot.com/

I really like that this award mentions the friendships that are made through blogging. Its so lovely to meet (through a blog) other likeminded people. I also like to have a look at all of your lovely homes and pictures! x

I have also received another award from Taz http://cutitandpinit.blogspot.com/

I have to pass this on but this time i would like to award it to everyone. So please feel free if you visit to award yourself this award!!! I must sign off ,have dinner to cook.

Happy Thrifting x

Birthday weekend!!

I am back from my birthday weekend and its back to reality!!

Friday was a lovely day, visits from friends and a lovely family meal. I had some REALLY lovely presents and felt very SPOILT!!

Some lovely shabby chicness from Sarah and Dean

They also got me the much wanted union jack doormat.

Two lovely cookbooks from Jim and Val and a pretty hat box and fifties scarves from Mamma and ColCol.

I also had some vintage deckchairs from Auntie Alison. They belonged to my mamma so they will be treasured.

I had some gorgeous fabric from my sister Rae. Not sure what im going to make with it yet but probably some bunting for the kitchen..... with my new sewing machine that mum and dad got me as a joint birthday / xmas pressie!!!
I am a very lucky spoilt girl!!

My present from CB was a night away in one of my favourite places. Uppingham. A small town near to Rutland Water.

We stayed in a fantastic hotel called the Lake Isle. Its on the main street surrounded by lovely antique shops. Opposite there is an interior shop that sells Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater and a bit of greengate!! Can you imagine the joy!! It was short lived however as the shop was closed for the duration of our stay!

(I have borrowed this photo from the website and cant seem to get rid of the corks and food!!!)

Here is the link to the hotel http://www.lakeisle.co.uk/ If ever you get the chance to go please do its FANTASTIC!!

We arrived Saturday evening and were shown to our room. It was a kind of cottage. A small beamed sitting room, a winding staircase and upstairs a cosy bedroom and bathroom. Much nicer than staying in the usual run of the mill hotels. It had that quirky feel to it which i like.

I drank champagne in the lounge of our room whilst CB enjoyed the complimentary decanter of Brandy. We then hit the town! We had a lovely meal, i had duck and CB had the Guinea Fowl. It was delicious food. I particularly enjoyed the people watching and designer handbag spotting!! There was an abundance of reunions going on too. There is quite a famous boarding school in uppingham, Stephen Fry and Rick Stein are just a couple of very privileged celebrities to have studied there. The fees are about £90,000 per year plus other expenses so im sure you can imagine the type of people that were meeting up with their teenagers who are boarding at the school!!! It made for very interesting listening indeed!! We visited a number of bars and we thoroughly enjoyed being childfree for a night out.

Sunday we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the hotel then headed off. We of course had to drive through the next village, Riddlington, where CB lived as a child. I was once again was taken on the obligatory drive past their house, the lane, the field they used to ride in etc etc!!

We then stopped off at the Car boot sale at Melton Mowbray on the way home.

CB treated me to some lovely goodies. TG Green, Midwinter Domino plate, Fifties handkerchief bowl, fifties tin, floral jug, and a poole side dish. The hankie bowl has been on my wishlist for an age, one was also featured in this months homes and antiques magazine.

I have had one of the best birthdays ever. Thanks to everyone for my pressies and thanks to CB for taking me to one of my favourite places!

I had a fantastic time.

Oooh before i forget i must show you a house that was for sale that i liked. 2 doors down from the lovely interiors shop and 3 doors away from the antiques centre. I looked through the windows and ooohhhed and aaahhhhed for quite sometime. It was for sale too!! Must be quite cheap i said to CB as it was on the high street. He laughed! On the way home driving past i asked CB to stop to let me take this photo. Not the best as we had to hold up the traffic

An check on the estate agents website later................ the price............. sadly not in my price range!!!!!

Happy thrifting!!! x x

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!

Yes today is my Birthday!! I have entered the final year of my twenties!

We are having a meal tonight with family and then CB is taking me away tomorrow night. Hopefully this excursion will include nice food, drinks and a spot of thrifting.

I shall post some pics on my return!

Happy thrifting x

Georgie porgie pudding and pie............

...............................................I HATE BIRDS AND I DONT KNOW WHY!!!

Until i met this guy!!! Clinty always had littles budgies etc, i however have always been scared of anything that can fly at you!!!

We bought this guy home today and i must say that my fear of birds is declining, as long as he stays in the cage im fine!!!

Fin, however, loved him and was asked to name him. He chose George because he loves Peppa Pig's sibling!! How funny!!

Anyhoooooow, i once would never have let this bird enter my abode!!! He now lives here. I must be mellowing!!!

TO CLINT: DO NOT LET THIS BIRD OUT OF THE CAGE. EVER. HE CAN LIVE HERE IF HE STAYS WHERE HE IS. NO FLAPPING, CAGE CONFINEMENT AND WE WILL GET ALONG JUST FINE. LOVE FROM Mrs Grinwold x x ( Fiftiesgirl) x

Collecting collections!!!

Someone asked me what i collect. What do i collect? Im not quite sure!!

I dont know what it is but i just cant collect one thing.

I like to buy things that i find beautiful but also useful. This pyrex fits the bill perfectly. Trouble is there are so many designs, then so many variations in colours too.

Recently i picked up two vintage glass candleholders. Then looked what happened.

As soon as i bring something home it seems to be swiftly followed by similar items. I cant just have one of anything. Im sure there must be a name for this problem! Perhaps obsessive collecting disorder??!!! Do any of you suffer from this too???

You may remember that i posted about the huge amount of postcards that i bought. I have now started to sell the ones that are not in the style that i 'collect'. There are 717 in total to sell. I have sold 3 so far and bought 31 more from ebay that i just HAD to have.

In a effort to streamline my collections im now going to draw up a list of what i collect and stick to it!! No more new collections!!

So here goes:

Anything Fifties

Vintage books

Vintage pyrex

Vintage ceramics

Vintage aprons

Vintage tea towels

Vintage tablecloths

Glass candlesticks (vintage)

Vintage tins

Vintage postcards

Vintage posters

Vintage records

Cookbooks (Vintage of course)

Ok. I think we have a common theme here. I collect Vintage things that i like!! It shouldnt be too hard to stick to that should it?????

Distractions......

Just a quick post today as i have a million and one things that i SHOULD be doing. Cleaning, tidying and sorting are the order of the day but i just cant seem to get motivated and keep getting distracted. Pretty blogs to look at, fifties magazines and books in the dresser and my new sewing machine. These things all seem far more attractive to me today than a hoover, polish and duster! I must say that generally i do like cleaning. I like the feeling when everything is in the place where it belongs and the house smells fresh and clean. It makes me feel on edge when things aren't quite right.

So now im off to tackle the house. Ive promised myself a couple of hours on the sewing machine this afternoon if i can get all of my jobs done!

Happy thrifting. x

I forgot to mention................

.................. in my previous post. The very lovely Jim and Val gave CB some genuine 'Jailhouse rock' for his birthday. How cool!!! But how hard to photograph!!! I hope that you can get the idea from the photo. It now takes pride of place in a fifties glass in the dresser. Love it!

Anyhow i must get back to tonights entertainment.

Pink Elvis vinyl on the red record player. Vintage heaven!!! x

Happy thrifting x x

Birthday carpet and pretty things!

I must first say thanks to CB who arranged an early birthday treat in the form of bedroom carpet. Very much needed and appreciated. Thankyou!! After having horrible thin brown carpet in our bedroom for the past 18 months, its such a luxury to have lovely thick cream carpet!!

Im also looking forward to my other birthday treat which is a stay in Uppingham in a nice hotel. Im looking forward to the two of us having a child free meal, a few gin and tonics, a peaceful nights sleep and a leisurely spot of thrifting the following day. Roll on next saturday!!!!

I did a spot of charity shop thrifting yesterday and managed to get these lovely glasses in a box for £2.50. I of course dont need them but such thrifty loveliness cannot be left behind!!

We have had a busy week in fifties household. CB has now created a lovely place for his birthday present from his mum and Colin. Here it is in all of its glory.

Vintage vinyl has been playing in the kitchen since it arrived. We love it so thankyou Mamma and Col-Col, it looks great and sounds great too. Only trouble is you have given me another obsession to thrift for. Vintage records!! Luckily these can be picked up for a few pence!

Remember i mentioned my Christmas present from Mamma that was a carboot in a box?? Here a just a few of the treasures that were in there. A gorgeous Arthur Woods jug

Gorgeous little sugar bowl and eggcup

A very much desired fifties magazine rack.

There was also vintage pyrex, bone handled cutlery, lace tablecloth, retro eggcups and tupperware! I love, love, love it all thankyou sooooo much!!

Only problem is i think that my dresser is full to bursting of all of the new treasures that seem to be appearing week by week. I have arranged and rearranged it on more than one occasion this week. I feel some new storage is required in the fifties kitchen!!

Happy Thrifting! x x

Remembering......

Its been and gone for another year.

Christmas came and went and from preparations to parties its been a blast.

Presents were opened and opened and opened!!!

(This picture was round one of five!!!)

Delicious food with family on Christmas day.

I recieved a great pressie from Mum and dad; a brand new top of the range sewing machine, which i cant wait to use! Also a fantastic pressie from Mamma and ColCol. Remember the car boot in a box.... it deserves a post of its own so i will blog about it later!! Beautiful perfume from CB that i had wanted for an age but could never justify buying for myself. Then boxing day saw the dreaded big 4. 0. for CB. The day was spent singing karaoke as CB's friend does professional karaoke and lent us his system for 3 days!!! I dont think there was a song that wasnt sung. One of the highlights was surely Mamma and I singing These boots are made for walking!! I told Simon Cowell to go back home and how rude that he disturbed us on Boxing Day!!! Mamma and Grandad Col-col joined us all day on boxing day and we had such a great time, although after cooking Christmas dinner for 9 then catering for a party on boxing day, i did feel that i would never get off the merry go round of cooking and cleaning that was Christmas!! Everyday i would clean the house ready for guests, cook food then party. Only to do it all again the next day. It was well worth it though and would do it all again. This Christmas has really been one of the best ever. Memories were made for sure!

The last picture is one of my favourites of Christmas. It shows Mamma, CB and Ben. Her eldest son CB. 40 years old. Her youngest son Ben 18. She also has 3 other sons inbetween and two others that she has inherited!! And she doesnt look a day over 21!!!

Another highlight of Christmas was visiting Auntie Vicky and the gorgeous bulldog pups!!

How could you not fall in love with these beautiful puppies!!

7 of them in total. All absolutely adorable. Finley loved them and has not stopped talking about them since. ''I want one of those Mummy', appears to be a common phrase regarding the subject. My response is of course ''So do I''. CB i hope you are listening!!!! x x

New year bought a trip to the caravan, and luckily for us in these sub zero temperatures we managed to stay in the Bed and breakfast instead of the caravan. We did not fancy winding the legs down and setting up in this weather!!!! A fantastic night dancing in the barn at the disco. Truly magical! x

2008 bought many things to be grateful for. A caravan, a new pet, a kitchen makeover, lots of thrifted treasure and many many happy memories. I must however mention the not so good memories of 2008.

Dob, Auntie Linda, Grandad and great Grandad Bartlett, were all taken from us in 2008.

You may all be gone but you will never be forgotten. RIP we love you all x x x x x x x x x

Heres to a happy 2009 and looking forward to whatever it may bring!!!

Happy thrifting 2009 x x x x