Sunday 25 September 2011

Rest, Relaxation and Sundays

I love Sunday nights! 
I love closing the shop at 5pm (4pm in the depths of winter), walking the dog, chatting with Gav and then retiring to the living room with nice food. TV, a glass (or two) of wine and looking forward to a fab day off tomorrow. 

Despite our holiday being spoilt last week, we did manage to relax for the last few days at home. We didn't open the shop until Saturday and then it was only half a day today before a day off. tomorrow  There's something so nice about working for yourself, i never get that "Ugh" feeling about going back to work or what's commonly known as that "Monday morning feeling"!  He he!

So... tomorrow we're off up to Denbighshire to look at carpets.  We're ready to swap some rooms over and need an "Art Deco" carpet, should be fun finding something suitable, then maybe a nice lunch out and a visit to Hobbycraft for some supplies.

These are some brooches i made last week from felt and fabric and a few watercolours!
Some more colours waiting to be done
I love this card and brooch, i bought them from the Zani Lady's Wearhouse in Ludlow and they're by the fabulous Viv Sliwka of Hens Teeth Art.....have a look at her blog she creates such gorgeous things.  This brooch looks gorgeous on my lovely new coat.



I had a "treat" day in Ludlow and got this necklace too, very difficult as there were so many pretty colours to choose from.

All my love to Annie and M, thinking of you
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
- Dr. Seuss

Friday 23 September 2011

Thoughts for Annie...

 "The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around....
Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing".
- Larry Dossey

My thoughts are with my very dear friend Annie and her family, for her beautiful daughter, who's very poorly at the moment. 

Wednesday 21 September 2011

To be, or not be on holiday!!!

Well...we're back from our hols early, can't believe it, we were so looking forward to a nice peaceful relaxing break.  We'd worked so hard through the summer with very little time off and very little help, that we were on the point of exhaustion, practically limping to the finishing post, so to speak!   As a result all we wanted was some peace and quiet, just walks on the beach, and quiet meals in with nice bottles of wine, the TV and a good book or two.
However, as you can see from the photograph above it was not to be, thanks to the greedy owners who took our money and then arranged to have solar panels fitted three days into our holiday!!!  The cottage is actually an upside down design, so the big window you can see on the top floor was the living room and the work was right over our heads.  So much for a bit of Rest and Relaxation eh? 

This was funny before the hammering and drilling started.  This photo's been on my blog before in January when Lizzie was just a puppy.  Again the chickens kept her entertained for hours.
They'd come right up to the window and Lizzie wouldn't move or make a sound for ages, she'd just stare at them.




Anyway, enough of that, we're home safe and resting and relaxing here now.

Thought i might show you some of our new purchases for Indigo Moon.  We got thes tables in Leominster last week whilst we were there visiting with my lovely in-laws.  This table is painted in a gorgous off white and hand decorated with lovely blue flowers.

It's also functional as storage
and this one also painted and a gorgeous piece of fabric placed under the glass, it's really pretty.

 this one, a painted and decoupaged vintage (possibly sixties) coffee table 
 
and some pictures of Indigo Moon, we're planning a change around
next week, before the Christmas trade starts 
We bought these gorgeous 1920(ish) units for the shop.  They came from an old department store in Whitby and this one was delivered last week (the other one arrives next week).
They'll look fab together in the shop and i can't wait for the other one to arrive.  We had fun and games when this one was delivered last week, we'd taken all the measurements of the area it was to go in the shop, not thinking to measure the actual doorway into the shop!!!!  When it arrived it was out on the street for most of the day whilst Gav had to take it apart and re-assemble it inside.  You can probably guess it wasn't easy, things made in the 1920's were built to last, at least he'll be prepared when the next one arrives!
I'd forgotten about this when we arrived back from our "cut short" holiday this morning.  The delivery we received just before we went away left all over our kitchen.  We were so tired at the time we only had the energy to check it all, but not clear it all away.  Masses of boxes everywhere at the moment and a few more deliveries next week too, ready for the Christmas trade.
Gavin, Lizzie and my father-in-law last week enjoying a walk in the evening sunshine
and beautiful Lizzie, she's growing bigger everyday and getting more adorable by the minute.  She's established herself well in the family now, everyone loves her, she's an amazing sock thief, they just appear in her bed, i've no idea how and where she finds them.
My gorgeous girl, look at that pose

Thursday 8 September 2011

In the Finals

Sooooooo excited to be in the finals for the CPS Artisan Search 2012.  Thanks to all the team at CPS and congratulations and good luck to all the other finalists.

I packaged up all three pieces of artwork today and sent them off to the CPS Office, i really do hope they arrive in one piece and on time.

Wish me Luck!

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Make a Wish and Give it Wings....

...dream of bright and beautiful things,
dance through all the fun filled hours
and don't forget to smell the flowers,
share some love and birthday cake,
all lifes joys are yours to take
and when the evening comes to view
Thank your lucky stars you're you

Happy 19th Birthday
to my Gorgeous, Special, baby girl
"Nicci"
Have a fabulous wonderful day
Love you loads
X X X X X X X X X X X X

“The old believe everything;
the middle aged suspect everything:
the young know everything.”
Oscar Wilde

Sunday 4 September 2011

OMG! how scary was that episode of Dr Who last night? 
I'm not good with creepy dolls as it is, but when that first one showed itself on the screen i jumped out of my skin! I was eating a piece of chocolate cake and the plate and cake went flying out of my hand all over the sofa. Played on my mind later too when walking down the long dark corridor here....
....Mmmwwwaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I've been cleaning all day today whilst Gav did the shop, house all ship shape for our  visitors (Gav's parents) tomorrow.  We're up and off early to Shrewsbury to do a little shopping before picking them up.

As promised here are some of my photos from last weekend


Jewellery Parade

 Sculpture

 Trevor
 Zandra Rhodes sculpture
 Andrew Logan's travelling Sculpture Museum
 Scary!!!! and no, it;s not real
 Vintage Coach
 Vaynor Hall
 Andrew Logan
 Magical Models



“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.
Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
Gloria Steinem