Family x

Its the summer holidays and over the next few weeks my grandchildren will be visiting me. I do miss my grandchildren but being the nanny who lives by the sea is wonderful! I often look at this picture of me with my grandchildren and often start thinking of how it is a moment in time captured and how one day my grandchildren will look at it as I do pictures of me with my nanny x x .............


Here I am with my sister......I have very fond memories of tea at nanny and grampys and I am sure its where my love of vintage china comes from...I never saw my nan make a cup of tea that wasn't made in a pot or tea-cup.......
But the memories go back much further in time than I can ever remember...I love hearing what my mum remembers......and I have moments captured in time from my family that are starting to fade away from peoples memories.... we can't remember where or why......but I can hold them in my hand and feel a connection and see where I came from...

Here is my nan as a girl.....she looks about the same age as my daughter now..............
My grandfather as a dashing young man.....he must be the same age as my sons now.....
Nan again as I never saw her....a stylish young woman..............
Here are my great grandparents....................

And here in this last picture, the gentleman standing in the middle of the bridge with the beard is my great, great, great grandad, with my great, great grandparents flanking him!!!

Thats my grandchildren's....great, great, great, great, great grandfather!!! I will pass the photos on to them and one day hope that their children's , children's , children will one day gaze a picture of me x x x x

Oh i do like to live besides the sea-side!

Summer holidays are here!!!! It's lovely spending time with my Beautiful poppy,

She loves my flowery cups too x x x
She took this amazing photo , which was a bit of an accident, i have no idea how the black came about as it was taken in bright sunshine........
We have spent time on the beach..................................

She is a real water baby and loves sailing, kayaking and swimming in the sea and has really started to appreciate living by the sea now that she is getting old enough to meet her friends on the beach for long lazy afternoons ..........
Its her 14th birthday soon and she is undecided ...should she have a pic nic on the beach for all her friends or a barbecue .......................lets hope that the sun is shining!!!!

I am looking forward to lots of sunny days on the beach with my wonderful girl x

Side plates.

Years ago I hardly had any side plates with three teenagers and all their friends it was difficult to keep hold of them!!! They were smashed and disappeared under beds etc.....


But now I have lots (surprise, surprise).......
I do have some everyday, modern ,red patterned ones in my cupboard for everyday use or for when I serve men....they sometimes balk at a rosie plate!!!LOL!!
But I now find it impossible not to eat off of a dainty side plate.....
Sandwiches or a slice of cake or an almond macaroon do not taste the same if they are not eaten off of a rose or some goldeness!!!!! x x x x
Hope you like my new banner......my beautiful daughter Poppy(13) created it for me....I must admit i wouldn't have a clue!! Isn't she clever!!!!!!!!

Cake!

My mum got me a surprise pressie a couple of weeks ago, this fab book all about cooking with flowers....one recipe jumped out at me ....a rose petal iced cake.Ever since I have bemoaning the fact that I have no rose bushes in my garden and eyeing up my next door neighbours pale pink roses with envy. I eventually confessed that I wanted to eat their roses and they gladly donated a couple of blooms in exchange for a taster!!!!

I had to improvise though as I didn't have any rosewater in my store cupboard, but luckily my I had just been given another pressie of a big box of Turkish Delight!!! In place of the rose water I just chopped a few squares of it up into small pieces and added this to the cake mixture, and the butter icing....and used it for decoration on top too along with crystallized rose petals....
It was the best cake I have ever made.....everything I love all wrapped up in one package.....cake....roses.....and pinkness!!!!

The sponge had chopped up Turkish delight in it, then it was sandwiched together with rose petal butter icing and lastly topped with rose petal icing......the rosiness was not over whelming...just a lovely after taste....and the crystallized rose petals were slightly stronger tasting and added a lovely extra zing of rosiness heaven....It was YUMMY!!!!
I think I may have to buy a rose bush to plant in my garden!!!And I must be the only woman in England who wants her husband to buy her a bunch of roses ......just so I can eat them!!!

Mum's going to Tunisa soon on a months holiday and if I say pretty please I am wondereing if she can bring me back a couple of bottles of authentic rose water.....pretty, pretty please.......x x x x x x x

presents!

Hello peeps, hope you had a great weekend. I got a couple of pretty presents over the weekend......I love presents..........they don't have to cost the earth,...its the thought the counts!!!! I get quite a lot of pressies x x x x x
The better half came home with this big jug, I have quite a few things with this crinoline lady on now, and although this jug is very stained on the inside it is displayed high up so that doesn't show and it will do to hold flowers in.....thank you hubby x x x
My close friend Emma came home from her holiday in Turkey with this beautiful little hair clip for me, I have it in my hair today x x x

As I am new to blogging I wonder if anyone out there could give me some help.....I am thinking of doing a give away and was wondering how they work????, A pretty tea-cup and a few other bits. Also I have noticed a few bloggers talking about a swap...what are these????
Hope you all had a lovely weekend x

I'm a little tea-pot short and stout!!!

Tea pots today peeps!!!
I have a few!! Not all vintage though, a mixture of vintage and modern but I love them all
x x x
This tea pot and sugar bowl are my favourite ones, they are in my living room and used as ornaments, they also function as the designated ear phone and memory stick holders!!! I love that something so old can have such a modern function!!!
The front one is a V&A one x
Two vintage ones.....I must admit the one in front is my current favourite and was given as a present for doing my nieces hair for her prom!!! Did I mention I am a hairdresser specialising in bridal hair??? although I haven't really worked for the last two years as I have on-going carpel tunnel syndrome.......I do the odd wedding here and there as favours or wedding presents....and proms for friends and family but I do hope to go back to it one day x
A vintage spode in front and two modern ones behind.....cupcakes and chintz x
I love the stripey one with tea-pot stand...its quite sea-sidey!!!!
I think this is a coffee pot but its gorg!!!!
This is a modern white tea-pot but its large and fits in with anything with a bit of gold on it!!
Beautiful pink rose vintage one and my grandchildren love the cat one!
And last but not least roses again!!!!
I have sugar bowls, jugs, and side plates left to show you x
Hope u have a good weekend........I will be busy glueing my cakestands, and watching my husband finish his sailing course hopefully sat in the sun-shine on the sailing club balconey with drinky poos in hand x x x

Tea Pots Day

A sneak preview of Madisons next lamp!

Here is another quickie!!
Here is a sneak preview of the next lamp that my daughter Madison is making



If you are interested in commissioning a lamp or any of the other things her and her partner create you can contact her one her blog............
councilhousegoddess.blogspot.com,

Blogsphere Appeal!!!!!!

Just a quickie.........Madison and I (and a few other people) are desperately trying to find a supplier of cake stand tier holders/ fitments as illustrated in the picture....
I have come to the conclusion that they must be made by pixies on magic anvils from mystical flower petals sprinkled with fairy dust...........they are sooooo expensive!!!!!! For something that looks like it should cost pennies people are charging the earth!!!!!! I anyone out there could help I would be VERY grateful!!!
x x x x x x

Cakes stands and cake plates x

Hello peeps........
Here is my collection of cake stands and cake plates.....quite a modest collection I may add!!!


This silver plated cake stand was bought by my son......
It has interchangeable glass plates to change the look!

This beautiful cake plate was handed down my the better half's grandmother and I cherish it, I picked the cake slice up at a car boot.

I love this old cake stand...it was very discoloured when i picked it up for pennies, but a quick soak in a weak solution of bleach soon brightened it up!

My pride and joy!!!! A pressed glass cake stand...I have been looking for more but none have cropped up!!!!

And last but not least my collection of cake plates...........

Hope you have enjoyed them x

Cake stands II

I have been playing around with the idea of making cake stands........here is a selection of china and glasses I have stacked on top of each other......

Its a bit of a trial and error........there are so many combinations......

The family were of no real help as we all liked something different.......

The better half and my youngest daughter Poppy like the reserved matching stands without the cups on top.............. I love the cups....imagine scones on the bottom, strawberries on the middle and the cup with jam or cream in!!!!

I like them the more mis-matched the better!!! This one is my favourite with the two little flowery vases instead of glasses. I am not going to glue the cups on as I thinks it makes it more versatile

After waiting for the special glue to arrive via E-Bay I started !!!! My mantelpiece is covered with drying cake stands......will have to wait until Saturday to see if its worked!!!!



What do you think of them?

Check out my daughters blog x

Look at this lovely pebble sculpture/candle holder my daughter madison and shaun made me.....its soooo beautiful x Everyone comments on it, it is a real talking point!

They make beautiful bespoke handmade items....if you are interested in any of the wonderful things they create, you can contact them via her blog

Here is an amazing mirror that my daughter Madison made, with driftwood collected from the beaches local to where I live.........Madison and her partner Shaun are very creative , keep an eye on her blog as she reveals more wonderful things that they make together!!!!

councilhousegoddess.blogspot.com

My Vintage China Collection x

Hello peeps, thought I would show you one of my main passions today...my vintage china collection, which is rapidly getting out of hand!!!!
Here is my "best" stuff, my mum bought it for me last year, it's called Kentish Rockery. It's by Royal Albert.


I realised that as I have a few extra side plates and saucers, that I could buy a dinner plate and make a Kentish Rockery cake stand!

Here is my next favourite set.....I originally had just a single plate and cake plate and then found cups and saucers and side plates at a car boot sale...I was soooo happy!!!


I do so love the gold and the pink roses x x

Here is the rest of my collection x
I do plan to paint my dresser white, or duck egg blue...it's on my very long list of to do things!!!
I have filled every available space on my dresser!!!
But have a cunning plan....................
I think I will start piling the side plates and saucers up underneath the shelves...which will free up loads more space...and then when it fills up again I have another master plan!!!
Cup hooks!!!!!
Every morning I pick a different cup, saucer and side plate to use......
Its wonderful to use a different cup each day and I find it cuts down on the dusting!!!LOL!!!
When I have visitors they take great delight in choosing their own set to use.......
Some of them are worth a bit of money!!!!
But I love the fact that I use them and have brought them back to life!!!
Tea tastes sooooo much better from a china cup!!!!
Everyone knows what they can buy me for my birthday or Christmas.....
I am very easy to buy for!
Although the other half rolls his eyes and asks me if i REALLY need another tea cup!!!!
Of course I do!!! A girl can never have enough china tea cups!!!!! I also have a collection of sugar bowls, milk jugs , tea-pots , cake stands and cake plates, but I will save those for another day!!!! Hope you enjoyed looking at my babies x x x x