welcome to my blog!!!!

Thank you for dropping by....i will be blogging about my life in Devon by the sea-side, decorating my 1926 home, vintage treasure hunting from auctions, charity shops , recycling centres and the good old british car booty!! One mans rubbish is another mans treasure! baking, sewing, painting and probably the weather!!!! enjoy!
claireljinks@hotmail.com


Thursday 30 September 2010

Vintage weddings

Ever since I was a young girl I have been obsessed by wedding dresses! I just love vintage wedding dresses too. My mother has just bought this knitting pattern!!!

Now when she told me she had just bought a 1934 knitting pattern for a wedding dress, I couldn't quite envision what it would look like.So I was amazed when I saw the above picture. My mother can knit anything...and I mean anything...intricate cables, Fair Isle, you name it but I doubt this is one pattern she will ever get to knit...which is a shame.
I have always had a ever changing list of favourite all time wedding dresses...................

I just find this shot enchanting..........I would love a print of it to hang on my wall. for a vintage photograph its a very spontaneous shot, I think its beautiful.
Marylin's dress was a very restrained affair......considering she was at the time the worlds most famous film star I admire her decision to keep it simple and intimate........
My second favourite dress is this one from The Sound of Music.....I love its simplicity and can remember the hundreds of tiny buttons from the neck to the floor....check it out on you tube, Maria's wedding song . Its simply stunning.
And the most gorgeous, amazing wedding dress of all time.......................This one gets it every time...........
Luckily and surprisingly my 14 year old daughter Poppy has always agreed with me, which bears well for the future....hopefully she will have a vintage themed wedding and even a vintage wedding dress one day.
My favourite style of wedding dress has changed over the years.......at one point I have loved Empire Line dresses....the biggest ballgown styles.... historical themed dresses....hunting gown style complete with top hat..at the moment i have a thing for lace and ballerina length dresses but I have never wavered from this dress being my favourite.
I would love to hear and see what vintage wedding dresses have stuck in your mind from your childhoods.



Wednesday 29 September 2010

My pictures are up!!!!

Whoo hoo!!! The son-in-law is down with his trusty drill and even thought he has a cold has very kindly put up some of my pictures!
These flower ones are in my bedroom..............
This cross stitch was a present on the birth of my daughter 14 years ago.......
This flower picture I picked up yesterday on a treasure hunt..............
And these two lovelies were car boot finds last year.....they are all on my landing and I cannot stop looking at them every time I go upstairs. Thank you son-in-law x x x x x

Presents for everyone!!!!

Hello ladies......I really am computer illiterate and am hoping to open an online shop but really don't have a clue how to even start!!!! So for now I am putting a few things on my blog, especially as the "C" season is looming!!!
So here are my first offerings...................................hope you like!!!!


This beautiful blue and pink rose bud cake plate. £6.00 + £4.90 p&p.

An unmarked rose teacup and saucer, lovely old rose design, £4.00 + £4.00 p&p.




This up-cycled cake stand made from three vintage plates and crystal glass and vase.
£20.00 + £6.95 p


This beautiful Royal Albert Lavender Rose tea cup and saucer... £5.00 +£4.00 p&p


If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask, and I accept payment by Paypal .
Please keep checking my blog as I will be adding more lovelies!!!

Tuesday 28 September 2010

More Birthday Presents!!

My daughter came down for a visit this weekend which meant I got some more wonderful birthday presents.....
These lovely ck notelets........

A beautiful rose smellies set...................is it coz I stinks!!!!


A Yankee candle.................


The biggest tube of CK hand cream ever!!!!
And look at this!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooooo surprised!!!!!!!!
I didn't know that Madison even knew about this make!!!!
I am very spoilt........
Father Christmas will hopefully bring me a cup or two to match!!! My pride and joy!!!! Who couldn't love a bit of Pip!!!!!

Thursday 23 September 2010

More Stuff!!!

Had a bit of a disaster day today made a lovely big lemon drizzle cake in my new bundt tin , and left it on the windowsill to cool when fiver (my tabby) knocked it off and smashed it to smithereens. Then I cut my thumb chopping veg and burnt my hand on a tray of parsnips!!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I did manage to produce this pie inspired by the Big British Bake Off.......A cheese, potato and onion one and it was yum!!!

And it didn't have a soggy bottom!!! I decorated it with lovely little hearts!
Went treasure hunting and came back with this cake stand..........
Two of these pink cake plates...quite worn but it just makes me happy to think of all the wonderful cakes that have been on them!!! And now I am using them!!
two little rosy saucers for my cake stand making.....

And a bunch of these cutters, I used them to decorate my pie but bought them to make heart shaped sugar lumps for Christmas.......

A pretty pink thistle cup and saucer...........
And three of these trios.....I don't think they are old but they are very sweet with their blue roses....

And last but not least look what The Better Half came home with...a present! I already have a Kenwood but I was chuffed with this retro one.............
Its my new favourite thing!!!!!
Oh well I am off to settle down for the evening and missing the slice of lemon drizzle cake I would of had with my vanilla tea....pesky cat!!!!

Monday 20 September 2010

My proposed curtains!

The curtains in my bedroom are very long and I have been humming and arrhing what do with them.I can't find any that I like so I am planning to make my own! Of course me being me I don't want a plain pair. So this is my idea!
They will be similar in idea to these yellow curtains below......
The top two thirds will be a plain white , then I will have a gingham ribbon separating the next band of fabric ...................
Which I hope will be a duck egg blue floral (rose) fabric............................................

Which will then be separated by a floral ribbon..... from the last band of fabric which will be a small polka dot fabric in red...to match my quilt!







I have just finished a red rose polka dot quilt...(see post below) And I am making a similar one but in duck egg blue for the summer. I am making a mixture of red and duck egg blue cushions to scatter across the top of the bed.

I am a bit apprehensive about tackling them but I am sure that if I put my mind to it and just methodically work through it I can do it!!!!

What do you think??? Will it look nice or a bit weird?????

Stuff!!!!

Hello peeps!!
This blog post has a little bit of everything in it!!! At long last I have finished my very first patchwork quilt!! Its been hanging around around my living room for months........being used I should add, even in its unfinished state!


Had a long on going battle with the bias binding and non delivery from E-bay which I won't go into, but at last its all done and dusted and now resides on my bed!!! I am so proud of myself!!And every single stitch has been done by mine own fair hand....my next one will be done on the machine!!!!
Here is my next quilt all ready to be sewn up!!

This is a true up cycled quilt, the backing is an old curtain which perfectly matches the squares of material I have sewn into a patchwork. I call this my old roses quilt.




My bedroom is a kind of on going saga too.......I have finally got a lovely new wrought iron bed from the local auction. I now have to sew a selection of miss matched cushions to go across the top of my pillows. This weekend I painted my little bed side cabinet white and added little ceramic rosy handles but lost the before and after pictures off of the memory card somehow...DOH!!
These little cups and saucers now residing above my bed have tiny chips in and I could not bear to throw them away so they are waiting for my first foray into candle making.




I replaced the shade on this wonderful lamp I discovered at the local re-cycling centre and I think it looks lovely!
My collection of floral paintings is gradually growing, ready to be hung soon......

But I am working my way up to the two biggest jobs in my bedroom which I am finding hard to face.....the first and biggest job is painting the wooden floorboards white and the second is the making of my first pair of curtains!!! I am worried about my curtains because they are not simple!!! I will blog about them later!



I have a growing collection of cut glass on my dressing table , I love the glass lamp base, very similar to the ones in Laura Ashley.

Today is my 46th birthday, I realised that I have walked round for a year actually thinking I was already 46. I think I am getting Old Timers!!!
Here are my two favourite pressies so far, and I have only had two lots !!!
A CK bag and purse!!!

I was so excited to receive them!


And unwrapped them and used them straight away!!
I also got two bars of chocolate, earrings, necklace, ring, a rosy bowl, a large shell pendant, a hair ornament, an engraver thingy for my crafting, some Old Skol CD's, rosy soap, and a pink snuggle fleece thingy with arms!!!
Here is the wonderful card my daughter Poppy made for me...I loved it!
Me and the better half went down to the beach today, where I saw this!!! The better half didn't know what it was, and didn't get it!! I didn't realise I lived in such a" with it" town!!!


We sat on the beach for an hour or two just listening to the waves rolling onto the beach.....drinking coffee although I had a vanilla milk because I can't drink caffeine!!!

Here is a picture of my birthday cakes!!! Rhubarb crumble slice....bread pudding and my favourite almond macaroon

What better place to eat your birthday cake?

And what better place to spend your birthday!!!

Till next time folks!!!!