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


Friday 6 September 2013

Jelly.

Todays flavour...

Apple, cider and rosemary. And it's delish!

Thursday 5 September 2013

Lavender blue dilly dilly.....

Today was a happy day doing my new favourite thing to do ...make jam!
And my absolute favourite jam to make at the moment is....Lavender Jam
This is my second batch ...the first batch was yomped up by friends and family.....and is very much in demand
I used to make jams in the 1980's , and have fallen in love with it all over again...
Taking simple ingredients and boiling them all up.....
gives me a real sense of calm and satisfaction....
And I just love seeing a row of jewel like coloured jars in my cupboard.
so far me and my daughter have made..strawberry and black pepper, strawberry and nettle, nettle, pear and ginger, lavender, earl grey, beer, rhubarb and ginger, blueberry and plum, green tea and mint. tomato, pink grapefruit marmalade, elderflower,wild honeysuckle,spiced blackberry and chilli jam.
 Not all jams have come out amazing though...my rowan berry jam was inedible, I think I picked the berries before they were ripe, but I am having another go at it later in the season. I am making crab apple and sage jelly today as well and am looking forward to making some hawthorn and some elderberry jam.Although what I am going to do with it all I don't know.....Most friends and family are getting jam hampers for Christmas lol x
Are any of you ladies making jam?

Tuesday 3 September 2013

oh i feel better.........

I have been collecting china for six years now and to tell the truth I have started to feel bogged down with all my china....I also have a dresser with tea pots on it.....I realise that I had so much that I wasn't really using it all which is one of my pets hates...so today after alot of heart searching I finally tackle this lot.....
 



 After hours this is what I am getting rid of....














 I have saved all my favourites....and put all my pink, flowery, and green summery plates in boxes destined for the attic...And this is my dresser now....
This is my autumn.....
Winter.......
And Christmas dresser.....
I feel much "lighter"
And looking at my dresser now I know I will use every single piece at least once over the coming months....


And imagine my excitement next spring when I pack away all my winter collection and unpack my spring/summer collection! A new tradition is born!

Sunday 1 September 2013