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


Sunday 28 July 2013

The Fine Art of Dressing up.....










Little girls just love their dressing up boxes don't they x

Wednesday 24 July 2013

We're Jammin....


Have caught the Jam making bug.....
Have made quite a few flavours over the last week or so....

Here are preparations for my wild honeysuckle jam....very labour intensive for very little jam...BUT...what a jam tastes of golden flowers and sunshine.....
Elderflower jam next....another labour intensive jam as the blooms need to soak for almost a week in the fridge but stunning flavour...
Here are the honeysuckle petals soaking...
Foraged blooms......

Wild honeysuckle jam.....
Foraged wild cherries.....I made a cherry beer jam with wild cherries with this little lot...

I have also made an Earl Grey tea jam, which my daughter Poppy has gone mad over and this week plan to make some Lavender Jam and Strawberry and nettle jam .....I have the jam making bug alright! Any of you lovely lades making jam?

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Plates for a new cake stand........

 Yesterday I bought three lovely vintage plates to make into a cake stand....
 Two lovely Swinntertons  cottage plates.....and a  fluted sage green Grindley petalware plate....

Off to drill them...I think they are going to make a very pretty cake stand don't you? 
 xxxx
well here they are all made up and I think its a beauty!
 

 
 
Now we just have to find it a lovely new home x

Monday 22 July 2013

i love growing things...

Growing veg has turned into one of the great loves of my life....
A garden trug is essential ...even if the veggie-bed is three foot from ones back door!

Not quite an enormous turnip...
But they are beautiful.... and mine!
and colour co-ordinated nail polish always helps x x x

Saturday 13 July 2013

Lifes a beach.....

Did I mention we live at the sea-side......





Patience all dressed up dolloping down to the beach...which takes forever as she insists on walking.....and she is only two!
Esme loves going in the water with her grampy, but Patience screams blue murder if her toe even touches a wave!
These long hot summery days are perfect for family time on the beach....
And I am looking forward for the summer holidays when the grandsons can come and share the fun with us...

 IF the good weather holds out that is!


  only trouble with the beach is.......



There is no shade and it can get toooooo dam hot!So we have to take our brolley down with us!Hope you are all enjoying the summer sun x

Friday 12 July 2013

And I wonder why....

And I wonder ...with all the cake I have been making for knitting club
 


 


 



 


Why my harris has become the size of a small continent!





Although I would not want you, my dear readers to labour under the false impression that I am a blogging domestical goddess....here is one of my cake disasters..this was SUPPOSED to be gluten free shortbread..*please note the lovely melted plastic shortbread mold....don't ask!!!!!!!



Please check out our knit cafe here! //sidmouthknitcafe.blogspot.co.uk/



Sunday 7 July 2013

Hot,hot,hot!

Oh the sun is out....the sky is blue...theres not a cloud to spoil the view....time to show off my jugs as the bishop said to actress...
But I think even you would agree I have some lovely jugs......
Lemonade in the garden........
ice and a slice and a pinch of mint.....
so tangy and refreshing.....
please note the use of a Royal Albert dish to try and prettify some pork scratchings..but you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear.....lol
 
 

 I think you will agree that I have some lovely highballs too....

  
The lemonade was lovely...but I needed something a little bit....well...more.... so I combined all of the above ingredients  into my lovely pale green jug.....
adding one last ingredient......



Lashings of EARL GREY......iced tea in the garden!...what could be lovelier? Fancy coming to  join me?....