Valentines...Black Rose

Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines day....I received dark red roses and thought some  black china would go wonderfully with them x

A place for everything..and everything in its place

 A  few years ago I saw this beautiful hand embroidered table runner on Etsy...I posted it on my Facebook page, as I do many beautiful things that catch my eye..... and my mother bought it as a surprise for me.....

 I loved the delicate embroidery , the bees buzzing around the beautiful pink flowers...but it forever lived in my cupboard. I did not want to use it over my tablecloths as I did not want it to get stained....but...at last I have found a home for it...and here it it is....

 on top of our brand new "old" piano....

 That we bought from a local auction for £1 ..I will say that again ONE POUND! It took a but of huffing and puffing by people to get it into the house...but it was well worth the effort.....

 One of my tea cup lamps that my daughter made me sits atop of it too....

 It's so lovely having a piano in the house again, I love listening to my husband play, and my grandchildren tinkling away.....and I love looking at my pretty runner on top of it...need a few more knick-knacks too...

I now have to find a home for this amazing hand crocheted doily I got for Christmas.....

 Its quite a large one.....

 Such beautiful colours...and its sooooooooo pretty ..I don't want to to live in the textile cupboard for years, it should be on display so I can ohh and ahh over it....

I hope I find a place for it soon x

Say goodbye ...say hello....

I said goodbye to this  beautiful part set of Royal Albert Masquerade this week....

 I have a penchant for black china...its so dramatic and even though its vintage can look very contemporary in a modern setting....I have numerous black patterns ranging from Victorian to to the 40's....

 This beautiful set is off to Scotland, I hope its happy and is well loved in its new home x x x

 

And this week I said hello to this beautiful Colclough trio.....

 A gift from a beloved Aunty.......I think its one of the prettiest patterns that I have....

 I asked my youngest daughter Poppy (16) if she like my latest tea cup and her eyes lit up and she said "ooooh ooooh...is that mine?...I think its MY tea cup mother....Let's make a cup of tea.........." as she took it from my hands......I think I will have to share it!

Have a good weekend everybody x x x x I shall be using my new tea cup all weekend x

Too much?........

 Here are a few pics of my china dresser....Five years ago when I moved to Sidmouth I didn't even own a tea cup.

 

 

 I think I ALMOST have enough now..although I would quite like 365 different patterns........

 

 One for each day of the year.........

 And to be fair its not a " for looking at" collection, I use a different one everyday..on a tray..with tea pot, sugar bowl and milk jug....

 Me mother goes barmy at the amount of washing up it generates and people generally think I am nuts.....and that  mugs are much easier......"Do I look like a hairy a**ed bricklayer is my usual reply...I ....am  LADY....and Ladies use tea cups!"

 And a china tea cup makes the tea taste sooooooo much better.....its lovely walking into my dining room in the morning and perusing the patterns...deciding what mood i am in..which pattern fits that mood ...

 Am i in a Victorian mood? or do I feel all Art Deco today? 1940's rose or am I in a Granny mood when only my Grandma cup will suffice....I even have a pretty W.I cup although I am not in the W.I !

 And do not get me started on tea pots!

"One more tea pot comes into this house and it's divorce! " my husband threatens...."Don't tempt me" is my reply as I sneakily remove a tea pot from under my jumper.....

 This morning I was in a Royal Albert Kentish Rockery kinda mood........

Anyone wanna come and play tea sets with me?

Too Much?....................

My New Collection...Egg Coddlers

My latest collection.......

 I have become obsessed with coddled eggs and egg coddlers after seeing them in this book.

One of my favourites , I was lucky enough to get it for Christmas last year.

 It has inspired me to start collecting Royal Worcester china egg coddlers.

 I now have a collection of six, four large double eggers, and two single eggers...just perfect for grandchildren.

 My favourite is this floral one on the left.

 They are very easy to use and basically its boiled eggs..out of their shells, so they are much less fiddly to eat and you can add extra ingredients, I have used sausage and bacon and ham and cheese .

 There are hundreds of different patterns available....

 All of mine have come from charity shops, most just over a pound., although I have seen them priced up at £15! Most people didn't know what they were and thought they were small spice jars....

 Its very easy, you just lightly butter the coddler, add any other ingredients, and crack your eggs into them.

 Pop the little metal lid on, place in boiling water in a saucepan and boil for a few mins until just set and still all wibbly, wobbly......

 

 Today I simply had eggs with a tiny sprinkle of cheese and herbs over the top. I am trying to eat healthy so its an ideal small portion and I had un-buttered toasted soldiers with it.

 Mmmmm cheesy eggy gooeyness .....that it was all served prettily helped .....

 But I would have much rather had a huge slice o'cake....

 Today I used my Royal Albert Old Country Roses china.......

 With sugar cube sweeteners!.... who knew there was such a thing....makes dieting much more civilized..don't you know!

Go on, keep an eye out for egg coddlers on your treasure hunting travels and be gert posh...just like me! lol!

Fifty Shades Of Grey.....

 Here are a few pics of my latest decorating efforts.....I wanted a chalky blue and reluctantly let my husband have the last say.....(it was a moment of madness, I felt sorry for him living in a house smothered in flowers)

 But..........I adore the grey! With a few touches of pink here and there.......

and  some pink candles yet to go in my  Christmas Doodahs (as I have come to call the sconces I got off of the hubby for Christmas....)

 I also have a pink rag rug heart to go on the floor.There are still a few finishing touches to do here and there, another quick coat to unify the fifty shades of grey....

But I really don't think that I (hahahahaha) could have picked a better colour. What do you think?