Autumn Beach Afternoons

 Hasn't the weather been glorious for November......

 Had some wonderful walks along the beaches in blazing sunshine,

 We have been able to bask in the autumn sunshine....

 We collected sea shells for a Christmas present idea I have ..sea shell bunting!

 We sat and talked, threw pebbles into the sea and did our special tricks!

 We have spent time on Beer beach and Sidmouth beach too

We were even adopted by Bella for the afternoon, a fisherman's dog who spent hours chasing pebbles we threw for her, think we would still be doing it if she had her way.

Hope you have been enjoying the autumn sunshine too x

Christmas Stocking Fillers and Floral Pictures

 Hello peeps have been busy doing nothing as the saying goes ...

 But I have got around to making a few lickel stocking fillers for the girls, vintage button hairgrips.....

 Button brooches

 And smelly sweater hearts....nice smelly not nasty smelly, they have a few drops of Fresh Linen oil on the stuffing and are made from old felted sweaters.....

 Now most of the flowers of summer have faded I am taking great delight in my flower pictures

 I love my Vernon Ward flowers.....

 This plaster flower was found at a jumble sale, and I love the dark flower picture underneath

 My latest flower acquisition..50p from a jumble sale, it had lots of marks all over it but I got it home and removed the print, cleaned the glass and it scrubbed up good as new! 

 This is my favourite...its paper mounted on a plaster plaque.....

And my giant floral standard  lampshade  which I have hung from the centre of the ceiling , which is the bane  of my rather tall Hubsters life as he keeps banging his head on it, but as I say you have to suffer for beauty and I keep hoping it will knock some sense into him!

Hope you are all enjoying November ...and the slow build up to to the festive season 

Hello, sorry I have been away for so long...I left my camera behind on a train, along with my bag with all my birthday presents in and my computer died but I am back on track....

Have been enjoying the autumnal weather

It's perfect weather to go foraging with my little grandaughters

Patience and Esme

I have also been enjoying using my newest tea pot...she is a teeny tiny decorated brown  bettyand she is so pretty and autumnal I am so in love with her.

Have started making quilts for the girls beds for Christmas , not by hand this time but by machine...We try to make as many presents as we can or buy previtntage...pre loved vintage x x x

I have pickled eggs, no mamby pamby white vinegar..we want to wince when you bite into them! And in honour of my grandfather I have got a sweet jar and pickled onions.My grandfather Grampy Uzzell made the best pickled onions and piccalilli in the whole wide world...maybe I will make some piccalilli next year...Right I am off to start  shredding grapefruit skins for some grapefruit marmalade....I am glad to be back and will catch up with all your blogs over the next few days x x x

Jelly.

Todays flavour...

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

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?

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!