plump pudding

A new lease of life

The half dresser is finally painted and hung on the wall.  I love it.  Unfortunately Stephen is not of the same opinion, but men.  What do they know eh?

I ended up using Farrow and Ball oil based eggshell - it took 2 coats after a coat of primer and a coat of undercoat.  So no was was needed, but I did end up using it on the coat rack that I painted in emulsion.  Still no photos - will remedy that soon.

I kept the handles as they were - as they would only get chipped anyway.  No distressing, I kept that for the coat rack.  I am intending on using the drawers for those jars of spices that are crammed into an old pyrex jar in the kitchen cupboard. 

My next task is to find some items to display.  I dug out some of my (forgotten) 1950s china, but they're not quite right.  I do love my Roberts radio on it - and it's out of the way of naughty boys who change the station from Radio 4.  It always takes me ages to find it again!

Hopefully the weather will be good at the weekend and I can find some vintage china to put on it.  I am thinking a plate or two and a jug.  Floral of course!

Now that this one is crossed off my list, I am after a round wooden dining table and a dresser.  I'll just have to keep an eye out for a bargain.

Not exactly a bargain - but I couldn't resist, was this beautiful orchid from Tesco.  A girls needs to have the odd feminine touch here and there.  Doesn't she?

Glossing Over Things

Poor Stephen, there he was in bed and the next moment he gets up and I am painting the kitchen and talkng about having won a dresser top for the walls - which, by the way, will need to be collected, painted and hung on the wall.

It all started with the cat string holders in the last post.  I was all set to pur them up, but decided that the walls were too grubby.  You can guess the next.  As well as the walls, the ceiling and woodwork needed painting.  One very long day later, they were all finished.

I just couldn't leave it that though.  Hence the next two purchases from e-Bay.

(Not my photo as I am going to collect it tomorrow).  I decided that this would  be fabulous instead of the giant framed Breakfast at Tiffany's poster that is above the cooker.  Thankfully it isn't too far and will fit in my car - that's a relief for Stephen!

I also bought a vintage French coat hook/rack.  I'll have to take a photo of that when it's painted.  Nothing too big, just large enough to go on the kitchen wall and hang my peg bag on.  That's once I've made the peg bag!

The other item that has been painted it the mirror that I bought from the boot sale last weekend - originally from a dressing table.

I snuck that into the bathroom when everyone was out!  To keep this paining theme going, I also have my eye on a display cabinet on e-Bay.  I haven't quite worked out how to "sell" that one to Stephen.

But I would like some advice, if anyone can help.  I have painted the items in Farrow and Ball waterbased eggshell.   Obviously these need to be protected and am sure that I have read something about putting a wax on them.  I just don't know where I saw/read/heard this.

Does anyone have any suggestions/tips or pointers please.  I have to make these look as good as possible: for Stephen's sake and mine!

Incoming thriftiness

I have been a bad blogger and neglected this little blog.   It's more having got out of the habit rather than not having anything to say.  There's not much chance of that!

But I have been busy acquiring some "new" items for the house.  All randomly found at the boot sale and the village jumble sale.  The pyrex teapot and coffee pot were a snip at 20p each.  I bought one and Keanan bought the other one for me - what a sweetie!  Joining them today is this vintage tin tray of the pin up lady.  Far too bashed to use everyday, but she looks good from a distance.

The boys and I both love the bi-annual jumble sale held in the village hall and for the same reasons - plenty of bargains.

After a quick recce of the jumble sale, I ended up helping out on the bric a brac stall.  When I first arrived the table was piled with items and nothing caught my eye.  Later on as the piles went down, I spotted one of these cat string holders which had been languishing underneath everything.  20p into the tin and it was mine.  Five minutes later I spotted another one.  Another 20p and there were two to take home.  Doubling my collection from two to four.  They are patiently sitting waiting for me to dig out the drill and mount them on the wall.

Today was also a good day at the boot sale.  Plenty of sewing items.  I was lucky enough to find four pillow cases in a pretty floral fabric.  No plans for them as yet, but they will be used at some point.

The next lot that found its way into my shopping basket was this collection of vintage sewing items: glass headed pins, needles and pins used for mounting butterflies - I only spotted that whilst I was taking the photographs.

Keanan came home with a bundle of Marvel comics and I also spotted a mirror which was originally from a dressing table.  A quick sand and it has just received its second coat of Farrow & Ball eggshell.  I think the mirror will be put in our bedroom - just haven't mentioned that one to Stephen yet!

Photos of that to follow.  Have a good weekend and I promise to be a better blogger!

Spring

Since the clocks went back, I have been waking at 7.00am and it's light.  I love the lighter days and the facts that the nights are getting lighter.

And washing has been drying on the line instead of being draped over the radiators.  I spotted some delightfully spring shoes yesterday and just couldn't resist - even though my shoe collection probably rivals Imelda Marcos

And feeling inspired by the sunny weather, I have been trying to get ahead with the next Liberty order rather than having to make it all when the order comes in.  Hence the big pile of pincushions that now need stuffing

Plenty to be going on with.

Pre-owned Art

Regular readers will know by now that I am a minimal kind of girl at heart - but I just couldn't resist some paintings spotted whilst out and about trawling the charity shops.

Rather than small pieces of art, or even objets d'art as I prefer to call them as opposed to that general cover all title of crap that Stephen uses, I like larger items.  Just one will do instead of a few smaller pieces.  So when I spotted this oil painting in the window of a charity shop I had to go and take a closer look.

It's pretty big , about 2 foot wide by 3 foot.  And the frame was already painted white - perfect and ready to hang in the dining room.  It has initials on the painting and the date 1958 - so it's pretty old.  Always a good thing in my book.  The best part about it was the price: £10.  It was coming home with me.

The other painting (or I should say print) that I have recently acquired is now installed in the cloakroom.  Perched on the top of the cistern.

Flowers again - just can't get enough of them.

I'm not sure what this cat card was used for originally, unless it was meant as a gift.  The ribbon to hang it up was already attached and there is a price of one shilling and nine pence pencilled on the back.  I found this at the boot sale for 10p and rather than inflict it on Stephen, have hung it up in the studio.  There is only so much floral stuff that a man can take!

I will leave you with a photo of Arthur having hijacked Maudie's bed has gone to sleep.  How he can sleep like that is anyone's guess!