Dr Seuss - Feet in your shoes

You have the brains in your head. 
You have the feet in your shoes. 
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. 
You're on your own, and you know what you know. 
And you are the one who'll decide where you'll go. 

Oh the places you'll go.

Dr Seuss




Oh I so love Dr Seuss.

~x~

The future quote

~x~

Thinking Quote

To think is easy to act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking.

Johann von Goethe

Books...new worlds

The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.

Matilda, Roald Dahl

Good Books

" All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened, and after you've read one of them you will feel that all that happened, happened to you and it belongs to you forever:the happiness and unhappiness, the good and evil, ecstasy and sorrow, the food, wine, beds, people and weather."

Ernest Hemingway

Diamond Jubilee Swap

Oh I'm a bit late with doing this but better late than never.

I took part in the Diamond Jubilee Swap organised by Moonstruck Creations and Crafts @ Home. I was partnered with the lovely Felt by Rae. After a few emails between us it was time to send out the swaps.

I received a gorgeous parcel filled with loads of lovely treats.

It must be said the chocolate did not last long.

Here is what I sent out.

~x~

Friday finds

I thought I would show you some of my latest finds.

Such a pretty little tin, now all my buttons are in there. I found this in a local charity shop and it restored my faith that there are still some good finds out there that are not at silly prices. This was 50p.

A long sort out addition to my bedroom. Somewhere to store all the out of season clothes. Although at the moment I'm not sure what should be in there!! I found this at a car show and it was a lot cheaper than they are going for on Ebay these days.

Lovely glass bowl just crying out for a trifle in it. a mini tea cup and saucer for Little Miss. Another long sort after item, a toast rack and little butter knife. Oh and some lovely Cath Kidston ribbon. All from charity shops and antique shops in Rye. Oh and I nearly forgot the two lovely pieces of fabric.

I did manage to get some other lovely things there but they are for presents.

~x~

Cluttered desk

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign of?

Laurence J Peter

Time to put away a few things

~x~

June Scavenger Hunt

Well at long last I am back on track with the scavenger hunt as arranged by Kathy.

I really enjoyed doing this again, and I hope to catch up on the ones that I have missed out on.

So here we go:

Sleep - on my bed full of cushions.

On the edge - my little cat on the edge of a shadow box

Before - my old swing seat, I'm sad.

After - my new swing seat, I'm happy again.

Symmetry - a butterfly.

 Out of reach - crisps and things on top of the kitchen cupboard.

Close - my latest finds a toast rack and butter knife.

At night - view from my patio.

Diamond - Diamond Jubilee decoration.

Crown - coronation mugs in the bathroom.

Bunting - so much of it around this month. This was for Little Miss birthday.

Majesty - our view in Battersea Park for the Jubilee.

A little glimpse of the last month. I'm looking forward to next months list.

~x~

Clearing the clutter on your computer

Oh I have been having a serious sort out of all the documents, scans, photos and just general junk on my computer.

I came across these great little buttons that I saved from somewhere at some point.

But my favourite ones have to be...

~x~

Change...

Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got.

Jim Rohn

Now how true is that quote. 

~x~

Crafting away like mad

Well that's what I felt like last week!


At last I have done it my first craft stall. Yes last Saturday I was in the middle of a field at Little Miss school selling various things I have been making over the last few months.

Domino magnets (very popular with the boys).

Tea cup candles, cupcake stands, magnets and notecards.

Soaps, bracelets and bookmarks.

Trinket shelves and more magnets.

These shelves were very popular, they are great for children as they can put their collection of erasers, Lego figures etc on them.

I had a wonderful day and learnt a valuable lesson. Craft stalls in a field are a nightmare if the wind is blowing!

I can't wait to do my next one. 

~x~

Home Sewing Book

I spotted this book in the library the other week. Now it has been one of those books I have had on my "Oh I would love to have that book list" for some time.

Now I try to get books from the library before I buy them, that way I don't make expensive mistakes, and by using the libraries we get to keep them.

It is a lovely book scattered with the gorgeous Liberty prints. But the problem I found with it is that I have patterns for most of what they have done in here. The thing that makes this such a lovely book is the use of the Liberty materials.

So after borrowing it from the library and returning it this will not be moving on to my must buy book list.

Thank you library for saving me money this time. 

~x~

Quote -declutter

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

William Morris

Such a great quote and the perfect philosophy.

Dream lofty dreams...

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.

James Allen

At the library this week

Every week we go to our local library after I get in from work. We are lucky and they are open until 7pm. If they weren't I don't think we would get there that often.

We have great fun choosing what books we want to read for the following week.

The only problem I find is I want to take too many books home with me.

This weeks selection.

What great reads have you had from your library recently?

~x~

A sad day

Today we said our goodbyes to a very special Aunty.

All I can say is that you will be missed by many. But whenever we see the bluebells we will remember you.

All is well… , Author unknown

Death is nothing at all,

I have only slipped away into the next room, I am I and you are you,

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by my old familiar name,

Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference in your tone,

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow, laugh as we always 

laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was, 

let it be spoken without effort, without the trace of shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.

All is well…

~x~

This weeks read

This is my latest read and I can't put the book down. Its a great story about a police officer who is investigating a murder, then it gets all Harry Potterish and wizards and magic are involved.

Its so good I've ordered the next book in the series from the library.

~x~

You have the answer quotation

At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Lao Tsu

How true is this? Yes you are the one who deep down knows the answer to that difficult situation and knows what should be down to deal with it. Sometimes it just takes us a while to listen to our inner self.

Magic Quote

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe~

Finds

Some lovely finds from a couple of weeks ago. A mooch around a local car boot turned up these gorgeous treasures.

Beautiful plates.

Some lovely candlesticks and a heavy cut glass vase.

The days total spend was £2.20 and that included a cup of tea.

~x~

Reading this week - i before e

This weeks read.

What a great book brings back a lot of memories of being taught different things at school.

Going to try some out with Little Miss.

~x~

When life gives you...

I have this little quote on my desk and see it every day. It is lovely and gives me strength when I need it.

~x~

The future...

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

I saw this quote a couple of years ago and jotted it down in a notebook. I have been sorting through my old notebooks as part of my de-cluttering. This means that I can watch Apprentice as well as de-clutter. 

Spring clean

Oh spring is in the air. A bit of a tidy over the weekend resulted in one large bag of rubbish, numerous items heading off to the dump and charity shop, and various outgrown toys being passed on.


Also I have decided to revamp my coat hangers. I know not a major thing but I think was becoming a problem. I love wooden hangers and how nice things look in the wardrobe when clothes are hung on them. The problem I have though is things slipping off wooden hangers and lack of wardrobe space for my clothes. The other week I got some of the space saving hangers for Little Miss, I'm now converted. Things don't fall off them, no clothes in a pile at the bottom of the wardrobe.


So this pile has been sent off to the charity shop.

Found treasures part two

Here are the rest of the lovely goodies that we managed to find in the charity shops the other week.


A great little DIY book, a mug stand which will be used to hold my bracelets and a couple of gorgeous plates.


Also found a lovely tablecloth and a crocheted blanket. The blanket has some how made its way onto a certain Little Miss reading chair, ready for snuggling with.

Mothers day flowers

I'm a bit late with this but just had to include it. 


Mothers day arrived in a lovely way. Breakfast in bed for me by my Little Miss. Lovely little squirrel ornament who is now sitting on my trinket shelf and beautiful flowers.


Thank you my Little Miss.

What I'm Reading This Week...20th Century Ghosts

I ordered this book from the library a few weeks ago.


I haven't read a horror story in ages and I am really enjoying these short stories. These are really getting my imagination going!!!! 

Organising and sorting

I have started sorting out my shelves in my craft room. 


One of my challenges that I have set myself this year is to make things without buying any more supplies. So with what I already have I have to make loads of nice, pretty things. 


Four shelves of the sixteen have been sorted, now for the rest of them.

A true friend...

A true friend is one who knows all about you and loves you just the same.

 

A lovely gift on my doorstep

Well a bit of a catch up going on I received this wonderful parcel a while ago now. A pretty box full of a rainbow of threads and a book I have been wanting to read.


I was the lucky giveaway winner on LissyLou's  blog A Year of 30. This is a great blog showing one photo for everyday of her being 30. Go on have a little check out of her blog, also have a look at her other blog LissyLou.  


Thank you once again.


~x~

Not a white elephant

But a purple one (not that it looks very purple in any of the photos I've taken). 


I made mum a elephant cake for her birthday yesterday. She loved it and so did everyone else.

Found Treasures - Part One

I'm always on the lookout for special items for my home. But being a single mum I certainly cannot afford to buy new items. So it's good that I love all things vintage and retro.


Since moving into our "house on top of a shop" we have added some wonderful items of furniture. None of these items have been new, they have all been preloved. These items have come from friends, friends of friends, eBay and carboot sales.


We have also purchased a number if other items from eBay, carboot sales and of course charity shops.


I have decided to start showing some of those wonderful items that we manage to find on our weekly jaunts.


Last weekend I found this lovely book that I have been after for ages in one of our local charity shops.


It's a 1974 edition of Mrs Beetons book. Nearly as old as me!! It makes a fantastic read. I am still after a much earlier version of her book. Who knows what I might find At the car boot sales and in the charity shops this year.

What I am reading this week...Girl Reading

Well I seem to be doing well with my reading these days. But the pile beside my bed never seems to get smaller. I think this is because when we go to the library I always walk out with a new book to read.


Well this week I have got "Girl Reading" by Katie Ward. I am about three quarters of the way through this book so far and it is a great read. There are seven individual stories in this book, and all (so far) are about portraits of girls reading. You get a glimpse of their lives and I am finding I want to know more of these lives.


I can't wait to finish this and have found it hard to put down.


So what are you reading this week?

I'm back.....

....yes I'm back and apologise for the fact that I have not been blogging since before Christmas!!!


Sometimes life catches up with you and something had to give. 


I am back and will be posting at least on a weekly basis.


Thank you for still being there.