I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Yoohoo, I am back again after a pretty fun weekend, it was very tiring but also very entertaining. But more about that in another post. This post is all about last Friday.

If you read my blog regularly, you will remember that I won a fabulous prize from Juanitatortilla in her blog giveaway. And you may also recall that I did a fabric swap with the quite cheeky Sarah from the Red Gingham blog. Friday afternoon, just as I was about to set off for the two-day craft fair, both packages arrived and I was absolutely thrilled to bits when I opened them.

Let me show you first of all what arrived from Switzerland -


Am I a lucky girl or what? The apron is so funky and the bracelet is so gorgeous, a beautiful design and great colour combinations.

And just look what was in the second package, all the way from New Zealand -

The fruity ladies, yippee!


and how about these fabulous funny fabrics?

ROSES!!!!Delicious, delightful roses
Sarah also sent me a diary with the most beautiful photographs of NZ, which made me just wanna jump on a plane and take a very long trip. What a beautiful country. This is just one of the jaw droppingly gorgeous pics -



And this is the cheeky bit, lol, Sarah also sent me some very pretty quilt patterns, d you think she is telling me something? Yep, definitely, I am supposed to make use of my fabric stash! Ah, if only I had more time.......... and someone standing behind me and kicking me into action!

I did spend a couple of days last week though to make lavender hearts and sachets with some lovely old French ticking and linen and some vintage rose fabrics, but I am not entirely sure thats what she had in mind.

So, a very big THANK YOU!!! to you both for your lovely prezzies, I adore them.

Thats it for now, I have to spend some time now to work my way through all the posts from my favourite blogs which I missed while I was away, and it seems there are one or two ( or a hundred, lol ) to catch up on! I'll tell ya all about the craft fair tomorrow.

Another fair to prepare for

I have booked a stall at a two-day fair this weekend, and because it is quite a long way from where we live, I have decided to stay over, to camp in fact. My darling son N, who always goes with me to these fairs, to help set up and take down, and generally keep me company, isn't too impressed with the idea of camping with his mum, lol, and I can't say I blame him. Bless him, the promise of a few Magners, French bread and pepperoni sausage might have just about done the trick of roping him in though. I certainly couldn't cope without him, so I might have to throw in a dinner at his favourite oriental restaurant next week as well.

We'll be leaving Friday afternoon to set up, so now I am frantically getting a few last minute things ready. My long awaited lavender buds have finally turned up today, so now I am VERY busy making a few drawer scenters, lavender sachets, stuff like that, which goes with the soaps etc. I am also taking a few other things with me, vintage huckaback towels, antique French towels, all nicely bathroom themed.

Drawer scenters, made with antique French handspun linen and antique ticking, filled with gorgeous strongly scented lavender buds -


A set of three gorgeous little vintage huckaback towels, two pink, one yellow, and a single one with a very prettily embroidered rose border -


I gotta get back to the sewing machine, got so much more to do! This must be my shortest post, ever, lol. I might add a few more things to the post later on. Til then, toodleloo x

What a weekend!

Well, as you all know by now, I attended Floss's birthday party on Saturday, and what a party it was. I may have slightly overdone the Pimms, Elderflower champagne, and Kir Royale, and perhaps got a wee bit too carried away with my chauffeur, because when I got up on Sunday morning I wasn't feeling too bright. But then, who would at 6am? I had to get ready to go and set up at a craft fair.

The location was quite stunning, it was held in the grounds of the beautiful Herstmonceux Castle, along with an antique fair and a boot fair. Hmm. I did love having a bootfair to quickly stroll through after setting up, but............... I really don't think that particular arrangement worked for the crafters. Yes, there were loads of people, who took a very quick stroll through the craft marquee and then went back to the huge boot fair, without spending much. It was a long and pretty frustrating day, happily I was one of the few lucky people who did at least have a reasonable amount of sales. And Suzanne, the lovely girl with the gorgeous handmade handbags, whom I had met at a previous craft fair, was there, so at last we could natter when the going was dead slow.

This is the beautiful castle


I love the reflection of the arches in the water



The moat with beautiful water lilies


One one side of the castle was this row of the most amazing ancient sweet chestnuts. I got a bit carried away snapping pics with my little camera, for my son, really, who is a tree surgeon. Just look at the size of these trees, I wonder just how many hundreds of years old they are -


just click on the pics to see them full size, and really appreciate the beauty of the giants.

As I said earlier, I did manage a superquick sprint through the bootfair, while my darling son looked after the stand, and this is what I found -

A nice sized bunch of bits of old broderie anglaise and a good sized piece of very pretty dainty wide lace


I also found this dinky little flower brooch


and then there was this little copper kettle, which needs a LOT of elbow grease to make it all nice and shiny, but I don't care, its so cute


Oh, and I got a couple of tins as well


Ooh, oh, and I nearly forgot my 25p find, lol, this handbag, not very well made at all, but I loved the old wooden handles, and I am sure the quilted fabric, which is quite pretty, can be used for something as well -


I really did have a terrific headache at the end of the day, not a hangover I hasten to add, cyberdrinking doesn't usually have that effect, lol. I was sick as a dog, managed a quick bath when I got home, fell asleep on the settee as soon as I sat down, and was woken up very gently by my darling husband when it was time to go to bed.

What a weekend, eh?

Well, grrr to blogger

It seems that because I prepared and saved my Garden party post last night and posted it this morning, it doesn't show up as posted this morning, but as posted last night. So it is way behind my last post, lost in the depths of other posts, lol, and it probably means I am missing the garden party altogether! How silly is that, grrr, why doesnt it show the time of posting, rather than the time of drafting??? Ah well, I shouldn't get too miffed, after all, it IS Floss's birthday and I am going to have a celebratory drink and get over it, lol.

I'm going to a party!

A garden party, to be precise. And to be even more precise, Floss's birthday garden party! Now I know Floss said she has been ever so busy preparing for her parties, but come on, girl, do you have any idea how stressful it has been for your guests, well, for me actually, to find the right dress, accessories etc to do the occasion justice?

It is early morning, VERY early morning and I am beginning to prepare for the BIG EVENT. At the moment I am reflecting on the weeks of agonising of what to wear, how to travel, what to take, what to expect etc etc.

The dress, sigh, of course something classy is needed, maybe with a hint of vintage, made to show off my hourglass figure ( I know, dream on, Lizzie ), and perfect for the wonderful setting. The accessories, you have no idea how far and wide I looked to get something to compliment the outfit.

And of course, no expense is being spared to reach your party in style.

Right, I'll stop talking now, I have to get dressed and get going! Time flies!

First, I really need to



Floss and tell her that I will be on my way soon. She needs to make sure that her lawn is clear round about 3pm, so that I can land


Right, off upstairs to get dressed.

Underwear, first all. I know Floss likes vintage things, but I think wearing these


would be going too far with the vintage theme. So I am opting for some lovely silk skimpy things instead


I haven't yet managed to get myself nicely tanned, so I really need to wear


Oooh, so far so good. Now for the dress, my goodness, you have no idea how much time and effort went into finding the right dress!!!

I did fall in love with this dress


but not wanting to outshine the hostess and being a rather demure and shy little wallflower myself, I am going to wear this understated and rather sweet little vintage number


I did, however splash out on this beautiful Victorian brooch, and I am clipping it onto the neckline


I was going to wear this wonderful


but now I am thinking, hey, why hide my beautiful face?, I am going instead for a rather elegant hairdo


Are you beginning to get the picture?

Shoes, sigh, now that is a big problem. Am I going to be sensible and wear
flatties so that I don't sink into the lawn? Or am I going to be a bit more glamorous
and go for a smallish heel and stay on the terrace? Terrace it is, I need a bit more height, lol.
So far, the outfit is pretty demure and white, I need a little bit of colour, so I am taking with me
my favourite little


and I am also going to wear
on my finger, I had this garden party ring specially comissioned.

Just a little hint of

and I am ready to go.

I hired a


oh, and here it is, right on time, to pick me up and take me to the


Sigh, thankfully it is quite a smooth flight, to the nearest airport, where I am about to board


Oooooh yes, thats the way to travel, sink into the luxury seat, enjoy a bit of

and RELAX!!!

Doesn't time fly when you are having fun, just look at that, we have just arrived at


Couldn't get a Roller at this end, so I have to make do with a


but who cares about the car, when its chauffeured by


yes, you did see right, the gorgeous Jensen Ackles


Pretty darned good way to travel, right?

And so I finally arrive at Floss's wonderful home. My goodness, just look at all the cars in front of her house!


As I walk through the gate, up the


into the beautiful garden, I am greeted by some of the guests


and finally, ah, there she is, the birthday girl herself!


I did bring her a little bunch of flowers and some choccies, of course.There you go, Floss, HappyBirthday!!!

She is such a lovely hostess, she shows me where we are going to sit in the beautiful marquee


Yummy, look at this wonderful buffet


I just adore these summer party cupcakes


Floss, you have gone to soooooo much trouble, everything is just wonderful, from the

to the


and the fabulous


You have outdone yourself, girl!

I am having a wonderful time, and is soooo lovely to meet some fellow bloggers at the party.
They are all a bit camera shy though, but perhaps they will let me take their photos a bit later on, after another glass or two of


aaahhh, Kir Royale, my favourite French summertime drink.

Oooh, Oooh, girls, I have just heard she has got a live band playing, lets go have a look, they are just setting up. Well, I'll be................ it can't be............ omg, it is


and they are just starting to sing

TOO SHY SHY, HUSH HUSH, EYE TO EYE..........

Would you believe it, in the other marque she has got


Its all just too much for poor little me, I have to sit down for a moment and use one of the


which Floss has so thoughtfully provided on all the tables.

Goodness me, its getting dark already! Yikes, whats that noise???? OMG, just look at what her hubby has arranged now


What a wonderful way to end the most amazing Birthday Garden Party Day.

Big birthday hug to you, Floss, and thank you for a fabulous experience!