A bit of nostalgic waffle

I've been flitting about, being scatty and blonde..thinking I've left messages on blogs when I clearly haven't. Well I would like to really thank everyone who's left me a message..I think its lovely to receive these snippets from people whom I've not met and I'm sincerely grateful for them..you've lifted my spirits and made me think maybe selling up isn't a bad thing after all.

It actually got me thinking about how I decorated this house..how I thought it should look rather than how I really wanted it to look..which if I'm honest is probably a bit kitsch with a dash of all the other styles I like! ( I must say I absolutely adore Fred and Hayley's house)

Our first house was a tiny two up two down terrace and because we loved the 1950s (and dressed the part) it was totally Retro. A red leather sofa and diner style kitchen with flamingos and an original huge 1955 English electric fridge with a pale blue interior (currently retired in the garage with a blanket over it) It was great..I loved seeing peoples reactions to it all...something we thought was 'normal' had the gas man/milk man/any man! bemused and speechless. I'd answer the door with a baby under one arm bright red lipstick and blonde hair set rigid in a Marilyn monroe 'do' and wondered why people did a double take. I loved that time,It was great fun. Our car took up the street and stood out a mile against the normal cars...

our 1950s ford tudor pin-up car, she was the palest primrose yellow with a green velvet interior and graced the cover of classic American magazine!

We pulled up outside an American diner in Birmingham in it once and everyone came out to see us..it was hilarious..there's me ( I'm quite a shy person really) with the afformentioned do and lippy with the addition of an old 1940s flying jacket and some sparkly 1950s cats-eye sunglasses, trying to hide from all these people crowding round and gawping at us.It was the closest I've ever come to experiencing what it must be like being a celebrity(and I dont mean that in a showy-off way, honestly) It was so embarrasing!

Me in 1991!

We are much more sensible nowadays, but I must admit I do still like driving something a bit different, I didn't pass my test until I was 27 and I love pootling about in an old banger..I know its not eco friendly..but its sort of make do and mend isn't it?

Our next car was 'Betty'.

A lightweight Landrover straight out of the army, she'd been dangled under too many helicopters in her lifetime and became an alcoholic, her passion for petroleum I have yet to find a match for, so after several years of gardening duties together, and lots of waving from firemen, we sadly parted company.

My Beast is next...no Pete it's not you (In your dreams matey!!)

The Beast is my old battered h-reg pick-up (like those meanies at Top gear tried to destroy) with what looks like a sheep pen on the back.You can live in the beast if you need to as it has all manner of nicknacks,tools and bottles of water, lipsticks,dog-poo bags (minus poo I hasten to add!) and handy hair bobbles tidily hidden away in it. The funniest thing I've seen happen in the Beast was when poor old Red had to go in it for a trip up to Northumberland. We put his wicker bed in the back sheep-pen bit and it moved with him in it everytime the car turned a bit..it was Labrador-wicker-bed-skating and you could just see his worried little face through the back window hatch as he whizzed past..first this way, then off down to the bottom and back again..so funny, poor Red! (we did tie his basket to the truck when we stopped incase you're thinking we were being mean!)

"hmmm I remember it well!"

I really dont know why I've gone off on a nostalgic tangent talking about cars when I started off about decorating..oh well..we'll blame the vintage magpie...she started it!!