Sunday 3 January 2010

The good,The bad and the downright lovely...

Wooooosh..there it goes, that was the year then, all over and done with for another twelve months.Here's to a good,prosperous and healthy 2010..Happy New Year!!
I'm not a great fan of December, I have to admit. I love the build up and the trimmings and excitement, reading everyone else's blogs and living the season through other's eyes but bad things have a tendancy to happen around this time of year for us so I'm not what you would call the life and soul of any party.
When I was younger my Grandparents both died, my Granny 'Mopsey' on Christmas day then several years later, my Grandpa 'Pop' on Boxing day. I always think of how my Dad kept a brave face all over Christmas, we never knew till later. There have been various other things happen in Decembers past which I wont dredge up, but it is a strange month which I tend to go a bit quiet in.
My parents are in Thailand at the moment, celebrating their Christmas and New Year Thai style with my sister and her family. It's a Christmas holiday they cut short back in 2004 that they are now having good and proper.
Yes, that 2004, that Christmas in paradise, that boxing day Tsunami.
I watched a program the other night that showed the full horror of the Tsunami as caught on peoples cameras. I kept thinking about it again and again, seven members of my family would have been there on that very beach on that very same Boxing day but through a strange twist of fate, came home early because of Josie being ill. Their hotel was totally destroyed by the water. It sends a shiver down your spine.So, Christmas for me, and I know it's a bit gloomy, means I tend to be thinking about those people who may be having a tough time or who are remembering loved ones. I really dislike the commercialism of it all and the endless buy, buy, buy adverts on TV.
Onto some cheerier things now, I had some lovely surprisesrecently, really unexpected ones, firstly I won a competition.. one of those easy peasy 'missing word' ones, I entered on a whim late one night.Never in a million years did I think my name would be drawn out of the hat, but low and behold, those lovely people at Cabbages & Roses sent me £50 worth of Burt's Bees goodies the very next day, all beautifully wrapped in C&R paper and smelling coconut-honey-minty gorgeous.. Needless to say I saved it all for opening on Christmas day..Just look at that cute polka dot bag!!! purrrrrrfect for a polka dot nut like me. Then, my lovely facebook buddy Julie in Sweden (swedishhouse blog) sent me the most gorgeous old Swedish toadstool candleholders.. she knew I was down in the dumps after a particularly miserable facebook post and tagged them with my name in a photo saying these are heading your way! Then as if things couldn't be any lovelier, one of my favourite blogging ladies, Steph sent a lovely parcel of vintagey goodies to cheer me up even more. oh I've missed the Russian cocktail sticks out the photo! they're such pretty colours too.

I can't begin to tell you how lovely it is when someone you are yet to meet does something like that. LOVELY it is...just lovely.
I'm still so behind with everything, right now I'm meant to be making some roman blinds for the dining room as they were next on the 'to do' list (which is currently at least four A4 pages long) I have had the white linen fabric for months but seeing as I can't afford the batons to go in them and they would look like big baggy knickers hanging at my window, maybe it's not such a bad thing. I did manage to finish my patchwork cushion at last and after a lot of deliberating backed it with some Cath kidston fabric I found on eBay that normally only comes in oilcloth items..yes Mel, it's Provence rose! well spotted! (the lady who sells it is in Hong Kong, so it must be where the CK things are made) My mum gave me some money for Christmas and told me I would be in trouble if it was spent on bills or food and wanted to see what I bought with it, real proof of pretty stuff..so, after I had hankered after that patchwork throw at the Malvern flea fair back in September..you know,'the one that got away' and I saw these four vintage placemats on Louise Loves, I knew that they would most certainly fill that void. I hand stitched two pairs of the mats together to make them into cushions, just as Louise suggested,backed with some vintage French linen..oooh 1930's prettiness! The colours seem to be very Spring-like and fresh. I wonder what all the fabrics had been before?I suppose the bad thing is that Pete still hasn't got a proper job, the agency work finished and we are quite literally clutching at straws and living off fresh air (and Quality Street sweeties morning,noon and night) but when you find messages like this on the fridge door, it can't be all that bad... can it?I've got a mad busy week next week with horrid prodding biopsy things going on again..yuk (six months comes round too quickly for my liking) and some very much needed extra days at work so I hope you'll forgive my utter rubbishness at message replying yet again x

ps..my front door is painted in OLIVE by Farrow & Ball!! I forgot to reply to you earlier Claire and Kristina..sorry! xx
I always find their colours come out much lighter than on the chart, so it does look very similar to Cooking apple green!

34 comments:

  1. HI, sairer , lovely blog, take care , much luv helen good luck in the new year XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  2. You were very lucky with your Cabbages & Roses prize! Burts Bees is lovely stuff!

    I hope things turn round for your hubbys job search, hopefully things will start to pick up now the economy is picking up!

    Good luck with the biopsy, not the nicest thing in the world.

    Lovely comment from your hubbo. and he is right!

    Vanessa x

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  3. Lovely to get a surprise like that in the post, and your cushions are gorg. I hope your hubby finds some work soon.
    Luv Sophie xxx

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  4. all the very best for 2010....am sure it will be a good year x

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  5. So that's what they were! Aherm, I mean honestly I did know!

    Awww, so glad you liked your bits & pieces, absolutely my pleasure. And how fab are those toadstool candleholders!

    December can be a funny beast for sure. So much hope that awful things can hit even harder. One of the loveliest people I've ever met was lost in the tsunami. Barbara was a trustee at the chairty I worked for until very recently. Very sad and tragic.

    But there is always hope and I'm sending another big dollop your way. Bless your Dave. Things'll turn up chicken.

    Have a lovely week.
    Stephxx

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  6. Opps I menat to say - fantasticc patchwork. What a great job you've done on it, got my eye out for something similar.

    Love the LL versions too. You deserve a treat.

    Stephx

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  7. Oh this is getting stupid now (either that or I'm going round the loop!)

    We're so stupidly far from Wales which is rubbish! At least 2 hours from North Wales. Thansk for thinking of me, luckily there's a brill local cat charity here (who have the best charity shop in town too!)

    Definitley going now!
    Sxx

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  8. I really hope you do have a Good Year in 2010, you deserve it! Hope Hubby Finds work soon too!
    Lovely gifts and your handmade cushion is gorgeous!
    Rachel x

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  9. hope 2010 brings a new job for hubbie.
    love the CK fabric, any chance of sharing the link to the seller - would love to have some :-)

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  10. Lots of good luck wishes to you and your family for 2010! That is some prize you won there!!

    I'm the same about Christmas...love the build up and looking at pretty pix...but the actual event REALLY stresses me out...

    Oh to be 8 again :)

    Happy new year to you
    Love Sam xx

    PS Your home is Beautiful xx

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  11. What lovely goodies - I hope 2010 is a good one for you.
    x

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  12. OOOOOO, farrow and ball! I love them. I have painted my shopwalls in Mouse's Back and the doors slipper satin. The stairwell is in Lichen, which is darker than the swatch...
    Strange things colours....

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  13. We always have rotten Decembers too, and Christmas sometimes feels like the last straw! So glad you got some nice things. Fingers crossed for a much better year for you (and us).

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  14. Hi Sairer,
    So glad to see another post from you, I know you are busy and am grateful you still manage to find the time to entertain us. Excellent that you won the competition, Burts Bees stuff is really lovely. Not as lovely as your cushion though, top job! It was a great idea to turn the placemats into cushions, imagine dropping food on those lovely hexies! I am also loving the two cushions with the circles/flowery pattern on. I think I saw something similar on a pillowcase on Posy's blog and she said it was from Greengate? I need...!
    Happy New Year to you all.
    Hen xxx

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  15. Thanks for the paint info hun!! I think you had a pretty rotten 2009 so 2010 will be you and hubbies year......definatly!!!
    Well deserved win for you, the berts bees goodies look gorgeous!!
    Claire xx

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  16. Hello hunni!

    I'm so pleased something nice and happy came your way, in the form of goodies from C&R'S....what a lovely gift!

    I so enjoy your blog, its a real treat, ~I laughed when I saw my name mentioned( I was so giddy when I saw that on one of your other posts), I do love that fabric, Olly got me a little keyring for Mickmass, such a pretty design, I love how you have used snippets in the patchwork, it looks so lovely.

    December can be a funny month, a real mixture of deep thoughts on times passed, people we miss and trying very hard to be jolly, sometimes its good to just be quiet and take it at a pace that suits you.

    Hope that 2010 is a better year for us all, in whatever way it needs to be......

    Hugs, Melxxxx

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  17. Hi Sairer.
    Lovely to see a post from you again!
    I always look forward to them. You have some lovely things that were sent to you there.
    I also find December a strange month, & of course January is not my favourite, I will be facing the first anniversary of losing my dear Dad.
    It is wonderful to have the support & input from great friends out there.
    Hey - we should "meet up" on facebook.
    Take care & keep warm
    Jas
    x
    Ps I love the colour of your front door.

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  18. Hi Sairer, so glad you won the Cabbages & Roses prize - nice to get a special treat! I know what you mean about Dec being a hard month - this time of year has some sad memories for me too - sometimes it's just good to let things flow past you till you feel like lifting your head up again.

    It's always wonderful to read your posts though, and to look at your gorgeous photos. I do hope this year brings some much needed good news to you & your family, you deserve it so much. Will be thinking of you this week with the hospital appointment too.

    Thanks again for making the gorgeous lampshades for me - as soon as the snow clears I'm off to look for my new lamps!

    Willow xx

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  19. I really hope your 2010 is brighter and happier. Thinking of you.

    x

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  20. Hope your lovely C & R prize is the start of good things to come for you and your husband,
    Heres to the start of a good year for you both
    best wishes Betty xx

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  21. gosh those cushions are heaven! I would love to make a patchwork one like that, but i haven't built up my fabric collection yet!!

    When I have a house of my own, I'd like it to be just like yours :)

    Also, that is a super cute message from your husband! You are lucky!!

    Like he says, keep you're chin up, things happen for a reason.

    Looby xx

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  22. hello

    Heres to 2010 hope you and your family have healthy happy new year !!! always enjoy reading your posts regards Tudor Rose

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  23. Hmm, not a fan of December either-won't bore you with details. Quite looking forward to Spring myself. Planning gardens and projects and lots of funt hings. Chin up sweetie, things will get better.x

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  24. Where did you get that Beautiful tall Floral Candlestick from....it is fab!! Also are your other goodies but I could not help noticing that!!! Happy New Year xx

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  25. Heres wishing you a happy healthy and wealthy 2010!
    Warm Winter Wishes,
    Cally x

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  26. Just wanted to let you know that you bring sunshine to my blogging life so I'm passing on an award to you. It's waiting on my blog so do pop in and see me. Hx

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  27. Hi Sweetie
    The computer allowed me back in virtual world at long last, so I can finally say hello and catch up with news.

    I know what you mean - sparkle of christmas is lovely, but there are other things on your mind too. Mr Bun's folks died either side of it so he always feels melancholic.

    Horrible to have the prodding again, thinking of you for that. You've done really well.

    Sending more strong thoughts to you all and what the hell I've heard chocolate is a fabulous diet.

    I'm rambling and I guess I should email you really.

    All the Bestest for this year hey.

    Lisa x

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  28. Thought I'd send you a little sunshine ... check out my blog for your reward. Take care xx

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  29. Hi, I don't think I've visited your blog before but I'm not sure how I missed it as it's gorgeous!

    Your patchwork cushions are so lovely, I am very envious. I think we must have similar taste as I have a little Greengate cushion with the circles print and the same Christmas garland as you had on your front door!

    Will be back soon, Mel xxx

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  30. Now december is long gone, and January over as well, I hope things are looking up for you and your hubby.

    Kath

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  31. Your blog always looks so neat and tidy.

    How do you centralise all the pics in one blog, and frame them? I click on the central button but they still go where they want!

    All the best,
    Lesley
    www.lesleybonney.co.uk (new web coming soon)

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  32. Ohhhh, that pillowwwwwww........

    Beautiful!
    Maureen

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  33. The red polka dot purse is really cool and it made me smile knowing that you love polka dots. I love pillows too...I have more than 2 at home.

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  34. Hayley Marston

    The quilted cushions are beautiful!!i want one.love cath kidston style/vintage things.xxx

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Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou for being so lovely as to leave a message!..I try to reply to your messages on here,so check back if you dont hear from me..but please dont be offended if I dont get time to respond, each one is totally appreciated. They make my day. x

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