Blogtober - Junk Love

It's JUNK LOVE Wednesday!! 

 If you are not aware of what this is all about then it is simply a little club of people who love to transform junk into all things fabulous.  It is a great place to get ideas, be inspired and show off what you have done.  If you want to join in on the Junk Loving then 

Sign up here

So what I am working on this week is transforming a really old bicycle into some garden art.

I am sure you have all seen how funky it looks when they get painted up and potted up with a basket full of flowers.

This is what I am starting with, although I had already given it a good wash down at this stage.

I have actually started to paint ,but soon discovered I was going to need more than one can of spray paint.  It is now too windy for me to finish it off so the colour and big reveal will happen on Junk Love next Wednesday.

I hope many more of you will join in on the fun of Junk Love.  If you want to see what other Junk Love projects I have done

Click Here

I Made It!! Monday...

So everyone seems to have little themes for days of the week - I used to do T42 Tuesday, where I would showcase one of my teapots from my huge collection each week (it was also incentive for me to dust one off once a week).  Anyway, maybe I should get back into that as they could do with a dust that is for sure.

Well it is Monday and I have something to show you that I made over the weekend, so I am calling today

 I Made It - Monday.

As you know I have made plenty of fun themed hats and always on the look out for more ideas.

There have been

 Rabbits

 Bears

 Little Chicken

 Owl

 Rudolph

 Sock Monkey

 Birthday Cake

 Elmo

Purple People Eater

Now to show you my latest little creation.  I was inspired by this photo that I saw.

A little Cabbage Patch Doll hat!!  How cute right.

And this is my version, my first one. 

 There are a few more being made and I have a couple of different hair style ideas for them.

This one is "Strawberry Blonde" with golden locks and pink streaks, and is modelled by one of my old 80's patch kid babies.

So there you have it

I Made It - Monday.

T42 - Tuesday - The perfect cup of tea

It really has been way too long since I have done a T42  Tuesday.  And yes the teapots are getting dusty and in need of some attention.  I have been going back through my old T42 posts to see which teapots I have already shown you so that I don't double up, but it is quite a task.  On my search I found this one, which was on my birthday wish list for last year!!! I still really, really, love this one.  My love of retro radios, yarn and crafts, tea and biscuits and teapots are all represented.  

Want, Want, Want!!!!

How to Make the Perfect Brew

1. To make the best tasting tea, you will need a kettle in which to boil the water, and a teapot in which to brew the tea.
2. Fill a kettle with fresh water of any temperature, and put it on to boil. Do not reboil water, as the air has been boiled out and the water will be flat.

3. While the water in the kettle is heating, fill your teapot with hot water to preheat the pot. This will help keep the water hot for a longer time when added from the kettle for brewing tea. When the water in the kettle begins to boil, pour the water out of the teapot.
4. Add your favourite tea to the teapot. If you are using loose tea, add one more teaspoon for each cup and another for the pot. If you are using teabags, keep in mind that most teabags will make two cups, so add bags according to the numbers of cups your pot holds. For example, a standard six cup pot would take three teabags. If you like your tea very strong, add another teabag.
5. Bring the teapot to the kettle so the water will be boiling when added to the pot. Place the lid on the teapot, and steep from three to five minutes. Teabags brew much more quickly than loose tea, so two minutes may be long enough if you prefer a lighter tea.
6. Pour out the tea, and add sugar, lemon, or milk as desired. Low calorie sweeteners also work well in tea, but try sparingly until you find the right taste. Pour tea made with loose leaves through a strainer.
7. Refill the pot from the kettle for more cups of tea. Remove teabags or loose tea after the second brewing; do not leave the tea leaves in the pot, or the tea may become too strong and bitter.
8. After refilling the teapot, you may want to use a tea cosy to keep the tea hot for second and third cups.

Taken from "Teapots: The Collector's Guide" by Tina M. Carter

Sit back and enjoy your cuppa
Next week , I will resume my dusting!! Promise

Sunday - Easy

Sometimes you just need a good Sunday Song...

Easy.

Spring

Here in our little part of the world it is Spring.  It is my favourite season of the year as the weather is glorious, the flowers are in bloom, the garden springs to life.

Today my daughters started work on their own little patches of garden.  After listening to complaints about them not having enough colour outside their windows, it was decided that they could take ownership of those areas.  So the patches have been weeded, new pots of colourful plants bought, planting has begun and before long they will have a gorgeous display of blooms out of their window.

 Old wooden chairs given a spray of bright paint, make a great point of interest 

and give height to the garden

Now after a busy day outside we are all heading out for tea.

Hope you all have had a wonderful day

Birthday Countdown...Wishlist

This is my birthday month and in 11 days it will be here.  As you get older , birthdays don't seem to be such a big deal.  The excitement you had as a child fades slowly over the years and if you get your hopes up too much it usually ends up in disappointment.
So I have come to the point where I expect nothing and get pleasantly surprised if I get more than that.
But the fun I have is making up a list of all the wonderful things I would like to have.

So here it goes.....

Pretty Pink Party Shoes (that are also slightly sensible)

Sleek Silver Eco Earrings (although I also want some nice hoops too)

Stock up on beauty products from Rhasdala

A holiday....anywhere!!

Of course there has to be Cake!!!

Anyway, my list could go on and on and on, but I have other things to do today.  Well, I have 11 more days to dream so I am sure my list will grow.

Have a great day everyone.

New Beginnings.

Losing a pet is really hard.  They become such a big part of your family and for most of us we get a dog or cat before we have our children.  It is kind of like, a test of your responsibility.  Obviously kids take a lot more work but you know what I mean.

Earlier this year our beloved dog Thor passed away.  He really was just a lovely gentle natured dog.  Our girls grew up with him and he was nearly 15.  Needless to say he left a big void in our lives.

We hadn't planned on jumping in to get another dog in a hurry but an opportunity came along to give a home to a rescue dog.  She was rescued from the pound and staying with a foster carer, but she was also pregnant!

Can you guess where this story is going?

Many weeks later eight little puppies arrived!  They were all still in foster care but have now all found loving homes.  We have taken on the care of the rescue dog - her name is Pippa , and one of her adorable little puppies.

Sometimes things just work out, the timing might not always seems right, but in the end time doesn't wait for us.

Our new additions arrived last Thursday , just in time for school holidays - perfect!!