Tuesday 11 May 2010

A few treasures

Well, what a week. All the Whitehall and Westminster shenanigans have had us here at No. 25 completely gripped. I've always been a bit of a political junkie and being married to a journalist means that 24 hour news (usually via good old radio) looms rather large in our house on occassions such as these. Definitely a moment in history and the end of an era indeed, whatever the result has turned out to be today.

But even rolling news doesn't deter my vintage nose and I've turned up some lovely things lately. The first is this beautiful old card which I only wish I could give to everyone who leaves such thoughtful, funny and very kind comments on my little blog. They mean the world to me and I cherish them all and do wish I was able to reply to them all, thank you ever so much and hopefully I'll get around to visiting some blogs that are new to me very soon.
And shall we have a nice cup of tea together? My grandad made teapots for a living (a very skilled job apparently) but he was an expert in crafting the little brown Staffordshire ones with the coloured bands around them so I'm not sure if he'd have approved of this very elegant version. "Looks nice but won't brew" I think would probably have been his verdict. I couldn't resist myself, I do love Woods ware and I'm gathering quite a collection in this lovely shade called Beryl.
And sticking on the kitchen theme I picked up these two old Tala food decorating sets which still have all the right bits. I might get around to doing a bit of icing at Christmas but I'm not sure about piping mashed potato though - life's a bit too short I think but still, the packaging is just fantastic.
I'm not completely sure why I bought this though - the colour is gorgoeus but do I really need an old soda siphon? Well for 50p I'm sure it'll find a home somewhere!
And finally... oh this is tooooooo exciting for words. I popped into Oxfam on Friday morning not expecting to find all that much and came out with six meters of Cath Kidston fabric. Honestly the assistants nearly had to give me gas and air! I think this is the Cut Flowers (or maybe Herbaceous Flowers) from a year or two ago and is beautiful. At the moment its made up into two single duvet covers which I'm a bit loathed to unpick but I have the most fantastic project in mind for it.
Think home from home, the open road, fresh air and frolics and visit Attic 24 to get an idea of what I have in mind. Ours has been sitting on the drive for nearly a year awaiting repairs and some funds but we're ready to go now and I'll be joining Lucy in her new club. I'm so excited I could squeal. Wagons roll!

25 comments:

Garden Girl said...

Hurrah! caravans all round. We have yet another new camper van parked in our road this week, and I am coveting it!! HOW I long for a camper. Have you got the book that Lucy mentioned in her blog? I can highly recommend it. I met the writers at the Caravan Show and they were lovely. They have done their research well!
When I was little we always went caravanning, they truly are the holidays that memories are made of.
Have lots of fun in yours-the boys will love it!
xx

Garden Girl said...

By the way-we've got a green soda syphon and it's purely decorative! they are VERY cool!It's a leftover from a 70's fad of my parents..x

Louise said...

A cup of tea would be lovely, I think I will make one after I have left this comment!

My grandmother used to collect teapots and had lots of unusual ones. Sadly, she had a big clearout many years ago and since she died a few years ago I haven't seen any, so I don't think there are any left now, which is a shame.

I've also been gripped by politics for the past week, more so than ever before and I'm very pleased to have a new PM!

rosiehearts said...

Beautiful fabric! Can't wait to see what you do with it! x

bellaboo said...

Oh,I'm drooling over that CK fabric..you lucky duck!

bellaboo :0)

claire said...

more caravan envy for me then!!
I am seriously craving a caravan even though we have nowhere to store it at home....I am contemplating asking mum to rejig her garden but I'm not hopeful!!!
And I need to say aaaggghh to your CK find..you lucky thing you....I love that print and seriously cannot wait to see it in its new home!!
X

Pixiedust said...

OMG I can't believe you found all that gorgeous ck fabric in the cs shop. I'm so jealous. ;O) look forward to seeing what you do with it. xxx

Sophie - Chez Sophie said...

OMG CK fabric in a CS, I know I get some good bargains but that is just fab. I am yet to find any CK in my CS.Lucky you and your plans for it sound fun too, can't wait to hear more.
Luv Sophie xxx

Katy Noelle said...

See! Great minds think alike! =] I just did a post confessing that I collect cards (mostly reproductions of vintage, though). Yours is so pretty and don't you love sweet and genuine wishes? I love that tea pot. It's so pretty next to all of the pink flowers on your china. It has such pretty lines.

One thing that I appreciate about you is that you seem to keep blogging in check. If you're not visiting everyone and posting every day, it seems like it's because you're living your life. Live on! Live on!!! You give me hope that it CAN be done.

Thanks for the refreshment per usual! Love, Katy

Claire said...

Hey Steph, that CK fabric must be the score of the year, very desirable.

Love the teapot too, nice colour. You realise you will need a special teapot for your caravan and a teacosy to go with it.

Lots of fun, family camping adventures await.

Pea Green Kitty said...

Hehe! I think I too would have that sort of reaction to finding anything CK in a Charity Shop, I would certainly need some sort of sedation!
Oooh, I have the Beryl jug and bowl to match your teapot, its lovely isn't it, I love the shade of green and the art deco design.

PS. Thanks for your lovely comment on my last post....I too live in a more modern house, it is about too years old and is a brick box!
Maybe one day I shall have a cottage or Georgian pile!!!!?

x

Shsjndkdns said...

Hi Steph,
Lovely bargains and fabulous CK find, no way would I ever find anything that nice in my local CS!
Looking forward to seeing your plans for the caravan - me, jealous?
xx
Gem

Anonymous said...

I have never been politically minded (unlike my sister who did her school work-experience with our local MP and went to the Houses of Parliament and was hooked!) But this year it has really gripped me - I don't know if it is because I am now at an age where I am always aware of how government decisions affect my life or whether it is the exciting (if uneasy) time of change, but I have been gripped by it all week too!

As for your most delicious finds - wow! I love charity shopping for just such treasures. I can't wait to see what you come up with for the caravan... as I said to Lucy, my grandparents had a static caravan just outside Skegness when I was a child and I have very many fond memories of weekends spent there over the summer months. Nothing beats a caravan holiday, especially when you can make it cosy and all your own!

Bobo Bun said...

Well what a post Steph. Politics, yes, well we've been talking about it a lot too this past week. Then a huge find - you jammy thing and the revelation that you might be going on adventures very soon. No wonder you're excited.

Lisa x

The Fairy Glade said...

I would love a caravan, I wouldn't want to actually go out in it though, rather, I would love to decorate it with blankets and cushions and use it as a hideaway! I would hang bunting and make a rag rug and have a kettle and a teapot with a vintage cover over it....deep sigh! Dev x

Attic24 said...

ooooooooooo I am SO EXCITED Steph, we'll be caravanners together this summer yippeeeee!!!
PLease do hurry up and show us some pics of your girlies interior, and also do tell if you've named her (assuming the van's a girl here)...so happy for you and yours, bet you can't wait to go out and about, we had a ball last wkend, going again on 21st up in the dales and I'm looking forward to it so much.
Love to you
Lucexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Attic24 said...

me again....do you ever read the country homes and interiors blog?? did you know you were mentioned on there and are on Rhoda's blogroll?? Prob you knew but just in case not thought I'd mention it...xxx

http://countrydays.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/curlew-country/

Jacoline said...

What a great find your fabric i'm in love with it it's great. And woh about the caravan. I'm still dreaming about it, so maybe on one day!
Have a good weekend.

melanie said...

What great finds, I love everything, especially the fabric. I found some CK fabric in a charity shop once, the pink and white candy stripe fabirc, I paid £1.50 for it, it was made up into a king size duvet cover, so you can imagaine the quantity I got, I was over the moon, lol. xxx :)

saraeden said...

Great finds there , i seem to have found a few treasures lately which makes a change !

All this talk of caravans is funny , i am watching one on good old ebay
( it is the only one near by me in Buxton )to use next year at lots of the bigger summer fairs i want to go too :)

Sara x

Miriam said...

Thank you for the card!
I am Miriam from Italy. I haven't a blog, but I think that your blog is very nice!
Have a nice week-end,
Miriam

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

How lucky is that, 6 metres of CK fabric in a charity shop. I have not even found one little CK item so far...You did really well there.

Looking forward to seeing your caravan. I read Lucy's post a few days ago and her enthusiasm was infectious. I felt like having a caravan just so that I could have fun decorating the interior. There only one thing though, I don't go camping so it would be wasted really... However, I still would love to have a VW campervan for days out and picnics. I would have so much fun decorating the interior!

Have a lovely weekend
warm wishes
Isabelle x

Victoria said...

Great job on getting that fabric! I love CK prints. x

Pipany said...

Oh Steph, how awful for you. You poor thing. Hope it doesn't leave you feeling rotten for too much longer. Some people take the biscuit doen't they? Much love xx

alice c said...

I am afraid that the picture of the teapot makes me terribly anxious because the teacups look as though they are just about to tumble off the shelf. I have tried telling myself that it is just a photo and obviously you would not have let them fall off the edge but I still want to put my hand up to the screen and push them back onto the shelf. It is the chinaobsessive part of my personality, I am afraid.