Things I'm Loving ... And A Couple I'm Not ...

So loving my patio rose bush (blooms aplenty - more luck than judgement), particularly with the forget-me-not blue fence in the background ...

Ditto my profusion of marguerite daisies (seriously, there are gazillions of them) ...

Apparently, their unopened flowerbuds can be pickled and used like capers.

Still completely in love with the mindless 'up and downness' of my dear old crocheted blanket ...

(Please tell me it's growing) ...

But hate it when there's not ... quite ... enough ... yarn ... to last the row ...

Love 'less is more' crochet and lavender ...


... and mastering slightly more complicated patterns ...


Adore these african flowers (superb pattern here).

(whispers now in case Mr Purse Strings is listening) Love love loving new dress ... 

Not loving the fact that it is from Marks and Sparks so there is a distinct possibility of bumping into an 80 year old woman wearing the same one!

Really loving this tangle of sweet peas on the kitchen table and it's heavenly fragrance ...

And always loving this snuggable, huggable, kissable snout ...

But definitely not loving the chocolate-coloured spaniel hair and gubbins wafting along the floor like tumbleweed when there's a through draught ...

Hope your weekend is full of things you love.

Hx

The Winner Is ...

Hey!

I'm a day late with my giveaway draw - oopsy, sorry - but better late than never!

I loved reading your 'I wish I could' comments and it was great to 'meet' some new people!  It seems I'm not alone in the desire to waft around in my own handsewn creations.

Anyway, without further ado, I shall be sending a little box of treats and this ...

to ...

Gem of Treasures From The Cherry Tree!  Yay!!!

If you send me your address Gem via my email pinkmilk@btconnect.com, I'll pop your parcel in the post petal.  Do hope you love it!

Thanks so much to you all for taking part.

♥

Every day I ask my blondies to tell me a fact they have learnt at school.  It has to be a little more educational than "my friend Emily doesn't like tomatoes".  I thought I'd leave you with what I've learnt today ...

"NEVER CLEAN A TOILET WEARING YOUR FAVOURITE LOOOONG NECKLACE"!

Just saying ...

Hx

♥ GiVeAwAy! ♥

Ooh, I do love my little blog!

As promised, to celebrate my 100th post and as a little thank you to you gorgeous girls and your blogs which also give me such pleasure, a little giveaway!

I've strayed away from my jewellery making for a while - to be honest, it's been usurped by crochet.  I do still, however, make the occasional item for myself or special requests.

The winner of this giveaway will receive this pretty sterling silver charm bracelet with turquoise gemstone heart and Karen Hilltribe silver daisy.

Plus a few extra pretties ...

Including some handmade buttons, rose fridge magnets and a few lovelies for your lapel!

Now, I would LOVE to be able to make my own clothes.  I have the ideas but not the ability!  I've half-heartedly tried but have always ended up getting into a ratty pickle.  It's in my genes; my paternal grandmother was a very successful fabric and fashion designer.  She didn't like to be referred to as a granny so we always called her Maggie.  This is her at the age of 15 ...

And a couple of copies of her handpainted garment and fabric designs ...

In the 1970s she used to go to Buckingham Palace once a month to dress the Queen.

Maggie could sew absolutely anything.  If she saw an outfit she liked she could make an exact replica for herself.  She was always immaculately dressed though I never, ever saw her in a pair of trousers.

Maggie, who was also a professional artist, worked until she was in her eighties.  She died eight years ago at the age of 91.

Anyway, this little canned history of my family leads me back to my giveaway believe it or not!  To make it slightly more interesting, is there a particular skill you would LOVE to have?  Do tell.

I'll randomly pick a name on the longest day, the 21st June 2011.

Good luck!

H♥

Can't Be Bothered ...

Hormones dictate that I'm having an 'everything is too much effort' day today.  No point in fighting it.  It's Friday, the world won't stop turning if I mooch for a while now will it?!

Yesterday I had a little more energy and decided on a spontaneous shopping trip into town.  Want to see what I bought?

I just love the colour combination of these Primark beads.  They go perfectly with my new White Stuff dress ...

(Note smudge of white gloss paint near my thumb - it won't seem to come off!)

Better view of the dress.  It's quite shapeless but in a flattering way, believe it or not, particularly perfect for those 'can't be bothered to hold my tummy in' days! ;-)

Prettiest and softest pyjamas from Primark.  Perfect for those 'can't be bothered to get dressed' days.

Also from Primark, a lovely floral ruched top for a 'can be bothered' day.

Citronella tealights in gorgeous rainbow colours.  Perfect for those 'can't be bothered with bugs' days!

Rosy socks ...

and, finally, when you can't be bothered to make much effort with supper ...

M&S' edible flower salad.  Sigh, summer on a plate!

It's hard work all this 'not being bothered' business, but such fun!

Have a gorgeous weekend.

Hx

Such A Lovely Time ♥

Oh, we had the loveliest little break away, D and I.

We travelled in style, top down all the way!  The weather was glorious.

Byfords was absolutely charming.  It's a boutique-style hotel with a restaurant and a deli.

Byfords sits in the middle of Holt and is absolutely surrounded by gift and antique shops.

Our favourite place was the Antiques Emporium (thanks for the tip Top Chelsea Girl!).  It was like a tardis - room after room stuffed to the rafters with vintage-everything.  If only our boot space wasn't limited, I'd have ended up bringing home chimney pots for the garden, a Lloyd Loom chair, a dresser-full of crockery and an armful of linens but I was more than happy to settle for my Sylvac spaniel ...

Note to self, return to Holt next year in a pick-up truck! ;-)

So, in a nutshell, we ate, drank, shopped, chatted, drank, laughed, ate, shopped and ate some more!

It was soooo good to spend some quality time together.

I came back home slightly more chubsy and definitely a little bit more in love with my gorgeous husband!

Before I go, I haven't forgotten my 100 post giveaway ... news to follow shortly.  In the meantime, guess what came in the post today ..?

Yay!!!

I've only had a quick flick through so far but, without spoiling your pleasure, it looks every bit as good as the first issue!

Speak soon.

Hxxx

Ooh Laa Laa!

There's a lot of grot in the world ...

but there's also a hooooootling amount of loveliness.

Look, look, look what Lynda from Hookin With Laa Laa sent me ...

The most exquisitely handmade little purse in CK fabrics (see the inset photo of the back too) complete with beautiful stitchiness on the front.



Embroidered roses (definitely destined for denim), a CK mug (no kidding, I so nearly popped one of these in my trolley when I last went to Waitrose), perfectly peachy ribbon and Lush lotion (my favourite).

Wait, it doesn't stop there, Lynda also included these pretty iron-on letters ...

Oh.  How rude.

Oops ...

Tee hee!

Thank you so much Lynda.  You have completely got me sussed.  Everything is perfectly perfect and I am tickled pink.

I have yet more loveliness to share with you.  Tomorrow, D and I, sans blondies, are going here for a whole day and a whole night ...

It's Byfords, the posh Bed and Breakfast, in Holt, Norfolk.  Yay!!!

Of Holt, "this pretty Georgian market town, nestled in the north Norfolk countryside, is brimming over with many interesting antique, arts and crafts and gift shops. There are also plenty of lovely places to eat and with the North Norfolk coast within easy reach you can walk off some of those extra calories while breathing the refreshing sea air."

This little trip sort of ties in with D and I 'being together for 18 years' and I'm soooo excited.

Can you believe that our stay is a 'thank you gift' from our dear friends, Peter and Jane *waves to Jane as she is known to stop by from time to time!*

I shall have my trusty Canon Ixus clutched in my mitt so will share all (well, select highlights) on my return!

Before I go, I should like to say a big "THANK YOU" to the lovely Helen of Moonstruck Creations and the gorgeous Gem of Treasures From The Cherry Tree for these awards respectively ...

Do go and have a peek at these girls' blogs, you'll love them.

With regard to fulfilling the rules of the awards, I think you know enough about me already but I'll rack my brains for some interesting facts.

I don't know if you're the same, but it boggles my mind sometimes to know that there are creative, articulate like-minded souls out there (yes, you) who browse my pictures, read what I write and then come back for more.

As I say, such loveliness in the world ...

H♥