Roses, Roses, Roses!

Just like many of you, I absolutely adore roses and never tire of seeing them in any shape or form. It's generally a pretty dull time in the garden at this time of year and despite the early signs of Spring flowers, it will be a few months until we see the roses again! So I thought I would share these roses with you in the meantime! The beautiful barkcloth fabric above is one of my favourites and the pretty ribbons and roses cotton fabric below is so pretty!



I really enjoy seeing roses - and other flowers - around the home on textiles, china, barbola mirrors and paintings. These are two of my favourite paintings. The first is a stunning yard long oil painting dated 1921.



This beautiful oil painting is Edwardian and is very much in the style of Catherine Klein. Again, it is a yard long painting but has always been hung this way up - just as well as it really wouldn't fit anywhere else!



Finally, a few of my favourite things, as the song goes! A delightful old chest of drawers covered in wallpaper...



...and a roses pastel painting with one of Niki's wonderful rosy creations!



I'd love to see all of your favourite rose items!

A Moment in Time...

I was sorting through some old black and white photos the other day and came across several I'd like to share with you all. Sadly, many of the photos have been passed around the family and become torn and marked, so apologies for the less-than-perfect appearance of some!



The first is me! Despite most baby photos being embarrassing, I've always liked this one because I think I look so happy! Apparently, according to my mum, I was a very happy 'bouncing' baby and laughed and chattered a lot (nothing's changed there then!!!)

This is one of my favourite photos. My mum and aunt decided they would like a photo with me and the cat. Of course, the cat had other ideas so my aunt is trying to keep her in the shot! Both my mum and aunt are highly amused by it all - but I'm a little perturbed at the family cat being restrained in this manner!

Here are a couple of much older photos. The first is my grandmother, Gwendoline, and was taken in the 1920's. I believe she was about 19 at the time. Just look at that 20's fashion!



This is Lily, my mum's cousin and was taken about 1930. She doesn't look particularly happy does she?!



Finally, this is my husband's family. This photo shows two of his aunts and an uncle, along with his dad, who is the youngest in the photo. This was taken in the 1930's and they are stood outside their 'picturesque' country cottage - which I'm informed had no electricity and no running water - very typical for such cottages at that time.



Having found a huge pile of these old family photos, I'm now going to make it a priority to find a lovely vintage photo album and put all my old photos in and label them up so there'll be no guesswork as to who's who.

I'd love to see some of your family photos - don't forget the baby ones!!

Decisions, decisions...

I've been busy collecting all sorts of vintage treasures together, ready for selling on my new website. We're getting nearer and nearer to 'launch day' so I thought I should get organised and gather together my stock. After all, a shop with no stock would be no use at all, would it?!

But anyone who knows me will confirm that I only tend to buy the things I like - which does make shopping an absolute pleasure of course - but it's an absolute disaster when it comes to parting with things!!!



For example, there are these wonderful old handpainted panels which I am so tempted to keep as I'm sure I'd find a use for them one day! Then there's this lovely old handpainted, age-distressed table - why aren't I keeping that?!

I also love this old roses and chippy table too...

...and I've just remembered this gorgeous 1940's French bedspread - a real beauty! Oh dear!

I'm sure you can see my dilemma! I suppose I just need to be strong don't I?!

and so to bed...

The weather has been so awful just lately hasn't it?! Gales and rainstorms have lashed us from all sides and it's been so dark and dreary! I must admit, I've found it very hard to leave my bed in the mornings. On one such typical morning this week, as I was lying there with the sheet pulled up under my chin listening to the rain lashing against the window pane, I found myself musing about bed linen...



For some time now, especially since I've been buying and selling textiles, I have been using vintage linens, eiderdowns, blankets and quilts on my beds. The 'continental duvet' has been cast out and I can honestly say it will never return! There is nothing nicer than climbing into a freshly-made bed when you have crisp cotton or linen sheets and pillowcases - it's just delightful! I have never been warmer and cosier since layering the bed with Comfy quilts and Witney blankets - ooh such comfort! Even the bed in the guest room enjoys the same vintage warmth!



Eiderdowns are perfect for those really chilly nights and layering with sheets, blankets and quilts mean you can quickly adjust to the changing temperature of our fickle English weather!





All that talk of bed and cosiness has made me quite sleepy! I think maybe an early night is in order. Now, where's that hot water bottle...?!

Sweet dreams everyone!

New Year, New Stock, New Beginnings!

I have been visiting my antiques unit today, which is in the Brackley Antique Cellar in Northamptonshire. It is a huge antiques centre with 150 dealers. I specialise in vintage textiles - such as eiderdowns, quilts and fabrics - all with a floral theme.



I also sell oil and watercolour paintings, painted furniture, china, lighting and all manner of other vintage treasures.



I have also enjoyed selling similar items on ebay and therefore decided to launch my own website selling vintage goodies! It is currently 'in production' and should be up and running in a month - I will let you know when it is ready! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures which show a small selection of my latest stock for the antiques unit. I will show you some more soon...!

January!

I had a wonderful calendar as a gift for my birthday and each month portrays a beautiful vintage-style lady, surrounded by jewels, roses and lace. Here is 'Miss January' - these are lovely large pictures so I will probably frame them at the end of the year.

Here are some close-ups of the roses around the cameo.





I've just had a peep at February's - can't wait to show you that one!

Happy New Year!

Whether you spend it with a friend or family...

...or simply relaxing alone...

...however you see the New Year in I hope you have a wonderful time! I would like to thank everyone for all of their lovely comments over the past few months and I look forward to reading all of your great blogs in 2007!
A Very Happy New Year to You All!

A Very Merry Christmas To You All!

I thought it was about time I shared some Christmassy photos with you! We have been busy decorating the tree and have also decked the timbers with garlands and lights!





We've had a very traditional red and gold theme for our decorations ever since I can remember, and every year we add a few more! Therefore some of the decorations are 'vintage' and some are much newer!



Lastly, Santa's little helper was overcome with all the festivities and decided to stop for a rest!


I hope you enjoy the photos and I look forward to seeing all of your Christmas photos too! Merry Christmas everyone!

My 'Vintage' Phone!

I can't quite believe I'm actually 'blogging' my phone but I hope you'll agree that it isn't just any old phone!!! It was my birthday last week and my lovely husband whisked me away for the weekend for a stay in a converted windmill. http://www.oastbarn.com/ click on 'Splash Mill' to find out more! As if that wasn't enough of a treat, we spent the whole of Saturday in the Portobello Road, doing a spot of antique shopping. But the absolute highlight of the weekend was a trip to the Michal Negrin shop in Windsor, the first of her stores on the UK. http://www.michalnegrin.co.uk/ Two years ago we spent my birthday in Prague where I had the pleasure of discovering her beautiful jewellery for the first time.

Apparently there are only a handful of these phones in the UK at the moment - the main delivery is expected in March I think. I was lucky enough to get one of the four they were expecting that week as I was VERY persistent! It is presented in the most beautiful box which can be used as a jewellery box too - oh, and the phone even has one of those dangly things attached to it!!!

Anyone who knows me would be amazed that I am excited about a phone - after all, it isn't exactly vintage is it?!! But it has to be the closest thing to vintage-style that a phone can get, don't you agree?!!

Who is Alice?

I have a cottage filled with floral oil and watercolour paintings, they bring the garden inside and at this time of year it's nice to be surrounded by flowers!

However, one of my favourite paintings is a delightful oil painting of a little girl. It was painted in 1933 by Alix Jennings and written on the back is the name 'Alice Scatterbrook'. I have always wondered who she is. The surname sounds as though it originates from the North of England but I have no information on her.

I think she is adorable! The painting charms me every time I look at it! With those big blue eyes, her lovely rosy cheeks, pretty golden curls and wonderful pink dress, who can failed to be charmed by her?! Given the age of the painting, if the adult Alice is still around, then she would probably be in her late 70's or early 80's.

Does anyone else have something special they would like to know more about?

Holiday Memories

Niki had a nice idea with her recent post about memories, so here are mine. Just a couple of years ago we had a wonderful holiday in New England. We stayed in Southern Vermont, in the town of Bennington (where the English were defeated by General Stark!!!) at a beautiful colonial clapboard house - complete with verandah which had a resident robin family (see photo).

Most of us have regular holidays to far flung places, but of all the countries we've visited this was the hardest place to leave. The people were wonderful, the scenery was breathtaking, the streets were clean and we felt so much at home there.

We crammed a lot into our 10 days - which felt like 10 weeks, we did so much! We met up with some friends from Pennsylvania, we visited the most enormous antiques fair at Brimfield MA, and experienced an evening at a 'traditional English pub' in upstate NY. We visited all the small towns we could and drove the 5 miles to the top of Mount Equinox. We delighted in seeking out the old covered bridges (who didn't shed a tear over 'The Bridges of Madison County' - both book and film!) We revelled in the beautiful old houses and the charming Dutch barns throughout MA.

When we came home we mused on the idea of living there. It's something we still talk about and as I type this I feel a really overwhelming sense of longing. Since our return, life has intervened in our plans - someone once said 'life is what happens when you're busy making plans'. How true. Still, we may yet return, be it for a holiday or to live there. Hope you enjoy the photos!