Saturday 25 January 2014

Vintage Plates

Another beautiful find on our antiques hunt last Sunday.  The lady at the shop threw these in with my cabinet for free.  I have a bit of a thing for antique crockery.  There's just something so delicate and pretty about it.  The finish, the china, imagining who ate of it, what they were doing, who they were, that I just love!



I have quite a few bits and pieces now.  Vintage Kitchenalia is really a passion of mine.  I never thought I'd get into antiques the way I did, but I guess years Production Managing the Antiques Road Trip show has rubbed off on me!

I used to find myself in these bric a brac, shabby chic, antiques, vintage (whatever you want to call them) stores for work.. hanging around whilst the Director got the cutaway or the expert got the deal they wanted, but now I shop for pleasure!  To be fair, I had to ban myself from going on shoots when we were in production because I always came home with a boot full of 'stuff'!  

Sewing Space Update

We went antiquing last Sunday and I found this gorgeous 1950s display cabinet that I took home and turned into my long awaited fabric stash cabinet!

I spent last night organising my fabric into colours and type.  Dress making on the top.... quilting on the bottom two shelves by colour.  It's so good to finally see all the lovely fabrics I have.  They were just stuffed in a plastic crate underneath the computer desk but now they're on display to inspire me over and over!  It's amazing what a difference a bit of organisation can make!



I got all my patterns out too.  I have the  Macaron Pattern by Colette to do.  I've been trying so hard to find time to start this but never quite getting there.  I'm also half of the way through the Kimono Burda top as inspired by Handmade Janes recent blog and I recently bought a couple of Simplicity patterns that I saw over on Adventures in Dressmaking that I want to try.

With all this sewing to do I'm going to have to buy more fabric - but now I have a gorgeous place to store it all!  

Thursday 16 January 2014

Sewing Room Upgrade


I don't know about you but I always feel slightly relieved with January comes.  The over indulgences of December are over, it's a time to hibernate and regroup and get ready for the year ahead.

It's also usually a quiet time in terms of work for me - but maybe not so much this year.  Regardless I am taking every opportunity I can to get on the sewing machine.

I have started a new knitting project and keep making the Granny squares for my crochet quilt when I'm in front of the TV and the sewing room is about to get a make over.  Starting with this little beauty - my new thread organiser!  The simple things..... it just makes me so happy to look at it.  I'm constantly looking for the same colour thread and can't find it..... especially invisible thread.  Turns out I have 8 reels of invisible thread!  I just kept buying more for my log cabin quilt as I thought I'd ran out!  Oh man.  Anyway now I can see what I have.


The next thing on my sewing room agenda, is a book shelf and a display cabinet to keep my stash in. I'm going to hit the antiques shops this weekend and try and grab a couple of bargains.  Then finally I'm going to get a better table.  I have an old one from my boyfriend's parents garage and it has been great, but I feel like I want one with a few drawers in to keep the essentials.

A book shelf will be amazing as I can display all my books and lovely little bits on.  I'm going to turn it into a real sewing sanctuary.

I also think I shall obtain some wall hangings until I have time to make my own.  My sewing room is also our spare room for if we have anybody stay over, so it needs to serve a double purpose.  

We are working on a new show about dealing at auctions at the moment and I think perhaps that should be where I am hanging out looking for these bargains!  

I'll keep you updated on how it's coming along..... watch this space... literally  - lol!




Tuesday 14 January 2014

NY Holiday

This year we rented a croft house up in Ullapool for our New Year.  It was one of the best New Years we've had in a long time.  So relaxing and so much fun.

Here we are just leaving Glasgow.... packed up and ready to go!


We picked our friends up from inverness airport and got to Ullapool and settled well in time for dinner.  Popped open the prosecco!


We had dinner on the first night in one of the popular seafood pubs.  It was such a laugh catching up with our friends.  We were desperate for mussels but we ended up with crabs claws and to be honest we were kind of glad the mussels weren't on the menu when the claws arrived. They were really delicious! 


We went to listen to Rhythm and Reel in the Arch bar that night and had quite a few drinks.



The next day we woke up a bit hazy and so went for a walk in the woods.  It was lovely.



 Even Pippa felt the effects of a late night the following day.  I think she just liked the sofa - much comfier than ours at home.  The house really was lovely.  We had an open log burner and lots of comfy cushions to just collapse on.


We drove to the east coast and went to Portmahomack for a walk along the beach and of course stopped into the cafe in Carnegie Hall for our favourite seafood pancakes.

It was lovely.  

We stopped off at the Ullapool deli and the deli at Storehouse of Foulis and bought loads of yummy food for dinner.  We just ate so much that night.... fish, cheese, yummy biscuits, meats.  It was amazing.


The next day we got up early and went up north.  We had a very windy walk on Balnakeil beach.


Pippa really loves the beach




Even when it's windy!

Then of course we stopped off at cocoa mountain for the hot chocolate!  Liquid heaven.


 And on the way back we went to the Lochinver Larder for pie and mash to line our stomachs for the hogmonay festivities.

There was the most amazing rainbow on the way home.  It was actually a doubler, but you can't really see it in this photo


Disco nap and then another bottle of prosecco to get the night cracking.

We went to the ceilidh in the village hall.  It was so much fun - lots of dancing and giggles

On New Years day we went to a concert and then just spent the rest of the week chilling out, playing games and pigging out!

All in all the perfect holiday.  Getting back into the routine of work on the 6th was a pretty big challenge!

Happy New Year.  Got a good feeling about 2014!  What did you do?

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Christmas 2013

Well Christmas was great this year.  I reckon one of the best we've ever had.

I had a week off before Christmas and the whole 2 weeks of the festive period - bliss!  Much needed after working all year.

Sandy and I had our traditional cheese and biscuits on Christmas Eve.  We bought some lovely sharp cheddar in Mull in October from the Isle of Mull Cheese place.  It was worth waiting for.  


We opened our Christmas Eve gifts to each other.  I got a beautiful new tartan butterfly piny and oven mitt. Modelled here.

I decided to give Sandy the Star Trek quilt I made for him on Christmas Eve.  It went down very well

Christmas Day was amazing.  I love presents - not just getting them but giving them.  The pup was so excited.  She got lots of new toys and loved bounding around in all the wrapping paper.


I got a trip to Rome!!!  Amazing.  We are going in April for 5 days - I can't blooming wait.


The cracker jokes don't get any better.


The Christmas Jumpers had to come out for our Christmas Day walk along Mugdock reservoir.



The turkey dinner was a challenge in our tiny kitchen but we did the works.  Parsnips, carrots, sprouts, sausages, gravy, roast potatoes, mash potatoes, home made gravy and cranberry sauce!  Phew.  I was ready for a sit in front of the box then.


I felt a bit like this.  


Poor Pips, she was knackered after her excitement, her turkey and her walks


And I made a trifle.  First ever attempt at trifle and it turned out delicious.  Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cream, mascarpone cheese, custard!  And of course the alcohol - I went for blackcurrant liquer.  Yum yum yum

All in all a very good day had.