Spring Cleaning.

A bit of sunshine causes a metamorphosis around here.

I feel like an old lizard having sat round on his rock long enough to warm up a bit and get on with things.

Like some new Granny squares and a spot of spring cleaning.

Airing the bedding and actually getting the duvet cover dry outside on the washing line in the meadow, instead of in the dryer, which is a pretty joyless occupation.

Dusting and moving things around a bit.

And fixing the latest curtain crisis, because they did not survive washing!

Vintage tablecloths to the rescue again.

Necessitated a quick reccy of all the local op shops before they closed on Saturday morning.

They are supposed to be temporary, but they look so good I suspect they'll remain.

Meanwhile this lizard is off to make marmalade cookies for next week's lunches.

Marigold and the Dust Bunnies.

Some days there are a series of events that put words in my head that just won't go away.

They go round together and mix themselves up and get stuck as an idea.

Such a thing happens mostly when I'm on auto pilot.

It happened the other day when I was doing the upstairs vacuuming.

I get dust bunnies.

They get under the bed especially, and behind the bathroom door, and sometimes in my summer sandals in the wardrobe.

They are grey and fluffy and hop around the wooden floor with the prevailing breeze.

It occurred to me that they really should be a character in a children's book.

There are some words that just seem to go so well with other words.

Like Marigold.

Who is not a dust bunny, but the Granny's cat.

But they go together so well.

No idea about the rest of the story, but I've got the title sorted.

The above are my vintage inspired wrist warmers. I just invented them, but I probably got the idea when i was cleaning the toilet.

The Granny and I had a New Plymouth day today.

Starting with the Hospice Shop.

I found a huge stash of vintage Christmas treasures to bring home.

Can't believe no-one else had got there before me!

Next on the list was Faded Fancy at Fitzroy.
My favourite vintage shop.

I still don't know the lady's name.

But she was as lovely as ever, and recognised me straight away.

She asked me if we were having a New Plymouth day.

So it has become a New Plymouth day!

There were so much gorgeous vintageness!

Mrs Faded Fancy happened to mention that it was getting harder and harder to source things in Taranaki now.

Apparently she relies on people bringing stuff in for her to buy from them.

So now I know what to do next time I need to have an edit.

Mrs faded Fancy was delighted with the idea, because she said I would have just the sort of stuff she likes!!!!

Which leads me back to Marigold and the Dust Bunnies.

Because the cover design would look something like these...

Which we bought from Faded Fancy today.

And this so cool vintage bath mat!!! I love it.

Back to vaccinating babies tomorrow Blog Chics!

The More it Snows (Tiddley Pom...)

I have to eat my words from a few weeks ago when I said the snow was a once in a lifetime event. It's happened again!

I know this will all be a bit ho-hum for you Northern hemisphere gals, but it is truly a cause for delight and celebration when it happens here in the 'Naki.

Except if you are a cow I would imagine.

My snow lady had her elevensies outside, while I was occupied following what looked suspiciously like the tracks of a Woozle.

I thought one might have ventured up from the hundred acre wood looking for a warm fire to sit by.

I never found it, and the tracks did look like they went round in circles, so perhaps it just went back into the woods.

The Granny and I put on some ski gloves and gummies and went out to play.

It'll probably never happen again.

I feel so lucky to have experienced the magic of it just once in my life time.

There are signs of spring happening here though Blog Chics.

I can't wait to see what pops up in the garden.

I think we have some jonquils already, hidden under the snow.

Have a lovely week!

Arsenic and Old Lace.

Hello Blog Chics. Today we are waiting for another "big snow".

It's supposed to be coming up from the South and will be here by tomorrow.

I've been working on my Magnolia Pearl inspired doilie and old lace blouse for the last two weekends.

Which is why you haven't seen me.

The main hold up was getting the covered buttons and the button holes done.

My old bernina is a bit random for buttonholes, and requires the mastering of about 26 steps to complete each one.

I covered the buttons with scraps of machine embroidered doiley, as hand embroidered was too thick.

Hubby asked if it was meant not to meat up at the bottom.

Honestly! I just raised my eyebrows and explained that it was like shabby chic painted furniture, and he just raised his right back.

But he got it.

Meanwhile he's converted The Granny into a motor racing devotee. She's been watching the Trolley Derby in the Auckland Domain and killing herself laughing!

She reckons it's the best thing she's seen since Judge Judy!!!!

This is the little book I bought in Canberra with all the vintage inspired tops and dresses in it.

Couldn't wait to try it out.

And they work!

And the instructions are very simple, and it looks like the sizing is spot on too.

I just add all my own stuff in a random manner till it looks right to me.

I chose this pattern for my "Magnolia pearl" blouse.

I'm very pleased with it. The granny has been an especially creative photographer in between the go carts on the tele!