The Vintage Magpie

Just Me and My Girl..

Sometimes, with three children, I find it really difficult to please and concentrate on everybody... especially every day throughout the summer hols.  So we called a meeting and decided that it would be good to have a 'Mama' day each... where each of them chose what they would really like to do, and then had a day out on their own with Mama doing just that.

It was Lauren's turn first, since it was her idea in the first place.  We kicked off by going swimming, so she could show me exactly how much she had improved since swimming at school.

Then we went to China Blue in Totnes to paint some pottery for each other and talk, just the two of us.  It was blissful to be able to concentrate on and listen to one conversation only!  Most days they drown each other out with their constant bubble of conversation.

and then we headed to the beach to rest for the afternoon, to read some of her books, have ice-cream and watch the Regatta at Shaldon, which is now going on for the rest of the week... weather permitting :0

We watched the row boats set off on a race round the coastline to Maidencombe and back, and wished we could hop on a boat and join in!

So nice just to be in Lolly's world for the day...

I wouldn't miss it for anything x

Enchanting

Since we have been lucky enough to live in Devon we have become more and more acquainted with horses and ponies. Living in the suburbs near London there was little chance for this, and I remained very scared of anything resembling a horse. But now I am definitely coming round! 

A little while ago I mentioned that we had been invited to a hog roast on Dartmoor on a Saturday evening prior to and in aid of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Society. We had the good fortune to be introduced by our friends, Sarah and Keith, who also own two beautiful ponies and have a wonderful website called Horseyhorsey.com selling horsey greetings cards which you can find here. Please take a look if you get the chance, the cards feature some lovely images that will appeal to horse-lovers.

When we arrived we parked in a nearby field and were led by the smell of the hog roast over the lane to this...

...the host's 290 year old farmhouse... :o  My jaw scraped the floor from the moment I arrived, and after staring pleadingly for quite a while Keith took me through the house. We entered through the original granite doorway, to be greeted by the freshly cut logs for firewood stacked in the hall. The floors were all original stone and led through to the smallish kitchen where the Aga sat in a great big hole in the wall where once an enormous open stove would have been. 

The house was split on two sides with the walkway in the middle which led out to a courtyard out the back, and then the stables, the boat and trailer and the open fields.  I walked as slow as I could possibly walk, soaking it all in, the history of the place was amazing.

There was so much to explore, this archway led through to the vegetable garden and hen house.

And out past the courtyard were some handmade swings and frames...

The next day, despite the weather, we went back for the Dartmoor Hill Pony show.

where lots of children rode their Dartmoor ponies and competed in events,

and some had as much fun pretending!

Trying On Mother's Pearls

Introducing Gracie. 

Gracie, whilst resting in my bedroom, has been trying on the pearls.  And I have to say I think she rather suits them!

Gracie, sister to Mabel, has a beautiful faded rose fabric in her ears, which sets her pearls off fabulously!

Gracie will be added to my shop later today, once she has finished riffling through the jewellry box :o

Have a great weekend everyone xx

Seven Random Things

I was tagged, quite a while ago, by Lisa at Vintage Sweet Peas to list seven random things about me.

This was harder than I thought... 

1.   In my dad's youth he was a research scientist and has strong beliefs with regard to creation.  As a result I was brought up agnostic, so I do not have any strong beliefs either, although the older I get the more I want to learn about my spiritual side. 

2.   I'm terrified of fish.  The living and breathing kind.  If I see a fish in the sea I stop breathing, and if I see one in a tank I feel faint.  Totally irrational.

3.   I have visited Australia, Greece, Spain and France, but I haven't been on holiday for nine years, and my passport has run out.  I would dearly love to go to Italy next, but only when the children are much older.   Especially since we will have to remortgage the house to pay for the passports!!

4.   I'm not a great cook.  I'm an averagely good cook, but I would love to be better.  I would love to be someone who could just throw a wonderful dish together without even opening a cook book.  I don't understand the science in cooking, and would dearly love to go on a course one day.

5.   My favourite quote : 'Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of your life'.

6.   I am a 'glass half full' type of person, rather than a 'glass half empty'.

7.   Star sign:  Capricorn  Moon sign : Cancer.  I am typical of both these signs.  Ridiculously typical. 

Phewww.... I'm off for a cup of tea. x

Top of the List

In defiance of the blasted weather (pouring with rain for days) we packed up a flask and Isabel's freshly baked cake, and headed for the moor!!

and I found a new place to put top of my list of places I want to spend the rest of my life!  Lustleigh.  To die for.  Packed full of chocolate box cottages and beautiful scenery.  Oh my... I could be happy there!  The winding country lanes, the cottages, the wildlife... every corner we turned it just got more gorgeous.

We stopped outside a local farm's barn to pick up some 'bum fresh' eggs for tea, and say hello to the chickens

and some other wildlife along the way.

And then I spotted this, now what girl wouldn't want this as her studio to while away the hours in???  Hmphh.. not fair!

Then the rain came again...

So we had tea and Isabel's cake in the car...

whilst someone looked wistfully out of the wet windows!

Thankfully it was just a heavy shower (again) so we were able to get out of the car and run for a while, breathing in the fresh air.

Then home for tea.  I had to capture this moment...when we got in Lauren sat me down and said she was making me a cup of tea.  She boiled the kettle, warmed the teapot, and came out with a plate of biscuits for me.  Then she poured my cup of tea, (can you see the milk has been added to the pot and not the cup?) LOL... genuis!  I could have cried... bless her little heart.  Ahh moments like these you have treasure don't you.

Then we all sat down to the beautiful bum fresh eggs for tea.  So despite the weather all in all it was a glorious day.

Oh yeah, and Lustleigh.... save me a house... I'm a coming!

We are off to a hogroast tonight somewhere on Dartmoor, so we have our fingers and toes crossed that the rain keeps away.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend... whatever the weather xx

A Good Start

On Saturday night we were invited up to our friends' house for a Pasty and Pudding party.  They live in truly beautiful part of Dartmoor, and the children were beside themselves with excitement.  It was a beautiful evening, with views all around to die for.

The children played with the chickens, ponies and ducks whilst the adults supped some beer and scoffed some pasties (a Devon staple food consisting of meat and veg wrapped up in a shortcrust pastry - gorgeous).

 
And then Sunday evening was spent sitting on the beach, with cold roast chicken and potato salad for tea and the sun setting over a beautiful horizon.

And Mr F and I got down to a spot of fishing and knitting!

Not a bad start to the summer holidays :)

Hope you are all enjoying this glorious weather x

School's Out!!

There was a flurry of activity in the household yesterday afternoon, the afternoon preceding the long awaited End Of Term!!

With all their teachers in mind the children set about writing cards, making fridge cake and giving my sewing machine a battering!

With his face caked in chocolate from the backing James set about sewing up a few lavender bags with great enthusiasm... so much enthusiasm in fact I nearly lost several fingers in the process :0

It took me what seemed like hours to tidy up, flour and cocoa powder ground into the floor, half a dozen basins full of butter, flour and lord knows what else,  half chewed up felt tips that had reached the dog's mouth before going back in the tin and scraps of fabric strewn from room to room, but they had such a good time and were so pleased with what they had achieved it was worth it... really.  No really, it was ;) - ok, ask me again in a few days!   I'm just glad they only leave their teachers once a year!

So its the end of another year for them and a long stretch of summer holidays ahead of them.  We will be visiting family, picnicing, camping, lounging, sleeping lots and crafting... so I doubt I shall be able to keep this blog as up to date as usual.. but I will be checking in now and again.. if only for my own sanity!

Oh, and to keep up with some wonderful giveaways that are happening at the moment... oh how I love a giveaway, and this one is a real goody, Penny at SewTakeAHike is giving away a beautiful apron amongst other gorgeous things!

Hope you all have a wonderful summer, and the sun shines through til September !!

Beautiful Embroidery

I

Amongst my many weaknesses, I can count not being able to walk away from vintage embroidery.  I picked these gorgeous napkins up in a local charity shop for £1.25 for the lot.  Now how can a girl be expected to walk away from that?  Especially when I had an idea up my sleeve...

pretty lavender bags.

And talking of things I can't resist..

this little girl is getting more irresistable by the day.  Maggie, you are just tooooooo damn cute!

Nostalgic Puds

On a recent trip to the shops, my eyes fell upon a nostalgic pudding which I haven't had for many years - blanmange.  I can remember my nan used to make me a white blanmange,  shaped in a rabbit mold, which I used to adore, but had forgotten all about until now.

So eager as ever to try out anything new labelled 'Pudding', James set to work!
 

Pink custard... its amazing what memories this pudding brings back for me... I can't believe I had forgotten about it.

Such a gorgeous childhood colour!  Needless to say, it was guzzled up with a drop of carnation milk (to top off the nostalgia trip) and oh my... it was good.  We've still got chocolate, vanilla and raspberry flavour to go... perfect!

A Shabby Makeover

 

Last week I had the good fortune to come across this little beauty at the local market for £4.

 
I loved the picture, but wasn't sure about the frame... so

out came my trusty tin of white emulsion paint!  I had to put four coats on to get an even coverage, and then once it was dry I sanded over a few parts with some fine sandpaper to get more of a 'shabby' look.

What do you think?