October 18, 2007

Can U C Meeee!

Hhh Hhhh Oh dear I am too near the camera - Hold on a minute......

Whoops - sorry about that.....I thought someone said tickle.....I always roll onto my back when someone says that.... I love a tickle!

.....anyway back to the matter in hand.....do you like my camera smile....Can you see me!....Yes I have my lovely red number on....I love wearing my clothes, especially in the winter - they keep me all warm and snugly!

Whoops! did someone say chocolate!......wheres the chocolate.....crisps.....! Mum and dad are going out at the weekend....and I heard mum saying that she has got one week to loose 10 stone....! she is going to be seeing people that she hasn't seen for years! I think she has left it rather late for the diet though!!!

shhhh!! I know I DO look stupid dressed up as a cow! but this outfit keeps me soooo warm - I love it, especially when I go for a walk.....its getting rather small for me now though! I bet you have all wondered what has happened to me havn't you - well yes I am still here - OOOh you should've heard the row Mum and dad had last week!....well first I thought they were arguing about me!! but they were saying the 'DOG' word all wrong and I thought for WOOFS sake stop saying 'DOG' wrong - I mean I had only done a little piddle on the carpet!...No need to shout about it all that much!....it turns out they were arguing about a BLOG! (see two listings back!) tut! tut!...and them all grown up!!!...still I'm on Mums side, after all she is the one who feeds me!...and buys me in all this lovely clothing!

....Just look at me in my snoopy coat, huh! this is the life!....all I do is dress up all day, go for walks and sleep, oh and don't forget EAT....I love eating....I even catch spiders for mum!...she nearly passes out when I do - I can't understand that....as she screams so much when she sees them - I think I am helping her, by eating them for her - I am a terrier you know! WOOF!

PHEW - I didn't think all this modelling and talking was going to ware me out so much!

Don't laugh! yes this is my santa suit!.....everytime I walk along in it though my leg falls out!...so I prefer to not walk anywhere in this suit....I'd be grateful of all the glasses of beer and biscuits that you kids put out for santa though!

...Here I am in my dungarees, I don't do any decorating in them though as I dont want to get all paint on them!

Oh dear - I am getting very tired....I think....I am going to have a nap now - nite nite.

Sleep tight....zzzzzz!

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October 06, 2007

Domesticated Bliss!

Fred and I have recently had a bit of a 'set two' over our blogs - you see up until now we have both not really minded what each other had written about.....it seemed Fred likes to write about the house and I get everything that is left....which I have not minded because my life revolves around my family, so I am quite happy to let you in on our lives....well up until now!! You see we have just recently come back from a large town boot fair in France, buying up our old favourite 'french enamel' together! OK so we were spending Fred's birthday money....he received quite a bit from an old aunt that he hadn't seen in years....I wish I had an old aunt like that! (I'll have to start tracing the family tree!)

So we decided to invest it in some old french antiques....or more I should say 'shabby chicness' for our home......and do you know what! before I had even unpacked the cases (OK I did sit down and have a nap!)....HE had arranged everything where HE decided to place it all and took pictures of it and had done a blog before I had even woken up!!!!!! MON DEIU!!!.....I can hear all you fellow bloggers gasping!....I was absolutely DISGUSTED....No discussion about who was going to have each picture....no sharing of items that we had chosen....No nothing.....I SULKED....AND SULKED SOME MORE.....How devious!....In fact I almost took his name of the side of my blog - yes it was as bad as that!.....and look what he thought I could take pictures of....he left me this little lot while I was asleep!


Well just as WORLD WAR 4 was going to break out...he removed his blog, so if some of you saw it first and then see it was removed - you were not going mad - I WAS!....anyway after I calmed down we decided to share the pictures and he apologised to being GREEDY and said that he wouldn't do it again....ahhh bless him! I went round the house taking my pics and some of the pics are the same but some are different...so if we have overlapped here I am very sorry - Oh and by the way, if you ever see 'Fredsworld' disappeared from the side of my blog - you know we are not speaking! LOL :0) xx

In the picture above we purchased those green shutters - yes there is one on the opposite side to, they match the dining room beautifully and have plenty of paint falling off....Just perfect!

The pic above shows our rather small galley kitchen...it is on the first floor as is our living room and dining room - as we have views over the water....so it is rather scrummy....so we purchased the shelf and most of the ornaments on it and indeed below it on the mantle piece, Fred had the rather great idea of putting the shelf along the window, as we do feel rather 'on show' in there sometimes being opposite a cottage....so the shelf adds a little privacy and a talking point!

A close up of a Yummy tin - that I had to have!

....and here we have their matching brothers and sisters....and we are actually using them, which is great....although the 'THE' which means Tea is rather on the small side and you can only fit about fifteen squashed teabags inside this small tin.....I suppose they used to use real tea leaves.....but I am still going to use it as I love this set so much....


.....and would you look at this little lovely! Fred bought this little doll for me, isn't she pretty! and on ski's something which you will never find me doing! I have two left feet!.....Her hair colours nearly the same as mine this week - yes I am 41, but still having bad hair days - but I have actually paid to have it done professionally badly this time!....when I could of easily mucked it up myself for a 10Th of the price....will I ever learn!

We bought this lovely Madeleine sweet tin too - isn't it lovely, OH and also the pretty little dress underneath....sooooo sweet!


...Fred spotted this lovely cutout 1950's paper doll....do you think he's telling me something! and its lying next to another pretty flower enamel bowl - I love them....I just can't get enough of them - I think I have quite a few in my collection now and apparently its the floral bowls that are becoming more collectable, because there are so many copies made now of the spotty and the check bowls and tins. So there you have it....of course we bought other antiquities....I bought many french postcards....so I will be showing them to you soon - so keep watching - I just wanted to post to you all some lovely eye candy asap! - bye for now - luv Happy xx

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September 16, 2007

What an Inspiration!

Well what do you know, there I was minding my own business, when suddenly I found myself on my son Darryls MYSPACE page (not being nosey!) I had to read it and I was soo pleasantly surprised - you see he had been going through a rather bad patch - Adolescence! and I was beginning to wonder whether it was ever going to end, to be quite honest....Well we have got to the other side, as he has finally got himself a job! Given up WOW (World of Warcraft - its an online game that seems to have teenage boys hooked!) and finally decided what he wants to do when he leaves the 6th form.

It seems to of all turned out tickety boo - thank goodness! anyway he has always been good at English, he finds it very easy to put words into sentances, and to my surprise rather than finding a 'horrible' MYSPACE page, it was rather lovely, yes, he had nice dance music playing (my influence there - I'll definately be the oldest swinger in town! although I had better be careful about that word these days - eh!) and he had written this about himself which makes me think that he will definately go far - what do you think - here goes :-

"My name is darryl
I'm going to try and explain a few things that i have done, think, and would like to do.
this may take a while so bare with me.
Firstly, appearances are decieving, i have learnt this all too well over the years,
and despite my awareness of it, i still conform judgements to the rules that contradict it.
I do judge books by their cover, thats just human instinct,
in which case i render my next point futile, however, i will still make it.
Don't judge me by what you see, the outside is a combination of effort / lack of effort
( depending on the mood i am at the time )
and unneccesary vanity, a virtue which i can at least admit, and am not in denial about,
unlike a vast majority of society.
I do very little, and i'm not particularly proud of it,
i am currently unemployed and am often classed as a "geek".
i have very few what i would call friends, apart from the obvious exceptions,
i am generally friendly to each person i meet, but my general opinion may differ.
This is construed as being "two faced" or "bitchy"
but each person has a varying number of aspects of their personality they can unleash at different times,
and if you do not like a specific part of it, then i am not fussed with your company.
solitude is often the path in life that gives the highest rewards.
Other people inspire trust, belief, hope and fate.
These are all theories which rely too heavily on chance, and cannot be changed, affected, by oneself.
I have loved, lusted, admired, and fealt jealousy, with the ominous feeling of infinity draped around my shoulders.
Infinity is an incomprehensible concept,
however our subconcious deals with it everyday,
each emotion feels final, or as if it means everything,
we allow our mind to become too full with thoughts, thus generating such a response.
This is simply not true.
I am almost 18, and there are a number of things i am yet to experience,
henceforth my own opinion of my outlook should be slightly more uplifting.
"I'm always Happy!"
"Im so depressed"
each statement is as damning as each other,
through want of each for attention you gain neither,
other than a overwhelming sense of self pity and projection that is simply null and void.
your self perception is a startlingly different idea to that which people have of you.
the faster you learn that, the better it is.
people are selfish creatures, who may do things that appear good natured,
and well planned, but are following basic codes that reappear in all aspects of life and nature.
being accepted, fitting in,
these are things that so many people strive for,
if inadvertently by acts of good will, which acheive this goal in the end afterall.
i am at a loss i fear.
realisation of my own faults only reveals others in a plainer light,
and my relationships with people, friends,
has taught me a valuable lesson.
of the amount of trust that can be lavished upon someone without advantage being taken.
i sincerely hope that throughout life you take most oppurtunities to be happy,
and pursue it each day.
just remember that the people around you do not make you who you are,
you choose who you are around those people."

Written by Darryl Harris Aged 17 years.

As you can imagine, I am so proud to call him my son, he is so talented - I had tears in my eyes....he has definately gone on a long journey through adolescence and come out the other side, a wonderful young man...and I am so proud and love him very much.

I thought I would share this with you all - just incase there is any of you going through a bad patch with your kids, it does all end and they do turn out just fine - trust me - with a little nurture and guidance....it all turns out fine in the end.

Luv happy xx

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September 12, 2007

Should I be cleaning!

Hi folks - sorry I haven't posted for a bit, you see I think I am ill!....Yes ill!!!!! Now most of you know by now that I am a self confessed perfectionista/procrastinator, well lately I have been at my worst....I can't focus on anything. This morning I got up at 6.30 am ready to start the housework, but all I done was surf the net, change my blog a few times (not sure if I liked it!) so I changed it all back again! and I wasn't supposed to be doing that at all!

I then started to try to design a new template, but didnt like it so I scrapped it.....still not starting work, I decided to try to put a third column into my blog only to mess it all up and loose everything!......lucky I had downloaded a copy!

By this time it was 2.30pm and I still hadn't started any work, I haven't listed into my new website (sorry if you are waiting!) and I have neglected ebay....although I have been sitting in my office, with my backside growing into the shape of my chair, a definate lack of excercise...although my fingers are very thin!

Oh yes, this IS looking rather like me at the moment!

I have been in this mood for several weeks now.....I get all excited about working and then I sit in front of the computer and get side tracked into doing things that Iwant to do but can't!.....I have been trying for months now to try to learn HTML coding, but I am getting too old I think, because I just can't get the hang of it....I can do lovely pictures in photoshop, but unless you know the code, there is no way you can make a business out of it.....so I think to-day I have got to decide, that I am just too old and must resign from thinking that I can! and leave it to the experts from now on.

...Its the creative side of me that wants to do it though, but I have wasted so much time trying to do it......does anyone out there get my drift!

We'll its now 20.39 I think my computer clock is WRONG.....surely it can't be 8.39pm, I mean I got up early especially to get everything done.....why oh why is it 8.39pm!!....I have got to pick Darryl up from work at 9pm (I bet I'm late!)

Anyway off I go again day-dreaming instead of getting on with what I am supposed to be doing!

aaaahhhhh! sigh!.....I think I had better get up even earlier tomorrow!

Speak to you again soon, when I am more focussed - byeeeeeee xx

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September 03, 2007

The Hall....

....Its like what came first.....The chicken or the egg!! These rose prints are all so similar, I thought that my new Cath Kidston holdall would look fantastic amoungst my bits and pieces in the hall...and the more you look, the more you think, who's copying who! I will always hanker after red and pink roses on a turquoise/duck egg background, so I don't really care....but it does make you wonder, doesn't it! The sleeveless blouse is not an old vintage one, but a Laura Ashley from about 5 years ago....and the enamel plate, well, we collect those and have several, we often pick those up in France....but thats another story - I'll tell you about that soon!

I love decorating a wall with a coat rack, I love plain walls and then I love to decorate the wall with the bits and pieces that I collect. I can't resist a vintage dress or a vintage bag...what could be better!

bye for now - Luv happy @/*-*\@ xx

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August 30, 2007

...What do I look like......!

Oh my Woofness! What do I look like......they said a trim!.....not a scalp!.....I was a bit chilly this afternoon, I was shaking.....No really shaking, I thought I would get the sympathy vote and get given a bone or something, but no - they put on these dungarees instead!....I might do a fashion show soon - I might as well, Ive got more clothes than my master - huh, you think I am joking, now Ive been scalped they have an excuse for me to wear them! still I do look rather dapper don't you think.....I might check out our Island soon and see if I can find myself a hot little chick!!!....still the cat next door can't resist me, I might have a mooch into the garden later.....woof woof for now - max xx

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August 28, 2007

Max reporting......!

Hello max reporting, I must just let you know that my parents have safely returned home from holiday...and theres news that they could be giving me a haircut, well I am lying low!! I like my shabbyness - but I am rather knotty......anyway I'll hide when they come to find me.... hope all you fellow animal friends are well, thanks for your comments, my parents never found out about me playing on the computer - thanks pals.

Do you think a trim will do me good? Woof I had better go before they find out I am on the computer again......Woof Woof for now - Max XX

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August 27, 2007

Cath Kidston's New Catalogue 2007

Yes, we had just arrived home from holiday....when look what was on the mat....

Well we got back on the Friday and then the very next day (saturday), we had to take a ride to the Kings Road Cath Kidston, to check out the latest goodies, because I wanted this :-

....and this....I particularly wanted the light blue bag with the red roses, as I love those colours, it reminds me of the strawberry print, that was one of her first prints :-



....and look - how can you resist this on the back page - all this was enough to make us take a ride up to London on the very next saturday......

.....and this is what we came home with - a lovely cushion in this, my favourite print, the coffee pot and the teddy our our own to be added to the website shortly.(no longer in service!)

We managed to get, the toad stool pin cushion and the button and pin tins....we also got the extra large table cloth which works out so much cheaper buying the material this way, you get 2.5 metres for £35.00, which if bought by the metre works out to £50.00 (don't tell cath I said that!)

I also bought some material from the bargain basket. (the pink rose fabric featured above) and I also managed to get the lovely Holdall featured above, from the catalogue, which I have used so many times, I love it.....This new collection, is fabulous, I absolutely adore it all, especially if you love sewing, the new cottage sewing box, which I didn't buy and now regret is absolutely adorable, we picked up a butter dish very similar at the weekend, when we was 'Booting' (pictures as requested are coming soon!) and everytime I look at it, it reminds me of the sewing box....and wait until you see the new clogs!....oh its just all too much to resist!

I love the way Cath moves forward which each new collection, as that is what you have to do in retail to keep your customers interested, she is being faced with so many other retailers copying her, all the time that I feel this New season takes her into a new dimension - if you can - visit one of her shops soon, before it all sells out!!!!....fred and I are planning our next trip as we speak! @/*-*\@ xx

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August 23, 2007

Woofety Woof Woof!!

Hello my name is Max and my parents have been away for a rest and left me with Darryl their teenage son.....I'm starving!!!! all I have had to eat is Pizza and noodles, still they will be back soon, they've been camping and had the most wonderful rest (I've read the postcard!)....its still on the mat...along with the new Cath Kidston catalogue! my mum will be so pleased!......anyway got to get some more beauty sleep!.....they'll be back soon....sshhh don't tell them Ive been on the computer!! bye for now - Woof Woof xx

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August 12, 2007

See you again soon!.....

Look aren't these little noddy dogs cool, I bought these at last weeks car boot....we went again this morning, this time together - no arguments this week! Its lovely walking around together picking up old bits of enamel and vintage items that you remember from your past - we had a really lovely time, at the moment everything is in the garage, so I will take pictures and show you another time, as we are packing for our holiday.....we will be gone for about a week, leaving our teenage son home alone with Max!

Whenever I am out I can't resist buying bits of lace and haberdashery pieces, I used to always buy, stamping equipment, but now I am hooked on making bags and crocheting granny squares.


This is another bag I made, with vintage material, I only had a small piece of material but managed to make it just so!


....This is all the things that I picked up at a Second hand market a few weeks ago, I love this style.....sort of pretty shabby chicness is sooo gorgeous don't you think?


and in the background of this pic is a granny blanket that we picked up on ebay, that has actually got me started on teaching myself to crochet....I am taking my crocheting on holiday with me...so will be able to show you more of that when we get back....oh yes and sorry for another doggy pic....Max is such a 'show off' !!!!

Speak to you all again when we get back.....and Ill show you some pics of our travels - love to you all - luv Happy @/*-*\@ xx

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August 08, 2007

Made and Found...

Right I'm back and I have decided to call this section 'Made and Found'...I have been taking pictures of everything that I have made over the last few months and the 'Found' is everything that I bought at the car boot sale recently - well last sunday actually, Fred and I was supposed to be going together! I asked him to call me before he was leaving, but he crept out on his own! thinking that I would stay in and do the housework - well his plan soon came unstuck, when he got back and realised, I was out too!!!! hahaha!!...I made sure I got back after him!! I HATE HOUSEWORK!!....anyway heres an insight into my antics....

Above is a vintage style tote that I made out of Cath Kidston material.

I bought this Noddy head china doll for 50p at the sunday bootfair.

I also bought this Snoopy apron at the sunday bootfair....everyone loves snoopy don't they!

I have recently learnt to crochet...so I taught myself how to crochet flowers, I couldn't actually understand the pattern so I improvised and ended up with something similar! Oh and Fred found this pristine vintage sewing set at a bootfair a couple of weeks ago.

Another fab 1950's style buy....only £1.00...I havn't been to a bootfair for ages, but I really enjoyed myself - I got there a 8o'clock - quite late actually, (fred didn't wake me remember!) but took my time and had a good old rummage, because to be quite honest there can be alot of rubbish becuase most people are putting their wares on ebay, but occassionally you can find the odd nice-ety.

Another handmade vintage style tote, this time I have made this in Amy Butler material - sooo kitsch don't you think!

I also bought this red spotty dress, I wished it fitted me...it probably would of when I was about 10 years old!

....Another tote I've rustled up....A friend did help me with this one as I couldn't understand the pattern....sometimes I think I am a tad dyslexic - thank heavens for spellchecker!

Thats all for now folks hope you liked my bits....I have more to show, but will post again soon - Luv Happy & Co @/*-*\@ xx

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August 08, 2007

Mum and me...

My dad passed away when I was 21 years old and I have recently learned that I tend to block horrible things in my life, out of my mind.....I have learned recently that my Dad worshipped the ground I walked on, even though I had blocked his death out of my mind and only remembered the arguments that we had had previous to him becoming ill. For years I pondered over this....although sometimes, I remembered flashbacks of him caring for me, for instance, I can remember him putting TCP on my grazed leg and bandaging it up.....believing me when I said 'no' I hadn't pushed the neighbours daughter over and things like that....but somehow I had scrambled the rest up in my mind, I suppose it was the guilt in me...the remembering the lead up to my lovely dads passing away and not cherishing the short time that we had been given together to be nice to each other, but arguing about silly teenage antics and spoiling everything that we had had.....remembering the bad times not the good.

Well in the time that I have not blogged, I have been on a long journey into my past and have learnt many things about myself through the most amazing person that you would ever be lucky enough to meet - My Mum. ...You see after my dads death, we sort of drifted, I married Fred and had Daz and Rosie and although she looked after them and helped me with them as much as she could, we were still drifting, we could never properly communicate with each other, we were each waiting for the other to say something, but were both too stubborn to say it -what? I can hear you ask, but I really do not know - it was a kind of a hurt in our throats - a build up from all the anxiety, that had happened in the past - the rejection that my Mum had felt of my Dad leaving her so suddenly and then me getting married and leaving her too! and it was me feeling all rejected waiting for her to say I am so proud of you darling and her never actually saying it. My mum met Reg a few years after my dad passed away - he has been so good to her, infact they have been together now for 17 years, and for a good 10 of them I was very cold towards him, I can understand the step child syndrome thing there, although I must admit I am not very proud to to own up to that! (because I was in my twenties!!)...but I put it all down to being the only child and getting very possessive of ones parent! especially as I felt he was getting more attention than me! my mum has always been a good organiser and while I was having my kids, she threw her self into running a couple of clubs, organising trips and really making retired and widowed people feel like someone cared.

Whilst I have been away from my blog I have been staying with my mum, we have had a nasty couple of weeks wondering whether she might have the big 'C' and we have come through the most amazing journey together, I suppose we were preparing ourselves for the worst....and also I was preparing myself for history repeating itself again....all the things that I never said to her, like I LOVE YOU MUM and I AM SO PROUD OF YOU MUM and the wishing that she had said them to me too, because all my live I have lived trying to be better than everyone else - to be noticed! frightened of sinking into oblivion, wanting my mum to notice me and tell me that she was proud of ME too!...for if she had just said those words, it would have made everything perfect. But we learned through those couple of weeks, that we both loved each other, that she was proud of me and I was definitely proud of her and we told each other so. We cried together, we cuddled, I sat next to her on the settee like I was 8 years old again (if only), we went shopping, we had meals out, we bought each other things and at the end of it all we were told she was going to be OK and I really cannot put into words how we felt....we felt invincible, we felt together, we felt beautiful, we were humbled.


We had found each other again. My lovely mum who had bought me up, made me the person that I am today, I had found her again and she had found me. She told me how my dad used to worship me, how she has always loved me, worried about me, all those little stories about my past that children love to hear, I loved her telling me....she told me about many many good times, we never focussed on the bad....we looked forward, we bonded.

I am so glad that we have found each other again....we have planned a few things to do together, we will never leave each other out, of our lives so much again and although I couldn't make a speech at her 70th birthday, I will definitely be making one at her 80th, telling her family and friends that I am such a proud daughter, she is the most amazing person that you would ever wish to meet, she is my hero and I love her with all my heart....Thank you Mum xx

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