Friday 28 September 2012

Not QUITE the Good Life.......

 
 

Growing up in the Seventies, I loved the TV sitcom, The Good Life. It was about a suburban couple, who gave up their conventional life, and attempted to live a self sufficient lifestyle. It was very funny, and set seeds in my young mind, about living a sustainable life.

Way back in March, I decided, this would 'Be The Year', I would finally grow vegetables for my family, picked fresh from the garden!

Things, however, didn't go quite to plan....the Slugs arrived! The pesky things ate EVERYTHING! They were the most well fed, healthy slugs ever! They have really enjoyed their time in the Bea 5 star hotel, so much so that they invited ALL their friends and family too......

And if that wasn't enough, the rains came, and what wasn't eaten by the slugs got washed away! Actually I am exaggerating a bit, (me, exaggerate!).

I have actually enjoyed growing my own veg, and my 2 beds will become 4 next year, here's just a little of what we've enjoyed...

These became....

 
these.....

 
Fresh potatoes, yum!

 
The sweetest peppers I've ever tasted!
 
 
Delicious mange tout....
 
 

The tomatoes didn't thrive, but I we had lots of lovely fresh salad, French beans, cabbages, strawberries and kale. Many of you grow lots of fruit and veg, very successfully. If you haven't tried it before, do, it's soooo satisfying, and if things don't quite work out there's always next year!!! I am however going to put a 'No Vacancies' sign up at the gate....just in case any slugs arrive!

Thank you for stopping by, and leaving your thoughts with me. You gave me good advice over my Hexie blanket, I'm going with the pink backing, and I'm going to attempt hand quilting! Yikes!

I've been busy painting more printers trays! Hopefully I will be able to show you them next week. Hope you all have a great weekend, I've got a lovely treat planned for tomorrow, more of that next week!

 
I will leave you with my favourite photo this week....
 
Ada :) x

 

 

 
 
 

 

 
 

 

 

Monday 24 September 2012

Decisions, Decisions!

Well my Hexie Blanket is coming along, slowly, but surely! I love the colours, it really is a labour of love! Trouble is I'm not getting much else done! I've got all sorts of things to paint and things to create....oh well, there's always tomorrow!



 

 

I've abandoned the fleecy backing, unless one suddenly appears, and have come up with these two options, what do you think ladies?

This orange is the same as the pink and orange fabric I was so excited about in my last post, but it's faded....

 

Or there is this one.......

 

I love this Dorma print, it is my favourite at the moment, but I have been known to change my mind!

The trouble is, I will have to quilt it, and that terrifies me! So more advise ladies please, what's the best way to quilt? What pattern shall I do?

Clarice, my lovely machine doesn't do fancy stitches or preprogrammed patterns, ( I think she gets a bit fed up with all this new age stuff!). I've put a lot of hard work into the patchwork and don't want to ruin it! So your suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!

Also this week, after much deliberation, brought a new laptop, my old one could no longer import photos, it really was on its 'last legs'! So this now opens up a whole host of opportunities for me, well it would do if I knew what I was doing! Today I've learnt how to take photos off the camera, put them onto the laptop, then onto Picasa! For most of you this will be like breathing, to me this is a minor miracle!

I've changed my header, now I just need to work out how to put photos down the sides of my blog, to pretty it up! Also, when I comment on your blogs, I would like to put one of my photos next to my blog name, how do you do that?

I can hear some of you giggling!

Thanks for reading, thanks for your comments and thoughts, thanks for following my blog! I still find it all very surreal that anyone should be the slightest bit interested in my little world, but I'm so glad you are!

 

Hopefully I will be back later in the week, the weather here today has been awful, I hope, if you are in the UK, you are keeping dry and warm, there's some flooding out there, I hope it's not affecting any of you.

Take care,

Ada :) x

Thursday 20 September 2012

Seeking for Orange......

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are about to embark on Natures Great Display. Autumn is almost here, and many of us in Blogland are noticing the changes.

 

I've put the, Summer-that-never-really-started behind me, and I'm embracing the changing seasons. I'm feeling the need for Orange! However, it's still absent from the trees, so I get my Orange Fix where I can....

 
 
 

 

 

Over the past couple of years, I've begun to introduce more oranges, reds and yellows in the garden ( I was a white, pink and blue girl before!), I'm feeling the need for more dramatic colours, but that will need to wait until next year!

Just a smidgen of orange inside, must rectify this, with imminent decorating projects!

 
 

 

 

 
Back in the 60s and 70s, when I was growing up, orange was aplenty, as was yellow and purple!

 

 

 

Don't worry! I'm not about to start wearing orange flares anytime soon, but aren't they great! And, of course, there was always the wallpaper!

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Orange, according to colour therapy, stimulates, energisers, it's good for creativity!

Talking about creativity, the hexie is coming along nicely, slowly, but nicely! Thank you all for your thoughts and advice. I've took your advice,and decided not to back it with that sheet, you were all right! I will find something else more suitable. I do have enough of the pink and orange fabric, but then I would need to quilt it for warmth....not sure I'm ready for that one!

Thank you to those who have decided to join in my 'Turn off the Word Thingy' campaign!

Welcome to all those of you who have just joined Vintage Sheet Addict, enjoy!!!

I'm in a bit of a quandary on wether to reply to all your comments or just answer direct questions/ welcome new friends. I read all your comments and appreciate them very much, so I hope you don't think I'm rude if I don't reply! Also I want to visit as many of you as I can, even if I haven't got time to comment, I always read the blogs I follow!

One last orange photo...

 

We call her Pumpkin, we don't know who owns her, but they aren't doing a very good job! She was incredibly thin and the most nervous cat I've ever known! I've been feeding her lots over the Summer and slowly she is starting to trust me, she has put on weight, and she now enjoys being stroked, I can even pick her up! I have yet to hear her purr! Poor thing!

If we could afford to keep her we would, our own cat Minnie found us too, after she was being mistreated. I think I need to do some detective work!

Have a lovely weekend Everyone!

Ada :) x

Monday 17 September 2012

Hexie Love...

Well Ladies, my vintage sheet addiction has finally sent me crazy, mad, bonkers! I'm LOVING my hexie blanket, but boy is it making my fingers ache!

 

This beautiful orange and pink loveliness dropped through my letter box last week and I quickly transformed it into these.....

 
 
 
 
Then I decided to turn some more of my pink stash into these....I know, I need help!
 
 
It was beautiful here on Saturday, Little Bea was at a party and Eldest Bea was recovering from a sleepover (when did my daughters' social life get more exciting than mine?), so in the garden I sat, making hexie flowers. I suddenly got the urge to photograph them on the lawn. Not sure why, good job the neighbours were out!
 

 

 

 

I know! I know! I've finally flipped!

 

I just love the swirl of patterns and colours, it doesn't matter that the ends of my fingers have gone numb, I just can't stop! Now I've started to put the flowers together, just to see the effect, and I love it even more!

 

I brought this brushed cotton sheet a while back to back it with, I'm not 100% sure, what do you think? If I can find a pale blue flowery one, I could change my mind!

 

THANK YOU all sooooo much for your fantastic comments on my Printers' Tray. It took much, much longer than I anticipated but well worth it. I think I must be a 'sucker for punishment'! I've got another 5 to paint and wallpaper!

 

Thank you for visiting me, I really appreciate your contribution and thoughts. I hope I answered all your questions! Please feel free to email me on vintageaddict@virginmedia.com if you have any specific questions.

 

 

Be back later in the week, if my fingers will allow me to type that is.....

Ada :) x

p.s. please join in my 'turn off the Word Verification Thingy Campaign', let's make our lives a little bit easier! X

Thursday 13 September 2012

I LOVE Vintage Wallpaper!

I'm not sure if it's because it reminds me of my childhood, or if it the patterns and colours, but I Love vintage wallpapers!

 

It took much longer than I anticipated, but I've finally finished my Printers' Tray! and I Love it! (apologies now for abundant photos, just couldn't stop!).

 

 

 

 

It was quite a fiddely job, but I really enjoyed the painting, cutting and sticking, I wasn't sure wether to put single pieces of wallpaper in each slot, but in the end decided to group the papers in to several slots. What do you think?

 

Here it is in its final resting place, well until I get bored and have a swap around!

 

The little jug came from the charity shop this week, Crown Clarence, so pretty!


I've also been making more hexies this week...

 

And have just started to sew them together into flowers! And a small parcel of the most delicious orange and pink fell through the letter box this week, (only a few pennies, promise!), more of that next time!

Sometimes I wish I had my own Crafty Room.........

 

This is just a small part of the whirlwind of vintage sheets and vintage wallpapers, that have descended upon us this week! There was further chaos in the conservatory too! And the living room, as well as a trail of threads throughout the house! Mind you, if I had my own room, my family would NEVER see me!

I'm a VERY proud Mum this week, we have just been to meet Eldest Beas' tutor, and we are sooo pleased with how she has settled into her new school, and how well she's doing! She confidently showed us around her school, like she'd been there forever!

Little Bea too, has skipped to school with a smile on her lips, almost each day she's returned home with some sort of sticker or certificate for her work! When our children are happy, we are too!


Thank you all for taking the time to leave me your little messages and thoughts....and welcome to all my new 'followers', I've hopefully turned of that awful word verification thingy! I'm starting a campaign to have them all banned! Please join in the campaign and switch them off!

Rant over.........will leave you with this beauty.....

 

Back Soon.....

Ada :) x