Pinch Me

Lookie here at what we found last week in Homesense.

For 35 quid!

(Which, I know, is STILL pricey, but when my Tesco set cost £12, it sort of even its self out!)

I do love those pretty roses. My dad had a big rose bed when I was a child and it was his pride and joy. I felt very honoured when he taught me how to prune them and then let me loose on them. I don't really have enough sun in my garden to grow many and most are in pots, which is not ideal. But, much better than not having them!


Mr Blossom very kindly laid out the other designs and took a picture on his phone for your perusal. A mixed bag of designs. I must admit I could've been very tempted by the lighthouse design, which would actually have gone better with the curtains, but I stuck to the 'pretties'.

He also did a pic of this...


...which I think is really funny. And even better girth control when you don't buy it!

It was our 22nd anniversary yesterday, so I phoned him with a wake-up call at 7am his time. He is having a good time in Norfolk VA. Going to Target to get me some Cetaphil and Burts Bees stuff, and getting cat treats from Walgreens! Also catching up with a few friends from their last visit, one of whom restores vintage cars and is hopefully going to come over to the UK to do the London to Brighton run sometime.

//http://www.lbvcr.com/

When I was a kid we could walk from our house over the fields to catch it as it drove through Gatwick. It was brilliant. The field nearest the Airport is now an NCP car park. Progress, eh?

There is a great old film based loosely around the run, "Genevieve".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045808/

A good old bit of Britain in the Fifties. This link has photos etc.

http://www.donbrockway.com/genevieve.htm

Me...I don't drive!!!

Zxx

Bit lax recently on the old bloggaroony front, I'm afraid!

So, firstly, a big 'Hello' to Bombshell and Basketweave. Welcome to Pennyblossoms' world!

I'd liked to send a big 'Thank You' to Debbie at http://homethoughtsfromvintagewants.blogspot.com/

for my first ever award. I have to admit, it bought a tear to my eye. I was so chuffed!!

Here are a few pictures from the Bicycle Basket Bazaar last Saturday. I met three georgous girls, Charlotte, Hannah and Laura (l to r).

And here is a photo of Laura and Hannahs' stall. It was full of pretties, a real treat for the eyes. Yummy.

And talking of 'yummy', this was my lunch at The Nook.

With these taken home from the 'cake lady', Pamela.

Triple yum.

And, would you believe it, I have lost 5lbs. Not sure how...you've seen all the foodie related photos on this blog! I do try to eat properly, lots of veg etc.. I've spoken to my GP about it and she knows I am concerned that I am so overweight. But from what she says, I do wonder if the meds are partly to blame. But I feel that is just a cop-out excuse. But I also feel relieved that with the depression issues, I didn't end up with an eating disorder. I am happy as I am-I feel more confident now than when I was half the size, but the health issues are the ones that make me want to lose weight. Still, 5 down only another $%*@ to go!!

Anyway, I have a week to do as I please as Mr B flew out to Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday for work. So, I MUST TRY AND BE SUPER-CONSTRUCTIVE this week! And a blog post is a pretty good start.

I need to pass on this but that will be another post. So, till then, 'au revoir' mon chums,( it is 'Darling Buds of May' day on ITV3, and they are in France).

Z xx

Miami?

Nah!

The view above my head on the bench in my back garden, yesterday afternoon.

Bliss!

Z xx

BBB

It's that time of the month again...

...the last Saturday in the month -tomorrow I hasten to add. I missed the last one due to being in Plymouth, so this will come up all fresh again. Good-o.

(What did you think I meant?????)

A loud, rapturous welcome to several new friends (fiends?), Little Miss B, who is into hats, which is what I specialised in at college, (tho' costume opportunities took over once I left), so, of course I LURVE her blog, and Kim @ The Girl Can't Help It, in the States. Her writing is sharp and scathing, but in a good way. She makes me laugh....a lot....out loud! Mr B loves her site too. There used to be A Girl Can't Help It in Islington, run by Sparkle Moore, but I think she's in Alfies' Antiques Market now. But they both do that 50s/60s bombshell vintage clothing and other affiliated stuff. Great to peruse. And hello to Retrobluebell, who I know nothing about! Tell me more Miss R Bluebell!!

And "thank you" to Christy and Alex from Mr Blossom, for his birthday wishes. He had a great time.

I'm going to stop typing as I keep jiggling to Ian Drury and now Dr Feelgood on TV and keep hitting the wrong key!

Whatever you are all doing, have a great weekend,

Z xx

Bow Wow Wow - C30 C60 C90 Go

Did you let it RIP?

I hope you did.

It is Malcolm McLarens' funeral today. His son, Joe Corre, asked fans to let it RIP at midday by playing your favourite record for 1 minute at full blast, (http://www.humanade.org.uk/). I chose C30, C60, C90 by Bow Wow Wow and, boy, I didn't know my little pink CD player could be SO loud. I think my immediate neighbours were out, and hell, if they weren't I've put up with some cr*p from some of 'em over the years, so 'Cheers, Mr M.'

Love him or loathe him, he touched a lot of peoples lives. Joe was the co-founder of the undies (understatement) shop, Agent Provocateur, http://www.agentprovocateur.com/. His mother is Vivienne Westwood, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivienne_Westwood.

I was never 'a punk' but it was a big part of Mr Bs' life.

I've downloaded a YouTube film of Bow Wow Wow, but realised I should have done that first and then written my post around it, cos I don't know how to put it into what I have already written, ie, here! So that is why it is a seperate post! Next time, eh?

So, celebrate a legend. I can recommend a really loud song and a dance in the hallway - it was very liberating. And it made Mr Blossom laugh!

Z xx

Square Eyes

Me again!

Anyone else watch the wonderful Alys Fowlers' Edible Garden on BBC2 at 8pm? Goodness, I'm all full of ideas to do in the garden now. Sadly, I only have a teeny tiny space in the front and not much more in the back and a lot of it is shaded a lot of the time, so I think I may have run out of space.

I truly believe my garden has been a life saver for me. That sounds OTT but whereas so much else has been too overpowering to keep up with during the worst time of my illness, the garden for all it is hard work sometimes, it gets my mind focussed I guess. Whatever, I am so thankfull for it, whatever the size. As they say, size isn't everything!!!!

You may know of the Cockney rhyming slang of 'apples and pears', which means stairs. Well, this is strawberry pots and pears, which stands for nothing at all! Sorry, it's getting late. It was daylight when I started this post! Only kidding.

Alys was followed by Cracking Antiques. That's pretty damn good too. Showing that 'antiques', ie secondhand, can be much better and cheaper that the High Street. Well, all us Bloggers may know that, but they show some good stuff. Tonight was Catherine Shinn for vintage furnishing fabrics and trims. Maybe some of you know of her, (I don't...didn't), but I loved what they showed...even if they did spend £120 on trim for curtains!!! Argh! I'd want to do curtains for the whole home for that! Well, you know what I mean.!! But the bed place near Brighton in the first episode was brilliant. And maybe I won't get rid of mums' Scheurich vase after all!

Byeeee,

Z xx

Happy Birthday

A HUGE Happy Birthday to Mr Blossom, who has decided he is a comedy genius at 49! To use Lous' (from Sparkle of Glitter) phrase - woop woop!

"Is it a bird? Is it a plane?"

"No, it's a bird."

Boom boom.

It has been a real hooha, this volcanic ash business, hasn't it? With some not very nice things occurring. Mr B saw a retired ballet director in Pret the other night and poor chap-he was out (working) in Karlsruhe, Germany, and had a devil of a job getting home. He eventually came back by train and it was SO overcrowded that it had to be run on the slow line because it was too heavy to use the usual fast one. I find that quite worrying. And he's in his eighties and a Sir to boot. Hope I'm still gadding around at that age!!!!

One of the crew had to travel back down to London from Edinburgh; he was going to fly down and then couldn't. He'd checked the train fare price and then when he went to travel, found out they had bumped up the price. Blooming cheek and rather a nasty thing to do. It wasn't Virgin...they were letting people had had bought plane tickets travel on their trains instead. So, woop woop to Virgin!

*****

Planted out my sweet peas that I grew from seed today. I usually buy seedlings, so I'm quite chuffed with myself. Even built this wild thing for them to grow up. I was inspired by a photo in Bob Flowerdews' "Companion Planting" book. I will try to post a picture at some point.

Enjoy the rest of the week,

Z xx

A better frame of mind

Evenin' all.

Mr B sent me this photo at tea.

A warm welcome to A Thrifty Mrs, a lady whose blog I have to admit I have lurked on; and also, Alex, from Odd Socks. A newbie to me, so I shall enjoy reading about my new 'friend'.

*****
I've been v. busy in the garden the last couple of days. Mr B brought home a plastic walk-in greenhouse that he found in Sunderland and I have FILLED it right up. Sprout, courgette, lupin, oriental poppy, bean, delphinium and sunflower seeds. I think the sunflowers were from The Lowry leftover from The Calendar Girls promo, if I remember rightly. If they all grow I have no idea where they will all go. Swopsies with one of my neighbours maybe.

*****

It is Mr Blossoms birthday tomorrow, along with the Queen and Iggy Pop. Class!

Nighty night all.

Z x

Really rubbish

Ooo, I'm really narked.

I'd never heard of Rosali, (from Ikea), before I started reading blogs.

I was SO excited. Mr Blossom and I went on the bus to the train station. On the train to Bletchley and then on another bus to the blue'n' yella store. Mr B said get a duvet cover in both the blue AND the white colourway.

Well, a week later, and I have just put on the blue cover. There are no fastenings at the bottom to stop your duvet coming out, (which may, of course be the Swedish way), but the top seam has several holes in where it hasn't been sewn together properly. For Heavens' sake, it's a straight line, hardly rocket science, even for a total beginner...just follow along the edges.!

This is only my third ever visit to an Ikea, and the first one, when I lived in London, so that was years ago, yielded me a wooden loo seat, for my mum, with pieces missing.

So to say I am NOT enamoured of them and probably will never bother going again, is an understatement! Cr*p! that's what I say!

And while I'm in a narky mood, wasn't it rumoured that it was Cath Kidston who did the designs. Well, there's another retailer who I'll be VERY careful with what I buy. The same inefficient care to detail...we bought the big gazebo (in a sale, mind you), and there were bits missing, lots of unfinished ends and a bloody great FOOTPRINT on the white inside. Really, these retailers don't give a damn, do they?

And relax.............................................................

a little cocktail may calm me down!

(One of my little brooches from This 'n' That)

I have been lurking on all your blogs but just haven't felt up to commenting. But be sure, I love you all!!!

Z x

Oi!

Those bloomin' blackbirds. I've just escaped from 'the birds'! I have had to put on a hat and glasses to protect me whilst hanging up the washing. And as for the poor cats-they just dive bomb them. It is quite scary out in the garden at the mo! I have locked the cat flap (with them on the inside!), as there is a fledgling flapping about. It's not one from the nest as I can see their 2 little 'uns and hear them squawking for food. So I don't know who this other one belongs to.

Please just hurry up and learn to fly (away).

Some of you may recognise the following pictures from a post I did mid-March; I Shop Therefore I Am. Yep, well, clever old me realised (eventually) that I had downloaded the same towel photo twice. Thought 'I'll delete that and put in the other one that was supposed to be there'. Yeah, right. Deleted the photo and, somehow, the rest of the post. Darn!

But as I thought they were so pretty and received lovely comments (those sadly lost too), including 2 from new followers, Mel and Charl, that I'd re-post them.

Cupcake apron, child-size, that I use as a bib when I eat. (The hand/eye co-ordination is not what it was!)

My doggy cushion and Baby Phat baby blanket that I wrap around my knees when watching tele.

The cushion the post took its' name from.

And, finally, the book from Mr B, that Sal rather liked the look of.

Have a good week,

Z x

Happy Easter

Have a wonderful weekend.

This jug was our CS find in Totnes when did our first visit last year. It was bought to be used as a prop, until I fell in love with it and something else was found instead!

Yes, I know cupcakes aren't specific to Easter, but they blend in SO well!

And, of course, a pink "Christmas" tree is appropriate. But the tiny coloured, wooden eggs (you can just about make them out), came from Lausanne, way back in about 1993!It was the last foreign tour that the company that Mr Blossom worked with did before the Arts Council pulled the rug out from under them (boo). It is the only foreign tour I have done with Mr B and it was magical. Anyway, eveywhere seemed to have little tree branches with these eggs on. At that time, I had never seen anything like it in England, and it was a 'thing' we tried to do most years since. But this year, with inspiration from other blogs, I think I have outdone myself. The top of the piano has turned into a fairy wonderland!!

Take care all, and be careful of all the choccy if you have pets. I know Tabby would happily lick chocolate if she got a chance, but it would make her seriously ill! So, sorry mate, you're outta luck!

Z x