Strike a Pose!

We went to visit my brother on Tuesday to meet our lovely new niece.  Needless to say I was super excited and spent the whole time holed up in the bedroom with my sister in law and my new niece.  Meanwhile the Wee Man and Big Man got decidedly bored watching children's TV.  So out came the Wee Man's Lego camera and the boys got down to some serious "art".

The Big Man explained the feet shots were the Wee Man's attempts to use the timer on the camera.  A timer that doesn't actually exist.  

I spy with my little eye...a bit of Cath?

Last week I took the The Big Man's Mum and Dad to a local market.  The Big Man's Mum likes markets and I must admit I use to turn my nose up at them, but now I'm a true convert.  Looking for that every elusive bargain to spend my (the Big Man's) pennies on is such a thrill. 

Whilst we ambled along, (the Big Man's Mum was walking with an elbow crutch, but that's a whole other story), I spied a rather "interesting" stall.  "Could it be?  Surely not?  What if it is?"  Pushing my disabled Mother In Law aside and dragging the Wee Man behind me I dashed to the stall and gasped.  Obviously not at those prices.  It can't be!  But did I care?  Not in the slightest.  

I wanted to take a photo of the stall but I'm sure the stall holder would have taken offence though probably not to the extent that she would have called the police, considering what she was selling.  

It was CK heaven, think of all the CK bags, in CK fabrics at market prices.  T'was heavenly.  By the time the Big Man's parents had caught up with us (disapproving looks included), I had a haul of bags in front of me deciding which one I wanted.  I wanted all of them obviously but I'm sure the Big Man would have had some chose words for me if I'd gone home with the entire collection.  

After some posing in front of a shop window and getting strange looks from the patrons of the bookies, I finally chose this gorgeous beauty. 

Lookey at the gorgeous flowers.  Pink and blue and all pretty looking.  It makes my tummy go all topsy turvy. It has all the pockets and space I need to carry all the Wee Man's stuff around with me.  Though probably not to the extent of my gorgeous tote bag from Cartier.  

The Wee Man got in on the act too and posed with a London print bag and insisted I bought that one instead.  As much as I love the London print I just can't see myself with it.  Maybe if I were four years old and London bus mad, I could have though.

As I paid I for the bag, second guessing my choice all the while, I noticed the Big Man's Mum barking her usual orders at the Big Man's Dad (he's ever so slightly hen pecked!).  She'd decided she wanted some CK action too.  Now I must tell you something about my dear Mum in Law.  She is a self proclaimed shopaholic and will buy things for the sake of buying things.  This drives me insane, as she will happily spend £20 on something that will spend it's life in the back of a cupboard.  I could go on, but I won't. 

I tried in vain to talk her out of buying a bag as I knew she would not use it.  It's not her style at all and it was way too big for her.  She has trouble getting around and the last thing she needs is a huge oilcloth bag swinging at her side.  But it was to no avail and she promptly bought a a bag because she "..wants one!".  Sigh!  

Can you guess what she's done with the bag that is of no utter use to her?  The bag that is way too big for her and will hinder her already hindered movement?  The bag that her insane shopaholic magpie mind insisted she buy?  Go on have a guess!

She gave it to me!  Her beloved, caring and thoroughly deserving daughter in law!  Yippeee!!!  That night she posed  with it and decided it was a bit too big for her and she didn't like the design and Dad in Law hated it too.  So I got it, cos I'm a good girl!  

So I have two.  Lookey, lookey, see. 

Bless my Mum in Law and her Shopaholic ways.  Bless her insane mind.  Bless.  

Silent Sunday

Car Boot Loot #9

Despite having the In Laws visiting, I still managed to drag the mob to a car boot on Saturday.  Hazza!  The Wee Man had a host of hives come out on his face as we were about to drive off but thankfully after thirty minutes of face staring the hives disappeared.

So we hot footed it to the Car Boot.  By the time we got there it had been open for two hours and with a feeling of great loss I started my rounds.  The stalls all held great promise, lots of vintage lovelies again, but I'm sure if we'd got there earlier, there would have been a lot more.  But hey ho, such is life.  At least I got thirty good minutes of staring at my gorgeous Wee Man's face, albeit with hives included.

So here's the goodies I snagged meself.

Whilst I was flicking through some books at a stall the seller "shouted" that they were 50p each and the ones behind were 10p.  The "ones behind" turned out to be vintage Ladybird books.  Before I could move the three inches to get to the Ladybird books, I was rugby tackled by Super Mom and her reinforced aluminium baby carrying frame complete with baby and nearly knocked off my feet.  Ignoring my indignation she swooped down and literally grabbed all of the books.  ***insert appropriate swear word***

Her bratty kids kept asking why she was buying those books.  "Why Mom?  Why?"  Through gritted teeth she boldly lied to her kids saying they were books she had as a child and just wanted to relive her childhood.  Ya right!  More like she was going to stick them on Ebay as soon as she got home. Whats more for the rest of the day it seemed that every time I looked up or behind me she was there, stalking me.

But I struck it very, very lucky.  Look what I found, without Super Mom breathing down my neck.  Ha!

They are all in very, very good condition compared to Super Mom's tatty and torn haul.  Ha!  They were only 10p each and I found a couple of the books for sale on a collectors website for £22 and £20.  Double Ha!

Moving on......From across the car boot I spied this and my heart lurched.  I loved this book when I was a child.  So I actually did buy it to relive my childhood.  No, really I did.  I doubt it's worth much money as it is a tatty old paperback printed about three decades after it was first printed.  But to me it is worth a lot more than the 5p I paid for it.

Moving away from the books and back to my usual chinaware, a couple of Wood & Sons "Woodland" dinner plates. I've never seen  plates like these before and though they are far from the usual flowery, pinky bone china that I favour, I thought they were worth bringing home with me.  Especially since they were 50p each.

I must admit, after staring at them some more, I'm not too enamoured with them.  The Big Man's Dad has been admiring them, so I may send the plates home with him.

Just as the Big Man called to entice me back to the car, I spotted a great stall with huge boxes of kids arts and crafts stuff for 50p each.  There were also loads of party bag fillers and party ware for 50p each also.  A very quick rummage in the boxes netted me these...

...a huge bag of pipe cleaners.  You can never go wrong with pipe cleaners.  Some Dora the Explorer fabric paints, which I am keeping for myself(!), a PVC messy mat and a diving toy submarine.  I'd have bought a lot more but I was very aware of the mob waiting for me in the car park.

So that was my mixed haul from the Car Boot on Saturday.  The visiting In Laws are doing well.  My tongue is also doing remarkably well.  Not much biting being done.  The Big Man's Mum has actually brought me a whole host of goodies....but that is another post.

Madison xxx

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...a short break in transmission

Just a quickie post to say I shall be otherwise occupied for the next ten days or so.  Mostly doing this...

The Big Man's parents are coming for a visit for ten LONG days.  I am pre-menstral with a very short temper and no doubt a soon to be very sore tongue from all the biting.

The Big Man will be hiding forty miles away at work and will only spend a couple of hours with them each day.  I on the other hand will be spending all day, every day with them.  Again...

Wish me luck.

...wheat free, dairy free, soya free wraps

It's been an age since I last posted an allergy recipe.  I did start this blog to note down all my allergy recipes and life kind of got in the way i.e. buying lots of lovelies at car boots, crafting and the Wee Man in general.  So to make amends here's a very quick recipe for wraps, of the lunch time sandwich kind.

The original recipe is from the Doves Farm website but I've adapted it a little to add some more nutrition to them and to make it a little quicker and easier. Not that is wasn't so in the first place, but when you have a hungry child demanding his lunch you can't be faffing around with scales.  At least that's what I tell myself when I use my trusty short sighted eyes as a measuring implement.

You will note that there are no definite measurements.  It really is all about a slug of this and a shake of that to get the consistency you want.  It's all part of the fun.

What you'll need.

Doves Farm Gluten Free Bread flour or Gluten Free Plain Flour
Oatly Oat Milk
Olive Oil
Powdered Garlic
Vegetable Oil

1/  In a bowl throw in about half a cup of flour.

2/ Glug in some olive oil to the flour, about a tablespoon and add bit of powdered garlic for flavour.

3/ Warm about a cup of oat milk (in the microwave for ease).  It should be on the warm side of luke warm.

4/ Slowly add the milk a bit at a time and whisk.  Keep adding milk until you get a runny consistency, like a crepe batter.

5/ Grease a medium hot frying pan with some vegetable oil.

6/ With a spoon pour in about two spoonfuls of the batter and spread it into a circle as you would a crepe.

7/ Cook for about two minutes on each side.  The wrap should start to puff up, but it's not essential that it does.

8/ Fill with your favourite filling, roll and enjoy.

Note the two spoonfuls of batter make a child size wrap.  Adding more batter will make a larger wrap.  Bit obvious but I just thought I should mention it.

The Wee Man loves these and we always play about with the fillings.  His favourite is tinned sardines.  Have I ever mentioned he's a fish freak?

Another score from Freecycle

Who loves Freecylce?  I do, I do!  I love Freecycle, love it!

You may remember the fantastic dresser I got earlier this year and it's subsequent transformation.  Well I got myself a new project to dip my chalk paint into.  

It was described as a half moon display unit.  I always find descriptions on Freecyle posts to be rather obscure so it's always a bit hit and miss when you turn up to collect things.  This unit is most definitely a hit.

It has glass shelves and a light but a bit of the veneer has come off the corner of one of the doors and the keys to the locks have been lost.  But a lick of paint and maybe some wallpaper on the back will transform it.

I love it and the Big Man and Wee Man are rather taken with it too.  The Wee Man has decided his model trains will look lovely displayed in it!  He is still reeling from my refusal to display his trains on my dresser.  A stern "No way!" hasn't sufficed so far.  Looks like I'll have a mini battle on my hands.  

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Silent Sunday

Car Boot Loot #8

Wow!  Been ages since I wrote a car boot loot post and also been ages since I've been to a car boot.  We've been having lots of summer fun, despite the stupid weather.  Thunder storms one day and a heat wave the next.   The Big Man and I have been focusing on giving the Wee Man the best summer he has ever had i.e. trains, trains and more trains.  So every weekend has been spent riding some train or other so we haven't been able to get to any car boots.

But on Saturday, I finally, finally got to go car booting.  Yippee!!  My usual car boot runs on a Sunday afternoon but this clashes with steam trains, so we hot tailed it to a neighbouring town to what may well be the best car boot in the world.  OK, maybe I'm getting over excited, but wait until you see the goodies I bought.

So, so, so many lovelies.  The Big Man had to coax me away by getting the Wee Man to phone and plead for me to come back to the car.  Emotional blackmail!  GGGRRR!!!

I think it must have been "Clear Your Granny's Loft" day.  There were so many vintage goodies at stupid prices I think I am secretly glad the Wee Man blackmailed me back to the car.  Not that I spent a fortune.  But I'm sure there is only so much my house can hold before the Hoarding Police are called in.  

First up a haul of vintage saucers and tea cups.  The seller had crate loads of vintage china and I was getting decidedly hot under the collar.  The excitement was tantalising and I very nearly took out a young man as he rummaged alongside me for I think, kitchen bits for his student digs.  "Get out of my way, you layabout!"  Be warned, there are loads and loads of photos.  

And from the same seller a couple of tea cups.  A slightly chipped Johnson Brothers beauty and a gorgeous rose Duchess tea cup.  

I got all the saucers and the two teacups for a whopping £1.  I couldn't believe it!  Bargain, or what?!  When I found out the price I went digging some more in the crates and found these gorgeous vintage J&G Meakin soup bowls.  Four gorgeous bowls for a mere 50p.  

And of course you can't have a saucer without a teacup.  After my saucer haul at my last carboot and this carboot I desperately needed some teacups to go with them.  And I struck it lucky when I rummaged in a box full of crockery and found these gems.  Four beauties for a mere £1.50.  The seller had a lot more but by this time, the guilt was starting to set in so I had to limit myself.  

But the guilt soon disipated when I spotted this lovely teacup and saucer set for a relatively expensive £1.50. 

By this time my arms were aching and the glow on my forehead and top lip was starting to bead to add to my attractive no shower, no make up, non ironed, car boot look.  A look I work hard on achieving. 

As I contemplated going back to the car, I spotted this teapot and after some examination I decided it wasn't really that lovely and put it down.  I was about to walk away when I spotted the "Everything 50p" sign that was propped up against the tarpaulin.    50p for a teapot?!  Yes please!  I made a grab for it, nearly knocking over an old fellow who was flicking through a box of LPs and the teapot was mine, mine, mine.  I've suddenly grown to love it, which I suspect is more to do with it's price tag than it's design.  

Newly motivated and ever so slightly more deranged looking I wandered over to the next stall run by a man who was most definitely selling the contents of his Granny's loft.  Three lovely ceramic pomanders for a mere 20p each.  They even have their original stickers on them.  

A few stalls more and I found this delicate pink glass for 30p.  Is it a wine glass or a sundae glass?  I'm not really sure but I can tell you my Pinot tasted delicious from it.  

And what would I need to round off the Perfect car boot day?  Storage of course.  I spotted this strange looking jar on a stall and intrigued I chatted to the seller about it.  She said it was a preserve jar, but I wasn't too sure.  I hummed and hawwed for a bit and she said the magic "50p" and it was mine.  Having looked on t'internet I found that it is indeed a preserve jar, made by Weck, but it is missing some metal clamps that hold the lid shut.  Not to worry as I won't be using it for preserves.

That was my haul and I was and still am a very happy bunny.  Of course I also bought a few bits for the Wee Man.  A phonics game by Orchard Toys for a whopping £2.  Really rather expensive considering, but it's educational so justified.

Another great puzzle.  The Wee Man loves the Usbourne Young Puzzle books and this is a jigsaw of the same series.  We haven't built it yet and I hope, hope, hope all the pieces are in it.  I bought is for 75p.

And of course no day is complete without a train of some sort making an appearance.  The Wee Man spent 50p of his pocket money on this brand new die cast metal train.

Phew, what a haul and what a great way to spend a Saturday morning.  Totting up everything I'd spent on myself it only came to a mind boggling £6.40.  No wonder I'm on a high.  I've informed the Big Man that his Saturday morning duties will now include taking me to the car boot sale.  

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