...her first ever Giveaway.

I've been dying to do a giveaway, but more often than not giveaways are for a landmark reason e.g. to celebrate X number of followers or a blog anniversary.  Well, I don't really have a landmark to celebrate as such, but I do so want to have one.

I came across the Sew Mama Sew May Giveaway Day and thought it was a great opportunity to have my own Giveaway just for the fun of it.

But what to give?  I had two days to make something, not a lot of time for me as I like to take my time on these things.  So I've had a good look around at what I do have and came up with the following:

A knitted hanging heart, that's so sunny and bright it reminds me of a lazy summer day.

A gorgeous handcrafted picture I got yesterday.  There's a label on the back that states "The art reproduction print has been sealed onto a hand cut Welsh slate and inlaid up to 30 coats of varnish."  It's made locally to me.  

A ribbon flower hair clip.  I've been spending my evenings making these for the Wee Man's school summer fete.  Perfect for a little girl or a lady with girlie tendencies.

A handmade fabric zipped coin purse with a sunny yellow button detail.  It's lined with a yellow polka dot fabric.

A baby food jar pin cushion.  I love making things with baby food jars.  They're so cute.  Anything in miniature is cute though and anything to do with babies are cute.  So this is doubly cute.

I've got so much crafty stuff that is shouting out to be used.  Unfortunately I have too much stuff and too little time, so hopefully the winner will be able to make good use of it.

Some multicoloured knitting yarn.  

Five gorgeous floral napkins.  I've used these for decoupage projects and they've always turned out really well. 

A 10m roll of  pink raffia lace.  Another of my crafty buys that made my heart skip.  But unfortunately I have not got a clue what I can make with it.  Hopefully the winner will have more luck and talent. 

So what do you need to do to win these goodies?

I'll keep it simple and ask you to simply add a comment to this post.  For an extra chance you can also follow me and add a comment saying you have done so.  

Keeping it simple for my simple brain.  

The closing date for entires is Wednesday 25th May and it's open to everyone. 

Good luck and go have a look see on Sew Mama Sew for loads more Giveaways. 

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...Car Boot Loot #1

Another blustery car boot day.  Our local car boot is in a huge playing field and of course with the recent dry spell the ground is dry and dusty.  That plus the wind meant everything for sale had a layer of free dust thrown in.

It was a mixed haul today.  A little something for everyone.  I spied this delightful handcrafted slate sign that's been decoupaged with a vintage postcard.  I'm giving this away in my Giveaway.  Go have a look see, you could be the proud owner of this gorgeous beauty amongst other things.

A very large Kilner jar for all of 50p.  I do love jars, they hold a certain fascination for me.  Maybe it's my hoarding instinct and the thought of all the lovely things I can store in them.

A set of silver plate sugar tongs for £1.  A bit mucky but a bit of polish and elbow grease should have it shining like new.  I love the intricate design on the sides.

Some pretty floral fabric for 25p.  I'll be using this to make girlie favour bags for the Wee Man's birthday party.  It's in November but I like to plan ahead.  A whole load of vintage buttons for 45p.  These will be used to make hair accessories for the Wee Man's school summer fete.

Three animal hooks for £1.20, destined for the Wee Man's room.

And also three shrubs for £2.50 each.  The Big Man had them in the ground before I was able to photograph them.  I've become a real car boot plant convert.  We've had several plants from car boots now and they are all doing very well and cost a mere fraction of the price you would pay at a garden centre.   The Big Man spotted one of the shrubs we bought at a garden centre and it was on sale for £29!  So huge bargain there.  

Next week is half term for the Wee Man so I am going to try and persuade him to go to an antiques and collectables market in a neighbouring town.  Wish me luck.

Be sure to have a look at my giveaway here for a chance to win these lovelies. 

This post is shared on Magpie Monday, Thrift Share Monday , Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Three or more Tuesday and Twice Owned Tuesday., Thrifty Thursday.

.. a query. What have you got in your bag?

Remember the gorgeous bag I got from Cartier as part of a Spring Swap we both participated in?  I've been using it every day since I got it and it's received lots and lots of admiring looks and comments.  The Wee Man's nursery teacher even lovingly stroked it when she first saw it.  

The bag is so gorgeous, roomy and ultra, mega strong.  I usually humph a LOT of stuff around with me whenever I go out with the Wee Man.  Very little of the stuff is actually mine.  Today was a prime example.  We headed into town for lunch after nursery school and when I got home my biceps were bulging with the work out they had been given.  

Lookey how gorgeous the outside of the bag is.  

Lookey at the gorgeous interior.

Lookey at all the stuff that was in it!

There's a LOT of stuff in that there bag!  They are as follows:

• 2 x big hardback Thomas the Tank Engine books.  Bought from a charity shop today
• 1 x 3pk of boys underwear.  Again bought today.
• 1 x lunch bag with very heavy freezer block and the remnants of the Wee Man's lunch
• 1 x wet wipe container
• 1 x plastic Thomas bowl to hold the Wee Man's lunch
• 1 x inhaler spacer
• 2 x Epipens
• 1 x inhaler
• 1 x bottle of Cetirize (Allergy medication)
• 1 x medicine spoon
• 1 x hand cream
• 1 x sun cream
• 1 x purse
• 1 x stainless steel water bottle, half full
• 1 x Cath Kidston bag
• 1 x bottle hand sanitizer
• 1 x packet of allergy free chocolate chip cookies.  Bought today for the Wee Man.
• 1 x box of Orgran gravy mix.  Bought today.  I don't usually walk around with gravy  mix and cookies in my bag.
• several receipts and bus tickets
• a letter from nursery
• 1 x Big Jigs wooden train leaflet.  The Wee Man has inherited my leaflet hoarding habit.  This is our third copy of the exact same leaflet.
• a pile of "acquired" paper napkins.
• 3 x packets of tissue for the Wee Man's very runny nose
• 1 x packet of toilet seat covers.  I hate the Wee Man sitting on a manky public toilet seat.
• 2 x Vaseline Lip Therapy tins for the Wee Man
• 1 x Lypsyl lip balm for me
• 1/2 a roll of polo mints
• 3 x packets of curby grips.  Bought to make hair accessories for the Wee Man's school summer fete.

There were also some snotty tissues but I didn't think you'd want to see the Wee Man's bogies.

So out of all that lot only the purse, lip balm, CK bag, handcream, curby grips and polo mints were mine.  The rest were all the Wee Man's.  Just call me Pack Horse Madison.

So what have you got in your bag?

...use of her new Cath Kidston bag in London

It was the Big Man and my wedding anniversary on Sunday.  Nine years, or so he tells me.  I'm not good with dates and anniversaries.  It all started a few years ago when I conveniently forgot how old I was(!)

We had a lovely day.  In the past our anniversaries have been all about rekindling our love for each other.  Dinner, presents and whispering sweet nothings and then along came the Wee Man.  Now we have a no present and no card rule.  Mainly because it's just too much effort and always a struggle to buy presents for each other.  Just what do you buy a man who doesn't want anything?!  So I've given up and to play fair I've asked him to give up buying me presents also.

But saying all that Sunday did turn out to be a lovely day.  We all trooped into London and the Wee Man "drove" a DLR train all the way to Greenwich.  Where I disappeared off into Greenwich Market and the Clocktower Market and the boys went to the Maritime museum.  That's where I got to use my new Cath Kidston bag.  The one I got free from Easy Living Magazine.  Look what I crammed in it.

I had a fabulous couple of hours mooching around the markets.  It's the first time I've been able to have a good look around without the Big Man or Wee Man whining.  It was arts and crafts day at Greenwich market and there were lots of lovely and very overpriced goodies there e.g. tea cup candles for £20 and over!

The only thing I got from Greenwhich was a "Keep Calm and Carry On" metal sign.  All rusty and full of charm.  It's for a friend's birthday and I do hope she likes it, rust and all.

After a dish delish lunch.  Yummy, yummy in my tummy.  NB This was shared between the Big Man and me. I did not eat it all myself, though I wouldn't have minded if I did!  Ho Fun noodles with roast duck, vegetable spring rolls and some mouth watering chicken wings.  Looking at it now, there is a distinct lack of greens.  Oh well.

We headed into Covent Garden where again the boys went off to the Transport museum and I got to mooch around Covent Garden Market and Jubilee Market where it was craft day.  I bought a couple of scarves, one for me and another for my friend.

It was a fab day, though I'm not sure it can be called a good anniversary if I spent most of the time away from the Big Man.

The Cath Kidston bag was great.  It's light and can be folded into practically nothing.

It lives at the bottom of my bag now, ready to be whipped out to carry any goodies I collect on my travels.

It holds a lot of stuff for such a smallish bag.

I'd crammed a fair bit in.  You can see from the contents of the bag that I am a bit of a leaflet hog.  I like picking up leaflets and menus and business cards.  I love reading them.  The Wee Man has unfortunately/ fortunately inherited up this habit of mine.

All in all a good day and it did pain me to wrap and post the metal sign.  It would have looked great in my porch.  Oh well will have to keep an eye out for another one.

...a vintage tiered cake stand find.

I love vintage china.  Especially vintage tea sets.  I've got vintage tea cups, saucers, plates, cake stands covering practically every surface in my house.  But the one thing I didn't have until now was a vintage tiered cake stand.  How I've yearned for one!  How I've trawled ebay drooling at the ones for sale!  I've even turned down the Big Man's suggestion of buying me a new white china one from the shops.  I wanted a vintage one.  One with history and gorgeous delicate flowers.  

Last week I went into town with the Wee Man and made my customary visit to the charity shops.  My adrenaline went into full gear when I spotted this gorgeous beauty in the charity shop window.  I'm ashamed to say I practically dragged the Wee Man into the shop without his feet touching the ground.  

A quick grab of the cake stand and it was mine.  Mine I tell you.  All mine! 

It's Old Foley James Kent and has the most beautiful pale blue border and gorgeous, delicate flowers in the centre.

Not even in my dreams could I have dreamed of a cake stand as perfect as this one.  To say I am pleased is an understatment.  And to top it all off it was only £12.  Bargain or what?!

It now has pride of place on my dresser and I have changed where I sit at the dinner table, so I can stare at it whilst I eat dinner.  Obsessed?  Me?

This post has been shared on Apron Thrift Girl,  Magpie Monday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Three or More Tuesday and Twice Owned Tuesday. Club GW

...a shabby dresser (Part 2)

A whole two months ago I got a pine dresser from Freegle.  Two whole months it's been sat in our hall.  Two whole months we've been squeezing ourselves round it to get into the living room.  Two whole months I've been beavering away to get it ready.  Well not quite beavering, more like lazily doing a bit here and there.  I do like to take my time on these things(!)

Well finally it's done...kind of.  It needs to be moved into place which is a major de-clutter and chuck out operation.  It's going to replace an Ikea Cube unit thingie in the dining room which is currently chock full of toys and junk.  So guess what I'm doing this weekend (if I can get my bum into gear)?

Here it is all painted and waxed.  I painted it in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Old White and gave it a coat of clear wax.

I am debating whether or not to get new knobs for it.  Something a bit more pretty and shabby maybe?  New knobs or not new knobs?

This was what it looked like before the paint job.  A lot less orange now.  

This post has been shared on Showcase Sunday.

...a Spring Swap (Part 2)

Remember a while ago I received a gorgeous swap parcel from Cartier?  Well, I was a bit late in sending her swap parcel but it finally got to her safe and sound so now I can tell you what I sent her.

The theme was Spring and it was really up to us what we sent.  I knew she dreamt of being a lady gardener so what better than some gardening goodies to help her dream come true.

A pair of pretty floral gardening gloves and some veggie seeds, I packaged up.

Cartier's favourite colour is white and I thought some of these lovelies would be appreciated.  A white painted wooden frame with a "Keep Calm and Carry On" picture.  A hanging white metal butterfly and a hanging white wooden heart.

A white iron lantern for her garden.  It holds tea light candles and I also sent her a box of citronella candles to keep the beasties away.

 

Everything you need to grow your own sweet peas in a handy pink bag.

An oilcloth covered notebook.  My first attempt at making one was embarrassing.  Thankfully I got the hang of it.  I used four different patterns of oilcloth to make it.  Thought it would be good as a gardening note book.  Wipe clean cover and all.

Also a yummy box of Cadbury's Creme Eggs.  Yum! Yum!  I was very, very tempted to keep the creme eggs for myself, but I was a good girl and resisted.

I also gave her some decorated wooden clothes pegs.  But I don't have a pic for them.  I'd used oilcoth scraps and wrapping paper scraps.

I do love doing swaps.  It's always lovely to receive things in the post but I also do love hunting for little presents, wrapping them up and sending them off.

The lovely tote bag Cartier sent me was used a lot on our hols to York.  It got lots of admiring glances and even stares.  Thank you again Cartier and I hope you have fun with the goodies I sent you.