Fritter flutter

Every so often I get a funny fluttery feeling in my tummy. When I was younger I didn’t really know what it meant or what to do about it...but after years of strenuous ‘research’ I can officially reveal that it is a fritter flutter!

Yes, you read that right. Sometimes I yearn to just go and spend money.

Sometimes the best way to solve the problem is as simple as a pop to the supermarket for a quick trawl through the clothes and home departments...smelling all of the candle flavours and wondering if I can smuggle any more cushions onto my bed without the other half noticing (the current count is seven, and though I keep changing the order around he is beginning to get suspicious!).

Sometimes, however, it might require something more comprehensive to ‘feed the need’. Today I had such a feeling. I went to our two local charity shops a couple of days ago and knew I needed something to really fill my afternoon. My plan was to grab the bus to the retail park which is fairly nearby, and see if I could find a treasure or two in TKMaxx, but somehow things went awry and I ended up in the nearest town on a mission to tackle the ten or so charity shops which they have there!

Having admitted that I am a control freak in one of my earlier posts I have no shame in revealing that I have a system and an order which I always go around these certain shops in – sometimes it takes a full day to get around them, sometimes just an hour or so.

Even if I just get one little bargain which I adore then the day can be classed a success and the object can go pride of place in my house for my partner to scowl at...until I bring another treasure in!

Here are some pictures of today’s haul...

 

An enormous demi-john which looks perfect by the fire

 

A cute mini cheese cloche to display cupcakes and biscuits

 

...a definite success day!

 

A peach / nude vintage Dorothy Perkins shift dress

 

Love (with a capital ‘L’) my new navy blazer – especially the gold buttons

I don’t usually look too much at the clothes so these two pieces were a bit of a surprise even to me, but I have learnt the hard way to snap up anything which you see because they are never still there when you go back for them!

Do you get the fritter flutter?!

Until next time, K x

Work like a captain, play like a pirate!

A few months ago my sister bought a quirky little flat with her boyfriend and they set about putting their own stamp on the place. Although the pastel pink bathroom suite with gold taps would have been lovely in its heyday they decided that the room needed more than just a lick of paint to cover the floral wallpaper! Having bought a glossy new white suite, re-tiled, and replaced the pink fluffy carpet they decided that a nautical theme would suit the space and commissioned me to make them some artwork to take pride of place in their newly decorated room.

Having only ever stitched for myself or as gifts I was really nervous about the outcome of the finished picture and whether I would manage to capture something that suited the mood of their first home! After a lot of time on Pinterest (where else?!) I decided that my design would be based upon this one...

 

                                                 (This one is from the Monorail studio on Etsy)

I found the free cross stitch font through Google and spent a few days with graph paper trying to work out how big to make each letter, and whether the gap between each letter was correct. I have to confess that I am a CONTROL FREAK. I like things to be evenly spaced and symmetrical in life so this was quite a challenge for me!

 

After a trip to Hobbycraft for some supplies and a few weeks of stitching here is the finished project...

Because it is a custom-made size it has been impossible to find a frame which it fits into, so I am having one made at a local picture framers in a white wooden, distressed style to tie in with the rest of their furniture.

I hope my sister and her boyfriend are as thrilled with it as I am!

Until next time,

K x

Middlesbrough Vintage Fair

One of my favourite things to do is to visit vintage fairs and vintage shops. Sadly my long-suffering boyfriend can only cope with so many car boot sales and charity shops so I gave him the weekend off traipsing round, looking at “other people’s junk” and went to the Middlesbrough Vintage Fair by myself.

My favourite ‘finds’ are usually home items – rusty old tins, porcelain canisters and retro posters but I am very partial to a floral teacup and saucer! The fair was mainly concentrated on clothing and accessories – there were rails crammed full of fur coats, beautiful A-line dresses and handbags of every size and shape. There wasn’t much in the way of home accessories so I concentrated on pretty patterned scarves and Cath Kidston-esque fabric.

 

 

 These brooches were the perfect discovery for a magpie like me who is attracted to anything sparkly!

 

Who could resist a cupcake with a sweet, sugary cup of tea? This was the most beautiful stall at the fair and the cakes were DIVINE!

 

 

Check out the Travelling Tea Party website  and blog at www.thewhistlingbunting.co.uk for some vintage inspiration!

 

Until next time, K x

Cross stitch heart

Today I was planning to write about how Spring inevitably means new beginnings and a time to make new resolutions...but in the planning of my post I think I have scared any sunshine away!

When it is snowing outside all I want to do is curl up in my comfy leather chair and start a new cross stitch project! Failing that, a long hot soak whilst reading an interior design magazine is always guaranteed to thaw me out!

For Mother’s Day this year I made my mum a sweet little cross stitch heart with some pretty floral fabric and rustic aida. I found the pattern in an old copy of Cross Stitcher magazine (issue 235 from February 2011), and loved the fonts that came with it.

After I had made the heart I loved it so much that I sewed one for my sister...and one for myself! I stuffed the hearts with some pillowcase stuffing – but next time I make them I would love to try filling them with some dried lavender or rose petals.

 

I hope my post has given you some inspiration!

Not-so-naughty puddings

 

My sweet tooth has been ruling my life this week...am I the only person who seems to crave chocolate more when trying to be ‘good’?! I came across a Weight Watchers recipe for a healthy-ish mini tiramisu and just couldn’t resist.  

 

Here is the recipe if my picture has tempted you!

Dissolve 4 tsp of instant coffee granules in 200ml boiling water and pour into a wide, shallow dish. Leave to cool. Snap 8 trifle sponge fingers into thirds. Dip half of the sponge finger pieces in the coffee, then lay in the bottom of 4 small glass dishes. Divide 200g of frozen raspberries, defrosted, and 150g 0% fat Greek yoghurt between the dishes. Sift ½ tsp Weight Watchers instant hot chocolate into each dish to cover the yoghurt. Dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee and divide them between the dishes. Pour any remaining coffee over the fingers. Divide 200g more defrosted raspberries and 150g more yoghurt between the tiramisus. Sift ½ tsp more hot chocolate powder over each and chill overnight before serving.

I have to be totally honest and confess that I didn’t have any Weight Watchers hot chocolate powder in the house so I just used regular cocoa...I’m sure that adds to the calorie content but the fruit and yoghurt in the dessert are enough to convince me that I am being ‘healthy’!

 

K   x

P.S Eagle eyed readers may have noticed that I substituted raspberries for strawberries. A little bit of rebellion is healthy too!