Showing posts with label Norah Wellings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Norah Wellings. Show all posts

Friday, 21 June 2013

....they say if you want to get ahead..........

...get a hat!
..and there must be some truth in that....



...some of the best people just wouldn't be the same without theirs...


....but lately there has been a change..

..every year we attend a 'hat function'.....
...but gradually, year on year,
the hats have disappeared!?!


...i love to wear hats...
..and i love to see people wearing them too..
...they make a special occasion 
really special...



..but nobody seems to want to wear them any more....
...so now at this function...
...i sit alone in my hat...
...determined never to give in...


..but despite the compliments
even i am starting to question myself..

...do i look silly, odd....
...heaven forbid....OLD FASHIONED?
aaargh...


...i agree that these rather stiff looking
creations are not what i'm pining for...

..this year i wanted something 'gatsby',
...a soft, pretty straw hat...
...not too big or formal...


...but can i find one?
...because sadly the impact of this trend..
...is that hat shops are very rare.

...my other problem is that i actually already found the perfect hat....

...i tried on some beauties at the 
eridge country living fair...
...made by the talented
...they were perfect....
..but just a tad beyond my budget...
...so for now i have this option...
...which is vintage and cute
... but a bit tight...
...or
i go bare- headed!?!?
now that would cause a stir!

X






Friday, 15 March 2013

....and it was all yellow......

...it's not a colour i normally like....
...it doesn't suit me..

(even if i'd like to imagine myself as sandy in 'grease'...
with that little yellow cardi round my shoulders....)



...but at this time of year
i just can't seem to get enough of it....
...i fill the house with daffodils....





...and my army of easter chicks
 come out on parade....
(what's with the pink hats????love these guys!)


....it's the promise of better days....
...warmth from the sun.....


...yellow is happy and vibrant....
yellow is holidays....
...and easter chocolate!!!!!
yummy!


uh oh better watch that cheeky yellow monkey!

keep the faith....
spring IS coming....
even if it is pouring with rain right now!
x

Thursday, 17 January 2013

....hidden treasure!

..this is a story of surprises....
...of finding joy in unexpected places...
...of lasting friendships...
...a story about a monkey who had a secret!
...every year my squirrelling parents
try to travel to holland to visit 
the utrecht vintage toy fair...
...they always return
 with the most amazing 'finds'(I WANT TO GO!!)...
...they stay with our dear dutch friends..
.. who share our love 
of antiques, vintage, childhood nostalgia...
...this year our 'vriendiin eekhoorn'
(dutch squirrel friend??)
discovered an endearing norah wellings monkey
(remember my binky?)
..fell for that little face and adopted him!
..but once home it was felt that all was not quite what it seemed.... 
..with a little explorative investigation..
...and a delicate operation...
...a large piece of vintage fabric was discovered stuffed inside our little monkey!
....quel suprise!!!!(i know...french not dutch)
...as you can see it is very unusual...
..it has lovely little illustrations...
..and quirky little sayings...
...in english!!!...
...the material was gently packaged up..
..and kindly sent back to england with
my parents......
...to be 'vanilla squirrelled'
 into something crafty...
...hmmmm what to do?
...my mum asked me to make something special
for her friend (of some 30 years)
to send back to holland ...
...a gift of friendship...
...so i mooted and pondered...
...gathered together a mix of materials, ribbons, buttons....doilies!....
...and pondered and mooted...
..and made a trio of lavender pillows...
....that will hopefully last another 
30 years...
...a symbol of a lasting friendship...
...and a special little monkey...

...with a hidden secret.
x

Thursday, 10 January 2013

...dottie with a twist....

...i love all things 'dottie angel'
...her ramblings,her crafting, her style..
...last summer i bought her book from
the 'suitcase series' at uppercase 
(you can buy it here)
...i carried the book around with me
everywhere i went...
...a true new disciple to the granny chic movement...
....i even framed one of her tea towels...
...which hangs with pride in my crafty space...
....and i try to follow her mantra...
(although i sadly don't have any slips to peek out of anywhere)

...dottie has definitely changed the way i
approach my crafting....
...a new-found love of doilies for a start!
recently i found myself on a week-end away...
...not thinking i'd have time to craft...
..so i didn't pack any sewing...
..however the weather was SO bad we were rather trapped inside! 
..i decided to challenge myself to craft
'something out of nothing'(or whatever i could find)
...so i hunted around and found some threads,
a couple of doilies, some buttons....
...this dala horse ribbon and some socks!...







...my first instinct was to go down the sock monkey route......


...but i wasn't in a critter kind of mood.....



...so i just started making....

...and ended up with this lavender pillow...
(backed in a soft blue cashmere to make it tactile)



...it's a bit different...
...a bit dottie..?


...dottie with a squirrel twist!
X

(p.s. first unfinished project completed....onto the next.....!)


















Tuesday, 23 October 2012

....jubilee ........



...i keep finding little reminders of the jubilee dotted around the house...


....and after years spent thinking that commemoration memorabilia was a bit dated....
....i have discovered a new found love for it..



...so I'll keep flying the flag....
(any excuse to get the bunting out)


...even though it's all over......!


....who was that???!?

Thursday, 11 October 2012

..first and last..............

...this is Binky my first 'Norah Wellings' monkey, wearing a vintage,  hand-knitted, fair aisle sweater with tiny matching shorts.......
....i say 'first' because after my father bought Binky for me, i found other little monkeys that needed a home........ 
...not many people know this about me......but i have a monkey cupboard.......

..this is Libby my most recent addition...
...somebody has lovingly made her a vintage Liberty print dress...:)