Lavenderhouse

Christmas Ideas No 3 - What to do if you have no mantle piece!

Being a complete DIVVY (i.e wally) I did not take in to account that some of you may not have a mantle piece, as pointed out by Sal.   Fear not - I have a remedy!  We all like a good shuffle round of furniture etc at any time of the year, but Christmas usually means shifting things round a little bit just to fit a 6 foot tree in to the sitting room.  How crazy does that sound when you type it out!

This is my mantle piece from afar - The shelf is made from an old breakwater/groyne that washed up on the beach but you could use any old shelf. 

Then underneath I have placed an old Indian mirror that I picked up in an antique shop.  It cost me less than £100, which I realise is not cheap.  However, it is something that I will be able to keep forever.  It makes all the difference as a focal point to our sitting room.  We are currently on a waiting list to get a stove fitted such is the demand locally!

It is amazing how lovely something can look with the addition of fairy lights and the main lights dimmed!

Tomorrow you will need two of these gorgeous Sarah Smith dish cloths for our next Christmas idea.  They are available from most Supermarkets.

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

On my mantle piece - Christmas Ideas No 2

At Christmas time I love to have a picture as a focal point on my mantle piece.  As you know, if you search around the charity shops at this time of year they all tend to make an effort to theme some of their stock.  Last year I found this lovely little hand painted picture.  It cost me £1.50 but totally changed the look of the sitting room.  Accompanied with little candles and some old teracotta flower pots that range wildly or widely (!) in price.  These were 20 pence each.  The white candles are from a normal household box of candles so tres cheap!  Hope you like it.

The little cupboard on the right of the mantle piece is another Ann Wood piece.  You can read more about her work here  Ann Wood  She is soooo clever.

Felt flowers

On the sewing course at the weekend there was a lovely lady called Julie.  She comes from America and is very dedicated to her art.  She has flown over now a couple of times to be on courses.  She is extremely good fun to be with.  We popped in to town quickly, as she was desperate to show me a shop she knew I would love.  I came out with two stargazer lilies and a beautiful little handbag - none of which were mega bucks as she would put it.

Once again, just for my diary notes.  I love the fact that Skyla, as soon as she comes home from school, runs upstairs and puts her pyjamas on.  She really knows how to get comfortable.  I took this photo as the clips in her hair are dangling away.  It doesnt matter how securely they start the day, they either end up in her pocket or dangling.  She is wearing a lovely fleece sleepsuit that was handed down to first Pasha, and now her by my cousin's daughter, Anna.  It had been put away but is so loved, that it was rescued out of a box about to go up the loft.  I am glad to say our family does not see hand me downs as a bad or embarrassing thing but something to be loved and treasured again and again!

Lilac jug and stargazer lily

I have always wanted a lilac polka dot jug and whilst in Cornwall I spotted one in a shop window.  After a precarious trip past all the china to the till with the very clumsy husband and three little children and then the long journey home at the end of the holiday I amazed and very pleased to be able to put some flowers in it. Like many others, we had stargazer lilies in our wedding bouquet, so I have a fondness for them.   I love how dramatic, yet how stunningly simple the colours are.

Apologies in advance to any friends (probably Louise) that end up pouring custard or gravy from this jug.  All I can say is that dishwashers do a really good job at cleaning and sterilising. 

Easter Mantle piece

Today has been a very grey day, with some lovely sleet showers which, unfortunately, have not progressed to snow!

The children went swimming with my husband, whilst I stayed at home to try and shift yet another cold.  They had a hail stone fight as there was a large hail stone shower.  It is very cold so we are going to have Winter Pimms in hot apple juice tonight - any excuse!

The children have decorated our mantle piece for Easter.

Spring mantlepiece on a grey day

Today is a grey day.  My broken roof is probably leaking - I hope not!  Yesterday my friend's husband was dropping my son back here after music and he bumped in to my neighbour's car and broke a light.  Fortunately he does know them too but I felt really guilty.  This is compounded by the fact that one of our roof tiles hit my other neighbour's car during the bad storm.  Both sides are still talking to me but I feel really guilty - although one was an act of God and we had tried all morning to contact our neighbour to get permission to drive his car off his drive on to the road - too late! 

Anway, these flowers are quite a good way to try to think about moving forward and spring days.  Do you like the asparagus tips?  Only joking - I have taken them out now!   

Big hugs to my daughter who did 40 lengths of the swimming pool today and will get her 1000 m badge - not bad for an eight year old!  I mention this as I want this to be a record about us as a family.  I have never had the discipline to write a diary but this seems to be working out for me - at the moment!

Mantlepiece & Goodbye to the Timber Yard?

Posy, one of my favourite blogs to read, does a section called 'On my mantlepiece' - I think (If she doesn't mind) I am going to do the same, as it is one area of the house that is easy to change, yet changes the living room completely.  This is what it looks like at the moment.

The reflection in the mirror is of a lilac fluffy blanket and my son watching Superman (again!) i.e not where I have been all day - snuggled up on the sofa with a herb tea and Designer's Guild book - wishful thinking!

Despite the weather, the lorries arrived to take the timber away today.  They have been working all day and have hardly dented the pile!

The sea never comes over the wall - until last night, bringing with it very new drift wood!

The day is very grey, green and brown - yuk - looking forward to some blue days!