Happy Belated Valentines Day

I'm late as usual hoping you all had a wonderful Valentines day. We decided this year not to buy each other anything except a card, so after watching Wales v England in rugby (sorry English friends) I cooked a nice meal and we shared a bottle of champagne, even nicer was the fact that we didnt have the boys around, my two were at their dads and Mason was at my mum-in-laws.....bliss!!
I have been awarded the below award from the wonderful Happy @ Happy Loves Rosie, thankyou so much, I love your blog, its so colourful and stylish and HAPPY!!!
Thankyou the lovely Thrifty Mrs for arranging the Valentines swap, I was paired with the very talented Sara @ All About Eden, now as you all know I'm useless at making things and dint even attempt to make anything so I hope Sara liked her goodies!

Mine arrived wrapped beautifully, the smelt wonderful too!

I recieved a gorgeous pouch which Sara had initialled my name, inside was a scrummy smelling soap. A heart cookie cutter, two sweet dottie hearts, a wonderful tote bag which I've turned the top over so you can see the material inside, the bag is reversible....perfect and some Green and Blacks chocolate which of course never made it to the picture. There was also a lovely crochet circle which was tied around one of the parcels and some lovely ribbon. Thankyou Sara, for a wonderful Valentines swap.!!

Like most of you its half term this week so I have my fingers crossed that the weather will be kind to us. Steve has tomorrow and Tuesday off, Max and Louie wont be back until tomorow night so we are plannig a day out tomorrow, not sure where, maybe the Cotswolds.

Hope you all have a great week..............Claire xx

This award isnt for me, its for a couple of ladies who have inspired me to be vintage and shabby...lol...sounds great. I love their blogs and style, so ladies this is for you

Sairer - Vintage Pretty Shabby
Julia - Vintage Heaven
Mel- Mel Mel
Hen - Hen House

I know this award has been around before but I've spent ages looking for new ones and dont know where to get them from so if any of you ladies know please let me know..ta....Claire x

Cheers Emma!

How nice of Emma Bridgewater to think of me when designing this new mug....lol.....I've showed it to hubby, so maybe it will appear in my christmas stocking!! The new CK catalogue popped through my door yesterday so I also told him to pick anything out of there too! Can you believe how quick this year has gone? This time of year is my favourite, I think its something to do with be able to wrap up in woolies and not worry about pasty legs and arms on show...lol! Today has made me feel all warm and cosy, the weather here in Cardiff is awful, so I am very grateful that I dont have to go anywhere. My older two are at their dads and my step son is coming tomorrow, so it just me and the little one (who has only just got dressed) as hubby is currently on a golf course playing a 36 hole final, so rather him than me, he text me before he started to say that the other fella is in a green v neck with a white polo top same as him and they have the same golf bag and putter, what must they look like!!
We now have a teenager in the house hold as my step son turned 13 this week, he is such a laid back boy, a real joy to have around and the other boys adore him, although I dont know how cool it is for your 5 year old brother to kiss and hug you...lol


a huge big thankyou to Mary (mary poppins ) for my award, if you haven't read her blog pop over right now as its gorgeous!
I'm going to award this to......
everyone who reads my blog, as you all leave such lovely comments so please feel free to award it to your self....thankyou

Claire x

Awards and Thankyou's

Yesterday I recieved this lovley award from Carol @ Katherines Dreams, I've only found her blog recently but it is beautiful and funny and creative.....definatly check it out, thankyou so much Carol for the award. I have to pass it on to seven other lovely ladies, so I pass it on to the following:

Sara @ All About Eden -

Lucy @ Attic 24-

Clairey @ - Blogging for Brenda

Mary (not sure if this is your real name.....sorry) @ Mary Poppins - a very new blog but I'm loving all your post so far

Kathy @ My Life and Other Beads

Cherry @ Cherry Menlove

Sue @ Vintage to Victorian

I have to say a big thankyou to Sara @ All About Eden, who sent me a lovely package a couple of weeks ago........apologises as I havent taken pics but everything is being packed up ready for the house move in two weeks......HELP!!! It was beautifully wrapped and contained a gorgeous little house handmade my Sara which will be proudly displayed in my new kitchen, a wall hanging which was scented and decorated with a heart, a cute cookie cutter, a lola plaster (from charlie and lola), cant wait to cut my finger so I can wear it....lol and a postcard of a gorgoeous camper van which I want to own........thankyou so much.

Well we are about to move house in two weeks so my blog will be a bit quiet but I will not be able to resist popping onto all of your lovely blogs and leaving my little comments so I will still be around.

I'm glad lots of you love The Gilmore Girls (see post below)!!! ..........Claire xx

Happy Independance Day

Happy July 4th to all USA bloggers. My eldest boys year at school are celebrating with you today! They are having an America day, they were allowed to come in their sports wear....I did try and pursuade him to wear his Florida Seminoles American Football Top so he would look the part but I couldn't persuade him, he's in his usual footie top and shorts combo....(I had visions of my boys whilst they were little of dressing them in Boden, Gap etc but alas football tops play a huge part in his wardrobe, the younger two aren't so bad..lol). They are having Amercian food and playing American sports so he was really looking forward to today. Hope you all enjoy your celebrations!

Now my ladies who won my awards.....you will be pleased to know that I've started rolling them out, the first two have been sent out ( I've done them in the order of winners) and the rest will follow next week!! Sorry ladies!

Below are a few sneaky peaks of the kitchen, its finally been installed by a fantastic kitchen fitter, he worked solidly for three days, he was excellant.

We still have walls to plaster, fit tongue and groove around bottom half (like bathroom), add open shelving on the one side of kitchen......I love Julia's http://www.vinatageheaven.blogspot.com/ shelving above her cooker in her fab kitchen, I would love that style of shelving but am struggling to find anything local thats similar. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This week I recieved a goregous package from Sara @ all about eden, I havent had a chance to take a piccie yet so I will show it in next post.........thankyou Sara.

Hope you all have a fab weekend..........Claire xx

Two Very Big Thankyou's

Hi to all you lovely ladies, I haven't blogged in ages but I've been dipping in and out of your blogs to leave comments but thought it was about time I got my self back on track. I have lots to tell so todays blog will be about my wonderful blog candy and pay it forward goodies I've recieved and tomorrow I will tell all about how the house is coming along and what has been happening here.
The above piccie is my wonderful blog candy that I recieved from the fab Natalie (Summer By The Sea), it was beautifully wrapped in dotty cellophane and contained a gorgeous fabric heart(Natalie if you do sell these I bet you sell soooo many), 3 very edibile looking decorative strawberries, a lovely fabric covered tissue holder, a little crochet set, postcard and some devine yummy chocolates which I believe are made locally where Natalie lives, so a huuuuge big thankyou to her for being so generous.

The above piccie is from my second award from equally fab Dominique ( Shabby Chic) for the Pay It Forward Challenge, again it was beautifull wrapped and contained a perfect pressie for my new house, a retro style 'home sweet home' plaque which I love, Green and Black's dark choccie with orange and spices and the most beautiful card of a fairy with a material skirt on, Dominique makes these cards and they are definatly worth a purchase!! Again thankyou soooo much.

Thankyou sooo much ladies for the perfect goodies you were both so very generous, by the way I suppose you have all noticed that the chocs I metioned in both pics are not to be seen...yes you guessed it, both didn't last long enough before the pics were taken, both so very yummy!!

So now it is my turn, so ladies for the blog candy award which ever three ladies leave me a comment first will be chosen for that award and for the pay it forward challenge I will randomly pick three ladies from the rest of you, all of you chosen can than if you decide to follow it on to three other lovely bloggers.......sooo good luck!!! I will pick the winners on Wed 28th May.

Tomorrow I will tell you all about the house and show you some piccies, not that you will be ooooing and arrring as it's still in building site mode........Claire xxx

Thankyou Summer by the Sea

This a quick post to say a big thankyou to the lovely Natalie at Summer by the Sea for a blog candy award, as I'm really busy with the new house I'm just letting you all know I will be posting all about the award and who will be recieving it from me very soon when my brain is in blog mode and not wallpaper stripping, kitchen and bathroom planning and colour scheme mode. Take care you lovley bloggers, back soon...claire x