Please find me here

Happy New 2011 to you all, please find me here www.claire-daisypickin.blogspot.com

Hi

How are you all enjoying the summer? The weather hasn't been bad at all in the UK, fingers crossed it stays that way! Im having a few problems with my blog, my email connected to it has expired and as yet I haven't changed it over which is why you might not have been able to comment (unless you have all forgotten about me lol) on some if my posts!
We are enjoying the school hols,  we have had a few day trips so far.  This Sunday we are going to London, to the Natural History Museum, the thought of a 2 - 3 hour journey in the car with my boys  is not appealing at all but Im sure it will be worth it!!
This little madam has turned mad hunteress, I think in this picture Daisy thinks she is a squirrel, it's my favourite photo of her. She has turned from a sweet little kitten to a fully fledged bird killer. I know it's in there nature but its so cruel for the poor birds!! A collar with a bell is the answer whether she likes it or not!!

Where Does Time Fly!!

6.30 the other morning I was contemplating eating the mars bar that was eyeing me up whilst I was waiting for the kettle to boil. I have recently re-discovered mars bars and think its down to the advert for them with John Barnes in it. As soon as I hear that famous rap, Im transported back to my very first holiday without my parents. My then best friend and myself went to sunny spain, whilst the 1990 world cup was on!! This song was every where and its definatly on my guilty pleasure song list!! Going back to the 6.30 morning, it suddenly dawned on me it was TWENTY bloomin years ago, argh, where did that go!!! When you are younger and you always get told by the older generation that you still feel 18 and everything feels like yesterday, it is so very true.

As you can imagine, living in a household of males , its world cup fever here!! Hubby is English, my older two have the Italian link through their father, youngest and step son are half Welsh, half English so their are lots of diffrent football kits floating around our house (which incidently I hate) throw in a Holland kit and Spain one too

so no real loyalties, lol!! Hubby of course would disagree, normally he doesnt want to draw attention to himself but I went into the garden on the day of Englands first match to find two huge England flags flying from the washing line (old fashion pully, goes very high in the air) and him wearing his England top (we live in Cardiff so lots of jokes and comments get thrown around as you can imagine, even so...Wales where were you, maybe next time)

Whilst Im on the subject of sport, these past weeks have been crazy for us as parents, all our boys play football, training is still going on. Cricket has now commenced both for school and clubs!! Max the eldest played with the school at the Swalec stadium (England played an Ashes match there last year) and got beat in the final, Louie, middle child also played for his school in the grounds of Cardiff Castle and they won their tournement. This week was sports presentation eve at our school and there was a very special guest, Gareth Bale who plays for Spurs, he used to go to the boys school, as you can imagine they were all so excited and today Max is having a cricket training day with his ad other schools and two England cricketers are joining them (they played again in Cardiff

yesterday against Australia) so they have all had a fab couple of weeks!!!

Gosh I've rambled so enjoy John Barnes xx

PS Im sure England didn't get off to a good start because they didn't do a world cup song!!!!

How Many Times Have You Moved?

(image via Ideal Home website)

Happy Easter everyone, hope you are all enjoying the bank holiday weekend!!

Do you have the urge to keep moving house or are you settled in your current home? Im just curious as I would love to know what you love about your home and why you choose to stay there as moi can't seem to settle. Im not planning on moving from this house (much to hubby's relief) just yet.........yes I know I did say in previous post that this would be our forever home but I seem to get to about two years into a home and get an urge to move again! Why is this I wonder!! This current house we have renovated from top to bottom and we have deorated it to how we want our dream house to be but still I feel that urge again!!

Previous to this house we rented what I actually think might be my forever home but it wasn't for sale, even after two years of not living there I still can't drive past the road without feeling jealous as I want it back!!!! I've heard through the grape-vine that the owners are considering selling it maybe next year which has got me thinking how much I would love to buy it and dream how I could make it look!!

I left my parents to live with my first husband at 21 and since then have moved 7 times, the only house I keep thinking of is the rented one but is it fair to uproot the boys again. We have fantastic neighbours, it is a lovely home in a lovely road so why can't I settle????? Answers on a postcard....lol!!!

Claire xx

Rosali is back at Ikea

Hi, just popped to Ikea (Cardiff) and guess what I spotted.....Rosali duvet sets. Im not sure if they are back for good or just limited stock. I bought a king size set, £24.99 with four pillowcases as I missed it the first time around. Its available in the blue background too!

Hubby looked at me slightly puzzles when I shrieked at it!!

Claire x

My Favourite New TV Show

Pineapple Dance Studio's!!!!I love it, I'm sure some people think its trash TV!! Even hubby is loving it and he is not a reality TV watcher!! I think Louie should be available on the NHS.....lol....to brighten everyone lives!! I would love him as a friend, you would never have a dull moment with him!!

Catch it on Sky 1 sunday's at 8 (I think) and also various times through the week

Claire xx

Beautiful NY

I found a fab blog today whilst browsing blogland, this lovely lady and her family are living my dream......last year they upsticks from surburbia to start a new life in NY, sigh, I would love to do what they have done but I'll have to contend with fleeting visits to a place that had totally won my heart!!! Here are a few images of my favourite places in Manhatten!!





When I next visit I would love to explore the places that tourists don't tend to know about so any suggestions would be great. Not that a trip is planned anytime soon!!!! But who knows!!

In the mean time check out http://mysixinthecity.blogspot.com/ you will love it!

Claire xx

Shouldnt Every Washing Up Liquid Bottle Have An Apron?

Just for fun, how cute is this! I bought a couple for friends for xmas but didn,t tell them what it was for , they had to guess, needless to say they couldn,t!! Anything to make washing up nicer I say!!A bit of modelling
Very fetching
I love my kitchen as you know (excuse the attractive power lead, tumble drier is essential in a household of MALES) but it is a very narrow galley kitchen, where the chair is, is a passing point between myself and whoever else is in kitchen!!!!

This is the dining part, we don't have a dining room as we felt a family room and living room would work better for us and we are casual diners in the entertaining stakes!!
Now I have dilema as I'm fed up of moving the table out and it then being in the way of the kitchen door. We are considering knocking through the wall ................
into the family room next door, now this would immedialty give us space as the kitchen door would be blocked up so the dining table could be turned around to face the other wall plus it could also be moved into the family room if we had a family gathering etc!! I do like the idea of this but at the same time Im wondering about cooknig smells and the washing machine (no space for a utility!
Hubby has suggested some nice bi-fold doors to solve problem!!

What do you all think?

Love this pic of Feb calender from Homes and Antiques,

Spring is just around the corner!!

Claire xxx

Busy Busy!

We've been busy in the Serendipity household making lots of plans and finishing off jobs (I say we I mean hubby has been finishing them off :) ) Our living room we had more or less finished but the family room had got me stumped, normally I can imagine how a room will look and sometimes all it will take is cushion or lamp etc and I can plan the room around it! Finally it kind of came together. The room was painted in Farrow and Ball's clunch when we first moved in, a colour I love but the whole room looked too cream and white so one wall was painted in Laura Ashley Duck Egg blue and I found curtains in a similar colour, added a few more pics including the one you can just see by the lamp, its actually a sheet of wrapping paper I got from Baileys, its a vintage style print of Manhatten and bought a frame from Ikea and it looks fab as I've seen some for silly prices!!!! Can you see Doctors on the TV....one of my must see programmes, I love it!!!!The beginning of our gallery, the life is good sign was a xmas pressie from friend, the self portraits of the boys which I love and another map which I gave to hubby for xmas, he was born in London so its a map of where he was born amd lived, again I did it myself!!
Daisy taking a comfortable pew, this side of the room still needs to tweaked!
Just a few more house pics!
Yes...hello again!


As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm now a consultant for Jamie At Home (Jamie Oliver's co) and I thought I'd show you pics my kit. I held an open afternoon last Sunday for previous hosts and friends who had, had a party or bought from me!

As you can see the products are LUSH, I love them!!!
This is my 3rd kit, it changes every four months and just gets better and better! The terracotta range is beautiful!!
Gorgeous retro style mixing bowls, these also come in three bigger sizes.
Anti pasti platter, Jamie's baby.......he designed this for the range and is perfect for entertaining and as a shelf for extra space!
Thanda heart trivet, this is a huge seller, perfect for a Valentines gift!!
The very popular flip top jars, the top two look a bit wierd, think the fairy lights have made them look wavy!! As you can see, gorgeous colours and the sizes all come in the various colours so you can mix and match!

Beautiful terracotta, imagine a yummy pizza baking on the plate and tapas in the bowls....yum!
Great tea-towels, lots to choose from!
Ice cream colour table cloths, this is one from my older kit the current one is the pink in the other piccies!
These were goodies that my guests could win!!!

Hope you didn't mind me showing the range, I love it so much and know that you would too!

If you haven't yet, find your local consultant and book a party, they are great fun and Jamie comes too via DVD!!!

Next week we are having the hall and landind decorated so hopefully there will be more pics to follow, again I couldnt decided on what style and colour but one wallpaper that kept coming back to me was Laura Ashley's Lloyd, Im thinking its classic so will last for a few years without it looking out of fashion!!!! We have a dado with plain white above so it will break it up!!! I can't wait to see it finished!!

Claire xx

Last As Usual

Better late than never, here are some snowy pics from Cardiff, although its currently raining and snow is all but a distant memory!




No.1 son resided inside the whole time the snow was with us, not a fan at all bless him!! These two love it!!

Can you see me? Am I hidden???

For some reason Daisy (or as she is know, Miss Daisy, Daisy Pickin or the boys current fave Daisy Rascal) loved the snow, I don't know of any other cat who wanted to roll around it but hey whatever floats your boat kitty kat!!
We have had Daisy for nearly a year and she is the most sweet natured cat, the boys adore her. As soon as they come in from school the first thing they ask is 'where's Daisy' and constantly fught over who's bed she can sleep on.

If she has been out in the rain she waits by the cupboard I keep the towels in to be dried, most days she goes out for a play with next doors cat in the morning, sleeps on Louie's bed in the afternoon and will not let myself or Steve read in bed, she will push her head under the book or magazine you are reading and plonk herself in front it so you have no option but to put it down! Now what did I say about her not being aloud in the bedrooms especially at night......hmmmm!

Last night myself and the boys went with family to see Robin Hood the pantomine in Cardiff, John Barrowman was Robin, it was fantastic, I giggled all the way through it as you can imagine there were lots of inuendo's from him. I loved watching the boys shouting " he's behind you, oh no it is isn't and BOOOOO" they really got into it!! Great fun!!

Claire xxx

Happy New Year

(couldnt resist)

Claire xx

Attention, Shop Owners!!!!

Hiya, this post is for any of you ladies with a small business. As a few of you know I have been running my own online home and giftware shop Patsi Bea but have decided to close it. I have a selection of stock left and would like to sell it either has a job lot or at least part of it, I'm open to serious offers so you never know you may grab yourselves a bargain. All stock is current, from companies such as Garden Trading, East of India, Stone Handbags etc. If your interested or if you know of anyone else with a business who might be, please email me for a list and pictures of the stock at, mail@patsibea.co.uk

Cheers

Claire xx

Hello, long time no see!

Hi everyone, its been such a long time since I last wrote a post, but its such a beautiful autumn day here in Cardiff that it has inspired me to start blogging again! I have been checking on you all to keep up with everyone so its about time I pulled my finger out too!!

This lot have been keeping me busy, most school days I'm like a cart horse, carrying various lunch bags, reading bags, p.e kits etc, (why is that they all seem to read and do p.e on the same day) which normally means 3/4 bags each, obviously mum ends up carrying most of them!! One day last week Max had netball (yes boys play now) cross country, rugby training and a football match, how did he manage to do his lessons too? Louie had also started violin so yet another thing for me to lug around!! HELP!!!!

I have stopped running my own little business and since May I have been a Jamie At Home consultant, I absolutely love it. Anyone who doesnt know what this is as it still is a very new comopany (set up in March this year) Jamie Oliver has started a direct selling company! The products are fantastic and there is something for everyone, you don't have to be a fantastic cook (Im most certainly not) Here is Mason kindly modelling the childrens chef outfit!
If you havent been to a party yet I certainly suggest you try and find your local consultant and have one, Jamie comes via DVD and has a chat and shows you a recipie, its great fun!!

The host gets 15% of the total party taken to choose any thing they want from the fantastic catalogue!! If anyone is interested in joining as a consultant just leave me a comment and I'll pass your details to head office!!

Through the summer we began to renovate the garden, we have had problems with it flooding due to it being lower than everyone elses's in the road, either side of us had the same problem so raised their's leaving ours to gather everyone else's rain flow! So after waking up to the below pic Steve decided to raise ours.
Yuk!
He did it all himself, shifting all the top soil from front to back (our lovely neighbours all offered to help but he was happy to do it himself)
leaving us with a lovely even flat garden, its still like this as were not sure of a design yet but also thinking that whilst the boys are still kicking balls around a playing cricket prehaps its best to keep it like this for now!
We also made over the patio area its such a great size and the back of the house has been painted, it looked so dreary before it was painted!

Before
After
We love it, its added another room almost to the house as we use it all the time, even on crisp cold days like today!!

Claire xx