Glittery Pumpkins

Courtesy of Twig and Thistle

Halloween is not big down my street on account of there not being that many families.  Consequently I don't dress the front of my house with the tradtional scary orange pumpkins.  But these, oh these would look so glam inside and could stay around for quite a while couldn't they?  Aren't they just gorgeous. 

Courtesy of Twig and Thistle

A mummy and a baby too cute!  That's it, I've made my mind up, it's silly o'clock in the morning and am heading off to the supermarket to get some pumpkins.  I have a craftroom full of glitter that I just get out and look at mostly so it's time it got put to good use.  Oh please let them have some nice ones there for me.

Courtesy of Maine Home

White ones are gorgeous too, seen a lot of these around blogland lately and I can see why, timeless.

Great idea as a door number outside in your front yard.  You could just stick plain old drawing pins in them, super cheap.  I don't know where this picture came from so apologies for not being able to put up a credit for it.

Wish me luck at the shops.  Promise to post some pictures of my attempts at any of the above, could be interesting to say the least!

Lolo xx

Favourite Thing on a Friday

Well this Friday anyway!  Went back to work this week after some time off and for some reason it's taken me ages to get back in the swing of it, maybe it's the shorter days and really crap weather we had here yesterday.  Or maybe I'm just getting old, lol!  So not an inspiring post I'm afraid but sleep really is something that I love especially Friday nights, coz you know you've still got another lay in to follow.

You can guess where I'm off to now can't you.  Sweet dreams my friends.

Lolo xx

Crafts for Christmas and Hobbycrafts - Tesco Voucher Deal

In a couple of weeks I am taking my mum to NEC Birmingham for some crafty retail therapy.  They are having three exhibitions at the same time, Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycraft and Art Materials Live!

Entry fee is £8.50 each for all three shows which isn't too bad but today I discovered that you can purchase tickets using your Tesco clubcard vouchers for an amazing £3.00 each.  Boy am I glad I hadn't already bought them.  Used my mum's vouchers, I always spend mine as soon as I get them, and in a few days time our bargain tickets will be winging their way to us.

Now I may be a little slow in catching up with these offers and you girls will already probably know of this great deal but in case there is anyone out there like me who didn't here is the link Tesco Exhibition Vouchers.

NOTE:  THE ONLY SNAG IS THE DEAL RUNS OUT END OF SUNDAY 23RD OCTOBER SO YOU NEED TO GET YOUR SKATES ON.

Not good, have just seen that there is a cake exhibition on at the same time.  You just know that I am gonna have to pop in and have a peek at all that clever cakeness and pretty decorations. 

How cute is that snowman.

Awww Bless them.

Okay, is it wrong that I now have my nose pressed to the screen trying to smell the chocolate!

Have to stop looking at cakes now before it all gets out of hand!

Lolo xx

Favourite Thing on a Friday

I've decided to join in with the lovely Mimi and Tilly's Favourite Thing on a Friday and today, this is what it is that I am loving.

Blue skies and sunshine and seeing my white umbrella blowing in the gentle breeze.  I know, it looks static there, but that's just down to my poor camera skills.  Waking up and looking out to this really does make my day and inspires me to do things.  So far today I've been climbing up a ladder and blitzing the top of my kitchen cupboards, a job I hate, a job I normally tend to ignore for far too long a period of time.  So you see, I need this view to keep on appearing, as god only knows what state my poor little home would be in if only clouds were to greet me each day!

To join in with the fun, just click on the button in my sidebar and see what we are all raving about today.

Lolo xx

Limited Edition Yankee Candles

If you are already a fan of Yankee Candles like myself then you may already know about these but I just discovered them in my local department store at the weekend with my sister.  They smell divine and have the cutest labels on the front, much better their normal ones.

I think there are 4 Spoonful of Sugar scents, the one above is the most subtle and it does kind of sparkle too.  Cinnamon Sugar and Vanilla Sugar are also in the range.  Am particularly loving this style of jar too with the metal lid, which to me, will look much better when reused for storage of my bead necklaces in the bedroom.  Price wise were brilliant value, just under £10 for 22oz, which is around £7 less than normal.

Just discovered they do little baby ones too.  How cute is that.  They are on this website, but not so cheap, but they do offer free delivery which is something.  The department store I got mine from was Beales, they recently took over all the Westgate stores.  If you happen to have one of those anywhere near you but be worth popping in there.

Lolo xx

One good turn deserves another

Yesterday I kept my promise and helped the BF ferry his beloved motorbikes to the garage, you see he is trading up, to some new black shiny one.  He did tell me in great detail what the bike was etc etc but after a few minutes I glazed over as I understood none of it!  You know how it goes ladies, a bit like when we come home with our latest find for the home and gush about it to them knowing that after a nano second their interest will be lost!!

Anyway for my good deed I got to do a little bit of retail therapy, just a little bit mind, the poor fella can't cope with more than a couple of shops bless him.  So not long ago a store called The Range which I had always heard good things about from up North opened a branch up near us so of course I had to investigate for research purposes.

Well I'm telling ya, I love it.  Cross between Dunelms, Wilkinsons and Hobbycraft but better!  The doorstop above cost a whopping £2.99 and it's beautifully made.  The little building blocks which I've always loved and admired in another well known and pricier home interiors store (famous for flowery frocks in the 70s) were a mere snip at £3.99, I tell yee my little eyes were darting everywhere with glee.

They actually feel much nicer and better finished than the pricey ones.  Edges are all lovely and smooth.

Doorstop even comes with two painted wooded hearts which I'll probably hang somewhere else.

French inspired wall hook, yep a bargainlicious (is there such a word) £2.49, so I bagged two of them, it would have been rude not too wouldn't it?  Not exactly sure where I am going to hang them but that is not the point is it ladies.

Now I confess I did go to the said pricey home interiors store because I just love to window shop really, and also because they had 25% off of their paint and I use their Pale Twine alot in my house.  Don't worry I'm not going to show you a picture of a tin of paint, but I couldn't resist splashing out on their union jack doormat in duck egg colours.

Do you like?  It was £20 which I didn't think was too horrendous and does cheer me up everytime I see it, which is a good thing considering I'll be crossing over it every day!

So do you think that was a fair swap?

Lolo xx

Gingerbread Family Wall Hanging

Been playing around with my polkadoodles cd again.  Isn't this gingerbread family just the cutest!  Everything is printed from the CD apart from the backing paper which was a freebie in Homemade magazine, you can probably see where I was too lazy to bother trimming off the label! 

Took a little bit of time cutting them all out but wasn't difficult then I just kinda sat there and chucked them all together till I was happy with the look and then glued them in place.

The little kiddie ones are the best don't you think.  Such happy little faces, bless them.  Close up my cutting out skills look a little hap hazard but hey ho, you don't really notice from a distance.

Have you started playing around with Christmas crafty stuff yet?  I'd love to hear about all your makes.  Am already counting down the days, only 74 Sleeps to go!!

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Christmas at Ikea

I know, we haven't even had Halloween yet but oh my, I am in love with some of the new Christmas goodies on the Ikea website!  Bang on trend and as usual at great prices.  Here are some of the items I am just gonna have to have!

Santa advent calendar - £8.99

Has 24 numbered draws that you can fill with treats

Pot Pouri in a bag - £2.99

Set of 8 hanging decorations - £1.79

Great for card toppers.

Adorable fabric mushrooms - £5.79

For anytime of year really.

12 paper gift bags - £1.99

99p for 40, yes 40 cute gift tags!

Those bottom ones again could be used anytime.

Red and white sisal 30m - £2.99

Assorted Xmas Stockings 43cm high - £2.99

 Christmas Fabric - £3.99 per metre

Okay I'm gonna have to stop now before this post goes on for miles!  Am off to check my diary for when I can whizz down there and pick up these goodies.

What do you think?  Are you loving them as much as me?  Have you already been and got some?  I've already got tons of ideas on what I am gonna do with just the fabric, let alone all the other goodies!

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Just Put Jam on It

Thought I'd share a quick card I made the other week using Sundae of Seasons CD by Polkadoodles.

Aren't these jam jars just the cutest!  Background paper is by K&Company and I used Anna Griffin's ribbon punch along the bottom and threaded some red gingham ribbon from my stash.  I can see these jam jars being used a lot and I love the fact you can size them to whatever your project requires.

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Sunny Sunday Pottering

What a beautiful weekend!  Anything I could find to wash went into the washing machine, came out and onto the line in the glorious sunshine.  Call me daft but I loved it!

When I had my garden done back in July I lost my 1950s original clothes line and concrete posts so at the moment I have improvised by winding a line randomly from the fence posts at the bottom of the garden.  I'll make up my mind in the spring, do I stick with the line method or go for one of those wurly things?  Have to say it is the line that is doing it for me so far.

I pottered around with my camera, the jasmine plant has gone wild this year and is nearly obscuring my new birdhouse.

These need to be picked fairly soon, much better than last year's sorry little green ones.  Am not a great lover of eating apples straight but do love a good apple pie and custard.

For those of you who follow my blog,  this is the new patio area on the left. No more sinking chairs in the mud and the ugly green wheelie bin has now been replaced by a shiny new Outback barbie.  Which I might add has managed a few outings this week making the most of the unexpected balmy evenings. 

New luscious lawn = lots and lots of mowing, nobody warned me of this.  Does grass always grow this darn quickly.  My tatty old little lawn was quite happy if I trimmed it every 10 days or so, this little baby has me out there every 3 days!

And finally a nap in the sun, does life get any better.  Love my little Alfie, earlier this week he had to go to the vet hospital to have a damaged front tooth out, he did look funny.  All right as rain now, just a rather large hole in my purse!  Worth every penny though.

Hope you all enjoyed our unexpected return of summer.  Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

We Heart It

Was just having a little look at my stats, more to be nosey and see where my visits are coming from rather than how many and saw this We Heart It Entry!  Never heard of it before but my little post on Cath Kidston in The Lanes, Brighton has been hearted.  Is that grammatically correct?  It was Lissy Lou who hearted me and, if  it is the same Lissy Lou that I follow in blogland, thank you Lissy!

The site looks similar to Pinterest all be it on a much smaller scale?  Have you been HEARTED?  Do you use it?  Unlike Pinterest you do not need to wait for an invite so I may just go ahead and register.  No wonder I don't get any housework done!!  Am off to have a proper look around...............

Lolo xx

Papercraft Inspirations Magazine

Click image to go to website feature

A few months ago I was contacted by Papercraft Inspirations as they had seen my blog and wanted to feature a card I had made.  I thought it was some kind of hoax at first, but checked it out and yep it was for real.  I was blown away, my little old blog who would have thought it.

The card they liked was the one I made for Mother's Day using the new Tim Holtz Sewing Room Die and it finally made it's appearance in the August issue of Paper Craft Inspirations magazine.  And there it was, my card, alongside many other talented crafters from the bloggy world, does that mean I am famous now lol!  I still can't quite believe it.

Thank you for taking the time to pop by, I really do appreciate all your visits.

Lolo xx

Brighton - The Lanes

Back in May I was in Brighton for the weekend, which now seems like an absolute age ago!  Especially as the shops near me have already got some of their Xmas stock out, why?  Complete craziness! 

Brighton is famous for it's Lanes and yes whilst there I did get to wander round the little paved streets and being a true blogger there was the obligatory taking of many piccies.  So today I thought I'd pop a few on here and remind myself of the lovely time that was had.

Adorable dress in the window of the Dollydagger boutique.  Perfect for a stroll along the prom followed by tea and cakes don't you think.

 Speaking of cakes, and with icecream as well, do you need anything else?  Nope.

 There must have been nearly 50 Singer Sewing machines in this window display of, I have to say, one of my favourite clothing lines, All Saints.  Unfortunately they are just a tad pricey for my purse, sigh.

And then we ended up here!  Yup good old Cath Kidston, you can rely on the sight of her shop window displays to put a great big grin on my face.

Breakfast in bed madam.  Why thank you, don't mind if I do!!

Then it was time to get on with some sewing.

And with all that fabric to choose from I could be a while!!  And I was so the BF and friends took to the plaza cafes outside and left me to my own little world.  It was grand I tell yee ;o)

Thanks for popping by.  Lolo xx

Knitted Bunting Challenge

Womens Weekly magazine reaches its centenary this year and are going for a world record to celebrate.  They want to make the longest knitted bunting ever!  Currently the record is 8,982ft and 0.4inches, crikey!!  All contributors will be named on their stand which they are taking to shows across the country.

So fellow knitters, are you up for the challenge.  If you click here you can download the pattern and entry instructions.  Closing date is 19th September.  I think it will be fun and I am soo much better at getting things finished if there is a deadline.  Plus it can use up all my scraps of odd coloured wool.

I know someone already who this will be perfect for, my darling nan.  She's 86 young and knits everyday to keep her from nodding off, bless.  I shall be whizzing the pattern round to her this weekend.

Would love to know if you are going to make some so please do leave me a comment and we can all share piccies of our bunting creations.

Love Lolo xx

Garden Makeover - Part Two

Look I have grass!!!!  You can see what it looked liked before here - Garden Makeover - Part One.

A certain cat of mine, Alfie, has instantly taken to it and thinks it is his giant carpet to lounge around on.

The next day was the patios turn, they dug down quite deep then all the hardcore got bedded into it.  It's amazing watching all this transform.

The paving is going down next, which luckily has arrived in time, was a bit touch and go but they got here.  And yes a certain cat has taken a liking to them.

Can't wait for the slabs to go down.  The process so far has taken 4 days for the gardener, he's been brilliant.

I still haven't persuaded him to leave me his vintage garden roller though!  Isn't it beautiful.  Reminds me of my grandad in his garden many moons ago.  Aaah you gotta love nostalgia.

Love Lolo xx