Colour and Hope

A little sunshine, a breath of warmth, a splash of colour and I feel like a different person. The egg yolk yellow of these miniature daffodils just gives me an instant lift as well as the corner of our home where they will sit. The weather has been loads warmer and dry enough to some tidying in the garden. I have to say that the garden doesn't look wonderful for its tidy up but there are plenty of strong healthy shoots and the promise of luscious green leaves and bright flowers brings a certain amount of excitement.





These little packets of seeds always make me feel excited. I know I'll have to hang on to them until April before I can plant them outside but I love buying them, knowing that these alien looking seeds behave impeccably and always grow beautifully once planted in their little black seed trays.




Ferreting around in the cellar this morning I stumbled upon this forgotten little trug that I had painted and decorated with images of seed packets. I thought perhaps it's time that I begin to use it.( Any ideas of what I do use it for will be gratefully received). I love seed packets and I can't explain why. I love to see them at the garden centre, row after row in their racks. Some, very familar plants, others that I've never heard of , that look full of promise and give you a wonderful sense of anticipation as you plant them up and wait patiently as the tiny little seedlings poke their heads through the soil. At this time of year Father-in-law has a stash of seed packets that hold great excitement. Already the sweet peas will have been planted in trays, familar varieites that will be guaranteed to win prizes and new plants each year promising large blowsy flowers and heady scents. He knows I like the old fashioned, less showy varieties of sweet pea and he now always plants a selection of these and presents them to me with their short stems and deep velvety colours, to sit in a pretty vintage jug. Some of the sweet peas are nurtured lovingly for the horticultural shows during the sumer. Others will be on sale at the gate next to the honesty box. All that beauty from these little paper packets of seeds.



All we need now is for the weather to continue to improve, a little sun, a little rain and we can all begin to breathe and relax again. How I love Spring!

A Special Request

At thirteen years old Josh doesn't avidly read every blog entry his Mom posts. However, this week he has made a very special request - that I put his new guitar on the blog for all my blogging ladies to see and admire. He began bass guitar lessons twelve months ago and has decided to learn guitar as well. This meant a trip into Birmingham last weekend to search for the perfect guitar. He had been told that he wouldn't find the right guitar - but that the right guitar would find him. And it did. He is now the extremely excited and proud owner of a Gretsch Corvette in burgundy.





It has a classic Bigsby whammy bar, (cool), and two pickups, (cool) and I am reliably informed that some great guitarists use or have used Gretsch guitars, including George Harrison, The Edge, Neil Young and Joe Perry from Aerosmith, (cool). This beautiful guitar now lives in Josh's room, picked up, caressed, stroked, played, marvelled at. 'Thanks Dad'. 'Thanks Mom' has been said over and over again in the past few days.



And please don't miss the studded leather guitar strap - this was by far the coolest strap in the shop!

Cake Stand OCD?

Today, I fully intended a quick post to show off my latest couple of purchases but it has developed somewhat, as I begin to realise that I might have a problem. Firstly, let me show you my latest tin (I'll save that particular problem for another day). I saw this for the first time over at The Henhouse and feeling quite upset that I hadn't received my copy of the Emma Bridgewater catalogue I popped over to the Bridgewater website and a few days later, here I am, proud possessor of this gorgeous little tin but still not in possesion of an EB catalogue. Now, the next item I'm going to show you is part of the problem.



Yes, I love its pink, frilly, gorgeousness and the fact that at a fiver from Matalan it's quite a bargain and you cannot deny how luscious pink-iced cupcakes will look sat on top of its sheer loveliness. The problem is, I already have several cake stands and think that I might just have cake stand OCD. I have some lovely domed cake stands





and some very nice glass stands that will stack neatly on top of each other for a glamorous display.




I love the patterns that are formed in these moulded glass pieces.





I also have a very pretty, flowery, thirties style stand



and some very attractive creamware stands.



I think that's eight cake stands in total. My passion for them doesn't stop there. I've also been eyeing up this piece of gorgeousness from Laura Ashley.


I'm trying very hard at the moment trying not to add it to my basket and proceed to checkout. Well then ladies, do I have a problem? Should I seek help? I'm like this with everything - I have to have loads of stuff and one is never enough. Except for husbands.

And do you know the worst thing about this obsession? - I haven't got one slice of fruit cake, one coffee cupcake, no scones, not even a slice of plain sponge to adorn one of these wonderful cake stands today. Sad or what?

I also have to thank Tracey at Tracey's crafty scraps for this award. Many thanks Tracey.