Quilting and a winner

Hello lovely bloggy people :o)

Hope this post finds you all fine and dandy!

Thankyou so much for all your kind 'welcome back' hellos. It is lovely of you all to leave such kind comments and make me feel all warm inside. :o)

Now, I've been a bit cheeky with this post title, as the winner I have mentioned is ME!!

Yes, me!  I've won something else beside the Harry Potter tickets that I told you about last post!

I have won a blog giveaway. But it's one with a difference. My prize is a years subscription to the brand new vintage magazine called Pretty Nostalgic.

I won the giveaway on Niki's blog, and was absolutely astounded when she emailed me to tell me I was a winner!  I had to hotfoot it over to her blog to check that I really had won before I believed her!
But I'm really pleased to have won this. Honestly i was so excited, it felt like Christmas!
When I get the first issue on 1st May, i'll show you all what it's like ;o)
But from the blog, it looks to be something really lovely, and it features Nikis shop in it too :o)

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Anyway, what have I been up to this week?
Well, I've been trying really hard to get a quilt finished...

It has lots of applique roses on it (you know, those -what I call- William Morris style roses...)

And it has embroidery stems -which i have to admit, the embroidery was quicker to do that those roses!!  And I have discovered that I badly hate quilting with linen!!

But I'm getting there. When it's all been stitched together, I'm going to get my eldest daughter to hand quilt it. It's a present for one of her helpers at school, and I thought it would be nice if the helper realised that my daughter had shed tears over it, as well as her mum!! lol.

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And, I've been pigeon sitting!!  Now, I know you're all thinking what an ugly creature this baby pigeon is, but i just think they are the most cutest things!!

When I was little my Dad used to have great big pigeon lofts, and have racing pigeons. And I do miss them a lot as I always used to be down in the lofts with him.

But then when we moved here, we met an older couple who live near by who breed 'fancy' pigeons. And when they realised they had met someone who wasn't scared of pigeons, and actually adored them, they asked if I could look after them for them when they go on holiday and the such, and I just love it!!

So whilst I was there, i just had to take a photo of 'Neville' (I named him/her -don't ask how I thought of Neville lol) as i just knew you lot would like a little looksie!  He's one of the first babies out this year !

My neighbours also have the most beautiful garden.

I just love this apple blossom -I think it's prettier than my apple tree blossom...

And just as luck would have it, when ever I went in the morning to feed, the sun was shining beautifully, even though it's been pouring and hailing  for about two weeks now....

I thought this view was a bit surreal with a mediterranean palm tree, and our english ,native holly bush in the same picture!

And I loved the shadows of the palm that played out on my neighbours, neighbours (does that make sense?) house wall...

I mean how nosey can one woman get, not only taking photos in her neighbours garden, but taking pictures of her neighbours, neighbours garden lol.

Bet you're pleased I don't live near you!! :D

Anyway, that's me for today lovely bloggers. Off to have a nose around blogland :O)

You take care now, and I'll speak soon.

Love Donna xx

EDITED TO ADD::

Oh my word!!!   I have just found out that I have won another prize!  Can you believe it? Cos' I can't !    I shall be buying a few lottery tickets this week, but I'm not sure it works like that, and this is my third win already - so maybe I'm just being greedy! :D

Happy, happy week folk. xxxx

Can you believe it !! LOL

Guess what?

Even I've got to laugh at this one!

Well, after having a sulk and a tantrum last night about my camera lead going missing -No, i still haven't found it!  I think hubby's posted it with some of his electrical stuff, but that's just between me and you ;o)-

My camera has stopped working today!

Can you believe it?  LOL.

Honestly, it's just stopped focusing altogether, and I've had it less than a year.

Luckily it still comes under the guarantee, so I can get a lovely new one to take lots of gorgeous pictures with. But it means any blogging/etsy pictures will have to wait for a while now :o(

I bet you're all really sad about that aren't you ;o)

Anyway, my little pink camera went when I was photographing two gorgeous vintage/thrifty finds.

A vintage Irish Linen table set -still in it's original packaging and never ever used!

And the most gorgeous honey pot by a company called 'Heron Cross' pottery.

Has anyone ever heard of them?

I know that my honey pot was sold a good few years back by Fortnum and Mason, but other than that I can't even find anything out about the backstamp unfortunately.

Maybe a phone call to the pottery will yield a few results...

Anyway, I have got a couple of photo's already on my computer that I want to show you (Now come on, stop groaning :o)

When my little lovelies are at school I used to pootle around on my little pink scooter ;o)

Yes, i've even got a pink fairy crash hat!  LOL

But, last Friday I had to sell my little scooter...well you see, it wasn't being used. My eldest daughter is just part-time schooled now, and her seizures are getting worse, so when the school called me when she had her 'biggy' seizures, I was having to go home, swap the scooter for the car, then drive to the school, and the ambulance always beat me there! (which is good!  :o)

But now I just drive our little new car, I can beat the ambulance there! (like today!)

So some good has come out of saying goodbye to it, and I know it's gone to a good home :o)

Anyway, I'm gonna leave you with a few more photo's of beautiful Compton Acres.

So if you've kindly read this far :o),  and you don't like gardening, I suggest you click onto your next blog now.

But i will say the Japanese garden at Compton Acres is supposed to be one of the best in the country, and it was fantastic! Honestly I wish I could have it in my garden! ('cept my whole bungalow and garden would fit in that one ! LOL)

Any way here it is my lovely people.

I'll leave you with the photo's, and the knowledge that I'm going to pick up my old, horrible coloured, cheap, drop leaf table tomorrow for my sewing machine, and I'm very excited!
Hopefully it won't stay old, cheap and horrible coloured for long, but we'll have to see!
And obviously I can't do anything about it 'cept clean it till I've got my new camera, cos' you've all gotta take a peek haven't you!  :o)

Take care everyone,

Love Donna xx

Some of these fish were enormous, the children were stroking them!

The bamboo's were  gorgeous. I so love their pretty stems.

Below is a view of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island which is a National Trust Estate in the middle of Poole Harbour. It's home to our most beloved red squirrel.

Once when we visited there we saw 11 of them which we thought amazing!

Have a lovely weekend people :o)

Long time no see!

Well, heeellloooooo lovely bloggers!

How are you this wet and windy June evening?

I hope this post finds you all fine and dandy and ready for what life dishes up next!

Honestly, nearly halfway through June already! This year has flown by!

My garden is just bursting with growth and colour. It looks so lush and green too.

The runner and french beans are doing fabulously.

My tomatoes are growing nicely.

And all my dahlias and lupins etc.. that I planted from seeds are coming along a treat, along with all the little flowers I planted in my belfast sink.

**~**

I've been really busy on my lovely new sewing machine too, but I can't show you what I've made yet as the makings are presents, and I know the lovely person who they are for reads my blog and it will give it away:o)

So you'll have to wait a couple of weeks for them.

I have been around blogs, but as you must all know blogger wouldn't let many comments through, so sorry if it seems I haven't been to you a while.

**~**

I had another Birthday treat this week. We went to visit some gardens called 'Compton Acres' in Poole, and they were absolutely beautiful!

I've taken a few (over 400!) photos to show you, but don't worry I won't be posting all them :o)

Here's just a few of the best bits..

This was the Italian garden.
A most beautiful landscaped pond with lovely water lillies..

There were bridges,

waterfalls,

and the most gorgeous flowers everywhere...

HUGE peonies...

And can you guess what flower this is?.....

Yes/no? 

Well, it's the top flower of a foxglove!

I've never seen foxgloves like this, but it wasn't a fluke, as there were dozens of them!

Has anyone else seen foxgloves like this?

It was well over 6ft tall, and I had to get hubby to take the photo of the top flower ;o)

I'll post some more of the gardens on my next post.

Honestly, they're well worth a visit if you ever go to Poole, Dorset.

I can see us going back there. It was a lovely late birthday treat.

And as a reminder, we bought a lovely little blue iris and a black leaf grass to go with our pink sea thrift that we already have.

**~**

I haven't really been doing much, just life you know?

Here's a couple of new foals in the forest.

Aren't they just so sweet?  They're always so inquisitive. Bless 'em :o)

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We have been busy sorting our cars out though.

They've been  a right nuisance, and I hate buying new cars don't you?

(I don't mean new new cars, I mean new to us ones)

I nearly cried when my beloved Voyger went. Honestly, I think the bloke who bought him thought I was a bit loopy or something, as my parting words were " Oh you will look after him and treat him nicely won't you? He's a good car, and if you're nice to him he won't give you any trouble".

He had to go though, as he was costing us about £100 per week in petrol!!!!

Yes, and that wasn't doing many miles I can assure you!

So now I've got a new one, and we'll see how we get on getting to know each other..Fingers crossed eh? :o)

**~**

I haven't even done any thrifting lately to show you I'm afraid :(

I've been a dull girl haven't I?  LOL

Still never mind, hopefully I can get on with things now.

And guess what? That includes buying a table especially for my sewing and crafting!

Oooo, I'm excited about that!

I'm looking for a dull, old fashioned drop leaf table. So that I can keep my sewing machine on the top of it all the time, and just lift a leaf up for doing the sewing.  If it's in too bad a nick, i'll be painting it too, which I 'm kinda hoping it is so I can play :o)

Anyway that's it for me tonight people.

Sorry I haven't been about much, things weren't too good, but that's life eh?

We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and off we trot onto the next thing :o)

Take care all you lovely people, and lets hope for a bit of June sun this week eh?

Love Donna xx

Happy Sunday morning lovely bloggy people :0) PHOTOS ADDED!

How are you this bright and sunny Sunday morning?

(Well, i hope it's bright and sunny where you are :0)

My migraines gone .YAY. and when it's gone I always feel refreshed -maybe cos' I felt so bad during it  ;0)

~888~

Yesterday the children and I went to a local (ish) country park in the afternoon. I wanted to go to the Art exhibition that's running there at the moment, and we also had to meet my husband there as he was running there from home (about 24 km)!

Unfortunately the Art exhibition was closed, so the girls and I had a mooch round the gardens (we'd dropped my son off at a birthday sleep over)..

The flowers -mainly camelia's -were spectacular!

Don't worry, I won't be showing tons below, but I will be showing a few, and I'll show the rest at the end of each blog post in the coming weeks. Cos' I wouldn't want you to miss out now would I ;o)

I've never actually seen yellow camelias, and these were such a gorgeous pale lemon curd colour, you could almost taste them ;)

An overladen azalea bush..

 

And just look at this magnificent magnolia!

My girls couldn't wait to get to it as the petals were falling, and they love standing under softly falling blossom. D'you remember doing that as a child? I do...

I thought this trough was a bit "un pc" I'm surprised the local council (who run the gardens) still had it about with the way some people are. But I thought it was charming and will look fabulous when in bloom :0)

~888~

I'm still adding things from my fair to my Etsy shop. I'm planning another fair in April, just waiting for the information to come through.

I love this pin cushion egg cup....that'll be in my Etsy shop too.

Well, that's it today folks (no trouble with blogger this morning either)

Have you remembered to put your clocks forward?  :0)

Oh, and before I go, you've got to pop over here and look at the explanaition of a new word that I think should definately be in the dictionary!!

Have a lovely week everyone.

Take care,

Love Donna xxxx

FOOTY NOTE :  After boasting I had no trouble with blogger this morning, I've gone half the day with no photos on my post as for some reason they wouldn't publish ! lol

GGGRRRRRRRR........

Hope you can see 'em now!