Hello dear friends & readers,
I have decided to close my Cottage for a couple of weeks (perhaps the rest of July)
There are several reasons I decided to do this ... the main one being that I was just feeling a weeny bit tired ...
- tired of always keeping it looking presentable
- tired of keeping the grounds looking presentable (failing miserably at that one Julie!!!)
- tired of always looking presentable myself (well umm actually THAT is debatable Julie ....
we notice that some days you havent even combed your hair !!!!)
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| Slooowwwly the Doves are getting the hang of their new feeder |
So I figured a rest was in order & a bit of catch up time :-)
Plus I had some orders I had been procrastinating about for way too long...
When Megan saw Leeanne's pinkeep that she posted about here she contacted me & asked me to make her one
I thought I had another mini "ring tin" left but found I didn't & must've imagined I had
(this happens often inside my head I might add!!!)
(this happens often inside my head I might add!!!)
As she specifically wanted a ring tin one, I improvised & found the small size Watties Tomato Paste tin to be the exact size I needed
Some sawing, some drilling & they were ready for painting
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| Resene Testpot "Persian Red" |
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| I like to line & pad the inside of the ring tins really well |
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| Megans is the left hand one, the other is stock for the Cottage |
It has been a bit of a "painting-by-the-fire kind of week" . . .
Some Op Shop purchases were unearthed in my Sleep Out ... its all very well buying all these things Julie ... but you kind of have to actually do something with them too !!!
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| Some Works in progress . . . |
The table in the foreground is a piece a friend commissioned me to "distress" for her ... the little table in the background is a $5 Hospice Shop purchase ... I had always fancied a small table in the corner of my bedroom ... kind of a reading corner as this area of my room gets lovely afternoon sun . . .
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| Well no sun today Julie .... it IS mid winter after all!!! |
This sweet little Op Shop cane basket & these 2 wooden dishes got treated to a lick of paint & a pretty lining also
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| The cane basket lining is fabric/lace & the wooden dishes have scrapbooking paper |
This lovely little tray/dish also got a wax/paint treatment & then embellished with some pretty paper & buttons . . .
I Won a Give Away !!!
Yes thats right - I won a draw in the most beautiful Spring Giveaway that Vicki hosted over at her blog here
This stunning nest necklace arrived in my post this week
This amazing handcrafted nest necklace is from the beautiful jewellery range of Vicki's friend Sidney Hanner ... you can find more of Sidney's work over at her webpage here
The workmanship & detail in the necklace is just amazing & it came presented in its own gorgeous little gift bag
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| Image borrowed from Vicki's blog |
Thank You SO VERY much to Vicki & Sidney for the chance to enter this amazing & generous Giveaway.
Little Sickie (& I) had a trip to the Vets this week. After receiving antibiotics & handing over $94.50 in payment, she promptly disappeared (along with the others) for over 48 hours !!!
Not good when you are supposed to be giving her antibiotics twice daily!!
So we have decided we needed to practise Tough Love with them & Little Sickie & Blackie are now kept inside permanently (for the time being that is)
(Squawker has now gone to its new Owner at last)
This is now day 2 ... as you can see from the picture, they are none too traumatised from this decision ...
Sickie has adjusted really well & seems to be enjoying the warmth of being inside ... Blackie has not & continually howls & cries at the french doors to be let out ... this goes on all night I might add ... so as you can imagine, the most traumatised of the lot of us . . . is actually ME!!! The Mr can sleep through anything!!!
You can see that when Blackie does decide to stop howling & have a rest, he sleeps like a flattened road-runner !!!
Oh the joys of it all . . .
Heres hoping you have a lovely weekend out there folks & thanks so very much for your visit today & listening to my ramblings,
with much love & friendship to you all,
Julie x0x0
Oh my word there are some very chilled out kitties lol :D I think taking a break is a great idea, relax, unwind and then when you're ready your creative juices can start flowing again. Oh and you're not the only one with to do projects sitting around! I should perhaps reveal all and shame myself into actually doing something about it. Having a chilled out day, sitting stuffing our gobs with rubbish watching movies recorded on My Sky! Enjoy your weekend x
ReplyDeleteIt's just seven in the morn'in over here....
ReplyDeleteHeHe! Had a little think and a cup of lemon tea...!
About this time off...mmmmmM! O.K. You can have
the rest of July off...! :0). No more mind....! :).
And, Julie...WE love your ramblings...HeHe! Bless!
Can't go to long with out your lovely photos, and of
course the stars of the shows....Sickie..Blackie etc..!x
So are you keeping these too gorgeous fur babies?? They look so at home relaxing in the warmth, little cuties!! Excellent idea about closing. You can get lots of stock together for when you reopen, which means you will NEED to come through for a days playing around the op shops in Hamilton. After all you will NEED more bits and bobs to create with Julie.
ReplyDeleteThere was so much to love in your post Julie that I can't pick a favourite.... Adore the pin cushions on the stands and your reading corner..?oh just gorgeous. Sometimes you have to rest and regroup creatively. Enjoy your break xx
ReplyDeleteOh just look at those babies! The are getting it finally that at Julie's & The Mr it IS the GOOD LIFE!
ReplyDeletesome of those painted/pimped goodies look familiar? from our OpShopping together at my last visit. They look amazing! You go Megan, she is getting a wonderful pincushion, I just LOVE mine! She will be happy you made her one too :-)
Good on you for taking a wee break from the shop, you will feel better for it. Lovely win too, what a pretty necklace. Oh, yes the doves will like the new feeder as I am sure you are too, must be nice to have their poo somewhere else!
Quickly, quickly do tell Willy that you're not actually shutting up blogging shop, just the cottage eh!! Great idea dear girl. It's hard to get everything done in the cooler, shorter days I find, besides, if you do have visitors I imagine it's a challenge to keep them warm in the cottage in winter. I am so glad that little Sickie is ok...imagine lying on your tummy like that, funny little things! I was working under a tree full of tuis this afternoon & eventually had to go & ask the neighbour what they were diving over the fence for...she had made a bird table with sugar water, pears & lard in a coconut for the birds & the this visited greedily all day long! Several kereru flew through too..quite a busy little afternoon.
ReplyDeleteVery lovely little reading corner...do hope that you'll use it even just a little in the "resting weeks". Much love dear friend, Catherine x0x0x
Your white paint brush is like a magic wand. Enjoy your well earned rest, I'm on hols next week too and shall take Blackie's advice lying flat out! xx
ReplyDeleteI like Blackie, he's my kind of cat - I get up during the night and can't sleep so creep around the garden - we would get along so well doing that together when everyone is sound asleep! Little Sickie has clearly made his choice and you 'belong' to him I think. I like your ring keeps they are a nice idea... I was very taken with the white painted trays with the floral paper bottoms - so very pretty - your small corner of whiteness is heavenly, the little dresses on the wall look so interesting and you did a great job on the distressed table. I think you deserve a rest now! Betty
ReplyDeleteAll your makings are beautiful, I especially love your re-painted bits and pieces and the corner in your bedroom. Your necklace is stunning and the little case it came in. That is such an adorable photo of Sickie on the couch, he looks right at home. Our black cat sleeps like Blackie sometimes, they almost look double jointed in their hips!! Hope you have a lovely few weeks off, hugs Wendy xx
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Megan will be loving her Pin Keep - you have such an eye for transforming things! Enjoy your time with the cottage closed - the joys of running your own business - down time doesn't always happen! I wonder if the kittens realise what a good thing it was for them being born on your doorstep?!! Hugs.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Julie
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever idea for a pin keep and other sewing bits and bobs - they're so attractive!
Tell me, have you found the Annie Sloane Chalk Paint? I friend of mine has been raving about it and painting everything in sight?
Whatever way you've done it the wax and paint job looks great!
Naughty Sickie & Co taking off like that - I agree she couldn't care less about being gated! That was a saying in our family long, long ago in our teenage years, if we misbehaved or got home too late we weren't allowed out the next weekend.
Oh I saw where you won the exquisite necklace on Vicki's giveaway - CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
When I looked through all the items I thought to myself, there were 3 things I really loved, Vickis Woodland Nest, Sidney's exquisite necklace and Jill's felted needle book! Vicki is the kindest person in the world, apart from working full time as a specialised neo-natal nurse, she also makes time for running events to raise funds for the neo-natal unit at the hospital where she works, and the nests she makes to sell part of the proceeds go to the unit as well......
Must get on , more posts to go!!!
Hugs
Shane