My first blog award

Thankyou Laura from my summerhouse for my first blog award.
 I love her blog , she is just so lovely and has been very supportive of me as a (relatively) new blogger .
 Thankyou again  Laura.
 Im thrilled that blogging has given me the opportunity to meet so many beautiful and talented people.
xx

Ok so im supposed to say 7 things about myself then pass it on to other bloggers that inspire me.
Here we go.

7 things

1~  Im the youngest of 6 kids, 3 girls 3 boys.

2~ We were brought up Catholic (surprise surprise) And although I no longer practice I do have a thing for religious iconology in decorating. Unfortunately its a look Ive not successfully achieved.

3~ Whilst building our childhood home we lived for a time opposite the old orphanage grounds in Catholic housing. Id spend my days hanging out with the priest and the Nuns who lived there, we were lucky, they were all genuine and lovely people.They adored me and I them, I was 4.  I remember it as one of the happiest times of my childhood.

4~ I grew up on a 16 acre property. Im still not used to living in suburbia.

5~  I come from a theatrical background (musicals) my parents were (and still are) heavily involved in the local musical society since before I was born. I loved performing from an early age and started doing shows as soon as I was old enough to audition.
I haven't been on stage since my children were born.

6~

7~ I don't like raw tomato.

Ok.. so if you are still with me after all that rambling here are the lovely fellow bloggers that Id like to pass this award onto.

1~ Katherine from theoldboathouse
(She has been super supportive and patient with my inexperience  from the very first day I started blogging and Im so grateful).

2~ Anna from lonadeanna

3~Elizabeth from iheartsunnydays

4~Alicia from time-worn-style

5~Ness from marleyandlockyer

6~Wendy from homemakinginhighheels

7~thriftedtreasure

All these bloggers inspire me and all for completely different reasons.
I hope you can accept.
xxx

Can anyone help me identify this piece?

How old is it, when was it made, how do I tell?

From the outside this doesn't look to me to be a piece of  Parker furniture.

(It vaguely hints at being art deco, but its not even really that.)

But then you open it and the detail on the inside and the obvious craftsmanship says otherwise.

Oh and then there is this!

Is this an early piece maybe?

I would assume that no other company could use the name Parker...Or could they?

What was written in the scratched out bit, the rest of the company's name perhaps?

Or maybe the word "Esque" or "Like " or better still "Not" lol.

 I just don't know enough about this stuff and I cant find any information on it anywhere.

So its over to you.

If anyone could educate me on this matter I will love you forever.

xxx

Ebay bargains

Here's my latest ebay bargain.

$30 yep Baargain.

It needs a bit of work.

 Apologies for the awkward photograph.

We had to put it in place immediately because the outside room wasn't an option during the flooding episode (and the kitchen was already full) so I didn't get the chance to paint it while it was outside. 

Im actually kinda glad I lived with it for a while first because I think I may keep it looking chippy.

Ill need to find another handle... somewhere?

The yellowy green has to go... 

(Im thinking pale pink)

What do you think?

Potential yes.

And as we are talking about wardrobes.

Here's some more.

Images.1&2 Desire to inspire,Living etc, Apartment therapy,5&6 unknown,

Pink

Im loving pink at the moment.
In all its shades.
Subtle and bold.

Wondering how im going to incorporate it into my house.

Images.Living etc,perryn house,are so happy,light locations,decorology,marie claire maison,house beautiful.

Refreshed

Im feeling refreshed and inspired.

The other half took a week off work so we could sort out the issues of the house.

He did very well.
We both did very well.
We are functioning properly again.
We have a drain, a beautiful ugly drain (more on that later).

So now our outdoor room looks exactly like this.

Ok so that's a lie.
It looks better than it did anyway.


Now I can focus on finishing all those projects that have been mounting up.
Maybe even go thrift shopping, would you believe I haven't been for 2 weeks.
Im having major withdrawals.
I have so many things to show and tell you
Im very happy to be back.

Oh and.

We haven't called the real estate agent just yet.

xxx

Images via housetohome & desiretoinspire

Wild weather.

When we decided to get another shed to store all the lovely vintage things Im going to start selling on ebay, this is what I had in mind.

And this is the reality.

Not so pretty its true but absolutely functional.  

Its not forever, just until we build up.

We can handle ugly until then.

So I packed up my pretty's and stored them safely in the shed.

Then it started raining.

All night long.

Heavy rain and lots of wind.

It ripped the roof right off my ugly shed.

With all my pretty things inside...

Im a tad sad about that.

The kitchen flooded again too.

Everything that was in the shed is now in the tiny lounge drying under the heater.

Furniture, paintings, vintage linens the list goes on.

I have a lot of cleaning up to do.

I have a really bad cold as well  

Im feeling a bit sorry for myself can you tell...

Im staying calm though.

All will be well.

As soon as I find a massive house to move into.

realestate.com here I come.

Im taking a little break until I can sort out this mess in my house and my head.

I fear this cottage may have broken me.

The view is stunning but the house is a bitch.

And Im not sure its able to change.

Odd and annoying things seem to happen here.

We're all sick a lot too.

My health has never been so bad.

Sometimes I find it hard to breath.

For some reason this house has resisted almost every change we've made.

Its as if it doesn't want to be fixed.

Not like a normal renovation when the house appears to breath a sigh of relief.

This ones seems to tense up and suffocate.

 Then it throws all these unusual consequences of our improvements at us as if in revenge. 

It has handed us some bizarre and dangerous challenges along the way.

I think im finally over it.

There's only so much one can take.

I think this relationship is over.

Maybe im being over dramatic. (highly likely ;-) 

Tomorrow will tell.

Till then my lovely's..

xxx

(Thank goodness I have you guys to vent to, I thank you all so very much)