I'm dreaming of a thrifty Christmas!

Hello to all you fine peeps! Happy October! Did you remember to say White wabbits? I always say it!

This was a picture from last October, and I grew my own pumpkin, this year not one of my seeds germinated! No Pumpkins! Boo hoo!


Well its that time of the year again ( I know, already! :0). Time to look towards cosy nights by the fire, bonfires, fireworks, and then of course to top it all off with the cherry on the top........... CHRISTMAS!!! There, I said it.....CHRISTMAS!!!

                                                       ooooooh Yummy!  And next thing you know its.........

Now, I am no Grinch, I love Christmas, all the sentimentality, nostalgia, sparkle and glitter. BUT! This year I am getting out my sandwich board and going on a protest march! Why? Because each year that goes by, I despair at how it has all become so materialistic and driven by commercialism. People run about like headless chickens spending money that they can ill afford, and instead of getting the desired Christmas that we are told we should be getting by the media, all that a lot of us get is worry and one huge headache and  painful bills to match!

I yelled out last year that I longed for a long ago type of Christmas, the sort where people happily exchange a gift that has been lovingly hand-made. You know the sort, like in 'Little Women', where a face would light up at an embroidered handkerchief, as if it were a precious treasure they were looking upon. Eyes filled with the wonder of each stitch being sewn by someone who loved them.

SO! This year I have made a vow to myself, that where ever possible, I will be making gifts for my much loved family and friends with fabric and materials which I already have in the house. After all, I am a hoarder, and after last weeks post where I was confined to my workroom (what a hardship!), I started to look through all those pretty fabrics which I have been collecting over time, and thought....hmmmmmm!?  Obviously this is not a completely achievable goal, as I don't think my brother would be too excited about a pretty smelly heart or bird, etc!  Although it is good for men to let their feminine side loose sometimes!

This week, whilst confined to my sewing room, I started on some of these, which I will loosely stuff and fill with lavender nearer to Christmas, and of course finish them off with bright beady button eyes! .......

I personally would be extremely happy and content, and filled with sheer warm happiness if I pulled off the chrissie wrapping paper to discover a handmade with love gift! That would mean more to me than any expensive shop bought gift. I would rather have something unique and loved than any diamond or trinket that has no substance other than cost. This is to me what Christmas should be about. Simple but true comforts and love.


Oh, and before I go, I am so daft sometimes! Last week I announced the winner of my drawing, ( who was chosen randomly by drawing numbers out of a hat) and then completely forgot to tell you the name of Aunt Spicy's beautiful scottie doglet! What am I like?  Well the little dogs name is Fred (Freddie)! Thank you Mummy Boo Bear for your suggestion!  Fred (Freddie is liking his new name very much! Mind you I have still not decided whether said dog is a girl or a boy yet. What do you think Aunty Spicy, after all, you created this gorgeous pooch! Either way, tis all good..... Fred, Freddie , Fredrica!

Getting back to christmas, what are your opinions on it these days, and if you are handcrafting gifts, what will/are you making? I would love to know, it would give me inspiration. Here is a difficult one... well it is for me! Anyone have any good ideas for handmade gifts for men?  If you do, let me know PLEASE!!! ;0)

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Susie xxxx :0))))

The Twenties, Flappers and bedknobs and broomsticks!

Good day to you all!

I hope you have all had the lovely weather we have been having here in Lancashire, although some of it was  sooo hot, It rendered me quite useless at times!

 I just adore this print of an illustration by Charles Robinson... Indian Summer.

I love the 1920's , absolutely adore the furniture, fashions, dances, haircuts... everything about the roaring 20's brings a smile to my simple face!

George and I live in a 1920's home - it was built in 1923, and luckily still holds many of it's original features.

Oh doodle of mine....

A number of years ago I treated myself, or should I say my Mum treated me to this coat. I spotted it in a local shop and thought it had a certain 20's air about it. I just fell head over heels with it! It still looks just as good as it did back then, shame I can't say the same for me!!!

What do you think? (please note, it has artificial fur!) I adore it, and when George nearly passed out at how much it was, I reminded him, that I would wear it forever, and when I come to the end of my road, hey, he can bury me in it too!  It is not at all trendy, it is timeless, so it will see me out! The drawing above is based on it.

I have popped this video on again for all you flappers out there!




Talking of clothes, we are going to a christening this Sunday and so I have been throwing my outfit together ( literally!)...Here is the recipe.....

Take one old long skirt and  ruthlessly take a pair of scissors to it....

One plain long jacket ....

Several wooden and coconut buttons....

The final result.....

 Sorry for the poor quality, it is hard trying to take your own photo! The first pic shows the colours much better!

Well, I think it looks ok.....Or have I lost my marbles completely???!!! Too late! That's what I shall be wearing, rain or shine, good or bad!

This week I would like to thank the very lovely Mrs. P For this award! Thank you so, so much for thinking of me! Please go and pay her a visit, If you already haven't.. she has a very interesting blog, and is such a sweetie!

Now, I am to tell you 10 things about myself  ( I don't think I can think of anything else, not anything that I can tell anyway... Blush!) and 5 things I just don't like!  So here we go!

1. I can't swim... yup, just flail about and then sink.
2. I once did an Open University course in Social welfare (or something like that!) I love writing essays!
3. I loathed and detested school.
4. I have bent little fingers.
5. As a child I was a tom-boy and girlie, depending on how I felt at the time. Up a tree one minute and gazing at my shiny shoes the next. I am still the same! I can be dressed beautifully one minute and like a scruff the next! A bit like my musical tastes, all the extremes and the bits in the middle too.
6. I am still 10! (In my head anyway!)
7. I believe in spirits, ghosts and all things unseen.
8. And she shall have music wherever she goes, I have 6 stereos.
9. I am useless at all sports.
10. The words economy and anatomy very often get said as economonomy and anatomonomy... I find it hard to say them!

Five things I dislike immensely.....

1. Rudeness and bad manners.
2, Bigotry, ignorance, predjudice and closed-mindedness.
3. Lack of humour and unfriendliness.
4. Injustice
and   drumroll here......
5. Porridge.

I am so excited this week, as the Sroka household  has had a delivery! I have wanted one for a long time, and the price was slashed, and we really need one as the one we have is about 12 years old now. Also as I said to George, this will see us out, we won't ever need to buy another (now, where have we heard this before, hmmmmm!!!)

Tis this bed....

This is the pic on the Laura Ashley site, as we haven't got it put together, or even in the bedroom as yet, ... we need to decorate the bedroom first!

I can not wait to snuggle up in my new cosy bed, and hopefully get some much needed sleep too! Like Bedknobs and Broomsticks, I hope to be engaged in many exciting adventures in Dreamland! Oh and enjoy my early morning pots of tea too!

Anyway peeps! I hope you all enjoy a jolly good weekend!

Lots of love to all of you!  Suie Juan tit! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx :)))) Tryed to keep it shorter! You don't know how hard it was! Did I fail? Duh yeah... miserably!  I kept adding to it...sorry!  He he! x