Friday 8 May 2009

Who Said It Was Easy Being Green???

Hello there! Hope all's well with you.
Just a bit of 'this and that' today.
Can you see our baby Tadpoles, the pond seems full of them, so nice to watch them develop over the weeks. Then its a case of watching where you put your feet, as they leave the pond to make their way in the world!
This has got to be my bargain of the week, I found at the carboot sale for £4! Of course I snapped it up - Hubby P was not in sight, despite the fact that he was the one who would have to carry it to the car and do any repairs. But I just 'Knew' he would be pleased!
His enthusiasm was somewhat 'luke warm' - he sometimes takes a while to see the potential in a thing! When He hove into view I met him with -
'Its just the think to sit out at the table to eat lunch' - I gushed!
'Its got rotten legs' - he said!
Not to be beaten I said 'That's a minor problem, I am sure you can easily fix it up - You are so good at that sort of thing! - and anyway I've bought it!'
A look of 'something' crossed his face!




Once we got it home and had a good old look at it, he said it would be easy to unscrew the legs and replace them - he even had some wood stashed away that would do (a bit like us girls with our fabric stashes - Hubby P has a wood stash!).



I was just inside at this point - keeping up with the demand for hot mugs of Tea!



Here it is new legs and I sort of rubbed it down a bit with some sandpaper.



And gave it a couple of coats of stain, the former red colour shows through a bit, but it doesn't worry me - its something to sit on, and for £4 that's good enough!


Found this pretty little book too, its actually a Blotter ( pages of blotting paper for use with ink pens). The pretty bird print is of a kind of raised card, I wondered if it had once been the top of a chocolate box and just stuck on to the Blotter.


The Threads are unusual, there are quite a few of them, they came in their original box. They are different colours of Laundry thread. I imagine that the big old Laundries used them to mark and differentiate between customers laundry items. As I said I have a box full, so in the spirit of not hording things I will keep some and put some on Ebay - so keep an eye out if you just feel the urge for some Laundry thread!
I just thought they are nice to display amongst my sewing things - the Kids think I am mad I'm sure - more junk!

Talking of junk - look what I found at Tuesdays carboot sale. A whole heap of beads and jewelry making stuff. Those two cardboard boxes behind are just full, as are all the little trays in the cabinet thingies, and the tins and whatnots!


I was in luck, just as I stood in the middle is a heap of boxes, having a good old nosey in them, the stall holder was still unloading his van, and put down these boxes right in front of me. I could see right away they were full of goodies - he ( the stall holder) had cleared an old house and this was, or had been someones craft stash. Well more than that, there is so much - not only beads but all the wires and thread and whatnot to make jewelry on a big scale.
I stood in the midst of this sea of boxes, guarding my little heap with my life, whilst I frantically waved at hubby P to come and help! I must have looked a little like a 'Lady in Distress' because one or two Gents asked if they could help! Either that or I looked like an interesting Loony!

When I got them home - well! there is just Sooo much stuff! I have sorted most of it out, I will keep some - really nice jade beads, old crystal, glass beads, ceramic beads all sorts! But a lot of the stuff I will never use - like Hubby P said 'Just how many beads does a Girl need in a lifetime?'
So good old Ebay - I wonder if beads sell well? There are a huge amount of wooden beads, the sort that were popular in the 1970/80's (I think they are probably from then) - do you remember when Macrame' was all the rage, and the beads were interwoven with the string to make hangings and whatnot?


I have kept just one of the cabinet thingies, to house all the particularly nice beads, and it stands rather well in my sewing corner. Hubby P wanted one - well he did say 'I will have the cabinets to keep my little tacks and screws in' - I said 'Not on your life!' So we 'compromised' - I let him have one!
I can't wait to have a go with my beads - so that's settled then- bracelets all round for Christmas!


On a Green theme
- how to dispose of you kitchen scraps - my chickens just love a good old bowl of 'mash'. I keep all my veg peelings and give them a bit of a boil up so they are nice and soft, drain, and add a bit of old bread, or porridge oats to 'dry off' the mash, and serve it up to them - they like it nice and warm! especially in winter!



Here they are tucking in! I am sure it helps the eggs taste nice and it helps cut down on the amount of bought in food they eat - a saving there because Hen food costs quite a bit.




This seems to have been a long Post - hope I haven't bored you too much - thanks for sticking with it!!
Have a nice Weekend xx Take care xx