quote of the day

Those who speak most of progress

measure it by quantity and not by quality.
- George Santayana

Stylish Blogger Award!

I want to thank Karen at ScrappyKSue for this award. Karen has some great ideas going on over at her blog, please stop by and take a peek at her scrapbook room, scrapbook layouts, cards and more!

In order for me to accept this award, I have to spill the beans on eight things about myself. Here goes...

1- I'm an avid collector of china tea cups and tea pots, I started collecting when I was 8 years old.

2- My favorite fruit is ...the Apple. There are so many things you can do with apples and all of them are YUMMY!

3- I have this constant drive to always be creating things. I really can't explain it other than I've got to keep my hands and brain busy. Be it cooking, sewing, quilting, gardening, scrapbooking or card making.

4- I enjoy making special things for my family and friends- be it sweet treats, gourmet picnic lunches or crafty handmade gifts.

5- I'm writing a cookbook - I really am!

6- I have a true aversion of ground beef.

7- I jokingly call myself a professional volunteer as I put the same kind of dedication to volunteering as I would to a paying job. Then there's the part where it sometimes feels as if my volunteering is a full time job.

8- Before anything else my family comes first!

Here is a list of the 8 creative persons who I think deserve this award as well. Visit their blogs and see what kind of creativity they've got going on and hopefully you'll be regular to their blogs too!

Kim's Scrappy Space

Through My Eyes

Stamping Ideas with Peg

Stetler Arts

My Life and Creations

With this Life I shall Live

Kat's Scrappy Bloggy Life

Heartfelt Balance and Handmade Life

quote of the day

I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
- Robert McCloskey

Wow, what a week!

To say that my life is busy these days is a bit of an understatement!


Wednesday- The shopping trip to the antique shop ended up not happening. Simply put, the heat went out in a friends house and it she was waiting on repair people to come over and fix it. Long story short- I packed up all of my ingredients and cookware and made lunch for us at my friends house. When life gives you unexpected bumps, adjust your plans! Needless to say I was able to turn a very possible bad day for my friend into one where we sat around the table having a delicious lunch and fantastic conversation. When I left her house several hours later my ribs ached from laughing so hard and so much! These are the people and the times I treasure and value so much. I will miss my girlfriends (Alisha, Jackie and Sunny) more than they will ever know!


Thursday- Okay the same ladies from lunch on Wednesday pulled off a MAJOR surprise on me today! I thought that it was just Alisha and I having "Tea" at this wonderful Inn in Aylesbury. Just me and Alisha- we have such a shared history here at RAF Croughton and we arrived here around the same time and we were instantly thrown into the insanity of this place, LOL! Both of us having teens attending Kingham Hill School, both of our husbands being commanders etc. So just Alisha and I hanging out together didn't seem odd to me at all. As we wander through the Inn, I'm looking at the rich furnishings, the art work was exquisite, the fireplaces were enormous (with fires burning in them). The place was historic and romantic and just plain wonderful! Then I turn a corner and SURPRISE! There's Sunny, Jackie and a whole lot more! I was very touched by the show of friends there. They were all in on the surprise, even my husband was...they all get an A+ in being sneaky! The "Tea" was wonderful. You could not have asked for a better place or better food or better company!

Now for the surprises...Lisanne gave me this platter. It's by Peggy Karr Glass and it's handmade in the USA. I have always admired these and have secretly wished to receive one as a gift some day. And now I have one- I am one happy girl! Now for more surprises...

Jackie, Sunny and Hope are sneaky! They know my love of Burleigh Pottery and bought me these canisters-

I almost cried right there on the spot! Talk about some VERY thoughtful friends! I can hardly wait to use these in my new house! Every day these will serve as a reminder of the wonderful and thoughtful friends I have made while living here in England.

Now here is where the tears started ...Alisha, what can I say about that woman. She is kind, thoughtful, generous, compassionate and best yet she lets me vent, LOL! She is the most amazing friend I've had in quite some time! Alisha gave me the most amazing Bracelet by jewelery designer Judith Ripka. I had a hard time choking back the tears. This bracelet represents my husband and myself- both of our birthstones not to mention the Fleur dis lis and my husbands French last name. Friday- That was the Hold Baggage pack out day. It was a 2 man crew and they were in and out in under 30 minutes! Damn! Husband and I got to spend the remainder of our day together- I can get used to that very quickly! Had lunch out, did some shopping and back to the house to work on the next part of our move.

Saturday- My husband's 44th birthday! It was a sad little birthday as his present is back in the states and his mother will be bringing it with her. I bought my husband a kindle. At least he'll have it before our trip back to the states. We spent the majority of the day going through things for the non-temp storage
pack out.

Sunday- went to church and did more sorting for the move

Monday- more sorting

Which brings us to today...

The moving company sent only 1 guy today. All I can say is what were they thinking? The poor soul will be so sick of seeing dishes he'll be eating take away for the rest of his life, LOL!

Now for me to get on with cooking up these cheesecakes! I've been busy this morning and to relieve my stress I had to cook something. So what's better to bake than New York Cheesecakes? Seriously, I've got 14 mini cheesecakes to put into the oven!

quote of the day

Vanity and pride are different things,

though the words are often used synonymously....

Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves,

vanity to what we would have others think of us.
-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811

The beginning of the end...

...has begun. How so you wonder? This week is the week of the real kick off to my husbands retirement from the Air Force and our move back to the US of A.

Our reason to be at Lakenheath was for Hannah. You see, Hannah got her braces off yesterday! Oh my gosh that girl of ours was smiling and laughing and just being so her...beautiful and funny! When I told her last night that she's smiled more since getting her braces off than she has since Christmas she denied it. But to myself and her dad, it was clearly obvious that she was happy to finally be done wearing braces.

The Corvette has started it journey back to the USA. We left it with the moving company that will put it on a ship and it will be ready for us to pick up by the 28th of March (or there about). This is my husbands "baby" so to speak. He loves that car! He loves me even more since I gave him the kitchen pass to go to Denver to buy that car on Mother's Day. AAahhhh, the things I do to make my man happy.

Now today...I had plans to go to the antique cellar with my girlfriends and then come back to my house and make lunch for them all. BUT...life being what it is, it's not without things happening unexpectedly. Some days when things don't go according to plan...it's time to come up with a new plan! Knowing that you can change a dear friends outlook on what could have been a bad and rather disappointing day...priceless! So with the boiler being out at my friend J's house and her still waiting on it to be repaired- lunch has moved to her house! I'm all about my friends and I'm not about to worry about where I cook this lunch for them! Lunch today is about letting my girlfriends know that they are special and if moving it to one of their homes is an example of the love that I have for them then so be it!

quote of the day

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home,

and let him make her sorry to see him leave.
-Martin Luther

quote of the day

Though I am grateful for the blessings of wealth,

it hasn't changed who I am.

My feet are still on the ground.

I'm just wearing better shoes.
-Oprah Winfrey

Did you know...

I will once again be designing and creating yet another Scrapbook Nook? Kind of unfair isn't it. To go through all of that work only to have to take it apart to be packed up with the very real possibility of not seeing my crafty stuff for months on end. Thinking about it makes me ill. AT least I'll be able to find an Ikea in the part of the USA where I'm moving to.

Once again I will take what I have and transform yet another space into my creative habitat. I hope that others will find my scrapbook nook transformations as being a means of inspiration. I will share pictures from start to finish in order to be helpful in the organizing of other creative spaces.

quote of the day

Love is a gift of one's inner most soul to another so both can be whole.
--Tea Rose

another busy week passes on by...

I'll say it, I've been sick all week- yes, I have yet another head-cold... again. I seem to be a magnet for head-colds. I wonder what country this latest one started in because obviously I've not had "these" germs in my system before. That's what you get when your child attends a boarding school with loads of children who all travel internationally. But I've refused to let it knock me out of my game so I persevered! With a box of anti viral tissues in hand I trudged through the week!

So to keep you all up to speed (and for scrapbooking purposes in the future)...

Tuesday- this was my last time to attend a Croughton Spouses Club function. I had a lot of fun with the card making class. I had everyone make 3 cards and there were many oohs and aahh's. I pulled all of the items out of my personal stash and was planning to just donate the costs to the club as my fare well gift to them. But then an idea hit me... One of our ladies is doing a fun raiser for a worthy cause (Hospice House) and when I was asked about my "fee" for the class I asked that the CSC donate money to the charity instead. Really, what's a worthy cause without some "seed money" to get the donations rolling in. It was a night that left me feeling good about oh so many things!

Wednesday- I was pretty much a spud all day long until my appointment at Pummel and Pamper for a pedicure. Not just any kind of pedicure, a Minx pedicure. If you haven't tried Minx you must! I look forward to finding a nail salon in MA that does it this treatment! It's like a sticker made from Mylar that's adhered to your nails. It lasts for forever! This time I got green and blue plaid, sure it's a little off the wall, but it's on my feet and I don't ahve to see it all of the time so it's not a huge distraction.

Thursday- I had lunch with my dearest friends here at Croughton. I finally got to go to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant in Oxford. If ever you get the chance to eat at one of his dining establishments- DO IT! Clean fresh tasting food that's not doused in tons of sauce- simply delicious! Great atmosphere, excellent wait staff too! Lets not forget the friends...Alisha, Jackie and Sunny- all three are the best friends that I have made here. All we were missing was our friend Linda and the circle would have been complete! These ladies are all heroes in my book! They go above and beyond what is required of a military spouse and it's women like them and their endless volunteering and giving of themselves that put us (RAF Croughton military volunteers) on the map as a VERY supportive unit! I hope to spend as much time as possible with them before I leave. These are the kinds of friendships I encourage others to make...the ones that will last a lifetime!

Friday- Cooking Club!!!! I chose the Tex-Mex theme. We've all done it before and it was such a huge hit that I wanted to do it again! The food was awesome, the conversation was truly one that made everyone laugh out loud and it is something to be treasured! I've got the best neighbors and I'm going to miss them all oh so dearly! I just may try to start a cooking club after I get a house in New England.

Now for my good news of the week...my thanks goes out to my sister in law "L" who has helped us find an apartment. So now we have a place to live, albeit a temporary one. We're not rushing into buying a house, we want to take our time and see what there is out there on the market to find that "perfect house" just for us. Soon there will be a rash of new listings for spring and well we want to see what's available to us. We'll be living in the same town as my husbands brother and his family. We pretty much know which school our daughter will transfer into after we move stateside which as also another HUGE plus for us. It's all falling into place a little at a time.

So here I am, my family sleeping in like usual (even the cat is having a sleep in today), me with coffee in hand surfing the internet having a look see at what's going on in the world around me. Life is Good!

quote of the day

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.



William Shakespeare

(1564 - 1616)

quote of the day

The first step to getting the things you want out of life

is this:

Decide what you want.
-Ben Stein

Livin' la Vida Loca

Living the crazy life...that's me! So here I am making up card kits for tomorrows spouses event. Making up card designs and prototypes- easy! Making up 20 card kits for ladies whom I do not know what their crafting skill levels are- not so easy. So far I 2 different card kits. Keep in mind I'm doing this all by myself, so it it a lengthy process. Then of course there's that other thing...limited funding and of course the ever so popular limited resources for art supplies. I've raided my "stash" and have a couple of really good paper crafting projects with limited stamping. I may decide to do a third card kit- it's something that I'm going to ahve to give a wee it more thought to doing before I commit myself. Look for pictures tomorrow.

quote of the day

I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch.
- Gilda Radner

I know that I've used this quote before but I can't help it...it's so perfect for today!

2011 Cherry on Top Award!

Thanks to my fellow blogging sister Sharon over at Diary of a Craft Room Transformation -I have been blessed to be the recipient of the Chery on Top Award! First off WOW I have readers? LOL! Seriously though, I am humbled and honored to have been chosen for this kind of an award. Through the all I want to do is quilt times, cook times and even through the skinny non creative times when all I've done is to babble on about life here in England, Sharon has been my personal cheer leader. Here is it is simply weeks before yet another major move and I feel my creativity surging back into my veins.

Now on with the instructions/rules for accepting the award:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you.
2. List 3 things you love about yourself.
3. Post a picture you love on your blog.
4. Pass the award on to 5 other bloggers.

Three things that 'I' love about myself...

1- I Have an Eye for Colors, Textures and Design. I can put together outfits, rooms, quilting fabrics or even various dishware patterns and have them working well together. I never thought of this as being a special talent. I never realized that it was something that "not everyone" can do sort of thing do until I got into college. I still shake my head from time to time thinking "Wow, I guess this thing I can do really is a gift".

2-I Can Cook. Not only can I simply "cook" but I can make gourmet meals and treats that my friends talk about for weeks after they've eaten something that I've made. It makes me so happy to be able to spoil my family and friends with food.

3-I'm Creative. I've almost always got some sort of creative endeavour going on be it paper crafting, quilting, sewing, needlework, planning a flower garden or redecorating a room. I find inspiration all around me, all I need to do is to open my eyes and my heart and let it (creativity and inspiration) sing to me.

I took this picture while in Venice in October 2009. IT was an amazing experience to be in a place that I had only dreamed of. I wish that I could post more pictures I love but the requirement said that I could only post one so this is it.

My list of 5 great blogs...

♥Kim at Kim's Scrappy Place. Kim always has something going on! I've known Kim for a few years now and she's really taken off with her scrapbooking and card making endeavours! She's a fellow military spouse who currently lives in Hawaii.

♥Judith at My Life and Creations. Judith is a VERY talented paper crafter living here in England! Go check her out, she's always got interesting things happening

♥Peggy at Stamping Ideas with Peg. Peggy is a stamping up consultant who goes above and beyond! Of all of the things I miss from South Dakota, it's Her enthusiasm for the paper crafting and life in general. Her smile and laughter is infectious! Fresh ideas abound at Peg's blog!

♥Sarah at Stetler Arts. If you're looking for fancy schmancy kind of art, Sarah's got inspiration galore! I love to look at her art work and it IS art work! Be warned...her stuff is addictive! She too is from the heart of the country!

♥Julia at Stampin Ground. This woman's site is the Holy Grail of inspiration! She too lives here in England and her stuff is just plain WONDERFUL! She goes on holiday (vacations) to places most wish we could go to if we had the time. She's super creative and best of all she's super fun and spunky! Check out her blog and you WILL be hooked!

I've been inspired

All it took was a trip to the theater district in London to set the tone for me to be inspired. With all of the other crazy stuff that seems to make up my life these days, I've been trying to relax my brain (so to speak) so I could draw upon my creative skills this weekend. It feels as if it's been forever since I've drawn up sketches for card designs (this was once something that came to me as naturally as breathing). Then I woke up, not from having some crazy dream about the move or retirement but with card ideas in my head- WOW! It's still there! I still have it! I had begun to wonder if it had left me. It was sleeping is all, just taking a nap. It might be stormy and pouring rain outside but inside of me it's all rainbows and blue skies with bluebirds singing and flowers blooming and bees humming...the way it's supposed to be!

Now to have some coffee and to relax on the couch with a sketch pad and draw to my hearts content.

quote of the day

Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time... The wait is simply too long.
Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)

Now from a personal stand point this is also true for art

an epiphany of sorts

I've finally figured it out, all of the mixed emotions about the retirement and the move and the crazy dreams I've been having. This sudden realization of the feelings I've been having washed over me I was reading a passage in a book- what I'm feeling is very similar to a break up, not quite as bad as a divorce (I've held enough hands of girlfriends through those to know it's not that bad). But still it's this slow winding knot in the pit of my stomach, letting me know that things are not right, that something is about to change in a drastic way and there's nothing I can do about it to make it go away, there's nothing that I can say to make the pain go away- it's going to happen whether I'm ready for it or not.

The silver lining (once I'm finished with the pain stage) IS ... unlike in a divorce or a break up, we get to keep all of our friends. This has all been about us- that after over 22 years we're leaving the Air Force and that way of life, it's not as if we're leaving the planet and leaving everyone behind. WOW! All this and I've only had 1 cup of coffee.

My being able to write about this has made my burden not feel so heavy. Granted I still ache inside but the pain somehow is not as sharp as it once was. Will I cry at the retirement ceremony? Of course I will! Heck I cry at all retirement ceremonies why wouldn't I cry at the one that effects the person that I love, the one who means the most to me?

Now lets see how much I can do with this, my last month left here in England!

First stop...London's theater district and Phantom of the Opera! I'm taking my daughter to dinner and to see the play tonight- a mother daughter event!

quote of the day

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy,

in whatever situation I may be;

for I have also learned from experience

that the greater part of our happiness or misery

depends upon our dispositions,

and not upon our circumstances.
Martha Washington (1732 - 1802)

What is love?

It's a question that has been asked for as long as man had knowledge of what it was to feel emotions. It's something that springs up from the very depth of your being, it can overtake your rationalization and turn it upside down. It starts so simply and innocently with a fluttering of ones heart. It's the allover warm feeling you get when you see that special someone or hear his or her voice. Or sometimes it comes on so slowly you don't even realize how deep into it you are until you up to your knees.

For me, love is to give of myself freely,without strings attached nor to expect anything in return. It's knowing that I've been able to share something that I hold dear with another human being (or my cat). It's kindness, warmth and understanding all wrapped up in something as simple as a hug. Love is an ever growing thing that is always present. One only needs friends to make it grow and blossom into something truly beautiful.

By being here in England I've been able to have that love grow and bloom into a myriad of flowers which I call my friends. It will be hard to leave here with so many wonderful friends still here. But with that said,my doors will always be open to those that come my way, not to mention I hope that they all come by for a visit when they come back to the USA.

Remember...the road to a friends house is never long.

quote of the day

Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be.
Become one yourself!
-Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Manic Monday?

Or will it be a Mundane Monday? For me, I hope that it's the latter. It's the last day of January which means that my last full month here in England starts tomorrow.

The DV's that came to our base were wonderful! Anyone who thinks that officers wives are stuffy and stuck up have not met the right ones! Mrs. W was so personable and endearing. She made it a point to engage everyone of our party in conversation. She was a blast in the antique store! Mrs. W and Mrs. C had me smiling constantly with their child like enthusiasm for the place. They were like a couple of kids in a toy store and anyone who saw them could not help but to smile.

Burns Night- who knew that Scottish Whiskey can make an awesome sauce for meat? Certainly not me that's for sure! But I tried it and liked it. I did bypass the haggis (there was no way that stuff was getting anywhere near my plate). I got to dance, had fun and the best compliment of the night was..."You're just like a real person". Well for the young woman who gave me that compliment...I certainly hope so! Sometimes it's good to be seen letting your hair down and just having fun.

Slide Show- going through the pictures for this slide show brought with it a wave of emotions and a flood of memories. I'm half way through the pictures and hope to make better headway this week with the digital pictures.

Now for more coffee, to get through this ocean of laundry and of course to read more some more of the latest spin off romance novel about Mr. Darcy and his passionate feelings for Elizabeth Bennett...Life is good!

quote of the day

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words,
and never stops at all.
-Emily Dickinson
US poet (1830 - 1886)

I dream of a life...

...beyond these four walls.

quote of the day

Love and magic have a great deal in common.

They enrich the soul, delight the heart.

And they both take practice.

-Nora Roberts

Busy is as busy does

It's a full week for me as there seems to be something going on every day.

Yesterday I got to spend some time with another moving company rep- she was estimating the load that her company will pack and put into storage for us. All I can say is that you know it's going to be a smooth move when the company rep says "I wish that more clients were as organized as your and your husband are". Now I did give a snort of a laugh when she said that because I felt like we were anything but organized. But apparently a lot of people say that about my house. Maybe it's just me feeling out of sorts or maybe it was that huge stack of pottery I had in the middle of the formal dining room table that I had yet to put away, LOL!

Today- well I've got to make something for the dorm dinner that's tomorrow. NO matter what I decide to make, I will have to leave the house to get things like eggs and some other miscellaneous dairy products (we certainly do go through the cheese at our house).

Tomorrow- I will be spending the day with the Dv's who have come to check out our little base, and go on the tours that the base has set up for them. There's also the dorm dinner that evening hence me making those cheesecakes today since I will be VERY busy all day tomorrow.

Thursday- I will be going through all of the pictures that I brought with me for the slide show (this is for my husbands retirement ceremony). There are thousands upon thousands for me to wade through- this is no small task in the least!

Friday- take kitty to the Vet and that nights is the Burns Night function- should be interesting. I have no intentions of letting Haggis get anywhere near me- just say NO applies here!

quote of the day

Love isn't a decision. It's a feeling.

If we could decide who we loved,

it would be much simpler,

but much less magical.

-Trey Parker and Matt Stone

"Sandie's Fantabulous Pottery Tour (w/lunch)- The Sequel".

What can I say, it was an amazing trip! It doesn't get any better than going out to Stoke-on-Trent with ones girlfriends! I can't begin to tell you how much we laughed. The places we went, the thing we saw and ooooh the things we bought!

For me, it was magical! I'm all about the girly stuff, you all know that. The colors, textures and various patterns of the pottery was intoxicating! To describe the euphoria I felt ...for me the analogy would be as if I was an alcoholic and I was swimming in wine. Yes, it was THAT good. You've got to be there when the doors open at the Wedgwood outlet- I learned this from my very first trip out there. If you go in the afternoon the shelves will be picked bare! We arrived at 9 am (just as I planned) and I set my girlfriends loose in the Wedgwood outlet! The selections were fantastic and extra discounts were being given to us- life is good! We were all dizzy when we left, we were all swimming in the wine so to speak. But a few minutes back out in the cold British air and we were on our way to the next place!

Next stop Burleigh- it's my own personal little slice of heaven! One of the things on my list- and yes I had made a list of things that I wanted to buy was a lamp. Not any old lamp would do either, I wanted a blue and white lamp as I'm trying to put together a "look" for my formal living room in my next house. I had dreamed about buying a Portmeirion Botanical Blue lamp until I saw the one at Burleigh. Bluebird is the patterns name and it's a rare pattern at that! Once I saw it I knew that it was the lamp for me! There were a few other items that I picked up while at Burleigh, some really cool items at that! They had these beautiful Christmas themed 8" plates for a whopping 50p each- I bought 12. They will go great with my Spode Christmas Tree dinnerware! There were tons of great deals to be had!

Now on to Cauldon Ceramics, home of the Original Brown Betty Teapot! Sure it's a small business, but inside that blue door was a magical place full of brown earthenware pottery! All 4 of us bought teapots galore, and ordered more to be delivered to us this week. Me? Well, I've got a covered sugar bowl and a creamer coming to me this week ;-) There's something about the Brown Betty that I simply LOVE! It's simple everyday look makes me feel as if I've come.

Now over to Portmeirion- This place (for me) is like walking into a British Flower Garden in full bloom! It's overwhelming in the sense of the selections and intoxicating! Since I already own quite a bit of Botanic Garden tableware, I was looking to get a few more serving pieces. I found that my pattern was on sale for an extra 30% off- yeah momma! I came out with bowls and platters and was very pleased that I didn't spend as much as I thought I would.

Now for those that don't know- Portmeirion also owns Spode- Oh yeah! Life IS indeed GOOD! Tons of Spode products in stock and I was looking around with big eyes. It finally happened...I found the pieces that I've been wanting for years for my Christmas Tree service. The last pieces to fall into my lap are the Teapot and the Sauce Boat with stand. The store had them on sale at an extra 50% off, I could not resist! For years I refused to buy those pieces because they were so costly and suddenly they were in front of me saying "look at me". I was like a kid in a candy store! I even bought some of the cutlery items. I came out of there one happy woman!

Last Stop, Ainsley China- I came here because I wanted to get a couple more Belleek China pieces. Belleek is made in Ireland and I blame my addiction to it on my mother-in-law as it all started with a cup and saucer. I now have a handful of pieces and I cherish them all!

I know that I will never be able to buy any kind of British or Irish made pottery at these wonderfully low bargain prices like I've been able to while living here in England. I'm going to have such wonderful memories wash over me every time I use any of my place settings and serving pieces. At times I feel as if I've been on a treasure hunt and found the most exquisite gem stones and pearls.

So the best part was being on a treasure hunt with my girlfriends and seeing them find treasures of their own. We all came away happy and content. Okay so that gourmet picnic lunch that I made for all of us helped too.

quote of the day

The universe is full of magical things,

patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
-Eden Phillpotts

Oh do be Serious!

I'm beginning to think that some of the folks that have Portmeirion items listed for sale on e-Bay USA are either delusional or are on crack. I'm hoping the former and not the latter. Are people actually willing to spend $150 on a retired Portmeirion rolling pin? $350 or more on a soup tureen? IN this economy? Oh do be serious! I keep telling our US military folks to buy the British pottery here, now while you can and while it's CHEAP! I love going to Stoke on Trent! I've been able to buy things here that I know I wouldn't be able to get back is the USA- not for the prices I've paid for here!



I'm getting excited about my trip on Saturday! It's not as if I "need" any more pottery, but I would like to pick up a few more pieces of Portmeirion Botanic Garden and maybe even some more Burleigh Pottery...who knows what I'll come home with ;-)

quote of the day

The pain of making the necessary sacrifices always hurts more than you think it's going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creative is one of the most amazing experiences one can have, in this or any other lifetime. If you can pull it off, it's worth it. Even if you don't end up pulling it off, you'll learn many incredible, magical, valuable things. It's NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opportunity- that hurts FAR more than any failure.

-Hugh Macleod

Count down to MORE fun!

I did this trip back in April and I'm about to do it again. It's time for...

"Sandie's Fantabulous Pottery Tour (with lunch)- The Sequel".

I chose 3 girlfriends who would never do this on their own and now I've got the whole thing planned. Where we'll go and what we'll see. I'm going to make us a yummy lunch. I gave them menu choices and they voted...they want the same menu that I made for the last trip (that's good for me as I can make those things with one hand tied behind my back and blindfolded). I want to treat them to a great day! Each of these ladies is special to me. This is My last hurrah and I want to go out with a BANG! So a trip to Stoke on Trent it is! I've been talking about doing this for MONTHS and now it's going to happen in a matter of days.

This week is a very busy week for me, so I've got to pace myself.
Monday- hunt up pictures for slide show (this is for my husbands retirement ceremony)
Tuesday- lunch with girls to celebrate Alisha's b-day
Wednesday- Retirement benefits seminar (yawn city)
Thursday- dorm dinner
Friday- quick trip to antique shop, prepare foods for trip
Saturday- Road Trip to Stoke on Trent!

quote of the day

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,

and you help them to become what they are capable of being."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Girlfriends

Ones life is not truly complete without friends. I'm lucky enough to have met some amazing women along the way! Yesterday I had some friends over for lunch and it was great! I wish that I did that more often (note to self do this from now on until you move- have friends over for lunch at least twice a month).
So now I'm planning a little road trip with said girlfriends. We'll spend a Saturday together just simply having fun! Now for me to figure out the menu as I had given them a choice of going out to eat or me make us a lunch. I'm very flattered that they voted for me to make a yummy gourmet lunch for them. None of them was on the last trip so this will be fun. I could make the same things OR I could make something entirely new. I want to make this delicious cold salmon salad on a bed of butter leaf lettuce, it's a dish that I once ate at a snooty restaurant and it was to die for! I'm been itching to recreate it for quite some time now!

Now for me to enjoy my coffee, read some more of my latest FAB novel and plan some some stuff for my husbands retirement ceremony.

My one word for 2011

"HOME"

quote of the day

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

a day in the life...

Thursday was my cortisone injection day. I took the medical shuttle because I knew that I would not be able to drive myself home. I'll say it, I hate needles but deal with injections the best I can. Long story short, it hurt like hell, I fainted while getting the last injection and the shuttle driver had to help me out of the hospital- nice huh? Who knew I could possibly be such a wuss when it came to getting painful injections in my joints? Oh wait, I did.

While I was in a lot of pain yesterday I woke up feeling MUCH better. I didn't think that my wrists and elbow would be feeling better quite this soon, certainly not me.

Now for the fun stuff, I'm having friends over for lunch. I love doing this kind of thing (luncheons in my home) and especially with this terrific group of ladies! Three different ladies all with different backgrounds and views- each one of them as precious to me as sisters ever could be! So for me being able to treat them to something yummy is also a treat to myself. If you ask me, Friendship should always be treated as something special and magical!

quote of the day

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.

John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848)

It's the little things...

Have you ever had a friend who is simply for the lack of a better term- Having a Bad Day? I'm pretty sure that most everyone has experienced a bad or off day. Heck, I've experienced them from time to time.

But what do you do for a friend who is having a bad day? Me, I decide to do something about it, to take matters into my own hands! You can't take away what has happened BUT you can take a step to let them know that they are special, that they are loved. It could be something as little as bringing them a card to let them know that they are loved or baking them a special treat (brownies and cheesecakes are my speciality) or giving them something that you made with your own two hands. Whatever it is, never miss an opportunity to let your friends know that you care about them.

So with that said, I've already got my wheels in motion!

quote of the day

All of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
-Dale Carnegie

Making my own kind of Magic

Today is about my girlfriends- the ones that listen to me when I'm going off the wall about something that's just not right or when I'm bubbling full of excitement about my latest pottery purchase. They're the ones that love me for me...not who my husband is or who I can influence. They love me for who I am and how I make them feel. They are true Angels come to life. Indeed I am truly blessed!

quote of the day

What's coming will come and we'll just have to meet it when it does.
-J. K. Rowling

quote of the day

Most people would like to be delivered from temptation

but would like it to keep in touch.
- Robert Orben

Taking a "Me" day

What is a "Me" day you wonder? It can be anything you want really as long as you are taking time out to do something that YOU enjoy, that you are relaxed and not not stressed by the burdens on the day. For my "Me" day, I decided to spend it in my jammies reading all day long. Seriously, I read and entire novel and started on a second one-talk about bliss!

With my husbands retirement in a few weeks, another international move in the same time period and all of the other lovely stress factors that currently make up my life. I like to make lists, it keeps me focused for the tasks at hand. I made sure to put having some "me" time on that list and I did it more than once. I admit that I can let myself get overwhelmed, even the most organized of people like myself can get overwhelmed. I know that the movers will do a great job packing up our household items and on that note, I've never heard of anyone having a crap move from here. It's all of the other little things that I tend to stress about. I've got my lists and they will keep me on track.

Now a stress reliever- I've been asked to teach a card making class- I LOVE doing this, but I've put it on the back burner. I've got ideas bubbling and swirling around in my head and I hope to bring them up to the surface soon. This will be my last Hurrah at the Croughton Spouses Club and I want to go out with a bang! Or at least have everyone smiling and enjoying themselves.

But for me, this weekend is meant to be spent not stressing about all of the stuff on my plate, to relax and not worry about the things I have no control over. Easier said than done but I am giving it a good try!

Now for my commercial...I ♥ my Kindle! Oh my gosh it's never been easier to pick up a book and read it. To be able to finish reading one book and go on to the next one in a series is as easy as pushing a button. The cost of e-books are a fraction of hard-copy books. And for those of us who move house on a regular basis and have weight allowances... Well things like Kindle and e-readers in general are a blessing! As you know books can be rather weighty. Not to mention how much space is required to store them. I have stacks of books in my closet and my nightstand looks more like a librarians cart than a piece of furniture, LOL!

I'm off to grab another cuppa and to sink into my recliner and read some more, aaahh, this is Bliss!

quote of the day

This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.
-Captain J. A. Hadfield

personally speaking I think this quote can be applied to both sexes and it's part of my female empowerment series

I'm not angry- I'm frustrated

That's been my saying to myself ever since I arrived here in England. It's funny how somethings (meaning people and situations) have this tendency to be harder than they should be, at least in my book they do. I do my best to not harbour resentments nor have I ever wished anyone ill will. It's not easy being the wife of the deputy commander, not that it's bad it's just different is all. Sure there are times I look at people and think that they're nuts- just as people think that about me (of which I'm sure they do). I know that I have a voice and when I use it people do listen to me. I've never put on airs or made an issue about being the wife of... it's just that I want to be seen as me, myself and be recognized for my own merits.

I look at the crazy things that have gone on with this house since we've moved into it and try not to get angry. The real fault lays with construction company who cut corners when they did the remodel. The folks here are only trying to help correct the situation as best they can whenever something goes wrong- which is more frequent than I ever really write about.

I look at situations and relationships I've had with various people and wonder how I could have done things differently. I know for some I did the best that I could and always wishing that I could do more. As for others, I became so frustrated that I simply threw in the towel and walked away before I said anything that I would regret. Now that didn't stop the other person or persons from totally trashing me in front of others though. Even with all of that, I do think of myself as being the better person- and I don't regret the decision of walking away. I am a self proclaimed a romanticist. In my own way I wish that life was like Who-ville, the tall and the small all gathering around a table giving thanks for the people in their lives.

I have a dear friend who is currently going through the beginnings of a what could become an ugly divorce. The whole thing has me thinking a great deal about love, forgiveness, loyalty and the bonds of friendship. She's someone I truly respect and admire and it's breaking my heart that she's had such a rough time of it here in England.

For the most part, I've enjoyed living here in England but at the same time I'm also ready to go home. I'm ready to start the third part of my life. All I can really say is that it's been a nice ride but I'm also glad that it's coming to an end. Just the very thought of retirement seems like total bliss to me. It's not being in England that I didn't like, I love it here! It was dealing with those that are selfish and those that are self important that I didn't like.

So there it is, Sandie's thoughts out here on the internet for everyone to read and read into it what they will. As another of my dear friends would say to me "girlfriend, it is what it is".

quote of the day

Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.
- Evan Esar

Do it, do it, get it done!

So there I was, me and what seemed to be an ocean of 18 gallon Rubber-maid Tote Boxes. It was iffy for a while there who would win- me or the Tote Boxes, but I persevered and was victorious in my battle. Now to get the unwanted stuff off to the Charity Shops.

quote of the day

If history repeats itself,

and the unexpected always happens,

how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.
- George Bernard Shaw

Nerves...

My nerves are frazzled, it's to do with all of my thinking about the future and what it has to hold...for me and for us as a couple and a family. Retirement from the Air Force is a big step, it's all I've known with my husband for the past twenty plus years. The continuous cycle of making new friends when we move and my jumping right in and getting involved the various military spouse social groups is about to come to a close and it makes me a little sad. All of this is a new adventure I tell myself and moving is an adventure all unto it's self.

Now for me to look at the calendar and choose dates for the movers to come pack up our stuff, when to ship out our cars, making travel arrangements for our family and guests to attend my husbands retirement ceremony. Then there's the ceremony it's self. As you know this kind of thing always puts a huge lump in my throat, they're my favorite kind of ceremony to attend and now I'm planning one for my husband...for us. All this I am preparing to do while my heart is pounding away in my chest like a freight train and tears stream down my cheeks.

There are still so many things I want to do while we're here and well I have a feeling that they are not going to come to fruition. Silly things like a trip to Stoke on Trent with my girlfriends for one last shopping spree (yes my thing is pottery and not clothing, weird right?). I wanted for the the 3 of us (me, my husband and daughter) to be able to spend a 4 day weekend in Paris- not sure if that will be possible with the time crunch now upon us. I wanted to take Hannah to see Phantom of the Opera in London, still waiting on that one- although she did see it in New York in October, I still haven't seen it. I want to host a luncheon/afternoon tea at my house for a select handful of friends- I hope I can wing that one! As I said, it's silly things really.

I suppose that I should get back to things...back to organizing and rearranging my china cabinet. Usually mindless little things like that give me pleasure- today it just makes me feel, well rather melancholy.

quote of the day

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times,

always with the same person.
-Mignon McLaughlin

Goals vs Resolutions

I go through this every year...setting goals versus making resolutions.One can make goals and set them at various levels/stages where one can make a resolution to do something and easily break it. Goals I find are easier to stick with and achieve the outcome that I desire.

My goals for 2011;

• to do MORE creative work not less!
• to write meaningful from the heart letters to friends and family at least twice a month
• to get back into doing design team work in the paper crafting industry
• to read more books
• to start scrapbooking again
• to work seriously on my cookbook
• add more recipes to my cooking blog
• to tell those that I love that I love them with all my heart
• to find a house in New England
• to not harbor resentments

quote of the day

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.
- Miss Piggy

My Christmas Prayer

I'm saying special prayers for everyone I know tonight. A little Angel told me that Jesus is listening and is sending answers...we only have to open our hearts and our minds to them. May you all be blessed with love and happiness and a fullness in your heart that is like nothing you've ever known. Amen.

Read anything good lately?

I've joked about this for quite some time...how my kids would not let me read the Twilight Series of books. Well I've asked my daughter about the movies and she said that she watched the first one with her girlfriends back in South Dakota and that it sucked. I asked her what sucked about it- the more she hemmed and hawed about it I knew that it had more to do with her friends attitudes towards the male actors than anything else. So, while she was still in school I happened to watch the first movie- Twilight and LOVED it!
As it is, in a 2 week time span I've managed to read all 4 books in the Twilight Series and have seen the first 3 movies. The last time I read books so fast was when I was reading, well lets just say that I'm all over these books as I was with J.K. Rowling and her series of Harry Potter books! These novels are a terrific read, the author knew how to keep her readers hooked and how to draw new ones in! Thank you Stephanie Meyer for keeping me entertained over the 2010 Christmas Holiday school break!

Visiting the German Christmas Market

After being stuck at home for several day because of snow I finally was able to get us out of the house and off to Birmingham to visit the Frankfurt Christmas Market. It was a cold day 30º (22º with the windchill). We stayed as long as we could tough it out and in the end it was our Hannah who could no longer take the cold. We or should I be saying "I" bought a few things that were different and very unique.

Apparently this Christmas market happens every year in the city of Birmingham. parking garages are quite close and I highly recommend parking in one as the prices for parking on the street and twice as much! This Christmas market IS something that "I" would come back to see and shop at year after year.




Our son Andrew is home for the holiday and he brought his girlfriend Tamora. It's nice to see them together and better yet, to see him happy. They enjoyed the Christmas market but they too became chilled to the bone. Apparently I was the only one that wasn't freezing - I have no idea how that occurred as it's usually me that complains about becoming a Popsicle.
There were many wonderful things available at the market- from beautiful table linens, hand knitted woollen hats, scarves and mittens, wooden toys, Christmas ornaments, ceramics, clothing,German wines and foods and well there's more than I can recall right now. It's really worth taking your family to see and experience this event.

quote of the day

Christmas is, of course, the time to be home - in heart as well as body.
-Garry Moore

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.
-Dale Evans

Christmas... is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart.
-Freya Stark

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
-Roy L. Smith

I don't think Christmas is necessarily about things. It's about being good to one another, it's about the Christian ethic, it's about kindness.
-Carrie Fisher

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
-Charles Dickens

German Christmas Market

I love Christmas Time! Here in England they have this wonderful Christmas Market thing that is set up various cities throughout the country. Today I am off to embark on an adventure to visit one such city's German Christmas market. When I get back I hope to be able to go into detail about where we went, what we saw (and bought) all with pictures!

quote of the day

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
-Calvin Coolidge

Sinus Headache...

Need I say more?

quote of the day

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
--Albert Schweitzer

SNOW

So here it is, another snow day here in Bicester, England. If we were back in the USA we'd be driving on the roads and carrying on business like usual-but we're not. Everything here has come to a complete and total standstill. There are no snow plows to plow the roads and neighborhoods, heck most of the people on our street don't own a snow shovel. Take our newest neighbor- he doesn't own any kind of a shovel. He thought that it didn't snow here- he now realizes the errors of his ways, LOL! Through the kindness of others he will have his driveway and walkway cleared of ice and snow. We've gotten over 8 inches of this fluffy white stuff and it's going to be a while before we can be mobile again.

I love hearing the laughter of children and trust me with our big yard, it's full of children! I've been watching them playing in the snow, having snowball fights and of course it wouldn't be complete without a few snowmen being made and snow angels too!

For the most part, I enjoy snow days. Reminds me of when we lived in the Midwest when we would get 20 inches of snow or more and we'd but stuck inside for a few days. We've got board games, books, DVDs and the snow to entertain us. I feel sorry for our son's girlfriend because she came so far to see England and what she's seen is the airport, the drive home on the highway (at night) and our house.

This snow bound kind of weather brings out the baker in me. We've had scones, sticky buns and many other delights all because of the snow. Today I think that I will encourage our son and his girlfriend to make some chocolate chip cookies from scratch. To get them involved in something fun and mildly entertaining. To take their minds off of being "snow bound".

quote of the day

Airplane travel is nature's way of

making you look like your passport photo.
-Al Gore

Our Boy comes home today!

I think that pretty much says it all! He's been back in the States since July 26th. He is bringing his girlfriend on this trip. It's "her" first flight ever- so what does our son do? He takes her on a 9 hour flight, ooh that's brutal! But I hope that the flight goes well and that there aren't any delays.

Now to nail down that shopping list and pick up some groceries, get those stockings finished and get the guest room set up.

Loads to do and a limited amount of time to get it all done in. I'm one busy Elf today!

The Quilted Christmas Stocking Project

This is what happens when you have a sick child at home surfing the internet for crafting ideas (she is better now). My daughter has voiced (for a while now) how she doesn't like the idea that all of us had "different" Christmas Stockings. So this was the year she really made a fuss about it and well now they will all be of the same design but unique in the fact that they are done in different fabrics. Of course she saw something at one of these crafty websites but she didn't want felt, she wanted a quilted Christmas stocking and a big one at that! So we made our own pattern and got to work. Above you see the first of the finished stockings. Below you see the various prints that I cut stockings from, now to get them finished up.

I wanted to show you that everything is not as easy as it seems. Here is a close up view of the quilting process. I decided to quilt from the inside so have to do this upside down so to speak. Drawing the pattern to be quilted on the inside where it's easy to see.

I've a very busy elf to say the least! Now for me to finish the stockings today!

quote of the day

Every day holds the possibility of a miracle
~Elizabeth David

I'm still an Elf!

So I'm recovering from my injuries, it doesn't mean that I'm just hanging out sleeping all of the time (just most of it). I've managed to get out (to my doctors office) and deliver little cheesecakes there...to The Airman that greets and checks you into the Med Clinic when you arrive, the poor soul who answers the phone when we make our appointments, the person who gets nothing but grief and gripes from us our Tri-Care Rep and the Doctor that sees us when we are in pain or puking our guts out. These are people who never to get see us at our best. I stand up and applaud every last one of them! I hope that they know how much they are appreciated by me and my family.

Now for the other part- I'm sewing and quilting our NEW Christmas stockings. With help from Hannah Elf I've been making some progress. I tried to load some pictures here buy alas my SD reader decided to be on the fritz! SO I will attempt to do this again later.

Now I'm off to get back to working in my Elves Workshop to finish the stockings before my son arrives tomorrow night.

I'm down but I'm not out

I know that I've not written since Friday but I've had a valid excuse (really I do). Here's my story...My husband and I went to the Comm Squadron Christmas party Friday Night. During the party there was a game of Scavenger hunt long story short I was the one to play from our table. IN the end it turned into Combat Scavenger Hunt and I was injured. Someone pulled the chair out from behind me as I was going to sit down- my head hit the stage, and my arms hit the floor. Long story short after seeing the doctor he was concerned about my ouches and sent me to be x-rayed. After being x-ray and thoroughly examined I do not have broken bones (thank the Lord) but do have torn muscles in my neck, and deep tissue damage to my right hand and torn tendons and deep tissue damage on my left hand and am wearing a brace (again). I'm on some serious muscle relaxers and when I take them, I am out for at least 8 solid hours. Now for the funny part, I might have broken my favorite wrist watch but at least I did win the game and got the goody basket- which consisted of spa bath goodies and a gift certificate to our local "spa" lady. Nice huh? Too bad that I can't have anyone touching me right now so no hour long Swedish back massage for me, I'll turn it into the ultimate pedicure instead, LOL! My feet are the only things that don't hurt right now.

quote of the day

A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.
-Pam Brown

Feeling the spirit of Christmas

There are so many nice little things to do for people during this time of year. I feel like an Elf when I go around with a bag full of my hand made treats, delivering them to unsuspecting souls.

Wednesday took us 100 miles away from here, to another US military installation (where our daughter has her orthodontics done). I brought my little hand made New York cheesecakes in for the Orthodontist and all of his staff. One Airmen got teary eyed and told me that it was the nicest thing any one had done for them (she almost got me crying).

Thursday I brought in a pan of my Fudge Brownies for my husbands office staff, When I left, all eyes were focused on those brownies :-) I'm sure that this morning that there's nothing but crumbs in place where those brownies were yesterday.

Now that brings me to today- Friday. I've got to get back to work on those quilted Christmas Stockings. I cut out fabrics for 9 stockings, cut out backing fabric for them all and now to cut out lining fabric, then the quilt batting and then the fabric for the top cuff. That's a lot of fabric to be cutting out, then I get the pleasure of sewing them all. Oh I must be insane to take on a task like this!

I need to power up with some more coffee before I go back upstairs...an Elf's work is never done!

quote of the day

At Christmas play and make good cheer,

For Christmas comes but once a year.
~Thomas Tusser

quote of the day

At the worst, a house un-kept cannot be so distressing as a life un-lived.
~Dame Rose Macaulay

Winter Frost

Spider webs look amazing when covered in a thick frost. And the sky is such a beautiful blue gray color..

Even my rose bushes were transformed into something rare and beautiful

I love this time of year...then again I like being inside in my nice cozy house drinking hot chocolate too!

quote of the day

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:

if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,

prosperity would not be so welcome.
Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672)

Crafting is in our Blood

My daughter and I are very much the same when it comes to crafting- go to be doing it and want to see beautiful results. She's been sick this week and really sick over the weekend but she went to school today. Her motivation-there's a trip to Oxford and a sleep over that she doesn't want to miss out on. Oh yeah that's MY girl! So even with her being so sick over the weekend she still had things going through her mind...
Note to self- don't let sick child peruse through the internet looking at Christmas Craft sites.

My darling daughter decided that we ALL need NEW Christmas stockings. Apparently she didn't like the fact that we all had different ones. She wants them to have a "theme" and to be of the same size/design. I had her trace a stocking that we had and make it a ½ an inch bigger all around. There was my template for new stockings. Now to pick out fabric- thank goodness for my stash, although it's come to my attention that I don't have nearly as much red or green as I thought. Good thing I didn't need black as I only have 2 different pieces. We had our fabric picked out, now to cut out the stockings. I got that done as she supervised from the couch. Now today while she is at school I will cut out the fabric that will be used to line the stockings and the coordinating fabric that we will use for the cuffs. Meanwhile my husband is cracking up as I was getting a little flustered with the demands of our daughter. He looked at me and said "Oh Sandie, she's so much like you" Oh really I reply his reply "when you get an idea in your head you've got to make it NOW and there's no stopping you once you get started". I can see this in our daughter and I really do see it in myself- how funny!
So I'm about to start cutting our more fabric, hopefully I'll be able to get these all done up (cut, quilted and sewn together) before our son needs to be picked up at the airport next week.

quote of the day

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again

and expecting different results.
- Albert Einstein

quote of the day

If you really do put a small value on upon yourself,
rest assured that the world will not raise your price.
-Anonymous

Confessions of a British Pottery Addict

So what is it with me and British pottery? I can't seem to get enough of it! But I'm picky you see, I'm one of those purists...I refuse to buy a piece under the guise of "it was designed in Britain" (it's something that my girlfriends don't seem to understand).
Take Spode's Christmas Tree and Royal Albert's Old Country Roses patterns for example; all now being made in Indonesia and China but the companies are charging the same prices as if they were made in Britain. These patterns are those companies top sellers and they're being made where? The fact is that it's not the same- well it's not the same to me anyway. Even when shopping for my beloved Portmeirion Botanic Garden pieces I have to turn the item over and look where it was made. I have made the mistake of thinking that all of it was still made here in the UK- which is not true. I have 3 pieces that were made in China (no joke) they are the pierced cake plate, the set of 4 measuring cups and the multi purpose jar. I had bought these before I had realized that not all Portmeirion pieces are made here in Britain. Alas, as it is, this is something that seems to only matter to me. But with so many things that have been made in China these days that are recalled because of lead content makes me wonder how some of the world's finest pottery companies are turning to the "Made in China" label on their pottery pieces.

What can I say, I'm a purist. I want my British Pottery and Bone China to be made in Britain and I make no apologies for it. I've gone to the extreme to get my "Made in England" pieces, spending many hours sifting through dusty antique stores, browsing crowded charity shops and every now and then I go to eBay UK. I'm happy with what I've bought and the great memories of my "treasure hunting" experiences will be with me for a lifetime!

I ♥ Bicester!

I can say it, I'm going to miss living in Bicester England. This little town is the perfect spot for us- not too close to London or Oxford but also that it's not so big as to not have a "home town" feel to it. My most favorite place to go is to Sheep Street- the shopping district. To grab a pastry and a cuppa at Nash's or some coffee with a friend at Costa. Grab a quick bite to eat at the local chippie, pick up my dry cleaning from Bicester Dry Cleaners on the corner and take home a bouquet of flowers from the local florist a couple of doors down from there. Bicester is beautifully situated and I wouldn't change it for the world!

quote of the day

A true friend is one who walks in
when the rest of the world walks out.
-Walter Winchell

Let it snow, let it snow let it snow

The things I love about winter..

Mittens, Hats and Scarves

Warm Sweaters

Hot Chocolate

Baked Apples

Hot Apple Cider

Snow Days

Wool Coats

Thermal Underwear

Home-made Breads and Soups

Snow Boots and Wellies

Wool Coats

Heated Car Seats

Cinnamon & Vanilla Scented Candles

Snowflakes

Hot Apple Pie

quote of the day

Only the mediocre are always at their best.
- Jean Giraudoux

this quote had me snickering this morning