A Day Interrupted!

How was your day today? Mine was NOTHING like I'd planned!! And while that was partly frustrating, cos I didn't get anything done (except a couple of loads of washing and a bathroom clean, does that count?!?!) I DID get to catch up with some friends, so I can't really say the day was 'wasted'. It just wasn't what I'd planned! Hmmm ... in fact, I think that's the epitaph they should put on my headstone ... "This wasn't what she'd planned!" Tee! Hee! Hee!

So ... still no stitching here today, but I DID do a bit of fiddling with my recently-face-lifted-hutch. Before it's face-lift, I have to confess the hutch was full of decorative bits, but it was also the dumping spot for a lot of paperwork, so more often than not, you couldn't tell WHAT was under the pretties and paper piles. It's was just two steps from the back door, so a really convenient dumping spot. So when we re-vamped it and repositioned it, I wanted a less-cluttered look for the hutch. That, of course, meant sorting through what used to be on it and working out what stayed and what needed a new home - cos they're my treasures and I'm NOT just tossing them out!! EEK! :0)

And that then led to me having to WASH a rather thick layer of dust off everything before it could go to its new home or be put aside whilst I find a new home for it. Hmmm ... who'd have thought so much DUST could accumulate in one place without forming a new PLANET! Tee! Hee! Hee! After a rather tedious hour or so at the sink, some time spent fiddling, positioning, changing, re-positioning ... you get the picture! This is what the hutch now looks like ...

Ta Da! I was originally going to make some mini curtains for the insets in the bottom doors, but have decided I quite like the all-white look now that I've lived with it a few days. I may also add a few more softie-type items, but this will work for now. Here's a closer look ...

My recently-acquired rosey trios have been joined by my Aynsley tea set - I didn't realise just HOW similar the two patterns were til I had them displayed together! And me being an anti-PINK girl, go figure!! :0) I found a couple of small blue bottles that were in another room (my collections tend to spread like ivy throughout the house! Tee! Hee! Hee!) and they're now keeping my collectibles fair-finds company. I acquired the little rustic birdhouse ... hmmnm... somewhere!! The little cheese display dish on the right was a wedding present and it now houses some of my collection of faux cupcakes made by the clever clogs Kerryanne and the pink tray on the top shelf featuring cuppies is her fabulous decorative painting work, too, as are the GORGEOUS rosey vintage items on the top of the hutch. I joke that there are parts of my house that are beginning to resemble shrines to the cleverness of my blogging buddy Kerryanne! Tee! Hee! Hee! My trio of Nelson Ware jugs were discovered in a tiny antique shop one weekend when my Beloved Geek Boy and I were enjoying a B & B break in the Lockyer Valley. The Royal Albert sandwich plate was a gift from one of the lovely ladies who live in the retirement village where I work. The dolly on the left is my design, Teacup Tilly and she is one of a trio of dollies preparing for afternoon tea together called "Tea Party Pals". And last but certainly not least is the beautiful Floppsy the bunny whom I adopted from the Lovely Lilly Linda when she held a market stall at Jondaryan. PHEW! Are you still with me?!?! :0)

Now, the top of the hutch used to be home to my collection of enamelware, so it needed a new home. Here it is ...

Some of this collection came from MY Grandma and some came from my beloved GB's Grandma Kent. The white mixing bowl you can see on the left at the back was rescued by my Gramps from the Emerald tip years ago. Apparently, the local school had a huge clean out to 'update' their Home Science department and tossed out all sort of perfectly good stuff. This bowl is HUGE, so Gramps cleaned it up and took it home to Grandma. I bet it could tell a story or two about cooking disasters! :0) Of course, this was in the days when you were allowed to find and take home 'treasures' from the local tip - no more!

All together, that side of the kitchen now looks like this ...

Oopsie! That fridge isn't too 'photogenic' is it! :0) I think like most people's fridge, it's full of notes and mementos that are put there cos we spend so much time at the fridge that hopefully it will jog our memory! :0) I love the drawing there, though, as it was done for me by my goddaughter, Erin.

And do you know what has suddenly occurred to me? That it's not just how pretty these things LOOK that makes me want them in my home - though they do look good, don't they! :0) It's the STORIES that are attached to each item. My home is full of wonderful stories, with each of my 'pretties' acting as a prompt to my memory. No wonder I love puddling around decorating so much! :0) Do you have 'pretties' at your place that have a special story attached? I'd love you to share some with me! Why not post some photos and tell your stories, then let me know so I can enjoy YOUR stories too!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I've been doing instead of stitching and enjoyed some of the stories that I've shared. And now ... do you see the red kettle in that last photo? And the little single-serve teapot? I'm going to go and put them to good use and make myself a cup of lavender tea! :0) Hopefully, there will be some stitching happening here on the weekend and I'll be back to share some photos with you. In the meantime, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and manage to schedule something fun just for you, whether its stitching, reading a book, enjoying the pretty pictures in a craft mag ... or discovering new treasures with stories to tell! :0) Til next time ...

BEAR HUGS!

CHEERS!
KRIS