~ A Little Secret.....

February arrives cold, wet and grey. Her gifts disguised for only the most discerning spirits to see......~Simple Abundance.

Breakfast in bed...

Can I tell you all a little secret? I wonder....

  It is a simple honest secret and quite close to my heart.

~ I have simply fallen in love with blogland!

~ And because this is the month of love......

It feels right to be telling YOU all this secret.

~ I guess being on here gives me a voice I didn't really know I had!

I do wear a 'blue lace agate' crystal each day. This keeps me grounded, aware and opens up the throat chakra of speech.

It is known as the 'Voice' crystal, I believe.

I am a shy person, always have been.
~But I am learning very hard not to be...

~ Always putting down my thoughts and feelings on paper...

A year ago this week, my Olivia helped me post my first words on here...

*********

She is also a magical one.....

She believed when small that the fairies on her wall paper came alive at bed time.

I was so excited I couldn't sleep at all that night after sending out my blog into the virtual world!

I simply love the friends I have made on here and  looking at your creative makes and vintage finds...Fills me up so much I haven't had an impulse recently to buy the various home mags.

So blogland is saving my pennies also!!

(Patrick will be pleased)

~

~ 

Feeling the magic in this wonderful little read too!

If you loved 'Practical Magic' .....the movie, this book will be your cup of tea!

It's really enchanting and I can't put it down!

~ I would like to also announce the winner of my little give away too!

Just a small token to say thank you for tuning in always...

Olivia choose a name from my 'cloche hat' again!

All above board!

~ And the winner is lovely, Sarah!

http://downbytheseadorset.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Sarah let me know your address and I will pop in the post for YOU!

I am sure these will go in your sewing tin very nicely!

~ I have another pesky cold today....

so I'm being kind to myself!

This winter seems to be getting the better of  us all.

Chin up I say!

Roll on spring time.......

~Talking of Spring time.....

I planted sweet Trinny in this pot and she seems to be blooming very nicely.

Be kind to your selves and be with those you love this Valentines day too!

I wonder what plans you have in mind?

Bye for now....

Love Maria x

A Gentle stroll down Memory Lane......

'Sometimes a person has to go back, really back - to have a sense, an understanding of all that's gone to make them - before they can go forward....' Paule Marshall.

~ Taken from simple abundance.

~ My goodness February already....
How did that happen!

Today I am wearing them.

My Rosy Tinted Spectacles, that is.

~ and you could just be in for a giggle or two!

So dusting my rooms with a smile .......

The house work is done.

I decided on an authentic dig down memory lane.

~ Fasten seat belts safely now....

I am on that time machine again going back and back in time to the year 1970!

Happy, Happy Times....

These photos were found with 
  Mum's precious things and I haven't seen them for quite some years!

All in her suitcase of  'memories'...

I loved looking through....

I am  wearing that rather short becoming red cape..... hehe!
Gosh clothes were short then!

My brother, John-Paul and sister Donna are with me!

We have enjoyed a day out at, Grange-Over-Sands.

A lovely little town with a very pretty park.

Simple happy days!

This would be around the time, Mum entered me for 'Miss Pears'......

If you are of a certain age, you may perhaps remember this.
Parents sent photographs of their children to be entered to be the face of Pears soap.

I never won of course, but Mum did receive various money off coupons to use off her next purchase.....

Of course she never bought Pears soap again!!

~ Preferring Cussions Imperial Leather...

I only have to smell this soap to be transported back in time to Mum........

~ When taking a backward glance, our memories can be fickle, I know.

But I can remember this next photograph with astonishing clarity.
My Grandma had come around to visit and we had tea in our back garden...
Mum's dress was of her own creation and that of my sisters too!
(Good job I always liked this dress, as it would surely be handed down to me next)
hehe.

My Mum playing music of  the times on her old radiogram.
'Tie a yellow ribbon' by Dawn and' Seasons in the Sun' by Terry Jacks...

Our freedom of those days, with long summers, or so it seemed...
We were quite free to roam as I have mentioned before we had access into our local park, through a secret gate at the bottom of our garden.
There the adventures always began!

It felt good to coax my memories today.
~ And reacquaint myself with the child that once was!
I have noticed a few of us have been travelling a long memory lane, with  our blogging posts....~ I have loved reading them and meandering along with YOU!

Ooh the fashions !
Apologises to any one who may recognise them selves on here!
This picture was in our local evening mail.
We had been to a Christmas party...
The year would be perhaps 1973.
You can recognise us three, because we are all wearing the same anorak and look at those white boots on my sister!
I didn't know this of course, but the boy in the top right hand corner, (with the long hair )would marry my best friend and I would be bridesmaid at their lovely wedding in years to come!

~Sisters and best of friends too!
Enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea, listen to music from yesterday.
Flip through old photographs and trace your life back.........

~A little more up to date.. hehe.

"Time is a dress-maker specialising in alterations"...
I read this once and thought how true....

~
Wishing YOU a week of lovely times and happy memories....
Love Maria x
I will draw my give- away on next weeks post...
Thank you for sweet comments always.....

Friendships Are Sewn One Stitch At A Time....

~ 'The key to loving how you live is in knowing what it is you truly love. "To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer , is to keep your soul truly alive"'

.........Robert Louis Stevenson.

My goodness this week has kept me in hibernation for the most of it...Apart from work I have been happily puttering and pottering indoors ....

And I must say~ making the most of a few of the dramas being shown on our screens.

I wonder has any one been following Mr Selfridge on Sunday evening?

~"The hats, The hats, have you seen those beautiful hats!"

I love the beautiful clothes, the glamour and the finesse of those days gone by......

I even watched last weeks episode with the beautiful, window display of  ........Lily Of The Valley, Not once, but twice.......

Sad I know, but I do get carried away, with period dramas....

I am also enjoying, Ripper Street too..~Although a little raw and near the bone! 

It's good to watch with the Mr....( He helps me sort out the intriguing plots)

Thank You kindly for such lovely comments about my kitchen too!

~ The Victorian tiles around my cooker were collected and  stored under my bed for five years, while we saved up enough pennies to do the kitchen this way..... 

~ Some things are just worth waiting for!

This week I would love to host a giveaway on my blog ....

I have put together a few pretty sewing items from the 'East Of India' range and would love to hear from you if you would like to be entered .....

Or even if you wouldn't......hehe!

YOU are all so creative.
~

So maybe these could add to your sewing box.

There is a cute button jar, a pin cushion, a handy needle holder, a beautiful tape measure and some vintage Sylko cottons too.....

Ooh and red heart for Valentines Day.......

~ Anyone can enter....

It is just to mark my first year in blog-land.

I will draw the winner before Valentines day!

~ And on to other interesting things........

~ What has been filling your days recently?

Has anyone been along to see the movie, Les Miserables ? I wonder....

There is such a lot of talent in this movie...

I hopefully have a date for this on the 14th of February!

Fingers crossed....X

Primroses peeping through after a long slumber....

I even have a few Snow Drops.....

~ I just cannot wait for warmer spring days.

~ Bring on the spring time....

"Sew A little Happiness."

~Outside it is 'Window Crying' weather...

Cold and wet.

Inside it is cosy and warm.

~

Bye for now.

~ Take time to dream......

Love Maria x