I Heart Charity Shopping

The Love I have for thrifting is enormous, and I could quite easily write about this every week! So I am joining in here at 'Flea Market finds' and here at MissieLizzie's Magpie Monday for this weeks charity shop finds.  This week I went thrifting with my 4 year old Daughter in our local charity shops.

We have three Charity shops in my local town, and each one has it's own style and unique thrifty finds. In one of the shops, I found this little delicate embroidery transfer booklet hidden amongst the knitting pattern folder.

It cost a grand 5p, but has the most delicate transfers in it all neatly stored in the booklet, ready to be used.

I do love ceramic bowls and when I saw this pretty one with this lovely pink flower motif on the front, it was too tempting to leave behind.

                                 
 It did go to immediate use, with my 4 year daughter using it for her hair bands and hair ties.

She also spotted this very cute Wind and the Willows style plate, and for 99p we brought it. It now sits in her little bookcase in her bedroom. She has good taste!

I found this quaint little wooden box. It was only £1.50, and I thought it would be a great button box. I already have a Cath Kidson button box, I could always do with another?

But this was my favourite find this week. I have always wanted one of these metal signs and could not quite believe my luck when the Shop volunteer put this on the shelf, when we were in the shop. It was £2.99, and I love it.
'Savon Vraie Violette' J.Chamberry Paris, I would love to know what it means?

My thrifty finds, my charity shop loves, my second hand treasures.

I love them all!

Happy thrifting! and I wish everyone a lovely week ahead.

Bxx

My Dear Country

My thoughts and prayers are with my Dear Country today, upon hearing the tragic news about the devastating earthquake in Christchurch in the early hours of this morning. What a tragic time it has been for New Zealand recently and this latest earthquake is just dreadful.

I feel so helpless being on the other side of the world.

I have spoken to my Dad tonight, about his wife's Family who all live in Christchurch, thankfully they are all fine and not hurt. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for their houses and contents.
My Dad speaks of waiting for the PM John Key to make a decision today about the way forward, and about the country rallying around together to help and support each other.

I lived in Christchurch when I was 16 and 17, when I went to Boarding school for my 6th form school year. I have the most loveliest memories of that time. (Besides meeting my OH and having my children), this was the best year of my life. Biking, playing netball at Hagley park, indoor basketball on Friday nights, drinking cheap wine, sneaking out of the Boarding house to go clubbing! Oh the days!

My thoughts are with all the people in Christchurch, and all their family and friends.

Kia Kaha New Zealand.
My thoughts and prayers are with you,

Always,
Bxx

I Heart Thrifting

I do love thrifting, and I could easily while away a few hours a week, going to local charity shops. Here are a few things I found whilst second hand shopping recently.
I found a great Blog today, which links in your charity finds and so I am joining in here at the 'Flea Market finds',and here at Me and my shadow with Magpie Monday take a look!
We have a house clearance shop in our local town filled with gems and hidden treasures. I found these gorgeous sewing and embroidery threads whilst in the shop tucked away in a little cardboard box filled with buttons and hand sewing sundry.

I found this lovely pink Bias binding still in it's original packaging. I have recently been looking at making my own bias binding for sewing projects, but this was too irresistible to leave in the shop.

I am going through a bit of a knitting pattern buying phase at the moment, and found these great 1960's patterns.
 I have plans to knit all of these patterns, they are so cute. But I just need to find about 60 hours to complete them (should be completed in about 2 years time!)

This Lavenda knitting pattern stood out immediately, due to the funky photo of this sweet couple!

But this was my favourite, this beautiful Japanese/Chinese bowl was a bargain at £2 pounds and I just love it! It now lives on our coffee table in the living room. Love it!

This pretty little rectangular flower bowl was a bargain as well, only £1 pound. I put my favourite sewing thread on it and display with my sewing/craft items.

My thrifty finds, my bargains galore, my treasures, I love them all.

As they say 'One persons rubbish, is another person treasure'

Happy Thrifting!

Bxxx

Keep Calm and Carry On...

It has a been busy few weeks for the Hazel and Blue household.
During the last few weeks, I have looked at this sign for much needed inspiration, repeating the words in my head ''Keep Calm and Carry On". I have been doing a full time course through my work and my OH has been working extremely hard with his own work. We have been on top of housework, school work, and all the other things in between. Luckily Number one boy and Number two girl, have not been affected, as I have managed to drop them off at school  every day and pick them up every afternoon. But it has been a hard slog!
But now we are having a well deserved break from work. A whole week off paid work, school, after school clubs, school functions, school run.
 I had the day off work before the children broke up and managed to catch up with a few things and
I reorganised my dining room/sewing room.....

                                          From this.....

                                   To this!

 Then I sat down and enjoyed this! Before I headed off to the end of term school disco at school.....

I have reached 50 followers! This is amazing! I am so lucky to have such lovely followers, thank you to each and every one of you. I have missed blogging terribly over the last few weeks, and I am so pleased to be back!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Bxx

PS: Just to let you know, after much pondering and discussions, I have also changed my Twitter name to @hazelandblue to align this, my 3rd baby (blog) and my Twitter account. Makes it so much easier for me, and everyone! If you haven't already,  come over and say Hello!

Music I want my children to listen to - Joni Mitchell 'Blue'

                                                                                       
 (Photo source - Flickr.com)

After promising Ghostwritermummy this post for the last 3 days, I finally have decided on this fantastic album.
I have to admit I have struggled with this weeks 'Music I want my children to listen to'. I have written 3 posts previous to this one, and each one just did not feel right. On researching this post, I kept coming up with songs I liked but I was not so keen on the album. Then I decided on using one of my favourite albums of all time, but found this too personal. I could not put it on a platform and then watch and it being aired to the blog world! I know this is just a music link, but that's just how I felt!

So after much deliberation and frustration, I decided to look up the '50 albums that changed time' here at the Guardian.co.uk site, to see if any of my albums I have on my Ipod were listed.
The first two albums were no surprise 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' (1967) and 'The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart club Band (1967).
I was thrilled to see Joni Mitchell 'Blue'  (1971)at number 14, as I have been umming and ahming whether to use this album for this music link.

This album is extraordinarily beautiful and I still love it to this day. My Mother introduced me to this album in my late teens and I have adored it ever since. Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' remains the most influential of all the early Seventies outing by confessional singer-songwriters. 'Joni laid bare her heart in a series of intimate songs about love, betrayal and emotional insecurity.'

It is certainly a Woman's album, but it does appeal to the wider public, with her single voice and involving song cycle of romance found and lost.
Through the album Blue' it's also astonishingly open and gracious. Songs such as 'All I want', 'Carey', 'California' and 'A Case or you' work equally well as poetry and pop music.

Her work has influenced such artists as Tori Amos, Prince and Elvis Costello and open the flood gates for contemporary Female singer/songwriters. I think I am going to listen to it now... whilst my Husband is at work (not his favourite!)

If you would like to join in the weeks 'Music I want my children to listen to' go over to the lovely Ghostwritermummy and link up! It is a great way to find new music and get your dancing shoes on!

Bxx

Craft and Inspiration.

I recently came across the most fantastic tutorial on Anjie's Pompomemporium blog, 

 for making a knitted headband and was inspired to make one for myself. Her Blog is just beautiful, with craft ideas in abundance and what was more exciting was that she shows you how to make them all, with her fantastic tutorials. Everything from bunting to knitted cupcakes, ribbon roses and the knitted Easter basket below.

Above- Photo image from Pompomemporium blog.

This beautiful knitted Easter basket free tutorial is available here on Pompomemporium - How cute are these!

I had lots of fun making these headbands.

To add a extra finishing touch I made a ribbon rose to put at the top of the headband, from 'How to make a Ribbon Rose' tutorial at Pompomemporium 

I had a very helpful 'Guest' model! to wear them for me.

I enjoyed the simplicity of using the Red satin ribbon for around the band and a ribbon petal rose hand stitched with a button in the middle as the finishing touch.

And finally wishing you all a very happy Valentines Day on Monday from me and our resident family cat 'Mr Doorstop'

Bxx

Silent Sunday- On the Way to the Cinema

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I know no words, but for own prosperity:
Sunday Morning very early, no one in sight. Anticipation and excitement. Happy days, happy days.

Reasons to be Cheerful - Hazel and Blue's week

   

This is one of my favourite links from the blogging world. I love that it is simple, and quick but most of all positive.
Thank you to the lovely Michelle at Mummy from the Heart, for finding a great way to reflect and write about this, I find her loyalty so inspiring!
If you are looking for a really nice person and a fantastically honest blog please go and have a look!

So my three Reasons to be Cheerful this week are,

1. I am cheerful that I have a paid job, that I enjoy. This means a lot to me, as so many people are in a situation at work, when they feel they cannot leave, due to various reasons. I know this myself as I have been in that situation in the past, so I am grateful for this.


2. I am happy! This I have learnt is never to be taken for granted. Every day is a blessing and I am healthy and happy, so are my family. Yay - life is good.


3. I won a competition this week! I love Twitter, it was the first competition I entered on there, and I won!
Amazing prize from Mummy from the Heart and Blue Friesian- a £25.00 voucher to spend on creating my own Magazine cover.
So many options and ideas to do for this.... I feel like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory choosing his favourite sweets!

I wish you all a lovely weekend!

Bxx

Kiwi Mum in the UK - Accents

I have now lived in England for over a third of my life, and I have been thinking about this more and more since I have started blogging. I was in my very early 20's when I arrived at Heathrow Airport, Christmas Eve in 1997. I had the world at my feet and a lot of joy in my heart when I arrived.  I remember the day I arrived, one of the first things I saw, when I appeared out of the underground, was the Red Royal Mail letter boxes. This huge iconic statement of Britain staring right at me, was very awe inspiring and I remember feeling awestruck at that time, truly believing I was in 'Britain' as these were the images captured in books and photos from my childhood in NZ.

Being an Ex-pat Woman there are a lot of encounters you experience living in your adopted country, one of my ongoing ones is Accents.
There are some words that still get confused in my everyday life, the word pen is one, I get 'pin'? no 'pen'. pin? No the biro pen' Ahhh yes, of course'.

My own name still gets confused with my Kiwi accent.. this is the scenario normally goes like this:
' Hello, my name is Becky'
'Hello Vicky'
'No Becky'
'Oh sorry Bicky'
'No Beeecky'
???? the other person looks at me in confusion, so I finally resort to this..
'Like Rebecca, short for Rebecca...'
'Oh Becky!'
yes yes yes! 'Helloooo'

I also have the going home accent problem:
For example when I do go home to New Zealand, I often get the remark from fellow Kiwi's ' You sound like an English person'? Um no I am not!  and here in Blighty, I am recognised straight away by my Antipodean accent, and I sometimes even get 'So you not from around these parts are you?! 
And this one, which for some newly arrived Kiwi's may be annoying  'Are you from Australia?' or 'Are you Australian?' which by now (over a decade) this does not bother me- I am not offended. Please do not worry.

I have embraced the great diversity of dialects, here in the UK. This is one of the fab things about GB. From the Newcastle accent, to the London, Essex, Birmingham and the one most closed to my heart the wonderful ' West Country accent' I love it. In fact I am sure my two children have inherited a few local sayings already here in the land of cider and tractors!

Bxx