Mermaids and Ladybirds

Thrifty finds in the Hazel and Blue household are now extending to the next generation!

My little girl has always enjoyed charity shopping with me, she will happily play and admire the second hand treasures on display, just as much as I do. My older Boy tends to enjoy car boots more, and in the warmer months we go to them together, with a few pounds in our pockets looking for treasures and action toys. I have never been one for spoiling my children and thankfully they do not seem to ask for much! I would rather spend a few pounds buying them something that they truly treasure, and will stay with them for a long time, than a one minute wonder!

This week I found this pretty mermaid little dish at my local charity shop, my LG loves Mermaids, she recently got a few Disney bath ones for her birthday, so when I spotted this on the shelf I knew she would love it! 

        

                                                         It was a bargain too, at only 50p.

We brought this decorative decoupage wooden treasure box, whilst browsing at our local house clearance shop. I think it was the pink colour and the pretty motifs that caught her eye, as she brought it over to me and asked if she could have it. It was £2.00 and she puts all her plastic rings, feathers and handpicked flowers in it!

The red ladybirds appear all over the box and they invite you to open the box.

And finally this is her China trinket box, we brought at our local town fair, on a charity table for 20p (No kidding!) It was a serious bargain, it has no chips on it and we when brought it the owner had put in some mini pink shiny bath balls inside it.

                                       

 This is what it says in the bottom of the trinket box 'Samoa' - I like this as I come from New Zealand, it reminds me of home.

        This week I am linking in here at Liz's Magpie Monday and here at Sophie's Flea Market finds, who is also celebrating her blog anniversary as well!
                     That you so much for all your lovely comments last week, I do love reading them all.

I am really looking forward to reading all your posts.

Bxx

Glass puddings and My First Blog Award.

For the last few weeks I have been eyeing up these pretty patterned pudding glasses at my local charity shop. I decided to leave them last week, but when I popped in again this week they were still there.
I have always longed for individual pudding glasses, and whenever I watch dinner party shows (Come Dine with Me) I always think I must get some! There are 6 glasses altogether and they were £5.99. I normally spend less money than this, but felt over all they were of good value.

I washed them in hot soapy water, dried them and I made space for them in my display kitchen cupboard.  The glasses are quite chunky and solid, so they hopefully should last awhile?
 
                                    
 I am thinking summer fruit trifle, individual cheesecakes, ice cream sundaes, or chocolate mousse.

Joining in with Magpie Monday's theme of something funny, I also brought this very cute 1970's children's book for my children. 'Dizzy the Duckling' is a very sweet book about a duckling living near and farm, who has lost his Mother and 9 brothers! The story made me laugh, it was 20p.

I am linking in here at Sophie's Flea Market finds and here at Liz's Magpie Monday.

And finally on Saturday, Sarah from Home Made Gorgeous has awarded me my very first blog award,

 the Liebster Blog award. I am so thrilled and delighted to have received it!

Thank you very much Sarah!

As I understand it this award is for blogs with 300 followers or less, to showcase their blogs, and encourage some new readers. I have to choose some people to pass it on to, and frankly find

 this very difficult, as I love so many blogs, so I have decided to choose these people who have fantastic blogs and are all well worth a read!

ruby in the dust

lyallii craft and design

carolescharacters

weemindings

                                              I am really looking forward to reading all your posts,

Have a lovely week,

Bxx

Thrifting Gems

I do love reading other thrifting posts in the blogging world and I have recently found some Gems via the lovely Lakota at Faith Hope and Charity Shopping here. There are some great vintage/thrifting blogs listed  showing their beautiful  finds which they share lovingly in their posts. I have been following like mad this evening, and I am looking forward to reading their posts in my google reader very soon.

 This week whilst thrifting I  found these lovely Wooden Russian Dolls at my local charity shop. I have inherited a 'thing' for Russian dolls recently and I could not believe my eyes when I spied these this week. They were £1.99.

They look so cute lined up and I love the detail painted on there little faces!

I thought initially I would give them to my little girl, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I have them sitting quite nicely on the piano in our sewing/dining room.

I also found this 1970's Enid Blyton children's book for 60p, the illustrations shown in the book are timeless and so magical, they do take you away to a time far ago.

Finally some readers will notice from my earlier post , this Dolls pram which was brought for my little girls birthday for a bargain price of £3.99. She really loves playing with it!

I am linking in here at Sophie's 'Her Library Aventures'for this week thrifty finds,

and here at Liz's Magpie Monday

My wonderful treasures, my thrifty finds, my bargains galores!

Bxx

Happy Birthday!

We have been celebrating youngest Girls birthday this week. It is the first year she has really got excited about her birthday, she had already written the party invitations, organised the party games, and even designed the birthday cake way ahead of the actual day.
She has been counting down the days since November and finally (finally) it arrived.

The pink smartie birthday cake (near disaster!)

Just as I was transferring this cake onto the cake display stand, it broke it half (panic aside) I managed to rescue it by sticking it together quickly with the butter cream icing. Luckily the children didn't seem to notice. Phew!

We brought her this Pink first Sewing machine, I was inspired by the lovely Sew Scrumptious post on sewing with her own DD using this machine. My girl loves it when I am sewing and will come and watch me, pleading to use the foot pump on the machine. I have been reluctant to let her do it, but now she can!

We also got her this Doll Pram, which she is thrilled with. I actually brought it second hand, from one of our local thrift stores and it come complete with homemade bedding and a cushion. It was a bargain at £3.99.

She is Peppa Pig mad at the moment, and has been loving this game from her big brother.

We are planning a trip to Peppa Pig world soon. Very exciting.

Another year has passed so quickly, and you are growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday to my favourite girl in the whole world!

Mummy xx

A Pink Fairy and Me - Filling in the blanks.

                                                  

I have some good reasons to be cheerful this week, it is my little girl's birthday soon, and I have been busy preparing her birthday presents and celebrations. It is a self indulgent time for me to get really 'girlie' for a few weeks, as I get to submerge in all things pink, fluffy and princess like!  I have also been tagged by the lovely missielizzie at meandmyshadow for a meme, I am delighted with this as she has such a lovely blog with very similar interests to mine. (crafting, thrifting, and chocolate)

So this is called filling in the blanks....

I am blessed to be living in a house with running water, electricity, and heat. My family and friends are safe and healthy and I cannot be more grateful. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for some families in New Zealand in Christchurch after the recent dreadful earthquake. I am trying to figure out how I can give back in some way to these families. I have a few ideas, but will sit down this weekend and make a decision about what I am going to do.

The bravest thing is when you manage to achieve something which you originally thought was not achievable. When you have felt really unsure, anxious or some times physically sick before you achieve it.  I have had many of those feelings in my life- job interviews, speaking to someone who has hurt you, making amends with someone, giving birth, saying 'No', giving up something that is bad for you, saying sorry. These are all brave things and I have done them all.

I feel prettiest when I have had a few glasses of wine, No just joking! 
On holiday, in the evening, after I have been sun bathing and my skin has a nice glow, I have a summer dress on, a cocktail in my hand and my OH beside me.

Something that keeps me awake at night The small things. I go over recent conversations I have had, things I have to remember to do in the morning before the school/work run, not much really, because on reflection I should not be worrying about these things, when there are many more important issues happening in the world. Motto - 'Stop Worrying!'

My favourite meal this would be when all my family are together, having good conversations and lots of yummy homemade food.

The way to my heart Loyalty, kindness, pleasure in the simple things, laughter, and a homemade chocolate steam pudding with vanilla cream and a cafetiere of coffee.

I would like to be happy and healthy, surrounded by my family and friends for as long as possible. Or a pink fairy bringing happiness and granting wishes to everyone!

                                              Sugar and Spice and all things nice!

In the tradition of the meme, I would like to pass this on and tag these lovely people, please feel free to politely ignore if you are very busy and have a million other things to do, but it is good fun!

http://www.lakesandpebbles.wordpress.com/

http://www.sewscrumptious.blogspot.com/

http://www.fayandriley.blogspot.com/

B xx