Vivien Leigh Archive

A very exciting email popped into my inbox this morning from the V&A. They have acquired the Vivien Leigh archive and a revolving selection of items will be on show from Autumn 2013, can't wait.

Vivien  in George Cukor's pool,  Hollywood, 1960.  Image copyright V&A

Diary. Image copyright V&A.

A Day at the Glynde Forge

The Mister and our boy Jack (really a man now at 24yrs if only I'd admit it) recently spent some male bonding time discovering the charms of our local-ish forge. As luck would have it I'm good friends with the blacksmith's wife, so they were only charged mates rates for this fun day out. Happily it is who you know after all.

They enjoyed a good full day, had lunch, made various useful items and came home very happy men, even though the Mister had a few blisters. Terry the blacksmith even sent me a fantastic hand made poker for our wood burning stove, he's nice like that.

Jack was totally in awe of Terry - "a real man Mum", impervious to the heat of the forge with arm muscles like Samson apparently.

Jack being supervised by Terry aka Samson

They had a truly splendid time, and  it was lovely to hear all the excitement of the day when they got home. Jack's usually up in Manchester where he is studying so it's always nice to have him home for a while, even if it does mean he has another bloomin tattoo every time he visits.

Mind you I quite like this one on the back of his calf.

Space

A few weeks ago when I asked the Mister to get up at the crack of dawn to help me at a boot fair I told him that it would "definitely be the last time". But actually I find I still have stuff that I need to let go, quite nice bits and bobs but not really beautiful or useful, to me anyway. So tomorrow morning will absolutely be the last time we will need to sell stuff at a booty. From now on I pledge to only buy what I need or can't live without. (Did you notice my crafty proviso there?)

Only this week I had thought that I was in 'need' of a trug to ferry our vegetables up from the greenhouse and veg beds, but on looking about me I discovered I had a perfectly good vintage basket that would do the trick. Pretty too eh?

So no need to waste money or clutter the house up with additional stuff. So much better to use what you have already, it's not exactly a hardship after all. And it does feel very good to be decluttering and stream lining things.

Once this last batch of clutter is gone I can crack on with repurposing my studio space and get on with the task of deciding how I'm going to make a living in the future, now that I have left my job of eight years. The stress and angst had finally reached an unacceptable level and working there was making me very unhappy and at times unwell. I'm changing tack and in the next few weeks will put a lot of thought and consideration into what my next steps will be.

I'm thinking physical space will help with some mental space.

Instagram Home

I thought I would share some pics a friend took the other morning at mine for her Instagram account. They really are a tad too big for my blog page but I wanted you to see them.

My vintage glass collection which is stored in a 1930s 'meat safe'.

My downstairs wc.

A dolly in the drawing room, she's way too tall to fit in the cupboard.

Twiggy and Jackie White in the kitchen.

Our breakfast in the garden.

Tooth Pain & Pocket Pain - A Perfect Marriage

So dear reader a week has passed since my deep filling was replaced. Do you remember the specialist said the tooth only needed a new filling? "Premature" to talk of root canal work he said. Guess what? This weekend it has been playing up merry hell.

I saw my dentist this morning and now the tooth in question has an infection and does need root canal work. How did that happen?

So adding on the £65.00 for the replacement filling it has cost me £157 so far to get a wrong diagnosis and to be in even more pain than before.

My dentist has said that the specialist should do the work and it will cost in the region of £660. No thrifty alternative I'm afraid. Although my dentist is a NHS dentist and theoretically he should be able to do the work he says the other guy has more expertise and more advanced equipment. How do dentists make you feel you have to take their advice or accept the dire consequences? The implication is if I don't go to the expert I will get a shoddy job done and then there will be more problems with my teeth. I did consider an extraction, the tooth is at the top right at the back, but I think I would regret that later on. Lots of horror stories about teeth shifting about if you remove their neighbour.

But actually lots of horror stories about root canal work and dentistry in general. And what with the pain an all my mind feels a little bit fuddled. I'm taking antibiotics (which I'm always loathe to do) and I've booked in for the first part of the treatment next week. I just hope I'm making the right decision.

Birthday Cake

A few girlfriends came round for lunch today including birthday girl Linda. We had a very healthy Salad Nicoise, followed by a chocolate and beetroot BIG cake. It was gorgeous.

I used a Lakeland recipe, the icing was too runny so if you make it don't add the double cream is my advice.

Birthday Treats

It was my chum Linda's birthday last Wednesday, and she had a fancy to take a picnic to Polesden Lacey.

The parents of our own dear Queen honeymooned here in 1923, which I thought was very humble and sweet, it would have been enormously private too. We had a smashing lunch sitting 'with' the royals on the lawns and enjoyed the day tremendously.

deck chair featuring the royal couple 1923

I do enjoy a country house to snoop about in to get that feeling of grandeur.

Anyway before we set off in the morning I presented her with her birthday treats. I really love it when you manage to find a real corker of a present for someone special. Consequently I sometimes buy presents way in advance of a birthday or Christmas, the trick then is as we all know remembering where we have squirrelled it away.

Her main present from me was the cutest vintage kitchen calendar, which I found at Milly and Dottie's Emporium. It still has the original shopping list pad and unused pencil and is a perpetual calender so should last forever.

Linda has two adorable cats called Bramble and Hetty, whom I imagine would have looked just like these two when they were kittencubs, as Linda would say.

She also loves Cherries and Marzipan so another winner.

And to complete the package a jolly good read.

She was chuffed to bits and so was I.