Old windows and a Free Cable reel

I am always on the lookout for old stuff

I was very excited when I got these old windows a few months ago at an op shop

My new windows

 

I could not resist. 

Though I did walk away the first time (did you hear that dear husband) it was only after speaking to my neighbour and her telling me I am mad to not buy them, I went back and got them 3 days later, knowing full well my husband would not approve of my purchase.

I love old windows and there are so many ways you can use them

My new cable reel

 

I also love old cable reels

I never thought I would be able to get one of these, let alone for free.

Yes it was "FREE"

 

But this time I am not in trouble with my husband - for bringing home someone elses rubbish. But only because I got it for free, which makes it even better don't you think !

All following photos are from Pinterest

 

  They can be made into great things as shown in all these photos 

Maybe a coffee table/book shelf for example

Or a padded stool

A Dining table topped with stainless steel or maybe glass

Paint it white

A sweet Occasional table

Even an Umbrella stand

 

I got mine from a skip - a local school was having a clean up over the holidays and I just happened to come across it.  I looked around for someone to ask "can I have this"  but there was no-one there.  So I went to the house next door to the school and asked if they knew anything about the rubbish in the skip (I don't give up easily).  He didn't know anything about who was in charge of the skip but said it should be okay to take it, and who was I to argue ?? So the lovely man even helped me get it out of the skip and load it into my car.  Woohoo, my very own cable reel.  I have so many other projects I want to get onto, but this one should take priority I am thinking. I think painting the reel white, adding some groovy castor wheels it will go great with my new white Adirondacks!

  

And here are just some of the ideas I have seen on Pinterest for old windows

 

A coat rack

Or a photo frame

or combination blackboard/pinup board/shelf

 

I would love to be able to make them into a cupboard but don't have the handyman skills for that one. 

So best to keep it simple I think, stay tuned for an update on these two projects (thought it may take me a while).

 

Thinking about next Christmas already

Note christmas cushions in the background

 

So why do I find myself thinking about next Christmas already ?? It's not because this years wasn't good, I think it's just that I have so many ideas I want to try out before my kids get too old.

And I never seem to get the time to do the christmas baking I desire. I don't really want to eat the food, I just want to make it to look pretty. Someone else can eat it !!!!!! I like the look of this Chambord Cherry Cake pictured above that I stumbled upon this morning through THIS BLOG Souvlaki for the soul. 

I also want to make some slightly original christmas cushions (top picture) like what I found on Kevin and Amandas website here.  I am not sure if they are commonplace in America or anywhere else in the world but I have never seen them like this here in Australia.  I think it is because they are very wintery but nonetheless I really like them. 

I want to make more christmas pyjamas and pillowcases, for the kids and us.  I would also like to do some handmade decorations for the tree and and and and, it never stops.  This brain of mine is inspired everywhere I turn.  Ideas keep popping right into my head, so many ideas and so little time to act on them.  I guess I have a full 12 months at least to tick a few things off my next christmas to do list, so what am I waiting for ???? 
 

Swap Cards from Daisy Lane and The Lark

 

 

I have some very strong nostalgic bones in this old body of mine.  I have posted about swap cards on this blog before see here.  I have been collecting them for my daughter Lucy since approximately November 2010.

I started to collect them for myself when I was quite young, from approximately 5 years of age through to about 9 years of age.  Sadly I don't know what happened to my collection.  I used to keep them bundled together in a rubber band, always ready to swap with someone willing who had a card that appealed to me.  I particularly loved horse ones and all the gorgeous girls like Sarah Kay and Holly Hobbie etc.  How I wish I had kept mine - to be able to hand them over to my daughter would be something special.  So today, with so much technology to hand I googled and found a shop that sells them online called "The Lark". They just happen to sell newly created swap cards of an equally gorgeous nature see here.  Not willing to stop there I searched EBAY and got a stack and then more recently I found a few gorgeous original Sarah Kay's from an antique shop in Woodford. I also bought a book for Lucy to keep them in, also from The Lark.  I just wish that it would become a craze again and the shops would sell them as a collectible.  The images are so sweet and innocent. I could see my Lucy, standing at the store counter with her list, eagerly waiting to spend her pocket money on yet more swap cards - or - hang on, was that me I can see????

Oh the sweet memories....

  

Our New Years Eve in pics !

Welcome 2013 !

 

 

 

New Years Eve 2013 - a great start to the new year it was.

 

We spent the afternoon/evening in our outdoor room.  The sunset was quite spectacular which was a great start to the evening.

 

We ate, we drank, we talked, the kids played twister and watched a movie, they popped party poppers and blew their whistles.

 

We all had so much fun with the sparklers in particular, I managed to find the correct setting just by fluke on the camera and was able to record these amazing images. 

I have never seen 4 adults have so much fun with sparklers and a camera. 

 

The kids (except 1) AND the adults managed to stay up to see the new year in.  It was the first time for the children and it was quite lovely as there were some fireworks for us to enjoy from our deck.

 Our neighbour bought this bottle of wine especially to match our Roast Pork Belly

It was a perfect accompaniment -thank you

This was my salad (I managed to only do one salad which is not like me at all) and it consisted of mixed greens, pancetta, buffalo mozarella, white nectarines and toasted walnuts with a mustard and red wine vinagrette.  We also had roast pork belly with home made peach relish and home made potato wedges to go with it. Dessert was Calvins Eton mess (ice cream with chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, meringue and toasted nuts).   Not what  I would call a banquet by any means but it was just simple home cooked food and it tasted pretty good.

The kids amused themselves playing Twister on the back deck

This is where we spent the evening, in our outdoor room by the christmas tree with our new Ipod/Docking station playing music for us to enjoy (A late Christmas gift for the family, we only purchased this at about 3pm on New Years Eve)

 

We spent some time out on the Adirondacks enjoying the gorgeous sunset

Calvin and I enjoying the view from my favourite chairs

My family in our backyard - and what a backdrop it was

 

This is who we spent New Years Eve with

 

Our lovely friends and neighbours, Adrian, Ming Lee, Aidan and Liam. 

Thanks for a great year you guys and for making our New Years Eve special too.

 

Happy New Year Everyone!