Sunday 21 August 2011

Obsessions

I get little obsessions all of the time.  Once I get something in my head it consumes every waking moment and I can't think about anything else.  

Current obsessions include:
  • Crochet (even doing the odd stitch as I blog right now)
  • Fabric (keep buying fat quarters of pretty fabric - can't sew yet)
  • Smeg retro fridges (MIL is buying us one for our anniversary present... eek!.. now which colour?)
  • Cake (can't stop fantasising about whopping chunks of sponge with tea)
  • Socks (Great big cable-knit warm ones to wear with PJs and/or winter boots)
  • Legwarmers (as above)
  • Cushions (a long-standing obsession of mine)
  • Bunting 
  • Cake stands, domes and cloches (for my cake obsession)
  • Embroidery 
  • Scarves and stoles (making them, buying them and wearing them)
  • Blankets (as above, but also for folding up and putting in piles or draping cosily over chairs)
  • Boots (it's an Autumn thing.)

But my biggest obsession of the moment is utility china.  I totally blame the lovely Little Gem (see her gorgeous blog here) :-)   Of course I realise that I am, again, a late-starter and definitely behind the times in blogland - lots of people have been loving this stuff for ages.  I know I've admired a few bits of Jasmine Wood's Ware (amongst a million other pretty things) over at Coco Rose, for example, but I didn't really realise what it was until I started to read Gem's blog.  Didn't realise that there is a plethora of vintage china available, quite cheaply, in these pretty pastel colours that mix and match beautifully together.  Posts like this fuelled the obsession... and now I am well and truly hooked.  Thanks, Gem, for sharing your knowledge with me and pointing me in the direction of other lovely blogs.

 
I've always had a bit of a thing for jugs but it's getting out of hand!  I think I've picked up about ten jugs over the past two weeks (I'm not kidding).  


I was up early yesterday morning, before the husband and step-son, so I had a lovely time trotting backwards and forwards with various bits of pastel china and jugs of flowers, taking photos of my bits and bobs!  I had to laugh at myself, skipping about in my PJs with my camera and various random items.  


The top blanket (in the next picture) is my current crochet project - the giant granny I started on holiday.  It's coming along nicely, I'm really enjoying myself.  Have plans to make loads more (received a few requests from people, too).  The spotty one is a holiday purchase - a gorgeous lambswool red/cream spotted blanket.  It's red with cream spots on the reverse.  I ♥ it.


I bought this little string of shelf bunting at a vintage fair last week and popped it in the kitchen until I found a better place for it.  It has a nautical theme and I think it looks quite good with the kitchen gubbins so it might stay there after all.


We are about to start giving our dining room a bit of a facelift.  The furniture that we brought to the cottage just isn't suitable. It's very dark wood and too oppressive.  This house is very dark, cold and quite small so it needs light, soft, colours to lift the rooms.  We are hoping to have a new floor put in and I have started to consider the type of furniture we will choose.  I think I'm going for painted oak and I really REALLY want a nice dresser to display my new china collection!  The postmistress was laughing at me on Saturday morning as she delivered a couple more of my ebay purchases - the husband had moaned to her about the fact I was collecting this china and that he wouldn't mind but now we have to buy a cabinet to put it in!  

Are you still with me?  Sorry to bore you... I could go on all night so I'll start to wrap things up.... 

We've got J (the step-son) saying for the week so I've got a couple of days off work and we're going to London tomorrow.  We are doing a few touristy things, taking him to the Forbidden Planet megastore and having a good feed-up somewhere.  

My MIL came over for lunch with us today.  The weather was gorgeous and we all lounged around in the garden, it was lush.  She was especially welcome today because she brought dessert too:


I am feeling really sunny and cheerful at the moment.  I'm loving the last dregs of summer and excited to see the first signs of autumn, it's my favourite time of the year.  I feel in control of my workloads at work, I've got a few things to look forward to in the next few weeks, but most of all I am loving being married.  LOVING it.  This is a big thing for me - I always thought I was commitment-phobic. Turns out I just hadn't met the right man.

Nicki 



23 comments:

  1. Aw what a lovely post. I am so glad you enjoyed being married. You definitely know when you meet the right man. It's the tingles (or it was for me anyway).
    LOVING your crochet blanket. So (I am such a novice I've given up), they are granny squares all sewn together, it's literally one big blanket. Is it easy? I know you were quite a beginner but now you've soared, look at it.
    I adore your little house. Little houses make such cosy homes, you've done a beautiful job and I wish you lived near by so I could pop in for cake and you could show me more about this blanket.
    Have a lush time in London. I am going in with the children on Friday because we are visiting KMMMS and can't blooming wait!!!
    Have fun cherry bun.

    x x

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  2. Awwww!

    Totally with you on the scarves, boots, cosy cushions and fabric and china. About the bedsocks thing, LOVE the idea but got spooked when a friend's partner confessed to her recently they made him feel he was going to bed with his nan and he couldn't stand it anymore!!

    You know what collecting all those vintage jugs means don't you...yep, you will have to GROW flowers, lots of them, to fill all spring and summer long and bestow even more gorgeousness upon your afternoon teas and revamped dining room!! Yay!

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  3. Like Gem, I am loving your blanket. I really must give one of those giant grannies go.
    I also reeeeally like the cream knitted throw on your sofa- very cosy!
    Like you, I am an autumn girl and can't wait for a crisp morning. I also love boots! And leg-warmers? They were a recent discovery for me last year. Absolutley fab over leggings/ skinnies and under my wellies! Kept me very warm!
    Lovely post!
    Xx

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  4. Love this post!!
    And yes, I also get obsessions....................totally know where you're coming from there!!
    Those jugs are really lovely, and I am trying sooo hard not to click on the links and read more about them, because I could so see myself becoming obsessed with them!!!

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  5. Third sentence from last. Weeping a bit. That is just lovely. I know what you mean. I shouldn't say this publicly but my husband is the only man I haven't cheated on. Never even considered it. In my defence in the past I was half out the door when I cheated. A bit like I had to do something I was ashamed of in order to find the courage to leave.

    Ok onwards from my confession. I bought some utility china a few weeks ago. 2 tea cups and saucer and 2 cake plates. Didn't know what they were at the time, now I see the stuff all over blog land and I WANT more more more more MORE!!!

    Sandi's comment on your post the other day (she mentioned it to me today) I am WELL CHUFFED. Hope you aren't mortified!!

    xxx

    ps. I love Autumn too. I find Summer a disappointment.

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  6. So glad your loving being married. A lot of people were shocked when we decided to get married as I'm so young but I really wouldnt wish it any other way. It's so lovely to know you always have company and there's always someone to have a chat with, or give you a hug when your feeling down.
    You MIL is giving you a Smeg fridge as an anniversary gift..!? I'm not jealous AT all! I'd love one but we have a huge double doored thing.. (husband's random 4am purchase...)
    Love your jugs! (hehe... dirty mind..) Where did you buy them?

    Ashley xxx

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  7. Lovely post!!

    I'm late to the utility china party too, have just had to Google it!! It's the stuff the teachers at my primary school had in the staff room. I like it!!

    Have been collecting the pretty floral tea sets for a while, but will have to look out for this now too!!

    Your home looks lovely, you need to do a "tour" for us!!

    S x

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  8. A great post, loving your obsessions, utility china is something I love buying but it is so expensive where I love so it isn't very often that I am able to pick up a bargain :( I love your tray table as well, in fact I love it so much I have just shown my boyfriend and told him that I need one ha ha, he said he would make me one so we shall see! Could really eat one of those strawberry shortcakes right now, they look so yummy xxx

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  9. What lovely obsessions. Gem has a lovely blog, glad you found the lovely china there. I wish I was in the UK to find some too! Wow, a Smeg fridge! Phwoar! I love your cushions and house. x

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  10. Obsessions, you should visit my home, I have a room FULL of ribbons, lace, fabric, buttons, yarn and scrapbook items, papers etc. I actually tidied it up last week and now I can move around in there, it has a three door wardrobe and that is full too (with clothes and shoes etc). Awww, that is so lovely to hear about your marriage, I still want to find 'that' man before I fall off the cliff.
    Am in love with all your bits and bobs, the flowers look perfect in the jugs. I really should have been born in the UK, it is so meeeeee!
    Have a wonderful week.
    xx Sandi

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  11. Your couch is beautiful and in the shades of my own living room! Great job on the giant granny. I am wanting to attempt one soon, too. Fun stopping by today. =)

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  12. loving that crochet blanket..the colours are just gorgeous..im wiht you on the obsessions..i get a tad obsessed about things and thats all i can think about keep on the look out for in chazza shops and on the internet.. it must be a compulsive thing!!..love your floral cushions with the striped ones..are they kate forman?..its sort of what im after for mine!?.
    its lovely being married isnt it, i never thought id get married or meet someone who actually let me be me but ive been very lucky!!..(pass the sick bucket i know!)

    hope you get a fab dresser for your china!!.lovig that mini bunting!

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  13. Hiya!
    How fab is your collection looking!! And it didn't take long did it! Is it sad that I'm already jealous of that coffee pot? I loved reading about your obsessions too, I get like that, vintage mirrors are a bad one for me, I've bought 5 so far!
    I'm really looking forward to seeing your collection grow :)
    P.S really cute mini bunting, looks perfect where it is.
    X Gem

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  14. Aww what a lovely post... I totally agree with you on obsessions... yet no-one in my family understands.. they think I am a bit crazy...so it's nice to know it isn't just me... I call it creativity...I can't even contemplate a life without at least one craft obsession. The other day I met an old friend who didn't know what a blog was, never goes on the internet, and has no hobbies... I felt so sorry for her...
    Can't wait for your next bit of bloggy bliss :)x

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  15. A real feel good post. Love your cushions, the floral ones are lovely. I can't seem to find any nice ones at the moment, the old ones don't go and are really annoying me.

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  16. I think a lot of us get your talk of obsessions. I get them all the time. I suddenly see something or think about something, then it starts to consume me. Every dream and waking thought, until I satisfy it, then move straight on to another one! It's hopeless. I have a fair bit of Utility China, but it's getting to the stage where I cannot house anymore. Mr H puts up with it and I get away with so much pastel stuff because I whinge that I am the only female so I deserve it all in the house!

    Currently chunky knits and brown leather. I can tell Autumn is on its way when I start to think like this. I love Autumn too. The cosy time, you cannot beat it.

    Happy Anniversary when it arrives!

    Have a super rest of a day!

    Vanessa xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  17. so with you on obsessions usually on things i cant afford and droool over , mine at the moment is dubarry boots and a certain barbour jacket, you lucky thing on getting a smeg fridge they are lovely and yes lovely jugs . it is also coming into my favourite time love sunny colder mornings september always been my favourite month all your pics are gorgeous by the way x

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  18. Snap with the fabric! Well I have a mini sewing machine but it's really not my forte.
    Also loving your sentiment about being married. ♥
    xx

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  19. Your blog is like a breath of fresh air ... gorgeous and cheerful xx Now following , Ava

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  20. I ♥ your spotty holiday blanket its so cute, love your crochet blanket too,lovely colours.
    Happy Anniversary when it arrives.take care,juliexxx

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  21. I pretty much have EXACTLY the same obsessions! Your utility cups and saucers look so pretty and I love that yellow jug!

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  22. Never seen your blog before, and great to see another Northamptonshire Blogger!!
    Love your crochet blanket, and well done on the utility ware! Was at the Northampton Vintage Fair on Saturday, have you ever been? It's great & the cakes are scrummy : ) There is a fair at Earls Barton, this Saturday, between 11 & 3.Would love to see you : )

    Sharon xx

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  23. There items are really looking awesome. You can use different donut cushion, foot rest, and other home accessories that will increase your coziness while staying. You will have more relaxing time.

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