my apologies go out to all you lovely people who used to stay over in my spare room, as it is now my studio! Yay! It’s warm, spider free AND… as old age starts sneaking in,  I don’t have to go too far for a pee! (It’s the only room in our house with an en-suite!)

Don’t worry, the sofa bed is now in the lounge, which is actually a really cosy place to crash as you can fall asleep watching the glowing embers of the log burner and you won’t be awoken by the sun rudely appearing through the sky-light at stupid-o-clock!

anyone for cocktails.......?

RIP glorious treadmill, which has been moved into my shed/old studio, probably never to be used again as I’m sure it has contributed to my terrible backache (good excuse to not use it anyhow) and has been replaced by an equally gorgeous cocktail cabinet which I found in a junk shop for £20 – love it! It has a new life now, housing my vintage china, ready for candle creating!

I’ve been adding loads of dates to my 2012 calendar, starting off with a little evening at The Coffee Rush where you can have a glass of vino and purchase my lovely candles, vintage gorgeousness from My Sister Mabel (aka Tracy Hill) and interior gifts and pressies from Becca (ex-sugar worm but currently undergoing a re-branding)

A lady called Kay is the inspiration behind a new community project which starts in March and will run on the first Saturday of every month at Victory Hall, Exminster, from 9.30am until 12.30pm.  The aim is to bring together local people who will hopefully purchase some of the fresh local produce, crafts, gifts and homewares.

Check out http://www.exminstermarket.com/ for information

Unfortunately I cannot make the March one, but will be there on April 7th.

Saturday March 31st is the “All things Vintage & Lovely” fair at The Imperial Hotel, Torquay. It was such a success in November I’m glad the organisers have decided to do two more this year. The second date is December 1st. You can check them out on facebook.

organised at last.....

The brilliant Craft Hub Fair is on Sunday April 1st, these are always good. With a great mix of different crafts, reasonable prices and a fab cafe.  The dates of all the Craft Hub Fairs are on the calendar. We will be heading up to Exeter tomorrow Saturday night to celebrate Pip’s 40th birthday (the co-founder of The Craft Hub) A Balkan gypsy band will be taking to the stage, my other half will be in his element – beware of flying arms! Well that’s it from me…..

vintage Dartmouth pottery transformed!

…finally I am coming to the end of a nasty bug that I’ve had since before Christmas which has zapped all my energy and caused me to lie around reading books all day, cancel most of our  social engagements, cease all exercise and have lots of early nights – shame! Now I am going to have to play “catch up” as I have about 10 weeks to make all my candles ready for March 31st/April 1st, re-do all my peagreen paperwork (which I have realised is not quite up to scratch since attending two HMRC new business courses in January) and move my office from the garden shed (too many spiders) into the spare room!

peagreen packages ready for delivery....

After a hectic run up to Christmas I managed to get all my parcels/orders sorted by Christmas Eve, when we had 30 people descending on us! Christmas Day was calm as we went to my folks, Boxing Day we visited  Shaldon (as usual) for the annual three legged race and a drink on the Green then off to Birmingham on the 27th for some retail therapy and a visit to the in-laws.  Shamefully we only managed one “family” day out, to Woodbury Hill Fort and Budleigh Salterton before it was time for the kids to go back to school BUT thankfully due to my bug, they didn’t return more exhausted than they were when they broke up – which is what normally happens, caused by too much socialising!

at Woodbury Hill Fort

My eldest daughter was fourteen yesterday and the day came and went fraught with the usual dramas!  Would her ASOS  dress arrive in time? Could I drop it off for her in Teignmouth (so she could get ready at her mates in order to catch the train to Exeter)? They were going to eat at Pizza Express, apparently one of them had booked a table using their mobile phone during a lesson on Wednesday!  Then they had to be back at Exeter Central to meet a limo at 8pm, which one of the other Mums had arranged as it was her daughter’s birthday too.  Anyway, she was home by 9.30pm and we felt very old as she strutted around the kitchen in a pair of my old Gucci sandals, telling us about her night. . .  I suspect she won’t   experience quite that level of excitement this afternoon when we go to Exeter to see Sherlock Holmes, then out for something to eat with our neighbours – oh well….

fourteen....

Blimey… as soon as my festive fairs kicked in my spare time disappeared and I spent 6 weeks up to my eyes in candles! Good for the bank balance but not so good for family harmony! Anyway, it’s all done and dusted now and I face the arduous task of building my stock back up to a reasonable level before the “All things Vintage & Lovely” fair at The Imperial Hotel on March 31st and The Craft Hub fair in Topsham the following day.  Fortunately I have a heap of gorgeous vintage treasures to fill up with candles and some new scents in the pipeline, how do you like the sound of raspberry and dark chocolate? Watch this space…

Me on the beach at Mawgan Porth

On a rainy day back in January when a Bedruthan Steps Hotel brochure fell out of my Country Living magazine, I decided to book three friends and myself onto  a freehand machine embroidery course with Poppy Treffry on 18 – 20 November. The plan was to get a good three-day break, leaving after the school run on Friday morning, enjoying a relaxing lunch somewhere romantic in Cornwall, arriving at the hotel mid-afternoon in time to hit the spa before an informal meet with Poppy in the “Tranquility Lounge” (just like the one in my house – NOT) at 6pm.

Well. . . what actually happened was this: By 10am we had everyone in the car, plus sewing machines and various other crap. We had to do a petrol stop, so got as far as Newton Abbot Sainsburys before Nat realised she had left her handbag at home. She had also locked herself out so had to crawl around on the floor with her arm through the letterbox in an attempt to get in! Passing through Newton for the 2nd time that morning I realised that I’d been in the car for an hour and a half and had managed to get a mere 4 miles down the road – story of my life really!

Poppy at work

We decide to stop in Okehampton for lunch, not the picturesque Cornish lunch of my dreams but we found a nice place to force down a fry up and it meant we could also pop in to Waitrose and stock up on booze! Finally we arrived at the hotel at about 2.30pm, checked in, did some exploring, drank some wine and somehow it was 6 o’clock – so much for our spa experience!

Poppy and Freya were very relaxed and friendly and the weekend was a great success with everyone churning out cushions, bags, pictures, etc. All from recycled fabrics that Poppy collects. It was very inspiring and I went away tempted to invest in a sewing machine so I can start using the huge collection of vintage fabrics that I have lurking with the spiders in my shed.

On the work front (I do it sometimes you know!) I have been surprisingly busy. I did a little charity fair in aid of The Topsham Museum on November 17th and was flat out (for the two hours it lasted!). My lovely friend Helene took some candles to her friend’s craft party in Teignmouth and came back with loads of dosh for me – amazing! The Vintage Fair in Torquay on Sunday was great fun and I was next to Tracy (My Sister Mabel). Helene was helping me, and Tracy had her Mum with her; the four of us had a right laugh (and sold lots of candles and bags too).     

The lady that runs the Torbay Carnival Craft Marquee asked me if I would like a stand in July 2012 for 9 days, which is a bit scary but maybe I should just go for it? I delivered some candles to Victoria at The London House in Topsham a couple of weeks ago, so let’s hope they sell and I get some more gorgeous votives from her to fill with Christmas scents. I have finally finished 72 little candles in glasses for Debbie from “Beach Heart” which she has put into beautiful recycled wooden holders. They are for sale in The Coffee Rush.  I’ve got Shaldon Christmas Market on Thursday, a candle evening at my mate Kat’s on Friday and Stokeinteignhead Church Fete on Saturday this week so I had better go and get on (instead of sitting here in my pj’s writing my blog).

Finished pieces!

The great thing about owning an old banger is that we get to visit The 2cv Workshop in Cornwall, a hospital for the iconic car, every time ours needs some bodywork (which is a lot!)  It’s a fantastic place owned by Graham, who is  a 2cv fanatic and works flat out on the cars 24/7. He’s such an honest chap that people are even sending them over from France to be renovated by him. You can have a complete overhaul: new roof, seats, respray, a brand new car basically. Unfortunately we are not in a position to do that, so a few hundred pounds down, off we trot with our next 12 months MOT, 4 new patches of welding & various other bits and bobs attended to.    

Dare I mention the “C” word which is approaching rapidly?  I have my first big fair on November 27th at The Imperial Hotel, Torquay and a little one in Topsham this Thursday for The Topsham Museum (not sure how busy that will be as I haven’t done it before). I’ve been busy making little candles for the “Beach Heart” ladies, who have designed some wooden holders for them. I haven’t seen the finished product yet but I’m sure they’ll look great and when my candles have finished you’ll be able to wash the remains out and use the holder with tea-lights instead.

Thanks to “Lovely Lucy” I have spent the past week listening to the new Florence CD (which is fantastic – and great candle making music!). I can’t say the same for the new “Wanted” CD, which she sent to the kids, I must be getting old…

Blimey what a week! Started it off stressfully with unleaded petrol in my diesel car (thanks to dopey partner) £120 down and on a very wet Monday I manage to have 2 children here for sleepovers (how the hell did that happen?). Pretty tired on Tuesday after my early morning wake up call. I manage to get them both home and dump my two at my parents for a sleepover (getting my own back!) plus an all day “letter-boxing” session on Dartmoor the following day thrown in – Yippee!

I spend Wednesday doing a two-hour voluntary shift in the village shop, then off to Kat’s for lunch with Kate and Maureen, to celebrate Maureen’s birthday – during which we drink far too much vino and have to stagger to the co-op to stock up, via the fire station (don’t ask). Another seven-hour battering of the liver! Thursday…..didn’t achieve much (no surprise there) kids off to Jessie J concert in the evening in Plymouth (thanks to free tickets from “Lovely Lucy”) and off I trot to book/wine club in The Thatched Tavern for more liver battering. We seem to have progressed from all deciding on a book, reading said book, discussing the book and then choosing the next book (the usual book club format); to not bothering to read a set book but all taking good books we have read in order to swap them with each other; to spending the whole night eating, drinking and chatting (well getting extremely pissed if the truth be told) without a book in sight . . . much more fun!

Ashamed to admit it, I am still fast asleep at 7.30am on Friday when the allocated book club driver strides past my house to be reunited with her car at The Thatched Tavern.  I do however have to deposit my eldest at Teignmouth station for 10am so she can go ice-skating in Plymouth with her friends, so I grab my 10-year-old and tell her we are going on an adventure. We end up at “Bel Green” in St Leonards, a lovely new Cafe which has just opened up. There we have a healthy breakfast of coffee, hot chocolate and cake.  This new venture is a partnership between Teresa Green (the textile designer often featured in Country Living) and her friend Isobel, hence the “Bel”.  It is fully licensed, open evenings and doing Art House cinema nights at £5 a head once a month. Serving good home cooked food and Luscombes drinks I am hoping to get there regularly and support them. So much nicer than any high street place, the back of the Cafe is set up like a 1950s store selling vintage bits and bobs interspersed with Teresa’s lovely textiles and handmade cards. It is well worth a visit . . ..

Breakfast at Bel Green.

  …well the cold weather is finally upon us,  but in a desperate attempt to cling onto my flip-flops for as long as possible I ventured to Dawlish Warren on Saturday still wearing them! Lovely Lucy (who has nice brown feet due to a recent trip to Greece!) came down from the big smoke for a weekend of fresh air in Devon. Armed with concert tickets, CD’s, red wine and flowers that’s the kind of guest I’d like more often me thinks! You wouldn’t have thought we’d both passed the big 40 as we played with my girls in the arcade, it was great fun and we were all sorry to see her go on Sunday (after a big fat roast)

windswept....

I delivered some vintage teacup candles to Miss Ivy in Fleet Walk, Torquay on Tuesday, so let’s hope they sell out and I’ll have another wholesale order soon. They are busy preparing for their vintage fair on November 27th at The Imperial Hotel, Torquay. I am also in discussions with Victoria at “London House” in Topsham about making her some candles in items which she hopes to have ready for Christmas, supplied by one of her wholesalers. How exciting!  

Peagreen is getting so busy that I went and opened a business bank account the other day (check me out!)

One day soon I’ll have my very own peagreen chequebook and credit card – yippee!

beachuts at Dawlish Warren

I went to visit this new shop in Torquay today where they sell vintage china, painted furniture and lots of other gorgeous bits and bobs. I met the owner Joanne, who ordered a few of my vintage teacup candles and I paid for my table at the “All things Vintage and Lovely” Fair which is being organised by them and being held on November 27th at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay. It sounds great fun. They are holding a vintage catwalk, a Burlesque demonstration and there will be a vintage photo booth, competitions and lots of exciting products from local exhibitors. Check out their website www.missivy.co.uk

The Craft Hub Fair was brilliant (as usual) on Sunday and the hall was buzzing. People were being extremely organised and buying candles for Christmas presents already!  Thankfully I had my trusty helper Helene with me, I would have been most upset if I was unable to take a cake break!  Can’t wait until the next one on December 11th, where you might see me sporting my new “Bella” bag which Tracy (My Sister Mabel) made me, from a piece of Cath Kidston “Cherries” oilcloth that I had in my shed. I’ve been using it all week as it’s spacious enough to hold candles (cake, chocolate, wine…whatever you like really!)

lovely Lucy....

………and my pal, lovely Lucy, is coming to stay in a couple of weeks.  Having lost touch after years spent in each others pockets, clubbing (and other stuff which I won’t go into) we were sat on the same table at my friend Nikki’s wedding in July and you would never have known that we hadn’t seen each other for 20 years! Both still exactly the same, we chattered away for hours and have been catching up via email ever since.  She’ll be driving down the M4 next Friday and I can’t wait…I love it when things like that happen!

Six days to go until the Craft Hub Falling Leaves Fair and I have finally got my stock back up after a busy 2 days at The Exeter Cathedral Fair in July. Hours spent scouring charity shops and hunched over my laptop on ebay have paid off and I’ve been having lots of fun filling everything up with gorgeous autumnal scents!

We had the in-laws down at the weekend and a lazy time was had by all as we lounged around in the sun,  walked along Meadfoot beach and had drinks on the terrace of The Osborne Hotel whilst gazing at the beautiful view. The view wasn’t quite so good the following day as we lunched outside Pizza Express in Torquay,  but we were lucky enough to have good company, tasty food and scorching sunshine (not to mention a chilled glass of wine…..) so we weren’t complaining!

Grandad Roy at The Osborne Hotel

The Osborne Hotel, Torquay

I just met my lovely friend Tracy, who runs My Sister Mabel, for a coffee & a natter in Shaldon. Having off-loaded about cat fleas, my teenage daughter and her nutty friend & the cost of living we then moved on to candles, Christmas fairs, her autumn/winter range, new bag design and boring cat……….high on caffeine, I have forgotten my 5.30am wake up call and my day seems so much brighter now!