Angel Wings & The Dingle Dangle Birds

 I love my angel wings..

 so much so, I now have two sets.
They are more gold than the plainer amber depression glass.
They are so lovely to have at Christmas time. I've popped them over at a Vintage Picnic for hire.
I feel sure that they would be a delightful for any special occasion..even a Tiny Tea Party.

 This dear little tablecloth I found at the Hospice Shop on Saturday & the two cups I spied for $1 each on Trade Me. They are "Gay Ware" & almost perfectly match the two lonely saucers that we had already gathered.

These cushions seemed just the thing for picnkicking when we came across them at the market in Napier a couple of weeks ago.

 I  bought the "dingle dangle birds" as a gift but I am finding them quite delightful out in the larder presently, so I think they may stay awhile. Aren't they so cleverly simple & sweet. I bought them at Co Co & Co opposite Cornucopia our organics shop.

 I really should have kept this tea cosy (well I realise that now!) but at least I have some photos.
What imagination!

I bought a bundle of old linen from a lady at a car boot sale recently. It had all belonged to her mother & elderly aunt. I was quite fascinated by this particular piece as it is knitted in the centre & then finished off in crochet. I've not ever come across that before have you?

 I have made another couple of luscious jam jar covers. They looked so lovely sitting with these roses.
It's quite annoying that my camera appears not to share my tastes. It stubbornly balks at these deep rose pink colours. Very rude I must say.

Although, if the light is right it is sometimes happy to oblige. 

Sparrieshoop is a lovely single gently climbing rose.

 I am so glad that Colleen (at one of garden places)...funny that I've made friends with her... planted these foxgloves at the edge of the car park.

 I once planted a Betchel's Crab but it got something funny & had to go, which was very sad.
I still think that it's the best flowering apple blossom...

so pretty!

 I love the scent of honeysuckle it's such a summer hedgerow sort of plant.
Of course it should always be grown in someone else's garden.

 Alberic Barbier is a good rose for wall growing..although I wonder why most of the old style climbing  roses only ever flower once?

 I feel certain that this iris is made from a special kind of tissue paper.

When you plant something in just the right possy you really do often get a better result.

This iris is planted in hard dry soil in full sun, jammed up against an old tree stump & as happy as Larry.

This grannybonnet has evidently been cavorting with a wind mill.

 An this campanula is really a fairy hat but don't tell anyone will you...the fairies will be cross & people might come & steal them.

 We have such yummy navel oranges here & they seem to have gone on & on for months this year. No marmalade (sorry Rob..too busy) but it's easy to pop the skins in to a big jar of white vinegar.
After two weeks or up to two months just strain off the now thoroughly citrusy vinegar & pour it in to a spray bottle. The cheapest, most wonderfully fragrant all-purpose cleaner! I also have a sugar castor with baking soda in it...shake, shake, spray, spray & you'll create fizzing magic that cuts through anything.
The discarded rind is, of course, quite pickled itself at the end of the process & very nice finely chopped & added to pork etc.

Maisy & Grace are on to it & been making it themselves

 The girls have some great ideas for things in jars this month including this variation of the old gingernut & cream dessert recipe.

DAY 2: GINGERNUT & ORANGE CREAM DESSERT IN A JAR

Reminiscent of the gingernut log we used to have in the 80s (at The Old Flame Restaurant) - but these make up perfectly in our 8oz Quilted Jelly Jars....so delish!

RECIPE:
Twin pack of Griff

ins Gingernuts
1 cup orange juice
Shot of brandy (optional)
500ml cream - or half cream/half marscapone cream
1 teaspoon icing sugar
Vanilla beans or essence
Few bits of chocolate

Beat cream/s together with icing sugar and vanilla.
Mix brandy with orange juice and pour into a bowl.
Layer up starting with cream at the bottom, and alternating with a gingernut soaked in the orange juice mixture for 5 seconds each side. These jars will fit 6 layers of cream and 5 gingernuts perfectly.
Chill for at least 4 hours before serving - the gingernuts will become soft and sponge-like, and expand a little.
Sprinkle with smashed gingernuts and chocolate just before serving.
Makes 7 (if using smashed gingernuts on top), or 8 servings.
So good!!

Isn't this the dearest little angel!

You can find the pattern here if you're interested.

I'm going to have a try of one this week. 

 via Magnolia Pearl

Well, I certainly count you as one of my blessings. Thank you so much for coming to see me!!
Have a lovely week.
MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥

Oh How Smashing!

Aren't rainbows just lovely..

anytime, anywhere they are heart-warming to see..

especially out our back door in spring.

 Blossom showers are lovely too.

 Of course all this energy & busy-ness means that I have a great deal of trimming to do in the buxus department in the coming weeks.

 Shapes & hedges everywhere!

 This weigelia is a pretty shrub for the spring garden.

 Grannybonnets (incongruously) have a bit of dodgy reputation for being highly promiscuous..which means that they can turn up anywhere, at any time & their colour & form will be entirely unpredictable.
Surprise!

 I love this little pert number in her frilly little pastel tutu.

 I am also enjoying this pot of happy colour.

It's funny what memories stick with us from childhood isn't it.

I used to be fascinated by the old weather house at my grandparents place.

So now I have one of my own...

and my grandson loves this one too.

Kaitiaki always finds it & has a little look & a fiddle & a chat about how it all works & how "it's very delicate isn't it Katie"...every time he comes to play.

 Mrs has had quite a "turn" outside of recent weeks. The little mechanism doesn't seem to pick up on the incessant spring winds however!

Long before blogging & Pinterest & all that, I wrote a journal & kept a scrapbook or two.

Some scrapbooks for crafting inspiration, some for flowers & gardening tips & one for pure beauty & loveliness.

 It took a long time to create them as it's not always an easy call to sacrifice pages from lovely magazines & you don't exactly cut them out of books do you!

 This particular book made my heart skip a beat every time that I opened it. Of course, the bluebells came from a Country Living magazine (a discard from the library...sacrifice permitted!)

 Looking back, I realise I've always loved the same things!
 How about you...have your affections changed much over time?

 I have always loved flowers & lace, the soft & the beautiful.

Roses, violets, lilac & apple blossom.

Paisley eiderdowns & Sanderson vintage florals.

 Whimsical summer houses & secret gardens.

 Secondhand shops, gingham & warm friendly kitchens.

We found these little poppets at our accidental garage sale..$1 each.

I've stripped off the contact & given them a good scrub so far..

It's been a bit windy & a tad chilly at times still this past week so when I found this deliciously spicy fruit sour dough loaf at the organics shop last week we decided to make a bread & butter pudding with it.

 Looks rather rustic doesn't it! But it was delicious & is so good cold too.
Little ones would be great for picnics we decided.

Karen over at Pom Pom's Ponderings is such a joy & an unfailing inspiration! She has been busily making Smash books..I love them & the video that she shared. Turns out my scrapbooks are kind of Smash books. This dear little video is where I heard the song...you'll see.

Thanks so much Pom!!

Lovely to see you dear ones.

I hope that you have a warm & friendly week.

MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥

One Day I Woke Up & There Was More To Love..

More flowers, more blossom, more bird song, more beauty...
more spring!

 And my friend, Ruth bought to me the most precious gift in all the world...
a little posy of lily-of-the-valley.

 Can you smell it?
The scent is just so divine.
I've sniffed & sniffed these little bells & kept them close by so as to not miss a single waft of loveliness.

 They are just so lovely with lilac flowers too.

 Look who I found in one of my gardens last week, stuffing his little face with elm blossoms, chaotically slipping off branches as he gorged. It's always such a treat to find a native wood pigeon here in New Zealand. They are just so plump & beautiful. I was talking to Margaret, my lovely neighbour yesterday & she told me that Kereru are known to get so carried away with their feasting that they literally drop to the ground...satiated.

The elegantly draped clusters of wisteria can be seen all around our neighbourhood this week...including next door.

 Spring flowers are just so delicious!

 These roses...Madame Isaac Pereire & Winsome have that gorgeous old-fashioned fragrance about them that fills the air with a heady feeling of romance & hope.

 Foxgloves have always enchanted me..

 it seems a few furry others also agree..

 Ethel (from just round the corner) described this as the "common" foxglove the other day but I think I love it quite the best myself.

 At the hospice shop we found a lovely red retro suitcase...no reason it couldn't be used for a picnic we thought. Quite romantic in fact. So we gathered all our red picnic bits just to see.

 I also found this sweetly, perfect picnic dress.
It has no sleeves so I had to wear a cardi as it's certainly not summer just yet.

We've added a 50c pack of vintage cards to the basket of picnic fun..

 and a retro puzzle..well some people like to be kept occupied even on picnics!

 On Saturday morning we were out walking in our neighbourhood when we accidentally stumbled upon a garage sale. I found this darling little forgotten teddy in a box of junk. Can you believe she is made of vintage Sanderson.
 Dear aunty Shirley has made us some delicious knitted tea cosies. I love the pink one that you can see squeezed in beside Ted. I am crocheting some wild roses to decorate it...ooh it's going to be so lovely.

 After blossom, my very next best spring joy is asparagus. I eat it every day until suddenly, it is gone again. I have decided that this old fridge container makes a perfect asparagus keeper.

I thought you might enjoy this vintage postcard, kindly made available for free by Holy Card Heaven

 This lovely bouquet comes from The Graphics Fairy...also freely available for use.

 Thank you so much for visiting!!
I do hope that your week is filled with loveliness & green growing things.

 ♥♥♥♥♥