the green gal

Marvellous Milly-Molly-Mandy

Do you know of Milly-Molly-Mandy? Have you read the adventures of the little girl in the striped dress who lives in The Nice White Cottage with the Thatched Roof? As a child I read lots of the Milly-Molly-Mandy stories that Joyce Lankester Brisley wrote and illustrated, and still feel the influence of it today.

Milly-Molly-Mandy lives an idyllic life from a bygone era where the height of enjoyment is fishing in a stream, blackberrying in the woods, camping in tents made from sheets and chairs, and eating picnics of bread and butter with her best friends little-friend-Susan and Billy Blunt. The illustrated map of her English village at the start of the book was enough to hook me as a young reader.

I think that reading books like Milly-Molly-Mandy, The Family From One End Street, Ballet Shoes, pretty much everything Enid Blyton ever wrote and, of course, Anne of Green Gables, gave me my love of vintage, nostalgia and a longing for an idyllic, old-fashioned life living in a thatched cottage with chickens and a big vegetable garden. I do live in a lovely little cottage with a very little veg patch but I fell in love with Milly-Molly-Mandy's house several decades ago and dream of a thatched roof with a gable or two.

Written in the 1920s you could think that the Milly-Molly-Mandy stories bear no relation to life today and perhaps they don't. But if you, like me, find any excuse to hang up the bunting, like tea made in a pot, consider swapping the laptop for the typewriter on occasion, are fond of wearing a pinny and dream of a simpler life, you'll love Milly-Molly-Mandy, whatever your age. The gorgeous illustrations fit the beautifully written stories perfectly. In fact, I'm going to read all 38 stories in my omnibus book right now…

The joys of just doing stuff

It's been a little bit all work and no play around these parts recently so I decided today I would take a few hours out from making to do some nice stuff instead.

So, off I went and bought some pretty flowering bulbs and cut flowers. I've repotted the plants in various 'containers' I have around the house, I don't suppose tea pots and gravy boats are what Gardener's World would recommend but I think they look good!

(Have you spotted my fab new phone behind the primroses? I finally got my hands on a reproduction 1950s telephone with rotary dial and everything! So retro I love it.)

I've seen pics of fresh Spring flowers on several of my favourite blogs so decided I need to cheer up my home with bunches of tulips and narcissi too. And yes, that is a vintage thermos flask the narcissi are sitting in. 

Following my spot of gardening I had the urge to bake! So knocked up these cookies in just a jiffy. Think I need to watch my portion control, my dollops of cookie mixture were so big they merged into each other – I wouldn't have scored highly on the Great British Bake Off. 

So, along with the other not so interesting domestic activities, I've had a rather nice day. Back to the grind this evening though, at least I have pretty posies too look at while I work. Hope you've had a fab weekend too.

Lovely Monday

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How much would I love to create a patchwork wall like this in my home? So very, very much! If I had a wall like this in my house I would just stare and stare at it all day long. It's not like I'd ever get bored, there are so many different patterns to pore over and admire.

This photo is from a blog post on Design Sponge, it's definitely worth checking out because the whole house this wall stands in is decorated in such an inspiring and gorgeous way. And if you don't have Design Sponge on your blog roll yet I urge you to add it, the website is a veritable feast of inspiration, advice, ideas, information and fabulousness!

PS I'll write a post in the next day or so about my adventures at my first trade fair…

Too beautiful to hang up

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I've got a bit of a thing about vintage phones and this replica of a1950s American diner telephone is a beauty. It's fully functioning too so all I need to do is find space in my kitchen (and a phone socket) and a-chatting I will go!

PS This phone is from a marvellous shop called Pedlars, they have a branch in London but you can browse their online store without budging from your sofa. I recommend you take a look as their range includes lots of fabulous retro and replica items.

Too beautiful to send an email

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How fabulous is this? I had no idea that once upon a time you could buy a book that would help you write a letter for every occasion. (That's a proper letter written with pen on paper, not tapping out an email at high speed hoping that spell check will correct you.) And not just formal letters that might be a bit tricky, oh no. Beeton's Complete Letter Writer for Ladies and Gentlemen will assist you in the sensitive art of writing love letters! Marvellous. Now I just have to find myself a copy…

Too beautiful to tune in

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What a beautiful piece of design. This may be a vintage radio from the 50s but I think designers today could learn a lesson from the gorgeous curves and symmetry, and the colour! Of course, a teal radio is going to win me over but whatever the colour this would still be a jolly lovely addition to my home.

PS Don't forget that all you early Christmas shoppers can get £5 off when you spend £20 at the green gables during November with code NX5!

Junk for Joy!

Do you remember way back in March I told you about a book I was going to be featured in? Well, it's called Junk for Joy! and it's out now! (There's me below!)

It feels like such a long time ago since I talked to Sian about my little business and remade service, about a year in fact! It is such a fab book and I'm not just saying that because I'm in it. Author Sian Berry gives lots of different ideas to revamp tired old items, from big projects that will take a few hours to quick make-its that give you results in less than an hour. The photographs by Sarah Cuttle are beautiful and as well as little ol' me you can also check out Dave and Debbie Powell from the Bracknell Re-Use Project, Hilary Bruffell from Make It and Mend It and Peter Martin from Junkk. Plus there's a very useful Resources section at the back.

Published by Kyle Books Ltd, you can find it on Amazon here.

Making for fun

I have recently realised that I rarely create something for the sheer fun of it. Making and designing for a living has become so all-consuming that I find that all my creative energy is channelled into work. But last weekend things were different!

The hubbie and I decided it was high time we tackled a few of the jobs around the house that have been on the to do list for far too long. There's still lots more to do but at least we checked a couple of things off the list. As well as painting a new piece of art, making three cushions and stretching a gorgeous piece of fabric over a canvas frame to make a picture, we also updated an old mirror. The mirror above was a rather naff-looking pine mirror but a couple of coats of Farrow & Ball duck egg paint later and it's vastly improved.

Have you made anything purely for the joy of creating recently?

We also discovered a treasure trove of a vintage kitchenalia, furniture and bits and bobs in a nearby town and it's taking all my willpower to not run back there every day to see what's new! When we find homes for more of our new finds I'll share some snaps, promise. In the meantime you could always look at yesterday's post which features a beautiful vintage typewriter I picked up on eBay…

Too beautiful to type on

I've been a bit cheeky this week and used a photo of my own for this post. I couldn't resist though, I bought this vintage typewriter last week and I love it so! Every time I walk by it I have to pause and give the space bar a few taps. The ping that sounds when you get to the end of the line is so satisfying. Maybe there's an app available for digital typing… Anyway, I've ordered a new ribbon so may soon be able to type some actual words! 

Here it is perched on my kitchen dresser, pretty eh?!

Too beautiful to be disorganised

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I love the look of this shelving unit, I wonder what it was in a previous life? And with such beautiful crockery and kitchenware it wouldn't be a chore to put away the dishes. Just lovely.