e-mail hackers !!

Sorry everyone, you may have got some weird e-mails from me trying to sell you stuff.
I can't believe this has happened to me a second time, so I'll change my password and hope that that will rectify it.
Sorry !!!

Btw, my bff, who knows me really well, bought some 'skin' pills because of a link she thought I had sent her - DOH !

decorating with nature's cast-offs !

On the 25th and 26th of last month (I hope you like my subtle reference) we walked my dog on a very wet and extremely windy beach.
I went with my ex and his daughter, but she turned back as soon as the rain started !

I love it, even in bad weather, but the rain did actually stop and the sun came out.

The storms have been very severe on the West and South coast of the UK, causing really bad flooding, fatally large waves and numerous power cuts.

On our stretch of the beach, the ferocious sea destroyed the lives of hundreds and hundreds of wee beasties.

When I saw the first two, I was thinking about running down to the now receding shoreline and trying to revive them , but then looking along the beach, we saw hundreds and hundreds.

 

I've never even seen one on the beach before, so it was all very unusual. It was even reported in the local newspaper.

 

I carefully collected three small ones in a doggy bag and took them home. I'm rather squeamish and they seemed so alive. So much so, that we put them in a bucket of salty water, just in case, but to no avail. The poor wee beasts had lost their fight with nature.

 

Now, they adorn my buffet, because nature is indeed beautiful.

 

 

The storms also left a lot of branches in my garden from my neighbours dead Robinia tree and I'd had them in the kitchen over the holiday season with decorations on.

 

On the shelf is a 'thing' I found on the road side, a metal plate from a small sign. It's not one of nature's castoffs, but nature has given it a wonderful patina.

 

 

 

This morning, on a different stretch of beach, I found this great lump of wood (well, two bits nailed together actually) and decided there needed to be a little change around.

 

 

  So my mini cloche got a new throne.

 

 

And another lump of driftwood got to be on show.

 

 

(I know there are crystals in the bird bath, that's another post for another day)

 

I left the reindeer, because reindeers are like puppies, they're not just for Christmas. And contrary to what it looks like in the photos, there's no danger of anyone poking their eye out as they walk through the door !

a post Christmas, Christmas decoration post !

Over here the decs can stay up till Twelth Night, and as mine only went up the week before Christmas they're here to stay for a couple more days and I nearly forgot, to post about the no-cost decorations in the café where I work, so here is a post Christmas, Christmas decoration post !
Bliss reminded me, when she asked about the star I made for her Christmas in July party !

I made it from part of a vegetable crate, and I intended to make a lot more, but in the end the vegetable crates were turned into something much better. Recycling packaging for the decorations, works with the cafe's ethos, locally sourced food, organic where possible, and fixtures made from broken groins and beach junk.

 

There are some artists studios next to the café, and the most prolific artist (and the oldest) is David Barber. He's very grumpy, especially when he's having his photo taken !

 

 

I asked him to make a reindeer for our windowsill, out of the veg crates, and he made Blitzen.

 

 

Sculpted him perfectly and decorated him with shells and bottle tops.

 

And Donna, flying through the sky past garlands made of garlic plaits and order tickets,

 

and driven by Pingu ! (sorry about the photos)

 

I made baubles out of camembert boxes, bottle tops, packaging and recycled ribbons.

Christmas trees out of egg cartons, driftwood and more bottle tops.

 

And hopefully Blitzen will be coming home with me because contrary to his photo, David is quite a sweet old bloke. So, I promise, no more Christmas, not for 11 months or so (unless Bliss has another Christmas in July party !).

 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2014 x