Invite update!

Drum roll please! 

Got it!!!! 

The artist had 6 of these left which was exactly how many I needed! They are gocco prints. Which had never heard of. So of course I had to find out what in the heck a gocco machine is!

According to SaveGocco.com Gocco is:

Print Gocco is a Japanese color screenprinting system developed in 1977 by Noboru Hayama.  Resembling a toy, the compact and completely self-contained printer is clean, quick and easy to use. The system works using flash bulbs, a carbon-based image or photocopy and an emulsion-coated screen. When the bulbs are manually flashed, the carbon in the drawing or photocopy burns the screen into a stencil. Several colors of Ink can then be applied at one time and multiples can be stamped out, as many as 100 before re-inking is needed. Fans of Print Gocco appreciate its size, cleanliness, relatively inexpensive cost, and the fact that several colors can be printed in one “pass.”

I'm impressed! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for one of these babies!

But seriously!?! How cute are those invites! I'm having to exercise some self control to wait to send them out! I only have to wait a couple more weeks! And then off they'll go! 

Congrats to the Lovely Little Nest!

The Loveliest Little Nest now has a chick! 

 The most sincere congratulations to Christy and Joe Ledford! 

 Harper Lucy Ledford made her debut! Born August 16th. 5lbs 13 oz 20 in long. 

Congratulations!!!! She's perfect!

Invites!

I told you last time that we're having a party! I LOVE throwing parties! I sent out little save the date postcards...and I didnt' even think to get photos to show you! Sorry!

So now I'm thinking invites. 

This is only a tiny party but that doesn't mean I'm going to skimp on fabulous! No way! 

A friend of mine sent me an email today "You’re going to FREAK out when you see these amazing invites!!! They are all screaming your name". And let me just tell you...she was soooooooo RIGHT! 

I was sent to this fancy blog called No Fuss Fabulous. And what do you think I did when I saw the designs? 

One of the designers has a must see ETSY shop!  Just when I thought these ladies couldn't get any more fabulous...they GIVE FREE PRINTABLES AWAY!!!  You can choose what you like from the "Our Printables" tab. Pinch. Me. Now.  

Since I'm already hanging around Etsy I've decided to have a peek at some other invites out there...

OOOoo....

Quite fancy Marie Antoinette collage sheet! For DIY invites! 

OF COURSE! Alice!

GASP! THIS ONE IS PERFECT!!!!

There is only one copy of this card, fingers crossed that the owner will be able to make more! !!!! It's a 1950s themed tea party I'm throwing! Complete with china and lots of lace and roses! There are even the right number of place settings on that table! AND it's printed on pink which is the birthday girl's favourite color! 

I'm emailing the artist right now! I'll let you know what I find out next time! eeeeeeeeeeee!

I could resist no longer!

{thanks bake it pretty!}

Do you remember me telling you about a Vintage Button Chocolate Mold? If you don't you can click those words and you'll see the old post about the discovery of the century.
That's right, of the CENTURY!
Since that time I have trawled the foodie shops in search. I even came across a wonderful button cookie cutter online {which will have to come home to me one day.}

How cute!!!!

Well my friends, brace yourself because I've just made a purchase you need to see.

IT'S THE BUTTON CHOCOLATE MOULD!!!!!

After phoning around I found it on ebay.co.uk of all places! So take heart people in the UK! You can have it without the horrible shipping fees! Soon I shall be turning out little chocolate vintage buttons by the truck loads! WOO HOO!

I'm throwing a 1950s style tea party for a friend's birthday next month and thought ickle colorful eatable vintage buttons would be a perfect party favor! {that's my excuse anyway!} I will have to tell you all about the party ideas later! It's going to be so much fun!

I'm gonna have to go check out Bake It Pretty's blog to see if they have any other button related projects and download the gorgeous cards to go with the chocolate buttons!

You can get a downloadable version from the link above!

Check out this other cuteness that will probably make it's way to the tea party table...

Sugar and Meringue also give you a downloadable card!

Kewpie Cake Topper! Our Birthday girl LOVES Kewpies!

 

well...those would be for me! 

My head is buzzing with buttons and all of the gorgeous 1950s decorations and odd recipes! I still have to design the invites...the possibilities are endless! Do I go kitsch? Do I go classic 50s? Oh! I just don't know! Squeeeeeeeee!

I can't wait to tell you about the party ideas but I'd better save that for next time! Something for me to look forward to!

Blackberries

It has begun. Well, it sort of began about a month ago with all of the elderberry cordial I made. But foraging is in full swing!
I grabbed my little basket, which is far too small really and headed out for my secret foraging spot!

It's still a bit early in the year, but I thought I'd give it a go anyhow. The berries on the ends of the bunches were the ones that were ready so I went for it!
However....there are some risks involved....

The evil nettles. horrid, horrid, horrid stinging nettles. They always get me. always! I don't know about you, but I get welts from nettle stings and even a minor brush will still be stinging the next day!

The green bits are bits of Doc leaf that I rubbed all over my stung self. And yes. It works.

Thank you Doc Leaves!

After the unfortunate incident I continued on my way.

What's the story morning glory?

The single & most delicious raspberry on earth.

I remember finding a single raspberry last year. Just ONE! I sort of remembered where I'd found it. Sure enough I found the same thing! One single raspberry! Incredibly yummy too!

The best spot! 

My basket is way too small! 

Blackberry manicure.

This little lady faired better with the nettles than I did!

I got my berries home, washed them & picked out any creepy crawlies that came with them. Heated them up, mashed them down, squished them through a sieve. Added an equal amount of sugar a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cooked it for about 30 minutes all together.
What I've got is a huge jar of very jammy, very sweet & extremely fruity seedless blackberry jam!
It is even better than it sounds! Yum!
I'll wait a week or so and go down for my second forage! Hmm....what shall we make with those berries?
Do you have a fave blackberry treat or recipe?

busy bee!

I've been all over the place like that tough customer there!

Firstly, I'd like to say a sad goodbye to The Vintage Shop in Chester. Doors shut yesterday on their 2nd Anniversary.

It's sad to see another independent business close doors. My friend Jayne has lost her job as a result of the closing. And on a personal note I'm losing my income that came from selling vintage jewellery and my vintage makes.

I recently told you about how I am going to become self employed. Rather than get into debt in order to start a new very small business it seemed wise to raise the money instead of asking the bank. SO....This is why I have been buzzing around the the last couple of weeks. EBAY!

It all started when I decided to sell off a couple of bits that I never wear. And they all sold! I was so excited!!!! Jayne suggested that we use ebay as a way to raise the money to get started in our little business venture. 

So I have been spending hours and hours photographing, listing, packaging and shipping goodies we've had stored away "in case we needed them one day"!

It's a heck of a lot of work & Jayne has been driving me crazy asking me how many bids we have! But our total is creeping up! After next week I reckon we'll be able to get our insurance and be able to start trading in markets! How exciting is that?! Wanna have a look at what I'm selling? Here ya go!

These sweet little vintage owl earrings are my fave!

 I can't wear them because they're not sterling silver :(

{I will ship ANYWHERE the shipping prices listed are UK though}

If you want anything I'm selling just ask and I can work out the exchange rate and shipping for you :)

AND NOW FOR SOME MORE EXCITING NEWS!

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

I'm ready to put my tree up right now and bust out the Andrew Sister's Little Drummer Boy record! Originally the plan was that my mom was going to be coming over here for Christmas time. She was busy making arrangements. I'm not sure what changed her mind but she asked if Ben and I would rather come to Charleston.

UMMMMMM.......................

 

SERIOUSLY?!

AND all of my family is coming to Charleston this year for Christmas! Ben will be meeting some of my family he didn't meet last time we were home. It's going to be much more relaxed this time too. Last time we were in Charleston together we were getting married! So, it was kind of hectic!
We're already filling our social calendar with a few things like candlelight  mass at my mom's tiny beach church and the James Island Festival of Lights with Lindsay and alllll of her boys! 

Lindsay is one of my closest friends and was one of my beautiful bridesmaids. Ben got to meet her husband Andrew and really liked him straight away! Anyone would find it hard not to like Andrew, but Ben is really looking forward to seeing him again so our Christmas date with the Linds, Andrew and the 3 boys is going to be wonderful!!!! I can't wait, this auntie has some serious cuddles to make up for! 

After loads of searching for flights myself I gave up and went to a travel agent. I'm sooo glad I did! If you ever need flights I highly recommend The Flight Centre. I'd like to thank Steve from the Chester Flight Centre for going out of his way to help us get the best flights and making the whole process as painless as possible!

Not only did he find us the cheapest flights he was able to find flights that didn't include lots of horrible lay overs in out of the way places but he was able to book us into a hotel in London the night before our flight because we have to check in at 5:40am. The price he got for us was £50 cheaper than the price I was quoted on the same hotel's website. AND Steve made sure the hotel had a shuttle to the airport that would be running early enough for us! What a guy! Sure it's his job, but he saved around $1,000 at the end! 

So yep! That's me! I'm on my way out to see if the blackberries are ready for picking!