Thursday, February 11

loving mid winter...

my lovely lot are on midwinter break...
(hence the crappity crap weather)
i knew it was coming, i just hadn't realized it would come quite so quickly.
(that's midwinter break and not the rain)
once again another week just whizzes by and i'm left pondering as to how i manage to idle my days quite easily by, with glue sticks, paint and paper.
yet when it comes to laundry matters and other such delights that befall me, i suddenly lose my ability to move.

Miss Ethel has, i am pleased to report, been motivated like she has never been motivated before, i am tremendously delighted with her 'outpourings' this week...




all destined to be placed on the shelves of my little store next Thursday.
the two of us have many more hours ahead of 'togetherness', doing what we do best and as our 'moments of creativity' will have to be fitted around my clan and their daily 'wants and needs', i'm thinking it might be rather sensible of me to take a few days to dally in the real world.


but before i bid you 'fare thee well' i must thank you most kindly for brightening my days,
with your words of encouragement,
thoughts of clogs (have you dreamt about them yet?)
and
general all round niceness towards me and myself...

i wish for you this sunday a little act of kindness or love,
not in a 'oh lordy, it's colin firth at the door declaring undying love for me' sort of way
(well actually that wouldn't go amiss)
but just knowing you are needed somehow, somewhere by someone.
and yes,
the dog or cat counts
and yes,
i'm also thinking houseplants are acceptable.
in fact i can't think of anything nicer than knowing one owned a houseplant that loved one.
i don't know that feeling... the only houseplant i owned sadly departed soon after entering the shed.
when i told my father, a lover of plants, the great excitement of owning a houseplant,
exclaiming the responsiblity i had taken on, bringing a little green friend into the fold.
i know, that was the moment i made a 'grown man' weep...

she will see you on tuesday, with yet more 'thrilling tales' from a Brit misplaced abroad ~ Tif

38 comments:

Unknown said...

hello :) i recently stumbled upon your blog & it is among the most lovely that i've seen. these wall hangings are so, so pretty and charming! i will definitely be looking for them in your shop :)

Anonymous said...

I just recently discovered your blog and I love all of your vintage touches.

LeAnn

Flower said...

COOL!

figwittage said...

i have to have those owls... i have an owl collection, but not just *any* owl collection :) i love your work and would love to have some pieces live in Rosehill Cottage :)

melissadc76 said...

Oh goodness you are funny. I enjoyed your post (and had to read the last line twice as I first read it to say "a misplaced Brit broad".

Melissa

P.S. LOVE what you and Miss Ethel have been up to.

~ Junkyard Jennifer said...

Your style is so unique and so, so clever. And I adore it. But then again, you already knew that. :) But I thought I'd tell you again anyway.

Have a great weekend!

~ Jennifer

BuenoBueno said...

oh my oh my oh my!
i want, i need, i want!
these are so wonderful!!!
xo
Brandi
how long did they take you to make?

Norma said...

excellent!!!! so great~

Jennifer said...

I thrift therefore I am, I love it!

suzy said...

Just lovely Tif. If I could make what you make I would be very happy and I would need more walls.
x

Rubyred said...

Love the banners Tif and your peachy owls!
Also loving your glue sticking ways with the little table! Just gorgeous!She fits in beautifully, it was meant to be! Have a great week with your brood!
Rachel x

Anonymous said...

your pictures speak so much louder than words... i just love them:) they make me smile.

Nicki said...

Oh my god I want those owls!

Our holiday starts today...and it's threatening to snow....but we're by the sea so it doesn't settle and turns to slush. Ugh!

Hope your weather improves......

Nicki x

Fran said...

gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I am only new to your blog but am a dedicated follower already. Thanks for the smiles and inspiration xo

Francesca said...

these are lovely tif. and i can't get over 'midwinter break', that sounds so romantic! much better than 'half term'.

xooooxxxxooooxxxxxxxxxxoooooxxxx

(that's from colin.)

The Design Notebook said...

Hi there,
I discovered your blog a few days ago and absolutely fell in love with it. Therefore, I posted a post on you. I hope you don't mind.
Feel free to stop by and check it out.
All the best,
Nadine

andrea said...

those are really great!

Caterina Giglio said...

still giggling over I thrift therefore I am!!! LOL!

Pomona said...

My pigs are always pleased to see me. I think they sense that I am a vegetarian, unlike other members of my family I could mention. And I never speculate on the tenderness or otherwise of hens past their egg-laying days, so I am sure their pleasure in my company is genuine.

Pomona x

Arda said...

I also have this sick compulsion (I'm not saying your love for clogs is sick, but mine is soooo illin') to buy old dutch souvenier clogs I find when I'm thrifting. I just open my basement door, and throw them down, without even looking where they land. And I forget about them till I buy more. On the way home from my clog purchases, I chastise myself, that I'm not allowed to buy anymore, yet I have a very short memory...

I bought a pair of the red polka dot Cath K clogs a few years ago, and have probably worn them once, so they dont get wornout. SICK.

Have a great winter break!

Christine Clemmensen said...

:-) Smiling wide! Gorgeous work, and wonder-words. I just love-love-love your blog. I spent at least an hour here the other day, I could just go on and on and on. You are hugely inspiring. I even have a thing going with Japanese Amazon now, being smitten by those granny sq you posted about a loong time ago :)
Thank you for posting mindblowing stuff. I'll be blogging about your page soon.
Take care. Keeping fingers crossed for Colin Firth show-up :-) Wishing Sunday-kindness for you too

Marija said...

I love your blog - you're so creatively thrifty that I find it very inspiring!!!
Great post, as always!!!

dottie angel said...

arda!!! i'm now visulizing all those little wooden clogs in your basement... you need to rush down there and bring them all into the light, give them a new lick of paint and hang them on the wall so they may shine in all there glory!

Felicia said...

Beautiful. Loved the Thrift! ;)

Tara said...

the 'thrift' is great!

ps - i was thrifting last week, and came across a lone wood clog - naturally, i thought of you. ; )

best,
tara
http://elanvitalanthology.blogspot.com

Vibeke said...

i L O V E all the stuff you create! makes me glad each time i stop by here :)

warm hug from cold norway,
vibeke

Anonymous said...

Hi there
I love your blog, and I hope you do not mind but I have added it to my blogroll on my new site. :)
Love Melanie

Lauren @ withTWOcats said...

I recently found your blog and am amazed at the beautiful photos - such an inspiration! I love that all of your spaces feel like home. I wish I was so creative.

I also wanted to pass along this award:

http://www.withtwocats.com/2010/02/happy-101-award.html

Share 10 things you love and 10 blogs you love and want to pass the award to!

gioia said...

i just found your blog.
all the colors i see in it make my little heart happy..
will definitely be back

Caro said...

Hello Dotti, I just found your blog and I love it! I love your shabby chic style with the touch of Saarinen and Eames design! Wonderful! I'll take you to my blogroll to see every day your news.
Best C*

Simply Debbie said...

DOTTIE ANGEL,
JUST THIS EARLY MORNING VALENTINES DAY I DISCOVERED YOUR BLOG.
WHAT A BLESSING TO ME.
YOUR BLOG COULD BE WITHOUT PICTURES OF ANY KIND AND YOUR PEN WOULD FLOW ACROSS THE PAPER LIKE A BUTTERFLY FLITTERING HERE AND THERE AND EVERY WHERE...AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP WATCHING THIS VIBRANT BLUE AND YELLOW BUTTERFLY FOR IT SWITCHED FROM WALTZES TO JAZZ AND A LITTLE BALLET.
THAT IS HOW YOUR BLOG IS TO ME...YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY VIBRANT TO WEAR YOUR GRANDMA'S SLIP MOST OF THE DAY...LOL
YOU ARE AWESOME DOTTIE ANGEL.
I LOVE HOW YOU MADE A NEW DRESS FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL TABLE BY GIVING HER A COAT OF BEAUTIFUL WHITE AND A REGAL RICE PAPER HAT...SHE IS JUST BURSTING WITH "LOOK AT ME!", BUT WITH PROPER HUMILITY OF COURSE.
MY DAUGHTER AND I HAD THE "VISION"....MY SON AND HUSBAND....NOT SO MUCH.
WELL I WON'T WEAR YOUR EAR OFF...YOU'LL SEE MY NAME AND GO RUNNING FOR THE HILLS.
I HAVE TWO BLOGS....THERE'S AN ANGEL ON MY FRONT PORCH IS ABOUT MY ONLY DAUGHTER AMY'S JOURNEY WITH CANCER.
SIMPLY DEBBIE IS MY JOURNEY ALONE WITH MY DAUGHTER WATCHING OVER ME FROM HEAVEN....WE DID EVERYTHING...SHE WAS AN ARTIST, I TRIED TO BE ONE...WE RESTORED TABLES AND CHAIRS...HAVE A MANNEQUIN NAMED ILEAN BECAUSE WHEN WE BOUGHT HER SHE LEANED BUT WHEN WE GOT HOME AMY FIXED HER AND SHE STOOD TALL...WE KEPT HER NAME ILEAN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT HER TO GET A COMPLEX.
I KNOW YOU ARE A VERY BUSY WOMAN HOMESCHOOLING YOUR 8 CHILDREN AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR THE TIME SPENT WITH YOUR CHILDREN, NEXT TO TIME WITH GOD,IT IS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THERE IS. YOU SOUND AS IF YOU ARE A WONDERFUL MOTHER.
I WILL BE FOLLOWING YOUR BLOG.
WHAT A BREATH OF FRESH AIR YOU ARE.
I WILL BE 55 IN MAY AND THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED YOURSELF AS ELECTIC, A LITTLE BOHEMIAN...THAT WAS MY DAUGHTER AND ME BUT OF COURSE SHE DRESSED MUCH YOUNGER...SHE GRADUATED TO HEAVEN AT 33 YEARS OLD. I MISS HER AS MUCH AS THE AIR WE BREATHE.
I LOVE YOUR STITCHING YOU MADE AND THE TURQUOISE COLOR YOU ADDED...I DIDN'T SEE IT BEFORE BUT IT WAS JUST THE RIGHT COLOR.
BLESSINGS TO YOU
SIMPLY DEBBIE

Anonymous said...

Love the beautiful, simple wall hangings! Sometimes I wish my house had more wall space.

beachvintage.com said...

I love all of these creations. Have a nice week.

kitchen table said...

What a lovely wall hanging! This is perfect for my daughter's bedroom wall! I will surprise her with this!

Jenni said...

i love this!!

Anonymous said...

Lovely wall hangings...
I just went on an ill advised visit to my ex-lovers house; always travelling hopefully :0( He had bought a houseplant....it is ailing rapidly and I should be thinking, god what a loser, he can't even keep a plant happy! needless to say, i'm not but your writing always cheers me up a little. Thanks and happy half term.x

sarita said...

totally loving what you and Miss Ethel are doing now!! Just beautiful...:)
sarita..xx

Melissa said...

love these embroideries!