Vintage kitchen love

After much hunting around through 'real' photos and my very first digital ones I've cobbled together a post that will hopefully explain my excitement at the 1940's kitchen.

You see many moons ago kitchenalia was my thing. Not just a passing fad, a full on addiction!

So for starters here's a collage of our kitchen a couple of houses back. We lived here for seven years I think until eight years ago. I wish I'd got 'before' photos to show.

As you can see I had a bit of a 1940s cream and green thing going on...

I loved this kitchen. It was the original cottage kitchen complete with a Rayburn number 1 then you went up two steps into the 1980s extension. Gopping if I remember rightly but we ripped it out the first night. It then stayed in a state of disrepair for a few years before we had the money to lay a slate floor, install a gas Rayburn and put in a stunning pair of chapel doors. I bought these on a whim at auction for £50, as you do!

Whilst all the cream and green was happening in my own kitchen I was collecting and selling like mad at my stall in the antique centre. I must explain that at this point I had a proper job (and still do) but with jammer number 1 on the way we needed more space at home. A major declutter was needed and Mr Jam got me my unit as a maternity leave 'project'...

So here it is at the beginning, that's 12 years ago now. A long maternity leave for two children!

It's a hobby that perhaps got a bit out of control.

then maybe a bit more than a bit...

I could spot a Tala from a Worcesterware tin a mile off.

Ebay had just started and the spare room was a often a photo shoot for Saturday night auctions. We'd wake up in the morning and find they'd all been snapped up with Buy it Nows and were on their way to Japan if they were white and the USA if they were coloured.

 Strange but true! It amazed me that they $100 for a bread and flour bin and then nearly the same again for airmail shipping. The Post Office must have wondered what on earth we were up to.

It was a funny old life living in a vintage kitchen with stuff coming and going. In between we raised a baby in a vintage highchair. No wonder she loved the museum kitchen, it probably brought back memories!

The fridge was a bit of a one off. A cream beauty we stumbled on by chance. Often I would get phone calls from people wanting to sell kitchenalia and more often that not it was a load of old tat. When a chap rang about an old fridge I quietly ignored it but he was persistent. He called back and insisted I would love it and it would be great in my unit. I didn't even know if I was allowed to sell electrical things and probably not antique ones.

Anyway he won and we went to see it. One look inside and there was no way it was for the unit it had to be mine! He'd had it resprayed and it was stunning and the pink surprise inside never failed to delight.

 Eventually growing numbers meant we had to get something more practical with a freezer so old fridge was collected by a lovely couple from Falmouth who were opening an oyster bar. I hope it's still going strong.

Now I've got all nostalgic for my old old house. I might have to show you around the rest of it another time.



Vintage foraging and finds

Yesterday we dragged two reluctant little jammers around Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair. It ended up being a bit of a rush as it took an age to get them out of the house then one of them had to be back for a party in the afternoon. However I had a nice mooch but sadly purchased very little.

 Lots of lovely kitchen maids in all their pastel glory. After all your lovely comments about the 1940's kitchen the other day I dug out pictures of our old kitchen from my kitchenalia dealing days and began to wish we'd never moved! I'll pop them in a post sometime soon. 

 My favourite things to look at are always the toys and nursery things where I get all nostalgic.

 Emily Button came along and enjoyed trying out all the children's things for size.

Today I headed off by myself, much more speedily, to the car boot sale.

 

Some more affordable finds came home with me...

 as well as flowers for the fridge.

Enjoy your week

x



Fog and furniture - a grey post!

An unusual combination but I was trying to think of a link for my painted furniture and the amazing landscape I saw yesterday morning!

 This week saw a couple of child free days, the first for ages, so I knuckled down to painting and waxing some furniture.

 I tried to balance the boring stuff that had to be done like visiting the optician with more fun stuff like cutting the lavender and doing a tour of the chazzas.

 I found this old school stool in a skip when I accompanied the jammers on a trip to the swimming pool. for me it was the highlight of the trip!

 All finished, it was delivered to the antique centre this afternoon along with...

 a rather unusual shaped airer

 and a lovely old pink painted playpen!

Now for the foggy moment...

yesterday morning we set off quite early (for us) for a day out and drove through lots of misty foggy stuff. As we went up a hill it suddenly disappeared, just like that. I loved this sight looking down into the valley where it was still foggy.

I looked to me like the the sea had crept inland and was frothing its way up the hills.

 Watch out,  here it comes!

 I've never seen it quite like that before. It reminded me of looking down on the clouds from an aeroplane, almost solid as if you could step out onto it... ok I'm getting carried away now.

Somewhere near Compton Abbas air field.
Have a lovely week, fingers crossed for more sun!
x



Emily Button's Sunday

 If you pop by here often you will know Emily Button is a firm favourite and often joins  us on outings. Imagine my delight when I got an email yesterday from the people at Emily Button. They love her adventures and want to send my little jammers some goodies by way of thanks!

So here's a little insight into Emily's kind of Sunday.

 Emily likes to walk by the river and peep over hedges, She dreams of a shepherd's hut like this and would love to live in the pretty thatched cottage with the dovecote.

She's often to be found peering over bridges and has to be reminded to hold on tight. We had enough trouble getting her before Christmas, I'd hate to lose her.

Emily spied this green and shady spot perfect for an afternoon read by the river.

Swing or seat? What a choice.

Following on

Admiring the cows.

Trip trapping over the little bridges.

Following in her jammers footsteps.

Stopping for a rest much to the amusement of passers by (some of whom were helpful enough to offer sticks to prop her up!).

Deciding a dip in the old swimming pool might play havoc with her pink ricrac hair.

Finishing a walk with a trip to the park. My childhood park - complete with steam roller.

I can remember climbing on the roof but Emily was less adventurous.

Emily finished the day with a new experience - a bonfire!

 Little Jam gave all her toys a log to sit on and watch!



One last decision of the day.

'Pink or white Emily?'

 'Pink to match my hair, of course!'



Emily Button does the Paralympics

Today the littlest jammer woke up all excited. She packed up her three faves - Emily Button, Bobble and Mousey (complete with his bib) and we set off to the end of the road to catch a train to Weymouth.

 Emily, Bobble and Mousey were lucky toys indeed. The rest of the toy basket had no idea the favoured trio were off to the Paralympics.

The sailing in Portland Harbour to be precise.

I must admit this is probably the only sporting event I have ever been to but the littlest jammer had seen one of our Paralympic sailors at school and was desperate to go.

 So armed with binoculars we got ready to cheer for Alex Rickham and her partner Niki Birrell in the SKUD 18.

 I think I saw and understood more once I got home and looked at the photos on the computer! My eyesight is appalling and I couldn't make out the flags on the boats.

But we assumed correctly by the cheer that went up that Team GB had won that race.

Hurrah for Alex and Niki. Hoping they win a medal next week!

The jammers enjoyed exploring the remains of Sandsfoot Castle, complete with vintage graffiti.

 

Still a bit quiet after a nasty fall on Thursday (note no close ups of faces today, or knees, hands, elbows) my littlest jammer excelled herself in looking after Emily Button and co. I'd been a bit of a rubbish mum and not thought about lunch at all. I bought some crisps and water on the way whereas Supermum put me to shame. When Emily declared she was hungry I realised why Mousey had been wearing a bib. He knew about the picnic lunch Little Jam efficiently unpacked from her backpack and quickly set up for her hungry charges.

Half a plastic orange, a wooden cake or saltdough hot dog. Yum - which one would you choose?