Brightest Blessings

Blessigs to you all.

New Knitting Needles and Vintage Sindy

I have been able to knit since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I have to confess though that I haven't picked up a pair of knitting needles for years. That is until I discovered these little beauties. Aren't they just the cutest knitting needles you ever clapped eyes on. I bought them from a web site called Laughing Hens and they are Art Viva hand made needles. Each size has a different coloured end and I wanted to buy the whole set but they are quite expensive.

Now on to a recent ebay purchase. As I love all things vintage I was looking for Christmas decorations, paticularly fairies. This little lady is a Sindy doll and I think she is just gorgeous. She won't go on the top of the tree, that honour is bestowed on a fairy that I dressed when my children were little. I also add lots of my dolly peg fairies too. I think this sugar pink outfit is just delicious. A girl can never have too many fairies around the house and there is always room for just one more!!!!

Until next time, from Fairy Sindy and myself.

Hugs.
Sandi x

Another Thank You

I am honoured yet again to have recieved two more awards. These are both from Kitty and the first is for 'The Best Kept Secret'. We all have a best kept secret blogger or two who we visit regularly - a blogger with great style, wit and warmth who hasn't been discovered yet. Here's our chance with this award to say 'wow, check out this blogger!'. Well, what can I say. I'm thrilled to be classed as a best kept secret.

The second award is the 'Community Blogger Award' and is given to celebrate 'People who reach out and make the blogger community a better one'. Needless to say I will have great pleasure in passing these two lovely awards on. Thank you Kitty.

Thank you again to all of you who make this worthwhile. It's good to know that there are people out there enjoying my random posts on my life. I consciously set out to keep my blog light-hearted, easy on the eye (I hope) and slightly escapist. After all, we all know that life has it's highs and lows and I choose not to share my lows.

Keep on visiting, you are very welcome and above all, please feel free to leave a comment.

Bye for now,

Sandi x

Thank you once again.

I am delighted to have been thought of for another award. This one is the You Make Me Smile award and was given to me by Jaimie . Thank you so much Jaimie, I am thrilled!!! It is now my pleasure to pass it on to some more deserving bloggers.
Sophie Sophie Honeysuckle's English Decor
Wanda Snapdragon Antiques
Mary Mary Mary Fairly Contrary
Kitty Kitty's Bloggy Bits
Jo Oldflowers4me
Marie Marie Chantal Handmade Skincare
There are many more lovely ladies out there who make me smile, make me laugh out loud, make me think,make me want to create something beautiful. So to all of you I pass on this award.
I also need to pass on a previous award given to me by Wanda called The Power of Schmooze. This is for people 'who effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way.'

I pass this one onto everyone who has been kind enough to leave me a comment since I started this blog. To all of you I am truly grateful that you make the effort to not only visit me but leave kind and encouraging words too. If you are one of the many to have done so please consider yourself to have been awarded. I hope that by doing this I have not left anyone out.

All of the aforementioned blogs are lovely places to visit and I highly recommend each and every one.

That's all for tonight.

Sleep well everyone,

Sandi x

Rainbow Dreams and Reflections

Yesterday I was feeling slightly under the weather, didn't feel up to doing very much at all, so I sat a while on the sofa, thoughts idly wandering, drifting, daydreaming. You get the picture I'm sure. I looked up and saw a rainbow....... or to be more precise a reflection from the crystals in my window. Of course I have seen this pretty sight many times before but today I thought I would try and capture it on my camera.

Magical isn't it......

Just a simple reflection of sunlight through crystal produces this.

And here are the magic crystals. Of course I couldn't stop there now could I?

More lovely crystals hanging from a candlestick.

And glistening on a shelf of the dresser.

Glittering from the edges of a silk flower.

And the letter S that I decorated a few weeks ago.

More subtle glints from the gilding on a favourite lid in my cabinet.

Dancing on a group of shells.

Reflections off a vintage preserve dish.

Glitter on a pine cone.

A gorgeous gold cup and saucer.

A delicate golden egg.

A sparkling citrine cave.

A pot with a glittery dragonfly. How could I continue to feel under the weather after this? I didn't realise how much I surrounded myself with sparkling things. At this time of year I am prone to melancholy, I suffer from SAD so I need things to brighten my day. I hope that these things that I have shared with you cheer you up too. I love Autumn but it is a mixed blessing for me. Shorter days, longer nights and Christmas still quite a while away yet. There is Halloween to look forward to, something I greatly enjoyed celebrating when my children were small. We had some lovely, spooky celebrations and I cherish those memories.

Until the next time I wish you a magical good-night.

Hugs,

Sandi x

Apple Pies and Acorns

Another apple pie waiting in the kitchen to be consumed with great gusto later today. So comforting at this time of the year, made with well sweetened Bramley apples and rich short-crust pastry made with butter.

After I had finished making this I turned my attention to some apples sitting in a bowl on the kitchen table. I recently collected some acorns from the woods and gave them some glamour treatment. Gold acrylic paint and some glitter, simple yet effective. I'm also wondering whether the fake sweetcorn would benefit from a light coating of glitter too.

I think they look really pretty and seasonal together.

The apples have acquired a coat of glitter too, totally unintentional!!!!

I sprayed a sprig of oak leaves with a more coppery colour for contrast.

I think these would look nice piled into a bowl with some Christmas greenery too or maybe hung from the branches of the Christmas tree. I'm off to have a nice cup of tea now and have a ponder on my next little project.

Bye for now,

Sandi x

October Days ~

Today has been one of those grey and dreary, lowering to the spirits sort of days. The air was very still and try as I might nothing helped to cheer me up. So I got out one of my magic wands, waved it around and knew what to do. Of course, take some photo's of pretty things. This fun wand reminds me of a magical evening a few months ago when Zoe and I, together with two more friends went to the theatre to see "Swan Lake on Ice". I bought the wand as a souvenir and it always makes me smile, it flashes with movement but one evening, rather spookily, it started flashing when no one was near it!!!

This is another of my wands, a very pretty hand crafted one with a citrine point. Dusted with glitter, naturally!

This is an amethyst and crystal gem tree sitting on a chunk of amethyst. I bought this yesterday during my lunch break from a local antiques centre.

I thought these looked nice together.

Lids from three nesting boxes which I had for my birthday.

I haven't decided what to store in these yet.

A pin dish and thimbles set with diamantes.

A nice old compact.

A collection of turquoise pretties.

Vintage French glass grapes, these are really heavy.

A sweet dragonfly pin.

Daffodilly trinket dish.

Ah, that's better. I feel much more cheerful now and I had a new book delivered from Amazon this morning too.....look forward to drooling over that tonight.

Have a great week-end, no matter what the weather throws at you.

Bye for now,

Sandi x

October Garden

It was a glorious day here on Monday so I took the opportunity to photograph a few late blooms in my garden. The rusty cauldron is one of my favourite things........after all, where would a witch be without one? I love the contrast of the pretty pink Penstemmon.

This is one of the many stones that I decorated this summer and sits on top of a pot which contains my bay tree.

A different Penstemmon, this time in a delicate shade of pink Just gorgeous.

Delicate and fragrant Lavender and a really sculptural courgette flower.

Isn't Mother Nature a wonderful Lady! Next years flowers contained in that fluffy ball of seeds!!!!!!

Luscious Chocolate Biscuits

I felt in the mood for some light baking today, especially as I bought a lovely old blue Pyrex mixing bowl on Friday from a charity shop. So out came a trusty little recipe book that I have had for years. The biscuits I decided to make are called Chocolate Crisps and I have made them many, many times.

The mixture is very simple, just 4oz softened butter, 2oz light soft brown sugar, creamed together until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence. Sift together 4oz plain flour and 1oz cocoa powder. Stir into other ingredients using a fork. Divide into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Put onto a greased baking tray leaving plenty of room in between each one. Flatten slightly with a fork and cook on gas mark 5 (190c ) for approx 13-15 minutes, Allow to cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack. Leave until cold then dust with icing sugar.

Really easy........................Now arrange on a pretty plate and enjoy!!!

Mmmmmm......these are just delicious. And yes, they do have glitter sprinkled on top for that extra touch of glamour. Edible glitter of course.

These would look really pretty and festive for Christmas.