Saturday 13 December 2008

A Pretty Little Christmas in England

Well I thought I would join Heather of Pretty Petals for a Pretty Little Christmas as my blogging has been so appalling this year I think Christmas is as good a time as any to get back in here again.


This was the tree last Christmas we had a real tree dripping with alsorts of beauty.

Well Christmas will be a little different for us this year, my eldest daughter and her young family are spending Christmas in South Africa - they left me some beautiful christmas cards and I will miss them sooooo much.

So I am taking the rest of my brood to Wales to spend christmas with my sister and all the family. We have it well organised her eldest is cooking and we are both putting our feet up over a glass of something special. It will be bliss. However I have still put a few things special out for Christmas in my own house. I had to put out all the sweeties - my children would not forgive me if I had left the dresser bare :0)The tree is fake this year - with not extra special about it ..... but still took out a few fav ornaments.
Put some lights upLight the candles - and would never go without this winter candle from the White Company ~ the best ever.

I love these christmas cones that my round robin pal created last christmas ~ Holly of Holly Doodle makes no end of treasures and christmas would not be the same with out them around my home.

This Snow Queen Crown by Holly sits upon my dressing table.

And of course my beautiful cone created by Heather of Pretty Petals herself fits in beautifully in my bedroom ~ I might keep it there all year.
Well 2 things that you should really consider for your Christmas stocking this year should be a book by Twiggy (first ever super model and don't let anyone tell you other wise ... wink) she wrote a book about 20 years ago about how to look after yourself and it seems only fitting that I should get the next instalment - for anyone heading towards there 40's in there 40's or older you will LOVE this book.
Feel fabulous and smell wonderful ~ I love this smell and everyone should have princess cos aren't we all one. :0)
The last thing I had to have by my side was the christmas romantic homes. As I am a complete romantic it suits me just fine.
So to everyone out there, I wish you all a very merry Christmas from my home to yours
Love Ginny XXXX

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Thursday 21 August 2008

SUMMER SUN ~ no not England lol ~ CORFU GREECE

Have been to a few Greek Islands in my time ~and fond memories, my first love was Greek too.


Anyway years and years later this summer I have returned with my family back to a Greek island, this time Corfu . Everyday was beautiful sunshine while back home was the worst August ever. I am soooo glad that I went away.

We had plenty to do, the hotel complex that we stayed at had everything - the view from the balcony made the sea so inviting.A lovely beach , swimming pools ,water sports.
hold on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had trips too, we went out all day on a boat shadowed by 2 others whose company would be obvious later on.Yep water fights with neighbouring boats - zambouka competitions and lots of Greek dancing. jumping from the top of the boat

had a great beach barbecue too -
it was so great that we took another boat trip a quieter affair visiting more coves, sailing into caves and lagoons, stopping at tavernas, diving off the boat into beautiful clear aqua water, One evening we visited old Corfu Town .
with musicians
church processions

and a beautiful church with icons filling the walls with beauty all adding to the magic.
and lovely meal too.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed all the activities
happy hour in the cocktail bar- :))))
and were dragged up to do some Greek Dancing - I won't show those pictures lol
even the youngest joined us -

my son found lots to do - he is a great swimmer and swims for a club but he spent most of his time in the games room - playing pool and other games LOL
Mind you he made a few friends there including Dutch and Belgium, German, Italian and of course the English too .
And this little one had a fine time, I tell you what this little darling fluttered her eyelashes at all the gentleman - all cooing over her.
-LOL and even our Greek maitre'd made sure she had plenty of chocolate spread everyday -
he spread it all over her lips , dummy and bottle - much to her mother's annoyance - then proceeded to make sure she always had plenty of ice cream LOL.
- but thank you Christos you looked after us very well and so did all your staff. We felt very special xx

Thursday 10 July 2008

The final round of the International Round Robin with Natasha, Heather, Holly and Me



Well Holly, Heather and Natasha I can't believe that this has come to an end, I have finished and posted off the last of the round robin books.

This lovely project started a whole year ago with an idea from Heather

The story started HERE and pics from all the books on flickr.

An International round robin that would travel 3 continents - well we did it and the added bonus I have 3 best friends too (sisters really - me the oldest).

The first 4 pages here are for Holly's book ~ we start with ~

A New Queen for the People of France

Page 2 ~ Rumours and lies



Page 3 ~ misunderstandings lead to loss of faith in Marie Antoinette ~

No one to protect her


4th Page ~
Memorial Garden for Marie Antoinette


And now Heathers Pages
We start with

The Gallery ~ A Portrait of Marie Antoinette the Last Queen of France ~ cost ~ priceless!



The 2nd page ~misunderstandings ~

Don't eat the Cake ~ have an Ice Cream!


The ice cream was made with real silk cocoon waste, with pink dyed silk cap winding across the front, and then sprinkled with glass glitter and beads.


3rd Page ~ Dangerous Liaisons in the shadow of night.


I have created a boned corset, covered in lace and blue velvet ribbon corseting against hand dyed blue velvet ~ you can't actually see the varying colours in this picture of the background velvet but it is a gorgeous blue.


And the final page ~ requested by Heather ~ a Memorial wreath, which has a little crown to show the position Marie had in the court of Versailles, a ribbon with the writing ~ mon amie for my friend Heather and also for Marie who regarded her people as her friends. A butterfly ~ new life (life goes on), and dangling below, stripped fabrics depicting what was left of the lavish lifestyle she had, a diamond ring for the marriage into the family of Louis XVI of France, a heart for the love she had for her family and her people and then of course the monogram MA in gold depicting the royal status ~


Marie Antoinette Queen of France


Well that is it, and I have to say a wonderful experience for all of us and when we eventually receive all our books we can enjoy each othes art for years to come.

and a message to my girls Holly, Heather and Natasha

AU REVOIR A BEINTOT (wink)
Love Ginny x