Happy Holidays ... Part two

On Day two, we ate breakfast outside the trailer as the weather was dry and hotting up, the view was pretty great too! (I'm saving some pics for Photoshop Friday!)

We visited the western tip of the island, Allum Bay and went on a boat trip out the the Needles.

The Needles from Allum Bay

In the afternoon the kids hung around in a tree!

Goodleaf Tree Climbing

On Day three we found a little bay called Steephill Cove and they werent kidding either!

Steephill Cove
Some sun soaking was followed by tea and cupcakes ( I had two!!) in the company of Helen my pal and host from Vintage Vacations uk.

Mimi's cupcakes from Goodman's Deli

These delicious cup cakes and a selection of fine foods are available from Goodman's Deli, 14 High Street, Ventnor, tell Edward & Stacey I sent you! 01983 855510 or check out Goodman's Deli online

Mimi's cup cakes are made by the talented Suze who also runs Suze's Room on Pier Street, Ventnor a shop filled with vintage clothing, household and vanity items, textiles and mirrors.

Suze's Room

Some days you may find Helen running up another unique bijoux garment, designed by her good self using great vintage fabrics. (at this rate Helen you will rule the world one day!)

Visit Helen's Etsy shop, what the heck visit my Etsy shop too whilst your at it!

Sara's Etsy Shop

Helen's Etsy Shop

P.S. I mustn't forget to mention Helen's SHOP IN A BOX
(yes l know this is sounding a bit obsessive stalker like, but it's not honest, it's just admiration!)
A vintage case, filled with restructured and reinvented jewellery, assorted cards & postcards, and the very sought after vintage airstream trailer christmas tree bauble!

Shop in a Box

It's a dogs life! ABC WEDNESDAY - POSTED LATE!!

ABC WEDNESDAY

D for DOG ...

These two pics are just so lovely ...

I couldn't resist sharing them!

pics of Pippa taken by my daughter

Don't forget to stop by Mr. Linky at Mrs. Nesbitt's place, to see "D" posts from all around the world. And....we'd all love it if you left comments, or, even better, if you want to join the fun.

Happy Holidays ...Part One

I had never visited the Isle of Wight before so I was really looking forward to driving there with the kids.

We left home at 4am, to avoid the hot spots on the motorways and completed the 335 miles trip in good time. We stopped for a full greasy spoon breakfast at 6am and arrived at the Red Funnel terminal at 10am.

on the Solent

The trip across was a treat as the boat had to navigate through the yachts and boats in full competition mode!

We met my husband in Cowes, he had been there from the start of the week doing his corporate entertaining thing on one yacht and then crewing (if that's not the correct term l'm sorry) on another yacht in his spare time. We had our dinner with him a little early around 5pm as we were beat from wandering around Cowes and our long drive. Then we left to drive to our authentic vintage vacation destination.

in the marina

Our trailer was a 1962 Airstream Safari and is in immaculate original condition bar a few small reconditioned elements.

For a gal who loves all things vintage and retro, it was a pleasure to be able to experience the trailer, in its full glory. Vintage Vacations uk is the brain child of Helen and Fraser who both manage and run the whole show. They have 10 trailers and counting all told and will shortly be adding the option of a renovated old Mission Hall to the site and even more trailers are being refurbished.

The attention to detail is outstanding as Helen has added a pile of authentic vintage board games, magazines and books. The Babysham is chilled with the original glasses and a fresh cream tea was awaiting our arrival. Bliss!

Keep an eye out here for details of her innovative and uniquely original

'SHOP IN A BOX'

Check out their site http://www.vintagevacations.co.uk/ for more info.

this was our accomodation

And here we stayed for the rest of the evening, planning our adventure for the next few days.

view from a very chilled and chilly chair!

THE BIG 50!!

Well it has finally happened and l am still here, I am still alive, and I am all in one piece!


The world as l know it hasn't ended, aliens haven't landed or if they have l haven't noticed!


My hair didn't turn white overnight, my waist line hasn't disappeared, well not totally!



l didn't wake up to find myself wearing a nylon frilly nightdress that resembled my great Aunt Margaret's, a hair net, incontinent pants nor bed socks and liver spots haven't appeared on my hands or anywhere else for that matter!




All my faculties are still intact and in good working order. the wheels are all well oiled and the white matter is still clunking away!


I still fancy the pants off Pierce Brosnan, Hugh Jackman and Gerard Butler in any order, l'm not fussy, but if you push me Gerry's my man!

I spent last Monday evening out with the girls; 20 friends, family and work colleagues, we had fun a few drinks, good food and in great company, what more could a girl ask for?

On Wednesday the kids and I drove down to Southampton to catch the car ferry to the Isle of Wight for a break. When l woke up on Saturday morning, my kids presented me with birthday gifts, cards and chocs they had kept hidden from me all the way down. Surprisingly the chocolate didn't melt in the heat of the car boot! And l even have some left!

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast outside the trailer in sunshine and then we packed up and drove off to Kent to visit with my folks for the weekend.

I was spoiled by my kids, friends and family and so haven't experienced any of the expected after shocks!

Although it is a little bit surreal, l must confess seeing a room full of pink cards, festooned with images of handbags, cakes and chocolates (do they all know me or not!) and large silver 5o's all ove rthe show! I have to keep saying to myself this is me!! And it doesnt feel like it, not one bit ... I don't know what I was afraid off!

It is just a number ... for heavens sake just get on with it girl and smell the roses! AHhhhhh!!!

We're off on a road trip ...

Oh bugger it! I just realised that I saved this post to draft instead of publishing it before we left last tuesday... here's what I wrote!

We're all packed, the car is stuffed to overflowing and my sister in law is here to dog and house sit, in that order!

We each have our own bag full of road trip basics, foamy fruits, wine gums, bananas, assorted sarnies and raspberry muffins, to be eaten in any order in the first two hours, then everyone will be high on sugar and then we'll hit a low 5 hours before we arrive.

We will be staying in a vintage AirstreamTrailer, known as a silver bullet, courtesy of Vintage Vacations uk and then we will explore the island and have some fun.

Hopefully we will relax sometime too, as have some great books packed, including Rushdie's Midnights' Children, l'm determined to master the Booker master, and a favourite author of mine is Joyce Carol Oates, her latest paperback, The Gravediggers Daughter and the latest hyped book, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller, which is a Richard and Judy Summer Read choice. It has some literary creedence apparently, as the author is the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller, (and is the wife of Daniel Day Lewis why that's of any import, who knows!)

I will also turn 50 while we're away! So when l come back l shall know how it feels.

See ya soon!

Pippa pics!

I've been asked to post some pics of our dog Pippa.

She is frequently spotted in posted images, as she always seems to find her way in.

She is a black Labrador of approx 12 yrs.

Pippa has not been too well in the last 12 months, but appears to have come through it all well and is a happy elderly member of the family.

She follows us about endlessly it seems, more so since her companion Barney died 2 years ago.

Barney was our beloved one eyed and approx 20 year old Jack Russell/Terrier.

PHOTOSTORY FRIDAY - MY EVENING WALK

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I have just signed up for photostory friday and I may being doing this all wrong! Time will tell!
I thought I had to take the photo on friday, so hampered by lots of rain but inspired my David AUTHOR BLOG's PSF post. I took Pippa out for her eveing walk with camera.
We strolled down the lane, just across from our home. The lane runs beside the River Eden and so l just started clicking ... trying to not think but click, 'outside the box' !

The rain had recently ceased and the clouds parted to bring out the sunlight.

I love the pattern of tree bark, pink, purple, grey, blue, green ...

Sunlight twinkles through the canopy ...

The River Eden, brooding sky ...

The thing of it is, I am usually looking down at my feet, (I am pretty clumsy!) or looking ahead watching Pippa, but TODAY I was really looking. I noticed through the lens a flapping flag. Puzzled I looked again and I realised it was the English Heritage flag on top of Carlisle Castle. I was thrilled l had noticed this little gem, that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed. We live less than a mile away, but there is a river and a park and trees that separate us. So I knew it was there, but not in our line of vision.

Like the end of my nose, I couldn't see for looking!

Thanks David for opening my eyes!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek