Happy Kitsch and colourful Easter

Easter rabbits 001Poor mummy chick forgot to change the clocks forward and she overslept so she’s an hour behind and no time to do her hair.

Easter rabbits 002My kids think I’ve totally lost the plot ! Do I care ? No I don’t 🙂

Easter rabbits 003In fact one of my boys is sitting in the front room with his football shirt on watching a game shouting at the top of his lungs every time the ball goes near the net. God knows what the neighbours think.

Easter rabbits 004The other son has just this second phoned me to say he’s on the train and can I fetch him in ten minutes…. errr no I can’t. He seems to think that I sit here with my car keys in my hand all day and night happily waiting for his call. I don’t. He’s 21 !!!!!!!!!!!!

My pictures, Book launch, Easter 013I was having a happy little Easter blog,

My pictures, Book launch, Easter 007and now I feel like this     Ahhhhhhhh. Happy Easter everyone. Off I go to the station.

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Filed under Easter, My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

Anemones and an article in Prima Magazine.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 010I’ve always loved flowers but I remember being a small child and thinking that anemones  

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 006were fuddy duddy, musty,  dusty old lady flowers. I’ve sort of grown into them now. Oh dear.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 007They are amazing actually aren’t they.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 014There’s an article about me in Prima magazine, the April edition which came out about 3 weeks ago. Mags are always weeks ahead of themselves it seems.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 018It’s quite odd seeing what you’ve said written in print. A bit surreal. It was an article with three women, me being one of them, who had shops in their houses.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 017Gosh it’s tidy. I wish it was always like that. I’m a very untidy person.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 013Here’s a stork on the pond in the park where I take the dog. I think it’s a stork. I know that  to people who live in the countryside it’s no big deal but for me it really is something special. It was absolutely freezing on that day last week and it just stood there completely still. I see it quite often.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 004Lets have cake…….lemon drizzle anyone ?

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Filed under Magazine Features, My Old Victorian Garden, Vintage Pop Up Sales

Icicles on the Summer house

Icicles on the Summer house

Icicles on the Summer house

These were the icicles we woke up to yesterday. I’d been calling them stalactites, partly because I’ve always loved that word but apparently stalactites are only the ones in caves and and the ice ones are just….icicles.

Icy fangs ?

Icy fangs ?

Ice PalaceMy son came home early evening yesterday and broke some of them off and made a little ice palace on the garden table. I thought they’d be gone this morning, blown down or melted but it’s still there. The longest one is 83 cm high !

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This was just a bit of fun and my fingers are cold as I type, however there so many people and animals  in other parts of the country and on the continent who are suffering terribly and my heart goes out to them. A lot of them have had no electricity for days so I with my beloved electric blanket feel so blessed and lucky compared to the misery of so many.

On the news  last night there were pictures of a farmer literally digging his sheep out of the snow. It was so high you would never have known there were big animals below. One of the sheep had  given birth a few hours before but there was no happy ending. It’s shocking this bloody weather. Most people I know are fed up with it, it’s boring, grey, cold and there’s snow when there shouldn’t be but lots of people are suffering hardships that I can’t imagine. Well done to all the emergency services and other heros  who are working so hard to help the people in need. I hope it’s over for them soon.

4 Comments

26/03/2013 · 7:55 pm

Encouraging comments on Face Book

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I’m just realizing that the amount of people that see my posts on Face Book

directly correlates to the amount of people who leave a comment.

flower cards 005 I get a few likes sometimes which is always nice and shows that people have seen the posts but it’s the interaction that counts, which means commenting about the post. The more comments the more people get to see it. I don’t know how Face Book works but comments seem to generate action.  I’m not very good at explaining things I don’t understand !

I’m a culprit myself. I’ll see something nice on someone’s page and press the ‘like’ button but not often comment because I can’t think what to say and whatever I do say sounds phoney or cheesy and it’s a bit cringe….. I don’t always want to comment anyway, I just want to ‘like’ and go. But now I realize that it’s the comments that make the Face Book world go round I shall make much more effort to do so.

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I’ve also noticed and been told by  social media expert Lindsay that if you don’t comment on people’s posts or they don’t comment on yours that Face Book now don’t show you those posts any more and not only is that a real shame but when you have a business (fan) page it’s  also detrimental. FB now want people to pay for posts  to reach more people which does work as I’ve tried it but I’d much rather deal in comments than £££.

To encourage such comments I’ll do little competitions sometimes on my page which is what I made these cards for. That was all a bit long winded wasn’t it. Never been good at explaining myself, sorry xx Press this !

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Filed under My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

A little light lunch in Muswell Hill

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This won’t be a very wordy post because I’m in a rush and want to post regularly about this place because it’s so good so it’s mainly just photos and I want to do it quickly so you can see this and then hurry on down there !

Anyway i’ve just had lunch at Chriskitch again in Muswell Hill. You can read my full blog post about it here  Fantastic new cafe/deli .

On offer today, amongst other things is the most amazing leek & potato soup with unbelievably delicious homemade cornbread.

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There was also olive oil & balsamic vinegar to dip it in…

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Roasted chicken with roast vegetables ……..

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No words are need here….

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or here.

Everything is home made on site by the owners Chris and Bibi. The atmosphere is lovely, the prices are very reasonable and it’s just a nice place to be.

7a, Tetherdown,

Next to Fortismere school,

Open till 6pm

Closed on Monday.

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Filed under Muswell Hill, London, UK

Funds for Gretel Parker

I’ve known about Donna flower for a long time as she’s a very well known in the fabric world as  she deals in vintage textiles and I’ve bought from her in the past. Her website is amazing and I’ve always fancied going to see her shop in Devon.

Anyway, on her face book the other day she linked to a page on her friend Gretel Parker‘s blog where Gretel had written a short piece about the very recent death of her husband Paul. I don’t know Gretel but what she had written was one of the saddest things I’ve ever read and the way she had written it was so unbelievably moving that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Donna flower and a few of her friends have decided to try and help Gretel as she’s in dire straights financially and could possibly loose her home. They’ve asked for artist/maker friends of Gretel and other people to donate a piece of their work and all the work will then go into a raffle. The raffle tickets are extremely reasonable and the prizes are beautiful original pieces of art.

I’m feel very honored that Donna asked me to donate something too and I’ve given her two of my vintage cut flower pictures.pink & blue flower bowls 007

pink & blue flower bowls 005

Donna and friends have set up a page where you can buy the raffle tickets or donate money and it’s gone berserk as people are so keen to help Gretel at this terrible  time and also the list of prizes is very enticing, you can see all the photos of them.

Funds for Gretel is this link and you you can see what’s going on. I don’t think she has much family but she obviously has some amazing friends. Please spread the word….and help make a difference. xx

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Filed under Miscellaneous

Wonderful New deli and cafe in Muswell Hill, North London

Last weekend something very exiting happened in Muswell Hill. A new cafe opened.  That it has opened a few doors from where I live and I can almost yell my lunch order from my front room is amazing enough, but the fact that it serves some of the best food I’ve ever eaten (and I’ve eaten lots) is a very rare treat.

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It’s owned and run by Australian born Chris and his Polish born wife Bibi. They make absolutely everything themselves and it’s divine. Chris trained in Australia before moving to London where he worked with Gordon Ramsey in his signature restaurant in Hospital Road.

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He’s worked in some of the finest restaurants in Indonesia and in Egypt where he had a staff of 170. He also worked as number 2 head chef at London’s Dorchester Hotel for four years, was executive chef for at the Edwardian Hotel in Mayfair and executive chef for two years at The Hilton Tower Bridge.

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Chris and Bibi have just converted what was the chocolate shop on Tetherdown into the most convivial cosy, modern little eatery complete with fantastic antique furniture.

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The counter at the back came from an old paper mill in Essex and is stunning.

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In front the food stands on an old joiners bench which was sourced in Holland by antique dealer Drew Pritchard.

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The wooden floor boards are from an old textile factory in Islington and you can see where it’s been worn down by the trolleys

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and the main table at the front is a very well worn butchers block from an old French Country house.

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As for the food, oh my God the food, well I’ll eat anything and have just had mackerel and sweet corn straight out of the tins while writing this but I do know and very much appreciate exquisite home made food when I see it and that’s what you get at Chriskitch.

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I went there on Saturday (first day it was open) and we were kindly given a big plate of desserts to try.  Chocolate and wild strawberry tart, orange cake,

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baked cheese cake to die for, look at them all in their own little baking tins, banana cake and a scrumptious cake made with polenta. My friend and I were literally in a quiet cake euphoria  and couldn’t believe how good it was. We  were barely aware of Chris chatting away enthusiastically about his ingredients and cooking methods. We were very happy in our little cakey worlds.

Chriskitch 002

The next day a friend came over and we went there for a proper lunch as I was desperate to go back and show off my virtually en suite cafe to her. Well what joy….we had beetroot, orange and feta salad with pomegranate, and aubergine and chilli salad, with blue cheese and beer bread and corn and chilli bread, all of which Chris had made.

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With the most delicious  baked cheese cake to follow, coffee and the most delicious home made peach juice. I know I’ve used delicious twice in one sentence….but it was.

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It’s been Chris and Bibi’s  life long dream to have their  own deli one day and now they have, in my lovely Tetherdown in a beautiful Victorian building which has………

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it’s very own OUTSIDE  EATING AREA  !!!!! How lovely will that be in the Spring and Summer. ( No pics of that because it hasn’t been beautified quite yet ).

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Chriskitch is open every day till 6pm  and opens at 12pm on Sundays.

7a, Tetherdown,

Muswell Hill

London.   Just by Fortismere school


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Filed under Chriskitch, Handmade, Muswell Hill, London, UK

A lovely Selina Lake feature with a few of my things included.

prima and quilt 001

Prima Magazine (March) came out a couple of days ago and I thumbed manically through the pages as the stylist Selina Lake  had borrowed a vintage fabric patchwork throw and three cushions from me.

prima and quilt 002

Page 81-83 they’re on  !! I was quite exited standing in the magazine section of Tesco at 9pm, my new shopping time which is quite relaxing as it’s not busy and the crying  babies and fed up toddlers are all at home. I think that after about 9pm they should put out a few comfy chairs so that those so inclined could read the mags in comfort instead of leaning heavily on our trolley.

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I could quite happily  spend a whole day in Tescos. I usually spend about half an hour in the magazine section anyway and sometimes meet a friend upstairs at Costa for a nice uninterrupted hour or two of quality catch up time.

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Then back downstairs to meander round shopping leisurely, reading labels, peering at calorie contents, noticing how it’s all so expensive these days and wondering if my kids will notice that I’ve bought Tescos own brand of Special K. (They did and declared it inedible so I gave it to the birds)

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Then I’d go and buy a couple of news papers, go back up in the lift to Costa and  have a nice cake or two which I didn’t have with my friend as we’re fiendishly slimming (not)….

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Then I’d go back down and maybe browse through the ‘colds and flue’ isle wondering if it’s actually worth buying vitamins and then maybe saunter (wearilly, after those two cakes) around the electronic isle looking at phones and ipads.

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By this time I would hope that at least one of my children would have bothered  to phone me to enquire as to my whereabouts….but probably not.

If my local Tesco had a bed and breakfast area for tired shoppers, like a little rest stop with own brand sheets, cheap slippers and mini tubes of toothpaste for those of us who couldn’t face the inevitable job ahead of unpacking the shopping and putting it away then I’d book ahead. As long as I got tipple club card points.

My throw featured here was £140 but to celebrate it being in Prima it’s now the amazingly good value of £95. The cushion was £45 and is now £38.

Stylist Selina Lake  is launching her lovely new book ‘Pretty Pastel Style’ with a wonderful fair with fantastic designer maker stall holders. I went to her last one nearly a year ago and it was so beautiful and quite exiting. It’s in Kingston West London on Friday the 22nd March 2013 and everyone is welcome. There will I’m sure be lots of cake.

The photo here are by Sussie Bell

prima and quilt 005

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Filed under Handmade, Magazine Features, My Etsy Shop, My home featured in Selina Lake's new book !!!, Vintage Fabric

Colourful bowls of vintage flowers.

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I’ve been making some flower collages which I absolutely love doing. bowl of flowers 007

I was a florist for about 10 years during the eighties  in our family business which was a Dutch/continental flower shop in London so I’m no stranger to flower arranging.

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I’ve always loved hot, strong clashing colours and where as most of our customers preferred the safety of  elegant white bouquets  and arrangements, when they saw the wonderful, vibrant clashes of carefully selected orange, pink and red flowers flown in straight from the growers in Holland, they  gradually loved  those colour combinations too.

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This fabric is from the thirties and forties and I cut out the flowers by hand. It’s much warmer than working in a busy flower shop and I don’t get rose thorns in my hands.

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These pictures can be found in my on line shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/NickyGrace

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Pitfield Cafe London

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Last weekend I went with a friend to Pitfield Cafe and shop in Shoreditch.

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We had the most delicious lunch in the lovely cafe

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I didn’t take any pics of the cafe because it was full and it didn’t feel right pointing my camera at strangers.

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It’s a very large space and about three quarters  is the shop.

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Blury pic of a bit of the food counter.

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Lovely old watering cans

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Nice isn’t it.

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They also sell gorgeous tea towels by Barbara Chandler

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Cabinets full of vintage glass

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Beautiful huge old prints

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Cosy corner and lots of fifties crockery exactly the same as my grandma used to have.

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The waitresses were very friendly and actually wiped the crumbs from the tables into their hands and not onto the floor like some places (drives me insane).

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What I loved most of all though was the wonderful frontage which I think is outstandingly amazingly beautiful. Just Ahhhhhh

Old Street Tube London.

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Filed under London, UK