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all nice things come in pretty packages ...

Look at what I received through the post, on this very special leap year day of 29th February. The goodies above, all wrapped up in pink tissue and bow.



I ordered these lovely pegs only a couple of days ago from Lucy Bloom, half are magnetic to stick on your fridge/freezer and half are to use as bag clips. They are so pretty and the blue gingham goes very well in my kitchen.

Thanks Lucy for the little pomander heart and fizzers too!

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just a normal day at the office ...

I went to work yesterday, nothing unusual I hear you say, but yesterday was different, I went to work for the last time, after spending 25 years and one day working within the same establishment. Gold watch, I hear you say, well no, you have to do 3o years to get that!

Recently I think I told a few of you that I had two little secrets which I must keep, well our amazing trip to Australia was one of them, and this was the other. I knew I was leaving well before Christmas but as my last day wasn't until the end of February, I thought I would just keep you in suspense for a little while longer! I apologise if you thought I may be getting married or having a baby, but these two events in my life have been pretty major, the trip took months of planning, and leaving my job at least a month of soul searching, both co-inciding with each other!

What I am going to do next, I do not know, but as soon as I do know, I can assure you all will be the first to know, well at least the person who clicks on my post first will be!

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a de-cluttering spring clean ...

I don't know about you, but as soon as the daffodils appear I feel it is time to have a good clear out of rubbish. I am in the clutter, clutters up my head camp, does clutter affect you! I personally, just can't function properly around it, and until I have done something about it, only then can I get my head around the thought of doing something else.

There are many books you can buy on this very subject, but I am sure everyone knows what to do, it just takes time for one thing, and commitment to get the job done, another. Anyway, I am on the lookout for some more cheap large storage baskets etc to put the things I can't get rid of, at this moment in time, away.

In the meantime I have settled on buying this set of tins from Tesco, for £2! They match my kitchen colour scheme perfectly. I don't like Tesco as a rule, but they do every so often come up trumps with their homeware.

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a real good gossip ...

As these two sweet little girls are saying 'sums up blogging perfectly, me finks'!

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meet psychedelic bunny ...

He is my entry into Jayne from Country Cottage Chic 'teddybear challenge'. Yes I know he doesn't look much like a teddy, but she did hint dolls and bunnys are allowed too, yes he is a bunny! He is the only soft toy survivor from my childhood days.

What you do is you submit a photograph either then or now, of your favourite childhood teddy or toy. Then let her know, and she will then link your post to hers, it's as simple as that, and the more people that join in the better. Pop over and take a look at Jayne's lovely photo of her at five weeks old with her first teddybear, it is really cute, I think you will agree.

I would have thought all of you must have guessed by now that I don't sew these days, in fact this really was the last thing I stitched together, well that is apart from holes in socks! I made him at primary school, so he is at least 33 years old. Doesn't he look good for his age?

my dad ...

A happy birthday to my Dad, who turns 70 this month. Look at those curls!


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As you know I love Mabel Lucie Attwell postcards, and have a small collection. When this one came up on e-bay I just had to have it. It reminded me so much of my Dad in the photograph above, and the postcard perhaps shows him holding his brother, who is four years younger. Although little Fido would be purely for artistic licence! The postcard is circa 1920, so a little before my Dad's time, although it doesn't look as if the fashion for tots had changed very much by then?

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don't you just love the spring ...

I am so pleased with these ceramic pots of tete a tete bought this morning on a trip to Tesco, two for £4. The yellow pot will go to brighten up the bedroom and the white one looks clean and crisp in the kitchen.

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want to see where i've been ...

As it happens I didn't need a month's supply of kitkats, I don't really think I had any of you fooled. The little fellow above has probably given the game away, we have just returned from a fantastic trip to Australia, with two stopovers of Hong Kong and Singapore.

As I don't want memories of our trip taking over my home blog, I leave it up to you whether you click on Postcards from Oz to discover more about our adventures down under and in the Far East, although the journal may take a while to complete!

The koala above was living in the Featherdale Wildlife Park up in the Blue Mountains just north of Sydney, but we did see his friends and family in their natural habitat too, on Kangaroo Island.

Did you know a koala spends 75% of its time asleep, on some days that would seem like a good idea!

how was valentines day for you ...

I couldn't resist posting this photo of this cute piglet, born well in time for sharing Valentines Day with us, well at least he did, more than you can say for me! Look at those cute heart spots, I think he/she is so sweet, hope you do too?

Click on Holy Cuteness to see more great, amusing pics from all around the world.

count the buttons competition ...

I won't keep you all in suspense any longer, my jar was holding 193 buttons.

The winner of the diamonte handbag mirror is * Lynda from Hedgerow Hollow * who guessed 191.

Well done to you and thanks to everyone who had a guess.