FANTASY BLUE HOUSE..........

Welcome to The Blue House....come through the iron front gate and up to the front door.........

.......... through the inner door, which has a welcoming country bunch of flowers and you step into............

.......... the Hall........ smells gorgeous, doesn't it ? That will be the pot pourri
in the large bowl on the table. You would like to use the telephone.........

.......... feel free.....do you know how to use these retro phones ?......... while you're doing that I'll just be in the kitchen..........

............. Ah, there you are. Did you manage O.K., .....Good......Let's have a nice cup of tea.......Ah, good. I see that Fortnum and Masons have delivered. We will be enjoying some of the contents of that hamper later......

.......... I'll just reach up and get one of these cups , sorry, what's that......you would rather have a cup and saucer ? No problem. I'll organise it.
Just got to dry one up....could you pass one of those tea towels over on the stool ?
Blueberry cake with your tea ?..........

Bring your tea and cake through to the dining room.....can you manage?

............... right, finished ? Come and see the rest of my Blue house..........

.......... this is the lounge. Lovely, isn't it ? and the flowers are from the garden......

............... come through the sitting room and pop your head into the Conservatory....we eat out there sometimes ...........

.......... now, up the stairs, follow me ..........

............ this is the pale blue room, just poke your head round the door. I think someone's in there ......

.......... this is the main bedroom ..........

.......... and this is the en suite to the main bedroom ..........

.......... another bedroom.... rather special this one don't you think ? ..........

..........OOooooo I think that it's someones birthday in this bedroom .......... Happy Birthday, sorry to disturb you ..........

....Oh, they must have been celebrating in the family bathroom as well !!!! .....
O.K....... that's upstairs. Shall we go and have a look at the conservatory ? ..........

.......... looks as if the celebrations have been going on in here. A good place for a party.......... come and have a look outside .....

.......... if you would like to put a pair of wellies on , we'll go and look at the garden and sit at the outside table .....

.......... Oh good, they have lit the candles and I don't think that it will be long before dinner is served. I hope that you have enjoyed looking around my Fantasy Blue House and that you will be a regular visitor.

Jackie

MANY THANKS ..........

This post, today is to say thank you.First, I want to thank dustjacketattic for bestowing an award upon me. Well, what an honour. She has the most wonderful blog with the most beautiful fashion photographs, so pick up your skirts and dash over to see her. You will be amazed. Thank you so much for your continued support with your brilliant comments. I hope that you will accept the above award for being such a supportive blogging friend.Next award goes to Simone, creator of the most beautiful blog, The Bottom of the Ironing Basket.Simone was kind enough to give me an award and I am now returning the compliment as it's a way of saying thank you. Simone is the most generous, kind and thoughtful person. She amazes me at how she always remembers special days for different countries, to thank people for all sorts of different things and tells us wonderful stories of her family and her travels with the most beautiful images you ever did see. Every time that she does a post, I always think...oh, I should have thought of that.She is one of the few Brit bloggers, so I think of her as my English blogging buddy. Her comments are NEARLY as long as mine and are full of praise and encouragement. I hope, Simone, that you will accept the above award for your support to me on my blogging journey.Dear Julie...my emailing buddy. Julie's blog Being Ruby is a photographic gem. If you like gorgeous photography, grab your camera and go and watch and learn. Every time Julie posts, I say to myself.."I'd love that one in a frame", they are so lovely and her text is beautifully written, sometimes emotional and sometimes funny and often both. The posts that she does are never run of the mill. They are always different and a joy to look at. Please accept this award, Julie with thanks for being such a special blogging pal.
Next on my hit list is Millie at The Laurel Hedge.Millie's blog is so full of fun, with the best stories of her family, her work and with a bit of interiors, food and all sorts, thrown in for good measure. Millie was one of the first blogs that I found, along with all the award winners. Her sense of humour is the best and her blog is one of the first that I look at.I'm not sure how you feel about awards, Millie. but I'm really just doing it to thank you for your support , to say how pleased I am re the Doc. and how you've been through the mill (ha ha!!) a bit lately, and to say good on ya Mills, your a dinki-di.!!!!
TO ALL OF MY READERS PLEASE NOTE.... THE LADY-IN-WAITING REFERENCE ON MILLIE'S AWARD, REFERS TO THE LENGTH OF TIME IT IS TAKING FOR HER BATHROOM TO BE FINISHED AND DOES NOT NOW OR ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE, REFER TO MILLIE BEING WITH CHILD !!!! I THINK THAT I HAVE JUST SCARED THE PANTS OFF OF HER !!!!

Last, but absolutely definitely not least is Deb from Dumbwittellher. Deb was another first blog that I found and she had only started a few weeks before me. Debs blog is fabulous and so much deeper than mine !!!! She has taught me much from her posts, which deal with things as diverse as interiors, her countries politics to department stores and film critique. Deb has also been a supportive, kind and generous person and I'm honoured to call her my friend. Please accept this award Deb for being all of the above, all of the time.

Well, there you have it. Just a few of my blogging friends who have been so kind and supportive.There are so many more of you who have supported me and I hope that I can thank you in the same way in the future.

Jackie

HANGING AROUND .............

My last two posts have been rather frivolous and silly, after which, I have probably lost many of my followers, as you probably think that I'm completely bonkers.!!!! I would like to reassure you that I am 100% sane, and those men in white coats are not coming to take me away !!!! YET !! Here to prove it, I am back with some lovely images of beautiful interiors, all of which have a 'hanging' theme....... whoa...don't worry...there isn't a man with a blindfold and noose, just some pretty interiors to start off the week. What a beautiful room with that MASSIVE mirror.....I shall be wearing the above dress to go to the supermarket today !!!!
Actually, it is becoming rather autumnal now so, maybe this would be a good idea as I walk past the freezers in the frozen goods section !!!!

Don't worry Dustjacket Attic (a wonderful fashion blog), I'm not trying to become a fashionista !! Just showing you this fabulous wardrobe.

Some of you will know that I have used this picture before, but it is appropriate to my post title as the beautiful wisteria is a lovely 'hanging' example.



What a pretty and functional way to hang clothes or towels or anything that needs to be hung up !!!!


Saucepans hanging in the kitchen,.... and what a kitchen.


Now, this one is a bit gratuitous and it only just makes it in as it's got the tea towel 'hanging' from the drawer !!!! I think it's one of my favourite interiors photographs. Not only is the dresser mouth watering but so are the meringues and the champagne !!!!

Summer is nearly over, here in the U.K. and an autumnal chill has started to wake us up in the morning, so here is a colourful hanging basket to say goodbye to the Summer. See, I'm not all about the white and there's even a touch of pink in there !!

A lovely image of lanterns and a snowy white voile curtain.

Down in the potting shed there is a whole world of 'hanging' items.

Gorgeous bags hanging on a delightful wardrobe. Always a nice idea to hang treasured items instead of hiding them away,

I couldn't possibly do a post about 'hanging' without including Venice. This sight is seen every time you turn the corner , and when has washing looked more beautiful....doesn't quite have the same feel in my back garden !!!!

Gorgeous, sparkly chandeliers.....twinkling crystals to add a wonderful ambiance to a room. I actually love this idea of the three hanging together. Our friends, Lucy and Steve ( holiday, going up the pub, any other social event, hanging out, best of friends !!) have adopted this way of lighting and it looks great.

White and very pale pink, floaty, diaphanous clothes look beautiful, again, not hidden away in drawers and wardrobes.

Old shutters, distressed chair, beautiful candelabra. Add a basket for a bit of texture and what have you got ? A fabulous bathroom ........ not forgetting the lacy camisole on a vintage hanger.

I love this idea of a branch, painted white, held up by thin chains .........doesn't it look great and not very expensive, either.

................ and finally, wire baskets, straining spoons, call them what you will. I'm not sure what they're called. I just know that they look brilliant, all hanging in a row like this.

Hope that you have all enjoyed 'hanging around' with me today and maybe you have got some ideas that you can use in your own homes.

Jackie

A 10 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME TAG....

I've been tagged by A Little Bit Vintage
I have to tell you 10 things about me that you didn't know......... I could tell you that I love raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens !!!! BUT ..... we all like those, don't we, who wouldn't, so I'll tell you 10 things about me that you didn't know and that you might not want to know me after I tell you !!!!

NUMBER ONE .......... I'm a bit of a Goth really........ when you open my wardrobe, it's BLACK,BLACK and MORE BLACK. There are a few lapses ...a little touch of grey, a couple of brown items and, if I was feeling a bit out of sorts whilst clothes shopping.... a bit of pink has crept in....YUK, I can hardly bring myself to type the word.....cold shiver runs down my spine...PINK!!!!....... I know that there are many of you out there who love pink but that particular gene seems to have eluded me.


NUMBER TWO............... I love, love, love sleeping.... I can sleep anywhere....bed, sofa, car, plane, floor, mountain crevice...anywhere and at anytime...morning, noon or night. When my daughter had her appendix out, the hospital encouraged the mums to stay, so, a camp bed was set up next to my daughters bed ( she was only about 8 at the time, by the way !!). One morning, I was vaguely aware of voices. I reluctantly opened my eyes and there, around my bed were doctors, nurses and medical students, discussing my daughters operation and deciding whether or not she could go home. It was 11 a.m. and I had been asleep and snoring through all of it....embarrassing !!!!


NUMBER THREE .............. I can touch my nose with my tongue.....yes, a wonderful addition to my repertoire of entertaining young children....I have others ( all legal !! ).... it does make me look pretty vile but it is a gift that I have been blessed with and I use it whenever necessary !!!!



NUMBER FOUR ................... There are many of you out there who love a cupcake or a slice of something nice, I know. I'm not that partial to cake (lots of you can't understand that
can you ? ) BUT.... give me the cake MIXTURE and I will eat the lot ..... until I'm nearly sick...... I absolutely love it. Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream is my secret vice......mind you, you could take the ice cream away and just give me the cookie dough..... MMMmmm MMmmm !!!!

NUMBER FIVE .................... I LOVE Roller Coasters. Old fashioned wooden ones, loop the loop ones, ones with water, ones inside, ones outside....I don't care what type, I'm not fussy......I just LOVE them. I love the queuing and the anticipation, the actual ride and then the getting off and running, laughing and de briefing afterwards as you join the queue again to have another go. I love the ' I think I might die ' feeling and the wobbly legs that you get on particularly scary ones and WELL as you can tell, I really like roller coasters !!!!

NUMBER SIX .................... I like butter on biscuit-type cereals..... yes, I know it sounds weird but don't knock it 'till you've tried it ........ it's delicious. I can't remember the last time I had a weetabix with butter as, when I do have it, I have to have at least 1/2lb of butter on it so it's not very healthy...... but I urge some of you to give it a go. You wont be disappointed !!!!

NUMBER SEVEN .................... I twirl my hair. Apparently, I've done it since I had hair ( which is quite a few years !!!!) I know many people can do this, so it's not unusual. This is another skill that I have which seems to be very entertaining to little children. I can twirl it, tie a knot in it and then, MAGICALLY, make the knot disappear with just the utterance of 'ABRACADABRA' !!!!

NUMBER EIGHT .................... Another weird food fact in the 10 things you didn't know about me saga is that ....wait for it ..... I like raw potato with salt on it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know, I know, it's too horrible to think about but it's really nice. I don't eat much of this delightful delicacy....... just when I'm preparing potatoes, I might eat a little bit. My sister loves it too. Apparently, when my mum was pregnant with us, her food craving was raw potato so she obviously passed it on to us.

NUMBER NINE.................... I like driving and I like driving my car fast ( as you can see, even my car is black !!!! ) ..... but obviously not exceeding the speed limit of the road that I am driving on at the time OBVIOUSLY !!!!

And finally....... NUMBER TEN .................... Now maybe you can help me with this one....I find that, when there's a full moon (( make note to self to ask Julie @ beingruby about this !!!!) I go to sleep and the next morning I wake up and I have this definite look of evil intelligence in my eyes, a sore throat, a very dry mouth, a lot of dirt under my fingernails
and an abnormal urge to howl......strange, now what do you think that could be ???!!!!!!

Well, there are my 10 things that you didn't know about me and I hope that you have a much clearer picture of what I am like !!!!! after which I hope that you will all still want to come back and visit me !!!!
Now, I'm meant to pass this tag on to 10 people, but I think that I will leave it open to any of my blogging friends who would fancy coming clean and telling us all about yourselves !!!! Seriously, I know that a lot of you are very busy and the pressure of a tag can be a bit stressful, so I'll leave it and say GO FOR IT IF YOU WANT TO.

Don't forget to go and visit A Little Bit Vintage. It's well worth the visit and you can learn how to make ZILLIONS of things.

Jackie
Remembering 9/11