Monday 11 June 2012

Birthday Part 2: colour

What a lovely week in blogland. Anita's Paris party  was a tour de force - I didn't actually GO to Paris you understand (more's the pity) it was a blog hop (realise in my excitement I didn't mention that!) although I did spend an inordinate amount of time on Jet2's website looking at flights the following day!
My Mum enjoyed looking at the photo of her and Dad on my Paris post  - and especially loved reading all the nice comments. I made some new blogging pals too (hello! hope you've come back)

Anyway - I now have a backlog of posts to write (including a long overdue giveaway to celebrate 200 followers - which I'm in the middle of planning) but first please indulge me in sharing the last of my birthday treats - the colourful bit! Thanks also for appreciation of the vintage neutrals - Cleggy is indeed chief wrapper and conspirator, and he too makes lots of friends along the way!       
So, you know that beauuuuutiful adorned case in birthday part 1? well it wasn't alone.
There was another...this time a TRUNK, covered in all my favourite 'for•the•hall•one•day' wallpapers from Pip Studio. It was a stroke of genius - they were all samples so (almost) free! I did wonder where all my velvet turquoise ribbon had gone though....

The inside was covered in old maps (another favourite) and the inside of the lid in my favourite images including some more family pictures
         
(that top left is my favourite of my Mum as a girl - 
in her buttoned up cardy!)
see the Eiffel Tower there Anita???
Here's the trunk beforehand (thanks Cleggy!)
 Here it is in all it's glory - I love it:
       
Inside all the colourful tissue (also from my workshop!) were packets of special coffee beans (I'm a picky addict) which I'm working my way through.


On the train journey to London last week I crocheted some bunting for the kitchen - and it coincidently matches the case perfectly - which is why it's in all the photos!
...and here it is at the kitchen window
My siblings also know me well (I reckon I'm the easiest in the family to buy for!). Family Bryce-Kisby bought this wonderful book by Pip Lincolne (Nelly and I both LOE meetmeatmikes.com)
ace pictures!
I want to make BOTH these dresses...
And family Bryce-Yang bought the most delicious collection of special chocolates - all inside a vintage tin. A winning combo (with special coffee and a really good sewing book!)

And as if that wasn't enough treats, my BFF Jane (she ofof teawagontales.blogspot.co.uk) made me a blanket of gorgeousness. One of our favourite things to do in the summer (should we have one) is to take our gang of boys on their bikes to the local park, whereupon they eat chips and play cops and robbers (or whatever it is they play these days) and we crochet on our rugs. This is my new 'crochet and chips' rug:

            So that's it - birthday show and tell over. 
...however...
amidst all the Jubilee celebrations The Granny also had a birthday. She spent it at a wedding on the beach in Cornwall
(not hers)
 but we celebrated on her return. 
We made her a new home sign for the gate leading to her house
(new friends - she lives beneath us in her Garden Granny flat!)
The heart surround is painted in the same colour as our front door - using acrylic paint. It felt a bit wrong to actually paint a victorian brick...who am I kidding? It was fun!
Both the heart and the sign are finished in outdoor mod podge.
We (siblings) also bought her a climbing rose for outside her front door - I'll save that picture for when the flowers are in bloom. And a crate full of her favourite red geraniums for under this sign. Unfortunately the week of rain we've had since has knocked the majority of petals off but here's a photo anyway, in case that's as good as they ever look!
I don't think you can beat a red geranium!
fee x

34 comments:

  1. What a wonderful birthday you have had, so many thoughtful and creative gifts. Will be wafting some of the websites you have linked to under Mr FKs nose in preparation for my birthday in August :)

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  2. HI!!
    I am BACK!!!
    What a Great post!!Love all that color!!!Your MOM in that pic is so cute and how sweet you displayed in your suitcase!!!Your Crochet bunting was amazing!!!I loved all the buntings in LONDON for the Jubilee!!!WE AMERICANS need to PAY Attention and do more like this!!!
    Hugs,
    jamie
    happy be-lated birthday!!

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  3. Oh Fee,

    Magic, magic, MAGIC!!!! This is indeed an overflow of love from your generous family! Each and every memento and piece of art is enchanting! And I see that Eiffel tower! oooo, did I SEE IT with that red coat!

    Oh my friend, thank YOU for making this party a wonderful and enthusiastic adventure. Meeting everyone and sharing stories and art, poetry and vacations was and IS still happening and I am so happy about it.

    WISHING YOU a fantastic week though I do hear from a friend out your way that the rain just WON'T STOP!? We had a torrential storm last night that brought down huge tree limbs! But oh what a glorious morning...

    GROSSES BISES MA CHÈRE FEE!!! Anita

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  4. Love everything about this post - full of colour and love. I hope my children are as good to me as you and your siblings are to your Mum. I love her 'Granny Flat' and if you pinch out the new buds (you won't like doing it but it's worth it, I promise)from her geranium plants, this will promote new growth and make for bushier plants too.

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  5. Lovely colourful post ... Love it all, the case, the bunting, and absolutely lurve red geraniums but the one by my front door is fake as can be abut wild where I live. Lots of inspiration and ideas ... Thank you! Claire xxx

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  6. That injection of colour is most appreciated on such a dismal wet day. The rain is unrelenting here and I am so glad to be escaping to the sunshine on hols tomorrow. Your pressies were gorgeous and so beautifully presented, lucky girl!
    Jane x

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  7. Ooh Fee that post really brightened my grey damp evening! What fabulous gifts, you lucky thing! Loving the trunk and the gorgeous wallpapers.
    Victoria xx

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  8. I loved the suitcase...and now I love the trunk just as much!! Clever Cleggy and boys yet again....what a beautiful creation with those delicious papers. I love all your presents, and all your mum's presents as well! A crate of geraniums mmmm that is a very good idea....I have a crate, and I have some geraniums so might just combine the two now :)
    Have a lovely week, Fee.
    Helen x

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  9. The suitcase is beautiful and what a fantastic job they did with it! Love the colours. Great presents.
    x

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  10. I have never seen birthdays like yours! Magnificent! The thoughtfulness in your family abounds AND the creativity, I might add. I would take every one of those things too...FAB-U-LOUS!!!! And the sign you made for your "granny" who is only 4 years older than me! LOL! I love the sign and the heart and the geraniums and her door is wonderful all by itself! Talent must definitely run in your family as the case that Cleggy and your boys fixed up was to die for!
    And I loved the book, and I'd take special coffees and chocolates too! Oh my, I am over the moon about your presents and I may have to get that book and make a sign like you made for "granny" and I just may have to order myself some coffees and chocolates! LOL! Thank you for sharing....it was almost like opening them myself but not quite.

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  11. what a beautiful birthday bounty! gorgeous bunting too!!!
    i love the quilt jane made you, you have some mighty talented friends.
    when it is getting closer to my birthday i am going to show my family and friends this post. you never know, they might take the hint ;)

    your posts make me happy :)

    have a lovely week and say hello to your mum! xx

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  12. So lovely pictures, Fee! Absolutely love your sweet case and bunting as well :o) All gifts are super cute, but my favorite is the Home sign. So cherished gift! Colourful papers look so candy :o)
    Have a very nice week
    love
    Natasha

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  13. What a clever husband you have, he should be paraded for all other husbands to see! ;) The trunk is gorgeous. :) Love the crochet and chips blanket too.
    Happy birthday to The Granny as well, red geraniums are great.
    Vivienne x

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  14. I don't remember seeing the gorgeousness inside the case, too busy worrying a naked baby might wee on the top and turn it into a skittles advert.
    About to go to bed and got sucked into your blog, told you, right back in there. Just reiterated to gaz the Wednesday deadline, wrong approach I think if trying for buy in. Got a dirty look!
    Liked the Paris post too, love that picture of Mum and Dad on their slightly odd boat trip,
    Nelly x

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  15. Gorgeous trunk revamp! Love the bunting too!
    Maria x

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  16. So now I'm envious all over again! What brilliant pressies you and The Granny got! I shall be making sure Mr K. reads these posts before my birthday swings round again ;D

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  17. How I'd love to get such fabulous gifts as you do Fee. Such wonder and beauty. I can't think of a better day out than eating chips and crocheting with a mate while the kids are happy, lets hope we get that summer and you can go off and have that day out soon. For now I've kept the winter coats and long socks out.

    Your crochet is coming on a treat - are you an addict yet?

    X

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  18. Gorgeousness again..Pip Wallpaper...I die. You do always get the best of the best. I must find a brick to paint now! And not that evil yellow like they pretend we have in Kansas either. Fee your weeks of photos make me smiles for the length of time until the next post...smiles...Renee

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  19. Fee, your blog site exudes creativity! Marvelous! Glad to have been here and met you!

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  20. I dont think iv'e ever met (cyber wise) a more together and precious family unit, I am terribly jealous (in a nice way of course!!).. Just luv ya hun xxx

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  21. so much beauty yet again. Awesome bunting, awesome presents, clearly awesome husband and family!!!!

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  22. Beautiful post and beautiful gifts!
    Left me all cheery!
    Have a happy week Fee...
    Maria x

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  23. Gorgeous post as always and am now wondering if there is a brick or stone somewhere in or around the house I can stencil like that. It's so simple but so effective! Clever Fee!

    All of my flowers are battered - I bought two pretty pink geraniums which are now looking a bit droopy and soggy because of the rain. There's been a lot of foot stamping and fist shaking at this house. (Alright, a lot of swearing and sulking too.)

    Have a good week xxx

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  24. Love all the colourful stuff, your boys are all very clever! I've seen that pip book before and fancied it, but my sewing skills are very dubious, so it would be aspirational!

    The sign and geraniums are fab, I agree with the red geraniums, although I also have a thing for salmon pink geraniums from a childhood book 'the little White horse'.

    Enjoy the rest of the week.

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  25. OOOOOOOhhhhhh what a fab trunk, those boys of yours are truly fab! Love the crochet bunting too, you are an old hand at it now, gorgeous. Granny's sign is lovely and such a cute painted heart - shock horror you painted the brick :D hehe. I bought some mod podge the other day and I thought of you. I need it for a magazine commission which I haven't started yet but I fear I could become addicted to mod-podging things :D hehe. Thanks for your comments over at mine and thanks for the giveaway link too you star! Things no better here in fact getting worse probably - still on my own, sob! Trying hard to keep positive but it is so easy just to be mehhhhhhhh when nobody's around. Anyway, nighty night, best go get some sleep xxx

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  26. Hello lucky Fee!...Your are spoilt indeed by those lovely creative boys in your house and the Pip Studio wallpaper is so beautiful (and sadly for me,also very expensive!)...Such a wonderful idea to use it for your trunk..I love the pic of your lovely mum too. Ah, so much happy colour and I agree, you can't beat those splashes of bright red geraniums in the Summer!
    Hope you are having a happy week,
    Susan x
    P.S LOVE your crochet bunting at the kitchen window!!

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  27. I've been nominated for the Sunshine Award and I would like to pass it on to you. The details can be found on my blog.
    xXx Helen

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  28. Oh how I love that your three little men pose for you for your posts!!!!!!

    YES FEE, that is our SHARE FIREPLACE and when I sit my wares on top of the mantel, I think of YOU!!!!!

    I am so happy that you enjoyed yourself during this fête....I will put you down for a chance to win the shoe! It is sweet and sparkly in person! LOVE TO YOU and have a grand day! Anita

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  29. What a gorgeous array of gifts part two. You are a very lucky gal!!! x

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  31. Your crochet is stunning & we get Pip Studio bedlinen in Australia too, the colours are so Dutch/ Room Seven/ Oilily, i'm in love. What a fun blog hop, gorgeous, love Posie

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  32. You my dear where spoiled to death!!! But rightly so I may add. That suitcase of yours is sooooo lovely..and made with LOVE!
    Ok....I sooooo need one of Jane's blankets...pure joy.
    Sending you ooooodles of post Birthday Happiness! xoxoxoxoxo

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  33. What a joyful post Fee! An explostion of colour and celebration of life. Glorious.

    Stephanie

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  34. i love the blanket you got from jane! Looks fabulous ^_^ hope you had a great birthday

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Thanks for stopping by.
I LOVE reading your comments!
fee x