healthy snack

I am not a great fan of cupcakes but these looked so luscious I had to buy them for a friend's birthday. They are from Ms Cupcake in Brixton, and are vegan (therefore healthy?!) so goodness knows what they are made from, but a very good way to make yourself feel quite sick on a Sunday afternoon. The vintage tablecloth belongs to my friend Tessa, who, if it is possible has a worse boot sale habit than me and is forever taunting me with her out of town finds. We spent a happy mother's day yesterday extolling the ups and downs of long distance parenting - thank-you for a lovely afternoon!

rail journey

I travelled to another interview with my son yesterday which involved an epic five hour each way train journey to the deepest south west. I saw lots of England's back gardens, allotments, and sheep and was very glad to get home! On the theme of trains, these are a couple of my rail related books. I found the King Penguin in a charity shop in Rochester last week, and the Little Red Engine books are childhood classics, written by Diana Ross (not of the Supremes!) and this one with beautiful illustrations by Lewit-Him. I love the little engine steaming home through the townscape, brilliant textures and colours.

ballooning

I have had this ballooning print in my mind for a couple of years so when I found this charming King Penguin book in a second hand book shop in Broadstairs I was finally inspired to get it off the ground! It's first outing is as a new set of postcards which arrived in the post today. As soon as I have made the screens I will be making a 40x50cm screen print and cushions will follow.

knit!

Ok James I give in!  I love the bossy design of this old knitting book. I am not an enthusiastic knitter but I am accumulating a collection of vintage needles - just for the colours!

i can fly!

My heart skipped a beat when I found this battered and much loved copy of I can fly on a vintage stall. I must have had it as a tiny child as every illustration was instantly familiar. I was very pleased with myself to have found it until I looked on abe books and discovered that it is still in print and yours for only 62p!

mid-century chair

There was plenty to see at the Midcentury Modern Show and not too many crowds this year, maybe because there is going to be a second show in north London in May. My favourite stands upstairs among the contemporary designers were lovely printed textiles from Maria Hatling and Eleanor Prichards' beautiful wool blankets woven in Wales. And it was really nice to catch up with Sally Nencini who was selling her knitted wares. I came away with a 60's Danish office chair in a very sunny shade of yellow. My office is in a very dark corner so it really cheers it up. I may make a cushion pad out of this vintage fabric.

happy finds

While Charlie is attending his interviews I hit the charity shops, and here are this weeks finds. Mosaic game - hours of fun! some chunky pottery in lovely glossy colours, a fine teak pepper mill, and an entirely unnecessary pussy cat string holder to go with the owl string holder. All for under ten pounds. I am thinking of going to the Mid-Century Modern fair this afternoon if the queues aren't too long, I don't think my £10 will go quite as far there!