Divorcee Green is Gone

/
Okay, after a deserved stern talking to I was sent to Homebase for a roller, as I didn't realise you don't use a paint brush on a wall.
I decided to get another green mixed to replace Slimer & got it right this time.

Nice, clinical hospital green. The kind of green kitchen units were made of in the sixties.

Will need another coat to cover some patches where the Slimer colour is oozing through, but I'm happy (not too sure about husband yet, he's away playing guitar in his study room to de-rage).

Claire

Oh Lord, My husband is going to Murder me

/
Oh dear.
I took the lid of my Metro Garden, art deco crockery set in to Dulex paint mixer & thought it would be the ideal colour for one feature wall in the kitchen.

It's not the sterile, medical, 1960s kitchen green I had imagined when it's up there.

I can't help thinking,
"He slimed me" when I look at it.

Oh well. I'm going to finish it when baby goes to bed & whack my Ridgway plate & vintage Ladybird book framed covers up & then decide if I'll have to repaint it a different shade tmrw.

To repeat : husband is going to kill me. This may be my last communication.

Claire

M&S Christmas Biscuit Tins ((nogallery))

/
This year M&S are celebrating their anniversary & have released many of their products with older style, proper retro illustration.

They've really done it well, no half hearted attempts at 'vintage' designs, but excellent classic illustrations.
Here are two of the new Christmas range biscuit tins. I especially love the Swiss tin.

Claire

Beautiful Modern Kitsch

/
This biscuit barrel looks like it's time travelled straight in from 1960, such good condition & bright paintwork.

 Surprisingly I bought it brand new today, from a garden centre in a half price sale for £9.99!

 It's made by Russ Berrie & I think the range is called Metro Garden.
The colour scheme & shape fit in exactly with the era I have in mind for my kitchen makeover. I'll be picking up the teapot & other accessories where I can!

Claire

Kitchen Overhaul

/
Our kitchen is a bit of a ramshackle affair. I don't spend much time in there, much as I'd love to expand my housewife duties to baking, it's another area where disasters prevail.

 We haven't changed anything since we moved in & the walls are painted a dismal cream/grey, brightened only by a yellow & a blue swatch of paint on one wall where previous tenants must have felt the same about the colour scheme as I do.

 I stuck some tattoo framed cards up during unpacking & haven't got round to sorting what I actually want on the walls.

 I'm almost a bit ashamed that I had gone down the cupcake kitsch route & will be getting rid of the giant ceramic cupcake biscuit jar, sugar bowl & mini-jar during the redecorating.
I'm kind of stupidly snobby when it comes to shabby chic & I think it's too 'in' & easily bought to be considered good work on the kitsch front.
Just not my thing really.

 With the handpainted sushi floor mat, from an American ebayer, and the Sourpuss Tattooed Lady platter & skull & crossbones toaster, the kitchen is just one big mess of reproduction kitsch.

 So I've told my husband I'm buying paint & getting the walls sorted, maybe some cooler vinyl for the floor & some retro fabric for the curtains.

 I've plans for the decoration too. I've a dozen postcard sized framed prints of vintage Ladybird books, the kind you would have learnt to read with in primary school. Peter, Jane & Socks the dog tomes.

 I've my Ridgway Homemaker plate I plan on hanging & hopefully adding to that collection.

 I'd love to paint the walls a really retro, hospital 60s green, but given it's a rental I think a nice sunny yellow will be more suitable.

 It's all going to go a bit Changing Rooms the next few weeks!

Claire

Flying Ducks

/
It wouldn't be right to not have at least one set of these. I also have a brass set of three swallows, but they've gone missing since our move house.

 These are modern, reproductions of the old ceramic ducks, from Boots.

 I would love an entire wall of different sets of ducks & birds, but it would be a complete lift from my Kitsch bible, Kitsch Deluxe, which shows a house which has done just that.

Claire

One hell of a Cuckoo Clock

/
This beauty arrived in the post for me today from very kind, local twitter pal, Arlene @dressjunkie

 Can't wait to get it hung up, unfortunately in the excitement of opening the box, I managed to drop the clock in a slapstick fashion, so there's also a four leaf clover detail I need to glue back on!

 I can understand why @dressjunkie might not want to hang up this treasure, but as you can tell it's going to fit right in around here.
Look at the chimney sweep! The cotton wool smoke!
Absolutely love it!

Claire