Bargain of the Year - 2014

Hi all, hope you've had a great weekend. I am back in Blogland again.
Well we had an amazing St. Patrick's holiday in Chicago, the first time I have ever been outside this green isle for Paddy's day. I suppose I see St. Patrick's Day as something intrinsically Irish so it was amazing to see so many people dressed in green and celebrating 'our' holiday. Not only did they turn the river green but they turned the beer green too! We had a ball. Unfortunately we came home from our holidays to three funerals, one of which was very sudden and a close family member of my husbands. That's life eh? Ups and downs. 

 So after a busy couple of weeks I am finally caught up on all my blog reading, it was nothing short of a marathon, you guys were busy! I too have lots to share but as usual I'm lagging behind!

From the title I'm sure you have deduced that this one is a while coming. You see it was and is part of the Hall-Stairs-Landing redo so I couldn't share before now. He's been there in plain sight all the time though! See the little hooves...

Okay maybe not 'plain' sight.

This was another of those items everyone in Blogland had. Teasing me with vintage looking horses of all descriptions, adorning beautiful mantles. Looking at the cost of these on eBay I had pretty much thrown in the towel!

So last September on our return from a stay-cation in beautiful Ireland we stopped over in Co. Kilkenny. I was having a wander around TK Maxx when I spotted him on the very top shelf at the end of an isle. 

I may have knocked some people down on route to that isle! He was like a reproduction plaster Tang horse, subtly painted in tones of beige and green.  

RRP €93.00! TK Maxx price €23.99!  I carefully took him down. He had some signs of wear, some of his paint was chipping and the plaster was revealed. 

Honestly, this added to the look. However I stuck my brass neck out and asked if there was any reduction for the damage.  

 Imagine my delight when the sales assistant returned to tell me, "the manager apologizes for the damage, she doesn't know how it could have happened, would €15 be okay?". 

It took all I had not to squeal and instead reply with a very composed "thank you very much". I am not joking when I tell you that I carried him all the way home to the Midlands like a baby!

He's another piece in my new vignette puzzle.
I promise not to hold out on you much longer!!

 

Wishing you a Happy Easter!!

Hope you're all having a happy Easter. 

We're having a lovely long weekend here in Ireland. We had Good Friday and have Easter Monday off from work. It has been a hectic couple of weeks of ups and downs so Mr. Auburn and I are catching up with family and on some well deserved rest! Today we went to mass, visited relatives, ate lots of Easter eggs and relaxed at home. 

We are having some glorious Spring weather which allowed us into the garden yesterday for the post winter overhaul. It has to get worse to get better, right?

 I am a little behind on my Blog reading, please bear with me while I catch up! 

Horse Chestnut Series - Round Up & Chestnut Decorations

The beautiful Horse Chestnut Tree started out 2014 stark and bare.

By March the buds had appeared.

By the last day of April it had burst into leaf.

In May it was flushed with flower.

By July the pollinated flowers had turned to fruit.

In September the leaves began to change colour and fall.

By October the ripened fruit had fallen.

On a frosty December morning the Horse Chestnut stands bare once again.

Our Horse Chestnut Tree has given it's all; 

buds, leaves, flowers and fruit and so the cycle begins again.

This Christmas I wanted to use the lovely shiny conkers to make some tree decorations. 

The colour scheme in the bedroom includes hues of orange and browns from the Connemara wallpaper. 

For the first time this year I put a small tree in our bedroom.

 I wanted to keep it inexpensive so purchased a small fake tree for €12 and tried not to buy any decorations apart front the LED lights.

I made these by drilling holes through pieces of cinnamon, threaded them onto a ribbon, tying a loop at the top and finishing with a lovely shiny conker.

I dried orange slices slowly in the airing cupboard and made bows from ribbon left over from some curtain tie-backs. I bought the bird and the orange glitter ribbon to make bows and everything else was repurposed including an old bracelet!

I'm really happy with how it turned out and it's nice to have a bit of our Horse Chestnut Tree on our Christmas Tree!

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

Christmas House Tour 2014

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that Santa was good! As I sort of threatened a Christmas House tour in my last post I thought I'd give it a go before 2014 is out. As I said, I started decorating early this year...and finished late! 

Ah the best laid plans...

O Christmas Tree!

I started out totally inspired, ready to deck those halls a little differently this year and have all done by our anniversary (a week before Christmas) so I could relax and enjoy thereafter. I ended up rushed, exhausted and surrounded by boxes, adding and tweaking until it was Christmas Eve! There has to be a better way - which I have to figure out before next year!! Suggestions welcome!

Some newly gifted additions to the tree this year

This one came all the way from Germany

This one came from Marks&Spencer

Decorating drama aside, I am pretty happy with how it turned out. So using my super duper new Christmas present from Mr. Auburn (a new camera!) and my usually crappy photography skills;

here are some pictures of our home at Christmastime....

Fireside is blazing bright...

Our Mantlepiece

Our coffee table

Even rabbit can't escape 

The baby Jesus in the manger

Christmas in the Kitchen...

This little guy got a new eau de nil hat and scarf for Christmas

Deck the Halls...

 

Sleigh Bells Ring!

 This sleigh was a market find last year and last Christmas I laid it down in the front hall and piled Christmas presents on it. This year I decided to upturn it and add another vintage find from the same market this summer. The chance of finding a sleigh and ice skates in a market in the Midlands of Ireland must be like winning the lotto! I trimmed the top of the skates with fur I bought at a craft shop (the extra trimmed the tiny stockings on the tree in the kitchen window). Added some greenery and a sleigh bell of course and I love it!

Our stair garland

Top of the stairs

I am a huge Norman Rockwell fan and have been lusting after this print, Home for Christmas, for so long. This year I found it for sale on eBay and Mr. Auburn made it mine. 
I LOVE IT!

As it is quite long and narrow, I tried to balance it with a fresh wreath of fir and bay.

And a Partridge in a Pear tree!

 I had this idea for a long time and just executed it last year for the first time. I had sourced a partridge on eBay but lets say he wasn't exactly glamorous! He looks better on the more rustic kitchen tree. I searched for so long for pears and eventually found them in TK Maxx and sourced a better looking 'partridge' from Gisela Graham.

And to think in just a couple of days it has to all come down again!