The Little White Swan

The story begins with a hat box.....

A pile of beautiful old satin fabrics and vintage trims that have been saved for that something special....

And the little white swan who has lived in a Limoges dish with her friend the feather ever since i trimmed her with ribbon and pretty flowers.....

Poor little white swan had been promised a home for so long,i set to work cutting and pleating fabrics,stitching trims,adding brooches and ribbons,the lid was padded so little white swan would be comfy in her new home...i sat her on top with her friend the feather....little white swan looked sad and i asked her what was wrong? "it's only a pretend hatbox" she said with a little tear in her eye......i picked up my thread and began to sew anything pretty within my reach together......

Little white swan looked into the box and asked "What is it?"..."its a sweet little hat fit for a princess" i told her.....

I showed her how i had made it to be displayed on top of the hat box so it could be admired by everyone who passed by and now they would know that it was a real hat box.....

"It's beautiful" said little white swan as she flapped her wings and landed on top of the sweet little hat......

"Are you happy little white swan?" i asked her.....

"It's a little bit crowded up here" she replied......

She flew back to her Limoges dish and her friend the feather stood tall and arched himself above her,he told little white swan that he would be her sail and they would travel the ocean's until they found a home together.......

"Wait!" i cried "i have an idea".....

I placed the little hat upon my pretty stone girl while little white swan and feather looked on,we all decided it looked lovely against the grey of the stone and that is where it should stay.....

I hung a rose chandelier from an old frame next to her to see how it would display....while i was busy little white swan and feather quickly flew back on to the hat box and snuggled down together.....

There was so much more room without the little hat and all its flowers and little white swan was so happy to be with her friend the feather on a soft satin bed......

The story ends with the  stone girl wearing her hat of finery and the little white swan and her dear friend the feather laid on a hat box made with satin and trim all held in time in a picture that could have been taken a hundred years ago......

THE END XxX



Linking to
Time Travel Thursday

Show And Tell Friday

Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Picture Book And Roses

I was fortunate enough to win this lovely old book published 1910-1912 with its deep rose coloured cover on Ebay for £1.04...along with my dried roses from the garden i give you 'Every Woman's Encyclopedia' ....

The seller had added a few pictures of inside to their listing but nothing could prepare for me the vast information of these times gone by and beautiful images i was to find inside.......

Think of this book as original Blogging where you would learn how to hand make beautiful crafts,the latest fashions,hairstyles and see pictures of beautiful and amazing things you didn't see at home....

It reads that Marie Antoinette's dressmaker described her as possessing a dazzling fair complexion,in which the tints of the earliest summer roses are blended:large,prominent eyes of azure blue:a forehead crowned with luxuriant fair hair,her figure shapely,her neck and bust perfect,her hands beautiful,her legs and feet worthy of the Venus de Medici's....imagine a young lady reading that statement in 1910.......

How to make 'Home-made coiffure decorations' to wear with the latest hair styles.....

I love this picture of Lady Angela Forbes...One of the beautiful daughters of the late Earl of Rosslyn and sister of the Countess of Warwick.A keen sportswoman and a brilliant member of society.Lady Angela has recently opened a florist's shop in George Street,Portman Square......i can't help thinking of Downton Abbey looking at her portrait and so i wish i could see her flower shop.....

Such a beautiful little girl,The Honorable Victoria Bruce,daughter of Lord Balfour of Burleigh from the painting titled 'A Little Lady Of Quality' 'by Mrs.Waller....

Dried roses to hold onto Summer as the dark nights creep in......wrapped in a vintage crochet edged doily and fastened with an old brooch...

A Favour by E.Blair Leighton...A lady over looking the sea is about to throw a rose to the gentleman below,he holds out his hat to catch the favour or token of love.....

'Roses Of Summer By ShabbilyByTheSea.......

Mrs Norton,one of the brilliant and dazzling granddaughters of Richard Brinsley Sheridan,her beauty was enhanced by her lovely eyes and by her manner of using them,she had a habit of letting her long eyelashes drop when talking and was a past- mistress in all emotional expressions......such a wonderful picture......

'On Ruffled Linen' By ShabbilyByTheSea'..........

A gift from my beautiful Mother.......

My Grand Mother's........

Borrowed from a beautiful cushion i have handmade by Niki at Nostalgia At The Stonehouse

'The Brooch Rose' By ShabbilyByTheSea'......

'A Purse Full Of Roses By ShabbilyByTheSea'.........

Tones of soft cranberry,pale pinks and deep rose......

Gather the rose of love whilst yet is time,Edmund Spencer...........

I have dear Edmund.....i have......

The End x


I have joined....... 

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Creative Things Thursday

Show and Tell Friday

A Day Dream

I walk by the river....my lavender parasol  protecting me from falling rain.....smells of autumn in the air.....my ballet shoes damp from the long wet grass....

I look across the water at a pretty cottage and see a dove cote hiding behind a tree...i would like to take of my ballet shoes and hold them in one hand while i gather my dress in the other and tip toe through the water and run up to the front door calling "i'm home!"......but i don't live here and i'm not in a film....but it would seem once again i'm in a day dream......

I walk on happy in my day dream across pretty meadows...my ankles now wet and my dress is heavy as it swishes against the long wet grass....i arrive at a bridge and lean over to look into the rushing water...it thunders past and takes your senses as you hear nothing but its mighty roar...i gaze up to see a beautiful cottage nestled between two larger ones in the distance and i'm in love.......

I imagine a girl opening the gate and skipping through the long grass with a basket of clothes to wash in the river below....this is my day dream so i decide the girl will be me....i carry on across the bridge wanting to get closer to my pretty cottage....

What a Beautiful chimney....i think of logs crackling and the freshly washed clothes drying by the fireside.......

The water thunders under the bridge....i hurry to the other side as i can see something written on the wall......

Emma?...........

Oh i see.....Emma..........she has picked flowers from the meadows and is on her way home......

I watch as she crosses an old bridge with its worn stones under foot towards my cottage......

She opens the gate and walks up to the door......I look one last time at her pretty cottage before i make my way home...it is beautiful i think to myself and its not like i can't walk past now and again and day dream is it?

The End x

The Rustic Rabbit

Yesterday we visited in my opinion the most beautiful shop in Grassington and i have wanted to ask if i could take pictures to show you for ever,well i finally asked and was granted permission to show you all inside......

It has the most beautiful name The Rustic Rabbit and you often see gentlemen outside waiting for their wives who are in heaven in this pretty shop.....

Lets go inside...i love the staircase and the white washed floorboards,it has the feel of a cosy home rather than a shop and they always play wonderful music too....

Lets go upstairs,do you see anything you like?

A closer look?.......

Oh look Sir Clarence is waiting to show us all the beautiful things upstairs,when he's not busy at the shop or sleeping near the till he writes his own blog you will find his blog underneath the pink delivery van on the right hand side of The Rustic Rabbit......

I did take one of the velvet roses displayed here on the top shelf to the left home with me, it is very beautiful and i also couldn't resist a lavender coloured parasol....

Sweet little coat hangers on the drawers......

Love all the glassware up in the window over looking the market square.....

We both really loved this piece with mirror and hangers.......

Stunning candle holder in the window and a cute rustic rabbit,i adore the cake stand with wire top and little bird......

Back downstairs and more shelves full of gorgeous,pretty things,i have never walked out of this shop without a bag full of prettiness,they really do have the best taste......

This room at the back was fantastic,so much to choose from.....

Do you see the man through the window on the left of the doorway? poor guy still waiting for his wife

Oops! that guy is my Steve!!!...i best go now,

I hope you enjoyed the tour and if you are in the Yorkshire Dales be sure to make the journey to:-

The Rustic Rabbit
23 Main Street
Grassington

Telephone 01756 752272

Or visit them right now at The Rustic Rabbit

A big Thank You! to The Rustic Rabbit for letting me take pictures for this post x
XxX