What a week - and it's only Tuesday!

I'm sneaking very quietly around the house as Son 2 finally got to sleep at around 5am this morning. He and I spent yesterday afternoon and evening at casualty ('urgences') in Toulouse Purpan, after a summons from school to tell me he'd shut his finger in a door and they were going to call an ambulance if I didn't get to him within the next five minutes. I got there. We then spent hours waiting in casualty, because of course an injury that looks pretty nasty to a school nurse looks like no big deal to triage nurses dealing with flu-ridden babies. But everyone, from the school staff to the nurses to heroic Son 2, did very well, and he now has a very clean wound with one stitch in it! However, it hurt and he couldn't sleep for ages, but now he's down and out in our bed and I'm leaving him there! So I have no inspired pictures to show you myself, although I did visit a flea market this weekend - you'll just have to wait until I get sunshine and more than a few hours' sleep! But here are some pretty pictures from other blogs: Winniebriggs House is having a first anniversary giveaway that looks absolutely super!

And I was given this award by the lovely Lemonade and Lamingtons - thank you so much!

You want to know seven things about me? OK, but I think they'll be pretty narrowly focused this morning...

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Unlike my sons, I have never:

1. Broken a bone.

2. Damaged sinews.
3. Had stitches.

But I have:

4. Fallen off a bike into a canal when attempting to learn how to cycle at the age of 16.

5. Fallen out of an ancient apple tree when the Coast Guard maroon went off in my grandparent's town of Brixham (and still have the scars to prove it).

6. Fallen out of a weeping willow tree where my dad had built a platform, causing my mother to insist he took the platform out again.

7. Fallen off the top of a slide at the playground.

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Clearly, my friends, I bounce!

Accro'...

When Sharon gave me my award, I was way too hot to list five current obsessions, but it's cooled down (hurray!) and had a chance to think about a few of the things on which I'm 'accro', which means 'hooked' in French! (See the link to the word crochet, there?) The only problem now is the order to put them in!

1. Charity Shopping and other second hand shopping. I love the thrill of never knowing what you're going to find, I love the good value, I love the character and quality of older, local things and I love the fact that I'm not contibuting to modern problems such as sweatshop labour and environmental degredation...2. Mother of Pearl buttons and hand made lace. You'd never have guessed that one, would you? 3. Nature - these hoopoes are a good example, but really, all of it... I just think that the entire of creation is so incredible, and fascinating, and makes me feel warm and fuzzy! The hoopoes came to mind because we have them here in springtime and summer, and some people are totally unmoved by these incredible birds. We drop everything to watch them, and we just feel so grateful to be able to share our garden and our area with such incredible wildlife.
4. People - the same way that thinking about nature makes me feel connected with the whole world, I think a lot about how what I'm buying has been made by people, making links: across time if I'm brocante shopping, and around the world, if I'm in the supermarket. I find myself thanking God for the people who made the stuff I get to buy - am I sounding too Pollyanna yet? Probably. So that's why I like Fairly Traded stuff, anyway.
5. There's a link here. Avoiding the Pollyanna preaching, as a family we're somewhat obsessed with looking after the world. If you love nature and people, and you love your family, then how can you not care that the world where they all live is getting into more and more of a mess? Oops, didn't avoid the preaching. I'll shut up and leave you with a quote from my boys' favourite, Sir David Attenborough; "How could I look my grandchildren in the eye and say I knew about this and did nothing?"
Ooh, a serious note... I think the most important thing is to realise that if we dwell on how hard it is to protect our planet, we'll do nothing, but if we enjoy every little attempt we make to improve things (like shopping second hand, he-he!) then we can protect our children's future and love the life we lead at the same time!

Only one charity shop? What's got into Floss?

Could it be these handsome young men?

I had a project which kept me in the house for most of this afternoon - I was using some online software to make sense of a family tree, based on the certificates and other documents kept by my mother's family.

To be honest, we have no idea who any of these young men is. My mother suggested we pick the best looking and claim him for an ancestor. Thus, I am proud to tell you that I am directly descended from the suave chappie on the top right. My mother and I were in no doubt..?
However, we do know who this couple are - my grandma's parents. My mother remembers her grandmother well.

There are few photos, but many certificates and one or two family records. This sad little page records the birth of the man in the photo above - he was one of the last children in his family, and one of the few to survive. His mother wrote down times as well as dates for some of the births and deaths...I also spent a little time today mending my father's jumper. I had to go to the downstairs sewing table to find the right thread.Inside are a lovely collection of vintage and modern sewing things - just whatever my mum and grandma needed (they shared a house, and therefore sewing equipment, for years.)

This thread was perfect, even if the photo doesn't show it!Even though the charity shop had nothing of interest, I did find this charming bracket looking for a home on my parents' basement window ledge yesterday. Apparantly my mum bought this back in the '80s, and my grandma was horrified and refused to have it anywhere! It's been given to me now, and will hopefully find a good home in France.I'm very touched to have been given this award by sweet Sarah, of Red Gingham!Thank you so much, Sarah! I suspect that most of you already know her lovely New Zealand crafting, thrifting and family blog, but any who don't have GOT to get into visiting it...

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Now, I am allowed to award this to five more fabulous blogs. I hope it's OK, but I have a plan for this award... Every now and then, you know how it is, I stumble across a lovely new blog that somehow I've never seen before. I'd like to give this award to one of those blogs today, and save the other four for new discoveries in the future. I hope that's OK, Sarah?

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So my fabulous new(ish) find, which wins the Fabulous Blog award, is Della Grace's Life. Della is the self-styled 'Queen of Random', but her random posts have a tendency towards the vintage, the thifty, the charming, the frighteningly youthful... Go and find out for yourselves!

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Sarah also tagged me (actually, Mandy says she's tagged me too, but I can't find that post, Mandy. If it's the same tag, will you accept these answers, please?) The challenge is to list six unimportant things I love. I've listed six before, but this time I'm going to list six unimportant things about Edinburgh that I love, seeing as Edinburgh is my home for the week:

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1. Long summer evenings. It's not dark at 9pm. It's not TRULY dark at 10pm. There is a pay-back in the winter but it's probably worth it.

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2. The science and technology room in the National Museum of Scotland - the boys can spend literally hours in there with all the activities.

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3. The charity shops!

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4. The dates and mottos carved on many of the old buildings.

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5. The tablet (ask for further details if you don't already know!)

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6. The Botanic Gardens.

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Thanks so much for this tag - it was fun! I've already tagged my six, so I think I'd better not send this one any further, I'm afraid.

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More charity shops tomorrow, perhaps, as I've finished my trawl through the family archives..?

Kelly, at Vintage Lifestyle, has given me an award! Thanks so much, Kelly - I really appreciate that. Your blog is so smart, and so professional, as well as making my heart smile...The rules of the award are as follows:

1)The winner may put the logo on their blog.

2)Put a link to the person who sent you the award.

3)Nominate 10 blogs.

4)Put a link to their blogs.

5)Leave a message for your nominees

Now this is getting tricky. A lot of you already have this award. I like the phrase 'makes my heart smile', because many (or even all) of your blogs do that for me. If I'm tired and stressed, you guys (gals?) can get me calm and re-motivated. Therefore, in my opinion, every single one of my readers who has not yet got this award should take it from me. I would like to award it to every person on my blog list, but for now let's just give it to those readers who haven't already got it. PLEASE, PLEASE help yourselves and take it NOW!

Leave a comment here and let me know if you've taken it. I do mean YOU.

Having done that, do read my lizard post below, because I don't usually do two posts in one day, and I don't want you to miss the main one...

Annoucing a winner... and awards...

Drum roll, please... This lovely ideal of Scottish beauty, as imagined by a French photographer, has an announcement to make.... Out of 117 possible entries, a random number generator chose the number 78 from my excel list...

This means that the winner of my first, Franco-Scottish giveaway, is Olga, of the excellent blog 'Where are you, Olga?' The 'Scottish' lovely above is the extra vintage photo I said I'd add - she has some 'English' and 'Irish' friends on the same photo... So, Olga, congratulations and please email me your address, and I will get posting!However, Olga and everyone else should keep reading, because Melanie, of A Country Dream, has very kindly given me this award. Thanks so much, Melanie - you have a lovely blog yourself! I need to pass it on to 10 other blogs I think are lovely – only 10? That’s always the problem, when there are so many wonderful blogs and kind bloggers around…
But I have managed to narrow it down to 10, so here are some blogs I would recommend to all, each with a very charming and friendly blogger:
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Olga, whose blog ‘Where are you, Olga?’ is an almost daily glimpse into an amazing part of the world or an inspirational art form. Olga is Polish and wonderfully well travelled! (I have to tell you I wrote this bit this morning, so I had no idea that you were going to be a double winner today, Olga!)
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Fleur, from Marble Rose – what entertaining things she finds and makes! I’m also currently envying her piano stool…
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Mandy, from Live, Laugh, Love – you can do all those things by following Mandy’s blog – it’s lovely to keep up with her family and her vintage news…
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Stacey, at Polka Dot Daze (I like the pun in the title), who is an incredible crafter, making wonderful things for her charming children, and blogging about everything so sweetly.
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Sarah who loves Red Gingham so much that her blog is both named after it and full of it! I love reading about her family and her crafting activities in New Zealand (Stacey is in New Zealand too – the world seems smaller through blogging!)
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Lululiz, who can be found in Lalaland (!?) and has some seriously good vintage shopping finds at car boot sales. She also makes soap and has a cottage in France which she can’t currently visit… read her blog to find out more…
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Julia at Vintage Heaven – just looking at her blog title pictures makes me smile; I don’t even have to get as far as the beautiful posts before I’m grinning…
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Joe, at Josie-Mary, another really friendly blogger who you just feel at home with when you read about her crafting, shopping or life…
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Beck, at Dandelion, who is a country-dwelling Australian who has taught me more that I ever thought I’d learn about organic garlic farming, and generally about living the Good Life, Australian style!
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and last but by no means least:
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Jeannette from Sans Soucis, who has one of the first blogs I ever read – it is a beautiful inspiration for calm vintage style (as opposed to my own) and has the added treat of letting you see everything written in Dutch as well as English, which is fun.
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I realise that awards can be a burden as well as an honour, so if you have time you are asked to pass this award on to 10 more 'Lovely Blogs', but if you don't have time, please just relax and know that I think you really do have a lovely blog - surely that's all you need to know...

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I am going to take a day off from the computer tomorrow (Wednesday) so if you find me sneaking a look at your blog and leaving a comment after this evening, tell me off!

Passing on a lovely award

Much to my excitement, I've been given an award by one of my esteemed followers - Ali, of Message in a Teacup, Tales from Betty & Violet. She has such a super blog that it's almost embarassing to be compared to it, but I guess that comparison is not the point. She says on her post that once given the award, we need to list seven things we love, and then go on to honour seven more creative bloggers with this award. Do go to her post on the subject, to see who else she has nominated.

So, on and off for the last 24 hours I've been trying to think of a comprehensive list of seven things I love. It's not really possible to fit it all in, is it? So here is an eclectic list. Like Ali, I've taken it as obvious that I love my family, and I would also add that as a Christian I love my Lord, Jesus, so those first loves don't feature in the list - please take them as read.

Seven things I love, in no particular order:

Days out with the family.

The fact that I was brought up to think for, and have faith in, myself.

Spring time.

Teaching a child to do something they couldn't do before.

Finding, or even just searching for, treasures in Charity Shops, Vide Greniers etc.

Having a good time without hurting anyone - this is why I love goodies with the Fair Trade mark, for example.

Making something new from something old.

Now, how to decide which of my many creative friends should have this award? This is very hard, because everyone I 'follow' impresses me and inspires me with their creativity. Where I have awarded those who have already got the award, please just consider yourself doubly/tripley/quadrupley creative, as Ali said! Wow - are those ordinal adverbs real words?

So here are seven people I really admire for their creative blogs:

Juanitatortilla - I've just done some shopping from her very creative range.

Ashley at Peacocks and Dragonflies - a very creative artist.

Elizabeth at French Village Life - I'm learning a lot about living a creative life in France from her.

Sara at Flossie and Tom - of course I like the fact that I share a name with her grandmother, too.

The Shabby Chick at Country in the Town - does she ever stop?

Sian at Diary of a Tinyholder - I've only just discovered her blog, but I'm liking it!

Sal at Sal's Snippets - another unstoppable 'kreativ' person, who lives in a part of the world I love.

Please help yourselves to your awards and, if you have time/energy, follow the 'sevens' rule.