Beds/no school like the old school/make do and mend

A princess bed and 1950's bed!

Make do and mend! 

I was very upset when our Ikea bed fell to bits after about 5 years. When we brought it, I had to get rid of the most beautiful and cozy beds I have ever owned. The Gold bed, I could write a blog just about the gold bed. In fact I think I should at some point. It was a life changing bed! I was very sad to see it go and gutted we didn't have room to store it....just in case we ever had a girl.....

I contacted Ikea, and they wouldn't replace our mattress under its 10 year warranty. Saying I hadn't hovered the bed enough...I did try to say that maybe if the bed slats fitted and didn't mean the mattress fell half out then maybe the mattress would still be ok....am ranting...We lived with our broken bed for as long as possible.. A lot of our house is Ikea, so I do love them, I was just gutted about our bed. It was a super-king, in dark grey. Beautiful and all five of us could snuggle for a film on a Sunday or if someone was ill. We often wake up to an extra mini person in our bed in the morning.....

I have just brought a double bed which is over 50 years old...
I think my husband is right am losing my mind. Lol. 
More on that later....

So here I was with a broken bed and the last thing I wanted to do was just bin it but no way could I sell it....it really was in bits! Our little girl, has a big bed, full size single and a cot bed. We brought the single bed as its a day bed. I had it in my head would could read in it and then she could sleep in it when she was older and we wouldn't need to buy another bed. mmmm best laid plans and all that - as she fast grew out of the cot bed and was still a bit small to go into a single. Well not with some sort of bed guard. We had tried a few different styles of bed guards over the years, and there wasn't really anything which would work. A friend said about building some steps, so she could climb in....that got me thinking.

We where collecting our 'new' bed at the end of the week, so I spent a few days around the mini people, sorting through our bedroom. Changing around things like the wardrobe, as our new bed was much, much smaller. That's when the idea popped into my head, as I looked at our old king size head board, what if that would work I thought... I walked it through to her room and it did. So I started to make her a castle! 


I walked passed two broken Ikea chairs, waiting by the front door to go to the wood pile down the side of the house...Perfect I thought

If you have been reading my blog awhile you will know am a hoarder! So far her new bed has cost me 2 pounds, for some fake ivy! 

Left over paint from painting her room, a flag from our broken bike trailer, 2 broken ikea chairs, one head board and two parts of wood from the foot board from our broken ikea bed. Glue and filler left over from working on the caravan.

A few more jobs to do, fixing it all on, ivy, windows and fairy lights to go! 

I will update this when its finished! 

So our 'new' bed...

Our 'new' 1950's bed. 

We are always on a budget, we spent a huge amount on our old bed. We really didn't want to spend that sort of money again, only to be in this situation again in 4-5 years time.....I started to look into different beds, most where crazy money. Then I had a thought, we have inherited a beautiful 1940's wardrobe and dressing table....why not match them! Go the full hog! So on and off I have searched for a vintage bed. Just when I couldn't bare it any longer and our bed had fallen to bits - I found one!! 

The seller was lovely, this was his parents bed.

 For this and two wardrobes, it was around 500 pounds!!!! That's crazy money for 1950!! (our house sold for around 5000 in 1972)

Now am a hoarder, I love old stuff, am happy at a boot-fair, love a junk or charity shop. But a bed, that feels very personal. Not only personal, also there really isn't many about. There are a lot of wardrobes about but often the bed was replaced a few years back. Add into that my husband is not a fan of old stuff. I was really worried about telling him, I had brought a 1950's bed!! 

Our new bed arrived home and we thought, its late we cant get it together to night. So we slept on the floor, we had got it in our heads it would be like a fun den......it was not....

I spent the next morning, cleaning, oiling the wood and cleaning some more. 

It looks perfect with my Nana's bedding. 

I have always been excited for my bedtime but now I feel even more relaxed and excited! Its way smaller and a lot higher, am worried about rolling over in the night and falling out!! 

Now am on the hunt for a sideboard and a set of draws so all the Ikea can be bashed from the bedroom. Once I have finished our bedroom make over I will share it :)

Check back for updates! 

Retro Festival

This is the first time, we have got to go away child-free!! This was a big thing for us, a chance recharge our parent batteries and relax. (aka nap, sleep, drink a warm coffee and meal!!)

Retro Festival, I've been so excited about it, picked my outfits (1940's one and 1960's one) Hubby got dressed up too!

I know, the most cheesy photo you will ever see of me! Its much quicker to hitch up and go without three mini people..I did manage to leave the record player at home which really upset me! I love putting on a record in the caravan. 

****HUGE HUGE THANK YOU****

When we arrived, a friend took one look at our wheel and said there is something wrong. Before we could even start to worry that Daisy maybe unsafe we had four amazing friends getting their tool boxes out, getting off her wheel and making sure all was ok. Money cant buy you that kindness, thank you so much for caring!! Lucky shes safe but needs a little work, so we have a list and Hubby has been shown what to do. I cant thank them all enough for caring and helping. (Also thank goodness it was on our first child-free weekend as it would be been a nightmare with three excited minis in tow!)

All set up and ready for the weekend! 

To really feel part of an event its best to try and dress up! Am still not getting my hair right but on hand was my lovely friend who is amazing with hair (I've told her she should have a stall next year and I will pay her in vintage Tupperware!)

We had lots of fun, just relaxing. I found I really didn't take many photos or video, just relaxed! (Hair now sorted and sun out off we went for a look round.)

We spent a lot of our time just looking around the other vintage caravans, I think there was over 80 of them!! So we didn't even mange a good look at each one! 

One of the things I love about shows is looking around other peoples caravans, seeing their displays and getting ideas. After doing up Daisy (almost finished) I can see how much work some has put into another van! 

Am starting to feel like I have ticked off most things on my wish list for Daisy. Even found some fun solar lights for her canopy. I really didn't find many things when we looked around, a few things I liked but really didn't need so I was good and didn't over spend! My best buy was the sun lounger. I have been after 1-2 of them for ages. This one was a bargain but does need to be fixed. 

I think its become my Husbands new favourite place!

Daisy is such a family affair! Here is my Nana's 1960's table cloth, one of her retro towels, and a 1960's coffee set from my Great Uncle! We use this set in Daisy and when ever we are away. 

I made pancakes for bunch and people looking round the show asked me where I had brought them.......They where really shocked when I said I had just made them in the caravan.....

Yes her 1960's oven still works and is used every trip away. Many people think that the vans are only on display but I think all the ones in the club are used and loved, just for trips away! She is very much a family van, used and loved. So don't look to close, as the paint is not perfect, she still has a few dents and a little work still left to do! 

On the first day I showed her with her dinning room table, set up for dinner for two! Nothing we have is just for show, our clothes are in the suitcase, our food is in the amazing cool box, which still works so well!! This is another one of my Nana's table cloths, I love it! Am so excited as I have found some fabric which should work to cover the her benches/beds. These are retro sheets covering them at the moment but the colour is all wrong! 

On the second day I thought it would be nice to leave up the main bed so people could see it! Its a huge 6x6 foot bed, which is way nicer to sleep on than our current bed at home! (Our 5 year old Ikea bed has fallen apart and the mattress is terrible with springs sticking out, so I have just brought a 1940's bed! Am very excited about picking it up!) I love retro sheets, you just cant get these amazing patterns anymore! 

Shows with three small people can be lots of hard work, trying to keep things looking 'show' and getting them not to move the display things (which is hard for them as its just our everyday things.)

So for the first time, we both just relaxed. I found it really hard! I had ants in my pants, as they say, I just couldn't sit down! 

Without children asking for dinner, and relaxing so much we didn't have much of an idea what the time was.....we eat dinner very late. I must say it was lovely! I managed to make quite a complicated meal, of tofu Kung Po in the caravan! I was very impressed with my self and it was amazing. 

We don't get to sit in Daisy and have dinner late at night, as the mini people would be sleeping! So it did feel like a real treat! 

I love seeing everyone dressed up!

I went for 1960's on day two, this is one of my everyday dresses. Its so easy to wear, I love it! It just happens to be 1960's. Am still working on my hair.....I think I need to spend a night looking through youtube! 

People loved Daisy's kitchen garden! Its so easy to grab some herbs to throw into dinner while cooking in her. It also smells amazing! 

I cant remember the last time my husband and I sat down to a warm meal in the morning together, just us. It was lovely to relax but we missed them loads.

It was great to show off some of the things we have collected for Daisy. As you can see, I need to finish the shelf, but think I have come up with a plan now as to how to do it (I couldn't find the right wood!)

It was lots of fun to look round all the caravans, cars, and stalls! 

Am working on my pile of blankets! I would like at least one for each of us. So only another three to go.....I have at last started on one! 

It was a lovely, relaxing weekend. 

**Video of our weekend**

Daisy is looking just a little different, these photos are a year apart at the same event. Not many more jobs to go till she is 'finished' am very proud to be showing her, and how far we have come! 

Want to see our trip to Retro Festival last year, click here

Click here to see more of Daisy's adventurers

Click here for Retro Festival's website

Weald of Kent Steam Rally

Wow, this was unlike any other event we have showed our caravan at before! 

Showing Daisy around our three young minis, can be very hard work. Setting up, and showing a van, is not a relaxing holiday. The caravan needs to be show ready, and its nice to be able to talk to people about her. Not a relaxed, still not put the bed away, craft stuff everywhere sort of deal....

So this means when we are showing Daisy, its an extra stress for hubby and I to keep her looking 'show.'

Having said that, showing our caravan means we get to go to some amazing events, and a steam rally in Kent wasn't what I thought would be the high light of our year......

but boy was I wrong. It was amazing, a crazy English summer style, from blazing sun to massive down pour. We got the chance to go to this amazing event. 

Our location was fab, with planes taking off just next to us, this event was huge. Vintage cars, steam engines, fair, tanks, planes and caravans. There was so much to see and do!  

We love being away in our little vintage caravan, snug as little bugs. Thank goodness for dim-out fabric in the curtain lining! 

She is really coming together for shows now, well just for using her - everything in this photo is used! This is my Nana's 1960's table cloth, our 1970's cool box found on ebay and works so well all weekend. 

Our beauitful J&G Meakin 'Poppy' set of coffee pot and cups, from my Great Uncle. My amazing find of the 1950's picnic set, click here to find out about our picnic set. The 1960/70's bedding was my Nana's and the fabric for the curtains was found in a loft having being brought in Africa in the 70's!

Some of the best things where the free things, like when our Bear went running up to this guy - He was amazing and let them ride on the back while we walked along next to them. The minis thought it was the best thing ever! 

At last I have started to type up some proper information about Daisy for shows.

Can we all just take a moment to note, how wonderful my husband is and how well he knows me - Check out these guys!!! Flipping love them!! 

I think Daisy looked pretty good! She got lots of attention all weekend!

People loved my kitchen herb garden. They are just racks from Ikea! Perfect when am cooking in Daisy, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Chives and Lavender. 

My 1950 light shades and homemade holders look pretty good, if I do say so my self. Just the beds to cover next, even though they are retro 1960/70's sheets they are not in keeping with her colours. 

The area for the rally was huge and there was lots of space to have a picnic or let the minis run off some Energy! 

Truly beautiful sunset right over our caravans. 

Every event we have been too so far this year, its been someones birthday. So I made some more yummy cakes! (Most where eaten by people visiting Daisy!)

Even though these events are harder with mini people, they are worth it!! 

I love to cook in Daisy, on her 1960's hob!! I need to work on her oven more though, a job for another day! 

We had an amazing time, well done to the people running this event. Its on our list for next year, people jumping out of planes, tanks, fair, goodness just too much to list!! It was wonderful, a proper family day out and for us, an amazing event to show at! 

To read more about Daisy click here.

To read more of our adventures click here

To be directed to the Weald of Kents website click here.

Yummy Flat Garlic Bread

I just made a very simple bread dough. 

White Bread Flour - I would say about 2 cups
7g sachet of Yeast
Pitch of Salt
Pitch of Sugar

Mix together (you can add a little herbs into the dough too, like rosemary)

Then I added warm water and mixed, till it was a soggy dough.

Kneed on a well floured surface for a few minutes. Popped it back into the large mixing bowl (having dusted it lightly inside with flour) and placed a tea towel over it. 

If my slow cooker was on i would have popped it on top but as it wasn't I did the following : Poured hot water into a larger bowl, Sitting the bowl with the dough in it on top. I left it until it had doubled in size. 

Pulled it out of the bowl, rolled it into a ruff round shape. (Mostly just with my hands, pulling it into the shape I wanted.)

Then I added, finely chopped rosemary/mint and a little thyme. 

Then add the garlic.

I used dried garlic flakes, but fresh would be fine. Sprinkle over oil, which ever one you like, think all I hand to hand was veg oil. Pop in a hot oven, mine was about 200c.

Cook till golden brown and eat as soon as its cooled a little! (Eat it all as its not as amazing reheated)

Its quite a showstopper arriving to the table whole!

Perfect to dip in some vinegar and oil, with a pasta dish or just on its own! 

Easy and yummy!