Perfect Sunday afternoon!

Hello lovely people - Amanda and I have just spent a perfect (if windy!) afternoon at Halswell House in beautiful Somerset. We drank tea and ate cupcakes sitting on the lawn listening to the jazz band. It was gorgeous! We did resist the lure of the Pimms & Champagne tent as we both had to drive today, but spent a couple of blissful hours wandering amongst the 20 or so stalls selling gorgeous goodies, stopping to chat here and there with fellow crafters!
We twice missed the start of a tour of the house by the resident ghost, so had to content ourselves with staying out in the sunshine, watching lots of small children learning the complicated game of croquet and riding in Victoria swingboats!
Back to reality with a bump tomorrow, as I am returning to work! I haven't done half the things I had planned, or half the crafting! Never mind, I'll have to have a spurt this week to catch up! I do feel very chilled though ... the week off gave me time to stop and enjoy life - to appreciate where I live and how lucky I am!
Hope you all have a lovely week!
Tina xx

Where did it go??

Hello everyone - can't believe my week off work is already over! It disappeared in a slowed-down haze of pottering about finishing off projects, researching on the net and drinking tea with Bella!
We managed to get our bums in gear and go for a run yesterday, which was lovely! We were much better than the first time we went out on Monday and only needed two hours drinking tea and chatting to recover ourselves!!!
I've been busy listing lots of our things in our folksy shop - have a look at http://www.folksy.com/shops/tinadarch and let us know what you think of our goodies!
I was hoping to take Bella and the Moo (aka Freya and Maddie) swimming yesterday with their mum Fi, but Quantock Lodge doesn't open for summer family swims till next week, so the girls came to visit instead ... cue lifting all my craft projects about 4' up in the air, so the girls can't "explore" them! It was lovely to see them and Freya has renamed Steve "Silly Grandad", which everyone but him thought was hysterical!!
It's very quiet here at the moment as I have the house to myself - Luke and Steph are both working and Steve is out playing golf with two chums! So I'm not having to listen to the golf on the telly in the background or the dulcet strains of Slipknot hurtling down the stairs!
Must be time for another cuppa now ... will catch up with Bella tomorrow when we both go over to Halswell House for their open afternoon of croquet on the lawn, tea & cupcakes, strawberries & cream, vintage Victorian swingboats and about 30 lovely craft stalls selling all things gorgeous and unique. Can't wait!
Lots of love
Tina (aka The Moo)
xxx

the Moo takes a week off ...

Hello everyone - Tina here (aka The Moo) enjoying a lovely week off work. I spent yesterday sewing and made lots of lovely lavender bags - my living room smells gorgeous! Today I have been valiantly trying to finish knitting the baby's cardi I was asked to make before I went to France (I did the back whilst I was away). Bella and the Moo have been so busy since then that I haven't found the time, so this morning I sat on the sofa for 3 hours knitting and watching the telly!! Such sacrifices I make!
Seriously, though, I have spent some time researching suppliers on the net - need to find good suppliers of fabric, trimmings, bags and tissue, labels - all things gorgeous. Will be speaking to our lovely friend Kim soon too to see if she will start making us some beautiful wirework & crystal heart decorations, along with the fab jewellery she already makes!
We will be out and about again next month in the lovely village of Stogursey, with a stall at their annual Its A Knockout Day! Should be fun!
Be lovely to each other!
Tina xx

And we're off .... !

What can I say - we had a lovely time at the school fair yesterday, where we met some lovely people and received some lovely comments on our pretty things. It was a very strange feeling when we made our first sale ... we both just looked at each other and giggled "we're in business!". It was great fun and hopefully we will reach a time when we can do this for a living - it is fab!!
Amanda stayed for the whole 5 hours whilst I was off dancing and partying at the golf club summer ball - bless her for covering the whole event and having to pack everything away by herself!!
I must say being in the school yesterday restored my faith in teenagers - every single one there was doing their best to make the event a success and to be as helpful as possible. Well done to everyone at Haygrove School for hosting such a successful event!
As well as the things we sold on the day we also came away with a couple of orders, so I shall be back at the sewing machine tomorrow making them!
Take care everyone and remember to enjoy every single moment!

Tina & Amanda
xx

Bella and The Moo go to the fair

Hello, hope you saw us at the fair. Our first one! It all went well, we met lot's of people who loved what we were doing, lot's of ooohhhh's and aaaahhhh's and " oohh my granny had one of those". Thank you to all of you who supported us. It was great fun, more like a social really with all the chit-chat, tea and cakes! We have taken several orders so we will be busy sourcing fabric and sewing next week.
It's simply lovely doing the things you love doing!

The great essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
-Joseph Addison


You all have a lovely, lovely weekend and love each other.

Amanda & Tina aka Bella & Moo xxxx

Ready, Steady, Go!

Hello lovely people - Amanda and I have just been practicing our display for Friday's Summer Fair. We thought it looked lovely, but had it confirmed when my 18 year old step-daughter came to look and just went "Wow!". Guess we've got it pitched ok!!
It was good to see just how much stuff we had made and collected over the last couple of months since starting Bella and the Moo. Just got to keep our fingers crossed now that we make some sales on Friday! If not, at least we've got lots of things ready for our own fair in September! lol
Must dash - want to write to Ben before bed!
Lots of love
Tina xx

Our first fair is coming up!

Hello lovely people - just a quick update before I'm off to bed! Amanda and I have just spent a happy couple of hours pricing up lots of our gorgeous handmade and vintage treasures ready for the Haygrove School Summer Fair on Friday. It's our first outing as Bella and the Moo, so we're not sure how it will go, but hopefully dipping our toe in the water will give us some idea of where to pitch ourselves!
I've still got to make a banner with the lovely Cath Kidston iron-on letters I got on ebay as well as customise our two aprons .. oh and I've got to get some more cushion inners and we have to practice putting our display together! Golly we'll be busy!
On top of all that we'll be doing our day jobs, slimming world, yoga, visiting the real Bella and the Moo and lots of other stuff! Lovin it!!!
Remember - if you love life, life will love you back.
Take care of each other.
Tina xx

Staff Away Day!!

Hello lovely people - Amanda and I had a lovely day out yesterday (for my birthday). We called into Watchet for a mooch about and had a cuppa, followed by a lovely al fresco lunch in a tea-garden in Dunster. Then we spent alot of time bimbling about in the local shops, which stock fabulous things ... we get lots of inspiration and I couldn't wait to get back to my sewing machine! Amanda made the day so special for me - she is such a gorgeous person!
Today I have been busy at the machine and have made some blue camouflage bunting (for Mummy's or Daddy's little soldier) and a great checked cushion with a heart motif on the front.
We have our first craft fair event this coming Friday at Haygrove School, so if you are out and about looking for some lovely things - pop in! It's happening from 3.30pm - 8.30pm.
Lots to do - it only seems like yesterday we had a vague kind of "what if ..." sort of conversation and here we are - doing it!!!
Take care of each other!
Tina xx

Tina's face was a picture!

At last I can stop being Agent A, secrets are such hard work!! Tina's friends and family all brought goodies for the table and a few tipples, and the champagne that had been hiding in my garage was flowing nicely!
Tina is one of lifes good people, always doing things for others, being there when times are tough and generally being a rock, so it was lovely to do this for her. Tina is one amazing 50 year old and I love her to bits!
Now we have to get Bella and The Moo back on track as we are at a charity fair in two weeks, sewing machines at the ready. We are fully booked for our fair in September and have taken lots of bookings for our Christmas Fair, so it's all looking good.

All for now, remember "work hard and be nice to people"

Take very good care of yourselves xxx

Bonjour mes amis!

Hello everyone - it is lovely to be back. I have had a gorgeous few days in France, with my lovely hubby and arrived home yesterday tea-time to find my fabulous best friend Amanda had organised a surprise 50th birthday garden party for me! The house and garden were festooned with gogeous bunting and streamers and everywhere looked very, very pretty! All my closest friends and family were there too and I had the most amazing few hours. The champagne flowed, there was food aplenty and such a lovely, lovely atmosphere. Thank you especially to Amanda and Kim for all their hard work in not only organising the party, but in managing to keep it secret from me!!
I have come back from my hol refreshed and with loads of new ideas, so will be getting the sewing machine out in the next day or so to have a go!!
Yesterday evening was very very special for me and it made me feel so warm and blessed to be surrounded by such lovely, lovely people ... it's so comforting sometimes to take time out to appreciate all the fantastic blessings in our lives, and I have plenty!
Lots of love
Tina xx