Busy Bee Studio

Perfectly wrapped in a blanket of snow . . . . . .

 
Last night. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

as the last of my gorgeous customers left the Busy Bee Studio,   . .  

I closed the gate on the last wreath course of 2009 . . . . . . . . .

then . . . . . . . . . .

it began to snow . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

big, huge flakes . . . the type I remember as a child . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proper snow!!

 
It is almost, as if  . . . . someone up there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

waited till I had finished  work  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . then gave me the most wonderful present,

 
Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What more could a girl want? 

 
Snow has wrapped our house up for Christmas.  . . . . . . . . . . .

It all looks "picture postcard perfect" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Just magical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From our home to yours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have a magical Christmas .  . . . . .

Love Helen x x

Oh, . . . . . it's starting to look a lot like Christmas!

 
Oh, it's starting to look a lot like Christmas . . . . . . . . .

Love that song, don't you? Sorry I have been amiss . . . . . . .

It's a combination of leaving all my own, Christmas preparations 'till

the last minute, and . . . . . a bit of lurgy . . . AKA . . . . . . . . . . .  a cold,

leaving me feeling a bit miserable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
I have been washing every surface in our house!!

It's all very cleansing . . . however JBC is starting to worry . . . . . .

he thinks I've gone mad!!

Do you clean everything before you put up your Christmas?

 
Or is it me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I do feel better on both fronts now, cold is much better, and . . . .

"Christmas" has arrived at our house . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dresser is filled with Christmas china . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Christmas cushions on the sofas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Even Winston has his Christmas reindeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

he insisted I take a photo to show you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
And then it snowed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

It REALLY is  . . . . . . . starting to look a LOT like Christmas . . . . .  
 

Ho, ho, ho!!

 
Yesterday,  whilst liv'in the dream . . . . . . . . . . . .

AKA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Doing a weekly shop . . . . . . at Sainsburys . . . . . . . . . . .

Glamorous eh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I popped this double CD into my trolley . . . . . it's fantastic,

very retro, with artists like Ertha Kitt, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald,

Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Need I go on?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

But the best bit is  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

£3.00 . . . . . . .!!

I played it for the girls, last night on the wreath making course,

and they loved it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Amazing . . . . . . .and GORGEOUS!! 

Two places at once!! . . . .

 
 I'm in two places at once this weekend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and I tell you, that's not easy!!

Busy Bee has a stall, at the Christmas Markets Event, on Palace green,

right next to the Cathedral, in Durham city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

in a huge marquee, all weekend.

and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
I have Fresh Foliage wreath courses running at the studio.

I have been picking the foliage for you, from around our farm . . . . .

so it's all nice and fresh . . . . . . . . .I've picked some of this . . . . . . .

and some of this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and it's now all ready for my gorgeous customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Whatever you are doing this weekend . . . . . make it Christmassy!!  

On a cold and frosty morning!!

 
Look what all that rain has done to our field!!

Then, we had our first real frosty morning down here today . . . . . . .

We have two rescue donkeys Bumble and Dylan and a geriatric

horse, called Whiskers, he has a dodgy knee!!

The boys had been in the stables overnight,

and they all got to wear their newly cleaned rugs for the first time,

Cute eh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but not as cute as  . . . .

This is Bumble he's yummy!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Dylan didn't want his photo taken . . . . . . . .that's him at the back!! 

He said he wanted to stay a mysterious presence !!

 
Dylan didn't want to put the rug on either . . . . . . . . .

He said he would be warm enough . . . . . .20 mins later . . 

he decided he would wear it after all . . . . . . it was freezing he said!! 

Open Event Sunday 29th November . . . . . . . . 11am - 4pm

 
  
To be honest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

my feet haven't touched the ground this week,

as I have been out, every night taking Busy Bee Goodies,

into all my gorgeous customers homes . . .  . . . . . . it's so kind of them

to let me share their homes for an evening . . .

I must have . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   the best job in the world!!

I have also been making new gorgeous goodies for the "Open Event"

down at the studio, on Sunday 29th of November 11am - 4pm.

 
I will have these scrumptious heart shaped wreaths, for sale . .

wrapped with ivy and hung with a large metal heart . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ideal for your Xmas door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Small willow wreaths . . . hung with doves . . .  

gorgeous, handmade Christmas signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
and a host of Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
This is the first time I have opened up the studio a second time

for Christmas shopping, but so many of you have asked . . . . . . . 

I couldn't say no to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  'cause you're gorgeous!!

Hope to see you Sunday . . . . I will have the kettle on!! 

Planting for the future . . . . . . . . . . .

 
On Sunday, JBC, Winston and I planted 500 tulips for the future . . . . . . . 

They were a mixture of, white triumphator tulips,

which have a lilly shape to them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and another lovely tulip, called spring green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We have an all white garden, a small plot next to our conservatory,

and last spring I noticed that we were missing a few tulips . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tulips are my one weakness!

I love the idea of tulips, you plant them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and then they pop up in spring, just when you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . forgot you planted them!!

JBC planted 250 tulips and I planted 250 tulips . . . . . . . .

and Winston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?

 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . He wasn't much help to be honest!!

Stop Press . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Stop Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gorgeous journalist . . . . . . Hazel . . . . . . . . . . . .

Telephoned me this morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To tell me which house magazine  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
was going to feature our gorgeous . . . . . . . . . . . . Lavender Cottage

It's very exciting . . . . . . I am thrilled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Country Homes and Interiors . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 . . .

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!

Guess who's back . . . . . . . . . . . .?

 
Here is another clue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Have you guessed yet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One last clue then . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who likes lots of cups of tea?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Yeah . . . . . . . it's gorgeous builder and his beautiful assistant . . . . . .

who is also shy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
They have come back to complete our 10 year plan . . . . . . . . . .

When we moved here we had a 10 year plan to "do up" the house and

gardens, we are now into year 13, sooooooooh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

it has taken slightly longer  than we hoped!!

But we are on the last leg, now  . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and soon we will be able to sit back and enjoy it!!

This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
used to be Busy Bee Studio but now we have a new,

bigger and better version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gorgeous Builder is back to turn this . . . . . . . . . . 

into an office/study for JBC. . . . . . somewhere to put all his books!!

It was an old cow shed/stable, and the people before us renovated it,

so that it was possible to use it, as Busy Bee Studio for 7 years,

but JBC want's to put books in it soooooooh it needs a bit more work!!

When we pulled up the wooden floor we found this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
and this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
How cute?

Gorgeous builder has built a new chimney . . . . . . . . . . inside . .

 
 and has started to build new walls . . . . . . . . . . . 

 
All the building work should be finished in about a week . . 

I will keep you in the loop!!

P. S. Date for your diary, Busy Bee Studio will be "Open" due to customer

demand!!!  On Sunday the 29th of November, between 11am and 4pm. 

If you couldn't make the last one, or  if you need more goodies . . . . . . .

It would be lovely to see you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I will have the kettle on!!
 
P.P.S  Gorgeous builder is looking for gorgeous girls . . . . . .

to work for . . . . . . . so if you want any building work doing,

email me, and I will pass your number to him!

Busy Bee Home Parties . . . . . . . .

 
At this time of year I take Busy Bee gorgeousness, out into,

customers homes with our fabulous "Home Party Package".

They provide the home, friends, and family  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and I provide the, invites and the Christmas goodies !!

They get 10% in goods, of sales made on the night.

I still have a few dates left . . . . if you fancy it?

I pack up my little jeep till it's stuffed to the rafters . . . . . .

 
Goodies overflowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wait a minute . . . . . . . . . . someone else is trying to go to the party . .

 
Gucci loves all my girl customers. . . . . he loves to snuggle up on them,

and loves to Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He tells them they are the only girl who can ever make him happy,

And they all believe him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He tells them he would sell his soul for them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Then as soon as one gorgeous girlie leaves, he moves on to another!!

If Gucci were a man . . . . . . he would be dangerous . . . . . . .  

Out . . . . . . .out . . . . . . 

 
  That cat get's everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .