Friday 19 July 2013

Hellfire and all the saints

It's hotter than hell here at the moment. I've given up trying to do anything. Opened all the windows, closed all the curtains and blinds and stripped naked.

I'll spare you that particular selfie...

Some great news on the home front. The Wardrobes are underway. After months of no-shows by workmen various, I poked the man with my elbow and said, 'right, you're doing them'.

























They are nowhere near finished and I will have to take it all out again, but as soon as he downed tools on Sunday evening, I was in there tidying and styling. It's been three years since I've been able to hang anything up. I realise I probably top some saddo list, but I don't care. I'm delighted.

From hell to heaven.

We went and started clearing out his mum's house a couple of weeks ago. I got practically a football team worth of saints. Unaccountably nobody else wanted them. This used to be chalet corner, but, just as Henman Hill became Murray Mound, so this is now Catholic Corner.





































Do you recognise any of them?



















That on the left is St Theresa. She has a chipped lip, but looks of a very reasonable disposition. Christ the King on the other hand? Well, he looks a bit like the man of the house when I poked him with my elbow and told him he was doing the wardrobes.





























I also got a couple of mantillas. I used to love wearing them when I was little because it made me feel like I had big hair. Do I look virtuous?

The garden is blooming its socks off. There are flowers everywhere. I'm terribly fickle. I change favourites every week. How about you? What's your favourite flower?



























24 comments:

Vix said...

Well hello, petal, I must say that you're my favourite flower!
You don't half make a sexy seƱorita with that mantilla - you've too much of a naughty glint in your eye to possibly be considered virtuous.
Jesus looks well pissed off as well the man of the house must have been slaving away over those magnificent wardrobes in this fabulous weather. I'm seriously impressed by his efforts though, no wonder you've come over all unnecessary, think of all that saved cash for a nice little holiday.
Does he fancy coming round and sorting some out for me? I promise we haven't turned into Donald and Jacqueline since last night.
Love the footie team of saints and that china cat with the floral head dress lurking in the corner.
Have a splendid weekend! xxxxxx

Fiona said...

Lucky you, a handy man about the house. Seriously, how many frocks ? (I've got three!) No wonder you are in such need of wardrobe space. What a splendid array of saints. Christ the King looks a bit satanic tho, his eyes remind me of Damien in The Omen. St. Theresa on the other hand looks a very nice nun but should she be wearing all that make-up? Your floral displays are bloomin lovely, dahlia's are delightful I must give them a go.

Curtise said...

Oh yes, you are quite the saintly senorita... Or maybe not. Catholic Corner looks suitably kitsch (my friend calls her mum's collection of Catholic tat - sorry, icons - Holy Moly Heaven.) Is it wrong to say that Jesus looks a little... well, effeminate? Actually, I thought he was a girl, with a big hat like a Russian dome. What do I know about religious iconography? Clearly nothing.
Well done to The Man for his efforts, hurray for hanging things up. Gets stuff of the floor, so that's good.
And your flowers look delightful, lined up and blooming beautifully in all those little jugs and vases. I can never pick a favourite either.
Hope you have a gorgeous weekend of dining alfresco, keeping cool, and looking virtuous! xxxxx

Anonymous said...

I am with you every (sweaty) step of the way regarding this horrible heat. The various weather bods have been subject to my shouts of despair over the last week as the temp has risen every SINGLE day!
How exciting to have a wardrobe shaping up ; Q really has such a talent for making things. Very impressed. It looks great with all your bits in place.
Love the sweet peas xx

Allison said...

no heat here at the mo but that will soon change...im hangin for this winter to be over. I love love your new little statue collection.im a little obsessed myself and mines called jesus and the mary chain gang. said in hushed tones of course. what glorious flowers...my fave is anything that blooms despite my dismal gardening abilities.
congrats on the new wardrobe....every girl deserves one you know!. enjoy your naked days....every girl deserves those too! Al x

Connie said...

Pick a favorite flower? Hmmmm...that would have to be You! You look so cute in the mantilla. My Nana had a ton of those that we weren't allowed to play with. hmph! We used to play big hair by putting petticoats on our heads. We're talking BIG HAIR.

Helga said...

I am excited for you!!! Nothing saddo about it at all! I would have gone NUTS and there would have been no blowies for G if I'd had to wait 3 fecking years!!! It's just not cricket!
OMG, I am dribbling over all that lovely religious kitschiness! I had no clue who any of them are, bless for attending to my education! I can't believe no one else was interested!!! Their bad!
My favourite flowers are spikey ones, like cactus dahlias, waratahs,chrysanthemums (sp?!), and I also adore lilies of all varieties! O, and smelly jasmine,daphne and the like..I don't swap allegiance at all, I'm just fickle and love a wide variety! O, and double camellias...blah blah blah.....G has a small flower bed just for me, and he loves surpsing me with splendid flower arrangements when they're in bloom!
And YOU are bloomin' GORGEOUS!!! LOVE!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kylie said...

You guys are having a heatwave at the mo, aren't you?! On our news last night one of the 'stories' (and I use that term loosely) was about how you Brits are struggling to find things to wear in the heat (I mean, really?!) Sounds like you've got it sorted F.F. Just wear nothing!
I love Catholic Corner. Gosh those Saints had dramatic, violent, tortured lives. When I was a kid I used to think I might like to be a saint (ha!)- a pretty one, with flowers in my hair - no daggers through my chest or Catherine Wheels or anything! I have so much lovely old kitschy religionalia, stored in boxes, because my husband won't let me bring it in the house - he says it creeps him out! (I did have a luminous Mary when I was a kid that used to freak me out - I was afraid she would turn into the real thing, so I used to hide her in my knicker drawer!)
This comment has gone on for far too long so I'd better go - except we are currently getting a wardrobe built in our bedroom so I feel your pain re not being able to hang your clothes. Love to you x

Pull Your Socks Up! said...

Three years without wardrobes? That's enough to make the most patient of saints go completely insane! I adore the pic of you looking ever so devastating and piously sexacious in your black mantilla. I'm absolutely drooling over your statues and floral arrangement. Now I'll let you get back to lolling about in the heating wearing your favourite (neked) outfit;) xo

two squirrels said...

Yay a new wardrobe is worth a happy dance.......I am so happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!
The figurines are amazing......bless that corner....tee hee!!!!!
Hope you have a truly scrumptious weekend.....stay cool sweet.
Love V

two squirrels said...

Oh oh you have my most favourite flower......blue cornflowers..........sigh they fill me with such lovely memories of being a little girl in my grandmas garden.
Thank you.
Love V

Hannapat said...

Fingers crossed for the wardrobes. Complete admiration, No way I could've coped three years without habging space., love my clothes too much. Hubby would have had more than an elbow in his side after a week let alone three months. Saying that seeing my hubby with a toolbox (and not that one) is a miracle and a major hazard, they don't go hand in hand. Anyways your house must feel very holy right now and smell rather lovy too. Roses my fab for the mo. lovely weekend to you my dear xoxo

Miss Simmonds Says said...

oooh I have a mantilla! I must keep using it, I was going to sell it. I want to see photos of your garden, if your flowers are anything to go buy, then it must be beautiful. My current favourites are sweet peas, I love anything old fashioned and cottage garden-y.
You look a bit virtuous, but there's a definite naughty supercilious look going on. I love the Saints Army! Christ the King looks really pissed off, but St Theresa is lovely!
ooh just found this great book you might like, I've got it and it's lovely http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Cottage-Garden-Shire-Library/dp/074780818X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374322988&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=cottage+gardens+twiggs+way

Melanie said...

I love the religious figures :) My friend is Catholic but loves kitsch so we got him a Virgin Mary bubble bath bottle one year! He also said he wants ladies at his funeral to wear Mantillas, heh.
That's a good job there with the wardrobes, oh the luxury! The shower rail in the bathroom is currently my wardrobe as mine got taken over by LP's :/
Such pretty flowers! I love all flowers but especially heady scented ones like lilies, sweet peas, jasmine, oh I LOVE jasmine so much, it's glorious. I also love lilacs and honeysuckle and poppies are beautiful xxx

Unknown said...

You are looking always like a senorita... Your wardrobe is great, I only use a rack to hang some clothes on but I love and need it.
xx

Ofelia said...

Catholic school flash backs!!!!
I had to wear mantillas as a young girl for our Sunday Mass as required by my aunt rules and sometimes as part of the school mass too.
Is ok to love all flowers, including yourself!

miasmode said...

Yeah it's too hot over here too. That reminds I have to built my wardrobe too. Btw you look adorable.

xx

his_girl_friday said...

I'm not Catholic, but I LOVE Catholic iconography.

A Certain Vintage said...

Our house is still filled with statues like this being a born and bred Catholic. You have 2 child of Prague statues there (the infant Jesus)...the one beside St Therese too! I actually went to the Child of Prague shrine on holiday just a few weeks ago!
Great finds. I love old statues like this and how they painted them xxox

Krista said...

I'm so happy for you sweetie, every gal needs a closet to hang her frocks in! The heat is here too and I love the get naked part I'm picturing all my neighbors doing this behind their closed blinds:). Your looking as beautiful as any saint, those are some real beauties! I adore all the color on your mantel too, your house is as colorful as you my dear! Hope you staying cooler this week.
Xxxxxxxooooooo

me said...

You are so pretty. :) Personally, I grab saints and anything of a vintage/religious nature whenever I can so - I think they're kind of cool. The flowers are beyond beautiful and I'm happy you can finally hang up your clothes (mine are currently in a mountain shaped pile on the floor).

Unknown said...

Bless you I can understand just how happy you are, I would hatenot being able to hang my clothes up, I hope he gets it finished quickly for you. Your flowers are gorgeous they look so pretty on your mantle. And you look gorgeous to along with your saints, dee xx

Annie said...

Hey Tania, Just catching up! I'm loving the heat, and as I've been moaning about the weather for at least two years now, I really can't complain at all!

You say nobody wanted those charming saints? Who'd have thought it :) St Theresa does look pretty cool, but that Jesus is really a bit scary!

Very impressed with how your wardrobes are coming on. Well done to your man. And your mantelpiece posies are heavenly.

Hope to see you again soon.

Annie xxx

Unknown said...

Ooh I love Catholic corner! Don't leave the room - I will steal those as quick as look at them! And the beautiful bright floral mantle is exquisite! As are you - looking completely virtuous. HA!

Sarah xxx