Monday 28 March 2016

Clocks...Family...Easter

Hello....its a day of disruption....the aftermath of storm Katie has left us all disrupted this morning...my eldest grandson and my dad were off to the Motofest at Weston Park...grateful that the morning was at least dry, if a tad chilly they set off for a day of looking at all the vehicles...but when they arrived...it had been cancelled due to the flooding :( (one disappointed Grandson...one disappointed Dad!)  I foolishly decided to nip to another DIY centre this morning 15mins up the road...just to check their wallpaper selection...I was missing for 2hrs due to road closures, again due to flooding...so I'm staying in the rest of the day :)

Over the last 24 hours we have had every bit of weather...sun, rain, hail, thunder, lightening, gales and snow! we only missed out on the frost! haha

Our clocks went forward an hour this weekend...the start of lighter evenings and the start of our British Summertime....I am so in need of some sunny days...beaches and flip flops :)

When the clocks go forward...I am grateful for the lighter evenings but it really knocks my body rhythm about...I'm very tired and fuzzy headed for quite a few days...I really don't know why because I know it doesn't affect some people at all...anyway that's the little bit of moaning over haha...

~O~

Its been a bit of a hectic week here...I have managed to motivate Hubby into the decorating so its been a week of stripping walls...wallpaper hunting (very enjoyable for me) and moving and distribution of furniture...most of my clothes are in vacuum packed bags and I have no idea where anything is!  But all good fun and the plan of how our bedroom will look is falling into place in my mind :)  So really there has been little time for anything else...but I did manage some Easter decorating...


Pink blossom garlands have been draped and the bunnies all have pink bows :)



Even Stanley the Stag is wearing his Spring Crown :)

The daffodils opened into a glorious display....


the little sprigs of forsythia gathered from our walk on Good Friday have now also blossomed :)

My Easter vase of branches turned out lovely...remember the photo's I posted last week of what I had in mind...


the blossom branches all bloomed yesterday its very pretty now :)



And I saved my egg shells and made these....



~O~

For my baking this week...I decided on a Lemon Roulade...one of Mary Berry's recipes...she baked this on her Easter programme this week...


its the first time I have ever tried to make a roulade and I was really chuffed with how it turned out...the little wafer flowers made it look very spring like and it tasted yummy :)

~O~

Not much crochet has occurred due to the decorating commitments...but my basket has very much changed colour...I couldn't get "the feeling" for the project I had started last week...so I've put it away for another time...and have embarked on another patchwork blanket...but this time just using blues and greens so that it can appeal to boy babies....


I have been keeping up with the daily squares but haven't managed to join together another row...so they are in a very happy, colourful pile...now in the cupboard...somewhere! :)

~O~

Yesterday was spent at my daughters with all the grand children and my parents...it was a lovely day...lots of Easter Eggs....an Easter Egg Hunt....lots of fun play....and we had a fabulous lunch of slow roasted lamb and garlic potatoes....so yummy :)

I had to show you this photo of the youngest in his flat cap..... :)


he just looked so adorable...I do apologise for the runny nose but he had just taken a tumble...but managed a smile for the camera bless him.... :)

~O~

So that has been my week...quite fun filled...enjoyable with no stresses...(until I went to the DIY Store today...haha)

I will leave you with this weeks quote....


not so much a quote...just a little bit of a "wish list"...and it seems to be written on that wallpaper I so wanted...haha....

This weeks vintage photo....

did you have a pair of these skates?  I did...strapping them to you shoes and managing to keep them there was an art in itself as I remember...I was never very good...lots of falling over and sprained ankles...but all good fun...I so wanted to brilliant but it never happened....

Have a lovely week all....enjoy everything you do...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx








Monday 21 March 2016

Spring Has Sprung.....

Hello...Monday seems to be the new Sunday as far as diary posts are concerned :) As yesterday was so lovely I spent it at my parents home with Puppy Dog...so didn't get to post last night and its going to be the same again next week...as I'm off out again for Easter Sunday with the family :)

Well this week has been a lot better...thankfully my flare up which caused me so much pain last week has subsided :) but I have taken it easy...just been "pottering" around...do you know I think I could become a professional "potterer" I enjoy it so much...just going gently from one thing to another :)

First day of Spring yesterday...so Spring has sprung....at home....


The weather again has been very kind....and I did get to get into the garden...nothing strenuous though...just a tidy up...a little spring clean of the summer house...getting it ready for the warmer sun...its a lovely place to sit and contemplate...meditate...or crochet... :)

My wreath on the door has changed from Winter to Spring....


it has been released from it vacuum pack hibernation and is in full bloom again on the front door...this is the updated one I made last year...using Lucy's (Attic24) hellebore flower pattern...

This week will find me busy getting out the Easter Decorations and baking an Easter Cake...I always have something like this mind....


I'm going to see how close I can get to this image :) While I was having my boiled egg this morning I came across this...


Needless to say...my egg shell has been saved and washed out...guess I'm having egg for breakfast every day this week! :)

~O~

I went out for lunch with my oldest friend...not oldest in the age sense...but we have been friends since school...so we have known one another a very long time....we did a tour of the local garden centres...grabbing a spot on lunch on the way....it was great having a good mooch around and making our plans for summer gardening....I came away with lots of ideas and two plants...


the most beautiful blue hyacinth and a pretty primula...which had been reduced in price...


its too pretty to put outside so its sitting lovely on the kitchen counter :)

~O~

The baking this week....was a bit of an experiment...I had buttermilk in the fridge which needed using and some strawberries going soft...so I decided that it was going to be strawberry muffins...then I spied my small baking tin and thought...I could make a muffin cake????


the plan worked and it was delicious...first day as a slice of cake...and yesterday...warmed up with custard for Sunday Lunch Pudding...Yummy :)

~O~

I have managed to catch up on the daily crochet squares...so we are all up to date again... :)


there's enough to attach another row to the main body...so that will hopefully be done this week :)

Last week I showed you some Maybelle Flowers that I had started making...but I wasn't "feeling" the plan for them I had in my mind...so they have been put aside and I have started just a plain and simple large granny square blanket...


but again I have to say I'm really not sure on the colours...I don't know what's the matter with me...I will persevere and see how it goes...if I still continue to be unsure I can always undo it :)

With Spring in the air...and the fact my daughter has been decorating...my mind too has tuned to doing some decorating...the bedroom is first...I've narrowed the colour down to three...mocha...pale grey...or pale sage...I have been looking at wallpaper on the net...but you really need to get your hands on it...so a trip to the DIY store is planned for later this week...to gather armfuls of samples :) oh what a happy day that will be :))))) (#BIGSMILE)

I did spy this on one site...but I seem to be the only who loves it??? Maybe its my obsession with "Fixer Upper" and "Shiplap"...


I sort of knew that it would be a no from Hubby...but I'm having this wallpaper somewhere...watch this space... ha ha :)

Well I think that has brought me to the end of this week...and this has just plopped through the door...


I love my monthly dose of Country Living :)....so I'm off to make a cuppa and have a quick scan of the pages....


So to this weeks vintage photo...


I remember Mom having one of these...we thought it was brilliant...but by todays standards...still hard work! Heaving wet washing out the tub with those wooden tongs...into the spin dryer...then into the sink to be rinsed and then back in the spinner! And this was a labour saving device... ha ha...all good fun :)

This weeks quote...isn't really a quote...in honour of St Patricks Day this week...an Irish Blessing...



Have a lovely week...enjoy everything you do...till next time xxxxxxxxxxxxxx






 


 


Monday 14 March 2016

A Milestone in Life....65 years! :)

Hello....a day late with my diary this week...I was wondering what to write about as I have not really done anything this week...I have not been too good all week...I've either trapped a nerve...or its a flair up of my ongoing osteoarthritis...or a bit of both...but the left side of me has been in a lot of pain all week and my arm and hand pretty much unusable...it does feel a little better today but I has knocked me for six not being able to get on with things :((

Anyway....that aside...I don't like to being a "moany" about me...I may not have much to "show" you this week...but I can tell you a little story about a milestone that was reached this week....

This is my Aunty and Uncle...she is 89 ( her birthday was last week) and he is 90 in a few weeks time....


During this last week they celebrated their Wedding Anniversary....65 years !  In this day and age it is fantastic...but they come from a time when the marriage vows really did mean forever...and as this generation passes on...I sadly doubt it will be heard of very often in the future...but what an achievement in life...I think its wonderful....but the story does not end there...they live in their house still...they do their shopping...the cooking...the housework...the washing...gardening...and of course they really enjoy their holidays :)  And talking of them being in their own home...they have lived in the same house for 62 years...and they have had the same neighbour all that time!!!! I can hardly believe it...that has to be another milestone achievement! I love them both dearly....xx

~O~

Last Sunday evening I did get a spurt on with my stripes and squares blanket to get it finished...and I did achieve that....




And I did start to make some flower squares....but with the way I have been feeling...my heart was not in it...so there's no progress at the moment...


And I have to admit that I didn't do any daily squares either...so I shall be playing catch up to get back on track..... :)

~O~

Needless to say baking took a back seat also...but I did make a peach crumble for pudding on the day Mom and Dad came for lunch...as you can see we had Ambrosia deluxe custard with added clotted cream...yummy


~O~

A couple of sneaky little...emphasis on Little...purchases slipped through the letter box....


A couple of years ago I purchased a printers tray...one of the trays that has all the little compartments for the printing letters to go in...and as I am planning to re-decorate the office/craft room...I want to get that up on the wall...so I had been looking at little things to put in the little spaces...I wanted to put things in that meant something to me...so I got this cutest little fox terrier dog...I had a walker with one of these dogs on when I was a baby and I learnt to walk using it...so fox terriers have always been one of favourite dogs so I had to get that...and the other is a little work box...so again very me :)

The day Mom and Dad came...Dad came in with this glass....


Its a useless photo I know...but the glass made us laugh...Dad said it would indicate to Hubby what sort of day it had been when he comes in from work...half full a Good Day...3/4 full a Bad Day...full Don't Ask! Ha Ha...of course it will only ever be half full!... :))

I cant remember whether I mentioned last week about growing lettuce from the left over stalk?? Well that's what I have been doing...just a quick re-cap...I saw on Pinterest that you can grow lettuce etc from the left over stalk in water...this is the result after a week....


Nearly enough to put on sarnie! Now I can tell you I wont be doing this on a regular basis...I just wanted to try it...I'm now trying it with celery...ha ha

~O~

My favourite thing on Pinterest was found yesterday...as I haven't even taken much interest in that this week either...


the cutest little bunny cake for Easter...I love it and think I might have a go at this one :)

~O~

So that's my week! A little low...but I will give myself a kick up the backside this week and get motivated again :)

So to this weeks vintage photo....


It was Barbie's birthday...she turned 57....at last...I LOOK LIKE BARBIE!!!! Ha Ha....

This weeks quote....

This is what I'm going to look for this week...that ordinary moment that turns out very special....

Have a lovely week all...enjoy everything you do...and look for those little ordinary moments...xxxxxxx











Sunday 6 March 2016

Family Day :)

Hello...hope you are having a lovely day....and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there....in UK anyway, I know the dates are different in other countries :)

I have travelled up to my daughters today to spend the day with my little family and my parents came too....it has been lovely...lovely lunch and super strawberry and cream cake...and a couple of cheeky glasses of Fizz...nothing better :)

My daughter and the 3 munchkins :)

I've had some lovely gifts too...a little pretty pink plant and plant pot from the munchkins....which is sitting on the bathroom window ledge....


And a gorgeous hand painted (by my daughter) motto sign which will be hanging on a wall...once I've decided which one...I have pranced around the house this tea time trying to decide where it looks best :)


I'm so pleased that the crafty bug is rubbing off onto another generation :)

~0~

It has been mighty cold this week...which has made for some lovely frosty walks and very red and rosy cheeks!  We drove through snow...rain and brilliant sunshine today so I know various parts of England have had very different weather!

~0~

It has been our Anniversary this week so I baked a Banana & Carrot Cake...I'm not really a lover of Carrot Cake but I thought this might be nice with the banana in...and it was...


the cream cheese frosting was gorgeous...like runny cheesecake :)

~0~

Again this week I have been spending a lot of time on Family Tree research....and I'm very happy to report....a break through! I have found my Granddad and his family!!!! It was amazing....one census just popped up and there they were...I could believe it! I thought I was imagining it as it was 11:30pm and I was so tired...but now I have addresses...dates and professions...he and his father were Publicans...which we had suspected....and I think I'm almost back another generation as well...so it has been a really good week on the search...I can't tell you how satisfying it has been...and a relief....I was becoming a little obsessed!

Not a lot of craftiness has occurred due to one thing and another...and my family tree search obsession...but I have joined another row of daily squares....


and I am determined to finish my stripes and square blanket this week...I have decided what my next crochet project is going to be...and the colours...and I'm itching to get started.... :)

~0~

Well I think its going to be a short and sweet diary entry this week....I don't seem to have been up to much :) I did find this on Pinterest or was it Facebook...it doesn't really matter....I thought it was a great idea for a present of wine/fizz and chocolates but presented in such a great and different way...


How brilliant is that! A wine and chocolate pineapple! Just a great idea :)

I have forgotten to show you my hyacinths from last week...look how they have grown and opened....


they fill the room with that heady scent...amazing :)
 
So that's it....I will leave you with this weeks vintage photo....


Were you an Angel Delight person or Instant Whip? Or maybe you liked both? I was definitely an Instant Whip fan...it was one of my favourite "after tea" pudding...it had to be strawberry flavour and I had sliced banana in it too...ooo the memories ha ha :) 

This weeks quote....


good advice...each moment can be perfect :)

Have a lovely week...enjoy everything you do...make some perfect moments :) xxxxxxxxxxxxxx