Monday 10 July 2017

Simple Pleasures :)

Hello... :))

The Simple Pleasures....just like my coffee cup says...
since work doesn't stop play anymore I can definitely say that we are able to enjoy life so much more.....


What a couple of weeks its been....we've had a mini heatwave...and it got very hot, very quickly! Then a little rain...and some grey skies...but its still been hot and sticky

I love the sun but I'm not a lover of heat...I come over all unnecessary haha...I definitely need the heat turning down!  I wouldn't mind if the heat made the fat I'm carrying melt away but that would be a little wishful thinking wouldn't it...haha :))

I haven't done a thing in the house all the while the heat was with us... I figured as all the windows were wide open...what was the point of dusting...it would have all been back again in minutes (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it haha) we did spend a day chilling (no pun intended) in the garden...but that was enough... some bedding plants finally made it into the ground on one of the days that had clouded over for a bit...and I wanted to take a photo of my lovely lily plant to show you...but wouldn't you know it all the blooming flowers had started to die off! So I will have to wait until the new blooms are out to show you...in the meantime I took a photo of my beautiful Pinks...love pinks :)) I did go slightly mad the weekend (I blame the heat!) and cut all the hedge...arms are now very achy :(


I have just written the first part of our 'Road Trip' its on the PAGES section and I will be logging each destination over the next few weeks...

(picture taken from Pinterest...website in in bottom corner)


A couple of little outings have been had....one to Llandudno...we took my parents with us...you will see from the photos the skies threatened rain all day but we didn't have a drop and by the afternoon the sun was peeping through...Fish and Chips were had for lunch...as its the "law" when you go to the seaside in our house :)





a gentle stroll along the pier and the promenade...it was great to see it so busy with holiday makers...its a lovely old fashioned town...beautifully kept...love the antique & vintage shops there too...a good old rummage was had :)

Today we have been to Trentham Gardens but just to the shopping street and garden centre...there are some super little shops selling what I call "non high street stuff"...we sat and had coffee...that's my cup at the beginning of the post...and the wording just said it all...Simple Pleasures...that's exactly what I was enjoying...sat watching the world go by taking it all in...people chatting and walking with their doggies...<3

Trentham gardens is famous for its fairies dotted around the grounds...and one of the shops were selling kits to make you own wire fairy!!! I had to have one!


This is what one is supposed to look like...I'm hopeful that mine will turn out ok...we will see :)

Too much money was also spent in the foody shop...mustards....biscuits...sweets and a cheeky bottle of damson gin (Yummy)

On the craft front...well...not much...I have started my scrapbook...


and I've been planning a few things I would like to do...the school holidays will be upon us soon and we wont be day tripping so much...so I'm going to kick my butt into gear and get crafting...and I have my fairy to make! :)

We have had a new, smaller fish tank at home and we have babies from the fish that are in there...I have spent hours watching these fish...they do have character and some are a little feisty! Every morning I do a head count...and we have 3 new baby additions...the photos are not great I apologise for that....

The babies are in this photo...honest! they are the two pale dots in front of the taller pagoda! haha

Wimbledon is on...no rain so far...this photo sums up Puppy Dogs thoughts on the competition...

No one is taking her tennis balls!

From Pinterest the usual bits n bobs have been saved...I have started a new board for Fonts & Handwriting...I'm going to teach myself some of this fancy writing :)


I fancy doing some sampling embroidery so these will come in useful :)

I loved this little mug too...


Well that just about rounds up the last couple of weeks....

I will leave you with this quote I found yesterday...it made me smile...have a great week all...enjoy everything you do...xxxxxxx



 









Friday 16 June 2017

Oh What A Lovely Time We Had The Day We Went To.......

Good Evening :))

I think this is the first time I have posted of an evening....

I have had just the most wonderful time on our 'Road Trip'...it has been the best time ever!!!

I saw this painting in the Tracy Savage Art Gallery in Scarborough...it was in the window of the shop and I fell in love with it...unfortunately the original was out of my price range...but they sold cards of the paintings so I could bring it home after all and somehow it summed up the lovely time we had travelling.... :)


I also bought another called the 'The Boat House'....I cant wait to get these framed up and on the wall :)


So I'm not going to bore you all on here with full details of the trip...I'm going to do that on separate pages so you can read about it if you want to...but it will be a great journal for me to remember a great time...but I am going to share with you photos of our destinations just to give you a taster haha...

Day 1 A day at the seaside in Morecambe...

A beautiful beach, beautiful place and a beautiful sunny day!

Day 2 The Lake District

Lake Windermere...the most gorgeous scenery...but the weather was awful...couldn't have got wetter if we had fell in!

Day 3 Into Scotland we go....


Gretna Green...What a little gem of a place :)

Day 4 Further into Scotland...and the golf courses beckoned...

Gleneagles....


Carnoustie....What a beach...just wonderful

Finally landing in Dundee for the evening...

Day 5 Our favourite place was...


St Andrews...loved this place...golf course was wonderful...beach just heaven!

Berwick-On-Tweed was our overnight stop...

Day 6 Seasidey Places....

Whitby...yummy fish and chips!

Robin Hoods Bay...

And finally Scarborough....beautiful and sunny

As you can see we packed a lot in but I would encourage you to do this sort of holiday at least once it was fantastic!

Puppy Dog has a whale of time too...

In the car navigating.......haha


On those glorious beaches playing :))

So we've landed back home...and I'm filled with happiness...not been up to much...just the usual washing and ironing after a holiday :) but I had to share this with you...one of my gorgeous friends let me have her parents old milk bottle holder...which was sitting in the porch looking quite lonely and cobwebbed...but I just loved it...now after a little clean...its sitting on my kitchen counter and now I love it even more!


I've been enjoying the sunshine today out in the garden tidying up...my lily is in full bloom...I meant to take a photo but its dark now so will save that for next time...but here is one of the flowers with Buddha...


I will sign off for now but will be back very soon...and I hope to have started the 'Road Trip Travel Log Pages' the weekend...but the sun is going to be out soooo I may get drawn into the garden...haha

I just wanted to leave you with a few little bits...

My friends mean the world to me...and they really are the family I've chosen...they are the best!

And I read this yesterday and thought it was beautiful...so I wanted to share it with you...

Have a perfect week...enjoy everything you do...take time to see the joy in life...xxxxxxx



















Friday 2 June 2017

Time Has Flown....

Well doesn't time fly...I cant believe it has been soooo long since I have posted on this little corner of mine....



But life has been very topsy turvy since the end of last year...we have had to deal with illness...we've had family upsets...we've had a bereavement (not of our immediate family but a family friends family who are very close to us) and it has really taken its toll...but I think we are through the worst of it and looking forward to happier times ahead.... :)



A lot has changed...the major news has been Hubs taking early retirement...a big decision to make but nevertheless the right one...it has been wonderful...the stress that it has lifted off our little family has been enormous and we are all feeling the benefit of this moment in time...I can't say that in the future we will be living the "Champagne Lifestyle" (more like a bottle of Fanta...haha) but I am so looking forward to quality time and enjoying life! :)

I have had a few health issues...which I think we have put down to a wheat intolerance...not full blown coeliac but some side effects...so that has scuppered my baking...but its going to be an opportunity to learn new recipes :) and unfortunately my crafty mojo has not yet returned...I have done very little...just a few personal cards....


This was for my Father-in-Laws 80th Birthday


and this for the very beautiful Ella-Rose who at 4 is a very accomplished winning pony rider!

I also made some buttonhole flowers for my parents for the wedding they attended last week...


So I've not been entirely "uncrafty" haha...I have still kept up with my Pinterest obsession...and these few items certainly piqued my interest.....


 Aren't these just gorgeous??? I'm not very good at Tunisian crochet...but I think I might have a go at trying to work out how to do some using basic crochet stitches...


and I just loved this "paintbox" effect of colour blocking....I can feel a blanket plan coming into action at a later date...I think this would be beautiful :)

The upshot of Hubs being here now is we can get on with all the trips and days out we had planned for his retirement...but we get to do them earlier :) I have been lucky enough to visit lots of countries over the years...but there are so many places here in the UK that I have never been to...and lots of them on our doorstep really...so there will be lots of updates on our days out as and when they happen...last week we did go out on a daytrip to...Chasewater...its literally down the road from us and I had never been...it was glorious and a place we will visit often...all for free!  I will be doing separate pages for our trips out and just snippets on this main page...


We do have our next adventure planned....we are doing a Road Trip!



Its good to be back writing again...will be back soon...in the meantime enjoy everything you do and make the most of everything....xxxx