Phew!

Well what a whirlwind of a couple of days.  Wednesday was my birthday and despite the nightmare that we've been through, my husband made sure I had a lovely day.  I was greeted with this from the children:

The picture does not do it justice - it is simply stunning!

And my dad gave me this (something I had spotted and wanted very much):

Then we went shopping where I got a lovely new top from Monsoon, new trousers to match from M&S, another top from Gap and some lush flipflops from Accessorize.  It's lethal going in to Accessorize - I want, want, want!

My husband then did a lovely BBQ in the evening and I didn't have to lift a finger.  I felt thoroughly spoilt, especially when it came to devouring a really lovely chocolate birthday cake.

Coming down to earth with a bump - today I have such a bad back that I've had to reach for my crutches again.  I hate it when this happens - just the smallest spot of gardening and my back cannot cope.

On to happier things - here is a photograph of the blind I made for the kitchen.  It is a Michael Miller 50s fabric and was so nice I just had to have it!  It was made very quickly because I was desperate to dress the window and make the kitchen feel more 'homely'.  I will endeavour to make a more substantial one in due course.

Grow your own!

After a very difficult and eventful few weeks due to two of my children being hospitalised with Pneumonia, today we had some time out and went to the garden centre.  I am now revamping the back garden and included in the new layout will be a vegetable patch, or Holly's vegetable patch to be more precise.  Wow, have we bought lots to grow!

• Potatoes
• Cucumbers 
• Strawberries (called 'Alice' so my daughter Alice will be delighted!)
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Mint
• Beans
• Peas
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Peppers
• Sweetcorn 

I think that's all!  I cannot wait to taste test the results.  Homegrown always has so much more flavour.

I also finally managed to buy a new pot for my Mother's Day gift - a little standard lavender tree.  The terracotta pot has the words 'Cottage Garden' around the rim.  Lush!   I have also potted up the two lovely little conifers in their pretty pots.

More Christmas craft ideas.....

OK, I know it's May but there is so much to catch up on and ideas to share!  Another item I made at Christmas was a Christmas garland.  Unfortunately I never got to photograph it before it was taken down for another year, but trust me - it looks good.  I sourced a cheap pompom covered Christmas long string decoration and added extras on to it, including felt items I had made and others I had purchased.  It was so cheap to make but looked so effective and eye-catching.

Some of the items that were included:

You'll have to wait until the new festive season is upon us to see the finished item, but if you scour Ebay for felt and shabby-chic style small Christmas decorations you will get them at an even better price this time of year.

Christmas Crafts

I admit that these days I am not a lover of Christmas.  Having lost my mum not so long ago, to me Christmas has lost its sparkle.  To try and revitalise my passion and enthusiasm I decided to do Christmas crafts last year.  As well as the cards and hampers I made (see blog), I also made 'Pots of Gold', 'Snowman Poop' and 'Penguin Patties'.  Unfortunately I didn't find time to photograph them which is a shame as they turned out really well!

I also made little jars of 'Reindeer Food'.  The kids loved them and I was able to make enough to hand out to others too.

Christmas Eve Hampers

I created my first ever hampers last Christmas and was absolutely delighted with the results.

This one was a gardening hamper for my Mother-in-law.  I followed a green and orange theme and included some hard-to-get seeds that I know she loves, a lovely vintage garden sign and some wooden plant sticks.  All finished with handmade felt flowers.

And the wrapped product, finished with a red gingham bow!

And this one was a Christmas Night-In pamper hamper for my sister.  I followed a black and white theme (to match her bathroom) and included lots of smellies, nail varnish, choccies, wine and a White Christmas DVD.

I didn't leave out the children!  They all received Christmas Eve hampers.  Normally on Christmas Eve they are beyond excited and find it hard to focus on anything so I decided to put together a box of goodies to keep them entertainined.  Each one had slightly different contents but they all included a Christmas activity book, some printed activity sheets, handmade snowman poo and pots of gold as well as books.

The kids absolutely loved them!

It's a beautiful day!

Sun is shining, housework is done (and it's only 10am) and it's coffee o'clock!  Only downside is three poorly children.

I need to sort out the back garden urgently.  We want to create a barked play area for the children on the right side of the garden, sweeping turf down the middle and create a patio on the left.  Lots to do and so little time as Holly is desperate for her own vegetable patch so I really need to make a start.  The question is, can my back hold out today?  And more importantly,can I resist temptation from buying lots of bedding plants and focus attention and money on landscaping?

I also have a second shoe to knit and am on the hunt for some pretty little buttons as decoration.  Time to hit Ebay.......

And talking of knitting, I have just discovered the prettiest needles!

Glitter needles by Pony.  Absolutely gorgeous!

OK, it's been a while....

I wouldn't even know where to begin to try and explain my absence.  Over a whole year has passed and it seems unbelievable.  Life has been so busy but in amongst all the angst and rushing around I have rekindled my passion for knitting.  I am working on the most beautiful pair of baby shoes for a friend at the moment using a lovely merino silk wool from Sublime in the prettiest pink.  Pictures will follow when they are complete!

That's not to say I haven't been creating, far from it.  I made all my own Christmas cards and was really pleased with them.  Time for some of the best examples: