Reflection

Today has been a day of reflection.

Taking time to appreciate the simple things.

Spending time with loved ones.



Taking time out from a difficult week.

This ice cream boat made me smile.

R.I.P. Dad.



Thinking of you

It's typical....just typical isn't it?  Half term begins, plans have been made and I get a cold.  Ugh! I have been feeling very sorry for myself this week and not gone out or done much at all. 

I haven't been feeling the love with scrapbooking this week either so made a few cards instead.

I have also been practising my crochet. I love the Neapolitan ice-cream colours. I thought I had mastered the ripple but later found out it was a zigzag pattern but it still looks good.  I'm sure there are mistakes in there but I am going to persevere and continue to crochet enough for a scarf.

  Although today (my first trip out this week) I bought some more Rico Can Can Glitz wool to finally knit myself a ruffle scarf in this colour.

Apart from wool purchasing the shopping trip consisted of  clothes shopping for the teen.  I don't know what is worse, a teen girl who could shop for England or a teen boy who expects clothes that he likes to fling themselves into his hand.  They just don't know how to browse.  Maybe they have x-ray vision and can see through the racks of T-shirts but if I didn't shoo him off into the racks he would just stand there and then declare he didn't like any of it.

 Then after 5 different shops (unfortunately Topman is the clothes shop of choice these days, though Primark which is my preference due to cost comes a close second). We end up buying yet another grey/black T-shirt with a skull design (rolls eyes). 

Well, I think it's time to crack open another Lemsip (Oh joy) then I think I am going to do some sewing. 

Week 6, Photo 365+1

A few days late again but here's last weeks 365 photos. Been playing with my apps to edit them and try different filters etc. Answer to last weeks question about the cups...Mr Bump=Rob, Andy Pandy=Nigel, Hickory Dickory Clock=Me. Half term holidays for me so catching up on the crafting:)

Three Things



Just three things I am aiming for this year.

Three little achievements.

Three goals.

I have dozens of alpha packs but still I run out of E's or don't have the right colour.  These are Thickers, promarkered and glimmer misted.



..So I used a masking method.

Call them what you will but they are not resolutions...uh uh, don't believe in then.  Resolutions are what you never seem to achieve, are set to break, then make you feel bad when you fail.



A cut up John Lewis value tape measure, bottle tops and glimmered tag.



So my three things...

1. Loose a few pounds in weight. 

An achievement that I will find hard as I have never dieted before and love my food. I grew up as a skinny child, my mum cooked great traditional hearty food.  I got married and left home, had my own family, put on a few extra pounds during pregnancy (3 stone...eek) but lost it again after the birth.  But since I have got over forty the pounds have been adding on slowly.  If I don't loose some weight I need to go up a dress size and that ain't happening. No sir.  So loose weight it is.  I have the new digital scales (as my eyes are older too and I cant see the little lines), I have the slimming app (myfitnesspal), the power walking partner (Nigel bless him) and the determination.

2. Learn to crochet

I have tried to learn a few times, my mum has shown me, I have some books but I never seem to be able to make anything half decent.  I have a couple of techniques in mind that i want to master.  The ripple, granny squares and flowers.  I have made a start and got a book with diagrams (remember that I don't do instructions) and managed a few basic stitches.  I thought I had achieved the ripple but found out it was a zigzag in disguise. But it's going well.

3. Sell some items at a craft fair.

I would really like to have a little business going but don't like to craft to a deadline date.  It takes all the fun out of it.  This idea is still a work in progress but I'm thinking of maybe a Christmas fair with a friend.

So there you are, my goals, my aims my hopes for the year.  And you know what?  If I don't achieve them, it really doesn't matter as they are not resolutions but just three things to aim for.

Week 5, photo 375+1

Well hello there, hope your not all snowed in:) A late start here and ofsted postponed. Here's this weeks photos:
Only two to be explained this week,
2. Collection....I don't really collect things but this is our collection of children's cups from our childhood. Can you guess which is whose?
6. Interaction....Finally Rob has found something to be enthusiastic about on his artwork....collage/paint gorilla skulls. He actually wanted to show me and talk about it:)

That's it for today, stay warm now:)

Winter equations

Summer + hedgerow + dead end lane = blackberries + abundance = frozen bounty = delicious winter breakfast.

Enjoy today wherever you are.  Here we have a layer of snow.  Ofsted tomorrow....I hope they arrive.

For Sian's Storytelling Sunday.



My Month in Numbers...January

Hello, bet you didn't expect to hear from me so soon....that will be because i am joining in with Julie Kirks, My month in Numbers this year.

Don't know what I'm blithering about check it out here.  I am going to show my month as a layout on the last day of each month but as I hadn't started it yesterday, it had to wait until today.  I haven't been very organised about it even though I read Julies tips, so next month i must try harder to be more organised and write things down.



So my first month in numbers is:

• 31 Days of taking photos for photo 365+1
• 70 Was the age of my mum on her birthday which we celebrated with Champagne and Iced Lemon Cake.
• 3 Lbs in weight lost...slow but steady.
• 7 crafty projects completed....mostly presents for my mum.
• 4 Different types of soup made....Tuscan Bean, Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper, Carrot and Coriander, Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach.
• 11 Blog posts this month...which surprises me as when I stared the blog it was only one a week, if that.

I cut those circles on my Bigshot out of all my scraps over the Christmas holidays, I knew they would come in handy at some point:)