Happy Halloween

courtesy of Google

 

Enjoy the Day!

 

xxx

One A Day - Tuesday Tallies

Oh dear, I really should be naming this post None A Day.

 

 

My hexie blanket has been forgotten this week. But the lovely thing about a large blanket is that you can pick it up and put it down, as and when. 

 

 

Ok so that's not to say I haven't been crocheting, far from it.  Other projects have taken over -

 

cobwebs

 

 

poppies (for my lovely family)

 

 

and a VERY long foundation chain - 282 chains to be exact :)

(more on this little project tomorrow)

 

 

Make sure you visit Carole for more One A Days :)

 

xxx

Seasonal Delights........

Good Morning my Lovelies, hope you are all well.  Hello and welcome to my new followers, I'm so pleased you've stopped by.

 

So, the last couple of days I've been pottering about at home completing a few seasonal bits and bobs. What with both the Little Sweetpeas feeling poorly and the weather here simply awful this seemed the perfect time.

 

So first up, I've finished a couple more spooky cobwebs and they are now blocking.

 

 

Whilst wandering around the new local shop I spotted these fun paper decorations along with some plastic bats and spiders.  I shall be putting up my little display at the weekend.

 

 

Remember the macerating fruits? 

Well they have now become a very fine Christmas cake.  Let me know if you would like the recipe, I have made this cake every year since I left home in 2005 and it's turned out fabulous every time!

 

 

Another hooky make is a poppy for Armistice Day.  After seeing a couple on various blogs I was inspired to whip up my own. 

 

 

I will of course still be donating but I now have a poppy to wear year after year.  The lovely pattern can be found for free here if you want to have a go too.

 

And finally a bit more baking in the form of white chocolate and cranberry flapjacks, for my sister who is popping round later with my gorgeous niece.  Mmm, yumm!

 

xxx

One A Day - Tuesday Tallies

It's that time of the week where I link up with Carole over at Gingerbread Girl for Tuesday Tallies as part of the One A Day project, make sure you stop by and check out everyones progress.

 

Well I sorry to say that distractions this week have caused very little progress on my Rainbow Hexagon Blanket, only 5 crocheted this week taking my total up to 28.

 

 

 

Other crochet projects have taken over too, whipping up some spooky Halloween bunting (see my previous post)

 

Hoping to spend looks of time hooking this week as the weather is awful here and both the little sweetpeas are full of cold.  Lots of snuggling, chocolate and lovely movies are in order me thinks!

 

Exciting news though!

 

Photo Courtesy of Lazy Daisy Jones

 

 

Yesterday I won a giveaway held by the lovely Daisy over at Lazy Daisy Jones, a little bundles of crocheted flowers, hearts and butterflies - I will have so much fun using them! (pictures to follow when my parcel arrives!) Make sure you go and visit Daisy if you haven't already, she has a charming blog full of hooky goodness!

 

xxx



Taking It Easy

After a busy week, followed by my Grandad's funeral on Friday, we decided we needed a quiet weekend to contemplate and to recharge our batteries.

 

Although extremely sad, the service on Friday was absolutely beautiful and exactly how my Grandad would have wanted it, I think. My mum found this poem which sums everything up beautifully and I wanted to share it with you:

 

His Journey's Just Begun

By Ellen Brenneman

Don't think of him as gone away-- his journey's just begun life holds so many facets this earth is only one.   Just think of him as resting from the sorrows and the tears in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days and years.   Think how he must be wishing that we could know today how nothing but our sadness can really pass away.   And think of him as living in the hearts of those he touched... for nothing loved is ever lost And he was loved so much.   ***   So back onto the recharging weekend - I spent some time in the kitchen making a comforting crumble for Sunday Lunch (Rhubarb this week)   preparing the fruits for the Christmas cake     I spent some time relaxing with a lovely magazine I've just discovered - if anyone knows where I can buy this in a shop please let me know, this one was ordered online.     Fabulous patterns!     and I also spent some time hooking up some spider webs for some Spooky Halloween Bunting (please excuse the awful state of my ironing board cover - nowhere else to block them!)     Pattern can be found here

 

Have you all had a lovely weekend?

 

xxx

One A Day - Tuesday Tallies

Oooh, there's a whole lotta hexagon love going on around here! Am LoViNg my current one a day project.

 

Managed a little hooky time on the sofa this weekend - I really must sort myself out a better bag to keep my current projects in :)

 



And sewed in all the ends on my first row (what a good girl, wonder how long I'll be able to keep that one up, eh?)

 



 

So I've managed 9 hexagons this week and a total of 23.  It's going to be a fairly decent sized blanket. 21 hexagons in length (about 60") and 14 hexagons wide (40") perfect for snuggling under!

 

 

Make sure you visit Carole for more one a day projects!

 

xxx



Doughnut Love

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.  It's been gloriously sunny here but very cold.

Mr Sweetpea has started working on a new house in Wimbledon Village so yesterday we all hopped into the car for a little trip to see his new site.  What has this got to do with doughnuts I hear you ask?

 

 

Well, on the way is a VeRy scrummy doughnut factory - you may have heard of it?!

 

So as a special Sunday treated we popped in for tea and doughnuts.

 

 

 

What could be more perfect?

 

xxx

Bake!

This is one of my FaVoUrItE baking books, love Rachel Allen.

When I saw this picture I just knew I needed to make this cake.  Poppy seed cake with a scrummy vanilla buttercream. Here is my attempt.

 

Ooh it is divine with a hot cuppa, but very rich so a small slice is perfect!

Also making lots of crumbles to go with Sunday lunches at the weekend.

Image: James Martin

And some divine flapjacks to take to toddler group on Wednesday.

I AdOrE filling the kitchen with the wonderful warmth and aroma of baking at this time of year.  The Christmas cake is next on the list in the coming weeks.  What have you been enjoying baking?

xxx

One A Day - Tuesday Tallies

Source: Google

 

Before I begin on Tuesday Tallies I just wanted to give a warm welcome to lovely new followers, I'm glad you've come along and also I wanted to say a HuGe thank you for all the sweet comments you have been leaving me, they really do make my day that you've taken the trouble to read what I have to waffle on about! :) I'm so pleased to have brought back lovely memories for you about the GoRgEoUs Brambly Hedge.

 

So, back onto Tuesday Tallies, part of the One A Day project over at Gingerbread Girl.

Now, what with a bit of a sad and stressful week I have just managed to stick with my one hexagon a day for my Hexagon Love Rainbow Blanket.........

 

 

I have 14 PrEtTy rainbow hexies.  These colours really do brighten the darkest of days. But, note to self: sew in the ends as I go!! :)

 

Be sure to hop on over to Gingerbread Girl and take a peek at the other one a day projects.

 

xxx

 



Autumn

When I think of Autumn (and the changing seasons in general) I always think of Jill Barklem and the utterly enchanting Primrose and Brambly Hedge. If you are unfamiliar with these children's stories, here is an excerpt from the Brambly Hedge website : 

 

Brambly Hedge is on the other side of the stream, across the field. If you can find it, and if you look very hard amongst the tangled roots and stems, you may even see a wisp of smoke from a small chimney, or through an open door, a steep flight of stairs deep within the trunk of a tree. For this is the home of the mice of Brambly Hedge.

The mice of Brambly Hedge live together in a close-knit community making best use of what each season has to offer.

The images are absolutely delightful and the morning walk I took last week with the Little Sweetpeas is very reminiscent of the pages from Autumn Story.

 

Do you remember this post?
We visited our local woods in early summer and now it is time for an early autumn visit.

 

Beautiful blues skies and glorious sunshine greeted us today but there was a definite nip in the air.  Not much floral colour left and the leaves are turning yellow before autumn really takes a hold.

 

The odd blackberry still clinging to the bushes and rosy red rose hips provide the only burst of colour.

 

The grasses are still heavy with dew.

 

Gorgeous sunlight streaming through the trees

 I do so LoVe this time of year!

xxx