joshy and belle

My month in pictures

2012-01-25T03:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure where I found this image, I think it may have been the CK website. Just recently I've been a little bit stuck, as if I don't know who I am some days, and other days I'm so sure of my own ideas, feelings and how I would like things to be done that I feel as though I want to throw everything I have away, paint our whole cottage white and start again! My style seems to be changing, but the space I live in, my funds and my ideas keep getting stuck, and with a heavy heart I look at the things I do have and wish I could pack them away and just live simply with what I need, but when they are packed away I miss them! maybe it's a new year thing but I seem to be spending my January days taking things to charity, sorting and tidying only to find the house bare and not quite right and so putting more stuff back in the empty places!

Any way what's this on the sofa?

For Christmas I was lucky enough to get both CK tins full of bright knitting and crochet yummy ness!

Our little cottage Christmas was so lovely, just the four of us, we went to church in the morning, we opened presents and ate and ate, we watched telly, and played games, later when the boys were tucked safely in their beds we ate cheese and biscuits and sat with candles dancing in the fireplace and I played making little bright granny squares, on boxing day we went to the beach, it was cold and windy but just as magical as the beach always is, strewn with shells and dancing foamy waves.

I ordered this bag in the January sale to hold my knitting and current cushion projects

And whilst I was there day dreamed about having a wall for caths digital map print wallpaper!

And saving pretty jars to make a tea light holder for a friend,

And a pixie hat, 1940s inspired for another friends' daughter, my model now he's a bit older wouldn't have his photo taken in a girls hat!

And look at these lucky finds in our local antique shop, this old chap now holds my crochet hooks and I love him,

and my little wine cork, so sweet now stands in our kitchen

And after Christmas when the year is new I have a birthday, I love having a January Birthday, most of my family give me money so I can shop in the January sales, this year I got, a few bits from Cath Kidston

Some postcards from a birthday day out

This little leather suitcase, I saw him tucked away so long ago but my purse was empty, he waited for me though, and now he sits by my spot holding vintage patterns that I love to just sit and look through,

And this which you may have seen on Vanessa's blog, I am so happy with my necklace, I love how the dog detaches to be worn all by hisself, and at how me this is considering I've never met Vanessa in real life!! Thank you so much Vanessa!

What a busy month and a bit I've had, I wish this hat fit me!

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festive fair isle & jolly wreaths

2011-11-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

Listening to Vera really makes my heart skip, shuttered up tight in our little cottage whilst the sky swirls in a windy grey spray of wintertime clouds stretched above the cherry tree,

Inside I've been swirling too, with little pieces of soft blue felt around and around my tiny hoop, and then afterwards watching as tapestry wool flowers gently grew in my hands before sitting in their little places.

I am really pleased with my wreath, sorry the photos are tinted with a murky darkness, that's how it was/is in Hampshire today, I bet the beach is lost under a winter mist.

On the book shelf a little pile is starting to grow up to meet the flowers waiting to open,

any ideas what it could be?

A little fair isle stocking to hang on the fire place. I've wanted to try fair isle for so long, this is my first attempt made last month, the tension is a bit tight pulling the strands a bit taught at the back of the work,

you can see a few 'holes' where the colours have twisted a bit too tightly, I've learnt now to keep one colour on top of the work and the other colour below it so they don't tangle and pull each other,

and here is the back of the stocking, which has knitted slightly looser so the whole shape needs to be played with a bit during blocking! Still though as my first attempt I am so pleased and I love the colour choices I have made, the pattern called for red, green, black and white very traditional but that isn't really me! (If you would like any details its all on my Ravelry page, I'm FlissC if you look for me)

This is my favourite, I love knitting it so much, this is the back of the cropped fair isle cardigan from Debbie Bliss magazine fall/winter 2010, I have never knitted like this before, its progress is slow but so relaxing and rewarding to knit. I'm hoping with all my heart that it turns out ok. I've found that putting a stitch marker at the middle stitch has helped me so that if the pattern goes wrong you only have to unpick half a row not a whole one! (which I have had to do quite a few times!)

This little chap from from the church mini market, he belongs to Sammy and he takes him everywhere, the best bit was his little price tag, 75p!

Sorry if this is a bit early but this Sunday at the flower mill I came across the perfect little artificial Christmas tree, it seems a bit silly trying to fit it in the loft now so he's kind of just hanging around looking pretty!

Well the wind is roaring, the cherry tree branches keep reaching across the window, with Sammy asleep, Vera singing and the kettle boiling I've got just enough time to sew my next stocking together,

and make a start finishing this advent calendar I'm making ready to fill with sugar mice, refreshers and flying saucers,

and wondering when its acceptable to start hanging vintage baubles on these lovely branches!

Take Care xxx

cake and cath!

2011-10-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

Gosh where has this month gone? For us the winter winds have not only blown fallen leaves through our little cottage door but sniffles and sneezes, chicken pox and poorly boys and birthday cheer too, this little washer woman has been hanging around too, hmmmn she does look familiar!

we have baked cakes and sprinkled rainbow sprinkles, spread strawberry jam and vanilla butter icing, we have collected shells and spiky conker skins, cut out paper chains of ghosts and carved hearts into teeny tiny home grown pumpkins, and played with a cheeky one year old! (he does look cute in my neck scarf!) we have unwrapped cath k presents from granddads! and nearly finished knitting little stripes!

October Knitting

2011-10-07T03:57:00.000-07:00

October is back in a flurry of flying leaves, the cherry tree by our little cottage window was flung forwards and back the other evening, I was fearful I might hear a tapping and a cold distant voice shouting let me in, oh I cant remember what the actual voice says, is it let me in, or Cathy, and Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite books, (I'm blaming my scatty-ness at the moment on lack of sleep and still a bit of left over baby brain!) I like it more than P and P, every winter I swirl my woolly sock clad feet underneath me and sit reading under crochet blankets WH, It's one of the things I do to celebrate the season, to enjoy being cosy in our cottage, reading or crocheting in front of the dancing flames of the fire.

I've nearly finished some of my knitting, I seem to knit a few things all at the same time, its not planned, it just sort of happens. First was a pixie hat for Sammy inspired so so much by Greedy for Colour I had a go and sort of made it up as I went along, I had to use the same colours though they are so sea sidey!

and, Mister Fox is ever so nearly done, he's just waiting for a scarf to keep his little neck warm and rather more pressing a button for his top and one for his trousers too to keep them fastened, he had a bit of a situation the other night when he was in Salisbury's buying some bread and cheese, he stopped to tie his boot lace and nearly lost his trousers altogether!

As always my quality control tester stepped in to carry out various vital tests in a flowery eiderdown controlled environment!

just waiting for a few buttons, you can see how this might get embarrassing for a fox about town,

In true make do and mend style I'm using up some odd balls of a cotton yarn to make a little hoodie for Sammy, I offered to knit for Joshy but he declined, six year old boys can't be seen in their mummy's knits, Fingers crossed the orange lasts for a few more rows.

Enjoy your Autumn!

the good life

2011-09-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

Oh me oh my, something seems to have slowly crept up on me. After school in the burnt orange sunlight, instead of walking home we've been skipping around our little town, stopping to pick the last juicy blackberries, awakening conkers from their spiky sleeping bags and into soft pockets, finding mushrooms and patterned feathers, filling little bottles with our Autumnal finds.

Last week we walked the back way past all the big stone houses with walled gardens and names, like St Just, It sets my day dreams off to Cornwall, I imagine the inside of the house to be full with sea side-y charm, old faded rosy cushions and rustic painted wooden furniture!

As our little feet crunched over the little scattering of fallen leaves we headed for the library and spent an hour just reading, mooching and chatting, reading titles and turning pages, I had to ask as I couldn't find what I was looking for but it was there hidden away, an eco home book!

So leaving my normal section of crafts, art and interiors I side stepped to the shelf, fingers dancing over pretty coloured text and came home with a few books including this which is fantastic!

and so this week instead of swirling around our little cottage kitchen baking cakes and jam tarts for summery wig wham days I've instead made my own natural yogurt, seedy granola (seedy as in pumpkin and sun flower!) hearty leek and potato soup with a sprinkling of bacon, and something I've wanted to buy for so long but cant justify its price is ironing water, so after searching the Internet and my library books I made lavender and geranium scented ironing water, it faintly dances and hops over the fabrics, gently staying and refreshing and the iron steam smells so full of lavender its almost tempting to put your face into it and just have a detox!

With all these thrifty good life goings on little Joshy has joined in growing his own beans and mustard seeds, and for the evenings when little ones are in bed and home made yogurts are setting I sit feet in woolly socks, pyjamas and crochet stripes keeping me warm, knitting my newest project!

What to do when a ceramic tile falls on your foot!

2011-09-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hello did you have a nice summer holiday? we had a lovely time, there was blackberry picking, sea shell collecting, old steam trains, village fairs, wig whams, vintage markets, baking, crafts, harbour watching, wool shops and book shops, cafes for foamy lattes, and on Monday night AandE for squished feet!

and so I've been sofa bound for three days under a sea of bright crochet stripes and green gate florals tea and iPad my constant companions, it sounds like heaven dosen't it but the reality is it hurts and I can't get to far when I do manage to get up, I can't knit until the evenings as my boys keep stumbling dangerously near my poor swollen toes which are raised like the princess and the pea on layers of ditsy floral cushions, I did manage to get a sock on my foot today yippie! He he!!

all of these photos and patterns are from http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com I think I'm going to make them all one by one!

Little foot note:
I hope I'm ok to use these photos could't find a note not too, also I can't get bloggers spell check to work and also bits of my post keep going missing so my spelling and text may be a little bit wonky!

nearly ...

2011-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Nearly feeling better after months and weeks and long hours in such pain it all comes down to one little ingredient, Wheat, looking back it seems wheat has been plaguing me for years, this last month I have never felt so ill, I'll spare you the gory details!

Nearly finished my little back door curtain,

Nearly decided which ribbon tie I liked best,

Nearly got it to my sewing machine before Mr Gruffalo came in and declared it silly! Husbands!

Nearly got my little kitchen shelf peachy perfect,

Nearly the last flowers from the garden,

Nearly making me cry seeing my boys play together,

nearly one, where has this year gone?

and nearly finished this nosey little chap!

what to look for in summer ...

2011-06-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

A little tin man nipping down winding country lanes, grasses waving, trees bending back down to greet the daisies and ladybirds,

the gentle sun shining through pretty candle sticks the colour of gentle skies,

transferring little rainbows from the sky to our little cottage, shimmering like fairy wings, waving on the walls and floor like washed out roses on faded bedding hanging on the line, dancing slightly this way and that when the breeze chooses,

and if you're summer is anything like ours keep a look out for that pesky red arrow swirling in its bubble home, playing, teasing, tic-tac-toe, where will it land, I think we know!

* a dripping tune keeps everything in tune *

Cath K Cupboard

2011-06-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in CK Winchester, tucked up high on a shelf looking so pretty in the cold January light. It was my birthday early Jan, and with pennies in my pockets and Cath K lovelies in my dreams I dropped my boys off in the book shop and mooched in the flowery wonderland, picking things up, gasping, sighing, transporting myself to a pretty rambling farm house, Maybe the one from land girls the tv series not the film, with big dressers and an old square sink, flowers in jugs and jam jars, pastel coloured china filled with home made jam and scones, tea and eiderdowns, (that would be a great blog name!) oh lovely!

this is my little cupboard laying sleepily on our bed, the light high above and the panels from our little cottage window reflecting in the thick fat glass, I love vintage mirrors, if you hold a penny next to the glass the further away the reflection the older the mirror, as newer ones use a thinner glass, I like mine vinatage-y old, and thick, cut like a wedge of good cheese!

here's inside. My little cupboard sits now in a corner of our bedroom on top of a chest of drawers filled with make up, perfume, shells and bits of vintage jewellery, everything a Fliss may need early in the morning to perk her up, and try and hide the bags under her eyes! I just need to find two minutes between babies and five year olds to take more photos!

Its so hot here in Hampshire, wandering around bare foot I stepped on a moth today by mistake, it was sitting on our kitchen floor wings stretched out, still as deep water, I don't really like moths much, but I can't help thinking how soft it felt under my big clumsy feet and I really felt sorry for squashing it, I couldn't press down on my foot for the rest of the day.

blimming blogger ...

2011-05-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Blogger has been driving me mad these last few days, not letting me post, or read my comments and not letting me leave comments too! I know Julie has had problems too, has anyone else?

This is how I spent my cosy quiet mornings last week, whilst my boys were at school and sleeping.

Reading and loving Mollie Makes, playing with pastel faded sewing notions and drinking tea from vintage cups and saucers the colours of the sea side grasses softly swaying and the creamy hues of vanilla ice cream!

not blogging, but ...

2011-05-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

knitting,

I had to unpick this swallow tale shawl soooooo many times but finally its finished! It sits softly waiting to be blocked, I'm a beginner knitter really and haven't blocked before, or knitted anything like this!

playing with my boys, reading, snuggling, rolling, blowing raspberries!

arranging pretty spring bunches and baking banana cake,

pottering in the kitchen,

making royal wedding cup cakes for garden parties,

filling spotty egg cups and starry cups with tea, sunny runny eggs and buttery toast cut into soldiers, my favourite!

more baking just for us, using up all my rations on Jane B's chocolate cake from 'cherry cake and ginger beer' - it reminded me of my Nan's chocolate cake, so yummy!

finding pink glass in a local charity shop,

and my newest knitting, Cath coloured stripes for a cushion or a scarf, I can't quite decide which!

Spot the difference!

2011-03-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

The strangest thing has happened to my left arm, it's gone all sore and swollen! Last night with the boys asleep and a cup of tea waiting sweetly I swirled my feet underneath and settled down to stitch only to find lightening jabs of pain from my thumb to my wrist, instead I browsed your blogs and made eBay wish lists!

Having to type with two fingers is a bit of a pain too so I'll start my blogging adventures next week, grab your cherry cake and milky teas and meet me on Monday!

Until then hope you have a nice week end and can you spot what's new on the photo below?

Sunny days

2011-03-24T02:45:00.000-07:00

It's a lovely spring morning, sunny and bright. As my sleep heavy eyes opened, slowly peering around dappled sun painted walls and flowery eiderdowns I felt a little lift. The cherry tree pink and fluffy like someone has glued pastel pink cotton wall onto chocolate brown twigs stood waving between the white panelled frames of our little cottage window.

Days like this make me want to drive down swirling country lanes in an open topped old classic car, with a floppy hat and checked picnic rug, egg sandwiches and a cold bottle of elderflower pressee. Sitting on the beach crochet or sketching, reading or knitting, stopping at a pub for a cold drink before driving home in time to pick little boys up from school! Blissful!

These baby blues are being packed away and shipped off far away, return to sender because I've got lots to show you, cross stitch, crochet, vintage china, a vintage Mabel Lucie Attwell show and tell, a vintage doggie, cs finds, cath goodies, spring flowers and more tea loaf baking!

Cross Stitcher, tea, cake and flowers

2011-03-21T14:27:00.002-07:00

Today the sun was shining, the blossoms on the cherry tree pinkie white against the brilliant blue of the sky, a little hand tucked in mine as we wandered up the avenue talking about our weekend soothed so many creases, but with my little friend safely tucked up at school, chitter chattered replaced with loneliness, demons followed me back along the daffodil lined pavements.

Sometimes my eyes fill with big ploppy tears that won't fall, I know this big grey battleship of gloom will untether and float away one day its just the lost limbo boardwalk I have to cross to get back to land that hinders my steps. I felt this way after Joshy too for a while, a lonely unfounded existence but I know it will go as quickly as it came, one morning I'll wake up and it'll be gone! Thank you so much for your comments they have helped so much, I wasn't sure if I should blog about this but I want my blog to be real, my thoughts, my feelings ....... my life!

Anyhow on to nicer stuff! Steve went off to town yesterday and came home with Cross Stitcher!

Joshy and I swirled in the kitchen listening to Vera, stirring our wooden spoons in big flour filled mixing bowls, squashing bananas and chopping dates,

and finally when Joshy and Sammy were sleeping soundly in their little beds, I cut a slice of tea loaf and sat and looked through the glossy pages of stitchy loveliness!

oh erm! Steve wanted to get in on the photo shoot with his cup of coffee!

I love those retro designs, so much so that I've just subscribed, I gave up for a while but I've been tempted back. There were a few other patterns I liked too but my camera ran out of batteries!

And so that's what I'll be doing this week to battle those baby blues, stitching and baking, reading and dreaming, I hope you're all having lovely spring days!

the home front

2011-03-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

With all the sad news from Japan, the houses floating like little row boats, 10,000 people unaccounted for it made me think of my own sadness, my postnatal depression that peaks every now and then, and I wondered this morning if I have any cause to have these feelings?

Our little cottage although tiny is filled with little voices, sleeping kitty purrs, the delicate click of knitting needles, the hum of the kettle as it boils to make tea, and my collected bits and bobs, like beach combing i go wondering head full of dreams, purse full of pennies and find treasures to bring home and help me live my little cottage life!

One perfect yellow rose

Tiny tet-a-tets, sleeping soundly in their quilts of green, ready to wake, unfurl their dreamy covers and bloom yellowy and bright

Hanging a new picture, of London above my basket of books

Stitching cath k flowers cross by cross with candy floss coloured pinks and buttercup hues

Eating jammy toast long after bed, when little boys and sleepy cats are skipping through their dreams and snoring ever so lightly

and adding the final zig zaggy rows with tapestry wools and green eared bunnies, starry tea cups and pick up monkeys!

silly small snood!

2011-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting. I've been sitting for a minute here and there when our little cosy cottage has been silent, in the sleepy night hours, with candles flickering in the fire place, their golden flames dancing upon the soot burnt bricks, Belle sleeping on my feet. My best knitting ever, row after row perfect, no dropped stitches nothing, but as you may see from my lovely model its come out a bit on the teeny tiny side,

oh deary me, I will sit one evening with my feet tucked up wrapped in warm crochet and sew the little seam, although its tempting to just hide it at the bottom of my wool basket!

Sammy has said he is available for baby modelling as long as you promise not to make him wear girly small snoods!

paper roses

2011-02-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

Aren't these roses so pretty? In the Summer I pick my own from the garden but until then I choose the softest blooms in colours that look like swirled cream,

washed out and faded, like an old velvet curtain, full of patchy charm hinting at its days of splendour, hung in a big wooden window looking out down to the pond with its fountain, past the gravel drive and on into deep woody trees, quietly watching the smart black cars drive slowly to the house, the ladies in their dresses the men in suits, the ching of antique glasses, the ring of the bell for the butler, who has hidden in those curtains playing hide and seek?

And now the roses on my table sitting in an enamel jug makes me think of grand adventures and secret loves, I could be sat at my writing desk writing letters in inky swirls, thinking how these roses look like paper folded carefully as a token for me to keep, I can be lost amongst the petals and not in my little cottage kitchen at all!

I think I've been feeling a little swamped these last few weeks, my spd pains never left and the bleeding has been on and off, infections and cold and sickness bugs have left me drained. I've been snappy and horrible to almost everyone as well. My GP has given me some anti depressants and we've just come home from a little trip away which has helped loads, hopefully time will tick faster helping me to heal, gosh what a pregnancy I've had! I will answer the lovely emails you've sent me really soon (please don't give up on me!)

I'm off to finish my sewing and knitting, hope you have a lovely week end!

children's book illustrations

2011-02-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I borrowed a lovely book from the library, 'The Golden Age of Children's Book Illustration' by Richard Dalby. I love children's books, especially the pen and ink sketchy drawings found in vintage Enid Blytons and of course Mabel Lucie Attwell.

I also liked these others,

Randolph Caldecott

Jessie Willcox Smith

Cecil Aldin

Louis Wain

Mabel Lucie Attwell

Anne Anderson

Margaret Tarrant

and finally E. H. Shepard. I love the colours, the flowers the make believe and enchantment in each little scene. Which are your favourites?

peace at last

2011-02-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well not really! Joshy and I have been on our very tippy toes today trying not to wake a sleeping Samuel, pale white but still as sweet as sugar my little helper only managed one day at school this week, his little face crumpling into tears trying to be brave although he feels poorly!

At home we've stayed in our jammies, reading books and watering the sweetly scented flowers I'm trying not to kill, I'm bad with anything that grows. Until this afternoon when Daddy came home from work and took the boys to the library leaving me with a whole hour-ish just for me!

But but but naughty blogger wouldn't upload my photos, the laptop said it had to close and reinstall something or other, I realised I needed to make bottles of baby milk, my cup of tea waiting to visit all your lovely blogs with me stayed waiting and cooling by my side, and then two boys and a Daddy came home, they did bring angel cake and so I made Joshy a hot chocolate with soft cloudy cream and rainbow sprinkles and tea for me, there's no time now to step through pretty blogs, back to babies and poorly ones and tip toes!

See you next week,

poorly peeps part two

2011-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you still still still feel ill you just need to eat yummy biscuits with vanilla middles

and take out your new sneaky book buy and look at the yummy black and white photos in the middle, my little tired brain is a bit too fuzzy to actually read, and in between administering calpol to poorly boys and flu plus for me,

play with delicious cath k coloured candles!

poorly peeps

2011-01-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry to post a picture of my snotty hankies! but I feel ill! I'm not sure whether I've got a really bad cold or a really mild flu, which ever it is I do feel really really yucky! I've spent most of this weekend tucked up in Bed fast asleep having the weirdest dreams. Do you have weird dreams when you're ill?

One was quite scary, I dreamt our bathroom was haunted and when I woke I had to wait until the morning to go to the toilet! (Our little cottage is over 100years old and the bathroom is downstairs, which doesn't help when you've just had a bad dream!)

Any way before you think I'm completely mad I'm off to do a bit of knitting! night night

baskets and fish

2011-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

The charity shops have been good to me this week. I spotted this little fishy on Monday I think it was. Whilst I sat in Nero's sipping my latte, watching the world go past our window seat I knew I had to go back for him!

His pearly glow shines and dances in the soft lamp light. The more I look at him the more I love him, I was going to give him to a friend but I can't part with him, I'm such a terrible person!

Also this shopping basket came with me, swinging on my arm as I strolled through town, perfect for farmers markets and spots of shopping, magazines and freshly cut flowers.

A little brooch in a lovely box for my sisters' birthday along with a scarf I'm making for her, and this lovely blanket. The light in our little cottage is so murky that the colours don't look half as bright as they do in real life.

This morning it snowed lightly but the cold lingered and now all my bones ache, I'm hoping to swirl my feet under blankets and sip tea and crochet until Sammy wakes up! Hope you have a lovely day and you didn't notice the dust on my shelf!

coffee or roses?

2011-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

What does this really mean?

Steve thinks it means wake up and smell the coffee in a nice way, like taking the time to enjoy your mornings, fresh coffee, buttery toast, runny sunny eggs.

I think its more of a wake up Fliss you'll never be a size 8 or win the lottery! I goggled it and the definitions were along the lines of 'wake up and pay attention to your surroundings and whats happening around you.'

(Piccie from the internet)

Maybe it could go either way. I think Steve's interpretation is more suited to 'stop and smell the roses'.

Which way do you think? Coffee or roses?

candles

2011-01-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessed just recently with candles. Maybe its because it grows dark so quickly in the silver grey wintry skies,

Or because these cath k spotties make me dream of childhood birthday parties, with jelly and ice cream and long summer fete days with bunting and face painting, sea shells and kites, helter skelters and jolly plastic buckets and spades, dolls houses and summer walks.

I'm not sure what it is really, the little dancing flames make me happy, make me think of people and places forever with me, forever in my heart and forever in my dreams.

rainbow painting

2011-01-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Little pots of pretty colours waiting in a row ...

and so I sat, drinking tea and painting wooden dolly pegs ...

and threading little pompoms one by one!

I had a lovely birthday, we went to CK Winchester, and I brought something very pretty, quite big and vintage, It was love at first sight I just need to take some photos for next time! Also I've added the wool details at the bottom of my last post as a few people asked!

back up to the attic

2011-01-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

Wrapped in pretty bubbles, gleaming glistening like frosty fields, my little decorations rest their pretty heads and sleep cosy in our little attic for another year.

Oh and look at this soft faded wool, I've started playing with this already, the vintage pastel pink swirls and dances round my hook, its so pretty.

I'll be back next week with tales of birthday teas and trips to Winchester, Sorry I've not had time to leave comments on your blogs. I sit reading them in the early hours between night and morning with a sleeping Sammy curled into my arms, rocking gently back to dreamy sleep.

Oh an excited little boy and Daddy have just come home from school with a birthday bunch of flowers from my friends and a school bag full of surprises!!!!!

p.s i keep changing the colour of my text but blogger keeps changing it back, does anyone know why?

*************************************The wool is Vintage by Palette, its a 50g ball approx. 125m/137y, hook/needle size 4.5mm, knitting worsted, at the moment its reduced to £1.99 in hobbycraft.*******************

sammy loves cath

2011-01-02T10:27:00.001-08:00

Oh yummy pictures mummy! Can I choose us a present?

Do you think we have room for a rosy pink jug?

I like the stripey egg cosy too!

Nooooooooooo! I don't want cuddles, I want my cath comic back!

secret santa

2010-12-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Last week my friends and I had a secret santa. Rather than buy something I decided to knit some mittens and as my friend is quite quirky I put them on a string! he he! I really like them I've got tons of wool left so might make some for me too!

Today has whirled by with family visits and mince pie baking, Joshy is soooo excited! I'm in such a rush!!!!

Our last Christmas was very sad so this year I'm really hoping for a happier time, I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and new year,

be back soon Fliss xxxxx

Jolly Cottage

2010-12-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

This week in between snowy play times, bright wellies, hot chocolate and Enid Blyton stories I've been kitchen daydreaming, something I do often in our little cottage. I wish I could have the kitchen from Meadowgate or Yvestown!

Carrying my vintage basket of crochet with me from room to room, adding a few trebles here and there when I should be washing up or rolling pastry for mince pies, collecting yellow roses in my enamel jug, their little sunshine heads singing good morning in the far too early cold hours with a sleepy Sammy in my arms.

With only chocolate coins in my purse I twirl around dancing. My daydream and me, whilst the kettle sings and Joshy plays eyes wide with silver tinsel and brightly wrapped presents, filling glass bowls with sugary sweet sweets,

Hanging pictures with dolls house teapots and cups laid out for tea.

Last week I found it, my wish list forevers,

Johnson Bros sunny yellow dinner and sandwich plates, two bowls and a coffee pot! I've wanted these forever.

I was also lucky enough to win Tess's giveaway a few weeks back, with my voucher I ordered the blue mixing jug, the blue sugar canister and a blue and white mixing bowl to match! Thanks so much Tess!

My own giveaway winner was Daisy, if you'd like to email me your address Daisy I'll pop the book in the post!

Lastly look how I found Joshy yesterday evening, I know how he feels. If Sammy ever settles I've been tagged by the vintage knitter and Id like to reply to your comments, fingers crossed!

America's Doll House and a give away!

2010-12-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I Started to read this book at three in the morning with a gurgling wide eyed baby on my lap, intending to read just a few pages until Sammy gave in to sleep I began. As the pages turned in my hands and my eyes grew heavy I realised I had been reading for well over an hour lost in the history of Faith Bradford and her miniature collection.

At 69 years old Faith Bradford without a girl in her family to leave her collection to decided to donate it instead to the museum she often visited as a girl. The narrative winds in and out of miniature fantasy, museum politics, and both the museums and Bradford's personal history, bringing together photographs and typed manuscripts of the doll house occupants and their scrapbook of soft furnishings. Peppered with nostalgic musings and descriptions about Bradford such as 'her favourite colours were lavender and grey...' also ' ... Cutting a grandmotherly figure on the floor of the museum, she wore her hair pulled up under a hat fixed with a pin!'

I enjoyed the notions of Faith as a girl her interests, parades, soda fountains and ice cream parlors and like so many miniaturists the eternal hunt for miniatures, seeing an object as something to be used and cherished within a scene, a thimble could be a waste paper basket, Bradford explained 'Everything looks like something else to me.'

I think Bradford must have been an eccentric soul, never married she described her and her sister as 'not very attractive', during the summer she stayed at the back of her sister and brother-in-laws property in a converted chicken coop! these little details stack up throughout this little book adding charm and insight and for me a little bit of dottiness that I found endearing.

The second half of the book is choc filled with coloured photographs of each room, each tiny detail, from the lamp with its missing globe in the attic to the faithful family dog sat by the fire in the library. Concluding with Faiths typed scrapbook filled with tiny fabric remnants of used textiles.

In summary this book works on many levels, not only does it show readers a history of the museum, and an insight into Faith Bradford's creative dream, but it also showcases through text and photographs (deliciously tactile in the scrapbook section) an inspiring room by room account into a magical vintage dollhouse. Letting the reader decided to delve into the informative text or forgo the descriptive museum history and just sit wondering at the miniature marvels in each glossy image.

This lovely book is available here. or if you leave a comment here before Monday 20th I have a spare copy which would love a new home!

Thank you for all the story book bunting comments Im hoping to curl up next week with a cup of tea and maybe some short bread and visit your yummy scrummy blogs. I used a battered copy of 'The Wise Robin' to make my bunting, there's a few on ebay.

storybook bunting

2010-12-01T06:46:00.001-08:00

As the snow lightly drifted down like a giants dandruff and Sammy slept sweetly in his little cot, I sat warm and cosy in my pyjamas on the woolly rug in front of the fire, watching turn back the high street (the 1930s one), a cup of tea by my side making Christmas bunting from a vintage lady bird book.

First I cut the thread binding in the book and gently pulled the pages free. I then cut each picture out keeping the rectangle shape but you could cut into triangles to make a more traditional bunting.

With a hole punch I made a hole in each top corner about a cm in from the edge, and threaded my pictures with a 3ply red yarn going over one picture and under the next. I fixed a little bit of sellotape on the reverse of the pictures with the wool at the back. The others I left unstuck so they could be adjusted once the bunting was hanging.

The whole time a scampish little pussy cat kept attacking me with her little paw, trying to pounce on my little festive garland. Instead of wool you could use string, twine, ribbons or anything you fancy, and also you could reinforce the holes with those little punched hole stickers you can get from smiths.

I think this looks so pretty! I might look for another vintage children's book and make a summery one with sandy beaches and picnics, dolls, elves and little story book cottages. If you can't bring yourself to cut up a book you could scan the images or use postcards, or cut out snowflakes from pastel coloured paper that would look sweet!

Let me know if you have a go, if you do you could post the photos in the simple joys flickr group!

book reviews and this weeks news

2010-11-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

There's something quite magical about sitting sipping tea and slowly melting chocolate seashells on the tip of your tongue whilst listening to Nigella quaffle over her richly chocolaty pronounced waffle in dancing candle light whilst the winter gathers frosted gems and clear cold skies dusted with icing sugar mists and twinkly fairy lighted stars outside your little cottage window.

With crochet and vintage ladybird pages to hold in hands with orange painted finger nails, glossy and bright like clementines in blue and white china filled full ready for Christmas, and the beginning of Advent.

Remembering the smell of the old church hall where we sat as brownies threading painted pasta necklaces onto ruby red string, carving swans from smooth pink soaps,

painting fir cones, and dusting chocolate logs with fine sugary snow.

Sharing tea and nonsense chats with my sister and Joshy. My sister who looks very CK today but who still raises her eyes each time she visits our little home and utters words like "look at all your old tat" and "what is that?"

And indeed what is that above her head?

Its my little pottering moment today stretching fabric and bending shiny tacks back down tight. It's my vintage tea towel, bright and flowery, hanging beautifully in an old cream frame.

Thank you for all the windy tips, this week both boys have been feeling poorly with a yucky cold. Its especially hard to see Sammy suffering and not being able to soothe (is that spelt right?!) him with soft words and huggles the same way little Joshy can listen his face melting into toothy grins at the mere mention of pixies and elves and trips to see Father Christmas.

Next week all things allowing I'll be back to show you a book I've been asked to review! I've nearly finished dipping in and out of this little book full of vintage dolls house photos and letters printed on typewriters. I like the format, the soft pastels and the little world frozen in time!

A little bit of crochet

2010-11-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

Time is ticking much faster than me, as the light changes from morning silver to inky night, the birdsong replaced by howling wintry sounding gales I fill my hourly slots with nappies and bottles, burping and sneaky snoozes!

After tea when little ones are tucked up cosy and the stars are thinking about showing their twinkly faces, I sit feet warm in thick woolly socks with a little crochet keeping me warm, keeping my thoughts in the village where my Nan lived, where I used to stay, where she taught me to make wonky trebles stacking side by side all those years ago.

I added a granny square edge to a little chair cover which I shamefully copied from Lucy, this was planned to be much bigger, to come to picnics, the shell strewn beach, holidays and meadows full of daisies but with my days full with baby bits and bobs my blanket has stayed baby size, and a new project of rainbow stripes with little spaces full of warm cosy air, drapey and soft has begun.

Will I ever be able to sit cosy in our little cottage, tea dancing steam into our little room looking at lovely blogs for more than a few minutes? He he, maybe! I'm going to try!

P.S does anyone know how to settle a very windy baby? My mum seems to have the magic touch! The health visitor has suggested Infacol but it takes a week to start to work, in the meantime I'm burping and just cuddling him and hoping he'll settle!

stitch with cath ...

2010-11-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Gosh what windy weather, yesterday I thought the cherry tree by our little cottage window was going to pop in with the help of one large blustery swirl of windiness!

With Joshy and Sammy tucked up in their little bed, winter wonderlands and dreams full of trains, rainbows and ice cream clouds, magic lands with pixies and toy racing cars and what ever else little boys dream of I should have just enough time to show you my favourite projects from the new cath k book!

lovely little houses all in a row ...

a little zip up case, which is the free gift to make,

a stripey little sleeping bag for a mobile!

badges

a little home for your shiny sewing pins

and this, I love this. One day I'll convince Steve we need to have painted floor boards and I can make this little slice of rainbow for cold toes on crisp white winter mornings.

a little spotty door stop

and this is so pretty too,

to keep my morning tea cosy and warm whilst I dip soldiers of buttery bread into sunny runny eggs dashed with a little salt,

whilst I sit at our kitchen table upon this fairytale pink flowery chair

eating my breakfast and drinking my tea and planning to make this for my boys, to hang above their bunk bed den, with stripey rugs and jaunty bunting, and teddy bears lined in rows ready to picnic and play away hectic but homely days!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post this week in between nappies and feeds and snuggly little cuddles I'm hoping to pop back to answer them!

The Baby Post ...

2010-11-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it back here on Wednesday to show you my Cath K book! I started to feel a little yucky. As contractions started to tighten across my tummy we dashed to hospital, the specialist has maintained throughout these last few months not to let me labour naturally so instead at 7.27pm I had an emergency c section, a whole week before my planned one, a whole two weeks before our due date!

I only stayed in hospital two nights. As we were waiting for me to go through we watched the sun setting over the dark almost black trees, the sky flooding with orange, and yellows and burnt end of day sepia's and russets, and we completely changed our choice of boys names from Joseph to Samuel. It just seemed to fit with the sunset, and that quiet moment.

As I lay on the operating table with Steve beside me dressed in his blue scrubs, the anaesthetist my other side, the midwife (who remembered us and vise versa from Joshy) chattered in her sing song Irish tones, the room was so full of people, each one so busy, the midwifes and anaesthetist were so lovely, I felt safe and special and as Steve handed me our second son 'Samuel' tears twisted down my smiling face, worries were forgotten, and SPD pains packed away hopefully packed far far away in a dusty old attic with a big sticker saying 'do not open!'

Here's a picture of us all including Belle by Joshy!

After two nights Sammy and I wearily came home, tucked back up in cottage life, Playing with Joshy, sitting under soft warm crochet stripes sipping tea. I forgot to say Sam weighed 8lbs 13Oz's when he was born. Although my progress is slow I can finally walk without crutches, Hopefully when we see the midwives tomorrow my scar will be ok and Sams' jaundice will have faded enough for us to be released from the hospital and on to the health visitors books, I'm a little bit worried as the stabbing pains have sneaked back, hopefully its just a blip and they'll go again! fingers crossed!

Now I really need to be dressed and a bit more awake for the rest of the day!

stitch with fliss ...

2010-10-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

With only a week and a bit (hopefully) to go, I've been sat feet swirled high from the cold floor, Belle snoozing on the little crochet stool, and me stitching! My needle dancing non stop over its canvas dance floor, leaving rainbow trails.

The first photo is my attempts at tapestry from Caths new book, I'm hoping to pop back on Wednesday and show you all the lovely projects waiting to be made in to cosy cushions for worn leather chairs just in front of the fire in small cottage rooms.

These other photos are of Joshys' cushion, finally finished! Don't look too closely at some of the teletubbies, their little faces are quite scary, especially Po!

Poor Po, I think she has had one glass too much!

My little boy is now tucked beneath his quilt with two cross stitched cushions by his side. He likes to give them names and tuck teddies in to sleep and dream beside him!

As the evenings are drawing in, the night air cold and crispy, the moon lighting the stars and rooftops I cant help thinking of Christmas, and stitching and cosy log fires, fir cones and walks in wellies with big woolly socks!

Autumn days

2010-10-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Oh look at this, isn't it so pretty? I'm just stopping in to say Hello and to see if there's anybody still here? I can imagine an old church hall, polished floor boards, chairs arranged in circles, vintage green china waiting in the kitchen for tea and cakes, ladies waiting their knitting spilling out of flowery bags, like a scene from the WI, but with no guest speaker! (If you could call me a guest speaker!)

Where have I been?

Stuck in our little cottage with crutches instead of crafts, and pains reaching from my pelvis down to my toes, and back again. Washed out and drugged up I've sat these last few months reading your blogs and writing 'to make' lists in my little notebook whilst Steve brings me tea cakes wrapped in jewel blue foil and tea in starry cups, listening to Joshy whirl around the living room chatting about his little but full days, smiling as Belle falls asleep on my toes! I've missed my little bloggy space, hopefully with only a month to go and a c section booked I'll be back to normal soon, in the meantime I'm watching Autumn from our cottage window, the swirling leaves, shiny conkers gathered in grey school trouser pockets, raindrops, and cherry red leaves!

jump on the bandwagon

2010-08-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

The Queen of hearts she made some tarts and some short bread too,

She put them in a tin with a pretty spotty quilt and tucked them up to sleep,

And one by one they disappeared through out the rainy week!

Its been really grey and windy here, but to be honest i don't mind. It means Joshy and me can tuck ourselves up in warm pyjamas slippers on our toes, and sit and make, dream and bake, nibble our warm treats whilst drinking tea from starry cups! Watch a few sweet things on cbeebies (although my little boy is fast out growing this, and old favourites like Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben have been replaced with bear behaving badly!)

We've made thunder bird bases from covered cereal boxes, and little monsters from playdough and cardboard hands and eyes. We've glued bright buttons into swirly mosaic shapes and we jumped on to the bandwagon and following teawagon and Lucy we made our own mini mes!

This is Joshy, his little four year old drawings always make me smile, the way one foot is so much bigger than the other and the fact that he seems to have red toe nail varnish on too!

And here they are having a little party with Lassie and button bunting! Definitely a week of sharing simple joys with my little boy, in a few weeks he'll be tucked up safely back at school and although I'll have time to crochet or knit, or sit with coffee and a cake and a chapter or two I'll be secretly missing helping him get his little gluey hands to the sink, or seeing his excitement at cutting heart shaped biscuits from the golden dough!

frothy coffee and shorter days ...

2010-08-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

Oh I long for a boiled egg with a finger of buttery toast! Or a new York morning with a bagel and a window seat, fresh orange the colour of sunshine and coffee with steam that dances a wispy ballet.

I can sense the distance scents of bonfires and colder skies, the crunch of leaves, and robin song, the shorter days and inky nights long.

Sitting in a Starbucks wearing cords and fair isle knits. Drinking milky frothy coffee with Cinnamon dusting and a rich chocolate muffin. Wrapping up in scarves and hats, mittens on my hands, cheeks flushed with berry reds. At night dreaming under patchwork and crochet piled high upon my bed.

Apple crumble on Sundays with custard piping hot. My favourite film, a tweedy coloured knit, needles clicking one by one, the tweedy wool river flowing on.

Joshy playing on the rug, Steve reading in his chair. Little bump fast asleep in the cot next to the rosy coloured chair. Belle waiting for the fire to dance over log and log. Winter walks, and stories before bed of elves and toy land friends.

Cold church services heated by singing and friendly hugs, wreaths of holly and frozen spider webs. A crisp cold Baileys on Christmas eve before sneaking off to bed.

The soft mellow sounds of Simon and Garfunkel, my out of tune nearly there ukulele strumming!

My annual trip to the flower mill, choosing berries and ivy green stems to wrap and swirl into festive wreaths to decorate our home.

I really can't wait for that first boiled egg, with tea fresh from the pot, rosy cath k and vintage china and frosty cold winter sun, because our baby will be here, this horrible pain over, and the three of us will be four, and the late Autumn sun and Winter promises will be waiting at our cottage door!

In the meantime I'm teaching myself how to knit lace!

sick note

2010-07-27T01:58:00.001-07:00

Hello sorry I've not been in my bloggy space for a while, instead I've been at home suffering with Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction such a weird and painful pregnancy condition. Its got so bad I can hardly walk, yesterday the doctor gave me some pain killers which shocked me as normally they hesitate before giving you a lemsip! Whilst he was examining me I nearly shot through the roof, I screamed it hurt so much! I think I did look a sight shuffling to Boots for my prescription!

I've still been pottering away with my simple joys mainly sewing, crochet and things that don't involve too much movement, I've had a few nice vintage presents from friends too so I'll be back really soon to do a show and tell, and to answer your comments and emails. Hope your all having a lovely summer! Fliss xxx

CrossStitcher magazine and other simple joys

2010-07-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

These last few days I've collected simple joys like sea shells in a bucket. Little pin pricks of activity lighting my world like twinkling stars in an inky smudged sky. Living room pyjama dancing to Glen Miller in the last few minutes of night before slumbering sleepy dreaming as the morning slowly takes it time to tip toe to the cherry tree at my window.

Stacking little crosses of colour like pretty wrapped presents in rows on a sunny birthday morning, egg and soldiers with warm sweet tea waiting in flowery china, pondering over vintage bright crosses, who made these? Why did someone buy this but not even start their magical embroidery?

Receiving handwritten letters on pretty paper, with handmade goodness wrapped like a quarter of traditional confectionery, candy stripe pink, twice as sweeter, making me smile, thank you Lisa.

And having a twittery sweet tweet mention from CrossStitcher magazine. and an email from the lovely designer Felicity Hall! I've got my beady eye on the butterfly blue cushion, and also the free patterns have found a home in the dusty nook inside my brain where I keeps my ideas and dreams in big old leather suitcases covered with big bold travel stickers with peeling corners.

Just as a really really long shot down an old winding country lane, along the cliff top path past the breezy dasisies and flip flop footed crowds, on towards the pebbled shore, that sort of long shot. Should any lost designers be wandering through my erratic text please can you design a vintage inspired rosey scene like a Vernon Ward, or a funky styled three ducks flying, with 30s and 40s colours hand picked from the hues of an old rainbow, slightly faded where its been washed too many times but still so pretty, full of nostigic charm.

summery joyful days

2010-07-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Days ten to fourteen have skipped merrily by. On Thursday with Joshy at school and sunshine in my pocket I hopped off to the library, spending an hour maybe two lost in the musty scent of gorgeous books.

Those are the two that hopped into my little basket, accompanying me and Steve as we sat drinking coffee watching the little high street swirling by the coffee shop window, I always feel like coffee shops are suspended in time just floating in a little bubble, as we sip and watch life buzzes past our perfect little bubble.

Friday I felt quite drawn to this Emily Peacock kit from CrossStitcher magazine,

Whilst Saturday was spent painting layers of duck egg blue and childhood dreams to the little dolls cot.

Sunday we went to our local church fare, where Joshys class did country dancing. We stopped for home made cake and tea in the church hall, with napkins sunshine yellow, little cakes and cookies dotted with chocolate spots, like little sweet ladybirds. I'm sorry to say the fare was pretty poor and we didn't stay long, instead we went to hobby craft ...

This little kit really struck me with its quirky details and rainbow colours, I clutched it deciding, liking, wanting, when my lovely over draft spoke sweetly saying 'go on Fliss I'll buy that for you!' I didn't want to be rude so accepted the kind offer!

And here I am with bump, counting down the weeks, 22 done, 18 to go!

day 9, japanese crochet

2010-06-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

I spent this morning sipping a strawberry milkshake in Cafe Nero's with my mum, whilst Joshy and Steve were safely tucked up at work and school. Later with half an hour to spare I thought I'd complete some shelf edging from my newish Japanese crochet book.

The pictures in this book are so yummy to look at. I often day dream about living in a Japanese craft book house, with little girly bedrooms straight from a story book, with painted furniture and flowery cushions. The kitchen filled with red spotty, white and blue enamel and freshly baked cakes and vintage baskets by the fire filled with rainbow coloured wool. Belle could have a little red riding hood type coat and sit by the fire, at five or there about Steve would come home to freshly baked pie, before we all skipped off to a country dance under the stars!

Ho Hum though my shelf edging went a bit wrong! I think I should have used a finer yarn not double as I have here, still the pattern was easy and flowed gently from my hook like a little brook swirling alongside a country church, with daises bending their heady heads and dipping in amongst the bubbles to cool from the June heat, If I could have had a Pimms my day dream would have been perfect!

Tomorrow we are out for a while so I'll do my challenge in the morning and post on Friday!

weekend round up

2010-06-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend the weather was so hot in our little patch of England, for our simple joys we picked strawberries from the garden and inspired by Delia Smiths' advert we made our very first meringue, Joshy cutting the strawberries so carefully!

Day 6 was quite hectic with a garden party at a friends house, so in the cool of the evening I sat with rainbow coloured wool making my first baby hat, its turned out quite small but stretchy!

Yesterday was day 7, a whole week of simple joys. I sat with a long cool drink and read the end of my book. Its a bit of a strange story a bit grim to start but then the story unfolds and I found myself reading chapter after chapter instead of sleeping.

Finally day 8, I was so tired from the weekend heat I think that todays simple joy may sound odd to people without little ones, but in the quiet peace of a small empty cottage, coaxing belle from her dusty mat, I lay on our bed in the breeze of the fan with belle at my feet, flowery eiderdowns tucked far away, dreaming in and out of beachy sleep. It felt so naughty but so relaxing to just be and dream!

day 5, shortbread

2010-06-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today me and Joshy made shortbread, it was warm and melty, and went so well with tea and little boys' with peaky faces changed to little boys with shortbread and big smiles!

Recipe

250g plain flour

75g caster sugar

175g butter

heat oven to gas mark 3. grease a baking tray, i like to line with grease proof paper too.

mix flour and sugar in a bowl, rub in butter.

knead well into a smooth paste, joshy really went for it here!

roll out to about 1cm thick and either use a shaped cutter or slice with a knife into finger, prick each piece with a fork, and bake for about 20-25 minutes although in my gas oven baking always takes longer so I baked for 30 minutes. they should be pale and golden. Because we only have a little baking tray I did two loads but kept the spare dough in the fridge.

I find it hard to blog on the weekend, so if I don't post I will do a bumper challenge round up on Monday! have a lovely weekend!

day 4, a cosy corner

2010-06-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Our steep little cottage stairs swirl off from our little kitchen, they are wonky and steep and over one hundred years old, the edges have become rounded from years of feet pitter pattering up and down the wooden hill to bedfordshire.

I finally convinced Steve to leave his carpet dreams far behind and paint our stairs white, which he has been doing, they are a lot less slippy too I often used to ski my own little scary course down the carpet grabbing on to the banister for dear life, (although you definitely need to use a non slip stair paint!)

In the days before Joshy I'd sit on this corner step sipping my coffee watching Steve cook us a masterpiece, these days I've been nudged up step with my starry tea so Joshy can sit one step below. I feel like we're some sort of wholesome family perched on the staircase waiting for Father Christmas you know the pencil crayon loveliness you see on a Christmas card, and we are quite often in our pyjamas too!

So for day day 4 of my challenge I took the overflow of coats and umbrellas upstairs and instead hung a few pretty pieces on the little hooks, arranging favourite china in amongst the flower lined blue, I painted the wooden frame duck egg blue a while ago and made Steve put the little cupboard up too, then I sat while Joshy played and started a few lines of seaside striped crochet. I really should have sweeped that sinister piece of dust, can you see it there?!

Joshy still ill at home has had some of his own simple joys that only a four year old can appreciate, seeing the sea rescue helicopter rush over our garden towards the beach and listening to stories from a battered but dreamy copy of 'The world of Pooh!

pretty books, day 3

2010-06-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

Because not all books look like this vintage Heidi,

I gathered my scraps of vintage wallpaper, oil cloth left overs and pretty wrapping paper, and covered a few more books. I love to cover books, I've done a few now with left over vintage wallpaper, it can be brittle so you have to gently coax it with tales of adventures and shortbread and tea, pirate coves and hidden treasures, before sticking with a little plaster of sticky tape.

My mum brought me this book last year, Zakka Sewing and although I admit I've not made anything from it yet I love to look and get ideas, I really fancy making a fabric book cover as shown, it would look lovely embroidered with family names and dates on an old bible or falling apart photo album, or maybe a much loved children's book that's been passed down and down, by big hands to small!

simple joys day two,

2010-06-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today It was looking quite hard to make time for any simple joys, with a poorly Joshy at home and a hospital appointment that seemed to go on for ages! Driving through town on the way to hospital I did my drive of death as I call it, where I go as slow as I can and peer as far left as I can to see if any treasures are piled outside one of my favourite charity shops.

As I whizzed by as slowly as I could I spotted what looked like a battered old dolly cot, could it be? I've been day dreaming about a project like this since I spotted Hens' version.

I had to wait what seemed like all day before I could nervously tip toe back to see if it was still there, all through the dreary minutes in the hospital waiting room and the stuffy traffic on the ways to and fro, and yippee it waited for me!

My head is filled with paint colours and crochet blankets, patchwork quilts and little pillows. What I would really like to know is will I have a little girl to play with it but I'll have to hang on twenty more weeks before I find that out. As I was playing, ahem arranging cushions and crochet for my little cot Steve picked a bowl full of strawberries another simple joy from our own little cottage garden! (I would have picked them myself but an incident with a rather large queen size bee has left me a bit sheepish, the other day Joshy and I had to stay in the garden a full ten minutes longer than we wanted due to said bee hovering over our little path that leads to the back door!)

P.S

Today the sonographer said he whilst he was looking at our little bump, then he said whoops he always says he as he dosent like saying it, do you think that was a slip up or like he says he always gets into trouble for saying he?

day 1, cover an old cushion

2010-06-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

We have odd cushions scattered around our small room, one was looking tired so I decided to cover it to match its little brother.

Using my last bit of Donna Flower for the front and some rosy old bark cloth for the back. I washed the bark cloth a few weeks ago before packing it away and it still smells all clean and dreamy, like a faded memory from a holiday!

A challenge has been set ...

2010-06-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just recently I've been floundering, carried out to sea by big salty waves. Past the brightly coloured fishing boats that bob and sway, on and on further away.

On the shore my family and friends stand and wave with the creamy coloured shells that twist and turn, the little crabs and seaside whelks. They wave and smile as I drift, my feet skimming brimey rocks and old pier posts of salty wood, with little limpets holding tight and greeny black sea weed lying asleep

...and me not waving but drowning. Like Virginia Wolf with rocks in my pockets I swirl and gasp and dance my weary way through waves and foam.

Back on land wrapped in an old warm towel, feet bare, toes still wearing their wrinkled skin I stop and breathe in. I need a rubber ring, a challenge to keep me afloat, more and more I want the good life, a simple life, not brought or even thrifted but made by hand, by me, my Nan's' life. Her ability to make her home pretty just with a piece of flowery fabric and a bobbin wound full of imagination,

365 days of being my Nan, knitting, sewing, crochet, reading, picnics and fêtes, baking my own bread, pasties, cakes, making the things I need. Doing one little thing each day, the old fashioned simple pleasures I now treasure, 365 days of simple joys!

P.S,

Oh by the way if you'd like to join my challenge just email or leave a comment and I'll pop a list on my side bar, you can either use my logo or make one with your own nan.

this evening

2010-06-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

This evening my mum came round. Joshy and I made vanilla fairy cakes with rainbow sprinkles. As we sat with our cakes and tea trying to talk I could not meet my mums' eye. As she left forty minutes or so later she slipped our ring that we brought together years ago into my hand.

Big salty tears welled in my eyes, overloading my weary eyes before streaming down my cheeks, the bitter sweet taste of vanilla staying in my mouth, making me feel sick.

I blog about things I like to do and make, crochet and embroidery, baking and sewing, vintage finds and old musty books. Cottage gardens filled with lupins and big heady roses, children and wig whams, jam tarts and simple joys, but sometimes life gets in the way and the world of Joshy and Belle that normally settles around me like an old comforting rosey eiderdown disperses. Our cottage shaken like a snow globe, with debris whirling takes a while to get back to normal, and very ill mums, noisy neighbours and messy little cottage rooms that aren't big enough for a family of four weigh heavy in my flowery pinney pockets.

Sleepy Sweet Mornings

2010-05-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes on a Friday Steve takes Joshy to school, leaving me skipping through early morning dreams, wrapped in vintage candy strips and sprigs of pretty summer flowers.

This morning I did something a bit naughty, I left my ear plugs safely tucked in their little ear beds so not even the birds on the cherry tree outside our little cottage window could wake me, and there I stayed sleeping soundly until half past eleven ...

and then I'm almost ashamed to admit, that I stayed where I was for a further hour, daydreaming, stretching out long and dipping in and out of the little basket of books that waits for us on the vintage blanket box at the foot of our bed!

I really fancied a long warm bath with further reading but Joshy refusing to take the tinned goods I found at the back of the cupboard! had taken my new bubble bath to school for a raffle prize! I must get better organised!

Now I'm up and dressed in my new summery pyjamas I thought Id show you a few bits that I've been up to this last month. I've got to admit that I've shamelessly copied Lucy's baby granny blanket, I thought it would be lovely and soft for our little bump or maybe just for me and Joshy when we snuggle on the sofa reading stories and talking about our days.

One of the mums at school kindly gave me a big bundle of hand knitted baby clothes, I've yet to start on the little textured jacket pattern I found in a charity shop! Amongst the soft lemons and mint green little cardigans was this,

a lovely chunky all in one, perfect as our bump is due early November.

Giving up my search for vintage embroidered flowers, I decided to sew my own. Searching through the isles of Etsy last January, feet tucked up cup of tea waiting gently I found this little set.

Yesterday as the storm clouds budged the fluffy white summer clouds out of the way, I sat quietly making daisy loops in sunflower yellow, lilac, and pale salmon, my hands dancing over the linen, my imagination lost in the past, of balmy days, and cottage gardens.

Lastly on my to do list is this from Crochet Today, I think it looks so sweet and bright. I'm planning on making the full mobile and then a few of the bits like the rainbow and the sun but strung in a line as a pram toy.

'Aha aho tracks in the snow', I can hear little chattering and big chattering outside our front door, it must be hometime for little boys and daddies, time for me to pack away my quiet time for a few hours.

Thank you to everyone who has left me such a lovely comment on my last post, I had been feeling quite sad and worried these past few months, reading each comment makes me smile so much! I plan to visit you all soon to reply, and as next week is half term I'll probably be back in a week. Hope you all have sunny times!

Sweet reasons

2010-05-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Gosh where have I been? to tell the truth I've been at home feeling quite sick and run down for a while now, at first I thought Joshy had brought me home a bug present from school, but as the weeks passed by and the sickness stayed I started to wonder and then on Mothers Day we discovered the little sweet reason why!

It took us four years a lot of hospitals and some desperate praying on a saint on a bridge in Prague before we were lucky enough to have Josh after being told in my early twenties by one rather horrible doctor that i had to accept i might not be able to have children.

I've secretly longed for another baby for a few years now, but my husband didn't want to go down the weary painful path of hospitals and treatments, and so after another four years we had the chat and decided that we'd pretty much come to the end and I would return to work!

After two failed pregnancy tests sometime in February and then our last happy test on Mothers day I skipped along to the doctors just to make sure, but my hormone levels were so low and I had really bad pains so after more tests the doctor referred me to the hospital we wanted to avoid fearful that I was ectopic, luckily our little baby was in the right place and my hormones levels are increasing, and so here I am at sixteen and a bit weeks later with a little bump tons of worries and armfuls of excitement!

Would you like to see my sweet little baby bump?

There he/she is, just lounging!

I'm hoping to be back on Friday with news of crochet, and cottages, chocolate cakes and lupins, books and cravings! he he! Thank you to everyone who's left me lovely messages and emails this last month or two its really helped me through!

good for the soul

2010-04-26T02:48:00.000-07:00

There are some things that are good for the soul. Simple little things that we sometimes only seem to do on holiday.

And so it was yesterday evening with the sun still in the sky, the faint smell of barbecues gently dancing on the breeze, I found myself thinking out loud, if we were in St. Ives right now, we'd be sat sipping chilled wine in a country pub, or strolling along the beach, collecting shells, listening to the songs of the sea birds, watching the jaunty deckchairs and parasols collapse back ready for the following morning.

A few short minutes later we were heading down the beachy road, along the cliff side, steep banks of greeny yellow dotted with white flowers climbing away from the road on either side, if you could see this road from heaven you'd think it had been carved out from the hilly green by hand, or maybe you'd mistake it as scene from an Enid Blyton book.

Twisting and turning along we travelled, past the faded wooden fence, with its path falling away to the beach below, past grasses taller than Josh and the enchanting pale blue gate amidst the hedges, always locked, where does it lead to, I like to think there's a winding path up to an Agatha Christie type house with a large sprawling garden laid for afternoon tea with rosey china and home made cakes, and on to the beach huts.

Outside on the jingle jangle shore the wind roaring in our faces, hair flying away, we watched the silver waves, ran and bounced, Joshy searching for sea shell treasure, but not finding another heart pebble, back in the car I handed Josh over my own little find, his eyes wide, his little hands cupping his present, through a big beaming smile he said 'the perfect heart pebble'!!

Back home past the yachts and swans, grasses and countryside, pastel coloured village houses and fields full of growing strawberry's and raspberries.

Later as Joshy slept we sat in our pyjamas watching River cottage eating freshly baked bread and crocheting little granny squares.

Spring days

2010-04-22T01:59:00.000-07:00

There's still a few bunches of daffodils around, sitting delicately in little jugs, with the essence of faded spring and Easter memories,

We spent our Easter days in pyjamas snuggling on the sofa, with stripey crochet on our laps, eating hot cross buns and drinking tea from starry cups,

reading our favourite story over and over, changing our voices to sound like 'Old Bear' and 'Bramwell Brown'

chasing bubbles in the garden, Joshy like a little puppy, tongue out, grinning from ear to ear,

kneading dough before popping into the hot oven, and then slicing cottage loaves, spreading with strawberry jam and eating whilst the bread is warm and the jam melts in,

sharing picnics with home made scones and jam hearts as Josh calls them,

running around farms, wellies on our feet, feeding calf's, and holding baby chicks, collecting warm freshly laid eggs, standing amazed watching lambs an hour old try to scrabble to their feet,

wondering along past sheep in their fields, holding our noses by the piggies!

and now little ones are safely tucked up at school, there's flowers for me, gathered together in old utility ware jugs,

and little knitting to use up scraps and practice, My knitting always goes wrong, so by starting small I'm hoping to get it right this year! I still spend every weekend tense and worried not knowing how loud next door will be, the weekend before I stood at half two in the morning screaming through the walls for him to shut up, I'm a bag of nerves, and although I know it is far better than before and he has turned it down a lot, its still there like a reoccurring nightmare, keeping me from sleep and peace. When he has the football on we have to hear it too, I hate that, I hate all the white vans of him and his friends, the laddish behaviour, our little row of cottages feels wrong to me now, he's not loud in the week in fact we wouldn't even know he was there if we didn't see him, just weekends.

but still it is only Thursday, so one more of day of quiet bliss and some yummy reading.

to market, to market ...

2010-03-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

There's something magical about meandering back home through the market, past stalls with bright striped awnings, stopping to choose a bunch of daffodils sunshine yellow, and a handful of mini chocolate eggs wrapped in jolly cellophane with cherry red drawings.

Making your way back through people, the old and the very young with their mothers everyone in between at work or school. Stopping off at the bakery for a Chelsea bun, flicking the yucky glace cherry away from the sticky white icing that sticks to your fingers like pva glue, but instead of peeling a little gluey skin you can lick your fingers one by one like a little child!

and calling in at the second hand bookshop to stop and ponder, to loose yourself in watercolour worlds, with picnics and little dogs called 'sausages and egg', to chase behind through pages and pages of wonder and delight, before sitting and re-reading to little people, watching as they to run through fiction into worlds of endless summer and adventures.

I'm feeling a little bit poorly at the moment so I think I'll be back after Easter, I hope you all have lovely Easters.

embroidery and plans

2010-03-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Gosh where have I been? Nursing poor little Joshy and me through sickness and colds. Sitting with crochet blankets on our laps whilst Daddy brings us home hot Cornish pasties in their little brown bags, and bunches of Daffodils from the farmers market.

The embroidery above I did for my mum for mothers day, little initials of my nan, my mum, my sister and me sit merrily in each corner.

Last night as we sat watching River Cottage and planning this years vegetable patch I decided to try and live as much as a holiday country life as possible especially on the weekends, we sat Steve and me, dreaming and planning, spending weekends down by the creek or the shingle sandy shore, baking bread, and making jam, walking along hills and cliff tops, writing my ideas, and making mint tea.

Lassie and beachy ice creams

2010-03-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

Thank you once again for all your kind comments, it seems that my little world has been crumbling around me like a run down farm house, leaving us huddled under rainy clouds and pencil smudged skies.

So last Friday after work and school we drove the sunny road to the beach and collected shells and heart shaped pebbles, skipping along past bright crocus scattered grasses, stopping to eat strawberry and vanilla ice cream swirling from sunshine coloured wafer cones. Staying in the evening sun listening to the melody of the sea washing the day away. Later tucked with feet beneath me a log crackling in the fire, Joshy asleep, I sat and crocheted a few more rounds on my Granny cushion.

In the week with pennies in my pocket and lumps again in my tummy I left our little cottage to thrift and think of happier days, finding vintage glasses, and smiley green bowls in the little charity shop by the sea,

and a little bowl of fine green glass to hold strawberry jam on days with scones and tea and garden flowers,

An embroidered pretty, I never find these, I nearly back flipped in the linen corner, draped across the back of our sofa for a picture I cant help but think how pretty it looks there, and Lassie, stood all alone on the middle shelf with a price instead of a collar around her little neck, although when I got to the till a very abrupt assistant practically accused me of changing the price to 49p, saying it was worth much more than that, eventually the lovely little old lady said she had priced it at that and the other one let me take it after a good moan about it being a collectors piece, I really fancied it by then otherwise I would have given her a piece of my mind and left!

And so as the days creep slowly towards Spring I'm thinking of maypoles and rainbow coloured ribbons, country days and childhood dreams, buttercups and pots of tea, learning how to bake bread and make jam, connecting the swirling lines of children's prose that dance into my head when I should be sleeping, I'd so like to write childrens' books, I have so many ideas but trying to catch them and stick them down on blue lined paper before sending them off to dance or fall on publishers desks is quite scary. Maybe just maybe if I wish hard enough they might come true.

hiding

2010-03-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

Just recently I've been trying to hide under vintage eiderdowns, peeking out at life from faded rosy paintwork, venturing on tip toes feeling lost and little. A new neighbour has moved to our little row of railway cottages bringing loud music and big white vans full of drunken young lads, he's shattered our little world and left me not wanting to be at home. He seems kind enough though and after a few requests from us to turn it down I went and had a chat with him, he said sorry and moved his speaker, the Sunday night peace restored around us once again, I'm hoping and praying that it was just a blimp and this and all following weekends will be quiet and nice again. Another family member is ill and the bank wont lend us enough to move. Driving through Salisbury last weekend the cathedral spire stood straight and narrow I thought it would pierce the heavy grey cloud above bleeding rain on top of rain, grey on top of grey dank dreary winter worry's.

tea and cake

2010-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sat here, feet twirled underneath soft crochet stripes, eyes heavy propped open like stripey shop awnings resting on wooden posts, I thought Id pop by and say 'Hi'. Last week Joshy and I baked and decorated a birthday cake for Mr J&B,

We arranged our toy cowboys, and planted little icing flowers on swirly pale green grass before blowing balloons and wrapping vintage books with paper and ribbon.

This week I'm covering holidays at work, my first full time week with full time hours for five years and I'm feeling quite sleepy! Whilst Ive been working a little boy and a much bigger one have been running through tunnels and past big cannons, shouting hello and waving from hill tops looking out over rivers and creeks, past castles and boats and far out to sea.

Mr Typey and Vera

2010-02-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was feeling a little glum I'm not too sure why, so in between rain drops underneath grey clouds I found the little path to my favourite shop, under the cloud with the silver lining I collected vintage treasures, before skipping home much brighter.

Once home dusting keys with big bold letters, before sitting proudly on embroidered flowers in his new home Mr Typey smiles his toothy smile! and kindly holds some pretty postcards for me whilst he waits for his new ribbon!

Happiness restored I put on my Cath K apron, got out my new Tala icing set which I got for Christmas and made vanilla cup cakes to take to a friends complete with rainbow sprinkles, as I baked Vera Lynn sang loudly and sweetly until a knock at the door stopped us in our tracks ...

I stood adorned in flowery goodness and icing sugar, the man looking bemused over my shoulder into the 1940s house, as Steve calls our little cottage, just as he opened his mouth Vera pipped him to the post speaking quite loudly "Goodnight and God bless you where ever you are!" to which our visitor nearly doubled over, "umm, I'm just in the middle of baking" I said in way of an explanation, "Right" He answered as if he understood, after letting him know the house he needed was across the road he left slightly dazed just as Vera went full belt into the chorus of her next little ditty, Mr Typey smiled a little wider, Belle looked up from her sweet sleepy dreams and I decided to stay in the kitchen and not answer the door again, just in case he came back with news of missing troupes!

the wonderful weekend post!

2010-01-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

Today time is ticking very slow, each second filled with embroidery and tea, reading and lounging, feet warm in owl patterned socks, this morning my bed clung to me, soft and warm in vintage candy stripes and flowery eiderdowns, I lay and listened as the birds sang their melodies from the cherry tree by our window.

On my birthday a snowy net kept us caught in our cottage away from Cath K goodies, and so instead I decided to wander round Etsy. The shelves were stacked high, my favourites list longer than a giants shopping list, I picked things up and put them down, I made a wish list, I spent a few days dreaming and choosing before settling on this vintage embroidery kit.

Yesterday my little baby animals skipped to my door, knocking sweetly and I lost no time arranging the wool and feeling a little scared, my last crewel embroidery kit I tried was years ago and it did not go well, in fact my mum did it for me, but I was just a slip of a girl then! As you can see I have done a few lazy daisies upside down, ho hum!

This is how it should look ...

Also in the week I found this sheet for a pound, I first thought I would cut it to make a few pillow cases and a shopping bag but once home and freshly laundered smelling faintly of fabric softener hinting of summery days, I noticed that this retro beauty is king size like our bed and so it now lives in the blanket box at the bottom of our bed waiting to be mixed with other vintage bedding, rosey and soft, mixing with sleepy heads and dreamy weekend mornings.

I'm back off to 'colour in' (as Joshy says) my wood chuck and bambi, and read some more weekendy things to make and do. Thank you for my new followers I'll be popping by next week to answer all my comments and maybe I may have mastered those lazy daisies! Hope you have a nice weekend!

bunnykins

2010-01-26T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm little bunny. This Morning Flissy spotted me up high locked in a cupboard in a charity shop. The kind lady who had been talking to me all morning showed me to Flissy, and I couldn't help but jump into Fliss's floral bag, my little green ears popping out the top as we skipped home together.

Hello, I'm Mrs Bunny, I was so happy my baby came home! I could have skipped all the way to the meadow and back, I told Miss Lamb the very same this morning,

Oh yes she did, so happy she was! Its so nice having everyone close, we're just waiting for Mr Rabbit to come home, he was last seen heading out to sea in a little fishing boat, with bright painted wooden decks, and florescent buoys bobbing on the choppy waves. Maybe he'll be home for Spring and we can have crab sandwiches and a pot of tea!

beachy mornings

2010-01-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

This morning the beach was lost under a gentle sea of mist, I had a feeling of early summer mornings on holiday by the sea, everything calm and relaxed waiting for the mist to lift and the day to start.

Putting the holiday feeling in my pocket, taking it with me I looked out to sea, islands and boats lost in the creamy haze before crossing towards town and the few charity shops scattered amongst the sea side cafes, like rainbow sprinkles on a sweet fairy cake.

I found a set of pretty redoute rose mats to mix and match at tea times with vintage plates and maybe one day some cath k cutlery, I love the pastel colours. Last week just after my birthday I found this pretty compact, it's not something I'm normally drawn to, but there was something nice about this, and as it was my birthday I decided to bring it home with me.

I've looked up the serial number on line and I think it's a 1950s make from Stratton but I'm not too sure, I don't really want to buy the guide to date it as I don't think I will start collecting them, at the moment my little compact sits in my bag with me, I'm thinking of putting powder in it and using it properly, making a little bag to keep it safe, a rosy sleeping bag to protect from scratches and such things that lurk in bottoms of bags! I keep thinking of its previous owner what would her refection have been? was her compact just for best or with her day to day reflecting parties, shops, markets and stalls, summer fetes and church hall bazaars, knitting groups and days on trains, time by the sea, art deco cinemas or wiping jam from children's smiles, maybe?

make with mother

2010-01-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting for a while, my Birthday was lovely we didn't make it to Winchester so instead we went to feed the ducks and swans on their frozen lake, wondering over snow and frozen paths, weaving between trees and pond plants dusted with snow and ice, before heading into a warm restaurant to eat and thaw our cold cold toes.

Then the bad news came again, quick and swift, unexpected. My father-in-law had a heart attack, so this weekend Joshy and I find ourselves at home whilst Steve made the long drive North alone, we wanted to go but we're both full of cold and with everyone upset and in and out of hospitals we thought it best to keep little people and winter colds away.

With a heavy heart I woke feeling lonely, but not for long. a little boy had a plan, and soon yogurt pots and long tubes were collected and stuck together, elastic bands in place, a strap made from a silky blue ribbon, stopping for a cup of tea and a few squares of chocolate before little hands started strumming incey wincey spider!

With little hands busy bigger hands had time to embroider over a child's hankie, highlighting little bricks, a french knot for a door handle, adding a few little stars, nearly finished ready to make into a little lavender pillow for a sleepy boys' bed, and once the curtains are closed on a grey rainy day and teddies and toys are packed away ...

maybe I may snuggle looking at vintage crochet patterns, feet tucked up, candles flickering, a few more rows of half trebles before climbing our steep cottage stairs up to bed and hopefully a brighter week ahead!

thank you

2010-01-07T03:10:00.000-08:00

I would just like to take a second to say 'thank you' all so much for your lovely thoughtful comments its really meant a lot to me how kind and soothing your words have been. I was so touched at your offers to call and email me, I dont feel worthy to 'know' you all, it's been just over a year since I started this blog and although my friends laugh I don't think they understand how kind and generous blog land is. Its a bit like having lots of pen pals, instead of sitting next to the fire with a letter folded on your knee, hot chocolate dancing steam into the air you sit with a lap top gently whirring, the friendships are special, the little snippets of day to day life, the sewing and baking, crochet and car boot finds a little community sharing our days with each other.

If I dwell it just makes me sadder so I'm resolved to remember my little godson as he was, although I feel terrible guilt at not being the best of friends with my old friend and drifting apart there were reasons but they seem silly now.

I've been spending these last few days getting back to normal after the rush of Christmas and the bleakness of the final few days in December, Picking up my hook again to work rows of half trebles in soft candy hues, and yesterday with everyone home, our little town tucked in a thick blanket of snow we played and threw snow balls, made foot prints and snowmen before lighting a fire and drinking our chocolate from starry cath kidston mugs, happy in the moment.

The funeral is not for another week, my birthday is on Saturday so snow allowing we're back off to Winchester, and in the meantime I have crochet, snow and a little boy home from school to keep me busy, and thank you again so much, I know this wasn't the happiest thing to blog about but it was all i could think of.

Fliss xxx

Christmas

2010-01-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was unsure wheter to write a post for a day or two, but the only words in my mind are these, whirling around in a tangled mess.

The time before Christmas was really lovely, we went to the Christmas Markets at Winchester and walked munching roasted chestnuts, sipping mulled wine, feeling festive we meandered the paths around the cathedral past Morris men and smiling children, eating hot pasties from their paper bags to keep us warm and our tummies still, all the way to here,

the place where I loose all sanity and hop and skip around dancing down isles, and up curving staircases, in and out of flowery displays, and painted furniture, my own Morris dance,

Joshy brought a magnet from a little selection of childhood bits and bobs, his little face lighting up, the treasured toy kept in his pocket with a shiny piece of Christmas confetti that he found on the school play ground the week before!

Unfortunately our Christmas spiralled down and was very bleak apart from Joshy who pulled me through. On Christmas day the priest popped round to tell me my god son had died on Christmas morning, his parents went in to wake him to find him cold, he was only two. The family were staying with relatives and didn't have my number with them, so they rang the priest asking him to tell me right away, He came round at two.

We felt sick and couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, we argued, I was in a daze. I think the worst thing was the guilt I felt as I hadn't seen them for a year and a half as the friendship between us hadn't really worked for me, its unfair now to explain why. I didn't know what to say, in the end I just cried and listened as she sobbed down the phone, I wished there was something I could have done to help. I wished they were in Hampshire so i could have gone round and seen them. A few days later they invited me to see their sons' body, I declined but I got the impression they wanted me to go, the other godparents did and the rest of the family did, they said it would make me feel better if i saw him, i did think about it for hours, but the warning of his colouring and condition played in my mind and again I refused, I wanted to drive down to them but part of me didn't want to take Joshy to a place of such sadness on his Christmas and I felt guilty for that too, and then nothing I rang again and left a message, but just bleak empty days creeping past, until new years eve.

Slowly we've been trying to get back to normal, spending days with family again, feeding the ducks running over frost covered grass through the remains of Titchfield Abbey, blue skies above our heads crisp white carpets below our feet, But still a feeling of dread sits in the bottom of my stomach lurching when I'm still, I'm unsure of my role as I wasn't part of their lives, as our paths had gone completely different routes a long time ago, our friendship was swift, i feel guilty for mourning over a little boy that I never knew and guilty still that I can move forward.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well the stockings are hung, the candles are lit, their little flames doing a merry dance in the fireplace, reflections flickering on the bricks. A letter waits for a jolly reader, the little handwriting wibbly wobbly, spelling out 'father Christmas', carrot and mince pie wait excitedly alongside a little glass of port. A little boy is snuggled up tightly with little ted, the smile he's been wearing all day still there on his sleepy face, as the evening light fades around the glistening Christmas tree my dearest hubby sits dozing in and out of short sweet dreams. (His snoring is a bit bugging! I know its not very Christmassey of me!)

The race and normal Christmas stresses of the last few weeks suddenly over, I think its time to relax and be merry, my baileys waits, my crochet too, a vintage striped blanket growing by a row or two every evening, sat wrapped in Christmas memories made whiles ago in Somerset mixed with new, nativities and carols, wrapping and crafts, family and friends, and those mince pies i never got round to making! I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and new year, I'll be back in January!

Fliss xx

vintage ladybird and a pause for advent

2009-12-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

Its definitely getting colder here, day by day. Today after school and work Joshy and I decided a bit last minute to head into town as our little town museum had a Ladybird book display, leaving our sparkling tree with belle curled asleep below the silver branches,

Out into frosty evening air we skipped my little boy and I, weaving in between Christmas lights and weary shoppers into painted memories of ladybird make and do.

Looking at paintings long forgotten and then instantly remembered, sitting with Joshy as he cut and stuck, making his own childhood memories, taking the time to pause and remember taking a moment to reflect on childhood stories, snippets of Christmas songs and games played with my sister under winter dark skies waiting for Christmas morning when we should have been asleep!

I remember this picture, I know I had this as a girl but I cant remember which ladybird book it is, does anyone know?

A pause in Advent ...

2009-12-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Gosh its cold on this shelf, my little nut cracker man looks like his little teeth won't stop chattering! Sorry I've been away for a while, little Joshy was so ill with his flu and chest infection I felt completely exhausted, I'm happy to say he's been returned to school and Ive started a little office job temping for a few weeks.

One morning whilst Joshy and I were snuggled in the warm recovering, a parcel popped through our door from Alison, I knew this parcel was coming but I was still overwhelmed with the gifts, vintage patterns, and needles and a little crochet brooch which now dances on my bag paddling in a sea of floral loveliness. Thank you Alison, and I also need to say thank you to Steph for the gorgeous giveaway prizes I won, I never got round to doing a proper post, and I never got round to passing on the blog award from Liz either, my husband often calls me half job Fliss!

The other day I noticed a pause in advent by Floss and thought it such a lovely idea that I'd join in, I've been thinking about Advent and what it means to me and our little family, I think the first thing is the season itself, there's something magical about the run up to Christmas, a little glow which dances down from the Christmas lights and in to our hearts, people become kinder, children smile and dance as the excitement bubbles, choosing pretty patterned paper to wrap home made gifts, writing labels on jars of Christmas chutney,

turning on the radio and waiting for a much loved hymn, looking at cribs and shaking hands with strangers over song books and sermons, lighting a candle for my much loved nan and remembering driving the winding country lanes back to somerset to visit and sit, helping decorate her tree, feeling sad on the way home, my heart is always left on that drive somewhere outside Cannington, (even now) where the walls curve around the village church, with the brook babbling away under the little bridge down by the village pub. Teaching Joshy our Christmas customs, and Mary and Joseph and school nativities, and the dream of snow.

look what I made!

2009-11-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

There's so many lovely crochet garlands around at the moment, every where I look I see stars and snowflakes dancing down from ceilings and skipping against soft backdrops and pretty pictures hung on walls.

The night before last feeling worn out from ill days but not sleepy I sat with a milky cup of tea, Belle curled asleep on my feet, soft and warm, with raindrops and wind tapping our cottage window I sat, crochet hook and yarn ready but not knowing what to make, the last few days have been weary with poor Joshy having to go to hospital and Steve and I exhausted,

needing to crochet I twiddled and danced merry jewel colours through my hands into crochet 'paper' chains ready for Christmas, for parties and warm festive days, to hang on pictures and silver tree branches, to sit behind papered presents and happy smiles, and I'm not sure if you'd like to make your own but in case you do I've made my first tutorial , click here! I hope it makes sense and someone somewhere might like to have a go! he he!! Fliss xx

crochet paper chains

2009-11-23T06:52:00.000-08:00

These crochet 'paper' chains are really easy, using odds and end of wool and as they are joined as they go they are super quick too!

I've not typed out my own pattern before so I hope this is easy to understand, if there's any bits where I dont make sense just say!

What you'll need:

odds of double knitting wool

4mm crochet hook

(you can use any wool but remember to change your hook size)

stitches

chain

slip stitch

UK treble

First crochet paper chain

with your first colour chain 30, then join with a slip stitch into first chain to form a ring. next chain 3 (which counts as first treble) then add 34 more trebles into ring join with a slip stitch into third chain of first 3chain treble. fasten off.

that's the first crochet 'paper' chain made.

Second Chain

with a different colour chain 30, before joining into a ring thread the chain through the crochet 'paper' chain you have just made, then join with slip stitch to form a ring. your ring should now be looping through the crochet paper chain you have just made. now chain 3 (which counts as your first treble) and next treble 34 more, join with a slip stitch into first treble and fasten off.

you now should have two crochet paper chains joined together, simply keep changing colours and adding as many links to your chain as you wish, you can also make your links bigger by making a larger foundation chain or smaller adjusting the number of trebles so they make a nice loop.

next sew in any loose ends and then drape over pictures, door ways or your tree!

flu

2009-11-20T03:39:00.001-08:00

About a week ago Joshy started to cough, but I wrapped him up and sent him to school as he still seemed quite scampish, on Monday afternoon a sign was outside his classroom saying many of the reception class were ill and if your child had any symptoms to stay at home, by Tuesday morning Josh was full of flu, and spent most of the week tucked up in his bed asleep or lying on the sofa wrapped in a soft vintage blanket sleeping, he has had a temperature and cough, aches and cold symptoms, we think he has definitely had a flu type virus. As his aches have started to fade and he's sat up playing Noddy my body is feeling sludgy and my aches are beginning.

As my little boy fought through his bug he clung to me, I could not move without him crying, and so I nursed and sat sewing and making by his side whilst he slumbered in and out of poorly sleep. I've made my first two felt flowers, sewing little faded colours of felt into petals and leaves, to give the impression of a vintage brooch worn and loved on a warm winter coat.

and making Christmas decorations I ordered whiles ago (as Josh says) from Posie gets Cosy, finding peace in the little embroidered flowers, holding sleepless nights at bay with the gentle sewing of beads into flower beds,

also a few granny squares, not sure whether to make arm rests or a lap blanket or maybe a bigger one, full of colour and warmth to drape over the chair by the fire, ready and waiting for the cooler evenings of the months to come.

House work has had to wait, toys and chores have piled in corners waiting to fall, to spill out into our day, ironing baskets have grown big enough to rival Rapunzel's hair, I'm sure if we had a fire we could use our ironing tied together to abseil to safety! But these things have seemed unimportant this week and maybe can wait a few days more.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend, mine may be spent in pyjamas tucked in a world of crochet and embroidery away from the rain and gathering storms outside. Liz has given me an award, thank you Liz! I will pass that on next week when hopefully poorly ones have been returned to school and I have time to sit with tea and cakes and read and comment on pretty blogs.

cream tea

2009-11-15T05:52:00.001-08:00

In between sunshine and bike rides, Cath Kidston apron tied over warm faded lilac jumper, violet trim and violet zip, work tops dusted with falling flour, mixing bowl filled, ingredients swirled,

little hands and big hands kneading, mixing, making . . . a disaster, eight little hard scones, not cooked in the middle, not tasting nice, only about half an inch high! oh pants! My dreams of spending a relaxing Sunday out under the ever changing clouds and winter sun wrapped in mittens and giggles before coming home to sit in front of the fire with scones and tea, dashed by my hard stodgy baking!

Wondering what went wrong I rang Grandma. Six hours away at the end of the line Grandma explained how to kneed without over touching, not to use the rolling pin just my finger tips. Whilst Joshy and Steve dashed out between raindrops I re-mixed and re-made, my second dough so soft like a little cloud floating across the work top, eight little rounds of creamy soft dough baking at gas mark 7. As the rain began to fall again we sat nibbling big melty scones with tea and strawberry jam, Joshy with crumbs on his hands, a big jammy smile said in only a way a four year old can 'this scone is rather nice Mummy!'

Dottie for Dottie

2009-11-10T01:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning after dropping Joshy at school I found myself at the beach, The early morning mist gently coloured by the waking sun lay like a creamy vintage eiderdown upon the sea, the waves seeming to stretch forever, the Isle of Wight hidden in its sleepy soft blanket of morning sun and bright soft fog.

I love walking along the beach almost empty, the beach huts shuttered tight, the pebbles undisturbed, the holiday makers long gone, past big white houses and pinky seaside flowers with fuzzy green grasses, I like to choose a house, pretend, open the front door, light a fire, put on my pinney and bake, then curl in an armchair, watching the sea, reading old enid blytons, making bacon sandwiches for lunch with a big cup of tea, collecting shells and afternoon embroidery ...

back in our little cottage I do these things, as Winter begins my heart skips, I layer blankets, and childrens books to read to sleepy boys,

I arrange 1930s china brought from a sprawling charity shop by the beach, I stick thrifted buttons from second hand shops inside picture frames inspired by the fab Tif,

with flowers fading I display vintage knitting needles with rainbow colours,

and more dollies brought from the same beach Charity Shop, the perfect colours of sea and shore,

I add vintage dollies under my own, like a pretty floral matress, and make more inspired by my beachy walk and of course Dottie Angel, these colours remind me of faded memories of nans in aprons, back doors open letting the country side in for tea and home made cakes,

and nestled in the back I found this little tray, with cream melamine frame, so sweet and fitting for our little cottage, as I turned the tray in my hands, a little paper label on the back read, 'Watchet Products, Somerset', my very own sea side memories staying with my nan and grandad, playing by the sea, the fishing boats, my nan in her blue floral tea dresses half apron at her waist, my grandad digging his vegtables, back in Watchet, back in Somerset, back in time.

Vintage Travel

2009-11-02T01:35:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of stress and undecided dreams and plans mounting and piling like fragile glass on a wonky shelf I took a breather, bags packed Joshy and I headed up North to stay with Grandma, and on a cold but sunny day we drove over the moors up past Hebden Bridge, past the canal and barges, ducks and little quirky shops to here ...

for a day of Steam Trains and pretty platforms, vintage clocks and gas lights, rows of coloured fairy lights hanging merrily beside cream and red wood, bricks and colourful posters,

Joshy was in his element, spotting signals and sidings, points and following the trail of dancing steam as it sped past our window into the trees,

Here we are at the platform where 'The Railway Children' was filmed, as we were the only people there the man showed us round, unlocking gates and letting us in to peek,

we played trying to lift vintage luggage, and looked longingly at bright old adverts, the colours and images jumping from their tin signs onto the platform, just as pretty as the flowers and autumn leaves still desperately clinging to the trees.

pull Joshy, pull!

Inside the office as it was so quiet, we got to stand and see, listen to the old bell, light the gas light, the lines of tickets all ready and waiting, the colours of a faded rainbow

the old stick phone, still used today, everything old but homely in this little railway office, outside in the little room where the public buy their tickets a real fire flickered in the corner, throwing warmth and cosy memories out into the small room,

Here we are Joshy and me, sat in our seat, surrounded by polished wood and soft blue checks whilst outside the gleaming window orange trees and winter sunshine guided us from Oxenhope to Haworth (home of Emily Bronte). Back in our little cottage we drew pictures and looked at folded tickets and smiling faces, everyday stresses packed away I'm trying to catch up with crafts, and blogs (thank you for my awards I will try and do a post about them and pass them on in a few days) but for now I have housework and vintage day-dreaming!

weight loss wednesday!

2009-10-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take part in weight loss Wednesday, over at rosey little things, oh no more warm fairy cakes for me, or cooling jam tarts where you know you should wait until they're cool but cant resist the sweet jammy scent, making a milky cup of tea, picking a pretty vintage side plate, and sitting with Country Living, or bundles of colourful crochet on your lap, slowly nibbling a little mid morning treat! HO-HUM, it will be worth it.

This week was my first and I lost two pounds! I have a new crochet project working along side my fillet crochet which is not good for tired eyes at the end of weary days, talking of weary days this evening we rushed, having tea, picking conkers from the fallen leaves, meeting Daddy before setting off for parents evening, in the car we sat in a muddle stuck behind three horses! finally at school we ran in slightly late, the car park empty-ish, the lights quite dim for a parents evening, into the corridor past the cleaner, said Hi to the headmistress, who trying not to laugh reminded me that parents evening is next week! I felt so foolish!

I've got so much for my next post, awards, stephs giveaway and crochet, I'll be back on Friday, hopefully my red cheeks will have faded by then!

Crinoine Ladies

2009-10-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

Look what I found, stood pretty surrounded by big bright blooms and sweeping flowered paths, waiting for butterflies and maybe a sweetheart, picking the delicate petals, humming a little tune,

Before now I've never really like crinoline ladies, until about a month ago giving up my quest to find a pretty tray cloth for our kitchen table, deciding to make my own, not vintage but vintage inspired, I saw this crochet booklet on Etsy, just a few clicks (how dangerous is that!)

and before long fine cream thread running through my ringers like a swirling brook, curling around the grassy banks, under the little stone bridge on down past the fields and trees, stacking up trebles, into a lacy silhouette, perfect for popping over a CK table cloth, lying above the kitschy prints and under the vintage green glass of our fruit bowl.

Crinoline ladies, creamy and dreamy on china and crochet, to live with us in our little cottage bliss.