Autumn Days...

Hello, happy autumn greetings.

We've had a lovely half term here, mild weather and plenty of fresh air.

 

A little colour left in the garden. I picked a dahlia today to cheer up the window sill in my bedroom.

I was very pleased with my three home grown pumpkins!

 

I've been quietly working on my Grandad's Christmas present ssh!! Don't tell.

A cosy lap blanket for chillier nights.

It hooked up quite quickly in a granny stripe pattern, I used stylecraft grey dk yarn and a blue from my stash.

My cat Dusty seems to have taken to one of my vintage suitcases I think I might have to get him one of his own and convert it into a bed.

 

Thank you for your kind comments on the last post.

xx

 





Returned

Hello

It's lovely to be back, I have finally replaced the broken laptop with a new typing friend.

It's taking a while to get used to but I'm sure I'll will get the hang of it soon.

I've tried my best to keep up with you all and have seen some lovely posts.

So after laptop gate I have been mostly wedding planning and doing the never ending jobs an old cottage throws at you.

I have had sometime for crochet too...

This my latest cushion made from the pattern in simply crochet issue eighteen with style craft Aran. I really enjoyed swapping between the different stitches, I even did my first bobble stitch. The original cushion in the magazine is multi coloured and looks fab, mine is toned down a bit so I can use it in my sitting room.

 

Here are some cheery mandalas.

 

Finally...

A kitty travel cushion! I used the pattern from simply crochet issue twenty (the latest)

He took up a lot of double crochets but worth it in the end and is so snuggly.

Cant wait to take him on his first car journey up to north Yorkshire to visit my Grandad.

 

Here are a few photos from the garden.

 

1, Cinnabar moth

2,  Californian poppy

3, Perennial foxgloves

4, Calendula

5, A very full flower bed!

6, Celebration Rose

7, Pink peony

8, Rose hedge in bloom

9, Giant Allium

 

Has anyone else's children/grandchildren been sucked into the latest craze of loom bands?

My daughter loves them,

 I think there great, lovely to see her being creative. The possibilities are endless with what you can make. We think a strawberry key ring might be our next project

 My hoover isn't thanking me for all the strays she leaves behind!

 

I will leave you with my pretty tea cup that a picked up a few weeks back and some garden roses.

Wishing you a lovely end to the week.

 

**My lovely friend and neighbour has just started her blogging adventure,

 so if you have a spare min pop over and have a look-see**

xx

 

 

 



Cosy Cat and CAL

Hello to you.

Hope you're all well and enjoying a little sunshine.

I hooked up this lovely fresh daisy the other day, I think I feel some spring time bunting coming on!

I've added the the ball of wool I found in my stash, again I've left it unfinished in case I have the erge to add to it again.

I've been making granny squares and trying to be good adding them on as I go I have nearly got the right width now.

Betty appears to have claimed it already! She enjoyed finding a sunny patch and snuggling down.

She is so tame now, loving and loyal you'd never have know she was feral.

I hope you will all have a lovely weekend and fingers crossed for some decent gardening weather, my garden certainly needs some attention now. Really looking forward to sowing some seeds too!

xx

Birthdays and CAL

Hello to you...

It's been a busy and windy week!

I hope everyone is safe and well after that awful storm and haven't experienced too much damage? We were lucky and only had one large branch down that landed in a safe place... It didn't half make a loud thump when it dropped!

My daughter turned 8 yesterday. I know everyone says it, but where does the time go? I can believe it.

So I hope I will be forgiven for being a day late with my post this week?

Yesterday we a had a small tea party for my daughter, with family and school friends. She told me later that she'd had a lovely birthday - so spending my whole day-off baking and cooking was totally worth it!

I did enjoy decorating the cupcakes!

They seemed to be popular. I have one or two left that I've squirreled away...

I made a little felt dolly from a 'Molly Makes' back issue. It was a lovely evening project, sat on the sofa in front of the fire...

Meet the kitties! 

1, Baby Betty

2, Dusty

3, Poppy

(left to right)

I found these on my camera and wanted to share them.

My fiance gave me these today!

I don't usually go in for Valentines day but I love my flowers.

Joining in again with the lovely Marianne and Chrissie 

Pop over and see what they've been up to this week - you wont be disappointed.

I've been crocheting a blanket this week just a never ending granny square one.

 I know its not a very good picture, the light has been terrible today. Will hopefully be ready for its reveal next week...

I'm very excited as I've gained some lovely new followers! YAY! Thank you for joining me.

I hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend and stay safe and dry.

xx

Kicking the January Blues

 

Hello to you.

Hope the new year is treating you all well so far?

I can be quite a miserable Martha in January, so I've taken it upon myself  to do my best to stay positive and count my blessing more.

My negativity can get the better of me sometimes.

Here are a few photos of things that have made me happy this week.

Pretty orchid gracing my Grannie's conservatory.

I love the simplicity of these flowers.

Putting away the Christmas decorations is always a sad occasion but I will look forward to seeing my Grannie's nativity set in December.

Our new addition is settling in well and sometimes you'd never guess she was feral only a few months ago.

My Grannie's dog always makes me smile she's such a sweet natured girl who just wants to be loved.

Another thing that never fails to cheer me up is getting out in the fresh air.

I think we can all get a bit of cabin fever when we are stuck indoors for too long.

A nice family walk, carefully crossing the cattle grid!

This post box made me smile.

When my brother and I were children we would regularly visit this post box to send away Grannie's letters I think we took it for granted then.

Chirk Castle one of our favourite national trust places....

All closed up for winter at the moment but will be bursting with people in the spring, not to mention snow drops!

 

Hope your all well and happy.

Thank you for your lovely new year messages

xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing You A Happy New Year xx

 

 

Hello to you.

My last post for this year and what a year its been...

I've been so glad to have you here with me in my first year of blogging.

I've really enjoyed posting and reading all your lovely blogs.

So loving and leaving you for this year with some photos from Christmas...

 

And what a lovely family Christmas we enjoyed, all together at my family home, the home of my childhood with Mum, Dad, my brother, my lovely fiancé and my beautiful daughter...

I was so lucky to receive a new camera for Christmas. I really enjoyed playing with it, snapping photos here and there...

Do you love my partners Christmas jumper!?

My Mum's cat enjoyed Christmas, playing in the garden with his feral mummy cat.

It's not Christmas without a silly hat and this year's hat of choice was a Fez!

And what we would we do without a nice glass of champagne with Christmas dinner?

Here are some flowers from the garden and the hyacinths are on my window sill - a present from the lovely ladies at the charity shop I volunteer at, filling the sitting room with their lovely heady scent.

 

My lovely grey kitties are getting on so well - it's so nice to see them cuddling up together.

Lego camper and lucky cats on a sunny window sill.

 

I hope you have all enjoyed a lovely bloggy year and I will see you all in

2014.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

xx

CAL and Busy Times

 

Hello to you.

Hope you're all well and wonderful?

Gosh it's been so busy here! School plays, costumes, Christmas trees, craft sales, Christmas shopping... and the list goes on...

So with everything going on here please bear with me - in January normal service should resume.

 I finished my crochet lamp shade, inspired by attic24.

Sorry the photos aren't great, the light at the moment is terrible but wanted you all to see.

Hope you can get an idea of what it looks like.



Joining again with the lovely ladies and their crochet along Marianne and Chrissie.

 

I've really enjoyed joining in and seeing what everyone else is doing.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!

I do love a Christmas tree - the smell is amazing!

I love to see the twinkling lights and shiny baubles.

Here are a couple of photos from my Christmas craft fair.

It went well and had lots of interest and comments which is lovely - always great to have feedback.

Mr Gingers were very popular! I was left with one though, which I was pleased about. He's hanging on the tree now.

Thank you to all of you who wished me luck and think it worked :)

Don't you just love a cosy fire in winter?

This was taken during a power cut last week where we were left without power for most of the day and night. It was actually quite nice relaxing in the warm glow from the fire reading. Couldn't have done without my electric for much longer though!

Finally, let me introduce you to the new addition to the family, Betty.

She was taken in from my Mum's garden where she was living feral (she wouldn't have survived the winter) She is now tame and a lovely little character - she was really worth the extra work.

 

I hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend.

Will try and post again before Christmas if time allows.

Thank you for all your lovely comments and continued kindness.

xx

 

 

 

Rocky Raccoon

Hello to you.

How's your week been so far?

Mine has been fairly busy.

Volunteering at the shop and helping my Grannie after her fall (she's ok though, just taking time to rehabilitate) She broke her leg and shoulder.

I've had some "me" time too...

I picked up a Mollie makes magazine, second hand, and I enjoyed making the cover woodland friends.

If I bought all the magazines I enjoyed new, I'd be permanently skint! But I do like to look out for second hand copies. 

Here they are! Their new home is in my partner's study.

Rocky was definitely my favourite.

I spent some time yesterday wondering around the garden with my camera. It was lovely to have ten minutes to myself. I found it very relaxing.

I wasn't totally alone. Poppy was prettifying herself in the wood shed.

Not sure what this is. It came from my Mum's garden. We like to share plants.

Cyclamen - pretty in purple.

The bees are still busy buzzing around.

 

The September garden still has some colour in places...

 



The fennel must be 7ft plus now - it's grown amazingly this year.

These bees appeared to be drunk on pollen!

Verbena - usually a butterfly magnet, but they seem to have gone now.   

Green tomatoes. Come on, go red!

Hover fly enjoying an artichoke flower.

Coming in to land.

What a vivid purple.

Cosmos is one of my favourite annuals.

They're very pretty in pink.

Sweet corn.

Marsh mallow.

Here is the fennel again, towering high.

Hope you're all enjoying a nice week?

Tomorrow I plan to catch up with some jobs around the house and then maybe get an hour or so on my sewing machine.

I'm off to a music festival this weekend and we are likely to have an autumn storm - so I'm packing my wellies!

Thank you for your lovely comments on the last post. It took a lot to put myself out there, but I'm glad I did.

xx