Tuesday 21 July 2015

This Past Week....































































































































These past days have been a mixed bag really. The summer so far has felt like a bit of a washout. For every one nice day, there seems to follow several days of grey gloom. True British Weather I suppose. 

I heard some sad news regarding someone I knew at school. A life taken in terrible circumstances. I hadn't seen them since leaving school, then weirdly saw and spoke to them a few days before they were taken from this earth. It has shaken me. Life is precious and fragile.

The joy of getting the car back from the garage after parting with a great deal of cash to fix it, was indeed short lived. It's just a hassle. Oh well, more exercise.

The past days and weeks have been super busy, with term ending and other bits happening. I think we are all ready for a break, and a few weeks spent running at a lower pace. 

A few weeds to be pulled and a couple of bushes to get rid of, had suddenly meant the garden looking like a bomb site. Something that was on the agenda for next year, suddenly looks like it needs to be brought forward to this year. Painting the house was on the agenda this summer, not the garden. I WILL BE BETTER. Why do I do it?

Nevermind, I'm concentrating on the lovely, and banishing all niggles and sad thoughts from my brain.

The flowers in the house are still going strong, and there is still colour in the garden (what's left of it). I am loving having colour. I am loving having little jugs and jars of posies all over the place. They are giving me HUGE amounts of pleasure. I think sunflowers next week in the house.

I have been busy trying to sort out my house. My poor, neglected house. I'm still undecided about paint colours but realise I just need to go for it and pick one. A bit like 'pin the tail on the donkey' with paint shades. Really, no kidding, I think that's what I'm going to do, just pick one, not even try it, but just go for it. I'm getting bored now of paint colours and they are all starting to morph together.

I took everything off my dresser to wash and sort and realised just how much it needed painting. It has taken some heavy duty bashing over the years from the Bears' toys and needs a bit of TLC. A big job for the holidays, but at least I know what colour I'm painting it, so that's a start.

My clean eating is going about half and half I would say. I guess I'm all of the Yin and Yang view. A healthy meal followed by a big slab of cake. I'm all for balancing! Geez, I'm useless....really...really...useless.


I have made some wash cloths for this whole double cleansing malarky. It probably would have been far cheaper to have just bought cheap face cloths, but I like the home made ones, so I'll make a few more.

My crochet hexies are on the back burner. I was going to pick them back up in the holidays, and with the super lovely yarn I got the other week, I fancied making something quite quick in time for the autumn.......


......but as usual, suddenly something caught my eye one day in the house and I had a light bulb crafting moment. As is always the case with me, in my rushed, no thought kind of way, I immediately pick up a hook and yarn and start on something. No pattern, no real thought, just an idea of yarn and a stitch and off I go. I have to say........OH MY WORD......I am loving it so far. There's not a lot of it though. It's a slow stitch....but totally worth it. Now, it still could go belly up and become a costly pants mistake, but I am loving the stitch, I am loving the yarn, I am hoping with all hope that I can pull it off. It should be utterly straight forward to make, but I hope I can make it end up how it looks in my head.

So...there we go and here we are as they say.

Have a super week all

xxx





39 comments:

  1. Good days, not so good days - life's a bit of a see saw - like the weather! I'm in serious production mode making cushions and finishing quilts ready for the New Forest Show next week - house and garden are both bombsites as a result. Love your Drops yarn - I get mine in Alton - such a lovely little wool shop. I have total dresser envy - there's one on my wish list but it'll have to wait till much later in the year as the builders move in at the end of August. Unfortunately, I'm not moving out!!! We'll have to see how that goes but at least I'll be gaining a big new space and will have to resist the temptation to fill it with fabrics and yarn!! Enjoy the summer.

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    1. That's the trouble isn't it.......to get all the crafting done, the house suffers! Oh I hope the building work goes okay for you. Always a pain to be living in amongst the mess, but always think of what comes at the end! I always dream of space, but I think, no matter how much space I'll have, I'll always over fill it!!!!! I know the yarn shop you mean, they do a good drops range there. xxx

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  2. ...there we go and here we are... LOVE every bit of this...especially the bowl of little spoons. <3 <3 <3 Oh my, where do I find those?
    xo

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    1. Hi Marcia, the spoons were bought in a tiny little bookshop in wales. I've never seen them since in any shop and I'm afraid and I have no idea who makes them. Sorry I couldn't have been more help : )

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  3. Hope you have a super week too :) you are wonderful.

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  4. Just popped by to say thank you for the tips on the face care. I've been using the Superdrug products for two weeks now and can see a big difference in my skin. It is so much clearer, double cleansing rocks!

    And go for it with the wall colour....you have an eye for colour as we can see on your blog. Whatever you choose, it will work x

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    1. Oh I'm so glad it's working well for you. I'm never really sure recommending skin products as every one has different skin and different tolerances to things. I just knew that it was good stuff that worked for me. I know! Double cleansing.....HOW have I not been doing it all my life! It totally transforms how my skin is and how the serums work on it. ha ha.....it literally will be a pin the tail on the donkey type pick I think! x

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  5. Hola corazón!, lamento tu triste noticia de alguien que conocias en la escuela, es la vida lamentablemente, algunas cosas son lindas y otras muy triste. Me encanta todo lo que has posteado, las lanas que usas son divinas!, Que suerte que puedas pintar tu casa, juega y disfrutalo! Un abrazo!

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  6. Hi, lovely pictures -- thank you for sharing them. I decided to rip out all my gardens as we are putting the house up for sale. I want the beds with a smaller amount of plants so that the new owners won't need to do as much weeding. This project has turned out to be a tad more involved than I thought it would be. The beds look so sad. Oh well that's life. Have a great day!

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    1. Oh yes, it's the flowers on the windowsill scenario isn't it? Just ripping up a few bushes has now meant the need for re-doing a fence, pulling down a big wooden structure and a total re-layout of it! I wasn't planning on that this year! I think it might just have to look sad and sorry for itself until next summer! EEEEKKKKKKK! x

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  7. I spend more time thinking than making. It is my 'undoing' so to speak. Your post has me realizing that jumping in, for those of us with crafty experience, especially in multiple areas, have a foundation from which to do the jumping. One's instinctive response is really a quick processing of amassed information and experience. So, be encouraged to plunge into a paint color. And I'll follow your example of starting a project with an uncertain outcome, for the knowledge to be gained from it.
    My condolences on the loss of your schoolmate.

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    1. Oh I am a complete procrastinator in life, but I do these these hare brained moments when I leap in, when I should actually stop and give it some thought! I'm just too impatient to do all the important stuff, like make sure I know what I am doing....or the classic......make sure I have enough of the yarn that is discontinued! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I REALLY hope this one works! x

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  8. Lovely lovely pictures...Thanks for sharing all this pastel prettiness.
    Have a good week! xh

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  9. What you've just said really resonates with me. And its so true, half the time we sleep-walk through life, knee deep in routine and habit, before a sudden, shocking, moment of realisation really makes us wake up, and open our eyes to the fact that everything can change in a heartbeat, and forever. That life is precious, and transient. At the age of fifty-something, I am finally trying to be more mindful of myself, the way I think, and what I experience, as it happens, instead of always having one eye on a mythical future, the next thing to be sorted out, or worked for, or aspired to, before it can be enjoyed. Saved up for a time when I might be slimmer, less busy, more organised, and on top of the housework. I've lost count of the times I've bought a pretty dress, a piece of jewellery, and put it carefully away to be enjoyed in the fullness of time, for going out somewhere nice, a special occasion - and it never seeing the light of day again. Living my life in the same couple of outfits bought ' to work in ' , that I don't mind so much seeing paw prints/dog hair on, or crawling around on the kitchen floor in. Comfortable, unremarkable, old reliables that get me through the day without so much as a backward glance; that have become my Signature Look. Waiting for my New Start, when life will finally get off the starting blocks, and I'll be the Me that I always meant to be, and fit to live it. Well, at nearly sixty, I'd better get a wriggle on !
    So, I've decided to start now. My home is starting to look like me: been through the mill a bit, well past the first flush of youth, and still carrying around not only the useful, but the flotsam and jetsam accrued over the years. Time for a clear out, a bit of deep cleaning, and a fresh coat of paint. Beautiful fabrics and textiles, multi-tasking and creative thinking. And a liberal helping of time out, to enjoy the process as well as the end result. That goes for me, as well as the house ! And places like your blog are a source of inspiration, and a feeling of shared pleasures that I wouldn't want to be without. Consider yourself very much appreciated !

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    1. Yes, it's amazing how we just go through the motions of each day to day and not really stopping to think about life, what's in it, what we want etc. You get these little moments n life when you are reminded of its fragility. I too bought things just for special occasions and they stuck in drawers, then I thought why not wear them everyday. If they get lost or broken then at least I can say that I have lovely memories of wearing them. So what if I look a little eccentric. I just don't care these days, and actually like not conforming. I'm so glad that you are doing the same too! You only get one life. I have lost people around me, and I feel privileged to still be here, so I'll use my time doing what makes me happy now! Take care Linda xxx

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  10. Looks beautiful indeed ♥
    Lovely! Have a great week,

    Tracey-Ann

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  11. Life is indeed precious and fragile I think it hits you every so often to remind you just to stop and enjoy what we have right now. Lovely photo's I adore the box of spoons those are so very pretty. I hope you are able to slow down and enjoy some family time during the holidays and some Me time. Enjoy your new crochet project I am busy making granny squares making a double size bed blanket I may be doing it for some time :-) Best wishes, dee x

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    1. Yes you are so right Delia. You are reminded every so often on life's fragility and it puts it all back into perspective doesn't it. Oh, I do hope that you get to have a lovely slow pace too in your holidays. It does you the world of good just to stop and smell the roses...........and relax! xxx

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  12. Such lovely pictures as always Vanessa - I just can't help thinking how much you would love Instagram, you'd be so good on it !!!!
    Kate xx

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    1. The pretty pictures are indeed very lovely. However, it's Vanessa's kind and thoughtful words that I enjoy the most. I will always choose to follow a blog that explains the pictures rather than just look at pictures on instagram which honestly doesn't interest me much. It's the words that tell the real story and give depth to the pictures. I know the saying about a picture painting a thousand words but I disagree, I need words to explain pictures!
      Sara

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    2. Thanks Kate! I was actually on Instagram for a couple of years. For me, it was great when it first started, but all changed when Facebook bought it out and I found it just too much. I actually prefer how blogging has a more limited audience, even more so now after Instagram has become the staple for people, and less people read blogs. Everybody I know is on Instagram, but I always seem to want to do the opposite!!!!! Maybe never say never, I might start up on there again one day, but for now, blogging is about as much as I can cope with xxx!

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    3. Hi Sara,

      Thanks for your kind words. I think there is a place for Instagram, but it's become more about social media/Facebook than anything else, and that doesn't appeal to me. I liked it when it was about photos and places that people shared. I'm quite happy being out of the loop and living at the slower pace that blogging provides. I do like the engagement that blogging gives. It has more heart and soul than Instagram. I'd rather sit with a good cuppa and read a couple of blogs than spend 5 minutes every 5 minutes checking my phone feed. I didn't like the fact that I had got into a routine of always being on my phone. It's not a good habit to have really!!!! x

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  13. Once again you have sent us an intriguing post. Yes, there is much beauty in the photographs, but also many thoughtful words about topics that resonate with the rest of us. Yes, life is to be treasured. Connecting with our fellow human beings is invaluable (or so I think.)

    I also must skip lightly over to a knitting comment. The alpaca yarn on your lovely needles is turning into an exceptionally beautiful ... something. I hope to see more of its progress. That stitch suits the yarn so very well.

    I still live without a smart phone. Presumably eventually I will succumb to temptation.

    xo

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    1. I am really loving how this new project is turning out. Oh my word, the yarn is beautiful to work with. I've gone a size up in the hook which makes it beautiful and drapey, and the softness is second to none. I really hope it's not a disappointment in the end. I'll keep you posted!!!!!! x

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    2. Silly me to not recognize it was beautifully soft crocheting. Hoping your current dark, cool and rainy weather will allow lots more progress on this beauty. xo

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  14. Beautiful beautiful! Is that your washcloths in pic no. 9? I wonder if you could tell me what yarn you're using please? It looks lovely and just what I need for a project I have in mind. Thank you! Ps. Love the little spoons too! Bex. X

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    1. Hi Bex,

      The yarn for the washcloth was drops paris, and it was the off white shade. It hooked up okay, I had no problems with it and has washed well in the washing machine so I'm happy. I'll be making some more, but using up my cotton stash, and I'll be using King Cole Bamboo cotton . I think that'll be a decent one too x

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  15. So very happy that the summer holidays have arrived! Hopefully some gentle days for you to spend with that dreamy wool... and concentrate on the lovely

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    1. First day of the holidays! YAY! Still had to be up early for a hospital appt, so no lazy morning........but tomorrow...oh yes indeedy.......!!!!!!! x

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  16. So sorry to hear about your school friend, very hard to deal with. I hope that good times will be good. I love your spoons, and you got me into trouble this week when I found myself buying some bright coloured ceramic spoons, I have no use for them, but I love yours and now I love these! xx

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    1. Did you?!!!!!! I have a thing for spoons. I picked up a load of plastic vintage style ice cream scoop spoons yesterday in Cath Kidston colours. Clearly the Bear's will be having ice cream from tubs in the holidays just so i can use them! They were cheap as chips though, so I didn't feel too guilty! My flower ceramic spoons get used when I'm on my own and having a well deserved coffee from a pretty cup. I have to have a pretty spoon too. It's my 5 min indulgence!!!!!!!! xxx

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  17. Ciao ti scrivo dall'Italia e adesso sono tua follower, ricambi?
    ciao ciao
    http://il-fiocco-chic.blogspot.it/

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  18. Qué hermosas imágenes, seguro que terminarás muy bien la semana, me encanta la puntada y también la textura del estambre, se ve muy bien.
    Que tengas bonito casi fin de semana :D

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  19. So sorry about the sudden tragic loss of your friend. I like how you are able to focus on the happy things in life amidst the other. I am craving some yarn time myself and am looking forward to starting a baby blanket for my niece after our holiday. Some mindless knitting while watching a favorite show is how I plan to ease myself back in to the school year which starts for us in two weeks.

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  20. That crochet stitch is gorgeous! Would love to know the instructions or book and page number lol! Eye candy, as always. Thank you for the day brightener. :)

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