I'll Remind You........

Dear You,

Yes......it has been a year.

Yes....it feels weird now. I'm not sure what I am doing. I'm not sure you reading this, when you finally get to read it.....re-read it, what you will make of it. You might laugh....and think 'Ness, you IDIOT', or you might be a little happy that you thought to jot a few things down. After all, you could be reading this when you are ninety......hey, you might even be grateful your younger self thought to do this.

..........

So.......it's been a year since you closed this little space. Twelve months of you being away. Twelve whole months when so much has happened, yet so little has happened.

I'll remind you that you decided you had nothing left in you to write about. I'll remind you that you thought it was a little repetitive. I'll remind you that you needed to stop.......and just be still.

I will remind you, that you thought this was a naff idea to write a post after you had 'closed' your blog. I will remind you that you wondered why you should not just buy a diary and write in it, then shove it to the back of a drawer. I'll remind you, that you thought you might cave and press 'delete' quite a few times. I'll remind you, that if your younger self actually published it, it was to do with the fact that she was scatty and thought it was best to have everything in one place where it could be located. Plus, in a brief wave of abandonment, you thought it was your blog and you could do what you liked with it.

..........

I will remind you that 2016 was a difficult year, in so many ways, and for so many people. It was a year in which so many people felt scared and uncertain. It was a year when so many people felt like they didn't know anything anymore. It was a year in which so many felt like they were standing on quick sand, and not firm rock.

It was a year when there was so much more bad news in the world than there was good. It was a year when people just wanted to hide away from it all. It was a year, quite frankly, a lot of people were happy to draw a line under and move on from. I'll remind you, that you found it weird, that you didn't meet anyone who thought it had been an okay year....if not in the bigger picture, not even in their own little bubble of achievements. You were sure there must have been though.

I shall remind you that, for you, this was a strange year. A year that you felt you needed to hibernate. A year long hibernation. A year where your creative juices really didn't flow. A year where you felt you were totally spent, and just needed to re-group.

I'll remind you that you sucked at housework and ironing. I'll remind you that you enjoyed reading books again, and I'll remind you that you always need to be in the right frame of mind to decorate.

I will remind you that you that although your creative juices just sort of stopped, it was the year of embroidery for you, and you spurted those out in the vain hope that it would jolt you back in the game. Whilst you liked the embroidered outcomes, and the speediness of them, they did not jolt you sadly. It was only in the final weeks of 2016 that you picked up your hook to see if the crochet love was still there.

I will remind you that 2016 was the year of reflection and procrastination. Not that it was any different to all the years before when you were like that, but because you seemed to have nothing to show for the year (creatively speaking), it appeared that the year was a wash out.

Having said that......

I shall remind you that your three bears have spent 2016 blossoming, and you write about them with huge pride and love. Big Bear started college and turned into the gentleman you always knew he would become.  You find it funny his most treasured friend is a can of hairspray, but you love how he doesn't want to shove you to one side when you are both walking down the street and he sees his mates.

I shall remind you that Middle Bear is way too funny. I shall remind you that he is the best person to have at the dinner table, and I shall remind you that 2016 was the year the hormones settled down and you realised just how amazing he was when he was not grunting. You also realised what great bear hugs he gave.

I shall remind you that Baby Bear is super. I shall remind you that everyday when he comes out of school he asks how you day was, way before he tells you about his day. I will remind you that he loves to do stuff to put a smile on your face, and I will remind you that this was the year that the Three Bears bickered the least!

I will remind you that 2016 told you, yet again, how fragile life could be. I will remind you that it felt tough being an adult when you still, at times, felt like a child in your head. I will also remind you that you realised that you just couldn't solve everything for everyone. Sometimes you just had to be there, and that was enough.

I'll remind you that early morning cups of tea with the fairy lights twinkling on the Christmas tree in a quiet house, is one of the best things EVER. I shall remind you that you are never too young for kids birthdays cakes AND I shall also remind you that you were so glad you discovered double cleansing (how's that working out for you? Is it paying off?!)

I shall also remind you dearest Ness, that you decided that whatever 2017 had in store for you, you felt ready to wake up from your hibernation, well rested and have a productive and creative year ahead.  

Vanessa, I hope you will look on this post, when you do, and remember all that which you have forgotten. A post about your year. Maybe, if you have it in you, you'll post again next year to remember 2017. I guess it's nice to remember....the good....and even the not so good. There is always something to be learned from everything one experiences. 

Until next time....maybe x

When The Sun shines...

......I feel like cleaning and sorting. I'm not sure why. My friend thinks it's the worst thing to do. As soon as the sun shines, she is out and about. Cold, grey days she feels like getting all the nitty gritty done. When the sun shines, I clean and sort. I usually like to sort out my under-sink cupboard kitchen cupboards and maybe, just maybe, looking at all the cleaning utensils, makes me feel like I have achieved something.......even when I haven't really. Anyone else do that? Or the old one......spray a little furniture polish in the air and suddenly you feel like a domestic goddess without lifting a finger. 

Anyway, today was decanting my fabric softeners. I'm not sure why I do it. It just sort of makes the whole process of laundry that much nicer. Seeing as it's a daily job, I'm a sucker for making the mundane as nice an experience as possible.....just because I loathe it so. Laundry is a thankless task, just like ironing to me. It doesn't soothe me to iron like it does so many. Anything to make it more bearable.

A spot of sun is always welcome to do the daily routines. I have loved this September weather we have been having. I know it won't last long. The foggy starts to the morning, then it burning away as the sun shines. The nippier evenings conducive to blanket snuggling.


xxx

p.s I'm trying a different approach to blogging at the moment, to see if that will shift this blogging mood I have. I hope it's working, but my posts might be a bit sporadic. I'm trying not to think too much, so there might be a lot in one go then none for a while.

 

Happy Things.....

1. Finding a bowl I had been after for a while and could not get hold of.

2. The sweetest EVER ring holder.

3. Playing with paint samples.

4. Blooms. I have simply LOVED having Hyacinths in my house non stop since January.

5. Seeing Blossom. How I LOVE it.

6. Coffee and Cake out and about.

7. Dresser sorting.

8. Putting together new colours for a new blanket. I am in LOVE

9. loving vintage florals.

10. Feeling like my Sunshine Day Blanket will be finished really soon! Hooray.


There have been happy things going on. Thank you for your kind comments on my last post. I do feel I have lost my voice. I am trying to blog through it. Maybe not word heavy at the moment.

The Easter break is almost upon us here. We seem to be later than most. I cannot wait for a few days break.

Happy Easter all, and I shall try and be back soon.

xxx

Indulgence, WIP's and a Ta-Dah........

I have had been waiting for this Half Term for quite some time. Life has been REALLY busy over the past 6 months. I haven't really stopped. I've lost my weekends for the time being, so I don't get a day where I'm not up really early and rushing about. I had been waiting......longing......for a week where I could have a few lazy mornings, and a few days to just potter.......and be.

I sort of realised that it was probably going to be a bit of an indulgent week. A week full of naughty treats and sneaky bites.

Well, bread has been made.......a lot. No Pics for that. It didn't last long enough. Warm bread needs to be buttered and eaten fairly quickly in this house. 

I have been trying out different methods. Some have worked.....some have not. We have all eaten a lot of bread this week. I think I have grown twice as wide in seven days, but hey ho, I didn't really want to care.

Lattes. I LOVE them. Warm and frothy. Keeping chills at bay, and feeling very relaxed. A fair few have been made and lovingly sipped. It's been so nice to just sit....be silent......sip.......and think. 

Eeek, scones and clotted cream popped into my grocery basket. My excuse was that I had so many little jam pots to use up (I need the jam jars for a crafty project I'm planning later on in the year). Really indulgent and naughty......but super nice.

It has also been a week for finishing things, carrying on with things, and making plans.

So my Ta-dah.......

Well, that's my Block Scarf

Just a simple shell pattern scarf. I wanted a bit of texture instead of flat lines, and I just wanted blocks of colour. I had seen a picture of some bedding on Pinterest here in shades of pink, ochre, white and brown. I thought they were such a nice combination, that I took inspiration and ordered some Drops Cotton Merino in shades 01 (white) 05 (powder pink) 12 (brown) and 15 (mustard).

I used 50g each of white and brown. 100g of mustard and about 75g of pink.

The yarn is simply gorgeous to work with. It was so soft, you almost couldn't feel it gliding through your fingers. It was the first time I had used it, and I shall definitely be using it again in other projects. The colour range is nice, and the colours themselves in the yarns are lovely. It's not the best picture, granted, but maybe if you look super hard, you can see there is a slight dimension in the colour. It almost could look a little speckled. The cotton thread is slightly noticeable running through the wool...and it's really pretty.

I made it really quite long in length, as I like to be able to wrap my scarves around the neck twice. It's lovely and soft and warm too.

So, another make ticked off.

I have spent a lot of the week, bed lounging. For me, it's the ultimate indulgence. It's also a safe place to retreat to when the Bears are home and taking over the whole house. It's my little space to be quiet, lay all my projects all over the bed. Sit with a cuppa and ponder over crafting stuff.

I told myself that I couldn't start on anything new until I had finished the Sunshine Day Blanket. It was my intention to carry on with it towards the latter part of the half term break. However, my mind is flitting here, there and everywhere. I bought a great little stool this week. Cheap and cheerful with wooden little legs and a toadstool type cushioned seat pad. Fabulously, it already came with a crocheted cover, but alas, it was black.........and I struggle with black for the most part (except weirdly, I'm becoming really attatched to the idea of a big wall of black ikea ribba frames, and I have just bought a black storm lantern). Maybe there will be a slight turn around like my loathing of pumpkin orange.

Anyway, I digress. I found some gorgeous pink chunky yarn in my sort out this week, and  MAN ALIVE, it was perfect for a stool makeover. I think it was wendy Mode chunky yarn. As soon as I discovered it, they discontinued it. Argh, the perfect pink in a chunky yarn, HOW COULD THEY DO THAT?

So, my head is thinking a nice new pink cover that would compliment the chunky little wooden legs well.

Also, this week, on my Ikea visit, I picked up a handy little big french style raffia bag for £2. IT's very handy, but it's very plain.....so......my head is thinking cross stitching on the front to cheer it up. I've got a pattern ready to embroider, I just need to make time for it now.

I picked up a lovely little vintage eiderdown a few weeks back from my local antique shop. A paisley print in duck egg blue was just what I had been searching for. It was a steal too. I was a little 'Phoebe' when I saw it, and whispered to thank the eiderdown gods for throwing it my way that day!

I figure though, that, it should sit with something to compliment it. I'm thinking a ripple in the same shades. It's my mission to get some colour matches and then make a start.

But, although my head is craftily racing with idea after idea, I need to concentrate on the Sunshine Day Blanket, and push to get it finished. I love how this blanket is coming on. The bright colours pop against the mid grey, but I got so disheartened after realising that when I thought I was almost finished, turned out I was only halfway done. I need to gee myself up again to just go for it.

I ADORE these little Motifs

And a sock photo bomb because it was quite clearly a pink and grey day for me.

This week has been much needed. I have felt relaxed. I have pottered, and I have seriously indulged. It has all been much needed though. Come Monday, things go back to being rushed and hurried.....and OH MY WORD I need to be good on the food front!

I shall have lovely memories to carry me through though, and nice makes to have shown for it. What more can I ask for?

Happy Weekend All

xxx

P.S. Thank you for all your kind messages with regards to my Bella Wrap make. I know that some of you had trouble accessing the pattern on Belinda's site, but if you didn't catch my edited bit on the last post, it is up there again for sale as an instant PDF digital download. I know a lot of you loved the pattern too. I know also, that some of you lovely peeps thought I was a tad harsh on my comments of the stylecraft yarn. I am an advocate of acrylic yarn. I make big blankets, and I would be bankrupt if I only used the expensive stuff. I know that Lucy from Attic24 uses it for her blankets and highly recommends it. I haven't really worked with stylecraft yarn much, as my local yarn shops don't stock it. I have used a couple of balls of DK for projects for others and it has been fine. I mix and match my acrylic yarns, as, I have said before, I have found that different dyes can affect the feel and look of the yarn, even in the same brand style. It could well be that this colour way in this super chunky yarn was not its best one in the range. I'm all for  seeing and feeling the WHOLE colour range. Yet, I stand by what I said. I wouldn't recommend this colour and yarn for this project. My own personal opinion. I'm sure others may use and think it's terrific. Good job we are all different. What a boring place it would be if we weren't!

Snippets........

The sun is shining today. 

Woo Hoo.

It has been a grey and cold couple of weeks. Very busy. But quite a nice busy.

A couple of weeks of working, sorting, clearing, crafting, and catching up with friends and relatives. Good coffee. Good Cake. Good Chat. Lots of laughs.

Just a few snippets of life in my little patch.....

Flowers. Just love them. Bringing rosy cheer into grey days.

Whimsical finds. I'm calling it the 'Alice in Wonderland' Clock.

I'm feeling the spot love today.

Flowers on my ledge.

Bread making.

Lazy Half Term mornings.

Loving stripes.

Finishing projects.

Discovering lost items.

Loving colour.

Loving smocking.

Making Baby Bear Smile.

Having outdoor fun.

These past couple of weeks have just zoomed by. I have finished off my knitted project. I'll give it a post of it's own. I've finished my scarf also. I'll do a post for that too when I have a moment. I've been enjoying making bread again. Which is NOT a good thing. Bread is my weakness.....my downfall. Warm, freshly baked bread with butter that just melts on it......well.......need I say more? I think I need to stop for a while.

A much loved trip to Ikea to get storage tubs (yeah, like that's my main reason for going), any excuse.....

I

LoVe

ThAt 

PlAcE

Sunshine, colour, big mugs of tea, crochet, notebooks, lattes, yarn, ideas, charts, smiles, clouds, cosy, homely, blankets, organising, happy.

Words that spring to mind for these past couple of weeks.

xxx