Pleasures.......

I feel easily irritated at the moment......and fickle.

So, today, less words (I'm afraid I'd be quite moany) and simply pictures of pleasures this week.

Chocolate Salami. My 'Non Baking' efforts. A little slice with a cup of tea. Nice.

Spring Magazines.

Colourful Brooch Posy.

Spoon Love.

The same little shop I got these spoons in from several years ago, had a few more on my Christmas visit. I added to the collection. They are simply the daintiest spoons I have ever come across.

Floral love.

Jam Love. I'm not crazy. I have crafty plans for these mini jars.

Yarn Love. The most PERFECT shade.

Packaging Love. I'm a sucker. 

Told you I was a sucker.

I c.a.n.n.o.t resist

Sigh.......

Cloud Love. I LOVE clouds. My head is always in them, so why not?

Ahhhhh I am calmer now!

xxx

Cosy.....

I don't mind January.

I know some people really loathe it. For me it always goes past quite quickly, and I never have the chance to be drawn into the January 'blues'.

This week has been a cosy one. The weather has been a mixed old bag. One moment, the greyest of grey skies. Candles on, lamps on, blankets galore to snuggle under. The next.......bright sunshine, and the feeling of spring bouncing down the path with a basket of sunshiny flowers.

The scent of the fully opened hyacinths have intoxicated the room. They smell heavenly, well, if you like the smell of hyacinths that is.

The supermarket stocking the first daffodil bunches. Ahhhhhhh, it's an incredibly joyous thing, to watch these open to light up a room. I adore their scent too. Again, if you like that scent.

On the cosy days; I have snuggled, and immersed myself in a spot of crochet. A luxury at the moment.

On the sunshiny days, I have been productive. I have sorted and cleaned and sorted and sorted. I have that very nice clear head feeling. It won't last for long, so I am enjoying it whilst I have it.

I have baked a little. Ahem, actually, you can't really call it 'baked'. The minimal amount of baking to try and produce something. If it turns out ok I may take a pic, it may look horrid, it sounds weird, it also may be just so tasty, there will be nothing left to photograph once the bears get their mitts on it. We shall see.

I was frivolous today and bought a mag to read with my coffee, whilst I waited for the said 'baking' to complete. 

I am still in love with my 'cuppa' porridges. In fact, I think I have become infatuated with them. What a fab idea. I have a weakness for porridge and usually eat way too much. Porridge in a cup suits me to a 'T'. I am having fun adding my own flavourings. Usually lashings of cinnamon, but I discovered a madagascan vanilla grinder and I feel giddy with excitement at the possibilities. Yes....I am one saddo. Little things an all......

I hope your week is a great one so far.

xxx

Whiz......

 

Wowzers.....this week has whizzed by. Apologies if you are awaiting replies to anything asked. It has been the first time in 6 days I've had a chance to sit and spend time trying to catch up on everything. It's slow going. I'm having to battle time between catching up with emails etc and doing housework. I know which I'd rather do, but my house is SCREAMING out for help. It's not a pretty sight for the eyes I can tell you.

My Sunshine Day Afghan Blanket has sort of been put on hold. Seriously, I've got it so wrong. I upped my motif count to 120 from 80 something, to make it a reasonable size..........and it's STILL not satisfactory for me. It's sort of HALF what I need. Another 120 motifs? Geez. I make myself giggle. I am such a muppet. I really do have NO sense of proportions when I do stuff.

Urgh.

I AM loving it, don't get me wrong. I just thought it'd be a quick one. Working now, it takes me twice as long to get projects finished. I think what I will do is crochet together all 120 squares that I have. Then I'll leave the edging for a bit and just add a row or two in the next month or so when I have the time. A tad frustrating.

I really want to start a new project. Something I fell completely and utterly in love with. But it's not going to be easy. I ordered the book in which the pattern was in....but it's in German. I was hoping against hope that there would be some pictoral diagrams (that's how I manage to faff my way through the japanese books), and with the help of 'translate' I could bumble my way through it. But alas, it reads all gobble-de-gook in translate (oh the irony in this sentence). Sigh. A tad frustrating. I was hoping that the Bears' German lessons would come in handy, but they are useless and can't help me with anything. Middle Bear is planning to take it as a GCSE, so maybe in a couple of years he might be more help with translating it for me.

I also just picked up a cheap crochet book whilst browsing the poultry aisle (yes I know, weird hey?). Almost nothing in it that took my fancy, but a long cardigan coat that looked like it could be a fun make (not one of those strange 1970's crochet patterns for clothing you always seem to get). I'll ponder on it.

It has been cold here this week, but as I type, the sun is poking through the grey clouds. Thank you kindly sun.

I bought some of my geraniums in for winter keeping, and they are starting to flower again. Yipppeeeeeee. I ADORE geraniums. Probably because they are hardy enough not to die at my hands. These along with Hyacinths are keeping me jolly on these dark grey days.

I cannot wait for the scent to hit the room when these beauties open.

I had some yarn arrive which I'm planning to make into a scarf. Baby Pink, Pumpkin, Warm Brown and Ivory will be a nice combo to make a block scarf. If I really cannot fathom the german pattern, I might have a go at the scarf. I just have to get the house in order first, and get my little sunshine motifs all attached.

First, I want a steaming hot coffee....and porridge......with lashings of cinnamon. That'll do quite nicely.

Please Sun.....please stay for a while. I am quite liking you being here today.

xxx

Stuff and Blog Love.......

Cuppa Porridge is my new best friend.

So too, is Apricot Compote.

I have decided that the Sunshine Day Afghan Blanket needs to be a tad bigger than lap size. 

Typical. 

I JuSt CouLdn'T Do iT.

I decided that I needed it to be 12 squares by 10 to be at least remotely happy with it (and to me, that's still REALLY small). I was going to do it 10 squares by 8, but it just looked way too small to be happy with it. Sigh.......another 40 squares to make. I don't like thinking that I'm there...then realising that I am not. Boo hoo.

The thing I love about square motifs, is that they are very portable little things though. School runs are perfect, I can get a lot done in those precious minutes.

 I am liking these little squares......a lot. They are very satisfying to make. I'm not really doing it to a plan. I just found a stash of yarn to use up and I'm doing it all as I go along. Putting colours together that I like, but that's as far as it goes. I'm not making particular amounts of colour ways, just what I feel like, and how many of each I feel like. It's quite random. I love that. I do love that feel you get when you mix yarns and it's all a bit odd. To me that's more perfect, than being perfect. Someone asked how I felt about using different yarns/brands in one project. I do it all the time. I just make sure that they all have the same sort of wash instructions. I generally wash my blankets in cool water on a wool wash and air dry. I've never had any problems with shrinkage in particular yarns or colour run etc. I like the look of it. To me, it makes each blanket look that bit more unique and vintage, rather than shop bought and new. It's just me and how I like it.

After the last bright ripple, I fancied something muted as a whole, but with pops of bright thrown in just to lift it a bit. I'm already thinking on a border. I'm not sure yet whether something plain, something lacy or nothing at all? Any thoughts?

So, My world at the moment is house chaos (it's always a given), motifs spread everywhere, and the odd bit of quiet time with treats.......

OH MY WORD, is all can I can say. Salted Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Salami, Chocolate Rose Truffles, Violet and Peppermint Creams, Spiced Pear and Chocolate Cakes. Some VERY serious Treat Love going on here.

It's been the darkest, greyest morning here, but the briefest spell of sunshine burst through, and it was rather glorious. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Always lovely to lift ones' spirits.

I also wanted to share some blog love today. I do love to read blogs and I love to discover new ones. Time, as always, is never on my side and I never manage to get to discover as many new ones as I would like. It is a real treat though, to waft away a few minutes in the world of another. It's always lovely to see the world through anothers perspective. 

I don't have a side bar blog list so I thought maybe I'd just feature a few of the ones that I love to read. There are so many so maybe I'll do a few posts featuring blog love in the coming month.

My Scandinavian Home

Foxs Lane

Sew Sweet Violet

Inverleith

By Haafner

Pink Milk

Junkaholique

So just a few to get started. You may already be avid readers of them all. I just love them, and am so thankful that they blog.

Have a super Thursday all!

xxx

Things today.......

Thing One.....

Sunshine on bright colours

♡♡♡♡♡

Thing Two.....

Blooming flowers

♡♡♡♡♡

Thing Three.....

Sorting

♡♡♡♡♡

Thing Four

Sneaking flowers in amongst minecraft beading

♡♡♡♡♡

Yarn Loving

xxx

Closing......

.....My eyes to last year and opening them up to this new year.

New plans

New enthusiasm

I have spent the week so far trying to be a domestic goddess. Failing miserably I might add. I am fighting a losing battle with the washing piles, and seriously getting cheesed off that I am just moving one pile of rubbish from one place to the next...then moving it back again. There is, however,  a sense of joy at removing all packaging from Christmas stuff and piles not looking so big to put away. I did find my day to day china collection on sale in a shop while I was away (the blinking stuff never goes on sale) so I felt the need to splurge a little. I'm now regretting it as it's giving me a headache trying to fit it in cupboards. I'm pants at sorting that kind of stuff, like I'm pants at sorting out the fridge after a big food shop.

Onwards and upwards though. I shall not be defeated.........

The decorations have come down and the Christmas Mantel shall make way for something more appropriate. A posy of tulips and hyacinths to add a bit of colour. Scented candles are still featuring heavily on the gloomier days.

I know that I want to start the New Year with eyes wide open, and let all the sunshine in. I want it all to be about the sunshine this year. Most definitely.

Last year was a weird one. Really good, yet really rather awful. I left 2014 feeling drained in every way, shape and form. I have realised that I need to spend a bit of time on myself. I have also realised, that I have reached the age where I have no patience for a lot of things. I found this quote by Meryl Streep on Pinterest here, (Well, at least I think it is. I'm not sure you can ever be too trusting of where these quotes come from on Pinterest. I like it all the same.) I think I'm heading that way.


I don't want to be a grump. Maybe it's just how I am at the moment, or maybe it's an age thing, but I'm feeling like I am wanting to spend my energies only on things and people that/who deserve my energy being spent on. I have wasted a lot recently on people and things that I realise don't deserve it, and I do feel like that quote. Time really is limited and I just don't want to waste it anymore. 

 Having spent the last 3 months fighting off one cold after another, it's time to really get to grips with things. Start to boost my immune system. I have half heartedly tried to get fitter over the last year, but always found an excuse not to keep at it. My motivation was never really quite there as I seemed always so distracted. 

So, I have been thinking about a lot of stuff. What I want......what I need, to keep me healthy, both physically and emotionally.

I need to get fitter, and I need to be creative. 

It's pretty simple. 

Only two things. 

Two teeny tiny things.

Two things that can be done to keep me functioning nicely. So, I need to allow time to exercise, and allow time to be creative. I'll just have to work a busy household around both! ha ha!

I do have the dilemma of having a MASSIVE stash of choccies, cheese and alcohol left over from the Christmas binge. I thought, do I do a 'Joey', and eat all the contents from the fridge and cupboards, getting it all over and done with in one gluttonous swoop; or do I allow myself a treat each weekend if I've worked hard all week? Decisions, decisions.

Well, fitness has started, and I'm paying for it already. My poor body is in shock. It can only get better, right?

The creative juices are already in full flow too for this year.

Lots and lots of motifs in the making.....

I made a start between Christmas and the New Year on a new blanket. Yes, yes, yes, I know.......RiDiCuLoUs. Eeeek, but I'm loving it.......and I'm trying my hardest to make it more of a 'lap' blanket than a big blanket. I don't know what's wrong with me and blankets. I just cannot seem to make them single sized things. They are always huge. I guess I feel that I should make them big enough to house the Bears for snuggles, but I really ought to calm my sizes down a bit. It's Alicia Paulson's 'Sunshine Day Afghan', at least it will be, when it's put together. I wanted a base of grey and pops of colour. I'm liking how it's coming together. It's a very good stash buster, a bit eclectic colourwise, but I'm happy with it. Typically, the pic below is my fave colour combination. Although I am liking the bright pops of pink and green to offset the grey.

I have a few other projects in my head I want to get cracking on too, so I'm hoping this will be finished off soon. Yay!

I have some lovely yarn to put to good use, and I'm excited to find a project that it will be perfect for.

Yummy, scrummy yarn. I cannot stop scrunching it in my hands.

I also have plans to do some room decoration this year. I feel a need for change. I went to Ikea and bought lots of tubs to pack stuff away. Ironic as I fill my kitchen up with more stuff. I never learn and make life more difficult for myself.

I realised that my head has been quite cluttered this past year....and the space around me makes it feel more so. I need clean lines and breathing space. So, I have been squirrelling away ideas to be able to achieve this. I want a change of colour and a new view. Nothing drastic, just a splash of paint and some new makes. I feel quite excited in my head to get this year started. If nothing else, this past year has taught me to 'do it' and stop 'thinking about it'. Life really is too short.

I'm opening my eyes to the year ahead.......

xxx

New Beginnings.......and Forget-Me-Nots.......

Well hello there......

A New Year

New Beginnings

But first.......

Forget-Me-Nots....

♡♡♡

Christmas left me with a heavy heart, having learnt of the sudden loss of the beautifully talented, Vanessa Cabban.

I know it has been mentioned on many blogs and instagram, and the shock and sadness has been felt deeply in the crafting world.

Vanessa's was one of the first blogs I came across, when I stumbled into this wonderful blogging world. I can still remember vividly, the energy and enthusiasm I felt when I devoured all her posts. I felt utterly inspired, both by her love of colour, and her enthusiasm for crafting. Actually I was just UTTERLY in awe of her, in just about every way.

I feel intensely sad that this big hole has been left in the crafting community; and I cannot imagine the loss that is being felt by her loved ones..........but through all of us who have been so influenced by her, I'm sure we can keep her light shining bright.

So, Vanessa....be at peace sweet Butterfly. 

A true inspiration to so many of us. 

You will be so terribly missed.

♡♡♡

A year has finished. A new one has begun. Christmas was a little weird, but actually, in my own little clan it was really good.

I do like this time of year though. Slight reflection, yet, enthusiasm for a new slate to be written.

Weight was lost before christmas, but gained over christmas. So running shoes were bought. My oh my. Let's see how that one goes.

♡♡♡

Okay.......So I searched the archives......to remind myself what I have achieved in 2014. 

If I think about the last year, it seems to have been a year that was taken up with more the mundane, than the creative. So, it was nice to see that a few things WERE actually made.

Here we go......a post crammed with the years makes and pics of my ordinary.......

Makes.....

Well.....actually a decent amount was made. I have surprised myself. I really didn't think 2014 was a year where I achieved much in the crafting world.

Now for colour......

It was bright and colourful......

It was also pastel and calm.......

And for the rest to sum up the year.......

So there we have it.

Happy New Year, and I hope 2015 is all that you want it to be......and more......

xxx

P.s. Apologies for the photo heavy post. I know I should have been less lazy and condensed into mosaics, but I'm saving all my energies for my running shoes!