Sunday, 20 February 2011

Was that a glimpse of Spring?

I do believe it was!!
We have had a gorgeous spring weekend that has shown us a little of what is to come!




It's been the most perfect weekend to go exploring a spring bulb garden.


At varying paces!


Even the frogs had a spring in their hop!



Today's outing has almost been so perfect that I will just about forgive the fact that it is now pouring down and the forecast for the next five days of half term week is rain. 
Almost forgive I say but not quite!
Come back Spring!

Friday, 11 February 2011

Wait For Me!

I can't believe we are already in February,
February, where did January go? 
And yet in a weeks time it'll be half term and then March. 
I wish I could just slow down time just enough for me to catch up with it! Everywhere I look there is something to be done, many little jobs, some more important than others, but nevertheless they all need doing. I keep telling myself to concentrate (yes I talk to myself!! But that's I whole different story!) on one thing at a time but then the time runs out and something else pops up that needs doing immediately and the other job I was doing remains half done!! I know they are many of us out there swaying from one thing to another. Running from school to nursery, from washing machine to cooker, doing the shopping, the cleaning, trying to find the quiet times to encourage a reluctant 5 year old to read, the decorating of the bathroom that is long overdue and is turning into such a nightmare I'm beginning to wish we had never started.
And then there are the jobs that we create ourselves, no one told us to take on more allotment, no one told us to buy all the fruit bushes that were on offer and are now sitting outside our back door waiting to be planted into their new home. No one told us to order all the different varieties of tomato seeds that are now needing to be sown into their trays, which means finding the propagators and more importantly finding an area in the house that they can start their lives undisturbed by little hands! 
And I find myself when we finally sit down of an evening having to remind myself that all these extra jobs are ones that we have put upon ourselves, and the stresses that arise from them are stresses that we have created. And maybe life would run a little smoother and calmer if we didn't have all these extra pressures. And I realise that I am my own worst enemy. It was only me who agreed after a chance meeting, to go and see another local shop about supplying them with handmade bibs and possibly more. I could have quite easily said, "Thank you very much, but I'm not sure I have the time at the moment", and yet those words never came out!! Instead my head was whirling with possibilities, these chances don't come up everyday let alone appear right in front of you, when you least expect it. So I have to remind myself to remember that all these stresses and pressures and all the extra hobbies that we have are what make us. 
Mr D and I wouldn't be the same without these extra activities. The fact that we grow some of our own vegetables moulds who we are and changes what we believe in. The fact that I sew changes the way I see things. Someday I will have more time and as much as I find myself longing for these extra hours I know that they will come soon enough, and that right now I need to enjoy the busyness and lack of time that young children bring. 
And yes I am going to blog this post without photos as it means that I get this finished, as I have a kitchen full of shopping to put away, cooking of apple muffins to be done with #2 in the hour I have before picking #1 up from school!! So I must go and carry on running around, and unfortunately for now I think I'm just going to have except the fact that I have a hundred and one things that need doing!

Monday, 17 January 2011

Dotty Vintage

I've come over all spotty!
I've been tidying up my fabric stash and on seeing these spots of Amy Butler's, I couldn't resist having a play around with them, they work so well with vintage fabrics. I think the combination of the fabrics create something very cheerful, bright and playful, perfect for a young child.


These three bibs are the start of a range of "Dotty Vintage" items that are now in my Folksy shop.


Backed with soft, absorbent cotton terry towelling, and a generous size with two snap fasteners, they are perfect for newborn right the way up to a toddler.


If I was to have a favourite then it would have to be the turquoise, the colours are so fresh and vibrant.


I'm having so much fun playing with these spots that there will be more colour ranges to come!!

Thursday, 13 January 2011

So it's 2011

I'm still here and enjoying getting back into some sort of a routine! Which is something I never thought I'd hear myself say, as I loathe the school run, but now after the Christmas holidays, I realise how much we all need some structure in our day. Even E our youngest who is only 15 months old benefits from the routine set by her older brother and his school day. To be honest by the end of the holidays and after having all three children suffering with chicken pox, our days were all over the place. Christmas 2010 will always be remembered as the spotty one!


  We spent a lot of the holidays indoors, so it was lovely Sunday to be able to get out of the house and quite literally blow away the cob webs. There's nothing quite like splashing in the sea to get rid of cabin fever!


Or having a waddle on the sand!


So with the first full week of school coming to an end, we are all slowly getting back into our routines. J has realised that school unfortunately carries on even after Christmas! A is finding his 4 sessions at nursery saps his strength! And E is getting back into her daily naps! So hopefully I will get back into the swing of blogging and maybe even more importantly find the time to catch up on all the blogs I read.
You just never know!

Friday, 31 December 2010

Goodbye 2010

 We have a household full of kids with chicken pox. So the last few days and nights have been difficult and tiring to say the least. But we have the music going now and are having a boogie with the kids and I don't think it'll be long before we treat ourselves to a glass of Elderflower Champagne, so we are slowly getting into the spirit of things! 

 [Flossing after the turkey!]

We won't be staying up to see midnight in, hopefully we will be snoring away catching up on some lost sleep! 
Whatever your celebrations I hope you all have a good night.
Wishing you a very Happy New Year, 
and a Prosperous 2011
xxxxxx

Friday, 24 December 2010

This Is It!!


The mince pie and carrot are by the fire waiting for Father Christmas and his reindeer, the children's stockings are ready and we have just put three very excited kids to bed!
We've been tracking Father Christmas and as I write he is delivering presents to children in Madagascar!
So he is on his way!
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas,
Best wishes and enjoy xxx

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Finished And Complete!!

The last of the wrapping is finished. 
The trip to the butchers is done, and my last bits of sewing are complete!


Our daughter's present is a wooden pram, and no pram would be complete without a quilt set!


The pram has red wheels so using this as my inspiration I chose a Russian Doll fabric that I have had in my stash for ages and I couldn't resist teaming it with one of the Westfalenstoffe prints.

 
I've made it reversible and it'll be interesting to see which side she prefers to tuck her dolls up in.

 
I've used a plain linen for the mattress and also used it with the Russian doll print on one side of the pillow which is my favourite part of the set.
So with this present finished I have put my sewing machine to bed for Christmas!
Well until Boxing Day that is!