cup cake heaven

I discovered a lovely blog all about cup cakes. I was bowled over be there beauty, they look like precious jewels - I now understand the USA's obsession with them. What's more there was a long list of links to other sites. WOW!

Bloggers?

Recently I was listening to the news on the radio and there was an article about blogging with a journalist who was obviously not one of our fans. We were described as depressed and boring with very little ability to write. It made me mad and it made me think. Yes I would never describe myself as a novelist, with dyslexia running through my brain. I guess I don't think through words I think with my eyes and hands. Yes I have done a blog about my recent illness which was linked to stress and depression. Was he right?

NO!

Blogging to me is a window into the lives of others in far away places. I am an intrinsically nosey person - I freely admit this. Reading craft and design blogs (my main blogging experience) give me ideas, inspiration and pleasure. In addition doing my own blog has forced me to write - as a child with poor English skills I never wrote a diary or read very widely because it wasn't a pleasure, but through blogs I have found myself buying more books, reading more. In addition the pleasure in getting comments, and arranging swaps with people from countries I might never visit is wonderful.

So to that journalist my advice is start Reading craft blogs, forget about our use of grammar and lighten up!

Bank holiday weekend at Chelsea Flower Show

I had a lovely weekend in the big city (London) with my sister and dad. My sister had bought me as a Christmas present a ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show something I watch avidly on the television each year. This year I got to see it in the flesh. The atmosphere was lovely, the crowds were great and the rain only came done once. It was great. I especially loved the Little garden exhibits many because they were at the scale you felt you could done that yourself. The large exhibition gardens were brilliant - my favourite was the QVC garden. However in retrospect to get a clear view of each garden you are still better watching the gardens. Came back refreshed and inspired to tackle my weed infested garden. If you want to see more images click on my flickr link.

Lovely spring bank holiday

It has been beautiful weather in Cornwall this weekend and it days like these you remember why you moved here.

Sunday - Food fayre at Godolphin house, Helston

The Godolphin family lived here from the early Middle Ages. It was taken over by the National trust last year. I love this house and gardens. It is tatty and rambling, it has a human scale and this coupled with the fact it isn't chocolate box perfect like many National trust properties you can see the ghosts of the past.
The food fayre is an outdoors local food market with specialities from all round Cornwall from herrings to salsa.

Monday - Bank holiday - Kayaking on Stithians reservoir

My daughter Blythe and I went Kayaking at the local reservoir - it is always great up there when the sun is shining - you are guaranteed to have a quite day as everyone else is at the beach.

Got my book

So pleased to get my book from Yvonne @ Yvestown blog it is small, unreadable in Japanese and just lovely. I want more.

Thanks Yvonne.

1st May and the sun is shining

At long last the wind has died and the sun has come out. It is great

May Day 'Day Song'

Unite and unite let us all unite,

For summer is acome unto day,

And whither we are going we will all unite,

In the merry morning of May.

Padstow Obby Oss

Today in Padstow on the north coast they celebrate the spring by dancing through the streets.

Sewing therapy

Been having a hard few months feeling progressively unwell, not sleeping then sleeping too much, constant headache, aches and pains, starting to feel very low, grumpy and so it goes on. Well the doctor spelt it out for me this week - take a break or end up having a breakdown. This was a shock as I was convinced I had some infection or horrible illness - no idea stress can manifest itself so physically. I've always prided myself as been calm, able and strong - guess I do have limits.

So got a forced week off work (doctor wanted two) - this is my first day and spent the morning not knowing what to do, yet I must admit I feel better already. Decided to do some sewing therapy. Didn't want to ruin any fabric so I used two tea towels and made a bag. This took me a long time - WHY? Because I couldn't remember how to put the lining in. I have made tonnes of bags and lining should be second nature - your brain is a strange beast. I do feel better now having absorbed myself in something for a couple of hours, but really tired. So I'm going to go for the walk the doctor ordered for everyday.

Here is the result it isn't great. In fact it is very badly made and will fray but it did it's job and I enjoyed it.

I have been touched by friends - on is taking me out to a craft evening tonight (got no choice) and another turned up to take my son to his swimming lesson last night. I am touched by their kindness. We all need to seriously think about how we live and what is important in our lives - would my children prefer to have a happy mum or a grumpy mum who is always running off too work?

New Year Cheer

The weather is cold and wet (very Cornish) the house is warm cosy and just a little untidy. We have been for our annual trip back to Scotland where to my horror I discovered it is becoming coming hard to understand the accent - been away too long! It has taken me a couple of days to get over the driving - I ached all over for the first day. Plus I always feel a little low when leaving my family, home, landscape and cold behind. Cornwall feels small and damp. However I now feel comfortable and happy to be back to normal. My mind is full of ideas and I feel ready to go.

Happy crafting in 2008

Christmas spirit

I have just landed after two months of work, work, work and more work. The work home balance went badly wrong, no time for the children, no time to blog and on some days no time to even cook a meal. I ended up having to have a quiet word with my boss reminding him that I only really work part time and I do have a life outside of the office. In the last few days I have started to feel relaxed, the children are getting to know me again and I can feel the Christmas spirit coming (or is it that Bailey's talking). Anyway it is 5am on Saturday morning - couldn't sleep again - so I am using the time to blog.

Yvonne from The Yves town blog has got her tree up and is full into decorating mode, well done you (I do love her house so fresh and clean and decluttered). We managed to get the glitter out this week to make Christmas decorations for the school tree. I now have a dinning room carpet which sparkles. I never put the decorations up until the week before Christmas just so it feels special, but I shall have to dive into the basement and get 'the box'. When I was wee, we never decorated until Christmas eve. It was such a really special occasion my dad going to the attic and getting out all these lovely sparkly things. One tradition I still follow is always buying one new special decoration each year. As yet I haven't got the one but I will know it is Christmas when it is bought.

My other half has very little Christmas spirit I think coming from his Anglo Indian background and the fact he hates spending money. He just goes along with my plans though he has been keenly bidding for original Subbuteo sets on eBay this year.

I don't know if it is just wee quiet hours in the night or my age but I have become nostalgic for a simpler Christmas. I have always found the commercialism of Christmas unpalatable and we have always made a conscious effort to keep the presents under control. I've never had the luxury of a Santa list as for some reason my children either don't won't to make one or they are secret (which is helpful). This year my daughter who is horse mad just wants anything with a horse on it and my wee lad wants a Christmas snow globe (he has started to collects them). So in actual fact they don't really have a great desire for anything. I have got them presents ( don't want you to think I'm a mean Scrooge) and I want to do their stockings really well this year.

Another reason for peace an harmony to land in our house these last few days is that the television is sick. So quiet and peaceful. My daughter has found it hard to live without - and I didn't know why because she doesn't watch it much. I think it is just background noise. While Danny has almost forgotten it was ever there and just plays, makes, draws etc. I will be sad to see it come back.

Starting to feel tired now, so I'm going to bed. Ta Ta for now.

Vintage finds

Hi it has been a while since I made an entry. Been in full decorating mode. We have lived in our house nearly ten years, what with work, having two children etc, I have just got round to decorating the children's bedrooms properly. So for the last couple of months I have been going to bed exhausted with no energy to blog.

I have managed to acquire a few bits and pieces. My dad sent me a book and apron owned by my mother. The book is great reading - tips on darning, recycling produced by the British government after world war 2 when there were shortages in textiles etc.

It's amazing how things come around full circle, in these days when we are concerned with sustainability and reusing / recycling there are some brilliant tips in this book.

Whoops!!

Correction I was erlperle's 100,000 visitor even better - my only excuse was it was late and my brain was tired sorry Mette.

Hello again!

I have been unable to blog for a few weeks due to computer access. The move of my other half to work from the cabin at the bottom of the garden has been great but it has also meant that I been unable to get on a computer. I have had to buy an external hard drive to transfer all the work I had on his computer, to the laptop now positioned in the house, plus a card reader to download from the camera. So I am now operational. I have also been up to my elbows in paint having decorated the old office in the house as a bedroom for my daughter.

My postbag has been good just lately. Have bought some Craft books ( Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing , The Crafter's Companion by Anna Torborg and Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol )which I highly recommend. I also got a lovely parcel from erleperle as I was her 1000 visitor, my first ever blogger gift and it was great to receive. A big thank you erleperle. I will by popping a gift in the post to Denmark this week.

Success

Blythe finished her project and it was submitted in to our local agricultural show by the school and to her amazement she got a first prize. I'm very proud of her - I'm also hoping she will get a bit more confidence in her own ability from this as her dyslexia means she lacks any self confidence.

snails,snails, snails

Not had one chance in the last month or so to do any craft. My daughter was given a terms project - subject open - so being the nature lover/artist she is, has done a sketchpad on the wildlife in her backyard. When we get it back from school I will photograph it so you can see. It is really good. I was hoping she wouldn't follow in her parents shoes and be interested in design etc but it is in her genes and I must admit she is getting good.

We finished off with a study of snails one of her favourite bugs. {when she was little I once caught her in the garden with a whole line of slugs and snails - licking them to see which one tasted better} Here is the montage of the unlucky snails to be found and examined by Blythe. Actually they were harder to find than you would think.

The rest of my time has been taken up with getting the house ready for my brother and family arriving from Bulgaria at the weekend. Haven't seen him or his children for four years so it will be strange and good. He is my elder brother a lot older than me so I don't really know him very well. He has a daughter the same age as mine, I'm hoping they will get on and be close cousins.

It was the dreaded teachers consultation evenings last week which sent us into turmoil after finding out my little lad, Dan isn't doing too well. My daughter is dyslexic and were hoping that Dan wouldn't suffer the same - I actually don't think he is the same - I rather put this down to his general dislike of school (been like this from day one) and a general lack of faith in the teacher (any class 1 teacher who wears brown and doesn't have a smiling happy character shouldn't be a teacher in my opinion). So after meetings with head teacher the task is to make Dan happy at school before he becomes to disillusioned and trouble! So if any one has any ideas on how to achieve this I would be grateful.

thrifty critter with long scarf

This made me smile. I was searching for a knitting pattern and came across this at the thrifty knitter. It is the kind of thing which you would end up talking to - kind of weird, a little bit ugly and looks kind of moth eaten but full of personality. Am I sad!!

Nice website if your into knitting

don't you just hate sick kids

Hi. Just emerged from my sickbed and starting to feel human again (great to be able to breath again)
My wee boy has been poorly for the last week and after a couple of nights by his side with him coughing and sneezing into my face it was only time before I got the lurgy, and when I get a cold I get a cold. Spend a couple of days watching children's TV, wrapped up and letting the house descend into chaos. Woke up today and felt OK.

The problem is now my training for the big race has been destroyed and only two weeks to go. I now feel panicky about it - can I get my strength back.

I'm dressed to jog and off I go. I will do a proper blog tomorrow about something a bit more interesting.

TTFN

wet saturday

Lying on my bed, aching all over. My daughter persuaded me to take part in the race for life this year. She pulled on my heart strings by reminding me my mother died of cancer 2 years ago. In my youth I used to be very sporty - some people hated school dinners - I hated cross country, so this is torture! (the body is willing but my mind screams at me WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!) Since having my little boy 6yrs ago I have never quite got my fitness back or lost the weight gained.
I have a month left before the big day. Not aiming to run the whole 5km - my aim is to get fitter. So two weeks of school holidays have been full on exercise - either jogging or cycling each evening. I have lost half a stone and I can manage more and have discovered muscles I had lost touch with years ago.
Today I madly suggested we cycle to my daughters riding stables, only 4 miles away BUT it is all up hill. Got home lay down and went to sleep.

Weather changed this afternoon and the rain came down, and we are all having a lazy afternoon. Kids have built a den and are gossiping away next door, other half is watching the football and I am lounging on my bed with a cup of tea, laptop and sketchpad trying to come up with a new craft project. So far just doddle's on a page.