Being spoilt!

I am having a great week as parcels seem to be arriving thick and fast!!!





The first one to arrive was from Jo in Tas - she had a giveaway to mark her 100th post and her blogoversary and i won, whooppee!!!! She well and truly spoilt me -

that lovely button necklace looks lovely on! and i have read the magazine from cover to cover whilst sat in front of a roaring fire with a big glass of wine!

Then i had another parcel arrive today from WMK -

more brilliant mags to look thro and get ideas from - how lucky am i! this was a swap as she was desperate for a new mag called 'the knitter' - i had seen it in Smiths so i sent it on to her.

and lastly, but by no means least, was a belated christmas/birthday pressie from Trashy

she has knitted me this gorgeous neckwarmer in my favorite colours and just look at that lovely fabric - cupcakes!! yay!

I had a couple of other parcels, very naughty of me, from amazon - just couldn't help myself but have decided it stops now. I did buy this book which made my hubby roar with laughter

phrases like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, kept coming from him! I did take his point but actually its not a bad read and does have some helpful tips!

It did have one bit which might make you smile - there is a chapter titled crafts - some of the comments were - crafts are hot - crafts are the best fun - crafts make brilliant presents -, well, who knew!!!!! maybe i should show that to some people i know who look down their noses at anything handmade!!! So, there you are girls - we are 'in'! but you all knew that already!!

well both Molly and Lilly have had enough of me blogging! they are both sitting looking very bored!

so i had better get a move on and take them for a walk - as it seems to be getting colder again i will be wearing my lovely new neckwarmer, Trashy!

xxxx

Lie-ins, Getting going and the winner!

Why, oh why, is it that when i have a chance, a very rare one, of a lie-in , i am wide awake about 7ish! I did go and make a cuppa and some toast and went back to bed, followed closely by Molly and Lilly, but just lay there thinking about all the things i could be doing! None of these i may add were associated with the pile of ironing, loads of washing and hoovering! I was mainly thinking about all the things i wanted to make and all the things i have to finish making!

To add to my dilemma, yesterday i went to Bath and was very naughty, but couldn't help myself, and went into the lovely quilting shop and bought this

the fabric at the top i actually bought in the Cath Kidston shop which had a sale on - it's two tea cloths and i think i may make a bag out of those.

and then i bought this too

so i have decided no more purchases until i have finished at least some of my UFOs!

I have been a bit crafty this week, and made some of these

i don't know why i had the urge to make a tea cosy - could be something to do with the fact that i drink endless cups of tea, but i don't actually use the teapot! I also made some hearts and bunting for Sara's shop. Today i am determined to do some work on a couple of quilts of want to make even if its only half an hour! and to finish at least one of the scarves i have on my needles!

Right, on to more important things - thank you all sooo much for the lovely birthday wishes and comments. I put all the names into my old straw hat, gave them a shake and a stir and the winner is someone who thought they might be too late but, obviously, she wasn't....

its...................Michaela!!!!!!

I will email you shortly!!!

thank you all again.

Now, i think i may have to have a huge cuppa and possibly a muffin, to summon up the energy to get a move on!!!

xxxx

50th post, a birthday and a giveaway!

well, i never thought i would find enough to write about for 10 posts, never mind 50! although my hubby said he never doubted my ability to do so!!! compliment?! well, lets just say possibly!

i've had such fun chattering on and have 'met' the loveliest, kindest friends ever! thank you so much for all your great comments and support, you've made me laugh out loud, inspired me with all your creativity and, sometimes, brought me to tears. But i would not have missed it for the world and long may it continue!

I will be doing a giveaway and will announce the winner next week - all names will be going into a hat and Em will draw out the winner - here's the giveaway

it will be some yarn or some fabric, the winner can choose!

Birthdays - you either love 'em or hate 'em! I have decided i will love them, but will always remain in my forties! Friday was mine and it did not turn out quite to plan! Hubby was supposed to be taking me to Bath shopping and then a lovely lunch. I was looking forward to some retail therapy and, of course, would have to also visit the lovely quilting shop there. However fate intervened in that hubby went down with the sicky bug! Bless him, he kept apologising, but, hey, thats how it goes sometimes!

So instead went to work in my friend's lovely shop, which actually was fun as she kept telling everyone it was my b'day! She bought me some lovely plants and planter and a gorgeous card

this is a reference to the fact that i never say no to a cup of tea!

the extra bonus to my morning was that Trashy popped in! it was so lovely to see her and can't wait to hear all about her trip!

I did get well and truly spoilt - i got an Ipod from hubby

its pink! now you may be thinking, wow, she's cool! (or maybe not!) but the reason i wanted one was that my wagon only has a cassette player and there is no chance i will get a CD one put in - so, there is a way you can connect your Ipod to a blank cassette tape and play your music through (and you though i wasn't a geek Lesley!).

One of the funniest cards was from my bestest friend - i would add that i have sheep and i love sheep and no sheep were hurt in the making of this card!

i hope no one was offended!!!

Having looked at everyones lovely baking lately, i thought i'd better do some, much to the delight of my family, so i made some cup cakes - they were okay for first time but i think i could do better

and i made a sponge cake yesterday

but there's not a lot left now!

well i better stop now, tea and toast needed! hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

xx

Brrrr part 2 and some knitting

I promise this is the last Brrrr - but it was such an amazing morning i nipped out with my camera!

it was quite eerie as the horses just loomed (is that right?) out of the fog and frost

On closer inspection they were covered in frost - on their whiskers, tails, manes!

this pic doesn't do it justice but you get my drift!

The garden looked amazing - shame the pics didn't!

Enough of the cold now!

I have decided to stop just looking at all my lovely craft books, and they are lovely, and to actually get a move on!

so - 1 pair of wristwarmers!

Got some lovely yarn to add to my stripey wrap - which, if i had got a move on, i could now be wearing!!

Have started on some applique and stitchery pics - which my lovely friend Sarah sells in her shop (sometimes!)

the above is a work in progress - its going to be a birth stitchery - have just outlined it at the moment!


So now feel justified in having a large cuppa and a toasted tea cake and a quick browse, just a very quick one, at some fabrics which happen to be in a sale!

oh, by the way, my next post will be my 50th so i will be having a giveaway!

xxx

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

oh my god, i'm soooo cold - have just been outside for the last hour or so doing the horses - can't feel my fingers or my toes! In fact i feel just like this

i have just taken this huge piece of ice out of one of the horses buckets - this has frozen overnight so you can tell how blooming cold it was! had to take a hammer to most of their buckets!

Horses are fine - snuggled in their rugs and stuffing their hay!

As i was taking these pics Iona just had to come and see what i was up to

mind you she's in the dog house big time, as she managed to demolish her electric fencing last night - she knows she won't feel the zap (i can assure you its only a little zap!) through her rug!

Chickens are not at all impressed with this weather, although they are still laying! They find the front of the stables is a nice little sun trap and a good place for a wash and brush up!

Time to go now and thaw out! Winnie has the best idea!

xxx

All sorts!

Firstly Happy New Year to you!

As i have not done a post for a while this one is going to be a bit of everything!

I would like to thank very much Joy and Marian, my lovely australian friends, for the beautiful gifts they sent me

they are just gorgeous and i feel very lucky indeed!

I also received some beautiful craft books this year which i have been too busy reading and therefore, at the moment, not much doing!

these were from my lovely friend Sarah who has a gorgeous shop called 'the little red hen'!

and the above were from..... me! i just happened to be on Amazon, as you do, and they just leapt out at me - i just love the felt one and have been looking in my lots wardrobes to see if there are any jumpers i can felt!

I also bought some wool as i happened to be passing John Lewis - it was in the sale so i felt i just had to have it

its Rowan little big wool - don't know what i'm going to do with it yet mind, but my motto is you can never have enough wool or fabric!

Talking of fabric (did you see that seamless (not meant to be a pun!) link!) - a few months ago i did a friendship star swap which Dionne organised - and i got some lovely blocks back

a HUGE thanks to Dionne for organising it, it was great fun and i am well pleased with the lovely stars i received!

(note to self - i will get the link thing sorted - soon as trashy comes back i will be asking for her help!)

I am loving this magazine at the moment - have you seen it? i expect you all have as i'm usually a bit behind everyone else!

have decided to subscribe to it as a b'day treat to myself as it does have some lovely patterns and great articles.

I have another HUGE THANK YOU - i received the most fantastic parcel just before new year from the lovely Emma

so sorry the pic is not very good - Emma sent me the most gorgeous necklace/bracelet, a beautiful silver button and some lovely fabric as a thank for two little quilts i made for the Miss Ps! I have worn the necklace/bracelet ever since! I feel sooooo lucky to receive such a very generous gift!

well i think thats it for the moment, am sitting here freezing in PJs and woolly socks as the heating only just kicking in and we had a very hard frost last night - think i might just have a big mug of tea and possibly bacon and eggs - mmmmmm!

xxx