Flower Power :)

Hello....hope you are all having a lovely Sunday....and Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads :)

Well I don't know about you...but I'm glad for a little daylight and no rain!!! What weather we have had! I hope you have all be safe and have not had terrible floods wherever you are in the country...I'm so glad our weather did the right thing for the Queen's birthday celebrations...I really did enjoy every bit of it...made me feel very proud...we do put on a great celebration don't we :)

This post looks like its going to be a flower fest...a bit of flower power...I adore flowers (even though I suffer with hay fever!) I just have to have them all around the home...and more so in Summer I find...and I have been very glad of them over the past couple of weeks...they have been a little bright spot to cheer up the gloom of grey skies :)

I met one of my "besties" at the local garden centre for coffee and a catch up and spotted a very pretty little crate with two mini milk bottles inside on my way in right by the door...it stopped me in my tracks...once I had picked it up it was sold! I fell in love with it...on the afternoon walk I picked some wild rose buds...it just looked perfect on the little shelf in the kitchen :)

Now I'm not an impulse buyer...but it has happened twice in the last few weeks...my family will testify that I can see something that takes my eye and I can carry it all around the shop and then on the way out put it back...I way up whether I can live without it or not...if I can it will probably go back on the shelf haha...but this little beauty...it was definitely coming home with me!

My Best "Bestie" came to lunch last week as I couldn't get out to meet for lunch...we had a lovely catch up and put "the world to rights" as you do....she's so lovely, she arrived with a gorgeous bouquet of beautifully fragrant stocks ( in my fav colours) and a pack of new tennis balls for Puppy Dog...and I can happily say we were both thrilled :)

Although I no longer really do any floristry work...I do still have just a couple of customers who I do flowers for...they have been regular customers for some years now and its good to just keep your "hand" in :) So this week because of Fathers Day they always order two posy arrangements to take to the cemetery...whilst I was making them...I thought that maybe a very quick little photo tutorial might be nice to share with you...so you can have a go yourselves.... :)

No1...make sure you soak your oasis foam thoroughly and I always add some of the plant food sachet neat on top of the foam to feed the flowers...source some greenery...I used the new shoots from the Laurel bush...add this to oasis around the lower edge all the way around and some in the middle to determine the height

No 2...cut your flower stems to the required height...you are aiming for a rounded domed effect...and we always work in odd numbers...place your first choice of focal flowers all the way around the base...middle and top in odd numbers  (as an example 9 around the base, 5 around the middle and 1 in the centre)

No 3...add the next colour flowers you've chosen in the same way...between the first lot of blooms

No4...lastly add your filler flowers (in this case I used spray carnations and Gyp) again in odd numbers to highlight the main blooms and fill in any gaps...you don't want to see any oasis foam

And there you have it a lovely little posy...just keep the saucer topped up with water so the foam doesn't dry out and they will last as long as if they were in a vase... :)

I love spray carnations in arrangements as there are so many colours and they are very long lasting...but when you buy them in the supermarket they are usually in quite tight buds and don't really make the impact that they should...a trick is to gently...but firmly circle your finger tip over the flower bud and the petals with open up...but last just as long :)

flowers before being opened...

this is same stem afterwards...

Well just to complete this trip into flower power...I had some beautiful pink peonies on the kitchen counter this week and they have been splendid a real pick-me-up first thing in a morning...gorgeous "blousy" flowers! :)

And haven't we needed a bit of a pick-me-up...with all these terrible things going on in the world...it really does upset me and affects my mood terribly...I find it so...well quite unreal...that people can behave so appalling...with such hatred for human life...my heart goes out to all those affected in the USA shootings and to the family of Jo Cox...and don't get me started on those idiots at the Football...how on earth are they getting the flare guns and flares into the grounds??? you would think the French Authorities would be very strict...especially with what's been happening in their country? It just seems the world is not a nice place at the moment...just all so very upsetting :(

So...with that little rant over...I will retreat back into "my world" its nice and safe there...and show you some little crafty bits n bobs I've been up to...

I mentioned in my last post I had made a card for my daughters birthday...well I can now share that with you...I'm not really a very good card maker but I do enjoy having a go...so here it is...

she loved it and has framed it... :) which made me feel quite chuffed that she thought it was worthy of putting on the wall :)

Crochet...thankfully is back in full swing :) I finished the blue granny square blanket I was making in the last post...and made a little "useful" blanket to compliment it with the left over wool....

And my next blanket is very near to completion...in fact it should be finished later on today....

I am soooo in love with the colours in this blanket...I wanted a sort of faded, vintage look...I only said to Hubby last night...I just adore this blanket and I don't think I can bear to sell it! :)

Not sure what the next project will be...but I'm thinking about trying to write a pattern...one for beginners who just want a first project to complete...so we'll see...I'm not sure I will be able to do it but I thought it might be nice for someone who has just learnt the stitches...I know there's a lot of very good patterns and tutorials out there and do we really need another one?

I have been doing some "colouring in" too...when we re-decorated the bedroom one piece of furniture had 2 "cubbies" at the top and I have been looking for some vintage suitcases to fit...but as the spaces were not very deep it was proving difficult...when last week I got a phone call from my Mom and Dad who had spied some small cardboard "suitcase" style boxes what would fit perfectly...they were from the charity shop which was even better...so for £5 my room is now complete :) they were actually keepsake boxes for babies...but they were unused, shop soiled...and lines were printed on to look like straps...

So I got out my trusty pens and coloured them in...it has given them a fab little lift :)

My second impulse buy was from the charity shop again...I spied a plastic bag...and the contents filled my heart with glee (I'm easily pleased haha) and it was only £3.50...I have no idea what to do with the contents but I had to have them :)

There was no putting these back on the shelf...the contents were...19 mini cream buckets, 3 gold/silver pens, silver and gold thread, loads of min pegs, 14 wooden heart pegs and about 100 cream labels of 2 designs...a bargain I thought!

Finally my trawling's around Pinterest I came across these lovely items...

the first is these genius key holders...painted vintage door knobs and the door key is your key fob...I just love this idea...middle picture I think is a great...use an old or cheap shower curtain to take on holiday and make a water pit in the sand...hours of fun for little ones...thirdly...call me a sentimental old fool...but for the worn out teddy whos a little too play worn but you cant bear to throw away (how could you!) mount him on a frame and keep him forever...lovely for a grown up child to take with them when they leave home :((...lastly another one for me...I cant get rid of pretty broken tea cups or tea pots...these make a lovely display planted up... :)

Well there we have it...a round up of the last couple of weeks...I only said to my daughter yesterday I have no idea what I'm going to write about I don't seem to have done much...but me being a chatterbox...she didn't have any doubt I would have something to say haha...I hope you enjoyed the bit of flower power! :)

This weeks vintage photo....

isn't she adorable...I have felt a little discouraged...so now I know the answer...I need a Tutu! Goodness that would be a sight to see haha

And this weeks quote...

It really is true...this is in honour of Major Tim Peake who arrived back on earth yesterday with a massive bump! Some of his first words...."the Earth smells so good...and its great to breathe fresh air"

Till next time my lovelies...have a great time...enjoy everything you do...xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Its June Already!!!

Yoo hoo! Morning :)

Can you believe its June already! Its been a lovely few weeks here...weather has been beautiful and lots of work has been happening in the garden :) there's just the matter of the sheds to clean out now :-/ I just know there's going to be big spiders in there!!

A quick update on the health situation...all is much, much better now...not in so much pain and the back brace is off! Hooray! So this sort of sums up how if feel....

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The garden has been having a major clean up and Dad helped me put a brick edge around the lawn...well I say Dad helped me...it was more Dad did the majority of the work and I helped a bit :))

One of my favourite flowers is out in all its glory....Lily of The Valley....

 The fragrance that comes from these little beauties is amazing...I have planted Sweet Pea seeds which are just coming through now...another of my favourites...in fact I have quite a few favourites...Roses have to be added to that list too :) Some summer bedding plants have been put in their spots and I bought some more yesterday...heaven knows where they are going to go...but you can always squeeze another little plant in  :)

Last Sunday was spent at my Mom and Dads...the sunshine was beautiful...and their garden was looking a treat....

such a lovely colour on the Peonies....

And these flowers on the Rhododendrons are such a beautiful colour...I'm not a lover of yellow but the creamy yellow of these tinged with that pink are a feast for the eyes :)

Puppy Dog enjoyed her day there too...she just loves being able to wonder around...with the ever present tennis ball as you can see :)

This made us laugh so much I just had to take a picture...she really wanted to make sure Grandad knew that she was there...and was quite happy to help him with pudding haha

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These 3 pink roses have been sitting in the little churn on the kitchen counter for nearly two weeks now...they have been a delight....

We went to a Craft and Vintage Fair the other weekend and I purchased this pretty butter dish...

Many moons ago I had a very large kitchen with an enormous dresser in it and I had a blue and white obsession...absolutely everything was willow pattern and it was all displayed...I fell in love with this little dish and I can feel a blue and white obsession stirring again within me :)

I haven't done much baking...but on Mondays Bank Holiday I did bake a Lemon and Blueberry Cake...

very naughty but very nice :)

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On the crafting front...I have completed the granny blanket I showed you in the last post...

this is it before the border was done...and I made a little what I call "useful" blanket to compliment it...

I think we can safely say my crochet mojo is back!!! Hooray :)

I have been doing some papercutting and made a birthday card...but I will have to show you that next time as it is for my daughter and she has not opened it yet so don't want to spoil it... :)

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I have to say that I haven't been on Pinterest that much (well that's a bit of a fib its still been quite a lot I'm just kidding myself haha) I saw this idea and thought it was fab...a great way to serve salads and fruit at a BBQ without all those pesky flies and wasps landing on them :- /

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So that's the round up of the last few weeks...Hubby has just rung to say he's finishing early from work and we can sort out the sheds...so that's my afternoon sorted.... :)

This little parcel has just arrived as well...

a new batch of wool from those lovely people at Wool Warehouse its for my next little project...and I'm going to have a crack at writing a pattern for it! The little chair you can just see in the photo arrived at my house yesterday from my Dads garage...it is just soooo cute! and this will be my next painting project....haven't made my mind up what colour yet...probably white or cream and a pretty crocheted seat pad I think :)

Well I will leave you for now...thank you to those of you who leave comments for me it really means a lot that you take the time to read this little part of my life.... :)

This weeks vintage photo....

It made me smile when I saw this...it took me straight back to my teens...swimming lessons, which I hated and walking to the local swimming baths in the summer holidays :)  I suppose these days they just have to put up signs saying NO MOBILES haha :)

This weeks quote...

good advice...always live in the moment...its amazing!

See you soon...have a fantastic week...enjoy everything you do xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank Goodness for the Sunshine.... :)

Well Hello....

I hope you have been enjoying the lovely sunshine we have been having.... :)

I will get the boring stuff out of the way first....I think I have gotten my head around my little health issues...I am feeling better...but I think its just that I'm getting used to the pain now...the pain is still as bad but I'm coping with it better...and the warmer weather helps...when the rain arrived the other day it did seem worse :( ...I have had these symptoms for a number of years...but only every now and again and it has never lasted this long before...I did go to the docs last time and had various blood tests etc but no definitive answers to what was wrong...I did at the time think it was Fibromyalgia...but as it is so hard to diagnose no one would say it was this...and I still think this is the case...but having read up about it...there is no cure anyway and the tablets they give you are just painkillers and anti depressants...well I can take over the counter painkillers that I wont get addicted to and I don't want anti depressants as I'm not depressed (although I can see how it would make some people depressed)...so I'm giving the docs a miss this time...I know reading about illness on the internet is probably not a good thing...but whilst doing various training lessons I have learnt quite a lot about the human body, enough for me to make an informed decision on mine...I was right when I said I had gallstones last year...the docs and hospital said it was acid reflux or celiac...but to "put my mind at rest" they would give me an ultrasound scan...what did they find? A very large gallstone that's what!  I have been pushing myself a little over the last few weeks...to see how I can cope...and although I have done too much sometimes and I have suffered...I have been no worse off...so in my mind its nothing to worry about...so I'm not going to...I have just made adjustments to what I can do and I know in time it will get better and maybe even go away again :) ...so that's out of the way now and we can go on to the pretty stuff and good times that have happened over the last few weeks :)

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Last week I noticed the lilac coming into flower...I love lilac...so on our walk I collected a few sprigs for the kitchen...and I had to pick some Cow Parsley too...I know its a weed and does get out of control but I think the flowers are so pretty...it made a lovely little display on the counter...and is still there today...its lasted really well :)

I have been limiting myself to an hour and half working in the garden (I do get very carried away with the time once I start out there!)...I have been tidying, weeding, planting up some bedding plants and lawn cutting (this was part of my "pushing myself" exercise to see if I could cope) and I have loved every minute and it has been a really joy to outside in the sunshine...its made a real difference to my wellbeing <3

I just had to take a photo of my miniature rhododendron...it didn't flower last year at all the buds just died...but this year it is resplendent and the colour is just the burst the flower bed needed!

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The bottom field has finally dried out enough for us to go walking down there now and Puppy Dog has been overjoyed :) being able to run free off the lead has had her very, very excited!

I spy Ralph in the distance....wonder if he'd like to play?

Its been soooo much nicer than pounding the pavements...as well as good exercise...you can really feel the difference walking through the grass to just walking on concrete...

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With all the down time I have had you can imagine a lot of time has been spent trawling the internet and Pinterest of course!  I have been trying to get inspiration and ideas for decorating the office/craft room...all of the new cupboards are in place but nothing is formulating in my brain...but it will (Hubby is quite happy when my brain is on a go slow it means he wont have to be decorating again so soon after the bedroom haha)...and I do get distracted very easily onto pretty things like these...

Oh how I wish I had a covered porch...I would definitely be making one of these!

I like a lot of pallet makeovers but I think this has to be a favourite...I just love it!

Then crafty things caught my eye haha...

probably a bit late for this now...but what a great idea for all the little cut offs of wool...I can imagine little nests snuggly warm with their almost crocheted blanket lining :))

Now this is a cuteness overload...I have to try and make one of these!

isn't it just the cutest thing! Made from pompoms and who doesn't love a pompom haha :)

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I have been doing a little crochet...(but this has been the most difficult to handle as it really does seem to hurt the most)...in my last post I had started to make the little wreath...well I managed to finish it and its hanging in the kitchen looking so pretty :)

and I have been doing a little each day on some granny squares....

unfortunately I am way behind on the daily squares :( but I will get back on track... I'm not abandoning this idea...I will see it through :)

I haven't done any baking apart from my grandsons birthday cake...I did leave these out on the counter the night before...just to see if the fairies would come and make it for me...

but they didn't :( ...I set about making the sponge...which to my delight turned out beautifully...then it sort of all went wrong...I have never made a sort of 3D cake before...he wanted Fireman Sam's engine...my initial thought was...oh crap how am I going to do that! So a little searching and I found some photos of what he wanted...now I am the sort of person who will have a go at anything craft related...so this was no different...I spent hours decorating the cake and when I had finished it I was so disappointed I cried and wanted to throw it in the bin! Once again the "its got to be perfect" bit of my brain kicked in...Hubby convinced me it was all ok and that the little man would be delighted with it...so it was packed into its box ready to be delivered to him....I did take a photo because good or bad it has to be recorded here on the diary...although I am embarrassed to show it...

this is the better side...we went up to his birthday party yesterday...the journey was long and hot...and on the way...the layers of the cake decided to part company! So by the time we got there it looked like it had been in a very bad accident! haha...my daughter slid it all back into some sort of shape...told Little Man that Elvis (he's a work colleague of Fireman Sam's apparently...who is quite clumsy) had been driving Jupiter (that's the name of the Truck) and it had collapsed...he thought it was hilarious and loved it! So the moral of the story is....who needs perfection! :))

Little Man enjoying his mushy cake in the sunshine... :)

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So there we have it...you are all up to date with what has been happening...before I go I must just mention another birthday....

Sir David Attenborough at 90...along with our Queen...I think they both look fabulous for their age...and I really do think that Sir David has lived the most amazing life...the best life anyone could have...to have seen and done so many things in one lifetime must be wonderful...

I love writing this diary...when I start the post...I feel that I have nothing really to say...especially as I cant really do too much at this time...but when I read it back...I have probably done more than I would have normally! So I know my wellbeing is all good...my zest for life has been returned...life is good :)

I will leave you with this weeks vintage (ish) photo...it made me laugh....

I can just see us girls...and you know who you are :) ...I somehow think its something to look forward to hahahaha...

This weeks quote...

and may there be many more for all of us!!! :)

Have a lovely week all...enjoy everything you do...I will be posting again soon xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Winter....its time to Buzz off!

Hello....I'm still in the land of the living...haha :)

I feel I need to give you a little insight into what's been happening to me over the past weeks...just so you know its not because I cant be bothered to write on here :)

I had what we all thought was a bout of the Flu...and probably it was that....but it has left me feeling less than perfect I can tell you...I am so, so tired, my brain is completely foggy, I have a horrible bitter taste all the time and a rash that appears then goes!...I have so much pain in my hands, elbows, shoulders and neck I cant tell you how awful it is making me feel...I am thinking that the pain is just a very bad flair up of my osteoarthritis and not connected to the flu at all....or it was one of those lovely virus' which all the symptoms are to do with....I will give it another few weeks to right it self but if not I will take myself off to the docs (I hate going to the docs....the NHS would never run out of money on me haha)

So that's that out of the way...I don't like to dwell on how I am feeling...I want to dwell on happy things :)

I cant really say that the weather has been making me happy though....we've had snow, sleet, hail, thunder and I've lost count of how may times we have got soaked! And its been blooming cold! So when I saw this photo it just summed up how we are probably all feeling....

I think I said that we were decorating...and it had to be put on hold for a week or so...but I'm glad to say that the bedroom is now finished....and I'm thrilled with it...I feel like I'm sleeping in a hotel all the time at the moment...its all so different...we have changed everything apart from the bed....all new furniture, carpets, wallpaper and decorations....oh and of course new bed linen :) Just the office/craft room to do now :)

I made or upcycled a few things to decorate the bedroom with as well as some shop bought items....

This is my gorgeous candle lantern from Ikea...its quite big and makes a great corner piece...I have put a battery candle inside and it gives a lovely glow to the corner of the room....

This is my stags head hook that we purchased in the New Year sales....I had no idea where he was going to live at the time but he has found the perfect spot by the new wardrobe, holding some of my key collection (I'm a little obsessed with keys...haha)

As those of you who watch Fixer Upper...Jo always puts letters in the houses she decorates...I love this idea so I wanted one for our new room... I purchased a battered old letter from a shop sign on EBay in a not so lovely aubergine colour....

I painted it in a chalky emulsion....

Once dried...and the chalk paint dries really quickly...I put some dark wax on and polished it up....

and this is it finished...I love it and it fits in perfectly...I know Jo would have left it all battered...but I wanted a finished look to ours :)

I also made a picture using the double glass sided frame I bought some weeks ago...my idea was to do a paper cut...but the way my hands are there was no way I could do that...the next idea I had was to print the words on to acetate...I wanted it to be clear with just the words floating in the frame...but alas that didn't work either...I thought it had but then when the ink dried...the words disappeared! So I went from thrilled to disappointment :( There must be a knack to printing on acetate that I don't know...so I resorted to cutting some of the left over wallpaper and putting that through the printer and thankfully that worked...its not how I wanted it look...but I'm happy with it and have found the perfect spot for it...which wouldn't have worked with the other idea so maybe it was fate :)

My pet hate in rooms are wires coming out of TV or media...and nails or screws showing....Hubby has to get rid of all the wires on show, much to his frustration :) and I go around covering up screws and nails...either with Sharpie pens...I colour in the heads or in this pictures case I had a leaf cut out that I stained to match in and I stuck it to the nail head as some extra decoration :)

The worst of the decorating is having to move everything isn't it? I had had to move all my clothes...and I have a lot! They were all packed into vacuum bags and put up the loft...then of course you have to unpack them again :(  This was the sight that greeted my one morning....

With the way I was feeling...I found it quite daunting....but I worked through it...lots of rest in between...it took ages but I got there! And for all the people that have asked..."do you think the clothes will crease up in those bags?"...yep they do! So those bags would be no good to put your clothes in to take on holiday...yep you would have more space...but more work the other end! :)

So looking back...I haven't done too bad really...I feel like I have done nothing for ages and ages...but with all the rest I feel my creative brain is slowly starting to kick in again...I haven't been interested in doing any crochet at all...but the other day I did read Lucy's blog post (Attic24) and she posted a lovely picture of a vintage inspired flower wreath...

I thought is was so pretty and so very me :) So I did pick up the hook and sort a bit of wool out...and I did make a start...

but I can only do a very little bit at a time as my hands and fingers are so painful...but I will plod on...I must get my crochet mojo back...it is such a big part of my life!

I haven't been doing any baking either...I did make a small lemon and cream sponge cake just to use up the couple of eggs I had left...I hate throwing anything away :)

I have of course been able to potter through Pinterest :) I have been pouring over crochet designs trying to get inspired...I have seen some beautiful work being done from cross stitch patterns using the corner to corner method...I found a very pretty letter K which I have saved and I hope one day to have a go at this....

It would be a large blanket so it will have to wait until I'm feeling tip top again :)  There's also a lot of people knitting socks at the moment on the blogs...for me this is the only pair of socks I could knit! haha...

I haven't even had fresh flowers in the house...which is very unlike me...I love flowers all around the home...but last week while out with Puppy Dog...I did pick some blossom twigs which have cheered up the kitchen :)

Well I think I'm coming to the end of this post...its not been all bad at all :) I'm hoping that over the next week or so things will improve and I will be back to full steam soon...but until then I am going to take it easy...not push myself too much...as really there is no need...I just have to accept that at this time I cant be as busy as I would like...sometimes you just have to slow down for a little while :)

I cant finish this post without mentioning the fact we have lost a few more souls from this earthly world...all such talented people and people that have been part of lives even though only through the TV screen....the funny Ronnie Corbett...fork handles (four candles) has to be the funniest sketch I have ever seen! I was so shocked when I found out Victoria Wood had passed...such a comedy talent...a legend...I loved her :( and Prince...I thought, a strange little man...but he sure could write and perform a song!

So for the vintage photo....as its May Day today....

a spot of Maypole dancing...I don't think they do this at school anymore...when I was in primary and junior school we always did maypole dancing...I loved making all the patterns with the bright coloured ribbons...its made me feel very nostalgic :))

And for the quote....

I'm sorry about the little bit of a naughty word...but I found this quite apt for how I am feeling...instead of feeling sorry for myself I just have to tell myself "Shit Happens"...it will pass...stop worrying about it...all will be good again :)

Have a lovely week everyone...enjoy everything you do...if I feel up to it and more to the point have anything to write I will post on here again this month...if not I will definitely be posting at the beginning of June.....xxxxxxxxxxxxx