Newbie Blogger!

I am very new to all this blog malarkey ~ and as it is probably very clear I love reading everyone else's blog but can't quite muster the energy to write my own sometimes. But I was joyous all day yesterday when I discovered I had a follower and comments! Wow. But unfortunately couldn't figure out how to reply to the comments (duh!) and when I did try it was unsuccessful - so instead a warm welcome to Saving for Travel and a reply to your question: Yes it was Malteasers and the recipe is a Nigella one from Feast (I think).

Holidays have been scooting by and I have to stop myself and reassess my list of goals and aims for this holiday and then get quite horrified to see how little I have done. But it's no good dwelling on the negative so instead let me share what we have achieved!

We bought a folding camper on ebay and headed off to North Devon for a camping holiday! We feel very honored now that we have 'upgraded' from a lowly tent! And I am thrilled NOT to be sleeping on the floor anymore! Yipeeee.

And we got to use the camping blanket! With not a sleeping bag in sight ~ Ah Bliss!!

It was a lovely time for me to spend with all the family and get some more granny squares done for the throw to go in the camper - more details to follow!

Last night we spent an very enjoyable evening with friends in Bristol watching a production of Treasure Island ~ Amazing! We all thought it was brilliant, hugely entertaining and spent a leisurely walk back to the car park with lots of chatter and a few, ' ooooh Arrr's!' being heard reverberating around the empty streets! Great night out!

As we head towards September and inevitably Autumn, my thoughts are turning towards the issue of money and our lifestyle. I have been very inspired by a fellow blogger whose quest to cut debt and live a simple life has woken something up in me and now I am determined to follow some of her ideas and implement them in our lives. Watch this space!

But for now I must go and catch up on my weekend jobs that I missed!!

an update....

Well things have been progressing here in my little patch.....
The children are home for the summer!! So lots of messy stuff happening mostly with No.1 son.....

He wanted to do some of his own graffiti artwork and I think he has done a very good job! It is much harder than it looks; spraying paint with a huge nozzle and the wind blowing it everywhere you don't want it to go. He also decided he wanted to make a cake and he did a good job of that too - although I think the recipe wasn't quite right!

I should have photographed the kitchen when he was finished; I think a bomb would have been more considerate! But he cleaned it up with the help of his sister - so no complaints from me!!

I have been cracking on with my Secret Mission! Although it's not very secret. I have been getting up early (by my standards!!) to try and do some work on No.1 Daughter's quilt but have found her rising rather early too and so have had to resort to stitching, sometimes with her next to me, praying she won't ask what I am doing! But I suspect she knows as she hasn't asked me directly and last week she sorted out her cupboards, giving me a pile of clothes and saying, 'I really liked these but they don't fit me anymore. Can you make a quilt with them?' Well it will be a surprise when she receives it because I am only working on one block at a time....

This is my first go at crazy style quilting. It is harder than I thought it would be. I am very out of practise with embroidery and hopefully by the end of the quilt I will have improved immensly. I wanted to have the whole quilt planned for but am finding this near impossible! So I am picking up one block at a time and doing whatever comes into my head at that moment - goodness knows how it will all look in the end!

These two blocks above are my favourite ones so far! I just love the pocketful of dreams one! I have nearly embroidered half of the blocks needed for the quilt. I am going to stitch them together once they have all been embroidered by hand then after that I am unsure how I am going to progress! But one process at a time....

On to the reading front; I chose another children's book: Witch Child by Celia Rees. I enjoyed it but found some of it a little far fetched. The quilting theme kept me reading and quilting too. I am now going to read Salley Vickers'  Miss Garnet's Angel. This is a book that I have read a long time ago but would like to refresh my memory and read it again. No.1 son and I are reading the sequel to Mortal Engines - Predators Gold I think it is called and we are really enjoying it!

So until next time...

Books to be deleted off my list....

1. Little Women -  finally got to the end of this book! Somehow it just wasn't the same as the one I read when I was a child. As an adult I found it so 'preachy'! I suppose that it is a product of it's time! I quite liked the 'make do and mend' attitude it had! It certainly has made me think a little differently about the way we live our lives today.
2. All well that ends well - I love Shakespeare! This play reminded me of Measure for Measure and Cymbeline with it's portrayal of a female hero - if we can call Helen that! It was very interesting.
3. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry -  this is a book that I was surprised to enjoy again. I read it in school and was pleasantly surprised to discover it kept me hooked! When I was a child the theme of financial struggle surpassed my understanding but as an adult it was more acute. I think the author portrayed very realistic main characters (who were children) as well as adult characters. One of my favourite books!

I am undecided about my next book. A grown up book or another children's book
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

Till next time~:~

Back to the Secret Mission!

I have my quilting head back on! horray! I ventured up into my attic room and proceeded to tidy up but got swayed by the pile of unfinished squares staring at me so in the end I made even more mess! Now I have a few ideas of how to proceed after submersing myself in all the creativity of 'blogland'. Will return to update with photo's very soon....

Things I love in July.....

The Wimbledon final:

Even though Nadal didn't win!

Strawberries and Cream Tea's:

Even though I like coffee.

Light, summery evenings:

Even though there are so few of them.

Here's hoping that we have a few more of the latter and that we can make the most of them, because when Autumn rolls around I know I am going to be busy again and will like to look back fondly on the times we spent in the late sunshine with a cold of glass of something nice!

Camping Blanket ~ DONE!!

I am happy to report that my camping blanket is finished and to be honest it didn't feel like the marathon effort I am used to when trying to finish off a craft project. You know, when you can see the finishing post and you are hell bent on getting there so you end up sitting for hours to finish it off. Well this time, it was a more leisurely stroll to the finishing line. I hate, hate the last job of any crochet or knitting project that is darning in the ends! So tedious! But I can report that whilst sitting next to my other half whilst he was watching something violent on T.V, I went about my business of sewing in all the loose ends and there were loads!!! So in all its glory here is our new camping blanket:



Finished off with borders and a shell edging.

It is BIG ~ drapes over a double bed nicely although I wish I had added a few extra rows so that it reached the top of the bed better!

It can be used both ways really! And when we are camping we tend to huddle together anyway, so it is probably the best size!



I am happy with my colourful summery camping blanket and can't wait to use it now! The colours are bright and a bit more intense than I would tolerate normally but as it is for camping I think it is GREAT! Roll on the sunshine!

June Here ALREADY????

Well just a quick catch-up to say that I am nearly finished the camping blanket and hey-ho! ready to start embarking on the border!! So excited I can't tell you! I am planning a funfilled afternoon with a bit of hooky in front of the telly watching Rafa! Although I should be saying watching Murray but Nadal is more my style, secretly keeping my fingers crossed for him equaling Born's record of 6 French Open titles.

Book update: well I have been on a roll and can swipe off, Coram Boy and The other side of Truth which I enjoyed reading but would argue whether in the case of Coram Boy especially the subject matter was really 'children's' material. Well I am sure my next study course will instruct me one way or the other!!!

till next time ~~~~~~~~