Awards, Thank you, and a hint of a Laura Ashley Bargain !

I have been so lucky to meet so many new friends since I started my blog.

I cant believe it has only been a couple of months since I first began - I am still learning so much.

I still dont know how to put pictures in my sidebar and I would love to have my text in the middle and pictures on both sides !!!


Over the last couple of weeks I have been given some awards and Ludabelle kindly gave me a lot yesterday that she had received.

I am supposed to pass them on but as I am the newbie on the block I know that so many of you already have them and with time being precious to you all - I know that thought it is so lovely to know that you have been thought off it can give you a guilt trip about not replying.

So to all my lovely friends please if you havent got one of these - please consider yourself tagged with an award.


Thanks again to everyone who has sent me an award.

I will be posting tomorrow about my lovely Laura Ashley bargains !!!!

I'm just off to sort and iron them - thats a big clue.

Cath Kidston New Range !!! Yippee

Just a quick post girlies to let you know I've been on CK website and its new with the new range !!!!

Can't post any more got to browse

See you tomorrow - here goes the budgeting....................

Message For Everyone Having A Tough Time

I rescued this picture from up the loft today. I had thought about it lots since reading so many of your blogs where times are hard - with illness, finances, redundancies etc.

My Nan bought me this when we first got married and it hung in my kitchen for 13 years until we moved - it is so faded and steam damaged but I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

My Nan died 8 years ago and I still miss her every day as she was a "rock" - I think that generation who had bought kids up during the war whilst husbands were missing all tend to be the same.

Anyway - back to the reason for posting it - its called Don't Quit and because its so faded I'll repeat it here.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are ow, but the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of us, sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won, had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never know how close you are
It may be near, though it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse, that you must not quit.

I hope you like it, feel free to use it - it doesn't give any copyright or an author - I've always planned to turn it into an embroidery or sampler of some sort.

Hope it helps get you all through.

Sara
XX

Fabric, Crochet, Budgeting

These lovely new fabrics arrived today. It is a seller on eBay that I hadn't used before but she is reasonable and posted first class next day - which is brilliant as I get very over excited whenever I order anything.

Ive got no idea what I am going to use them for but loved the Shabby Chic roses - it reminded me of CK.







I know a lot of you lovely bloggy people have been considering learning crochet and asking which books are best.

I have started teaching myself since Christmas and though I found the set from Hobbycraft useful (see earlier blogs) I received this a few days ago and its brilliant.

It is so simply laid out and has simple items in as well.

I bought this with a Ladybird Knots book for 99p. They came as a pair and I was going to re list the knots book but the boys have found lots of fishing knots in there so it has been hidden away with the fishing books.




I decided to sit down today and do a budget planner - its something I have avoided for about - well - all my life !!

I have included everything and was surprised to find that someone has obviously been stealing my money as I should have a bit left every month. It couldn't possibly be my crafting,charity shops, antiques markets, magazine, fabric, book, wool and button habit - could it?

I am really going to try and be a very good girl from now on - I am allowing 130 pound a week for food, kids activities, petrol and other expenses and if I have any left I am going to spend half and save half . That's the theory...

SO I will maybe blog about it as I try to stick to it - it sounds achievable - doesn't it?

I am going to start a savings jar for my Kitchen Aid Mixer - I have had one on my Amazon wish list for four years and I'm determined I'm going to have one this year.

Its my birthday in March, so I am going to ask for money and I have a load of books to sell on eBay - I might create one of those thermometer thingies that they have in churches for the roof fund.

Any ideas for fundraising ??

New Books - Green Crafts For Children and more

My new book arrived off Ebay today. Ellie and I saw this in Hobbycraft on Christmas Eve but couldnt really afford to get it so I've been looking out for it on ebay ever since.



There are some great projects in there and it has inspired me so I dont think its just for children.

Also whats really great for us lot is there is a lot of CK used in the styling of the photos.








This project is about making puppets out of old t shirts.

You can get Jersey T shirts so cheap in charity shops so I will be looking out for some in great designs - I only normally buy cotton to use in my projects and have left some great t shirts on the rack.














I love these fairy pictures - notice the CK star fabric on the lamp - lovely - might just have to paint a lamp base red after seeing this picture.














I love these beautiful pebble stones - can't help thinking that they look a lot like CK cottage.

Andrew took the kids out for a bracing walk over the Christmas hols and said it was ok till Ellie started filling the rucksack with all the great pebbles she found ready to complete these.

It was this picture that we really loved when we looked at the book on Christmas Eve.




I'll post some pictures of our crafts - I'm hoping we might get chance to do some together on Saturday if the boys go fishing.



Also decided to pop to Laura Ashley this morning as we put red gingham under the glass on our coffee table for Christmas to make it look more festive - I've kept it for a while but it does look a bit out of place so I decided to get some of the natural to replace it with.

Whilst at the checkout I noticed the new catalogue is out !! Yippee

I love to look through the catalogue and dream about what I would have if I won the lottery - they have some great new fabrics and a beautiful new rose bedding that is very Cath Kidston.

I'm off now to have a really good look through my new books !!

Thanks for all your comments on the last post - my blue project is coming on nicely but it isnt quite ready for its catwalk just yet.

Shabby Chic Bargain and Applique Project

Went thrifting today but didnt get any vintage finds - thats the way it goes sometimes - a bit disappointing but not for my cupboards and shelves which are already groaning.

I love to buy old clothes from Charity Shops for doing my applique and this little lot (including a couple of fat quarters and some felt ) is for my next project.

Can you guess what it is yet ????

The blue chambray shirt is an extra large mens and was only a pound - and it has about 12 lovely buttons on it - what a bargain.

I'm going to be working on the design over the next couple of days so will show you an updated picture as I progress.


I wanted to show you my Shabby Chic bargain from yesterday.

My daughter (aged 10) has more jewellery than Claires but her necklaces keep getting tangled.

I had been looking out for some nice hooks to put on the wall by her mirror so that they can hang straight.

I had seen these hooks in BHS over the winter but with Christmas coming couldn't really justify the ten pounds on something that could wait.


Yesterday as we walked through to the escalator I glanced at the sale table and saw these reduced to 3.40 and was I pleased - even more so when I took them to the checkout and they scanned at 2.20 !!!!

Just need to get hubby to raise her mirror (she has really shot up this last year) and then put the hooks underneath it. Hopefully will post picture when done.

Got loads to do tomorrow so just off to make a list !!!

Lovely Friends

Today I was tagged by Nicky at Hollypops

So this is what I have to do:-

1) Link to the person who tags you

2) Post the rules on your blog

3) Write 6 random things about yourself

4) Tag 6 people at the end of the post and link to them

5) Let each person know they have been tagged.

6 Random things about me....


Right here goes:

The six random things about me are:

1. I once wrote to Jim'll Fix It to sing with Fiddlers Dram ( they sang didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor) !!!

2. I have a really bad phobia of snakes or anything that resembles snake skin.

3. I once bunked off school to go to the local radio station to meet Nick Kamen - he of Levi Launderette commercial

4. I have a warped sense of humour and my husband has to push me inside a shop if anyone
trips as I cannot control myself (obviously only if they havent hurt themselves)

5. I would love to go on Family Fortunes but no other member of my family would consider it

6. After having my first baby and being overwhelmed with 10 visitors I pretended to go to sleep so that they would go home


Right now for the six people I would like to tag:

Marie at Dreaming Of Wild Roses

Tilly at Tilly Tatas

Sue at Lazy Days In The Country

Sian at Diary Of A Tinyholder

Lou at Ludabelle

Greedy Nan at Greedy Nan


I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Marie and Nicky who have both sent me an award. I will try and get the blog sorted for those tomorrow.

Thanks - it has made me feel that it is worth taking the time to share my days.

Love Sara
XX

New Baby Card Finished

Well its 10.40pm and I should really be getting to bed but thought I would just show you the New Baby card for my great nephew.

I'm really pleased with it - though I realised I had forgot to stitch round the nameplate in red once I had already stuck it down !!

I'd just like to thank everyone who pops in and especially those who leave a message - I have been really surprised by how it can really lift my day to read your lovely comments.

I think I have been a blogger for about 5 weeks now and I am so looking forward to popping in to have a look at your lives over the coming year.

Thanks Girlies XXX

Thrifting and Crochet So Far

This is my crochet so far . I know its nothing spectacular but as I couldnt crochet at all a week ago I am really pleased with it.

Its going to be a blanket - I just hope I finish it as I have a habit of starting projects but not finishing them. Perhaps now I'm a blogger it will encourage me as I can show you my progress.

I really want to learn how to do decorative squares like those at Attic 24 whose crochet is amazing.



Yesterday I got the chance to go Charity Shopping - yippee. As I home educate my brilliant parents have my son every Thursday and collect my daughter from primary school so that I get a break.

Christmas day and New Years Day both fell on a Thursday so its been nearly three weeks since I have had the opportunity to get out and about with hubby.

We went to Stone yesterday which has eight charity shops in the main street !!!! And a few great cafes for respite.


We bought lots of books as we normally do - anything to do with crafting, self sufficiency, education, spirituality, past lives, cooking etc

I found those great little cocktail forks - they would have been great for the pickles over Christmas and this beautiful unused tablecloth and napkin set for under three pound.

A couple of DVDs for the kids , The Simpson movie and Pirates of the Caribbean and we still hadnt spent twenty quid !!!



Roll on Thursday !!!

Just trying to get the new baby card finished and then have to get lasagnes ready - little one is a vegetarian so I have to make two lots.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for your comments - they are all really encouraging.

New Baby Boy

Today we became a Great Aunt and Uncle again. I am only 37 - really !!!! (My sisters were 14 and 16 when I was born)

Henry George was born just before lunchtime weighing in at 7lb 11oz. This is our third Great Nephew which has pleased my son.

Just got to start planning the birth sampler now, and start the happy wall, carry on with the crochet, catch up with the washing and ironing, cook for 7 of us tomorrow .....................

New Year Project - The Happy Wall

One of the first things I want to get done this year is what will be known as "My Happy Wall".

I have been meaning to do this for nearly two years now and there is a very bare wall in our lounge just waiting patiently to be adorned.

The dining room has "The Wedding Wall" - all our family weddings, changed to black and white (where necessary) and put in painted frames so that they dont all clash.



I am going to get the large box of photos from the attic when we put the decorations away and the rule for the happy wall is :


the photo has to make you grin or laugh straight away - or remind us of a really happy day


The other great benefit of this project is the several visits to charity shops looking for frames !!!

If I'm having a bit of a low day I want to be able to go to "The Happy Wall" and be able to smile and be thankful. I'll share some of the photos with you as I find them - maybe you can even vote on whether they made you smile ??

My friend is coming over tomorrow and I've just collected some lovely fairy cakes from my mom for us to have with our cups of tea - but I think I've just heard the boys in the kitchen so I had better go and see if we have any left !!!

See you soon - hope your heads arent too painful today................