Please Don't Eat The Daisies ...

I've got a new teacosy! A month after getting all my bits and bobs together, dyeing the fabric etc, it's finished! It's quite fitting that I started it just after watching a Doris Day film (see earlier post) as I now think it looks just like one of her hats and or the title credits/graphics to one of her films! Either way I don't think I'll be needing to make an Easter bonnet this year!
I have been overwhelmed by your generous comments about my corsages and cosies. I am so pleased that you like them. I started this blog just to be able to join in this wonderful shared conversation that I had been reading over the months but had no idea that within a few weeks people might want to buy something. I am honestly still surprised when someone has left me a comment on a post! If anyone would like to buy anything they've seen please let me know as I am in the process of sorting it out but have no idea how to go about it. I don't think I can sell directly from this site or can I? Does anyone have any suggestions? Not very good with the self-promoting bit - just got used to show and tell!
Changing the subject quickly - more importantly, my daughter is slowly getting better. The doctor has had to resort to antibiotics as she was deteriorating over the week and nothing was working. Fingers crossed that she's on the mend now though. I showed her the get well wishes she got on this site and she was chuffed, so thanks again!
The sun is shining again today and the lawn has had its first haircut of the year and in amongst the primroses and muscaris, there were real daisies too!
Have a good weekend.

Escape ...

My oldest daughter is back from France and all is well (ish)! My youngest, bless her, has now got the flu bug that my husband had over the weekend. So on this beautiful, warm and sunny Spring day she is huddled up on the sofa with her blanket and hot water bottle - doesn't seem fair does it?
In between running around with the medicine bottle. making drinks and offering food, I have tried to tidy up, do the washing and craft! Failing miserably on all counts I'm afraid. It's always the way - I spent last week wishing the days away to see my daughter again and now that she's returned and we're all safely under one roof again, I'm feeling just as unsettled. No good trying to plan things is it?

I've decided to give in to it today though. So instead of trying to do it all, I'm planning an escape. When my youngest dozes off again, I've got my book and cup of tea waiting. I've noticed recently that lots of people have been posting about their favourite books, particularly childhood books. Well, here is mine - I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. I didn't read it when I was younger but was given it by a very close friend when I was feeling quite low several years ago. It is the most enchanting book and pure escapism. As soon as I read it the first time I quickly bought a copy for a friend of mine who was in hospital with a difficult pregnancy - she was captivated. I don't know how many copies I have given to friends, but perhaps the greatest pleasure I had was giving it to my oldest daughter to read a couple of years ago. She adores it and has since started giving copies of it to her friends. I noticed too that it went with her to France last week - it is our joint comfort blanket!
If you haven't read the book, don't see the movie first - please!
I'm off for five minutes indulgence before the next dose of Calpol,
Before I go here is the photo of the primroses I mentioned in the previous post.


Isn't that pink gorgeous ...

Early Blooms

Spring is arriving in fits and starts. I wanted to take some photos of our garden today, but it is pouring down. Around the base of the old apple tree the circle of primroses is now fully in bloom and we have a full bank of them along one of our stone walls. Amongst the sherbety yellow flowers are some soft, dusty pink ones. These perhaps are my favourites and the ones I wanted to show. Perhaps it is the way they look nestled amongst the soft lemons and greens of spring, or perhaps its just because pink is my favourite colour. If weather improves I'll photograph them over the weekend and post them next week
Still in the garden the wild garlic is blooming, perennial stocks are beginning to flower, the bluebells are nearly there and (very excitingly) fresh shoots are emerging from the peonies.
With the weather so gloomy I've been making some ragged roses for Easter. I guess it may be some compensation for not being out gardening. I use the roses as corsages, add them to my rag bags and hook them on cushions. I'm thinking about making up a bunch to add to my new teacosy, we'll see ...

I think roses are perhaps my favourite flowers, just the smell of them takes me right back to my childhood, I used to make rose "perfume" on summer evenings with my friend next door. We would crush my mother's prized rose petals into a jam jar filled with water and dab the scent all over us. It is one of my most vivid memories and I love watching my girls running around the garden in the summer plunging lavender, marigolds and roses into containers and mixing them up with a pestle and mortar, slightly more reluctant these days to actually wear the scent though. If given the choice I always choose rose scented soaps and body creams - the Rose Body Cream from Neal's Yard is delicious!
Enough rambling, have a good weekend,

A Cosy Corner

Well that'll teach me to go harping on about Spring ... it's freezing! Back to grey skies, warm woollies and blazing fires. Doesn't sound too bad really.
So instead of posting photos of early blooms, I thought I'd show you a glimpse of our bedroom.
I'm having one of those days when all I can think of is going back to bed, hence, perhaps,the choice of room. I went with my daughter to collect our French exchange student at gone midnight last night and then couldn't fall asleep until the wee small hours. My dreams of waking early, laying the breakfast table and presenting our guest with warm croissants, hot chocolate and fresh blooms on the table went out of the window! There's always tomorrow...

We've yet to decide on a paint colour in this room so it's white again for the moment. We need something that retains the light as it is such a naturally bright room and has a very calm feel to it. Any suggestions? We pulled up the old blue carpet that we inherited when we moved in and it has really improved the room, without making it feel cold.



I love floral prints and eiderdowns, the old ones with holes in that leave feather trails are used in the garden in the summer, not sure who enjoys them most - us or the cats. The girls have some in their rooms and love snuggling under them at bedtime.

Talking of cats, this one seems to have the right idea ...

Oh Happy Day

For all you mummies. have a wonderful day!

Butterflies aplenty ...

... but still no sign of a new teacosy! The weather here has been so lovely and I have seen five butterflies in my garden (real ones, not like the one above). I have to admit that being outside at the moment is such a joy that very little else has been done on the craft front.
We also have a French exchange student coming to stay next week which has necessitated a bit of a spring clean all round. This means of course that my own little darling will be off herself in a week's time and I'm all in a dither, not really being able to concentrate much on anything, a bit like a butterfly myself, fluttering around never settling on anything for very long. I'm sure I'll feel better when she's back home again and we're all in our right places!
The computer is still having problems with blogging, I have just had to change browsers to upload these photos (sorry, that should say my husband has very kindly sorted it all out for me) so apologies if things are looking a bit askew.
Hoping you all enjoy the spring sunshine. Oh look, here comes another butterfly ...

Glimpses of Spring

This will be our second Spring in our lovely home. There is something so special about having a garden - it really makes you appreciate the changing of seasons. That first spring we had no idea what secrets had remained hidden from us during the previous, long, grey winter. Suddenly little signs appeared that spring was on its way and our garden which we had loved in all its winter bareness was revealing secrets to us that we had never imagined. Underneath the old apple tree were drifts of primroses, that clear pale yellow colour which is so symbolic of spring. Behind the ash tree, bluebells were springing up and daffodils emerged from under the fig tree.


Along with the flowers came the wildlife. Bluetits happily flew in and out the branches until the magpies came, squirrels ran around, much to the glee of the cats who were in their element, but fortunately were never able to catch anything. A frog appeared near the back door and as the weather warmed up the butterflies joined in too. Not bad for a garden on the outskirts of the city.
We bought the lovely old shutters as one of our first presents for our home. My oldest daughter fell in love with them. They have lent a sense of mystery and romance to our garden and the girls have spent endless hours outside imagining what might lay beyond them.
This year we're going to concentrate on our garden. It needs a bit of love and affection and I know we'll reap the rewards. As ususal I'll try and cram in as much pink as possible and the kids will empty packets of seeds everywhere whilst my husband will wander round muttering "we really should plan this out". Days at home in the garden with the family are the best.

Our secret garden is coming back to life again and I've just seen my first butterfly. Sitting outside on a bench and feeling the sun on my face makes me smile - I hope you get to feel some of that spring goodness soon.

The cosiness of tea

What is it about tea? By the end of a really busy day if I haven't had my cuppa I'm desperate. Maybe it's something about growing older, but there is nothing better than sitting back with a mug of PG tips with the radio on for a few minutes just thinking and enjoying the moment.
I'm busy dyeing fabric at the moment to finish off the project I started on Monday. I've decided to make a new tea cosy, since my last one was inadvertently set alight by my husband when he was making porridge. If I get the courage I'll show it when it's done - meanwhile the photo above, in true Blue Peter fashion, is one I made earlier (last spring to be exact). Very nervous about showing my things but I have to take the plunge - your comments suggest that you want to see something! Feel a bit like a child handing in their homework late and not sure of the reaction ...
Thanks to all of you for such lovely, welcoming comments, especially to the very kind Samantha at plump pudding. You are a lovely bunch -
enjoy your tea.

The Thrill Of It All

A grey, rainy Sunday afternoon spent watching Doris Day movie (The Thrill of it all) with my girls on the sofa. Perfect. Hot cross buns, tea and Doris. The girls laughed out loud and so did I, with one eye on my oldest to see if she could spot just how dated (but lovely) it all was - not sure. The chuckles from my husband and ironic snorts from me when Doris promised her husband never to get a job and that his career was enough for the both of them were lost on the girls. However, there are days when being home alone is pure magic. After Monday morning's washing, cleaning and general chaos is sorted I'm allowing myself a little Doris Daydream ... piles of pretty fabrics and trimmings, brightly coloured bundles of rags, roses,sequins, gingham and ribbon - what more could a girl want? Teacosies, bags and brooches beckon.

It's time to ... start blogging. Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. After months of reading and enjoying other blogs I've finally taken the plunge and started my own. Your blogs have been so inspiring to me, a middle aged stay at home mum, that I thought I'd dip my toe in and test the waters so to speak. Not sure if I can ever reach the high standards of others (it's taken me all day just to type this) and far too anxious to show you all my work just yet) but I'm sure I will enjoy sharing my thoughts etc with you all. Here's to the beginning of a new chapter.