Sunday Ramblings

We've had a busy few weeks here - almost a whole half term has been and gone at school since I last blogged (I need to remind my husband about his blog too, he's only written once!).

The weather has gradually improved this month; I even managed to spend a pleasant lunch time at school refereeing a netball match in the sunshine, although today it was back to cold and windy. My running has slowly improved too - I've managed to run 10 miles twice since Christmas (although I'm almost walking by the end) and today I managed 8 and could have carried on I think. Added to yesterday's 14 miles on the bike I think I'm in for sore legs (and bum) tomorrow!

I've got a pretty busy evening ahead - planning for school, a layer of papier mache for the pinata and then I need to get on with making my little girl's birthday presents!

Happy New Year!!

Well as it is the new year and I haven't blogged in yonks I think I really ought to!

My husband has decided to blog about his running, so I think I need to try and keep up with him on here at least!!

We've had a pretty busy few months since I was last here - mostly revolving around Christmas it seems!

Oh, and the snow - how could I forget?! Here are a few pictures of the garden and my little helper (who didn't like it much because it was "brrrrrr").

On the craft front I made a huge stash of brooches, jewellery rolls and keyrings to sell at the school craft fayre, but I ended up giving most of them away as Christmas presents! I also made a huge amount of the gifts for family this year - truffles, fudge and chutney etc.

Real food at last!!

So, after 4 weeks of having no sink or cooker; having to use a microwave and wash up in the sink in the downstairs loo; we finally have a KITCHEN!!

How very very exciting!!!!

Here are some before and after pictures again (I quite like looking at them myself to see how it's changed)...

Do you like it? Just needs another coat of paint and a few tiles behind the sink and cooker and then it's done!

Two Shoes, New Shoes, Bright Shiny Pink Shoes!

My little helper finally has a pair of shoes that fit her dinky feet! She's been walking since Easter and only now have we managed to find a pair of shoes that fit - just. She was measured as a 1.5 and the lovely ladies in our little shoe shop went through all the size 2s (that's the smallest you can get) and eventually came up with these:

They're by a Spanish company, so slightly quirky, but I love them!! I couldn't have chosen a better pair myself! (Although, I have to say, I was so desperate for her to have something that fitted that I really wouldn't have minded what colour they were!!)

Here are a few more pictures of her enjoying them (and the sunshine)

New House

Well I now feel pleased enough with the lounge and dining room/snug to be able to show you a few before and after shots!!

To give you a bit of background...

...my husband and I have been renting for the last few years and moved to a bigger (still rented) house in our town last year - meaning to stay for a few years, or at least until my little helper is school age. However, my lovely in laws offered us the money to put a deposit on a house that would be big enough to get us a good mortgage.

So in March we started looking casually (not really wanting to move until the summer holidays) and by 28th May we had completed and moved in!!!!!

So a few weeks later, here are some before and after shots!

The Lounge...

The Dining Room...

Excuse the mess on the table in the dining room (we've just been putting up lights for the new kitchen!)


The Snug...

Oh, and my little helper's room...

I'll post later in the week about the new kitchen!! I'm SOOOOOOOOO excited about it - not just because we've been without a sink or cooker for 3 weeks, but because it's all mine and it's brand shiny new!!

Strawberries and 'Cream'

Last night we had a BBQ with my parents and my mother-in-law (having just moved and not yet unpacked we're trying to eat using as few pans etc as possible!!).

For pudding we had strawberries (and raspberries) and cream - boy oh boy was it good cream, so here is my secret recipe!!!

1 LARGE punnet strawberries

1 punnet raspberries (or blueberries etc etc)

1 tub of extra thick Jersey double cream

1 tub fromage frais (or creme fraiche, or marscapone)

icing sugar to taste

and the secret part...

vanilla paste

(not essence, flavouring or beans).

My mum makes this stuff last for ages, but it tends to last only a month or so in my cupboard. It goes in cakes, milkshakes, cream, custard etc. Great big dollops for me!!

Back to the cream ... if you add the paste to the cream, fromage frais and sugar you'll end up with something that looks and tastes like velvety ice cream (but not as cold).

Scrummy!

Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling

So... tomorrow is my mother-in-law's birthday and I thought I'd have a go at making something for her. Well back in February she went on holiday and managed to lose her jewellery roll, that we bought her a couple of years ago (she thinks she knocked it into the wastepaper bin), and it had all of her favourite things in it.

I had a search online and found this tutorial by Helen at Angharad Handmade. I adapted it a tiny bit by adding an extra pocket at the top (just to slip bangles etc in) and I couldn't find any poppers I liked, so it has a button and ribbon to hold the ring-holder down.

What do you think???

I'm soooooooo chuffed I managed to put in the zips (not something I've attempted before!!!)