It's a PJ kind of day . . .

First up a big warm welcome to my lovely new followers, and thanks to everyone who has entered my little giveaway.  If you missed my last post, there's still loads of time to enter so pop over here if you like  : - )

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So I got up this morning with the intention of spending some time in my little craft room picking & choosing some yummy fabrics in preparation for starting a new quilt.

  Yes, yes, I know it's still January and my self-imposed challenge is to not start anything new until February.   But that's the beauty of self-imposed rules . . . one has the power to change them on a whim. 

 And today, m'dears - I have a whim. 

It is  a.l.m.o.s.t  February . . .

It is a wee bit snowy outside . . .

. . . and when I opened my fabric stash cupboard, I spied a cosy bundle of pretty brushed cotton that has been waiting patiently on its shelf for well nigh a year now,

 and I thought to myself:

 "It's a PJ kind of day . . ."

from Rosie Loves Vintage

So I hauled out the pattern, switched on my trusty machine, threaded the bobbin and spent a lovely few hours turning that fabric into super comfy PJs.

Quite a nice way to spend a snow day, don't you think ?

Whether you're basking in sunshine or slipping around in snow, I hope you've had a happy day too.

'til next time,
xoxo

Helloooo . . . .

Helloooo . . .

we're still running around all over the place, out & about and enjoying spending time with our visitors.  They leave to go back to South Africa on Saturday :-(  {v.e.r.y sad face} so as I'm sure to need much cheering up, I'll catch up with visiting all your lovely blogs next week.  Thanks for all your sweet comments on my last post too.

But in the meantime, just a quick post with some pics of from our Easter celebrations. We had a lovely time with friends & family . . .

an Easter egg hunt in the snow !

yummy cupcakes . . .

Malteser bunny chocolate ice-cream sundaes . . .

. . . and four tired-out furry babes.

Believe it or not, there's still lots of snow on the ground around here - it's just still too cold for it to thaw.  Apparently this was the 2nd coldest March in the UK since records began, with an average temp of 2 degrees Celsius.   Eeeek . . . really hoping it'll warm up soon but not sure if all the Spring bulbs in my  cutting garden will survive. 

somewhere under there, the daffies & tulips are lurking . . .

Hope it's warmer where you are,

enjoy the rest of the week

xoxo

ps.  and a very happy 12th birthday across the miles, today to my other gorgeous goddaughter

Kara

 

I love Paris . . .

. . . in the Spring time.

                                                     - Cole Porter

The Surprise . . . 

Yay, we're going to Disneyland - a hug for Mom

the Trip . . .

it was cold, but oh-so-much-fun

 . . . and the Homecoming

even colder, but nonetheless very exciting for South Africans who are more used to sunshine :-)

We didn't get any knitting or crocheting done, but we did manage to make Mr Bumpy, the Snowman.

Have a happy day, and if it's snowy where you are too, 

stay warm and have fun.

xoxo

I've been . . .

• sewing

. . . putting the finishing touches to my new "vintage" dress

 I'm so chuffed with how it turned out and even if I say so myself, it looks way better on than it does on the hanger . . . . but it's just way too cold right now to put it on and have my pic taken : - )
Picture it teamed with a little cardi, a narrow belt and a pair of summer flats.

And at the weekend I bought more fabric (navy blue with large cream dots) to make another one.

•  knitting   

a fabulously fun flower yarn into a soft & snuggly cowl

 a gift for a friend.

&

(yet another) pair of cabled fingerless mitts

 

These are so super-duper-easy to knit and a great way to use up your yarn stash.

•  tidying 

 my little craft room

 

  to make a space on the table for my new toy

 a wonderful anniversary gift from my lovely Hubby.

I did a little "Getting to know your Overlocker" workshop last Saturday, and I'm reading the instruction manual, so can't wait to start using it.

• staying indoors 

cuddling the pups

and watching the "Spring" snow fall.

 One minute the sun's shining and the sky is blue, and the next minute it clouds over and a blizzard arrives.
Seriously- what's that all about ? Although the locals keep telling me, it's not that uncommon to have snow here in April too.


So, besides the icy cold east wind and the general weather conditions, this is shaping up to be a fun crafty week . . . and it's only Tuesday : - )

 'til next time,
stay warm and be happy
xoxo

Rowing & shovelling . . .

 

More heavy snow  overnight . . .

. . . thus providing the perfect excuse to get some sewing done.

 That's Row 10 AND Row 11 for the Bee in my Bonnet Row Along, all done.

 Yay  : - )

Now I'm wrapping up and heading outdoors to do my bit for the neighbourhood, and help shovel some snow.

See you tomorrow for Tea Party Tuesday with Chantille Fleur,

A demain . . .

xoxo

Happiness is . . .

52 Weeks of Happy

{ Linking up with Jen at Little Birdie.}

Week 3:

I've had this on my wish list for ages, and finally I could resist no longer.

 

Wasn't he sweet to stay still long enough for me to get my camera out and my gloves off so I could take his picture?

Peanut butter frosting on dark chocolate cupcakes - recipe courtesy of Hazel at Cupcakery.

 Hop over for a peek at her lovely blog, and DO try these cupcakes - they are oh-so-delicious.

Need I say more ?

Have a happy weekend,

xoxo

Snowed in: week 2

Ok, enough already. . .

I do so love the snow, and I do so love how it makes everything look so pretty. 

  I love walking in the woods and watching the pups play. 

I love having the time to knit and sew, and I do so love being cosy & snug in our lovely warm home.  I'm safe and well fed, and I am very grateful for this.

  BUT . . . I have to admit to being just a tad fed up with it all now.
I'm fed up having to don my wellies  e.v.e.r.y. s.i.n.g.l.e  time I go outside because everything is slushy and wet and slippery.  I'm fed up shovelling and gritting, and I'm fed up not being able to get to all my usual weekly activities and excursions.  

Yesterday I spent ages digging the car out and clearing all the snow, and then last night we had another big dumping and woke up this morning to find it covered again.  Ggggrrrr . . .

{I am sounding like a real moaning minnie, aren't I}

Right - enough whining. 
This too shall pass, and Spring will be here before we know it : - )

Tirade over.

Our little Ben-dog {seen here, looking ever so adorable, before her accident} has sprained her elbow
 { she has a penchant for batting around the back garden at high speed, and the vet suspects she probably skidded on the ice and fell awkwardly on it }, so as she can't currently climb stairs, I've been spending time downstairs with her.  A perfect excuse to curl up on the sofa, catch up on some recorded telly, and knit. 

On the needles at the moment: 2 things.
 One, a shawl/poncho that I'm kind of basing on a pattern I have and kind of making up as I go along.  It was just going to be a little something to use up the wool I had leftover from my cosy charcoal cabled jumper, but I'm only half way through and am now out of said wool. Gggrrrr . . . So until I can get out and get to the shops again, that project's on hold.

Number Two is another pair of cabled wristwarmers - these ones, a pressie for a friend.

 

 I also have a pile of lovely mags, and my current book club read to get through.  This month we're reading "It's all about Treo" by Dave Heyhoe, about the work of the K9 unit in the war in Afghanistan. It's quite interesting and Treo the dog is amazing.

Linking up today with Ginny's Small Things Yarn Along - it's always fun hopping around to see what everyone else is reading & creating.

Thanks for indulging my Wednesday whine.  Hmm . .  {she ponders} . . . whine?  Wine?  Aah, now there's an idea . . . hic . . .

Happy middle of the week,
xoxo

 

 

Day, interrupted . . .

Somehow I've lost a day again . . .

 So if you've popped in from over at Vicki's 2 Bags Full Blog Hop - welcome, and please accept my apologies for being a day behind  : - )

 I really meant to post yesterday, but Saturday just flew by amidst a flurry of activities : 

 digging ourselves out from under a whole heap of snow,

joining in with the happy band of neighbours to clear our street,  

 enjoying a lovely long walk in the woods with the Hubby & the pups . . .

 . . . and then suddenly it was Sunday already.

* * * * * * *

 So, if you are visiting for the first time, here's the short version:
I live in the heart of the English midlands with my lovely Hubby and the two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world, and have been blogging here at 

{signage by Chipper Nelly}

 for almost a year now [wow, time really does fly when you're having fun]. With the exception of an occasional diversion , it's mostly all about sharing the joy of making stuff.
I love all manner of crafty things, but at the moment quilting, sewing, baking, knitting & (learning to) crochet are pretty much my thing.
 That said, without further ado, here's what else I've been up to this weekend . . .

Piecing together a pretty pastel Cabbages & Roses quilt top, 

a little bit of impromptu stash knitting, 

and cutting up the truly oh-so-sweet Sweetest Thing fabric for my next quilt.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend too - and if it's a snowy one, stay safe & warm.
: - )

Hopping around today with: 

www.vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.co.uk

[thanks for all your hard work and effort, Vicki - you've done an amazing job]

xoxo

Baby, it's cold outside . . .

It's a snow day . . . for me & the pups, anyway : - )   

Perhaps it's my [mostly hot & sunny] African upbringing, but I am always so delighted when it snows.  

[Except for that one time when I got caught in an awful snowstorm and it took me over four hours to do the 30 minute journey home.  That wasn't at all delightful.]

Anyway, I digress - so, back to today . . .

The Hubby's sporty car goes nowhere in the snow, so he's headed off to work in my [decidedly] more practical one, which leaves me, very contentedly I might add, at home for the day.  YAY . . .

What's a gal to do ?

First up, wrap up warm & head out into the garden with camera and the two most-adorable-pups-in-the-world to snap some pics . . .

 

. . . and play a game of tug.

Oh, and last night I finished up Row 9 for Lori's Bee in my Bonnet Row-Along, so in the spirit of the day, it too had to come outside and have its picture taken.

Don't look too closely at it though, as I have to confess to one or two three teeny wee mistakes.  It comes from not concentrating properly and then justifying it to myself by thinking they will add a certain uniqueness to my quilt. [Ok, admit it - you just looked closely, didn't you?  Did you spot the "uniqueness" secretly hidden in the stars?]

Next up is the housework [Mondays being my usual chores day] and then I'm planning to start a new quilt.  Whatever you're up to today, be it sunny or snowy - have a happy Monday.

xoxo