Sorry about my absence...............

I don't know why, but everything has been going wrong lately. For some reason the laptop stopped working and had to be sent back to the manufacturer (which is why I haven't been around of late).

To top that off we have a dishwasher that isn't washing properly, a boiler that is leaking, the shower broke (and is now replaced thankfully) and lights on the hob cover which have a life of their own. All in all not a great start to 2011.

We are also trying to get Evie to go to sleep on her own at night, and a week on it's still as hard as ever. She screams so much, I'm hoping soon it will take less time, less effort and less stress!

I have been able to do some knitting despite less time in the evenings (due to the sleep - or lack of it - training).

I've started to make up the crochet hexagon blanket I have been working on, to see how the colours work out. I am running low on the cream for the outer hexagons, so will have to continue making the inners until my LYS has some more in stock, else I will have to resort to t'internet.

I made a slip over vest/tank top for Evie, but once it was finished I've realised that the 56cm chest will fit Leah, so she has adopted it instead. I'll make Evie some other kind of vest I think.

I made this cardigan for Evie and although it was for 3ply yarn I used 4ply and it turned out ok. I was running quite short when it came to the button border, so I used some cream yarn for it and knitted the last row and cast off in the main body colour instead. I think it turned out ok and I really like the little vintage shank buttons.

Lastly I finished off this bolero that I started when Leah was just two! I'm not over keen on the yarn but as it was such a bargain I thought I would use it up anyway as this only took 2 balls. it will fit Evie in a few months time, so she may be able to wear it in the summer.

That's about all for now, I am going to try and catch up on all my favourite blogs now - I may be some time!

Time for tea

For those of you that know me, you will know that I am very fond of a cuppa, or two, or three...

So whilst on holiday, we stumbled across a flea market in Mevagissey, so of course I had to have a look. There was a stall selling trios of china, a cup, saucer and side plate for £1.

I was quite happily going to treat myself to a set, when the stall holder said if I bought the whole 5 sets, he would throw in a teapot and sugar bowl for nothing, plus an extra saucer and plate. So I got the whole lot for a fiver - minus one cup which he said had gone missing, and I am really pleased with it all. It does mean I only have a set of five, but they do look lovely in my dresser.

It is Royal Stafford Bone China in the 'Roses to Remember' design and I just love it. Very Chintzy, but great! Now I just have to have some guests for tea and cake.....

We are in for change...........

We haven't decorated our dining room since we moved in almost 5 years ago, and now finally it is done! I was allowed (ahem!) to choose the paper and Richard didn't have a say in it much at all - yay!

I (we) chose a large pattern print and I really love it. We had a new floor laid too so everything looks super new at the moment.

The worst bit was having to empty everything out into the conservatory and due to the HUGE amount of washing and ironing I had since coming back from Cornwall (four people really use a lot of clothes!) I haven't had a chance to put everything back yet.

The curtains for the back door are being hung on Wednesday and then it will be complete, hooray! I think this is now my favourite room :o)

The computer is kaput!

I'm back on the keyboard after a few days without a compooter!! For some reason it decided not to work on Wednesday, which I put down to the huge number of people wanting to watch the final group match in the world cup. needless to say it wasn't that and hubby can't seem to get it to work despite pulling it apart and other things I don't really understand.

So here I am on our old desktop kindly recovered from Richard's work where it has been living for the past few months. My back aches leaning over but I suppose it will have to do.

We've had a busy day today as we are preparing for Evie's Christening tomorrow - which, by the way, is inconveniently clashing with the England second round match, but can't be helped. We were thinking of Sky Plussing it, but by half time someone will know the score anyway, so we decided just to watch the second half when we get back.

There's not much to do tomorrow, just the rest of the tidying up and the making of the sandwiches for about 60 odd people. Oh, and the icing of my carrot cake of course. Can't wait for that!

Our little garden

I'm ashamed and a little embarassed to say that I am always envious of all the wonderful gardens I visit on my trips to people's blogs. I don't have green fingers at all, not in the slightest. Despite that I was out in the garden this weekend planting my flowers trying to brighten things up.

This is one of the lovely geraniums we bought, such a vibrant and vivid red against the blue of the brickwork.


This is my favourite flower in our garden, a bed of beautiful orange lillies that come back to life for a few short weeks each year.

I have, against all odds, managed to grow some veggies too, even if some were inherited from my Dad's greenhouse!

This wonderful green lettuce is almost ready for picking,

and the tomatoes are well on the way.

I can't wait for these little fellas to get big and juicy. They have some way to go yet....

These peas I can say were proudly grown by my own fair hands from seed, although I must say that this one plant in particular looks like it belongs in 'Day of the Triffids'!

I just love fresh peas - I really can't see many of these making it to the table!

Some yummy goodies on their way (soon)

I saw a lovely post on Lizzie Jane's blog about her soap making and I really couldn't resist. Her daughter has a lovely etsy shop with an amazing amount of bath goodies which I just had to have. Luckily she ships to the UK too!

I ordered some delicious items as you can see :o)

This one is a vegan Jasmine soap (can't wait for this)

a Frankinscence and myrhh soap bar, just in time for Christmas,

and finally some little strawberry and kiwi bears for Leah to have in her bath (she loves to get clean).

I would recommend popping by as she has a 20% sale until 31st October and everything is beautifully made!

Some yummy baking

This morning Leah and I were watching a new CBeebies programme called 'I can cook' and on there they made some yummy Melting Moments (you can download the PDF from the recipes)

I had all the ingredients in the cupboard so I decided that Leah and I should make some, for something different to do.



here she is creaming the butter and sugar together.....

.... and beating the egg....

.and licking her fingers after rolling in oats and getting ready to bake!

The finished article - VERY tasty!!

Baking some yummy cookies!

For some very strange reason I decided to bake some cookies with Leah this morning at 9am!

I was pleased with them and they are very tasty :o) They contain almonds, so I made sure the praline was in small pieces so Leah doesn't choke on them, unfortunately I like them more than her.

Here is the recipe anyway, in case you'd like to bake them.

For the praline

3oz sugar

1 oz of flaked almonds

for the cookies

60z plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

4oz butter or cooking margarine, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp water

first you have to make the praline. Put the sugar and almonds in a heavy based saucepan and put on a medium heat until sugar has melted and turned a golden colour.

Pour onto a greased and lined baking tray and leave until cold. Once cols break into small pieces and put in a polythene bag. Bang with a rolling pin until the consistency you want to be in your cookies.

Pre heat your oven to gas mark 3, 165 degrees.

Sieve the flour and baking powder together and put aside for later. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.

Add the flour and water alternately and mix until smooth. Once to this stage stir in the praline.

Put rounded teaspoons of the mix at 5cm/2inch intervals onto a well greased baking sheet.

bake for 16-20 mins or until brown at the edges.

remove from oven and leave on the baking tray for two minutes, then remove fully onto a wire rack for cooling.

The recipe should make about 36 depending on the size cookies you make.

Enjoy!

The riding school fair

We went to the riding school's fair over the weekend, but the day before Leah decided to lounge in the garden with a mini milk....
...lounge is definitely the right word!

I took some photos of the ponies....(I don't know this one's name - as I don't ever ride them that small)...

..this is Denver one of the escort horses...

...then Guiness and Columbus.....

....and last of all my favourite Dandini!

we went for a walk afterwards in the woods and came across this little chap...

and more of Leah!

I just had to post this!

As I was checking through my photo folder I came across this one which I took a few weeks back when Leah was eating her lunch. I think she looks so sweet I had to share it with you all! What a shame she isn't an angel like that all the time LOL! (well most of the time she is as good as gold bless her).

On a different note I hope everyone has a nice Easter. Leah and I will go to Church tomorrow morning and have a sing to the hymns, and I think she may do some drawing too!! (they have a little table and toys at the back for the kiddly winks).

Progress so far.......

I wanted to show the progress I am making with Leah's cardigan. I am pleased so far and have managed to do the decreases for the armholes without too much trouble so far - I haven't even had to undo anything due to incorrect patterning!!! (is that a real phrase??) I am looking forward to finishing this as I think I will be really pleased with the final garment.


These are the current socks I am knitting and I am not really getting the vibe with these ones. The pattern repeat is really straightforward, but I am bored already. I expect they will get finished eventually. They are the Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina and are well worth a go as they do look good, I just don't really have the urge with these - a bit like my lack of enthusiasm with the Monkeys!!

On another note our shower decided to stop working this morning. Luckily I phoned the fitter who did our kitchen - who can also do electrics - and he's coming over to put a new switch in, in the next hour or so. Not bad for Good Friday. I expected to be without the shower until next week. Leah didn't mind too much though, as it meant we had to share a bath this morning!

Something odd had happened....

On Friday afternoon a strange thing happened which freaked me out a little…..I had said to goodbye to Richard (he went skiing to Austria for the weekend) and Leah had had her nap when there was a knock at the front door. Mum and Dad were there with a pressie for Leah and also told me someone had put some roses through the letterbox. A bit odd – so I asked a few people to see if they had done it, but no one had.

It was ok at first, but the more I thought about it the stranger I felt, especially as I was going to be alone for the weekend. So Mum and Dad stayed Friday night and I am none the wiser to who did it. It was most likely kids, but the roses were in pretty good condition and were lovely if they weren’t left in such a weird manner!

Me and my hat....

As the weather was lovely here in Sunny Southend yesterday I managed to get out into the garden for Richard to take a few photos of me in my hat.

The camera never really does the hat (or me) justice, so I've selected the best few from various angles. At least the colour looks better outside!

From an odd angle - so you can see the back more....

...and another strange one! Oh well, you get the idea (and can just make out my washing on the line too.....)

Blog award!

There have been plenty of these awards doing the rounds at the moment, and as Jackie over at Button Tree Crafts was kind enough to award me, I thought it only polite to return the favour.

I have to tell you 5 things I am addicted to and pass it on to 5 more lovely blogs.

Here are my 5 things - and congratulations to Cotton and Cloud, The Knitting Den, Frazzy Dazzles, JoJo-Caramel and Rachael Rabbit.

so, the 5 things I am addicted to are:-

1. My daughter - I just can't get enough! I love to kiss and cuddle her and when she gives me a kiss of her own accord I just melt :o)

2. Horse riding and horses - although I can still get nervous there is nothing better than feeling the wind in my face during a canter or gallop.

3. Knitting and yarn- say no more; especially with the size of my stash growing, and growing and growing.....

4. a good cuppa, I can't get by without one!

5. A good crime drama, nothing better than a bit of excitement on the box!

Leah and the chicken ladies......

Whilst Dad had Leah for me on Wednesday, he took some darling pictures of her in the garden with the chooks. She always looks so engrossed in them!

She also had a mooch around the brussels - luckily most of them have been picked :o)

Our kitchen is FINALLY finished!

Yesterday the workmen finished our kitchen - yippeee!! Here are a few views of it from different angles....

..the view under the window...

..to the left of the sink....

... and to the right! Sorry the quality of the photos isn't great, I think I need a better camera! At least we can get back to normal now that everything is in its place (which we did this morning in our pajamas :o)

I'm dreaming of a white.....February?!?

As with the rest of the country, we had some snow on Monday, and as I look back at our photos, a bit more than I remember. It always amazes me how everything comes to a halt when we get snow - but I suppose unlike countries that get it all the time its not worth the time and effort for the small amount that falls. Saying that i still like it and wish we had more!

Leah loved the snow and couldn't wait to go outside :o)


I think she enjoyed being in the garden, as it's the first proper snow she's seen and been able to enjoy. As she watched it fall all she could say was 'WOW!' repeatedly! When we got back inside she even wanted to go back out in her slippers, now that's dedication :o)





We tried to make a snowman, but as I didn't have my gloves on (stupid me!) we didn't get that far and Leah was too interested in trying to demolish it anyway. I managed to take a picture before she knocked it's head off!

(see the above said snowman pre beheading!) I can't actually remember the last time I made a snowman properly...