15/52

This past week has been a much better one I'm pleased to say, I guess having the latter part of the week off and going to Brighton for a few nights also helped. Even though Brighton is only an hour away, its always nice to change your environment every now and again. I have a restless soul and can never feel completely satisfied staying at home when I am on holiday from work. 

We caught up with Andy's family and wished Connie a very happy first birthday with some books and homemade knits and crochet goodies. I made this easy sleeveless cardy for her (pattern found here) which Fiona her mum loves. 

A sweet mixture of two colours, one cotton, the other merino to make a chunky quite warm and heavy mid-season knit.

Despite the weather getting a little bit warmer and sunnier, some apple crumble was called for last Sunday. I substituted a lot of the flour for oats and flaked almonds and served it with creamy coconut yoghurt. Sounds like an odd combination but it went down a treat.

I liked the shadows on my dining room wall created by the conversation clouds made by Bronwen.

Brighton brought it's colours and happiness too.

My mother in law still lives in the original family home just into Hove, beyond the seven dials area and I love walking down all the terrace house roads and looking at the array of colourful doors and being nosey and seeing if I can see people's interiors.I'm a real snoop, I am!

Look at this...yummy image from one of my mother in laws neighbours. I'm so sorry but I just could not resist snapping this image.

We spent an afternoon pootling around Shoreham just down the coast from Hove after a lovely fish meal on the seafront yesterday afternoon.

It was great for charity shopping and tea and cake! Oh, and Shoreham has the most amazing traditional and old fashioned yarn and needlecraft shop too. 

Pure eye candy.

Uuum, I think I came away with some of that candy.

A little vintage emporium visit tickled our fancy and some old Sanderson fabric and glasses purchasing was in order.

Last, but not least I loved giving Connie her very own Bunny Boo.

A rather sweet addition to the Bunny Boo family I think. The first Bunny Boo I made can be seen here.

So, those were a few snippets of sweet moments from my past week. Thank you for coming by, I'm sorry not to have visited your blogs for a while, I hope to catch up this weekend. Have a good one x 

See you soon

xox

Penny

Recipe for happiness

We all have our own recipes for happiness I am sure, but today this is mine.

Sunshine (Thank you God) + learning how to knit without DPN's in the round using the magic loop method (you tube tut found here) + a pot of tea and toasted teacake + classical music on Radio 3 + bird song in the air + using up left over yarn in making stripes + husband and daughter happy in what they are doing + red tulips in a jug + free pattern for child's beret on Ravelry found here for Connie who will be one next week. 

Deep Joy.

Have you had a recent recipe for your happiness?

I hope so

Have a good week lovelies

x

14/52

I tried very hard to see the simple, more happy bits of this past week but, my goodness it was hard. I just had a poo week. Felt blue, nostalgic and sad. I also have had a cold which didn't help and quite frankly I just wanted to run away to a warmer place with Andy and have some fun again. An odd roller coaster ride week of ups and downs. I think like with most things in life the downs are attributed to a mixture of things, I am pleased to say that I am feeling better now and can relax and enjoy the weekend.

So, my 14th week of 2013 of little smiley things included:

• A new handkerchief from Liberty. I don't know about you, but I have always used handkerchiefs and I know some of you may be thinking, how gross and terribly unhygienic, but you see it stems from me being a little girl and wanting to be just like my Grandpa who used them always. I do use tissues to blow my nose, and just use the handkerchiefs (which are just so soft) to dab on my sore, sniffly nose.
• I loved all these soft colours in a display in a shop I went into over Easter.
• I always like to look up in towns and cities I visit. There is so much more above eye level. If I find a gargoyle it always makes my day. The colours of this building and someones front door made me happy.
• I saw this pink bicycle stand with Spring fresh flowers on Thursday when I stopped in in the village of Alfriston to buy myself a sandwich in my lunch half hour.It was freeeeezing on Thursday with icy flurries coming down from the sky, but this pink cheered me up somewhat.
• We had our Wedding Anniversary this week too, sweet Alice bought us a card and some chocs and Andy wrote a beautiful message in a card to me. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't even get him a card, we don't normally bother with cards and presents, so I was surprised to get one. It meant a lot after the weird downs I have had this week.
• I've been sewing and playing with vintage sheet squares too.
• Lastly I bought a book for Alice to read these Easter hols and also decided to treat myself to a frivolous Easter read too. I liked the title of this and after reading the blurb on the back thought it would be a light, amusing read. The thought of going to bed for a year also appealed to me too :o) Well at least until the sun starts to come out!

I hope you are all well and have had snippets of simple smiley moments too. Sorry if I sound a bit negative, just being true to myself.

Take care and see you all soon

xox

Penny

Bunny Boo

Meet Bunny Boo, she has worked her way into our hearts and has found herself in a prize position on Alice's bed. Yay for crochet, yay for inspiration to make her from here and for Victoria's crochet bunny ear pattern found here (I made Bunny Boo's ears a little bigger by doing another two rounds of htr around each ear). Oh, and big yay for our 12 and a half year old still loving cuddly bunnies. 

I hope to make a smaller version of her for my niece Connie's first birthday next week. Hope you've had something(one) to cuddle recently.

See you all soon

xox

Penny

Spring clean

Rose captured outside Liberty yesterday in London on my way home from a meeting

 

Here's wishing you all a very blessed and peaceful Easter.

 

This morning started with some serious Spring cleaning in our home. Firstly sorting out the linen chest at the end of our bed. We live in an old Victorian house and have no real cupboards other than the one under the stairs which is full of our camping and DIY stuff! After a little moaning and push by Andy, I agreed to face the linen chest which I actually sorted out about a year ago and recycled LOADS to charity shops then, I was in a ruthless mood then, so lots went, however I didn't expect much would go today.....I am a sentimental old fool when it comes to memories and fabrics.

 

Ok, so I have to admit I love old linen, 100% cottons as bed clothes and Indian patterned cloths, African fabric and lots more....

 

I thought it might be fun to log some of the fun bits of fabrics/curtains/pillow slips/sheets etc here on my blog.

 

 

 

 

I think it's fair to say I like pattern a whole lot.

 

 

 

 

Much to Andy's despair, only half a black bag for charity has been filled. Well, at least he can see which pillow slip to choose from the 60+ pillow slips next time the bed needs changing! 

 

 

Last, but not least here is the Miffy I crocheted up for Alice at Christmas time (pattern found here) I think she looks a little sad but Alice loves her and made sure she has the number one place on her bed for Easter bunny time.

 

Thanks for coming by, welcome to new followers and enjoy your weekend.

See you all soon

xox

Penny



w

Time for a little jig

Sometimes, my dearest bloggy friends I just have to sew a needle and thread in and out of fabric. I love the process of choosing fabric, scissors snipping, colours coming together and although not perfectly matching, being sewn together to create a work of pretty patches. Each with their own secret history and magic harmony.

One side Spring,the other side Summer. A perfect calling to mother nature to change her ways here in the northern hemisphere. I hope almost 3 year old Maddy likes my first ever patchwork cushion cover.

Please note that a little jig of joy was done when I realised that some of the patches joined just about perfectly!

Enjoy the rest of your week and see you all soon

xox

Penny

12/52

This past week has been a bit of a topsy turvey one,one minute up, next minute down kind of thing. Life really, nothing too surprising in that.

I have managed to keep on track with photographing some of the simple happier moments of my week. My camera goes everywhere with me these days, sometimes I feel like a mad woman possessed by that camera!

Firstly, I bought some pastel yarns, some Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and some millamia. I am not normally a pastel yarn loving girl but somehow these soft colours were just calling me. It might have had something to do with one of my colleagues telling me she was 18 weeks pregnant. I started thinking soft sweet baby skin and pink bunnies and so, this yarn was bought with my last few pennies before payday. I have been playing around with it, but will soon hopefully be inspired with what to make. Do you ever do that? By yarn just because?

My sweet Alice had a sleepover party to go to this Friday and so she rushed home on Thursday after school and before her musical theatre class insisted on making George (Georgina) a cake. She chose pastel decorations too! She is very thoughtful little girl and loves to spoil her friends.

Other than that it was a fun moment of buying some body butter from the Body shop (reduced from £13 to £5). I was instantly attracted to this colour of the blueberry butter and the smell, oh the smell is divine.

Alice painted a little birdie for granny and grampa in South Africa, we are planning a little parcel for Easter time.

Oh, and I indulged in my favourite sweet EVER. Double salted liquorice from the old fashioned sweetie shop in town. So bad for my teeth, but so tempting. I had a friend at school who had Dutch parents and whenever she went to Holland she would bring me some "drop", Dutch liquorice which I would eek out forever and never share! Fortunately for me, a lot of people don't like this sweet, so sharing really is never a problem :o)

Last, but not least I casted on at the beginning of the week and casted off (in bed yesterday morning)a sweet little cardigan for my niece who will be one in April. When I have done all the buttons and finishing touches I'll pop it on the blog. Such an easy, fast and satisfying little thing,definitely a pattern for beginners (pattern found here)

I'll say cheerio for now, won't mention the weather and will look forward to another week of simple happiness.

See you all soon

xox

Penny