Buckets and Spades

Living in Cornwall is not something that I take for granted... I appreciate the fact that we are very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I love it and intend to make DS understand how special it is too...

Yesterday we woke up to gorgeous blue skies and decided there and then that we would go to the beach! I had changed my work hours this week and so had an unexpected Thursday off... a rare treat! We packed the car with the necessary items that DS deemed essential for his day on the beach and off we went.

As a child I was raised on the north coast of Cornwall and so this is really where I feel complete - I am 'at home' when on these beaches and cliffs! We gave DS the option of where he would like to go and he announced without hesitation that he would like to visit 'Padstow Beach'... by this he means Trevone. It is a cove just outside of Padstow with large car parks and not too many people normally! It is where I spent large parts of my childhood and teenage years and so there was a definate approval from myself and Nanny (my Mum) who was with us for the day!

We arrived to find that the beach was deserted and we had it to ourselves! What a treat!! We chose the spot for on which to deposit our belongings and then set out to make a camp.... There was very little wind and the day was perfect. Sunny and gorgeous.

 

 

DS immedialty set about damming the river! He wanted to try and reroute the course it was following... we spent ages doing this and the pride he felt when he had created his own 'rock pool' was imense! He then proceded to do what all little boys love to do and splash! I was covered but it was a fantastic.

Throughout the day we built a sandcastle city, rerouted the river, dug for buried treasure, paddled in the water, went rock pooling and had an enormous amount of fun - for no money at all!!!

 

It was such a special day... I love spending time with DS and Nanny and making memories. I have spent many many many times on that beach and have plenty of my own memories but yesterday was one of the most special that I have had. It was just such a simple and perfect day in every way.

Until next time....

Easter Egg Hunts and a Ta-Da Moment!!

I love family holiday days! Easter is a little less stressful in this house than Christmas and so we have so far had a low key and relaxed time together.

It began yesterday with an Easter Egg hunt at Cotehele - this is a National Trust house that is very close to where we live. It is a beautiful place to visit and the gardens are spectacular - more especially now with the carpets of daffodils that are everywhere....

 

 

They are so beautiful and they were holding their trumpets high up to the gorgeous sunshine!

Looking for clues around the grounds of the house...

DS decided that we needed a salute before continuing on the egg trail!

 

 

 DS and I were hot on the trail and we found some time for posing for the camera! These hedges seperate the formal gardens from the orchards... these are full of gorgous apple trees that in the spring are adorned with beautiful blossom.

 

 

 In the 'Mother Orchard' there are beautful sculputres such as this wooden horse...

This was the excitment that he felt having finished the trail - I suspect it was the thought of his chocolate treat!

More views of beautiful daffodils...

Ah ha! The Prize!

Well, that was yesterday and then today we repeated a similar activitiy at home with a home made Easter Egg hunt! My Dad had worked hard to hide eggs in the garden and then DS and I had to find them! In amongst beautifulspring bulbs!

 

 

DH and DS happy at what they had found in the garden!

Happy grins - I think they thought they were going to eat it all in one go! How wrong they were!!

Then this afternoon I have managed to complete my latest crochet project! I had hooked my way to finishing this earlier in the week but couldn't find the stuffing! After much searching in cupboards I discovered it and so spent time this afternoon just finishing it off!
I love the colours and simplicity of this design that I found on Bunny Mummy's Blog. I LOVE reading her blog and anticipate her updates frequently. When I found this pattern a couple of weeks ago I knew I had to undertake it....

I would like to do it in other colours too and explore the options that I can do... maybe one in different shades of pinks and reds? I am trying to decide where to hang it... I think a new home on my bookcase is perfect but the light is too dark in the cottage for photographing it in there! I so wanted to show you the finished piece hanging up... so I took it into the porch and displayed on the front door!

Then the door bell! I really am pleased with this... I love it!

 

So I am wondering, how are you all spending Easter...? Anyone else crocheting/knitting/spinning/ being crafty in general....?

Until later...

Pirate Adventures....

DS has recently become more and more interested and loving playing pirates!

He loves to watch this programme on t.v. and it is the latest 'hit' with him:

 

Yesterday whilst in Plymouth city centre we saw lots and lots of different toys associated with this programme but all were for such huge amounts of money! I explained to DS that maybe we could make some of the things ourselves... so the job this morning is to make a treasure map and sword for him to use in imaginary play. I am planning on using foil and card for the sword and good old pen and paper for the map.

 

Next will be the outfit that he also wanted to have to play with.... I am on the lookout for an old waistcoat and white shirt... I am convinced that I have some red fabric to be able to make the bandanna!

 

We will reveal the results when he have finished....

Until later...

Garden of Eden

On Sunday it was Mothering Sunday here in the UK and so we packed up our car and made our way to The Eden Project. Their website can be found here. We are lucky enough that this amazing place is less than 40 mins from our house and we LOVE going here. There is something different each time we go and trust me, we are regular visitors. Each winter (from just before Christmas until about Feb half term) they offer all locals a reduced entry pass. This means you get entry for one or two years for a HUGE reduction in the cost. We spent £10.00 last year and we got two years admission for that! It means that our visits there only normally cost the fuel (as we normally take a picnic!).
As it was Mother's Day we decided to treat ourselves to lunch... they have amazing food in a bakery/buffet style restaurant. You choose your main componant of your meal - of which there is a massive selection - and then you have unlimited salad, potatoes and bread to add to you meal! It was delicious. Children are also well catered for with lunch bags for them too.

You start your journey at the top of the entrance to the site with amazing views over the whole place but I forgot to take a photo at this point as DS was desperate to get onto the tractor that takes you to the bottom!
As you reach the bottom (which you can walk too if you prefer!) there are huge gardens and exhibits throughout... we particularly love the bumble bee...

 

 

There are two biomes at Eden - a tropical one and a temperate one. We always go into the tropical one too as sometimes it can be very very hot and the temperate one is a good leveller after the heat!

The plants are amazing and there are some huge impressive species...

 

 

We stood on the bridge for a rare family shot where we are all smiling and not pulling any funny faces...

 

DS loves this place and always learns something new everytime he goes!

 

The trees in the biomes are now so tall that they have to use a hot air balloon to look after them! DS and DH would love a turn in it!

 

DS loves to look in all the structures too!

 

There is an amazing waterfall that falls from the top of the biome to the bottom lake - it gets better as you climb up the biome.

 

Gorgeous flowers adorn the walls and plants as you walk around...

 

Another view of the waterfall - this time higher up.

 

We then moved onto the Temperate Biome... this one is much dryer heat where they have oranges and olives growing...

 

In the spring they have the best displays of tulips - not really shown to their best here.

 

I love the storyteller's chair and we all had a go at sitting in there and telling each other a tale... DS loved it so much!

 

There are displays of amazing crops that you can see growing throughout the biome - these chillis look amazing and as I love heat in my food I was very interested in this display...

 

Although they come with a very stark warning!!!

 

All in all we had a magnificent day and I really enjoyed Mothering Sunday. It is so special to spend time together as a family and I treasure these family days. Where are your favourite places to visit? Particularly in wet weather?

 

 DS loves everyone together and it is a honour to spend the day with him. He has been poorly today with an ear infection so there is has been a trawl through the DVD collection of Disney films and I have enjoyed some hooky time! I will be back tomorrow with news of that!

 

Until later...

Blanket Beginnings

This week I have spent the whole week trying to recover from this awful tonsilitus and have spent lots of time resting on the sofa. I would not have managed this week without my Mum and Dad who have been magnificent with DS as DH has been at work (and at the moment is working shifts!!) so they have kept the little one happy for most of the week. Today a very special friend came around and she arrived with a gorgeous bunch of flowers to cheer me up! They are now say in my lounge window enjoying the view! They certainly did cheer me up...

When I have felt up to it though, I have managed a spot of crochet and I am so pleased to say that I have decided to carry on with my blanket... I first began this before Christmas but then lots of things took over and I put it aside. Well this week, after completing the cushion, I decided that I needed to crack on with the blanket. I found the inspriation for the blanket from here and here - I saw these blankets and knew instantly that I wanted one of these. I love all the blankets that I see - especially from Lucy at Attic24 - these fill me with inspiration and so I embarked on this one.

So I collected up my wool that had been used for the cushion - as they are made from the same yarns and colours, put it into my basket and began the task.
I love seeing it altogether in the basket - although a task I do need to do is make a lining for basket as the yarns keep snagging on the loose willow... I will need to have a trawl of the internet for some ideas!

This week has seen it progress from a set of unfinished granny circles into at last a set of finished squares.

Adding the cream edging is refreshingly familiar now...

A set of completed squares ready for assembly...

Lined up and trying of different combinations!

 

I have got these seven colours but I am not sure on the order for the assembling yet as I have not spent the time to workout all the different combinations of colours and I am just completing the Granny Squares as the feeling takes me... I have decided to make about 25 and then put them together as by then I should have a broad enough range to see the different colour combinations.

 

I have to say though, that I am loving the simplicity of the pattern and having never completed a granny square before this I am very impressed! I feel that they allow my creativity to flow without too much time before another one can be made.

 

I am hoping that this blanket will become a family treasure... we have one upstairs that was given to my parents for a wedding present over 35 years ago and it is beautiful and treasured by all of us... DS included!

 

Anyway, the paracetamol seem to be working so I am off to do some hooking whilst the headaches allow me to!

 

Until next time...

 

Ta Da Cushion (and feeling yuck!)

Well today is the fifth day of sickness in our little corner of Cornwall. I have been feeling very very yuck indeed and so dragged myself to the doctors yesterday - I came away with a diagnosis of throat and ear infections and £15 less money as had to have two prescriptions! Oh joy... suffice to say I have not been in much of a mood for anything crafty or food related. I am constantly tired from it all and despite really wanting to crochet (or sew, or knit... or.... ) I am too tired after two or three rounds and end up falling asleep!!!

I have, however, completed my cushion cover!!! I am really impressed with it and proud of my achievement! This is the first real thing I have crocheted and only learnt a few weeks ago thanks to Youtube. After many years at knitting, crochet is a fantastic find!! It grows quickly and I am able to see the mistakes that I have made and more often than not I can correct them... this is something that I suffer with whilst knitting.

I chose to use an acrylic yarn from Stylecraft to complete the cushion and I got the pattern from this book:

 

This was a special treat bought for my husband whilst on holiday in late October and I began the cushion at the beginning of December.

 

I deliberatly chose some more vibrant colours after being inspired by Lucy over at Attic24. I have not used all of the colours that she uses... this is for another project in the future!

 

I did each side in a slightly different colour combination... I used the vibrant colours on one side:

 

 

 

... and then on the reverse I used them alternated with a cream round inbetween.

 

 Here it is resting nicely on the recliner chair in the lounge... I am loving snuggling up to it in the evenings and now cannot wait to make the blanket to match it for the lounge! Although I have also purchased some other yarns for at least two more cushions in different designs that I have disovered on my travels through blogland! The granny square blanket is the favoured option at the moment as I can just about manage a round before feeling exhausted!

 

Hope you like the cushion as much as I do!

 

Until next time... x

 

 

 

 

New Year... New Challenges

 

Happy New Year... we had a lovely celebration time here in our little corner of Cornwall. A lovely smallish celebration of a special time of year. I love Christmas and make no secret of it! Most people close to me dread the beginning of October as that is when I begin to start my preparations in earnest! Just before Christmas I had the horrible task of waiting for biopsy results as there were symptoms of something not quite right in my womb! On Christmas Eve I got the magical letter that said 'your results are benign!!'... I would like to publicy thank all my friends and family for the support through this awful period of time!

Anyway... at the start of the New Year I start to think of resolutions and challenges... I don't normally make resolutions are I feel they are the best way to fail quickly! Instead this year I am setting myself two challenges...
1. To be less of a person tied to my job! I think that I have a good balance in my mind about work and homelife but sometimes I find it VERY hard to say no when asked to do something work related! I do this at the expense of myself! I am determined this year to do my job to the best of my ability but that is where it ends! I am not going to break my back and my family over going the 'extra mile'. I feel that my family and my own life come first from now on!

No more looking like this through my own fault!...

 

2. A Challenge/New Experience every week for 52 weeks!

 

I am going to challenge myself to something new every week for whole year. They could be small challenges to big ones! I am open to some suggestions but be warned I may not take you up on your ideas!! I will blog about them on here so this will hopefully mean that I at least blog regularly!!

Challenge 1: 

To complete a patchwork quilted item... this is the first week's challenge and I will post pictures tomorrow... I have nearly finished and will have a 'big reveal' as soon as possible!

 

Good luck with what ever challenges you make for yourselves this year!