RE-ARRANGING

oh, how i love to re-arrange

especially around this time of year when a new season is nearly here
(i say nearly....we had sun + snow today in england!)

my usual fix is to have a big move round in a room
it gives me a boost + a fresh enthusiasm

instead of furniture....today i thought i'd experiment with my blog
(inspired by shari + julie)

please bear with me as i'll be making adjustments
+ then maybe putting it all back to normal!

xxx

MUM

it's mother's day here

i've just spent the loveliest time with my special mum
+ much of our family
(my dad, brother, my mum's 2 sisters with their families + my maternal grandparents)

all squeezed into one happy house
....cooking together + sharing much delicious food....
....laughing....hugging....
getting blown about outside whilst walking : )

we watched old cine films of our mum's weddings
+ of us all as toddlers
....sunny days + happy times....
funny hairstyles + lots of knitted clothes!

i know that i am very lucky to have
a great relationship with my mother

i cherish it more + more as i get older....
....appreciating just how much she gives to me
+ thinking how i'd love to be able
to give the same to a child of my own

we do so much together + i love that

she's
my stitching guru
my shoe shopping partner
my fellow archers listener
my sweet tooth gene giver
+ so much more

my mum is my friend

xxx

WIP MONDAY

happy monday one + all....what are you up to?

i've been making tops for baby roan
....soon to cross the water to ireland

enjoying working on the print....wondering what it should be?

oh + getting things ready for a shop update
at the end of the month!

p.s. thank you so much for all the baking love!
c is chuffed that his efforts didn't go unseen : )
there isn't a lot of bakewell left....how i would have loved
to invite you all round for a piece with a cup of tea!
xxx

THIS TIME LAST WEEK

ok....so this time last week me + my mum were at a wedding fair....we'd been working towards it over the past few months + had a good range of samples for our exhibition stand. i (in my typical style) was up until the wee small hours the night before printing out leaflets + generally coming to blows with my computer who was not playing nice....yes i'm a last minute girl by my own admission + never seem to be that organised person that i want to be : )

an early start on a sunday morning....we unloaded at the hotel + enjoyed setting up our little space. then from 10 to 4 we didn't really get to see more than 30 people....some of whom were other exhibitors! (you have to laugh or...) good job there was free tea + coffee....it was a disappointing day all in all. lots of work + no one to show it to....chatting to other traders we were reassured that it was a particularly quiet fair + the talk was that it was either poor advertising of the event or just bad luck that people didn't fancy leaving their houses on the day. still....we can draw some positives from it....it kicked me into getting a website on the go (with an address to print on the leaflets....that wouldn't print properly....that nobody took!) all of course with neverfailing help from my computer man....aka the baker boy ciaran!

the website's an ongoing project....the next step is looking to see how/where we should try + get our product out there....we have our doubts that the wedding fairs are really the best place to exhibit + i think we're going to look to contact some magazines with information about what we do....i may test it out on you readers at some point : )

so the nest thing feels in limbo for me right now....i'm trying to get back into the groove with it....hope it won't take long because it's not just about me....my mum has worked really hard on the concept too so i want to keep the momentum going....i just need a kick up the bum sometimes!!

forever sidetracked....from my photo archives....this time 2 years ago i had this wonderful view in front of me + i just never get tired of looking at it....ireland is so beautiful. until tomorrow, x

TART VERSUS BISCUITS

today we have both been baking

yes....both!

now this may not be a revolutionary statement to some readers
....but this is the 1st bit of baking my husband has ever done!

using a recipe scribbled for us by our lovely friend abi yesterday
at her cafe....a bakewell tart today was baked!

so it's a bit of a landmark day in our house

with 4 sisters it was always unlikely that my boy would
get stuck into much in his childhood kitchen
....yes i know that's not something i should assume
but it's the excuse i make up for him!

today he did a grand job
(tested with tea + given the thumbs up)

i made some shortbread....orange + cardamom

so lots of treats stocked here for 2 sweet tooths!

xx

STRIPEY

out for a springtime drive

c at the wheel
+
me....watching the stripey fields go by!

HELLO MARCH

a new month

new works in progress

feeling that spring is nearly here
+
maybe good things can happen

xxx