LOST IN SPACE

hello friends!

just to say that our broadband connection was unexpectedly cancelled last week

....i am now sitting in a smoky internet cafe : (

so this will be a very short post....

thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post

....i'm so sorry that i can't reply properly to you all just now

as we've been told to wait 7 days for re-connection....grrrrrrr!

so until then....hope you're all well + i'll be back soon!

xxx

SPRING PRINTS + SHOES

this time last week i spent a truly lovely day out shopping with my mum

it has been a very long time since i spent money on clothes
+ i have to admit i went a little bit crazy!
(it's like print heaven in the shops right now)

so this is a kind of confessional/show + tell post

starting with a cropped monsoon jacket
(spotted by my mum....thanks mum)

green....my favourite favourite colour

+ how could i not buy something from primark? a £15 cotton coat

loving the 3/4 sleeves + big big collar

+ now for the shoe section....a clarks special

(then) i didn't want to get my school shoes there!...
....+ (now) what's not to love?

especially when you're tall + like comfort

these flats are going to be my best friends
(as soon as it gets a teensy bit warmer!)

+ whilst i waffle about fashion here a few things out there that i heart

the new laura ashley archive collection
(prints + colours = truly gorgeous)

this this + (if i had a little girl) this from saltwater

+ on the subject of fabric prints + saltwater
....i must share a £20 ebay bargain coat + a matching tunic dress
(linen + print + colour combination = gotta have it!)

i'm planning to make a cotton turquoise
(or satsuma?) skirt to match for the summer

wishing one + all a great weekend whatever you're up to!

xxx

DUCK EGG + DAFFODILS

the 1st day of spring

+ brrrrr it's chilly here....but a lovely sunny brrrrr!

i've had fun with a bit of a blog makeover....spring has been on my mind especially colours + thinking of fresh starts....i am proud to say that i stumbled about + managed to make the changes all on my own without having to pester C for help....learning by trial + error along the way which is how i tend to do technical jobs : ) what do you think of the new look? like i said before....a little re-arrangement goes a long way for me + i'm feeling like i've turned over a new leaf....wanting to really get back into things creatively + raring to go again. projects lined up + on the go include....

1. my new additions for the shop at the end of march
2. completing the nest website for me + my mum's business
3. sowing seeds in pots for the windowsill
4. making a headpiece for an april wedding

so back to the post title before i ramble on forever! these colours are very much on my mind....in my wardrobe....background for my blog....oh + in our house. recently i spent a day painting our dining room which opens on to the kitchen. when we moved in we painted the whole place white which i do love....but as time passes + we grow into the space i'm finding that i want to bring colour to certain areas. this project had a few hiccups along the way. (note to self....please buy tester pots to try out before spending money on whole tins of paint which turn out too dark + not right....however much you like the name of the colour....well sketchbook sounds so good + not dark grey.... doesn't it?!) anyway all's finished now + we really like it....good old duck egg (pale duck egg that is....sorry C not the normal duck egg which you dashed off to buy for me when the 1st tin ran out! 4 trips in 1 day to the diy store + i'm staying away now....promise! )

daffodils....all around + how happy they look. i cut them from our garden + delight in their scent which suprises me every time i walk by the vase. set against spotty blues....how the simple things can bring such pleasure!

more smiles in the form of print....a new blueprint....brought to me by my dad who never lets me down when i send him in search of magazines in other countries! taking a peek at the new bluelines blog had kept me going inbetween issues....this one seems slightly sparser in content but still has plenty to get smiley about : )

loving this chair + print

dreaming that i could be a bit neater

coveting a spring wardrobe

so there you have it for today....i'm off now for some catching up with my favourite blogs....with a nice cup of clarity tea (lemongrass + ginger....see even my foodstuff's fitting into the colour scheme!!)

have a good wednesday everyone....happy springtime! x

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