More Savoring Needed

The girls and I have had two weeks at home with our Bloke mixed in with family weekends and I felt a bit guilty (not like me at all) that we had not used our time wisely but then I looked on the memory card in my camera which changed my outlook.

We all went on an egg hunt with old friends and their families followed by drinks and chip butties in the pub - a really great catch up with cliches like, "I can't believe they are growing up so fast!" "Are you still teaching Jo?" "Did you make that?" etc.

I have found an unlikely new pastime, burning brash. We have spent two days at the farm clearing woodland areas to allow new spring growth. We also put the smashed up bits of the old cabin to burn and took the rest of the good bits down in preparation for the new.

The areas we cleared last year are thriving and you have to sort of look past the carnage and dream the green of the following year.

Little M and I wondered down to the pond in search of frogspawn and were not disappointed.

I even spotted some toad spawn which I had never seen before.

We visited Berrington Hall National Trust to learn about the Georgians. I was intrigued by these paper sculptures and admired the artists knowledge of pattern cutting. They represented people who had lived in the house.

There was a phenomenal local embroiderers exhibition in the rooms on the top floor which were a delight. 

We also visited Sunnycroft National Trust on another day which similarly has a stitching link as the spinster who finally lived there was one of the embroiderers for Queen Elizabeth II coronation robes.

We had family maintenance duties; both children needed new PE footwear, there were gift book tokens to spend and hair cuts needed. I only succeeded with one there, I have a strong willed little girl who will not have her hair cut. Big Sis loved her first ever proper pair of chosen trainers so much she made a little drawstring bag for them on the sewing machine to keep them clean. Little M made a purse for storing her still gargantuan stash of chocolate mini eggs which she is eating eight at a time!

We welcomed two new chickens into our family and received our first beautiful egg from them.

We had friends to play, my girls went to others to play, we bickered a bit, we baked cakes, we dug the allotment, I snatched many moments of knitting, sewing and crochet on April shower days, I gave up on tidying the house and we watched more TV than we normally do. 

I read a book! Us by David Nicholls,I hardly ever read anymore, it was fantastic. Bloke reads every night (The road Home) and reading with the girls has been a joy for everybody over the last two weeks.

So I think I should just chill out and stop berating myself, we have been having a wonderful time all along, maybe I just need to savor these moments a little more. We might round off the holidays with Sunday Lunch out tomorrow - that sounds good.

What have you been up to?

Love Jo x

Little donations

I don't buy many craft supplies, it means I don't really have a style as such but no matter, as long as I am making things I don't mind. People know I have this obsession so I am often donated things - one families junk is another woman's treasure. This week...

I was given two and a bit balls of Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran AND the junior Knits book! Whooo!

I made a little crochet handbag for the daughter of the person who gave me the book. Whoops, forgot to take a photo before I posted it.

Then I had one ball left so I made a headband ear warmer thingy. I don't need one but I think they will be a great little project for my beginner crocheters in the new year. A sample is always useful and I wrote down the pattern as I went along. I made it during one entire episode of Strictly come dancing which my girls love.

Big Sis chose to make a project from the book. She was quite serious about it so in half term week we went to the wool shop. I completely stood back and watched a 7 year old choose a ball of yarn, it had to be her project completely for her to have any chance of completing it. Not my choice but here goes....

James C Brett Flutterby in pale blue. I was lucky really because there was a really nasty pink! She held it up to her face and then her sister's face and said, "I love it, it is sooooooo soft."

She is doing well but the 17 stitches sometimes turn into 16 so I either pick them up with a crochet hook or.... shhhh don't tell, I unravel it when she has gone to bed and knit it back to where she was. Don't judge me! This is her picture inspiration from the book.

Keep your ears warm folks. Now where are my pom pom makers.... 

Jo xxx

For the future

My cherubs are back today, all three of them. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed being on my own all week but I am looking forward to seeing their faces and hearing their seaside stories. 

The last bit of tidying for the week was to take hundreds of photos off the hard drive, dull I know, however I already have a little craft solution to help me save my memories for the girls for the future. A CD scrapbook.

 Here is how you make one:

Cut a piece of card 6 x 12". Mark holes evenly on the left hand side and punch out. Make a fold 6 1/2 " from the hole edge. This should leave the hole margin as single card, the rest as a pocket. Cut out a curve to help you slip in a CD. Stick this down with double sided tape.

You make a book of these. I am just adding three more pockets to an existing book. Cover grey board or card for the covers and hold the pockets together with book rings. Bit boring though?

Then you can decorate them and write little notes to remind you what is on the CD's. When I first made this book, I put all the papers and stickers into a bag with the book to keep it matching but they have run out now so I need to make a new book in new matching colours, this one has gone a bit awry at the end - but job done. Here are some of the other pages.

I tied teeny bits of ribbon that were too short for sewing round the rings and hey presto a CD book, a faster running computer and I am safe in the knowledge that I have all my photos and video clips should my computer decide to throw in the towel (the last one did and it was sooo hard to get all the stuff off, I nearly lost everything)

Happy Crafting whatever page of life you are on today?

Jo xxxxxxxx

Surprise!

I had the best surprise ever today. A parcel. I opened it. Then thought maybe I shouldn't have. It was from Amazon. I thought my bloke had got an early Christmas present to stash under the bed but I couldn't work out how he knew I wanted it. Then...

I read the gift note. A present from my Auntie and Uncle for Christmas which I am so thrilled with.

 

They check in with my blog regularly and my Auntie said she had followed some of the blogs on my blog list. She obviously had been reading Fox's Lane. Go and have a look.

It is a fabulous book full of the sort of photography you can see on Kates blog and a lovely mix of craft, advice on caravan trips and holidaying with a family. It is simply wonderful. The message from Auntie and Uncle read 'We saw this and thought of you'

Thanks Jackie and Phil, great minds think alike. Jo xxxxxxxx