Melancholy Monday..................x

 I am feeling needy. I feel needy and deserted. Bumblebee's are back at school and Mr.Q after a week long hol has gone back to work....sob sob. I love them all here with me, it's just not fair. Oh yes it is lovely to gain back some sort of routine, a cleaner house (of sorts ) BUT today....I....am....just.....ever.....so......humpfff.

Yesterday afternoon we did a girly afternoon tea, with homemade scones no less........with shop bought jam, I can't help it....I love those Bonne Maman shaped jars muchly........ How cute are little children's hands?

So today I had elevenses all for me. It was nice not sharing!!! So there's an upside!

Will be posting pictures of the new painted lounge beams soon....I indeed have gone a bit O.T.T with the white paint...oooohhhh x

T.T.F.N

Beautiful Bath x

Is it possible to feel even more tired now, than before half term started??????!!! I wish we had another week off, one week just is not enough.

Our half term so far has been filled with housey mending and painting ( more to come of this soon x ) and days out. Today was exciting, as we zoomed up to Bath.........lovely, lovely Bath. MUST.DO.THIS.MORE.OFTEN....we keep saying we will visit the Christmas markets they have there, but after 10 years in the west country we still have not been, tut tut, this year we will!

Hold on to your hats, there are quite a few pictures I simply couldn't whittle down.......

I am afraid Q and I are turning into my parents, dragging along the bumblebee's to stand and look at buildings  architecturally interesting, lucky for us the girls seem happy enough for now to go along with it....but for how long?!

Quite honestly, who wouldn't want a home in the Circus or the Royal Cresent, as we are in Austen country, we can while away the hours at a window dreaming of Darcey........

Of course we squeezed in a visit to a special shop. In fact biggest Bumblebee insisted she wanted to spend her saved up pocket money in there ( a hankie now being used as a head scarf, and yes we stood in everyone's way once we had exited the shop to immediately pop it on her head, tis tre important to her to be looking her bestest! )

Sorry about the blur, I was in a dreamlike state! I wanted to sweep up everything into a Mary Poppins style bag, to bring home and re-create........Aahhhhhhhh.....happiness in a picture.

The day was finished off by cornish pasty buying, and sitting by the river munching..(.avoiding the pigeons...they scare me ...to the delight of the bumblebee's, how rude! ) and a little stroll.

perfect eh?!

x

Playdough pour femme........x

Yippeeee it's half term....hurrah that means a few lie in's.....perhaps?!

I have been using my tinted moisturiser for some time now, I find it far easier than fake tan, and avoid zebra like disasters. In the bargain bin in Waitrose I found a new one reduced to £1.50!!! I couldn't believe my eyes ( I was on a bit of a bargain shop actually, I seek out those reduced red labels like no-one else, I have no shame. We all love a bargain, the delight in telling Mr.Q of my savings!!!!! His answer is usually along the lines of....." oh that's good.......WHAT FOR DINNER?" )..........Anyway..................
Since then I have slapped on my new tinted moisturiser with gusto...I can't get enough of it...why? Because it smells of playdough, and I love that smell almost as much as nutmeg.
Littlest Bumblebee in a strange knowing smell induced thought process, this week kept asking for playdough! I think my aroma has jogged her memory for playdough fun.......


And so yesterday we made some. Here is the recipe. So easy....and far cheaper than shop bought. Squished into a fancy jam jar it will keep for weeks. In fact for a kiddies party one year I gave playdough away in jam jars with ribbon and a cutter attached as the going away present....

 X HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH X

1 Cup of water.

1 Tablespoon of oil.

1 heaped cup of plain flour.

1 Cup of salt.

2 Teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Food colouring/glitter of choice!

Place all ingredients into a heavy based saucepan ( except the glitter or colouring! ) and heat gently for a few minutes until it becomes firm.

Let it cool and then knead until nice and smooth.

Add required colour and or glitter and have fun! see...how easy is that?!!! 

P.S      The floor stain or paint debate is still in full swing......I think we will have to see how much the boards dry out in the next week....head says stain.....heart says paint!!!

xxx

Today...............................................x

Having ripped up the carpet in the dining room, we are now debating ....hooo hummmm to paint or stain? x

I love a board game..................x

We are board game obsessives in this house. I favour good old Scrabble........( I am a sore loser though, I think Mr.Q lets me win...they all do that don't they? A quiet life an' all that ) Little bumblebee is gaga about her Maisy game and Big bumblebee is loving Dingbats..........but really any will do. Are we too competitive?!

We do other things, other than playing board games. Talulla Bumblebee chose these vivid pink primroses's for the hanging baskets, good choice! But look who was peeping through the fence!

So cute!!!!!

She did a fab job....other jobs being done? My horrid wooden wall lights needed a revamp......I have no before paint pictures...they were too ghastly for your precious eyes ...honestly really bad. But having some paint, bit of left over wallpaper and a pom pom or too many ......they are complete.

This........

To this......

Too much pom pom????? NEVER!!!!!! I won't hear of it......less nicotine-granny more granny chic?!???

So whilst doing bits and bobs I have been listening to Eliza Doolittle , really love her voice and her happy songs, they are making me long for the spring and warmer sunny days...will we ever get there? In the meantime have a listen yourselves x

Happy Valentine's Day...............x

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day...............................................................

Later the Bumblebee's will be feasting on their Valentine's dinner with pals....These little heart wands should keep them busy skipping about doing girly things.......

And Mr.Q surprised me with a little gift ( we had said no presents this year ) this cute heart necklace was a sweet token. A cheaper version f the Cath Kidston ones.....but ten times as nice!!!! Awwwwww well done Q................he's lurvely!

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The love bunting........x

This afternoon the love bunting was finished.......hurrah........so simple, a little time consuming, but good fun, and I adore it. I am now officially in the valentines mood for lurve.....

I had a bit of a niggle with the new black thread......being so eager to crack on with the flags I forgot to adjust my machine to the thicker cotton......but hey, nothings perfect.

Nan Q.'s old lace trim has once again finished a project off nicely......love having things about the home made with all her old sewing box bits.......(  I have at least five old thimbles and various coloured zips that have been cut out of old trousers.......don't you just think that's fab?! Nothing ever went to waste.......)

But what now?????? Well I have already started a little project for the bumblebee's and friends for their valentine's dinner.....want a sneaky peek?!!!!

Now for a clean up, I am a messy crafter.......as well as being a messy cook. And gardener.... I always leave little piles of weeds etc around!.....MUST clean up and make it look like I do keep a tidy house during the day, and have not spent half the day tweaking bunting and cutting hearts!........Quick.....best pop the kettle on.......X

A stitch and a shelf......................x

B.T.W Did you like my painted twigs?!
I had some Farrow and Ball red left over from another project and mixed it with a little glue.
I am also in the middle of making some love bunting......inspired by Poppy Treffry ( still loving her designs and free stitching...which is not so quick on my old singer machine...but worth the effort! )

I hope to put a picture of the finished bunting on by the end of the week, I just need some more black cotton and a spare few hours....do you have any?!
Meanwhile Mr.Q has been a busy man, sawing, drilling, sanding, and doing general manly tasks around the house, including a shelf. ooooh now this is no ordinary shelf, oh no, ( in the voice of the M&S ads?...er perhaps not ) this had to be an Aggie and Seth proof shelf.....and large enough for wellies, dog leads and the usual stuff coated in mud and chicken poo I find thrown in the back hall.....so

Now these little tinkers are happy and safe in their Breakfast Room Green Doggie Haven.......no more yelps from Sethy as Waggie leaps from his back over the stair gate to escape........
No more chicken poo wellies to trip over in my nice clean socks, and no more stroppy mummy....PERFECT!
We do hope to find some lovely antique pine doors from a reclamation yard to attach to hide it all away, but at the moment....as we had the paint, wood ( from an old piece of unwanted furniture ) and the manly man too....my make do and mend year is off to a flying start.........

What make do and mends are you up to?

x

Crafting Friday......x

I am nursing my jelly legs this morning with a nice cup of tea. We ran 2.4 miles earlier, across country  ( Tre  beautiful ) in the winds........I must say............I'm shattered!

So what better way to relax and smooth myself ( other than a chocolate biscuit...ooooh so naughty!!! ) than a little bit of making. With a little bit of Buble?

MICHAEL BUBLE

Am feeling good indeed! You must understand, it's all about the music, and def. NOT his good looks and swagger....oh no, what kind of a lady do you take me for eh???!!! You naughty ladies!

Ahem.......back to crafting, all I need, red felt, glue, buttons, paint, and a pot.....I'm away....I'm gone.

And don't get me started on twigs.........all will become clear soon enough.......

Have a happy Friday lovelies

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Weekly treasures and midnight wanderings .......x

My loves this week are my treasures. I found some really sweet things in a charity shop, of course I went looking for things I did not find, but it is always nice to find the unexpected.
My bumblebee's are real bookworms, which works for me. I have always loved words, and storytelling.
And charity shops/tabletop sales are the best way to find them new books that don't cost too much......

The modern books were 30p!!! Anderson was £1 but Grimm's was a whopping £3, can you believe it???!!! But I had to have it, the girls will love it's scary tales I am sure of it.

But there are two things I am consumed with this week. To the point that sleeping ( a re-occurring theme )  is not an option. Many a night I spend wandering and concocting..........perhaps to some it is mindless and meaningless, but if I could not think about crafting and making it would drive me more bonkers. I know I am not alone in this?????!!
Feeling completely inspired by Claire over at SUMMERFETE X  I have decided to have a go at a patchwork, which has been festering in the back of my mind for a while now. So when I saw these old pillow cases on my charity shopping spree......

I knew it would be enough to get started. I want to use all vintage pieces for my quilt and think these are perfect. I also am going to be cutting up the bumblebee's old clothes at some point to make them each a special quilt of memories. All those clothes our kiddies get through, and some I cannot even imagine passing on, so a couple of quilts for ME ( not the girls, don't be silly! ) is the answer!
So the second thing is xxxxx  VALENTINE'S DAY xxxxx  as we are on a budget this year, I want to create a valentines display and make it perfect for Mr.Q.....I have also said the bumblebee's can invite one friend over each after school for a valentines tea. I have a few ideas doodled down and can't wait to get started.

T.T.F.N friends x

P.S This is NO joke! I have been running since Christmas in ready for a local charity run...HEEEEEELP!!! Jelly legs! x