We're all going on a......x

We are off on a little Welsh adventure for a while, I'll be sure to tell you all about when we get back.....

Happy weekend lovelies....

See you all very soon............................... Nattie xxxxxx

The week.....x

This week apart from tending to poorly bumblebee's,  I have been.............................................

Crafting with the girls, therapeutic and good for the soul..............we got lost in collage for a few hours. Music on, and glue sticks in hand.......

I was also getting on with a giant window sized poster for the up coming Village dog show and summer fete.....I had problems with how I wanted it to look, but also it being eye catching enough. I'm not one for fluorescent cards.........I hope it will do......it's amazing how much enjoyment can be had using potato prints.

This has got me thinking alot about printing though. Even though the last time was at college many years ago, I think I am going to experiment with some lino soon....

Cherry jam baby is the way forward........................ummmy yummy, try some, once you have - there's no going back....

Cherry Jam:

4lbs cherries stoned and halved.

2 1/2 lbs sugar.

Juice of 2 lemons.

Pop all ingredients into a heavy based pan onto a medium heat.

Usual jam making applies - rolling boil, taking off the froth/scum.

Wait until setting point is reached ( use a spoon and plate to see if liquid sets, the surface  should wrinkle slightly one cooled ).....

You are ready to fill up some pre-steamed jars ( pop into an oven for about 15 minutes at gas.4 )....

 x Enjoy! x

Some wants and a sandwich bag................x

I love a sale, it's the thought that you are getting a real bargain, something of quality, something that catches your eye, not just any old rubbish, spending for spendings sake.

There are some brill sales on right now, not only that but the Cath Kidston one starts this week too!! (Squeals)....If it wasn't so drizzly this afternoon, I would find myself a dandelion clock, and wish for all my favourite sale bargains...

(Topshop)

(Anthropologie)

(Topshop)

(Joules)

(Joules)

(Anthropologie wallpaper)

(Cabbages and Roses)

One of the above beautiful things I have invested in....can you guess which one?

Sometimes though it's just enough to look, and wish and wonder, then off we go to buy new school shoes or a new washing machine...oh the glory of it all!

In fact, I have had a not so glorious day, which I think I can put it down to karma, you see I bought one of the above lovely sale bargains, and then had to pick up little bumblebee from school as she felt sick, and was indeed sticky hot from a temperature. Feeling like old mother hubbard we had to go shopping, so.....with a drink of water, and a sandwich bag acting as a sick bag round we went. I was doing that mummy thing of scanning the aisles and shelves super quick fast, every now and then muttering " ummmm, oh that's nice"......to a chattering sick bumblebee, who announced right at the checkout that she was going to be sick " oh can't you hold on?" I said ( I know, it sounds really baaaad, and I felt feel like a such a meanie ).......don't panic, she wasn't sick, and hasn't been all day, but oh the panic, the blind panic that went through me!

 Perhaps you read my blogging spot for ideas, things that make you smile, like minded loves and wants, but today I feel I have shattered that.....sorry ,but some days are just plain hard work.

Our Welsh holiday at the weekend can't come quick enough.........do leave me some happy smiley comments to make me laugh today....please...please...PLEASE!!!!!

xx

9 years and he's a tinker...........x

Ooooh we had a little celebration last week at the cottage. 9 years being married to Mr.Q ( I am quite the lucky lady )..........................it's strange how the time passes, but it feels like yesterday. I can honestly say he is my very best friend, and all it takes is a little wink or a smile across a room, and he still makes my heart flutter...................

We opted for a scrummy lunch rather than faffing with sitters in the evening, and this was also our present to each other.......if one sunny day you find yourself in Somerset, in need of a lovely lunch then you must come here The Lord poulett which is in the same village as the bumblebee's school.

And we cant skirt around Father's day, because although we don't make a huge fuss of these sorts of days regarding pennies, the bumblebee's like to make cards and treats and things...big bumblebee made brownies, and littlest bumblebee made coconut mice! ( awww a squished mice look!! )......afternoon tea anyone?.............

I think Mr.Q had a nice day, with his fav meal, lots of cuddles, and few board games, a little dance by the girls, and a violin and recorder concert by big bumblebee...phewwwwww.

This is Ham Hill B.T.W worth a little wander and visit to walk off that lunch you'll have at the pub when your in Somerset!

So my man has a new project with work starting soon..... once we come back from a little holiday next week ( my birthday holiday oooooooh super exciting ) he will start it. I hope this will keep those clever little cogs in his head turning, and keep his mind as busy as a bee, because, I don't know about the men in your lives, but mine seems to always be doing something, tinkering away, doing this and that....and this just might keep him out of trouble for a while.....

T.T.F.N xxxx

Make do and mend afternoon..................x

Take one rainy day.......................

One  unnecessarily long gingham table cloth......

The kitchen curtains, which have always been a bit too small and were made in haste.......

Added together, to make a sensible pair of curtains ( although lining will have to wait )

Not a bad afternoons work, I feel much happier now they can close properly, but I must say in my defence, when I made these curtains a year and a half ago, we had just moved in, then I washed them on a high temp...and oh dear, they turned into almost dolly size!

Make do and mend at its best......................................x

Two beauts!......................x

What a crazy bonkers weekend.....yup it was the village garden party ( or fete to normal peeps! ).......and goodness me it poured! My poor friend next to me, had a lovely stall with all her florally home bits and pieces ( my eyes popped out of my head when she started unpacking.....oooooh I'll have many a thing please )...we tried to shelter her stock as much as we could...the bumblebee's hid under the table, ....it was wild!!!

Then the sun came out, people parted with pennies, money was made for the village hall, and all was well. The raffle stall I was on raised a whopping £112!!! fantastic, but even more fantastic, was that my Dad and brother came to visit.....

And just have a lookey here what my FAB Dad bought all the way from Sussex for me....

I am such a lucky girl, I only mentioned that I was on the look out for a stool for pals and bumblebee's to plonk their bottoms on to chat whilst I make cups of teas!!! Mum bless her, said " Ooooh Bob, Nattie's after a stool, we have this one here we don't use, take it down for her??".....and low and behold, here it is! An Edwardian stool no less......so you are all welcome to come and sit in my teeny kitchen.

Just when you think things can't get any better they do!!! Oh I've had such a drought in the treasure department lately, I'm not quite sure why.......but just as everyone as packing up at the garden party, I spotted something across the way.......the bumblebee's were left looking after all the left over raffle stuffs, with strict instructions not to move an inch....( they were quite happy don't worry, they were in the middle of a game of Doctor Who...with pens being used a sonic screwdrivers )...and there, the last thing being packed up was a beaut!

This pretty little picture, was £2 ( more than fair non?).....I felt sure Mr.Q wouldn't object as there are no flowers or pink in it.....

The downside is that I've had to have a bit of a clear out today....de-clutter an all that. It has been tough. How can I choose what stays and goes? The thing is.....I am going to box these clutter bits up under the bed and save them as I have an idea up my sleeve.....shhhhh don't tell the Q....

There's no use cleaning the windows here.....well that's my excuse............................................x

A happy friday y'all .....x

Not only am I happy as it's Friday, but this morning I was met at the school gate by a local mummy with a vegetable box. She grows all the fruit and veg in the village, and offered a weekly veg box scheme, of course I signed up straight away, and had forgotten all about it.

I am so excited by it!!! I have, beetroot, chard, onions, carrots, turnips, herbs, spinich, ummmmm lettuce, mangtout...ummmm yummies!!!! I have already boiled up the beetroot in it's jewel like state, and sliced it still warm on a goat's cheese salad.....was quite something.

As I type, rain is lashing down the windows...this weather does not look good for the village garden party tomorrow..arghhhhhhh, rain rain go away till tomorrow evening please!

Since my post about my teeny tiny growing sweetpeas ( see HERE, I have discovered this morning that they are growing much more, perhaps I had sewn them too early, or planted them out too early, who knows, but they are filling the house with delightful wafts and brightening the place up a bit....who needs to buy farmed flowers from Holland from the supermarket? All we need are some sweetpeas and roses eh?

I have also started on a little ( big ) project for the local pre-school. Last year I made all the dap bags for the pre-schoolers that were moving up to big school. It's a sort of tradition, the teachers fill the bags up with goodies as a farewell pressie....such a sweet idea, and it's something that last year little bumblebee was really looking forward too.....( gosh...a whole year nearly at big school )....

So as you can see from my wobbly pictures today, I have begun on the names.......and what a lovely bunch of names there are too this year!

But you know  - I really should be baking for the garden party tomorrow.....lemon drizzle? Cupcakes..hummm

Happy weekend to you all, I love writing on here with all of you, it makes me happy. happy happy happy xxxxx

Bowie fizz and paints.............x

Today I started writing in this happy bloggy place of mine like I always do....with a cup of tea. And today I'm listening to Bowie too......he's one of my most favs, I love his individualism ( is that a word?! ), his strangeness, his songs absoblinkin-lutely. But I think really he reminds me of being little. My mum and dad bless them, have great music taste...well most of the time, and music was always on in the house, mum usually in the kitchen with the radio on, then dad would be somewhere in the house, and you need not search for him.....just follow the guitar strumming.....When I met Mr.Q I was shocked he couldn't tell his Fleetwood Mac from his Bob Dylan.........I'll be honest...it was a stumbling point! But we are getting there, and Q enjoys a bit of Bowie/Beatles/Rollingstones  with the best of 'em!

Wednesdays are usually filled with helping the schools swimming lessons in the afternoon, but today I had lots of little jobs and errands to run. We have the village garden party this weekend, and I am not fully ready for my role on the raffle stall....so swimming was a no go today, though, have I got anything useful done?!!! It depends what you call useful....

Finishing painting the kitchen beams? useful to me...

Beginning painting the long over due plate rack? again a selfish useful...

Making Elderflower fizz?....hold on this is also useful for the Q!.........

I couldn't resist a little doggie walk this morning, I stumbled upon some elderflower, had seen a recipe for fizzy at the lovely Tabiboo lady's blog......go here to find it.

feeling the need now to share some Bowie love with you all.........

Feathered friends..........................x

Well, what a wonderful half term week we have had, mainly catching up with pals, doing gardeny bits, days out, and crafts with the bumblebee's.

The sun is truly shining today, and I rather fancy pottering about a bit in the garden. Yesterday's sun was also wonderful, but I have discovered that I am still not all completely tickity boo after my recent poorlyness, and the added sun ( not that I'm complaining about it...honest )....all took it's toll yesterday evening, and I had to curl up on the sofa, with a blanket, and a cup of tea and snuggle and rest and watch silly T.V.....was quite lovely!

Now all week I have been meaning to show you these pictures of recent visitors to the garden. I love it when birds pop up at the feeder, the girls are also keen to watch what ever turns up, although they do get a lot of " Sssshhhhhhh, don't move a muscle...Ssssssssh SSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Mr.Woodpecker was far more shy than the cheeky Mr.Jay......what a lovely sight though!

I am thinking some crafty projects up right now, inspired by my new feathered friends......

Has anyone else had any problems with slow short growing sweet peas? They are flowering as you can see, but there's just no height yet...hummmmmm

Happy Weekend everyone xxxxxx

Bridport Vintage Market........x

It's half term again, yippeeeeee I've been jumping for joy. Lazy wake ups, I am NOT a morning person....at all.....not one bit. Of course having the bumblebee's here with me is wonderful, but the mornings, ahhh the mornings are a long lazy process.

Bridport, have a vintage market once a month, and this is fab - not only because it's an absolute feast for the eyes, a joy to potter about at, and plenty of bargains to be had....BUT ....it starts at 12pm, so you can get your car boot sales done and dusted, or like us Q's......stumble about all morning, then work your way towards Bridport at a more comfortable speed...

The bumblebee's both paid a whopping 50p each for little dollies, and I came away empty handed!!!! There was sooo much to tempt me, many many beautiful fabrics, vintage school desks, china, clothes.......etc etc.....

Really I was just seeing what was there as this was our first time. Most things were priced quite reasonably

 we thought.........I rather fancied a school desk but hey, honestly? Where would it go?

But I know I will be fabric buying next month, and maybe jigging along to the french music playing, whilst munching the pizza's being served up......what a perfect Sunday....you must go...that's an order!

xxxxx