Apron Magic.........................x

These past few days I have been creating kiddies aprons for littlest bumblebee's school class. They asked if I would make some to replace the old falling apart ones...."yipeee" I said, I love choosing fabric.

So using one of the bumblebee's aprons from home as a template.....I have been sewing away....so easy...and I thought....what a lovely gift idea? Can you imagine a little tinker opening the present to receive a home-made apron, and perhaps a jar full of dry ingredients for cookies, with a cutter?

Ewwww look at my grotty wall...yuck.

Anyway, I am please with the results and have handed the apron bundle in this morning to the teacher. Of course I would have loved to personalized each apron, added ribbons and trims, BUT I had a vision in my head. 4/5/6 yr olds bickering over who gets which apron...hummmmm plain they had to be!!!

I am also making a few little somethings for y'all. For now, you will have to wait. But it won't be long....

Happy Friday x

P.S Sorry about the piccies, it was late last night, and I needed to get them wrapped up.

P.P.S.....On a Friday I don't have to pick the bumblebee's up from school till 4pm!!!!.....Gosh all day for me....what shall I do? I feel like cartwheeling around the lounge......but I might pull something...and can I even cartwheel anymore???........I do love the girls, but mummy time is thin on the ground...( although Mr.Q is working from home, so I fear I will be a waitress all day).....ramble, ramble, ramble.

xx

It's all in the enamel....x

You could bake me anything, anything if it's in enamel........it will look amazing.

Building up a collection of enamelware right now....... doesn't have to be vintage with chips, new will do....I just love it. And secretly in the depths of my heart somewhere, I dream of a camper full of the stuff.

I love free food, and the best thing about living down our lane is, there are always happy neighbours ( and a few grumpy ones, but there always are arnt there? ) giving away raspberries, damsons, and apples....or rather that's what was being given away this week......Cue an Apple And Raspberry Crumble....

And perhaps I might have crept sneakily into the kitchen to finish it off ALONE!!! But how do children always know? They can smell it! Littlest bumblebee pricked up her ears as I entered the lounge......." what's that? I can smell crumble Mummy, have you been eating our pudding?"........." absolutely not darling ".......a little white lie every now and then does no harm.....All mummies do it.......but I warn you, do not do it with chocolate, I repeat, not with chocolate, they can sniff the stuff out a mile away, there's no hope.

Autumnal colours..................................that's what was on my mind this morning as I shopped in our local town...can you tell?

P.S.........Amy Butler wool..................my heart skips a beat. It was mine. It had me at the door.

xxxx

Cupboard makeover....................x

As I sit here today, this lovely sunshine Sunday in Somerset...( how long this will last who knows...there are gales on their way...look out sunflowers)...the bumblebee's instead of enjoying perhaps one of the last bright days of the year, are huddled and cuddled up on the sofa, watching Home Alone................but they are happy, so who cares?

I have been busy painting, and sanding these past few days. Before we moved into the cottage, to keep myself from insanity ( was a most stressful house move...........we were told a few days before exchanging that we would not be able to get any insurance on the house! Needless to say, it was all sorted out by Mr.Q and everything went ahead ) getting all the loose end projects done for the new house was my saving grace....... I do feel I didn't always get it right.

This little antique pine cupboard for instance..............

Was given to me oooh many years ago by my lovely Dad, infact, it was prob. one of the first pieces of furniture I ever owned ( having an antiques dealer as a Dad did have it's perks )......So I set to painting it green, my favourite colour, finishing with a layer or two of wax........it wasn't quite right, and I haven't been happy with it since.

With the bumblebee's back at school. Half a pot of tallow ( swoon ) my sander, and a brush...I set to it....once again.

I quite liked the sanded/hugely distressed look mid way.......but my heart lies with tallow ( swoon ).

A few coats later, a sand here, a rub there........clear wax for the top and knobs ( which are in great condition, and such nice pine, I couldn't face covering them up....plus a bit of owed to Dad was going on )

I am super happy. Really pleased. Just what I had in mind.....finally.

Happy weekend x

P.S Welcome to my new followers, it's lovely to have you here.....I really mean that xxx

Another Obsession.............x

Another Obsession.........................

Seriously though, how good is the The Great British Bake Off????????????????????????????

I love cooking and baking, but I also have huge kitchen envy...yes, yes I know the kitchen isn't real, it's in a tent for goodness sake I hear you cry. BUT my dream kitchen would have to be of a pastel colour, with an island in the middle for teas and chats with pals, a HUGE fridge....in a contrasting pastel colour, and perhaps Mary Berry living in it.....to make all the yummy treats she makes so well.

Last night was biscuit night, macaroons, brandy snaps ( these, though for me are yuck ).....uh it's like a granny in her cottage on redbull. I love it.

Ok, ok, there just so happens to be a nice young looking chap on it too, that I might just have a pervy-he's younger than me-I love his hair- and he bakes!-crush on him......But this show is fab, if you've miss out so far, then try and catch up with it on the i-player....you must.

How many "but"'s can I fit into this post?! But, but, but, but,butt.

So with homemakin' an' a bakin' on my mind, some jams just had to be made. Actually it was Mr.Q's idea to go foraging for blackberries, and stock up the pantry.....Autumn does that doesn't it? As soon as the temperature drops, I feel like I need to start squirrelling things away.

Behind the camera........................is a mess of a pantry. Just so you know. I regularly have bags of sugar and flour drop at my feet as I open the door.......................and there is always a rogue clove of garlic that I find on every shelf....how did it get there? I have no idea.....

xxxx

Emotional Monday..................x

I'm emotional. To say the least. The bumblebee's have gone back to school today, with a skip in their step, ever so excited to see their friends. And I understand. I do really.

I just miss them.

Not only that, but here in Somerset to school's have a middle school system, which means that biggest bumblebee is in her last classroom in her primary school. She is 7.......scary thoughts! She has two years there though, but I can't help feeling like it's all going too fast, and it's such a nice school, that I want her to be there for as long as possible.

Well I do have time back for myself, to get jobs done, projects finished, perhaps even get a few pieces of furniture painted and up for sale........( I may have been saying this for the past two years......wink wink )

On a brighter note...........the cottage garden is still flourishing, ( I seem to do ever so well at growing, nettles, thistles, weeds..........hey it's all good for the wildlife though ).....the roses have done ace this year....sweet peas not so, but the sunflowers have been epic.

I love a sunflower.........................

xxx

New Obsession.....x

Rob Ryan.........................................................................romantic genius.

Second hand frames, painted in Farrow and Ball TALLOW......Rob Ryan cards, ( can't afford a real print! )............for the bedroom. Love them. Happy Friday.

* Sunshiney morning...flash back on the glass...sorry xxx

Ooooh for me?.........x

 

How sweet......The lovely Louise at Tea at weasel's has passed on an award to me. Honestly...I think I went a little bit red when I read she had passed this onto me........it's just me, just Nattie. If anything I am amazed you lovely peeps actually keep coming back listening to me waffle on......and on......and on...

Please make yourself a cup of tea, perhaps with a few biscuits ( it is nearly the end of the week after all! )...and pop over to Louise's blog, as I often do, and admire her crocheting creations...she's quite clever you know.

Right........so this is how this thing is supposed to go. After accepting your Versatile Blogger Award, the blinkin lovely Blogger must....

.....Thank the person who passed it onto them, and link them in the post.

.....Share 7 things about yourself in your post.

.....Pass this award onto 15 recently discovered blogs.

Here's the thing.......I'm only going to do a few blogs, just because there are a few that I REALLY REALLY love, and I hope you do too. And I just wanted to say thank you to them for such a lovely read, every time I log on. Sorry if I offend anyone.......I don't mean to....

So 7 things about me you say............ok.....still got that cuppa?!!!...

1. Shhhh sometimes, ok most times when walking down a road, I still try not to walk on the cracks in the pavement (  from that childhood rhyme..." Don't step on a crack 'cos you'll break your Mother's back ).

2. I tend to over think things...ever so slightly....whilst laying in bed...my friend said this is because I am so close to being a Gemini.....I have a little Gemini gremlin sitting on my shoulder.

3. I could drink Green tea and Earl Grey ALL day.........( not together )

4. I love the smell of nutmeg, and have often thought I should sleep with one in my pillow.

5. I am sooo clumsy, just this afternoon, I hit my head on the washing line, and bumped my leg on a rusty old wheelbarrow handle (  on the side of the thigh.....gosh...so painful, I did swear...a lot. )

6.  I feel the need to be surrounded by children and animals...I don't know why, I just acquire them, ...we have some new baby chicks arriving soon...eeek so exciting!

7......As a teenager, I dreamt I would marry Alex James from Blur....I was obsessed...and still am a little bit. But of course the man of my dreams I did marry....my Q....I love you.

So now comes the part, where I pass this blog award onto others.

1. The Little Red Squirrel

2. Romi and Bob

3. Hello Flower

By this time, you might want to go and make another cup of tea, whilst you read these beautiful blogs too.  

Happy Thursday to you all x