Two little piggies...........and the rest!

It occured to me at some stupid time this morning that I hadn't yet introduced to you my piggies...... Matilda and George.

They are my Kune Kune piggies and part of the family. Just like dogs they love a fuss, a belly rub, a treat and lounging in the sunshine.

My neighbours thought I was barking when I announced we would be taking delivery of 2 piglets, some 4 years ago now, and even more barking when I said they weren't for the freezer!!

I am sure I am now known as the "Nutty English girl with the pigs!!!!"

I remember how funny it was when they came round so I could introduce them and the look of horror on their faces when I climbed into their pen to give them a big fat belly rub!!! "NO NO NO don't do that,,,,pigs are vicious!!!" phhhh.......vicious???? Not my babies!!

George especially is rather fond of an apple or 6..... a lounge under the oak tree with a good old rub behind his ears then on his belly. He will happily stay flaked out for the duration. They are such comically, calming creatures and have been a welcomed addition to our family.

And just for the record..........No they are not destined for the freezer at any time in the future.

So oink oink Matilda and George! xxxxxxx

Which leads me onto some of the other characters we have welcomed into our home over the years.

Firstly was my beloved Cat Penny-Anne. Very very very sadly no longer with us. She was such a companion and came from the UK with us when we moved. She loved nothing more than soaking up the sun, waiting infront of mouse nests in the garden or sitting along side me whilst I was weeding the garden. I miss her very much.

We have Daisy-Mae our Cocker Spaniel, she's now an old lady and very grumpy. Happy to sleep all day and hoover up scraps of food my littlest girlie drops or gives her.

We have had rabbits, guinnea pigs, chickens, finches and goats.........

The goats being the most memorable and most difficult creatures to ever decide to have in the garden. Gruff, (original name I know but he came with the name) was the strangest, funniest creature I have ever come across.

He was an escape artist, took particular fondness to my Tete a Tete bulbs in the Spring,,,eating every single pretty head off them whilst I was out one morning. He could litteraly walk up walls. He got my female goat, Pippin, pregnant and we ended up with triplets!! Now they were lovely cute little things but sadly males so they had to go. The only way we managed to get rid of Gruff was to chuck him in free with Pippin and her babies. He was not at all missed.

I even remember when a homing pigeon came to stay for a little while. It was so wierd. Let me explain, we live in rural Normandy, all our neighbours a French, farmers at that, and one evening this pigeon appeared whilst we were in the garden, after a few days he was still there. We gave him some water but he wasn't going anywhere. In the end we caught him and checked his ring and was amazed to find he had come from Dorset and was enroute home. It was like he heard us in the garden and thought "English...yeah ....I will stop here a while, little holiday and all that!!!" After a week or so he continued on his journey and we never saw him again but we like to think he had a nice time in Normandy with us!!

Every time a new animal appears on the scene I swear it will be the last............."No More"........."When they are gone thats it"!!!!........ Yeah right! We are just a family of animal lovers so that will never happen.

Crafty projects...........

So I promised a catch up on what I have been up to on the craft and Christmas front so here we go!.........

Firstly on my list of "must do's" was the crocheted hot water bottle covers,,,,,,not my usual choice of colours but like I said I found a reduced basket of wool so thought I would go with these colours for a change,,,,you know what they say? A change is as good as a holiday.......Well not really but at least we will be cozy this Christmas.

Then onto the project of Christmas stockings. This is about as adventurous as my sewing gets. I can run up a pair of curtains, do a bit of crocheting and basic knitting or cross stitch but sewing "a thing"..........not that easy for me but I am really pleased with the end product.

 Made (lovingly) from scrap's out of my hoard, they go brilliantly with my decorations, tree and house decor. Each one slightly different and even one made for my lovely farmer in the tartan fabric. Im sooooo sooooo soooo chuffed with these. I must pat myself on the back as my girlies and my farmer just say "hmmm yeah nice mum!!" not the response I am looking for when I have been toiling over these things for what seems like an age! I can't wait for Father Christmas to fill them with goodies.

My "Christmas Bunting" was made inbetween making the Christmas stockings. It was so easy to make, very cheap and yet looks really lovely swagged up my banister rail. It was crying out for a garland of some sort and I wanted to stay away from the traditional pine and ribbon garland I would normally do if presented with a staircase to decorate. I think this works for a change and looks a lot more informal. Again....Well chuffed!!!

I have also been on with 2 cross stitch projects for my girlies for Christmas. They are Tatty Teddy Bear and I want to make them into cushions for their bedrooms. I started the first one in January and managed to get it done quite quickly over the winter but the second got a little tiresome. I got into a bit of a panic when I realised that I not only had to get it done I had to make the patchwork to frame it to make the cushion cover........which I still have to finish. But I can breath a sign as the hardest and time consuming part is finished now. I will tackle the cushion cover tomorrow (yeah right...it will be Christmas Eve done soooo quickly) when the girlies can't spy my creation.

Then onto my Christmas Tree hunt!!! What a job. In the end I have bought a beautiful, smaller, real tree in a pot so I don't have to watch it being dragged off to the tip in the New Year. I thought it was a lovely idea in the end.....as this is our first Christmas together as a new family I thought we could plant out the tree and it would continue to grow like our family and relationship and would always be there to remind us of our first Christmas. It looks sooooo pretty trimmed up Nordic Style (my favorite for Christmas). Woman on a mission!!!!!!!! Success!!!! Now I better go fill up the cupboards!!

I have to just show you this lovely Advent Calender too. My mum made this.......God knows how many years ago for my sister and I........must be a good 20-25years old........When I was moving house in the summer I found it amoungst my boxes so I have lovingly filled it full of treats for my girlies. It looks fabulous and brings back many memories. The work that my Mum put into this is evident I hope you can see from the photo, it doesn't do it justice really. It really brings a smile to my face.

So,,,thats about it.......My main list of jobs done. I still aim to bake some mince pies and make some peppermint creams......another one of my Mums traditions. I am really proud to say I am turning into her. She fab!!!!

Have a fabulous week and I hope you are all getting through your list of "Must do's" too.

Best wishes Nicky xxx

I have just had to add this photo of my girlies Barbies. They are all lined up waiting to find out who will be crowned "Queen for the night". (Maybe I do watch too many reality TV shows)! I love winter when they go back to being my "little girlies" instead of trying to be older than they really are and not play as little girls are supposed to. Bless them! xxxxxxxx

 

O Christmas Tree....OH Christmas Tree....Yes Please!!

Bonjour mes amies!!!

Well what a nightmaire I'm having just now.........Upon deciding to take my precious Christmas decorations but leaving  my lovely Christmas tree for my Ex,  Im now thinking it might not have been such a good idea!!

Question......How hard can it be to find a pretty artifical Christmas tree in Normandy??? Surely not that difficult I hear you say.
Well you would be sooooooo wrong as was I when my search first began.

Its ney on impossible I tell you. If you are happy with a tree that has so many gaps in the pine so you only need to hang a handfull of decorations on it you would be happy. As Im looking for at least 2 meters and as full as I can possibly find to enable me to cram it with seasonal joys well........it isn't happening!

I'm now starting to panic,,,,,,it's taken over my life just now,,,,,,we have nothing in the fridge,,,,the cupboards are empty as as soon as I leave the house to get supplies I end up making detours into garden centres and shops that come to mind that I know surely they will stock something pretty. 5 minutes later Im leaving feeling totally deflated at not only the lack of tree's but the lack of pretty tree's 

Why is this the case??? Am I the only person in France looking for a pretty artificial tree rather than something resembling a plastic monstroserty from the early 80's?? Is this the gap in the market I have been looking for?? No its just a pain in the butt!!

I know I am going to have to resort to buying a smaller but beautiful real tree, which I adore, but makes me feel so sad when they are dumped on the pile for the tip in the New Year.

So there you have it........my gripe over with......Thank you for listening.

Just to say Hello!

I have loads to say and many pictures to take and add but I just haven't had a minute to get around to it.

So its just a quick note now to say "Hello" and I will be back soon to fill you in on what I have been up too.

Keep warm and have a good week.
Best wishes Nicky xx

It smells like autumn!

You know what I mean,,,,,something changes in air,,,,,,its time to dig out the winter woolies, big coats, boots. The fire is already crackling away making the house much more cozy straight away. 

It makes me want to donn my flowery wellies and get out for a walk so that is what I will do later this afternoon I think. Just a little potter around the lanes, taking in a bit of the countryside air, smelling the burning wood coming from the chimneys of the little cottages of my neighbours.  This is the time I find my inspiration. The colours, the leaves, the berries its simply lovely you can't beat this time of year.

Then back for a hot chocolate and a snuggle with my girlies before the caos of feeding time at the zoo! 

Have a good day xxxxxx

Lost treasures and fairy cakes

I have spent a lovely afternoon,,,,,,and I feel a little guilty about saying this....but without my children......baking and rearranging my lost treasures.

I have made my first batch of fairy cakes, on my own, including butter icing and decorations!!!! And I didn't burn them or turn them into biscuits!!!!!!

 

Whilst my precious little cakes were baking away I was happily rearranging my cupboards with all the little lost treasures I found whilst rummaging through boxes last week.







 

Cute little tea cups and saucers, sherry glasses, coffee canisters and other pretty blue plates that I had stashed away and completely forgotten about. I have had such a lovely time just pottering away on my own without having to pull my hair out at the aggrivation of my, not always so delightful, 3 little girlies!

 I aim to fill these bright canisters with home made biscuits one day!!! Well we all need a dream!! LOL

 I love this little gravey boat and saucer. The problem is its likely to end up as one of the things I never use as I love it so much! Do you do that??!! Silly really but thats what Im like!

 Its all a bit of a jumble here but I can see potential!

Well at least I can offer them treats when they get home from the farm where they are busily working away.





I better just go and try one with a cup o tea and enjoy the last few minutes of calm time.

 

Not bad..........even if I do say so myself! ...............onto biscuits next me thinks!

Buttons or sweeties?

I am sure this applies to all the crafters I know it is so hard to stay focused on one project at a time. I've several on the go at a time depending on how much free time I have depends on what I work on. I am forever planing what I am going to do next and generally start it on top of everything else Im doing.

I have projects sitting waiting to be started, each time I bob into my local haberdasherie they have some new buttons, new ribbons, new wool,,,,,,,something to tempt me away from what I really know I should finish and need to finish.

Who would have thought in your 30s you would look at all the shiney bright buttons, ribbon and wool like they are jars of sweets all lined up ready for you to spend your once 20p a quater????!!!!

How things change........ I love being 30 something!!!!!!

Some new things I have waiting to do.........

I found these tiny hearts,,,,I couldn't resist them so in the "too do" box they go until I find the right projects to add them to.

I stumbled upon a reduce basket of wool which I had to have...you can never have enough you know..... I have already started making grannies to cover some new hot water bottles mum bought me and my girlies. 1 done 2 to do,,,, nice little project for the weekend.

 

Then its onto felt to make some little bunting for my christmas tree.....I love bunting incase you didn't know!

I have the Molly Makes Christmas book patiently sat waiting for me to choose some new projects from too and a Cath Kidston Patwork cushion to do.......

So much to do,,,,,so little time!! So I better dash and grab my tea and hook and get on with it. Have a good weekend everyone...Happy Crafting!