Crochet progress, bumps again, fancy dress and yummy treats!! Bit of a mixed bag but what the hell!

Hello friends

As I said recently I was tackling some new projects. Just simple grannies, things I can do without having to think about it. They are so calming and seem to have helped me stay relatively sane recently. As soon as I'm hett up I dig out my needle and do another grannie.

Also having the selection of wool I have to hand here in the UK is a help, not only a good choice of colours and material but competative prices too compared to that in Europe.

I am finding my inspiration making steady progress as well as my grannies.

SO here we have a few part made blankets ready to make a half-time appearence. They aren't ready for a big TA DAH moment yet but keep watching I have very little else to do with my time just now.

Firstly my OWN blanket,,,,,, it makes a change to be able to say OWN,,,,,,,usually they are for my girlies!

I promised to make myself a HUGE multi coloured delight and here it is coming together nicely.

Then after reading Mollie Makes this month I jumped onto the idea of using the multicoloured baby type wool,,,,sorry I don't know the correct terminology for it but you know what I mean....to make My Bump a cot blanket!

BUMP....yes you heard right.....I have another BUMP!! Hopefully only until the start of July then I will be back to normal and in my jeans again!

Anyway,, going slightly off track there....sorry about that.

Here are my neat little grannies awaiting sewing together. How lovely they look, sat patiently waiting to be made into some delightful little cosy blanket . It was an unexpected project to start but aren't they all? I like the idea that it has come together quickly and is looking quite cute even if the colours are rather pale for me.

In the middle of it all I have spent 2 nights frantically making costumes for World Book Day!

Its not an easy task when you need to find two different fancy dress outfits that must be characters from well known books. Especially when my girlies are very specific at what they will and not wear!

In the end we opted for Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy from Wizard of Oz.

We now have red glitter all over the house from Dorothy's red glittery shoes I spent an hour glueing!!! Tu-Tu underskirts......??!!! You know the ones made from itchy net your mother used to put you in? Well I had to make two of them to go under their summer dresses that, thankfully, I didn't have to make. Two aprons also.

What you need to realise is this.....I am useless at any form of dress making type projects, they are just too intricate for me to concentrate on. Also my MUMMY is away sunning herself on a lovely beach so I couldn't call upon her expert opinion to guide me through how to do this, let alone talk her into doing them for me. Pity.

So I am proud to say "I did it"......"On my own!" ......."With NO help." They might not be the best outfits ever but Alice, Dorothy and I were all quite pleased with the outcome!!!!

 

This weekend will involve plenty of peace and quiet..hopefully that is, with some homely luxuries thrown in, my favorite being sticky hot cross buns and steaming tea...........Oh I love this time of year filled with sweet yummy treats.

 

 

I will then crack on with my grannies and a bit of cosy reading or Molly Makes and my Mums new Enid Blyton book, Naughty Amelia Jane......I'm really looking forward to that although she said it was bought for my girlies to read I think I might have to see if I can add it to my collection! On loan of course!

I hope everyone has a nice Mothers Day weekend with lots of cosy, snuggly treats and that you get to spend it with your special Mummy's, if not in person, in thought.

Speak soon my lovelies.......Happy crafting!

Best wishes

Nicky xxx

　

　

Vintage craft fair, new friends and High School offers!

Good afternoon Lovlies.....

I just bobbed in tell you about my lovely morning.

Those who know me, know I have only just come back to the UK after 8 years living in the back and beyond in France. Nothing goes on there so my usual weekend would entail cleaning, maybe a little walk, some grocery shopping, tv watching and possibly a visit to see my lovely friend..........miss you honey.......anyway, the weekend would come and go without much occuring.

TODAY HOWEVER............Mum and I went into town and were utterly delighted when we stumbled upon a Vintage and Craft Fair. Oh the JOY!!!!! What a lovely morning we had. With lots of stalls from crafters and fellow bloggers, an adorable little tea room with delicious home made scones and tea served in cute vintage china tea cups and saucers.......Oh I was in my element and can't wait for the next one. As a Vintage Fair virgin (not through choice but through living in the sticks) I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend and can't wait to be able to find some more events the same.

It has given me lots of inspiration and kicked me up the "you-know-what" to get a shift on with my new blanket.

I would also like to say "Hello" to my new followers....I love meeting new people even if only by the World Wide Web!!! Life's bringing me lots of new things at the moment....new challenges, new friends, (to add to my oldest bestest friends I might add,,,not to replace!!!!!!) new experiences, new places to visit or places I forgot about or was not particularly interested in several years ago but now I find fascinating. All these new things are keeping me going, keeping me sane and calmer. So thank you everyone for your comments, your support, not only to my followers but to my lovely family and friends who are putting up with me just now. Love you lots and please bear with me whilst I travel through this challenging period in my life. I will hopefully come out the other side stronger than before and up for everything.

My two oldest daughters have been an absolute credit this week. I am so proud of them as whilst Im sat here worry about my challenges and worries ahead, I have to remind myself that they
 have had a difficult week too and come out the other side smiling.

They have both started a new Primary School this week. Completely different to what they were used to as its a UK school and they have up until now tackled all their school lives in French Schools. Im so so very proud of them how they have settled in already. My eldest girlie wirlie has just received her offer for Senior School where she will be off to in September. Feeling rather excited and scared at the same time!! I'm pleased with our offer and glad we are finally making plans that go past the next week or so because that is as far as I can bear to think and plan just now.
My likkle girlie growing to quickly!!!! Please stop now!!! Where does time go?

So there you have it, my waffle for the weekend. I hope the weekend is treating you all kind and there is lots of crafting going on!

Best wishes, speak soon
Nicky xxx

How life changes........

I would have never have believed this time last year that my life would have completely changed direction as much as it has done this last 8 months.

You seem to roll along, sometimes with a plan, sometimes just going from day to day. Then one day..........WHAM.........all change now!

Mine has taken me from running my own business in my dream house to now having taken the somewhat quick decission to upsticks and get my girlies back to our roots in Blighty!!!! Although it seems to have been a quick decission to most, once I arrived at my decission there was no point sitting and thinking about it any longer or trying to find reasons not to do what my heart tells me I  need to do.

    We have been through a lot recently but the future is waiting for us and our new life has slowly begun. With lots still left to do we are taking each day slowly, slowly finding our feet again.

We are being well looked after by "Mum" and would happily stay here forever if it weren't for the fact we need some more room!

So.........

Challenge one: Find a suitable house to set up our new life and make a cosy nest!
Challenge two: Spend some well needed quality time together!

oh........and inbetween doing these challenges start my new granny blanket with the wool I have just unpacked!!!!!!!

Onwards and upwards...........
I hope everyone in blog world are well and having a nice weekend.
Best wishes
Nicky
xxx

Just a quick Hello

Good morning,
I am just popping in to say a quick Hello to you all. I am still here, still frantically packing boxes and binning rubbish,,,,,,,,,,,,,it feels really quite liberating to be honest being able to chuck stuff away!

Hopefully this time next week I will be sorted, packed up and eagerly waiting my departure to my new life, unless someone pops up to scupper my plans!

So I must dash now, once I am settled back into Mums (can't wait) I will have the time to catch up, sort out my photos and get some much needed crocheting done, which I am missing so much as all my new yarn is packed up!

Cheerio for now!!!!!!
Best wishes
Nicky xx

A belated Happy New Year to you all.....

Well.........sorrry its late (you will understand why it is when I fill you in on the last few weeks) but Happy New Year.........May 2013 bring everyone good health, happiness and joy.

So my last few weeks.........where to start. I have payed a long overdue visit back the UK to see my lovely familly and friends. I had an absolutely fabulous time and really felt at home there with my girlies, at peace, calm and relaxed. (oh and more importantly, I stocked up on yarn!!!!!! YYYYIIIPPPEEEEEE!!!!!!

As I said on a previous posting, my Christmas this year was somewhat different to what I'm used to and I have to admit I didn't really enjoy it at all. Away from my family and friends, immersed into unknown traditions and cultures that I didn't particularly enjoy or agree with. It was supposed to be the first lovely Christmas with my farmer, the first as a new family and I ended up feeling so low and realised exactly what I wanted out of life and my future and unfortunately this was not it at all.

I sat on Boxing Day evening when the electric went off for 3 hours in the dark, by myself, just me and my thoughts and there it was....clear as a bell,,,,,this life isn't for me anymore, I want to do whats right for me and my girls, I had had enough. My mind was made up.........I had to make a serious lifestyle change. A lifestyle change that I knew was going to be so difficult to undertake but was a "Must do" for my survival.

I went over to the UK to spend some quality time with my family over the New Year to clear my mind and focus on the future and how I was going to get where I wanted to be. Like I said, I had a lovely time and came back desperately upset that I needed to come home at all but knowing I needed to to be able to deal with everything to set up my future happiness and that of my girlies.

Within a week of coming back I had packed up, moved back into my house (shared with my ex) and started frantically packing ready for a huge move for the girls and I back to the UK, back to where I came from, back to my family and friends, back to where I know, to what I know, to the calm and peace of mind and back to my mother tongue!!

I'm still here busily packing, cleaning, organising and although feeling rather panic stricken when I think about what Im about to undertake, I also feel quite excited and positive and can imagine the weight being lifted from my shoulders. I have thought positive thoughts as oftern as possible and this has helped me greatly with every huge hurdle that I have jumped the last few weeks and there have been some horrible ones to jump. I know completely 100% that it is the right thing to do for me and my girls even though I know it will upset some people on the way.  I have had to be very selfish and think of just me and my girls and no one else. However I would question: "why does is it feel as if you are being selfish to think of ones self and no one else?" ...........hmmm?

Anyway,,,, that's it in a nutshell. I have had to find a new home for my poor 2 little piggies, but they went happily yesterday to a huge field with lots of other farmyard friends and hopefully they are going to be very happy there. I have also had to let go my classic MG BG T, sold today. These were essential things I have had to let go of to help me get where I am going. I will be where I want to be this time next month and most definatley this time 2014 my life will look rather rosie. Why???????????? Because I am thinking positive and I have told myself my life will be happy, calm and prosperous!

So if you don't hear from me in a while, do keep an eye out, I will be back as soon as I get a mo to fill you in on my progress.

In the meantime best wishes to you all
Love Nicky xxxx

The Secret

Good morning my lovely followers, I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and profited from family, friends, love and peace over the last few days.

We have had a rather quiet and somewhat strange Christmas this year. Very different from our normal Christmas' usually spent with lots of family and friends, noise, bedlam, mess, food and wine!!! I am not sure how future Christmas' will pan out but I prefer the latter!

Anyway, under my tree this year "my lovely friend" gave me a book that is in the process of rescuing my mental state and hopefully my future. We have both been through a lot over the last few years and have shouldered each others burdens on the way yet know how difficult life can be, as many others I know, when your head takes over and the only thoughts you have are negative thoughts. You spiral into such a black hole with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel and you can see no way out. When you are in this place no one can help you, nothing anyone can say can get you out of there. Your trapped! Watching your life unfold before you and not enjoying a moment of it.

Well, "my lovely friend" was given this book too a couple of months ago and even after under going a complicated painful operation on her neck her mood has changed into such a calm, positive zen like state. She knows where she is going in life, what she is wants, she has made great plans and is already turning everything around. I am sure she will not mind me telling you that she had a very very negative mind set before and one terrible crisis happened in her life after another, it was never ending. So after seeing her reverting to her old self I was obviously delighted to find this book for my Christmas present from her this year.

I started it on Christmas day and have struggled putting it down. I'm only part of the way through it but already I am relating to the words I am reading. I have managed to start some positive thinking and MY GOD, its great. It explains how negative attracts negative and positive attracts positive. Thinking positive thoughts makes you instantly feel better, gives you hope, helps you get what you wish for. Helps you appriciate what you have NOW in life which is sometimes very difficult to see at times.
This book is in the process of turning around my life.

Although it is called "THE SECRET" I don't think it is a book that can be kept a secret. I know there are others out there like me who need a bit of help from time to time to find what they are looking for. Give it a go and hopefully it will help you too.

The Secret Rhonda Byrne

I can not say a BIG enough THANK YOU to  "my lovely friend" for giving it to me. Love you lots and lots and where ever we both end up in the future we will always be close at heart. xxxxxxx

OH Dear....no more yarn!

I don't know quite how it has happened but I have a very small amount of yarn left !!!!!! Nightmare!!!!!!

I can't believe my stocks have become so low, I am getting a bit twitchy! I want to dash out and restock! I must have got through more than anticipated this year! Somehow, although I only have a couple of cushions, a lap blanket, hot water bottle covers and some bunting to show for it??

I am going to restrain myself, as I'm going to the UK in just over a week, where yarn is considerably cheaper than here in France, I will stock up. I am going to productively use this time to think about my up and coming projects for the rest of winter. I want to tackle a crochet tea cosy for my, hopefully, new teapot thats on my Christmas list. As my 3 girlies have lovely crochet blankets at the foot of their beds I think its time for a lovely one for my bed! A HUGE one, every colour under the sun, I'm throwing caution to the wind and going totally random with my grannies, not easy as my mind doesn't do "Random" It likes order!

How wierd that crochet can totally take over your life and make you obsessive! None crafters would think you "Barking" if you had to explain it but it is a total addiction isn't it?
Phew!!! Hopefully I can get through the next week........fingers crossed.

Best wishes
A rather shakey, aggitated Nicky xxx