Wednesday 12 June 2013

A week by the sea

Spring bank hols 2013 we managed our first family holiday in four years. For the first time we weren't moving or pregnant and we managed to scrape together the pennies for a lovely week at the seaside. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Sandsend ...

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Certainly the place to be seen this summer, we are pretty sure Mary Portas was also in residence!

Here was our cottage ...

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And the view, oh that view...



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The weather was gorgeous for most of the week and early mornings I'd open that door and lay on the sofa sipping my cuppa and listening the the roar of the waves. I would so love to live right on the beach one day, well I can dream! The week was filled will little boy centred activities, such as creating beach creations with a load of washed up bamboo...

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And the more traditional castles ...

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Wearing our comically over sized sun hats ...

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Spotting the vintage buses, what a beauty ...

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Failed attempts to do crab catching ...

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Amassing large fossil collections ...

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We took trips to Staithes, Robin Hoods Bay and a couple of jaunts into Whitby ...

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Including one with Nana where we partook of refreshments at Sherlocks tea rooms ...

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We found a converted park "boat", which was perfect for pirate games ...

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And overall we had lots of fun. We grown ups slept like logs (sea air!) and there were lots of laughs and lovely memories to keep forever ...

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Start the saving for next year!
Toodle pip
J
x

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Captain Peapod's Log #2

Captain Peapod's Log #2

Back on the bookshelf:
The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver
A chunky read, very readable. Whipped through the second half while recovering from a tummy bug.

On the TV:
Case Histories
Not quite as good as the books but a good night in front of the TV.

Film night (x2!):
Chronicle - another total risk of a film which was completely entertaining, exciting and really enjoyable.
Argo - again enjoyable watch. Lots of suspense and 70s facial hair.

On the needles:
Socks - one pairs finished and posted off as a birthday pressie for my sister. Second lace sock casting on shortly.

In the sewing basket:

Half started some dressmaking. Enjoying it but creating a totally unwearable nightmare thing of a top. I keep telling myself it doesn't matter if it is unwearable as long as I enjoy putting it together. Sigh!

Also Jo's wedding quilt,only a few done this week. I've had a press on socks with a deadline looming!

Gym bunny session:

Wednesday - lunchtime swim
Friday - Gym session
Then petered out a bit due to tummy bug :(

Toodle pip
J
x

It lasted just a day...

This is an unhappy tale - misadventures into wholly unsuitable school uniform making. It started out very promising, the knitting went well and the lad liked it ...

Untitled

I got the wool and pattern as a Christmas present and I really enjoyed knitting this one up. A lovely chunky aran wool and a nice and simple but effective fisherman's rib pattern. When the weather warmed up he proudly donned the said tank top, he looked like a total cutie. Nice and retro, Mama was proud of her home made efforts.

It came home 6 hours later a total wreck. He'd got hot and tried to take it off, the wool got caught on the buttons on his polo shirt and it got pulled to bits. He arrived home with it on inside out with about three 3ft loops of wool hanging off him. I could have cried!

Toodle pip
J
x





Wednesday 8 May 2013

Captain Peapod's Log

Captain Peapod's Log is designed for me to simply jot down a few facts, the plan is to record stuff regularly to keep track of what I've been up to. Just for my own records and so I don't have all those, have I seen that/read that moments :)


Back on the bookshelf:
Prisoner of Heaven - Carlos Ruis Zafon
Loved this one, a real page turner with great characters. Finished it in about 3 days flat.

Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures - Emma Straub
Less of a page turner than the one above (tiny print) but an interesting portrait of the rise and fall of a Hollywood movie star. Not as gripping as I would have liked, I read it after I heard it reviewed on the Radio 2 Arts Show - I find picking up recommendations from there always produces mixed results.

On the TV:
Not much really :(
Really missing Great British Sewing Bee

Film night:
Friends with Kids - a total risk of a film which turned out to be very entertaining indeed. Made a change from the teen movies I seem to have picked in recent weeks!

On the needles:
Socks - two pairs, muchos excitement as loving these!

In the sewing basket:

Jo's wedding quilt, steady as she goes. About 50 squares done. 800 odd more to go!

And the scariest category of all ....

Gym bunny session:
Tuesday - power walk lap of the racecourse
Wednesday - lunchtime swim

Will update this last one as the week progresses!

Toodle pip
J
x

Thursday 2 May 2013

Birthday weekend

Well, another year older and wiser for me this week. I observed the tradition of not working on my birthday so enjoyed a long weekend with a couple of days off work.

The boys were very excited about birthday stuff as per usual and were really hyper about their present to me. Shrivelled apple Emporer Palpatine anyone!?

Reuben made me wear my birthday stickers...


Birthday stickers

Not quite the same as wearing your 'I am four' badge eh?

I accomplished lots of crafty stuff too including the laying out and coding of Jo's wedding quilt and creating miles of wedding bunting - no photos till after the big day!

I also sewed a replacement cover for Dave's car boot find of a beat up old directors chair.

From this...

Before

Via this...

During

To this...

After

I ordered the material for our bedroom curtains AND I made a table cloth ...

Table cloth

Boy what a busy few days :)

We had some good stuff - grown up tea out for the two of us, first time in goodness knows how long . And some usual stuff too - family snuffles coming on and appalling customer service and traipsing about trying to get my watch fixed! Such is life.

I'd just like to ask one question. How did I get so old?
Toodle pip
J
x

Putting shelves to good use

Following our recent push on putting up our alcoves of shelving we found we had capacity issues. Some of them were looking a little empty and a bit forlorn, oh what a lovely problem to have! It won't last.

In lieu of ever having again a house big enough to have my own craft room (only occasionally do I miss those pre-children days when space was so much less of an issue) ... I now have some craft shelves :)

Craft shelves

Mmm, that'll do!

I also have recently made myself a craft storage box. The green spotty thing on the right.

Craft cube

The pattern comes from this book and overall it was really nice and simple to make. Unfortunately, I managed to buy the wrong type of interfacing - it was really expensive and good and stiff, but it was non fusible. Grrrrr! This made the construction a little tricky in places and the end result isn't quite as stable as I would like it to be, but it looks darn pretty up there. I think I'll give another one a go some time, when I've got hold of the proper fusible stuff that is.

I'm very proud of my little pair of crafty shelves. I can't decide whether to make a cover for my sewing machine or not. It kind of needs the blast of colour up there, but I also like seeing the shape of the machine on show. One to ponder.

I came home the other day to see that a small array of lego spaceships had been added to my little patch of creativity. Is it wrong that I immediately removed them from said shelves and found alternative homes elsewhere? Gerrof your Mum's shelves small people!

Toodle pip
J
x

Friday 5 April 2013

Easter round up


Our Easter hols have started to fly by, only a few days left to go before it will be back to work for me .... boo :(

We seem to have achieved quite a lot and have had a very busy week so far.

On Good Friday we packed the car to the gills, steeled ourselves for five hours of driving fun, and headed back to the hills for a few days in order to visit Grandma and Grandad. The weather was freezing but at least the sun shone. We managed a brisk walk along a bit of the seafront at Aberystwyth ...















And the boys enjoyed zooming around the castle re-enacting star wars and pirate battles ...


When the wind got too cold we retreated back indoors so I managed to get quite a bit of crafting done. Paper squares are currently being taped into 864 of these lovelies ready for the next wedding quilt ...

Squares at the ready

And I finished a last minute knitting project for me, inspired by the chilly spring weather we seem to be stuck with ...

Slouchy hat

Slouchy hat

Planning for the next house projects also started today, complete with two trips to the timber merchant to stock up on more wood. Most of it the right size - eventually! So while the tiddlers go to Nana's for a sleep over on Saturday its shelves for him and curtains for me. Here is a sneaky peak of my project ...

Stripey package

Very excited indeed to be finally doing these :)

Today was a chill out day in the main so I even managed to dust off my griddle and whip up some goodies inspired by our trip to Wales ...

Welsh Cakes

Twenty one of these sugar coated Welsh Cake yummies were produced at tea time, but only nine were left by the time I found the camera. As quick as they came off the griddle they were getting snaffled up. Ah well, at least they were appreciated.

Toodle pip
J
x

Big boy bed

Our baby is growing up fast.

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Getting your big boy bed is a very exciting event and calls for much jumping and giggling :)

Thankfully, he has settled to sleeping in it like a pro and the old cot will be heading to ebay shortly. His big brother is impressed by the new sharing arrangements too, apparently now Caleb sleeps in the room with him Reuben will no longer get lonely at night. Awww!

Toodle pip
J
x

Sunday 17 March 2013

On the shelf

We're making slow progress with house renovations, mainly because the pennies have had to be seriously watched over recent months. However, in the last few weeks we've finished the first part of the mammoth shelving job for our lounge and dining room.

We have four alcoves to fill, three of which are destined to be shelved. The final one will, fingers crossed, house a mini sideboard or cupboard.

We started with the empty corner ...

Empty corner

And the piles of supplies ...

MDF piles

Wood pile

The artiste got to work ...

The artiste at work

Miles of batons went up ...

Up go the batons

And they look darn fine ...

Finished shelves - living room

Finished shelves - dining room

Books make such nice ornaments :)
Toodle pip
J
x



Monday 11 March 2013

Ooh-arrr me hearties!

My two knitted pirate dolls are finally finished ...

Pirates 1

These were darn fiddly things to make but I'm pleased with the result, they sort of look like they should - never a guaranteed outcome with my knitting! Making up is my least favourite part of the process so these blighters about drove me mad - so many bits to sew together, especially doing two simultaneously so both peapods can have one :)

The boys are pleased with them and in an unsurprising bout of 'anything my brother does I do too' both have been christened 'Captain Jack Sparrow'. You can guess the current obsession at our house. oooh arr!

Toodle pip
J
x

Mothers Day goodies

There was much excitement among the little peapods at the patch this year in relation to Mothers Day. Friday evening after school saw several whispered exchanges between munchkins and Dad - plus nods, winks and a few under bed 'hiding' missions all the while mentioning that it was all a great big SECRET. Bless!

By the time Sunday arrived it was anticipated with almost as much excitement that a birthday normally generates.

Pressies were:

A homemade card ...

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Complete with a beautiful display of Reu's fast improving writing skills ...

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A Betty's bun (only the box survives, contents were devoured before the camera came out, but it is such a pretty box I can't bear to throw it away yet) ...

Bettys Bun Box


And a pin board ...

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This last one is an old thing of my Dads that was rescued from the garage a few months back. Dave saw its potential, acquired it (much gratitude from Mum who is always looking to get rid of the remaining piles of garage tat) and has secretly renovated it for me, all with Caleb's help - he apparently pitched in with the sanding! It is now duly mounted and waiting to display the daily deliveries of artwork and stories that arrive home from school.

Toodle pip
J
x




Saturday 16 February 2013

One wedding quilt - done!

ok, so it has been a while again. Once more life kinda got in the way of coming on here to record the mundane and the creative. Then I remembered a couple of photos lurking on the pen drive which I never sorted out and the spark re-ignited. I've at least got to add the completed wedding quilt project.

So I'm proud to present ...


Mr & Mrs Lewis 2012 Wedding Gift Bed Quilt

Netti & Chris 2012 Wedding Gift Quilt

I managed to get it done well within my self imposed deadline of one year - months in advance of their first anniversary in fact. It came together lovely and quickly once I got started and it was a very enjoyable one to do.

A bit more of a close up, unfortunately my snaps still don't show some of the lovely detail in the prints we found (there are plenty of chickens in there!). It looked so lovely and at home on our bed it was quite a wrench sending it off to its new owners.

Completed quilt

Well the quilt has gone off to a very happy home and I understand it has been doing sterling work keeping the newly weds toes toasty over these winter months. Next up is youngest sister, she gets married in October this year and has also requested a quilt for their gift. The aim this time is to get it done before the wedding, wish me luck! First fabric shopping trip coming up on Monday :)

Toodle pip
J
x