A lovely competition and house news...

Hi all!

Just popped back to share this gorgeous competition being held by Cottontails. You have a chance to win a choice of two scrummy aprons from English Eclectics and a co-ordinating toy from Moulin Roty, the prize is worth £39! Just click on >>THIS<< to enter, all you have to do is Name That Biscuit!!!

I have loads of photos to show you of things for my new house..... except I have a new phone (which won't connect to this PC) and I'm getting my new laptop tomorrow. So I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer. I will show you the agent's picture of the kitchen though, as you can see it's been done in quite a country style even though it's right in town. I so cannot wait to get all my pretty girly things in there :)

I'm moving in on Saturday!!!!! Three sleeps to go, cannot wait!

Have a great day, love Mel xxx

Quick hi, shopping and update!

Hey folks,

Thanks for all the good wishes on the last post. Unfortunately the apartment fell through (gutted is not the word!) because the landlord suddenly decided he didn't want children. But I've now got a holding deposit on a lovely little private city centre property. It's not very old, it's not very big but it's so sweet and perfect for me and my little ladies. The kitchen is proper country style, so it fits perfectly with my blog name heeheehee. Just wait until you see all the gorgeous girly lusciousness I am purchasing for it!!! I will be back with photos soon.

Just been shopping today.... meant to buy practical things... um.... well you can see what I came back with! I am very chuffed with the melamine bowls, so pretty and reduced to £1 each from £2.50 (from BHS, which is also where the flower in jar arrangement and the heart frame were from). The bag is £22 from M&S and the jewellery was from there too. The cream is to try and banish my frown lines!!!! Cheaper than Botox hahahaha.

I had best go, my little one started school last week and I have to pick her up after lunch. She is so cute and tiny in her uniform, I'm so proud. And of her big sister as well of course!

Have a great week, love Mel xxx

New beginnings...

Hey folks,

Yet again I've disappeared but I am back with exciting news! It's been an eventful and very difficult year to say the least, I have been on a bit of a rollercoaster the last six months but hopefully (please keep your fingers crossed for me!!!) it's calming down now.

Anyway the news is that I have just found a place to rent, and I think and hope that you will all enjoy the journey of making this new place a home for me and my girls. Once I know it's all going ahead properly I will of course give you probably far too many photos and show you how I'm progressing. It's all new for me because I've never rented before so it will be strange not being allowed to do whatever I want with the place but I know it will feel like home soon enough.

The place I've found is a huge, old flat that's absolutely full of character and pretty open plan, so a massive change for me from anywhere I've lived before. There's even a big landing that will be perfect for a crafting area, so I may actually even finish my youngest daughter's quilt ;)

I will keep you posted on how it's going, I'm staying at my Mum's at the moment so I can go as soon as all the paperwork and things are ready. I can't wait, and hopefully you will have fun reading about my fresh challenge too. Take care and thank you for hanging about waiting for me, love Mel xxx

A make and a nice chore for once

Hey all!

I've realised it's been a month again since I was last here, but that's improving on my last appearance! Thank you for my welcome back last time though! Just popping on quick to show you my latest make, which was inspired by the saying "Friends are like stars, you don't need to see them to know they are there". Except with less stitching.... it's only a mini cushion! It's for someone I miss a lot and I hope they will like it :)

Yesterday I had a proper girly day and washed all the china off the dresser and gave the whole thing a good clean. It was actually quite a satisfying job and I was inspired to do the rest of the dining room as well afterwards. I love how all this rosey china looks together.

The dresser is now devoid of random paperwork/ hairbands/ badges/ small toys etc etc. Let's hope it stays that way for a while!!! Apologies for the drunken angle.

The cast on my ankle came off a couple of weeks ago and I'm getting used to walking about on two legs again. It still hurts, it swells up when I walk about too much and the scars aren't nice but I really appreciate not having to use crutches any more! I've got to have two screws taken out of it at the end of the month sometime and a follow up appointment in June and then that's it hopefully.

Right I'd better go and spend some time with my brother, who is watching Doctors in my living room on his own at the moment. Take care all xxx

The wanderer returns...

...Um, yeah so I wasn't back before Christmas... or January... or February... or even March! So thank you for your patience if you have carried on following me or are a new follower.

Part of the reason for my absence is that my husband and I have separated and therefore I won't be living in this house too much longer, and this house has always been a big part of my blog! I also broke my ankle at the end of February on a "look I'm freeee!" night out, which has meant husband moving back in to look after me and the girls. Yep, it's awkward.

 Anyway, on a more positive note I have managed to make a couple of things to show you in the intervening time! Firstly one of my best friends was given a sewing tin for Christmas and asked me to give her some pins and cotton to go in it.

Never one to resist a challenge I decided to make my first pin cushion and a needle book along with a few other bits and pieces.Weirdly enough I chose to use the strawberry fabric before I found out the tin she was given also had strawberries on.

Everything's pretty simplistic but my friend was really pleased.

I also made a patchwork heart on the spur of the moment the other day. Lots of people have suggested that while I'm laid up with the cast on my leg that I should do more creative things, which I can see makes sense! Though I always struggle to make when I'm not happy so what with everything that's going on at the moment it has been a bit of a mental challenge. I am pleased with this though, and I think I will use it for a Facebook pay it forward that I signed up to months ago that needs to be completed this year.

Right, I think that will do for the time being, I will do my best not to leave it so long next time! Hope you are all doing well, love Mel xxx

Kitchen update :)

Hi all, hope everyone is doing well. I thought you might like to see how the kitchen is coming along. We have made some progress at last... here is my beautiful new range cooker!!! The tiles need to go up but at least we can use it!

I absolutely love it to bits already! It was only installed on Wednesday and I’ve already cooked a full roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and baked some biscuits with my girlies. I can’t imagine how I managed with just a microwave/convection oven for sooo long. 

In the garage we have a dishwasher, washing machine, ceramic sink and a tap waiting to be installed. I am hoping desperately that they will be in by Christmas (especially the dishwasher!!!) but even if not at least I can cook the dinner with ease, as there will be eight of us this year. 

I found a picture on the PC of how the kitchen started off, I’ve never shown a full view on the blog because I don’t like it at all, though it is light at least. This is as tidy as it ever gets ;)

 The sink and washing machine will be staying where they are but being replaced with new. The dishwasher is going where the old oven is on the right there and the hob will be removed. All the new worktop will be beech effect to match the existing breakfast bar. There are a replacement fridge and freezer in already down the end which are larger and actually matching so there’s not a gap at the side any more, which looks much tidier already. The cupboard (which is currently a built in extractor and small amount of storage at the top) above the old hob is going to be taken out and a shelf or two and some enamel utensils my Mum gave me are going up there.

Unfortunately as funds are not limitless the compromise we’ve had to make is keeping the rest of the old units as we just couldn’t afford to replace them, but although there are unfortunately two different types (don’t ask!!!) they are both white and fairly inoffensive! I’d like to get new blinds made and a new curtain for the back door but it depends if we have any money left over at the end really. 

 I’ve deliberately not mentioned it too much so far as sometimes it’s nice to escape the thought of it, but how are the Christmas plans coming along? We’ve got our tree up and various Christmassy things about, just wrote my cards in the last couple of days too. We have a few pressies under the tree but I need to have a huge wrapping session.

I've just got to show you a picture of the ceiling in my friend's flat in Bristol. I stayed at his place with my brother last month when we went to see Motorhead and he lives in a really nice place that I think you would all appreciate. This is the top of the living room shutters and the ceiling. Gorgeous, I am very envious!

Well I will bid you goodbye for another day, I can't believe it's been a month since I did a post last, sorry about that. Take care and I will be back before Christmas! Love Mel xxx

A day out and other bits and pieces

Hi there! Hope you're having a good weekend. I'm not working today, which is very nice. Crafting seems to have been a bit thin on the ground this last week with the horrible weather, so I thought I would show you a few pics from half term when we all went for a trip to Salisbury Cathedral Close.

The one below is from a tiny front garden, in a lot of the gardens in The Close these pretty little flowers grow amongst the stones, but I thought the geranium was so pretty and striking as well. I could spend hours just looking at the gardens and houses.

For us it's less than a half hour walk so we should go more often really. It was pretty chilly so we didn't hang about outside for long but we did go the Salisbury Museum and took some shots in there as well.

There is a big statue outside the Cathedral of a man reclining, this doesn't show how huge it is and how realistic it looks from a distance.

Inside the museum there are all sorts of things but these caught my eye.

There's a lot that kids enjoy too like costumes to try on, little mice to spot amongst the exhibits and colouring in sheets at various strategic points so we all had a good time.

There was icecream in the cafe at the end too, mmmmmm. Unfortunately we ate it too fast to photograph :-S

On the home front we've been battening down the hatches against the rain and winds. I'm back addicted to Yankee Candles again so most evenings you will see one of these lit and making us feel warm and cosy.

I received a lovely giveaway runner up prize this week from Annie of Birdcages and Butterflies, love the baker's twine on the wrapping!

I got a gorgeous keyring plus some pretty earrings (which I'm really sorry have not photographed at all well on a red background). Thanks so much Annie, I love it all xxx

On the kitchen front there is not a lot more to report but after living here since January 2007 we finally have bar stools at the breakfast bar! Only £19.99 plus p&p from ebay and perfect after a scrub. That's my kind of bargain.

I'm going to do and do some more quilt square sewing now I think, seems a good idea as it's very grey outside. Take care all, love Mel xxx