Thursday, 31 July 2014

Little Happies


The Summer Holibops are in full swing at the Blossom Trees residence! Lazy mornings and films and playing in the garden and friends coming around and lots of pancakes (only because I've perfected them now!)

...Lots of fun!

And lots of little happies to show you!...

The very clever and amazingly talented Mr Blossom Trees as finished the hallway radiator cover to match the hallway table he made!...


...So pleased with our entrance hall now! It could do with a fresh lick of paint, but for now, it is lovely and just what I wanted.

I also bought a few new garden-ey things! Lots of bulbs and seeds for next year, some new gloves and a couple of new tools...


Only the Daffodils can be planted now for next spring, so that has been done. The rest are patiently waiting their turn next year to be planted! It will take a couple of years but I'm so looking forward to having a beautiful, flower-filled garden!

The next Happy, is from this old friend; that today has been washed and placed on our bed...


I haven't picked this up in so long! Its made with Stylecraft Special DK yarn. I am GOING TO get some more of this as FINISH IT!!!....I have pre-warned Hubby! For another one of the 17 colours (yes really!), that I have used in making this, it will come to about £27. Not bad really! That should be enough for the rest of the blanket and the edging. I could have got so much further with this blanket if I hadn't diverted off onto so many different projects!

I have now fished my Boyfriend cardi (HOORAY!!!), but as its yet to have its buttons on, I will hold off the reveal until a later date!

That's all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

Friday, 25 July 2014

"Free" is the magic number


What a fantastic couple of days I've had!



Today, we went to see my lovely sister in law and her family. They have recently moved from their flat into a 3-bed house. It was quite the mess when they found it but they have worked around the clock (with a little help from family) to make it a lovely, fresh, warm and inviting home. Today was the first time I had seen it finished.

They now have a garden which is a lovely dream come true for them. Again, like the house it is in quite a state and they are starting to get to grips with sorting it out for their two boys to play in safely.

It would appear that at some point, the previous owners were quite keen gardeners, as buried in the over-grown bushes and hedges were many garden ornaments. My sis in law had them bagged up to be thrown away, but after asking her if I could rehome them, she was more than willing to let me save her a job!
I also uncovered a couple more..and promptly bagged them all up to take home!


Yes, they look a bit odd all clumped together like this, but after having a good bath from my garden hose, they are now placed around my garden, waiting for plants to grow around them so they can poke through!

This may sound silly, but my lovely Grandma always had garden ornaments in her large rockery and as children, my cousins and I always had the job of finding the new ones she has hid in it every time we visited her! Its a fond childhood memory I would like to continue with my children and grandchildren!

On top of this, I also unearthed an awful lot of plastic pots for growing, which again, I was more then welcome to take away with me...


Once again, with a good washing, they are as good as new!!

Then the real bonus came!

I came across a plant so delicate and beautiful it almost took my breath away....I asked if I could take just one to pot up and eventually put into my own garden, and once again, my sister in law was so accommodating, as she said they would all be covered by decking in a years time anyway...so I scooped them up too and now have them planted in pots in the lean-to. Then with thanks to a very knowledgeable Aunt, I found out their name...


Aren't they just wildly inviting?! They are just bursting with colour!
It was a great way to finish off a great couple of days.

And what was so great about the first day, you may ask?!.....


.....My beautiful sister Laura, got hitched!!!
It was a beautiful, emotional and happiest day! Huge congratulations to Laura and her lovely new hubby Greg! x

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Very Humble Beginings


This last week I have been desperate to get out into the garden and do some much needed tidying and sorting. I've also felt a big drive to get a greenhouse of sorts and start growing my own flowers to put in the garden.

Unfortunately, the heat has dictated that I do nothing of the sort and instead I've taken to just staring at the garden thinking "When it gets cooler......."

But today I bit the bullet and made a start. Its not the messiest garden by a long shot and it is small (but perfectly formed, if you ask me!)


This is my version of  a panoramic view. Forgive me.

I've only managed to get as far the the picture on the far right, and that took a couple of hours! Turning over the hard and clay-like soil with only a children's spade and an old trowel that I found in our lean-to is not the quickest of jobs!

During the digging, I came across these interesting things..



One a carnation and the other a rose. I can only hope that somewhere in the earth are the roots of these beautiful flowers that were once planted there and maybe one day with will grow again and join my little patch?!

I decided to also set up a mini greenhouse in our Lean-to as its fairly warm and consistent in there and will protect from the bugs and slugs that love to eat anything I try and grow!

Its is in its very humble beginnings but I'm proud of it and its cost me absolutely nothing (so far!). Ive only potted up some small bulbs that were given to me for my birthday and a couple of Sun Flower seeds. I will let you know how it goes!

And even though this is just the beginning, I have very big plans for my little garden! Watch this space!

That's all for now. Until next time, you take care now x x

Monday, 21 July 2014

Time on my hands: Finished Cardi

Its late as i type this, so forgive me!

I have finished Little Lady's cardi and although there are many mistakes that I (and other knitters) can spot, it is finished and I'm thrilled to say, Little Lady loves it and has worn it with pride at every opportunity (despite the heat!) over the last 2 days!

My best friend has been on holiday for the last week and this is why I'm convinced I've had the time to start and complete an entire cardigan!!!.....Obviously we spend too much time nattering day-to-day!

That is why I have informed her that I intend to make her a Knitter!!!

Anyway, here it is....



Now i guess thee are no more excuses to not finished my "Boyfriend Cardigan" !?!

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

WIP Wednesday

Hello every one and Happy Wednesday!

Its funny; still to this day, whenever I spell Wednesday I am instantly transported back to being 6 years old into a classroom with my favourite of all time teacher, Ms Parkin, who told us to think of "Red Nose Day" when we spell it; "Wed" (red) - "Nes" (nose) - "day". Thank you Ms Parkin, where ever you are now...you made learning fun x

Anyho! Back onto the projects in hand!


Speaking of "in-hand", little lady and I picked these on our way home. Its been a lovely day with her, which has been a remarkable change from the horror of a week we have had battling her behaviour! Im hoping that a new tact in dealing with her "spirited outbursts" (shall we call them?!) has put a stop to things for the time being! Ah, to be three again!

Right. The other day I was very kindly given a couple of bag worth of goodies. Several large 100g balls of acyrlic yarn and tonnes of needles! (Im a bit of a needle hoarder!)

So I decided to make a new cardigan for little Miss as the last one I made her is now too small, and the green yarn I was given can also double up as a school cardi if needed. I hope to have this done next week!


The patter can be found  here and its been a bit of a learning curve for me! Ive struggled on the decreases and its knocked the pattern out of sync a bit, but nothing too drastic and still perfectly wearable. The body is made in one piece and the arms separate and attached after.
Its actually very similar to a cardigan that was knitted for Little Lady by my Aunt when she was about 1yrs old and I loved that so I was really pleased to find a pattern that replicates it!

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

Thursday, 10 July 2014

Finished: Cable Socks

Finally, I have a pair of cable socks!!!

I'm so incredibly proud of this pair!

And the second sock knitted up as quickly as the first, even though i did hold my breath until the gusset and heel were done! But certainly no "Second Sock Syndrome" here!


They are super snuggly and comfy!!! I'm (almost) looking forward to winter now to show them off!!!
So that's two of my New Years Resolutions (knitting socks and learning to cable) ticked off in one go!

The pattern for these can be found here and the yarn used is Araucania Ranco Multy; Fingering [Number 498], which I purchased from Meadow Yarn.

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x


Friday, 4 July 2014

Happiness is....


Ive stolen this idea (from Vanessa over at the always gorgeous Coco Rose Diaries)  as it seemed very appropriate today!


Yesterday my bestie and I were wondering around our local charity shop (small and quaint but always great fun!). Then i spotted something over on the "brick-a-brack" shelves. After I had just finished telling her about my want to decorate the main bathroom from its very bland and boring current state to a pale yet bright yellow, i saw these...



Boxed as new, and only £3!

They will go perfectly with the new (eventual) scheme!

So thats my little bit of Happiness of the last 24 hours!!

For those who refuse to step into a charity shop, you're missing a big trick!

Thats all for now!
Until next time, you take care now x