Here I am - with Pay It Forward winners!

Hi there lovely Blogettes - I didn't have any intention of staying away for soooo long from blogland, but you see I set myself a target - to finish the decorating in my lounge and dining room AND make the curtains by the 1st of December. I started on the 15th of October so it has been a while, and I have had to be very disciplined to fit in the decorating with work, so in the main I have had to resist dipping into blogland.  I am looking forward to spending some time catching up with your blogs and finding out what has been going on and the latest projects you are all working on. 

When I finished the painting I was left with lots of fabric

which was a little daunting.  The cutting out made me feel a little nervous, you know matching the pattern, but luckily we had emptied the dining room so was able to lay it all out on the floor

so it was a lot of crawling around with pins and measure, measure, measure.  My sewing machine was put to good use

Yesterday, because we had rather a lot of snow here, I was able to finish off and hang the curtains. So I met my target!  I know its silly, but I do work better when I have a "target"!!!

Sorry the light is not too good this morning, I will take some better pictures tomorrow, but just HAD to show you!

Now, I am excitied to tell you that I have drawn the winners for the Pay It Forward and they are

The Garden Bell
Aussie Maria
Gibraltar Louise

Congratulations!  please email me your details (link at side of blog) and I will send you a little something that I have been preparing in my bit of spare time which I do hope you will love - here is a peek:-

Well here in the South we have had tons of snow - this morning we woke up completely snowed in!  I actually don't mind it too much, but feel for people who have been stuck on trains etc.  It is the first time we have been really able to test our new heating which is an air source heat pump - and we are really toasty which is sooooooo fabulous after last winter when we froze. 

Our little garden lights had "snow hats" on this morning

so did the bird bath

and my little garden table and chairs

Well I am off for a nice hot drink and may start to write my Christmas cards, snow does make me festive! 

Its lovely to finally catch up with you all!

Speak soon xx

Thank you Karin - I will Pay It Forward!

Hi there,  I just looked at my blog and realised I haven't posted since the 3rd of November!  I have been solidly decorating and have at last finished the wallpaper scraping, rubbing down, washing down, painting, painting and painting!  I was getting a tad fed up with it but, now the end is in sight, I am moving furniture back in and now have the curtains to make.

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my Granny Stripe blanket, it was really lovely of you to take the trouble to comment as there are soooo many Granny Stripe blankets out there at the moment, so thank you again, it is much appreciated.  I am slowly working on a new project which I am hoping to share with you all soon.

In the midst of the Kimbles chaos, a surprise arrived from lovely Karin :-

A package, because I had left a comment on her blog when she did her Pay It Forward.

Inside was sooooooo.........................................Dutch!!!!  Fabulous  have a peeeeeek

Gorgeous blue and white, and wait......................

A hand made coaster for my teapot (actually it is waaay to nice to put my teapot on!)  and look at that lovely little tag she had made with beads adorning it!

There were also two Dutch pot holders, can you see the little couple kissing and the lovely windmill? 

Karin, I can't thank you enough, you certainly made my day. 

So .........

Now it is my turn to Pay It Forward, so if any of you would like to take part, just leave me a comment and after lets say a week, I shall send three of you a little something to brighten your days too!  Then of course it will be your turn to do the same.

Take care all of you

Speak soon xx

Granny Stripe - Finished - At Last!

Hi everyone, I popped by to show you the final result of my Granny Stripe blanket.  I started this waaay back in the summer on a Crochet-Along with Attic24, but it proved to be not very forgiving for my hands and I had a huge break from it and since then I have done a little here and there.  It was crying out to be finished and I sooooo wanted to - it was really frustrating - in fact I fell in and out of love with it, I just wanted it to be a completed project!  Now it is!

Ta Dah!

Boy, am I glad that project is over!  Now I will concentrate on something much smaller I think!  I decided on an one colour edging with a picot trim

So now it has taken its place in our conservatory with mini hexagon blanket - waiting for a cold day so we can snuggle up together!

Our house is chaos at the moment because I in my infinite wisdom decided the dining room and lounge needed decorating ( you may remember me showing you colours and fabric in my last post)  well I have finished the decorating in the dining room and we have now started on the lounge, sadly the wallpaper is holding on fast to the walls, so there is much steaming and huffing and puffing whilst trying to get it off hehe!!  I keep saying once the preparation is done it will be all plain sailing - don't think hubby is quite as enthusiastic about it as me, I have done most of it - just don't think men see any need to decorate at all!!!  I think despite the upheaval, its great to scrape off walls or paint and have music blaring out  to sing along too - yes a very jolly time could be had.........................

Speak soon xx

The Tale of the Shelf

Hello!  As you know this last couple of weeks I have been decorating and dear hubby, who has been busy with work, dips in and out and offers advice (not always taken) and generally chivvies me along.  Well a couple of times I suggested things he could do to assist.  Well the other week I came home to find this shelf, which he had put up in on our kitchen wall.

"How handy you say" and "well done", but the truth is, I had put this out to go to the charity shop - he decided we needed another shelf - "you could put more cookery books on it "he said

As you can see, we already have rather untidy cookery book shelves, do we really need another one?

I mean there is a veeeery loooooong list of "Things To Do", and that wasn't even on the bottom of it - male and female brains, work sooooo differently!!!! Do you find that? hehe!

So "The Shelf" sat empty for a while, while I decided what to put on it.  Every time I went out with my friend, we searched for the perfect thing to adorn "The Shelf".................................................. then last week I found this in a lovely little shop in my local town of Lewes. 

I brought it home and placed it on the shelf............................................sadly it looked a little lonely!

A few days later I just had to give this little red hen a mate...................so back to the shop I went and voila!

This continues the "Hen" theme in my kitchen...

It took a few days before dear Hubby even noticed that "The Shelf" had been filled, but he approved, aaah I just love him!

Next week I will show you the finished Granny Stripe blanket, I am slowly finishing the edging, I am trying to finish off a couple of projects which I started ages ago, before I start on something with the African Pansies (incidentally thank you for your comments on that pattern, I will do a tutorial at some stage!)

Have a lovely weekend, the clocks go back so an extra hour in bed yay!

Speak soon xx

My One Year Birthday Give-Away Winner!

I there dear Blogettes, I have finally got round to drawing the prize for my little give away. 

And the winner is..................................................

Well done Helsie!!!!!!!!  Could you please contact me with your address via the email and a little something will be winging its way to you in Australia!!!!

Last week I had this mad idea, that I would decorate our dining room, so I stripped off the wallpaper and then, had that feeling 'I wish I hadn't started this!'  Do you get like that, well no going back now - so inbetween working I have been slapping the paint on, then there are curtains to make.  I wanted a nice cosy by sunny theme because our house can be rather dark so this is the combo

I think it will be really nice when it is done, but getting to that point................well that is another matter.  I am typing this with a wrist support on, because my hands are still sore and of course, I shouldn't decorate, or crochet or anything else for that matter, but I JUST CAN'T NOT DO ANYTHING!!!!!!!!   My Doc has referred me to the Hand Clinic at the Hospital, so I am waiting for an appointment.

I have been doing a little crochet and it is great to be able to show you a teensy weensy something

This is a work-in-progress, two African Flower motifs in red and gold cotton.  I plan to crochet them together and add a hangy uppy bit and then stuff it with Christmassy stuff, like cinnamon, and cloves, and hang them on the Christmas tree - I think this will look really pretty - may try a white and silver one too. 

Talking of African Flower motifs I have played around with it and made a square shaped motif based on the African Flower (looks more along the lines of an African Pansy to me).  Its literally "an experiment" but I think this is the next motif for me to make a blanket or something. I really think motifs are much easier to tackle when there are hand issues. Anyway, what do you think of these?

African Pansies!  Cute aren't they?  I think they have real PoTenTiaL!  

What else has been happening around the Kimbles household?  Pantomime rehearsals have started and this year myself and Little Kimbles will be in it - there is endless playing of  songs and trying to learn the lyrics and dance moves - Mr K is a little tired of it already hehe!!!!  But do you know the best part?  Rehearsals are on a Sunday afternoon - and Mr K cooks a fabulous roasty dinner for when us tired singers and dancers arrive home - therefore I have to keep doing it until at least I am eighty!!!

Its so lovely to catch up with you all and actually have a little bit of crochet to show you!!! 

Will post again soon with the tale of "The Shelf"

Speak soon xx

A Year Old Today!

Hello!!! I don't quite know how I have got there, but my little bit of cyberspace is one year old today.  Whilst thinking about what to write in this post, my daughter said I should focus on all of the positive things which have come out of blogging. 

So here are some lovely country flowers and herbs for you - my bloggy friends which I have made over the past year.  I have to give special mention to Mrs Twins and The Garden Bell who have given me much encouragement over the year and of course to Lucy at Attic 24 who even though we don't chat directly, has inspired me so much!

I have learnt so much too, from patterns to recipes, to how to do more of the more complicated stuff on blogger, it has been a pleasure.

Of course another highlight has been taking part in the SIBOL project and although I haven't been able to take as much as part as I would have liked in the last few weeks (don't mention the sore hands - be positive!!) I am really proud to have sent a few squares and be a "Sibolette".

I would love to do a little blog giveaway, so if you leave me your name I will choose a winner at the end of next week.  I am not promising it will be anything crocheted as that is a difficult area for me at the moment - but it will still be something nice!

This week I have been pickling onions, which is quite sweet because my very first post was on the same subject - the years take on a sort of pattern don't they!

It was raining the day I did these - I usually sit outside, so instead I just cried my eyes out indoors!!!!

Leave them overnight sprinkled with salt

Next morning, rinse off and pack into sterilised jars, adding malt vinegar and a spoonful of sugar to take the bite off - and there you are!

I have also been making rolls at home too.  I have a Panasonic Breadmaker and we use it loads to make our bread, but recently I have been making the dough

Then making rolls - ok they don't look like shop ones, but they are very tasty!

Also made some of the lovely oatie cookies which I got from the Attic24 blog - these have become firm favourites in our house, and they are so quick to do

So I have been doing stuff, but just not quite the stuff that is my first love!!

It has been so lovely catching up with you all - one year on, what a special year.

Speak soon xx

Jerseylicious!

I think I have fallen in L♥ve with Jersey.

After moaning about hubby booking a 6.15 am flight last Friday - I had to eat my words because by 8.30 am we were having a lovely cup of tea and bacon rolls here:

I could have sat there all day, in fact all week.   The warmth of the September sun, the lovely gentle sound of the tide, the odd Seagull flying by,  breathing in that beautiful sea air, drinking in the view to France and enjoying the perfect cup of tea and the perfect bacon roll.  To me the perfect place - a little cove called Greve De Lecq hardly built up with this fab beach and veiw.  I was in heaven.  The little weatherboarded restaurant called Colleens

will remain etched in my memory forever.

I can tell you now, that reliving this in my mind will see me through the cold days of winter, whenever I close my eyes I can visualise myself back there.

Jersey is one of the Channel Islands and lies 100 miles south of mainland Britain, 14 miles from France.  It is a tiny 9 miles by 5 miles, that is 14 x 8 kilometres. 

We did a couple of circular walks - the island is a walkers paradise, and this coastal walk was breathtaking.

Hubby was working on the Saturday so I had most of the day to myself - I know I said I may stay in bed and get room service, but I just couldn't.  We were staying in the main town of St Helier at quite an historic hotel.  Jersey was occupied during the Second World War and was the last place to be liberated. Liberation was announced from the balcony of our hotel, which today overlooks "Liberation Square" and is marked with a fabulous statue and plaque to the war.

I wandered around the town and had coffee, then found this bustling colourful market

I also visited the local museum where there was a collection of Marilyn Monroe costumes, no pictures I am afraid, but it was very interesting.

I did relax with a little crochet in the afternoon - the "Twin Stripes" Jan Eaton square for SIBOL

During the time we were on Jersey we covered pretty much all of the island and it is all worth visiting, lots of lovely bays, but I have to say my heart is lost to Greve De Lecq, it kept drawing us both back and it was our final stop off on our way to the airport to come home

Jerseylicious!

Speak soon xx

One Hundred Times!

Hello and welcome to my One Hundredth post!  I am so sorry that yet again it has taken me an aaaage to get back to my blog, life has been so full on lately I have hardly had time to catch my breath!

Last week was Little Kimbles' Graduation, it was a truly lovely day and I did have to hold back the tears of joy, so happy, so proud, where have all of those years gone?

She gets her curly hair from her dad - mine is boringly straight!

Next up was her birthday and I was able to produce a Victoria Sandwich with my own butter cream AND JAM for once.  Yes I have had a dabble into jam making - I expect you are all experts, but I have always wanted to try but never had the equipment so last month I treated myself to a Maslin Pan and had a go.

I made Plum jam - first lot a little too runny - setting point not quite reached but perfect for drizzling on Ice cream.  Second lot much better and then I went on to make Apricot Jam and finally Strawberry Jam, oh and I also got a tin of those Marmalade oranges you get from Lakeland and made Marmalade too!

 
I think hubby thinks I have gone a bit doo lally every time he comes into the kitchen I am making more Jam!!

Next on the list is Chutney because I have quite a few Green Tomatoes and loads of Apples

I have been snatching some photos of the garden before the Autumn really sets in and there is still a lot of colour out there......not to mention wildlife, or should I say.....Pondlife!

This little fella was basking in the September sunshine on a lilypad in our little pond.  I love to see frogs in the pond and we didn't have any for a few years, but now we are obviously in favour again!

This flower had its head straining for the last rays of the sun.

A friend bought me these lovely Sunflowers and I had to take a photo of them in the early morning sun for you - I love Sunflowers.

Beautiful!

Now my attention is focused on Youngest Kimbles, he is heading off  Uni in London - one finishes, another one starts! So we have lots of packing on the go and sorting of "stuff", I think he is looking forward to it - time will tell.  I have also had my Sister in Law to stay this week for her birthday - she can't get around much so it was nice to have her to stay and make a Birthday Fuss of her.  In between all of this I have managed a little crochet but not much - I have nearly finished my glittery shawl and I am hoping to finish it this weekend BECAUSE Mr K and I are off to Jersey tomorrow morning (flight at 6.15am - what WAS he thinking of!!!!!) as he has some work over there so we decided to make a long weekend of it. So that means that while he is working on Saturday I will have the day to myself - can that really be true? - A Day To Myself!!! Yipee!!!! I have a book to read and some crochet to do - I am going to take the Jan Eaton Squares book because I have promised to make square No 5 for Mrs Twins and SIBOL , please pick a square to do for her if you haven't already.  Of course I shall go for a walk, maybe some retail therapy, but there will be plenty of time to explore the rest of the weekend when hubby is free.  A friend did suggest I stay in bed all day read, crochet and get room service - not sure I could do that, but it is tempting!!

So glad to fill you in with my goings on, a hundred times over!

Speak soon xx