What A Busy Week!

Hello, hello!

What a very busy and sociable week I've had.  Whilst absolutely lovely, I am now craving some home time.  Today finds me with my hair scraped back, comfies on and looking an absolute bugger but I really don't care as I'm officially hiding from the outside world.  My face is scrubbed clean but slathered with antibiotic cream - horrid bumpy rash/infection thing all over my chin.  Hmm, attractive.  D has just told me I look "natural and sexy" though!  Good job love is blind.

So, this week, I've spent some time with my lovely sister-in-law and baby nephew, I've had lunch out with a dear friend, I've had supper out with another dear friend (big blow-kiss to Rebecca who tells me she checks my blog every day!), I've had doctor's appointments, school meetings, art class ...

As I say, busy.



Yesterday, Blondie Daughter's school year group trouped to a nearby college for a mini workshop on Victorian Life and Charles Dickens.  I volunteered as a parent-helper because the lady running it was Lucinda Hawksley, Charles Dickens' great-great-great granddaughter.  She was brilliant.  I gather she originally trained as a teacher which didn't surprise me - the way she engaged the children was fabulous.

Whilst on a literary theme, permission to indulge in a proud mummy moment?  If you listen to BBC Radio 2, you may have heard mention some time ago of Chris Evans' Breakfast Show 500 Words creative writing competition?  Open to 13 year olds and under, I encouraged Blondie Son to submit an entry.  We received this email a couple of weeks ago ...

Congratulations! The story you submitted, “Vaermina”, is through to the next stage of the Chris Evans Breakfast Show 500 WORDS competition.

Next, it will be sent to the National Literacy Trust for the second stage of the judging process. If it makes it into the Top 50 stories, we will let you know by the end of April. 

We received 74,000 stories and this one is in the top 2,000, which is a brilliant achievement. 

Well done and good luck!

The 500 WORDS Team
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, BBC Radio 2

Even if he gets no further, we're chuffed to bits!  My son, the writer!!! :-)

In purchase news, I'm extremely pleased with this new rosy throw...

It's from Tesco believe it or not.

I've loved Katie Daisy's artwork for some time and finally treated myself to one of her prints ...

It's propped up on my bedside table while I decide where to put it.

Gorgeous isn't it?

In crochet news, I've frogged my spring ripple blanket (I was making heavy weather of it for some reason) and, instead, am revisiting this old friend ...

... but I'll tell you more about that next time.

D has a gig tonight so it's a deep bubble bath and an early night for me.  Oh yes, and new Primarni pyjamas ...

xxx

Edited to add ... I'm going to start replying to comments using the 'underneath' option so do please check back if you've asked a question or said something lovely ...

Sharing The Crochet Love x

I found the loveliest 'perfect crochet heart' pattern and thought I'd share it with you.

It's HERE.

I sat and hooked these in one evening using some of my brightest yarns.

They're now strung across the mirror in my bedroom.

Pretty aren't they?

As long as nothing falls down in the middle of the night and strangles him, D's a very crochet-garland-tolerant husband!

Hxx

January 2014.  When I originally published this blog post, the Perfect Crochet Hearts pattern was free.  The lady who designed the pattern has now put a cost on it of 99p, such was the interest I suppose, and it can be purchased from here or here.  Sorry for any disappointment.

Easter Weekend

Have you noticed how hard it is to seamlessly dip back into posting when it's been a while?

I've been popping by for ten minutes here and there and reading a few of your blogs, maybe commenting now and again, but otherwise my little blog voice has had a bit of a rest!

I'm hoping if I sidle in and shout "Happy Easter", you won't dwell on my absence!

Are you having a super weekend?

Ours started yesterday really.  It was D's 43rd birthday.  I think I rather prefer the eight months of the year when he is three years older than me as opposed to two.

Either Mr Marks or Mr Spencer provided the cake.  Didn't he do well?  (Remember, it's D who does the cake baking in our family and asking him to make himself a cake would seem a little unfair.)  The chocolate eggs were added in a random fashion to give it a little less-than-perfect look.

I am sticking to my own tradition of decorating a couple of lilac branches from the garden for Easter and seem to have a bit of a chicken and egg theme this year.  My favourite and best decoration is Miss Buttercup from the everso clever Jooles' Etsy shop ...

and this Gisela Graham (I think) bird is my second favourite ...

The branches are also peppered with these hilarious teeny chicks which make me laugh every time I see them ...

In other news, my youngest brother has just returned, indefinitely, from Australia with an addition to his little family ...

Introducing my newest little nephew.  He's just so adorable and I've had some wonderful snuggles with him.  Between you and me, I love having my little brother (the youngest of my three younger brothers) back in this country.  He's my parents' blue-eyed boy and it's a wonderfully refreshing distraction to have him around again.

He and another of my brothers and their wives are coming for supper tomorrow.  I'd rather be chatting and quaffing than hanging over the oven or hob so I'm making spaghetti bolognese using Sue from The Quince Tree's fabulous mince recipe.  Seriously, I've done it several times now and it's delicious.

On the craft front, I really am a bit behind in showing you my latest crochet makes.  I'll do a show and tell soon, I promise.  In the meantime, I fancied starting a new Spring break project so I've starting hooking a ripple lap blanket using bright, fresh seasonal colours.

By the way, I'd like to say a very warm "hello" to any new followers.  I've received the kindest messages from some 'no reply bloggers', particularly in response to my bunting tutorial.  I appreciate each and every one - thank you so much x

Whatever you're doing this weekend, enjoy, be happy and go easy on the chocolate ...

xxx