Pink Green

I love flowers!!

Now that Christmas is over and the weather is of the traditional January type - grey and rainy - I felt the need for a bright, Spring-like post. Although Spring is still some way off I can look at these pictures and make believe it is here already. Anyone who knows me knows that anything covered in flowers is sure to get my attention (and my purse open!). So here's a little taste of what my poor husband lives with every day without complaint.

We have fresh ones...

...china ones...

...fresh, china and fakes ones...

...ones on big pictures...

...and small ones...

 

...ones on tins...

...ones on more tins, cups, plates, egg cosies, trays...

...cakes stands...

...cushions and curtains...

...jewellery boxes...

...and jewellery...

...on hooks and bags...

...and on lamps.

And on clothes, underwear, rugs ,towels, jugs, pillowcases, shoes ...............

...... in fact every imaginable surface. Poor Andy! I'm lucky he doesn't really want a say in the interior design of our house, although he has admitted that he likes the vintage furniture and objets, but the flowers get a bit much sometimes!!

Sorry for the appalling quality of the photos by the way - we have new photo software that I haven't had chance to get to grips with yet, so these photos are totally unadulterated and were taken on a typical grey day.

Well, I am feeling a little brighter for focussing on my flowers so I'm off for lunch - soup in a flowery bowl and tea in a flowery mug!

 

Happy New Year!

Well, my last return to blogging didn't last long did it?! I am hoping that my shiny new (speedy) laptop will encourage me to blog more frequently, but I'm not promising!

I had actually found that work, coffee with friends, housework and dog walking didn't give me a whole lot of blog inspiration, and I had somewhat lost my crafty and housey mojo. However, all is well as it has reappeared and I am making a concerted effort to be creative and take more photos. I read back through my old posts recently and it was a great reminder of things I've done, so I have decided to try to use it as a journal (as I am rubbish at keeping up my bedside journal - too tired at the end of the day!).

I've decided not to make resolutions this year as they are always the same and I never achieve them, but I love the fresh start that comes with the New Year, the taking down of decorations and the start of a new school term.

So, here are some pictures of some of my recent creations - mainly of the crochet variety.

A mini crochet heart garland from a fab tutorial by Julia Crossland.

Christmas Star garland from a tutorial by The Royal Sisters.

A jelly mold candle, which I can't bring myself to light!

And a jam jar one which I have used several times!

A paper garland inspired by the BBC Homes and Antiques front cover. You can't see from this terrible photo but the paper is by Rosehip and I agonised over cutting into it as it is so beautiful.

A stocking made from hexagons started over 18 months ago when I was still immobile. Unfortunately they are the dullest thing in the world to crochet so I gave up the idea of a blanket and made them into a stocking instead. It is a peculiar shape at the bottom, but hey ho.

Kirstie's quick Christmas cake was divine, and one I will be making next year instead of my usual Good Housekeeping one. I have decided that I prefer Christmas cakes without icing, which saved a job. The cake is really a foil for showing you my birthday present from Andy - the tins in the background. My second favourite new addition to my kitchen, the first being this...

...my sewing machine table. My Grandmother had one in her garden with a slate top and it was left at her old house in Cornwall as it was too heavy to move. I've wanted one ever since, and this is going to be a herb table in the Spring. There are a few herbs on there at the mo but they aren't thriving yet - wrong time of year really.

So, not to wish too much time away, but roll on Spring! I'm ready for Spring flowers, lighter evenings, warmer weather, ditching the woolies, feeling like salad again and most importantly, sunshine!

 

 

Cook-a-thon

Ho hum, back to work tomorrow. It has been a lovely, pottering kind of weekend, mainly taken up with cooking and little jobs, and I don't want it to end. Andy worked yesterday morning, so I made Jamie Oliver's Lemon Drizzle Cake, samosas and granola while he was out. I have to say that the cake was fine, but I'll be going back to my tried and tested (many times) Good Housekeeping recipe from now on. It's the first Jamie cake I've made, and I'm not sure I'll be doing another as it was a bit heavy and doughy. 

 I've been meaning to make samosas for ages, and they were fiddly but scrummy. My parents live next door to the woman who wrote the Ladybird cookery books, and when we were growing up she would bring round all sorts of yummy stuff that she'd made that her family wouldn't eat (imagine being a cookery writer and having a house of fussy eaters - ironic). We did very well out of her, but the things that stick in my mind were the samosas. They were amazing - mine weren't quite that good, but still not bad.

 The granola is a favourite recipe that I make tons of as we all like it and it is a relatively healthy breakfast, and is fab topped with blueberries. 

 

Granola

1lb Rolled Oats

Half a cup of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, wheatgerm, dried coconut, milk powder, chopped nuts and honey (you can add other bits according to your tastes)

Third of a cup of vegetable oil

Mix ingredients together. Spread on a baking sheet (or 2) and cook for 30 mins on 140C, 300F. Remove from sheet immediately. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy.

We went to one of my favourite gardens yesterday afternoon - Hidcote near Broadway. We joined the National Trust in the Summer and are trying to make the most of it before the season ends. The gardens were as amazing as ever - masses of colour, mainly from dahlias, hydrangeas and tiny cyclamen. Unfortunately all the photos were taken on Andy's new camera and I can't work out how to access them, so here's a pic I pinched from Google Images (http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk). 

 Today has been more of the same really. I made a roast chicken and all the trimmings - my first of the season, as we usually have a roasted chicken with salads in the Summer. Whilst it was in the oven I decided to cover my Swan Vesta matches in something a little more tasteful. Don't ask me why. It doesn't make any difference to striking them to light candles, but they look pretty in a jar! (Please ignore the glue splodge on the table - I did wipe it up afterwards!)

 

 
 I also found a spot for this lovely that I recently won on eBay. I haven't updated it yet, although Grace did say we may just as well leave the 'alcool' button on blue! 

 I left the girls alone in the kitchen making jammy buns this afternoon, so we are well and truly laden with baked goods. No bad thing, except for the diet. They are getting very good at cooking unsupervised, but I do have to leave the room and not look back. The mess and chaos is more than I can bear if I'm anywhere in sight, and I feel compelled to step in, much to their annoyance!  

Well, I hope you all have a happy Monday. Not long till the weekend!! XX 

Back to normality

Well, term has started and we are back in the throes of something resembling a routine! The holidays went so quickly and I can't believe that it's over. We did have a lovely time though, and it is nice getting back to our regular lives. 

Camping was a disaster as the weather was awful and I was ill. It is no fun vomiting in a bag in the middle of the night in a tent in a storm. Trust me. I didn't make it to Bridport market as the rain was so torrential, and I'm guessing no one was brave enough to attempt to pitch a stall! However, we were only there for a couple of days as we booked a last minute week away for the 4 of us. We stayed in a log cabin in North Wales, and had the most amazing, relaxing, cosy time, which more than made up for Dorset! The weather still wasn't brill, but it didn't stop us climbing mountains, finding waterfalls, pottering around pretty places and chilling out. This was the view from our verandah. 

 I could sit and look at it for hours. I started a new crochet project while we were there - Attic 24's Granny Stripe blanket, which is very satisfying. It was lovely to sit on the verandah and crochet with a glass of cider to hand while the girls explored the site and made friends.

 

So, after this lovely week we had another lovely almost-week in Pembrokeshire in a cottage with my parents. We were very close to Fishguard which is a really pretty town. We did beaches, pubs, towns, lots and lots of eating, and more beaches. 

Bodie loved Wales too, especially the beaches! 

I came home and started my usual nesting spree which happens every time I've been away. I've been moving things around and generally pottering which is very therapeutic. I am aiming for a calmer year this year, and I've reduced my hours at school slightly. No more Friday afternoons - yay! I'm working every morning which means I have every afternoon to potter some more!!

 

I started to cover this chair and realised that I didn't have quite enough fabric, so I have left the top for now. I actually quite like the contrast between the stripes and flowers, but I may get some more fabric to finish it off. This chair was a present from my Great Aunt Lucy when I was about 5, and it was pretty old then. It has the original lovely green fabric underneath, but it is very threadbare, so I keep it covered to protect it. It has gone into our room, and the chair that Andy used as a wardrobe (he does have a proper wardrobe but seems to prefer a chair) is now in the bathroom. 

 

I finished this tapestry last year when I had a broken leg, and had the frame lurking in a box untouched for ages. It was very dark green, but a coat of paint worked a treat, and it now has pride of place on the kitchen wall. I have another one to finish and this has spurred me on, so hopefully it will join it soon. 

So, new term, and new classes. Grace is in Year 6 now, which is so scary. She started Guides this week too, and is getting very grown up. Ruth is still (and will always be) my baby, despite being in Year 4. She's very happy I'm not working in her class this year - it's the first time ever I haven't been in her class at some point. I hope (if applicable) that your return to school has been painless, too.

Flower Power

My posts are like buses - you wait for ages for one then 2 come along together! I thought I'd get a sneaky post in while the girls are occupied and Andy is at work, because after tomorrow we will be away for most of the rest of the holidays. We are off to Dorset tomorrow for a weekend camping with some friends, then back for a day to do some washing, then a lodge in North Wales for a week just the 4 of us, then Pembrokeshire for another week with my parents. The break is certainly going to be very welcome - I've been working flat out on the house and Andy has been really busy at work, so our child free week wasn't much of a holiday. Satisfying though - I have cleared out 2 car loads for the tip and 2 for the charity shops, so the house is feeling much bigger! It won't last long but I'm enjoying it for the moment.

So having revealed my new kitchen in the last post (which was actually finished about 3 months ago), I am now ready to reveal my new bathroom (which was finished about 3 days ago!). We've lived here for 9 years and I have hated the bathroom ever since we moved in. Still, patience is a virtue and it was definitely worth the wait!

 

View from the loo! I've got a huge pile of books beside my bed to fill up the rest of this bookcase with.

 

The first of several flower shots. Just because I like them.

 

The view of the loo. We kept the old bath as it was a huge old enamel one (not roll top unfortunately), but had a new shower fitted over it. I forgot to take a photo and the light has gone now as we are due yet another downpour, so you'll have to take my word for the fact that it is a huge improvement.

 

My garden has done ok this year despite the builders and the weather. The herbs and busy lizzies have been pretty rampant in particular, although the herbs are now past their best and are going to seed. Note the ant farm at the bottom of the photo - nothing to do with me I can assure you!

 

My spring onions in the bread bin are nearly ready to harvest, and the cut-and-come-again salads in the wooden tray have been keeping us well fed. I have also harvested cucumbers pretty much daily for weeks and have masses of tomatoes to come. We had heaps of peas and broad beans too - not bad for a postage stamp of a garden. We have finally given up the allotment after 7 very happy years, which had become more of a worry than a pleasure - keeping on top of it was not an easy job as it was so huge, and the relief at not having the worry has outweighed the sadness of waving goodbye to it. 

 

More flowers. I've posted a photo of these to remind me that I don't always have to buy my own flowers - these are from Andy, and came with the words "because you have been working so hard". I was speechless.

 

One of the lily buds had broken off so I popped in it this egg cup and it has just opened up beautifully.
 

And finally, this is a little nod towards pleasures to come. We found masses of dry pine cones on one of our favourite dog walks, so brought some home to use as kindling. I am planning to get a few more bags before the Autumn and they get too soggy and rotten. 

Well, keep your fingers crossed for good weather for the weekend. I'm planning to scour Bridport market on Saturday for treasures, all being well! I'll be back soon...

  
 
 
 
  
 

A tentative toe-dip...

It has been over a year since I last posted anything on this blog, or even checked my Typepad account, so you can imagine how amazed I was when I logged in today to see that I still had 30 people drop by the other day. I fell out of love with blogging for a while, mainly because of a total lack of time to make/ create/ take photos/ write etc etc. The truth is though that I have still been reading many blogs and realised recently that I missed the focus that blogging gave me. I like having a record of the mundane (and not-so mundane) aspects of my life, so even if no one else read it, I have decided to dip a toe back in and test the waters. 

So, where to start? So many things have happened recently. It has been party season in the Pink Green household, starting with my sister's wedding in May, which was an amazing day. The girls and I were all bridesmaids (anyone who suggested I was matron of honour got a very frosty stare I can assure you!). Rachel looked absolutely gorgeous, and a few tears were shed by one and all at the exchange of vows. Graeme is a fantastic addition to our family, and the girls love their Uncle more than they do the rest of us put together.

 

As you can see by the brollies the weather was typically British Summertime, but it didn't spoil things, and we had an amazing day. By the way, that is me in the green dress on the left. The girls were wearing ivory beaded dresses and had their hair curled for the occasion. I know I'm biased but they did look gorgeous! Sarah, my sister's best friend and I were wearing vintage green dresses from Coast which had satin bodices and floaty chiffon skirts. My heels lasted about 45 minutes after the ceremony and I couldn't take any more. Fortunately I had some ballet pumps to hand too!

After the wedding party (and hen do before that, which is a story in itself!) we have had several birthday parties, including Andy's 40th, Grace's 10th and Ruth's 8th. Andy and I had a fabulous weekend away in Bristol at the Food and Wine festival to celebrate his, then Grace had a cinema trip and party tea. Poor Ruth misses out by having her birthday at the end of term when we are all exhausted and lack-lustre about party-throwing, but we did manage to have possibly the best night out we've ever had to celebrate her's this year. We went here...

 

We sat spell bound for the entire performance, and had I been offered a place I would have jumped into one of their fabulous caravans and joined the circus like a shot! I have no idea what I could have offered to the company, my skills in tightrope walking, horse training and playing the recorder through my nose being somewhat limited, so I haven't applied for next year just yet. It was like going back to the1940s, and the women were so glamourous in their vintage costumes, the band were incredible, and the whole spectacle was breath-taking. I will take the advice of one friend though and take a cushion to sit on next year!

 

After that it was Rachel's 30th, and she had a party at my parents house, which was fab. The girls have stayed on at their house for the week, and I have been painting, painting and more painting. We have had our kitchen extended and a new bathroom since I last wrote anything here, and although the kitchen was finished weeks ago we ran out of steam and the bathroom had been left untouched. I have made the most of a week without children to paint the whole bathroom (including masses of panelling), our new laundry in the basement, and I have stripped out the girls rooms and had a mass decluttering session. It has all been very therapeutic, but exhausting. 

So, do you want to see some photos of the new kitchen? It has revolutionised our way of life - we sit here of an evening with a glass of wine, chatting while the tea is cooking, and we are watching so much less crap TV! The girls come and sit here to talk to me while I'm cooking too, whereas before they could barely get in the kitchen. I don't have any before shots I'm afraid, so you'll just have to make do with some after ones!

 

 

Please excuse my gardening basket and trug in this one - they are usually kicking around at the moment, although the garden is suffering a bit from being trampled on by builders for months, but that is a project for another day! The lights are vintage jelly moulds from RE, which handily happens to be near my sister's house, and all 3 are different. They and the cupboard are my favourite things in the the room. 

 

The shelves came from out of Ruth's room, and the plate rack from one of my favourite shops. The cupboards are painted in Farrow and Ball French Grey, which is a real change for me - usually I go for brighter colours, but I am loving the black and white floor, black cupboard and grey units. The armchairs in the 'conservatory' bit both came from our sitting room, so we are now looking for replacements. I was going to have a breakfast table in there, but put the chairs there while I was searching and liked them so much I decided to keep them there. I've just noticed how much I've used "I" for this passage. Andy loves the kitchen too, and he had choice of the oven and the fridge to keep him happy and involved! 

Well, I've droned on enough for now. Hopefully I won't leave it as long until my next post!!

Cathy XX
 
 
 

Mission completed.

It's done! Hurrah! My broken leg blanket is now keeping Ruth cosy at night, and she loves it. Not as much as I love it though, and I have to confess I very nearly kept it for myself. I am actually feeling a little bereft without it to work on of an evening, so I think I may need to start another project asap.

This is my favourite square.

And this is the blanket spread out on my bed, away from the clutter and debris of Ruth's room. 

I'll be back soon to show you the inspiration I got from the Malvern Gardening Show put into practice in my own little patch. 

Hope you are all having a good week. Sorry I'm not very good with the whole comment-leaving thing at the moment - I am checking in but am trying to curtail the amount of time I am spending on the laptop so as not to be anti-social at home. Comments had been made!

Cathy XX

10 Things Making Me Happy...

1. My garden in the sun. Did anyone participate in National Naked Gardening Day on Saturday? I didn't, I hasten to add (Cheltenham isn't quite ready for the shock!), but the thought of it did make me chuckle.

2. Finally joining the squares of the 'broken leg' blanket for Ruth. Just the ruffle border to do now.

3. My new Kitchenaid mixer. I know, it's red and not blue, but it's a long story. I also got a huge bargain and tons of free stuff with it so I am happy to live with the colour! It makes very tasty bread too.

4. Having my dog home. He had a lovely holiday with my parents but I think he's secretly pleased to be back!

5. The anticipation of the Malvern Spring Gardening Show on Saturday.

6. Being back at work - I love my job, and missed it.

7. Planning our Summer holiday to Sweden with our friends.

8. Gin and tonic with lime.

9. 'Lady Audley's Secret' - my new book.

10. Summer....it's on its way!!

What's making you happy?

Yippee!

Hooray!! The brace is off! I went to the hospital yesterday and was told I can now walk normally without a brace or crutches. After 3 and a half months 'normally' isn't quite how I would describe it, but I am now hobbling around the house without aid. I will probably stick to crutches or a walking stick when out and about for the first few weeks, but it won't be long before I'm back to normal. I have even had my first shower standing up, which was bliss I can tell you!

So, I hope you all had a very happy Easter and the Easter bunny visited. He doesn't usually bother with me as he knows I will eat most of the girls' eggs while they aren't looking, but this year I must have looked like I needed feeding up as he (well, Andy), gave me this gorgeous one. This picture was taken today - aren't I being good?! I must confess I have eaten the orange choc buttons, but am saving the egg for a moment of great need. That, and the fact that I am still eating some of the girls ones!!

We had a really restful and happy week at my parents' house in Leicestershire last week. Leicestershire isn't widely thought of as a beautiful place, but it is in the heart of the National Forest and is the place that I love more than anywhere. The countryside is just astounding, and there are some really lovely places to visit, including this one called Staunton Harold.

I have been going here since I was tiny and I try to go every time I'm visiting my parents. The house used to be a hospice, but is now a private house. There are walks around the lake, and in the old stable block there is an arts centre with all the different parts housing a different craft. They always make such an effort with the pots and I have taken several photos for inspiration. There is a garden centre and aquatics place here too, and I can heartily recommend the ice cream in the cafe!

Aside from Staunton Harold there are many other treasures to be found in Leicestershire, including this one,

Bradgate Park (photo from National Forest.org),

and a gorgeous plant nursery called Ulverscroft, which started off as a few bedding plants grown on the windowsill by the daughter of the farm owners, and is now a really well stocked (and reasonably priced) place and I always try to get my plants there. This is some of my stash from this weekend in the foreground - I'm just waiting for a few nice days to get them potted up. The view is from my dining room window. Despite being neglected for some time due to my leg, the garden isn't looking too bad with the clematis and the lilac out together, and I have several plans afoot to make it even better....watch this space!

Well, I'll leave it there for now. If anyone from the Leicestershire Tourist Board is reading then please contact me - I have heaps more things I can plug!! I'm now off to hobble into the kitchen to make lunch before there is mutiny.  

Cathy XX

Happy Easter!

I know it is a little early to wish you all a Happy Easter, but I am off to my parents' house until after the Easter weekend and won't have much blogging opportunity. We are leaving Andy (with his trusty companion Bodie) here for the week adjusting to his new job which involves working shifts. He will probably get more sleep without us here! 

We had a great day on Wednesday in Cribbs Causeway and Ikea in Bristol. We needed a few bits and bobs and thought we'd make the most of a child free day to get organised. Andy hates shopping but we actually had a really nice time chatting and browsing (although we didn't go much further than the John Lewis as I knew Ikea would finish me off). I spent the next few days sorting out the girls rooms and building the storage units we got for them. No photos as yet - it's still a work in progress as it takes twice as long due to the crutches!

The end of term couldn't come fast enough for us - the girls were dragging their heels in the mornings and getting a bit crabby, which is a sure sign of tiredness and end-of-term fatigue. Grace had her first violin exam on Thursday which seemed to go very well, although we won't know for a couple of weeks. So, we are now into PJs all morning and pancakes for breakfast - weekend and holiday treaty stuff. We've already watched Mamma Mia twice and we are only into day 2 of the holidays - and it does mean that we are all singing Abba songs for the rest of the day. 

So, I hope you are all making the most of the holidays and enjoying the sunshine, and the Easter Bunny visits you. See you soon,

Cathy XX