Getting on with it.

Ever have something hanging over your head? Something you keep telling yourself to get on with but for some reason you never do.

I'm one for making all kinds of excuses for not doing something, then finally out of somewhere I give myself a swift kick up the arse and get it done. And do you know what, it's way easier than envisaged. The baby did have a decent length nap, the bigger baby did play nicely with the occasional cartoons, my sewing machine isn't that difficult to bring up from the cellar. Rubbish excuses. 

I managed 3 hours of sewing in ONE AFTERNOON, with two children under my sole care and I finished the quilt top I had started in the new year. I'm rather impressed with myself, and annoyed that I was such the procrasinator, but nevermind. 

I only wish I could put more about it on here, but it's a secret for now, until it's completely finished and belonging to it's recipient. 

In other news, my Sarah Jane fabric arrived, yippee! And I'm cutting into it today. Double yippee!! 

Amy xx

Weekend shopping

I had the pleasure of taking a few hours out of family life to go shopping and lunching with a friend of mine. Both of us were well aware of the luxury it was to not have the kids with us and made the most of browsing a few shops and sitting in the sunshine eating a delicious lunch of bruschetta and washing it down with a beer (hic!) or two. Absolute unbridled luxury!

The purpose of the trip was to source me some buttons for Fraser's just completed Aran cardigan, I didn't get any. And to get my friend some wool for her second ever project as a knitter, she didn't get any either. But did I mention the lunch and the beer? Yes? So all was not lost!

I did make one purchase, intended for bunting in the kitchen but having seen Camille Roskelly's blog post for the Moda Country Fair, I quite fancy a washing up liquid apron.  

Here in Germany there is a novel rule that means shops aren't to open on a Sunday. A complete pain when you're out of this, that or the other, but really it allows for Sunday's to be spent doing the more slower and enjoyable things. Walks in the park, swimming with the kids, or like this weekend, a quick wander around the local Trodel Markt (car boot sale, or flea market I suppose). I go every now and again hoping for something pretty to jump out at the me, the last couple of times I've been looking for something specific, a fold out sewing box. And today I found one, and at 13euro (it is so annoying my keyboard doesn't have a euro sign) it was a steal.

I have grand plans for this little baby. Spraying it white, and the knobs will be red polka dot. I would love to line the bottoms of the compartments with Cath Kidston Chintz wallpaper, but simply can't justify the cost, so I'm still searching for what to do with that. I've also got a little list of things I want to put in my new (to me) pretty sewing box. Now that I think about it, it might not be so much of a steal as I first thought. Oh well.

But now, after the sunshine, it's raining, the husband is out getting muddy somewhere, the kids have a party to attend around the corner and I have a lasagne to finish off, so I had better get on.

Till next time folks. Amy xx

Summer Wrap up Weekend

Hi there folks, would you look at that!?! It's been a while :whistle:

I can't pinpoint the reason for my straying from here, nor can I say why I'm feeling the blog love again but I am! Isn't it good?

This weekend has been a corker. We had a visit from an old friend of ours who was on an unreal trip of 16 countries in 16 days. We met him when him and my husband were posted together, my daughter was a year old and he was great with her then, and now she's nearly 5 and we've not seen him for ohh (counts on fingers) two, maybe 3 years and is still great with her. Not to mention the little man, who is definitely a fan!

Our last (and shamefully only 2nd) barbecue of the summer was a success. It was a joy to have friends old and new around and that the little ones played nicely well into the night. Sadly, or not, there are no pictures of our inebriated antics.

The lads that we had staying were off on the next leg of their trip come Saturday, so a hearty breakfast of egg and bacon muffins and tea on tap was had to remedy the night before. My husband relived his youth a little by joining them for a quick go around the local go-karting track and he had a little co-driver with him too. She managed the noise and the jigging about well, and my husband was pleased to not come in last. Happy days!

Sunday turned out to be a wet and miserable day. We stayed in our pyjamas and drank lots of tea and coffee, had a lazy lunch and my better half rustled us up our sunday dinner of roast chicken. It would have been blissful had it not been for the fairly constant whinging from the biggest mess maker that she was bored, but that was easily sorted by setting up a 'cinema' in her bedroom by way of in car DVD players and the curtains being drawn. We raided the sky+ planner and I set to my crochet of hearts.

 Weekends here are a relaxed affair. This weekend was just how we liked it (although today's rain wouldn't have been missed...) I hope you've enjoyed your weekend. I have.

 Amy 

xox

Pull my finger out

This cold is still clinging on. The weather has been pretty miserable, and there is just a general feeling of January tiredness. But, I eventually got my Birdie Stitches block finished.

And I've also picking up the crochet that's been sat next me on the sofa for months to finish off the granny square blanket.

I've just got to get cracking on with my It's A Hoot quilt and I'll have some finishes underway for this year. Hopefully by the time we move, but probably not. Haha!

I'm managing lots of fabric shopping though if that helps, but it's not really very productive is it? 


Amy xoxo

Birdie Stitches

Hoorah (!) my Just Wing It jelly roll f-i-n-a-l-l-y arrived for Little Miss Shabby's Birdie Stitches BOM, my excitement was only slightly marred by the customs charge I was made to pay to get my mitts on it (Royal Mail - £8 handling charge, for what exactly, may I ask?). Anyhoo, it's been cut up, into gorgeously sweet 2.5inch squares now, all arranged into their sets ready for stitching.

Aren't they darling? 

And I can't resist sharing the cutest thing of today, MissM sitting down with us to play a naptime stint of Monopoly (we got twice around the board before she lost interest) her adorable dot counting is just too lovely.

Goodnight xoxo

Sniff, cough, splutter

Both the kiddies have been/are ill, so now I'm ill. And I never get ill so I'm pretty bummed about it. I'm kind of attached to the ability to breathe out of my nose, or taste, or to swallow without feeling like I'm suffocating myself. And whilst MissM had the luxury of lots of TLC and sofa time, I however must carry on regardless. They don't even make Calpol for grown ups so there literally are no joys out of being ill when you're my age!

Aside from having the arse about a blocked up nose (and the rest) today has been fun. In between whinges me and MissM managed to cobble together a cake and some jam tarts (nothing beats ready rolled pastry for entertaining a 4 year old for 20 minutes - genius). And I got some sewing time in and got all those blocks all stitched up, yippee!!!

This is what my lounge floor consisted of

I'm at the rearranging stage

I also today finally wrote in my new notepad which R lovingly bought for me. I've got so much I want to fill it with I don't know where to start. But I like writing, and I love lists, so no doubt before I know it it'll be full. Writing my name on it just feels so senior school, oh the nostalgia...

 I am a photo of the notebook of...

I just love that book, the little words on the front are so lovely, I'm determined to make it something I will cherish and not a book full of grocery lists.

Right, I'm going to go and tuck myself into bed with my latest interior magazine wishing I had a house that I could just do up to my hearts content. One day Amy, one day. I'll leave you with a little bit of bedtime brightness, ain't they pretty?!

 

Goodnight all xoxo

Busy Busy

Last five days in brief: Cleaning:packing:unpacking::swimming::walking::bowling::painting::swimming::sewing::not sleeping::tennis::swimming::eating::more not sleeping::packing:home::unpacking::cleaning. That's what happens when a family of four goes to Center Parcs. Happy times. Since then I've been dealing with a poorly girl (fever, very sleepy) and a grumpy baby (teeth) so that's been not much fun at all, the holiday seems like a lifetime ago.

Buuuuuuuuut, on a much much brighter note, we recieved our housing offer yesterday and I literally couldn't contain my excitement. It's not a fall in love at once house (they never are) but it's nicer than this one and we have a house, that's all I care about, that we have a house. I'm on countdown till we get to actually see it, only *counts on fingers* 32 days to go!

Anyway, enough of that boring life stuff. I have decisions to make. Since I sold a few things on eBay the fabric fund has been significantly boosted and I can just buy some fabric because I feel like it. As with everything once I'm given an inch I'll take a mile and I have compiled a fairly large shopping list of fabric that I want

Amy Butler Soul Blossoms

Anna Marie Horner Innocent Crush

 

Bliss by Bonnie & Camille

That's just a start. I've seen the cutest fabric that I think will look lovely in my new (yet to be seen) kitchen, a roman blind maybe. And then there's Rosalie Quinlan's Sweet Broderie that I my daughter wants her quilt for her bed. Or there's the Orla Kiely multistem fabric (super expensive but thinking of just getting pillowcases just to get my mits on it). I'm also liking the Mid Century range that's come about from the V&A quilting exhibition. The more I look, the harder I make it for myself as I just keep adding to the list and I'm going to find myself auctioning my body organs on eBay to be able to buy it all. Dangerous stuff, this fabric shopping.

I will have to put it all in a hat to pick it.


Amy xoxo

Almost the weekend

Today we woke up to another rainy and dreary day, but am thankful once again that we are safe and dry (maybe a little damp after the school run) as I watch the events happening in Queensland.

I worked out this morning, yay me! Fitted in a bit of shopping for sadly nothing more exciting than some shampoo and nail varnish remover and it was back to collect Missy from school. I had engineered F's naptime to allow for a bit of sewing.

She did seem happy to be colouring, honest!

But I had no more than 13 blocks sewn up and he was awake again, an hour and a half he slept for and only 13 blocks, shame on me. We did have a juice related emergency and stopped for biscuits. The perrels of trying to get anything done with your 4 year old hanging around. I love spending time with her and I love her thirst for knowledge and need to know everything going on around her, but I wish she'd quietly sit and colour in for an hour and let me have a little peace and quiet. But alas, it was not to be, and quite frankly I wouldn't change it for the world :-/

I wish I didn't have to put this all away again...

So, since the sewing had to be abandoned, and abadoned it was as it's all still out on the kitchen table (my creative space - yuk!) I managed to persuade both children, well Maddie, that Alvin and the Chipmunks was the way forward and I'm getting a bit of short lived silent (if you ignore the squeaky noises now coming from Alvin and his, umm, chipmunks). The toys are out, F is bopping away to the tunes when they're on and Maddie is snuggled up a blanket. What a nice way to spend a miserable English afternoon.

Does anyone else lay the toys out all pretty, or is that just me?

And look what fell through my letter box this morning. The first of about a 1000 Boden catalogues, I heart this shop, I just want so many of their clothes but given their price I'm limited to maybe one or 2 a season and settle for adding everything to their online basket and daydreaming about the new wardrobe I could purchase with just the teeny weeny click of a button. It makes for pretty reading though...

I *need* this jacket in my life. It's the price a month's food shopping so perhaps not...

Amy xoxo

Righty-oh

No more procrastinating. The diet has started today. And to go the whole hog I'm sharing a picture of myself right now (totally unflattering, I'll warn you) and I'll do another one in a months time and we'll see if I've made a difference.

I'm unsure of when the muffin top made it's appearence, somewhere between the sticky gingerbread and the flapjack

I would like to state that this is hair and make up undone for those that are wondering if I always have Tina Turner hair

Anyone see The Biggest Loser (UK) last night? This is what's bought about this 'sudden' (it's not sudden) desire to crack on with the diet. If they can do it, then why am I letting my arse spread further and further by the day just because I can't be bothered. I'm now proud to say I've reaquinted myself with the Jillian Michaels DVD (my abs aren't quite so jolly about it) and my food intake today consists of bran flakes and a clementines. I'm so hungry I could eat my own arm, but I don't know the weight watchers points value, so I won't. Probably best ;-)

Anyway, diets and exercise are boring since something very exciting happened today, my long awaited It's A Hoot harm packs have arrived so I shall be playing about with my next quilt later on. Beats eating. Or obsessing about eating, or not eating.

And *whisper* the sun is shining. Can't get much better than that...



PS - Before I go..Today I am touched by the floods that are happening in Australia at the moment. My heart goes out to everyone involved, you are all in my thoughts. But what's also got me is the fantastic community that blogging is. A group of women that have craft blogs (I believe all Australian, but I could be wrong) are holding an auction collated by Toni of Make it Perfect. Without blogging and the wonderful good nature of these ladies, this wouldn't be happening, and so quickly. It's a lovely thing to see a community come together for these people and I wish them every luck in raising as much money as possible.

The sun has got it's hat on...

hip hip hooray!

A lovely clear sunny day today which brings a welcomed change from the dreary rainy days we've had of late. Not only were we all in good moods because of it, it meant that some long needed jobs got done too. I've sorted the downstairs so hopefully I won't be fighting so much of a losing battle trying to keep the place presentable. It also meant I got to photograph the quilt.

He didn't seem all that impressed about modelling the quilt as it interupted his playtime

That cheeky glint in his eyes? He's after the camera, it's a fantastic teether apparently

I just love all the bright happy colours

Fraser seems impressed with the quilt, he sat for a while taking in the colours until his big sister came in and just emptied the contents of his toybasket and he was totally distracted by all that.

What a fantastic start to the weekend.

xoxo

Excited

I still have bleeding pin pricks in my fingers and thread all over the floor, but I just couldn't wait to get this up on here. I'm even going to show a really crappy shot by lamp light with my squiffy eyes picture.

Without further adieu (I ashamed to say I had to spell check that :-/)...

It really is a rubbish picture...

So, yay me!

And bare with me whilst I work out Flickr, it's early days.

I also broke up the few hours I've spent this evening binding whilst curled up on the sofa discovering the wonderful place that is Pinterest. I've been seeing it mentioned and finally went and had a ganders, fab place to lose a day or so just looking at the pretty things (I have to try and remind myself to stop stroking my laptop screen though, it's getting weird ;-)).

Tomorrow I will be getting my hands on my It's a Hoot fabric and cut cut cutting away. Happy me!

xoxo

PS - should it not be a miserable dreery day tomorrow I will get better picture of the quilt to share, no promises though, I live in England....

Normal service resumes

Anyone else's house look like the Tasmanian Devil took a shortcut through it on his path of devastation?

I couldn't even make the house look presentable this morning, it was that untidy. What gives?!

But, it's also amazing what can be achieved in an hour whilst your baby is sleeping. But he is now awake chatting in his cot and I am only halfway through my morning coffee which I just know I'm not going to get to finish now. 

It was a lovely break, having my husband home for two weeks, but it's back to the grind and trying to get me and my little ones back into routine again, I might even have to make myself a schedule and get super dooper organised. We'll see.

xoxo

Itching to get started

I'm brim full of exciting ideas at the moment. I have currently 3 projects on the go (if you don't also count the crochet cushion for M and the cardigan I'm meant to be knitting) I've joined Little Miss Shabby's 'Birdie Stitches' and have fabric (Just Wing It by MoMo) and thread currently on its way to me. I've also finally decided on the quilt I'm going to make from Elizabeth Hartman's (of Oh Fransson!) Practical Guide to Patchwork and have also ordered the fabric for that (It's A Hoot by MoMo). I could squeal with excitement!!

Closer to my heart is my third project which is a quilt for my cousin who is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and about to go into a care home. I have fond memories of her creating things and being a keen sewer and I know that if she was able to now she'd be sharing my enthusiasm for quilting and will very much appreciate a handmade quilt for the sentiment, not to mention the warmth. I was giddy today at the choice of Amy Butler fabrics that were half price at John Lewis - I could have bought a bit of all of them, but I got some Amy Butler Daisy Bouquet in Mist as the backing of her quilt as it's so pretty and restful which I think I'm going to put with a Bliss by Bonnie and Camille Jelly Roll, or maybe not...

So, lots a-happening here, or lots of spending happening but I'm going to be a busy bee for the next few weeks and I can't wait. Hopefully I won't have time to eat which'll help greatly with my new years resolution.

xoxo

Back, with a new look

So, I had a bit of a blogging break for a while there. I turned into a lurker, rather than a poster which isn't the best way to get into this blogging malarky in all honesty. Bad me.

I've had a bit of a revamp, woken up today with a list of resolutions (lose the arse, do more, eat less, generally be virtuous, make it last past January 16th...) and blog more, or just blog in fact is one of them.

A few things happened since my last post which has simplified my life somewhat, my husband returned from a tour of duty (Belize, safe as houses, thank God) and Little Man started sleeping though (then he didn't, and now he is again, you know how it goes). So not only am I getting a full night's sleep, I have an extra pair of hands to help me tend to my flock, bliss.

The third thing, which I am super excited about, still, is my new sewing machine. SantaMum suprised me with it on Christmas Day and to be honest I could squeeze her for being so generous. It's a dream in comparison to my old one. I am on the edge of my seat awaiting my fabric order so I can get cracking on the first project of the year.

So, that's a small update on me...back to snuggles with MissM whilst watching Alvin and the Chipmunks. Happy New Year xx