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