It seems that Friday has become my blogging day!

And this week I am thankful for~

Our first real trip to the allotment this year. Interestingly we reflected on how much Mj has changed since we got our allotment 10 months ago. He loves to help with all the jobs at hand and his attention span has increased greatly. I never thought we would chart his progress as we charted the growing of produce!

Check out my husbands allotment blog for a more indepth update.



Inspired by a brooch created by Madeleine Shepherd which I gave my mum a long time ago I began stitching and beading this week. In the end I made a fascinator in a similar vein for a 'hat' party which we are going to tomorrow evening.


Brooch and fascinator

In the pipe line is 'happy birthday' bunting in yellow and blue bordered with yellow ric rac. Watch this space.



Happy Friday!

Whoop Whoop for sunshine!

We had sunshine today. Warm, bright and energizing sunshine!

This week I am,

thankful for ~

Sunshine and the desire to get outside.



A working mobile phone.

Friends who encourage and inspire.

A trip to London with family.

inspired by ~

The amazing creativity of Yulia Brodskaya.

The printed fabrics and clothes of Desigual.

thinking about ~

Lengthening a new dress.



Making a new maternity skirt. If only we had a good fabric store nearby that sold inspiring printed jersey cotton.

Baby names

looking forward to ~

A quiet family weekend, and more sunshine please : )

It's gratitude friday again!

It is with mixed feelings that I attempt a 'gratitude friday' post this week.

This week has been filled with tiredness and frustration. Frustration over my mobile phone dying since Mj baptised it in a glass of water. It was only 4 days old...I am still mourning! Tiredness from a series of rough nights, due to crazy pregnancy induced dreams and a restless 2 year old.

But this is 'gratitude friday' so enough of the self pity and onto some things which I can look back on and smile.




Mj's insistance that his dog must have a dish of water each day.




No more muddy footprints on the car seats. Finally, I get around to making a cover from vinyl for the back of the passenger car seat. I wanted to sew some pockets on for Mj's drink bottle, snacks and activities but I just can't sew on vinyl. Apparently I need a teflon foot for my sewing machine, so am watching out for that. I didn't quite think in time of how the spotty fabric might be a bit difficult to look at...perhaps I should have choosen something more calming...but I do love spots!




A new peg bag. I love it for so many reasons...such as...I really needed one, the colour (it matches my kitchen too), the print, the cost (50p in our local charity shop). I would love to know how old it is...any ideas?

Now as I think of things I can be thankful for I feel like the list is endless...and that is why you too should try taking part in 'gratitude friday'. It is good for the soul.

And finally...my parents and brother are arriving tonight so I have 4 days of things to look forward too...I had better get some cleaning done : )

Gratitude Friday

The idea of 'Gratitude Friday' is borrowed from my friend 'Silverstreet', which she in turn borrowed! I like the idea of reflecting on a week almost past.

And here's what I am thankful for this week.



Creation... and the peace it brings to my soul when I am connected with it, and of course the sun shining through the trees helps too!



Mj...i'm always thankful for him even when his will conflicts with mine!


Rainbow cake...in a week of serious sugar cravings, a friends cake hits the spot!

And finally, I am thankful for the time spent this week reuniting with an old friend and meeting and getting to know some new friends.

I hope you too have something positive to reflect on on gratitude friday.

Have a lovely weekend.

The sun did shine this week, in more ways than one!

With a little sun on Tuesday and a trip to our local forest park with friends, my mood soared. The children seemed oblivious to the cold but rejoiced in the freedom of being together and outside. I too felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders as I laughed at their antics.



Even the ducks stopped and stared as three freedom bound two year olds were let loose among the trees and mud.



Mjs new found passion for stories also gave me a glow this week. I came home on sunday evening to find M and Mj curled up in bed reading...they were on their 14th story in a row!!! Ever since he keeps bringing me books to read. Thank goodness for some inspiring authors, talented illustrators and free libraries...so I am kept amused too. Below is our favourite of the week.





I finish with a quote from the life of Alice Sommer Hertz (currently an inspiring documentary on i player), 'Everything is a present'.

Why I love our home.

It was a bath or a blog post...I'm going to try and achieve both in the next hour.

I have been wanting to do another blog post and was going share with you a new recipe which Mj and I baked yesterday. Mocha Cake, given to us by our friend. But, as I went to type the post I realised that I didn't have the memory stick in the camera when taking the photos! So, that is for another day.

Instead I noticed the things in our home which make our home just that...our home. So with a few photos I will share.



Crazy photo I know, but it is Mjs twinkle twinkle stars so I feel the photo captures a little of that too!



My chalk board which I add quotes or verses to to help remind me of the person I want to be.



My spotty bowls...I just love spots.



My charity shop plate...not really useful but I couldn't pass it by. It says 'Love, is the little things we do for each other.

And what I love most about these things is that where ever we live I can take them with me, making any house my home.

Until the sun shines again

I have 30mins to create this blog before I am timed out (a restriction M and I put on our computer to stop us sitting up all night browsing!). Not only do I have a time restriction but I am also really struggling to write these days. That was until I came across the blog of Buttons Magee 'when winter gives me the blahs' today which totally summed up how I was feeling. Just like 'Buttons Magee' I am feeling a bit flat, uninspired and lifeless. I think it is caused by these cold and grey days and exaggerated by the fact that I am pregnant and continually tired.

Each morning I try to spend some time alone doing stretches, writing in my journal, thinking and praying for those in need and planning the day ahead. This has certainly helped but hasn't permanently lifted me out of my slumber.

I am grateful to have Mj who makes me keep going even if I don't feel like it and has meant that the past week hasn't been totally fruitless.

This is what we have been up too.



An unplanned trip into London which lifted my spirits for a whole day.
Above is the current installation in the Tate Modern by Miroslaw Balka, How it is. A real treat to watch as Mj explored the dark space, asking that I turn the lights on and afraid that the 'Gruffalo' was lurking in the shadows.



As we prepare for Mj starting Pre-school in Feb I am reading this book and am feeling scared at the influence we have on his little life.



My present to myself, inspiring me to talk freely to Mj about the subject I enjoy so much.






Leaflets I have been designing for our upcoming church events. I'm so thankful for these tasks as they make me be creative when I'm feeling uncreative.

Wow, 15mins left.

And what I would be doing if I had all the energy and enthusiasm in the world.

- baking bread
- trying a new recipe
- creating a home made cleaning kit
- finishing a cushion and picture for a special friend
- taking more photographs
- teaching Mj more about nature, the bible and the world
- hanging out our newly filled bird feeder!

I look forward to the day when the sun shines brightly. But, until then I will keep plodding on and enjoying the little flickers of light on our way.