Happy Halloween

Enjoy your day whatever you're doing :)

Folksy

Hello everyone..... hope you're all having a good half term :)

Today I thought we'd talk about Folksy..... now I'm sure you've all taken a look at some point but have you brought?

There's loads of things & some times it can be a bit over whelming so I though I'd share a few of my favourite things...

Firstly.....

Remembrance day is just around the corner so go on treat yourself!

I love this shop....so many lovely things :)

Another favourite shop

I'll be buying some of these for Christmas

I can just see this little fellow on my hand bag

I think I'll be buying most of my presents from here this year..... much nicer then the high street shops.

And if you're looking maybe you could pop over to my shop...

I had a fantastic day out yesterday which I'll be telling you about another time

Crafty Week

I hope you've all had a great week & you're looking forward to half term next week.

I can't believe it's back to work for me tomorrow..... it's been 2 weeks :(

As you know I was off this week & I stayed at home nearly everyday as I just didn't feel well enough to veture out. On Friday I had to visit London for work & I found it very draining.

But I've had a really good week....... I've been really crafty so I thought I'd take part in Crafty Sunday to show you what I've done...

Do you want to see????

So what do you think??? Told you I've been busy!

I've been listing daily on Folksy.... I've taken part in the October Folk Fest so my shop has been filling up nicely.

Go & take a peep here

And the good news is it seems to be working as I've had 2 sales this week.... 1 from Folksy & 1 from Etsy so I'm very happy.

This is what I sold....

So I'm now knitting more tea cosies as I recieved an email from someone who wants to stock them in her shop :)

Last week I told you about my purchases from Cath.... want to see what I brought?

I'm loving this print at the moment. I went to the Kings Road store on Friday to get my salt & pepper pots.... guess what??? They'd sold out :(

So I came home & went online to order..... they're sold out there too!
Will I ever get them? :(

Hope you all have a good week

Cath Kidston

Sorry I didn't pop in sooner to let you know if I went or not.

Well the good news is I did go!!! 

The bad news is I was really not well enough & ended up being ill & not being good company.....sorry ladies!

So you'll be wanting to hear what happened???

We headed off at lunch time for the very long drive to Cheltenham & finally arrived at nearly 3pm!

After a quick coffee to pick us up we headed off for some retail therapy..... no guesses where we went!

We were hoping Cath would pop in the shop but after hanging around for sometime we gave up.
I was not happy as I really wanted the squirrel salt & pepper pots but they didn't have any :(

I had enough birthday money left that's been burning a hole in my pocket since August but I didn't want to pay £5 delivery charge. I did of course find other things to buy! I'll show those next time.

So after walking around for a long time we headed back to the town hall.... this is when it all went wrong for me, I'm not sure if it was the lights, coffee or generally being unwell but I did not feel great :(

After a late start we got in the tent & it was very busy.... I guess she doesn't do many interviews.... in fact I've only heard her speak twice. Once on Kirstie's Homemade Home & I wasn't impressed.... she came across as very shy so I was worried about how she would talk for an hour to a sell out crowd.

Also I've been loving her things since about 1995..... not long after she started..... what if I didn't like her? There's always that fear that when you meet someone you admire they turn out to be an idiot!!

No danger here...... she came across very relaxed & very humble. She was surprised she had done so well & had no real business plan, she said it was down to her loyal customers.....yes that's us ladies!!!....I really enjoyed listening to her talk, she was very interesting. After a few questions from the audience it was a mad dash to get out & back to the book signing tent.

It was packed!! At the same time Nigella was in another room & they both ended up signing in the same tent. I'm not a huge fan of Nigella for reasons I won't go into but I know a few of you do like her so this is for you....

(All the pictures are taken on a mobile so not great quality)

So after queuing for a while.... a long while.... we got to the front...

My friend took these photo's..... when I got home I looked at mine & they're really bad! I didn't realise how wobbly I was....they're really blurred! Take a look....

 Trust me that's the best one!

This will be my most treasured book now! I did speak very briefly to her about meeting Stanley :)

So then the long journey home began.... was it worth it???

You bet!!!

So Saturday I went back to work feeling very ill. I managed the whole day but not the work's night out, which was frustrating as we had won the money for doing well over the bank holiday weekend but the idea of sitting in a small pub with very loud drunk people did not appeal to me!

Waking up on Sunday I felt just as bad...... I don't know why I can't shift this cold.

So this week I'm on holiday .... I had a few plans but they've all disappeared now :( 

I'm just hoping I feel better soon so I can do something.

Back later in the week

Knocked for six but still Stitching!!!

Well this has been an interesting week...... since my last post on Monday I haven't made it to work!

It takes a lot for me to be off work but sometimes you just know that you're better off at home. I hate letting people down & understand what it's like when someone is off sick but I haven't been off for 6 months so I guess these things happen.

I didn't sleep well on Tuesday night as the cold had gone to my chest & I was having problems breathing.... a quick visit to the doctors yesterday in the hope of getting some antibiotics didn't work out. As cold bugs have been so bad this year she wasn't keen to hand any out but suggested I tried natural things first...even though I already had..... & if I was still ill on Friday I had to go back.

So yesterday I could be seen steaming every few hours & gargling with salt water :(

The steaming worked a treat but the salt water isn't doing much for my poorly throat. I'm taking flu plus tablets every 4 hours & even through it says not to take them for more then 4 days ...I'm on my 5th.... the doctor says it's ok.

So this week I've been mostly doing this....

Can you see my steamer???

Now that was a good buy.... only a few pounds from Lidl years ago but I've never needed it. After trying to steam over a bowl of water yesterday I suddenly remember it. It's a god send as you can watch the TV whilst doing it & you don't get hot & bothered..... buy one if you see it!

Being ill has meant I've had more time for blogging & I've enjoyed catching up with ever one. Yesterday I was reading Sarah's post about the new Cath Kidston book....

Mine arrived on Tuesday....... what good timing although but I haven't done anything yet.

My favourite thing....

Maybe one day!

So Sarah mentioned that she used to do a lot of cross stitch & tapestry..... that got me thinking about the things I'd made in the past so I thought I'd share them with you.

I can't remember my first project but we used to make embroidery pillow cases when I was very young!

My friend gave me this kit years ago ......

It took a while to finish & even longer to make it into a cushion.

I then got adventurous & designed my own wall hanging....

This was my pride & joy for years but it's been packed away for the last 4 years! 

I couldn't find the right home when I moved house so it never went up.

Do you recognise them??

Yes that's Charlie on the left, Zoe in the middle & naughty Nanny on the right!

I must find a home for it as it took so long to make.

I've been looking for a frame for this cross stitch for years...

I want a black frame that crosses over like the old religious one..... know what I mean?

Now I wish had made this cushion but my lovely friend Claire spotted it in Otto Retro & brought it for me....

How kind is that?

It looks lovely on my sofa...

And ties in very well with this post!

I have everything crossed that I will be feeling better tomorrow as I have a very long day ahead of me.

As you know I really wanted my Stitch book to arrive before Friday as I had plans....... tomorrow sees me heading off to Cheltenham with my lovely friends Erica & Sarah to see the lady herself....

Yes that's right I'm off to see Cath Kidston!!!

She's at the Cheltenham literary festival talking for 1 hour...... I'm hoping she'll also be signing books :)

It's been planned for months now but I didn't say anything just in case I couldn't go..... being sick was not in the plan! This is the 3rd time I've been anywhere with Erica in the last year & each time I've been ill...... what's going on????

Fingers crossed I can still go & they don't mind the germs :)

I'll be back to tell you all about it.

Salmonhutch

Hello everyone..... I started this post yesterday but was feeling so rough I gave up. 

It's a official .......I finally have my first cold for years :( 

I've been really smug since I started taken Echinacea, for the last couple of years I've escaped all the coldy bugs going around but on Saturday night while out with a friend my throat started to get really sore. When I woke on Sunday I felt terrible...... although I don't have a runny nose etc I feel really achy & generally unwell. 

Luckily it was my day off yesterday so I slept for most of the day then a further 10 hours last night.... I woke this morning hoping it would've passed but it's still here. I've taken loads of pills so fingers crossed it'll been gone by tomorrow.... not a good way to spend my 2 days off!

Today I'm going to tell you all about Salmonhutch.....

This is the train crossing leading to Salmonhutch. It's just outside Crediton where I grew up & spent most of my summer holidays. My Nanny was evacuated here in the war as she was pregnant with my mum..... she used to drive the ambulances in South London. My mum was born in a large house just to the right of this photo & Auntie used to live in the station house. 

Mum used to wash her tortoise in the stream to the right of the railway lines & was put on the trains by her cousins.... you can read about it here.

I love Salmonhutch..... it's so peaceful & beautiful..... 

Sophie & Robbie enjoying the river

Oliver going for a swim

Sophie not looking her best!

I'd love to live here but the houses are so small & so expensive now!

But look at that view!

The hill in the back ground is know as 'Break Heart'.... why???

Because it would break your heart if you tried to walk up it!!! 

We used to roll down it..... I lost a bumble bee brooch once.... gutted :( 

I still think of it even though it must be over 30 years ago! 

When I was growing up my dad used to work nights so we had to be really quiet until lunch time. I loved the summer holiday when we would be packed up with lunch, rubber tyres, fishing nets, dogs etc I sent to the river for the day..... down break heart we would roll & spent the day playing or sun bathing before Dad picked us up in the afternoon.

My eldest sister heard of a good tip to get a lasting tan..... cooking oil & aftershave!! 

Yep she really did cover us in that & made us lay out cooking in the sun...... I was only about 6 but I can remember the look of horror on mum's face when she saw us!

I had to sit in a cold bath for hours!

They were really happy days........ simple things that cost no money.

Now I just go back for my birthday..... mum brings bacon sandwiches, hard boiled eggs & a flask of tea...... it has to be the same every year! 

We sit in the peace & quite watching the dogs swimming & playing..... I think they're getting fed up of this ritual but I love it...... cheap date me!!!

Over the last couple of weeks I've been clearing up the garden & tucking it up for winter...... I covered my salad bar & put my figures on the top but look who else took a fancy to it.....

 

Nanny the sun god!!!

My Cath Kidstion book arrived today.... yippee!! I need it for Friday.... more on that later in the week.

Have a good week

Show & Tell Sunday

Yes it's that time again.....

This month is......

Something you want to do before you die

Rather a long title don't you think?

Now there is only one thing I want to do..... something that I've wanted to do since I can't remember when....... 

Go to see this....

Yes it's the Northern Lights.

Now of course I haven't been so I couldn't take any photo's so all my images are courtesy of 

Visit Norway

So you may ask why I haven't been to see this amazing site...

Well it's simple.... OH hates the cold!!!  I've been with him since I was 17 & we tend to do holidays together but I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet & do it alone. However while researching for this post I've seen the price!!! Over £1,000 for 3 day.... gulp....I better get saving then!

I need to go while I'm still young..... you don't feel the old so much & I can't see myself going across the snow in a sledge pulled by Huskies when I'm 70!

Mind you with my poor back I can't see myself doing it when I'm 50!

Maybe I can save & do it for my 40th..... everyone can give me cash to go...... mmmm that sounds like a good idea :)

I was speaking to my dad years ago about this & he said I must do it because life goes so fast..... he upset me as he was talking about how he was young & thought he had his whole life in front of him... then one day you wake up & you're in your 60's & on the way out. 

I don't want to think of my dad on his way out :(

 I know I have to go & now I've seen you can do this....

Count me in!!!!

The only other thing I really want to do is touch a lion or tiger..... I'm not fussy!

I don't think I'll find them in Norway so that's going to be another trip!

We once went on a trip in Spain to a sanctuary that let's you hold rescued cubs...... all day it took us to get up the mountain.... only to find they lied!!

I couldn't touch them at all...... it was full of rescued animals but they were all sad & it just made me sad :(

So that's my thing..... what about yours????

Does anyone want to do the next one????

Sunday 7th November