I thought I'd share with you some photo's I took this week and today.

Just mundane glimpses of my lifes, simple things that make me happy.

AAbove is my Mascari (Grape Hyacinth) and pale yellow Primrose. These are placed on my tumble drier, which is 'temporarily' in my kitchen, and I like to use the top as a window sill/ display area.

Since adopting our sweet hens, the wild bird life in our garden has greatly increased and I am loving seeing the variety.

Here in England we don't have stunningly amazingly coloured birds, but they are sweet charming little things all the same!

Here's Robin. Oh so cute!

This was taken from my bedroom window,(as most of them are) looking out on the lilac bush.

I love how clear its come out, despite being through glass!

Here's Great Tit's (oi! no sniggering!) and Blue Tits...

Then we have had Pheasants visiting...

love the colours on his neck

females, pinching my hen's feed!

This is a Jay. He is most elusive when it comes to snapping a photo of him!

He is pretty buff pinky colour, with bright sky blue wing edges. But as you can see he's not a pretty birdy!!

I've also spotted a Green Woodpecker and a Spotted Woodpecker but they were too flighty for my camera!

Oh and beautiful snow white Owl graced us with flying through the garden too.

Then we have this naughty chap...

helping himself to the wild bird seeds!

With all these new inhabitants of the garden, I must praise my lovely cat Charlie.

Several times he tried to chase after the chickens when we first got them, but the hens and I scared him off, so now he just sits on the coop and watches them.

below he was watching Blackbirds and the Pheasants, interested but not enough to move out of the rare bit of sunshine we had in the week!

a hen will always watch him with an almost warning eye...but he pretends to be uninterested...

until they wander where they shouldn't... (the front)

 

Today, has been dismal and uneventful,

Hubby brought the boat (EmmyRu) home and set about fixing her up

i enjoy watching our neighbour, Peter.(yes, I'm strange like that!)

He is our Landlords Farm Manager, so we only see him on a Sunday.

He hangs out his laundry, the same items every week, then tends to his garden which is all vegetables.

He's friendly and we often have a chat, and occasionally gives me some of his produce, but sadly most of it was very disapointing, due to bad weather last year (to him)

Our miserable sloshy, slippery, muddy driveway

but I see a glimmer of hope, a glimpse of Spring

daffodils I think

snowdrops, they're meant to be sign of no more snow

Since we moved here in the Summer, we have yet to see what pops up here in the Spring.

The Hens are keeping well. I Love having them.

Only my little son has shown interest in them, and my Hubby too.

(Vivien on the Left still has a bald bottom, shame it always looks so raw!)

Hetty laying her Egg for the day

I made Lemon Curd yesterday and labelled it today, so very easy to make and is just delicious!

recipe here

On Sunday's we have a 'No Technology' Day for the boys. They cannot watch TV, DVD's,

play on DSi's, My Kindle or go near the Laptop, or the games on our Phones.

They get obcessed with these games and so for  whole day they have to do something else.

They did play outside for a while this morning, but little one fell off the swing into the mud, so they came in and played, so nice to see them playing nicely...doesn't last long!!

During the week I picked up the libruary books I had ordered/reserved, and I have more items I want to make now!

Crocheted dress from 'Vintage Crochet' by Susan Cropper

Top from 'Fabulous Flirty Crochet' by Katherine Lee

birds from 'Sew Sunny Homestyle' by Tone Finnager

I have made a few odd bits, some curtain tie-backs, a lovely heart hanger, and a jar cover since I didn't have a suitable vase for my Daffodils. I just made it up as I went along!

I'm trying very hard to just be content with the things we have and live a simple life.

Things are very tough still financially, everyone is struggling I think with the economic climate.

I got it into my mind to make my own clothes, but I've found sadly that once the pattern is bought, fabric bought, even as cheaply as possible, it still doesn't work out to be economically viable, in fact its more costly.

 Well, not when i buy most of my clothes these days from a charity shop.And Oh how I love it when I get a needed top from the 50p rail, or a skirt for £1. And bargain 10p books!

I've been reading loads lately, and many of the books are set around the 30's-40's-50's, an era when making ones clothes was the cheapest option, sometimes the only way to have something new!

I wish things were simplier like that. I do find the commercialism and materialism of these times to be so wearing.

I bought a magazine out of a strange moment of impulsive boredom and I so regret it.

It was a womens mag, constantly boasting of being for 'real women like you'...

I didn't like the fashion bits, and it just seemed to be all about buy this, buy that.

Not exactly condusive to living the simple life!

I'll stick to my favourites, The Simple Things and Simply Crochet

Well, thats it from me for now.

Take Care

Em Xx

twenty thirteen

 

Hello!

 

After reading my dear friend Bonnie' s first blog post of the year, I have been inspired to also continue with this blog after deliberately neglecting it since late summer.
I'm not blogging for the comments and interest from others (although it must be said I can' t help but be thrilled when I do get both) I have decided that my blog is for me to record all my creative makes and the little things in life that makes me happy.
Of course I know there are other ways to record these things, but simply put this is the channel I choose in order that I can share with my few friends who read this, how things are in my life but without the personal bits.
I don' t know it that makes sense or if that come accross as aloof sounding, but I am quite a private person, and knowing that any body can read about me is uncomfortable to me.
Facebook horrified me and I can,t believe how so many people are so open and uncensored as to what they say and show...so I left.

my life has really changed within the year 2012.
As I said in my previous and last post of 2012, we had to downsize rather drastically and move home and I' m glad to say that life is much more content and happier.
it took a while for my family to settle. children do not like change do they?
but I felt at home straight away.

Now my step- daughter has moved out and it's surprised me how much more space we have and freedom! We do miss her very much and I am glad she is happy in her new home, but I do not miss all the driving her around and mess!!
I now work part time as a local courier. November and December were so very busy and I' m finally able to get into a routine at home, with my boys back to school and work less stressful.

My most favourite additions to our household is my chickens! I have wanted some for years and finally we have the perfect garden for them. We got them early this month

I am so fond of them and will write a whole post on them soon.

I haven't done much in the way of creating.

Just little things not really worth blogging about, like my decoupaged door number plaque.

I have lots of PhD' s (projects half done) and projects to do, but I' 've been too busy or too ill (a virus, and then flu) to get into them.
I've read lots of books though,and that has really been my excuse for neglecting my crochet and other crafts!

 

This weekend it has gently snowed gradually, and now there is quite a blanket out there.

 

my little home

our lane

love their clawprints in the snow!

They must like the snow somewhat as they will not stay in their coop in this weather,

and we have still had 6 eggs from them this weekend.

 

Anyway, I must love and leave you, time to finish dinner.

and snuggle in front of the fire

 

 

 

 

Have a good week

 

Love Em Xx

 

p.s the sunset photo at the beginning was taken by my husband while out fishing in October, gorgeous isn't it?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

settled in and loving life and home

Hello friends,
I am back to the blogosphere!

We have had a really lovely summer, settling into our new home and discovering the delights of our surroundings and neighbourhood. Let me share with you some views...

 

(My bedroom window, the view I wake up to every morning...

this morning there was a blue tit and a robin that came to rest briefly on the lilac tree in my view,

which was a sight that made my heart skip with joy)

 

 

(building a den in the garden with my boys...)

 

 

(fields that surround our back garden...)

 

 

(my hanging baskets at the front of my home...)

 

 

my cat, Charlie loves our new home and this is one of his favourite spots!

 

(our lounge/living room, in the afternoon sunlight...

often when I sit here I can see a squirrel skitting about it the treetops,

 jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree)

 

(my kitchen dining area (and ironning!) in the morning sunshine)

 

Although we have only moved somewhat down-the-road from our previous home, just 4 miles away,
we seemed to have re-discovered the area, with the little 'beach' just a short minute or two walk away from us -

 

Hubby takes his canoe, and we meet friends on the beach who also have little boats, (one of them owns a beach hut there and the pontoon) we go out in the boats, one is a speed boat and we love to whizz over the water...

 I say 'beach' as it really is a pitiful size! and not pretty, in fact its ugly, has too much seaweed, dodgy flotsum and jetsom. However, we went over yesterday evening, and I was amazed at how a blue cloudless sky and the following sunset can change the normally ugly little beach into a place of beauty and charm!

(sometimes I take a cuppa and a warm bread bagette with nutella with me)

 

Its quite a thing- a blessing I think-  to sit of an evening, with the salty sea breeze in my hair, the sunset glowing bringing a beautiful end to the day, watching my boys running up and down the pontoon...everytime I take a book, a letter I'm writing, or crochet to do, and I never have yet been able to concentrate, and ending up just watching and playing with my boys, chatting with friends and taking hundreds of photo's!!!)

 

 

 

building sandcastles in the still hot fading sunlight

 

 

 

 

 

views of the moorings at the Estuary...I'd love to call it a Quay or a Habour, but its neither of those really! and once the tide returns, we're left with mud and seaweed! but it's still is a lovely sight in the twilight!

I feel really and totally at home here, and I feel so content and happy. Which with all the financial troubles and stresses and depression I suffered with in the past few years, is a blessed relief!
The seasons are turning now here in England, and I can see a few leaves on the trees turning a golden yellow already, but the summer is holding out and this week we have have some gorgeously hot days, and beautiful warm evenings.
My boys have returned to School now, and although my days have been busy this past week with apointments, errands etc, I am looking forward to having time to get making again, and filling up my poor neglected Etsy shop which has been empty all summer as all my little makes sold! which filled my heart with glee!

Well, I am signing off now as we are about to go Kayaking on the river, as we haven't been out in them much since living here!
I hope you have a lovely weekend too where ever you are and making the most of your surroundings and little blessings in life!

Oh. before I go a friend of mine, Nicola has just set up a little blog, please pop over and visit her here!

Bye for Now
Emma Xx