First Week of the School Holidays

Hello everyone. 

D and I have had a busy and fun-filled first week of the school holidays. 

Last weekend, we went to a local garden centre and enjoyed a lovely cream tea. Hubby and I prefer a fruit scone, and D had a plain one. 

Early in the week, D and I went into Birmingham City Centre for a little retail therapy and girlie day. We both had a great time and came home with several bags of goodies. We must do this more often together. 

On Wednesday, D spent some time with a friend. They went bowling, which was followed shortly afterwards by a lovely meal. 

Of course, no holiday would be complete without at least one of D's amazing cakes.

This one was a Red Velvet cake made using our new kitchen mixer. D is still thrilled with the new gadget, so we will be looking forward to even more baked goodies in the future!

It is only a few more weeks until our son's wedding, and while the happy couple is making their final preparations, I have been working on another cross-stitch. Although I am taking my time with it, I plan to have it finished and framed when they return from their honeymoon.

The weather forecast for the week ahead is likely warm and sunny in this small corner, so D and I may relax outside with a drink or two.

Wishing you all a good weather week!

B and D x

Flower Sunshine

Hello, everyone, and welcome to this small corner.

This week marks the start of the Summer holidays for schools in England, and D is very much looking forward to the next six weeks. We have some lovely things planned for the holiday, including a family wedding and other holidays.

Also, the sun has been out this week. It was very hot for two days, but it was enjoyable all the same. The forecast suggests that there will be more dry and sunny days ahead, so D and I are sharing some flower sunshine with you all. 

I finished the little scissor-keeper this week. It was hard work on the eyes at times, and a magnifying glass will be on my next present list. However, I was pleased with the result and now my embroidery scissors should be easier to find :-)

Both D and I hope the weather is kind to you wherever you are in the world and you have a good week. 

Take care

B and D xx

Days Of One Week

Hello everyone!

Moments after we posted last week's blog (Sunday, July 7th), D stumbled upon the fact that day was also National Chocolate Day. Needless to say, we were both slightly disappointed that we missed it this year.

However, upon further investigation, we discovered two websites that encouraged us to disappear down a year-long celebratory rabbit hole of international, national, and special days and months. We have had a fun week with some of these events.

MONDAY

After missing out on yesterday's chocolate indulgence, D and I were pleased to see that there was also National Chocolate with Almonds Day! Unfortunately, we couldn't find chocolate with almonds on our shopping trip, so we satisfied ourselves with some that had other nuts.

A late contender for the day was National Raspberry Day. Although my raspberries could be doing better in the garden this year, some ice cream with a homemade raspberry sauce was very delicious.

Finally, something that took me a little out of my comfort zone was National Video Games Day. I do have a few simple games on my phone, but D encouraged me to try her Nintendo Switch and play one of her games under instruction. It was great fun, and we had a happy time together.

TUESDAY

This was a more relaxed day as we celebrated National Sugar Cookie Day. It was a simple recipe, and D added a little decoration. She bought the cookie cutter last year and it was her first time using it. We all enjoyed eating the cookies when they had been baked.

WEDNESDAY

We had a lot of fun on Wednesday bringing out our old teddies for a picnic. It was Teddy Bear Picnic Day! All the bears have special meanings for us, so it was nice to share the day with them.

After we had put the tired bears to bed, it was drink time for the adults. Pina Colada day, anyone? Unfortunately, we didn't quite have this beverage in the cupboard, but we did have some Malibu, which was a good substitute. We're loving this week.

It was also National Kitten Day. I asked my son for a few photos of his young furry friends and added more of the kittens they have fostered this year. I have posted about fostering kittens and cats before, so it is good to have a day to remember the work that cat sanctuaries and foster homes do to find forever homes for these lovely animals. 

 

THURSDAY

As the weekend approached, D celebrated National Swimming Pool Day by taking a dip at her local pool. She came home feeling relaxed and ready to join in another fun celebration. This time, it was to share Blueberry muffins on their day of recognition. 

FRIDAY

Anyone for jelly and ice cream?

It was National Jello/Jelly Day on Friday. I haven't made jelly since the children were school-age, and we all enjoyed the wibbly, wobbly delights of this treat. Happy memories. 

Along with jelly, it was also the turn of the humble French fries to take centre stage—fish and fries for tea.

SATURDAY

This was more of a crafting day for International Rock Day. We wandered around the garden, picked a few large pebbles, and bought them inside. We then decorated them with flowers, and they will make good paperweights now. 

           

AND FINALLY, IT'S SUNDAY

D made her own mac 'n' cheese for lunch. It was very filling but so delicious: A national day we will celebrate again soon.

Finally, just for a bit of fun, did you know today is National Tape Measure Day?!  Neither did we. So, in honour of this little-known day, we looked for a variety of measuring equipment. Some are traditional measures, old and new, a wooden folding one that belonged to my dad, and a very long measure for use outside.

We have had so much fun this week and will certainly join in with more of these events in the future. Here is the address of the rabbit hole we tumbled down this week: Days of the Year

Have a great week everyone. I shall try and get that cross-stitch finished this week and avoid any new rabbit holes 😂

A Small Amount of Crafting

Hello everyone.

It has been a slow week in this corner, and there is not much to tell you about. But that’s okay, in my book. Life is like that sometimes, and a few quiet moments can recharge batteries for what may come next. 

I have only done a few crafting projects besides the dollhouse for a while, so I had to look to see what I could find.

I have several cross-stitch projects I want to do in the second half of this year, and this week, I started the first one. It is quite a small project, but the thread count is smaller than I have used before, so I need plenty of natural light to stitch. 

This first part of the design, which is cream on an even lighter cream, was quite eye-straining. I will continue working on this project this week.

I’m also waiting for my next craft project pack, which will be much bigger, to arrive in the post. It will be a gift for a special family event in August, and although I don’t need to finish it until September/ October, I’m eager to get started as soon as it arrives.

The roses have been enjoying the varied amounts of sunshine and rain we have been having and are blooming beautifully, as you can see. 

I was also given these beautiful chrysanthemums today. Flowers always cheer my heart, no matter the weather.

Whether you have a busy or quiet week ahead, I hope it is a good week for you all.

B x