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

A Week in the Sun

 Hello everyone.

After a week in sunny Spain, my Hubby and I returned home to the UK's liquid sunshine (the rain) and breezy winds. D tells me it wasn't all rain here last week, but it feels chilly for Hubby and me. D did an excellent job on our blog last week and also looking after the house and garden. Thank you for all your kind words of encouragement. I know she appreciates every comment you make.

Our holiday in Salou was lovely and relaxing, where we could unwind and enjoy the sun, sea and sand. The hotel was only a few minutes from the nearest beach. 

Although our room was on the sixth floor, we had great views out to the sea.

Each morning, while eating breakfast, we entertained ourselves by watching the race for the best sunbed spots. We have been on many holidays where sunbeds were snapped up very early, almost at the crack of dawn, where a single towel had been draped over a sunbed and left alone for many hours until the owner eventually returned.

At this hotel, the entrance to the pool area was through a single set of double doors, which opened at 9 am. Despite this, queues still formed, and when the doors opened, a tsunami of people rushed to snap up their place in the sun. A few minutes later, those same people returned through the doors at a more leisurely pace, leaving behind their now lonely towels.

It was fun to watch but must be very annoying if you wanted a poolside spot later. 

Across the road from the hotel was a small mini/crazy golf course we visited several times during the week. We now have tentative ideas to do something golf-related in our garden mixed in between the plants. I will let you know if the idea gets off the ground. Dream big, they say!

We wandered around many areas with beautiful plants and flowers during the week, and here are a few of my favourites.

We had a wonderful holiday: just what we needed to recharge the batteries, and, despite all the negative publicity, we also had no hold-ups at Birmingham airport. Perhaps we were just lucky!

Have a lovely week. I will be around to catch up on all your news.

B x

Sunny Days

Hello everyone. 

Firstly, D and I want to thank you for all the encouraging comments about our doll house. We look forward to showing you the next room.

We have finally had a hot and sunny week here in our small corner, and both D and I have been taking advantage of this by being outside as much as possible. There is now a lot of colour appearing in both the front and back gardens.

These flowers are growing in the front garden.

Herbs and a courgette enjoying the sunshine.

Here are some of the plants currently flowering in our back garden.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that we were working on the L-shaped part of the back garden outside the back door. Hubby has been very busy putting together another raised bed, which I quickly filled. He is now working on a second bed to match on the other side.

These last few pictures are of the alpine bed on top our dustbin area. It is pretty to look at and the plants have loved the sun this week.

On Monday, D, hubby and I took a trip to Bewdley, which is not far away from where we live.

Lots of people were enjoying the dry Bank holiday weather, and there was a significant increase in the sale of ice-creams that day. The highlight of our visit had to be watching the geese on the river. They were very noisy with their youngsters swimming nearby. The geese were also spectacular show-offs when coming into land, with feet first and bottom and tail feathers acting as the final brakes.

D has also been spending some time baking in the kitchen, and we all enjoyed her chicken, bacon and leek pie. 

I had half eaten the meal before remembering to take a photo!

As well as all the gardening, I have taken full advantage of the weather to do as much of the bulkier items of washing as possible, which included the covers for our three-piece suite. They dried brilliantly outside. It has been a good week here.

With the weather set to change again back to more rain, there will be more indoor crafting and some work in the greenhouse for us this next week.

D and I wish you all a healthy and happy week whatever the weather happens to be.

B and D xx