Wish List

I know there has been much discussion of CK's popularity lately...is it waning?? I personally don't think so...... Overpriced?....hmm...yes sometimes.....but whilst ever she continues to churn out the vintage replica pretty stuff, I will probably be saving my pennies and buying them....I like what I like not because it has a certain label but because it makes me happy, be it clothes for me, fabrics and trimmings or pretties for my home. I get immense pleasure from finding a true vintage item in the charity shop or car boot, and I wish I could find more vintage fabric, but the truth is with one thing and another I don't have, or I don't make, the time to trawl and search for 'original' items.

I know there are other pretty things out there that aren't Cath...and if I see them then I don't not buy them because it isn't CK, but I have 4 boys, 2 preschool and 1 a total bleeding nightmare to take in shops so it suits me to have my catalogue plop on my mat and to let the drooling and wanting commence :)

(who am I kidding I would still 'want' from the eye candy catalogue even if I did get out to the shops all the time lol!!)

And the latest catalogue had me doing just that - lots of 'I wants' this time......

Already on my wish list, infact I have the pennies saved for this already...

the textured rose messenger bag I bought in the Spring has been used almost daily since and is the best bag for daily use I have ever had...a bit more than I would usually have spent on a bag but definately good value.

But I'm going to need to save some more pennies......
Love this new Cowboy meal tray...even if it is a bit like what prisoners meals are served up on in jail lol!! So cute and we have the cup already so its up at the top of the list!!
And while I'm shopping for small boys aaaggh!! how adorable are these proper 1970's stylee Y fronts......C will be wearing them and the two big boys ought to think themselves lucky they only go up to age 6 lol!! I love these so much and yes I can get a pack of 6 in Asda etc for the same money but I love them very much and if it makes me happy it can't be a bad thing!!
This is the last thing on the need it now section of the wish list...flour dredger to match my china, it makes me happy like the butter dish did when it first came out...I'm easily pleased it used to only be shoes that could get my heart racing - now its a flour dredger too!!!
This little boys bedding is cute but it doesn't rock my world that much however lovely husband spotted the stickers on the wall and noted that our little boys room was the same colour blue and therefore the aeroplane stick ons would look great...good value I thought at £30 a pack and apparantly the picture shows just one pack.........

Moving down the wish list......

Theres something about this crayon tin...

I love the rubber duck bathroom design and think the bath towel would make a great new baby present...

New shape pin tin...do I need 2 pin tins???I'm wondering how long this suit cover is, will have to check online, its too nice to hide inside my wardrobe though...These frogs were oohed over in a I could make them kind of way......in fact I may well have a go....And I have fallen in love with the chairs in the catalogue.....similar/same as the chairs you would find in store - just lovely....I love the patchwork.

I like the extra magaziney bits in the new style catalogue. Now does anyone clever know is this recipe a make and keep in the fridge eat soon kind of thing or would it keep like jam?? Looks and sounds delicious.....

Saturday Morning

Today I have mostly been...

making jam and chutney.......

And I think I have finally sussed the setting point thing - my blackberry and apple jam is the perfect consistency!!!!

I also made the easiest marmalade ever, courtesy of Nigella as was the chilli jam....and beetroot and orange chutney, which no doubt will only get eaten by me lol!!

ooh and Cath finally sent me her latest catalogue and she sent one to my lovely husband, clever lady!! I have helped him out by circling one or 2 things, I'm such a good wife :)

We have been away from home so much the past couple of months it was lovely just to potter, I wore my Grandmas pinny and I even cleaned and sewed.

I wish I could be this motivated all week, if I was I could probably run the country!!!

An Award

Thank You MelMel for my award (over on my sidebar).

Now I get to share 5 current obsessions of mine.

Number 1 will have to be ebay.

I have a love hate relationship with ebay. I go through phases of buying/selling/looking. Just now I am listing lots of clothes and baby things. When I have things selling I can't leave it alone - checking checking checking!!

I sell so I can buy....currently I am looking at clothes and shoes and vintage fabric, but I go through stages, could be fabric, kitcheny stuff, crafty things. I have had a run of good ebay purchasing, items that are exactly as described, gorgeous as new red birkenstocks for a tenner, top shop wool skirt (ready for the winter!!) for £2 - but I have had some horrors, baby sleepsuits with orange food stains on the front just one example!! Grease stains down the front of a Monsoon cardigan anyone??

Number 2, House magazines aka House Porn!!!

Nuff said!!!- most of these are from the cheapy trial subscriptions you can get, 3 for £1 etc. All finished now so I shall resist until the Christmas beauties come out :)

Gives me time to chop through these for my inspiration pile!

Number 3

Reading..... I always have at least one book on the go, often more and recently I have been getting through a lot of books.

I have got back into the habit of using the library too. Our service is excellent for requesting books, online ordering then an email when its in your branch.

Number 4 - Came about as a result of number 3!! Vampires!!

I know the Twilight books have been VERY popular in blogland - I loved them, really couldn't put them down. I haven't seen the movie yet as (crazy thoughts now!!) I am scared too. Not ghosty ghouly scared but scared it will shatter the images in my head of the characters and ruin the romance for me!!! I will watch soon though as I am starting to find it hard to resist, especially as the actor playing Edward is extreeeemly easy on the eye ;)

For the record, Edward didn't do it for me in any of the books, even in the last one - Jacob all the way please!!!

I have also been watching (well sky+ ing) FX's TrueBlood.....anyone else watching???....I am loving it. I just love the concept of Vampires living amongst us. True Blood is dark, and certainly not for the faint hearted - the sex scenes are bordering on porn!! But don't let that spoil it for you hehe!! If you are a Twilight fan, you will get it. I think I have sussed out the killer too, (thats not a spoiler stands to reason that there will be murders in a post watershed programme!!) thanks to Twilight I feel I have an insight to the vampire/werewolf scene lol!!

The series is based on a book/s so I think I will have a read but after I've found out who the killer is and see if my theory is correct ;)!!!!

And finally, don't hate me....but Number 5 is Christmas

I am waking up in the night thinking of crafty things I want to make. And how little time I have.Including an advent calender(which I talked about to a fellow blogger in May...if I recall I was going to start it in June *coughs and moves on*!!!!)

I am planning handmade gifts, edible and non edible. I even read Nigella's Christmas the other day, planning our Christmas menu!!
I bought this book last new year and seriously CANNOT WAIT to make things from it!!

(didn't pay that much for it though wow!!)

I have bought a few bits and pieces, made a few notes in my notebook about gift ideas for the children. I know how I want to wrap my presents up fancy!!

On the other hand I have just bought this book.....and want it to be read as a family to try and make Christmas more spiritual and simpler than other years.

ooh getting excited - where can I find a Christmas Countdown widget for me sidebar - HoHoHo!!!

I have taken ages gettin g round to doing this post so won't tag anyone but if you have a freakin' fabulous blog - do take the award!!xxx

I'm Live!!

So after much procrastinating I have opened for business over at GingerPudding!!!!

So just about now....there should be some brooches for sale!!

I hope to get a bit of variety going on over there just as soon as the boys are back at school x

Let me know what you think - Have I missed anything? Do I need to alter anything? Constructive criticism welcomed!!!

sleepover swap

I signed up for A Thrifty Mrs's Sleepover Swap, ooh ages ago....and this week both received and sent out my swap parcel.

Caroline was my swap partner (who very kindly agreed to my request to delay our sending after the deadline had passed as I was swamped!!), and on my return from yet another weekend away (this time a family wedding in the north) my neighbour handed me a lovely box with my name on :)

I am afraid that much to A's disgust I had to open there and then, leaving the unpacking to him...

Knowing of my love for our friend Cath, Caroline has made me a sleep mask and lavender filled mouse in one of my favourite, much coveted CK prints.......

More CK lovelyness with some hand cream, along with a nail file and gorgeous nail polish.

A lovely mug full of yummy hot choc and..........

very appropriate sweeties lol!!!
Next to be opened was this beautiful candle holder.....destined for my bathroom when its decorated.....currently in our bedroom......I love this Enid Blyton book, I have had no luck lately in my hunt for EB books so opening this one was a gasp out loud happy moment :), I have a sweet strawberry bookmark too.

I can make us all some delicious muffins.....
with my new book and ice cream coloured cases :)

Thank You so much Caroline for a fab fab swap parcel, I have loved everything :0

Caroline has blogged here about her parcel...but here are a few pics of what I made for her. I had an inspiration block but finally decided on what to make.

So great minds think alike and I made a sleep mask, with a matching reversible headband..
After a few false starts and crafting disasters I made a couple of padded hangers....

This was my take on a dream catcher/ mobile/hangy thingy :)
And a bag (yes 'that' pattern again hehehe!!!) made in an Ikea print
Thanks Thrifty one for hosting a great swap, looking forward to the next one lol!!!!

Domestic Goddess

Thank you for all the spa well wishing. I had a wonderful indulgent weekend, which was over all too soon. It was very tiring having to do nothing, although the cocktails we drank may have added to the drowsiness!!
I came back refreshed and revitalised. Monday morning saw me up with the larks (well bloody great seagulls who are tormenting us with a chorus on the roof every morning at the mo!!) and I had baked, washed, hung out, tidied up all before I would usually have been dressed :)
The boys were then taken to a new park, and home for lunch all without the relaxation fading.....then afternoon came and they all argued and woke the baby and I got grumpy!!
But it was good whilst it lasted.
I am continuing the motivated mummy thing - homemade rolls for the picnic in the park yesterday...homemade biccies in the jar today....all the washing is up to date and the ironing is too...almost!!

The little boys went to bed very early tonight, grandparents wore them out on the beach, so I decided to do something with the cherries off the tree in the garden. I picked them all yesterday as they were feeling very soft and I didn't want them to rot on the tree.

(Sadly.....I forgot to take pics....well I thought I had but they have disappeared!!)

We chose a morello cherry, but they were still a bit sour to eat, and we don't really do desserts unless we have guests so I got out my preserving pan........(well mums old pressure cooker base!!!) and made jam.

Because according to saint nigella, "this is what you should do with any fruit you come across that is perhaps too sour to eat - the sourness aids the setting." Ok she was speaking about greengages but I think she meant the principle to be applied across the whole fruit family!!!

There was only 12oz so I have just got 1 jar out of them but it wasn't a chore. Jam and Chutney making is my favourite of all domestic goddess chores. There is something so satisfying about cooking to hoard!! I was always taken by Laura Ingalls Wilders descriptions in Little House of ma's storecupboard, with things salted and preserved for winter, I'm sure its stayed with me and thats why I get my kicks filling my little cupboard up :)

Cherry Jam ( with bad sun glare!) pictured with last months chutney making results - the red onion one was made because I had a glut of over purchased onions in the cupboard, and the plum and apple because I had plums I needed to use. I don't make huge quantities at a time so its quick and can be done whilst I cook tea!!

I don't follow a recipe as such for chutney, I glance to check the fruit to vinegar/sugar ratio's but apart from that I wing it....spiced apple and plum is a sweetish chutney flavoured with cinnamon, the red onion has garlic in.

Next up is grapefruit and ginger marmalade to use the grapefruits in my fridge bought because I was dieting (ha!) and beetroot chutney with the beetroots I have grown in the garden that are ready to go!

We have another weekend away this week.....then I hope things will calm down a bit and I can take the cover off my sewing machine and get out thrifting again. Haven't bought any vintage embroidered fabric for ages!!!

chilling

The school hols don't half eat into mum time don't they!!!! This week my sewing machine hasn't had the cover taken off. This months subscription mags haven't had more than a glance.

I'm trying to play post hol catch up this week and prepare for my indulgent weekend away.

I am very very lucky (and my lovely husband is the best) and this weekend I am off to a nice (ie I wouldn't take the kids there hehehe!!) hotel for a spa weekend with my girlie friends :)

We went last year for the day and we all agreed it was fabulous but coming home after dinner kind of spoilt the mood and that next year we would go for the weekend.

We have been putting away our pennies all year and a weekend it is!!

4 of us. We have 2 adjoining rooms, so after eating dinner in a restaurant where we can wear heels and a dress and not get asked if we want fries with that.....we can get trollied on pink wine and eat crisps whilst missing our spouses and children (yeh right!!!)

We have 10 children between the 4 of us and not a girl in sight!!! Its a case of mothers of sons stick together!!! So this weekend is a well earned bit of feminine pampering!!

Unless someone sneaks in to my house tonight and does emergency lipo I won't be looking like the skinny min in the pic above!!!!

I am having small pangs of guilt about leaving my rabble at home while I go off on a jolly but - hey - I'm sure I'll get over it :D

Can hardlys wait!! I took the boys swimming today with my friend and spa partner and after bellowing at our 4 year olds to stop drowning each other we commented that next time we were in our cossies we would have nothing to worry about but what to eat for lunch or what to drink next!!

So tomorrow will be spent making sure there is food for everyone, finishing my sleepover swap and packing my overnight bag... ttfn x

Home

Ah! You can't beat getting back to your own home after being away for a week!!

We had a long journey.... love travelling with small boys (no really!) they get so excited about crossing over a very big bridge!!

and after a hideous overnight stay in a hotel in Dover (nothing wrong with the hotel that air con couldn't fix...but small boys didn't want to sleep as we were in the same room !!)....we got on a big boat.....

And sailed to France.

manky looking Boulogne taken from the boat

We have just returned from a week in Normandy .

It was very lovely. The weather got MUCH better!!!!

We stayed here. And it was lovlier than the pictures on the website. A really pretty old stone cottage, with lots of low beams (my 6ft2 husband didn't find the beams as lovely as I did!!!). It was a comfortable home from home, with lovely touches from the owner (who lives next door), like a welcome basket of goodies for our arrival including chilled wine!! The baby had been well catered for too, a cosy cot and a baby bath (showers only in the accomodation) with baby toiletries. And I really appreciated the lovely toybox left in the lounge for the boys, as did the small boys!!

(its the little things that make a stay I think!!)

The cottage was in the middle of nowhere, but easily accessible - the silence was heavenly. Its not especially noisy where I live but I couldn't sleep the first night home because of the traffic noise!!

The owners have 2 boys of their own and aswell as the pool, they have put a big trampoline and undercover table tennis for the properties to use.

We did have a lovely break but it was a stressful week to be honest, purely because of the ages of my boys - 14, 11, 4 and 20 months - its a bit too varied to successfully have days out etc that suit everyone!!

We holidayed with my parents too, for the 4th year running, and considering other people adds to the stress a teeny bit!! Although mums presence was appreciated on Friday when lovely husband and I got 2 hours to ourselves to lunch in a nearby town :)

We did manage some days out, including the d-day landing beaches, which deserve a post all of their own, and a couple of trips to a lovely park with a lake and a great walk, but we have made the decision not to take a full week holiday next year, so all being well we will do Legoland as a full 6 for the weekend, then we will take the boys away seperately, a long weekend with big boys doing big boys things, same for the little boys and if we are really lucky, another for mummy and daddy with no boys at all!!!


(taken from Domfront Castle)
Thank you all for the lovely comments on the posts I scheduled whilst away. I plan to work this week on getting my blogshop sorted aswell as finishing my sleepover swap :)