Day 2

We woke to a glorious day on the Sunday - beautiful blue sky and very warm. We went to the market in Amble first thing (well after a delicious cooked breakfast!), then we explored the beach and jetty. Edward had great fun in the rock pools.

After lunch we went to Druridge Beach - 6 miles of golden sand - it's just like being in the Mediterranean. Edward didn't waste anytime going in the water and spent a happy afternoon digging.

Emily took it easy, basking in the sun, plugged in to her Ipod. She did play a game of football with my dad, but she would not thank me for publishing photos of it!

I was quite happy sitting in my chair taking in the beautiful scenery, feeling relaxed and warm, reading a brilliant book which I couldn't put down - The Girl who Played with Fire. A great afternoon.

M x

Our Holiday - Day 1

For our holiday this year, we went to Amble in Northumberland, staying in a rented house with my parents. We travelled up independently and we stopped off in Knaresborough to give Mark a break from driving and to give us all the chance to stretch our legs. We decided to pass the time at Mother Shipton's Cave. I don't know if anyone else has been there - I certainly hadn't - I was pleasantly surprised. We had a lovely walk down to the cave and well, by the river side and then through the woods - the sun was shining, it was lovely.

The cave itself is famous for petrifying objects, some of which date back to the 1500s. Edward particularly liked the cricket bat though!

We got back on the road after a couple of hours, feeling much better for our break. We arrived in Amble around 3.30 to find Mum and Dad had already arrived. The house was lovely (photos of house next week - on Mum's camera!) and we were looking forward to having a good look around. But first things first - kettle on!

M x

Back from holiday

Just got back from our holiday in Northumberland, which was great by the way. More of that later - with lots and lots of photos! Also got lots of crafty things to share - later.

We had some sad news while we were away - our beloved Sophie died the day we went. We left really early in the morning and she died that evening. We understand that she just laid down and died. Our friends who were looking after her phoned us with the news the next day. I felt so sorry for them having to tell us but I would rather know than come home to it like we did the previous year with our other cat Molly.

Sophie was such a special cat, so affectionate and she had a great personality. We got her when she was an eight week old kitten and we had her for 17 and a half years. She was well known and well loved by all the neighbours - she had a particular fondness for a newly clean, warm, car bonnet!

We miss her terribly - the house just doesn't seem right without her.

M x

Ta-dah!!!

Here's a little sneaky peak of my newly finished project.

And here it is in all it's splendid glory (ignore the guitar and amp in the background - it was the least messy angle to photograph from!!).

Aren't the colours divine?! I am so in love with it - it's so soft and snuggly - I just want to curl up underneath it.

I used Rowan Cash Soft in 4 ply. I don't know how many balls of wool I used which is just as well, because at £4.75 a ball, this little blanket has turned into a very expensive project (but so worth it!!).

The colours are as follows:

• Cream 433
• Navy 440
• Bluebottle 449
• Fiesta 455
• Amethyst 444
• Forest 442
• Poppy 438
• Fennel 436
• Pomegranate 447

The blanket is made up of 96 squares - 12 of each colour, each edged with one round of cream, then a final border of three rows of cream.

It''s such a lovely feeling to have finished it, however the same cannot be said for my hexagonal blanket which is sorely in need of a bit of TLC. That is definitely a winter project as it is so hot and heavy to have over my lap.

I'm off in search of something else to make now. TTFN.

M x

Cards and cupcake (cards!)

Some of my recent cards. The first one is my standard design for significant birthdays. I was a bit naughty because I left it until the last minute, but at least its a design I can depend on. The papers are the Tiffany range from We R Memory Keepers (with added glitter glue!).

The following cards are from a cupcake kit that I bought a while ago from QVC. I bought it mainly for the sheet of stamps that came with it (that I haven't used yet!). The cards are not really my style as everything is done for you and all you need to do is assemble them - I prefer to do a bit more work on the cards I make. However I love the cupcake images and they will be a great addition to my box of emergency birthday cards.

That's all for now. I'm hoping for the grand unveiling of my blanket tomorrow - time permitting. Then - what to crochet next??!!

Have a good day.

M x

Crochet Update

Ooh I'm so excited! This morning I joined the last 16 squares to my blanket and this afternoon I worked the first row of the border . . .it's nearly finished!!

M x

Wuthering Heights

Last week I decided to undertake one of my holiday tasks and read Wuthering Heights. Not without trepidation I might add - suppose I didn't like it, or found it too hard going. I hate giving up on books and I was imagining it taking me weeks to plough through it. Also, I didn't have a crisp new Penguin Classic, no not me.

This is my copy of the book. It's so old that the cover has come away from the rest of the book, and the pages are so brittle that they kept cracking. The type is really small and it made it very hard to read. I don't even know where I got this book from, all I know is that I have had it for years and never read it.

Until now that is . . . and I must say, I couldn't put it down. Why haven't I read it before? I can't really explain why I like it - the characters aren't even very nice. I didn't have much sympathy for Cathy and Heathcliffe, and even Catherine and Linton came across as quite bratty - but there is something about that book that is quite compulsive. I know what I will read it again at some point (although I might invest in a crisp, shiny new book!).

The rest of the holiday tasks are coming a long quite nicely. Edward's room is done and I'm very happy about how that went. Just need to get his desk sorted after we come back from our holiday. I've had a bit of a card making session last week, but am hoping to get some more done this week. My blanket is looking great. I'm just finishing up the last few squares and then I've got the edging to do. The only thing I haven't done is the Menu Planner, and quite frankly that's the hardest job of all. My children are really fussy and generally I can plan a meal for three of us and there is always one person who won't eat it - usually Edward. Heigh ho!

Have a good day.

M x