Made this for lunch today Tomato and Borlotti Bean soup http://pinterest.com/pin/58265388898957842/, it was delicious and very economical.I'm always buying different beans and pulses and then I'm not sure what to do with them so this is a great recipe for using them up.I doubled the amout so we've got plenty of warming soup for the weekend!
I really need to do a shop as we've run out of lots of things,you know one of those days when you're rootling around in your cupboards because there's not much of anything left!Not even even cheese and bread, I can't bear to think about going supermarket shopping in the snow, I'll wait until tomorrow I think!

However I do have enough ingredients to make a lemon drizzle cake, I made one last week and it was lovely, a Tana Ramsay recipe, I added a bit more lemon as we like it very lemony!
Might have a naughty hot chocolate later too, well it's just sooo cold and snowy!

Thank you for all you sweet comments on my last post,I really appreciated them, I thought you might have forgotten me it had been so long!

Have a lovely cozy weekend!

Love Rachel x 

My Poor Neglected Blog

Oh dear, it has been soooo long since my last post, I REALLY did keep meaning to, but then life and Pinterest (an  addiction) got in the way!
But honestly.... 2011 was a strange old year, and although I had some lovely happy times, my daughters graduation, our 25th wedding anniversary, trip to Dublin and a lovely walking week in Derbyshire. I felt like I never properly got to grips with 2011!It felt like there were lots of downs too, in fact I can't bear to watch the news anymore with all the awful things going on in the world
The recession has hit my little business somewhat too,people didn't have as many pennies to spend, so I spent quite a bit of time working on that.
However I am determined to make the most of 2012 and made a good start with decluttering and organizing in January.

Now in Feb I've been designing some new makes for my Etsy shop I also need to make a start on some re-decorating! I shall show you soon!
I'm looking forward to catching up with you all

Love Rachel x

Blooms and Graduation!

At the weekend we went on a little jaunt to Brighton for our daughter's Graduation on Monday morning!We all had a lovely time and we are so very proud of her!
Her outfit matched the cloak beautifully, a coincidence as she was going to wear a different dress!
We took lots of photos in the Pavilion gardens too!

There  were smiles all around all day!

The Hat toss!

That's the back of me in the spotty top and Carianne looking very Harry Potteresque!

We went for a lovely long lunch at a Mexican restaurant and we had cocktails to celebrate too!

Back home now and I have been pottering in the garden, the first photo at the top of this post is a Rose that I've been waiting to bloom for ages, such a pretty red!

I'm so pleased that my toms are finally growing too!

I bought these pretty perennials at the boot a few weeks ago, does anyone know what these are called please?  I haven't got a clue!

Thank you so much for the bunting love in the last post, you make my day you really do!

Have a great week, lets hope the sun keeps shining!

Rachel x

Vintage Fabric Runner

Hello Gals, hope the sun is shining on you like it is here today!
Up until this week it seems like an age since I've stitched anything for my own home.
I've had this gorgeous vintage floral linen for a long time, I presume I bought it at the car boot but I can't honestly remember!
It's not really my usual style as such but there is something about it that I adore.It's the same fabric I used in the bunting I showed you in the last post, ( thank you for all the kind comments by the way)It's a linen, as you can tell by the creases!

I have made it for the coffee table in the living room. Our table is huge, we bought after we had moved into the house 13 years ago. It was handmade by a local chap who lives in a village a few miles away.
It needs a rub down as it has taken a bit of a battering over the years!Another job to go on my to do list!My Rosy coasters were a bargain too, just a £1 from the CS
Have a fabulous weekend, lets hope the sun stays out!
Rachel x

Making Makes Me Happy!

Simple and oh so true.

Rachel x

                                                                                                                                                                                

Been meaning to do this for a long time

Hello and how are you all, it's been a little while.

I have been busy in the garden, well in between rain showers and we have had my parents visiting for 4 days which was lovely.
I have received 2 awards recently(well fairly recently)  from two very kind people and I haven't gotten around to doing them!
The first is the  Kreativ Blogger Award from the lovely Karen at 4 Lil GirlsThank you so much Karen, I really appreciate it! Sorry it has taken me so long!I have to give 10 facts about myself so here goes

1. I am a procrastinator, I think this may be obvious because of the length of time it took me to get around to doing this! In fact if I am given a project and 3 weeks to do it, I will think about it for 2 weeks and make it it in the 3rd week. I think perhaps I work better under pressure!
2. I don't know how to sew in a zip, in fact I have never tried, it all looks a bit scary! It is on my to do list though!
3. My party piece is that you can play me the beginning of almost any song from the 1980's, just the first 2 seconds and I will be able to "name that tune". My friend Darryl is also brilliant at this game , we are always trying to outdo each other!
4. When I left school I started to go clubbing (purely for the dancing) with my boyfriend (now husband)We were both underage (no ID cards then)We went to most of the nightclubs in Birmingham city centre. On my 18th birthday I got refused for looking too young! I was dying to say "what are you talking about I've been coming here for the last 2 years!"
5. I think I am instruction dyslexic as I find it very difficult to follow technical instructions.I got very excited when I managed to assemble an IKEA filing cabinet! It's mad, as I can follow a recipe and a knitting pattern!
6. The Hubster and I went to a Lee Evans gig recently, it was flippin brilliant, especially when he did the whole Bohemian Rhapsody thing at the end!
7. In a few weeks, I will have been married for 25 years! 25 happy years How did that happen, the time has flown by so quickly!I was only 19 at the time.
8. I haven't got any Hostas in my garden because they attract snails! If I accidentally step on a snail, my legs go to jelly, I hate the fact I  have just killed it and his shattered his little home! So sad!
9. I was rubbish at sewing when I was at school, I don't think I ever finished a project. I became interested in sewing to due to necessity and lack of cash when I was 21 and had my daughter, I made her a smashing pair of dungarees, with lining and poppers and  pockets !They were pink polka dot and so cute!
10. I love breakfast in the garden on a sunny day!  It feels like I'm on holiday and yes sometimes I am in my nightie!

Now this is the bit I'm not keen on doing, picking out blogs to pass it onto but here goes, I will pass the award onto these gorgeous blogs,
Amanda makes
Poppy
found and sewn
Mary Jane's TEAROOM

It has taken me an hour to get this far, what is going on with blogger? Will have to do the other kind award next time!

Have a lovely week Rachel x

Red is Best

I think I am loving Pinterest too much!

How about you?

Rachel x