Pretty Knits, Nigella cookies and a tag!

Hello lovely ladies,

hope you enjoyed the bit of Glamour yesterday!

As promised, I bring you Pretty Knits.Well this is just full of GORGEOUSNESS!!

A book full of 30 specially commissioned patterns by international designers.The author is Susan Cropper of Loop! Well that's why the book is so delicious then!

The book contains a beautiful collection of 'stylish fashion pieces, glamorous accessories and chic home furnishings'.

I just love this pretty dainty top.

This cushion would look lovely on my bed

I absolutely love the throw.I'd love to make this, even if it did take me ages to knit it!My bedroom is lilac too! it would fit in beautifully!I just love the flowery detail!

I'd definitely recommend buying this book!

Oh yes I have spent too many hours drooling over this book and eating too many of these!

I baked these yesterday , from Nigella's Christmas cookbook.Cranberry and White Chocolate cookies They are very tasty, I bought the ingredients at Christmas but never got around to making them!

I try not to buy biscuits as I REALLY like them, in fact we all do, a biscuit tin would be fatal in our hands!

And finally ,the lovely Penny from The Henhouse tagged me to show my favourite photo!It was so hard to choose! This is one of them!

My children at sunset, on a beach in Barbados in 2008 .This was our last family holiday with us all together...My son had just come out of the sea and my daughter had been doing artwork on the beach.

We all loved that holiday so much as we'd gone with lovely family friends too!Each day was full of fun and happiness

We did return to Barbados the following year but our daughter was at uni then, sighs....time seems to speed up when you get to the teenage years!

Managed to go and do a big food shop today so feeling much better about the snow.I was gettin a bit fed up of trekking into town in the snow, it was the dentist on Monday, giving blood Tuesday, my muscles are so achey from trying to stay upright on the ice whist carrying heavy shopping bags home!I was pleased we went in the car today although I'm glad hubby drove!

TTFN

Rachel x

In need of a bit of Glamour?

a bit of luxury?

I am , after days of donning wellies, waterproof jacket, thermals, unflattering hats( hats just don't suit me)I could do with a bit of glamour in my life!

I took myself off to the library,(after the dentist) in the snow!(Remember I'm not buying magazines or books for a whole year due to 'the challenge', so the library is my new best friend) Look at what I came across!

Glamour at Home by Erika Knight

Just what I needed

Want a little peek inside?

Aren't they just gorgeous!

This tea cozy is knitted from strips of Tulle!VERY GLAMOUROUS ! Not sure how practical it would be though!

Throughout this snowy spell I have been working on a bit of glamour of my own!

Hand knitted brooches in luxury yarns.The light pink ones are knitted with Sublime angora merino.With a mother of pearl button in the centre.

So beautifully soft, you just want to brush it against your cheek, or is that just me?

The deeper pink one is knitted with Sublime kid mohair, also beautifully soft!Anyway I have knitted some to go into my Tinyshop

Feel free to pop over and take a peek!

Now they may be luxury yarns but not luxury prices! Priced at only £5.50 each with free p+p, they won't break the bank!

I also borrowed Pretty Knits from the library, I'll show you that one tomorrow, we can't have the Glamour all in one day can we!

Rachel x

Room 7 Bett - Room Seven Bed

Room 7 Bett - Room Seven Bed
Originally uploaded by *Püppilottchen*

Such a gorgeous little bed, found this on Flickr.I have a few cushion inners and tons of fabric, I'm inspired! I haven't got a little girl to make for, now my little girl is 20! I shall make one for myself!
Rachel x

'Challenge of the Utmost Kind! '

I'm sure lots of you already know about this lovely lady's amazing blog Here!

Well Tif started her 'challenge of the utmost kind' in September 2009 and I joined on 22nd November! Please click my sidebar for details.

I will not be buying anything for myself or my home that is new for the next year.I will only buy thrifted or handmade!

We are allowed to have a few exceptions and these are mine!

1. A dog, I have been waiting for a little dog for a long time, this has been my little dream since last year and I will be acquiring a new furry friend in the next few months!


2. Underwear, obviously I will not be wearing someone else's undies, so if I need to, I will have to buy new.I wouldn't want to be caught in holey greying underwear if I was hit by a bus!

That is it everything else will be thrifted and handmade!.Thanks Tif for creating such an amazing challenge, I'm sure it will be difficult at times but quite exciting too!

I have been sorting my massive wool stash and have been working on these for the last few snowy evenings!

I mixed a slubby blue fine yarn with a green 3 ply.

This green one is knitted with 2 strands of vintage 3 ply, probably from the late 1960's judging by the packaging!I love choosing buttons from my stash for the centre.

I will not be buying any 'new wool' this year.Only what I can thrift.I do have quite a large stash to be going on with though.Some of it from unfinished projects in the 1980's.

Have a wonderful weekend!Keep safe cozy and warm!Do not slip over on the ice and land on your eye like my son did yesterday!Yes he has another shiner, the second in 6 weeks!

Rachel x

Just spreading the word!

The lovely sweetmyrtle.typepad.com/blog/

has set up a FLICKR group here http://www.flickr.com/groups/sew_fabulous_fabric/

It's a place to post and share your creations inspired by their first wonderful book 'Sew Fabulous fabric'.

Why not pop over to have a look and if you have made something from their gorgeous book perhaps you'd like to post it there and we can all have a little look!

Sorry if I am sounding a bit bossy but sometimes people are are bit shy to tell us what they're up to, so I thought I'd just try and spread the word a little bit!

Rachel x

Enjoying the Snow!!

Today we awoke to a Winter Wonderland! It started yesterday afternoon and became much deeper today!

The schools were closed and Hubby had to work from home!

My son went out with his friends, after me keep reminding him to wear his long johns,warm socks, gloves, waterproof trousers,wellies!

Hubby and I ventured out later for a 10 minute walk to the garage for milk and bread.

I made him promise NOT to snowball me, but I knew he would! I got him back though! I couldn't stop laughing as I CAUGHT HIM IN THE FACE WITH A BIG SOFT SNOWBALL!It looked like he had a snowy patch over one eye!

Everything in the garden was wearing a little snowy hat!

Even my little summerhouse!

Then we made a snowman

I made some soup to keep us warm!

This evening we watched a film and I made hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows! Very naughty!! But very nice!!

Ours didn't have quite so many marshmallows as this picture!
Hope you're enjoying the snow too!
keep cozy and warm!
Rachel x

A little light distraction

Today I am clearing out my kitchen drawers whilst listening to The Killers.

Isn't Brandon Flowers gorgeous

Just sayin...

Please allow me a little distraction whilst completing such a boring job!

Nearly done!

Rachel x

Pocketful of Dreams...

and ideas! Yes I'm marching into the New Year with lots of plans and new ideas!I shall just share a few with you today, I'm so excited I may pop!!

First a little recap on last year

Last year was a strange one, we had health worries(Hubby) he had lots of tests as suddenly he lost a little section of eyesight in one eye. The hospital were concerned he may be about to have a Stroke or heart attack, it was all a VERY worrying few months.Lots of tests were done, his heart brain and blood and luckily he's a perfectly healthy specimen! The eye thing is 'just one of those things' apparently.Later in the year there were worries about Hubbys company closing! After the health worries I refused to get bogged down by this and just carried on and rearranged our budgeting in case!Health is definitely the most important thing, something we take for granted until it goes wrong!

I decided to take pleasure in making little savings, not see it as a problem We switched where we shopped and I took the time to make more 'homemade meals'.I also decided to buy most of our meat from the butchers instead of the supermarket as you get more for your money!

Anyway I'm rambling a bit now!

I've decided to make changes in my life this year.For me, January will be all about organisation.Every year since I've started my little business, I start to panic at this point as I haven't completed my tax return! So I shall be sorting out my paperwork and organising my craft space to become more efficient!I shall also be reorganising my kitchen, bedroom, dining room, in fact I will be organising the whole house!

Later in the week I shall be back to chat about the lovely Dottie Angel 'Challenge of the Utmost Kind' which I joined back in November!

I waste such a lot of time hunting for things I have misplaced!For instance, just found business receipts in the French style tin in my bedroom, I had totally forgotten about these!I also found Christmas gifts that I'd hidden in these boxes on top of my wardrobe!In the top photo I've found my favourite necklace under my wardrobe! How did that get there?Also came across a bottle of Elizabeth Arden Splendour!

I have accumulated too much 'stuff ', so I will be addressing this.

This is my chest of drawers after decluttering!

Usually I would be dreading all this sorting and organising, but this year I am feeling different about it all in my head!

I know I'll feel much happier when I've done it!

I've just finished an early lunch so I'm off to do a bit more now!

Have a wonderful week!

Rachel x

PS. Reading back over this post it all sounds very scatty and all over the place, I'm feeling a bit like that at the mo.Hence the focus on organisation.I hope I make more sense later in the week!

A girl can dream anyway!

Rachel xx