It's Chritmas time.......

Now, I am sure I speak for most of us when I say that things are pretty hectic, the panic is rising and there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done..... I have been busy at school Nativities, helping out in the school creche, wrapping, buying and baking.....2 more carol concerts to go on Friday, one more day of work on Tuesday and then I can relax......yippee!!

Here are just a few snaps captured over the last week

I just love this wreath that was hanging in the Restaurant, so stylish, wish it was gracing my lounge wall!!

This little dotty number caught my eye, 2 of them in bone china, half price.....coffee tastes a treat out of it............

A frozen inspired cake for a young ladies birthday....

Just 2 of the cheeky Christmas chaps, I have been making.....

And then of course, just in case there was the slightest chance that I didn't have enough to do, my nephew's wife announces the arrival of a summer bundle of cuddles.....so off I run to my wool stash and dig out loads of colours left over from my granny stripe.... a quick little baby blanket to see me over the Christmas hols...

I would like to thank you all for following along with my chatter.....blogging is still early days for me and I don't think I have settled into my own style as yet....but next year I will be 'all over it'

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I hope Santa brings you all you wish for and more besides....health and happiness to you all...

Fondest wishes........Niki xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Do you want to know a secret?

SSHHHHHHHHhhhhh......

Don't tell anybody, but look what I have......it's hidden at the very top of my wardrobe.....can you tell what it is?

Shall I tell you?

Promise not to tell anyone....

It is the Coastal Ripple colour pack from the lovely Attic 24 shop over at Wool Warehouse...............

I am starting a CAL (crochet a long) in January with a friend.....she is a beginner, so we are aiming to make it in 3 months.........feel free to join in if you wish...this blanket will be for Little J when it is finished and then I will move on to another ripple for Little A, whilst completing my greanny square blankets...they are so much easier to just pop into your bag when you nip out!!

But ssshhhhhh it's a secret :)

xxx

A little cakey magic......

I had a request to make a birthday cake for a budding ballerina.......

And a little boy who was celebrating his first birthday and they really wanted a cake with a happy smiley elephant......

The picture is not great quality I'm afraid on this one....

Now I am being kept busy with these little beauties.......keep your eyes peeled for a whole lot of them coming up in the next couple of weeks!!

So long................

xx

Kitchen and cakes

Not only has it been a hectic week in general I have been fairly busy at work...I attended a brilliant Christmas Fair and had a great day, the sun was out, there were donkey rides, a fairground, Santa's grotto, an ice rink and fabulous selection of Christmas gifts and cakes for sale in the heated Marquee and good fun was had by all......here are some of my photos....

Now we are well and truly into the cold winter days my slow cooker is on a lot....it is so lovely to pop something in with very little prep in the morning and then have a lovely hot meal later, especially on an evening when we are not all eating together.....

Chunky warming sup with homemade crusty bread

Chicken with ginger and garlic and peppers and coconut milk with loads of rice and naan bread

Meatballs with big bowls of steaming spaghetti

This....

turning into this......

And, why not, it is Christmas after all............

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Repairing the love......

Hello lovelies, I cannot believe it has been so long since I was last here...apologies...

The last two weeks have been mayhem with work, school, christmas, more work, more school, jogging, working out....housework, gosh mustn't forget the housework!!  Washing, laundry, ironing and on and on it goes in a never ending circle...It's not just me, so I shouldn't moan but oh how I wish I could wave Little A's magic wand and all the mundane chores were done!!  Here's hoping...

So my Little A loves her blanket, loves it a little too much.....it was my first blanket project, other than baby blankets, so I have to admit it is a bit hit and miss in places, so it didn't come as to big a surprise to see a little hole appear.....

So coffee pot at the ready a quick repair job was undertaken....

There all back to as good as new, maybe even better than new....who knows??

bye for now
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My Little Pony

This lovely cake is going out today.......Happy Birthday

Ta - dah, Ta - dah, Ta - Daaaaaaaaaah

Well this has been an absolute pleasure, my biggest project by far, probably started it in March time and then other little projects have got in the way, oh and yes the summer, was a bit warm crocheting this whilst sitting outside!!

Lots of balls of wool, lots of ends sewn in and now I can just snuggle, just in time for the Winter when I will be snuggling on the sofa with the telly and tea for company.....bliss.

Ok, photos I hear you say, I was just imagining in my head snuggling on Christmas Eve under this lovely stripey watching something good on TV with a nice cold glass of fizz, but hey...come back now that is another story...

Right then Giant Grannie Stripe started here......

And now it will live here....

But, it looks equally at home here....and I don't really want to hide it away upstairs just yet, so whilst I am working on my sofa Grannie Square, I think I will leave it here....

I love the final picot edge...

 Stripey, stripey, stripey......

I used the colours picked out by Lucy at Attic 24 in her original colour pack and I bought 2 of the packs, but I do have yarn left and I did use some for other items...so altogether a very good value blanket, which has bought me hours of pleasure and will continue to do so.

Now my basket has the next project all lined up to complete...

A busy week with not a lot to show!!

Hello everyone, thanks for dropping by..This past week has been one big blur of activity, but, as is often the way, I don't have a lot to show for it....back to school, mountains of laundry, housework, rain....none of which make for exciting photos an then when there is an exciting photo opportunity the moment passes and then I think "oh drat, I wish I had snapped that!!" so here are a few snaps summing up another week in my household  xx

Don't you just it when a little parcel arrives with your name on and to start with you wonder what it is and then it dawns on you that it was the giveaway you won...yipeee, happy days, happy me....
A big thanks to Jane at Flowerhouse. I love the wool, it will be the edging of a new blanket that is being planned, the seeds has been given to T to sow and plant with Little J & A and the teabags are most definitely mine!!

Bubble and squeak and fried egg for lunch...left over veg from Sundays Roast and sad little rasher of bacon from Sunday breakfast cooked in the frying pan that I had just made my curry paste in (I couldn't be bothered to wash it knowing I was using it again)  It didn't taste of curry but had a nice bit of chilly heat in the background....washed down with a large mug of tea....yummy

Remember I showed you my little turtle last week? Well this was him in his new home....

Recipe testing red velvet cupcakes...making a debut at a Christmas Fayre very soon...

Some pretty flowers...loving the colours, reminding me of a stripey blanket that I am working on...last 2 rows of edging....Ta DAhhhhhhh imminent, but first I have sugarpaste rainbows to make....anyone guess what this weeks cake is ??

So, this week I will be more vigilant and take a few more exciting pics and be back to you lovelies soon

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Half Term Hijinks

When you get to half term it really does feel like Summer has ended and Winter is arriving at full blast, so, it was a lovely surprise to have a couple of days of glorious sunshine during the last week of October, as luck would have it we were visiting the seaside, so playing on the beech and ice creams at the end of October...mad I know!!

A few days on the South Coast was just a delight....laughter, fun, food, browsing, crocheting (is that a word??) and just having a nice bit of family time.....

  We were at Paulton's Park and soaking, so why not?  That big slide is really high and really steep and I was really scared..............

 Thankfully the little guys were well prepared for wet weather.

The next day the sun was shinging.....

Starting join grannie squares

Some Hallowe'en baking...those spiders really creep me out!!

My gorgeous 10" round, deep chocolate cake with handmade, edible Peppa style decoration...

This is my cute little turtle in progress, you will see him in his final home next week.

So that is it for another few weeks, kids are back at school, I have a sore throat and a mountain of ironing to do and a lot of work to plan/organise over the next few weeks.....the big countdown has begun and before I have had time to blink the big guy in the red suit and white beard will be visiting....bring it on, I am ready to snuggle, get the woollies out and wrap up warm.

Enjoy your day lovelies

xxxxx