So Excited To Show This!

OK, STARTED THIS POST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO SO SORRY IF IT IS A BIT HIGDLEDY PICKLEDY (WAS GOING TO SAY ALL TO COCK, LANCASHIRE EXPRESSION, BUT DIDN'T WANT TO OFFEND - OOOPS!)


I am so excited to finally show you the cellar store room! In my wildest dreams I never thought I would get anything close to this.

The shelving came from the shed, some of which Jon no longer needed. I gave them a good scrub and where I couldn't get some sticky labels off which showed flanges and stuff previously being kept on them! I decided to use some of a gingham oil cloth I have to cover the edges.

I hope to find a suitable piece of matting for the floor at some stage. 

As you can see I have moved my preserving jars and bottles down there. (This leaves space in the kitchen cupboard for my Christmas stash.) The large crockery was taking up a lot of space so it is great to be able to move it somewhere else. 

We plan on having bins for the recycling and to store flour, rice and pasta down there, too. As you can see I have my measily collection of already preserved items sitting there proudly!

I am very pleased with the onions. 

The harvest? was just under 7lbs so I have some hung up, love the smell, some are upstairs to use as they grew a bit long like leeks or did not have tops long enough to hang and some in this shopping basket - doesn't look a lot but the basket is huge! 

The beetroot is out of the way under one of the tops and I plan to get it pickled by the end of the month, if all goes to plan! As well as pickling it I have a lovely thing I like to do as an accompaniment to cold meat which is beetroot cut into small cubes set in blackcurrant jelly. Trust me it is lovely and you can make it as thick or otherwise with the beets as you like. 

The curtains were quite simple to make and run on simple wires; great for covering up the less pretty stuff. With my craft bench being out of action at the moment, not for much longer I hope, I had to do the sewing them at the kitchen table.

We have moved the fridge freezer and small chest freezer in which means we are back to more space where the washer, drier and shoe stand is. The chest freezer will not be turned on until we have something substantial to put in it but the fridge freezer will be used for Christmas stock, drinks etc.

On Saturday in Aber I found this lovely letter rack plus some great vintage-looking paper for Christmas projects - zoom in and see some of the great images.

On Sunday morning I started off the mushroom kits we recently bought. This is how it looks before you put on the compost which will be tomorrow. I will post on, hopefully, positive progress!

In other news, during the week I took up the shamefull harvest of two swede, lost most of the seeds to the birds it seems? We had those with lots of butter and milk as part of our roast chicken dinner on Sunday; I also made bread sauce with one of our onions and my own bread!

At lunch time Sunday Jon brought one of the chickens inside as the day before he thought she looked a bit under the weather. Her eyes were a bit milky looking and not very bright and her comb was not the vibrant red it should be. We put her in this box and made her comfy with some water; she really didn't look well.

By the evening she had rallied a bit and we kept her inside overnight.

In the morning she looked quite a bit better so we have given her some laying pellets  but she is still in the kitchen. Jon said something that night which made me laugh; he said is this what we signed up for, chicken in the kitchen?!

POSTED SINCE THIS TO SAY WE LOST THE CHICKEN.

Ok it is now Wednesday evening and going to settle down with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Waiting!

Yesterday morning we awoke to a misty outlook so, convinced it would clear up to be sunny, I sent the boys to school in shorts and no sweaters with sun cream and hats. 

Suffice to say it rained!

Together with the much needed rain and waiting for the delivery of top soil (sorry, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record!) I did not do much outside.

I collected the eggs (6, so the total for the week was 36), watered inside the Poly House and added extra straw to the strawberries; we are getting fruit on them now - Jon has had the first one - I'm very scared they will all be ruined if they are touching the soil. Eeeeek! 

I don't think it was my pruning alone but the rose around the front door is coming on a treat, and when on my way back from walking the dog the other day I realised we had this growing near the side wall! It is the garden that just keeps on giving!

So indoors I did some sewing, a cushion cover for the living room, from some fabric which came from my mum via our visit to my sister's house the other weekend. (I think I had nearly forgotten how my machine works it has been so long!) The yellow is great with the walls but I just like random cushions in that room. Need to find a slightly bigger pad for it - my cushions are always a bit wonky but what the heck!

I watched the Sewing Bee on the I-Player whist I had my late lunch and then did a quick cleaning out of chicken poo before a full blown clean out later in the week.

Suffice to say the man did not come with the top soil, but said he would come today so I couldn't start planting out today - getting very nervous that things are not yet out. So Jon and I moved (heaven and) the earth from one end of the veg patch to the other so at least I can start at one end.

The courgettes really are growing very well; just need the tomatoes to catch up so I can make some yummy chutney!

As of last night the fire pit is finished and we can't wait to use it at the weekend!

However, today I have made in-roads with the sowing! 

I had to rake over the soil to make it better for sowing and have started with the swedes and onions but I'm having a break just now as it is so very warm. As I have been sowing thoughts have been going through my head about what if nothing grows, what if I don't space things just as people say and lots of other things. Arrggghhh!

Anyhow just going to have some lunch and then head out to do some more.

Lou.xx

Bargains and Berries and Bumps.

Last weekend when we popped to Aber I bought these two small curtains for sewing from Craft at the knock down price of £1. Not sure what I will use them for, they are currently sitting in my stash suitcase but I just loved the pattern.

Yesterday I went to Machynlleth with a friend and had a look round some of the junk type shops although that is not a proper description, more like shops stocked with house clearance items. I went into a couple which seemed a bit over priced but found one that had good prices and I bought this fab box for just £3! I LOVE a good wooden box!

It needed a bit of a scrub and the old soda crystals didn't let me down plus a bit of elbow grease. Great as a paper holder... 

talking of which there was a small shop selling craft items, lovely glass wear and just nice home stuff. In the craft section I found the hand made paper sitting in the box and also bought a small ink stamp.

I wasn't sure of the colour when I got it out today but in the end I was quite happy to edge this Spring card when I finally got round to some papercrafting; I've made it for a friend who I haven't seen for a few weeks and is coming for coffee in the morning.

In the late afternoon I went into the garden to see what is coming into flower. I took a few photos of our Wonky Willow as I call it, really should be Twisted Willow! 

We have a lovely bush of flowering blackcurrant and there is a huge one of them on the opposite side of the road outside my kitchen window and I love seeing that, too.

The pond I am a little embarrassed about as it obviously needs cleaning.  We have lots of frogs spawn in it so I think the air is getting to it; we should be ok until we get round to sorting it out.

I love the log that crosses over it as I think lots of insects and things must love being in and under that. I still love the idea of stealing the bug hotel idea from Dee at Dee's Vegetable Patch Diary to make with my boys. Must start looking around the garden and sheds for stuff; I'm sure there will be something of use!

The dog was outside with me and when I went to kick a ball for him he got so excited that he knocked me flying to the ground off my standing leg and I landed in some dog pooh. To say I was not happy just about covers it!

Pretty Much Back To Fighting Fit!

Well, I think the jobs and stuff I managed to get done yesterday show I really am getting back to my usual self after this sticking flu.

After a good night's sleep without too much coughing Jon and the boys were off to work and school and I had my breakfast. 

I called the dentist on the off chance they had a cancellation, and they did! I had something wrong, not a tooth ache but something was not quite right. I managed to get the appointment for 12 o'clock then to had to call Jon to see if he could pop back with the car, then me take him back to work so I could use the vehicle to get to the dentist later!  The joys of rural life, one car and 13 miles to the dentist. (Wouldn't have it any other way!)

So I ironed until it was time to go to the dentist and now the end of the kitchen bench is cleared and I have more than one pair of trousers to wear!

The dentist trip turned out to be due to my wisdom tooth possibly coming through - honestly at my age?! I had a little inflamation so I was given a numbing treatment to help with the ever so slight soreness and then he put what looked like straw in  a little pocket than had been created around my tooth. Wych a fi! No vitals for a couple of hours but felt better quite quickly.

Whist in Aber I popped to Morrisons for a couple of Fairtrade items for the boys' homework. Was chuffed that I didn't have to spend an arm and a leg on Green and Black's chocolate for a packaging example, Dairy Milk bars and banana stickers did the trick.

Back at home, because no food in the offing for a bit, I cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed everywhere upstairs and put away the ironing. Next I had decided to try my hand at Hot Cross Buns ready for maybe making more at Easter, mmm, more about the feedback later.

 I also made the good, cake tin standby of cherry oat bake.

Tea was baked potatoes with various fillings, feta salad and sweetcorn fitters, nom nom

so I had the spuds on low and slow in the Rayburn and used the heat for the baking, too. 

After tea my Hot Cross Buns were shunned, yes shunned, because we had some lovely ones from a local bakery bought from Bont shop the other day and frankly my men were spoilt! I have had one warmed on the Rayburn this morning and it was lovely. I have to point out that because it is an express recipe they do not come out or keep like dough which has been left to rise and rise - but tasty all the same, I think. 

I also did a bit of make do and mend. I purchased some dish cloths a couple of weeks ago and found after one use they shrank and were a bit thin so decided sewing two together would do the trick to make them a bit more useful. Job done.

Well, I'm going to check out what blog land has been up to and then make use of my new found energy. Lasagne for tea and I might JUST manage another Hot Cross Bun with my next cup of coffee, shame to waste them!

Lou.xx

Project Pebble, Well Stone Cold Super!

Green for nearly Spring!

Last Sunday Jon began a project in the bathroom which we have had in mind since we moved into the house. Last Sunday he and the boys went down to the near by river bed and collected lots of lovely grey stone ready to recycle for the bathroom refurbishment. the bath surround had already been tiled but we were really not happy with it and were looking to do this much more interesting project.

Well, on Friday it was finished and here it is! 

I asked Jon to make me a little plinth from one of the drift wood pieces we still have from the beach at Aber; I wanted something for the soap dish, shampoo etc to sit on because of the stones not being level.

We are unreservedly happy with the whole effect in the bathroom - we absolutely love it! So much so that Jon is considering doing the same thing on the floor of the guest room outside.

Oh and one more thing. The people who used to own Bronllan asked me if I wanted an old sewing machine or they were going to throw it out. I said yes please and this is what arrived the same day.

It looks like but isn't a Singer, it was made by Reed; I understand they currently make knitting machines. It doesn't work but looks very pretty and it came with a wooden casing which we have put on the top of the wardrobe for decoration. I now have the machine sitting on the low window sill in our bedroom. Love it!

Bye, Lou.xx

A Little Catch Up.

Hi!

I have a couple of photos to share with you to hopefully brighten up the wet and windy day we are having today. 

In said weather I had to go to Aber today, bbrrrr, in order to get Mothers' Day cards and gifts, do a couple of jobs at the bank now we don't do online banking anymore, pick up a new school sweater I had ordered for Alfie (he is shooting up!) and to attend the dentist, yuck! The dentist was running late so I had to leg it home and pick Jon up for a doctor's appointment and they were running late, too! Dropped him at work at about 12.40 o'clock then got home 10 minutes later in time to fill the log and stick boxes before the Oil4Wales man arrived - you guessed it he was late, should have been here yesterday!

The fire is now lit in the living room, I have had my lunch, caught up with a few blogs and downloaded the photos I wanted so here they are.

I mentioned I was intending to make a cushion cover for one of the new chairs and it came out ok, if a little wonky as I'm rubbish at cutting out fabric when it comes to sewing, but I love it.

On our usual pop into Craft last Saturday for some reusing and recycling shopping I came across this. Contraband was a card game we used to play as a family when I was young. It is about bluffing your way through customs with items you haven't paid duty on. The boys loved it, trying to keep a straight face, maybe tell a white lie and not laugh! Check out the cool, vintage images!

 

We also came across another fab thing for the sideboard. This laminated wood ice bucket which I think is from the 1950's but I'm not bothered. 

Well, I had better get on. The boys are at a friend's house after school today but need to collect Jon from work at 4.20pm then them at 6pm and still have Lasagne to make for our tea.

Very excited about the Stationery Shop being hosted by Tracy at Mad About Bags.

Lou.x