Sunshine, shopping and sightseeing!

We've been lucky enough to have had last weekend away, to leave work and other "everyday elements" behind for three days. It's been nice to catch up with family,and also get out into the sunshine and not be thinking about anything else, not even work!
On Saturday we went shopping , something which isn't on my list of things to do, usually, but on this occasion it was different as we were shopping with our daughter and her husband. They are expecting their first baby in June and our third grandchild, so it was lovely to go into relevant shops and see what was on offer.
We managed to pick out a few things and also a couple of gifts for our other two grandchildren.
Shopping over we could then concentrate on other things. I'm still learning with my new camera, and over the weekend I took loads of shots in the hope that I could produce at least a couple of real crackers.

Landscapes are something I'm not very good at, but this picture captured the loveliness of the weather and the beauty of Broadway. It's a place we love to visit.
We also went to Hidcote, one of the most beautiful National Trust gardens in the area.

To see everything bursting into bloom was a spectacular sight, and one of the most stunning sights was this beautiful magnolia tree.

I have posted quite a few pictures on Flickr, so if you'd like to take a look please click on my Flickr badge and it'll take you there.
I always have a "project" with me when we're away. For the times when we're just sitting I still have to do something, I find it relaxing. This time it was some baby knitting, (of course!) and I'm working on a roses tapestry cushion, one of a pair. Hopefully they'll get finished soon!
But now we have returned home, I have to catch up on the housework and other things before I'm back to work on Thursday. But I'll have to make a few notes as I've come back home with a few ideas for some new craft projects. But first, it's the housework I suppose!
Bye for now, Linda

The time thief strikes again!

I never have enough time, and I'm sure there are many of you out there who feel the same. It makes it worse when this weekend the clocks go forward to British Summer Time and we lose an hour. Just when you think you're catching up the time thief strikes again.
So what have I been doing to take up all my time, as well as going to work that is,well I've been doing this

and this

along with some other cards.
I've also been taking more photographs with my new camera

and trying to get used to all the settings

and thinking to myself whilst taking these pictures, what jobs need doing in the garden.

But I couldn't resist making this mosaic of all the gorgeous roses I've had.


Now, if only I could plant a tree in the garden which would magically give us all, all the time we need?
Don't forget to put your clocks forward......
Enjoy your weekend, Linda

Spring is in the air!

At last, we can all look forward to spring. It's wonderful to think it's just around the corner.
I was looking in the garden this morning, seeing all the bulbs showing their enthusiasm to reach for the sun, all the trees and shrubs bursting into bud, it truly is a wonderful time.
It also helps when we have more blue sky above us, we do seem to have had a few dull and dreary days just lately.

We have primulas, muscari, primroses, daffodils and tulips popping up all over the place, and that's just for starters.

Even the herb garden is going a bit wild.
But, there's also much work to be done, especially in our back garden. We have a few things which need replacing and some areas which need completely changing. But there's only so many hours in the day, and when there's work to go as well, there's never enough hours in the day, but we'll get there I'm sure.


Whist we were shopping today, hubby bought me a bunch of golden yellow roses, so beautiful. It'll be a while before the ones in our garden are in bloom, so these are a nice treat, and better than chocolate!


The weather forecast for tomorrow is dry and warm, so I'll make the most of it and try to get some outdoor jobs done. The trouble is, it'll be so tempting to just take my camera and walk the five minute walk to the marina and walk along the canalside and take some pictures. Im still on L plates with my new camera! But I'll just have to see how I get on with the housework.
Enjoy yourselves, whatever you do.... Linda

Creative Pleasures

Well my baby makes are well under way. I seem to be getting on really well just lately, with everything. I had that awful virus a few weeks ago, and it seems to have taken me until the beginning of this week to find my "vim and vigour" again.
Now, hopefully I shall be tackling a lot of the household things which have been on the back burner too, now that my energy levels are returning.
I'm one of those people who just can't sit and do nothing, unless I'm ill of course.
I'm not an avid watcher of the TV, if you ask me what's happening in any of the soaps I haven't got a clue. It must be twenty years since I even watched one of them!
I watch films occasionally, but they have to be interesting in the first five minutes or else I'm not bothered. I feel the same way about books, if they're worth reading they must grab me from the first couple of pages.

For me, leisure time has to be creative in one form or another. I have many hobbies and interests and I keep at least three projects on the go at one time. A knitting project, which at the moment is baby orientated and mainly pink. I have a patchwork quilt on the go, this is taking a while as it's a hand stitched one, and that is in pinks and creams. I also have two scrapbooks on the go. These again are works in progress.
In between these I'm always making cards. I haven't had cards from a shop for years.

I have stitched, knitted, sewn, painted and modelled many gifts over the years, and it's these ones which have been the most loved. I can't imagine myself never wanting to make things, even if they don't always turn out according to plan.
So tonight I'm knitting in baby pink, and tomorrow I have an anniversary card to make. That's once I've done some housework, but I won't want to spend all my days off work doing the basics.

Besides, now that spring is almost here, we have the garden to think about too.

Enjoy whatever you do.... bye for now.
Linda

Retail therapy.

Shopping has never been very high on my lists of things to do. Maybe it's because my working life has been spent in either retail or banking.

I never shop in my lunch hour when I'm at work, nor do I do any shopping on my way home, if I'm on an early shift. I'd much rather get home and be doing something else.

We grocery shop fortnightly, apart from the fresh stuff which is needed every two or three days, any other shopping is left until necessary.

But there are occasions when shopping can be a real treat, like last weekend for instance. We had a weekend away in the caravan, at Rowntree Park in York.

I love York, it's such a wonderful place. There's so much to see and do.

This time we visited the Jorvik museum, we'd been meaning to visit for the last couple of years. it was so interesting and not just for kids!

We also went to the Railway museum, that in itself is a half day visit.

There are always plenty of opportunities to take some wonderful photographs, no matter what the weather, and I did take some with my new camera which I had for Christmas, but this visit I really did do some shopping.

I've been looking for ages for some pink baby yarn, real pink, not the bland grey pinks which are everywhere. I hadn't been very successful when looking last year, as I was desperate to find some to knit for our forthcoming granddaughter (who is now eight months old).

Well I came across a simply wonderful wool shop in The Shambles, Sheepish Wools. They have such a wonderful array of yarns, none of which I've seen here in Derby. I could have spent a fortune, but I bought only what I needed as I have several projects on the go for our expected granddaughter, and only three months to make them all in. I'm sure I'll be paying another visit later on in the year looking for other lovely yarns, as I'm already scouring my patterns for sizes beyond three months!

I also bought some scrap booking supplies from the craft shop. I have two scrapbooks on the go at the minute, and the items bought will make some lovely pages. I shall post pictures on here once they've been finished.

My mind is always rattling around with ideas, sometimes I wish I could spend all day "playing".

I'm very often up until the early hours on my days off, stamping, painting, cutting, stitching and knitting. It's a good job hubby is on nights! The housework has to follow of course next day, sometimes flying through it in a blur to get back to the exciting things.

Even though there's only the two of us at home now, I still batch bake with cakes and pastries, hoping that this saves time and maybe money.

If we spent all our time doing the things we had to do, we wouldn't get to do the things we want to do, and I'm just trying to do it all I suppose, but then I'm not on my own am I?

See you soon.