Attic24

Yarn Talk (again)

Helloooo!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm back with some more Yarn Talk folks, it's all hotting up rather beautifully here in the Attic as I'm teetering on the very brink of beginning my new blanket. As you know, I went Jaunting off last week to purchase the blanket yarn. I thought I had it all sussed then. I thought to myself, well now, the Yarn is In The Bag, I'm all set! Just need to spend a few days familiarising myself with the colours (fondling, smooching, arranging, stacking etc etc) then I can get going. Hooky hooky here I come.

But selecting colours for a blanket is quite a Big Deal and even when one has experience in these matters  (and I do think I qualify as reasonably Experienced here) it is still possible to make mistakes. Maybe not big, huge, whopping blunders, but more along the lines of Second Thoughts. Yes I had second thoughts about my colour selection and the more I stacked, arranged, re-arranged and familiarised myself with the colours I'd chosen the more certain I was that I needed to tweak it a little. At least one colour had to go. Possibly two.

And this my friends is where shopping at a Local Yarn Shop is sooooo good. Cos I was able to contact the lovely ladies in the yarn shop and tell them I made a teensy mistake. I was able to ask about a couple of different colours that hadn't been on the shelf at the time of selection. I was able to ask (very nicely) if I could return and have a second go at choosing my colours, make a few swapsies. And they were more than happy to help me out. Which of course meant I needed to make a second Jaunt With Intent, how dreadful. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haahaa!!! Returning to the shop yesterday was even better than the first time. And it enabled me to take a few more pics to share with you too.

This is their entire stock of Baby Cashmerino. The colour range is spectacular. Shall we take a closer look?

Top left corner. Not a huge number of colours here that float my boat, but a few balls came down. The baby pink, the golden yellow, the maroony red.

Top right corner. Ooooo hotting up here, I adore this end of the colour spectrum. Hot reds and oranges, vibrant pinks, pretty purples. They zing and sing and shout out to be included.

Bottom right corner. Blues and greens, this is my familiar territory. Turquoise, teal, aqua, leaf and grass. These are my "soul colours", the colours of the land and sea. Every single thing I make contains a mix of these colours.

Bottom left corner. This section is a bit stormy for me, I don't really tend to do greys or dark school uniform colours. I do like the vivid blue though, and yes that pale minty green is pretty.

So this was the yarn selection that ended up In The Bag.

Fifteen colours in total.

A fair balance between the hot red/orange/pink/purple colours and the cooler greens/blues I'd say.

I'm sure you remember me showing you these balls don't you?

Remember me telling you that one was being changed?

Remember me asking if you thought you could pick out the colour?

Of course you remember.

Here's the answer then.....................................................

Do you see which one is now gone?

I took out the pale baby pink and replaced it with a luscious, rich red.

Scroll up and down, check it out. Pale Pink out. Rich Red in.

Not many of you picked out the pink :: the most popular colours for the chop were the bright orange (too in yer face), the maroony red (too dark) and the mid blue (too similar to the turquoise). But to me, these are all vital colours. The dark adds drama and the bright adds zing. Drama and Zing are both essential elements in my opinion. And the blues, wellll, they are my soul colours after all, so I do tend to go heavy on this colour range. That's just my personal quirk.

I ended up having a big tussle over that unusual rather acidic green (bottom centre), but decided at the last minute to keep it in. Ditto the pale minty green. I also had a really, really good look at the other colours on the shelf and decided to add in a few more...three to be precise.

I added in a beautiful pale aqua, a vibrant leafy green and an interesting slate blue. So now there are eighteen colours in total.

This morning I took lots of yarn infested photos and I'm in the process of writing about it for you. Writing about the colours and my own personal way of selecting and playing with them. Don't be expecting theoretical stuff involving colour wheels though. It's more heart and soul stuff with me.

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September Mantel

I am most definitely feeling a subtle Autumnal vibe these days, it is seeping slowly but surely into my consciousness as I go about my daily business. At the end of last week when I went to the market to purchase flowers (I had bright zingy dahlias in mind), I came home instead with these beautifully seasonal Chinese Lanterns. Aren't they stunning?

Coming home from the market with a paper wrapped parcel of floral goodies always delivers such a big dose of feel-good. The whole process of unwrapping, admiring, snipping and arranging is hugely therapeutic and I really like that no plastic is involved too. I wish there was more paper wrapping in the world!

I have a nostalgic attachment to these unusual flowers (are they flowers? Or seed heads? Or fruits?) as my Mum used to grow them every year in her garden. She would bring great armfuls of them into the house to display in jugs and they last a surprisingly long time.

I just LOVE the shot of brilliant colour these three stems bring to the room, that orange is stunning in real life it really is. I keep finding myself surprised by them being there, they leap out at me every time I walk through the door, shouting a big HELLO from across the room.

Oooooooooooooo now then, did you by any chance take your eyes away from the orange lanterns and gaze along my mantel to see what else was there? Did you notice my most gorgeously gorgeous painted driftwood sculpture?? Want to see more??

Ta-dah!!!!! I totally forgot to share this with you when it arrived in the Attic in the summer. Isn't it superbly wonderful? Ahhhhhhhhhhh I love it so so so much ♥

See it even has my number on the door as it was made especially for me. It's the work of talented artist Kirsty Elson  who's work I am completely smitten with. I first heard about Kirsty over on Julia's blog and I instantly tumbled head over heels in love with her driftwood sculptures. Of course it was a dead cert that I would love her work as it combines two of my favourite-most-favourite things :: little houses and the seaside. I adore the jaunty little boats she makes, but it was the driftwood cottages that really stirred my heart. Actually to use the word "stirred" is bit under parr as my heart more or less tries to leap clear of my body when I clap eyes on these sweet little pieces of beach art. I experience such an emotional response to them, kind of like wanting to laugh and cry at the same time, do you know what I mean?

Anyhow, overwhelming feelings in response to creativity are something I am quite used to, and I know that I have to simply go with it. So when I was skipping through Kirsty's blog one day and saw this post, I found myself practically hyperventilating. Not only did I spot those sweet little cottages of hers, but some of the sweet little cottages had washing lines attached........and the miniature washing was all stripy and dotty!!!!!!! Jeepers, I nearly fell off my stool!!

So that was how I came to commission my very own driftwood beauty, complete with dotty-stripy laundry, and I love it very much.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, did you also spot something else on my mantel, something bright and colourful and of a decidedly hooky nature? Actually, you may have spotted three of them sitting sweetly together next to the yellow vase? These pretty little hooky things have some floral decorative bits look........

.........and they were one of my impulsive Must-Make-It-Right-This-Instant projects way back in April. Yes April! That's five months ago!! Oh dear, it seems that I've gotten unbelievably behind with my Ta-dah-ing, it's quite a disgrace.

I'm going to try over the next week to bring myself up to date with all my hooky happenings. Off the top of my head I've got at least three finished, un-shared projects to sing and dance about, so there's going to be a bit of a Hooky-fest coming to the Attic next week. Hope that's ok with you?

See you then, it's going to be fun!

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ps Look out for a special colour-filled post over the wkend to do with yarn colours an' all. Cos I know all you addicts are desperate to know what's staying and what's going. You know what I'm talking about, right? x

 

 

 

 

Home-♥-Loving

I am miraculously now into my third week of Home-Loving and although I don't exactly look forward to the 2-3pm hourly slot, the visible results are motivating me to keep going with it. Whoop-whoop, go me, go me, go me!!!!! My Declaration of Intent ie writing it in my Home Diary is surprisingly effective at keeping me on track and I am sticking to my schedule like a very well trained sticky thing. I wear my apron to perform my daily decluttering/tidying/cleaning, and I find that stripy socks also help make me feel spritely and not too serious. Can't be too serious about tidying and cleaning, that would never do.

This week Flylady instructed me to go forthwith into Zone 4, so I'm working my way around The Master Bedroom. I started on Monday with the top of the chest of drawers, a notoriously hot-hot-hot clutter spot. I cleared it with one fell swoop of my arm, whoosh!!! Two hundred and twenty five objects fell off the top of the drawers and onto a tray. 225!!!!!!! It was hilarious, the top of the microwave was nothing compared to the top of the bedroom drawers.

But now as you can see it is all tidy, I even buffed up the surface with a duster and some polish and blessed it with a wee vase of garden flowers.

This afternoon I tackled the bedside tables and under the bed. Oh my. The dust was inCREdible. I am so so so glad that nobody was there to see it excepting for Little B who thankfully cannot yet use words to convey what he saw to anyone. It is our little secret. I decluttered and sorted, vacuumed and polished, stood back and sighed with satisfaction. It's working!! I am slowly but surely feeling a peaceful vibe easing into each room I give my love to.

I stood on the windowsill to shake the dusty duster out of the open window and had a rush of affection for my sweet little back yard down there. It was a bright and blustery afternoon and the washing was flapitty flapping on the line.

I am keeping on top of my laundry, fitting it in to each and every day just as Flylady tells me to do. A load goes on at night, then in the morning it's ready to either peg out or sling in the drier, depending on weather conditions. It's not so hard.

I wonder if you find all this talk of dusting and decluttering a bore??? I really hope not. I'm keeping my real-life friends and neighbours up to date with it all too. I give them a daily run down of what zone I'm in and what I'm doing/intending to do in the zone whether they want it or not. Everybody I've talked to this week knows about the 225 object show down, it raised some incredulous laughs. I do fear that I am not Good Company when I'm this way out, but I find it hard not to talk about things that are occupying my mind.

I'm still finding time to carry out the sort of Home-Loving that really floats my boat though, the pretty stuff. How could I not??? I bake (fruity flapjacks yesterday), light candles, plump up my hooky cushions, stroke my blanket collection and arrange fresh flowers. Market dahlias this week look.

It's totally fantabulous to walk into the room and be greeted by these beauties. Aren't they just......so Beeeeeeeutiful???

And on that pretty note I'm going to love you and leave you and go and partake in a spot of bed appreciation. I'm marvelously good at that.

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Edit to add ::

re the 225 items! For those of you who asked.....most of them went in the bin, including the 27 dirty elastic bands, the 3 cray fish claws, the rabbit skull and the 43 bits of paper. All the other stuff was put back where it belonged (various tools, hairslides, jewellery, money, birthday candles, lego etc etc). What really amazed me was how many of the objects that were on the top of the microwave were also on top of the drawers. For example, golf balls, allen keys, marbles, paper clips, batteries, broken beaded jewellery. In both hotspots. Life is quite bizzarre here at number 24 sometimes!

 


 

 

For all you Yarn Addicts

THERE YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Yarn Fix for ya!!!!!

I realise now it was very, very unkind of me to withold this from you in my last post, so hope this makes up for it. Don't want you to get cross with me ;o)

So this is (almost) my Blanket-To-Be, fifteen colours of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

One colour has been declared Not Right and is being replaced.

I wonder if you can guess which one????

I'll let you know at the weekend when (hopefully) I'll have the replacement colour to add in.

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Edit to add::

INteresting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After 29 comments, noone's picked the colour. BUT many of you are picking the pale green (bottom left) which has really made me question it! I may end up changing this as well. ooooooooooooo keep guessing!

After 147 comments, 8 of you have got it! Keep it coming, I'm LOVING reading your colour theories. I'm going to write a more detailed picture-heavy post about how I go about choosing my colours, it's such a wonderful topic to explore ♥

After 238 comments, you really don't much like that deep red maroony colour do you??!! (middle row, far right)

After 417 comments (four-hundred-and-seventeen!!) I declare that there are an encouraging number of Yarn Addicts in the world,  hip hip hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also thought you might appreciate another pic. This one was taken in the yarn shop at the actual point-of-selection so the colours are arranged quite spontaneously. See what you think.....

 

 

Jaunting With Intent

It's not often I get to go off on a Jaunt these days, it's quite rare in fact. I think that's partly due to no longer having a car, and partly cos Little B ever so slightly limits the type and length of jaunting I can do. He is generally pretty adaptable and will happily accompany me wherever I go, but still. He hampers proceedings a little it has to be said.

Do you get what I mean when I refer to a jaunt? It means a proper little pleasure-trip out and about somewhere. A trip that you know is going to bring happiness and enjoyment. Sounds good eh? And that's because it is!

Jaunting in Good Weather is the best. It's not strictly essential to have blue skies and sunshine, but it really does help elevate the happy feelings above the norm.

Jaunting with Good Friends is also the best. Again it's not strictly essential to have company (I love solo jaunting, as in my occasional shopping trips), but having someone to share the experience with does make it extra special.

I love to plan my Jaunts, I love the happy anticipation it creates for days/weeks in advance. Now in my world there are two types of Jaunt :: you can either Jaunt Freely, or you can Jaunt with Intent. I like both kinds. I like the ambling, spontaneous, take-it-as-it-comes kind of a day, but I also really do enjoy having a sense of Purpose, something specific and exciting to give the day a focus.

On Thursday, I was doing the latter and Jaunting with Intent. I had a definite purpose for being in this beautiful town on a beautiful day with a fab friend. And oh I was super-charged with excitement!!

So what was I up to?

What made my feet skip and my heart boom-boom and my face smile broadly?

It has nothing to do with these pictures of Autumnal trees, plants and beautiful Florists displays.

These were merely distractions as we walked to our Ultimate Destination.

We were walking slowly cos we had Little B out of the pushchair and on his Little Feet.

Plod, plod.

Happy feet and big smiles.

Of course. It was a yarn thing. It was a day of Intentional Yarn Shopping.

This is one wall in a most gorgeous and inspirational shop :: Create in Ilkley. I just love love love this little shop. The moment you step through the door you are warmly welcomed and feel at home. I wish I had taken more photos to show you the inspiring displays and to give you a feel for the warmth and vibrancy that resides here. It's marvelous!

I am not a regular visitor here, but I am well known here, so there is always lots of chat and catching up with yarn-related things. Oh I do like a good yarny chitchat! But as super as it is to pass the time of day with chitchat, I was really there first and foremost to purchase yarn. Blanket Yarn no less.

It's been a surprisingly long while since I had a blanket on the go, I finished up the Sweet Flower Granny blanket at the end of January. Since then I've been umming and ahhhing over what to do next blanket wise, chopping and changing my mind a gazillion times. Blocks or rows? Squares or stripes? Something familiar or something new? Which should it be?

Which yarn to use has been debated a gazillion times too. I finally settled on a yarn I know well and absolutely adore :: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. You may remember I used this yarn to make a couple of blankets for Little B :: the Baby Granny and the Baby ZigZag. It's fabulous stuff to work with, the colours are stunning and once it's hooked up it transforms into the most amazing blanket material. Substantial, warm, and oh-so-soft, everything a snuggle-blanket should be.

This was our lunch time location, a small picnic spot half way up Ilkley moor. We sat there in the glorious afternoon sunshine, my friend and I, and ate a delicious picnic lunch interspersed with some serious yarn-fondling.

Yes my friends, the blanket yarn is In The Bag.

The stash. Has. Landed.

Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After lunch and some seriously giddy yarn appreciation (smoochy smooch), I turned my attention to the surrounding nature.

Such abundance and colour and a serious touch of "Autumn-nosity" (a sweet Heather word that)

The trees were soooo beautiful.

Perfectly Septemberish.

September is a good month to begin hooking a blanket I feel, I can't tell you how hugely excited I am about the prospect. I have really missed not having a big project on the go. Oh the yarn, the yarn, the yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is Divine, no other word for it. I can't stop thinking about it.

So I expect you would like to see my divine yarn wouldn't you? Would like to know which colours I've gathered together perhaps? Maybe you might even like to know what sort of blanket I'll be working on too?

Of course you would!

Only I'm not quite ready to reveal it just yet. Soz. You see, it turns out I made a small mistake with my colour choices, and one of the colours simply isn't right and needs to be changed for another. Oddly enough, it was Little Man who spotted it. He totally amazes me with his instinct for colour as he is not particularly arty. Yet he has an amazing feel for what works and what doesn't and it's the most interesting experience asking for his advice. Sweet boy, he really is.

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Summer Magazine Celebration

I think I mentioned t'other day about the stack of summer magazines that were sitting in a pile on my desk following my binge-read of them last month. Oh but they were good! In fact they were very, very good. The imagery between the pages of these magazines was sooooooooooo inspiring, I felt quite high and giddy on Visual Happiness after I'd been dancing through them all.

I do read my magazines you know, yes I do take time to read most of the contents. I read the editors letter, the articles, the lengthy shopping lists, the recipes. I even read the adverts. The words are interesting, but of course it's the pictures that really do it for me. I just adore that zingy feeling of being hit by wave upon wave of visual inspiration. I am quite addicted to it. So my magazines do end up with well-thumbed pages cos I tend to go back through each issue time and time again. Soaking up the visuals, drinking it all in, absorbing the feel-good.

Summer magazines are my absolute favourite. The June-September issues. There's something about the subject matter (picnics, holidays, summer gardens and breezy, colourful decorating ideas etc) that is very Me. I am most definitely a Summer Girl through and through.

So now that the summer season is over and the Autumn issues are in full swing (oh there is waaay too much brown in the Oct issues for my liking!), I thought I would share some of my most favourite, inspiring, uplifting images with you. A Celebration of Summer.

A few "Readers Home" to start then.....

This glorious home was featured in July issue of "Period Living"

A romantic retreat in June "Country Living"

A creative combination in September "Country Living"

July issue of "Country Homes & Interiors" featured the stunning home of the GreenGate owners. Oh my, that crochet BLANKET!!!!!! Swoon-tastic!

I love this jolly inspirational shopping page in "Ideal Homes" June magazine.

Now then, let me show you some of the features that I most love in this type of magazine. They mix general style inspiration with decorating ideas, then add in a humongous shopping list. In Country Living mag, these features are labeled as "decorating and design", and in Country Homes mag it's a more honest "shopping ideas" label. But whatever you want to call it, these pages sing with colour, joy, happiness and inspiration (and a dose of the Wanties)..............ENJOY!!!

Gypsy Rose inspired decorating and styling from "Ideal Home"

Matisse inspired interiors in "Country Living"

Outdoor decorating in "Country Homes"

Summer party time......

........with such lovely colours! (sorry can't remember which magazine this was, it wasn't one of my regular reads)

Country Homes made my heart race with this beautiful "vintage-style vacations" theme. I know it's all about shopping and is all very materialistic but....ooooooooo I Want It All!

Want want want want want.

I think this six-page spread in August "Country Living" is totally inspired. It combines seasonal feel-good with fashion, interior design and lifestyle. A total Aspirational Experience.......

Now tell me you don't want to Live That Life????!!!!

Bold, Bright and Beautiful, oh my GOODNESS. Prepare for your heart to soar......

WOW. Country Living totally hit my spot with these pages. Makes me think I could possibly do with more pretty florals here in the Attic, and definitely more red things. I love the red accents that pulse through these pages, don't you?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Did you enjoy that little lot???

Yeah, me too ♥

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ps. Click on any of the above images and they should pop up in a new window and in a bigger size. Good if you want to scrutinise the detail.

pps. if you also swooned over the Greengate crochet blanket in the 6th picture, go and check out the  fabulous blanket Jules is making.  Oh, and there's also a matching sweet giveaway too. Prepare to drool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attitude of Gratitude

Before I begin my witterings today, can I just quickly say a huge big thank you to each and every one of you who took the trouble to comment on my Routine post. Your words of support, encouragement, wisdom and empathy made a huge impact, you buoyed me up and made me feel that I am doing pretty OK in the big scheme of things. And that most importantly you understand where I'm coming from.

I have to tell you I am on such a roll with stuff this week, everything feels marvelously tickety-boo in the Attic. Yippee for tickety-boo-ness!!!! I've been feeling very inspired to make some changes to the way things bob along round here, I think you could say that I've experienced a little teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy sort of an Epiphany. I don't want to scare you, but I confess that this week I've actually been having FUN doing the housework, holy cr*p it's honestly true!!

In brief, this is what I've done.............

• made a schedule and written it down in a (newly purchased) diary (a Good Thing)
• actually kept to the schedule (a VERY Good Thing)
• tackled just a small, specific area of a room each day (1 hr max)
• eliminated the words work, jobs, chores from my mind (a Positive Thing)
• replaced the above words with love, happiness, gratitude (a VERY Positive Thing)

Do you see the shift in attitude?? Do you see me refusing to Tackle Chores and choosing instead to Love my Home? Does it seem good?? Happy?? Positive?? An Attitude of Gratitude?? Yessss!!!!

The other BIG mental shift I've had is to do with balancing out that one hour a day home-lovin' time with my other responsibilities, namely childcare. So rather than trying to contain/entertain Little B in order for me to go off and Do My Jobs (which never worked out), I've simply decided to involve him instead. Let him help me, make it a fun time for us both.

This week, in accordance with the FlyLady Zones we've been in the bathroom and also his bedroom. We've cleaned the bathroom together (it was already tidy), he is a whizz with a cloth. That boy love love lOVEs to Swish n Swipe, see him go!!!! His little hands are a blurrrrrr!!!

The job in my diary for yesterday was to tackle the mountainous mess of toys that had accumulated downstairs. I delegated the Tipping Out of The Basket job to Little B and he took on the task with great pleasure. I pulled out all toys/objects that weren't supposed to be there, packed away the outgrown toys and threw out all the broken toys and misc. rubbish. Then Little B re-packed his own toy basket. We went on to have a similar sort out of toys and clothes in his bedroom.

I've found the best time for s spot of home-loving is between 2 and 3pm, it's that lull after lunch/nap time and before the school run. It means that I have a definite ending point to the task in hand cos at 3pm I have to be out the door and on my way to school, no matter what. Having that time limit imposed on the proceedings makes all the difference, it really does. It's only One Hour. I can do one hour, it's not so hard. So far it's working a treat, and I couldn't be happier.

With all this feel-good happening in the house, I've been re-appreciating all that I have and re-confirming the things that I love about my home. Pottering around in my humble little kitchen, snipping stems from my market dahlias....

....arranging them in my delicious rainbow jug and experiencing that familiar rush of joy. My home will hopefully always be full of love, colour and creativity.

I baked buns yesterday too, can't quite remember what time of day it was, after lunch I think.

Yes, that's right I remember now...it was after lunch when Little B was fast asleep on the sofa. I had the radio on and enjoyed the warmth from the oven (it was cold and wet here yesterday).

I decided to save the bowl for Little B so that he could lick out the bun mixture when he woke up. He couldn't honestly believe his luck (this was a first time experience for him), it was soooo sweet watching him. He used his finger for the first few licks with lots of smiles and mmmmmmmmmm noises. Then both hands went in and his whole face became one big, happy, sticky mess with a wide grin running across it.

So that's about where I'm at.......I think I might possibly have some more to say about this whole subject of Gratitude, about being thankful for what one has, about keeping house, about balancing time and creating routines. About learning to love all aspects of home-making, not just the juicy yarn infested bits or the scrummy baking bits or the delicious baby bits or the sweet little prettifying bits.

But do you know what? Right now I'm finding my brain is too tired to write and my bed is a calling. So I shall love you and leave you for now, but may come back to the end of this paragraph to add on a thoughtful Extra Bit tomorrow. Thanks for reading, hope my words aren't too waffly. xxxxxxxxxxxx ((mwah)) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Edit to add ::

A few extra things to mention.............

1. Just to reassure you here, I'm not aiming for an immaculate home, nor a show home, nor a magazine-shoot home. I'm aiming for a slightly more orderly version of what I've already created. I love the lived-in look, I love having many, many objects around the place. But I'm also a little tired of the the tedium surrounding the searching-for-objects-that-are-in-the-piles-somewhere, and the huge piles constantly falling over and needing restacking/balancing.

2. I'm using the Flylady's regime as a gentle starting point only, taking from it the elements that work for me rather than embracing it in it's entirety. I've not signed up to the email reminders as I know this would irritate the hell out of me. I'm also not into making Control Journals, nor taking on the (frankly quite scary) deep cleaning tasks. I also like to wear my worn out old crocs about the place so will not be lacing any shoes.

3. I've been delving a little into this book which you can sneaky-peek into on Amazon....the writing is inspiring and oh-so-true! I particularly LOVE the list on page 6 (go read!!), it made me laugh out loud and nod vigorously! I came to discover this book via Ali's beautifully written post on this very same subject, thank you Ali xx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Routine

I left the Buying Of The School Footwear very late again this year, Little Man got his just a few days before term started. At age nine he is now the same shoe size as me which is ever so slightly horrifying. Little Lady was desperate for school boots this year as opposed to shoes, and the price of them was ever so slightly horrifying too. But she is super pleased with them, and to be fair they are a practical choice given the canal side walking we do to get to school in all weathers. More practical  than open topped mary-jane style shoes I guess, but still o-u-c-h at the £50 price tag.

So yes, shiny new footwear and a shiny new school year. Back to Routine. The Little People did seem relatively pleased to be back to school last week and we've all settled back into the swing of things pretty well I'd say. That's one advantage of having a Little B shaped alarm clock, our early rising makes for a leisurely start to the school day. We have some casual time to sit around in our jammies getting used to the day before we need to start pulling ourselves together. I've grown to like it that way. By the way, Little B is currently working to a 6am wake up schedule, so I think the super-early 4/5am starts that were a part of the summer months have ended now. Pheww.

My days last week picked up pretty much where they left off in July. Little B and I have an enjoyable weekly routine of being out and about every morning :: music group, toddler playgroup, cafe's, knit and natter morning, play-dates etc. We generally come home for lunch and then it's an easy few hours at home until we leave for school again at 3pm. Little B uses this after lunch time to sleep, and I use this after lunch time for Happy Things. No jobs allowed. Maybe a bit of hooky time, or a bit of time at my desk catching up in Blogland, I love this sweet, peaceful part of my day.

I often bake in this time too, I'm attempting to keep us supplied in homemade cookies  so that I don't have to buy any from the supermarket, but it takes some doing. The demand for these from all members of the family is high. I love to eat one warm from the oven with a hot cuppa tea, a favourite magazine and the sound of silence. Domestic bliss.

Of course my domestic day isn't all about loafing around flicking through magazines and chomping cookies. There are jobs to be done! The flowers still need talking to of course. My geraniums are continuing to flower very sweetly outside despite the rather dire weather we've had all week. It's been cold and stormy and wet here in North Yorkshire, but the dull light seems to make the flowers glow with such a brilliance, they look am-aaaaa-zing-zing.

I'm making the most of still being able to dry the laundry outside as and when the weather allows. There aren't many housework type things I enjoy to be honest, but pegging out laundry is up there pretty much at the top of my list. Yesterday it was warm and blustery so I stripped all the bedding off our bed and out it went to be infused with fresh air.

This week I've been experiencing my predictable, annual obsession with housework and routines. It's most definitely a September thing for me, I know this cos my blogging habit tells me so. It's like every September I get overwhelmed by a powerful desire to Nest. It's a response to the change in seasons I suspect, a base instinct of some sorts. So I've been thinking a lot in the past few weeks about domestic routines, about my general attitude to keeping house (which is utterly dreadful) and how I might be able to make some improvements. As you know, I absolutely adore my home, I love love love my role as a stay at home Mum and Wife. I've come to realise that this love manifests itself Creatively. In cooking, baking, decorating and prettifying. And for some obscure reason this love does not extend to the realms of cleaning and tidying.

Why doesn't it?????????

Why why why can't I learn to LOVE cleaning and tidying?????????

I was reading a beautifully inspiring post a few weeks ago about The Vocation of Being A Homemaker. Tina writes so passionately about her feelings on this subject, I was truly moved by her words and sentiments. But at the same time I was overcome by a sudden waaaaahhhhhh of jealousy. Why can't I feel the same? Why can't I make my house tidy and clean and orderly, what's wrong with me??! True, we are at different stages in life, Tina and I. She doesn't have three small children to contend with at home. But still, I felt desperate to experience the same contentment and  satisfaction and peace that she feels. I feel love and excitement and joy in my house, but not often peace :: tis too hectic and chaotic and messy for peace to descend!

So........pouting and foot stamping aside, I've given myself a wee talking to.

I. CAN. DO. IT. I can I can I can. If I want it badly enough, I can do it!!!!

I decided Routine was the key. A Daily Routine. No big shakes. All I need to do is a Little Bit Each Day. Starting with some much-needed decluttering.

I'm starting in the kitchen, that's it above look. It's a very small, cramped room, not particularly nice to be honest, but nevertheless I do spend a lot of time in here, and as it is so small there's not really a great deal of space to accommodate clutter. But oh-my, the clutter was there!! In huge great heaping piles!!!

This is the top of my microwave. The clean and tidy top of my microwave. Two days ago I decluttered it. These were the objects that had to be slung/relocated elsewhere....

half a broken hair brush :: colouring pen :: F&B tester paint pot :: kinder egg container :: lipstick :: AA battery x 3 :: port cork :: screwed up ball of tin foil :: 9V battery :: nerf gun dart x 5 :: bolt x 5 :: badge :: painted clay tealight holder (glittery) :: mobile phone battery x 1 :: Barbie top :: pink sunglasses :: pritt stick glue :: £1 coin holder :: spanner :: small screw :: broken beaded bracelet :: another broken beaded bracelet :: shopping receipt :: bit of cardboard packaging :: library card :: dvd :: pack of playing cards x 2 :: glass bead :: pen lid :: co-op £5 voucher :: vintage kitchen timer :: back of old mobile phone :: expired national trust membership cards :: plastic bag of misc bits n bobs (no one knows) :: beaded bracelet (not broken) :: sylvanian families bag of flour (from bakery) :: written note x2 :: spray can of Vanish power foam :: large reel of duck tape :: small reel of duck tape :: plastic Postman Pat figure :: small pot nappy cream :: allen key :: ribbon :: plastic tiara :: golf ball :: pocket fold up frisbee :: gloriously straight gloss hair serum :: long length of finger crochet :: plastic beaker :: drill bit :: cocktail stick :: spinning top

66 items in total, I kid you not. SIXTY SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I then went on to sort out my herbs and spices. Miraculously there were no out of date ones (I cook with these regularly), but it feels good to see it looking all clean and orderly.

The sink area came next, first one side, then the other. Removing things that shouldn't be there, rearranging the things that should be there and having a bit of a scrub round.

Feeling good. Still got a long way to go (top of the kitchen cupboards next, gulp), but in the words of The Fly Lady, I'm taking "baby steps".

In between all that hardcore domesticated stuff, I've been searching for some light relief. I spent a little bit of time yesterday going through the pile of summer magazines on my desk, photographing the bits that made my heart do a skip. Oh I did have fun!

I'm putting together a collection of the bestest and most vibrant bits from my summer mags, a visual celebration of Summer Inspiration to share with you. Can't wait!!

Summer does indeed seem to be slipping away from us here in the UK. We've been issued with a severe weather warning as the tail end of Hurricane Katia looks set to hit us this week. I took the above photo of the moon rise last night at 8.30pm...it seems such a shame (especially for the outdoorsy Little Peeps) that our days are shortening so quickly. They're forced by descending darkness to come indoors  earlier and earlier each night, kicking their heels with frustration cos it's too dark to carry on playing out.

I'm surprising myself by rather liking the earlier homey routine brought on by the darkening evenings, it's not so bad really. I've started lighting up my evening candles which always makes me happy, and I'm looking forward to the first Lighting Of The Fire this year too. I looked in my archives just now and noted that it was September 19th last year, so not far off.

We are definitely doing more snuggling during these early September days too, which in my opinion is nothing but Good. The blankets are in full swing, and as usual it makes me sooooooo happy to see my brood all cuddled up beneath my colourful hooky handiwork. There'll be a new blanket on the hook soon, something divine and cashmereish is being planned. I think blanket making is an amazing thing, the joy they bring to my little family is immeasurable. Truthfully I learnt to crochet purely so I could Make Blankets. I was incredibly inspired by this and this and I wanted in. So in I jumped and I have never looked back, I can honestly say that learning to crochet blankets has really changed my life. I can highly recommend it.

Speaking of crochet blankets, my beloved BB continues to delight me each and every evening as I go about my bedtime routine. I tend to head to bed around 9.30pm at this time of year, and with Little B waking at 6am I am getting a fabulous 8+hours solid, deep, blissful sleep each night. I never, ever take this for granted, I LOVE my sleep and appreciate my ability to enter The Land Of Nod within a few minutes of head hitting pillow.

Sometimes I can't believe how very much I look forward to my bedtime! It's one of the most comforting parts of my day. Snuggling under crisp, white cotton and colourful, woolly crochet, knowing my family is safe and sound close by, it's a feeling of true peace and contentment.

Wishing you sweet dreams tonight my lovelies, enjoy your head-on-pillow time!

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More Yarn Stuff

Hello! I was just re-reading the knitty post I wrote up last night and it occurred to me that I forgot to include The Sunflowers. I can't believe I left them out as they were one of my favourite things in the exhibition. 

I just love the above photo, it sums up the exhibition beautifully. Can you see how you are immediately captivated by the sunflowers, they're so tall (as tall as me) and so striking! So clever!! So beautifully made!!! But if you keep on looking at the picture, you begin to notice other things. The birdhouse on the wall. The butterflies that have alighted on the window. The little grey mice that are scampering across the top of the radiator. The little grey mice that are scampering along the pipes just above the floor. Ahhh the whole thing was just fabulous, it really was.

Of course I am now dreaming up my own stripy hooky pot of giant flowers. A Big, tall, colourful version of the above. Something wonderful and wacky to stand about the place. I can only imagine what J would have to say about it, The Look that he would give me. It'd be worth making a crazy object just to witness his reaction teehheee. Naughty naughty me.

Some other yarn stuff I've been meaning to share with you is the knitting progress that Little Lady has made in recent months. You may remember the post I wrote in March about her learning to knit, and her very first project which came from the Made By Me book by Jane Bull??

Well pretty much as soon as she had finished her little knitty purse, she began working on the sweet little owl softie shown on page 54. She picked the exact same colour as in the book (cloud blue Stylecraft Special DK) and off she went with great enthusiasm.

It didn't take her long as each row was only 12 stitches long. But somehow the actual making up of the Owl got delayed. We kept saying we would do it, but never actually did. That little strip of cloud blue knitting sat around on my desk for weeks, it even disappeared and then reappeared somewhere else a few times.

Then one day in the middle of the summer holidays, I found it under a pile of magazines and asked her if she would like me to work on it with her.

She was mega excited (I love how she physically jumps up and down and claps her hands when she's excited), and couldn't wait to set to work.

She did all the sewing up by herself with just a teensy bit of guidance in the beginning. She was absolutely beside herself putting the stuffing in, who knew that polyfil stuffing could provide such a thrill?

She ran to her bedroom and fetched the roll of coloured felt that I'd bought her (when I was trying to convince her that stitched felty things were waaaay better than complicated knitty things), and together we selected colours.

Owly eyes were cut out, and a little yellow beak took shape.

Some glue was found and the felt shapes were carefully stuck into place.

We had to leave it to dry for a while, and it was very hard to get her through the waiting.

But later that day, we had a little look to see if it was dry (it was indeed) and Little Owl was finally held up to be admired.

Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awwwwwwwwww, we had a proud little Mummy-daughter Ta-dah moment together and some  excited jiggy-jig dancing took place.

Love was even declared.

Little Owl was named Bernie, and there he sits on the mantel under the Love Heart Twigs. We love him very much. Bernie was originally destined for Daddy's desk at work, but actually we kind of decided we need to keep him here at number 24 for a while.

As soon as Bernie was roosting on the mantel, Little Lady moved immediately onto her next project. She is very like her Mummy you know, her Creative Mind is alive and kickin' up a storm it seems.

So after a great deal of pleading, I treated her to some posh new yarn to work with, her Very Own Stash. Queue more mega-excited jumping and clapping, I do so love her enthusiasm. This yarn is called "Snuggly Smiley Stripes" by Sirdar, an incredibly soft bamboo/wool blend. Gotta hand it to Little Lady, she has great taste in yarn.

So this is progress so far on Project #3. It's going to become a small bag so I believe.

I'm so proud of her. Like really busting at the seams with pride.

Now then........before I go off to The Land of Nod, I'd just like to say a big, huge thank you for all the lovely comments you leave at the end of my witterings. I love to read what you have to say, your collective voices bring me so much pleasure! It's hard to put into words but I am extraordinarily grateful to you all for popping by day after day in order to catch up with my potty little comings and goings. It means such a lot that you take time to write to me.

((THANK♥YOU))

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Blooming Marvellous

When we went Dorset a few weeks ago, I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon drinking tea and eating cake with an old friend, one of my oldest friends actually. We were at school together and then shared a room together when we first left home to go to art school. Amazing to still be in touch twenty five years on, with six children and two husbands between us.

Anyhow, she told me about an exhibition she'd recently been to at Bridport Arts Centre and recommended that I go see it if I could. The exhibition was called Blooming Marvellous and was described as "an intergenerational community knitting/crochet project culminating in a knitted/crocheted 3D garden".

Intriguing don't you think? A knitted GARden?? How could I possibly not go and see for myself?!

I really didn't know what to expect, it's quite a long time since I went to an art exhibition of any sorts. I was excited! And as I had Little Lady with me it felt like quite an adventure to be heading off to experience this together.

It was a bit baffling at first. As everything was visible all at once,  just entering the room was quite overwhelming. There was so much to see, big things and small things, a mind boggling amount to take in.

We began to work our way slowly around the room. We had to crouch down as most of the exhibits were on the floor. But it was an absolute necessity to get reeeeeeeeally up-close as the detail in everything was un-be-liev-able.

Ohh the work! The hours and hours and hours of creative work evident in this exhibition was astounding.

This exuberant floral border blew me away.

I loved the sheer fun of it, the absolute over-the-top, crazy joy of it!

 We crouched and gazed into this cool, blue yarny pool....

....and we circled round and round this buzzy, yarny bee hive.

We oooohhed and aaahhhhhed and mmmmmmmed over this knitty picnic.....

......and paused to appreciate this lush bowl of bright yarny fruit.

Like I say, the teeny tiny details in this exhibition were wonderful. Everywhere you looked there was something to surprise and delight. Tiny little knitted ladybirds crawled along windowsills and up walls. A knitted spider sat in a big knitted web at the window. A knitted owl roosted above a doorway. We couldn't stop smiling at every new discovery.

I think the veggie plot was my absolute favourite bit of all. I thought this little knitted tray of seedlings and seed packets was the cutest thing EVER.

There was an abundant harvest of vegetables.....

....tumbling out of crates and bags.

And can you see in the background there, a knitted shed! How ever many hours must it've taken to knit the side of a shed???!!

Throughout the duration of the exhibition there were regular knitting workshops held at the arts centre, with free patterns and help available to encourage people to contribute a little knitted something. The idea was to inspire people to become involved, to encourage the social aspects of knitting and crocheting together. 

Since coming home and reading the blog about the exhibition, it's become apparent just how many people were involved with it's creation. It was a huge community undertaking. This exhibition is sooooo much more than a collection of quirky handmade objects. The community spirit, the skill and the humour is truly awe inspiring.

Blooming Marvellous indeed.

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Edited to add :: a message from Pauline Stanley, the talented artist who organised this whole project...........

"HI, Just been sent the link to your Blog -it is wonderful and thank you all for writing such lovely things about it. I am the artist who organised this project with 1600 fantistic knitters - the youngest was 2 and the oldest was 99! Many of the knitters had disabilties including visual impairment, physical disability, learning disability and 42 groups took part. The garden is on tour around the UK. It is at Poole at Lighthouse art centre until 15th October and then will go into hibernation for the winter and will be at Durlston Country Park, Swanage in Dorset next Easter, then a casle in Wales for a few months then a museum in Yorkshire. It is avaialbe to hire and i would love some bokkings for it for over this winter rather than have it in storage.

Pauline Stanley 01202 392055"