Attic24

December

Well hello peeps, and a very Happy December to you! I know I'm a day late, but I was caught up in a flurry of snowflakes yesterday and as a result the calendar turning and seasonal commentary has had to wait until today.

Yesterday, the first day of December, the weather here was gorgeous, very Decemberish indeed. In fact, I remembered it was remarkably similar to the first day of December last year :: a beautiful, frosty, truly cold winters day with sub zero temperatures. I popped my camera into my pocket when I went out to school in the morning, and on my walk back home I took a few snaps here and there of some icy frosted bits of nature. The sun was shining, and I really enjoyed looking at the detail of my surroundings as I ambled along. So much beauty when one slows right down and observes up close.

I took some early photos of my Attic view yesterday to share with you too...the above photo was taken at 07:23 just as the daylight was starting to creep in...

...slowly it got lighter...

...and more golden...

...until an hour later at 08:20 and we could see how freeeeeezing it looked outside!

Can't quite believe that we're now on the last page of this years calendars, can you? 2009 does seem to have been a speedy sort of a year if you ask me. I've really, really enjoyed writing my monthly Calendar posts this year, and love being able to look back on them to see how the year has progressed.

I'll be continuing on through next year too :: I've got four lovely, inspiring new 2010 calendars all ready and waiting for next month...ooooo can't wait!

So we're on the final page of the Bossy Calendar now....ahh such fun this calendar has been! I've loved it actually, loved reading the months instructions and deciding whether to obey commands or not. I see that today I'm being told to start decorating for Christmas....well....as it happens....been doing just that very thing to day as I strung up my star garland (more of that tomorrow). Not sure I can manage it every day, but I may just give it a go.

 

This months Ideal Homes calendar does not disappoint either, sooooo simple, yet so beautiful and seasonal, as all this years images have been. Its been a true pleasure this calendar and I'm looking forward to next years already.

Incidentally, if at any time you fancy a little seasonal review of the year gone by, you can find all my previous calendar posts by clicking on the "Calendar" category in my sidebar :: it's something I often enjoy doing in idle Moments of Reflection.

So..a little bit of an update on the progress of Bump24, growing nice and plump as you can see. I'm now at 32 weeks and doing OK :: a little weary and s:l:o:w for the most part, but OK. I'm really beginning the final countdown now I guess and truthfully it all still seems a little unreal at times. But I know in my heart I'm going to be so happy to finally meet this little baby next month. Exciting times ahead for sure.

 

But in between now and Babytime, we've got Christmas to contend with. I am as usual hopelessly behind with any sort of festive preparations, but I'm not feeling overly bothered about it this year.

Last week I brought down the little housey Christmas tin from the box of Christmas paraphenalia stored in the Attic, and filled it with little foil wrapped chocolate santas (much to the daily delight of the Little People who love to eat chocolate as soon as they get up). It's about as far as I've got to doing anything Christmassy around here (excepting the Snowflake production of course).

I spent a little time this morning looking back over last months photos and made up Novembers picture mosaic look....a bit of seasonal eye candy is always a Good Thing eh.

Right-o, I need to be away from my laptop now and off doing domestic things...lovely to see you as always, do feel free to stop by for a little creative Advent Ta-dah tomorrow...see you then...

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November

 

Slightly late with my Calendar post this month, but hey-ho, better late than never.

The mosaic above is my Attic24 October, and I have to say I did really enjoy last month, enjoyed easing myself gently into Autumn. Time seemed to fly by a little too speedily at times through October though, but it was good nevertheless.

So here we are into the first week of November, a month of wrapping up warm and cosying up. Leaf kicking, fire lighting, chestnut roasting, candle lighting, hot water bottling, blanket snuggling.

The Bossy Calendar is actually spot on with it's bossiness for this month I think, and I am more than happy to obey orders. It's still Persistently Brown mind you, but I can overlook that and focus on the glow of the open fire and the warm twinkle of candlelight.

 

The Ideal Homes November calendar page is oooooooo-so-very-atmospheric isn't it?? Beautifully simple, seasonal and quite lovely, as all their photographs have been during this year.

For those of you in the UK, the current issue of Ideal Homes magazine (December issue) is now in the shops and with it comes the 2010 calendar.....it's another stunning collection of images and I'm already looking forward to turning it's pages next year.

The November weather-watch from the Attic today is wet-wet-wet, I honestly don't think it's stopped raining here since Sunday.

Hoping very much that the rain might decide to ease up soon, it's not been nice doing the school run in such wetness. Been able to wear my wellies though, which has been a Good Thing. 

One thing about enduring a wet, soggy walk to school is that it makes the Home-coming even more pleasurable than usual. I loved walking back in the door this morning, the house seemed so cosy and welcoming.

Baked some cookies earlier and there's a rather wonderful fresh-baking smell still lingering in the air....these are my raisin and orange cookies (find the recipe here), only I used cranberries today instead of raisins and let me tell you they are really scrumptious.

Thought you might like to see a current view of Bump24, providing a rather handy ledge for my coffee cup. Many thanks to those of you who have asked after me and The Bump of late, we are doing very well thank you. I'm now plodding into the third trimester (28 weeks) and trying to remind myself to sloooooow right down, which is proving surprisingly difficult.

Right, off to indulge in a second cup of coffee before commencing the day's Nesting Activities. On the agenda for today :: making a blind for the bathroom window and painting my bathroom cupboard door knobs.

Do you know what? We could be coming close to a Bathroom Makeover Reveal very soon, now thats been a long time coming!

Enjoy your day my lovelies, whatever is on your agenda...

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October

Hopping and skipping out of September and into October today, and I have to say it's oh-so-beautiful in my little patch of the world. I strolled up through the town this morning on my way to the cafe, and felt the delicious warmth of the sun on my back as I walked. I was coat-less and wearing summer sandals, and as much as I adore wearing my green Boden coat and a jaunty woolen scarf, it nevertheless pleases me a great deal when I don't have to bother with outer garments.

So, it's the first of the month and therefore calendar page-turning time. Ahh I do enjoy this simple little ritual** at the beginning of each month, I really look forward to it. Would probably not admit this fact to anyone else but you :: seems a little bonkers to get so excited about calendar pages really, but there you go. I know you will understand and not think me too loop-the-loop. You might even possibly-maybe feel the same way yourself about your own calendars. Possibly.

I confess that the very Autumnal images this month leave me feeling a tad disappointed (above image from Country Homes calendar). I do LOVE October (which is my Birthday month), but why oh why does everything have to be depicted in shades of brown?? I mean, just look at my own photo at the top there :: taken this morning on my way home from the cafe, it's a snap of a random garage door in a back street. See?? Glorious, spectacular Autumnal colour! And in my humble opinion perfectly Octoberish and un-brown. I know, I am such a colour-junkie, I cannot really cope with shades of brown I'm afraid, it makes me feel moochy.

How-ever, the above image (from Ideal Homes Calendar) is rather fabulous eh? Can't really deny that, even with the brown-thing going on. Makes me put a little entry on my mental to-do list to keep my eyes open for some chunky Autumnal knitwear when I next do my rounds of the charity/thrift shops. Cute little fingerless mittens must also be made me thinks......ahhhh I can feel the exciting beginnings of a new crochet project emerging from the ric-rac Tangle....yeeessssss, I simply MUST crochet up some fingerless mitts! In jaunty stripes!! oooooo I'm all excitable about that now, all heart-fluttery and skittish! Must think calm thoughts.........

So....(calming down again)....what's doing at Attic24 today, on the first day of October? Well right now, as I sit and write (I'm downstairs at the dining table, tap-tapping on the laptop today) I can smell apples. Well to be more precise, I can smell that exact apple in the above picture, as it's sat right next to me on the table. A true English Apple, picked from a tree by my friends neighbour just a few streets up from where I live. And I can't tell you how lovely it's appley fragrance is....Apples and October go hand-in-hand in England, and I am really glad of that as I love apples and eat several a day.

My September Asters have now turned into October Asters....boy oh boy, these flowers were such amazing value for money! My dahlias sadly didn't last very long, but these little lovelies are still going strong, both downstairs and upstairs in the bedroom/bathroom.

On the fireplace mantel just behind me (the mantel with the crochet hearts garland hanging on it) I've propped up this lovely little metal sign which I bought a while ago from the local antiques centre. I was just looking at it earlier and day dreaming about my most favouritist place to be at this time of year :: Robin Hoods Bay. You may remember we went there last year to celebrate my birthday, and I always have a deep, inexplicable longing to return there at this time every year. Not sure if we'll make it there again this year, but I'm secretly hoping and wishing for it to happen.

And the Attic view today, on the first of October? Well, the above picture was taken this morning at around 9.30 when the air was still pale and hazy and hanging low over the hills.

But a few hours later and the day turned out be truly beautiful :: bright and warm and lovely. I can't tell you how much I've appreciated the warmth of the sun today.

I even hung my laundry out to dry today, which is something I'm making the most of whilst it lasts. Don't suppose we'll have many more outside laundry-drying days left in the year now, and I'll miss that for sure. 

Well I hope you're having a wonderful day today too, wherever you are in the world and whatever your season. Enjoy your October-the-first.
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**Just a quick note for those of you who are are not yet familiar with my quirky little ways, I have established a monthly routine here at Attic24 where I share with you my three calendar pages at the begnning of each month. You can read all of my previous months calendar blurbles by clicking on the "Calendar" category in my sidebar. Just so you know**

September

Helloooooooo!!!! Oooooo 'tis so good to be back in the Attic!!

I have missed you all, and am very glad to be home....that's not to say we didn't enjoy a most wonderful holiday by the sea, because ohhh yes we did. But coming home has it's own sweet happiness, despite the fact that the dirty laundry pile is humungous and that every room in the house looks like....like....hmm well not sure quite what it looks like, but it's not a good look. It's Untidiness on a grand scale. But no matter, I'm not stressing over it, and like I say, my overwhelming feeling is one of Gladness-To-Be-Home.

 

So....August is now behind us, and here we are tiptoeing gently and softly into the mellow month of September. The tail end of Summer, the tentative steps towards Autumn. I've just been re-reading my post from this same time last year, and how kind of reassuring it is to find that I am feeling pretty much in the same state of mind this year. I do kind of like this change in the seasons, but am always reluctant to embrace it at first. I find myself clinging on to the possibility that September could still be classed as a Summer month and that we don't need to really seriously face Autumn until October comes knocking.

 

One thing I do adore about this time of year is the change in the light. It can be sooo heart achingly beautiful. This morning was just such a time :: I bobbed up to the Attic quite early (6.45am) to see what sort of clouds/weather we were starting the day with and the view almost took my breath away...well not so much the view as the light and the colours....just beautiful. And fleeting :: the golden glow has all gone now, but the day looks like it's going to be warm and bright, if a little cloudy. Quite pleasantly Septemberish I'd say.

 

So September is here and I need to get used to the idea I guess. School will start back next week, so this week new school shoes will need to be purchased (can you hear me inwardly groaning?) and name labels will need to be sewn into new, bigger, stiffer school uniform (more groaning). But we are also going to enjoy the last days of freedom and playtime with friends during this week, with some trips to the park and general fun and laziness I think.

 

Very unusually, I actually turned the pages on my three calendars yesterday, a whole day early. I was kind of desperate to get a feel for the month ahead, to try and get my mind to focus on the business of September and stop hankering for more of August. Can't say I was that inspired by the Bossy calendar mind you (image above)...bit too brown and fuddy-duddy for me. Don't think I'll be doing loose covers or roman blinds either, sorry.

I am thinking more along the lines of beginning a bright, patchwork quilt to throw over the second sofa in our living room, which does happen to be a kind of boring pale brown not dissimilar to the colours in the above picture. Oatmeal I think it was officially called when we chose it. Yes, I can see it now...lots of bright and cheery colourful square patches which I can sit and hand-stitch in front of the fire. Talking of which, we did actually light our fire for the first time at the weekend (we had a real sudden cold snap on Saturday/Sunday), and I admit that I enjoyed it enormously. So yeah..ok..maybe I could be persuaded to create a kind of loose cover, if you could call a quilt that, but no no no, definitely not in Autumnal Browns.

The beautiful, beautiful Ideal Homes calendar is as stunning as ever, I do truly love these images each and every month. Golden light, long shadows, dewy grass and mellow fruits. Mmmmmmmm.

 

I spent a little while yesterday pottering in my back yard, deadheading the dead flowers and chatting to the living flowers. My pots have really filled out during the two months since they were planted and the colours are more glorious then ever.

And speaking of glorious colour....just feast your eyes on my new yarn!!!

This yarn has a wonderful Story behind it, and a new project already underway with it...more will be revealed in due course.

Sorry? Teasing you?? Who me???? Hahaha, well you may just be right about that.

I'm hoping over the remainder of this week to share some of my Northumberland holiday pictures with you all, if that's OK? I uploaded them to the computer yesterday and got quite giddy just looking at the images :: beaches and rockpools, harbours and castles, dahlias and butterflies. Oh, I do so enjoy writing my post-holiday-posts, I hope you won't mind coming along with me.

So until then, hoping you really enjoy the first day of September which ever corner of the world you are in....see you tomorrow...

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ps, did I mention I'm glad to be back?? :o) xx

August

Hello, hello. Sorry I'm a little late in getting here this week :: I was away from home all day yesterday, and today I've been feeling a little droopy and my brain has not quite been up to speed for writing. In fact, I don't feel quite my normal self today. I think I am OK, just tired after quite a lot of driving, shopping, tea drinking and gas bagging yesterday when I drove the 40 miles over the hills to visit with some very good friends in my old home town. Ahhh how lovely it was to catch up with one another, how reassuringly familiar and easy it was to chat the day away over tea and cake while our 14 children played together just as they always have done ever since they were babies. It was a wonderful day.

The shopping part of my trip was mainly concentrated on the Little People who were desperately in need of new footwear and new clothes. New colouring books too. But I did treat myself to some lovely new red crocs which were on sale at less than half price. I am quite in love with them, although they do look slightly brash when worn with my pyjamas.

So me and my red crocs went out to inspect the back yard this morning, and after quite a heavy fall of rain during the night everything is still very drippy wet out there. I wanted to show you my passion flower which I planted in this big pot at the end of June. When I bought it, it only reached as high as the kitchen windowsill to the left of the picture there and it has really grown loads in the last month. The flowers are beautiful, and remind me of my childhood :: I remember being totally entranced by these exotic looking flowers as a child. Well to tell the truth, I still am.

I was a little late with turning my calendars this month and only remembered to do it yesterday. So it's August now then, and supposedly we should be wilting in the heat of high summer doing lazy outdoor things. Beachy things by the looks of it. I don't suppose we should be contemplating lighting the fire then.

Look see, even the Bossy calendar is telling me to go to the beach and do summery outdoorsy things.

As it happens, we are home during this week and next, and then we will be seeking beachy outdoor activities as we will be off on our jolly-hollies. We are spending the first part of our holiday fortnight with my folks in Dorset, then for the last week of August we will be back up north to stay in Craster (Northumberland) again. Just like last year, in the same little harbourside house. So yes, I am hoping very much to enjoy some end-of-day moments on the beach, although we'll probably do it with blankets rather than furniture. Bit too tricky to balance furniture on rock pooly rocks.

Todays August view from the Attic :: brightish, grey sky, not summery exactly, but it is dry. No rainfall. And that has to be a good thing.

 

A little bit of a hooky update :: I've finished my 18 inch Granny Square cushion cover...

...and have started on making another one from tiny 2-round squares joined in the go. I am already loving how this is turning out even though I've only done one row (9 squares) so far and still have 8 more rows (72 squares) to go. I've yet to search my local charity/thrift shops for a suitable woolly jumper to back these two cushions, but am hopeful the right one will be hanging there just waiting for me to to turn it from an Unwanted Garment to a homespun Thing of Beauty.

And talking of homespun things of beauty...see my new bedside reading book there? Ahhh I have so badly wanted this book, so badly desired this book for what seems like an age and a half, and now am positively thrilled that a copy is finally mine all mine. My lovely Hubby was ordering some geeky computery things from Amazon last week and decided to treat me to two books from the top of my wish list. This is one of them, the other I shall share with you a little later on when I've got past the sniffing and stroking stage of loving it. I do SO adore getting new books:: very, very high score on the Pleasure-o-meter.

And finally before I go, a little note about BB. I think, possibly, maybe, hopefully, fingers all crossed that i may have finally managed to take some photos to share with you. About half an hour ago, whilst I was writing this post, I noticed a weak, late afternoon sun was shining it's way through the back windows of our house. So I rushed upstairs, did a quick tidy of the bedsides, and took some pictures, click click click. This is the fourth attempt, and I am hoping they are waaaaay better than the other three attempts, which were pants. I hope so. I am fairly badly desperate to do some ta-dah-ing!!!!

So all being well, I'll be seeing you all tomorrow for you-know-what.

(((((squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllll!!!))))

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Edited to add ::

 

6.27pm AUGUST-ish weather OR WHAT????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July

 

It's a lovely summery day here in my little patch, and right now rather than sitting in my usual little attic room up under the eaves (which is rather hot and stuffy even with both windows open), I've decided to decamp outside. Lucky for me that J doesn't read my blog cos I'm typing away on his precious Macbook and he might get a bit antsy if he only knew. I'm typing very delicately mind you, very respectfully tip-taping on the immaculate white keyboard and resisiting the temptation to eat strawberries at the same time.

Here in North Yorkshire we're not experiencing the scorchingly hot weather like much of the UK, more a warm, hazy, muggy type of midsummer day with a very pale bluey-grey sky, and the slight whiff of possible thundery rain in the air. But oh, it is undeniably summery all the same, and I am really enjoying being outside and feeling warm air on my skin.

This morning, as soon as I came home from the school run, I took some scissors and went around my pots outside, snipping a few stems to pop into one of my little old ink bottles. Ahhhhhhhhh, you know, I just LOVE to do that simple little thing, the ritual of snipping and popping and creating a small posie of flowers to gaze at provides untold pleasure. Would measure exCEPtionally high on my own personal Pleasure-o-meter without doubt.

 

At the moment I don't have a great many blooms to spare as my pots have only just been planted up. The flowers have yet to fill out but I am really loving the sight of them all, and since the weekend when the bulk of the planting and rearranging work was done, I've been coming out to admire them a great deal. My first cup of tea of the day, which is usually ceremoniously brought to me in bed by my early-to-rise other half, is now taken outside. I love to potter around in my pyjamas in the cool of the early morning before the neighbours are up (this morning I was out before 6am, yes, you read that right, before six ay-em). 

There is still some work to be done outside, a wall that I'd like to paint, some troughs to be planted with salad crops....so at some point in the next week or two, when I've done some more inspirational book-browsing and when things are finally coming together,  I'll take some more photographs and do a bit of an outside ta-dah for you all to see.

 

Ahhhh so June has now been and gone and flip-flip-flip the pages of my three calenders were turned this morning to welcome in July. A busy old month this one, with lots of things-to-remember already written in. School trips, sports days, a PTA fundraiser cake sale, Sheep Day (yes, our town celebrates Sheep Day this weekend, I kid you not), the end of term and the beginning of the long summer holidays to look forward to. Busy busy busy. But enjoyably so I hope.

 

The Bossy Calender has a splendid page for July and a marvelous Order to be obeyed too...Entertain in the garden!!! Fresh flowers and a pretty cloth, quick smart! Although admittedly I'm still falling slightly behind as have not yet purchased new pillowcases as per the June instructions. So this month will have to be pillowcases and floral tablecloths, but at least I've already had  a stab at the Fresh Flowers bit.

 

The gorgeous Ideal Homes calendar has another amazing photograph for July :: I know I say it every month but I really love each and every one of the twelve images in this calendar. They are so evocative of the seasons, so beautiful in their simplicity.

In fact, this mornings image inspired me to think about a little bit of simple outdoor lighting for my own back yard....I don't exactly have a tree with available branches to use, but tealights and empty jam jars, yes yes yes, I have those a-plenty.

 

So down to the cellar to the collection of Bonne Maman jam jars I went, then up three flights of stairs to the Attic to the collection of ribbons, then back down two flights of stairs to the collection of candles.

I had a busy-bustly upstairs-downstairs moment there for a while!

I like the simple approach :: snipped ribbon tied around the jar in a knot, and to finish a few sprigs of fragrant lemon-thyme from my own back yard.

Pop a candle in eh voila!!!!

 

I think they look very pretty, and as I have house guests arriving this evening for a week-long stay, I am anticipating sitting outside in the warmth of the evening, a simple supper of bread and cheeses, marinated olives, greek salad and ripe strawberries, and some gentle candlelight as the daylight fades.

Oh, and knowing my guests very well, I fully expect there to be more of this too. They are the same guests after all, and I am really looking forward to their arrival.

Excepting that they will be sleeping in the Attic, which currently looks like a small but very mean spirited tornado has blown through and thrown everything into complete disarray. 

I've got my work cut out for me this afternoon, that's for sure.

But just before I go back up two flights of stairs and begin the task of clearing the decks, let me show you July's view from the Attic, taken today around mid morning...

 

...it looks a bit dull and colourless, but thats just the warm haze of the day still hanging low over the hills.

I have high hopes for July, for fresh cut flowers and outdoor living. Warm summer air and evenings by candlelight.

Enjoy your day xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

June

Hello, yoooohoooooo, I'm back!

Pheww what a week it's been! Such a full week I've had, so very, very Brim-Full of happy, exciting, memory filled outings, trips, jaunts and jollies! And now I am home again and desperately trying to regain my balance and catch up with myself :: not easy as it happens. J is reluctantly back to work with a sulky, downturned mouth, and the Little People returned to school today too. So I am all alone in the Messy Zone, missing my three buddies, and trying to tackle the chaos that comes after living out of a suitcase for a week.

But hey, today is the first day of June, and its absolutely glorious in my neck of the woods. I don't know about where you are, but up here in North Yorkshire we're having the most amazing azure blue cloudless skies at the moment, and some heat happening too. It truly feels like the tentative beginnings of the Summer Season, and oh I'm happy about that!

Up in the Attic, I have two windows :: there's a cute little front window with it's own little pointy roof which faces East(ish) and has the above view out across town to the hills. The photo from this window was taken at around 9.30am or so, and because of the sun shining so brightly from this direction in the mornings, the scenery often looks quite washed out. But I also have a back window which faces west(ish) and in order to take in this view I have to balance rather precariously on a chair and stick my head out of the sloping velux roof window to look out. So I don't tend to do it very often, but I do enjoy this view of the cobbled back streets, of the roofttops and chimney pots and most especially the sky look.....

.....ahhhhhhhhhh that sky!! Isn't today just perfectly June-ish? It's Gorgeous, isn't it?

 

The calendar pages were ceremoniously turned from May to June this morning, and there is a distinct Summery feel to the images. Can we really, honestly be heading into Summertime already?? It seems to me hardly a heartbeat ago that we were welcoming Spring in. Yet I am ready for Summer, ready to enjoy all that these long, warm days have to offer.

 

I was really intrigued to find out what the Bossy Calendar would be carping on about for this month, and was really delighted by it actually. So much more relaxed than last month thank goodness (an order to Spring Clean, if you remember?) Our bedlinen (duvet cover and sheet) remains the same all year :: plain, crisp white egyptian cotton which I love. But I do like to add a little colour with some pretty pillowcases. Actually I only currently have two coloured pairs (Cath Kidston roses and Designers Guild stripes), the rest are plain white. So yes, I think that this month I shall shop for a new pair of sweet summer pillowcases. Gosh, you know what? The very idea of buying new pillowcases has made me feel absurdly happy! I can't wait!

Ahhh.....the Ideal Home calendar is, as always, so beautiful this month. I have this calendar hanging in my small kitchen and it really does flutter my heart on a daily basis. June's page is quite simply beautiful, and the absolute essence of summer. Love it.

 

I have a great many photographs to share with you from last week as we really did get out and about a great deal, both in this country and abroad. I still need to ponder how to post about our jolly-holidays, but oh we did have a wonderful, wonderful time! At the beginning of last week we went to Belgium (Bruges to be precise, well done to those of you who guessed) followed by a trip to the English Lake District at the end of the week. Both beautiful, both memorable.

But for now, a few photos taken yesterday, back on familiar home turf.

 

This is the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. About 15mins drive from home and an hour or so walking and this is where we found ourselves :: somewhere quite remote and high up and very, very beautiful. Green green fields and blue blue sky. Noone else but us four, walking and chattering, enjoying the the last day of May.

We walked a seven mile circular route yesterday which took us almost the whole day (9am-3pm) with plenty of stops for a leisurely picnic lunch and icecream/pub beer garden refreshments along the way. The Little People are turning out to be amazingly good walkers and for J and I, it's opening up a whole new Walking Chapter. After many, many years of us enjoying walking together as a couple, we are now enjoying walking as a family. And it's great!

I spent a little time looking back through last month's photo album this morning, and made up my Monthly Mosaic for May look. I do enjoy creating these little collections of images, it's just the sort of frivolous activity that pleases me enormously.

But now I must reluctantly remove myself from my cosy attic and my frivolous activities and go and attend to some household duties. Yes, I think I might be able to manage a bit of pegging out, nothing too strenuous for a Monday.

See you tomorrow folks, I think I'll take you to Bruges, if thats ok with you?

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ps Good to be back, I missed ya last week!

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May

Helloooooo!! Here we are today entering Maytime, hopping and skipping into the fifth month of the year already, my-my, how delightful! May just happens to be my absolute favourite month of the entire year, by a long shot. I just adore May. The length of the days, the teetering on the edge between Spring and very early summer, the final greening up of the trees, blossom, bluebells, and the fresh produce thats around in this month. I love it all.

I went to the market this morning and bought my first English strawberries :: we've been enjoying Spanish and Moroccan strawbs in recent months, but oh it's wonderful to see the first of the homegrown ones arrive. Asparagus too, mmmmm, my love affair with these green spears continues with a passion (do you remember last year's infatuation?), and British grown asparagus is the bees knees.

I also love May because it contains not one but two bank holidays in the UK. We have this coming weekend to celebrate MayDay, and the Little People are rather chuffed that they don't have to go to school on Monday.  Then there is of course our Spring Bank week towards the end of May (do other countries have this holiday I wonder?)...we've got a rather special jaunt already planned and booked for a few days of that week, which I am hugely thrilled about. It involves passports and a big boat. Heehee, sooo excited!!

Calendar pages turned today, which as usual has been a really uplifting little personal moment in my day. The above calendar reminds me that I should be planting seeds, that flowery things will soon be happening! Cripes, into May yet again without a single seed sown, it's the same every year. I am a shocking, lazy, disorganised disgrace when it comes to gardening efforts. I shall note it down on my humungous to-do list :: must buy seeds. Actually, it's not the buying that I need reminding of, it's more the planting. Remember, I am quite good at buying seeds. But I am also quite good at leaving them lying around in their packets, where sadly they fail to germinate, grow, produce flowers.

 

The Bossy Calendar (above), telling me to Clean! Wear a Pretty Pinny! Ok, ok, steady on. I might just possibly perhaps manage a teensy-weensy bit of cleaning during the course of this month. Possibly. No promises. I do actually really like that Laura Ashley pinny in the photo there, the spotty pocket and ties are quite jaunty aren't they, and could very well be the thing that might make me want to clean a little.

Ahhhhhh last but not least is my Ideal Homes calendar, how I just love this collection of photographs. Do I say this each and every month? Yes, I think I probably do. Just gaze at that image, isn't it so pretty? Beautiful. I am really looking forward to a little spring time pottering with fork and trowel in my outdoor space.

 

Talking of outdoors, a few little snapshots of today's garden prettiness :: the second flush of my violas in the hanging baskets, such pretty little faces peeking out at me in the morning sunshine...

 

...and these lovely little purple flowers sprawling merrily over my front garden patch, are they aubretia? I think so. Planted by the previous house owners, I love that they seem to thrive on neglect. Nice one. I can do Garden Neglect pretty expertly.

 

Round to the back and I am thrilled to see that some of my herbs have braved it out under the soil through the winter and have popped back again this year.

Hardy little chives are producing their first flowers...

...and the mint is sending up it's fragrant leaves too. Reminds me that Pimms season is almost here too, oooh now there's a delicious possibility for the weekend!

 

And the view from the Attic24 window this morning? Quite possibly perfect May weather look. Quite cool, breezy, but bright and beautiful. Fluffy white clouds scudding.

I've found that one of the bestest and lovely things about blogging into a  second year is that it is allowing me to look back at this same month last year and remember. How the weather was. What little activities and outings we got up to. And the very seasonal things particular to each month of the year. I love the reassuring repetitiveness of month by month domestic life, the fact that this May I shall no doubt be talking about many of the same things as I did last May. For me, blogging is the best kind of diary, a hugely valuable record of my daily life which I am loving more and more and more as I continue to write and record and preserve.

Enjoy a wonderful May weekend one and all :: it's festival time here in my town so we will be pottering and partying, dancing and drinking, and generally making merry I expect.

Ahh I love May days!

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April

After depositing the Little People at school this morning I strolled up through town to make my regular stops at the market :: into my shopping bag went Granny Singletons Mature Lancashire cheese, and this bunch of magnificently flouncy showy-offy tulips. Mr Plant Man did warn me that they were in fact last weeks flowers, that they might not last very long, and that was why they were priced at only £1. I told him I did not care if they only lasted one day, that I could not possibly pass them by and not take them home with me to flounce and show off in my living room.

Was having a little rootle around yesterday in one of my many many dangerously teetering, toppling, messy piles of papers and books, looking for a scrap of paper with a scribbled down address on it. I didn't end up finding the address (where can it be?), but did find this beautiful greetings card that I'd completely forgotten about. I cannot even remember where/when I bought it, but oh I do love it so! The image is a painting by artist Emma McClure and is called "Basket with Cyclamen and Fruits"....currently stood on my mantel and I am loving seeing it there next to my spotty red jug. Christmas snowflake fairy lights are still there too look.  

So...a fresh new month to spring into today, April is here, month of Spring showers and bright flowers. Turned my calendar pages today (on time for once), and ooooooooo they are lovely!! The images really lifted my spirits and made me very excited for this new month, for blossom and birds and pretty things, and for Easter of course, which happens to be my favourite favourite celebration of the whole year. Truthfully I love Easter very much more than Christmas.

Just look at the Bossy Calendar this month, isn't that a stunning image? Oh yes yes yes I will indeed be making a homemade seasonal wreath for Easter and yes yes yes, posies of fresh flowers too! I am soo excited! Of course I haven't started anything yet, haven't begun the joyous business of decorating for Easter yet, although have noticed some fabulous eggy birdy things  happening in Blogland homes recently that made me swoon...Bertie has been at it, as has Lulu look...will have to think how to fit in some Private Easter Creativity because Little People will be at home next week, which makes Attic-time slightly tricksy. 

The Ideal Homes calendar is as ever beautiful :: simple, elegant, understated and beautiful. This is one fabulous calendar and each month as I've turned the page I've found myself gasping with pleasure at the photographs. I think possibly Mondays evening meal will be a big frittata because I fancy having a go at blowing out some eggs to decorate, and frittata is the perfect egg-using recipe. I am still pondering the whys and wherefores of involving the Little People in egg-blowing and egg-painting activities. I know it sounds mean, but sometimes I just love to do these things all-by-myself (remember the halloween pumpkin?). We shall see. I may have to accept that Easter Creativity will have to be child orientated, unless I try and stay awake past 9pm and spend a few evenings making grown up birdy eggy flowery decorative things.

This mornings April view from the Attic is kind of disappointingly on the grey side, but truthfully it's not a bad sort of day really here in North Yorskhire. It's warmish and although still quite hazy as I type this at lunch time, there are signs that the sun is attempting to shine through.

Just before I go, a little bit of Crochet news....
Above photo was taken yesterday when i was finishing off some hooking and photography for the Granny Squares Joining-as-you-go tutorial.

Yes, that was my afternoon yesterday, sitting in that chair in the light of the bay window, surrounded by colourful yarny goodness, hooking and photographing, scribbling notes and pondering the joys of crochet for the umpteenth time.

For those of you have been waiting, I thank you for your patience, and am happy to let you know that the joining tutorial can be found over in the side bar in the usual place, or click here to find it.
Tomorrow, the Ripple Tutorial will arrive I hope...I've been a busy bee!! Hooking and clicking and typing, gosh, such hardship. Good job you are worth it.
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March

March is here, hooray!! I love March, I love that this month officially contains the First Day of Spring, that in a few weeks we will be changing our clocks and moving into British Summer Time. I love the abundance of Spring flowers that this month contains, including these delightful purple crocuses nestling in my little patch of front garden. Its a joyous time of the year, isn't it, when the very first little inklings of Spring appear?

Although to be honest I did rather enjoy February, it surprised me this year. I often think of February as a rather grey and dreary and well moochy sort of a month, yet I found February this year to be uplifting in many ways. I enjoyed the Winteryness of last month, the winter picnics, the snow, the cosy baking and blanket-making, the valentines hearts and pancakes. I mean who can be moochy about a month that contains coloured paper hearts and syrup pancakes???

 

I stopped by the supermarket this morning on my way home and couldn't resist bringing this little beauty home to number 24.

Shall I tell you how many pennies this gorgeous little pink primula cost me?? Fifty nine.

Yes 59p!!! How could I possibly resist spending fifty nine pence on such beauty and colour.

I have about six of these very old hand made terracotta pots which I treasure. They were given to me by my Mum years ago, and they are perfect for holding little plants such as this. I love  to discard brown plastic and replace it with mellow terracotta. I also love to pop the mellow terracotta inside an old thrifted Cornishware bowl. Such delight for a Tuesday morning! I potter around my home, carrying the prettily potted primula (PPP) around with me, not wanting to put it down. I enjoy the pink of the flowers against the red of my jumper very much. I take an age deciding where to put the PPP, and eventually it comes to rest on the dining table where I'll be able to admire it close up whilst scoffing breakfast/lunch/dinner. A feast for the eyes.

 

I am a few days late with the calender again, I have had a busy few days as it happens. On the 1st day of March (Sunday) we went to the coast and Oh! I was beside myself with being beside the sea! I shall tell you more about that tomorrow I expect.

So I only just remembered to turn the calender pages this morning (Simone, thanks for the reminder!). Above is my organising calendar, telling me to eat cake and drink tea. Tempting me with pretty mugs, a spotty tea pot, a stripy milk jug and delightful cakes. Yes I can do that, I would be delighted to make a tea party happen. Consider it officially on March's To-do list.

 

March on the Ideal Home calender and it's laundry day with a rather charming vintage vibe. Tell me, what is it about images of Utility/Laundry paraphernalia that is so heart-skipping? I have many similar images to this one torn out of magazines in my "inspiration file" and I adore them so much. Piles of pretty linens, a pretty ironing board cover, pegs, linen water, an apron and a laundry basket and I am swooning. Why? I don't know, I honestly don't. It's not that it makes me want to go and deal with the (humungous) laundry pile, but maybe it's to do with the idea of prettifying the mundane, of having every part of ones home/life look and feel charming. Including the Laundry.

 

Ahhhh the Bossy Calender now, and how I love to be bossed about by these pages each month. Did you notice that last months page worked it's magic on me? Did you notice that in February I did manage not one, not two but three winter picnics complete with blankets as instructed?

So March is going to see me Brighten Up with cushions and lamps, which as it happens has already begun....
 
 

I am taking a weeny break from the Summer Garden Blanket (23 blocks now complete) and indulging in a little Ripple action.

 

I couldn't resist the lure of the ripple after seeing it on one or two blogs of late.

I wanted to immerse myself in the soothing rhythm of creating these ripply stripes again.

So I've started making a third cushion cover using the same Rowan DK wool as I'm using for the Summer Garden Blanket...only the colours are far more zingy when workd in this way for some reason. Its giving me a whole lot of thrills making these stripes, playing with these colours.

And you know how I like to get my daily thrills, right? Yeah, nothing complicated :: let me wear red, let me carry a bowl of primulas around the house a bit, let me chatter to the crocuses, let me swoon over pictures of ironing boards, let me sit and ripple-ripple and gaze at the view and I am thrilled. Easy.

March's view from the Attic is quite dull today I'm afraid, It remains very cold, sharp and wintery in my patch with no whiffs of Spring in the air just yet. But I can do Spring-in-waiting. I am patient, I can wait a while longer for Winter to be done.

Hey, fancy taking a trip to the seaside with me tomorrow? Fancy strolling the sands, searching for shells, horizon-gazing and coastal pottering? You do?? Oh good! I'll take you with me on a little trip to the coast then tomorrow :: wrap up warm, it's chilly up north!

Toodle-ooh,  see you tomorrow for sea breezes and sea shells....

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