Dreadful weather we're having here this week, drip, drip, drip. Yesterday I sat and pressed my nose against the back window and peered out into my very sad looking back yard. My summer bunting is limp and soggy. My terracotta pots are sodden and full of dead things. The washing line has a gathering of rain drops. Not very inspiring really is it?
I've found that the best way to handle this time of year and this sort of drip-drippy weather is to point blank refuse to actually step foot outdoors. Turn away from the windows and concentrate on the warmth and cosiness within. Stay home. Light candles. Wear fluffy socks. If you can possibly pull it off, this strategy works a treat I can tell you, you will hardly notice how dire the weather is.
I baked yesterday, for the first time in what felt like ages. It was absolute bliss. A good part of that Bliss came from my brand new apron, purchased on impulse during a rare shopping trip to The City at the weekend. Do you like it?? I love it. Love love love love love it. Oh yes I am proper in love with my Sale Purchase from Cath Kidston. I've wanted a CK apron of my very own for a long time, but have always felt it to be Too Extravagant seeing as I already have a rather lovely Portmerion Crazy Daisy apron which I love very much. So now I've got two lovely, lovely aprons to dither over on baking days. Ho hum well no not just on baking days cos I do in fact wear an apron every single day when I'm cooking dinner. So I shall be dithering every single day then as I try and decide between textured roses or crazy daisies. The roses are winning hands down at the moment, they are just so pretty!
It was very cold outside yesterday but very warm inside, my oven whacks out quite a bit of heat when it's on. I steamed the kitchen window up. I wonder why the sight of a steamed up window makes me feel so utterly, completely happy and content??? I honestly sighed to myself with pure pleasure at the sight of my steamy little window, the kitchen all warm and smelling of freshly baking cookies. It was quite a monumental moment in my day.
I made oaty sultana cookies from a recipe I found floating around in the kitchen on a scrap of paper. I had scribbled it down way back last year when I was Milk Tankering with Little B and obsessing over all things oaty, do you remember? The scrap of paper simply had written on it ::
100 flour
75 sugar
75 butter
50 oats
So I figured it must be some sort of cookie recipe. Doubled the quantities, threw in a handful of sultanas and baked them in a moderate oven for about 13 minutes. They were surprisingly delicious.
Waiting for the cookies to bake, I sneaked in a quick cuddle with Little B. He was slobbing about in his sleepsuit (his mother is rather lazy in getting him dressed for stay-home days, tsk tsk) and quite happy doing his own thing, but I do like to scoop him up for cuddles. Just cos I can. Oh my, he is growing so fast. So so so fast. We will soon be entering Toddlerdom and his true baby days are almost at an end. Kind of happy, kind of sad, you know where I'm coming from I'm sure.
As well as Little B being about at home, I've had the other two here with me as well this past week. It's been a mixed blessing as I've loved having them home for this extended holiday (almost four weeks, yes f o u r) but there has also been a lot of sadness over their school being unable to re-open at the start of term. It flooded you see, and it's been really hard coming to terms with both the damage to the old Victorian building itself and the lost contents of the classrooms. It's a small community school and everyone feels quite devastated really. But the children were finally able to go back today even though the school is still far from recovered, and they were ready to be going back.
I missed them today actually.
But then again it was rather wonderful to put Little B down for his afternoon nap and hear the sound of Complete Silence. I spent a delicious hour hanging out on the Edge of my blanket :: that there blue row is the final granny row before I begin working the edge-of-the-edge.
Soon be time for a long overdue Ta-dah post for this blanket and I absolutely, totally, utterly cannot wait.
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I took a page from your book and lit a candle on my kitchen counter this morning. You are right - it did wonders to make the icky, cold, blah morning seem very far away. Guess I'm just going to have to add candles to my shopping list as one of those necessary winter items...
Posted by: Annie | March 10, 2011 at 09:03 PM
Found your blog a few days ago and am loving it!!
Have just whipped up 14 oaty cookies from your recipe and within minutes there are only two left (which hubby is picking out despite them saved being for son #2!!)
Ooooh, am busy doing a japanese crocheted flower shawl/blanket too!!
Thanks for inspiration!!
Sarah x
Posted by: Sarah | February 20, 2011 at 08:36 PM
Hello Lucy! You are an inspiration to all of us stay at home moms!!! You really need to try making pumpkin cookies, you would just die over them!!! They are a true delight on wintery days!
I love love love your blog/website and all that you make!!! Have fun with all the Valentiny days to come!
Posted by: Rebecca | February 08, 2011 at 05:23 PM
Hi there,
Really love your creativity, your house-decorating and way of living. Great respect for the blanket... wow!
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Posted by: Yukiko | February 03, 2011 at 07:10 PM
Love the description of your last days. Makes me just a little be envious ;o) Hope your blanket is going well and am looking forward to seeing the finished one.
Posted by: Jacqueline | January 21, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Hi, Lucy..
I from Istanbul İn Turkey. I'm following your blog. You are very creative, recourceful...
I'm knitting bedspread from your models, but I can not merge the motives. Could you send a picture that can show me merging the motives?Thanks. Banu
Posted by: Banu | January 18, 2011 at 02:24 PM
I want to eat those little toes!! I have finally bought myself a hook, some wool (no wonder you salivate when you have to choose some!!) and a book from Amazon which shows left handers how to crochet. So here goes - I read your blog all the time and one day I will turn up at your cafe for a hooky time!!
Posted by: Alchamillamolly | January 16, 2011 at 08:32 PM
Hi Lucy - I made your Oaty biscuits today & put mixed fruit in them. Nom nom nom!
Thanks for such an easy recipe.
xxx
Posted by: Emma Roberts | January 16, 2011 at 06:22 PM
I can relate to both the apron wearing and the cosy indoors/hiding from the outdoors in this post.
And the cosy indoors had me wondering if you and your followers might like to get involved with this ... http://www.flickr.com/groups/1600626@N21/
Posted by: Dee | January 16, 2011 at 02:37 PM
I've had a bumpy few days and checked your blog - thank you for lifting my spirits!
Posted by: Crafty Mermaid | January 15, 2011 at 09:35 PM
Hi Lucy, I loved your new and flowered apron. I'm visiting you because yesterday i remembered you. i was looking through the window of the office where i work (on the second floor) and i saw the rainy (a very big cloud) that was coming by the the horizont and I took a picture with my celular phone. Immediatly I remembered of your attic pictures. :):) The horizonte is wonderful but the rainy time is causing tragedies here in Brasil and we are so sad. Every january is the same thing. kisses for you. i desire a cozy winter. I think the cold time is so good to cooking, crocheting, sewing...but the little people should be impatient stuck indoors, isn't it?
Posted by: maria amélia | January 15, 2011 at 12:19 PM
With the East Anglian winds I think my bunting would have been shredded to oblivion if I hadn't taken it down in the autumn!. As it is I will have to do a lot of trimming of frayed edges. So sad to hear about the childrens' school but I'm happy to hear they are picking up the pieces at last, and you can enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet! love Penny and Higgins x
Posted by: Planet Penny | January 15, 2011 at 08:58 AM
Lovely apron. I think something like that is just what I need for baking days :-)
And I love the little heart you have hanging in your window. May I ask where it came from?
And Oaty cookies - I think I might have to try those -would it be terrible to add chocolate chips do you think?!
Posted by: Katie | January 15, 2011 at 05:40 AM
i just lv you blog, it is so homey.
Posted by: Tink | January 15, 2011 at 05:29 AM
Hi Lucy, Have just discovered your blog via hexagon how to via Fav Crafts.I write from sunny warm Sydney Australia.Your photos out your window took me back 30 yrs when I was living in Lancashire.Those cold dull drizzly days no wonder your crocheting is with bright warm colours.I have precious and special memories of my time in your country.We are having our own heavy rainfall and flooding in variuos parts of the country.the flsh flooding causing fatalities and destruction has been in Queensland.So sad to see loss of life From such disasters.Even with the floods and rain the sun comes out which then makes it hot "muggy".(humid, sticky) just wanted to say keep up the good work it is fun to read your blog
Posted by: Bronwyn | January 15, 2011 at 02:19 AM
I came across your blog when I googled how to join granny squares awhile back and have run into another of different times. You've inspired me (along with a friend of mine's blog) to start my own blog. I just love you's so much! Thanks for all the tutorials and fun ideas!
Hearts from Kansas!
-Tabby P.
Posted by: Tabby P. | January 15, 2011 at 01:18 AM
Thank you Lucy, reading your blog always brighten up my day!
Posted by: Valentina | January 14, 2011 at 07:51 PM
Gorgeous looking apron! And what a lovely way to stay warm - hot oven and freshly bake biscuits always does the trick!
Posted by: Lauren | January 14, 2011 at 09:57 AM
During winter or cold days, it is important to make our homes warm and comfy. I really like the idea of having some scented candles and making some porridge to warm our bodies. Thanks a lot for sharing the cute and lovely photos. I bet you had a great time. More power and keep on posting relevant blogs.
Posted by: International calls from mobile | January 14, 2011 at 07:38 AM
What a good plan . . . refuse to look outside. Keep the inside warm and light and cheerful. Yes, seems entirely do-able!! Thanks for the smile, Lucy : )!!
Posted by: Shelley in SC | January 14, 2011 at 05:07 AM
What a beautiful post! I love your Cath Kidston apron...infuses we can now get her things in the US again-hooray! The cookies look incredible-I am ravenous! I got a huge kick out of milk tankering...that is a term I have never heard before. Too funny! I am so sorry about your school. I hope they will be ablle this beautiful old building back in shape.
Fondly,
Suz from Minnesota
Posted by: Susan Reaney | January 14, 2011 at 03:53 AM
Soooooo, just how many cookies has that Little B had today...mmmmm... boy is he getting big. Is he taking any steps yet?
Totally jealous of that new apron. Must travel to C.K. land soon rather than later. I wonder if I can order online... sure sounds better then going out in this dreadful weather here too. Just going to the market for milk is quite the task this time of year. I just want to light a fire, grab a cuppa and a good old gossip magazine and hid out lately.
Give all the little peeps a big squeeze. Stay in and stay toastie. The garden will still be there in the spring ready for us all to dig right back in.
See ya on the flipside of the weekend,
Kate - The Garden Bell.... aka... Frodo's friend Sam
Posted by: The Garden Bell | January 13, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Happy New Year Lucy! I have been crocheting for a long time, but have been a novice all this time. I only made prayer shawls and afghans which were just one large granny square. Between you and my crochet mentor at church - I have tried my hand at crocheted hats and most recently I made quite a few of the snowflake ornaments and bauble balls. I am almost done with my first actual traditional granny square afghan (for my oldest daughter's new house). Thank you for being an inspiration and your lovely blog! Also thanks for directing us to other fantastic blogs! Take care and keep stitching!
Posted by: Stacey | January 13, 2011 at 10:50 PM
Love your cookies.....I made gingersnaps with bits of crystalized ginger in the recipe to give them an extra punch! Love your blanket and littleB's jammies. Your 2011 is off to a cozy start. I gave you an award the other day, I guess maybe you have already received it?! Enjoy, xoRobin❤
Posted by: Robin | January 13, 2011 at 08:56 PM
Love the aprons, so sweet. I think a steamy window just screams home and a time when all was right with the world. Can't wait for the Ta-dah post.
Posted by: alison | January 13, 2011 at 08:44 PM