January 2012

So we are now one month into the New Year, I wonder how it's been for you all? I hope you've all had a bright and happy start to 2012 and that you've managed to keep those sneaky January Blaaaaahs at bay. I've had a pretty fabulous start to the year, lots of creativity here as you know which has been a lovely way to launch into 2012. You can't beat a good dose of happy colour and creativity to keep the spirits up.

I'm going to be continuing my tradition of monthly Calendar Appreciation throughout this year, I can hardly believe this will be my fifth year of doing this funny little thing. Wow, how time flies.

I've got the ever wonderful Ideal Homes  calendar on the wall next to my desk here.....

....and a rather scrumptious new Planner type calendar in the hall to keep me on track with family life.

The Ideal Homes calendar does not disappoint, not ever. I love love love it. I stopped buying the magazine a while ago as it no longer appealed (some very iffy interiors with waaaaay too much funky wallpaper and horrendous colour choices for me to stomach). But the free calendar which appears with each December issue remains a true gem. Twelve incredibly beautiful, seasonal photographs which I truly look forward to gazing at every month.

My family planner calendar was  a last minute buy when I suddenly realised after Christmas that I needed one and didn't have one. I really love it actually, but it does make me feel peckish for cakes every time I look at it. I could just do with a cupcake or two right now, mmmmmm.

Isn't January always a super-long month? It seems to me that it contains maybe eight weeks instead of four. I can hardly believe that the beginning of January still contained the tail-end of Christmas, it seems soooo far behind us now.

We haven't had many crisp, bright winter mornings here as it's mostly been a very wet, grey sort of a month with low light levels. But there were a few times when we did get some beautiful skies in January. Oh and I did appreciate them!

And throughout the past month I've certainly noticed (with a glad heart-skip) that our days are slowly but steadily lengthening again. We are still eating our breakfast with the curtains closed, but the evening is arriving almost an hour later than it did in December. I live in a very housey neighbourhood with only small glimpses of the sky (excepting the attic view of course) but I do really  love to star and moon gaze up through the chimney pots and rooftops.

My usual healthyish diet went completely to pot over the Christmas period and continued to be rich, extravagant and naughty well into January. I kept trying to curb my sweet tooth, but my sugar cravings have been extraordinary. I'm looking now at those two mugs of deliciously topped hot chocolate (a New Years Day treat for Little Lady and myself) and I honestly feel like I want to eat my computer....ahhh fond memories.

I love baking in the winter months, and my January photo folder is full of the evidence. Scrummy pictures of jam laden victoria sponge, all-butter shortbread and moist banana bread have been sending me into a spin of craving. I'm pretty much back on track with myself now though, back to snacking on fresh fruit with just a weeny daily quota of sweet stuff.

That's altogether how January has felt really....an effort to get oneself Back On Track. Back to routine, back to the daily business of ticking over. I found it quite a struggle when the Little People went back to school after Christmas, they are especially excellent at keeping their Little Brother happy and we both felt a bit adrift when it was just down to the two of us again. But it didn't take long and we soon got back into enjoying the gentle rhythm of our days together.

I've been managing to maintain my enthusiasm for Keeping House so far this year, and am still diligently carrying out my daily swishing and swiping, laundry duties and hot-spot control. My weekly Home Blessing hour is still going strong too, and I've come to look forward to my Friday mornings, more than I ever thought possible. I carried out a little bit of extra decluttering and tidying around my desk area too in January (including the windowsill above, which is directly behind my desk), and I felt so great when I'd done it. I really MUST apply myself wholeheartedly to the Shelves of Doom next as they are beginning to cause arguments. Stuff keeps getting eaten by them, which makes J Very Cross Indeed, cos getting the shelves to spit stuff back out again is not easy. Near impossible actually.

Anywaaayyyyyyyyyyy.....lets not get bogged down with Bad Home Vibes. I want to show you some freezing cold January pictures now. Icy cold, brrrrrrrrrrrr. We've had low, low temperatures here of late. No snow yet this year, but quite a bit of frost and ice.

These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago in mid January, and it's the same scene at the moment too. The canal is frozen over and the poor ducks and swans are slip sliding across the ice.

There are still a fair few canal boats coming and going when the ice thaws and they can travel the waterways. It always looks so cozy when you see a boat with a steady plume of wood smoke rising from the chimney. That smell of icy air and woodsmoke will forever remind me of this town in wintertime, I've come to love it very much. It smells like Home.

And the Attic view in January? Some incredible golden-pink morning light.....

.....and some welcome low afternoon sunshine.

Oh, and lots of white frosty stuff too. Mind you, for many days in January there has been no view to speak of as the hill has been completely obscured. It really has mostly been a month of damp, wet and grey.

My January mosaic isn't damp and grey though, it seems I've been subconsciously combatting the weather with lots of colour, warmth and coziness inside.

Fresh flowers, green shoots, colourful yarn, delicious baking, snuggly socks, roaring flames, cozy blankets, sweet creativity. January goodness.

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Comments

[Stitch this]

Thinking ahead to spring(yes!) here's ablog you might like http://cornbreadandbeansquilting.wordpress.com/category/vintage-shasta/

I found it a while ago - she has a whole section devoted to her caravan....enjoy!!

[sue]

ooh just look at that cake!

[Michelle]

O always love taking in the view from your attic - no matter what time of day or month of the year it is.
As always you are inspiring.
Love this months collection of photos and I always love your crochet.
Rug up and stay warm, very different from my weather - it is summer here.
Take care.

[Nanita]

Ahh Lucy, you live in the cosiest little town! I love the views from your attic, your street, the canal ♥ This January post has warmed me up, it is sooo cold over here, I actually wished I could reach into the picture of the hot chocolate, mmmmm :D xxxx

[Sam]

Lucy, truly gorgeous pictures and the hot chocolate looks yummy. Hope you don't mind but I've nominated you for the versatile blogger award. Sam xx

[lori]

how utterly charming. i loved this post from the first photo to the last. i wish i could find one of those calenders too. and i love your little tree by the window. i need to go look through your photos again. thank you for sharing dear.
xox

[Shannon]

I know that Real Life must happen at the Attic as well, but your pictures and projects always look so dreamy - they make me wistful. Thank you for inspiring happy thoughts.

[steph]

another incredibly happy post!!! your colors always make me smile!

[Anuja]

I love the January mosaic! Gorgeous! I hope that you are feeling way better. I'm sending you warm, snuggly get well soon hugs!

[The Vintage Folk Painter]

Hi Lucy,

Well, good for you, beating the January blues with splashes of colour. Well done! Should be more of it I say.,

I liked this comment you made - 'I do really love to star and moon gaze up through the chimney pots and rooftops.'
It made me think of Mary Poppins. I can just see Dick Van Dyke in his chimney sweep clothes, dancing on the rooftops.....

aaahhh,,, memories.

Thanks for sharing your colour.

cheers
Fi

[Susan]

Hi!

That Hot Chocolate made me want to fix some... I make Mexican Hot Chocolate. You make the mix yourself, keep it in a jar... And fix it anytime!

~ Susan

[Donna]

Just beautiful. Your post gives me such a warm feeling. I have said it before and I will say it again. Your world is so colorful. I want one.

[Erin]

Hi Lucy! I've been reading your blog for the past few months after stumbling upon it while trying to teach myself to crochet! I must say, I hit the jackpot because not only are your crochet patterns/tutorials great, I also love your writing! I read your linked posts about balance and gratitude and I wanted to recommend the book "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp to you! It's such a wonderful book and I think you would enjoy her style of writing! You can find it on Amazon. Anyway, thanks for the glimpse into your corner of the world! The view out my window is quite different here in Fort Worth, TX, but yet I feel much is the very much the same.

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy at last the mornings are lighter, and we are now in February
and closer to half term! Very cold here with a colder weekend to come.
So stay in keep warm, do a bit of crafty stuff,bake a cake and read some lovely blogs. Have a good weekend. xx

[Colleen]

Oh my goodness those hot chocolates look soooooo good,,,,,can you just pop over to Australia and whip me up some they look just divine lol

[Trudy McLauchlan]

Really enjoy reading your monthly re-caps, Lucy. Await the unveiling of the Shelves of Doom!!! I think we can all relate to pockets of our homes being just like that :)

[nagasri]

Hello Lucy

Thanks to you I've become a fluttering Flybaby. Your 'Shelves of Doom' lear over you!!!! remember you can 'do! anything for 15 mins.!' Maybe think of half a shelf at a time? xxxx

[Rose]

What amazing light you get in winter! I realise there isn't a lot of it but the angle and the subsequent colours are amazing.

I'm sure you've seen it already but I saw "One Man and a Campervan" for the first time last night and thought it would be right up your alley.

[Victoria Brewer]

So glad to hear you're better, Lucy. Hope you can carve out some much-needed down time. I think it goes a long way in healing and helping our ole bodies, bones, and minds. Don't fret those shelves of doom. My momma always said, your babies will always remember the time you spent with them and how you made them feel, not how the house looked... and yours is always happy and colourful anywho! Thanks for always sharing and being a bright spot.

[Lisa Male]

Hi Lucy,
We now have a bouncing bonny 8-month old boy as well as our own nearly-6 year old Little Lady, and I too feel like January has been spent recovering from Christmas! How fab to read your summary and be able to reflect on the similarities in my own life - family comings and goings, baking, knitting (I will get hooky one day soon though!) and the enigmatic weather! It has helped me to mark out the time, and hopefully will help me give a kick-start to February.
'Shelves of Doom' made me laugh - we have some of those too :oD

[Gillian]

Such a bright and cheerful post, thank you.

[Cathu]

Thank you for sharing your honesty & beautiful crochet rainbows :-D I'm off to figure out where I can squeeze in a regular Home Blessing too... :-)

[sue]

Lovely post Lucy, looks like you've got the tone for January just right, plenty of comfort and colour! Happy February!

[Jennie]

You've definitely made the January days happy and bright!
I have a coffee pot of the most brightly, gem-colored flowers on my coffee table and they make my day and remind me of you and your colorful world!

[Ellie]

Your town looks lovely Lucy. I've always had a bit of a canal boat thing. How nice to be able to wander along the tow path.
Stunning photos!
Ellie
x