Funny isn't it, that even though February is the shortest month of the year, it very much feels like the longest? I try not to struggle with this funny second month, try to remain immune to the sneaky, wintry blues that often descend like a damp cloud. But truthfully, it isn't always doable. Sometimes February days just suck, and that's all there is to it.
My February calendar pages were certainly not gloomy though, they told me to remember the good things about this time of year. The celebration of Love by way of disgraceful quantities of chocolate, and the celebration of Pancake, by way of errm, lots of pancake-eating. Both were good, sweet, edible events in our house this year, enjoyed by all five of us.
This is February Ideal-Home-style, beautiful and inspiring as ever. I love that the February image is content and creative and indoorsy, it does certainly make me want to go away and plan something stitchy. It's been an age since my old Bernina came out to play. Ooooooo, which reminds me, I do need to apply myself to finishing off Connievan's curtains which were started last year and not completed (re-making ten curtains was a far bigger job than I originally thought). Right then, that will be my March challenge, remind me in a week or two will you?
February here in the Attic was beautifully floral, oh I've had such a tremendous amount of pleasure and good value out of February's blooms. I mean, just look at them! True spirit lifters, that's for sure.
My Amaryllis burst into flower in February too, I watched day after day as the green shoots made their usual speedy ascent. This year, for the first time, I placed it on the windowsill behind my desk, so I really was very aware of it's daily progress. It's been lovely watching the first bud unfold......
.....the light shining through the petals has made them almost appear to be glowing. Such beauty and such intense, glorious colour. When I chose the amaryllis (I bought it when I was in Ilkley in January sometime), I really did deliberate over which colour to go for. In fact, at first I picked up one that was the palest pinky white with delicate pink stripes running through the petals. I thought perhaps it would be good to go with something a little different for a change. But I just couldn't bring myself to go through with it in the end. I put the pale pink variety back and predictably plumped for good ol' Amaryllis Red Lion, always guaranteed to pack a punch with the colour. Pale pink? Whatever was I thinking?!!
The focus of February has been very much on indoors, keeping warm and occupying our time with cosy, feel-good pursuits. Baking, crocheting and fireside pleasure. Early nights tucked up in bed, good, wholesome home cooked food. Keeping the Little People happy indoors whilst allowing time for my own creativity. When I look at these pictures I think cor! What a lovely, happy, homely, cosy, warm month February was! Yet I recall that there was often an underlying feeling of discontent. Bad weather. Restlessness. Gloom. Germs. I guess that if you jumble up all the good things with the not-so-good things, then overall the month evened itself out. It was just right. It was a slow, winter month spent doing indoorsy, winter things.
Some good things certainly came my way last month though, and the above is one of them. I was incredibly chuffed to pick up a copy of Inside Crochet magazine (the March issue) to see the results of the Blog Awards in print. Such lovely words were written, so complimentary and flattering. I slurped my latte as I read (I was in a cafe with Heather at the time) and felt like my cheeks had gone pink and my insides had gone all tickly. Thank you SO MUCH, all of you lovely people who took the trouble to vote for me back in November. You really made me feel super-duper, if a little flushed and tickled.
Do you recognise the photo above? Know where it is?
It's the little village of Craster in Northumberland where we've had numerous summer holidays staying in the white house at the very end of the row. We were last there in August 2009 when I was carrying Little B around inside my rather large, round bumpy tummy. Last week, I booked the same cottage for us to re-visit for a holiday this summer, and I am soooooooooooooooooo happy about that fact! As soon as I had made the booking and paid the deposit, I went straight into my photo archives and pulled out this image to make a print. It's sitting on my desk like a postcard from the past, reminding me that in less than six months time we will be back there again. I think planning and booking a summer holiday in February is ace, I can highly recommend it.
Weather wise, February here in Atticland has been pretty dire on the whole. It's mostly been a month of wet grey yuckiness. Of course, there have been some good weather bits here and there. The snow was good fun. And the odd bit of sun and blue sky that peeked through the gloom was incredible and very memorable.
My February attic views are mainly shades of grey..........
Oh! Not so grey! That last picture above was 24th February, a time when the sky finally cleared after the rain and for a wee while there was some colour back in the landscape. I'm hoping March is going to be very much more along these lines, I've SO had enough of the wet grey stuff. So over it. Need Spring to come now. Anytime as from tomorrow would be good.
So that sums up February 2012. Not really so bad after all. In fact, it looks pretty good I'd say.
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