Perfect weekend

Every thing in the garden is rosy, including this beautiful looking one, this weekend is all about rest, relax and enjoying time out side. Last night we had a BBQ with friends, and was out side until after 11pm, it was nice to catch up with everyone. 

Even the starlings have stopped fighting over their food, and are resting. 

 Yesterday hubby got another bike, it took him a while to decide, but I am so pleased he got this one, we have been out this morning, popping to a couple of biker spots, on a sunny day there is no where better than on the back of a bike.

 I have started a quickie, but have not had any sewing time in the past two days, I choose the red door, but I am doing all the flowers first, I should have it finished in a couple of days, it's for a card.

 It is so hot outside, our cats are both inside, hubby is asleep in his chair, we will pop outside in an hour, once it is cooling down, time for me to catch up with every one.

My two pieces of work from "Happy Feet", have both been claimed, the lady from Beauty Bonnet, sorry I am not sure of your name, please e-mail me on marlenejjones@gmail.com, with you address, and I will post both off. Paula sorry for the delay, but it will be posted to you this week.

Nothing planned for the rest of today, and with just one week before I start my new job, I have loads of things to do next week.

I hope you have sunshine, fun and family where ever you are.

Roar

I have been stitching another Tiger rug, just because I love this design, only have one back leg to go. 

I am still so frustrated with Winter Watergarden, I really do not like stitching 1 over 2 on linen, but I am not going to let it beat me.  

I normally change the fabric from linen, but because there are beads, I followed instructions from the designer. 

 I want to do another quickie, I have a friend moving in a few weeks, all I have to do is decide which door to stitch for her card, at the moment I am looking at the red door,

 The plants in my green houses are doing well, our summer this week is hazy days, with not to much sun shine, it is warm, but still feels cool at night, at least it is not raining.

 Above green peppers forming, and below the first of my tomato's, Sammy wanted to eat it, but he is waiting for it to go red. My herb garden is giving me loads, and making our cooking taste so much better.
All the ripe strawberries have gone again, I don't have to worry about the birds, grandsons raid every time they visit.

 On Tuesday I had Sammy for the day, he walks around always with his hands in his pockets, and he loves his Grancha, they spent loads of time in their garage. Since his hair cut, he looks so grown up, he is going to be a tall lad.

 Every where he goes he has cars, loads of cars, later when Josh came home from school we played football, both boys walked to the local shops and had a new football each, my poor garden!

 Purdy is on patrol, she loves to sit inside watching the garden, she does not go to far in the day time, so this is her patch, the birds are too quick for her, later she will sleep in a warm spot out side.

I am watching tennis from Wimbledon, it is great to have time, another fantastic day yesterday, so much excitement in just 3 days, the TV is on all afternoon and evening.

Garden in June

This is Lotus berthelotii, which I planted in front of my Jasmin, in the pot on my decking. The first flowers are forming and they are rather pretty, the petal colours are stunning against the foliage. 

 This morning we built the second of my lean to green houses, the dull one on the left is two years old, we could not move the big tomato planter, so once we had built the greenhouse we had to place it and then add the back. You should put these against a wall, but here by the fence is a very sunny spot, so we have added a perplex back. I am so please the plastic ones have gone the windy weather breaks them so quickly.

 This view was taken earlier in the week, today had been blowy and dull, I am very pleased with our garden, Josh and Sam visited yesterday and picked and ate all the very small strawberries, they promised to come back once more were ripe. Both my fruits and herbs are doing well, it is great to eat some thing you have grown.

 Kev decided to clear the garage, a big job, he has ditched one cupboard and sorted loads of stuff we no longer use, he is now on freecycle, a local web site where we offer these things for free and the person who wants them, just pops to ours and collects. It is the most fantastic site. He is clearing a space, we have purchased another motor bike, we pick it up on Saturday.

 I do not have any sewing to show you, I pulled out Winter Watergarden, I am having a nightmare with the next stage, which are bare trees, so I tried counting to a further stage, but I was one stitch out and still it did not work, so loads of unpicking, I am going to have to work on this stage, it is so frustrating!!

Friday I was offered a job, which I have taken, I am popping in tomorrow to deal with the paperwork, and should start on 8th July, which gives me two Wimbledon weeks off.

Regarding my last post, Paula has asked for Sweet Flowers, I will pop in into the post for you Paula, I have your address, unless you have moved. I still have Romantic sampler if any one wants it.

Happy Feet

I have finished both rugs, which I will send off, they should appear on this web site,  pop there if you like dolls house miniatures, Laura had nice items at a good price. I have already started another small project. 

 Dream Sampler is off the frame, I have finished the centre panel, yet again I used my own placement of colour's. I have just two birds to stitch, but I need to mirror image the design so I get it in the correct place.

 This is heading for our bedroom wall, 

most of the colours are in our curtains, so it will fit in well. 

 My big projects I always place on the floor to take photo's, and every time Purdy has to inspect what I am doing, today is dry so she got closer than normal.

 Give away; Sweet Flowers, 

I stitched this last year and it has been in my work box ever since, I really loved stitching it, the design was very different for me, the stitched area is 14" x 9", the whole fabric size is 19" x 17", colours used are grey, green and shades of pink.

 Give away; Romantic Sampler, 

I stitched this two years ago, and it has been in my work box ever since, I really loved stitching it, the design was very different for me, the stitched area is 8" x 8", the whole fabric size is 17" x 15", colours used are pale mustard, shades of pink and purples, this is stitched and a natural colour fabric..

If you would like either of these, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post, remembering to state which one you would like, I am happy to send to any where, but you will have to make it into a finished item. I will be very happy to see them being used and loved.

It was very rewarding to go to our local hospital on Monday and it not be about me, my friend has to wait for her scan results, so soon another visit for support.
My job interview is put off until next week, the lady I am to meet is unwell, but I do have another interview on Friday. I have to go to our local job centre today to sign on, it's an awful place,  our government decided they would not offer me any help, hubby has a good job and our income is just above the threshold, but I have to have signed papers from them to get our mortgage paid, I'm not sure if it is the building or the staff.

I have been home most of this week, the house is very clean and the garden looks good, I have purchased another lean to green house, I now have two, we just have to put it together, it's just like Meccano.
This weekend I am on cat duty, our daughter is off camping, so for two days I will pop in and feed and play with them, hope to see Josh and Sam at some time as well.

Garden post

I have spent the weekend outside, the garden has called to me. I have potted loads of seedlings, and dug up a couple of plants which don't look so well, I have put them into the green house to bring them back to replant later in the month. Every thing else in the garden is doing well.

I am liking the fresh cut herbs we are using. 

 The greenhouse is looking good, my tomato has loads of flowers on, these are small fruit, and the aubergine is very healthy. Below my peppers and cucumber are also growing well, the lemon grass is very slow growing. I have a couple more tomato's with basil planted in my smaller greenhouse.

 The rose cutting I planted in a potato did not work, 

but I should get a crop of potato's soon!

 I was sent a design from Sally  she was having a sort out, this is so me, I love hearts and Sally sent the small packet of beads as well, it will have to waiting in the wings for a while, but it is so pretty, can't wait to have another heart for my collection. Pop over and see Sally's blog, it's so very interesting, thanks Sally I love the pattern.

 Today,  it is Fathers day, hubby has not had the best of days, putting new taps in the upstairs basin, which did not go to plan, then his computer is playing him up, but I made him the dessert below, he loves white and very dark chocolate, I drizzled the white then the dark over a balloon, once dry the balloon was popped and I then filled it with his favourite, cherries. I don't like white chocolate or cherries so it's all for him.

I have almost finished Sweet Dreams, should get it done tonight. I have not done any more to the Tiger, but I will finish it tomorrow evening. Busy day tomorrow, I am at our local hospital to support a friend, so nothing else planned.

I am sorting out a couple of finished pieces, which sit in my work box, I will not use them so next time I will show them and any one who wants one can have it. It would be nice to see them used.

Cats big and small

 I am almost finished the tiger rug, it's is really quick to stitch, and being home in the day gives me extra time. I hope to have them ready to send to Laura by Monday. I also want to finish Sweet dreams this weekend, I have ignored it to stitch these. I do enjoy a quickie, change of colours and size.

 Not the best photo, this was taken on my phone camera, Sammy has had his curls cut off, his hair is not straight, but he does have curls across the top of his head. He was very happy to look like Josh, here he is making a monster for us.

 We have had a week of rain and yesterday high winds, so Grace is in her basket, she now is sleeping in the smaller basket, which poor larger Purdy has been in. Last night on TV, BBC had an Horizon programme  following 50 cats in a village tracking them and some had camera's on, Grace slept all through, but Purdy got upset, I'm sure she thought we had a different cat in the house.

 More flowers, these are very pretty, my last bunch I gave to Fliss, I had them just as we were going away, but these are cheering up my sitting room.

Not done any thing in the garden, I blame my hubby for the rain, he treated the lawn and wanted so rain to save him from watering every night, and because it was dry enough yesterday morning for him to play golf, I do believe he has been controlling all our weather.

I have enjoyed stitching time, and the house is sparkling clean, yesterday I had lunch out with a friend, plus a bit of shopping, just looking rather than any purchases. I spend Wednesday with Fliss and Sam, we picked Josh up from school and then home for cake.
Today I am at home I am going to make a present for Kev for fathers day, not a cake this year, photo's on Monday.
Tomorrow we hope to see all our family, afternoon at home, should be fun and nothing planned for the rest of the weekend.

Next week I have two interviews for local jobs, fingers crossed.

Have fun what ever you are doing

In the garden

This little rug should be finished later today, 

I want to then stitch a tiger skin, both very pretty in their own ways. 

 I am on starling watch, all the young are out of the nest, whilst they are young, they look light brown, rather than the shiny black of adults. they are not scared and I can get real close to them, they are eating  the bird cakes as quick as we put them out. Whilst the sun shines, they fly off from the garden over our house, but yesterday I had 8 hit the glass doors, 4 of them stunned them selves, so I had to sit near to them to keep the cats away.

 I have moved this log burner, we have not used it for logs for years, we have a metal one which is much better. I have removed the lights and twigs inside and have planted a Hosta, it looks a bit sick at the mo, on top I have a large dish with water in. The birds loved the water bath. This spot is always in the shade of the tree, perfect for the Hosta.

 My first yellow rose of the season, I love yellow and white flowers, we now have a few rose bushes. The garden is looking great, today it is raining so saves me the job of watering later.

Not much planned today, I have a job interview later, it's a bit further to travel, but sounds a good job, so once again fingers crossed.
I hope to spend the day with Fliss and Sam tomorrow, Sam has had all his curls cut off, I will get some photo's taken, and later we can collect Josh from school.

A quickie

I am stitching another rug for dolls house's, it is a passion of mine, I do love these little complete pieces of work. This is the 4th time I have stitched this, but it is not for me, a dear blog friend has a new site  which she is building and has agreed for a couple of my things to go on sale. 

 Not the best shot but a close up, I have about a weeks work to do, then I will stitch another tiger skin, another love of mine. Hope to finish Dream sampler later this week.

 My herb garden is looking good, I have salad leaves in the front and more small salad items under the cover, it is next to our seating area and smells divine. We hope to have a BBQ tonight so I will be picking more.

 This view greets me outside my back door, I keep the Salvia here, they are very thirsty plants and I can always give them an extra jug of water, plus the red and blue always looks stunning. The other two pots are slower to flower, but every thing is late this year.

 I planted my Jasmin and placed it in the corner of the decking on the other side of the seating area, it has already grown a few inches, I hope to have it to the top of the fence and filling this corner, the plant sharing the pot is very healthy as well.

I owe a big thanks to Daughter Su, who cares for my greenhouse and garden when we are away, but I am returning the favour today will time working in their garden.

PS, the roses planted in the potatoes are still hanging on, and the lemon grass in water has shoots and a few roots.

Sea, sand or countryside

We tried both on our time away

 This is the view from our bedroom balcony, looking over the pier and Little Orm and towards the huge beach, at llandudno We stayed at The Grand, clean but not so grand any more, but we had the best location, overlooking every thing. The town is thriving loads of shops and every thing very clean, a resort for family's and not hen/stag parties.

 4am sunrise, it was just perfect, no reason for the time we just woke up and snapped what we saw.

 Great Orm

 We took the cable car up and the tram down, the views were stunning, I have found it very hard just to pick these few photo's. It was breezy on top but worth the visit, you are able to drive up, but the views from the cable car made the ride worth while.

 The cable car went on forever, and I hate heights, 

but there was no way I was going to miss these views. 

 Branston Hall, near Lincoln, 

we were here to rest for two days, the welcome was great.

 The grounds are huge, some are cultured and loads left to nature, 

with neat walking paths. 

 Yet again very hard to pick just a few photo's

 The hotel was very restful, we used the spa and spent loads of time in the lounge, just relaxing, I did manage to do a bit of stitching, show you next time. Dinner was one of the best meals I have had in ages.

 By the way, I love tree's and this view of the lake is perfect

The weather was perfect for us, we have relaxed and had fun, and I took loads of photo's using my new camera.

In this case the country side won out, every thing here was perfect, reminded me of the village I grew up in.
Oh well back to the real world.

Only put on a pound so not to bad, now back to the job search and laundry.