Easy Like Sunday Morning!!!

It's a lovely morning here in Tea Towel land. Blue sky, fluffy white clouds and a lovely breeze keeping things cool for now....perfect.
I don't think we are going to be up to much today. DD is at work later until 3pm so we will have a later lunch. I must admit that I do prefer a later lunch but hubby is very old fashioned and likes his between 12 and 1pm. As you can imagine...he is not happy today....lol.

We'll have coffee and read the papers when he gets back from town with them and then I'll prep the veg. Once that is done I'll do a bit more to my dress. the neckband is done so just the armholes and hem to do now. Not looking forward to the hem as it is a very flared dress so the hem is a long way round and has to be done by hand.....oh joy!!!

We had a quick visit from the London grandparents yesterday as we had to pass over the key for DS's house to them. It was so lovely to catch up for an hour or so. Pocket money for Ruby was handed over too as she is going back to London with them for the week. I will really miss her on Wednesday.

So sorry about the Bank Holiday mistake yesterday. When I looked at the calendar I didn't see the tiny little 's' in brackets. It might be time for me to be looking for a calendar in large print....lol.

Well I hope you are having a lovely weekend whether you are at home or out and about.
Sheila-x-

A Very Fruitful Shopping Trip!!!

Can you see my new tablecloth? Isn't it just adorable?
I have to say though that they (The Range) didn't have a lot of choice and of what they did have there was very little left on the rolls. I hope they are not stopping doing it as two metres cost me £7 and it's that for one metre on Derby market.
The diner style napkin dispenser is something I have wanted for ages and they had this with the barbecue accessories for £3.99 including the napkins plus packs of a hundred napkins for £1. Very chuffed to have found that.
On to Morrison's....bargain veg for Sunday dinner from the clearance section, chilli cheese sauce in a bottle which I have been looking everywhere for and a smoky barbecue sauce that tastes just like the one they use in Frankie and Benny's.
I was one very happy shopper last night and it made a lovely change from going to T***o as I usually do.

It's a lovely day today.....sunny and breezy. DD is at work and hubby is replacing the felt on his shed roof. I'm pottering about inside doing laundry and preparing things for tea as I am cooking two meals tonight......steak and chips for hubby and sausage meatball pasta for DD and I.

Stayed up until 2am to finish Season 3 of 24. It just gets better and better.

Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend.....I forgot about it being a bank holiday.
ETA......I am such a plank.....it is Bank Holiday in Scotland.
Sheila-x-

Paying Out!!!

It's been a bit of an expensive week here at Tea Towel Mansion what with one thing or another.
Smudge has to have his drops and cream now for life to help with his eye problems. His cream costs £77 per tiny little tube and his drops £20 per bottle. The vet suggested we search online for the best price we could get and he would write a repeat prescription for us to order them. He charged an eyewatering £25 for the prescription but the cream was ordered for just over £25 and the drops were £9.99 so a pretty good saving.
Yesterday DD went out early morning for work to find she had a flat tyre and had to go to work in hubby's van while he took her car off to be seen to. That resulted in two new front tyres £140.
........and this morning the shower has been replaced in the bathroom to the tune of £280.
Luckily we don't have many weeks like it.

Tonight I will be going into the big town as I need to go to The Range to buy a replacement tablecloth. I have the heavy duty wipeable cloths and Miss Doodle has picked a hole in my current one. It's not expensive from The Range and they have some beautiful designs. I just hope they have one I like as I spend a lot of time sitting at the dining table either on the computer, crafting or sewing.
I'll also call in to Morrison's to do my top up shop to save having to make another trip to Tesco.

Not sure what we have going on this weekend. Hubby is now on annual leave and it will depend on what he wants to do.

Hope you all have a fab weekend.
Sheila-x-

......And Off She Goes!!!

I've just waved Ruby off after a lovely sleepover night. We had a fabulous meal out followed by a trip to the cinema. We got in just after 10pm, she was absolutely shattered and was asleep within half an hour.
This morning she wanted to do spelling tests and then we took Smudge for a walk. It was lovely just walking and chatting in a very gentle rain.
Now she is off for more adventures with visitors coming up from London tomorrow and then her personal shopping trip on Saturday. While she and Mummy are off doing that London Grandma and Grandad will arrive ready to take her back with them for a week.
She has a way more busy social life than the rest of us....lol.

Have to say that although Ruby enjoyed The BFG, DD and I found it rather disappointing. I love David Jason doing the voice in the cartoon version and couldn't take to Mark Rylance's voice at all.

I haven't the faintest idea yet what we are having for tea. There is some fish in the freezer which I can do for hubby but I'll wait and see what DD fancies when she comes in......egg and bacon sounds pretty good to me so I hope she'll agree.

Well I think I may have a quick Nanna nap as I didn't sleep awfully well last night. Ruby wanted to sleep on the sofa so we did and I was just too warm to be comfortable. She doesn't like the noise the fan makes so it had to stay off.

Thanks for visiting today.
Sheila-x-

 

 

Whirling Dervish!!!

If I'd have gone any faster yesterday getting on with jobs I think I would have met myself coming back. I did cause myself some pain trying to sew up a small area of the sofa that had split open but soon gave up that idea and superglued it instead. It worked but I don't know how long it will last for.
Despite having hoovered through yesterday I have to do it again today........that dog and his ruddy carrots....lol.

The man came to have a look at our shower last night and we have decided to go with a replacement rather than a repair so he will be coming to do that on Friday morning. We'll be able to have cool showers again....yay!!!

The first day of summer holidays for Ruby and it has rained. I hope it hasn't ruined the day out Mummy had planned for her. She'll be shattered by bedtime tonight what with being out all day and then a late-ish night going out for tea and to the cinema.

Mmmm......I've sat here long enough over breakfast so I might as well have my coffee early this morning before I start on my Wednesday fridge clean so I can make a shopping list.

Thanks for visiting today.
Sheila-x-

 

Lovely Morning!!!

A tiny little village school, sunshine, gentle breeze and the sound of fifty or so kids having the best fun at their sports day. What an absolutely brilliant morning we had yesterday.
Ruby was a little star and came first in the egg and spoon race and third in the obstacle race. She was over the moon with her little stickers on her t shirt and I am guessing Mummy will have a job convincing her to take them off the shirt when it goes in the wash.
Her last day in Year 1 today. She is growing up too quickly for me.
Tomorrow she will be coming for a sleepover and as an end of school treat we are surprising her with tea out and a trip to the cinema to see The BFG. We have all wanted to see it since we saw the first clip of it so it will be a fab night.

For today....just the usual boring old jobs around the house. I want to clean and polish the two leather sofas, sort out the cupboard where we keep the sauces and pickles and then wash a blanket that I keep folded on the bottom of the bed to keep my feet warm. Even in the heat we have had I still suffer with cold feet.
Once those jobs are done I should have time to finish off my dress as there isn't much to do now. I just need to sew on the neck and armhole bindings and hem it.

Hubby is over whatever he went down with yesterday. He's ready for his fortnight of annual leave........I'm not sure I am.....lol. Two weeks of him under my feet and then he goes back to work and DD will be off for a week. I have jobs planned for both of them. Nothing major but things I can't tackle by myself such as moving some furniture around and cleaning the one side of the dining room windows that I can't get at as it involves climbing over a wall into a very small space.

It's nice and cool and breezy here this morning so I should be able to get on without feeling like I am going to pass out. We've still got the black clouds but they are not giving us much in the way of rain.

Right....on with the day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-





 

Sports Day!!!

I'm off to watch Little Miss Doodle in her sports day this morning. It's late this year. She breaks up for Summer holidays tomorrow.
The first day of her holiday is Ganma club and an added bonus of a sleepover.....hopefully the first of many in the next few weeks.

I actually made a start on my dress yesterday. It's not perfect as I think maybe the fabric design wasn't quite right for the pattern I have used. Never mind....it's only for wearing around the house anyway.

Hubby has been up and down all night with a bad stomach so he is still in bed. I've just taken him a cup of tea up and he seems OK....just tired now.

DDIL and Marlowe have just arrived so that she can have her breakfast before we set off. I'm hoping to sneak in a cuddle before we go as she is very smiley this morning.

I'll have to catch up with everybody when I get back so bye for now.
Sheila-x-

Make Your Mind Up!!!

Looks like the weather can't decide what to do today. It's warm and the light is very bright but we have a lot of black clouds rolling over. I don't mind if it rains today.

The garden is looking a lot smarter. DD did a fantastic job yesterday. The buddleia is gone, the old peony is gone and the rose has been deadheaded and all the mad growth on it has been tied on to the old apricot tree. The red valerian which I love has had to come out of the small border as it had smothered other plants we had in there so we need to find some replacement plants now to fill in some gaps.

It couldn't have chosen a worse time to play silly beggars but our shower has just about had it. It's just about usable for now but we have had to call someone to come and look at it to either repair it or replace it. I think something has broken inside that makes the control knobs work as we can't switch it on and off inside the shower cubicle and we can't control the water temperature either so no cool showers at the moment.

Time for coffee and papers and then I'll go and prep the salad for lunch. I'll just set it all out on the worktop and we can just help ourselves when we're ready to eat....my kind of lunch.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Good Morning!!!

I had such a good night's sleep last night and I have woken up full of beans and raring to go....not bad for an oldish lady....lol.
DD is up and already out in the garden attacking the buddleia. Hubby is in the big town as he had an opticians appointment so I have to wait for him to get back before I can find my tarpaulin for doing my paint stripping although I may leave it until later in the day as the sun is on the back yard at the minute and it's flippin' hot out there.

No major cooking this weekend. I managed to convince hubby that he really did want cold meat and salad for his Sunday lunch this week. I threw in the promise of new potatoes with butter and parsley and that sealed the deal.
Tonight I just have to griddle the burgers I made yesterday and microwave some corn on the cob. If hubby asks I will make some sweet potato wedges but I'm not offering....wink, wink....lol.

I'd love to be by the sea this weekend but I don't fancy a two hour plus journey to get there in this heat. We'll see what the weather is like when hubby is on annual leave in a week or so.

Hope you all have a abulous weekend.....whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

What A Nightmare!!!

One of the medications I take has a side effect of giving me nightmares......not all the time but often enough.......and that coupled with a very tense ending to season two of 24 gave me an absolute horror last night. So....not a very restful night at all. I've woken with a blinding headache and nausea but I will just have to work through it as I have a few jobs to do today.

First on the list is cleaning the lounge ready for the weekend and then I am going to make the pork burgers for our tea tomorrow. I like them to sit in the fridge for the flavours to develop rather than cooking them straight away. There's a bit of laundry to do and a couple of things to iron. 

DD and I are having beans on toast for our tea tonight but hubby wants jacket potatoes when he comes in just after seven....bloody nuisance....he always wants something different to everybody else....lol.

I'm hoping DD will get out in the garden for me this weekend. Everything is looking very sad. The buddleia has gone mental and is now about eight feet tall, The roses want deadheading, there is other stuff that wants cutting back and things that want pulling out and relocating so she has her work cut out for her.
I'll be paint stripping. Don't know what hubby has planned but it will probably have a lot to do with the sofa and the tv remote...lol.

Well I'll go and crack on with the half done lounge and all the other jobs and then I might get an hour to myself before DD comes in.

Weather report is good for the weekend so I hope you all have a fabulous couple of days.
Sheila-x-


 

Bliss!!!

It's a little cooler today thank goodness. Yesterday the heat was blistering.....so hot that the dress fabric that I washed by hand and pegged out on the line dripping wet was dry within fifteen minutes.
There was a shower of rain for about two minutes and that was our lot.

Today I am debating about cutting out my dress. On the one hand I would love to get it done but on the other hand I have to pattern match which I have never done before and I am so scared of ruining it as the fabric cost me £20. I know that isn't a lot in the great scheme of things but it is to me and besides which I really, really love it. I might see if I can find some tutorials on good old You Tube first.

Had a lovely couple of hours with Ruby yesterday. The first thing she always does when she gets in is off with the school uniform and into one of my t shirts. She has always done that but yesterday I was shocked to realise that where once my t shirts came down to her ankles they are now up to her knees. When did that happen?
She is so excited at the moment. One of DDIL's friends has asked Ruby to be a flower girl at her wedding in August and she is going to Manchester on a very posh shopping trip with a personal shopper to choose her dress. How exciting for a little girl who never thought she would get to be a bridesmaid. I am thrilled for her.

This lucky Momma has been invited out for tea tonight by DD so no cooking for me......yay. We don't want to go far so it will probably be Frankie and Benny's in the little town. It's one of my most favourite places. I love the atmosphere in there and the music......even though it's embarrassing knowing all the words to the 50's and 60's songs.....lol.

I think I'll just have a quiet pottering round session today as there isn't much really needs doing. I'll be doing a clean up tomorrow ready for the weekend so I just need to throw the vacuum round to clean up Smudgies carrot mess. He's a mucky little tyke.

Thanks for visiting today.
Sheila-x-

Wax Versus Varnish!!!

I didn't lounge around on the sofa yesterday as I had thought I might. It was just too hot in there. Instead I watched some videos on You Tube on the techniques of chalk painting and waxing furniture and then veered off to a blog post regarding the use of wax or varnish. I think after reading that the coffee table will definitely be varnished and apparently the best to give a non yellowing and sturdy finish is Polyvine. I'll get some of that before I start the painting.

The dress pattern has been cut out and the fabric will be washed today. Tomorrow I will cut it out if I am not too hot and bothered and begin the sewing. I am desperate for a light floaty dress. It's a simple pattern so shouldn't take long to make up.

The fire surround stripping is being left until the weekend as I need the tarpaulin I use when painting and it's not where I thought it was. Hubby needs to go into the bottom shed and see if it's there. I won't even entertain the thought of going in there........you should see the size of the spiders that live in our shed.....lol.

I'm looking forward to seeing Ruby later this afternoon. I was going to pack up a little picnic for tea and go over to the park for a while but as nice as the park is there is not one bit of shade over there and I just can't sit out in the full sun. We'll have a carpet picnic instead.

Just another week or so and hubby will be on holiday from work. I am hoping we might go away for a couple of days. I haven't the foggiest idea where to but anywhere would be a nice little break from everyday life.

Laundry has finished washing so I'll go and hang it on the line. It's bedding so it will make a nice shady area for Smudge dog to lie on the lawn. Bless him.....he doesn't like this heat either.

Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Stating The Flippin' Obvious!!!

Beautiful flowers from my hubby

Ooooh it's flippin' hot this morning. Hotter than yesterday. The heat makes me feel unwell and I don't like it but I am happy that for those of you who do that we are having some fine weather for a change. I'd love to go and have a potter in the garden but I know if I do that I will pay for it later so I am inside pottering instead.
What with my 'lady of a certain age' micro climate going on and the heat from outside I don't think I will be doing anything too strenuous this afternoon apart from putting a tray of meatballs into the oven to have with some salad for tea. I'm thinking I might treat myself to an afternoon on the sofa watching a film which is something I never do. I spend very little time in the lounge(apart from evenings when hubby is at work) so it will be a huge treat.

Hubby bought me flowers yesterday. He buys them for me most weeks but the ones up above are my favourite. Such beautiful colours and I especially love the tiny green button chrysanthemums. They are so cute. I wonder if they can be grown in the average garden.

Right....I will go and feed hubby before he goes off to work. I envy him being deep underground this afternoon where it is nice and cool.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-



 

What Shall I Choose?!!!

I have the choice of several jobs today. One involves being outside on the back yard which I will have to leave until later in the day when the sun and therefore the worst of the heat has gone from that area. Having said that though....it's so hot out there that the heat might blister the paint on the fire surround and save me having to use the Nitromors....lol.
There is a pattern I need to cut out for a summer dress and I want to prewash the fabric I have chosen for it.....an ideal day to dry it on the line.
I could paint the plant stand thingy which would give me a practice with the chalk paint I have bought. It won't matter if I get it wrong on that as it can just be sanded down and I can start again but I don't want to start the table until I am sure I like the paint both in effect and the colours I have chosen.
Oh choices, choices.
I'll have a think about it while I have my coffee.....very late with that today as I have been sorting laundry. There seems a lot today.

Tea will have to be salad with something that only takes a short time in the oven. I might wait and see what DD fancies and while we have that we can watch some more 24 which we haven't watched since Friday.

Well in the short time I have been sat typing this black clouds have appeared overhead. The sun is still peeping through though so I'll keep my eye on it before I wash that fabric.

Hope it's fine where you are.
Sheila-x-

If You Can't Stand The Heat.....!!!

.......stay out of the kitchen.
That is what I have done today. I am so glad that we booked to go out for lunch as the heat here topped with the oven on for a roast would just about have done me in. We managed to sit out at the back of the pub for about five minutes or so to let Ruby have a go on the bouncy castle and slide but it was way too hot for all of us, especially Marlowe. So we came home and I took Ruby to our little park for about twenty minutes. Tea and cake were served and now they have gone off to catch the supermarket before it closes and I am in the dining room with the curtains closed and the back door open trying to catch a little breeze and chase off a headache.
I really, really don't like summer.

I can't see me doing much now apart from getting lunch boxes ready for tomorrow so I am going to read the papers and have a long cool drink.

Hope you are all having fun in the sun.
Sheila-x-

Baking Day!!!

Today I will be mostly in the kitchen baking up a storm for when DS and family come back to our house for cake and tea after lunch tomorrow. There will be more than can be eaten but that means that there will be some to put into boxes for them to take home and some to keep here for lunch boxes.

I thought we were supposed to be having nice weather this weekend but this morning is very grey and still and not looking good at all. I hope it stays dry long enough for hubby to mow the lawns.

When I wrote my post yesterday I had not heard the news about the dreadful events in Nice. My thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.

Thank you for visiting today.
Sheila-x-

Yawning!!!

Season 1 of 24......finished.
DD and I sat up until 2am. We were saving two episodes to watch tonight but the last one we watched shocked us so much (I actually screamed....lol) that we just had to see those last two episodes.
Poor old DD was back up at 6am for work but at least it's the weekend and she can have a lie in tomorrow.

Whenever we go to Frankie and Benny's I pretty much always have the same thing.....Chicken Parmigiana. It's gorgeous. So last night I made it myself at home.......and it was gorgeous too and so easy to make.
One chicken breast per person cut in half crosswise to make two thinner fillets. Dip each one in seasoned flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
Fry in a little oil until they begin to brown and then transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven at 180 degrees until brown and crispy. Layer two pieces of chicken and top with a slice of ham and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese and return to the oven until cheese has melted.
Serve with spaghetti in tomato sauce reserving a spoonful or so of the sauce to top the chicken.
Adjustments I will make next time.....I'll just use two chicken breasts and DD and I will just have one layer each and hubby can have the two layers as it's very filling and I would cut out the spaghetti and serve it with steamed vegetables for a change.

Ticked a good few jobs off my list again yesterday. The yard is swept, windows cleaned and curtain washing finished. I just need to iron them and rehang them today and then I am starting on the lounge clean/declutter. I don't know where all the declutter stuff will go as this house is woefully short on storage areas.

Last night I nipped into B&Q to pick up some varnish and paint charts. I have decided on an oak varnish for the fireplace surround and I couldn't believe my luck when I came across two small tins of satin oak varnish in the clearance section for £2 each. I was even more delighted when they rang up at the till for £1 each. So that will be the total cost for my surround revamp as the tin of Nitromors for stripping it was free to us from DD's work. All I need now is a fine day or two to get it outside and get it done.

Time for a coffee methinks and then I'll crack on with the lounge. 
Have a great day.
Sheila-x- 

Proud Ganma!!!

DDIL bought Ruby's school report for me to read yesterday and I am so, so proud of my little angel. All of her grades were 'exceeding' but one which was 'performimg as expected'. and the teachers made some lovely comments about her being such a kind and caring little girl.
As you can imagine Ganma had to resort to a tissue or two.
The only thing that I was disappointed with was the fact that the reports are now done on the computer so there is no handwriting by the teachers. I have a love of handwriting and used to love looking at all the different hands when my two used to bring their repots home.

The last pair of curtains is in the wash as we speak. What a long job it's been.
The next big job is the lounge which will be getting a thorough bottoming/de-cluttering and I could do with some more fine weather so that I can take my bargain coffee table outside to paint it. I also have a fire surround I need to strip, stain and varnish. If the rain could 'do one' for a while it would be much appreciated.

DD and I are well into watching 24 now. I don't think I have ever watched anything that has kept me right on the edge of my seat like this does. At times I am finding it so intense that I actually feel sick.....lol.

Well once the curtains are out drying on the line I think I will tackle the outside window cleaning and sweep the back yard. The windows aren't really filthy but the pesky birds have left quite a few calling cards which need getting rid of. It will be nice to be out in the fresh air though.

Hope you are all having a lovely sunny day.
Thanks for your visit today.
Sheila-x-

Tick, Tick, Tick!!!

.......that was me yesterday ticking jobs off my long list. I don't know what I was on but I ripped through those jobs like nobody's business. I ache like hell this morning but in a satisfied kind of way....if you know what I mean.

I think I am going to risk putting the rest of the curtains on to wash this morning. It's quite grey out but there are some patches of blue appearing and there's a breeze so it should be OK.

My own little ray of sunshine will be here for tea after school so we are having chicken and spinach wraps with corn on the cob which she loves. She has sour cream in her wraps but I can't stomach that so we will have a touch of mayo and some sweet chilli sauce.
Hubby obviously doesn't want that for his tea and I see he has fetched sausages out of the freezer. It looks like I'll be cooking two meals then which has annoyed me a bit as Ruby is only here for two and a half hours and that will cut down on cuddle time.

Smudge dogs eyes are looking great now after a few weeks of treatment. He has drops three times a day and cream twice a day and his eyes are all bright and sparkly again. He is so used now to having me poking bottles and tubes at him that when he sees me pick up either of them he comes and sits down and lifts his head up for me. It makes me have a great big lump in my throat to see the trust in his beautiful little face.

Ooooh lots of blue up in the sky now so I'll get these curtains in.
Bye for now and thanks for dropping by.
Sheila-x-

A Puzzle Solved!!!

I did a couple of the four patch squares yesterday and I know now why my mojo has gone walkabout.........I don't like the white. I'll just have to get over it if I want to finish the quilt but I'm finding it quite stark. I think I must like more of a mish mash of patterns than too much plain.

On with house jobs this morning. There is a basket full of laundry wants doing, the kitchen window wants cleaning, the oven wants wiping out and the kitchen floor needs a good mop and everywhere needs another hoover as the dog has made mess with his carrot. Who knew that carrot crumbs could spread so far?.......lol.

Tea tonight will have to be chicken strips and salad. It should have been homemade Chicken Parmegianna but guess who forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer.......that would be moi.....what a numpty. I had best leave myself a note to remember to phone and book a table for Sunday lunch else I will be in trouble. We are taking DS and family with us this week as I am overdue hosting a family lunch. So lunch at the pub and then home to ours for tea and cake and I won't be a melted mess all over the kitchen floor....lol.

Well that's my coffee break done so I'll go and get on with these jobs.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-


 

So Sick Of The Rain!!!

Yes....it is raining this morning so my outdoor jobs are on hold yet again. I could swear I really could.

The cabbage got all chopped up yesterday and we had some with our lunch. It tasted amazing. I cooked too much though so the leftovers will be used to make bubble and squeak to have with some grilled bacon for our tea tonight. More will be used today to make a tub of homemade coleslaw and the menu for the rest of the week may have to be twiddled around a bit to accomodate the rest of it as I don't want to waste any.
I forgot to weigh it but I did measure it....it was 32 inches around it's middle and I reckon I would have had to buy four or maybe five of the normal size ones I usually buy to get the same amount of cabbage.

Baking is on the agenda today. I've been asked for coconut cake although I shall make it in muffin cases as it's easier for lunch boxes and I'll make a Victoria sponge which always goes down well here.
Other than that it's just the usual tidying and hoovering....so a pretty boring day really.

Still not got any sewing mojo so I am going to go through the scraps I found when I was fabric tidying the other day. Maybe cutting them down will make me want to get the machine out. I was the same when I used to do a lot of cardmaking. If I lost my mojo I would tidy my workroom and something would spark off another creative whirlwind.

Well I hope the rain isn't stopping you doing what you want or need to do today.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

A Bit Of A Whopper!!!

DD bought this cabbage home which was grown in the gardens where she works. It is absolutely massive. That is a dinner plate it is standing on. So I guess we have rather a lot of cabbage on the menu this week. We'll have some today with our lamb and some will get made into coleslaw for pack ups and I expect the rest will get used in meals throughout the week. It's a good job we love cabbage....lol.

Nothing very exciting here this weekend. It's drying up a little so if the rain stays away there is a possibility of getting out in the garden after lunch even if we just do some deadheading and a bit of trimming. The climbing rose has gone mad and needs some runners cutting off and the buddleia needs trimming back where it grows through the fence and interferes with getting into the car boot.

DD went out last night so we didn't get to watch any more 24. I found The Great Interior Design Challenge on You Tube and watched some of that. It's quite good although the presenters annoy me quite a bit....lol. I can't sit watching tv with hubby as he is a channel hopper. He'll start watching a programme and then change channels halfway through. It drives me mad.

I'm hoping for some decent weather in the week to wash the last two pairs of curtains and to get the back yard tidied up and swept. If not there other jobs wanting doing inside so I may get to tick some of those off the neverending list.

Hope you are all having a good weekend.
Sheila-x-

 

Soggy Saturday!!!

Well they said that we would have rain at the weekend and boy do we have some rain. That's the garden plans scuppered again and I don't fancy wandering round town which was another plan DD and I made. I don't mind walking out in a shower but this rain is hitting the ground and bouncing right back up again.
Not sure what I will do to occupy myself now but there is bound to be something on my long list that I can do.

Hubby has treated us to some steak for tea tonight from the farm shop. We are trying it out to see if we like the quality of the meats he sells and then we can reduce the miles we travel to a butcher we have used for years.
So....steak and chips for tea and hubby is cooking. How lucky am I?

Looks like the rain has eased off a bit and the sky has lightened so I might risk a quick trip to the supermarket. If we go to Asda we can have a quick look in the huge Barnado's charity shop that has opened nearby.....without getting wet if it starts again.

I hope it's dry where you are today and that you are having a fabulous weekend.
Sheila-x-

Friday Fashion!!!

Today fashion icon Sheila can be found sporting vintage (old and knackered) jeggings and an asymetric hem top accessorised with couture brand Marigold gloves. Her parfum choice of the day is bleach and vinegar by Stardrops.....lol.
Yes it's cleaning day here at Tea Towel Manor. Getting the house ready for the weekend when I can't get on with much as I have hubby and DD under my feet for two days. You could be forgiven for thinking that they were staging some kind of sit in as they both glue their backsides to a sofa each and barely budge for the whole weekend.

The sewing didn't go too well yesterday. I think my mojo is still MIA. I do have rather a long list in my head of things that need doing around the house and I do feel a little guilty sitting sewing when I could be doing something off the list. Hey ho....the quilt will be done when it's done and I'd rather be in the right frame of mind to do it.

Last night DD and I started watching the box set of 24. Why did I never watch it before? It is absolutely brilliant and I am hooked.
Hubby has come back from fetching the papers this morning with three Cornish pasties from the farm shop at the pub where we go for lunch on Sundays. They are flippin' huge so I think just one of those each and a few baked beans for tea today. No cooking and prep means we will be able to watch more 24....yay.

A quick lunch and then another round of scrubbing and hoovering before DD gets home.

Thanks for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-

 

Body Snatchers!!!

Yesterday I was taken over by body snatcher aliens from the planet Domestica and look what they made me do........six portions of vegetable soup, two quiches and a chocolate fudge cake.

Making the soup means that I have used up nearly every bit of the wonky veg box. There is just a half of a pepper left which will get chopped into some salad tonight to have with some of the quiche.

One pair of curtains washed and dried. I will iron them and rehang them tomorrow after I have cleaned the window and frames. I'm determined to get some sewing in today so blow the flippin' housework. I'm not putting any more in to wash as the weather is looking a bit iffy and we have had some rain already this morning.

Ruby chose to go out for tea last night which surprised me. The lure of the Ice Cream shop dessert obviously did it. It's one of her most favourite things and I love Frankie and Benny's for doing it as it makes a meal out quite special for kids. They get a little crate with a bowl of ice cream, three mini milk bottles with sweets in to sprinkle onto the ice cream, chocolate sauce and a pack of popping candy. So cute. We also got the added bonus of a voucher for £10 off the bill kindly passed on to us by DDIL.

I've not had breakfast yet so I think toast, coffee and papers and then a quick tidy of the dining room and out with the sewing machine.

Bye for now and thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

 

A Whole New Day!!!

.......and hopefully the day that my curtains finally get washed.
It's looking pretty good outside so far with a nice breeze and a bit of sun.

I had two sleeping babies here yesterday.
Marlowe was still asleep when Daddy arrived to pick her up and she slept and she slept. DS went to sit on the sofa and promptly fell asleep too......lol.
I didn't have a nap as such after they had gone but I did do a very quick inspection of the inside of my eyelids for about fifteen minutes.

There should be sewing going on today but I had forgotten about Ruby coming for tea so it will be tomorrow for definite.
DD is treating me to tea out tonight. Ruby will get the choice of eating here or going out. I think she will choose to eat here as I have promised her chicken wraps with salad and sour cream so DD and I will eat after we have dropped her home.

Just some general tidying to today and the regular fridge sort out before I do a bit of a shop tonight. I might make a pan of soup to use up the last of the veg and freeze it in portions for lunches and I have promised quiches for pack ups so I will probably make those as well to use up last weeks eggs before I buy fresh ones.

I think I'll have my coffee and read of the papers early today when hubby gets back from town. It feels like a 'let's crack on' day today so I'll take full advantage of it as I don't get many of them at my age.....lol.

Bye for now.....and thanks for popping by.
Sheila-x- 

ETA...... my followers list has disappeared from the top of my blog. Does anyone know how I can get it back?

Happy Ganma!!!

One of the little packages delivered to Ganma's house very early this morning. One has been fed breakfast and gone off happily to school and this little angel has been cuddled, fed and changed and is now sleeping for an hour or so.

My wonky pepper being sauteed with some onions ready to be turned into.............

........this.......and very nice it was too served up in warm tortilla wraps.

 

Not much other than baby watching going off at the minute and after a bad night I am sure I shall be taking to the sofa for a nap when Marlowe has been collected at about 12:30pm.

Ooooh.....I had best go and get the play gym out.....little monkey is awake already.

Have a fab day.
Sheila-x-

I'm Late!!!

Ooooh I'm a bit behind this morning.
Had a very lazy day yesterday and didn't do much of anything apart from going out for lunch which was gorgeous as always. The only thing I didn't like was being sat in the conservatory as the sun was blinding and it was very hot in there. Sod's Law.....just as we were leaving the sun went in and it never really came out much after that.

As I said before....I am putting off doing any more sewing until Wednesday as I have the girls very tomorrow morning and I want to work on the quilt until it is finished with no interruptions so today I am going to be sorting out my shambolic fabric storage once and for all. I have bought down a big box from the attic to replace the big shopping bag that I use for some storage and I am hoping to put all of my fabric in it. I am on a stash buying diet for a while so hope to use some of it up before I start buying again.

I have some chicken marinating for an easy tea of wraps with sauteed pepper and onion and fajita style chicken and then I need to go and pick up some salad as ours has all gone into pack up boxes and we'll need some for the next few days if I am to avoid cooking....lol.

Just hubby's pots to wash up and then I will start my sorting.
Hope you have a fab day.....what is left of it.
Sheila-x-

Allsorts!!!

Thanks very much for the comments on my post yesterday. Especially overseas visitors who said that the veg was normal for them. I wish it was over here.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a cucumber that is curved or an orange pepper that has a streak of green on it. I am questioning though what was wrong with the onions....they look the same as the ones I normally buy in a bag from T's and the spring onions had soil on them as did the potatoes....so what....it washes off.
If I can get hold of one of the boxes every week I shall be a happy bunny sticking my fingers up to ramrod straight cucumbers and carrots washed within an inch of their lives.

I am sore this morning. I spent rather a long time sitting on the floor playing with the girls yesterday and my cocyx is screaming that I am too old to be doing that. Blow that for a game of soldiers....we had great fun. Ruby had hysterics when we played Pop Up Pirate and I screamed when the pirate popped out. She thought it was hilarious.
Very proud of Ruby who got a 3rd place rosette for her Elsa spoon. She was chuffed to bits.

Hubby and I are off out for lunch shortly which will hopefully be better than the fish and chips we had last night. They were disgusting. We used a chip shop we have never used before. The portions were obscenely huge and the food tasted of absolutely nothing....totally tasteless. Shan't be going there again. They obviously think quantity beats quality.

Well I had best go and get dressed. I am still in my pj's at 11:30am....whatever is the world coming to?

Hope the sun is shining for you today.
Sheila-x-

Wonky Veg!!!

Just for a change I paid a visit to Asda last night. I very rarely shop there but I had been a couple of weeks earlier and bought some of their dry cure ham which was delicious and I wanted to get some more.
While I was there I picked up one of their Wonky Veg Boxes for £3.50 and up yonder are the contents.
The peppers are massive. One will be used to saute with some onions to go with chicken fajita wraps in the week and the other will be chopped into some salad. Not sure if the lettuce is romaine or chinese leaves but either is fine with me and it will make a lovely salad with the cucumber and spring onions with the addition of some other bits from the fridge. The cabbage and carrots will be used in a light vegetable soup along with some of the red onions.
The potatoes were boiled and hubby used some of them for his fried potatoes this morning. I tasted one and they were not very nice. No taste and a horrible texture so maybe they would have been better in the soup.
All in all though I am pretty pleased with it and will be looking to buy another box at some time.

I'm just about to go and have a shower and get ready to go and do my babysitting stint at DS's house. I'll probably be out until after midnight so hubby is coming down at tea time to fetch fish and chips for Ruby and ourselves. DD was coming down to me after work but has had an invite to go out so I will have to entertain myself once the girls are in bed. They have Sky TV so I'm sure there will be something I can find to watch.
Keeping an eye on the weather as I'd like to take the girls for a walk down to the park this afternoon but it's a bit drizzly here at home. You never know though....four miles can make all the difference and it may be quite nice in the little town.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-

Who's That Bird?!!!

From where I sit in the dining room, whether I am sewing or using the computer, I look down over my neighbours front gardens to a small wood at the bottom of our road. I have been seeing a bird flying about the trees but I can't make out what it is as I never have my glasses on when it makes it's appearance. It's larger and a little more chunky than a sparrowhawk but not as big as a buzzard. It seems to have a yellow/tawny colour to it and I usually see it between early and mid morning. It's driving me nuts not knowing what it is and you can bet your bottom dollar that if I do have my glasses on it doesn't appear.

I can feel stirrings of my sewing mojo returning but I'm not going to start today as I like to have a good few days in front of me when I have something I want to finish and I won't be at home for long tomorrow due to babysitting duties, we are out Sunday for lunch and then will probably go for a walk as it's just me and hubby, Monday will be a busy day catching up on housework and Tuesday I have an early morning drop off of the grandchildren with Ruby to get ready for school. Grandad will drop her off and then I have Marlowe until Daddy finishes work at about 12:30pm. So....I need to nurture this little stirring until Wednesday morning and then sewing machine....here I come...lol.

Today will be a 'three kicks at the pantry door' kind of day for tea. Hubby has decided he wants faggots....yuck.....and DD and I will probably have either a bit of salad with something or a sandwich when we get back from town. I need to go to Lidl and stock up on some of the American food they have in this week such as the Monterey Jack cheese slices. I prefer the Pepper Jack but they never seem to have that. I also need maple syrup and some of the American pancakes which Ruby loves for breakfast and their sweet potatoes are 59p a kilo this week so I'll pick some of those up too.

I'm just waiting for hubby to get up so that I can run the hoover round down here so I'll have me coffee and a mooch on You Tube as all the tidying has been done, pots are washed and hubby's work clothes are in the washing machine so there's not much else to do.

Black clouds and drizzly rain here so I hope your weather is better today.
Have a fab weekend.
Sheila-x-