An Exciting Weekend Coming Up!!!

After having Andy off work for over a week he will be going back tonight and I have to do some major job list ticking this week to get on top of everything before the weekend.
For Christmas I was given a ticket for the Warner Bros.Studio Tour of The Making of Harry Potter and DDIL, Ruby, DD and myself will be off there on Saturday...yay.....girly road trip 😀
I will probably be shattered so if I get everything done before we go I can perhaps have an easy day on Sunday.

There are still a few things to find places for in the sewing room so I have started there today and next on the list is the kitchen....plus I am doing laundry.

Tea break is over so I had best go and get back to it.

Have a happy day.
Sheila-x-

Not A Happy Bunny!!!

Sorry for the lack of blog posts over the last couple of days but I have been a tad busy sorting out in the sewing room and making a proper layout that enables us to use my sewing table as a dining table. I am not happy about it at all but as it is me who has banned eating in the living room due to the new furniture I will have to suck it up I suppose. There is just nowhere else we can squeeze a table in this little house of ours.
I have had to lose a storage unit and squidge things into very tight corners but I've managed it and I now just need a box to be able to store all of my new cross stitch materials.
Now when I sew I shall have to be super organised and put things away before meal times.

Haven't we had some rain over the last couple of days?
I ended up going shopping yesterday and I think I chose the worst day of all for going out.
The monthly Makers Market was cancelled for safety reasons due to the high winds and the little town was a very sad and soggy place to be.
Today is as different as can be with some sunshine so the garden is going to enjoy that after the rain.

There is a piece of pork cooking away ready for our lunch and once we have had it I am going to be making use of MY table....lol......and stripping fabric from shirts I bought at the charity shop yesterday.

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

I Am In Love!!!

These are the cross stitch patterns that arrived yesterday.......

I love them all but I think my favourites are the two bottom ones.
The Classic Colorworks threads were ordered yesterday and have been dispatched so I may be lucky and get them by the weekend.

As you know by now.....my days never go as planned when Andy is on leave from work so not much has been done in the way of housework or anything else. I shall be glad to get me house back although I am very happy to see him so relaxed and enjoying his time off.
I usually regret it but I think I might get him to take me to do a top up shop tomorrow as I don't fancy going out tonight in the heavy rain we have been having since lunch time today.
It's been cold too so the heating will go on shortly so that the house is warm when DD gets in.

There is a big pot of chilli bubbling away on the stove for our evening meal....I just couldn't face salad.

I hope you've all managed to keep dry and warm today.
Sheila-x-

The Oldies Trip Out!!!

We decided on Matlock Bath for our trip out today and I am so glad we didn't get put off by the weather forecast which we checked this morning. It was supposed to be cloudy but it actually turned out to be beautiful.....sunny with a gentle breeze.....or at least it was until we were just yards from the car park after we'd had lunch and it started to rain. We were going to go a bit further but my back was hurting so we decided to take a slow drive home and call in at the garden centre on the way.
We both really enjoyed some time away from the house.
As we ate at lunch time we won't be needing much this evening so I will just be doing pizza and coleslaw for DD and we will probably just have a bit of toast with a cup of tea.

I managed to pick up a bargain of two discontinued fabric sample books for £10. One is Dupion silks and the other is plain linen type fabrics. Both have a gorgeous range of colours in them and they will come in handy for small sewing projects.

Now we are home Andy is having a nap and I am in the sewing room drooling over my new cross stitch patterns which arrived this morning and my fingers are itching to be doing some thread ordering so that I can start on them 😀

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

Cross Eyed!!!

Well I hope you have all had a lovely weekend.
It's been quiet-ish here and although the garden has been tidied and restocked we haven't done much else.
I have been dabbling in a bit of cross stitch after years and years of having done none and I had forgotten just how hard it is on the eyes. I have been stitching in daylight and I think I will stick with that and do just a couple of hours or so at a time.
The picture I am doing is one cobbled together from a book of Donna Kooler motifs just as a practice until the new patterns I have ordered arrive.

I will be out all day today looking after my girls. I am sure it will be lots of fun as it always is and if the weather is nice we'll go a walk down into town.....if not I have a bag full of colouring books and sticker books to take down with me.

DD is back at work today but Andy has a few more days off before he goes back. We may have a day out on Wednesday if we can decide where to go. I quite fancy Matlock now the Bank Holiday is over.

Hope you all have a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

Spring Has Sprung!!!

Another glorious Spring day here.
The garden is looking fantastic after all of DD's hard work out there. Lots of new plants to fill in the gaps where some things didn't make it through the Winter so if they do well we will have a lovely show this year.

Today we are just having a bit of a lazy day at home doing our own thing. I am just about to have a go at coffee dying some Aida fabric for cross stitching.

As we are having a traditional Easter Sunday lunch of roast lamb we are just having a simple meal today of crispy chicken strips with salad and crusty bread so I have no need to be in the kitchen for hours cooking thank goodness as it is a tad warm in there. What it will be like in there tomorrow with the oven on I do not know but we'll see what the weather is like.

I hope you all have a happy weekend.
Sheila-x-

Glorious Good Friday!!!

Talk about 'the sun has got it's hat on'......it's out with all the bells and whistles too.
Already we have been to the garden centre to buy some plants and now DD is outside tidying up and emptying pots of dead things to smarten them up with their new greenery. Andy has mowed the lawns so it should look quite a lot better out there by the end of the day.
I am inside as the trip out and walking around with the sun beating on my head has given me a corker of a headache but once it's under control I shall go out and do a bit too.

Hope you are all enjoying some much needed sunshine today.
Sheila-x-

A Grey Old Day So Far!!!

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day with a gentle breeze. I had washing out on the line and the back door open and we didn't have the heating on at all.
Today is just grey and a little misty over the fields. I think the sun is trying it's hardest to come out but not succeeding at the moment and the breeze is a bit nippy.
It doesn't matter much though as I am inside trying to find places to store all of my quilt show stuff and struggling...lol.
I may have to purchase an extra magazine file for the books and magazines I bought and the fabric may have to live in a bag for the time being until I can have a proper sort out.

Miss Ruby will be here for her tea today....a day later than usual as she was out on a play date yesterday.
Tomato soup has been asked for so I think DD and I will have that too and Andy wants jacket potatoes so no major cooking.

Easter weekend is coming up and I will have DD home for four days and Andy for a week which has worked out well as I will be taking care of the girls on Tuesday for the whole day at their house as there is a workman coming to do a job. I had planned to take them into town and thought I wouldn't be able to due to the workman visit but Andy will quite happily sit at their house while I walk into town....they have a BIG telly....lol.

Well I had best get on with this tidying up if I want to sit and watch a film with Ruby this afternoon.

I hope you all get some sunshine today.
Sheila-x-

A Long Post!!!

Today I am sharing the gorgeous purchases I made at the quilt show.

Three gorgeous magazines for £10 all complete with their pattern sheets

I've never done embroidery and would like to give it a go so I am now armed with these three books of my favourite style.

Bag patterns.....as if I don't have loads already but I loved the style of these when I saw them made up on the stall.

This will be a wall hanging for the landing upstairs I think.

Another wall hanging panel but I have different plans for this. I already have a two metre length of fabric from this line which I will use to make bags and the four small designs will be used as pockets on the fronts.

A pack of fat eighths....Down By The Veggie Patch by Anni Downs. Not too sure what I will make with this but I have ideas.

Fat quarters to make embroidered labels for anything I give as gifts.

Fat quarters for stash......I couldn't resist.

Half metres for stash.

Bargain fabrics for stash.

Chosen by Ruby for new aprons for herself and Marlowe.

A kit to make a Christmas wall hanging which includes everything except the backing fabric and the wadding.

My DMC thread chart was old and battered beyond belief so I have replaced it with a new one which includes all the new colours. The little cross stitch kit is for Ruby to have a go at.

I want to have a dabble at cross stitch again and this book has some beautiful small designs which hopefully it won't kill my eyes to do.

.....and that is it. No damage to my bank account as it was all bought with money I had for Mother's Day and my birthday.

There were a couple of things on my wish list which I forgot to even look for but one of them....a light box.....should be delivered this week and all I need to do now is find a page magnifier for the cross stitch charts.

Even with all this stuff there will be no crafting done today as I have some catching up to do after a lazy Monday....well ti was my birthday...lol....and a day out yesterday looking after Ruby and Marlowe at The Doodle House.

I hope you are all having a lovely day.

Sheila-x-

Me Poor Neglected Blog!!!

Life seems to have got in the way of  keeping up with my blog these last few days although technology was to blame on Friday as my internet kept wandering off.

Saturday was just all kinds of busy in the house....getting a head start on laundry, cleaning and baking and by the time I had five minutes to myself I was too shattered to even think straight.

Sunday was the quilt show so we were out early and went for breakfast as a treat for Ruby before we went to the show.
We had a good time and I bought some beautiful things.......... which I will take pics of to show you......but I don't think it was as good as last year.
I did forget a couple of things on my wish list so they will have to be ordered online sometime this week.

Today I am just having a pottering day. There has been a lovely visit from The Doodles this morning with birthday kisses and cupcakes and now that Andy has gone for his nap before his night shift tonight the house is quiet and peaceful and I am going to make myself a cup of tea and chill out for a few minutes before I do anything else.

I hope you are having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

A Little Down Time!!!

After being so busy the last couple of days I am aching so today....now that the daily jobs are done.....I am going to treat myself to an hour in Andy's recliner chair and read my book. I very rarely get chance to sit and read during the day so it will be a real treat.
Another treat this evening..... I am taking DD out for our evening meal. Nothing posh or expensive....we're just going to The Cherry Tree for a carvery meal and some time out of the house for while.

Hope you are all having a nice day.
Sheila-x-

Job's A Good'un!!!

I am shattered but the job upstairs is done for now. There is just a new curtain rail and curtains to hang when I have an extra pair of hands to help.

No Ruby today after all as I have nobody to pick her up from school but I'll be seeing her on Sunday and she'll be coming back with us for her tea then.

It's been a lovely sunny day but it's still not very warm so the heating is on for when DD gets home in an hour or so. My feet are like lumps of ice so I am going to pop up and have a quick bath before she gets in and wants feeding.
Pizza and salad tonight as that is what I had planned for a treat for Ruby. It's not my most favourite thing but at least it will get used.....and a bonus is it won't take long to do.

Hope you've had a lovely day in the sunshine.
Sheila-x-

A Good Start!!!

Although I haven't quite finished the job upstairs I have made a very good start.
Many bags of stuff for redistribution to charity shops, family members and the incinerator have been hauled downstairs and I nearly....but not quite...have room to set out my crafting computer again after not using it for......oooh two or three years. I may have to buy a new printer but I'm not worried about that.
Andy is at work early again tomorrow so I can be up there first thing and should be done by lunch time so that I can then come down and get ready for Ruby's visit.

Just a quick meal tonight of sausages with tomatoes as the sausages were the first thing I put my hand on when I opened the freezer this morning and I don't mind a bit of quickness...lol.

I don't know what DD and I will watch tonight. We have just finished our second watching of Game Of Thrones and have decided that we do love it after all. We will have to wait until the new season comes out on dvd before we can find out what happens to everybody as we don't have Sky or any other fancy tv package but we are pretty patient.

Best go and get those sausages a-cookin' as DD will be home and hungry soon.

Hope you've had a fab day.
Sheila-x-

A Peaceful Weekend!!!

Here at Tea Towel Towers we have had a lovely restful and peaceful weekend and we are all now ready to face a new week.
Saturday was spent just pottering about getting niggly little jobs done and Sunday was just lunch and then a ride out to the garden centre for DD and I. Andy stayed at home to have his post lunch nap in his nice comfortable chair.
We walked around in lovely hot sunshine and it felt just like summer.

Today I am having another pottering day because I have a job I want to do upstairs which is better left until tomorrow when Andy has to leave for work early and I will have all day to start and hopefully finish it.

We are having a DD and Sheila favourite meal for tea tonight....fish, potatoes, peas and parsley sauce. Andy hates it so we don't get to have it often. It will be a real treat.

Only a few days now until the quilt show and I am really looking forward to it. To make things easier I am going to make a quiche on Saturday and all Andy will have to do is prepare a bowl of salad. I'm hoping we can bring Ruby back with us for tea before she goes home. She'll love that.

Right....I am off to potter in the kitchen.
Hope you are all having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

We Can See Clearly Now.....!!!

.....the window is in....yay for that.
They arrived quite early this morning and the job is done and dusted.
DD just needs to put her room back in order when she gets home from work. It worked out quite well really having it done today as she is on a half day and will be home at lunchtime.
As the window is in the attic room we went for one that opens inwards to make cleaning easier and oh how I wish we had done that with all the upstairs windows.

Weather forecast has been checked for our area and we are hopeful of a dry weekend so after double checking by looking out of the window....lol.....we may get something done in the garden this weekend. I hope so as I am sick of looking at it now.

What are your plans for the weekend?
I hope you have a good one whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

Oh My Word!!!

The new furniture has arrived and oh my word....it is bigger than it looked in the showroom. There may have to be a bit of shuftying around when Andy gets up.
I daren't sit on it just yet else I may never get up again...it is soooo comfortable.
Now I have to squidge things around in the sewing room so that we can eat at the table as I am not letting Andy eat food anywhere near the new sofa or chairs. Up until now we have had leather but this is cloth and I don't want any stains on it.

Had a wonderful couple of hours with Ruby last night. She was in very excited mode as today she is taking part in a dance competition at another school. Any day away from your normal school is fun but as she loves dance so much this is super exciting. I just adore her smiley face and shiny eyes when she is excited.

Last time Andy went up to the butchers he bought some pork chops in a honey and mustard marinade so I have taken those out of the freezer for tonight's meal. I will not be partaking as I don't like honey and mustard  marinade so I will have some of the salad I'm doing and maybe some cheese and pineapple.

Wet and windy here today but no plans to go out so it won't worry me.
Hope you have a fabulous day.
Sheila-x-

Early Morning Phone Calls!!!

I'm not a fan of early morning phone calls....or late night ones to be honest.
This morning the call was to say that our window will not be fitted today and it has now been moved to Friday. DD is not going to be pleased as she has had to move her bed and take down her curtains.
Every cloud has a silver lining though and it will mean that Andy will be able to sleep undisturbed today. Friday won't matter so much as he will be out at a hospital appointment and the job should be finished by the time he gets home if they arrive at the time we have been given.

Miss Doodle will be here later and has asked for cottage pie for her tea so I will be in the kitchen again today making one from scratch as I have run out of ready prepared minced beef in gravy in the freezer. I'll do a big batch today and remedy that.

Even though the sun keeps peeping through the clouds it is quite cold here. I'll resist putting the heating on though as I will warm up when I get started on my jobs.

Hope you have a good day today.
Sheila-x-

A Kitchen Kind Of Day!!!

When it's cold and damp outside I always find the nicest place to be is in the kitchen so that is where I have spent most of my time so far today. I am on my fourth load of laundry and I have put together a lovely Cajun chicken casserole for tea tonight and am trying to decide whether to serve it bowls with crusty bread or on a plate with some steamed veg.
I'll wait until His Nibs gets up and see what he fancies I think.

The woodpecker now seems to be a regular visitor to our garden and comes nearly every day. His favourite feast seems to be the fat balls or the coconuts filled with suet and seeds so I will be making sure we don't run out of those.
The jay must have just been passing through as we haven't seen him again.

We've had a phone call this morning to say that the new window will be fitted tomorrow. They have worked out a way to get it into the house and up two flights of stairs without having to resort to scaffolding which I am very grateful for.
Thursday morning the sofa will be coming and then hopefully that will be it for this week and we can look forward to a peaceful weekend. I aim to resist going out and crack on with a big job that needs doing while I have bodies in the house to help.
I could actually do with going to Lakeland in Derby but just this once I am going to place my order online.....and I am off to do that now.

I hope you are having a lovely day....it looks like the sun is trying to come out.
Sheila-x-

All Over The Place!!!

Well....that has been a very busy few days I must say.

Friday Miss Marlowe was here until late afternoon and we had a wonderful time together....playing at the park in beautiful warm sunshine, a carpet picnic for lunch and then playing with dolls until it was time for her to go home.
I hope we get to do it again soon.

Saturday Andy, DD and I went off to Supermarket Surplus at Market Drayton to see if we could find a sofa and chairs to replace the Ikea furniture we have which is just not working for us. Luckily we visited when they had a Mother's Day sale on. The list price for the sofa we chose was £1,000 and we got it for £399 and the chairs were an absolute steal too.
It will be delivered on Thursday morning and in the meantime I am looking for a charity to donate our current sofa and chairs to who could possibly collect it as we have no way of delivering it anywhere.

Sunday we picked Ruby up to take her shopping for flowers for her Mummy. We had lunch at home cooked by Andy and then we were out again to The Doodle House for coffee and cake.

This morning Andy and I have been out sorting stuff out at the bank and doing a little shopping. We have just got home and I am having five minutes with a cup of coffee before I get myself into gear and get a bit of housework done and then I'll come back this afternoon and catch up with all of your blogs to see what you have been up to over the weekend.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-