Just A Quickie!!!

Just a quick post today as I have quite a busy day getting ready for Ruby's sleepover.
I'm playing catch up with myself as I overslept this morning and then as soon as I set foot in the kitchen the phone rang and it was Brother in Law so I was on the phone for over half an hour. 
I should have got more done yesterday but got sidetracked by choosing and starting project number two for my Twenty For 2020 which I will show next week.

Now I have an appointment with the hoover.....upstairs and down, a bolognese sauce to make for tomorrow and a weekend case to unpack for my gorgeous girl.

I may not get back here until Monday so I hope you all have a fabulous weekend doing fun things.
Sheila-x-

First Finish!!!

.....and it's done.....

My first finish of Twenty For 2020.
It just needs trimming up and steam ironing and then I can choose my next project.

I think I may be on the verge of getting my cooking mojo back at last.
Last night I made a very frugal pork and root veg tray bake with some yellow sticker thin cut loin chops I had lurking in the freezer. Nothing groundbreaking there but I served it up with steamed broccoli and a pork and cider gravy and it was absolutely delicious.
While I was in the kitchen I thought I would get ahead with tea for today and poached some chicken ready to make a chicken and leek pie with a crispy crumb topping instead of pastry. I hope Ruby likes it as she is a huge fan of my normal chicken pie. It will be served with Parmentier potatoes (ooooh get me.....lol), carrots.......and the obligatory gravy.

Nothing much going on here today apart from a bit of tidying and some hoovering when Andy has done tramping in and out so I will make myself a coffee and have a look through my charts for my next project.

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

Surely It Can't Be.......!!!

.....coming up to the end of January already!!!
Although it's a pretty boring month and usually drags it has flown by this year.
We've had one milestone birthday as DD turned forty and we have another one coming up in a couple of weeks when Ruby ticks over into double figures and turns ten. She is mighty excited about that....Ganma just feels old.....lol.
She's coming to stay this weekend and DD and I are taking her birthday shopping so that she can choose what she wants. She is into so many collectible things and has so many that we just don't know where to start anymore and I prefer her to have something she wants.

It's a pretty decent day out today although not fit for drying as there is hardly any breeze so looks like I will be using the tumble dryer again. At least that means I should get everything finished today and it will be out of the way so that Andy and I can go out tomorrow.
The forecast is cloudy with some sun and just a small chance of rain so we are off to Carsington again to try and do a longer walk than we did last week. No lunch out this time just a cuppa at the cafe when we are done.

In between laundry loads today I will be finishing off my cross stitch project (hopefully). The row of houses and trees and the top border are finished and I am just working on the snowflakes and confetti stitching before I  add backstitch to the lettering. The pattern didn't have backstitch on it but my personal preference is for solid looking text so that is another change I have made.
There needs to be some chalk painting and distressing done before it's a completely finished piece and I am thinking I may leave that until I have two or three pieces to do so that I don't have to get the paints out after every piece.

Time for coffee 😀

Hope you have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Filthy Friday!!!

It's horrible outside today....dull, grey, cold and drizzly. I had thought I might go into town this morning but I didn't fancy it much and what we need can wait until tomorrow.
Andy and I are watching his box set of Foyles War so now that the few bits of jobs have been done I might make a nice cup of tea and we'll sit and watch an episode until it's time to make the tea.

Ruby and Marlowe are both recovered from their ailments and back at school thank goodness.

I'm starting to get notifications for the Quilt Village at the racecourse but I am thinking I might give it a miss this year. I still have masses of fabric so don't really need any more. 
The NEC was also considered but I think I'll just take a break from it all and concentrate on my cross stitch for now.
Anybody got any plans to visit a craft show this year?

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Poorly Girl!!!

We didn't get to see Ruby yesterday. On Tuesday she had been taken poorly at school so she stayed home yesterday to recover. The good news is that she is a lot better today and has gone to school so we will see her later for about an hour and a half before we have to take her to Brownies.
Marlowe is also poorly and has been off school all week the poor little sausage.

Not much going on here today just jobs and maybe some stitching if I have time before we fetch Miss Doodle.

I hope you are having a bit more exciting day.
Sheila-x-

Cobwebs Blown Away!!!

We made it to Carsington Water yesterday and I am so glad we did. It was really lovely up there. The sky was blue, there was frost on the ground, the sun did actually shine and there was some warmth in it. Not enough to take my coat off but very nearly.
We had a good walk and a cup of tea and I bagged a couple of lovely bargains from the RSPB shop in their sale....a gorgeous notebook and a matching pen to use as a journal type thing for my cross stitch.
By the time we got back to the car the coat had to come off and then we took a leisurely ride back to our local for a carvery lunch which was absolutely delicious.
It felt so good to get rid of some of those cobwebs and we are going to try and make it a weekly thing....not always with lunch out but at least for a good walk.

Today I will be in the kitchen cooking ready for my Ruby. She had asked for tomato soup for today but she is coming to us tomorrow too which will a quick turnaround.....pick her up from school, give her tea and then deliver her to Brownies in the little town. I will save the soup for that and tonight she will have lamb meatballs in gravy.

A progress report on my first project of Twenty for 2020.....

I've not done too bad for saying I had those two days out last week and I didn't do any yesterday. I would have liked to have been finished with the houses and onto all of the snowflakes and confetti stitching but never mind....it's getting there.
I hope these progress reports won't bore you. They are really just for me to keep a check on how far I get each week.

Right....I am off to brown meatballs.
Thanks so much for visiting and the comments left on Monday's post.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Monday!!!

Another gloriously sunny and frosty day and I am wishing Andy and I had discussed earlier what we want to do this week.
He has suggested a ride up to Carsington Water to blow some cobwebs away which would have been perfect for today. It is planned for tomorrow and although it should be dry.....it doesn't look like it's going be sunny.
Today I'll get all the laundry done and dusted and any other jobs that need doing and then we can go out and not worry about getting back. DD is off tomorrow so she can either come with us or stay home and have a bit of peace and quiet.
There is an offer of lunch out.....I am up for that as I am in a bit of a rut at the moment with meals. A day off from planning and cooking could be just what I need.

The cross stitch I am working on is coming along very well despite having had two non stitching days at the end of last week. Once the jobs are finished today I will be stitching in between washing and drying loads.

.....and that's about it for today. Andy has just nipped out for a walk around the fields at the back of us and once he gets back I'll make coffee and then get back to the jobs.

Have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

Two Sunny Days In A Row!!!

We woke up to quite a heavy frost this morning but the sky has been the most amazing blue and the sun has shone so we can't complain at that.

This morning I have roasted a lovely piece of lamb and served it up with all the traditional stuff. Andy and I have had ours but DD's is plated up ready to be heated when she gets in from work at 5:30pm.
She is absolutely loving her new job but I am not loving her new shift pattern very much. It's messy with three different shifts within a week, odd days off, early finishes and late finishes....I just don't know where I am but as long as she is happy then it's fine.

Pots are washed and I just have to run the hoover round then I am back to my stitching which I made good progress on yesterday.

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

Over The Weather And Under The Weather!!!

Thank you for comments on my last post.
Ruby enjoyed her sausages very much and we had a lovely couple of hours together.
Unfortunately on the way back from taking her home I started to feel unwell and by the time we got in the house I had the aura that signals a migraine is coming. Sometimes I don't get the headache after it but this time I did and it was nasty. 
Pretty much most of Thursday and Friday was spent on the sofa. I slept so much that I don't think I'll need any more until the end of the month.
It's about gone now.....I just feel wiped out and totally lacking in energy so an easy weekend is on the cards for me apart from cooking a Sunday lunch tomorrow.
If my eyes will let me I shall have a good stitching session today after missing out for the last couple of days.

It's a beautiful day here today so I hope it is where you are.
Have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

It's Doodle Day!!!

I do get quite excited when I wake up and realise that it is Wednesday and Ruby Doodle will be coming for tea.....then I have to poke about in my brain and try to drag up what it was she had asked for for tea. Luckily today there will just be veg prep to do as she has asked for sausages and mash with stuffing and gravy. She does love dinners with gravy does Miss Doodle.

This morning I have got as much done in the house as I can as DD has a day off tomorrow and we may be having a trip to Derby. I'd like to have a wander round the market as there are some ribbons I need and some particular fabric I would like to find. On the way back we will probably call in at Hobbycraft as we are passing.....it would be rude not to....lol.
As I am fairly up to date with the jobs I feel a bit of sneaky stitching is in order until Ruby arrives.

Today would have been a nice day to go out and do a bit of tidying up in the garden but the lawn is like a mud bath after all the rain we have had so I think it will have to be left until things dry out a bit.

Kettle on and coffee though before I do anything else.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

My Start On Twenty For 2020!!!

I keep rabbiting on about my cross stitch so I though it might be a good idea to share with you what I am up to.
I have been very inspired by Priscilla Blain  and her daughter Chelsea who also put out a video on Facebook at Flosstube-Stitching with The Housewives every Saturday and would really love to have some Christmas pieces I can bring out every year to decorate with.
My challenge to myself is to complete twenty pieces large and small this year in time for Christmas 2020
My first piece is this one which I am currently stitching....

This was purchased from Etsy as a PDF download and I love it.

This is my version and I have made changes such as using 14 count Yorkshire Aida rather than struggling to use an evenweave fabric which kills my eyes. I also wanted the background to be grey to be in keeping with my decor and this fabric is just gorgeous. If I can find some more I would like to use it for all of my projects.

Other changes made are using green for the tree branches instead of doing them all brown and adding a pale yellow into the windows as light.

I am also using different threads to those called for as I was lucky enough to buy a good stash of Anchor threads last year when Hobbycraft were selling them off at 50p each. I chose lots of reds and greens specifically for doing Christmas projects.

I won't be finishing this piece like the cover photo either. I'm not sure yet how it will be done but it will be different....not because I don't like it but I just don't want it to be the same.

I am absolutely loving doing cross stitch again although my tastes have changed greatly since I used to do it over twenty years ago. Then I used to like doing the huge Mirabilia charts with beads and metallic threads. Not sure my eyes would like those now though.

Now I am all about the Christmas charts and there are thousands out there to choose from so I won't be short of things to stitch anytime soon.

Cupboard sorting has been done over the last couple of days but I still have two to go.

Household jobs have been done this morning so I am going to have a bit of stitching time now until I have to go and chop veg for the chicken tray bake I am making for tea.

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Sheila-x-

It's A Grey Old Day!!!

I wish the weather would do something other than sit there looking blah. I'd love a bit of snow just for a change from everywhere looking brown and muddy. Just a couple of days would do 😁

It's rather chilly this morning so the heating is on and I am back in the kitchen tackling the cupboards where we keep the foodstuff.....taking everything out, cleaning the cupboards and checking for out of date things as I put them back. There shouldn't be anything to throw away as I am usually quite careful to use things up but you never know.

I didn't do a meal plan for this week so today I'll have a ferret in the freezer and pull out something quick for tonight and then sit and make my plan for the rest of the week before I nip out for top up shopping later.

.....and that is about as exciting as it gets at Tea Towel Mansion for today....lol. There may be time for some stitchy stuff later for an hour or so if I'm lucky.

What are you up to today?
Sheila-x-

A Fabulous Night!!!

We had a really fabulous night at the Chinese last night.
The food was....as always....amazing and the company of The Doodles such fun. DS bought along a giant balloon for the table which was lovely of him and the cake delivered to the table at the end of the meal was beautiful. It even had one of those huge roman candle things on and the staff who bought it sang Happy Birthday. Just before we left DD was presented with a lovely photo of her with her cake in a frame which I thought was a lovely touch.

Today we will be staying home. There is a joint of beef in the oven for our lunch and once that has been eaten and tidied away I will start on some laundry and do some cross stitching between loads then at 6pm everything will stop for the usual Sunday evening tv.

Hope you have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

One Small Hole And Miles Of Traffic!!!

There was cause to go into the big town today. The road we have to travel isn't great at any time but this morning it was horrendous. Some work requiring a very small hole with traffic lights three ways and the road was at a standstill....well apart from the idiots who thought it was OK to overtake and try to get further up the queue. There was a lot of shouting, car horns blaring and bad words going on.
I was glad to get home.

I managed to visit a huge charity shop which I spotted when in town the other week but didn't have time to go in. I came away with a couple of bargains......a wooden base with a tall glass dome ripe for a Christmas scene (I know it's early but I couldn't leave it behind), a couple of books and a lovely pashmina for putting round my shoulders when I am reading in bed at night. I spent six pounds so I was very happy with that.

Just a bit of pottering going on now we are home as we are off out to the Chinese tonight for DD's birthday meal with The Doodles. The table is booked for 6:30pm so that we are not out too late for the girls. Ruby will be so excited as it's her most favourite place to eat which I think has more to do with the chocolate fountain than anything else...lol.

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

The Best Laid Plans And All That!!!

I had a pretty good idea of how my day was going to be today.....empty the indoor freezer into the outdoor one, empty the fridge, switch them off and give them both a really good clean and refill them. Then I was going to make soup for tea with any stray veg lurking at the bottom of the fridge drawers.
Erm....no. Andy has decided that we are going out and that we are having burgers for tea. He is now on his way to the butchers to buy some. Burgers are not on my list of things I like to eat unless I really fancy one which is very rarely. I might just pick up some fresh salad and have that instead.

Didn't get much done yesterday as I did myself a bit of a mischief on Tuesday.....over reaching when I was cleaning the window in the kitchen. My shoulder was so sore but it seems fine this morning after a good soak in a hot bath last night so no excuse for shirking when we get back from wherever we are going this morning.

It was absolute bliss to have some time to get some cross stitching done yesterday in actual daylight rather than squeezing it in at the end of the day and using my bright LED light. I  don't usually start until after Andy has gone to bed so that I can stitch in peace and quiet and not have to listen to the dreadful programmes he watches.

Right I had better go and get myself ready for going out.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

I've Made A Start!!!

At last I have made a start on cleaning the kitchen.
Today under the sink got a good sort out and scrub and the inside of the window and frame now looks sparkling.
I have also cleared a lot of stuff from the worktops so there is now room to move.
I'll carry on over the week doing a bit at a time.

No time for crafty stuff today because as soon as I finished cleaning it was time to start on tea....marinated pork chops with roasted baby potatoes and salad....it is smelling good and should just about be ready to serve up.

Hope you've all had a good day.
Sheila-x-

Hello To Another Week!!!

I didn't post yesterday as I didn't want to put you all into a boredom coma...lol.
If I had of done it would have just read....got up, had breakfast, made pastry, assembled a pie with the filling I made on Saturday, ate lunch and pottered about until it was time for Dancing on Ice and Call The Midwife,went to bed.
As I say.....boring.

Today I have no laundry to do and no cooking as we are just having beans on toast for tea....so Andy and I are going for a wander up to the garden centre. I still have a little Christmas money and need a couple of things from the craft shop.
When we get back I am going to sort out some of my fabric to store upstairs in the spare boxes we have after a good sort out of Christmas stuff. If I can empty two boxes down here I shall be very happy as then I can put all of my ribbons in one large box and all of my picks and greenery in another. They will all be at hand then for when I feel in the mood do some finishing on my cross stitch projects.
If there is any spare time after that I want to have another go at dyeing some cross stitch fabric. I have a lot of white and cream and I don't much like either so I am going to grunge it up a bit.

I hope you are all doing something fun today.
Sheila-x-

A Quiet Friday!!!

We had a lovely day yesterday with DD for her birthday.
The Doodles came to visit for tea and cake and then it was just us, a simple tea and Game of Thrones....smashing.

I did the laundry instead of the planned kitchen scrub which I will make time for this next week.
Today will be mostly spent in the kitchen cooking for today and tomorrow and then we'll have another quiet evening.

Once DD is back at work on Monday I really need to try and establish some kind of routine. With Andy at home all the time and her new hours I seem to have to gone all to pot and need to get back on track with things. I am really missing having the house to myself for several hours at a time.

Anyhoo....I hope you all have a good weekend.
Sheila-x-

Right....Let's Get Cracking!!!

We've had a lot of lazy days over the last week or so and now I am ready to start getting my teeth into some jobs around the house. The kitchen never did get it's proper deep clean before Christmas so I will be starting in there tomorrow and I fully expect to wear me Marigolds out.....lol.
I would have started today but Andy has just gone to pick Ruby up as she is desperate for a visit and all housework stops when she is here so that I can give her my full attention.

One of my aims over the next few months is to find Andy some jobs that he can get his teeth into. He has been retired for three months now and he is getting bored and snappy. He doesn't have much in the way of patience and his DIY skills aren't up to much but I'm sure I'll be able to find him something to occupy him.

Tomorrow we have a big birthday in the house....DD is turning forty. She doesn't want a big party so we are booking a meal out for us and The Doodles at the Chinese buffet next weekend with the added embarrassment of a birthday cake delivered by waitresses in daft hats just to make it a bit more fun. Andy, Ruby and I will be off into town to book it and choose the cake once she gets here.

I hope you are all having a good start to this new year.
Sheila-x-

2020!!!

Wishing you all

the very happiest

2020

Sheila

-x-