Lucky me!

What a great birthday! I was all doom & gloom about my birthday not in I'm getting old I just felt a bit like I could not be arsed with anything at the moment kind of mood. Well I had a great day. My sister had gone to a lot of effort and made me and little dear a little tea party for lunch, the best kind of lunch in my opinion. We then picked up my Grandad and took him to Clumber Park, it was great as it was virtually empty. We looked around the 'Clumber during the war' exhibition, we went to visit the beautiful church, my Grandad has a thing about churchs, he is a member of a local history society and spends quite a lot of time studying churches. Clumber church apparently is quite interesting as it is a Anglo Catholic church! He spendt 15 minutes telling me & my sister about what that meant, and then another couple exactly the same thing. We then went to the cafe for tea & scones and then on to the shop.

My Grandad had a great day out with us, so we have said we will take him some where else of interest. I have to say when we dropped him off at 5.30 he was knackered, but my Mum had planned out his tea and had made sure he had nothing on today so he could chill out.

Any way coming back to my birthday, on the pressies front I did rather well and everyone is beginning to understand my taste after 32 years. Me & hubbo agreed not to buy anything for each other as funds are low and we go away in a couple of weeks, but he has promised to buy me a 1950's kitchen cupboard so I am on a ebay hunt. He also said he will collect it as long as it's within a sat nav area (that's every where right!). Little dear bought me the 'Duffy' CD which is rather good. My mum & dad have given me money as we are going to buy some new tiles for our bathroom (sad I know). My brother bought the Cath Kidston's smelly set. My other brother bought me a organizer and a copy of the 'Grazia' magazine, I think he thinks I sit around all day reading, how wrong I sit about all day reading blogs!

One of my friends bought me the little book on sex, as I told her the title should of read ' No sex, were knackered'. Another friend bought me the Duffy cd as well so I am going to swap that for another.

My sister is fantastic at buying presents, she takes in comments I make all the way through the year and does not mind a bit of effort to organise them either. She arranged fro Manda @ Treefall designs to make me one of her fantastic Selvedge Pincushions. She also ordered one of Lisa @ Primrose Hill Interiors Doodle books and one of the lovely tea light holders, they are both gorgeous. She also arranged for the wall decal to be produced for my studio if you can not read it it says 'all work and no play make Vanessa a very dull girl' how brill is that.

My Grandad went into the the shop and bought me the Jam jars & the Jam recipe book. When we were eating our scones & jams in the cafe i mentioned I was going to try making jam and bless him he remembered.

The Henkeeping book was a treat to myself and I have also treated myself to a copy of 'The Diary of a Provincial Lady' with the special edition Cath Kidston cover on it. I am awaiting delivery on that one, but I feel this may be my holiday read.

All of this loveliness was finished off by a visit to my local Indian with all my family, it was great. Thanks for all my birthday wishes from you lot to it just adds to day.

Forgot to say the reason for the one card in the photo was that it was from my friend in Italy and it is a 'Poppy Theffrey' card, she gets every where!

Sorry this is such I long post!

Flutter Butterfly!

Little dear's parking, very woman like, and a man having to rescue her.

Trying to catch butterflies very unsuccessfully.

Little dear had a school trip today to here http://www.butterflyhouse.co.uk/ .

I have to say It was a really good day, I would of liked to have had a better look around but my friend is not as interested in wildlife as me. There was plenty to see and do and the picnic rooms have some fab things for the kids to play with particularly around 3-7 year olds. The outdoor play area is really good as well as there is a large sandpit, zip wire, cart track and a great set of table & chairs to sit at for the adults.

It is not big place so I can imagine at times it would be horrendous, but there were 3 school parties and a few others people and that was probably enough.

It's my birthday tomorrow, my sister is making me lunch, my mum & dad are taking me out for an Indian and in between me & my sister, little dear are taking my Grandad out to Clumber Park as there is a war exhibition on and that's my Grandad's dig. My Grandad is very lonely as my Nan went into a care home just after Christmas. In one way he is relieved but he is very lonely, if you pop in for 10 minutes, 2 hours later you are stil there.

Anyway must go and jet wash the little dear down as she is filthy black.

Feeling off!

4 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure)

Sorry I have not been around for a while I am feeling sorry for myself, I just can not be bothered with anything at the moment. But today with the weather been wet has some how inspired me, I think its the fact that I cannot get out and hubbo is at work (thank god!). I have baked flapjacks and chocolate chip cookies. I have cleaned the house up and most importantly tied my office up, this usually inspires me.

I have got to get my sewing mojo back quickly as I have a show next Sunday, and I have a few orders to complete. Luckily Sara @ All about Eden is on her holidays so no phone calls interrupting. Also with it been my birthday on Thursday we are planning a trip to Clumber Park for a picnic.

We did not manage to get to Clumber park at the weekend due to the weather conditions, but hubbo did have a good birthday/Father's Day. Me & my sister treated my Dad to a dinner date for his Father's Day present. We took him to a nice Italian restaurant and it was gorgeous and my Dad got a little drunk. We dropped him off at home to do some work at 3.0 clock and by 3.15 he was fast asleep on the sofa.

Will take more photo's next time as I have a few crafty things to show. Have you seen my results of the good housewife survey, I would love to say its wrong but my husband would probably agree.

Have a good weekend

Slimming down!

That's a weird title but it was the 1st thing to spring to mind when thinking what to write in this post. The reasoning behind the title was that there is no photo's today as I am on my Pa's pc and my last post had a feast of photo's and I have started a diet and had my 1st weigh in yesterday.

News on the Slimming World diet Week 1 was that I lost 3lbs, not as much as I wished but I am still happy as it's a start to my stone weight loss before I go my holidays on the 12th July. I think my biggest problem apart from actually eating too much! is that I have a thing for bread, mayonaise and coleslaw. So they are going to be targetted this week and I will not take any prisoners. I have to make the decision its either margarine, mayonaise or coleslaw in my sandwich/salad not all three.

On the crafting front I have sort of lost my mojo at the moment, I think with business been quiet on Ebay and my website it has not helped. But I have managed to create a pressie for a friend who has just moved house and with coppers been a little tight this week/month/year I have decided to make her a present. I will take a photo and put it into my blog soon. It is also Father's Day on Sunday, aswell as that it is also Hubbo's birthday so I will have to get my creative head back on soon. If the weather is fine on Sunday all my family are planning to go to Clumber Park and have a BBQ and cricket match.

Here's to heathly eating this week!