Extended Easter

The second week of Easter we stayed in Amsterdam and visited lots of beautiful places, taking in lots of the Dutch architecture. Only problem was due to a mountainous mass of rock spewing ash etc we could not fly home! Now most people would probably jump for joy at this news being stuck abroad for me well it was a different story. WHY? I drove my poor husband barmy I will never really understand but for the four additional days and one travelling day I was away from beloved blighty I was not a happy chick. You could say this Easter I learn't a lot about myself. I am a self confessed control freak in the sense that I like to feel I am holding the reigns and during that week I certainly wasn't. But hey ho I thought I would share some moments we captured.

Keukenhof Gardens ......Tulip paradise!

Beautiful Blossom!

The theme this year at Keukenhof is 'From Russia with Love'

Great swathes of hyacinths and daffodils created carpets of colour.

I missed Ethel though and found this fella to make me smile.

Someone has been reading the handmade nation!

Every space is so thoughtful.

We visited Vondel Park I made .......

A daisy caterpillar, it reminded me of Primary School days.

There were lots of funny things like this man playing his music whilst travelling along the canal.

Henrietta Heron.....?

A visit to Marken

Back in the city....

But my heart was at home and I was glad to see Ethel once more!

For those that wondered we eventually got the very LAST cabin on an overnight ferry from Roterdam only 24hours and 10 modes of transport later we were back home.

Just shows how we all rely on technology and take it for granted!

Ciao X

Easter Antics and Sophie Dahl

I am just LOVING the Sophie Dahl Series 'Delicious Miss Dahl' I have just spent an hour or so this morning catching up with my viewing of last nights NOSTALGIA episode. I love love love the part where she made the victoria sponge and flapjacks. I watch with awe and amazement and she recalls moments from her past, she lets us know just enough to capture a snapshot in time and then swiftly moves on. Good on her I say too many folk are just TOO nosey and want to know all too much. We are very excited as her newly wed the Amazing Mr Culum Jazz artiste non the less will be making an appearance in Birmingham next month. We can't wait Mr H brought me his newly released album Christmas think I might listen today.

Oh How I adore Sophies kitchen well I think it is her kitchen??? clever TV I guess!, but I am sure I would cope even if it was a TV set kitchen, I am the girl who after all could easily set up home in Laura Ashleys store, room settings.

Well anyway...... The Easter low down....... I hope you all had a happy Easter!!

Lots of these faces were found inthe Uk I am sure!

I once again have packed my 2 weeks holiday with countless tasks which I will no doubt feel demoralised if I do not achieve ........Why oh WHY do I raise the Bar so HIGH???????

(In fact ....Don't we all?)

So my list of To Do's which I hope will result in some Ta Da's !!

* Clean House (CHECK)

*Prepare for mini holiday to Holland

*Take Ethel to Vets (She isn't sick)

*Paint stools aquired from school skip/throw out!!

*Paint Drawer unit and cover with oil cloth

*Make a stash of goodies

*Make Birthday present

*Knit

*Read

*Gardening

*Blog (check)

*School marking/planning

*Take shoes back !!

Unfortunately not these lovely shoes!! I fear I may not get my big feet in them! Maybe I should have had my feet wrapped in tight bandages when I was small?? Unfortunately then my six foot frame would probably end up horizontal hmmmm???? So I must get up now and make a trip to M&S (liking the adverts as ever by the way) as I have made another wrong purchase once again! I am sure my feet grow and shrink in a day!! So I am off now to do just that....and purchase some mini oven proof dishes for my homemade fishpie supper for four. Yes we are having dinner guests how exciting!!

Ciao X

Ethel

Ethel's first photographic debut.......

Getting settled in...........

Such a princess !!

Getting her full 90 mins of nap time...

We were very excited by the arrrival of our lovely mini lop Ethel, so much so I did not have time to post. It is still crazily busy here..... especially at work as it is the GCSE deadline this Easter, it has not helped by catching another bug which I have only recently recovered from. Hey ho I know a lot of folk are suffering with virus's and the like.

Anyhow this is not a whinging post it is to say hi and introduce young Ethel who is fast becoming accustomed to what is the life of riley. We love her though and its nice to have a cute wee rabbit to look after. My plea for a dog fell on death ears Mr H said it was not the right time he is right as usual as really we are out all day at work. Anyhow Ethel is quite content to sit and chew on her hay all day and contemplate the meaning of being a bunny.

Did you turn your money over??

Hello to one and all and a Happy St. David's Day to you. Well technically it is St David's evening now as ever my post is clearly post (past) the day. Ah well the thought was there anyway.

Hurrah today is the first day of spring, although Mr H has a theory that there will be another blast of cold just as we are lulled into a false sense of security. Must be mother nature having a giggle or something.

So in answer to my own opening Q. I myself did not turn my money over. In fact I was rather confused/bemused and generally unsure how you exactly go about that task. We were talking of white rabbits and all that comes with a new month or spring time etc and I was told to turn over my money. Obviously not in a menacing 'give me your money' 'hand it over' kind of way that would just be silly! Anyway its one of those old tales as it is supposed to make your money grow. Unfortunately, as per usual my purse was looking more like old mother huboard's cuboard totally bare!

I thought I might start a what's on your needles group, not sure how that will technically work , but I am going to give it a go. So the second Q of the post is indeed what's on your needles. Use the button on your blog and tell me and the bloggy world what you are knitting at present. Send me a link so I can have a wee look at what you are all up to. Knitting needles at the ready!

So on my fine bamboo needles we have ...... felted tweed shade 142. The knit is to be revealed soon. Stay tuned.

Finally I was surprised today with a little present from my very good friend Elsie. A fab notebook, oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

LOVELY! I love stationary can't get enough. This unfortunatley concerns the husband tehe what's new there then!

Lovely inside pages... sorry about the photos.

YUM... I am going to use it o keep track of my rows and stitches as I knit away.

Ciao amigo's X

Lazy post

Hence titled as I was too idle to take decent photos and found myself hopping around trying not to cast shadows on aforementioned pics. OH DEAR ME NUFF SAID!

On to some of the Birthday Goodies.........

How excited was I to receive this little HUBBA HUBBA number from the pupil's at school. I am in charge (I know scary) of one of the school's house groups and bless their cotton socks they all chipped in to purchase this mini satchel from the goddess that is Cath Kidston as a big surprise, needless to say there were tears in the office.

THANK YOU PUPILS

Not that they read this.....but the thought is there.

Another new CK product added to the household was this cuter than cute teapot cosy courtesy of my thoughtful brother in law and family.

Thank you.

It is a good job Mr H is so easy going on household things as a lot of men would probably throw a fit if they were surrounded by soo much Cath K! I would like to point out that I do not always get my way......particularly when it comes to holding the TV remote. AHH well you win some........

Ahh now this little bunny friend is someone recently knitted on my Jolly to Wales. Not as cute as the rabbits on Little Cotton Rabbit but he will do ok in the Easter display bowl in the kitchen. Planning ahead and all that.
Finally the sketchbook pages....often sketched at the breakfast table in CK cottage. Quite enjoyed sketching but have decided that drawing skills need further attention.

Have a fun week

Ciao X

Half term antics...

Cath Kidston Cottage

Glyn Ceirog

Llangollen

I was very excited to spend 5 days of the half term here.....

It's not really called Cath Kidston Cottage just incase all you die hard CK fans go hunting, I have called it this for weeks as when we were searching on Cottages for You I found this little gem......Mr H didn't really have a leg to stand on did he?!

We visited Horse shoe falls, which we walked to along the tow path in Llangollen.

Chilly brrrrrrrr but beautiful and peaceful.

We met this little chap on the way back..... Cute, our favourite bird.

After lunch we walked up a big hill !!! to Castell Dinas Bran...

It was very cold up there... I will refrain from being a drama queen and say I suffered from altitude sickness as that would be a big fib.

Mr H left a message.

On the way down the sun came out.
Very high!!

We saw Thomas waiting on the tracks back in Llangollen. That was a childhood blast from the past. My brother used to LOVE! that children's programme. He will go mad if he see's this. I shall have to dig out some pic's of us in our Thomas the Tank cardigans/jumpers knitted by my nan.

The next day we went back to Lake Vyrnwy this time to cycle the 12 miles opposed to walk it!!

COLD but FUN is how I would describe the experience.

It took us nearly 2 hours but it didn't help having me stopping ever so often to take pics.


Magical forest, I kept expecting someone out of Narnia to walk by or a character from The Hobbit.

Frost patterns.......

Thursday we travelled along horseshoe pass, a very winding and steep road.

We went to Ruthin Craft centre to see the silver exhibition and 'All tied up' an exhibition of scarfs.

In the afternoon we visited the Pontycysllte Aqueduct it was very high!! It must feel like your floating in the clouds if you travel down along the canal.

Yikes!

Friday we went to Chester.... I made a few cheeky purchases of the fabric type!!

If you look hard you can see it's snowing!

It was a very restful week. In between getting out and about I have been sketching and knitting an Easter Rabbit using a Debbie Birkin pattern I am adapting. CUTE.

Well must dash will try to show you all my sketches and Birthday goodies some time this week ahead. I need to crank myself back up to work mode now....ahh just few hours left of holiday mode though.

Ciao x