Dog Days

"We borrowed this little dog called Lulu, she's small and very funny....."


She came to stay for an extraspecially super long time this visit. She's actually my sister's dog but she takes her vacations at our house from time to time. While she is here we try to take her mostly everywhere we can with us and we get lots of attention in return, it’s a bit like having a baby again, everyone smiles down at her as they pass by or stop to coo and give her a pat (if she'll allow it, she has a preference of children and ladies to men especially the older gentleman with his stick in tow - she doesn’t rather like sticks!)

The nice thing about dogs (no it’s not the hair - oh the hair - sooo much hair), the nice thing is it MAKES you get up and get out. I always read the blogs of those ladies over in the Dales,

http://www.marmaladerose.blogspot.com/ and http://milkchurncottageshop.blogspot.com/ (which a lovely lady introduced me to before I really knew what blogs were all about) plus a newly discovered blog called http://littlefloatingcraftco.blogspot.com/ (not in the Dales - more mobile I guess), and I feel rather envious of their gorgeous surroundings. But when we actually get out and about I realise what gorgeousness is right on my doorstep that I have been blithely ignoring.

These pics are within a 2 min walk of home. It’s bluebell time and it’s just lovely lovely lovely. So from now on I promise to sit up and ...er smell the bluebells? I am a fair weather girl though so come winter all bets are off, unless of course it snows again ( I love all the snowball fights followed by hot chocolates).

On that subject lets all hope the weather stays nice for our 'Picnic in the Park' on 15th May (Astley Park, Chorley) and that we don’t have gales whipping through the marquee and rain lashing at the passers by.  Oops I've said it now, if it is bad weather let’s hope no one attending read my blog. I shall deny all.

One last thing look right and you shall see Elizabeth Bennet, me thinks I am pleased with this result, I wouldn’t have liked to have been Marianne Dashwood (bit of a drama queen - though I have been called that on several occassions) or Catherine Moreland (she was a bit dizzy - again accusations have been tendered), hmmm perhaps one of those two would have been more appropriate after all!

XxNikxX

Chocolate and Camper Vans

Its the Easter Hols and considering we have been rudely interrupted by tonsillitis we've still managed to have a couple of pleasant days out.  A lovely day spent at Haigh Hall with a gaggle of children + dog.  A trip to the park for me and my girl, where we conquered the maze but completely sucked at crazy golf - as we always do.  Then yesterday as my poorly boy started to improve we visited the Ramsbottom Annual Chocolate Festival. 

There was plenty of inspiration for our next stall at 'The Picnic in the Park' see pic for details.

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=2Ee01k7C80Qo&PBID=1fa90f7d-6533-4b6d-8ac0-ca90c0cbc092&skip=

follow this long link to see more details of the whole event in the Smile Magazine pages 10 and 11

My favourite stall at the Choccie Festival (if you could call it just a stall) was a pretty pink VW camper van wrapped in floral bunting (very now) inside they had covered sections of furniture with the same fabric and the lady serving drinks had a matching apron, plus the table was filled with a variety of cute teapots and delicious cakes. How gorgeous is that?!

Totally inspired.

 see http://www.lulabelleslunches.co.uk/home

 

Me in green top purchasing a tasty hot chocolate and gushing like one might over Brad Pitt

I had a great idea for something a bit different for our stall -  I planned to lay it out like a picnic (or a tea party) as we will be at a picnic, however, I've had a trial run on my dining table and though it looked pretty, it was a bit confusing as to what product was on sale so its back to dreaming up something new, I'd still like something unique so our stall stands out.  Hmm!   Here's a pic anyway. 

You must pop into our marquee on the day of the picnic and have a nosy at what we've come up with.

XxNxX

Bloggers block....

Or rather, too much to say. 

I planned not to update the blog too often and as a result interesting things have come and gone without a mention.  I have decided this time I shall jot down the many thoughts currently vying for space in my head, add pics if I have them and see where this takes me – here goes:

Paint Pots & Petal’s our ‘hobby wot pays’ is nearly one year old – we HAVE to decide how to celebrate this.  In the meantime here are 3 of my fave designs from our first year.

I can’t definitely say they are THE top 3 as I am fickle and change my mind often (see I've even uploaded 4 as I cannot choose), plus my absolute fave would be the cupcake stand design by Kel of which we have one very bad photo. 

I am trying out lots of NEW THINGS recently. I had never worked behind a bar but it seems everyone else has done bar work at some point, so I decided I was going to have a go and volunteered a couple of nights at the Chorley Little Theatre a few weeks back, I loved it.  I was rubbish at getting pints of lager right but I reckon I was on the button with the banter.

I also used a SEWING MACHINE for the first time, ok so I only did straight lines attaching fused plastic bunting flags with Chorley Contemporary Crafters (http://chorleycontemporarycrafters.blogspot.com/)  but I found it rather relaxing.  I’ve asked my lovely mum to give me some lessons on her old faithful and we start next week.  I now have plans zooming around in my head for special makes perhaps aprons, simple little bags for holding pens, clips, small toys etc to be hung in the children's rooms, I’ll start with some bunting for the summer first as this feels as if it will be a simple project and then, watch this space.....

Speaking of rooms - my darling son was ordered upstairs this morning to TIDY his ROOM – he is a hoarder  and I can easily use up 2 hours having a ‘quick’ clear out – but today he was to do it himself – I was so impressed with the result on one side that I took a commemorative pic.

Frugalness / frugality? BEING FRUGAL I have also been asked to do a scrapbook workshop at one of the craft meet ups – eek.  Thing is, I don’t really have all the gadgets, I do tend to be frugal when it comes to crafting, ok so there are the occasions where I leave the shop with too many goodies when all I went in for was a new 30p craft blade.  But there is no die-cut machine, embossing tool or digital assistance, I wonder what the ladies will make of my dig out your scissors and cut round this pan lid style.  Hayho I plan to distract them with this delicious box my sister gave me to store all my lovely stamps etc in (hmm I do seem to have quite a few stamps)!   

Having said all that I think you can overspend on a homemade something and while yes it will look lovely I always feel like it has cancelled out its purpose by costing too much to create – isn’t it enough to have cost a lot of time? 

Scrapbooking is meant to be just that – made of scraps and memories brought back from wherever you have been.

So can I make an apron without purchasing new material?  Can I do a workshop and keep everyone interested with no gadgets to wow with?  Can my son keep his room tidy for the entire weekend, can my daughter do the same even thought I can hear her now at her little desk dreaming up some crafty creation with her very own stash? 

Let us not hold our breath......... x

XxNikxX