August Happy Things

New Pens 

Brilliant reading matter and thinking of starting a degree

Eastbourne

Lots of lazy afternoons reading

New selves for our Dining Room

Completed projects

Carrot Bran Muffins

Nicely organised spices

Celeriac Coleslaw

Pretty Southwold Bunting

My favourite trees in the world

Baby Blanket

For the last month, I've been working on a baby blanket for a friend whose little one is imminently due. I was a little worried I wouldn't finish it in time, but I have! Hurrah! I kept it simple with a Granny Square from Lucy at Attic 24. I've done this pattern before and knew it would work up fairly quickly. They don't know if they are having a boy or a girl, so I went for neutrals.

I used Stylecraft Special DK in Cream, Mocha, Grey, Silver and Parchment - one ball of each, which makes it a super economical blanket. I really like the soft neutral colours and it should suit their nursery which is cream and coffee colours. I finished it with a simple scallop edging. I genuinely cannot believe I managed to make it in just four weeks - a bit here and there with fairly solid concentration time in the last week. But it's done! I do hope that they will like it!

Southwold

It's a bank holiday weekend and in between a few showers, there has been blue sky! On Saturday, we went all the way to Suffolk for a stroll around Southwold, a completely charming seaside town. The Pier is wonderful with places to eat and a few shops. They have some wonderful metal work too - from the micro bandstand to the water fountain clock. It's not as ornate as the Pier at Eastbourne we went to last week, but the sun bleached wood and white buildings are simply beautiful.

And yes, we did try just a few times to land a coin on the end of the Pier - each and everyone bounced off!

As you head off the Pier, it becomes decidedly more colourful with the Lifeguard Shed and seemingly endless rows of Beach Huts. I do like beach huts a lot, they all seem to have a personality of their own. I seem to have a large collection of Beach Hut photos - it's a bit of an obsession! This beach hut at Southwold was my favourite...

The towns Lighthouse, stands amongst rows of small houses and the brilliant white looked amazing against the deep blue sky. I made me feel a little giddy standing at the bottom looking up - it's just so very tall! We also had a potter in the lovely shops of Southwold, including the Adnams Cellar and Kitchen. I think we called it a day at the right time as the sky became completely moody and then the heavens opened. We definitely made the most of the sunshine!

Lincoln

I've just found this post in my drafts - I had completely forgotten that I had put the pictures in a post, but Lincoln is just so pretty that I just had to still post it...just photos this time, not lots of over wordiness from me!

 

 

This is why I shouldn't leave Norfolk!

Very early this morning, I boarded a train to London to attend a meeting for work. I haven't been to London on my own since I was 18. I felt quite proud of myself negotiating the crowds, the underground and arriving at my destination early. I even had a chance to sit for a moment in Soho Square.

It all then went a little pear shaped, I had gone to the wrong office. I was in the West End and I needed to be in the City! The office were I was were very helpful indeed and ordered a Taxi to take me across town to where I should have actually been! It was a rather nice journey, saw lots of sights from Shaftesbury Avenue to St Pauls and Chinatown. It was kinda funny being in a people carrier with blacked out windows. But boy did I feel a Muppet and this is why I shouldn't leave Norfolk alone!

After my meeting on the way back to Liverpool Street Station, I marvelled at the exceptionally tall buildings and some of the architectural beauties of some of the buildings. I always love Leadenhall Market and always smile as I pass the door of the Leaky Cauldron from the Harry Potter film.

There was still quite a lot of Olympic stuff around - I got to see a Wenlock and lots and lots of poster and bunting. On the train home there was also quite a good view of the Olympic Park. I must confess though I was very glad to get back to Norfolk!

A beachy weekend

We went down to East Sussex this weekend to stay with my Sister in Law. They have just returned from 8 months in Australia, so it was very, very good to see them! On the Saturday morning, we went for a walk up at Beachy Head which rises 162 meters above the sea and is the highest Chalk Sea Cliff in Britain. The views were spectacular - looking out to Eastbourne and then across to the Seven Sisters and beyond.

We then headed into Eastbourne and we had a quick jaunt on the restored Victorian Pier which was originally built in  the 1870's before settling down on the Beach for a lunch of Fish and Chips. The Beach was absolutely heaving with everyone basking in the delightful warmth of the day.

In the evening we had a family BBQ to welcome the travellers home - they certainly went all out with food, it was soooo good! About half ten we wandered down to the Beach as they are just a few minutes walk from the seafront. We watched the stars and I saw my first shooting star! It was so peaceful and still quite warm that we ended up staying quite a while.

On Sunday morning, we headed back to Seaford beach. It was a day for relaxing, fishing, swimming and kite flying. It was quite an overcast day but still pleasantly warm. It was such a chilled out day, just what the Doctor ordered! In the late afternoon it was time for the second BBQ of the weekend, man I love a beach BBQ. We ended up staying on the beach until gone seven, meaning we got back to Norfolk very very late, but it was completely worth it. I can't wait to get back to the south coast and explore some more!

It's beginning to look a lot...

Ok, so it's only August and my mind is on December. I just love love love Christmas. I've had some felty, sequin adorned, button trimmed, ribbon bedecked decorations on my mind for a while. Even though it's indeed only August, I just had to make some. Simply, just had to! I will confess that I could make Christmas stuff all year round, that is the strength of my love for that wondrous season!

A whiled away many an hour cutting, sewing and selecting just the right embellishments. There was quite a bit of debate if I could actually cut up that oh so pretty ribbon. I tried to put the colours together so they were as clashing as possible - I do love a bit of Orange and Pink together. They are very bright, very sparkly and a little bit over the top, but for me, that's just how Christmas should be. I can't wait to put these on our tree.