Hope every ones new year is a really wonderful one, thank you all for making my last years blogging experience a lovely welcoming one xxx

Yummy, yummy in my tummy

We had a lovely Christmas, really relaxed and full of good food, snuggling in front of the fire and playing games. Everyone loved there handmade gifts and it was the best Christmas I have had since I was 7 years old!. We went to the in laws and my mums on Christmas eve and swapped gifts, our little nephew who is nearly one had a velvet Santa suit on and he looked so adorable in it.

After boxing day I had a quick tidy up and discovered a book I had borrowed from the library ages ago and not read!, the hummingbird bakery book has some very tasty looking cupcakes and other naughty delights in it, so I couldn't help myself.....

Mmmm lemony snicketts topped with rainbow snowballs and lemony icing - well that's what I called them, I think in the book they are lemon cupcakes!! they are truly scrumptious, so full of calories but v. moreish. I also baked some vanilla cupcakes which went down a treat - so well I haven't got a photo of those. I substituted milk for rice milk and butter for dairy free marg and they worked fine.


Whilst the oven was nice and hot I made two loaves of wholemeal bread and some roasted butternut squash and sweet potato, this has a sprinkle of cumin, some fennel seeds, salt and pepper, olive oil and balsamic and is a delight.

Talking of delights look at these fellows we got from Tom's sister, how very cute, our boiled eggs tasted great in them....

she carried on the chicken theme with these cock a doodle ishious tins, plus other chicken related items which are now at home on the dresser.

Every night this week we have put the boys in bed and got cuddled up ready to watch a DVD we got for Christmas and every night we have fallen asleep, woken up around 2 am, not much heat coming off the coals, dribble wet cheeks and shivering, in a daze promising ourselves we will definitely watch it tomorrow - what has happened to the all nighters we used to pull!!!

Have a happy new year folks, this year has been a great one for us and we hope next year will be even better xxx

its beginning to look a lot like christmas ...

Christmas comes but once a year, but how fast does that time come around, its like time has been fast forwarded, this year I have been more organised than ever before and am looking forward to it. Its been fab making and crafting for others and having met some really lovely friends this year in our home ed group it has made it more magical.this is a little wall hanging that's above my fireplace, hand embroidered with bells hanging off the bottom...
a little sequined bird just ready to sing a lark....

and a mischievous pixie girl who my partner says is secretly me!!

Our fireplace decorated with candles and pine cone and the boys made stars out of twigs, bound them together and put glitter on them, our stockings that I made, which hopefully will be filled with goodies

we like to get one new decoration each year, whether its handmade or bought and his year I was pleased to go out with the ladies from the victory baptist church at Blackpool ( I go to a knitting club with them) to Barton Grange-Wow what a place, the layouts were amazing, I really wish I took the camera, fantastic creative sets for different countries, I found this extravagant bird in the India section, he's lovely and after Christmas he will be going in the tree in my little ones bedroom, to join the other birds and monkeys that live in it.

Here's our pond on our first snow day, the boys came and woke me up saying it had double snowed!, they were so excited and I was too, we got up, got dressed and went out in it, I fed the birds and melted a bit of the pond for our frogs and newts and then went out front for ....

snowman building, Brrrr it was cold but so worth it, its all melting now :(

Happy holidays to everyone, hopes all your dreams come true and smile and rejoice in the lovely friends and family we have and remember those who have gone from this world but watch over us daily - thank you Dad xxxxxx

crafty update

Embellished bracelet cuffs....

Pretty lavender hearts......

Mr Star.....

embroidered felt brooches....

crochet rolls......

knitting rolls....

Love Cat and the two little Love Kittens......

Embroidered owl cushion....

All left over from the craft fair, I didn't get any photos of the stalls because to be honest they were all a bit "bitty", I wouldn't say crafty/handmade apart from me and a lady next to me who made beads and necklaces, she had a nice stall all lit up with fairy lights. The day was rainy, cold and very tedious, there was not many customers because I think lack of posters and signs outside and the windy day.

It wasn't all a washout though, a customer came back twice after collecting her daughter from home and she was very encouraging and lovely about my things, she cheered me up a lot. Also a lady who runs the farmers market at Fleetwood asked if I would like a stall there as they are also doing arts and crafts now as well as food, so I am looking forward to that, she said it was a busy day so fingers crossed more customers! That's on the 19th of Dec so very near to Christmas so I may pick up some handmade presents whilst I'm there.

Does any of you lovely readers make soy/beeswax candles and do you sell them? I would be very interested in buying some if so xx

christmas craft fair sneak peek.....

hello ladies (and gentlemen if reading) I have not stopped all week getting ready for another Christmas fair, this one is tomorrow 21st Nov at Bispham Sea Cadets (opp Bispham library) 10 am - 3pm. I am hoping for a nice day on the weather side of things and a steady flow of customers - I'm panicking if a lot turn up at once and I get in a flap!! or even worse if no one turns up and my children then make me feel guilty for spending so much time sewing this week! anyway here's some things I have made, there are more so if you can pop along and see me, my stand will be Sanctuary Moon, the same name as my new web shop - not quite ready yet, when it is I shall let you know x

Do you like Love Cat, he is so adorable and survives on just hugs and kisses from little people, he has a friend Love Kitty who is just peeping out from behind him because he is rather shy!!

still sewing

I have been a busy bee, I have started for the first time in my life to look forward to Christmas, I think it is because this year is going to be a handmade one and the pressure to please others comes from the heart not from some idealistic idea we should spend, spend, spend money on crap that nobody actually benefits from.

I have been making things for the Christmas craft fair (6th Dec, Cedar square, Blackpool, 10am - 4pm) I have been invited to join. I am excited and nervous too, I haven't dealt with the public in such a long time but I'm sure all will be okay. I will upload some photos when I have some camera batteries!!

Our Halloween was spent inside being cosy in front of the coal fire and watching a film, ignoring the constant tapping on the door after the popcorn treat bags we made had ran out. For bonfire night we did...nothing, how liberating it was too. We watched neighbours fireworks out of the window but that was all. Not because we are mean or scrooge like, I just don't see the point, when we go to see the annual firework championships on the prom and the boys just play a game, they are not interested at all how great China's entry was or how France's rockets were bigger than last time, so they wouldn't be impressed with a Catherine wheel tied to our fence!!
Plus on the the money I would of spent on fireworks will be going to buy this new Jamie Oliver book the recipes are awesome, I borrowed it from the library and so far I have made the BBQ sauce and its the best one I have ever tasted, so smoky and yummy. The cinnamon swirls went down a treat and tonight we had peach cobbler - sticky, zingy goodness. I found it less arty, farty with the ingredients than his other books and the stories in it are interesting too.

Now the nights are drawing in I love turning on the fairy lights, lighting the fire and sitting in my wonderful art deco armchair that I discovered last week in a second hand furniture shop, its covered in velvet and has big sweeping arms, perfect for relaxing and doing some embroidery in which is what I'm off to do now.

sew long......

Its been a long time...well over a month since i last blogged, sometimes I find it a bit of a chore to finish a post but I will spend hours reading other peoples blogs, and sometimes it's a case of I'm actually living in the real world and cyber land has to wait, but I feel on this bitterly cold and very windy Sunday whilst I'm still in bed using my BFs laptop and drinking barley cup I will carry on and finally finish this post!!

A while ago I got the new vertbaudet catalogue in the post and am in awe of the duvet covers, especially this deer one, how cute, I really want it for my bed even if it's meant for little people.

This is the interior of a girls room and if I was ever blessed with a girl this is what my dream room would be like for her, I especially love the rug.

We have been gathering the last of the blackberries from the garden and having delicious muffins with them in, I also have made some jam with them and even though the kids wont eat it because of the seeds I think its lovely lashed on toast. I used some of it in an eves pudding with some lovely strawberries but that went down so well I didn't have time to take a photo, I was surprised too as we made custard but with rice milk and it worked out surprisingly well, my BF also made curry using oat cream and that was yummy, this dairy free thing is pretty good now!!

We had a bit of sad news too, our little ratty Peanut died not long after this was taken, he was poorly and Chris wanted to read a Mr men book to him to make him better, he wrapped him up all snugly in a pillowcase and spent well over an hour just reading and stroking him.

He was an old ratty though and had enjoyed his time with us, it has made me think though I don't want anymore indoor type pets, we will just stick with our lovely ladies and eventually when I get my dreamy cottage, a pig and a goat!!

Let me introduce you to Molly, Lucy and Sunflower boy...... still not finished yet but so far I have enjoyed making them, I'm trying to get on with Christmas making early this year, I have made some stuff for my mum but can't really put them on here in case she sees.