Ah!

(uttered slowly with a blossoming smile, eyes closing briefly, breathing in deeply)

Ah! - getting into a bed that has freshly washed sheets

Ah! - "a good cup of tea" in the morning

Ah! - taking off shoes and putting on slippers

Ah! - having a sit down after a busy day

Ah! - lying back in a nice, warm bath

Ah! - finishing a meal and feeling replete

Ah! - finishing for the day (bra off!)

I'm sure there's more but for now -

Altogether 

A-a-a-h-h-h!  :)

xx

Blog trailing

I thought I'd go on a blog trail today and what better place to start than here, a new thrifty blogger who's just setting out on her blogging journey. Thrifty left a comment on one of my posts and revealed that she was a fellow Filofaxer. Her post on her thrifty find in a CS endeared her even more.

From here I pressed on to Simple Living who is one of Thrifty's followers. She's also one of mine (at least I hope she still is what with the decline in follower numbers). There was a bit more organising here on her 26th January post.

I found my next stop on Simple Living's blog list - my empire of dirt garden - what a fabulous name. Her post on Bullet Journals from 13th January caught my eye.

The end of my trail came here, to Second Hand Susie's blog. I admired her whole approach towards sustainable living. Her post on most of her wardrobe being given over to second hand clothes reminded me of my wardrobe with most of the clothes from the CS or second hand and her post on 'no-poo' intrigued me. I've read quite a bit about this subject before but never heard of using a plant to help! (If you haven't the faintest idea of what I'm talking about just follow the link.)

Now what trail shall I go on next?

xx

I've finally arrived

Scene:- Chemist's waiting area

Young man in the back (chatting to young lady behind the counter) : It's sex discrimination, that's what it is. For girls it's, "Sugar and spice and all things nice," but for boys it's, "Snips and snails and puppy dogs' tails." It's not fair!

Young girl behind the counter: No, you're right there.

Lady in waiting area (me): It's, "Frogs and snails and puppy dogs' tails."

Young man in the back (calling out to Lady in waiting area): Ah, thank you, I'm not of the older generation. I always thought it was, "Snips and snails."

Lady in waiting area (me) - thinking: "I've finally arrived! Welcome to old age."

xx

PS Edited to note - 

1. He's correct too. I looked up the rhyme and learned something new.

2. I also looked up 'snips' and learned something new! (This is a comedy site and is complete nonsense.  Don't read this if you are easily offended.)

3. I'm still not sure what 'snips' means.

Problem?

Problem:-

One dressing gown, bought at the CS, with no belt. (That's why it was only £1.) It looked awful with a different coloured belt so - what to do?

Solution:-

Cut off the hem at the bottom, herringbone stitch a new hem, and use the old hem as a belt.

Sorted.

Problem solved.

xx

PS My number of followers has been going up and down like a yo yo recently.

Posting for Joy

Joy asked how I've set about using my new to me Filofax as a Hobbies organiser. It's only in its infancy at the moment but here's a first walkthrough.

My monthly divider cards are made from and old calendar. I probably don't need monthly dividers but at the end of the year I will be able to see how much I've done each month.

The first section is for Ebay listings. I'm trying to de-clutter and one way of getting rid and recycling at the same time is by selling on Ebay.

I have made an opening section to quickly list in order the items I intend to sell. The top headings include date of listing, starting price, whether auction or buy it now, postage price etc.

Following on I have more details for each item and a place to put the proof of posting.

The next section is for ...

my foreign language practice and includes various exercises from different course books.

The third section (and on this divider I have stuck a photo of some dance friends) is ...

...for notes on different dances. I'd kept a few handouts in my gym bag and now I have the ideal place to store them. My intention is to use this section as a reference for the different dance steps.

I have quite a few other hobbies that won't necessarily end up in this organiser. For example my recipes have a book of their own. Our music group sessions are recorded in a separate book too. Crochet, knitting patterns and more recipes are stored on my computer.

I wonder if I should start a Gardening Section or list my Lego collection. If I'm not careful I'll end up as just having the one hobby of - 

organising

with no time for anything else!

xx

There's more ...

… pics from our jolly out to the Winter Gardens.

More patterns - 

Over a door in the Circle Bar.

A Deco frieze in a corridor by the loos.

More decoration - 

In a Deco chill out room.

In the same room as above.

The mirror behind the bar in the Circle Bar.

The ceiling in the Ballroom.

The walls in the ballroom.

More interesting bits -

It's an old cine camera I think.

These are the counter balance weights that help lift up
a portion of the stage.

The stage is the largest in Europe.

The ceiling in the former Planet Room. Here you can
see the different constellations.

Decoration in the Spanish Hall.

The Baronial Hall

And finally - 

This was a very interesting sign on a door above the stage.

No flying for us then!

xx 

Must say 'Hello'

The snowdrops are up and flowering but they are being dwarfed by the daffodils which seem to have started early this year.

The rhubarb is tending to forget which season it is in too!

The weather seems to be warming up a little now but the ground is still very wet. Already the annual weeds are showing through and I will have to go out in the garden when the weather is fine and make a start on getting rid of them. Hello garden.

The visit to the Winter Gardens had to include saying 'Hello' to the sea. Here's the Tower in all its glory, soon to be rid of its scaffolding so it can stand proudly showing off its new coating of red paint.

Turn 180 degrees and there's the sea.

Hello sea.

xx

PS Hello, new follower, I forgot to welcome you last week. I hope you enjoy your visits.

Patterns

It was Heritage Open Day in the Winter Gardens and two friends and I had a good old wander around the place. Even though we've been before we still found plenty to look at and admire. The floor coverings caught my eye this time around.

Can you see the ice-creams?

This one's more formal.

And this one more modern.

Here's more of a fifties style.

And here, a pattern from the thirties.

I did look up to view the walls and ceilings but that's for another time. It was the patterns on the floor that interested me the most.

xx

PS - Type Winter Gardens into the search bar (above right) to see some views from other visits to this wonderful building. I was looking up then!

Going green

Green is the theme in January and there's plenty of it in the kitchen. I think many, many people are delighted with the £2 tulips from Lidl - idldle. I've started storing fruit in my glass cylinders. One holds the fruit ready for eating and the other holds the compost waste. (How green!)

They add a splash of colour on the work surface. The climbing plant is still climbing ...

… and climbing

… and climbing. It's attached itself to the ceiling and the wall.

It's also branching out over the top shelf.

I bought some green mugs from Wilkinsons as they were only 50p. The green oven mit is from B and M but it doesn't really work properly. I can still feel the heat through it. I'm just using it to decorate the space.

The green bananas are gradually turning yellow.

DD kept the green bottle because …

… it had a Buddha on it. It holds a dried alum head from the front garden. The Shalom mat holder is from a close friend.

xx

Sweet

I've just found this little notebook in a drawer I've been tidying. It only had a couple of pages filled in  and ...

… on the first page was this note.

Ah, sweet! All my favourite things from my family. The best on the list is the 'great big hug'. I'm going to use the other pages as 'to do' notes or shopping lists in my Filofaxes. This is a 'new to me' birthday gift from DH. I'm using it as a hobby organiser. It's an A5 which is half A4. I'm recycling old A4 paper to use as pages.

The month dividers are recycled pages from last year's calendar. This one is very apt for the weather we've been having this January.

xx

Not a shelf or a cupboard ...

… to tidy and sort today but various tins and tubs. Isn't the word tub a great sounding word? 

Tub, tub, tub.

All my sewing box and threads were getting in a tangle so hence the attack.

The greens in the above pic were sorted but I've a pile more other colours to wind up and plonk somewhere. Reels, elastics, threads, cutters, scissors, pins and needles. Buckles, press studs, hooks and eyes, catches, bodkins and old zips. How to arrange, what to throw, what to put where? This is going to take a long time to sort. Today's a rest day so I'm taking my time.

Questions:

How many thimbles do I need?

Am I really going to darn any socks?

Will I smock anything using shearing elastic?

Am I ever going to use the rainbow of coloured threads that I have acquired?

I don't do dressmaking so how many old zips, that I have rescued, will I use?

Do I need an old bra wire?

Answers: 

(in no particular order)

No

None

None

No

I doubt it

I wonder where the other one went!!!

xx

PS 1. Welcome to another new follower.

2. I've been out once to sing to the tree. I may go out again!

Ensuring a good crop for the future

I need to be prepared for tomorrow - it being Wassailing Day. Our apple tree has never borne much fruit. Last year it produced 4 apples - the most it's ever had I think, so I need to intervene. The Wassailing link gives me hope for the harvest yet to come. It's worth a try anyway so tomorrow I shall be outside wassailing the fruit trees. I haven't got any cider so perhaps a 'little bit of sherry' will do and I may even sacrifice some Christmas cake to spread amongst its boughs if that will help produce a bumper crop come September.

Now I'll need a song so this one will do.

Health to thee, good apple tree,

Well to bear, pocketfuls, hat-fulls,

Peck-fulls, bushel-bag-fulls.

Here's to thee, old apple-tree,

Whence thou may'st bud, and whence thou may'st blow,

And whence thou may'st bear apples enow

Hats full! caps full!

Bushel-bushel-sacks full,

And my pockets full, too, huzza!

Stand fast, root! bear well, top!

Pray God send us a good howling crop:

Every twig, apples big;

Every bough, apples enow!

I'll be happy with more than 4 - stay tuned!

A very warm welcome to my new follower.

Welcome follower
Fellow blogger,
Comrades all we be
Here's to thee
And one and all
Warm greetings
To you from me.

xx

PS Just getting in the mood!

Second coming

My 3 Lidl - iddle hyacinths have already flowered once.

Now 2 of them are flowering again. Bargain blooms.

xx