Monday 22 November 2010

Introductions and my little Man of the Match!

There's a new girl on the block,
and I happen to know she's adorable!
How do I know this?
Because she is my lovely class teacher.

The poor girl has to put up with me all day at work,
and listen to me bleeting on about Blogsville.
So with gentle persuasion, found herself
engulfed by this friendly cyber land.


Let me introduce


Please pop over and say Hi.

You won't be disappointed.

Anyhow my lovelies
have a look at this little chap...



He's my little
MAN OF THE MATCH!


You can't be in my family and not enjoy the game of
RUGBY


Jacob is proving to be a bit of a star at the game.



In my town we're lucky to have such a great
set up for kids playing rugby.
They're well looked after.


We're off on tour next Spring!
How does it go?
What goes on tour, stays on tour!
(wink wink!)


So, I have high hopes for my future international star.
But I'll be upset if his lovely little face ends up like this
after his rugby career.


Love Claire. x

Thursday 18 November 2010

Fancy a stroll?


I'm not sure about you but when things get a bit
too much, I like to get away from everyone,
be alone and clear my head.

I call it
P & Q
(peace and quiet)

Since having Basil this has been
much easier in the form of a walk.
Off we go, just me and my little faithful friend
and before I know it,
I'm feeling more like myself.

I took my camera out with me the
other day, with you in mind,
thinking some of you may need a bit of
P & Q
so here we are, off out, on my doorstep and
into the beautiful countryside that surrounds my little house.

It's getting a bit late before we even begin,
look, the man in the moon is out already!


That's where we're heading,
into the woods.


Past the little brook that tinkles away,
whatever the season.


Baz has found a stick,
lucky for us it's only a small one today!


I'm feeling more peaceful now,
how are you getting on?


I'm loving the colours this evening,
reflecting on my calm, and quiet canal.


Who's that coming along quietly?


I sometimes wish for a
shabby chic narrow boat rather than
dreaming of a vintage caravan?


Not sure my driving skills would live up to it.


A tight squeeze.


But she manages it perfectly.


Along on her way, slowly and calmly.


The last of the evening sun highlighting the way.


Come on Mr Duck,
it's almost dark.


Goodbye Mr Sunshine,
hope to see you tomorrow,
a fresh new day.


Come on Basil,
it's time we got back.



...and we hurry along home to our toastie warm house.

I hope you enjoyed our bit of

P & Q


Love Claire. x

Saturday 13 November 2010

Jack's Union!

What a week to have this beauty
wing it's way into my arms!

Armastice day brought with it
feelings of sadness but a huge amount a pride too.

My Grandad Jim was one of the loveiest fellows
you'd ever be lucky enough to have met.

Four years of his life was spent being a
Prisoner of war
during
World War II.

When he died,
obviously a family losing someone
as special as him found it all a bit hard to cope with.
But we were all very proud for Jimmy to
go to church on his final day out
with the
Union Jack
draped over him.

He would be so  to pleased to know his little home,
in which my own little family now live,
has a huge and beautiful one all of it's own
to proudly display!




So how did I manage this fabulous find?


You won't believe it,
but I just walked into my favourite charity shop,
and there it lay!
Rolled up and thrown on to a pile of blankets!!!


Grabbing it I held it close,
and I tucked myself into a corner and slowly
unravelled it, soaking up the feeling you get when
you come across such a haul.

So there it lay before me,
I drink in the wonderful sight...

...my very own,
ever so slightly but beautifully shabby,

UNION JACK.


The price????


Deal Done!

Love Claire. x


Wednesday 10 November 2010

Easy Christmas Cake!

 This is where I post my

 
Grandma Lily's
tried and tested
Christmas cake recipe!


Where I tell you that it's been
handed through 5 generations.



OR....
I come clean and tell you
my secret.

TESCO's
ready made christmas cake,
fed with Brandy every
couple of weeks,
from now until Christmas
when I shall ice it.


I just take the lid off,
unwrap the layer covering the top and
dribble a couple of big spoonfuls of brandy
over it's skewered surface.


Then wrap it up again,
and secure the lid on the tin!

Done!


The cake cost about £3.50.
I have no left over ingredients to go off in the cupboards,
no mess to clean up,
or worry if it's under or over cooked.

My usual messy snow storm of royal icing
will be in order...
my Grandma Lily always did this design
and then my Mum,
now little me too!
The boys can help, just like
I used to when I was there age.


So, I have no feelings of guilt,
it'll still feel homemade
and lovingly tended to,
and hopefully,
taste divine.

Go on...

...you do the same!

You don't have to be as honest as me though!

Love Claire. x

Monday 8 November 2010

Crafty, but Homemade!


Before I go any further,
I just need to tell each and everyone of you
how much your lovely comments
have been encouraging my along lately.

Lots of us are mentioning how the dark nights
are drawing in and how cold it's getting.
But sat here, in my cosy little home,
with 2 cheeky little boys happy and safe,
all my furry and feathered friends healthy,
I quite like it, and with you for company,
I'm certainly not complaining!

So please, all of you,
take a big huge
'Nearly There Claire'
HUG.

To say thank you properly,
a giveaway should be in order.

So watch this space soon.
(wink-wink)

Seeing as it's getting all chilly around these parts,
and I have done so many posts lately
about life with my boys,
I thought it about time I offered you
something crafty!

There's something about wool
that is so comforting and homely.



Knitting is not really all that tricky,
you just need patience.
Something I'm not really.

But, I found myself in the wool shop,
stoking and squeezing the soft colourful balls of loveliness
and the lady encouraged me to give it a go.
For only a few pence I could buy a simple pattern
for a pair of

Wrist Warmers!



Very easy,
would you like for me to share it with you?

OK.

I chose some chunky wool and 6.5 mm needles.

Cast on 38 stitches.

...and then you knit 2, purl 2!
Matching up your knit and purl stitches as you continue
with the rows,
creating a rib effect as it grows.

Easy!

If you are not well practiced at this like me,
you soon get to see how the pattern is formed as you go along,
and although I got a bit muddled a couple of times
it's not too tricky to undo a few stitches and get back on track.

Unfortunatly,
I don't have the finished pair to show you,
as I wrapped them up and gave them to my
oldest friend for her birthday last week!

But half way through,
(with a blog post in mind)
I encouraged Jacob to
model them for me!




His skinny little wrist looks lost in them ha ha!

Anyhow,
Once your knitting measures 7 inches
you cast off, fold length ways
to make a tube.
Start to sew down from the top
1 inch to join up the seam.

You then leave another inch,
for your thumb to stick through,
and then continue to join up
down to the end of the seam.

Did that make sense?

Well if it didn't I'm sorry,
but believe me,
IT'S EASY!

If I can do it
anyone can.

By the way,
My pal loves them
and a little bit of me wishes I had
kept them,
but seeing as I keep saying how
easy they were to knit,
I should crack on and knit more eh?! 

Love Claire. x


Sunday 7 November 2010

Remember, remember the 5th of November....?

Now then,
did you all know that
Guy Fawkes, in 1604,
tried killing off James I
by blowing up the
Houses of Parliment
with gunpowder,
so a Catholic could return to the throne?

So his being caught
and then punished in such a gruesome manner,
I'm not sure, what with me being a Catholic, I should celebrate it....

....but seeing as it is by order of
King James I
that we SHOULD celebrate it,
I do! ;o)

...and this is how my lovely little family managed it this year.

On the 5th November itself
we lit our chimnea for the bonfire.



Mummy drank Gluvine (Gluhwein)
(only to warm me up of course)
and we ate hot dogs and baked potatoes,
and melted marshmallows on our diddy bonfire.



We had our own little firework display.
Which Basil, the adorable and
completely bombproof labrador,
sat and watched with us!!!
Sorry about lack of photos, I was too busy enjoying myself.


I love the smell of sparklers.
(maybe I'm a bit odd there? Ha ha)


Now last night, the 6th November,
we went to the local Cricket Club to watch
an organised huge big bonfire and firework display.

Nothing like feeling the warmth
from the fire on your freezing cold cheeks.


We had been earlier in the day to watch the chaps
build the bonfire, which, for my boys,
provided more entertainment value than
the main event in the evening!
(forgot the camera. Doh!)

I too, managed a rather giddy moment
whilst being at the bonfire building bit,
THAT my friends,
I shall share with you later in the week!

On to the fireworks...


How tricky is taking photos of fireworks eh??!!!

I wanted to watch,
Oooooing and Ahhhhhing
with everyone else,
so you have to just take my word for it
and believe they were great,
and very very LOUD!

So, that's that.

Bonfire Night

done for another year.

Eek!!!

I can hardly contain myself!!!!!

You all know what's coming next don't you???


IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Love Claire. x




Friday 5 November 2010

The gruesome birthday!

I bet you're all feeling Halloween was soooo last week!

Well yes, it was, but seeing as I promised to
show you some of the very few photos
of a very FAB birthday party,
I had best get on with it eh?

The cake!


It was going to be a
RED VELVET CAKE
but ended up being a Sainsburys chocolate one!

But we did spruce it up a bit,
as you can see.



Basil just HAD to get in on the act!
He came trick or treating with us all,
and wriggled through to the front everytime we
knocked on someones door...
funny how he learnt VERY QUICKLY
that kids drop things,
especially sweets and hot dogs etc!



Not many photos of children as they didn't stand still long enough!

Somehow I got roped into playing the
silly party games!
(yes, the kitchen is in a state, but so would anyones
in the midst of a wild and mad fun party like ours)



We all loved the lanterns
and made wishes.


Some of which I found out later were
for scramble dirt bikes???!!!?????



We had enjoyed decorating the house with lots of
spooky decorations...

...some written in BLOOD you know!


Afterwards, a very worn out pair of boys and puppy!

One of which just couldn't stay awake a moment longer.


So there you have it!

Is it Christmas now????

NO?

You mean we have to do

BONFIRE NIGHT

before we can officially
start thinking about Christmas?

Well then,
that brings me neatly round to
wishing you all a
fun packed evening tomorrow.

Keep safe everyone.


love Claire. x