Best Friends and The Emerald Isle....

For our holiday this year we made the long journey by car to visit my Best Friend Forever Vicky in County Leitrim, Ireland.

Vicky and Mr G have known each other since they were 2 & 3 years old having grown up on the same estate and I met Vicky when I was 15 and we moved "down south".

Initially, we disliked each other (I thought she was stuck up and she thought I boy mad!!) but Vicky took pity on me when the popular girls started a campaign of bullying and befriended me.

I'm so glad she did as I love her like a sister and we have had some fantastic fun over the years - and I realise despite being in our forties we are still like teenagers when we get together!!

Vicky settled in Ireland about 20 years ago and used to visit home at least once a year so begin with I saw her regularly. Then her parents and two of her sisters followed her over and she stopped coming back over so until I attended her wedding in 2010 I had not seen her for ten years.

Determined to not let it go so long again this year it was decided that our family holiday would be taken in Ireland.

It took 36hrs (including overnight stop in Liverpool) door to door - but oh was it worth it!! Not only is Ireland the home of my BFF, it is just beautiful!!

We stayed in an annexe belonging to friends Martin & Eilish which had the most lovely view which looked different everyday:

On the Sunday, having left our husbands in their respective beds with raging hangovers (they went to the pub on Saturday - Mr G doesn't really drink but found everyone so friendly he couldn't help it - every time he went to the loo two more pints were waiting for him!!) Vicky and I took her beautiful crafts to a little craft fair:

Sunday evening was spent in front of the log burner on Martin & Eilish's patio:

Eilish & I....

Squeezing my Vicky and not wanting to let her go!!

Our visit was all the more special as Vicky is expecting a baby with her lovely husband David:

We have utterly fallen in love with Ireland, the beautiful landscape, slower pace of life and wonderfully generous, hospitable people. We've never been made to feel more at home and welcome.

Our evenings were most often spent tucked on Vicky's cottage crocheting:

In the middle of our stay we travelled south to stay for a night with Vicky's Mum and Dad, Diane and David, who run Ballywarren House - a gorgeous little hotel (when we were kids they had a cottage hotel too and Vicky and I would get into trouble stealing OJ and the expensive couverture chocolate chips by the handful!!)

We took the scenic route south and boy was it worth the extra miles:

The experience was spoiled somewhat by the boys squabbling in the back of the car like a pair of toddlers:

Butter wouldn't melt....

Ballywarren itself is beautiful. My kinda house!! I just love the Georgian double fronted look:

We were there on the 25th anniversary of Mr G and I getting together:

It was really wonderful to see Diane and David again!!:

Inside Ballywarren is the most wonderfully cosy, country house:

Diane is a fantastic cook and following a wonderful dinner we settled into our lovely room for the night:

The next morning we bid our farewells but not before the obligatory photos:

We headed back north to spend a few more days with Vicky before all too soon it was time to return home.

For a week or so after we got home we were seriously tempted to move to Ireland we fell so in love with it. House prices are currently very low and over there we could afford a really large house with several acres of land.

However, I would find it too hard to leave my family (despite having what feels like family over in Ireland) and so it's just a pipe dream!!

Phew, this has been a biiiiiig post!!

Hugs,

S x

 

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Went AWOL There For A While!!....

Hello my lovelies!! It has been almost a month since I last posted on my poor neglected blog so today I am going to do a bit of a round up for you.

Since I last posted we have spent a week in Ireland visiting my BFF Vicky. I met Vicky at school when we were 15 and she has known Mr G virtually their whole lives as they grew up on the same estate:

We forgot the real camera so just inferior phone pics I'm afraid!!

The trip deserves a post of it's own so I'll save the rest of the photos until then.

Three days before we travelled to Ireland we had a bit of a shock. We arrived at the stables to find one of my horses dead in the field :0(

Ironically, at 22 years old he was the youngest of my four and one of the ones that was still fit enough to still be in work so it was a huge shock to find him laid in front of the field shelter lifeless. He was still warm and hadn't been gone long. We think it was a heart attack.

I am consoling myself with the fact that he went quickly, with no illness, in his home with his herd mates.

That's the trouble for we animal lovers, they just don't live long enough and it's heartbreaking when you have to say goodbye....

In more cheery news I finished my ruffled shawl:

It was shamelessly copied inspired by my dear friend Cuckoo at Tales From Cuckoo Land but alas it does not look anything like as fetching on me as it does on the gorgeous Cuckoo - (I've just showed Mr G the pics of Cuckoo in hers and he said "Yeah well she's tiny" - not exactly confidence boosting, eh?!!)

I think I shall keep it for wearing over my nightie when I want to do the full on Victorian thing.

I've also just completed another of my home embroideries - just a sneaky peek here as its yet to go off to its owner:

I'll be back soon to tell you all about the beautiful Emerald Isle....

Hugs,

S x

 

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Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!!

Hello my lovelies!!

How are you enjoying this weather? What's the betting it will vanish as soon as the kids break up for the holidays and we'll be back to the usual British "summer"?

I have spent most of the week here:

On my sun lounger by the "pool" - its been too hot to do anything and so the garden and housework has gone to pot while I lay in the shade trying not to melt.

I. Don't. Do. Heat.

A few years ago I went to Singapore with Mr G who was on business and I spent virtually the whole 10 days complaining about the heat. Mr G says I was like the female version of Karl Pilkington.

But I've managed to do a little crafting in the shade - I can't show you yet though as its for a swap.

Ridiculously I have also cast on a winter cardigan for myself, I figured if I didn't start now there's no way it would be finished in time!!

I searched the www high and low for the perfect cardigan - I'm very hot blooded and rarely wear a coat so I wanted something to wear instead. I had a picture of exactly what I wanted in my head, something empire line (since that flatters my ample curves) and long. So after days of searching I picked the closest pattern I could find - this one from from Etsy:

Since it takes 20 balls of wool this could have been a costly project but I managed to get some bargainous yarn - Patons Fusion from Kemps Wool Shop at 79p a ball!! I chose a blue/green mix and its working out in quite wide faded stripes (no pic yet!!)

Now to go off at a tangent....

A couple of weeks ago I had an x-ray as I have been having hip pain and the results show I have "moderate arthritis" in both hips. Of course the "treatment" for this is (once again - it's a doctors go to cure for everything a fatty has!!) to lose weight.

I'm trying. I've managed to lose 11lbs slowly. It's hard. I'm greedy and love food.

My weight does worry me. I am made to feel by society, the media and people around me that as a fat person I am a ticking time bomb.

But dare I say that it is a myth that if you are not losing weight then healthy eating/habits are not benefitting you.

The blog Dances With Fat has an excellent blog post that discusses a study that has shown that healthy habits (not smoking/eating 5 a day/moderate alcohol/exercising regularly) make healthy people REGARDLESS of the persons weight.

The study concludes "Healthy lifestyle habits are associated with a significant decrease in mortality regardless of baseline body mass index."

So, I am trying to focus on making healthy choices which will benefit me and if I lose weight than that is a bonus.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

I'm learning to draw, but that'll take a whole post of its own so I'll love you and leave you....

Hugs,

S x

 

 

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The Secret Of A Great Night In....

With the triple dip recession as it is staying in is definitely the new going out so I was delighted to be given £50 by Money Supermarket to have the ultimate night in.

After giving it a little thought we decided that the best way to have a good night in is with good food and good company and so it was arranged that we would have a dinner party with our oldest friend:

D and I met at school when we were 15. I was the new girl and she asked if I wanted to be her friend. After that we were inseparable and she was the one that approached Mr G and did the whole my-friend-fancies-you thing!!

D hosted the evening at her home as she has a little boy:

We had a wonderful meal of chicken goujons, followed by chilli with guacamole, nachos, refried beans and all the lovely Mexican trimmings and then D's wonderful triple chocolate brownie:

Of course it was all washed down by the odd cheeky cider:

Mr G demonstrating a balanced diet....

Of course there was plenty of free flowing laughter and we even got out some old photo albums!!

You don't have to spend a fortune to have a great night in:

• Invite your favourite people, even if you haven't seen them in a while
• Consider a theme night - Mexican; Chinese; Italian and choose food/drink accordingly
• Have a cocktail night - each guest brings ingredient and you spend the evening sampling new drinks!. Make sure to book a taxi and have food to soak it up!!
• Consider having a murder mystery dinner party - each person plays a character and you theme the food - they are fabulous fun!!
• Games nights in general are always fun, especially if you have a few little prizes

A lovely time was had by all and I thoroughly urge you to dust off your address book and reconnect with your old friends - it really is true what Baz Luhrmann says in The Sunscreen Song:

"Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you

should hold onto. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and

lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you

knew when you were young."

Hugs,

S x

 

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Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String - The Shabby Oak....

Hello all, I hope you're well and have enjoyed the sunny weekend?

These days when I fancy a little retail therapy I like to browse little independent shops and small boutiques - both when I'm shopping in bricks and mortar stores or online.

As such I am always delighted to find a new shop that sells beautiful items that make my heart go pitter-patter.

I was therefore delighted when The Shabby Oak offered to sponsor a post and sent me some goodies to review which came wrapped up in the best way:

What a gorgeous treat to receive in amongst the bills!!

The Shabby Oak is an independent family run business, selling a range of carefully selected, beautiful gifts, homewares and jewellery. As with my packages all orders are wrapped beautifully to make receiving them a real treat.

Inside my parcel were some really gorgeous treats, my favourite being this lovely Rabbit Jewellery Holder:

These Floral Triple Wall Hooks will look great in my sewing room - gotta love flowers AND birds!!:

One can never have too many photo frames (did you know that lots of photos on display is the sign of a happy home?) and this Antique Heart Frame is a classic:

And also included were a couple of pretty little butterfly clips:

I am delighted with the service and products from The Shabby Oak and will certainly be adding them to my favourites for when I feel the urge for a spot of retail therapy.

Hugs,

Sarah x

PS You can "like" The Shabby Oak on Facebook to keep up with all the news and offers....

 

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Birthdays!!

Hello my lovelies!!

This past week or so has been a week of celebration as H turned 15 on the 17th June:

It amazes me that my baby has gotten so big - time really does fly.

You may notice from the above pictures that the cake is something of a disaster. It was actually one of the worst cakes I've ever made despite it being a Mary Berry recipe and it rising beautifully.

The trouble started when I tried to stack the three layers - the cake was so crumbly it just fell apart and then great hunks got stuck to the palette knife as I tried to ice it. I decided it wouldn't matter as it was bound to taste nice, but in actual fact, after proving impossible to cut (you ended up with a plate of crumbs) it was very dry.

It did become edible when warmed in the microwave and served with ice-cream though, so all was not lost.

Yesterday is was W's thirteenth birthday. So we now have two teenagers in the house, eeeek!!

W had a laptop for his present:

Yesterday afternoon we all went to the cinema to see Man Of Steel - I really enjoyed it not least because of the delectable Mr Cavill - I hadn't been keen to see the movie until I saw a clip on TV from the beginning:

I do like a man with a hairy chest. And a beard.

But I wouldn't say no to the more clean cut version either!!

I've been doing a bit more sketching, this time nudes:

First attempt at hands as you can see!!

I'd like to find an art class to do as I've found that I am really enjoying drawing.

It's not all been fun this week as the 22nd marked the fourth anniversary of my Dad's death :0(

1948-2009

Before I love you and leave you let me give you a heads up on a fab giveaway being hosted by Forties Knitter

- she's giving away tickets to a 1940's Society Night including one nights B&B at The Red Lion at Whittlesford Bridge, Cambridge. Well worth an entry!!

Hugs,

S x

 

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Live, Laugh, Love....

I am delighted to have been asked to review a product for the lovely company Live, Laugh, Love - they are a company specialising in the most beautiful shabby chic, vintage and French style gifts, home accessories and furniture:

I had a look at the lovely website and could have easily spent a fortune as it has the most wonderful mix of goodies, many of which I had not seen before. The owner picked out something she thought I would like and I was thrilled to receive the sweetest glass bottle with a cute bird stopper:

Birds and roses, two of my favourite things....

The bottle would make a lovely gift for a special person as it is something that can be kept forever. It looks really lovely on my shelves among my mismatched china.

Other items I particularly liked were the Chintz Pottery Jugs:

The Barn Star - a trio of these would look fab on a little boys bedroom wall:

This pretty Teacup Box Frame would grace any kitchen wall:

And I couldn't resist showing you this sweet little Bird Trinket Pot - this one is going on my birthday list!!:

All in all Live Laugh Love have a wonderful selection of covetable products at reasonable prices and as well as that you can feel good by buying from a small, independent business.

I urge you to pop along and see Live, Laugh, Love in all it's gorgeousness....

Hugs,

S x

Although this a sponsored post, all opinions expressed are my own.

 

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