The Emporium @ Lou Lou Loves Vintage Is Now Open For Business

Please click on the link on the right hand side of my blog to visit The Emporium's blog page where all items for sale will be listed.

Whilst you are over there, please become a follower of the blog to receive updates when new items are added to the shop.

Love Lou Lou x

Even More Shopping...This Time In Brighton

I do apologise in advance but I have been shopping yet again and my husband has thoroughly spoilt me to make up for the fact that he has been away alot recently so I have been on my own.

On Saturday, he offered me a trip to Brighton which I was hardly going to say no to, especially given how much I love the place!

We arrived there at about 10.30am and parked in our normal spot (top tip: the City College car park only costs £5 for the whole day which is much cheaper than the NCP car parks and it is conveniently located at the top of the North Laine area) and seeing as we had not had any breakfast we decided to duck into the Dumb Waiter. It is not the smartest looking joint but it is clean, friendly, used by the locals and the food is good quality, reasonably priced (I sound like a Waitrose ad). I had a bacon sarnie and my husband treated himself to a fry up and I could have quite easily have had another one as it tasted so good!

Refuelled, we moved onto some shopping! There are so many good shops in Brighton that I could be here all day naming them so I shall give you my highlights (ie; where I purchased goodies). First up was Snoopers Paradise on Sydney Street which is a huge shop that rents out floor space to small sellers so there are loads of different things in there such as furniture, vintage clothing, jewellery, kitchenalia, lamps, clocks, paintings, oh the list is endless! I saw a lovely pine drop leaf table in there that had pale blue painted legs for only £95 and I was so tempted but we had nowhere at home for it to go and it would have been difficult to get it back to the car. I did, however, come away with two huge Spode serving type plates in a black and white Rosa design that will be lovely for using at Christmas, dinner parties, Sunday roasts etc for £10.



We then had a shifty at the market on Upper Garnder Street and found a lovely stall selling cupcakes for £1.50 each; bargain! I had vanilla sponge and icing whilst my husband had a black forest gateaux one with a cherry on top!

On Gardner Street I came across Noa Noa which I have heard of but never been into so in we went and I have to say it was a lovely shop where I could have spent all day looking at the lovely clothes. I came away with a wrap around navy cardi, a pair of really think welly socks (my feet are always cold) and a very pretty amethyst bracelet.







Onto Bond Street and the Lavender Room which is a very pretty shop (there is also another shop opposite that is very nice too but I cannot remember what it is called but it sells similar goods) selling homewares, clothing and accessories. I had to go in there twice as I could not decide what to buy! I came away with a pair of navy armwarmers, two pairs of knitted tights in grey and burgundy (tights are very in at the moment;the thicker the better which is good for winter and gets my vote) and an ivory rose garland to wrap around my not so pretty kitchen spotlights.







We moved onto East Street and I simply had to go into Cath Kidston (my husband expects it so I would not want to disappoint) and I came out with one of the gorgeous Painted Rose fruit bowls (even though I already have a perfectly good fruit bowl, you can never have too many!



My husband wanted to go into Jack Wills which seems to be the new 'in' store. To honest, I did not think I would like the clothing in there but actually it was very nice and I came out with a nautical style top which seems to be very fashionable (still; this trend just seems to keep on going and going). There is also a store called Aubin and Wills owned by the company and aimed at a slightly older market that also sells some very nice things (although I did not purchase anything there) located on Prince Albert Street.



We grabbed a late lunch at Pizza Express and then started to make our way back to the car. I could not resist another stop at the Dumb Waiter as I was still feeling hungry after using up so much energy on shopping. This time I opted for some cake and their coffee and walnut cake was right up my street! I was given the largest piece of cake you can imagine and I greedily managed to eat it all!

We finally got back to the car at about 6pm and made our way home via the chippie for some simple good chips which I added lashings if vinegar to and an early night! x

And The Winner Is......

That's right, it is time to announce the winner of my little giveaway. Thank you very much to everyone who entered. Without further ado, I would like to announce that the winner is TRACEY FROM FUNKY MONKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this is what will be winging its' way to you.....



1. A handmade by me flower brooch



2. A pack of white chocolate coins



3. And a copy of the December issue of either Homes And Gardens or Country Homes And Interiors - please let me know which one you would like, Tracey.

If you would like to get in touch with your address Tracey, you can contact me at hannahandmerit@hotmail.co.uk

I shall not post your goodies out until next week due to the postal strike but hopefully once they are sent they will arrive quickly so that you can enjoy your chocolate fix!

Love Hannah xx

Another Day In The Big Smoke!

Specialist subject = SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I have been to London yet again as I had a hospital appointment, which was for a routine scan and everything is all good, thank you for all your good wishes! I decided to make the most of the day and for me that involved, obviously, SHOPPING!

I am not a huge fan of Oxford Street but I did enjoy a mooch around Argyll Street, Carnaby Street, Regent Street and Covent Garden in the time that I had and came away with some super goodies to get me all geared up for the winter months ahead. Sadly, I have not managed to find a new winter coat that I liked so I may just have to be cold (!) but I did manage to get:

1. Some lovely new winter boots with a sock top from Fly London



2. Some super comfy satin ballerina pumps from Kurt Geiger



3. A woollen Chanel style chain bag from Urban Outfitters (Anthropologie's baby sister)



4. A butter soft black leather bag from Banana Republic (less preppy sister of Gap)



I do struggle to get comfy shoes that I can wear for long periods of time which is not good seeing as I enjoy pounding the streets on the shop. Summer is fine because I totally wear flip flops all the time (I still have the strap marks to prove it and I do not even tan well, so that says it all) but winter is always a challenge. Therefore, I decided to invest a little on my shoes as the most comfy ones I own are the more expensive ones so I consider it to be money well spent.

I have to use this concept when it comes to buying handbags considering how many I already own (not telling as it would shock you I am sure) and tell myself that they are mostly good quality and will have years of life in them, hopefully I shall one day have a daughter whom I can pass them onto, I can always resell them at a consignment store if needs must.

Lately, I have noticed that BIG BAGS seem to be the in thing at the moment and I really do mean HUGE! I like larger bags mostly anyhow as I hate to have to squeeze things in but even my existing bags do not live up to the current trend. I was suffering from bag envy and my needs were met by the two bags above, trust me ladies, anyone would have a hard time filling these two to bursting!

Chanel style quilted bags have also been in fashion for some time now but although I do like the style, none of the bags I have seen were quite me. I do not do patent leather and although I like plain leather and the quilted fabric style ones, they just do not suit my everyday look for some reason. Trust Urban Outfitter's to come to my rescue with a woollen one which is very me!



After I was all shopped out I met up with my husband for dinner. After a quick pint of Guinness in a back street local, we headed to Bodean's BBQ house, somewhere I have been wanting to go for sometime after hearing about their famous Burnt Ends (slowly cooked brisket tossed in BBQ sauce). I had tacos to start, followed by the Burnt Ends (excellent, as good as I imagined them to be, the owner's quote 'Need no teef to eat my beef' is so true as it was that tender it simply came apart) and finished (complete gluttony BTW as I was already super full) with a true NYC style vanilla cheesecake. The place was really nice, the food was to die for and the staff were super friendly. I cannot fault the place at all, not even a little bit, and would totally recommend it as it was very good value for money as well!

All in all, the best kind of day out and it got even better when my husband said:

a) we can go see the house we like on Friday AND if we like it from the outside we can go to see the estate agent the same day!

AND

b) he is taking me to Brighton on Saturday!

My husband is the best husband ever; I am such a lucky girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! x

Love Hannah x

PS - I will announce my giveaway winner tomorrow!

A Day Out In The Big Smoke

Yesterday, I met up with my oldest friend in London. We have known each other since primary school and have always kept in touch. Even though we only see one another every six months or so, we keep in touch via Facebook, email, text or even the good old dog and bone.
We met at King's Cross and travelled to Baker Street as I wished to go to a certain shop on Marylebone High Street. To be honest, I was rather disappointed with the shop. I somehow expected it to be a lot bigger and more impressive than it was and so I came away empty handed.
Whilst on MHS, we popped to the Cabbages And Roses market that is held in the grounds of the church every Saturday. There were some very talented jewellery makers there and some super food stalls. If you are in that necks of the woods then I would certainly swing by for a look.
We moved onto the V&A which I have never been to before. Shockingly, and I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I have never been to any of the museums in London before and I really should have, especially considering the cost is donation only so they are effectively a cheap day out. We decided that we would like to go to the clothing and the jewellery areas, both of which were amazing although we both thought that some of the clothing could have been better displayed to maximise the appeal (for example, they had the only black dress on display on a black cloth form so you could not appreciate the detailing on the dress because you could not see it which was a shame) although the jewellery was done excellently. Please excuse the poor photos but they were only taken on my cameraphone.


After the V&A we walked up to Knightsbridge for a look around Harrods. I had to take a couple of photos of the window display and it was so lovely that I really did not care how touristy I looked taking the photos!!!!!!!!!


We finished the day with a walk up Regent Street so we could enjoy Zara Home and especially the newly opened Anthropologie store. I am so pleased that is finally here as I always buy loads of things in there when I go to the States. They have the most amazing wall of living plants as the background to the staircase covering all three storeys and made up of twelve different species; it really is something and worth popping in just to look at that wall.
I came away empty handed as they were a few things that I liked but I am returning to the big smoke again tomorrow (as I have a hospital appointment) so I can think about what I would really like before I spend a small fortune!
The day ended way too soon and we both wished that we had more time but hopefully we shall meet again soon.

Fancy A Cuppa And A Chat?

Hi y'all, how ya doing? Please help yourself to a slice of cake!
Sorry that I have not been around much over the last few days but I seem to have lots of bitty things to do before I start my new job and it seems to be taking up my time quite successfully!
On Saturday, my OH and I enjoyed a nice jaunt out to Stamford (where we hope to move to as we have put Brighton on the back burner for the time being due to a number of things including my college course and new job). I am sure I have told you about the place numerous times before as I love it so much but if not, it is the most lovely Georgian market town on the edge of Lincolnshire bordering Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire (Rutland), Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First stop was the Art Centre where we enjoyed some tea and cake (coffee and walnut is highly recommended by moi) and then we hit the shops; Miss Pickering's Floral Emporium is always good; unusual flowers, plants, vases, cards, ribbons, the list is endless. I picked up some pretty vintage magnetic buttons and a Fenella Beauchamp card to frame as they are just too pretty to send! The charity shops sadly did not hold any prizes this week but never mind, it is all part of the fun IMHO.
After looking around all the shops we set upon some lunch and although there are lots of very good independent cafes there, we quite fancied Ask so off we went! Half a garlic bread, a margarita pizza and a Apple and almond tart later and I was stuffed (until about eight o'clock that evening when we went out to get some chips from our most excellent chippie)! I promise that I do not eat this way all the time otherwise I would be the size of a house but Saturdays (and sometimes Fridays and Sundays) are my treat day so I do not care!
Sunday did not start too well as we went to take Lexie out for a drive only to find that the old girl would not start! I think this may go back to August when she broke down as the same fuse keeps blowing so she will need to go see our friendly VW camper mechanic to diagnose and make her all better! I think we were lucky to get away with her not breaking down when we were on holiday in Cornwall for two weeks!
And that reminds me; my husband is finally out of his cast and walking (and driving) again which is a great relief as he is not the best patient in the world; best IMPATIENT is more like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now he is back on his feet he is back to working in London again which does seem very strange at the moment but I shall get used to it again I am sure. He can also now travel to the companies factories so he has gone off the Cornwall for three days this week although he will not be surfing but is planning to buy a winter wetsuit. Put it this way, he had better not be surfing otherwise he shall be in my bad books big time!
As he is away it has given me plenty of time to do all the little things I needed to do; college homework, cleaning, I went to la hairdressers today for an update on my bob (it is now looking a lot more inverted as it was not really long enough for this last time I went to the hair salon), sort out my wardrobe, have a general clear out, do a major Autumn assault on the garden (I am a one woman garden clearance device when I get going, trust me) and I made some lovely little felt brooches as presents but I am planning on making some to sell in my emporium.
An update on the emporium, I have not managed to get it up and running yet with everything going on (and because I am struggling to part with some of my lovely finds, not good, I know, I know, I shall need to get used to it) and because I want to make some more handmade things so as soon as it is open for business I shall let you know!
Thank you for the tea and chat!
Love Hannah xxx
PS - don;t forget to enter my giveaway, two posts down, open until SUNDAY! x

Loving Right Now....

....postcards by a very talented local artist called Fenella Beauchamp.







These postcards are only a small sample of Fenella's work and can be purchased by contacting her through her website. Go to www.fenellabeauchamp.co.uk for more details. All pictures shown here are courtesy of Fenella's website.

Love Hannah x

PS - please don't forget to enter my giveaway - open to EVERYONE, even if you have never commented before, please join in the fun! x

Reasons To Be Cheerful And Celebrate!

1) This is my 100th post! Yay! It has taken me quite a while to get to this post as I do not manage to post every day like some ladies do but I do not always have a lot to say. I know my blog is not hugely well read compared to some and that I do not have a huge following but I do appreciate every single one of you who does follow me and leaves a lovely comment for me!
Therefore, I shall be having a little giveaway. Not sure what will be on offer as yet but I am thinking some form of sugar hit, a Christmas issue magazine and a few other bits and bobs! If you would like to be included in my giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. I shall leave it open until the end of the month - good luck! x



2) I have a new job! Well, actually it is my old job. Yes, I am going back to where I used to work for 20 hours a week. The best bit is that they have offered me a lot more money per hour so I shall end up with a similar amount to what I used to earn for doing a lot more hours!
The promise of a new job meant that I needed some new clothes for work as most of my work clothes were well worn and a bit tatty or were way too big for me. A trip to Milton Keynes was in order!
I love MK for shopping as it has a super indoor shopping centre with some very good shops, an indoor snowdome which has all the surf shops my OH and I like, a very colourful market with a good selection of food stores and a super little area that houses alot of good restaurants; my OH treated me to a meal at Las Iguanas which was lovely. I can thoroughly recommend the chocolate and orange fudge cake - very naughty (especially after a muffin at Starbucks for breakfast and a slab of iced lemon tray bake cake in Stamford the day before; I don't think I shall fit into my new clothes)!
Anyway, I came away with a good selection of clothes for work/the winter season as I found my wardrobe to be quite inadequate last winter due to the extreme cold. I came away with some long sleeved slash neck tops in black beige and charcoal, a pair of navy leggings (I already have black), a charcoal jumper dress that is very toasty, a grey tulip skirt that is really nice and thick and a grey cardi.
I try to buy fairly classic items so that I can update them with a few key pieces each season to make them last. I would never say that what I wear is high fashion but I would not say that I am unfashionable either. Here are a few pictures of what I bought and the kind of look that I am aiming for.






3) Lastly, I would like to announce that 'The Emporium @ Lou Lou Loves Vintage' will be opening its' doors soon so please watch this space! I shall be offering up a selection of vintage items for sale as well as a few bits that will be handmade by myself. I have started up a blog of the same name that will be showcasing what I have available and all items will be on sale in my new Etsy shop. Please wish my luck with my new little venture!

Lot of love, Lou Lou xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dedication

After reading Hen's post a few days ago regarding the Age Concern Big Knit campaign that is run with Sainsburys and Innocent Smoothies, I came across this article in our local paper and just had to post it here as this lady is so truly dedicated to the cause!
Sadly my knitting is not up to scratch this year (and I cannot crochet at all) but I do plan to make my knitting good enough so that I can make some for next years campaign.

'Nora, 91, knows hats the way to do knit'

She may be 91 years old, but age proved no barrier for knitter Nora Willis – as she completed a personal challenge to knit 1,120 woollen hats.
From woolly jumpers for her children, to cuddly toys for raffles, Mrs Willis from Hodney Road, Eye, near Peterborough, has knitted wonderful woollens for many years.

But knitting four colourful mini hats a day for 280 days in a row – to help elderly people in Peterborough fight the freeze this winter – was her biggest challenge yet.

She knitted 60 of the hats for Age Concern's Big Knit campaign last year, which sees knitters create woolly hats for Innocent smoothie bottles, with money from every bottle sold in Sainsbury's going to the older people's charity.

Mrs Willis decided to step up her game this year – pledging to knit three woolly hats every day from January 1 to October 1 in order to beat last year's target and knit an incredible 1,120 hats.

The pensioner has beaten her target by knitting four hats a day and completing the challenge a month early.

She said: "I always used to knit pullovers for my sons when they were at school and then I got involved in making blankets.

"I would make cuddly toys to be sold at raffles too.

"I also helped make scarves and hats for Age Concern to send over to Third World countries and even knitted a 330ft long scarf.

"It was about 1994 that I started knitting for charity. I set myself this challenge because I worked out I could quite easily knit three hats a day, with baubles.

"Each one would take me about 45 minutes and I loved every minute of it. They are all different colours and they look beautiful.

"By the end my wrist was starting to ache and so I was glad of a rest, but I am delighted that I finished it."

Mrs Willis is now planning to have a rest before getting to work on making some beanie hats.

Her work will be seen on Innocent smoothie drinks and veg pots on supermarket shelves in November.

For every sale, 50p will be donated towards Age Concern Peterborough's services.

Spokeswoman for Age Concern Peterborough, Jane Grant said Mrs Willis's work will go a long way towards the city's target of 4,000 hats.

She said: "We received a letter from Nora about her knitting and were delighted with the number of hats she has already knitted for us.

"Her donation will go a long way to ensuring we reach our intended target before November."

Interested knitters should call 01733 564185. Or you can donate some double knitting wool – size 10 and some 3.25mm knitting needles – to the appeal by visiting the charity's offices in Lincoln Road, or their shops in Bretton, Werrington and Millfield.

Why not follow in Nora's footsteps and make it a New Years Resolution! I am certainly going to! x

The Most Lovely Kind Of Suprise!

Today I decided that I was going to go to the Newark Antiques Fair. There have been quite a few fairs in the area in the last week; Peterborough, Swinderby and Newark have all happened in the last seven days (the later two received a well deserved mention in the latest Cath Kidston magazine/catalogue)! As I decided to go to Devon last weekend, I missed the fairs at both Peterborough and Swinderby so there was no way that I was going to miss out on Newark as well!

I got up well before first light this morning and set off after dropping my husband at his temporary office at 8am. The roads were nice and clear so I was at Newark by 9am. I paid my fiver to get in (I always go on the Friday because it is so much cheaper; Thursdays cost £20 to get in although that does give you entry on Friday as well) and thoroughly enjoyed browsing the stalls even though it was bitterly cold!

There was a lot of lovely furniture there and when we move house I think I shall go there and try and buy anything that we need. It is mostly reasonably priced, lots of different eras and styles, some perfect, some shabby chic, some more towards very shabby and in need of some help! I saw a lot of nice enamelware today but sadly it was mostly garden use type quality instead of in the house quality (hey, I managed to keep a very rusty bread bin in the house but I daren't push my luck!) so I didn't purchase any. I also saw an original set of six Lustucru storage canisters for £48 but again, they were on the rusty side so I left them.

I saved my favourite area for last (the more boutique stalls that run along between the two entrances) where they have a selection of nice antiques and some new goods French and Shabby Chic type stalls too. I picked up some French linen tea towels (4 for £10) that I like using for cushion cover, etc. I think I may turn one into a bag store as that would be quite useful.


As I was browsing I came across a very pretty vintage quilt in good condition that I thought would be nice on our sofa for the winter. As I was paying for it I thought the stallholder looked familiar but I could not put my finger on it. Luckily she recognised me, it was Shabby Chick, Amanda's Mum and I had the pleasure of meeting her Dad too! They have their own antique business and they have been selling a few things for Amanda on their outings to various fairs in the hope of raising her profile and getting her more well known! They are such a lovely, friendly couple so if you happen to go to any of the DMG Newark, Ardingly or Shepton Mallet fairs, I am sure they would love to see you and would be more than happy to sell you some of Amanda's lovely wares! Super for any of you ladies up country who cannot make it down to her stall in Totnes.

Have a lovely weekend all and I shall see you next week! x

Oh To Be In Devon!

I had a very lovely time in Devon with my Mum and Dad and hopefully I have kind of got my head sorted out!
On Friday (and Monday!!!...and Sunday if you count a pit stop at China Blue for pasty and cake) my Dad and I went over to Totnes with the dogs. Whilst Dad was walking them I had the chance to have a lovely wander round the shops. I could have spent a fortune I tell you, but I managed to reign myself in.
I took the opportunity to go visit Shabby Chic, Amanda, and her lovely Mum was there too and I cannot tell you how lovely and friendly they both were. Her stall is simply as fabulous as everyone says it is and I really enjoying browsing the beautiful linens and blankets on sale. In the end I came away only with a new hot water bottle cover as my current one is simply falling apart but temptation was high! I also popped into the upstairs flea market and found a lovely lamp for only ten pounds! Where on earth do you ever get a lamp for that price! It was very similar to one I had got rid of a few years ago and regretted it ever since so I was really pleased (more of that another day perhaps).


No trip to Totnes would be complete without a trip to one of my favourite shops, Gazebo. It is always packed to the rafters with beautiful things, some kitsch, some retro, some shabby chic, but it all goes together in a merry way! I came out with a super set of five bowls with polka dot lids that are going to be very useful for putting leftovers in the fridge, freezer, microwave (and dishwasher too if you have one but sadly we do not! Well, actually we do, its' called 'ME'!).


I also discovered a shop down the bottom of town on The Plains called Inspired Buys that is a bit like This N That so seeing as I have seen anyone else write about it I thought I would mention it and that it is worth a little look.
My Dad and I went onto China Blue for some lunch as they always have really nice homemade Devon pasties there and the cakes are always nice too but the shop is not as good as it used to be, in my opinion.
One thing that I did notice about Totnes is that if I lived there (and it is where I would move to if I ever returned to live in Devon) is that there is so many places to get your hands on the most totally scrummy looking cake! I would go up by ten dress sizes easily!
Saturday took us to Matford Antiques And Collectibles Fair. I have to say that I was not that impressed with it to be honest compared to other fairs that I have been to and came away empty handed. I also got chatted up by a Frenchman who has a stall there and my father often buys from. 'You are z daughair'? he asked me to which I replied 'Yes'. But for some reason he thinks that I am the daughter of my Dad's good friend Simon, who is 49, and that my Dad is his father (my Dad is 59). We have given up trying to correct him and work out who is getting complimented if you see what I mean. The Frenchman chats up all the women and probably comes from Yorkshire and is called 'Bob' instead of 'Jean Claude'.
Sunday took us to China Blue again for more pasty and cake before we went onto the moors for a walk at New Bridge. Sadly the walk never got off the ground as when we got up there the heavens decided to open. We returned home via the lovely Hill House Nursery which is lovely. I came away with a beautiful purple Bougainvillea for only £5! What I love about the place most is that you feel that the plants actually live there (and many do!). They have loads of unusual plants growing in the tunnels and you have to squeeze past them and under them to get around and you can see all the beautiful parent plants that they propagate the plants for sale from. It is not all perfect and pristine but that is part of its charm. Garden centres today are spotlessly clean places where they have so much other, often non garden related, stuff for sale that plants are an after thought and just kind of stay there for a couple of weeks until they are either sold or dumped. Very sad! But not at HHN!

I came home yesterday and I thoroughly enjoyed pottering around and visiting friends whilst I was in Devon but it is nice to be home with my husband, even if it is in slummy old Peterborough! I would much rather be in Totnes, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, St Ives or Stamford (my top five favourite places! x

Off We Go!

I am off home to Devon for a few days as I currently have too many balls up in the air and I am trying to work out how to catch them all!
Have a good few days everyone and I shall return next week!
Love Lou Lou xxxxxxxxx

Fun Friday Question!

Well, ladies, seeing as I have not yet installed my camera software back onto my PC, I have no photos for you. Therefore, I decided to have a little question round instead, although actually it is only one question.

Q - Who is the special famous man (or men if you are a little greedy)in your life?

A - Well mine has to be the lovely Johnny Depp especially when he is all togged up as Jack Sparrow for some reason. I love him for his looks, his personality, his warm heart, that he is a lovely family man and that he is generous with his money and his time. Really the best sort of famous man if you ask me!

Please leave a little comment to say who yours is and why!

Love Hannah xx

PS - LADIES - No fighting over Johnny, please!!!!!!!!!!

PPS - He's MINE!!!!!!!!!!! xx

Oh I'm Having So Much Fun!!!!!!!!!!!

I am only being partially sarcastic; honest!

My computer has been ill. It got struck down with a load of evil trojans even though I do have McAffee installed on here. I would not recommend a trip to PC as although they have got rid of the trojans, they gave me lots of incorrect advice, undercharged me and then gave me the correct price halfway through the work, I could hardly tell them just to stop, could I? I refused to pay the full price they wanted but generally they were not super helpful and I was dissappointed with the service. They used to be quite good at offering advice but since they have opened up the Tech Guys part of the operation, they just want money for every little snippet of advice. I shall be looking to go elsewhere in the future! Anyway, I am back now and am looking to catch up on reading what everyone has been up!

I had my night at college yesterday and it went very well so I shall be looking forward to going again next week! Also, I have more news; I may have a new job! Well, my old job actually! I am going to see them today for a chat and we shall go from there!

Speak to you all soon! Hannah xxx

I Went To The Car Boot Sale And I Bought...

...a mint copy of Nigella Lason's feast cook book which is spooky as I had just taken a copy out of the library and have so far found it to be very good...

...a vintage sewing box...

...a gorgeous tea and cake set...

...five vintage filing trays which is super as I have been looking for one for ages but they are like £6 each + P+P at the only place I have found them for sale...

...two very pretty enamel bowls...

...and this rather rusty bread bin that I am debating whether or not to use in the house. Suprisingly, my OH's reation to it was ok but you can see daylight through the bottom. The only thing that will save itfrom being a garden planter is the fact that it has a lid; what do you think, please?
Lots of love, Hannah xx

My First Night At College

It is my first night at college tonight and I have to admit to being quite nervous but I am looking forward to it at the same time.
Obviously to help the nerves I felt that some retail therapy was in order so we have a new Folk Flowers Messenger Bag from a well known shop and lovely spotty file and note book from Smiths' (at a discount price no less!)....oh I feel so much better now!
My bag is all packed for tonight including my student ID card (with a picture that is so awful that you would have to kill me to get a look at it) and my textbook which, very sadly, I have put my name in!
Wish me luck, please!
Love Hannah x

UPDATE I have just received a phonecall from my tutor to say that the course will now not be starting until next week! Oh well, it gives me time to go out and buy a pencil case to steady my nerves!!!!!!!!! x

Lexie Campervan Chilli vs Carmel Cupra Chilli

I love chilli and there are so many different ways to do it and all are lovely in their own way. Tonight, I thought I would show you the two different ways that I make chilli; the campervan way (slow and good for weekend cooking when you have a bit more time to spare) or the fast car way (cheatie and good for a quick and healthy meal in the week after a long day at work).

Campervan Chilli

Ingredients:
350g stewing or braising beef, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
200g tomatoes, chopped into eights
400g tin of kidney beans
1 tsp chilli flakes
200g white rice

Method:
Put the chopped up beef into a saucepan (I use an 18cm diameter one) and add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan.
Put the pan on a low heat and leave to gently simmer for 45 minutes checking i occasionally to make sure that the meat is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
After 45 minutes,add the chilli flakes and stir well and then add the onion, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Let this simmer for another 25 minutes and then add the tin of kidney beans to the saucepan and stir well.
Boil the kettle for the rice and measure out about 200ml of water.
To this water add 200ml of the cooking liquid from the saucepan to add extra flavour to your rice, then cook the rice until it is as you like it.
Serve the chilli up with the rice and a side salad if you wish. The total cooking time for this should be about an hour and a half and will serve four people.

Fast Car Chilli

Ingredients:
450g beef mince
1 onion, chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin kidney beans
1 tsp chilli flakes
200g white rice

Method:
Add a little oil to a pan on a medium heat and saute the onions until they are soft, then add the mince and cook it until it is browned.
Add the mushrooms, tins of kidney beans and tomatoes and the chilli flakes.
Stir well and leave to simmer on a gentle heat.
Boil the kettle for the rice and measure out 400ml of water and cook the rice until it is a you like it.
Ths is then ready to serve four people and should take about 20 minutes to cook.

Enjoy! x

Falmouth

I promised you guys that I would give you the lowdown on this lovely place and I did not want to fail to deliver so here we are!

The best place to park is either at Grove Place or Bar Road car parks as they are both long stay, are suitable for campervans and are about a five minute walk from the town centre.

On the walk into the town centre you pass the National Maritime museum which is apparently very good. We were planning on going in there but didn't due to my husband's leg being in plaster. By the museum there are some lovely cows (!) and a nice selection of cafes where you can get your hands on a Roskilly's ice cream (Moomaid Of Zennor and Callestick Farm also produce some lovely local ice cream by the way).

If you carry on walking you will find yourself on Arwenack Street where you will find:

Spice: sells a lovely selection of cards, gifts, jewellery and homeware including things made by local people.

Mr Simm's Olde Sweet Shop: this is a super place selling every kind of sweet that you can imagine plus a load more too! There is chocolate, fudge, toffee, candy, boiled sweets, I could go on and on! It is actually a franchise but they sell a selection of big company products and loads made by small independents too so a good all round balance I think and I don't believe for a moment that anyone could manage to come out empty handed! Sorry I have no photos but it was so busy in there you simply could not move!

All About Olives: a lovely shop with very friendly owners that sell anything olive and a good range of other deli type food.

Kit Boutique: a lovely selection of clothes for, I would say, twenty to forty year olds. I bought this lovely capelet in there. They also have a homeware store on the High Street but more about that later.



There are lots of other lovely independents including two super second-hand bookshops. I would not recommend the Citrus Cafe on the corner as the staff ignored us when we were waiting to be served and were not very friendly either.

Arwenack Street leads on to Church Street where you will find:

The Rumbling Tum: super little cafe down a side alley that does a super selection of fry-ups, sandwiches, rolls, jacket potatoes and so on, all freshly made to order, well priced at the staff are friendly and helpful.

Sifar: a ethnic shop selling jewellery, clothes, books and some super furniture. We found this great retro style cow hind stool in there (thank god we had the campervan to bring it home in!).



Annie's Kitchen: they are a catering company that also sell freshly made sandwiches from their shop as well as a super selection of freshly made cakes including some gluten free options (think victoria sponge, coffee cake, lemon drizzle cake, chocolate and beetroot cake, rock buns, scones - yum!)

There is also a good selection of surf shops on Church Street if you are into that sort of thing.

You then hit Market Street where all the high street type shops are but do not despair, keep walking, although they have a good butcher (Cornish Quality Meats) and a regional greengrocer (Stokes) if you need to stock up.

When you reach the end of Market Street there are three choices:

Turn left onto Killigrew Street where you will find the local market.

Turn right onto the Price Of Wales Pier where you can enjoy a sit down and a drink or an ice cream at the cafe whilst looking across the estuary to Flushing or you could opt for a boat ride to various places.



If you go straight on you come to the High Street although it is the quietest high street I believe that I have come across. There are some good antique shops, a wholefood shop and a few cafes as well as:

Kit Home: as well as their clothes boutique, they have a homeware store selling a selection of Rice, Greengate, Lisa Stickley, local people and vintage products. Well worth a look!

The Blackout Boutique: a super range of clothing going back as far as the thirties, including shoes and handbags and some lovely vintage style accessories as well.

Red Ella: a lovely boutique run by a lovely lady who makes re-style clothing, beautiful corsets and gorgeous brooches. Very original and reasonably priced. I had to buy something as I felt she was so talented. Sadly the all the restyle clothes I liked were too big for me and I didn't really need a corset so I came away with the lovely brooch made with a fantastic vintage button.



After you have finished in the town there are always the town beaches or Pendennis Castle to visit so I think that there should be something for everyone.

I hope that you have enjoyed your trip around Falmouth with me and that I may have inspired you to take a trip there.

Lots of love,
Lou Lou xxxxxxx

We're Jamming!

Seeing as it was such a nice day (Monday) I decided to take a stomp round our local 'country park', Ferry Meadows, in search of blackberries with the dog in tow. A couple of hours (and a few scratches and nettle stings later) we returned home with 870 grams of lovely blackberries. Let the fun begin!


I know that there are loads of different recipes for jam, some using pectin, lemon or orange juice and rind, fructose syrup and other bits and bobs, but I wanted to go for a simple jam made with equal quantities of fruit and sugar. I squished the fruit in a bowl and mixed in the sugar well before transferring the mixture to a large saucepan. I heated the mixture to the required temperature at a nice rolling boil, done the saucer test and then transferred my jam into some sterilised jars that I had waiting in the oven.


PS - I have yet to label and decorate my jars so I shall try to remember to post a photo of that at a later date! x

My Bank Holiday Weekend!

Well I hope everyone had a nice bank holiday weekend and that theirs was a bit more exciting than mine! Mine consisted mostly or doing my chores plus my husband's chores as well!

On Saturday I had the lovely task of cleaning Lexie and Carmel which is not my favourite thing to do (think less Jessica Simpson in Dukes Of Hazzard and more pulled through a hedge backward judging by how I looked afterward). Then a lovely trip to the DIY store to replace a certain lawnmower that chose a bad time to die (a month's worth of grass to mow - help!). I had reserved one online but when we got to the store there were no signs or people around to suggest how I might retrieve the said item so I gave up and picked another one off the shelf as I could not be bothered to que at customer services to ask and then have to que to pay as well as it was rather busy to say the least due to the bank holiday offers they had on.

I always knew that Sunday was going to be a long day. My husband had agreed to drive his Mum to the airport as she is going to Australia for two weeks and then back to Hong Kong (where she is from and is still a resident) for four weeks. Sadly in the meantime he ended up in plastercast so the job fell to me (not that I mind doing MIL a favour, of course). Once we arrived in Essex to collect her we stopped for a bite to eat at the local carvery which was yum. I had gammon with yorkshire pud, stuffing, buttered boiled potatoes, sweetcorn, carrots, runner beans and cauliflower cheese! After the yummyness we were back on the road and over to Heathrow to drop her off and then keep her company for a bit. We were at Terminal 3 which I have never been to before and it was like being in a different country, it was like 'where have all the white people gone'? as there was just orientals everywhere. My husband then informed me that T3 handles all the flights to Asia. I have to say that I feel very odd being outnumbered, so to speak, but then I at least get to see how my husband feels on a daily basis. We finally got back to Peterborough at 8pm abd having left at 10am it was a very long day, including five and a half hours driving.
Monday was left with grocery shopping which I quite enjoy doing (I think going round picking up people's internet shopping may be my calling in life) and then mowing said nightmare lawn (I hate lawns and am determined that when we move we will not have one).
If anyone can beat my weekend for dullness, please let me know!
Love Hannah xx
PS - I forgot to mention that we had quite a funny moment in the pub when my husband was telling MIL about the tattoo he is getting soon of our son. She does not approve AT ALL!!!!!! and was quite happily telling him this LOUDLY in the middle of the pub surrounded (not trying to stereotype but it was true) by people with tatoos! I am glad I was sat next to her so I could make faces at my husband without her seeing - it was funny! x

Chicken Jambalaya

This is my version of this classic dish that is also very tasty using good old butcher's bangers in place of the chicken. It serves four people and the heat can be altered to suit individual tastes. It is of mild/medium heat as it stands so long as all measures are level so should be ok for a family meal.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
4 chicken breasts, chopped
200g white rice
400ml chicken stocked, heated

Method:

1. heat the oil in a deep frying pan or a wok and add the onion, pepper and spices, frying until softened.
2. add the chicken and fry for five minutes.
3. add the rice the the pan and stir to coat the grains before adding the stock.
4. stir and bring to a medium simmer, then leave to cook for 15 - 20 minutes until the stock has absorbed.
5. if all the stock has been absorbed but the rice is not quite cooked, you can add up to another 50ml of water as required.
6. season as required and serve with a sprinkling of parsley if so desired.

Voila!

Love Lou Lou xxx

A Big 'Thank You' To Kim @ Ragged Roses

When I returned from my holidays, I found that I had had a lovely package left with my neighbours whilst I was away. I had a feeling I knew what it may be, so I rushed round to collect it and I was right, it was a package from the lovely and very generous Kim of Ragged Roses fame.
A few weeks ago, Kim and her friend, Emma made a huge batch of elderflower syrup and were looking for recipe suggestions to make use of it. The sweetener of a chance to win some summer goodies made by Kim was too tempting to resist and got my creative juices flowing (I love cooking and creating recipes; I shall have to start sharing some of them with you). My suggestion was to macerate some gooseberries with the elderflower syrup, then add it to a pile of meringue and whipped cream to make an alternative Eton Mess style dessert. I was amazed to read a few weeks later that my recipe had been chosen by Emma and Kim as the winner! I was so excited!
I greedily ripped the outer layer of the packaging off and was delighted by the beautiful way in which Kim had packaged the goodies and had to take a few photos before I opened them. When I did, I was taken aback by Kim's generosity and talent. I found a beautiful lace trimmed cushion, embroidered with a dog and ball, a lavender cushion of life by the sea (soon, hopefully!), a Brighton rail postcard (Kim knows me too well!), a vintage playing card and a bar of Green And Black's Butterscotch chocolate (my favourite - yay!).
I thoroughly enjoyed finding homes for all these goodies and I shall leave you with the pictures to enjoy. A big, big thank you to Kim once again for her kindness.
Lots of love,
Hannah xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kernow Holiday Snaps!

Looking from Mother Ivey's Bay towards Padstow

A different view of the same

The Art Deco house in the picture is owned by Rick Stein's family and apparently the one next to it has just been bought by another famous person but I can't remember who - sorry!

The super new lifeboathouse; isn't it fantastic! It was built to house the new boat that arrived a few years back curteousy of a very generous elderly lady

Our campsite, right by the sea; beautiful but very windy!

Us in Lexie

Lexie chilling with the tent (that leaks and is being returned!!!!!)

The wounded one at Harlyn

Harlyn Sands

Mooooooooooooooo!!

These cows were outside the Maritime museum in Falmouth; there were some in Truro too but I didn;t have my camera on me at the time

St. Mawes as taken from Falmouth

Even though my husband was pretty immobile for most of our holiday we still mamanged to have a great time. We went to Padstow, St. Ives (and yes, I did go to THAT shop), Perranporth, Newquay (three times, mostly for the surf shops but they do have some very nice cafes down there that serve food using local ingredients such as Cafe Irie), Falmouth (twice, I really fell in love with the place this time around and think it may even pip St. Ives as my favourite, will do a post about just Falmouth soon) and Truro (five times, hospital, say no more!!!!).

I would love to move back to Devon or go to Cornwall as would a lot of people but sadly it just is not a possibility for us at the moment. Oh well, a girl can dream (a have another holiday down there next year, pre-approved by the husband as he needs to finish his surf course!) x

I'm Home!

Hiya Peeps!

Just a quickie!

I am back from my holibobs and am pleased to report that we had a fantastic time even though my husband had a surfing accident and is going to be in a cast for the next nine weeks or so!

He ruptured his achilles tendon and we had to go to Truro hospital five times over the course of the holiday. He may still need to have it operated on but hopefully we shall be able to get an appointment at Peterborough hospital this week to find out. And to think that he wouldn't even go to the hospital to begin with!

Because of his injury, I am probably going to be very busy over the coming weeks as he cannot do anything pretty much and I will need to ferry him around to work (yes, that is right, he is still going to work even though he could easily get signed off; he is an office worker, although he will not be able to travel to see customers for the foreseeable future)so my blog will be a bit hit and miss for the timebeing. I shall try and get some holiday photos loaded up this week and catch up with everyone's blogs for the moment.

Hope that you are all well and enjoying the lovely weather!

Love Lou Lou xxx

Signing Off For My Holibobs!

Well, we are finally off on holiday as of tomorrow afternoon! Cornwall is lovely and we are really looking forward to it. We are spending tomorrow night in Devon as my mum and dad are looking after the dog for us.
I spent a little bit of time today making huge quantities of garlic mushrooms for my dad as he loves the ones I make! I also bought my mum a 'China Rose' which is a hibiscus as a thank you. I find the marketing name quite funny as in China they are considered pesky weeds that grow along the roadside!
Anyway, back to the mushrooms! They are simply made from 750g mushrooms sliced and gently fried and then drained. Whilst they are draining, fry 7 cloves worth of sliced garlic until softened, then add the mushrooms back in. Add 1 pint of double cream and allow to bubble and reduce for about 30 minutes - yummy!
I shall be back on August 22nd so until then, have fun and be safe.
Love Hannah xxxx
PS - Lexie says 'hi' and cannot wait to show you all the photos she plans to take whilst we are away! x

Knitting Update/Trouble In Campervanland/Back 2 Skool!

I thought I would show you an update of my knitting; it is going well and I now have seventeen usable squares to show for my efforts. I am really pleased with myself and cannot wait to get stuck into it whilst I am on holiday.

With regards to the holiday, on Sunday we did have a brief moment when we thought that we may be going to Cornwall in Carmel the Cupra (my Seat Leon Cupra) instead on Lexie the Campervan and we were totally gutted!
It all started on Sunday morning with Lexie asking about when we were at the petrol station filling her up and checking her tyre pressures. We explained that we were not going until Friday. Didn't she kick up a stink! She wanted to go there and then! We explained that that was not possible. Next thing we knew she had blown a fuse (quite literally it turned out!!!!!!!!!!!) and refused to go anywhere until we agreed to take her to Cornwall there and then. For a while we thought her ignition or her starter motor may have gone (not being experts or anything) so we called in the AA. Within the hour, a nice man called Nigel turned up to start the negotiations with Lexie and had her going again in no time. She finally accepted that she could not go on holiday until Friday but made me promise to pay her lots of attention this week by packing her full of holiday goodness!

On a final note, I'm a student again!!!!!! Only a part-time one though. I am starting my bookkeeping and accountancy diploma in September so that I can go on to do freelance work. I should be able to undertake bookkeeping by this time next year and accounting the year after that - yay! x

Surely Its Just WRONG!

Marshmallows that apparently help reduce cellulite


Diet lip gloss that supposidly supresses your appetite


Vibrating mascara

This is too much new bizare information for me to handle in one week!

Has anyone tried any of these products?

Am I alone in thinking these products are barmy?

I would love to know!

Love Hannah xx

Wedding Belles

Hi! Lexie here!

On Saturday morning, my new owner, Lou Lou, got me out of bed rather early. 'What's going on'? I asked her. She told me that her and my other owner's dear friends were getting married today and that they had asked if I would perform an official duty; taking them from the church to the reception venue. Of course I was more than happy to oblige but I was wondering what on earth I was going to wear!!!!?? Thankfully, Lou Lou came to the rescue as she pulled out some smart wedding bows and balloons for me to put on and I was rather pleased with how I turned out after she helped get me into my new outfit.

A couple of hours later we were on the road and looking forward to a super day out; I was rather disappointed that I couldn't fit in the church though! The happy couple were really pleased with me and I even offered them a bottle of Moet during their journey which they loved. Once at the reception they thanked me very much for my services and carried on enjoying their day of happiness.

We got home in the early hours of the following morning and I was tucked into bed for the night. I was so tired that I couldn't be bothered to change out of my new outfit. In the morning, my new owners and I had a bit of a fight as they insisted that I changed out of my outfit but I wanted to keep it on. Eventually we compromised and I let them remove my new bows on the pretext that they were keep in case I ever wanted to wear them again. I then had a well earned rest after a long day, I'm an old lady after all and need my beauty sleep!

Happy days!

Love Lexie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beautiful Home

First of all, thank you so much for the beautiful words that you left for me yesterday, they are very heartwarming and much appreciated.
We went to Stamford for a walk round and some tea and cake in the afternoon which was very pleasant.
I have been thinking about doing something for a while (I won't say want yet until it is all set up; probably when I am back from my holibobs) and yesterday I came across what I needed to puch me into doing it; I wonder if a little man from up there was trying to encourage me! So more of that in a few weeks time!
Anyway, what I wanted to show you today was the home article from this month's Easy Living magazine as the pictures are just so beautiful and colourful. Enjoy! x

A Day Out!

Yesterday I met up with my parents in Oxford as they are currently enjoying a little mini break in the area. The architecture was stunning and we really enjoyed looking round the covered market with its proper greengrocers, fishmongers, delis and numerous butchers. It is nice to see somewhere with a good selection of fresh produce available meaning that you only need visit the supermarket to stock up on toilet rolls and that sort of thing.
Whilst we were there, we went to the Natural History Museum which was very good value for money as they operations a donations system to which we contributed. The exhibits were amazing and they even had plenty of things that you could touch; a very good idea as then when they ask you not to touch something, I think people will respect it a lot more. We spent two hours looking around (although it seemed like only a few minutes the time went that fast) and could have spent a lot longer looking around but they were closing. Well worth a visit though if you are ever in the area!
On the way home I had to drive within a couple of miles of Bicester village and it would have been rude not to pop into a certain shop there! As normal, I could have spent a fortune but I came away with a new bag for the beach (another one!?), a pink strawberry teatowel for Lexie and a cosmetic bag as a present for my friend as her birthday is coming up soon. I only went in there to see what knitting bags they had; none of them were my cup of tea, though.

My knitting is going well and I have purchased some more wool in Raspberry, Mauve and Burgandy so they will clash nicely with what I already have. I purchased it new from a charity shop and have noticed recently that more and more charity shops seem to have a proper section dedicated to selling new wool. I think that this is a good idea as most wool shops are sadly no longer and it gives people a chance to purchase from somewhere other than a chain store and help a charity into the bargain!

As I have yet to find a knitting bag, I have reclaimed my 1950's basket from two certain creatures that seem to think that it belongs to them. One of them is not putting up a fight as he can hardly fit in it anyway but the other one has a resistance movement going on; I found her in it last night asleep on top of my balls and wool and knitting! Grrrr! She is to a certain extent getting away with murder at the moment as she is not well at the moment; not sure what it wrong with her yet but she has to go back to the vet next week for even more tests! She is being spoilt as I have put her basket where my basket used to be so that she has somewhere nice to curl up although she is still not happy about it!


On a sad note, it would have been my son's 2nd birthday today. I cannot believe that I should now be the mother of a two year old. Please never forget to treasure your children, even when they are driving you potty, for they are very precious gifts.
Love Hannah x

My Weekend

Photos courtesy of tourism.brighton.com


Photo courtesy of visitbrighton.com

My goodness it has been a busy one and has gone quickly!

On Saturday, we went to Brighton for the day. I love it there because the shops are fantastic; you have loads of independents, vintage shops, your high street chains and the high end high street/designer area, mostly located in pretty little streets like the North Laine area and The Lanes themselves are so full of character. I also love it because you can be whoever you want to be there and yet you still fit in and I think that that in itself brings a very unique quality to the place, there are loads of super places to eat; I couldn't resist a visit to Scoop And Crumb where I treated myself to a giant piece of yummy Coffee Cake; my favourite! If you have never been before, I would totally recommend it!

The reason behind our visit is that we are thinking of moving there. And after my OH saw how happy walking around Brighton made me, he said 'yes'! I think that it will be a great place to be when we have a family as there are loads of activities and clubs, green spaces, the beach, the South Downs nearby, shopping and loads of yoga places for me and I am sure there will be fellow Campervanners and surfers in the area to keep my husband busy!

Neither of us are from where we live now (Peterborough) and we have no ties here; no family and neither of us work here (the reason we moved here originally was for my job, running a busy department at a factory) so we have no ties apart from our friends, but they can come and visit and vice versa. Also, the area is not the nicest in the world IMO and the area is not plentiful in things to do and places to go, which moves me nicely on to the other topic for today!

I am sure that I mentioned a while ago that I have been looking for crochet/knitting clubs/classes/groups to join so that I could learn these crafts but I could not find any anywhere in the local or even not so local area. I was very frustrated because I really wanted to learn but I struggle to follow instruction pictures out of books, I need to see things in action. Well, I was fed up with it! I decided I would give knitting a go first, as I used to be able to do some as a child, so off I went to our local library to take out a book.

Right, wool purchased, needles retrieved from my Nan's stash that she gave to me, book in hand. Approx two hours later I am no further to casting on and am starting to get frustrated! As I child I was taught how to knit garter and purl stitches but I was never taught how to cast on or off; for some reason this was always done for me. Then I had a brainwave; you can find video clips on the internet for just about everything so why not Knitting? Sure enough, when I went online, I found loads of clips and a short while later after watching, pausing and repeating a few times, I had twenty stitches on my needles; result! I done a few rows of a garter stitch until I had got my tension consistent and then I faced the next challenge; casting off, but this turned out to be really easy with the help of a video clip and I mastered it instantly.

I have spent the last few days knitting little squares in a garter stitch to give me lots of practice casting on and off. I plan to turn all these little squares into a knitted granny blanket as it will then be something I can get a lot of use out of and hopefully pass on to my family too!




This was my first attempt as I am sure you can tell!


I am going to add in some other colours as it looks a bit 'baby blanket' at the moment! I was thinking orange, purple, burgandy and maybe a hot pink too!

I am so pleased that I took the bull by the horns for a change and instead of wishing that I could do something I have got on with it and made it happen! Although in the past few months I think I have been starting to do that more anyway. I wanted to do yoga so I went to our local yoga centre and done it. Yes, it was a bit scary as I am quite shy and nervous, but now I love it and know all the regulars in my class. I have also applied to do a bookkeeping course and a may do an accountancy one after that so that I can start my own business and it will be something that I can fit around family life in the future. I am proud of myself, knowing that I have managed these, perhaps minor, achievements. It makes me happy and I am going to carry on trying to be like this as I think it is good for the soul!

Hope you all have a great day!

Love Hannah xx