Never too old for Play Doh

We have had a chilled out weekend. We did eat sweets, chocolate and watch a DVD (actually I slept through it, it is the standing joke in our house).  I am often asked 'What DVD do  you want to fall to sleep to mum'.  Oh it was a lovely sleep, about an hour and a half sprawled on the settee with my blanket and pooch.  Very cosy.  The girls have kept themselves amused.  I have made a new top and been to the car boot. I had the pattern and fabric already all I need was a bit of time and a little sewing mojo.  It all came together well and I am really pleased with the result.  It fits too which is a bonus.  I made a mock up of this top before and I couldn't even get it on so it's pleasing that I made it and it fits.  I have lost a stone  at fat club and am feeling much better.

I got the fabric from Fabrics

 Galore at the NEC in March I love that stall and wish I could visit their London shop someday.

What do you think?  I'd love to know.

The girls have also been having a fun creative time.  With a Play Doh set.  Yep nearly 17 and 14 and they are playing with a Hello Kitty Deluxe Set I got at a car boot a few weeks ago for 50p.  I bought it for Betty who is 21 and adores everything Hello Kitty and yes she has played with it but not as much as Nellie and Belle.  They are sat right now chatting and making cakes, umpalumpas, sweets and rose gardens.  They keep shouting mummy look at this, mummy look at mine - they have not called me mummy for a long time and actually its quite endearing.  I took some sneaky photos - here they are.

A flump

Hellooooo  Kittyyyyyyyy

Nellie's cake

It was tiny

Want a slice

Teeny tiny

Little things make us happy.  K had a good time and enjoyed telling me about going in Alfie's Vintage Market etc.  He thought I was a little fed up when he got back.  Well I said I would have liked to have known you had got there ok, thought you might have checked we were all ok. Oh I have only just got my phone out of my bag.  Oh dear.

Got some goodies at the car boot will share another day.

If you are reading Janey it is hot hot HOT here and the mossies are biting but only Belle.

Colourful

As it has been a little dreary - weather wise - I thought I would share a little colour.  Here are some of my latest crochet makes.  Simple granny square cushions in various sizes backed with vintage/vintage style fabric and fastened with vintage buttons.  Very simple but very colourful.

Rico Cotton Aran Weight was used from Cucumber Patch 

Target squares and granny squares

Vintage buttons 

Vintage feedsack and barkcloth

Co-ordinated spotty ribbon trim

Feather cushion pad

Very bright and cheerful

Cath inspired colour scheme

Seaside blues and lemons

Ice cream shades

Bright tangerine, yellow and blues

All lined up

After making the Cornwall bags I made another with vintage images of Scarborough on it. Its made from canvas, old cloth, vintage and re purposed fabrics.

Oh Mrs Jones - look what I got from the tip - it was in the front of someone's car and I was brave enough to ask if it was going in the skip. Not if you would like it was the reply.  It is working but has no foot pedal at the moment so i'm hoping Louise at hopeandelvis.com has one for me to test it would then I will source a new one.

Hope you all have a good weekend, we are having a girly one as K has trotted off to London to visit a friend so we will be eating sweets, ice cream, popcorn and watching chic flicks to our hearts desire and we may indulge in a little light shopping also.  Ahh bliss.

The Hepworth, Wakefield

Had a quick skip over to Wakefield today to visit the new Hepworth Wakefield.  We were impressed with the building which is  built right beside the River Calder.  

It was impressive inside too but unfortunately it was a no photo zone so I can't share  the art works with  you.   There were some stunning pieces and the layout had been well thought about. We spent a good hour having a look  around and enjoying the views from the huge windows.  It is worth a visit as it is free to get in but somehow it seemed to have something missing. Also the curators were a little too keen, they seemed  to be stalking around whilst people were exploring.  One little girl was closely examining a piece and a curator went over  to her and said very sharply 'don't touch' she nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't touched it either.  I do understand that you shouldn't touch the works of  art but I did feel a little under scrutiny and as I am touchy feely I kept  my hands clapsed  very tightly togetherr.  Both K and I said that The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is, in our opinion, a better option.  Anyone else been yet? What did you think?

This building was  directly  across the river from The Hepworth  I really loved  the  old sign writing.

Update on my day yesterday, I  went to  Good Food/Garden/Home show with my friends we had a good time.  We shopped, some  more than others Mrs G had a great shop, we drank  - Pimms in the sunshine and we laughed.  A great time was had by all.  I promised friend Janey that I would share this to make you laugh as it did her.  Whilst we were in the Plant Tent we were admiring the bonsai trees.  In my head (not out loud) I said to  myself  'Ah they are just like little trees' -  oh dear - I started  laughing and then I shared my inner thought with Janey who obviously  found it funny and laughed also.  Bless me.

Just for you  Janey here is my inner doh moment from today - I am laughing out loud as I am typing.  At the Gallery  there was an information board giving details of a nearby chapel on a bridge and it said 'As painted by Turner'  - Oh thought I, I didn't know he did interiors.  Doh.  He didn't.   Oh dear, oh dear good job I didn't say it out loud - I did share with K though.  I  like to make him laugh at  least once a  day.

Family History

Yesterday Nellie and I helped my Mum collate some family history for her Church group.  As part of the 400th year celebration of the King James Bible the congregation at her church had been invited to take in their bibles to display and if possible to add details of who they belonged to and when they were given or received.

Mum got out the old family bible and found some photos of her Gramam (that's what she called her) and Grandad whom the bible belonged to.  She also got out her bible she received when she was 12 and her Dad's soldiers bible and some small prayer books that he had with him whilst on active service.  Oh my goodness I loved it but I could not stop crying.  I cried when I saw Gramam's photo and my mum said she used to wear the dress in one of the photos to play dress up.  I cried when I saw photos of my Grandad in his uniform.  I never met him as he died when my mum was 18.  I cried when I looked in his bible and read what he had written in it...... 'said cheerio to Lil (my nan) at 4.50'.  He also listed all the places he had been to whilst in the Army and Merchant Navy. The I cried when I saw my Nan Lily's photo.  Oh I was a bit too tearful but I still enjoyed looking at all the history.  Nellie used her whizzy computer skills and scanned in the photos. Here they are:-

Minnie Hobson my Great Gramam

John Laurence Hobson (Jack) my Great Grandad - I can remember my Grandad Jack he was typical yorkshire man, flat cap on but with a suit.  I used to sit on his knee and he told me stories and he used to delight in showing me his finger (he lost half of it in an accident).  I was younger than 4 and can  clearly remember visiting his home and looking at the trinkets on his dressing table.

My Grandad Nicholas Revill who didn't want to be known as Big Nick so for some reason was always called Dick!

He is picture here with his Mum - Grandma Gresham - I can remember her also but all I remember is seeing her in bed in the front room at my Mum's Auntie Minnie's house.  (popular name in those days apparently).

My Nan Lily who taught me to sew and made me and my sisters clothes and toys. I particularly remember a red woollen trouser suit (late 60's) it was so itchy I can practically feel it on my skin now and can remember catching the bus to Sheffield dressed in it .The bus  was one of the ones with the open back with windy stairs at the back with the driver in a little glass cab at the front there was a conductor too with a little ticket machine.

My nan died on the  6 May 1992 exactly 40 years to the day after her husband.

My lovely mum - Lily and Dick's daughter

My Mum when she was about 12. 

Me (far left) with my sister's - why did I think I was fat?  I think we must have been to see someone get married at our local church - can't for the like of me remember who it might of been.  Think it was probably late 80's.

We also included a photo of our children, 7 in total, but I didn't want to post it here without asking my sisters first. 

3 Girls for me, 1 boy for Little Sister J and 3 boys for Big Sister G quite a bunch and all growing up

My dad was obviously before his time as he always used to refer to us as Daughter No 1, Daughter No 2 etc.  Blog speak before blogs were invented.  LSJ referred to herself as The Golden Princess - I have told you that before but thought I would tell you again.  She is 7 years younger than me and 9 younger than my oldest sister so she really was the 'baby'.

Mum was really pleased with how Nellie had done her small family tree and it looked good set out with the bibles.  Lots of people had taken their bibles with their stories and it was really interesting.  There was a service as well but I couldn't stay as I really was emotional and was on the verge of tears all afternoon.  I think it was looking at all the old photos and thinking of my Dad.  

Determined

Today I am determined to write a post.  I just don't seem to have had the time or inclination to post at all so I am making a big effort to make it my first 'to do' of my day.

The holiday in Cornwall was wonderful.  The weather was mostly kind to us and we even had a few days of real holiday sunshine.  Enough for Belle to catch a few rays.

Guess how this happened?  Belle came to me and said 'look at these funny red marks on my legs mum, they weren't there this morning and I don't think they are bites' - Belle does get bitten a lot.  I pondered and looked and then laughed.  She had this smile shaped mark on one leg and on the other lots of stripes.  'Ah ha' said I that looks like a case of sunburn through jeans that are ripped down the legs and look like they are fit for the bin.  It was, the sun had caught her skin through the holes in her ripped jeans, (quite expensive jeans from Hollister - do you have a Hollister shop near you it is like going into a black hole, the lighting is really dim - not good for the older generation like me.  I think they do it so you can't see the prices of things that your teenage daughter falls in love with).  Anyhow problem solved and shorts were worn from then on to even out the marks.

We generally just pottered around whilst away.  Betty and her boyfriend Ant had come along with us so some days he went off to surf and we all went to our favourite places.  Marazion, Falmouth, Truro, Church  Cove and St Ives.  It was really busy we normally go to Cornwall at Easter or October half term so it did seem a little too busy in St Ives but we still loved it.  I had such a good time that I was really poor at taking photos, so sorry to all those who are waiting for holiday snaps, I took three.  Here they are.

I know three photos from a weeks holiday - must try harder in future.

I'm going to go now as I have a busy day ahead, nothing exciting, food shopping, pot washing, tip visiting kind of day but all essential if not a little boring.  When all the boring stuff is done I am going to sew - will share that another day.

Give Away

Phew I have been a bad blogger.  Since returning from holiday in Cornwall last Saturday I really don't seem to have had a minute.  I have hardly been on the computer which, for me, is most unusual.  Anyhow I have  popped on here to announce the winner of my giveaway.  You know, the one I said finished at the end of May and it is now the 11 June.  Shame on me.  I am doing the Giveaway in a very technical  way.  All high tec and very secure.  I am now just going to shout K who is in the living room to give me a number between one and twenty two - the person on the comments page who corresponds with the number is the winner.  Technical -  oh very technical indeed.  The winner is number 21.  Come  in No 21  you are a winner.  I will now refer back to my list to  see who it is

TEA AND CAKE it's you.

Well done please contact me with your address and I will post of your prize.

Going to go now.  Will be back soon as I do have a things to share and hopefully 'home' life  will be a little less busy.