A winter wonderland - what fun!!!!!

Well what a week it's been. Monday morning we awoke to this view out our bedroom window outside our lane looked like Narnia! We had about six inches of snow the most snow that I can remember since being very little. It all melted away by Tuesday and we were a bit miffed and sad that it had come and gone so quickly but yesterday (Thursday) we were rewarded with another heavy covering of snow. Yippee!!!!!!!! What fun our walk to pre school was wrapped up all cosy and warm, crunching snow under our feet kicking it along as we go and a good work out for me it can be quite difficult trying to push a pushchair along in thick snow whilst trying to control a overly excited three yr old along the side and trying not to fall over all at the same time!! :)

Also I couldn't stop taking photo's so here's what I took.
our lane

Mr snowman that Grandad helped build as Mummies

attempt wasn't very good!!!!!!! Our House



The walk to school
This is the park we pass on our walk to school.



Our back garden


View from our landing window


View from our bedroom window

Little words just photo's today as I'm shattered, it was Emily's 4th birthday party today and I'm all partied out. Thank you for all your best wishes for the party I'm pleased to say it went down a treat and all my hard work payed off, the birthday girl had a whale of a time!

I'll be posting lot's of pics soon, it's her actual birthday tomorrow so I'm looking forward to having a girly day together. Hope you've all enjoyed the snow I think most places have had some? I've been so busy this week there's been little time to blog but had to sneak these photo's in. I never want to forget the week it snowed! Sarahx

January planning and shopping

We are 17 days into 2009 and I do believe I am a little late in wishing everyone who visits my blog a Happy New Year, I really appreciate every comment that is left on here they so brighten up my days so to everyone who has visited my blog I wish you all the most wonderful 2009!

I do like the start of the year, all those empty boxes on the calender waiting ready to be filled with what you choose. I like to take time in January to plan what I want to get out of the year and what a would like to achieve. It's all buzzing around in my head at the moment but I am planning to make lists and write it all down in my dream book there's all sorts I want to do this year including a lot of sewing. I intend to be a slimmer me in 2009 as the weight really has crept on in 2008, the diet hasn't started yet but it will do soon I like to plan what I'm going to cook prepare and myself and get in the right frame of mind first!

I've also felt an enormous urge to de clutter our house this month. So every cupboard, box, drawer in the house is being tidied things we no longer need being recycled. We seem to of accumulated I huge amount of stuff for 2 adults and 2 little people, it's giving me great satisfaction this organising. I do believe that in a small house it is good to have a place for everything and to keep possessions to a minimal so I'm being ruthless and getting rid of quite a bit of stuff that never sees the light of day that we have no use for.

I have also been shopping when I'm in the old part of town I always have to pop in my favourite shop. Now usually I visit this shop just to browse not really to spend anything I just love to eye up all their wonderful stock and sometimes buy a card or something small. I wonder upstairs as it's upstairs where I especially love their lovely displays of Emma Bridgewater, Suzie Watson and Greengate. But on this particular visit their large display of Greengate is all half price or more as they are not stocking it anymore. Oh wow I LOVE GREENGATE I'm excited and would love to make lots and lots of purchases but it's January and I have little money after Christmas but I can't resist these tins for only £2.50 each yes just £2.50 and this lovely cushion. I am sad that their not going to have it anymore such a shame the shop assistant said it was due to it being hard to get being a Danish company.

My lovely mum and dad gave me my birthday money early, my birthday is not until May!!!!!! So I went back to buy myself a Greengate jug, candlestick, salt and pepper set, tube of pretty pencils and mug which is all wrapped up in tissue paper at my mums waiting for my birthday in May!!!!!!! Oooh I can hardly wait!

After my little splurge I had no intention of spending anymore money this month but when I came across this bedspread in Dunelm I had to have it. I've been looking for the perfect bedspread or eiderdown for our bed for quite a while.

I wanted something that would go well with these pictures above my bed and this faded red and cream toil bedspread fits the bill perfectly at £30 I think it's really good value it's king size and has ticking on the back I have seen a similar one before and been tempted but it was £80.

I'm really pleased with it and it's french style goes really well with our french style furniture. It's making me want to paint those awful peach walls a grey/blue and looking at our pine bed I think that is going to have a makeover and be painted cream to blend in with our other furniture another couple of jobs to add to my dream book! Our bedside tables are not usually that bare I've just nicked the lamps for the side table downstairs!

As I type the wind is howling around our house and the rain pelting against our windows they have given 80 mile an hour winds out tonight I'm a bit worried about the dead tree across the lane lets hope it's still there in the morning!!

Let it Snow!

This morning we woke up to no power in the house it was hard work getting 2 under 4's ready in the darkness! There is no leisurely lie in bed and waking up slowly in this house it doesn't exist! We are woken by two wide awake little people, first thing that comes into Emily's head is 'cereal mummy' and Elliott's first words are 'downstairs' so off we trotted for Weatabix in darkness lighted by tea lights! Then it started to snow really heavily outside which caused much excitement as they rushed up to the window and pressed their noses up to the glass to watch the wintry scene creating before us.

The above picture is the lane that we live on, I love to watch the changing of the seasons on our little lane unfortunately this isn't the best pic as I've had to cut off the left side as every ones bins was out. I'd of loved to of stayed in all morning in the cosiness of the house and enjoy the view from our window but I did have to venture out in it to take Emily to pre school and then take Elliott to playgroup I was absolutely freeeeeezing. It was nice to see some snow especially with all the candles lit in the house it really did feel quite festive.

Here is my collection of festive house magazines my addiction to house magazines goes stupid at this time of year I can't resist those Christmas front covers there's more than this pile I have a few other ones put away too.
I bought them all last month in hast so I'm looking forward to sitting down and having a proper read through them all this month.

I love this time of year especially the run up to Christmas I have just finished all my Christmas shopping so this month will be spent doing nice festive activity's we always go to Chatsworth for the day everywhere is decorated so beautifully there they even decorate the farmyard. We'll be taking the children to see Santa and this weekend I'm going to bake some snowflake biscuits for the tree.

I love decorating the house in fact I'm a bit obsessed with Christmas decorations having worked selling Christmas decorations in a wonderful old fashioned department store I have built up quite a stash of Victorian style decs. But this year I've bought all new in Scandinavian style better suited to our decor so I can't wait to put them all up.
I'm sorry all there's no pics of the garden room I will be doing a post with lot's of pics soon I promise! It's turning into a bit of a Santa's workshop in there it's a great place to hide all the Christmas presents! But to give you a taste of something that's in there this is my comfy chair that I have covered in lovely Greengate fabric.

Underneath is a yellow tub chair bought for £10 from the junk shop. This picture was taken half way through making the cover for it, it's finished now. I'd never covered a chair before so it was quite a challenge but I'd got a great book a making loose chair covers from the charity shop which really helped me and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Back soon with a garden room post have a good week all whatever your up to!

Sarahx

Embracing Autumn

Hi all yes I'm still here, I know I'm a useless blogger I'm just finding it really difficult at the moment to find time to blog which really annoys me. Smack my hands must try harder to update my blog and I have lots of catching up to do with everyone apoligies all!!

Well were well into autumn now and I'm really enjoying the new season. I'm enjoying the cosiness in the house, snuggling up under a throw on the sofa having the lamps on. Putting the heating on which feels like a real indulgence and lighting a few candles! I wish we had a real fire though I'd love that were going to convert ours when we have our extension I'm very jealous of those of you who have one I'll just have to be patient and wait. Also covering up my lilly white legs and wearing cosy clothes is a real bonus I really don't like getting my legs out and the more covered up I am the better!

So it was a beautiful warm day yesterday here in Derbyshire so off we went for a walk in the woods. We headed for Ambergate the village where I grew up and for shining cliff woods and off we went on our little adventure. We made our way through crunchy leaf paths and some very soggy muddy paths. We did a circular walk we just followed our noses I got a bit worried at some parts as there were different paths and we were just guessing at which direction to take and felt a bit lost, being stuck in the middle of the woods with a 1 and 3 yr old would not be a good situation to be in would it? But we did take the right route and was ok! We saw lots of squirrels, acorns and chestnuts and even a few mushrooms! The sun was creating a dappled effect shining rays through the towering trees just stunning. Every so often we would see a drift of leaves falling from the trees onto the wood floor which was covered in a carpet of orange red and gold leaves. Halfway through our walk we were rewarded with the sight and sounds of this brook running down through the wood and on our way back we stumbled upon about six houses that are actually in the woods what a fascinating and very private way to live it must be very spooky at night though. Not my cup of tea I've watched Blair Witch too many times!

Emily managed to walk most of the way and Elliott travelled in style in the backpack after doing a bit walking too. At one point Steven was carrying both of them with Emily on his shoulders! It was great to get out and enjoy the great outdoors hopefully depending on the weather we will do something similar this weekend. Sorry for the dodgy photo the next one is better I love the photo of the tree.

Looking towards the end of the month I'm starting to think about Halloween and giving the pumpkins a go in the CL magazine also I've got my ticket for the Country Living Christmas Fair next month how excited am I . I've never been to one before so I'm really looking forward to it.

Hopefully I will be here more often from now on, the summerhouse is coming on well and will hopefully be finished soon Steven and my dad have been working flat out on it so will be posting some pics of that. I've also been the very lucky winner of Ginny and Alice's book 'Fabulous fabric' which deserves a post of it's own so thanks girls I LOVE your book!

Have a good week all!

Sarahx

Our summer is over and a new start

So it seems our summer is officially over and so the weather is trying to tell us too. This is the horrendous weather our back garden suffered last week, non stop heavy rain followed by thunder and lightening and then huge hailstones!Lovely! Emily starts at a new nursery on Friday she's doing mornings at the primary school nursery where she will attend in a years time. So uniform and new shoes are ready waiting.I just hope that she will settle in well and be happy there. I have everything crossed for no tears and upset. It should be good for her they try and include the nursery as much as they can with the school so hopefully when she starts school it won't be such a huge experience for her. I have been reading about everyone's little people starting at school in blog land and I'm very aware that this will be me next year so I plan to treasure every moment of my last year with her at home. That's why I have a very special surprise for her next week were having a mummy and daughter night out so will blog about that soon!

Looking back at our summer holidays we've all enjoyed each others company most of the time. Of course there's been tears and tantrums and pulling my hair out moments but all in all we've kept ourselves very busy and the summer has passed us by very quickly.

We've had jigsaws,games,building blocks dancing,singing,reading,biking,paddling pool fun,baking,playing with friends,painting,drawing,chalking on the patio,donkey rides, swimming picnics and lots more.

Daddy's had a bit of time off so we've enjoyed some fun days out to the Sea life Centre and Alton Towers. Also walks in the peak district this is Dovedale about 30 min's drive from our house it's a very beautiful valley with a river running through it. The fun bit is crossing the stepping stones. It was very busy so unfortunately there are lots of people on the photos.

I've also won a award. thank you so much to Jane from the blog http://jane-petticoatlane.blogspot.com/ Jane is quite new to blog land and her blog is a great read and she never fails to tickle me go check her lovely blog out.
I'm a bit late with this award and I think it's been passed on quite alot so I'm going to pass this on to everyone who reads my blog as you all really make my day.

Quick update on the summerhouse sorry no photos I don't think pictures of soil and wires would please you! We have been plodding on with the electrical side so I won't bore you with that. I have picked up a junk shop chair for it which I am making a loose cover for so will keep you updated when I have something to show.

That's all for now be back soon with news of our girly night out!

Sarah x