Friday 26 July 2013

Today's project......

Two side tables for the space each side of the swing...made from an old pallet that has been hanging around for a couple of years
One for each side of the swing...and to divide up and start planting the new plants

the one nearest the house is white and purple shades
the one at the bottom of the garden the red yellow and pinks
then when Phil got up we made a couple of tables from an old pallet that has been hanging around the garden for 2yrs.
oh! happy days.

Wednesday 24 July 2013

TEENY TINY BIT TO DO IN THE GARDEN MAKE OVER...

Topped off the walls today with some chunky wood and added a few more plants too....
 
Just the bottom walled garden area to dig over and plant...




 
some of the new plants should go in the bottom patch but I really like them all together,
the budget won't allow for any more of a spend......
so do I split them of leave them all together?
Not sure what I will do yet....but very happy with what we have achieved in 4 days
 
Happy Gardening to all x
 

Tuesday 23 July 2013

A job well done......

Well we started late and I played convict for half an hour...we needed to recycle the bricks, so all the old cement needed to come off
Phil built the first wall end.
Then we ran out of sand, so had to go shopping again, I got a bit distracted by all the lovely plants....oops!
We then had lunch and sat on the swing for the afternoon snoozing and I made a row of bunting in the colours of the swing covers....
it needs blocking, it might even need stiffening but for now its hanging on the wall
The swing still in the old postition..in the way really hence all the hard work.
 
We're not quite finished, the old wall topping need removing and a wooden top adding and we do intend to render the wall and paint it white but that will have to wait until next time.
 
The hardest part of the job has been done and our precious and well used swing has a new home against the wall on the new paved area, we couldn't believe how spacious the garden looks now
The decorative head was in the way so it came down and will be found a new home on the first post.
Late last night we sat and enjoyed out hard work with candle burning on the table under the gazebo
 
some tidying up and lots of prettying to do now....
But this morning it was so dark I've had to put the light on in the craft room...lots of thunder and the rain came down
It's stopped now so hoping it might brighten up later.
 
Our swing fits perfectly in it's new home
A job well done...
Happy Gardening xx

Sunday 21 July 2013

By 7pm tonight......almost finished.

Just quick because I won't have time in the morning club posts to do.....
Just a little bit to do, Phil will build the end walls back up tomorrow and then we can finish the 4 half slabs, add the new coping stones to the walls, then I can plant up....with what?
I don't know yet, some research to do first
 
 

 

 My hero...lol thanks for all your hard work xx
oops! i have just noticed the spelling mistake..speed not hast hey? lol

A MUCH COOLER DAY YESTERDAY AND WE MADE SOME PROGRESS....

The wall came down, several more trips to the skips, we lifted the 9 half slabs and replaced them with full slabs...the half slabs will go to the back of the space...then called it a day about 1pm.
starting to look a bit tidier...well a bit! lol
two more rows of 9 slabs to lay...sand and cement shopping today then...
very cloudy and a tiny bit of drizzle this morning...not sure how much we will get done today
 
HAPPY GARDENING XX

Saturday 20 July 2013

Garden make over on the hottest day of the year?..silly us

We have a strip of garden that needed re-modelling, so it was let for the Spring..haha!
 and we didn't get any Spring so yesterday with Phil at home for a while ,
we decided to start the remodel.
 
AS WE STARTED
removing all the self seed poppies I had let run free..I collected the seed head to sow later.
 
 
it looks like this at the moment..AFTER A HOT SWEATY AND VERY DUSTY DAY
STILL....a bit of a mess
 
and now I must get off to help with the removal of the wall I can hear the cutter being started
hey ho catch ya later
have fun x
 

Friday 19 July 2013

MELONS AND MOPS....

So we are in the heatwave warning area?
Hope no one is stuggling with all this heat?...
I'm up early to have time on the laptop in the craftroom and miss the worse of the heat in here.
Not that I am complaining I love this great weather we are all having at the moment in the UK.....but why am I making A SHAWL, or two in this heat?... lol.
 
MELON SMOOTHIE...oh! yes this was delicious and very refreshing.
 
5lbs off in 5 days...not weighed myself this morning (day7) but I am a happy bunny.
I can't believe how well it is going, Phil has lost the same and he is a day behind me with starting....
so we are both REALLY pleased......no cravings at all and feeling great.
 
ROAST VEGGIES
The Roast veggie dinners at night are wonderful
Aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onions drizzled with coconut oil and sprinkled with cumin, mustard and black pepper...fabulous dish,
no meat in sight and we really aren't missing it at all.
 
So we  are still sticking with the fruit and veg diet lots of juices, smoothies in the day some great recipes in Joe Cross's recipe book.
SMOOTHIE ICE CREAM
And I get daily recipes sent from his site a great one for a coconut water and fesh strawberries, but any fuit can be used to make a great smoothie but you can freeze it to make a substitue ice cream that sounds vey yummy...I'll let you know what it's like asap.
The sweet potato crisps and a salsa dip sounds great too.
 
MOP SLIPPERS
I tried out my new floor mop slippers, yesterday lol...great fun and the floor shone
Easier on the back, peel off the mop bit, wash and hang out to dry for next time...terrific idea.
 
Enjoy the sunshine
Hugs x
 
 

Tuesday 16 July 2013

IN THE PINK THIS MORNING....

It's a pink one this morning lol...feeling great

and I've lost 3lbs already.....these drinks are so filling and it take me ages to drink them.
Happy me
IN THE PINK
Strawberries mostly
nectarine
orange
banana
cholesterol lowering yogurt

link to REBOOT WITH JOE
if you get a chance to watch his film
FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD....link to the official blog,
it's a very inspiring film if you want to get healthy and loose weight too

Monday 15 July 2013

BREAKFAST.....

A Fruit Smoothie
banana
orange
nectarine
kiwi
blueberry yogurt
and some left over apple juice.

I started this juice diet 4 days ago, although for the first day I ate food as well because I wasn't prepared to throw it away....
The second day I didn't feel too good, a bad head and I slept most of the day.
 
Yesterday i jumped out of bed and we went walking....unheard of lol
 
My energy levels are rising, I also didn't need an afternoon nap yesterday and I am sleeping a lot better at night.
Been working this morning...GRANNY SQUARES PATERN CLUB, LOTS OF NEW MEMBERS THIS MONTH ALREADY, since 6am I have been adding the new posts for this week..........
so a walk will happen when the sun isn't so hot probably early evening.
 
The juices are really filling and I dont feel hungrey and have already lost weight and already feel different.....better, no bloating or over filled tummy...going great so far.
 
Danger points are early evening for me, but so far I am managing to stick with it.
 
hugs to all x

Saturday 13 July 2013

LUNCH and it tastes.....

Deeeelicious!...really didn't expect it too taste so yummy, but it does, day two of a juice fast
two glasses to drink, although I feel really full after one.
few grapes
apple
cabbage leaves
celery
some chilled water.
ooops! I forgot the strawberries.
 
Breakfast was a fruit one
melon
apple
nectarine
and my cholesterol lowering yogurt.
 
Right now I have a headache of all headeaches..feels like the same headache I had when I stopped drinking coffee...
I'll let you know how get on and the results of a healthy diet.

Sunday 7 July 2013

SO SUNNY HERE IN THE UK...no where better when is shines, than the garden, gorgeous

Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the sun shine we are having at the moment?
All day outside? wow!
It's been such a miserable spring, it's lovely to have some nice weather.

The heat in my craftroom yesterday (39c) sent me outside onto the shady garden swing with a pile of wool and a hook or two...making some bunting, something easy on the brain.
10 colours and 2 of each at the moment, except the darker pink, not sure about that one yet

I'm on my own this weekend so I am pretending I am on holiday and doing only what I want, chilling and relaxing.....a cat to share the garden swing with me, a hook, wool and a Sangria and orange juice
mmmmmmmmmm...I'm chilled.

I took pictures of the garden swing..at the bottom of this post, because they are over exposed lol.....it was so sunny and bright the pictures didn't come out very well at all.

My Birthday Flowers....have al opened and look wonderful
.....thanks Phil  xx
Looking forward to the match this afternoon...crossing everything for Andy.

HAPPY HOOKING EVERYONE XX
over exposed swing pictures hehe
and I had made the garden all pretty to sit in too..I'll try again to take a better picture
xx

Saturday 6 July 2013

GRANNY SQUARES PATTERN CLUB...going well so far.


Thanks to all the new members who have joined the fun on
GRANNY SQUARES PATTERN CLUB.
mail me if you are interested in joining.
The only complaint i have had so far is I am giving them all too much so they are having to print out their favourites and make a folder of ideas for future reference because there is so much on the site.
I have already done almost 40 posts of new ideas and variations....oops! I forget others don't have as much hooky time as I do....SORRY lol.
 
Another Star member and her projects to share with you all
click the link to take you there.
A stunning wall hanging from giant flowers.
 
and there are several WIP going on too i will share asap.
Happy hooking Sandra gorgeous colours
hugs x
 
 

Friday 5 July 2013

MUCH NEEDED BUT UNSCHEDULED CLEAR UP YESTERDAY...

The weather is gorgeous right now so I invited the Knit and Natter girls for coffee and cake this afternoon....oops the craft room was really in need of a tidy up and I do mean really in need......not quite finished but its acceptable for a visit.
 
Its the only room big enough to sit 6/7/8 crafty girls, really comfortably it's
still full of stuff hehe
but at least there is a space for a cup and seats to sit on with out a cat bed on top lol
 
Ached like mad by the time I had finished quite late last night.
 
It all started when Phil got up early and said where do you want these shelves then?
 
Poor love these shelves have been up and down about 6 times in my craft room as it has evolved and changed over the last three years lol..and he never complains just puts them up...promise this is the last time I will move them.
SO i decided the craft room was to be the days task....
the shelves went up first...
while this was going on I started to clean the craft room roof and frame...after such a damp and long winter I've never seen so many mold spots?...that's the bit that isn't finished yet...
All the little nooks and crannies took ages to wipe down..so that bit is a WIP.
Hopefully all the colourful samples will distract lol.
been sugar stiffening lots of sample motifs to hang up...slow process because of the drying time...
may be I'll do some more this next couple of weeks as it is going to be lovely and warm!
See?.... I now have a cleared coffee table and shelf tops...not been seen for a few months lol.
sofas and chairs are all cleared and ready...ooops i have been playing this morning and the coffee table is already half covered..it won't last will it?
I love my craft room but it does get very hot, its already 23c and all the windows and the french doors are wide open..may be after all the work we will end up in the garden today, the fan is ready anyway and we might want to have the semi final on the TV.....crossing everything for Andy this afternoon.
 
Happy Hooking.
 

Monday 1 July 2013

I AM CANCELLING ALL BIRTHDAYS FROM NOW ON LOL....

Just had my 61st Birthday....but I am cancelling them all from now on....
a realisation of less life left than i have had already...

Not a good thought at all, so I don't want reminding again LOL.

The possibilities of only having 15, 20 and if I am very very lucky may be 25 is not a great thought.
 
But for this birthday I thank all that bought me presents and sent me cards.
huge hugs to you all.
 
This one from Phil made me howl...thanks Phil you couldn't have bought a more appropriate card lol
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! oh how true that is
My Birthday started at 2 in the morning with said same cat Splodge waking me up....sometimes he lets his devoted servant lie in until 3 or 4 lucky me!

All he ever wants is for me to walk him to the kitchen, because the other psycho cat going by the name of Mr.T might be lying in wait, although at 2 in the morning he is usually fast asleep, his antics don't usually start until oooh! after 4 in the morning.

Anyway we had a leisurely day knowing we eeded to pick James my son up from the airport at 11.15 at night, i though i would try to get a little nap in in the afternnon..HA! the only day of the entire year I couldn't drop off for half an hour wasn't it?

We had decided to have a late supper at Ikea and a browse too, we've not been for over a year so there must be something new to see, not buy I might add, but hey who can go to Ikea and not buy something|?
and some new curtains to replace the psycho cats damaged kitchen curtains
he dives at them and gives them a good kicking....result badly pulled threads
these picture don't do his handy work any justice at all they are beyond hope I am afraid.
a few small icecream/fruit bowls....all I have are mixing bowl size big enough to take a whole tub of ice
cream!
Thinking why don't we go to the cinema too also close to Ikea and on the way.
So what happens?...you guessed it I fall asleep in the cinema don't I and miss some of the film....gggrrrrrr!
eventually at the airport far too early we had to find some where to park up for half an hour
James had a fabulous time in Barcelona visiting his friend and family..his second home they say and want him to go back in a months time!..lucky James.
Thanks James for the lovely sandles you brought me back..
black this time, I have the red ones on today..
I now have three colours of these wonderful soft and comfortable shoes to wear hugs xx

We eventually got home just before 2 in the morning the trafffic was so bad on the motor way at Midnight!!!!!!!!!!!.
So I pretty well I saw all 24 hours of my birthday this year! lol
next year I am staying in bed and ignoring it completely hehe
Thanks again hugs xx