Goodbye christmas hello 2014!

It's the 28th December. Today I woke up and said goodbye to christmas.

It's been lovely, lots of family, lots and lots of homemade gifts and time with those we love. It was ace...but.. Last night I just felt I'd had my fill.

I looked at the crispy holly garland and the wilting tree and the piles of stuff needing a new home and felt it was time (Scrooge or not) to clear away the year and start preparing for the next.

By 9.35am the decs were down and spring clean (just the living room) was in full swing. 

Our house is titch so I really feel clutter and it was imperative to my mental health to start the process before I got back to work.

The boys seemed very pleased with the fresh start. 

We took a long walk around our fave place and caught a breathtaking sunset whilst munching tangerines.

Tuna fish pie for tea with tons of veggies- not posh nosh but hearty and comforting and healthy and most importantly not cheese and crackers! Everyone loved it!

Relaxing tonight and planning the big move for 2014- which WILL happen this year- I'm full of hope!!!!

All in all we had a lovely day and have a few more before the return to work.

Hoping to clear more clutter and start afresh the house needs a good blast of air, a smudging and a lick of paint over the William damage!

Eekk can't wait for this year- I'm embracing it already.

Vintage machine Norman!

Just look at Norman in all his glory!!!

This beautiful piece of machinery was given to me by James uncle norm, whilst operation de-clutter was happening at casa Tercshowetz.

It's the heaviest beast of a machine ever- I nearly put my back out heaving it into the coffee table to use.

As soon as I saw it I knew it was special- I think it's circa 60's ish- solid, chrome plating, wooden casing and metal body.

When the motor runs it purrs, it's so quiet  and smooth.

I have to admit it had me completely baffled though, couldn't find any info on how to thread it or take care of it on the web, so soon after it arrived it ended up back on its dusty old suitcase sulking in a corner.

I've got another machine- a cheapo modern Argos affair- it keeps packing up!

Last weekend I finally found a man who could look at it- a nice old man named Alan who lived nearby.

When I took the BUSH one he shook his head at me- 'that is a nasty machine young lady, you'll have nothing but trouble with it'. Great! And the bugger only started working again spontaneously, so he didn't even get to help me with it's problems! -arghh! Frustrating as I know there's something up with the tension!

Anyway- just so as not to waste the journey- I mentioned my old cresta.

His eyes lit up- he used to work with the machines in his youth! He almost fell over himself to see the thing and then swiftly sent me on my way telling me he'd call me when he's looked at it.

Later that day he called me back. He's serviced Norman- given him a new motor belt and oiled him until he sung!

Only charge me 25 quid ( think its because he'd clearly enjoyed the whole experience!)

He threaded him, showed me how to do it and said 'this beauty will be running when the other ones in its grave!' 

Loving Alan's enthusiasm and my fab new (old) machine Norman.

Good to know Alan's there for future help, although I think I've created a monster as he's called me twice since asking how I'm getting on and offering to personally visit me and Norman to see how I'm managing and show me the bobbin function that I still haven't grasped!

Ha ha- who knew sewing was so masculine- my Norman and his tech support guy Alan,  not forgetting uncle norm for giving me the beauty in the first place!

Thanks boys x

Soooo Elmfield right now!!

Being a tired working mummy doesn't go hand in hand with wills Steiner school.

It's their advent fayre and I had to do a late night cookie cooking affair with an oven with a broken thermostat!

Happy with how the burnt little dudes turned out though- cue.. Very tired mum who cant sleep due to late night shenanigans and a long day at work training peeps the next day.

I was stressing about the lack of medieval costume attire for myself and wills for the fayre the next morning- lots of ideas but ended up thinking his Mike the Knight costume from m&S would have to suffice. Laughed to myself though at how NOT Steiner that idea was!

When I got home James was horrified at my idea too after being involved in the set up and all the creativity of the fayre prep.

So with a degree of guilt- I whipped this up!

A knightly tabard, ha ha! I am SO Steiner right now!!!

Dead chuffed! Just some stick on felt onto my cut up tee- hope I don't regret that reckless move :)

I'd made the dragon months ago as a button hole piece for wills waistcoat (from our wedding) for a welsh wedding.

I love it- hope he bloody well wears it now- maybe I can convince him to wear it over the mike the knight one- no one will be any the wiser! Result!

Forsoothe the mummy created the costume and all was well x

Pride!!!!!

Erm cute!!!

Even russelled up something for me...

Lovely day. 1.5 hours in the cookie house was both relaxing and hectic! Go figure?

Inspired to be crafty

After making Idris' mountain picture I kinda got the bug to felt some more. 

It's such a lovely free medium to work with- it comes together so easily and feels intuitive, almost as if the wool shape-shifts at the will of my imagination with very little effort consciously. It's  So completely opposite to knitting or sewing which, for me takes a great deal of concentration and effort.

Having a lazy lie in this morning in bed with William watching a movie on the kindle- I whipped up a little sheep using some wool tops- made sense to make a sheep!

I made a little pumpkin too- bit rubbish- but got me thinking about Halloween and maybe something to add to the decorations I've collected over the last years.

So, inspired by some Waldorf dolls on Pinterest, I made a little autumn witch character who I love!!!

Only a couple of puncture wounds inflicted during the course.

Maybe ill make her a little cat tomorrow.

Or a tiny cauldron or broom. Excited!!!

I love Halloween!!!

And look who's come down from the loft to join in- beautiful knitted witch I treated myself to last year- knitted by a clever lady in the knitting shop in town.

Idris

My sweet friend gave birth last week and called her baby boy Idris Tirion- named after Cadir Idris a beautiful mountain near by their home. Idris in legend is a giant who sat in his mountain chair and watched the starlit skies- a poet and astronomer.

I couldn't decide what to get her for his birth so decided to needle felt the mountain instead.

 

I really enjoyed doing the work and am happy with the outcome too. I hope little Idris likes it in the years to come.

Tirion means gentle- the perfect name to accompany the strength and power of the welsh giant.

I wish them a lifetime of happiness and joy and hope to be invited to their trips up the mountain path in the future x

Foraging walk with ranger steve

Surprise sunshine on what had been forecast to be a rainy Sunday, made our foraging walk a real delight.

'Yes man steve', the ranger at Baggeridge who never says no to any of my cheeky requests took us on a guided walk around part of the park pointing out types of fruits and trees and generally treating us to his fantastic knowledge of the park.

First up was 'chequers' or 'wild service tree' a rare tree for the area and one that bears fruit that can be used to make a type of jelly.

Can't remember the name if this tree but I do remember that it had the word 'purge' in it which is enough to stop me eating those berries!

Medlars! Again useful as a fruit to make jelly. Not native- somewhere in Europe I think they originate- or Asia? 

Mallow! So pretty, edible- gonna have to look up those properties as I'm sure there's something to be made from that.

Maple- Norwegian variety- we talked about trying to tap it for sap in the spring to have a go at maple syrup!

The many virtues of the humble nettle- as a spinach substitute, tea, soup, for thrashing cold Roman limbs!!! Or as in this photo making very strong rope or thread that can be knitted/crochet into clothes/fabric etc.. Who knew?

Beautiful boy and woody with an apple x

The poisonous yew tree- did you know the bark, needles and fruit seeds are poisonous but the actual snotty fruit is not? Still I'm not going to test that theory.

Yew is used to make a breast cancer chemo drug!!

The boys- James steve and mark- a countryside degree student who Came along for the trip.

The boys and their puddles- so muddy, so much fun!

Teaching us about Hazel/ for building, wattle an daub, fencing. Apparently it makes a wicked handle for a broom stick and if you tie the birch sticks on with a hazel twig it even flys!!! 'Not many branches you can do that with! So flexible steve wrapped it around the tree to demonstrate.

Muddy face!!!

Sea buckthorn - myriad uses, high vitamin content, make jams syrups etc.. Gonna look that up too!

Can't remember the name of this fungi- I'm purposefully not going to attempt any fungi eating- way too risky for me. 

Dee dee having a bath :)

We also found loads of sweet chestnuts which I'm going to make a nut loaf with for Xmas, might mix it up with some walnuts we found in himley too.

We got some sloes for gin and some rose hips for syrup.

We paid steve in cake and all went to the cafe for dinner.

Literally as we packed to leave the heavens opened and it chucked it down- torrential!!!

I'm writing this post as William snores in his car seat- covered in mud from he'd to toe.

Time to wake him up and chuck him in the bath.

Ace day!!!!!

A weekend of woodlands and parks

A lovely beginning to the weekend at Baggeridge with my sisters Jen and Nik and wills cousins Niamh and buster.

The usual route, fantastic sunshine! Duck feeding...apples for horses

And lots of puddles and sticks of course!

We acted out 'room on the broom' which confused Jenny a bit- she said he felt like she should have bought a ticket as the performance was so impressive! Ha ha

The next day me William and daddy went to Cannock chase for a bike ride and a walk.

It's really pretty there in the tall pine woods.

We saw so many different types of fungi

Played look for the gruffalo...again! Julia Donaldson has a lot to answer for!

We foraged for more blackberries- William is great at it now- but doesn't obey the rule of avoiding the low ones...eugh!

We found fairy palaces in a magical thicket with fairy dust all over the floor and letters and gifts left for the fairy folk.

Tiny doors! Exciting to open and see what the kids had left.

Monday is the day for the gang- great times as always. We took them all to Baggeridge for the first time. Hot choc and cakes then a ramble along.

William loves making the others laugh!

Pass the juice was a fave game

 Adventures in the undergrowth with puff balls and sticks!

Dee de and mommy x

Tom and mommy

Quick paddle before it got out if hand!

Playing who knows what bit it looked fun!

Will and his girl rose.. Too cute for words!

Lovely weekend xx