Last week's Lovely Things!

Hello! It's been a while! I hope you haven't felt too abandoned!

Summer time is a bit crazy around here and this year was particularly full on. That's a great story that I'll tell you all about another time.

Now, though, the kids are back to school and it feels like the beginning of a new year; time to reflect on last year and time to think about this coming year. What worked? What didn't? What will we change to improve things for all of us? 

I'm masterplanning some changes in the house - we haven't done ANY decorating for TEN years and it's really looking like it! It'll probably take another ten years to get it all done, but step by step it'll happen. You'll probably get to hear about some of that in due course. I'm also enjoying the last of the summer sunshine. The mornings are feeling more autumnal but the sun is still shining - and long may that last.

Both girls are in the top year of their school. I remember that feeling very well. Being in the final year of primary school, you have a sense of knowing everything, being King Pin, top of the school, and realising that change is coming and soon you'll be onto the next big life adventure. As the child, that's fantastic - I couldn't wait to be more grown-up. From my perspective as her mum, well, that's a little more daunting and nerve-wracking. Eek! It is right and proper, of course and it will be good. All part of life!

Here is the first instalment in "Last Week's Lovely Things" - a look back on last week and five of the things that brought me joy. I'm going to try to post regularly on a Monday. Somehow that time-thief came again and it's Wednesday already....

ONE - RAINBOWS

Rainbows are just SO beautiful. Whenever I see one, I want to look to see if I can find the end of it. Where IS that pot of gold?! 

On Saturday morning, we were in Cornwall and caught a glimpse of a rainbow through the kitchen window. What an absolute marvel to find this beauty when we properly looked outside. Wow! So very lovely. I still can't quite believe how amazing it is.

That's one of the joys of showery days - rainbows pop up everywhere, albeit usually a tiny snippet for a fleeting moment. 

TWO - BIRTHDAYS

September is a busy birthday month in our family. I love birthdays - plenty of opportunity for present-wrapping, party planning, decorating and cake baking! Our smallest had very specific ideas for her birthday cake. Thankfully she was happy with what I produced for her. I even made some lovely sprinkle shortbread biscuits too. More on those another time! 

THREE - EXTENDED SUMMER DAYS

It's no secret that I LOVE the sunshine. I particularly love sunshine with some warmth, but I'll take sunshine any time, even with a breeze. We were lucky to be in Cornwall this weekend and the sun shone! Hooray, hooray! 

(We even managed a quick swim in the sea on Sunday. It was pretty cold, especially as we were the only ones without a wet suit! Thankfully, there is no photographic evidence!)

Daymer Bay, Cornwall

Playing on the beach whilst waiting for the ferry at Rock.

FOUR - RAIN DODGING

Changing seasons means changing weather. This last week has seen some cold mornings, but some glorious sunshine too. The best kind of Autumn days.

Dodging the rain on Saturday meant some unexpected and lovely treats. 

We were wandering the harbour area in Padstow when the first shower hit us, so we popped into The National Lobster Hatchery. What a lovely place! I highly recommend a visit if you're in the neighbourhood.

Baby Blue Lobster

Thankfully the skies decided to turn black around lunchtime and we were just near Rick Stein's Fish Café. What's not to like about a box of delicious cod and chips - with a side order of mushy peas, of course! Yum!

Hiding from the camera.

Rick Stein's Fish

FIVE - AUTUMN

Blackberry picking and conker collecting - those are clear signs that the seasons are changing. This last week has felt as if Summer isn't quite ready to go, but Autumn is ready and waiting. 

Blackberry picking

Collecting conkers

That turned out to be somewhat longer than planned. Never mind, it was nice to chat with you!

Have a good rest of week.

Take a moment...

Take a moment to look, look around you, look not with your own familiar eyes, but those of a stranger, a visitor, someone looking at this for the first time. 

What do you see? Isn't it incredible?

I'm on a train heading to our capital city for a much awaited lunch with a good friend. In the row opposite me a woman held her phone up to the window and filmed the outside. The bright blue sky filled with puffy white clouds; for once the sun is shining and it highlights the immense green - the hedges, trees, fields. The colours stretch on and on as far as the eye can see as we hurtle along. I look - from a distance - through her phone, watching as if in someone else's eyes. Then I look out if my own window and I drink it all in and marvel at the beauty.

Sometimes I forget to look up, sometimes I forget to really look as if it's the first time. Do it! It's beautiful out there!

Spring is sprung!

Hello lovely people!

Spring is finally here! Hooray! The sun shone for a brief day and gave us a hint of what may follow. Oh, please don't be too far away, sunshine.... Easter seems to have snuck up on me and disappeared as quickly as it came  - shame, really, as I had LOADS of crafts in mind and, once again, managed only one. But since it was a good one and can be adapted for any subject, I thought I'd share it with you.

Tissue Paper Art

It really is super simple... I'm not terribly good at drawing so cheated by asking Google for an outline of a chicken. This is what I came up with...

Holding this against some black card, I cut out a silhouette of this lovely chicken. Then I found several different colours of tissue paper, piled them up and cut out a suitable sized egg shape.

The fun was then to arrange them on a large piece of white paper and glue them into place. 

And that was it! Super super simple!

I'm going to think about other possible Tissue Paper Art now. Since the frame is on the wall, it may mean a new piece of art per season...Watch this space!

 

Where has the time gone...?

Oh my, what a neglected blog this is?! Dear reader, if you're still out there, thank you, for patiently waiting.....  

Today is 1st March, a step closer to Spring. It's grey and rainy outside and feels much more like November. Better than November though because the nights are lighter and that means summer is coming. Hooray! The best time of year - signs of new life and hope for the warmth of the sun in the not too distant future.

We have been busy with life, of course, since I last wrote. If you follow me on Instagram (@such_lovely_things) you'll have seen some of the loveliness. In case you missed it, here are a few pics to whet your whistle!!

 Turning an age-old hand-knitted Aran cardigan 

into a cushion cover. I LOVE this so much!

 Collecting 'lovely things' on the beach in Mallorca.

 A bit of twisted sister!

Quilt and curtain-making...

Unsurprisingly, only one of these two things got finished. The curtain is done and looks fabulous in situ. The quilt is nearly there. Look out for more photos in due course.... 

And there are plenty more things I could tell you about, but the call of World Book Day costumes is getting louder. I'm off to fashion some cat ears and tail for the smallest child and a Cleopatra outfit for the larger. Hmmm, wish me luck!

Happy March everyone!