Thursday's Favourites!

Our Hall Favourite Pictures

I like to see a home like this, a home connected with people's thoughts and work, things they love. Bodeen

These are two of my favourite pictures which we have around the house, here in the hall. Although I consider myself a creative and coulourful person, my taste in colours for the decoration of the house id another matter. I am, unashamed to say I go for magnolia throughout. The colour I reserve for what goes on the wall, in this case the pictures of a goose girl and an Aylesbury duck. Over the years we have collected a large collection of pictures which reflect where we are, for obvious reasons ducks, geese, hens, dogs and cats feature regularly! I will be sharing more of our favourites from round the house in the coming weeks, let's face it, with the nights drawing in and temperatures dropping it is a good place to be, inside where it is warm! For more Thursday favourites, or to join in, visit Blue

My Favourite Season!.

A Watercolour Painting of mine, Harvest Onion. I tried to capture the colours of ripeness and harvest.

Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to spring. --Doug Larson

Well it is that part of the year again! No matter what we say or do, complain or otherwise let's face it, this has been one of the worst british summers in history. Yet as I have been saying regularly to Jon I really dont feel we can complain (Jon and I that is) as we had two fantastic holidays...the Isle of Man TT Race Week and the weekend we spent in Assen. Both occasions brought us glorious sunshine. Imagine looking forward to the holiday for a whole year only to have torrential rain! So I am quite okay about the weather. As a gardener I have seen my plants do well, did I mention my nasturtiums? LOL! The past few days have brought a definate nip in the air and am I imgjining things or are the nights getting darker earlier? Last night at 8.30 it was dark. Jon put Jo to bed around 7.45pm, normally it is around 8.30...yes all the signs are there. The summer is drawing to a close, Autumn is knocking at the door. Yesterday whilst out for my morning walk with Wilma up Handale I picked a big bowl of brambles. This is another sign of Autumn. Our cooking apple trees are almost ready and we will be having a mammoth picking session and I will be making the chutneys and jams which I associate with comfort cooking for the change in the weather. Our discovery eating apple tree is producing awesome tasting apples right now, the damson trees need checking for fruit and the horse=chestnut tree has produced a bumper crop of conkers. September may also bring along the lighting of the Aga and we will then know there is no going back, the nights will be colder, darker, sooner. Yet, it is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the thought of shutting and locking the door at night, knowing everybody is in safe and sound.

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape, the loneliness of it ,the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it -- the whole story doesn't show. --Andrew Wyeth Have you a favourite? Visit Blue and read others or join in!

This, that and the other, but we wont mention the weather!

I am late for Thursday's favourite Things! One of my favourite housework chores........well the one I enjoy doing is pegging the washing out on the line. I took this photograph a few weeks ago, in fact the last time I saw blue sky over our house. If you look carefully (you may admire the hanging baskets in the background lol) you will observe I have quite a methodical approach to pegging out the clothes. Here you can see I hang Jon's socks in pairs, this is so when I take them off the line I pair them up and drop them in the basket, then straight into Jon's sock drawer. I once worked with a lady who HAD to hang out her washing with matching coloured clothes pegs. I think about her every time I peg out my washing, bless. It takes all sorts I guess. When this lady retired, myself and another member of staff complied a powerpoint presentation for her retirement party. It went down a storm and featured a drama we had written all about the lady in hand and her obsession with the clothes peg colours. We developed the story line into an hilarious farce featuring our lady in a watch tower scanning the washing lines of her neighbourhood to see who had used incorrect coloured pegs...in which instance she would march round to the offending washing line and blast it with her shotgun. Of course, it brought the house down and her family were screaming with laughter. So whilst I pride myself on my methodology my colour co-ordination is lacking! We have a washer-dryer and like many of us, I rarely use the dryer in an effort to keep the fuel bills down to the cost of Just an average mortgage.....however this past week has frustrated me. The weather has been truly dreadful. The atmosphere has been damp, so it wasn't possible to dry the clothes round the house. Instead I had to use the tumble dryer. Outside it was raining heavily, so on went the dryer. After the said period of time just as the dryer finished the rain stopped...out came the sunshine! FUME! Another load was awaiting, so I took out the dry load, dealt with it whilst the second load washed away. Sun still shining, so I merrily went about my daily routines. Washing Cycle ends......(sun still shining) so I put the washed clothes into the basket and took it outside into the garden. It was quite a large load, but I hung it all out on the long washing line. No sooner had I put the final peg into place I felt spots of rain on my arms....then the spots grew into marble size, hard marble size...yes hail stones. I then did a good impression of a demented idiot removing all of the clothes pegs and dropping them into the basket...no neat folds or co-ordination of pegs, pairs or like minded garments! Nay! Into the basket with the entire contents of the washing line. I flew (literally) into the kitchen and shut the door! I sorted the washing from the pegs and divided the damp washing into 2 lots, as the drying capacity is smaller than the washing capacity even though it is the same machine. I dried one load, removed, sorted, folded, ironed accordingly whilst the second load dried. On its completion I removed and did the same...folded, ironed, checked, put away into airing cupboard or appropriate drawer. I returned to the kitchen to hang up the peg bag. The rain stopped and the sun came out! It remained in the sky for the next few hours! Typical! Now, the sky is a dark grey and it is pouring with rain! Yes, it is a bank holiday weekend and Jon has some time off! Welcome to the world of British Summertime. Still, as Jon pointed out it will soon be Christmas! LOL! You have to laugh! More on our weekend later, it all depends on the weather. We were hoping to go to Sheffield to watch the demolition of the infamous power station chimneys..... we'll just have to see! There is always some washing to catch up on! Oh and the pegs will not be matching colours! For more Favourite things visit Blue!

Another of my Favourites!

A Photo a Day!

This was the parcel I delivered to Joanne and Simon on Tuesday night.......

Inside was the wedding guest book I had made for them as a wedding gift. Joanne was in tears, she hugged me and said how beautiful it was. I had tears in my eyes too. From a very early age I was in my element when creating something special. I strive for perfection and love to see the responses from not only my clients but my friends and family too. I create great masterpieces even with the packaging.... Guess what was in this parcel?

50 of these.... The Order of Service, yes it is the wedding tomorrow.

Each of the 50 HAD to be perfect in every way. I always work closely with the brides, we travel on a journey I guess. Joanne's preparations will come to an end tomorrow and the day will be here for her to enjoy, her very own day. I will be at the church ceremony and Jon and I are going to the Evening Reception. I will have my camera! Just as one journey is drawing to a close, so others are just beginning. I have two more brides as clients now. On Tuesday I had 2 appointments with new clients who want me to design their wedding stationery for next year....so the process begins all over again, and I will be in my element! For more wonderful favourites, visit Blue!

Success!

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Bill Cosby I did it! After months of trying I finally took a macro photograph! This is one of my ultimate favourites! My digital camera has GOT TO BE my favourite gadget. The hours of pleasure I get from it, the cost? The charging up of the batteries. To My Camera My beautiful, my beautiful, that standeth proudly by, Your chromium plated elegance enhances every eye. I feel you pressed against my breast, or better still I trow I know how much your magic touch can cool my fevered brow. For years my hand has fed you with the films that you require, And reverently pressed the knob to make your shutter fire Then to replace you in your case I lovingly prepare Where you remain exempt from strain till next you take the air. Yet despite my constant heed, how strangely it befalls My pictures seldom seem to reach the Exhibition walls. They can’t compare (it seems unfair) with Blank’s, through his old thing Is kept in shape by sellotape and fortified with string. My beautiful, my beautiful, I wonder can it be That cameras don’t count as much as eyes that really see, And when we try, both Blank and I, true pictures to create Has he the flair the skill, the care, I but the chromium plate? Unknown as of yet but written the year I was born! Dont you just LOVE it when you have tried and tried at something and achieve! For more Favourite Things visit Blue PS We may here news on Belinda today! OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhh she could be here any day!

One of the great things about blogging is when somebody inspires you to do something and you can share what it is here.
I design and produce stationery for special occasions. I am currently awaiting the arrival of supplies so I can make some orders of service for a wedding commission I am working on. Remember the butterfly design here.

When I am working on a commission it is important that I work efficiently both with time and materials, this is what makes the profit.

Away from business however I do like to experiment with new materials and generally have a play. A few weeks ago Helena shared some of her craft projects she had been working on.
One thing which really got through to me was the response she had received from people who had received her cards, they had really appreciated the time and care she had put into her work.

This afternoon I decided to show a friend I really cared for her by making a special card.
Linda is one of my friends from Fat Club (Slimming World) she is very down as she has the C word.
She is passionate about her garden, so this is what I have made.

I really enjoyed faffing about, using bits and bobs I had lying around!
I hope she likes it.
It gave me some ideas for the garden cards I am working on for VP's fundraiser!

For more Thursday favourites, visit Blue!


The Things That Count
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox


Now, dear, it isn’t the bold things,
Great deeds of valour and might,
That count the most in the summing up of life at the end of the day.
But it is the doing of old things,
Small acts that are just and right;
And doing them over and over again, no matter what others say;
In smiling at fate, when you want to cry, and in keeping at work when you want to play -
Dear, those are the things that count.

And, dear, it isn’t the new ways
Where the wonder-seekers crowd
That lead us into the land of content, or help us to find our own.
But it is keeping to true ways,
Though the music is not so loud,
And there may be many a shadowed spot where we journey along alone;
In flinging a prayer at the face of fear, and in changing into a song a groan -
Dear, these are the things that count.

My dear, it isn’t the loud part
Of creeds that are pleasing to God,
Not the chant of a prayer, or the hum of a hymn, or a jubilant shout or song.
But it is the beautiful proud part
Of walking with feet faith-shod;
And in loving, loving, loving through all, no matter how things go wrong;
In trusting ever, though dark the day, and in keeping your hope when the way seems long -
Dear, these are the things that count.


Note............................
To any crafters out there I am having a sort out, do you want some bits and bobs?

Thursday's Favourite!

One of my favourite things is do complete a puzzle.
I came across this one yesterday!
It made me smile!

Go on...you know you want to!

What Denise Means

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

For more favorites visit Blue!

Something new for Thursday!

Blue has a great new idea for Thursday.

One of my favourite things is going to the beach with Wilma!
I never stop appreciating the wonderful feeling of space and seeing the beauty of nature.
I love the sea, the sandy beach, the cliffs and the glorious sky!







There have been many wonderful poems inspired by this wonderful subject.
My favourite remains...
the final line says it all!


maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea

ee cummings