Quilting and a winner

Hello lovely bloggy people :o)

Hope this post finds you all fine and dandy!

Thankyou so much for all your kind 'welcome back' hellos. It is lovely of you all to leave such kind comments and make me feel all warm inside. :o)

Now, I've been a bit cheeky with this post title, as the winner I have mentioned is ME!!

Yes, me!  I've won something else beside the Harry Potter tickets that I told you about last post!

I have won a blog giveaway. But it's one with a difference. My prize is a years subscription to the brand new vintage magazine called Pretty Nostalgic.

I won the giveaway on Niki's blog, and was absolutely astounded when she emailed me to tell me I was a winner!  I had to hotfoot it over to her blog to check that I really had won before I believed her!
But I'm really pleased to have won this. Honestly i was so excited, it felt like Christmas!
When I get the first issue on 1st May, i'll show you all what it's like ;o)
But from the blog, it looks to be something really lovely, and it features Nikis shop in it too :o)

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Anyway, what have I been up to this week?
Well, I've been trying really hard to get a quilt finished...

It has lots of applique roses on it (you know, those -what I call- William Morris style roses...)

And it has embroidery stems -which i have to admit, the embroidery was quicker to do that those roses!!  And I have discovered that I badly hate quilting with linen!!

But I'm getting there. When it's all been stitched together, I'm going to get my eldest daughter to hand quilt it. It's a present for one of her helpers at school, and I thought it would be nice if the helper realised that my daughter had shed tears over it, as well as her mum!! lol.

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And, I've been pigeon sitting!!  Now, I know you're all thinking what an ugly creature this baby pigeon is, but i just think they are the most cutest things!!

When I was little my Dad used to have great big pigeon lofts, and have racing pigeons. And I do miss them a lot as I always used to be down in the lofts with him.

But then when we moved here, we met an older couple who live near by who breed 'fancy' pigeons. And when they realised they had met someone who wasn't scared of pigeons, and actually adored them, they asked if I could look after them for them when they go on holiday and the such, and I just love it!!

So whilst I was there, i just had to take a photo of 'Neville' (I named him/her -don't ask how I thought of Neville lol) as i just knew you lot would like a little looksie!  He's one of the first babies out this year !

My neighbours also have the most beautiful garden.

I just love this apple blossom -I think it's prettier than my apple tree blossom...

And just as luck would have it, when ever I went in the morning to feed, the sun was shining beautifully, even though it's been pouring and hailing  for about two weeks now....

I thought this view was a bit surreal with a mediterranean palm tree, and our english ,native holly bush in the same picture!

And I loved the shadows of the palm that played out on my neighbours, neighbours (does that make sense?) house wall...

I mean how nosey can one woman get, not only taking photos in her neighbours garden, but taking pictures of her neighbours, neighbours garden lol.

Bet you're pleased I don't live near you!! :D

Anyway, that's me for today lovely bloggers. Off to have a nose around blogland :O)

You take care now, and I'll speak soon.

Love Donna xx

EDITED TO ADD::

Oh my word!!!   I have just found out that I have won another prize!  Can you believe it? Cos' I can't !    I shall be buying a few lottery tickets this week, but I'm not sure it works like that, and this is my third win already - so maybe I'm just being greedy! :D

Happy, happy week folk. xxxx

Hello, Hello, Hello :o)

HELLO lovely people :o)

How are you?

Oooo, it's lovely to be back :o)

I've had a really lovely break, and I'm pleased I backed off for a little while. It made me realise just how much of my time is spent on the computer, and how little is spent creating and 'home loving' !

Anyway, i'm hoping that I've learnt enough to make things a bit more even now.

It was my youngest daughters 13th Birthday a couple of weeks back, and I was lucky enough to be a winner (yes ME!!) of some tickets to the pre-launch of the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour.

So on her Birthday we whizzed up the M3 and M25 (motorway roads in case you're wondering:o)

to Levenden where they filmed parts of the Harry Potter films...

The model castle was magnificent. Shame about my crappy photography really, otherwise you would be able to see it better :o)

Obviously we had to have a glass of Butter Beer (no alchohol) which I have to say was delicious!  I shall be trying to replicate this during the summer months as I can still taste it now..Mmmmm

There was loads to see and do, even though it hadn't yet opened 'proper' to the public. We won tickets to go on 17th March, and it didn't officially open until 31st March.

I'd say it's a brilliant attraction to any Harry Potter fan, and my eldest daughter and husband aren't 'into' Harry at all, but they really enjoyed it too.

Just one thing to remember if you do go though.  I know generally the souvenir shops at places are expensive, but the one at the studios was extortionate in my opinion. It was really expensive as things go, so just be ready to take your credit card, cos' you'll need it!

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The garden has been popping out all over the place. My forsythia bush has been flowering since before Christmas (which at the time I have to admit had me a bit worried as to what would happen to it in the spring), but now it looks divine!

And we have frothy blossom everywhere, although i'm still waiting for my apple blossom :o)

And I've been getting on really well with my makes.

I'll be opening my Litte tiny stitches Etsy store again today or tomorrow, so it'll be good to pop my new makes in there :o)

All sorts of patchwork has been happening here,

which has been making me happy.

And I see that this super lady has had a gorgeous patchwork quilt made by one of her customers from the fabrics from her Etsy store which sells the most fantastic vintage, soft and cosy fabrics.

And I see this super lady is making the most gorgeous patchwork quilt too!  And as well as that, she does the most fantastic crazy patch blocks which are to die for!! 

Just pop over and have a look at these two lovely, brilliant people. I admire them both tremendously :o)

Well, that's it for me today lovely bloggers.

Pop back in a few days, as I'm gonna introduce you to my 'thrift store'.

Happy happy week to you all.

Take care now,

Love Donna xx