Strange goings on :o)

Good Morning dear bloggy people :o)

I hope this post finds you all fine n dandy this Sunday morning :o)

Autumns here at last!   I love the crisp, cool, frosty mornings, but again this weekend is an extemely strange, warm morning for late October.

Just take a look at the contents of these photos for October in East Dorset..

Ok, ok, only joking!  ;o)

The above photo is from last year, but i just thought I'd remind you all of the gorgeous snow we had last December before we go on...;o)

Now, the one below is real! Taken this week in my garden..

It's my native hazel bush that I've grown from a nut..

See it's dying leaves..just a few left..?

Well, look closer, and you'll also see on the bush at the same time

some new buds, and catkins!  -Along with the dying leaves!

What's going on? These catkins aren't supposed to appear before next spring. Does this mean we will have no buds next spring?  As the frost will soon kill them off.. :o(

And also in my garden last week..

Look, my forsythia with it's autumnal leaves, and it's January flowers!!

Forsythia flowers normally appear in January *before* the leaves come on the branches, but as my leaves are curently dying, so my flowers are appearing!

I also have strawberries coming out now..

These type of strawberries are usually out in July/August.

But my dahlias are just pretties..

and they can come out until November apparently if the frosts aren't too bad :o)

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Remember my half finished hand warmers from my last post? Well, I finished them,

and have crocheted 3 more pairs since then, but unfortunately I haven't photographed them.

I've been busy making more bits for my Etsy shop too.

*Pin wheel brooches*

*Christmas cake picks*  I've made all sorts of these..snowflakes, butterflies etc..

*Pentagon christmas crochet bunting*

And *zip brooches and hair grips*

Although I have to say I've been somewhat of a 'slacker'  (as Jennie would say;o))

in the listing of products in my shop.

I mean I *still* haven't listed the makes I made during the summer holidays!

And in a couple of weeks my eldest daughter is going for a short stay in Kings College hospital London, so I'm not sure whether to list now, or now wait until we come out!

Honestly, sometimes I do make life hard for myself :o)

I also haven't forgotten my recipe from my last post for the quiche/tart.

I've taken some lovely photos for it, and I shall get the recipe up on a 'stand alone' page as soon as I have time.

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This weekend has been all about tidying. As I'm staying at the hospital with my daughter I need to get everything ship shape at home so that hubby and the other two children don't have to do much whilst I'm gone.

And I have some custom bunting to make for a 40th birthday too, which needs to be done before I go.  But I'll tell you more about that in a few weeks.

Well, anyway, that's it for me today.

I have loads to write about, as I haven't had the heart to blog these past couple of weeks ..I don't know why. I mean I've been about, just didn't feel much like posting. And I think sometimes when blogger is going wrong and you can't comment and stuff, it all gets a bit frustrating!  Maybe I just give up too easily lol.     Do you ever get like that?

Well, have a lovely Sunday everyone. And if your children are off school this week for half term like mine are, have a gorgeous autumny time won't you?

Take care all of you,

Love Donna xx



Cooking and memories

Morning my fair blogging friends:o)  (Fair as in fair-weather, but as you're always here in bloglang, fair blogging...see? :o)

Hope this post finds you all fine and dandy :o)

There has been a fair bit of cooking going on in the little tiny household, so I thought I'd have a bit of a tell, and pop in down in my lil' ole' blog for memories sake.

The cooking hasn't all been being done by me, so it makes me extra proud to put the makes down for posterity :o)

First up is the most gorgeous Butternut Squash and pesto tart/quiche thingy.

It's the nicest quiche/tart thingy that  I've ever made up -if I do say so myself :o)

Wholemeal pastry with a handful of chopped nuts baked blind. A layer of pesto on the bottom, then baked, mashed butternut squash, then the eggy, veggie, herb mixture on top.

MMmmm..

Then next up are wholemeal sponge cakes..

They taste gorgeous with pure cane dark brown sugar in the mix..

A bit of dodgy icing..

A pretty shop bought wafer flower, and yummy :o)

And last but not least, the one I'm  proud of..

A gorgeous Lemon Tart made by my eldest daughter..

Under the grill for ten minutes to melt the icing sugar...

And devour with a dollop of (very expensive!) clotted cream!

Oh, it was divine :o)

An extra gorgeous treat for us!

IMPORTANT NOTE:  None of the above are any good whatsoever for your waistline, although highly recommended for your taste buds :o)

If any of you would like the recipes, just say, but I didn't want to just post them for fear of boring you more :o)

Crochet wise, I'm still plodding on with my monochromatic green afghan.

But I've also started these..

Pink and black striped hand warmers for my youngest daughter.

They whip up in about an hour, so are easy and fun to make :o)  (Unless you're doing a different stitch than trebles or doubles)

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And here's one for you memory.

Remember 'The Darling Buds of May' ?

A very young Catherine Zeta-Jones..?

But saying that, she really doesn't look much older now a days does she?..

And one I had to take the other day was when I switched tv on in the early hours, and a re-run of the 'Liver Birds' was on!

Don't tell me I'm the only one who remembers them!

And not only were thay crocheting, but one of them was wearing the most funky crochet top :o)

It made me smile, 'specially with that collar!

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I'd also just like to say that I'm still having trouble commenting on peoples blogs.

I'm reading them, but when I go to comment and have written it, blogger just swallows the comment and leaves the comment box blank :o(

I still haven't worked out how to fix this, so until then please know that I'm still with you, I just can't show you I am :o)

A few off the top of my head are:

Little Blue Mouse

Crafty cats corner

Vintage Vicki

Hesta Nesta

Jumbles and pompoms

Ribbons undone

Scarlett loves Elvis

Vintage Hearth

And several more, but the names escape me at the moment.

So Hi to all of you :o)

Have a great weekend if I don't speak to you before, and take care,

Love Donna xx

Granny goodness.......:o)

Well, Good evening people :o)

Hope this post finds you all fine and dandy this fine Thursday.

I can't believe that it's been more than a week since I last posted. I thought I was getting good at posting more often too ;o)

Anyway, I thought I'd show you a few recent makes and thrifty finds today.

Here's my first make....

Some Granny Goodness pentagons!

Below is a picture of the exact replica of my little car.

My husband bought me this when we got my little car so that when I'm driving along, I can see what I look like ..LOL

He stuck it on the top of my dash for me....

Well, I love my little car dearly, and I even name my cars, (but I won't tell you, 'cos it really is a bit laughable....'specially when I phone our local garage man and say "it's me, can i book 'so and so' in for this, that and the other please... :o)"

Well, I've been thinking for a while that my car could do with a liitle bit of Granny Goodness to cheer up her lovely turquoise looks...

See through the window ?...

Look, five little pentagons to cheer up the boot ;o)

I needed a squarish type bunting to match the squarish shape of my car.

I love looking in my rearview mirror at this cheerful bunting..

It makes me smile....I'm just thinking what to do with her next..

I've already planned a towbar cover for our big family car......   :o)

Which I will show you when it's done.

Thrifting tales this week saw me grinning from ear to ear when I spied this set of rosey curtains...

Aren't they gorgeous?

There were three curtains in all, and I bought to lot.

All in really good condition, these will be finding their way to my Etsy store sometime over the next week or two.

Aren't those little rose buds so sweet?

And I found metres and metres of this really gaudy, granny goodness fabric from the 60's early 70's. It even still had it's original order labels on it which are so cool, and I forgot to photograph them for you.

So if you'd like any of this fabric it too, will be in my shop over the next couple of weeks ;o)

I was busy crocheting my fabric bowls in the hols too...

And my crocheted ric rac for my shop...

Told you I was sweeping my shelves, and filling 'em up :o)

And below is the cushion I made my lovely husband...

OOOooo, it's really soft and scrumptious...

Crocheted from several strands of similar colours on one of my chunky hooks..

It turned out gorgeous and chunky..

I'm thinking of making a few in this chunky way for my shop..

What do you think?

Anyway, that's it for me tonight.

You all take care now,

and I'll speak to you soon.

Love Donna xx

EDIT ::     I thought I'd just better say that if you do make the pentagon bunting, hang it the way i have, and not with the point down, otherwise it looks like Granny's bloomers rather than granny goodness ;o)

Have a great weekend everyone. xx



Wild Wednesday....

Well, hello lovely people :o)

Hope this post finds you all fine n dandy this Wednesday evening :o)

I thought I'd take the opportunity of my internet working properly to introduce you all to Henry :o)

I bought him in the spring, and just never got around to blogging him :o(

And today when I was taking some dodgy, fuzzy photos of my lovely gladiolis I realised that you hadn't met him yet!

AAaaaw....Isn't he gorgeous?

Now, as I said, I got him in the spring...

I went into my local Charity shop, and the lady behind the jump had him in her hand...

I said "Oh my" (or something similar :o)  "isn't he gorgeous?" (Yes, I probably did say that)

And she said "Yes he is. D'you want him?"

And I said (thinking of my girls..) "Eerm, how much is he?"

And she said with a smile " £1.00" !!

Yes, lovelies, one whole pound!  

I promptly got my quid out of my purse, and left before she changed her mind!

'Cept now comes the bit where by I show my true nature :o)

I won't hardly let anyone touch him!  Let alone give him to my girls!!!

"No No!" I said when they both clamoured for him ('specially my youngest-she's got enough cuddly critters to fill a shop that one :o)

"He's mine!  he's called Henry, and he's going to guard the fireplace :o) "

He is rather special though. he appears to be made exactly like a polar bear's body, with super soft fur which I think may even be real.  I've looked all over for a label, but alas there isn't one.

But still, label or no he's a beauty. Don't you agree?

He guards the fire place along with our cheshire cat..

(yes I know my geraniums have a few yellow leaves...)

Something I find very strange to do, (and if truth be told, a bit 'naughty' even) is to just go out and pick flowers, then just 'bung 'em' in a vase!

You see for several years in my youth (haha!) I trained and worked as a florist. And rigid flower arranging was the order of the day in the 80's and early nineties.

none of this just 'bunging 'em in' lark.

I arranged everything. I used to go round friends houses and they'd get me to arrange the flowers I bought with me, till in the end I started taking chocolates!

So just out of habit, whenever I buy or pick flowers I have always 'arranged' 'em.

So I feel like I'm living a bit on the wild side lately by just nipping out into the garden, picking what ever I like, and just bunging it in :o)

D'you ever break out of a routine/habit and feel a bit wild?  :o)

And these pretty jars (if I do say so myself :o) will be hitting my newly cleaned Etsy shelves sometime soon  too.  I've been busy working on jars all summer along with other bits and bobs, and as soon as I've got the correct packaging, on the shelf they're gonna go :o)

Well, that's it for me tonight.

You take it easy, and keep safe.

Love Donna xx

LOL. PS.  I just read back through my post to check spelling etc...and I noticed my nicely arranged gladioli in their vase on the fireplace....  lol   :o)