Needing some inspiration

It's that time of year again when I start to (dare I say it ?!) think about my winter wardrobe.

Last year's consisted of jeans and baggy jumpers (to hide the lumps and bumps) but that's not going to happen this year ! I'm wanting those brightly coloured jeans instead of the black ones, pattered knits instead of plain black and blue and accessories that would out-bling the queen ! But, I can't, for love nor money, find anything I remotely like on the high street so far. I know it's still quite early in the 'autumn/winter' ranges but I find myself being a bit disappointed in what's on offer. Maybe it's just me being picky ? I scoured the net for hours last night but nothing jumped out at me :o(

So, I'm handing over to you lovely followers to see if you can 'inspire' me with your favourite autumn/winter items. Hellllllllllllpppppppppppppppppppp !

Favourite Things on a Friday ...

Hmmmmmmmmm let me think about this for all but a second ......

It's going with a mouth-watering steak and stilton sauce & chips Friday night supper.

Then it'll be a nice long soak in the bath with ....

 

And a read of my latest book ......

before zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Have a great weekend everyone ! xxxx

Thou shalt not kill .......

....... except electrial appliances and spiders !!!

Today isn't going so well, the computer decided to have a funny 5 minutes (well, about 3 hours all told), my hoover pipe has broken so I can't get into the nooks and crannies and to top it all off, I happened to catch sight of something out of the corner of my eye .......... the most horrible looking spider you've ever seen on my shoulder ! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Now I absolutely hate spiders .....




....... all other critters are welcome except them things ......... so I'm afraid I screeched, brushed it off my shoulder and ran over it with my computer chair !

Apart from that (and keep checking over my shoulder every 5 minutes) I think I'm ok !

On a cheerier note, I've had a lovely phonecall from daughter number 2 who is in Jersey this week with the Girlguides. They're having a whale of a time and are enjoying the activities (kayaking, jet skiing, banana boating etc) and spending time with the German Scouts (cue protective mum mode !) Missing her terribly but I know how much these trips build character and confidence. Can't wait for her to get home and tell me all about it :0)

I'm in 'money saving mode' at the moment (Florida spending money) and after a quick jolly down to the local Waitrose last night for a pint of milk, I found out they do mega knockdown prices on their short-dated food - I came home with 3 carrier bags full for the measley sum of £5.92 ! I think I shall be 'popping in' most evenings :0)

It'd be great to hear your money saving tips !

Here comes the rain again !

After a glorious couple of days it's now peeing down. We're on a 'yellow warning' down here on the South Coast with copious amounts of rain expected and maybe a bit of thunder and lighning thrown in for good measure. I hope they cleaned out those storm drains !

So, to cope with the distinct 'autumnal' feel I've bunged a beef stew and dumplings in the oven and spent the day baking cakes (choc chunk muffins, raspberry muffins and honey cake). I shall have to hide some of these in the freezer before they disappear !

 I did manage to pick these before the rain started ......

The weekend was a superb one, seeing family members and spending precious time with my close family - something which doesn't happen very often since we moved here. I think I'm going to change that !

The luau party went without a hiccup and 23 7-year-olds had a fantastic time. One cute little lad said to my neice "this is the BEST party I've ever been to" ! Bless him !

The cake was amazing ....... it looks far better than my poor quality pic and tasted divine ! I've never had chocolate cake like it !



It was made by http://www.yellowbutterflycakes.co.uk/ of Ely, Cambs ...... check them out, their cakes are out of this world ! Not only are they a cake shop but they are a delightful tea room as well ......... bonus !

Just before I shoot off for my stew ...... nom nom nom ! ......... a quick wave and thank you for joining to the new followers xx

It'll soon be giveaway time :0)

These boots were made for walking

Look what I picked up while I was on holiday !

I found them in a little boutique in Looe and fell in love with them straight away. I didn't even look at the price tag until after I'd tried them on (naughty !) .......... £40 was a price I was willing to pay ! They're by Sergio Todzi (never heard of him/her! lol).

Fur lined and comfy as hell, I almost can't wait for the winter so I can start wearing them :0)

Not a 'want' buy either as I do 'need' boots this year, so I'm very pleased with my likkle self !

It's been a busy week so far, catching up with washing, work etc so I'm with Laura when she says she's letting her hair down this weekend ! We're off to visit my Sister and her little girl (birthday weekend) where we are guests of honour at a Loual (sp?) party so hula skirts and garlands are the order of the day ! I have to drive back here to Sussex on the Saturday evening so no cocktails for me unfortunately!

I've been catching up with everyone's blogs (I seem to be following more and more but I love reading them - isn't individuality a wonderful thing?)

The everso lovely MimiandTilly is having a giveaway to celebrate her second 'blogiversary'. If you haven't had chance to pop over and have a look, can I suggest a sneaky peak at her blog? She's a very talented lady and full of inspiration and ideas.

Claire (who is everso lovely as well :0) ) is having a welcome giveway over on her new 'Favourite Things' blog. She also has a wonderful Etsy shop and I have to resist every time I visit (well, at least until payday after my hols ! hahaha) I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you popped in and said hello :0)

I'll be doing my own 'welcome' giveaway soon - now that I've got more than 1 follower ! hahahah - so watch this space xxxx

Cornish Delights.

We're back !

And we've had a wonderful week in sunny (and sometimes rainy !) Cornwall. Alas we didn't find the Beast of Bodmin Moor but we did come across some other local wildlife that seemed to be very camera shy (i.e. they disappeared before I could take the snaps).

An aberdeen angus (I think?!) cow, very hairy, very huge horns that stood in the middle of a moor road and would not budge despite a few honks of the horn. It was a bit scary ! I'm sure he was doing it on purpose!

Two deer that leapt out in front of the car, luckily we were going slow.

A buzzard that nearly wasn't when it swept over our front windscreen and the 5 resident dogs that kept us company at the farm we stayed on. Oh, there were a few alpacas, donkeys, horses, ducks, geese and cows too !

It's a good job we're animal lovers ! hahaha

It was a wonderful family holiday that I hope will leave the kids with many fond memories ........

A visit to Lanhydrock (National Trust) ....

The dining room was my favourite !

Amy and her new friend 'Bertie'

The farmhouse we stayed at

Breathtaking scenery

A seal basking in the bay at Tintagel Castle (he was showing off to the crowds !)

Sunset, fish and chips and fireworks at Lands End.

Surfing on Perranporth Beach.

Visiting quaint little fishing villages.

We filled our days and slept well at night !

I'll try to catch up with all my blogging friends over the next couple of days .... I had no internet signal while we were away so have lived without for a whole week !!!! Can't wait to see what everyone's been up to :0) xx

Favourite Things On A Friday

I've been a follower of MimiandTilly's blog for a while now and when she came up with the brilliant idea of posting about her Favourite Things on a Friday and asked for people to share theirs, I jumped at the chance !

There are quite a few of us so hop on over and have a look see ! ...........

Here's mine for this week :0)

Finding a nice little tea room that you didn't know existed .....

that also sells lots of goodies as well as .............

the most beautiful home made victoria sponge and a bottle of ginger beer .......

plus a comfy chair to sit on .......... what more could two girls want who've just returned from the Dentist !

We're off on holiday to search out the Beast of Bodmin Moor tomorrow so have a good week fellow bloggers !

I look forward to catching up with everyone when we get back xxxx

Testing, testing ......

Thank you for all the comments about the new header, it's where we live :0) ...... (In the old days of course!)

So, who broke the weather !!! It's heaving down here :0( At least the garden will get a good water I suppose.

The news I was looking forward to yesterday never arrived ........ my first born baby girl took her driving test (it was all a bit hush-hush) but she failed it. Bless her little cotton socks, she was sooooooooo disappointed ! A huge cuddle from mum was in order and a quick dash down to the shops for a big box of girly chocolates cheered her up a little bit.

In her defence she had an examiner in the car, an examiner examining the examiner (!) and her driving instructor ! If that's not enough to make you nervous then I don't know what is ! She only failed on a couple of things that are rectifiable so we're going to get her out and about and driving lots over the next couple of weeks - she can share the driving to Cornwall on Saturday too.

Today will be spent doing a bit of this .......



and some more of this ........



and definitely some of this to take with us ......



What keeps you busy on a rainy day? xxxx

Perfect timing ...... NOT !

I've just been signed off work for a week (initially) ...... just 3 days before I go on my hols which means no holiday pay and having to let work down when they need me most ! The manager is already off on her hols and we're a staff member short as well, so having to phone in and explain I'm not going to be in for the next 3 days went down like a ton of bricks !

Don't get me wrong, work are great but I just hate letting people down (I'm a bit of a workaholic on the quiet !)

I'm also banned from driving for the foreseable which isn't good either! It's all to do with medication and it causing a very slow heart beat and risk of fainting - eeeeeek !

However, I'm not going to dwell on it. I'm going to enjoy my holiday and hopefully a change in meds will stop the permanent 'drunk' feelings !

I may have some good news to cheer me up later but I can't reveal anything just yet ............ watch this space !

The Lost Guide to Life and Love ........

is a book I've just finished reading. It's a good'un so I thought I'd try my hand at a book review (my first so bear with me !)



'In a packed nightclub, a glamorous model leaps from a window and escapes into the night. Food writer Tilly Flint, on a rare date with boyfriend Jake, is the sole witness. Little does she know the events set to unfold ...'

This book is a bit of everything, chick-lit, mystery, romance, intrigue and family history. The many characters each have their own 'story' to tell and throughout the book you get a bit more insight into their past lives. As Tilly moves on with her life, so do the other characters with some surprising outcomes ! I'll not reveal too much !

A good book, easy to get into and a nice style of writing. I shall be on the lookout for more of Sharon Griffiths' books !

Next book -



"A book that dwells on the fragile, yet binding relationship between a mother and her daughters. It is an enchanting novel about an idylic wild childhood and two girls who, in spite of everything, love the woman who gave them life".

What book(s) are you reading? xx