Partying with a Dead Badger

We Halloween'd at home tonight while we waited for Mr Bun to return from the horrors of the dentist. After days of scary pain he finally gave in and came home feeling ohh so much better. Once he'd added the dead badger fright wig we knew he was ready to party.

Two glam wee witches helped me cook up witches stew, with mummys fingers (cheese straws) and squirting eyeballs (profiteroles). We played games like pin the wart on the witch and then curled up and read the daft spooky stories we'd all written.

This last week has gone by far too fast for my liking. Lots of just being and doing what we wanted has gone on. A whole afternoon drawing and eating choc and popcorn was pretty fine.

I rummaged through cupboards searching for lost stuff one morning and found nothing I needed, but lots of things that brought back lovely memories.

 

By the end of the week we were in need of loads of walking and animal stroking, so we popped off to our favourite farm. Poppy and her beautiful foal Grace gave us a great welcome as did the donkeys with their foal Mabel. I fell in love and forgot to take a pic. The star of the day was a pig called Lord Gaga who had a temper tantrum when we walked off and then cooed and grunted when we came back to scratch him some more. Such a relaxing, perfect feel good day for us all. 

Now it's back to the nutty grindstone once more of school and work.

Apples Awake

No nasty post came through the letterbox today. Just one squashy pink parcel filled with lots of possibilities from Little Teawagon no less.

Add this to the many crochet bits and bobs that I'm hooking away on at the moment and the possibilities list seems to be getting longer and longer.

Remember that acrylic yarn I showed you that was to be a scarf for Little Bun? Well I played with some shapes as you can see, then somehow I ended up working a granny square that has grown and grown. It wants to be a blanket and will probably get finished well before the Smartie's one I'm also working on. I need to track down some more Debbie Bliss cream aran for that to get done and dusted.

Now this being half-term week I've two extra playmates around for a while and a Mr for a couple of days aswell. We've started hanging the ghosties and spiders in readiness for the 31st when all manner of bumps and squeals will be heard.

A baby bat hangs up high trying to scare the bejesus out of us, but fails miserably. Tommorow we'll be making more bats to keep him company or maybe we should just wake the ones in our attic?

A few eyeballs have been left lying about, some are quite tasty too.

Before our thoughts turned to Halloween we made sure we welcomed in the new season at Apple Day on Sunday. This year it was like a small county show and we loved it.

It was British eccentricity at its finest. Morris Dancers with bells a jangling; strange folk with ancient steam engines and just a general joy of simple stuff.

When we visited the farm we found that the Sow had had another litter of piglets. All snuggled in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

We daydreamed a while watching the sheepdogs work the geese around the pens and fell in love with a fluffy collie pup.

I love visiting here, it reminds me so much of the Victorian farm I played at when I was little.  Geese were used as guardogs, we used to squeal with pretend fear as they chased us here and there.  We usually ended up hurling ourselves over the pig-sty wall and racing through the squealing pigs to safety in a straw filled sunlit barn.

Today was much calmer. We went for a walk by the river and back across the fields when we heard the sound of the fiddle and the Morris Men's bells calling us all to the apple orchard.

 

After dancing the Circasian Circle we shouted a rousing cheer for the apple trees to awake once more. It was the perfect ending to a hazy and warm sunfilled autumn day.

The only thing that could have made it even better was if we had driven home in this beautiful Morris Traveller.  One day soon - I've been waiting for one since my teens, so one day soon I'm sure.

Decisions, decisions

Some important decision making has been occuring over here. After a few days being ill I really couldn't face big food shopping. The cupboards are getting a bit bare to be honest, instead we just bought what we needed for tonight and that included a huge box of chocs in the reduced pile.

Eldest Bun was straight on the case trying to match the pictures to her favourite choccies.

The other important decision so far this week was to get on with some finishing up jobs. While Little Bun and I recovered together on Tuesday I gritted my teeth and got on with sewing in the threads of all 40+flowers on my Japanese Flowers scarf. I finished it in the summer and reckoned if I stood a gnats chance of wearing it this winter I'd better get on with the horrible job.

Little Bun ended up wearing it as an afternoon cosy once all the ends were tidy and stitched out of sight. It would be fair to say she loves it and so do I.

I worked it all in a mix of Amy Butler's Cotton and Aran mix for Rowan. The yarn is so soft around my neck and very very cosy. It's a dream to hook with too, just in case you're tempted to get some.

It looks especially right against my blue velvet coat and made me feel just the right side of upbeat today when I wore it. 

Illness finally over and Little Bun back at school so it meant I could keep my date for cake and chat with Gabriella of Moobaacluck and Penny at Planet Penny. It was a lovely way to spend the morning in the company of two very talented ladies. They'll both be joining me and setting up their mobile shops at the Christmas Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market in Holt on Saturday 26th November. I can't wait to see their work all laid out and ready to tempt.

I gave in to early temptations today, rather than waiting another month. Who could blame me when I spied this Sasse and Belle toadstool whatnot. Toadie pincushion, sticks for putting threads on and a mini toadstool for needles. I just love it.

I'd gone to the lovely things shop to find yarn to make an early start on the first christmas present. Little Bun loved my flower scarf so much and asked for her own colourful one. I normally avoid manmade yarns, but loved the colours of the Sirdar Snuggly range too much to resist.

I've started playing around with shapes and joining them up this evening. I don't want to make another Japanese Flower Scarf, so I'm doing something different which I hope will show up the colours perfectly. Once I've done a bit more I'll show you how it's going.

I did give in to one other wee bit of desire when I went in the discount shop. This gorgeous cardi was £20 instead of £75 and as there's no way I'd ever have paid that much (even if I could) and I have a cardigan obsession,  so it had to come home with me.

Last decision of the day is to post this and say goodnight I think. See you soon.

What a Treasure

I absolutely love how much bigger and better blogging makes my world. Without it I wouldn't have met half the wonderful and talented people that I do. Take for instance the fact that I just can't design posters without using scissors, paper and glue. When  I asked the super talented Jane of Teawagon Tales if she could help me, she very kindly said no problem. She gets exactly what I'm after which is handy as she's up North and I'm tucked away in the East.

This is the most recent design she's done for me. Isn't it the sweetest poster? I'm thrilled with it and love that I've been able to meet Jane like this in blogger world. On Wednesday mind you I'm meeting some bloggers for cake and chat. More about that afterwards I guess.

This weekend I had to whip up cakes for us to munch and cakes for the school. On Sunday it was the Autumn Treasure Hunt and tons of nibbles were needed to keep us walking around the village searching for the clues.

We had good fun doing it and a fair few families came along as it was blue skies all the way. This was my first event as Chair of the PTFA, shame I didn't have much energy and  only a small croaky voice.

Looking for clues in the churchyard, the first family shot in years.

Today Little Bun's been off school feeling poorly. This morning I kept her company on the sofa and knitted through quite a few Sarah-Jane Aventures repeats. Making is now in full flow for christmas time.

A sniff, a snuffle and a Stitch or Two

Aches, pains, a runny nose and loud sneezes have been taking me over since Thursday. After a fun afternoon in the castle and a surprise visit to the dungeons with my students I shivered my way home feeling sorry for myself.

I took it easy on Friday and just did a spot of easy stitching either side of a friend visiting and then a pampering trip to shape up my bob at the hairdressers.

I've thought about making these curtains for long enough, four years is enough time I reckon. I settled on a bit of blue pom pom for a tie back as was suggested by you in my last post. You all definately love the pom pom. With all the bits and bobs ready all I had to do was chop the blue floral up a bit and then stitch in the yellowy orange floral.

 

There we have it, one panel, minus the lining, being pressed and any curtain hooks. I just slung them over the pole for now to see if I liked them and I did. The next bit's fairly easy as they already have the curtain tape along the back. All I have to do is chop up some blanket to line them and to make the doors extra cosy this winter.

 

The light was too bright yesterday to show you how pleased I am. I'm thrilled with how they look, just mustn't leave it another four years before I finish them off.

This morning I treated myself to a bit of a lazy lay in after a lovely evening at a friends. Can't sit there and do nothing though while I wait for Mr Bun to deliver my coffee in bed. I put the finishing touches to one garland which I'm trying out on the mantle.

 

I also managed to string together the colour blobs I'd hooked the other evening. Just the tedious job of sewing in ends left, which I hate. Little Bun has claimed this one for her room. After that I'd better get on with the serious business of making more stuff to sell at the Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market.

F is for Fabric

This morning was catch up with paperwork, phone calls and planning time for teaching, Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market and other stuff. It all had to be done, but I just wanted to get on to fabric playing time. Not long though and then the fun part of the day finally came round. 

What do you reckon to this mix of fabrics for some wintery curtains? After four years of cold winters I thought it was about time I made some warm curtains to cover up the French doors. The blue floral is a weird kind of non-fabric, definately man made, but I like the print and I just can't stop loving blue. To break it up I'm thinking orange and this is the only orangey fabric I've got at the moment. I was going to add orange pom poms, but Mr Bun who always likes what I do, shook his head fiercely and said bad idea, don't please.

I was also feeling kindly with my fabric playing today.  I cut up some pirate fabric we bought to make Alfie Blue's Halloween costume. Mr Bun likes the dark at night, I like light and have to read to nod off. His night-time Zorro mask is falling to bits so I had a mind in my kindly mood to make him a new beddy byes mask.

All the pieces are cut out, orange binding has been chosen, now I need to get some black elastic and all will be stitched and ready to wear.

 

One thing I did actually make and finish was a quick bag for Eldest Bun's tights. She's been using the laundry bag I made while she was still in my tum, but it's getting a bit worn out now. New was definately needed. I even managed to use my new pink trim as inspired by Jane. Somehow I've missed out the lemony polka dot ribbon tie in my desire to avoid showing you my sluttish painty badness. Still you can just see some of the paint I've slapped on the glass and not taken off yet.

And finally - just for you my dear Cuckoo here's what I was knitting yesterday morning. One finished, but not sewn up yet wristwarmer. 

Busy trying to do Nothing

After the most nutty week for Mr Bun and I we planned a weekend of cosy comforting stuff just chilling out at home.

I made sure I filled the cupboards with yummy food on Friday. Starting with breakfast, followed later on with homemade soups, cakes and pies and a Frenchly delectable meal I whipped up tonight, it's been a food fest indeed. 

Alfie Blue got into the whole relaxed mood and played dead a fair part of Saturday until he did a leap of magnificence onto the sofa when we went to dinner at my folks.

To make the weekend even more comforting I brought home a few goodies. Haven't used the trims yet, but  I've ideas a forming. Hopefully I'll get time for stitching tommorow.

Today I've been knitting this and that, cleaning out animal houses and whipping a duster around here and there. While our meal cooked this evening we played board games and munched on Frazzles. It was as undemanding a weekend as was needed by us all. Roll on next weekend please we've got plans for you already.

Sleeping, Ploughing and Footie

I felt so joyful when I woke up this morning and realised it was Wednesday. A day off in the middle of the week is a heavenly thing indeed. After three nights on the trot with Little Bun being awake between 3 and 6pm I was feeling a bit raw and confused. She slept most of Monday morning to make up for it all so is much better now. To top it off, yesterday I started teaching a new group of heavily testoteroned 16 year old lads with tons of energy, just when I had none. Thank god I'm a fairly good actor and appeared on the ball or they'd have run rings around me.

Today was my day. Car boot after the school run and then straight to church for a spot of  'We Plough the Fields and Scatter' for the school Harvest Festival. 

The rest of the day went in a blur of fiddling about. A spot of knitting the wristwarmers I'm sure will be needed soon was first. I decided to add a stripe of the mustard I'm knitting the scarf in just because.

Then I finally sewed up the strip of fabric I'd cut to make a skirty panel for Eldest Bun's bed. Simple and straight with ties both ends and all along to tie it to the frame and hide the stuff hidden underneath.

To end my fiddling about before heading back to school I thought I'd better pot up the supermarket Heather's I bought. Steph over at Curlew Country always inspires me with her green fingered skills. She mentioned these wee plants as a quick autumn fix and I thought I know I can manage that one.

Now here I am after a quick PTFA meeting tonight in the pub. All business done and dusted at breakneck speed with events planned up to February. I suggested we had Penny for the Guy and put the winner on the village bonfire (Guy that is - not child!). So excited about this one, the playground will be filled (hopefully) with Guys for a week and then on judging day we'll sell bonfire toffee and toffee apples. 

Now I fancy trying to catch up on a bit more of my missing sleep, but first I've got to write a risk assessment for taking my students out to play footie tommorow morning. Then it's time to snooze and dream.

Willy Whale and the Fluffy Mallows

Just in case I forget what the start of October was like I think this says it all. The joy of getting home and cooling off.

To make Saturday afternoon even better the Bun's whipped up some dotty Marshmallows to go with the pink milk. Just dip them in melted milk choc (or plain I guess if that's your thing) and then a good dip in a bowl of 100's and 1000's. Either scoff straight away or put in the fridge to chill and then scoff them all. Whichever you choose they're delicious.