folding

after weeks of mock GCSE exams (Miss K sitting them, me invigilating them - not usually Miss K's....) what was needed was a bit of de-stressing.

First of all I made the most incredible mess all over the living room, and then the sorting began.

According to amount of fabric each piece was folded around a cardboard template and then stacked neatly in boxes. You have no idea how happy this made me. Which I will readily admit is pretty odd.... The teeny pieces were sorted by colour and now have scrap boxes all of their own. I have great plans to cut them into even sized pieces ready to become a quilt project at a moments notice, but for now I am just enjoying looking at my neat folded pieces.

Happiness is found in the strangest of things it would seem. x
Hope you find something this weekend to make you happy x

celebrating the banana - from the mini mantra calendar

we get through a LOT of bananas in our house.
the lady at Lidl once asked me if I had monkeys at home.
sometimes I think she's not that far from the truth.

they get eaten;
with yoghurt for breakfast
with ice cream for pudding
in sandwiches mashed with honey
in after school milkshakes
in super healthy beetroot smoothies
in packed lunch boxes
and my personal favourite - in banana bread - find my recipe here

Ali wrote a celebrating banana's post about her breakfast eating experiences. you should read it.
and then tell me your favourite way to celebrate the banana.

Hollow Crown

Last week Alnwick was host to a film crew, producing series 2 of  Hollow Crown, a BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's history plays.

They picked the coldest week of the winter so far, and possibly the muddiest.

The castle grounds became a battle ground,

with knights and horses, and smoke machines to add to the drama

a village appeared on the pastures complete with a pile of "bodies"

None of the major actors were seen in the town, unlike during the filming of Downton Abbey in the summer,
much to the disappointment of everyone who hoped to catch a glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch......

I think the castle may end up being the star of the show though.  I can't tell you how many photos I took of the way the light was  appearing behind the ramparts and then glistening on the water

mini mantra January

I normally have a family calendar that has a column for every person, and huge squares to write everything down, with a distinct pattern so I can see when Friday is coming. Which I forgot to buy........

So this year the kitchen calendar has tiny spaces,  in a long row. 

But it will be ok for it is filled with helpful and interesting tips to make the most of January. So far we've been advised to give in to legwarmers, pogo stick to work, try to do a press up and fail, and to break a resolution in spectacular style.

As well as the advise in the mini mantra we will on the upcoming days be sure to look on the bright side, start a trend, celebrate the banana, and have an experimental cooking day.

Here goes, I will notice the mini things and love you anew January.

do you have any tips for loving January that are better than these?

a patchwork fish

a patchwork fish.

because I've finally finishing piecing my liberty quilt! and there were a few spare itty bitty pieces left over. 

also because I am putting off piecing together a back for the quilt, or doing any form of housework, and I had to do something till it stopped raining and then I could go for a walk. 

remembering Vanessa

There is something about blogging that makes the world both a bigger and a smaller place.

Through blogs, and their content I am filled inspiration to create, write, grow, nourish, explore, dream and nurture. My world becomes bigger as I read.

Blogging makes the world smaller too. I can connect with places I can't even dream of visiting one day, as the distances are too far, and yet an email or a blog post brings them right into my home.

I've been blogging for seven years, and in that time I'm lucky enough to have made many blog friends, some of whom are now real life friends too, but along the way many many of the blogs I read have vanished, some people announce they are stopping, others just quietly diminish as time and life take over, occasionally one just stops suddenly and you may quietly ponder whatever happened to them. Recently I learnt of the tragic death of a blogger whom I'd read since I first started blogging, whose blog was a vibrant source of colour and laughter and when she stopped blogging suddenly a year or so ago after announcing some personal sadness I often thought of her. Sadly there is no happy ending to her story, and the world seems smaller without her, but I will remember the happy things about her, her love of colour and creating, and sharing that joy.

love, create, share.

perhaps these will be my resolutions for the year.

Happy New Year to you, may it be filled with happy memories.