Five On Friday

It seems weeks since I joined in with Amy's Five on Friday and had the time to pop round and see how you are all doing so I'm joining in this week and writing this in the few minutes I have spare before I rush off to work, I hope that you all had a lovely Easter by the way and ate lots of chocolate I did :)

One
I bought this Easter cactus several weeks ago I didn't even know there was such a thing as an Easter cactus and I wasn't convinced that it would flower in time for Easter but look....

The flowers opened on Easter Sunday. :)

Two
There is definitely a touch of Spring in the air we had sunshine nearly all day yesterday and what a difference that makes I even managed to get outside and do a bit of necessary gardening...

I have had to take drastic measures and chop down the hebe bush outside of my front door.

This is what it was like before...

I know it seems a shame but each year it gets bigger and bigger and more difficult for me to tame, I'm not done with it yet I'm going to cut it as short as I can but I'm going to have to borrow a saw as the loppers can't cope with the thicker branches.  It does look a mess right now and I have no idea if it will grow back after such a drastic haircut only time will tell so watch this space.

Three
I finished decorating the living room a week before Easter I had to stall a bit until my back got better but thank goodness it's done now.

Before...

 During

and after

What do you think?

Four

I know I said I wouldn't but.....

Remember that garden centre that was changing hands well the yarn went down to 30% off I really couldn't resist any longer, I haven't a clue where i'm going to put it, it's residing

in my sons bedroom at the moment along with lots of other stuff that gets bunged in there when he's away, hopefully I will use it very soon still no definite plans for it yet but you know it will get used eventually, that stash total of mine is getting bigger rather than smaller.

Five

Leaving you with my March Sweater..

I have challenged myself to make one boy sweater a month and I honestly didn't think that I would have time to finish it before the end of March but I managed to complete it just in time.  So although I haven't managed to reach all my March targets the most important have been achieved and that's all that matters.

You can see my March Teds here

I will will be catching up with you all very soon 

Have a great weekend.

Five On Friday

A Five Minute Natter

Hello and Happy Friday to all you lovely people I just want to thank you all for all the lovely comments I received last Friday and apologise to those of you who I didn't manage to visit.  I haven't been able to sit for long at the laptop this week ..

As I mentioned earlier it is a while since I have decorated and there I was climbing  up and down ladders painting the ceiling, bending stretching looking up to see what I had missed, going over the blotchy bits then on with the walls, I was relentless because you want it finished don't you? then you have wait for bits to dry so you push the furniture out of the way and start on the other side.  I bet you know what's coming! I went to bed on Friday night tired but happy with my progress when I got up on the Saturday morning my back gave way and I couldn't move!

I have spent the week in a lot of pain because of my stupidity really, I should have taken it slower and I certainly shouldn't have pushed and shoved and lifted heavy furniture. I am getting on a bit after all but really, please let this be a lesson to you all no matter what your age, take things more slowly and get help with the heavy stuff!

Because of my carelessness it has taken me much longer to finish and I will have to wait even longer before I can finish off the trims but I'm pleased oh so pleased that most of it is done.  I have always been too independent for my own good and my poor daughter despairs of me she really does. I don't know why I find it hard to ask for help but I do, I hate putting others out.  

What about you do you find it hard to ask for help? I suppose if you have men at home it's much easier of course but I always think that I should be able to do it myself.

I have been worried about getting my two large sofa's outside because the council are coming to collect them next week, they won't come into the house to get them they have to be placed in the street where you leave your bin on collection day, can you imagine! everyone having to take a detour around your old furniture.  Anyway I was mentioning this to a friend at work she got on her phone there and then and asked her partner and his son to come and lift them out for me the evening before the council is expected and they they said they would be pleased to do it, honestly I could have cried with gratitude I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I will let you know if all goes to plan.

Have a great weekend! and for all those who celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday I hope you have a great one and that your family spoil you rotten. :) xx

Linking with the lovely Amy's Five on Friday

Five On Friday

This past week has gone so fast I didn't even realise it was Friday until it was nearly on top of me. My whole week has been taken up with decorating and now I remember why I don't do it very often..

One
I hate having to move all the furniture and cover everything with sheets including the carpet but you can bet there's a tiny bit you miss and that's the very place that will be splashed with paint.

Two
Does anyone really enjoy painting ceilings! they must be the worst thing to do ever, after two coats of paint a crick in the neck and aching shoulders you tentatively take the courage to look up and see if there any blotchy bits you have missed and yes! there are, my ceilings are artext in the worst possible way trying to get the brush into the swirls and blobs is almost impossible, but they are done! just please don't look up and inspect I'm certainly not going to.

Three
Running out of paint! there you are in your paint splashed gear when you realise you haven't quite got enough for those missed bits so you have to peel off the painting gear wash the paint off your arms, hands and face luckily the hair was ok I wore a shower cap then nip to the shop for another tin of paint and while I'm on the subject isn't paint so expensive!

Four
Having to use masking tape to do the dado rails and skirting boards, you take the patience to go round and apply it to all necessary area's then when you are done and come to take it off it takes half of the paper or paint off with it and you then have to touch up the bit that was covered with tape being careful not to touch newly painted skirting boards.

Five
Realising that the room you have painted shows up the rest of the house and really now that you have started you might as well go on and paint the blinkin hall stairs and landing!

Do you love it or hate it and what are your pet peeves about decorating? 

Now rushing off to work already 5 minutes late ahhh! 

Have a great weekend!

Joining in with Amy's Five on Friday.

Five on Friday

Another Friday already I can't believe it, I hope you have all had a great week, I'm taking five minutes to have a little catch up...

So last Monday in preparation for the upcoming decorating of lounge I cleared the room of all its ornaments and  pictures, took curtains down removed picture hooks, dusted the walls and ceiling then gave them a wash down, I'm painting over a textured paper so a few repairs had to be made here and there.  All the bit's and pieces were taken upstairs and dumped into son number three's bedroom because he's away at Uni, every bit of free space including the bed was covered.  

When evening came I was shattered plonked myself down onto soon to be banished sofa when there was a knock on the door and in walks son number two. To say I was surprised is an understatement because I see him usually only at Christmas and one or two occasions during the year, to cut a long story short he's having a few problems so he wanted to use mother as a sounding board.  I didn't mind at all in fact it was so lovely to see him despite being dead on my feet he was well fed and watered and generally waited on hand on foot.  He then asked if he could stay over, yes you've guessed it I had to go back into son number three's room and clear it of all the lounge stuff just so that son number two could actually see the bed never mind sleep in it. I even supplied him with new tooth brush and you should have seen the lovely breakfast I prepared for him the next morning.  Why are we mothers such a walkover when it comes to our sons, or is it just me?

I've been making .....

These squares are for Jill from Emerald cottage, she is asking for squares for the Autism project do pop over if you haven't already and see if you can help out, you can read all about it here.

I'm loving the fitbit just look at this....

mind you I have only managed it twice I didn't realise just how difficult it is to walk 10.000 steps everyday but today I received my marathon badge apparently I have walked 42 kilometers in the past week yay!

I'm going to shut up now so that you can pop round and see what everyone else has been up to this week it's Amy's Five on Friday first anniversary today so do join in. :)

Have a great weekend. xx

Five on Friday

Decisions have been made!

But not all I hasten to add, thank you for all your suggestions and idea's last week I really enjoyed reading them and I considered each and every one of them very seriously indeed.

One
It's funny how when you decide to do something it quickly escalates, believe you me just because I'm getting new sofa's the entire living room has been under scrutiny, I considered new carpeting, then perhaps a new door from the hallway to the lounge because the present door is quite shabby but that would mean buying two because I would have to change the kitchen one to match.  Then should I get new curtains? so...

I have decided to paint the walls in a shade of white at the moment Jasmine white is out front, I have dado rails and have yet to decide on their colour should they be the same as the walls, pure white, green, a coffee type colour?
I have decided to keep the door and am just going to paint it, but what colour?  pure white or whatever I decide for the dado rails??

I have decided I am keeping the carpet if I do stay in this house I will change it later but I will buy a rug in a colour/colours to tie the whole colour scheme together whatever colour that may turn out to be.
I want new curtains in a neutral colour along with a fleck of the same colour as the dado rails whatever colour they turn out to be.
As always all your idea's and suggestions gratefully received the decisions need to be made pretty quickly because everything needs to be done before the arrival of new sofa's in approximately 3-4 weeks.
So far I have taken the pictures down from the walls haha well it's a start!

Two
After lots of research and careful consideration about the tracker bracelets I have decided not to go for a bracelet at all I wouldn't be able to wear it for work anyway but a fob type device which can be placed in your pocket or pinned about your person somewhere. The winner was the fit-bit one, I like the look of it and it has great reviews.  I had an Amazon gift voucher so it has only cost me £10 so I can't wait for it to arrive.

Three
I have finished my mittens or Split mittens, they were designed by Christine (Winwick Mum) 

They fit great, are lovely and warm and of course are very practical too. I made them over two evenings super quick to make in chunky yarn I used Style-craft special chunky and Bonus chunky out of my chunky stash left over from my mini rings of change last year. You can find the pattern here

Four
I decided to go into town last Sunday to look at curtains and things and on the way my car began to wobble alarmingly, bear in mind I was driving at about 45 mph at the time, there were cars in front and behind me and no where to stop. I slowed right down to 20 mph my heart was thumping  because I could hardly control the car, I managed to drive around the next roundabout and pull into a side road and as the car came to a halt my tyre flew off.....

Have you ever seen anything like it! Anyway I called out the RAC and they put my temporary tyre on and I had  all my tyres changed the next day. I'm still shaking when I think about it! from now on I will check my tyres everyday before I get into the car.

Car now resplendent with new tyres, has had a good check up and now has a clean bill of health.


Five
When I went to visit my boyfriend the other night he told me that he has started reading Shakespeare loves it and has just bought the complete works, he spends nearly all his spare time reading and his spare room is like a library, it's shelved from floor to ceiling and every conceivable place is filled with books which spill over into his living room and bedroom too.  The next day when my car had been newly tyred I made that journey into town and while I was browsing came across this picture..

I couldn't believe it what a coincidence, I though that's just the thing for Kevin to put on his wall if he can find any wall space between the books that is, it's his birthday at the end of the month so I will give it to him then along with the socks I made him for Christmas but weren't gifted then because I decided to give him them for his birthday instead.


Have a great weekend!

Joining Amy for her Five on Friday 

Linking with...

Five On Friday

A Little Chat 

ONE
 I haven't decorated my living room for many years, friends have redecorated, changed colour schemes and furniture several times since I last decorated, dare I say it must be at least ten years ago!  I've never seen a reason to change it because I have always loved the colours, the furniture, carpets and curtains have all blended in nicely and I felt very content with the way it looked even though some would say it looked dated.  Then a couple of months ago to my horror a tear appeared in one of the seats of my settee covers yes they are now so old, the material has worn so thin in places tears are appearing.  I turned the cushion over and tried to ignore it but I know it's there and I know that really the whole settee has had it. I had to look at my living room with new eyes and admit it does need updating and a lick of paint.

I'm not one of those people who love decorating I don't enjoy it one little bit but it looks as though now I have no choice because I have ordered new settees! They are the simplest design I could find and in a neutral taupe/mink colour that can be tarted up with bright cushions. I have  six weeks to get rid of the old settees, and paint the living room before the new ones arrive and I need to decide on colours, at the moment it's painted in shades of terracotta which would probably go but I'm actually sick of it now. What do you think? bearing in mind I would like to sell this house and move on in the none too distant future.

TWO
The first week of february is almost over already and I haven't set my crafting targets which I feel I must do or nothing will get done so..

February boy jumper. (I have set myself a target of one boy jumper a month).
Two February Teds to keep up with my two a month target for operation christmas child
Finish the Cheerful Child Blanket crochet along blanket
Finish the second front of my cardigan
Make a preemie item.
Start some socks.
Start some mittens.
I need to remember it's a short month but fingers crossed I will managed to get it all done.

THREE
I'm trying to resist temptation! as regular readers of my blog will know I am a stashaholic and have at present the equivalent of almost 300 balls of yarn in my stash.  No wonder she is crocheting and knitting her fingers to the bone I hear you say haha anyways I went to my local Garden Centre for coffee with my daughter and a  friend yesterday to learn that the present owner has sold up and has massively reduced his stock and HE SELLS YARN! it's Hayfield bonus which is a lovely quality acrylic in lots of lovely shades at present there is 25% off my daughter had to drag me out of there! I can hear it calling to me HELP!

FOUR
I'm pleased to say the health is improving, I went to see the GP last Monday he has given me a course of antibiotics and I had a blood test and xrays of my sinuses and will go back on a couple of weeks for the results.  I'm breathing through my nose again and the dripping has stopped, I have even been on the treadmill for a couple of sessions so fingers crossed it's onwards and upwards from now on.

FIVE
I want to buy one of those wristbands that track the number of steps calories burnt etc but I haven't a clue which one to buy, I have seen some of you mention different types but any advice would be great. It needs to meet the following criteria..
It can't be too expensive.
I has to be comfortable.
It has to be accurate.
I would like it to give the number of steps, calories burnt, tell the time.
It needs to be easy to set up and understand.
I would like it to have a decent sized display.
I know not much then but if any of you have one and love it I would love to hear about it.  

Now what should I do? go look at paint charts or go for a coffee in the Garden Centre not that I want to buy any yarn you understand.....it's still calling to me!!!

Have a great weekend. :) xx

I'm joining in with Amy's Five on Friday

Five On Friday

Thank you for all the lovely kind sympathetic comments you left last Friday I was really touched it makes you feel so much better when you receive good wishes like that.  I know you are hoping for good news this week well I'm afraid it's mixed...

ONE
On Saturday I was determined to ignore the illnesses and just get on with it, Andy our lovely physiotherapist at work had shown me which exercises I should be doing to strengthen the instep so I will share it with you just in case you have similar problems see number 3 here if you didn't read my last weeks post.

1. Remove shoes place foot on floor curl up your toes and relax repeat several times.
2. Get a rolling pin or something similar and roll it over the floor with your foot using the instep

and that's it! I've been tying them and I'm pleased to say my instep is fine now. I'm going to try and remember to follow these two simple exercises often.

TWO

Remember the blocked bath drain last week's number 5 well I went out and got some of that stuff you put down the drain but before I used it I decided to try and clear the blockage myself I have done it before and I have a lovely big plunger for such an eventuality.
Method....

1. Make sure area is clear putting plugs away and shower screen right back for easier access.
2. Ensure you have large tweezers and bags ready to remove any disgusting gunge which may materialise.
3. Don rubber gloves and wear protective clothing.
4. Turn hot tap on in sink and cold one in bath and watch with bemused expression ( or any you care to adopt really) while water level begins to rise.
5. Pace plunger over sink plughole wait a few seconds for hot water to slightly soften rubber (it gives a better seal) before agitating vigorously.
6. Now repeat over bath plughole, it's fun to push plunger down and then pull right up because thats when disgusting gunge appears which can then be fished out with tweezers and placed in plastic bag.
7. Repeat number 6 until water drains freely which, when it happens will give you a feeling of great satisfaction and accomplishment. 
8. Disinfect bath, clear area then TRY TO STRAIGHTEN UP!.

THREE

I have put my back out unblocking bath/sink see number 2. So the paracetamol and brufen is still very much in evidence and my treadmill still patiently awaits. 

While I'm still in the bathroom, new shower has been purchased and man is coming to install it on Saturday morning that is if he can manage to loosen rusty screw in old shower box, I hope he can because I'm still not enjoying the bathing experience.

FOUR
I would love to say that the sinus thing is better but although it's not quite so bad it's still very much in evidence so I have an appointment with the GP next Monday if I'm better by then (I live in hope) I will cancel the appointment. 

FIVE
I'm sure that you are all very sick about me harping on about my health and so I promise that's it! no more there are folks much worse off than me so I will shut up for now and show you some of the lovely makes my crafting group (NELH) have made during January,

So much work in such a short space of time.  We all meet up at my home once a month and spend a lovely afternoon eating, crafting and chatting about everything under the sun, it quite lifts the spirits and I can highly recommend it :) 

So did I meet my January targets? and I wonder how much stash I have managed to bust this month I can't wait to weigh all my makes to find out, I will let you know on Sunday.

Have a great weekend !

Linking with Amy's Five on Friday.