Poorly Peepers, Crochet and Faffing with China

My eye has finally healed and I'm back to normal.  I have my life back! 

It has been a busy weekend.  I've been making up for lost time dashing here, there and everywhere.  Meeting up with family, shopping, eating out and generally having fun.  I feel free!  

I'd started to feel a bit low - not quite myself.  Usually I'm quite chatty and cheerful but I lost interest in everything and just wanted to sleep.  Not anymore!  

I am pleased to report that I am once again belting out songs from my favourite musicals (Julie Andrews style, of course), faffing around with china and chattering with anyone who will listen.  On Friday I was only working from home but, for the first time this year, I put on a full face of make-up, blow-dryed my hair properly and wore a nice little tunic dress with tights.  I even wore a stack of gorgeous bangles and bracelets (which really irritate me when I'm working because they bash on my laptop but, hey, I was BACK!). 

I've had a sudden surge of motivation to finish the blanket I started on holiday last year.  It's just a giant granny square and although I'm in my fifth month of working on it, it hasn't actually taken me that long.  It has been languishing in my crochet bag and I'd just do  a few stitches here and there when I felt like it. I got a bit too caught up in Christmas and redecorating the dining room towards the back end of last year.  

I'm just doing the edging now... 

Can you see, there's a row of not-very-impressive-but-extremely-complicated flat-X-stitch in red.  It is preceded by a couple of rows of double crochet.  (Mental note to self to use a larger hook for a double-crocheted edging in future - because the stitch is a little tighter than the trebles the blanket doesn't quite lie flat when outstretched.  The red edging is also frilling a little (too many stitches/too large stitches?  who knows) - it's completely accidental but I rather like it.)  I'll do a proper 'reveal' (!) when it's all done but I am so pleased with the colours - I think they all work really well together. 

♥♥♥

We went to my MIL's for lunch today.  She is a keen gardener (her gardens are beautiful) and we got talking about my plans for our little garden this year.  I want to have a go at growing my own flowers, specifically because I'd like to be able to cut flowers for the house.   Andrew gave me this lovely trio of books for Christmas:  

The Ten Minute Gardener collection.  There's one for flowers, one for fruit and one for vegetables (I don't think there are more but I could be wrong).  They are such good books for an absolute novice like me, advising what I should be doing each month in really straight-forward language.  We have the tiniest patch of grass but I'm going to reduce it further and chop another border into it, specifically for my cut flower patch.  It will be a tiny space but one that I can experiment with.  I'm so excited to get started.

I've been fiddling about with little bits and bobs in the house today.

The utility china on the dresser in the dining room had been bothering me for a while.  I still absolutely love it but the dresser just looked messy to me, and not in a good way.  The china didn't seem to fit with the room.

So I've had a move around.  My utility china collection is now stacked tidily (and prettily) in the sideboards and a few favourite jugs are displayed neatly in the living room:

I've moved my chunky neutral 'every day' china onto the dresser and I'm pleased with the overall effect.

Creams and earthy tones with the odd piece of glassware feel calming and restful.

Nothing fights for your attention in the room any more, it all just blends together harmoniously.  I'm glad I did it and had a lovely time fiddling about.

This is the quiet before the storm.  It's my niece's birthday party next weekend and the cake making begins this week.  Andrew has already joked that he won't expect any sleep on Friday evening (as I've said before, it's usual for me to stay up until the early hours at the last minute making final tweaks!).  I'm making a jungle-themed two-tiered cake with 20 matching cupcakes.  My niece is only three but her party is set to be the social event of the century! I can't believe the parties that children have these days - I used to be happy with a few friends to tea and a game of musical bumps!  I think there is a bit of pressure on my sister for Izzie's party to match up to everyone else's.  (Also, she loves planning parties so she is in her element!)

I've decided to make a simple cake for my Grandma's birthday at the end of the month and have some gorgeous cake bunting that I bought from Sew Sweet Violet last year.  It will be perfect atop a simple frosted cake with a few sugar roses.

Have a happy week, everyone, and thank you for continuing to pop by this little web space of mine.

Speak soon!

Nicki 

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