Bring on June!

I am having some quality time with my computer tonight.  I'm making playlists, sorting photos and [obviously] writing my blog.  After work today I gave my craft room a blooming good tidy, clean and hover, so it's delightful in here now.  I am up in the eaves and there are two skylights.  Both are open, letting in lots of fresh air on this beautiful spring evening.  

If I can get away with it in here, I like to just switch on lots of lamps rather than the overhead light.  I'm sitting by lamplight, burning one of my favourite Bath & Body Works candles (Frosted Cupcake) and listening to the Haim album as I type.  Husband is downstairs in the living room (also compiling playlists, I think) and watching the footy.  This, to me, is what Friday nights are all about. 

Anyone who chats with me on Instagram will know that I have been complaining of a headache today.  I got lots of lovely sympathy from my fellow IGers.  In all honesty, and without being a martyr, I am used to having headaches.  I seem to be susceptible to them.  I was diagnosed with cluster headaches as a teen (I had to have lots of scary tests) and whilst I have those horrid headaches less than I used to, the weather/hormones can trigger them.  I carry on through them and dose myself up with painkillers.  But I just feel sluggish and a bit miserable.  

Today's headache was my own fault.  I'm not getting enough sleep - I'm too excited!!  I go to bed at night and cannot clear my mind.  I can't stop thinking about everything I want to make and do.  Also, June is set to be an epic month.  I break up from work for a couple of weeks next Thursday and have lots planned.  I am off to the Cabbages and Roses sale with my mum next weekend, then I have a workshop with Jessie Chorley at Hope & Elvis followed by a date with Laalaaland Lynda.  Andrew and I are squeezing in a little sunshine holiday, too.  It is all happening.  Can't wait.  

It's just the husband and I again for the next few weekends.  We aren't seeing so much of Jake (Andrew's son) lately as he is sitting his GCSEs and revising lots.  He says he can't study at our house because it's too much fun, which I take as a compliment, but we do miss him.  When he came over last weekend I spent as much time with him as possible just hanging out and watching [lots of studenty] TV.  We went for a little walk with the dog around the village, too.  

Jake and Drew often take a frisbee/ball when we go out for walks (not often now Jake is a teenager!) and it was great to see Jake getting some fresh air and running around a bit (well, quite a lot because his dad's aim with a frisbee is appalling).  Gosh, that makes me feel old saying that.  I've noticed lately that there are lots of things I do/say that make me realise just how old I am.*  Gah! 

 

This weekend Andrew and I are going to potter around at home, having a nice quiet weekend.  I think Andrew wants to see the new Tom Cruise film at the cinema, too.  Sometimes I really *really* wish they'd let you take your knitting in with you.  Maybe they do, I've never tried, but I expect it might annoy fellow movie-goers.  I'd love to sit and knit, drinking Starbucks and watching a film on the big screen.  

Have a great weekend, whatever you're up to, and thanks for stopping by.

Love

Nicki 

x

*For instance, I like to wear a full-length slip under my dresses sometimes and I can't have a drink before bed as I'll wake up at 4am needing a wee.  Dear oh dear.

10/10 Happy

What do we really need in order to be happy?  I have been thinking about it a lot lately and have been pondering my dreams and aspirations.

Over the last couple of years quite a few people have asked me how happy I am.  When I've told them the truth - 10/10 - they have all been genuinely surprised.  No one seems to believe that ordinary people with ordinary problems can be 10/10 happy.  When I've asked those people, in response, how happy they are, I've been shocked at their answers too.  The lowest answers were 5 and 6 out of 10.  The average has been around 8 out of 10.  Every one of the people I've chatted to has, in my eyes, a really lovely life and a lot to be thankful for.  How, then, can they only be 6/10 happy?

I am convinced that we are slowly being brainwashed into thinking that we need 'more' of everything in order to be happy.  More money, more sleep, more spare time, more friends, more holidays…. And so it goes on.  I think that the media is largely responsible for people's concept of happiness.  It also occurs to me that people just interpret the question 'how happy are you?' in different ways.

To  me, happiness is a spiritual thing.  It has very little to do with anything that I own and is not materially affected by my problems or the anxiety that I occasionally suffer with.  When I'm asked how happy I am my answer is always consistent because I don't consider how happy I am that particular day, I answer with my gut feeling of how happy I am, in general, with my life.  And that's 10/10.

So, I thought I'd share just a few of the things that make me feel happy.  Ten things that make me feel 10/10 happy.

1.  Breathing in fresh air.  Noticing how warm or cool it feels on my skin, whether it smells of dairy farms or car exhausts, and allowing my lungs to fill.

2.  Sunlight.  Whether it's blinding sunshine on a hot summer day or a small patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor, it never fails to lift my heart.

3.  The way my dog's mouth relaxes when she sleeps to reveal a row of tiny white front teeth.  She looks like she's smiling in her dreams.

4.  The taste of my first coffee of the day. Always brought to my bedside by my husband (wearing pants and socks - sexy!) every single day.

5.  Peace and quiet.  I make sure that I have a few minutes alone every day just to be quiet and calm. Sometimes I use that time to knit or sew.  Other times I just sit.  It is vitally important to my wellbeing.

6.  Flowers.  Wild flowers, spectacular blooms, supermarket bouquets or weeds… I love them all and always have a jug of something in the kitchen.  It is an extra special treat for me to have a posy of flowers by the bed.

7.  Laughing.  I have a proper big laugh every single day.  I find Andrew hilarious, my stepson is funny and I seem to have chosen my friends on their ability to make me laugh.  I often laugh at myself even if I'm crying or sulking.  I have a close family and we have always laughed together; mum and dad still do.

8.  Nature and wildlife.  I love animals but am especially fascinated by wildlife and pondlife.  I love watching the birds from our conservatory.  I love to see rabbits, hedgehogs, foxes and game on my walks around the fields with Andrew and Lizzie.  I am a huge fan of Chris Packham and Bill Oddie; they would be on my fantasy dinner guest list.

9.  Stretching.  I love a good stretch and used to practice yoga for an hour every day.  I've let it slip in the past few years and I'm just getting back into it now, using free videos online from Do Yoga With Me (thanks for the recommendation from A Beach Cottage).

10.   Hugging.  I am a really tactile person and often feel compelled to hug even strangers.  I realise that a lot of people don't like their personal space to be invaded so I manage to keep control of it but, man, I hug the life out of Andrew and my family - especially my gorgeous little niece.

I know that my list might sound trite but these are genuinely the things that give me most joy in life.  I acknowledge that I am a very accomplished shopper and collector of random things, which obviously gives me pleasure too, but this is a compilation of the stuff that makes my soul properly happy.

Now, with all that said, I've got to press on because Cabbages and Roses are releasing a couple of new dresses tonight and I cannot miss it!  Ha! #iloveshallowstufftoo

Have a great weekend. 

Love

Nicki 

x

PS The photos throughout this post are from our visit to Coton Manor in Northamptonshire last weekend.  If you live anywhere nearby I would definitely recommend a visit.  It incorporates so many of my favourite, happy, things and is stunning at this time of year.

Guest Post: How to make your house a home

Your home is your haven, or at least it should be. If your house doesn’t quite feel like a home, there are a few things you can do to make it feel a little more inviting.

The key is to inject a little of your personality into each room. We are all unique individuals and our homes should really reflect this.

The good news is the changes you make don’t have to be huge. Even if you only have a small budget, there are still things you can do to make your house a little more homely.

Creating personal space

We all need a little “me” time every now and again. This is especially true if you aren’t living by yourself. Do you have a room where you can go to just to spend time on your own? It is easy to create your room to make it as relaxing as possible. Plants, photos and things that make you feel good should all be included in the room. You don’t have to spend hours in there. Even just 15 minutes in your own personal space can rejuvenate the spirit and relax the mind.

Eliminate clutter

One tip that everyone should follow is to eliminate clutter from your life. Take a look around the house and see whether there’s anything you don’t really need. Throw away all of the stuff that is simply taking up space, then you can organise the rest of the clutter. You can invest in various storage solutions for the home such as shelves or units that will help to keep it looking tidier. A tidy home encourages a happy mind.

Pay attention to the little things

The little details in a home do tend to make the biggest difference. Even just updating your windows can help to make it feel more homely.

Upgrading your sash window parts for example, could really help to make the home feel cosier. Adding small ornaments and photos around a room can also encourage a positive, healthy emotional response.

The goal of turning a house into a home is to make sure it reflects your personality. Take a look around and see whether there’s anything you don’t really like and get rid of anything that attracts negative energy.  Adding your favourite colours, a few plants and even homemade crafts can really help to make a big difference.

Stockpiling Sock Yarn and other stories

Saturday, and what a lovely one it is too.  It's dry and bright here in South Northants.  I was awake super early for a weekend (5am to be precise) and had done a food shop and made bacon sandwiches by 7am.

I love getting up early at the weekend.  I have a mega busy job, which I enjoy, and work full-time.  It doesn't leave much free time in the week to do the things I really love, like stitching, sewing, knitting, crocheting, baking, cooking and tidying.  Not to mention just hanging out with Andrew, watching TV and smooching on the sofa.

Ceramic decorative heart by Greengate

I had a horrible looonnnng dental treatment on Wednesday.  I keep going on about it, but it was traumatic!  I was sedated (as per) and having replacement fillings and a gum deep-clean (yuck).  It was supposed to be a 90 minute appointment but as I was practically knocked out, the dentist decided to do 80% of the job in one fell swoop.  4 hours (yes 4 HOURS!) and £800 later I was still very dopey with an entirely numb mouth, dribbling all over the place and unable to speak.  It was like fast forwarding my life 30 years and seeing myself as a batty old lady. (I am convinced I will be as mad as a box of frogs in my old age.  I've suffered too much with mental illness over the years to escape it in my twilight years.)  Don't get me wrong, my dentist is fantastic.  It's just that I am perhaps a bit of a hypochondriac and have a tendency to 'go on a bit' (husband's words) when I'm under the weather.  Thanks for listening, friends! :)

So anyway, after the unpleasant day I had on Wednesday and the subsequent 48 hours of feeling rough as a badger's bum, I started to feel a whole lot better yesterday afternoon and planned an epic weekend.  I have made ZERO plans.  I'm in various offices next week so a weekend at home is just what the doctor ordered.  My main objective is to start knitting a pair of socks.

In anticipation, I have quizzed various cyber buddies (Ali and Ally I'm looking at YOU), watched endless youtube videos and bought myself a book.  I also appear to be stockpiling sock yarn.

Madeleine Tosh Sock Yarn (Toshsock)

Ali should be blamed entirely for my sock yarn obsession.  Well, Ms Pork Chop is also culpable.  The pair of them post gorgeous photos of hand-knitted socks on instagram (here and here) on a regular basis and I've caught the bug. Trouble is, I can't quite get my head around knitting in the round.  (How do you remember which bit's the front and which is the back?)

Trailing Clouds self-striping sock yarn.  Yes, oooooh.

I tend to summon confidence by (optimistically) telling myself 'if 'she' can do it, I can do it' based on the fact that I, too, have a brain and two hands. The fact that these things also involve a huge dose of natural talent that I do not possess doesn't seem to occur to me until I have a giant basket full of expensive yarn.  All the gear and no idea; that's me.

I'm tenacious if nothing else so I will spend the weekend with a furrowed brow, scrapping with a ball of yarn.  I'm also going to squeeze in some stitching, pretty patchwork and a few episodes of Breaking Bad (newly found favourite programme to knit to with husband).

I have also bought a few supplies from overseas lately and they are starting to arrive at the house in dribs and drabs.   I'm so excited to start stitching these Rosalie Quinlan kits, with gorgeous Cosmo embroidery floss.

Stichery Pokery

The Cottage Garden Threads, are simply beautiful.  I've joined a little club where I pay about £12 a month for a stitchery pattern and four CGT threads with which to stitch it.  Such fun!  I'd love to join a sock yarn club if anyone knows of one.  Preferably a cool US brand which ships to the UK.  Suggestions most welcome.

Have a lovely weekend. 

Nicki 

x

Meadowgate 6 - Knit Club Holiday in Devon

We're here!  I don't like to name-drop but I am writing this post from the living room at Kirstie Allsopp's 'Handmade Home'.  Ha!  It's my third time here but it still strikes me as weird that I am spending the week in a house I watched Kirstie renovate on the telly.

Lisa and I travelled down together yesterday and, despite the awful weather on Friday, we had a really good run.  No traffic jams, no storms and no diversions (that's our return journey jinxed then!). 

Last night we sat around chatting, knitting, crocheting or sewing and drinking wine or tea.  Stephanie cooked spaghetti bolognese, Suzie started the Meadowgate Olympics with a ten lap obstacle course around the house and Erin did a riverdance.  We tend to mostly gather around the huge wooden table in the kitchen; there's a big AGA at the far end of the room so it's very cosy and 14 people can be seated in the room comfortably.

We've been to Cowslip today for lunch and shopping followed by tea and cake.  Suzie hadn't booked our table so we missed out on Sunday roast.  It wasn't a problem because the menu there is gorgeous and all food is properly homemade.  Deb, especially, was not impressed and tried to pretend she was with an 80th birthday party in order to have access to the roast menu.  She was busted and settled for beef casserole.

Cowslip goodness

I love the shop at Cowslip; well we all do.  It's only a small shop but is packed to the rafters with fabric (quite literally) and loads of quilts, wall-hangings and cushions.  It is a massively inspiring place.

I was forced* to buy a bundle of 39 fat quarters and I'm going to make a quilt with them.  I might even make it this week - I brought my sewing machine for such emergencies.

I'm going to join everyone back in the kitchen now.  Lucie's crocheting a blanket and Lisa is hand quilting the patchwork she finished here in September.   June, Stephanie and Jean are all knitting various items of clothing, Erin is stitching a Julie Arkell inspired brooch and Suzie is making a cuddly bomb.  I have started an Alicia Paulson embroidery sampler.  

Helen, Deb and Rachel are in the playroom to drink wine and watch TV.  It's all very chilled.  Tomorrow we are having a photo shoot for Suzie's patterns and there will be a swap-over of knit clubbers (some come for the weekend and some come Monday-Friday).  

Wish you were here.

Nicki 

x

*sort of

Three top tips for moving home without a hiccup

Moving into a new home is something we all look forward to. It doesn't matter whether you're moving into your first home, into something bigger or are escaping to the countryside, embarking on a new property adventure is always a pleasure.

The moving process itself, however, can sometimes be troublesome. Whether you're doing all of the moving yourself or are enlisting the help of professionals, it always pays to be one step ahead of the game.

Here, we go over several tips which will help make your move run smoothly.

1. Label your boxes

When we're moving home, there are always a surprising number of identical boxes. One practice which is essential to the efficiency of your move is ensuring that all of your boxes are moved to the right place at the right time.

In order for this to happen, you will need to be sure that each of your boxes is labelled clearly and thoroughly. Not only will this make life easier for you during the move but it will make the unpacking process easier at the other end.

2. Know your route

More often than not, it takes more than one trip to move all of your furnishings and belongings from one home to another. With each added trip it becomes more important that you select your route carefully. If you're moving into Linden Homes in Peterborough, you'll need to ensure that you are familiar with the route and that you're travelling at the right time of day.

If the first trip doesn't go well, consider alternatives which might save time or avoid traffic hotspots.

3. Plan the order

Seeing that all of your belongings arrive at their new destination in the correct order is one of the most important aspects to a successful move. Not only will you need to plan which items are the first and last to arrive at your new home but you will also need to take care to see which are the first and last loaded onto the van at the beginning of each trip.

Moving your belongings in the correct order will dramatically reduce the time you spend at your new property organising boxes. You're sure to be at your most tired towards the end of the day so the more work you can get out of the way at the day's beginning, the better.