The Perfect Whimsy!!

This was always going to be a stressful week with my aunts funeral, but it was a celebration of her life and I think that was exactly what happened, it was lovely to meet up with family. We stayed in the Cotswolds and on our way home we had a special place to visit.

I have in the past few months, been busy making cushion covers, linen bags, and lots of goodies for a lovely lady called Joasia who was going to open a shop. Her idea was to have a shop that sold nearly all handmade items . How many shops do you visit now that have the same items in, commercially made – pretty as they are they can become a little boring.

The shop opened last week and when I opened the door it was a delight to meet Joasia and her lovely shop. It was full of beautiful things and to see all the items I had made dotted about the shop was really exciting.

The mix of  handmade items, cards, candles in pretty vintage cups (made by Joasia) stunning handbags jewellery it was a shop that if you ever get the chance to visit the Cotswolds then it is an absolute must. Its called the Perfect Whimsy and is situated in the village of Northleach in between Burford and Cheltenham.

 I am now busy with lots more ideas for the shop – I have to say busy inside my head as this weekend all I feel like doing is curling up in front of the fire!

A delivery!!

I wish Joasia all the success in the world and I think she will do really well as it so different and she is a lovely lady.
Next week I am hoping for some good news but that’s another story. I have been blogging now for nearly a year and have to say that I am really enjoying it, I know some people can be very sniffy about people that blog – they say it is a form of showing off - but I have to disagree I think it is lovely to hear about other peoples life's their interests their ups and downs, and I feel I have made so many blog friends, it also stops you being lonely when you live in the middle of nowhere.


So to thank all you lovely people who follow me and leave such lovely comments I have decided to do a give-away when I reach the magic number of 100 followers so watch this space!

Blowing the Cobwebs away!

This is more like it sunshine!! But believe it or not I was just feeling a little low – too much indoors rich food etc etc. So the OH suggested we went for a walk the fresh sea air would do me good!!

Now Bude isn’t one of the most fashionable places in the world but out of season it certainly has a certain charm. Although this cottage right on the beach looks stunning.

One of the striking parts of Bude is Chapel Rock where apparently this was all that there was to Bude in the Middle Ages it used to have a church on it.

Can’t see many parishioners travelling out here on a stormy night.

Although I think they might have as it is also a very famous place for wreckers, where they used to bring the ships onto the rocks by flashing lights on the beach and then all the cargo was stolen. Just as described in Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier.
The walk to Chapel Rock was lovely, really stunning, and we even climbed up to where the Church used to be (now a flagpole)

Why does he always have to be there first!!

You know fresh air does does you the world of good, I certainly feel better with more energy, and even made some flapjacks when I got home.

OMG I am meant to be on a diet – no no I mean I am meant to be eating more healthly!!!

Diets I hate that word

I always think winter is the wrong time to diet I still need my comfort food but and this is a big but!! I really need to loose some weight (this year we have quite a few celebrations to go to).
So do I eat this:

or do I eat this

OMG this just looks so scrummy!!

I just hate dieting - it is so boring but on previous efforts I do know that it would be worth it, so perhaps I will leave it for a while and wait for some warmer weather, but for now I must make a start on some serious cooking - Marmalade, breakfast without marmalade just isn't worth having - well that's what the OH says - so I am looking out for the first arrival of the seville oranges and I will then be enscounced in the kitchen

Well better make tracks into the kitchen to start supper and maybe have one of these just to keep me going!

Any ideas for slimming recipes that I might just enjoy!!

On a sad note I lost my Aunt this week and it has all been a little stressfull, she wasn't married and had no children, so all the arranging has been left to her nieces and nephews - but most of all my sister who has been brilliant and can't thank her enough for all that she has done. 

Things to come

A photo of things to come!

The house seems so quite now and it is taking me a while to adjust the boys have gone home and Ottis who I know the OH is going to miss!

Christmas where did it go, all the preparations, cooking decorating the house now seems an age away – although I don’t take the tree down until the 6th January which is Epiphany I still enjoy the prettiness of the tree lighting all my candles in the evening and generally savouring the festivities right to the end, but a little bit of me wants to take them down clean the house and get started on all my new projects and ideas that I have in my head at the moment.

After Christmas the OH celebrates his birthday I always feel a little sorry for him with presents arriving late cards coming through the post in dribs and drabs and little money around, but we celebrated just the two of us with a very lazy day, filled with good food and of course a little drink cuddled up by the fire – and I think he rather enjoyed that!!

But today we have returned the spare room to my workroom and work has already started, although all I can do is cut out as I have run out of cotton (unheard of) or maybe I have put it somewhere and I can’t remember where – the house still seems to be a little upside down at the moment which I think is how I feel at the moment.

Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to all of you and I wish you all the happiness in the world for 2011,

Be back real soon lots of love Jillxx