Friday 27 January 2012

Where did that week go?

Good morning

Ok where has the past week gone? It seems in a whirl of appointments, meeting and generally chasing my own non-existent tail! How can it be that I now have children old enough to be (1) sitting GCSEs & thinking about A level choices and  (2) choosing GCSE options?? Doesn't seem two minutes since the highlight of our after school time was a reading session with Biff, Chip, Kipper & Floppy and learning times tables. Now there seem to be constant forms to fill in and choices to make that affect the rest of their lives!

With all this going on there has been little time for crafting this week - however I have cracked the art of crocheting flowers with a little help from the wonderful Lucy & Attic24 - I love her tutorials - lovely clear pictures and idiot proof instructions;


This just needs a brooch back sewing on and then I'm sure it will be worn lots and lots.

We've had a real mix bag of weather in the last few weeks - almost springlike days, some very wet ones and a couple of decent frosts too. The borders in the garden are starting to spring to life and I snapped this first snowdrop the other day - its since been joined by a few friends;


As its almost the end of the month, I thought it was time to play with MosaicMaker to come up with the first monthly mosaic of 2012;

From top left - The cherry tree with the sun setting behind it / Crochet jar cover / January sunshine @ Southwold/ Cake / Little birthday boy / more cake / Freedom at last as my bike & I were reunited / frost covered leaves / the frost patterns on the outside of the conservatory window.

Right I suppose as its Friday it means time to write a shopping list - the cupboards and fridge are looking bare again. BTW did you see Superscrimpers on Monday night - did you see how much food that family threw away in a year?? Whilst my bill will be over £50, we won't be throwing anything away - if we buy it, we use it - I always check the dates on things and if I won't use it straight away then it gets frozen. The dreaded use by dates on most things - apart from meat/fish - get ignored - MrVV has survived for 22 years living with me and eating yoghurts etc which are several days past their dates!

Have a good weekend whatever you are doing - we've friends coming for lunch and a late works Christmas do to enjoy!

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Live the brooch - when I come back to S & B you'll have to teach me how to do that.
We also don't take any notice of best before dates and are both still alive!
Hope to see you soon
Viv
xx

knitandmake.blogspot.com said...

The brooch is lovely, will have to check out the tutorial

Unknown said...

ahh that flower is gorgeous and so neat ;-)) Well done you. I ,love the way you do your photo's in a mosiac i will have to try this to. Have a great weekend, dee x

Jacquie said...

Hi Vicki, sounds like a fun weekend ahead.
I need to figure out these photo mosaics...yours is lovely...think I like the bike basket picture best:0)
I'm with you on the sell by dates..I hate waste as much as I hate littering.
Jacquie x

Rachael said...

Spring must be blooming early if the snowdrops are out already?! That's crazy for January.

harmony and rosie said...

Your flower looks very professional, I must have to check Lucy's tutorials out when I move on to crochet (mind you, still haven't finished the knitting project I started last April!!). Your CK review was really interesting to read, I gave up on her years ago, when she opened up on every other high street I think, but a friend gave me a pair of her slippers not very long ago and they are falling apart already!
Have a lovely weekend x

Tina said...

Your brooch looks very sweet. I saw a bit of that Show and could not believe how much that family throw away on food. That's insane! Here we buy only what we know we are going to eat and I always check on the dates, but soem are silly when you know for sure the tomatoes are still good to eat and but very out of the date the supermarkets believe they will be good until.
xx

Rattling On said...

I have eaten a yoghurt that was 6 weeks out of date (found it at the back of the fridge and was desperate). It was fine. The only time I won't eat them is if the tops are 'blown'.
I read online once someone had had one 6 months past the date and that was fine as well...just shows you!

Lace hearts said...

Your crochet flower is perfect. I never get mine looking quite so neat. I saw that programme and was amazed at that waste. I have to admit I tend to ignore the best before dates - I go by the look and smell. I haven't yet been ill through that approach. :)

Unknown said...

I could not imagine throwing away that much food. horrendous. I use the sniff test for meat if for some reason it slipped through the net and languished in the fridge. I will give it a good sniff and see. I have not killed anyone yet. lol. Its been a busy week here as well. I am going to check out that mosaic maker. thanks for sharing.

Teapot Lane said...

I know that feeling my dear. You do sssooo much, but have nothing at all to show for it! :o)

Anyway, sounds likeyou have a good weekend planned my lovely. You enjoy it :o)

Take care,
Love Donna xx

**Anne** said...

Loving your brooch Vicki. Ahh...the dreaded school forms, I'm so glad those days are gone for me, only as of last year though.
Anne xx

faith76 said...

Love the flower brooch - very pretty and bright!

I really enjoyed Superscrimpers and will definately be trying out the handmade cushion out of scraps! This may well be my next sewing project me thinks :)

I hate throwing food away too and must admit as I do not have a car I shop on a daily basis and everything is mostly used.

Glad to have found your blog :)

Leah x

sajuki said...

so pretty !

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Your little flower is gorgeous! I'm greatly encouraged by the fact that you have only recently learnt to crochet. It's on my 'to learn' list for this year. I linked to Lucy's teeny hearts on by blog this week.
Fiona xx

Lisa said...

Your brooch is fab!
I shall miss Floppy and co when S finally leaves those books behind, won't be long now I reckon.
Was funny seeing A Thrifty Mrs on the SS programme, someone from blogland on TV. I got the impression it was £50 for all their food but it was only their evening meals, that would have been interesting! I agree we never through away all that stuff they did, it was so wasteful.
Lisa x

BadPenny said...

The form filling is endless - Joe's imminent school trip to New York plus his college application. Now CV writing & Job applications to help Jess with.
Will's cake looks a lot like Joe's which I named the Millenium Dome !

Cathy said...

I have one child old enough to be taking GCSE's and looking at 6th form colleges AND one child young enough for Biff( not a boy like in Back to the future!) and kipper and floppy( who I keep calling flipper- which is a dolphin ,not a dog!) Actually it is a wonder I am any help at all!lol

Cybèle said...

I've eaten yoghurt 2 months out of date... I think best before dates are a matter of using common sense. I hate throwing food out and am currently on a mission to finish off all the half eaten packs of biscuits.If only 12yo would stop baking ;-)

Lyndsay said...

Love your lovely stuff. :) I'm your newest follower! Hope you'll consider following me back.

Lyndsay