What a difference a day makes

Good evening

Just a quick post tonight.  When I started writing my blog I decided that I'd try hard to keep it as a diary of family life and events that happen during our year. Sometimes it means that almost every blogger is writing very similar posts - basically what I'm saying is - 'here's more snow pics!!'

This was our rather scruffy patio yesterday morning - much improved by a layer of snow - sort of reminded me of a gorgeous natural patchwork. Of course with snow comes icicles - I love these and get very excited when I find any formed on the house!!

The boys enjoyed their day off school - many snowballs were thrown and our drive & lane were so frozen there was some very kamikaze sledging going on - good job there was no cars about!!

Last night MrVV & I went off to a christmas party - a meal out with an Abba tribute act as the evening entertainment. Just wish I'd taken my camera. It was a wonderful evening - the highlight of for me was the sight of our very sensible training band-master up on stage singing along with the 2 girls and another poor male dragged from the audience!  A great evening and very very late night.

When we woke this morning and peeked out of the hotel room window we were shocked to discover that sometime after our 2am snowball fight a thaw had occurred!!

Today has been rather quiet - I've not really done much. However I have made good progress on some wrist warmers for myself, having finally had the patience to get the ribbing for the cuffs right!!

Right off now - time for SCD. I wonder what delights Ann & Anton have in store for us tonight? Will they stay or will they go??

See you tomorrow

xxx Vicki xxx

My babies were up to their waists in snow!!!

Evening

Oh yes that white stuff has been falling here today - not enough to close the boys schools - though their little cousins in the primary school did get a snow day today.

Since lunchtime its been coming down more & more and now we've about 3 inches of the stuff and the sky is laden with more for later.

The school websites are being checked and they are hopeful for a day off tomorrow.

Anyhow - my snowy babies;

I won these little lads & lasses on Tuesday night in a draw!! Very tasty they are too - the big question - heads or feet first????

I braved the back garden this afternoon - mainly to feed my feathered friends and to rescue my radio from the now abandoned till springtime summer house!!

I hid in the summerhouse for a while hoping to get some pics of all the feathered visitors - they seemed to sense I was about and after a cold ten minutes I gave up and came indoors again.

Almost as soon as I was indoors a flock of seagulls (no not the 80's band) came and devoured the bread crusts I'd put out. Then the robin came and raided the feeders - just wish I could get a photo of him - he'd make a lovely christmas card picture.

Just before the boys arrived home it started snowing heavily so of course I had to take a picture;

Please keep your fingers crossed that they get the day off tomorrow - as even at almost 15 & 13 they are no too old for snowball fights, making snow angels and building a snowman or 2 ;)

Keep warm and snuggle under lots of blankets & quilts.

Till next time

xxx Vicki xxx

Their snow dance worked - school is cancelled tomorrow - hurrah :)



Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Good evening

Guess what? Its been another cold day here. We've had snow on & off all day - enough to cause panic buying in the local Co-op and for the boys to enjoy snowball fights with their friends at school today.

This was the view that greeted me this morning when I unburied myself from the duvet & blankets;

I still managed to cycle into town today - carefully & even more slowly than normal but I did it. I needed to do a post run and also collect some vital supplies from the supermarket - can't have snow without hot chocolate and marshmallows ;)

Just as I was leaving the postie handed me large, flat parcel - I knew what it was - my handmade Christmas decoration swap parcel from Pene. 

Lucky me - look what she made & sent;

Its gorgeous - when she said in an email about the shape of the parcel I kind of hoped that it might be a wreath of some sort and it was and I love it. Thank you Pene very much and also to Betty @ MrsYappy Dog for organising this swap. My parcel to Pene went on its way on Friday so hopefully her postie will soon be knocking at the door.

Whilst browsing my ever growing list of blogs this afternoon, I spotted a lovely giveaway over @ Hapi-ness - lots of crafty things as prizes :)

I wonder what the weather will be like for us tomorrow - the boys are hoping for a day off school.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Pause for Advent - First Pause 2010

Good afternoon

How has your weekend been? Ours has been cold - no snow, just frost & subzero temperatures. It has also involved lots of layers, including thermals!

Can't believe how fast the past year has gone - here we are again at the start of Advent and the countdown to Christmas. Thank you to Floss for hosting this again - please pop over & see who else is taking part.

The first pause for me this year is about Tradition. I guess as the Pause is into its 2nd year that itself is destined to become a tradition. This time of year more than any other seems to hold many traditions within our family.

We have to bring out the fabric advent calendar which I bought for big sons very first Christmas. It is now beginning to look a bit tatty but the boys insist its the one we use. It has to be filled with chocolate coins or quality street toffees - nothing else will do!!

We also have to hang the stockings I made for the boys on the fireplace until Christmas Eve when they get taken upstairs and put on the ends of their beds. This isn't a wise move - when I made the stockings I sewed lots of little silver bells onto each stocking - it makes the task of removing them & placing them back a big harder for Father Christmas especially if he's had a drink or two ;)

All pictures recycled from 2009!!

Other traditions in this house include carol singing in the town square on Christmas Eve - MrVV's brass band plays & the rest of us go along & sing (badly). Again tradition dictates that we meet friends & exchange cards & Christmas wishes & kisses.

What traditions do your family have??

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Blogger has created a tradition of its own recently - going incredibly slow whenever I try & blog :( Not one I'd like to see continued long term!!

Festive finishes & new handsome fella!!

Good afternoon

Have you got snow?? Nothing here in Suffolk - just sunshine & its very cold.

Am wrapped up today like a russian doll - so many layers. Have resorted to wearing my old Ugg boots as slippers as my feet are so cold :(

Its been a fairly quiet week - sort of calm before the festive storm starts to hit this weekend. Brass engagements for little son & MrVV - think it will be time to hunt the thermals out for them.

I'll managed to finish my festive WIP's;

 Mum's Christmas pressie - a snuggling on the sofa quilt

Its little hand sewn label

Knitted 'paper' chains

The reality uncropped shot with my cluttered kitchen dresser!!

Usually each week I visit all 4 of the charity shops in town at least once - recently I've not found much. But this week has been very successful - a couple of additions to my wardrobe - a NoaNoa beret for just £1 and a gorgeous green sweater for another couple of pounds. I was very pleased the other day to find this handsome fella in our church shop for just 20p!!

Hopefully over the next few weeks I'll be lucky enough to find some more festive additions to the house.

Right off now to try & keep warm. I must get my decoration swap parcel wrapped today and possibly even my SS one too.

Keep warm & I'll see you soon.

xxx Vicki xxx

A knitted christmas and special party

Good evening

Where has the past week gone? It seems to have slipped by in a mix of fog and festive making. I've managed to finish the scarf for my niece;

Had just enough leftover yarn to add pockets to keep small hands warm on cold winter mornings.

The other day whilst I browsing through blogland I spotted an idea on another blog that I knew I wanted to copy. For ages the idea has been in my mind to knit some 'paper'chains - when I saw some on The Blueberry Patch that Sarah had made some, it gave me the kick I needed too;

Since the photo was taken the chain has grown - another 2 to make tonight & it will be 20 chains long - plenty to string across my kitchen dresser :)

Yesterday was a very special day in the family calendar - it was my Grandma's 85th birthday. We decided this year it was easier to bring the party to her than for her to travel. We ganged together making cakes/scones/sausage rolls and lots of nibbles. Her cupboards were raided for vintage china and a very lovely afternoon tea was laid on;

The birthday girl & her daughter (my Mum). This picture shows where I get my lovely of clutter and heaps of stuff from ;)

It was one of those rare occasions where all 5 cousins were together and they posed briefly for a quick photo - very hard to get 5 faces all looking 'normal' at once!!

Today I've been very busy - I remembered I'd promised to make my Mum a patchwork throw for Christmas, so I've been busy cutting out squares/rectangles and piecing them together - am glad Mum asked for a random patched quilt rather than one that has all the corners perfectly matched up!!.  110 squares later the top is finished - just the fiddly bit of attaching it to its fleece backing and then binding the edges left to do. Hoping to get more done tomorrow and then I can take some photos.

I see from the weather forecast we are promised some sleet/snow later in the week - just in time for MrVV's first Christmas band engagement!!

Off to watch SCD - am hoping its Goodbye to Ann tonight, last nights 'effort' was just awful.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Keeping warm

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

What a cold week its been so far. This morning was particularly chilly when I got up. A quick peek through the curtains showed the world has turned white & slightly sparkly. After wrapping my dressing gown tightly around me I ventured out into the garden to feed the birds and break the ice on their bird bath.

To be honest by the end of the afternoon our north facing garden was still frosty in places. I guess I'll be out there defrosting the bird bath every morning now until spring.

When its this chilly a girl needs to keep warm - sometimes keeping warm means a clash of colours, much to the boys amusement;

And of course mugs of hot chocolate with a topping of marshmallows are an essential too;

Lastly at the weekend, I was chatting to my middle niece (aged 9) and I asked her what she would like for Christmas. I was expecting a reply that included books or something for her growing Barbie collection, instead she surprised me and asked that I knit her a scarf! So yesterday morning I headed into town to the yarn shop and chose something I know she will love;

Its a super-chunky and using 12mm needles means that I've actually knitted through 2 balls and have made a start on the 3rd. This will leave me enough left over to add pockets to keep little hands warm.

Right off to tidy the kitchen, nag homework to be done and then settle down to an evening of Kirstie and Turnback the High Street :)

xxx Vicki xxx

PS - Last mention I promise. Thank you for all the lovely orders and if anyone wants anything that I have sold out of let me know and I am sure I can rustle up a few more ;)