Picnic Blanket Skirt

Possibly a bit late on the bandwagon but I have just discovered The Great British Sewing Bee. I haven't made clothes in a really long time and watching this show really inspired me to get back into it. So I began following Tilly Walnes (@tillybuttons) on twitter and followed the link to her blog which had the tutorial for making the skirt she was wearing in the first episode! I couldn't wait to get started! So it took me all afternoon and all evening but I have finished!

 

Please excuse the really poor picture quality, it is late and dark but I really wanted to get this on here. I wasn't too happy with the fabric I choose, I do like it but it didn't quite have the look I was going for which is fine, gives me a reason to make another! 

The instructions are super simple to follow and have really clear images to help you along the way. This is a really easy project for a beginner or if you want to refresh your memory (like me). 

Here's the link to her website where you can find the tutorial.

http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/p/make-it-yourself.html

Living Local - Day 5 Market Day

You can get just about anything you could ever want from our little market town of Otley. D, Bear and I had a little potter around the market for some fresh fruit, veg and some sausages for tea.

 

We also found some pavement chalk which we played with this afternoon in our sunny garden.

We made up a really fun game to help Bear learn colours. I would shout out a colour and he would have to jump on the right one, He loved it!

Living Local - Day 4

Today was Bears 2nd Birthday! I can't believe how quickly time has gone. We didn't plan a party but I did take him and his cousins to a local soft play centre with his cousins, he had such a good time!

I had decided a few weeks ago I would make him a birthday cake as last year I was working full time and didn't have the time to make him one myself. So I had a plan, it was going to be a number 2, all green with a train track and Thomas sitting on top. Everything started off well, cake baked and i had the shape of the 2...perfect. Until it came time for the green icing...no matter how much green food dye I put in, the butter cream icing would not turn green!!!! Arg, what was I going to do?? In a mad hurry I ran into town to  Dodgshons Kitchen Ware shop to buy some green fondant icing. I must add that I have never used fondant icing before, absolutely no idea what to do! So upon entering the shop the lovely lady asked what I was planning to do, I told her my problem and suggested I stick to the butter cream rather than starting again with fondant and use a food dye designed especially for butter cream, Excellent. She then asked what I planned to use for the track *Panic*. I hadn't even thought about it!!! "urm...writing icing?" I replied. Yes, writing icing would have been great except she didn't sell it and the only place in town I could buy it was...Sainsbury's (insert sad face here). "Not to worry" she said after I gave her my long explanation as to why I couldn't pop into the super market. "Why don't you use Licorice Laces" So off I ran to the Traditional Sweet Sweet Shop. Again I was greeted by a lovely, smiley shop assistant who was more than happy to help me find the perfect thing to decorate my cake.  

Here are the results:

So yes I did have to run around town like a crazy lady trying to find what I needed but I felt really comforted knowing that local retailers are happy to help and share their expertise. 

Grace x

A letter to Bear on his 2nd Birthday...

Bear,

Today is your second birthday! In two years you have gone from a tiny baby to a little boy full of mischief, giggles and curiosity. You already have such character and personality,You make us laugh out loud every single day! You get your looks from me but you are like your Dad in so many ways. You are clever like him and you are very stubborn, you know exactly what you want. At this age you have no fear and boundless energy! Your favourite things are Thomas and Friends, Trains, Cars, Tractors and you love to run around in your nappy, t-shirt and wellies with a bucket on your head!

I love it when we go on walks together, you love nature and animals and your so fascinated with everything you see. Yesterday we went on a walk to the Chevin, we splashed in puddles, you collected pine cones and thought they looked like hedgehogs it was so sweet.

I can't wait for the next two years. Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy!

Love you with all my heart! Mama x x

Living Local - Day 3

On a mission to find decent cheese, I popped into The Local Pantry in Pool-In-Wharfedale. The Local Pantry is a farm shop selling locally sourced fresh produce. I have passed this place a thousand times on my drive to Harrogate and always thought of stopping by to take a look. The shop is very well laid out with sections for dried pasta, rice, dried fruit and dairy products as well as frozen foods, preserves, cakes, fresh meat, cakes, fruit and veg. In addition to all this they also have a little cafe with beautiful views of the Chevin and surrounding wildlife in the perfect location for meeting friends and family for a coffee and a catchup. Best of all though (with my mission in mind) They sell cheese!! Different kinds of cheese all made locally! Perfect! I purchased a small block of Ribblesdale Parmesan, Risotto Rice, Butter, Eggs and  a yogurt for The Bear.

Very happy with my purchases today!

Kirsty  x

Images curtsey of  http://www.thelocalpantry.co.uk

Living Local - Day 2

The most common thing people have said when I have told them I intend to shop with Independent Retailers is "ooh that will be expensive" and as a family of three living on a relatively low income this was a big concern. However I am determined and when I say I will do something, I don't back down. So off I went in the rain with Bear in the buggy to begin our first shop. We managed to find everything we needed with the exception of Cheese! The one thing our little town of Otley is missing is a Deli. Eventually we stumbled upon a little sandwich shop that sold small blocks of Red Cheddar so we bought the biggest block they had and went on our way. I was very keen when we returned home to compare the prices of the items I had bought with Sainsbury's, our nearest supermarket. What I found really surprised me...Sainsbury's was a whole £5 more expensive!!! Plus there were items on my list which I were not available in the supermarkets so I would have needed to go into town anyway.

As a stay at home mum there are times when I can go a whole day not having an adult conversation, this can be very frustrating. Today I had conversations with shop owners, market traders, ladies waiting in line for market stalls and I even bumped into one of our neighbours who offered to lend me any items I wasn't able to find. All of this made me realise how lucky I am to live here in Otley.

Here are a few pictures of todays adventures.

The lovely lads from D.A.D. These guys are here every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday without fail, whatever the weather selling their locally grown fruit and veg.

Otley Pharmacy, the only Independent Pharmacy in town and open till 11pm!  

Our Friendly Local Butchers Geo. Middlemiss and Son.

Kirsty x

Living Local - Day 1

So on reflection, a bank holiday is not the best time to start Living Local as all the shops are closed except of course Sainsbury's. After spending an hour or so walking round town hoping to find at least one store open, D said "Why don't we just start this whole buying from Independent shops thing tomorrow and go buy something from Sainsburys for tea?", "NO!" was my response. "This is all part of the experience" So in the end we went to the garage, which is independently owned and bought some frozen chicken nuggets, chips and a tin of baked beans. Not quite what I had in mind but I did not back down, I am determined to do this right! On the plus side we had a lovely conversation with the owner of the garage and I bought milk...in a glass bottle! I didn't know they even did those anymore. This has however given me the opportunity to make a proper list of things we need and...tomorrow is Market Day!! #Excited.

 In other news today, I have been meaning to tackle our front garden for the longest time and the longer I left it, the worse it became. I suppose part of the problem was that I knew it was too big a job for me and D isn't the green fingered type so I avoided it and used the back entrance to the house. It It was massively overgrown with dead Ivy still stuck to the house (that had been there when we moved in), Trailing Jenny was covering most of the paved area the bushes were so overgrown that you could barely see out the front window and and  was only when I noticed the Postman struggling with his heavy bag past the biggest dandelions I have ever seen that I thought I need to do something about this.

 So when I next saw our Tree Surgeon/Garden Guru next door neighbour I asked for his advice. This morning he popped round to help cut back the bushes and by midday he had chopped everything down leaving us with a blank canvas while D and I stood by awkwardly watching, offering to make a cup of tea, occasionally offering to help sweep or pull out roots. Here are the results...

I am so pleased with this garden, I have been complaining for ages that I wanted outdoor space and we already had it but it was too covered in weeds and bushes that we couldn't see it. I plan to put a Peony in the part next to the dog some lovely, colourful trailing plans in the border to the left and a  Hydrangea in that bit that you can't quite see in the picture.

We have a step! I can't tell you how delighted I am that we found this!

We also unearthed this beautiful bird bath, it's no use to birds but I like it anyway.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday!!

Kirsty x

Silent Sunday - May 26, 2013

Living Local

I get a little feeling of sadness when I see a once bustling high street now dotted with empty shops that were once a big part of the community. This is usually followed by nostalgia of how things used to be, not in my lifetime of course but I imagine my lovely Grandma pottering around the shops, picking out her fresh produce and chatting to the locals as she went on her way. I also can't help but think of the local business owners who are struggling to make a living in this current economic climate. With all of the convenience of supermarkets, have we lost our sense of community?

So I have decided that we as a family will only shop in local independent retailers for one week starting tomorrow. After the week is over I shall make a decision whether or not to go a whole year avoiding Chain Stores and Supermarkets. This means EVERYTHING we buy including nappies, toiletries, food and drink and entertainment must be bought from Independent Retailers and in support of local businesses. I am really excited by this challenge but this does mean that I need to be more prepared and...ORGANISED!!

I should also add that we have not done a "Big shop" for a while and just to prove my point here is a picture of my very empty fridge.

As you can see, we have only a little milk, a couple of half eaten jars of something, left over pie, a random bottle of beer and half a tin of Hot Dogs. So we need to buy most things that will get a family of three (+ cat, dog and fish) through the week.

Stay tuned for daily updates!

Kirsty

Happy Sunday

Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!

So as I am a huge fan of all things Vintage, I convinced D to take us all to the Vintage Fair at St. Gemma's Hospice. Here are some of my favourite bits...

I am a big collector of Blue and White China...I loved this, all of it!

This was my favourite find of the day, I would love to re-upholster something like this one day.

The tiny hand held mirror in the middle really caught my eye, it was so beautiful!

D and Bear managed to find some vintage toy cars.

 

Shoes!!!!!

Fell a little bit in love with these but they didn't fit. I felt a bit like one of Cinderella's stepsisters trying to squeeze my big ugly feet into such delicate shoes.  

I didn't come away empty handed though. I managed to bag myself a gorgeous 50's Skirt

If you're interested in Vintage clothes, accessories, homeware, vinyl and other goodies I would definitely recommend having a look. Entry is by donation and all proceeds go to the hospice. The fair runs again tomorrow and the next fair will be on 7 & 8 September. I will most definitely be adding that to my diary!

For more information on St. Gemma's Hospice and events take a look at their website 

http://www.st-gemma.co.uk/

First Post!

I should probably introduce myself. I am Kirsty.

This is me....

I am a full time Mum, Florist (when i get the opportunity), Crafter and Homemaker.

This is The Boy, he is almost 2 years old, full of energy and learning more and more everyday. I love being this little Bear's Mama!

The Man, my partner in life, best friend and soulmate.

This is a picture of me with my step daughter. She is 13 and doesn't like having her photo taken. 

We call her...Moo <3

 Oliver Biggles - A Dog

Ra Ra - The Evil Cat, don't be deceived by the cute fluffiness, I'm pretty sure he's trying to kill me in my sleep!

I hope you enjoy reading my blog, I am not an expert in anything...at all! But I am learning one day at a time how to be a good Mum and Homemaker.

Happy Saturday!