Halcyon Wintry Days

It has been a lovely day here today so we got wrapped up warm and went for a walk in some local woods, they really are beautiful Mr Twigs has discovered loads of local walks around that area so we will definitely return. I LOVE Wintery Sunday afternoon walks.
I had my hair cut yesterday, can you tell :)
Who would have thought there were snakes in West Yorkshire woods, we were surprised.
Well it turned out poor old Twiglet has got a chest infection so the very lovely doctor gave him a I am a star sticker and a bottle of medicine and although he is still poorly at least he is sleeping through at night again. He had to miss the fancy dress day at nursery on Friday, so wore his cowboy costume at home and made biscuits with Grandma while I was at work. Very tasty they were too (that's why half the plate disappeared before we took a photo)Mr Twigs deserves a mention, here is the Ivor the Engine he and Twiglet made. Not only that he's made potato and pancetta (we didn't have any bacon before you accuse us of being poncey:) soup for tea AND homemade bread to go with it, what a star!I spent a bit of time clearing out my greenhouse this afternoon, a sure sign Winter is here, it doesn't seem two minutes since we were checking for ripe tomatoes on a daily basis. I've made all my November and December ATCs for Papercrafters this weekend. Have just finished a few bits and bobs off that I can't show you yet, including my Christmas Decoration Swap for Jennie, hope you like it Jennie.
I'm currently making a pompom snowman for Twiglet and might get my knitting needles out and have a go at some Christmas jiffyknits from here.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greenhowes-Jiffyknits-Exciting-Garter-Stitch/dp/B0010YRLB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226855318&sr=1-1 my knitting skills are rubbish so no laughing ok?

I'm VERY excited as we booked tickets for us to go on the Santa Express in December, today, steam trains, Father Christmas and sherry - woohoo!!!!

We're also hoping to have Bonfire Night on Thursday - 3rd attempt due to illness, so keep your fingers crossed.

Righto off to scoff my lovely tea now.

If you're one of the millions suffering from colds/coughs/lurgy hope you're soon feeling better.

Have a great week.

Twiggy x

PS Have just popped my brooches in my Etsy shop.

Staying in is the new going out !!!

Well that's what we told ourselves last week, both of us were off work sick but we're ok now apart from wee Twiglet, one boy germ factory, he has a doctors appointment on Thursday morning for his old mans cough. Had to laugh, when I rang surgery to make an appointment for him they couldn't see him until Thursday as 3 of the doctors are off sick!

Anyhoo, he loved having us both at home and to be honest although we felt grotty it was nice to be at home with no visitors or real life stuff to deal with - we declared ourselves a germ zone, and huddled under blankets watching telly and mooching about, it was just like being on holiday but with lots of medicine :)

We (well me really) like to get in the Christmas groove nice and early so this weekend we got cosy on the sofa under Twiglets Ducky blanket and watched our top Christmas films (well apart from Scrooge - too scarey for Twiglets and Miracle on 34th Street of course). The Snowman, Father Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol (yay!), Elmo Saves Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life, tip top!!!

I kept my fingers a bit busy whilst film viewing. Here are a few brooches I've made, which will go in either my Etsy or Folksy shop soon..........

A few ATCs for the November Papercraftersunited swap.And a sneaky peek at a WIP, I'm saying no more.................These are a joint effort made my Twiglet and me for Nana and Grandma.
Today we did a bit of baking after nursery and started to make cheese straws that ended up being cheese Thomas the Tank Engines and friends!!

Met a lovely lady at the weekend through Freecycle who has very kindly given me her old jam making pan, so I can make big batches of chilli jam and chutney now, hooray!! beats having to halve all recipes and very slowly stir contents in a casserole. We also exchanged jars of chutney and recipes :) I've just parted with one of Twiglets baby gates this evening - sigh. I couldn't resist giving it away to a very nice man called Dickie who needed it for when his grandaughter stays over, isn't Freecycle excellent?

Also, sorted out Twiglets outfit for ~Friday he's going to be a cowboy!!! yee haw !!!

Bought him a very fetching sheriffs hat, if I didn't have such a big head I'd steal it. I will provide photographic evidence of his cuteness after Friday !!!

Righto that's me for now, stay cosy and if it's as windy and wet where you are as it is up here. Stay wrapped up and inside the house.

love

Twiggy x

Armistice Day - 90 Years On.

Today we commemorated the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1. I was at home around 11am so watched the ceremony at the Cenotaph and as ever found it deeply moving. Particularly (like no doubt many others) the three old soldiers who were laying wreaths who had fought in the first World War (one of them had actually fought in both wars). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7720601.stm

I know many people who had loved ones who were involved in the two World Wars and several who had relatives who sadly, never came home. My Mum had several cousins and uncles who died for their country. It makes it even more poignant now that I have a son as my Mums cousins were boys really, 19 and 20, no age at all.

Anyhow, we used to attend Remembrance services with my dear Dad every year as he was in the RAF for a time and later in life became a member of the Royal British Legion, where he had some fun times with his old mates :) I'll have to do a post about their fundraising books that helped to build a local war memorial sometime. Here is a poem that was always read at the services and one that I personally find extremely moving and evokes memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who are doing the very same thing today and finally my dear old Dad.

The Soldier (War Sonnets No. 5)

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blessed by the suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts a peace, under an English heaven.
Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)

Get your thinking caps on please!!!

Just received an email from Twiglets nursery, saying the children can go in fancy dress on Friday to celebrate Children in Need. Any ideas/thoughts will be gratefully received.
Cheers
Twiggy x
PS I might just pop to Asda tomorrow :)

I Like Your Trousers..........

Not much to report from Twiggy Towers this week, we're all still suffering from coughs, colds, upset tums and general lurgi, so I've had little enthusiasm for anything other than laying on the sofa watching tv and reading books - shameful I know. We eat pretty well and I'm now taking Vitamin C, Echinacea and wee Twiglet is on the Halib orange so fingers crossed we'll be on the mend soon.

Last week we had Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas all rolled into one. We started with cute pumpkin carved by Nana (apologies forgot to take photos - oops). We were going to go to a big firework display but Twiglet was ill so we bundled him up in pyjamas and ducky blanket and we all drove up to Castle Hill to watch the fireworks from up there. It looked great and was very cosy. Here are a few of Mr Twigs very arty photos.

The next day Twiglet, Grandma and I cosied up on the sofa and watched Raymond Briggs The Snowman - this still makes me cry and the little boy looks like Mr Twigs when he was a little boy - sigh and Father Christmas - brilliant way to spend a germy afternoon.

I've got a commission for more cards, my MIL and her friends are keeping me busy hurrah!

Here are some fab trousers I made for Twiglet last week, I love this Ikea fabric and have a roll of the same print in green so watch this space.Twiglet is most taken with his new strides :)

I've also done a little bit of sewing which I'll show you at a later date, will probably be used for Christmas themed stuff for my Etsy shop.

It was Mr Twigs birthday last week so Twiglet and I made the obligatory birthday cards, I think Twiglets is fab - apologies for mine being sideways and choccy birthday cake.

One of my cards won a prize in the Papercrafters Little Haven Charity competition which I was very surprised and pleased about. Most importantly a lot of money is being raised for a fantastic cause.

Talking of fantastic causes, have all you UK lovelies bought a poppy for the British Legion Poppy Appeal?http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

If anyone needs to be reminded what a fantastic charity this is then watch some of the Armistice season on BBC television. I watched a really moving programme about a wonderful chap called Harry Patch who is 110 and fought in World War 1. Here's a link if you missed it, what an inspirational man. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074t0t

Oooo it's been very murky up here today, we're so high up we spent the day in low cloud, so very drizzly and extremely dark.

I'll leave you with some photos from our jaunt out with friends yesterday to Cannon Halll Open Farm. Fresh air, exercise, piglets and cake, what more could a girl want,

Righto off to have a Lemsip now and looking forward to watching Spooks later - taped it last night, phwoar Richard Armitage. By the way I have realised that my failing health is probably related to the fact that David Tennant is stepping down from Dr Who, I will have to get my jollies elsewhere, now then where is that Spooks recording???????????

Have a good week.

love Twiggy x

It's the most wonderful time of the year...............

Christmas has come early at Twiggy Towers, the wind is HOWLING outside, the rain is battering the windows, my greenhouse is threatening to blow away again, so Twiglet and I have been making Christmas decorations - we have glitter everywhere!

I've also finished off my Christmas card commision this week, made 12 cards and sold the lot! not really my cup of tea, but when someone says will you make me some Christmas cards, well you have to improvise.
In fact I'm been on a papercraft roll recently, here are my October ATCs for Papercraftersunited swaps.
and a birthday card for my gardening mad pal..I've also been working on my Christmas Decoration swap for lovely Jennie at Falling Down the Rabbit Hole and it's nearly finished, amazing, I'm usually a last minute gal.

Look what I made last weekend, red tomato chupanee, as Twiglet calls it. I've salvaged the last of the green tomatoes from my greenhouse and think I'll make some green tomato chupanee too, just have to pester folks for spare jam jars!!

It's been very windy up here over the past week and according to the weather forecast snow and sleet may be on the cards for next week - it's half term here, so no early starts apart from Wednesday when I'm at work. I think it's time for PJs, cosy socks, chocolate and some MR James, Sherlock Holmes and a spot of telly. Particularly as we will be putting the clocks back here in the UK this weekend.

I LOVE Winter, I think it's because my birthday is in January so I always associate the Winter months with jollification!

We had a ride on the little steam train in our local park last weekend - a mere 20p per trip!!!, it was 10p when I was a littlie and that was a LONG time ago. We also went for a conker forage and came home with this Autumn loveliness.

Big thanks to Solstice Dreamer for my tag, I did the 6 random facts thing recently so I'll sit on it for a bit if that's ok, don't want too many exciting :) Twiggy facts at once. Thanks for tagging me though, lovely lady.

It's Mr Twigs birthday next week and Halloween, if only he's been born a day later!!!! We're planning on making him a birthday cake as the poor old thing has got to work all next week. We're then off to stay at Grandma Twiggys for the weekend, so we can try out her swanky new shower room - ohhhhh it's posh!!!!

Have a good week and stay cosy.

Twiggy x

Look at the size of my nobbly bobbly !!!!!!

Well the good news is that Twiglet is just about better he had a few tears at nursery yesterday as he was still feeling a bit tired :( but seems much better today. Poor old Mr Twigs was off work with the lurgy yesterday - blimey!!!! Anyhoo, he seems ok today, so what have we been up to?

Spent quite a bit of time in the garden, look at the pretty butterfly I managed to get a snap of.

There was Grandad Twiggys birthday, here is the chocolate creation, Twiglet and I made, in parts there were 3 layers of choccy buttons on top and Twiglet wanted more - that's my boy ;)Here are the cards we made for Grandad, firstly mine................................

And Twiglets, genius in the making I reckon......................We've also been using the bread maker again to make yummy homemade pizza, bit of dual rolling going on here.We decided, we might as well bake some carrot muffins which were scrummy.

More garden shots, aren't the leaves on our blueberry bush a gorgeous colour?Picked some rosemary to dry for the winter, chopped off sunflower heads to keep the seeds and picked more tomatoes.Ooooo and more tomatoes, we have loads from my greenhouse and Grandma Twiggys so I'm going to attempt what Twiglet calls tomato Chupanee(chutney) for the first time ever, I'll keep you posted.Check this out it's my nobbly, bobbly, don't ask! I managed to grow one cucumber and it weighed in at one and a half pounds, it was HUGE - excuse fuzzy photo.Righto, that's all for now. Being a saddo who likes to hibernate in the Winter, am v.excited to see the return of Spooks soon, with Rupert Penry Jones and Richard Armitage!!! Ding Dong A Go Go. Also spotted Mr Tennant in the Autumn schedules, oh my.

Have a terrif week

Twiggy x

PS Thanks for all your lovely comments about my cards.

Poor little Twiglet & some cards..........

Poor little fella is fast asleep on the sofa, he's a poorly little chap and has been sick throughout the night, think it's the end bit of this hideous cold that's lingering around Twiggy Towers :(

Anyhoo, as we had to cancel our plans to go out with friends, I've popped a few cards I've made on Etsy while he's sleeping. (I'm very pleased with my mini patchwork quilt card and think I'll make some more, it's so cute)Let me know what you think, hope you like them...........................

Twiggy x

Pay It Forward - the results are in.................

I was going to have a draw this evening, but we have been celebrating Grandad Twiggys birthday. I've had a few sherberts - only two - but that's all it takes these days, so I need to have a little rest after I've made dinner :) what an old timer!
Anyhoo the results have been verified and here they are in no particular order (I've brainwashed myself with Strictly).

Jan @ Daylily Lane

Lesley @ Moogsmum

Pretty Shabby

If you send me your details I will send some kind of loveliness off to you in the next year or so :) - meaning, better get my finger out and start thinking about my PIF parcels!
Well done to the winners and thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a comment, it is much appreciated.
Twiggy x

I don't want to disappoint you but...............

That programme on BBC1 tomorrow, Twiggy Swaps Frocks or some such, it isn't me, ok? It's some 60s icon apparently who has stolen my moniker. I just didn't want you leaving messages saying ohhhh you're a bit glam and look very well for 59 etc. I'm not glam, but I don't look bad for 59, whether or not I look ok for a 30 something is another matter :)

I've sadly neglected my blog and crafting over the last week or so as I've got ANOTHER blardy cold, I tell you working in a germ infested office and letting Twiglet go to nursery is not good for my immune system. It is obviously natures way of telling me we should be hibernating under Twiglets ducky blanket, wearing jolly PJs and watching DVDs. Sadly Mr Twigs and my bank balance don't agree. (Irrelevant photo of some of my buttons, I just like it, ok?)

Even though I've felt pants this weekend we had a very jolly trip down to Hemel Hempstead to stay with my Sister in Law, hubby and lovely little niece. we actually went down for little ladies birthday party and Twiglet had a TERRIFIC time which is what it's all about. It was great to see everyone, I'd show you some photos but in our haste to remember the vast amount of stuff we took for a one night stay, we forgot the camera - doh!!!

Blimey did you UK peeps watch Tess last night, I knew what was coming but I still sniffled and claimed it was my cold making my eyes runny, but I am a bit of a big girls blouse when I have a cold ( I even filled up when Anton and Erin were dancing on Strictly) oh the shame.

Anyone any predictions about Strictly winners yet? I reckon Austin Healy is pretty good and think Christine Bleakley perhaps or Rachel Stevens, but it's early doors innit? (I really need to get a life, please reassure me I'm not the only one that spends Saturday night, scoffing chocolate, sipping wine and thinking yay sparkly, dancing is great etc..............)

I'm so pleased to say that my swap partner in Indigo Blues Christmas Decoration Swap is lovely, lovely Jennie at Falling Down the Rabbit Hole. I have my remit and must refind the crafting mojo. My Mother in Laws friend has also asked me to make her 6 Christmas cards - wahey, wonder if my MIL will expect a percentage?

Don't forget you've got until next Sunday evening to add comments on my previous post if you want to be included in my PIF, haven't the faintest what I'm doing for it yet. Hopefully it will kickstart my creative muse (think she's currently skulking in bed).

This coming Friday is the night of Mr Twigs VERY EXCITING SECRET night out. I've managed not to blab yet, which is quite amazing...........................

Righto got to go and look at some really boring stuff about mortgages now - deep joy!! Then off to watch Juliet Stevenson on TV, I watch far too much telly at the moment that's probably why I'm not making anything, catch you later and have a good week.

Twiggy xx (1970s icon in a tartan kilt, red wellies and a Starsky and Hutch t.shirt. I know my fashion you know, that was what I was wearing in the 1970s not now, honest ;)