Ups and downs

I'm just popping by to say Hello to you all and to let you know that I am still very much alive and kicking! I've just not had much time recently or indeed the motivation to have anything decent to blog about!


Thank you all so much for your lovely comments about my woolly paintbox cushion. I am so glad that you liked it and I did love reading all your wonderful comments about it ~ it really did cheer me UP alot ~ xxxx

I have been UP to my eyes in the end of year accounts for the wonderful charity that I do some voluntary work for. Rummaging around in piles of receipts and invoices and calculating and then recalculating ~ I think that I am finally getting somewhere though, and hope to have some kind of report done for the AGM which is happening very soon. Much too soon for my liking!


Earlier on in the week I had a little bit of a panic to myself ~ a little bit of a disaster....! No matter how hard I looked I just could not find my favourite and trusty metal hook. I decided that I needed to tidy out my crochet bag ~ which was a very necessary and very much avoided task ~ and do you know what? I found it hiding at the very bottom of the bag with all the scrappy little bits of wool that I keep 'just in case' I might need them again. I'm sure that you will all know how that is!!



Now that the little hooky stick has resurfaced again I really do want to get going with my summer garden granny squares ~ I desperately want to finish the little summer garden throw that I seem to have working on for ages. I have told myself that there are no more projects to be started until this WIP has been finished and as an added incentive to get it finished I have promised myself a new batch of Lucy inspired yarn once it's done. Better start crocheting quick then!!

I'm looking forward to catching up with you all sometime next week and I hope that everyone has a very lovely weekend :O) xx

Desafio ~ Game of 7 Things

A few weeks ago Floss involved me in a game called Desafio which is a Spanish word that means challenge in English. This game is all about getting to know each other better and to play it I must let you know 7 things about me ~ so here goes, here are my 7 things:~

1. My husband and I got married and our daughter was christened all on her first birthday! A little bit unconventional, but it makes her birthday and our wedding anniversary extra special. We got married in this beautiful little church in the very picturesque village of Dirleton.

2. I do a lot of voluntary work for Simpson's Special Care Babies which is a small charity linked to the Neo Natal Unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. My daughter was cared for in the Special Care Baby Unit for 3 weeks due to developing complications after her birth. I am so grateful for the level of care that she received in the unit and like to try and give something back.

3. I lived in Surrey until I was ten and then moved up to East Lothian in Scotland where I have been ever since. I love the fact that you have the beach and the countryside and a big city within a short driving distance. My favourite beach is this one in North Berwick.


4. I am passionate about reading and am completely lost if I don't have anything to read. I am also extremely lucky that I work in a library so have lots and lots of books to choose from all for free.

5. I am very much a jeans and tee shirts kind of girl, with either flip flops, trainers or flat boots. I dress to be comfy and I never wear heels.

6. I love Chinese food and only wish I could have it more often.

7. One of my very favourite places to be is Glencoe, which is a glen in the Highlands of Scotland. I try to go there once a year~usually with my best friend and we do a little walking and a lot of chatting and just take in the spectacular scenery.

Saturday Shopping

I had a lovely day out on Saturday, shopping with my friend in Edinburgh. Our first stop was John Lewis for the haberdashery Dept ~ where else! I bought some lovely Rowan double knitting wool and a new crochet hook. My theory is that is if I have the same lovely wool as Lucy then maybe I’ll be able to crochet as well as her too! I live in hope ~ even half as well would be a big achievement.


We decided to do most of our shopping in the morning and had a leisurely stroll along George Street having a look in Lakeland Ltd, Cath Kidston and Paperchase along the way. We had a delicious lunch in our favourite restaurant and then headed up to a little shop in Castle Street called A Treasure Trove. This little shop is run by The Royal Edinburgh Repository and Self Aid Society and is an absolute delight. It sells all sorts of lovely crafts made by local people in need. I have just learnt this morning that Floss ~ was in that little shop on Saturday too. Unfortunately we didn’t bump into one another this time ~ hopefully there will be a next time!

I bought these lovely flowers this morning as I have a meeting to go to this evening at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as it is the Simpsons Special Care Babies AGM, which is the charity that I am involved with. We are having a bit of a celebration tonight as our lovely Secretary has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list. This is in recognition of her work over many years for Simpsons Special Care Babies. Well Done Gill :O)