Wednesday, 29 June 2016

Should We Stay or Should We Go....


STAY
was the vote by an overwhelming majority of voters
in Scotland & Northern Ireland on the EU Referendum.
Unfortunately with the rest of the UK voting
with a very small majority to GO
it turns out it doesn't really matter
to much what we in Scotland think & want!
GO it is!
And whilst this result isn't very surprising to me
it still fills me with enormous sadness!
  

The past few days have felt to me like being on a tiny boat
adrift in a giant very stormy ocean, the compass is broken
and the crew has been washed overboard!
With every hour the winds are getting stronger & the waves bigger
relentlessly pounding this tiny ship from all sides!
I'm feeling sOoOo seasick!!!
Unsurprisingly every Mayday call
has being met with a deafening silence   
from those that sold this Brexit as a
wonderful "Discover a Better World" cruise.
 Oh.... I wonder why?    
......
 I strongly suspect history will judge
the 23rd of June 2016
not as Independence Day as some like to think 
but sadly as the beginning of the END for the
  United Kingdom as we have know it today.

xoxo 

Thursday, 23 June 2016

I'm IN....



I took baby Paperdoll today after school to
our local Polling station so she could be part
of this momentous day & my vote. 
It was by far the most important
and at the same time the easiest vote for me to make.
 

Now all there is left to do.... drink tea & wait.

No matter what the outcome,
 my hope is for a very decisive result!
Hopefully allowing us all to move forward with clarity.


 My wish for future political debates is for less hatred
and a little more respect of each others views.
Here is hoping!   
xxxx

Thursday, 16 June 2016

A weekend celebration....



Last weekend my house had a distinctly British feel about it!
All in honor of her Majesty's big Birthday weekend!
I wouldn't describe us as Royalists per say,
after all Mr Mc is a very proud Scotsman & I'm Irish.
The Queen however has over the years shown so much
discipline.... grace & humility....
working tirelessly for this country, she is well worthy 
of having a little fuss made over her on her 90th Birthday!


I decorated our dining area with Union Jack bunting &
a couple of flags I made a few years ago for
baby paperdoll when Prince Philip visited Mr Mc's former Regiment.

We started the weekend with a very
Red, White & Blue 
brunch!

I so love setting a pretty table
just as much as I enjoy sitting at one.

 

A sweet continental style brunch was our choice.


Homemade scones & French crepes topped with 
very British clotted cream, French strawberry jam,
syrup,  lemon curd & plenty of Summer fruit!
Briton & France on one plate it tastes....


SuPeR YuMmY

 

Baby paperdoll loves turning her food into a edible pieces of art!


On Sunday we finished our very Royal weekend
with a little picnic style lunch
whilst watching the festivity's in London on TV.  
It was a lovely celebration befitting of a Queen
enjoyed by us all! 


Unfortunately it wasn't all happiness this weekend
with the very sad news from Orlando
of yet another mass shooting.
I just wish politicians in responding would take a page out
of the Queen's book when it comes to dignity & diplomacy
less hate more building bridges, not always easy I know
but the World would be a better place for it! 
The Queen showed us all how it's done
a few years back on her visit to Ireland.


wishing you all
peace
 
XXXX



Friday, 3 June 2016

Delighting....



....in simple beauty!


Wishing you all a
delightful
 weekend!!!

xoxo


Wednesday, 1 June 2016

A Garden Scarf Ta-Dah....


finally....
yesterday the cloud's opened just long & wide enough
for me to get a couple of photos at long last
to share with you my latest crochet piece!


I mentioned in my last post this was supposed to be a
easy & quick scarf intended to be finished within a few weeks. 
All was going tickety-boo until "things"
 namely moving house inter-country
dulled & pushed my creative spirit to the side for a little.
When I'm not feeling it creatively it's best
to leave well alone as otherwise
I find myself never happy with the end result! 
I always know my creative sparks will light up again if I give it time.
Finally early last week my crafty fingers started itching again
and my head is doing somersaults with creative ideas.

Yippeeeeeee.... 


Let me present to you my finished
  Garden Scarf....
I started this scarf last November using the base pattern
from the English Garden scarf in the Vintage Häkeln (German Title)
Crochet with Color (English Title) book by Kazuko Ryolaiand.  
For the yarn I chose a mix of Debbie Bliss wool's,
Rialto Dk a extra fine Merino wool &
"Mia" a great wool/cotton mix.


Loved....  LoVeD.... LOVED....
working with thees yarns.
They are worth every penny!
 

Looking at my finished scarf now I can just about imagine
those of you who are familiar with the book looking
at my photos a little confused wondering
if your are thinking of the same book & scarf as I?
You most likely are.
It looks so very little like the English Garden scarf I know.
When I started I had every intention for ONCE to follow
the whole pattern to the letter but after
I finished the base of the scarf I was not
overly enamoured with the plainness of the edges
so I went off-script by adding an edge. 

 

Once I'm off-script it's kinda hard for me
to get back on it again.
To be honest I didn't even try this time. 
I just continued with my interpretation 
of a Garden scarf.


Roses
Oh I soOo love Roses! 
My garden will
always have Roses growing in it. 
   
I used new pattern ideas for 
my roses but there size of blossom
& thickness of the wool 
made the roses almost a little 
to heavy for the trellis so I had to make 
do with just one of each rose.   


Foliage adds so much texture,
richness & interest into a garden.
For my imaginary garden
I made a few different sizes & shaped leaves
using different left over wool scraps from my
stripy green scarf


Marguerite's &
pink pompom daisies (not sure of their official name)
are very simple but ever so cheery flowers
what is there not to love!?!


In my imaginary garden
flowers grow together in a "wild" mix,
creating sweet little posies


Forget-Me-Not
I LoVe you soOo! 
You are a timeless classic that will never go out of style. 
I can't wait to plant some in my garden.
But with no garden to speak of at the moment 
I will have to wait.
Unfortunately our attention & money is needed else where
before my fantasy garden can be turned into a reality,
luckily for me in the meantime I have my 
wonderful Garden Scarf to give me my garden fix!


This scarf is lovely airy, soft & light to wear,
perfect for spring days & cooler summer nights.

 

It has been so well worth the wait
I LoVe it!!!

xxxx 


p.s. I just wanted to clarify
my going off-script is in no way a negative reflection on the book!
It's not the book....  it's ME!
I'm no good at following rigidly instructions for my makes
I always get the urge to go rogue.   
For me crafting books are more sources of inspiration 
and this book is great for that with many lovely ideas & patterns.