A Bit of Food and Chat.

Goodness, wasn't that a stormy weekend? We had the works: rain, winds and sunshine too. Today is yet another wet day with skies so dark that the photos I took from Pendennis Point this morning have a strange quality, almost like paintings captured behind the glass of a frame rather than that of a lens.



I quite like the effect, though the murkiness of this one showing the need for St
Anthony's Lighthouse to gleam dully through the sheet rain gives some idea of how wild it is out there.



Despite the weather the weekend was busy with friends visiting and endless cups of tea being served. Isabella anounced she wanted to make a cake and we chose carrot as there seemed to be rather a copious amount of the orangey roots lurking about. She weighed and grated and mixed so well, I am beginning to think this little three year old has a natural knack for cooking, though maybe I am leaping ahead somewhat.



Her apron is so worn out now that an idea for a Christmas present of a cookery set consisting of cutters, tiny wooden spoon and measuring spoons - she loves using these - all wrapped together in a brand new apron, made by her Mama of course, came to mind. I made both Lucy and Isabella's original aprons about two or three Christmasses ago and am so pleased they have almost disintegrated from overuse!



In the meantime, Mr Davey made the Christmas Pudding on stir-up Sunday. We both like to do this and so take it in turns; this year was Dave's and he worked to his own recipe for a gorgeous, rich and boozily moist Figgy Pudding made with our own figs preserved in sugar earlier this year.



We phoned all the children who weren't here so that they could make their wishes while we phoned (though we are still trying to get hold of one of the seven!).



Golly, this is a food-heavy post (just for a change), but food is something very important to us as a family. The chance to cook together or chat around the table is something Dave and I really enjoy, always eating with the children unless there really is something that stops it. I hope this will pass on to the youngest three the nurturing side of sharing food and they will have the same fond memories of these mealtimes that the older children have, often coming out with funny stories of things that happened long, long ago now at meals which have long passed into the realms of time. I know it sounds cliched to say, but surely that is what it's all about, this often hard, often exhausting and frequently worrying thing of being a parent? Well, that's what I think anyway, though don't quote me when tiredness turns me into a screeching harridan of course! Note those shadows under my bleary eyes in the picture below...says it all I think, don't you!



On that note I must be off to work and stop frittering the time away. Bit tired and unfocused, but sure it will all come together int he end. I will leave you with a final boat picture



or two and an apology for my haphazard rambling of today.



Have a good Monday x

Wet, Wild and Windy.

The wind is howling, buffeting against the house with such force that it occasionally shakes from the onslaught. Rain pelts down turning the duckpond into a giant murky puddle where leaves surface only to be swooshed down once more as yet another heavy cloudful is thrown upon them. How different to yesterday, a day of sunshine and blue skies. Granny-mother and I took the two girls out for an afternoon trip to the beach to see if the breezy day would blow away the last of the poorliness, a need for fresh air after being shut inside for much of the week.



We grabbed some sweet cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices as well as somwe of the apple and sultana buns made earlier in the week from Lucy's very own recipe.



Our little waterbaby did her usual, stripping off tights and shoes to paddle her feet in the icy water. The tremendous winds of late have stripped much of the beach of sand leaving a rocky landscape we barely recognise. No doubt a change in wind direction will see its return some time soon as is usual at this time of year, but for now it is a lunar landscape most unfamiliar to the girls, but to be explored nonetheless.



Lucy sat mermaid-like on a rock to read her book which she is so enjoying that she whips it out at any and every possible moment to lose herself in its pages once more.



And Isabella hoisted the skirts of her ladybird outfit which she had been wearing for the day. Such a sweet sight to see a brightly clad ladybird skittering surefooted over the rocks complete with snug winter coat over the top!



At last the chill began to descend as the afternoon moved on and we headed to Granny-mother's for warm drinks and cake. Home once more, the girls played quietly, exhausted by their windy outing and I retreated to the kitchne to turn some windfall apples and the squash grown on our allotment into spicy chutney. I love chutney making as it takes me back to when I was a child, the smell drifting through the kitchen as my Mum did the same.



Such gorgeous colours



I intend to cosy up by the fire now and complete some Noel Christmas Tea Cosies ready for next week's orders. A lovely thing to be making on such a miserable dday.



Have a lovely weekend xx

The Best of a Bad Situation!

I like to think I have a knack for getting the best out of things, a way of turning things to my, er I mean the best, advantage. I have had both girls home this week with chesty coughs and nasty headaches; Lucy has had the headache which appears to be a 'viral' thing - well, there's a surprise - and Isabella has hacked away at the same time as demanding anything she can think of while I have worked in the kitchen on my orders. If only she was as happy to snuggle under her quilt as Lucy, though truthfully I am no different and only like to cosy up in bed when well enough to enjoy it, magazines and knitting/sewing to hand, choccies...you get the idea?



This could have been fraught, but it has been fine and today I have put the work away in order to address another possibly bad situation: the disgustingness of my homemade Hedgerow Cordial. Now, I realise this may not seem that big a deal, but when you have spent much time gathering elder and blackberries, rosehips and apples in order to provide your offspring with rich, slightly healthful cordial as an alternative to that offered in the supermarkets only to find they are drinking something which looks and tastes closer to a rich and alcoholic red wine it is most definitely Not A Good Thing.



One has to consider the possibility that teachers may think your well-behaved child is well-behaved for a very good reason and that there may be a need to contact people on her behalf. One sniff of her drink bottle would confirm any suspicions as the full and fruitsome odour of a good Cabernet fills the nostrils. Unfortunately, the taste does not match the promise and therein lies the reason for my assessment of the situation as bad: do I bin and waste all this effort/fruit/sugar (did say slightly healthful) or do I come up with something to do with it?



I added a goodly glug of brandy, mixed heartily and poured a slug for your benefit - see above - and re-bottled the Hedgerow Cordial as Hedgerow Rob, a delicious beverage to be taken neat by a fireside (lit obviously) or with hot water and a dash of cinammon when feelingg the need for comfort. Definitely NOT to be taken by children!



Now I'm off to read Captain underpants to the children and pack away these stockings which have looked so lovely hanging in the kitchen.



Hope you are having a good day?



Bye for now x

A Weekend Recap.

A very wild start to the weekend gave way to beautiful sunshine and blue skies for the most part. We had expected to abandon all plans to choose our tree for christmas, but the rain held off and we set forth label in hand. Through the avenues of spruce we trudged



Tricky decisions to be made about size and height and width and...



Tree chosen, label attached. Pretty golden light filtering through the boughs.



Hurrah! The first of our christmas traditions is done and sits waiting for us to collect it at our leisure. Er, Isabella just loves having her photo taken...hmm.



A bright and golden afternoon saw me clearing the garden, cutting back and mowing lawns. We love this bedding down at the end of the year and though there is still much to be done including tulip bulbs to plant by the armful, I have made a start and even managed a major clean out of the hen and duck pens while Mr Davey took the children for a late afternoon run on the beach. I finished just as the sun began its gentle drift behind the hedge leaving balmy light in its wake.



The girls were most pleased, especially when I offered extra food as a treat for 'helping' me. Any of you who may be hen-keepers you will know just how nosy and interfering hens are whenever there is any sign of action and our three are no exception.



Cake making did take place with Lucy making a batch of fairy cakes. It was lovely to teach her all about creaming and folding, the whys and the wherefores of the different methods. Isabella joined in, but was mostly interested in the licking of utensils, but I hope that she will absorb our love of cooking by osmosis as she drags a chair to the table, apron neatly tied and hands waved to show they have been washed at some point almost every single day. We didn't manage to finish using the windfalls, but there's always tomorrow isn't there?



And so to today, a day of sunshine and billowy breezes which shake the leaves from the trees turning the lanes to prettier versions of their summertime selves. This morning's pictures of the river show a calmer scene than is apparent at the seafront and makes a lie of the fact the King Harry Ferry to St Mawes on the other side of the Fal has tied up for the day due to adverse weather conditions.



Yes, truly a beautiful start to the day



But now I must off to finish a batch of these Holly & the Ivy Christmas Stockings for today's orders. I have been most pleased with the responses to my Christmas range and the orders coming in are a pleasing mix of decorations and gifts. So lovely to think of my notebooks, lavender sachets and hearts being opened on Christmas morning.



Have a lovely Monday x

It's Friday!

Hurrah, another Friday, another weekend. My day will be a little different than planned as Isabella is home from nursery which means I shall be bringing the sewing room into the kitchen to complete orders. I really don't like doing this, but needs must and so I thought a little thinking about the good things ahead may brighten this dark, wet day. First up is my coffee in my most favourite coffee cup bought from that lane-side stall in pretty Coombe by the river.



I have bought the Christmas edition of Country Living ready to read in bed with Dave over a pot of coffee. I am most proud of myself as I have thus far avoided even opening it in readiness for my treat, carefully avoiding any blogs which may peruse its hallowed pages. I must admit to a slight disappointment over the cover though which somehow didn't grab me as much as usual. Never mind, I still can't wait to flick through its festive pages (sad? Me?)



I will try to find the colour in this very dark patch of weather. A quick look around the garden in the drizzle today revealed the brilliant reds of nasturtiums and dainty mauve heartsease peeking through the overgrown flowerbeds. How pretty the droplets garlanding the petals.



We will collect the last of the windfalls to use in tart tatins, the sweet caramelised slices nestling on buttery pastry...yum.



I may start my new book (thank you Davey).



I WILL finish this present and cross another one of the list. I decided the way to tackle the handmade presents this year was to make a present jar in much the same manner as the holiday jar I use for 'things to do', popping the names of people I need to make for onto folded paper and picking one out when I am ready to start a new project. It made the list less daunting and I get the fun of not knowing what/who I am making for next. Ok, I now realise I am perhaps a little sadder than I suspected!



I will enjoy the sight of these gorgeous crab apples as they turn from gold to red. Shame they are only ornamental, but beautiful nonetheless.



Most probably there will be some reading of these lovely books and some ideas gleaned for things to eat.



Then again, I may make one of these



We will also be taking the children to the little farm we visit every year to walk in the fields searching out the perfect Christmas tree. We then tie a label around it with our names on and there it sits waiting till the day we arrive to collect it, fresh and fragrant ready to join us for the season. Such a lovely thing to do



So, there we are and now I must work on making some of these



while looking out at these

.

What are your plans for the weekend?



Have fun x

Autumn Colours.

Strangely turbulent skies over the bay this morning as Isabella and I wasted some time by strolling across the beach. Lowering skies that belied the sunshine warming our backs. Complete contrast to the scenes of golden hues by the river only a mile away, only ten minutes later.



I like the contrast, the shadowy clouds of dusky blue shot with ochre and sulphur



and the autumnal glow of trees reflected in still waters. Colours so gentle yet strong in the same way as the delicate reds of wild poppies



Someone else enjoyed it too, though jumped feet in the air at the grinding sound of a ship's anchor dropping out in the bay, the sound echoing in the still morning.



Lowering



Golden



The two faces of autumn. Which do you prefer?

Have a lovely day x

River Mist.

I do hope you are not yet bored by my obsession with Penryn River and the way the light varies so creating new palettes of colour, new visions of the boats moored against the banks? Today the early mist hovered giving shrouded views in much the same manner as that of a lady's face through a veil.



Blurred edges where banks meet water, trees meet sea for this is a tidal river fed by the waters flowing into the River Fal from the ocean beyond.



Delicate patterns like ink dropped into water, the velvety droplets left to disperse with the current



Soft; shrouded; hidden; veiled ... evocative imagery of something concealed and therefore also something to be revealed. Layers to uncover as in the best gothic tales



and yet no ripples show on this calm surface.



Just tranquility.



I hope your day is tranquil too x

Christmas Emporium!

Forgive me if it is a little too early for you to be thinking of Christmas - I do understand; after all, Hallowe'en and Bonfire night are barely behind us, but in the world of the small business and retail in particular I am really running late. Still, not to worry. If it is all too much just click away to a more autumnal blog and return another day, but if you are ready to think of all things festive...well, here we go. ( Grab a coffee - it's a long one!).



A suitably Christmassy picture to start us off at the top followed by a Holly & the Ivy Christmas Stocking. This is big enough to hold plenty of goodies and made from a soft linen/cotton fabric. Fennie, please note Lucy's Babbit modelling for me - He gets in on everything!



a little close up of the hand embroidered detailing - holly leaves, berries and silver starts.



I have focussed on holly leaves and scarlet berries for much of my range this year as I love the simplicity of this most traditional of motifs. Some items, the stocking being one such, also have delicate silver thread tracing through the sprigs and silvery stars scattered throughout to catch the light and bring a little something extra to the whole. The theme continues with the Noel and Merry Christmas Hearts



The Noel Heart



and Merry Christmas, both featuring my hand embroidery.



Something a little different? What about a Noel Tea Cosy? I drink a lot of tea and seem to make endless cups over the festive season, what with older children home for the holidays and a steady stream of visitors. This cosy is inter-lined with a layer of wadding and lined in cheery ticking to keep your cuppa snug till the last drop.



I have scattered clusters of scarlet berries throughout this cosy as I love the cheeriness of them which is so in keeping with Christmas.



and finally, for now anyway, Dove and mistletoe Hearts



Elegant and simple



A touch more colour



Phew, well done all of you who are still here and thank you for looking through my Christmas emporium. I will be adding more no doubt as there are still some things in progress - some more gifts including something for little boys who I have sadly neglected thus far, and possibly a decoration or two to come.



Hope you enjoyed it and should the need grasp you to pop over to my website then any of the links will take you there as will the actual website link at the top of this page on the right hand side - or click here if it's easier. Lord, she does waffle on doesn't she?



Have a wonderful weekend. I'm off for a cuppa and a lie down! x

P.S. Hurrah for the end of the postal strike!

Views from the River Bank.

The tide was out and mud was present; thick, gloopy, squidgy river mud which for once had no particular smell. Penryn River Mud is somewhat renowned around here for that pungent pong of an ebbing tidal river. I, of course, quite like it.



Doesn't it make you want to stick you feet into it? Actually, now I think about it the river was flowing gently back in, not ebbing, the drift of the tide seeming not to move and yet rapidly setting the boats lined along the banks free from their muddy moorings.



I love the way boats tilt at almost impossible angles, waiting to come to life again like some sleeping ocean creature.



This houseboat fascinates me, though I have no idea why. I have walked along the bank where the path runs high above it many times and still am no wiser about it.



So pretty in all its guises: high or low tide, rain or sun, the river is just magical.



Well, that's me for today. Hopefully tomorrow will be a post about this and all things related



or maybe I have now guaranteed it won't happen just yet - curse my doubting heart. We'll see and in the meantime...

Have a lovely day x

A Bit of a Wooly Post.

So, the half term is over, the Christmas countdown begins, but before I rush headlong into the preparations I want to wave goodbye to the loveliest week's break. Hallowe'en was such fun with friends bringing their two little ones over for an afternoon party with Isabella while the rest of the gang were at the cinema. The littlies made pumpkin lanterns and mini pizzas, raced around and generally had a good time. And then the evening came with this motley crew arriving



not to mention the priest which I was so not happy about. Most creepy he looked, even after several cocktails. Games of apple bobbing, cutting the flour cake and so on were played, and another very fun Hallowe'en was over, decorations packed away till next year.



From now on it gets difficult to blog about any projects we have underway for Christmas as I know some of the family and friends dip into my blog on the odd occasion, so I will have to give peeks of what is afoot rather than anything specific (very frustrating really). Dave has been knitting a little gift with the softest, most beautiful wool - Patons Eco Wool Chunky for those interested to know. The colours are gentle yet not insipid and remind me of moorlands in late autumn with dew covered grass, weather softened granite and the sea in the bakground, all washed by the mist...get the idea? Truly lovely and I want to make myself something to snuggle into with it now.



As for me, heady with the success of the socks (and well done to my dear friend Diana who has also completed her first pair..woohoo!) I moved to safer ground and made dave's Mum a pair of fingerless mittens for her Christmas gift. So quick - two evenings - and so snug to wear, but have you tried photographing yourself in mittens? Not the easiest is it?



I am now part way through something else with yet more gorgeous wool. The colour of this one is not really shown very well in the photo, but it is the exact shade of the blue in the Toast catalogue if that is any help. A beautiful blue with hints of grey and teal. Oh how I would love to have most of the clothes in that catalogue and it is a very rare thing to hear me say that...sigh. Anyhoo, knitting with this wool makes me feel I have created a little of that feel for someone. The make is Patons Pompero and is again gorgeous to work with.



So, a bit of a mish-mash today with amazingly unclear photographs which show litte and are innacurate in colour! Ah well, better next time. Hope you had a good week.



Happy Monday x