Mix it up

I had Monday off, soup on the menu

 Butternut squash, tomato and sweet pepper

add water and seasoning, simmer and enjoy. 

 My 3rd lot of home made bunting,

The triangles at the back are for another set for me. 

 So easy to make

November is another low spend month for me

most of my purchases are for Christmas gifts. 

So I am back to over £100 saving on last year, which I am happy with.

I will try and save another £100 next year. 

We popped to Lidl for some shopping, our bill was £31 again I was impressed. We also went into town, our parking ticket was under an hour, so we were both happy.

So November is almost done, how quickly another month has passed. 

Tonight is fore caste to be the coldest night of the winter so far, we are lucky we have  a nice warm house, I won't be so pleased when I leave for work at 7.15am tomorrow morning, but at least it's dry.

Stay warm tonight 

Family time

I am feeling festive, plants and bulbs are growing

The letters are for tree decoration for youngest grandsons

I am decorating them for their tree.

 A couple of purchases from our Christmas show over the weekend

Held at Shepton Mallet show ground, home of the Bath & West Show

I did get loads for gifts, but can't show on here

My new raised bed for cut flowers have seeds growing

 I have planted in groups, so when they are big enough I can move around my plot, the hope is to have extra plants to place in all my gardens, just leaving the plants here for use as cut flowers in the house.  

 It's a sunny day here and the garden is looking good, as quick as you pick up the huge leaves more fall, it's a labour of love as the Magnolia gives us so much please through the summer.  

 Inside flowers

the roses were a gift, the Orchids are old plants flowering again. 

 I have finished Best of Friends, the writing is brilliant, I could not put it down, the story line was close to some of my life, I do love her style of writing. 

We enjoyed our weekend in Somerset, family time is always so good, staying with my brother Martin.
Friday I spent the day with my sister Leanna, we thought the Christmas show would have been much bigger, but there was some lovely stalls, including wood craft and glass, both I love. We spent the afternoon in Glastonbury, if you want to shop away from the main brands, this is the place for you. The town has it's roots in hippy and magic in equal amounts, I am an old hippy and my sister would have been a white witch, so there was something for both of us. My last visit was over 10 years ago, but we got a seat in an vegetarian cafe for lunch, which I had always loved, good food, first visit for meal for Leanna, but she will go there again.
Saturday I spent time with my older sister Liz, who had a fall and cracked her kneecap, and yes it is painful, she is off her legs and has to rest, which is difficult at the best of times, but in the run up to Christmas it's frustrating, but her hubby Bruce has stepped up to the challenge. In the evening we all went out for a meal.
Sunday we had time with Logan and Finn, they were full of fun as normal, it's a shock to see how quickly they are growing up, we spend special time with mummy and daddy, a truly happy family.
If anyone can find out who made the changes to Blogger can you please point me in their direction, they have changed an easy lay out with everything on one page, to a disjointed front page, where we have to click on different pages just to see the information we are used too. I really can not see any benefits with these changes.

Busy Saturday

 I am loving this as a fruit bowl

it's useful as it holds loads of fruits.

 Sweet peppers and a green pepper going over in the bottom of the fridge

add butternut squash, soft tomatoes and a stew pack

With hubbies home made bread

 Wearing my boots today and they are so comfortable

We woke to a good frost, so most of the flowers have gone over, the garden is now closing down, I'm pleased with my greenhouse, things are looking good in there.
This morning we went to Lidl, and got loads of great stuff, the shop is huge and so clean, we will be popping there often, sadly it was mobbed, so shopping was a bit hectic. I got a stew pack which I used to make the soup, I have frozen 5 packs for my lunches and we still have a jug full in the fridge. I have one last crop of sweet peppers left to harvest, which I will use in my next soup.
We walked to the village but got caught in a real downpour, so we sat and had a coffee in our local place, a nice treat. My boots were great, my legs and feet stayed warm, I am so pleased with them.
I have been making my Christmas cards, I'm late this year, and I have wrapped presents which we are taking next weekend when we are back in Somerset.
Tonight I hope to do some cross stitch, nothing done last night we shared a bottle of wine, and I finished reading A strret cat called Bob, which I enjoyed.

See the birds

I have just another branch and bauble on this section to stitch,

below two birds to finish, then the top 2 pages are done. 

 This is how I stitch, normally with just one page tucked under the frame, but I have to work over the join in the pages. I hope to finish the 2nd page this weekend. 

 These are a case of need, the tops look huge but I think it's the angle of the photo, they fit perfectly and are immediately very comfortable. I love the lower heel.  

It's been a bit of a nothing week, work, home sleep, which is not a bad thing, we often try and get too much done is too shorter time. 

Later tonight I will stitch some more of the Christmas tree, I don't expect it finished much before Christmas is here, but I am enjoying the festive stitching. I do most of my Christmas stitching in the early months of the year. I love this design and will use it each year. We are also having a treat of Pizza tonight, we have a local shop who deliver wonderful tasting Pizza's. 

I hope to get my sewing machine out over the weekend, we are at home with no plans. Sunday looks as if we will have heavy rain all day, so we will pop out tomorrow in the morning. We have a new Lidl opened about 10 mins drive away, it's not a supermarket we go to often, our next nearest is only a small shop and when we visit we could not get all we need. It will be nice to pop in and see their range. 

I'm off to catch up with blogs, so many of you with wonderful things happening, I can't wait to hear your updates. 

Fabric and wood

I made the bunting on Saturday

 One each for our lovely boys. 

 I also took this bag apart, the design had the handles stitched 3/4 up, but each time I put the bag down the handles would make the bag drape open, So I have stitched the handle to the top, and then restitched the inner to the bag, now it works perfectly. 

 I have this to go in our garden, a birthday gift. 

 I love polished wood and so I love this 'dish'

it's solid, not sure what I will use if for

its such a beautiful item.

Our weekend at home was busy, we went to Dunelm to get loads of things for our camper van, I did not want to use things from the house and never have what you need where you need it. We got loads of bargains and a few nicer things. We had hoped to be away last Saturday night, but it was just too wet for our 1st run.
I also did some more stitching on my patchwork storage bag, the inside pockets have been stitched, so I can store all my tools. I have also made plans on the outer covering, I am going to cut up more jeans, I have a few black pairs, the leg length will make handles, and I can do some patchwork, plus the strength in the denim will work well with the bag.
I also did some stitching on my Christmas tree, but I ran out of the medium green silk, so hubby will go shopping for me tomorrow, I do enjoy stitching this but often I find my eyes are too tired to stitch.
Sunday I proof read my 2015 book, it's now ready to print, all I require is a good discount from Blurb the printing company I use.
Plans for coming week read more of A street cat called Bob, I also have a couple of things to make for my 12 days of Christmas swap, from Jo's blog, I have two weeks before I post it.

Cool wheels

Oh what a trip, tonight we have had a trip in a new Rolls Royce

This model is a Wraith, stunning car

Our friend works for Rolls Royce, he works on the interior design and was given this car to try out tonight, I can't explain the thrill on sitting in this luxury. Looking out to the front on the bonnet and seeing the famous flying wings.

Silent, smooth and loads of power and so much beautiful leather inside.

 Hope hubby wins the lottery soon. 

Oh well back to real life

 I am making the bunting, for both Logan and Finn, 

Dawn did the letters for me, all I have to do is iron them, 

trim the top and attach to the ribbon.
I love the bright primary colours chosen for the backs. 

 This was a request by the boys mum, I am enjoying making them. 

 I was given this book to read

hope to start it over the weekend

The film is on my list to watch.

I have been feeling a bit low in the past few weeks, I think it's just the time of year when the clocks go back, I don't like getting up in the dark. 

Monday was my birthday, not a big one, that was last year, I did go to work and everyone was lovely, we had loads of cakes. Later after work we went for an Italian meal with youngest daughter and SIL. I have a few good gifts, hubby got me a huge pair of tailor scissors, and daughter got me a solitary bee house.  

Going for the trip in the car tonight was unbelievable, the interior roof had stars twinkling, the seats were huge but wrapped themselves around you. When Alex put his foot down the car glided to the higher speed, the whole ride felt without effort.

I had a giveaway and I have a choice for the winner, both of these have been in my work box since I completed the stitching, I can make them into cushions, or just post to you if you want to frame them, I'm sorry the glass in a frame would not travel to where they need to go, so please chose Carrie Rose or Grand Marquoir click on the links to see more photo's. I love to see one of these go to a nice home. 

 Oh who won, 

Congratulations Barb from Wicked Stitcher, email me your choice and home address. 

Inside

Another good book.

 My house plants are all looking good

loads of lovely new growth.

  We have had a lazy lovely weekend, my brother Martin has been with us, We have stayed in each evening, again tonight we have loads of fireworks going off, it does make me think on how much money has gone in a wizz and a bang. Our poor cats have had enough, Grace is crouched half way up our stairs, which is her safe place, Purdy just stays close to us. We have had no desire to go and watch any displays, we can see loads just looking out of our window at the huge houses at the back of us.
We are having loads of simple foods, it's really turned cold and we are enjoying the change in our diets, I am drinking cordials again, much nicer than coffee.
I have stitched the 20 flags to make the two sets of bunting, all I have to do now is iron them and attach to the tape. I am pleased so far, they are not both the same, Logan is almost 6 and Finn is almost 2, so I have done them to their taste. I also want to stitch my bag for my patchwork tools, I have cut everything out, it's placed ready to sew. Photo's next time.
My 2015 book is almost ready for publishing, I always read each page twice after I have edited it, that way I catch most of the silly little errors, I am now waiting for the printing company to send a saving deal before I buy.
Back to work tomorrow, I hope our work load will pick up this week, last week it was hard to find enough to keep us busy, I really do not like slow days.
I will look at my give away from my last post this week and give results in my next post.