Where do I begin to update?

I guess I’ll begin with now and then gradually go back to catch up!

Wedding plans are on the go, lots of things booked in order to make it happen. Registrar, hog roast, portaloo company (m-i-l doesn’t fancy her chances with the compost toilet Tom’s been building!), trestle tables & chairs. 

Marquee & car parking agreed with the farm next door.

Invites are almost complete, compost toilet is on it’s way – frame built, just need cladding round it to hide ’stuff’, elderflower champagne on the go, nettle beer just being begun now, as I type in fact!

 nettle beer-to-be

more on the nettle beer soon, the smell of the nettles steeping in the kitchen was really rather vile, I do so hope the initial smell isn’t reflected in the eventual flavour… mmm tasty

elderflower champagne (maybe – we shall see…)

The elderflower champagne on the other hand has smelt rather delish from the start (well apart from a bit of a cat-pee smell from the leftover umbels in the kitchen..), more on this later too.

chocolate, chard and cheating

Easter Sunday, a day of chocolate feasting for many. Luckily for us for the first year ever the girls received absolutely minimal chocolate from others (still more than desirable i.e. any, but an improvement) although Yogi did actually receive some!

We decided to not go with the traditional (for us too) Easter Bunny hides eggs throughout and be a little more honest with Boo and tell her that later on in the day we would set up an easter egg hunt. She did ask me about it, where did people get the eggs from if the EB didn’t bring them so I told her we bought them. She seems happy enough, she was still getting her easter egg hunt, but could thank us for the excitement rather than just expecting them to be there. She didn’t seem to miss the ‘magic’ and was thoroughly excited running round the garden hunting for eggs, for me it was better as I didn’t have to remember to hide them the night before or make sure I didn’t accidentally point any out. It also meant I could judge the weather and then decide whether or not to hide them outside. We did, but before they started they were ordered to ‘go find a basket each’ and it had to be a proper basket or they weren’t allowed to go hunt (Noise tried to use an empty ice cream container but got sent back!). The big girls enjoyed it (as always) and Boo seemed extra excited screeching at me for finding such good hiding places etc. It was nice, nicer than ever before I think. I only hid a few mini choc eggs each and then I also hid the ones they’d received from Grandma & another. Neither of the received eggs were big, Grandma did little ones, cadbury cream egg sized and ‘another’ bought the littlest size of the boxed eggs. So nothing too huge. I also hid two little bowls I’d made for Yogi & Boo and an easter egg colouring book for Boo and ‘Ten Chirpy Chicks’ for Yogi, Boo has the caterpillar version and we’ve borrowd the tadpole one from the library so I knew it’d be a hit and it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the chard!

Actually it starts with the sowing of carrot seeds, onion sets, parsnips and beetroot. Boo sowed beetroot, radish and carrots in her trough and then decided she’d plant a cabbage plant and sow some chard too.

So, bed number 1 has the carrots, the onions, the garlic and the parsnips along with half a row of beetroot too. bed number 2 is for the legumes so not planted yet (except I decided to sow a row of rainbow chard) and bed number 3 belongs to the brassicas. I can’t remember whether I should have been planting brassicas just yet but I did – more about that in the next section….) bed number 4 is potatoes but that was a few weeks ago – although I should note we have shoots! Strawberries are surviving transplantation well and I even found a few more had popped up in the potato bed so they had to come up too! All in all a pretty productive time.

     next comes the cheat….

last years experience with the brassicas was so bad I wasn’t sure I could repeat it this year (and I haven’t got round to it yet either…. but that’s another story) so I decided to buy seedlings, quite big ones. Cheating but as last year was such a non-started I figured what the heck, it’d still be cheaper than buying the same veggies at the supermarket and I’d still have to take responsibility for their growth from now on so here they are

 

and then Yogi woke up and she joined us too

we’ve set the date!

Yay, finally after being engaged for 2 years we’ve set the date. The registrar + venue is booked, the Hog Roast is booked and those that we absolutely must have there (that aren’t us) have been told to ’save the date’. Still lot’s more to tell of course but we’ll do that as soon as we’ve sorted ’save the date’ cards (or maybe an email to be more green).

Not sure what to do about flowers as I really would like home grown sweet peas but I realise time is ticking away, luckily we only want minimal flowers not hordes so we might be ok. If not whatever we need needs to be local not imported and in season rather than hothouse raised.

vintage patterns!

Knowing I needed to find a pattern for a top to take part in the spring top sewing I decided it was time to look through my pattern stash. As previously stated these patterns were all handed down to me by my mother (still alive and kicking but no longer sewing thanks to the arthritis) or by another elderly lady (elderlier… than my mother and also plagued by arthritis) so none of them are modern.

I’ve picked a few for show and tell, they span 3 decades and include some with fond memories for me! 2 of them don’t have dates on them so I’m not sure which decade from but they’re definitely from within the 3 the others span so I’m not too worried. I decided to leave out the incredibly cringeworthy 1980’s ones as I feel maybe my mothers mistakes don’t need to be made too public and why single her out when just about everyone made fashion mistakes in the 80’s!

a small selection

left to right top row first 1954, 1961, 1969, 1970 (maternity)

bottom row 1969, no date, 1973, no date

I distinctly remember at least one of the dresses my mum made out of McCalls 5915, it was cream and beige, a kind of medium weight texture waffle, I think it was wool. I’m sad she doesn’t have it anymore, when she returned to Spain in the 1990’s she didn’t take any of the clothes she’d made in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s with her. I think it’s a shame, I’d love my daughters to be able to see the wonderful clothes their Abuela made, and of course maybe ‘borrow’ them for myself…. there were some beautiful items, all really well made out of really good fabric.

The 1970’s maternity dress was the short version with long sleeves, it was black with tiny orange, red and yellow flowers all over. I know because I wore it for my first pregnancy in 1993 (only I wore it as a top not a dress, my mum has always had good legs (even now, bit wrinkly but still better than mine)). I gave it back to her after Noise was born, I don’t know why but she didn’t keep it so I never got to wear it again. I didn’t have this pattern and didn’t think to ask my mum for it when I got pregnant again in the 2000’s, I so wish I had, I’d love to have had such a comfortable, cool top to wear these last 2 times! Maybe next time……

Simplicity 5152 my mum made at least 3 versions of, my favourite being a heavy boucle type fabric with huge beautiful buttons. I loved that suit when I was growing up.

The sad thing is I never saw my mum in any of these, I just used to hug them and stroke them in her wardrobe. By the time I was old enough to notice what my mum was wearing it was the 80’s……

Knit, nurse, knackered

The title says some of it, but not all!

Knit – well, that’d be the wedding present I’ve been happily working away at. Quite excited about it as it’s quirky and fun – and not boring to knit. I planned it, saw the fabric shop had indeed re-opened bought the goods and began it, almost half way through now and still have plenty of time. There is actually another thing I’d like to make if I get time but the thing I’ve started is what I really wanted to make so I’m pleased I’ve got on with it. There are so many things these days that I want to do and never get round to.

Nurse, well that’d be Noise (soon to have another name as it doesn’t suit her anymore) and Boo. Vomit city in our house again. I don’t know what it is with those two. Noise was quite poorly as a baby with bronchiolitis and then following that lots of tummy bugs and recurring pneumonia so I always put her susceptibility down to that, she was also bottle fed (whether it makes a difference or not depends on whose opinion you’re asking) which I do feel made a difference, in that when she was poorly she got either half or quarter strength formula or diaoralyte – neither of which comes even close to breastmilk so whether being bottlefed in itself is an issue may be debatable (but not by me) the fact that during illness she couldn’t get what she needed was. Boo, on the other hand was (and still is) breastfed. She’s had breastmilk whenever she’s been poorly and on one occasion it did stop a stay at the hospital. And in this case although she’s been really very sleepy and out of it she hasn’t been as sick as Noise (who I have absolutely NO intention of breastfeeding…), I wonder whether she’s more susceptible because she’s more tired in general than Eddie & Yogi and all the other guys her age. It’s been a week for Noise, Boo started Wednesday and is managing to eat today (well she had toast through the day and then a little bit of dinner this evening) but Noise has returned to vomitting whenever we introduce anything other than chicken soup, and her temperature keeps spiking at over 40 C. Yogi and Eddie have managed (so far, fingers crossed, touch wood) to stay well. Although Yogi has definitely showed signs of jealousy – Boo has been getting far too much attention for her liking which has resulted in increased amounts of ’nursing’ of the other kind! Tom it seems feels rather a big bit poorly this evening…. he’s been out building a chicken shed all weekend and now he’s really not too good. We’ll have to see how he’s doing tomorrow but I’ve already told him if he’s poorly ‘he has to stay in bed out of my way and not give me anything more to do..’ harsh I think, but I’m

Knackered. Which finishes off my title and explains why I haven’t blogged this week.  And which is why I really should be going to bed instead of blogging, it’s just it’s so nice to be downstairs and awake without someone wanting my attention so here I am.

’spring top week’

I’ve decided to take part in this ‘Spring Top Week’ form Made by Rae . I just need to find a top pattern (although she has some suggestions), or work one out for myself. I’m quite excited about it as I reckon it’s just the kick start I need to get sewing – also it’ll be fantastic to have a top that fits me (finally!).

In other news, the fabric shop has finally re-opened! Although when stocking the newly refurbished store they forgot a few things…. I needed some dpn’s and they didn’t have any at all! They said they’ve a little notebook where they’re making notes on all the things they’ve forgotten! It’s so great to have the store back, so much easier to get the things you need – I think it may even be why I feel newly inspired to craft. Cool bananas.

More from me on springtopweek when I have some patterns to consider. I actually have a cupboard full of patterns, I just need to go through them to see if there’s anything suitable – particularly in light of the fact these patterns were passed to me by my mother and another lady of a slightly older age… mid70’s to late 80’s (their ages not era) patterns are in fact mostly 70’s (era not age this time). Wish me luck in my hunt – you never know I might even find something I’d quite like to get married in….

wedding planning….

I figured while I was in a planning mood and thinking about weddings it was about time I got planning ours…. we’ve always had a rough idea of what we want, now it’s time to start making that happen! I’ve sent off for a few quotes for hog roasts, I’ll wait to hear what happens about that as it’s pretty much the only thing I really need to book. A friend has offered to make the cake for us (she made her own cake and it was loverly!).

Here’s where I confess I’ve been married before, and that time I did all the catering and rather fancy catering it was too so I reckon if I can manage to completely cater for 80 guests all by myself I should be able to easily manage salads and deserts for 85?

Biggest problem I have is that I don’t particularly fancy buying all the veg ingredients but I really don’t think we have the space to be able to grow it all, well not and eat some through the summer. Also, I need to look at timings so I can have it all sown in time to be able to pick it all in time! I guess I can plan to grow it all but if it doesn’t all work out then i can buy what I still need. Then there’s the flowers, I’ve said before that She Who Digs grew her own sweet peas for her wedding but I just haven’t been able to get motivated to do it, I may have already  missed the boat too.

I’ve received one quote back and bugger me will they not listen. I specifically said I didn’t want waiter service, I specifically said it was casual not formal sit down and I specifically said that we just wanted the Hog Roast service, so what have they quoted for…. 3 waiters – to set up the ‘venue’ beforehand and to serve tables during, 2 chefs, a buffet to go with the hog roast (also cutlery, crockery & napkins (cloth not paper…)), deserts and the optional extra of tea & coffees. Well if they can’t read a simple email…..

Muffin (who would like to change her name on here from this day forward to ‘Eddie’) and I have been looking at clothes for the wedding and we’ve found a very nice dress (not wedding) that we both like.

So plans are going ahead. I have 2 contacts for marquee hire (local, cheap – not big fancy), we have a florist wholesalers nearby (in fact we have 2 to choose from), somewhere to hire trestle tables. No music though, and not sure quite how to solve that dilemma – actually that’s not true, when I was at school I played clarinet in a Jazz band and Noise (who Eddie thinks should be called Pink, as that’s her favourite colour of all time) thinks they might have one at her school and even if they don’t they do definitely have a couple of bands, and if they don’t then the school her bestfriend (and birthday twin) goes to does, in fact she’s in it.

So, have I solved (on paper) most of the wedding planning issues? Well, possibly. Just the ‘run it past the mother-in-law’ bit to go – wouldn’t normally be an issue but it turns out Tom’s littler big sister has finally gone and gotten herself ‘with child’ after 2 years of trying and her darn due date is in the middle of the 2 dates we’re considering for this wedding! I’ve run it past her and she knows we’ve already had to put it off at least once and she’s happy for us to go ahead but m-i-l is less keen. In fact, almost bit my hand off when I offered to postpone to next June (2010). Those of you that know us will know that we had originally planned to get married June 2008 and so have already put it off once. I DON’T WANT TO PUT IT OFF AGAIN, sorry to shout but I want to make myself heard, even if it’s just to myself so I don’t crumple in a heap and give in.

did you remember the time change?

No, me neither. Never mind it’s not like i had to be anywhere, I just wanted to get the big girls up.

project planning

i think i need a project manager…. “Tom, To-om, Tom” no, he’s not listening – oh yes, Ben Nevis. He climbed it today, then he climbed something else, I don’t know what, I’m sure he’ll tell me Monday when he gets back.

So, back to the need for a project manager! I have a wedding coming up – not mine (let’s not discuss that just yet…. it will happen, I’m sure it will (frowns)) and I’d really like to make the bride and groom something, I can’t tell you what as I know the bride ocassionally drops in here and I’d really rather not tell her, and of course without a ‘project manager’ it might not even happen!

If it was just the one wedding I might not need the project manager but friends of ours are having baby number 2 in July and I’d really like to make something for them. Then there’s wedding number 2 in August and a wedding anniversary at the beggining of September and our new niece or nephew is due at the beginning of September. So, quite a few gifts to make. I don’t have to, the lovely Rach & Tom have asked for copies of quests favourite books rather than traditional gifts but I have something rather cute in mind for them (and it’s not traditional anyhows). I could just go out and buy the others something but I’d rather not, rather put some thought and actual effort into things, they feel worth more then (even if they’re not necessarily very ‘big’ or ‘expensive’.

Haven’t tried out the dishwasher today, figured it wasn’t really worth the risk….

What can I say about today? I’ve finally written out thank you notes for Yogi’s birthday, we got to the library and I took out some lovely books, including a crochet project book – easy crochet as I’m a total beginner! Discovered The Fabric Shop will be re-opening in Burgess Hill soon, yay it’s been such a long time! The girls (little ones) have been lovely, big ones have been out with their dad. Got a book ready to post to a friend. I sorted out my NCT expense claims too, rather overdue in one case but I can try.

Oh, and I bought seeds. Rainbow chard, parsnips and beetroot.

Another thought, should I take part in ‘Race for Life’? I think so but for some reason I’m just not committing to it. I have no idea why not.

planting, cooking, burning….

Not been very good at this blogging lark of late. But to be honest my heart hasn’t been in it, real life has been far too hectic and rather a bit too stressful to manage to blog too. Maybe it’s a winter thing, horrid weather, horrid temperament? Whatever the reason I’m hoping I’ve got some blogging mojo back. And if not it’s not the end of the world, I’m not exactly setting the blogosphere alight anyhows.

 

Garden update is as follows:

50 strawberry plants dug up and relocated – this is on top of 18 I hand picked (harhar) a few weeks ago, which takes my strawberry plant toll to 68…. Will this be enough? Don’t really know, only had 4 last year and that really wasn’t enough!

10 raspberry canes planted – thank you mum-in-law for these, although I know I have the task of making raspberry jam this autumn (if we get any raspberries of course!)

35 early potatoes in

- 9 pentland javelin

- 26 of something else, neither of us can remember at the moment… were hoping we’ll find the little bit of paper Tom wrote on at the garden centre at some point

 

That’s about it for now.

 

I keep noticing on everyone else’s blog that they’ve sown lots already, find it strange that this time last year when I was rather busy with giving birth then tiny baby, toddler and teenagers I managed to get everything done exactly as I was supposed to. This year with 1yr old, 3yr old and teenagers I’m finding it almost impossible to get anything done, I do mean anything done!

 

Chicken’s are doing well and other than a few days when we only had 3 eggs instead of 4 the ladies have consistently laid throughout the winter. Did have a couple of days this week when all 4 managed to ‘stop laying’ at the same time… no eggs in the nest box, or the disused rabbit hutch that’s cluttering up the garden and often gets used. Puzzling, but then it was time for ham, egg and chips and I sent Noise out to investigate – she wasn’t actually under pain of death, and I didn’t actually tell her not to return until she’d found the missing eggs BUT she did return with 9 eggs…. hidden under the straw by the nesting box?? Deliberate or accidental? Is this the sign of a broody hen, I thought they just sat on them – not stashed them! All moulting but only a tiny bit, nothing significant although I think one of the brown ones had less featherage on her breast than the others – will check when I tuck them in tonight.

 

Ah well.

 

This weekend I’m hoping to get the house organised. Tom’s off climbing Ben Nevis/larking about up a mountain so I’m home with the 4 girls. In the past, pre-little ones any time Tom disappeared off to do something he’d come home to find rooms reorganised, re-arranged and re-decorated – these days he’s lucky if I’ve managed to convince anyone to do the washing up! Hoping this weekend’ll be different. Off tomorrow to get some nice baskets for the dining room so I can hopefully sort out my craft pile…. Although the bit that needs a ‘storage solution’ is in fact the pile of ‘things to be mended’ so, maybe instead of spending my Tom’s hard earned cash I might get round to a bit of sewing?

 

Also on the agenda for tomorrow is to collect a pile of clothes from a lovely freecycler (who I happen to know has rather good taste – as in good quality, ethically produced/manufactured, not mainstream) for Boo, well, for Boo to grow in to as they start at age 5 and she’s not quite in that size yet. So, I’m quite excited. I figure anything that needs mending can go in the ‘things to be mended’ pile with all the other ‘things to be mended’!

 

For dinner this eve (even without Tom’s help..) we achieved homemade pizza’s from dough to topping, including a wheat-free version for Yogi. I prepared the dough, then Noise took over – unfortuantely she wasn’t listening to instructions…. bases were about an inch and a half thick and the toppings were sparse. Ah well, she’ll know for next time. She’s was very good and cleared up afterwards, filled the dishwasher, washed up the things that don’t go in, put th edishwasher on….. I asked what the odd noise was, she just commented that it was the dishwasher. I got on with a couple of bits then went to get the babies ready for bed and didn’t like the sound so opened the dishwasher and it didn’t seem to be working so (luckily it turns out) I turned it off and left it while I got the babies into bed. Did that, told Noise she’d have to wash up  the dishwasher bits as it didn’t seem to be working and then popped out to get Muffin. Got in, tried the dishwasher again – seconds 30 at most, still no luck so I switched off, opened up and out poured the smoke….. Ah well, we’ll be looking for a new dishwasher then