Love Is...

Sharing your Ice Lolly!!


Lets hope it will always be?!

Butterflies and a Caterpillar

This post is all very 'pink' and the photos are all 'samey' today, but we experienced one of those bizarre phenomenons at the beach yesterday and I am so glad we were there to witness it!


Hundreds of Butterflies were swarming all over these gorgeous pink flowers that are growing all over the chalk cliff face at the moment.



If you look very closely or enlarge the picture you can see lots of orange amongst the pink and the odd blur as a butterfly takes off.


And when a car went past they would all lift off of a flower at once, hover in the air momentarily then settle back down again.



Unfortunately my camera wasn't quick enough to catch that moment - sorry I'm still trying to get the hang of it, but it was such a spectacular display.



Apparently a couple of days before the cliffs had been crawling with caterpillars though this was the only chap we could find wandering around - much to the squeals of delight from Tabi!


Have a lovely weekend. I'll be back next week with a Give Away. xox

Before the Crowds Descend

It is going to become rarer and rarer to find the beach empty between now and September.



So before the crowds and tourists descend onto our little haven in this part of the UK ...



...here are some recent photos of our weekly jaunts to the beach.



No pearls were found - what a shame there will be no putting my feet up this summer!


Splash! This is a great game played with unsuspecting friends - ask to take their photo at high tide on a windy day, just before a big wave crashes against the sea wall!! A few friends (and family) have fallen foul to our naughty little trick - sorry!


Jaunty coloured beach huts...


...come in lots of different shapes and shades!


Shell hunting is a great game to entertain the little ones, especially if you can find some with holes and an old discarded fishing line to thread them onto and make necklaces, bracelets and all manner of decoration. We have ours strung up in the garden as wind chimes and to scare the birds off the veg patch!


Rip Curl - well kind of!



TFI it's Friday!! Have a good one - I think we are heading back down to the beach again this weekend, so if you're passing stop by and say 'hello'...


...you are bound to find us down there - somewhere! xox.

Owl Cute No.2

I can safely post about this cute little critter now as I know he is lovingly stowed in the arms of the person I made him for.



This is my second 'Owl' attempt and I have to say I think he's my favourite out of the two I've already made plus he's my own creation, my own design which for me makes him even more lovely. That goes without saying for my first Owl creation, but for me he just didn't look right!


So the question I ask is 'which one do YOU prefer' because depending on your feedback I'm going to do a 'Give Away' next week (not today) as I will need some time to make the one most chosen so one of my owls could be winging it's way to you!!


The person I made the owl for, well I also made a 'little' something else too- a teeny weeny secret and tiny surprise. Are you intrigued?? I bet you are, here is a little lookie...



...'oh' sod it I know it's been received so I can 'properly' show you what I've been up to this past week - a little hand embroidered needle case. What do you think - do you like?? Because I am probably going to give away one of these as well!!


Have a lovely Thursday - fingers crossed for the sunshine as it's been a horrible soggy old week so far, well it has been here!

ps. If you fancy a giggle this morning than have a look at 'The Beach Hut's' posting yesterday it had both myself and hubby in absolute stitches.

Japanese Fabric

I love all the Japanese prints and patterns that are available at the moment - I have absolutely 100% been utterly drawn in. They are for me 'everything' that represents how I grew up either in reality or dream world, they are 'ME'


From mushrooms and owls to deers, rabbits and squirrels I love the lot and wish my piggy bank could magic up the pennies to satisfy my need for these fabrics!!


'I have' though indulged (just a little) and keeping to my budget - five fat quarters, of the patterns that took my fancy the most - and guess what?? That was back at the beginning of April!! I have been scratching my head 'oh what to do' with these delicious fabrics - though if truth be known I haven't the heart to chop them up, but I cannot leave them all shut away and unseen in my stash and collection of fabric.


So I have decided to make my little Tabi a quilt - she is the only one left in the family without one. If I get started now then it should be done by this winter though the only decision is 'which' pattern do I do?? I love log cabin maybe the fabric could go a long way or possibly squares - that could maximise the print?? I'm sure I'll work it out, but for now (at least) I have decided to use it, as I want her to have something to look at and dream about as I once did when I was little!


Though Ssshhhh don't tell - I still do dream about these things! Have a lovely day we're halfway through the week - already!!

Another Monster is Born!

I couldn't of predicted the over whelming need of your average nine year old boy and the 'Ugly Monsters' I made back in the middle of April - that was until I made my brood their's!!


Now all of Will's mates want one - 'oh' the pressure!! As William is rather a popular boy, the excuses I've had to make because lets be honest that's a lot of fabric, filling and sewing which I haven't a lot to spare as it is.


Fortunately for one lucky few it's his birthday this coming weekend so what could I do? With strict instructions from William and a watchful eye over my shoulder...


...another 'Dead Puppet' was born!


Well it is for his best friend so I couldn't really refuse and a homemade present, now isn't that a rarity - no plastic wrapped, plastic crap end up in a landfill by the end of the year present...


...now that's more like it! Have a lovely day xox

Early Morning by the Sea

Yesterday (early) morning we were all up, dressed, fed and out the door with a picnic in hand heading to the beach.



This came about because of a lot of organisation from my lovely hubby the night before. I was told that as long as I had surfaced no later than nine, getting to the beach at such an early hour 'would' be possible (yes sir!) - and guess what? He was right! Nine thirty exactly, we were there!



And what a delicious hour to head to the beach. Before the crowds and the esplanade filled up with cars, before the holiday makers and sun worshippers arrived to claim their space, we were sat on the beach...



...with bacon sarnies - white bread of course (and brown sauce for the northerner in our family!!) and a mug of tea in hand, we just sat and watch the sea glistening all sparkly and clear, the odd person mooching around or kayak gliding past and the sailing club racing out on the horizon.



Happy Bank Holiday Monday - we are all nursing red noses and cheeks today so there will be no sitting on the beach for us today! - darn that deceptive sea breeze xox