All Hallows Eve

The Eve of Samhain - and the day before Tabi's birthday.


We've made our cakes, spooky chocolates and pus muffins!



Carved our pumpkin...


...and sorted out the Spotify playlist.



Started dressing up and decorating inside.




And tonight we will be sat (weather permitting) by the campfire,


eating hot dogs and toasting marshmallow's,


recounting stories and scary tales,



and looking for Witches flying by on their broomstick!


And later just before bed when the all the fun has almost ended,


we will light sparklers and dance around the garden,


{the above three pictures were taken two years ago - the eve of Tabi's birth}

until the cakes have run out and...


the last sparkler dies out!


~ HAPPY HALLOWE'EN ~

Have a Thriller night!

Golden Brown

...texture like sun!

I have to say I am still loving Autumn even though the clocks have gone back and the sun is setting around 4.30pm with the darkness following not long behind.

The days are still bright and surprisingly warm and the colours that Autumn has to offer are so absolutely splendid. She is definitely putting on a stunning and rather grand show in all her glory.



We headed out for a woodland walk over at Walmer yesterday when our little patch was cloaked in fog and even though we questioned on more than one occasion if this was the right thing to be doing on such a foggy day we were not disappointed as the skies were bright, vibrant and blue where we were heading to (hey that rhymes!) - though we did only find that out when we got there that is.



The smell of earth was so deliciously overpowering. I love that smell it's as good as freshly baked bread or a chocolate cake to me!!

And the sound scrunching leaves which were falling rapidly all around us as we wander along became an addictive game bringing out the big kid in us all with a major spot of leaf shuffling, kicking and jumping up and down in. You can't beat a spot of jumping up and down!!




Squirrels were dodging here and there (no pictures I'm afraid as they are flipping fast!) storing acorns and chestnuts for the coming winter months.




Cyclamen were sprouting in clusters everywhere another mark of Autumn for me. And the grass glistened with dew drops like a carpet of droplets just waiting for us to skip, run and jump through - did we? Of course we did!! The children were fine with their wellie boots, but the less sensible of our group ended up with rather soggy feet!.





The children had great fun darting all around like little woodland imps. Finding sticks and makeshift camps in amongst the trees, kicking leaves as they walked, climbing trees, finding treasure and later acorns were found bursting from their pockets - to bring home for the nature table 'mum' of course!





Evidence of hibernation is well underway and the trees and bushes are bursting with beautiful red berries and ladybirds!




Both muddy boots and ladybirds were looking for a place to rest though far too tickly for one four year old to endure and he (maybe she??) soon flew off leaving their giggling companion behind and us to our lunch to look upon spiders webs as they sparkled in the autumnal sun.





'Oh' I do love this season, my favourite and my best though it is a season that is rapidly changing with the Winter closely knocking at the door - not too soon though I hope, but with the weather forecast looking dismal, grim and very windy for the weekend and next week I'm not holding out much hope that our golden Autumn will last for much longer.

Maybe the next time the sun shines it will be crisp and cold and all the leaves will have fallen and we will be wrapped in scarves, gloves and hats, though I do hope not - not that soon.

Have a glorious, wonderful, warm and cosy weekend - it's Halloween tomorrow (BOO!!) xox

Dutch Blue

I received a parcel in the post yesterday - as you do! A parcel that was soooooo wonderful it left me completely speechless for a good twenty minutes and possibly even then some, but I wasn't counting at the time so I'll have to rely on my memory.

Though let me tell you the only sound that 'did' escape from my lips in that 'full' twenty minutes was a lot of 'oooohhhhing' and 'aaahhhhhing' with absolute pure delight.


For the parcel I received was from the ever so wonderful 'oh so' talented and very, very lovely Corry at Dutch Blue.




I had won Corry's giveaway a wee while ago which was a box filled with her favourite fabric, buttons, ribbon and other wonderful bits and bobs and 'oh' what a box of wonder I had received.

And it wasn't only the fabulous goodies in the parcel that had me 'ooohhhhhhing' and 'aaahhhhing' either, but the wrapping paper - can you see the wrapping paper that all these delightfuls were wrapped up in? I absolutely love, love, love that wrapping paper!!


I guess I was one of those children that always wanted to play with the cardboard box at Christmas rather than the teddy bear!



Though that's not to say I don't want to play with the contents of this box 'oh no!' I've been planning for the best part of twenty four hours now 'what' am I going to make with all this beautiful, beautiful fabric and all in my most favourite colour combination - red, white and blue.



And in amongst the parcel wrapped up beautifully (in some more of 'that' wrapping paper) was one of Corry's adorable and charming angels which is going to have pride of place reserved for her this Christmas - that's if I can prise her away from the girls who spotted her immediately and had there own little 'ooooohhhhing' and 'aaahhhhhing' session going on between them!




The generosity, thoughtfulness and kindhearted like minded people in blog land (phew that's a mouthful!) always leaves me with such heartfelt gratitude that I am sometimes left completely and utterly lost for words, but always 'always' with a lovely glowing feeling inside.


Have a wonderful 'glowing' autumnal day my fabulous, wonderful and amazing blogging friends and thank you Corry for absolutely making 'my' day. xox