Red, White and Blue

Preparations are underway - and have been for a wee while now - for a right royal knees up down here tomorrow.


All the kids have been dressed in red, white and blue today for various school activities.

It's been so lovely to see such unity.

For me it's a good excuse for a get together, a party, a celebration, a country coming together as a nation, proud to be British. Do I need to justify that?

For my children to remember like I do from the 70's and 80's - so many people, all celebrating a special occasion. Who doesn't love a wedding? Happier days.

Enjoy the day, what ever you get up to.

And have (another) wonderful bank holiday weekend UK.

xXx

Broken Stones

If you are familiar with Paul Weller then you will understand the title of my post - it is one of my all time favourite songs and signifies a time in my life that I will never, ever forget.

Anyhoo, if you are not then that's fine.

Bank holiday Monday saw us heading out to Walmer - it seems the further around the coastline you get the more pebbly the beaches become.

I'm not very good with pebbles on the beach. They remind me of the Summer holidays when we would head down to Hayling Island or Southsea for the day.

Not even the hardest of feet (or person) would be able to walk around without wincing or pulling 'the most' peculiar of faces.


Quite funny to watch - granted, but not so funny when you are trying to look uber cool in your brand new Speedo swimming costume!

The kids enjoyed the change of scene though - not a single grain of sand followed us home.

And even though the eldest Boo had his nose stuck in a book most of the time he soon change his mind when we declared an all out pebble skimming war.

Who could resist?

Have a wonderful day.

xXx

~ Broken Stones - by Paul Weller ~

Like pebbles on a beach
Kicked around, displaced by feet
Like broken stones - all trying to get home.
Like a loser's reach
Too slow & short to hit the peaks
So lost & alone - trying to get home.

As another piece shatters
Another little bit gets lost
And what else really matters - at such a cost?

Like a loser’s reach -
Too slow & short to hit the peaks
So lost & alone - trying to get home.

Trying to get home -
Like broken stones - all trying to get home.

xXx

The Long Weekend

From bike rides to beaching and sitting around in the garden under the blossom, in the sun.....a lot.




To much baking and days out, hunting for Easter eggs and lots and lots of bunnies!




I'd be lying though if I said a great big 'phew' did not escape from my lips this morning when I set foot back into our silent - extremely messy - but 'oh so' peaceful house.

The eldest Boo was a little bit sullen at the thought of going back to school today - I had a smile on my face.

But secretly I was thinking 'I'm so glad you've had a lovely time off' as the Easter holidays are always such a long one and boredom can set in fast - I think the extraordinary April weather we've been having has helped....a lot!


Anyhow, I haven't logged on for days (so sorry) and now I'm in the motions of housework avoidance or denial - I haven't decided which it is just yet - and am sifting through our holiday pictures thinking 'darn my sun burnt nose!'

Did you have a good Easter break?

Remembering all those memory making moments. Or did - like me - a secret little sigh pass through your lips this morning?

I'm a bit of both today and welllllll, this week is only a three day (school/working) one with another four days off come this Friday - the Royal Wedding and another bank holiday, end to end on a fast approaching weekend.

Have a beautiful - peaceful - day.

xXx

A Beautiful Evening

The rest of the crew have headed down to the beach for an evening stroll.

I'm stuck here with a little girl that wouldn't eat her greens!!

Have a beautiful evening.

xXx

Sticky Buns

With Easter fast approaching I thought I would get a little pre baking done this week - experimental some would say.

Now I'm not a huge fan of hot cross buns, but the family love them - who am I to argue?


Anyhow, on one hand I didn't want to just pop to the shops and buy a pre made packet (I'm not that keen on mass produced plastic baked goods, even if it is from the instore bakery) but on the other hand I'm not that dedicated a mum to make a fresh batch for my herd....because I don't like them - selfish, I know.


So out came my trusty old (and faithful) cookbooks to find an alternative - and compromise.

The recipe I settled on is from Sarah Raven's Complete Christmas cookbook. A strange choice I know, seeing as I was looking for an Easter bun recipe.

But this is one I have tried and tested before (at Christmas funnily enough!) it's easy and we all love the sticky results.



Great news if you have this cookbook and want to give it a try - not so great if you don't......sorry.

So that's our Easter buns out of the way. I feel confident in the knowledge that this Good Friday we will be feasting on hot (not so cross) sticky buns.

Hope you're having a fabulous day?

xXx
ps. sorry if I've been a bit brief this week and haven't replied or popped in to say 'hi' - having the kids off is great fun, but it doesn't half kill any free time you may like to enjoy. Normal service should resume next week - for a couple of days that is!

Bleached

I found this piece of seaweed on the beach the other day.

Dried, bleached and almost preserved in a skeleton kind of way.

I love the scaly skin it now wears and the way the sun catches each incrustation making them glisten and sparkle with luster.


Transformed into an almost untouchable, delicate form.

If placed on my hand and I curled my fingers it would surely crumble and float away - added to the sand pile.


I didn't of course - it was far too pretty to be so heavy handed with.

Instead I held it between my thumb and forefinger, twisting it around and around watching as it glimmered and gleamed in the late afternoon sun mesmerised as each ray bounced off the scales.


Then laying it on the sand I took several pictures to try and capture what I was visualising.

It may look like the same picture repeated several times, but if you look very closely each one is slightly different, capturing my piece of bleached seaweed in many contrasting ways.


Looking back at these pictures my curiosity wanted to see how different they would look if I dabbled with the colours.


I like the colour boost, it makes it feel almost hot, but I think in this case untouched, washed out and bleached - exactly how I saw it and exactly how I took these pictures.

Have a beautiful day.

xXx

Seashore

What a delicious taste of a weekend just gone.

I do have to admit to having a slightly tingly face - my cheeks are sun blushed, my nose is tinged a delicate shade of pink and freckles have started to appear....and not just on me.





Anyhoo - on Friday I promised sand castles and ice creams, but we actually pulled on our wellies and went rock pooling.....then had ice creams.





Today I think we will do sand castles......and then have ice creams.

Here's wishing you a most wonderful week.

xXx

ps. I hope you like the new look blog, thank you for bearing with me.

It's pretty much all finished now though I may tinker and tweak a tiny bit more - to be honest I was tired of seeing spots!

And if you want to read more about 'behind the scenes' at Tabiboo then click on one of the links under the header.

Nina x

Coffee Break

Blog update in process.

I'm tinkering.

It may take some time! Sorry.

xXx

For the weekend

It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and I've promised sand castles and ice creams this afternoon, so before we head off down to the beach I just wanted to pop in a wish you all a most wonderful and dandy weekend.

And leave you with a few beachy images.

Have fun!

xXx