Bunting, Bunting, Everywhere!

I am sure I have never seen so much bunting!

It's not very often we British feel so patriotic, is it?

I've got my handmade crochet bunting up in the front window (from Making Magazine):

and I have been watching all the boats go up the Thames on the tv.

Yesterday, I made quite a lot of cakes for the Senior Citizens Tea Party -

I think they enjoyed their little cake fest.

We also went to Cadhay Fair near Ottery St Mary.  It was lovely and we had a gorgeous cream tea in a quintessential English garden.

The weather just about held out, with a little drizzle as we were leaving.

I hope you're all having a memorable weekend and let's hope we've got some better weather tomorrow!

Christmas Craft Fair

So, Scary did a bit of painting,

I've been doing a bit of sewing,

and finishing a few projects from ages ago,

and we had a little pretend layout in the kitchen (every other surface in the entire house was covered with detritus).

Eventually we were ready.

Everything was finished (well, apart from the Christmas stockings that I intended to make),

a reasonable profit was made

and we still have some things left over to use for Christmas presents!!

I think some major housework will have to be done tomorrow!

Preparation is The Key

Aaaaahhhhhh!

Why do we take on so much?  Correction, why do I take on so much?  You're probably all out there in Blogland with your presents handmade and wrapped, with Christmas cards poised for posting and Christmas puddings aromatically maturing in larder cupboards!

I am not.

Nor ever likely to be.

There is no more productive time like 'The Last Minute'.

Anyway, just thought I better drop in and play catch up; at least, prove that I haven't been spending all my time on Pinterest (ahem).

That strange red thing I was making a while ago here was eventually finished, along with a couple of others and they now reside on my bookshelves.

See, it wasn't rude!  Unlike this thing I saw [click here], which please don't look at if you are of a nervous disposition.  But do you think the Runner would like me to knit him a pair?

The two main things I am in a panic about are a cake stall on Saturday (you know what I will be doing from dawn til dusk and later tomorrow don't you?) and a craft stall the following Friday.

Lots of making projects going on at the moment, most of them half-finished!

Wish me luck!

Celebrating May Day

If you ever get the chance to visit Kingsbury May Festival (in Kingsbury Episcopy near Martock in Somerset) do go because I think it is one of the best May Day celebrations around.

Scary lived up to her name.

Lots of lovely things to see,

and do:

Hope you all had a lovely May Day!

May Fair

Boxes packed, car jammed full, coffee in flask and lunch in cool bag - off we go!

Starfish was none too pleased having to wake up early for a second morning in a row (yesterday we had to get students to the airport early)!

A little bit blowy, a few raindrops, but the sun peeped out in the end and a profit was made!  We remembered how the gayzebra went together (because of the good colour co-ordinated system the Runner has implemented) and we (well, I) didn't spend more than we made!

Yippee!

Christmas Fair

Thank you for all the good wishes for the Fair.  It went very well, thank goodness and was certainly worth doing.  We made a reasonable profit, which always makes you feel better, and our stall seemed very busy.

I knew I'd forget something and I did.  I left behind all the signs and price tags!  Duh!  So our stall looks a little bare.

Scary and Starfish helped out as well and a good time was had by all!

Now I'm pooped!  Night night.

'Oh Dear, I seem to have dropped Something on my toe', I said

Work was so busy today, I've been trying to catch up with myself all day.  I had intended taking a picture of the wrist warmers I have started to crochet for Scary but I think that will have to wait until tomorrow.

If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you will know that we have no heating (or hot water) at the moment.  Of course, everybody keeps telling me it is going to snow.  Thanks a bunch.

We have an open fire in the living room but we live in a cold house and it is chilly in here even when the heating works properly, so you can imagine what it's like at the moment (lovely in a hot summer though).  Various electric heaters are spread around the house, so I dread to think what that bill is going to be like!

Whilst I was fetching some logs this evening, I dropped a log on my toe.  Hope my neighbour wasn't the other side of the fence because I might have taught him a few swear words.  My poor toe is so sore but, even worse, it looks perfectly normal!  At least if I am going to go through all this pain, it could at least LOOK as if it's painful!  A bruise or a little swelling would be ok; perhaps even a drop or two of blood.  Nothing.  Humph!

Well, I think I will go and put a few more layers of clothing on and go to bed!  Maybe tomorrow I can take some pictures in the daylight. 

Also tomorrow, I have to get myself organised for the fair on Friday.

If it wasn't for The Last Minute, I would never get anything done!

Panic Attack

Okay, I seem to be getting in a bit of a pickle.

Marathon Runner has booked a stall at the local primary school Christmas Fair in three weeks and it is becoming increasingly clear that he expects me to organise everything.  Having read quite a few blogs and seen things like That Crafty Fish and Sal's Snippets, my expectations are high but I fear that my capabilities are sadly lacking and with so little time, I am feeling a little panic-stricken.

So I guess I need to be getting my ass in gear!

Wish me luck!

The Quintessential English Fete

I really enjoy a good fete.

Set in the perfect Devonshire countryside.

A lovely old rectory.

Lots of bunting.

Plenty of artistic photo opportunities.

See?  (Although he does remind me a bit of that pompous eagle on The Muppets!)

And of course lots of CAKE.

Gorgeous gardens.

Even a blue sky.

And some exciting things for teenagers to do.

And guess what I won?

A Perfect Day!

Queen of the May

Hello, dear friends.  I am so sorry I have been such a naughty blogger lately.  Time seems to have disappeared into thin air!

I am pleased that Vintage Vicki and Claire from My Little Life were pleased with their giveaway prizes.

For Vicki I knitted a blue lacy scarf and bought some postcards from Country Lines in Honiton:

and for Claire I crocheted a little owl, from this pattern, from Roman Sock

and a few more postcards, but I forgot to take a picture of them.  Duh!

Isn't it funny that the two people Marathon Runner picked out of the bowl were both from Suffolk!

I also made another little owl for my owl-mad godmother, who had a birthday recently.  (Her present is wrapped in the brown parcel.)

We had a lovely moon the other day.  My camera is a bit rubbish but I managed to get a reasonable photo as Mad Child and I walked home from Guides.

Isn't it amazing that you throw something away because it doesn't flower, and then, hey presto, there it is flowering!

Aren't things supposed to rot when you put them in the compost heap?

Finally, I was reminded today of this post from last year, when the children and I went to Kingsbury May Festival in Somerset.  This year of course, Scary had better things to do, but Mad Child can still be bribed to come!

She tried a little bit of archery, and now wants to be in Robin Hood's gang.

Yes, she's still into penguins!

I think Mad Child took this one!  (There was some poor devil underneath that!)

The food was very good, lots of choice and I thought quite reasonably priced.  These were the vegetarian options

but there was also a hog roast and various other alternatives, and some very odd things that tasted a bit like doughnuts

The town band was playing in the churchyard

and a good day was had by all, even if it was a little bit cold!

I couldn't resist this.  What is it they say about owners being like their dogs???