What I bought this month...

1. 2 metres of hessian fabric
2. rag rug tool
3. rag rug rag measuring thingy
4. Sarra Manning book
5. retro glass owl

I feel practically virtuous this month, I have not exceeded my target of only buying 5 things...although nearly everything I bought this month is NEW!  I did try many a time on Ebay for second hand rag rug things but I suspect everyone else has been watching Kristie's Homemade Home/Edwardian Farm and wishes to make a rag rug too, as there was a lot of silly bidding to very high prices going on.  At least I bought the tool and gauge from a specialist online rag rug shop, it pleases me more to keep a small, speciality business going than giving my pennies to a giant corporation.

Sarra Manning books are my guilty pleasure...I religiously bought Just Seventeen magazine just to read her 'Dairy of a Crush' stories and have read everything she's written since.  She rocks!

Mr Mchootington the owl and I took one look at each other and knew it was meant to be...he needed to come home and live with my other retro owls, and so he has.  £1.50 from the charity shop!

In...

Out...(shake it all about!)

I got rid of 1 bin bag of books (to be lugged to national trust second hand book shop), 1 bin bag of clothes and a boogie board (who am I kidding, to the charity shop with you) and a bag of stuff I'm selling on Ebay.

from here

Things I Love Thursday...

This week I'm loving....

*reading Alys Fowler's 'The Thrifty Gardener' * mummy making me biscuits * singing amaaaaazing grapes about some particularly delicious grapes in the staffroom * seeing Leanne at work * hot water bottles * booking tickets to see Benedict Cumberbatch in a live screening of a theatre production of Frankenstein at the cinema next month * buying a new retro owl friend - his name is Mr Mchootington * Meeting a beautiful 5 year old boy called Max at work, who blew me a kiss for making him a library card, whispered in my ear that he was going to make a surprise for his mum and that it was going to be that he's tidying up his room and asking me if I stayed at the library 'for ever?' * singing very loudly and very badly to cheesy radio 2 music * glee CD * rediscovering my mp3 player for walking to work, sooo much better! *

What do you love this week?  Hope you're having a great week!! xx

Library Love...

I love libraries and every month I'm going to show you the wonderful things I've found in mine!

Just Another Diamond Day - Vashti Bunyan...
I love this pretty sounding album, it's all beautiful singing and reminds me of summer days with lovely cool breezes, the smell of freshly mown grass and birds chirruping in the trees.  After some quick googling I discovered this album was originally released in 1970 and no one liked it (silly billies!) then re released in 2000, the title song used in an advert (very annoyingly I can't think what advert it's from...a bank one maybe?) and now everyone loves it (hurrah!).  It also has a pretty cover...which is why I chose it!

Skim - Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki...
This graphic novel is the diary of a teenage highschool student called Skim.  It covers her everyday life and thoughts in the aftermath of the suicide of a boy at her school.  I like teen movies, and this is the same kind of thing (it reminds me a little of Ghost World), except in book form.

The Chrysalids - John Wyndham...
I love this kind of futuristic/alternate universe sort of sci-fi.  This one is set in a post apocalyptic world which hints at the effects of some sort of past nuclear disaster.  Any mutations caused by this disaster aren't tolerated, which is a shame for the main characters (who all have 'deviations').  This book is exciting all the way through, until you get to the end which I thought was a bit rubbish and cheesey, like he couldn't really be bothered writing any more and just wanted to finish it off neatly rather than writing a thought provoking ending.  Still worth a read though (honest!)

The Silver Donkey - Sonya Hartnett...
Awww...this is a lovely childrens' book!  Two children find a soldier in the woods and he tells them stories about the tiny silver donkey lucky charm that he keeps in his pocket.  The characters are really realistic, especially the children and their relationships - I recognised some of my own thoughts and feelings as a child in them.  I can't really tell you any more about it without giving away the plot...all I can say is read it!

Have you found any treasures in your local library this month?

Christmas Crafts...Crochet Panda and Crochet Hook Roll...

I can't believe it's taken me this long to finish making my mums Christmas presents!  For shame!  It was the Panda's fault, I couldn't make him how I wanted him to look, so I gave up in the end and we'll have to live with a funny looking panda.  You might think a crochet panda is a strange gift for a mother, but she actually wanted one to go in her new car which is a Fiat Panda.  The panda pattern came from the 'Ultimate Crochet Handbook'.  I love the rest of the book but the pattern for the bear turns out a lot bigger than the one in the  picture, which is disappointing :( I only wanted to make a small one!  I actually didn't do as many rounds for the head and body as they recommend and he still turned out giant!  This is the first amigurumi I've made so I didn't really know how to make it better and our computer helpfully crashed so I couldn't turn to the internet for help!  Oh, well...it's part of his charm.  His name is Fred.

I also made her a crochet hook roll, from vintage fabric and armpit ribbon (you know, that lovely free ribbon comes in the armpits of tops!)  I really like it and it was easy to make too!   I googled a couple of tutorials and then made up my own...

from here

Things I Love Thursday...

This week I love...

* crispy roast potatoes * reading The Chrysalids by John Wyndham * watching whirlygig seeds wizzing past the window in the wind * warm bed * sunshine * having a good old sort out of my wardrobe and bookshelves * nice people * talking to Em and Luke on the telephono * getting the alotment ready for spring * listening to Vashti Bunyan * tiny pink flowers * clean hair *

Whats lovely in your world this week? xxx

Rag Rug...Inspiration...

I've been wanting to make a rag rug for ages now, I've always loved the look of them and after seeing how easy they are to make on both Kirsites Homemade Home on channel 4 and BBCs Edwardian Farm I have gathered my rags and am waiting eagerly for the postperson to deliver my tools...until then I'm looking for inspiration...

I took this photo in Morocco - unfortunately neither the rug or the dog would fit in my backpack!

here

here

Have you ever made a rag rug?  Tell me all about it!?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

from here

Packaging Request...

Today (very exciting!) I ordered a rag rug making tool online and decided to add this note to the area where you can write comments/special requests...

" I'm trying to reduce the amount of plastic that comes into my home, if you add any plastic to this product in the form of padding or packaging for postage (apart from the envelope, because that would just be silly!) I would be very grateful if you didn't for my order.  Many thanks, Susie :) "

I don't know how effective it will be, but I figure if you don't ask you don't get and at least I'm asking!

from here

Book Review - Grow Your Own Drugs, A Year With James Wong....

I've had this book out of the library since before Christmas and not just cos I'm too lazy to take it back!  I've finally got round to copying out the recipes I want to try and before I send it back on it's merry way I thought I'd share my thoughts on it with you lucky people...

What I liked....

* all the recipes for beauty stuff - especially how to make your own face masks with powdered clay, hair conditioning treatments and the oat bath for eczema, all things I'll definitely try.

* the season by season growing guide at the back of the book

* it has all the basic skills you need to make your own remedies in the front (such as how to make creams, infusions, etc) so if you're feeling creative you can do your own thing!

* there are a couple of pages that tell you whats easy to grow and what's difficult, so you can buy the difficult things and save yourself some frustration (good for impatient gardeners like me!)

* it has pretty pictures

* James Wong is pretty....sigh...

I didn't think it was quite as good as his first book, but it's pretty much more of the same and very useful if you fancy making some home remedies.

Things I Love Thursday...

This week I LOVE...

* the smell of soil * beautiful messages from Emily * giggling so much I got told off for being unprofessional at work! * watching Lost in Austen * passing my driving theory test * it being light when I left work for the first time in ageees * sleep * clean bed sheets * noticing a dog pawprint in the tarmac on the path down my road * new Lush soap * reading the new Sarra Manning book * snowdrops * pasta and garlic mushrooms * chocolate *

(Short list this week...I'm trying to remain cheerful - I found out on Tuesday that my contract at work isn't being renewed so come April I'll be out of a job...I am allowing myself this weekend to wallow and be a bit miserable, watch DVDs, read that big pile of books by my bed and eat many yummy things, before working up some motivation and positivity to face finding a new job!)

What do you love this week? Hope you're having a grrrrreeat one!

My Room...

My mum (who has very kindly let me stay with her for the past year while I've had a huge I'munemployedIcan'tfindajobanddon'tknowwhattodooooowithmylife type meltdown) has bought a new little house and ours has gone on the market. Before my room became sotidyitlookslikeIneverlivedthere I took photos of aaalll my pretty, shiney, messy things...

(photo's are very shiney - we either have dull horrible lighting or too much sun or flash going on in all of these! ark!)

from here

Things I Love Thursday...

* posting crisp bags for recycling * snoozing on the sofa in a sunbeam * vegetarian haribo * Glee * garlic bread * funny Spanish conversations at work * seeing Emily's wedding dress * eating Em's nut cluster cereal * looong lovely talks with Em * pink sunrisey sky * clear and beautiful sparkly starry night * kettle chips * chickpeas * new house excitement (my mum has a new one!) * this advert * imagining this guy doing wonderful things * my driving instructor making up a 'good luck for your theory test' poem for me * excitement for going to the cinema tonight * walking lots and feeling more energetic * hessian arriving so I can make a rag rug * happy Giant African Land Snail * sleep * listening to Paloma Faith * watching The Other Boleyn Girl and Empire Records *

What do you love this week?