Back again...

Helloo!  I finally have the internet sorted out in my new flat and a laptop to go on it!  If only I could find the cable for my camera I'd be really sorted!!!

Moving...

I am moving!  I have not organised internet at my new home yet and my laptop is broken.  I will be sneaking back to mums to use her internet.  But things will probably be a bit quiet round here while I get sorted!

Winter Garden...

Even though it's frosty cold outside we still have some brave little flowers cheering up our garden...

These are my pots ready for putting on my balcony when I move...there's a mixture of all sorts of things in them, crocus, daffodil and snowdrop bulbs in the bottom, pansies and violas, ivy, fern, cyclamen and forget me nots (last years seedlings coming up, they won't flower till next year, but they're nice and green for now!)...

I bought this orange, bobbly article for 20p in homebase (in fact I bought pretty much all the pansies for 20p a tray in homebase a couple of weeks ago too!)...

Mum bought me a little christmas tree too...it's soo cute!

My hyacinths are doing interesting root-y things.  They're also doing mould-y things (I don't know if it was getting sweaty in the box, I've stabbed some ventilation holes in it now just in case!) I hope they survive long enough to flower in my new home...

The veg garden is now pretty much bare, apart from the giant brassicas and some little leeks...

And I picked the last of my peppers.

Are your gardens surviving the cold?

Sad Hedgehog-ish News...

The little hedgehog I posted about a week or so ago has died.  Mum contacted the rescue centre to ask after him and the lady said even though he was given fluids and put on a hot pad he never warmed up.  She said this is often a symptom of slug pellet poisoning.  

Please, please, please, please, please, if you garden don't use slug pellets (I'm sure most of you don't already anyway!) It's so sad that such a lovely little creature died just so someone's lettuces didn't get nibbled.

Nearly There...

I can sleep again at night now I know the huge sofa has fitted up the stairs and round the corners and through the doorways!  Phew!  I've put my Doctor Who magnets on my fridge and started bringing my books round...I'm moving in next week!  Eeeek!

Library Love...Arcadia, I Heart the 80s, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe, The Edible Balcony...

This month I've been reading...

Arcadia - Lauren Groff
I Loved this book, it's about a little boy as he grows up on a hippy commune, how they live, his family and friends.  There's lots of vegetable growing and composting.  And also the struggles they have as children and into their adult lives.  I'd recommend this one!

I *Heart* the 80s - Megan Crane
This is like a grown ups version of the film '13 going on 30', except Jenna (the name of the character in the book and in 13 going on 30) goes back to the past, not forward, to the future (I realise this only makes sense if you have knowledge of films made for teenage girls!).  There's lots of eighties fashion and rock stars!

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
I don't usually read chick-lit type books, but I fancied something easy (moving house is stressful!) and this was actually quite entertaining.  Much mockery is made of middle class yummy mummies popping in for a cupcake, dahling, the main character is having one of those I'm -in-my-thirties-and-I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-myself crises, but not in an annoying way, in a way I can definitely relate to, and there's a cute, curly haired love interest.  What more could you want to take your mind off making difficult decisions about carpets and white goods!

The Edible Balcony - Alex Mitchell
This is inspiration for my own little balcony!  There are sections with photos of beautiful balcony gardens and lots of info on growing food in teeny spaces.  I can see myself borrowing this again in spring so I can use some of the ideas then.

Have you read anything good recently?

Nice November...

This month I've loved...

* wearing my hat and my gloves and my scarf * autumny leaves swirling about * autumny walks * certificates for 'best weird library find' at work * buying bamboo toothbrushes and toilet brushes * new carpet! * playing pool * sunday coffee with friends * making Christmas displays at work * listening to my Christmas CDs * watching Christmas films * advent calendars - I've got 2 this year, a chocolate one with santa on (mum opens it up before giving it me, takes out all the milk chocolate and puts melted vegan chocolate in instead...she is too good to me) and a Dr Who one (free with Dr Who Adventures magazine!) * getting ready to move house! * 

On my way to work the other morning I found this gorgeous little hedgehog wandering down the side of the road, rootling about in a pile of leaves, then heading in the direction of passing cars.  It was almost 10am and he was too small to be wandering about on his own.  Luckily I was wearing my gloves so I scooped him up and phoned mum and said 'OhmygoshIfoundahedgehog! Canyoucomeandgethimpleeeeeaaase!'.  I ran up the road with the hedgehog in my hand and mum ran down the road with a plastic box and we met in the middle to handover.  

He was too poorly looking to stay in our garden, so he's gone to hoggy hospital to be looked after.  The lady there says he's doing much better already.

Hope you've had a lovely month!

Autumn Days....

 Just some photos from an autumny walk....

Isn't autumn pretty?!

Bit More Flat Progress....

The carpet men came yesterday!  It's like a proper home now it has carpets!

Although we did have one small problem...

The carpets are too thick to go under the doors! All four of them.  Oh dear!

from here

Some more new-flat progress...

I still haven't moved in to my flat, but me and mum have been busy with some girl-diy and done some of the finishing touches...

Shelves!  We even got them straight first time!

Light shades and blinds!

Now, if only my carpet had arrived and was fitted (the only carpet I like is out of stock and on it's way from Belgium!) I could move in!

Crochet Poppy...Lest We Forget...

I made another crochet remembrance poppy this year, for my friend at work.  Link to the pattern can be found here (although, it's either my counting or the pattern, but I can't quite get the number of stitches correct...I've ended up winging it on both poppies I've made now, and was making a third for my Mum but it got too confusing and it ended up in a dejected, tangly heap on the floor).

Autumn Garden...

'Scuse the horrible photos - the light was not good and neither was my camera (I was too lazy to get my 'big' camera out and just used the small, crap pink one that lives in my bag!)

In the greenhouse we have this disgusting looking pepper...it cost 50p a few weeks ago in a sale...I've already had 2 peppers off it and I'm hoping it won't die/get too cold before the other 3 on it turn red.  And my solitary chilli pepper...only one grew, but it's ok cos I thought I'd only planted bell pepper seeds anyway, so this one's a surprise chilli!

Beneath the mysterious bran flake box is....

Hyacinth bulbs...£1 each from the pound shop...it said to put them somewhere dark and cool, but not too cool...this was the best I could come up with...

I've still got a few pretty flowers in my pots...

And loads of nasturtiums on my wigwam...the leaves are just turning brown now, but I'll leave it up for as long as the flowers last, so any passing insects can feed from them...

My veggie garden is looking a bit sad...I pulled up the last of my sweet corn and broad bean plants today, and my courgette plants have completely disappeared (I think mum must have got fed up of them!)...still got some baby kale plants, lettuce, some sort of giant brassicas (not sure what they are...will have to ask mum!) and some leeks...

This is my little harvest for today...I ate the pepper and sweet corn in a stir fry - yum!

How are your gardens growing?

Ooooooh October....

This month I've loved...

* purple, green and blue toenails * piglet socks * piglet pencils * chips * nice library customers * post to my new address! * reading Arcadia by Lauren Groff * ordering Madness CDs off Ebay * pink kitchen of joy! * vegan biscuits at work * pig related emails * vegan cheese and onion crisps - free from the vegan festival in Wolverhampton! Yummyyy! * wearing my hat to keep my little ears warm, for the first time this year! * visit from my Ozzy rellies - ukulele and guitar playing - yey! * 

Woke up one morning to find mum letting Fluffy have a 'run' in the kitchen sink...as you do...

Hope you've had a lovely October! :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Some naughty slugs started to eat our pumpkin (his name's Pierre), so he's all spotty and dotty, poor thing. 

Linking up with Lakota's Wooooo Wednesday!

from here

Charity Shop Treasure...Lloyd Loom Washing Basket...

I bought this lloyd loom linen basket in the charity shop today, it was priceless, so I carried it up to the till and asked the lady how much she wanted for it.....

£3!!!!!!!  I've been watching these on Ebay for ages and the prices range from 99p (pick up only and Always miles away from me!) to into the £100!  This is perfect for in my bathroom, although it is particularly dirty and will get a nice coat of white paint first!

I've had loads of other bargains too recently, which I must get round to photographing!

Have you found any wonderful bargains?

Linking up with Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday!

A little bit of progress....

This weekend my kitchen went from this....

To this.....

I am sooo happy! It is sooo pink! I am soooo in love with it!

Also thought I'd show a before and after of my bathroom...

From this....

To this....

Aaand I bought my sofa today, it has to be made for me cos I want a purple one and I have to wait 4 - 6 weeks for it!

I am exhausted, we've been to the tip 4 times this weekend (to say goodbye to the old kitchen, which was so gross and dirty it couldn't be saved), to B&Q and Homebase twice and to my flat to check on the kitchen men more times than I can remember!  Phew!

I'm so excited to see my flat turn into somewhere I'd actually like to live, rather than the dirty ick-some place it once was!

from here