Happy Feet

Mommy, big boy and little boy shoes sit in a row...waiting for the rain to stop and the sunshine to come out to play...waiting just waiting and waiting.... You get the picture, the weather is wet and the sky is grey, cabin fever is taking over and the need for fresh air is now a Spring demand. Yes its cosy indoors, with the quilts on our knees or under our board games...the fire warms up the air and the popcorn seems to be permanently popping...BUT...oh how we long to play outside.
But happy feet we have and when they are as cute as these who can complain...leaving little foot prints after filling a bath, not for bathing purposes but for playing with our new boat...
Keeping the toes cosy is a must and this makes Mommy VERY HAPPY...my little poppet loves the socks I knitted him (see previous posts)...he pads around sleepily in the morning and curls up in bed with them on at night...Mmmm I really need to wash them there socks or they will not smell 'cute' for long!!!
As for me well I am pleased to report I am very much better, moving around now with ease and actually drove the car yesterday, a week from my op, what can I say, how amazing our bodies are at healing...

As for the crafting, well its slow and steady, knitting is getting done in the evening when the house is quite, bits and bods, sewing, badge making and drawing are getting picked up and down throughout the day by myself and my kids. The house is like a garden blooming with flowers in all shades, I have been so fortunate to have so many lovely bunches bought for me to cheer me up. I feel blessed with friends who have helped me with the children when I was still to sore to get up and about, for the meal that was delivered to long chatty phone calls with friends that live far away...The importance of friendship is a gift we should pass on to our children...

I promise some photographs of things being made or if your lucky...made!!! The light is so poor and I have to confess to enjoying just chilling out with the children whilst they are at home...

Have a great weekend and I hope the sun is shinning on you...

To Peg or not to Peg???

Well I am now starting to get a little frustrated with my lack of movement post op. I feel OK if not a little tired but I am sore. So the mind is willing BUT sadly the body is not. I am having to limit myself to what I can do and any energy is given to the children as they are off school at the moment, which is great but I would like to take them out to places or even just knock a ball around the garden with them...The kitchen has turned into a messy art room and we are just making bits and bobs as we go along and I have to admit to using the TV when things get a little too much (shocking). I am a great believer in that 'making' is a part of mothering which is great therapy for the soul, so I have been managing to do a little crafting time. Remember the pegs I made? well I had a little order come in for them...Which of course meant I NEEDED to buy more buttons as my gingham supply was getting low and I bought a couple of lucky bags for the boys...they have loved playing with them although the mess is quite alarming!!! My buttons came from The Button Company I usually only get them when I see their stand at shows but needs must...Look at the box of loveliness that arrived...OK maybe its just me that finds a box of buttons exciting!!!

So 'to peg or not to peg' there lies the question? You see I had made these little pegs up for fun, I had a load of business cards to use up and thought this was a way I could make use of them and send a little promotional freebie out with any orders. Now if they are being sold by a third party would it be PC of me to them give them away with my own orders?
Oh its one dilemma after another when it comes to selling your stuff, so much more fun when your just making for the fun of it...One of my staple pressies for the children's friends is personalised T' shirts. I buy a standard Tee, in fact I have a whole box of them in different sizes just waiting to be used as they come in useful for rainy day projects with the children, they get the fabric pens out!!! I buy these cute little wooden animal topped hangers and decorate the T'shirt according to the personal character of the child and make a matching label and there you are for under £5.00 you have a cool present.
So on hearing it was a special little girls birthday whilst I was stuck in bed I played about with the crochet hook.

I can not crochet, I so want to learn...I can fudge it a little but nothing fancy. I followed the tutorial by Bella Dia for her valentines hearts, they looked so pretty, sadly my heart was nothing like hers but it was a heart...It actually only turned into a true heart shape once I had blocked it (yer...I know...me blocking!!!). I hand sewed it on to a Tee and added some of the new buttons and there you have it...Today's make!!!
Then I sat and had another go at that crochet heart, you know it looks a little better...may be there is hope after all...

Spring had sprung...

Well we have snow...yes snow...a snow man has been built and the skies are blue...I managed to save a few sprays of daffs before the chill factor hit them... Easter has left a feeling of joy and new beginnings and not to mention a little overdoing it with the chocolate. I am still recovering, still in my PJs and still saying 'ouch' my nurse has had to return to work, today is my first day on my own with the children. How Lucky am I that some friends of mine have taken the children out for a play date? So before I retire to my bed I thought I should catch up with you.
All around the house is chocolate and all things bunny related, books a plenty lying around and most with an Easter theme. I got some beautiful cards from friends and fellow bloggers included in that a great little egg decorating kit from the very talented Little Cotton Rabbits, I thank you.
I managed to snap a picture of the Easter Tree...
which was a nice setting for my felt eggs...
not to mention all the other little eggs that I have collected over the years, sadly none of the shell eggs made it through to another year...I better make some more...

But there is no sadness at this loss as so many lovely 'NEW' things arrived. Lucy organised a great swap...the Easter swap and my partner was the cool Kitty...I got a beautiful card and the most amazing bunny, I love this bunny, she has such character, I mean look at those back paws...cute all the way!!! Kitty was a little naughty and popped in a few other bits, some soft, man so soft wool, lovely chocolate and some really pretty quilt cards. I thank you Kitty, you spoilt me...and I would love the pattern for the bunny dress, can you not imagine this bunny with a whole wardrobe of pretty dresses for all the seasons? Really this swap deserves a post all of its own, so forgive me, but I wanted to share it with you and not wait any longer...
As for the swaps in return, well the above bundle of bits went off to Weirdbunny (see previous posts for her parcel to me) and the picture below is one of the two bunnies I made for Kitty and Weirdbunny So there you are all my swaps up to date now and what fun they are, if you have never done a swap I urge you to join in, it really helps you to focus and make something you might not normally make and of course the fun of a parcel arriving for you...I wanted to say a special thanks to Lucy for organising the bunny swap, it takes some organising.
OK so we move on into the the spring time, and the season of all things new and lovely, a season of hope and joy and a time to look forward rather than reflect...so to me its a time to 'get things done' I am trying to finish started projects that have maybe been lying around for a while and of course starting new things...just because I like to...
The purse I knitted got made up whilst I have been spending a lot of time just sitting very still, I am pleased with the result...I lined the bag with some great fabric that I got as a freebie in an order from Sal of Sal's Snippets...it goes with the yarn perfectly giving it a lovely vintage feel. Let me assure you I will NOT be making another bag like this, sewing on the handle was not a task I enjoyed. I cursed all the way through it I also still have puncture wounds to my fingers and even with all of that I am not happy with the neatness of it...
But not unhappy enough to unpick it...I hope your Easter was a special one and like me your looking forward to the better weather...I can't wait to get out in the warm air again...

Wishing you a Happy Easter

Ouch...well I felt I needed to just say a few words of thanks after all the support and well wishes for my hospital trip, I did not go into details as my blog is my happy place...so a brief mention to just explain my absence...but then so many lovely comments...I thank you. I am in an 'ouch' kind of situation...I went in for a basic diagnostic procedure and ended up having 'stuff done' without giving too much information all is well. I am struggling to move, but already on the mend. Just as well with Easter day here tomorrow, I was very organised, pre-hospital I decorated the Easter Egg tree and the house in general (Easter banner, bunnies etc...) wrapped pressies up for the children and sent out all my Easter Cards. The children have had various Easter Stories read to them so they understand the meaning of the holiday. I love Easter it is a real celebration in the 'Suzie Sews household'. So I wish you many blessings this Easter...
Forgive my lack of pretty pictures of all the usual activities, this tree is actually last years, this year's is bigger and better, and once I am mobile again I will share with you the Easter delights going on around here. In the mean time I wish you well, I shall retire back to my bed, propped up with lots of fluffy pillows, watching old Doris Day movies, drinking endless cups of tea and knitting away happily...

I just wanted to share with you a cute moment when my little one came home and found me in bed, he had been worried about me and had topped up my cuddle tank before I left...he cautiously came towards me and wrapped his little arms delicately around my neck...'Oh you do not smell like my Mommy' my heart was broken for a moment and then my older one informed him that I smelt like hospitals and it was OK...OH BLESS THEM!!!

Memories are made of this...

So the reality of normality is with me again and that brief moment of time is locked away in my memory. Spending a last minute week away with my little family now feels a long way away and yet if I close my eyes I can imagine the wind blowing in my hair, the warmth of the fire that warmed us up and the fresh smell of a deserted beach. Yes it was a special week. So indulge me if you will a little walk through the memories, a little off the 'Suzie Sews' topic I know but, whilst no evidence of making was done the seeds of many ideas got planted and are just waiting to germinate... The cottage itself was so sweet, wooden floors and situated in the heart of Yorkshire surrounded by gently rolling hills, pretty floral furnishings gave it a homely feel, lots of animals, from the goats that lived at the bottom of the garden who would rush to fence as soon as we sat down to supper in the hope of a little tasty treat, to the many chickens roaming around leaving their little eggs of goodness for us and I must not forget the little bunnies that lived within the barns and would pop out when they thought no one was looking. Oh and the owls...yes the owls!!! I love owls but when they are screeching outside your window ALL night...well I might have to think again about how much I love them!!!
We had a few days with severe weather warnings so we would hunker down in front of the fire, read, play, draw or eat popcorn whilst watching a movie...the wind beating against the windows and howling through the fire place...cosy cosy cosy!!! When the weather improved we enjoyed a couple of outings...I have boys...what can I say - an inbuilt love of trains and you don't get much closer than this...We enjoyed a lovely trip through the hills and across stunning countryside and came away with the evocative smell of the steam engine on our clothes...
The funny thing was despite being on a farm we still went to visit a petting farm...as the schools are all open we had the place to ourselves and spent a few happy hours walking around, petting the babies-so much life truly does burst out at this time of year...calves, goats and lambs with the highlight of the trip being given a bottle each to feed the hungry little lambs, the children loved this treat...
As another storm blew in (landscape picture taken up the road from the cottage) we settled down for another night of poor weather...at least it kept the owls peaceful as they retreated to a less exposed place for the night...Then we awoke to the first of the two birthday DAYS...my children are born one day after the other (and a few years in between) We spent the morning in bed opening our pressies, eating Muffins for breakfast (with a candle in just to get the party feel going and of course singing Happy birthday...the first of many times) we had a swim and a birthday supper with a big cake and all my child's favourite party food. We even had our traditional birthday hat to wear...This is the part I shatter your illusions of my family, so many beautiful handmade crowns out there in blogland...what can I say...I meant to make them one each but resorted to a shop bought and rather cheesy white cake hat including ridiculously large candles on it...well its the thought matters....

When it was the second birthday day we had good weather, sadly my plans to hire a beach hut for the day fell through, not to be put off though we packed up the party people and hit the beach..the first visit of the year. If you have read my blog previously you will know that the beach and I...well we have a thing going!!! The beach is the place for me, I feel relaxed, happy and rejuvenated here so it was a big thing-the first visit of the year...to blow away the bleak winter moods and welcome in the birth of spring...Yep that's me in green...Scarborough Beach in Yorkshire on a dull but dry day...
What can I say...just fooling around...all the toys and fancy food of birthdays yet the highlight for all of us was walking along the beach with a piece of seaweed each...simple things for simple folk!!!
Making ripples...
and jumping the waves...
and you can not beat an ice cream on an English seaside with the wind blowing through your curls....

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Thank you for letting me share my memories...I have so many things running through my mind, lots of ideas and things to be finishing, I did manage lots of knitting whilst away and even finished a little bag, I have my Easter egg tree to put up tomorrow...so bare with me, the usual 'Suzie Sews' activities will resume soon, I am off for a little hospital stay on Thursday and depending on how I am feeling I will be back to share with you the delights of another swap, my bunny swap (See side bar for button) I came home to a great package from Kitty and I have finally broken into the package from Weirdbunny and started to decorate the house with all the goodies from that swap...

Down on the farm...

Oh my it seems like so long since I sat here to type up my goings on...well it all happened rather quickly and not without a little stress...the children and I have been away for a week. A little last minute which was great fun although it took some organisation. Last week was a special week in the year for me and my little family, it was the celebration of my children's birthdays...so with parties to organise, cakes to bake, and with the lack of interest from my Mom to join in the celebrations I felt that a change was as good as a rest. So with the money that would be spent on parties I took the children off to a cottage on an organic farm for the week. The children had the most amazing time, swimming everyday, lots of walking and best of all the first visit of the year to the beach...As for crafting...well its no surprise that not that much got done, I did manage to get out all my swaps in the post before I trundled off to the farm, I managed some knitting and even finished off one project. So today it is back to reality, the holiday is over and its time to get the laundry done and put on the line to blow dry on this bright spring day, tidy up and buy some food in whilst the children play with their new toys...Then we start a fresh week, time to sort the holiday photos out (all five hundred of them) and hopefully spend sometime in my sewing room...and of course catch up with the blogging, both writing my own (so much to share) and reading my favourites...Hey I missed you!!!

Cuppa Time....

Have you all got your cuppa's...don't forget some of that lovely cake you kind people have brought...Yummy!!! Now bear with me, the lack of blogging has not been laziness but productivity at a rate that usually passes me by... So I thought I better get some more cups out and look what I saw whilst on the school run this morning...I waited outside the charity shop until it opened and happily parted with my couple of pounds...
I so wanted to bake some cakes for you, sadly the 'snot monster' has been lurking around here so I thought I had better just wounder around with my box of tissues and keep away from baking today...Oh and a glimpse of the first of the finished Suzie Sews makes...my felt eggs (see previous posts)...
In all the excitement of a day at home and the endless supply of tea and coffee with the odd lem-sip thrown in for good measure, I nearly missed the postman and look what he brought me....

Weird Bunny sent me this amazing package, she had blogged about her decoupaged boxes...but to see them in the 3D, they are really something. We had arranged a little swap between ourselves bases loosely around Spring and Easter...I was spoilt I can you...The cutest little rabbit which is beautifully sewn, threads, lovely fabric, chocolates, cookie cutters (I can never have enough cookie cutters) crafty bits and gorgeous eggs for my Easter tree. I am so thankful for this package of pure goodness...
Now what do you do when one of your long term favourite bloggers whom you have never met has a baby...of course you make them something...I discussed this with a none blogging friend, I was very nervous about making them anything as I own a few bits made by them and they are so well made, I have never met them and I had to give up a good few hours of time to make them. My friend thought I was mad, and I would be lucky to even get a thank you...Does that matter? No absolutely not...you all know how this community is, I feel that I have enjoyed this persons blog for so long and I have watched her first born growing up that it seems only right to make a token gesture of appreciation...and HEY when do I get to knit in PINK???
Inspired by the little pegs which actually where a Christmas present and hold my children's art work up in the play room, I thought I would make my own, so again this morning on the school run I nipped in to a shop and bought some wooden pegs...50p!!! Once home I plugged in the glue gun, went through my gingham button box and I was away...
So remember the socks I knitted my wee one...well here is the cuddly cat to go with them...its both my children's birthdays next week so I have upped the 'making' just for them...
The front view and back view. As I started to knit it I went down a couple of needle sizes then thought 'No Suzie, follow the pattern' so I unpicked and started again. I wish I had done it in smaller stitches as it is a funny thing, too much stuffing, which it needs to hold a good shape, pushes open the stitches too much, less stuffing then it sort of goes a little squishy...so squishy it is...

I was not kidding when I said it has been 'manic' around here, what with dentist appointments and more tests at the hospital I have sat in waiting rooms a lot...flustrating when you have so much to get done-thank goodness for portable projects, this wool was picked up in Yorkshire and its a lovely colour way, I had seen a scarf in Bodens winter catalogue, I was not prepared to pay the price for it so I thought I would have ago myself...Garter stitched three rows and then its moss stitch starting and ending with three garter stitches to give it a nice edge...I am pleased with how it is turning out...
World Book day today and our village school, like many others is having a dress up day, so I sent the babes out the house in their story book characters, listening to them giggle and singing on the way to school was so sweet as my two are not usually happy to be going into school. Books are important to me, I get great comfort from having them around me, I always feel something is missing when I go into a house with no books...in fact when I go into someones home you can usually catch me reading the spines of the books and when I get to know you a little better...pulling them off the shelves...SO I share with you my current selection of books...
A mixed selection I grant you, but something for all areas of my life...

A child's book to settle down with after playtime.

A knitting book to drool over.

A house book for inspiration..I will decorate this house one day.

A light read this sits around the living area and I pick it up and read a little whilst the children play or whilst I wait for the kettle to boil.

A photography book-THIS IS MY FAVOURITE-I am so enjoying this book, its mostly pictures and as the title suggests - photographs of the ordinary life of a man in his more mature years-wonderful-the picture below is one of the most looked at pictures in this book-the simple explanation that goes with all the pictures are charm itself. I have found such inspiration in this.

A book for the bedtime read, the time of day when I curl up with a cup of Lady Grey tea and snuggle under the covers, this one is perfect...a little disturbing in its contents but a good read that flows well.

Of course the last book is a children's craft book for Easter, I have a lot of children's idea's books, sadly though I rarely follow the instructions although I do get an idea in my head from them and then off me and the kids go with paper, scissors and some glue!!!

Last but not least I leave you with a glimpse into the goodies I received from my babes on Mothers Day, a hand made bunch of flowers what a treat of a day that was...
Oh your still with me...well done you, can I tempt you for another cuppa...I shall just warm up the pot!!!

Busy Busy Busy Busy Busy Busy Busy...

Thank you for all the wonderful comments about my last post, it was a special thing to share but as my adoption is such a big part of who I am it seemed right to post about it.

So its been 'manic' in the Suzie Sews household...so little time for blogging, a whole heap of 'making' has been done...So I am just dropping in to say Hello and normal service will resume, I have a day at home tomorrow so see you for a cuppa then...