gypsy...

My heart lifts in the summer, it fills me with the desire to travel. To spend time with friends and to eat lots of yummy food in the sunshine. Yes endless picnics, hearing friends laughter and finding sand in places that, well, sand just should not be!!!My Mom has always called me a gypsy, as a young adult I always moved around and never really laid roots down, If I was unhappy at work I would up sticks and move someplace else. A year was the average time for me to stay still. Then I hit thirty, it was a life changing time for me. I got married, I started to save money, I made a home and I grew a little baby within my tummy. Yes for the first time in my life I put roots down. My little family was added too. Two children, rabbits and other small little animals I made a little nest and felt complete. The desire to travel and experience life left me, I no longer had the need to to live out of a suitcase or always be looking at what I could do or be next.
But you know, life is a funny old thing and things change. You just do not know what is around the corner ready to shake you up and change your whole view on the world. I do not feel 'nesty'and secure anymore, the need to move and experience life is getting back in my soul. It scares me, it also excites me. This summer I have hardly been at home and to be honest I have not missed it, OK I confess my sewing room has a pull on me. So this seven weeks of time with my children, we have hardly been at home except for a day here and a day there to wash our clothes and pack for the next trip or fulfill a commitment. I have spent hours sitting on my veranda at my beach house (caravan;) !) sipping fresh coffee and knitting whilst my children run around in the sunshine. Sharing good times with my children and friends.
Days spent on beaches, each beach offering a different view, a different memory from East to West of the United Kingdom, yes this summer we have so enjoyed our beach time despite the intermittent rain.
The children laughed and played and I believe they have grown flippers instead of feet...
For years, I dreamed about having my own camper van, and this summer I have in fact lived the dream. Making camp by the beach for a few days or just making a Hot Chocolate to warm us up on a wet windy day, or using it as a dressing room after a dip in the cold sea, yes my little camper has been a treat.

Life changes and sometimes its not pretty, I guess this time next year the camper and the caravan will no longer be ours, someone else will be enjoying the life we love so much. For my children I think this is the part I find so sad, BUT I will not let this take the fun out of the moment and as we approach the last week of the holidays I am off again for a week by the sea, the animals are being looked after and bags are packed, this week I am even taking my sewing machine with me...

SO before the autumnal days crisp up, before the nights close in, just give me one more week of living for the moment, a week by the beach, some sun and most of all... my children.

Normal craft blogging will resume in September... until then let me make the most of the last days of summer.

Be happy...

Beauty all around...

It never stops to amaze me that no matter what is going on in your life, how ever sad or confused you might feel, if you take the time to open your eyes there is so much beauty all around us.  Now I admit I am more optimistic than most, it has been commented on that I live in a bubble gum world, but you know there is so much sad and bad things going on in the world I don't consider this a negative remark.  What can I say, its the British Summer time, yes the rain continues to fall and the days can be grey but when the sun comes out and you feel the warmth on your skin, how can you not look around and smile... especially with your children..The writing is a little slow, to be fair it is pretty much none existent, I apologise, the children are with me and we are making the most of every moment.  When we have a little spare change in our pockets we treat ourselves to afternoon tea with scones and cakes...
If we are a little short then its a little pic nic on the beach.
Whilst Mommy keeps up with her knitting...
The children wade off on  sea adventures. (My sons leg is now healing well, I thank you for all your comments of support, fabulous scar though!!!)
We play on a beach that has a never ending supply of natural clay... Mmmm I am getting quite a few dried out little 'makes' around the house and my holiday cottage by the sea, which is of course my caravan ;)

I am home for a few days, longing to get back to the beach.  Whilst home I am spending the evening in my sewing room, the vibe is starting to come back and whilst I know September brings many changes into my families life, I think the sewing groove will see me through, my head is so full of ideas and how can I not be inspired when I sit in my little room, surrounded by fabrics, rows of books filled with inspiration and my much loved sewing machine...

Happy days to you and yours...

LOVING IT!!!

Its my favourite time of year, no time table to follow, no place to be, no need to clock watch, just time to take it easy and do the things I love best.  Which of course means time at the beach with my guys...Eating yummy ice cream...
Taking time to appreciate the things that surround us...
time for creative play...
and of course some knitting and sewing time for Mommy...
What ever you are doing at this time of year I wish you love, peace, health, contentment and good company.

Yes these summer months are a time to treasure with loved ones and friends.

time to escape....

The sun is shining and its the best reason to escape the kitchen, turn your head away from the mess that quickly mounts up from running in and making a sandwich or a bowl of pasta, yes when the sun is shinning its time to head outside...Simple food cooked in a simple way and just enjoying the fun of running around outside and not having to worry about messing up the floor, the birds and squirrels will clean that up later.
The amazing colours of food that just lifts up your spirits, an array of reds and green.  Yes we are enjoying the best this season can offer us.
As we play the sound of tinkling water fills the air from our family pond ... OK , ok , our big bucket filled with water, sadly no frogs this year unless they are hiding in the depths of the bucket!!!
Ending the day with milk and cookies as we warm our hands over the dying embers of the barbie.  (Pistachio cookies... recipe by Bill Granger)
I thank you for the warming comments and emails about my child and his poorly leg, sadly its still not healing and with no swimming or boarding for a week or so, he is most unhappy.  The comments cheered him up.  Thank you.

What ever you are doing in the sunshine I wish you happiness.

just a note....

Just a note to say my child is still off school, his leg is not healing well enough.  So I am spending my time being Mom.  Lots of movies being watched, games being played and drawings being painted.  Be back with you soon.

Birthday break......

Its that time of year, strawberries and cream, champagne and tennis.  Which to me means its my birthday, half way through the year, June, the sun is shinning, the air is warm and its time to take stock.  Yes there is something about birthdays  that makes me want to think about things. The place  I am at, how I got here and what I want to do in the future, its often quite emotional as I go through this process, but its a positive experience a time to make changes and plans for the future.Yes its a 'Daisy' moment.  My love of the simple daisy and all that it inspires in me, simplicity and purity.  This little daisy was my birthday present from my youngest child, could you wish for a better gift?
So I took a few days off, the children and I headed to the beach.  It was all a little last minute (sorry I never dropped in to say goodbye) and as these things often turn out, It was a lovely birthday, sitting on the beach all day until the sun lost all its strength and I pulled a sweater over my shoulders whilst watching my children play in the water, listening to their laughter and the sound of the waves whilst sipping Hot Chocolate and eating birthday cake.  I had free time to think, to dream and to plan... 
Of course I took my knitting with me and I picked up a project I started a while ago and never got into, another pair of socks, well just one so far.  I turned the heel on the beach and settled in for the evening with a bottle of fizz and some nibbles and just let the yarn flow through my fingers whilst I relaxed to the sound of my babes snoring gently after a day in the surf.
The next day we headed inland, walking along the cliffs and sitting in fields of clover and watching the wildlife (thanks Spring Watch).
Sadly the birthday break ended in a trip to A & E with my eldest child cutting his leg rather badly, nine stitches later and a bandage from his ankle to his thigh, it was not how we planned to spend our last few hours away, it had been a lovely lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon.  A brave boy indeed and with a week off school I am pleased to have the company at home.

I hope your weekend was a good one and the hot weather is suiting you.  

Hearts all around....

Well I first want to say a HUGE thank you to one of our fellow blogging friends for sending me this adorable heart in the post, and this was before she knew I collected hearts (see previous post).  Anne, you are a very thoughtful and kind individual, I thank you for your words of support in your card also.  How lucky we all are to be part of this community of creativeand caring  people.Once again the weekend is upon us, the weeks are just blending into one at the moment, I am eagerly awaiting the start of the summer holidays when time becomes irrelevant and its just me, my guys and hopefully a beach. In the meantime though I am spring cleaning, to be honest though I am sure I will still be spring cleaning in winter, the brain is willing but the body is kinda lacking, especially when the sun is shinning. Housework has never been one of my better assets!!!
However on the crafting front I have been working on a little project, using the palest of pink yummy 4ply cotton yarn, I love the way this feels through my fingers as I knit each stitch.  I know the pattern now off by 'heart' so its starting to come together now.  So a little peek just to show and tell...so this will be keeping me busy this weekend.

I wish you a good weekend filled with love, peace and hopefully laughter.

Music I am listening to: CLICK HERE.  Dancing around my kitchen to this one on a daily basis.

Childs Play....

Oh yes, child's play, what is it about the beach that without a word gives you permission to be a child?  Being on the beach, or by the English Seaside is a magical place.  It does not matter if its beautiful stretches of empty breathtaking beach scapes or the seaside strip full of people, donkeys and the bells and whistles of the arcade, there is just something that invites you play, to take your shoes off and dip your toes in the cold water, to sit on the sand and feel the tiny grains of sand cling to your skin, to turn your face into the breeze and feel transported to a special place.  Yes for me the beach is a place of fun, it helps me focus, rebalanced myself and indeed feed my very soul.  So indulge me if you will in a few pictures from the weekend.  The sun was shinning, the outdoors was the place to be...Tagged, yes another tag that I never got round to doing.  I kinda like this one, its not deep and yet has made me think about 'the here and now'  feel free to join in...

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?

Green

WHATS IS YOUR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING IN YOUR WARDROBE?

Oh just one... that's tricky... An old battered sweatshirt from Fat face, I bought it when I started camping with my family, its served me well.  Its baggy, faded and has many memories ground into it (literally) a few BBQ marks, suncream and I swear I can smell a camp fire on it.  I love it its like giving myself a hug at that time of evening on the beach when the sun loses its strength but your not ready to go indoors yet.

WHATS YOUR DREAM JOB?

Being a full time Mommy, oh that's what I am doing, living the dream then!!!

WHATS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?

A jade Tee from a charity shop for 75p

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Radio 4, women's hour, the play is on soon....

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?

Rum and Raisin.

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE FRUIT?

Cherries

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Life does.. Corney I know but so many things inspire me, I believe with all my heart we live too fast, I watch people push so much into their lives in the pretence of success and happiness.  I want to shout...slow down and take time to smell the coffee, ITS GOOD I PROMISE!!!  Yes its the little things that inspire me, colour, texture, smell. Daisies, yes daisies a wild flower you could even argue its a weed, its perfect, small and sweet it holds its face to the sun and folds itself up in the dark... yes simple little daisies...they inspire me.

WHATS ON THE WALL OF YOUR BEDROOM?

Oh quite a lot, I like pictures and I do over utilise the wall space.  The focal point though is a print of a basic pencil drawing of a naked women, a real women with curves, it has a splash of colour that takes the print to a different level.  My children think its me, this makes me smile I think its good children get a good body image and embrace imperfections  as its what makes us unique.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER?

I am not into labels of any sort really, I like what I like I am not really swayed that's its a good designer.  OK I do like certain clothes shops (Boden, Fatface, Coast, Jigsaw) but as for designers...well my wedding dress was designed by Jeff Banks, it was beautiful, hand stitched bead work bodice and the most beautiful Satin Skirt, it was priced over three times what my engagement ring cost...MADNESS. I am inspire by Westwood, I adore her eccentricity but the clothes just don't suit me,  I am the wrong shape to carry them off. 

DO YOU ADMIRE ANY ONES STYLE?

Yes, I think there are some great women out there with cool style.  Sadly there are also a lot of pretentious people who's style I feel is a poor role model for our children especially girls. I love Kirstie from Relocation Relocation but we do have a similar shape and I like her kookiness.  Whilst I might have mixed feeling about Madonna, I love her boldness, her ever changing look, I just need to watch her perform and I want to get the exercise mat out, her energy is amazing.  

WHAT LANGUAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK?

I worked in Europe for a few years and I learnt a splattering of a few languages, Greek being the main one, I love listening to radio when I travel, the flow of a language is what I enjoy.  I attended Spanish Classes, sadly I was rubbish at it, I just do not have an aptitude for languages.  I would like to speak French, my NIA teacher (Nia is an exercise class, awesome bare foot dancing, click link)  She is french and as its a senses based form of exercise I think its great to listen to her voice. It is a very sensuous language.

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?

Its Character building.  I was brought up with this quote, I believe it. 
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?

Country Living

IF YOU HAD A £100 WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON?

A book, a few fat quarters of fabric some wool and maybe a pot of cream from LUSH...happy happy happy!!!  

WHATS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION?

Being in my kitchen, I am trying to watch the pennies at the moment so I am getting a kick out  of cooking on a budget, I am trying to get the children to broaden their taste range also.  I also love being in my kitchen, my music on, I have a sofa at one end with a view of the hills when the kitchen door is open, I sit here and talk on the phone, read, knit  or hand sew. Its also a great place to cuddle the children, yes being in the kitchen is my obsession at the moment.

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING TODAY?

Grey linen pinstriped, wide leg trousers and a white granddad shirt finished of with sparkly between the toe sandals.
WHATS FOR DINNER?

Left overs...Spaghetti Bol. and a salad with sticky toffee pud for dessert (waste not want not)

WHAT WOULD YOU EAT FOR YOUR LAST MEAL?

Tapas

IF YOU COULD HAVE A HOUSE PAID AND FURNISHED ANYPLACE IN THE WORLD WERE WOULD IT BE?

A Greek island, a tumbling down white house by the side of the sea (Think Captain Corelli's Mandolin or Mamma Mia)

IF YOU COULD GO ANYPLACE IN THE NEXT HOUR WERE IN THE WORLD WOULD IT BE.

The company would be more important than the place but, yes it has to be a beach in the warm sunshine, yes maybe a Greek Island again.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS?

Get out in the garden.

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

Again a hard one, I have two Fav. ones but as its just one it would have to be Bram Stokers Dracula, a  unique love story.

DO YOU COLLECT SOMETHING?

Yes too much stuff.  I do have a little thing for heart shaped objects, there all over my home. 

WHATS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RULE IN LIFE?

My children come first.

 

Still reading, wow your a star.  I thank you.  OK the sun is shinning, I have housework to do but I have to get out there and enjoy it... go on take time to smell the coffee, I dare you!

Jumping around...

Spring watch has a big impact on my little family of three.  It opens my children's eyes to all the wonderful riches around us.  The beauty of nature at this time of year just takes my breath away.  Please forgive my lack of posting and I thank you personally for the caring emails I have received.  Its been a busy couple of weeks, a school holiday, which of course involved some beach time and a fabulous camping trip with friends.  Nothing beats curling up under a quilt in the great outdoors around a real fire toasting a couple of marshmallows with good friends...

My creative vibe and even my photography are somewhat at a standstill.  I feel I am drowning in responsibility at present as I adjust and indeed sort out my life as a single parent.  Its not easy and indeed its not very pleasant.  The bonds that tie my boys and me together are stronger than ever, I get cuddles from them all the time, its as if the tighter we hold each other the safer we will be.  

My head is so full of ideas and the frustration of lack of time is something I think we can all identify with.  So whilst I find a balance in my life that I am comfortable with I ask you to forgive the lack of correspondence from the 'Suzie Sews Household'.  I am still here, I am still being a Mom, still cooking, sewing and knitting...just not as much as I would like as I get lost in paperwork, meetings, financial worries and solicitors!!!

Making things is what calms my soul, it is a part of who I am, I know it want be long till I slip back into the comforting flow that is my 'creative spirit'.

Tinkering...

OK I confess, I have an inability to concentrate at the moment, tick tick tick...I find I am just watching time passing me by a second at a time.  Some days I awake and I am in 'full on' action mode, the washing gets done, the house gets cleaned and I even manage some time sewing.  Then there are those other days I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and the day just sort of gets lost... I have noticed I am am having more of the latter than I find acceptable,  despite the present situation I find my little family in.  So I am trying to take action.  Whats a crafty girl going to do when the going gets tough??? Well get crafting of course... now inspired by some yarn and a knitting book I bought a while ago I finally got round to some chicken knitting.  I had planned to knit these a while ago and when I saw .....Periwinkle Park.....  (8th May 09) results I was inspired to pick up the pins.  Something that needed shaping, a little concentration even but, quick results...
So I sat there on Saturday night in front of the fire with a quilt over my knee and watching a tear jerker of a film with a good glass of wine for company I got clacking (or should that be clucking) away.
Ahhhhhhhh I am now on to the crochet bits, as I do not crochet very well this could be challenging...

I have been really good this year on my book buying and only actually bought a couple of books.  Recently though I have had a desire to hold some new inspirational books in my hands.  So I took a peek through blogland and noted down the books recommended and made some purchases.  As the books arrived the guilt of buying myself something kicked in.  It disturbed me a little, I looked back on last years 'May'  postings and I discovered I had bought a pile of books at just the same time.  SO I am guessing its a season thing with me, after the bleakness of winter passing and the promise of sunny days, the in between stage of rainy days and gloriously sunny days, it aspires me to get lost in the beautiful pages and the wonderful photographs of these books...
I am slowly working my way through them, devouring each book with passion, my head is spinning with ideas and my design pad is getting scribbled in daily.  My guilt in these purchases is still there, but I justify them against the price of a meal out or of a few drinks in a county pub on a Sunday afternoon, things I just do not do anymore, and I feel that taking that into account, these books are good value, and what is more they will last me for years to come.  I am especially enjoying the Homemade book, to be fair its nothing none of us will find new, but the photography is superb and I adore the feel of the matt pages, not shiny and glossy but a lovely smooth papery texture...just beautiful.  Should you buy a book for beauty alone...I should think so!!!
Its also that time of year when the food I feed my family changes.  The heavy warming stews cooked in the slow cooker and the thick creamy soups of winter are now not being made.  I sift through my cookery book shelf looking for brighter, lighter summery dishes.  So once again fresh inspiration is required... with books like these, Voluptuous delights, Family cooking and the wonderful Bill Granger's Feed me... well there will be some goodness  being put out on the dinner table this summer that's for sure.  My favourite cooks are the fabulous Jamie Oliver who's energy and zest for living really speaks to me.  The other favourite is Bill Granger, his books are always so beautifully photographed and the lifestyle he puts over is incredibly appealing to me (OK I give in I also find him very attractive)... 
The opening words from his cookery book...I really don't think we can underestimate the importance of good food in our lives.  Providing nutritious and delicious meals for loved ones-and taking time to eat together-is one of life's prime sources of satisfaction.  It is also fundamental to good health and happiness.  But, in today's world, where the pace of life seems to be ever increasing, and we are all juggling competing priorities, time for preparing and sharing meals can easily be compromised.  But it needn't be... and should not be.

Well I could not have said it better myself if I tried...The book is filled with family orientated food, with excellent (and available) ingredients, all laid out in easy to follow  chapters with stunning pictures.  Yes maybe its a lifestyle kinda thing but his books are the most inspiring for me and if you get a chance to watch his cookery programmes, pull on your shades, imagine the sand between your toes and the salty sea spray as you enjoy outdoor eating!

Music I am listening to... Nelly Furtado In Gods Hands

A beautiful person with a stunning voice, a song that rips through my heart about love lost, trust and sadness.