Time for one last cup of tea

As we get together for the last cup of tea in Abi's idea to get together over a cuppa once a month, I thought I'd get the best china out and have a 'proper' cup of tea. 

 

It's been such fun to go round the world via cups, mugs and wine glasses, catching up on news, sharing ideas and admiring crafty work.  But as the saying goes 'all good things must come to an end' and I think we can all agree that Abi has more than enough on her plate in her final year of university! 

 

Today we seem to be experiencing the madness that has come over here from the US that goes under the name of 'Black Friday'.  While I was at work this morning, I received over 20 emails on my phone all from companies inviting me to take advantage of savings if I buy before midnight tonight.  I can't think of anything I desperately need so I am quietly deleting them so that I am not tempted to buy something that I don't need just because it's got a good discount! 

 

I am still of the feeling that Christmas shouldn't start before December 1st; what do you think?  Our tree doesn't go up until the weekend after my husband's birthday - 12 December.  I can't imagine having it in the lounge for over a month, 2 weeks is about right for me! 

 

As I pour another cup (one cup is never enough when you normally have tea in a mug!)we would sit with our feet curled beneath us, a quilt over our lap and an optimistic dog close by hoping for a crumb or two from a biscuit.  I would ask if you could help me in a search.  I am making a quilt for my daughter, one that can cover the seat on a sofa once she moves into a new home.  One that Coco can curl up on without ruining the furniture.  I've found two pieces of fabric, one black with white paw prints on it and one white with black bones on it - yes, there is a dog theme!  She only wants it in black, white and grey and I am now struggling to find a couple of other fabrics that have a dog related design on it.  Do any of you sewing ladies have ideas of where I might find some?  Mr Google is not helping much at the moment!

 

You see, this is what is lovely about sharing a cup of tea; likeminded people sharing news, views and ideas.  Abi's idea has been brilliant and I've loved getting to know more about everyone.  I'm a firm believer that as one chapter closes, another begins and I am sure that 2015 will bring other memes that we can all join in with.  Ideas anyone?!

 

 

Me on Monday

Much of this weekend was spent with me brushing up my domestic goddess skills. I seemed to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. A special request for another cherry ring cake was made, honestly you'd have thought they'd have had enough of them by now but apparently not. I also practised a recipe we learnt at this month's cookery club, chicken satay as a little starter before dinner. So simple, so delicious. Fancy having a go? Poach a chicken breast in stock for about 10-15 mins. Let it cool then cut into small cubes to add to a cocktails stick. Mix equal quantities of crunchy peanut butter with sweet chilli dipping sauce. Add a sprinkle of coriander and then thin it down with boiled water. I did 2tbs PB/ chilli sauce and about 3tbs water. Pour over chicken and leave to marinate.
 

More domestic duties this Monday, always made better by multi tasking and catching up on programmes you've recorded while standing behind a hot ironing board.

That's the view from my ironing board, dog resting (it's hard work protecting the house all day) and Lewis on the TV.

The skies opened this weekend, it was a welly wearing, raincoat wearing, starting the Christmas present buying, bathing a muddy dog 3 times in 2 days, turning up the central heating, watching a huge puddle develop on the patio, staying indoors as much as possible kind of weekend. Wintery weather has officially arrived!

 

So that's me on this chilly Monday, giving up a big wave to Sian and hoping she soon feels better.

Me on Monday

These Monday's are coming around quickly aren't they? 

Here is a snap of what I was doing first thing this morning

Remember the Dress a Girl around the World project I mentioned a while back? Well I made the body of the dress ages ago and it was just waiting for the pocket to be added and as we all know, it's the finishing off bits that get left behind until someone finds your UFO (unfinished object) and says "are you ever going to send that off?" So here I am, when my finished dress, ready to put it in a bag to hand over to the teacher in charge of the project - finally!

 

So, it was a busy old weekend here. Pockets were made, and sewn on, threads were snipped, rugby was watched, as was football, Indian take aways were eaten with friends, a few Christmas presents were bought, a new living room floor lamp was ordered, a moving around of furniture in the lounge was discussed, and hours of Internet searching took place to find a new chair to put in the space that the reshuffle would make, and finally much relief was felt when the voting on Strictly Come Dancing was announced. 

 

Giving up a big wave to Sian whose idea it was to share our photos on Mondays.

Catching two birds with one stone

Catching up with Abi's idea of One photo and Twenty words:

My son's quirky t-shirts make the hated job of ironing more bearable  The Queen wearing a moustache? Must be Movember!

Which also ticks the box for Me on Monday. Half day working, then catching up on chores.  Oh but I dislike ironing.  You spend hours doing it, then a few days later there's another batch waiting.  

Nothing very exciting on the agenda here this weekend. It was a Tesco shopping, big Sunday lunch cooking, book reading, buying a top in the Joules 25% off sale, turning the central hearing up a notch on Saturday, then switching it back down again on Sunday,dog walking over the park followed by dog bathing as soon as she was home and everyone running for cover before she shakes the water off kind of weekend. 

The younger members of the families are nursing sore throats and earaches, so I am keeping my distance before they share the germs around. Hope everyone is well in your household. Now let's all pop over and give a big wave to Sian while we find out why she spent the weekend in protective clothing!

Hey ho, hey ho

It's off to work we go ... So with that image of 7 dwarfs on their way to work in the mines, little old me went back to work after half term.  It seemed like I had been away a long time and spent all morning just dealing with emails.  Back in the old routine! 

 

How's your Monday?  I'm trying to stop myself from doing this ...

... too often.  We only had one batch of trick or treaters round on Friday and we had a surplus of sweets.  I don't seem to be able to resist taking something out of the bowl every time I walk past it!

 

The weekend was literally a 'game of two halves' here.  Saturday was glorious and Sunday was cold, wet and miserable.  Once again we extended the weekend by starting it on Friday with a lovely day in sunny Cambridge, receiving another friendship quilt block, amusing the postman by receiving a package for my son labelled 'To the Master of Everything and Fool to no one' and then it was a weekend of trying out a new Italian restaurant in town, drinks at friends to christen their new conservatory, trying to decide on paint colours for redecorating the dining room, eating left over halloween sweets, cooking a full on roast beef Sunday lunch with all the trimmings, snoozing in the armchair after dinner while the men of the family watched the football (Spurs won, so happy faces in our household), being relieved that the right person got voted off Strictly Come Dancing, reading books and mentally preparing myself for returning to work after 10 days off.

 

So that's Me on Monday.  An idea from Sian.  Pop over to see her and try and work out why someone who's the same height as me is going shopping for extra long jeans!