Introducing Spencer the Puppy

I just couldn't wait any longer to share this with you!

Introducing Spencer....

Our new 10 week old pupster....

We just brought him home today..........

And he's already settling in well.......

His Mum Evie is a Golden Retriever.....

His Dad Freddie is a Flat Coated Retriever......

What a combination!

So adorable.....

Sooooo sweet.......

Such fun.....

So very very soft and cuddly.....

 

Soooo huggable.....

The excitement of the day has worn him (and us) out and he's now asleep at our feet.....

How cute is that?

Just had to share this with you!

Maggie xx

Cats, Fabrics, Crochet and a Ham - What more could a girl want?

This morning's bright and sunny skies have lifted me up and it's so lovely it's the weekend!

Earlier today, I noticed my neighbour's kitten (she's about 8 months old) sitting on our wall, enjoying the sunshine, watching the birds flitting to and fro. She's only been allowed outside quite recently and she looked so excited by everything that was going on around her...

Until she spotted me, that is, then she looked rather startled and backed off very slowly... like cats do....

Meanwhile Max was inside on a very comfy cushion, making the most of the sunshine that streams through the window in the morning.....

I expect he'll be there for most of the day but then he has been so busy all week ;)  ..........

I've been feeling a bit under the weather but, despite this, I've had a wonderful week spending lots of time with family and friends.

Chris and I spent a lovely day down on my parent's farm catching up on all the news, walking their black lab Shelly in the fields and feasting on delicious roast lamb followed by scrummy lemon meringue pie :)

And to top it all, my Mum and I rummaged through her fabric stash and I ended up with some lovely pieces to take home....aren't they pretty?....

I've seen both my gorgeous sisters this week - lots of chatting, lunching and cinema .....

and of course browsing and shopping...... 

I found another beautiful vintage embroidered tissue box cover....

And this pink vintage Pyrex mixing bowl - I think they call it a Cinderella bowl....I like it when things are useful and pretty!

And to further my obsesssion and ever growing collection of storage solutions, I bought these fabulous boxes.....one for me and one for Chris...... I'm sure you can guess which one is Chris' ... he was thrilled.....said the Airfix pictures took him back to his childhood ....

Earlier in the week, I popped round to one of my neighbour's one evening where three of us enjoyed an evening of crochet, sewing and chatting about everything and anything :)

Good cosy times.

And now I am halfway through my wool-eater's 12th row in golden yellow....

If I had been feeling a bit groggy, receiving this gorgeous print in the post, made me feel better instantly....so sweet...

 I had been lucky enough to win it in Julie Bull's Valentine giveaway....

Julie's work includes beautiful hand embroidered illustrations. Do check out her website here and her blog Hand Stitched Stories here.

I must have been feeling a better towards the end of the week as I cooked a ham!!

This is a real achievement for me!

With advice from my son Will and a recipe from the Hairy Bikers, my honey glazed ham actually looked similar to the one in the book!! ......

And as a bonus, it tasted very nice too ;)

Well, that's all for now.

As always, it's been lovely chatting to you.. have a wonderful weekend... I hope the sun is shining where you are.

Don't miss the next post as I have a feeling I may have some very exciting news to share with you!

Maggie xx

Sunday Catch Up

Just a little Sunday catch up.

It's been a bit milder here for the last few days but just over a week ago we had some snow. It lasted just long enough for a few families to get some sledging in on the hill opposite :) 

My hands often get cold even indoors whilst I am working so I bought these beautiful wristwarmers from bebbyjumpers to keep them warm.

You can probably see my wool-eater blanket tucked under there. I have now finished the 11th round....it's getting quite large now at 44" by 26" and it's very cosy :)

I've so enjoyed making this nautical themed patchwork baby quilt for my sister Ros. I love the thought that a new little baby will be snuggled under it or having fun playing on it :)

 

And look at these lovely vintage Laura Ashley curtains I found last weekend.....so sweet......I love the bears in the wheelbarrow best :)

I was so thrilled when I found this fabulous vintage French casino card shoe.....I have this in mind for a certain person's birthday present ;)

I've really enjoyed this little catch up -  hope you have too!

See you soon.

Maggie xx

Valentine's Day Canal Walk

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day on Tuesday.

Chris has had a few days off work this week so when we woke up on Tuesday and the sun was shining, he suggested we go for a walk to see what had been happening down at the canal where there has been lots of restoration going on.

We started by walking down the lane where we said hello to the sweet little pony that lives in the corner field. I always worry about this pony as it always looks a little lonely in the field on its own and doesn't have a pal.

In the field behind, we spotted two deer...

We then took the path down to the canal and enjoyed walking along the old tow path where there are signs that clearance work has been taking place but there is still much work to be done.

Look at this lovely old lock...

These ducks were enjoying the tranquility..

In the other direction, you can see how much nature has taken over....

Further along, the water was still frozen....

There was another lovely old bridge....

And this little moorhen having to peck through the ice to find food.....

The next lock was very overgrown.....

Closer to the town, this area is being carefully cleared as the old canal has been covered by landfill....

We then reached the restored lock that Princess Anne opened last week..

We decided to have lunch nearby at the Lockkeeper's Cafe.

After a delicious panini and a cup of tea, we went to the Visitor Centre where we spent an hour chatting to Jill who gave us loads of fantastic information about the canal history and restoration. We also joined the Cotswold Canals Trust and I had visions of us volunteering, wearing wellies and waterproofs, spades in hand, helping to clear the vegetation we had seen earlier :)

We then climbed the hill back home, passing these cows and calves on the way...

Home for a cup of tea, to browse the booklets we had been given and reflect on our lovely Valentine's Day walk :)

Maggie xx