The Magnolia
After waiting so long to see her bloom, she did not disappoint. And a week of beautiful weather helped her to keep her dress on
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Spring blooms
You may remember that last spring was a bit of disaster for blooms. My heart broke when my much-anticipated magnolia was frosted.
Thankfully this year we did not get summer in March and had a traditionally cruel April with lots of hints at spring warmth, but very little actual sun.
May has dawned and we are into full summer - bang – just like that. The forsythia is shinning and you can smell it all over the yard.
Inside I have a lovely bunch of Daffies to brighten the fireplace wall.
And look! Buds on the magnolia! Stay tuned!!!
A new look for Spring
I thought it was about time to have a little spruce up. There are hundreds of themes you can choose for a blog and while I liked the one I had it was a bit starkly white.
I like this one for the slightly retro, country feel. The pictures seem to stand out better and it looks more …finished.
Comments are welcome!
Teacup Tuesday
Isn’t that a lovely thought? A cup of tea and a stack of magazines… what could better on a sunny Winter afternoon?
This little beauty is a thrift shop find. Only cost me a couple of dollars. I was drawn to the sweet picture of people skating on the mill-pond.
I don’t think it is particularly old. It may be a reproduction of a popular older pattern. Wm Adams & Sons did a lot of transferware. I am in love with transferware. Such a nice clean interior. The edge is a very odd green-grey. Not a colour you see a lot.
Let’s look at the couple skating up close.
Perfect for an afternoon cuppa’
The cat post
It had to happen sooner or later.
If you own a cat, and you write a blog, sooner or later you will write about the wonders of your beloved and spoiled kitty.
Crookshanks speaks english. At least she comprehends what we are saying and responds appropriately. She is also polite. As you let her out she offers a brief “mew” in thanks and the same when you let her in. She doesn’t mew very often otherwise, just “Hi and thanks for opening the door, it’s bloody cold out there” all in one short “mew”.
I also know cats speak sign language. If you open the door and it is very cold or there is snow they will shake their front paw just once. Work with me here, she is a genius of a cat.
She also likes to go for walks. If we head out in the back yard for a stroll around the property she will tag along like a dog. Galloping ahead, and following when you go somewhere new. Today I headed out to grab some shots while there was brief sun, and sure enough she came along.
She scratches each tree like a dog might lift a leg.
When I am lining up a shot to get some snow on a rock….
then out of nowhere….PHOTOBOMB
I am belly down in the snow to get a level shot of the stream and …
There she is again. She was in a posing mood today.
So we did an arty shot to please her. She wants to call it “Cat Among Trees”
I did get a couple of nice shots with out her.
But really today was all about the princess.
High Tea
It was Miss Murfin’s birthday last week and she and I decided to visit a tea room and indulge in a special high tea. She had never tried clotted cream before…Imagine!
We went to a place called The Silver Spoon in Kitchener Ontario. It was wonderful and we happily recommend it if you are in the area.
Since it was a mini snow storm that day we had the place to ourselves. The staff was warm and friendly, we felt very comfortable and just relaxed and enjoyed the whole experience. (for 2 hours!)
The table was laid with lovely china and the full high tea is three courses. With each course we had a new and delicious tea and more tasty nibbles.
They display their china all around the room. I love that there are all these different cups and saucers and tea pots.
Each course came on a two tiered server. This first course was earl grey tea with scones and small muffins and fruit.
The second course was tiny crustless sandwiches and quiches with a blooming green tea in a clear pot. My picture of that did not turn out so we skip ahead to the final course of Chai tea and sweets.
Whew! we were stuffed! You think you are just eating tiny little bites so you won’t get full, but it all adds up to a substantial amount of food. Since it was all YUMMY we had to take the chocolates home. Such a nice way to celebrate my special girl’s birthday.
It’s Here! It’s Here!
I am trying to think spring. I bought some hyacinths at the Kitchener market last week. they were lovely for a few days but as the table is right next to the wood stove, they bloomed fast and are done in a little over a week. But for a few days it smelled like spring!
Just after Christmas the lovely Lisa at Bobo Bun blog (you can click on her name to take you to her blog) started a 4 Happy Things swap. Bloggers sent her their info and she matched us up together with another blogger and we went off to think of 4 happy things to swap.
I was matched with Cass at Upcycling, Vintage and Other life… ( < that is anotther link to another great blog!) She and I exchanged a few email and happily discovered that we had lots in common even across the pond. Though I admit that I am a bit jealous that since she lives in the very south of England she is already working in her allotment garden, where as I have this outside.
It will be quite a while before I am tilling a row in the garden.
I had lots of fun gathering up things that made me happy and that I hoped would tickle Cass. I wish I had thought ahead and taken a picture of the parcel as I sent it because it was quite colourful!
Last Friday Mr Murfin arrived home from work, stopping at the mail box as he drove in and had a parcel for me!!!
It was very exciting and all dinner preparations ceased for the grand opening.
OOOO red polka dots! and a pretty card with a pattern inside.
Lovely jewelry that Cass made herself. I am all thumbs for stuff like that. I put it on immediately and LOVE it. So delicate and sweet and it will go with lots of things I wear. Those are little confetti that she added too.
A froggy named Florence who just needs a bit of beans and a couple of eyes sewn on. Cass even included the buttons for the eyes! I remember making these froggies myself when I was younger. They are a great fun sewing project. I must dig mine out and introduce Florence I hope they understand her accent! I love the vintage print she used. Plus a curly wurly bar, it is a chocolate covered carmel candy bar. (and it was tasty!)
This is a gingham pillow sham with embroidered cross stitch hearts. I already have a pillow in it and it is in my chair in the living room. the scrap is some heavier material and I immediately saw it as a little pouch bag. Something to work on!
Two lovely vintage linen pieces. So pretty! I am spoiled!
Here it all it together, except the jewelry as I already had it on… I forgot to mention the knitted hedgehog pattern. Since both Cass and I love the little hedgies. So much stuff and it was all happy-making!
This was fun to do. I have made a new friend and found a new blog to follow. A big thanks to Lisa for putting it all together and hugs to Cass for the lovely swap. I hope Canada post hurries up and gets your parcel over that ocean.
Too Cute
I took advantage of the quiet afternoon snowed in and cozy by the fire and made a hedgie from my new book Super-Cute Felt by Laura Howard. I have to say that the instructions were very clear and easy to follow and I picked up some good tips for working with felt.
He worked up very quickly. In the end I made him just like in the book. I will be making more in future for other ideas still want to try hin on a tea cozy, and he would be cute on a piece of clothing, or a tote bag…. I was getting pretty excited when I had to put him aside to make dinner. But I got back to him after dinner and making some pineapple squares.
Ta Da! He is so adorable. I also looked up Laura on Chapters and Amazon and found her blog at Bugandfishes.blogspot.ca there are lots of great ideas and tutorials there as well.
I also sent her a message on her face book page and she was nice enough to message me back. Hi Laura! I love that it is such a small world.
I found more felt this morning at the dollar store…some new colours. I am off to stitch a broach!
Happy Blog-iversary to me!
Last night WordPress sent me a message telling me my blog is one year old!
Was it a coincidence that yesterday I bought a new craft book called Super Cute Felt by Laura Howard ? I think not!
And a project that caught my eye was this one?
It is made into a phone case, but I was thinking last night about what else I might be able to put him on…a tea cozy perhaps? It will be my present to me. 
Lots of great projects in this book. I have been really enjoying working with little felt projects lately. Before Christmas Miss Murfin and I made some fun ornaments.
(I must figure out how to save all of my pictures to that size. Somewhere I am missing a step. WordPress changed the picture uploader, change is hard…)
They are nice to do on a bright snowy day like today. All the white outside makes it brighter in here. I can only see to the edge of the back yard, the farmer’s field are just a white blur. The snow is sticking to the windows. Somewhere out there is the wee barn. I must get out there to fill the bird feeders. It is quiet right now but there may be more snow later. The cardinals really stand out against the snow but they fly off before I can get a good picture. Good day for some stitching.
Just when you think it is all about crochet
So after months of nothing but crochet I am knitting again. I had started a knitted cardigan with this lovely blue merino over a year ago. When we started the move to Hedgehog Hill I knew it was too complicated a pattern to deal with and I put it in a box and forgot about it. Until last week when I found it again and remembered how lovely it is. I decided I did not like the pattern I had started, it was too complicated, so I have started a whole new one.
I have had this book “Greetings from Knit Cafe” by Suzan Mischer for a while. It has a nice variety of patterns, something for everyone, and lovely pictures. I remember when I bought it being very interested in this pattern.
I loved the soft casual look to it and I knew this would be a sweater I would wear all the time. I think I will leave off the hood, don’t think I have enough wool anyway, and I may add some embroidered embellishments along the front edge. Or maybe a crocheted edging? It is rolling a lot so I will have to see what it looks like finished and blocked. I am thinking a run of lovely white daisies with yellow centres along the front might look nice…
As I write this there are big, big fluffy flakes floating through the air. This winter has been the year of the fluffy flake. I have to admit that when I am warm and cozy and have something soft on the needles I don’t mind the snow. No where to go, dinner planned, laundry done, maybe just a few more rows…
happy thoughts on my mind are - what else to add to my 4 happy things swap. The lovely Bobo Bun started this swap at the first of the year and I have been paired with Cass at Upcycling, Vintage and Other Life… Cass and I have been getting to know each other through our blogs and emails. She is in the south of England and we have found many things in common. I am really enjoying putting my package of 4 happy things (it is hard to stay with 4….it may be a few more sneaked it…)for her and I can’t wait to see what comes my way. Who doesn’t love getting a package in the mail! Yeah to Lisa at Bobo Bun for starting this swap and here’s to new friends!
