The Adventures of Lu and Miss Lu: 2011

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Counting my Blessings (a search for equilibrium)

It's been frantic here with just not enough time to sit and reflect on the good things, the positive things ,the progress and the general 'pretty good'ness of life here at the Urban Cottage. I have allowed a mild sense of unease to creep in, which has resulted in severely slapped wrists for me and an undertaking to search out, find and stick down with double-sided sticky tape and rubber solution glue a real sense of equilibrium which I hope to take me through the colours of Autumn to the crispness of winter and hopefully to the sprightly green shoots of spring next year.

Always High Hopes as my Julie Arkell 'Creature' says!

My personal method for refinding my balance, my crafting mojo and my general joie de vivre consists of... well... taking things easy (wherever possible to include early nights, afternoon naps, and plenty of snuggling with blankets, fires, yarn, old films and Miss Lu when she is available), eating really well of the healthiest foods to nourish the soul as well as the body, fresh air and gardening, achieving at least 1 important thing each day (hats off to Lucy at Attic 24 for the good example there!), counting my blessings and having those High Hopes!

So, with no further ado, here is the new face of Our Bedroom! Gorgeous, even if I do say so myself!


We Heart You, New Bedroom!


So, when we came home from Holidays it looked like this...

then, it started to look like a photographers studio!

and now it just looks like this! Home!!!

I AM happy with the Orla Kiely wallpaper (and the new Orla handbag!)


It just makes me happy

So, when the ''mean reds' raise their very ugly heads, I just need to toddle up to my new bedroom, curl up with my latest book and mug of tea and everything seems better!
Counting Ones Blessings is a fine pass time, oh Yes!

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Back to Business

Yes, it HAS been a long time, hasn't it? Since July, I have been much occupied with these

rather a lot of this

some of this

and plenty of these

We saw this

and this

and even this

And that was all very well and very fantastic, but since coming home at the end of August it has been more like

and, well.....

However, not to bore you with the mundane details of a frustrating time, suffice to say that I think we are out of it now and ready to motor on with some great new things.

And, of course, not all of it has been so bad....

the weather has been beautiful, the garden is in its early autumn blousyness, the bedroom has been beautifully redecorated and we now have amazing bottom-up blinds in the sitting room to prevent too many in-lookers from the street. Thing 1 and Thing 2 have settled well in their new classes and I have some magnificent yarn on the way and I am very much looking forward to getting stuck in to that!

I have many other 'can't wait's on the list, and lots of lovely (I hope!) images to post - the bedroom is looking particularly magnificent with it's new walls and paper. But I fear that must wait until next time as there are many more 'can't wait's to deal with again now!
I WILL be back again soon, so until then...
Toodle Pip!

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Looking Forward to the Holidays

School's (almost) Out For Summer

(with all due respect to Alice Cooper!)

After weeks and weeks of drudgery, not to mention the soggy, sloppy, gloopy and sopping weather, we are beginning to think about the holidays! Tomorrow is the last day of school, and we shall celebrate with a trip to see the new Harry Potter film and dinner at Pizza Express. After that the next days will be taken up with the usual holiday preparations - new footwear, haircuts, visits to the dentist, and chilling out with friends and family, before heading off to sunnier climes and a bit of a rest.

PHEW, we will all say as we feel the sun on our backs and the sand between our toes!

I am almost embarrassingly excited to be taking Thing 1 and Thing 2 to Seville for the first time. It will be hot, but we do have this...

We are really looking forward to showing the Things our favourite places in the city, although it is almost 5 years since we have been ourselves!

The city itself is quite amazing, very historic and full of little gems to entertain the tourist, but its the real life of the place that we most enjoy.

Our favourite tapas bar

Flamenco at the Carboneria

The Banos Arabes.We've never been here, but I would love to try it out on a hot day!

And then there is the new addition to the centre of the old city which I am soooooo excited to see and experience at first hand

The Metropol Parasol by Jurgen Mayer H. Architects was completed earlier this year. It is the largest wooden structure in the world and looks totally amazing. Many Sevillanas were not terribly happy with the initial proposal, so I am interested to know how they feel about it now! In any case, I think it looks totally amazing and am looking forward to sipping a freezing Manzanilla and nibbling some jamon y queso in its shade!

And after a couple of days of that, we're off to Vejer de la Frontera for a complete relax in traditional Spanish Style. We've never stayed in Vejer before, but I'm really looking forward to being right there in the town, in the middle of a real Spanish White Town (as opposed to last year when we stayed, to our shame, in a resort on the coast, which wasn't really very Spanish at all!)

And then there is one of the most brilliant beaches in the world.... the dunes and surf of El Palmar...simply magnificent

I can't wait!

What are you up to for the summer? Wellies in the West Country or Flip Flops in Florida?

Thursday, 7 July 2011

A Colourful Post

Lately I have been seized with the need to FINISH SOME THINGS FOR THE SHOP.
Although the shop won't go live until September - I see this as the autumn collection - I have been feeling the need to finish some of the lovelies I have made so far.
So this week I have been mostly blocking:


setting out is all important


the lace blocking kit - just the thing for lacy scarves in pretty Autumn shades

the soft Merino goodness of the shell scarves bring a whiff of summer past

Oh yes....I cleaned off some of the shelves in the kitchen too!
Domestic Goddess Moi? Mais Oui!

Having realised what commitment this blogging business takes, I have resolved to be a better blogger and make sure I post regularly - at least up until the holidays come! Then heaven only knows what will happen. This domestic goddess is just off to make a Lemon Drizzle Cake for the school Tuck Shop tomorrow!
See ya soon!

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

The Sunshine that makes the Heart Sing

There has just been the most tremendous thunderstorm. It's been brewing for 24 hours and has just broken. It got so dark I had to put the lights on, and then, suddenly its over again!
As this is England, and it is June, you can't depend on the weather.
The weekend weather was beautiful, so I played some more with the camera. The garden is filling up with flowers, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

The thunderstorm is on its way back again! Time to close the windows!

We are all looking forward to the sun coming out again tomorrow but in the meantime I will be embellishing some jolly nice crochet scarves and hats and some cutie hand warmers for the autumn season, and will put some pictures up to show what will soon be in the shop window for your delectation and delight - and hopefully for you to purchase as well.
I'd love to know what you think, so feel free to drop me a comment if you have a chance.
Byeee

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Chatsworth Road Market

It was a quiet at the Market on Sunday, so I had a chance to chat to some of the lovely stall-holders and try out the camera. Some lovely things on display and some lovely people to exchange ideas with.