I've been busy

I am a girl with good intentions, I planned to take part in the Indie pattern of June challenge, and well I didn't make June. I did get my lovely dress finished by the end of July but as you will see the summer months have taken over and I haven't had time to show you all.

What I have I been doing, well enjoying the summer here is a quick peek in photos

 

We have had a real summer of sun, lots of family get together, days out,gardening. And it's not finished yet I hope. As for the that bit of dressmaking, all I can say is that it's one of my best makes so far and I'm looking forward to sharing more about it. Any guess, it's the Colette truffle dress, post coming soon.

What I was going to say was....

What I was going to say two weeks ago was, no time for sewing the sun is out and we are a family of mini adventures this year! But of course time has gone by and another weekend of no sewing and now the sun has gone in ans I even managed a short hour of sewing time this week. BUT I did want to share my adventure.

So lucky me managed a long weekend over the hottest days of the year so far. We planned a great camping trip, just a one night but still great to get away from it all. We drove to Totnes in Devon to get to market day, which I know you wold love, it's a mixture of hand made, thrift home cook or reared. We got many supplies here!
We also stumbled upon a lovely community garden, it was so beautiful and climbing area made from a fallen tree, meadow like with paths cut. Although it was new it had wonderful tall trees for shade, it was real inspiration.

We then made the short journey past Kingsbridge to Old Cotmore Farm. This is a lovely little site with only a few camping spots. Ive been here over a decade ago when they used to have a extra camping field which was a little more wild, this was unavailable at this time. All the same great toilets, showers, freezer for ice blocks. To be honest it was rather pristine for use it felt like we were camping in someones back garden!

Being so close to the coast we made an evening visit to Beesands, where there isn't any sand! I love this long long coast line that can be ever so bleak and it was here that I decided that I would move to Devon. On this visit the sun was shiny and the old fish shop has gone more up market, selling great fish and chips.

So onwards we went to a stunning cove called Lannercombe bay. With only parking for half a dozen cars and miles down a tine dirt track you don't get too much in the way of over crowding. All I can say is it wonderful!

The mini adventure didn't stop there. Although we returned home on the Sunday we went to the Respect festival in Exeter. An amazing multi cultural festival of music, food, and good times. As a part of this the Yoga community came together to practise 108 sun salutations. I took part managing only half which even then took over an hour! It was a lovely experience.

And yes Arthur who has now reached 4, also had a great time!

 I hope you all have been enjoying life along with the joys of crafts and dressmaking. I'm slowly plodding on with my maxi dress hopefully have something to show you soon.

This is my favourite book of the moment!

Honestly Healthy: Eat with Your Body in Mind, the Alkaline Way by Natasha Corrett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book ROCKS!!!! I totally love it. It is clean and fresh for the eyes and the palette. All the information is simple and thought around real people that can slowing make positive changes to their diet without the crash and burn 'I can't keep this up' kind of mentality. The recipes to have a few weird and wholefood shop only ingredients but I think that is good as we should be supporting these shops, any way that's a different subject all together. Recipes, they are colorful and inspiring. Just buy it, make stuff from it, feel good. ;)

View all my reviews

ROCK SOLID

No have not had any trouble with my baking efforts recently. Rock solid is the assault course running event I took part in yesterday. Whilst I have been away from my blogging life I have been working to become the fitter sleeker self I dream of. Truth is my waist line has not got any smaller and I am always hungry, more positively I am a fitter happier person.

The reason for this is ROCK SOLID, in our crazy "yes we can do anything" moments my friend Zoe and I signed up for the assault course commando style 5k. The 5k wasn't the problem the tasks where. 

Here is the the sunnier version from last year where as when we started to run you could see your breath.what it doesn't show you is the mud mud mud, and running through rivers, swimming through lakes, going through ice baths, carrying logs up hills climbing over hay bails and vertical walls.

What I can say is that although I am battered bruised and aching, Zoe and I made it and we finished smiling and the best time!!!

It was such a fun day, everyone was so friendly and helpful. And yes I think I will do it again, maybe the 10k??

GIVE AWAY ! As a thankyou.

WOW! 

I am really surprised I have just reached 100 followers. I am totally amazed and thankful for all of you that take time out to read and comment on my little blog. I love to write and show off my makes and life activities, hopes and fears. You are all so supporting and inspiring, I thought you deserve a little present.

Up for grabs for one lucky reader will be the Sew and Save book, a skirt pattern, and 6 lovely buttons. All I ask is that you are a follower of my blog. I will announce the winner next Sunday 12th Aug 2012.

I would also like to use this opportunity to thank everyone for your kind, caring and supporting messages recently, you're comments really ment to much at a difficult time. As a little update life is looking like it's on the up. MrPB has bagged some work for a couple of months, which really takes the pressure off. And I also feel like I'm moving on. I have also found a job (just waiting to confirm) but I think I will have a occupational therapist assistant post. Also I have enrolled on a distance learning access course! Moving on up, with an eye on the future! x x x

Running

Running Made Easy by Susie Whalley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a brilliant book. A magazine style enables you to flick backwards and forward finding the information you need at the time. It certainly inspired me and helped to complete my first runs all 60 seconds of them! I followed the first 10 week plan and feel unstoppable.

View all my reviews Something I haven't blogged about yet is my new found love. I have for some time wanted to get my heart pumping, be a fitter healthier me. I had this book on my shelf for three years before really thinking I could do it. I have finished the first plan of couch to 5k and now run three times a week with every week getting better!Although this is a scary thing to do I will share my hopes that I would really like to be able to run 10k events next spring, so watch this space!

Yummym scrummy sunny things.

Last week we had a brief moment of summer where the sun came out and we started with really seasonal food. It was wonderful! Can you tell I'm mourning this moment on another wet and gloomy Monday morning. So I thought I would share with you my joy of last week.

The wonders of strawberry picking! We have this pudding once a year it is amazing!

Elderflower cordial. This is super easy. Pick about 30 heads of elder flower put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to cool then strain, add sugar 900g to every liter of liquid. Heat up strain again put in container. I keep one in the frige and the others in the freezer to stay fresh until needed.

Strawberry jam, is just great with butter and bread Mmmm. have equal weight of fruit to sugar. Put sugar over te strawberries and leave over night until tey have soaked in. Then boil up and put in jars.

A new favourite for us from the Hugh Boo Veg. Pea and parsley soup. Frozen peas aloud, yay. Heat onion with thyme. Then add 500g of peas with handfuls of parsley. Add stock, heat and whizz.

 

Finally and summer veg and goats cheese fritta, I could eat this every single day. Any mix of summer veg and a few potatoes. we love broccoli and asparagus and peas. The goats cheese to. cover in egg and pop in a hot over until firm.

Can you tell our lives seem to be arranged around what we are eating?