Friday 16 September 2016

Five on Friday

Hello lovely friends and readers !
Today I am linking up with the very lovely Amy of Love Made My Home for Five on Friday . I haven't done a Five on Friday for a reeeeeaaallllly long time, but I'm hoping to write more regularly on my blog - got my blogging mojo back - hurray! So I'll be joining in every Friday :) Thankyou as always Amy for hosting 💚

This week has been a scorcher, really hot and humid which of course is great if you are chilling by the pool with a gin and tonic but not nearly as much fun if you have to do school runs, supervise homework, carry endless baskets of laundry up and down stairs, and do the weekly grocery shopping. Which in my life is more like 3 or 4 times a week. But the weather broke yesterday with the most amazing storm. I got caught in the monsoon-like downpour whilst running between the shops and my car, there was a the most deafening boom of thunder at exactly the same time as a big flash of lightning, I thought for a moment I would get struck. Seriously. My daughter, who was waiting in the car, said she reckoned it was just in the field next to us. It continued most of the night but as it was still very hot, I had a fan on in the bedroom which must have dulled the noise of the storm, as I slept right through it. Luckily the children did too, and it appears that the puppy is not afraid of thunder or lightning. She's afraid of everything else though. Including anyone taller than a 10 year old (except hubby and I thankfully), all forms of vehicle, actually going in the car, plant pots (yes I know) and cats. We met a cat for the first time this week. Poor Pixie didn't know why on earth it was. The cat was in full-on stalker mode, fur all puffed up, tail straight up in the air, fixing its steely eyed stare on us. We walked away, well I walked, Pixie pulled frantically on her lead, but the flipping cat kept stalking us, about 10 paces behind. We lost it eventually, but seeing as it actually was bigger than Pixie I suppose to us it would feel like being stalked by a bear or something.

Anyway on with Five on Friday. Some random photos of my week.

💜 I started a new bullet journal.
If you haven't heard of Bullet Journalling , go check it out on Pinterest or Instagram. Lots of lovely pics of clever designs, writing styles and fancy doodles. Mine is very plain by comparison, it's basically a glorified to-do list, but a great excuse to break out the stickers and colouring pens. And yes that is the base of a glass of wine you can see.



💙 Pixie hiding under her blanket.
She loves to sleep with her face tucked into something, quite often it's my armpit as she is a really cuddly dog and will lie in your arms endlessly. Very therapeutic but not so helpful for getting anything, including crochet, done.



💚 I found this in Little Miss' bedroom.
I was tidying up the hazardous waste zone that she calls a bedroom the other day. How can a girl who is so girly, so fussy about her appearance, and about the clothes she's wearing, bear to have such a pigsty of a room? But I better not get started on that. It's a whole new blog post of despair. When I ventured in last week I found this message on her chalkboard. Love it, she is spot on. (The wool in the background is mine, it was a nicer backdrop than scrunched up paper, crisp packets, dirty clothes and filthy PE kit which would have been the backdrop in her room. Humph. Maybe she's making the most of life by not wasting time tidying her room ?)



💛 I'm working on a new commission - a mermaid tail blanket for a friend's daughter. 
I'm really, really enjoying this pattern, it's a very simple shell stitch, perfect for working on in the car, at the orthodontist's, in the garden or in front of the telly. So far it's just a big rectangle, but I'll be tapering soon as I reach the bottom, before joining the back up a bit and adding the fin thingy. I'm using this pattern from YARNutopia.

Whilst the pattern itself is easy, the project has not been that straightforward. I decided doing it in chunky yarn would be best so it would work up quickly. I probably had 20 or so rows done and at about row 5 I had lost half a shell. Blocking may have sorted that out but the perfectionist in me couldn't sell it with that obvious a mistake, plus I really wasn't liking the drape. Or lack thereof. I was using a 6mm hook but it was still very stiff, maybe a 7mm hook would have been better as I'm a tight crocheter. Anyway I made the decision to start again in DK weight yarn. That was such a good decision, the drape is gorgeous now - it is working up quite slowly, but I'm much happier with it. For the DK I was able to use yarn from my stash, which is good as I had gone and bought the chunky specially. I now have 6 100g balls of purple/pink chunky, if you have any ideas for what to make with them, I'm all ears!



❤️ Little Tomboy was 9 on Monday. 9!! I can't believe that. Where does the time go ? She got a BMX bike and a skateboard for her birthday. We live on the edge of a massive field (fab for dog walking) and at the opposite corner is a bmx track (great for tomboys). She had a go on the track on her new bike, and did quite well. She did fall off at one point and hurt her knee but she's a tough cookie that one, gets up with a "nothing to see here" look about her, straight back on the bike. I love how all my children are so different. She is such a tomboy but so cuddly and loving. Won't give you a kiss but will shout LOVE YOU as she runs past the kitchen, and does permit me to kiss the top of her head before school. Never stops talking, and is always either joyously happy - "it's the BEST day EVER Mummy!" or excessively angry, "This is the WORST. DAY. EVER.", there are no undercurrents with this one, what you see is what you get. I especially love that she knows her own mind and chooses what she wants to do and wear and does not follow the crowd. So proud of her.


Til next time peeps,
Jillxxxxx

24 comments:

  1. Welcome back to Five On Friday. I hope your blogging mojo is well and truly back. A friend of mine was talking about planners and bullet journalling yesterday, think I will have to go and investigate. xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daughter has a new mermaid tail blanket she bought from someone on Etsy. It's really fun and quite clever. I love the colors in yours.
    What a sweet pup you have there! Cuddly ones are the best.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad you're back in town. We could all do with one of those tails today!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Welcome back, your five are lovely. Your little puppy Pixie is so gorgeous:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a wonderful five, looking forward to seeing the fishtail finished.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love Little Miss's sentiment and may well apply it when the housework needs doing! A lovely, cheery five, welcome back.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Belated Birthday to little Tomboy ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy birthday to Little Tomboy. I love the look of those mermaid blankets - so cute! Love the picture of Pixie underneath the blanket.

    Have a lovely weekend

    ReplyDelete
  9. I found the perfect solution for dealing with my son's messy room when he was growing up. I made him keep the door closed so I wouldn't see it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds like that thunder storm was super frightening. Love your daughters message. So true. Have a great weekend. B x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Birthday to your little tomboy! Our nine year old also got a BMX bike for his birthday. He loves it. My daughters room is all of a sudden tidy and clean, just like that. There is hope yet :-)

    We have a dog bed that Pixie would love: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B011SPIAPC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    ReplyDelete
  12. make the most of life indeed. I love that. Jo x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy Birthday to your tomboy! Half an hour after my son took his BMX bike out (years ago) he was in emergency at the hospital with broken front teeth and a concussion. It's good that your daughter is learning her bike tricks on dirt :)
    Great shot of teeny tiny Pixie!
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Sweetie! Love your 5. ;) That Pixie is so darn cute - but if I were that little I'm sure I'd be afraid of everything too. Lol

    I hear you with the crazy busy of life. I have a fun "scrapbook" kind of planner book - same idea. It helps me write down important dates, to do lists etc - but put stickers and color it too for fun.

    Hope you have a wonderfully blessed weekend. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your bullet journal is just the sort of thing I would like to do...but haven't yet. I hope you enjoy creating it and that it helps you keep track of your busy life. Just the other day I saw a mermaid blanket, on Pintrest, I think, and I hope you will show us when you finish yours in the pretty colors you have chosen. While my sons were very tidy, my daughters kept things in a jumble, but somehow we all survived. I'm cheering you and yours on as you endure the storms around you and make the most of life, Jill. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely post! I laughed at the description of your daughter's room because my daughter's was just like that too. Now she's grown and with a home and child of her own and her house is absolutely spotless. Never fear she will grow up! I would love to make a mermaid tail blanket as a Christmas gift. Thanks for the pattern idea.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  17. I despaired about my daughter's bedroom for many years. She was oblivious to the mess and would be really annoyed if I ever went in to tidy up. She now has her own flat and seems to be a bit more houseproud. As for timid dogs. My neighbour has a tiny dog. If someone walks behind them on the pavement it stops and freezes. The neighbour has to ask the person to pass them or the dog won't move! This happens even if the dog knows the person well.

    ReplyDelete
  18. My daughter's room was always a mess. Now she has her own house and it's always tidy - probably moreso than mine! This was a fun, chatty post. Love the mermaid tail blanket.

    ReplyDelete
  19. *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* to your tomboy! Love the shell motif in that pattern.. hope you show it to us all done. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Jill, I've just hopped over via Five on Friday. I really enjoyed your Five - Little Miss has got the right idea, I think. Too busy making the most of life to bother with tidying her bedroom. Hmm. Please show us the mermaid tail blanket when it's finished. x

    ReplyDelete
  21. Loved catching up with you my friend. I love how independent your Ms 9 is, good for her! We need more independent girls who know their own mind and do what they want. You are a good friend to make that Mermaid tail. A PT I work with asked me about making one for her daughter and I quickly declined, no time for that in my life that is for sure.

    Have a great week,
    MEredith

    ReplyDelete
  22. what a lovely five things. happy birthday wishes x

    ReplyDelete
  23. those were some pretty good things..
    Your daughter's 'make most of life'
    Your other daughter's birthday.. yay!
    and those colors for the blanket.. love

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely to near your blogging gain Jill. Scrumptiously cute puppy!! And a big happy birthday to your tomboy X

    ReplyDelete

Thankyou so much for visiting, and for taking the time to leave me a comment :) I really really love getting little messages, I read and value every single one, so thankyou again, and have a great day :)
Jillxxxxx