A bits & pieces kind of week . . .

Hello there friends & readers,

It has been a bits & pieces kind of week but I have miraculously achieved lots of completions ...

I managed to put together the horseshoe for my daughter-in-law-to-be that I mentioned last post

And I found a plain white box to decorate  -  for her to store it in

I had offered to make a name bunting for them to hang above the bridal table  
 Nicole had requested the buntings please be scalloped

It is times like this you wish you had given your sons short names (like Sam or Ben) . . . & that they were marrying girls called Sue or Ann !!!!!! (wink)

And then yesterday afternoon Nicole & her lovely Mum Julie came, & we sat in the cool of my dining room & decorated jars for the tables - we needed 16 all up ... a mixture of small & large sizes

these are to hold gypsophlia & 1 or 2 rose buds, for the table centrepieces

Nicole wanted the jars to be all different, but along the same theme, of the hessian & calico & very natural colours.

I really enjoyed doing this little project with some pleasant company thrown in  :-)

Around this time of year I usually make up some stuffed christmas stockings ... I have done these for a few years now ... I had stitched the verse onto calico & sewed the candy canes a few weeks back, but the stockings needed to be assembled & then decorated ... 

It was a rather painstaking "enjoyable" process as I had assistance along the way from Jinxy . . .

. . .  whether I wanted it or not !!!!

One of them has been teadyed quite darkly, the other left paler ... different people like a certain shade/look I find

I really love these stuffed stockings - it is a very old pattern from Melissa Duncan of Mogs Designs - every year I really enjoy making them up.

Two of the things I sold completely out of last Sunday in the Garden Ramble was my herbal mothball sachets & my citrus potpourri.  
I decided I had better rectify this as I had all the ingredients in the cupboard for the mothball sachet mixture ...

You can find the recipe to make these in this older post here

My dehydrator has been working overtime as I dry the oranges from my tree to make up a fresh batch of citrus potpourri

Once again, this is a process that I never grow tired of doing . . .

(thank goodness!!!)

The Mr has been organising a big finale for his Moto X Club as the winter series comes to an end (he is the President of our local Club) ... he wanted to thank the ladies who gave their time to the Club so he requested me to make up 6 large gift baskets to present to them

I had to do this job at the last minute, just prior to the meeting, as otherwise I find if the chocolate is in the house too long, it tends to fall into my mouth melt quite alot!!!!

I have been watching this self sown poppy seedling come up in the path to my Cottage ... just this morning it opened & I just loved the variegated colour ... these pop up regularly in my garden & some I pull out, but decided to leave this one amongst the lavender edging my path

There is such pretty colour in the garden at the moment ... it's nice to capture it on camera to enjoy a little longer & appreciate

And then just this week I harvested & cooked up my very first batch of beetroot for the season ... delicious  :-)

Well friends I am off to make us a salad for dinner, & to feed the rascals 
thanks so much for stopping by today - may your week ahead be filled with many good things
I shall leave you with Blackie pondering life in general !!!!

Cheerio for now,
much love & friendship,
Julie & the rascals x0x0x