Mid Wintery July Days

Greetings lovely friends & readers

My first vase of Daphne for the winter season.

  I was unloading a trailer of firewood & wondered what the lovely fragrance was when I realised my daphne bushes were in full bloom - so special 💗

It has been mid winter school holidays here in New Zealand.  Sid & his family spent the first week on holiday in Fiji.  Sid's Mum's best friend turned 40 so 3 families decided to fly to Fiji to celebrate the occasion.

They had a wonderful week away with beautiful weather & froze when they returned home again. 

The second week of the holidays was spent mostly at Granny's house.  We did lots of things to entertain him & keep him off devices.  

We baked banana breads & did Paw Patrol Diamond Art projects.  We went to see the Super Mario Brothers Movie & Granny may or may not have fallen asleep during it 😳!!  

We ate pizzas, & we picked lots of citrus fruit & gave away to friends as my trees are laden.  We also took bags of citrus fruit into the Sharing Shed when we went to town.  

Sid made this little arrangement above using a cat tea-towel I was gifted for my birthday.  

While he watched YouTube football videos I managed some handwork & completed the Velvet Chatelaine that I started at Sewing Retreat in June. 

The round beaded lid lifts off to reveal a holder for your tape measure.  The beaded leaf flips up to reveal a space for your thimble.

The largest velvet "rock" is filled with powdered emery so it keeps your pins nice & sharp.  The corner pocket is a holder to keep your scissors in.  

Here is the back view & also the pattern.  This came as a kitset which I thrifted sometime early last year at the same time as I thrifted the Velvet Journal Cover in this post.  I am so pleased this is finished, I love it but I shall NoT be making another one as it was "challenging" at times 😉

I think the name is so appropriate ... "A little bit of Magic - a fantasy chatelaine "

Just prior to my trip down to visit my friend Sandy in my last post I finished this book.  This would be without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read & I truly could not put it down.  It is an intense, gritty read, not my usual genre, but honestly such a well written book.  I am on the lookout for more of Jeanine Cummins work now.  If you've ever read this please leave me a comment & let me know if you enjoyed it or not.  

Each month when I do my big grocery shop I pick up a copy of  NZ Gardener magazine which I love.  A couple of months ago they had an offer where you could send in an SAE & receive a free packet of pansy seeds so I did this. 

I duly sowed them in my handmade wool blanket seedling pots & they all grew really well - so this morning I decided to prick them all out into larger pots.  I've currently put them in the hospital corner of my lounge so I can keep an eye on them & keep them watered.  I'm hoping I get a nice variety of different pansies. 

Miss Pippi is really happy this morning because (a) school went back today so no Sid & (b) her Mother gave her two boxes to sleep in so she gets some variety 😉.  And this photo of Little One is just for you Ellie as you asked after him & I wanted you to see he is living such a stress-free life 😝

Thank you all as always dear friends, for your welcome visits here today,

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead filled with special moments,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,