Saturday, December 30, 2023

What I Wore November 13th

On Monday November the 13th I went to craft club as I usually do on a Monday morning, but I wore a new top as I did it so I thought I would post about it. As you know, I really like the clothes I've got from the Judi Love range at Very - I wear the dress and cardigan I have a lot and was keeping an eye on the range on the Very website. This top and another one went on sale back in like March or something, so I bought them but I've been saving them for when the weather turned colder. And finally, it was time! 

This top has sheer sleeves which I like, but they're also long and fit well, which is nice too. There's a sheer layer over the front, too, adding to the ruffle effect. I wore my long sleeved black cardigan over the top because the room where my craft club is can be cold! 

I wore it with one of my Scarlett & Jo skirts - this blue one is lovely but sort of formal so I don't wear it all the time. But I think these two looked nice together!




Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Weekend in the Dales - Day 4

We had to go home on Sunday but we had had such a nice time on our trip, it felt like a real treat. We had to check out by 11am, and we managed to get going a bit before that actually, with everything loaded into the cars. Then we went to see the waterfall in West Burton where we were staying. We parked near it but it's actually really close to walk from the village centre. It's really nice - there's a bridge over the river and I'm sure in the summer you could paddle in the water and go under the waterfall too. I'd love to go back then! We took lots of photos. 

Then we drove to Aysgarth Falls to look at the falls there. This was way less accessible than in West Burton which is a real shame, but my mum, stepdad, and I managed to get out of the car and look at the water. My mum and I also went in the craft shop there, but we didn't buy anything. 

Then we went back up the hill to the top of Aysgarth Falls where we went to the pub for lunch. My mum had booked it which was good because it got really busy. We had a main course and a dessert each and some drinks. The food was absolutely gorgeous and we enjoyed it, but the service was sooo sloooow. We had to ask for drinks more than once, and we waited absolutely ages for the main course to be cleared and to be asked if we wanted desserts, and then when we had ordered them they took half an hour to come. It was annoying! Plus the food isn't cheap so it really needs to have better service!

But I had a beautiful vegetarian pie with Sunday dinner trimmings which was just delicious and exactly what I wanted to eat on such a cold day. Then I had chocolate brownie which was really nice too. After we had finally eaten and got the bill we said goodbye to each other and then set off home. Lee and I had a nap when we got home because we hadn't slept well while away. I had been wearing this Scarlett & Jo dress that I bought off Vinted last year. I think I've only worn it once before though. It's perfect for a winter day and I really like it! 


Info board near the waterfall


The bridge over the river


Looking up towards the waterfall


The water wasn't too high but it was very mucky looking


The waterfall, it was so lovely


My mum and I liked the moss growing on this bench, too


We were standing on the bridge looking the other way here. It would be amazing to swim here on a hot day!


Looking from the bridge up to the waterfall


Me and Lee on the bridge


Look at all the foam! We were getting splashed


I wonder how far this cave goes, too 


Aysgarth Falls


This bit is a bit better without the scaffolding in it!


Looking over the other side of the bridge


Here we all are in the pub, before it got very busy


Pie, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, pureed carrot and swede, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding. It was SO nice!


Outside the pub


My mum wanted a photo of this sheep. She and I went outside to get something from the car


My mum had affogato for pudding, which she liked (the coffee is on the other side of the glass haha)


My dessert


And finally my dress when we got home. I love the pattern on this skirt!

Monday, December 25, 2023

Weekend in the Dales - Day 3

On the Saturday of our trip to Wensleydale we drove across to Sedbergh. Lee and I went before when we were staying in the area, and it's a really nice drive across the dales. We had had breakfast so decided we would just get cake and coffee in Sedbergh later on. 

The sun was shining and it looked amazing on the drive. Lee drove my mum's car and I sat in the front with him and played some music while my mum and stepdad sat in the back. We stopped in a car park on the way where there was a really beautiful outlook, and took some photos. It was absolutely lovely! We had also stopped in Hawes on the way to visit the sweet shop again.

Sedbergh itself isn't huge but we went in some shops and I got three books for a pound each. We then went in a really lovely cafe about 2pm. My stepdad got a sandwich but the rest of us had cake - I had homemade caramel shortbread which was delicious. Lee had this waffle with the cafe's ice cream which was also delicious! 

We left Sedbergh and went to Fairfield Mill which we had seen a sign for on the way so my mum wanted to go. When Lee and I got there we realised we had been before when we visited last time. It has a ton of the old weaving and mill stuff, which is really cool to see, and it has a ton of artisan and craft stuff. I bought some soaps and a couple of Christmas presents. It was nice to go back! 

We stopped to look at Garsdale viaduct on the way back just as it was getting dark, and dropping a little bit colder. Then we went back to the cottage. Lee had a nap and the rest of us just relaxed. We had sandwiches and stuff in the evening as we weren't very hungry. 

I was wearing this Carolina Dress Room dress that I got recently off Lucia from U Can't Wear That. It's lovely and soft and I love the print of it, it's like an apothecary. It was nice and warm, too! 



Looking back towards Yorkshire when we had just crossed into Cumbria


My mum standing in the car park


I liked this picture of all our shadows. Lee stayed in the car because his back was hurting


This hill is called The Calf, apparently


Look at the car park - it was pretty but it needed resurfacing! It looked like the lunar surface


I liked this picture of the sun on the hill, too


I also liked this little ginnel in the town centre


And it was definitely feeling festive there too!


I loved this little alleyway too


My ridiculous hot chocolate


And my delicious caramel shortbread


Lee's really ridiculous waffle - he let me have some


One of the looms in Fairfield Mill


And the river nearby which powered the mill through a water wheel


Upstream


And the turbine inside the building, it was really cool


This was in an artist's studio on one of the floors and my mum said, "Rebecca and Lee, come and look at this, you'll want to see it!" and she was right, we did. It's really cool


This is the front of it


There was also some bobbin lace! I used to make bobbin lace (I still can, I just haven't in forever) and these were some examples which were really nice to see 


Garsdale viaduct on the way back


Isn't it beautiful?


I love a viaduct


And this was the sun setting over the hills


In my new to me dress just before I put my pyjamas on for the night


A close up of the pattern


And here are the books I got for just a pound each!

Friday, December 22, 2023

Weekend in the Dales - Day 2

On the Friday of our trip we went to the Wensleydale Creamery! Lee and I went there before in 2017 and really liked it, so we decided all four of us would go back. As it's on the winter timetable now the cheese making demo is only happening twice a day, at 12.15 and at 1.30. I had booked lunch for us at 1pm so needed the earlier demo... but then couldn't book the tickets online. So we left the cottage at about 11 to get to Hawes, and then we went in to the demo bit to buy tickets. We had a bit of time so we looked round the gift shop for a bit. My stepdad bought some Theakston's Old Peculier liqueur - it is basically like a whiskey but it can't be called that. I had a taste of it later and really liked it, it was smoother and sweeter than whiskey.

We watched the cheese making demo and then had a quick look at the factory. It's interesting to see. There was a tasting too - Lee and my mum don't like cheese so they didn't have any but my stepdad and I both did. Then it was lunchtime! We headed to the restaurant. It was nice and warm in there and it's got a lovely view of the hills outside. We had all looked at the menu beforehand and my stepdad and I said we would share the Wensleydale cheese tasting platter. It had five types of cheese plus chutneys, olives, crackers, bread, and butter. It didn't look like loads of food but it was absolutely gorgeous and we were both stuffed! I liked tasting all the different ones, including the blue Wensleydale that they make. I don't particularly like blue cheese but this isn't too strong so it was nice. Lee and my mum both had soup. 

We looked round the shop again and bought some bits before going into Hawes itself. It was about 3pm by this point and it was dropping cold, so I borrowed my mum's hat. She then borrowed my stepdad's flat cap, haha. We went in a few shops and headed down towards the bridge across the river to look at the water. It was a bit full but not totally, but it was nice to see. Loud, too! 

We headed back to the cottage and spent the evening in, playing games and drinking. It was so nice and cosy, and relaxing. I was wearing a new t shirt I got recently which says Show No Mercy, Hold No Quarter, which is a reference to Our Flag Means Death which I love. I like it! It was pretty cold in the cottage so I had a cardigan and thick socks on too. 

My mum and I stepped outside about 6pm to look at the stars and there were lots out. My phone takes decent pictures of the night sky, as you can see! After this I put my pyjamas on though!


I love this map of the area that is in the creamery. It really is such a beautiful part of the world


Here's Lee next to an outline of the biggest cow on record. I took this exact photo six years ago, too 


The view from the restaurant


Our cheese platter. The chocolate on the bottom right went with the Wensleydale with ginger in it


It is PERFECTLY normal in Yorkshire to eat a creamy cheese like Wensleydale with Christmas cake or other fruit cake. So there


View in the car park as we left


I think I looked cute in my mum's hat!


This plaque is on the side of one of the shops in Hawes - Kit Calvert helped to save the creamery in the 1930s and they make a 'farmhouse' Wensleydale named after him. It's firmer and a bit stronger than normal Wensleydale


My mum and I on the bridge in Hawes. I love this picture of myself, I'm feeling myself here 


The falls just from the bridge


We accosted a nice stranger to take our photo on the bridge. You'll see that even Lee thinks it's winter because he's wearing jeans again not shorts


Looking facing downstream at the other side of the bridge


There seemed to be some kind of warehouse on the left here


Our Flag Means Death t shirt, plain lback cardigan, and Scarlett & Jo skirt that used to be a dress


And finally, some stars. The bright light just to the east of the chimney stack is Jupiter


I might have caught a shooting star here?