First Week of February

I'll put the first week of February all here as nothing is really worth a post of its own, but there were photos I wanted to share. On the 2nd of February I went to see Jacqui in York because she hadn't been able to come down for my birthday. I just went to hers and we ordere curry and watched Groundhog Day. Nothing special but it was nice to spend time with her. 

On the evening of the 5th my mum and stepdad came for tea. They didn't stay over, although they could have, but we had tea and a couple of glasses of wine and it was a nice time. On the Friday I went off to Manchester to meet my friend Helen. We had booked Slatterys because we both love it and she hadn't been for a while. I had been more recently but never mind, it's always delicious! I had the doorstep rarebit with mushrooms on, which were really garlicky, and the strawberry and marshmallow dippers. And a hot chocolate, of course! I had also promised to take Lee some cake home as an early Valentines present, so I did that, which we ate over the next couple of days. It was nice to see Helen of course!

On Saturday I went for lunch with my friends Gillian at The Dunkirk which is only about ten minutes drive from my house. It's also only about ten minutes from her new house, so it's ideal for us to meet! I had been for Sunday lunch the day before my birthday but hadn't eaten from their main menu, so we decided to go. The vegetarian choice was a bit lacking and I do sometimes eat fish, so I had prawn and avocado on toast which was SO good, I really enjoyed the prawns. For dessert I had orange creme brulee which was again really good. I don't really like creme brulee but I've had it before when it was orange flavoured and enjoyed it. We chatted for a bit and it was really nice! I rested the rest of the weekend though. 

I had been working on this cross stitch for months, since like October or something. I knew I couldn't finish it for Christmas so that was okay, but I am glad to have finished it and will frame it ready to be put out next Christmas. I've done several like this before, from Caterpillar Cross Stitch. I have one for each season and they are now up on the wall on one of our staircases (we have a three storey modern town house) and I love to see them. This one was a joy to stitch, I like the penguin and some of the baubles best! 

Hot chocolate as always in Slatterys

I love a rarebit but never make it, maybe I should! 

And my gorgeous dessert. I didn't eat it all so brought bits home to eat later, as usual 

Prawn and avocado on toast with potato salad and I had chips alongside, too

Orange creme brulee with two shortbread biscuits

And my finished cross stitch, isn't it lovely!

January 17th and 18th

On the 17th of January I headed to Wakefield to go to a lace making class. When I went to Pudsey Lace Fair last October I met the Bridge Lacemakers who meet in Wakefield every month, and this was the first time I could make it. As a reminder, I used to make lace as a kid, did a little bit about thirteen years ago, and then got everything back out again in February 2025 when someone at craft club wanted to learn. While I remember all the basic stitches, I don't always know how to start things off and finish them. I had spoken to one of the organisers who said she's a tutor and would help me, so I packed all my things and set off. 

It was held in Wakefield city centre, somewhere I've never been before but knew vaguely where it was. I parked and went in with some others - we were the first there though. In all I think there were about fourteen of us. The day is held from 10 until 3pm, and you take your own lunch, although there is tea and coffee available too. I could visit three times before having to join, but I've already decided I will join when I go again in April as I think it's good to put my money towards a dying art like lacemaking. I couldn't make the dates in February and March which I did warn the group about - I didn't want them to think they'd put me off!

Susan helped me get started on this piece straight away as I already had bobbins wound and ready to go. I made this mat a zillion years ago when I was little, and didn't fully understand how to start it. Susan helped me and I learnt a lot from her! I managed to complete a quarter and a little bit during the day, which was good going. However it's now nearly a month after this and I haven't yet picked my lace up again! Maybe soon! 

When the day had finished I drove back home, popping into Tesco on the way home to get cake. It was nearly my birthday so I wanted a cake for home and one to take to craft club, and I needed vegan stuff because our vegan friends Paul and Lianne were coming. They arrived at the station about 4.30 I think, so Lee and I went to pick them up. 

We showed them the house and Lee made vegan chilli for us all, and then we just chilled out for the rest of the night. Paul kep choosing vinyl for Lee to play and we were just chatting. They had been in Sheffield for an art thing, and were staying for lunch with us on the Sunday too. The table wasn't booked until late as my mum and stepdad were at church, so Paul suggested that we went to Elsecar Heritage Centre as they had enjoyed it there previously.

So around ten on the Sunday morning we set off there. We went round all the antiques bits and I even ventured upstairs. I'm so glad I did because I found this vintage sewing machine which had to come home with me! I've been wanting one for ages to just have as an ornament, and this one is so pretty. I think it actually would work - when I turn the handle the needle goes up and down - so I might give it a go one time. 

We went into the nicer cafe for a hot chocolate each and a sit down. We didn't go in many more of the shops as we'd spent a long time in the antiques centre! So then we set off to the Dunkirk pub. It's not that far from our new house and I've heard rave reviews so I wanted to go it. Lee's mam and stepdad came down too, and my mum and stepdad, so there were eight of us in total. We got there a bit earlier than I had booked, but could sit down anyway. 

My mum and stepdad arrived eventually and I opened presents. I got some lovely things including a wine cooler from my mum, champagne from Lee's mam, and chocolate and stationery from Paul and Lianne. We ordered food, I don't think service was particularly fast but we didn't mind as we were chatting. I had Yorkshire puddings and grayv to start with, and then a chestnut roast with all the trimmings and vegetables, and cauliflower cheese. It was so good, I've rarely had a nut roast like it. For pudding my mum and I shared some puddings, but neither were really that good.

Lee's mam and stepdad took Paul and Lianne home which was brilliant. Lee and I got home and watched two films for the rest of the evening. I had been wearing my star print Simply Be dress that I hadn't pulled out at Christmas so I thought it would be nice for my birthday. I also wore my newish Dr Marten boots. They're black and pink and I love them, but I did get a bit of a blister on one ankle. Next time I needed thicker socks I think! I'm determined to break these in. 

Starting off my new lace piece - the threads were left over from my previous project and I had rewound them 

Chocolate cake for craft club

And a Bluey cake for me. I have to say though that it wasn't very tasty

My nails were a dark red polish from Zoya

Sunday morning - my sparkly tights and pink and black boots

A better picture of the polish showing off the sparkle in it

Hot chocolate

My nut roast and another Yorkshire pudding, before I added vegetables

Chocolate malt cake - which was nice - with a weird ice cream, which wasn't

In my star print sparkly dress when we got back, before we got in our pyjamas to relax for the evening

And here's the lovely vintage sewing machine I got! 

Pudsey Lace Fair 2025

On the Saturday after we got back from holiday we went to Pudsey Lace Fair for a trip out. Pudsey is near Leeds so not too far from our house at all. I drove us there and Lee drove us back I think. When we got there, we didn't have enough cash for both of us so I went in and Lee went to get more cash and some petrol and then joined me later. He might not have needed to come in, really, but I wanted a couple of things for presents for me for Christmas or my birthday so I needed him to agree to them. 

I can't remember if I blogged it before but I used to make bobbin lace as a child and teenager but then gave it up when I got a Saturday job. I kept all my supplies, though, and in about 2012 I pulled them out again and made some little bits of lace, but nothing too exciting. Then earlier this year a friend at craft club inherited the bobbin lace supplies from her mother in law, and expressed an interest in learning to make lace. So I said I could help and pulled all my supplies out again. I have made a few pieces and really need to get my supplies in some sort of order as I have bought some bits off eBay. I still know how to make the stitches themselves, but the starting off of each piece needs some work. I've got plenty of books, though, so I need to choose one of those and start off at the beginning I think and learn my fundamentals. 

But in the meantime, beautiful supplies! I have heard of the lace fair for years and am so glad I went! I will go next year, too! There were people selling bobbins, tools, spangles (those are the beaded decorations on the bottom of the wooden bobbins), patterns, threads, kits, lace pillows, and every other piece of equipment you could hope for. There were people from different lace guilds and groups, including one which meets in Wakefield so I really ought to try to go along to one of their days. There were also some other crafts on display like quilts, crochet, cross stitch and so on. 

I bought a couple of small things to start off with and a tool for Catherine that she wanted. Lee joined me and we got some lunch in the hall's bar. They had a vegan sausage roll which was exciting for me! Then Lee and I went back around and I picked up some things that he and my mum had agreed to buy for me. So in my photo there are some things that I don't have yet, but will look forward to getting!

We got home and just relaxed for the rest of the day, but I did get a picture of my dress, which was an apothecary print dress from Carolina Dress Room I think, although I bought it second hand from a friend. I got a couple of compliments on it at the fair! 

This was a lovely display of crafts in the hall including lace making, of course, but a lot of other stuff too

Here's what I got. I bought the spangles and the ballet dancer dress kit for myself, but the rest is all presents for me so I have to be patient. The pouch top right is a bobbin holder, it has little section inside to hold bobbins that have threads wound on to them. I love the pattern! 

And here I am when we got home

New Year's Day 2024

We were obviously still at my aunt's on New Year's Day. Lee had the 2nd of January off so I decided to go to work on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, so we could stay an extra day, and my mum and stepdad did too. (They're retired now so it made no difference to them). That meant we weren't travelling two days in a row and it meant more family time together!

We had a quiet morning and then my cousin Peter and Lee and I put together this chocolate house I had made. I bought chocolate drops from Slatterys when I went there in November and thought this would be a nice family activity, so I didn't make the house parts until the 30th of December. Lee helped me. We tempered the chocolate which was difficult to do and it didn't totally work but it did mostly work, and the chocolate had a lovely glossy shine. We poured the chocolate into the moulds, which my friend from craft club gave me. We left them to set and put them in the car flat to travel down. 

The house pieces came out of the moulds easily enough on Monday morning. I didn't have enough melted chocolate to make the door or the tree or the people that are available in the moulds, so we just had six pieces - four for the house and two for the roof. We tried using hot water and a knife to melt the edges of the pieces, but it wouldn't work well enough. So Peter broke out the blow torch. It took a while and some rescuing with a knife, but it did all stick together in the end! All I wanted was it to be freestanding for a little bit at least and we achieved that! Yes it did have a few gaps but it was so cute. 

Inside we put Minstrels, Maltesers, little Twirl bites and little Wispa bites. We left it to set. We were making curry for the evening and we played cards, which was fun. Lee and my mum and I sometimes play Nomination Whist, but it's better if there's four of you. Peter left and we kept on playing games and stuff, and I was embroidering too. I finished the little gingerbread house piece I had been working on for a few weeks. I got it free with Love Embroidery magazine and I really like it. I ran out of the pale brown though so had to use a different one. 

The curries were amazing! We had about six types. Two were veggie - one Lee made which was vegetable tikka masala, and one which Caroline made which was curried eggs and which was SO good, I'll have to get the recipe off her. I love curried eggs! 

I was wearing my galaxy print dress from Topsy Curvy all day with my rainbow cardigan from Simply Be. A cosy, comfy, and warm outfit! 

Peter breaking out the blow torch

Melting the edge of the chocolate

All four walls standing! Lee and I took a tin to bring it home in, thinking ahead!

Once we started putting stuff inside

The bread stick was load bearing until the roof set properly

Then we needed two...

But finally it was all standing! Yay! Ignore the huge gap in the roof - if I did it again I would try harder to get the chocolate flatter, haha. This is the front

This is the back

Here's my little embroidery piece, I will probably keep it in this frame and just sew the back closed 

Curry and rick and snacks, it was so nice

Here's me last thing in my galaxy dress

December 2nd

So, this is probably going to be a bit of a weird post, but it's a very weird time, and I do use this blog as a diary so I want to write this. 

On the first weekend of December I had planned to see Sam and Jac in York, where Jac lives. We had a few things planned. It had to be that weekend because Sam was going to Malaysia just a little while afterwards. I think I mentioned that her mum died in September; well she and her dad were going to see her mum's family in Malaysia to scatter her mum's ashes. So it had to be that weekend. We had decided to do some pottery painting in York in the morning as we enjoyed it way back in February, and then we were going to chill out at Jac's, and on the Sunday we were going to do some other festive stuff in the city centre and have some lunch before saying goodbye to each other. However, Jac was then poorly, so we decided to just do the pottery painting and then have some lunch before we each went home so she could rest and feel better. So that's what we did.

I parked near Jac's and got the bus into town with her. We walked across York and met up with Sam on the way. I fell over and really shook myself up and banged my hands and knees but fortunately I wasn't more hurt. I thought that would be the worst thing that happened that day, too. We went to Bish Bash Pot for 11 o'clock. It's a cute little place with plenty of pieces to choose to paint. We decided we would paint one piece for each other as Christmas presents. I chose a Christmas tree for Jacqui and a lighthouse for Sam. I also painted a little house for myself. 

I had a hot chocolate and a really amazing triple chocolate brownie while we were painting. It took longer than we thought and by 1.15 I sort of finished the house for me in a total rush - I am certain it will look rubbish! We had to rush because we had booked a table for lunch in basically the next building along. It's called Khao San and it's Thai tapas! Sam went along while Jac and I were finishing up, and then we went along too. We ordered a bunch of dishes and shared them, and they were all delicious. 

I was wearing one of my old Scarlett & Jo prom dresses - I think it might actually be one of my original ones and I've had it about ten years. I wore sparkly tights and this new zebra print cardigan that I got recently from Simply Be. It was so cold so I needed a lot of layers!

Jac and I said goodbye to Sam around 3pm and Jac and I waited for a bus back to hers. However, thanks for York Christmas traffic it took forty minutes to come, by which time we were absolutely frozen and I was in pain as I had walked a long way and I had fallen over and then I had been standing for ages waiting for the bus. But I was okay, and I got into my car around 4.30pm. I drove home and when I got home I got undressed and got into bed for a bit because I was still cold and wanted to lie down. Lee was lying with me and we were talking, and it was all good. 

Then Sarah texted me to tell me that her husband Tom had collapsed. And then just a bit later, she texted to tell me that he had actually died. I couldn't believe it, and four days later, I still can't believe it. Tom was one of the nicest people I had ever met, and he loved Sarah and their little girl so much. I won't say more, but it was completely unexpected, which totally blindsides people. I am really grateful for all the time I got to spend with Tom and I am so glad that Sarah had him in her life. 

I just totally went into shock. This often happens when I am actually shocked - my body starts to shake, my teeth chatter, and I drop really cold. I rang my mum and asked her and my stepdad to come over, which fortunately they were able to do. They stayed until around 9pm which really helped me. I spoke to Sarah briefly. I have lived a lot of grief and I know she has a tough road ahead of her - but I also know I'll be behind her every step of the way to support her. 

It is absolutely shit in the meantime, though. 

Here's my photos from before the day went sideways, though. 

Waiting at the bus stop in the morning - sparkly tights, ridiculous frilly socks, and my Dr Martens boots that I find really comfortable to walk in 

Down Little Stonegate in York which is one of my favourite streets in York. I went to York St John University way back when 

The street near Betty's, where there was already a big queue even though it was only about 10.30!

The Castle Museum - it was so cold and foggy! It was cold at home but sunnier there!

Sam took this photo of the pottery painting place

While we were painting

The brownie was amazing!

Here's me and Sam and the mug she was painting

My stuff painted just as we were leaving - the black on the house was not great but also I don't care!

Inside the Khao San restaurant, Sam took this

And she took this of the three of us too

The back dish was broccoli something and the front was battered aubergine, which were both so good

Tofu at the back and pad Thai at the front - the dish you can sort of see was mushrooms. I would go again here

And finally here's my dress and cardigan as soon as I got home

Wreath Making in Penistone

On the 30th of November I went to a wreath making workshop in Penistone with two people from book club. One of them had mentioned it and I fancied making a wreath for our door, so I signed up! It was from 7pm so I drove to Penistone and parked and then went in. It was held in the church and they were really organised - they led me to a table with two other people on it so I could wait for Ceri and Jane. In all I bet there were at least 70 people there! Our ticket price got us a drink and a mince pie each, which was a nice way to start off. Then the church curate gave a bit of a demonstration, and then we got to work!

There were big bags of moss on each table and first of all we had to attach big bunches of moss to the wreath blank, with wire. People kept coming round to help us, and it was nice to talk to Ceri and Jane. Then we had to make like bunches with greenery like conifers, eucalyptus leaves, holly, ivy, and so on, held together at the bottom with wire. These were attached to the moss with more wire. The idea was to make enough to cover the whole wreath, but it took longer than we expected so I decided to just do about three quarters of the wreath and then leave a gap for some other decorations. I went for a candy cane, some baubles, and some dried fruit slices. It may look a bit over the top but I really don't care because I like it!

There was a lovely little area to take photos so I posed for one by myself and with Ceri and Jane too. It was about 9.30 by this time so Ceri and I walked back to our cars together to go home. It was a really nice workshop, it felt really lovely to be doing it! We still have two hooks on our door from a couple of years ago when I bought a wreath, so Lee and I put it up straight away. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Mulled wine! So delicious

In the middle of working on our wreaths

Me with mine at the end - I was wearing this star print top that I think came from Simply Be originally. It's not specifically Christmassy but I think it's festive

Mine when I was finished. I'm not certain that all the bits will actually last all the way until Christmas but it did look good!

And here it is in place on the door