What awful weather

I left home this morning to travel to Colchester,  I moved precisely 15 miles in one whole hour.  The traffic was an absolute nightmare with all roads blocked in every direction.  40 mile an hour speed limits on the motorway and endless signs saying 'Caution Queue after Junction'  to top that it was absolutely pouring with rain.  As Colchester is 100 miles from home,  I could see it taking nearly all day to get there and then do a days work.  I gave up!!  Turned around took the 'A' roads home,  having travelled 15 miles and home again the whole trip took 2 hours!  What a complete and utter waste of time.

For my sins now I have to attempt the journey again tomorrow morning - this will be a round trip though 200 miles as I have to return home again in the evening.    Thursday I am off to Cheltenham - just a mere 180 mile round trip.  By Friday I am going to feel like I have lived in the car.......

To cheer me up with what I knew was going to be a busy week I have been shopping in my most favourite shop - Cath Kidston.  They now have all the lovely new season bits and pieces in together with a few left over sale items

My goodies look like this;-

Bargain Blackberry case,  I have been waiting for these to come down in price!
 And fold up shopper,  I use these all of the time.

Some lovely bargain fabric and a brand new design too.  Plans are afoot for both of them.

A little gift for My Girl as she is poorly at the moment. 

At last a doggie collar to fit a big dog

Star modelling her new collar - lovely!

Nestled under all the goodies,  did you see my very pretty new nightie???    I held it up for Mr Milly to admire,  hoping he would say something along the lines of  " that's pretty you will look lovely in that"  you get my drift I'm sure ;),  Oh no - not my hubby -  so what did he actually say??   -  "That looks very warm and comfortable"  Oops  LOL!!

A little message for My Girl - Love you lots and hope you feel better soon x x x Mum

Last minute bits and pieces

The little nephew's Christmas tops are finished..   a slightly tamed down version of the grown up girls Christmas tops,  which I think is about right for the 2 boys!  The grown up girls wore theirs to Tesco yesterday - which was entertaining!

The last days of the Advent Calender have passed with a few more little sweetie bags hidden around the house.   This has definately been the best Advent calender ever!!  I now look at sweets in a whole different light when I am in shops - and wonder what they could become!  What an exciting life hey!!

My Boy popped in today,  he is working both Christmas Day and Boxing day this year - 7am until 7pm both days so we won't see very much of him.  Not his choice to work these days,  but a downside of working shifts in a 24/7 industry.   As in previous years we are all hoping he will be able to finish early and spend extra time with us.  

I did tell him that I have some stocking goodies for him and for him to take them home on Christmas Eve to open in the morning,  his face lit up and he was really pleased that he has one.  BUT I then worried that he would feel left out as the girls have the lovely Kirstie Alsopp inspired Christmas stockings that I made yesterday.   I am sure I was worrying more about this than My Boy would be,  but as he was pleased he has a stocking I thought he should have a lovely home made one too.....   Didn't want this one to be too girly though.......  Another that I am really thrilled with!  

This is really getting me thinking though,  they are very inexpensive to make and each one takes less and less time to complete and I think these would sell really well - what do you think?  A project for next year maybe!

Wishing you all a Very Very Happy Christmas,   From all of the Milly's!

Note to self

Do not watch Kirsty's Homemade Christmas just 4 days before Christmas!

The programme is full of all sorts of  goodies and brilliant ideas,  I do wish it had been on the TV a few weeks ago..... 

As always I was inspired and fingers itching to have a go........ I did convince myself this morning that I really wouldn't have time to make anything and definitely no time to shop for supplies.    The more I thought about it, the more I realised I probably had the supplies and lo and behold and a quick rummage through my fabric stash,  I did find all the supplies I would need.  The next problem was time - one of the advantages about working at home - when you take a lunch break you get a whole hour,  no travelling back to the office, just  a 20 second walk up the stairs and Mr Milly on hand to help with ironing and tidying up!

Trusty Google provided the template,  a bit of material cutting up and some time at the sewing machine.........

I love them!!

The poor dog has had a Christmas make over, courtesy of My Girl and the Portuguese Housekeeper!

She is such a good dog!  She is wearing a pompom on her collar,  Rudolph sticker on her head and look closely you can see her sticker earrings - she has worn them all day!!  What the camera will just not show is the glitter My Girl has decided to rub into her coat - she does look sparkly and pretty BUT there is now glitter all over the house :o)

Talking of Google - have you tried typing in Let it Snow into the search bar??  Try it - it is very cool!

Buddy is staying

Buddy is my friends little Cocker-poo!  A poodle, cocker spaniel cross and he is adorable!   He stayed with us a little while ago from this post Cakes and Visitors this time he is staying with us for a week!

It is very strange having 2 dogs in the house and especially when one is big and the other is very small.  We are just not used to little dogs and it is very entertaining.  And best of all,  Buddy has decided he likes me and loves a cuddle!   I have therfore gained a shadow for the week and wherever I am, Buddy is too!  Star has a short soft and smooth coat,  Buddy has a short soft curly coat - just like a little teddy bear!

Buddy in Teddy Bear mode - he almost blends in with the sofa!

Unfortunately Buddy has taken a liking to wool!  As I am currently crocheting a blanket with lots of colours - there is lots of wool around me as I working on the blanket - this is proving to be challenging LOL!   He first of all found a small ball of wool - this when we knew we might have a problem!   Later on  he decided one of my lovely new big balls of wool was some sort of dog toy and decided to kill it!  He grabbed it in his mouth and was shaking it, putting his paws on it trying to seperate each strand and he did not want to let it go!   Eventually the distraction of a doggie biscuit proved to much for Buddy and we were able to rescue the mangled ball of wool.  


The tug of war for the wool begins.........

 

Buddy tightens his grip



Star is watching with interest - I'm not sure who is winning the war.......

 

Looks like Mr Milly is losing!!!!!!

Naughty Dog!

She ate my cake!  

It was a sponge cake - two sponges sitting on a wire rake cooling down and waiting to become a Victoria Sponge - one sponge cake never made it..........  I turned my back for a nano second,  well actually I went out of the kitchen without shutting the door.  I heard Mr Milly shout at the dog and there is was,  one sponge cake with a dog size bite!  How annoying,  I wasn't happy!!!   So out with the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, mixer, pans etc and another sponge made.   The chickens enjoyed the ruined cake though!

Star on pidgeon patrol.   She will chase them away if they land in the garden!

Star is a weimaraner and she is tall,  so it's very easy for her to reach the kitchen worktops.   This is not the first time she has eaten a cake.  Last year I was making a giant cupcake birthday cake for my Sisiter-in-Law,  it was disatrous - the first cake was overcooked and went in the bin and in the chickens,  the second cake the dog ate,  the third cake was OK,  but these cakes take an age to cool down and with all the messing about it was iced when very slightly warm - this doesn't work well with butter icing.  It tasted OK - but the look wasn't upto standard!

It was hot yesterday - too hot to be digging,  so a quick visit to the Lottie a little foraging around the site, some picking on my Lottie plot and a little more clearing.  And look at all the goodies;-

The apples from behind my Lottie,  the pears and plums from a neighbour, runner beans, french beans and courgettes from the lottie,  eggs from my chicks, tomatoes from home and my latest loaf of bread.  It kept me busy for a while, all nicely arranged for a photo moment and then the eggs for the cake  -eaten by the dog,  all the beans blanched and frozen,  apples, pears and plums are now mixed fruit jam.  The rest in the fridge until needed. 

I had fun trying to photograph the jam on a rolling boiling - the camera kept steaming up everytime it was over the pan,  I think I took about 10 pictures before I had one decent one!  That's blogging for you - everything has to be photographed!

Rolling boil

Steamed up camera!

Rolling boil after the magic knob of butter had been added.  
The jam becomes clear  and the fruit scum on the top vanishes!

All done!

The Grass is growing

Ickle tiny little shoots have started to appear - thats good  as I was just about to give up hope for the seeds!  Mr Milly is not impressed - as I've used 2 different grass seed he tells me the grass will be different colours!  I did remind him it is an allotment and not a garden and really does it matter if the grass is different colours - it is all going to be green LOL!

You can just see the grass growing - and it is GREEN

We took Star to the allotment with us today, which was entertaining, she had great fun walking over all of my beds - I was NOT happy!   Then I picked another meal of runner beans and a few french beans,  my very peculiar dog has a liking for runner beans - is that normal for a dog?  One minute there was enough runners for a meal and then next there was one left - she had nicked and eaten them one at a time without us noticing!

Anyway Star liked the fresh and long grass that is now growing on the plot and took to lying on it and having a roll around - a couple of nice little pics of her.

Star enjoying the GREEN grass

Having a snooze after eating all the runner beans!

My camera has now been sent back so today we are off to hunt for a new one.  I think probably it will be one of these;

Hmmmm...... which colour to choose!!???