Magpie Monday - A What not!

My lovely neighbour Simon is a very talented carpenter, he and his wife has recently had what I would call a 'blip' and to face this blip they decided to get very busy, and Simon was instructed to make a new 'cupboard'.

Simon needed an additional special type of saw, which he loaned from my husband and when he brought it back, he and his wife asked if I would like the old cupboard for my craft room.  So I rushed over to see it, and five minutes later it was in my dining room and waiting to be painted white, once the weather improves.

It will then be in either my craft room or store room and will hold my many treasures.  Now to me, its not a cupboard so I have lovingly called it my what not!  Can't wait to paint it white and fill it with my lovely fabrics etc.

It is very sturdy and well made, and it cost me the loan of a saw! Sorry picture not great, and I have cropped it at the bottom, but you will get the idea!

Joining in with Magpie Monday with the lovely Liz at Me and My Shadow.

Now I can never pass a great cookery book! - Magpie Monday

I ventured into town last week to do some chores and banking.  I had not been into town for about five weeks!  So I was very conscious it had to be a race around town even though it was Wednesday market day.  So I got all my lovely veg etc from the market and did my shopping and banking.  I went back to the car to put my heavy bags away and had about twenty minutes left on my parking ticket.   So I decided I would pop into the Oxfam bookshop.  I'm so very glad I did!

This is what I bought!

Ruth Watson - Something for the weekend with eight around the table!  Well I did not save it for the weekend, I made the pearl barley and pea risotto which was great.  Some of you may know Ruth Watson from the popular channel 4 TV programme the Hotel Inspector.   Its a great book and I quite admire her loathing of vegetarians (even though I have been one for over 35 years!), she has a certain style that is endearing.!  I have since found it cheaper on EBay, but Oxfam wins hands down.  RRP was £25 it cost me £3.49!

My second great buy was this: 

Which is the 50th Anniversary edition of Good Housekeeping the cooks companion.  Its great, very technical in places but easy to follow.  Once again its cheaper on Ebay, but I love the Oxfam bookshop and I even got to tick the gift aid box on both purchases. This was also £3.49.

So pop into your local Oxfam bookshop to either donate books, or buy them, its a win win situation!

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Well this is my first attempt at a blog hop and also to take part in reasons to be cheerful.

Well here goes;-

Firstly I have re-connected with a great friend via Facebook and we are going to meet up  for a coffee very soon, just need to get our diaries together.  We met years ago via a networking group, as we changed our careers we lost contact.  I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am and I know it will be like we have never been apart.

2.  I joined the WI! which is it own is mammoth for me.  However the group I have joined is very empowering, a mixture of ages (more younger than me may I add!)

3. Tomorrow we have Nanny and Grandpa coming over for lunch - which will be great, I love that fact it will be very cold outside and we will be warm and comfy inside watching football on the TV (if it is not cancelled due to bad weather!) No roast dinner for us though, I'm cooking curry (at there request). Also making a brand new cake recipe.

Phew!!! What a Week!

This week has been..........................................  A M A Z I N G!

I have managed to take less than three painkillers so far with my torn tendon in my finger, but I can't wait to see the consultant next week to see what the outcome is going to be - I know it will be in its little cast for at least another four weeks!

Never Forget has been very very busy with not only the website but also lots of new projects on the business to business side and one very exciting enquiry from a previous winner on Dragon's Den! Can;t say to much about that at this stage, but it was lovely to have the opportunity to tender for this very large contract.

Thursday could not come quick enough for myself and my lovely neighbour Angie!  We drove off to our first WI meeting filled with trepidation and thinking have we done the right thing?  Have we chose the right meeting? And even, are we in the right place?  (which was quickly clarified by the lady we met at the gate)!

So we ventured in, were greeted and welcomed and given a host of handouts including the latest edition of The Bedford Clanger which is our very own what is on in Bedford FREE newspaper. The name Clanger to those not knowing what a clanger is it is a traditional pasty made in Bedford wikepedia's take on it is this:

The Bedfordshire Clanger is a dish from the county of Bedfordshire, in England. It is an elongated suet crust dumpling with a savoury filling at one end and a sweet filling at the other comprising a main course and dessert in one package.
The savoury end is traditionally meat with diced potatoes and vegetables (although a filling without meat is also possible), and the sweet end is usually jam, or sweetened apple or other fruit. Traditionally the top pasty is scored with a few lines to denote the sweet end.
Historically, the Bedfordshire Clanger was made by women for their husbands to take to their agricultural work as a midday meal. The dish is still available at various bakers and served at some hotels, restaurants and local places of interest.

I could see a few friends and we sat down with Christine who I worked with at Bedford College. We had a lovely talk by Ruth who told us all about making a 'Green Roof' for your garden shed or even a bird box!

At 'half-time' it was tea and cake, Yummy I had the lemon cake which was divine.  We then heard about all the new and exciting events coming up all of which are on the

  Scone Roses Facebook Page.

When we came out, I said to Angie, well what did you think?  Jolly Good fun!!! Yes me too, loved it, we went off positively skipping to our car and talked about the evening all the way home!

So now its Friday, my busiest day of the week, new stock arriving today, have to get 20+ hoodies embroided for Oliver's school Skiing trip.  Tomorrow taking a good friend to visit her husband who is in hospital. Sunday we have Nanny and Grandpa coming over for lunch to watch Derby County on TV - but not a roast dinner in sight!  They want Curry! so curry and cakes to make on Saturday evening. Whatever you are doing this weekend have a great one!  Hope you all manage some good quality family time!

Hawaii Five O - A time to reflect

Well this year, I will be hitting the big Hawai 50 - Yes I feel I must now 'grow up' and accept the fact that the scary number is upon me.

So should I hide away and go into a depression, No having none of that!  In true Ellie style I have compiled 50 things that I will try to fulfil this year.  I suppose, I'm not as daring as I was in my 'youth' my bungee jumping days, leaping out of planes are now beyond me, and with three children each day I get more and more aware of my own mortality.

So in my 50th year I would like to be more serene? (not  a chance) Calmer (I would not know calm if it came at me on a number 8 bus).  Actually, I just want to embrace this new decade and like twice before when I have had life changing  moments, I will use this in a positive way.

So my 50 challenges are written down and I am ticking them off as I go, I'm not sure if to achieve all fifty is realistic, but I will give it a bloody good go!

So the first one I have started is to join the WI - now before everyone thinks I have joined the Jam and Jerusalem brigade fear not (although I quite like making jam!), we have a few meetings near us, one I feel I am not yet 'old enough' to join and the other I feel I may be one of the older members (so that is where I am heading on Thursday with my lovely neighbour Angie).  We had discussed this at the end of last year, but with Christmas and everything else decided it would be a 2012 project.

So this is where I am heading:-

More details can be found on there Face book group

I think  it is such a cool logo!

I will post more about it, once I have been and met everyone, they meet monthly so I should be able to manage that. Of all the things on my list, this so far is the one I am most excited about!  After all, I love cake making, sewing, crafting so watch this space!

I have also booked myself on two photography courses, which I am really looking forward to. I will blog about this once I have been on them.

And the next thing off my list is to do more networking!  I will post about this after I have been to me first meeting!.

So bring it on, I'm not fifty for a few months yet, but I will embrace this new time and look forward to all that this year brings.

Have You Ever seen a Cheese roll down a hill?

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Alan Bamber from Bamber Sewing. So what I hear your cry, well actually, it was refreshing, a pleasant experience and also great to share some time with someone else who is also passionate about customer care, selling the right product to you and all of those other 'old fashioned’ sentiments that sadly for some are only in days gone by. 

Bamber Sewing has a great family history that has stood the testament of time, they have been trading since 1946! Good old fashioned customer service is built into everyone that works there, I’m sure if you chopped their heads off, you would have customer service embroided through every one of them like a stick of Blackpool Rock! 

They have a great department that can service your machine and if you take the time to visit the website and read Mr Bamber (Senior) blog you will understand exactly what foundation this company is built on. I was in stitches reading about how he had to make a delivery on his bicycle, but you will have to read it for yourself as he can tell it far better than me! The one thing that no-one can sell to  you is ‘caring’ and they all have it in bucket loads, They will give you honest advice, sell you exactly what you do need instead of what you think you want! You cannot buy the amount of expertise they have within their workforce and the fact you are one phone-call away makes them approachable no matter where you are based and yes they ship throughout the UK and beyond.

So now you get the idea, they are possibly one of the best kept secrets in Manchester. Their range of sewing, embroidery machines knows no bounds that, with a great range of accessories and haberdashery really does make this a one shop stocks all. 

Of course, in the times of a recession and make do and mend they are now reaching out to a very new band of customers, sewing machines are coming out from under stairs, out from the lofts and getting dusted off. So go on, visit your Nan or Gran get out that sewing machine and get making! Bamber’s can help you with any sewing notions, missing parts or even if you just want to  be  sure that your machine is safe and you need that machine checking over! From patterns to buttons, thread to bobbins they will have what you need. 

If you are a bit rusty or just want to learn a new skill, then please take a look at there workshop page, for details of up and coming courses,  which of course would make the most perfect Christmas Gift!

I personally love the range of Madeira Threads which I think are the best in the market, no thread breaks and a lovely sheen that makes everything you embroider simply look stunning!

So lets get started, with a great competition as  they have offered a perfect gift for one lucky winner. How would you like a sewing basket filled with all of those important essentials! 

So we now want to spread some sewing love, and the lovely folks at Bamber's  Sewing are giving away a fabulous sewing basket filled with all of those lovely things you will need to get your sewing mojo back! this prize is worth over £45 so how great will that be!

Its easy to enter, please view there facebook page  You do not have to like it, but of course we would love you to do that if you want to! so, go and look at the website and see exactly what you do like about it and of course if you want to get details of special offers then please do sign up to there newsletter. 

You will have one entry for any of the responses that you have said you like,  , one additional entry on Twitter and one for any retweet and one if you sign up to there newslettter!  So lots of opportunities to enter and win! If you enter via twitter, please respond with your Twitter ID, please leave your Id on the blog, say how you have entered and don’t forget to leave any comments on Facebook, I know that Alan and The Team would love to hear from your all! To comply with Facebook rules, you do not have sign upto Facebook to enter the competition, or like any of the pages to enter, we want as many entries as possible, so just leave your comments on this blog or an of the other ways to enter.


So leave your comments below to advise how and where you have entered and don't forget to go and say Hi to the team over on Facebook!

The winner will be chosen on 17th December by random .org so you can be sure to have the prize in time for Christmas! Enjoy, and Good Luck!

Oh,  I nearly forgot, about that cheese rolling down a hill, I dare you not to have a chuckle when you read this!

Paint Pot or Bunting?

You know how sometimes, you just need to brighten up a room, or perhaps have a special 'calm' place to sit and read. Well we can't always race off with the paint pot and brighten up that special place can we?

So my immediate and perfect answer is this years 'next best thing' bunting!

Its cheap, effective and can easily be put up or down.

Immediate uses that come to mind are:

• Birthday parties
• Garden parties
• Children's bedrooms
• Perfect in a shabby chic kitchen
• Great to dress a sale table at craft fairs

So if you can't sew won't sew,  how do you find such swathes of loveliness to adorn your special place? 

Well how about looking at Creative Stitching who do some great bunting and guess what some of it is in the SALE!!!

This blue and white checked bunting with sweets

on adjacent flags is now only £5.00/set!

One for the girls

Pink and white flower bunting

I love this Strawberry Fair Bunting

Wouldn't that look great if you sold strawberries at markets or from your garden?

There are just so many to choose from, so why not go and take a look.

Bunting is the way to go and not a paint brush in sight!!