Sunday 15 February 2015

What a week!

Well what a week this seems to have been!  It began last weekend with my trip to Manchester to stay with my friend and a visit to the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show.

Before I go any further though I would like to thank you all for your comments on last week's post.  I really enjoyed reading them but unfortunately I had no time to reply to them and very little time to comment on any of your blogs.  I managed a quick visit to a few of you to keep up with what had been going on but that is all I'm afraid. The heat gun I used is a craft one very similar to one like this.

I had a brilliant time with my friend.  We talked non stop all weekend, much of it about sewing and crafts.  I arrived on the Thursday and our evening's entertainment was watching the first of The Great British Sewing Bee.  Couldn't have been better timing.  Like minded friend to catch up with, bottle of fizzy and the Sewing Bee.  Perfect evening :)

On Friday we visited the show but I have to say I was a little disappointed.  I usually go to the one in Exeter, near where I live, but thought the Manchester one would be bigger and better, hence the weekend away.  Unfortunately it was almost identical! So, although we enjoyed ourselves it was a bit of a let down.

We went for a Snowdrop walk in the gardens of Rode Hall on Saturday.  They had a farmers market and we bought some wonderful cheese to have with crackers and wine for tea.

That's me on the left!
A few snowdrops out, but it's still early days
So white against the dark soil

We enjoyed a lovely lunch in a nearby pub and ended up having a mooch around a wonderful fabric shop in Macclesfield called The Quilting Box.  It looks tiny from the front but it was bursting at the seams with fantastic fabrics.

Sunday we set off for IKEA.  Took a slightly scenic route there - a cross between my lack of knowledge of the area and some dodgy written instructions, but it was far more fun this way, and I got to see a bit of the snow (we hadn't had any in Devon).  For anyone who is interested IKEA do Bomull fabric which is a nice soft calico and at only £2 per metre it is great to use for making up dress making patterns to get the fit right before cutting out in your chosen fabric. 

And as all good things have to come to an end, it was back home on the Monday, BUT not before one last special happening of the weekend!!  Wait for it ....... our youngest daughter and her boyfriend got engaged and announced they were getting married in October this year.  As you can imagine this was just the icing on the cake.  


We are all very pleased for them both and excited about the wedding preparations too.

Even when I returned home the week still remained busy.  I was able to return to my swimming as I had been unable to go for nearly 3 weeks previously because our local swimming pool had been closed as someone had apparently 'pulled the plug out'.  Don't laugh, that was the explanation that was given!!!

I had a couple of lunch dates with more friends and managed to squeeze in an extra quilting session (as I missed out on the week before).  I'll bring you up to date on the quilting another time. We caught up with friends we hadn't seen for a fair few months on Friday lunchtime and our eldest daughter and her boyfriend came home and held her birthday get together here on the Friday evening (11 of them, 5 boys cooking homemade burgers in my kitchen!!!!!  I have to admit, they did do the washing up though!).

We finished off this hectic week with my husband cooking a valentine's meal for us and two of our friends last night. He made a very tasty meal and put a lot of thought into the presentation.  We had garlic mushrooms to start with cute little heart shaped toasts and for dessert he cut the crepes into heart shapes and made spun sugar hearts to decorate the ice cream, all topped with cointreau. Awww :) Unfortunately I was so 'caught up in the moment' and so eager to tuck in, I completely forgot to take photos!!!! 

Phew!  I am hoping to have a much quieter week next week
(although secretly I have really enjoyed it
but shhhhh ... don't tell anyone)

I'll leave you now with a short video of something that happened to me, completely out of the blue this afternoon.  After a walk with friends we met another couple who are motorbike mad (well he is anyway!).  He's been promising me a ride on the back of his motorbike for a while now and today it happened.  Here's the video to prove it!

Sorry, don't know how to rotate the video so you'll need to rotate your pc or perhaps yourself!!!! Hope it works - never uploaded a video before!

Ok I'm going to link up to Handmade Monday now and as as this has made me very happy I will shall link up with Planet Penny's Happy Friday at the end of the week too.  Look forward to catching up with you all.  
Have a great week
x

30 comments:

  1. What a brilliant week you've had! Lovely that you've now got a wedding to look forward to and thanks for uploading the video - looks like you enjoyed the bike ride!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh yes I really enjoyed my week and I am so looking forward to the wedding :)

      Delete
  2. Wow you've been really busy, it sounds like you've had a great time though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did thank you, although I am glad to draw breath now :)

      Delete
  3. Gosh you've had a wonderful week. I envy you having a crafty friend. None of my friends are crafty, which has it's advantages, they think I'm really clever, ha ha. Thanks for letting us know about the heat gun, I will have to check it out. Congratulations to you daughter and her husband to be. Her ring looks beautiful. Looks like you really took to biking being about to wave at the same time. Have a lovely week.
    Ali xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a shame you don't have any crafty friends. You could have joined us as we were up your neck of the woods :) If you haven't got a heat gun you can always use a fine soldering iron, but it will give you a more defined burn. Good fun playing though.

      Delete
  4. What an uplifting post, so full of happy news. Your Valentine's meal sounds wonderful and a wedding to look forward to xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't realised how much had happened during the week until I started writing about it. It did make me feel very happy :)

      Delete
  5. Aargh, I can't see the video on my ipad will have to check it out on the PC. You have certainly had a fun filled week. Big congrats to your daughter. Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, we are all really pleased for them both and will be gaining a wonderful 'son' :)

      Delete
  6. Well you have had a fantastic and busy week. Years since I have been on a motorbike and must say it was so cold almost frozen in the sitting position so never again, lol. Loved your post this week

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I've had a wonderful week. It was only a very short trip on the motorbike, not enough to freeze me lol :) So glad you enjoyed reading :)

      Delete
  7. Sounds lovely. I am doing the opposite to you this week - I live in Manchester and am visiting Devon! I love Devon x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fancy that! I really enjoyed my time in Manchester, everyone seems very friendly up your way :) Devon's good too though, although a slightly slower pace of life down this way!

      Delete
  8. Goodness, what a busy week! I'm so happy you had a lovely time last weekend with your friend and your valentine's meal sounds amazing. Exciting news about your daughter's engagement... i'm sure they'll be some crafting to do for the wedding! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We don't usually celebrate Valentine's Day, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I am really excited about the wedding :) Making things for the wedding, hmmm ... now there's a thought :)

      Delete
  9. Sounds like you had a great week packed full of interesting happenings. Congratulations to your daughter and her future hubby her ring is beautiful. Hope you have a restful week. :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. My daughter's fiance chose it for her and did a wonderful job, but like she said they have been together for nearly 6 years and every time they walked past a jewellers he was subjected to "oooh, I like that one" Lol! Room for error? I think not :)

      Delete
  10. I feel exhausted just reading about it all! Looks like the motorbike ride was the icing on the cake - it seems the video has righted itself by magic too :) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I couldn't work that one out, but wasn't sure if everyone could see it the right way up!! Well, the motorbike ride came a very close second to your sister's engagement!!!

      Delete
  11. Gosh you have had a busy week. Shame about the hobby show. I hope it didn't spoil your weekend.

    Congratulations on your daughters engagement. An autumn wedding. How lovely xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No not at all, I had so many other lovely things to focus on. I am really looking forward to the wedding and agree it's a lovely time of year :)

      Delete
  12. Hi, it looks like you had a great time! I love your photos and the beautiful snowdrops. Congratulations on your daughter's engagement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, it was a little early for carpets of snowdrops. Another week and they would have been beautiful. But the ones that were out looked so 'clean' as we hadn't had any rain!

      Delete
  13. Wow! You've had a wonderfully busy time of it! I'm not quite sure how whether to comment first on the amazingness that must have been watching the sewing bee with a like-minded friend and some bubbly or your daughter's engagement or your husband's heart-themed Valentine's meal. You are one lucky lady! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hadn't thought about it until you said. But, yes, you are right, I am a very lucky lady :)

      Delete
  14. What a brilliant whirlwind week you've had, it all sound like so much fun. I love snowdrops, it's such a pretty little flower. Congratulations to your daughter and future son in laws engagement. :)
    Jan x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I'll pass on everyone's congratulations to them :)

      Delete
  15. wow what a busy week! congrats on your daughters engagement :) would love to go to the show- glad you had fun! nice end having a bike ride- bet was a thrill! x

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a lovely fun filled week - craft, friends, food, engagement and thrills! I could never go on a motorbike, I'd be to scared!! Thanks for the heat gun info.

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate all the lovely comments you leave so thank you for taking precious time to do this.