Hello Darlings, welcome to the new look
Today I am…
Thrilled with my new site and hoping you are too. Sitting in a house that somewhat resembles a building site. Worrying about the much infected Molloscum Contagium on Finley’s neck and absolutely certain that Russell Brand would have been a downright wonderful Twelfth Doctor…
Feeling…
Much loved. Excited about learning to ride a bike. Worried about looking ridiculous riding it. Panicked about not being organised for the new school year. Irritated by fuzzy mind playing havoc with my
Reading…
Diane of the Green Van by Leona Dalrymple. Now just because I’m reading it doesn’t necessarily mean I recommend it ok? (!) But this romp of a tale is ludicrous enough to be somewhat enjoyable all the same. It tells of a heiress who orders a green gypsy caravan and sets off travelling from coast to coast in America meeting a range of calamities and eccentric characters along the way. There are a few elements of the story I am finding rather uncomfortable, but political incorrectness is rife in vintage novels and it is often necessary to suspend both disbelief and indeed outrage… So far it’s fun, daft and utterly mad.
Eating…
Gnocchi. Almost every night. With tomato and marscarpone sauce and salad. These food fads come and go, but right now I am blazing a trail through a gnocchi addiction. So shoot me, why don’t ya?
Planning…
A quiet weekend without Finley who is heading to Scootfest to camp with his Dad. The very idea of Mark throwing some shapes on a scooter tickles me, but Finn is absolutely delirious with excitement. Meanwhile I will be cooking up a storm and taking the weekend off myself to plan a certain somebodies tenth birthday…
Dreaming of…
September. Trying to keep a business running throughout the Summer holidays with Finn around and no help at all this year, is nigh on impossible. Though words cannot express how much I adore my child, the fact that he would rather sprawl across me all day long than do almost anything else in the whole wide world, is making working during daylight almost impossible. I miss our ordinary routine…
Coveting…
An antique piano shawl. I saw one at a sale a few weeks ago, but the dealer was asking silly money for it, and though I turned on my bestest puppy eyes and tried to make him understand that he would be doing a service to the wonderful world of vintage if he let me buy it for a sensible price, he was having none of it and I had to walk away empty handed. But I can’t stop thinking about it, and though I believe that what is for you, won’t pass you, I can’t help believing that this was the shawl that got away…
Wishing…
I had been on holiday this year. I can’t imagine what it must be to be away from your life for any significant amount of time.
Working On…
The all new Housekeepers Planner. Catching up with everything I have fallen behind on. Moving my autoresponders to a service that works. Keeping my Sims alive – these darn little pretend people demand more attention than any child ever does!
Celebrating…
Almost ten years of being a Mommy. How on earth is that even possible? The nightmare of being pregnant is still so very fresh in my mind and though I long to do it again, I think I am now coming to terms with always being Mama to just one munchkin.
Grateful For…
The ability to keep on keeping on.
And finally tomorrow I will be…
Having my ears syringed (oh joy). Drinking coffee with a friend while our boys jump around together. Baking a coffee and walnut cake.
On my to-do list this month?
* Make the bed-skirt I have been threatening to make for months…
* Cut all the garden herbs back after a rather abundant crop…
* Make another of my downloads available for Kindle.
* Re-organise cupboards in the laundry room.
* Seek out a doorbell that doesn’t make me squeal in fright whenever someone dares to press it!
* Make a bottle of lavender gin: my two favorite things in one bottle? Why I don’t mind if I do…
Happy August Housekeepers!
The Brocante Round-Up! 
The Brocante Round-Up! 
The Autumn House
Yay! You’re back! I missed you!This week I am also working in the herb garden. I made a nice batch of pesto from the abundance of basil I’ve grow and I froze most of it in an ice cube tray. I’ll move them to an air tight container once they are solid, ready to pop in to a soup or stew during the cold of winter. Hubby says he’s going to roast me a chicken with that pesto under the skin. Delight! 🙂
Barb I seem to have pesto (parsley and basil!) coming out of my ears… and I too have popped it into ice cube trays… its the mint I’m flummoxed by…
Yay! You’re back! I missed you!
This week I am also working in the herb garden. I made a nice batch of pesto from the abundance of basil I’ve grow and I froze most of it in an ice cube tray. I’ll move them to an air tight container once they are solid, ready to pop in to a soup or stew during the cold of winter. Hubby says he’s going to roast me a chicken with that pesto under the skin. Delight! 🙂
Barb I seem to have pesto (parsley and basil!) coming out of my ears… and I too have popped it into ice cube trays… its the mint I’m flummoxed by…
Dry it in the shade, crumble it into a beautiful jar and save it for a winter herbal infusion, to drink or to add to the bath.If you drink alcohol, you could fill a jar with mint, then cover it with vodka and let that sit for….at least a week then strain it out through cheesecloth and use it to make some kind of loverly cocktail. 🙂
Oooh that is exactly what I’ll do: I have got a bottle of lavender gin brewing and so adding a bottle of mint vodka to the cocktail cabinet sounds like a great plan! Thanks Barb.x
Dry it in the shade, crumble it into a beautiful jar and save it for a winter herbal infusion, to drink or to add to the bath.
If you drink alcohol, you could fill a jar with mint, then cover it with vodka and let that sit for….at least a week then strain it out through cheesecloth and use it to make some kind of loverly cocktail. 🙂
Oooh that is exactly what I’ll do: I have got a bottle of lavender gin brewing and so adding a bottle of mint vodka to the cocktail cabinet sounds like a great plan! Thanks Barb.x
So lovely to see you back – the new website is delightful!My baby girl (just turned 10!!) has had the molloscum under her arm and on her knee – it was awful! I don’t know if you have access to DoTerra oils there in the UK, but rubbing a drop of Zendocrine on her belly over her liver really helped. It stopped the pain and inflammation right away!
So lovely to see you back – the new website is delightful!
My baby girl (just turned 10!!) has had the molloscum under her arm and on her knee – it was awful! I don’t know if you have access to DoTerra oils there in the UK, but rubbing a drop of Zendocrine on her belly over her liver really helped. It stopped the pain and inflammation right away!
Lovely to see you back. Will be back for a proper wander around the site later but so glad there are still polka dots here!I have you and BH to thank for keeping me in something that resembles a routine during these holidays with the children off. It’s not the ‘normal’ one but is the closest I’ve ever been to keeping to one.
Enjoy your coffee and the cake.
Lisa x
Lovely to see you back. Will be back for a proper wander around the site later but so glad there are still polka dots here!
I have you and BH to thank for keeping me in something that resembles a routine during these holidays with the children off. It’s not the ‘normal’ one but is the closest I’ve ever been to keeping to one.
Enjoy your coffee and the cake.
Lisa x
So pleased to see you back!! The site is wonderful….I look forward to seeing many posts from you, and so excited as Autumn is my FAVORITE season!!! Love it!!!
So pleased to see you back!! The site is wonderful….I look forward to seeing many posts from you, and so excited as Autumn is my FAVORITE season!!! Love it!!!
Love the new look and layout, it’s so easy on the eye and lovely to read. Thank you Alison.
Love the new look and layout, it’s so easy on the eye and lovely to read. Thank you Alison.
I am absolutely loving the new look Our Alison! It’s so perfectly fresh yet vintage. I am looking forward to Autumn as well. It’s my favorite time of year.
I am absolutely loving the new look Our Alison! It’s so perfectly fresh yet vintage. I am looking forward to Autumn as well. It’s my favorite time of year.