So pleased :0)

Well reading wise I think I had a pretty fantastic week for me. I managed to read TWO books this week. I cannot believe it and I'm so happy/proud of myself for being able to do this. As I've mentioned before I'm a pretty slow reader so to do this I was really pleased. 

So book number one for the week I started reading last Sunday

I had finished reading this in about two and half/three days. I just flew through it. Michelle's writing style was just brilliant, it had me flying through the pages. I kept on wanting to read about Mara and how things were going to progress for her and whether she was going to be able to cope and get through. She did start to annoy me a little bit towards the end but at the same time I suppose her actions were justified. Noah's character started to develop a lot more towards the end and we started to understand why he had be drawn to Mara in the first place and I would have liked for him to become a bit more rounded. I'm hoping he features in the second book some more and we can learn even further. The ending I didn't see coming at all, even though now when looking back there were hints towards it but still didn't expect it was just brilliant and the second book will be getting put into my tbr jar. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Now onto book two for the week, as I finished reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer while I was at work I asked my husband to pull my next read out of my tbr jar so I could see what it was and see whether I needed to download it on kindle or if I have a copy at home etc. So he pulled out for me 

I didn't know much about this book going into it other than what other people had commented about it really, so therefore I knew it was about quite an emotional topic, that it had evoked lots of emotions and thoughts in people. I actually bought this book on kindle on Christmas Day afternoon when Amazon had put up lots of offers so I got this for 99p.

I wasn't 100% sure how I was going to feel about this book going in but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story is told from 19 year old Matthew's point of view and he suffers with mental illness. I found this quite difficult to read in the beginning because it kept on jumping from one part to another but then that was the whole idea with it being from Matthew and a lot of it is written in a stream of consciousness which was a really interesting idea. You cannot help but feel for both the main protagonist and his family around him. It is obviously a struggle for everyone involved. It is a touching story of someone's daily battle with such an unfortunate illness and helps put a lot of things into perspective. It was a good read and worth exploring, 3.5 out of 5 stars. In a way I want to recommend to people who have read The Curious Incident if the Dog in the Nighttime and enjoyed this.

Late yesterday morning I pulled out my next read from my tbr jar (which I was a little disappointed to pull out as I was hoping for another read. Might just have to cheat next time and search it out and read it next heehee) I pulled out this one

I finished wither not long before Christmas and I really enjoyed it so I was quick to ask for Fever and the final installment Sever for Christmas. I had really enjoyed wither and so was pleased to get these. 

I'm only about 30 odd pages in and I'm not quite sure about it at the moment, I thought there would be a bit more before suddenly getting into turmoil but I guess we'll see as it goes on. I'm just aiming to finish this one book this week but I'll see how I get on as I know we are out for a period of time this evening, and I'm possibly out on Thursday as well so could eat into a bit of reading time. But the goal is to have this finished on or by Sunday.

Other bit I have to say about this week too is that I've started to make a baby quilt for a work colleague who goes on maternity leave at the end of February so only a few more weeks to go. I'm hoping to have it finished before she goes on leave so I can give it her. On Sunday my mum and dad came over for a little bit as my mum is going to help me do it, so I chose a block pattern for the centre of the quilt and then I'll put a couple of boards round it before binding it. We didn't get as far along as we thought we would yesterday but we got the fabric cut out for the centre block and I'm hoping to sewing them together this week and then I can cut some fabric for the boarders on the weekend before joining the backs and the front with the wadding in between. I will update with progress but here's a first look at the fabric cut and waiting to be sewn for the centre block 

That's all for this week, hope you've enjoyed reading and I haven't waffled too much.

xx

I love reading

Hello,

Well I had my birthday on Friday which was really nice as I'd booked the day off work so had some time at home which actually just gave me chance to get the food ready for that evening as we had family coming over to celebrate with me. So was a really great day and evening.

I was really pleased with myself yesterday as I managed to finish Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which I didn't think I would be able to get finished as I had had a rather busy week with a gathering at my husband's gran, a birthday meal/catch up with my best friend on Thursday then birthday on Friday so a lot of my evenings which would usually involve some reading were taken up with other lovely activities. But I did it I don't know how but I finished it yesterday morning and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I mean this was a re-read so as many people are I was very familiar with the story. But it was just brilliant I wasn't bored at any stage, I didn't skim over any parts I just loved it and picked up on a few little details as ever whenever you re-read a book.

Also another major book related issue. For my birthday my husband got me an amazing bookmark which I am completely besotted with. Look at how incredible it is

Isn't it gorgeous, I am so happy with it it's unbelieveable. I think it had the desired effect my husband was hoping for. The fox is made out of pewter, I love it so much. I'm hoping the next book I pull out of my tbr jar is one I have in paperback so I can use it some more.
This picture shows just how much I managed to read on Friday afternoon, Saturday during parts of the day and Sunday morning. As I was given this on Friday morning. Just soo happy with it and think it's probably my favourite present. My sister did also get my a £10 waterstones voucher though and I'm rather pleased with that too haha 

So that means I'm two full books down towards my goal of 20 for the year (although it's classed as my third because I finished MTLGTM just a couple of days into the new year) On to my 4th book for the year and I picked out of my lovely tbr jar this:

  Now I've heard and seen this book floating around on booktube for a while and I've only heard good things about. But at the same time it was mostly when people were give their top series or books of the year so I hadn't actually heard in much detail about the book itself. ( I know a lot of people loving Noah Shaw) So I was going into this book quite blind and didn't know much other than the blurb on the back so here it is taken from Amazon:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger. She wakes from a coma in hospital with no memory of how she got there or of the bizarre accident that caused the deaths of her best friends and her boyfriend, yet left her mysteriously unharmed. The doctors suggest that starting over in a new city, a new school, would be good for her and just to let the memories gradually come back on their own. But Mara's new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere, and when she suddenly begins to see other people's deaths right before they happen, Mara wonders whether she's going crazy! And if dealing with all this wasn't enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen can't seem to leave her alone… but as her life unravels around her, Mara can't help but wonder if Noah has another agenda altogether…

Obviously I haven't finished this book yet but I am loving it! I don't know how but I'm already 152 pages in which considering I didn't even download it until yesterday afternoon and that I'm a slow reader speaks volumes for the book. It's probably the length of the chapters which makes it easier too as they are quite short. I'm really enjoying the book so far though, Mara is coming across as a very likable, relatable character although how much of a reliable character she is I'm unsure yet because of how far in I'm in. Whether this will change I don't know yet. I also have mixed feelings about Noah Shaw who I'm guessing is the main love interest in the story but again because of how far in I am I don't know about him just yet. I am engrossed by Michelle Hodkin's writing style it flows nicely and keeps me wanting to turn the next back, although I'm reading this on my kindle so guess clicking :O) 
I was hoping to hold out and get these in paperback but they were out of stock on Amazon, and Waterstones (both online and in store) so I went with the download. 
I'm going to try and aim again to have this finished on Sunday but I'm not sure how I will do as obviously this is a larger book than Harry Potter, and I'm also doing some sewing with my mum on Sunday so that means I won't have as much time to read on the weekend as finishing up but who knows how I'll progress with it during the week.

I'm just completely loving reading at the moment and books I can't get enough of them. I'm just having to restrain myself from buying more. Need to get through a few more that I have already first and I think I will make a list and purchase a few towards the end of the month. Think I will have to give myself a limit, of how much I spend and how many I buy a month. In relation to how many I've read.

Well hope this is a enough of a bit of an update for now. Type soon xx

Heading into Week 2

Hello,

Well with being back at work last week I don't have as much to say as last time but I'm still pretty pleased. I managed to finish Shadow and Bone 

I finished this on Saturday and it was brilliant. I really enjoyed Alina as a main character I was hoping and routing for her and Mal throughout most of the book. I don't want to give too much away as I hope you'll want to read this yourself (which I completely recommend if you're a fan of fantasy). But I'm going to cheat slightly and here is the blub off waterstones

 'Lonely orphan Alina discovers a power that could be the key to saving her

 kingdom. But can she trust the seductive, powerful Darkling? And what about Mal, the childhood best friend she can't quite forget? Irresistible. Epic. This is glorious sweeping fantasy and the romance to end all romances' 

This was a really great read, it kept me gripped and wanting to read on and see what would happen but also how it would end as I was fully aware going into this that it was a trilogy. So I was always wondering getting towards the end how they would close this off. I suppose you could read this as a standalone but you would be left with a lot of unanswered questions but also I don't know any one who would just want to read this one, it's such a great read you do just want to go onto the next one. I have popped the second one (Siege and Storm) into my tbr jar right away and plan on purchasing once my birthday has passed on Friday. (Just to make sure don't do any doubling up and see if I get any book vouchers.)

So the next book which was pulled out (by hubby) of my tbr jar is a reread and it's this beauty 

I got this new set for Christmas from my mum and dad and it's just soo darn pretty and it just feels amazing in your hands its like a rubbery texture which is probably the wrong way to describe it but that's how it feels to me. So as I said this is a reread, and I'm not setting myself the task of reading them all this year which I know some booktubers and book bloggers. How I'm approaching it is, when I've read the one the next one will be put into the tbr jar and then when I pull that one out and so forth so there's no guarantee when I will read the next one. I just figured this was a nice way of going about it and also I won't feel guilty about getting distracted by other books in between. So I'm currently upto chapter 3 and hoping to have it finished by/on the weekend but just have to see how I go as there should hopefully be a few things going on this week. 

Making good progress so far with my challenge of the year of 20 books though 2 complete and onto the third and it's only 12th Jan :) 

I did also manage to do some Project Life over the weekend as well, I pretty much managed to complete two more pages although there is one slot left for a photo and I need to change of the cards in it.

I just need to change the bottom left card in this one to a month card and then this page will be complete. The top left is a recap card, I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment so might change this one slightly but will be the same concept and information. 

Here's the second page this is the one which is missing a photo or card but not 100% sure what to pop in their yet I might change the recap card and split onto two but it will get filled. Still pleased with the progress I've been making and hope to keep it up.

This is mainly all I have to share this week sorry was a bit quieter with heading back to work after the Christmas hols but will hope to have more next week with activities going on and hoping to get projects started and continued.

xx

2015 ! !

Hello 2015! 

I know I know I dropped off a bit at the end of last year but there was a fair bit going on and I didn't feel I wanted to blog about it and then as always life just got a bit on top of me. But it's a New Year and so back to trying to write each Monday morning.

I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and New Year. Our Christmas was lovely and was just so nice to have a decent length of time off work and be at home. Although as with when you have any time off several days were filled up with things. But before going back to work today I had a great day at home seeing my best friend in the morning, family at lunch (very tasty food) and then a quite evening me and the husband bliss before back to the grind stone today haha. 

I'm going to be following much of the same format as last year with posting about books I've been reading, things I've been making and doing, exciting dishes I've been cooking and just generally what I've been getting upto.

So let's start off with books. I'm going to attempt the Good Reads reading challenge this year I didn't quiet make my target last year but then I didn't start until May so missed out on a few month. I'm going to be realistic with my goal though so I can hopefully achieve it. I've set myself the target of 20 books for the year which might sound a low target but I figured that still more than one book a month and allows for if I've chosen a large book to tackle so here's to hoping.

I've finished one book so far this year:

I started this one as a 12 days of Christmas read but it was soooo good I couldn't just stick to one a day. I couldn't more highly recommend this as a Christmas read and even one for picking up in the winter and doing rereads. I was really surprised by the amount of stories I loved in this book and there was only 1 which I didn't like at all and just ended up skimming over. But I cannot stress how good some of the stories are in it and how much I wanted them to be full length books. I have this 5 out of 5 and well it's just so darn pretty too!!

So onto the next book for this year which I started shortly after finishing the above. I've started reading: 

I'm only 100 pages into it so far but I'm enjoying it. It's a fantasy book and it's based around a girl called Alina, as I said I'm only 100 pages in so far and so it's all only just starting to happen in the plot. But so far I'm really enjoying the writing style and the characters. I've just started thinking about where I think it might go when I'm reading it and what I might expect so will be interesting when I carry on as to whether my thoughts and ideas will pan out, I'm hoping I'm wrong about a couple of feelings and get some nice surprises. So far so good though and just have to wait to see how it goes. I probably won't mention this one again until I've finished it though. 

Craft things.
So to begin with I wanted to make a tbr (to be read) and tbw (to be watched) jars. I've seen tbr jars in various forms on booktube for a little while and well I wanted to do my own and guess it would help me decide which book to read next if I haven't got one in mind and I can keep on adding to it.
Now the tbw jar was because my husband and I are very indecisive sometimes and this way it took responsibility from each of us with which film to pick. We're going to try out this year making sure we put at least 1 night a side for us to do something together, whether watch a film, go for a meal etc. So we wrote 18 films down and added them to the jar. I'm really pleased with the way the jars look and turned out.

So after not much persuasion and hardly any encouragement I'm going to give Project Life a go this year and the aim is to stick at it. My best friend came over on Sunday to give me a hand as she had already started hers and she also showed me how to use some apps and also we found out that we can use our printer direct from our iphone and ipads which will make things so much easier and I'm just so happy that we will be able to print direct from them rather than having to send to emails and then print from laptop etc just soo excited and will hopefully help keep motivation because of the ease of being able to do it. Also my best friend and I have made an agreement that we will help keep each other motivated with doing it and on track so fingers crossed to see how it goes. Here is my front page of this years album :-) I'm really happy with the way it has turned out. 

There are probably some things I'm forgetting but I guess they can always be covered in another post.
I hope you are all having a brilliant start to the New Year.
xx

Making progress :)

A bit late with my post today but it's been a bit of a busy day so far. 

Last week was a rather quick week. There wasn't too much going on during the week, we went for a meal at my parents and my niece was there also and so she completely bypassed me to go straight to Husband. She's so cute. 

We had a new calf born on Thursday as well just before going to my parents so that was nice. Was a rather large bull calf.

So onto the weekend. Saturday I met up with one of my friends and we went on a little Christmas spree, so we first went to HomeSense and they always have lovely things in there. I managed to get a little something for my niece, some Jamie Oliver ceramic measuring cups as a lot of the recipes I find online to try out are American and so they always seem to use cup measurements. I also got two new mugs for Husband and I which are Christmas themed to have our low calorie hot chocolates in. I'm currently loving Option Outrageously Orange flavor which is only 36 calories a mug so a really nice treat on the cold evenings and don't have to feel guilty about having one

Look how lovely it is and a great size too. The one I got husband is blue and has a snowman and snowflakes on it and is a little bit bigger and they just make great hot chocolate mugs.

During the festive spree I just couldn't resist these from Dunelm

Love them, they are festive without going over the top and even better husband likes them too so I didn't get moans and groans about them being Christmas themed.


Husband decided to organise going up our local pub with some friends on Saturday night and so I was left with the flat to myself and I managed to

 finish Anna and the French Kiss by Stephine Perkins. Lets just say I completely get the hype around this book. It was just a great contemporary romance read. There wasn't anything in the book that made me get annoyed or want to put it down. Anna is a really likable character and just seems like a really reliable protagonist. I loved the story between Anna and St.Clair, it didn't feel cliche or fake or predictable, it just felt honest and true and some of the situations you could really relate to. I just loved Stephanie's writing style and I couldn't recommend this more highly, I give it 5 out of 5. As you can see from previous blog I did a bit of a book haul with Stephanie's books and I'm so glad I jumped straight in and got all three. But I am going to read a couple of books in between but I will hopefully soon be on Lola and the Boy Next Door. But yes if your still umming and arrring about getting Anna and the French Kiss just go and get it, you won't regret it.

I did take a few minutes on Saturday night also while Husband was out to

WRAP SOME CHRISTMAS PRESENTS! ! ! I'm really pleased with the papers and ribbon I've chose this year. I think they look pretty. I got the paper in this picture from Stampin Up as I used to be a demonstrator for them but I couldn't dedicate enough time to it so I am no longer a demonstrator. But I still love their products and would definitely recommend them and I can put you in touch with a demonstrator if anyone is interested. But yes definitely got into the Christmas spirit while doing these beauties haha I have now wrapped all the presents I have got so far accept two. Saving those for another evening and hopefully when I've picked up the last few.

Onto the next book

Can you guess what it is.........
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas it was on offer (and think it still is) on Kindle for 51p! 51p a complete bargain and again I've heard good reviews about this book and at 51p I thought it was worth the risk. So I'm trying to read at the moment where I read a paperback and then read a kindle book (this will only continue while I have new paperbacks to read) I'm a little bit further in that the picture suggests now as I took this not long after I started it yesterday morning and so far so good. I don't really want to say too much about it so far as I'm only about 10% in but we shall see how it goes.

Final pic and news.
I tried another new tea yesterday

Strawberry and Mango, this one definitely didn't disappoint on the smell test, it smelt like an ice lolly. When I smelt it, it made me want to pop it into those make your own ice lolly containers and stick it in the freezer. Once it had cooled down enough for me to actually drink as well it tasted really nice, it was really subtle flavors and not over powering at all so again another hit. I'm obviously being too lucky with tea and am bound to get a duff one as some point. But so far been really pleased and surprised. 

So that's all for today and hope it's given you some idea what I've been up to and where I've got to. If anyone ever want to suggest a book or do a read along with me just get in touch.

Getting a bit nippy

Morning,

It's Monday again can't believe how quickly the weekend flies by. Now I've decided to take a new approach to this blog, which some of you may have noticed already. I'm going to try and give an update each Monday and that way hopefully I'll have some interesting bits to speak about from the week before. Sometimes on special occasions there may be an extra post but that's what I'm working towards so far.

Well as you can see from the picture above it's getting a bit nipper here and winter will soon be upon us in full flow. But what a better way to spend part of the weekend than with a log burning fire, lots of tea and some books.

Update on books to beginning with. Right so I was reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer
 
Now to begin with I was really enjoying the book, obviously the title gives it away with it being a twist on the Cinderella story so you pick up on influences of this straight away. But I was really enjoying the premises of the story. I was loving the whole cyborg element and Cinder herself is a really great protagonist. I wanted to find out more about her and how she was going to get through, however it just started to become too predictable. It began to get so predictable that I started skim reading and I was able to keep up with it all and even know exactly what I would come across. I know a lot of people would say well what did you expect when your already familiar with the Cinderella tale but I just felt that even though so much was done in the beginning to create a new premise that I was just really disappointed. I don't know if I will pick up Scarlet at this point but I wouldn't rule it out completely as I did enjoy Cinder as a character but I just won't be doing it yet. Will probably be one for filling in a gap. I give this book 2 out 5. But I would recommend it if you are particle to the Cinderella tale and looking for a new version and style of it. I would also recommend it for younger readers also maybe those aged 12/13.
But now as I've finished Cinder that does mean I get to start this tonight:
 
I cannot wait to start reading this as I'm in the mood for something a little different. So I think this will just do the trick. I have heard nothing but raving reviews for this book that as you will see from my previous post I bought all three Stephanie Perkins at once so I just hope it lives up to the hype and I don't regret it. 

So other bits which have gone on this week/weekend. 

I didn't get round to doing anymore sewing this week which I'm frustrated with myself about so I must catch up this week so I'm at the next stage for the weekend when I hope Mum is going to be coming over to do the backs of the covers with me and then I can do the quilting bits of it before joining the back to the front and job done, will just be a case of going and getting the inners.

We went and babysat for my niece on Saturday night, we were tied to the farm as we were milking on Saturday. So did normal duties in the morning, and did a couple more jobs before heading to Waitrose to get a food shop and then back for lunch and the England Rugby game which involved a lot of shouting at the tv and just general screams haha. Then onto evening milking before heading over to my parents where we were looking after my niece. As she's familiar with my parents and has her own room there so figured she would be a lot more settled if we stayed there with her rather than bring her out to the farm.
My niece is completely obsessed with my husband at the moment, she didn't want to the read the book with me she would take it and go straight to him, when we gave her a bath she wanted us both there, and then she has a little routine of watching an episode of In the Night Garden before heading up to bed and well as you can see...

There was only one person she wanted to watch it with. But that's all fine with me she is so cute and it's so nice that she likes husband so much and he's very good with her playing games, looking at books and so I don't mind at all and I knew I was having my time with her in the morning. Husband had to escape back to the farm early in the morning to do jobs so was just me and her playing and dancing and singing, she loves Frozen and has a doll which sings the let it go song and she's just so darn cute.

After getting back on Sunday morning Hubby and I popped to a farmers market which is held at a local pub every second Sunday of the month and it's always exciting to go along (have only been twice haha)so we got some fresh produce and some mackerel to have for tea tonight after milking so really looking forward to that. We're trying to loose a bit of weight at the moment so I'm on 1300 calories a day, have only been following this for a week and so far I've lost about 3lb which I'm pleased with and hopefully can keep this up until at least the new year and we are only planning on having 4days off in between now and then. My husbands birthday on 26th, we're going to the BBC Good Food Winter Show on 30th and then Christmas Day and Boxing Day. My aim is to have lost 8lb by Christmas which I'm hoping and thinking should be a realistic goal to have so just have to wait and see and keep trying. 

After we got back from the farmers market it was onto a practical task. As the first picture shows we have a log burner which helps to heat our flat (we don't have an central heating). So we took a trip down to the wooded area at the bottom of one of our fields to fill a trailer with logs for keeping us warm. The boys had been down some previous years to cut some lengths and so the wood is well seasoned and so was just a case of chopping them up into more manageable sizes.

Now this is definitely a job for Husband, I help by stacking up the logs in the trailer and driving down, I helped a little bit but I'm quiet scared of the saw bench (rightfully so) I just stick to the other bits of the task keeps us all happy then. So on the way I drove the Gator and empty trailer and well lets just say it was a little bit wet and muddy in places and I wasn't allowed to drive that back so I drove the tractor and saw bench back. Another thing I like to do while we're down there is take cute pictures of these

They came down for a run around and a play, but they are also very well behaved as we tell them to stay in the back of the gator when everything else is going on to keep them safe and out of the way. But look how cute they are just so lovely, have a couple of close up pics of them as well.

So we got a whole trailer full of wood again which will hopefully help keep us nice and warm for a few more weeks before we have to take another trip down and chop some more. It's a nice task to do really.

Had a nice relaxing evening where we drank tea (not just normal I'm trying out some different fruit teas at the moment and the two I've tried so far have been rather nice and well they smell so great) and I read while Hubby watched tv. Sunday's tends to be our day together which is always nice and means we actually get a good block of time together. 

I think that's everything but if I remember anything else I'll either add a post or include it in next week's. Bye for now and hope everyone is enjoying the move into Winter and the Christmas period (I am :) ) 

   

Weekend Mix

Morning,
Well this post it going to be a bit of a mix of things. It's going to contain; books, baking and sewing :)

So to crack on with it. Books. I can't remember if I've told you this previously but my Husband put me on a physical book buying ban. I was allowed to buy books on my kindle and get books from the library just not allowed to buy books to have in the house. This is because when we first got together the kindle hadn't been realised yet and I was bring two bookshelves worth of books with me and he didn't like the amount of space they took up so I wasn't allowed to get anymore until I got rid of some. Which made sense because at the time we didn't live in a very large space. Well a long time has pasted and the rule has now changed to as long as I don't increase the amount of space I'm allowed to get books. So what I've been doing is books which I first got in paperback I'm continuing in paperback and then just adding a couple here and there and have got rid of few here and there. So on Saturday I knew we were going to be popping into town and there are some books going around which I've heard loads about and they just look so pretty, I figured I could sacrifice some and donate these to charity bookshop and buy some new ones and that's what I did :D

Don't they look amazing! I was really lucky as well. I decided I didn't want to wait to order them from the net and so went to my local Waterstones in town and I had come to terms with the fact they were probably going to be a little bit more than I would usually pay but thanks to the wonderful offers in store, I paid about the same amount I would online. Lola and the Boy next door was on offer for half price! Then the other three were in a buy one get one half price offer, I know I know why didn't I pick up another book half price but there wasn't one I could really see I had already flagged as wanting to read and I was on a tight schedule so I didn't. But really pleased with this haul and once I have finished Cinder which is taking me a bit longer than I hoped it would and expected I will move onto Anna and the French kiss and I cannot wait to read this.

Next on my mixed weekend was MINCE PIES!

Now part of my personality which drives a couple of people mad (including my Husband sometimes) is that I f**cking love Christmas. I mean it is amazing and I love it and it's completely one of my favorite times of the year. So now that it's November I am allowed to start getting Christmassey. So naturally one of the first things to do to get you towards the Christmas spirit is homemade mince pies. I love homemade mince pies and I love the fact they are so easy to do. I got my sweet almond pastry recipe from my Dad last year and I love it. (I know a lot of love being mentioned and used) So we enjoyed eating a few of these yesterday with a cup of tea.

Then finally for my mixed batch weekend was I did some more sewing. Part of the reason we popped into town on Saturday was to get some more fabric for making cushion covers for my Mother in Law as part of her Christmas present this year. So because they are for her I wanted Husbands input on it. We had picked out some fabric which I had already at home and just need a couple of others for the backing and one other pattern for the block. My mum is still helping me learn with my sewing, the truth of the matter is I don't think we ever stop learning so my parents came over yesterday afternoon and we cut all the pieces ready and started sewing them together and this is how far I got and you can see the idea for the two covers.

I still have to finish sewing these together and placing a boarder round them, then that will be the front finished, then onto the back and joining them together. I quiet enjoy doing covers (accept for the zip part this is still tricky) and they are quick so should hopefully be able to get these finished in the next week before going onto a secret project for my mum as she keeps on saying oh well when will I make something for her. So that's my plan and will update with progress as it goes along.

Hope you've enjoyed reading and until next time :)