WIP Wednesday.

Welcome to WIP Wednesday

I have a massive project on the go, its taken me ages to finally get something concrete in mind but I finally settled on something.

My dear friend, the one who I took out last week, is due to get married next month, I need an outfit, but not any old outfit, a pirate outfit !

yep, you heard right she's having a pirate wedding.

I  don't do dressing up, especially plus size dressing up, so this has been a challenge. Everyone, including the parents, are dressing up, so there was no get out clause. 

After much Internet browsing I had a vague idea in mind, so what was needed was a trip to the fabric store, as luck would have it they had a pattern sale on, and low and behold, there it was, the pattern.

Much joy at finally deciding upon something, I grabbed some fabric to get started,

Want to take a peak?

Dear friend loves it, so it must be OK, she'd tell me if it wasn't! more of a pirate wench look?

Going a bit off pattern in fabric choices, here's what I bought for the skirt

a gorgeous red/black effect, thought I could re-purpose after with a 'going out' top

Its quite subtle but I love it, just the thing for a pirate wedding. and it needs to be cool, shes getting married on the SS Great Britain, likely to get warm below deck.

Not totally sure about fabric choice for the waistcoat, maybe plain black? with red ribbon/piping

it is a wedding after all I don't want to look too drab..

I am actually getting quite excited now, lets hop I can pull this off.

A big warm welcome to....

My gorgeous new Sewing machine..

I  bought her a pink carry bag

to keep her safe

I was very good

I read the instruction manual first

having never had a fancy machine before,

I needed to!

I tried out the stitch and tension settings before I even cut a pattern

Luckily I had some nice new fabric to christen her with

My first ever go at Pleats!

Don't be fooled its a very simple top

It is such a joy to sew with a machine that likes to sew

I can see us spending many happy hours together

I am a very happy bunny today !

Busy but mindful.

This has been a really busy week,work-wise,it falls like that sometimes,early 7am starts and working till 6 just to get it done, but I managed to leave on Friday all caught up, next week should be a slower pace.

The joy of early starts is the peace, everyone still sleeping and quiet traffic free roads into the city centre. I quite like it. I also get to enjoy my morning cuppa enjoying the day start to unfurl itself, the lovely weather this week has been bliss

spending time in the garden drinking the first cuppa of the day, admiring the garden starting to fall into shape for the summer, the boys have been hard at work.

Bit of a rush Tuesday evening to fetch no 1 son from his work experience day at the zoo farm, but I got to take in the glorious view as I drove up through the country side, and whilst waiting for him in the car park could watch the busy little dove cote set against the blue sky

I just love those colours.

I have admired my poinsettia that sits on the kitchen windowsill, still in flower from Christmas, as the morning sun hits it.

we have spent time loving our hound

despite the all clear from the vets, it is obvious that something is not quite right, the last day or so hes been whining and seems to have been having trouble with his neck and legs, I hope its just the after effects of whats happened this week and not a side effect of the lumbar puncture, time will tell. 

Thursday was weigh day, another 2lb loss, that makes 9.5lbs in total..not bad after a full night out last Saturday, hoping for a small loss this coming week as I did totally blow it at the restaurant on Friday night.

Then the week finished with my lovely no 1 son turning 17 on Friday, he chose to spend the evening with us as a family, having been at college in the day. We headed down to the harbour side again, his choice of venue  ZaZa Bazaar, an all you can eat buffet style restaurant for a set price, the choice was amazing. 

we parked up and admired the food village being erected ready for the food festival

something to look forward to

Having suitably stuffed our selves we were home early and spent the rest of the evening together, it was a lovely night, no 1 son said it had been his best birthday yet. But he says that every year.

A lovely week , consciously looking for the beauty around me despite being rushed off my feet, simple pleasures.

The hound: catch up.

This week dear hound went back to the veterinary hospital for the 2nd part of his tests.

Having been there the week before he was none to happy.

Last weeks blood tests all came back clear so this week he had a lumber puncture and MRI scan.

Hubs dropped him in the morning and I had to go collect him in my teeny motor..

took the boys in case he was a bit 'active' on the back seat.

I needn't have worried he was still zonked out.

Poor chap had a massive shaved patch on the back of his head from the lumbar puncture

we got him in through rush hour traffic and didn't hear a peep out of him until the next day

no 1 son went out in sympathy with a nose bleed!

We had a long wait then until the following evening before we got the test results

thankfully there was nothing wrong, all clear, phew.

This means that he will be treated with anti-consultants for idiopathic Epilepsy

we are going to try him on the meds and hope for the best, that's all we can do.

Unfortunately poor hound is due his annual injections so hes going to have to have another trip to the vets.

This month has been a very expensive month on the hound front, luckily the bill for the animal hospital is covered by insurance, are calculations was that it would have been approximately £2,000 but we have had to cover the adaptil, zylkene, worming tabs and flea tabs this month, along side his natural food diet, hes monthly budget has been bust!

But we still have our lovely boy and hes as healthy as he can be.

What a night !

What can I say we had a fab night, trouble is I'm not using to going out late and I was rather jaded yesterday.

We arrived on a sunny day in the harbourside, which means it was packed to the rafters, everywhere!

we managed to find a place to sit and enjoy a beverage before heading over to the boat for food.It was scrummy. Dear friend loved it.

We had the timings just right so after stuffing ourselves we headed down to the theatre.

Its a great old theatre lots of character and small enough to be cosy.

The show was different, at one point my friend did say 'I dont have a clue whats going on' 

despite losing the plot it was an enjoyable show. Friend was thrilled.

We were out earlier than expected so had a walk around the harbourside and watched the world go by, on a Saturday night it was very entertaining!

That's the little boat we ate on.

Friend was very happy with her night and didn't want it to end, me on the other hand needed to get home to bed.

Excited...

Oh my days I am so excited.

Today is the day I get to take one of my best friend's out for the night

shes getting married next month and isn't having a hen 'do'

shes not one for a 'fuss'

so I have planned a little girly night just for the 2 of us

I rarely go 'out' so struggled to find something different to do

want to know what I chose for her?

First up a quick mojito at Turtle bay

then a brief walk down to the harbor to dine on Tapas

image from google 

Its a little boat called Under the stars moored in the harborside

I've been dying to try it out.

Then after filling our bellies and partaking of another cocktail or two we are off to the theatre

image from google

I have booked to see a play called ' Under the dark moon'

quirky & weird but right up our street. I haven't been to the theatre in years.

To finish the night we will wander back to the harbor-side for 1 last beverage before my lovely husband comes to collect us, I'm not brave enough to face the taxi que in 'Town' at night!

Now I'm off to sort out the wardrobe malfunction  as I cant find a damned thing to wear!

RnR

A long weekend away followed by 4 very long days at work meant I was desperate for some home time.

Just to poddle and sort, I like to sort, and plan of course.

Nothing much happened this week.

The hound went off to the Vets for his blood works, poor soul, he most certainly was not going to let them stick a needle in him, so they had to sedate him, it took 3 lots of sedation before they got the required bloods, he was traumatised to say the least, its taken him since Thursday to get back to normal, he lost his bark until this morning. But now hes back to mad max mode. Unfortunately he has to go back next week for his MRI.On the plus side his blood results were normal.

Today I hit the garage at 8.30am to get the recall work done on the car, one thing off my list! then home to blue skies and wind! whoop whoop, 4 loads of laundry in and out in no time, No clothes airer to be seen and nothing on the radiators! I even chucked my blanket in.

I love that blanket.

No 2 son is trying to earn extra pocket money so has taken a lot of the weekend chores off of my hands, I'm liking that.Hubs checked all the levels in my car and no 2 son cleaned inside the car for me, I'm having a great weekend.

Now all my chores are done, just have to pick up no 2 son from the zoo, his volunteer day, then I'm undecided as to whether to sew or knit. I have new fabric!

Happy days. 

x

Day 3.

Day 3 arrived full of promise, it was a our last day to get out and about and today was no 1 son's choice.

Being an animal lover he chose to visit Paradise Park.

I have to say Birds aren't really my thing, luckily it was a lovely day and the gardens were worth a wander and there were some other animals to coo over .

Red Panda cubs, Twins!

cute bunnies!

Goats.

Sheep.

And plenty of Birds.

I even treated myself to a little cream tea

As it was our last evening we stopped so I could get my obligatory look at the sea..

I have to be honest it was blooming freezing. I chickened out of a walk on the beach, just did a mini mooch along the cliff top, and the boys refused to get out of the car!

We had a great weekend and before we knew it it was all over, Monday was spent motorway driving, it was madness, every time we say we wont drive back bank holiday and every year we do. On the plus side Hubs drove so I could sit and watch the world go by, shame it was the hottest day

There was a tinge of sadness as we drove back, this will probably be the last weekend no 1 son comes with us to Cornwall, in his words ' we done it so many times' , it doesn't appeal to him. When we make the big  move he doesn't want to come, by then he will be around 21-22, so will have found his own way and who knows where we will all be by then,5 years is a long way ahead. 

So for now I savour our time together and  make some more memories.