January.

The first month of the year almost over, Its gone so quick.

The month started in my favourite place, Cornwall

it was wet & wild, but just the thing to blow the last years cobwebs away. I have given up new years resolutions, generally they never get met, so January was about pondering where I want the year to go

Back home from Cornwall, it was heads down and crack on. I managed to get back on top of the work stuff so work has settled into a good rhythm now, lets hope it stays like it. Having the right balance means I can focus on the things I love and want to do for me, sewing for example

I absolutely love this book, I  sneakily bought some gorgeous fine cord fabric to make this tunic

picture from celtic fusion fabrics, go check out their fabrics, its my new favourite shop! if you are on facebook they do remnant sales on a saturday, I have picked up some fab remnants, just need to get sewing now. This is my february project! [hubs is taking me away for the night for my Bday so want something nice to wear.]

I did manage to sew a denim skirt ! not been brave enough to wear it though.

January saw me sign back up to slimming world,. has to be done, this flab isn't going anywhere fast, just a pound a week is my goal, missed weigh in this week as I have had the dreaded ' heavy cold', [not flu ]! despite working in healthcare I have had to grin and bear it and go to work , [ sickness policy] so have basically collapsed into a heap when home from work, big shout out to Aldis 'Flu Max'  all in one cold and flu remedy ! works a treat.

 I got myself a fitbit

Yep its pink, [ pic from fitbit website]

I love it, it really spurs me on to get extra steps in each day, I have loitered around 9k steps per day, some days its been nearer 11k others more 8k, yesterday when I succumbed to the cold and had a non day it was only 4k not bead given I didn't' leave the house. The combination of slimming world and fitbit meant I did manage to shift 3.5 lb of fat.. 

Februarys goal is to lose 4 lbs over the month. Slow but sure, its a change of eating & exercise habits not a strict regime, I need to be able to keep this up and maintain it..

This year I want to make more of an effort to meet up with my long standing friends, those that you see only a couple of times a year, we visited one of my best friends this month for a meal, it was great to catch up, she doesn't live that far away and though we 'text' talk most days its just not the same is it? February sees us have plans to meet up with 2 of our 'couple friends' look at me, getting a  social life ! 

So here's to February, my birthday month, I have a feeling its going to be a good month.

x

WIP Wednesday.

Rainbow sparkle snuggly socks

just the project for cold winter nights.

Sunday Sewing...

Sadly no snow here today, just more rain!

A perfect day to stay in doors and Sew.

 I have been itching to try out my new pattern book, so today was the day, dived into my fabric stash and the denim was calling me. A quick flick through the book and I decided on a SKIRT!!  no idea why as I never wear skirts,especially short ones, but have always fancied trying to brave and wear one. 

This book is great, you have 1 basic pattern and can go short, middle or long length. Today I chose short, the denim would be a bit heavy for the long version. After a little bit of scratching head I managed to trace the pattern and get it cut out, so simple 2 basic pieces.. Easy construction and even managed to put a pocket on the front

absolutely love this skirt, so quick and easy, but.....

I have never put a zip in before and totally mucked it  it up, so there's no side zip, given that I am very unlikely to wear this skirt anywhere other than the beach / camping, decided to put a pocket where the zip should have been, never done that before either, totally winged it, no idea what I was doing, will also need to get some sort of closure/buckle/button thing to do it up.. [it actually looks worse than it is]

For a first attempt I am pretty pleased, I am a convert to sewing skirts, quite fancy a long linen one, but need to master the art of putting in invisible zips , I think youtube and scarp fabric is the way to go on this one.

Udpated:

Never one to be beaten, I headed back up to the sewing room for attempt 2, how hard can a zip be?

not bad for a first attempt

here's my 2nd Tedra Skirt

Its a side zip, and fits reasonably well over my hips, no pockets this time, medium length, sits just above my knees, really really like this,

now I have just got to be brave enough to wear it.

Hump day.

I love hump day, 3 days done and only 2 more to go.

The weekend is in sight, the forecast looks like its going to be dry but chilly, perfect for a spot of Weekend adventuring, then when I have returned from adventuring my sewing machine needs a little bit of love, she's been neglected of late, only 1 small outing for hatastrophe and that's it. 2015 was a bit of a let down on the let's make some clothes front, so.......

I sneaked in a little late Christmas present to myself

oh my, what a fab book, this is just my style, I absolutely love it, 

I have already picked my weekend project

yep, its another tunic, but I love tunics...in my eyes you can't have enough, and as I'm trying to shrink their quite good at looking ok if their a bit big on you! she says hoping !

Sunday again ?

I really don't know where the time goes anymore, working 5 days sure gets in the way.

I can't wait for lighter evenings and no rain !Haven't done anything this week other than work, which is really starting to irk me now, I am so blooming knackered at the end of the day I end up doing sweet FA. Add that too not liking the job and it doesn't help me get off the couch.

Yesterday was wet and wind, just for a change, didn't get out other than to do the weekly food shop and go and get no 1 son from work. starting to feel a bit boxed in now, I am desperate for a good long walk.

This morning when hubs got up we went straight out with the hound, forecast is rain on and off all day, so what the heck.I really wanted to walk in the woods, probably wasn't my best idea, hubs and hound were not too impressed,  but I loved it despite the rain and could have walked for longer. Dear hound needs a new coat, his seems to be too short and he wont wear the straps around his legs so it ends up billowing out behind him like a super hero's cloak! he didn't wear it today, poor thing was looking like a drowned rat. My wellies don't fit my calves at the moment, [weight gain] and my walking boots are too tight, [ weight gain], need to sort some wet weather footwear, especially as we are going to Lundy in April, may be wet! alternatively I could just lose some weight ! Hmm.. tough decision...

Anyway, here's a few pics of the wet walk..

Wet & Windy new year.

What can I say, the British weather again played havoc with my plans.

We got to Cornwall Wednesday night and it looked like we took the awful weather with us.

It was howling and chucking it down. We still had time for a coastal drive, I love the sea at night, no pics sorry.

New years eve morning we managed a short beach walk with her hound, no rain but blimey the wind was biting

went home to round up the males and we decided to head off out whilst the going was good. no 1 son decided he would rather stay home.

No 2 son decided he wanted to go to mousehole, no idea why, but that's where he wanted to go, so we headed in that general direction.

We drove through Helston, [ cash stop], then had a brief stop to admire St Micheal's mount

wow, the wind, was enough to blow you off your feet!

Had a pit stop for lunch at Porthleven, which was when the heavens opened!

oh my days, we were soaked, it came down in torrents, nothing for it but to stop in a local inn to dry off.

Suitably refreshed we drove on to mousehole. It wasn't until we got there that no 2 son realised it wasn't were he had wanted to go, he had got the names mixed up! However, the sun had appeared briefly so we had  wander and another beverage stop.

It was a shame that we had arrived so early as they were putting the harbour lights on that evening but by about 4pm we had had enough of rain dodging so decided to head back home.

New years day dawned and yet more rain.. we managed a brief walk on the beach with the hound

but that was about it, we did go do some shopping, sad way to spend your day when in Cornwall but hey, blame the weather.

Yesterday was our last day and we had to head home, yet again the day dawned with more rain, we popped into falmouth but to be honest it was so wet we decided just to head home. Usual traffic nightmare heading north out of Cornwall,eventually got home early evening to a quiet house, the hound is getting picked up to day.

So that was it, a brief but enjoyable trip to Cornwall, disappointed with the weather curtailing our walking plans, but a nice restful break.