Summer Stuff

Friday, October 18, 2019



1. Tucking in
I wanted to eat in a restaurant every day for seven days, be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. This is something I tried to do during the week of my birthday last year. I failed, partly due to lack of planning, and partly due to eating waaaaay too much on day one!

I did better this year. I started with a meal in Ask with my Dad that ended with ice cream filled profiteroles, the next day I had my traditional birthday cooked breakfast with Andy. I then had Afternoon Tea with my Mum and a friend. Then lunch with some friends. Next year I'll get the full seven days!



2. Getting crafty
I wanted to make use of a bag of fabric scraps I'd been collecting. I'd seen an idea on Pinterest and had a go myself. I love the result and plan to make more...



3. Going Coastal
I'd planned to spend an entire day at the beach. I didn't manage a full day but I did visit Southwold with family twice in one week. Each visit included digging large holes in the sand with my nephew, a picnic, an ice lolly, paddling, and beach cricket. On the second visit I swam in the sea, it's the first time I have done this in years!



4. Rocking it
I wanted to paint and hide a #stoneofjoy or two for someone else to find. I hide the first one at Latitude Festival in a tree. Moments later a young girl spotted it and she excitedly pointed it out to her father. The miserable old git told her to leave it. But when I passed back that way later that evening the stone had gone, so it's out there somewhere...



Once the first one had been painted I was hooked, and six more followed, but I keep forgetting to take them with me when I go out, which is a significant hindrance to my plans...

5. Day tripping
I'd hoped to take a trip to Snape Maltings and Marlsford Mill. I didn't make it to either place.



6. Finishing off
The bedroom redecoration needed to be finished. I had three tasks to complete, the first was to paint a pine shoe rack white to match the rest of the shelving in my wardrobe. All the little nooks and crannies made it fiddly but it looks so much better now.



Next I needed to tackle painting a chest of drawers that I spilled nail polish remover down the front of. Once I started progress was swift. The result? I bloody love it!



Whilst varnishing the top of the chest of drawers I also sanded down and varnished a mirror, one reason being it had a few scratches that I wanted to deal with, the other was to match the rest of the furniture in the room.

7. Visibly mending
I had some jeans, a parasol, a picnic blanket, and a large bag that all need attention. The jeans will be an on going project, as as soon as I mend one hole another appears!



The parasol didn't get mended but the picnic blanket did. It was a victim of a beach fire that started spitting out red hot rocks that had been thrown into the flames over the course of the evening. They burned through and, in some places, stuck to the blanket. It was it's first outing and I wasn't going to throw it away. I'd put it in the cupboard at the end of the summer last year vowing to mend it.



I created some waterproof patches for the reverse of the blanket by fusing together some plastic bags, these were stitched on with a sewing machine. On the front I made it a little more pleasing to the eye by handstitching different coloured circles of felt.



The bag had split around the top seam. My Mum gave me this a few years ago and it's been used for storing wool and various knitting projects.



I mended the bag using some leftover pieces of cross stitch aida patched onto the inside, and some material scraps. It's not perfect but it's good enough to store wool, and with luck it'll last a while longer.

8. Baking goodies
I wanted to make a giant Jaffa cake, and Bourbon biscuit brownies, I got as far as buying the ingredients. But baking is more of an autumnal pursuit, right?

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11 comments

  1. I really love your dresser and shoe storage! Excellent work. The mended blanket looks very cute, nicer than without the mending. We all want you to report back on the bumper autumn baking now xx

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    1. Thanks. It's so nice to finally have the bedroom finished!
      I think the blanket looks nicer now too :)
      Autumn baking is underway...
      xx

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  2. Ooh, those Christmas decorations look great! I wonder if I could make some of those?

    I love your stones! What a wonderful idea they are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're very easy. I cut out a tree shape in felt and stuck little pieces of material with fabric glue. Then machined sewed around the edge and zig zagged some 'tinsel' on top. Simple.
      xx

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  3. Well done for ticking off so many things from your list.
    I absolutely love what you've done to your chest of drawers, what a stunning transformation. xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I'm so flippin' pleased with the chest of drawers, they're my first proper makeover, and now I'm eyeing up other pieces of furniture to get the same treatment...
      xx

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  4. So much in this post. I collected some suitable pebbles in Wales and I need to paint them , then take them out! Love all the restaurat food. The only time I do that is when we are away and usually by day three I have had enough. Love the chest of drawers makeover, I have one that could do with some tlc. Impressive repairs, and I can't remember the last time I swam in the sea,I feel I am missing out. Hope you have a grea Autumn now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I still have all the pebbles waiting to be hidden, I'm thinking I need to make a special trip to deposit them all somewhere...
      The sea felt really cold to start with but as long as you kept moving it was lovely. Definitely put it on your list for next summer.
      Hope you have a lovely Autumn too!
      xx

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  5. Seeing those yummy scones make me crave one! Should make a batch one of these days, as it's been too long. But as you mentioned, baking is more of an Autumn/Winter activity. Otherwise you did a good job ticking off your list. I love that you're about to spread some #stoneofjoy love, I'm impressed with your shoe storage, but most of all, how gorgeous is that chest of drawers! xxx

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  6. It looks like you've done pretty well with your list. Some great mending too, very creative :)

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  7. You know, you're very welcome to bring some of the anticipated baking when we meet up, right??? :-)
    I LOVE the picnic rug transformation! WHAT a change! It looks amazing! You really did a super job. The chest of drawers looks so classy now!! Very impressive!!x

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Thank you for taking the time to comment x

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