Friday 31 January 2014

Craftiness

One of the lovely things about winter is having more time for craftiness. I'm brimming with ideas of things I would love to make. As Marcus has become more settled I've found I have been able to steal some time for myself. I've been baking, sewing and crocheting in between naps. My crochet blanket is coming along and the granny squares are piling up.


Of course I couldn't leave Marcus out of all the fun. We had a great morning at the island hall with the babies doing footprints. Obviously I got much more enjoyment out of this than Marcus. He was as good as gold but quite baffled by it all! 


I turned the footprints into hearts, bees and ducks. They now have pride of place on our kitchen cupboard. I really enjoyed making something quick that looked effective. It was a nice change from my usual type of fiddly craft project that that takes weeks if not months to complete!


Talking of being crafty, look at this gorgeous handmade wedding invitation that we received this week, so exciting!


This weekend is set to be another wet and windy one. Looks like it'll be spent chilling with this little man in front of he fire, not a bad way to pass the time...


Here are a couple of other things making me smile.


These gorgeous tulips, such a lovely colour.


Today I had mummies and babies over for tea and lemon drizzle cake. One of my friends turned up with a little present for Marcus, tiny welly boots covered in helicopters. Apparently she couldn't resist. They are so cute and now have pride of place on our boot rack. Thank you Natalie.



Saturday 18 January 2014

Weather

I don't mind the odd day of wind and rain in fact I love cosying up inside but it sort of feels like wind and rain are the norm at the moment. Perhaps I'm noticing the weather more because getting out and about with a baby when the weather is miserable is much more of a challenge. There is more to think of such as waterproof covers, coats, extra blankets, whether it is to windy to get over to St. Marys on a boat. On the plus side it makes me want to make the most of any little bit of sunshine we do get. Last Saturday was glorious, we went on two long walks and then I took Marcus out for a third walk to watch the sun go down, it was just too nice to be inside!

The rain came back on Sunday and it has sort of been on and off all week. We still managed to get out and about here and there, meeting friends, going to a baby massage course, seeing the health visitor. Barney managed a whole day of gardening, cutting the hedge and even planting our four new fruit trees, very exciting. Marcus and I offered moral support, during the breaks in the rain of course.



Sometimes it is best just to go with the weather rather than trying to fight it. As we have started thinking about the bakery next season I took the opportunity to test a few new recipes, gingerbread and orange hearts and crumpets. Trying tasty food is definitely a perk of the job!



The most significant thing that has happened since arriving home is moving Marcus' cot into our room. He loves the space and we have often found him lying spread eagle horizontally across the mattress! But most impressive is he is now sleeping for 11 hours stretches and waking only once or twice. Goodness I'm almost starting to feel human again! Even though it is wonderful that he is sleeping and lovely to have my evenings with Barney back, I can't help but sneak upstairs to look at him every now and then because I miss him.



Such an angel (most of the time!).

Saturday 11 January 2014

Looking back and looking forward


Well 2013 certainly turned into a momentous year. Of course the most significant event was the arrival of our little boy on October 1st. Our lives have changed forever and the last 3 months have been spent learning how to take care of this precious little person and I have loved every minute. However now things have settled down I'm looking forward 2014 and to being a more relaxed and confident parent, making sure Marcus has rich and varied experiences and is generally a happy little chap.


2013 also saw a big lifestyle change for me. I went from working an 8-5 office job, to running the bakery and working with my husband along side working a few hours a week at Churchtown Farm in a new flexible job role. It is fair to say I was quite apprehensive about the bakery. It was very exciting having a new challenge and getting the business up and running how we wanted but also pretty daunting! However the season was great and I learnt so much, especially about my wonderful husband.


This year I am looking forward to developing a few new recipes and changing some things in the shop but now I know what is in store I can enjoy this process much more. Compared to last year it feels like much less pressure.

Aside from these pretty big changes, I will also remember 2013 for the glorious weather. 



It was a truly amazing summer and there really was no better place to be than St. Martin's. We also enjoyed several wonderful visits from friends and family. I so appreciate the effort people went to to come and see us.






I did manage a few crafty makes last year but not as many as I'd have liked thanks to pregnancy induced exhaustion. So to make up for it this year I am aiming to-
  • Complete a crochet blanket
  • Make a patchwork throw
  • Learn to knit
I'll keep you posted as to how I get on!


Friday 3 January 2014

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine


Not long after we found out I was pregnant we decided that we would take a long break to the mainland over Christmas, making the most of me being on maternity leave and the bakery being closed for the winter.

Barney and I had no idea what taking Marcus away for nearly 4 weeks was going to be like. However it turned out even better than we could have imagined.

I have taken so many photos and we have many happy memories. Our first week was spent with my family in Sidmouth. We enjoyed braving the stormy weather for walks along the seafront, wandering around town, impromptu pub lunches and getting out of the house early in the morning to enjoy breakfast in a local cafe. 


Of course most precious was time with family, mainly in front of the fire and sharing Marcus's bath time with granny and grandad. We got to introduce our little man to my old school and university friends and spent a lovely couple of days with my sister and her fiancée jaunting around Devon.





On the 22nd we headed to Shropshire to stay with my in laws. We had the most lovely Christmas with all the family. Eating lots of fantastic food, sitting in front if the fire, enjoying Christmas TV and occasionally venturing out for walks. Jo really did make it magical.


We had a big family party and Marcus got to meet the majority of Barney's family, including his second cousin who is only a few months older than him. New Year was a low key affair but it was very special for us to see in 2014 with Jo, Stuart, Tom, Ellen and Duane. It was also pretty nice not to have a hang over on January 1st for once! 


I was worried being away from home would be unsettling for Marcus. But if anything he has thrived from all of the new experiences and time with his extended family. He has been a complete star. 



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