Let's go to Arkansas

Not much creating going on this week - as this monster landed in the garden on Tuesday.


As we have decided to sell Ruby - our VW camper, we quickly needed to find somewhere else to lay our weary bones when we head to Cornwall in August.

After much searching and camping-nerdy conversations we decided on this tent. And in a camping-nerdy way, it's fabulous! From it's sewn in groundsheet (no more floods this year!) to the storage pockets (no more treading on DS charger plugs this year!) all the way down to the fabby velcro thingies to hold the guy ropes when you take them down (no more cursing knotted guy ropes this year!)

As you can see, Charlie Moggins went for a mooch around. He has decided he will not be travelling to Cornwall - he will stay at home and be looked after by Nanny and Grandad.

As we sat in the tent on Friday evening, chatting over a glass of wine - cue neighbours thinking "what are the neighbours up to, now?" We started to worry that the tent (plus car, plus trailer) may be too big for the compact pitches at our favourite place in the world... However, after a quick look at some photos of us camping there a few years back, we think we'll be ok. Fingers crossed.

The garden is now back to normal - save for that flattened area of yellowing grass. So, a couple of pics of some of the flowers in the early morning sunshine...


Sarah x

oh, and the Arkansas in the title? Why, it's the name of the tent, of course.

Speedy Scrapping

So, my friend Libby set a challenge on her blog. And, as I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by my scrapping - ie. too many ideas, not enough time, and no conviction to actually do anything, aka "lost my mojo", I decided to join in, and have just completed this layout in about 15 minutes. Not necessarily one of my best, but not too bad, eh? And it felt good to scrap.

So, the challenge was to use a range of products. Ok, I don't have loads on there, but it all came from different manufacturers:

Patterned Paper - Crate Paper "Road Trip"
Journalling Sticker - Sassafras
Surf Town Sticker - Karen Foster Design "Surfin' Wild"
Other paper - from my stash

Now, let's see if I can find my mojo, think I've left it under a pile of stuff!

Sarah x

Family Tree

So, here it is, my completed family tree. Started at the crop last week(ish). Some of it was quite fiddly - but worth it in the end.

Sarah x

Stuff

Have you noticed? My post labels are all "stuff"?

When I started blogging, I wasn't quite sure how to label my posts, and, well, "stuff" seemed appropriate. As, like many, I have loads of "stuff".

So, when I needed a new folder for my A4 papers, this one just had to come home with me. What more could I want? It's pink, and it's labelled - Stuff.

Sarah x

Family Tree and Grannies

Back so soon!

After posting yesterday, I inspired myself to get on with the crochet. And added another square to the growing pile of grannies. I do have more than in the photo, honest. So, tonight I will aim to do at least one more...


And, as I already had the camera out, thought I'd show you a sneak peek of my family tree. I started this at the crop last Saturday, it was part of a class done by Cleo Jarvis, from Bellaboo. It's still not quite finished - there's loads of cutting out to do. But I'm just about ready to put it all together, just some photos to add, and then hang it all from the tree.

Sarah x

Happy Camper

So much to be done, so much to tell. Where to start??

Think I will have to do some bite size chunks, and just try to tell as much as I can. Think there will also have to be teasers - as much as anything, to make sure I come back to tell...

So, Ruby... Well after her escapade last post, she is now sat in her favourite garage awaiting repair. Luckily, it looks as though the insurance will pay for most of the work (keep your fingers and whatever else crossed). So that's not too bad, and at least nobody was hurt - most important!

But, we think we are going to sell her. This decision hasn't been made because of the fire, we were already thing about it, but it has sort of pushed us into making a decision sooner rather than later. Ruby has been a big part of our lives for the past five years - but it is now time for us to move on, and for somebody else to have some enjoyment from her. Ruby has taken us to many places - places we may not have been to if we didn't have her. We've been to Cornwall many times, obviously, to the Devon coast, Dorset, the New Forest, Suffolk and Norfolk - to name but a few places. We've had many rides into the Cotswolds, to Stratford and Evesham, and also onto the beach at Weston-Super-Mare(that's a story all by itself!) So the time is coming to say goodbye. She will be got back into good working order, spruced up, and then (hopefully) go to live with somebody else who will also have some adventures. There are some plans afoot for Ruby's swansong - but that is definitely for another post, some time later this year, I think.

The picture at the top shows Ruby just outside Evesham in September 2007 - we stopped overnight on the way to Vanfest. The girls slept in the pink tent, and that's me, just walking back to the van - now doesn't that look lovely?

So, what are we going to do for our holidays? Our summer trips to Cornwall? We're going to get a tent!! We're going to be Happy Campers, once again! And I'm looking forward to it - I love camping.

Onto another little project - I've started to crochet a blanket! Inspired by this post I decided that Ruby needed a granny square blanket. So, using these fabulous instructions I jumped straight in. After a (very) wobbly first square, I started to get into the rhythm of the crochet, and amassed a fairly decent pile of squares while we were on holiday. Alas, I haven't been quite so productive since I got home - I need to make a new habit of crochet in the evenings, I think. No pics yet, I think I'll keep those for an update post...

I also have another little project still to be finished off, from the crop last Saturday. So I'll leave that for another post - promises, promises!

back soon (ahem!)

sarah x

A New Day

Sorry for going awol, we were on holiday last week for the girl's half term. And I really have so much to let you know about. But, for now, I'm awake far too early, unable to sleep after a bit of a day yesterday.

First day back at school, but Phoebe had to go to the orthodontist first thing - check up in two years time, but looking like she may not have to have any work done.

Then I had to go to the funeral of a family friend, it was lovely - if they can be? A sad but also up-lifting remembrance of a long life.

Then, when it came to tea-time, Mark nipped out for some salad and cat food (for the cat, not for tea!). He took Ruby, our 26 (I think) year old VW camper van, as she was sulking because she hadn't been to Cornwall with us last week - yes, she sulks!

Anyway, I quickly got a phone call to say that as Mark was parking there was a big back-fire ( nothing unusual there) but that there was also smoke coming out of the engine at the back. Mark quickly checked and realised that the engine was on fire. Luckily we keep a fire extinguisher in the van so he was able to quickly put it out - but not before some damage had been done to the engine. But the rest of the van, and Mark, were ok - if a little shaken! Ruby is now in the garage, waiting for some fairly extensive, and probably expensive, repair work.

So, that's why I can't get back to sleep. To much in my mind! And thinking - what if we had all been in the van? With a boot full of camping gear? On the M5? But, also thinking, thank goodness we weren't, and that Mark was parking as it happened, and that we had the fire extinguisher...

I'll be back soon with the good stuff that's been going on, because there's lots to tell.

Sarah x