* Lazylol *

Closing Down for Winter

Yesterday we had a ride to the coast for a nice long walk and to shut up the caravan for the six weeks the site is closed down for the season.  We will not go now until the February half term break when it opens back up again.  I will miss it but it will give me a chance to do some of the jobs that I can never manage with spending lots of weekends away.  I need to paint a few ceilings, gloss some doors and redecorate my hall stairs and landing. I would also like to make some new Roman blinds.

It also means that I can spend my Saturday mornings shopping at Ikea and visiting local markets and towns that I haven't seen for a while.

So yesterday, after we'd closed down the caravan we called into Beverley shopping.  What a pretty little town it is. I was giddy when I managed to find not only this (my favourite magazine of all time and believe me I LOVE magazines)

but also this little magazine (one of my new favourites). I had been meaning to subscribe but haven't got around to it. Just snagged it in the nick of time because issue three is due any day (goodie) 

Lots of ideas, patterns and inspiration.  First on my list of things to make for 2009 is this lovely Flirty Florence apron.  I need a new apron badly so I am going to raid my stash for fabrics.

 

It's the end of an era.........

 

Goodness me, I am so sad to say goodbye to Woolworths. 

The shop in Pontefract has always been a favourite of mine and I can remember going in there each week, as a little girl with my mum and as a teenager with my friends.  When I got older and went out on the town the taxi was always ordered to pick me up outside woolies and I'm met various friends outside too, over the years. I shopped there when I first set up home and then when had I my two babies for the lovely little Ladybird baby clothes.  Presents for Christmas and various birthday parties the kids were attending throughout the years, I could always rely on finding a suitable gift.  If I needed something that I couldn't find elsewhere Woolies would always have that paper table cloth, clothes dye, pipecleaner etc.  Only the other week, I had looked around for a pack of coloured chalk and when nowhere else had any, I eventually found some in Woolworths. 

I was moved when I read that the staff at some stores had a little group hug when they closed the doors for the final time.

Goodbye Woollies - you will be missed!

there's a moose, loose, about this hoose......

When I picked out these gorgeous Elzybells stamps for my Christmas cards this year, I had no idea that I would have been visited over night by the real thing.  It's been years since I've had a problem with mice because I have always had cats. Now we are a cat-less family once more, they have moved back in!  We aren't having much luck catching them either.  Last night they stole a chocolate Santa from the Christmas tree and ate its head off!  I am freaking out a bit over this, cos I'm a bit of a fraidy pants...eek! and I can't stand the thought of a mouse party going on, while I'm tucked up in bed!

 

I need a Wee Wonderfuls lovely tree mouse, not the real thing!

 

(photo from the BBC Good Food Website)

To cheer myself up, I decided to make some more mince pies, but using this recipe. Wow - they are GOOD! I altered the recipe slighty and added a beaten egg so they would roll out easily.  If you make these, whatever you do, don't try to remove them from the baking tin until they are completely cool. Otherwise they will fall apart.  And you will have to eat all the broken ones before anyone notices.

Did I mention these are seriously GOOD mince pies?  I had to use a photo from the website and I was going to blame the light on this wintery day for lack of a picture of the actual pies.  But the real reason is that we are greedy and they were all eaten before I had the chance :)