Mousy Brown's House-Creating, crafting and collecting. Enjoying Life.

Simple pleasure.

I am having lots of fun experimenting with my new camera and looking through the lens is giving me a whole different view of the world about me.  Here are a few of the images I have managed to capture that have inspired me with their simple beauty.....

....hope you enjoyed the view, I am off to see what I can spot in the rain!

A few more answers to your questions....

Before I disappear for a weekend of felt boot making (I'll tell you all about it when I get back!) here are a few more answers to your questions....

If you had to live in a different decade, which would it be? I think I would choose the 60's.  Those baby boomers seemed to have it all, great clothes, great music, lots of fun and no responsibility!

Where do you want to take your next vacation? Hopefully we will be going camping in half term (which starts at the end of next week). We haven't decided where yet, although Norfolk and Scotland are both in contention.  I promise to bring back lots of photos to show you where ever we get to.

Where have you travelled?  As a child my parents used to take my sister and I out of school for three months of every year (Jan - Easter) and we would drive down to Africa via Spain.  We visited loads of little villages on the way and would spend some nights under canvas, others in 5* hotels and any combination of accommodations in between. We also used to visit France a lot and my best friend is Swedish so I have visited there a number of times.  Since having children and buying the money pit (otherwise known as our house) we have mainly stayed closer to home, enjoying exploring parts of the UK and having fun in our big family tent.

How many chickens do you have?  We started with the three above, who were all meant to be girls.  Unfortunately Florence Fluffy Bum (can you guess which one she is?) was killed by a dog and Ginger became a cockerel unexpectedly.  So our plan for lots of yummy eggs went a bit wrong.  Luckily Tadpole (Jack's choice of name!) became broody and hatched two beautiful peachy coloured chicks, both girls, and we have stuck with that four ever since.

Favourite flower?  Can I have one for each season?  Winter - Hyacinth, Spring - Tulip, Summer - Rose and Autumn - Anemone.

How do you fit crafting in? When are you at your most creative? Do you have many projects on the go at once or do you tend to do one thing at a time?  I always have loads of projects on the go at once and I leave them spotted around the house (by my bed, by the sofa, in the kitchen.....) so they are always easy to pick up and do a bit more to.  I carry a basket around with me everywhere I go and it always contains something creative so I can keep my hands busy while I wait at the dentist, or chat to a friend or watch one of the boys classes. The most important thing that helps me fit crafting in though has been having my own space.  My workroom is a little sanctuary where I can have all my stuff available and to hand.  What ever I am working on tends to be spread across the desk and floor and everywhere.....but it doesn't matter as when I finish for the day I can just pull the door to and it is all safe until the next time I get a few minutes to myself.  As to when I am most creative, it's any time I can get more than five minutes to myself - I squirrel myself away with a mug of tea and Radio four on the radio and once I get started I can achieve a lot in a very short time.  A talent that has certainly become more and more important since the boys have come along!

 

As all the other questions were blogging related, I will answer them together next week.  Along with felt making we have a busy weekend of Cub Camp, birthday parties, bar-b-ques and  gardening, with a bit of rest thrown in for good measure!  I hope you have a full and enjoyable weekend - may it be as sunny for you as it promises to be here.

Easter tree and decorations.

Easter is a celebrated in a big way in our home.  A time to recognise and celebrate re-birth and Spring.  The return of light after the Winter dark, growth after the stillness of the colder months and plenty after the harshness of the frozen ground.

 

This weekend our Easter tree was decorated - using ornaments collected together over the years.  A tradition that was started long before the children were born and has grown with them each Spring.

 

We cut a bough from our apple tree - its buds tightly furled and hang on it's many twigs, eggs and chicks of every colour and description.  Each year we gift the boys a new decoration each and our tree becomes heavy with ornamentation.  They receive their new eggs on Easter Sunday which we try to share with family or friends.  A giant egg hunt in the garden is always a highlight of the day - even if we have to wear our coats to do it!

Usually our tree is positioned by our front door to welcome everybody as they enter but this year the number of eggs has become so huge that a lager branch was needed and we have placed it in our sitting room window to glow in the sun.  That doesn't mean that the rest of the house has been neglected - rabbits, chicks and eggs have found their way to the  kitchen dresser:

 
The heart shape lights:

 
The kitchen table:

 
The windowsill by the door:

 
My plants:

 
and the shelves above the sofa:

 

This year, inspired by a comment last week I have made a felt egg for each of the boys, based on my Christmas decoration and tomorrow I will post a tutorial so that you can make some too.  What special traditions do you and your family keep to celebrate this time of year?

Happy Chicks!

Emerging from the glow of unfamiliar sunshine.

My silkie bantams step fluffy and haloed by light.
 

Their funny feathered bloomers and punk hair styles making me smile.

They hesitate for a moment in the warmth.

Before happily doing their morning ablutions, while Ginger the cockerel keeps watch.

I hope you enjoy a glow of sunshine this weekend, we are off to enjoy the delights of the big city and an eighteenth birthday party - happy weekend! 
   

Today I .......

 1 Upgraded my computer - added 1GB RAM bought here - did it all by myself and it works! (I for one am amazed)

2 Walked the dog - very fast, to warm up on this very chilly day.

3 Dyed Yarn and dried it in the sunshine.  Colours inspired by Maya (mine not as nice as it wasn't hand spun but still a pleasing colour for my hat) and the autumn leaves I'd seen that morning.

4 -50ish  Hoovered house, cleaned dog's bed, washed her bedding, cleaned out two lots of chickens and collected eggs, took a friend shopping and cleaned her windows, cooked tea, did washing up, caught up with friends, did school run twice.........

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Tomorrow I.......am spending the day with a lovely friend, trawling charity (thrift) shops, drinking big milky coffees, laughing and having fun with absolutely no sense of guilt!  I think I deserve it don't you?

Complete!

Today, I want to show you something I have made, that is making me very, very happy.

Back in the summer, Country Living Magazine, had a picture of a beautiful crochet scarf.  It cost £200 which was way more than I could afford and as I had been looking for a crochet project to do, I decided to try my own version.

I have spent months making little crochet squares (they are more circles really, but they are meant to be square), at swimming lessons, at the pub, on the beach and in bed.  Once I had made enough (225)  they just needed to be joined together.  Some sock yarn and a simple linking stitch did the trick.

Finally, on sunday morning I finished.

The chickens were not impressed by all my hard work.

But I love it!  It makes me smile and is never leaving my neck!

Nothing like the scarf that originally inspired it, but perfect all the same!