Happy Days

I haven't blogged much lately but have been busy. I was lucky enough to get 2 metres of Cath Kidston look alike material at a knock down price and even better it's linen. I was lucky enough to acquire a new sewing machine last Xmas and have since been feeling guilty over the fact that it wasn't covered up and it didn't come with a case. Looking around the only cases available resembled computer carry cases and for something so domestic I wanted something pretty so voila!

I'm really please with it especially since I managed to find a matching pale pink cotton for the lining

I used wadding to provide protection but if I was starting again I'd also include a heavy interfacing to make it a bit stiffer. The important thing is that it works - my machine is protected and it looks good!

Thursday was my birthday and I've just had such a good few days. Worked last Sun and Tues evening so that I'd finished a big piece of work by Wed lunchtime. So have been on leave since. Did some shopping on Thurs morning and by the time I'd got home M had cleaned the house. Had a late breakfast and opened my presents which included this

It's a Creative Stone Plus MP3 player and really tiny but so easy to use. M has the Creative Zen but I don't find it too easy to use and just wanted something for playing podcasts and storing a limited amount of music. The headphones are Ok but M has some Sennheiser which I'm always borrowing so I've now got a pair of my own plus a tiny case which holds my Stone and can be clipped to jeans loop, bag or whatever. The headphones are the most wonderful piece of design in that they fold in on themselves and completely back into a small case

I'm lucky in that M shares my love of books so I always get a little stash of books for Xmas and birthdays. This year got http://www.amazon.co.uk/Notes-Exhibition-Patrick-Gale and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-Sebastopol-Katharine-McMahon both of which should be good reads. Already started Notes from an Exhibition and it's already got me gripped but that's not surprising given that it's based in Penzance and features a painter.

My present to myself was The Art of Domesticity by Jane Brocket. I hadn't heard of her previously or her blog Yarnstorm. M's reaction was what! and he thought like I did when I first saw it that it was all about housework etc. Now way and it's quickly become one of my favourite books celebrating baking, knitting, gardening etc It chimes with the way I feel about things at the moment and is also inspirational.

Talking of baking I also baked a fruit cake as my birthday cake and it turned out perfectly. We then had a chinese meal and good bottle of wine to round off one of the best birthdays I've had for a couple of years.

On the other days we've been out on our favourite walks and then come back to much deserved tea and birthday cake and then spent the late afternoons reading. We've has some much needed sun yesterday and today so also spent time tatting in the garden tidying up, pruning back clematis etc. We're lucky that we get so much pleasure out of being at home and the simple pleasures in life.