Friday, 16 August 2013

52 Weeks of Happy...44/52


The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.

Joining in with lovely Jen at little birdiehere are some of the little things which have made me very happy this week:

1. Sorting my embroidery threads from one unruly tangle of colour into seven perfect little ziplocked bags. I can actually find the colour I want without swearing under my breath and attacking knots of colour with the scissors.

2. A freshly painted blue-grey front door and a shiny scrubbed and polished letter box.

3. A trip to the wonderful, wonderful Eternal Maker in Chichester with my Mum yesterday. Heaven! The best fabric selection you can imagine. Probably not the cheapest, though, which is why I bought sparingly. The car and forest print fabrics will make PE bags for Angus and Bella and the typewriter print is for me. No idea what I'll use it for but I absolutely love it.

4.  Starting the crochet project I've brought with me for the holiday. 1 square down, 193 to go...


Rather a craft-heavy list of happies this week. Now I've got some spare time I'm finding my crafty mojo again. Thanks for all your comments this week, they've made me very happy too. It was reassuring to know that everyone's life goes at a fast pace and we all struggle to balance things, it's not just a major failing of mine. I am hoping that the next few weeks will provide a much needed rest and lots of time to play with the kids, chat with my sisters, crochet, read, swim, potter around markets, eat, drink... I think there is wifi where we are but I'm not sure how good it is, so I don't know if I'll be here much. See you in two weeks, lovelies!


37 comments:

  1. Thanks for visiting my blog and your kind comment :-) Ooooooh loving the top picture (and all the others too!) Have a great weekend xx

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  2. You're starting off your hols very well, with that gorgeous crafty lineup! I LOVE Eternal Maker, I get sensory overload every time I walk in! You chose awesome fabrics - I have a few fat quarters from there that have no purpose, I just had to have them, like your typewriters! The granny square colours look so lovely, I'm so tempted to start that pattern now...have a great holiday! Chrissie x

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  3. I love your fabric choices. We are off to France in the morning and this is making me very happy indeed

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  4. Hope that you have a truly wonderful and relaxing holiday and that you get to do all that you want, or not as the case may be! Looking forward to seeing what you do with the fabric and the crochet in due course (especially that typewriter fabric). Have a great time and look forward to your return.

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  5. Sorry, I meant we are looking forward to your return, not that you should only be wanting to return (before you have even left!).

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  6. Have a wonderful time Gillian ... lovely happies as always ... I love rainbows of embroidery thread and I adore the typewriter fabric ... I saw tote bags with the typewriter cut out and appliqued on somewhere ... my memory fails me ... maybe you could make yourself a holiday bag ... Bee xx

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  7. I've got that typewriter fabric too - and also bought it without knowing what I was going to use it for. It sits in my stack of fabric and gets brought out every so often to look at! Liking Bee's comment above about cutting one out and appliqueing on a tote bag though...hmm!

    Love the colour of your front door too, and the organised colours of threads. Such a satisfying task!x

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  8. That's such a beautiful color for your door! I debate on painting mine; I have double front doors and they are natural wood but ornately carved in a Mexican style. Whatever happens, I need to see about stripping and refinishing them. Maybe that will involve paint. My embroidery flosses are in separate bags by color too; it does make it much easier to work with them. Have a wonderful holiday. :)

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  9. I wish I could get my letter box to gleam like that!
    Have a great holiday - loving that you are taking a good quantity of yarn too! Have fun x

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  10. Three of your four pictures just oooooze crafty heaven! As per, your photography hits all the right spots! and the shade you've chosen for the door is gorgeous gorgeous. Hope your two weeks are sublime. Look forward to hearing all about it upon your return :) x

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  11. Lovely fabric! Have a wonderful holiday. x

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  12. Ah, Spare Time, is there anything better?! Hope you have a really wonderful break.

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  13. Hi Gillian, Lovely crafty goodies!!!Love all of it!!!Is that a blanket in the making?!!Hope you have a really fab holiday!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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  14. OOOoooOOoooo Your craft happy makes me happy :)
    I love crafts, I mean I have to ask myself, what is more fun, the buying of the crafts and looking at them, or actually using them? I think a bit of both!
    That typewriter fabric? Oh my gosh, gorgeous!
    Hannah and I were looking at fabrics today at Joann's Fabric store and I couldn't believe how expensive fabrics are! I'm going to sew a watch band and I was looking at what's out there, I've decided to use what I already have!
    I hope you have a great weekend and that you enjoy the rest of your summer!
    Tammy

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  15. Loving all of your happies this week but particularly the rainbow of threads. Have a great time in France and looking forward to you sharing your gorgeous photos and memories. x

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  16. Beautiful yarn. So happy you found this great fabric...happy:)

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  17. Love the typewriter fabric, unusual and eye catching.
    Good luck with the new crochet project. I hope you have a wonderfully relaxing break away and that a few more pieces get accomplished in those quiet moments.
    Lisa x

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  18. Love the typewriter fabric. I bought the keys only version! Have a great hols. Xx

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  19. ooh that shiny letter box is so very cheerful. happy holidays x

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  20. Gorgeous post, as ever. Love this blog. I particularly like the new front door, one of my favourite colours (I call it Persephone grey!). Do you mind me asking who made it? Am thinking it'll look great on my front door too!

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    1. Hi Jo. I finally found the paint pot, sorry it took me so long!

      It's Dulux Niagara Blues 3, exterior gloss. We had it mixed at one of the paint desks at B&Q as the range of exterior glosses on the shelf was pretty uninspiring.

      Gillian x

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    2. Thank you so much Gillian -I really appreciate it. Have convinced my husband to paint the front door as soon as he can!
      Jo x

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  21. I love your fabric selection, such lovely prints. Looking forward to hearing more about your new crochet project. Have a wonderful holiday.

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  22. Loving all your happy photos this week, especially the yarn! What a clever idea.
    Have a happy holiday.
    Jill x

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  23. I'd have snaffled some of that typewriter fabric to, it's gorgeous!

    Have a truly fabulous holiday m'dear :)

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  24. I love your front door color and shiny letter box! Enjoy your lovely holiday!!!

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  25. Lovely pics. The last picture is exactly what I would like to be doing now!
    Thank you for the two comments you left on my blog this week. Did I mention that yours is one of my favourite blogs and I was just a little (a lot) excited that you had actually visited my blog and read some of my posts :)

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  26. Gorgeous and happy pics x Loving that you have your crafty Mojo back Gillian. I hope you have a wonderful time in France with your precious family and get some serious crafty fun in too xox Penny

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  27. Sound like busy and creative days - my kind of days! I love the color you chose for your front door, I wish I could paint mine something different from brown, but the house is not mine! When I'll buy a house I think I'll paint my front door yellow and turquoise!

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  28. Loving the colours! Looking forward to seeing how that blanket shapes up! :) x

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  29. Have a wonderful wonderful holiday. Can't wait to live vicariously through your rural France bloggy posts. Bliss. mel xx

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  30. What lovely crafty happiness. Hope you have a wonderful holiday, with lots of time for that crochet! x

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  31. You're a woman after my own heart - loving your dedication to the crafts!

    I have a great pattern on my blog for making Tiny Baby Bunnies out of yarn.

    http://www.softandcosy.com/2013/08/free-pattern-tiny-baby-bunnies.html

    Enjoy your break! x

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  32. Love that material and the shiny door. Have a wonderful holiday. Look forward to your photos on your return. Elaina xo

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  33. Mm. Craft heaven. Time to go crochet, methinks.

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  34. Wow, I could just stare at all those photo's for ages, my idea of heaven and happy. Loving all that embroidery thread and also the look of that crochet blanket. xoxo

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