A Review of 2013 at Sweetbriar Dreams

2013

How can I sum up this year?  I think the first thing that comes to mind is 'discovery'.  I have been 'riding the wave' a term I say to quite a lot of people, meaning just going with the flow and seeing where I land.  Sometimes it is a good place, sometimes it is a place that I am not entirely comfortable with, but for me this has helped me carve out what I want to do in 2014.  My blogging journey has been one of the good places that I have landed, where I have found so many wonderful, like minded people on this particular 'wave'.  My blog has gone through many changes this year, with twists and turns, but I think I have finally found my voice and how I like to write along with the visual input as I tell the story.  

I have had lots of fun  today looking back on this year and re-discovering the different events.  Each month was so different.  

The days we went out on either locally or a little bit further afield were always fun and educational.  One risk I took during 2013 was taking my two teenagers to Greenwich, London for the first time.  Our visits to London were numerous this year but I skirted around Greenwich as I felt that I would not do my Grandad justice by bringing the place to life with the history he imparted to me as a child.  This ended up to be a great success with my kids falling in love with this quieter part of London and begging to be taken again and again.  2014 will be full of weekends here as I bring the stories to life as we walk around the streets, some still standing and then through the London Docklands where so much has disappeared and been re-generated.

From looking back at 2013, my crafts obviously took a back seat!  The wallpaper is waiting patiently in my dolls house and the amount of unfinished crochet projects is quite embarrassing!

Our garden was beautiful this year, even though a bit slow in waking up from its winter slumber.  The flowers all bloomed in the glorious summer, giving a spectacular show throughout the months.

However, the produce from the greenhouse was pretty poor, in fact quite pathetic!  But, the fruit crops this year were huge!  Along with the lavender which was tenderly cared for by the bees.

The wildlife was more abundant in the garden, with the bees arriving quite late but then being so busy that they actually slept on the lavender at night!  So much life this year.

2013 also has allowed me to plan ahead for the journey of writing 'the' book on my Grandad's research and stories.  The pens and note books are ready for notes, my fingers are itching to tap away at the keyboard, the papers, maps, photos and books are ready and waiting and I have an idea of how to start the initial lines of the book, I am excited to start to see how this flows.  

So what do I have planned for 2014?  Well, 2013 was 'discovery', 2014 is going to be 'change'. Change is a good thing and should be embraced fully.  I am one that loves change, things start off as a mess but then after re-organisation and diligence, everything falls into place for the better.  I plan on changing things in a lot of ways next year so I can concentrate on the things that really matter to me  (such as the book) and not focus too much on things that I do not agree with and that hinder my progress in my life.  There have been times where I have not felt comfortable with situations around me and where they are totally against my own morals, so these things have to change.  Hard words I suppose but 2013 has made me discover who I really am and what I want to do.  

One thing that won't change is my love for reading your blogs and discovering new ones. It's a catch up at the end of the week with friends over a coffee and a chat.  Around the world in 80 minutes... usually longer!!  I love the evenings when settling down to read what has happened in blogland.

So as I close the door on 2013, may I wish you all a wonderful 2014.  Thank you all for your generous and kind comments and visits during this year and encouraging me to continue by following me with all the various methods that there are now (I've just discovered Feedly - great for Kindles!... a gift from hubby!).  I look forward to reading and seeing what you get up to next year.

Happy New Year!

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Spring Means New Life

I don't know about you, but for those in the UK do you feel a change in the weather?  Have you felt how warm the sun's rays are?  Have you panicked at the weeds that have suddenly made an appearance and how quick the seedlings have burst out of the soil?  Dare I whisper it?  Has spring finally arrived?  Judging from the blossom that has appeared on my plum tree, I have a feeling it has.  

Now to those lovely people who read my blog regularly you may notice something a little different.  I've had a little bit of a spring clean on my blog.  This is mainly due to the beautiful weather we have been currently having, the blossom that has now burst on the trees, the seeds germinating and the smell of freshly mown lawn once again.  So the header banner has a more springy feel and I have tidied up bits and pieces.

Also I haven't had a chance to go out on a rambling tour this week.  Mainly because I have been working at home due to the office re-decoration, but also because I now have the dreaded 'lurgy'!  How I would love to just curl up at this moment.  So a tour of the garden will have to suffice this week!

Before I start I must really say thank you all so much for your wonderful comments last week about my friend's passing.  She was incredibly special and I have been smiling with the memories that she has left me.  She was a rare individual and so positive about everything around her.  I am blessed to have known her.  This also made me think that life is for living and was very naughty and treated myself to a new camera!  I have mentioned a few times before that I wasn't exactly happy with my last one so after the last difficult couple of weeks I thought, yes, be selfish, buy something for me, something to really cheer me up, something where I can record real images of life, let's capture it properly.  So here it is, a deep red Nikon Coolpix L810, 16mp, 26x zoom, and really easy to use.  I fell in love with it from the first shot!  So clear, so clever and no need for photo editing to put forward the shot I originally wanted.  I am happy with the world again!  Ideally I would have liked a DSLR but I have a film loading one and use this with a tripod for a specific 'patient' shot.  So, this one is ideal!

But hey, let's have some photos from my new 'baby'!  I didn't know what to call this camera (the Fujifilm was called Flo!), I was going to ask for suggestions, but my thoughts are that I bought it with Val's love for life, her love of colours relating to Betty Boop, so it is hereby christened 'Val'!  So come Val, let's go on a short tour of the spring garden.

So firstly, my blog title this week is Spring Means New Life, and today this chrysalis (which has been under the care of Mr Teenager) decided to do just that, spring into life.

I took the delicate, crumpled butterfly outside onto the kitchen window baskets (which have equally been bursting into life) and it turned to say thank you.

Once dry it turned out to be a Cabbage White, hopefully it will find another garden to wreak it's havoc on!

In the greenhouse, things are getting very busy.  Lettuces, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, spring onions, courgettes and runner beans are all racing away.  Here are my peppery lettuce leaves and the start of my tomato seeds (I have had to cheat a little by buying some established too!).

Then in amongst all this was this sleeping Hummingbird Bee (well, I think it is, glad for some advice here)!  We knew we had a couple from when we saw them hovering around the blossom but they are far to quick to capture.  This one was very photogenic though and slept through my daring close up shots!  (Isn't 'Val' amazing?!)

The Daffodils and the Narcissus are all doing well around the different parts of the garden.  These beauties were put in my kitchen window baskets all those months ago and I am surprised that they bloomed this year!

These are in my main raised border in the garden.

These are in my herb garden.

The typical trumpet types are everywhere!

And then tulips!  We were so worried that there wasn't going to be any this year.  The Spalding Flower Parade are really going to be hit for next week's event (which apparently is the last!) - more to come next week on this.  We have a wooded type area next to our garage where we let things naturalize and these certainly haven't let us down this year.

At the back of the house we have a couple in full bloom.  

You can even see the pollen!  This shot reminds me of vanilla pods and custard!

Then there are hyacinths!  But my favourites are the tiny grape hyacinths.  Again planted in my kitchen window sill baskets.  

But shall we take a break from the flowers for a moment while the birds have a feed?

Remember I told you that I will be an auntie very soon (next month!).  I have been very busy with a pram blanket which was harder as we don't know what they are having.  The inspiration was from Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks (Pattern 189 - Willow).

 I have done this in grey and white as this will fit in with most colour schemes and it has come out in a lovely lacy pattern.

The edging was done using triple stitches and bobble stitches.  All done, now waiting for the arrival.  So excited!!

 Now back to the garden.  This is the front of the house, very pitiful compared to the rest, however the weeping pear's blossom is coming through now and the greenery is starting to appear.  This will be my project this weekend to add some more colour and interest.

There are daisies in the lawn but I don't mind that at all.  More wildlife buzzing around that way, and what speaks of summer more.

And lastly, saying goodbye to the winter rose (helloborum).  This will soon be surrounded by peace lilies and gladioli.

So, VERY happy with 'Val' and my new spring like blog posts.  Hopefully back to normal 'tour' business next week with the Spalding Flower Parade.  I'll try and get a good position for you.

Now off to my sick bed and sleep!

Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to catching up with your posts.

P.S.  Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin before the 'deadline', and I'll also be updating my Facebook page a bit more to include other photos throughout the weeks.

Take care.

This week I am sharing with:

The Home Acre Hop

Share Your Cup Thursday

Rurality Blog Hop
Simple and Sweet Friday
Weekend Flowers
Cottage Style Party
Home Sweet Home
Say G'Day Saturday
A Favorite Thing
Sunny Simple Sunday
Weekly Top Shot
Camera Critters
Macro Monday

The Peterborough Christmas Fayre

I am being enveloped by all the different sensory experiences of Christmas.  The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Christmas are all around now.  The busy, rushed appearance on everyone's faces as you go around the shopping centres, streets and small alleyways of shops.  The childrens faces as they are being pulled along with their loved ones trying to capture all the wonder and excitement around them.  It is a wonderful time of year.  The sense of expentancy of what is to come.  To make everything perfect.  And, as a mum, making sure everything is perfect!!

I absolutely love with all my heart the Victorian era.  Christmas as it should be I feel.  Not the materialistic frantic shopping and stress for one day.  Rather the looking forward to spending time with family, having 'time out' to reflect on those who are the most important to us and showing this with all our love and affection.  To raise a glass to those loved ones who are no longer with us and looking forward to spending time who have now come to join us. 

Usually on Christmas Eve when the shops have closed, the presents are wrapped, the food preparation for the next day is done, the children have settled down and a sense of calm is restored, I like to put anything to do with the Christmas Carol on the TV.  This year it will be the one with Jim Carrey in.  The detail in that film blew me away last year, and I will sit with some egg nog and start to think of my January/February crafting...namely the Old Curiosity Shop (my dolls house).  My thoughts are always very much into the Victorian era with that project.  I think I mainly do this project during the winter months because it is cold and dark and I feel with the dolls house this is how I want it to reflect.  It's personality is an old this and that shop set in the back streets of the Victorian East End of London.  It has to be a bit rough around the edges!

My hands (as I feel probably are yours) are sore from all the crafting I am doing along with gift wrapping, christmas card writing and tapping on the computer keyboard trying to find unusual gifts. So it was lovely to step out of my office and walk across the precincts to the Cathedral to see their wonderful Christmas fayre.  Such sights, sounds, smells and tastes. Yes, Christmas has finally arrived, and in a Medieval/Victorian theme!!  My camera could have burst with the amount of photos I took.  I wanted to capture every sight and smell and all I can think of is that you need to have a stick of cinnamon, a nutmeg and some star anise nearby  along with a log fire to try and capture the smell of this walk around (also some mulled wine and mulled cider of course!).

Where do I start?  Well let's start with day time.  The fair is being held over four days so I have started with the light of day and then how this looked at night.  The backdrop of the Cathedral is such a perfect and majestical setting.  I love this place and I am very privileged to be working in close proximity to this.

How can it be Christmas without the hot roast chestnuts...(this picture made me laugh when I put this on, it looks as though there is a tinsel adorned sack having a crafty cigarette!!)

The costumes were wonderful, and I was so pleased when I captured this marvelous jolly stall holder.  Isn't he FANTASTICl!

There were costumes everywhere!

This Victorian lady was lovely...

The blacksmiths were hard at work.

And different eras merged together.

This lady was extremely knowledgeable and had made real ginger bread from a bygone era.  It was very sticky and extremely yummy.  She also had quince jam which is like a clear jelly, but equally as good.

Next to her were two stew pots slowly bubbling away with some very appetising contents.

The items that were being sold were not your usual 'run of the mill' stock.  There were fantastic helmets...

And some very sinister swords...

Beautifully colourful masks...

Exquisite pots and jugs...

Harps...

and, look what I found...hearts...

As well as what was going on in the precincts was a Morrocan market.  Just look at the beautiful colours and array of goods.

This pot pourri bowl was probably the largest I have ever seen!!

Just by the side of Cathedral square was an angel statue.  Very very still until a child put money in her pot and then she would slowly blow them a kiss, beckon them over to have their picture taken by a very happy parent.

And then we go to night.  I love the Cathedral in the cold, dark evenings.  It is such as beautiful and comforting place, and looks so warm and welcoming compared to some Cathedrals that I have seen.

This very knowledgeable 'soldier' walked with me while I took in the lights, felt the warmth of the little fires and feasted my eyes on all the wares in the tents.  It turned out that he lives near where I used to live in Essex!  It's a small world!!

This was one of the tents at night with it's lovely welcoming fire outside and it's tent still containing an array or pots and jugs.

And then through the arch to the Cathedral Square where the Moroccon Market was still trading.  The lights above are spectacular.

So much information was taken in.  So many ideas and plans to make and get for next year.

So, why are my fingers so sore?...well here is my front door wreath creation.  It started with creating fabric parcels, crochet stars, hearts and flowers.  And to keep the wreath warm, a nice crocheted cover. I am so pleased with this but my hands really feel as though they have been tightened in a vice.  So a little breather over the festivities I think.

and, now in its place on my front door...

Ta dah!!

Have a lovely week everyone...don't get too stressed!! xx

Ooops...forgot the Carol Singers....