Lyveden New Bield

This morning started early. I had flatbreads, tomato soup and cheese scones ready and finished before 9am. By 9:30 we were on the road to visit Lyveden New Bield, a National Trust property in Northamptonshire. So many roads were closed, four to be precise, leading to a mildly stressful drive. Thank goodness I have a good sense of direction. I don't know how I didn't give up and turn home. Luckily it was made up for having driven through picturesque chocolate box landscapes and villages I have read about in history books.

 And then we arrived.
The sky was blue and the clouds were beautiful. This amazing, unfinished Elizabethan manor stands surrounded by grass, with an empty moat. Such hopes and dreams. It was amazing.

After our picnic of flatbread sandwiches (which turned out more like pittas), we wandered around, exploring the orchard and pond. We climbed up the terraces and basked in the spring sunshine, enjoying it whilst it lasted. Louie took photos by hanging my camera from a tree, he is a funny thing.

 It was a stunning day. We did plenty of squelching and hunting for signs of spring. Louie played wizards with a stick he found, shouting 'smelly harbours' at everything (he was trying to say 'expelliarmus' from the HP books/films). I think everyone visiting fell a little bit in love with him and his little quirks!

Once home, we baked a birthday cake, had dinner, baked brownies for pappy long after the sun had gone to sleep and tucked ourselves up on the sofa with a film.
A busy, but wonderful day. 

Friday

Things have been incredibly busy around here this week. Extra shifts for the entire month mean I have had barely any time with Mr Bee to do anything fun! Wednesday we spent baking and meeting up with the wedding planners, we were too busy to pick up the camera, eek!
Then yesterday I had working in the morning, rushed home to pick Mr Bee up and then on to Rachel, for a walk in the woods. A good catch up was needed, especially as she now has a little one on board which is extremely exciting. Rachel is the lovely lady who will be photographing the wedding, so it was yet another day full of wedding ideas!

 

Then it was time to drop Mr Bee off at home before collecting some goodies for a girly night in at Becka's new flat! A delicious dinner, lots and lots of laughs, raiding the lace and jewellery collection and a quick swim before we were invaded by 'the splasher' and 'Mel C'. 

And now for a relaxing weekend at home with the boys. Aaaaaah!

Long Day

So much to do, so little time!
Housework and LOTS of preparation for a craft fair very early tomorrow morning!
Mr Bee has been missing Papa and Nana and has been generally glum :(
A busy day and a busier evening and a well deserved cocktail in my favourite vessel, my Dads old drinking glass.

Photo an Hour

7am

 8am

 9am

 10am

 11am

 12pm

 1pm

 2pm

 3pm

4pm

5pm

 6pm

munching, trains, drawing, singing, sleeping, dressing up, christening party, more munching, more drawing, more munching, sleep!

A Photo an Hour, inspiration taken from Bleubird Vintage, an amazingly beautiful blog!

Today has been such a lovely day, I feel that I have wasted it. The sun has been shining brightly and it hasn't been too cold, despite the thick layer of frost this morning.
Today has been a very fruitful day of housework. I hoovered, sorted clothes out for going into the attic and some for charity. Sent off an application, did a (big) load of nappies, finished off prepping for the sewing machine, cooked, cleaned . Its been a busy day!
Louie fell asleep on my back in the ergo whilst I was hanging the nappies on the line, it was very cute. However he didn't stay asleep for long and we are paying for it now. Early bed for small boys!

My wonderful washing line!

I love walking in the woods, I would say it is one of my favourite pastimes. I often think that it is wasted on me as my knowledge is so poor. I can tell you a Silver Birch but that is about it. I have asked for a guide for christmas but last night Dan and I were looking at our bookshelves and he found this. A 20 year old readers digest book about Woodlands. It was one of his Great Grandma's that she gave him when she moved to Spain. It is a lovely book and I really enjoyed reading it last night. I understand more about structures of the woodlands and I learned about coppicing and pollarding, of which we see often in our local woodlands.
It was a lovely find!