Birthday Cards Using Recycling and the Sad Waste of Paper

I always like to keep bits of colourful envelopes it seems such a waste to throw them away when you have opened cards. The same could also be said of any envelope really, all those bits of paper just thrown away, that could be used for shopping lists, paper for the children to doodle on or cut up and fastened together for note books to keep in your bag for odd bits you need to jot down.

As you may have gathered I hate waste,so while I have to watch tree after tree disappearing through the photocopier every day at work I try to be a bit more sensible with my use of paper at home, and not just paper we try to re-use  and make the most of our stuff.
I have a cupboard full of gift bags which are re-used at Christmas and Birthdays, any I am given are folded and carefully stored, as are ribbons, and any re-usable bits of paper.  We recycle clothes, at charity shop if we no longer want them, I often buy there also or on ebay, my children also sell on games or donate and they also buy used games for consoles etc.
There are a couple of birthdays coming up so I decided to make a couple of cards for that today. I know that places like hobby craft are full of pre-made card and envelopes and I have bought these when they are being sold off occasionally. More often though I will use what I have and that is usually what most people will have lying around.

So the white card was A4 size but then cut in half and folded now quite often there is a pristine piece of white card on the back of any birthday or Christmas cards you are given. Cut this away carefully and store, ribbons often come on boxes of chocolates, around blankets or towels or can be picked up at charity shops.

 Buttons I always save the spares that come with any thing and any clothing that cannot be donated or reused is de constructed and all zips, buttons and useful bits removed.

The silver and white background card in my cards was from a bath gift set I was bought last year it lined the bottom of the box! The pink paper I used to make the flowers was a used envelope, your name is usually in the middle so there is loads of usable colourful paper on birthday envelopes. If you are not very good at cutting your own designs you can go on line choose some images and make yourself some templates ( just remember to save them so you are not creating more waste!)

The buttons are from my stash of many odd buttons I just sew them on, silver pens come in useful for writing on your greetings and save on printing. I don't usually add further paper inside I just write the greeting straight onto the card.

Now these cards now need envelopes to fit, I will do these tomorrow, you can use colourful magazine pictures (use the free ones that get pushed through the door) or any paper big enough even saved wrapping paper just make a little label to stick on the front.  I usually find people like cards you have made because you put the time in. I have been a  bit behind on all my handmade stuff recently so I am on a real push now to get back into it.

There are loads of ideas out there for re-using paper, card, jars, jumpers etc. I will share more later.

Repairs, Cards and Books

Today I managed to get some jobs done despite spending all of my free time watching the new puppy. I repaired the sleeves again on a shirt, repaired a rucksack for my son and mended a hole on a pair of jeans.  Nothing amazing I know but they are jobs that have been sitting there and it is a relief to get them done as I nearly always put off starting anything for myself while ever there are other repair jobs sitting around.
I also made a Christmas card, yes just the one but it is still October. It is quite a basic tree one, but sometimes you want to feel like you have done something no matter how small to get the ball rolling and get you back into making stuff.  So that is what this was, I have  decided I am going to make them daily, not all the same of course and this way they will build up gradually.

Now the colours are much brighter but this is a night time photo so it looks quite washed out.

The card I bought last year really cheap after Christmas for something like 30p for 6 with envelopes. The tree is cut out from vinyl samples I was given years ago and I still have loads left, other bits are recycled paper, some stickers I got free with a magazine I was bought as a gift ( a craft magazine as a present from a friend)

So I have ideas now but it is getting the time to make them a reality, watching a puppy as many of you will know takes loads of time and energy, every sniff we have to rush outside to see if he needs to pee or poo, When my son is watching him he has only half an eye on him so accidents are happening more then, so much as I should make him watch him more (he is supposed to be his, I laugh) I don't want to delay his house training so it is more effective when I can keep catching him and talking him out.

I have seen some fabulous ideas on pinterest 

How gorgeous is that sewing machine cover, I also saw this one...

Now I hope these images last because sometimes I share and then find the image has gone. However if I do one thing this half term I think it has to be making myself a sewing machine cover like one of these.

I have a couple of new books on the go this week, one of them is fiction, The Loney

I have only just started this so will let you know how it goes. The other one is by Cesar Millan called How to raise the Perfect Dog ( hah! again I will let you know how that goes also.

Right I am going to try to be back tomorrow as I am determined to carve out a little time each day for making.

New Puppy

I've been busy again this month but for a different reason, we have a new family member Marvin the jug. (half pug half Jack Russel)
He takes up a lot of time because you have to have your eye on him all the time, house training and making sure he is safe. Also as I have two other dogs I have to make sure he is not bothering them as he is young and very nippy at the moment!

He doesn't stay with my other two when we are out as I don't trust them together yet and it wouldn't be fair on the older two so he has his own pen in the hallway. So I hope to be sewing again soon, he just needs to calm down a little so I can take my eyes off him without him chasing the other two around the house!

Courgetti spaghetti, Cake, Biscuits and Books

As I get used to avoiding wheat I find it gets easier all the time, I suppose this is the same with any change that we need to make but initially it did feel very difficult to eat without all the baked goods that I used to love.  The thing is now I tend to associate them with feeling dreadful afterwards which tends to make them less appealing.
Due to this change I rarely get to eat any cake or biscuits unless I have braved baking with the dreaded gluten free flour.  I saw a recipe for white chocolate and cranberry cookies so I thought I would try it. Now as usual I didn't stick to the plan ( maybe this is why things go wrong?) I just creamed the margarine and sugar then threw in the flour, egg, cranberries and white chocolate.  I also didn't need it as I have found it to be very crumbly and not very workable, instead I added a little soya so it would be more moist and just spooned the mixture onto the baking paper.

I didn't get any pictures as half are already in the freezer, some in my stomach and a few left in the kitchen which wouldn't make for a great photo.  Long story short is that although they were not very biscuity they were very tasty!  They came out more of a flattish scone but never mind as they are so nice.
I will maker them again with a full photo and recipe for you.

Something I did take a photo of was todays bake, which is for church and therefore not Gluten free as it is to be given out and not consumed by me!  I made this up, and it is a vanilla sponge with crushed wheatos ( Yeah like I said I'm not eating it!) marshmallows and chocolate topping.

There are marshmallows inside as well.

Another thing I tried today was courgetti spaghetti, now basically it's just courgette cut into really fine strips (julienne) and fried in olive oil. You can top it with whatever pasta sauce you use, I made one with tomatoes, onion, garlic and chilli.  I then topped it with cheese and had a spinach and cucumber salad.  It was really good and strange how the courgette when cooked lilts and has the texture of spaghetti.  Much healthier, I will definitely make this often.  I think I will buy a julienne peeler though as they are cheap enough and would make preparing stuff quicker.

A couple of books I have read recently are The Shack which was really thought provoking if maybe a bit challenging in places. Also I am having a bit of a binge on reading about habit formation. A book I enjoyed was 59 seconds.

 It has some really good examples of studies, some you may have heard of before if you have read Outliers or Tipping point there are some familiar themes.  I also started Nudge but I got a bit bored with that,  The latest one is The Power of Habit, I just started this so I will keep you posted.

Burda Women's Shirt Pattern

This weekend I have been getting on with a couple of jobs that have been sat around a while.  The first was a small rip in a friends dress that needed some invisible stitching ( I say invisible but it was actually a very fine mesh so I did the best I could). There was also a replacement zip and a shirt for me that I have had the fabric for for quite a while.

The reason it has been so long waiting for me to get started is that I knew it wasn't going to be a quick make. It is fitted but very structured and  lot of bits and detail that needed to be spot on.

Here it is...

I really like the middle fabric on the front of the pattern but they didn't have any like that so I got this which is a dusky pink. Not  a colour I would usually go for as I tend to suit bolder colours so I hope I wear this! 

The fit turned out to be very accurate but I did feel the collar was too deep so after I had stitched it all on I thought that it would just bug me, that would probably mean the garment wouldn't get worn.  With that in mind I unpicked the whole collar snipped about a cm off the bottom and put it back in.  It took longer to put back in as everything was not as crisp but it got there.

When making the shirt next time I may also make it shorter as it is quite long.

This has inspired me to try more of the Burda patterns for more detailed stuff, I make lots without but it is good to work from one occasionally, my way of doing things  usually involves trying on repeatedly and tweaking things as I go. Working from a pattern is more like doing a puzzle so it can be a relaxing way to work.  ( Just buy them on offer, make sure you can reuse and adapt)

Here you can see it is long, but that is the style.

Now that I know that this pattern works and is a good fit I may see if I can make it in something heavier for the winter. 

Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes (frugal and quick desert)

I really wanted some pudding today after my lunch and while everyone else was eating banoffee cheesecake and cream I had to go without.  I did try a bought lemon cheesecake from the supermarket's free from range a couple of weeks ago but it was awful, expensive and everyone complained!  So back to letting them have the regular deserts as why should everyone else suffer.
After about an hour my sweet tooth got the better of me and I decided to make something using what I had in the fridge.

Blueberry Pancakes.

 I didn't measure anything out as it is not necessary with stuff like this I feel, so here is what I did.

I used one egg and cracked it into the jug, added a splash of soya milk and whipped it up a bit.

I added one teaspoon of sugar and about five level desert-spoons of  GF flour (plain). Next I chopped up a handful of blueberries, heated some olive oil in a pan and poured in the batter.  I waited until the bottom had caught a bit then spread out the blueberries, turned after a short while and it was done.

To serve I added some plain Alpro yogurt, a few more blueberries and a drizzle of syrup, it was very nice.

It was a decent size serving so you could use this amount and make four or five small thin ones to have with ice cream if you can eat that (I can't).  There is a really good cheats ice cream though that you make using frozen bananas and peanut butter. You can find it here Dairy free ice cream

Pancakes are quite useful as you can put savoury fillings in them and they are cheap to make and a bonus is they are one of the few GF recipes that taste just like the regular version.

Frugal Bathroom Blind revamp/makeover

I redid the bathroom blind last year or was it the year before? Using a bit of fabric from Ikea but as we have recently redone our bathroom it no longer went with the colour scheme.  As it was so easy to do on the cheap last time I had no intention of paying out a ridiculous amount of cash to get the look I wanted.  Lets face it a roller blind is just a bit of fabric with a channel in one end for a bit of plastic and it is attached to a mechanism on a cardboard tube!

Here it is...

This is what I did.
As the bathroom is a damp place and my window is right next to the bath I decided that this time I was going to use the coated fabric. You know the kind you use as wipe-able table cloths, so we went and had a look and found this...

It has little pebbles all over it which will go really well with two pictures I have in my bathroom.

This is the lovely orange one I took down, but don't worry that fabric will be washed and pressed and I am sure it will come in useful for something in the future.

It is a great design but it does not go with the current neutral colours.

All I did was remove the old fabric by taking out the staples from the tube, I lay the new fabric over the top to get the right size and then stitched a new channel at the bottom for the plastic to go in (the bit that weights the bottom down).  If you are starting from scratch you could just make this from a bit of dowel.  I didn't even need to hem the sides this time because the fabric being coated it does not fray.  We just made sure it was lined up straight on the tube and stapled it with an electric stapler.  I'm sure strong glue could probably be used for this bit.

I showed my mum the fabric and she said she could do with something like that as things get splashed on her blind and she has a hard time keeping it clean. I told her to have a look for something she likes and we will do her blind up next.

Summer and Books

It has been a strange summer, the weather has been pretty good but with the absence of any caravan travel it has not seemed complete somehow. The bathroom was finished, well there is just the blind I need to make but I have the fabric for that and it will be a quick job, just need to find the staple gun out.
Plans for the pond changed as my husband decided he wanted fish again, he made some repairs, built a new filter set up and refilled it.  Then he went out and bought 20 very small koy carp that someone was selling really cheap as they had too many and I have to say they have really grown in a few weeks.

This was a few weeks ago they have grown a lot since but they are so friendly up near the surface when you come to the pond, that I'm a bit worried the heron is going to spot them and steal this lot as well. Hiding caves have been made and there is talk of a pergola to go over it to disrupt the bird from swooping straight down.

It is nice to go out and watch them again and I suppose the idea of a seating area would have only been used occasionally, how many seating areas does one garden need.

The lilies were also relieved to be moved back into the big pond as they gave this gorgeous display.

The time at home has given me lots of opportunity to read while it has been quiet and enjoy being outside.

Reading on the tablet is not so easy in full sun!

We complain about the weather in England but on a good day you can't beat it.

I have read few books while I have been off work, this one The Anchoress I just picked up at the library in a rush and it was so good!  A strange subject matter a young girl being locked in a cell to live her life as a living death to serve God and the village where she is contained. However wow! really gets you thinking ( mainly about why would you do such a thing!) and the characters are so believable.

This week I have been reading Forgive me, Leonard Peacock.

I read this one over a few days after initially thinking after the first few pages it was depressing and I wouldn't continue.  I did continue and I was really glad I did, I wanted good things for Leonard.  This is one to check out and don't be put off by the beginning. ( If you are like me you might think it's too dark at first)

Currently I am making my way through Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner, I have been trying to learn Spanish for years and although I know loads of words and phrases as soon as I hear someone speaking it all goes out the window as my brain can't keep up with trying to make sense of it all!  Spanish speakers appear to talk very fast but then I'm sure that is how English speakers sound to others.  So I bought this book and I'm trying out the tips, but to be honest as I never get the opportunity to try out the actual talking part I'm not fooling myself to think I will have anything more than a knowledge of the language.  I will continue (forever probably) because I can only improve no matter what the pace. I think you really need to live somewhere where the language is spoken daily and you are forced to respond, that is the way to become fluent, but it doesn't hurt to learn as much as we can in our own environment does it?

Cupboard revamp/makeover

We have been in the middle of doing up our bathroom, not because we felt like it but rather because we had a leak that meant everything had to be taken out to get at it and repair it.  We sourced everything cheaply and kept what we could such as the sink and toilet and just added new taps  (found in the discount section but very nice) My husband is very skilled at many things so he installed the new bath and did the tiling and flooring.
One thing I did want was a nice cupboard to keep all the cleaning products and toiletries out of sight.  I didn't want to pay too much for it and also what I had in mind probably did not exist.  We looked in some salvage shops and I have to say they charge an awful lot for junk!  We eventually found one the right size in a charity shop, solid wood for £20.  Very pleased with that I bought a small tin of paint, some sand paper, primer and a new handle.  The paint was for the door and other woodwork also so not really included in the price of the makeover.  I also had a small piece of wallpaper sample (free).
Here is the before and after...

I had already taken off the many gold handles as you can see.

Now this is exactly as I saw it in my head so I am pleased and it goes well with the bathroom.

I sanded it all over and wiped off all the dust, then it had a coat of primer.  Then two coats of gloss 24 hours apart.

The wallpaper piece had the effect of panelling so I used a baking paper template to get the size of the insets in the mock drawers.  I then cut out four and stuck them on with paste.  The handle was £3.45.  It just needs the paper sealing with a clear varnish and we have some of that in the garage.

Total cost £30.

When I was looking for this cupboard we went in one shop and it was a vintage shop.  We saw a small cupboard that looked like it needed painting as it was all patchy and flaky looking.  We asked how much, thinking we could get it and do it up, the lady said oh that is £40.

  It was much smaller than mine and my husband said really?  She said oh it cost me loads for the Annie Sloan paint I can easy sell that for £40.  Well I have to say I have seen how much that chalk paint is and it is expensive, if people like it good for them but I like finish of regular paint better, if something is freshly painted I want it to look that way.

Prom Dress Alterations and Watching those Savings

This week I was asked to alter a prom dress ready for next week so I thought I would share that.  It was too long for the girl and she preferred it just below the knee, I was also asked to make a strap for the right shoulder as it only had one on one side and she didn't feel secure in it.
 Here it is...

Now there was quite a bit taken off the bottom but there is no point keeping something at a length you don't like. I always think it's best to make something suit the way you wear things.  Also floor length dresses are very dressed up,  it's a good idea  making it this length  as it means she will be able to wear it for lots of different occasions and not just once.

The shoulder strap that I made is sewn on the inside by hand so if she later decides she wants it just on one shoulder I can unpick that and there won't be any marks. 

There are lots of bargains to be had on dresses I think if you know someone that can alter them for you. 

Things are never exactly the right length, fit or style, but a few changes can make them perfect.  I hope that by sharing this some of you are encouraged to try to altering a few of your own clothes.  If you never wear them as they are what have you got to lose?

I hope the owner of this garment has a lovely day and gets lots more use out of her pretty dress. 

Right I have a little rant now just because it is not the first time it has happened and I want you all to be vigilant!  I just popped out to the tesco to get my boys a couple of pizza's and a few bits we needed but not enough to go and do a big shop. I rushed in, saw these pizza's on 2 for £4, got my soya milk, a reduced salad, some wine and a couple of other bits, back in the car and home.  I was just putting stuff away and the pizza was already in the oven when I went to throw the receipt in the bin, it said 3 pizza!!! I thought what! I only bought those as they were 2 for £4 and now I've paid for 3.  It is not far so I asked  the oldest to watch the oven as I was off to get my money back. (he is 16, it's ok) 

When I got there I made sure I got the same lady (young woman)  she said 'Oh yeah, I charged you too much I'll get someone as I don't know how to pay it back'.

Now it may seem ridiculous going back out for £2.66 but this is not the first time it has happened, and to be honest it makes me wonder how often we are robbed and just don't notice. A lot of what we pay comes straight off our debit cards and we are often in a rush so we don't stand and check before leaving the store.

If you only have a couple of items you would probably see it but if you have a basket or trolley full and there is a big queue behind you and you are on your way home from work, do you stop and check?  I bet you don't.    So I am asking everyone to check their receipts this week and if it is wrong go back in and get your money!   

In a lot of cases like this one it could be human error and of course we all make mistakes but there is also the issue of special deals.  Now this has happened to us a couple of times so I am wise to this now, but you see an offer that is two for one, or a wine that is usually £6 but now £3.99 so you get that one instead of what you would normally buy.  At the till you have a heap of shopping, the store is busy and the cashier is throwing stuff at you, you get home and see the offer price did not come off and you paid full price.  The store is miles away and factoring in time and fuel you decide that it is not worth going back.  Thousands of people must be thinking this a day and the big businesses must be making a fortune by accidentally not updating the systems with the offer prices. Now I ask you if they are making so much money this way is it an accident??  For the few people like me that notice (in asda) and then have to go to customer services to get a refund ( which is doubled if you have it on a gift card!) they can afford to do this for all the people who go  home and don't bother to make a fuss.

This week everyone make a fuss, it is your money.  You wouldn't let someone just dip their hand in your purse so why ignore the supermarkets  mistakes.  That few pound  that  you think  is not worth the fuss get it back anyway and donate it to a good cause if you think you don't need it.  Rant over.

 Oh OK here is another rant.  Today also saw the return of Network rail to destroy some more nature behind my house, bizarrely just as I am typing the chainsaws are fired up again!!!  They have taken down another beautiful tree outside my neighbours house, she was so upset she couldn't watch, it also had beautiful pink roses growing up it.

This one directly behind the garage is now gone completely, you can just see the top of the work man's head in the photo. They are currently at it again chopping down more.  I always thought trees acted as a natural buffer against noise from the railway, also they are the lungs of the earth. It is just so sad.

On a calmer not here is one of the books I have been reading this week...

I started it as he was one of the contributors to a book I read last week, the power of silence.  It is so interesting and makes so much sense. The author is a Franciscan priest and gives such a wonderful insight into growing older and growing into yourself.  It makes you appreciate your experiences more as they really do grow you as a person.  It also says the second stage of life cannot be rushed and we all reach it at different ages due to our life experiences.  A really inspirational read. 

Frugal gluten and dairy free pudding

Yesterday after lunch everyone was about to have desert except for me because I usually don't bother now. ( being gluten free means there isn't much I can have unless I bake it or get ripped off with the price!)
I really fancied a desert though so I decided to make one. I had to pop out to get Alpro custard but the shop is just down the road.

I made bread and butter pudding using the genius bread I had in the freezer. ( just a couple of slices)
It was really easy just butter your bread using dairy free spread, cut in to triangles, sprinkle on some raisins, add cinnamon if you like it, pour over half a carton of the custard and drizzle a little syrup over the top.

Here it is before it went in the oven I forgot to take one when it came out but the bits of bread sticking up went nice and crunchy.

It worked out to 70p a portion but that was because the bread  and ready made custard were expensive. If you can get  them on offer or buy cheaper versions it would be less.  Still I thought that was ok considering the cost of a GF ready made desert. 

I may add jam and no syrup next time or vary the fruit.

Alterations, Books and Silence

  This week I had to alter a ball gown for a friend, it was very long and bias cut. Those of you that sew know that this is not great if you trying to make alterations as the fabric develops a mind of its own.  It needed shortening by about 9 inches, taking in under the arms and the straps shortening.
The first job I did was the hem and I decided to overlock this so that the slight curve in the bias fabric was not lost. Turning up a hem on this would not have worked plus my friend goes dancing and this looked much better to twirl in!

Now whenever I am making a dress I avoid bias cut patterns I made one years ago and have altered a few and they just annoy me really.  I like to sew for pleasure and bias cut does nothing for my well being. (I'm just saying!)

I also had to sew on some of the roses as they were coming loose around the top. My friend got this dress from a charity shop as she wears lots of dresses to various dance events.

This week has also involved lots of reading, I like to read and often have a few books on the go that may sound strange but you don't always fancy reading the same thing do you?  I am re-reading a motivational book by Tony Robbins which I already had, I don't agree with everything in there but there is lots of good advice  eg 'its up to you to make things happen' I like that.  I have also read three library books...

This one I read in one sitting, a quick read, mildly entertaining but also a bit contradictory in places.

Now this one I enjoyed, it describes how silence is used across the religions with varying success, how we live in a state of constant noise pollution and have forgotten how to just sit in silence and enjoy.  I have recommended it to others and have ordered another book of a similar nature.

This was another great one, lots of clear examples and I love that all of the models used were over 40 many of them into 60's and beyond.  Also has exercises for people with joint replacements or medical conditions, so something for everyone.  I think often older people are put off by the young models in the book as they think they can't do that. This is a great example that you can.

So all of those completed and I'm now reading a book by Seth Godin after listening to an interesting Podcast by him last week.  You can find it here at farnoosh.  More on the book later.

  

What to do with stripes

Stripe fabric, it can be a bit of a pain, they do say not to wear the stripes horizontally as it is unflattering.  There is also the issue of matching them up as depending on what you are making matching around a curve can be troublesome.  I had bought this stripe jersey fabric a while ago and to be honest I was disappointed when it arrived as the colour was not what I expected.  I thought it was a black and white stripe but when it arrived it was more of a very pale peach colour. This colour does nothing for me so it sat on my sewing table in the bag for about two  months making me feel like I had wasted my money!
Then there was the issue of what to do, I had thought a dress  ( I know another one!) but I wasn't sure how I would lay the stripes on it.

So today I decided to just get on with it because waiting for inspiration was getting me nowhere,  I decided to do the back and front pieces of the dress with a centre seam so that I could have the stripes meeting at the middle in a point. This meant I laid the stripe on a diagonal as I cut out each front/back half.  There is probably a technical name for this but I don't know it, being a self taught get on with it sort of dress maker.
The bottom of the dress I laid the fabric vertical, this way I feel the dress looks more interesting than if all of the dress fabric was used in the same way.

I have to say it was a nuisance to work with, I bought some ball pointed needles but they did not help on this very stretchy jersey, the first one broke after ten minutes. I had to just ease all the seams and go slowly, I overlocked afterwards otherwise all the seams would have just snapped.

I am now really happy with how this turned out despite much unpicking when seams moved and did not line up and the overly bouncy fabric!

When I came to face around the sleeves I did  not have enough fabric left, this was mainly due to the fact that in laying out my pieces in a different way to get the desired effect on the dress, I did not have long pieces left to making binding. Argh!

So a quick look in my fabric box and I had a bit of the lace from the evening dress I took up for a friend ages ago.  I also used some of that on my Christmas  party dress hem and still I have some left.  You see  these little bits do come in handy, so I faced around the sleeves using that.

You can see in this picture that the fabric is peachy not white but in the main picture it looks white.

Anyway this solved my problem of facing the sleeves, I did think of adding some around the neck too but my husband said that may be too much so it stays as it is.  Another bit of bother with the hem that got partially sewn then unpicked three times! Then hand stitched as it would just not lay correctly under the machine without twisting and missing stitches.  Sometimes doing it by hand is just better and it's invisible.

A little note about my overlocker, it has been a bit funny to work with the whole time I've had it, I recently got it working and changed blades/ sorted tension etc. Still it did not like the right hand needle, I took it out, removed the cotton for that needle and now it works great on just three threads.  It uses less cotton this way anyhow but still gives a good effect.  If you are having this same trouble just try it.

More Barcelona

Today is so grey and blowy, I walked up the hill earlier from church and thought what a huge difference the sun makes. Everything looks better under a blue sky, we have a beautiful country here it just needs more sun! I have just seen a link that someone shared though that says we are going to be having glorious weather by the end of next week so I look forward to that.
For now here a a few more pictures of my trip, below are some of Sagrada Familia again we didn't get inside as the lines  went right around the building  for tickets and that was on both sides. Also the children were not as interested as I was, they looked at the outside, declared it impressive then continued their conversation with each other about something totally unrelated. It was also expensive to go inside I thought for a family, there is some further information here

So much work still going on here.

A few random tourists in this shot!

These pictures really do not do it justice, the scale and detail are incredible. It is so busy in the area though it was difficult to get good photos as somebody was always in front of you with their head in the way!

We walked from Park Guell  to Sagrada Familia using our map and stopped halfway down for lunch. After we spent a bit of time in that area everyone was ready to head back. 

Lovely palms I wish we could have these in the garden, we have had a few palm plants before that looked amazing but they always die in our cool climate.

                                           The view from my apartment on Friday

So now I need to go and tackle the ironing mountain, cook the dinner, walk the dogs under the grey sky (boo! grey sky) and get back into routine. 

Barcelona Trip

Hello we got back from Barcelona at 3.30 am today! I was very tired and said I was not going away abroad again because the journey back had me shattered. Well  after a good sleep I have decided that was a silly thing to say as we had such a good time and I love the place.
 I could live there it is so lovely, I have to specify that it is on the coast where we stayed about forty minutes on the train outside the city. I would not want to live in the centre, cities are too crowded and rushed for me with not enough open spaces.  The place we stayed appears to be a Spanish resort so not full of English tourists, we have been before about seven years ago (I thought it was less) and we like the fact that it is mainly Spanish people, you go away to other countries to experience their culture not recreate what you have at home.
I would say in a lot of the bars and restaurants they don't speak much English, same again in the shops but again this was not a problem you can make yourself understood and it forced me to order all  our food and drinks in my limited Spanish. My husband also managed with a bit of point and mime!
We are already planning to go back next year, either the same place or just up the coast one train stop away. We have visited Barcelona City a few times now so next year we will get the train to other places but the coastal area is just beautiful so we will return there but stay out of the city.
I love the Spanish way of life and how everyone comes out and socialises in the evening, children enjoying meals with their parents and the relaxed nature.  Here are  a few pictures below, I may have to post some more tomorrow.

 This was quite a quiet beach really, you can see it is not overcrowded and what a pretty place.

This is Sitges where we visited on the train, the trains are so regular and cheap.  It is a gorgeous place and worth a visit if you are ever close enough.  I know lots of people go on trips organised by tour operators on holiday, don't! They really rip you off by charging way too much, if you don't like getting the train buses are also good. Even an expensive taxi journey for a family of four would work out better than paying tour operators excursion prices per person.

The entrance to Park Guell you can read about it here we had a good walk around the park  but the fee paying bit of it had a three hour wait so we gave that a miss.

A view from near the top.

I have to say if you are going to visit Park Guell in Barcelona please bear in mind it is not for people unsteady on their feet or have health breathing issues.  We are all fit and well but it is all up hill and steps, lots and lots of steps, plus it is very hot.  It was also scenic with lovely views when you get to the top.

We got a train into Barcelona then I asked at the tourist office and we caught a bus outside that took us close by.  It was quite funny because I was following all the stops with my map so we didn't miss it and we were about to get off when a lovely Spanish lady (who must have been watching me checking all the street names and stops) said Park Guell another two stops, in Spanish. We thanked her and the bus stopped at the bottom of the hill.  That is another thing you have a hill to walk up before you even reach the park.  Very kind of that lady to help us.

I will post more tomorrow.