I'm Happy Little Bunny

Before I begin I just want to say, thank you so much to all the lovely ladies who left a comment or sent emails on my last post.  The things that you said really touched me and I greatly appreciated it.

Now, aren't I quite the naughty one! 

 I have just returned to blogging after months of a break and what do I do? 

Only go and disappear again for a few weeks. 

Initially it was because I was getting warning signs that the stress from the previous months was coming back to bite me on the bum.  

First my sleeping pattern was disturbed and then my pain levels rose.

But I didn't push things.

I took things easy and rested when I could.

I understood that my body was struggling to deal with all the pressure that I had put it under.

I'm not saying that I'm pain free or anything now but I definitely more relaxed and sleeping better.

I also was having problems remembering words, which happens sometimes when I'm overtired, making very hard to put a sentence to together.

If I had written a blog post it probably be total gobble-dee-gook.

A couple of things really helped with my recovery. 

The first is the unbelievable span of great weather we've been having here in Ireland.

Every day we've been getting out for walks straight after school.

Down to the canal we go so that the dogs, especially Molly, can go for a swim.

She gets in the water as soon as she sees it and swims along the bank as we walk. Only occasionally stopping and refusing to go on until my son throws a stick out to the water for her to retrieve.

Mad thing is she won't even play fetch on land!!

Another thing that has cheered me up greatly is that we have finally finished my studio, otherwise known as Benny in this family. 

Benny is a gutted and refurbished mobile home that we turned into a studio for me and a playroom for the kids.

The kids up one end and my work space down the other.  

Thing is that the kids toys seem to somehow hover very slowly over to my side of Benny 'all on their own', according to my kids!

My Hubby got the stove set up and the chimney built.

It looks so cute when it's lit.

No pictures yet though because I want to add some more homemade bits and pieces around the place and work there for a while before I can find everythings own 'right place'.

I'll post some little sneak peaks as I get things finished.

I have also managed to get a few little crafty bits and pieces done over the last few weeks but i'm going to wait until the next post to share them with you. 

Must go now and head off for our daily walk.

I hope to chat to you all soon in blogland.

Rosie xx

A Gorgeous Gift

Yesterday the postie popped a lovely little parcel into my letterbox.  I've been looking forward to seeing this little beauty for weeks.  it was made by the very talented Jane at Hand Made Jane.  She was having a clear out of some of her beautiful handmade clothes and asked for some good homes for them.  I was only too delighted to offer my help on this matter.  Lucky for me my name was chosen for this top.  I really love it to say the least.  It is so well made and it is has really made me want to work a bit harder on my dressmaking skills.  So thank you very much again for the gorgeous parcel in the post.  Cheered me up no end to see it sitting on the doormat.

In other news, work on the studio is slow with the Hubby doing his final exams this week.  To relieve some of the stress, he went out into the garden after college and worked on levelling it.  it look a lot of work to haul it up into place and then to level it on its brick stands but with the help of a few friends and some sweat and cursing he finally managed it on Wednesday evening.  It was a bigger job than he expected but he is happy with it now.  We will be working against the clock now because once the Mayfly hatches on the lake there will be no work done on it at all.  He will be happily sitting in his boat fly rod in hand, free of all worries about studies. Normally it would hatch in the first week of May but with the weather and long winter this year, it is taking a little longer.  May is a month that we see very little of the Hubby and when you are married to a fisherman it's just something that you have to live with.  I'm the definition of a fishing widow!!
If we can manage to get it cleared before the Mayfly hatches then I can potter on with the rest. Painting and decorating isn't his thing anyway.

Sadly with all that has been going on around here my crafting mojo has started playing hide and seek with me.  I've lost all interest in my blankets and sewing jobs.  At the moment just to keep my hands busy, I've been doing a little cross stitching.  I want to make some of these gorgeous little butterflies and hang them in the hoops in the studio.  The work is slow but it is calming my very over active mind at the moment.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and if you see my stitching mojo please do let me know.
Rosie xx

My New Sewing Studio

At last we bought a new old studio for me to use for my sewing, stitching and general crafting.  Our house is very small so using a room within the house was totally out of the question.  Our only option was to have one outside.  We initially looked into building one but even with the hubby doing all of the building work himself, the numbers just would not work for us.  The cost was way too high.

Eventually the Hubby suggested using a mobile home and converting it into a studio.  The idea really excited me because I knew that I would get into it much quicker than if it was built in blocks.  Also a mobile home would be much bigger than anything we would ever be able to afford to build.  So that decided we began our hunt.  This took longer than expected.  If we found a nice one then we struggled with delivery of it, or if delivery wasn't a problem then the mobile itself wasn't great.

Last Wednesday the Hubby spotted a perfect one on the Internet for just 800 Euros.  It was old but in good condition.  When he rang the owner he was told that it could be delivered that night.  Result!!  We couldn't go and see it because it was in Cork city, a good five hour drive from us but the owner guaranteed us that it was in perfect health.  It was old and in need of a little love and attention but otherwise perfect.

So we waited for the delivery and we waited and we waited and we waited until eventually the driver arrived at 2:30am.  It took another two hours to get the mobile off the truck and in place.....very hard thing to do in the pitch black.  We were two very exhausted puppies getting into bed that morning.  Exhausted but very excited.

Are you ready for the big revel??

Now you're not to laugh!!

Well I did tell you it was old.  Did I hear a titter there??

I needs a lot of TLC but I think that it definitely has potential.  This is my end.  It has four large windows providing a lot of natural light.

We are going to gut it completely and redesign it from scratch.  A woodburning stove will heat it during the winter months.  This is the top end of my room.  Look how bright and light it is.  Okay it's also dated, dirty and very grimey, but bright all the same.

Even Molly was in to have a look around to see where her bed is going to be.  From the bench down is going to be the kids play room.  They are getting a free hand at decorating it as they like.  Great place for putting the xbox and the overflow of toys from the house.

There's a lot of work to be done but we just can't wait to get it started.  A new project for us to work on together.   We think that it will be a lot of fun.......hopefully.

Fingers crossed that it works out ok.
Rosie xx