Colouring the Days

Yesterday I felt compelled to rush out and fill my house with blooms.  I don't usually spend too much on flowers, and will often pick up a little bunch of daffodils for a pound or so and be content to look at their sunny yellow heads.  But yesterday, overcome by a sudden need for colour, I went out and treated myself to a veritable armload of the things and plopped them in jam jars and vases around my house.

Candy pink tulips, indigo irises and a starburst posy of tiny, sweet scented narcissi.

I know it seems frivolous, but the satisfaction that these colourful visitors are bringing me is magnified and deep seated each time I see them.

Determined to make this a week of colour (to counteract the overcast behaviour of the weather) I also found myself some new threads...

Now I'm quite excited about these; you see I'm planning on making a necklace, but before I could start, I needed to unravel the rainbow skeins and instead of creating tiny balls from which to crochet from, I took inspiration from Pinterest here and did this:

 

Old style wooden pegs are the best thing ever for looking after your skeins of floss and embroidery threads.  I got very excited when I first saw that picture on Pinterest and was determined to do it myself.  

 

I shall share more about my necklace project with you soon!

In the meantime, we have been enjoying a snow laden weekend here...

Much fun was to be had out sledging, making snow angels and snowmen before retreating inside my Mum's cottage to be handed big steaming mugs of hot coffee and cookies.  I took mine outside, and went for a wander.  I do like how snow makes everything look so effortlessly beautiful.

  

 The seedheads looked particularly beautiful against the white snowy ground, and a recent vapour trail looked ever so much like a pretty garland against that bright, azure blue sky...

I must confess to liking being indoors at the moment though.  I like my cosy house and all it's homely corners and I'm slowly getting used to the fact that I have all this extra time on my hands now my Small is off being busy at school.  There are often too many hours in my day, but gradually I am fillling them with nice homely type things, such as tea drinking, crochet or like today, a spot of baking.  There is nothing more comforting to the soul than to have the aroma of baking in the house on a snowy day.

Todays bake was oaty cookies, enhanced with a generous scoop of chopped brazils and juicy sultanas.  I've already consumed three, and am tempted by a fourth...

On the arty front, I'm pootling about with my sketchbooks, contemplating a new painting and working on a couple of commissions here and there.  Here's one I recently finished, now safely in it's new home in Italy:

One last thing before I leave you (to dash into the kitchen to replenish my cookie plate) ~ a copy of Her Nashville came through the door just now.  Seeing it in 'real life' is all rather exciting I must say!

I hope you all have a lovely week, I'm so pleased you came to see me today!

Love Julia x x x