HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

There are 2 sides to every pumpkin and these are of mine! (one each side ;)

Hello!!! Ahhhh! It's good to go on holiday but it ain't 'arf good to be back! We had a lovely time, saw the sights and ate all the food and feel really fat since we came back. Ah well, here's the run down...

Sunday Day 1: Got up at 03:30(!) so that we could have showers and be slightly awake for the drive over to Coventry Airport. Left the house at 04:30 as planned - it was cold! We arrived at the airport and 05:00, parked up and went to the 'departures' section. For anyone who hasn't flown from Coventry - it's a bit of a 2-bit shed style operation. The checking in desk was about 10ft from the door in to the building, passport control (or the X-ray machine) was just next to the check-in desk and there was one room with a rubbish shop area and just enough seating for one plane load of people! The plane took off on time (We hate flying) after being de-iced. Both managed a bit of a snooze on the way. Pisa airport was a lot better - I suppose it is bigger though. Got the suitcase and also got lucky with the train and managed to time it right so we got the direct train the Firenze. Once checked in to the hotel we had a good mooch around to get our bearings, some food and went back to the room for a snooze. Out for tea later.

DAY 2: After a good nights sleep and a big breakfast we went over to the Duomo for a look around. The doors opened at 10am and we got there a little before that, while in the queue I decided it'd be fun to do the front 'Hockney Style' we'll see how it all turns out once I get the photos printed ;)   We went inside but you couldn't get very far and couldn't really see the inside of the dome so we decided we'd had a good breakfast and the energy to climb up to the top. BLIMEY, it was a lot of steps! Worth it though, the inside of the dome was fantastic and the view from the outside was...well.......     Lunch was over the river at Olio & Convivium and was LOVELY! best meal of the holiday. I had pork with black cabbage and chestnuts and after J wanted a pud and I thought I'd try my luck at getting a cuppa and so asked for that then asked 'Avete biscotti?' as I'd seen another couple ask for some with their coffee, I got a 'Si' in reply then was brought this pile...J had to help after his pud.

Went to the Museo Dell'opera del Duomo and saw all the original bits they'd taken from the cathedral to preserve them. J bought a pic of Michelangelo's Pietá (accent the wrong way) that I'm not sure I like...The rest of the day was spent walking, snoozing, eating pizza and relaxing.

DAY 3: We got up early to get the the Uffizi Gallery. Managed to get there at 9:15 and only had to queue for 1 1/2 hours!!! We went to the Boboli Gardens in the afternoon as it was sunny and we'd had drizzle the last few days.

DAY 4: Up early again to go and see Uncle David....I mean Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia. This time there wasn't a queue so straight in. He's SOOOOOOO impressive! I know you see the replica outside the Palazzo Vecchio, but that just doesn't prepare you for the real thing. Found a nice little place for lunch - panini and a hot choc (it was a bit rainy and cold) and it was almost as good as the hot choc I've had in Madrid. Mmmmmmm!!! Had a relaxing afternoon buying a few souvenirs and shopping. Tea was in the hotel restaurant and very nice. All in we had a good time, walked loads (J's feet really hurt by the time we left) and would definitely go back to Italy. There ends out first Italian Adventure. (DAY 5 was spent travelling home!)

...it's a frog obsession! I've been feeling a bit run down this week, definitely ready for half term and a holiday! To cheer myself up a bit after a rubbish day at work I made something to carry on my frog obsession! It's my new bag to replace my paperchase one that has started to fall apart :(

Awww! Look at my nice new froggy! Isn't he a cutey? My camera fits in perfectly (he's an 85% reduction on the elephant)....just don't ask about the padding! There isn't any. I decided that was more of a weekend job than a Tuesday job! (Is it only Tuesday?) But I did get to use some of my nice new froggy fabric, it feels really soft and now I want to make loads of things from it. I may have to treat myself to a bit more. Hehe! ;)

Oh! I've also decided to start a fabric recycling bin in my craft room. Any cotton scraps, or other natural fibre scraps can be chucked in the compost bin along with old socks and loo roll tubes!

As an extra on yesterday's post, I went to John Lewis today to swap my knitting needles as I'd picked up the wrong size at the weekend (how are those squares Jack? ;) while there I remembered I still needed two energy saving bulbs; one for under the stairs and one in the downstairs loo. They were only 39p! 39p.....how can anyone not have them, and why do they cost £2.99 in Sainsburys???? Those bulbs are now replaced!

I think I've decided against selling my stuff yet, well, maybe tote and peg bags. I haven't quite got a style in the softies and other bits and bobs I mess around making. I'm still developing my style...or something else just as cheesey! I have decided that once back form hols I'm going to try and eBay a load of Christmas cards that I made for that craft fair years ago. Still got 'em taking up valuable room and I don't want to put anything in the loft till we've discovered what's living up there...!

Received some lovely felt in the post today from Paper-and-string. She makes some lovely things and makes me quite jealous! ;) There are some lovely felt colours available and I got them for my advent house. It's something I saw in a Good Homes magazine Christmas edition or something similar. I'll hopefully get around to making it soon. Right now I'm off to make a frog shaped camera pouch (like the elephant pouch I made a while ago) and I'm going to try and make it padded.....Wish me luck!!!

Today is BLOG ACTION DAY. A day to make the blog readers take a bit of notice about the environment and maybe say a few things about what I do. I know I don't do as much as I could, but looking out on the street as everyone puts their rubbish out ready for the collection tomorrow I do a hell of a lot more than some. Next-door-but-one had 6 full black bags outside their front when I was putting our half a bag out. They are a family of 4 but I just don't see how they can create so much every week! I try not to buy food with too much packaging and I'm pleased Sainsbury's are starting to provide compostable packaging (J freaked out the first time he saw a tomato wrapper on the compost pile!), which I try and buy. I'll buy things in tins or jars so that they can be reused (jam and marmalade!) or recycled rather than plastic. I try and take one of my shopping bags with me whenever we pop to town or the local shops (the people in John Lewis give me very funny looks!). I compost and try and recycle everything possible (old socks on the compost!). The only chemicals I use on the garden are a bit of soap solution if the aphids get out of control and then I use all ECOVER cleaning products. I still feel I could do more. The plan is to have a bunch of trees planted when we get back from Florence. I know people I work with think I'm "quirky" and a bit of a "hippy", I just care! Thank you for reading my ramble!

Ah, another weekend over - they go by far too quickly. Had Fran over this weekend while Pete is in China, we had a nice time. I showed her the sights of Solihull (!) and bought a new suitcase ready for our much needed holiday. J feels a bit funny wheeling my big blue flowery suitcase around so I was under instructions to get a new one that looked 'normal'. Got a nice Antler one - HALF PRICE! Had to pop to the post office this week to collect my latest stash of Amazon booty. One of the things in the parcel was this book...

It's turning out to be an interesting read, although it is American so a lot of the business stuff is a little irrelevant. I'm thinking that after Christmas I might give selling my stuff a go! maybe an eBay shop to start with? I haven't quite decided what to do yet, I'll need to research. I think it'd be a good idea to get going now before we decide to have kids and we have to tighten our belts - I know the first thing to go will be my craft budget so if I can become self sufficient like I'd done with the card making I'll be ale to carry on making weird and wonderful things! First I have only got 10 weeks to get all my Christmas presents made and to their new owners....! Here's a little taster of one I finished this afternoon, I'm a bit behind on my schedule already :( 

Now, I know you haven't a hope of guessing what it is or who its for! I need a few free days just to crack on with it. Unfortunately we don't have any of those for about 3 weeks now. We fly out for our holiday next Sunday (shockingly early!), Joy and Danny are visiting when we get back....then we are free for one weekend so I think that'll have to be an all out craft weekend. I did take a present brake and made this little fellow...

...but he's only little and didn't take very long to make! Right, I'm off to do a bit more hand sewing on the sofa while we see who England will be playing in the rugby final.

As the weather was fair we had a drive over to Ryton Organic Garden to celebrate Apple Day! We had a nice time, saw lots of apples, had a wander round the garden and saw my favourite greenhouse :) We didn't time our visit very well and missed out on a lot of the talks and demonstrations - we'd either just missed them (by 20 mins) or they weren't happening for another few hours :(

Elephant Up a Pole Morris Dancers - were just finishing as we arrived.

One of three apple stalls.

Blenheim Orange - in the orchard.

I'm now in the process of persuading J that the Wassail on the 20th January would be a fun thing to do on his birthday weekend, see how they Wassail 'oop these parts! Long before that is Pumpkin day (28th Oct) - we'll be back from Florence in time for that ;)

At last I've put up the flowery coat/hat/stuff rail in my sewing room. While I had the drill out I also put up a couple of photos - one of my favourite of R&T taken a few years ago when we went to see Thomas the tank engine (I love R's expression!), and the other was a group wedding photo....the first wedding photo we've put up and it's only been 8 years ;)

...I'm on target this week, well, ahead of my target. JUST. I've made a list of what I need to make and by when to keep me on track of my Christmas present making (I might regret this crazy idea when it's over!). Tomorrow I need to have made Eggo...

...here he is...finished last night...

...and here again with his new friends. Eggo is a nephew Christmas present along with plucky the chicken(?!). I hope they like them. Plucky is from Plush-o-rama and Eggo is half made up and the shape from a dinosaur egg bag. I really like Eggo!