This little piggie - Heart-♥-thon day 7

Last year, on a cold and wet January weekend, we'd been walking out on the moors behind Grassington, North Yorkshire.  The rain was ice filled sleety lumps and seemed to go straight through one ear and out the other!

We came down through the village, which despite it being a grotty weather weekend still had a vibrant buzz about it. In the failing light we walked through the little twisty streets and as people switched on lights, the village took on a warm and inviting glow.

The pig is a reference to the home grown pork that the nearby restaurant and hotel serve however, the heart♥ is a mystery.....and if you look carefully, you can see that it is filled with glassy droplet beads suspended on fine thread.

Any hoo - onward to the weekend :) Have a lovely Saturday filled with L♥VE and other hearty♥ such matters :)!

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A sweet Heart-♥-thon for the 6th

Thank you dear blogisphere friends for your comments regarding my most recent post regarding our blankets for Japan, in fact thank you for your emails and chats and comments - I am always touched by your kind words and generous thoughts - thank you, I feel humbled and blessed by your involvement x

Today's is a sweet♥heart - in more ways than one :)

We often receive from pet owners (particularly during December) biscuits, chocolates and wine as a thank you for the care of their pets through the year. 

With a large contingency of hollow-legged vets and sweet♥toothed staff , a large box of chocolates can be flattened within moments, leaving just the odd unwanted strawberry cream or coffee truffle.  So our manager 'stashes' our gifts until just before chrimbly when a raffle is organised and we all get an equal share of goodies. Often we go home clutching a large tin of sweets or chocolates, box of biscuits, bottles of wine and gift vouchers - such is the generosity :)

When these chocolates♥ were gifted specifically to a particular receptionist by a grateful owner, she decided to open them and share them with the rest of the team - as you could see - no one was allowed anywhere near until I'd taken my pictures!

Job done - 6th February has been allocated a heart♥ for the day!

Hearty story number 5

A few years ago, when Japan was unexpectedly drenched by a tsunami I felt compelled to help. I tried all the normal routes and kept meeting up against difficulty, negative responses and just requests for money. All I wanted to do was to send blankets to the survivors who were camping under tarpaulins.

No. 

I was not going to hand over cash to an anonymous collector for it to go to a collective 'pot' I wanted to directly help those that had suffered. 

By chance more than luck I was finally put in touch with an English girl who at the time of the tsunami was living right in the path of the wave but her home miraculously survived whilst all around her neighbourhood vanished.

She became my contact. A plan was hatched to send to her small blankets for babies and children as well as hats and knitted teddies and she would take them down to the rescue centre. 

Knitted and crocheted blankets were easy to sort, I put out an appeal and soon crocheted and knitted squares arrived in the post and we as a knitting group assembled them into piles of blankets and once a week parcels were sent to Japan. It kept us busy for months!

Today's hearts come in the form of stamps from a very kind French crafter who had crocheted a delightful selection of squares for us to add to our collection of blankets. 

 Are they not the most attractive and sweet and colourful stamps!

Thank you to all those knitters and crocheters out there who stood up and made squares for the blankets - we could not  have done it without you xxx

4 - Heart-♥-thon 2♥15 Crafting round up:)

Day 4 of February.

I am loving that you are joining in to the  Heart-♥-thon - Jacqueline from Supergran has just celebrated a birthday and among her pressies she was given a lo♥ely hearty scarf - why don't you pop over to her blog and have a look!


Not a lover of snow however I can appreciate the visual beauty of the white stuff. Just as long as I don't have to drive in it!

                     ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

    ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Although January has now long gone - I've finally got around to posting my 52 meals update and January's crafting montage.

Our January contribution to my challenge to try different meals has so far been really good. We've tried leek and mushroom soup, savoury pancakes with veggi mince, salad and cheese (had that twice so far) and Jamie Oliver's Leek and potato soup. We did try out a fourth new meal but I just can not remember it - not a good sign!

I can however, remember my crafting :)

**HaPpY Me**

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I ♥ Shetland - Heart-♥-thon day 3

 Day 3- Heart-♥-thon 2♥15.

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Remember I'd entered the Shetland Wool Week knitted festive bauble? Well, a couple of days ago, a parcel came through the letterbox. I might have squealed a little - just a little (depending on who you ask....) I may have squeaked a bit too!

 Once opened, out came an amazing selection of Shetland themed goodies. 

A magazine - 60 North, filled with the most delicious articles and photographs

 Also contained in the parcel was a beautiful postcard with images of fairisle jumpers knitted between 1890 and 1930 as well as a CD - The Authentic Sounds of Shetland, which I have played several times already - I am loving the reels and jigs as well as the lilting folk singing.

 More treasures - two pin badges, the one on the left Himself claimed immediately and pinned it to his walking beanie while the one on the right claimed my heart - it is hand knitted fairisle - how gorgeous is that? I am wearing it now :)

 Tucked in the packet was also an 'I ♥ Shetland' bangle - says it all :)

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a magazine to read (squeeeeee - can you see the knitting belt?!?), a mug of tea and some knitting to do - bliss :)

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Love Hearts at Yarndale - Heart-♥-thon 2♥15

February 2nd 2♥15 - day two of my Heart-♥-thon. Before I waffle on today, I have to say two great big thank you-s first.

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

gz from OOK?! rant while waiting who makes and sells beautiful cards and hand thrown pottery - she has 'supplied' a heart for me :) why don't you follow the link and have a look at her blog. 

Thank you G.

Jennie from skybluepinkdesigns who is taking the St Abbs Art Exhibition on a bit of a tour ending up in the Watchtower Gallery in Berwick upon Tweed  as part of the Berwick 900 Celebrations and has asked if my Guillemot can go too. How exciting! (I said yes of course:)) 

Thank you Jennie.

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Now, back to today's hearty story. During last year's Yarndale, I (plus three teenagers) wandered around all the wonderful stalls just delighting in the visual feast for the eye. We spied this little stall with such lovely trinkets that Youngest and I loitered quite a while and purchased some gorgeous goodies as chrimbly pressies. Then I spotted the oversized love hearts ...woo hoo! 

Now, how's that for a 'sweet-treat' :)

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I L♥VE February - welcome to my Heart-♥-thon 2♥15

I have over the years celebrated February with a ❤a day and a bit of a story. This year is no different - So welcome to my Heart-♥-thon 2♥15 If you want to join - please do - the more the merrier!
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Today's heartfelt story involves a delightful brown Bunny beautifully beautifully beautifully made by Suzy from  Rustic Vintage Country.

Let me show you what I mean...

I came home from a particularly stressfilled work day to find a husband, two sons and a cat standing around a large parcel. Each was equally curious to know of the contents but the cat was the most insistent!

I knew what was waiting inside and felt giddy with excitement.

Just look!

How gorgeous is she?  

We all oohed and aahed at her, the boys - their curiosity quenched wandered off, but Himself and I just kept marvelling at her creation.  Suzy's work is beautiful. Such care and attention to detail. From her crocheted hat down to a cute crocheted Mary Jane slippers adorned with a little crocheted flower and every delightful element in between was so thoughtfully made.

I emailed Suzy and thanked her for her wonderful little bunny and explained that I would not be blogging about it immediately as I was going to gift her to my mom and wanted to do that first so not to spoil the surprise.

She was carefully wrapped back in her tissue paper and hidden away from the cat who strangely wanted to continue a detailed investigation of the parcel.

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 Fast forward a week and I was able to gift my mom Brown Bunny. She was delighted and text me after I'd left that she'd named Brown Bunny - Gwendoline.

Yes. 

She is definitely a 'Gwendoline' :)

 This evening my mom emailed me photos of a much settled in and happy looking Gwendoline:)

 Sitting on the settee with her favourite bag and her very own little brown bunny

 And the link between this wonderful win and February's Heart-♥-thon?

Well - hearts of course!

Included in the parcel with Gwendoline was a little bag filled with love.

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Thank you Suzy

Thank you for making both my mom and myself so very happy :)

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