Rocking Your World Friday - 48th of 2019

Evening all, tis late - apologies it has been one of those weeks. 

So it's been a bit of a mixed bag this week if I'm honest, but let us see what silver linings and positive moments I can find from the week that was. 

First up, our first trip to Chatsworth over the festive season.  We got there early and were able to park easily and make the most of the market that was there.  Due to the dreadful weather we've had over recent weeks they've had to limit the volume of cars attending, which is such a shame for the stall holders as they rely on good footfall to sell their items. 

We had a lovely couple of hours wandering, so many beautiful hand made items to enjoy.  In particular the stall selling items by O Little Shine Designs was an absolute delight, I didn't know if I'd get chance to see one of the designs in person and there were several, I really wasn't disappointed (check out their Etsy page if you want to see their wares). 

I was also pleased to see the scone man again last year, we bought a Christmas cake scone and a Scollen (a mix between a scone and a stollen).  Both were shared when we got home over a cup of tea and were delicious. 

Chatsworth was beautiful as always. 

I love how the plastic matting to prevent muddy shoes is white and looks like snow, you can see the Belvedere in the background.

The walkway down where people queue for timed entry is full of all things Amelia Earhart, I loved the fluffy clouds and the beautiful hot air balloons! 

The garlands downs the Venetian corridor were gorgeous 

As was the tree at the bottom of the corridor

As always they have done a fantastic job of decorating the house up

This was the Canadian corridor, the mix of 'snow' and autumn colours was a tad confusing. 

Hubby got this view through the bannister showing off the gorgeous flowers in the painted hall. 

The Japanese room was also stunning, with fantastic paper displays

Hubby captured this photo of me on our wander around

I really did fall for the gorgeous hot air balloons though - stunning

And the amazing oriental dragon

The dining room had the tulip vases displaying silk versions of the flowers, I've never seen them as they should be used and am not sure if I prefer them empty

The sculpture gallery was cool as always but so very pretty

No doubt we will go again over the Christmas period, but it was lovely to make a start on places we love to visit. 

The week has been busy, we decided to start on the Christmas decorations, which always take an age to sort (not helped by the fact I add to them every year). 

This year we have managed (wait for it) 

Drum roll please

9 Christmas trees

You'd think we were giving Chatsworth a run for it's money. 

We have two in the TV room, three in the dining room (a 4 foot and two three foot trees), one in said 19 year's old bedroom and one in his art room (because in his words it was spare) and he thought he might as well use it. 

And finally two new real pot grown trees that I've always wanted which I've put one on the front of the house and one on the back, decorated with battery lights and baubles.  We are officially mad! 

And that my lovely people is our week, I hope you've had a good one, link up if you've done a blog post to show us your silver linings and positive moments so we can come and visit. 

Rocking Your World Friday - 47th of 2019

Good morning lovely people

Tis Friday time for 

Thank you for the messages about not being well, I'm still struggling if truth be told and ended up with not one but two Doctor's appointments, the second Doctor decided I probably wasn't going to fight this off on my own and needed antibiotics, it meant another day off work which didn't amuse me as I've got far too much on at the moment, but I had to just let my body rest to try and recover.  Still taking the tablets and the paracetamol as the coughing leads to some pretty rubbish headaches and my head is still full, but I'm still smiling and I'm really hoping this thing will do one really soon as I'm royally bored of it now.  So the grateful in this part of my post people is you lovely people being so - well lovely! 

Next up was the photo below, it is very very rare, that we get a 'new' photo of my Dad, he passed away in 1989 and as we all know photo processing wasn't exactly cheap back then, so photos are very few and far between.  But look at that smile! 

We had a walk around the local shopping centre recently, the decorations seem to be lacking on the lower deck but there are some at certain points in the upper part, it's a shame as I remember how much effort they used to put into decorating the centre - alas no more. 

Me and hubby managed to drag ourselves out for a walk, I was desperately in need of some fresh air. 

The colours are now definitely yellow, but it was lovely just to be out in the fresh air if I'm honest. 

We visited the local garden centre and had a wander around their decorations, I really shouldn't have liked this tree, but I really did - the theme - under the sea, they had all sorts of things for sale to decorate it, from jelly fish to mermen and I loved the use of plain glass baubles to look like bubbles!

We managed to go and see Gaia on her last night again and took my Mum with us, she was amazed at the size of it, as the photos had been deceptive. 

And this fabulous photo of my Mum 

I also liked the signs downstairs in relation to highlighting the need for addressing climate change.

I've been making for Christmas, this is one of my usual makes that I do every year having saved our coffee jars and they are always fun to make.  I was going to share it on my Instagram feed but I've having so much trouble getting on there at the moment and keep being told someone is attempting to log in from far flung places, which definitely isn't me.  I'm in contact with the help centre, but it has been days now and if they can't sort it, I'm seriously considering retiring my feed as I have found it actually quite distressing. 

And that my lovely people are my silver linings for the week, if you fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link and we can come and visit. 

Rocking Your World Friday - 46th of 2019

Good morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Well we've continued with the ridiculous cough and cold, however we still have a few silver linings to appreciate. 

On Saturday night me and hubby ventured to Wentworth Woodhouse to see WE Wonder Noir (despite the pouring rain), thankfully there was some cover under a stretched tent for part of the evening, so with warm drinks and being wrapped up we managed quite well.   

These were literally drowning in plastic - reminding us that we only get one planet! 

These two kept the kids entertained, most amusing - and lovely! 

I loved these venturing around a couple of times during the evening despite the pouring rain!

The main event was aerial theatre called 'As The World Tipped', highlighting the farce there was around countries agreeing to do something about climate change, whilst the world around them filled with water, we went from a flat platform to one literally suspended in the air by a crane. 

It was incredibly thought provoking! 

It reminded us of the fragility of life and the need to look after our planet for future generations! 

I actually found it really sad, but it was so worth seeing. 

Wentworth Woodhouse is currently clad in a huge amount of scaffold, but it still looked impressive all lit up!

I loved the sea of plastic cups covered in glow in the dark paint, inspired by plankton by a couple of local artists. 

The other side wasn't as well lit - but still fabulous!

The rest of the week has been work and sofa at night as we still aren't 100% by Thursday we were back at the Docs which resulted in tests for both me and hubby including a chest x-ray and an appointment for me at the end of December to have a mole checked out, nothing major to worry about just get a decision as to what it is and whether it needs removing - thank goodness for our NHS! 

Next up Thursday night we headed to Wentworth Woodhouse again, we went to see Gaia, an art installation by Luke Jerram.

You can see it suspended in the room from the staircase

And this is it in all its glory - absolutely stunning and free to see, plus you get to see a little bit of this amazing house!  

There was space underneath with cushions, to lay back and enjoy the spinning world above, created using Nasa imagery and lit from inside, apparently if you stand 211 metres away from it, you get what the earth looks like from the moon!  

And that my lovely people brings us back to today. 

I hope you've had a grand week and that it has head loads of positive moments and silver linings, if you fancy joining in pop a post together, come back and link up and we come and visit. 

Rocking Your World Friday - 45th of 2019

Morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Well this is going to be a very very short post this week, namely because we succumbed to the dreaded lurgy. 

Hubby went down hill over the weekend with the virus and I joined in as I arrived home having seen NT Live Midsummer Night's Dream (encore) performance in a gorgeous little cinema called the Curzon that I didn't even know existed in Sheffield. 

And I will be truly honest this virus has floored all three of us, me and hubby completely wiped out for the entire week, yep no work for either of us.  We have coughed and spluttered through it all and with the aches and pains I'm pretty sure this was a flu bug we got.  So why on earth am I talking about it here you might ask.  Well our workplaces allowed us time to recover so that's a positive, we've enjoyed lots of hot drinks, curling up on the sofa and managing temperatures with ample tablets from the pharmacy - so I'll call that a win - a tiny win but a win nonetheless. 

We did manage (royal we - hubby) managed to carve the pumpkin, only thing is we didn't get any trick or treaters, but in hindsight with our lurgy that was probably a good thing and said 19 year old has thoroughly enjoyed the plentiful sweeties we've had in. 

I loved the reflection in the window 

The only other thing I've managed to do this week is to wrap an advent calendar gift that I'm in a swap for, I really enjoyed making the tags a few weeks ago in the shape of a coffee cup. 

And that my lovely people is that I'm afraid, I'm grateful hubby managed to make some food for us on quite a few evenings this week (as I definitely wasn't up to it).  I'm glad Wentworth Woodhouse cancelled the Gaia exhibition last night because of the weather, because we wouldn't have managed to make it due to illness anyway.  I've managed to rebook for next week when we will hopefully be well and truly over this bug. 

I'm grateful said 19 year old's girlfriend arrived safely yesterday (if you've seen the flood pictures from the north of England today you'll know what I'm talking about). 

I hope you've all had a beautiful and blessed and lurgy free week, if you fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link up and we can come and visit. 

Rocking Your World Friday - 44th of 2019

Good Afternoon lovely people tis Friday which means it is time for 

So first up was last weekend, Saturday was a day of happy rugby (hubby most happy) and tootling about the house, Sunday we decided given the blue skies that we'd head to Chatsworth and put our membership through its paces

As it was half term week and heading up to Halloween there was a pumpkin trail to follow, I loved this display

We also spotted a pear sculpture

The house looked particularly pretty 

And the quantity of rain we had meant that all the water features were on full flow

I don't think I've ever seen the trough waterfall so full 

The colours by the grotto were stunning

And really made the Hare pop

Hubby grabbed this photo of me

Nature's colours really are stunning

Britannia still looking mighty fine inside the grotto

The view of the maze was fab

There were lots of people enjoying it 

We also loved the cascade pumpkins, I've never thought of turning the pumpkin this way

This one looked really grumpy

I managed to grab an autumn selfie of the two of us (said 19 year old was working). 

On Wednesday I took a day off that I was owed to go to an alternative wreath class. 

This was our classroom 

It was an absolutely fantastic day at Wentworth Woodhouse, spent making an alternative wreath with Gemma from the Button Tin.  

We spent all day, cutting and hand stitching and chatting, with lots of ladies I'd never met before 

And this is what I created

It was such a lovely laid back and relaxing day that I really enjoyed and it was so lovely to learn something new. 

Unfortunately, our house has succumbed to the dreaded lurgy courtesy of our lovely uni student, he came home the other day complaining everyone was coughing and sneezing, by Wednesday he was sleeping through the day and night, by Thursday he was no better and had to take the day off.  This has resulted in hubby coming down with the same lurgy, so fingers crossed I don't get it because I'm really not in the mood for being poorly. 

Fingers crossed they feel better very very soon. 

I hope you've had a great week, if you are about and fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link up and we can come and visit.  I'm sure Lisca will have done hers already hours and hours ago and Kate is probably still away.