ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 1ST OF 2024

 Evening all I'm late but it is time for

So we've still been enjoying some time off work, I've been enjoying some downtime reading books that I've been bought for Christmas and I've also enjoyed making next year's Christmas cards.

The weather has been pretty appalling for the duration of Christmas but on New Year's eve we decided to venture to Chatsworth for a last visit before they close for their seasonal deep clean. 

Me and the hubster

I thought I'd share the Magi oil painting that was in the oak room this is normally in a bedroom and unseen but given the coming festival of the epiphany it makes sense to share it now. 

I've really enjoyed doing my Christmas cards for this year up to now, usually I do one design and then making just over a hundred of them, but decided on doing lots of different designs which has proved lots of fun, these are the ones I've done up to now. 

New Year's eve was a fairly quiet affair, said 23 year old and his missus popped over in the early evening for a catch up which was lovely, then we had some food, watched a bit of TV and before we knew it the clock was chiming midnight and hubby saw the new year in, letting the old one out through one door and 2024 in through the main door with the following, coal for fuel for the house, bread for food in our stomachs, a coin to keep money flowing, salt for prosperity and alcohol for good cheer. 

We were up late and did family face time with close family until almost 1pm and then fell into bed.  

We then had family chat on the 1 January 2024 in the evening, we hadn't ventured out as traditionally we don't go out on the 1st January, however we were all concerned with a virus my Mum seemed to have picked up. 

2nd January 2024 and she got blue-lighted into hospital with respiratory problems, not the start to the New Year we were hoping for obviously, her right lung had only 20% use which was causing her grief and in turn that was putting a strain on her heart.  It has been a very tumultuous week and I can't say that we are out of the woods yet, but I'm hoping that things start to improve for her, they've drained the lung, but she's still in a lot of pain and still very poorly, so why on my Rocking post when I'm giving thanks for positives in the week and the answer to that is my sister, she is a surgical nurse and genuinely without her knowledge and expertise and pushing for things I don't think that we would be where we are.  If you can send some prayers or positive vibes out to my Mum I would genuinely be eternally grateful. 

Yesterday, despite everything else hubby dragged me along to see White Christmas musical at the Crucible in Sheffield in the evening, I really was reluctant to go but to be honest it did us the world of good to just switch off from everything else and do something positive for a couple of hours. 

The magical Christmas tree at the end was fab. 

I hope the start of 2024 for you has been good, 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 47TH OF 2023

 Good morning lovely people tis Friday time for 

Well last Friday me and hubby travelled down to Stratford Upon Avon we went our scenic route and after parking up headed to Cox's Yard for a pint, hubby enjoyed Aspall's cider whilst I opted for the pretty standard for me these days Beck's Blue

We had an evening meal booked at Zizzi's hubby looks like he's ordered a giant pasty but it is in fact a calzone. 

I opted for sea bass and it came with some vegetables in a light dressing and way very tasty. 

Then we headed over to the RSC to what The Box of Delights, I've read the book recently and even though it was only written in 1935 it feels much older than that.  

We had another drink in the bar area, this would have been the originally entry into the theatre, but after the revamp where the made the theatre not only more accessible but also smaller this has become a bar area. 

The stage set was awesome, set out initially like a dusty attic

We grabbed at selfie in front of the pretty tree during the interval

and this is the aforementioned tree, it was so pretty

The second half and the stage set had changed somewhat, the wardrobes moved in and out of the set and at one point one was tipped onto its side and became a boat - genius set design for an amazing play. 

We travelled back up on Saturday and the journey was fairly stress free, once home I tucked into typical weekend jobs, washing etc as well as putting our case away, then we spent some time in the craft room.  Unfortunately I found that I'd not made nearly enough Christmas cards this year so had an afternoon of painting.

Before converting them with a little bit of scrapbook paper into cards. 

Hubby in the meantime was building little houses for a Christmas project we have going on at the moment. 

Sunday and hubby headed out to see said 23 year old and then they both popped back and we had a cuppa which was much needed. 

Soon into the working week, which is proving as exhausting as ever.  Said daughter-in-law graduated for the second time yesterday receiving her teacher training award, it looks like she had a wonderful day. 

And that my lovely people is your lot this week. 

I hope you've had a good week. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 50TH OF 2020

 Good morning lovely people time for 

Well first up last Friday was my day off and hubby decided to head out to collect a few things that we needed, it is mighty strange being able to hit the shops again, if truth be told but it was also nice to be out of the house.  So we headed to Hobbycraft, B&M and Ikea picking up the few things I needed (plus a few extras) to finish off some things I'm on with.  

Saturday soon arrived and we decided to head down to our local heritage centre, there is the most lovely of craft shops down there that I haven't been to since March amongst lots of lovely other shops, a favourite beer shop of hubbies and a lovely stained glass shop that also does crystals.  It was lovely to just have a wander and because it feels old it also felt very Christmassy something that has been sadly lacking the last few days. 

I went to the craft shop for 

and I left with 

I'm sure other crafters can relate.

There were a number of trees dotted about the site

and we had some blue skies overhead, albeit that it was very cold

There was a replica of one of the nearby follies in the courtyard, which is known as the Needle's Eye

And this was my favourite tree on the site as the light level was reducing the tree  seemed to stand out more. 

I do a Christmas newsletter every year, it goes back sooooooooooo far if I'm honest and it has become something of a tradition and I get little bits of feedback from people telling me that it isn't Christmas until they receive it, many taking a cuppa and sometimes even a mince pie and some quiet time to sit and absorb, so I shared this on my Instagram feed this week and got a few of those aforementioned comments. 

After we got home on Saturday I set too on some homemade gifts I'm working on this was the state of my desk, I'm sure other crafters can relate. 

This was our haul from two of the shops at the Heritage centre, Belgian Blue is one of those Christmas beers that hubby loves and normally partakes in a pint or two at the local pub, alas the pubs are still all shut due to our tier 3 restrictions and so the bottled variety may well be the only source this year.  The other bottles are for yours truly, as I'm teetotal it is nice at this time of year to find something festive but non-alcohol and Belvoir do a fabulous Christmas range of which their Spiced Ginger Punch is my absolute favourite. 

My other joy this week has been my advent calendar from hubby, I think I mentioned it last week it is a lego Harry Potter Yule Ball calendar.  These are what I've opened up to now. 

Harry 

A very miniature Hogwarts

A miniature Durmstrang ship

A miniature Beauxbaton carriage

Cho

As well as the usual Christmas cards this year, I sent a few personalised ones in 8 x 8, this was for my sister

My Mum and her hubby (in their favourite football team colours)

One for my niece (and BF) whose a fashion student

Other ones I've sent out

Goblet of fire

Then a gramophone on the 7th 

Sofa with the golden egg 

The week has been a busy work one as usual for me, working from home Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, still busy bid writing at the moment. 

I physically went into the office on Tuesday and had another busy day it was nice to catch up with work colleagues. 

The evenings have been spent making homemade gifts, it doesn't matter how organised I am I always end up making gifts at the last minute, it must just be something I do.  Hubby has been quite happy to  die cutting some of the items for me which is boring and rather monotonous but has kept his brain occupied, so a big thank you to hubby.