We nearly lost Matilda this Christmas!

This is our beautiful Basset Hound Matilda (formerly named Kassie).

Her life has been saved not once but TWICE by the amazing charity Many Tears Rescue, based in Wales. They took her in, as they take in many dogs, as an ex-breeding bitch. Basically, this means she had spent the first four years of her life on a puppy farm, being bred & bred until her belly hung very low. She came to us with her ribs sticking out, scarred, frightened & thin. She had never lived in a family home, never been cuddled or walked.It took weeks for her to wag her tail. Gradually over nearly two years she grew in confidence towards mankind, though she is still afraid of men (apart from my hubby). We walked in the woods & had snuggly cuddles.

The reason Many Tears have saved her twice is because last week, she started to suffer in pain from a slipped disc in her back. The pain got worse and after several visits to the vet she became paralysed in her rear end and couldn't walk or go to the toilet. We were told she needed an urgent spinal operation that would cost £3,500. We just couldn't afford this, even though there is no price on any life. I felt so ashamed & guilty that we didn't have insurance (though we were told it may not have been covered anyway). Matilda was in such pain & it was a race against time, the whole family were in tears & devastated. The only option was for the vet to put her to sleep, but at the last minute Many Tears Rescue stepped in & paid for the op. This was at a huge risk as the op was only a 50/50 chance of success. We felt so guilty but accepted this amazing offer of help. Matilda had the op that afternoon....I will post again soon to let you know her progress....

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR KASSIE'S APPEAL if you can. Here is a link to the Many Tears page where you can make a donation or just visit their 'easy fundraising' page to find out how you can help in other ways, such as Tesco, Amazon or Ebay donating to them when you shop online. Maybe you can even become a fosterer for them or adopt a new friend. Thank you for reading, Merry Christmas to you all Xx

Gingerbread heaven

I ADORE all things gingerbread!

 Beautifully made houses full of gingerbread famillies...

 Pretty decorated cookies, with milk of course ...

And...bridges (??!)...

In many shapes & sizes, filling the home with the unmistakable aroma full of warmth & homemade, handmade love.

Delia loves to bake them too here ! 

Only 2 more sleeps to go...Merry Christmas !! Xxx

All images courtesy of Pinterest

A Clear out & a fresh start

So half term is upon us & I have started as I mean to go on! You just can't beat having a good clear out after a bad spell, so I have listed my first ever items on to Ebay. It is just a temporary measure as I have a good wardrobe clearout. The rest of my crafting de-stash will be listed in my Folksy & Etsy shops soon.

If you fancy some new boots or a coat, I have the following for sale here.

I also have the following fabric in my Folksy shop

Thank you all for sticking with me, this Summer proved to be a very difficult time with my Dad being so poorly. He is more stable now than he was before, though he will never recover from his illness. It's really just a case of making him as comfortable as possible & hoping that my mum has the strength to cope as she is his main carer. At 77, it's not easy for her. They love each other so, so much & all I can do is be there for them as much as possible.

I have been focusing on my own health lately & have had a life changing experience in my discovery of Yoga. I have lots to tell you about so will be back soon with a fresh, happy update on all that has been happening with me. I hope you are all well & adapting to the sudden weather change after the beautiful October we have had so far! Back soon Xx

A stressful time

 

Thank you all for sticking with me, lovely followers! Things have been hard for the last month or so, hence my lack of blog posts. 

My Dad has been really poorly so my mind has been elsewhere & I've been trying to support my lovely mum as much as possible. I hope to be back really soon, meanwhile my shops are still open for any fabric buttons you may feel you just cannot live without!! Xx

Pinteresting !

I'm feeling rather fascinated by the whole Pinterest caboodle! At first I was slightly confused about it, until I got my head around it's purpose...a pinboard heaven to store all of your inspirational finds from around the internet. Fashion, food, stylish interiors, homemade & handmade. I can get lost on there for hours, hence the obvious lack of posts lately. Of course, I've come across some of you lovely crafty peeps on there & it's so inspiring to see people's tastes & styles. If you haven't yet joined in, be sure to check it out but be warned, it's so addictive!

I'm especially enjoying the fashion on there...

Source: tumblr.com via Tina on Pinterest

Source: lam0d3.tumblr.com via Tina on Pinterest

These are some styles I love, but I'm also getting my festival wardrobe ready for Camp Bestival. This will be our fourth year & sooo excited. Watching Glastonbury on the tv this weekend has definately got us in the mood for it! Did any of you go to Glasto or have you got any festivals planned this summer? I'd love to hear  Xx

Did I just have a holiday ?

 Pretty Padstow

I think we just visited 'home' again for a holiday...but I can't be sure as time just flies by so quickly !

It is 13 years today that I moved away from Falmouth in Cornwall to live, on my own, in Bournemouth. I was 22 at the time & unsure of what new things I would find. I just knew that I had to escape the same old faces, same old places that I had grown up with in the far south west corner of England. Do you ever feel that way?

So off I went, popping back down quarterly to see my family. I grew older & wiser, married the wrong one...then married the right one & settled down. We had our babies, my parents & brother also tired of Cornwall & moved up here & my visits home dwindled to our yearly holiday there over the last 6 years.

I have cried each time I've left, there have been so many good & bad memories there over my life. This time was different. I didn't fill up with tears, though I still have a fondness I will always have. I finally realised that as beautiful as Cornwall is, as much as I miss the breathtaking cliffs & vast beaches where you can always find a space, Dorset is now where I call home & I was really happy to be back. Next year, we are planning abroad!

 

Our holiday, however, was fantastic! The weather was less than desirable, we fought against the wind for days, though it worked out great for Matt & George to fly their kites.

 

We meandered, we relaxed & most of all we were together...it doesn't get any better than that! Xx

Daisy, Daisy, how does your garden grow?

Such a simple, beautiful little flower ! I just love the humbleness of this pretty little bloom....

I think I will wander to the garden & make some daisy chains today with Molly..and George of course if he would like to !

images courtesy of weheartit.com

 

  Have a wonderful weekend...now go make some daisy chains! Xx