My, doesn't time fly?

Mid November ALREADY! I simply cannot believe it! We, as usual have been as busy as, there have been spiders and blackouts, craft fairs and Artisan markets, shopping and selling, Talking Tots and screaming tots, swimming and floating (mainly floating), socialising and playing, weighing and measuring, hospital visits (routine - nothing scary) and treats, walking and talking and lots of making, all of which have either been orchestrated or accompanied by an increasingly chatty toddler! Noah is ruling the roost! Last night was a gym night for me and on my return I discovered that our son was still eating his supper - not cool Mr B! Apparently since he had been in Ivan's (Mr Bicknell's) care he had chased the cats and had a crash landing upon over-estimating the speed at which his legs would carry him, emptied out the shopping including dropping an entire bottle of wine from a height (someone was smiling down as fortunately it remained intact) and later on, actually poohed in the bath! He is now at that stage when you really cannot take your eyes off him, even for a minute! I am not without such challenges when I am in sole charge though - It was I who had to endure the horror of him emptying an entire box of eggs over the floor in Sainsbury's - well, at least it wasn't Waitrose......- I would hate to get a rep there!

What is really scary about it being mid November is that at the end of the month I will dip my toe back into the working world - I won't lie and say that I haven't missed it, but it has been a complete surprise to me as to how much I have loved being a stay at home Mum, it's true - once you have a child, you really don't look back and even though we didn't "make" him, we have hearts that are so full of love for him that it makes no difference whatsoever. I can say in absolute confidence that he is our world - even if he does refer to both of us as Daddy!

So here is a peek at what we have been up to...

Noah has continued to wear his newt suit with pride, although the fact that it kept him nice and dry in the pouring rain at Alice Holt was of cold comfort to this rather unimpressed little chap - even feeding the googly-eyed trees didn't alleviate the horror of being outside in such weather - but the story and enormous digestive biscuit later on seemed to ease things!

Normally at this time of year Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and I might have a scout around for the odd mushroom, but this isn't as easy with a passenger so we have had to settle for chance findings and the supermarket variety - so sad are we that we get excited and photograph the odd mutant!

Talking about food, it brings me great pleasure to find that Noah gets excited about his meals and will in fact eat anything, so Mr fox is transporting many a goody to our table, and you really can't beat John the bread man's seeded spelt and the odd scotch egg, especially if they are washed down with a good bowl of beetroot soup!

John makes awesome bread - I cannot wait for Tuesday's when after Talking Tots Noah and I pay him a visit at the Alton Market and pick up our favourite loaf! I also look forward to an almond croissant on a Tweseldown day! 

Halloween came and went and Noah was surprisingly easy to coax into his spider costume! I am ashamed to say that this was not a homemade effort, but when you can pick something up like this for less than a fiver it really is a no-brainer! It was the sparkly cobweb tights that did it for me!!!

I don't really know how, but I have managed to continue to make, and these little owls are a new edition to my repertoire - I figure that if they don't sell I will string them together and use them as a long Christmas decoration or better still, lumber my friends and their children with them!!

All lined up and ready to go!

I also had a bit of a mishap with my ordering and have had to invent a use for some excess plastic baubles - so, introducing a new gift idea for some existing tote bags - geddit???? Well, I thought it was funny anyway!!

And then it all went dark. I knew as soon as they said that there was going to be a storm we wouldn't escape unscathed.... I was evidently correct and there followed two days of no power and no new water -  well, that's what you get for living in the middle of nowhere, where you don't even have mains water and huge great tumbling trees take out your power lines at the slightest puff of a breeze! What was even worse was that I was prevented from having a day at a spa with my Mum and this culminated in a bit of a tantrum! Of course that is horribly bratish of me given that we got off pretty lightly compared to some, but in my defence I was really looking forward to it! Instead I stropped off to buy fabric and got sidetracked by tapas and a cosy cinema - I am still in big trouble for my spontaneity (ordinarily this would have been applauded as I am not usually known for being so laissez faire with my time - but it transpires that if you don't let your spouse know that you are going to be gone for 6 hours instead of a couple in dangerous weather conditions it can fuel a bit of a panic...) and am having to be extra well behaved and communicative at present, but the tapas was delicious and the film was really good too!

Last Chance with James Corden

The good thing about a blackout is the the candle light and the playing of board games - even if this instigated a second tantrum!

Actually one day was enough without the joys that power can bring so we headed off to Glastonbury to stay with Ivan's (Mr Bicknell's) Dad to hang out and enjoy things like heat. light and TV - there was no way I was missing David Tennant's new show! I love Glastonbury, I love Rench and Ness's space and I love the fact that we all feel so at ease there. Whilst there we popped over to Wells and saw these awesome Giraffes, I however (still in the dog house) was not allowed to buy one :(

Daddy went shopping and Noah got new Gruffalo wellies and some new hats - aside from the fact that he is spoiled, this has also prompted two new words!!

As you can see - he was completely indifferent!!!

It's market time! This one is Petersfield - not great this time, in fact depressingly dreadful, but well, you win some and you lose some. Not a great morning overall, although I was cheered tremendously after this when visiting Jenny's fab shop HandMade Happiness on Dragon street ( - really worth a look as I have picked up some lovely pieces there and I have myself sold there in the past) - whilst chatting and admiring some gorgeous Knitwear by a very talented maker, she happened to pop in and then recognise me from this blog! I think I came across as a mere shadow of how I might appear on here from the comfort of my own living room given that I was a bit surprised! For this I appologise! It was lovely to meet you though! X

Fame seems to be following me around however - look! I have appeared in a local paper having been hoodwinked at Tweseldown! Are you loving my jumper??!!!!

Last one of the year is the weekend after next - come and have a butchers! The huge down side is that I am going to miss the Henry Beaufort school extravaganza in Winchester and therefore a catch up with the awesome miss Ivy Black - this lady, as you know is a bit of a star, and if I could write half as well as she I would be pretty bloody happy! Check her out here - http://ivyandruby.blogspot.co.uk/  - better still, go and spend your dosh with her!

On the 7th December I will be at the Guildford Craftacular at St Mary's Church, Quarry Street GU1 - I am a bit nervous as the quality of the stalls is a bit good and I may well be the poor relation - maybe people will take pity! It looks awesome though and if I wasn't showing my wares I would defo rock up for a butchers!!! So err, why don't you?!

And after all of the markets I will need to get cracking on this year's Christmas card! OOOHHHH Christmas - hurrahhhhh!!!!

A few other things caught my eye too....

Russell Brand caused a stir - make of this what you will - but remember you have to practice what you preach!



Christmas is officially on its way - John Lewis said so!



Glee said goodbye to Cory..

And I got sucked into Xfactor.....as usual.......