Tag: life

weekend update and a BIG thank you…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin3 Comments

So how was your weekend?

I spent mine amongst the study books, so didn’t get much hooking time.  I did have way too many children in the house, making a lot of noise (not great for studying!)

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I also had family over for Sunday lunch, which was so great to just kick back and relax.  Although I didn’t get to hang out with my yarn stash much, I did manage some sneaky hooking during a long game of monopoly.

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and I just want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has sent me comments about the new look around here…you are always so positive and it means the world to me

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xxxxx

clutching at straws

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin1 Comment

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This was definitely one of the highlights of my weekend, Friday evening spent with good friends, a wee bit of ale and some awesome live folky music, all in a quirky little venue named Scary Canary.  This trio of very talented, (and extremely humble) guys are Clutching at Straws, well worth a click on the link to take a listen for yourselves.

Clutching at Straws
Clutching at Straws

 

crochet granny squareblanket with bobble edging

A glance back at 2015…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

2015, well what a year, a roller coaster in a lot of ways, but a good year.  A year of progress and accomplishment and growth…. and of course craftiness.

  There have been walks that have embraced the changing seasons.

Beautifully chilly

enjoying the very new spring sunshine

Enjoying the very new spring sunshine

November 2015
November 2015

 

December 2015

December 2015

There has also been craftiness that has not been yarn related…

Valentines craft

Valentines craft

Pretty pumpkins

pretty pumpkins

Christmas doggy wreath

Christmas dog wreath.

Of course I did indulge in yarniness too, although at times making time for this proved difficult, but nevertheless, I did…

rows of popcorn stitches

Rows of popcorn stitches

Pretty granny

A pretty granny.

 

blooming flower cushions

Blooming flower cushions.

100 patch granny

100 patch granny

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tree house pimping

Sprinkle donuts

Sprinkly donuts

Winter blooms

Winter blooms.

sunflower

Sunflower in progress.

Certainly, a lot less hooking than previous years, but for very good reason.  As I eluded to at the beginning of this glance back, 2015 has been a year of progress, growth  and  accomplishment.

From this...

from this… 

to this.

To this...

Walls demolished and a new kitchen installed, a new lounge and a whole lot of decorating.  And as for the little Robins…

they are growing so quickly...
they are growing so quickly…

 well, I guess they’re not that little any more.

Then there was the small matter of studying…

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my study buddy...my study buddy…

                         A new career on the horizon!

 

assignments...aaagggh!!!
assignments…aaagggh!!!

and throughout it all, through these last beautiful, hard, tiring, challenging and wonderful twelve months that has been my 2015… I have clung to my motto BRAVE... and it has seen me through, it has inspired me, encouraged me, comforted me and at times kicked my butt… it has also taught me…

to be still…

Herb bench
Herb bench

to self soothe…

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and that the smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention.

a glut of granny's
a glut of granny’s

So thank you to all those that have journeyed through 2015 with me here, this little, mostly yarny space of the ether.  I value your encouragement and appreciate the time you spend dwelling here with me… more than you will ever realise. 

Here’s to your 2016…may it be blessed and beautiful and of course yarny.

Happy-New-Year-Images-2016-advance

xxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lion, the witch, the wardrobe and the sunflower…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

I spent such a lovely afternoon at the theatre yesterday, in fact I have done nothing but have lovely afternoons lately.

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Good old Santa left us a family treat at the bottom of our stocking, tickets to see The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and it was simply MAGICAL, if you get the opportunity to book and go it is well worth a visit.

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The Rep, is such a small theatre, but a gem in the heart of the city.  I can honestly say we were all enthralled.

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big wheel

and as we left in the darkness, the city held yet more delights…

 

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Birmingham  city lights

and we were home in time for some snuggly hooking, the perfect end to a perfect day.

 

fuschias
                                                                                                        fuschias
daisy
                                                                                                     daisy
sunflower
                                                                                               sunflower in progress

xxxxx

yarn

Equilibrium

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin12 Comments

Well, not much hooking has been going on here at the Robin’s nest, mainly because a huge amount of this has been going on…

assignments...aaagggh!!!
assignments…aaagggh!!!

A whole lot of health policy and child development theory and research is yet to come, looming in the shadows.  I mourn my part time days gone by, even though this is what I longed for not so long ago.  

But, just look at this…

drops muskat cotton
drops muskat cotton…

This is what our lovely postman delivered today and I was reminded in that transaction at the front door, of that lovely word ‘BRAVE’… I have been doing so much ‘advancing’ lately that I have neglected the ‘resting’.  So this evening I am resting and hooking a project that I am going to call ‘Nicola Florence’…an art piece, which I will chat to you about next time…

the potential...
the potential…

xxxxx

Pretty Pumpkins

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

pretty pumpkins
pretty pumpkins

Oh, my delight in these pretty pumpkins.  Whilst we do not celebrate 31st October, halloween in the Robins nest, we do celebrate light in this beautiful, busy and sometimes dark world.  As you know I love autumn, and pumpkins certainly contain light and autumnal(ness) in abundance.

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I also love spending time with friends and that is exactly what is happening here tonight.  We are having some very dear friends over to mark the very significant occasion of our homes transition  from ‘no space to have anyone around’ to ‘being able to say come on over for supper’ a transition which has taken many years.  

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the chickens enjoyed a pumpkin feast

So with a three bean chilli and a hearty beef chilli planned for later, accompanied by a bottle or two of red, these pretty pumpkins will help to create the perfect atmosphere for chatter and laughter late into the night.

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pretty pumpkins
pretty pumpkins

xxxxx

Happy Birthday Jess

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

This last few weeks has seen Jess turn one…

at 8 weeks old
                                                                                             at 8 weeks old…so cute xx

 

at 1 year old... still cute x
                                                                               at 1 year old… still cute x

It has also seen my eldest two robins start year seven at High school…

they are growing so quickly...
                                                                                          they are growing so quickly…

I also passed my return to practice course in nursing… (happy dance) and have commenced training as a Health Visitor (happy dance…feeling overwhelmed…happy dance)

my study buddy...
                                                                                      my study buddy…

not sure I have time to celebrate with another yarn bomb!  There has also been a lot of disruption in the Robin’s nest

rennovations...
                                                                                                          renovations…

Which is still ongoing, but will be worth the extra grey hairs it is giving me.

So far this year I have truly lived by BRAVE… and now Autumn is nearly here… my most favourite time of year and to embrace this season and welcome it with open arms… I’ve spent a little time pinning my Autumn happies… I just hope I can weave in some time to create.

xxxxx

 

 

 

What weekends are made for…

Published on by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin4 Comments

 

 

hooky planning
hooky planning…
in the sun!
in the sun!
in the park
at the park…
under blue endless sky
under an endless blue sky…
a lot of weeding needed in the garden...overgrown bush!!
a lot of weeding needed in the garden… and overgrown bushes!!
some chopping and pulling and a lot of elbow grease...
some chopping and pulling and a lot of elbow grease…
a few coffee breaks...
a few coffee breaks…
ta dah!!
ta dah!!
finished with a evening by the chiminea
finished with a evening by the chiminea
and some good company
and some good company!