Welcome to Homemaking Heaven: Make it Home. Pull up a seat and pour yourself a cuppa!

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Wedding Season? It's all the time!

In three months time The Husband and I are going to be celebrating our Two Year Anniversary. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the first steps and we will just keep going until we are very old and very grey! Also, it really doesn’t take much for me to plan a celebration-so I am super, super excited. That is a long way away really though, and not really where I was meant to be going…. (I get like that, don’t I?)


Anyway, although we’ve been married for a good while now, I must confess I'm still in love with the whole magical ‘planning a wedding’ stage. I love to hear about weddings, about decorations, about all the pretty things. Yes, I love the stories of marriages, but the best things about a marriage are all the secret things, or the stuff nobody else ‘gets’…so I don’t think its shallow to still love all the loveliness and prettiness of wedding ceremonies and receptions.


I promise I don’t stick my nose in, and I promise that I’m always interested in what makes each persons day special, I can remember too many people wanting to stick their noses in during the run up to our wedding to get judgemental!!


Thursday, 22 July 2010

Jolly Holidays

Mr HH, a.k.a. The Husband, and I are on our holidays at the moment and are therefore spending copious amounts of time lazing around, visiting the beach, and eating things that are generally not very good for us. We have visited Peterhead on a number of occasions as this is now our nearest town and the place to head for food etc. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many lovely shops there are hiding away there. I was a bit worried about the move to the country side at first as I didn’t want to be totally isolated and not have any nice food/independent shops around me. I shouldn’t have worried at all, I feel like I should have plundered these shops much earlier!

Another very exciting find is the amount of tearooms I have seen while wondering around the pedestrianised streets-a very welcome change to the busy roads in Aberdeen City! It does make me want to spend longer shopping when it’s not as cramped up on the pavements. I can’t wait to properly visit any one of these lovely tea rooms and keep a little note of my visit there!! They look so quaint and beautiful; I was defiantly born an old lady!

 
Meanwhile, at home, the boxes are as bad as ever and I am still in the process of unpacking them. We are slowly making progress and we are getting more and more proud of our home the more we put our own things around it. This is honestly the first ‘sit-down’ I’ve had today. Poor Hubby has crashed on the sofa after working in the garden all day long…I'm proud of you honey!

Sheila

x

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

I love Austen

Everybody needs to escape at some point, don't they?  Well the time has come when I am sick of unpacking!!!

Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Lazy ways and seaside days

The husband and I have had a lovely day out at the beach in the sunshine. The golden, soft sand trickled around our fingers as we grasped it lazily while sunbathing. Daisy dog sat with her ball, wet and salty from our trip into the sea, while the husband simply bathed himself in the glorious warmth. We set up camp at the foot of a sand dune and spread our blanket out and half buried our juice so they wouldn’t fall over.

I sat and watched little children run, work and play; there were families all around us enjoying the amazing weather-a massive departure from the snow that battered us all the way through Autumn, Winter and Spring! The children carried buckets, spades, ice creams and bandy nets; they really were laden down with all sorts of accoutrements, but they didn’t care one jot! They were clearly on a mission as they diligently worked at their castles and moats. Some set about digging their way to Australia while the little boy one beach towel away made a highway for his car in the sand.

Its amazing what children can make toys out of, or how the most amazing days can be relatively free for parents. I had a moment, a moment that comes to me when I am quiet or thoughtful, when I began to picture what I expected of my life when I ‘planned’ it out, six months ago, a year ago, two years ago… By now almost everyone around me knows that I have been wishing for a baby for this family, I wish that I could make this longing go away-but one day it will all be worthwhile and I know that I will be able to nurture the growth of somebody that needs it one day. I hope that I can take that person to the beach and let them play in the sand. Really let them ‘be’ and discover the things in life that don’t cost much, but will stick in their memories forever.

For now I am learning to be complete with what I have, there is a small space inside of me right now that I feel needs to be filled, filled with the love for a baby or somebody to care for and protect. However, my life with my husband is amazing-that is to say when we close the door in our home everything is amazing, everything is at the very least safe and the best it can be for the moment. I am happy with what I have now, and I am learning to deal with the rest. I have my husband and he is the most amazing support, confidant and best friend-I would pick him again and again as my own, and only wish I had earlier!

Sheila x

Monday, 19 July 2010

Getting comfortable

We are slowly settling into the new house. We seem to keep moving boxes around, but they don’t seem to be getting unpacked very quickly. Id set us a deadline by inviting some of my family around, but I think I was being a bit silly!! It’s as bad as ever and doesn’t seem to be improving.

I've also taken on some more hours at work which is very exciting, as I am currently helping some people with their computer skills and running classes of that sort. I am very lucky that I get to help members of the public that genuinely are appreciative of the work you put in. However, just don’t get me wrong- its not always like that, not by an extremely long shot!!

So between moving house, and more hours I haven’t found much time to myself, my husband or generally making a haven for us in our home. The whole idea of moving was motivated because I am a nester and would want to be thought of as a homemaker.

I honestly believe with my whole heart, homemakers have the most difficult job in the world, and although I would find it rewarding in itself, I imagine not everyone would appreciate all the homemakers of the world. So unfortunately it may not always be completely rewarding. I always, always, always tell my full time Mummy friend off when she says “oh but you….and I only….”. (By the way, the ‘oh but you’ is something along the lines of ‘see other people in the day’, as I can tell you public librarians don’t get perks!)

Well, I had better get back to tidying before I really regret my quick sit down and cup of tea!

Sheila
x

Saturday, 10 July 2010

We’ve moved!


Well, that’s it now. We’ve moved!! It was pretty hectic and very stressful, but last Friday we moved a whole lot of bags, tubs, teacups and saucers up the road for thirty miles and started to set things out!  There may be a very small clue in this post about where we have moved to....

Im guessing you figured it out?  I make this much too easy!!  It is so very, very exciting, and I am so proud of my new home.  We are very close to the golf course and a short walk from the harbour.

But then again, in a village this small...everybody is 'just five minutes away'....i love it!
It is a very old fishing village, and you can see the nets drying when the boats come in.
I can’t wait to show it off with some lovely pictures, for now I’ve only got some pictures of Cruden Bay, our new village!  I hope you like them!

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

We ARE moving!

It is with much excitement and trepidation that I can announce we are moving house!! Excitement because it is much bigger than where we reside in the burbs at the moment, but utter fear and confusion because I cant believe we have only given ourselves ten days to do this in!!!
Can’t wait to start showing off loads of pictures and start decorating it….I can’t believe it; I have a garden and a spare room! Wow, I'm living the good life for sure now!

Sunday, 20 June 2010

Shhh its a secret...



Tomorrow is a very exciting day!! The husband and I are having a peak at a house we may be moving to.


It has been our dream for a long time to move to a larger house, and to do that in this are you must ‘accept’ that a move further North or South is inevitable. Luckily it is also our dream to move further out into the countryside – so no compromise on our part what so ever!! We are so blessed to be in this position and I am so enthusiastic about this prospect.

We are looking at a small cottage in a village quite a bit ‘Up North’; it is by the sea and has a lovely little harbour. It is also quite near a ruined castle and it is well known for all of the walks in the area.

The husband and I have been looking to move to an area that has its own pub and little shops, and quite frankly a really nice ‘feel’ to it, so this place (on paper) looks perfect-and seeing as we’re in a good position and eager to move this seems like a fantastic opportunity for us! Seeing as we currently live in a teeny tiny flat in the burbs I think anything at all will seem like a massive adventure.


I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high-but to tell the truth, I'm letting myself fall into this completely as I'm happy not to be too focussed on babies at the moment…although if all goes well I'm sure my nesting instincts will go into overdrive in this place!

Anyway, for now I am happy to go with the flow and take pleasure in any little thing I can.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Fathers Day!

Sheila x

Monday, 14 June 2010

I have been..

I have been reading some of my Birthday presents..

Eating big bowls of soup, it really is much too cold, wet and thundery for June…

Catching up on house work….

But still having a sit down with a nice mug of tea (and not feeling guilty for not tidying up the flour that went everywhere after making a cake over the weekend!)...

And going on a long drive and playing with Daisy Dog..


Yes, life is good!

x x x

Saturday, 12 June 2010

I am inspired!

I am completely and utterly inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s ‘IF’. Although I have known of this poem for a long time, it has only recently got into my soul and I would love to memorise it. Although I love it so, I am not too sure how long it would take me to remember all of those lines!

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

Just when you need it

I didn’t really know where to go from the last post, I was sort of hiding on the sidelines wondering if I said too much, and if I would have upset anybody. When I finally plucked up the courage to peek back onto this online world I noticed a comment from a lovely and kind person (Amanda over at http://meandyouat22.blogspot.com/) going through the whole ‘wishing I had a baby’ thing too. Not only was I extremely touched by this sweet move, but I feel so completely happy to know that I haven’t hurt anybody with my comments, especially as I know I’m not the worst off person in the world.



I would just love to say that the comment really made my day and was like a giant virtual hug!!

On to some other things though….slightly happier...well… I have turned 25! I was sort of fretting about this age as I thought I should have had a full time career, a child and a home by now, but no matter-we had a lovely day!! I got many beautiful and thoughtful presents. My Grama and Mum bought me gift vouchers for a beauty salon (are they trying to tell me something?!) At least now I can get rid of these horrible split ends!!
We got two cakes, one was a set of pink sparkle packed cupcakes, yes there are only two in the picture, but its only because we had a couple to ourselves before i could find a camara!!  The other one was a surprise, i think because the husband had already bought the candles and wanted to light them up-so he had a get a cake that wasn't just pure buttercream!

Though i do have to say, my Birthday was not the only one that was celebrated!!  Daisy Dog had a Birthday 'party' the day after mine!

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

The husband

Yet again we are in the midst of another gout attack. The husband is in so much pain and I can literally do nothing to help at all. The heated blanket is of more use than me, which is a pain as I see him in agony and all I can think is how I can hover around him. Things are a bit rubbish at the moment, work is being a pain (I love the patrons though), I'm saving for holidays and although I know it will be worth it-its such a pain being stony broke at the moment, plus-and this is the super big one, I am dreadfully jealous of any Mother I spot….terrible, I know.


Its not that I am a mean person devoid of compassion, I'm just terribly broody and having my teeny niece about me has only made me think of having a child of our own that would grow up with said niece. I do have another niece and nephew, however they are 16 and 13 respectively and we never expected to be an Aunty and Uncle again. Add that with the fact we thought WE’D be next for having a baby. URGH- I hate feeling like this. I do try to think of the fact that I am only 24 and so have plenty of time to become a Mother…I think I was born at the wrong time, I have always been ready for marriage and babies.

The husband has been absolute bedrock during this time, and I only wish I could now be there for him. Its horrible seeing him so sore he is nearly sick, I am just praying that he gets better and when he can walk again we’ll try to eat as healthy as possible and do anything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen again.



x x x

Sunday, 16 May 2010

Would you like to see some pretty things?


I bought these beautiful pictures from a thrift shop a little while ago now. Aren’t they lovely? I can never drag myself out of bed early enough - on a weekend where I am not expected to go to work – to go to a car boot sale. If I was assured I would get the same amount of lovely things later in the day I would happily wander around noseying in at all of the stalls, however I am not assured this, or anything of the sort, and so I am only really left the opportunity to go looking around various thrift shops.

This is a really cute Bunnykins picture i bought, i couldn't get a close up enough picture though that would come out all right!!  Its lovely and soft and floaty!

It is normally my plan to go and visit these each Thursday, as I finish work at twelve and I'm free to look around town for a little while until The City gets too much for me. I have got this down to a fine art, firstly I arrive in town and stop at one charity shop which normally has very good books in it, then I walk through the beautiful old Georgian houses (which have invariably been turned into offices), to get to the West End area and all of town which has three of the best shops-and I mean out of all shops- around!

They are positively jam packed with all manner of china, pictures, books, and old leather suitcases-one thing I simply can not get enough of!







On another visit I picked up a beautiful old jar, the kind that penny sweeties would have been kept in. Sadly it’s just OXO cubes now!

I have picked up more china than I can think of, let alone mention, but I will only show you a couple as I would write forever on that subject…and may possibly do later!


Sorry about the lack of ironing!!  I promise i will improve one day...but for now there is china out there i dont own!!
Bye for now, hope everyone is doing well!!!

Saturday, 15 May 2010

Hooray, hooray, today’s a happy day!

Hooray, hooray, today’s a happy day!
 We have got our confirmation and paid everything for our trip to the Lakes! Well…I will need to save much more, and should probably have started saving much earlier, as I want to take a fair amount of spends for all of the lovely things I know I will see.

 Unfortunately in my immediate area there aren’t too many independent shops, and so I find myself going crazy for them as soon as see one. I know I went much too crazy at the Country Living Christmas Fair last year…but its no good telling me as I know I will do the same this year too.
Anyway, for now, I am much too happy about the Lakes. As our only get-away of the year I fully intend to get very much into it. Last year we were happy campers in the only week that wasn’t a complete wash out. My amazing husband does work right next door to the MET office, but he can take no pride in his ‘networking’ skills on this occasion, only his great luck. He simply announced two weeks before we bundled everything in the car that we were heading away.
Although I do admit I would much prefer it if he announced these things followed by tales of the peaceful bays and sandy beaches of the Med rather than stories of Army days gone by in the Lakes. Well, until I am whisked away on a foreign adventure I will do much more than ‘make do’ with the Lakes, I shall positively revel in them!


 
I am grateful I feel like this, as it would be so disappointing to only take pleasure in things that cost lots of money as I'm sure I would be in a constant state of dejection and despair. Or as the lovely Sophie Dahl put it-melancholy, oh I do love it when I'm reintroduced to a word! I adore her ‘language’.


Well guys I think I'm off to search lovely AND tearooms OR cupcakes now on my favourite search engine! Bye for now.



Monday, 3 May 2010

Birthdays

Its my Mother in Laws Birthday soon!! Hooray. Luckily I don’t have one of those scary Mother in Laws and I am grateful that we genuinely get along…and no, I promise I'm not just stating this for the purpose of BlogLand!

The husband and I put a lot of thought into this Birthday as its such a special year. Flowers, jewellery, chocolates – all things that went through my head. An experience, spa day, or trip - all rejected by the husband too. The more I look for things the more I spot things that I want and plan to buy myself over time, or request for my Birthday at the end of the month, however none of this is getting me very far. I am hoping that all of my kind deeds I may ever have done revisit me in the form of suggestions by lovely Aunts and Sister in Laws…oh well, fingers crossed!

We will be heading to The Old Mill Inn which is a fab place to eat, drink and be merry!  Its on the Lower Deeside Road which is a really pretty and leads to lots of lovely tea rooms out on the Western Road-so lots and lots of beautiful scenery!


Now I must get away and think about this further!

Sunday, 2 May 2010

Time for tea?

As Winter slowly rolls into Spring-do I have to remind you it snowed here last week?- I find myself hurrying about like a caged animal. All I want to do is go out and walk. Hills, paths, roads, patrols, routes and old railway lines beware, I will wear you out! I feel like a big snuggley bear that has spent much too long wrapped up warm in a cave. I am done with hibernating, I want to get out and DO things.




The husband, how might I say this politely, is not like me…not at all, what-so-ever. He is much too fond of comfort. Now I agree with him to a point, and we do have our fair share of expeditions, but I inherited the walking gene and there is nothing I can do but pray our children will do the same. The husband, bless his heart, quite rightly asserts that walking should only be done ‘to’ and ‘from’ places. These places can be sights, scenes, gardens or venues, but certainly not “Oh, what do you think is down this path?”

I can think of nothing better than setting off down a lovely looking path...just wonder where its leading to?

We sat and the husband watched bikers go by...he would have rather been there with them!

As you can tell, there needs to be a compromise, and luckily I have a husband who not only indulges my fancies for cake and tea, but positively encourages it. Thus we find ourselves travelling over the Cairngorms for “a nice wee cuppy” (this is purely me, anyone who knows the husband would be without socks due to laughing at the thought of him saying this!). So, this is one of the first tea room ventures of the year…may there be plenty more.



It looked a bit like Spring for a little while at least!

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Hello again

Hello again blogging land, I'm so sorry that I was away for much too long. It seems I have fallen back into my old habit-I do apologise!


I really shouldn’t do this as I know that I adore looking back on old blogs and thinking “Oh I remember that”. I love to get a real feel for things, and blogging is a sure fire way for me to do that. I don’t really keep photo albums and the wonderful other half being the techno genius and first born that he is got us a electronic photo frame that we can easily email pictures to. It’s great as we practically hand our cards like Yuppies-but only so people can send their lovely party pics-as you know its much too hard to take pictures unless you really are in the moment!



It would be great to tell you that the HH household has been all go in this long absence, but unfortunately I can not. The most that has happened is a couple of thrift shop finds and our trip to the Lakes is finally organised…but more of that later!



Well, for now folks I guess that’s all!