a 'staycation of the utmost kind'...

i am particularly giddy, 

for we are starting our staycation tomorrow...

Ma has arrived from across the pond,

the lads are out of school for the summer

and it seemed the most perfectly perfect time

to have a staycation

i have never ever had a staycation before

our summers are usually spent in old blighty

and upon our return,

we sit in a heap

and then when the time comes

muster energies for school beginning again

but not this year!

ah ha! no sirree!

this is the first year in near on 13

that we will not be travelling to our homeland.

we will be staying put

and staycationing!

doesn't it just have such a jolly exotic sound about it!

"oh yes, we staycationed and it was most delightful, how about you?"

our staycation is a whole 2 weeks long

i have yet to plot and plan the whole thing

but i hope it involves the rain buggering off

and Mr Sun shining down on us...

*i am thinking strawberry picking beyond our own backyard

(so we can each have more than one)

*i am thinking mini bird nests in my hair each and everyday

(cos its darn thrilling to be able to tie up the old locks again)

*i am thinking lazy picnics by the rivers

(and afternoons drifting on inner tubes merrily)

*i am thinking days of wearing my new saltwater sandals

(feeling like i am 7 again)

*i am thinking endless days of wearing sunshiney frocks

(perfectly suited to a staycation me thinks)

*i am thinking days up north visiting interesting little towns

(full of quirky odd stores and forsaken souls to rescue)

*i am thinking thrifting on cloudy days

(Ma is keen to find some vintage floral bedsheets

thus, we have a mission and i do so like a thrifty mission)

*i am thinking baking cakes with the right sort of flour in them

(otherwise it quickly becomes a shortbread/cake)

*i am thinking afternoon naps with my constant canine companions

(cos they are the best sort to take naps with,

because they are experts at it)

and 

*i am thinking it will be the bees knees

whatever we end up doing...

yes, it will be

a 'staycation of the utmost kind'

i have no doubt

normal service will resume on monday 8th July

till then, wishing each and every dearest dearie reader

'a peachy one'

Tif x

footynote: to those in old blighty, be prepared, this may well be the year a heatwave hits due to us not being there, sort of guaranteed :)

thee a-m-a-z-i-n-g-s

i first stumbled across The Amazings via mollie makes magazine, immediately 2 things came to mind. 

thing 1: how simply marvelous of a magnificent idea

and 

thing 2: for the first time in my life i looked forward to turning 50

"be gone, pesky leaf eating invisible crime committer, big gone... "

i then proceeded to map out my next 5 and a bit year plan and see if i couldn't wangle the path to be somewhere in old blighty by the time i turned the big 5-0 and then apply, i am thinking they must have an application process of some sort. ("ummm, yes they do Tif, its here) i am also thinking i wonder if my experience and such like is tippity top enough to be an Amazing. perhaps i need to plot and plan a little to make sure my CV has got enough jolly crafty stuff upon it that when the time comes, i would be welcomed into the fold of The Amazings and they would indeed think of me as a possible teacher of crafty sorts.

"whats that! an imposter amongst the green buddies, one does not do fake herbs Tif, it just plain wrong"

all this pondering went on and then a few weeks back a most lovely Amazing by the name of Farzana wrote to me, telling me all about The Amazings and their courses, to which i responded with a 'oh how lovely to hear from you and yes, i know all about your wonderful band of crafty knowledgeable teachers and more to the point, Our #1 has even taken a crochet course with one of your fabby gang'

Farzana wanted to tell me all about their latest adventure. The Amazings are venturing into the world of online classes for those that do not live close to the big smoke. hence allowing any crafty soul anywhere in the world (i presume) be able to learn a skill or two from an Amazing. this i thought was quite a jolly good idea and made a lot of sense. i told Farzana i would happily have a look-see at one of their online courses and would happily mention it to my dearest readers.

"grow little green buddies, grow with all your might"

however, alas and alack, time is not on my side with school out and ma arriving and so here's what i thought, because i do do a lot of thinking, even if i might not look like i am some days. i thought to myself, i know Tif, why don't you blog about The Amazings and then later in the summer after you have not only watched one of their courses, but actually then tried your hand at it, you can do a second part to your first part and show what you learnt, and that sort of nitty gritty stuff.

yes a good plan indeedy! so that is what i shall do, i am planning to take the 'mosaic flower pot' class, which i think is something i might find very interesting as i do like my little green friends these days, and i think our outdoor/indoor garden room might like a bit of mosaic flower potting...

mosaic pots and fabric tented area surely will make for quite an exotic outdoor/indoor space when all said and done

 however i am thinking i will learn how to do it and then see if i can put my own spin on it. what sweet forsaken little lovelies can i bring to the table alongside of my flower pot and whatever else we will be using. (i am not sure yet what materials are required as i have yet to start my course)

"please mosaic us Tif, please please..."

so there we have it, i think you can't help but marvel at The Amazings and what it stands for, delight in the fact so many are wishing to learn from those that have the knowledge and skills and are a little older and wiser and i think you will agree, more than anything, it must be rather marvelous to have a little badge that says 'i am an Amazings'! i wonder if they do?! i wonder indeedy if you pass the interview and they think you could indeed become an Amazing if they hand over a little badge with just that on it...

"a bit of mosaic might make all the difference..." thinks Mr Pepper and his family

i guess i will never know until the big 5-0 comes knocking and the day after i pop my application in the mail and send it with a wing and a prayer

Tif :)

footynote:

just seen this shindig now if i were in london this summer, i would surely wish to go along and spend a crafty day with some Amazings...

frocks, socks and clogs

tis a little nutso around here at the mo.

building works still going on, 

school out tomorrow

ma (mother in law) arrives tomorrow from old blighty

amongst other nitty gritty things

that always crop up...

but i am most delighted

as where there was a will

i found a way

and today, 

i hung the last of the frocks in my shop window

until the fall...

here's a sprinkling

and yes

i have high hopes, 

frocks, socks and clogs

will indeed catch on one day...