In my heart it feels like Spring

   A bit more colour here and there and a few bright days, blue skies and just a smidge longer days.

First of all my send a little love swap partner Tracy (mad about bags) who organised the beautiful Valentine swap
I sent these

Bookmark with handmade hatpin 

I have started making these to decorate 

bookmarks and pin cushions

Scented mini cushion

And also a pin cushion

and received these beautiful gifts from Tracy

This beautiful handmade bag 

by Tracy is really 

Lovely and I adore all the fabrics she used

Thank you Tracy

for arranging this fun swap.

Then a few days later
Tracy sent me and little miss these beauties...we were both so touched by her
kindness...

Tracy knows.  I love collecting China 

and hope to arrange a tea party in the summer

for the children and their 

friends. 

they now sit on my dresser. 

Little miss said "mummy you have such lovely friends". She is so right of course...wonderful friends .

The half term whizzed by, a bit of resting, a bit of shopping and visiting friends and just enjoying our days.  All too soon the children are back at school and as always I miss them.  If I had the brains, patience, energy I would home school them both, but then they especially need different stimuli, social interaction and although I hate to say it time away from us.  They need to develope their own
life skills, make their own relationships and friendships other than the ones we enjoy at home and expand their owns lives...it is hard as we love them being so close...but it is about them and not us.


Little Miss has the last week been sewing on the machines ahem I mean "my" machine...ha ha .she
loves the patterns and trying them out and I have been more than happy doing more routine stitching
when I get the chance on hers.   I have been busy upstairs, a bit of spring cleaning .  The new bed arrived and I moved a few bits around (as you do) and then in the process de cluttered even more.

Last Monday  we drove to Aberaeron and dropped off a few bags  of donations . Anyway I dropped the bags off and out of the corner of my eye!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES..... A typewriter, portable and I couldn't believe it...I have wanted one like this for over a year.
I learnt many moons ago on a manual to touch type whilst at school and at one point I think had over
60 words per minute, I think one exam I managed 80 wpm but that must of been on a super duper
day.  !!!!All my jobs have required typing but obviously manuel.  machines are seldom used now but I wanted one.  I wanted one to decorate fabric, tags, sticky labels and make stuff.  The ones I saw on e bay were all £40 plus shipping usually £12 or so  and knowing all the workings of a typewriter appear easy to bend or damage,  I didn't think they would travel well in the post and how accurate would the description be re the condition it was in be when it arrived ??? ..ummmmm

Well "Erika" was there, on a shelf, tucked away in the back room of the charity shop.well I could not
resist , took a deep breathe.I had a look it looked fine,. A  bit of a wipe down required and the box needs a thoroughly good wash and clean but well...and then a little "play" and for £10 (seemed a absolute bargain) what did I have to loose...if nothing else I would have a nice sturdy case to use.  However I got her home and did a little dust and wipe down of the keys etc and the ribbons was still inked and she types beautiful...I am in love.  Memories flooded back of school , the teacher hitting our fingers if we dared to look at them whilst learning to type!   To this day I remember our old
teacher Mrs Bennet bellowing out "girls, shoulders relaxed, head up and eyes looking ahead ) .  I remember watching her type to demonstrate and it was a blur she must of had over a 100 words per minute .    I am a very happy bunny.  Both the children had a try when they came home from school and declared "those keys are hard" and "this is old stuff ". But I don't care!  " Erika" and I are going to have lots of fun together.  The funny thing is this is apparently a portable typewriter and I am no weakling but it is heavy.  When I think of old themed films and posh people having their secretary with them when they travelled ...now I know what those poor girls had to carry about...I do not envy
them one bit.  For now until I give her a proper clean and tidy Erika is destined to stay in the dining room. I have looked  on You Tube and a gentle wipe with pure.  alcohol and a can of air to blow the dust out under the keys (total all in £11)
seem to be the order of the day and a spare ribbon too as this one is only black and she can print in black and red.  So it would seem for the princely sum of £21 , the original cost and the extras  to clean her up nicely, it was worth waiting for.  Obviously if I hadn't popped in to donate some stuff I
may never of found her ... Funny how things work out isn' it?

There is one hiccup though...I can't at the moment "touch type" on her. Sunday morning a week ago.  I woke up and realised both joints just below the nail on the middle and index fingers on my left hand are well swollen and a bit painful.  I can't bend them like I should be able.  Thankfully I am right handed .  I am hoping it is just a glitch , I haven't bashed or trapped them , there are no marks , just swelling.  I am praying it is not the start of arthritis.  My mum has escaped it but my dear nan had
very crippled  hands and one sister especially has it too but mainly in her elbow and knee joints.  Oh well onwards and upwards.

Well off to play...have a little gift to russle  up tonight , but new curtains for  the "new" spare room arrived today so need to give them a iron and steam and hang them , not a job I enjoy.  ,.might be a job for DH to hang them though with these dodgy fingers!!

Spring tomorrow ..yippee , can't wait.