starting to think about christmas shopping with November Sparks

Well, this year I'm going to be organized.  I've already done a lovely swap with Anicca (she has a folksy shop too) for some gorgeous earrings for J's mum  Now it's time to start thinking about everyone else.  The only problem is that when I go through folksy I keep seeing things that I would definitely like to keep all to myself!

for example this beautiful locket from Mia Scintilla

and then there's this beautiful charm bracelet from whimsical wren

the wizard of oz is our halloween film.  My partner finds the witch very disturbing, along with the childcatcher in chitty chitty bang bang.  But he'll happily watch halloween!  And I've just always wanted red shoes, and the shoes on this charm bracelet are perfect.

I also love this scenic jasper pendant from Unique beaded gems .  It really does look like a landscape, just beautiful

and there's this gorgeous rasberry beret (yes it is a reference to the Prince song) from NOfkants curios

and it even has matching fingerless gloves to go with it.

Oh I suppose I'll have to go and start thinking about other people's christmas presents now.  There are just too many boys in my family!

happy hallowe'en

Hallowe'en was a rush this year (in the sense of being hurried).  What with bugs and homework and essays and sewing and all the rest!  So here are the only two pics we managed to take (a little fuzzy!)

the crafting!  There were bat biscuits made for trick or treaters too but no photo.

and an evil princess, I couldn't catch the boy in his faceless hoodie costume.  Lots of goodies were collected and a lot of fun was had.  Then after they went to bed we watched Urban Ghost Story which was a really good film about social issues but not very scary and then listened to 'The turn of the screw' by Henry James, on the iplayer.  Definitely scary!  To be listened to in the dark, maybe not on your own though!

The party's over

Well it was the longest journey we've ever had on Friday but we got there for the party.

Middle sister is 40

fancy dress was worn by most

and tears were shed when littlest sister returned to America at 5 o'clock this morning

motorways and celebrations

this seems to be all we have seen for the last few weeks.  It's one of the problems with living 400 miles from the rest of our family!  Especially when they all have major celebrations in the same year.

we have passed the wicker man six times since mid August and still have another trip to go.

lots of bad indoor party photography

and the lovely old (literally after her 40th) friend that we surprised at her party.  Her scream of delight at seeing us made the whole trip worthwhile.

So one more trip to one more biggie... and this time it's a sister

May day

May day seems to have been slowly disappearing in the UK since my childhood (not so long ago!) when we had a maypole in the playground and enforced country dancing. I have heard that it's a government conspiracy because it's traditionally associated with workers getting together and agitating but I suspect that it just gets forgotten about in all our busyness.

There are celebrations around May day in Cornwall, Padstow 'Obby 'Oss and Helston flora day but neither involve a maypole. So we felt incredibly lucky to come across a revived May day picnic with maypole just outside Penzance at Trereife house. It was so lovely, completely hand made and nothing commercial apart from nettle cider and pimms for sale (the nettle cider is an acquired taste although J liked it).

Sadly we had no camera over the last week or so (only because no-one can remember to buy batteries!) So these gorgeous pictures are not my own beautiful images but they capture the spirit.

The only stalls were demonstrations of green living. One lovely man had brought samples of water from local springs to try (ones that are regularly used so safe to drink from) and there was a talk on forest gardening. But my favourite thing which we absolutely have to make was the forerunner of the slow cooker, a haybox cooker. You bring your casserole up to boiling and then simply put it in a box of hay all day to cook, no fuel at all! A friend said she's made one in a big chest that will take three pans and is making most of the family meals in it. So we have a plan to make one and I will write more after we have experimented.

And of course the maypole was beautiful, decorated with bluebells and greenery and strings with flags decorated in pressed leaves. There was cornish dancing and beautiful music along with dancing around the maypole. The council were not interested in funding this festival which I can't help feeling was a good thing, better to have willing volunteers and to be able to make it a community creation. I hope you all had a lovely May day too, maybe there's a revival out there.