Frankencardi & mothers day

Oh I just cannot work out this layout of blogger, why does everything have to be so difficult? Once again, pictures in no particular order as honestly I can't figure out how to change the order!

Like the rest of the country we have had a lovely spell of good weather, a little taste for what spring can be like. A project that has been on the list for a good while is removing the patch of gravel from our garden and replacing it with grass. It is only a little area, but we will get so much more out of the garden if it is green rather than grey! We had already given away quite a bit of gravel to a local bike charity with a muddy path, but had a whole lot more to dig out, so that is what we spent our saturday doing.
I have dug over, flattened, and raked over the patch of earth there about 3 times now, trying to get it as flat as possible in preparation for the turf. Although planting grass seed would be ideal as it is much cheaper, we would like to have the grass ready by the beginning of summer, and also practically keeping the girls out of the garden for any period is hard enough work. Hopefully with the turf it should be less than a month before they are running around again. I will buy and lay it later this week.

This last week I have been working on a crochet cardigan. It actually started as making a few granny squares thinking I could put together a scarf or something to keep me out of trouble, as what I really want to get to work on is some dressmaking. Unfortunately my sewing machine is acting a bit doolally so I have taken it to be repaired, and am still waiting tensely to hear back, so my granny squares became a cardigan instead. It is not finished yet, so I will post a proper picture once it is, but it has been a bit of a labour of love as I have been making it up as I go, and have ending up unpicking, I think, every single part of this cardigan at least once, and one part of it four times. I thought I would give up on it as I've fallen so out of love with it, but I think we've turned a corner now and I'm looking forward to the finished garment. I have made it 3/4 sleeve for spring, and chosen daffodil -y, bluebell-y colours. I have made it a shorter length than I would usually wear as well, and just put buttons at the top as I think this shape will work well with the imaginary dresses I haven't yet made.

On Sunday we went to the National Botanic Gardens and had a picnic, which is pretty much what we do for every special occasion. It's such a beautiful place, and so big you can go again and again and have a different day every time. The weather was lovely, and the girls were enchanted by a patch of woodland full of wood anemones.

Girls stamping down the earth for me to flatten it! Grown ups are too heavy.

I received a beautiful bunch of flowers from my own mother for mothers' day.

And I have had a little twiddle in the studio in a patch of sunshine. I have made a couple of dozen mixed media/inky drawings of seaweed and underwater squishy things. I don't really know what they are or what they are for, if they are just ideas or if they stand alone. I might share a couple soon when I have a better idea of what they are.

 Will gets paid in a couple of days which will be a welcome relief. I have been very uncareful with money lately, and we have a couple of things coming up on the house that need paying for, so we need to seriously tighten our belts. When I remember how well we did in the past on so little money it makes me quite ashamed. I thought I would try and write out a rough meal plan to help with shopping as I think this has been useful in the past, and am planning to do my best just to buy the bare minimum for the forseeable. Reading through past blog entries here has been quite helpful!

I've not checked for typos so apologies. I'm off now as a cup of tea and a quiet house (Will goes to a drumming group on Tuesdays) are beckoning.