Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

At last, things are starting to get a little bit easier and I can start getting on with the whole living thing. After the overly complex stitchery I started on one of the flowers for my embroidered dress at the beginning of the week, it felt like I would never get it either right or finished. My mood darkened, but I kept at it and then suddenly it was finished. The kitchen is no longer the sensory nightmare of the last couple of months, as long as I am the only one in there. I even managed to gather a harvest from the allotment and make a potato curry with my homegrown produce. I’ve also managed to not only go properly outside but took on my own autistic/ PTSD challenge. In true over the top ADHD style, I went on a day trip to The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, the perfect overwhelmingly stimulating environment to anxiously await the boy’s Kent Test results. If I can cope with needle-felted Sherlocks, then I can probably start to engage in some of those day to day act...

This week has been difficult because I had a migraine. There is nothing more grounding than not being able to stand up or sip water without being sick. Strangely though, this I have felt less lost in my own world and there were times, when the headache shifted slightly, that I felt moments of real clarity.  The weather is still pleasant and the light lasts long enough for us to fit in up to three walks a day for Sherlock, although on some days I have been barely able to manage one. Being lost in my thoughts of the woods, the colours of the autumnal leaves and the crunch of acorns under foot, has been preferable to the psychological trauma associated with PTSD. Sherlock, as always, has taken his role of family pet very seriously and even when he’s not been sure of what he’s supposed to be doing, he has shown true collie commitment. Actually both pets have been showcasing their characters this week. Herbie is adamant that the weather is warm enough to remain outside and has moaned ...

November has been hard for me this year. Despite immersing myself in the ethos of Wovember, I've struggled. Life is always a learning process and my own quirks are can really bring me down sometimes. We all suffer from perfectionism but even trying to think about the last day that I haven't cried at points throughout the day brings me to tears so I know things are not right. Wooden heart from the Black Forest I like the switch in acceptance that is creeping into society. I'm not a massive fan of supermarkets but it makes me smile to see the shelves filled with mindful colour therapy. If it weren't for art, colour and creativity, November would be a very dark time. It doesn't legitimately have the delightful glitz and sparkle of December (although I know Christmas is in the shops). My exploration into yarn, fibre and podcasts that provide a wealth of information inevitably led me to Wooful. It's a wonderful insight into a whole new world that has opened...

  I love my new shelves. They are rather like frames for all our precious Halloweenland crafting. My ancient crocheted pumpkin and the world's smallest pumpkin make ideal shelf buddies.   Topped with the ghosts of parsnips gone to seed in an orange vintage Tupperwear beaker. Add Halloween bunting   And finally some candles to complete our Halloweenland for 2014.   Posted with Blogsy

It's that time of year where all the digging, weeding and watering finally pay off. Each trip I make to the allotment,  results with my bike being so laden with goodies that I have to cycle home at a snail's pace.   I love the idea that the majority of ingredients for a recipe have been homegrown and have a huge amount of fun inventing new recipes to match my supplies. It's like the opposite of buying the ingredients for a recipe.    This year has been totally fab for tomatoes, despite being a little later than usually I now have a bumper crop. The simplest way to make a tomato sauce is to roast them in the oven, with a little chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  If you are fussy about tomato skins, let them cool and peel them first but I just give them a blast with my hand blender, straight from the oven.   Next thinly slice a courgette (once again it has been an excellent season). Chop and wilt some...

It isn't just Dover that has the white cliffs in Kent. There are a number of beautiful bays along the Kent coast line which are cut from the dazzlingly bright chalk. The glorious autumn sunlight which shines slightly lower in the sky at this time of year, reflects off the cliffs with dramatic effect. Mostly it's the colour and light that causes me to catch my breathe, but the cold wind truly does blow away the cobwebs. These photos were taken at Kingsgate which is somewhere between Broadstairs and Margate. I simply adore the whole coastline and never tire of the tranquillity contrasting delightfully against the harsh elements of nature. Cut through the cliffs, this rather precarious path leads down to a beach which is only accessible at low tide, but it is completely worth the scramble down....   if only to get a shot of the sunburst through the white cliff.   I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm wor...

This pumpkin was inspired by Heart Handmade UK . Claire has been posting the most beautifully decorated pumpkins all week and barely a scary face in sight. Poison ivy, homegrown Jack be Little Pumpkins and corn on the cob, pumpkin soup recipe, conker characters, crochet pumpkin and miniature book of spells - our Halloween center piece. This was one of my first attempts crochet toys three years ago. Happy Halloween I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm working on making it easier

For some reason (possibly my love of pumpkins and autumn delights), my children love Halloween and every year, our house is transformed into Halloween Land. All things spooky take over for about a week, which is usually around the half term holidays and a great deal of Halloween themed crafting, making and doing occurs. I like it, it's a lot of fun so here's what we've been up to today. Lime jelly pumpkin with edible red glitter Conker characters Mod Podge sequin pumpkins Pumpkin soup with spooky swirled cream ghosts  Call back again this week for more scary shenanigans. Thank you for dropping by and it has been very lovely to have your here :)

This morning I have had a cooking disaster. I was thinking about my blog school homework and how wonderful it would be to blog about a delicious recipe each week so I tried to make a healthy Halloween style recipe. I do already know that replacing baking powder with bicarbonate of soda in a recipe will only end in tears but that did not put me off giving it another go. It was my husband after all who when making my birthday cake a couple of years ago, discovered just how revolting the finished product tastes. I was so excited and had my new skull and pumpkin silicon muffin mold but I did not have any self raising flour or baking powder. Please let this be a lesson to myself .... Do not ever, never ever use b icarbon ate of soda in stead of baking po wder ev er , ever, ever ag ain. I even made some little mini ones with olives as eyes and extra cheese. They look delicious but sadly they are completely disgusting. I have wasted my time, ingredients and morning and now have no...

I am passionate about education and I love to learn and inspire and support learning. It's my day job but it's also the way I live my life. Learning new skills and finding out more about blogging is such  a delight for me. This week the weather has turned truly autumnal and not only the mornings but the whole days have been filled with swirling mists. This is mushroom weather and with that dampness in the air which clings to the delicate spider webs like diamonds and looks stunning. I am unable to walk past a web without admiring nature's perfect crafters. Imagine being able to produce your own yarn and spin your own house / food trap. I left for work early especially to take photos of these treasures of fog and drizzle for fear that the sun will be out again by my next day off. I could not  bear to miss the opportunity to study the intricacies and uniqueness of each web. The collage above has been made using a few of the new apps I have learnt about thanks to blog...