Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

Two years ago I packed my carpet bag and headed off to Oz for my Mary Poppins mission. I wrote about it here , here and here . Mary Poppins is originally from Queensland you know and although I missed out on a The Mary Poppins Festival , I did get the chance to spend lots of time with my gorgeous niece and welcome my new nephew into the world. So what would be the ideal gift for a very special little nephew? I know a quilt because I've only got a week to make it. Nothing like putting the pressure on, but I did it. I can only give a few hints of the final piece because I know that my sister will see this and I don't want to ruin the surprise. Here's a sneaky peek Hmm what could that be? A three eyed monster? A bird? Just to add a sprinkling of mystery and a touch more suspense, the big reveal will be on 4th February which is the little man's 2nd birthday. Oh go on then, one more quick look...   Posted with Blogsy

Today has been such a glorious day, it feels like the warm weather will never end and it's easy to forgot that those chilly days are on their way. It was perfect weather for a stroll along the seafront at Broadstairs and it as packed as on any summers day. The chalk cliffs of the East Kent coast are always spectacular in bright sunshine and their crumbling nature allows for transient graffiti artists to adorn the concrete esplanades without reprimand from their parents. And mini explores can hang precariously from the rock face without safety harness or fear   I have huge admiration for the plants who appear to be oblivious to the eminent hostility of their location. Nestled in crevices Holding fast to walls With tiny seed heads capable of surviving the harshest conditions. Posted with Blogsy

I often consider my bike to be a work of art, I've pimped my ride, added crochet and fabric but it is nothing compared to the Art Bike Trail which is part of the Marcel Duchamp Festival in Herne Bay this August. We only managed to see a selection of the bikes today but we will be heading back to Herne Bay in the morning for more art and culture. Kent really does have a riot of seaside experiences: other fascinating events on our to do list for the summer holidays include Broadstairs Folk Week ,  What a Vintage Carry On in Margate  , and Ramsgate Summer Squall . Why would you want to spend hours and hours travelling when everything really is on our door step and we can be home in time for tea or have chips on the beach. Anyhow here are the fab art bikes we saw today. Hats off and moustaches on to all the brilliant creators. And once you have had enough of bikes (or your children have) there is still ... an enormous urinal sculpt...

It was the most gloriously sunny and rather warm day today, perfect for the end of the summer holidays. This is my second week back at work however I'm a part-timer and finish by 2.30pm on a Tuesday. We decided to head off to Tankerton Slopes for a barbecue. I grabbed my knitting, camera and the first issue of a new magazine called The Simple Things . It arrived yesterday in the post and I managed to sneak a peak this morning before I cycled to work. The snippet I read stuck in my mind all day. Simple things are always the best and this writing described someone's simple pleasure of enjoying their alone time with a coffee and the kitchen to themselves before anyone else is awake. This is my simple thing. I loved sitting on the beach in the warm September, watching the children swim in the sea and reading a magazine. We didn't bring swimming costumes so after a little persuasion, the children swam in the underwear. This is Charlie's treasure that he f...

My perfect Sunday is one of simplicity, the beach in the morning and the allotment in the afternoon. Despite leaving for Botany Bay early, the beach was packed with happy people enjoying the beautiful English summer time.  The children played in the sea with our little boat, it clouded over and then Josie and I swam in the sea in the rain. I haven't swam in the rain since I was a teenager. It was perfectly warm, a touch on the humid side actually but the rain splashing on the sea was rather lovely. They do look like little angels. After this mini heat wave. the allotment was in need of a drop of water and I was very grateful to have my little helpers drenching everything. My sunflowers are also enjoying the warmth of late summer. And I like nothing more than cycling home in the twilight with a basket full of goodies including my sweet peas which always smell delightful. I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I...

 Last night we collected enough raspberries from the allotment to make some jam which was perfect for a sunny breakfast in the garden this morning. Broadstairs is almost my favourite place in the world and this week is Folk Week so the perfect seaside destination to take my mum to. Broadstairs has such a traditional British seaside feel to it, that you can't help but have a rather lovely time. Throughout August there is the twice daily Punch and Judy show with Sponge Bob Square Pants joining the more traditional Punch, Judy, Baby, Policeman and crocodile. Both Charlie and Josie felt the need to leave the show to come and tell me that. We all had a dip in the sea and the waves were a bit rough so several went over the children's heads. It was a touch chilly with the sea breeze. And the caterpillars have doubled in size to 6mm I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm working on making it eas...

I sometimes tell my little ones that there are children who have never been to the beach. They look at me as if I have lost my mind, in their world there is no reason why someone would not have been to the beach. It takes less than an hour to get the beach from our house and if we are going on the train, we usually go to Broadstairs in the summer. I imagine that this will be the first of many trips to the beach this summer holidays, especially seeing as we are going camping over looking the sea this weekend.  Broadstairs high street is still very much like a high street from my childhood and that is why I love it so. Greengrocers are my favourite; the colours, the shapes and the hand written signs are just so much more sincere than the supermarkets' over packaged produce. And then there's the baker's, with more handwritten signs on neon stars, paper doilies and cakes such as the almond deluxe (which is what Josie chose), the wool shop and so many ...