Candles

I don't know about the rest of you but with these frigid temperatures I'm really tired of this winter - come on spring.  There is nothing like a nice warm day with a gentle breeze - open the windows and let the fresh air into the house.  This time of year I like to light candles and fill the house with a gentle fragrance, nothing to strong or over powering.

During a trip to Boston, Mass. last fall with my family, my mother-in-law introduced me to the store Yankee Candle Company.  We spent a good hour smelling the different scents.   I was having trouble deciding ~ a lady (who was also shopping) approached me and told me to smell her favourite candle Bay Leaf Wreath - I left the store with one as well as a few more candles for myself and some gifts.

BAY LEAF WREATH

To view this candle on Yankee Candle website please click here

Bay Leaf Wreath has now become my favourite candle.  It has a nice fresh scent, not strong and overpowering like pine.

Update February 16, 2015:  Bay Leaf Wreath is a seasonal item, only available in the fall.  I was able to get a couple of the large jar candles.


I also liked

EGGNOG

Unfortunately the EggNog is a seasonal scent (hopefully it will be available again around November). I burnt this one at the office to add a bit of cheer last December.

I love these candles, they burn evenly and fill my home with lovely gentle scent.  Some are very strong so I highly recommend a trip to the store so you can remove the lid and have a sniff.  Very happy that Yankee Candle stores are now open in Canada, well they may have been for a while but I was unaware.

I'm taking a trip (much shorter one than the trip to Boston) to Yankee Candle this weekend, my Bay Leaf Wreath is almost gone and I want to take a sniff at

BUTTERCREAM

and

IRISH CREAM

hopefully one of them will smell similar to the EGGNOG.

Update February 16,, 2015:  Neither smelled like the EggNog, but I did buy Cookies and Cream.  Ive been burning it for two days now, it smells like buttered popcorn to me.  Very sweet, I will not be purchasing this candle again.


Try to stay warm is you are experiencing this unrelenting deep freeze.

Signing off till next time ......

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Still waiting for my copy of Downton Abbey, Season 5 on DVD, email suggests it is out for delivery so I'm hoping to see it in my mailbox today.

Mean while I've been reading books in hopes of filling the gap,  this one just didn't do it.  Don't get me wrong it was very interesting but nothing that I've read so far feels like the show, well except for The Complete Scripts (Note season 1 & 2 are available for purchase in print, season 3 expected in the autumn of this year.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Fiona Carnarvon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the title suggests this book is about Highclere Castle, now famously known for the film location of Downton Abbey.

Lady Almina is the main focus of this book, being married into the Family in the late 1800's, becoming the 5th Countess of Carnarvon.  Highclere was in its heyday and life for the Carnarvon family was at its best.

Lovers of the show Downton Abbey will enjoy reading about similar timelines, being able to compare how Highclere managed through the Great War, etc.

I would have liked to give this book a better rating but found many sections quite tedious, especially how detailed the battles of the war became.  I was more interested in what was going on at Highclere (to each his own, if I wanted to read a book on the war, that is what I would have chosen to reading).

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Signing off til next time.

A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey

Patiently waiting for season 5 dvd to show up in the mail box, we prefer to wait opposed to watching on TV, release date is 27th, so haven't very many days to go.  Last year it arrived right on release date so we are hoping for the same this year.

In the mean time I'm trying to fill my to be read list with anything about or similar to Downton.

A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes by Jessica Fellowes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Downton Abbey fans will like this book, an excellent companion to the show, but if you haven't seen up to season 4 I suggest you wait.  There are a few insights into season 5 but nothing to give anything away.  Nice pictures and recipes included.


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Signing off till next time

Watermelon Dress

Miss A is three months old already.  We celebrated a few birthday's this past weekend and Miss A wore her new party dress.

I ordered this pattern from Mary Maxim.  Watermelon Dress No. 99171-2N, using Ultra Mellowspun DK wool, colour Peony.

 During a trip to a local fabric store, just recently, I found these cute daisy flower buttons.  I thought the pink ones worked best with this dress.  I should have looked closer at my pictures, the way the dress was sitting it looks like the back doesn't line up.

And here she is, my sweet little girl.  I tried to get her to show off her beautiful smile but she just wasn't in the mood.











Signing off till next time.

Material Things

Life has been kind of difficult these past couple of years, sudden deaths of parents and dementia.  We have been dealing with rough times so when our sweet Niece A was born she was the light in our darkness.

This past January we took a long over due trip with M-I-L to visit cousins in Owen Sound.  M-I-L and I got loose in a fabric store.  Niece A being my inspiration to get back into crafting, I bought fabric, I haven't sewn anything since I made clothes for my son 16 years ago.

Blankets are a great place to start.

Miss A wrapped up and keeping warm in a double sided fleece blanket.

Over sized receiving blanket made out of double sided flannel.  I remember one of my husband's aunts making me a few of these when my son was born.  They were my favourite and feel that every new mom should have one.

 My first attempt at quilting.

Signing off till next time.

Quick Crochet Scarf ~ Blue

This scarf I made for my beautiful bonus Mom and I'm sure is the first of many that I will make.  It is a quick and easy craft,  uses one ball, can make up to two scarves, but I only chose to make one and took me a couple of hours to make.  Be careful not to loose a stitch, the webbing is very hard to pick back up.

This scarf can be made with either crochet or knitting.  I chose to crochet, if you wish to knit, please find free pattern here

Free crochet pattern can be found here

I made one scarf from the ball of yarn, picked up five loops of the webbing not eight, crocheted till I had a length of 60", then completed the return.

Mint Posies Outfit

I just recently got back into crocheting, a craft my mother taught me years ago.  I thought my blog would be a nice place to share my creations.

My sister-in-law is expecting, which prompted me to pick up my crochet hook.  This is the first outfit I made.

Pattern book: Leisure Arts, Tender Touch Layettes by Sandra Abbate.  Outfit called Pink Posies.

Instead of making an elastic waist band, I created an edging on the top of the pants, allowing for a tie.  The tie I created by making a chain the length one and a half larger than the waist, I did one row of single crochet, then wove it through the edging.