Upside down

Upside out
inside out

and 

topsy turvy

that's my house since we had our chimney fire.

We will be spending this weekend  not celebrating St. Patrick's Day

but

packing all our bits and bobs into boxes

as the builders arrive here Tuesday morning to replace our chimneys.

I am sorry for the short post this week but honestly I haven't a minute

and am constantly chasing my tail.

I will be around to visit you all but it may take me a couple of days

so please bear with me...

Smile Makers.....

Mother's Day - hope you all had a great one.

There were flowers and other lovely things here

Not much walking this week
(actually I lie) 

no walking

 but 

planning to rectify that on Saturday

as I need to clear this old head
 and so a trek up the mountains is planned...

Let's talk birthdays 

BIG Birthdays

you know those awful ones with a large 0 at the end....

well

I have one of those birthdays
 this day 4 weeks.......

dread it,

 don't want it to happen, 

want to sleep until it's over
shudder, shudder, shudder....

if I close my eyes will it go away?
Why can't I stay 49
49 sounds 20 years younger than 50...

 So how do you feel about BIG 0 Birthdays

do you mind going into the next decade?

Well anyway enough of my old lady ramblings and just time to say...

♥♥ {Green Day 36} ♥♥

Raindrops and Daisies

The object of the link up

is to post a photograph of something green.

The photos can be of anything you like

once they have a green theme,

green fields, pretty green things, green clothes,
green leaves, green foods,

anything at all that takes your fancy!

I hope that you will join in the fun.

Now here comes the boring bit - a few rules

1.   Please do not post anything that may be deemed offensive to others.

2.   Only post material that belongs to you.

3.   When posting your photographs please link back to Raindrops and Daisies

4.   Link directly to your Green Day post and not to the url of your blog

5.   Try and visit some of the other participants and leave a comment

A blog post at last!

I bet you all thought I had disappeared

well truth is, I almost did!

Thanks to all who told me that I had comments disabled on the last post
I didn't even know and thought you were all ignoring me
by the time I realised it was off it was too late to turn it on!!!

♥♥♥♥♥

It has been dull and dark here so I needed something to brighten those long day
flowers were the call of the day

lovely yellow and pretty white...

♥ t u l i p s ♥

lots of knitting happening

I made some pretty love hearts,

and bought a book to help me along the way

and I have a bag full of yarn so am raring to go...

The weather has been upside down,

one day really cold

the next, sunshine and blue skies

and the day after that - lots of the wet stuff...bleughh

What I bought...
 
I was out shopping during the week and
treated myself to a new bag in the sales in Carraig Donn

down from €50 to €29

it's a good size so should come in useful
happy happy days...

I also bought some pretty brushes for the kitchen in Primark all under €3
they're almost too nice to use...

and a lovely (big bauble) neckpiece in Dunnes which was €25 but reduced by 75% to €7.50

an oldfashioned cookbook for €5
I have tried out some of the recipes and they're yummy (maybe too yummy)
I'll be back on that diet if I don't watch myself!

A giveaway...

I just want to  mention a lovely giveaway at Sweet Like Cinnamon

Look at the fab prize she has for one lucky winner...

Sweet Like Cinnamon is an Irish blogger 

she shares  recipes, pretty things and good ideas on her pages

She has 10 followers but should have more

why not pay her a visit become a follower and enter the giveaway..

you never know you could have beautiful hands and feet in a couple of weeks

and wouldn't we all love that!!!!
The closing date for this giveaway is Valentine's Day  ♥

An award...

Alessandra from Homemade@myplace
has awarded me the Liebster award
Thank you so much Alessandra, I appreciate it very much.

Alessandra has a wonderful blog full of creativity
she is certainly a very taleneted lady.
Why not pop over and say hello

{Green Day 30}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

Why not post your photos here?

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

Worst Blogger Award goes to....

**ME**

It's official I am the worst blogger in blogland.

I have only blogged twice since Christmas and today's post is a very short one with no photos and no news.

I really need to apologise to any of you who were awaiting Green Day last Friday because it just didn't happen
 and do you know what I have no excuse.  
I am sorry...

It has been cold here but we haven't had snow in my part of  the country.

With the freezing temperatures all I wanted to do was snuggle up, drink tea and eat cakes but alas I had to go to work!!! 

I have a Green Day linkup this week so for anyone that wants to join in -it would be lovely to have you

but if you don't feel like it, no problem.

I hope that you are all well and happy

and I do miss you all very much...

Have a lovely weekend and fingers crossed I will get my act together this week.

 It's Friday and therefore
it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

Broken Computer and Green Day....

My computer is dead and so I can't do a proper post today

and
 I haven't been able to read your blogs or comment on them either

hopefully I will be back in action next week

but

It will probably take me until June to play catchup.

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

{Green Day 24}

If you go down to the woods today be sure of a big surprise...

 come on now and don't be shy...

that's better,

now we can see lovely you! 

I have a very short post for you today and the reason for this is because the letters on the left of my keyboard have died 

so when I type "are trees green"

it comes out as "a tres grn"

you would honestly think I had 6 glasses of vino in me when posting

so a bit of a nuisance

so please excuse my lack of commenting and posting this week

fingers crossed I will get it sorted soon.

****

Anyway I hope that you are all well and staying warm and dry.

The weather here has been very cold and frosty

with horrible icy roads in the mornings

I am like Miss Daisy driving to work

 I trudge along really really slowly

as I am so scared of skiding

(yesterday a tractor overtook me)!!

****

I have the results of the giveaway for the Christmas ornament

1st prize

Karen from My Little Home and Garden

and

2nd prize

Victoria from Tangled Sweetpea

If you email me your details ladies I will post as soon as possible.

Thanks to all who participated

well done to the winners and commiserations to the people who weren't picked out

but there will be another giveaway after  Christmas so maybe next time!

Knitting...

After all your lovely compliments on my shawl/ I bought some wool and have started again

I really enjoyed the last one and when it finished my fingers were itching to give it another go

so hopefully this new knit will turn out ok...

Lovely Jennifer from A Well Styled Life has tagged me in the Sunshine award...

These are the questions she asked...

Who is a style icon for you?

This is a really difficult question to answer as there are so many stylish women
women who  dress really well and have oodles of style and panache
 I tend to dress in what suits me, trends that flatter my shape, colours I like
and I think that I have a fair idea of what works.and what doesn't
afterall I have years of experience!!!!

Can I name my style icon - No

What is your favourite cookbook?

I have shelves and shelves of cookbooks

I very rarely use them but they do look pretty in the kitchen.

any cookbook by Rachel Allen would be a favourite of mine

her recipes are simple, easy to follow and delicious

so always a winner!

What is the best book you read this year?

I think the best book I read this year was "The Island" by Victoria Hislop

I really enjoyed it. 

I'm reading "The Lost Wife" at the moment and that is a pretty good read too!

What one cosmetic can you not leave home without putting on?

Only one!!!!!

I never leave the house without makeup, never ever, ever!

I would scare away small children, old people, young people,  animals ....

But I suppose  if I had to chose one I would pick lipstick

as I would feel naked without it!

What is your favourite moisturiser?

Every day - Liz Earle

Pay day - Clarins

Some day  - Creme de la Mer

Thanks Jennifer for thinking of me.

I am not going to tag anyone today

but if you would like to take part it would be lovely to read your answers.

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies

A Knitting Project and a Giveaway

My week has been quiet, nothing much happening apart from the usual domestic drudgery!

Lots of laundry to be done and of course the sock fairy seems to have been busy

 as I have more odd socks than pairs!

***

The good  news is that eldest son has got a job at last.  
He graduated in September and I was wondering if he would ever get something, 
but alas he has and we are delighted for him.

It is lovely to see him dress in a suit, shirt and tie each morning instead of his usual tracksuit bottoms and jeans

and better again - he has money - 
so no more Mum's bank
happy happy days

***

Crafty me - oh no, I'm not!!

I love visiting crafty bloggers, full of wonderful creativity, beautiful photos, magnificent colourful works and homemade items

and so I thought this week that maybe I would start to knit again and I too could post photos of my fabulous project...

but heY hO, NO!

  I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

I picked up the knitting needles during the week and started a shawl, well it's supposed to be a shawl and even though I have followed the pattern every step of the way (well as best I can) it looks more like a scarf than a shawl and so not a huge success so far.

If it is a shawl it would just about fit a 5 year old, 

a very very small 5 year old...

dearie, dearie me I'm hoping that when I cast off it might look a bit better. 

but I am  thinking to myself

 "that's the end of your knitting phase Fiona"...

but if any of you know of any easy peasy patterns,

 maybe you could point me in the right direction?

 

Giveaways...

I have been one of the lucky winners of  Ellie's giveaway.

Ellie blogs at Feltabulous.

She has a lovely blog and I am so glad to have found her. She makes great jewellery and cakes and here is my lovely prize

lucky lucky me!

 ♥♥♥♥♥

 

and talking of giveaways I think that it is time I had one of my own.  

I said that when I reached 250 followers I would organise something

and so now the time has come.

Being perfectly honest I just can't believe that I have over 250 followers. 

 I never in my wildest dreams thought that anyone would want to read my silly ramblings, but there you go, you are all obviously as bonkers as me!

The bonkers bloggers that's us!!!

The giveaway prize I have to offer is this silver Christmas tree ornament 

handcrafted here in Ireland and from from Newbridge Silverware. 

 

To enter the giveaway, you must:

* be a public follower of Raindrops and Daisies

* leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to be entered into the giveaway

*to be in with a second chance blog about it, post about it on your Facebook page or wherever (just remember to let me know)!

I will pick a winner sometime before the end of the month

so that you will have the decoration 

in time to hang on your Christmas tree in early December!

 

  Have a lovely week and don't forget to get your photos ready for Green Day on Friday

A cake, a candle and cosy comforts...

 Now, I'm not a fan of the month of November
it's cold, it's dark and it's dreary
but here are some of the things that I am enjoying this month
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Baking

Irish Tea Cake

I have been baking a lot more now that the weather has turned cooler

This is a great recipe and goes a long way-

Half pint of cold tea

1 lb dried mixed fruit

8oz demerara sugar

4oz chopped walnuts

4oz glacé cherries, rinced, dried and quartered

1 large egg beaten together with 2 tablespoons of milk

1 lb self raising flour

Prepare the fruit by soaking overnight with the sugar in the cold tea.

Next day, 

stir in all remaining ingredients

 spread into a well greased roasting tin approx 11" x 9"

Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven (150 degrees fan)

for approx one hour 10 mins or until golden brown and springy to the touch

I usually cover the top with foil (but that is probably my oven)

Cool on a wire tray

cut, spread with butter and enjoy.

I ♥ fruit in my pretty pink bowl

having a little taste of the mixture before popping it into the oven

and best of all eating it with lots of "real butter"

and cups of hot comforting tea!

Y U M M Y

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

 hydrangeas

the last of the flowering plants in the garden

any day now they will be hit by heavy frost and turn black

so

I have taken some into the house

so that I can continue to enjoy them for another while at least

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 berries, berries and even more berries

The garden is full of them and they are so pretty...

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Warm fires at night

 ♥♥♥♥♥♥

a glass of red 

or 2

or 3

or maybe even...

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 cosy clothes

I bought this snuggly snood

 to keep my neck warm during the cold weather

it goes perfectly with my cream coat...

♥♥♥♥♥♥

candlelight

I have been super duper organised this week and started a little bit of Christmas shopping 

I bought this Max Benjamin candle to put into Mum's Christmas stocking 

Max Benjamin Candle

but 

I was very very bold

because on Saturday night 

I removed it from the box just to have a 
tiny sniff you understand and before I knew it I had it lit and the smell was beautiful
oopsie

will have to buy her another one now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

and it's getting a lot like Christmas here

with the shops starting their seasonal displays

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Another award

this time The Beautiful Blogger award

from my friend Jill

Jill has a great blog Chillin with Jill and is  a lovely blogging friend,

pop over to visit her and you won't be disappointed.

I have to pass this award on and so it goes to

 Marcia from A Little Shop around the Corner

Daphne from Ivy, Phyllis and Me

Karen from My Little Home and Garden

Val from Val's Alentejo

Ayu from White and Roses
Natasha from Made by Natalia

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Good News- the painting is finished at last...

Mr. Raindrops and his assistant

Mr(will help -if I really have to) Teenager Raindrops completed the lounge,

 went on to do the hall, stairs and landing

and thankfully it is all done now!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

{Green Day 21}

Well it's Friday and so it's Green Day

The usual rules apply...

Thank you to all who participate I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do

Raindrops and Daisies