All in the balance!

Not getting much creative stuff getting done at present :-(

Going back to work, preparing nice meals (which OK is a little creative) and trying to buy our new house seems to be eating up my time! And yes ... we are buying the quirky house... its fab and we couldn't stop thinking about it, it's funny how sometimes something grabs you that is totally different to what you thought you wanted - but totally amazing in so many ways - bit like when I met my hubby ...! Ha Ha!

Anyway aside from exciting house moving there has been far too much sensible and orderly behaviour around here since going back to work. I therefore declare a war on the mundane and vow to make some creative time!!

In the mean time we have managed some lovely weekend picnicking again... here's what we got up to on Saturday:

And here's what we caught Otty doing when we came back from the park:

Saturday Pootling!

We had a joyous day out today car booting and picnicking in the park ! I love walking through York so I added a few picks of my favourite sights along the way. I love quirky buildings and doorways.

Here are some of the cool things we saw at the car boot::Here are some of the cool things I bought! ::

This collectors ash tray is going to be a saucer for my cat Otty! We often joke that he goes off to the 'Pussy Cat Swingers Bar' on an evening and smokes kitty cigars and dines on fine mice! It seemed appropriate that it advertises 'Players' cigarettes! I don't think the antiques dealer would be too happy if she knew I bargained her down so I could make it a cat dish!

I found these quirky stamps on a very cool vintage stall. The stamp on the far right is very very fine in detail - I've never seen anything like it before- it stamps well too - I think it might be one that has been used for a detail in a book. It pictures a building - possibly St Paul's cathedral.

I couldn't possibly come home without at least one set of buttons!This is one of my favourite buildings in York. I love the sand blasted red bricks and the blue windows. I have no idea how or why my computer has decided to underline the last three sentences and no idea how to undo it so please ignore!

Somebody had such a lovely day that he didn't want to go to bed! oh and a quick knitting up date ... have been so busy with returning to work :-(, buying new a new house and trying to stay on top of my current one that knitting has been very slow, but Teeny Weeny Otto bear is coming along - here he is so far (please excuse the rubbish photos the light is rubbish in our house on an evening) ::

Pootle!

What a great word Pootle is!! In response to Linda's question - and for anyone else who hasn't heard this used - its a mooch, or a gander or a walk around town generally dawdling and window shopping and stopping to browse and drink coffee in cafes!! That's what it means to me anyway! :-)

A quick update :-)

Its all been so busy here! We are in the process of buying the quirky house, I've returned to work three days a week and I'm busy trying to keep aside time for my creative projects, button collecting and in particular keeping up with friends on and off line.

My lovely friend Linda (stripeymonkey) passed this lovely blog award to me recently and I was really chuffed -especially as Linda has become a fab online friend and our friendship is what this award is all about. I do believe people - friends / family are everything in life. I could be in the most beautiful place in the world but it would mean nothing to me if I didn't have someone to share it with.

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY--nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. The kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!"

So I want to send this award to my lovely sis Molly (extractsfrommysketchbook) who doesn't get as much time to blog as she would like because of her hectic career but when she does she uses it as a magical little way of showing me the things she can see when she is away from home and keeping in touch. Although we live at opposite ends of the country it helps us stay connected. I was lucky enough to have her live in my city for a year and it was great, I will always treasure those times, crazy little shopping trips, Sunday dinners, pootles, cups of tea and shared creativity - now that's what life is all about and blogging is helping us keep that up in a different form :-)