Sorry, time really seems to have just disappeared! I keep meaning to find a spare twenty minutes or so to write a blog post after I've tidied the house, fed the children, made soap (and more soap and more soap and more soap), replied to work emails, printed off packaging and orders, done the washing, walked to the post office to post those orders, take/fetch kids to/from nursery, school, playdates, activities... but really, there isn't much time at all. I have the best intentions, promise.

At the weekends we've been doing loads of markets and taking part in events, and have been running circles around ourselves in an attempt to keep on top of the house renovations, while attempting to post regularly on social media for work (which requires photographs, of course, that need to be taken on a camera and then offloaded, resized, re-uploaded to the right place, shared, responded to, sigh.) - it's a never-ending list.

I've decided to embrace the chaos and just go with it. It might take us up and down, but the destination is the same whether you stress about it or not. That sounds very zen, but I had to go through a not-very-zen place to get there. And so, ohm.



I've received the millionth email asking me whether I'd release a stitch guide and information series for my life is beautiful embroidery pattern and instead of apologetically refusing, I've decided to do it. So, I'll be slow and inconsistent, but in the coming months I'll take you through the full embroidery pattern including colours, thread lengths and requirements, and a description of each stitch that I used to make up this embroidery. At the end of it, I'll give the final finished hoop away in a giveaway.

It always amazes me how much reach that little pattern has: it's gone completely global. I get emails at least once a week asking questions about it, I get thank you notes daily, it's been on the cover of a magazine, and it's all over pinterest (which is weird when you're searching, believe me). I love it. I love that there's a mad and wonderful network of embroiderers out there and you all get me and you love the stuff I draw. I daresay we might do a few more of those this year.

So, please be patient with me. I really do have the best intentions and I promise to be better at being online. Pinky swear. Thank you for sticking with me and keeping in touch even though I've been a little radio silent.

It's snowing today, we have had about six inches in our little corner of England so it's wonderfully cold outside and cosy and snug inside. It also means that after-school runarounds have been cancelled, which is how I managed to find those elusive few minutes that I've daydreamed about for so long. I'm going to order some yarn online, and maybe even get a head start on supper prep. I'd rather be popping out for a pottery class or painting daffodils in the conservatory, but I can hear the baby waking up and the washing machine is beeping at me ...

Oh, we've had a marvellous time. We cooked and cooked and cooked - and then ate, and ate,  and ate. We had visitors from near and far, and we celebrated the festivities of Channukah/Christmas (Christmakkah, my cousin calls it) across many meals.

I think it would have been more fun if I didn't have an emerging wisdom tooth (at 32!) and a subsequent abscess on said tooth (no dentists open over Christmas!) and didn't nearly slice off part of my finger (still bandaged up and sore). Although, all things considered, we did rather well.


We were all very good, of course, and our stockings were filled with lovely things. I got the yarn I asked for (for a crochet vintage-style cardigan). Isla got her Hungry Hippos game. Finnlay got a car he can sit in and pedal about like the Flintstones. Such lovely things, such happy smiles of delight upon opening.

Isla is still convinced that it is Christmas every time she wakes up. But Mummy, I've slept. Santa must be here. We've just packed away the tree and sparkling lights, and we've taken down the tinsel. I've explained about new year celebrations and that birthdays come before Christmas in our house, but she doesn't agree. Mummy, do we have mince pies for Santa?

I hope that you've had a wonderful time with family and friends. These treasured moments, however plagued with dental concerns or forgotten stuffing (oops), are the things that make them all worthwhile. We all wish you every happiness for the new year celebrations ahead - here's to 2018!

School's finishing up this week, so we've printed out "homework" to keep everyone from going mad. School holidays are fun, but my work doesn't go on holiday and Finnlay is too little to even understand what holidays are ... so we stick more or less to the schedule and keep kids busy!

As the year draws to a close, the days are so much shorter and the nights are starting mid-afternoon. It's cold, so we spend a lot more time indoors and around the dining room table, painting, glittering, making playdough shapes (it's a cookie, mummy, for you. There's a candle, can you see?).


Everything, it seems, is glittery. Every tiny piece of glitter is a treasure, scooped up and carefully placed just where it should be. Turned this way and that to make it shimmer.

Just because it's too good not to share! It's my fifteen minutes of fame this week, all the mums stop me at school to say they've seen me in the paper so I feel that it is only appropriate to show you too. Ha.

Every month we trade at the Leigh-on-Sea Farmer's Market which is a really lovely community event showcasing wares from makers in Essex. We are there with our soaps, and we trade alongside some fabulous people like Sarah Green Organics (vegetables), Nutrimental (really lovely vegan goodies and raw food), and Donald Sutherland (jams and chutneys).

Here I am in the paper showing off my soaps. I'm the one in the middle on the left, and in the middleish(right) on the top right image. If you're local, come say hello! The market is usually on the third friday of the month but December's market is on the 23rd, from 8.30am until 1pm.