An amazing new way of life

I have given up on Slimming World, that firm has been having a fiver a week from me for nearly 5 years and yes I have lost weight, but on holidays and high days I put it back on.. but I have now seen this, read the book and it really, really does work.

We went to Leeds for a three day break three weeks ago, well even before we were packed, I was in holiday mode and made a luscious Cherry Bakewell tray bake the weekend before we went.
We ate it nearly all that weekend, but when you're on holiday you can, that's what holidays are for, aren't they? And I like to enjoy my food when I am on holiday. You might say, 'you hadn't gone yet' but in my mind I was... and  I was already looking forward to some non diet days.. whoopee  I thought I can have chips and cake when we're away. I did and ate well the two days before we went and the three days when we were away and indeed the evening we arrived home, we had to have fish and chips, after all we were tired from our journey and who wants to cook after a day of travelling?

The scales the next day showed a gain of 4 1/2 pounds. It had taken me weeks of trying to lose that!
A friend had told us about this 5/2 diet. Eat for 5 days and fast for 2.. On the fast days women can eat 500cals and men 600cals.. You are not as hungry as you might think. We have a breakfast of  just under 200cals and an evening meal of 250cals and the rest we use for milk and a piece of fruit. I have dropped in weight and lost that 4 1/2 pounds right away and last week I lost 3.. so at last I have found some thing that works and it is reported to be healthy.. On non fast days we have had  cherry chocolate brownies and something I always denied myself  Tesco's luxury coleslaw and eaten normal meals. Strangely  we have not gorged ourselves although we have noticed we don't eat as much at meal times. The fasting days were not as hard as I thought although because we always have a lot of fruit it wasn't so much tempting, but I had to remember I couldn't just reach for a banana or pear as I past the fruit bowls! I nearly forgot yesterday as we are fasting Mondays and Thursdays. So far it has been very good. I can see the light at the end of my nightmare tunnel of being obese and all the illnesses that goes with that!

Look it up on Face Book or find the horizon programme that Dr Michael Mosley made and watch it.. it will change your life, if like me you have been over weight and struggling to lose it. I can see summer days in a dress that isn't a tent! I am no longer going to be this shape.. hurrah!!

xxx

When a friend is sad

I belong to a circle of friends and today one is grieving and is sad.

So are we all.  Her grief of a partner suddenly taken has affected us all.

We love her and care and send her our hearts and prayers.

 

 

Although we are close on line, at times like these we can't rush round to them and give them a hug, but we can say how much we love them and how we are suffering their loss too.

A sad time for my little Ladies Group. We are ....12 FRIENDS

 

....... and we laugh, cry and love together.

We love you Heather xxxx

Look what we have grown!

Our veg patch has done us proud this year and we have already harvested, strawberries and made jam;eaten an awful lot of chard, spinach, mixed salad leaves, radish, cougettes and our first tomatoes.

 

We will dug some of our potatoes this coming week and although it is difficult to see in the photo we have sweet corn up to the sky and squash to come.

As well as carrots and cabbage still growing.

The beans are doing well at last, as I was a bit slow starting them off in the green house and then slugs got to some before I did!!LOL

All this with extra pots and bags in a garden that's not that big.. it was just tumpy grass, a rotten shed and a monstrous concrete garage set in the middle in 2001 when I bought the house.. But with hard work and bought in soil we have this lovely and productive piece of heaven which we sit in every day

Happy Days

 

Wonderful news... Its a BOY!

The whole of Britain is celebrating the arrival of the new Prince.

Born 22nd July 2013

And weighing 8lbs 6ozs.

Quite a size, well done Kate, you have done us proud.

Congratulations to the new parents, enjoy that little one, a joy to have.

 

Happy Days indeedie!!

Something else for a change and cut through progress.

This is a kit I bought in 2011 and although I promised myself I would complete one block each month as you can see I am only on block 2!!

The embroidery takes time and it has to be traced, so I can't rush it, I want it nice as I want it as a wall hanging in our conservatory.

I am at present stitching very tiny chain stitches to complete the two little birds. (Not a very good photograph but you can see where my hoop was!)

 

***

And some more stitching done on my Beach Hut.

Don't you just love that little stripy 'cozzie' and the dog's hat?

I am sitting in our big kitchen which does not have the sun on it in the afternoons with the fan blowing on me.. Today we have hit 29 °C and it is hot! I love the sun but as a gardener we need some rain!

Happy Days!

Planning for the New Year...

 

Thank you all for the very kind comments on my quilt blocks on my previous post. I am getting better with each project I do.  My sewing tutor says I always pick something that needs that extra effort!
Actually I choose charts without realising how difficult they are till I start!

         This is going to be my project for the new year.. it's a Robert Kaufman's oriental design fabric.

 My sewing class tutor has given me the chart and it is going to be a challenge. Nine blocks joined and set on points with the main fabric (the bottom one in the photo) as the border surrounded by cream, then bound by a darker colour. Each block is a different design. All the pieces in each block will have to have a stencil cut so that will take me a while! The colours in the photo look a little muted and are much richer looking in real life.

I am so looking forward to sewing it..

Such a lot to do and so little time!

Busy Week with my quilt and Beach Hut

This is the quilt I am working on at the moment. It's called 'Twin Stars,'  from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Linott. The fabric I am using is Moda's French General which I bought at a quilting show in Duxford last spring. There are 17 blocks like this one,

squares and flying geese and these are all completed.

And 18 blocks made up of half square triangles and flying geese.

Not easy!

Here are some laid out, I like it.... a lot!

It hasn't been easy and my unpicker has been used constantly, but I feel I am winning as I only have 9 more blocks to make of the triangles and flying geese and the fabric is all cut out ready.

 

 And my progress of my cut through Beach Hut has had frogs hopping by this last week too.
Don't you just hate that, each  evening having to unpick some of what you had stitched the night before... arg!!!  LOL

But I stitch on and enjoy all I do..

 

Happy days!

Progress of Beach Hut

I am thoroughly enjoying this little design, lots of bright colours and lots of little things to see in it.
For new followers, this is a Bothy Threads Cut Through, design Beach Hut. I am stitching it on 28C evenweave, colour ice blue with the recommended DMC threads and A member of the Cut Through designs SAL run by Linda.

While watching the tennis (hurray for Andy's win!!) it did take a back seat, but it came out last evening, Monday the SAL stitching night,  altho I might do a few extra days of stitching this.  I so love it!
Happy summer days... isn't it gorgeous weather!

A Winner is announced

Congratulations to Vickie http://astitchersstory.blogspot.com/ on winning my giveaway..I used the random number generator.. and number 1 came up.

Thank you to all those of you who took part.. I am having a blogoversary giveaway at the end of the month.. Hope you'll take part in that.

Welcome to my new followers.. I try to visit different blogs each week, but it does take time

Happy Stitching everyone.  I was away this past week and I couldn't wait to pick up my Bothy Threads Beach Hut cut thro design as soon as we got home.

 

New start and something fun

This is my new start, Bothy Threads cut through Beach Hut. It was in a magazine and something I have wanted to do for a while. I ordered Ice Blue 28C evenweave and have all the DMC threads so that's me sorted for this evening.

I am a bit disappointed that I haven't had many takers on my giveaway. I made all the items and thought they would make a super prize but not it seems the choice of many. I thought it would suit both stitchers and quilters.
Hope to have some others sign up before the 6th July.

Happy Stitching all