The Bleak mid winter....

So this weekend was the bleakest and most depressing weekend of the year, I heard it on the radio, I read it on the net and in newspapers. As someone that loves Christmas and all it means, its the celebration that helps me through the bleakness of winter and I really am not a winter child in the slightest so I was actually a little worried that I would struggle through this weekend. With the Christmas tree now in its rightful place in the garden, the lights and baubles are all packed away in coloured tissue and boxes and stored away for next year... The Friday arrives and my little one and I have a virus and spend the day curled up in front of the fire nursing our sore tummies, by the late afternoon our bug seemed to have passed and we spent our time reading and snuggling. The big boy came home and after a chat we changed our plans of a weekend away with friends to a cosy time at home. It proved to be the best idea of the week. After a quite night on Friday staying up late, we awoke to the snow all gone, a lazy morning mulling around in our PJs we thought we would wrap up warm and go for a country walk, we headed off and of course ended up in a country pub. After a soul warming mug of Chocolate and a nip of brandy ( Brandy for Mommy only I must add) we headed home to warm our toes up by the fire.
We all ended up in the kitchen and spent a few hours around the kitchen table while a very special friend of ours cooked us a fabulous meal. What a treat. How I love a lazy dinner, when you sit around and chat, sip wine and just relax, yes relax was the word for this weekend, indeed its the most relaxed I have been for a while. Once the boys had finally given in to sleep, a movie in front of the fire which ended in a snooze for the grown ups...
Sunday was much of the same, but a little busier in the kitchen, baking up a storm with some little helpers, the enthusiasm of children cooking always warms my heart. It was baking to finish off all the Christmas left overs and rid the house of chocolate.
Now don't get me wrong, being totally lazy just does not happen around here, yes Christmas might be over but its time to think Love and hearts and all things valentines related... So on the shop front I have been busy putting together the Valentines Dotty Red range. Cushions, hearts and some little heart covered journals. I have got my hands on some fabulous organic muslin styled cotton, little flecks of thread running through a beautiful rough cream fabric, big squishy over stuffed hearts a little label of words of love sewn on with a single cross stitch either side of the label and a loop of matching ribbon to hang it on your door, coat hanger or in the house... your light switches...

Back to normal this week, all well and a dairy that is full, lots of things going on this week...

Homework, work, sewing, a couple of Dotty Red shop visits, solicitors, meetings with Estate Agents and maybe at the end of the week a little more time to relax.

What ever you are doing I hope you have a great week and manage to get all your jobs done and still have a little time left over to take a moment out just for YOU.