The Shopkeeper's Wife

Fields - Part 3 - October 2010

2010-10-31T22:50:00.006Z

I am so late posting these photos, it's been a busy month, but suddenly it's time for me to take the November one's so better late than never. These were taken in the first week of October. I was rushing past one day and the sun was shining so I just took these on my phone.

The pretty field

The busy field (not busy at all... )

Typically, during the second week of October the maize was finally harvested. We went past as it was happening but we were late for ballet so no time to stop and snap. I had to laugh at myself though for being so engrossed in what they were doing!

Oh, and the photo below is of a field that I pass on my way to work and this was taken back in the Summer. These gorgeous sunflowers gradually looked more and more sad as the months went on until finally last week they were harvested too. So it's been a busy time around here lately, I particularly notice the trailer loads of onions (they smell).

Fields - Part 2 - Sept 2010

2010-09-09T21:27:00.008+01:00

Gosh, where did that month go? So, here we are with the next set of field photos. It turns out that the pretty field has in fact been a bit busier than the busy field. I kept hoping I'd catch the combine in action on the pretty field but of course I missed the moment. Then I thought maybe I'd see the baler but I missed that too (and had I seen him I would have asked him to place his bales so that there were more in view for my photo too). And all the busy field has been doing is growing. So it has been busy but nothing particularly visible. I am now obsessed with when they are going to harvest the busy field. I take my camera with me on the nursery/work run just in case they are there, ready to take the maize away. But I bet I'll miss it.

The other thing I've realised is that both of my field views face east/south east. Therefore I won't ever have a spectacular sunset option. However, as my photos are going to be a lot more about an agriculatural study rather than an exhibition of good photography I don't think this will be too much of an issue.

Obsessed? Me? Anyway, here they are.

Pretty

Busy

The Christening

2010-08-17T10:01:00.010+01:00

On 1 August 2010 Grace Caroline and Beatrice Martha were Baptised at St John the Baptist Church in Snape. It was a lovely service and a wonderful day full of family, friends and two parents overflowing with pride for their two little girls.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures from the day courtesy of www.spudballoo.com.

Fields - Part 1

2010-08-09T20:36:00.005+01:00

I've admired the fields in Suffolk since we moved here. A strange obsession to have I know but the fields round here change so much and have so many different things growing in them throughout the year. I know that sounds obvious but to a Wiltshire lass where we have a lot more cows munching on boring old grass it does make quite a change. The prettiest crop I've seen lately has been a huge field of sunflowers - so Provence! But we've had poppies, lavendar and of course gorgeous fields of corn.

Anyway... I thought it would be a nice idea to take a photo of the same field every month for a year and see how much they change. So I roped in the lovely www.spudballoo.com and suddenly we had set ourselves a challenge. The only thing is... she is VERY good at taking photos and I am not. However, I shall try not to let this put me off and will treat it as a good reason to finally learn how to use my camera properly.

We decided that the photo should be taken from the same vantage point in the first week of each month. But there are no other rules than that. Suddenly I wanted to find the perfect field that would a) look nice b) provide monthly variety and c) be somewhere nearby so that I could easily fit it into the children/work schedule. It was like trying to find the impossible pair of winter boots - the one that's good for all occassions. It doesn't exist. So, I've cheated and chosen two fields. Both very close to each other (between Snape and Blaxhall en route to nursery and work) but one is (hopefully) quite pretty and the other will be (hopefully) quite busy. So here you have them, pretty and busy.

The Pretty Field: August 2010

The Busy Field: August 2010

Well, if nothing else it will get me blogging... at least once a month anyway!

P.s - due to the fact that www.spudballoo.com had to spend lots of her time sorting out some AMAZING christening photos for me she hasn't managed to take her photo yet, I'll let you know when she does!

Have your cake and...

2010-06-11T11:53:00.004+01:00

I'm having a dilemma. The career woman in me is trying to get out. The mummy in me is pushing her back. What to do?

When we moved to Suffolk and started a family we knew that the balance was going to shift between James and I. We'd always been equal earners and enjoyed having a career. Now James wins the bread and I look after the family. We have a fantastic life in a gorgeous part of the country with our amazing girls and we really are very happy. And yet I would just love to sample that feeling again of achieving something not related to childcare, housework or cooking. Does that make me a bad mummy? I think not because fundamentally I choose mummy over career. As the lovely Spudbaloo said last night - do I really want anyone else to take Grace to ballet? Would I want anyone else watching her at swimming lessons? And the answer is, of course, no.

So yes, I am wanting to have my cake and eat it. And that's not possible. But I think it's time to find some kind of balance. I'm freelancing again but only one day a week which doesn't really feel like real work. Spudbaloo thinks I need a hobby, anyone know where I can find one?

(p.s the cake is Grace's 3rd birthday cake - a child-related achievement but I did enjoy it even though I needed a JD & Coke to get me through the icing phase. I did cheat slightly though and I ordered the instructions from: www.bake-my-cakes.com - very handy!!)

Doesn't Time Fly...

2010-03-20T20:52:00.002Z

Eeek I know, I know it's been 6 months! I am truly rubbish at blogging. But at 4am when I'm feeding Bea I do think of lots of things to say, I just don't have a free hand to write them down. By the way, Bea is the main reason why I haven't blogged for so long so here's a cute little picture of her for you to look at until I get round to writing again. It won't be too long, honest.

What a Hoot

2009-09-25T22:23:00.005+01:00

Well, I totally take my hat off to Claire at Craft Shmaft for making these gorgeous things look so great because I found this quite fiddly and mine looks very much homemade unlike her extremely professional examples! Still, it was a first and I enjoyed it and I hope Grace wants it in her bedroom!! Thanks for letting me test the pattern Claire, which I should add was brilliant and even I could follow it.

Craft Shmaft is set to take over the craft world with the launch of this fab online store: http://craftschmaft.bigcartel.com

Return of the Sock

2009-09-17T21:37:00.003+01:00

Following yesterdays migraine and today's migraine hangover I wanted to focus on something non-screen this evening. So I've made a test owl for the owl mobile that I'm pattern-testing for Claire at Craft Shmaft. It was lovely doing some sewing again. I have to make the complete mobile by 25 Sept so I'll need to take it to Dad's this weekend but I thought I'd do a trial owl tonight with one of Grace's old socks to work out what socks would work best. He's pretty cute despite not having any wings yet (I need to get fabric tomorrow). Anyway, will update on progress when I start making the real thing.

A friend on facebook today posted a quote that said something along the lines of art should be a one-off and craft should be repeated. I'm definitely more craft than art. I need to practice too much for art!

Iron Maiden

2009-09-15T12:50:00.003+01:00

The midwife told me on Friday that I've got low iron levels (nothing like having something extra to make you feel even more tired when pregnant!). Luckily she recommended Spatone liquid sachets because it doesn't have the usual evil effects of iron tablets (pregnant womans worst nightmare). Anyway, have only been taking them since friday so early days but they seem great and when mixed in with a glass of orange juice you can't taste them either. The funny thing is, they were also an old client of James's at the bank and I remember him having to convince the bank to lend the company millions to buy the well in Wales! More info at: http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-gb/our-brands/spatone/

Big skies

2009-09-14T22:05:00.017+01:00

Just back from a lovely weekend in North Norfolk. We stayed in Burnham Overy Staithe. All the villages up there are so well kept and the coast is just stunning. I'm always tempted to complain about the seaside up here because I can't help but think of the sheltered coves and gorgeous beaches in the westcountry where I've spent a lot more of my time over the years. I think this is because the North Sea is often so grey and uninviting (plus Aldeburgh beach is all pebbles!). But the North Norfolk coast was just stunning this weekend. Perfect beach weather in my opinion, sunny enough to get your shades on but cold enough to need to wrap up a bit and keep the crowds away. Although I have to say that Brancaster beach this morning was a tad windy and Grace and I both wished we had no hair like Daddy!!

Saturday at Holkham beach was so clear and calm it was wonderful. A big trek down there from the car park though and no public conveniences which for a 7-months pregnant lass was quite a challenge! Worth it though.

Sunday was quite grey so we took Grace to a brilliant indoor play area on the seafront at Hunstanton. Mummy got to sit and drink coffee whilst Daddy clambered through tunnels, into ball pits and down rope swings with Grace. Then we drove over to Holt so James could do a bit of business research although it turned out that suprisingly most places in Holt seem to close on a Sunday.

Today we popped to Burnham Market to return the keys to the cottage. This is a great village but boy does it get busy, even at this time of year. We then went to Brancaster beach which we'd never been to before - it is such a huge expanse of sand and due to the windy conditions we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Then it was a pub lunch and a drive back home.

Our cottage was nice but we wouldn't stay there again - overpriced for what we got I think. It also took us 24hours to unwind when we got up there as we were all over-tired from a busy week. But by Saturday pm we were in holiday mode, if only we'd had a few more days!

Here are a few pics from the weekend. My favourite is James's Barbour pose at the end, perhaps this will be the new homepage image for www.ocbutcher.co.uk :)

Bizarrely she only managed to get a tiny bit down Daddy's neck...

Where Grace goes, Marmalade goes too!

Look at the size of that bump - 10 weeks to go still!!

Nasty Daddy (she loved it really)

Hooray that she still fits in the backpack - she loved it - and she would never have walked that far!

Walk at Blakeney with Cley windmill in the distance

The Cottage

Breathtaking Brancaster beach

What has Grace done with all the people?!

My Barbour hero :)

Interesting subject

2009-09-10T22:25:00.002+01:00

Amazing what you find on that there interweb. On doing a trawl to see what was being mentioned about the shop, James found this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildberrys/3856326253/

Hem night, not sock night...

2009-09-10T21:19:00.002+01:00

Sock night has tonight been replaced with a boring bit of sewing tonight as i need to hem some trousers. How dull! Still, it might finally make me wear some trousers before there is no longer a bump to keep them up. Perhaps i can sneak a sock and some thread into my suitcase tomorrow and do a bit of crafting in north norfolk, i'm sure james will be well stocked with fishing mags for the weekend... Burnham-overy-Staithe here we come!

And here he is....

2009-08-13T22:09:00.004+01:00

Gosh, that was really quick, think I need to take a little longer over the next one and perhaps be a bit more adventurous! Was a very theraputic evening though and combined nicely with the Rick Stein Far Eastern food programme. Husband on his way home so it's all come together nicely. Mrs Waring, I need more ideas for next Thursday!!

Let the sock night commence!

2009-08-13T20:16:00.004+01:00

Thursday night is now officially sock night. James started hockey training tonight so i'm challenging the hobby theory (see earlier post) and am going to make some more of these little fellas. This was my first attempt a few weeks ago, he's now sitting in Vicky's nursery waiting for baby Drummond to arrive. It was all thanks to a free pattern that Claire Waring at Craft Shmaft asked me to test. Hers look a lot better!! I think tonight's creation might be something stripey but who knows! I better stop gassing and get on with it.

Who needs sunshine when you have socks?

2009-07-29T22:25:00.002+01:00

I've just had a rather theraputic session sewing up what will hopefully be a rather cute sock monster. Currently looking a little bit more like an Alpaca. But it was so nice sitting and doing something non-computer related whilst husband fiddled with his tackle box. I will post a pic of the final result (if not too embarrassed). All thanks to Mrs Waring at: http://craftschmaft.com

Lovely way to unwind after a long day of writing proposals at work. Grace, bless her heart, had her first disrupted night in the new bed last night - she was pretty much up from 3-6am. Poor james played bad cop and it was like listening to an episode of supernanny. So we were all a bit groggy today and very grateful for mother and sister-in-law being here to cook a post-work tea and do bathtime hurrah! And then praise the lord she went straight to bed tonight so fingers crossed she'll have a better night.

I'm off to bed now too with my trusty bottle of Gaviscon. Oh the joys of pregnancy :)

homemade is surely the best

2009-06-28T21:15:00.006+01:00

a lovely australian girly that i used to work with in london is back in syndney and working at a web agency there. she also has a young toddler and has also started this: Craft Schmaft. check out the adorable toys and patterns she makes. she's selling at a market in sydney this weekend so am trying to persuade grace's godfather to go and buy her some things!

there is something inside me like this, one day it will come out! (and i don't mean the baby!)

another fantastic site, if you're a fan of all things homemade, is: Etsy (amy raves about this and rightly so, there are some great things on there). so if i ever get round to finishing all my cushions perhaps i can start another batch to sell on there (although it looks like i'd have some pretty strong competition!).

cool ads

2009-05-08T21:48:00.003+01:00

Have a look at 15 creative ads in unusual places. You may have seen some of these before but worth seeing again.

P.s waitrose was fab - especially the latte and the danish. the queues were a bit scary though...

P.p.s james has just returned with an empty net so to speak. clever fishys!

what an exciting week!

2009-05-07T21:18:00.003+01:00

this week has been rather exciting as follows:

1) I had a very lovely birthday on tuesday. james and i went to the cinema together for the first time since pre-grace. we saw State of Play and it was very good. then we went for a macdonalds and came home to thankfully watch man utd beat arsenal in the semi-final of the champions league.

2) we had a fab 12 week scan on wednesday morning and above is our first picture of Stacey Jr Mk2. The due date is currently 17 November (bex's birthday) but i'll put money on it being a week late. We have to go back for another scan next wednesday because the little badger wasn't quite big enough to do the full nuchal scan but at least we'll get another photo!

3) Waitrose opened today in Saxmundham. this is very very exciting local news as previously our closest big supermarket was about a 30 min drive away. can't wait to go!

4) James caught a 34lb12oz carp on Saturday at the lake in hommersfield. very impressive for the first trip of the season and naturally more fishing items have been appearing in the house than ever now. i think the next trip is planned for tomorrow.

so a lot's been happening. and that's probably why i got a migraine at work this morning and james had to come and rescue me (i can't drive with migraines). this one was particularly special because i couldn't even put my sentences together properly on the way home, nice. ah well just over-tiredness i expect and i did sleep for hours when i got home.

i did just enjoy watching 'kirstie's homemade home' agiain on C4 though. that programme has had such bad ratings but i love it! did anyone really need another programme about how to renovate and wallpaper?? much nicer to focus on the girly stuff in my opinion!

cushions and colour

2009-04-16T21:53:00.003+01:00

i an feeling utterly inspired having just watched kirty allsops new programme on channel 4 about a lovely little cottage that she's rennovating. i've become so bland and all a bit magnolia - i am suddenly craving colour and creativity. maybe it's time to find a pottery class again! she also showed me a much easier cushion style to make (and i have 6 lined up to do at the moment so this will be a huge help). see how to make an envelope cushion if you're interested!

it's also made me want to go to markets and antique shops - i too quickly turn to john lewis and equivalents these days. time to get some individuality! if only we had a house to paint...!

chocolate mug cake

2009-04-08T21:31:00.003+01:00

Just a quickie whilst i remember how much i smiled on the way home from work today thanks to the lovely radio 2 (and the fact that the sun was still shining at 6pm!). I love Chris Evans. Tonight they were making a chocolate mug cake in the studio and i am definitely going to try it when i get the ingredients in - it is SO easy!

chihuahua children

2009-04-07T20:32:00.008+01:00

Yes that is a goat not a chihuahua but it is relevant, honest.

The 'Dad Rules' column in the Sunday Times caught my eye in bed on Sunday night, here's a flavour of it:

"Who are Chihuahua Children? They are infants, aged one to five. They are typically engaged in trying to control all events in the home from their base of operations on Mum's knee. Their goal — which they achieve by yapping, crying or trembling — is to ensure that nobody else talks, Mum never leaves, and that they’re dining constantly on treats."

We'd had a really lovely, sunny, family Sunday out at Easton Farm Park where Grace got to hug a bunny, feed the goats, ride the tractors etc etc. And then I read that column and thought how much of our day i had spent moulding things to ensure that grace wasn't tipped over the edge at any point. i was so embarrassed at one stage as i actually tempted her away from the swings with a bag of crisps (child-friendly crisps if there is such a thing but none the less crisps!) just so that we could all sit down and have lunch together without her going into meltdown. and as i did it i saw a man looking at me as if to say 'she's not a dog!'. (good job i didn't have her on the lead at the time - i mean the reins of course...).

but still, we had a lovely day out so is it so bad that i result to bribery even if i do feel like a dog-owner with pockets full of rich teas? i mean she is very good at saying please and thank you and they do say you should choose your battles carefully. just don't remind me of this in years to come when she's a spoilt little brat refusing to do anything until daddy buys her a pony!

and just to end on the subject of hockey again - it was a win on saturday and he was man of the match, a great way to end the season. my hero. the first fishing trip is planned for thursday...

the hobby theory

2009-04-04T13:19:00.003+01:00

james worked this morning but has just gone off the play his last hockey game of the season. the magpies have done very well this year with the first and second teams getting promotion. james has even had his name in the paper for the past few weeks due to some rediculous score-lines (18-0 last week!). a proud mother-in-law has been keeping copies for us to read (she used to cut them out and keep them but i think that level of pride will only be reserved for grace these days!).

and it was very noticable this week that hockey was drawing to an end because james started dissappering to the garage and returning with green boxes full of fishing gadgets; and rod shaped items were delivered in the post...

anyway, it made me think about a chap i used to work with in london who invented the hobby theory. according to ben 'men have hobbies and women have men'. i used to dispute this with him but these days it is very true although perhaps it should now be extended to 'men have hobbies and women have men and children' (although the latter two often merge into one).

the thing is, as much as i use it to earn brownie points, i don't really mind james going to play hockey every saturday and train one or two evenings a week because i know he's a better person for it. but what i don't understand is that before we had grace, every saturday whilst james played hockey i went to meet the girls for lunch or did a spot of shopping. so, why can't that be classed as a hobby and why can't i be allowed to continue that every week? - after all i can guarantee it would make me a much better person!

but bizarrely last week i even found myself planning when grace and i could go away for a few days so that james could go fishing. so am i now at the extreme end of the hobby theory in that not only is he my hobby but i'm attempting to project manage his hobby as well as him?!

i'm really not complaining because i actually think i'm lucky in the amount of things i get to do, with and without grace. and, don't tell him this, but i do think i have the best husband in the world. but i'd be interested to know at what point in history men* were awarded this god given right to need time out for sport!

* apologies to any men reading this who don't like sport

chocolate cake is good for the soul

2009-03-27T20:28:00.006Z

feeling much better now following an easter egg hunt at a friends house this afternoon with our NCT chums. sadly we returned home too late to make it to circuit training... shame.

By the way I am now the proud owner of this little beauty, a Barbour Washed Twill International Jacket - what a lovely husband. I also tried on a lovely Avoca Renaissance dress, perfect for Kevin's wedding party! the thing i've found we need to be wary of however is shoe-horning ourselves into O&C clothes just because we have access to them rather than wanting them. don't let me forget that generally speaking the shop is targetting the 45+ market!!

apparently there are some great Dents bags on the way though...

hold onto your hats, matt hayes is about to net a very large rudd at horseshoe lake in lechlade near my hometown of highworth. it's depressing that i've watched this programme before. definitely time for bed!

a strange old week

2009-03-27T07:11:00.004Z

i was determined to write on here at least once a week and already i've failed but it's been an odd week. it feels like it's been an emotional week. mothers day on sunday which is never a good day for me, even though i get spoilt by grace now. i went to cambridge to meet some friends for lunch and cried nearly all the way there after hearing about jade goody. i was never a fan so perhaps i'm a hypocrit but it was just so tragic that those little boys should wake up on mothers day without a mummy. a friends husband died this week too. and again there were too gorgeous children left grieving for a parent - they are so young too it brakes my heart.

so you see, that's why i haven't written much this week, it's all been a bit sad really. on the bright side grace has had a lot of fun entertaining Barnaby Bear from nursery. we had to look after him all week and take photos of his travels. this photo above is my favourite of the bunch with Grandma and Peter at Minsmere.

don't worry, i'm sure it won't be long before i'm back to talking about shoes and handbags again :)

how very grown up

2009-03-18T21:33:00.006Z

james has just got home from his first meeting of the aldeburgh business group as vice-president, how terribly grown up! sounds like there's a good group of people on board so lets hope they can get some momentum going and worry about things other than the christmas lights (not that I'm denying the lights their importance of course...).

I had a very busy day at work today - proposals coming out of my ears and I thought people didn't have any money to spend? perhaps they really are turning to digital as a more effective way to spend their marketing budget. alas this meant that I missed a gloriously sunny day - most annoying seeing as it was so grey and cold when grace and I braved aldeburgh beach yesterday morning. But little grace had a fab day out with grandad and gran-jan - they went to RSPB Minsmere the lucky things.

Can someone remind me I have 3 over-ripe bananas in the fridge waiting for me to make banana bread on friday afternoon? beccy truly has turned into her mother since having the twins and now puts me to shame by arriving everywhere laden with very delicious cakes and brownies, yum. how does she do that AND look after two 2 year olds?! apparently her banana bread recipe is one of nigella's so i'll be attempting that on friday. beccy says i can soak the sultanas in any spirit i have to hand - I can't help feeling that will be a waste of my lovely Citadelle gin though...

And finally... check out the lovely new Barbour images on our homepage (you may need to refresh a few times) summer is on the way! New Spring/Summer items are slowly being added to the site (bless Daryl for his patience with the software we have to work with!!) and I'll certainly be trying this little Barbour Mac on next time I'm in the shop! Oh, and I'm very excited because I'm being allowed to have an input into the new curtain fabric for the ladies changing rooms - so easily pleased. How about this Liberty Fabric? I LOVE the Liberty website!

a room with a view

2009-03-16T21:03:00.005Z

beccy and i just had a fantastic flying visit to a little place called Sales in Switzerland to visit amy, michael and their gorgeous 4 week old baby, olivia rose. she was a poppet and all was very calm in the howard household - much more so than i ever remember our house being when grace was 4 weeks old! anyway, i just thought i'd share this photo taken from their kitchen. we sat on the balcony in the sun having coffee this morning looking out at this view, gorgeous.

jolly nice to be home for big grace and james cuddles though, especially as it was such a lovely sunny afternoon to drive back to snape in. thank you easyjet for getting me home in time for bathtime :)

there's always time to talk shoes

2009-03-12T21:32:00.002Z

well i'm a bit bushed after running a web workshop today on the tantalising subject of trading standards. it was in fact a really interesting day but i am worn out now and my hat goes off to the O&C shop staff who are on their feet all day. and talking of feet...

when i did briefly see my husband earlier (he's been buying shoes in norwich for the past 2 days and popped in for beans on toast on his way to hockey training) he very kindly informed me that he's seen some lovely Riva pumps today that i will love and he's going to order me some in. how special to have a husband that can proactively deliver such delights!

dipping a toe in the blog water

2009-03-11T21:49:00.000Z

I've secretly always wanted to write a blog but never really had anything interesting to say. But then on the way down the A12 today on a gloriously sunny Suffolk day I realised that I do actually have quite a lot to say and perhaps now is the time to start.

So here we go.

It all started in 2006. This was quite a momentus year for me - I got married and got pregnant (in that order) and then James, my better half, bought a shop on Aldeburgh High Street called O&C Butcher. It's a pretty awful name for such a lovely, traditional shop but it's been trading for over 100 years so who were we to swoop in and change it? However, I do still have to clearly explain to people that my husband deals in clothes rather than meat. At that time we were living in the village of Duxford just south of Cambridge. James was in corporate banking and commuted down to the City each day and I managed a small digital team at a marketing agency in Cambridge. We'd never been to Aldeburgh before - we were always Southwold/Walberswick visitors - but before we knew it, it was ours!

So, James took over the shop in February 2007 and at 36 weeks pregnant we moved to a little house in Snape. Why do pregnant women always do stupid things like that? On our first wedding anniversary I woke up and told James I was in labour - he'd left my card and flowers at the shop (a common mistake) and the day generally went downhill from there. But in the early hours of Monday 28 May 2007 Grace was born. Amazing.

All of a sudden we had a new baby, a new business and a whole load of new friends to make. It was to be quite a year.

By May 2008 I was ready to start working again and picked up some freelance project management work with an Internet company called Shelton. Rather handily they are based just down the road in Melton and I've been happily working there 2 days a week ever since.

As we get to know more and more about our local surroundings I get more and more inspired by the people I meet. There seem to be so many entrepreneurial people around here. People who have escaped the City, locally grown talent and others who have returned to their roots. But in this blog I hope to introduce you to some of these folk and share some of the tales of my Suffolk life as The Shopkeeper's Wife.

And I promise to *try* and make future posts more succinct...