Snapshots

Lately...

I have been spending a lot on time at University, working in the soulless individual study rooms in the library where there are no distractions. Last week I ate lunch in the beautiful millennium gardens with two friends as a reward for a working hard in the morning. I'm going to miss the beautiful campus!  

Chris and I have started playing chess, using this beautiful set he bought at a Berlin market three years ago. We are much more competitive with each other than I would have thought: the score is currently 3-2 to him. Boo!

One of Chris's activities during the summer of thesis has been brewing increasingly more beer. He has moved beyond the home brew kits you can buy and now makes his own recipes. This is a raspberry wheat beer, and better than any fruit beer I've had in England! I need to go back to Belgium to check if he's beaten the ones you can get over there.

My granny square is growing bigger and bigger, it will be a blanket now. I'm enjoying it as much as ever and can't wait for more time to indulge in crafty habits.

This is the most glorious sun set I've seen for a while, the photo was taken at the end of last week, no filter! Look at that sky...

In other news my deadline is next Thursday. Next Thursday. Yikes and phew! I'm currently just reading through my thesis and making sure it makes sense... the end is nigh....

I hope you're all having enjoyable summer days that aren't being too marred by the weather...

The Kindness of Others

Recently I was lucky enough to be selected as the winner of a giveaway hosted by the lovely Viola of Colour Crochet Love. Viola was giving away the book 'Haekelblumen' (Crochet Flowers) by Nicky Epstein, and I was delighted to be selected. (I highly recommend you all head straight to Viola's blog, which is a wonderful read).

When the book arrived however Viola had extremely generously included some delightful goodies which quite simply made my day.

These two gorgeous flowers, one a brooch, a lovely card, and a selection of adorable buttons as well as brooch pins! I've been hankering after some pins for ages - Viola must be psychic ;) I'm going to turn the pink flower into a brooch as well I think, the flowers are my colours and will go very well with my wardrobe :) I'm very much looking forward to using the buttons in some projects as well - aren't they cute?!

The book itself is wonderful with some stunning projects. It's available in English as well I believe. While I speak German I've never ventured into crochet terminology so I'm really excited about getting going and a whole new range of publications being opened up to me. There are charts as well, but they tend to confuse me. Here are just a few of the lovely flowers:

I am particularly excited about the top picture! Finally I can try crocheting bluebells :D

So THANK YOU Viola, for all the lovely things, your kindness has cheered me up a lot this week.

The other act of kindness that has meant a lot to me this week has been my Dad proof-reading my thesis. Not only has he made the 1.5 hour journey to my house twice these week to collect and deliver the thesis he has also supplied me with homemade jam and brought me his laptop to use when mine decided now would be an excellent time to stop working. Three weeks before submission. Don't you just love technology?! So my Dad has in short been a lifesaver. It means so much to me that he has read the monster for me: it's reassuring to know that there aren't any blaring spelling/grammar errors. THANK YOU Dad.

Around here... a taste of domesticity

 After a busy few weeks C and I are content to find ourselves with empty diaries and no intentions to make plans. Alongside working from home we are both pottering around our home, enjoying peaceful days and relaxing evenings. I am enjoying the domesticity, which can be rare to come by around here, and think it is doing us both good.

Crafy endeavours have been accompanied by attempts at cooking/baking, and C's efforts to tidy up the garden. The reappearance of my beautiful hydrangea means Summer really is here, and quite unintentionally we grew a cat in the plant pot by the back door.