My, it's a bit bleak here today! I walked Otto this morning, which we both enjoyed, but I think we were both quite pleased to get indoors again. Otto has spent the remainder of the morning very much at the "radiator end" of his bed. He did just pad through to see if I had lit the fire, but I haven't, so he padded back to bed again. I must be a bitter disappointment to him at times. 
​I filled the bird feeders this morning (as I often do), but I was amazed how quickly the birds flocked in when I had done. I hadn't even walked ten feet before I turned round and there were already two Goldfinches and a Woodpecker having a good feed. They must be getting pretty hungry to be that brave. Note to self - need more sunflower seeds, they get through them so quickly.
​I have more events coming up during the next week, I'm doing a jewellery party this evening in Hempnall, on Saturday morning I will be at Metfield Produce Market in the village hall, and on Tuesday evening I will have a stall at the Wortwell Bell, so things are a bit hectic. I'm so happy to say that the website (after all this while) is really starting to get some interest, so parcels have been being wrapped much more regularly. By the way, if you do order online your goods will be prettily wrapped and then packed in a good quality cardboard package, so no chance of damage. 
​As always there is new stock on the website, and more to come over the next few days, click here new items to have a look.

I have been sitting here at my computer desk in the dining room for much of the day. Not just sitting mind you, working. Taking photos of new stock and putting them on the online shop. Interestingly (or not) Otto has been sound asleep behind me, and boy, can he snore! He woke up briefly when I went out to the bin, but as soon as we came back in he took up position and was snoring again within minutes. 
​I was at my other "workshop" desk yesterday, making all sorts of goodies ready for all the events I have lined up. I do like to have the television on in the background, just for a bit of company. However yesterday I inadvertently tuned in to The Little House on the Prairie, and I saw a two-parter. This is a  programme which has always been able to make me (and the rest of my family) cry, and it still has the power - I cried twice, but I loved it! A reminisce and a good old blubber don't do any harm. 
​It will be a busy weekend again (I hope), on Saturday I will be at the Mendham Church Xmas Fair, and I will be at Langley School on Sunday, so I'd better be off upstairs and make some more Xmas Tree earrings which are selling rather well this year. 

I had friends round the other day for coffee, and most unusually I didn't offer any cake, biscuits or other home baked goodies. Luckily they had read the blog about me joining Slimming World so they realised that nothing would be available, and kindly didn't bring anything either, so we just had a lovely catch up with our coffee.  Ann even managed to get some Christmas shopping done. I'm really pleased with how well I've done on my diet, I don't often get a bout of self-control, so am making the most of it. However, we have our Christmas Craft Fair in the village on Saturday and I had promised to bake for it. Yesterday I made Cheese Scones and Flapjack and didn't even do a quality control test!! The scones are in the freezer and the flapjack is safely away in an airtight tin, so I should be able to avoid it. Tomorrow comes the time for making the cake - lets just hope I'm still good.....
​This week I have added several lovely new Sterling Silver items (amongst other things) which are a little bit different to the run of the mill items you see in the shops, have a look on this link New Items
​It would be lovely to see you at St Margaret South Elmham Village Hall on Saturday, we will be open from 10 - 3, for those of you needing help to find us the post code is IP20 0PJ

Otto loves the car, he's happy to get in at any given opportunity, even when I don't want him to get in, there he is as soon as my back is turned. Today I was trying to load the car for a Jewellery Party this evening when he got in uninvited and utterly refused to vacate. He wouldn't even look me in the eye. It took a while! Yesterday I had a bit of shopping to do in Harleston & had in-laws to visit. Dick was away and Otto would always rather come with me in the car than stay at home alone. So off we went, back windows slightly open as he likes the breeze. All went well, I restocked Home Comforts with jewellery and visited the family, no problem at all. If I leave him in the car he just sits and waits or goes to sleep. The time came for the shopping part of the expedition, the new Co-Op posed a problem, it's obviously too popular and it was Market Day too, so nowhere to park. I drove round once with no problem, went round again and still no space, by this time Otto was getting fractious and was starting to moan quietly, by the time I went round for the third time he was howling really loudly! Otto is a big dog with a big voice and sounded a bit like a rabid wolf, I decided to go home without the groceries.
​My busy time of year is upon me now, but I'm still having time to make new stock, in fact there's quite a lot of new stuff on the site this week, have a look on this new items link. 

We've been having a bit of a mouse problem, it happens every year at this time and we (Dick) have to keep on top of it.. This year we have had quite a bit of mouse activity in the brick shed where we keep dog/chicken/wild bird food, so I realise it's quite a draw. When we first moved into the house it had a decent sized population of shrews (thankfully nothing else!). I don't mind shrews at all, they don't cause any damage, but it was quite disconcerting when sitting in the living room in the evening and seeing them dash across the floor. They moved out quite quickly when we moved in, I think Otto may have had something to do with it. .Anyway, Dick has been setting the mouse traps - and emptying them, I'm totally useless - I can see when a mouse has been caught, but all I can do about it is mutter "poor thing" and avert my eyes. I was aware that there was a dead mouse in the trap yesterday morning. Dick came home early evening and when I went out to the shed a little later the mouse & trap had gone, I assumed that Dick had dealt with it. However, this morning he came in and said that a trap had gone missing, complete with mouse. No sign of it anywhere. Strange......
​This week I have received two Thank You cards and one email from happy customers - this is a lovely thing for me and I really appreciate it. For those of you who haven't yet bought online from me I do try to give a great service. One of the main things I get thanked for is the quality of presentation - I try and make my parcels look really attractive and a joy to open. I like to think that the contents are pretty good too, and that is borne out by the lovely comments I receive. 
​I will be having a stall at Metfield Village Hall this Saturday morning from 9-12, and at Halesworth Produce Market the following Saturday, I will have all of my online stock with me at both events. There are new items on the website, have a look on this  new items link.