My name is Emily.  I am a working mum to two pre-schoolers, and a frustrated crafter with more ideas than time or inclination to put them into practice.  I go out to work part-time, but that doesn’t stop me being a full-time mum!

We have lived in the beautiful Chiltern Hills since the autumn of 2012, after moving out of busy South-London. Although we increased our commuting time, we also, importantly, gained in quality of life.  We are lucky to have swapped traffic-choked roads, litter-strewn pavements and the wail of police sirens for woodland, farms and rolling hills, plenty of fresh air and the sound of sheep and birdsong.  Living in the country has also given us a real appreciation of the changing seasons.

I have always loved arts and crafts, cooking and home improvements, but one of the downsides of a longer commute is that the time available to spend on these things has decreased, just when I have more journey time to surf the net and tempt myself with inspiration for little projects I would love to try.  So this blog is my way of trying to make sure I make time for those things I enjoy, and to introduce my children to them too.