Cornhole Anyone?

For a little while now, I've been wanting back garden games, and now with our garden finally all done, I knew cornhole would be a great way to start. Not including the kid's frisbees or balls that is.

I set about looking, mainly online for cornhole and boy, are some of those costly! I decided to wait a little bit to see if I prices would go down. 

Then lo and behold, during a Target run ( who doesn't love Target!) I found this baby! cornhole on sale no less! 

SOLD!

And it was plain just how I wanted it. Why you may ask? 

Easy - custom cornhole time.

Which meant - drawing the design and painting. Sweet.

I must say, I'm pretty chuffed how it turned out too :)

Start with a paper template and what you want to draw! 

Of course, for me, that meant the

Welsh Flag!

Once you have the design you literally trace over what you've drawn onto the wood. 

Then remove the paper template and trace over what you just traced. 

(which I don' have a picture off! )

Then its painting time.

It's pretty straightforward. 

Three main colors

RED

GREEN

WHITE

and little black lol

numerous coats later - I outlined with black and did a little shade work. I had my daughter, Ashton to draw the words on paper for me then I traced them onto the paint and then outlined with pencil and then painted them. 

And sprayed with Rustoleum 

Welsh Pride

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

And here they are outside ready for use!

Read more >>

It's Been A While.

                                 

Like most of you, I too, along with my hubby and kids have been cooped up for months on end due to Covid-19. 

With traveling out fo the question, our back garden FINALLY got done! Woohoo! Been in our lush house for four years with a dust bowl of a back garden, now it's my little bit of heaven. I knew what I wanted from the start; and I designed it with, home in mind. When I say home, I mean Wales. 

As a child we had a massive blackberry hedge that year after year, my sisters and I would eat so many of them, and yes, even without washing them LOL Those were the days right! 

In my childhood garden, we also had, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and all kinds of veggies and my all-time favorite flower; Bluebells and second, daffodils. As a child, I didn't like weeding and having to go out to pick veggies etc. Now, as an adult with a finished back garden, I weed, and planted those things that remind me of home. The proper, English bluebell bulbs will come In October from Britain and I can't wait to plant them and see them bloom. 

I've got carrots, chives, cilantro, green onions, marigolds and nasturtiums growing in the raised veggie bed and the other raised beds I sowed a bunch of wildflowers that are to encourage Monarch butterflies. Then I have hydrangeas ( those remind me of the time when my dad was recovering from his brain hemorrhage in Pwll, Llanelli.) Lilac, lavender, mint, and chrysanthemums. The trees, well...no massive oaks in our garden lol but I went with. ones that do well in Utah. The one I do have is a weeping cherry tree (weeping willows were out for our back garden they grow too big. (As a child,  my sisters and I when we lived in Dafen, we'd go wandering in the fields and sneak into the care home grounds where they had the biggest weeping willow tree, I'd ever seen. We'd hide under it umbrella branches and play.

My other trees are an Emperor Japanese maple, Cleveland Pear (not fruit-bearing), and a zelkova wireless. 

I also wanted a firepit and flagstones that reminded of, home too. Even the raised beds remind me of castle walls back home. You may also notice I have a Welsh flag, high and proud :)

All, We have left to finish the garden is the picnic bench that will come next week and one last string of bistro lights. Then it'll be done. Our dear friend helped me hang up the three rows of bistro lights, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082R2QCQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

 I did the last one over the cement patio myself. I also did the barrel planters with the posts for the lights. Yes, I carried the 80-pound bags of quick cement and mixed it and planted them once they were dry with flowers. I also wrapped the trees and posts and hung on the fence, LED solar lights! Boy, do I love them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0892L9KHT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But today,  I wanted to share with you the idea I had forming in my noggin :) I set about creating that idea.

 For the firepit top I made. I found this blog about making one and I followed her directions - https://addicted2diy.com/diy-fire-pit-cover-2-0/

I went with shiplap as my wood, which I glued together to make it stronger.  I used 8ft boards which I cut into 48' each. Which is what my fire pit is in circumference. I made two of these, glued them together and then from the underneath I screwed them together too. Once that was done I drew out a 48" circle and then cut the extra wood away. Sanded and then the long process of designing what I wanted on the top. Of course, I went with my heritage of being Welsh. 

I enlisted my daughter Ashton to draw out the words and a template (she has lush handwriting - not that I don't) then we traced over the words to make indentations in the wood, traced over those in pencil and I did the same with the dragons and Celtic knot which means family then, I began the hours/days process of wood burning.

Can I say, my hand ached like no other! Sheesh.

But.....I loved how it turned out. 

And if you're wondering what on earth do the words say; here you go :) going to the right,

Cwtch= cuddle

Cymru am byth = Wales forever

Twp = daft

Sut wyt ti = how are you

Creoso = Welcome

Diloch yn fawr = thank you very much

Cariad = love

Shwmae= Hello

I used a water sealant with a light stain. Then I added handle I purchased from Hobby Lobby, on sale! Who doesn't love sales! 

I also bought a clear, elasticated plastic tablecloth to cover my firepit cover. Yes, I know I used a sealant, but our sprinklers literally criss-cross over where our firepit it! And me, being me, I didn't want to wreck all my hard work!

Don't know about you, but it turned out pretty awesome, right :)

Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger×

Read more >>

Wales Holiday

We'll Keep A  Welcome in the Hillside.

This song title always runs through my head when I get to fly home to Wales and finally after 6 years, we got to go home for a long overdue visit. Mind you, this song always chokes me up and I can't stop tears from welling in my eyes :/ It's a song that we would sing whenever visitors/ loved ones leave Wales with the hopes that one day they will come back to Wales again.

I digress. 

I finally went home for a visit - sound the trumpets :) We went as a family, Jason came for the first week with me and the girls, Seren and Carys, and boy, was it a busy first week.

We tried to cram as much as we could even though it rained! Typical lol and divide our time with my older children who live there, my father, sisters and visiting the sites. So with that, I hope you like my little picture montage ;)

 HERE WE ARE READY TO TAKE OFF - MIND YOU, JASON DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO FALL STRAIGHT TO SLEEP

WE GET TO MY HOMETOWN OF LLANELLI AND GO VISIT MY DAD

 SEREN WENT STRAIGHT TO HER GRANDPA FOR A HUG THEN CARYS FOLLOWED SUIT.

I COULDN'T GO HOME AND NOT VISIT MY MOTHERS GRAVE :( 

 WE WENT TO CYFARTHA CASTLE IN MERTHYR TYDFIL BUT FOUND OUT IT IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS! LIKE SAY WHAT BUT WE DID GO BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK WITH MY ELDEST DAUGHTER JODI AND HER CUTE FAMILY.

CASTLE COCH

ASHTON, SEREN, AND CARYS IN THE LORD BUTE'S BEDCHAMBER

CARYS DIDN'T WANT TO SIT IN THE BATHTUB LOL

WHEN YOU TELL YOUR CHILDREN NOT TO DISREGARD THE SIGN YET, THEY STILL STEP OVER THE ROPE!

 CARDIFF MUSEUM

DAN -Y- OGAF CAVES

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING.

TO SEE ALL THE STALICTIES AND STALAGMITES IS PRETTY COOL

CHECK OUT THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE STREAKY BACON! 

THE CATHEDRAL CAVES

MY FAVORITE CASTLE

CARREG CENNEN CASTLE

I JUST LOVE THE VIEWS 

IS THAT A CHILD IN THE CASTLE OVENS! SAY WHAT! :)

THE GIRLS DIDN'T WANT TO VENTURE DOWN TO SEE THE WATERING WELL. MIND YOU IT WAS PRETTY WET, SLIPPERY AND VERY DARK.

THE VIEW OF CARREG CENNEN ON THE WAY BACK DOWN

PARC HOWARD

WE DIDN'T GET MUCH TIME TO VISIT PARC HOWARD AS IT WAS CLOSING.

THIS IS A PLACE I'D COME ALL THE TIME AS A CHILD TO PLAY WITH MY FAMILY.

THE GRAND STAIRCASE WAS SOMETHING THAT I SLID DOWN QUITE A BIT.

THE BIG PIT 

SEREN DOESN'T LOOK TO PLEASED TO BE GOING DEEP UNDERGROUND LOL 

RAGLAN CASTLE

THE DAY WAS YET AGAIN A RAINY ONE :( SO IT WAS A PRETTY MUCH QUICK DASH AROUND RAGLAN CASTLE

HANNAH AND SEREN

SEREN AND ALICE

AND BELOW, ALED MY GRANDSON

HANNAH AND ALICE ARE SISTERS AND MY GRANDDAUGHTERS

LEFT TO RIGHT - JODI, ASHTON, CARYS, SEREN, AND HANNAH

OUR SECOND VISIT TO CYFARTHA CASTLE

LET US OUT! LOL

 AND WHO WOULD LIKE THIS BEDROOM SET FOR THEIR NEW BEDROOM!

ERM...NOT US LOL

 CUTE ALICE COULDN'T RESIST USING THIS AS A SLIDE :)

SEREN YOU'VE GOT A FEW MORE INCHES TO GROW BEFORE YOU REACH THE TOP!

              WE GOT TO SLEEPOVER AT MY BEST FRIEND, EVE'S HOME WITH HER DARLING CHILDREN, JAMES AND MILLIE

ST. FAGANS

MUSEUM OF WELSH LIFE

 WHERE'S SUPERMAN?

 IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT 'SIOP LOSIN' MEANS

IT MEANS

'SWEET SHOP' OR 'CANDY SHOP' IF YOUR AMERICAN

ME AND MY GIRLS

RIGHT TO LEFT

ASHTON, JODI, ME AND LAURIE  

                                I SPY CARYS :)                                           I SPY SEREN :)

PEEK-A-BOO ASHTON!

I SEEM TO HAVE LOST MY HEAD

OH, THERE IT IS LOL

LEFT TO RIGHT

ASHTON, KAYE MY YOUNGER SISTER, ME, ALSION MY ELDEST SISTER

AND OF COURSE SEREN AND CARYS X

MY DAD, WITH ASHTON, SEREN, AND CARYS

THEN ME WITH MY DAD XXX

MY NEXT ELDER SISTER JUDITH AND ME

JUDITH, ME AND ASHTON

ITS GOOD TO LAUGH SOMETIMES :) 

LEFT RO RIGHT

HANNAH MY GRANDDAUGHTER, CARYS, AND SEREN

MY GIRLS SLEEPING OVER AT JODI'S

AND HERE ARE ME AND THE GIRLS READY TO FLY BACK TO UTAH.

Read more >>