popping in.....

Thank You so much for all your lovely birthday wishes for Cam...I did pass them on but I think the concept of bloggy friends is a bit much for a 5 year old to be dealing with!!!
He had a great birthday tea....and the cake went down very well!!! I only had 1 slice as I am back doing Slimming World again since my Wii Fit told me how much weight I had put on since I got married 13 months ago (1 stone 4lb if you are interested!!). Although I knew I was larger, the actual figure on screen was enough to shove me back on the diet wagon....
I have been doing a teeny amount of crafting...nearly finished my nieces quilt...
its finished the quilting in no time way..the backing fabric cut out larger and folded over to bind.
(excuse the creases...)


I am a little behind with my final swap of the 4 I signed up for all together (note to self..do not do this again!!), I shall be sending a grovelling email very soon to Lorraine!! But that crafting is allocated to my next bit of free time!!

I have also been getting over excited about fabric. Patch will be stocking some gorgeous fabrics very very soon.......I have had a delivery and am going to be working hard getting photos done and adding the fabric to the shop.

We have company this weekend, so I had already planned to take a weekend off, but ooh very bad timing lol!!! I am eager to put it in the shop for you to see :)

I have had surprise post from this lovely lady...
How did she know my treat tin was empty???

(only 3.5 slimming world syns each lol...yes I checked...but only after I had greedily eaten one as soon as the parcel was opened!!!)
And how did she know that the hanging chicken was exactly the same as my chicken hook thingy?!?!?

Thank You Beki, for everything...especially the brooch to match my cuff xx
Cam has helped me pick the winning name out of the pot...(well 2 actually!!!) over at the Patch blog.
There will be another giveaway next week, aswell as fabric in the shop by the end of the week...yippee!!!

round up...

Thank You all so much for your happy birthday wishes. I had a great mothers day/birthday 24 hours!!!This week I have eaten way to much cake...something that will have to stop after my shopping trip on Friday where I discovered I am getting rather too round to where nice clothes!!
I opened more lovely pressies, including one of thesefrom my friend who knows me so well!
I have been sewing....a birthday gift for a friends son's 1st birthday.
I decided that this year part of everyones gifts for birthdays etc will be handmade. I have been 100% successful so far...bunting for a friend of C's...candles for mothers day...this softie for afore mentioned baby!!!(Mum's birthday is next and I am going to make her a bag, and get her a cake stand I think..she was eyeballing one in John Lewis on Friday!!!)I have also made some things for the colour swap and flower swap I signed up for. So can't show those...but looks like I'll be ready to send ON TIME!!! (Be a bit embarrassing if I was late sending my own swap out hehehe!!)I have added a couple of things to the Easter Giveaway parcel...I have made a cute spring/easter tote bag and you can see a wooden chicken on a stick peeping out!!There is still another week before the computer chooses...time to get your name down if you haven't already!!And thats been my week!!
I am still busy working on my new job, I think I will be able to make a grand announcement this week!! But for now I am going to have an early night..read my new magazine (failing on the no mag buying rule I set myself....although only sewing mags are finding their way home with me!!!) and enjoy my 80p reduced roses in my 50p thrifted jug.........

pottering

** my apologies to those who have read my written in advance post that got published when my battery died - oops!!! (its not my birthday yet lol)**

You lot are really lovely bloggy friends, thank you all for your anniversary wishes.

We had a lovely night, and got a full nights sleep lol...how sad that a good night is now measured by unbroken sleeps!!! (the little gitbag slept through for Grandma!!!)

And you were right......the other stuff was still waiting when we got back!!

The start of this week has been spent pottering in the house...I am busy busy at the moment working a tiny bit, so not much time for craftiness..I have cut out a few more projects, the non completed project total is now in double figures(actually thats an idea for a blog post..it might spur me on??), I sewed some more hexies whilst watching telly on Sunday night, and I have made another couple of smelly candles.

These are mothers day gifts for the mums! Scented with cinammon buns fragrance and 'fudge' coloured - I love them, I love that they look like a (very weak) cup a tea!!!

I've also rejigged the spare bedroom again...more on that another day, but you can just see the desktop covered in the CK oilcloth I bought back here.

It looks amazing..I want to save up now and put it on the dining room table, and cover it in plastic so it doesn't get ruined by yukky boys!

So very much an all quiet on the eastern front kind of post lol...unless you want to get me started on the arrogant teacher at parents evening at high school tonight - grrrrr!

(amazing how a child can be described as 'lovely' and ' one of the reasons our school is 15th in the country' and 'a joy to teach' etc etc...by 7 teachers, yet 1 tells me he is full of himself and thinks he's a bit special!!!!)

(he was stopped in his tracks by me - I refrained from saying woah woah easy tiger!!! - and a complaint has been made...)

oh how I love parents evening!!!!..for the record..there have been issues with A and this subject, but far from being full of himself he thinks he is rubbish and has no confidence in the subject...grrrrr!!! (again)

(on a happy note my 4 year old is getting on great at full time school...shame really as I'm only one bad report away from home schooling the little ones!!!)

Happy Anniversary

Its a year since I got married..how time flies when you are having fun ;)

I told lovely husband that all I wanted was him to book a meal out and sort the sitters out...I'm sure I'm not the only one who tires of doing all the 'thinking' for the family!! So that could be my gift.

Well I take back everything I ever said..tonight a hotel is booked in the city and we are off for a child free break :)

I'm delighted he has done this but I am biting my tongue trying not to say things like but can we afford it...I wanted to sow my sweet pea seeds...I need to do some work online.....I wanted to sew...I needed to iron etc etc!!

(Obviously I'm not good at the being surprised thing..be careful what you wish for lol!!!!)

I was out last night at the cinema to see The Lovely Bones....I'll try not to spoil anything!!!

It was beautiful. The acting was faultless, the photography was stunning, but.....

4 out of the 5 of us who went had read the book and we had niggles!!!

They missed out a few, in my opinion vital bits, and my main problem was the casting of Ray...he was a wonderful actor and delicious eye candy ;) , however he was supposed to be playing a teenager and he looked like a grown man preying on a young girl and I was uneasy with it!

Anyway, let me know what you think!!

I had a lovely surprise package this morning..a while ago I won a giveaway over at Mollycupcakes, I had completely forgotten, so it was a lovely anniversary present! Thank You x

Have a good weekend!

Marching in...

The new month that is, I'm creeping in quietly. I have slipped back into bad blogger territory.8 days since my last post, and after I was posting daily too..tut tut!!!

Anyhoo..there hasn't been much to say..the lack of proper daylight and complete boredom with life in general, meant I was so miserable I was not liking my own company, so I doubt anyone else would want to hear about it!!

March is my true start of the year, my birthday is in March, and my wedding anniversary now too which gives something to look forward to, (then April is Spring, May is almost summer, June, July, August - summer..and then September means I can make festive plans..and October and November too..December brings the festivities, so just January and February to be miserable!!!), and I was delighted to see the sun on the 1st day of my year :D

So as I said I haven't been up to much so not much to show and tell.

There are some works in progress.....

also a couple of swap makes started, that can't be shown ;)

little peep of a gift made for someone special.....

some new technology to get to grips with...a new camera - a replacement for the one lovely husband dropped last month whilst under the influence....thank goodness for replacement product insurance :D

No idea what I'm doing with it..I need point and press and its not playing nicely. I need to read the manual I think.

And this...

(I got it so that I didn't have to be a slave to the laptop,...but I think I shall be becoming a slave to the blackberry instead!!! Mine is purple not black..its stunning...and I'm not a gadgety person!!!!)

This week has been a busy one..parents evening with an hours notice - thank you W, letters from school need to be given to mum!! Parents Forum meeting at A's high school and a scary but exciting meeting with the bank manager. I also spent a morning doing some housekeeping on my laptop, someone had downloaded about a trillion games onto it!! Tonight the work is not over, C's school celebrates the event that is World Book Day....please dress up your child..oh joy!!

(jaded mother I'm afraid., this is my 3rd time round, so apologies to any teachers who may be reading..I am all for parental involvement, I listen to my Reception aged child read daily...but making costumes...nooooooooooo thank you!!!!)

I made a bear costume for C to wear tomorrow, but his class is using the Harry and his bucket of dinosaurs books in Maths - I say Maths, he is 4..its counting!!!!, so he wants to wear a 10 year old dinosaur costume from our dress up box!!! (there is always next year!!)

My old time management problems are rearing their ugly head again, but I am hopeful that I can be back in a day or so with more awful pics off the new camera....

Handbag contents tag...

Beki asked me to show the contents of my handbag and although I am notoriously rubbish at taking up tags etc I just had to show you how organised and meticulous I am in my day to day life....

This is my current handbag, I love these CK messenger bag's - they stop me needing a baby bag if I'm only out for half a day or so, the only problem is they are sometimes a bit deep and I look slightly silly and like I am losing my arm trying to get something out :)

(note to self...need a bag organiser...)

This is my bag contents just dolloped out...

And on closer inspection, I spy with my beady eye...

an eco bag.

a pink purse (a gift from my mother in law and although it is Radley and not my cup of cha one bit, it is a great purse with a place for everything)

2 notebooks..one has been in my bag since New York and has the names and addresses of a couple of restaurants written in it and a list of Christmas presents left to buy, the other was made for me by Natasha, and has a list of library books I wanted to order. oh and 4 pens....and a bookmark.

A teeny diary.

a children's purse, a postman pat van, a camper van and a nappy.

2 lipsticks, lip balm, a concealer and a mascara.

pack of tissues and antibacterial hand gel - known as magic soap in this house.

usb memory stick - has photo's on that I need to get processed.

Terms of Endearment DVD free in Tuesday's Daily Mail that Mum gave me.

camera case..made by me last April from vintage CK fabric, still not finished needs a button or something to fasten it!!

manky tissue - yes its used!!,nearly empty packets of painkillers, pack of softmints with 1 sweetie left in..

key to mum's house....who knows where mine are...I won't know til I want to go out and need house and car keys, then I'll yell at everyone til I find them....

Nintendo DS and 2 styluses (????)

and a lovely christmas card bought at the castle museum the other day....

Tipping it out did shame me into sorting it out, and putting the red bag into the wash :)

I take after my Aunt, her handbag always came with a health warning, my mums on the other hand is uber organised and tidy!!!

January

I'm glad its over!!!

I hate January. Strong words, strong feelings!! Its such a meh kind of month after the exciting month of December and I always feel flat. I say always...last year was different as I was prepping for my wedding and didn't have the time to think about what month it was!!!

So I haven't done a lot this month. I had a self enforced no spend month, which was surprisingly easy. The string patches and hexes helped me use fabric I already had, without making me want new.(yeh right like you could ever stop wanting fabric!!!)

I have only had one trip into town to the charity shops all month...and because I have promised my husband I will find a home/get rid of last years finds before I pick up anymore crap...his words not mine....all I came home with was 2 bits of fabric.

Just over a metre of this one...enough for a new kitchen blind.

Laura Ashley for 60p!!!

Nearly 2 metres of this one for 10p. Its American I believe, but I haven't looked up the company yet.

A small person started full time school at the start of the month..This is another reason I have been out of sorts in January, and to be honest I am still struggling. Now I knew the time would come, I have been here twice before...but I was unprepared for how difficult it would make my life!! Getting out of the house on time..which is 8.20 at the very latest..... is proving to be a challenge. Its not as if I'm not up...R still wakes early, but we are pretty hopeless, I'm well out of practice.

There are daily hissy fits...sometimes even from C!!!

Also C has more homework in Reception than my eldest does for his GCSE's..and that isn't much of an exaggeration!! Reading book, Keywords folder, letter sounds, jolly phonic worksheets....I'm afraid we only do it if he is up to it..full time school is very tiring!!! I expect I'll be on the scummy mummy blacklist, what with my poor timekeeping and non compliance with homework!!!

I've discovered this month that I don't have to bake cake ever again!!

This is one of my 12 year old's.

His sponge is perfect. better than his Grandma's, better than mine!!

I intend to make sure he makes it regularly so he doesn't lose the skill ;)

I've been enjoying spring flowers indoors, whilst dodging the snow outdoors.

(not looking their best, but actually I like tulips when they start to flop!! These ones were delivered, a thank you from my sister in law for hosting Christmas.)

I have been staring at my dismal looking garden, wishing for better weather, and starting to plan what I will grow in my raised bed...

I have been finishing some projects from the list of last October!!!

(sneaky peek...more to follow..but check out my mitred corners...first time mitrer too!!!)

I know in January I was a bad blogger. I hardly posted, and I know I haven't replied to all the comments I got. I apologise. I have got lots of new followers, and I'm sorry that there isn't much for you to see round here at the minute!!!

I am working on the principle less time blogging means more time doing...which is true, but then I get that feeling of having forgot something when I don't blog!!!

Please do keep leaving me comments, I will eventually get round to visiting people...honest!!

Anyway its gone now for another year...no more January...so hopefully the cloud will lift and I can come back and have more to say!!

I'm also thinking about swaps....it seems quiet on the swap front right now (unless I just don't know where to look lol!!), so perhaps I should host one? Is it too soon after Christmas?

Let me know what you think...and I'll try and come up with some ideas!!

xxx

Happy New Year

Well I have had a lovely Christmas holiday. Perfect.

Or more correctly imperfectly perfect!!!!

(I'll spare you the vomit, snot, nut allergy and christmas pudding no show stories!!)

We have had a fabulous Christmas, spent with family. As my mum is now living locally, my brother stayed with her, so we had no house guests...I think this made ours a stress free Christmas. I love having a house full of guests, but somehow the fact that we said goodnight (late some nights) kept it a pleasure....maybe its the fact we had our own space, who knows?? Christmas 2009 was the best one we have had in our 10 year relationship. We are really fortunate that both sets of parents get along..maybe this is normal in the real world, but my ex's mother wouldn't be in the same room as my family so this time round both mum and I appreciate the relationship between the families a lot.

So we shared meals and card games, competed against each other at the local bowling alley (I was rubbish as per!!), drank too much and ate waaa-yy too much.

The one thing we are all agreed on, well I say all, the inlaws were a bit quiet about it, next year we will not be having a turkey Christmas dinner. It is so time consuming. We can have a roast any day of the year. Mum and I really didn't want to eat much after 2 days preparing 8 billion different veg etc, so Christmas 2010 will be celebrated with a pot luck curry dinner!! And if the boys want pizza - they can have it.

The important part is everyone around the table...so you heard it here first!!

Father Christmas really spoiled us all.

We all got some fabulous gifts...

from my wonderful teenage son who says he enjoyed the Cath shop!!

From my friend - its a jug cover, but I don't have a skinny enough jug at the minute!!

(she got it from notmassproduced.com I believe)

The tracked down market stall was very well received.

My mum always does me a stocking of 'bits', this year she did me a trug of bits.

I got tons of goodies off my wish list too. I take back all I said to my sis in law about lovely husband being rubbish at gift buying lol!! I got a lovely new watch, perfectly me that he bought with no guidance!!

I didn't intend to stay away from blogland for so long , but I barely switched on the laptop. So all my internet 'committments' have been neglected!! I have to admit I did have to think twice about returning, I have read several books over the holidays, including 2 new books to inspire me for Christmas 2010, sat and leisurely chatted with my husband and boys, started a new sewing project.

I know I haven't been the only one having a virtual crisis...I read in the Daily Mail that Lily Allen has given up Twitter, FB etc (The only thing me and the lovely Lily have in common..although if I was 2 dress sizes smaller and had a flat stomach I would share her love of quirky fashion too!!)

I don't actually agree with the end bit. Surely giving up totally is not the only way to get 'real life' back. And isn't the internet part of real life anyway?? I agree my online life can occasionally get a bit too much, not an addiction per se but definately an annoying regular habit!! (Just one more check on Facebook before I log out..one more look at blogs... I know I'm not alone!!!)

Anyway, as I can't imagine not blogging at all I have decided to make it a New Years Resolution to get the balance right...so less tedious long posts and more quick update type's are planned, less facebook too (it annoys me anyway, but find myself drawn!!!). And a promise to myself - for housework's sake - that I'll have 2 or 3 laptop free days too!!

I also plan to keep my Christmas relaxed attitude about things, if it doesn't get done, it doesn't matter.

I do still plan on making a list of things I want to achieve this year. Crafty things mainly. But a no pressure kind of list. With no time limits. Although it would be nice to get a Christmas table runner completed before December 25th this year!! The list is in progress - getting longer through reading one of my Christmas gifts!!

So New Year, Fresh Start. Today is the last day I will have 2 preschoolers at home. The big boys went back today and C starts fulltime school tomorrow. He is ready but I'm not. And I am not relishing having to be up dressed and out of the house for 8.20 each day. I have had a very relaxed life since W started a new school that he takes himnself to last September!!

The tree is at the recycling centre, very sad about that...the house looks desperate for a good clean, but I have my priorities right and have put up the new bunting that Beki made me lol!!!

Still undecided if it will stay in the bay...I pass a house on the way to my friends, that has bunting up in the bay window and I have gone from, hmm I wouldn't put it there, to, hmm actually I quite like it!!! So naff or not??

Handmade Christmas Swap

I mentioned yesterday that the postie had brought me a parcel from Pat. Her side of the Handmade Christmas Swap. The rules being send your partner a handmade christmas card, decoration and gift.
You know every swap I take part in I say this but wow! there really are some talented people out there....
First up I opened a package for my boys - Pat had kindly sent them some sweeties, fab christmas lollies and candy canes and footballs. They are very pleased that they were thought of. Chocs for me - that escaped the picture for some reason and they have gone now!!
Next up was a smelly bag (in a very good way), yummy yankee candles and a christmassy bath melt.
When I trimmed up my tree, I had a bit of a cull of decorations and only kept the red white or green ones...that left some gaps...Pat has now filled some gaps..... and here is how they look on my tree.... I love them they are fabulous and will grace my tree for years and years to come..
Also continuing the red and white theme, a lovely heart now hanging in the hallway....
And prepare to be wowed..look at my new bag!!! And the detail...I was speechless..my poor photo's really don't do this beautiful bag justice...and I have to admit very pleased that I had wrapped up Pat's swap and put in the car to take to the Post Office and that I am very short of time otherwise I would have started again with my makes!!!!
It is very very me...thank you so much Pat for a fabulous swap (your 1st x) and I hope you are as pleased as I am x