special girls

Today I am celebrating the two special girls on either side of me on my branch of our family tree. The one who birthed me and the one who I myself gave birth to. My Mum and the Chook.

It's my Mum's birthday today and one thing she asked for was a little manicure set for her handbag since her current one (she thinks I gave her it years ago!) is knackered. Turns out they are very hard to find!! They're all too big and when I did find one in a little black pouch it was really fugly. Whihh is when I thought "I could surely make a prettier pouch than that!"

So I bought it (the insides were perfect), used the fugly black outer as a pattern and made this.

 Cute, eh? I was very happy with it - even the curved binding went on beautifully! Proper bias stuff I had to make and everything.

And my girl? Well, she has a school summer disco on Friday and we were pulling together a funky outfit for her from her wardrobe. She had a new never-worn dress from Granny (my Mum) with carousel horses printed along the bottom. And I remembered the peach baseball boots bought for Red Nose Day. Knee high socks and a new square scarf later? Funky Chook.

And while I was playing dress-up with her I remembered I didn't have a photo of her in her Christmas outfit. How I missed it this year I will never know (I always get one of her beside our tree) but took the opportunity before she totally outgrows the dress!

Isn't it funny how the black makes her look older? That must be why I love her in pink so much. *grins*

moderately late mid-week mundanities

my general mood? I am happy but really tired. Too many late nights - my early night was thwarted last night by Happy Gilmore on the telly again!

what am I wearing? Comfy jogging bottoms and the zombie tee. I was planning on heading to bed before now but a tidy of my wee room led to a wee play with the scrapping stuff I was putting away and three layouts and 2 hours later here I am still not in bed!

what have I been watching? Happy Gilmore! *grins* And Glee.

what am I reading? I got new books today! Two JR Ward trashy vampire paperbacks and a new quilt book by Boo Davis. Thank you Hadley for the recommendation! She. Is. Amazing. Skull quilts ahoy!

what have I been listening to? Adam and the Ants, baby!!

what have I been creating? I hope to get some quilting done over the weekend (Hideaway Hexagons is all basted and I think I have a plan for Earl Bob's mahoosiv dresdens) but I'm going to show you one of the layouts I finished tonight. My Chookie's 8th birthday last year.

Do you like her new Cheshire cat mug? Spouse was working in the Gyle today (big shopping centre near Edinburgh) that has our nearest decent Disney store. The mug is Chook sized and has "I'm not all there!" on the back. Sweet! 



bye bye purple and green...

...hello black and orange!

If I'm perfectly correct it's not black, it's a very dark bitter chocolate shade. And how's that orange, eh? Modest. *coughs* Not. Although I have found an alarming lack of warm tones in my wardrobe. Everything is blue and green and clashes magnificently. What a shame, I'll need to go shopping. *g*



That music's lost it's taste so try another flavour...

...ANT MUSIC!!

I got a huge big tick on my bucket list last night when the spouse and I went to see one of my biggest childhood icons (and my first crush) Adam Ant live in Dundee. *big cheesy grin* He was amazing. Really. Sounded fabulous, looked fantastic and was charming and cheeky and charismatic.



He did what was in essence a greatest hits set - and, yes, that's two drummers you see so the big heavy beats were very much in attendance. One drummer was the most amazing blonde woman. She really was something else managing to look cool and calm and effortless while battering the hell out of her kit!

Adam himself played guitar on a few early tracks and he basically danced and grinned like he was having the time of his life for an hour and a half. Looking more than a little like Captain Jack in a napoleonic hat and grey cavalry jacket. We had the most fabulous view, as well. On a balcony the same height as the stage and only about 10 metres away. I took one wee piece of video of my favourite song (Kings of the Wild Frontier) but the sound is fairly rubbish.



It's such a shame those drums don't come through, they were thunderous! And it's obviously not the full song since I knew we were both about to start singing and neither of us needs that particular cacophony preserved for posterity! I also almost hyperventilated during Ant Music doing the "oi, oi, oi"'s at the chorus. Happy days.

Thanks to my brother and his missus both for the vouchers that bought the tickets AND taking Chookie for a sleepover so we got a long lie this morning! She, natch, had an absolute ball with her favourite aunt and uncle. A good night had by all!

Camp rock!

Well, okay, just camp. Not so much of the rock. But Scout Camp was awesome! I know, I know. Lynz and camping? In a tent? But it really was fabulous fun and my pack were so well behaved - we were so proud.

I can't show many photos because they all have other people's kids in (bummer) but I have a few of Chook so they will have to do.

First up, the camp entrance. This is looking OUT of camp into the surrounding countryside. Pretty, eh?

Me an' the Chook! Slightly strained looking - an eight year old was in charge of the camera and she was taking an absolute age to hit the shutter! I match my tent. Heh.

Part of the afternoon's planned activities on Saturday was a nature walk which took us past the reservoir. We were so lucky, the weather defied the forecasters and stayed very fine!

My girl, first over a six foot stile! One of the boys has vertigo and had to go back round the whole way we'd come, bless 'im.

And Chook making a quick, sneaky phone call to her Dad on Sunday morning. I'm standing by the first of our tents. I was thrilled by this point that despite dire warnings, none of us had any ticks latched on. *shudders*

So, there you go. Mention has been made of camping as a family in the summer so we shall see. We need a tent first! *g* Plus, Scouts plan another in August. I've not seen the last of my bad-hair-day-no-drying-facilities headband/bandana combo!

Chook meets her Apollyon.

Head on and with gusto! The cantering has become a bit of a massive scarey thing at Chook's riding. It's a good six months since her first (unsuccessful) attempt at cantering on a lead rein. Small, snappy dogs and skittish ponies do not a good combination make. Add in three months missed due to teeth, snow and Christmas and then a lesson partner unwilling to participate and that's a looong time to stew over what is, admittedly, a bit of a scary new technique. But the longer she didn't do it, the bigger a monster it became.

She can't have her usual lesson on Saturday due to Scout camp and her instructor suggested having one tonight after school with a girl who is about the same age and riding stage. She also, crucially, is like Chook in that she has a have-a-go attitude. So, fifteen minutes in after seeing new lesson-mate canter, a "for fun" (heh) pony swap and an "accidental" (heh heh) too hard kick as instructed?



She is thrilled to bits and naturally we have switched to a Wednesday lesson! What a difference it made having someone not whining, complaining, refusing and generally being a brat to ride with. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to get you to up your game, eh?

*edited* What a bummer, we've lost about 7 comments with the blogger downtime. Sorry, Chook!

penguins, pigeons and patriotism.

Today at a glance.

Chook spent some money she'd been saving on Littlest Pet Shop animals. We could sell them (she tells me she has over 50!!) but they are her current favourite toy. I'm pointing out, too, that she took these two photos herself!!

 Friendship bands. I'm in an Eighties swap and the talk has turned to little extras. I used to make them at school but hadn't come across all the ace patterns that are about. The big one on Chook has hearts on but between the pink/purple combo (her choice!) and it being upside down it is hard to see. She made the wee skinny one herself! I couldn't believe it.

 I love when the seed tray gets emptied by the other birds and the clever doos (pigeons if you're not Scots) nick the small birds supper. Heh heh.

 And a union flag! Made from a pattern at Lilys Quilts with scraps of purple since I don't have 2 fat quarters of that particular colour. Sad or what?

And I whoosh away to iron! *hmph* Bye bye weekend!

narky Nan revealed.

Howdy! Some brief waffling and then I'm off to...do something. Prolly sit in front of the telly and have an early night. I am on the humpty side and feel the need to blog so apologies in advance. So.

I'm going camping. In a tent. Shut it, you lot, I can hear the sniggers. The Scout district camp is a week on Saturday (nice bit of notice, huh?) and our Cubs are going overnight. Under canvas. Therefore and ergo? So does yours truly. Haven't camped ever, haven't a clue what to take for me OR Chook. Info not forthcoming. Hoping I don't have to shop for anything as time is running out. But rather looking forward to the whole thing if getting a bit cheesed off with the Paris Hilton persona I seem to have adopted. At least in other people's eyes. Yes, I like a shower in the morning. No, that doesn't make me high maintenance or someone afraid to get her hands dirty or a complete wimp. I think a lot of people are mistaking a love of sewing, clean hair and pretty things for just that. They are totally missing the sporty tomboy that loves zombie t-shirts and climbing trees. Grr.

Anyway, in anticipation I've been checking out other leaders' badge blankets. As in, camp fireside wear to show off your badges. And I remembered I had these.

 My Brownie badges! There's at least one missing and I wasn't a Guide so I don't have any more but they're thirty years old. Knew I was hanging onto them for something!

It was a Bank Holiday here on Monday. I was working but spouse and Chook were off. They went to see Gnomeo and Juliet (spouse said it was honking bad!), KFC for lunch and some shopping. New ponies were bought and this for me!

 Heh heh. Very me, huh? I'm thinking about taking it camping for my mid-morning elevenses with cucumber sammiches and a cream cake. Not really. Bitter much, Lynz?

And my splurge arrived!!

A full fat quarter bundle (my first of an entire line!) of Denyse Schmidt's Picnic and Fairground range that she's designed for JoAnn's. You obviously cannae buy it here in backwoods Britain - these are an Etsy purchase. I missed out on Katie Jump Rope (as in, wasn't quilting then!) and never did get round to Hope Valley (apart from the odd FQ which I dearly love) so didn't think too hard about nabbing these guys. I'm really chuffed with them and they can happily sit on my shelf until I find the perfect project for them.

And so I bid you adieu and go off to do my......whatever. With my pink diamonds and chihuahua. I promise I'll have buried the Mizz Hilton comparisons by next time and be less......narky. Ciao!