Wednesday 31 December 2008

So long 2008

You were interesting, you brought ups and downs, you brought laughter and tears. I learnt things, I forgot things, I'll remember things I might not want to and I'll forget things I'll wish I could remember.
Farewell, so long and adieu.

Here's to 2009 everyone. Thanks for keeping me company this year and let's hope 2009 brings us all joy, happiness, peace, kindness and love.

See you all in the new year.

Monday 29 December 2008

Well that was Christmas over with

now to get through the New Year fuss. Sorry I know I sound like a miserable moo. Christmas wasn't quite the day it should/could have been but the kids were happy with their presents and dinner was lovely.
Now we're all in the limbo land between Christmas and New Year when no one is quite sure what day it is. This is not going to be a long blog today, hopefully when I come back I can be a bit more cheerful. Off now to blow my snotty nose and drink some hot orange and try muster up some energy to tidy the house.
Ok I'm going, I'm going. I should have titled this Don't Read This. :)

Wednesday 24 December 2008

All of mine

wish all of yours a very Merry Christmas and a very very Happy New Year.
Let 2009 bring you peace, love and all the things you hope for. Let it be the year that we all work towards our goals and the people we want to be.
Jingle Bells xxx

Saturday 20 December 2008

Fireplaces, long days and work, work, work.

Off I went to work yesterday and guess what time I got home. Yes ridiculous o'clock or in English gone 4am. Have a guess now how tired I was today. Yep exhausted but I'm not looking for any sympathy. If you party hard you have to take the tiredness. LOL It was a great night though. Work was crazy busy but the end of my shift soon came round and then I could take off the santa thing that we had to wear. Trust me I have no problems with dressing up but I think they bought these tops from a special badly made santa top shop. Anyway I was over the bar and joining in the festivities.
Fortunately I woke up today feeling human (that was not expected) because I was working again tonight. The bar was mad busy when I went in but by 11pm the bar was getting quiet and the boss decided there was no need for two of us to work through till close at 1am so here I am sat on my comfy new settee, admiring my wonderful fireplace which I can't light until Tuesday. Yes there will be a grand lighting ceremony :)
Anyway I'm off to bed now to snuggle up to him indoors and tomorrow I can finally get my Xmas tree put up. Hooray!!!!

Friday 19 December 2008

Meme and you

Good grief it really is amazing some of the things you discover while browsing around the t'internet isn't it.
This website has had me a fit of giggles this evening. I've heard of giving animals human tendancies (what ever that big word is for that) but never doing the same to furniture. Crazy but really funny.

A worrying thing I did read about is that there may be new legislation coming into effect in February of next year meaning that handmade toys/crafts for children will become illegal to sell. Has the world gone totally mad? Check it out.
If it does come into effect think of how many people this is going to effect not only in America but across the globe.

Ok so I said a Meme didn't I? I came across this 99 things meme over on peasoup's blog. And thought it looked like a bit of fun and maybe something to take our minds of the fact that it's so few sleeps till the big C day now.

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font


1. Started your own blog. Eh?

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band. Not so much a rock band but was an orchestra does that count?

4. Visited Hawaii. Nope but I'd like to

5. Watched a meteor shower. Again on the I'd like to list.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity. Not sure how this works but I've given a lot even if I could have sold it on ebay like other -stepfords- people do round here.

7. Been to Disneyland/world.

8. Climbed a mountain. I was born in Wales and live in Scotland...what are the chances?

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo. Yep even on a stage but that was when I was younger, now I have to have had copious amounts of alcohol.

11. Bungee jumped. Ummm no.

12. Visited Paris. Maybe one day.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. I think I did when I was a kid but my memory is getting worse as I creep ever closer to the big 4.0.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Well if you don't include books, other lovely bloggers tutorials or craftster.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning. Oh yes and isn't that a joyful memory.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Nope but have seen the Satute of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables. And will do again once I have built a fence round my plot to stop the dogs sleeping, digging and *****ing on it.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. Seen copies, prints and pictures in magazines in other countries though.

20. Slept on an overnight train. No but have fallen asleep on trains that were not overnighters.

21. Had a pillow fight. Yeah but the pillows never burst with the feathers going everywhere like they do in the movies.

22. Hitch hiked. Yes but don't every tell my mother.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort. What exactly is a snow fort because I might have built one but we just called it something different.

25. Held a lamb. And fed them... with a bottle.

26. Gone skinny dipping. Yes but it wasn't quite the romantic thing people might invision. I like boys and so does he LOL

27. Run a marathon. I do NOT do running.

28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. Nope

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Both and probably all in the same day too. ;)

31. Hit a home run. Yeah I wasn't bad with the old rounders bat in school.

32. Been on a cruise. Not something I've ever wanted to do.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person,

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Not sure where my ancestors were from but think most of them were from where I was born anyway. :/

35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language. Not taught myself, but was taught French in school.

37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Again eh?

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing. With and without ropes, safety harnesses and helmets but once again....don't tell my mother.

40. Seen Michelangelo's David in person.

41. Sung Karaoke. See question 10

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt. On tv but I'm guessing this means in person.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance. But I wasn't the patient.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistene chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling. But nowhere exotic. Scuba diving in local pool when I was a teenager and a bit of snorkelling when on holidays.

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre. I wish we had them over here.

55. Been in a movie. No but I was on Play School when I was about 11.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. Neither Girl Guides nor Scouts have cookies to sell over here.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason. Him indoors does do that and infact big one bought me a bunch last weekend just because she wanted to.

64. Donated blood. All the time until they brought the new ruling in that if you'd been the recipient of a blood transfusion you're not allowed to anymore. The recent give blood adverts drive me demented because I would gladly give them my blood :(

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a cheque. According to an old bank that I subsequently left I did but I did NOT and they did apologise but I closed my account anyway.

68. Flown in a helicopter. Yep in Florida last year and it was amazing.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Yep first ever Teddy that my Dad bought for me that was 4 times bigger than me when I was born.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar Yes but can't say I'd rush to do it again.

72. Pieced a quilt. I like the idea but think the fiddlyness of it would drive me insane.

73. Stood in Times Square. Oh yes indeed last month :D

74. Toured the Everglades. Is that where you hear banjo music?

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London. Several times, going to London was our annual holiday as kids, mother has family down there.

77. Broken a bone. Bones in my foot when big one was 6 months old but I can state that it was nowhere near as painful as when I tore the ligaments in my ankle 4 years previously.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle Lots and lots of times.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car. I haven't but him indoors did once. Mad fool that he was back then.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper. Never by choice but yep, infact apparently my mug shot was in the paper the other week when I was doing the face painting up at wee one's school Xmas fair. I didn't see it though and no-one kept me a copy.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. If you can't do it then you shouldn't be eating it.

88. Had chickenpox. 2 weeks before my O levels and they still made me sit them. Grrr.

89. Saved someone’s life. Not that I'm aware of.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one. Too many. :(

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit. I use to work for the prosecutions department and then the police if that means anything.

98. Owned a cell phone. Not being picky but mine's a mobile phone :)

99. Been stung by a bee. But only because I had made it perform bee gymnastics by rolling it between my thumbs as I was twiddling them half asleep while camping at about the age of 8. Poor bee I think I cried more for the bee than I did my thumb.

Right must go to bed now. Him indoors has just swayed in from his night out with the boys and I've got a loooong day tomorrow. It's the workman's Xmas dinner and trust me it's a very very loooong day with that lot. :)

Oh I'm not tagging anyone but if you fancy giving the 99 things ago let me know ;)

Thursday 11 December 2008

Alien gingerbread men and online shopping

Am I the only playing the title game?
Ah well...anyway alien gingerbread men, well you can't beat a bit of festive fun with a sick child. As we made snowflakes I needed to think of something else that would be fun for her to do which wouldn't tax her too much or be too complicated that her poor poorly attention span couldn't cope. So i sat and drew round our gingerbread cutter, cut them all out, filled the coffee table with sharpies and glitter and stick on eyes etc and we had great fun. The one's she made as aliens with only one eye on their forehead were definately the winners of the day. Of course Mummy then dutifully sat threading them all together and then hung them up in the the hallway. As I said over on jellybellyjellybrain's blog we haven't been able to decorate properly for Xmas yet as the living room has bits of fireplace all over it and the hall is full of chairs and sofa ready for freecycle collection. Still at least we've got our snowflakes and gingerbread men :D

Wee one if feeling much better this evening so we think she'll manage school tomorrow, she is still disappointed that she missed out on the Xmas dinner school lunch but at least today she managed to eat more than one packet of wotsits.
Had big one to the Drs this morning,she's had a sore throat for over a week and coughing for weeks, he's given her some antibiotics so we shall see if that shifts it. Last night she finally decided what dress she would like for her school xmas dance so ordered that at some ungodly hour hence why I am filling you in on Tuesday and Wednesday's goings on in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Uuuuggh work tomorrow and I am so not feeling the love for it at the moment. Boss can be a bit moody sometimes (yeah I know we all can) and she had been a bit funny with me this last week or so. I am seriously considering jacking it in after Xmas and going back to being a full time mum and part time student. I only have one more course to complete with the OU and I'll have my degree but I've been putting it off for..for..well years now. Stupid really I know.

Anyway great thing happening tomorrow him indoors is coming home and he will be home with us for Xmas and New Year. Woohoo! First time in years and years and years that he's been home for both celebrations, we only usually get him for one or the other. Best go get his Xmas presents hidden so he doesn't come across them when he gets home and I'm still out at work.

Monday 8 December 2008

Gnomes and snowflakes

I think I'll try to make my blog titles as weird as possible well might as well I seem to be doing so without even trying. Anyone up for a game of weird and wonderful blog titles? :D
As I am still having laptop and phone pic issues I'm having to trawl through all my old pics to bring a bit of colour to my blog
So here are my wee gnomes.




I bought them a while back out of a Betterware or Kleeneze catalogue, you now the one's you get shoved through your letterbox. I rarely actually look through them but I was glad I did when I spotted these guys. They were some silly price like £1.99 for a pair or 2 pairs for £3 or something. So I had to have 2 pairs...well who wouldn't? Ok that's just me then. They are pot waterers or whatever the proper name is for those things you fill with water and they slowly release it to the plant when it needs a drink. Answers on a postcard please.

Can't remember if I shared this with you but this is the work in progress fireplace. See that wall, that was hidden behind the hideous panelling (trust me it wasn't the nice stuff you see in Country Living) As you can see the fire is currently a big hole but my lovely man 'A' came to take out the old liner from the gas boiler (that was also hidden behind the said panelling) and measure up for the new solid fuel liner that we need because the poor old chimney is not in good enough shape to just let the smoke meander up there by itself. So that's been ordered and hopefully will be in the shop by the end of the week. I'm really not holding out much hope of having a roaring fire for Xmas day anymore but who knows.

As wee one was home poorly today I haven't got much done housework-wise oh dear what a shame as wee one needed Mummy to sit with her unless I was off getting her cups of tea or substence in the form of Wotsits. But we did have some crafty fun this afternoon during one of her more perkier half hours. We cut out lots and lots of snowflakes I'd share pics but again with the pic/laptop issue :( Anyway we had fun doing that although I will at some point have to get the brush out and sweep up all the tiny wee bits of paper. :/ Anyway then I threaded them on to some cotton and hung them up in our downstairs front windows. And they look ever so pretty even if I do say so myself (yes I know I just did)

Once big sis had gotten home from school and took my place next to wee one I managed to rustle up some cinammon and apple muffins (yes I used my new silicone cases and no they are not muffin cases but actually cupcake cases oops) Anyway very tasty muffins they are too. Big one was most impressed and has managed to eaten one or two this evening but wee one just isn't up to any muffins and the wotsits were enough for her today.

And the last thought for today.

15 Perfectly Good Ways to Put Off Doing What You Should Be Doing

1. Clean the extra icons off of your computer desktop.

2. Reorganize your cutlery drawer.

3. Stand in your shower and yodel. (Have you ever noticed how nicely your voice echoes in a shower stall? Anyone can sound like a rock star in there.)

4. Wipe down all of your telephones and computer keyboards with antibacterial cloths. (Safety is as safety does.)

5. Make everyone in your household a set of matching pyjama bottoms.

6. Sterilize all of your shoes with a steamer.

7. Separate all of the M&M's you have in your desk drawer by color.

8. Watch the news every 30 minutes just in case there is a new world crisis that needs your immediate attention.

9. Write notes to your neighbors thanking them for not laughing at your failed attempts at growing a garden for 10 years.

10. Alphabetize your CD collection.

11. Make a napkin holder out of toothpicks.

12. Audition new talcum powders. Of course, since your particular system demands that you must take a bubble bath before you put on talcum powder and since you are auditioning many talcum powders, you have to take multiple bubble baths to figure out which talcum powder you like the best.

13. Learn how to signal your neighbors using Morse Code by opening and closing your window blinds quickly. (This one could save your life someday!)

14. Count all of the chocolate chips in the package to make sure that you haven't been ripped off when you bought them at the supermarket.

15. Write lists of ways that you can put off doing what you should be doing…

Sunday 7 December 2008

Party dresses, sick kids and freecycle

Yep another of my wonderful blog titles (eh Karan?)
Yesterday the small and I went up to Aberdeen to do some party dress searching we did manage to get wee one a dress she thinks is lovely but no joy for big one. Well teenagers do tend to be a bit more choosy (cough cough)
As usual we left Primark with a big bulging bag well how can you not buy a pack of hair clips for £1 or a sparking tiara headband for £1.50 But I have to say that my bargain of the day were the 12 silicone muffin cases for £2 in Asda. Needless to say I bought one pack of pastels and one pack of brights. Now to find a nice new recipe to try them out with.

Sick kids is for wee one, she had an gippy tummy yesterday afternoon but was doing ok but by tea time she was complaining of a sore head and was hot. Today she's mostly slept but was awake to watch Miracle on 34th Street. Great feel good movie. So it was early bath and bed for her and I forsee us spending tomorrow cuddled up on the sofa. :)

And finally Freecycle. As I told you we're in the middle of sorting out the living room and my new settee is arriving soon. So I have the three piece that a) we should never have bought in the first place but that's a whole nother story, fortunately we didn't pay a whole lot of money for them as we got them second hand. and
b) that it is totally the wrong time of year to attempt to sell so I figured I keep my Karma in the right place and offer it out on Freecycle but no one told me that my inbox would be inundated with requests. Now I really need someone to help me decide who I offer it to :(

Ah well tomorrow is a whole new day as they say.

Wednesday 3 December 2008

Snow, Fireplaces and Tags


Doesn't it look pretty?


Confusing enough title? Yeah thought so but am I really the only one who struggles on how to title a post? Probably. :)

It snowed here again last night, seems we're having all the snow early this year. I awoke to my radio (which for some reason was on the wrong channel) informing me that some of the schools in this part of the world were shut. So I looked out the window saw the white stuff and then rang the two school numbers that inform us as to whether the schools are open or not. Big one's school was not opening until 10am and pupils who came to school via bus were not expected in today. Wee one's school was open as normal but again no pupils on the school bus would be in. We live in a very rural part of Scotland so a high proportion of the kids travel in on the school bus everyday. Big one informed me that today was filled with watching films, playing darts and generally not doing much schoolwork. As so many kids were off they would only have to repeat the lesson again once everyone was back! :/ Wee one was not impressed that her big sister got to go into school a whole hour later than her and she had lessons as usual. Tough life eh? Hopefully it will be school as normal tomorrow but as it's freezing out there and has snowed on and off this evening who knows. Big one is most concerned as it's her school show this week and they had to cancel tonights performance and if they have to keep doing that when will the show happen? Wee one and I have tickets for the Thursday night show so fingers crossed the roads will be clear by then.

Ok fireplaces. We have spent ages trying to get our living room into a condition that makes it a nice place to be and not the souless room it was when we bought the house. Carpets have been ripped up ugly carpets , wallpaper has been stripped, panelling has been torn down trust me it was not nice panelling, it was cracked and uneven and had strange wee cubby holes in it that were neither use nor ornament, the useless gas fire was removed, the old boiler removed and a nice efficent one that gives us hot water all the time installed in the back of the house, the walls and ceiling were replastered, the gorgeous old (original) stonework of the house hid behind the panelling has been repointed, coving has been installed, walls have been painted, doors, skirting and wood flooring ordered and the piece de resistance was delivered today. Our lovely new open fireplace with oak mantlepiece. The manny from the shop phoned me yesterday to say it would be arriving today but when I saw the snow I seriously doubted it would make it. But make it they did (and I didn;t growl at them when they walked half a tonne of snow into my house) AND my fireplace installer manny came round at lunchtime as promised to check out the fireplace and fittings and he will be back on Thursday to start the job. Weeeeheeee! I may just have a fire burning on Xmas day as I recline on our new sofa (which is arrving in 2 weeks) I now want to rifle through all my fabrics and find something scrumptious to make some stockings. I guess I'll have to add that to my list of things to do when I can stop sleeping.

And finally Tags. The lovely Samsara has tagged me. I get a great big smile on my mush when I get a comment or a tag. I know I'm writing this blog for me but it's always nice to know that someone sees me too. Anyway here we go.

The Rules:

1) Link to your tagger and list all these rules in your blog.

2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by including links to their blogs

4) Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

The Facts:


1. I am 6ft tall and take a size 9(uk) shoe so feeling dainty and protected is not something I'm used to.

2. I haven't had a haircut for at least 6-8 months possible longer.

3. I love music and have it on as much as is possible. I can however be a bit of a teenager if I love one particular song or album as I play it over and over again. It has been known for the smalls to plead with me to change the music and/or turn it down.

4. I have 11 piercings and 6 tattoos and plan to have at least another 2 tattoos in the near future. Apart from my nose ring all the other piercings are in my ears although I did at one time have my eyebrow pierced.

5. My brother and I used to catch whitebait in a plastic carrier bag on our local beach when we were kids so we now laugh ourselves silly when we see it being sold for ridiculous amounts of money on posh restaurant menus.




6. I love history although I hated it at school. (Thanks to Mrs Thatcher and her war years) I would love to be able to go study Social History at Uni full time...maybe in my next life.

7. I have difficulty getting hats to fit. I tell the smalls it's because my brain is so big that my head has to be bigger, unfortunately big one is too old to believe that anymore.

Right now the difficult bit tagging 7 other bloggers who Samsara hasn't already tagged. Ok here goes.
pinkfeatherparadise
attic24
jbjb
mollycupcakes
justfee
cooplet
thriftygoodness

I'll have to let them all know tomorrow though as it's now 2.45am and I have to be up in 4 hours oops

Monday 1 December 2008

Popping Cherries

Today is a history making day... I have finally actually bought something off Ebay. Well actually not just one thing but 3 things. :o I bought something that I'm not going to reveal as you never know who is lurking but I can tell you that I bought some buttons and beads. I can see now how addictive ebay is.

Another first for me is that I've claimed something off Freecycle. I have offered on it before but never claimed but I just couldn't resist the offer of 20 years worth of Country Living Magazines. Could you?

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Santa's Little Helper


As December is rumbling ever closer I thought I better get a move on and start getting Santa organised so I hit the shops today and managed to get a good few bits. Of course now I have to find time to wrap and hide them but I usually find somewhere. I even got out my Xmas cards this evening and started making out my 'who to send to' list. I'm scaring myself! I'm sure I was nowhere near as organised last year, at this rate I'll have everything wrapped and posted way before the big day. :o
I bought some wee decorations from Tesco as they were having a buy 3 for the price of 2 and they were very reasonalbly prices. Ok maybe I did only buy the bells on string because I only wanted the bells :/ And I did spend some considerable time dithering over whether to buy a CK bag while I was there but at the end I just couldn't justify spending £3.50 on a bag when I make my own shopping bags. Sorry CK.

Ah well how about some
Ings Not done that for a while.

watching... Not a lot.

listening to... The dog scratching the floor!

eating... Spaghetti hoops on toast for my tea and a bowl of crunchy nut clusters for my supper.

shooting... the dog if he doesn't stop scratching the floor (don't worry I wouldn't really)

buying... Xmas presents and lots of magazines.

selling... an electric drum kit if anyone's interested.

gossiping... no gossiping here.

completing... my last Craftster swap for this year. (she says!)

wondering... what I am still doing up at this time in the morning. It's 1.48am here :o


Night x

Tuesday 25 November 2008

A productive ten minutes or so

Well I managed to get my Buy Nothing Swap package all finished and parcelled up this morning. So that's now winging its way towards Sweden. I also finally remembered to post our neice's birthday card off to Italy. But I did get sidetracked before getting to the post office. My lovely new friend Dommie has a shop in the village called Rainbow Hat which sells all sorts of lovely things and she's even asked me to rustle up some of my wares for her. Haven't actually plucked up the courage to do that yet though, I'm happier giving it away as I can never visualise someone actually paying money for something I've made. Anyway I digress (as usual) as I was going past the shop on my way to the said Post Office Dommie called me in for a coffee and 2 1/2 hours later I had to rush out to get home in time for wee one arriving back from school. We had a great time pouring over all her agates and crystals and I treated myself to a few crystals, two rings and a big copper budda head using the money my Mum had left me to treat myself and some of my hard earned wages, that reminds me must go back to work.

She gave me a crystal bracelet as a gift to help with the pain that I've been having in my stomach and we were pouring over her wee crystal bible for ages reading up on all the meanings and healing powers of all the other crystals.
I was very drawn towards to the turquoise which is interesting when you see the meaning Strengthens and aligns all chakras, meridians and subtle bodies. Brings communication to emotional issues, creativity and intuition. Protection during astral travel. Used for spiritual attunement, healing and cleansing the chakras and physical body.
There were lots of others that I also had to have but I can't remember all their names...yes I officially do make goldfish look intelligent for their huge memory span.
But I did pick up some Sodalite which sounded like something that may help out my darling teenager. No harm in trying eh?

We also spent ages going through all her bags of belly dancing gear and her trying to persuade me to join the classes with her. Well I certainly have the belly but I also lack a baby sitter so no can do just now, maybe when him indoors comes home I'll go give it a try even if just to get a shot of all those tinkerly charms and ankle bells. :)

Again sorry about the current lack of up to date pictures but as my laptop is out of order and eldest child has run off with my camera lead somewhere I'm stuck. I do however have lots and lots of things to share, photos of New York, all the goodies I've been getting at the charity shop, things I've made, bits and pieces I've been accumulating to ensure that this house is not a scrooge-fest this year. Wait till you see the two Xmas mugs I got for 65p each from the charity shop today :D

Saturday 22 November 2008

It's all white!

Yes it's snowing. We woke up this morning to white hills and by lunch time the flakes were coming down and turning my garden into a tidy white canvas (well until the dogs ran out in it)
The small people went to the beds tonight after watching more snow falling past the window and covering the road outside. It always looks so pretty until some stonking big car comes along and turns the snow into brown sludge. I'm sat here wrapped in one of the crochetted blankets that belonged to my grandmother that my mum brought up for me this trip and I'm trying to type on a keyboard that needs a darn good clean (most likely as this is the computer wee one likes to sit at while eating snacks and cutting things up that she shouldn't) as the to get the y to work I practically have to pound the key through the board.

Friday 21 November 2008

Things that happen in threes

* The internet has stopped working on my laptop
* The fuse blew so we were in darkness
* I woke up at 4.30am with a horrible pain then was up all night visiting the white porcelain god in the bathroom. :(

Yaaah fun times eh? Ah well musn't grumble I've had my washing and ironing done for me for the past 5 weeks while I've had my mum visiting with us. She went home today so it's back to the joys of ironing for me. Not! I apparently missed the joy of ironing gene. My mum loves to iron, the woman irons socks to gawds sake! Me? I'm more of the shake it and make sure you fold it properly straight off the line or out of the tumble dryer. I do iron clothes just not jumpers, knickers, socks, bras (yes I have witnessed her ironing a bra) towels or sheets if I can help it. Ah well I guess we all have our little things. :D

Due to being poorly I spent most of today in the land of nod. As soon as my mum left I went straight back to bed and only woke up when wee one had to ring the doorbell to get back in the house after school. So no crafting done today but I do have my Buy Nothing Swap stuff to post out tomorrow. And I've got a list of things I want to get done for Christmas so looks like I'll be busy busy busy.

Do you like my arty shot from the Wickerman festival?

Friday 14 November 2008

Jet lag is...

interesting to say the least. I had flown back into Scotland by 8am Tuesday morning, I was asleep by 12pm for a few hours and normal sleep on Tuesday night. Yesterday I couldn't open my eyes in the morning, was fine all day but then flaked out for an hour on the sofa in the evening to only wake up and go to bed by 9.30pm. And I NEVER EVER go to bed that early :D
Give me a day or two and I'll be back to bore you all with all my piccys of New York. We had a fanastic time and I definately intend on going back there one day. ;) Now it's 1.40am and I'm wide awake but I have been up since 7am and I have to get up again at 7am today so I better go bed now. x

Monday 3 November 2008

So good they named it twice

Yes that's right I have a taxi coming in a matter of hours to take me to the airport so I can fly off to the Big Apple :) Saturday night I threw a big surprise 40th birthday party for him indoors...he's still recovering but think that was due more to the alcohol than the surprise. Anyway that's mostly been why I've been so absent for ages so hard to blog when you're desparately trying not to give the game away. We have been up to lots of things, took the kids up to the Wickerman Festival at Archeolink and have lots of great photos to share but right now I need to try and get some sleep. See you in a week. :D

Friday 24 October 2008

Tense nervous headache?

No but I do have a very sore neck, sore wrists, sore shoulders and dry chapped cracked hands. I've been painting bedrooms, tidying up mess, working and I started putting big one's bed together tonight but had to stop as I'm just too darn tired.



Work again tomorrow and then my baby will be home. My youngest small person has been away for a wee holiday to London with her Nan. She's rang home pretty much every night and I'm looking forward to one of her great big huggles tomorrow.

So I guess the best place for me right now is bed so night night.


Photos are from our family holiday to Disney last year.

Monday 20 October 2008

Bit of a mad house

here (as usual) so hence why there's been no posting. Wee one is off to London in the morning with my Mother for a wee holiday so I'm hoping by the time they get back things will be a bit less hectic and messy :)

Ings for today



watching... Stephen Fry in America.

listening to... The Kings of Leon new CD Only By The Night.

eating... homemade spag bol.

shooting... for the stars.

buying... A new cd and some gorgeous new shoes.

selling... some of my bags when I get time to make some.

gossiping... with friends about something that cannot be spoken of.

completing... packing wee one's bag for her holidayh.

wondering... where all my interesting photos have disappeared to.


Did I ever tell you about the adventure I had turning this


into this



Ah well now there's a story for another day ;)

Monday 13 October 2008

Even in sickness we craft

Wee one is a bit better today, well that is she's not upchucked today. Her belly is really sore though and she's barely eaten. But despite all that she grabbed one of her craft books today and told me what she wanted to make and then she made me this.

Isn't it sweet? Bless her.

Big one and I spent some time today sorting out some of her stuff. Despite the fact that I was ready to cry once she'd filled the washing basket to overflowing after I'd just got it almost empty we did get a lot of stuff sorted. It's amazing how easily she can now part with stuff that not so long ago she couldn't bear to be without. But there's a big black bag full of things ready for the next charity shop drop. And look what I found in a box stuffed at the back of her wardrobe.

My old playmobile people. The doctor, the nurse and the stretcher bearer (no I have no idea why the nurse looks like she's wearing a tiara and the stretcher bearer a crown) unfortunately the stretcher wasn't with them but I remember the hours of fun I had with those three little people. Well there were no playstations, xboxes, DS lites etc in those days! LOL

Saturday was wee one's birthday party. She had it in the local puppet shop and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
This was her birthday cake that my friend from work made.

There was lots of dancing

And they got to put on their own shows.




Hey do you like the results of wee one's school project on the body? He has pride of place on my kitchen wall. I think he needs a name.

Have you ever seen a happier skeleton?



As well as helping big one get her room sorted I also decided to give the craft/computer/music room a tidy up. I bought some cardboard boxes from the local Lidl the other day so hopefully I'll stay a bit more organised. Now if I can just persuade the rest of the clan to do their bit around the rest of the house. Actually I'm impressed with myself, somedays I think I've done well if I've gotten the dishes washed but today I've cared for poorly wee one, crafted with her, helped big one with her room, sorted (some) of the multi-purpose room, done 4 loads of clothes washing, phoned the fridge/freezer people, left a message with the fireplace man AND washed the dishes.

I'll leave you now with the sky here at 6 o'clock this evening. I love full moons.


And as I have no fireplace yet this is my effort of making it a little more cosy.

Sunday 12 October 2008

Saturday night in.

Wee one's party was a success more on that later. Why am I still up now? Because wee one has spent the last couple of hours throwing up. :( I don't know if it's a case off too much excitement and too much sugar or if it's a bug. I guess the morning will tell. Anyway in the meantime...

I am: worried about wee one. But I was tempted to burst into song there with I am what I am. I am my own special creation

I think: too much.

I know: that the party was success,lots of happy kids went home today.

I have: a feeling I won't be getting much sleep.

I wish: for a tidy house but the housework fairy seems to be on strike.

I hate: hate is a strong word.

I miss: my Daddy

I fear: anything bad happening to my small people.

I hear: big one just getting up to go to the bathroom, hopefully she's not feeling ill too.

I smell: cleaning products.

I crave: sleep.

I search: for things all the time.

I wonder: if wee one's going to be better in the morning.

I regret: too many things.

I love: My beautiful children and him indoors.

I ache: all over, there was a lot of jumping around done at the party today.

I am not: alone even if I do feel like it sometimes.

I believe: that dreams can be turned into reality.

I dance: usually in the kitchen, me and the smalls have regular crazy dance sessions as we're waiting on things cooking.

I sing: lots but often wonder how do I only know the words when the song is playing but don't know them when it's not. :/

I cry: sometimes too much and sometimes too little.

I fight: to keep life to the normal standard that those I love are used to.

I win: if I'm lucky.

I lose: things all the time, I put something down and then it's gone, then it turns up in the strangest place.

I never: eat peas, disgusting green things. This is due to childhood trauma when I was constantly made to eat the bloody things.

I always: stay up too late.

I confuse: myself, on a daily basis.

I listen: music, music, music as much as I can.

I can usually be found: around ;)

I am scared: clowns...don't laugh!

I need: a warm drink it's cold sitting here.

I am happy about: plans.

I imagine: again with the wanting to burst into song but seriously I imagine a house that's not like a building site, kids bedrooms that are kept tidy and a nice new practical kitchen.

All's quiet so I'm going to try get some shut eye now. Night night.

Saturday 11 October 2008

Unsuccessful

Well I had my interview this morning and it seemed to go really well. I was the first interviewee and the Rector informed me that there had been a high number of applicants for the posts. Everything seemed to go well but as you can see from my post title I didn't get the job. He phoned me this evening to say that they'd decided to give the jobs (there were 2 posts available) to 2 applicants who are already working as SFL Auxilarys BUT I interviewed very well, I had obviously put a lot of thought into my interview (no I hadn't) and that without a shadow of a doubt they knew that they would have been happy to have me working alongside them. But still no job. Ah well I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I can understand that it is easier for them to employ people who are already trained to do the job but if the reason I didn't get the job is because I don't have the experience/training then how am I going to get it if I don't get the job :/

Anyway tomorrow (saturday) is wee one's birthday day part at the local puppet shop and I've party bags and party food to organise in the morning so I best be off to my bed. Was out tonight saying bye to my friend I mentioned yesterday who is off to Afghanistan but came home very early for me as I'm exhausted and really didn't fancy the idea of being out too late drinking too much and then having to cope with a room full of 8 year olds tomorrow :)

Thursday 9 October 2008

Nerves and picture overload

The nerves are because I have my interview tomorrow and I am soooo tired because I'm not sleeping again. My brain is not reknowned for being at its best when I'm this tired so I'll probably come across as a bumbling idiot tomorrow. :/

Anyway I've been a bit lax with putting any pictures on my blog for a while so here goes.

A teapot cosy that I made for my OYP Halloween swap. My first teapot cosy :D


A wee pincushion for the same swap...it's he a cutey?


My new coat I know a certain lady will like this as it is her favourite colour ;)
Isn't it gorgeous? There's a new shop opened in the village and it totally stocks the kind of things that I like and that the Stepford Mums will run screaming from LMAO


I've been doing lots of painting and sanding lately and I thought I'd share with you one wee project that I did with a tin of blackboard paint and some pictures that no longer have a home.




So looks like I'm up for a busy weekend, tomorrow is interview, work and then out to see off a friend who is deploying off to Afghanistan. So I'll be asking for ideas for care packages soon so get your thinking caps on please.

Saturday is wee one's birthday party after which she's got 2 friends coming home with us for a sleep over. Did I mention that I'm not sleeping, well I guess I won't be getting much of it this weekend anyway :D

Tuesday 7 October 2008

Happy Birthday my wee one


8 years old today. Good grief the years have flown by, it doesn't seem to long ago that I held in my arms for the first time and big one was beside herself with joy that she had a baby sister.
I haven't been online so much as I've been up to my armpits in paint (well not literally but my hands have had the odd splatter her and there) The living room is painted and today I got wee one's room painted and the bunk bed moved through to her room. Tonight my girls are sharing a room because the next room getting blitzed is big one's. Oh and I've got wee one's party at the weekend so party food and party bags need sorting.
Oh and guess what! I've got an interview on Friday for the SFL job....ahhh!!!

Sunday 21 September 2008

Laid back weekend

Instead of spending too many hours on the other side of the bar spending all my wages on Friday night I stayed in with the girls and me and big one did a circular jigsaw :) Was nice spending time doing something together especially as she spends most of her time shut away in her room these days.
Saturday we had to be up bright and early as wee one had neglected to bring a party invite home and we were reminded about it Friday night. So Saturday morning me and her rushed into town to buy a present and she managed to wangle a complete party outfit out of me too LOL
Once the party was over (after me and big one had to go early as wee one was upset, I spent time at the party trying to help out with other girls tears and tantrums and lending an ear to my friend who was hosting the party and regretting it) the three of us went off to get some paint and boy did we buy some. :) Undercoat and top coat for the newly plastered living room, paint for each of the girls bedrooms and a tin of what promises to magnetic blackboard paint. Oh yeah I bought new rollers, paint stripper and some suger soap too. Empty purse moments LOL
I really need too get my arse into gear and get my OYP Halloween special swap finished and in the post, plus I owe two dear friends over in America some baby vests and if I don't hurry up they'll have grown too big to fit into them. Least I got all the washing and ironing out of the way this afternoon... off now to try out the lovely new egyptian cotton bath sheets that I sneaked into my basket out shopping yesterday. ;)

Thursday 18 September 2008

Zzzzzzz

That was me this morning. Got up with the smalls got them off to school then sat down with my book and a cup of tea and zonk asleep. Woke up in a panic as I had to get to work URGENTLY!
I guess not sleeping so well does that to a girl eh?

Wednesday 17 September 2008

I did it!

I actually applied for a job today, not that I'm saying bar work isn't a proper job but hopefully this new job will be one where I don't get sworn at, leered at, molested or have disgusting sexual references made to me on a regular basis. But then who knows some people seem to think teenagers are a terrible lot these days LOL
No seriously it's a job up at the High School as a SFL (Support For Learning) and it will mean that I will finally use the qualifications that I actually have. So fingers crossed I get an interview, then fingers crossed I don't mess it up, then fingers crossed I get the job :D

Craftwise I've nothing to share :( Been working too many hours, the house is still in chaos due to having the living room walls replastered. And there are no swaps over on Craftster that are luring me in at the moment. Guess I should get on with my Xmas gifts then. Ha de ha de ha.

Wednesday 10 September 2008

Fed up with junk mail?

then do what I do. Take all their annoying envelopes and recycle them into envelopes that are actually useful.

Step 1. Take an annoying junk mail envelope (


Step 2. Very carefully take the envelope apart, you can usually manage this just be delicately pulling but have a craft knife handy incase it starts to tear.


Step 3. Fold all sides back on them selves so in effect you are turning the envelope inside out. Then glue sides together, carefully we don't want the envelope stuck together completely.


Step 4. Voila...one perfectly good envelope that can now be used for a far better purpose than sending off for loans or credit cards or the such like.


I use a wee bit of glue to stick the envelope down when I'm posting it off and if you're going to try to re-use envelopes that have your own address on them remember to black it out for your own data protection ;)

Keep doing this and you will never run out of envelopes for sending fun things like cards and letters or paying school dinner money or out of school subs :D And they look so cool too!

Tuesday 9 September 2008

It's wet

and cold and once again I have no living room. In fact I have no living room, no kitchen, hardly any craft space and a sofa propped up on the hall wall by the front door! Yep sounds fun eh? But it will all be worth it once the plastering is finished and I can begin my decorating and then we will have a lovely cosy living room to be proud of :)

Ings for today


watching... wee one enjoying her new cheerleading class

listening to... the radio.

eating... bacon butties.

shooting... pictures of drunken friends.

buying... As little as possible.

selling... my time to the highest bidder.

gossiping... well a friend rang me today to tell me some gossip that I would rather not have know.

completing... printing off an application form for another job.

wondering... how much stuff I can throw away/recycle without him indoors noticing.

Too cold to sit in here anymore, I'm off to get my jimmies on and put my cold feet on him indoors ;)

Thursday 4 September 2008

The night of little sleep

Him indoors went out for his wednesday night lads night out last night. It's what they do when they're all home from work, why a wednesday? no I don't know why either! Anyway 3am this morning the dogs alerted me to the fact that he was home. 4am I woke up to find him staring at my wardrobe door, yes I asked him what he was doing. His reply "I'm just standing here" Me: "Are you coming back to bed?" Him: "I'm just standing here" Ok then :/
Needless to say I wasn't too thrilled when the alarm went off this morning, ah well least he had a good lie in LOL
Took the bag for my friend into work today and she was really thrilled with it which was lovely. You know how it is how you always worry that 'they' won't like what you've handmade for them. She told me that when she got home from work her kitten climbed straight inside it :) Her son was on strict instructions that as soon as the kitten emerged he was to take the bag and put it in her wardrobe away from the cats and their claws.
Tomorrow we're having a girls night out to celebrate her birthday so that should be a good laugh.

Good news both my Go Green Recycle Swap and my Days of the Week Undies partners have both received. Yah!
My shots of the undies are on the other camera but for now this is what I sent for the recycle swap.


Josie is off to Uni so she wanted this for her room, so these are two empty spaghetti hoop tins (aren't I such a gourmet mum!) made into pen/pencil/brush/bit and pieces holders.



This is a neckwarmer knitted from thrifted and left over (from other projects) wool.




A stationary set. The paper is surplus paper brought home by a neighbour from their office, the envelopes were made out of magazine pages and the box is one that I had a gift in and have had on the shelf forever.


Pencil case made from an old skirt and the pencils were out of the art box (yes that wooden box that I spent forever sanding the other day)


A tote bag made from the fantastic curtain that I bought in the charity shop.


A wee make up bag made from said curtain and I filled it up with all the airline bits and pieces that him indoors brings home from his flights.

Well thats all folks :)

Wednesday 3 September 2008

Did someone mention credit crunch? Is that a new topping?

Yep did the weekly shop today and him indoors nearly choked on the receipt, you can who does the shopping on their own usually can't you? But oddly enough he didn't look phased at all when we were pricing up fireplaces, hearths and grates this morning, and that was definately a lot more than a weeks shopping! This is the hole in the wall that we currently have


attractive eh? Actually the whole thing was hidden behind plaster board, wood panelling, a 1970's gas fire and surround until recently. Now we've had the original (very very old) wall repointed and we're on the search for something nice and chunky and that will look just right.

Craftily before his lordship dragged himself and the shopping trolley round the supermarket I got him to agree to buy this first and take it out to the car. Can you imagine...I'd probably have had to pick him up off the floor if it had been added on to the food bill :D

My last food processor lasted me 12 years but then I didn't actually use it for the first 2 so I guess I should say lasted me 10 years. Anyway as they don't make things like they use to I guess I should think myself lucky if this one keeps going past it's guarantee date. God I sound so old!

Tomorrow is the birthday of my friend (who I also work with) and my old next door neighbours eldest girl. So this evening I made these, hopefully they like them. Big one says they're cool so I guess that's a good thing, for something to impress a teenager must be ok eh?