We didn't make the snowflakes but...

I did make all of these.

Christmas was.... well let's just say it was not one of our usual ones but with my job I guess that was to be expected.

I'm exhausted physically and emotionally but I am counting down the days to a whole week's leave. Hopefully that will help me start 2012 with a bit of va va voom. I'm determined that I'm going to rock 2012 and it's going to the year I make good things happen. Wish me luck.

Busy bee

That's me!

Ok obviously I'm not actually a real bee, this was one that I managed to snap quickly on my old point and shoot digi camera (wish I had a better camera - one day maybe but it's at the end of a very long list) while the kids were playing at the park.

I'm currently fostering a young lad who needs a LOT of attention so my computer time has gone from hours and hours to mere seconds. :) So I'll probably not be around as much for a wee while until things settle down and routines get put in place.
It was a lovely sunny day here yesterday but I see that there was a lot of rain everywhere else, mind you we had a full day of rain on Saturday so when the sun came out to play yesterday we went paddling in the sea and making the most of it because it'll probably be rain again tomorrow.

Today I had to be a grown up

Today I had to put on smart clothes.
Today I had to answer lots of questions.
Today I had huge mammoth winged butterflies in my tummy.
Today I ...........


went before a panel and was approved to be a Foster Carer.


Yaay!!!


It's something I've been working hard on over the last year, preparing us, preparing the house, reading thousands of books about all sorts of terrible things and oodles of research on wonderful things too. Filling in form after form after form. Baring my soul and everything that's happened to me in the last 41 years.


It's been exhausting, exciting, un nerving, interesting and emotional.

But it's been good and now I'm nervous and excited about what will happen next on our journey.

So that was my Thursday, how was yours?

I've got brain itch

You know that sensation when you've got a whole lot of ideas bouncing around in your brain, so many that they're causing a buzzing sensation that in turn causes an itch.

I've too many ideas and not enough energy or time to do it all.
I've been trying to design my next tatt for ages and all of a sudden a totally different tatt has entered my head, so now I'm trying to come up with the design for two new tatts. I have 6 already but they're all fairly small, these two are big uns.
I'm trying to sort out my craft room which still looks like the temple of doom, well it feels like it. If you move something then something else falls on you.
I'm trying to build up the energy and find the time to rip out the fitted wardrobes and carpet in my room but this also involves clearing out my bedroom plus finding the money to pay for new walls and new fitted wardrobes, oh and new flooring.
I'm trying to help big one through her exams. She's got her last one this Friday. Hooray!!!! She's in 4th year and taking her Standard Grades which are basically your GCSE's down in England and Wales.

AND

As you may have read in my previous post 'The You Know Who You Are Letter' you may have guessed that I might be having a bathroom refit. Well I'm hoping you assumed that and didn't just think I had a random bath on my patio. :)
So the work on it started over 3 weeks ago, they guy I've got doing it is a friend of a friend. He's a great guy and very particular about everything being perfect, which is unfortunate in this house as none of the walls are straight in fact not even the window is in straight! Anyway what with the extra work, his various other commitments it's felt like this has been going on forever but the end is in sight. My friend (who's his friend) was going to give me a hand to tile the bathroom to try and save me some money but she turned up one day but was called away. So I've done a wee bit but the very nice man has done the rest. Bills going to be bigger now but the tiles will look a whole lot better around the window than if I'd been left to it. LOL But I'm helping him out where I can as a fetcher and carrier, holder and drinks maker so I've not been able to get much else done.
I will be sharing pictures with you as soon as it's finished. I just wanted to be able to do the whole before and after shots so you can all gasp and coo appropriately. Trust me the before was grim and I've been living with that for nearly 8 years.

So that's why my brain is feeling all itchy but there is no q-tip big enough in the world to reach right in there to scratch it.

Fat, Forty and feeling Flat

Yep that's me. I'm now officially ancient, well so the small people tell me :)

The only bit of my birthday that I got to do that I actually wanted to do was have my smalls with me. But hey ho, so on and so forth, blah blah and bleugh.

I've handed my notice in at work and feel sooooo much better for it. Just waiting now to find out if I finish this friday or next friday. Fingers crossed it's this friday! I have a million things zooming about in my head that I want to do once I'm home. The small people are happy knowing that soon Mum will be waiting for them when they get back from school, family meals will become the norm again and we can all spend more time together.

Despite having a pleasant enough birthday and being happy about giving up my job I seem to have a wee dark cloud bobbing about over my head again today. Winter blues I guess, fed up of snow and ice and being cold and they say there's more of it all coming! I still have 2 swap parcels sat here not sent. I will never ever be allowed to join another blog swap ever and quite rightly. I apologise and they will be with you (you know who you are) if I have to walk to your houses to deliver them. My house is a mess. I can't see my bedroom floor for boxes and bags, all things that have been dumped there from everywhere else. My craft room - well I know it's in the house somewhere but it seems to have either been sucked into a black hole or it's that really messy room that anyone passing seems to dump things into. And no my craft room and bedroom are not one and the same room but actually two different rooms. :(

Anyway enough gumping (moaning) watching the news brings home the fact that I really don't have anything to actuaily moan about. So next post? Happy things....I promise

Oh one bonus...My Mother finally went home - after 4 1/2 weeks here! :D

Swollen ankles

and no I'm not pregnant. That would be a miracle beyound all reasonable doubt! LOL
I am however just plain exhausted. I work 7-8 hour shifts at the pub so am on my feet constantly for that amount of time, no I don't get breaks or a lunch hour and yes I know that is wrong. But it is what it is and my poor legs and feet are paying the price. Usually by the end of my shift my feet and ankles are throbbing but it's bearable, however this last week my ankles have rebelled and where my ankles were there is now just a straight line from my foot up to my calf :( Ouch, ouch and bloody ouch! So any advice, remedies will be gratefully received. I do try to sit down and put my feet up but invariably with the 2 small people, dog and the never ending housework that's not always something I can do within the first couple of hours of getting home.
And yes the housework


image source www.uglyhousephotos.com

Yep that's what I'll be doing this weekend....housework! No they are not actual images of my house but inside my head it feels like it could be.

But just like the news I'll leave you with a happy note, I'm crafting, knitting actually. Oh yes I am. I saw something that a friend made, thought oooh that's nice...I wonder. She said go, do! So I am and big one has already claimed it even though it's not even half way done. :) Oh and wee one has put in her order for the next one.

How to tell your husband wants to make you happy

he takes you to Ikea. Ok that probably doesn't sound very exciting to a lot of you city girls but if I tell you the last time I set foot in an Ikea was 2006 and before that was sometime around 2002 then you'll understand how I get a bit giddy.
I was actually amazing restrained for someone who doesn't get her fix very often. We did invest in some lovely new glass plates and big one and I bought a metre of some lovely bird fabric. Yes of course there were some other bits and bobs that found their way into my trolley but that darn marketplace is just too tempting.

I'm busy busy finishing off my Spring/Easter Swap things for my lovely partner MadMummy and then we're off for a visit to the family down in Wales next week. Plus of course I still have work, the smalls are off school and I'm still practically jumping on the postman every morning to see if there is any news yet about the job I went for over 2 weeks ago!

I realise that I didn't put a cut off date for my giveaway so I will now. As I said I'll be away so I will draw the giveaway on Monday 20th April. I will include your name for every comment you have left me from the original giveaway post till the 20th.

Well...

it would seem that I managed to let my 2nd blogiversary slip by with no notice at all. So I have to rectify that so I'm doing a giveaway to celebrate 2 years of having somewhere to let my brain splurge, to celebrate the lovely friends I've made along the way and to celebrate the fact that we are now officially into Spring. So if you would like to enter my giveaway please leave me a comment about anything you like really. But I warn you now the prize will consist of at least one of my stencilled shirts (plus other things I find to throw in the bag) so you will have to tell me your shirt size. I will however not expect you to announce that in the general comments section, only the winner will need to let me know. ;)

Just a few examples of things I've stencilled before...







I am also extremely happy to share with you all the lovely things I received from the lovely Steph over at MadMummy I have to say a big huge THANK YOU to Steph, she has some amazing sewing skills and really gave me some gorgeous things. Also a heartfelt THANK YOU to the lovely Catherine at MollyCupcakes for organising the Heart Swap.

Ok with out any further to do here are the lovely lovely things that are now all mine.

Look how pretty everything was wrapped.



WOW! Steph said she'd read about my tattoos on my blog so thought this material would be appropriate. Is it ever!! :D


Pretty pretty things...


My package to her has arrived but numpty that I am I didn't remember to take pictures of everything before I sent it. :( Hopefully Steph will though. :)
We are also partners in Fairie Nuff's Spring Swap so I'm cracking on with that now.

Right still no word from the big job interview so keep your fingers crossed for that no news is good news. This weekend has been a long one especially as I was working Saturday night at a wedding function so that change in the clocks was NOT any fun I can tell you.

Oh I just have to share with you my latest favourite joke.

Q. How do you make Lady Gaga cry?
A. Pokerface (poke her face)

Well ok my 8 year old likes it.

All things bright and beautiful

but I can't get my camera to download onto my computer for some strange reason. :(
So all pictures today will be old ones that I've rooted around in my folders for and not the lovely pictures of the gorgeous goodies that Mrs TwiggyPeaSticks sent me Thank you sweetie! or what 20 years worth of magazines looks like stacked up in my living room OR the shelf that I cleared off the tv that no one watched and placed my pretty cake stand and lovely daffodils on. As Father Jack would say ARSE! or more likely something much ruder.



Thank you everyone for all your good wishes and good lucks. I'm trying to keep it all in perspective and I even went to sign up wee one at the breakfast and after school club this afternoon so I don't have to worry about her childcare for the day of my interview. She's very excited as she's been dying to go to the after school club for soooooo long.



Well as my camera is still not playing ball I thought I'd do something that I have done for a good while.


The ings


watching... The film Picture Perfect with Jennifer Anniston just started but I won't be watching it all, far too tired.

listening to... random bangs and slams coming from upstairs, eldest small person is getting ready for bed.

eating... A bowl of Crunchy Nut Clusters.

shooting... lots of pictures of all the lovely things Mrs TwiggyPeaSticks sent me.

buying... today I didn't buy anything :D but as you all know I've been on a bit of a button buying session lately.

selling... nothing just now got swapsie things to make.

gossiping... Me gossip? Nope.

completing... some clearing out, has the spring cleaning begun I wonder?

wondering... how I can fit 8 days worth of things to do into 2 days.

OMG OMG OMG OMG

I got an interview!! Well I had a letter informing with their pleasure that I have been shortlisted and am invited to the selection process. :o But it's not just an interview, oh no, I also have 2 tests to look forward to. Tests! What happened to the days when you just gave the a copy of your qualifications and they asked you lots of questions and then you either got the job or you didn't? Tests! Least I don't have to give a presentation as I did a while back for another interview. That was scary. So I've got a week to read up, research and try and keep myself calm. Oh and get something smart to wear, working part time in a pub and being a sahm means I don't have a lot of suits in my wardrobe :D

Stand back....

my stomach feels like it's going to explode!
My mum bought us a waffle maker and tonight we had waffles again. This time it was big fluffy ones and my god they are filling.


A customer commented to me last night that I have lost weight. Think he might change his mind if he could see my tummy just now LOL
That's where I seem to have spent my week so far....work. But I guess the extra money will be handy as apparently a pint of lager costs roughly £4.50 over in Denmark. :o
This morning I spent hours filling out an application form for a full time job. I'm not going to say too much as I don't want to jinx myself but it's in the field that I was in before I took the career break with the kids and yes it would mean less crafting time but ah well I probably shouldn't set my hopes up too high.

Other news is that I had a lot of the books I had on order for ages from the library arrive today.
The librarian did double check that I still wanted this one.

"Of course!" I replied. Well to be fair to her I have had it on order since an age before Xmas but at least now I've got plenty of time to read it and save the recipes I want to try for next Xmas. :D

I have a lot of inspiration to look forward to, here are two of the other books now in my possession. Well for a few weeks.


I didn't realise how lucky I am that I can request books for free with my library, I didn't know there was a charge with other librarys. To be honest I think that's terrible, isn't the whole point of the library that it is a way to get books for free? Plus if people don't request them to be brought to their local library the interesting books just all sit in one library forever. Our local library is only a wee thing and is only open for 2 hours, 5 days a week but the staff are brilliant.

As I've had my Mum staying up with us I've had chance for her to sit with me and refresh my very rusty crochetting skills. With a bit (lot) more practice I'm hoping that I might just be able to produce something half decent sometime this year.

I am so looking forward to sharing something very sweet with you tomorrow, till then here are my favourite outside flowers.


And thanks to everyone who sent big one birthday wishes. She had all her hair cut off today into a funky short style. Now she looks even more grown up! :)

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!!!!

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.

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 :)

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

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!!!

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.