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Archive : December 2009
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Funky bird wall hanging
We're taking the Christmas decs down tomorrow or the next day and I was thinking I'd like something bright and cheerful to hang up in place of the sparkly things on the wall :) So, I rummaged in my scrap fabric bag and made this:
I thought it looked quite cute! The bird was from a template from Wee Folk Art and the fabric for the birds and the checked background came from 4 of April's outgrown dresses - I especially love the big flowery bird at the bottom! To give it a slightly rustic look, I finished off with a small branch I found in the garden and all I need to do now is add some string so that it can be hung on the wall - very cheerful! :)
All that's left for me to say now is happy new year - we are (as usual on new years eve) having a quiet evening in with nibbly food, bubbly and Jools Holland on the telly. I'm refusing to jump on the stupid "make resolutions" bandwagon - it is the most pointless exercise ever. I know what sort of things I'd like to do in the coming year but I don't need to write them down and it's not the end of the world if I don't do them. I think people get too hung up on resolution setting and then end up beating themselves up if they don't stick to them - waste of time. I think it's partly my age that's making me take this attitude - I turn 40 next July and that's pretty big :) The thing about turning that age is (and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in feeling this), that you suddenly think "what the hell" about just about everything. Suddenly, the silly, stupid stuff doesn't matter any more because you're not a little kid anymore, you're actually grown up and you realise that you CAN be yourself. Take something as basic as clothes - for YEARS I've fussed over my clothes and fretted over what to wear. I've always loved girly skirts and dresses but nearly always ended up in jeans because - I don't know - people think you're "too dressed up" or "too girly" if you wear dresses/skirts all the time. A fair while back though I thought "I'm done with this" - I'm sick of cramming my curvy, hourglass body into jeans and feeling like a sack of spuds. I LOOK better in more feminine stuff and I FEEL better. I struggled all through my teens and for most of my twenties and thirties fretting over fashion - well, no more. I genuinelly couldn't care less what people think and that applies to other things as well - I feel like one hell of a more relaxed, laid back person :)
Well, phew *laughs*.
That all said, happy new year anyway - hope everyone gets off to a healthy, cheerful and worry-free start .......... and stays that way! :)
Catch you in the new decade.
Edited on: Thursday, December 31, 2009 5:41 PM
Categories: Crafts
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
First attempts with sewing machine!
After spending about a day reading through the manual and learning how to thread the machine, I finally sat down and did my first attempts at actually sewing on it :) First I made a little drawstring bag:
Then, feeling a bit braver, I went ahead and made a tshirt dress for April. This was a simple beginner project because most of the dress is already made! I took one of her old tshirts and some material I had in my fabric scrap bag and it turned out pretty nice :)
Here is April modelling it
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
So that was Christmas
Goodness! It goes quick doesn't it?! I'm not going to do a complete write-up - too much happened and I'd be here for ever! Just going to do some pictures with a few comments. We all got fabulous stuff this year - I did get my cute pink flip top phone but, sadly, we seem to have a problem getting a signal on it - not sure what it will be like outside but indoors it's a bit frustrating. Anyway .... here goes!
My finished cake! Yes, we had a bit of a Winnie the Pooh theme going on this year (thanks to April!) I wanted something a bit more "arty" but .. ahem... well, here it is.
I cannot tell you how overjoyed April was with this and the Iggle Piggle she got as well.
Christmas "do's"
Christmas morning mayhem!
Oh ... my ... goodness! A feast of cuteness - I got the bag from Tim and the cuddly from Rosie :) I do love Hello Kitty!
More of my bits - Tim got me embroidery hoops - I really did need them so was very happy!
April, Rosie and me all got new craft boxes - mine in a minute!
You can never have too much bubble wrap I always say *laughs*
My mum in law got me this! I'm beyond excited! It's an old one but it's fab - no longer will I have to sew everything by hand! To go with this, she got me this:
My craft box courtesy of my sister in law - those drawers are FULL to the brim with card making/scrapbooking stuff. I'm in craft heaven.
Tim got an adapter thing so that he can use his Nintendo controllers on the computer, a huge box set of Start Trek dvd's, a set of posh kitchen knives in a sharpener block (handy next time we have an argument - I jest!!!), leather gloves, various kitchen stuff, a Charlie Brooker book and ... ummm.. I forget!
Rosie was thrilled with all her pressies - Sims Gamecube game, Harry Potter, G-Force and Goonies dvd's, Eragon books, science magic set, art box and loads of clothes. April had her craft box, Night Garden things, Peppa pig and Night Garden annuals, Lego, puzzles and books and more things that I can't remember.
Of course, we all ate FAR too much - actually, I say all but I mean Tim who is currently suffering from chronic indigestion! We shall be plodding our way through the Christmas cake WELL into the new year!
Now we're having the quiet time until the new year :)
Hope everyone had a lovely, lovely Christmas!
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
Hope everyone has a good time :)
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Are we excited yet?
Oooo yes! I read somewhere a quote that says that it's very sad to wake up on Christmas day and not be a child. I disagree! I've never lost the excitement of Christmas - yes, I'm a bit childish - I love the magical twinkly lights and the cooking and the crafts and choosing presents for people. Yes, of course, I love getting presents but I do genuinelly adore seeing other people open theirs - especially Tim. I get ridiculously, childishly excited knowing that I've brought him something that he would really, really want and then hopping about waiting for him to open it!
Of course, the build up to Christmas is probably one of the best bits, particularly when Tim comes back from the shops with this:
This is a little itty-bitty bottle especially for New Years eve because we usually end up wasting a load as we only have a glass to celebrate. This is just SO cute! Got to get another one for Christmas day yet :) Incidentally, a little aside note - long term readers may remember my old cat Mo? Well his "proper" name was Moet (aaah! can't make the dots above the e!) because, when he was a tiny kitten he was exactly the same VERY pale, beige colour as a glass of this rather lovely bubbly :)
This, however, is a full size version! Could not be otherwise because I love, love, love Baileys! See that red bow? That is actually a hairband - not sure why Baileys put festive hairbands on their bottles this year but it's very sweet and, yes, I am going to wear it on Christmas day!
..... by the way, sorry about the blurry photos - I SWEAR I haven't opened the drinks yet! Just having a bad-photo day!
Here was our tree last night. We like to turn off the main lights and just have the fairy lights and candles going - very pretty and magical :) Rather a huge stack of pressies too!
I finished making these for me and Tim - not exactly Christmassy colours but I wanted to use some scraps I had in my fabric bag. We're going out shopping for stocking fillers for each other this afternoon ... hopefully (see below!)
So, maybe stocking filler shopping ... hmmm. Well, Tim wasn't supposed to be going in to work again until Thursday so we'd kind of planned the rest of this week with shopping and other preparations. Now, if they had told him at the end of last week that they would need him then we would have planned everything around that. Instead, they phoned up late yesterday afternoon and asked him and we've had to rearrange everything (he's probably got to go in tomorrow as well). Thing is, it was pretty busy last week so there was EVERY possibility that it would be busy this week to so why the heck didn't they just ask him to come in anyway?! *rolls eyes*. He was mildly irritated and told them that he would come in but only for the morning as we had stuff planned which we flipping well do! HOPEFULLY, he'll be home by lunch time and then we can go out .... all depends on how much he's got to deliver and where they decide to send him. Probably be all the way to Swanage knowing his luck .... it has been known.
I told him that if we didn't get done all that we needed to do because of them suddenly needing him in then I would phone up and complain - he laughed, I think he'd like to see that!
Edited on: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 10:41 AM
Categories: Crafts, Seasonal
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Sunday, December 20, 2009
Lots done
A very lovely pre-Christmas day today :) I spent quite a lot of it doing festive type things - wrapping a few pressies (stocking fillers for the kids), sewing stockings for me and Tim (yes, rather cutely, we're having them this year too), making and freezing sausage rolls and sticking Christmas dvd's on for April to watch.
Right now I'm waiting for Tim to get back home from doing the lessons and carols at church - he looked as gorgeous as ever going off in his smart white shirt and black trousers, apparently, they'd asked him to wear a colourful bowtie as well *laughs*, he doesn't own ANY bowties, never mind a colourful one! Wish he'd hurry up though - got a very yummy smelling chicken, mushroom and white wine casserole in the slow cooker and I'm hungry!
Tomorrow there is more shopping to be done including some Christmas food I believe :)
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas bikkies
April and I had a very quiet day (well, morning - Tim was back just after lunch!) and we made some Christmas cookies. We both enjoyed getting messy with the icing pens decorating them!
I've decided that it's now close enough to Christmas to put my little "Happy Christmas" picture in the sidebar. The little kitty in the Santa hat is very cute :)
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For heaven's sake what is wrong with me?!
Just watched a kids programme on telly with April. It's about a little penguin that ends up miles away from home and staying with this little boy. Eventually, the boy realises that he has to take the penguin home to the south pole and so they go on this long journey together and become bestest buddies and so on.
My lip was wobbling throughout the whole thing but right at the end when the boy had dropped the penguin off and was rowing sadly away and the narrator says "it's very hard to say goodbye to someone who has been a big part of your life" ... that was it, I burst into tears and April looked at me like I'd gone quite mad.
Bit over-emotional today I'd say. Turned the telly over to Cbeebies now and watch the Numberjacks - lot less tear-jerking!
Honestly, what a silly-billy I am today!
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Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmassy Bournemouth
So, we went off for our little trip into Bournemouth this evening. The snow that we'd had earlier had all gone but it was FREEZING so we didn't stay very long. The kids were ecstatic to discover an old fashioned merry-go-round and poor old Tim got roped into taking them on that (April wasn't tall enough to ride on her own). Normally, that sort of thing would be my job but I was wearing a rather too-tight pencil skirt (but oooo! so gorgeously velvety and warm) and there is NO way I'd have been able to get on the horse! Actually, look out right at the beginning of the little video below of me wiggling around in that *laughs* Apart from the merry-go-round, there were some rather chilly looking barbershop singers, a TOTALLY packed beer place and some little wooden chalet things selling a variety of stuff. There was a huge Christmas tree and a funny Father Christmas climbing a pole - I have to be honest and say I really couldn't make out initially if it was a real person or not! Maybe I was having a dense moment .. again, listen out in the vid for me and Tim having a little giggle over that one!
After we'd done in Bournemouth Square, we headed off to a place in Poole where we'd been told about a whole street where everyone decorates the outside of their houses! We actually couldn't believe it but oh my god! it was real! Tim took some film of it and it's right at the end of the video - honestly, it just doesn't do it justice!
Anyway, enjoy the pretty lights, the lovely singing, the weird pole-dancing father christmas and the crackers decorated houses ... and Tim's slightly shakey camera work!
Edited on: Friday, December 18, 2009 10:11 PM
Categories: Places, Seasonal
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Woohoo!!
It's snowing! It's snowing!
So excited! :)
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Fairy lights, away!
Oh dear, our fairy lights on the christmas tree have stopped working - just sent Tim out to buy some more and will now have to dismantle everything and put the new lights on! Pooey!
Got a busy few days coming up so having a quiet day today before we "plunge in". Tim's back at work tomorrow and then he's got choir practice in the evening. Friday evening we're doing our trip into Bournemouth for the lights and stuff. Saturday, Rosie's out at Swanage all day and Tim's at work so it'll just be me and April at home (thinking we might spend some of the time making some festive cookies together). Sunday, Tim is at church TWICE (once in the morning and then again in the evening)!
Somewhere in all this I've got to finish wrapping presents, marzipan and ice the christmas cake, make and freeze some sausage rolls, get all the washing done (damned if I'm doing laundry over christmas!) and declutter and clean the kids rooms (I'm putting that one off for as long as possible - it's a nightmare).
Right, off for a cuppa - and to drag April back indoors. She's been out playing in the sandpit, obviously well wrapped up, but it's freezing out there and I think it's time to come in!
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Brains of Britain
...or maybe not.
Yesterday evening we dropped Rosie off at the Littledown (where, it has to be noted, that she did her Guide promise!) and headed off to Tesco over the road. The main plan was to get Rosie's little stocking filler presents while she wasn't there.
What followed was a ridiculous scenario - we wandered round Tesco MOSTLY getting things for April who WAS there and, consequently, we had to hide stuff in the trolly without her seeing! If we'd have stuck to the original plan we wouldn't have had to do this! Duh!
We got home, unpacked the shopping and found only a few things for Rosie and loads and loads for April *rolls eyes*. Oh well, all is not lost - Rosie is going to Swanage with grandma and grandpa on Saturday so we're hoping to pop to the local shops (when Tim gets home from work) and definately get Rosie's pressies then!
Work up this morning feeling inordinately stressed out ... for no apparent reason. Having "a relax" now as Tim has gone to the Council (lucky him), Rosie is in the shower (she got up late!) and April is playing quietly. So, to take advantage of this temporary lull I'm having hot chocolate (oh yum!) and blogging and watching the birds on the bird feeder out the window and just relaxing for 5 minutes. :)
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
Cards and printers and toes
I finished making my Christmas cards today (nearly forgot about them!) - they turned out really pretty, lots of gold and silver paint and glitter (naturally!):
The kids also made their own as Rosie has made a family postbox to put in our hallway. The idea is that we can make cards and little gifts and draw pictures and stuff, write who they're to and put them in the box. Then, on Christmas day, Rosie is going to open the box and "deliver" the post :)
Yesterday - forgot to mention this in previous blog post - I found out what was wrong with our dead printer.
Erm.... yeah .... oh dear
The inside is completely covered in black ink and, obviously, the outside where the ink has seeped out through the joins. It would appear to be a cartridge explosion or something! Yuk, I ended up with stained hands after moving it to the computer part graveyard a.k.a the garage.
I had a far more unpleasant experience than getting black ink on my hands though. When I knelt down on the floor to have a look at the printer I managed to bend back the toenail on my big toe. Now, this was bad enough (sooo painful!) but when I looked down at it, there was blood oozing out from under the nail! Aaaarggh! I'd actually ripped it so far back that it pulled up from the skin underneath! To say I felt sick is an understatement :(
Back to today :) This evening we went out for dinner at Tim's mums for his rather belated birthday meal. April also got a belated birthday present from her Aunty Sarah and Uncle Rob - a Peppa Pig fleece blanket and Peppa Pig jeans - she is ecstatic!
Tomorrow evening Rosie is going to the Littledown with the Guides (she's doing her Promise there too!) and while she's there, we're going to pop into big Tesco to do some (possibly secret) shopping.
Right, off to get a cup of tea and snuggle up in bed and watch the telly - it's pretty early but I'm a bit tired today.
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Erm....
Better wrap up folks - according to my iGoogle page weather gadget we're all going to freeze our bits and pieces off:
I reckon someone made a mistake - you think? *laughs*
Edited on: Sunday, December 13, 2009 12:06 PM
Categories: General, Humour
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
"Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree"
Me and the kids put the tree up today while Tim was at work and very pretty it looks too :) Here's a photo I took which I then (not sure why!) converted into "rough pastels" in Photoshop:
Aaaah! Pretty!
Of course, I've been snapping away all day (like to document these
things!) so here are a few more - the good, the bad and the downright
ridiculous. Some were just too silly for words and I couldn't resist
adding some captions 
Musical instrument wall decorations - we've had these for YEARS!
Hemmy becoming entangled in the fairy lights. I was trying to sort them out and he would NOT move.
A non-pastel version of our tree!
We all had to have turns wearing the Santa hat and thus all had to have turns looking daft *laughs*.
See what I mean ....? Sorry about my rather scruffy attire - I had been working all day!
I took a couple of the kids wearing it but they didn't come out too good so I'll have to redo them.
Tim went out and decided to freak us out by peering through the window just as we were taking piccies.
Hmmm .... I don't know what to say really! A bit of Christmas madness got to us I think! Probably plenty more where that came from.
Edited on: Saturday, December 12, 2009 5:28 PM
Categories: Humour, People, Seasonal
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Friday, December 11, 2009
All I want for Christmas .....
.... is you ;) *laughs*
Actually, there are some other things ... I think I've been pretty good this year (has fingers crossed!) so here are a few things I've had my eye on (some of which I know I forgot to put on my Christmas list and thus probably stand little chance of "Santa" bringing me BUT there's still time Mr S!):
Paperchase blank recipe book (for writing all my .. erm.. recipes, in). Retro, funky.
The most beautiful skirt by Joe Browns - I have a little jacket which would go with this just perfectly :)
Pink flip top mobile phone - basic but just right for me. This actually IS on my written list so I'm hopeful :) I have a mobile at the moment but it used to belong to my mum in law and it's old and big and clunky. This is the teeniest, cutest little thing ever ... and pink.
Sweet and Dreamy gift box from Lush. Aaaah! Heaven! Again, on my list - sort of (I didn't specify anything in particular, just "Lush")
I'd also absolutely love - a sewing machine for my crafting (no chance), Cath Kidston's "Make" book, anything with a "Hello Kitty" on it (who says growns up have to be grown up ALL the time?), a great big box of scrapbooking/card making stuff and a new pair of black riding-style boots to replace the ones of mine which are most sadly broken (no, I don't ride in them but I wish I could!)
If I was going to be outrageously silly I'd also say: a pink laptop (so I can sit in bed and do my website and stuff - oooo! what fun!), a Nintendo Wii with a Wii Fit, a whizzy laserjet printer, one of those swing-seat things for the garden (although I'd freeze if I used it at the moment!) ONE fabulous evening out at a proper posh function so I can wear a gorgeous dress and be all sparkly :)
Back down to earth now!
I've done 2 posts this evening - that's definately all folks!
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All that glitters
Today we got stuck into the Christmas preparations - I filled the dining table with boxes of craft stuff and we made Christmas things!
What a mess but good fun (Rosie is really concentrating there!):
Tim got home soooo late - long day today! I'd been cooking (scones) so he had his tea and then I sent him packing ... up in the roof to get, amongst other things, this:
My special box that contains some very delicate glass baubles (which you can't see), tinsel and my treasured Christmas pixie made for me by my nana 37 years ago! Yes, I was a 2 year old toddler when I got this :) He's got a bit of a grubby face these days! I always get a little emotional when I unpack him every year - I can just imagine my nana cutting out all the little bits and making him ...... she died when I was 7 but I can still remember her so clearly. So, emotional yes, but very happy because I'm a bit of a kid and I love my pixie :)
I'm excited now because I adore unpacking all the glittery bits and pieces to decorate the house with. I'm going to put the tree up tomorrow while Tim is at work and tomorrow evening I'll lie on the floor and gaze up into the fairy lights and feel all starry-eyed and childishly happy. Maybe I'll try and remember to take a picture of my tree with my pixie on top .... just not a picture with me lying under it!
Tim and I have also decided when we're going to make our evening trip into Bournemouth to wander round and see the lights and stuff - next Friday. We decided this on a combination of different factors (all very scientific *laughs*) and now I'm just hoping that we can find somewhere to park when we get there.
Edited on: Friday, December 11, 2009 6:28 PM
Categories: Crafts, Seasonal
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
Gettin' festive ... trying anyway
I've got wrapping presents to do - I've got so much stuff hidden away in the cupboard that I'm terrified that if someone opens the door the contents will spill out and reveal themselves.
Oh, but you know how it is ... can't be bothered to muck about with sellotape at the moment! Will do it later maybe (after shutting Tim in the bathroom so he can't peep!)
We're in the lull between Tim's birthday and putting the Christmas tree up and ALWAYS at this time of the year I feel I SHOULD be festive but I don't feel festive. Hmmm. Last year, I did a thing on my blog where I posted You Tube vids of Christmassy songs over a few weeks. This time I'm doing it in one hit.
Behold! A feast of festive cheesiness! Not necessarily my favourite Christmas songs but, I guess, the funnest. Not a hint of Slade either you'll be overjoyed to note!
Wham - Last Christmas - Oh George! Why did you have to end up doing naughty things in public toilets?!
The Pogues & Kirsty McColl - Fairytale of New York. Ye Gods those teeth! Fabulous song though. 'You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot' - can't get much more Christmassy than that can you? *laughs*
Huey Lewis and the News - Winter Wonderland ... hmmm ... love some of their stuff, hate the rest - the cartoons in this made me laugh out loud and lovely harmony from Huey et al.
Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Christmas Song. Helium-filled-chipmunks - stupid but cute ;)
There you go! If a man who does dodgy things in toilets, a man with rotten teeth, a barbershop version of Winter Wonderland and a bunch of squeaky chipmunks doesn't get you in the mood for Christmas NOTHING WILL!
Honest.
Edited on: Thursday, December 10, 2009 2:19 PM
Categories: Seasonal
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Happy Birthday to yoooouuu!
(shame I couldn't find a scrapbook element that actually had the tune to Happy Birthday on it!)
Yes indeed! Happy birthday to my piano-playing, food-loving, Nintendo-collecting, bossy-boots, free-thinking, box-delivering, exasperating, clumsy, super-clever, loveable hubby! 37 today!
Added later:
I made him a birthday cake - fresh cream and jam victoria sponge (his choice!) ... yummy, yummy:
Look! He's 1!
I think he had a pretty good day :) Tomorrow, it's business as usual as he's back to work and then, in the evening, he has a church practice. His birthday gets a bit extended over the weekend though because we're going over his mum's for his birthday dinner.
Edited on: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 6:04 PM
Categories: People, Seasonal
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Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Well, phew
Today I unwrapped my Christmas cake for the first time since I made it - I was a bit scared because one year (actually, quite a long time ago now!), I did this and the cake had gone mouldy presumably because I was a bit premature putting it away before it had gone completely cold. I'm always nervous of wrapping the cake up and just leaving it for weeks! Anyway, I needn't have worried because, look, it's fine .... more than fine, it smelled totally yummy and it had gone slightly darker (perfect) and a little bit sticky on top (also perfect).
Tim went off this morning to do some post office stuff. He tried to do it yesterday but the queue in our local post office went right out the door so he gave up. He went there again today but same problem so he got back into the car and drove to one a bit further away. On the way he ended up behind some guy from work in one of the work vans apparently going into the Ferndown Industrial Estate (..... no-one reading this is going to know where the hell that is are they?! *laughs*) Tim said he wasn't sure why he was going in there (I'm assuming it's not a VERY regular place for them to deliver to!)
Went also went out shopping in the pouring rain again - I SWEAR, we don't get winter any more, we get a rainy season - and went to "Big Tesco". I needed to get wrapping paper and cards and another pressie for Tim. Anyhow, he wandered around looking at magazines and me and the kids went off in search of cards - April went around with her eyebrows permanently screwed up in a frown because she could only find ones that said "dad" and not "daddy" .... maybe we just weren't looking properly! Then, I had a spur of the moment bit of inspiration for his last present and this involved going upstairs on the escalator which just happens to overlook the bit with the magazines. We didn't want him to see us going up there but he was stood right "under" the escalator! He had his back to us but we didn't want to draw attention to ourselves and there followed a slight comedy moment where we crept past him on the escalator VERY SLOWLY whilst trying not to let him hear us. Frankly, I'm beginning to think he must be deaf considering that he didn't hear the kids hysterical giggling! A man stood in front of us must have guessed what was going on (presumably the bunch of birthday cards I was clutching in my hand might have given it away) and he turned round and grinned and winked at me!
We also (oh joy!!) got the Christmas Radio Times today. Yes, we are a bunch of saddos that actually look foward to getting the RT at this time of the year (we don't buy it the rest of the time). I was even more ecstatic, on reading it, to find out that there is going to be an "Are You Being Served" night on New Years Day. Tim HATES this programme with a passion - he hates the title music, the stupid jokes ... everything ... and I'm pretty sure he's not alone! However, it's precisely because of the daft double entendres and stuff that it's so bloody funny (in a sort of cheesy way!) I shall look forward to it anyway ... unless he locks me in a cupboard so I can't!
Edited on: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:52 PM
Categories: Food, General, People, Places, Telly
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Monday, December 07, 2009
Catching up
I've been working like mad on THREE sewing projects today that need to be done for Christmas - I'm thinking I've got my fingers in a few too many pies! Still, it's satisfying because I'm getting there and, apart from the sewing (for the kids Christmas stockings), there is also a small but growing collection of pressies on our dining table :)
Tim went out this morning and did some shopping (of the secret variety for yours truly) and got some of the kids things as well. He got back ok this time .... last year he was on his way home with a bootful of presents (including Rosie's TV!) and the clutch went and he had to drive all the way home with no clutch - yikes! That was the old car though and this year there were no such dramas thank god.
Tomorrow I have to go out and get some last bits for Tim's birthday (37 on Wednesday!), do some more sewing and wrap up a few more pressies :)
Edited on: Monday, December 07, 2009 9:50 PM
Categories: Humour, Seasonal
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Sunday, December 06, 2009
Santa baby .....
"........ is there any chance of a surprise this year?" *laughs*, I'm having a happy time compiling a list, for Tim, of Christmas presents that I might like this year. I have to do this every year because Tim has a morbid dread of buying me something I'd hate and then I'd have to put on an Oscar winning perfomance pretending that I did like it. It's difficult for me to understand because I've never had much problem buying people nice presents, I actually really enjoy it. I tend to listen to people a lot and store away little snippets of information in a part of my brain marked "could possibly be useful at some point". I think his fear is kind of cute really but, I've got to admit, I really wish that he would just go for it and take the plunge :) I've tried hinting sometimes in the hope that he might ... well, you know! Alas, the list making is the only way!
Anyway, other stuff. Rosie went off to her Guides carol service this afternoon at a quaint little old church in Hampreston. She, apparently, enjoyed it but it wasn't very long so I'm not sure it was a full and proper service or just a little sing-song especially for the Guides.
It absolutely poured with rain this afternoon - very suddenly and dramatically! The bird feeder outside fell over and I had to go out and stand it up again so I threw on the first coat I could find. This turned out to be Tim's work rainmac thing and it is HUGE! He says it's pretty big on him so you can only imagine what tiny little me looked like in it - swamped! Anyway, didn't mind the rain because there was a gorgeous rainbow :) April was thrilled - she loves rainbows. The photo isn't great because I couldn't get the whole thing in and it was actually a lot brighter than the colours in the picture look, but I just think rainbows are so happy-making. What you can't tell from the photo is that it was actually bucketing down!
Oh, and our printer has died. Not surprising really, it was very old and used extensively. I can't replace it until after christmas because all the pennies are needed for pressies for people. What would be really, really good is one of those super-quick laserjet printers - I do so much printing that this would speed things up hugely *sighs*
Right, off now. Got to tidy up a bit and then later, after dinner, I've got to do a bit more work on a present I'm making for Rosie.
Bye bye!
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Saturday, December 05, 2009
Quick post
Doing everso well with my Christmas shopping now! I'm managing to catch up after a slow start and spent a lot of time online today and got ALL of Tim's main presents woohoo! Just got to sit back and wait for the postman to bring them now ..... I'm soooo lazy *laughs*
Actually, not doing all of them online - we're still planning our little trip into Bournemouth for a late night shopping/see the lights trip so I'm hoping to grab the last bits then.
Anyway, today we went to Sainsburys up the road from us to get some general shopping and some black trousers for Rosie (she needs them for Guides). The kids wanted crisps so they got some and then wanted to eat them in the car on the way home. So, I opened Aprils, handed them to her and said "don't drop them".
She dropped them. Half a packet of stinky cheesy Quavers all over the floor in the back of the car. Pooooeeey!
By the time we got home it was chucking down with rain and I had to rummage around for crisps in the back of the car, in the dark, with my backside stuck outside getting soaked!
Edited on: Saturday, December 05, 2009 9:02 PM
Categories: Life, Seasonal
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Friday, December 04, 2009
Friends of the feathered variety
Made lardy-bird-feeders today (with a little help from the kids!) I always put out food for the birds but, when the weather is really cold, they need fatty food as well as just seed to help keep their little bodies warm.
These are just melted lard (yum-not) with birdseed, breadcrumbs and grated cheese mixed in. Then you just shove the whole lot in a little yoghurt pot (or similar) through which you've already threaded some string. Put in the fridge for a couple of hours and then tie up somewhere outside (I hung mine on the washing line near my other feeders because I like to watch the birds out the kitchen window).
I think the birds will need these because it has turned very, very cold - when Tim left for work this morning it was -1 and he had to take a jug of water out with him to defrost the car.
He's just got home from and we're currently trying to summon up the enthusiasm to go shopping - it's cold and getting dark out there and I'm not sure I want to!
Oh, before I go, here's a picture I didn't post yesterday - April blowing out her candles :)
Edited on: Friday, December 04, 2009 3:31 PM
Categories: Seasonal, Wildlife
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Thursday, December 03, 2009
Happy Birthday April Honey!
Yes, my little babe is 5 years old and what can I say about this sweet girl that I've never said before? She's deeply loving and cuddly, hugely independent .... she's a free-thinker like her daddy :) She entertains us daily with her silly, funny goings-on and I'm always, always glad she's with us.
Anyway, she wanted a Timmy Sheep playset for her birthday so that is what she got and I don't think I have EVER seen such joy in a child opening a present before!
She also wanted me to make her a chocolate cake, so I did ... complete with Night Garden characters and a Smartie "5" :) The topping was a bit of a rush job earlier because last night, when I made the cake itself, I ran out of steam. It was very late and I was very tired, so there is no icing on top (and you can see the swirls from the cooling rack!)
This morning all went a bit weird. We got up, she opened her pressies and I made breakfast (croissants). Just as we were finishing up breakfast the electric all went off. Perfect. We phoned the electric company who said it wasn't just us and that they were working on it. This was about 9.30 this morning ... the electric just went back on about 20 minutes ago! They phoned back and said as they hadn't notified us about the powercut they were going to send us a cheque for £25. Eh?! How could they have notified us that we were about to have a power cut? *laughs* - still, can't complain!
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
The heating saga continues
Boiler man turns up this morning at 8.30 (on time! wow!) I explain what happened to the heating and the fact that the gas man who'd come round a while back (when our pilot light had gone out) had said that we may very well need a new thermal couple. I said that since the pilot light had appeared to have gone out again that maybe he was right.
So ..... boiler man says "no, no, it won't be that ....."
me: "ooook .... so what then?"
BM: "it'll be air in the system, I'll go up in the loft and take a look"
There followed a couple of minutes of him stomping about in our loft. Then he comes down and says (as if no one thus far had thought of the possibility)
"I think maybe your thermal couple might be breaking down"
me: "right"
Holy mackerel!!!!
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Little nicey things
This morning I ended up writing a fairly stern email to the landlords about the heating situation. I'm pretty good at these sorts of email when I need to be - blunt, to the point but not rude. Perfect. Anyway, seemed to have the desired effect because when we got back from Tim's mums, there was a message on our answer phone from them saying that the heating man would come round at 8.30 tomorrow morning to (hopefully!) fix it.
Had a nice time at mil's house - she'd brought various cakes (Brownies ....yuuuuum!) and April was very happy to receive a cuddly dinosaur and a toy cleaning trolly thing. We came home and she promptly set about our bathroom floor with her little mop. Unfortunately, she forgot to wring the mop out and the floor looked like a paddling pool! Bless her, she was so pleased with her efforts - "mummy! look! I've cleaned the floor!", that I had to smile (whilst drying it all up). She's currently deciding on a name for her dinosaur, mil did ask her and April replied "I haven't thunk of one yet" *laughs*.
Came home and had marmite on toast with loads of butter - divine - so we had our tea in reverse today!
Now, the kids have gone off to bed, dinner is cooking and I've just installed an absolutely gorgeous Cath Kidston theme to my Google Chrome page - see? Maybe a bit too flowery for some tastes but I'm loving it :)
All these little nice things today, I'm happy ......
.... and I'll be even happier when I don't have to freeze my unmentionables off after having a shower any more..... ahem.....
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First frost
This morning I was greeted by the rather beautiful sight of sparkly, frosty rooves and fences - granted, I'm shivering because the heating is still not fixed but, hey! it was still beautiful :)
The poor old birds were almost certainly more cold than me and were hanging around this morning because my bird feeders were empty -shame on me! So, I went out and filled them all up (and noticed that the bird bath was frozen over!) and within a minute I had blue tits, robins, blackbirds and, I'm almost certain, a mistle thrush (although they generally prefer berries and it might have been after the ones that hang over our side gate rather than my feeders!)
Rosie came home from Guides last night with this:
I know, due to my shoddy photography it just looks like a pile of tinsel but it is, in fact, a very pretty table decoration :) It's a ring that she's twisted tinsel around and then put some gold holly leaves in the middle with a red bauble. You can't see the holly leaves at all in this - wish I was better at taking photos!
We're hoping to take the kids late night shopping in Bournemouth one evening (I remember doing that when I was a kid and the excitement of going out after dark and all the lovely christmas lights was SO huge!) Only problem is we're not sure when yet - got so much on what with Tim's churchy stuff (he's got evening practices on the 10th and the 17th and then 2 services - morning and evening - on the 20th!) and Rosie going off to Swanage for the whole day (she won't get back till late). She also has a carol service with Guides one evening too. We're thinking maybe, sometime during the last week before Christmas week. Hopefully. If all goes to plan. It'll be a nightmare trying to park but we're determined to do it!
Right, better get on ..... trying to brace myself to go and have a shower in the freezer room - sorry - BATHROOM. We're going round Tim's mums this afternoon (again!) as she's going to give April her birthday presents - not sure why she's doing it early, April's birthday isn't until Thursday.
Byeee for now! :)
Categories: Crafts, Life, Places, Seasonal, Wildlife
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