Finding Home

Basil Brush!

2012-02-12T09:26:00.001Z

I walked into the kitchen yesterday afternoon and noticed at the end of the garden in a patch of sun, was a fox. he stayed for quite some time, looking for food i think has he tried to eat a few things. I ran upstairs and got my camera and took a bunch of pics thru the window of the back door as he would have gone if i actually opened the door.....which i did after the photo session, to throw out some bread. the fox legged it when the door opened, but when i checked back later most of the bread was gone - to the birds or the fox, i dont know!. you can see how cold our temperatures have been, this snow was from last weekend, and despite sunny days, it hasnt melted yet!. anyway, heres Basil enjoying some warmth from the sun!.

something nice for the kitchen!

2012-02-07T19:54:00.000Z

there is a shop in London that i love....it has quirky different things, because, as i've mentioned before i really dont like the sameness that seems to prevail here in the UK. this shop is called Oliver Bonas, and they have opened a branch near my office......oh danagerous, very dangerous. they have been carrying the Pip Studio china which i cant decide if i want or not, so on monday while changing buses i decided to pop into the shop and lust after the Pip Studio and try and make a decision. well, my local branch isnt carrying it, so i had a look at the other things on the shelf and i saw these......oh my....me likely!. you can find them here

you're about 6wks to late!!

2012-02-05T09:50:00.000Z

last night it snowed!. for the first time this winter we got a good dump of white stuff on the ground, and it sure does look pretty. would have been nicer to have had it for Xmas tho!. its going to make for a fun time getting to work tomorrow on the bus!.anyway, in response to a request for piccies to show my niece in Queensland Australia, what snow looks like, here are some piccies.the first 2 are taken 12hrs apart out my bedroom window, looking in one direction up my street.

this is looking in the other direction.

a snow wave!.

hopefully in this picture, you can see where the foxes have been running around the back garden like silly buggers!. noone else has been out the back til i took the pics, so all that churned up snow is from the foxes!.

a pic to show how much fell overnight...i reckon a good 10cm!.

finally, my allotment on the patio....there are leeks under that snow somewhere!!

Homemade Cookbooks

2012-01-29T13:49:00.002Z

For as long as i can remember i have been making my own cookbooks with pages from magazines that inspire me. I think it stems from my mother telling me i cant keep all those magazines i had piled up in my room!. so i started to rip them up!. and i created scrapbooks, long before i even knew what scrapbooking was. I had one for decorating and one for recipes and bits and bobs. over the years i have kept this up and i love to go back and look at the earlier ones, see how my tastes have changed. i dont have any of those early ones here in the UK, but in the almost 10yrs i've been here this time i have been ripping and sticking to my hearts content. sometimes i am good at keeping up with it and other times, i let the magazines pile up and then have a marathon session!. i need to have that marathon session again, so in preparation, i sorted out and stuck in the pages that had been piling up since the last stucking session!. i usually decorate the covers but havent done for the newer 2!. i love these pukka project books, cos the come already sectioned and the dividing section has a pocket for those articles that cant be stuck down!.these books are mainly recipes although one has a decorating section. i divide the sections into mains, baking, desserts and other things!, and have magazine pages, my hand written things and even mums hand written things. i love to flick and see that to try, and i do try things!. some good, some not so good!. anyone else make their own cookbooks?!.

good things and sad things.....

2012-01-22T14:26:00.002Z

i have made a couple more squares for my blanket and am really loving the plain colours at the moment. I plan to a few in the non white colours, as i think theres enough white in each of the squares. so this is the progress as of today, both laid out and piled up!!. thats the good thing!.

the sad thing......dear wee lily....the cat in my header, has disappeared from home while my parents were away in australia over xmas. the general consensus is she has taken herself off to die somewhere as she was frail, and acting strange in the hours leading up to her disappearance. she was being looked after by a family friend. so my family have lost both their cats within a 3wks period and everyone is feeling a little sad about that.

I've fallen in love......

2012-01-08T17:54:00.000Z

......with a house!.Once in a while i look at the Christchurch property listings....just in case that euro millions lottery ticket pays out more the £6.70!. while looking today i found this......swoon!.click on 'this' to see the whole listing, but i have used a couple of photos here...its a spit level home that hasnt been renovated for donkeys!. so much potential!.

i love the size of the rooms, and here in the living room....i'm thinking bookcases along that large wall!.

this shows the split level....up to the kitchen, dining and living rooms, bedrooms on the entry level...the level this pic was taken, and garage and a 4th room on the lower level.

and finally, a good old kiwi kitchen!. so much could be done here!!

it goes to auction on the 2nd feb....if i win the euro between now and then, i'm sending my dad off to buy this!!.admittedly, it lacks curb appeal at the moment, but i love that its different....different from the usual homes in its layout. the split level is a common one in NZ, but i've not see one laid out like this, which is why i love it!. i'm all for having something different!. i dont do sameness....something that happens alot here in the UK!.

Doing things!.

2012-01-03T14:28:00.000Z

Well, in an effort to being positive and shift this bad funk, i have done nice things today!. I baked a batch of sultana cookies to go into my lunch box this week.....back to work tomorrow!. I also crocheted another square for my blanket....this one a solid colour to break up the blanket at bit. the light was ok in my bedroom so i have photographed progress so far.This is by no means the finished ordered....just how i laid them out to photograph!. i think i need to look into blocking the squares and then joining some up now!.

I also think i need to do some more squares that dont feature white as the white seems very dominant in these pictures. Still, its exciting to see it all laid out like that. the square today took me an hour to do, because i havent really crocheted for over a month. when i was doing the squares before the mad 6wks at work, i was down to about 3/4hr with all the colour changes!.

A Brief Year in Review - 2011

2011-12-29T20:36:00.003Z

As I come to the end of this year there doesn’t seem to be a lot to look back on that has been positive, and maybe that’s why I still carry this whole bar humbug feeling. The big things for the year for me where my hometown of Christchurch New Zealand falling to the ground on Feb 22nd. While I haven’t lived in the city for nearly 10yrs, a lot of the buildings that were destroyed or subsequently demolished are part of my history…..buildings I cycled past as a school girl at Rangi, or drove past as a Plunket Karitane. The headquarters of my job there was demolished….it had started life as the city’s fire station. It still upsets me to this day about home, and has made the pull to return very strong. I find the idea of being part of the rebuild very appealing.The other big change happened in the summer….the Captain who had been in my life for the best part of the previous 2 yrs left for good, and with him went my car. My trusty old Volvo finally gave up the ghost and the Captain couldn’t keep it on the road any longer so the decision to scrap was made, and with that the Captain scrapped himself also!.Due to the loss of the car, I ended up giving up my allotment. The round trip on the bus was up to 1 1/2hrs, and with no loos on site, didn’t leave much time to get much done and it started to become overgrown. I left my shed and polytunnel to 2 of the fellas who I chatted to the most and feel happy about that decision. I have some pots of berry canes on the patio here as well as some leeks. Until I know what I am doing I shall keep the canes alive!.Finally, at the beginning of the month dear wee Robbie was put to sleep, a much loved and cerished family member. The positives…..I learnt to crochet!. I made a cushion cover and a scarf, and am trying to make a woollen blanket….probably for next winter!, since this one is half way thru!.And that’s all I can think of as a positive!. I have a tough 5mths ahead of me until I can move into a place on my own, then I hope my spirits will left and normal service will return.Until then, I imagine the posts on this blog will be few and far between, I simply don’t have much to say at the moment and am not churning out much in the way of crochet!.Despite my bar humbug-ness, I wish the few of you who read this a very Happy New Year, and hope all you wish for, for the new year come true for you xx

Robbie

2011-12-11T08:51:00.001Z

xxx

On friday back home in NZ one of our family cats had to be put to sleep as he had developed an incurable tumour and deteriorated very quickly. he was a lovely cat, if somewhat of a fruitcake!. we believe he was inbred at the cattery!. he was a ragdoll, the last of 3 my family had, and he last 14yrs. he thought he was a dog and adored my father, following him around constantly.my last memory of being with him is back in feb/mar when i went home following the earthquake. towards the end of my visit he had to go to the vet to have a tooth extrated. so he wasnt allowed breakfast that morning....well did he grovel for africa!. he gave up on my parents pretty quickly and came into me and headbutted me, kissed my cheek, purred loudly, 'talking' to me.....everything to try and convince me to feed him!. i kept saying i couldnt!. so wee rob, sleep well in heaven and give rosie and henry a big snuggle from me

Suffering a lack of Christmas spirit this year!.

2011-12-04T09:13:00.001Z

I'm finding it very hard to get into the festive spirit this year....i dont even have an advent calender i realised yesterday!. I started making the cover for my JYC this year, but have decided not to do an album this year, mostly due to how i'm feeling. so, i'm ahead for next year.....cover made, supplies brought!. lets just hope there is more festive joy next year!.I'm putting this lack of feeling down to my living arrangements.....i'm not happy where i live at the moment, for a variety of reasons i wont share publicly. I'm also working 6 day weeks at the moment to get students finished before Christmas, and i'm just knackered.i havent done much crochet lately either...although, i have started a granny stripe scarf which i hope to finish over the next few weeks. my blanket is currently up to 12 squares and i have restocked the wool, so once this crazy week has finished, i will get back into that, and also finding out about blocking it so i can start joining the squares up!.So, thats where i'm at.....not much to say, not much to show, not much at all!!.

a tour of the red zone

2011-11-06T08:23:00.000Z

I came across this video tour this morning, and it shows the route the bus tours will take thru the center of town starting this weekend at home. this is the first time alot of people will have had access to the CBD since Feb22, and 9mths on, you can see just how much of the city landscape has changed. all the vacant lots held buildings. its so very sad.if you do watch it, at the start of the tour, the red Plunket building....that was my HQ for my job in Christchurch....i visited that building 3-4 times a week to deliver paperwork, collect paperwork, attend meetings....so sad to hear it has to be demolished. I read on FB that someone said the building was Christchurchs original fire station!.in other news, i head into my mid 40's tomorrow....time is marching on. i feel a little sad about this weekend....the Captain has featured in my last 2 birthdays and this year he will not.

all in all it's been a good day!.

2011-10-23T20:40:00.001+01:00

well, after the excitement of this morning, i have had a very productive afternoon, and have completed my second crochet project!. nope, not the circle blanket!. I decided to make a scarf from some angora mohair i got at the knit and stitch show at the beginning of the month. I had a look on raverly but there was to much choice!, then i remembered a scarf in a book i have that is for beginner( i.e me!). so i spent the afternoon sitting on the bed in the sunshine crocheting!. the mohair went from this.....

to this......

to this.......

once i began winding it, i decided i didn't really like the colours after all, and that reveal pic, makes it very salmony - partly thats the artifical light, but also its not far off!. so i'm not sure if i'll keep it or put it in the xmas pile!.also today, i managed to get my bedlinen and towels washed and dried on the line outside for what is probably the last outside drying day of the year.

Oh Yes!!

2011-10-23T11:30:00.000+01:00

New Zealand won the rugby world cup.......epic!. one very happy and proud kiwi here!. but bloody hell, what a hard won game!. so many tears of relief after!. and some very touching moments.....the wee lad in the red and black of Canterbury, and all the boys hugging a very sick Jock Hobbs....a great son of Canterbury rugby. he can pass over now, seeing the cup come home, bless him.

update on the pinterest meal.....

2011-10-19T17:38:00.001+01:00

well, i had one of the meals i put in the freezer last night, from the meal i made last week from a recipe on pinterest. it freezes fine for me....i had no problem with it and it was still just as yummy!. this recipe is definately going to be something i make on a regular basis, especially as it then gives me meals in the freezer that dont need anything more cooked for it.....perfect for coming home late. just thaw them out and zap them and you're good to go!. all in all a great result, and i shall now be looking at what else i have on my food board!.

I cooked a pinterest meal!!

2011-10-11T20:20:00.001+01:00

well, since i've been happily using pinterest, i decided it was time to actually do something from one of my pins. So i decided to cook myself a meal. it's called Baked Penne with Chicken, Brocolli and Smoked Mozzarella. i've shared the link to the site it comes from rather than pinterest cos its playing up for me at the moment.Anyway, back to the meal......YUM!!!. it was lovely!. i halved the recipe and then played a little with the quanities to fit with what we can buy here in the UK. i used normal mozzarella as i'm not sure we can get smoked here....well, certainly not in Sainsburys!. i have got 3 spare portions!, so have put 2 in the freezer to test how it will freeze and will have the other portion tomorrow night!.A big success as far as i'm concerned!. P.S, i'm unimpressed with blogger at the moment. i try to have paragraphs and lines between changes in topics, but when it publishes its all in one big block!. rude words!

the picture post!.

2011-10-02T17:49:00.001+01:00

so i've been pottering around today, avoiding overheating myself like yesterday!. i'm not sure today was as hot as yesterday. heres some views from the day.i mowed the lawn, hoping its the last time this year!. while i enjoy doing it, i dont like using an electric mower!.

i may have ordered a couple of things online this week....things for this years JYC

and 2 books from the editors of one of my favourite magazines in the world....USA Country Living.

making progress with the crocheting....have got several circles made now, so this week on the bus, i shall try the squaring off and see how that works!.

if you look closely i may have a few blueberries to round off the growing year!.

part of my new ''allotment'' aka the back patio!. in this photo are the 2 pots of leeks, my blueberries....1 big pot, and 2 small, which i will transplant in a month or 2, and my blackcurrant i dug up from the allotment.

i may also get a raspberry!!.

the other half of my ''allotment''...3 varieties of raspberries, and my boysenberry. regarding the raspberries....i dug up 2 canes of each variety, so i have a backup plan if one cane doesnt like the transplant!. i'm going to see if i can find an early pic of the boysenberry from 3 years ago....its certainly grown. its the sad looking plant on the left of the pic....i had watered all the bags of canes last night when i got in, but the boysenberry didnt have enough roots in the water so packed a sad. its had a good water when i potted it up, so fingers crossed it will be fine.

Goodbye plot 21

2011-10-01T15:18:00.001+01:00

Well, today i went up to the allotment for the last time, to collect some bits and make sure that those who are taking things, know they can start doing it. I brought back my blue berries, blackcurrant, boysenberry, and raspberry canes of 3 varieties. i also potted up my leek seedlings and brought those back so i can have fresh leeks in my risotto!. I also harvested the last of the beans, potatoes and tomatoes. it was far to hot to be digging up stuff but today was my last real chance to do it, without things getting stressful!. it said it was 29degrees outside, in the car that brought me home!.I loved my allotment, and if i still had the car, i would have kept it, or maybe reduced the size. but without the car its 2 bus rides and with no loos onsite, there isnt much time to get anything done before you have to think about going home to the loo!.I learnt that i want to grow my food!.I learnt that i really need to do that in my own backyard, so i can potter for a little while whenever i want, and not have to plan a trip!.I learnt that tomatoes fare better in the tunnel rather than outside.....i've never had success with them outside in the 3yrs i had the plot, but this year, with no help from me, they have done better.I will miss the people i chatted to while i was there, but i am looking forward to half a day extra at the weekends now as well!. so, there we have it....my allotment experience is over....thank you plot21 xx

Care Package from Home.

2011-09-24T08:42:00.001+01:00

Yesterday i received this little pile of goodies from home....oh how i love to get care packages, with tastes from home, bits of newspaper, and in this package woolly socks and something very special. this is what i got....btw, in the background, you can see the boxes of chocolate i have received lately from students who've passed their course!. i'm not short of choccie at the moment!!.

snuggly woolly socks for the winter!

fruit puffs to make lolly cake, and shrewburys.....which i'm not ashamed to say, have almost gone!!

love love love chokitos!!. these were brought in Australia, cos they arent readily avaliable in NZ anymore, taken back to CHCH and then sent to me!

mmmm......jaffa thins....i save these to last!.

perky nanas...banana flavoured choc bars!.

black knight liquorice....love it!

and finally, these beautiful earring with huge sentimental value. they are designed after the now destroyed rose window of the Christchurch Catherdral. apparently they are limited edition, so i'm thrilled my mum thought to get me some, i just love them and what they represent.

right.....what shall i eat next?!!

GO THE GREEN!!!

2011-09-18T15:14:00.000+01:00

What a game!!!....one of the most exciting games i've seen in a long time!!!. Ireland beating Australia!!!!!!.....something that doesnt happen everyday, and for this kiwi, simply fantastic!. After my beloved NZ, i do actually support Ireland. I've had a long standing love affair with Ireland since i was introduced to an Irish pub in south London 20 odd years ago. I love the country, i love the music and i have even been known to love the odd Irishman for good measure!. (i'll leave you to decide if the Irishman was actually odd, or not!!, or i mean a couple!).So yesterday morning i got settled on the sofa, praying that the Irish would keep in touch on the scoreboard and it wouldnt be the whitewash, that it could be, given Australia are the second best side in the world (after NZ!!). By the end of the game i was jumping up and down in the living shouting, clapping and cheering them on. I knocked the laptop off the side of the sofa, which knocked over a glass of drink, which went flying and shattering glass all over the floor!!. the laptop survived, but i bent the broadband dongle!. thankfully that still works, but is at an odd angle!. I was over the moon.....just brilliant!!.And cos the game was so exciting, i didnt do any crochet!.So this morning i got up and watched the end of one game and the French v Canada game and got 2 more squares made!!. I'm loving this new pattern...i pretty much have it in my head now and dont have to refer to the written instructions often. I have 6 squares now, so need to crank it up a bit if i'm to have a full blanket by the end of the year!!. I'm going to have to come up with a way of being able to do it on the bus, and i think the answer is to do the circle part at home where you have to fasten off every row, and do the squaring off part on the bus cos it only needs one colour of wool and no fastening off til you finish the square. then do a couple of complete ones at the weekend!. We'll see how that plan works out!!.

Giddy with excitement!

2011-09-11T20:30:00.000+01:00

for some strange reason i find i have more creative flow when theres a sports match on the telly.....dont ask me why?!!. its always been the case, and today was no exception. I showed you last night what i had done...that is, the white edged square. this morning thru to about 2pm i parked myself on the sofa with my wool beside me, my laptop on the arm rest and away i went!. Ireland v USA, one square completed....took most of the game, cos i had to remind myself of the squaring process, and the double treble stitch which i hadnt done before. Wales v South Africa, next square done mostly in the first half, so speeding up some. btw.....Wales played bloody fantastically and deserved to win....TMO for penalty kicks please!!. Then the Italian Grand Prix, (go Jenson!!), and i got the 3rd square for today completed. then i stopped cos i was beginning to get crocheted out!. so i photographed them instead!!. so here we are, the 4 squares so far towards a nice woolly blanket for the winter!. size wise, they are about 8" x 8".

new project on the hook!.

2011-09-10T22:09:00.000+01:00

Since i finished the bloomin flower cushion, i've been looking round for a new project. I pretty much knew i wanted to make a blanket, and had started some smaller squares for it, that i could do on the bus. then i came across a blog with a great blanket and tutorial and decided to make that my next project. I took a trip to a yarn shop and brought 5 colours. Each square uses 4 colours, but i decided that i would add a 5th colour to the next so that the blanket doesnt become to repetitive. It should also give me 20 different combinations for each square!. I ahev photographed the progress since i started this late this afternoon, but the last couple of photos were taken at night, so i will redo them on the next square in the day time. when you look at the completed square, refer back to the colours in top posts to get an better idea of what it really looks like.the colours-

the first 4 rounds-

the first corner made-

the completed square-

photos from fri, sat and sunday

2011-09-04T17:56:00.001+01:00

Friday was spent cooking food for the freezer. I cooked mums curry chicken and my bolognese sause. Anyone else do this...eat the last piece of carrot as you chop?!. I think its a throw back to growing up - i remember mum used to eat the carrot as she chopped and she always offered us some!.

I love looking outside seeing my clothes on the washing line in the sunshine....nothing better!.

Saturday was spent watching the rugby from NZ in the morning (yay! Canterbury winning the national title!!). after that i was surfing the net and getting to grips with Raverly, and came across a tutorial for a xmas tree, so had a go!. was pretty easy to follow and took about half an hour to make.

Then today....i've been a lazy mare!. I'm not looking forward to returning to work tomorrow so needed to take my mind off it for a while, so decided to crack on with LSNED and get up to date!. I've made notes each day so far, but hadnt even finished the cover, so this afternoon i have done it all!. I've created this little craft space in my room, and it has lots of light and the outside world to look at, so hopefully the creative spark will be lit here!.

heres the cover

1/9/11

2/9/11

3/9/11

4/9/11

and a look at how its sitting inside the cover at the moment

WOW!, i've never posted so many photos in one go!.

I ate a blue potato!

2011-09-01T16:43:00.001+01:00

.....and i liked it!. in fact, its just the same as eating a normal potato once you get over the fact that its blue!. not only did i eat it, i also grew it!!.

So, this week i have been on holiday. I've had a major clean of my bedroom, packing some stuff up that isnt used and making space for some creativity, since i joined Shimelles, 'Learn something new every day'.I've been up to the allotment once, and saw the 3rd bloke i wanted to see about taking some of my stuff. There have really only been 3 men i've talked to there and they are the ones i want to have first pickings, so i'm pleased now all 3 know i'm going and seem keen at accept anything on offer.I shall go back tomorrow and do a few wind chores like empty pots. The guy i saw on tuesday offered me some of his runners, so i hope i can grab some tomorrow, then i might put a bag full in the freezer for the winter. this little pile is what i've grown this year...theres more on the vines.

This month, as i mentioned, i'm doing Shimelles online class called 'Learn something new every day'. All i've done so far is make a space to work at, paint some chipboard, and cut the covers to size!. I was thinking of just doing it on my blog, but it wont be as much fun!. i wonder how long i can keep up with it!. It might be a case of making notes during the week, and doing the pages at the weekend!.

Menu Planning & Batch Cooking

2011-08-30T15:27:00.003+01:00

Today i am on holiday....well for the rest of the week actually!. I went to the allotment this morning and despite my neglect have managed to bring home potatoes, beans, tomatoes and 3 blueberries!. oh, and the potatoes are blue!. i'll take a piccie of them later on!.

This afternoon i have been working on a master shopping list and blank monthly menu planner, because i'd like to get to the point of having say 6 monthly menus planned, with accompanying shopping list, so that i just pick a menu, pull off the shopping list, add any extras and away i go. I'm hoping it saves me some money(meal planning usually does) and stops me from having rubbish dinners when i dont know what to cook, havent taken anything out of the freezer, and am to tired to cook. I've used plans before... here we've tried fortnightly and monthly, but didnt stick to it long enough to evaluate.
I'm planning on doing a whole load of batch cooking and put lots of single portion meals into the freezer that are either a meal in their entirity, or just need pasta or rice cooked to go with it.
I'm going to try a new recipe each month to expand what i usually cook, so that i can take a break from a regular recipe one month, cos there is enough variety to choose from. I did this recently with my bolognese- i hadnt made it for a while, and then made some last month and it was yum!. i'm making a double batch for Sept, and resting the chilli recipe!.
I'm thinking this process is going to take me a few months to pull together, but i look forward to it....it feeds the organiser in me!!.
Who menu plans, how do you do it, and any tips?!.

the beauty of nature

2011-08-26T20:18:00.002+01:00

took this photo this evening out the back of the house.....if you look closely, theres a second rainbow to the left of the main one. unfortunately i havent captured the intensity of the colours...it was really quite bright.

1st flat.....

2011-08-21T12:21:00.004+01:00

I was looking on one of the forums i visit this morning, and came across a thread about 1st homes. i decided to add to it, and also decided to copy what i wrote to here in order to remember....

this flat was in Catford, St London and i lived there from 2003-2005.
its interesting that i read this thread this morning, as i've just finished looking at a mini book i made in 2006 featuring the place i consider my 1st home....where i lived on my own, no flatmate, no housesitting, no parents!.
i rented it for 3 yrs, it was on the 4th floor of a purpose built block along train lines in south London...the kitchen window looked out over the yards. when i moved in, it had been painted an 'attractive' mix of bright blue and neon pink....i have a photo somewhere of a small wall that was badly painted down the middle with the blue on one side and pink on the other!!. I managed to get the landlord to repaint it for me into magnolia!! made a huge difference to the light levels!.
i moved in with hand me downs....a mattress(that i still use) and a tv and my suitcase. over the time, i was given a sofa(long gone!), poof, and dressing table(still got both these items from Amanda)....the sofa had 'roll together!!'. the flat had great storage in the bedroom, so all my clothes were able to be stored properly.
I brought my first piece of UK furniture during that time....which sits beside me now as i type. it is a vintage cane table that i saw from the bus to and from a maternity nursing job i had in 2003. i was in that job for 6 weeks and passed the table twice a week on my 24hrs off. i decided on the way back to work for the last time that if the table was still there when i went home at the end of the job, i would go buy it. it was!. so the next day i got the bus to the shop, negotiated a better price! and then got a cab home with it.
I loved being on the 4th floor....didnt need nets, so lots of light and sun. great memories....the building being hit by lightning in the big storms of 2003...blew all my electricals along one wall only!......computer, tv and dvd player. the computer was covered by insurance, and since the tv and dvd were handme downs, it wasnt so bad, other than i had to fork out for new ones!.
great memories!!.

from this flat i moved to St Albans....another place i really enjoyed living in, even if i was only there for 9mths!. Then onto Enfield, since late 2005.
I will have to try and find some photos to add for this flat, plus write about the one on St Albans to keep the memory alive.

TA-DAH!!!!.......

2011-08-20T10:19:00.004+01:00

Here it is, in all its glory, my very first ever crochet project, completed thanks to the superb tutorial by Lucy at Attic24
At the bottom is the cushion i brought off ebay for less than £3 inc postage, that i put inside. it turned out to be slightly oval rather than round, so i just did an extra row to make sure it wasnt overly stretched going round the cushion. Next time(!) i do this, i will take the cover off the cushion once i get it, as you can definately see the pink thru the stitches, but it doesn't distract from the piece...i just know its there!.

Thank you Lucy for you brilliant tutorial....you have taught me to crochet thru your excellent pictures and explanations.

First crochet project completed!

2011-08-18T20:38:00.002+01:00

I started the bloomin flower cushion on the 23rd of July and finished it this evening. I only worked on it at evenings until today, when i decided to take the back on the bus to see if i could get it nearer to finishing. Thanks to the 'jolly' road works on the north circular, i was able to do 2 rounds, and when i got to work and measured it against the front(that i'd taken for show n tell!!), i realised i only needed to do the final round of petals on the back. Luckily i had taken 3 colours of yarn with me, so on the journey home i got the petals done!. then this evening after dinner, i joined it up....after having a bit of an argument with the slip stitch instructions!. finally understood what i had to do, and joined it up!!.
Sadly its to dark to take completed photos, so i will do that tomorrow night or saturday!!.
I'm so chuffed with myself!!.

I'm getting the hang of this crochet lark.....

2011-08-16T20:10:00.004+01:00

So, since i have cracked the code, i've been crocheting all over the place...on the bus, at the cricket!!. Last week i tried making some granny squares on the bus. At the start of the week i could do 2 rounds of a 3 round granny, and by friday i could do a whole square plus the start of the next one. I did take photos of my pile so far, but the lighting was wrong, so that 'show-n-tell' will have to wait!.

The bloomin flower cushion is almost done....i did 3 more rounds after work tonight, and reckon theres only 3 rounds to go, plus joining the 2 sides together. I have included a somewhat blurry photo as a tease!!.

Then one evening last week, i pulled out a vintage Patons pattern book i brought of ebay a few months back and flicked thru, and came across these flowers and decided to update them with some funky colours. I've only made the 2 so far, cos i dont actually know what i'll do with them yet!.

The sultana cake i made sunday week ago is just about gone, and is still as yummy today as it was when it was first made. will have to do some more baking this weekend!. I'm thinking, in light of this new hobby of crochet, that maybe i'll make some afghans....which will only mean something to the kiwi folk!!. (Afghan is a name for a crochetted throw, as well as being a yummy kiwi choccie biccie....and a war torn country!).

Christchurch

2011-08-14T20:49:00.003+01:00

sourceEDITED 1/9/11 to link to a home town party over at centsational girl.this is a picture of the Catheral at the heart of my hometown of Christchurch New Zealand. On Feb 22nd this year, my city suffered a devasting earthquake that took the best part of 200 lives and destroyed alot of the historic building, including this beautiful Catheral. It is now being propped up by scaffolding and has lost most its spire and roof. Below is a video i found which shows my town in all her glory before the quakes.

Christchurch-Timelapse from lukaskaupenjohann on Vimeo.

I was blog hoping this evening, and came across this time laspe video of Christchurch. its beautiful....my hometown before the earthquakes and how i remember her.

May i just say.....

2011-08-12T20:56:00.002+01:00

That yarn i got is the most snuggliest wool i've ever felt i reckon....its so much nicer than the 100% i had for another project. I'm loving it, and have made 8 squares so far!. yesterday on the bus i only managed 2 rounds of a square, today i managed the whole square and the start of the next one!. i'm getting quicker, have pretty much got the pattern in my head now, and i'm also getting neater!.
I'll show some piccies over the weekend!.
Oh, and the cushion pad is at the post office waiting to be collect, so i hope to finish that this weekend!.
hope i've got the making of my own Lucy Ta Dah post!!.

new stash!

2011-08-10T20:36:00.004+01:00

my new found hobby means i have to buy more stash!!. this is oh so yummy 100% merino wool for a blanket i'm making. i just ordered 7 colours to test how they would be in real life vs the colour on the net....just like i used to do with cardstock!!.
I ordered from yarns4less and am very pleased with the service and speed of the order. I ordered this 4 days ago and got it today!.
on the whole i'm happy with the colours, but would have liked the darker pink and lilac to have been a bit more vibrant. I cant wait to crochet a few more squares with the new colours.

I also won the cushion pad i was after on ebay, so hopefully that will arrive soonish, so i can finish the bloomin flower cushion.

some Sunday kitchen love!

2011-08-07T21:25:00.003+01:00

This morning i planned to mow the lawns, 'cept when i got outside the grass was very wet and the sky getting darker by the minute, so i made the decision not to use an electric mower in those conditions!. I decided to bake instead!.
So i put on my stereo with its 5 CD changer and made a sultana cake from a recipe thats been in my mothers family for donkeys years!.
then i had a small tidy and decided to take a few picces to record the morning!.
so here they are....
my stereo on my lovely freecycle sideboard

the sultana cake

my kitchen bench

my lovely bowl from a pottery fair in St Albans(i have a bowl fetish!)

And finally my first 2 attempts at a crochet granny square!

I have begun the back of the bloomin flower cushion and placed a bid for a cushion pad on ebay. I'm not sure how big i want it to be, and part of me also wants to finish it as i have a history of not finishing projects, so making it smaller than Lucys may be the answer!. So now i wait for the pad so i can then work out how much bigger it needs to be.

new header #2

2011-08-07T09:39:00.003+01:00

had another play this morning making a new header, adding in a piccie of the newly cracked hobby of crochet. i had to forgo my lovely tulip photo as its not portrait so have replaced it with a pic of Big Ben, since i currently live in London.
so l-r, (all my own images) my blooming flower cushion as of last weekend; a road in Oxford, North Canterbury, NZ; my dear old lilly puss back in Christchurch; and Big Ben taken from the Thames a year ago when i returned by boat from the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

on the flower cushion front, i have added another colour and begun the back as i'm not sure how big i want the cushion to be. I'd looked on ebay for a second hand pad to go inside and will then decide on the final size based on whichever pad i win.
I also made my first 2 granny squares yesterday...the first one was very tatty, the second one better, but the pattern is easy to understand, so i should be able to churn out a few on the bus or in the evening when i'm to tired to count the flower cushion rounds!.

Last comment goes to England Rugby......why the 'F' are you wearing black, you look ridiculous. everytime i looked at the screen i thought i was watching NZ play wales, not you. You're not the All Blacks, you never will be, go back to your white strip!!. *breathes out* that feels better!.
And didnt the AB's do a fantastic job over Australia.....i do love to watch a good Aussie defeat!.(wouldnt be a true kiwi if i didnt!).

things are growing!!.

2011-07-31T17:00:00.003+01:00

I went to the allotment yesterday after a few weeks break....it's just so difficult getting there now, plus, having agreed a handover date with the council, i'm loosing the will and cant face how messy its become.
So i decided to face it yesterday....sundays are even harder to get there with 'sunday buses'!. Bless Jim (the neighbouring plotholder)....he was actually mowing my paths when i arrived!. I stayed for about an hour....feed the tomatoes in the polytunnel and harvested the first of the crops. they are certainly much happier in the tunnel.....i'm going to have the best crop ever this year!.
i watered the beans, squash and sweetcorn, and Jim has been watering them also...they will only survive thanks to him!. he also sent me home with some of his beetroot!.
i came home with this lot, that i grew - cheriettes of fire tomatoes, a blueberry and a purple bean!...

also growing is my crochet project!. i've done another 6 rounds this afternoon with the grand prix on in the background. i'm so chuffed with myself for attempting this, which i'm sure people would say isnt a beginners project!. heres a couple of sneek peeks!....

I can crochet!!!!

2011-07-23T20:54:00.003+01:00

finally this afternoon i started a crochet project, having played with the stitches for some time. I saw on Attic24, a wonderful cushion cover and decided, rather ambitiously that that should be the first thing i made!. so this afternoon about 3, i sat down on the bed, with Lucy's blog open and just got on with it. I had to undo the 1st 2 rounds so many times, watch youtube tutorials to learn how to do simple things, but suddenly it all just clicked and away i went. I managed the next couple of rounds ok, then i mucked up again and just as i was ending a round, i had to undo it all!. but that taught me the final thing i needed to crack, and since then its been plain sailing *knocks on her head!!*.
so some piccies so far....

these are the colours i have to choose from...

finally....it looks like Lucy's!

it looks like a flower!!

more colour....and the round i had to undo!.

from now on, its a secret!!...until its finished!!.

man tho!, i think i need my eyes tested, i certainly had eye strain, but then again, it doesnt help crocheting when you have a headache, and infront of a computer screen!!.

But yay me!!. i can do it!!.......
just gotta finish it now!.

WOW!!

2011-07-10T09:21:00.002+01:00

i've been blog hopping around, trying to find some funky blogs to add to my blog list thingie there on the right....ones that share the same interests as me on decorating, crafting, cooking, gardening and self reliance.
I came across this one today via pinterest and want to show you a page from the blog, cos if ever you wanted decorating inspiration, and the notion that a piece of coal can turn into a diamond, this is it!!. It isnt totally my taste, but i just love how the owners saw past the previous owners 'artwork' and have made a stunning home!.
now i'm off to scour the real estate adds to see if i can spend my £10 lottery win on a piece of coal of my own!!.

i made a header!!

2011-07-09T17:40:00.002+01:00

I've just spent the afternoon making this header.....searching for guidelines, finding photos, downloading picasa, and finally actually making it!!.
I followed the information provided in this post by Clover Lane on how to do it, and found it quite easy to follow. the hardest part was not having enough photos to choose from, so consider this header draft #1, and once i have more choice, i'll make a new one....one that fits all the way across the top!.
the photos are all mine and are: l-r tulips from Chelsea Flower Show 2010, a road in Oxford North Canterbury NZ, and miss lilly puss back home in Christchurch.

oh, and the reason i currently dont have many photos to choose from on my computer is cos i had to do a factory restore recently and havent put many pics back on it yet!.

trying to update my blog!

2011-07-09T14:23:00.002+01:00

I'm trying to bring my blog into the 21st century!!. I've finally how you get the list of the blogs you read on your sidebar where you can see their latest update!!.
Now i have to figure how to make a funkier blog.....once i figure out what to blog about at the moment!!.

I just want to put out there.....Bloody well done Crusaders on your hard fought game this morning. You've represented our city well this season, what with all the distruptions following the earthquake. They have played without a home ground since feb, moving round the country and the world for their 'home' games....travelling a hell of alot more than they would have otherwise. The spirit and pride of the team are fantastic, and i'm proud to be a one eye'd Cantabrian!!.

Back to shank's pony!

2011-06-11T12:37:00.002+01:00

My lovely old Volvo has died and is far to expensive to repair, even with the Captain doing most of the work.
As i dont want to carry a mountain of debt, i wont be replacing her with another car. I will now have to get used to alot of walking and using public transport.
The flow on effects are big though.....i may end up giving up my allotment, as it took me an hour to get there on the buses, and with no loos onsite, means i cant stay there for an afternoon and would have to be there for a short time before heading back to the loo!. I did joke with Jim, the neighbouring plotholder about the first time i try peeing in a bucket he'd walk past the window of the shed....he suggested i put up an 'occupied' sign!!.
If i give up the allotment, it will be at the end of the growing season, as i have vege in the ground and i'm not about to loose that to the council plough!.
I am thinking of trying to find a bike off freecycle, and which will help with some things, including going to the allotment, plus has the bonus of providing some exercise.
I keep thinking of all the things i'm going to miss about my car...the things i had planned for this year on a crafty nature will be slightly more difficult to achieve.....i may have to hire a car once in a while, and make good use of the Captain when he is in town!.

So, thank you Volvo, you did me good xx

freecycle :-)

2011-06-04T16:29:00.003+01:00

This afternoon, with the help of a friend i collected a lovely vintage sideboard from someone on freecycle. She'd had it 30 years and didnt think anyone would pay money for it. In fact the first people interested in it didnt want it!. It requires some trim to be nailed back onto one door, and thats about it. I'm so happy...i love vintage things, and to get something for the cost of a bunch of flowers that i gave to my friend for helping me is wonderful.
I orginally wanted to find a piece of furniture to try my hand at painting it after seeing loads of lovely pieces on blogs and pinterest, but this one seems to nice to paint!.
Any way, here she is.....
aren't i lucky!!. I love the pattern on the doors. the lady billed it as Edwardian, its either that or Victorian i'd guess.
I heart my new sideboard....long may she give another 30yrs of good storage service!.

Car Boot Sale

2011-05-22T10:21:00.002+01:00

Today i went to the local car boot sale for the second time....the first time was about 3 yrs ago, and i've been meaning to go back for ages!.
I have come up with a secret project for Christmas that invloves me needing to visit car boot sales or goodwill shops, so i thought i would pop along this morning and see what i could find.
I spent a total of £7.50, with my 2 most expensive items being paintings priced at £1.50 each.
My best buy were the 5 Historic America plates for £1....seriously...5 plates for a pound!. i collect this pattern and was almost weeing myself with excitement when he said £1 for the lot!!.
heres what i got.....

in this picture are the 5 plates, a pressed glass bowl for £1, and a french jar for £0.50

this platter cost £1

this was £1.50

the bigger painting was £1.50, and now i'm not sure i like it, and the smaller one, which i love was £1

all in all it was a good trip....some items for the secret projects, and some new treasures for me.
I was alos looking out for vintage furniture because i want to try my hand at painting a piece. I saw a couple of nice side tables....one was sold but the asking price was £25...i wouldnt have paid that. the other was offers around £20, which was better, cos it was twice the size of the other table....trouble was, i wouldnt have been able to fit it in the car!.
I'll keep looking for a cheap piece to try for my first go!.

Allotment latest

2011-05-01T13:27:00.002+01:00

well, i have been working away slowly making progress with the plot. not going as fast as i would have liked tho...theres a whole section of weeds and grass that i'm not going to get to this weekend.
have begun weeding the raspberry beds, but again, have been hampered by red ant nests. cos i sit on the ground to weed, when i open a nest, i have to evacuate the area until they have moved on, so the going is slow.
i've transplanted 8 of my tomatoes into grow bags in the polytunnel and they have survived, so thats good!.
today i sowed the last lot of beans for a swap i'm in on the grapevine.
i have taken some photos for the 'during' part of the photo post. once i'm happy to show it i'll do a photo post and show whats been done!.
hope everyone is enjoying the bank holiday weekend!.

ANZAC Day

2011-04-25T06:46:00.001+01:00

they shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old,
age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
at the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
we will remember them, we will remember them.

Lest we Forget x

about to tackle day 3.......

2011-04-24T09:27:00.002+01:00

yesterdays trip to the allotment featured far to many red ants for my liking!. my plot seems to be a red ant nation, not colony, nation!. the bed i weeded had 4 separate ant nests in it. bloody things!. i read on the internet that citrus oil has a toxin that kills ants. i was talking to the neighbouring plot holders wife and telling her this and she said she had 2 old lemons in the fridge i could have and went and got them for me. (they live right next to the allotment site!). so each nest got squirted with lemon juice and the crushed peel was left ontop of the nest. i'm sure when i go to finish off the bed this morning they will have moved to another spot. i shall take some boiling water with me as well to pour over the next nest i find.

oh and happy Easter to anyone who reads this!.

day one done....

2011-04-23T06:44:00.002+01:00

planted 2 rows of spuds and cut more grass so the mower will mow better. that was it for the allotment. I got there far later in the morning than i wanted, due to doing some work and then a phone call from NZ. so i had to take it easy in the heat and sun....to much to do to get heat or sun stroke!.
Came home and baked ANZAC biscuits and made up a batch of Aunty Julies fudge, but this batch isnt right either....the first batch was to dry and the cocoa used was out of date and have no chocolatey taste. this batch it to wet as i didnt crush up enough biscuits!. one day i will get it right!.
Vacuumed the 1st floor and cleaned the bathroom, cooked toad in the hole for dinner and then set about mowning the lawn in the evening....'cept it was a little to late in the evening and we had to keep turning on the motion sensor light to see where to go. the grass was so long so we've had to do it in two stages. last night i cut it without a catcher......got covered in grass in the process, but it was the only way to stop blocking the blades constantly. today i'll rake up some of the grass then re mow it with the catcher on, to collect the rest and make it look tidier.

today on the plot will be more spud planting and grass cutting, plus i want to start weeding round some of the raspberries.
my tulips are all in flower and to far gone to cut and bring home sadly, but have taken some photos of them!.
best get a move on!!.

two 4day weekends back to back.....

2011-04-22T08:55:00.003+01:00

today marks the beginning of a marathon 8 day allotment sort out and tidy up. each day i'm planning on spending 2 hours at the plot, getting beds ready, planting out, cutting grass and generally getting on top of the mess from last year!.
i'm off shortly to plant the potatoes, and will take the camera and take some before, during and after photos!. i'm hoping by monday the 2nd of May, the plot will be looking vastly better!.
watch this space!

other things i want to accomplish these 2 weekends are a clean and tidy bedroom, cleaned house, baking ANZAC biscuits and another try of Aunty Julies fudge, mowed back lawn, menu plan for May, finish the current book and learn to crochet a simple square!. plus some tv watching and general vege'ing about.

think i'll be knackered after all of that!!.

Japan has made me think.....

2011-04-10T07:56:00.002+01:00

I was sitting in Christchurch watching the events unfold in Japan in disbelief.....thinking what is going on in the world?!.
Then as the days rolled on, or maybe that should be rattled on! and the situation with the nuclear power plant became headline news, it made me realise something important.
the issues with that power plant must serve as an important lesson for governments and peoples to look into alternative ways of generating power or reducing their reliance on powered items altogether.
i dont believe that my greed for power should put the lives of others at risk. i need to think about what i consume and reduce my reliance on powered goods. i also know now, more than ever that once i am able to, i want solar panels on my home to generate my own power.
I would ask everyone who read this to think about their power consumption. Do we want nuclear power plants in our communitites?. I sure as hell dont!.
maybe i'm over reacting, maybe not, but its time to think!.

Finally ready to write about it....

2011-04-10T07:41:00.002+01:00

I got back 3 weeks ago, after 3wks in Christchurch following the earthquake.
My parents live in the north west of the city, that wasnt badly effected by the quake...there are small signs that something happened in the city here and there....large cracks in roads, a few houses without their chimneys. My parents house is secure and watertight, however is cracked inside and out, and each new big aftershock forms another crack.
the aftershocks....everyday the ground shock...sometimes so gently you had to stop and think was that a shake?, other times so much that you were on your feet heading for the nearest doorway. What alot of people here in the UK dont realise is that CHCH has been shaken every day for the last 6mths. they had a quake in Sept, in the early hours, deeper in the ground and out in the countryside, that did some damage and caused no loss of life. Every day since then, there has been aftershocks. Then Feb 22 hit, lunch time in the city on a summers day, people out and about, the quake centered closer to the city and not very deep, and we all saw what happened. It still brings tears to my eyes when i think about it.
I know that when i get back to CHCH again, it will be a different city to that in which i grew up in....buildings will be gone....alot have been pulled down already because they are unsafe.
i dont really have any pictures to share.....you couldnt get into the center of town, onlookers were asked to stay away from the cordened off area (the 4 aves, for CHCH people), so i didnt venture any further into town than Merivale Mall.
It will take a long time for the city to return to normal.

KIA KAKA CHRISTCHURCH XXX

Going Home.....

2011-02-26T08:23:00.003Z

Tonight i head to Christchurch for 3 wks, to spend time with my family during this difficult time.
I havent really thought about what i'm going to, only that i know my mother will be calmer with me around.
I may blog, i may not, but i will facebook.

Devastated......

2011-02-22T14:45:00.003Z

Today my home town crumbed to the ground. I sat watching from afar, the tears rolling down my cheeks as i saw the spire gone from the Cathedral, the Press building in tatters, another collasped on itself. Roads buckled, cars crushed, people in tears. It is awful to watch, and to be so far away and not be able to do anything.
I have spoken to my parents, and they are fine. the outside cat is inside, and they have had no structural damage, but a family heirloom has been broken. They are lucky.....so far 65 people have been confirmed dead. I expect that to rise in the next 24hrs as all the buildings are checked and the rumble lifted from cars.

I took the day off work as i had been awake sine 2:20am when i got the call and was uttlerly exhausted by 6am, both physically and emotionally. Now i'm at 6's and 7's, not knowing what to do with myself. I keep asking myself why am i so far away from my family?. I cant answer that right now.
I know if the Captain wasnt around i would be seriously considering going now....what with this and the floods in Queensland. I must be going soft in my old age because the draw to be nearer family has never been stronger than today.

God bless Christchurch and all those who live there xx

oh yeah!, Valentines Day.....

2011-02-20T20:08:00.001Z

i got an alternator and a card with a rodent flying a plane and it says 'i'm crazy for you'
i heart my Captain!.

Crochet!

2011-02-20T20:02:00.002Z

Last year i decided i'd learn how to crochet. I tried and tried to get to grips with it, and one day i finally cracked it. then i didnt do it again!. so now i am back to square one!!.
On thursday i was assessing a student at a playgroup, and there across the room was a woman crocheting, her hands working quickly to produce something beautiful in white....i couldn't figure out what it was. I kept watching her and wanted to go and talk to her, but i was there to work!.
Since then i have been blog hopping round some of my favourite crochet blogs and finding even more to inspire me.
I am going to give it another go and i'm going to make something. I'm not giving myself a deadline at this point!!, but i'm dying to make something!. i have the hooks and the wool, i just need to do it!.
watch this space!.

Family Trees.

2011-01-29T10:07:00.002Z

A few years ago i was really into finding out about my ancestors....especially since i'm here in the UK and most of them orginated from here, and i could actually go to some of those places they came from.
I paid and joined ancestry, put up the tree that i know of so far and researched people. I enjoyed it, but i didnt spend money on getting certificates as i was spending money on stash(errmmmm....scrapbooking products!) at the time!. After a while i hit a brick wall that only certs would break down, so i decided to shelve the search for a while and have never really gone back to it.
However, over the past year or so, i have been contacted by 3 different people about possible connections with my ancestors and its beginning to reignite my interest. Ancestry i notice now require you to paid to do just about anything, and since i no longer buy stash, i'm toying with taking out an annual membership!. Trouble is, since half my rellies ended up downunder, i have to take out the most expensive one!.
I just find the whole tree on the web thing fascinating.....to be contacted by a distant branch of the family from another country is amazing to me!.
This summer i am going to visit an area some ancestors came from that is probably no more than an hours drive from here!!.
I wonder how many of my friends look into their family trees?.

packages!!....

2011-01-27T21:00:00.002Z

This years seed potatoes have arrived!!.
I'm only trying 4 varieties this year.... Nadine, International Kidney, Ulster Classic and Salad Blue....a blue potato!!.
The arrival of this package has got me thinking about keeping track of the expenses for this year on the plot, as i dont really need to buy all that much for a change!.
so far it has cost me £70 in rent and seed potatoes.
I shall do my best to keep track this year and then try and figure out what i harvest would have cost me!.

For MWG.....yes, its a tomato!!.

New Starts.....

2011-01-13T15:29:00.001Z

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-13T15:24:00.002Z

I have just seen on my mate Ally's blog about wordless wednesday, where on a wednesday you just post a photo you have taken recently and thats all....its about the picture not the words to go with it.
So, i kinda like that idea, and am going to give it a go and see how long it lasts!. I will be back with the first pic in a mo, when i've resized it!.

Journal your Christmas 2010!

2011-01-09T21:30:00.002Z

Today i finished my JYC for this past holiday season. I didnt keep up well, no matter how organised i was.....i still had to many things in the box to choose from, so that has to be refined even more for the 2011 version!. i had a go at catching up before the holidays and got to day 9, so yesterday i decided i would just crack on til it was done. i think i started mid arvo and gave up the ghost on page 25 at 1130pm....even watching NZ cricket couldnt keep me awake!. so i got up this morning and finished it off. i have left out a few pages and only gone to the 31st, with one page for Jan, with a couple of pics i wanted to include. the ones i left out were because nothing else happened on those days, and they had already been covered in previous years.
i'll take some piccies and post them soon-ish!.

I made do and mended!.

2011-01-05T21:32:00.002Z

This morning whilst getting dressed i realised i have a wardrobe malfunction in the over shoulder boulder holder department with 2 of the 3 hooks now coming unstitched. As i got it secure enough to last the day i thought 'great, gotta buy new bras tonight when i get home!'.....i have another one with the same issues!.
fast forward to this evening and i'm driving home and i had a brainwave!....yes i know, it was a shock to me as well!. i decided to restitch the hooks back into place rather than buy a new bra!. so i did, just now, while the pc was deciding to turn on, i stitched both of the wobbly ones back, and checked it did up ok.....it did!.
hoooray for me!. tomorrow i shall mend the other one as well, and then i wont need a new bra for a while longer!!.

Early Tomatoes.

2011-01-03T20:31:00.003Z

Again, this year i have sown a few tomato seeds to get a head start on the growing season and hopefully have a few toms earlier than most!. The difference this year will be the polytunnel....i think i will grow all my toms in there and see how much of a difference it makes.
So far in my tomato gorwing history, i have not had much success in getting huge returns. I've always managed to get a few toms, which, because there is only a few, i've taken the seeds from rather than eaten. these toms were grown outside on the allotment and were always pretty rubbish compared to other plot holders toms. so i am hoping the polytunnel will help, plus i need to be more caring of them!.....which i will have to being in the tunnel...i'll have to remember to water them on a regular basis.
i have sown 6 varieties...one seed of each today, and will follow that with another sowing in early feb, and again in early march.
the varieties are Amish Paste( from seeds collected in 2009 and 2010), cheriettes of fire ( which are pea size toms!), Pigletwillies French Black ( from a kindly grapevine member who collected them in france!), Purple Ukraine and white wonder.

i'll keep you posted on progress!. now i'm off to read back on the tom plantings from last year!.

and so this year.....

2011-01-02T18:18:00.003Z

I've been thinking about goals for the year and the main one that i've been mulling on has been about books....probably something to do with the fact that bar my cookbooks, i have all the rest of my books in my bedroom....i have far to many books...altho i dont believe that is ever the case - just in this house!!.

so i have decided that for 2011 i will not buy any books....if i see something that i like, i will add it to my amazon wishlist and review it at some point during the year, then again at the end of the year, before i think about ordering the ones that survive all the cuts!.
it seems a simple goal, but for me its a biggie....books are an essential part of my home and to not buy any is going to be hard....i really cut down this year, but to cut it out altogether will be hard. the only exception will be if i am given a book voucher...i will use it rather than risk wasting it.

so i wont buy any books, and i will read the ones that i havent read.....which, lets face it, is 90% of them!. then i will pass on those that i dont fancy reading again, and keep those i really enjoy!.

so, thats it....my main goal for this year!.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-02T18:03:00.002Z

G U L P!!

It's been a while!!.

I might be back for a while, i might not be....who knows!.
Brief nutshell of May 2010 til now.....moved into the house mentioned in the last post and got on with work. Work....i love it and i hate it!.not sure how much longer i will stay with the company i work for.

Havent done very well on the allotment front.....didnt go as much as i should have, as the house is that little bit to far for a 'nip' to the lottie. i need to do better!. i did get the frame up of the polytunnel, but not the cover, which i decided would wait til after the winter in case its damaged....good job...we've had lots of snow!.

In sept the Captain came back into my life and is still here, and fingers crossed will continue to be....we get on so well, have the same sense of humour and alot of the same interests and views.

I havent done well on making things....the scrapbooking is non exsistant, altho i am doing JYC this year, albeit incrediably behind!. i finally cracked crochet, only to not do anymore and havent knitted much more than a couple of lines for the blanket thats been on the needles for the past 5 or 6 yrs!!.

......it's even got a washing line!!!

2010-05-12T21:09:00.003+01:00

My new house that is!. in 2 weeks i'll be in what i hope will be my final UK home, for the next 2 1/2yrs. My flatmate to be and I saw a house last night, liked it lots and went and put down a deposit for it!. its a 3 bed terrace, with an extended kitchen and a converted loft, so lots of room, lots of storage, and a patio and garden!.
I cant wait to get back into some of the things i was doing before, and adding some new skills to my list!. Not sure C realises what shes let herself in for.....mooncups(for ally!), wee wipes and food made from scratch!!.
cant wait!!.

lets try this again!.

2010-05-06T20:34:00.003+01:00

on monday evening i wrote a lovely post about where my allotment was at, posted piccies, hit 'post', and the cyber gremlins ate it!.
so i shall try again, all be it in a shorter version!.

ok, this is the current state of the allotment....lots of rain = lots of grass!. my neighbouring plotholder has given me use of a push mover to keep it in check, and he even checked it would worked on my plot....i tried to get him to check it works on the WHOLE plot, but he caught my drift and just laughed at me!.

next we have my strawberry bed, and my beautiful tulips...the babies left from the ones i dug up to shift, never did and were eaten by the mice!.

my blackcurrent bush....might produce some currents for me this year.....a glass of ribena coming up!.

this is my sale rack apple tree from last year. its going great, but hasnt flowered so wont produce an apple this year....perhaps i should prune it this year!.

and finally a shot of the strongest of my 4 peony roses. not sure it will flower, altho i think it should....its been in the ground for 18mths now.

finally.....i came across a new forum this week, which is right up my street. called Down to Earth, it's full of all kinds of interesting posts and info for people wanting to lead a more simple lifestyle. the links over there on the side if you wanna peek!.

LEST WE FORGET......

2010-04-25T13:08:00.004+01:00

its ANZAC Day, and its a sunday, and i should have put 2 and 2 together and realised there was probably an ANZAC Day parade and service at Westminster this morning!. oh well...another year!. i must also add 'trip to Gallipolli' to my 'must visit before 2012' list!.

in other news!....finally got all the rest of the spuds in at the lottie, altho not in the bed they should have gone in, but a combination of weather, assignments and ill health have prevented me from getting that bed dug in time. so i have used another bed and corner of a second. i have 5 varieties in now. i also turned a growbag on its side, cut it open and sowed 2 rows of carrots. my ground is to stony for carrots in the ground. i was going to spend time de-stoning a bed but the combination factor mentioned above stopped me, so i came up with this idea last night. i've only used one half and will sow another 2 rows in about 3 weeks.

i brought home some of my tulips today and put them in a vase....beautiful 'Queen of the Night'....deep purple. i'll photograph them when they open a bit more.

been looking at houses with my flatmate to try and find something to move into....not much luck so far....either small rooms or bad parking, or crappy area!. got a month to find something, so fingers crossed we will!!.

'ello, 'ello, 'ello......

2010-04-11T18:18:00.002+01:00

Yep, its been a while....figured people might be getting bored of the tom pics, so i wont post any today!!.
Not alot has been going on....getting back into the swin of 5 day weeks is not proving fun!!.....i find i still have a load to do on a sunday evening, and end up all stressy!. still....'welcome to the real world' most will be shouting at the screen!.

Finally managed to get 2 rows of spuds in at the allotment today....finished the bed yesterday, and it bloody near killed me....i should have stoppd, but there wasnt much more to do, and it was psycological.....when i went today, i knew i didnt have to dig!. ended up with heat stroke i think also yesterday, as well as dud back and backs of thighs, from bending over lots and digging wet ground!.
bad news.....still one more bed to dig!. will do it in small doses over the next few weeks....thank goodness for lighter evenings!.

Today i had a mammoth seed sowing session, as i've been a bit remiss with that....partly due to circumstance here, so i've set them in a growhouse on the lottie and hope they will be ok....looks like the wind has given it a bit of a bashing....i noticed a broken part today. fingers crossed it'll last this summer!.

not much else going on....i have to come up with something for a handmade swap i'm in on ALS....but cant say to much more as my blog is featured in the blog roll call on there!!.

glorious weather for a change...i was in short sleeves at the lottie...the sun was warm, birds were singing and a beautiful old warbird went over.....gotta love the rumble of a warbird!.

9 hours to go......

2010-03-30T08:09:00.002+01:00

......til i'm on 6 days of holiday!!. and cheaply to...2 annual leave days tacked on the 4 day easter weekend...bonus!.
So much to do in that time....the spud beds are still not ready on the allotment, altho other jobs are getting done. seeds need starting, the carrot and parsnip bed needs sieving and mixing in with some sharp sand, and the grass will no doubt need cutting!.
then theres the book to finish, plus all the glossy books from the library i got last weekend!
and to top if off....gotta make something for the handmade swap i'm in on the aussie forum i belong to. plus i'd like to try crocheting a dishcloth, as i've finally cracked some stitches, so now want to turn them into something useful!.
and finally, there'll be easter eggs....i have had 2 given to me already and i wont be buying anymore....2's enough!.
What are you doing for easter?!

'nother plant update!.

2010-03-18T19:32:00.003Z

thought i would share this photo taken this evening, of where my seedlings are at. every seed that has germinated is going strong, despite replants etc. you may also spot a bean in the tray....a dwarf purple bean that i planted as part of my micro teaching session that i had to give as part of the course i'm on.
so, 3 larger Amish Paste toms on the left, 2 newer plantings of Amish Paste in pots at the front of the pic. LM's 2 gardeners delight toms in the clear plastic pot in the middle, and over there on the right, my bean!!.

And this photo below makes my heart sing......last summer i dug up what i thought was all my tulip bulbs from the strawberry bed, and didnt replant them(no excuses...lazy!), and the bloomin mice ate them over the winter. Sob...my beautiful Queen of the night tulips. anyway, i was taking a wander round the plot at the beginning of the month, and i spotted this in the strawberry patch......

my tulips had babies!!. i've got about 5-7 plants popping thru the soil.....i'm so happy!!.

tomato update!

2010-03-07T09:11:00.003Z

opps!, been a while!. thought i would take a few piccies of the tomato seedlings this morning since its lovely and sunny in my room where they are. this pic is the seedlings i planted with LM a few weeks ago. in the foreground are her 2 'gardeners delight' and behind 2 of my 3 Amish Paste. the taller one on the left is the same plant as in the photo in the previous post. both Amish Paste toms need potting on and planting deep due to leggyness. they are now getting more sun cos i am moving them round the house to catch it....theres been no complaints so far!!.

this pic is of the 3 orginal Amish Paste toms growing nicely in their big pots and not so leggy now. hopefully i may not need to repot this now, they can stay here til i put them in the lottie.

my other news is that i have changed jobs now and am full time assessing. only had one week ft so far but all seems fine and i'm still inspired by the role. i am beginning to explore accommodation with a view to moving out, and may have found myself a flatmate. shes a fellow scrapper who has to move out of her flat, so we are going to explore the idea together. i need to share if i'm to save any money to take to OZ in order to start my dream of owning some land!.

news flash!!....

2010-02-23T20:28:00.004Z

one of the Amish Paste seeds planted on friday has poked his head thru the soil today!!. must photograph it, cos it wasnt there this morning as i had a good nose while opening the curtains!.
the 1st 3 are happy in their newer bigger pots and i've been giving them some sunlight when possible as well!.

only other news is that i have conjunctivitis!!!. charming...wonder where that came from?...my guess the public swimming pool last friday!.

tomato update

2010-02-22T17:54:00.003Z

last friday i potted on the Amish Paste toms and planted a few more for good measure!.
as you can see from the photo, the seedlings are getting a bit leggy again. this is due to them trying to find light.....they arent in the best window in the house, however now, with a bit more sun around i am moving them to catch it, and thereby hoping to minimise the leggyness this time round!

this next photo is me (in)elegantly deposited on the kitchen floor repotting the seedlings, and sowing a few more seeds with my lil helper....who actually took this picture!!. we planted another 3 Amish Paste(got that seed swap in mind!!), 2 of her cherry toms that we saved the seed from last year, and 1 chilli pepper.

and finally the repotted seedlings....planted right up to their leaves!.

my mate Jude has awarded me a blog award, which i need to pass on in turn, so i need to say THANK YOU MATEY xx, and try and think of 7 people to pass it on to....she sent it to most of the friends i have on my blog list!!.

avoiding the seed box!!

2010-02-06T12:30:00.003Z

i know when i start the seed box is going to be a big job, so i'm currently doing other things....like getting the seed spuds into trays to chit. this year i am trying 5 varieties...international kidney, kestral, ulster classic, setanta and maris piper. of the 5, i grew int kidney last year.

my babies have leaves!!

2010-02-06T12:03:00.003Z

thought i'd share a quick photo taken just now of the Amish Paste toms. all 3 have transplanted well and have put on new growth in the past fortnight. sadly some of that growth is leggy-ness, cos they arent in the best window light wise, but i cant change that for now. each time i pot them on i'll just pot them deep and they should be fine!.

am about to do battle with the seed box and make a final decision on what i'm going to grow this year. then i'm going to do battle with a spreadsheet and try and make some semblence of order with it all!. wish me luck!.

Mice!

2010-01-31T20:05:00.002Z

or.....you live and learn!.

Mice have got into my shed on the allotment and have had a field day in there!. they have eaten bits out of just about every spud stored in there, plus all my saved tulip blubs from last year....my beautiful 'Queen of the Night' tulips....sob!. and they little buggers have pooped everywhere just to say thank you!.
so my lesson from this is that the shed is not the best storage place for my spuds next winter!. I'd have brought them here but didnt think it'd go down well with these folks!. next winter i wont be here, so i'll have to have food storage in mind when i go flat hunting in a months time!.

Not alot else to report at the moment...am feeling like i'm constantly catching my tail between this job, the other job and a college course the other job wants me to do.

oh, and tomato no 1 has survived its transplant and root break, and has grown a new leaf, so thats great....i've got 3 good lil tom seedlings doing well!.
which reminds me.....i noticed today at the allotment...i havent cared for my lemon tree very well, and it may have died with all this cold weather...it is protected in a growhouse, but it didnt look happy today. i'll just leave it as is til the weather warms up and i can take it out and see how it goes!......another live and learn i think!.
boy theres a lot to learn, if i want to have any chance of feeding myself with homegrown produce!.

teeny tiny tomatoes!

2010-01-23T13:42:00.003Z

heres where i'm at with my Amish Paste seedlings!.
Last year i tried growing Amish Paste tomatoes. they are surposed to be excellent cooking toms, for sauces, soups etc. my first sowing were eaten by slugs and my second sowing didnt allow enough time on the vine outdoors to fully ripen, so i cut the best truss of 5 off and brought them home to ripen. it took a while but eventually i got 4 to bright red tomatoes. i then took the seed from those to use this year.
on the grapevine forum at the beginning of the year i saw a thread about early sowings of toms and decided to try it here because this house is kept unheathly hot in my opinion!.
so on the 2nd of Jan i plant four of the saved seed from last year, and by the 10th, 3 had germinated. last weekend at the allotment i gathered 3 pots of compost and brought them back to warm up ready for the transplant. today was the transplant.

heres them before the move....getting leggy looking for light....admittedly they arent in the best window for light, but i dont think they'd be allowed anywhere else, so they are going to have to cope!!.

then here they are after....i've planted them quite deep...can't remember why you do that, but am sure its a good thing!. i should have at least 2 strong plants from this....i say 2, cos i broke a bit to much root of the 1st seedling, and it may not recover....time will tell!!.

i also need them to do well, cos i've entered myself into a seed swap and these toms are the seeds i want to offer later in the year!!.

Insomnia's not good for the wallet......however on the + side....

2010-01-23T10:07:00.004Z

....there's loads of lovely books coming out over the next few months.....and my wishlist has grown by several pages!!.
i was awake for about 3 hours over night and went and had a nosey round Amazon!. when i hit a search i decided to list it be publication date and had a good look at all the books due to be published over the next year in those searches i did!. loads of cookbooks....a new River Cottage Handbook (yippee!), lots of Australian Womans Weekly ones, some lovely decorating ones.....oh how i wish i could buy them all...sadly money and space wont allow that, so i shall have to pick them over once there is more info about them!!.

During the week i received some seeds from someone on the vine offering seeds in exchange for a SAE. i asked for a packet of her purple popped pea, and was thrilled to get the packet, along with another packet of peas she rates as the best ever!. these are heritage seeds and not commonly avaliable....i love that...people saving odd varieties and sharing out the seeds, so that the variety survives, after the mainstream garden centers and seed supplies decide not to stock it!.

Job for this weekend....pot on the 3 tom seedlings planted at New Years!!. i'll take piccies and post!.

more snow pics and a new hobby!

2010-01-10T11:30:00.002Z

the first 3 pics are from a walk in the park on friday....interestingly enough, i didnt think there was a much snow there as we had a few streets away....maybe it had just been compacted more?.

now, one of my goals for this year is to learn to crochet, and i happened to be standing in queue at WHS and saw the 1st issue of 'crochet' magazine for 99p...including an instructional dvd, a hook, 2 balls of wool(not real wool mind..acrylic!) and the magazine, and decided for 99p, you cant go wrong. so i've been practising away with the goods and hoping i can master it!.
yesterday i hitched a ride with LM's family to Brent Cross and had a nose thru the haberdashery dept of John Lewis and decided to buy some proper 100% wool, another good quality hook and just incase i cant get the hang of it, another pair of knitting needles cos mine are all in storage. while looking around i saw the bag and loved it....thought it was a bit pricy and nearly didnt but decided to treat myself. imagine my surprise when i got to the checkout and found it was over 1/2price off, so i felt much happier about buying it and now i have a groovy place to store my knitting bits!!.

correction.....

2010-01-07T20:42:00.002Z

you know yesterday i said the snow was all lovely and that........today i take it all back!. this afternoon i had an awful experience on an icy road and its spooked me!. i had to be in central london and was going to park near a tube so that i could have the car to get home later on once i got back to the office!. yeah right!.....everyone else was parked near the tube....from yesterday when alot got stuck!. so i quickly formulated plan B and drove nearer the office to park and get bus/tube combo into town!. got to the main road near the office and stupidly turned into side road to park as i usually do and drove down it fine, found a park very quickly and headed off.
bus to tube ok!.
tube into london not ok!
F'ing nightmare to be exact....gaps in the service.....sardine can trains when they did arrive.....squashed up close and personal with others armpits......i resolved never to book early visits in central london again!. that resolution lasted 2 hrs!.
journey back to office in north london as fine.
talking to bloke in office and he says theres more snow due this arvo, so i decided to head on out!. got to car, sat in it and warmed it up before trying to move...several cars went past me so i didnt think there was a problem.....WRONG!!!. i couldnt get traction no matter where i put the wheels, so i just sat there thinking what to do, then watched another car pass me, pull over to let a car past, then suffer the same fate as me.....i thought poor him...he was being polite and now hes stuck, but he managed to get going so decided to try again......NOPE!. as i sat there beginning to panic a man appeared and said he's been watching me and came to help. he said i'd almost got going the last time so a bit of a push will help.
firstly, i nearly ran him over getting going, cos the car was still in reverse from sliding back into the carpark!. then i started out again, he pushed and i got going....yayyyy!!.....oh!....didnt last long, began to slip around!. trying to keep the car moving and straight was frightening!. i made it out onto gritted roads and expected the car to pack a sad and say no more, but she didnt!!. my old girl got me home!. with our road being an ice rink as well, i've parked out on the main road, which will be gritted as its a bus route....lets just hope noone crashed into her over night!!.

another snowfall!

2010-01-06T19:06:00.002Z

Last night the snow began to fall again, after about a two week break, and it continued falling until mid afternoon. we've had the best part of 6".....it's magical!. because there was no wind it was lovely walking as the flakes fall. LM and i had a wee wander to the main road then built snowmen in the front garden.

heres a few snaps....

a frosty allotment!.

2010-01-01T16:40:00.003Z

When i woke up this morning it was lovely blue sky and sunshine so i thought i would go make a start on one of the 2 beds still to be dug on the allotment!. little did i realise how cold it was and that most of my plot was still frozen!. so instead, i took some photos, and put some compost in a pot to bring home to warm up, so i can trial an early sowing of tomatoes....am going to plant 4 seeds from the toms i harvested in the autumn, and see if i can get them to fruit earlier than they did last season.

todays view of the allotment....

i have also decided to enter a seed swap on the grapevine this year. i have to grow enough kidney beans and cooking toms to save the seed and share out with 15 other people!!. goodness knows if this was a wise idea or not, but i like the idea of swapping seeds with people and hopefully collecting seeds from plants not commonly avaliable in the mainstream garden centers.

the to-do list for next year!!

2009-12-30T10:15:00.002Z

well its nearly next year, and i havent written much on here over the past few weeks. Sadly not cos i was to busy with the Captain.....just cos there hasnt been that much to say! i was up to date with JYC til xmas day, but havent done any since then. i plan to do a few more pages but thats about it really.... dont tend to celebrate new years, so theres not much more to put in.
I've been reading some to-do lists of people on a forum i read and i thought i would put mine out there for next year....it might keep me on track!!!

SOOOOO......
1) Build up the finances in order to move out of current situation.
2) find studio flat to live in- late march/early April (studio to downsize outgoings and cull belongings!)
3) get better at successional sowing on the allotment
4) plant more for the freezer to reduce the need to buy vege throughout the year
5) be really ruthless when unpacking stuff in storage...i havent used/needed it for the past year!!!
6) visit some more european cities....hopefully the Captain will play a part in that!
7) see if its possible to save for a trip downunder for xmas 2010.
8) continue to learn about self sufficiency
9) make my own bread

i'm sure there will be more!. Whats on your list?

Happy New Year everyone!!.

Back up to date!

2009-12-06T15:12:00.003Z

on my list of jobs today was to catch up with JYC...and i have!. am even toying with doing tomorrows this evening as i'll be with the Captain tomorrow night, and wont have any time during the day to do it.....just had a thought, i will hold off...cos i may do the Captain as the page instead of the prompt...best take the camera tomorrow night then!!.

ok heres day 4

day 5

day 6

and my cute snowman from the Rusty Pickle class yesterday.

no longer up to date!

2009-12-05T18:22:00.002Z

i havent done yesterdays post....eekkkk!!, and so far today i havent done todays either!. altho i know what i'm doing for todays. still not sure on yesterdays!
However i have made the cutest xmas album this afternoon in a class with Lance Anderson of Rusty Pickle. i'll photograph it tomorrow and put it up along with my JYC pages....hopefully!!.

(the captain is on his way!!).

it's been a long day.....

2009-12-03T18:32:00.002Z

Today i was assessed being an assessor to one of my candidates, which basically means my teacher sat and watched me with a learner, then asked me loads of questions!. with all this looming, i was awake at 430am stressing about how the day would go!.
Then abot 1130, when it was over i checked my phone to see the loveliest text from the Captain.....he cant wait til tuesday to meet up again, can we meet up on monday instead?. talk about instant destress!!. of course i replied YESSSSS!!!.

I got home tonight to find my first xmas card of the season, so decided to use that as my prompt for todays card prompt in JYC, as well as adding about my day and of course my text!!.

Phew!, still up to date with my JYC!!

2009-12-02T18:56:00.003Z

Heres todays entry....it's on the weather. i wasnt actually going to do it on the weather cos the day was pretty uneventful.....until 230pm when i had to start my nursery and school pick ups....then the heavens opened and everyone got soaked!!. so theres a small journalling spot about the rain and then the photos of yesterday that i took!!.

Also heres todays decoration for the advent tree and a glimpse of my Baileys choccies, which i'm about to scoff!!.

Butter Tarts......and books.....

2009-12-01T21:43:00.003Z

ok, a few people have asked what butter tarts are.....calories in a pastry case mainly, but also devine treats that my family only eats at Christmas time. i'll share the recipe and you can have a try yourselves....i have made them and taken them to scrapmates before!.

Canadian Butter Tarts
8ozs short sweet pastry
1 c sultanas
1 c brown sugar
1 egg beaten
2 TBSPNS butter
1/2t vanilla extract
1/2t nutmeg.

Roll and line 18 patty pans. Scald the sultanas with boiling water, then drain well. While the fruit is hot, add the sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and nutmeg.
Put a dessert spoon of mix into each patty case, and then bake at 180C/350F for 15-20mins.

One more photo to add for today.....i collect childrens christmas stories and when i was in Enfield this morning i popped into Waterstones and had a look at what they had....and came home with this haul!!. I love Splat the Cat, so am thrilled to bits theres a Christmas story to add to the collection!!.

JYC 1/12/09

2009-12-01T18:42:00.003Z

todays entry....i'm currently up to date....lol!!.
and notice what i found in my pile of stash....i cant have noticed it when i was cutting up the sheet cos i'd have put it on the front!! (Santa flying a plane!!)

here for my scrapmates friends is how far i've got with my tree....just got the numbers to do and hang on, but ermmm....have lost one of the screws!!. then will decide if it needs anything else once they are on.

And finally, cos its now December....this years first batch of butter tarts....(with my sous chef!)

YIPPEEE......IT'S DECEMBER!!!....

2009-12-01T07:37:00.003Z

Couldnt resist starting the photos early....dont expect it this early every day!!. altho, my aim is to uphold photos every day as much as possible!.

ok heres the advent tree from Harrods without the 1st deccie ( next to it is the ornament, well one of two!, brought from Harrods as well)....

then a piccie of the tree with the first deccie, and my choccie for today and the scrapmates advent swap pressie....both unopened....

and finally, choccie eaten at 7am-ish, and pressie opened to reveal a set of Doodlebug rubons!.....

back later with a photo of day one of JYC!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas......

2009-11-29T13:20:00.004Z

I spent the evening round at Allys last night decorating a Kaisercraft countdown to Christmas tree.....covering it with gorgeous Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses *swoon* (wish i'd done my JYC in this now!!).
This morning i've done a bit more....finished off most of the painting...got to paint the other other side of the tags and wait for the glitter glue to dry before adding the hooks and maybe an oversized snowflake!!.

Whilst there i also was given my bag of advent goodies from the Scrapmates advent swap....roll on tuesday...a pressie and a choccie a day....plus JYC = can't wait!.

Heres my choccie advent calender from M&S, and i also have a card one from Harrods that i havent set up yet.....i'll certainly add a picture of that when i get it ready....got to clear a space for it up out of enquiring fingers way!!.

Skype, and JYC.

2009-11-23T09:37:00.004Z

WOW!!, so i'd heard people talk about Skype but hadnt investigated it before meeting the Captain. Yesterday i decided to try phoning someones landline thru Skype and it was fantastic....once you get over the fact you're talking to your computer screen!. I rung both my girlfriends in NZ, spoke for about an hour in total and spent the princly sum of £0.80!!!. i'll be phoning everywhere now!!.

I was talking to the Captain (on Skype!!), and telling him about my JYC class and album, and he asked if he was going to feature in it!. thats a huge dilemma.....i want to put him in, but if it all goes tits up in the new year, then i dont want an album full of those memories!. however if this is something thats gonna last the distance, i do want to record our first Christmas together......arrrggghhhhh!!!. i dont know what to do!.

one more wee moan....i love my new laptop its great blah blah blah, but i'm beginning to get a touch p'd off at the odd missed letter when i'm typing...surely i'm not typing to fast for you lappy???

this years Journal Your Christmas.....

2009-11-21T17:49:00.003Z

I am now ready to begin....the album is made, the cover is done and the box of bits is organised. all that's left to do is find the missing 2 packets of MM embellies i've lost...one being the word fetti that i really want to use!!.

the bulk of the album is from the Making Memories Mistletoe range, with some Bazzill cs pages, theres a sheet of Hambly and a sheet of Basic Grey (really loving the eskimo kisses range this year!), and the covers are a sheet of heavy Hambly overlay.

i've stamped some journalling spots, cut out some other ones from October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket; cut up some pp to use on the pages and got my fav letter stickers from Doodlebug!. Roll on Dec 1st!!

Gutted......

2009-11-21T12:16:00.002Z

The Captain was going to come to the UK today for a few days between flights. Sadly he couldnt get on any flights out of Singapore today, and therefore it isnt worth him coming now. I cant believe how gutted i feel at the moment. I had told myself to keep calm til i knew he was actually on a plane, but still the news that he isnt coming has really knocked me. I guess that means theres some feelings lurking in there somewhere!. Also i guess i have to get used to this cos he'll always come standby when he isnt working or on leave.
the small bright note is he'll be here for a month in 2.5wks time.

Quick trip to the Allotment!.

2009-11-15T12:09:00.003Z

It's been blowing a gale here over the last 36hrs or so, and yesterday as i was driving i suddenly thought sh*t, the shed roof!!. when Jim and i put the shed up, we didnt finished off the roof properly because i had thought at the time i would replace the MDF as well as the roofing felt. however over time the roof has held its own, so i just got some felt and Jim and i cut it to size, put it on the roof and secured it with a load of bricks....and thats the way its stayed for the last few months!. This morning dawned clear and calm so i popped up to the lottie and see my shed still standing with is roof firmly in place......phew!!. Jim popped out and said all he'd had to do was put back 2 bricks that had slid down!. I'm thrilled, cos i have very little time at the moment to sort the roof, and so if it survived this onslaught, it'll survive the winter pretty much!.
While i was there i harvested a pot of carrots and one leek for tonights leek and cheese risotto!.

In other news, i have made the carcass of this years JYC using MM's Mistletoe range, with a few extra pages from Hambly, and Basic Grey. now i need to think how i'm going to hold it together....my thought of the BIA is a bit iffy, cos it's already to thick!. I went and got my BIA and cropadile out of storage yesterday which will help with this project. i'll take some piccies soon to share.

I have discovered skype....the Captain and i have both downloaded it into our laptops and are aiming to use it while he's in foreign cities to minimise mobile usage and huge bills!. it works a treat....yesterday i have 2 video chats with him....him being in the lobby of a swank hotel in Moscow! he comes here next weekend for a few days, and i'm going to pick him up from Heathrow and take him to his mums, where we're both going to stay for a few days......something that excites and scares me in equal measures!!.

I'm going to be in a book.....

2009-11-11T21:29:00.002Z

Last year sometime i was contacted about having my photo from here, along with some words i said on this blog,feature in a book about human emotion. well this book is going to be published next month and i cant wait to see it.
if you want a sneak peek at it, its here on amazon.
i'll do more of a post about once i get my copy!

oh!, and ......

2009-11-07T22:44:00.003Z

i finished my Journal Your Christmas 2008 album!!. i only did up to 31st dec, then added a couple of pages with pics/bits of the rest of my time in OZ.
Now i can start to think about getting ready for the 2009 version!.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2009-11-07T22:36:00.003Z

Twas the old 42nd birthday today!!. I got spoilt by my family and friends and the captain rung from the cockpit to wish me happy b/day...which he sung to me!. needless to say i'm acting like a silly schoolgirl!!. the scrapmates are finding it all very funny!. still...it doesnt happen to me often!.

this evening i took LM to her first live fireworks display!. right as they were about to start she decides she wants the loo!!. bless the wee girl...she hung on for about 15mins so she could watch up close!. i took a heap of pics on the firework setting on my camera, and tbh, they have all come out rubbish....i guess you need a tripod or something for it, cos they are just about all blurry!. sadly i didnt have time to take any on auto!. heres a couple that aren't to bad!.

A Childhood Memory remembered......

2009-11-01T08:47:00.002Z

yesterday i had one of those moments where you see something and it brings back a memory from your childhood that you had long forgotten.
I have met an airline pilot and am at the beginnings of a potential relationship with him. thats the good news....the bad news is he's based in Singapore and only comes to the UK once every 4-6wks!.
Anyway, back to my memory......he was here in the UK for 48hrs, leaving yesterday afternoon. As he was getting into his uniform....in the bathroom...no mucky business people!.....i was looking at his hat lying on the table and suddenly remembered as a child when we used to drop dad (also a pilot) off or pick him up from the airport, i used to carry his hat. So i told the captain my memory and he let me carry his hat down to reception!!. twas a small thing, but such a strong memory. In the lift down the captain told me i could carry his hat anytime!.

Simply Beautiful......

2009-10-30T21:22:00.001Z

Given to me last night......

JYC 2009

2009-10-27T22:25:00.002Z

I was thinking i wouldnt do Journal Your Christmas this year.....i'm still living in, in a Jewish home and wont have many xmassy things around me. Then this evening, i've been reading a thread on UKS about whos doing it and why and i got to thinking....i could make it work this year. I could incorporate things about Channukah, which runs the week before xmas this year.
so, even tho i havent finished last years one, i think i will go ahead and start thinking about doing it again this year. altho, i will pull finger and finish last years one before starting this years one.....discipline girl....discipline!.
As someone on UKS said, it almost becomes a tradition in itself!.

For MWG....

2009-10-20T13:41:00.004+01:00

the reason i saved the seeds was cos those particular tomatos only come from one supplier of heirloom vege, and while you get a decent amount in a bag, it still costs quite alot and if i didnt save some seed, i'd have basically wasted that packet of seed!. The first lot of seedlings i planted were eaten by slugs!. Also, i want to get into saving seed and this is a good place to start.

make sure that if you do decide to save some seed, you are saving from non F1 tomatoes, as those ones may not grow true to type as they are hybrids.

heres the latest two pics....the top one is the seeds soaking and separating from the pulp, and the bottom one showing how all 4 toms eventually turned red!. i will take some more photos as the seeds are processed....over the next few days.