Still raining....

I can't believe it is STILL raining, and neither can these very fed-up Featheries and Furry.

So the only thing to do yesterday was to bake

Hmmmmmm chocolate vanilla cupcakes...... headless chicks I'm afraid, not sure where the heads went..

3 minutes later I returned to a scene of devestation!!! These were to take to my sisters on Easter Day. There was nothing for it but to make some more today

yes, I have bought my self some piping nozzles and piping bags, and for a first attempt I reckon these are pretty good!

I got myself some Green Gate cupcake papers :-)

And this is DHs cake. He iced it, and I themed it

Donnie Darko!!

Let's hope these last until tomorrow!

Happy Easter x

Corner of my kitchen...

I thought I would share with you a few photos of my kitchen, just cos I can, because it is raining and because I don't have much else to blog about...anyway, here goes:

This is where I put postcards and special bits of paper that mean a lot and also make me smile.

So, in a little more detail: I have a signed photo of Evan Davis (just got to love Evan - DH wrote to him requesting a photo for my b'day, and we got a great letter back too), an autographed postcard from Eddie Izzard, postcards from Miami Ink, Times Square and the Empire State Building (sent to me by DH and DD when they took MIL to Graceland via NYC), an autographed card from Amy Butler, a postcard of Le Mont Ventoux (that is DHs), a card about Jeff and his cats, a card of a Jack Russell that makes me giggle, and a photo of bikes (DHs again).

We went to see the fab Mr Izzard a few years ago (actually a very long time ago now I come to think about it). He was fab and I love him, and getting to meet him afterwards was such a highlight.

DD and I were lucky enough to meet Amy Butler last year. She was visiting the UK on holiday and doing some work too, and a local(ish) yarn store managed to arrange an evening with Amy. She talked about her life, how she started out and how she has got to where she is now. Afterwards she answered questions for about an hour and then we got to meet her as she signed whatever she was offered. She is a very gentle and gracious lady, a real joy to have met. If you ever get the chance to see her, please go, it is well worth it.

This just makes me laugh, the only thing missing is her knitting needles or crochet needle - ha ha!

This just makes me laugh - a lot - every time I see it.

Someone who works with DH went to Florida on holiday, and her daughter suggested popping to Miami and going to see the boys. When they got to the shop, they weren't in, but were given some cards and bits as momentos. As they walked away, her daughter said "mum, mum that is Ami!", and there they were, walking down the street towards them. They happily posed for photos and stopped and chatted. What a lucky chance, not only to go to Miami Ink, but also to actually meet the guys - I would have swooned!

This is the kitchen window - just cos! Looking a bit cramped but that is like the rest of our house. Everything is used on a daily basis - esp the glass of red I now spy at the front of the photo - well it was gone 6pm!

And finally.....

It is coming together...slowly but surely....and all credit must go to this lady

Attic 24

I can't thank her enough for her inspiration, her blog and her tutorials - I had never crocheted before I found her blog, look at me now.

Have a lovely weekend x

Good Enough to Eat Swap

Em at Em's Shabby Shack and Claire at Are we nearly there yet? are organising a lovely swap, have a click and see if it is for you.

I am off to start piecing together my crochet, so will post photos later, but I need a cup of tea and a piece of cake first x

So glad to hear it wasn't me......

and it might mean that when I go blog browsing again, I will be able to see what people have been up to! And after all that I haven't even got anything worth blogging about - sigh.

I have been off work for 4 and a half days now, on holiday. The house is tidy (well downstairs anyway), but not much else has gone on. DD and I popped into town yesterday, only for me to realise that I had mislaid my debit card. Not only did I go a little hot and cold (to put it mildly), it also meant I had no cash - don't we rely on little pieces of plastic to live our lives! I phoned the bank: when was the last time it was used? How much did you spend? Everything tallied, but we thought it best to cancel it (we = me and the very nice lady at the bank), it couldn't even have been in the back pocket of my jeans as I haven't been wearing them recently. A new card will be with me in 5 to 7 working days, but we are about to hit a 4 day bank holiday, so I am probably looking at Wednesday or Friday next week. And despite the fact it was all sorted, it played on the back of my mind all day, I couldn't concentrate on anything that I was doing, then later in the day it finally dawned on me (amazing how your mind works when you are making the bed isn't it?) On Sunday DH and I had popped out for a wander around the local garden centres. I had given him my card to pop into his wallet in case I wanted to buy something, as I didn't fancy taking my bag. What a nuisance!! But at least it is safe, if not now entirely useless. Until the new card arrives, I have taken some cash out of the bank, but the weird thing is I don't like having cash as it feels as if when I spend it it is all gone. It is certainly making me question what I am buying, even though I haven't bought anything more than I would have done, and I certainly haven't splashed out on anything unnecessary. Our minds work is very strange ways, don't they?

Other news - I have signed up for an OU course - Introductions to Business Studies. It is a 6 month course, which does exactly what it says in the title. It is worth 30 points, and when followed up with another course I have my eye on that starts in November, together they will give me a Certificate in Business Studies. If I kept it all going til the end it would finish as a Degree, but that is years ahead, and I am not sure it is even my thing, so the Introduction to Business Studies will be fine for now.

It has got me thinking though, I feel as if I am 2 people. I love being at home, decorating easter trees, crocheting, knitting, baking, cooking etc, and yet I have chosen this course! The word "dichotomy" comes to mind. I was looking at Psychology, and Art History too, but I can't see how I can use them in my day to day life. I could do any of them as an interest, just for something to do that I would really enjoy, but I feel it is important for any course I do to have a useful link to my life, something I can make use of. To plough 6 months of my life into something like this, I want it to be useful. I also feel that it won't be too much of a mental shift (though please don't think that I mean it will be easy), what I mean is that this is something I do in my real life so I should be able to relate to what I am studying. Let's see. It is only 6 months!

I am off out for dinner tonight with a friend, which I am really looking forward to. DD is shocked "mum, you NEVER go out without us!!" Let's see how she copes lol!

Also, a couple of things I have treated myself to recently. The bag was half price, not sure why, it is in perfect condition, so lucky me!! And the notebook is fab. I love notebooks, I have lots of lists written in lots of notebooks in various handbags, so this has just joined the collection. And it is linen bound too - lovely!

I am still crocheting. Tomorrow I plan to start joining these squares together, so will post some photos then when they are all spread out across the floor (without furry friends posing all over them!!)

And finally, I will leave you with this photo again, cos I love it!

Off to cook dinner for the "Stay at homes" before I go gallivanting off.

Have a good evening x

Blogger!!

was going to post with piccies, but can't see the photos, not sure if it is me or blogger, so will try again tomorrow x

DD, my superstar

DD didn't get Head Girl. She is gutted. I have never seen her so upset, I didn't know what to do for her. I just baked her some cookies and made her some hot chocolate, and gave her huge hugs.
The head of 6th form called to speak to me after the announcement to express her thoughts about my daugher, I cried, I am so proud of her. Although she didn't get it, it has been a fantastic experience for her, she has learned so much, she had grown and she has shone.



I am away on business until Thursday. Have a good few days, I look forward to catching up with everyone next weekend x

Tonight we have a guest blogger.....

The story that follows had to be told by DH as I couldn't do it justice - also I laughed so much it hurt and I cried!!!
Over to you DH:
This morning I went to the newsagent to get the paper before going to the Cheltenham Festival (horse racing).  I parked the car outside in a designated parking space and went into the shop.  I was in a bit longer than expected but not long enough to compltely lose my mind, you would think!  When I came out I pressed the button on the key ring and heard the familar click and vaguely registered the indicators flash, I continued walking towards the car and got in.  Whilst walking to the car I could swear that the car next to mine had flashed its headlamps when I pressed the key.  So when I got in the car, not concentrating on my surroundings, I pressed the key again and low and behold the car next to the one I was in responded.  I have always thought that my key must work with another car in the world, they can't all be unique, and likewise other keys would work with my car, finally I had proof, perhaps?  I swung my legs into the car and looked in the wing mirror, and saw an airfreshener and a novelty pair of boxing gloves hung around the wing mirror, neither of which were in the car when I got out a couple of minutes previously, and guess what, the whole dashboard was also completely different to the one I left in my car earlier.  I am sure had I looked further none of CDs etc would have been found, was I in some set up TV show?  But fortunately comon sense kicked in, I focused back on the car to the right of the one I was sat in and pressed the key again, the car to my right, like an exicted dog flased in response, to my horror I realised I was sat in the wrong car.  I quickly got out and went to my car, I even think the guy whose car it was looked at directly at me but couldn't beleive I got out of his car becuase he simply stopped and chatted to a chap stood by the shop.  Old age is a wonderful thing, I can't wait for the incontinence and dribbling.



Update on DD tomorrow! Keep those vibes coming, and thank you x

Good luck thoughts needed please...

It is speech day tomorrow for DD. She is standing for Head Girl!! OMG is my baby really old enough to do that? She has 4 minutes to make her speech to pretty much the whole school. Voting is happening on Wednesday. 4 are running for Head Girl and Deputy, but she is adamant that Deputy means "didn't quite make it". Her thoughts on this surprised me, but didn't, if you know what I mean. She has gone from being "yeah...whatever....I'll give it a go" to "I am determined!!"

Happy Mother's Day

I am blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.

She had to go into work today, which she wasn't happy about, so we spent a lovely hour together before she went. She made us breakfast in bed, which we sat and munched on as we read the paper together.

So I made her some cakes.

And she brought me home some beautiful red tulips.

Aren't they gorgeous?

Sunshine Award

Look what I have received:

A lovely sunshine award from the lovely Rosie P at Roses and Peonies. Thank you so much, you have certainly made my day.