Busy, BUsy, BUSY!

....it has been a madhouse here!

SO much going on...I can't tell you it all, mostly it's quite mundane and sadly it is restricting blogging!!!  Grr!

I am sort of back in that I have a new and hopefully improved look to my blog....like?

But I just thought I'd pop by and say 'Hello!' and 'I haven't forgotten you.....I am still following you' (ooh!  sounds creepy...sorry!) and I thought I'd quickly take the opportunity to share some fun and a quick explanation for one of the reasons for my absence from BlogLand, so here goes.... 

......cop an eyeball of my 2 cuties!

....this is Tiddly Toes dressed as Mike the Knight!....

 

The writing on the wall behind her is where we keep a tally of the children's heights as they grow....rather wonderfully they also add select friends to the wall too...it is so special.  We'll never be able to move (unless we take the wall with us!)

Here she is again prepping veg with Daddy dressed as Princess Evie (Mike the Knights sister)...cute huh?

 

Then there was Teenage Daughters 14th Birthday....she had a photo-shoot at home with some friends and adhesive moustaches!  This is the ONLY (and very unflattering one of the 2 of us!)  I was accosted by Teenage Girls and props...there was no escape - great fun!

 

...and here is one of Teenage Daughter and one of her friends.......

 

CRAZY girls......but fun and lovely!

 

I've also had Mum-in-Law down for a few weeks as Dad was too ill to look after her, she's wonderful company and great fun, amazing really when she is so ill.  But I do want to spend time with her and so, I'm afraid, you get neglected....but it's all with good reason....sorry!

Well, I must get back to the madness that is my life...but I will return soon with a photo of the creation finished in Pretty Things and another bit of Hooky-ness (a Ta-Dah no less!), until then........

Take care

Nora 

xxxx 

 

Do you like my new look?

For so long on my blog and on Pinterest I have been saying how much I love bright colours against white.....take a look at my quilt board!

So I decided that the blog was l-o-n-g overdue for a little face lift itself.

What do you think?

I like the lighter brighter feel, but I want to know if you find it easy to read and is it easier on the eye?

Honest feedback please as I want to get it right for you....I don't want to put you off visiting now, do I?

See you soon,

Nora
xxxx

FlyBabe!

You may have heard me mention before about FlyLady, it is an Internet site that encourages us less organised stay-at-home Mums to get into a routine for our cleaning.

Although I've only been at it about 18 months, I don't know what I did before!

Believe me....it was BAD!

Not unhealthy bad because I did it....but the way I did it was all disjointed so I was far more tired than I needed to be.

I also sought perfection, but by being perfect in some areas, other areas just didn't get done at all....so it felt like painting the Humber Bridge and NEVER having a tidy home.

Now I don't do perfection (much) and spend a timed amount of minutes to do it as good as I can every day, so everyday my home looks acceptable.....how does you loo look if a visitor popped in now?  Could they sit on the sofa?

You get me!

Anyhow.....I think the regime has been rubbing off a bit!

Take a look at this...............

 

First you brush down the loo..........

 

Then.........you wipe the seat, rim, lid etc............

 

 

 

Haha!  Cute isn't she? Only 3, and she's got it!

 

I shall remind her of this when she hits her teenage years and follows the Slob Regime with mouldy food in her room and her clothes in standard 'Floordrobe' mode!

 

See you soon,

Nora

xxxx

Spring.......maybe.....

...it is teasing me....but I'm not quite sure just yet.

There was this....

 

....yes, two little shoots on the clematis by our front door.

 

Then this.....

 

 

....LOTS of shoots on the climbing rose in the front garden.

 

And this...............

 

 

....yes, that's 2 daffodil buds from the clump that Tiddly Toes planted here last year. 

 

Bearing in mind that that post last year was on the 24 March and here we are 1 year and 2 weeks later, the difference in the weather here in the UK is REALLY noticeable!  Although if you look carefully at the rose shoot, you can see the sun shining through it....and yes, that is sun an the brick wall behind the daffodils!

 

Well that was yesterday, and in true UK form we are back to grey today!

 

It hasn't stopped the creativity tho'....so all that's left for me to say is it is nice to be back.

 

I shall return shortly with some making and an explanation for my absence.

 

See you soon.....Nora

xxxx

A card a day....

....keeps cancer away!  Really!

OK, let me explain.

My Crafty Friend, who still comes fortnightly to visit, create and share the latest purchases, set herself a challenge!

It was so good I have shamelessly stolen the idea!

She decided to work through her cardmaking stash and make cards sufficient to say she had made one a day for a year, but in batches.

She's tried the card a day thing before, but it never worked (to much permanent mess), but aiming for 365 cards this year and trying to, more or less, keep within a week or so of fulfilling the brief seems to work better.

For example, whilst I was nursing my horrible cold last weekend, I got a bit bored.  Out came some *uncomfortable squirm* (I have far too much!) cardmaking stuff and I created another 20 cards!

That's a further 20 on top of the 50 I've made so far!

So that's 31 for January, 28 for February and 11 so far for March.

That means I am in no rush to get any more done for a week or so. Great! (In fact I've had the crochet out....yes, the new stash of yarn.....more about that another time!)

This is a little taster of my makes....

So what's that got to do with cancer I hear you say....well.....

Of the 360+ cards I make this year I will give half to our local Cancer Research shop to sell.....I'm so excited!

DoCrafts Creativity magazine has been supporting this initiative for years and, for free, provide the little cellophane packets to display your cards.

This means they can only be one size (thankfully a size of card I have LOTS of!) and they sell for £1...not bad for a handmade card!

Here a some of mine packaged up and ready to go......

 

I'm so pleased with how they look.

 

I'm also very pleased with how good my cupboards look!

 

I have had a good tidy, streamlined my supplies and colour co-ordinated papers and embellishments so that I can work in batches.  I have also stuck with a similar design throughout using matting, 1 or 3 embellishments (even numbers look yuk!) and a sentiment.

 

Cancer Research benefit and I feel that I am contributing in a unique way AND into the bargain I get to relax and be creative, keep half the cards I make for friends and family and reduce my stash in a productive way (instead of just binning it which the hoarder/eco-warrior in me was struggling with!!)

 

It's a manageable challenge, not one to get stressed over.

 

And can I tell you, it has done the hoarder in me the world of good!  Somehow I feel quite emotionally detached from most of these cards.  That's a new feeling and may enable me to make and sell other things....who knows!

 

Do you make anything for charity?  Do you struggle with stash?  Do you get emotionally attached to the things you buy or make?

 

It's interesting.

 

Anyhow....got to go....I've done 5 hours of business work today (it always takes longer than you think!) and I'm going to pop the kettle on and retire to bed.....*sigh*.

 

Happy creating,

Nora

xxxx

Naughty Lunch

Tiddly Toes decided that it was swimming today (or smimming as she calls it!).  I had no cash, so on the way there I stopped at our local parade of shops to raid the cashpoint and pop into the chemists to get some migraine tablets for Teenage Daughter.

In the chemists I ran into a pre-school mum whose little man is going through rough times fighting ear infections....she happened to mention that he liked Blueberries so as they were stuffed full of anti-oxidants she was going to let him have free reign with eating them.

Hmmm....Blueberries!  Yum.....haven't had those for a while!

As they are Tiddly Toes favourites I suggested she might like to pop into the Co-op and get some.....that suggestion was met with great enthusiasm, skippy-jumping and a big smile....so that's a yes then!

As there were some reduced Strawberries, we got those too....not a normal purchase as I do like to keep seasonal and British...but once doesn't hurt!

We swam (or smimmed).

And we decided on puffy pancakes for lunch....that's drop scones.

Made with 12 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and about half a pint of milk...we have a great non-stick frying pan so no oil needed.

For the first batch we choose ice cream and honey to accompany our berries......yes! ICE CREAM!  How decadent in the middle of the day...no savoury just this for me.......

 

and this for Tiddly Toes........

 

followed by one still drizzled in honey but with, as Tiddly Toes puts it, squir-ty cream......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

 

Deeeeeeeeeeee-licious!

 

We really feel like we've had a treat....why not give them a go!

 

Toodle-pip,

Nora

xxxx

Review : Pretty Things

I don't think my opinion is that valuable that I would ever recommend something.  I might say that it was interesting and worthy of reading, seeing, trying etc.  So for me to review anything is a break from the norm for me (not that I'm sure many people who know me would ever associate me with 'norm'...whoever he is....haaha!)

BUT, this little place I found whilst on walkabout in my local town has stolen my heart and completely knocked me off my feet!

If I said there's ALOT of pink...and different wallpaper on every wall...painted furniture.....bunting...bit's and bobs around........you might think...eurgh!  Too busy, too overwhelming, well........

wait 'til you see...I'm sure you'll agree with me that it is pure delight.....look.....

 

doesn't that just say...come inside?

 

doesn't that say...eat me!

 

 

doesn't this say....... party room!

Or is that Girlie-Shopping-Afternoon-Tea-Room?

OR let's get together and learn to crochet, stitch, knit....knit and natter......or stitch 'n' bitch!

 

 

doesn't this say...browse..!

 

 

doesn't this say, sit down......*sigh*

 

 

doesn't this say...anyone for tea?

 

Oh!  Go on then... mine's a pot of Earl Grey and a Toasted Teacake..........

 

 

 

....and it was delicious, relaxing and a perfect place to sit and crochet!  Proper loose tea, proper tea strainer, proper tea cosy....proper china!  What else can I say...what else do I need to say!

 

This was the perfect, cosy oasis for a break and a create..lovely!

 

Thanks Pink Ladies for a divine morning tea xxxx

 

If you'd like to take a peek yourself they're at No.4 Park Place, Horsham, West Sussex, England.... Bronwyn!  One for you on your next visit xxx

 

Back soon with some paper makes, until then...toodle-ooo!

 

Nora

xxxx