You Shall go to the Ball.....

Well this weekend sees a big SU convention in Europe for the first time - there are a number of demos not able to go and lots of customers, so over on ILWS we are having some fun and are going to have a little Ball of our own - come on over and see what we got planned :-)

Rachel

Busy Times

Well lots of thing have been changing around here, CAit is now a schoolie and lovin every minute of it as well. I can't believe how far she has come in what is essentially 6 weeks of school and even in that she had a week off as a sickie with all the new bugs etc. Still all better now and she has enjoyed her first half term even if she didn't get a Mummy Day this time around.

J has decided to take redundancy so that is now pending and he will lose his car and such. So we need to srt him out with a few things so he can fly solo and we can see how his business idea soars over the next 12 months.

Me I am still in the same job - if you can call it that it changes most days to something or other else. Next week should see some sorting and finalising of responsibilities in our area so things might be a bit surer and on a firmer footing going forward.

I have been trying to decorate my office come craft room and progress is being made but still a way to go and it has to be finished soon so I can do some serious sorting ready for Christmas and the first visitor who has to stay in it! I have my eye on some nice furniture and so forth but I think it may have to wait a while whilst we settle on what J's new work looks like and the sort of money it is bringing in. Still that doesn't worry me overly at the moment.

I do need to get back into blogging and more importantly photo taking - when the new room is set up I intend to have a semi - permanent photo taking set up (ie only comes down when i need the room fr something else) and also the PC set up in there for using with stamping related things. Activities have been seriously curtailed by not having the set up downstairs and also J hogging it for his OU degree work although that is now off the agenda work planning is back on! owever we do intend to get him a laptop so hopefully we will move all the bulky kit upstairs and just have the minimum downstairs. There is alot going in this room of mine - hope it all fits!

I am still doing SU as well although somewhat less than I have been due to other things going on but check out my SU blog for classes, offers and contact details for order placing or party booking as well. A few more orders never goes amiss!! I will be starting a new club in January as well so if you fancy a monthly fix of stamping goodies in the new year for 6 months get in touch

Rachel

Photo for Chablis

I think the top looks worse than it is as it needs a clean!!! Haven't got to that bit yet - lol

Drawers are all clean and the unit splits into the base of 6 drawers and the top of 3 drawers

**For those that want to know :-) I have had this for a few years as my stamping "hub" but it doesn't fit up our stairs in the new house and the craft roomis upstairs!! Bit of an issue!!! So I am selling it and will be using the funds to find something that does fit upstairs and can go in a freshly painted office cum studio that I am making the third bedroom into.***

Rachel

No head space

For anything much with back to work after a holiday and lots of things to be catching up on - I had a class Thursday and no designs so they had to be done and then orders processed and distributed and a quick hop up to Dundee for work - that has to be the cutest smallest airport out. Made travel really easy - as does Birmingham being so close to home - so either end a commute of only 15 mins max from the airports to base camps. Took me longer to get out of the car park!!!

Other than that munchkin has been a bit bored this week but has gone to stay with Granny and Nandad this week - not missing me in the least judging by phone calls but wow what a break it is so far!!

I have been busy painting today and finished glossing and ceiling in her room which I have delayed due to time constraints and paint smells - stinking the house out tonight but it is all done and not as bad as I thought - just a stiff shoulder from rolling the ceiling.

Not sure what tomorrow will bring other than another lie in provided the neighbours keep the noise down (building works) and a bit of gardening when its not raining....

Maybe a garden shop as I need some more plants for pots/hanging baskets - nice little job :-)

Rachel

4009

Well you are not supposed to do that many while I am not looking - I have been busy with birthday cakes, parties, sandwiches and ice cream and jelly - and frankly I am not sure I will ever move faster than a 90 yr old ever again!!! John has gone to the pool and its my turn after that!!! Too tired to blog any more than that!!!

Rachel

3977

Oooh look at that - my visitors is nearly 4ooo. I may have to blog candy - never done that before!!!!

Watch this space then

Rachel

F-F-F-Friday

So nearly Friday - hoorah!!!!!!!

I had an eventful trip to London the other day - it all went swimmingly till heading home - got to Bicester and some inconsiderate soul had managed to derail a train at Banbury so our train got cancelled - and more and more trains kept arriving and no sign of any buses, so more and more disgruntled folk - oh and their first action to sort things out - shut the ticket office - nice one Chiltern!! Normally I don't have abad word to say about them but when it comes to customer communication in events they are worse than useless - they all hide - I swear!

Still thankfully its not that far from home and John was over in Warwick collecting Cait so they drove down and collected me and we were still home for 6pm. Leaving a large crowd of people at Bicester.

Today has been nothing but rain rain and more rain, the poor chickens look like drowned rats and apparently we have had a fox mooching around so we have made sure they are well penned in - will have to be careful not to get lax - not sure what we would do if they got got....

Other than all that I am ready for the weekend and some time off next week - Monday off although got to have the MOT done - but will go shopping while that is happening (with Cait) or maybe John as well if he hasn't got a job assigned - more of a mooch about really so we shall see what happens. We have her Party this weekend so I have to plan for that and get bags and pass the parcel ready for that oh and make some fairly cakes - lol

Rachel

Sorted

Well after a couple of hours hanging around doing boring work reading jobs etc the car is now sorted for a total of £80. New Tyre and locking nuts and now am the proud owner of a locking nut key as well. It was as I thought frighteningly easy to get the thigns off, around 7 minutes and a large lump hammer......

So all in all - don't like spending the money but it could have been alot lot worse.

However, on leaving house with hubby this am, he was reversing and neighbour was reversing and neither saw the other... thankfully at such low speeds little damage was done....good job we know her well.... although I think she was a bit shaken.

My little car is booked in for a once over and an MOT on Mon pm so fingers crossed there are no issues although I may get the brakes looked at as i think they need something they don't feel right - they work but I think they need doing. Its never ending isn't it!

Rachel

Mojo returned

Well briefly - something inspired me to create some notelet cards for the hell of it - no reason, no class, nothing just because. I can see a potential market for them so may just try out this new emporium I am aware of and if they go with the flow so be it, but if not etsy here I come - Lol

It was nice to be creating for something other than a SU reason.....

Rachel

Sunday Sunday

Bit of a misnomer today as there is ermmm NO Sun in this Sunday :-)

We had a warble over to Mothercare and ELC for a mooch round toy sections as someone has a Birthday soon .... So I got a few little things we can't quite work out what to get her at the moment as her big present. I am leaning more and more towards a swing and or a slide but am a bit loathe to buy new one due to cost and two reusing is better and more environmentally friendly especially with kids toys. So not sure. Another option is a play house or similar - I would LOVE to make her one from wood but time and reality are another thing - lol. I still might go and see my shed man round the corner and see if he can knock something up for me..... although he is not cheap!

We then raided Sainsbury and Costa and came home for a sit around - colouring in for me and Cait and a bit of practice numbers and writing and then she is having a big play with her babies and such so making a huge mess for tidying later - hmmmm

I have started thinking about her party next weekend and hope I can sort the car Monday and then I can do a few errands here and there to sort little things out. Visit to the party shop may be on the books.

Rachel

Crafting on here - well I never

I made this before Christmas for my sort of SIL. I like the retro feel to it, but it is not 100% SU so thought I would pop it on here :-)

I used the Love notes from SU and the stamp set is Forest Friends. The tree was painted with markers then huffed before stamping and the bunny and owl just straight stamped. The box is an SU template which unsuprisingly is just the right size for these tiny notes!

Rachel

Some days

Had a bit of a Black Friday yesterday. I am fighting my own personal little black dogs at the moment - mojo missing, motivation awol and generally ready for some leave and have another week to go and even then I am having to work 2 days so bit hacked off generally. So my lovely looking little car has been a bit of a bane. My own fault really I should have known better than to buy from "Peugeot Arbury" I just wanted a quick sale of my old one, a reasonable newish car for me, no hassle and all it has been is a pain from start to finish. You would think they would be doing everything to keep customers at the moment - but no. I can't even be bothered to list all the issues with it and last night I was run off the road by a country road hog in his US style truck and discovered NO LOCKING WHEELNUT KEY so frustrating. It really hacks me off that we are so rubbish in this country about giving a toss about customer service.

So now I am trying to sort getting car to them to remove said nuts - but frankly don't feel like giving them that business, nor the brakes business nor the service business nor the anything that needs doing under warranty business......so potentially they could be looking to a significant loss of business really. Bet they don't look at it that way though. I will report back. SO far Terry was lovely, Paul was hmmm and as for the guy who sold it to me - I can't possibly comment....

Still as you can see have been playing with my blogs! Thought it might encourage me to encourage others to come and lookesee...and get some followers!

Rachel

Late nights Early Mornings

Just so razzy - NOT.

Was late as winding down from an overun class - I always cram too much in and also the key man WAS NOT IN WHEN I CALLED so had major panic attack and started about 15 minutes late when they got back from their day trip!

I thought matting and layering would be fine - but no - straight cutting reared its head! So we also overan a bit as there was a fair bit of it plus some other new techniques.

Early morning which I do quite like (although less so on a late night) just taken to not sleeping well but also Cait came in to us about 4am and at 5.20 I gave up and came down for some brekkie and chit chat and blurfing on here.

I have another hour to getting up time so may go and craft ready for next months class or something....

Have a private class for approx 8 to 10 next month, plus a party plus normal class plus the potential for another class as well (May have to double up the private class with that one in terms of design time!) I have already designed a box with 8 notelets which I am rather pleased with but need to do some instructions and photies.

I have pretty much always dabbled with crafty bits and picked up some fimo, friendly plastic and found a beading shop when I was about 19 having done alot of sewing, patchwork and knitting before that. However I realised the other night I must have been around 22 when I bought my first ever stamp and embossing powder - it was real magic, get the toaster out kind of thing but I couldn't quite let it go. Then I found stamp shows a few of years after that (What became Ally Pally but was somewhere else before that) and I was away... I can't quite believe 19 years later here I am!

Rachel

Future Demo or a hairdresser.....

To post more - doesn't always go to plan. However I have figured out that in these school holidays I am still up at 7 but the rest of the family isn't so I get a bit of time to myself so hopefully that will become blogging time - the light is OK for Photies as well so you may get even more lucky!!!

I thought I would share a piccie of an upcoming demo - she needs to wait till she is 18 and left home though unfortunately - lol
Do you like the "hair do" as well!!!! She is a scream - she has to have my scrubbie thing as she calls it to hand to clean up with. I can't get over how grown up she is - this was last month and she will be 4 in August off to School in September....eeek

Here was the resulting card...


All signed as well!

Rachelxx

Interesting!

Or not - A blog on Wednesday certainly wouldn't have been - I went to Brum and sat in a room all day and then missed my train home - YAWN!!!!!!!! Decided to go to the jacuzzi and pool and the Jacuzzi was ermm COLD - so that was pointless. Called in on Sis on the way home and Mr tedious from Upstairs was in residence and holding forth about horsey stuff - double YAWN.

Today wasn't alot more exciting except I have pulled a muscle I am hoping running fo rhte train that I missed so have been in pain today. So glad its Cait's last nursery day and tomorrow is the last school day so i can take her in next week with no traffic and no 8.30 deadline! She actaully didn't want to go to nursery this morning and we had the screaming heebie jeebes - I mean what is all that about on the last day!

Anyway - just having 5 mins to myself before launching into tea and evening routines and then having to think of some christmas card designs for class next week!!

Rachel

Wot again

Yup again - am trying to post every day even if it is drivel to try and get back into it all - as all my blogs are suffering at the moment.

Today was pretty ordinary for me - work from home so ran Cait into Warwick first thing then back here for cup of tea before getting my head down with some work - lots of bits to sort at the moment as there are a few things kicking off at work at the moment. I am into damage limitation at the moment but it is a bit of a nightmare.

Cait is in her last week at Nursery so things keep coming home and we are getting a collection of reports and such and a little photo book of her doing different things. I may ask them for th electronic copies of the photies as thy are poor quality print outs but they are cute photies so it would be a shame to lose them.

Have now written the invites for Caits 4th birthday party - just got to hope some of them come now - I hate doing parties I have this inveterate fear no one will turn up!

Thankfully Cait wants a disney cake so I can just go and buy that and feel no guilt as that is what she wants!!! lol

Off to Brum tomorrow but doubt I will have much to report at the end of the day - maybe an exciting train trip - not!

Rachel

Get Blogging

I look at this blog every day - so why can't I blog every day huh! Don't know I just can't bring myself to click new post - i mean how lazy is that!!

Anyway life is bizzy as usual, Been sorting holidays and childcare for the summer - Caits last summer of freedom so no paid for childcare...... scary but manageable between my sisters and I and Hubby and Granny and Grandad. So she is going to have a whale of a time camping in the garden, chester zoo, over to see a friend of mine in Cambs for a long weekend then we have hollies booked in norfolk near the beach. She recently commented to my parents that when Mum and dad are dead she is going to the beach!! We thought we better take her before then!!!

I have also been planning her birthday party which will be high tea at our house and I am planning lots of cake stands, fairy cakes and fairly sandwiches and chocolate fingers all on a cinderella theme - best get planning the cake now!!

A little while back I filled a form out to possible go onto Kirsties Hand made home or whatever it is - slightly different this time as she is doing up other peoples rooms - and they phoned to screen me today - eek Hubbster will die - I can't wait to see if i get picked as I can't wait to see his face when I tell him. Could be fun as I think he may have a hat for her to eat following various comments she made about the housing market over the last few years!!!!!!! ROFL. Me I am on a diet!!!!!!!!

On top of that the Garden is looking well ermm still tatty - it is a constant battle but I am getting there - but I think I have 25 tomato plants at the moment - anyone want some!!! I can't bear to throw them away!!

Anyway - off to blurf....

Rachel

Household Adventures

Abound again - so no sooner had we got rid of the bees than the following weekend - NO ELECTRIC no bear in mind electric runs EVERYTHIGN round here as we are back of beyond - so even the LPG heating can't run as no electric pump!!!

It went off at 12 ish yesterday and I was getting a bit concerned after a few hours and then found out we needed a generator to come in to replace the substation as one complete phase had actually gone. So that arrived on the back of a LARGE lorry and is currently sitting inthe road humming along to itself creating a constant buzz in the background.

The freezer is back up to temp and the aga too and the washing machine has been on - off to put another load on before it goes again. I have a feeling it is going to be on and off for a week or so as they sort out the problem.

Roll on our extension and electric independence hopefully....we shall see

Rachel

bUSY bEES

No not me - really real busy bees out in my garden!!!!! Look. They arrived lunch timethe day before and settled in a Holly bush and then these chaps/Chapess came to remove them to a new home.

Rachel

A sort of day off

Cait is at the nursery fr half a day and I was going to catch up on housey stuff ...but it never happened I had work to finish so that got done instead - I will steal it back sometime I am sure.

Flippin cold here today got me cardi on and my hands are cold and stiff - need a cup of tea to type...

Building has started next door but they are not too bad - quite quiet for now. I am looking forward to this pm and a big play with cait and some tidying up and my two sisters coming over later so bit of a girl goss etc.

Gotta pop to Sains to get some extra for tea and maybe a bottle of something we can quoff while yacking.

I may even sort my photos out tonight and sort my picture editor out so I now what I am doing - miracles do happen!!

Gotta get ready to pick the munchkin up now and pop to Sains

Rachel

A weekend away

I thought I would at least try to blog more with words even if I can't sort my act out with the photos!!!

I had to take Thursday pm as leave and had prebooked Friday as leave so it was quite a long weekend in the end. Thursday Cait and I needed a hair cut so I booked that in and the agreement was we would go to the park and have fish and chips for tea - fine by me!!! Hubs was working late as well so no tea cooking for him. The rain held off and it was fun running around the park with a 3 year ld going on 4 - she raided the play toys and ran from item to item having a ball and spending as long as she liked. She then decided to go and see the ducks which are a bit of a wlak away - she wanted to feed them - I said we had no bread, so she said "That's OK we will just have to watch them swim won't we!" made me laugh! So we played hide and seek all the way to the river then sat and watched the ducks for 10 minutes sitting on a bench chatting. She had a run around an old pitch and putt golf course on the way back to the car and then we played pooh sticks and went into St John's Museum where she showed me round as she has been many times on rainy days with her childminder so knows the ropes - at one point as I looked like i might go upstairs she said to me "Oh you don't want to go up there it's full of soldiers" - Military history!! Then we had to play dress up in the play room and go and see the school class room they have set up in victorian style..

Alarmingly they have toys and clothes from different eras and some of the toys I might have had as a child - couldn't possibly comment!!

Friday she had photo day at Nursery then we headed up to my parents in North Wales for a Family weekend - which was nice as her cousin was over from Germany and one Aunt had just come back from NZ and Aus after 6 months over there. She had a complete ball and I got a couple of hours of crafty shopping in - well under the auspices of shopping for curtain fabrics etc for my office/craft rooma and the lounge downstairs. She got to run rampant at granny and grandads and was vry put out she wasn't staying on her own and Mummy and Daddy going back home for a week without her!!

I made a scrapbook for someone's birthday which was interesting - 24 6x6 pages and it took me 2 hours - speed scrapper or what. We added some of the photos from the weekend for Cait's Cousin's Mummy.

We ate at the Miner's Arms at Maeshafn - lovely food and good service. All cooked from fresh and a proper crust on the steak and ale pie no puff pastry in sight! I used to go up there when i was about 22 as it was the only local place to serve Theakston's Old Peculiar! Brings back memories. Trouble was we always had to drive as too far for walking and that meant a limit on intake! Not far from there was the "house that got away" as well. I don't recall exactly how much is was - only less than £20K, needed compelte refurb but easily worth 1/4 to 1/2 a mil these days - sigh if only - still hey ho! As I said the other day if I had bought it life may have taken a different twist and I wouldn't be where I am today etc.

The drive home was long and boring but Cait and I had a scream playing I spy and it kept her amused for ages and she was really getting the hang of it towards the end.

Rachel

Accusing Looks

I am getting from this blog everytime I drop in for some blurfing. I am sooooooo busy with lots of things at the moment withspring and gardens and business and stamping and birthdays and visitors so maybe I can be forgiven but then again..... every time I log in the last post looks at me and tells me off!!

We are slowly slowly trying to get things done around the hosue so we had some trees felled, some pollarded some cut bag and basically about £600 worth of tree work in the garden - I have photies and will upload at some point. The difference it has made is huge. Really opened it out and brought alot of light in. i now need to get busy with beds and weeding and planting and taming of the wilderness that is the bottom of the garden.

We have dug and filled two raised beds near the house - which my sister has nicnamed the graves!! and are due another two doen the bottom of the garden as well when Hubby pulls his finger out. We have 5 tubs of potatoes growing furiously and I have planted out salady stuff, carrots, beets, peas and beans, onions and shallots. I have sunflowers, corn, tomatoes and a few other herby things growing in the green house ready for planting out as well. i have also filled all the pots with flowers ready for a glorious summer (here's hoping) and am managing to keep up with the wtering routines.

The chicckers are keeping me busy with egg production - gotta bake bake bake to keep up with them - currently we have 20 eggs in the kitchen and I am getting a bit fed up of them - lol. Have promised some baking for a weekend away at my parents coming up soon. Mums Bday cake - another one - maybe coffee haven't done one of thos ein a while and also take some eggs for the sibs to take home with them. we seem to have finally pretty much contained them intheir corner of the garden which is currently very bald as they scoffed all the grass. We keep chucking them dandelions and grass as they eat it at a rate of knots. One of them is still getting out occasionally - flying - we have clipped her wings but she is still managing it - so i am going all country living and going to pink some bunting to go uplater today and see if that flapping around puts her off hopping over the fencing.

I have also been doing a fair bit of sorting this weekend and put a bagful together of baby things for someone about to pop and put another load into a car boot pile - hoping to do one early June when I have a free Sat. Am enjoying popping to a local one on sat mornings at the moment. would like to find one for Sun - I like small and local rather than big and trady.

Am either visiting or got visitors for the next few weekends so hoping to keep up with things in the week and have weekends free but it minimises pooties time and crafties time - so maybe not so much from me!! (Ha ha could it get any less)

Rachel

Catching Up with me

Well life has been manic and things and time seem to fly by. I have one sister in Aus and another in China at the moment although both due back int he next month or so so some catching up to do.

I am being forced to sit still at the moment and not do too much. I have labrinthitus - i.e. inner ear infection with side effect of travel sickness!!! Every time I move around I feel ill so frankly I am not moving!!! Very frustrating and I am hoping it gets lost soon as I don't fancy this hanging around for any length of time! So have caught up on news and blog hopping and currently enjoying 10 minutes peace from Easter visitors who are at church or shopping (Dad is shopping with Cait whilst Mum and Mum-in-law are at Church) oh dear they are wearing me out! And the noise is constant - I keep having to disappear and go to bed as my head is spinning!!

Anyway have stuffed some cakes in the oven for when they get back and now sitting down regaining equilibrium aftr the exertion!

My Uncle is also very very poorly on life support in hospital at the moment as well so Mum is quite worried about him - its her sister's hubby rather than her brother - but they were all close when younger etc. He isn't too old but had a huge gall stone which they delayed operating on due to finding MRSA in swabs, but then it went critical and they messed up the surgery really and he has ended up with peritonitus so I am thinking about him alot. Mum is very religious but I am more open to things and I had a little think about him earlier and it was like he was talking in my head and we had a chat so I think I will be happy with whatever outcome. I told him if he needs to go he needs to do that with a clear consience and not worry overly about those left behind as life does go on and if he is in great pain and ready he should go. There will be alot of sadness if he does. He will be the first of my Mums siblings/sibling partners to go and I think that will be a sad time for her. Dad has lost two brothers already - both far too young (40 and 53). A time to reflect and remember really.

J is working this weekend for the extra money. We lost alot of his overtime money when he broke his ankle last year so he is trying to find some more!! He is off to Germany next week as well.

Things with the house are slowly moving frward as we can afford to get things done - so we had lots of tree work done earlier this week and a loft hatch and ladder put in ready to start insulation and boarding for storage up there.

I have sorted some crafty things for sale so will list them here shortly - all none SU of course!!! But anything SU will be popped on the other blog.

Rachel

Oooh promarkers

I had a play with a friends set a while ago and fancied some of these - i have about 8 at the moment which is clearly NOT ENOUGH but Steph has a little giveaway -so fingers crossed!!


http://stephmuchadoaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2009/03/dont-desert-me-while-im-away-blog-candy.html

Rachel

Paper Share Stamp Set winners

For the latest share are Andrea and Calvin - Suprise SAB sets are on their way over to you!!

Rachel

Snowing

Yayyyy - although it is chilly!! We do need to sort the insulation here that is for sure - upstairs gets v cold and J just told me we don't have snow on our roof - whoops!!! Still we have to slowly do these jobs don't we.

Here is a piccie from my Office (read spare room window) and you should just be able to see the chooks having a wonder around too.

Its not a great piccie and no editing etc as not on the usual PC and it was from my phone.

Rachel

News Round Up!!

Couldn't think of anything exciting to call it - sorry!!

Well the eggs are every other day at the moment - although its so wet and miz here I can't say I blame Mrs Chicken for that one much. Part of me wants more of them to lay (one out of 4 and every other day!) but the other part of me says - not sure I like omlettes!! Lol

Everything is so wet here at the moemnt - I think we will have to permanently site the chickabobs and lay a path as it is madness sliding around in the muddiness that is our garden at the moment.

We need more logs as well so they are ordered - it has been so cold without the fire even with central heating at the moment. So they will arrive this afternoon so had to sort the log store out this morning and fill up baskets and boxes to get the dry ones that are left out.

We have been planning veggie planting for the garden inside - so writing long lists and I have bought some onion sets and garlic for now - but it is really too wet to be planting as everything will just rot. We will be raising beds so hopefully that will help with drainage a bit.

SU is going well and have been busy with party bookings so just now got to hold the parties and get the orders in :-) Come on girls - don't forget the SAB Offer - Spend £45 and get a free stamp set!!! Still plenty of time yet on this one so start your wish lists.

Did my tax return for last year which was completely painless despite putting it off so long - I owe them 20p so must get that paid today - lol. Although I have promised myself to be more organised for the next one as it is a full years worth and also I have done alot more business!!!

Work is busy busy so sneaking a coffee breakfor this but I have had alot of overnights and long days recently for training and big meetings - it all takes its toll - Cait is clingy, John is grumpy, I am tired and the house is a tip!!!

I have a days leave Friday and I am off for a SU Jolly with a few other demos and I have a couple of hours in the morning so no doubt will be doing fly lady running around and keeping things at least tidy!! Thank God for cleaners is what I say - although she comes Thursday so I might have to tidy Thur morning so she has space to clean......and as for the washing pile - heck you could lose a small child in it if you weren't careful!!!

S'all for now - work is calling

Rachel

Eggy

Yes we have an Egg - just the one. Bloomin expensive egg it is too.....

Hopefully the next few days will bring a glut of eggs.....

Rachel

Car

Hmmm Yes this is the new car!! Picked it up this afternoon!! Hoping to go up to my parents this weekend to give it a run as J is at footie.

Rachel

Find me

Here

Come on over and join the fun :-)

Rachel

Some Changes around here

I suspect everyone does this at this time of year - sits back takes stock and thinks about how they can do things differently, find that elusive 25th hour in each day and so on. So I have indeed being doing just that. I have resigned from the DCM Team with much sorrow as they are lovely girls and I longed to be a member for a while before I was asked. It is one of few where signing over your soul to a specific brand or make of materials is NOT necessary and is truly independent despite occasional sponsorships. Long may it continue!! I will not entirely disappear but for now there is a life out here in the physical world that needs more attention and this is one of the casualties - for now....

Another will be this blog. I am taking it off line for a while till life calms down - at work I envisage another round of job changes and possible redundancies and job shifting as well as a shed load of work requiring my attention and this is just too distracting and it has been one of the things slipping. I am not saying not ever ever ever and I will still haunt blog land - but really who am I kidding I can read all these blogs every day of the week, work full time, be mum, wife and daughter to a range of people, own chickens (oh yes new chickens chez us as well) , large garden with veggie bits, communte regularly to London, take on a new role, reinvent myself, lose weight, get fit and blog - I mean why did I ever have the time..... I am sure you knwo where I am coming from - so au revoir mes amis....for now.

I will maintain my SU blog but it will be SU and Crafty items which have been sadly missing for some time and hopefully with merely the one blog it will be more closely tended.

Rachelxxx

Interuption to Service

Happened without thinking about it really - no brain space to do more than think about blogging, way too much else going on as usual. But I have had a relatively quiet holiday so have caught up on some R&R and was spared the Christmas Cook Out as Hubby did all that and the shopping and thinking which was actually fabulous - in fact he has mainly cooked this holiday from start to finish for which I am grateful - it is my one BIG bug bear of ordinary life cooking - I can't get my head around spending alot of time on it and as a result its never very inspiring for me. I certainly don't feel creative with it that's for sure.

I will be trying to come up with some more recipes for the new year rather than our bog standard ones which we just seem to reiterate the whole time. Having an Aga now "Stew" features way too much for my liking but hubby likes it!

I managed to make around 350 Christmas cards which is quite an achievement but although I managed to make write and send the lot (with bank loan I hasten to add even with second class) I never photoed them so nothing to show really. Crafting this last month has been of necessity - even in this down time I have got some bits out to make some upcoming birthday cards but nothing much is being shuffled around on that front, not even with the new stuff I ordered before Christmas.

Work has been shall we say "interesting" I haven't been doing my normal run of the mill stuff but some other stuff and am now fully Programme Managed and trying to implement it - but finding myself feeling just generally vulnerable about the whole thing - I just think its a bit of a dogs dinner and a little too organic in its development for me - I am such a control freak! The thoery bit is fine - its the implementation within the organisation I am struggling with a bit - although it is fair to say there are people struggling more that me!!! Hence the difficulties - rofl.

I think I shall be reprioritising things in early Jan to try to fight my way out of the daily trudge to lose some weight and get more exercise, difficult with the daily running of Cait to CM, Nursery and frequent runs to London which take up time. Oh on top of a small home business of course!

Goodness knows why I am so awake at this hour at the moment - I think I will pay for it later but quite enjoy this quiet time to myself without someone going "Rachel" "Mummy" or frnakly just Oy! Maybe that should be part of my life reshedule - early mornings and early nights.....watch this space.

Rachelxx

Just as busy as a Busy Busy Bee..

My tune never seems to change does it!!! Well after coming back from NEC I went on a three day training course and was couped up nicely festering my poor back which then went out so I had a week of nursing that back t health then caught this nasty bug going around where you cough and hack for three weeks - every time you think its on the way out it thumps you right back down to earth - I had a few days off work with it and went back too soon really so wore myself out again!!! Have done nothing much with SU and even had to cancel tonights class - not enough interest and relly not enough time!!! Ah well - no more Dec classes for me till I have a stronger class base - hey ho.So I am feeling very crinkly round the edges - got little stamping or crafting done - just about got a few Christmas pressies, made the cards need to write and send now - may take them with me when I go away so I have something to do and get a job done whilst I am in London for a few days with work. I am also hoping for a little shopping wonder Wed evening - I am staying not far from Oxford Street so it will be nice to get some atmosphere!!

We will be getting Chickens this year and M&D are buying us some, They are getting fire irons from us as they have a new log fire going in - Mum can't wait!!! I think everyone else is pretty much getting money this year apart from Oisin and Cait who are the same age so easy to go out and buy for really. Although can't decide what to get Cait from us at the moment. Have lots of bits and bobs for her just no main pressie. Looked at a Leap Frog pootie and a bike - although she is getting a scooter and a Piano from Granny so not sure.

Well C is fast asleep so off to take a crafting opportunity to make some Christmas Gifts and sort my stuff for a few days away with work. More busy busy!!

Rachel