clairedulalune

2011 in pictures!

2012-01-03T18:30:00.016+01:00

Happy new year everyone! I have not been on this blog as much as I would have liked, I have so much to show you! So instead, I am going to shut my trap and let the pictures do the talking. Here are some my favourite pictures from 2011, enjoy!

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Gingerbead House recipe! (Hey, It's Christmas!!)

2011-12-16T22:11:00.007+01:00

Happy Holidays everyone!! Oh my, I am excited ! I have all (most) of the presents under the tree for all the family here. (Round one of course, I go home to Ireland this week and I have to brave the crowds again for the family there! Phew!) All part of it I guess! So, I wanted to do something special for Big Fella's mummy as I was not going to be there for her scrumptious Christmas Dinner this year. So I thought, how about a Gingerbread House?

Big Fella's mum loves everything Christmassy and whats more Christmassy than a gingerbread House I ask ya?

You ready? I'm Ready! I think... wait!!! I have icing sugar in my hair! (Yep,get an apron on, its that kinda messy recipe, but hey, its Christmas! Lots of fun for the kiddo's too, heck get everybody to do it!)

OK, lets start with some essentials. I strongly suggest a plastic cake stand. Is that what you call them, the silver disk sounds strange. A tin of some sort is good as well to store but I made mine too big so keep that in mind if it needs to be transported.

Now, a stencil for your gingerbread house. I just drew a basic one on card and cut them out, but there are some great one's online you can print out! Quick tip, make sure your gingerbread house will fit onto your cake stand!!

First thing, preheat oven to 200c.

In a bowl, mix 600grams of plain flour, 2 teaspoons of bio of soda, and 4 teaspoons of ginger. (Well you can't make a gingerbread house without ginger!)

Set aside and in a heated pan, melt 250grams of butter with 200grams of dark moscovado sugar, and 6 tablespoons of golden syrup

until it transforms in to a dark golden goo!! Yum yum, but be careful, it is hot, dark golden goo!! Also as a bonus, the smell alone is lush!

Then mix this into the bowl with flour mixture and hopefully with some stirring you should have a lovely dough! Place dough on some baking parchment to ease sticking.

Then roll out to desired thickness, not too thin, enough thickness for templates to stand alone.

Cut out templates, don't worry about being precise and we can smooth over all template sins with icing sugar and sweeties! For the front of my wee house I used a star cookie cutter to make windows, but let your imagination go wild, or whatever you please, for its is your very own Gingerbread house!

Slip templates with baking parchments underneath on to baking sheets, into the preheated oven for around 18 minutes or until sides are slightly brown. Leave to cool down a couple of minutes then gently cut off any rough bits of dough around the sides of your template with a pointed knife, but don't worry too much about it. Now leave to rest to cool completely. Make yourself a cuppa and have a sit down. Make sure to make some extra to sample yourself!

Because the amount of time spent cleaning up after this next part, your gonna need it!

Ok, did you have a cuppa? I hope so, I had a mocha. (Ohhhh, get me!) Magic ingredient: Nutella! (Just..the best!)
Anyway, back to Gingerbread! If you haven't scoffed the lot already, bravo. I had to make this a second time and banish Big fella from the kitchen. He thought I was making it for him, he said. Mmmmm. Anyroad, when the gingerbread is completely cooled , lets start thinking about gluing this wee house together! Take two eggs whites whisked slightly and gradually add 500grams of icing sugar to make the sweet glue! But personally, i just add the icing sugar as i needed it, it might have been more than stated.

Soon you should have a stiff sticky glue to paste on to your gingerbread templates. Please don't be downhearted if they fall apart immediately, find objects nearby to support your structure as it sets. We will get there in the end!

Now, at this moment, I may be about to commit a cardinal sin in the world of gingerbread house making, ( and trust me, there are some beautiful creations out there, just check some flickr groups, amazing!!) but, most very well informed makers say to put structure together and then decorate... but... as well as not being able to help myself, (this is my first one!) I decorated it while still on the baking sheet! Don't shout! I know this may make it top heavy and it may collapse, but their nothing icing paste can't fix and the decorations just sled down to the bottom when i tried it upright.But It's up to you!

Mind you I only decorated lightly, just in case.

Now, if you are rushed for time, as most of us are these days, you can do this in a day, but if you can leave main structure to set overnight, that would be better. I just glued the gingerbread pieces together but saved the roof for the next day, don't worry if nothing fits together very well, it will be covered with sweeties and icing and it can only add to the character to the grand wee place, I personally think!

And off to bed I crept.
I started mine in the evening, but if you are doing it in one day, just make sure you know it has set properly before carrying on!

The next morning I awoke to grab a morning cuppa, and there was my gingerbread house all standing up firm ready for the roof!

I added my roof pieces and it was constructed! Yay!
As much as I liked my wee gingerbread house creation, it was missing something, it was, dare I say, a bland looking Gingerbread house. We needed a big bag of colourful M+Ms!!! Oh yes!!!

Just make some icing paste as before, I just dribbled it over with a spoon, pop a M+M on the gingerbread house and one in your mouth! Its hard work this, you deserve it and hey, its Christmas!( I had to buy another packet.)

For decorating (and nibbling on)I used chocolate fingers and chocolate buttons for the roof
some Jelly babies, M+Ms and it just wouldn't be complete without some candy canes. But go mad as you like, the possibilities are endless! Let me know if you made one, I am sure it will be ten times better than this! But I loved making it, and very proudly presented it to Big fellas mummy this morning, who was chuffed to bits with it thankfully!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and fantastic new year!

See you in 2012! Wow!

November days, November nights.

2011-11-07T13:09:00.004+01:00

One morning I went for a wee walk around the neighbourhood, to see the fallen leaves before the winter winds blow them away.

Carpets of leaves covered the footpath

and winter sunlight streamed through.

Trees puffed up proud with their golden coat of arms.
As the sun set on this beautiful day,

Big Fella and I set out into the darkness to see the magic light of a fireworks display

Fairy dust filled the skies
and neon hearts appeared through my camera

and the swans in lake huddled together, to catch the explosion of lights.

Perfect days, days like this.

Halloween is coming.................

2011-10-21T13:10:00.001+02:00

Hello everyone! Halloween is nearly here! I love this season! In the spirit of this (and having to work from my phone with computer problems!) I have set up a facebook page of my photographs and gift ware, including Halloween photography!

To view please click here! If you enjoyed viewing could you click the like button on there for me? I would really appreciate it!

I feel foolish to say it, but I was lost without the computer,and was overjoyed to find I could upload photos on here again and actually go on other blogs! I really miss you guys!

In the meantime, I read a lot a lot of books,

Said hello to our neighbours, the birds,

and watched ghostly cruises sail by our window!

That was amazing! Oh my goodness, now that i am finally back, I don't know what to say! (very unlike me!) I just hope everyone is doing well, and now I can actually go and find out for myself! I will pop in and see you soon!

Take care and bye for now!

Hello again!

2011-09-27T18:48:00.004+02:00

Hello there everybody! Well, I have not been around very much these days and can now tell you why. A few months ago, Big fella and I were having a "meeting" about money and ways to save, as a lot of you know, times are getting tough! (When I say meeting, I mean me freaking out and Big fella making everything better by buying lots of sweets.) We were struggling and we had to tighten our belts. So, we started making a few changes. One of them being changing our Internet connection company for a better deal. This went swimmingly and within a few days we were connected and dreamed of saving those few pounds and feeling quite smug with ourselves. Only we didn't stay connected. Everything would work brilliantly for at least two minutes and then Bam! No connection. It was infuriating. After months of numerous phone calls and going over the same thing over and over it all got sorted recently and now fingers crossed we stay connected!! We still have no money but, hey we are connected! Can a get a Whoohooooo????

So whats a girl to do when she ain't buried in the world of cyberspace?

Well, going for lovely sunshine walks around the neighbourhood, loving the seasons change

expanding on my knitting with borrowing a lovely knitting book from a lovely friend

watching sunlight reveal nature's artwork

even on a rainy day

and having lots of fun with good friends!

Ohhh and something quite exciting is happening, I am taking part in a group exhibition with some pieces of my photography! The opening is this week and I am super nervous! I just hope people like them! If not, I have some Christmas presents sorted, hehe!

Either way, I am just so grateful to the wonderful city of Liverpool for helping a wee dream become a reality!

I heart this city and it is lovely to be back!!

Toddle pip!

This week........

2011-08-17T22:24:00.006+02:00

Hello all! How are we all? Doing good I hope! Goodness, it is August and soon to be September! I get all giddy around this time, thinking about school supplies and fresh crisp notebooks and of course, the beautiful change in season where the sun retreats and the moon shines on the falling golden leaves soon to be swept away by the winter winds! Ooh I am getting carried away as usual, so i will just shut up and give you a wee update on what we have been up to recently! ( Riveting, I know.)

Of course, many of you have heard of the recent rioting here in Liverpool and other parts of the UK. Shocking, frightening, mindless and the saddest thing is, those who took part were wrecking their own community.

Oh the irony. But the strength of the people in this city is much stronger and it will not bring this wonderful place down. Onwards and upwards.

Big fella and I went up to the airport and went to see the planes coming in.

There were all kinds, from wee ones,

and big ones too!

NEEEGGGGGUUUUOOOOMMMMMMMM! I love making airplane noises, prefer not to actually be on one.

I recently found a long lost trinket Big fella bought me years ago and as it twinkled in the sunlight

it in inspired me to make this!

(People are gonna be getting a lotta bookmarks for Christmas!)

On a sadder note, I was mugged one morning on my way to work.

By this fellow.

Yes, that is my piece of toast, from my hand, in that seagulls beak, scoffing it in front of me and (I swear) winking at me and flying away.

But my spirits were soon lifted by visiting a wonderful new friend. Isn't he just beautiful?

As I oohed and ahhed over handsome horsey I spoke aloud and told Big fella I planned to jump on my new friends back and ride off into the sunset to find a gypsy caravan to live life in.

Big fella got quite upset as I forgot to add him in my daydream (oops!) and no amount of " you are much better looking than horsey and more majestic!" would do. In the end I won him round when he smelt the zingy sweet smell of homemade lemon meringue pie cooling fresh from the oven!

Of course, it solves all dilemmas in this household! I got the recipe from a childhood friend who continues to give me the best cookery and baking tips! I will share it with you soon! It is so lush!

All the best!!

Reading the Clouds in the Sky

2011-08-03T22:21:00.005+02:00

Hello there! I read in a newspaper today of a face in the clouds that has caused panic in a the town of Rapid falls in Canada. Which made me think, lots of clouds have been visiting me, leaving messages in the sky such as,

A Camel Crossing

Miss Piggy

Mermaid

Bunny Ears

The BFG

Scary smiling face

Pacman eating the sun

Every cloud has a silver lining

Curly Haired Lady

Bull

Roman nose and cheeky tongue

Curly Haired Lady (again) chasing clouds

Angels holding hands

Slug

Tornado

I hope all is well and I will be back soon!!

Mad Hatter Party 2011: Through the Looking Glass Adventure!

2011-06-24T18:29:00.001+02:00

Today is the big day! The Mad Hatters Tea Party presented by A Fanciful Twist! Thank you so much for stopping by! Have seat please,

Some tea perhaps? I have some cup cakes just cooling down from the oven,

The table is beautifully laid, I agree, but it was not my handy work. Oh I have such a story to tell you, come on, let me tell you over a cup of tea while we are waiting on our cupcakes.

Big fella and I had been trying to get in contact with wee doggie for weeks now wanting to go on one of our magical adventures, but wee doggie is terribly busy, but we had the feeling he was avoiding us. Thankfully today we saw him coming out of the local dog salon, The Ultimutt.
We ran over to him. "I'm not speaking to you." he snapped. We were mortified. But why, oh why? We followed him along the way begging and pleading to speak to us, we told him we needed to prepare the tea party, but he ignored us. We finally reached a front door and he was not going to let us in! I nearly started to cry, so he relented.

" But i am not making you a cup of my lovely tea! No tea party for you!" He hissed as we sat down.

Wee doggie sat there forlornly, looking away.

He was very upset. As were Big fella and I.

What ever have we done Wee doggie! Please tell us, we feel terrible to have hurt your feelings!"

With that wee doggie got right up, in our faces

and said dramatically "Feelings? Honey, what would you know.....

About Feelings?!?"

With that his face broke into a smile and he settled back on the couch. "My work here is done." he sighed. We were totally confused and big fella had had quite enough rudeness for one day and proclaimed we were leaving in which I agreed.

"Ah but my dear friends, calm down. I was simply using you as a audience, to test my acting skills. Its called The Method, I have been studying it you see, since I went to the Oscars I caught the acting bug. I wanted to hit the big time, I want to be a American Soap Opera Star! I by the reaction, I think a soap Oscars is in the works for Wee doggie 2012!"

We had to admit, he was very good. He had us fooled.

"But of course I caught wind of the Mad Hatter's Tea party and after all the fun last year, I just had to come back and join you for another adventure!"

With that, wee doggie jumped off the sofa with shouts of come on, come on!

Big fella ran for the car and we jumped in and sped off! Wee doggie as ever, stuck his head out the open window barking orders of left and right to our magical destination.
"Right we starting our adventure at the children's zoo. This is where we go down The rabbit hole! I love the zoo as I have the ability to change into any bird or animal I like!"

After a long and winding road, we got to the gates of the zoo.
As we walked through the gates and down the pathway, wee doggie ran on laughing with glee. We wondered what he was up to. As we were walking along, in the distance we saw a very perky peacock come bounding towards us.

it was running fast and faster , closer and closer
and it was not stopping! big fella and I began to run away, when it caught up with us and the feathers tickled around our ears!

Suddenly we realised. "Is that you wee doggie?"

"Of course It's me you silly fool! As you are well aware I'm a domesticated if not handsome, canine, i wanted to blend in, so what do you think? Just look at my feathers! Ha ha!"
With that wee doggie or big peacock disappeared down the lane. Big fella and I were quite confused and wandered around wondering what would happen next.
Then we saw a brown fluffy rabbit hopping along the grass. Since he was not a white rabbit we thought it must be wee doggie.

"We caught you wee doggie, come on now lets go" I said!

"Well! I beg your parsnips!" in a voice that definitely was not wee doggie's. "Dog indeed! I have never been so insulted....."
We backed away only to see the real wee doggie cantering alongside us.
"now, that was fun! Shaking ma tail feathers I was!"
Looking at me he said "You haven't insulted that poor rabbit have you"? He rolled his eyes and went over to a old rabbit sitting nearby.

"Hello there wee doggie, still choosing the peacock as disguise I see?" It was chief elder rabbit guard of the rabbit hole.

Wee doggie huffed and puffed when he said this and hurried the rabbit up.

"Too much chatter old boy, we must get down the rabbit hole to see through the looking glass, yes?"

"I am not going down another rabbit hole I tell you now wee doggie" I protested. "Not after last year! Besides I want to see the animals in the zoo!"

I looked at big fella for back up, but he was rubbing his hands together in glee. He loves climbing and falling, like many boys do, in fact Big fella is a expert in it.

There was no time the adventure had begun!

The elder rabbit looked over at wee doggie and said " If you would just like to follow your friend Priscilla there, you should be right on time, but hurry up, you are going to be late!"

"Its quite all right,I dug it myself, it more of a spiral pathway and I took the liberty of cushioning it with last autumns leaves for your comfort!" As i peered down the hole, the elder rabbit kicked me with his thumping leg, Big fella followed and off we flew down!

To begin with the ride was rather amusing as we slid downwards

but then it started to get very spiral and we spun round and round faster and faster!

until everything was a blur!

until, light streamed through and I saw wee doggie drop onto grass, big fella rolling and giggling to land and POP! We fell onto a pathway,and wee doggie scampered up it calling us to keep up with him.To the Rose garden! We ran up and down long pathways like in a maze Until finally we turned a corner and there it was.

The Rose Garden! We wandered around the wonderful garden and wee doggie jumped up and down inspecting the flowers.

"Ahh we are well within time! Enjoy the sunshine for a spell!"

What happens next then, we asked. "Well, when the white roses turn red, we take a big whiff of their heady scent and the wonderland castle should appear to see Through the looking glass! It is quite a sight and everybody will be there, from the Mad hatter to the Dodo!" Big fella and I were really excited if not a wee bit tired. We sat by the roses and relaxed.

We started looking at the roses for them to change colour

and sure enough, they were turning red!

Wee doggie noticed too, and cried "One , two three, breathe in!"
The intoxicating scent sent us all dizzy and when we came round there was the wonderland castle in front of the rose garden!

We ran straight down to the steps and ran up the stairs following wee doggie

and through stone corridors, we could hear wee doggie squealing in delight! "Up there at the window frame, this is where Through the looking glass appears!"

All of a sudden the windows above began to grow in size and glow

and a majestic stained glass window appeared and shimmered in the light. It grew and it grew

It was magical! "This is Through the looking glass!" exclaimed Wee doggie.

"Now look closer at the bottom and look closer to the bottom quick, the sun wanes swiftly and turns the window back to brick!

Swiftly now they will tell you a tale, and in a blink of an eye we will have a tea party without fail!"

There they were,

All the characters, five pairs in a row each together holding a scroll with a tale to behold!

The White Rabbit, the lizard and the Dodo began the tale

with the caterpillar and the fish footman keep time

with the Mad hatter the March hare and the Dor mouse adding words with no sense or rhyme

The Duccess and baby pig crying, serves the next verse still,

with the gypron there, no doubt against his will

and of course the shouting Queen of hearts and the king stand between the Chester cat grinning!

But as quickly as it has appeared the sun had begun to set and the window got smaller

we heard wee doggie giggle, as we realised it was morphing slowing into our living room window at home!

We looked down at wee doggie.

"Are we home?" Yes! A tea party is to be had! Listen, look around! "

We looked out the window to see a band playing music outside

and the table was laid

and here we are! You arrived just in time! So lets get out those cupcakes and drink tea until it is coming out of our ears! One lump or two?

Irish Wheaten Bread Recipe! Yum!

2011-06-21T20:21:00.001+02:00

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! Its a happy time here on this wee blog as I think it has been fixed and faith restored! I had a wee word with the lovely people at blogger admin and they told me what to fiddle about with and hey presto, here we be! I hope! Now as it is Summer Solstice and I am care free posting again, I thought I would let you in to the world's best recipe from the Emerald Isle. Wheaten bread! It is soooo easy to make, sooooo inexpensive and soooooo lovely that I just had to share it with you! But don't tell anyone will you, just our wee secret!

Wheaten bread Recipe (Just like my granny made!)

2 cups of self raising flour

2 cups of wholewheat flour

1/4 cup of sugar

2 cups of buttermilk

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda/ bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

(I am using cups measurements as it is a lot easier and besides, my weighing scales have broken and has a screw loose somewhere, a bit like its owner.)
Now for the magic! Put the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a big bowl and mix it all up! Then make a well in the middle.
Then pour the buttermilk and olive oil in well and stir it up!

It should turn into a sticky dough!

Then on a well floured surface gently knead (not too much now!) and make into a loaf type shape. Then make a cross on the top with a well floured knife.

Please note: Let's do not do as I did and wallpaper a baking sheet with parchment paper

as it could cause a fire hazard, as you can see! Just enough to cover the base of the dough shall do!

Bake in a preheated oven 220C for approximately 25 mins. If unsure if its done, place a knife in the middle and if comes out sticky, cover with parchment paper and whack it in the oven for a further 15 mins! Cool on a wire rack! Yum, Yum, Yum! Especially toasted, slabs of butter and a cup of tea! How super simple was that? Big fella loved this bread so much I make this at least twice a week! Big Fella needs fed! I totally converted him, I loved that look on his face when he first had a slice! Unfortunately this has resorted to violence in our home as I have to smack his hand away from my slice if I'm not quick enough. The Claire Stare is not effective in these matters.

(Do you see the way the shadow of his hand ruined this picture?)

Well, let me know if you give it a go! The sun is now waning and the seasons are due to changing once again, and it reminds me of a sign I seen recently:

Live by the sun, and love by the moon!

Cheerio!

Hello everyone!

2011-06-09T13:20:00.011+02:00

Hello there everyone! It's so good to be here! I have been have terrible trouble with my faithful wee blog, it is not been working well for ages and this is the first time it has let me stay here without cutting off in about three minutes! Sigh. But I can not give up on it and precious wee moments like this are rare. I miss everyone, I really do, so I was humming and ahhhing over making a new blog. But I am persevering with this one for now. We will work it out. Considering at times it has caused me to let out a rapture like scream and just stopping from throwing the computer out the window, we will have to.

Anyway, we have been plodding along over here, with summer on our fingertips and sunshine days, I have been pot planting and filling the windows sills. We have been on the waiting list for an allotment garden patch for two years. Yes, TWO! But this wee place is like a greenhouse

and I so enjoy watching them grow and progress.

I have been doing some baking in preparation for a tea party

Yes, it is that time of year again over at A fanciful twist for the annual Mad Hatters tea party! This is a fantastic event and I will send you out invitation towards the fun time! Wee doggie will be there and he can not wait to take you to the tea party! (He is also hoping that this wee blog works that day!) Please click on the picture on my left hand sidebar to take you over to A fanciful twist! You will not be disappointed!!

I have been trying to find new discoveries and I found one!

The other day I was stalking this new place I stumbled upon, From moon to moon. I. LOVE. THIS. BLOG. Please check it out for wonderful whimsy bohemian like ways here.
On the blog, I noticed a gorgeous photograph of a cafe in Budapest and they had heart shaped sugar cubes! How lovely i thought and I do like some sugar in my tea. So i wanted to make them. You just add some water to sugar and set. Unfortunately my shapes were too big, have too much sugar and were sickly sweet, but with a bit of modifying, i will make them again. I might just bring some to the tea party.

On my travels I seemed to collect quite a selection of wool so I have also been knitting away, from wee phone covers

to long scarves.

Big fella says he can always tell when i am knitting because he can here the click click of the needles as he comes up the stairs!

I have been health conscious recently and joined our local swimming pool. I was a wee water baby growing up and loved having swimming races with my dad at weekends. I even have a lifeguard qualification. But as the years rolled by, I slowly stopped and swimming faded into the background of my life. So I decided to get back in the water. After hunting out my swim suit from "it will never fit again, but I'm keeping it" drawer, I signed up and inwardly prayed that my swimsuit would not burst apart as soon as I walked to the poolside. Thankfully my prayers were answered and it was a OK. My plan was in my rose tinted mind, to swimming everyday for half an hour working upwards each time. Well, on my first day, I looked at the clock stating 5.00pm. Right I thought, I will swim lengths until 5.30pm, get home and cook Big fella a nice meal.

By 5.07pm I was dying to get out of the pool and collapse, it was hard work! I got home curled up on the couch and slept and big fella went hungry. So yes, it is a work in slow progress.

Ah well, that's all from this neck of the woods! Hope to pop by today and leave many a comment if wee blog will let me, if not know I am thinking of you!

Toddle Pip!

What a lovely day for May!

2011-05-02T13:26:00.005+02:00

Hello there everyone! Well, May has begun and how are we all? Wowsa, isn't time flying by?

I have been going a bit creative crazy at the moment, must be the weather! I have been doing more drawings,

Midnight Scrying

Untitled

Making felt hearts

Going terrarium mad frankly,

I am making more photography cards,

and after failing to squeeze myself into my one time favourite pair of jeans, I admitted defeat and made them into a tote bag!

So now, I have all this stuff overtaking the place, literally and unfortunately I can not sell my terrariums abroad on Esty with plant law or something like that, so I have just a applied to set up a stall in our local fair this summer!

Ekkkkkk! Very excited, so we will see what happens!

Now the biggest date of the year had arrived (not the Royal wedding, but ohhh wasn't it lovely? It reminded me of Lord of the Rings!))

It was my birthday! hurrah! I did it in style and myself and my two other mad Irish girls went and discovered the lovely city of Portugal in the Algarve! Ohhhhhh, ahhhhhh! Look!

We left the men at home and we had a ball!

I would show you some more pictures, but I want to leave what is, but a thread of dignity left, I thank you!

Those cocktails are lethal!

Let me give you an example: On my birthday staying in the holiday resort were a large Rubgy group of men in the bar causing a hell of a riotious racket, enjoying themselves to say the least. I thought that is would be rude not to join them, and besides it was happy hour with cocktails a favourite of mine. Two hours later, I was up on the stage Screaming out Bonnie Tylers etrenal hit " I need a hero" with all the rugby boys doing backup vocals and dance moves behind me. Or so my two friends told me. They were laughing so much they forgot to take a photo! Legendary moments only I can't remember! They were nice gents and thank you for taking care of us and for a brilliant night! Or what I recall of it!

I came back to find Big Fella still has his allergic reaction to cleaning products, and bills stacked high! Its good to be home! I did miss him!

Amongst those bills I found a note from wee doggie with a photo attached stating that I must put it up on here to see how handsome he looks. Written on the back of the photograph states simply "Magnum pose"

Back to normally resumes and the world turns!
Bye for now!

Happy Days!

2011-05-01T20:23:00.002+02:00

Just popping in to say have a lovely Beltane, May day or simply Sunday to you all!

Let's welcome the longer hazy days! Cheerio for now!!

Back from camping!

2011-04-15T21:10:00.005+02:00

Hello there everyone! How are you? Hope you are all doing good! Well, big fella and I went on what is turning out to be our yearly camping trip for a few days, as we went on our first one this time last year.

It was wonderful! We stayed in Wales, the most magical place you could imagine, by a rolling river

and a beautiful waterfall.

The mornings were so silent you could hear the dew dripping onto the earth, and in the daytime we saw fish jumping out of the river, birds of many types singing their soulful tunes and butterflies and bees basking in the beautiful sun. By night the bats and owls flew over and above our heads in the twilight branches. We were once again blessed with the weather and had a wonderful time. On the last day we got up early to go for a walk near a forest near by before we left.

As we walked, moss covered everywhere like a lush velvet carpet and a passerby told us that this land and the river has been here for over ten thousand years! The moss was so thick and soft you could put your hand right through it!

It was so beautiful and peaceful, I kept expecting the white witch from Lords of the Rings to come out behind one of the trees! But instead this awaited us!

Isn't that special? I thought we could walk on the water it was so still.

It was just what we both needed and contentment is the word to describe it.

Since I have been back, I found my creative self coming back. I don't know what happened, I was getting worried! With my amazing encounter with the beautiful moss, it inspired me to make a move on my glass gardens

and I went a bit mad with them! I have also started my artwork again and just finished one piece and I'm in the process of doing another!

If you have time please have a wee look at my Magic is everyday life blog to see what you think by clicking here! I am hoping to do a giveaway on it soon! I will let you know more soon as!

Well, I have got to fly!

All the best and take care!

Mighty Mouse.

2011-03-23T22:28:00.009+01:00

I have not been about much, but as Spring is budding, I am grateful for lovely sunlit days, recharging my batteries and waken me up again. I have taken the term hibernation to another level this winter. I like to think it is the cold sad weather that is making me procrastinate and staying indoors when I know deep down it could well be an excuse for sheer laziness.
(In my defense, Judge Judy is now on for a triple bill on telly and it would be rude not to. The lady keeps me in check and helps me frighten Big Fella, by shouting "Get outta my court room!" to solve disputes and spats.)

But on the night of the super moon, it lit up the sky in the early hours of the morning and the earth was stirring and so must I. In wake of the recent horrible tragedy still unfolding in Japan, my thoughts are with the people and land. It makes me thankful for everything I have and hold.

Well, first of all I have to give you all a huge thank you to you all for your kind thoughts and wishes about the job situation and I thank my lucky stars as well as I just received a letter stating I start a new job next week and it is the beginning of a brand new adventure! I know your positive thoughts certainly helped so again, I thank you! I am truly blessed! So with a very full diary,
The kiddies I work with call this my "Spell book!"

my days (and weekends! eek!) are going to be hectic, but I love a challenge so
I can't wait! I like being a busy bee!

Now on to important announcements. Big fella and I have a situation. A mouse situation. Yep, I said it. It has been emotional to say the least. Let me take you back to that fateful day of my first meeting with our new lodger.

I decided to make myself one last cup of coffee I knew I would regret at 10pm one evening, opened the kitchen door and saw something scuttle across the floor. Next thing I know I am in the bedroom standing on top of the bed ringing Big fella telling him that a otter (I was very distressed at the time) was in our kitchen and how the hell was I gonna get the coffee and wanted more than ever. Some smelling salts on the side as well, if you please!
Of course being the ever practical man, Big fella told me not to be silly, I saw things, I (and I only) clean all the time and we lived in a top floor flat and it was not possible. This calmed me and annoyed me all the same time,(because I was right) so I told myself he was right, just to calm my self mind, but I would not go back in the kitchen.

There was uneasy rest with me the next couple of days. Big fella checked everything out to confirm and could not find any evidence of a mouse or Otter as I was still claiming. I had a early night and decided to have a read of a good book in bed when the mouse made his second appearance. In the bedroom. After letting go a scream that only dogs could hear, big fella saw it too and proceeded to lift and turn over every furniture piece in the fruitless task of trying to catch it while I rocked back and forth on the living room floor howling. Did I mention we had a mouse in the house? Quite the night.

Things could not continue, so after telling the land lady, big fella said he would take care of the situation and put down mouse traps. The snappy kind. I did not want this either though, as although it did frighten me and did not welcome thought of it running all over our house, getting married, having babies..............sorry, even the thought causes me to black out, I did not want it to be killed. I just wanted it to live somewhere else.

Needless to say, despite mouse traps everywhere (one which nearly took of my toe one sleepy morning!) the mouse seemed to do frog leaps over them and must of used them as press benches, as evidence was still being found of, shall we say mouse activity and the traps were not set off expect for my toes.

We could not live like this any longer, as I was beginning to come into the house doing what I can only describe as doing a mad Spanish like dance, clapping my hands and shouting "AYE! AYE! AYE!" In case he was waiting to greet me and frighten that pants of me.With my eyes darting about, I was bleaching everywhere, vacuuming packing everything and clearing up mouse poop! No good at all!

So I took to the Internet for a solution once and for all. After extensive research, (love ya google)I found the perfect solution. Mice detest the smell of mint. Apparently if you put cotton balls dipped in peppermint essential oil and place around your home, the mouse, having a strong sense of smell, will soon find a better mint free place to crash. Eureka!!

Just like that, I searched my faithful shelf of essential oils and grabbed the peppermint bottle and dowsed it all over the rooms crying "The power of Christ compels you!" I didn't have time for dainty cotton balls. That mouse and perhaps his family had to go!

You know what? I think it worked! No more droppings, or having the feeling that something it in the room with you, and no more rocking back and forth like a mad woman. Calm is restored. I might carrying on with my Spanish dance hallway entrance, its coming along quite well! I have already added a "Ole!" cry at the end for effect.
This said, our place now smells like a exploded sweetshop and our eyes are stinging from the smell, but happier bunnies are we. Especially me and big fellas hearing is now returning after my dog hearing screams in his ear.

Dramatic, moi?

I wish mouse well and hope he finds comfort in a nice field somewhere. I think I know why the mouse moved in here you see, he got to see beauty like this for a view.

I would not want to leave either. There is one of my lucky stars to thank again.

Lovely to come back here and I hope all is good, I have the day off, so as I was too busy Spanish dancing to sit in my living room at the computer in peace, I can know go see how you all are! Get ready, here I come! I'm on my way! ( Oh there is a good tune stuck in my head now!)

Cheerio for now lovely friends!

Our search for Spring Adventure!

2011-02-27T19:11:00.017+01:00

Hello everyone, here is our latest adventure with Wee doggie! Now, just to warn you, it is quite long, so grab a cuppa and enjoy!

Big fella and I were having a well deserved lazy day, sitting around wondering what to do, when I thought I heard someone calling for us outside. Big fella just shook his head when I said so, but then I heard it again and so did Big fella. Who could it be?

We looked out our window but there was nobody there.

"Oi! down here!" The voices said.

We looked down and saw nothing but a flock of seagulls flying about on the edge of the water.

"Yew hoooo! Yes, you two! come down here!"

"Are the seagulls talking to us Big fella?" I asked, but he had already grabbed his coat and ran down the stairs, with whoops and cheers. Wee doggie was involved in this and he knew it!

We were going on an Adventure!

I grabbed my coat too and followed Big fella outside.

"Wee doggie asked us to come and get you as we are going in search of Spring!" The seagulls cried!

"Why didn't he get us himself as he usually does?" I asked.

There was mutterings amongst the birds.

"Well! If she does not need us....."

"Wee doggie warned us about her clap trap!"

"I don't think I would be able to fly her on my back anyway, big pudding!"

I puffed my chest out!

"I beg your pardon!" I cried! "Fly on your back! Not on your Nelly! Pudding indeed!"

Big fella gently put a hand on my shoulder and told me to pipe down, in which I did.

"Only joking missus!" said the seagull, "Now calm yourself and watch this! Oh and hold on tight!"

The birds flew and twirled around and the wind suddenly picked up pace and I could feel my feet leave the ground! I looked up and to my horror saw a tornado begin to form!

"Not to worry! "said the birds. "This just helps you on your way! Now flap your wings and follow us!"

Suddenly the birds flew high up into the sky and so was big fella and I. The wind blew us up
Away we flew!!

We went onwards and upwards for what seemed like for ages and could hear the birds chatter amongst themselves.

"Where are we going again?"

"Sunset Heart Tree, silly! Now hurry! The wind will not keep them two up in the air for long!"

"The Oscars is happening this week, are you going?"

There was much merriment on our journey and soon we headed towards a large hill, and as the sun went down a huge tree rose up and caught the sun in its branches!

"Hooray! Just in time!" cried the sea gulls and a collective sigh rang around us. The sea gull flying beside us told us we have to fly at exactly the right time of hour, on this very day as Spring is happening and the tree is now energising the sun, but we must hurry as the sun sets soon again! It does not take long!

"But how do we get there?" I asked.

But as we were sailing right above the tree holding the sun, suddenly the wind stopped and Big fella and I began to fall downwards as the sea gulls waved us good bye from the sky above!

We held hands as we sailed down towards the tree and soon, we drifted past down through the branches with the wonderful sun's rays, sitting amongst them and shone like wee fairy lights. We looked down to see the trunk of the tree below

soon we reached the end and we fell on our bottoms laughing! Now that was fun! As we looked around our new surroundings I glanced at the tree trunk and saw a heart shape embedded in it.

"Sunset Heart Tree!" I murmured! How lovely! But were was Wee doggie?

"Ahoy there!"

There, in the distance, was Wee doggie trotting over towards us!

"Ahhh! There you are! Good to see you darlings, good to see you! Oh, I am in quite good form, I say, quite good form! I am desperate for Spring to come, what with more snow this winter than I care to remember and thus made me miss my annual Winter holiday flight in the process? Well, I never heard the like of it, so I took the liberty of winding up Winter once and for all and let Spring began!"

"How do you do that?" I asked. But Wee doggie had sped along the path crying out "Lest haste! More speed, you two!" I guess we would soon find out!

So of we began on our adventure! Wee doggie was going this way and that way, along the path, grumbling and mumbling about as soon as he does this task, he is booking a holiday, make no mistake and it was about time he spoiled himself!
Big fella and I wondered what Wee doggie was looking for but we didn't dare ask him as he does not care for being interrupted at a time such as this.
So I began to fall behind and look around. I was suddenly noticed something changing on a tree branch beside me.
I called Big fella over and we watched as a beautiful fresh green moss grew over the branches right before our very eyes!
I began to call Wee doggie over to show him what we had just seen, when he bounded over and cried

"I found it! The Spring moss is growing! Wonderful timing find for me! What would you do without me! Now. Don't dilly dally about, come on!"

Wee doggie's bark could be at times very stern but he was kind and we knew time was precious. So on we went.

But no matter where we went Wee doggie could not find what we were looking for.
He began to look quite flustered.
Then in front us on the path ahead was a squirrel. We heard wee doggie give a low growl. Oh oh!

Big Fella asked Wee doggie if he was alright.
"Yes old boy, Its just I don't care for this fellow's manners that's all. I need a holiday, I can't remember where to go!"

We understood. Wee doggie may have wee patience but he has a heart of gold and doesn't like bad manners or dealing with the likes of Mr rude squirrel.

"Excuse me, Mr Squirrel, we have met before, I'm sure you remember the last argument! If you would be obliged to help us find our bearings and we will be on our way!"

The squirrel ignored him.

"Mr Squirrel!" We could hear the tension rising in wee doggie's bark. The patience was thinning.

After asking three more times wee doggie had enough.

MR SQUIRREL! IF YOU PLEASE!??!

"GO AWAY!!!!!" cried the squirrel and off he flew up a tree and laughed singing, "You can't catch me! neh, neh, neh, heh,!"

Wee doggie was furious! He dug under the gate crying injustice and when he got that squirrel, well, I will just just say it involved putting mustard mixed in with his Sunday custard! Yuck!

"What is all this fuss about? Behave yourself Sir!"

Big fella and I were so busy looking at wee doggie burrowing furiously and turning the air blue, we had not noticed the pigeon that flew down and perched on the iron fence to see what the racket was.

Wee doggie, immediately stopped and seemed embarrassed for his behaviour. He composed himself and explained his sorry situation and that he couldn't help it, that squirrel! He was just so rude! He had now forgotten the task in hand and time was sure to run out!

The pigeon pointed a wing towards a tree branch and said, "

Is this what you are looking for?"

"Yipppeee!" cried Wee doggie! A million thank yous! There is it is! Dew Drop Alley! We are just in time!"

We all watched as the Dew drop got bigger and we saw another world inside like a snow globe. It dropped to the ground with a splash, and got bigger.....
and bigger....

until it turned into a beautiful pond!

"Now, jump in!" wee doggie cried!

"Oh no!" Big fella and I groaned together.

"Only joking! Now if you would just let me do this......"

Wee doggie turned around three times singing what we could of sworn was the Time Worp from Rocky Horror

Wee doggie went to the side and pulled on the ponds big plug and the water drained to reveal the Season clock!

Big fella and I stared in wonder and could smell sweet pea filling the air sweet! Big doggie squealed and began to sing the writing written in stone:

The time is right,

The time is now,

Winter time is taking a bow.

Spring time is here,

Let everyone cheer

Light days and

lesser moonlight is coming near!

Let the ground come to life

Bulbs come out to the light

and seeds begin your springing!

The clock turns forward

Oh can you hear it ring!

Wee doggie stepped back smiling

as the flowers began to bud and bulbs began to peak

Wee doggie leaping and soaring about in the flowers laughing!
Wee doggie loves the Spring!
Up, up they spouted

and buds bloomed on trees!
With that, Wee doggie trotted quickly off, with us trailing behind.

"Hurry up, the sun is engerised, back to the car and quickly or the sun will set and ruin all my hard work! Now this is only the begining, we have only just stirred the earth! Spring is coming!

So he led us through Dew Drop Alley to where big Fella's car sat, key in door, and in we popped.

As we are driving home, big fella and me suddenly looked at it other and realised something.

"We did not come in the car Wee doggie. Why do you have the car?"

Without looking at me, he claimed it was Oscar week and he needed to travel in style. He would only have it for one week and he would leave it a lot more tidy than he found it. Big fella shouted "Sold!"and as Big fella is alergic to housework, that was that!

As we drove home and the seagulls waved hello going past, I had one last burning question for Wee doggie.

" Can we go to the Oscars with you Wee doggie?"

Wee doggie sighed. "I'm sorry my dear, " with a glint in his eye

"That is adventure I have to do on my own! Besides, you will only cramp my style!"

My Esty Shop! Gulp!

2011-02-21T22:35:00.000+01:00

Hello there, it is nearing the end of Feb and the start of March! Rhyming, now that is a intro! Oh,I am a wee bit giddy at the moment, with nerves, excitement to the darn right fear at the moment as I am job hunting! I got one interview so far, in fact, I was just luck to be short listed, as the job is a great responsibility, but hey if they think I am good enough to interview, well on their heads be it! if I could find the letter with all the details they sent me, I would have framed it! Responsibility people, got it in spades! Thank gawd for email post. Should make for a very interesting interview. Here is some of my past gems at interviews:

1)When going for a interview at my local off licence aged seventeen, height of sophistication, with orange makeup tan lines around jaw and scrunchy wrapped firmly round ponytail, I was asked what I would do if under a crowd of under age children were hanging around asking people to by alcohol outside the shop:

My answer: Get a bucket of water and throw it over them.

I have also told myself not to let my dad, bless 'im, coach me on interviews before hand. Besides I got the gig, and let me tell you, when it happened I was tempted.

There was the other beauty were I (eventually) rang up to confirm my attendance for a interview only to be told the interview was actually the day before.

My answer: Ah, in that case, I would like to reschedule...

With the dialling tone ringing in my ears.

So I am beginning a brand new adventure and I have opened an Esty shop! I have been busy learning how what and why around this new wee world and it is quite exciting! I am very wet behind the ears with this new venture so any advice would be welcomed and grateful for! I only have a few things up, art work and some photograph prints and I am hoping to put our wee adventures with wee doggie into a book of sorts, I am not sure yet! But I'm a wee bit frightened! I don't know if I am charging to little or too much, and shipping costs, Ekkkk! I will keep trying on the job front, I am sure things will work out, and best of luck to any one facing the same position.

We also received some wonderful news. Big fella and I are going to be parents! GOD parents! I cried, big fella just sat down and stared at his games console thinking if our god child, Phoebe, aged 3 weeks and two days could beat him in Super Mario. I saw him thinking it.
Recently I have had the same daydream of knitting a baby jacket for her with difficult, yet worth it stitches and floating into her christening, presenting it to her obviously overjoyed parents, who immediately discarded whatever expensive garment Phoebe was wearing and putting my beautiful knit wear and everybody cooing and ahhing over the baby and of course, my jacket. I eventually hand out my esty business cards where people greedily snap out of my hand.......

It is not turning out as daydreamed. A) I have no white wool, and B)I have no patience and garter stitch it was or no jacket C) it comes from a pattern for a two year old. I will finish it for her though, by the time she is two, it should be ready! We are really excited about our new wee special friend and we are honoured.

God help her.

I will try and put a wee side bar link up for my wee Esty shop and if I am successful it should pop up in the right side bar. Wishful typing here! I am going to try and add some new strings to my bow and see how I go! Oh I'm rhyming again, that means I must go, head frazzle!

Toddle Pip!

A Time Line of Events!

2011-02-10T21:30:00.011+01:00

Yesterday I went over to see my wee mates in the fish tank. Not one would look at me, not even when I gave them food. Then wee fish came over to me. They were all very annoyed at me for sitting on my backside and not writing on my blog.

Hello there! I have neglected this week blog badly of late and I am sorry for that. I have not been in touch as I have wanted to as life is just a whirlwind of late and we are just trying to keep up. There is so much I could write but I am afraid it will turn into like a E! biography and I will basically bore you all to tears. Not on this blog! I will keep it as brief as possible to catch up. Like a timeline if you will. (Swanky spreadsheets on next post!)

Of how Jack Frost arrived early one morning Winter and covered everything with glistening icy frost. Which I would rather gaze at from the inside of a window as walking in it.

The snow that fell, turning everywhere into Narnia and I was in love with it! (Pain in the arse by the third day, but that's all in the past now, moving on.)

Discovering that mussel shells after cooking are quite beautiful and look like butterflies. (Sadly putting a score of them in a jar to displaying them in our bathroom does not take away from the smell that remains on them, sterilised or not. Bad idea.)

Stomping the New year in rambling on the Welsh countryside with good friends

and had the greatest day giggling and running down hills with the best of company!

The winds that blew in the water and nearly the windows and letting the signs of Spring shine through
and after days and nights of cotton dark clouds, see the sunset getting stronger each time it comes around.

amongst all this Big fella and I are plodding along, I got a new job, which just the luck is ending in March, so searching for something new and Wee doggie has brought us on some very exciting adventures which I promise to tell you all about, Wee doggie insists!

All the best!

Toddle Pip!

"Weekends with friends and get lost in the night waves of wine, hands clapping laughter and the powerful tones of the glorious Miss Nina Simone!"

-A wish for the weekend.

<

It's been a long time......

2011-01-07T18:37:00.004+01:00

Hello, hello, hello! Wow, it has been too long!! I haven't been on this wee blog for ages and I missed it! Ah heck, I missed you! Yeah, you! It has just been such a whirlwind of a time and I have so much to tell, I don't know where to start! I tell you what, why don't we take it nice and easy with a wee list of some the things that is catching my eye at the moment! I am just checking to see if I can still blog!

Fairy lights. I think they should be for life, not just for Christmas.

The beauty to be found in this harsh, silent and shivering Winter..........

but loving the signs of Spring coming around the corner!

In this weather I love to sit down for a hot cup of tea,

and lots of coffee!

I have also become really intrigued by costume design!

There! I blogged and it felt good! Now I feel ready to do some proper rambling! I will spare you all for now! Hope everybody is well! See you again soon and it is lovely to be back!

Cheerio!

A Halloween Adventure!

2010-10-29T20:45:00.015+02:00

Wee doggie was very pleased to see us, just as we had been by sighting him in the local doggie groomers.

"My dear chaps, how have you been? Lost without me I'm sure! I was just going to pop round to yours for a brandy and laugh endlessly at your beast of a hairdo and your fight to tame it! But this is even better! I can do it now in public!"

Well, despite the long time separation, nothing much has changed.
Wee doggie suggested we get in the car and go for a spin.

As we drove along wee doggie suddenly looked out the car window and squealed with delight!"Oh look!" he cried,

"Humans!!"

"I want to show you something! Look at me for goodness sake!"

Wee doggie was demanding our attention and tiptoeing on hind legs by the window.
"Look at them in the other car there,look! Watching cute little me with no ears....... "

"But wait.........."

"POP!! Hahaha! I do have ears! Did you see what I did there? Did you? Anybody? Silly creatures......"

Wee doggie was very pleased with himself, scaring the lives out of other drivers and being a general nuisance barking orders at big fella to drive.............

"Left here! No here! I said right! Look at me fool!...... Now look what you did, we knocked over a bin! In Broad daylight! Perfect!"

Just as big fella was about to stop the car and kindly throw wee doggie out of the car for bad manners, he begin playing with the radio, the cheek!

Strange weaving tones and deep male voice choirs that sang of swaying through the autumn winds, swirled around in the air and through our ears and everything was so very hazy.............

We found ourselves lying on a soft bed of moss, grass and leaves

and a mushroom just in front of me. We stood up and found wee doggie sniffing and grunting through the grass. He went left.....

he went right

until I finally asked what he was looking for.

"The mushroom switch of course you silly girl! Why i bother...."

I grumpily pointed at the mushroom I saw (I nearly didn't) and wee doggie pranced over.

"Ah! I found it!"he cried much to our disbelief. He flicked the mushroom with his paw and then the pathway opened up before our eyes and lined with trees.

" Now time to be serious!" whispered wee doggie. " The time has come to celebrate the old life of the trees into new. All the trees gather on All hallows eve to celebrate Autumn and shedding the leaves of old for winter. They walk, sing and sway along this path as the sun begins to wane and walk to old tree man to hear life long stories. now as you humans say, respect your elders!"

As we walked along we came across this fellow.
"Ah Hallo there and welcome to the annual pathway of the tree walk. I am your host for the waning sun start only because I grew between these two gates."

"The other trees warned me as a seed not to grow and live here, but would I listen, oh no.............."

Then suddenly there was a low hum of beautiful song and distant thuds and the trees became alive like a huge gust of wind.

There was a intake of breath and the trapped tree bowed his branches.

"It has begun!"

Coming running up the pathway first was who, wee doggie whispered, was called the boo tree.

" BOO! BOO! BOO!" The boo tree cried as he rushed pasted us.

"Terrible tragedy really, lovely fellow he was, as soon as those fancy portable DVD players came out couple of years back a silly family took their son here, spending hours sitting by his trunk watching Casper the Ghost repeatably, it turned into a family tradition week in week out... drove the poor tree mad."

As the tree parade grew, trees showed off their arm muscles while going past ,

and the trees walked together, more arriving by the second, while some displayed their green moss tattoos,

Other trees bristled past, all eager and excited to see the old man tree and for the one time in the year, a good walk about.

all types, shapes and sizes singing low and magical tunes, until thuds shook the whole foundations and where thundering very close, until suddenly a huge foot clamped down in front of us!

The tree must have been massive and I didn't want to look up!

and he was!

The tree sailed slowly over us
and onwards up the path.

Letting the sunset through the branches,

until trees were nearly out of sight.

We all just stood there dumbstruck until wee doggie ran on, shouting to keep up or we would miss it!

Then as we got to the crowd of trees, we weaved and climbed over roots to the front and there he was. Old tree man!

As he was so tired from being so old, he only spoke this one day and We should listen and learn. we sat down ready with open ears.

Then he began to sing:

"Thank you Friends,one and all,

ones standing short and those who stand tall,

thank you for being here,

also to the humans who have the magic to hear..............

and then all the trees joined in:

"We the trees, young and old

we have the same story to be told

We begin young and we grow old

and you who have joined us with an ear to hear,

will have happiness for the next year!"

we thanked the old tree man for the blessing and he told us to go the sundial beside him and read the words written on it out aloud,
" I am silent without the sun" we read and the sun began to set over us

as did the day.....

and the trees all shook their branches and their golden crispy leaves fell all round us like confetti............

until we found ourselves back home with wee doggie lying on my lap murmuring of how he missed us

and how he could not wait for our next adventure.

Happy Halloween everybody! I am so sorry I have not been around, it is very hard to get on my blog in the last couple of months (I wanted to put this up ages ago) and I only hope you can read this! Hope you are all well, take care and enjoy the holiday!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-09-22T23:05:00.004+02:00

I wish in abundance to you all, a Happy autumn,

Fall,

Mabon

or season

as today we wave goodbye to the sun and let the bright moon light the darker nights. Well, in these neck of the woods anyway!

I wonder what this season will bring?

Find out more Wish Cast Wednesdays wishes here.
Cheerio for now!

September already?

2010-09-15T21:08:00.004+02:00

Hello everyone! How are we all? Doing well I hope! September snuck up quick didn't it? But then again, don't all the months! Time is just moving on and we are all just trying to keep up with it.
I have been doing some fun things this month:

A visit to a amusement park! Oh, I had a wonderful time with friends from work, cheering them on when they went on a death defying ride, daring them to go on the biggest roller coaster and taking pictures for memories of a lovely day.

Did I not go on any of these rides, you ask?

Not on your Nelly! It's not that I am scared, oh no. It more of a vanity thang.

Let me explain. A few years back, a group of friends and I went to a amusement park for day out. I loved amusement parks and the scarier the ride the better as far as I was concerned, I loved them! So of course we wasted no time choosing the biggest scariest roller coaster to go on first, which was named The Raging Rita, which boasted to be the fastest Roller coaster in the world and went from 0 to 1000 miles in a second or some ridiculous like that. Perfect! We raced to the queue and got ready for the ride of our lives! I jumped into my seat, buckled up and off we shot!

Now, when they said it was the fastest roller coaster in the world I didn't think they actually meant it! Like, come on! It was so fast I clamped down my jaws like a crocodile and PING!

Out of my mouth shot my front tooth! It. was. so.embarrassing. I had to stay there all day, looking like a extra from Prison Break with no tooth! It is still brought up when I see people from that day.

I will never get over it, and that is why I don't do amusement parks anymore,

the carousal does me just fine.

Big fella and I are planning to go somewhere soon on holiday, cheap and cheerful, so fingers crossed! He so deserves a holiday, he works so hard and after all, he has to put up with me too!

I have also been meeting up with lots of old friends and "socialising" into the wee early hours of a weekend. Most of the time Big fella and I like to entertain in our place but sometimes we venture into the beautiful city of Liverpool!
No matter, meeting up with loved ones and friends has been a pure tonic for the soul. You always know its a great night when you start thump the table with laughter remembering fun memories! It has been great catching with amazing people I have met along my travels in life and I am thankful for that!

Before I go, in honour of Halloween soon approaching, I thought I would show you this intriguing photo I took while out with my friends painting the town red. Do you see the faint scary face on the left side in the sky?

Boo!

Thanks for reading, all the best!

Hello There!

2010-08-25T21:47:00.004+02:00

Hello everybody! I got to sit at a computer! Yay! I can blog! How are we all? Doing well I hope!
So since we have been laptopless, (look at that, I made up my first word and it sounds smutty) Big fella and I have had to amuse ourselves with other things. With Big Fella, it is kill zombies on his X box (when I suggested that we sell that for a new laptop or just good ole money, he looked at me as if i said, "Hey, lets start eating healthy raw foods, not eat chocolate and sweeties anymore, yeah?") and since Big fella actually starts acting like a zombie when indulging in this, to me, boring activity, I have to look after myself.

So I taught myself to read some knitting patterns and make something!

I made this pirate themed scarf with skull and crossbones and even a wee boat as well I even added tassels! I never made anything like this before and I am very proud of this wee creation and really pleased the way it has turned out! Now everybody knows what they will be getting from me this Christmas!

At the moment it has been typical rainy weather with glass like grey clouds for days on end making things seem drab and dreary.

But sometimes all you have to do is look up and the sky is alive with colours!

Due to the rain, I have found myself getting into hibernate mode and curling up in bed, complete with flannel PJs just to add to the mood, with some hot chocolate and watching Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic, plotting ideas for some Halloween photographs!

Alas this mode does not linger long though, as I soon realise that it is still August and humid and no time of the year for hot chocolate and end up getting so sweaty and flustered, that I manage to spill it all over our lovely clean white duvet cover. Sigh. I will have to add washing on things to do list.

So, things are just the same in our wee world and we are just trying our best to keep up with it!

Hope everyone is well and I will pop along and see you some time soon!

All the best!

A long time coming: Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-08-11T21:13:00.006+02:00

Jamie has asked this week: Where would you wish to send some love?

So many places and people I wish to send love to, but here, it is no contest. It is you!

I have not been able to blog nearly as much as I have liked to, not kept in touch when I wanted to and I am so sorry about that. So I am wishing I could send a wee bit of love to the friends I have yet to meet, but are huge in life! I miss you all, popping to visit you on your blogs and read your little snippets in life and gaze at the gorgeous photography that speaks a thousand words. I am truly inspired each time I read and right now, I am a wee bit lost. Work is becoming all too consuming, and I find that coming here to blogland is a sweet release, and reminding me that work was then and this is now and to get up and enjoy life and enjoy my friendships with you! I will leave you now (but not for long!) but before go, if I could I would doing the following things for you to bring a wee bit of love and luck in our lives. This is what I would do:

I would invite you over for a magical tea party, and sit down with you to talk about all the wonders of the world and the juiciest gossip over tea and sconces, and some cream cakes too of course!

I would spoil you rotten, and just as we are stuffed to the brim and the sun is setting on our tea party,

We would ask Big fella if he could make us a fancy coffee from his fancy coffee machine (Because I broke it last time)

and relax by the window and watch the magic of the clouds roll by.

Such as the angry faced cloud barging through day and demanding night time begins, as it trundles along behind him,

A cloud that spelt it out for you, just in case you didn't get that it was a cloud,

and as the sun begins to wane, a cloud which is keeping an eye on things stares through the living room.

For the finale, the slipping disk of the sinking sun floods the room in an amber glow, and we turn round and there is the shadow of Peter Pan himself!

After all that I will sit you down and give you a tutorial on how not to get dressed in the morning and sleepily apply armpit perfume AFTER a black T shirt is put on.

We would have a blast! Well, I certainly would, I love cream cakes!

So, as you can tell, life is just rolling by here, just like the clouds and I just came here to let you know, I miss you and wish for a wee bit of love over your way!

Ohh, I have to tell you as well, (see, I just can't leave you! Slap me!) I was so excited today! Why? Because it was cold! Yes! What I mean is, summer is leaving us over in these parts and that can only mean one thing! Autumn is coming! This is my favourite season, I love the colours of the trees, the change of weather, twirling golden leaves falling, kicking them in the air while walking about! Yay!

Halloween is my favourite time of year, and I dream of glass cauldrons,
and magic in the air,

and all things Halloween like!I hope all is well in your world and I miss you!
Much Love!

OMG, I am late for my own Giveaway!

2010-07-27T21:58:00.013+02:00

Forgive me, forgive me. I have had precious wee time to post and comment, because regrettably, it was too expensive for us to get the laptop fixed, so we are saving away (badly)until we get a better one. For now, we put our trust in our broken down laptop and the laptop allows us to swear at it viciously if it switches itself off. Life in our wee world over here, is topsy turvy and time is flying by. I was also greatly saddened to hear of the loss of fellow blogger Barry. I went over to send a email about running the race for life and thinking of him all the way, and he was gone. My heartfelt thoughts go to Linda, the family, and of course Lynsey. Rest in Peace Barry.

There is so much I have been wanting to tell you of,

Of my wee friend Munch the caterpillar who recently flew around the jar I made into its home, and I squealed with delight to see a big moth with wide patterned wings. I opened the window and it waved bye bye and off it went to begin its life. I asked it to come back for a picture but it was having none of it. So here is the movie version of this proud moment.

I want to tell you of the tales of whirling tornadoes outside our window

.

and of Ghost ships, floating adrift, silent through the ink midnight.

Tales about when the swan cloud sailed past in the sunset sky,

and simply to share with you sights like this.

It doesn't get much better than that for me.

Enough of my ramblings, lets get down to the giveaway winners! Because I was late for my own giveaway, (but then again so was the white rabbit) I decided to add some wee surprises as well!
Picked by the giveaway random generator, (alright, big fella picked them out of a hat), the winner of the Alice and Wonderland Collection cards is Erin at Treasures found!

Congratulations Erin! I will be sending you a email soon with more info!

Since I felt bad being late and all, I asked Big Fella to pick out two more for wee surprises! The names chosen were Debra at She Who Seeks and Sarah at Cottage Garden Studios! Yay! I will send you both a email soon to send out a wee surprise gift! Thank you so much for taking part everyone! I love having fun with you guys!

Oh, one last wee thing. I found these beautiful lanterns,

and made wee gardens in them! Moss is boss! I really enjoy making these!

I gotta got now, the laptop is beginning to splutter which mean lights out soon! Toddle pip for now and see you soon hopefully!

Running the Race for Life!

2010-07-18T20:56:00.006+02:00

Woohoo! I did it! I ran my first charity Race for Cancer research today! It's another one off my list so double whammy! It was great, a fantastic atmopshere and very emotional! Let me tell you all about it though the medium of photography! (I just start rambling otherwise!)

Well I was very happy to know Big fella would be cheering me on from the side lines. We walked though the park and saw a trail of pink ladies, all set up in trainers, pink feather boas, and pink cowboy hats! (and all the rest of the gear obviously!)

We thought we were on the right track so we followed them! I felt quite low key with my black top and moth ridden tracksuit bottoms! (They are my lucky tracksuit bottoms! The moths give me flight when I run!)

Soon the pathway opened up onto a sea of pink! It was like the biggest hen party you have ever seen. Big Fella looked terrified.

There was also an ambulance on standby

but I wasn't sure if it would benefit big fella more than me at this precise moment.

He pinned my race number on my front, and on my back the people I was running for

*Renee

* Audrey

* Barry

* Carol

Carol is a dear friends mother who lost her fight with Cancer a few years back and my friend misses her so much. The other three names are blogger's I have had the honour of meeting though this wee space and who many of you know as well. Audrey is fighting once again but is a strong woman and I just think she is wonderful! Audrey you have been a inspiration time and time again and so glad we got back in touch again, I just had to run for you!

Barry, has also been fighting hard, especially now, so this is was all the more get up and go I needed. The amazing thing about Barry, through it all, his sense of humour shines through and you have got to respect that! Best of luck Barry, we hope to hear again from you soon when you are feeling better! Last but certainly not least, Renee.

Renee was such a amazing woman with such an amazing family and her blog was unmissable. She wrote from her heart and her soul, you could not help but feel she was posting to you and you only. In it together. What amazing writer. A rare gift to captivate a reader like that. She had that effect.The fact that she even thought to read your blog and comment back through these strange, unnerving, sad times was just a glimpse of the kind of woman she was. When she left us, it hit a lot of the blogging community hard and that will never be forgotten. I could gone for ever about these wonderful, amazing people, but if you go and link on their names go and read their story, tell them I send my love.

When I was running the race, I could not help but think, I would do this a million times over everyday if it would it obliterate Cancer. I saw every ones messages on their back, with words of love, loss, and survival, and I realised how lucky I was to even experience this! Wonderful times, and the people running were amazing and soon the finish line was in sight! I crossed within half an hour and Big fella gave me a big cheer when I galloped though! I have raised £100 so far for the charity, and big fellas wee granny took my sponsership form to the pub the other night to raise more cash. She told me, at 11pm she told everybody "Big fella's wee Irish girlfriend" was doing a race for charity and to sponser me. She took it out at 11pm as everybody was drunk so she would get more money! Crafty! So who knows what we will end up with! As long as it helps Cancer research, every wee bit helps!
Big Fella also bought me a lovely jumper at the race to remind me of what I achieved.I also received a medal and I wanted to take a photo of it to show you.

I don't know why it came out like this, I detest using the flash button,never use it only with brute force and darkened nightclubs and it was a overcast day, raining in fact. Maybe angels were beside me. Or perhaps I am so sweaty after the race with a big woolly jumper on, it has turned me radio active! All in all I had a lovely time and wish I could do it all over again! So i am! I am looking to do a 10k race in October! I wish I could stamp out Cancer with every step!

Off to collapse now, bye bye!

The Ghost Face in the Compass

2010-07-11T21:37:00.007+02:00

Hello everyone! Well, how did your weekend treat you? Good, I hope! I was invited to a wee birthday get together and had a lovely night. Or so I was told. At the party, I proceeded to jolly well get sauced, and at closing time demanded everybody march into the big bad city centre, only for me to show everybody, out in the street, how to moonwalk. I also had the most fantastic idea that all the girls in the street swapped shoes with strangers. I am now the very proud owner of some Reebok trainers, and someone has my shoes with the broken strap. Face book is not my friend. Horrendous evidence. So, am am a wee bit fragile today so I will have to whisper this post. Shhhh! I can hear you thinking what a fool I am!

Now I have to tell you a ghostly tale!

I found this beautiful sundial and compass in a wee trinket shop, where hidden treasure is to found. Oh, I fell in love with it and was amazed to find how inexpensive it was and snapped it up like lightening. I showed it to Big fella and we ohhh and ahhhhed at it. (Actually only me doing that, ended up big fella had a cramp)

I could not wait to take photos of it and oh and ah a bit more. I clicked away and had some nice photos. I made big fella a cuppa and I settled down to look at what I had taken on the camera. Then one photo made me do a double take.

Can you see the mans face in the right hand side of the compass? Here is a closer look.

and here he is again!

Even big fella was amazed when I showed him the camera, which is a first, nothing fazes that man. Expect for the World Cup, but I am not allowed to speak of it. We checked to see if we could see it with the naked eye, but nothing. Maybe the trick of the light, but there are quite a few more pictures and they are all taken at different angles and the mans face remains!

I happened to glance out the window as big fella looked for him and saw this amazing sunset.

Wooooooo!

I am sorry, I am not very good at ghost stories. After that time I told the most inappropriate ones, like to three year old and scared the life out of them, I don't really bother these days.
But I do love my compass and the face just adds to its mystic!

I think it is beautiful and will treasure it always.

As long as the man doesn't come to get us in our sleep, like Big fella said.

You may be wondering why I have taken so many pictures of a compass and maps and the like.

It is because I have started making collections for my photo cards and one of the themes is pirates!

I have been a busy bee and everything is starting to move so quickly, shops would like samples, I am getting enquiry's and I am freaking out a bit! Good freaking out a bit. And Bad!

I am just going to go with the flow and see what happens!

But one thing I have done is the cards for the giveaway! I can not wait for the big day! So much fun! but alas blogger and me are still at war over my template (columns missing) and blogger is winning! Bah!

All the best!

I have been at it again.

2010-07-05T00:24:00.009+02:00

Hey Chicks and Dudes, how are we today? (sorry, Big fella is watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure chuckling away in the background here.) Now, you know the way I have been nattering on about opening a stall soon and blah, blah, blah? Well, why did nobody tell me it was July already? My word, time has flown by so much I missed the deadline I set for myself. There is no way I could sell anything yet, because I haven't made much apart from a card, and that for the giveaway!
By the way, if you want to add this button, or picture, since I don't know how to make a button to spread the word! If you could link back to me and let me know I would be much obliged. I have a cheek to ask you that to be honest, as I fiddled about with blogger when I should have left well alone, and lost all the your wonderful blog buttons to the bottom of this page. Even I couldn't be bothered to scroll the whole way down either and its just not on! I am sorry my followers button is so in your face obvious, I have tried to move it and blogger wont let me! But I am working my way through! Anyway, what the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, making things for my stall. I wanted to make terrariums. you know, wee gardens in jars, bottle gardens and I cant think of anything else they are called. So today was the day I was go to do it. Despite buying large jars for my hands to simply fit into I decided to get the most awkward bottle I owned. Yep people, that is disaster you smell.

This is what I had to work with:

Awkward bottle with the most awkward opening to work with.

Marbles (Do the right thing, use gravel or pebbles, much easier and less soul destroying so early into the project)

Spagum moss: Sounds like it feels. More like seaweed really. Not nice velvety outdoor moss. This looks the business and keeps the soil falling thought the pebbles at the bottom, kay?

Activated carbon (found in aquarium stores): This keeps the smell of failure and rotting plant away.

Potting soil

A plant cutting ( or like I should have done, just use some of that nice velvety outdoor moss, much, much easier)

I started with putting the marbles into the bottom of the bottle. Hold it sideways and roll them in, not drop them in full force, in turn smashing the bottle before you even started to get messy.

I should have just left it at that. It goes down hill rapidly from here.

Put your moss in to layer the marbles or pebbles if you know whats good for you. This is why. Beside having to wrestle the moss in through the wee opening causing a almighty mess inside the bottle, the marbles also leave big gaps, letting wiry stringy pieces of moss to fall through to the bottom giving it that untidy,
if not blue mouldy look nestling between the marbles that just five minutes ago looked so well and pretty.

Sigh. Yet I must finish what I started. Like a silly wee girl that just can not be told.

Pour in a thin layer of carbon. This also added to the dirt on the bottle. Sooner or later common sense does hit me on the head and I used a paper funnel to pour in the soil.

Now i love would love to tell you of the rest of the disaster of the cuttings not fitting, get butchered and hacked away and the air turning blue, I will spare you.but this was the state of the place when i had finished.

Deciding never to go through that again, I did do a few more with some jars left in the cupboard with the butchered Jade plant cutting and used pebbles! So it's not all bad.

This is a empty herb bottle.

I don't know if this little cutting will make it!

I will next time, because there is always a next time, and I never learn, will definitely use moss and jars I can work with in future.

I like this night time pictures of the little bottle gardens

you can not see the dirt and mess on the glass!

I tell you what, don't take my word for it, take a look at this wonderful wee blog who explains this all much better than me and not half as much drama! Lovely place to get creative!

See you all soon and all the best!

(update) I just went on my blog and all the buttons turned up! Yay! just all in the wrong place, so if you see any fiddling about on here, it's me trying to fix it!

~THe ~MaD~ HaTteR ~GivEaWaY!* ~WiTh* ~PiCTuReS!*!

2010-07-04T00:20:00.007+02:00

Hello there and welcome to The Mad Hatter Giveaway! This is the official one as the first one was rushed and the laptop broke and I was so frustrated, I said fiddlesticks. A lot.Yep, so it was getting kinda scary over here. So I just went with the flow and I have calmed myself to be here now. With the help of good friends, some essential oils and whale song blasting in my ears. But it got kinda annoying after five minutes so I turned that off. Whale song and super doper ski type earphones aren't good.

Any road, let's get on with it shall we? So it was the Mad hatter tea party recently, hosted by the lovely Vanessa at a fanciful twist (who has just had some very sad news, please go hug) and I took some photos to represent the story created for the event. I liked them so much I thought I would give them away as photography cards! Stop laughing, I will prove it!

In all the madness of the post I said I would give away ten of each photo, but in the honour of giveaways and to say sorry I have not been around much I am giving the whole set away!

Each photograph will be placed on good hard stock white card, left blank for your consideration

I will even supply a perfectly fitted envelope,
Oh, to heck with it, I will even individually wrapped each one with tender loving care myself!

So what do you say? To enter simply leave me a comment, become a follower, do a shout out, sing me a song, already entered and just for the heck of it, wants to enter again, simply let me know, its all good! I will draw the winners, on Monday 26 July 2010. It's on the full moon so it will be all magical and besides it the day we get our laptop back! (it is also pay day if you get my drift!)

Now, can you tell I am going to aimlessly plug myself right now? Be gentle with me! I have applied for an arts and craft stall in near, very near future, featuring photography cards and a few wee other things up my sleeve. I have set up a blog and a face book page about it and my stall will be named "Magic is Everyday Life" I think you have heard me use that phase a couple of times and it stuck with me. That's what I hope my photographs bring out. I am torn on go days and bad days. Some days "I think yeah I will do this!" and others days I think it is all just silly and I should just pack the whole thing in! But time is closing in on me and I have to work swiftly and work hard! If you have the time, please pop over to Magic is Everyday Life and see what you think! Please beware it is under severe construction and it very basic but I hope to improve it!

What's that you say, do you get brownies if you become a follower? Bribery?! On this blog?! But of course!I will be checking in very soon! All the very best of luck to you! PS: A very Happy 4 July to all those who celebrate it!

Blogging in a public library is awkward.

2010-06-30T23:56:00.004+02:00

I can tell you why too. Because a little boy is reading everything I am typing over my shoulder. Go back to your own computer. Thank you. Ah, he has stopped looking, he must have just read this. Well, its a hard knock life with our wee trusty laptop.She's intensive care, (repair shop) and it is not looking good, for the price we are paying we might as well get a new one. (Keeping the receipt for insurance this time too, Yikes!) Gawd, I miss ya's! I have began watching TV again, and Big fella and I will sit there like lumpy rice puddings staring at a screen all day. No good. So I pulled up my socks and decided to go out and use my public library for Internet access to see you guys and say hello! I toddled in and was dismayed to find the place packed with people (schoolkids) on computers and no free ones to hand. So I decided to go have a nosy at some of the books and I went to one of my favourite spots, the children's section. the reason this is my favourite spot is because it is welcoming and and colourful and with so many amazing books with gorgeous illustrations and wonderful simple words to conjure up the imagination into fairy tales! In uni, you have to read lots of text and it was hard you know, I like pictures.

Any way the world has gone back to some normality in this household as the World cup is now over for England. Big fella was devastated and I wiped his tears and made him copious amount of tea to calm him. He is beginning to gain the power of speech back too, so things are good. Thank you all for all comments on my Mad hatter tea party, to be honest, I did not even get to spell check before the computer broke so thanks for putting up with it. As for the giveaway, it is so on! It is just a wee bit complicated with no computer and all that. But I had been saved by my dear friend who is letting me use her computer all day no less, tomorrow so I will put a official start on it then. I might even make a wee button for it. But lets not get carried away now! Well i better go , they are switching the lights off in the library so i think it is time to leave, so sorry I have no been in touch, but I have been reading! See you tomorrow for some giveaway madness! With pictures! Gasp!

All the best!

Mad Hatters Tea Party and the start of a giveaway to boot!

2010-06-26T18:55:00.000+02:00

Recently I have been seeing strange things. When walking through crowded streets, out off on jobs to do and errands to run, sometimes out the corner of my eye I think I can see The Mad Hatter waving to a child in the crowds,

and when I looked twice,he was gone. Walking out of the train station recently I thought I saw a white rabbit and Alice propping up the walls.

only to look again and they had vanished too. Curiouser and curiouser. These strange wee occurrences continued until one day I was out walking and it all suddenly became clear, without making any sense at all. (Which sounds a lot like me.)

I was dandering through a old forgotten pathway when a Chesire cat suddenly appeared in front of me and stared.

"Hellllooooo, I have been waiting for you. Come this way please." he purred. "Excuse me?" I said squeakily as I realised this cat could talk.

"Oh come on don't give me that! he cried. "When you were seven, after you read Alice in Wonderland for the first time, you said you wished that you could go to The Mad Hatters tea party. Well, regrettably for you, a lot of other people wished for this too down the years and I had a huge backlog to undertake,don't even start me on the paperwork involved now, but here I am. You are going to The Mad Hatters Tea Party!"
I think my dumb, mouth open wide expression was annoying him. "I knew you would be like this! That's why I left little hints around in your life to remind you of this time! Come on, some of us have work to do you know!"
Before I could say anything he lead me to this.

"Why don't you take a look down there? I wonder what's down there?" he smiled

Down here?

Whats down here?
look whats down hERRRRRRRRREEEEEEEE! WAAAAAAAAA!
Being a nosy git I looked down way too far, lost my bearings and fell right down!

It was not really like falling though. it was strange the tunnel was splattered with pretty stars that floated upwards in a dreamy kind of way.

But after a while I began to feel gravity pulling me down faster,

and faster, oh, I am falling so fast!

When suddenly "THUD!" I had landed like a sack of potatoes thrown to the ground. I lay there for a moment, thinking how was I gonna get out of here and how I will miss this weeks episode of Judge Judy if I don't do it quick, when I noticed a key hole of a door opposite me. I jumped up to investigate.

But it was a tiny wee door, like a fairy door. No way was I getting out through there, but there seemed no other way out so I lay down on the ground and peered through the key hole

and on the outside of the door was a beautiful courtyard, with the scent of roses and a labyrinth of hedge mazes. But how do I get to it? I stood by up only to find a little table with a tiny wee bottle glistening cut cystal and aqua glass.

I could not help but be drawn to its twinkling glass bottle stopper

and I opened the bottle, to see fairy bubbles coming out laughing "drink me, drink me!"

It made me giggle and I drank it all.

I wasn't giggling much longer when I realised I was shrinking, smaller and smaller. What a strange feeling, I felt like a accordion!
soon I was smaller than the door and I stopped shinking just in time to open it and step outside.

I walked out and looked behind me. where did i come out of? The wee door belonged to a tiny sized but long glass house, same size as now wee me and huge big wooden pieces all over the garden. What were they? "Would you like to play croquet?" I heard the Cheshire cat smile though I could not find him.

Oh my, I was so small. I walked further ahead only to see a huge tea cup on the side of the path. "Would you like a cup of tea?" the Cheshire cat somewhere asked me.
>

I cant play croquet and I can not have a cup of tea because I am too small! This was all very strange and I was scared that if i stayed that way, when I got home, big fella would just flatten me with his big boots! I wished he was here to help me!
The Cheshire cat must had read my thoughts for he told me through the breeze to walk along to the path and open the gates to the strawberry fields

and eat some strawberries along the way and all will be well. I was getting hungrier as the day grew so I did exactly that, nibbling on a huge strawberry that had fallen to the ground and I started to get bigger with each munch. As i munched away i was soon back to my wee human heights. With all the munching, I did not realise where I had walked to. There in front me, were beautiful white gates.

As I got closer faces, appeared on the gates.

"Hello again all back to normal, are you? whatever normal is!" the Cheshire cats face was grinning down at me from the top of the gates.

"Please say hello to my friends twiddle Dee and twiddle dumb below me,situated from my left to right, and they will open the gates for you" I did as I was told and stood back to see the gates begin to glow

the gates began to open and I stared up in awe

by the faces on the gates.

As I walked through the gates I saw a courtyard in the distance and there inside was the Mad Haters tea party in full swing!

along with Alice, the White rabbit was there

with the sleepy Doe mouse of course

and the mad hatter himself

and what lovely hosts they were

We sang all manners of silly songs with lots of dancing, and cups of overflowing tea we had abound! The mad hatter made me laugh and the constant chatter of nonsense was making me quite dizzy. I looked at the dor mouse yawning sleepily opposite me and I began to fell so drowsy myself..........................

I awoke at home with pages of a well read book stuck to my face as I pondered the strange dream I was having. I peeled the book from of my face and squinted at the cover. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, I mouthed aloud, slowly returning from my sleepy haze and

licking the taste of strawberries from my mouth. Convinced it was lip gloss although last time i had that I was 16, i went into the kitchen for a nice cup of tea. But the tea cups were gone. Thinking big fella had used all the cups without washing, I spun around only to find this beautiful display on the table.

The wee hints that remind us that magic is everyday life and that was a party I will never forget!

Oh in the spirit of a unhappy birthday, Let's have a mad hatter giveaway! I have only done this once so far and I thought it was a time for another one! If you like any of the photographs I have posted above, I will giveaway 10 photo cards of your choice! I will prepare them so thoughtfully and carefully, you could almost pass them as professional! If you would like to take part, leave me a comment telling me of course, but if you really want them you could become a follower if not already! This giveaway will be on for a while, only because the laptop broke down and I have lack of funds to replace it right now! So I think about 3 weeks giveaway would be right! Let me know if you are interested! All the Best!

A wish cast, and a invitation! Double whammy!

2010-06-23T19:39:00.007+02:00

The lovely Jamie asked us this week: What fun do you wish to have?

Ohh, Fun. I love having fun, because it's fun. Fun is a funny word isn't it? Well, I am craving a bit of fun right now. Work has been a bit of a wary one this week. Issues, dramas, issues, drama. SIGH. At times like these I turn to my great mentor, Judge Judith Sheindlin, Judge Judy, (or if I was her best mate, J.J.) I watch her in action and she takes no messing and I am sure Judge Judy knows a thing or two about fun too!

Here's what fun I would wish for at the moment:

Receiving a longed for penfriend letter in the letter box and reading over a cup of coffee and all the time in the world.

or a good half an hour at least.

To live in completed knitted world.

How comfy does that knitted chair look?

Taking a ride back in time on merry go round carousal,

up and down and around we go!

Flying a kite!

That amazing feeling when after several, if not huffy, thwarted attempts to sail it in the air, then suddenly it takes flight!

When all else fails I can always look at this picture of artwork on my hand, with the silly face drawn for me especially by one of the children while we all lay on the grass in the sunshine and sang nursery rhymes in the loudest and in the silliest voices as we could, laughing our heads off all the way up to the clouds!

Now that was fun!

So, speaking of fun, are you free 26th of June? I do hope so, as you are invited to a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, yeah right here! Don't be late for this important date! Oh please, I do wish you could come, I may have a surprise giveaway there too. Or maybe not, it depends if you turn up. A lady who is much nicer than I, the lovely Vanessa from a fanciful twist is holding court at this wonderful teacup event, but if you pop by her blog, everyday is a magical party there! It is a wonderful blog, please to check it out. It is guaranteed you to do some involuntary ""Ohhh, Ahhh!" at the wonder!

I just hope good ole laptop here, holds out until then!

See you soon!

Hello there!

2010-06-20T21:19:00.009+02:00

Hello everybody! I was about to send out letter via pigeon to you all with the computer being sick, But there has been some good news. Big fellas wee mate is a bit of a whizz at all thing technical, and popped round the other day for a chat and a cuppa and we told him of the sickly laptop. His eyes lit up and he instructed me to show him were the sickly computer lay. It was like watching Gandolf the Grey preforming a magical spell. He switched it on and pressed all these buttons and the computer made some technical sounds like crying and he actually hushed it saying "your alright girl, your alright" in soothing tones. Once finishing by switching the laptop off and patting her farewell, he turned to us and give us a grave look. Big fella and i huddled round him and asked what was wrong. "The fan is broken." Because of this he said, the laptop was overheating and that's why it would switch off all the time. Or as big fellas wee mate said "She was passing out, poor love."
He fixed it, but it is only temporary. (I think he stuck a toothpick in it or something) It is also making the most ungodly noise, (I think it is the toothpick) so I feel I am typing this, while perched in a flying World War Two plane. In battle. That's wHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE!! Sorry, I keep yelling over the noise.

Well, because the computer was on the brink, I once again found time for other activities, which was super, so it wasn't all bad. I did miss you though. But only you, don't tell anyone else.

I got stuck into the last of my gardening. Well, when I say gardening, I mean lots of pots on a windowsill.And I have to do it on the kitchen floor tastefully covered with a bin liner.

Pure class. It was either water or garden when we moved and the water won.

I have no more seeds left expect pumpkin seeds and I just can not get a pot big enough. I do not think it would be fair on the seeds actual potential, you know? Like if I tried to grow one in a pot and it was only small I would always blame the pots. In the case of what have I planted so far, I am not quite sure, I am a terrible one for planting some seeds and not labelling things. But some lovely flowers they have been producing!

I like to garden by the rule of the moon, and it seems like the right time.

Isn't she lovely?

I have also been getting back to my camera. I started taking wee photos with my glass ball

and experimenting with some themes

When I thought these next ones could be used to my advantage. If I got them blown up and lamented, I could use these for flash cards to communicate with Big fella while the World cup is on as he is referring to grunts, eyes beadily staring at the football on the telly. Sad. This one below would indicate that I predict that it is his turn to make a cup of tea.

But of course the option for him is to answer me with this, indicating that "I predict that you know where the kitchen is" flash card.

I might not laminate that one.

I having also been reading some books!

while looking through the window of the house in the clouds.

I have also noticed that my blog seems to be all muddled up, my "third column" as I so proudly set up one time has been messed up by my fair hand no doubt so I will have to try and sort that out. Might actually give Big fellas wee mate a ring. Now, I got to go play catch up with you, thank you for your patience, speak to you soon! All the best!

Hello out there, can anybody hear me??????

2010-06-17T20:49:00.005+02:00

Hello everybody, hope this post finds you well! I am so sorry for my lack of posting, once again technology and I are at war. This computer is knackered and has proceeded to switch itself off in 20 minute intervals and with such precise timing, such as blogging, you would swear it was doing it on purpose. So this is very quick, just to say sorry for not being in the blogsphere and coming to yours for a visit to see how you all are, but I am thinking of you and I am in the process of booking some time off just to read all the back log! I will be back very soon! Ta Ra! (Sorry to leave so soon, I am worried the computer will go on the blink again!)

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-06-09T20:50:00.006+02:00

What do you wish to leap into?

This is the wish cast Jamie weaved for us today.Well, as some of you know I have started a journey into thirty list of thirty things to do while I am thirty.( OMG how many times did I just type thirty?! Again!)

So I wish to leap right into that. Having completed No. 15: Sleeping under the stars, which was a absolute delight, I wanted to continue on my quest, as with all starts to a new month I fail to remember it. I will still think it is May until the 22nd and be one of those people who annoy you by repeatedly say "I cant believe it is June already!" Time is flying by and this does not help matters for me.

It was actually camping that brought me to my next challenge, No.27: Looking after a caterpillar and watch as it turns into a butterfly. On the last day of camping, just before we left I took a quick pit stop to the ladies and on the tile floor was this guy:

Munch.That's his name you see, it suits him I think. After doing some extensive research (google) it would seem I have to be very wary of this wee fella as although he is rather cute and furry, his furriness can cause bad problems with humans. So I am all gloved up and being very cautious around him.

He will either be a moth or butterfly but either way, I hope all goes well and I hope I am taking care of him properly. Another thing I put on my list was snake handling. (what was I thinking?) I am very frightening of snakes but it was a true thing to put on my list, so it stays. Not all fun and games, this list you know!
I did have a look into it, but to no avail, so I was going to swap it for Shark diving for charity instead. (I know, I know, I am a walking contradiction.)
I am definitely going to do the charity shark dive at some point though, I will give you more updates as I receive them! Anyway, back to the snake thing. I had hit a dead end with it, when today I got a picture message on my phone from a dear friend with her brand new pet, a 17 ft Boa constrictor! Very muted yay. I was kinda hoping for a corn snake for my snake encounter, But I started this list and life just seems helping me along nicely ,it would seem. Myself and Mr constrictor, (ohh what a apt name!) are meeting in the very near future. Ekkkk!
Oh, before I go, I want you to meet our new housemates the house martins. These flock of wee birds have chosen to build their mud nests just by the window,just above our heads and under the rafters.

and who could blame them? Look at this wonderous view unfolding before us this morning.

It was so perfectly still and peaceful, with only birdsong to fill the air.

But beware, never get on the wrong side of these birdies,

they know exactly where to aim.
Toodle pip!

Happy Camper

2010-06-07T13:24:00.009+02:00

Hello campers! How are we all? Thank you for coming to visit me, so happy to know you are here! I am back from the great outdoors adventure! I have officially started my journey in thirty List. 15. Sleeping under the Stars: Completed! Yay! May I say, it was just the most amazing time ever! Last Thursday, Big fella and I got up at the crack of noon and bundled everything into the back of the car and scooted off to our destination which I knew was somewhere in Wales but little else. After about two hours lovely driving through lush Welsh mountains and spectacular views, we arrived at our destination.

The sea.

It was the most wonderful campsite ever! It was situated on a cliff face and below it, the sea and behind a fierce growling mountains with sheep, horses and cows all perched nicely on it.There was also a railway line and occasionally a train would go whizzing by.

This was our view each morning from inside the tent.

The beach below us was filled with pebbles

and seaweed, trinkets and treasures such as the mermaids chair,

or perhaps a message in a bottle getting washed up on shore.

Good friends of ours who live nearby, came up with their beautiful children for the first couple of days and it was just idyllic, basking in the sun with the sound of laughter, love and some tall tales wafting through to the airy night.
When it was the twilight hour, we would build a camp fire and set off paper lanterns

with wishes written on them,

floating them away to the stars.Up, up and away.

The only time we spent indoors were to go into a shop for some ice cream! Oh, I have to show you this, it made my heart smile. We were walking through the quaint wee village situated nearby and I saw this wee sign on a shop window.

Aww, sweet! No honeymoon though?

Big fella and I had a wonderful time and we are going to go again in August for the meteor shower!
The sky was so full of stars at night I spent hours just lying down gazing at them. I would happily live like this.

It was wonderful.

But of course it is bang back to reality. I can not seem to get out of doing nothin mode. I just about wrote this! I will have to go for a good run after this and shake myself up a bit. I have so much more to tell you and so many of you to visit I do not know how to get it all done! I have a major awards thanks backlog which I am ashamed to say, I have not gotten round to. Some of you I did not even thank! Shocking I know, so I thank you ever so much if I was honoured with a award by you, I really appreciate it and I will do a shout out soon! Thanks again! I will hopefully pop by soon to see you all! Oh, before I go, look what appeared in my coffee that big fella made for me this morning.

Can this man do no wrong?

All the best now and cheerio!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-06-02T13:23:00.003+02:00

Jamie this week asked: What do you wish to know?

Oh, many things, many things.

I wish to know:

* How TV and photography works. How can I take a picture of something and how does it remain in the camera? How does it get in there? How can that person or time of place live forever on that TV screen? How does that happen?Amazing mind boggling stuff to me.

* How to spend my time effectively: I have work, mail, emails, postings, reading, cleaning, creating, listening, talking and hopefully some enjoyment to be had. How do I fit it all in? I do not even have children. All mothers and fathers of the world, I salute you.

* How to recognise the sound of the alarm clock, meaning I have to get up. Not switch it off (in my sleep no less) and go back to bed. Big fella says I am like a donkey that will not be moved once I return zombie like back to my slumber again.

* If I am making the right decision. So many decisions to be made. Remember when the biggest decision in your life was whether to use the pink crayon or the blue one for your colouring in book? ( No? Me neither.) I have many decisions to make in work, hard, heartbreaking ones in some cases. Everybody has a opinion but in the end, the decision is mine to be made and what is the best for all concerned. Pressure.The one thing I do know, is that if I make a wrong decision, I hold my hands up, and learn from it.

* How to listen more. Sometimes, I find that I am listening to what a certain someone is saying to me, only to find myself thinking: What I will have for my tea? Who killed JR? What superpower I would most like to possess? I am not listening, I am waiting to talk. I got to work on that, that's not good.

Many other things I wish to know, the mysteries of life and all that goes with it. I am sure along my path of life I will find my answers.

Well, this post is also my farewell post, for tomorrow Big Fella and I are going camping for a few days. We are going to Wales a place I adore, but little else is known. (Did you see that part above about not listening? But in terms of my thoughts on superpower? Invisibility.)

I don't want to know really, I just want to get there and go on a great adventure! Escape! We have got everything we need, Multi pack of loo roll (essential) Baby wipes (essential) Camera charger ( oh yeah, I am on fire here!) and amongst other things, a tent. Ohhhh, I forgot about the tent. No log cabin available eh? I keep forgetting about that. Thank goodness I invested in a blow up bed! Luxury camping is on! now just to find a pump. I am NOT blowing that thing up. It's King sized!

Well I am off now to get my hair done! So in when the Blair Witch finds us, I will stun her with my luscious locks and want to become best friends forever? Please.

See you all soon and I will be back with all the news soon! (I hope!) Cheerio!

A Creative Weekend

2010-05-31T22:23:00.005+02:00

Hello, hello, hello everybody! Doesn't time just fly by? How are we all doing? I hope this post finds you well!

Well, this weekend I got creative. Real creative. My email decided to go kaput on me, (OK, it was me. I pressed a wrong button. Again) So I could not blog or check emails! So I put my time to something else. I had loads of wee projects on the go and needed doing. Or getting started with.

Here's what I did.

I always loved the idea of pressed flowers on a pillar candle. I always wondered how that happened. I decided to do some research. I found a long lost book on the shelf all about candle making and design. You see this kind of book can be very dangerous for a girl like me as I read these beautiful books and want to make everything in it, even though I do not have the correct ingredients and useful things like that, I carry on regardless. It can make for a messy business and tears at bedtime.

This was one of those times. It required pressed flowers, all I had was dried. It asked to use a long narrow candle pot, I used a sauce pan, and they also said be careful you don't burn yourself and I burnt myself. So what do you get? This:

Get ready for the nasty close up:

It looks like a stake from Buffy the vampire slayer. Ah well, they will take pride of place on the mantle piece. Only if anyone asks I will just say the kids in work made them for me.

To cheer myself up the next day, I found this wonderful fabric for next to nothing in a wee shop tucked away somewhere Big fella and I never been to before and I wanted to make another dress! Woohoo, Vivianne Westwood, look out love!

I even added a underline to it. But I am not showing you that and ruin the illusion OK? But be rest assured, there is underlining under that dress! I want to add some elastic thread weaving to the top half and some straps as well. Ohhh, just look at that glistening material.

Magpie mode. Ohhh! I love it. Mind you, haven't tried it on, it may be a pillow case yet!

I also wanted to get stuck into made some Mosaic pieces which I have never done before. I had an old roof slate, (don't ask) and bought some grout so I could make something.

I decided on keeping it simple and I hope this represents the full moon! I will let you see it when it is dry and I grout it. Maybe.

Oh, where did I get the pieces for the pattern? Well guess what? I used a old white plate for the moon and Dede, the rest is the remains of the blown up oven door! Yeah, every cloud and all that! Why did I keep the remains of a blown up oven door? That's another story!

I have also got to grips with paper mache. Love it! Have you seen this blog? OMG, go see, go see! This lady, Ann Wood, is amazing! She makes the most amazing, whimsical and magical gifts like wee birdies, owls, spiders, bats, and PIRATE SHIPS! These. are. to. die. for! Bless 'er she even does a tutorial on them! So I had to try and make one for myself!

Look! To help me on my way and inspire me, Big fella made this rope climb for it!

Ain't he great?

I have to add more sail and give it a good lick of paint.
Ann makes it look so easy. Let me tell you it is not! I am going to hang it by the window I think.

If it doesn't fall apart before then. I will show all when it is finished. When that will be I do not know. In fact you may not here of me again.

For on Thursday, I am completing a task on my thirty journey list and sleeping under the stars for a few days with the big fella. We are going camping. Big fella style. Talk of wolves, snakes and the killer bear of Clare county . (Which he totally failed, that is one of my favourite lines from one of my favourite movies The Great Outdoors. Epic film and you just don't mess with that.) It has my mind going over time. I have to keep reminding myself we are going to Wales, not the Amazon rain forest. I do also have to remember that we are sleeping in a tent, not a log cabin and I am never watching Blair Witch Project again.

I will post my farewell before long, hope all is well in your world!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-05-26T21:06:00.006+02:00

What do you wish for your space? What a interesting wish cast you think, and you should, Jamie asked it.

I love our flat. Space. Or apartment. (Why do they call them flats over here? I must find out.) I truly wished for this place when I was a child, to live by the sea and look, my wish came true!

I have to tell you of the magical way we came across it. Big fella and I had been together for four years before decided to move in together. I was living with my friend in her house and he was living with his friend in his house. To be honest I was happy as Larry with this set up. I could watch as much Judge Judy as I liked and have girly chats with my friend and know that she would not leave the toilet seat up.

Sometimes Big fella would stay at mine and sometimes I stayed at his. When he would leave me to work on those mornings, we always past a gated winding road with grand houses and large gardens. I always wanted to go down there and see where it lead to.
Then one cold November afternoon big fella took me for a drive down the winding road. I gasped at the wonder of it. It was like going into another world of secret gardens and amazing Victorian houses, with gas lamps dotted down the cobblestone path to boot!

It was so gorgeous I expected to see gentlemen in top hats and ladies with ringlets in their hair, dressed in volumious corsets and a horse drawn carriage. But the best was yet to come. It was when we turned the corner of this winding road I saw a glistening of the sunset in the distance growing into the reflection from the water! The road ended on a private promenade with nothing ahead but water and sky, and the distance shoreline, and the welsh mountains. The sunset was amazing and I could not believe I never knew about this magical place before. This would turn out to be our first adventure! As we sat in awe in the car with the sun turning everything golden I remember saying "I wish we could live right here." "Yeah, me too. I wish we could live right here." We were wishing on the sunset and as the moon arose the magic unfolded and our wish was heard.

Every time we had nothing else to do I would ask big fella to drive to our magical place and watch the sunset. We did this many times and every sunset was unique. I loved it there. Life trundled on and soon we had decided to move in together and get our own place.
I talked to my friend about it and she thought I should go for it. So when big fella said

"Should we move in together?"
"I don't know"
"It will be cheaper"
"Let's do it."

True love eh?

That night we sat down at the computer and starting looking at places around our price range, which wasn't a great deal. There was not a lot to offer only bedsits at best (bang goes the swimming pool idea.) and we were about to call it a night, when we decided to have one last look on another website and there she was. It was the place we had wished for and it stood high over behind us where we parked the car every time we visited! Low and behold, it was amazingly in our price range! I thought that surely there must be some mistake, but immediately rang for a viewing. No mistake the lady on the other end told me and that the was letting someone view it tomorrow at 3pm and could you make it for 5pm?

"YESSSSS!" I screamed down the phone and ran about whooping for joy! Big fella pointed out that we had not got the place yet, but the thought of even viewing the place and the view would be amazing! This was gonna be a great day!In the morning I went to work and waited for 5pm. Big fella picked me up and we made it there in good time. We were so busy looking at the water and listening to the waves coming with the tide, it took us a while to realise that nobody for the estate agents had arrived to take us around the place. I grabbed my mobile to ring when I noticed some missed calls from them and a message to say the 3pm slot took the flat and sorry.

Oh no. Big fella and I were heart trodden and sadly drove away from our dream place. I even went on the web to look at the picture of it, but they were on the ball and took it down. I couldn't even see the picture of inside? Just cruel.

For days afterwards we would talk about what it would be like to live there and having the waves sing us goodnight. I decided to have a sneaky peek on the website just in the vain outlandish hope that it would be there. I gasped. There it was, back on the website! No, there must be a mistake! I rang the estate agents. The lady was so glad I called back as they mislead my number and yes the apartment was available again, the couple went travelling instead, just up on market to rent this morning and would we like to view it? I think I cried. I couldn't believe it. Of course we went to view it and of course we immediately signed on the dotted line and of course we are the luckiest people who love living together so much!

So the only thing I wish for is for me to continue to thank my lucky stars and keep this space filled with love warmth friends and laughter of course with some drama along the way and give it the TLC it deserves! It is due a lick of paint which we are planning to do! We are so lucky to have it and we will always appreciate and be thankful for! Isn't it a funny old world?

Hope your week is sailing along nicely!

What a way to end a weekend!

2010-05-24T20:53:00.006+02:00

Howdy do people! Hope Monday has been kind to you all. Well, in my last post I was telling you all about our lovely wee day out to The Secret Garden. Somebody didn't appreciate that post and struck it as drivel which I thank that person for the constructive criticism. It's not every body's cup of tea which I can appreciate. Now I have a request for you. Show yourself. Please do not strike it as drivel and not leave a comment on why. Thanking you kindly.

I am so sorry about that, it's been one of those days and I am being narky. Stopping now! Anyway, after spending time in the secret garden yesterday, big fella and I soon went home. We walked into the living room and I popped into the kitchen to stick the kettle on. Big fella mumbled something from the living room which I didn't hear. He said it again. Something like, "The fish tank is leaking bad. "

I stared at big fella, stared at the rapidly decreasing water in the fish tank, droplets sinking through the carpet, then stared at the extension lead with electricity firing through it by the side of the fish tank.

Like a WWF pro tag team wrestling duo, we sprang into action turning off the electricity (me) grabbed every towel in the place (big fella) and grabbed the wee small fish tank. (both)

We were like mad people running to and fro, shouting randomly at the possibilities. "The Fish!" or " The landlady's ceiling is gonna fall in!" or "Thank God we didn't give the other fish tank away!"

Eventually, the water was soaked up from the carpet, not as bad as first thought, and the fish safely transported to the smaller fish tank.

A bit of a tight squeeze for them at the minute, after such luxury, but we will get it sorted soon. As soon as the dust settled and the house was a substantial wreck, broken fish tank in the bath,

Look at the size of that crack!

pirate ship ruins in the dish basin

we finally sat down and had a cuppa. We realised that in hindsight, that could have been very dangerous if that had happened while we slept. The electrics could have gone up or anything. It doesn't bear to think about really. We were just lucky to catch it when we did. We were supposed to visit family that day, but they made other plans so we went home, which was a blessing in disguise. Big fella was quite shaken by the whole thing, (he loves them fish) so has faithfully been standing guard watching for leaks in this fish tank ever since.

I told him several times throughout the day that it really wasn't necessary but he would not budge. It give me time to write this post. Ah well, fishes are safe and we are safe and that is the main thing. Oh, but what a nightmare at the time. I thought we were going to get electrocuted!

Hope this week brings no more wee surprises like that to keep us on our toes! Toodle pip!

The Secret Garden

2010-05-23T22:46:00.008+02:00

Hello everyone, how is your weekend been treating you? Well, at the minute over our way, Mr Sun has surely been shining and his hot rays are warming everything to the core. Beautiful days. But of course it goes the other way too. It can be dangerous.

On Saturday big fella and I met up with our good friend wee doggie to go off on a adventure! Off we flew in the car with wee doggie with his head right out the window barking orders and directions to a new undiscovered place.

The sun scorched down on the three of us as we trekked on ground unknown. But wee doggie was suffering in the intense heat as were big fella and I. It was unbearable and after ten minutes we admitted defeat

as wee doggie has a long coat and I was in jeans and in no mood

and we took wee doggie speeding home to the comfort of his paddling pool and I read him some pages of my book I am reading at the moment " The Secret Garden", one of my favourites!

As wee doggie was lounging on the water raft in his paddling pool with my fantastic reading voice in one ear and from the CD player, Wham in the other, he was a very happy dog.

He beckoned Big fella over and whispered something in his ear. Big fella nodded and smiled. What where they up to? All too soon night fell,

as the moon grew into the night.

Today was a scorching day, but it had a lovely wee breeze that made it comfortable. Bliss! Big fella said we would go for a drive, so off we went through roads winding and unknown until we came to a wood.

We jumped out of the car and walked along a winding path. Along the winding wood filled path was a wall. I wondered what was behind it.

Then I realised what wee doggie had said to big fella. He had taken me to my very own secret Garden!

Ohhh, it was wondrous and beautiful and the birds sang and the leaves of the trees swayed with the breeze

Colours were everywhere and it was all so silent still.

There was a glistening pond that is said that if you look into the reflection you see your future

I think life looks really good!

It truly was a place were time stood still.
Big fella and I had a lovely day in our secret garden in the sunshine, but with the moon burning amber into the night

Not everything is what it seems. To be continued.......

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-05-19T22:44:00.007+02:00

On this Wish Cast Wednesday Jamie asked: What do we wish to want? Now to be honest I feel like I want for nothing right now. The monthly bills are paid,(the grace of direct debit, why didnt I do that sooner?) work is improving, I am getting healthy by running every day around the most beautiful magical place of a neighbourhood I have never dreamed of living in, family and friends are well and me and big fella are getting along just lovely! Life is good at the moment. but a wish cast is a wish cast so I will wish today.

What I wish to want right now is my cornflake buns I tirelessly slaved over last night. There, I said it. They where there last night, I should know I made them. But today they are no longer there, not one, and I am crestfallen and ever so slightly peeved off. Let me take you back......

Last night I craved to bake. (I just washed my apron and it was all nice and clean looking, it didn't seem right) but didn't have enough ingredients for a cake or even sconces. All that was in the cupboard was a box of cornflake and a industrial sized bar of chocolate I had bought myself to scoff my face in celebrating the 5k run in July. ( Chocolate of any kind in our cupboard until July? Who I'm I kidding? Big fella and I are such greedy guts!)

So since I am on a new health kick (ha!) instead of eating the chocolate whole and all in one go (It has been known) I thought, I will add some nutrients in the form of cornflakes for fibre. Good thinking, Claire, good thinking. I broke up the bar and put in a bowl steaming underneath a hot boiling cauldron of mist. (Or a saucepan with water if you wanna get all technical)

and watched it slowly melt from gooey

to just the best thing on living earth. I have no shame, I would be straight in there, eating it all with a big wooden spoon and a delirious smile on my face, if it wasn't for your benefit dear bloggers and for photography purposes for this post. Ahem.

I then added the cornflakes and scrunched them all up in the melted chocolate!

I put them all in their pretty wee cases and let them set. I did not touch one.

I promise. But Big fella did. He ate them all. His excuse today when I came home from work?

" But Claire, I could not resist! They were not made from cooking chocolate, these were made with real chocolate! Lovely with a cup of tea and a bit of Judge Judy on the TV."

I know Mister! I made them! i didn't get one and he got to see the great Judge Judy in action as well? No fair!

So that's what a wish to want, my cornflake bun thingys. I guess I will just make more some other time but minus the cornflakes and Big fella! He will never know.

Unless he is secretly reading this blog and that would just be really bad. If so, love you big fella!! heehee..he..he.oh.

Anyway, hope all is well in your world!

Oh! PS: My journey into thirty list is already in fruition! Yippee! I have just booked some time off in June so Big Fella and I can go on a great adventure (or a great mistake depending on this next line) going camping or as I more eloquently put it on my list "Sleeping under the stars"

Big fella wants to live rough, and I mean rough, this boy climbs mountains with no ropes for gawd's sake! Another time, but yeah, really! My very own spider man! The Big fella does Big things! He wants to do it for a week and I was thinking more weekend. Perhaps close by to a comfy hotel, but I will tell more as it unfolds! Oh this list has disaster written all over it already! Ha ha! Bye!

My Thirty Journey

2010-05-16T19:17:00.006+02:00

Good day to you! Thank you so much for coming in for a visit! I do not think I say that enough, so really, a big thank you for stopping by! I hope you are all well this Sunday. Well, as some of you know I recently turned thirty. Now, it could be a mid life crisis, or just growing up a bit ( about time really) but I have started to wise up a wee bit. Let me explain.

In my twenties I was scared to do anything. I said no to a lot of opportunities that I should really of shouted YES! to. I was not enjoying life and was not taking care of myself properly. I am not sure of why, I do think that my mums death when I was 21 had something to do with it. It was such a shock and I knew life would never be the same again. I know I have never been the same. I think it has taking me all these years to get back on track. I was not celebrating life, I was mourning the loss of one. But as I turned thirty I was so thankful to get this far and I am going to celebrate life! So here is my list of things I wish to do while I am thirty.

1. Start up my own business
2. Go to a night at the opera
3. Run 5k for Cancer Research
4. Beekeeping course
5. Visit Stonehenge
6. Sing to a live audience
7. Hold a snake
8. Go through a garden maze
9. Go on the yellow submarine
10. Go on a ghost tour
11. Horse drawn carriage
12. Go on a stream train
13. Go horse riding
14. Fly a kite
15. Sleep under the stars
16. Hold a photography exhibition
17. Falcon handling
18. Canal boat ride
19. Go on a Ferris wheel
20. Fancy dress day
21. Become a extra in a film
22. Hot air balloon ride
23. Salsa lesson in a glass house
24. Climb a mountain
25. Make a piece of furniture from wood no matter how large or small
26. Write a song
27.Take good care of a caterpillar and watch turning into a butterfly
28. Learn a instrument
29. Go on a storytelling day out
30. Pay it forward on public transport.

Some of these topics are coming up anyway, others I have to plan and a lot of them I am frightened to do! But I am going to do them all! A lot of these things are what big fella and I have often said we should do and never have. So we will do it together! Of each one completed, I will share with you. If you feel like joining me and making a list for yourself, please let me know so I can give you a cheer! Let's do it! I am starting my journey into thirty! Woohoo!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-05-12T21:35:00.005+02:00

Jamie asked us today: What do you wish to experience? Ohhh, a excuse to make a list! I am in the mood for lists today.

I wish to experience:

* A beautiful Summer's day day trip on a stream train with Big fellas hand in mine and my camera in the other, rolling through the Welsh railway shore line with a smile in my heart and my eyes for only him. What a wonderful adventure to be had!

* The love and affection of our very own dog. Big fella and I both love dogs, I love all of them but big fella is quite specific (and wise) as he researches very detail about every breed of dog first. I love that about him, he gently pulls me back down to earth at times. But regrettably with this magical place we rent, no pets allowed. Which we totally respect and understand. (I just hope a huge, massive aquarium, now with LASER BEAMS no less with all different manner of fish does not count. I alas can not pull Big Fella back to earth so easily you see.
So if we ever move (oh god, i am sweating even thinking about it) we will get a dog.

. * Swimming with Great white sharks. Yep, I said it. I would just love to do this. I watched Jaws when I was seven, I snuck out of bed and hid behind the sofa when my dad was watching it on telly one night. I was frightening to death and refused to even sit on a toilet for days. But something stuck and I have always loved watching documentaries about the wonder and mystic about them. I would love to see them in front of me swimming inches before my eyes. I would of course insist that at the time under water I would be encased in a metal shark resistant bullet proof glass box with refreshments and nibbles on stand by. That's a big wish, I may have to wait on that one a wee while.

I would love to experince driving.

I did do lessons when I was younger, but I never finished them. I am also a big scardy pants. The fear has gripped me, driving frightens me and that just with other people driving me about. I act all nice and grateful for the lift from someone, all the while in the back my head I am hoping we won't crash. No way to live eh? Also no way to think of a perfectly good driver. So big fella has graciously let me get behind the wheel of his trusty stead of a car in the abandoned parking lot up the road from us most days. Its hard going for big fella though, I have currently so far driven to the next parking space and stalled the car and not gone any further, gripping the steering wheel for dear life. I am getting there though. Bit by bit, day by day. Anyway I like the idea of going on adventure on a train, and bus and my two left feet to carry me about on my travels. Big fella is a big help too! But I will conquer this silly fear soon enough me thinks!

What do you wish for today?

How has your weekend been treating you then?

2010-05-09T21:08:00.003+02:00

Isn't this just magic? I was walking to work when I noticed I was walking on a pathway of petals. It was so beautiful I just wanted to be surrounded in flowers.

Just to add my very own cheery on the cake to the day was this delightful vision that greeted me on my return.

So on Saturday I plotted a walk to find some decent bunches of flowers to put around the house and brighten the place up a wee bit.
Needless to say, when I got to the nearest shop, I got the shock of my life when I discovered the terribly over price of the three stem of less bunches that was on offer. Mind you, it was at a petrol station I was retrieving my petal power from. The local market was really far, I was in lazy mode and big fella was refusing to move from his place as match of the day was on. As soon as the match on TV starts, a switch somewhere within him is flicked on and I lose him for a about two hours. With the recent discovery of me being very impatient, I begged and bribed him with the scent of freshly baked sconces fresh from the oven while he watched his match. If only he quickly drove me to the market before it starts. Pretty please.

Me: Big fella, you look so handsome today. you really do.
Big Fella: What do you want?
Me: (Thinking inward) Foiled!
Me:Could you drive me to the market to get flowers for the house before the match starts? (crossing fingers) I just want the house all nice and pretty for you.
Big Fella: You mean, for you.
Me: (Best Marilyn Monroe impression) Oh nooo, big Fella, for us.
Big Fella: Why don't you just run there for your training today. You told me yesterday you had run past there and much further.
Me: (Inward thinking again) No where near! Double foiled!
Me: (Shouting now) I will make you sconces!
Big Fella: My nan made me sconces yesterday. I am sconed out.
Me: Foiled again! Triple foiled!!

Needless to say and unsurprisingly, I did not get my flowers that day, so I just waited until we went shopping. It was worth the wait, I did get a bargain. There was bargain bucket bunches that looked like they would last a day at most. As Big fella repeated like a mantra in my ear as I made my purchases. Something within me flicked on a switch and you can guess the rest. I did not listen to him and I had good reason. He watched, head shaking as I hunted out vases and jars to put my ever so delicate waning blooms into. I then set to work cutting the stems, getting fresh water and added a wee spoonful of magic called sugar into the water and placed my blooms about the house.

That night big fella proclaimed, once again that the blooms were dead and it was a waste of money. "Ye have wee faith big fella, ye have wee faith." was all I could muster before I stole all the covers and went to sleep.

The next morning I walked into a room of beautiful bouquets and sweet smelling scents! Even big fella was impressed. I told him my granny had taught me well.

I have been taking care of them and they are still going strong. I hope to make some pot pourri and press some petals for my journal.

I will leave you with a great wee song title that I try to whistle along to and fail when I listen to it.

Easier said than done I have heard some mutter,but lets give it a go!

Here's hoping this week will bring along a belly laugh with it for us all!

Cheerio for now!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-05-05T21:31:00.005+02:00

Wish Cast Wednesday: What rules do you wish to make or break?

Here's some quick thoughts that spring to mind from today.

Make:

Get up earlier, go for a run, have a shower and then go to work. Putting clothes on of course.
Not like this morning, smashing the alarm clock against the wall and earning myself some sound sleep and, of course, waking up very late for work. The scenario of a mad Irish woman, frantically running about the place trying to get ready, looking like the lead singer from The Cure, also screaming like a banshee at Big fella (bless 'im!) is not a pretty picture. Neither is being in work two hours in and everybody but me, knows i'm wearing my pants inside out. You see, Big fella just got a box set DVD of 24 and we watched it last night. Question. When does Jack Bauer go for a tinkle? All that excitement and no tinkle, is not right. So we (I) just had to find out what happened next.

When I go for a run, I will NOT blast the Chariots of fire song on the music thingy and sprint manically all the way back home. See below for reason why.

Then, I will not bump into my neighbour VERY time I do this and I'm found crawling through the front entrance. With me, panting and wheezing like a St Bearnard dog after eating three pies, it does not make for good conversation. Like so:

Neighbour: "Hello there Claire, just been for a run?"
Claire: (whispering) "HHHHHheeeeeellllpppp (Gasp!) mmmmeee (Gasp) UUppp theee(gasp) staaaiiirrsss(gasp!) (Gasp!)"

Break:

You should know me by now, probably every single last one of them! Besides Big fella and I can not wait to find out how Jack Bauer is gonna get out of this latest dilemma tonight! Bring on the sweets!

Enjoy your week and make yourself a wish for Wednesday! Hope all is well in your world!

I ate too many sweeties.

2010-05-04T22:48:00.004+02:00

Welcome campers. How are we all? Doing well I hope this post finds you. Well, its all back to normality of sorts in our wee world, I am back to work today and got through it pretty well, and Big fella and I did our Good deed of the day bit too. I was beginning to walk home from work as Big fella was late picking me up. (It's his thing. Lets not even start a whole other blog here) and started to walk the very lonnng winding road hoping to meet big fella half way, if I was lucky. As it also meant walking past the sweet shop I saw it as a opportunity, a jolly good start to my evening walking to buy loads of sweeties and later perhaps stuff my face. After running. I still do that know with Mr brown you know.

Anyway normally, I would shove my earphones in and blast some tunes while walking. (Though, I have begun to turn it down slightly, I am worried about my hearing. (God can ya tell I have just hit my thirties? And it begins.) But since I had shovelled all the chocolate and sweets in my handbag, spent five minutes inside the shop trying to zip it up again ,all the while saying to the staring shopkeeper, "Kids and their sleepovers eh?I shouldn't but I spoil them with all this!" I dare not look for my wee music gadget somewhere at the bottom of my bag. ( I don't even know the cool terminology for this gadget. So thirty.)

So up the road I trundled until a man stopped me in the street asking directions to a hotel that was sooo far away from where we were standing and they were also walking further away.He explained that he and his wife are from New Zealand and both retired, they were travelling, were sight seeing in Liverpool and had become lost. They had been getting on wrong buses and walking for hours and I could see the lady was at the end of her tether. They said everybody they asked was so helpful but them seemed to be getting no where with what they were being told.

Big fella and I passed were they needed to be every day on our way home and thought if Big fella didn't mind, we could give them a lift. As we waited for him we got chatting and soon Big fella came cruising down the road. When I explained their situation to him, Big fella was more than happy to help them out. We soon got them were they needed to be and they were lovely and ever so grateful. I told big fella I could have never of helped them out without him. He really is a great man. Come to think of it he really had no choice with me! I put him on the spot! Cringe! But I just knew if I had have told him of it on the way home, he would have spun round and did the same thing anyway. I really hope they enjoy the rest of the trip, it must be hard in a unknown city lost. Bit of a nightmare actually. Now I must go and wipe all this chocolate off my face before big fella gets home. I am not selfish with my sweets though, I left him my last Rollo.

Bye bye for now!

Presenting the WBD (Wee Black Dress)

2010-05-03T13:01:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone, it is May already! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. Check out my new best friend. My sewing machine. Yes, mine. Yayayay! Sorry very excited over here on this blog, but I love it. Big fella's wee granny was talking about how I would love to sew at her coffee morning and a very generous neighbour offered up this one for me........for free. I could not believe the generosity. She will not expect a thing for it, she said I was doing her a favour as she has a new one and it was just sitting there. Wow. So now I am the proud owner of one. We nearly fell out on the first day though, trying to set it all up. A lot of YouTube videos were watched!

So, I wanted to make myself a wee dress. No patterns for me, just measure yourself, I thought.

Well now I know better. This was supposed to be a maxi dress. It is just a disgrace to seamstresses around the world. So undeterred, I tried again, and you can't go wrong with the ole WBD. (Wee black dress). Now this is supposed to have two straps at the top but as I was sewing the sequins on, horror of horrors, the needle snapped. So it is now a boob tube dress. Kinda. It could also be a skirt. Ah, practical too.

Now, I know what your thinking, its very wrinkly. Well it would be, I wore it out last night! Woohoo! Let me set the scene.

I was sitting with big fella, wondering when he was going to make another cup of tea when I had a brainwave. I was due to go to a dear friends birthday shin dig that night and was debating what to wear. I leaped up and stared at Big Fella. "Oh God, what are you gonna do now Claire?" He knows when I get that look, disaster and tears are not far behind. " I am going to make a dress for tonight and I am going to wear it too!" Big Fella simply shook his head and blessed himself, ready for the calamity that was about to commence.

I wanted a long flowing maxi dress and started daydreaming of me walking into the room, the music stopping and all eyes on me and my beautiful dress that everybody wanted me to make for them. I also envisioned me as Angelina Jolie playing my role.

So with time against me and with fabric and sewing machine whizzing and telling big fella to put a touch of gin in my tea, I started my dream to make it reality! Considering I didn't even measure myself in all the commotion this was not gonna be easy. But damn it, Big fella thinks I will not do it and in my eyes, that it a Goonie style challenge that must be for filled!

After the needle broke I could do no more and announced to Big fella that the dress was finished and pointed my nose in the air and flounced off to try it on. With under lying tones of please,please,please I slipped on my dress and was amazed to find it fitted me. It actually fitted me! I ran into big fella shouting "in your face, in your face!" while jumping about the living room in my homemade dress, sequin hem and all no less, praying that it would hold together and not unravel before his eyes. I think he had the same thing in mind but for other reasons.

So off to the party I hopped. It was not really what I had in mind, but it was a dress and it was wearable. Just about apart from the wonky hemline, but who will see as I am dancing about! I also showed Big fella I could do it! ( I know, I am such a child at times!)

The party was in full swing and the wine was flowing. It was wonderful to see all old friends and catch up with everything. I forgot all about the dress really. After about an hour, some people had a wee bit too much of the ole sauce and and heated debate about politics came up. At the start it was alright, just opinions and stuff, but it was killing the party if you know what I mean. The lovely birthday girl was getting a bit upset because she didn't like the atmosphere and raising voices. She also didn't know what the hell they were talking about. I told her I didn't think they knew either and told her I would try and calm the situation.

By this point the debate was raging and it was getting out of hand. I tried everything, I brought in the next door neighbours dog called Bear a New foundland,

(Beautiful dog! I had the best time of the night with him!) and tried to ride on his back saying "Look! I'm on a furry tractor!" to get their attention but I could not get on him, my hem was too tight, I could hardly walk come to think of it.
Then I thought, "Music!" I stuck on Journey, always a favourite. I climbed up on a chair and I had everybody singing " JUST A SMALL GIRL! LIVING IN A LONELY WORLD! TOOK THE MIGNIGHT TRAIN TO ANYWHEREEEEEEEE!"

Unfortunately, nobody knew the rest of the words, so that's all I had them enthralled for and the argument continued, with the words, " Back to my point! No! back to my point!" I looked at the birthday girl. This wasn't fair. I snapped when I heard the immortal words, "I went to university, so I should know!" I stormed over and said, "Excuse me, just because you went to university does not make you smart. Common sense does! We are here for someones birthday! Stop all this nonsense, you owe a apology to her." Pause. "And I CAN NOT believe not one of you asked me about my dress! I made this you know!!!"

Oh, there's the gin in the tea kicking in. Anyway, crisis averted and we all laughed and the atmosphere changed for the better. We went out and had a bop and dear Big Fella picked up on his way home from work a very tired and emotional Claire drunkenly whispering to him "in your face, tee hee, in your face!" all the way home. Poor man, he deserves a medal. Hope all is well in your world!

I made it!

2010-04-27T12:30:00.009+02:00

Hello everybody, I am sorry I have been absent, but I have a wonderful excuse, I was celebrating my 30th birthday! Yay! I made it! I have been having the most brilliant time, my very dear friend organised a girley weekend away to Leeds and we had a ball! Of course I had to put a spanner in the works and sleep in for our train journey. I was devastated, I felt like I ruined the whole trip, but it was fine we could just get on the next one. It stung me fifty pounds but that's what you get for sleeping in eh Claire?

When we got there, the hotel was lovely but they made a mistake with our room, so we got moved to the executive suite. Plush! We left in our bags and went for something to eat. The lady who served us asked if we were there for a special occasion and my friend blurted out, "Shes thirty!" For that I received a free glass of champers! Lovely!Now, my friend was well impressed by this and everywhere we went, on the bus "It's her birthday yeknow!" in the tourist office, "are you gonna give her anything free, she's thirty yeknow!" but we didn't bag anymore free stuff. worth a try though. We went shopping,

(I am not sure what this is, I don't know where I am going to put it, but I LOVE IT!)

We had some lovely meals

and drunk far too much wine.......................far too much.

But hey, I am 30 ya know! So on the eve of my birthday, I looked out to the moon and thanked her for my twenties and all the ups and downs, but now please take them away with strong lessons under my belt and lead me into my thirties! I stared hard at my reflection in the glass

and waved my twenties goodbye!

I am loving my time off with Big fella and relaxing! I am off to see what you have all been up to!

So I will leave you with a wee friend I made,
Little miss red hot chilli peppa!

Ta Ra for now!

Wish Cast wednesday

2010-04-21T14:46:00.004+02:00

The dare filled Jamie asked us this glorious Wednesday, What do you wish to dare yourself?
Alright then, I'll answer. It is a dare after all. Well I have been daring myself a wee bit everyday.
As I am running the race for life in July for cancer research, I have got to start training. Now, believe you me, I am not the sporty type as such. I walk everywhere, climb trees and rocks as such, but if you put me in a gym I will clam up and start rocking back and forth when witnessing a treadmill with millions of other people surrounding the place. ( What? I have issues OK?)

My diet also left a lot to be desired. Three cans of coke and a packet of chocolate biscuits do not suffice for dinner.
But, I do have access on my very doorstep a beautiful promenade to run up and down with the sea beside me and the sun shining. So about two weeks ago, I squeezed into my now moth riddled running gear and stepped outside. I looked up to where I was going to run to. Not too far, i thought and proceeded to jog. Five minutes later I was being escorted back home by two lovely passersby while I limped about saying, " This is never happened to me before, i am normally such a great runner!" Liar. liar, pants on fire.

So after having a good chat with big fella, about stretches, good music to run to and a sports bra, (that was my problem first time, I think i tripped over them) I started my training again. You know what, after the first week of huffing and puffing and not running very far, I have found my self improving. I can run up and two the whole promenade without stopping! I am extremely proud of myself and has given me that extra ommp! to get better. I actually listen to James Brown when running, just when I feel myself flagging and think "can't go on, cant go on" James picks up and says, "Come on, with your bad self!" and I do! James keeps me going! God knows what the neighbour's think when I jogging past their gardens screaming to my self " Get up on this!!" but it is my way of keeping going!
I have also dared myself to take on some dance lessons. My trapeze lessons have finished, so I want to be Beyonce now. I keep watching her music video "All the single ladies" and want to be her. But I tried it the first time and Big fella walked into the living one evening to find with me in the spilts position and could not move from it. I had been there half an hour. So dance lessons are next on my dare list. altogether now "woah, oh,oh oh ,oh, if you like it then you shoulda putta ring on it!" Have a lovely week, and I need to prepare now with some stretches and a run! What do you wish for today? Go on, I dare ya!

How not to bake sconces, by me aged 29 and a 3/4 and a wee bit.

2010-04-20T21:20:00.008+02:00

Howdy do everyone. Well, I did tell you in my last post I was going to make sconces for big fella and I did, only... they.... they..........ohhh, just read on. My inner Monica Gellar is yelling at me at the moment for silliness. I was just determined to my sconces!

WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN!!!!!

It may be small, but my word, it is compact and does the job! I have every nook and cranny filled with cooking books, utensils and even the kitchen sink. I had everything ready for my sconce recipe post, I had even tidied up and put on a apron! (Gasp!) So first things first. Preheat your oven at 200 degrees. In doing this, it will probably not bellow out smoke like ours did.

This picture does no justice, the smoke was rife. So what do you do in this kind of crisis of confusion, fear and smoke filled lungs? Ring big fella of course.

Brrriinngggg, Brrinnnnggggggg:

Big Fella: Hiya!

Me: Big fella! The oven is bellowing out smoke and I haven't even baked anything yet!

Big Fella: You blew up the oven again?

Me: Not yet! There is just lots of black smoke coming out after I switched it on! Is it broken?

Big Fella: Mmmm, no, but I made cheese and onion toasties today and I watched a load of cheese melt down into the oven, loads of it, just melting off and all over the oven! It was pretty funny. That's probably the cause.

I won't go on with the rest of this conversation, it just goes down hill from there.

After spending an half an hour cleaning the oven and hoping on a wing and a prayer, I switched it on again and hoped for the best.
Now, prepare. Get all your utensils and ingredients ready. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT forget that you took out the bolt from the weighing machine earlier in the week that is rendered useless if lost and you have no replacement for.

But myself with lightening thinking, quickly took a bolt from one of big fellas guitars and replaced it with that. I must remember to put it back before I forget...........

Anyway, get your ingredients measured and put into bowls and the like so your all raring to go and....I smell onion coming from this butter...............aaawwwww, Big Fella!

Start again. Weighing scales fixed, (remember about the replacing the bolt Claire, remember.)

and fresh butter replaced. This would make you put on 5lbs just by looking at it, wouldn't it? But that's how you know your tasting something good, cause it's bad! That equals yum in my book!

Get a big massive bowl and lets get messy, it's OK, we have aprons on!

add a wee pinch or two of salt to your flour and pour in the baking powder.

Then this is the best part about baking apart from eating it. Add your butter, delve your hands into the mix. It will feel like velvet just after the sticky part as you add it all together. Lush!

Then add your sugar. Mix that in good and proper too!

Then add your milk to your cauldron of delight and make into a soft dough.

Sprinkling your work space with flour before hand, slap it down and give it a good kneading to get all the air bubbles out! Very therapeutic too!

Then roll your dough. Be sure to liberally sprinkle your rolling pin too or the dough will stick to it, as it did with me and I nearly threw the lot out the window by this point. Tip: If you don't have a rolling pin don't despair, my mum used a wine bottle to roll her dough, but that's a whole other blog.

Now, time to cut out the shapes. I just use a cup to cut up my sconces, shapes don't really come out as they are raising.

Then, thank God, finally place cuttings on a floured baking tray, glaze with milk.Then find some smelling salts. Not for the sconces, for me.

As I opened the oven I realised that cleaning it has not made a blind bit of difference and the smoke continues to bellow out, only not as bad.

I soldier on and wait for the smoke to clear, stick the sconces in the oven and start walking around the place humming "High hopes" in a very high pitched squeal.

Which in doing that, I proceeded to walk in flour all in the carpets and wearing a apron made no difference in my case because I forget to take my lovely scarf off in the madness of it all.

I was then frantically worried that the fire alarm might go off and the fire bridge would come, so I manically opened and shut the oven door repeatedly to let the smoke out the window. It was not a pretty picture.
In the end I had some every flat sconces due to the oven door always opening with a tinge of ash and cheese wafting from them

Aww well, when Big fella came in, he laughed at my red sweating face, asked me why I had a face like thunder and took a bite of my sconce. They were not very nice. So I laughed at him too.

So here is the correct recipe if you wish to have a go. Follow my method and you can't fail.

Sconces

500gms self raising flour

12gms of baking powder

a pinch or two of salt

125gms of butter

125gms of caster sugar

250ml of milk

(Twenty minutes in the oven or when golden. Try not to open the oven door.)

I hope all is well in your world and ...................... aww no, big fella has just picked up his guitar and it has fallen to pieces at his feet, I got some explaining to do! Bye!

Days like this

2010-04-18T20:48:00.005+02:00

Hi de hi everyone! I do hope your weekend is doing you the world of good and you enjoyed it immensely. I certainly did. Big fella had a very rare Saturday off and so we got up early and went and on a wee adventure! I will tell all very soon, but here is a sneak pic of what is yet to come!

It was a glorious day and to top it all off, on the way home we stopped off by the Pier and had a brilliant time

We did all the touristy seaside things

looked in all the wonderful wee shops

watched a wee bit of Punch and Judy. (My work light bulb flicked on in my head and I thought "Kinda violent") but it was nostalgia at its best.

you could I have a peep through the telescope and try and spy some dolphins in the sea!

or if your that kinda person you could get weighed by the enormous over sized dial face for everyone walking past to see. I declined, as did big fella. I don't even know, I like to keep it that way.

and just for the icing on the cake, we sailed through this big bridge in the car on the way home and it brought back childhood memories of being picked up by my auntie at JFK airport in summer and driving over I think, was the Brooklyn bridge to get home. I always loved the noise and feeling of driving over it! It was all so new and exciting for a young girl from, at the time, the sad streets of Belfast!

The begining of my two weeks holidays start tomorrow and I am not going to waste it! So, I have decided in the morning to take a train, all by myself to a magical place, the home town of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland. This is all part of a bigger plan of course and if you just click here, the lovely Vanessa will tell you all about it in due course! All I can say is, I am so looking forward to having you for tea and sconces at the Mad hatters tea party when the magical time arrives!

Oh, and before I go, I suppose you may have heard about the volcano that has erupted recently in Iceland, and in turn the volcano ash is dancing with the wind and causing havoc with airports over here in Blighty.

it is also causing some strange and fascinating sunsets too.

I do hope all is well in your world, and am actually going to make some sconces now for big fella as a surprise when he comes home after a hard days work. If all goes well (hehe) I will do a wee post with the recipe, complete with pictures! I know, I know... I spoil ya!

Tatty Bye!

What a lovely wee day I had!

2010-04-16T22:34:00.003+02:00

Hello everyone, how are we all doing? Sorry I have not been here, but there is a good reason. It's Friday, it was my last day in work for two weeks (YES!!!!!) and I have been working to earn it, it would seem. It has just been crazy in there so I thought I would just get through it and then be free to do some blogging without moaning about work. You don't wanna hear about that, but here it goes.

This week in work has been whirlwind, with shouting parents and crying staff and a whole other bunch of palava needed to be soothed and sorted out. So this day could not come quick enough.

As soon as I walked in the door the big boss lady asked me to come into her office. "Be right with you!" I cheerfully cried out before rushing over the the receptionist saying in hushed hissing tones "What did I do now?" and "Whats going on?" If you get called into the big boss woman's office trouble slams the door after you walk in.

She wanted to talk about how I was getting on and then asked me about the weather and such before looking out the window and saying "That will be all, thank you." and ushered me to the door. I was very confused. What was that all about?

I walked down towards my room to be alarmed to hear nothing. No screaming and laughter of children, hustle and bustle of work and the room looked very still from the window. I began to panic, thinking something was wrong and burst in the door sweating only to be so cheerfully surprised by the all the children and staff team jumping out wishing me a Happy Birthday!

My birthday is not for another two Weeks and a couple of days but who's counting? I had booked holidays ages ago so I would not be there for the big day, so they celebrated with me today! The big boss woman was a decoy as I am a bad un for coming in early to do work and they were trying to get the cake inside before I saw it. I was spoiled rotten, Was sang happy birthday to every room I walked in by the wonderful singing voices of the children, got some beautiful presents and cards

but my favourite gifts were from the children! They helped make this wonderful card and very Las Vagas hat! I wore it all day and could not stop skipping around!

I had a wonderful Un birthday if you will But if you think I am telling you lot what age I am going be, think again. I am not stupid you know....... Have a wonderful weekend and I hope to get in touch with you soon with my wonderful two weeks off to do it! Count down to big day begins!

Feeling much brighter.

2010-04-11T20:41:00.006+02:00

Well today is Sunday and I woke up, got up out of bed went into the living room and sat down. I knew I could well be here for most part of the day, so haziness sets in. I can't even remember signing into my blog, but there on the computer screen were comments waiting to be read. I forgot I had posted, it had become more Wish Cast Wednesdays and My town Friday shoot outs on my other blog recently.

All I can say is thank you so much, I really needed to read your comments and supportive words. As I sat reading, I realised I can not go on like this and anyway I was seriously out boring myself at this point in time with this strange mood which has knocked me like a ton of bricks recently.
I am better at pictures explaining things instead of words, so let me put it to you this way. (Yes, I started taking pictures again, Yay!)

Sometime ago now, my little world suddenly started to turn a icy grey and everything in it turning silent still. Everything stopped for reasons unknown at the time. Now I know it does not need a reason sometimes.

This slowly turned into a kaleidoscope of strangeness,that would not let go and towards the end, I don't think I could let go of.

"I miss the comfort in being sad" was a lyric by Kurt Cobain and looking back that lyric was making sense to me.
My life felt like it was right through that door, I had just mislead the keys in my hazy strange new world somewhere.

Well, let's just say the keys are in the latch and I am using all my might to turn it and open that door. Give me back my wee world the way it was, please!

My wee world view at the moment is like this

Still haze round but the warmth is coming back! Thank you so much again! I have left you all a individual comment on the comments page in reply to you. I will try and do that from now on, so keep a look out!

After reading your comments and having a stern word with myself, my ever knight in shining armour, big fella of course, got the day off work early and came bounding in and proclaimed he had the biggest eggs in the world. Would I like some breakfast for a change and then go for a wee walk?
Just what I need! A hearty breakfast and a lovely Sunday walk! After giving big fella a big hug and a smile he said he nearly recognised me, and I asked about these big eggs. He pulled out of the bag, a box of duck eggs! Huge big things they were and me being a huge fan of dippy egg soldiers, could not wait to try the even bigger ones.

Sadly I was slightly let down, I prefer chicken eggs to be honest. Twenty minutes later it would seem the feeling was mutual and lets just say duck eggs and me do not agree with each other. Ah, well at least I know eh?

Anyway, it was a beautiful day so eventually off we went for a wee walk around the neighbourhood with my camera armed in my hand and not in my bag. As I walked out the door on the window ledge outside, these wee gorgeous beauties were wishing me good morning. I already realise how much I have been missing.

Tulips were raising themselves for that last dance in the sunlight in full bloom

and wow, my favourite, cheery blossoms were being to bloom! I think these are the most beautiful fairy tale like tree for when you are walking underneath them in full bloom and the petals fall everywhere, it is like magic itself.
I am missing the magic! I loved the walk it was exactly what a needed and big fella knew it. Isn't he the best? I would contact Ricki Lake chat show about him, but I don't think he would be up for it. Could be worse, could be Maury. (You are........NOT....... the father! is not an episode we want to take part in)

Any road, later today big fella had to go and asked me what I had planned. Well, not sitting down anytime soon sir! I put on my running gear, and took a walk down to the bottom of the prom watching the sunset. Glorious pink orange and red encrusted cloud skies. I closed my eyes listened to the waves and soaked it all in. The vitamin D was needed I think!

Life was coming back to me. Then I turned around, took a deep breath and began to run. I ran and ran until I could not anymore (which was about six houses up) but it did me the world of good and here I am blogging again. Sometimes it is best to writing it all down and it has done me the world of good. Please do not get me wrong, I am far from my usual self, but I am definitely getting there!

Thank you so much again for your support, your words can move mountains, mean the world to me and I will catch up with you all soon! ((hugs))

Trying to explain myself.

2010-04-10T22:36:00.006+02:00

Oh my goodness, I have had the most strangest of times recently. Everything has been topsy truvy in my world at the moment. Hazy, strange and confusing, but I can not put my finger on it. I have a very long list of really silly and strange things that have been going on from the time every technical I owned has broken down completely computer, Printer and phone (which we are having a current nightmare trying to recieve a new one, the first one arrived with no sim, the second with no battery. Third time lucky with next one on its way eh?)

These things do not really bother me as such, these things happen, but it has been the start of silly things occurring. Really silly thing that i have done. Examples. I recently bought myself a beautiful if over expensive address book I had the rare chance to spoil myself with.

I fell in love with beautiful material, paper and font and it was one for life and I made the impulsive decision to buy it for myself and could not wait to show it to big fella.When I eventually got home, I rummaged about my purchases, but it was not there. I had left it somewhere, never to be found again. Lost treasure. After asking all the shops if it had been handed in, big fella was lovely in saying he would but me a new one. Until he saw the price. He proclaimed I was mad to pay that when I can get one in the pound shop. If I win the lottery I will come back for it.

I have left my wages in pockets and done the laundry, lost important paperwork and had password failures on computers at the most awkward of times in work. Then today I waited in a twenty minute queue to get money out of the cash machine only to realise that i forgot my purse, left on the table at home miles away! This is just a snippett of the silliness.

I had just written a very truthful post about these strange couple of weeks of blahness only for me to delete it half way through writing it by mistake! I has written about how my current mood is reflecting on my posts and everything else and it kind of made sense. I felt I was showing something real on the blog for once, showing the real me, opening myself up to you but this has been the way things have been at the moment and all I have to give you now is this post.

I do hope this blahness fades and fast, I and will be back to being me soon. Nothing is wrong yet nothing is right. Just a haziness surrounding me and no pictures on my camera have been taken.I have been walking about like a zombie for the past couple of weeks and I feel I have been put under some strange spell. So I had to write on my blog, just to move out of the haze if only a wee bit.I do read your posts as best as I can, I sometimes just feel that when I write a comment or write on my blog, doesn't come out right, sounds silly, or makes no sense at all. Onwards and upwards as they say. I hope so anyway! Hopefully back to being me soon! All the Best!

Wish Cast Wednesday

2010-04-07T18:49:00.003+02:00

How do you wish to bloom?

This is Jamie's wish cast question today.

I have not been feeling my self these days. I had a week off recently, much needed after a disastrous time in the work place and craved to be doing the things i loved. Taking photographs, meeting up with long lost friends, spring cleaning, and going outside to discover Spring.
But when I finally did get that time off, I did little. Very little. I do not know what it was, I had no desire to set foot outside, I rotted in the house, sometimes with big fella leaving the house in the morning only to find me sat in the same place exactly where he left me hours ago with a blank expression on my face and nothing but empty coffee mugs filling the place. I just wanted hugs off big fella. I couldn't even really blog, I kept on typing BLAH.

I started work again only to be in the same mood, not sad, not happy just blah. Blah, blah, blah. My only way to describe it. It was not until a dear friend took me aside and asked if everything was OK. "Yeah." was my reply, but really sounded more like a yawn. Then she asked " I have not upset you have I?" Oh no! I apologised immediately. I did not realise that my mood certainly effected others. I am also sure my face looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp. (I have been told that before.)

I felt awful that she felt it was her doing for my blah mood. I am determined to bloom, find my happy mood again and if I can't find it, at least smile once in a while. I guess we all have these blue moods, but I thought I had become pretty good at masking this mood in front of others. Until now. That was the kick up the bum I needed. I would not like to think at all I was upsetting others for my blahness. So I will bloom again. Slowly but certainly surely! I hope all is well in your world.

clairedulalune

2011 in pictures!

Gingerbead House recipe! (Hey, It's Christmas!!)

November days, November nights.

Halloween is coming.................

Hello again!

This week........

Reading the Clouds in the Sky

Mad Hatter Party 2011: Through the Looking Glass Adventure!

Irish Wheaten Bread Recipe! Yum!

Hello everyone!

What a lovely day for May!

Happy Days!

Back from camping!

Mighty Mouse.

Our search for Spring Adventure!

My Esty Shop! Gulp!

A Time Line of Events!

It's been a long time......

A Halloween Adventure!

Wish Cast Wednesday

September already?

Hello There!

A long time coming: Wish Cast Wednesday

OMG, I am late for my own Giveaway!

Running the Race for Life!

The Ghost Face in the Compass

I have been at it again.

*~THe* ~MaD*~ HaTteR* ~GivEaWaY!* ~WiTh* ~PiCTuReS!*!

Blogging in a public library is awkward.

Mad Hatters Tea Party and the start of a giveaway to boot!

A wish cast, and a invitation! Double whammy!

Hello there!

Hello out there, can anybody hear me??????

Wish Cast Wednesday

Happy Camper

Wish Cast Wednesday

A Creative Weekend

Wish Cast Wednesday

What a way to end a weekend!

The Secret Garden

Wish Cast Wednesday

My Thirty Journey

Wish Cast Wednesday

How has your weekend been treating you then?

Wish Cast Wednesday

I ate too many sweeties.

Presenting the WBD (Wee Black Dress)

I made it!

Wish Cast wednesday

How not to bake sconces, by me aged 29 and a 3/4 and a wee bit.

Days like this

What a lovely wee day I had!

Feeling much brighter.

Trying to explain myself.

Wish Cast Wednesday

~THe ~MaD~ HaTteR ~GivEaWaY!* ~WiTh* ~PiCTuReS!*!