A Creative Weekend

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!

What a way to end a weekend!

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

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.......

My Thirty Journey

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!

How has your weekend been treating you then?

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!

I ate too many sweeties.

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)

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!