Yay... Mr BT engineer fixed it....!

In fact Mr BT Engineer was lovely.... mind you I am very nosey and chatted away about everything and anything while he worked.... we got a new junction box and a completely new line to the telegraph pole... which will hopefully make our phone and Internet not cut out when it either rains or gets windy...! ;D

Perhaps not blowing a fuse when Jamie announced that the football boots and shin pads we had just bought and she promptly left in the trolley outside Matalan never to be seen again was paid back to me by karma sending me a soon to be retiring BT engineer that is really fed up with the way BT are treating their staff! I am annoyed that they are forcing them to change their contracts to something that suits the company and has little regard for the staff (seems to be a common trend in all large companies) but yay for him being super efficient and doing a fantastic job...

Mini swap
Anyhoo.... I have been chatting to Lisa Ridgeon online and she kinda asked and I sorta offered to make her a gecko or two and it ended up being a swap... for 2 of her fabulous felt treats... I told her my plan to sew the Jammie dodger onto a bulldog clip so that I can keep all of Jamie's school notes and letters in one place so that I might find information when I need it.... and she thought it was a fab idea and in return for her using the idea she kindly sent me the felt goodies already attached to the clips... and I have to say she has done a much more professional job of it than I ever could...

her hand stitching is remarkable...

Lisa kindly sent this Jaffa cake for Danny's Pre-school notes...

And to finish it off at the back a lovely button....
Thank you Lisa, I think I came off the better here in this little swap...

by the way the real Jammie dodgers are a perfect size for popping in your mouth! even Danny has had a few... mind you he first wanted to eat the Jaffa cake... took me ages to get him to believe me that it wasn't real... ;D

Beach Hut round up....

On asking "Danny, are you cold? do you want your jacket?" this was the response...

This is the response when you turn a camera on a maturing 11 year old
.... go on Jamie suck it in... pose a little.... that's my girl! ;D
I think if we lived right on the coast she would really suit being a beach bum tom boy!
We had a lovely week... we didn't pop down as much as I had hoped as the road down from Yeovil to Lyme Regis was really quite tiring... and parking once there was horrendous... I booked the hut for 2 weeks but this last week I was hoping that Danny and I could pop down in the afternoons but unfortunately Jamie didn't get a seat on the school bus and as its not her catchment school they apparently don't have to provide one...
My week days are now:
8:20 everyone in the car
8:50 drop Jamie at school
9:30 drop Danny at pre-school
10:00 home
12:10 leave to pick up Danny
12:30 Pick up Danny
1:00 home
3:00 leave to pick up Jamie
3:30 pick up Jamie
4:00 get home cook tea....
needless to say a crochet project almost permanently lives in my car with me... thank goodness its so portable.. ;D

Giveaway time...

On the 1st of September all the names were written on paper and placed into the jug I found in mums cupboard... I really love the old enamel wares...
Jamie delved in and pulled out

Pink Fairy Gran

then Danny said "hey what about me!?"

so he delved his little hand into the jug and pulled out

Lisa Ridgeon

I managed to contact both people via email... before it got too windy and wet and Internet was lost... So I apologise for keeping you in suspense and big hugs to all that didn't have the luck of the draw... this time!

Well I am starting to get back into a routine and I am being hounded to give local tuition to ladies eager to learn to crochet... if the parish councillor who nabbed me in the village shop yesterday organises the mornings at the village hall I will gladly attend and give anyone who asks as much help as I can... but I really can't take on organising the venue, refreshments and money...

I am desperately trying to take a back seat but the people in front of me keep moving their chairs behind mine...

Well I had better get on with the washing up and make some mid morning snacks...
I have apples to pick, a crumble to make.. and a friends lawn to mow and some pruning and garden tidying to do... A PTA fun day to organise (even though I no longer have a child at the school...) but I will be standing down in October at the AGM... and a graffiti wall to organise for a youth event in October... I am so glad I am slowing down and taking it easy! lol ;D
Its starting to feel very Autumnal, my thoughts are turning to pumpkins and all the new recipes I have found for warming you up on a chilly evening...

I must get the chimney swept too and fill up the coal bunker.... and ...... I mustn't forget to..........


x
Alex

Its Giveaway Time......

Hello guys and gals, I am ready to do my 107th post giveaway
(was suppose to be 100th, but hey who's counting! ;D)

Now I am giving away 7 items to represent every swap I have been involved in....
now the hawked eyed among you will notice only 6 things in the picture....
aha... I am still making the cosy crochet swap item so one item will be a surprise should you be the lucky winner.....

Now whats in the picture I hear you ask....
1. well the Rabbit represents the first swap I did which was an Easter swap...
(be kind, I don't do much sewing and I made this one up, not good with patterns!)

2.The fabric box represents the freestyle swap I did
(also be kind, I did follow a Tilda pattern but I don't think its Tilda standard!)

3. The heart cushion, hangy thing is not embroidered by me... but an embroidered pillow case I re purposed, the back is the pink and white polka dot fabric that the rabbit's trousers and box are made from...

Now back into my comfort zone... crocheted items!

4. The dog represents my Seaside swap and he's a cute little Sea dog!

5. And the stripey covered photo album is to represent my Friends Swap... so that you can keep lovely pictures of all your loved ones inside some lovely pure wool stripes... I was going to felt it but I haven't played with felting yet and I have no idea how much it shrinks...

6. The crochet swirly rose is to obviously represent my rose swap, it has a broach pin on the back , so you can pop it on a bag or on yourself!

7. Cosy Crochet is still in progress...

I hope you like my bits and bobs, and I will leave the giveaway open till Tuesday 1st of September....Leave a comment and I will get Jamie to pull the winning name from a hat .. all 7 prizes will go to one lucky winner, I am happy for anyone to join in and I don't mind posting abroad....

Good luck
Alex
x

Lost ......

Hi guys and gals....
Sorry for disappearing for a while, but I got a little lost in my stressed out mixed up world, but with assistance from a new friend I think I have been handed a much needed internal compass and I am on my way again...
I know most of my acquaintances family and friends think my blogger world a little weird but I have to say that I love the fact that none of you judge me or make assumptions about my choices and aspirations, you listen, you freely give advice and you accept my chosen direction... even if it was wrong...
and I know that when I come back and fess up to a mistake or poor choice or jump around like a lunatic because something has happened that is so fantastic I could burst you will all be there to join in the sorrow or the joy...
and I really appreciate you all for being there, a few words from you guys makes my world a little easier to traverse...
Thank you

Now after a good and yet bad weekend I had something at home on Sunday that had a very strange, but positive effect on my tired and fed up mind....
let me briefly fill you in with the weekend... I will try not to bore you to death...
This weekend gone was my Mum and Dads 50th wedding Anniversary, now let me set the scene and I realise that this is only my perspective of events and others namely my siblings would see it all differently... but this is my blog and I don't think they visit anyway...

Tuesday - felt awful, chest pains really tired and fed up
Wednesday - more of the same
Thursday - Village cafe, picked up golden wedding cake
Friday - raced around town picked up balloons, table cloths, confetti, wrapping paper and cards, picked up keys to hall
Saturday - spent 3 hours decorating hall, Mr P, lovely cousin and 2 brothers helped
1:30 raced home got Jamie, Danny and myself ready, Mr P went back down the hall to meet caterer at 2pm and stayed until I got back down there at 2:45, Mr P went home to get showered and changed came back at about 3:30...... spent the afternoon talking to family and friends and making sure everyone was fed and watered.... cleared up hall home by 7:30
children fed watered and in bed by 9pm
Had a fantastic Chinese take away and crashed out in front of the telly
crawled up to bed.....
Sunday - informed of "family dinner" at pub in my village.... Mr P informed me he was not going... he'd rather clean the kitchen
Got children ready went to pub, chose a bad seat, was penned in no means of escape
endured 3 hours of older brother preaching why fat people are fat... apparently we eat too much! duh!
he then went on to explain all about carbohydrates and proteins and basically berated fat people for being lazy and taking the easy option of taking the car to the supermarket and buying convenience food.... then proceeded to tell mum that she ate all the wrong food, mum trying to be polite ( a skill my brother gave up when he got his Doctorate) asked which documentary this was that he had garnered all of this fascinating information was given the "it was probably on the opposite channel to the soaps"
now I am sorry but how rude is that... he thought it humorous....
Apparently we should all have veg patches and tend their every need, talk to them and water them, peel them and lovingly prepare them and eat healthily....
This from a man that lives in France in a farmhouse that he is renovating with his own land and not one child, just a poor wife that talks to her veg...

I know I am fat, I know I need to exercise, I know I need to grow or buy and prepare healthy meals, I know I have to keep house run here and there and bring up 2 wonderful children that sometimes drive me nuts with their constant niggling at each other, but this proctotomist's dream is delusional if he thinks we all live like he does

Well after 3 hours of trying to ignore him, at a family meal where I couldn't finish a beautiful roast chicken dinner for guilt and denying myself a pudding because I was fat, I politely kissed everyone goodbye and wandered back up the hill to my little home, I informed Mr P of the dire state of my fragile mind and set my eyes upon the wonderfully clean and clear kitchen that he had so thoroughly cleaned...

I decided that I would clear my head and unwrap my seaside swap parcel that had arrived amidst the turmoil on Saturday.... thank you to Rachel at Contented for organising this swap and partnering me with such a lovely lady

This is where the compass and clearing of my mind occurred and I cannot thank Denise at a bun can dance for being my angel in my time of need....

Beautifully wrapped... as you can see....

and inside a superb array of goodies...

This "all at sea" fabric art is on my lounge wall and reminds me to keep calm and let it all float away...

the little pouch has pockets inside and I think I may fill it with a few of my calming herbal teas so that I am always equipped with a refreshing brew... the post cards are pictures that she has taken herself...

These 2 postcard lavender filled cushions are being regularly inhaled...

The windmills are popped into my aloe vera plant on the window sill to remind me of bright and cheerful times.. and the book... to be honest was just a book.... when you look at the cover its a book that you would not necessarily pick up, but as it sat on the kitchen counter I kept picking it up and looking at it and eventually I read a few lines.... then a paragraph.... then I took it to bed and read some more.... its all about how an American lady (the author) went to a little island to attempt to relax and the dawning realisation that woman are the hub in the wheel that is family, and that a woman only has so much to give before then run dry and that we need time and space to recharge and refill so that we can keep giving.... and this got me thinking....

For a while I have been hankering to have some me time, alone ...
away from everyone...
I just wanted to sit on a cliff top and feel the breeze (and probably the rain) on my face and forget about everything and just breath...
I think I knew I was running on empty and I don't mean fuel (food) but emotionally and deep within my being I am empty... I have been stripped bare by family, friends and school and I need to be quiet and calm and creative....
Being creative apparently feeds the soul and that is why I think I love to create and give things away, I knew it made me feel good but until I read this book I thought it was just me being daft... but just reading the words that have been thoughts fleeting through my own muddled head at times almost gave me permission to be selfish and do something to help myself....

So I have....


it will be my 38th birthday at the end of the month and I have booked a beech hut at Lyme Regis for a week.... I am going to take the children down but I am also having a couple of days when I don't.... and as Mr P is a contractor and the best I can do is to get him to finish work early on a Friday I have asked mum to have the children Friday and we can sit in our beach hut and watch the sun set and have a candle lit fish supper...

I haven't finished the book yet, but I am so grateful to Denise for somehow seeing the need in me and sending me such a saving grace and helping me see that the center of the wheel needs some attention and love and then the life and lives at the ends of the spokes will be happier for it...

Now if you have made it to the end of my ramblings I applaud you, and I apologise for it being so long but to be honest I needed to vent otherwise it would sour and take me with it... I realise all and sundry can read this and to be honest I don't mind because we all have problems and issues and to share them makes them seem less, plus if one of my siblings should read this perhaps they will listen long enough to realise that I am not so much in control as my exterior would lead people to believe, and that perhaps they can understand my resentment to attend family gatherings... if something makes you feel so low why would you willingly want to put yourself through it?

I am who I am, I use to like myself, and I will like myself again

Take care everyone
stay safe and well

and now that I have sent my parcel to Denise I have a couple more bits to make and I will do my give away... I think I will give all 7 items to one lucky winner as it is simple and clean

hugs to you all
Alex

PS Little louie kitten is a girl!

x

Summer Fayre or Summer Fete? (post 96)

Hello you... how are you today?

Me ?

well I have had better weeks but hey I am definitely learning a great deal from all my ups and downs....

Monday was a normal Monday Paperwork, invoicing, housework (bit of crochet... shhh don't tell the boss! lol)

Tuesday was a whole different bag of worms! I learnt all about Licensing for small events and I got to know my local councillor a little better and I am probably famous in the Council Licensing Department as the sobbing maniac that went into free fall when her "temporary events notice" was 2 days late and refused Long story short I hand delivered it to the offices and by the time I drove home I had a message to say it was 2 days late and would be returned... I couldn't have a bar at the summer fayre or the brass band or the country dancers... AAARRRGGGGGG! the PTA will kill me!

Anyhow... by Wednesday and an email to the local Conservative Councillor (not who I voted for) and a phone call to the head honcho in Licensing (apparently she live is the village and her children go to the school) who was on holiday and after talking to her colleague if we use the word FETE and not FAYRE and don't mind about not having a bar (which I don't as we struggled to get a parent to run the lucky dip drum let alone a bar) we can have the band, dancers and anything else we would like as it is exempt for a school FETE and "regulated entertainment" for a FAYRE which you need to pay £21 for a license for !

I am afraid the world has officially gone mad!

and its sad to say its taken me with it!

Thursday was the Village Cafe... I love chatting to all my new friends in the hall. One local lady stopped me to tell me my front garden was looking lovely, that was nice and I showed my Mum and her next door neighbour a backwards crochet stitch I had learnt... and then I was asked to teach a local craft group something new after September, not sure if I have the ideas or skills to teach a group of lovely ladies something new but I will have a think about it.. Joanne popped down with her youngsters but they were off to the park and I was so busy catching up with everyone I didn't really get to speak to her... and it was really busy down there... i bought a quiche and some Fuchsia's and a little pot of home made foot cream and soap of the aromatherapy lady

Mum was off to her friends house that afternoon to do some gardening and my mum is a bit naughty at times and over does things so I offered to go to and do all the heavy stuff... after a fish and chip dinner at mums we headed for the friends house and I am now doing this friends mowing and pruning and general garden duties on a regular basis... she said she would pay me but I would rather she put a few pounds onto a Asda Christmas savings card and I will have that at Christmas... so its almost like a Christmas gift in return for doing her gardening... much nicer... I don't like taking money off friends... it makes me feel uncomfortable
then back home cook tea put the children to bed and catch up on my blog reading..with a glass of wine! :-)

Friday is going okay, Mr P will be home lunchtime... Danny is playing... Jamie is at school and I have a date with the washing up and a washing machine! yay...

This is post 96... so we are one more post nearer my 100th post giveaway... I am still not sure what to do regards one big prize or 7 small prizes...
but its quite exciting !

Seaside swap is coming along slowly... Sorry a bun can dance...
this Summer Fete will be the last PTA event I organise... Jamie leaves in July and Danny doesn't start till September 2010, mind you Mr P doesn't think they will let me quit... but its become a chore and its no fun when something you volunteer for is a chore... parents aren't interested in attending events you bust a gut to organise and they don't come to meetings or help to run things... so I must admit I have run out of energy or inclination to help these ungrateful lot.

I have the gardening clubs flower show coming up..( I am not a member) Last year was the first time I had entered it. I submitted some flower arrangements, some photography and a watercolour... and I won a cup! I was stunned so I will put in some crochet and jewellery and sewing this year too... Jamie entered some photography and a colouring in competition.. she did really well too!

well I had better go... thought I would just pop in to let you know what I have been up to this week... hope I haven't bored you all to tears! lol

take care
And thank you for popping by
Alex
x

Getting ready for a give away... and big hugs to you all!

Morning all you lovely, wonderful friends..
Firstly thank you for all you kind words, I was having a dark day indeed and you have helped me no end... I am feeling much better, mind you Mr P bought a parts washer for cleaning his motor bike bits and I thought I needed some retail therapy so I bought some wool that I needed to finish an afghan blanket I started months ago...

I have been feeling so much love for you all that I have decided to get ready for my 100th post giveaway...

now I am after your advice,
I am going to make 7 items to represent each swap I have taken part in (if I have missed a swap let me know, I have so much going on in my head I sometimes struggle to remember simple things!)

the 7 homemade gifts will relate to these swaps

Easter, Heart, Freestyle, Rose, Friends, Seaside, Cosy Crochet & knitting

do you think I should give all 7 items to one lucky comment leaver, or to 7 lucky comment leavers?

Have a fab weekend everyone
Cheers Alex
x

Pay it forward

I have no idea if I am included in Beki's pay it forward over on the ramblings of an everyday mummy as I was comment number four, I think number three wasn't being included but I think its a fantastic idea so I am going to do it regardless...

The first three people to leave a comment will receive a hand made gift from me
the only thing you have to do is participate and carry on the gift giving to three more people...
as soon as you have left a comment do a "pay it forward post" on your blog and continue the giving.
I will contact the first three comentee's to get their addresses

good luck

Happy Easter
Alex
X

Off to the Post Office

Well its all done and after giving it a good while to dry the October giveaway painting has been packed and wrapped.

I couldn't post a photo even if I wanted to as I had almost completely wrapped it before I realised I hadn't taken one

It will be winging its way to

Cake makes the world a better place

today via special delivery and I hope it is everything you wished for April

Cheers for now gotta get off to the post office now

Cheers Alex

Oh dear...where is all the time going?

I am seriously running out of time, I was talked into doing a craft fayre on the 12th of November and I am progressing into panic mode as I start to doubt the quality of some items I have made and wonder if I will have anything finished for the evening in question.... Joanne from her little patch of heaven is sharing the stall with me so I am popping around tomorrow to draw up a battle plan.......

I have drawn up the layout for Cakes make the world a better place's painting and she has had a look and given me the go ahead with one alteration, well a painting wouldn't be complete with a cake stand, I think I will have to fill it with fairy cakes too........mmmm yummy! and I will be onto that project after the 12th is out of the way......


I have been crocheting a sampler blanket testing out all different types of crochet styles, I am not sure where I am going with it next as I have reached that self doubting stage, plus I could easily sit and crochet all day, but unfortunately my house pixies have not been taking on the slack of me not doing the housework, however I must thank my wonderful mum for doing a stack of washing up on Tuesday night when she baby sat so that Mr P and I could go to the PTA meeting, thank you Mum!

The PTA meeting was a scary event as I realised that the Christmas Fayre is only 4 weeks away and I have a ton of prizes to source...... (4th Decemeber)
the Christmas concert in the Church with Sherborne Town band is only 6 weeks away (18th December) and the Santa's Grotto is the following day (19th December), and I will need to get 200 presents for that and wrap them!

I also have a 4 page PTA newsletter to do and advertising for all of the above.....

Oh dear, Oh dear!

I think I am definitely going to arrange a wrapping evening and get a few parents to lend a hand!

Crochet and craft...arty things!

I have been crocheting with metallic thread which is quite stiff and I made a panel box, I think I will embellish it with some dangly beads...... the first thing I crochet which wasn't planned it just ended up being a weird bag, and a pair of granny gloves, I have 3 panels for another box.

I have 16 hours of 12 days of Christmas to do based on the fact that I got 15 pictures done yesterday in 5 hours, I have just realised that I am a swan short so I will knock up another one this afternoon......My friend (the Brownie pack leader) is so pleased with them that she is colouring them in herself, I think the brownies will be adding glitter and sparkly things and then using them for a parent production.

The maids a milking were fun and when I put them all together I realise that some of them look familiar and some are quite buxom.

I like the one below she looks like Britney Spears!

I have completed 3 of the ladies dancing they are quite fun too.....

Well I had better get a wriggle on I have the village cafe this morning and I had better get the little man ready, I think I might take some crochet with me.... I am so hooked it is untrue and I have 3 bags of wool from the Scrapstore, which a local shop donated, some are half balls others are new and I feel so much more alive with all these lovely colours around me.....

must go toodle loo!

* Alex *

October give away results......

Well I am astounded by the response and I thank you all for joining in the October give away.......
I had 9 entries in total from:

1. April (Cake makes the world a better place)
2. Jellybelly*jellybrain
3. Karen (Karens play time)
4. serendipitylovesnewyork
5. mollycupcakes
6. Josie (sykesssillysite)
7. MarmaladeRose
8. Buffy (BuffysCharms)
9. Dawn Woodward

The lucky winner was drawn by Mr P and is ..........



Number....... 1

Congratulations April (cake makes the world a better place), I will be painting your canvas of cakes/cupcakes using lots of pinks.

If you have a particular style of picture that you would like me to mimic
feel free to email me on
pinkfeatherparadiseatlivedotcodotuk
also a delivery address would be good....!

I loved the other themes, especially the princess and the fairy cake, you never know I might work my way through the whole list eventually

I will have your painting ready as soon as possible April

Cheers Alex