Bye bye Baby, Baby goodbye......

An update on the sewing machine situation:


I've dithered all week about having to post my poorly sick Baby back to the supplier. A quick phone call to the supplier this morning confirmed it was indeed down to me to pay for her return. That's because they sell them so cheaply in the first place.

The very nice man said that their engineer would look at it (his word!! he didn't realise she was a she) as soon as it (men!!) arrived with them. If it looks like a problem that'll take a bit of solving they'll replace her with a new one straight away. Otherwise it should take a day or two to fix.

I got her parcelled up and then pondered the logistics and cost of trying to send her Royal Mail.

Mmmm - they've shut all the helpful local post offices that you used to be able to park outside of (or even walk to!!). It would involve driving to the main post office and walking 300 yards from the car park with a 15kg bulky box only to find it would cost me a gazillion of our pounds sterling in postal charges.


I think not.


There has to be a better way.


I put my thinking cap on.





I Googled 'parcel delivery services' and found Interparcel.


At 10.20am-ish, after a very simple and straightforward bit of online form filling, I completed my request for a DHL man to come to my house and pick up my poorly baby and deliver her 150 miles or so to the poorly sewing machine hostipul.

At 11.20am the dog exploded into the angry 'pretending to be a fierce guard dog' barking that can only mean one thing.

There's someone at the door.


A lovely lovely lovely DHL man!!!!


He carefully picked my poorly Baby up and gently placed her in his van and off she went.

Bye bye Baby!!!


Whether I see that Baby again or Baby MkII waits to be seen but at least she's on her way to hostipul where the sewing machine doctor can operate.

I am so impressed by the whole Interparcel thing that I had to share it just in case anyone else out there was faced with the prospect of struggling to the post office with a bulky something :)

I'm so kind it sickens me.

I haven't so much as stitched a stitch today but have parcelled up some somethings to be sent abroad very soon and have revisited an old obsession of mine - card making.

March is always a busy month for us with birthday's, anniversaries and Mother's Day.

This is for my nephew who is 2 this Sunday:



This is for my friend whose birthday is on Monday:


This is for Mother-in-Law for Sunday:


I thought I got messy with my sewing but it was nothing compared to the mess I made just doing these cards. Every box and drawer containing my papercraft stash was open. Every bit of the table was covered.

It took me ages to do them as I dithered and pithered with choosing what to do and what to do it with!!!

Oooh, would you look at the time. I have to be going. Naughty children to be picked up from school, beaten soundly and then locked in the cupboard under the stairs. Must go and fetch the children from school.

For those of you having a pretty horrible time, and I know a few of you are right now, I'm sending you a big hug from me and Moog. Hers is the smelly dog flavoured one :)

xxxxx

p.s. couldn't resist this

Being all grown up!

Well, I did it!!

I went to my job interview.

This may seem like no biggy but believe me when I say I had to make a big effort stop all those nagging voices in my head and just do it!! A week ago I was getting myself into a bit of a state about whether I really wanted to go back out into the real world or not.

Although it's always difficult to tell with interviews it did seem to go well. I got the impression there were not loads of other candidates which is a bonus. The folk at the interview were really lovely and one of them even worked on the same site as I once did in Birmingham - several years after I'd moved on.

I asked about the hours (22.5 hours per week) and they said that as long as I did my hours and got my work done they were happy for me to work around my personal commitments!!!!!

How awesome is that?

I think they meant family/ children commitments though rather than blogging and crafting ones!!!

I'll find out at the end of next week and after all my mixed feelings I actually have my fingers crossed that I do get the job as it would suit me perfectly.

A couple of you have asked what the job is. It's a Recycling Education Outreach Officer - working with schools and community groups in Hampshire on recycling projects - the job spec sounds really interesting. Right up my alley!

Ho hum.

As a result of today's career orientated activity I have no photos of lovely craftiness to show but I did receive this recipe in a 'Recipe Swap' that Leanne emailed to me. The lovely Barbara sent me this exceedingly naughty recipe:

This is really simple and a real favourite.

Take 1 pint of double or whipping cream and whip until stiff.
Take 4 crunchie bars and crush to crumbs ( I tend to put them through the food processor for ease)
Mix the cream with the crunchies and serve
You can add cointreau for an extra taste, and to make it even more special, the mixture can be put into brandy snap baskets for a posh easy to make desert.

I mean, could that be a more perfect pud?!! I think not.

May not start 'the diet' until I've tested that recipe :)

If you're not sure what Crunchie bars are - they are yummy yummy honeycomb enveloped in yummy yummy Cadbury's chocolate like this - mmmmmm.

Dawn French ate a lot of these in Vicar of Dibley.

Maybe we should have some more goodness from the gorgeous Dawn -aided and abetted by the lovely Alice :)

Going now to drink a glass of red with Moogsdad who rather wants his lovely wifelet to be embroiled once more in the great world of work....

Things that go bump in the night

News of the earthquake in the middle of the night has been whizzing round blogland. Unlike many of you we slept through the whole thing!! Having said that the dog was being even more of an idiot than usual last night.

She barked for no apparent reason at 11.30 last night and practised her tap dancing on the hall floor for almost the whole night. In between times she galloped up and down the stairs harumphing loudly. I may have asked her less than politely to return to bed about 12 times!!!

Makes me wonder how I missed the darned thing!!

According to the man on the BBC news this morning it was 'A very British earthquake' - I imagine he meant it was nothing compared to bigger and more damaging quakes in other countries but sufficient to drag us Brits out of our collective torpor for a day!! It was a refreshing change to hear something other than government sleeze and spin on the news.

I've spent a good chunk of the day preparing for tomorrow's interview and actually, unexpectedly, finding myself becoming a little excited about a potential return to work - especially a return that would actually enable me to make use of my degree!!

I got excited in Sainsbury's (as one does!!) at the thought that if I get the job I'll be able to buy my babies nice clothes again. I may even be able to afford a new bra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished off a couple of WIPs neither of which I can show in full as one is for the Bunny Hop Swap and the other for Challenge No.7 but here's a sneaky peak anyway :)




I'm now going to conjur up a meal using the contents of Mrs Hubbard's Cupboard and get the naughty arguing ones to their swimming lesson.

Then again Moogsdad may be forced to do the swimming lesson bit while I stay home and blogsurf :)

Edited at 10pm to say: Don't know what got into me this evening - on the eve of a potentially life changing job interview - I've only gone and opened an Etsy shop - something I've intended to do since April last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xxxxx

The Man-Flu saga doth continue....

My poor dear husband continues to suffer with the dreaded man-flu and has had to remain at home again today to recuperate. This recuperation has mostly involved feeling an urgent need to talk to me every time I start up the sewing machine!


My old faithful is a bit of a thumper (the machine not Moogsdad - ha haaaaa!!!) and therefore I had to stop sewing every time he spoke. I smiled my sweetest smile each time he interrupted -like this:



(ph
I was able to get some sewing done despite putting up with a constant burble from Moogsdad whilst conversing with my sweetheart and made some of these mystery objects:



The postman delivered a very special parcel for the naughty Minx today. A lovely thank you present from Gina who borrowed one of Minx's drawings to make her beautiful picture on our crafty challenge.

Gina got her picture made up into some gorgeous Moo Cards and sent Minx six of them!!!! Aren't they fab?


Thank you so much Gina you have made two little girls very happy - that's me and the Minx, by the way :)


I have to do some Moo research now as all sorts of possibilities are springing into my mind!



I've an evening of handsewing to be getting on with and tomorrow may not see much crafting being done.


I have a - gulp - job interview on Thursday and tomorrow I have some preparation to do for it. I'm not desperate to be going back to work right now but this particular job is almost too good to be true and should fit in with the children's school hours and holidays - I'll keep you informed!


I have concerns over the impact going back out into the big wide world will have on my crafting (and blogging!!) but cannot ignore such a nice way of earning some much needed money and hey - so many of you seem to combine the two really effectively so maybe I can too - right?


We've just posted our next crafty challenge - please play too if you'd like to!!!

xxxxx

Poorly baby :(

I had such a day of sewing planned :)



First I finished my 'Valentine' cushion for our latest Crafty Challenge - just 11 days late!!!! Poor Lucy had done her beautiful cushion in time for the big day and was waiting for her crubbish imaginary friend to get her crafting a**e in gear!



Then I set to cutting out a Bunster for my Bunny Hop Swap partner Est. All cut out and ready to sew I settled in front of my lovely baby and saw this:

Notice, if you will, the distinct lack of lumination on my baby's face.



We tried testing her pluggage, swapping her fuse and all to no avail.



Poor new baby is sick.



Proper sick.



I am bereft :(



I phoned the man who sold her to me and he has never encountered this problem before :(



I need to send her back to be looked at :( :( :(



I'm awaiting a reply to an email enquiring over who is expected to pay for the postage i.e. not me please :(



Then baby will be going to hostipul :(



Therefore, I had to dig her big sister out of the loft. She's a simple soul but, bless her heart, did not hold it against me that her position as No.1. Sewing Machine in The House of Moog had been usurped by a prettier, quieter and more sophisticated version.

In fact, she seems to be enjoying her airing and has been busy sewing a something for our next challenge (and coincidentally for my nephew's birthday) and a certain Bunster :]



Sneaky peak no.1. - crafty challenge 7/ nephew's birthday present:

a v v pretty bunster :)


Ho hum.



Technical glitches aside it has been lovely to get some sewing done again.



I've been feeling much better today - having got over the fact that I woke at 3.15am with awful sinus pain, got up at 5am, took Sudafed, went back to bed and woke again at 6am - marvellous ;)



It seems I inadvertantly did, in fact, catch MAN FLU!!!! Really really.



I must have 'cause Moogsdad has had to take the day off work with the very same ailment.



Only much much worse of course ;)



I even had to take the Monster to football training tonight as Moogsdad was far too ill - ahem.....



I managed to squeeze a quick trip to the local Co-op in and found this magazine. It accidentally fell into my basket with a bottle of Fair Trade red vino plonko - see...feeling better :)


Look at him:

...and he's teeny tiny - just 6 inches high!! I have to make one!!!

Then there's this lovely lady:



It really would be rude not to, wouldn't it?

I'm now off to plug my poorly sick baby in one more time, just in case she was just being naughty, before I give in and pack her up ready to go to the Sewing Machine Doctor :(

In case you'd missed it we have at last (due to me being crubbish) updated over here!!!!

I shall now try to play catch up on the 250 blog posts screaming at me in Google Reader!!!! May need that wine right now :)

xxxxx

p.s. for believers in conspiracy theories - the machines are taking over - the stupid gappage on this post is nowt to do with me - it's Blogger playing Silly Bloggers again and there's nowt I can do to change it! D'yer think baby has been infiltrated?

Valentine swap loveliness!

Moogsdad wandered up the rickety stairs to his beloved wife's sickbed this morning bearing a parcel handed to him by postie.

Inside was a very pretty parcel wrapped in a fat quarter of gorgeous Moda fabric from my swap partner Carey at Blueberry Lane Designs.

The photos aren't great as I photographed them on the very sickbed in which I lay- suffering from the worst headcold anyone has ever had - ever......ever!


The parcel contained a beautiful bag, a length of ric-rac and another of bobble braid, a pair of handbag handles and some gorgeous ceramic buttons plus that lovely Moda fabric.





Thank you Carey!!!!! I'll have to think of something really special to make with all those goodies. I'll use the time that I spend valiantly fighting this dreadful ailment to work on those ideas.

Now ....cough....splutter.....sniff.....I shall retire to the sofa and may even stitch something.......sniff............

Some catching up to do!

Well this has certainly been a busy half term holiday! We have been out somewhere every day which has impacted hugely on the crafting and blogging!!

It's not all bad though as the children have had a great time and nothing that we've done has cost a fortune. We've been outdoors every day so I'm hoping the winter cobwebs will have been well and truly blown away!

It's a new thing for us - having school holidays at home. Before Mum died we would always drive up to Birmingham to spend some or all of our holiday with her and Dad. As things have changed we are now discovering what it is to fill our days at home. Whilst I would give anything to have Mum here I must say we do enjoy being at home.

We've been to stay with my friend in Worthing for the past couple of days and have had a lovely time.

We went to the beach:


I graffiti'd in the sawdust that had settled on the benches:

Strangely, no-one was making use of the beach huts....

I was filled with 'wood lust' as this little lot is all destined for the chipper. I could have found a use for it but I'd have been arrested if I'd tried :(



The children looked longingly out to sea:

and posed for their mother so we could see the scale of this event:


Although the ship went down off Portland Bill, which must be a good 60 or more miles away, the tide carried it eastwards and, as Worthing is in a more sheltered bit of the south coast, the current lost some of its power and the result was that 90% of the timber drifted up onto Worthing beach.

It does seem a dreadful waste that this timber is all to be chipped. I really do think there is something quite mad about a system where they'd rather chip it than allow people to maybe make a small charitable donation and take some wood to reuse. The council is being criticised for this but it isn't their decision - it is the insurers and salvage company who have shown such wisdom.

This morning we drove over to Arundel and fed the ducks at the lake. This really is a beautiful little town and I never seem to have enough time to explore it.




I've come back with a stinking cold and a head full of frustration as there is so much I want to/need to/have to make and so many blogs to read and quite frankly I don't feel like it tonight.

I'll sit on the sofa with a huge glass of grapefruit cordial and do nothing instead.

How about a bit of this to keep us all going? Or this?

Aaaaah, that's better already :)

xxxxx

Phew!!! Bloggers are normal and real and here's the proof!!!

WE DID IT.................AND SURVIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Minx, Sausage Monster and I have survived our first blog meet up with the very lovely Trashalou and her beautiful children Princess Curly Wurly and Babyman!! We even returned safe and sound to our respective homes and were not whisked off to some secret kidnappers' hideaway as predicted by our dear husbands :)

The children all got on straight away - much like their lovely mothers :) (that's us, by the way!) and helped by the beautiful Spring sunshine we had a great day out.



Trashy and I compared cameras and I learned some useful tips - I've only had my camera almost a year longer than her after all so how was I to know how the buttons work?

I've also learned a little bit of collagey type stuff in Photoshop Elements - there'll be no stopping me now :)

We have decided that we will meet up again but next time we won't be blogging about it in advance. The reason for this is that the Country Park was soooooooooooo full of folk - all obviously 'our readers' who had descended on the place in the hope of bumping into two famous bloggers - that's us, by the way :)

It had nothing to do with the fact that beautiful weather and half-term have coincided after a long grey Winter. If only you'd been there to witness them all staring and whispering and daring each other to ask for autographs..........

Mrs Trash is every bit as funny as she appears on her blog - Ha Ha ...not peculiar funny, and we found lots in common. Our boys were almost identically dressed and were unable to walk without picking up sticks with which to sword fight. Our girls were both pink and fluffy with a healthy dose of attitude and well developed eye-rolling skills when their silly mothers got toooooo embarassing.

I have to say a big Thank You Trashy for feeding my starving children so well. I underestimated their need for food today (at least you'd have thought so if you'd witnessed their vulture-like picnic behaviour!!) and Trashy's picnic looked much more appealing than ours :) I've never tasted such yummy homemade brownies and her Yummy chocolates really were yummy!!!

We have another picnic tomorrow as we're meeting friends at a local country park. I may have to get up very early to cook brownies and little bite-size pizzas a la Trashcan!!!!

Now I really should carry on reading blogs for a few hours go and spend some time with Moogsdad. Who am I kidding? Google reader here I come.........

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig :)

This is a very short post to say thank you to every one of you who left such supportive comments on my last post.

The weekend actually went much better than anticipated and at times I felt that Mum was there with me - particularly when I was emptying her knicker drawer!!!!

I quite miraculously saw my best friend whilst I was at Dad's. She now lives down on the south coast about 40 miles from here. We are going over to stay with her later this week as it is so imagine my surprise when I spotted her Mum at one of Dad's neighbour's yesterday. A quick hug and a chat with Aunty B established that N was on her way to pick her up imminently.
As we were leaving Dad's they were just leaving too so we had a chat outside our childhood homes for the first time in years!!!! See you on Thursday Missus and I hope you've found us somewhere to sleep :)

We took the children ice skating in Swindon today and they both did really well. It was just their second time on the ice and the last time was well over a year ago. This was me and Moogsdad - no really :)

Tomorrow is a big day as I'm meeting up with the lovely Mrs Trash!!!!! We are both feeling a little nervous and I have a feeling our husbands would get on well as they both seem to think we will be waking up in the Far East later this week!!!!

I have lots planned for the Minx and the Monster this week but really have to fit some craftiness in as I'm long overdue on this week's crafty challenge and I know Lucy has hers finished and is desperate to blog about it!!!

I'm now going to finish reading through all your blog posts and then it's an earlyish night so I look bright eyed and bushy tailed for tomorrow's big meet!!

xxxxxxx

Discovering Southampton

Moogsdad and I both felt a little worse for wear this morning having eaten far too much lovely curry and drunk too much lovely wine last night!!! So much for romance - we vegged out in front of the TV watching this!


The children are now off school for a week for half term. We had errands to run this morning as we needed to get some souvenirs together for Angie's daughter's school project as our lovely guest Flat Avery will be zooming back across the Atlantic this week. We've had a great time playing host and will be sorry to see her go.


We moved to Southampton nearly 10 years ago and, I'm ashamed to say, have explored so little of what is, in fact, a very old and very interesting city. The Titanic sailed from here on her fateful voyage and many Southampton folk died in the disaster. We still haven't visited the Titanic exhibition at the Maritime Museum but it is now most definately on our list.




Image borrowed from here
After finding the Tourist Information Office to pick up some goodies we decided to forget housework and packing for this weekend in favour of visiting the City Museum and Art Gallery. I have wanted to visit for so long!!
The gallery has a fantastic collection of modern art and sculpture. I love the work of Antony Gormley and was thrilled to find they had a sculpture of his -Untitled (Diver).


His most famous works are obviously The Angel of the North





image borrowed from here



and Another Place but I remember first 'discovering' his work when the Iron Man
was installed in Birmingham's Victoria Square and all the Brummies were up in arms
about it!!!


image borrowed from here

I love the strength and peace that his work evokes and just wish we had more public art like it.


We are now back home and I cannot avoid the chores any longer!! We are going up to the in-laws later this afternoon and then Moogsdad and I are heading up to Birmingham tomorrow to sort out my Mum's things as Dad has been on at me for some time about 'getting rid' of her clothes etc.


It's not going to be fun but it's something that has to be done and it's the least I can do to help my brother out. Dad originally wanted us to do it in the school holidays at Christmas but I put my foot down on that one!!!


We will be back on Monday night and have an exciting day planned on Tuesday!!

I am having my first meeting with an imaginary blogland friend - it seems Trashalou actually lives quite close to us and we are meeting up, complete with naughty children, at a local Country Park!!!!


We have a plan to escort the children round the woodland play trail while we compare our lovely cameras :)


I can't leave you with nothing so how about some more French and Saunders?


Hope you have a lovely weekend - see you next week :)


xxxxx

From the mouths of babes

Moogsdad and I had a lovely surprise this morning. It seems those very naughty babies who should have been IN BED last night were getting into the spirit of Valentine's Day.

We did hear a bit of giggling and moving about when they'd gone to bed and shouted upstairs once ot twice to suggest they go to sleep.

I'm glad they didn't though. They were having a little secret arty session making Moogsdad and I a Valentine card each :)

This is from the Minx to her Daddy:



and this one is from my lovely boy:


We don't go mad buying presents or anything on Valentine's Day but we do send each other a card. I had a sudden panic yesterday afternoon when I realised I'd better pull my finger out and get one made for the man himself!

Here's a bit of it:


The Lurve theme has continued today as I work on this week's challenge.


I managed to get my parcel posted yesterday for my Valentine Swap partner so at least something useful was achieved in my non-blogging time!

I thought an early blog was in order today as Moogsdad has selfishly suggested we have a special meal after the naughty ones have gone to bed tonight and spend a pleasant evening in each other's company watching a lovely film or two, thereby distracting me from precious Catching Up With Everything On the Internet Time!!!! I suppose I could tear myself away from the computer for one evening just to show willing. If I really have to ;-)

I told Minx that Daddy and I were going to have a special romantic meal tonight.

She wasn't impressed.

I told her I'd be going 'Kissy,kissy,kissy,wuv you, wuv you, kissy, kissy' and holding his hand and generally smooching.

Her response?

'Eeurgh!!! You're gross!!!'

Nice :)

xxxxx

Wanted - one desert island with internet connection

I seem to have a busy week ahead of me all of a sudden and wouldn't you know it I've come over all inspired and want to stay at home and sew!!! Contrary madam :)

This busy-ness started with a dental appointment this morning to check how well my gums are healing. The verdict is -not as well as we'd hoped. I now have to have a whole lot more treatment - ho hum! It's got to be done though so no point bleating about it.

I cheered up immediately when I got back home and found the postman had been and left me something lovely. A couple of weeks ago I signed up for a giveaway being run by the very talented Susan over at Artisbliss who does beautiful mixed media work.

I am now the very proud owner of a stunning artist's postcard made by Susan. My photos do the card no real justice at all. The colours and textures are wonderful and so much work has gone into producing it. There is stamping and embossing, stitching, painting and layering - it's now got pride of place on the shelf above the TV where I keep all my special bits!

Thank you Susan - you made my day :)



I had a little play with my embellisher today. I've got some ideas kicking around in my head and needed to try some things out (as opposed to needing to do the laundry/housework/gardening etc etc!!!).

I got on well until I snapped four needles (£8 worth!!!) and decided to call it a day on this piece.


I then played with the iron and the angelina fibres that Julie sent to me a while ago. They are lovely to use and I want to experiment with them a lot more now. Nothing goes to waste with these fibres as the bits you cut off can be heat bonded back on. I had lots of fun and will use this bit to make something soon. Again the photo doesn't do the fibres any justice at all as they are beautiful colours with lots of shimmer!!


As I now have to fetch the children, including my friend's daughter, feed them, deliver DH and the two beasties to football before going on to a school governor's meeting I had better be off. Whereas really I would much rather stay and play............

xxxxxx

Filling up on Vitamin D

After months of rain and grey chilly days it has been such a treat to have a whole weekend of dry, sunny and unseasonably warm weather.

Saturday saw us all pottering about. Moogsdad was on a major clear up operation as once the scaffolding came down we realised we could no longer ignore the piles of leaves and debris that seem to have accumulated over the winter.

I mowed the lawn!!!

In February!!!!

The world has truly gone mad!!!

It seems to be springtime in the garden. These little Tete a Tete daffodils are my favourites.


I also did the cutting back and tidying up that should have been done in the autumn.

The children pottered and bounced on the trampoline. Wherever Monster went, George was never far behind :)

First they played superheroes.


George sunned himself while the children played football.

The fresh air and exercise meant that George was ready for an early night so Monster made him a bed.

I also found time for a bit of crochet. I hadn't done any for nearly a week but this pattern grows pretty fast so I caught up a bit.

Sunday dawned bright and chilly. By mid-morning it was warming up so we headed off for a walk somewhere. We had no idea where we were going.

Moogsdad suggested we go to Hengistbury Head near Bournemouth. Hengistbury is a beautiful National Nature Reserve with fantastic wildlife habitats.

Our plan was to walk through the reserve to the beach huts at the far side of the head overlooking Christchurch Bay. I was planning on taking lots of beach hut photos.

This plan changed somewhat when we decided to go across to the beach first. Four hours later we were still there!!

It was so warm down on the sand - far too warm for February in fact!

As we were totally unprepared for a day on the beach the children were very sensible and kept their shoes and socks on totally ignored my pleas to stay dry and eventually removed all their layers until they were in knickers and short sleeved t-shirts !!!

They had a great time playing dodge the waves or rather not-dodge the waves!!

Monster decided to practise long-jump :)

But then landed thud on his bottom and completely winded himself :(

Here he is sulking because his horrible mother was laughing so hard at him - oops!!

Minx ditched these and they were laid out to dry - how scary is this, they actually dried completely in less than an hour......in a British 'winter'!!!!!

Moog was with us and spent four hours tiptoeing along the shoreline willing us to find a stick for her to catch.

Although I've had to come home to a messy house it was worth it. We all feel more alive than we have all winter. Our cheeks are rosy and we feel relaxed and refreshed.

I will never cease to appreciate and enjoy the fact that we live within easy reach of such beautiful beaches. I always used to phone Mum any time we went to the beach so I could share it with her. (That's why I texted you Lucy - being, as you are, my surrogate Mum!!!!).

We never did get our walk but I'm sure we'll all sleep well tonight :)

xxxx