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Art Journaling/Sketching: Reasons why I don't do it.

2012-01-27T09:57:00.000Z

I have to say that I harbour a bit of a secret dream.

I really, really, really wish that I could journal. By journal I mean creating an Art journal, or a sketch journal.

I have a Pinterest board called "Art Journal Envy". Oh how I love finding new and wonderful Art journal pages to pop in there.

Pages like this one:

Source: etsy.com via Marie on Pinterest

and this one:

Source: joannezsharpe.blogspot.com via Marie on Pinterest

and this one:

Source: ffffound.com via Marie on Pinterest

and this one:

Source: balzerdesigns.typepad.com via Marie on Pinterest

and my I could go on all day. They do make my *SIGH* with joy and also a little sadness, that I just can't seem to do this.

So, being that it's a new year, time for new things, time for some introspection I thought I would try to think about the WHY. WHY can't I get to grips with Journalling?

Alas, I suspect the conclusion to this self reflection can be summed up as simply as this:

Before we get to that though, lets go back to the beginning of this thought train.

Here's the big question then: Why don't I journal when it's something I long to do?

Reason/Excuse #1

What if (heaven forbid) someone where to actually SEE it? I mean, I can journal just for me and that's fine but short of welding a journal shut with magical Harry Potteresque powers there no real way to guarantee that at some point in time someone won't take a peek inside. If you want to put anything in a journal then you need to take it places, which means you've got to have it hanging around with you. There's always a chance someone might look. Eek!

Reason/Excuse #2

I don't think I can draw for toffee. Yes, I'm creative and crafty and good at making okay looking stuff with pretty paper and card and buttons and string, but actual, REAL drawing? I can just about draw things that my kids can identify as what they're intended to be - my doodled response to "Mummy, draw a cat" usually looks like a cat. Anything other than that though, yikes no. Things that require perspective and good artistic penmanship..... no good at that at all.

Reason/Excuse #3

It's embarrassing. What if I've chosen to journal something completely stupid and inane (which lets face it, with me is highly likely) and someone looks at it and thinks "why the hell did she write about that, its completely stupid/inane?" Do I really need people to think I'm any more of a freak than they already do? (seriously, people already think I'm uberweird, scrapbooking and crafting and karate..... it's rare I don't get an odd look when I talk about my hobbies).

Reason/Excuse #4

I don't have time. I barely have time to do what I do now. My house is a perpetual crap hole. I dash around like a mad lunatic 4 days a week to incorpate extracurricular activities (for myself and the kids) and the other 3 days I'm supposed to fit in some other sort of exercise in an attempt to reign in my ever expanding midsection.

Reason/Excuse #5

I don't know where to start. What to journal about. What makes me think that anything that happens in my daily life these days warrants a permenant record? I don't really "do" anything. I don't really "go" anywhere. I just plod through an endless round of work/karate/gym/housework/rinse and repeat. What have I possibly got to journal about?

Back to the last photo anyway. Basically, on reflecting on this question the answer boils down to this. I am just too chicken to journal. I worry WAY too much about what other people might potentially think. I'm too scared I'll have nothing noteworthy to include. I'm too shy that someone might see what I've done.

I. Am. Just. Plain. Chicken.

So what is to be done I ask you?

In the past I've read this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Journal-Your-Life/dp/1580080936/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327593428&sr=1-1#_

and this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-License-Giving-Yourself-Permission/dp/1401307922/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

In an attempt to get past my scaredycatness (or scaredychickness) but to no evail (that is to say, I've never gotten past a page or two before I give up for the reasons mentioned about).

What will it take then to get past this block? I really think I would enjoy doing this, if I could just be a little less wary of the process. In terms of time, I haven't had any time for crafting at all in a long time and this is potentially something involving very little time which I could do anywhere so in a way it's the ideal creative outlet.

Maybe I just need to bite the bullet, be a big girl and get over myself?

Once upon a time I was too scared to venture into a Martial Arts Dojo and now I spend 11 hours per week of my life there. What is the saying? "A life lived in fear, is a life half lived"?

Something to think on anyway.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 17th: Christmas Do

2011-12-19T10:24:00.000Z

I'm not sure quite how it happened, but some how Kendo managed to convince me that it was a good idea to go on a work's night out with two of the people he works with (who I've never met) and their wives. Hmmmm. Still not sure how he talked me into that one, especially as I make a particular point of avoiding all my works do.

Anyhoo, he'd agreed I'd go so off I went. We caught the train into Liverpool (which is really not far from us. 25 minutes on the train. I don't know why we don't go more often) and began the night (well, afternoon really) at a place called "Viva Brazil":

We sat there, at the round table at the front (only it was bigger, with more chairs). This is the strangest restaurant. It's a kind of all you can eat. You start with a plate and then hit the salad bar (although that's something of a misnomer because there was a darn site more than salad on it). You have a little coloured card on your table (like a beer mat). One side red, one side green. When the green side it showing waiters come to your table with huge skewers with meat on (all different stuff, chicken and beef and lamb and pork and sausage) which they carve at the table for you. When you've got enough you turn your card to red and they stop coming, when you want more you flick it back to green. Easy. Kendo literally thought he'd died and gone to carnivore heaven. That he just sat there and people brought him meat. Lots of meat. He was one happy diner I can tell you.

From there we ventured to a Liverpool land mark. On request from two of the people we were with we went here:

You probably recognise the name, if not the place. Some small Liverpool band is famous for starting out here. See, here they are at the Cavern:

Don't recognise them there? How about here?:

I have to confess despite living so close to Liverpool this is the first time I've ever been in the Cavern (how bad is that?). It's actually quite a nice club (if a little claustrphobic). There are tonnes of names graffitied on the bricks inside. If I'd known before hand apparently I could have looked for my Mother's, it's in there somewhere (what a rebel she was!).

From one Liverpool band we ventured to another. Echo and the Bunnymen at the O2 Academy:

Not really my cup of tea but I did spend 10 minutes in the mosh pit looking for Kendo while they were playing this song (which is thankfully one I know):

Phew. That was hard work. Couple it with a broken down train on the way home and having to get up the day after and do a fitness challenge at the annual karate club party (100 push ups, 100 crunches, 100 squat kicks) it's hardly surprising I don't feel like I've had a weekend off! I think I'll give strict instructions not to volunteer me for any Christmas Do's next year!

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 16th: Gratitude

2011-12-19T10:19:00.000Z

Two years ago around this time we received the news that my Dad had cancer.

One year ago around this time we heard that despite chemo and radiation treatment it had recurred.

Today we heard that following a big surgery and chemo in the last 6 months he has the all clear.

For that, today, I am truly, truly grateful.

The best Christmas gift of all.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 15th: Visitors.

2011-12-15T12:07:00.001Z

Christmas visiting. Ahhhh. Neither my husband nor I are good with the whole visiting thing but it's Christmas and there are people to see and who want to see us (well, want to see the kids anyway ;)). We have our Christmas visiting schedule and it hasn't changed much in 7 years. Off to my parents after presents and breakfast at home (not like its much of a trek though as it's next door!). Back home for Christmas lunch then off to the In-laws for a bit (Santa's really good to my kids, he delivers to grandparents houses too (both sets!!)). Back home to "next door Nanny's" for Christmas tea then home. Boxing day it's back to the in laws for MILs roast dinner (roast lamb - nom nom nom).

This year my Mum is particulary excited about Christmas visiting. My sister and her partner and my two nephews are coming up on Christmas Eve and staying until the day after boxing day. Whilst that means (coupled with the other waifs and strays she collected who would otherwise be alone on the big day) that she'll have 14 people for Christmas dinner she couldn't be happier. All her kids and grandkids under one roof.

Thankfully we're past the age where we feel the need to pick on one another and cause fights all the time.........I think ;)

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 14th: Christmas Presents.

2011-12-14T10:21:00.001Z

Ordinarily at this point I have already written my own Christmas list, shopped for my own presents, wrapped them and haranged my husband into writing the tags (I have to draw the line somewhere!). To be honest, it never bothers me. At least I know I'm getting things I want and will use and its much less stress for him having to think about what to buy (not to mention trying to fit shopping in amongst the ridiculous hours he works!).

In his defense I am in charge of the budgeting around here so usually he doesn't know when the Christmas budget is available for spending or indeed how much it is. This year some extra hours and bonuses at work meant he had pennies to spend and I was more than happy to provide a "Dear Santa" list of things I might like to see in my stocking. I know what I sent on the list but I don't know exactly what he's bought. I'm looking forward to having a nice surprise when I open my presents Christmas morning for a change. I think I could get used to this arrangement.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 13th: Christmas Tunes.

2011-12-14T10:18:00.000Z

The best thing about JYC blogging. I don't just get to write about my favourite Christmas tunes this year. I can share them :)

So, if you fancy getting into the festive spirit with my, crank up the PC speakers and have at it....

My all time FAVE Christmas tune:

LOVE this song :)

Completely useless factoid to accompany the song... the New York Police Department doesn't have a choir... it has a Pipe and Drum band, who were featured in the video. They are not in fact playing "Galway Bay" however because they didn't know it. They're playing something else and the speed was adjusted to fit the beat :)

On the other side of the festive tunage coin we have my all time favourite Christmas Carol (i.e. a traditional Christmas song, not a pop song). Always loving this version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by the awesome Annie Lennox. The music on this track is amazing:

The CD that this song comes from is completely fabulous (even Grace loves it). It's called "A Christmas Cornucopia" (how cool is that title?) and I highly recommend it for injecting some Christmas spirit.

That was easy :)

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 12th: Christmas Past

2011-12-12T12:26:00.001Z

2006

2007

2008

2009

Oh my, how quickly time passes and how fast they grow. Proof we should embrace every moment that they're children I think.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 11th: Oh, Christmas Tree.

2011-12-12T11:29:00.002Z

Oh lovely co-ordinated Christmas tree.

This year I fear for your safety.

You may never be the same again.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 10th: (Definitely No) Christmas Wrapping.

2011-12-12T11:29:00.000Z

No time for JYCing at the weekend (even with the mobile blogging) it would seem.

This weekend particularly there's been little time. Mostly because there's been one very special Christmas present arriving at Chez Cookie this week. One that definitely came with no wrapping!

Meet the latest members of the Cookie family:

This is Opal (the tabby) and Loki (the ginger). They are 17 weeks old and totally bonkers! Our current cat, Scully (who is a grumpy, old lady cat) is less than amused by the new arrivals We're hoping she'll come round in a few days.

In the meantime Opal and Loki have been making themselves well at home. Exploring every inch of the living room (including the top of the bookshelves and the widescreen TV (eek!). They are so loveable and cuddly, the kids just adore them. Loki has even been assisting with Kendo's University work. He's very helpful, see:

While he was expanding his brain Opal was busy catch up on some much needed Kitten Zzzzzz's:

All that exploring and stalking your brother really takes it out of you!

So, not a very Christmassy JYC post for the 10th, but I had to share our new babies with you all. Sorry about the tenous wrapping paper link (that was the prompt for the day!).

Back with more tales of kitten madness soon I'm sure. They're home alone today while I'm at work.... God knows what they're doing to my Christmas tree while I'm gone!!

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 9th: Traditions.

2011-12-09T14:18:00.001Z

I have just relented and done my Christmas food shopping online for delivery (on Thursday 22nd as all the 23rd and 24th delivery dates had been snapped up). I have a standard list that I have saved on the computer for Christmas food shopping. I roll the same one out every year and add other bits I'll need (so at least I know I won't forget anything).

I noticed that there's one particular item that always appears on that list and it's a little sad and lonely looking.

I always buy an individual Christmas Pudding. Just a little one. Why? Well, no one else in the family likes it (freaky people I live with!) and if I buy a big one it just goes to waste (or I end up scoffing the whole thing which, Christmas season or not, is really not good for my waistline!).

So I have my little individual Christmas pudding and custard while the rest of the family tuck into very unfestive cheesecake for dessert. The weirdos.

I'm happy though, that little bigtof Christmassy goodness tops off my Christmas dinner quite nicely, thank you very much. Yum, yum, yum.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 8th: Do you see what I See?

2011-12-09T13:57:00.001Z

Four years on and we're still playing this game:

These days with even more gusto and louder voices and to even more incredible displays of Christmas light extravaganza mentalness! It's comforting to know somethings don't change :)

TTFN

JYC 2001 - December 7th: Organised, much?

2011-12-08T10:27:00.001Z

Thankfully, there is not much left on my pre-Christmas "To Do List". I learnt a long time ago that I need to be organised for Christmas. I can't abide a last minute rush and the thought of going into town or a shopping centre so near Christms just brings me out in a cold sweat. WAY too many people for my liking. Probably 97% of my present shopping is done (mostly done online it has to be said (and wrapped and stashed around the house away from prying eyes!)).

I still have the following to do:

Buy the kids Christmas gifts to each other (Grace wants to buy Ewan a Nerf blaster - Lord help us!). I'm thinking he should probably buy her one in return so she can at least defend herself against the foam onslaught.....do they come in pink, I wonder?)

Christmas food shopping (this will be getting on on 21st - before the absolute insane supermarket madness begins, hopefully. Why do people do that? Shop for food like it's Armageddon??? It's not like the shops aren't open Boxing Day these days! *SIGH*)

Fix up the fireplace (I won the Ebay auction!) and get the stockings hung up.

See, not many things at all. I can live with a list like that. Of course I will probably end up buying last minute presents for the kids (when I look at their pile and decide they need more stocking fillers - which I will buy and they will probably not play with. I wonder if I can disuade myself from spending the extra money this year?) but all in all not much left to do except enjoy the season... which is exactly the plan :)

TTFN

**don't mention the absence of December 6th. As I am officially not sweating the JYC catch up this year I decided to give prompt 6 a miss. Do I feel bad about it? Not one jot! Hurrah! I am finally JYC guilt free :)

JYC 2001 - December 5th: Christmas Countdown

2011-12-06T11:46:00.001Z

There was a whole different kind of Christmas Countdown going on at Chez Cookie last night. Yes, the kids are merrily counting down the days with their chocolate advent calendar (because despite all my craftiness I am clearly incapable of EVER making a reusable one - not that they're complaining, because lets face it, who doesn't want a Cadburys chocolate every morning after breakfast for 24 days?) but I was counting down the seconds on an Ebay auction.

What might be so exciting and Christmassy about this Ebay auction you might ask. Was it a Christmas present? A fabulous toy for the kids? Something blingy and exciting for my Christmas stocking? No. It was somewhere to actually PUT the Christmas stockings!

The year before last my lovely FIL took out our old, decrepit heating system and fitted us a nice, shiny, new, super energy efficient combo boiler. As the old one was a back boiler behind the fire in the living room that meant as the boiler went, so did the fire (and the fireplace). Now we hadn't used the fire in about 5 years so it wasn't an epic loss, and I did loathe the brick monsterosity of the fireplace that was there, but it did present one problem. Last Christmas, there was nowhere for me to hang the Christmas stockings :(

This year I've decided that we need a fireplace back. The living room is just missing something without one. So that's what I was bidding on. A lovely wooden firesurround for the living room....... so I'll have somewhere to hang my stockings. Is that a bit overboard just for Christmas decorations??? I think not :) The good news is I won, and for the bargain price of £9.99. I just need to get round to picking it up and find something for a hearth, and drag the mantle decorations out, and find the stocking, and the money to buy a fire!

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 4th: A Perfect Christmas.

2011-12-05T10:51:00.001Z

My good friend Louise and I went on our annual Twilight movie pilgrimage yesterday (we have a tradition of meeting at a cinema in between our two houses (about a 100 mile round trip for each of us) to spend some quality time scoffing Ben and Jerrys and drooling over scrumptious shirtless werewolves (so very wrong when you're practically old enough to be his mother! LOL).

Anyhoo.... over our obligatory Christmassey lattes we also had a discussion about December 4ths JYC prompt and how you can only write so many times about what your "Perfect" Christmas is like. Lou has taken a different tactic this year and gotten her DD to write down what would be her perfect Christmas. Mine hasn't changed much since I scrapped this page in 2007:

So, rather than rehash the whole thing I thought I would take today to ponder one element of it, my favourite Christmas movie. Now, I'm not generally one for black and white films. As a rule they usually don't float my cinematic boat, but I do have to make an exception when it comes to "It's a Wonderful Life". I totally love this movie, Jimmy Stewart is fab in that swarve fabulous forties kind of a way (what it it about me in suits and hats?) and I think the story is the perfect Christmas tale. I think there's a point for all of us when we wonder why we bother doing the daily grind but this film at its heart shows us just how much the smallest things we do can have an impact on other people. It also gives us food for thought over striving to make the decisions and actions we do make in life positive ones (as every action we take has an affect on others).

I do try to make the effort to watch this movie on Christmas Eve but the last few years things have conspired against me (mostly poorly small people I seem to recall... why do my kids insist on getting sick on Christmas Eve??). This year I'm going to attempt to watch it earlier..... hopefully I'll get to settle down with a nice glass of something festive and some lovely chocolates and just enjoy the black and white festiveness (even though I don't do black and white I still can't bring myself to watch the colourised version that's on my DVD. It just seems wrong!).

I'll leave you with a little clip then. Always remember.... no man is a failure who has friends :)

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 3rd: Christmas Cards.

2011-12-04T16:11:00.001Z

I'm torn on the issue of Christmas cards. Kendo is firmly of the opinion that Christmas cards should be reserved for those people you don't see throughout the year, that's its crazy to send Christmas cards to people who you can easily say 'Merry Christmas' to in person.

The older I get the more I'm inclined to agree with him. Especially when you consider how much the whole card thing feeds into the consumerist agenda of Christmas. That said, in these days when written correspondance (that's not in the form of junk mail or a bill) is few and far between maybe its a time to revive the tradition of putting actual pen to real paper and penning some thoughtful words to someone special.

I have long since given up on handmade Christmas cards (way too much guilt for not completing them and who needs that stress?) but I have actually gotten round to buying some cards this year. Whether they actually make it to being sent is a whole other issue though!

TTFN

JYC 2011 - December 2nd: Winter Weather

2011-12-02T13:43:00.004Z

The "winter"weather this year seems unseasonable warm. I blame the fact the my lovely husband went out and bought a car (to use for his commute to work instead ofhis motorbike) on the basis that the UK Met office told us we'd have snow comeOctober. So, clearly, lesson #1 NEVER believe what the Met office tells you! Wehaven't seen a sniff of a snow flake and it's barely gotten to freezing even at this point in December.

The weather for today? A positively balmy (for this time of year) 7 degrees..... and set to be even warmer tomorrow.

When it comes to the weather I'm a fickle creature. I love the snow, but only for the first day of excitement and fun. I soon lose any desire for it when it's turned to grey slush then refrozen and I have to attempt to drive on it! I don't much care for the rain, unless I'm tucked up snuggly in the house with the heating on, then I could listen to rain and storms all night.

I was hoping for a little snow this year, mostly because the kids just love it so much. It's so much fun to see their faces when they realise that it's snowed and they can't wait to get outside for some snowball/snowman/snow angel action.

Last year we had the most excellent snowfall in January (Miss G loved it.... until it interfered with her birthday celebrations!).

The local park was transformed to a winter wonderland:

and the kids had tonnes of fun playing in the snow both in the park (amidst the blizzard!) and in my parents garden:

Unfortunately we had to wait until January for our snow last year. I'm secretly hoping we'll get to have at least a little snowy fun over the actual Christmas period this year. For me it really does make the whole thing that little bit more Christmassey. The biggest benefit to a day in the snow though? A perfect excuse to indulge in a guilt free one of these:

Nom. Nom. Nom. :)

Here's hoping for some of the white stuff before the Big day.

TTFN

JYC 2011 - 1st December: A Christmas Manifesto.

2011-12-01T21:23:00.001Z

The first test of JYC blogging on the fly. Hopefully the Blogger app will prove successful....then there might be some hope of me actually getting some way through JYC this year!

So, to start with. A Christmas manifesto. I've been a little lazy for sure and stolen Shimelle's premade one, but really it does actually sum up what I'm hoping for from this Christmas. I really want to try to get into a proper festive mood and to just relax and enjoy the season. To make it as magical for the kids as possible. To let go of the stress and be a fun Mum for a change instead of one who is cranky and busy all the time. I just want to kick back and enjoy the Christmas tree scented, minced pie flavored, holly berry coloured, wrapping paper covered ride!

TTFN

JYC 2011 - Welcome to December

2011-12-01T10:57:00.001Z

So. Kicking off as I (hopefully) mean to go on, with the first task of this year's Journal Your Christmas.

The prompt for today hasn't yet arrived but there was a little taster in my inbox this morning from the lovely Shimelle asking me to consider and take a little time to fill in this:

I'm really hoping that as I'm (mostly) organised for this year I will be able to take a step back from the usual madness and spend some time actually enjoying the festive build up, rather than being all "Bah! Humbuggy" like I usually am come the first week of December. So this Christmas I will attempt all of the above....... most especially that last one!

Back later with some JYC prompt 1 related waffle.

TTFN

Thoughts on Christmas Journalling.

2011-12-01T10:24:00.001Z

There was a time (in the dim and distant past) when the 1st December came to mean one thing to me. The beginning of Shimelle's "Journal Your Christmas" class.

This was a time when I had enough time to make albums, and plan pages, and enjoy the delights of sticking sparkly lovely Christmas themed paper in to hand made albums with jolly little embellishments. Oh I did love to do that.

See:

These days there seems to be much less time for things like this. My scrapbooking supplies have laid mostly untouched for the last couple of years (with the exception of a few occasions where my lovely friend Lou has shamed me into scrapping some more of the kids photos!).

Last year, knowing that an album was never going to work for me and my hectic schedule I began JYC 2010 in a spiral bound sketch book, just writing and doodling a little each day. I don't think I made it past day 10 and they certainly didn't make it onto the Cookie blog (although I seem to recall there being a "Word Cloud" one that I was quite pleased with. I wonder that I did with that book?)

We're here once again at the 1st December (which I still really cannot believe is actually here.... I'm sure it was August last week!) and once again I'm getting that JYC feeling :)There's no way on this planet I would be able to keep up with an album. I know this, even as that scrapbooky voice in my head is saying "you could just get some stash out and whip up something pretty". What I do really like about JYC is that it forces you to stop and look at the festive season as something to be enjoyed, rather than whizzing through it in a mindless blur of "must get this done" madness.

I want to take part this year. I also need a way to take part that is going to give me a half decent chance of actually getting something done. Album is out, sketch book didn't work. I'm thinking I need to rely more on the wonders of modern technology. I have a smart phone, it has a blogger app. I'm at my desk most of the day, with my computer, which I can blog from. I have a much neglected blog. The answer seems reasonably simple them, and I'm all for the Finding your Simple at the moment.

So, an attempt at a bloggy JYC this year. I have no idea if it will work but I know this - I won't sweat about it if it doesn't and I will enjoy it if it does!

Wish Me Luck.... I'm going in!!

TTFN

Attitude of Gratitude

2011-11-25T10:49:00.001Z

A long time ago when Grace was a teeny tiny baby (feels likea million years ago!) I was trawling t’internet in search of some breastfeedingadvice when I came across the message boards for a lady called Tracy Hogg.Affectionately known as “The Baby Whisperer". I’d seen Tracy’s programmes on theDiscovery Health Channel whilst I was pregnant with Grace so I was familiarwith her work. Little did I know that that message board would become my onlinehome for the next 5 years! (and that I would moderate boards on that forum for4 of them!).

Through the Baby Whisperer forum I met some amazing people.Some very quickly became RL friends (who I speak to in one form or anotherpractically every single day). Evenafter retiring from the site there are some I am still on contact one way or another…viafacebook or blogging or some other means.

The women I met on that site touched my life in a myriad ofways. Some helped me with parenting isssues (or were helped by me in parenting issues),some shared my love of all things crafty, some got my bizarre sense of humour,some loved to argue with me (in the nicest possible way), one of them was/is my Canadian doppleganger and some shared my desire to try and get someorganisation into my home and my life.

It’s one of the latter that inspires this post.

The lovely Debra Dane, who’s BW tag line always intrigued me so. “AnAmerican, married to a Brit, living in Oz” was what it used to say. Deb wasalways there to spur me (and a hundred other life-crazed women) on when wecouldn’t get a handle on the laundry, or feeding everyone, or get over the factthat we couldn’t actually do everything. With a wise and invariably honest wordshe could put your mind at ease.

Deb has recently started up a new blog called “Home LifeSimplified” where she is sharing her fantastic take on life as a busy family.The tag line there says it all “Find YOUR Simple”. What could be simpler?

A big part of Deb’s attempt to find HER simple is trying topromote an “Attitude of Gratitude” within herself. To see the positive in liferather than the negative. To be thankful for what we DO have, rather than whatwe don’t. A wise move at any time I would think but even more so in light ofcurrent economic climate the world over. We could all stand to focus on thepositive aspects of our lives (lest the negative ones overwhelm us).

As a culture I think us Brits tend not to go in for this “gratitude”business very much. Insofar as it’s not common for us to express gratitude justfor the sake of doing it. On the contrary, Britain is apparently a nation of Moaners (most spending on average 9 minutes per day just whining about stuff).

After reading Deb’s blog for a couple of weeks I decided Iwould try to go against my heritage and try to see the positive more. I’mworking on trying to shift my thought process round to seeing the good, insteadof bemoaning the bad all the time.

As part of her Attitude of Gratitude promotion Deb isposting a weekly “Attitude of Gratitude” post on her blog to talk about whatshe’s feeling grateful for that week. GivenI’m trying to follow her example I thought I would follow suit.

So, This week I am most Grateful for:

Being well prepared for Christmas and not having go intodebt to pay for it.

I’ve managed to do the majority of my Christmas shoppingthis week and unlike a very large proportion of the UK I haven’t had to amass ahuge amount of debt to do it. Now, we’re not talking a massive amount of extravagantgifts here. Just a little something for each family member and a pile ofpresents for each of the kids. More than enough for a happy Christmas. It takes quite a lot of money management toget to the point where I can be able to do this but I’ve learnt that it pays toplan for it to avoid that stress of wondering how we’re going to pay forChristmas at the last minute. It makes me really sad when I see familiesstruggling under the weight of consumer pressure to buy stuff for their kids.Parenting is hard enough without feeling like you’re letting your children downbecause they don’t have the latest this or the best that. We try hard to teachour kids the value of money. They don’t just get whatever they want in theyear. If they’re asking for something big they’ll likely be told to ask fortheir birthday or Christmas. I want them to really value what they have, not beso surrounded by stuff that they lose the value of the things they do own. This year I am going to try hard to encouragethe spirit of Christmas more at home. Family activities to make the festiveseason come alive…. Cookie baking and winter walks and hot chocolate and treedecorating (I will try to let go of my Christmas Tree perfectionism and justlet the kids have at it! LOL).

Most of my presents are wrapped now except for the few I amwaiting to be delivered. I will wrap those when they arrive. I might even get around to Christmas cardsthis year!

My Parents and My In-Laws.

I tell my children all the time just how lucky they are tohave two sets of Grandparents around that they see all the time. I literally donot know what we would do without my Mother. She has watched my children almostevery day since I had to return to work. She never says no if I ask her to sitfor them. My parents and In-Laws have such an active role in my kid’s lives(and our lives) and I’m so happy that they’re around to do that. I’m gratefulfor every day they are with us and every day that my Dad is a step closer tobeing healthy again.

The Acceptance of Potential Happiness.

Yesterday I saw a dear friend of mine who lost her husband afew years ago (just a short time after their wedding). She has travelled a longroad the last two and a half years in terms of dealing with her grief and theaftermath of her loss. I’m grateful that she finally seems accepting of the possibilitythat it is okay for her to be happy again. It lifts my heart to see her smilewithout seeing the immediate shadow of guilt behind it.

A long overdue kitchen remodel.

I have a new (to me) kitchen. It was something of a surprise(inherited from a friend who is having a new one fitted). It is currently in pieces in my dining room. I’mvery grateful that it will eventually replace the hideous brown kitchen wecurrently have. I’m grateful I have a husband capable of fitting it, and afather in law more than willing to help.

That are tonnes of other things. Once you starting thinkingof the positive things then you start to see more and more, it’s definitely aknockon effect.

I'm going to try to do this every week, If nothing else it will hopefully encourage me into a littleblogging. Which has been sadly lacking this year.

If you haven’t already you should definitely pop over to Deb’sblog for some interesting reads.

TTFN

Once Upon A Time.........

2011-10-07T13:32:00.003Z

........there was a (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady who woke up one day and decided that all the silly things that went on in her head were worth sharing with the world. The (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady set up a colourful space on the big scary internet where she whiled away some of her SAHM time waffling about silly things like teapots and Scooby Doo and picnics and sick babies.

She made things too. Things with paper and things with fabric and sometimes things with yarn.

She baked lovely things to eat like cakes, and cookies and delicious bread and all was happy and well in her little world.

Then, one day, the grisly, mean old bank manager decreed that the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady must give up her peaceful SAHM existance and venture back into the world of work. So off the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady went to work in a big castle of learning not far away from her home.

Years passed and for a little while the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady carried on doing the things she loved and whispering about them to the folks who would come to visit her colourful corner of blogland to listen. Knowing that she was not getting any younger the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady took up other pasttimes. Things with running, and kicking and jumping that helped to keep her healthy and give her skills to fight off dark forces that may cross her path.

One day, the (not so) little boy of the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady was old enough to go to a castle of learning of his own, so off he trundled with his sister one morning, resplendant in his shining uniform of grey and regal blue.

Shortly after that, the castle of learning where the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady worked decided that it would take many more students into its academic fold and so the leaders of the institution asked the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady if she would work many more hours than she already did. Mindful of the grisly, mean old bank manager the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady decided that she would.

Unfortunately, many more hours spent at the castle of learning meant even less time for the things the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady had once loved. On the occasions when she did make things with paper, or things with fabric or yarn, or bake lovely things to eat she rarely remembered to capture picture of them and whisper them in the colourful blogland space.

Unfortunately, many more hours spent at the castle of learning meant even less time for the things the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady did not love aswell. So the laundry pile grew and the work surfaces gathered crumbs and the floors went unswept and the dust bunnies gathered in dark corners and made plans to take over the world.

Slowly but surely the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady began to notice the appearance of a rather grumpy old lady round the house. At first she didn't appear very often but over time her visitations grew more frequent and there didn't seem to be much the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady could do to prevent the intrusion. Not even the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady's new found kick-ass martial arts skills could keep the grumpy old lady at bay. As the grumpy old lady appeared more and more the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady felt herself slipping away. Taken over by the grumpy, grumbly, shouting, snarky old lady more and more with each passing day.

So, surrounded by mess and tired from hard work at the castle of learning, and fearful of the grumpy old lady the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady decided that things would need to change. Plans would need to me made. Great plans to organise the things that the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady loved, and more important big plans to organise the things that the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady did not love.

Could these plans be realised? Could these problems be surmounted? Would the (not so) young ~~girl~~ lady ever live happily ever after, or would the grumpy old lady win out in the end. Only time will tell.

The End.... for now.

Swirls and Sprinkles

2011-07-14T16:09:00.003Z

Two posts. Two days. WOW. It's a miracle!

And what's warranted another post so soon? Well, I've been spending a lot of time over on Pinterest.com this last few weeks and I've been totally inspired by the awe worthy collection of cupcake images over there. Seriously, some of them are just TOO gorgeous looking.

Take these for example (one of my absolute faves):

Source: fortheloveofsugaraddicts.blogspot.com via Marie on Pinterest

What is not to love about those cupcakes, I ask you?

So, inspired by all the pinterest cupcake lovliness, and in response to a request from Mr K for baking for his co-workers I dutiful dusted off the muffin tins and cupcake papers and set to it.

Nothing ground breaking in terms of newness. Devil's food cupcakes from here (my go to recipe for chocolate cupcakes) and a test out of this frosting recipe from I am Baker. I used half shortening and half butter. I really, really, REALLY like this frosting recipe. I think I ate half of it from the bowl before it even got to the cakes! LOL. What I love about it most is that the shortening means its white (I find when I make butter cream with all butter it's always got a bit of a yellowish ting which I don't really like). This worked great, would have piped better if it wasn't so bloomin' hot here too.

Without futher ado then. Cupcakes, with swirls and sprinkes. Delicious and beautiful, what more can you want in a cupcake..... well.... calorie free maybe? Can't guarantee that though, sorry ;)

Don't they look lovely? Want one? Here you go....one just for you:

Enjoy :)

TTFN

Back in the Scrapping Saddle

2011-07-13T09:53:00.003Z

So, it's been a while. Of late though I've felt ticklings of scrapbooking mojo re-emerging. Lots to do with this lady, who inspires me greatly with her endless enthusiasm for all things scrappy.

Also to do with this lady, who has been endlessly cranking out great scrapbooking pages to keep me entertained while I've been out of the scrapping game.

I do have to confess that whilst my mojo is somewhat returned it has been greatly dependant on a helping hand of late (in the form of sketches, classes and scraplifts). I like to think of it as easing myself back in gently :)

As promised then, the latest layouts from Chez Cookie:

(This one is actually from a last year but I haven't posted it yet *slapped wrists*)

(This one is based on Shimelle's Sketch to scrapbook page from 29th June. Photos from our holiday in Norfolk in April)

(This is based on Shimelle's 4x6 photo love class for June. Random collection of photos of Gracie on the teacups. If you look closely at the other little lady accompanying Grace in the photo on the left you just might recognise her from here.)

And last but not least:

(Based on this LO by Shannon Tidwell from the Products you love every which way class for June).

My new found scrapping led to a bit of a reprimand from Mr K in that I haven't scrapped any where near as many photos of Ewan as I have of Grace (second child syndrome I'm afraid *bad mummy slap*). So, my scrapping effort for the foreseeable future will involve all things boyish and lots of tales of the Eggman.

TTFN

The Joy of Discovery

2011-07-06T12:11:00.002Z

There aren't many things in life (these days) as much fun as discovering a new blog.

I may well have died and gone to cake making heaven.

Be warned... you could put pounds on just looking at this blog!

It's here: I Am Baker.

Peruse at your calorific peril!

TTFN

P.S. Rumour has it there's been some scrapbooking action going on a Chez Cookie. No, really. There has. Pics to follow. Promise.

Did You See The Size of That Chicken?*

2011-05-16T11:11:00.003Z

Oh, it has been a while. Three months in fact. Wow. I remember a time when I used to blog everyday......oh for the days of SAHMness. *SIGH*

Ah well.

I thought I'd come and share the news of the latest additions to the Cookie family. A little while ago (about 9 months or so), we inherited a chicken coop from some friends of ours who had upgraded theirs. It sat in the garden with a tarp over it for months gathering slugs and spiderwebs and other insecty type adornments. After a visit to said friends over the Bank holiday period (and an introduction to their new chickens) we decided we'd bite the bullet and finally put the coop to some use. We'd made the decision we would get some hens come September.

When I returned to work after the bizillionth bank holiday weekend I found an email had arrived in my inbox from a collegue who's cousin had rescued some battery hens and was looking to rehome them. Divine Providence? We thought so to and so three of those ex-batt hens have come to live out the rest of their days hopefully at lot happier around at Chez Cookie.

We've had them a little over a week now and they've settle in beautifully. So, without further ado let me introduce you to our new girls:

First we have McQueenie (top of the pecking over and the escape artist of the group):

Next, in the middle we have Ruby:

And last but by no means least we have Iron Chicken (or I.C for short) - yes, this is what you get when you ask your 4 year old son to name his own chicken!:

They're pretty well feathered for Ex-batts and are amazingly tame. They'll happily come to investigate and stay a while. If you hang around long enough Ruby will practically sit on your knee!

They've even been gifting us with some yummy eggs (we thought they might go off lay for a while with all the moving commotion) which are definitely the BESTEST eggs I've ever tasted.....although I could well be accused of being a little biased. Maybe.

I've really come to love these ladies over the past week. They entertain me no end with their chickeny antics. I haven't even minded the poop scooping so much (although I'm sure having to go out there in the winter will be a real test of just how endearing they can be. If they can still win me over then they'll be lucky!).

So. Welcome to our new lovely ladies. Here's to make happy hen moments for them (and for us).

TTFN

*if you didn't get this reference, you should totally watch this clip:

Genius!!

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

2011-02-18T15:08:00.003Z

Thanks to my lovely ILs taking the kids out this afternoon I found myself with a few hours peace and quiet at home, alone. WOW.

Mooching around for something for lunch I decided I would make my Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup. This started as a bit of a "shove things together and see what you get" moment a while ago when Kendo decided that the cold, dreary day demanded nice soup to eat (for me to make of course, not him! LOL). It turned out completely delicious. I thought as I've made it today I would take a few minutes to share it on here (for lack of another posts of late - may aswell have a recipe sharing moment!).

So, here it is:

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1tsp Garlic infused olive oil
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Red sweet pointed peppers
1 red chilli
1 medium sweet potato (chopped into ¼ inch cubes)
1 medium carrot (chopped into ¼ inch cubes)
1 medium onion (diced)
400g can chopped tomatoes
1.5 pints Vegetable and/or chicken stock
2 rashers streaked smoky bacon (optional)
Salt and Black pepper
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Smoked paprika (optional)

1. Chargrill the red peppers and chilli.

There are a couple of ways to do this. If you’re safety conscious then cut them in half and pop them under the grill on a baking sheet until the tops are blackened. If you have a gas stove like me and you like to live on the edge a little then light the front burners and pop the little blighters right on there into the flames (NB: MAKE SURE YOU PIERCE THEM WITH A KNIFE OR FORK FIRST OR THEY WILL EXPLODE …. And that’s not fun. Trust me!) Turn them carefully occasionally until the skins are evenly blackened them pop them into a large ziplock freezer bag, shut the top and set aside for now.

2. Add a little garlic infused olive oil to a large soup pan (if you don’t have garlic oil use a little fresh garlic and plain olive oil – I hate chopping garlic so I like to cheat :))

3. Add the bacon, diced onion and chopped carrots and sweet potato to the oil and sauté for a couple of minutes until they soften a little. I don’t always add the bacon (it depends if I have any in and you don’t have to add it if you’re veggie of course. It does add a nice extra flavour though).

4. Add the stock (I usually use cubes…..cheating again… and like to use 1 chicken and 1 vegetable to make up 1.5 pints) and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the root vegetables are soft

5. While the veggies are simmering, take the peppers and chilli out of the bag. The chargrilled skins should slide off pretty easily. Remove the skins and the seeds from the peppers and chop roughly (doesn’t have to be neat… you’re going to blend it shortly anyway).

6. Once the root veggies are cooked through add the peppers and chilli to the pan along with the tin of chopped tomatoes. Stir well.

7. At this point you can add a little cayenne and paprika if you like it a little spicier (as we do).

8. Bring to the boil again, reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.

9. Blend the soup until smooth (I use a hand blender but you could do it in an upright blender or food processor if need be – just remember to vent it or you’ll be wearing your hot soup (probably to the emergency department!)).

10. Check the soup for seasoning and add salt/black pepper/more cayenne to taste.

11. Serve and enjoy

If I’m being a little naughty I like to serve mine with some cheese sprinkled on top (today’s had a bit of applewood smoked cheddar, but whatever you have/like is fine so long as it’s a melty cheese). I also add a bit of fresh basil or extra yumminess. Serve with nice bread (today’s was sweet barley and rye…delish!) and butter. Nom nom nom.

If you make it let me know if you enjoyed it, won't you.

Right, off to enjoy my last hours of peace!

TTFN

Can It Be Spring Now Please?

2011-01-26T10:54:00.004Z

It's that time of year again.

Mid-January (well, actually almost end of January, I'm a little late this year) always signals the end of my "winter-is-good-with-the-snuggling-inside-in-the-warm-and-Christmas-and-all-things-festive" mood and the start of my "can't-it-just-get-to-spring-already" mood.

Here.

And here.

And here.

Every year without fail I find myself in this same mood. I'm nothing if not predictable (well, unless you count the randomly taking up martial arts at the ripe old age of 33....because seriously, no-one saw that one coming! ;) ).

It's not just me though, other people are at it too.

So. I will go with tradition and instead of dwelling on the dark and gloomies I will think about somethings that are making me smile at the moment.

This song:

isn't failing to make me smile whenever I hear it right now.

I'm loving Season 2 of this on the TV:

Sue Sylvester is just a genius character and Brittany S.Pierce... OMG she has be howling with laughter with everything line. Love it!

The new one of these:in my living room is making me grin a lot too (is it weird to be excited about fitness equipment? I think probably, yes).

So it's not all bad. There's bright spots to the gloomy month of January, and soon it will be February, which means that Spring is practically round the corner. Phew. We're almost there!

TTFN

The End of The Beginning.

2011-01-17T12:44:00.007Z

I had started on a post entitled "Welcome to 2011". Unfortunately it sat in my drafts box for two weeks unfinished. Now it doesn't really seem appropriate to be posting New Year's greetings...being that we're almost to the end of the beginning of 2011. That is to say we're past the middle, which is nearer to the end than the beginning.

Instead I'll just move on to what the unposted post was about. My One Little Word for this year. Previous years words have been:

2008 - SIMPLE

2009 - BALANCE

2010 - ACTION

I usually try to focus my aims for the year around these goals. Quite apt then that I've decided my One Little Word for 2011 will be....

FOCUS

You may have noticed (or not) that posting around the Cookie blog have been some what sporadic this past year. It's safe to say that my contribution to the world of crafty goodness has been minimal (I think I've managed about 2 scrapbook layouts, and I'm still working on the only crochet project that I started all year).

The focus of my energies and of my free (hah!) time over the last 12 months change dramatically from always filling my time with something crafty, to always filling my time with something fitness related. That's right. I became a fitness bore. In particular? I became (and still am) a KARATE bore!

If any of you have dared wander over to ~~the dark side~~ the Cookie Family Karate blog then you'll know that since I took up a place at Grace's karate school last November I've been working hard at my karate training and at uncovering information about the whole new world that is Martial Arts.

I've recently moved all my crafty supplies out of our conservatory (what was my craft room, but did indeed prove to be way too damp a place to keep anything paper related) and into our new insulated/boarded out loft space. I could protentially craft up there if it came to it, but if I'm being honest with myself I don't see me getting back to regular crafting any time soon.

Instead, my focus for most my time will be on family, on home, on work, on finances (and getting us through the financial crisis in something resembling one piece!) and my free time (what there is of it) will continue to be focused on fitness, and on karate (never thought you'd here my saying that...in a million years!). I will try to post more often on here but it will most likely be family stuff rather than crafty stuff. Although the stuff my kids get up to is enough to keep anyone amused, I'm sure.

I've managed to progress up to blue belt/red tip in my karate school this year. I work hard training 2 days a week (soon to be three - hurrah) and putting in time training at home with Kendo. I'm looking forward to seeing more progress this year. To continuing to get better in all areas of my karate studies, to improve as an instructor (I've been assisting with Grace's class which I just love) and maybe (hopefully?) seeing some more gradings under (on?) by belt before the year is out.

So. That's it for now. 2011 in Cookie blog land is the year of focus.

Welcome to 2011 (a little late).

TTFN

Christmas Day TV

2010-12-07T14:26:00.003Z

On Shimelle's blog today she's posted a link to this cracking You tube video.

A chap called Nick over at the 52 New Things blog began 2010 with the idea of doing something new every single week, and hopefully raising some money for a worthwhile cause along the way.

One of the things on Nick's list was to write and record a Christmas single in 52 days. He's done it, and you can see it above.

Nick's goal is to get his song "Christmas Day TV" to number 52 in the charts by 12th December and raise £5,200 for the Alzheimer’s Society. You can buy the song from iTunes here:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/christmas-day-tv-single/id407375921

for the very bargain-licious price of just 79p.

Sign up for the Facebook group in support of the cause here:

http://www.facebook.com/52NewThings

Go on....do something new today :)

TTFN

The Easiest Chocolate Sponge Pudding In The World...Ever!

2010-12-02T09:57:00.004Z

Last night Kendo decided he must have chocolate cake.

I wasn't really in the mood for an all out baking session. I was even less in the mood for having to drive to the shop to buy baking supplies. So, time for a bit of ingenious throwing together of ingredients to make yummy chocolate sponge pudding..... in the microwave!

Here's my "bung it together from what you've got" recipe:

Marie's Easy Peasy Microwave Chocolate Sponge Pudding.

Ingredients:
4oz caster sugar
4oz unsalted butter
4oz plain flour
1tsb baking powder (or you could use 4oz self-raising flour and skip the baking powder, I only had plain in though)
3 eggs
2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 oz cocoa powder

Recipe:

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl, add the eggs one at a time and mix well, add the vanilla extract. Mix in the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Add the milk if the mixture is very thick.

Put some chocolate in a microwaveable bowl (I used a packet of milk chocolate chips I found lurking in the cupboard but any chocolate will do), add the pudding mixture on top. Cover with cling film (DON'T VENT!). Put the bowl in the microwave on full power for about 5 and a half minutes (my microwave is 700 watt - adjust the time accordingly). Leave to stand for 5 minutes.

I served mine with minty green custard (a la school dinner puddings) and it's delish. To make the custard....well....open a tin or packet of custard, stick it in a bowl or jub, heat it in the microwave as per the instructions. Add 1-2 tsp of peppermint essence and a splash of green food colouring (this is completely optional, but somehow it always tastes mintier to me if its green!).

It was a bloomin' gorgeous pudding (if I do say so myself) and for a cold winters night the fact that it took about 15 minutes start to finish was a total bonus (not long stood in the cold kitchen!).

Sorry there's no photos.... it got snaffled up by the hungry hoards (including me!) before I even had a chance to think about taking a snapshot. Maybe next time.

TTFN

Mama Kat's Writing Prompts: The Perfect Fall Photo.

2010-12-01T11:25:00.002Z

If you were to go here.

And take a look at this post.

Then you'd know why I'm showing you this today:

and marvelling at the fact that this was taken in 2005!! FIVE years ago!

How on earth did that happen??

TTFN

Preparations

2010-11-17T11:10:00.006Z

Image ~~stolen~~ borrowed from Here

I'm not quite sure how it's happened. I'm sure the last time I looked it was June....yes.... definitely June. Yet here were are in November. Half way through November, in fact. Can someone please tell me where this year has gone?

I know where it's not gone.

It's not gone on scrapbooking.
Or knitting.

Or crotchet.

Or sewing.

Or baking.

Or taking photographs.

Or indeed and of the other crafty things I used to do with my time in a previous existance.

A lot of it went on one of these:

And even more of it was passed wearing one of these:

(although not with that coloured belt....... at least, not yet anyway!)

Which you'd know all about if you've spent any time reading over Here.

I only know that it's gone and now there's not much time left until Chr......... OOPS! I almost say it. I almost said the "C" word. That's not allowed to be uttered until December 1st. Miss Lou has decreed it so (and I have to say, I'm with her on this one).

So, despite the fact that I'm not allowed to talk about that event that happens on 25th December every year, that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it. Preparations are well underway round at Chez Cookie. I'm nearly finished with present shopping. All the ones I have are wrapped and secreted away in hidey-holes away from prying small people eyes. I have a turkey crown (safetly tucked away in Mum's chest freezer) and I have a plan for the decorations (I just need to do battle with the boxes in the loft). We're having purple and gold with our black tree this year to match my lubbly new living room colour scheme.

I'm ~~planning~~ hoping to have all the shopping out of the way for the first of December then I can spend the run up to the big day more relaxed and doing all sorts of enjoyable festive (I nearly said the C-word again then!) things such as baking yummy cookies and mince pies and other such loveliness. There are lots of events going on in our town this year so I'm hoping we can get the kids out to those and really start to get into the spirit of things.

And maybe. Hopefully. If I can find a few minutes every day. I might try to play along with this project again. We'll see.

Hope your preparations are going well. Hopefully it won't be 6 months before I next make it round to PTC posting!

TTFN

Life's Little Disappointments.

2010-06-24T10:01:00.002Z

Egg has a bit of an Ironman obsession going on at the moment. Since about February he's been asking persistantly for an Ironman costume and is hoping that Santa will bring him one for Christmas (or that Mummy will bring him one for his birthday, being that that comes first).

This morning, courtesy of his big sister, he learnt the hideous truth. That when he gets his own Ironman costume, it won't actually enable him to fly! I did try to explain that only Ironman's ACTUAL costume allows him to fly and we can't buy those because they're not for sale (because what would Ironman do then?). He's not amused.

One of life's little disappointments. Poor little guy.

TTFN

Snackilicious

2010-06-18T13:05:00.007Z

Mmmmmmmmm......

PB&B.......

Sent by God to tempt my tastebuds. What's not to love??

Soy and Linseed bread - Check

Whole Earth Crunchy 100% peanut butter - Check

Just the right kind of ripe banana - Check

See, you even get a little snackette of banana left over to munch on separately.

Divine.

It could be surpassed in it's greatness only by a Peanut butter and Jam sandwich. I have to say JAM, sorry. I know you guys in the US kind of invented these things but I just can't bring myself to say Peanut Butter and Jelly. Because JELLY looks like this:

And JAM looks like this:

And what you put on your sandwich with peanut butter to make it yummy is definitely the last one, and not the first one. That would just be gross!

Thus endeth the tale of my afternoon snack. Hope you enjoyed. I did.

TTFN

The Season is Always Greener.

2010-06-18T11:57:00.002Z

Lying in bed last night, simmering in a pool of sweat, listening to the ceiling fan whirring and being completely unable to sleep because of the horrible, sticky, mugginess of it all, I got to thinking about seasons and how I like them (or rather don't like them).

I don't make much of a secret of that fact that I'm not really a summer loving girl. I tend to wilt a little in the heat, I get itchy and sticky and grumpy. It's not pretty. It has to be a certain kind of just dry enough but not too dry heat for me to be comfortable enough to enjoy the sun.

On the other hand, if you look back here, or here, or here, you'll see I don't much care for deepest darkest winter either.

It would seem that it's the transitions that suit me most.

I like Spring (when it's not hot and sticky enough to be summer, but the cold and dark of winter is behind us).

I like Autumn (when it's not yet cold enough to be winter, but sticky hotness of summer is behind us).

I'm an inbetweens kind of girl, it would appear. Either that or I'm just never satisfied with what I've got. I suspect Kendo might go with the latter!

TTFN

Flying The Flag

2010-06-17T09:08:00.003Z

I must have seen 40 or 50 of these flying in some form or other (on houses, on cars, outside pubs) on my way to work this morning. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to walk down a street in England at the moment and not see one.

I have to say, it's a refreshing change. For so many years now it seems that we, as a country, have had very little pride in being English. It hasn't helped that some extremist groups have seen fit to try and appropriate our national flag as a symbol of all the nastiness they stand for.

It looks like the tide is turning. We're reclaiming our flag and being proud to be English (as well we should). Well, at least until some numpty overpaid footballer makes a stupid mistake and we get knocked out of the World Cup :P

What a shame it has to take a sporting event for some sort of national pride to emerge. Football....yuk!! :P

TTFN

Place Your Bets.

2010-06-16T09:56:00.001Z

I had a rather interesting little exchange with Miss Grace this morning. After some discussions about them needing to find words that have a “PH” sound in them for their letters and sounds group at school. It went something like this:

Grace: Some of my friends said “Phineas” from Phineas and Ferb, but that doesn’t start with a “PH” it’s a “F”.

Me: No Grace, Phineas starts with a “PH”.

Grace: No, it’s a “F”.

Me: No, it’s a “PH” it just sounds like an “F”.

Grace: It’s an “F”.

Me: Okay, let’s have a bet.

Grace: What’s a bet?

Me: It’s were I say one thing and you say something else and if I’m right you have to give me something, and if you’re right I have to give you something.

Grace: I’m not giving you money*

Me: Okay. If I win, you have to give me one hour of peace and quiet, at a time when I choose.

Grace: What about if I win?

Me: I’ll take you to the park.

Grace. Okay, but I know I’m right.

So, scene set. Off we trooped down the stairs to put the TV on and check on Phineas and Ferb. Low and behold. It’s a “PH” not an “F”. There was much Gracie pouting. She’s not amused.

Me?........ I’m happily pondering when I’m going to request my hour’s worth of peace and quiet.

Must remember this one for future reference! Not that I’d be one to encourage gambling in children, but you’ve got to take the advantage while you can!!

TTFN

*A girl after my own heart!

Same Sh*t. Different Day.

2010-06-08T11:46:00.006Z

It seems that recently any time I speak to someone who I haven’t conversed with in a while and they ask me how I’m doing my answer is always this:

*Might have to get me one of those mugs.

That just about sums up my existence at the moment.

What do I spend my time doing?

Get up, deal with the kids, go to work, come home from work, deal with the kids, go to the gym, get back from the gym, deal with the kids, cook dinner, eat dinner, go to bed…………. Lather, rinse and repeat.

It doesn’t really make for very good blog fodder. Which is why there hasn’t really been very much blogging done.

When there are variations in the schedule. Like popping over the Pennies to celebrate the graduation of this lovely lady:

Or spending time with these crazy people betting on ancient horse races and being a mint chocolate muffin Indian-giver:

Then I never seem to get around to blogging them straight away, and then the moment has passed. So they don’t get blogged at all.

Hmmmm. What to do? What to do? Does this happen to all bloggers? I’m sure it must do. Eventually you get to a point in your life where nothing interesting happens. What do you share then?

Answers on a Postcard???

For now, I guess I will have to try to remember to blog the happenings as they happen. And if nothing happens? I’m sure I can find something hidden in the dark recesses of my mind that’s vaguely worth talking about? I think. I hope.

Like……..well………static caravans. There you go. That’s always confused me. Surely by a it’s very definition a caravan should be the opposite of static. An oxymoron for sure.

Oh dear. If that’s the best I can come up with we could be in big trouble.

Would someone please remember to turn the lights off on the way out?

TTF……E??.....nope, just N.

Tweet, much?

2010-06-01T12:36:00.003Z

Do you Tweet? Are you a Twitter fanatic?

Being that I'm not blogging so much I've been mooching about on Twitter on my phone while I'm out and about.

If you tweet, leave me a comment, let me know where I can find you......

TTFN

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick.

2010-04-21T17:26:00.003Z

It's hard to believe. I can barely believe it myself. Something strange is afoot this week.

I SCRAPPED A SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT!

No, really. I did.

I seriously haven't scrapped a thing since before Christmas. My Herma adhesive and crop-o-dile have been busy gathering dust in my craft room for months. This week though I felt a bit of a scrapbooking vibe and decided to go with it (I think it must be the lighter evenings, they put me in much more of scrappy happy mood).

It's not just me though. It seems other people are catching the springtime scrappy vibe too. Long may it continue I say.

So, here's the LO that's resulted from the new found scrappiness. Photos of Ewan from last summer when we went for a walk (whilst Grace was out with Nanny) and he managed to find his favourite ever thing to find on long walks..... a big ol' stick! (What is it with small boys and big sticks? Or indeed any sticks, and rocks, they love the rocks too).

The title is something that has always stuck with my from the days of doing my degree (part of which was in American Studies). Roosevelt's "Walk softly and carry a big stick" speech was used in a module the I studied and for some reason it alway stuck in my head. It's also lodged in there because it's paraphrased by the amazing Jack Nicholson in one of my all time fave movies. Walk softly and carry an armoured tank division, he always says.

That's probably my scrapping quota reached for the year!! Hopefully the summer will bring more mojo (and more photos ops!).

TTFN

Grey Skies and Holidays

2010-03-31T09:45:00.005Z

Hi there. Long time no blog. How're you all doing? I've missed you......er.....hello.....is there anyone there???.........

Ah well. I shall blog on regardless (as always ;)).

It's a horrible grey, rainy, sleety, cold, horrible day here today. See, this is what my office window looks like:

I can hear the wind howling around the building. It's pretty spooky actually. Ordinarily when it's this windy there's less howling of the wind because it's pretty much asborbed by the bodies of the couple of hundred students that are trudging about the place, but as it's the Easter break and they're all at home (probably tucked up in nice warm beds, the pesky little blighters) there is much wind whistling and howling going on.

It's quite depressing actually. To be the only person in the whole building apart from the chap who's polishing the floors with one of those big scary looking floor buffer thingies. There are other people in the college but they're all based in a different building. So there's only little old me. Sat here. Twiddling my thumbs. I've done all the work I had to do. Bored now.

I have brought a little of this to keep me entertained:

Which would be a little bit (well, actually quite a lot) of hooky hexagon action from Lucy's pattern over at Attic24 (am I ever going to crochet anything from any other pattern source again? Possibly not!). The trouble with crocheting at my desk when I should be working is that there is always the possibilty that someone might come up to the office. In which case I'd have to explain why I'm not actually working but rather creating yarny hexy goodness. I can't really start with the crochet until about 12 o'clock - that way, I can just say I'm on my lunch break should anyone appear....... I can pretty much get away with that until 2pm. Sneaky. I like it.

In the meantime this morning I've been Youtubing some tunes to keep myself entertained. Earlier it was songs from one of my fave all time movies - Reality Bites. Including these fabulous little ditties:

The fantastic U2. Gotta love a bit of Bono on a grey March day.

Lisa Leob. What gives with those glasses?

Big Mountain. The Frampton version kind of irks me a little. Don't know why.

And my personal favourite??:

I challenge you to not be singing THAT all day long now :)

Then I moved on to a bit of a 60s battle of the bands morning. Alternating between these guys:

Genius!

And these guys:

Also genius!

How can one possibly choose between the two? I think I might have to spend the next 45 minutes checking out the back catalogue of both bands. Excellent tunage.

Right, on that note, it's time for me to venture out into the windswept hallway to make a nice cup of tea, which I shall be having with my mid-morning snack of peanut butter and apple. Delish.

TTFN

A Work In Progress

2010-03-03T10:56:00.003Z

So.

I know I haven't been around the Cookieblog much of late. To be honest, I'm working on something. For once my work in progress doesn't involve yarn, or fabric, or pretty paper, or cupcakes or cookies. It involves working on getting my overgrown lardy arse to be not so overgrown and lardy!

There comes a point when I figure I can't keep blaming the fact that I'm overweight on the fact that I just had a baby.....especially seeing as the last baby is 3 and a half now. My husband has completely put me to shame of late. In the last three years he's lost almost 7 stone (98lbs) whilst I've sat back and gained over 30lbs watching him do it.

It's time for action (that is the word of the year after all) and action is what I've been taking. We've been "eating clean" round here for over a fortnight - all wholewheat foods, high protein, low sugar, no junk food and training like a whirling dervish 6 days a week (weight training, cardio, karate classes, swimming). It's starting to pay off now though and I've manage to lose 8lbs in a little over 2 weeks.

So, given that I'm practically permanently camped out at the gym most evenings and the rest of the time I'm either working or doing the stuff that needs doing at home I think there'll likely be a hiatus in Cookieblog posting until I can get down to something approximating my goal weight. I have taken some before pictures so when my 12 week programme is up I might be brave enough to post some before and afters so I can show you what I've accomplished.

Back soon.

TTFN

Happily Uncoordinated.

2010-02-01T11:10:00.003Z

Helloooooo.

Is there anybody out there???

Long time no blog again. I know. I seem to have misplaced my blogging mojo somewhere. Partly due, I think, to the fact that I haven't done anything crafty to show off of late. I've been taking my word of the year a little more seriously this year. My word was ACTION and I've definitely been more active, at least in terms of moving my bum off the sofa and actually doing something for a change.

Part of the driving force for all this health and fitness action is that I happened to get on the scales at the gym and realised (quite depressingly) that I am the heaviest I've ever been (even after the kids were born). Definitely time for me to do something about that before it becomes the norm rather than a blimp on the timeline of my waistline! So, I've been going to the gym at least three times a week (sometimes 5 if I can squeeze it in), I've been watching what I eat carefully (no more chowing down on jumbo sized bags of co-op sea salt and malt vinegar crisps (they are my down fall!) or homemade cupcakes (they'll have to be reserved for special occasions). You know what though? I'm starting to feel great. My fitness level is rising every week (when I started back that the gym my active heart rate was through the roof, but I see it coming down every time I train which is a sure sign of progress) and my trousers weren't quite so snug this morning when I got dressed for work. Phew!

Another big part of the action plan is taking karate classes. I never, in a googloplex years (can you tell I'm reading this book at the moment? You probably can if you've read it) thought I would ever take up a martial art. Especially not at the ripe old age of 33! You know what though - I totally love it! I went along initially because Kendo was going and I thought it would be an okay way to add to my keep fit plan. I never expected to enjoy it quite so much but the teachers are amazing, the class is adults only so the pace is quite quick and as there are 4 black belts (2 Sensai's and 2 Sempai's) and 4 or 5 lower belts we're practically getting one on one tuition, which rocks!

I did struggle the first couple of weeks getting my head round the whole kicking and punching thing. It's not something that came naturally to me (I can't say I'm used to spending my time deliberately inflicting damage on things!) so it's taken me a while to let loose with the punches and kicks on the pads. After a couple of months though I'm finally getting it (I think) and I officially no longer punch and kick like a girl! Hurrah!

I was really please a few weeks ago when I made my first grading (9th Kyu - yellow tips on your white belt) but I was even more chuffed with myself to come out of the dojo with this last night:

Both Kendo and I made our 8th Kyu grading to yellow belt. Our belts officially do not match our Gi's! I can't tell you how exciting it is to be happily uncoordinated! It's an amazing feeling to get your grading. Ridiculous really, but it's a physical sign of someone saying "hey, you know what, you're actually doing okay at this". A recognition for hard work, that you're actually learning something, improving at something. It doesn't take much to make me happy I guess. It's also nice that Kendo and I have finally found something we can actually go together (do you remember the ill-fate salsa classes? Eek! Fortunately rhythm isn't really a pre-requisite for martial arts!)

The great thing about the karate school we learn with is that the Sensai doesn't believe there should be a time scale on when you can reach your grading. A lot of schools have a minimum attendance for gradings (i.e. you have to have been coming for 3 months before you get yellow tips, 4 months before you can get your yellow belt etc). Fortunately our Sensai see's that as a bit of a money making exercise, which isn't what our school is all about. That means if you know the stuff you need to know, you get the grading. Simple as. Definitely a philosophy I can live with.

I'm still not quite sure what possessed me to let the entire family take up an activity that involves wearing a white uniform made of 100% cotton that you can only wash on a cool wash which is an absolutely bitch to iron though. What was I thinking??

TTFN

Kiai!

2010-01-19T10:23:00.003Z

We had a very proud parent moment yesterday when Gracie came home from her Karate class sporting this:

She's acheived the Karate grade of 8th Kyu (yellow belt). She was so chuffed with herself, and we were so proud of her. She works really hard in her karate classes (which especially shines out as some of the kids there just mess around and don't pay any attention to the Sensai) and its lovely to see all that hard work being rewarded with her first real grading. There's no stopping her now!

Of course, she's not failed to mention the fact that she now has a yellow belt whilst me and Daddy still only have white belts with yellow tips! I can't believe I'm playing catch up with my 6 year old. She's never going to let me live it down either. I'd best get practicing my kata!!

Well done Miss Gracie!

xMx

Just Not Feeling It.

2010-01-13T11:33:00.003Z

What can I say? I'm just not feeling the blogginess at the moment. I had high hopes that I would rediscover my inner avid blogger this year and get back to blogging regularly, but clearly I was mistaken. *SIGH*

This morning I've been musing over winter. This is what the view from my office window looks like this morning:

Brrrrrrrrr. It's very snowy, and very gloomy, and still snowing.

Looking back over my blog post from this time of previous years I'm noticing a definite theme. This is where I hit my mid-January funk. I love winter, I do. Dark nights and snuggling up in the warm house with a nice cuppa and a cosy blanket, but it's definitely the pre-Christmas festive winter that I love, not the post-Christmas...."Oh my God, is January not over yet?" period. I hate that part. It sucks. In fact, to quote a famous pointy haired yellow person - it manages to both suck and blow at the same time.

Even the snow has stopped being fun now. It's okay for the first few days when it's all lovely and fluffy and the kids get the have snow days and play in it making snowmen and having snowball fights, plus getting to drink these:

........................BONUS!

Eventually though, you have to suck it up and go back to work. Which means driving in the snow, or rather in the icy, slushy, slippery mess that's left of the snow. That part I can do without.

Enough of the bemoaning winter anyway. It's not like I can change the weather (because lets face it, if I could, I'd be one rich lady!). The other theme I noticed from the other January blues posts was I'd posted links to things that were going at least some way to cheering me up. So, these are the things I'm liking at the moment.

I'm totally loving this song, and the TV series that goes along with it:

I have a couple of the Sookie Stackhouse books sitting in my Amazon basket to be checked out come payday. I can't wait to read them. I'm also looking forward to series 2 of True Blood which is due to air in the UK soon.

This always makes me smile:

and I'm still gutted the soundtrack CD was in the car when all my CDs got stolen a while back (note to self: replace Juno album).

Then there's this:

I've been hearing this playing in the back ground of so many US shows lately. It drove me batty for a while because I knew I knew it but couldn't quite get to what it was. Then it hit me that its actually a cover of a Cure song. Being a bit of a Cure fan I wanted to hate it, on princple, but you know I really don't. I actually quite like it. A Lot. Shoot me now! LOL.

That's about it, although there is one thing I'm looking forward too. This was one of my Christmas presents this year:

I love Ree's Blog. It's one of the ones I've been reading since I first started blogged. It's very addictive. It makes me want to live in the country and raise cattle and a large gaggle of children! Although not at the moment, because they have even more snow that we do, and it's COLD there. Seriously cold. Not even snuggles from the lovely Charlie could make me want to live in that cold, it's bad enough here.

Anyway, Ree's cookbook was one of my Christmas presents (thanks big Sis!). When Kendo spotted it his response was "Yum! and also Noooooooo". The recipes I've tried of Ree's so far from her blog are delicious, but definitely not for anyone on anything remotely resembling a diet or healthy eating campaign. Browsing through the book I spotted the recipe for Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. Be. Still. My, Heart. Mmmmmmm. I can't wait to try them - although I think I might come up against a bit of a sticky problem with the icing. It calls for maple essence - I'm not sure they even sell that in the UK, might have to settle for some vanilla instead. Ho hum.

Right then, I'm off for a mooch around Ravelry to see what projects I can find to start and not finished.

TTFN

Snow Day!!!!!!

2010-01-05T14:01:00.003Z

Be careful what you wish for???.............................

TTFN

Is It 2010 Already???

2010-01-04T14:55:00.002Z

How did that happened? The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur. All that preparation and anticipation and before you know it its all over and done with and you’re taking the deccies down and getting ready to go back to work.

So, a quick round up of the festive season in Cookieland:

Good news from the hospital about Ewan’s bone scan – the results showed a small bone deformity at the top of his thigh bone but nothing serious and nothing to be concerned over particularly. He has to go back in 12 months for check up.

Not so good news from the hospital about Dad. They confirm a diagnosis of cancer… however it hasn’t spread anywhere else (thank goodness) and it’s looking likely they’ll be able to operate which is positive.

Our Christmas Eve didn’t go exactly according to plan this year, mostly due to a certain little boy with a poorly tummy. Sufficient to say that the only person who still had their new Christmas jammies on on Christmas morning was Gracie – all the others had been puked on and replaced over night. *sigh*

Christmas day brought many happy smiles with Grace being over the moon with the pink Nintendo DS and Egg being a happy camper with his collection of Spiderman stuff and kiddie meccano. Mostly my presents consisted of fitness equipment and cooking books. I suspect Santa’s trying to tell me something ;)

Boxing day proved that 5 year olds are surprisingly good at Pictionary – and that Grace knows WAY more about Harry Potter than Auntie Yan does (sorry Yan – you’re just going to have to suck it up and accept that your niece is a bigger Potter fan than you are ;P).

New Year’s Eve was, as always, a sedate affair for us. One bottle of beer, some TV and tucked up in bed by 11.30pm (although that was a waste of time because the fireworks at midnight kept me up). Rock N Roll, as always.

New Year’s Day was a case of “start as you mean to go on” for me with a meeting with a fitness co-ordinator at my new gym to set up a training programme (glutton for punishment clearly).

And here I am on the 4th, back at work. Grace is back in school tomorrow and Egg started his funded place at nursery today so will go every afternoon from now on (I don’t think he’s going to be very impressed with that idea).

So. January 2010. The last couple of years I’ve gone with a “one little word” theme when it comes to resolutions (or rather non-resolutions as I prefer– if I don’t resolve to do them, they’re much more likely to get done!)

For 2008 my word was SIMPLE.

For 2009 my word was BALANCE.

I’ve given quite a bit of thought to my word for 2010 and I think my word for this year will be

ACTION

The last couple of words have been kind of passive, and that’s not what I need right now. I need to start taking some action!

Action in terms of my fitness and health. I’d been doing really well with building up my running for the 5K race in September. I was really amazed at how much I’d managed to improve my fitness. Then I ran the race and then did sod all for 3 months, and it’s starting to show! I need to lose some weight, gain some stamina and get some tone. A new gym, a new training programme and carrying on with my karate classes (yup, I took up karate classes. Scary I know) should help with that.

Action in terms of getting things in order at home. My house is a perpetual crap heap. I really need to start taking some steps towards getting things done more at home and that means less time in front of the TV and more time actually doing stuff (like picking up after ourselves and not letting Mt Washmore pile up).

Action in terms of crafting. I was really pleased that I managed to teach myself how to crochet last year. I can’t wait to build on that and start making some new projects this year. I also know that I need to rein myself in when it comes to getting over enthusiastic about new projects. One action at a time will do!

Action in terms of dealing with the kids. Those children of ours. They’re getting incredibly pesky of late. Snappy and squabbly and more than a little bit naughty. I definitely need to work on spending time with them (not in terms of more, but in terms of better) and on giving them more productive ways of dealing with the fact that they pretty much want to thump each other every other minute.

Action in terms of work. The winter weather and the stress of the last couple of months in terms of worry about Ewan and Dad have meant I haven’t been giving work my full attention. I need to sort that out. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be organised in terms of the new building and some new projects that are coming online so I’m going to take actions to be more organised and more proactive at work. They’re paying me to be here, so I’d better start given them either monies worth.

So that’s the goal for 2010. Much more action.

Happy New Year to all of you. I hope it’s a good one all round.

TTFN

P.S. I do have some more JYC pages to share. I just haven't photocopied the ones I've done, or indeed caught up with the class yet. Oops.

JYC December 8th and 9th

2009-12-14T13:15:00.004Z

What did I say about it not taking me long to forget not to keep up with the JYCing? It's weekends that do it to me. I didn't scrap on Friday night because I fancied a night off, completely forgetting that I was going out with my good buddies Paula and Karen on Saturday night (thereby being unable to scrap then either). Last night the prospect of doing 3 pages after a day of dealing with a very grumpy, snotty, bunged up (the kid hadn't pooped since wednesday, what's that all about?) Ewan was just too much to bear so I didn't do any then either. Now I'm left with 4 pages to catch up with including today's prompt. Seriously, I never learn my own lessons. Crubbish I am.

Here's the pages from the 8th and 9th any way. The prompt for day 8 was about sights of the season. I've printed some photos on to acetate for this and then used small squares of Christmassy patterned paper.

For the 9th the prompt was all about Christmas traditions. I wrote about general traditions last time so I thought for this time I would concentrate on one tradition from the list, this time it was New Pyjamas (which we always all have on Christmas Eve).

Pretty simple pages (which is kind of the blessing of playing catch up - you can't be phaffing about with things too much).

I've scrapped a page for the 10th prompt about Christmas wrapping (but haven't photocopied it yet). Tonight I will try to catch up with prompt 11 (about the tree), prompt 12 (about Christmas Past), prompt 13 (about the music) and today's prompt about gifts.

Watch this space. Or not.

TTFN

Playing Catch Up

2009-12-08T14:41:00.002Z

I really should know better by now than missing a days scrapping when I'm doing an online class. I didn't scrap a page for the prompt on Saturday so I've been all out of sorts and playing catch up since then. I'm sure I'll forget about that important lesson and be at it again in no time though.

Anyway, before we get to the JYC pages a bit of an update on life in Cookieblogland. Yesterday we took Ewan to the hospital for his whole body bone scan. He was a little superstar all day long! He didn't cry at the radioactive isotope injection (all he said was "Ouch! You're hurting me!" in a very matter of fact voice before going back to reading his book) and he managed to lie still for 30 minutes while they did the actual scanning (courtesy of the radiographer's secret weapon.... Scooby Doo videos!). I was so proud of my little guy, such a trooper!

On the topic of Proud Mummy moments, I got another one of those for Miss Grace yesterday too. She came home from her karate class last night proudly toting yellow tips on her white belt as she's made the grade of 9th Kyu. Go Gracie!! Now she's caught up with Daddy who also made 9th Kyu this week (so congratulations to Kendo too :)).

I have a photograph of Gracie getting her certificate but it's proving elusive at the moment (won't upload from my phone at work, I will try to get the original off Kendo's later and upload it).

Both my kids get extra brownie points this week for being super fab!

Right, onto the JYC catch up.

The December 5th prompt was all about counting down to Christmas. I had to scrap about Gracie's latest "Gracie moment" with this one. Every time she asks us how long until Christmas on a Friday and we answer with "It's X weeks today" she conveniently doesn't hear the weeks part, only "to" and "day". At which point she starts saying "Is it only 2 days til Christmas??" and getting all excited! I think now she knows it's not only 2 days, but she thinks its funny to do it anyway. Strange child. Here's the page anyway:

For December 6th the prompt is about comparing a good and bad Christmas memory. I really struggled with this the first time round and ended up doing Christmas past and present. I've taken a different tack this time and scrapped about handmade gifts and how although I was quite good at making them last year, this year I've been rather lax (although I'm sure family members are breathing a sigh of relief at that piece of news!)

Yesterdays prompt (7th) was about organisation. This year I am WAY more organised than I've ever been. To the point that I'm actually scaring myself. I've bought all my presents with the exception of a couple of stocking fillers and not only are they bought, they're WRAPPED too. Usually I'm having a marathon scrapping session on Christmas Eve, but not this year. This year my Christmas Eve will be calm and relaxed and will hopefully involve wine and chocolates and James Stewart in the bestest Christmas movie in the world, ever.

I have to say though, this is the least favourite of all the pages I've done so far. I'm not quite sure why. Something feels a little off with it. Ah well, it will have to stay as it is for now, no point stressing over it.

So. We're back at the hospital with Egg for his scan results on Tuesday 22nd December (can't believe that's only 2 weeks away...seriously! That's Christmas week! How is that possible?! Time suckage is occurring somewhere), before then there'll probably just be more JYC pages and probably the story of the torturous event that is putting up our Christmas decorations.

TTFN

JYC - 4th December

2009-12-05T08:44:00.002Z

Today's prompt is all about what makes your Perfect Christmas. The last time I took part I wrote about all the little things that make my Christmas perfect. This year you know we only need one thing - good news from the tests that Egg and Dad are having next week. Health and Happiness, that'd do nicely thank you.

TTFN

JYC - 3rd December

2009-12-04T10:11:00.002Z

Crikey, I haven't blogged this much in months! I wonder if I can keep it up?

Yesterday's JYC prompt was all about Christmas Cards. Time for my confession then. Every year I buy cards (much to Kendo's great disgruntlement, see previous JYC card entry about that one). I write them all out. Then I completely forget to send them. They invariably end up sitting on the mantlepiece until March when I will eventually give up and put them in the recycling box.

So, if you don't get a Christmas card from me, don't worry. It's not because I don't love ya. I'm just totally hopeless when it comes to posting them. Chances are there's one here waiting for you, should you want to pop round and collect it.....

As it's Friday today I am revelling in my 2.5 hours of alone time this morning whilst Egg is at nursery. Unfortunately a vast amount of that time will be taken up by tackling Mt Washmore (again!) but at least I can enjoy a few moments of quiet contemplation.

TTFN

JYC - December 2nd

2009-12-03T10:31:00.002Z

So, here we are. December 3rd already (only 22 days to go until the big day). Is anyone else still reeling about just how quickly this Christmas has snuck up on us? I'm honestly blown away every time I realise just how close it's getting. Time is flying by so fast, it's scary.

Yesterday's JYC prompt was about Winter Weather. Well, the winter weather so far around here has been pretty dreary. Rain, with some more rain, then a little bit of frost (that bit was okay), then some more rain, and then a bit more rain to go with our rain. Global warming sucks!

What I'd really like this year is some good snow. Ewan has never really seen a decent snowfall and I'd love for him to be able to get out in the snow and make snowmen and snowballs and snow angels. I know he'd love it. I don't rate the chances of getting it though. The last time we had any reasonable snow around here it wasn't even winter! It was April 2006, before Ewan was even born, and we woke up to an unexpected blanket of the white stuff. It was fabulous. We grabbed coats, boots and winter woolies and headed round to the local park where we spent a good two hours building snow men and messing around in the snow. It was a brilliant morning (and also made for some excellent Snow Day photos). Here's my JYC page:

I crocheted the little snowflake out of white embroidery thread with the pattern that Lucy has just posted on the Attic24 blog (We love Lucy! Might have mentioned that before).

I couldn't resist this opportunity to share these photos of Grace either. How small does she look in these photos? She's only 2 (bless her!). They just make my heart melt.

Right, back to work for me. Hey ho.

TTFN

JYC - December 1st

2009-12-02T11:15:00.002Z

The worst thing about taking part in the Journal Your Christmas project is that dark winter evenings do not make a good time to try to photograph your pages so you can blog them. It kind of means I always end up a day behind blogging my pages. Ah well. As my Dad would say "what can you do when your clogs let water in?", or something like that.

Anyhoo. Here's the first page from my JYC album for this year. Prompt one is to write a Manifesto, to talk about why you're taking part and what you want to achieve. It's a pretty simple page, but I've learnt from LSNED that that's the best way to go if I want to have a chance of finishing the class (I think I will have to forgo the handcut titles and come up with something else - that's way too time consuming).

I also must remember to put my page number in there! I totally forgot about that and had to find a spot for it on this one at the last minute! LOL. Hopeless I am.

Right, there's a rumbly in my tumbly so I'm heading off in search of sustenance.

TTFN

Blogger Unblocked

2009-12-01T13:10:00.003Z

Do you see me here?

Do you see the time?

Do you remember this post?

It appears our IT services department have finally unblocked blogger access on the proxy server! Woo hoo!!

I have no idea how long it will last, but I will make the most of the opportunity while it lasts!

So, a good opportunity to catch you up with what's been going on in Cookieland of late. Some good stuff - like me having gotten all the Christmas shopping out of the way (woo hoo!), and Grace having her first Ballet Exam (well, actually a pre-primary ballet class presentation). Here she is before hand:

She looks super cute in her ballet uniform, although for some reason she will insist on pulling her skirt round so the label is in the middle, even though its supposed to go on the left hand side. OCD much?

They were graded on 8 points (including expression, music and rhythm, spacial awareness, control, awareness of body positions etc) and could be awarded either "Needs support", "Progressing" or "Competant" for each category. Gracie managed to come away with a grading of Competant across the board. Go Grace! So clearly she's doing something right in her class. We were so proud of her. She really listens well in her classes and takes on board what her dance teacher says. My little ballerina! Bless her.

Some of the other stuff that's been going on around here is not so good. You might remember a while back we had to take Ewan for knee and hip X-rays. Well after a good long wait we've finally heard back from the consultant at the children's hospital and we now have to take him for a whole body bone scan on Monday. The procedure involves an injection of radioactive isotopes and then milling around for 2 hours while it gets to where it needs to go, then the actual bone scan itself which can take 50 minutes. How are they going to get Egg to sit still for 50 minutes? I can't get him to sit still for 50 seconds! I guess we'll have to trust that they have plenty of practice with these things and have ways of dealing with it.

In the tradition of these things all coming along at once my Dad is also unwell at the moment and is waiting on a CT scan (amongst other tests) to see if he has developed colon cancer :( Not at all what you want to here, and certainly not a couple of weeks before Christmas. Fingers crossed that all the medically things come back with good news.

So, a mixed bag really. Some good, some not good. Ho Hum. Thus is the way of the world I suppose.

Right, I supposed I should consider actually doing some work (noting the vaguest possibility that the reason access was denied was because I spent too much time doing this before! LOL).

Back later with the first page of my JYC album (I hope).

TTFN

Compelled By Twilight

2009-11-30T11:34:00.006Z

First things first. Apologies for being so long with the giveaway results. I've been mown down by the lurgy this last week and blogging action has not been high on the agenda. A quick bit of random interger generating though - and we're good to go. So here it is:

So that gives us:

Comment #9 Kate - who doesn't have a blog link

Comment #11 Elizabeth

Comment #3 Daisie

If you email with your addresses (email address is in the side bar) I will get your morsbags sent out to you. Thank you for all the comments left on my 300th post - Here's to 300 more! Hurrah!

Right then, now that's out of the way, onto other things, including an explanation for the randomness of today's post title.

The Sunday before last I went on a little jaunt to the cinema picture house (that's what the cinema gets called in our house for some bizarre reason), with my good buddy and fellow Twihard Louise, to see this long awaited release:

You may recall I've mentioned before that I am totally in love with the Twilight Saga (books and so far, the movies too). I've been trying to work out for a while now what it is about these books I find so completely compelling (I've re-read the entire series again in the 4 days I've been off sick!). It wasn't until seeing New Moon that it hit me exactly what it was that draws me in so much about the story.

~~And here there was going to be a lot of waffle about what exactly that is, but you know what? I'm not sure I'm going to write about it just now. I can't seem to put it down into words properly. I think I might have to get back to you on that one. Raincheck?~~

About the movie though. Seriously, absolutely, completely AMAZING! I loved every minute of it. So much so that I'm going back to see it again with Kendo in the post Christmas/Pre New Year lull. Hurrah! I do have slight concerns over the fact that this movie has me lusting after a 17 year old! It's just wrong! But Taylor Lautner is just too buff for his own good. His six pack has me all a flutter! I think I might have to go for a lie down ;)

Thinking about something else. Thinking about something else. Thinking about something else.

Okay, better now.

So, my complete lacksidaisical attitude towards blogging of late has meant that the end of November has snuck up on the Cookie blog quite quickly (How can it be the 1st December tomorrow?? How??). Being that I've been totally organised this year (to the point of scaring myself with how much is already done) December around here will mean that this will be going on, for sure:

Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas 2009 Class starts tomorrow, and being that I actually managed to finish my LSNED class this year, I'm allowing myself to take part again (along with my lovely mate Louise who is taking part for the first time).

I've gone for a different sized album than I'm used to using for this year. 6x12. Not a size I scrap every often, but definitley the most frugal when it comes to cardstock! Rather than buying an album I've opted to make my own post bound album (do you remember the Tricia Morris fixation..... still comes in useful that does!). I've used mountboard for the base of the album and it's covered in watercolour paper which gives a great texture.

The cover is quite plain really, but it does the job. I'm really pleased with how it came out. I can't wait for tomorrow so I can get started on the first prompt, but for tonight........37 page numbers to make! I'd better get cracking!

See you soon for JYC page updates (I hope!)

TTFN

Battenburg Heaven

2009-11-16T17:39:00.002Z

I love Battenburg. In fact I love anything with an abundance of marzipan-y goodness. If I could have my dream piece of Christmas cake it would have 3cm thick marzipan and 1mm thick icing. Marzipan....mmmmm.

So, two of my faveish things in the world.....cupcakes... and Battenburg. How about an amalgamation of the two?? I've been tossing the idea of Battenburg cupcakes around in my head for a while and after catching the baking bug again last week with the raspberry choccie goodness I thought I'd try to get the idea from my head and into the muffin pan. They worked out pretty well for a first time out. Maybe a little tweaking required for next time but they were yummy and pretty and did indeed taste of Battenburg so I will declare them a success. Here they are in all their pink and yellow glory (terrible photos again, sorry):

and the inside, just to prove they looked Battenburg-y there too:

Here's the recipe. It's a bit of a mish-mash of weights and measures I'm afraid, mostly because it's easier for me to think cake recipes in grams and frosting recipes in cups! Method in my madness I'm sure. If you want to convert them then I'd recommend you go here. That'll do the job.

Battenburg Cupcakes

For the cakes:

150g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
3 medium eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Red food colouring

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together.
Add the flour, vanilla, eggs and milk and beat until smooth.
Split the mixture into two and add a drop of red food colouring to one half (I added one drop, next time I will probably add two so it's a little more pink).

Line a muffin pan with cake cases. Using two dessert spoons pick up a spoonful of each colour mixture and pour the pink mixture into one side of the cake case and the yellow into the other side at the same time (quite hard to do this without spilling which makes the cakecases look a little messy when baked, hopefully I'll have a steadier hand next time).

This mixture made 11 cupcakes but I could have made 12 if I'd been a little more even with the pouring. As a random tip if your mixture doesn't make enough to fill each mould in the cake pan fill the remaining ones half way with water. This will ensure the heat is distributed evenly still and the steam from the water also helps with rising).

Bake for 20-22 minutes at GM 4 (180oC, 350oF)

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire rack.

For the Topping:

2 tbsp Apricot Jam
4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
4 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract
1 cup ground almonds
double cream

Melt the apricot jam in a saucepan until runny. Brush the tops of the cooled cake with the mixture (this would be optional I would think, I included it because I think the jam that normal adheres the marzipan to the cake in a Battenburg adds to the taste).

For the frosting:

Beat the butter until fluffy
Add the icing sugar a cup at a time until you get to quite a thick consistency (stop when it's quite thick).
Add some of the double cream and the almond and vanilla extracts and beat
Add about half of the ground almond and beat
Now keep adding icing sugar, ground almonds and double cream until you get to the consistency and sweetness that you want, thick enough to hold its shape but runny enough to pipe (difficult to be exact on this. If you taste it and it reminds you of over sweet marzipan you're on the right track).

Remember, the sweetness of the icing sugar will fade over time so make it sweeter than you think it needs to be if you don't want to be eating butter frosted cakes come the morning.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, or spread on with a palette knife. I my head these had piping with a star/flower shaped nozzle but I need a new piping back so they just ended up with the circle nozzle. I don't think I'll lose any sleep over it though.

If you're really sad and phaffy when it comes to decorating your cupcakes (as I clearly am) then you could go the whole hog and make the little marzipan Battenburg toppers. If you want to make these then take some natural marizpan, cut three equal pieces about a half inch thick. Add a drop of red food colouring to one piece. (Use some icing sugar to ensure you don't stick to the marzipan and to "flour" your work surface). Split the pink marizpan and one of the yellow blocks in two and then roll each piece into a sausage (make sure they're equal thickness). Flatten the four sausages so they're cube shaped and stack them so they look like a Battenburg (yellow on pink/pink on yellow) using some water to stick them together. Roll out the remaining yellow piece into a rectangle wide enough to wrap around all four square pieces. Lightly rub the surface of the flat piece with water and wrap round the squared sausages. Seal along one edge. Now carefully slice the mini Battenburg "log" into pieces and use them to top your cupcakes.

Eat them.

They went down a treat at work, with my boss declaring (once again) that they are the best cupcake's to date (she says that with EVERY new flavour!). I have to say I'm particularly proud of them because this is the first time I've really had a recipe I can call my own to post. Go me!

I did promise you scrapbook pages too didn't I?? Oh, go on then......

See, I do put herma to paper around here sometimes. Honestly.

Right, I'm off to do the work the I brought home with me tonight (being as we're being inspected (audited) at work tomorrow and I've had the sudden and scary realisation that there are no work instructions for my role. Eek!!). Roll on Wednesday at 4.30pm when the inspectors have left the building and there won't be a damn thing we can do about their verdict!!

TTFN

300 (with a Giveaway)

2009-11-11T08:25:00.004Z

Nine hundred and thirty eight days ago I stood in our back garden one evening and declared I was going to start a blog. Kendo questioned what on earth I had to say to the world...well, lots, clearly. 300 posts worth of lots in fact. 300 posts worth of inane babble about babies, motherhood, puke, paper, card, yarn and fabric all mixed up with some laughter, some tears and some days were I could barely remember my own name, let alone type it!

So, in keeping with blogland tradition - A Giveaway for my 300th post. Inspired by this post from a little while ago I'm going to giveaway three of the Morsbags I've been working on. You get some Cath Kidson-esque shopping bag goodness and I feel better about saving the planet. It's win-win!. These are the bags I've been working on:

If you'd like to get one then leave a comment (come on all your lurkers - let me know you're out there listening....er...reading...whichever) and I'll pick out three people to get a bag.

Right, that's the formalities out of the way. In other Cookieland news - well, there isn't much really, hence the not much blogging. We had a fabulous visit from our good buddies Louise, Emily and Xander - of which I took practically no photos, fortunately Miss Lou is much more organised that me and has blogged about our little get together here.

Halloween has come and gone (Grace was a witch, Egg was a vampire, there was chocolate and sweeties and falling over).

Bonfire night has come and gone (there were indoor sparklers and watching some fireworks from the window - not much else though it was too bloomin' wet around here!). I figured I'd better get blogging something or Christmas would be come and gone at this rate!

The big news yesterday was that this guy:

My (much tormented by me) oldest nephew, has passed his fitness test to be accepted in the Royal Navy. He's waiting to get a start date so he can head off down to HMS Rayleigh for his basic training. We're so proud of him. He worked really hard training to pass this fitness test and we're really proud that he's choosing to serve in our armed forces (if a little scared that he's chosen this time of war we live it to do it).

Mostly though? I'm looking forward to being able to tease him about wearing this get up:

Because trust me when I tell you that taking the mick out of someone for wearing this silly hat and flares never gets tired. It just doesn't. It's quality torment material to last a life time. Flares I tell you! (Okay, the fun does kind of wear off when they spend 30 minutes lecturing you on the reason they have to wear the flares (easier to turn up when you're swabbing the decks, in case you're interested) but for the most part it's fun).

The final thing for this 300th celebratory post? Baking. Mmmmmmmmm. Cupcakes were requested by my hubby yesterday as his minion at work is leaving (moving across the country) so he thought cupcakes would be a nice last day treat.

Devil's food cupcakes with raspberry filing and vanilla mascarpone frosting. Mmmmmmm.

They weren't quite this green looking, I swear. The lighting in my kitchen is appalling at 9.30 at night!

Next time I will have some finished scrapbook pages to share (scouts honour).

TTFN

Attic Inspired

2009-10-19T17:20:00.002Z

I’ve mentioned before my love of all things Attic24. Lucy’s blog really is the most inspiring place. She’s just full to brimming with lots of amazing, colourful, lovely ideas (which thankfully she’s just as keen to share as she is to create).

Lucy’s been unveiling a lot of little projects on her blog lately and they’ve gotten me to thinking (once again) about the idea of original ideas. I’ve mentioned this before too (I’m a really “Rita Repeater” today it would seem (that’s what we call Miss Grace when she insists on repeating the same statement over and over – drives us potty)). It’s so very difficult these days to come up with an “original” idea. I’m always totally in awe of people like Lucy, and Julie, and Barbara and Jodie (to name but a few)who time and time again come up with amazing new things for us to drool over. There’s some seriously amazing creative talent out there in crafty blogville. Love it!

So. In light of the thinking about original ideas, I wanted to try to come up with something which for once wasn’t something I’d copied from elsewhere. Nothing big, just a little something out of my brain that was just mine. A blank. That was what I came up with. So, I figured, start smaller. Start with a little inspiration from elsewhere your first time out and build from there. So, I started with Lucy. More specifically, I started with these. Lucy’s teeny tiny flower pattern. These are so cute, and so easy to make (thanks once again to Lucy’s fabulous pattern writing skills). Now I just need to find something original to do with them. So, I did this:

A crocheted headband for Miss Grace. Not rocket science, but not something I’ve seen anywhere before (although I’m sure if I trawled through the internet that someone, somewhere, has done this before, no more original ideas and all that). She likes it. I like it. I might even try to write a pattern (but don’t get your hopes up, it won’t be a patch on an Attic one!).

Other then the random crochet item making I've mostly been baking around here, but not cakes for a change. I've really been getting excited about bread making this week (sad, I know). I have tried baking bread in the past but it's always been a bit of a disappointment. So what's a girl to do when something isn't going as it should? Why, read a book on it, of course! A little trip to the local library while Grace was at dance class yielded a copy of this book, which is very informative and has some great recipes. Clearly the problem in the past was that I didn't quite understand the science of it. I'm a scientist at heart and once I'd gotten my head round the processes that are going on in that yeasty-smelling floury mixture things just made sense to me. So now instead of the usual almost flat and completely yeasty tasting disasters that I normally produce, we get this:

Deliciously yummy bloomer loaves. And you know what, they taste goooooood. I forsee much more breadmaking in my future. Of course I'd have to give up work and bake full time if I intended never to buy shop bought bread again - no sooner have I baked these than they're already half way through being eaten!

On a last note, I haven't forgotten about these. They're a work in progress. More about that next post. Talking of which. Next post. Could be exciting. Can you count?? Google dashboard can and it's telling me exciting things......

TTFN

An Eye Opener

2009-10-10T07:32:00.002Z

My seaside swap partner (and swap organiser) Rachel has a great blog over here at Contented. (She's also just had a birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL).

She also runs another blog with her friend Emma called "That Little Bit Greener" which aims to share information and ideas amongst the blogland community about what we can all do to make our lives that little bit greener, to lessen the impact we have on our environment and to reduce our carbon footprint a little.

This last Wednesday over at TLBG where was a post about a project called "Morsbags". Set up by a lady in London (Claire Morsman), it's a project that aims to get people sewing resuable shopping bags from recycled sources (old duvet covers, curtains, clothing etc) and handing them to out free to people (in front of supermarkets, in shopping centres etc) in an effort to get them to use the resuable bag instead of plastic bags.

Now, I have to confess at this point that whilst I have quite a few shop bought resuable bags I am AWFUL at remembering to use them. Shockingly bad infact. I almost never remember to take them with me, or if I do they end up getting left in the boot while I do the shopping so I end up with another pile of plastic bags (which lets face it are crappy whichever way you look at them).

After I'd read the post on TLBG on Wednesday I wandered over to Morsbags.com for a peek. Oh my. What an eye opener that was. Obviously I was aware that plastic bags had a detrimental impact on the environment, but some of the information on there just blew me away.

This film particularly:

struck a chord with me. Just awful.

Then I read this article. I've posted a link, but I warn you that the photographs particularly are not for the faint-hearted. One particular photograph (the one of the turtle on the second page if you're brave enough to look - but don't say I didn't warn you) just plain broke my heart.

The core of the issues is this. Plastic bags are made from petroleum based plastic. They aren't biodegradable (at least probably not in our lifetime!). When they get into the sea then marine life mistake them for food and ingest them and can't digest them. When the bags do breakdown they only break into smaller pieces, these microscopic pieces of plastic are swallowed by plankton eating marine life like whales.

On Friday I popped into a local charity shop where I found this rather lovely Cath Kidson-esque duvet cover for the princely sum of £2.50.

It's destined to be my first round of morsbags. The website encourages people to set up "pods" where people get to gether to sew up bags to make it social event. As I'm just starting out I'm going to be a solopodist - unless any of my blog readers would like to join me in a "cyber-pod".

The whole thing has certainly had an impact on my already. I forgot to take bags to the supermarket again last night (I really need to practice making it a habit!) but I ended up only using one bag (for all the small bits I'd bought) - the rest I put directly into the trolley and then into car one at a time. Not perfect, but a start. Once I have some morsbags on the go hopefully I'll never need to use another plastic bag again.

TTFN

Some Small Miracle.

2009-10-08T10:15:00.002Z

A miracle occurred in this house last night. Not a huge miracle. Lives were not saved. Disasters were not averted. Wars were not won. What did happen was this:

I COMPLETED AN ONLINE SCRAPBOOKING CLASS!

Yup. My Learn Something New Everyday Album. All done. Finito. Completo.

After taking countless number of Shimelle's classes and not making it to the end of them I'm completely ecstatic that I've actually managed to accomplish this.

You've seen up to Day 22, so here's the rest:

September 23rd

The age old lesson I that I only ever "almost" learn.

September 24th

THE most hectic week of the year for me. Horrifically busy, but it still only lasted a week.

September 25th

Too many Fridays in a row in work meant no time for housework to get done.

September 26th

A little jaunt over th'pennines for some scrapping time with Miss Louise.

September 27th

Horrible light-headed, nauseous feeling all morning - I just had to go back to bed.

September 28th

For all I'm organised at work, when it goes down to the wire I'm definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl.

September 29th

We do love a bit of Dr Seuss in our house. Reading "Did I ever tell you how lucky you are?" to Grace when this paragraph really jumped out at me. A little reminder in these times that there's always someone worse off than you:

It's a troublesome world. All the people who're in it
are troubled with troubles almost every minute.
You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot,
for the places and people you're lucky you're not.

September 30th

It might be finished, but it certainly wasn't finished "on time". Ah well.

End Page

Just a few little words to round up the album. Here's the finished thing:

Hurrah to actually finishing things. There may be hope for me yet.

----------------------------------------------------

This morning was Miss Grace's first school assembly (that is the first assembly held by her class where they've all actually had to stand up and speak). The theme was friendship and they all had a line to read about what friends do for them and about a little recipe for friendship. Grace also had the extra task of standing at the front with one of her classmates and putting "ingredients" for the recipe into a big bowl. She read her line beautifully and handled the extra responsibilty really well. At the end they were allowed to come over and see us before they went back to class she when I told her how well she'd done and how proud I was she cried! Poor little love! I think she was a bit over-emotional with the nerves and the build up to it etc. When I asked her what was wrong she said "I've got that lumpy thing happening in my throat and I can't stop it!" I just love how they can put into words so easily what I think adults would have trouble describing. I knew exactly what she meant by that. We trundled off to the toilets to get some tissue paper and some cuddles and nose blows later all was well with the work. I'm so proud of my little girl.

Just time for me to have a cup of tea and a biscuit before I pick Egg up from nursery and then we take Mum and Dad to the airport while they jet off to meet their cruise ship in Palma. Lucky sods! There's barely a day goes by when I don't see my parents (being that they live next door) and it's so strange for me (and the kids) when they go on holiday. I miss them terribly, especially Mum. They're both really in need of a holiday to recharge their batteries though so I will keep everything crossed for calm seas and good weather (and no pirates, Egg is very worried that pirates will get his Nanny!) and a safe and speedy return.

TTFN

Rain, Rain Go Away.....

2009-10-06T13:50:00.000Z

OMG. How rainy is it here today? Soooooooo wet and overcast and grey and miserable. Definitely the most grisly weather day we've had for a long time. I've been listening to it bouncing down all morning out the office window (being thankful that I'm in here and not outside!). This was the view from my window this morning. A grey day indeed.

Before I start waffling, can I just ask you to excuse the [scanned] thing if it appears in the post title. I'm emailing this blog post in from work (being that I still can't post properly from work and probably won't ever be able to thanks to our IT department and their total knobbling of blogger access. Grrrrr). That's played a part in my big lack of blogging lately (just not getting to blog in the day when I used to) so I've decided that I must bite the proverbial bullet and deal with the lack of functionality (editing, photo uploading etc) that comes with blogging by email lest I succumb to their neferious plan and never blog again. The other option was to switch my blog over to typepad but for the moment that's not going to happen because a) I don't want to pay for my blogging service and b) I can't be arsed transferring everything over to another blog platform! Lazy tight-arsed blogger, that's me :P

So, what's been going on in cookieland? Well, despite Ewan giving us the big "I can't walk Mummy" fright a couple of weeks ago he's been absolutely fine, running around, jumping etc. Little tinker. We're going to see the orthopedic specialist next week (13th) so hopefully they will clarify what this "shadow" on his X-ray is and it won't be anything serious.

Grace has been settling in really well into Year 1. She completely loves her new teacher (a guy, which is quite unusual for Year 1 teacher) and is enjoying doing more maths and getting more books to read. She has a reading to do in their first school assembly on Thursday (which I will actually get to see for once as I have Thursday booked off to take my parts to the airport while they jet off for their mediterranean cruise (lucky so and so's!)).

The Saturday before last I had a fabulous day escaping to a crop with my lovely bloggy buddy Louise (see, no functionality, normally I'd do that clickable link thing so you knew which Lou I was talking about! Grrrr IT Services, you evil, cruel people!). It was great to see Lou for a whole day without the company of our small people. There was lots of chatting, lots of coffee drinking and a surprisingly large amount of scrapping (none of which has yet been photographed to upload. I will do that. At some point)).

I'm nearly almost completely finished with my LSNED album. I have two pages to complete (they're all set to go, just some cutting and sticking to do) and a closing page to complete. I'm hoping to get to those this evening, so I will have *shock horror* actually managed to complete a Shimelle class! I'm thinking about tackling the Journal Your Christmas class again this year (as an alumni I get to take part for free and Louise is taking part for the first time this year) so once LSNED is out of the way I will start looking into album sizes/supplies etc for that one. It is only 80 days till Christmas you know, which means only 56 days until JYC starts. Scary!

Fortunately I'm being disgustingly organised this year and have already purchased 7 Christmas presents. Woo hoo! Who knows, I might actually get around to sending cards this year. D'ya think?

Right. That's all the catch up from me. Hopefully there will be more regular (albeit slightly formatting-limited) blog posts now I've embraced the emailness.

TTFN

Catch ups, Construction and Cabbages

2009-09-23T16:21:00.007Z

I am shamelessly stealing this from Louise. Sorry Lou!

I've been (miraculously) keeping up with my daily layouts for the LSNED class, but been shockingly bad at blogging them. So here's Sept 11th through 22nd (in a handy little slideshow).

In other non-LSNED related Cookie news, my baby isn't a baby anymore!! Ewan turned a big 3 on Tuesday amidst much presenty, birthday cakey goodness. There was a distinct "Construction" theme to his present this year - he's all about the tools at the moment and he's been happily constructing kiddie meccano models in his Bob The Builder outfit. I can't believe that he's 3 already, it doesn't seem like two minutes since Lou, Rach and I were sitting round with our big ol'preggie bellies bemoaning the ridiculous heat of the summer of 2006. How time flies.

Here's the birthday boy showing off some of his presents:

Last weekend (as you can tell from the LSNED pages) was a pretty busy one. I got an unexpected invitation on Saturday to go with my Mum to watch Great Britain Versus Poland in the Davies Cup Tennis Championship which was being held in Liverpool. I've never watched live tennis before (only ever on the TV) and it's a very different experience in the flesh. I thoroughly enjoyed it though (even if we did get walloped by Poland 3 sets to 1!!). I'd definitley look at doing something like that again.

More sporty activity on Sunday but this time we were the ones to be getting the exercise. You'll recall that Kendo and I started a running plan earlier in the year. One of the things we did as part of that to spur us on was to sign up for our first 5K race. The Antrobus Cabbage Canter. The race took place Sunday and I'm proud to say we made it round in 37 minutes (and 8 seconds). I've no doubt Kendo would have made it round more quickly if he hadn't have had to keep pace with me and spur me along when I had a couple of walking breaks (thanks for sticking with me Mr K! :)) but we crossed the line together and proudly collected our T-shirts, medals and cabbages (half of which Kendo ate on his sunday roast later that day!). He's already picking a 10K for the next race. My calf muscles object. Strenously.

Other than that, nothing much has happened in Cookie land. Work is insanely busy with resitting students from last year and this years intake about to arrive tomorrow and I haven't managed to do anything crafty other than my LSNED pages. I'm escaping the madness of our house on Saturday to head over to see Miss Lou and go to her local scrapbooking crop. A whole day of non-kidding interrupted, dedicated scrapping time. I CAN'T WAIT!! Just need to decide how much of my stash to pack!! It could take a while.

TTFN

Where is September going to?

2009-09-16T07:02:00.003Z

I cannot believe we're already half way through September already. Or that it's nearly a fortnight since I last blogged. Lots going on around here, not all of it great but more on that in a bit.

First (and actually quite useful for remembering everything that's gone on), I have been keeping up with my LSNED pages (remarkably). Here's a quick lowdown on what I've not got around to posting yet:

Sept 2nd

Kendo managed to leave a bag of ice out of the freezer before he went to bed - not really good when left on top of a recipe book. I've had this recipe book since I was about 7 years old and still make things from it - its fab (especially the brownie recipe).

Sept 3rd

I finally moved into my new office at work which is cool - but I was a little sad to be leaving the admin office where I've been based for the last 2 year. Endings and new beginnings.

Sept 4th

The age old law of posties - when you're waiting for a parcel they'll try to deliver it as soon as you've left the house!

Sept 5th

A tough one this. I had a falling out with some good friends quite a number of years back. Things around here of late have been making me think life it too short to be harbouring arguments, so I tried to get in touch to make the peace - so far nothing back, but at least I know I've done what I can to get the peace process moving. Watching this space.

Sept 6th

The key to me actually doing the pages on time this year, I'm doing them little bits at a time when I can. So far it seems to be working.

Sept 7th

The saddest of days so far. My SILs doggy has been very poorly and had to be put to sleep. Not an easy decision for them to make, but probably the best one. She was the biggest prima donna pup I've never known, but was a sweetie aswell and the kids loved her to bits (although I think she was generally just long suffering when it came to tolerating them!). RIP Annie.

Sept 8th

Completely random learning for this day. Being in the new office with my boss now (when were were previously based across college from one another) I'm finding out lots of strange things I didn't know about her - like the fact that she can juggle AND ride a unicycle, but apparently only in a straight line!

Sept 9th

Scary scary moment for this days learning.

Now, I have done up to the 14th but I think that's enough photos for today. On to the reason for the September 9th layout.

Last Wednesday morning Egg managed to terrify the life out of me by not being able to walk when he woke up. Usually he's straight out of bed and into ours in a morning but he stayed in his bed shouting for someone to come get him, he wouldn't walk and when we did finally coax him into standing up and taking some steps he was super wobble and crying.

Whisked him off to the doctors office that morning (by which time he had started walking a little but was still limping and very wobbly) and was sent for hip and knee X-rays. Egg was a total superstar for the X-rays (as was Archie Bear, they both got stickers!) and we sat back to wait for the results.

The Docs called the day after with the result, starting the conversation with the phrase "Don't worry, but...." (like that's not going to make you crap your pants at whats coming??

Hence the Sept 10th page, come to think about it:

The upshot of the phone call is that there is a shadow on the X-ray of Egg's left knee joint which needs to be investigated by an Orthopedic specialist. They don't think it's anything sinister, possibly a cyst, but it needs to be looked at. We've had his appointment date through for 13th October, so we just need to wait and see till then. Egg's been absolutely fine, so I'm sure it's nothing - but you can't help worry when something isn't as it should be with your babies.

On completely unrelated crafty stuff. I really need to stay away from Ravelry.com. I went on there just for a mooch about and ended up spending some of Saturday whipping up a winter hat for me:

I'm not sure about whether I like it or not yet. Time will tell. I didn't make the felted flower - it's the one I won in the Raspberry.com giveaway a while back, but I think it fits with the hat really well.

Can I just had a quick HURRAH! as Egg has just asked for his potty....and actually peed in it!! Hurrah!

Right, must get everyone dressed and off to their respective places of work, play or learning.

(apologies for any typos or errors, haven't time to check back)

TTFN

The Quest for Fitness

2009-09-03T15:06:00.002Z

I made my first page for the Learn Something New Everyday Class (here after known as LSNED to avoid much superfluous typing on my part) last night. As we're supposed to be scrapping what we've learnt in a particular day and it's a bit hard to do that until you've lived it we're scrapping a day behind so the page I made yesterday on 2nd was actually the page for the 1st. Confused? Me too.

So, lesson learnt for September 1st? Well. You remember I mentioned this a little while back. I've been running and had been doing quite well with keeping up my 3 times a week, until about a week and a half ago, when I let one night slide, then another, then another. Eek! I finally dragged my unco-operative bum to the gym on Tuesday night, only to discover that having a lazy week off might be nice at the time - but it only makes it harder to get back into things once you get back to the gym. Hopefully I can continue to remember this listen. {Note to Self} Must go to gym tonight!

Here's the page anyway:

In other news - I finally officially moved into my new office today. Hurrah! Phone is on, computer is up and running. Okay, so the boxes are still to be unpacked and there's nothing on the walls or noticeboards yet, but at least I'm in there. It will be very strange going into work on Monday morning and going straight to the new office rather than the admin office. The end of an era!

We even have a plant in our new office, a lovely present from the admin manager for a moving in gift (how sweet is that?). It's fabulously red and yellow and goes lovely with our orange wall. We're positively tropical in there (which can only be a good thing if the weather continues in the same vain as it was today).

Here's my lovely plant:

Wanna start a sweep on how long it takes me to kill it??? ;)

TTFN

Class Starts Today!!

2009-09-01T19:14:00.005Z

Not for the kids though (they don't go back until Thursday). Class starts for me today, in the form of this:

You might recall last year I signed up to take part in Shimelle's Learn Something New Everyday Class. One the great things about Shimelle's classes is that once you've paid to take part the first time then you get to participate every year without any further charges. You get all the new prompts, access to the forums etc. Great value I think. You can check out my pages from last year here.

I admit I wasn't really going to take part this year (but only because I didn't really get quite to the end last time so felt a bit bad) but the lovely Louise is taking part this time round and I couldn't resist the urge to join my scrapping buddy on this little September adventure. She starts a new job tomorrow too - GOOD LUCK LOU! So if you should feel like it why not pop over and wish her luck.

So, Friday night and a little online cropping with Miss Lou and my album cover was done, cardstock pages cut and punched and album assemble (although I will dismantle it while I scrap the pages). Here's the finished article:

It's turned out a little more muted in colours than it was in my head originally, but the absolute best thing about it (in my mind anyway) is that I've manged to make the album and assemble a kit for the class entirely using stash that I already have! Hurrah! Go me, being all scrapping frugal. Making a dent in the massive stash isn't a bad thing either.

I've just been looking back to the post I linked about where I talked about starting the LSNED class this time last year. Here's a little of what I had to say (if you didn't clickity click it):

Can anyone else feel it? The change of seasons just hovering there on the brink? I love Autumn, so I can't wait and I definitely had that Autumney feel setting off to work this morning. There's a definite "back to school" vibe in the air. I can't wait until the nights start to draw in. Autumn is the best season ever!

You know what's weird? I felt exactly the same as this this morning. Clearly the 1st September brings out the Autumn lover in me.

Right, must dash, I have brownies in the oven. Channelling Martha again, clearly.

Oh - and I've actually finished my projects for the Seaside swap. Expect to see them soon when my swap buddy has taken delivery :)

TTFN

About Time

2009-08-26T10:26:00.002Z

I've been thinking about time lately. As it seems have plenty of other people. Maybe it's the imminent change of seasons, or the looming end of the summer holidays (how fast has that gone?). I've also been re-reading this book which is pretty much guaranteed to make you think about time - in an altogether different way.

Mostly I'm wondering where my time goes. Usually when people complain about having no time there is some wise and oh so sage person who will pipe up with the "we all have the same amount of time, its how we choose to use it that's important" line. How true and how truly annoying that is.

Lets think about this logically then. There might even be some maths involved!

In one week there are 168 hours.

Of those 168 hours I spend:

56 of them sleeping

7 of them getting the kids and myself up and dressing in the morning

7 of them getting the kids undressed, bathed and put to bed in the evening

10.5 of them cooking and eating dinner

22 of them at work

5 of them driving to and from work

2.5 of them at the supermarket in the week

3 of them at the supermarket at the weekend

4 of them getting Grace to and waiting for Grace at dancing classes

4 of them at my ILs (on a Sunday)

5 of them cleaning (on a Friday)

14 of them watching TV

7 of them reading

6 of them entertaining the kids on Saturday

6 of entertaining the kids on Sunday

4 of them at the gym

That's 163 hours accounted for. I'm not entirely sure where the other 5 go - driving places? Phaffing about getting read to go places? Cooking? Changing nappies? Washing clothes? Unpacking groceries? Probably all of these things, and others.

Is it any wonder I struggle to find time to do the things I love to do? Finding time for crafty stuff in the day is increasingly difficult for me these days - as illustrated by the (mostly) lack of anything crafty around here lately.

I guess it boils down to this. If I want to do more crafty things, then something else has got to give, but what?

I can't work less (they wouldn't pay me)

I can't drive to work less (I can't magic our house any nearer or drive faster without a speeding fine!)

I can't sleep less (I already have broken nights with the kids so I'm running on empty in that regard most of the time anyway and less sleep makes me a grumpy mummy)

I can't clean less (the house is already a pigsty, if I did less than I do now we'd be drowned under a sea of dust bunnies and laundry within a week!)

I can't cook less (we need to eat)

I can't eat for less (I need to eat)

I can't shop less (we need to eat)

I can't stop taking Grace to dancing (she needs to expend her energy)

I can't spend less time entertaining the kids at the weekend (we work all week so that's our family time)

I can't get them up less or put them to bed less (they need to sleep and they need to wake up)

I can't go to the gym less (I'd be a bigger fatter heffer than I am now)

So, that pretty much leaves the reading and the TV. I'm not sure I could bare to part with my reading time. I do so love books.

Based on this analysis. The TV has got to go. Do you think the kids would notice?

There's a great post over at Shimelle's blog today all about time, and how she finds the time to do what she does. The answer it seems is simple. The woman doesn't even own a TV. My mind is still boggling at how that is even possible. I love the TV. Maybe an experiment is in order? Is it possible for me to survive without the TV for a week? Could I claw back those 14 hours and actually accomplish something with them?

Lets look at the current "To Do List" shall we:

1. Seaside swap secret item #1 (sorry, I can't disclose the exact nature of this item - it's a surprise :)

2. Seaside swap secret item #2 (ditto)

3. Seaside swap secret item #2 (can you ditto a ditto?)

4. Altering a bodice for my SIL for a fancy dress costume

5. Making a Kinder doll for a friend of a friend's baby

6. Knitting a new monkee for a certain little duck man

7. Starting the Learn Something New Everyday Class on 1st September

You know, I'm beginning to think this might be a feasible experiment. Beginning next Monday. No evening TV for me for a week. Well, I can't possibly start before then….Thursday is Private Practice, and Friday is Criminal Minds and Sunday is new House (maybe I'm a hopeless cause??).

So, that's the time sorted out. Now, the energy and the inspiration???……… that's a whole other post……maybe even two!!

TTFN

Monkee-ing Around

2009-08-13T07:29:00.002Z

Another layout from the Cookie craft room this week (and it's only taken me 4 days to complete it!). I love these photos of Egg with his monkee maker monkey and really wanted to scrap them.

I was a little lacking in inspiration, then the monthly email from Scrapshed.co.uk landed in my mailbox which had their August sketch challenge in - that was all I needed to kick start this page.

More layering on this page (I'm loving the pages with lots of depth at the moment) along with some stitching (which I always love on my pages, even though it's a pain to drag the sewing machine out just for a few lines). Bazzill cardstock and some papermania patterned paper and some K & Co chipboard (I'm finally starting to chip away (no pun intended) at the stash my big sister has bought me for the last couple of birthdays/Christmasses).

Hopefully more scrapping this week and a couple of sewing projects to boot. The TV programming is officially rubbish now (apart from Thursdays and Sundays) which should mean more crafty action.

Right, best get the kids off to Nanny's house and head off to work.

TTFN

Up The Pike*

2009-08-10T07:20:00.002Z

*No, nothing to do with a Northern euphemism for being pregnant. I'm referring to a very big hill with a fort on top.....all will be revealed!

It's been quite a busy old weekend here in Cookieville.

On Friday we trotted off for a day out to Stockley Farm to meet up with Louise and Rach and their respective broods. We had a fabulous time in the lovely sunshine (which made a pleasant change from the recent rain). It was lovely to see Rach and the kids again (the last time I saw them Rach wasn't even pregnant with Caitlin (who is now 6 months old!)). We had a lovely pic-er-nic, the kids played for ages in the outdoor play area and had great fun feeding and petting the animals. Add a couple of bumpy tractor rides and an icecream and it was pretty much a perfect day out.

On Saturday we were supposed to go to the St Helens Music festival (which you might remember from previous years has always been a great day out). Well, the Council completely let us down this year with an appalling line up of RnB acts (to "attract a younger audience" apparently) and a charge to get in (previously it's been free). Clearly seeing N-Dubz and Chipmunk perform is not really up our street, so has we still had the offer of babysitters overnight Kendo and I decided to do something anyway (we don't often get time together just to two of us).

So, what would we do being child-free for an entire afternoon and evening?? The pub?? The theatre?? The Cinema??Run up a big hill?? Er.......yes..... the last one!!

I know. Completely unprecedented that we should have free time and voluntarily choose to spend it exercising, but that's what we did. Scary.

We decided we would go up to Rivington Pike for a run/walk. To be honest, in the end there was much more walking than running, but that was mostly to do with the fact that the paths are made up of large uneven cobbles and you'd be in serious danger of doing yourself a mischief should you attempt to run on them.

We used to go to Rivington Barn a lot when we first started dating. It's a big biker hangout on a Sunday with a little cafe and usually a craft fair. We'd never been any further than the barn though so were pleasantly surprised by what we found up there.

There's a whole collection of interesting little buildings and follies. Lord Levenshum who previously owned the property had a big thing for landscaping and design and built a huge terraced garden as well as several towers, and a dovecote. The buildings are mostly still standing but the gardens are pretty much in ruins (which is a huge shame, because looking at the old photos of them on the information boards they were amazing).

These are the terraced gardens (I think this might be the aviary):

See how energetic we were:

and no, you don't get to see the one of my running up, my arse looks huge!! You can see this one though:

The fantastic Dovecote tower (very Harry Potter-esque we thought):

Yes, this really is as far as it looks:

but we made it right to the top:

(if you squint you can just about see me leaning against the tower)

This is the view from the top:

(just breathe in all the geography!)

On the way back down we discovered this lovely lake:

with a waterfall:

and caves:

Then on the way out we stumbled across the information board for this section, turns out it used to be a Japanese garden. What a shame it's gone to rubble:

We did manage a bit of a run when we finally found a flat bit on the way back to the car (which was quite impressive that we could even run after walking for 2 hours (most of it up a vertical path!!).

We were rather hungry after all that exercising, so decided to treat ourselves to a pub tea when we got home. Well deserved I thought. Kendo was very good and had a salad! I figured I'd earned my gammon egg and chips!

Continuing with the productive and energetic weekend, I did a little more scrapping last night. It was important we test drive Louise's new scrap space so we had a little MSNing cybercrop so she could test it out. I didn't quite manage to finish my layout (it still needs some journaling) but I hope to finish it tonight so will post it later.

Right, best head off - almost time for work. Deep joy!

TTFN

Big Box o' Goodness

2009-08-05T07:18:00.004Z

Earlier in the week (my goodness, I've actually blogged more than once this week! Whatever is the world coming too?) I mentioned that I'd been asked to test another product as well as the online food hygiene course.

It was an Abel and Cole veggie box and it arrived this morning (one would assume at the crack of sparrow fart.....it had already been delivered by the time Kendo left for work at 7am!).

If you're a regular reader here, then chances are you also read over at the Moogsmum and I'm a Ginger Monkey blogs so you'll recall that they've both been talking about these boxes recently. I've been dithering about trying the Abel and Cole delivery service for ages, but I wasn't sure if it would work for us. When I was offered the opportunity to try and review one for free I of course jumped at the chance.

I couldn't wait to get up and see what was waiting for us in the box this morning (excited about veggies.....what's happening to me??) and I wasn't disappointed with the content. Its the Mixed Organic Box option (there are several different variations you can order from the website) and has:

Fairtrade bananas (nice green ones, which is good because I just bought some so they should be about ready when the others have been eaten)
Carrots (always a winner here)
cucumber (we go through these at a rate of knots)
Green Kale (Kendo will be happy, I'm not a fan but he loves it)
Green Lettuce (this looked so fresh and yummy)
New Potatoes
Oranges
Pattipan squash (these are peculiar looking things, not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, I'll have to have a mooch round google for a recipe)
Star Ruby Grapefruit
White Onions

So, a pretty good haul. I will work on finding some recipes that I can use this lot in and let you know after the taste test how it is.

In completely non-veggie related news........ I scrapped another layout last night! I've had this photo and a selection of papers and card and embellies on my desk for months because I've really wanted to scrap it, but every time I've sat down to look at it I've been completely unsure about what to do with it. I knew I wanted to tell the story, but couldn't find a way to make the page work. The photo is of Me and Grace with the lovely Miss Louise and Miss Emily (technically Xander and Egg are there too, but they were still safely ensconced in those baby bellies at this point). It was taken the very first time we met in real life (we'd only ever spoken online before this point). It was a fantastic day out at the Wonderland park in Telford, a beautiful sunny day and a great opportunity to met so many of my Babywhisperer buddies.

I've been hoarding these Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers for a while. They're totally lush and completely strokable - so much so that I didn't want to cut into them! This weeks scrapbooking lesson is clearly that pattern papers are no use to anyone unless you actually use them, because both this week's pages have involved using stash I love but have been holding on to. I must remember to use more of the stuff I love rather than just keeping it to gather dust.

Here's the page anyway:

The inspiration for the layout came from a bit of a browsing session over at the Two Peas In A Bucket gallery yesterday. I absolutely love this page by Shannon Tidwell. Indeed, the whole of Shannon's gallery is fabulous. What caught my attention on this layout though was using popdots to produce dimension on the page, but in reverse. Shannon has cut out shapes from the main background cardstock and then added patterned paper to the back so it adds some depth. I loved this technique and couldn't wait to try it - which was the perfect opportunity to finally get this picture scrapped.

So. This week........4 blog posts, getting excited over a box of veggies, scrapping 2 layouts........ I think maybe I've been taken over by aliens!!! Some strange is going on for sure.

TTFN

Blogger Via Email?

2009-08-04T07:47:00.001Z

So, as my access to my blogger account has been completely knobbled by our IT services department at work, I'm experimenting with ways to get around that and still be able to blog.

Not that I blog much these days, but seeing as I used to do most of my blogging in work time anyway, I'm figuring this might improve my chances of blogging more often.

I shall wait with baited breathe to see if this actually works! Expect more random testing throughout the day.

TTFN

PS. Random photos too - just checking if that works aswell!!

Virtual College

2009-08-03T16:02:00.003Z

I was approached a little while ago to see if I would be willing to test out a couple of things in exchange for doing a review on the Cookie blog. One of those things is being delivered on Friday (more on that after the weekend), the other one was an online course with a place called Virtual College. Never one to shy away from a bit of education I thought I’d give it a try, particular because the course in question was the Online Food Hygiene Course.

The course is actually geared toward people working in the food service industry, but, being that I do tend to do a lot of baking (which is often consumed by work colleagues as well as family and friends) and with having the two small people in the house I thought it would be interesting to find out if what I think I know about this kind of stuff is right and what I could be doing to do things better.

It was an education as well!! Eek!

The Virtual College system is actually really user friendly. You log in, the front page shows a list of your courses, then you click into the one you’re working on. You’re then given a list of modules which tells you if you’ve completed them, are working on them, or need to complete them still.

You can pick up and put down at any time (which is useful, particularly if you’re at the mercy of work and small people like me) and work at your own pace, which is great.

The layout of the course itself was very good. Fun, interactive, easy to follow and navigate around. You follow each of the 9 modules through a series of screens, answering little pop quizzes on the way and have a multiple choice test at the end of the module to see if you’ve taken everything in. There’s also a really useful little place to make online notes yourself (which you get the option to print at the end of the module). I did find the voiceover a little annoying (and inconvenient when I completed modules in work (but that was soon solved by the conveniently located mute button ;))).

Whilst some of the course related to areas that aren’t particularly relevant to me as an individual (rather than in a business sense), the majority of the course was really interesting. Finding out about storage temperatures, food danger zones, how to store foods, cool foods etc to get the best from them (and make them as safe as possible) was a real eye opener! I swear Iwill never reheat a take-away Egg Fried Rice for breakfast again!

As the course is a recognised food service qualification you do get a certificate saying you’ve taken the course once you’re finished which is quite nice. I think I might get a frame and hang mine in the kitchen. Of course, I’d have to alter it first…..now, where did I put that Modge Podge?

TTFN

She Made Me Do It!

2009-08-03T08:03:00.002Z

As you've probably gathered from the complete lack of layout photos on the Cookie blog, there hasn't been a whole lot of scrapbooking going on around here lately. Strange really, because once upon a time scrapping was my favourite way to pass my crafty time. I just haven't been inspired to get creative with the paper and glue for a while and once you get out of the habit it's harder to pick it up again.

Anyway. My good buddy Louise belongs to the team on UKScrappers which were responsible for setting last week's weekly challenge and Louise ~~bullied me until I cried~~ encouraged me to make a layout for it (supporting ones bloggy and RL buddies and all that).

Here's the page anyway:

8.5x11 for a change. Another page for my long abandoned Book of Me (I thought the change in page size might jig up the mojo a little). I was going great guns with this the evening I started it, then as usual life conspired to get in the way of me completing it and I didn't get it done until last night in a bit of a last minute rush, which sort of sucks the fun out of it. I'm hoping to try to set aside some time to get some uninterrupted scrapping in. Maybe that will rekindly my love of all things patterned paper? Who knows.

TTFN

Shhhhhhhhhhhh....

2009-07-31T06:10:00.002Z

Don't tell ~~anyone~~ too many people, but, if you were to perhaps take a little wander over here, them you might come across a lovely (not so) little knitting pattern from a certain Monkee making lady we all know and miss.

Then you could make one of these, all for your very own:

Then, if you happen to have one lying around, you could give your newly created monkee to an eager little boy, so he can squish it:

and kiss it:

and get tired with it:

and pretend to sleep with it:

and get bored of sleeping with it and name it "Shaggy" and dangle it around by its arm:

Be careful though. If you happen to have one of these around the house too:

Because she will likely get jealous and pout and cry. Even though she already has a lovely pink monkee make of knit all of her very own. Then she'll bemoan the fact that she can't find it (even though you know full well its in her room) and she'll insist on having her photograph taken with the resident sock monkey. Just to make things all fair.

And if she gets too pouty:

You could always gag her with the monkey:

Thank you Mrs Monkee Maker lady :) I've been hoping for a long time that you would share your pattern, and now you have, and making it made me (and the Eggman, although not so much Miss Gracie) very happy.

Happy Monkeeing.

TTFN

Step Into My Orifice......

2009-07-29T07:26:00.002Z

It's Here! The time has finally arrived!! Yesterday I was allowed to start moving stuff into my new ~~orifice~~ office at work. I'm sooooooo excited!

The student services office where I'm currently located is in the middle of the building with no outside windows and an air conditioning unit which pipes out the smell of wet dog 90% of the time (not sure what that's all about!).

The new build that I'm moving into is nearly, almost, nearly finished but the wing that I'm in is complete so we're allowed in for unpacking (although can't officially use it as a workbase until the 17th August).

I'm sharing the new office with my boss (not a problem as she's fab) and it's right up in the degree base so I'll be right near all my students (I'll probably end up thinking that's not such a good idea in about 5 months time!).

The best thing about my new office? It has a view! and windows that actually open! This was my view yesterday:

A little overcast, but look.......trees!! If you squint you can even see hills! Ahhhhhhhh.......soak up that geography.

The inside is a bit of a mess at the moment because it's full of packing boxes and still needs another desk in. It's very light though. I lubs it.

Bit of panorama there but the windows went a little bit wiggy. The wall on the left is really bright orange, the rest white. The furniture is all Ikea-y and lovely. It's got that weird new building smell going on.

I can't wait to get moved in and start the new academic year in our new space. As well as the office we also have a new computer lab with new PCs, a degree base (which they use kind of like a common room) and a new teaching room for our medicine and dentistry students.

Roll on th 17th!!!

TTFN

Mind The Gap!

2009-07-25T20:16:00.002Z

Another long bloggy absence! I've officially sucked at this this year! Sorry.

Things have been kind of hectic this week as Kendo has been away for work so I've been flying solo at home with the munchkins......... what's that thing you can see there? That'd be the end of my tether!

I had a few days off work this week as it was the start of the school holidays for Grace on Tuesday. Trying to keep two small people occupied even for three days has been a complete and total PITA! Total Kudos to the SAHMs that do this day in day out.

On Thursday I promised painting for the kids (against my better judgement and the ardent advice of Miss Louise).

The kids made a mess, but had good fun in the process. Although I have to say....washable paint? My arse! Here's their handiwork anyway.

It did make me laugh when I spotted this pic on Louise's blog - we might be a mountain range apart, but things are just the same over th'pennines it seems ;)

Friday was Egg's last day of playschool before the summer, which can only mean one thing - PARTY TIME and PUPPET SHOW TIME (okay, technically that's two things). He had a total blast, showing off all his groovy dance moves, and sat nicely for the presentations. I couldn't get over just how big he looked. Not really a baby any more. :(

Excuse the black oval - I don't mind photos of our kids being on here (obviously) but as I don't have permission from this young lady's parents to post her photo on t'internet then you don't get to see her.

Absolutely the biggest news of the week though, is this:

Miss Grace lost her first tooth!!! It's been wobbling like mad for ages and yesterday it finally got to the point where she was bordering on swallowing the thing so she let me pop it right out of there with a tissue. Of course the Toothfairy paid a visit last night so she has her first shiny pound coin to start saving up with (she's decided to save for something biggish rather than spending the toothfairy loot as it comes). She's already got 3 other wobbly ones so we the Toothfairy will be skint in no time. I don't think her gap will last long though. She's already got both adult teeth at the front (bottom) coming through, you can just about see them on the photo. So she won't have to put up with Grandad's renditions of "All I want for Christmas is me too front teeth" for long!

Do you like the new look Cookie by the way? Thanks for Rach's post here about her new look I decided a change was in order and one of Zoe's "Blog in a box" kits from Sweet Shoppe Designs was just what I needed as I didn't have the time or the energy to me whipping up blog banners and side bar banners (maybe next time?).

That said, it did take me two nights to finally manage to get a third column added again (I've had one for so long now I didn't want to do without!). All done now though, I just have to work out why the post separators aren't working. Damn HTML. Grrrrrrr.

Right, that's me for now. Promise to do better (as always).

TTFN

A Certain Mr Potter.

2009-07-18T08:53:00.004Z

I don't know about you, but I've been waiting. Patiently. For this:

I'm a big fan of Harry Potter. The books and also the movies and I've been looking forward to the release of the Half-Blood Prince for a while. I got a pass out from Mr K to go see it with a friend last night. I wasn't disappointed.

I'd read several reviews for the film online and to be honest probably more than half of them were less than complementary. Not that I usually listen to anything film critics have to say, because clearly, from past evidence, what do they know? Having seen the film now I suspect that people's disappointment with it comes from them expecting it to be like the book. Which is never going to happen. I've long since stopped going to see films made from books with this expectation, and losing that expecting makes the whole movie viewing process much more enjoyable. It's a movie. Not a book. You're never going to get the subtleties that can come across in writing over on the big screen. You're never going to get the plot in in its entirety (lets face it, when film makers even try to do that people always complain the films are too long anyway!). It is what it is, and personally I thought it did it rather well.

So, my own little movie review for the Half-Blood Prince?

Not so dark as the last two films, but no less enjoyable for it. The whole thing is much more "Teenage-angsty" than the others (you can see these kids growing up before your eyes I think) and it was handled really well, with compassion, and frustration and a little humour for good measure. The usually unflappable Herimone shows a completely different side in this film (much more vunerable and 3 dimensional). Ron is on absolutely excellent form (I think I laughed more at him than any of the others). Harry is, well, Harry. He has the usual mopey moments but also some gems (he's particularly amusing when he takes the Felix Felicis potion). Whilst I'm not usual a Helena Bonham Carter fan, I must say she does psychotic dark witch to perfection, She's looped!

There was lots of stuff missing from the book plot (none of it vital to the story) and a couple of additions - one of which I thought was completely uncalled for.......it made me a little sad :( (but I won't give it away)) but overall the story was well told and all the important bits were there.
The only thing really overlooked, I felt, was the amount of Dumbledore's Army action. We didn't see anywhere near enough of Mr Longbottom (although Looney Lovegood was her usual enigmatic self). I expected more from the DA as they feature so prominently in the last half of the last book. Ah well, we shall see where the two parter Deathly Hallows movies go with that.

My best assessment. Go wearing your movie-goers hat and not your bookworm hat and you won't be disappointed (although make sure you pee before you go and expect numb bum cheeks....its a LONG film (not that I noticed how much time had passed).

Right, now I've got all my HP excitement out. Onto other excitement.

This lovely collection of things arrived in the post for me yesterday (just in time to rescue me from some housework!):

These are my Seaside Swap goodies from the lovely Rachel over at Contented. Here's what was inside:

A sweet little stripey zippy pouch (that's going to live in my bag to hold all those bits that I can't find because they're always rattling around the bottom); a gorgeous mini quilt (which will go in the craft room with my rainbow one from Lucy's Mini quilt swap. I have two....that's officially a collection! hurrah!); some santuary body spray (yummy smell), a sweet little candle and seaside sign and some embroidery patches. And finally, did you see it there, mmmmmmmm Green and Blacks *drool* Demolished with a cup of coffee around 10 minutes after opening the package. Did I mention mmmmmmmmmm. Thank you so much Rachel, I love them!

I just hope I can get Rachel's sent to her before the summer is over!

Right, off to dancing with Grace shortly, then off to watch Mr K be sporty at a local park in the name of charity (and on his birthday and everything).

TTFN

Something's Afoot

2009-06-29T16:53:00.006Z

Well, two feet actually.

My two feet.

Being used to propel me forward faster and for longer than I'd have thought possible a month ago.

I took up running.

I know!!! Crazy. Unbelievable. Insane..... and actually really quite enjoyable.

After finally decided that it's unreasonable to continue to blame the size of my jelly belly on just having had a baby (considering Egg will be 3 in three months time -eek!) I thought it was about time I got off my bum and actually did something about it. So running was the punishment of choice.

I started on the Runner's World 8 week beginner's programme (being totally unfit the prospect of running even 1 minute at a time horrified me!) and I'm now up to week 4 and I'm running 8 minute stints (with 2 minute walk breaks inbetween). It's amazed me just how quickly my fitness level has risen in such a short time.

Rather scarily, Kendo and I (he's coming along for the beginner's programme ride which is cool) have signed up to do our first race on the 20th September. It's the 5K section of the Antrobus Cabbage Canter (is that not an excellent name for a run? And you get a cabbage when you finish - extra cool (even though I don't actually like cabbage, but I know a bunny who does)). We've got a month left on the beginner's programme and then another couple of weeks to work on getting our speed up over the 5K. As long as I don't come last I'll be happy!

So, that's one of the things I've been doing while I've been busy not blogging on here. Who'd have thunk it?

The other thing I really need to be doing is this.

I signed up for the Seaside Swap over at Rachel's blog a little while ago (and Rachel was nice enough to let me sign up even though I said I would probably be a little tardy with posting my swap goodies off). I've been thinking about what I'm going to make for this, and I'm going to make a start on some swap items soon (once I've whittle down all the ideas in my head to something concrete!). Watch this space for seaside swappines.

TTFN

Lucy in the Attic with Rainbows.

2009-06-26T16:55:00.002Z

Have you visted Lucy in her Attic? Have you?

If you haven't, then you really, really should.

If you have then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about when I tell you about the fabulous, yarn-filled, rainbow coloured lushness that is Miss Lucy's blog space.

I stumbled across Attic 24 a good while back on a little blog hopping jaunt. As it happened, it was around the time I decided to teach myself how to crochet. What a stroke of luck that was, and what an inspiration Lucy turned out to be.

First, was the discovery that despite the fact that Lucy's blog is full of completely lub-er-ly crochet creations - she had not that long ago learnt to crochet herself (thus confirming hope on the horizon that I might actually "get it" eventually.)

Second, Lucy's patterns. Oh, those patterns. Ordinarily when I try to read crochet patterns my brain runs off to a corner of my skull to try to escape the torment. They just don't make sense to me at all. Lucy's patterns though? Written step by step.... in English (my kind of English) and the photos! All those times I looked at a pattern and wondered "but where exactly am I supposed to put the hook through!!" Lucy gives me a photo, to show me just what I should be doing. Lucy's patterns rock!

Which is what led me to this. Do you remember this:

A sneak peak of a project started way back in February. Now it's finished (hurrah!) and here it is:

I need to work on my tension a little, and the outside of the bag was made with a lower weight yarn (and smaller hook) so it isn't quite as close knit as Lucy's rainbow bag. As it turned out a little more hole-filled than anticipated I decided to make a lining in the same way (but all in red) which I then attached to the inside just below the scalloped edging.

The lining gives the bag a nice chunky feeling that I like. I was feeling a little monochromatic when I started this project. Hence the colour scheme of the main bag, but my mood had picked up a little when I got further along so I decided on a splash of colour. I really quite like how it turned out.

Perfect for housing this whilst on the go:

Which will be the next crochet project, strangely enough from a pattern from a certain Attic blog.

The craftiness hasn't ended there either. There's been actual scrapbooking too (okay, one layout, which sat on my desk unfinished for about 3 months, but it's done now!):

Certainly won't be winning layout of the year, but at least it's actual scrapbooking production, which is few and far between at the moment.

Right, best go before the kids strangle each other. I haven't shown you them lately have I...... monkey's as always, just bigger now:

Model behaviour? Miss Grace is such a poser these days!

And this little Egg is just about as cheeky as they come.

TTFN

Access Denied

2009-06-18T07:30:00.003Z

I am an appalling blogger. I know. I've definitely lost that blogging feeling.

In my defense the lack of blogginess has not been helped by the fact that when I now try to access my blog from work (where I usually blog from) I'm greeted by this lovely screen:

Access Denied! Same with any Wordpress, Typepad or other Blogger page. I guess the IT plebs around here have finally wised up. Pah! Thank goodness for Google Reader I say or I may never get to read another blog in work again. I can't comment from there though, which explains why I haven't commented on any of the blogs I usually do (sorry if I've not been to yours for a while, I'm trying to catch up.

Things have been going on around here, and yet in some ways it seems nothing blog worthy has happened. I'm working on a project, its nearly almost nearly finished. I will post pics when I'm done. In the meantime it's school time for the munchkins so this will be short and sweet, just so you know I'm still here. I'm still reading your blogs when I can. I miss blogland! Trying desperately to get back here.

TTFN

When Postie Brings Nice Things.

2009-05-21T15:29:00.003Z

I don't know about you, but I love it when postie brings nice things, especially when they're a complete surprise!

A little while ago April had a giveaway on her blog to celebrate her 200th bloggy post. I was lucky enough to win and some goodies arrived from April today.

In my lovely little parcel were:

This fab monogrammed cross stitch card and a little pile of pink wrapped parcels (very exciting!):

Inside the parcels.......

A little pink notebook (perfect, I do love lists (although not quite as much as my SIL...eh Yan?)) and a wooden painted heart ornament (which I think I will take to hang at my desk at work for a little crafty cheer in the office):

In the last parcel, this super cute cross stitch door hanging, this did make me smile. I shall hang it in my (neglected) craft room and hope it can bring me some inspiration (which has been sorely lacking of late!).

Thank you so much April, you have helped put a smile on my face (much needed this week).

TTFN

50 Things.

2009-05-21T12:15:00.003Z

Image from here.

I've just seen this over at Rachel's blog, and thought I'd join in the fun.

1. Are you wearing a hat? No, I’m in the office. They already think I’m weird, they’d probably fire me if I started wearing hats inside.

2. Bottled water? Only if there’s no tap nearby.

3. Do you have a crush on someone right now? I’m kind of harbouring a bit of a Billy Ray Cyrus thing at the moment….previously it was Steve Irwin. I know – the shame!

4. What kind of computer do you have? Dell Desktop at work, Compaq laptop at home.

5. Do you prefer writing in pen or pencil? Pen, pencil makes my writing illegible, but it has to be the right pen.

6. Who was the last message in your inbox from? Amazon, confirming receipt of my order.

7. What's your favourite season? Autumn

8. Does your best friend have a girlfriend or boyfriend? No.

9. Do you like tea? I’m British, of course I like tea :P Weak and milky with one sugar.

10. Favourite radio station? REAL Radio or BBC Radio 2

11. Type your name into Google - what's the first site that appears? The bebo profile for some random person who is not me. She likes pink though.

12. What's your favourite song at the moment? Chasing cars by Snow Patrol.

13. Coke or pepsi? Mostly diet, occasionally cherry, always Coke.

14. Favourite subject in school? Textiles

15. Last concert? Cage The Elephant at Manchester Academy

16. Next concert? The Eclectica music festival in August.

17. Last magazine you bought? Scrapbook Trends.

18. Last book you read? Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs.

19. Do you prefer cats or dogs? Either, but I couldn’t eat a whole one.

20. Is there someone you want to punch right now? Not right now, but the list is usually many and varied.

21. Favourite sports team/person? If you forced me at gun point to choose one… St Helens RFLC, but I don’t really do sports.

22. Country you most want to visit? US

23. Are you a Blogger addict? Er……hell yes.

24. When do you shower? When I get the chance :P Not so easy with two kids. Mostly in the evening though.

25. What's your dream job? Midwife.

26. What kind of car do you drive? Fiat Grande Punto. Black. I lubs my car.

27. What word in the dictionary best describes you? Tenacious

28. What's your blog address? You must know that, you’re here aren’t you?

29. Worst TV show at the moment? The Jeremy Kyle Show….uggghhh!! Actually, can I amend the answer to #20 to put him at the top of the list? I can’t stand that man!

30. Are you a better talker or listener? Depends on the situation.

31. What's your favourite colour? Purple

32. What is your favourite animal? Hmmmmm. I’d have to go with hippopotamus.

33. Are you afraid of the dark? No, although I read a lot of horror books so I wouldn’t be adverse to being afraid of what is IN the dark!

34. Is there something lacking in your life right now? Money in my purse so I can raid the vending machine. I didn’t get chance to stop at the bank this morning.

35. What do you miss about childhood? Not having to be responsible for stuff.

36. How many times did it take you to pass your driving test? *blushing* do I have to answer this? *Sigh* okay, five!

37. How many kids do you want? The two will do, thank you.

38. Are you a good painter? I can’t paint for toffee, unless you mean walls and door frames. I wish I could though.

39. Can you cook? I like to think so.

40. Are you a cheapskate? No, but I wouldn’t pay over the odds for something and I certainly wouldn’t pay for something just because it was branded.

41. What would you do with a million pounds? Pay off the debts, help out my family, have a new kitchen (probably wouldn’t move though) and live out my days happily tinkering about with all things crafty.

42. Have you been to Disney World? No, but it’s on the “Things to do” list. (add that to the answer for #41).

43. How many days a month are you online? Every single damn day! I’m addicted!

44. Last time you went bowling? Does Wii bowling count? Other than that its too long ago to remember. I’m sure I sucked though, I always do.

45. Hot or cold weather? Cold, you can always warm up.

46. How many pairs of shoes do you have? 5 pairs of boots, 5 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of trainers.

47. Are you a shop-a-holic? Not really, mostly I don’t actually like shopping I just do it if I have to.

48. Where were you yesterday at 10.30? In work.

49. Are you afraid of the dentist? Not really. I’m not exactly running in there singing and dancing, but it doesn’t really bother me.

50. Were you bored or entertained by this survey? Neither, I was happy of the distraction, which is why I did it.

Let me know if you decide to do this too, so I can come and check out your answers too!

TTFN

On The Loss Of a Friend

2009-05-19T20:32:00.002Z

Robert Smithson's "Broken Circle"

You've probably gathered from my brief post on Saturday that we lost our friend Steve over the weekend. He passed away in the early hours of Friday morning from heart failure, just 7 short weeks after we were celebrating his marriage to our good friend Jules.

We're all a little shell shocked around here as you can imagine, the sudden passing of someone you know is always going to cause some serious shock waves.

A colleague of mine said something today which has had my brain whirring all afternoon. She mentioned that she'd had a similar loss, with her friend's husband passing away suddenly and commented (whilst getting teary) that people sometimes seem to think that because it's a friend you've lost and not a relative that it somehow isn't so bad. Clearly it is, so I kind of got to thinking about the whole thing.

When you lose a friend, it seems to be you're grieving on different layers. Yes, you're grieving for the loss of the person you know, for the friendship you had, for the jokes you shared and laughs you had, but no longer will, for all those times in the future when you'll see something funny or sad or annoying and will think "I can't wait to tell X about that" and then realise you can't.

That's just one element though. There's also sadness at the damage that's done to your circle when you lose someone from it, the worry that whilst you might patch it up it will probably never be what it once was, not always in a bad way, it will be.... evolved I suppose could be the word, but it won't ever be the same.

Then there's the grief for the holes left in the hearts of the people you love. Sadness and frustration that other than just being there, there isn't really anything you can do to fix those holes, to soothe the ache, to take away the hurt. You for others and by the same token, them for you.

Emotions abound at the loss of a friend. Sadness. Anger. Frustration. Helpless. A myriad of others, round and back again. Sometimes so many its hard to process without feeling like your head is going to explode. Sometimes expoding at the very people you should be pulling closer, simply because they happen to be nearest to you at that time.

There isn't only negative to come from this though. There can't be, I don't think. To let only negative things come from the loss of a friend is to disrespect their memory. From Steve's passing I see the positives of bonds made strong, of friendships strengthened, of in-jokes even more ingrained in our collective psyche (is there really such a thing as a magadascan howling otter? One will never know).

I take from this loss the knowledge that whatever life throws at us. However busy we think we are. However far away we might be. We should always take more time to be with the people we love, with the family we're born to and with the ones of our own making. You never do know when someone might not be there for the tomorrow, for the "next time", for the "we should do that at some point".

So, for these positives, I raise a glass to you Steve (a big one, of course - there should not be any other kind) and I say "Cheers Doc" and know that Valhalla is a noiser and more boisterous place tonight for your presence.

TTFN

There Are No Words.

2009-05-16T12:02:00.003Z

There are no words to mark the tragic passing of someone taken from us way too soon.

Rest in Peace Steve. You'll truly be missed by all.

Cake or Death?

2009-05-05T14:01:00.006Z

The baking momentum has continued around here this week, with this little beauty being next off the production line:

Made from Nigella’s “Grandma’s Devil’s Food Cake” recipe* with the addition of fresh cream to sandwich the layers together and chocolate curls to decorate, this is not for the dieter or indeed the faint hearted. It was decidedly delicious though.

Usually the spoils of my baking marathons are brought to college to be shared out amongst the ladies in my office and the members of my team who aren’t in my office. It’s become such a common occurrence these days that long protracted explanations or invitations are no longer necessary. Three words will do it. I simply have to ask them…..Cake, or death? And they know there are baked goodies to be had (first come, first served of course). Thank you Mr Izzard for that immortal line.

Aside from making chocolately cakey goodness I’ve spent most the of Bank Holiday weekend being Harry Potter to Grace’s Hermione Granger (Egg being designated the role of Ron Weasley). Yes, it’s happened. She has finally discovered Harry Potter (not that I’m complaining!). With our impending holiday travels coming up on Friday (2-3 hours in the car with “are we nearly there yet?” *shudder*) we decided we would try some audio books to see if they could help keep the kids quiet for the journey. We trooped off to the library after Ballet/Tap class on Saturday where we found a copy of Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (read by Stephen Fry – brilliant! I love Stephen Fry). Grace was completely engrossed on our Saturday travels (more on that in another post because I forgot to upload the pics to flickr) and we made it through 3 of the 7 CDs already. When we arrived home we decided to try her with the movies (she hasn’t shown much interest before) and she was totally engrossed in those too (although I wasn’t too sure about the third one, heck, the Dementors scare me! But she had moved on to Playhouse Disney on the computer by that point).

You can always tell when something has struck a chord with Grace as you get the “can we play ___________” for weeks afterwards! So, for the moment I’m happy to by Harry to her Hermione. Lord Voldemort doesn’t stand a chance!

On the topic of fighting imaginary foes. I’ve been talked into going back to this over the weekend by my beloved:

We used to play Everquest regularly. Way, way back, in a time before small people, when we could eat drink and be merry on a Friday evening until the wee hours of Saturday morning, without worrying about having to get up to see to the kids. I drifted away from MMPORG playing when we had the kids and I haven’t played any for ages so it was actually quite nice to have another bash. My account still exists so I have all the characters I used to play on there and it was good fun to discover some of our old ingame haunts. I am such a nerd! LOL. Well clearly what I really need in my life is another form of time suckage. Right?

My usual form of time suckage i.e. all things paper and fabric crafty has been sadly lacking of late. I think it might have something to do with the fact that my craft room has done that thing where you don’t use it for a little while and it then becomes a dumping ground for all things that don’t have a home elsewhere. Then you can’t get in there to craft because you’d have to move everything before you start, so you don’t, so the stuff in there breeds more stuff and on and on. Unfortunately that translates into me having to have a big tidy up in there before I manage to actually accomplish anything. Which probably isn’t going to happen at least until after our jollies *sigh* Ah well. At least I’ll have lots of holiday photos to scrap when I get home.

TTFN

*I noticed there’s an error in this recipe. The baking soda, bi-carb, salt and vanilla measurements are in tablespoons here (tbsp) but should be teaspoons (tsp).

A Bakefest And The Addition Of Superwhizzy Technology.

2009-04-30T09:56:00.003Z

How has this happened? How has it been over 2 weeks since I last blogged? I really don’t know where the time is going. Clearly it’s been sucked away by some nearby breech in the space-time continuum or something (or maybe I just watch too much Sci-Fi?).

There’s been plenty going on around here, but not much of it particularly exciting I’m afraid. We’ve had a couple of new technological advances round at Chez Cookie the last few weeks with the addition of new mobile phones (LG KC910 Renoirs) and shiny new pooters (desk top for Kendo, laptop for me). I’m totally in love with my new phone. It’s got Wi-Fi and an 8MP camera (what more could I ask for mobile blogging? – well, I could ask that my free internet access start before my next billing date, but it doesn’t so I have to wait until the beginning of May *sniff* - but other than that, no much).

The new pooters are fab (although they’re running Windows Vista which is taking a little bit of getting used to) and they’re about to be teamed up with Virgin Media 20Mb broadband – so there should be no stopping us! (from waffling crap at you ;)).

On the crafty side of things I’ve made a couple of small project – namely little pouches for the aforementioned new mobiles and I also finished lining my SILs Scottish Widows cloak in the nick of time for her birthday present. It was a big project (stretchy cloak + not so stretch satin lining fabric caused a few niggles) and I was terrified of making a balls up of it (mostly for fear my SIL would sneak into the house and stab me in my sleep should I make a mess of it!). I have requested that next year she asks for something a little easier for her present – the gall bladders from several Amazonian pygmies maybe?

Other than those few sewing projects I’ve mostly been on a baking gig lately. I have spells where I get the baking bug (usually when I’m supposed to be on a health kick – which doesn’t really work out, I think it’s probably a subconscious backlash against the idea of a diet!). I’ve made a couple of batches of berry muffins (one with raspberries and blackberries, one with raspberries and blueberries) which haven’t lasted long enough to photograph and yesterday I was prompted by the ladies in my office to have a crack at carrot cake (not something I’ve made before, I don’t normally do big cakes, only cupcakes/muffins). I haven’t tasted it yet, but it looks yummy.

Here’s my favourite part. Little marzipan carrots waiting patiently on their icing sugar dusted plate to go on top of the cake.

Aren’t they sweet?

It probably seems a strange thing to do, but I remember distinctly the first time I ever tasted (and indeed had ever seen) a carrot cake. I’d gone on a shopping trip with a school friend and her Mother to the next town over from us (not somewhere I had been very often). We had lunch in a little café and there was carrot cake in the counter display that had these little marzipan carrots on top. I remember being completely mermerised by them and amazed by the fact that you could make cake with carrots. I tried a piece and I’ve loved carrot cake ever since, so I couldn’t not make these to go on top of mine.

Here’s the finished article:

And here’s the recipe:

Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients

12½ oz carrots
2 oz pecans
4 oz self-raising wholemeal flour
4 oz plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
8 fl oz vegetable oil
6 oz soft brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons’ golden syrup
Topping Ingredients
7 oz cream cheese
2 oz softened unsalted butter
2 oz sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
These quantities make a 9” round cake.
Start off by grating 12½ oz carrots and chopping 2 oz pecans. Put to one side.
Sieve together 4 oz self-raising flour and 4 oz plain flour (both wholemeal) with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. (Tip the bran bits left in the sieve into the mixture.)
Whisk together 8 fl oz vegetable oil, 6 oz soft brown sugar, 4 eggs and 2 tablespoons’ golden syrup. (Heat the spoon first and the syrup will slide off easily.)
Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until it’s nice and smooth. Stir in the carrots and pecans.
Tip the mixture into a greased lined tin and cook at 160oC for an hour, or until cooked.
For the topping, mix 7 oz cream cheese, 2 oz softened unsalted butter, 2 oz sifted icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, until smooth.
Allow the cake to cool and then add the topping
This cake will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

The recipe is from a website, somewhere, but I’ve had it in my “to try” folder for an eternity so I can’t remember where from. Maybe the Good Food Guide, or the Food Network? Somewhere like that.

On that note, it’s almost 11 o’clock, which means its time for elevenses, which means its time for tea and carrot cake. I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

TTFN