Garment finished yippee

Hi fellow bloggers and fans!

I have now finished dress number 2....and now I know I'll never be a seamstress.  Dress has been headache - looks ok now and at least I can wear it and know that it wasn't made in a sweatshop by low paid Indians or children (suspect they'd make a better job than I though). On the first dress fitting I discovered bodice too small so had to unpick seams and undo darts to salvage some fabric to fit round my rather rotund chest. Because of that the bodice seams no longer matched the skirt seams to I had to chop top of skirt off...oh bum de bums. Still, its kept me out of trouble for a couple of days.  Dress needs black pointy shoes and thick black belt. Photo not do dress justice. Paid visit to Thing Two's teacher today and presented her with Thing Two's diary  - I told thing two to keep diary for 2 weeks about her experiences with friends in playground and in general.  Tis damning evidence of daily bullying.  Bullying by Little Miss Ratbag. Little Miss Ratbag exceedling jealous of thing two regardless of Little Miss Ratbag living in enormous house with electric gates, a swimming pool in garden, being driven round in giant car with tinted windows worth more than my house and possessions put together, she also gets to holiday in Florida for 3 weeks every year.  I could go on but why she should be jealous of thing two God only knows. Also had follow up phone call from thing one's school regarding my meeting where I complained about lack of teaching and teachers especially in History and Geography.  Anyway school rang to let me know something will be done so I pointed out that this weeks History lesson had consisted of all class members being hande a word search on Henry VIII - lesson done. How appalling is that!!!

Cannot wait for weekend.  Have an event and a party to go to, so have been sunbathing all week in order to glow...not red but a nice glowing shade of caramel would be nice.
bye for now xx

Good day, bad day

I've knocked up another little dress for thing two.  This ones is a bit more day to day than the French Toile dress.  I might put some rick rack at bodice level..but as she likes dress as it is I don't really need to.

I've also been buying items left right and centre from e-bay, including 3 books.  Two of them are books from my childhood, had to buy an expensive vintage copy of The Tree that Sat down by Beverley Nichols.  I've bought it for Thing two but am reading it myself to remind myself why it was so special to me. I've also picked up a copy of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit as Thing Two has a fascination with WWII at the moment and a copy of Green Smoke.  I read Green Smoke when I was about 8 and it spawned several years worth of holidays to Constantine Bay in Cornwall and a life time thing about King Arthur.  I insisted on going to Tintagel and used to dream about Sir Lancelot,  the round table and Camelot.  Camelot in my mind being a huge magical castle (think disney but made of bricks and mortar in the Cotswolds oh and of course a huge moat).

All round its a been a better week than last week.  Last Monday Thing One refused point blank to get up and go to school.  Waged War on thing one and managed to get her there in the first break.  Managed to do this by confiscating her phone, she somehow managed to get hold of my phone and hid it.  I was actually meant to be at work at this point!  Anyway, phone situation caused bit of a stale mate but not for long.  Hurled her school bag, shoes and blazer out of front door and told her she was next if she didn't get going of her own accord. She went.  Was so distraught by events that I organised big meeting with her school who have promised to support me, have also got a report from all her teachers which was surprisingly good. Teenagers eh!!!  Also had cause to visit Thing Two's head teacher re the bullying in her classroom.  I mentioned in my last post or maybe the one before that her best friends mother had said that Maddie was not to play with Thing Two....totally baffled by this. Anyway, she then proceeded to remove Maddie from the school completely.  Total havoc from Thing Two.  So many rumours, all of them unpleasant some of them involving thing two, quite a nighmare. Tis settling down now.

This week we are eating only food cooked from scratch.  What this means is that I spend ages in the kitchen and end up binning most of it.  Yesterday we all made together 3 huge home made pizzas with a zillion toppings.  I ate mine, they left theirs....why do I bother?

x

Mixed Bag this Weekend!

I've had a rollercoaster of a weekend and am quite glad its over.  I'll start with the good stuff.  First of all, check out the photo of the dress I made for Thing Two last week.  It's made of French Toile from Laura Ashley and cost about £8 to make.  The second photo is of my Luffa plants with their home made wigwams for support made from the chopped down eucalyptus which is still need of removing from garden.  Lets hope they grow some and give me a big harvest of luffa sponges, general idea of growing them is to replace my synthetic sponges and that of my friends and family with something a bit more natural.  I've also been visiting antiques centres all week and have selected the above vase as although its retro, designed by Anita Harris and is called Izzy the Owl, I've been watching antiques programmes for yonks and decided to collect a few pieces as investments for the future. I picked this one up for half the price it would go for currently if I were to auction straight away.  It wont always sit out of the way in my room, this is just temporary till I find a suitable place.  So, I've been pretty domesticated all week and then I hit the town with the Prawn on Friday night which ended in total disaster, now the Prawn always drinks wine to my vodka and it always goes straight to her head and she quite often is twice as drunk as I, Friday was no exception.  We went to a singles night just out of town, it got to about 11:30pm and I could see she was on her way so I put her in the smoking area (not for smoking - but to get her out of club and sat on bench while we waited for taxi) anyway the owner of the club came and told me she'd had an enquiry about me so off I went for 5 minutes to meet suitor.  Came back and the Prawn was gone - turns out she had slumped forward and slid onto floor face first, unfortunately smashing head on concrete floor.  Oh God!!! That was just start of it all, we had to get her from the loos into a soft seating area then wait for an ambulance.  Once at the hospital she was put into a cubicle with a rehydrating drip and we were left till 5am.  I sat in chair and tried to sleep but couldn't. She snored till 4am then woke and had major concussion.  Was like being with totally crazy person.  We had the same conversation about 30 times, which always began with her saying "Why am I here", I'd explain it all and then 5 minutes later she'd ask me again.  I managed to get back to my house at 6:30 am.  What a nightmare.  She seems to be in a place of denial and is telling everyone that her drink had clearly been spiked.  Yeah righto!! I am so glad she is ok though - they kept her in last ngiht and she has some fractures in face but nothing that wont settle.  Major wake up call. Went to visit twice yesterday with various items and will pop and see her tomorrow night. 

On a much lighter note I did The Race for Life today.  Had a brilliant run.  Really enjoyed it.  Just what I needed. 

xxx

Bank Holiday Monday

Today I woke up and finally feel better. Can't tell you how glad I am. Had a quality day with the Prawn and Thing Two at the Fun Day in Much Hadham.  Blossoms galore and the sun was out, albeit not very strongly due to winds. I picked up some vintage Wade Whimsies for 50p for two on a stall - Bargain. Apart from that the Fun Day was a bit of a flop so headed to very beautiful garden centre where they serve free tea and coffee. See - there is a God! I also had a slice of fruit cake, since I'd woken up with a craving for it. Am giving stomach whatever it requests for a few days and so far thats been limited to Heinz tomato soup, cornish pasties and rice crispies.  Did attempt a roast dinner last night but ate very little of it. Whilst I've not been well Thing Two has been creating pastels and today she displayed them for me to purchase. I chose 4 which came to £2.90. I received a proper receipt, care instructions and a voucher for 15% off my next purchase.  Am very pleased with my buys and have framed them ready to put up already. Last night I had a huge burst of energy and made her a dress.  It's finished all for a button to be sewn on.  Photo to follow.  Am planning to surprise her with a dress in same fabric (French toile from Laura Ashley) for Coco the bear.
xx

the Whole Wide World

First  I've got to mention Oakley or Little O as his parents thought of him.  I mentioned last post that he had gone missing, very unfortunately Little O had wandered into something he couldn't get out of and has passed on to cat heaven leaving a very heartbroken family behind him.  This is a photo that I picked up on Facebook.  How stunning a pusscat was he!! I can see why they are so upset.

Yes, it is 4:14 am and yes I should be asleep but am not. This is down to the fact that my body clock is all over the place, it all started on Tuesday morning when I woke up feeling rather queasy. So queasy that the things had to fend for themselves food and lunchboxwise while I posed ill-like on sofa. That was the beginning of my food poisoning. Been in bed only venturing out occasionally ever since. Have eaten about 4 bits of toast, 3 satsuma oranges, a fish finger sandwich (big mistake) and had a craving for Mcdonalds yesterday (another big mistake). Consumed almost entire bottle of Lucozade today and think thats why I am awake. Love Lucozade though. Do not love fact that entire week has been written off. So hope I feel better in the morning. Now onwards to "stuff occuring". You don't need to leave the house and do stuff to have an entire headful of stuff ot say.  We have election fever going on here and everythings a bit political...no escape from it.  I've even downloaded both main party's manifesto's.  Now I've got a bit of a socialist streak running through me - always have had but am struggling as all party's seem similiar and to be fair - I'm not doing too badly these days....in fact I'm doing rather well.  What I'd really like is this and I'm not sure how anyone can deliver it.  I'd like our country to be one where you can feed the ducks without being fined £80 for littering, where grandmothers don't get electronically tagged and their sons end up doing community service for selling goldfishes to under 18's sent by spies to catch you out.  Where if you strike a deal with a colleague to help each other out with childcare you don't run the risk of being reported to Ofsted and ending up in court for illegal childminding.  These are all things that have happened here.  There are probably hundreds of other equally incredulous stories out there where these types of things occur daily.  We're all so angry, who can quell this anger and where did it come from?  Someone deliver a wee bit of harmony- please.  Suspect I am asking the impossible.
Talking of anger - I am pretty cross with Thing Two's Teacher.  On Friday all the kids in the class (girls mainly I believe) put their names in a hat to do Cheerleading.  The teacher couldn't take all of them so this was how it was deemed to be fair.  Ok so far.  Thing two's name didn't come out of the hat - still ok.  Then the only boy chosen announced he didn't want to go so the teacher gave his place to another little boy who put his hand up.  Not ok - what happened to the hat system? So off they all trot to do their cheerleading and thing two goes outside for lunchbreak and spends 20 minutes wandering round field trying to find a friend to play with and the next 20 minutes desolate as the realisation sets in that although there were 2 other names left in the hat both of them are off sick.  So actually the teacher has chosen everyone in entire class except her.  Not happy - am going to write complaint.  My other gripe (and yes I'm afraid entire post today is either sad or gripey) is that Thing one has bad attitude to race, and apparently yesterday her father had a big row with mop head (don't get me wrong - she's only called mop head because of her hair - I actually have total respect for his partner) due to his polital discourse toward race.  I can only assume he's going to vote BNP. Do not think that this row was one to have infront of impressionable 13 year old.  That would be the 13 year old who knows nother of our Empire, our colonisation of countless countries, nothing of the Commonwealth, nothing of the Vietnamese boat people, the Ugandan crisis, of the European Union, of countless other historical factors that explain how people have migrated in and out of the UK.  Yes she knows nothing of any of this and I've no faith in her school teaching her any of it either. I am going to ponder on this.  How to ensure my children don't become bigots and how to ensure they become compassionate and knowledgeable caring individuals. I wonder if she'd respond to 10 minute history shots on the way to school disguised as lessons for thing two?  That might work. It'll have to be good though to combat what he's telling her. It was this that was keeping me awake at 4am and hence post in middle of the night. Now that I'd got it off my chest I might be able to go back to sleep.
Oh the woes of parenthood.  Good night. And Whitney and Wayne - I am deeply sorry for your loss.
xxxx

the month the weather got better!! Hallelujah!!

Ah, the sun is shining and I'm still not up.  Am going to do my ironing in the garden today.  Before I have to drive all way to Lakeside, very big bone of contention.  Thing Two has been invited to a party and its a Build a Bear Party, there are about 7 guests and the party girl's mother is taking the bulk of them in her car - but not Thing Two!! Really hacked off, how did she decide which guests to take.  Then there is the car of Maddie, now bear in mind that I've had Maddie to tea and taken her to Brownies numerous time and have taken her to the circus and on day trip to London, but there's no room in that car either and even if there was I suspect Thing Two would not be welcome as something fishy going on and Maddies mother has decided that Maddie not allowed to play with thing two and I dont know why.  Then there is the car of Ryan, who I also took free of charge to circus, fed him and delivered him back to his doorstep, no room there either. Am trying to look on bright side and have come up with the following positives.
1 - I get to sit in party with mum who didn't take my child
2 - I get to spend money on petrol
3 - I get to spend at least an hour and a half in car whilst its sunny outside
4 - I get to go to Lakeside which I hate with a vengeance - Yay I can't wait.
But enough of my moaning....here's some hots.
Hot - Book fair, went with 2 work colleagues, didn't spot any celebs this year but bagged some lovely freebies including a tea towel.  Most amusing observation at book fair was seeing two grown men in suits sat discussing in earnest the rights (I'll assume) of a book they were both studying intensely.  Boot was entitled "Tilly and her ponies".  Don't know why I found it so funny, guess it just tickled me.
Hot was trip to Brighton with coach load of women. Wont call them ladies as once they all on coach all decorum vanished.  It was a lovely day but when we got there I was busting to get on beach but couldn't as friends wanted to a) go to pub and b) go shopping.  HAve to confess to getting really fed up and when the right moment came along I vanished and went to beach on own and sent them all texts saying "gone to gaze at sea".  Eventually they came and found me....so I happy with that.  Beach packed and very sunny so we went and sat in bar in the shade....aaaaagh.
Not hot - missed Happening at Hound by Fistfunk productions - gutted. Would have like to have had the day in Brighton and the night back in my hometown.
Very hot - I wallpapered and painted my bathroom. Wallpaper is gorgeous and I can't stop looking at it. See picture of duckegg blue paper with birds.
Also wallpapered my bedroom (once I get going there is no stopping me) bought simply sumptuous fabric from Laura Ashley and made panelled and fully lined curtains.  They really nice and match my wallpaper.  I am feeling very creative at the moment.
Not hot
Oakley has gone missing.  Oakley belongs to my friends Wayne and Whitney who live in Tennesse and Oakley is super lovely cat.  Am heartbroken for them.  Really hope he comes home very soon.
Not hot
My own cat, Lily is acting oddly, think she may have depression. She not speaking to me and when I pick her up she bats me one and escapes.  Have realised why she not as agile as other cats and why her coordination is so bad...basically she goes to jump up on things and usually misses and is constantly falling off things.  It's because she's only got half a tail...someone told me that the tail is what gives them balance. All makes sense now.  Anyway, cat misery guts, cat being bullied outside whenever it goes through cat flap.  All local cats are hench. Lily small and timid. Poor Lily.
xx

What's Hot and What's Not for the Entire Month of March

Oh Dear, once again I'm an entire month behind on my blog.  Been very busy.  Best way to record it I think is to Hot and Cold it.  So, here we go.

Hot

My Birthday weekend spent with the Prawn in very nice Hotel just outside Oxford.   I drove and we had a hysterical time, I've got a trip planned for the summer to Denmark and we had copious fun and laughter pretending to be Scandinavian.  Conversation went something like this

Me "Hurdy Gurdy"
Her" Hagen Daz"

Me "Hurgle Burgle"

Her "Ya"

Me "Vorsprung Derk Tecknik"  This conversation seemed to be on a loop - you'd be amazed how much mileage we got out of it.  I am hoping to meet a Dane wearing an arran jumper, called Morten and he will be tall, blonde and tanned and ready to move me to his own private island at the drop of a hat.  

We also had fun and games in the restuarant at our hotel. I didn't seem to quite hit it off with our chief waiter.  Wont go into too much detail but to say he was Welsh, one morning I asked him if he could organise some teas and coffees to our table and he said "versittem?" I had to get him to repeat it to me 4 times before I cottoned onto the fact he wsas saying "Where are you sitting?".  Then there was the liqueur coffee which I asked for, our Japanese waiter claimed there was no such thing till I pointed it out on the menu, he came back 10 minutes later with a cup of ordinary coffee with a ton of Baileys in it.  Absolutely horrid.  Told Welsh waiter I not pay for something that revolting.  He took it off bill with a smirk (yes I'd had a few too many at that point) The Prawn decided it would be fun to steal a menu and stuffed it down her top, whilst I nicked a whole load of teeny weeny pots of hunny.  We are SOOOO Bad!
Also Hot
thing Two's trip to the Natural History Museum to sleep with the Dinosaurs.  Awesome.  Wish I was a Brownie!
Hot
Trip to Greenwich for the Observatory, cool markets, Chinese New Year Celebrations and Royal Maritime Museum.
Hot
My endeavours into the world of ECo.
In one month I have got a grant for solar panels to go on back of my house, bought a stapleless stapler for work, bought and installed an eco-button for my laptop along with energy saving contraption which sits on the hob of my cooker meaning that I use less gas.  But best of all is my ditching of toxic washing powder in favour of eco-balls.  They are fab.  I also bought a special milk jug and am purching my milk in floppy plastic bags and no longer fill up my recycling bin with huge 4 pint plastic  bottles. I'm also growing my own herbs and luffa  - hoping to sell the luffas when they grow.
Hot
Social life has taken on a life of its own.  I've got party invitations coming out of my ears.  Have been to so many things and met so many people  Why couldn't this have happened when I was younger eh?
Hot

New Book, finished it this afternoon. Didn't want it to end.  Could identity with it wholeheartedly.  Have discovered she  (the author) has a blog.  How fantastic, so I can see what happened next.

Very Hot

My Race Night raised over £600 for the school.

Not Hot.

Boiler started dripping and as a consequence I spent Good Friday with my plumber, plumber is cool, she's called Lucy, boiler now fixed but I got a terrible headache. Took paracetamol, but am going to ditch paracetamol for tiger balm. Plumber only charged me £15 for 2 hours of her time, she also fixed my laptop and is buying my car from me.  So this should go in Hot area as well.

Not Hot

Secret Lover made an appearance but I no longer interested. Whoop get me. It's so over.

Not Hot

Accidently bought Marc Jacobs Daisy body butter instead of the perfume, and Debenhams refuse to exchange, so went to Boots to buy the real thing, slagged Debenhams off, they also slagged Debenhams off, gave me a free bag and stacks of points.  Going to sell bag and body butter on e-bay.

Not Hot
Had Not Hot

The mess in my house is relentless, its making me stressed, neurotic and bad tempered. I dont know anyone else who can pull washing from their washing machine and discover an entire squirrel skeleton in there.  Thing Two had put squirrel bones found on rich friends farm in her cardigan pocket and I had washed them.  At least they are clean.  She has them displayed in her make shift museum under her cabin bed.

Not Hot

Still no man !! Did meet someone last night but he living with woman who hates him, he declare he love me after only one hour.  I am thinking he wants to jump ship....no way.  What about all my tax credits.  Tax credits - freedom. Not giving them up for just anyone.  Well not unless they happen to be Richard Gere.  Nothing like setting my sights high is there! Seriously, he doesn't have to be Richard Gere.  Normal would do. Incidently as a birthday treat to myself I hired the DVD of American gigolo and watched it alone whilst eating chocolate.  Heaven
Positively Cold
Took thing two to smallest Shameless's 3rd birthday party. Mrs shameless explained that party running late.  All party guests, 10 x 3 year olds sitting on stairs and running riot with frontroom door shut because the football still on and Mr Shameless not let party start till it finish!!!! What a twat!   I later heard from thing two that Mr Shameless did lots of very loud swearing at the TV.

Bye for now xxx