In:

Dear Internet

Today blogland sucked 2.5hours out of my day. The tumble dryer has been tumbling dry clothes for at least half of that. Couple that with all morning spent at the gym and hunting for colouring pencils, not a lot has been achieved.

I now have to squeeze 3 hours worth of household things into 15 minutes and combine it with waking up, giving lunch to and taking out the Pipster to collect his brothers.

ebay sucked up a bit of time too in my endless and largely fruitless search for plastic spray bottles with which I can get my whole natural/green cleaning thing going, because as a true crafter - I can't do it if I haven't got new and shiny tools.

and in the words of the wonderful Cathy Zeilske “You must like cheese a lot, because if I didn’t know better, I’d SWEAR that’s what your ass is made of.” Of course she wasn't talking to me.....unless my bum is so big you really can see it in Minnesota.


Update: I now have only ten minutes to get stuff done.

In:

Red Velvet Kit Club January Project


What's This?
Originally uploaded by O!Rachew!.

Oh how can you not be inspired by this? there is nothing not to like!

Am going to risk a telling off an am buying regardless of cost/customs/tax etc - if I am lucky that is.

In:

Half Way Through





a lot and not a lot going on apart from bad photography, ironing and lots of forward rolls.
I haven't managed to keep up with Anna's 365 blog in terms of pictures, well in terms of anything really, but I knew it would be hard to maintain - even for a month. So instead I am going to commit to simply doing weekly pics, good and bad moments/hair/fatness etc and see how we go. Anyway I started to journal and stick so I have totally wasted a loevly journal if I stop now. Steve asked if I was going to journal how miserable I have been for the past 3 weeks, I am considering it.

I have been sewing and really enjoying it. Blogland is great for inspiring you to move your butt and cut stuff out. Am deeply inspired by these people sewing wise:-

Bling - see other post on red velvet kit club

J - For The Record - one of the Label Tulip designers who also sews wonderful book/album covers/ blankets and other deeply cool stuff. she's the one who has inspied me the most I must say.

Wee Wonderfuls - lovely toys (I have her robots pattern and they are 3rd on my list to make after bday pressie for Sharon and a Nintendo case for Sam)

WiseCraft - oh the fabic flowers are simply divine and incredibly simple. I put these on the bag and pencil roll case I made.

Glittergoods - lovely quilting blog.
and finally
the wonderful Pink Chalk Studio - this lady is simply marvellous, if you can find her pencil roll it will bowl you over.
Looking on Etsy is also valuable for inspiration. I am thinking that when i have some money (January is such a hard month) that I will buy birthday gifts from there if I cannot make them myself. I am all about sustainable, non-commercial, no lead, quirky gifts (in thoughts rather than actions at the moment).
I broke my cheap tripod this morning - just the extra height wind up bit, so everyone i take photographs had better be sitting down or be very short.

In:

The 4th Jan is Missing in Action



I think I may change the feet caption to 'I'm all about the pretty (once a year)', I'm not sure about inflicting the feet on the people though.
Pip is very unsettled at the moment - maybe he's got the winter blues too.

In:

Catch Up

I am in yet another lazy good for nothing slump. Not helped by my weekend at the spa where all good intentions went down the pan and I did no exercise at all and just mooched about with my friend waiting for dinner!

The spa was very nice busy very very busy. We were always on the watch in the hydrotherapy suite for a seat or a spot in the water. The experience showers did not work once when we tried them (many times) and the only sauna rooms that were free were the ones that smelt like Steve's old footie socks.


However the food was wonderful and the rest of the hotel was very well appointed. Our room was very nice too - no view at all but large and comfortable.





I am trying to do this '365' thing but have missed a day - i may put a placeholder in for the missing day or perhaps just forgive myself and just miss it out. These are the photos processed so far:-



I will stick these in a journal and write down why i took them and maybe the quote from Anna's site.


In:

Planning for a Good Year

Nintendo love - I wonder if you can makea career of it?

Time for me. I am going to do Anna Bowkis' 365 day challenge this year. I am going to achieve my goals. I am going to find that there is less chaos and more freedom, but that it has to be planned. I am going to write everything down, straight away not a day later when I've forgotten most of the detail or lost the piece I wanted to save in the newspaper. I am not going to spend money indiscriminately, I am going to plan my spend and save up for things that I want, it will make the buying of them all the more sweet. I am going to run every day.


We've had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, crazy at times and boring at others. The boys are pinging off the walls despite the £££££'s spent on them, despite me taking them out for a couple of miles run/bike ride, despite everything really - if I had girls I am sure they'd be sitting down and colouring beautifully not jumping off sofas, throwing cushions, making constant bombing noises, hurting each other, leaping across rooms, hurting each other, making up stupid swear words and getting all hot and bothered. I think we just need a padded room to close the door on.