Show and tell.

Time to do "show and tell" again.

It has been a week of baby burp cloths so far! These are getting a very positive response at Fabrilushus   Verity was also very pleased with the ones that I made for Jackson too. I have about 6 more on the go that I will finish tomorrow.

Of course I have also had to make some brooches, having sold a dozen or so in the last 10 days.

Need to re-take this photo as there is a white thread in the middle of the pink, or maybe it's a dog hair!

I really quite like these 4 green brooches. They have a spring like feel to them which was my aim.  Do you know I actually Googled what the colour trends were for the coming spring so that I could "get with it".  It seems that bright rainbow colours are the in thing.  At least that was what the website Panettone said.  They are supposedly an authority.  However, I was watching "This Morning" on TV today as they were doing a spring fashion special and a fellow Etsyan was to be featured...... where was I?  Oh yes, according to "This Morning" pastels are in!  Oh and my friends stuff wasn't even shown even though she had taken it to the London studio yesterday.  Such a shame.

Then it has been card time

Card for baby Annabelle

Birthday card

New home card

Easter cards for grandchildren.

This is my favourite thing this week, my appliqued owl cushion,  I LOVE it!

LOL!  Just seen an error above.  That website is actually Pantone, not Panettone which of course is a Milanese, sweet bread loaf with fruits.  LOL.

Wednesday 26th February.

Goodness me it is mid week already. Nearly the end of the month too.  Hopefully that means that spring is just around the corner.  Oh, just seen the date; 26th of February.  I used to do a "My Day"  blog on the 26th of each month.  Do you remember that?  My aim was to document my days activities in photos and to do it every month for a year so I could look back and see how each day differed.  I never managed it for a year!  I think I did about 6 or 7.

Let's give it another go. It is Wednesday 26th Of February. It is currently just gone 7.30am.  Simon has gone to school. As normal he fetched me coffee when he came up to say goodbye.  I am still in bed drinking it. I love this mug with the doggies.

I have lots to do today.  Normal chores, plus painting.  Hopefully some sewing too.  I didn't get around to any painting yesterday.  I did get the old curtains down and removed the tape and linings on one set which I washed.  I also removed the green border from the walls and then I ran out of time as I wanted to sew.  Today I really have to get on with it as Simon made a start on the ceiling last night, so I must show willing.

Let's do a bit of social networking while I drink my coffee. Let's Tweet.

OK time to get moving.

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It is now midday.

I got up, had my shower and had my normal breakfast of one slice of toast with scrambled egg.  Next job was to clean the kitchen including the floor. I figured out why I hate dirty floors...... I am always bare foot.  This is the best mop and bucket ever, makes the job easy.

Then it was time to get the bread maker on as we are nearly out of bread.

Next job was to chop the linings out of the second set of old curtains so I could wash them.  I did it with my kitchen scissors as I was too lazy to go upstairs and fetch my sewing scissors.  It was hard going and I didn't realise until it was too late that I have made a nasty boo boo on my finger. I have totally rubbed off the skin and now it keeps weeping.  yuk.

Next job was painting.  I really needed the ladder but Simon has put it in the rafters of the garage and I can't reach it.  Hence I have been using a stool which is a nightmare as it hurts my knee each time I get up and down.   So far I have done the 2 side walls with the windows in. They have had one coat.  I haven't touched the back wall as I can't move the book case.  I am so cross with myself as Simon was going to move it last night and I said not to worry as I could do it myself!  Hadn't realised how heavy it is!!

I have just had lunch which was a cup of coffee and a milky way. Whilst drinking my coffee I have  just made a little brooch.

Time to get going again.  I want to get a second coat on the walls that I have done so far.  Then I have my online banking to do.  I need to think about what to cook for dinner too.  Will think about that while I am painting.

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3pm.

OK, so the 2 end walls have both had 2 coats.  The Oyster coloured paint is looking like white to me.  Not the same white as the ceiling though!  Hope that isn't going to be a problem.  Don't want to have to do it all again.  The paint was quite runny so I am covered head to toe.  I always seem to get in a mess when I paint.  Got lots of large drips on the dust sheets too.  I have just been round and cleaned a few splashes off the skirtings.

Have just cleaned the brushes and am having  a cup of coffee.  Have got 2 Cornish pasties out of the freezer for dinner.  Need something quick, I think.

I am thinking what else there is to do. Hopefully The paint will be dry tonight and Simon can rehang the curtain poles.  Oh, yeah, must give them a good clean.  Also need to clean the window sills and sand them down ready for a coat of gloss paint.  Need to clean the windows. Pictures can be rehung on those walls once the paint is dry.  Curtain tie back hooks can be screwed back in.

I will get Simon to move the book case tonight and then I just have that tiny bit of wall to do. That will just leave the one wall for the purple colour. Looks like we could be on track to lay the carpet on Saturday.   Hope so.  I hate the chaos of decorating and the way it kind of spreads throughout the house.

Think I shall go and have an hours sewing, take my mind off the mess.

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10.30pm

Well here I am and the day is nearly over.  I had more than an hour sewing!  I made another brooch and a wall hanging which still needs it's back.  Will show you them in tomorrows post.  Didn't get time to do my banking. 

Simon was in at 6pm as normal and we had dinner, Cornish pasties, mash and veggies. It was quite nice.  That was followed by a cup of coffee for me and a cup of tea for Simon.  I then spent some more time working on my wall hanging while Simon finished painting the bedroom ceiling.  He has moved the book case for me so I will be able to finish that painting tomorrow.  The room is in absolute disarray and the book shelves are planted right in the middle. 

Hate it when it is so messy but it will all be done  by the end of the weekend........hopefully!

Simon is now downstairs doing school work and I am about to have a bath to scrub off the paint!  After that I shall relax in bed and catch up on a bit more of the networking lark for my Fabrilushus shop. 

So there you go, that was my 26th day of the month.

Wednesday 26th February 2013.

Good news and other stuff

First the good news.  Little Jackson is home with his Mummy and Daddy.  Yep, he really is.  I have seen it with my own eyes as we visited them yesterday. Already 6 weeks old but still not due to be here for another 4 weeks yet.  He is a little miracle.  He has done so well.  He still has his feeding tube in place and that will probably be there for a few more weeks.  He is having around half his feeds from his Mummy but they have to take it slow as it uses up lots of his energy to feed and breath at the same time. He was weighed yesterday and is an incredible 4lbs 12oz!  Mummy's milk is good stuff!

Here are a couple of the latest photos.

Now, to the other stuff.

Why is it that I can quite happily ignore dust for weeks on end (months actually) and yet I cannot abide dirty floors?  Wretched housework takes up so much time.

Why are there only 24 hours in a day?  Who decided that?  It is no where near enough for all that I have to do.

Just recently, I seem to be busier and busier.  Today so far, I have done the kitchen, top to bottom, including cleaning out the fridge and the oven. Haven't yet done the floor.  I have done 2 lots of washing, which will generate a ton of ironing in a while.  I have had a a general tidy of other areas.  I have made 3 more of the paper "logs", that eats up time.  Oh and I have also made a felt brooch and cut 3 more.

I need to get on with some sewing this afternoon as I have a couple of orders.  Yep, actual bona fide orders!  A bag and some burp cloths.  My little shop is beginning to get noticed and to get a few sales. Stuff is also still selling on EBay.   One of the things that has been quite a big learning curve for me is the importance of social net working via sites like Facebook and Twitter.  There are others too.  It seems that if you want to sell online then you need to be networking all over the place.  Seems to be true as it has got some sales for me.  Plus all the success stories that I read have big followings on lots of different sites.  It pays off,  BUT, it takes up lots of time.  People contact you and you need to reply. Time, time, time, not enough time.

As an added time eater this week I also need to get our bedroom painted.  We went to the auction on Saturday, well Simon did, I went to the dog kennels.  Let me start from the beginning; the local auction had a big sale of carpets from a bankrupt company.  We went and looked Friday evening and chose several that would be suitable for our bedroom.  It is time to finally finish that room as we have done no more since Simon finished building the wardrobes.

Simon went on Saturday and bid on a nice neutral coloured one which he won for £70.  Brilliant bargain as the price label states £365.   He went and fetched it home yesterday and it is currently residing in the downstairs hall and half in the bathroom!  The dogs have to hop over it each time they go in and out of the kitchen.  It probably isn't helping Alfie's legs.

Anyway, having got the carpet we realised that the sensible thing to do would be to paint before we lay it.  As we want to get it laid this coming weekend the painting is kind of urgent.  Simon will do the ceiling one evening as I can't do ceilings.  I have the walls to paint and the woodwork. The woodwork will be a doddle as there are just 2 windowsills and a door all the rest is stained and is fine.  Even the walls are not a major job as most of the back wall is covered by the built in wardrobes, the side walls are small and have windows in so the main wall is the one with the door.

After some consideration between green and purple we have gone with purple.  Cadburys purple!  Only on one wall though!  The rest will be in a very pale oyster colour.  We purchased some new purple silk curtains on Saturday and they should look nice against the oyster.   Our new cuddle chair is a kind of pale oyster, beige kind of colour, so very neutral.  Oh, forgot to show you that.  It was delivered last week and we are very pleased with it. Also finally got a set of shelves last week for my teddies.  Got a bit upset arranging the teddies as a lot of them were my Mum's. I have yet to work out what to put on the bottom shelves but it doesn't much matter now as it will all have to be moved out to lay the carpet.

You can see the horrid existing curtains here. The carpet isn't too bad but it was just here when we got the house.  It will be nice to have new.

So, once I have finished my coffee, I need to get down the old curtains.  I shall wash them and then take off the header tape and cut out the linings as they will be useful.  The curtain fabric is gross so I shall throw it out.  They are the curtains that were here when we moved in.   Then I need to strip off the green border.  hopefully it will come away easily, don't want to damage the paper behind it. Actually it probably doesn't matter too much as we are going to put another border over it anyway. Then I guess I can start slapping paint around.

These are the paint colours.  We are going with the one on the right.  That is the border you see there too.  haven't tried out the oyster.  It had better be the right shade as we have a big can of it.  I'll let you see the end result in a week or so when it should be totally finished.

OK, best shift myself now and get on with some more jobs. It is already midday and time is rapidly disappearing again.