Last Days of September

Wow, didnt realise how long it had been seen since I last posted, where has the time gone!
Cant believe we are into October tomorrow, although the weather has certainly turned and the nights are drawing in. Looks like Winters on its way. ;o(
Ive finally managed to cut the grass for the last time this season, there are still a few flowers trying their hardest to make the best of the cooler days. My one and only sunflower has a couple of new blooms .

Ive had a couple of days off this week, have just been pottering around. I should have spent ,more time doing housework, but then it only needs doing all over again a few days later, so spent my time doing stuff I dont usually get to do during the week (due to being at work).OH and I found a new local secondhand book shop so we did a bit of damage there (but it was super cheap honest!)                                                                                                                                       

  I did the usual boring stuff, likethe  monthly grocery shop  (I try and book my days off around Payday so I can get bits and pieces sorted during the week instead of running around like a headless chicken at the weekend). Our local tesco now has a krispy kreme concession, so of course it would have been rude not to!

On Friday OH was working so I took myself off to one of our local(ish) shopping centre Crystal Peaks. It was a bit of a wasted effort, but I did manange to get a bit of Xmas shopping started at T K Maxx. With a humoungous family (OH is one of 6 kids, plus spouses etc) its never too early to start (especailly when you only get paid monthly).
The weekend has been spent trying to get a bit crafty with a view to building up some stock for  the Steampunk stuff we will be eventually be selling on Etsy. OH is making replica guns, and Ive been trying to think of costume ideas. So far I have customised a pair of lace gloves I have had for yonks.

Before

After

The idea is to start Victorian and then 'punk' from there.  Ive also done a Fascinator, and am working on a few more. This first one hasnt got the lining on the inside yet, but you can get the idea from the pic           

I also got a bit side-tracked while looking for a tutorial on the interweb about how to make leather flowers and found this....chocolate-flower-necklace-tutorial over at The Sisters Four Blog. So I thought Id give it a crack and see how diffucult they would be.

Petals cut out

Petals sown

All joined together

Finished off with a button

 

 

 

 

Much to my surprise, they are as easy as they look, but do look quite effective. The finished one is a bit too big for a fascinator, but I reckon I could make it into a brooch without any problems.                                  

So, thats about it for now, theres not been much happening over the last coupls of weeks. We're just plodding on as per usual.  I hope all is well were you are.  Take Care, thanks for reading and hopefully I will see you back here  next time.                                                                                                                       

Jojo                                                                                                                                                              

3 Things Which Make My Life Easier

This was going to be 3 Things I cant Live Without but I can live without these things, I just dont really want to as they make things much easier for me.

So here they are in ascending order.................................

3) My Car.     

 Realistically its our car, but as O.H doesnt drive I tend to call it mine. Currently weve got a white Rover (similar to the one above). Its a bit old and untidy looking, but we buy our cars outright and dont pay a lot for them - the most we have paid has been £500. We tend to run them into the gound (which usually takes a few years) Having a brother in law who runs his own garage helps!.
Without a car the slog to work would take 4 times as long and running errands for the Mother in Law (as well as ourselves) would be a logistical nightmare.
However, weve coped without a car before, so I can live without one.

2) My computer. 

 We are a two PC family. Mine is used mainly for surfing the interweb, while O.H's machine has got the better graphics card so we tend to use this for gaming. My machine has recently been replaced with a 'new' one from a Computer Fair (the first one O.H hasnt built himself). My computer has helped me make lots of new friends through the interweb, keep in touch with my NZ family and allowed me to find lots and lots and lots of cool stuff (as well as sell stuff on eBay and find craft patterns etc). I love my PC and feel lost without it, however, again, I could live without it if I had to.

And finally............................................

1) My Husband

Our Wedding Day in 1992

 Weve been married for 20 years now. Scary. We met in London in 1990. His first marraige had broken up, so he was drowing his sorrows in a pub just  off Oxford St and I went to work there as a Barmaid 3 months after arriving in the UK. We married in London on what would have been my Mothers 57th Birthday (we had 10 days to arrange it all as I was supposed to be getting on a plane back to NZ), and after 18 months moved back to his hometown of Sheffield. Then we rented (and later bought) the house next door to where he grew up (and where his Mother still lives) and have been here ever since, (tho Im now working on getting him to move to NZ).
Weve had our share of ups and downs (the same as most marraiges), and have had more skint years than flush ones, but Boy do we have a laugh! If laughs were £££'s we would be VERY rich!  There arent many days go by without us having a giggle at something.
I could live without him, but really wouldnt want to, as he is my Bestest Friend and Partner in Crime (not literally).

So, there you have it, stuff which makes my life a bit more bearable.

Id love to hear what your's are - why dont you leave me a comment?

Laters

Jojo

My Week

Well, the week didnt start off too well, I got a rotten head cold and spent Monday and Tuesday feeling sorry for myself telling everyone I had man-flu! It seems to have gone now (thank goodness).

The lack of airflow on our office doesnt help much. The only ventlation is the door and as the part-timer suffers with Raynaulds Disease shes always cold, so we tend to have the door closed. With two computers, a fax machine and 4 printers, (and the fact that its a small room) it gets a bit stuffy and very warm. As I may have mentioned before, I can only see daylight when the loading bay door is open  ........

Once again, by the time the  weekend rolled around there was a list of 'to do's as long as a Leonard Cohen song, so Saturday was spent tidying the garden and doing various other domestic bits. I cant get the lawn mown one last time before Winter as its not drying out enough during the day. I will probably end up cutting it wet.
One job Ive been putting off for a while (but did make a small start on) is a corner of the bedroom we tend to sling everything into that hasnt really got anywhere else to go.....

Dont look at the dust!

 I made a small start but quickly ran out of steam, so it might have to wait until I have a couple of days off at the end of the month and can have a really good crack at it.                                                                        

Today (Sunday), weve been into the city centre to the Sheffield Food Festival. The Mother in Law heard about it on the telly yesterday so we thought we'd check it out. Its been on for 3 days and has been an annual event since 2009 (this was the first one weve been to). I got so wrapped up in seeing and tasting I forgot to take lots of pics but this one kind of sums it up .....                                                                                                                     

 

Carved melons

We chatted to people from tideswell school of food  and grow sheffield.com  and bought some very nice cheese from lincolnshire poacher cheese.com and The Mother in Law got some venison marrow bones as a special treat for her dog.  It was a nice day for a wander around the city centre and a few samples of this and that, then  have a look at the sculptures dotted around , these 'ball' fountains are my favourites.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                    We  then decided to nip out to the new Boundary Mills Store which opened a couple of weeks ago just off the Sheffield Parkway. None of us had been to one before and (apart from the Cafe which I would advise you to avoid at all costs - theres a much nicer one in Morrisons next door) we were quite impressed. OK we only came away with some socks for OH and some books for me, but there is a nice wee sewing machine Ive put on my Birthday list!  Definitley worth a look around  - I bet it will be very busy closer to Xmas                                                                                                       

So, all in all it was quite a pleasant day out. We took our time as the Mother in Law isnt too steady on her feet, but we were in no rush and got to see a few bits that we normally wouldnt have bothered with.              

Thats all for now. Jojo                                                                                                                                    

                                  

                                                        

Things I WONT be making for Xmas this year

Ive been playing round with a few ideas for Xmas pressies for the ladies of the family. Between OH and myself we have lots of people to buy for and as we are almost always skint I usually end up making stuff.
Here are a couple of ideas that wont be making an appearance this year as once I made them up my Big Sisters saying 'Oh how lovely' came to mind (with me using my sarcastic voice).

I saw these lovely brooches and bag charms on a friends shop over on folksy........folksy.com/shops/polka

So I thought Id have a go.
My efforts didnt turn out so well.

Then another friend posted a link to a tutorial for some really lovely little storage bags.......

The tutorial made them look quite straightforward.........tutorial-fabric-basket.html
so I thought Id have a go.
Mine turned out not as well as expected.

So, it looks like its back to the drawing board. I can almost hear my sister and sisters in law breathing a sigh of relief! Might end up just having to make lots and lots of Chocolate Vodka instead. :o)

Anyho, will leave you with a wee pic of how last years efforts ended up. Each bag had a handmade doorstop,  shopping bag, and pincushion either in the shape of a heart or mouse. The bags are amde from hessian and the gift tags are felt leaves and red buttons for the berries

Thank You and Good Night.
Jojo

Weekly Roundup

So, here we are again. Wow didnt that week go fast! Its been a frantic week at work, but also been a jam packed weekend. The weather has been gorgeous for the last two days, so the washing machine hasnt stopped. I cant believe how much washing we create between the two of us. I dont mind the washing of it, but I loathe ironing.
Anyhoo, this late Summer weather means that the garden is looking a bit better than it has for most of the previous months.
The calendula has finally burst into bloom..

And the borage (which self seeded a couple of years ago and is almost finished flowering) is looking rather nice from the back bedroom window. The bees are loving it!

Ive also managed to get my bulbs planted, so, hopefully they wont rot away or be eaten by mice during the winter.

On Saturday we went to a local booksale which a lady runs from her garage once a month. She does it to raise funds for the Alzheimers Society in Sheffield. As you may know my Father in Law suffered with this dreaded disease in the later part of his life, and , as both OH and I are avid readers we thought we'd pop along and have a look. I took along a couple of carrier bags full or books I no longer wanted to donate and came back with this little lot....                                                                                                                 

Oonce they have been read, I can take them back to a later booksale. They are only costing me 50p each to read, and its raising money to a good cause, so its cheap reading in my book (so to speak).

This morning we went off to a Car Boot sale. The one we wanted to go to wasnt there, so we raced off to another in the hope that it was still open. The sun was blazing  and they were starting to pack up when we got there, so we were a bit rushed, but we zipped around quickly glancing at each stand and managed to pick up more than a few bits and pieces for 'punking'. We are building up quite a stash for the Seampunk Etsy shop, tho I will feel a bit happier when we are up and running and starting to sell a few bits! Here is a pic of our haul.......

Then we called in to a Garden Centre (something I dont often do when OH is with me) for a coffee and a bit of recovery time. 

Last, and by no means least, today its 9 years since I became an orphan. My Dad died of cancer in 2003.
We went back to NZ to say goodbye in June (13 years after I had left) and for him to meet OH.
We didnt have the best of relationships, he was an old school Dutch Catholic who didnt show much emotion, but he was my Dad. I miss him.
This is the pic of him when he was did his National Service in Holland (the pic beside is of my Mum in Tahiti on her way out to NZ in the 50's).

Thats all from me for the mo, Ive got some letters and stuff to get written,soup to make, and a roast to cook, and I think Im coming down with a throat infection so Im in for an early night.

Will post again soon.

Laters.
Jojo

The Handbag Post

Thanks to the lovely comments and encouragement on my last post, Ive decided to bit the bullet and try and post once or twice a week.
I saw this idea recently on a blog I follow  here......shinypigeon.wordpress.com and thought this was a great idea.
So, as per the previous post my current handbag is this one.....

 
                                                          
This is the bag I use on a daily basis for work, and heres what it contains........

This list is as follows...........
Diary
Mints (grumpy old git tin originally bought for OH hee hee)
Sunglasses and case
Funky Pen (Xmas gift from Sister in Law) and notebook
Water spray 
Lip gloss
Small leatherman multi tool (includes scissors, 2 types of screwdriver, tweezers etc)
Screwdriver (double headed)
Inhailer
Tea Tree Oil
Cymex
Cold sore cream
Nail Glue
Makeup bag
Cute complact mirror (Xmas gift from OH)
Bach Rescue  Remedy
Mobile (my lovely Red blackberry I call my Raspberry) and case (Xmas pressie from my lovely Big Sis in NZ - the case that is not the phone)
Purse
Work clock card and drinks machine key
Car keys (with a yellow clear pig)
Piriton
Rennies
House Keys (with the yellow duck/torch and Xmas gift from my 8yr old neice - it quacks when the torch is on and frightens the life out of me if it goes off by mistake!)
Perfume (currently Treselle from Avon)
Glass nail file

OH thought it would be a giggle to add in the other items - tin of Mushroom soup, his toy gun and (I must stress this as I cant stand the stuff) HIS bottle of Gin. ;o)

The ironic thing about this is that I hate carrying a handbag, and when we go out in the evening or at the weekend if I have to I will carry my purse, phone and keys in a small backpack and thats my lot!

What do you carry in your bag?
Laters,
Jojo

Little Update

Ive been a wee bit despondent about this blog over the last couple of weeks. From the stats that I can see it doesnt look like anyone is reading it, so its getting me a bit down. Im not sure posting more regularly would make a difference, or if I should just pack it in. Part of me thinks I should give it a bit more of a chance, but its hard not to feel a bit uneasy when Im putting myself out there and not getting any response.
Anyhoo, enough with the bleating on, I guess time will tell. So, Im just gonna have a bit of a ramble about whats been new over the last couple of weeks.
So, since I updated things have been quiet (as per usual). The weather has turned over the last week, and the nights are drawing in, so its time to be thinking about (gulp) Xmas. Ive got a few ideas for ladies pressies and am trying to put stuff together to see if they are workable (but wont post here in case anyone does actually read this and might spoil the surprise). .
OH is still getting a bit of regular work with his brother - they are busy replacing the windows in a house at the moment, so two wages are a real bonus and are really making a difference. Im still doing the overtime when its needed. Im still 'twittering' tho not as much during the week, but am getting into Pinterest in a big way.
We went to a Vintage Fair last weekend (which was a first for us) and I found a nice waterset.

Ive wanted one for ages. Because of the throat problem I have, any toothpaste with mint flavouring in it dries out my throat (try finding a toothpaste that doesnt have mint in it -its not easy), so I have to have some water by my bed at night. This is just the ticket, the only drawback is trying to pour it out in the dark, hmm, might need to  think about some kind of nightlight methinks.

 Ive also finally got round to changing my handbag - my old one (which I guess will always be my favourite) is now almost 3 yrs old and starting to look a bit tired........

Old faithful - with a gorgeous bright pink lining inside

 

 

 

So, my new one is black with antique copper coloured eyelets, and a very funky leopard print lining.

Although Im sure my old faithful purple will still get the odd outing. :o)

Oh, Ive also finally gotten round to making a start on organising my crafting stuff. At the moment its all over the house, and when I need something I usually have to look in 2 or 3 rooms before I can find it. It doesnt help that I have nowhere to work apart from the kitchen table and I loathe having to clear away everything each day. So, I have been saving some  boxes from work . OH finds these ones really useful for his camera parts etc, as they have a double thickness on the bottom which means they can take some weight. My main storage area (not including the 5 of these boxes I have full of fabric) now looks like this........

Im quite proud of how organised it is, now I just have to do the same with the rest of my stuff.

Well, thats really about it for now, the garden is pretty much done for the season now, tho I have got some bulbs to put in for Spring (Yellow Alliums, Rockery Tulips, Muscari and Dwarf Narcissi), which Im hoping to get in next weekend. Ive still got some flowers showing, but its been a real letdown this year, the weather has not been very kind to us.
So, thats all for now. If you do read this, Id love a comment on here or on facebook just to let me know youve been by.

Bye For Now.
Jojo