Still Stuffing!

Christmas trifle. Anyone fancy a dollop?

We went to see St Trinians 2 today because we all loved the first one AND David Tenant is in it (and Colin Firth)! I'm afraid we were a little disappointed. Isn't it always the way when you are really looking forward to something? It was good, but not really good, like the first one. The acting was good, it was the script that let it down, we felt.

Anyway, how are we going to persuade Marathon Runner to go to the cinema again to see Sherlock Holmes?

50 Posts and Counting!

Well I never, this is my 50th post!

Many thanks to those of you who pop in. Having read so many superb blogs like Attic24, The Vintage Magpie and Sal's Snippets, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to read my witterings but felt compelled to try something new. I'm at that age, you know.

In these few days of reviews and resolutions, I am trying to re-organise my life to include more time for crafting and blogging. My girls are growing up and much as I want to spend every minute with them, the feeling really isn't mutual!!

The resolutions I made in July have been mainly achieved, so far anyway, so here's to achieving some more!

Happy blogging people!

Sweeties

Anyone fancy a sweetie? Mad Child needed some 'focus' today so we made some Christmas truffles (with rum), peppermint creams and ginger truffles (with whisky). Hic!

We tarted up some old chocolate boxes

and hey presto, we had a couple of presents! One for our neighbours, who help us out such a lot with those technical things that Marathon Runner doesn't quite understand, and one for a hamper for my Godmother, who we went to see this afternoon.

I wasn't planning on doing a whole hamper; it just sort of escalated from the sweets. Bet she'd like a jar of your marmalade! What about some of that pickle? And those chillies we dried in the summer! The only thing we included not homemade was a small bottle of wine which had been bought for something none of us can remember!

Anyway, it looked lovely, even if I say so myself!

Hope you're all having a well deserved rest!

Feeling Stuffed!

We opted for a big chicken this year as there was only the four of us.

Fancy a bite?Nom nom nom!

Hope you've had a merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!

Presents are wrapped and all is well with the world (that might have something to do with the mulled wine and Irish coffee consumed!).

I hope you all have a lovely day!

Merry Midwinter!

Merry Midwinter to you all! Although looking very wintery here in East Devon, it is very icy, rather than snowy, much to Mad One's digust. She did laugh when she heard I fell over going to work this morning though! Humph! Many jokes about tremors and aftershocks were not politely received!
Decorations mostly up, thank goodness! All the cards posted at the last minute, as usual, and now I'm going to sit down in front of the fire with a sore bottom! (and maybe something medicinal to drink)

Hope your Winter Solstice was a happy one!

So long, Tel, and thanks for all the laughs!

This post is just a loving tribute to Sir Terry Wogan, who retires today from the Breakfast Show on Radio 2, so apologies to you non-Togs out there; you won't know what I'm talking about!

Marathon Runner has written a poem:

The Jabberingwoge

Twas brillig and the slithy Togs
Did gripe and grumble with the Woge
All mimsy was the Boggymarsh
And the morning rants outgrabe

Beware the Jabberingwoge my Son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch
Beware the Grubgrub bird, and shun
The frumious Barrelansnatch

He ate his vittles, fork in hand
Long time the Clarkish pies he sought
So rested he by the Blanketyblank Tree
And stood awhile in Splot

And, as in toggish thought he stood
The Jabberingwoge, with eyes all red
Came wittering through the early morn
And burbled all the same

One, two, one, two, rehearsing through and through
This dashing blade had a snorker-snack
He left one for Deadly and with his head
He carried on guzzling back

And hast they slain the Jabberingwoge?
Not bleedin' likely, I'm an Irish boy!
I'm on a Sunday! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy

Twas brillig and the Togs all love
Old Boggy, Deadly and the Woge
Dear Franny and the girl from Splot
And the morns won't sound the same







Sir Tel read it out on Wednesday and said it was "wonderful".

There's no living with Marathon Runner now!

Good Luck Sir Terry! How I will miss you!

Cobwebs

As I was up to my elbows in mince pies and rum truffles yesterday, in comes Marathon Runner, please as punch at what he had found in the shed: some of my old toys. There were lots of dolls clothes I had made:

two of the dolls themselves (Pippa dolls, does anyone else remember them?), a bed made out of matchboxes,

a handkerchief that somehow reminds me of Sal's Snippets (!),

some small plastic 'things' (I've seen the sword used as a cocktail stick but what the devil are the rest of them for?),

and an old box,

containing my very first sewing machine!!!!!!!

This is all very well and interesting and all that, but now I have a kitchen full of TAT!

If you get a mince pie from me with a little bit of cobweb in, you won't mind, will you?

P-P-P-Pick Up a Penguin

My Mad Daughter LOVES penguins, along with her two best friends; Giggly Girl and The Actor. I happened across some wind-up torches in the shape of penguins and so I snapped them up.

However, recently I have been fascinated by amigurumi animals and so I searched on Ravelry and came up with this (I think you will need to be a Ravelry Member to access this page). These animals are really rather addictive, once you get going!

So we have a black one for Mad Child, a purple sparkly one (doesn't show very well on the photo I'm afraid) for Giggly Girl and an orange one for The Actor.

Now I just have to think of an exciting way to wrap them. To be continued ...

What I've Been Up To

I know I haven't seen much of you lately but I have been busy, honest! There's been a bit of this:




which, as we all know, creates a bit of an upheaval!




Marathon Runner was a bit concerned you might laugh at his socks and sandals! No, surely not.








Well, what do you think about the colour? Bright enough for you? Might need to find my sunglasses.

Scary and Mad love it but I think Marathon Runner may need a bit of persuading.

We're going for a bit of a makeover for Christmas but I'm not holding my breath that we'll finish everything.

The previous orange tablecloth didn't go with it at all so a change was in order. I had a red flat sheet that I have bought by mistake (thinking it was fitted) so that came in handy.




Of course, the table is a very odd shape, life isn't that kind to me, so it took a little working out what size to make it. I got there in the end but there was a certain amount of head scratching in the process!









Finally, a picture of Scary's knickers!!! She loves the design on them, so I'm having fun trying to think of something to make her for Christmas with a similar feel (!). Not good choice of words but I hope you know what I mean!

Lots more going on, but will post this now, otherwise you will all think that I have died!

Some Crafting At Last!

This book has recently popped into my 'pile' (don't tell Marathon Runner there's a new one in there!). One or seven caught my eye and with a birthday of one of Mad Child's friends, I figured it was an ideal opportunity to try one out.

I chose the kitty (inset on the front cover) and it was quite easy, if a little fiddly.

But why hasn't she got a tail???

Okay, so mine looks a bit different. I think my first problem was that I joined the head on a bit squiffy, hmm.

I'm quite pleased though. I tied her with ribbon onto the front of the 'real' present (a book about drawing cats - ha, themed see?)

"Oh what a pretty mouse!" she said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fudge Tart

Anyone fancy a slice of Fudge Tart?

Batten Down The Hatches

The weather forecasters are telling us that storms are coming. Are they always right? Well, no actually. However, it has been raining the proverbial cats and dogs for most of the afternoon. One soaked mum returning from the Country Market (to get Marathon Runner his weekly fix of madeleines), one soaked Mad Child because she decided to go and visit her old teacher instead of coming straight home (in one of the few vaguely dry moments) and one dripping Scary Child coming home from a long day at school followed by a shift in a coffee shop. Followed by one dry husband who had the car ....



And now the slightly wider shot which shows lack of mantelpiece and (on the left) a peek of the rather large drum kit which is now surplus to requirements!!





Time to toast my toes and have some treacle tart and custard methinks!

Fireworks

Hope you all had a happy and safe Fireworks Night. Unfortunately one of Mad One's hamsters died that night, so things were a bit subdued and sniffy.

Starting to really think about the 'C' word now. What theme shall we go for this year? I was reading That Crafty Fish yesterday and she is going for a 'gingerbread' theme, which I think sounds really nice. Sometimes we go for a particular colour, and sometimes an all-encompassing theme. I'm toying with the idea of just being elegant this year but first I think we have to sell the drum kit currently located in the living room and get Marathon Runner to pull his finger out with regard putting up the mantelpiece!!

Thinking about maybe making some of these fabric trees, and perhaps a few reindeer. No, I can't even think about writing cards yet. Bah, Humbug!

Just a few buns ....

Just a few buns for the Guides barbecue! Busy, busy, busy, as usual! Very little crafting is getting done here at the moment apart from a little ripple crochet whilst watching CSI or Bargain Hunt. Don't you just love Tim? He cheers me up every day!

TONIGHT though we have the return of the GorGeouSsss Richard Armitage in Spooks so I'm blogging early just so that I can give him my fullest concentration. The story is really complicated, you see, so no talking please; just drooling!

Halloween Unwelcome

Halloween Unwelcome
Originally uploaded by ellouise88

Well, we had a wonderful Halloween Party, full of things that made us go "yewch!", lots of sweets and laughter (and lots of mess)!

Mad Child looked terribly grown up in a black cocktail dress and some very realistic vampire teeth. We had devils, zombies, mad professors, their abominable creations, of course witches and a grim reaper, complete with scythe.

Lots of things I didn't have time to photograph or just plain forgot! Like the big spider we put up in the window with a gently glowing green background. Most of my pictures are here, so I hope you have time to take a look.

Today has been spent trying to get all the decorations back into the same box they came out of! It's like one of those 3D puzzles! It's still all on the dining table, having tried unsuccessfully three times so far!

Anyway, tempus fugit. I guess we will soon have to start talking about the "C" word!

Happy Halloween

Hope you're all having a great Halloween!!

Time Flies

Okay, where did this week go? Still preparing for our Halloween party so Marathon Runner had to brave The Roof and tomorrow he has to set up a steaming cauldron, dangling spiders and help cut out some black mice. Oh, he will be pleased!

See you soon, I promise ...

Starching my Boo!

Do you like my Spooky Little Ghost? The pattern is on the Lion Brand Yarn website but you may need to subscribe to their newsletter to access it, I'm not sure. Here's the link anyway: Ghost. Just as an aside, I would ignore the word 'around' in the instructions. I found that rather confusing; however, it might be just me!

I'm a little late, this was meant for Sunday, but we have been a little unnerved by Father-in-Law being taken into hospital, so my apologies.

A while ago I had a seed of an idea. Not a big runner bean seed. More like a lettuce seed. Small and very delicate and easily blown away. It whizzed around my head for a bit and the demon on my left shoulder was telling me I couldn't do it.

When I was a little girl I used to make up knitting patterns for clothes for my dolls but since then, I've been a Strictly by the Pattern Girl. I have a friend who mixes patterns up; she takes the motif from one (usually fair isle to use up wool from a previous project), the design from another and then fits a different collar onto it. And then maybe shortens the sleeves. This brings me out in a Cold Sweat.

So anyway, the Angel on my right shoulder must have taken a drink or two to bolster it's confidence because I thought 'what the hell' and 'who's going to know if I cock it up?'

So this is how it started. Three letters can't be hard, can it? A few attempts and I had a rather curled and disconnected BOO. Marathon Runner rang from work at this point. He was bored. Just in case I was having more fun than him, what was I doing? Starching my boo, I said. Silence. Suddenly he had to go.

What to do with it now? Just a crochet chain? That just seemed a trifle plain. So we went for some dripping blood. What do you think? Not the most brilliant picture, but I just had to show you and the light here today is dreadful. In the next few days I will try and write out my instructions but I think I will make another one first, just to test it. That demon is still telling me that there must be something wrong with it.

See you soon

Charity shop find

Charity shop find
Originally uploaded by ellouise88

Look what I found in a charity shop for £2.50! The amount of work involved in this tablecloth makes me almost embarrassed to pay such a small amount. Maybe not the most harmonious colours ever put together but I like it. Might be in the minority here, especially in this household. Marathon Runner gave it a derisory grunt and Scary declined to comment!

Mad One is in London today, yes LONDON, my Baby gone to the Big City!

Oh dear, my halloween posts seem to have gone awry today! Tomorrow I promise will be something more SPOOKY.

See you soon

Rippily Loveliness

In the summer a lovely person asked me how I was getting on with my Attic24 inspired ripple. Unfortunately, for starters Yahoo put the message in my 'Spam' so it was a while before I noticed it, and then we played laptop silly b's and by the time I thought about it again, Yahoo had deleted the message (because it was still in the Spam folder I guess)!

So here it is, an update on The Bright Ripple. For the Lovely Person whose name I cannot remember. It's going reeeallllly sloooowwwly I fancy but I don't think I have ever attempted something this big



I was trying to keep all my posts halloween or autumn orientated this month and I think the colours probably match the halloween feel, don't they? When Scary chose them I was really worried but I am really liking it now. Hope you like it too ...

Work in Progress

Just a quick look at something I am working on at the moment. No, it's not a set of crochet handcuffs! There is a bit more to do oo ...

Autumn

Autumn is here, the year's growing older,

Evenings draw in, mornings are colder,

Bracken turns yellow, berries turn red

And the Sleepers are secretly making their beds.

No more at evening the flittermouse wheels,

But in belfries and hollow trees hangs by his heels,

The squirrel has gathered plump hazels and set them

In neat private hoards, where he'll mostly forget them.

The Dormouse in sunbeams, sits rubbing his nose,

And blinkily nodding off into a doze,

While the hedgehog by twilight, for such are his habits,

Spreads moss in a snug hole that once was a rabbit's.

Soon they will all of them cosily creep,

Into their bedrooms and tumble asleep,

Even the toad, now as plump as a mole,

Will decide he had better be Toad in a Hole.

The squirrel and dormouse will tuck in their toes,

And make their tails counterpanes over the nose,

While the slumbering hedgehog, since tail he has none,

Tucks his nose where his would be, if he had one.

Hardly they'll breathe, or their hearts beat at all,

Hardly their blood through their bodies will crawl,

Yet rain, frost or snowfall, still cosy and dry,

They will all slumber safely while Winter goes by.

Then, one soft day, they will dream of the sun,

And feel in their bones that the spring has begun,

And, lean but alive, they will waken and then

Nose off down the hedgerow on business again.

************
I hope you like this poem. I copied it out of a book a long time ago and cannot remember who wrote it, and of course cannot now find the book!!!