Domesticali

Key

Life has  a habit of getting busy sometimes. To the point of overwhelming. Tonight there were many ways I could productively used my time - stuff needed doing. But there's a film I'd been dying to see ever since I heard it was being made. You know what it is too don't you?

Tonight, in spite of the hundred and one little things which need my attention, I snuck away from the house and saw Juile and Julia. Many reviews I have read have painted it as a portrait of Julia Child by Meryl Streep, but it was the Julie Powell angle which really drew me in to the story.

Because, as I suspected, the film captured the same essence that I found when I first read Julie Powell's book a few years ago. That sometimes a blog can begin when we are need of something and the simple routine of commiting to pressing the publish button on a regular basis can lead us to discover things.

I went to see the movie by myself - not because I couldn't have seen it with a friend, but because I didn't think I could bear to see it with a non-blogger. The thrill when Julie gets her first comment (followed by the swift come-down when she realizes it is from her mother), only a blogger could get it.

Driving back from the film, I was thoughtful - the portrayal of bloggers as narcissistic and willing to sacrifice their real life relationships to the cause of their blogs was not a comfortable thing to watch. I am under no illusion that my musings here will be leading to book deals, which seemed to be the rationale behind justifying the tantrums thrown by Julie Powell in the course of her project. Is blogging without objectives just a totally self-indulgent waste of time?

But then my thoughts returned to Julia Child, who didn't set out to be the phemomenon she became. She was searching for something to occupy her. She was just doing something she enjoyed. And that seems to me to be key.

Comments

Comments are a lovely thing. A little e-mail in box full of good cheer. But sometimes, I get a comment that is totally unjustified. And I don't mean a nasty one. On the contrary, it's usually someone paying me a compliment that I really really don't deserve. About having a tidy house, or beautifully behaved offspring, or managing to 'do it all'. And I laugh, and sigh a bit, and wish I had truly earned those accolades.

So before you pass judgement on my Amaryllis. I feel I must come clean.

It was all a big mistake. See, I bought the bulb last year, planning to force it for Christmas (like normal people do).  But in my frantic disorganized manner, I forgot to do it. And then 'lost' the bulb in the garage (because it's like a black hole out there). Then I found the bulb, but was too riddled with guilt to do anything about it because it was too late. Then I panicked that I had wasted money, so I stuck it in a pot about 4 weeks ago.

And look how it has rewarded me. Sometimes we get so much better than we deserve.

Crayon Box Survey

Meme time. Oh yes. Because I haven't made anything to share. Or even cooked anything photogenic. Or taken a photo today that was blog-worthy. Sometimes you've just got to type.

RED = Anger

1. Are you currently mad at someone? No, not just now. Oh, actually yes, the Mum who ostentatiously doled out party invitations in the playground and left my son out. Grrr.
2. Which of your family members has the worst temper? Me.
3. Have you ever thrown something at anyone? Oh yes. Most often an item of their mess which I am clearing up, while they are sitting there staring at the television.
4. Does your face turn red when you’re angry? No, but I think steam comes out of my ears.
5. When you’re mad, do you prefer to stare angrily or yell? I'm a yeller. Unless i am on my best behaviour (at work) at which point I become unable to make eye contact with the subject of my anger in case my death stare vapourises them immediately.

Why did they have to begin with anger? I'm sounding like a real psychopath. On to happier things...

ORANGE = Excitement

1. Has anyone ever thrown a surprise party for you? Oh yes, my 21st birthday, planned by (now) hubby. He's never trumped it. I was truly surprised.
2. Do you get easily excited? Oh yes. Very.
3. What’s something that you’re most excited about? The Children's Food Festival coming up.
4. If you won a million dollars, what would be your first thought? I have nothing suitable to wear to go and collect the cheque.
5. If you could have anything right now, what would it be? A summer holiday booked. Yes, once again, we've left it very late...

YELLOW = Self Discovery

1. Name: Ali
2. Birthday: December 1st
(I'm not really sure these questions are helping me discover myself)
3. What’s your main goal in life? Aah, that's better. Joy in as large a dose as possible.
4. Do you want to have children? It's a bit late to answer 'no' to that one, really.
5. When do you want to die? Last time I looked, there wasn't a 'select date' option. If there is now, I'd better put it in the diary. Because I like to plan and also if I don't write things down, I tend to forget them.

GREEN = Opinions

1. Are you against gay marriage? No
2. Lower the drinking age? No (it's 18 here and that seems fine)

Gosh, of all the opinions I have, those were the ones you chose to ask? What a missed opportunity!

BLUE = Love

1. Do you love someone? Many people. Oodles. I'm big on loving.
2. Do you believe in love at first sight? The rational part of me says no, but I have to admit - with hubby, I knew.

PURPLE = Q & A

1. How many beds did you lay in today? Just mine. Oh no, Johnny's too, to read him a story.
2. What color shirt are you wearing? Green
3. Name one thing that you do every day. Clean my ears out with a cotton bud. Can't not do it.
4. How much cash do you have on you right now? Not a penny - no pockets and my wallet is downstars.
5. Look to your left. What’s there? Window, with camera on the windowsill. Plus (if I am being honest) 4 used post it notes with Egyptian facts (Mark's school project), Abel and Cole catalogue (last veg order), cutting mat and bits of paper (last crafty exploit).
6. What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed? A t-shirt from my Mother when we were staying at her house.
7. What website(s) do you visit most during the day? Hotmail and bloglines
8. Do you have plants in your room? Not in my bedroom, but in almost all the other rooms.
9. Does anything hurt on your body right now? My nose - hayfever. Pah.
10. What city was your last taxicab ride in? London.
11.  Do you own a picture phone? Yes, but I have to think really hard to remember how to use it.
12. Recent time you were really upset? When hubby lost his job.

PINK = Last

1. Person you saw: Checkout lady at the supermarket
2. Movie watched in cinema: How embarrassing - I think it was the Bond before last.
3. Song you just listened to? That catchy Jason Mraz one on the radio I'm yours? Yes, that's it.
4. Person you talked on the phone with: Hubby - sorting out complicated child transfer scenario as I am Mummy helper at Cubs tonight.
 5. Did you notice that question 2 was gone? No, it's back. Magic!

GREY = Today

1. What are you doing right now? Having a cup of tea before collecting the boys from playing at their friends' house.
2. What are you doing tonight? Helping at Cubs, rewarding myself later with a LARGE glass of wine.
3. What are you going to eat? Chilli.

BROWN = Tomorrow

1. Is:  Friday. Way-hay!
2. Goal: Get children to school, go to work, pick up children, take them to swimming lesson, eat, bath, bed for them, wine for me!
3. Are you going to laugh? Every single day. Without fail.

Little Blog Awards

There was a happy e-mail today from the nice folks at Dorset Cereals. My blog has been nominated for their little blog awards. How exciting. I don't know quite why the prospect of winning one of those cute egg cosies appeals to me so much, but it does.

So, click the egg-cup to pop on over and vote, and you could win yourself a crate of their cereal. Which is very yummy. Especially the kids variety, which comes with super-cool paper automata projects inside the box. Creativity at breakfast-time. I'm all for it!

First of the season

Picnic, that is. We are big fans of outdoor food and mix it up with a playground, oodles of children, chums old and new to chat with, chocolate eggs and a handcrafted goodies swap and it's the recipe for a very good day indeed.

I am an absolutely hideous event reporter, due to my giant inattention to detail problems. But the occasional snippet does lodge in my fuzzy head, so in no particular order, some impressions from the day:

• Thankfully, weather forecasts are not to be trusted
• It was almost certain to be the right group I was approaching, when I overheard, "Sorry, what was your name again?"
• A very stylish picnic quilt
• "Is that one of ours?" - spotting a mid sized child emerging at the top of a clump 0f trees
• Discussion on the clothing dilemmas of a Little Cotton Rabbit
• At least 3 socks on knitting needles
• Missing our absent friends
• Bloggers wear very good shoes
• Even when your offspring are far more grown up, mothers remember how to make little ones smile
• Tepee talk
• Lots and lots and lots of laughter

Wish I could bundle up the warm, fuzzy feelings that a get-together inevitably creates. I even have the perfect spot to keep them. A quilted project bag, from  Kate - thank you so much! And as if that wasn't enough, I had to swipe her photo of it, because it is too dark to take my own now.

 Lucy, you are a star for organizing everything. Don't suppose you'd like to sort out my summer holiday dilemmas too would you?

green week: 4

Jade, the colour of the plant on my windowsill. It's looking a bit worse for wear now and is ripe for replacement. I have a terrible habit of clinging onto houseplants for grim death. Way past the point that they add anything to our decor. But somehow, delivering them to the great compost heap in the sky seems beyond me. Maybe this weekend. After one last photo.

Getting rid of the plant must be preying on my subconscious, because walking through town today, I was stopped in my tracks by a pair of patent shoes in the same hue.

I am cursing having seen them, because now I have the wanties. And I'm trying so very hard not to spend any discretionary money.

It's hard to go against your natural impulses.

green week: 3 Tunic

Something had been sitting on my shelf unused for way too long.

Despite having fallen in love with several of the dresses that have appeared in blogland from within its pages.  But taking the plunge into uncharted Japanese pattern waters has taken a while.  And I won't pretend it was all plain sailing. The pleats are not absolutely perfect. And I couldn't make the sleeves fit at all. Which necessitated a swift modification with some bias tape bound armholes.

But all in all, there's something about my tunic that makes me feel very happy indeed.

And that's not to be sniffed at.
 

green week: 2

Green floss.

green week: 1

Emily is hosting green week this week. Seems apt, as it feels like spring might just finally be arriving. But no lovely outdoor spring shots here today. Because the garden is looking sorely neglected and I am chained to the kitchen trying to quell the chaos in there.

It's ugly. That's what you get for working on Saturday (thereby leaving 3 males to fend for themselves) and then hosting a birthday party on Sunday (thankfully not at home) which left us both too shattered to clean up the kitchen in the evening.

The following is the result of a worktop swoop for all things green.
The chaos calls. See you later.

Yellow week: 4

On the lookout for yellow at the seaside today. There was a smidgen.

But we were distracted by other things.

 

Yellow week: 3

How old Johnny?

Not such a little one's birthday today. Sweet boy.

Yellow week: 2

The ultimate expression of domestic alchemy, spinning straw into gold.

Yellow week: 1

Erin nominated this week as yellow week. My offering today? Some spring sunshine to say thank you for all your wonderful words of support on the last post. We truly feel very lucky to know you.

I have always loved the simple joyfulness of daffodils - so unpretentious.

When I was pregnant with Johnny, Mark (who was three) kept asking when the baby would be born. And my answer was simple - when the daffodils come. For me, they will always be his special flower.

Six things

1. To say I dislike having my photo taken is putting it mildly. I'd much prefer to remain in the shadows.

2. So it is utterly mystifying to me why I allowed myself to be filmed for television this week. Thankfully it is being aired on a cable channel which I don't get, so I don't have to re-live the trauma.

3.  When I am under pressure I occasionally loose control of my thought processes and my powers of speech. This is the only reason I can come up with for having called the central character of the novel I was discussing, by the wrong name. Not once, but twice. On camera.

4. The sleeve of the cardigan I am attempting to knit is too short. I am terrified that my efforts to rip out the shaping at the top of the arm and make it a bit longer will lead to the whole thing unravelling.

5.  I found 3 grey chest hairs on hubby. For some reason, I find this enormously depressing. He refuses to let me yank them out. I may have to pounce on him with a marker pen instead.

6. Today, the first bunch of daffodils of the year found their way into my shopping basket. The thought that Spring is not far away makes all the above seem less hideous

Courtesy of Allison and the 'six things' meme that just will not die.

Christmas Eve

So, it's Christmas Eve and I am snatching a few quiet moments alone to visit my little blog space. The boys and Granny are tracking Santa on NORAD, hubby is home from work, Grandad is stacking the dishwasher. The house is full - of family, of food, of noise and of future memories.

I have some wishes for you all this Christmas - you friends who share this space with me.

• May you have a moment or two in the course of your busy busy days, to be still and savour the here and now.
• May you have the luxury of dreaming and planning for the future
• May you always find friends who can share these things with you

I think these wishes were granted for me on the day I began blogging and started to meet you all.

A very Merry Christmas to you.

Six things

Turkey Feathers tagged me a little while back with a Kreative Blogger thingy - Six things I love and six nominees.

If it's fine to cannabalise it a little (creative, surely?), here are six things I loved about yesterday.

1. The pleasure of a train journey all alone.
2. The way that meeting bloggers in real life is never as scary as meeting other people.
3. Walking about in November with no coat (and still being too hot) - London is always at least 5 degrees hotter than here.
4. Sharing in other people's passions. I know nothing about beads or beading, but I loved the treasure trove that was this shop.
5. How small babies really are (and how perfectly sweet and patient they can be).
6. Taking off my boots as I walked through the door back home.

I'm supposed to tag six folks, so how about Dottiecookie, Stashbasket, Silverpebble, Moogsmum, LucyLocket and Vicious Chicken - thank you for a great day. You lucky non-bloggers amongst our throng today, consider yourselves saved (though it was of course lovely to meet you too).

---

Half term, half gone

Not entirely sure if that title refers to the passage of time, or sanity. Both probably. We've squeezed in a quick trip to my folks for some sea air and a little buttony goodness.

Some  garlands, made from the bounty that lurks in my Mother's Charity Shop button box. When a garment donated to them is not fit for sale, they recycle it for rags, but always snip off the buttons first. Sets get carded up and sold on, but the odds and sods make it into a giant tin. I've been thinking of ways to up-cycle them and am hoping these garlands just might hit the spot with the charity shop punters.

Then a whizz home, a re-boot of the washing and a cross country scurry to meet up with Karen and Monica (and assorted offspring, all male!). You'll have to see Monica's post here for all the details, because Karen doesn't have a blog (though she does have an amazing craft room, so there's still hope) and I forgot to take a camera. Which was ridiculous. Especially given how much fun was packed into one day.

I blame it on a stinking cold - one of those ones that begins just as the pressure of real life eases off, thereby perfectly timed to co-incide with all holidays. I'm having difficulty stringing any coherent thoughts together at all - can you tell?

Parting is such sweet sorrow

For some time now, I have been interested in how blogs run the course of their natural lives. There is so much excitement in the birth of a new blog - watching a blogger find their voice in a strange new medium, make friends and connections and flourish. There's a special place in my heart for the blogs I have followed right from their very beginnings.

But what about the other end of things? When blogging no longer earns it's keep in life. This week I read the most graceful exit post from Junie Moon. And my (now in real life) buddy Alice made a similar decision to take a step back. And then there are all the lovely people I came to know, whose blogs have tailed off - sometimes with explanations, and some whose backstories gave clues as to why they may have chosen to stop. But every time it happens, I find it a little unsettling.

Perhaps there a time frame, particularly in the 'craft plus life' blogging niche, when it starts to all feel a bit same-y. When I look back at my own archives, I can't help coming to the conclusion that there are only so many iterations of the 'back-to-school' post, or the 'autumn is drawing in' post. Only so many times that 'six random things' manages to inform or surprise.

But when I contemplate the inevitable end, I come up against the unsurmountable barrier of friendship. How could I stop, when doing so would mean leaving behind people who I have come to regard as friends? The lure of an in-box, regularly filled with nuggets of kindness and insight.

 

These are possibly just the rambling thoughts of a slightly edgy mother, who hasn't had nearly enough time to herself of late. Perhaps I need to step away from the keyboard for a moment and breathe. And remember why I began in the first place.

Questions, questions

Manda was asking about blog preferences today. How we all love wading in on this topic -  unsurprising, given that blogging (or at least blog reading) is the common element we all share. Anyway, I'm feeling particularly opinionated today, so here's my tuppence worth. I would love to hear your take on this stuff too.

What makes you enjoy a particular blog (not just this one, any one that you read)?
Honesty, reality, humour and the opportunity to raise my game. I want to have a garden as gorgeous as yours, a wonderful relationship with my children when they are as grown up as yours, to cook the same foodstuffs as you do - simply and beautifully and to have a magazine spread worthy house. Oh and knit all my own socks, sew clothes and have a quilt on every bed, handstitched by moi. Just don't be too bloody smug about it or I might stop sighing wistfully and want to throttle you instead. Remind me occasionally that you too are human.

What type of post is your favourite?
Something that really makes me think. The very very best of posts stay with me all day. Posts which generate discussion around our community. Posts which make me determined to try something new or do something differently.

How important are the photographs?
They help. Because I suppose we're all a bit lazy and pushed for time. Bad photos are a bit of a turn off. Sarah+h gave me some great advice on blog photos ages ago and it really helped me. I unearthed her e-mail so I could pass it on to you in her own words:

The beauty of the digital age is that you can take a lot of pictures without wasting a single frame of film.  You should see the number of pictures that I delete.  Occassionally even when I've taken dozens of pictures I don't end up with anything that I consider useable.  I'd like to think the same is true for the bloggers whose photographs I admire.
Second, get up close and personal.  I almost always like the way a closely cropped photo looks better than one taken from a wider angle.  Framing a picture as your taking it takes practice (another way that taking billions of pictures comes in handy) but if all else fails you can always manipulate the image with your photo editing software.

If photos are not your strongest point, try to find a blog whose photographic style you enjoy and work out what it is they are doing. Is it their lighting, their use of macro, their colours? Then have a go yourself. In my opinion, photographic style is an area you can copy completely without guilt.

Does the design of the blog attract you or even stop you from reading it?
Not really - probably because I tend to read in bloglines and just pop over quickly to comment. I have never stopped reading a blog on the basis of design. I have, however a big issue with blogs whose whole feed doesn't show up in bloglines. It drives me mad!

Do you like blogs to be colloquial/regional or fairly generic?
I like to be able to place a blog. Feel comfortable enough to use your native vernacular. We don't all have to call it a Thrift Store. I'm sure readers are intelligent enough to figure out what a Charity Shop or Op-Shop is. When I first started blogging, most of the people who stopped by were from North America or Australia. I think because craft-blogging wasn't terribly established in the UK then. But these days, I notice that more and more of my comments come from fellow Brits. Are we more insular than we like to think? Or is it just that when someone talks about buying shoes, we like to know we can get our hands on a pair without International Shipping. I would never want to read only my own nationality blog - diversity is king! But local has charm too.

An equal amount of craft and family, or does too much of talking about the kids put you off?
If I only wanted to read about crafts, I'd buy a craft encyclopedia. I love love love the backstory. Why you made it, what your Dad said about it, how you fed the children cereal 3 meals running, just so you could finish it. And while we're on the subject of children, don't brag too much about yours. Because then I just think you're a big hairy fibber - they are never perfect all the time. At least, mine aren't.

What else? What are the best words of advice you can give a blogger?
Enjoy the process of connecting with like minded people. A 'successful' blog doesn't need a certain number of hits or comments - it just needs to make the owner happy. Do it your way.

Did you get this far? Even with no photo? Bravo! What's the most memorable post you've read of late? Pop a link to it in the comments. Blogging - it's good to share.

The game...

Just one of those ones that begs to be played. Go on, it's Friday.

The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

I stole it from Suse. If you want the proper answers, you'll need to check out the mosaic in Flickr.

Two

        Happy Birthday to you,
        Happy Birthday to you,
        Happy Birthday to my blog, (and to my lovely sister-in-law)
        Happy Birthday to you.

Two years today. But I'm not in the mood for reminiscing this morning - it's all about looking forward. Care to join me? And help yourself to a cupcake too - they're a marbled chocolate experiment, but I know you won't judge me too harshly if they haven't turned out quite right. Because we're friends, and that makes me happy.

Looking back...

I was all excited when Alice tagged me with this Archive meme. But I've found it much harder to do than I thought. I found that my posts in isolation make me cringe slightly - the same embarrassed feeling that prompted me to throw away all my teenage diaries a while back. Now that was cathartic decluttering!

I am meant to revisit my archives for something relevant to the following headings:

Family - well, here we are. The best thing about my family - they know me. There's no escaping the truth with them around to point it out to me. Keeps me honest.

Friends - I don't write too much about real life friends. I figure they are entitled to a bit of privacy. Blog friends are free game and I'm lucky enough to have heaps of blog chum meet ups and parcel exchange posts in my archives. But for me the purest example of blog friendship was the Minimoopy love experience. For my 100th blog post, I asked for some help with a charity project and was totally overwhelmed by the support which bloggers gave. That's friendship for you.

Yourself - This is the category I find hardest to revisit.  Some of these posts are the most personal and painful, but they are also where I know from your comments that my ramblings have reached out and touched other people. Focus on the comments not so much the posts if you read these. Because the wisdom and support of the people who come and visit me here is a beautiful thing.

Something you love - Place - glamping. I just booked to go again (in April - brrrr). Object - my dovecote. Culinary labour of love - these.

Anything - The most commented on post? This one - because I guess blogging or reading blogs is the one element of what appears here that we all have in common. And it taught me humility, because replying to and connecting with all those comments took a very very long time.

Now if you made it through all those linky links you deserve a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Cupcake?

Tagging folks feels a bit like doling out work because this took me a loooong time. But perhaps I'm just slow and you may enjoy taking a trip down through your own archives. So if you fancy doing it, I'd love to see your highlights. But I'd especially love to see the things chosen by Florence of Flossie Teacakes  and Megan from The Scent of Water. The reason? In common with Alice, who tagged me with this, they write things which often stick in my head and flavour my thoughts for the day.

Thoughts on the first week

A Flickr pro account was one of my Christmas presents and I wanted to make sure I enjoyed it to the full this year. A Photojojo article on New Years Photo resolutions also caught my eye and I signed up to Project 365. The idea is to take a photo every single day. It's quite a challenge for me - usually I save picture taking for days when the sun finally decides to show it's face or when I am bursting to blog about something I have completed.

I know I'm in good company: Sarah, Ali Edwards,  and Alicia and Heather have all started something along similar lines this year.

I expected the discipline of taking a picture, regardless of how pretty life looks to be a new one for me. But I didn't expect to find that the pictures I am taking are very different from my comfort zone. I am making an effort to keep it real - not to stage shots, but simply to snap something that captures an element of my day for real. So there's more of the grey, the mundane, than I'd normally capture. And in a weird way I like that. I seems more honest somehow.

The longer I've blogged for, the more my blog seems to have become a 'thing' in it's own right. Not really so much a reflection of my life, as a stand alone project. I find that a bit strange. And creepy. And it's not that I deliberately keep everything in my blog-world all pretty and shiny-happy. I talk about my fair share of mess, mishaps and mayhem. But it has taken this photo thing to make me realize that it's still not reality.

1. Cactus - Jan1, 2. Royal Native Oyster Stores - Jan 2, 3. Stones - Jan 4, 4. Earrings - Jan 5, 5. Sock - Jan 3, 6. ill - Jan 6, 7. Laundry - January 7, 8. haircut day - Jan 8

Autum wrote a really great post about this phenomenon the other day.

I wonder if it is something we will all come up against as our blogs age. Whether self-censorship and "happy-blogging" are a natural consequence of knowing that the numbers of people reading our blogs increases and comments begin to come from people less familiar to us.

It always slightly freaks me out to appear as a link on the sidebar of a blog I haven't already come across by following up on a comment. Don't get me wrong, it's flattering, but for me, this odd little cyber-world is about relationships. Saying 'hi' to someone whose quilt you like or whose house you've been admiring. Asking questions and getting answers. Celebrating someone's milestone or cheering their success. It's the human element of these connections that give blogging its value and uniqueness.

Of course I don't always comment on every single post I read (because let's face it, who has time?), but I feel uncomfortable as a permanent lurker too. It's too voyeuristic.

So today, when you are skipping through that huge number of unread posts in your bloglines feeds, I challenge you to do something. Stop and make a human connection. Something real. Something honest and from the heart. Because otherwise I am afraid that this wonderful outlet that we share may me reduced to something like a junk mail catalogue which we feel justified in flipping through and discarding. No matter how pretty it is. And the thought of that makes me sad.

Sunrise

 

So, it's time for a new blogging platform. Blogger, you drove me to it. I'd been loyal to you for almost 2 years, 344 posts, 4659 comments. But then you stopped my chums from commenting. You hid their blogs from me. What was a girl to do?

Have you any idea how long it has taken me to sort this big mess out? Valuable crafting time might I add. Bear with me while I try to get the boxes unpacked over here won't you? And please update your links, blogrolls, subscriptions and what not. Because I'd hate to loose you.

Nesting

There have been all manner of problems recently with non-blogspot bloggers leaving comments over here. Judging from the last few days, if you don't have a google/blogger account, you've just given up. I don't blame you. But it's sad without you. So over the Christmas break, I'm going to be busy with a little blog nesting.


I'll let you know where to come and find me when I've unpacked. Somewhere a bit more welcoming hopefully.

The wonderful goodies in the photo arrived from Jennifer at Scissors Paper Glue yesterday. The boys were very put out that I was allowed to open my parcel when they have to wait for Christmas! If you want some similar booty of your own, she has an etsy shop. With lots of ephemera. I love that word, don't you?