Where to start?

It's raining today.  I try not to let it affect my mood but it always does.  I have so many things on my 'To do' list that I can't decide where to start. They are all bits of things, most of which involve getting in the car and driving somewhere and I am trying to combine journeys.  Somehow I am not doing any of them but sitting here writing a blog post.  I blame the rain.

A while ago the lovely Natalia and Shawna nominated me for a blogger award to share some more facts about myself.  It always takes me a while to get round to things but I get there in the end. . . .

• I was born in Chesterfield in Derbyshire.  The lovely Curtise has photos of the flea market in Chesterfield in one of her posts here Chesterfield flea Market.  
• I now live in a small village in South Buckinghamshire, near the River Thames.  The village park was flooded this winter with all the rain we had in the south of England.

source: Bucks Free Press

• This is a photo of my mum and dad in their young days:

• Sadly my mum and dad both died before my two children were born, this is one of the great sadnesses of my life.

• I studied psychology at university in London, although it was called a polytechnic in those days.  This is where I discovered my brain does not work like most people as I have no visual imagery in my brain.  I have no 'mind's eye' and I cannot hear anything in my head.  My tutor said my consolation was I would never be troubled by disturbing images or voices but I would have a boring mental life - all true.  He said about 5% of the population are like me

• I love to travel and spent a year backpacking around Australia, New Zealand and Thailand in my younger days.  I worked on the Darling Harbour project in Sydney when it was first being built and have fantastic memories of my time in Australia.

My love of VW Combi vans begins

• We have two cats Alfie and Annie.  Both rescue cats.  I love them both dearly.

Alfie peeping out from my washing basket which is now his

Annie, sleeping peacefully.

• I love to crochet and last year I made lots of these and sold them to raise money for charity.  I was amazed people wanted to buy something I had made and sold lots of them which was great

I have just booked two tickets to go and see the Matisse Cut-outs exhibition at Tate Modern in London at the end of May.  I am going with one of my closest friends who I met while working as a waitress in a cocktail bar (cue Human League) many, many years ago.  I love spending the day with her.  It does me the world of good.

Well I have faffed about for so long it's nearly time to go and pick up my son from school.  It's his last proper day at school ever - end of an era.  Just his A level exams to go (stressful times ahead).  Keeping the karma calm.

Thanks to all you lovely ladies who take the time to comment on my blog posts. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started just a very short time ago - you all know who you are...  And special thanks to Natalia and Shawna for setting me off down memory lane.

xx  xx  xx

Easter Baking

Luxury egg for my DD who likes quality over quantity 

in the Easter Egg department

After doing lots of cleaning today I felt the need to do some 

baking with an Easter theme

No sun here today, this is Alf on my garden kneeling cushion

on a sunnier day

xx

Thrifty, crafty style

My DD reminded me recently of my new year statement that I was going to go a whole year without buying any clothes.  This is true, I did indeed make such a statement - but that was before I discovered blogging.  

Well, I have had to re-think that statement somewhat, but in my clear out I did find a very boring, spring coat by Planet which I initially thought I would put in the 'donate to charity' pile.  Then I had an idea to try and do something with it to make it more interesting - now my sewing skills do not stretch to something like the second challenge in the 'Great British Sewing Bee' where Tamara,  Chinelo and team transform a garment into something totally different - this was not going to end up a halter neck top with pencil skirt to match.

Adding decoration was the only realistic option.  So, after some research and a look in my crafty stuff cupboard, this is the story of how a boring, plain coat:

and a dress for a small girl 

(bought from the charity shop as it might come in useful one day):

turned into this:

(still very much a coat)

which I styled:

Jeans -7 for all mankind (car boot sale)

Sandals - years old, Marks & Spencer

Bag - Charity shop - Mother's Day present 

Top - old t shirt, Asda

Beads - my mum's

Much to my son's horror, I also did this to the back

When I asked him to take an 'in progress' photo of the back to check the layout of the design while pinned in place he said '

You haven't been out of the house in that have you?'  

The sub-text of which was 

'I will never, ever be seen out of the house with you if you are wearing that!'  

te-he, what's the point of teenagers if you can't 

embarrass them when out in public

I am not generally a floral person, but as I crocheted some flowers in this design, I am linking to Mis Papelicos and friends: Share in Style: Flowers

xx