New Year's Resolutions?

Should anyone ever bother about New Year's Resolutions?

Does anyone ever achieve them?

Am I setting myself up for certain failure?

Should I blog about it?

Will you all be bored witless and never read my blog again?

Will I be totally embarrased by it?

Probably!

So what!

Here goes with some resolutions for 2008 - the ones involving losing weight, eating and drinking and spending less and being more organised are almost definitely not going to happen but I keep aiming for them and we can only wait and see, one day they may actually happen!

1. Lose weight (ideally about 4 stone!)
2. Drink a lot less wine! Just thinking about all the extra hours of creatively productive time I would have if I didn't drink wine in the evenings should be a good enough incentive (sadly that doesn't seem to be the case unless I am really really busy!) I think I will aim for only drinking on Friday and Saturday nights for the month of January. That may be achievable and will almost definitely help with the weight loss!
   
3. Eat more sensibly - the problem is I tend to binge eat if a diet is around!
4. Keep the house tidier
   
5. Spend much less money
   
6. Be organised - get up earlier, get ready earlier, be at school earlier etc!
7. Spend more time doing things with the children - playing, reading, crafting, cooking etc
8. Be more consistent with the allotment - I tend to be either 150% or 0% - I need more balance!
9. Also be consistent with my creativity. I think the blog will help with this as it keeps me in constant contact with new ideas but I do find it difficult to be creative and allotment-ty at the same time - probably because I am a 150%/0% type of person!
10. Keep my Etsy shop updated - so that I can afford to buy lovely new craft supplies - see resolution no. 5!!!!
11. Not spend so much time in front of the computer reading about what everyone else is doing and get on with doing things myself!
12. Finally, try to develop some designs of my own. This one is scary! I never feel like I am capable of designing but I think if I give myself some more encouragement something may come of it!

I hope you all have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR We are going to our very good friends' house with all the children for a fab night of singing and chatting and laughing - my best night of the year!

P.S. One extra resolution - for those of you waiting for your PIF gift from me - I promise I will get it in the post to you soon (well, fairly soon!!!!) I haven't forgotten - Christmas orders just got in the way!

Home again

I hope you all had a very happy christmas! We had a lovely time staying with my parents in Durham with lots of other family groups coming and going and coming and going! It was noisy, busy and fun and the children had the most fantastic time playing with their wonderful cousins! The food was delicious and very plentiful (as was the wine!) and all the christmas traditions were happily kept.
Such as the tray of goodies left out for Father Christmas

And the reply received! This year the reindeer even left traces of the oats they had found in the garden in the bowl of water!

We have a traditional family recipe for Christmas trifle and it always has to be made on Christmas Eve with real egg custard (pints and pints of it!) and then the cream and decoration added on Boxing Day in time for tea. When I was a child I used to love sticking my fingers in the hot custard to push the biscuits down - in recent years it has been my job to make the custard and let the children do the biscuit pushing!We always have good fun decorating them with crushed crystalised rose petals and chopped pistachio nuts - I cheated this year and used a duck shaped cutter (there were two other trifles - big family!)Ally had made a gingerbread house and Dorothy and her cousin Emma decorated it. All the children loved it and it was quickly demolished!

The children all loved their presents and we seem to have a new budding musician:
We came home last night and have very naughtily taken down our Christmas tree already! After the space and tidiness of Mum and Dad's home our house always feels so untidy and crowded and there was nowhere for the children to put or play with all their new things! We may be humbugs, but at least we are humbugs with room to move!

Looking forward to Robin Hood tonight to get some more knitting done - I'll show you what I have made so far in the next post!

Lucy xxx

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I hope you all have a super time with family and friends and have lots and lots of fun!

Thank you all for your lovely comments since I started my blog - what a fantastic place Blogland is! I wish I'd arrived sooner!

Lucy xxxxxxxxx

Rosalie Quinlan Dolls

(from the My Dolly Bekkie pattern)

Just a quick and probably very sycophantic post about how much I love Rosalie Quinlan's doll designs!

(adapted from A Bucket Full of Angels pattern)

Rosie is the Me part of the Australian sister duo Melly and Me and I have been making her designs for a few years now.

(adapted from A Bucket Full of Angels pattern)

About 90% of the dolls I have made have been from her designs or adapted from them so I can safely say she is one of my all-time favourite designers.

(adapted from A Bucket Full of Angels pattern)

(I think these ones were adapted from a pattern in a magazine for an angel garland)

(From My Dolly Buster )

(Bunny from My Dolly Lolly)

(Adapted from a magazine pattern for a bag with an angel brooch - now a pattern)

(from My Dolly Lolly and My Dolly Bekkie)

Even the Princess and The Pea doll is just a reduced version of one of Rosie's dolls (again from the Bucket full of Angels pattern) - although the bed was designed and made by my clever next-door-neighbour and the mattresses and quilt are my own idea.

Since teaming up with her sister Melly the designs have changed (although she still brings patterns out in her own name as well) but I still absolutely love them and have a few little projects planned for the children's Christmas presents - which I can't show you yet for obvious reasons! But to get an idea have a look here and here and hopefully next year I will also be making this and this (the patterns are here and just waiting for me to try them out along with several other Rosalie Quinlan doll patterns)

Finally a photo of a non-Rosalie Quinlan doll but now a much loved family member! Here she is tucked up in a bed made for her by Daisy.
And for those of you who haven't realised it already this a panicking-person's-prevarication-post!

The orders are now finished (Hooray!) but I've still got 14 family Christmas presents to make from scratch and only 5 days to do it in (along with all the other wrapping, sorting, packing, organising etc)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday's frantic to do list - Final Update!

1. Frantically tidy HALL
2. KITCHEN still need to do the washing up and tidy paperwork
3. SITTING ROOM
4. and DINING ROOM (pretty much!)
   
5. Write and post 20 christmas cards wrote lots and posted some
6. Dry loads of washing
7. Put away loads of washing - those quilts come in very useful!! The piles are sorted and almost folded and then decoratively concealed!
8. Finish constructing big doll
9. Paint doll's hair
10. Dress her and stitch face
11. Finish Finlay's bag
12. Make Leon's bag
13. Start present for Granny and Grandpa Biscuit
14. Wrap presents for nephews and nieces
15. Wrap and pack parcel for Lesley and send it by super-duper-fast-next-day-recorded-delivery -because-it-is-so-late-post! Yup it really is in the post!!!!
16. Cut out bag for Hannah
17. Cut out present for Emma
18. Cut out present for Peter
19. Cut out present for Frances
20. Frame Niamh's picture and gave it to Louise
21. Have a cup of tea and I had a prawn mayo sandwich too!

So I got quite a lot done but then had an early night because I had a stinky headache and stiff neck. I'm off to hear Dorothy singing carols in the local town at lunchtime and haven't done any sewing yet so I need to get on with it! At least the end of the orders is in sight and as for Christmas presents - well at least there is another two weeks until they need to be finished. (Isn't there?)

INTERIM POST!

Before I show you how well I got on with my "little list" (Dad would always write a "little list" at the weekend when we were children to collective groans - in fact he still does and there is nothing little about them) I must just show you what arrived in the post today!

I did succeed in task No.15 and posted Moogsmum's long awaited parcel to her but before I got to the post office another parcel arrived from her!
She had hinted that it might be on it's way so I rang her immediately to ask if I could open the packages as I was desperate to meet a certain someone...............

My very own Rosy doll!

I just love her lop-sided smile!

Lesley had also included some chocolates - one for each member of the Locket family (long gone), and the hairclips I had particularly liked from an earlier post.
What a fabulous friend to have! I only hope her parcel arrives quickly and she likes the contents! I will be sending her one of my dolls in the New Year - we have agreed that my list is a bit too long for a pre-Christmas creation!

Rosy came with me to pick the children up from school and Daisy immediately asked if she could have her - "NO! SHE'S MINE" was the gentle response (repeated later to Dorothy!) - I'm such a kind and sharing type of mother!!!

Ready to go

Whilst we waited in the local cafe for Dot to finish her guitar lesson we introduced Rosy to the delights of apple squash and highly dubious dotty biscuits!
She seemed to enjoy them - a lot.

So maybe Lesley was exaggerating when she said she was used to a healthfood diet!

Monday's frantic to do list!

Sorry! Another list for you guys to help me through!

10.15 UPDATE

1. Frantically tidy HALL
2. KITCHEN still need to do the washing up and tidy paperwork
3. SITTING ROOM
4. and DINING ROOM (pretty much!) before 10 when my friend is coming round (it's already 9.15!)
5. Write and post 20 christmas cards
6. Dry loads of washing
7. Put away loads of washing - those quilts come in very useful!! The piles are sorted and almost folded and then decoratively concealed!
8. Finish constructing big doll
9. Paint doll's hair
10. Dress her and stitch face
11. Finish Finlay's bag
12. Make Leon's bag
13. Start present for Granny and Grandpa Biscuit
14. Wrap presents for nephews and nieces
15. Wrap and pack parcel for Lesley and send it by super-duper-fast-next-day-recorded-delivery -because-it-is-so-late-post!
16. Cut out bag for Hannah
17. Cut out present for Emma
18. Cut out present for Peter
19. Cut out present for Frances
20. Frame Niamh's picture
21. Have a cup of tea
    

Jobs finished

At last I have some more finished orders.

Firstly the Princess and the Pea! Here she is ready for packaging up and dropping off in Durham.

(The colours in the bottom photo are a bit weird)

I had a bit of a disaster with the mattresses - they were fine when I made them but we were just putting it all together and discovered that three had got marked during washing/ironing so I had to frantically make more at the last minute.

While we were in Durham Daisy and Fred went to visit Father Christmas (a good one too!) but Dorothy decided to give it a miss - I think she is getting a bit too grown up!

I also managed to finish this cushion cover
(it needs washing to remove the pencil marks and the photo isn't great but it gives you an idea!)

and this birth sampler (which needed to be similar to one the family already had which was a print of a Debbie Mumm angel with handwritten details around the outside)

(I will iron it before I give it to them!!!!)

The remaining orders for christmas are

1. A doll with clothes made from a baby's dress
2. camoflague bag with pencil strip for Leon
3. camoflague bag with pencil strip for Hannah
4. Art bag for Jazi
5. Art bag for Finlay
6. Frame picture for Niamh

Then I need to make some Christmas presents.........................

About 13!

And that's after I decided I had to buy presents rather than make them for half of the family so it could have been a lot worse!

Do you think I'll get it all done on time?

I really hope so!

Shopping and sewing

Not a lot of sewing was done yesterday because I went shopping instead and bought a luvverly dress and cardigan from that celebrity designer shop Peacocks (ok, it's only a cheap and cheerful shop but the clothes I got yesterday were very nice)

But my purchase from Marks and Spencers was even more exciting than the cardigan and dress.

My very first pair of Sexy Boots!!!!

I have lived to the grand old age of 36 and never owned a pair of long boots (and we are only talking up to the knee - not Pretty Woman style thigh-highs!)

When I was younger I could never afford them and now I'm older (and they are cheaper!) my legs have always been too, um how shall I put this? Well, fat.

But those bootless days are gone! Yippeee!

I had a friend with a similar leg problem who got boots a couple of years ago and woke up in the middle of the night with sheer excitement at having finally found a pair that fitted!



Now I did promise to show you what I bought on Tuesday night so here it is


I love this sign and will probably keep it up all year (once I have found where I want it to go)


And I know I shouldn't have bought this doll as I make my own but the colours were so jolly and she was really rather cheap!
Finally I got this lovely little decoration for my tree.


So after all that shopping I should really be getting on with some sewing but top of my to-do-list today is

Look after Poorly-Dorothy-Child!

It was her year 6 Christmas Play last night and as I was watching I could see her getting more and more flushed and then she started blinking and looking uncomfortable so I could tell something was wrong. I was sitting in the third row but had two empty seats in front of me and I just wanted to push them out of the way so I could get to her and look after her! The second the play finished and the headteacher finished speaking I rushed up to get her and she burst into tears. Her throat had started really hurting during the play and she was finding it hard to breath and was trying to keep going so she could say her line near the end. So she and I have some nice treats planned for today - like prawn mayonnaise sandwiches and chocolate eclairs (but don't tell Fred and Daisy!!!!)

Now I did mention sewing in my title - but you will have to wait 'til next time for that!

A list for my sister - UPDATED

1. Look after poorly Daisy child( poorly toast)
2. Tidy sitting room
   
3. Tidy dining room
4. Tidy kitchen
   
5. Generally make the house look decent because Aunty Mo is coming to look after poorly Daisy child so I can go and watch Fred's christmas play - he was a charming "gift carrier" for one of the three kings!
   
6. Finish top-stitching on Princess and the Pea mattresses
7. (Varnish P and P bed) it needed more coats of white paint first
   
8. Watch White Christmas with Daisy while working
9. (Make Jazi's art bag) - started it
   
10. Make Leon's art bag - nope, didn't get started on this apart from turning the handle through
    
11. (Make Finlay's art bag) - started
12. Make a pasta bake for the children's tea using some of massive bolognaise from yesterday
13. Dry washing and hide it under a quilt until I get time to put it away look behind Daisy in the top photo
14. Have some breakfast better late than never!
15. Go to Bernie's house tonight for a fab "Busy Bee Christmas party" to buy some lovely things for ME!

Helen Charlton of Busy Bee Studios
(her website isn't completely up and running yet but will be a great site in the future)
and some of the lovely things she had to sell

I'll show you what I bought tomorrow



If you're good..........

A list for my sister!

I've just received a comment from my big sister asking for another list as she so enjoyed nagging me yesterday! So here goes

1. Look after poorly Daisy child
2. Tidy sitting room
   
3. Tidy dining room
4. Tidy kitchen
   
5. Generally make the house look decent because Aunty Mo is coming to look after poorly Daisy child so I can go and watch Fred's christmas play
6. Finish top-stitching on Princess and the Pea mattresses
7. Varnish P and P bed
8. Watch White Christmas with Daisy while working
9. Make Jazi's art bag
10. Make Leon's art bag
11. Make Finlay's art bag
12. Make a pasta bake for the children's tea using some of massive bolognaise from yesterday
13. Dry washing and hide it under a quilt until I get time to put it away
14. Have some breakfast
15. Go to Bernie's house tonight for a fab "Busy Bee Christmas party" to buy some lovely things for ME!

Is that good enough for you Ally?????

Monday's list updated

1. Paint medium doll's shoes
2. Varnish shoes she looks a bit confused in there doesn't she?
3. Make MD's bloomers
4. Stitch MD's face
5. Make Princess and the Pea's nighty (yup she's still in progress!)
6. Stitch P&P's face
7. Paint P&P's bed just needs underneath painting and whole thing varnishing
8. Make P&P's 7 mattresses actually made 6, just need to top stitch them now with decorative stitching but machine being contrary right now
9. Make P&P's quilt and pillow
10. Make P&P's bloomers
11. Finish art bag for Evie dreadful photo I know. It's one of those art bags with spaces for pencils
12. Frame Niamh's picture
13. Start Niamh's purse
14. Make Mince Pies with Children
15. Decorate tree with children
16. Design angel birth sampler
17. Tidy kitchen okay, most people wouldn't think it was tidy but it's tidy for me! Then it got untidy again with all the cooking!
    
18. Put away clean washing - well, I folded it, does that count? and I really really love the guy who did put them away!!!
    
19. Tidy sitting room (see kitchen above!)
20. Listen to Amy McDonald CD (notice, I didn't put wine drinking on today!) - got so busy doing stuff I forgot to go out to the car to bring it in until the end of the day but listened to it while I did the children's tea
    

So nearly everything was either done or pretty much done - not bad going for me really!

These are the other things I did today:

1. Put away shopping delivery
2. Got very cold
3. Made huge bolognaise-type dish for the next 10,000 suppers with loads of secret veg that the children won't notice (onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, mushrooms and tomatoes)
4. Dried 50 million loads of washing (okay it was only 3)
   
5. FINISHED Niamh's purse - rather than just starting it!
6. Made some yummy mulled wine
7. Drank it!