NYR!

New Year's Resolutions. I love them, I really do.

Like Katy Carr, I make bushels of good resolutions all the time, (and never stick to them), so I love the idea of a clean slate a new year brings.

Here are my NYRs for 2009

There are two main ones. Very important. And I must stick to these:

1) Make a little time for myself for crafts and reading
This is pretty important. I feel like I've lurched through 2008 from house cleaning to work deadlines to toddler tantrums with rush hour traffic taking me from one to the next. It's been making me a bit crazy. I really need a little space and quiet in my head, and I really must make time for this next year

2) Tackle the Clutter
I guess I have to address this, especially as it's contributing to the stuff in no.1. I've had to think about how to sort it so I have a realistic chance of sticking to it. Am I going to stop thrifting and looking for treasures at jumble sales? No. I'm really not. Can I fit all of this stuff in my house? No. I really can't. What can I do? Keep seeking out treasures and bringing them home, but REGULARLY swap and change what I have on display and pass on those items which I no longer have space for. Look for a vintage treasures etsy store coming in the New Year!

Then there's a couple for icing on the cake.

1) Learn to use my digital camera.
I've already got some books from the library to demystify aperture and shutter speed. S says he thinks there's a tripod in the attic!
2)Learn to make balloon animals.
Erm, at our work Christmas do we all chose something we wanted to learn in 2009. C and I chose making balloon animals, so I guess I'll have to add this here too.

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Review

Firstly, please go enter my giveaway, you have until 2nd Jan to enter!

So, Christmas is over and went too fast. Mum was sick, then E was sick, then Dad got it. E opened 3 presents on Christmas morning, then went to sleep. Dad opened 4, then was sick, then went to bed. I managed 1 story from Elizabeth Gaskell's Gothic Tales, and one and a half squares of my Christmas blanket. Then S got sick. Then we drove back on Saturday to traffic jams on the M6 and M1. It wasn't as calm as it could have been.

So, we're back home, and Santa was very good to me. Here's some of my goodies:

A watch with interchangeable ribbon straps

A great assortment of stationery, always one of my favourite things to receive

S got me these vintage Georgette Heyer. I'd been wanting to read some since I heard Mr Stephen Fry wax lyrical about his guilty pleasures. And I LOVE those covers

Amy Butler patterns from my sister, via Nerybeth Fabric and Crafts

On the craft front, I also got Sew Pretty Homestyle and Sew and Stow

S also found me a tin of vintage sewing bits: ribbons, threads, zips and binding, and a vintage green apron. He always does well finding me pre-loved treasures
Lastly, but by no means leastly... the textile section. Socks and pyjamas, always welcomed by me. Cupcake apron from the dear-departed Woolworths, and these fantastic fingerless mittens from Joules, which I am totally loving!
Hope Christmas has been good to you! See you in the New Year! With Resolutions!

A giveaway!

My first giveaway!

This morning I bought some of the fine things Arran businesses have to offer. Many do mail order, so that fact that you might not currently be on this fine island shouldn't stop you from partaking.

We bought chocolates from James of Arran, a selection of cheeses from The Island Cheese Co, and goodies from Arran Aromatics, including a bottle of their Soft Cinnamon perfume from their Parfumeur range.

I also bought these travel size bottles of Waterbabe Shampoo and Body Wash, Waterbabe Hydrating Body Cream and Earthwise Grapefruit and Cardamom Body Toner, and these are up for giveaway. I'm happy to post to anywhere on earth that Royal Mail will allow, all you need to do is leave a comment below and I'll pick one name on the 2nd Jan.

Merry Christmas!

PS, Arran also makes beer, whisky, mustard and preserves. All sorts of good stuff. You really should visit.

Corrie

Seals resting on the rocks. How do they get up there?

and this guy practicising his yoga positions


Corrie harbour

More photos in my Flickr set here

On Brodick Beach

As is often the case when you've been working very hard and then you stop, a couple of members of the household came down with something icky this morning, so much of the day was spent in pyjamas.But we needed to get out before dark because the dog wanted a run. Which he got. Can you spot him in this next picture?

Once that burst of greyhound energy is spent, there's time for a sniff...

And there's lots for the toddler to see too, when equipped with these winter-time beach necessities..



I think if you dropped me blindfolded on to Arran, I'd know where I was the instant I took that first lungful of air


Good to be back
When we got in from our walk, we sat on the sofa for a cuppa. E fell asleep in six seconds. Not kidding.

Which gave her a renewed energy for decorating some Christmas biscuits.

Good Morning Arran!

Nice to wake up and inhale that air and have nothing to do all week.
Nothing except make the house festive
and cosy...

and make some progress on Christmas knitting.....

(and yes! we have internet access!)

Leaving...very soon!

CalMac Arran ferry, originally uploaded by ninethreeo.

In a couple of hours, we're starting our journey (via one stopover) up the country to the Isle of Arran. I haven't started packing yet, but as soon as this cup of tea is finished I'm going to start gathering presents, clothes (including something nice for a cocktail party), favourite toys, knitting and books from various parts of the house and trying to squash them into as few bags as possible.

With books in mind, I was forward thinking enough to ask Sarah for some Christmas reading suggestions , but not forward thinking enough to leave myself time to source them.
E and I went to the library late yesterday afternoon, when I was sure the bout of poorly had passed. They had a performance of a finger puppet pantomime, which E was bemused by for the most part, although she liked the songs and the shouting. Afterwards the librarian let the children choose wrapped presents from a sack which turned out to be Christmas themed books. E got "Reindeer Games", a book all about Reindeer's favourite things at Christmas, most of which are my favourite things at Christmas too.

After THAT, I had to quickly look for something Christmassy for me to read, Tricky. None of Sarah's recommendations were there. The computers were down so I couldn't do any keyword searches. I ended up at the Classics section and the only thing remotely appropriate was Elizabeth Gaskell's "Gothic Tales", and that's if you're going for the tradition of telling spooky stories on Christmas Eve.

This morning I remembered that I have a fantastic example of the spooky stories on Christmas Eve genre. A beautiful, old first edition of Jerome K Jerome's "Told After Supper".



I shall pack it very carefully and not squash it in with the knitting or the toys.

So, my tea is finished. Have to get moving. I'm not sure whether I have the time or ability to post from Arran (google "wireless hot spot Arran" gets you the 'Internet Cafe and Wireless Hot Spot' section of Arran's online paper and the message "Unfortunately, there are currently no entries in this section") so, until next time:

Merry Christmas
Hope you have a peaceful and festive time