Favourite things Friday

So its the first friday of the new year and once again it's time to join in with Shay over at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2012/01/favourite-things-friday.html where you will find lots of other great favs.

This week, I'm picking a website. http://www.meetup.com/

One of my decisions towards the end of last year was to work on my social life, not dating as I can't be bothered with that, but friendships. Over the years I always found work was the best way to make friends, but for the last 7 years I've been doing short term contract work all around the country. I have met lots of wonderful people but on the whole once I leave the job its hard to keep in touch and I have hardly ever seen them afterwards.

In the meantime, my old friends from London have moved away, settled down, had kids, drifted away due to my never being home so I have become a lot less sociable.Now I'm not working I have free time, but it doesn't always fit with other peoples schedules.

So I decided it was time to meet new people and am using this website to do it. I've joined a few groups, but at the moment have only gone to a few meetups with a Knitting and Craft group. I'm really enjoying it. We meet in a coffee bar or similar venue, have a natter and do craft in public! Each time there have been different people, of all ages and nationalities. There was even a young lad yesterday who came along to learn to knit. Last night I was talking to a woman and we realised I used to work with her uncle 20 years ago! What a small world.

The groups are themed, either by age, interest, or area so whatever you are interested in I am sure you could find some other people who want to meet about it (I don't mean anything naughty but they are probably there if you look).

Its even free to be a member, though I think the people who organise the groups pay something.

I'm just dipping my toe into it and know I will only get out what I put in, but so far I'm impressed and what a great resource.

Favourites thing friday

Once again the lovely Shay is hosting FTF over at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/11/favourite-things-friday_18.html.

Today I'm going to continue the theme for the week with more old crafts items that I am digging out and displaying. This is a three-fold fav.

Firstly, I'm really enjoying re-discovering things I've made in the past that have been tucked away, out of sight and out of mind (in some cases for many years). They are bringing back a lot of memories but they are also having a big impact on my confidence. I have a problem that I've been working on with giving myself suitable credit for what I can achieve (not just with crafts but all walks of life). I look and these items and think, "shit, they are really good! I've got good skills that I could make them." I tend to underplay my skills for various reasons and this week, I'm not going to.

These little embroideries were all done at various points in the 90's. The oval ones spent a few years on the walls at my Mums before '94 but haven't seen the light of day since.

My second pleasure is that I am getting them on walls or into cushions on display so that I can enjoy them moving forward. I'm really pleased with myself for getting motivated enough to get this done.

Thirdly, dealing with turning the needlepoints into cushions. For some reason when I started needlepoint when I was 16 (a few years ago) I got it into my head that finishing them off into cushions would be really hard, so I left them, and left them, and left them...... until I am 41 (nearly 42). What a long time to have a fear for, especially as it has turned out to be so irrational. After finishing 7 off, I can now say hand on heart "this is easy". A part of me wants to kick myself for letting it be an issue for so long, but the bigger part is saying, it doesn't matter as long as I have cracked it now.

This one is the biggest I have and the kit for it was an 18th birthday pressie. I finished it within a year so its been in the cupboard for more than half my life!

This one is a style I really enjoy doing (in fact I have it in another colourway but not finished yet) as it has a nice variety of stitches.

I also like this one as I do enjoy Celtic style art and again it had a few different stitches.( not that clear as blogger has decided to turn the pics again).

So thats my favourite this week, finishing off things that have been left for years and enjoying the end results.

Favourite things friday

Its time for favourite things Friday again thanks to Shay at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/10/favourite-things-friday_28.html

This week its something nice and simple, a seam roller.



I find this little tool to be a huge advantage when paper piecing. Every time I do the flippy thing I can press the seam down with this. I don't bother with the iron until the block is finished. That saves me loads of time as I don't  have a perfect, ergonomically designed sewing room (i.e. I have to get up to the iron and ironing board). Especially if I am doing something really fiddly with lots of little pieces this works a treat.

Favourite Things Friday

My Favourite thing this Friday is a TV show that I've only recently discovered. All the episodes are being shown on E4 weekdays and its one of the few programmes that makes me laugh out loud on a regular basis.

The only thing worrying me is I've developed a bit of a wierd crush on Sheldon! Oops....



For more FTFs, check out Shay at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/10/favourite-things-friday.html

Favourite Things Friday

Head over to Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/08/favourite-things-friday_19.html for more favs.

Todays favourite is nice and simple. Last week I decided to finally treat myself to a box set of DVDs I've been wanting for ages. I only ever got to see the first 2 series when it was shown on telly, so this week, I have mostly been in the Pegausus galaxy....

Finally a Favourite Things Friday

Its been so long since I join in on FTF, but I'm back to it finally. For more, head over to Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/08/favourite-things-friday.html.

This week is a nice simply one, my ticket and brochure for next weekends Festival of Quilts! The first proper quilt show I've ever been too. I know it might be very bad for my feet and bank balance, but I'm really looking forward to it.

Favourite Things Friday

For more fabulous favourite things head on over to our wonderful hostess Mrs P at  http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/04/favourite-things-friday_15.html

For me this weeks favourite thing is a cheap item that falls into the toiletries category but without it I would be so different.

By 30 I would have been grey and by my mid 30s nearly white. Too young for that I think!

Favourite Things Friday

To check out more FTF head over to Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/03/favourite-things-friday_25.html.

This week my Favourite Thing is:

My certificate for the end of this phase of my counselling course. I have finished a year of study now and we have a break until September.

After that we have another 3 years to go so I still have a long way to go but this was a big milestone and I'm really pleased about it.

Favourite Things Friday

Its been a while since I joined in with Shays FTF gang but check out the others at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/03/favourite-things-friday_11.html.

My favourite this week is Fabric Scraps!

I love my scraps, I never throw any away until I'm sure they are too small and I get so much pleasure from playing with them.

This week, they seemed to be getting a bit out of control so I thought it was time for a scrap attack.

My little bitty bits I put together into 3.5 inch squares and got quite a few more done.

I added these to my existing ones and decided to sash them with a brown from my stash. I got a lot of larger blocks together so it won't be long before there are enough of these to make a bonus quilt top.

I finished my wonky stars tops a while ago, even though it isn't quilted so I went for something different with the triangles this time. I got the idea for this from Gwen Marstons Liberated Quilting 2. I save my triangles from scraps and my binding which is why I ended up with so many. I really like the look of these blocks. I'm thinking of surrounding each one with longer strings to get those used up as well.

Lastly, I did a bit more hand sewing of hexies using my 2.5 inches scrap squares. This is my whole stack of flowers so far plus some more loose ones I've got done.

I can't believe that when I started quilting I was really tempted to chuck all these bits. They are the most fun of all in my book!

Favourite Things Friday

I'm joining back in with Mrs P on Favourite Things Friday. Check her out for more favourites http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2011/01/favourite-things-friday_28.html.

When I was 12 I went on a school skiing trip to Italy. I absolutely hated the skiing and managed to dislocate my elbow at the end of the first day, it was a total blessing as I didn't have to ski anymore and instead could enjoy myself enjoying the scenery. I had never seen mountains before and thought they were wonderful. I haven't any pics of these because they are so awful.

Then, when I was 16 I went on another trip to Italy on a coach tour. I have a wonderful memory of driving through the night then waking up at dawn after coming through a long tunnel to snow covered mountains. This pic is a bit rubbish as it was taken through a coach window half asleep but it gives you the idea.

Then for the next three years I had summer holidays in the Alps. No snow to worry about then, just beautiful scenery. Switzerland was picture perfect, just like you would imagine it would be.

Austria had more interesting towns like Salsburg and Innsbruck, but still lovely mountains.

For some reason after that, I didn't go anywhere on holidays where I got to enjoy the mountain air until last summer. Cruising to Norway, day trips into the countryside, mountains, waterfalls! Perfect.

Of course, as much as I love experiencing them, I don't think I'd manage very well living there. I'm a soft city girl at heart, and the thought of driving up some of those mountain passes! It makes me nauseous just thinking about it!

Favourite Things Friday

This week its candles. I love having candles burning in the house, although I am very careful about only having them on in the room I am in. On a cold winter even curled up in front of the telly with a glass of wine and the candles flickering is so cozy.

My current favourite one which I love in the bathroom when I am having a long soak with a good book and maybe another glass of wine (can you see the theme here) is this one in a tin. It has the most delicate scent, sweet and naughty which wafts around the room when burning. It also burns cleanly, I get really frustrated when candles are badly made and don't burn straight.

And who couldn't love the name - Fairy Dust!

For more Favourite Things head over to Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/12/favourite-things-friday.html

Favourite Things Friday

More FTFs over at Mrs P's blog http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday_26.html

This week its all about the feet. No! I do not have a foot fetish, but I love a foot massage.

I remember the first time I had reflexology at a spa day and it was the most wonderful thing! I am very ticklish and didn't expect to like it at all but I always try out a variety of treatments and Oh My!

I don't have it as often as I would like but if I'm at a spa its the thing I must have. I once had the most amazing man at Henlow Grange and I remember floating back to the room and telling my friend I wanted to marry Roger. All because he had done such wonderful things to my feet!

I'm not sure about the health benefits its supposed to have, I just love the feeling. I nearly always end up dozing off and I think drooling a little bit but I try to pretend that doesn't happen.

Unfortunately with the good comes bad and I've had one bad treatment. I was at a resort in Turkey for a week a few years ago and spent most of the day in the spa, it was far too hot for me at the beach. Well the guy doing it was a Russian Grant Mitchell (soap character for those that don't know Eastenders) and it was so painful! I was whimpering and trying to pull my feet away from him for the whole hour while he yanked them back.

Yet despite the pain, I didn't want to say anything! I didn't want to make a fuss! I know, I'm a pratt!

In spite of that experience it is still the best treatment I've ever had, I must get my act together and go and get a session booked soon.....

ps. not my foot in the pic, random image from the web.

Favourite Things Friday

Welcome to my FTF this week, for more head over to Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday_19.html

Now let me take you back to the summer of 1977. Even though I was only 7 I loved reading and was onto books well about my age range. I remember seeing this book in a local newsagents and somehow my Mum bought it for me even though it wasn't a special occasion. I read it outside in the tiny square patch of grass that was our garden on the old sleeping bag we used as a picnic blanket. I was hooked.

Then - the film came out! Looking back, I still don't understand how I got the book before seeing the film but thats what happened. I loved it, but I had one weird moment that took me years to understand. At one point I had to pop to the loo, I was very young and at the end of the film I thought of a scene in the book that I hadn't seen, it must have been on when I went to the loo. I was a rational young lady. When I saw the film again (which I have many many times) that scene still wasn't there! It finally dawned on me that a film and book aren't always the same. What a shock, it felt like a big part of my childhood innocence fell away with that knowledge!

Anyway, back to the film. As I said I've seen it too often to count in all its various formats and re-issues. I've been back to the cinema fto see it and I've bought loads of versions on video and dvd. All the follow ups too, although no of them made such an impact on me as the first one.

I may be a bit of a dreamer, a fantasist or just plan geeky but I've never fallen in love with any other film like this.

http://www.starwars.com/

Favourite Things Friday

Head over to Mrs P for links to more FTFs at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/11/favourite-things-friday.html

Today, I want to share with you some of my favourite people. When I was a child my Mum didn't have the easiest time of it, she was a single parent with me and four stepchildren who all raised merry hell (them not me).

My Mum is from a huge family, she was no 11 of 13 and a lot of her sisters lived fairly close. My Auntie Kathleen and her husband Martin were always a wonderful sanctuary for me and I used to spend quite a lot of time with them, with my Mum and without.

I didn't really have many positive male role models around, but my Uncle Martin was the best man I've ever known. He was a quite, gentle man but strong in his convictions and values. I was always really happy to spend time with him and he always treated me like a person not as a nuisance. My Auntie Kathleen taught me to bake and always made a place for me in her home.

The picture above is me with them at one of their favourite places, along the river Thames near Sunbury. We often went for a walk down there.

Unfortunately, Uncle Martin came down with bowel cancer and died when I was 17 and he was in his early 60's. He was the first significant person to die in my life and I still miss him dreadfully. Auntie Kathleen carried on and never had any major illnesses until a few months ago when she had a stroke. She hadn't been able to talk, eat or really walk since.

Today, she was buried in the same grave as Uncle Martin and for the first time in 23 years they are together again.

R.I.P.

Favourite Things Friday

Check out Mrs P for more at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/10/favourite-things-friday_29.html

This week I'm going to tell you a story. Its not even a very interesting one but there you go!

A few years ago I had a new kitchen fitted, top to toe. Electrics, the works. The only thing that remained was my exisiting boiler which was about 5 years old. It had always been a bit of an eyesore in the old kitchen as it is tiny and I think the units in there were from the 60's.

So when I got my shiney lovely new kitchen the men fitted a big cupboard around the boiler and hide it so everything looked sleak and clean and fabulous.

Over the next couple of years everything went well, and then I notice some odd things happening with my heating system, the pipes were making strange noises. I found out that the boiler had a little fault with something called the pressure release value which is very common and over time it was venting steam and the system was loosing water. Simple, I was told, just top up the boiler with water. Fine I said, I'm not scared of doing that as I had to do it with my old one.

So I went to top it up with water, what did I discover? That I couldn't reach the F'ing tap is what. The men who had fitted my shiney new kitchen didn't leave enough space to put your hand underneath!

I tried to get the same men back, but they had gone out of business so tried to get someone else to come out and cut out a piece of wood from the cupboard. How hard can that be? Well BLOODY IMPOSSIBLE was the answer for months and months! With people not turning up and letting me down. Having to chase and chase workmen, no wonder I hate dealing with them as then always seem to make it so difficult.

The hot spring turned into the dank summer and then a freezing bloody cold autumn and still it wasn't done and I couldn't use my heating - at all!!!!!!!!  I went and bought electric fires and moved them with me from room to room as I needed them. Not nice having to get up at 4am with frost outside and scurry around the house!

But finally, on wednesday my favourite thing appeared, see in the picture at the bottom under the loose bit of wood? Thats a hole. That's THE FUCKING FANTASTIC FABULOUS HOLE that allows you to get your hand to the tap and fill up the system with water. And give me heat................

Favourite Things Friday

I didn't know what to do this week, I have some ideas but they need more photos and I didn't have the omph to go and take them and then it dawned on me it was staring me right in front of my face.

This weeks FTF are my IPOD/ITunes combination.

When IPods first came out I coudn't see the fuss but eventually gave in with a model that looked like a brick compared to the ones these days. I labouriously ripped all my cds to ITunes and because my laptop was out of the ark it took about an hour for each one.

But it was worth it, I could take the Ipod away to work with me on overnight stays and be able to listen when stuck in hotels. Then I was able to use it while actually at work to keep out the noise around me and stay focused on what I was doing. 

Best of all I discovered Podcasts. Of course I could have them play just on the computer but I could listen to them in the hotel as well. I now subscribe to loads of them on all different subjects. Brilliant. I even use to listen to them in the car on the Ipod using the headphones when stuck in traffic. If you've never been stuck for 6 hours to move half a mile, let me tell you the best distraction to stop you going nuts is a lot of great comedy. And all these are free.

Eventually not only did my laptop and Ipod get upgraded but so did my car. I can now plug the Ipod straight into the car and listen through the speakers, yippee! I'm also carrying around in one little object my photo library as well as my music library. On top of that a few games have also helped while away the time when stuck alone in a hotel.

The thought of being without it now makes me shudder! How mundane life was before, how did we cope???

For more FTF check out Mrs P at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/2010/10/favourite-things-friday_22.html

Favourite Things Friday

Is tea ---


but not just any tea for me. It has to be Earl Grey. I know it isn't to everyones taste and the aroma puts some people off but it works for me. I like to serve it with just a dash of milk but can drink it black as well.

However if I'm being really indulgent I serve it like this.

As part of a good old Cream Tea. Traditionally served in Devon and Cornwall I've had it in Sussex, The Cotswolds, wherever I find it. Usually though outside Devon or Cornwall the clotted cream which is as thick and calorie laden as anything comes in little plastic containers saying they are from either of those two West Country counties.

Creams Teas are a treat on days out or holidays. You can't have one quickly so they make you slow down and watch the world go by. Some tea shops are in the most unexpected places. One I came across in Cornwall was a house on a coastal walk where the owner served in her garden. She looked about ninety and made all the cakes and scones herself!

But there are two contentious issues in the cream tea world! Firstly the scones. How do you pronounce it?
I go for the Sc-on option but some go for Sc-own which is more elongated.

And the second issue is jam or cream first! Personally I like to put the jam on first because a good scone is going to be very crumbly and if you put too much pressure on they will start to disintegrate. With a layer of jam it is easier to perch the cream on top. It does look prettier in the picture the other way around though.

But then the picture is all about pretty and not about the practicalities, trying to pick up the scone loaded like that could be disastrous, once you take a bite it could crumble and you would have a creamy jammie mess all over yourself. Its a lot safer to cut it into smaller pieces on the plate.

Sometimes the scones have currents in sometimes they don't. It doesn't  really matter to me either way.

So if you come across a cream tea, go for it. Because the calories don't count if you are on holiday or having a siteseeing day out. Think of all that walking you are doing to burn them off!

Favourite things Friday

Todays post is about trees.

Yes, I have favourite trees.

I like weeping willows as they are places to go and hide in. I went to the Redwood forest near San Franciso and the smell was amazing.

There is an oak tree that I keep forgetting to take a picture of in Greenwich Park that reminds me of the party tree in the Lord of the Rings. I've seen whole families set up picnics under it summer with birthday banners and everything.

Most of all, I like really old knarly trees like this one in Audley End in Essex.



Out near the Cotswolds, there is a place called Batsford Arboretum with some really pretty trees including Redwoods.

At Leonardslee Gardens this one framed the gate perfectly.

And in Greenwich Park there are some really really knarly specimens!

Favourite things friday

I first read The Hobbit at around seven, then got my hands on The Lord of the Rings at about the age of 10/11. I remember it took me about 3 months to finish it and I only achieved that because I was laid up in bed sick for a week.

I love it so much. It took me to another world, where magic and fantasy existed, where the littlest people became the greatest heroes, where good eventually triumphed! I loved the many dimensions the story had and the pathos. The sense of history, the poems and the comedy.  The Hobbit had a dragon as well. I've always loved dragons!

I have lost track of how many times I've read it over the years. I even have it on audio cassette but I can't listen to that anymore as I don't have a cassette player. I really much get it on CD.

I enjoyed the films a lot, but they aren't anywhere as good as the book. Especially as they made really silly changes in some places.

If I could only ever read one book again in my life it would be this one (or really all three books that make up the full volume).

Head over to Mrs P for more Favourite Things Friday. http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/

Favourite things Friday

Joining in with Mrs P's new theme over at http://fairybreadmusings.blogspot.com/ of favourite things friday my favourite thing this week is ----- ME!!!

Now no, I'm not being a bigheaded freak, but I started the next term of my counselling course this week. Its a long journey of 4 years until we qualify as it is only part time but I know the biggest thing I have to deal with is giving myself unconditional positive regard. If I can't be kind and caring to myself and show myself love, how can I be that way to others!

So from my early beginnings as a London urchin in the 70s

through to the new romantic 80s as a teenager

and my very brief fit phase - I walked the whole way down this mountain at 19 (please note down, not up thats what cable cars are for)

and my even briefer glam phase in my early 20s (in the most expensive item of clothing I've ever had - £250 in the early 90s, worn once and still in my wardrobe)

to a homeowner in my later 20s

and becoming a freelance consultant in my 30s

I'm now fat, forty and fabulous starting a whole new chapter of my life!