Reality Saturday

I've read on several blogs (including Sarah's and Floss's) in the past few days about maybe more 'reality' posts showing the less perfect sides of life and the homes of bloggers.  So I've bitten the bullet and decided to be one of the first to show a real side of my life.

I am a 3rd generation corner heap person - meaning beside my main sitting space I have a heap of stuff that belongs to me that I use.  My grandma's always contained her knitting stuff and my Mum's heap consists of reading glasses and books. Mine, well take a looksie for yourselves;

and a close up for even more effect ;)

This spread of stuff contines to any area I use lots - am not even going to show my bedside table!  However my desk space I somewhere I spend lots of time either browsing the internet, blogging or just catching up with my college work;

Right thats all I'm showing - all future pictures will be back to the more carefully arranged blogging style.  However is anyone else brave enough to show us their reality spaces??

Off out to fireworks tonight - is going to be cold so its probably a case of looking like a walking mound of clothes!!

Scary monsters, fireworks and festive pieces

Well when you miss a few days blogging, it seems there is so much to catch up on. 

Thankyou for all the good wishes and get well comments :) much appreciated.

Whilst I'm not working today, I'm feeling so much better and have even been out & about to catch up on my fresh air quota.  Cycled into town to get some essentials and also visit a couple of my favourite shops (more of that later).

Cast your mind back to last weekend and spooky Saturday.  Now we don't get groups of trick or treaters to our house - something to do with the dark lane we live down which was made more spooky on Saturday night by a veil of mist & fog.  However 2 groups of visitors did arrive - my little nieces & nephews.  The girls were both camera shy, which is a shame as they were the cutest sweetest witches I've ever met.  However my little nephew Ollie is not camera shy & here he is with my youngest Will.  Now the flash failed to go off on the first pic but actually I think it adds to the spooky effect;

We've made a start with our christmas celebrations - one of the first things that happens each year is we fill a box for Operation Christmas Child - the boys always pay for some of the items from their own money and my role is to complete the box.  This year we opted to send our box to a boy and I hope he enjoys the contents.

I've read on so many blogs about all the christmas magazines people have been buying and I've been tempted by a few;

Does seem this year the most popular giveaway is a calendar - I've now collected 3 - no excuses for us to miss anything important in 2010!

Thought you'd like to see some makes that have happened this week - the gingerbread men are mine - one is for a friend & he's scented with gingerbread oil and the other is coming to work with me to be used as a storytime prop.  The tree was made by Will - was surprised at how neat his sewing was and how little adult intervention he required.  He's now keen to make other shapes and give these as pressies to his teacher and grandparents.

Last but no means least, here's the results of my little trip into town this morning - a ladybird book for my collection and some pretty felt to make something for a sister for christmas.

Now today in the UK is Guy Fawkes aka Bonfire/Firworks night so this evening there will be plenty of loud crashes & bangs and the sky will be full of colour.  We're not out tonight but are planning to go to an event at the weekend.

See you soon xxx

Unwell week :(

Not the best start to November, Sunday was the last day I was well and it was extremely wet & windy here in Suffolk so we didn't venture out at all,

Woke Monday feeling really rough - only took a little while to discover I'd caught a nasty bug  - probably from the kids I work with.

This afternoon is the first time I've been out of bed and ventured downstairs.  Good to see the menfolk have been coping well without me.

Is it sad that the first place I've looked when I've been re-united with my computer is Blogland??

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to upload some pics I've taken of things I've made and that have caught my eye.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to all

From my visitors from across the pond, to those from down-under, those that celebrate in big style and those that sit in the dark hoping the doorbell won't ring!

Need to do pumpkin carving here today - we've been promised small visitors later :)

A No Boy Thursday

This post was meant to be uploaded last night but the internet gremlins had other ideas :(

Today was a virually boy free day :)  Now I love my 2 messy, untidy, permanently hungry boys but sometimes its great to be at home without them.  This morning they headed off on their bikes to their Scout hut to crush 2 huge skip bags of drink cans which are going off to be recycled (and then the pack gets the money).

Came home from there smelling of a mix of beer and sweet sugary drinks! So they were despatched to get washed & changed as their grandparents where due any minute to take them out to lunch - lucky devils.

Rather than sit at home being sad and have a lonely sandwich, MrVV & I headed off to Aldeburgh for fish & chips on the sea wall.  This F&C shop has a wonderful reputation and with the lovely weather yesterday there was a huge queue;

We parked up to eat on the seawall with its wonderful views in every direction;

The sea - calm as a mill pond yesterday

River Alde with its collection of sailing boats;

Once we'd finished eating we had a quick walk along the beach - I managed to collect some more lucky 'hag' stones for my ever increasing collection..

On the way home by the coast road I wanted to stop and take a picture of a sculpture on the beach that divides peoples opinions - however as it was a gorgeous day it was impossible to get a picture of just it, so here's one I've 'borrowed' from the internet ;)

BTW boys arrived home late afternoon, stuffed to the gills - both having polished off a huge meal with pudding.  Guess what by teatime they were hungry again!

The mid-week point

How's 1/2 term going for everyone?  So far so good  - lots of lie-ins and just relaxing here with a smattering of housework and homework mixed in.

This morning was spent trying to fill the ever-emptying cake & biscuit tins - a task that needs repeating rather to often sometimes. Fortunately this time I gained a small & willing helper - No2 son Will.

Here he is hard at work making ChocChip Muffins - something he can now do without any really help from me;

Please excuse the washing in the background - its just not drying outside at the moment - not enough breeze or hours of daylight!!

This afternoon the boys cleared off out on their bikes for a few hours - think they called in to visit a couple of my sisters and my grandparents.  Mr VV was out so I had the house to myself.  I settled down to do some more festive swap sewing when it all went rather dark - the power had gone off :(  I did the usual thing of checking fuses and even managed to locate a rather complex main switch in the garage but nothing worked :(

So instead of sitting here feeling sorry for myself and being in need of a cuppa, I hunted out the camping stove and kettle :)  Even dragged out my festive mug for the occasion.

About 1/2 an hour after I'd gone to all this trouble power was restored!

Enjoy the rest of the 1/2 term week folks.  Suppose I need to get organised and find a pumpkin to carve - need to buy one as the ones I tried to grow got eaten by slugs :( 

Cambridge Treats Revealed ;)

As I promised yesterday, I will show you what I treated myself to in Cambridge at the weekend.  Had to wait until this morning to take the pictures in decent light - had forgotten last night  how quickly it now gets dark. Its now 5pm and pitchblack outside.

Anyhow here's what I bought;

2 Belle & Boo & 1 cupcake postcard from Paperchase - could have bought more but ran out of cash!

Russian doll stickers from Accesorize, Glass bead necklace from White Stuff and last but by no means least a Christmas Cath tin from John Lewis (yes there are some close up pics to follow).

Front

Back - can you see Stanley & his ball?

I could have bought out the haberdashery section in John Lewis - so many things and loads of Cath. Instead I made a mental wish list and dropped lots of hints to little son who was with me!

Hope everyone is enjoying 1/2 term? We are :)