sicker than the proverbial dog...

I even asked to leave work early, though by the time I got to go it was 4:45 which I suppose isn't that early for most people but it's early for me as I'm usually working until 6 or 6:30

Went to Tesco, picked up ready made lasagne so that even Tom could cook dinner and when I got home I went to bed until 9-ish. Just had my dinner (kids ate earlier because Tom did manage to cook the lasagne). Cat had to dish up and told me she managed to get some in the toaster, so that's going to be interesting to try to clean out tomorrow.

Last night Cat burnt her hand helping to dish up dinner so she's off the cleaning rota for at least a week. Bless she has blisters on two fingers and a thumb from grabbing a saucepan handle that Tom had turned around over the gas ring. Hate seeing my baby hurt.

Gifts from New York

I should have taken a pic of at least one of these more quickly because it didn't last long :(

The mug was from the Empire State Building but the handle snapped off whilst I was drying it :(

Here are the remnants...

And I'm not sure I get why a New York souvenir is made in China, seems a little unpatriotic to me.


DKNY Perfume - Delicious Night


And a couple of postcards that arrived after A returned.



There was a T-shirt too, but it's in the laundry as I type so might get a pic taken of that another time.

It's that time of year again

for the dog... time for his twice (or sometimes three times) a year hair cut.. and the look of utter disdain I was getting from him just had to be shared.

Let's hope we make friends later when I'm done !

Friday updates on a Saturday...

And so far not much that takes my fancy :(


Holly & Berries from Little House Needleworks


Simply Live by the Primitive Needle


Now this is more like it..


The Snowman from Lilipoints :) I love the style of this French design house

And this isn't new, but I do love it


What In The World? by Funk & Weber Designs - delightfully quirky and interesting enough at first glance to draw you in to figure out what it is all about!

~snickers~ enough said really :)
Friends by JAR Designs

And whilst I really don't like the thread used to model stitch this, I think it would look gorgeous using something a little more subtly variegated...

Pizzazz by Ink Circles (and unless I'm mistaken the thread is Pizzazz by Carrie's Creations)

Work on a Saturday...

This was the view from my work today (from our new position on the 8th floor) - as you can see it was a bit foggy! Though it did brighten up later.




And this is my desk because I've been promising to take some pics of my home from home for quite a while now!

Elusive daughters

Sometimes I try and take a picture of my daughter... and miss



And then sometimes I get lucky!

The Geek Test

Saw this on Kristin's blog and had to have a go myself. I scored .... 32.37414%

Weight Loss

For sometime now I've been trying to lose some extra pounds I put on. I ended up at 175lbs and very unhappy with it... well this week I finally got to 150lbs. My interim goal this year was 148lbs and I'm so close :)

Which Austen Heroine Are You?

Take the Quiz here!

More window shopping

Although i probably don't need to buy most of these as I've got lots of New Stitches magazines and the patterns were originally in them.

Bargello MasterClass



Bargello Sampler



Florentine Sampler



Hardanger Sampler
(Norwegian, perhaps someone's travels are influencing me ;) )



Satin Stitch Sampler
(this one is so Scandinavian!!)

That hamster again...

After her earlier escape attempt documented below, she was returned to her main cage (a Rotostak Jungle) Since then she has decided she liked her short taste of freedom, and set about eating her way out.

Pictured below is the plastic part that used to hold her water bottle. As you can see she has eaten away about three-quarters of it.



Foxed! Or should that be Hamster-ed? I replaced the water bottle container with a china bowl for her water and a jam jar lid to cover the hole (with duck tape over the top)



Eventually I'll have to get a new cage for her but I'm going to get another Rotostak one and join the two together to make a super hamster environment :)

Small stitchy update

and it is a small one.. spot the difference between this pic of the Fairy Garden RR and my last update!!!

sometimes i like to window shop...

and that doesn't mean i'm going to buy more stash (i have enough to keep me stitching for years) but it's fun to see what's new out there

There is this one from La-D-Da that appeals to my quirky side



Cotillon by Papillon Stitches



Bird by Carriage House Samplings
(something about this one looks so 1970s)

A post is long overdue

as i was reminded earlier by a Certain Someone. We are going to a concert soon to see this guy sing with Queen (at the O2 arena in London) and can't wait. I pretty sure they are going to play this song but i really hope they do. It's a real rock classic.

Update on Catherine

Well despite looking decidedly green this morning it appears Catherine's toe isn't about to fall off, it does however have an ingrown toenail with infection present so she's on some anti-biotics for a week. I didn't get to work until 12:30, and when I got there most of my daily work hadn't been done so I had a crazy afternoon and now i'm tired!

Morning off work today...

as have to take Cat to the Dr's. What to do with the almost two hours until the appointment? Washing, ironing, paperwork. vacuuming?

Cat says I should just sit on my butt and chill.

New York, New York

A Certain Someone has landed in New York. Wish I was there too, so many places I could visit in the Big Apple

On my wish list would be:

• The Empire State Building
• The Statue of Liberty
• Grand Central Station (this has been in so many movies!)
• The Museum of Modern Art
• The Guggenheim
• Ellis Island
• Ride the Staten Island Ferry (another regular movie moment)
• Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art
• Saks 5th Avenue
• Bloomingdales (a girl has to shop)
• Times Square
• UN Headquarters

and the list could go on and on.. but at the moment I'm only dreaming

* and i'll admit this list is probably a little predictable and i might find some more unusual places to visit if i really was going to NYC

Edited to add: if i really was going to NYC you can bet that I'd be arranging to meet up with my dear friend Margaret (i didn't miss you off the list, I was thinking places rather than people.. maybe i'd get to meet Miss V too!)

you know you're getting old...

when your daughter introduces you to music that's 'cool'

Having said that I quite like the latest thing she shared with me.. Paramore



And i only wish i had as much energy as Hayley the singer does...