Mini New Yorker...Winter Wonderland and ice skating with Bambi

Feeling rather Christmasy we decided we would brace our self and head into London with all the Christmas shoppers and go to Winter Wonderland!! We pre-booked our ice skating and I nearly took my own skates (wish I had) was great though to go round the rink.....we hadn't been since we had been together hubby and I!!! So we had a great time although it was like skating with bambi a bit....I think I was a bit rusty.....I didn't fall over though...! Which is good because when I went in Oxford I went flying into a big wet puddle...drenched from head to toe with no fresh clothes....only drenched but in front of all of my friends who thought it was rather amusing I however did not! This time round I had about six layers on to keep warm and make me bounce back off the ice if I had fallen over.

Any way...after the ice skating we had what was meant to be one or two drinks at one of the traditional beerkeller turned out to be massive glasses and I had chocolate waffles instead (because I don't drink)

It was soooooo good.... and the chocolate was warm drizzled on top, it just tasted like a dream!! Mmmmmmm!!!! I think hubby was quite happy with his beer too then while we were enjoying our food/drinks we suddenly realised we were at the live bar...and well the guy singing was brilliant......he could do every type of song....female lyrics, male lyrics, rapping, ballards you name it he could do it. We left much later than we had planned as we were bopping away.

We are defiantly going to go again. Any way off to make waffles toodles xxxx 

Mini New Yorker......Country Living and a Homemade Christmas

Well being a country girl myself and having suddenly fallen back in love with the country retreat theme this Autumn I am desperate to update every room.  With this is mind I decided I wanted to buy a dresser for the kitchen as my mum has a gorgeous one in her kitchen, as does my mother-in-law and I also want a drinks cabinet for the living room as every sophisticated household should have one for entertaining. I have a little plan that if I was given a pot of gold then I would get a few new bits to create my little bit of countryside in suburbia.To create a chic country Christmas I have been making lots of different things including these cute little felt stockings to put sweets in and hang them on the tree. I am very pleased with my creative skills so far although I did have a bit of a disaster with some of my clay presents......yes some how part of it exploded and ended up in bits so got to start again...very disappointed in my self to make a hash of it...so no rushing.

Now creating this style is very easy and quite fun.....its all about vintage shopping, which includes looking around vintage shops and charity shops to pick up some great glasswear and vintage style accessories. Especially getting ready for Christmas, you want your house to ooze glamour. So one of my favourite people is Kirstie Allsop and she is so full of  wisdom, so I am definitely going to take a leaf out of her home-made leather bound books (yes I am rather amusing I know.) Anyway I am right in the middle of making my Christmas presents, which I hope that with my hand-made gifts and unique wrapping will blow their Christmasy socks off with sheer surprise and pleasure. But this year I am not only just making Christmas gifts I have somehow opened my very talkative mouth and said that I would also make my friends' wedding presents.....yes I am mad and that is why I am already panicking about getting it done in time. I have finished the bear I made for my sister-in-law's baby which will be born at Christmas so I made a very festive bear which will be wrapped and given as a very special first Christmas bear. I also have to finish a quilt which needs to be finished to give to my mum as one of her Christmas gifts. I hope that all my gifts because of how personal they are will bring great cheer to my family and myself when everyone unwraps them on a very magical Christmas morning. I am also pleased to say that I am still going to get a stocking from my mother as I very much look forward to getting all the little bits and bobs early on Christmas morning and I'm not too old even if I am married. I also hope I can make some Christmas stockings to hang above the fireplace. Now with me all this planning started back in August time and last January when I started making this quilt.

I not only have been making plans to make Christmas presents, wedding present but I have also said I am going to have a dinner party (for a select few). It's going to be a festive feast and an evening of fun and fabulous presents. I think I must be mad to try and do all of this but I just love this time of year. I have so many Christmas ideas for decorating our house  and creating a magical Christmas my brain is going to burst! Thank god for Pintrest.....!! Anyway I am off as I need to window (internet) shop for more ideas.

Toodles xxx

Mini New Yorker....Our little adventure to the Olympics London 2012

So After spending most of the summer in and out of hospital we thought we would grab this rare moment and actually go to the Olympics (after being offered some tickets.) I hadn't really even got into it until it started. Any way we decided to venture into town to purchase this ever so lovely wig. I tell you what though you wouldn't even know the Olympics were on...not a shred of support in sight. Which was made apparent when I looked for GB inspired nails and lip tattoos and tops.....I tried most shops but no one had anything apart from Primark...!!

Me and my blue wig

GB Nail art

So with my wig and my nails and a flag bought I was armed ready to go....! Perhaps that I should have checked our tickets while I was preparing for our little Olympic adventure. Never mind...it was quite an impressive feet that we got into London so quickly...we enjoy the game but it would have been nice to soak up the atmosphere first but hey. 

So after the game at Wembley we had a meal at TGI Fridays.....we ate so much we could barely move. It was nice to be apart of the Olympics and we can show a children what it was all about when we have them in years to come.  The atmosphere was good but it was a shame GB team didn't make. Lots of people were in sombreros and cheering the Mexican team but we wanted it to go to extra time but unfortunately it didn't.

Any way it's nearly time for my yummy roast so off I go....tooooodles xxxxx

Us at Wembley London 2012 Olypics

My Kindey Failure

I was reading Cosmo today and there was an interesting article about ladies with scares which were from various situations and it made me think after being diagnosed with Kidney failure at the end of May. I will need a transplant soon as my kidneys will crash again so I too will get a massive scar. I already have had several small operations which have lefts a few scars and I have viewed them as a little reminders as to how much I have already been through and I think how much I have surprised my self as I have been quite brave and strong. Weirdly I was talking about this with a friend and how when I get a Kidney transplant I saw someone with a tattoo along their scar of a little scissor with a dotted line and underneath the words "cut here" like in those craft instructions!! It made me chuckle....!!! I wouldn't get a tattoo because I'm not brave enough to do it.

Any way this article made me think about what I have been through and how much I have surprised my self on how I have just got on with it. I think that having my dad go through it was a blessing in disguise as I knew what he had already been through and I used to sit with him while he did dialysis and now my hubby sits with me while I do it, to keep my company. My Dad's bravery gave me my inner strength.

I tell you what.... go get your hair done and get some lovely make up and some nice beauty stuff to buff and bronze you self as it certainly will give you a little boost. Treat your self to a new top or something.....emotionally I have been through the grinder but physically I felt like I have gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson when I came out of every operation....bruised and bashed but just shattered too. Even after haemodialysis you feel like you have been on a roller coaster for a few hours non stop....I remember going onto it straight after having my operation to have the line in (which me looked like a bloody alien with a little antenna)....for the first time I felt horrendous after, being sick and not being be able to move it was the weirdest feeling ever.....its the equilibrium being off balance which makes you feel like hell!! It got better nearer to the end of me coming off it and going on to PD dialysis but I am glad I am off it......a tip for any one who is about to go onto it take the anti sickness drugs and sleep through it.....it will get better but I'm not going to lie it's no walk in the park.

Any way I came out the other side and dialysis free for a while as my kidneys decided to give it another go...think they must have come back from holiday or woken up from the hibernation or something.....!! Any way for the time being every single tube has been removed and I can go back to my daily business until they (they being my kidneys) decided to play silly buggers again. In a weird way I kinda just want to get my transplant now and get back on with my life as I can''t go on holiday for about a year after and I can't have children until I have it and we can't move to where we want to as I am lucky enough to be under the care of a fantastic renal ward so we can't move because it's important to be with the staff that know me and understand what I have been through already.



So with all that in mind we have decided to redecorate the house and enjoy our time as much as we can while we are here. So I think we are going to join the national trust so we can enjoy nice walk etc. And bring a little glamour to our lovely little garden which we have started  to do with a lovely new table and chairs set. This is my plan for our garden just brighten up the boarders and make it more enticing to sit out even in our summer weather. I think I could stick the iPod on and paint and draw while I am signed off. So that is plan:

1. Sort the garden out-make it into a little sanctory.
2. Decorate. 
3. RELAX and ENJOY......

I like 3 most. So I think I will need help to plant things but I like my plan so gonna put that into action soon.

Right best get on with something productive....tooooodles xxxxx

Mini New Yorker.....pretty in pink

My PINK nails

So as my reputation proceeds me as a lover of all things pink I thought I would continue to live up to it by painting my nails a very bright pink which I got free from Cosmo. I think that as I now have started growing my nails then I should have as much fun with the colours to keep it interesting.

My PINK headphones

I decided to paint them today in preparation for my hospital over night stay as I it's nice to be pretty in pink even  if I am going to be under a general for some of it. I have spent a lot of time in and out of hospital recently and have more visits planned I think its important to remember my style and fashion sense even with dialysis tubes in my tummy and scares all over me from my operations I have had since I was brought in since May. I also like the idea of these nail wraps things and as I am going to the Olympic Semi Final of the Mens football I think it would be fun to get Some GB nail wraps and possibly a GB lip tattoo (which are temporary) I may even push the boat out (a pun as I am watching the Olympic rowing-haha I am hilarious) and a blue wig just to get into the patriotic spirit. I am actually looking forward to it now. I hadn't actually bought any tickets but I got given some. So as I missed on the Jubilee celebration as I was in hospital for all of it I think it would have been a shame to miss out and its an excuse to dress in a silly out fit....!! I am going to go shopping tomorrow to find the wig and nail and lip things....!! I had a look at wigs on line because just to get an idea but I also had a thought as apparently I may loose some of my hair when I have my kidney transplant as it's a side effects of the drugs so I may do a "Samantha" from SATC and try lots of different wigs as I love my hair but if it does happen I might as well have a bit of fun and wear some cool wigs.....!!! May go blonde as they always have fun....apparently!!!

It's hard for me as normally you wouldn't even catch me in jeans or any casual clothes. However I can't keep lifting  my dress up and flashing my pants every time I would need to do dialysis so I have had to wear jeans and tops but I soon will be able to go back to my glamorous self and my old style of the 1950's, retro and Hollywood glamour and all things that will be a bit of a head turner. I remember when I was working and I had a bit of a thing for funky tights and I had quite a few people turn to look as I walked past while I was walking by the castle. I was out the other day and I was waiting to cross the street at the traffic lights and a bloke shouted out of his window "look at her tights" I looked at my mother in-law and laughed!! I think what's the point in blending in why not stand out!! 

Any way enough about my pink nails as I have to dash .....I need my eight hours beauty sleep.  xxxxx

Mini New Yorker.....One click.....how not to become a shopaholic

So I have been (Internet) window shopping and making wish lists on my pinterest. I have got so addicted but it great as its like a 21st century wish list that you used to write on a scrap of paper which you would no doubt loose at a later date. I have even started putting together Christmas present list for my family which is handy as I can then remember where I saw things...last Christmas I was copying links into a word document by the time I went present shopping I had forgotten all about the list as I am the most forgetful person alive .

I have also banded my self from going into shops unless I know I have a budget other wise I seem to come out with the whole shop and that's not an exaggeration. I think I have a slight problem...! However I'm not as bad as Rebecca Bloomwood particularly when she smashes the massive ice cube with a stiletto which has a frozen credit card in it. Although I think I have certainly come close to that a few years ago.

I have got better over the years and now being married is kind of like having a personal bank manager. When you get a joint account you have to be more considerate of how much you spend. So this has worked in my favour. So I haven't bought loads recently but I have become quite obsessed with wearing outrageous tights at work so when I was considering spending £40 on a pair of tights I knew I had a bit of an issue.

So no smashing ice cubes although it looked like so much fun.... any way off to find zebra tights.... tooodles xxx

Mini New Yorker....Making the perfect Christmas (getting ready for Christmas 2012)

Ok, you may have read that title and said "are you mad? We have only just finished Christmas." Well yes we have you're very right. However I decided because I felt bad about going out and buying every single present this year....wait hang on I mean last year......well this last Christmas gone...any way I want to make them for 2012!!! I also got hooked on Kirstie Allsopp craft ideas and her "Homemade Christmas" show. I think I'm now slightly obsessed with trying to make this Christmas the best Christmas ever.....!!! I remember one Christmas fairly recently I was rather broke (not much has changed) I decided to give everyone paintings I did and put them in frames (which I bought gradually.)

Well I think most of my relatives were surprised I could actually paint rather well....lol!! I think they thought I had been doing finger painting in my art GCSE or something....!!! Any way they went down a storm...in fact one of my little cousins stole his parents presents and put it in his room...lol!!

Any way I'm going to turn my hand at a few different crafts to create some nice Christmas home made gifts. Now there is some debate on some forums about it being for cheapskates however let me set this myth straight....!!! It isn't a cheaper alternative if you are new to each craft....eg. you have to buy things to do the craft so actually the outlay to start off with is high....and to say it's an easy root is not true...I tell you what, I tried to find a cream jelly roll for my quilt I wanted to make and it's taken about 2 weeks of scouring the net to find the damn thing. So not only is making stuff more of a hassle and more time and effort but also it can work out more expensive because unfortunately I'm not lucky enough to have Kirstie's craft goodies closet. I don't have a cupboard with stacks of fabric and buttons and pretty things so I'm building up my collection. However I have found a slightly easier way to do some of the crafts.....craft kits...YAY!!  Yes its slightly cheating but my gosh does it help, it actually is just pre-organising the items you need. The instructions are easier to follow as most kits are for children. I did make a teddy bear from a kit and at first I couldn't work out what went where but after reading it a few (hundred) times you get it.....!!!

So I have had a order for a new teddy bear for a friend in Aus. The next craft I am going to try is making a quilt however I am still waiting for my cream jelly roll which is in the post. And I tried to use my mums sewing machine and couldn't figure out how to set it up, any way I think I have made my point.

I think that sums up what home made crafts are actually all about. They are certainly more thoughtfully, probably more expensive and more time consuming but actually its more fun and much more a gift from the heart rather than from the credit card....!!! So I'm going  to try and give the ideas a go as I have got both her books now......I will be posting my progress or lack there of.....depending if I am good at each craft or a total disaster......!!!! I had an idea as fun day with the girls you could do a craft day or something and do face masks, cocktails (mocktail for me) and craft nights.....although thinking about it if you had had a few cocktails some of the crafts you make may not come out perfect but hey....!! I might put this idea into action when we move back and I can throw a evening like it with my girls...!!! Any way I'm off to do more crafts so Toodles xxx

Mini New Yorker....... Fake fur faux pas?

Well I realised that gilets are all the fashion at the moment and most are fake fur. I just wondered as soft and fluffy as they are, is it ok to wear faux fur?? Some people still think that it represents endangered animal in some far flung corner of the globe! Well you may say Katrina "the globe is not flat" which I am obviously aware of but are we still thinking the same way when the world was "flat"?

I recently walked into a shop and found my self faced with racks of fake fur gilets and coats with fur colars! I know it is fake so should you fell guilty....!!! I did because I know lots of charities are fighting to stop these things being produced to save some very endangered birds and animals. So do people really care about what happens across the other side of the globe or is it about the next fashion statement? I added up all the pro's and con's of wearing one and in the end I gave in....!!! It's warm and because its fake no animals were hurt so I guess I'm off the hook....although I was wearing mine in another shop and a gentleman was shopping with his wife (quite begrudgingly...all the same) he was unimpressed by his wife picking out a fake faux gilet and made some rather loud and slightly rude comments about them looking like road kill, then his wife looked at me as I think I may have gone a bit pink with embarrassment at which point she winked at me and then smiled...(as if to say ignore him, he's just in a grump cos I made him come shopping when he wanted to watch the grande prix....or some other sports)

I walked off with a little grin on my face....it made me laugh.....So I guess that's my conclusion.....so toodles xxx 

Mini New Yorker...her rules of engagement.....

As soon as you get engaged suddenly it feels like things go a million miles an hour. Now we have all seen the films with weddings but let me tell you its not as easy as it looks. I would suggest you buy a few wedding magazines, it helps you with wedding etiquette and how to do it properly. this book was free with a magazine.

The most helpful bit of the book is the check lists....and if you are anything like me and love making list then this is defiantly something you should invest in. You can pick them up in charity shops and this should be your bible when organising your wedding as should Cosmo bride magazine.

Now you will start off well at the beginning of organising your wedding but wedding brain will set in. So check lists are the best way not to forget anything.

You can type them up and print them out and hand them out to the people who need them. By being organised and doing it like this you don't need a wedding planner as this is another expense. My mother was my wedding planner really. She was able to help with everything from flowers, to picking things up to checking on progress of things booked, just a god send.....!!!

Now I was the first of my lovely circle of friends...(why do they call it a circle of friends?Any way...) to get married and a few months after my friend announced she was engaged....so now I can pass the torch on to her with all my wisdom gained.....!!! I can't wait to have another married couple to have dinner parties with...!!

Any way I am getting off track but there are so many things to remember....
So put all your thoughts into a wedding book...it's just a little mood board...but don't get to specific in your details as some may not be possible or in the end look right. I thought I was going to have a column wedding dress but ended up with the total opposite. Use magazine cuttings or print outs to remind you of things you have seen. Or stick in your own photos...I did take a few to get inspiration at a wedding fair until I got told off by security.....lol... oops!!!

The best tip don't leave things to chance or till last minute...that's when things go totally wrong and you could end up with some weird things happening.....!!!

So good luck ladies....I have have made my a friend a list and note and put it into a folder and I think she was surprised.....!! But as it turns out there where things she hadn't thought about...so a good job really....!!!

Any way I am off as I haven't actually finished my own wedding album and had any of them printed out so see you soon.....Toodles xxxxx

Mini New Yorker....My Creative side......from sewing a button to making a teddy

So I remember at school in textiles I was terrible I could barely sew a button on. I don't think I ever completed a project in textiles ever. So from going from that to making a teddy bear....I have to say how cool am I now??? So again after seeing Kirstie make a teddy bear from scratch I wanted to give it ago....!! Well I bought a little kit so the bits where all in it....which helped but certainly didn't make it magically go together. I had to read it about 100 times to even figure out what ever thing was. Putting it together gave me a bit of a challenge. But even with the slightly complicated instructions I managed to make it over 2 day I would have made it even quicker if I didn't have to stop for eating and sleeping...I probably would have spent the night finishing it I got so stuck into it. It's like a really good book you can't put down.

My first step of making my bear

arm stuffed with joint

Day 1: So I thought I would show my progress of my bear making and show I started from scratch and didn't cheat and buy a pre-made bear and claim it was mine or something......!! Here I had done the bears arm but it was a little bit confusing because there where 3 bits to it and you had to sew that bears pad first so I did that and then stitched the rest of the arm (leaving a little gap to stuff it) and then you turn it inside out and the put the joint in through the little hole and then you stuff the arm as much as you can so its full. So day 1 I sewed both arms, a leg and an ear. ...Sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Day 2:  I started sewing straight away as soon as I got up the next day by lunch I had done another leg. The next bit was difficult sewing the body I had to figure out which bit I had to sew and what the instructions meant by sewing a dart....but I just did what
I thought was right which left enough space    to put the head joint which will allow the head to move and the same on each side for the legs so I did that ok. Then I attached the arms and legs and then the fun part was stuffing him to make his tummy really fat so he doesn't go floppy in later years as I now want to give this bear to my children in the future. He's my pride and joy. So after the body stuffed, the head my was the most difficult with 3 parts of it. So the final bit was to put the head on the body and sew the nose on so with my bear finished I took him to my mums, neighbour's and to a meal a a friends restaurant to show some of my friends. I had one order to post to Australia and my mum seemed to find him rather sweet too so all round I think a definite success.

My completed bear...my work of Art

Mini New Yorker.......being a body double to my self!

I noticed recently that I have kinda become a bit body double to my self if that makes sense. OK let me explain what I am going on about, well on one hand I want to be this chic and elegant women with a lovely set of globe trotter cases and wearing pristine white long dress with a large hat that just makes me ooze glamour while jet setting just like Caggie and Millie from Made in Chelsea. And on the other hand I want to be making and sewing things and being a home making just like Kirstie Allsop......!! My home maker body double is certainly taking over since getting married and trying to make a lovely first Christmas with my husband, a very special one.

My home maker body double got very inspired when I was watching Kirstie Allsops Home-made Christmas, she has inspired me to make every single present next year but I may cheat a little and buy the making kits to help me a long a bit......the stocking was lovely and I look forward to making all the other Christmasy bits. I think Christmas can be time when people go mad and spend an absolute fortune on buying stuff off the high street but my hubby and I both said after watching the programme it will be fun to make stuff for everyone next year.

I also was so inspired by the glass blowing class Kirstie did, that it is going to be one of the mouse days.....oh hang on I need to explain that too don't I? OK my nickname is mouse and my hubby is bear and next year my hubby is not renewing his footy season ticket (yay) and what we are going to do is alternate the weekends we do stuff...like hubby's weekend will prob's be footy or seeing a few of his friends and mine will be a whole array of things from seeing my mother to going away for the weekend and craft days.....now we decided we would put all the ideas into the weekend bowl which we pick out one piece of paper on alternate weekends and then do that activity. I think this is the best way to mix it up a bit and do fun stuff which will be exciting for us both to enjoy.....

A few ideas may be

1. going for a nice walk (with camera) and then having pub lunch at the end (weather permitting)
2. romantic get away weekend...... Scotland, bath, Paris, lake district, Devon-yes in Kirstie Allsops cottage (which I love)
3. craft day- this might be making soaps, stockings, arty stuff, crafty things
4. ice skating (although recently done this this year)
5. cinema & dinner
6. Crafts course-like glass blowing or pottery class. 
7. shopping trip
8. seeing my mum
9. seeing hubbys parents on the iow
10. going to reserve or zoo
11. london museums and galleries
12. going to see a theatre show.
13. going to events and craft fairs/ music
14. secret london tea rooms
15. having dinner parties...because I am becoming a good little hostess.....

So I decided to start my new years resolution early....and start making things. I thought I would go for the fun things like making the teddy bear which Kirsty did on her show. So I got my set from a craft shop and started it as soon as I got home and it took me the best part of 2 days and I am rather pleased with my results....!! At first I was struggling with the instructions as I couldn't figure out how it all fitted together. Even with the confusing instructions I managed to complete it very quickly. It was actually meant to last a few weeks or months as it was quite bit for the kit and stuffing.

Since making it, I took it to show my mum, my neighbour and I also took it to my friends restaurant yesterday and one of my friends said she had been following me make it from the other side of the pond down in Australia....!!! I found that so sweet. Any way at dinner yesterday my friend turn the bears head round the wrong way and then said to me "oh you have put his legs on backwards" I nearly died with embarrassment.....I suddenly didn't feel so great about my little craft achievement/triumph. Until she turned everything back round.......I think there was a bit of a giggle about it....!!! Oh but my friend from Australia wants me to make her a teddy too...so will be shipping that over.

Now onto my next project I am making a quilt for my mother for a Christmas or birthday present (depending on how long it takes to make) I am just nervous to start as it seems quite a hard craft but I thought I would give it a go.

So here goes........must dash toooooodlesssss xxxx