Monday 31 December 2012

Rest in Peace Sweet Ethel. Gone to the Great Chicken Coop in the Sky

Hello, today I am the bearer of sad news, Ethel our chicken didn't make it.
 When I went to the coop this morning I could tell she had worsened through the night, she could barely move and once checked over by the vet he discovered that she had lumps inside her and problems with her digestive track, very common with ex battery hens. We're comforted by the fact that she enjoyed 8 months of freedom with her two playmates Betty and Beryl, and that at least now she'll not be in pain and suffering anymore.
When Ethel first came to stay she was shy, scrawny and featherless, but she soon came out of her shell. Ethel enjoyed pottering around the garden, scraping about in the vegetable patch, sunbathing in the summer, and enjoying her new found freedom. With the sun on her back, wind in her tail and banana in her belly her feathers soon grew back and she was happy to finally be rescued.
happier times
My Aunt and Uncle sent these Christmas decorations from America, one for each of the girls.

Ethel by Maayan aged 4 and a half
 The coop will be a quieter place without her, Ethel we will miss you, from  your adoptive parents Gavin & Linda, chicken sisters Betty & Beryl, and cat sister Mary.
Goodbye wee bird xxx

Thank you to Mike the Chicken vet who was very kind this morning.
If you're interested in rescuing ex battery hens and you live in Northern Ireland contact Barbara at Nut House Hen Rescue

Sunday 30 December 2012

Christmas Swap

Hello Everyone!
 How's your Christmas been? I'm still off work and really enjoying the break aside from the usual sniffles and sore throat I get every Christmas, it's been a week of seeing family, enjoying time with friends, munching our way through a pile of chocolate and watching The Sopranos, our latest box set addiction. Bliss!

 Unfortunately someone who's not been having a good Christmas is our little chicken Ethel, we're taking her to see Mike the chicken specialist vet tomorrow, so fingers crossed he'll know how to fix her. She's not eating and has been sleeping and barely moving all day :( I'm hoping she'll pull through, poor girl.

Before Christmas I signed up for Lakota's Christmas Swap, I was paired with the lovely Alison who lives in Franch and writes two blogs Fat Dormouse getting thinner and View from the teapot. The swap rules were.......
  • As usual, you should send your swap partner a minimum of three items, a maximum of five. 
  • There is a maximum spend of £12 or the equivalent in your local currency.
  • At least one item - though more if you can - should be second hand, and  sourced from a charity shop, car boot sale, jumble, estate sale, eBay or similar.
  • At least one item should be handmade. If you are not crafty yourself, it's fine to provide a handmade item that someone else has toiled over instead.
  • And this time, one item MUST relate to a Christmas carol or song. How you interpret this is up to you!
My parcel arrived and waited under the tree until the big day
Thank you Alison! A beautiful Christmas card and a letter explaining all the gifts
Two cherubs which I've already from a home for, and two tiny salt spoons

handmade cards
A set of handmade Christmas themed coasters and a sparkly book mark, I don't use a kindle so it's perfect! Alison also sent me a vintage postcard of the village where she lives, I've stuck it up on the wall in my craft room.


And the lyrics from the carol that inspired the gift, The Star Carol by John Rutter
It was great fun taking part in The Christmas swop, a great way to meet new bloggers and it's always nice to receive a present in the post! So thank you Lakota and thank you Alison for my presents! xx
Linking up with Lakota over at Faith Hope and Charity Shopping to see what everyone else recieved from their swap partners

Happy New Year to you all! Here's to health, happiness and lots of blogging in 2013 xxxx

Sunday 23 December 2012

Have yourself a Mary little Christmas

And may all your Christmases be white......
Merry Christmas everyone, from me, the big lad, Mary, Betty, Beryl and Ethel xxx

Friday 21 December 2012

LBD

Hello!
I've been looking forward to wearing and sharing this dress with you, last night was our Christmas party and I finally got to wear my new LBD, long blue dress. In the pre Christmas party run up I had been panicking about what to wear, and then the panic was over after I quickly nipped into a charity and found this beauty. A very 1970's blue lurex dress with lots of sparkle, and a bargain at only £12, my very lovely sister took it in slightly for me and I wore it with a little black and silver belt from Dorothy Perkins. A quick power nap after work, shave, shower, a curl in my hair and a slick of red lippy and I was good to go. I love this dress! 

New belt from good old Dotty Ps

I love how this dress is casual! I wonder was Susan Small a range for small people, I'm only 5ft1

Me before heading out, the angel looks like she's perched on my head!
And a little bit later after making Merry! I'm not doing the YMCA actions!

Merry Christmas everyone!







Wednesday 19 December 2012

Mary v The Tree

Tree wins......
So far Mary's tried to climb the tree and has been knocking off and chasing the balls, Christmas is so much fun! Mary's been looking after my Christmas blog swop present from Alison writer of The Fat Dormouse blog  
The big lad bought this vintage Santa from Ebay for under the tree. Underneath the tree isn't complete without the cottonwool snow.
And to top it all off I made a new angel this year out of some felt and pipe cleaners.




      

  

Saturday 15 December 2012

Christmas is GO

Hello!
Today I started to get my Christmas on. Starting with a festive front door makeover. Mum and I had a crafternoon of wreath making. Made from cuts of ivy, holly and fir from her garden and off cuts of Christmas trees I bought from the Christmas market for a pound. I made a wreath last year but I like this years even better and more fun making one with my mum.

For the circle shape, I rolled up some news paper, stuck it together with parcel tape and used thin garden wire wrapped round to attach the greenery,  remember to leave some wire for attching to the door. Then for the fun part...
Mum is camera shy and didn't want to be featured so she is just hand modelling today, we wove our greenery under the wire, then layered it up with, fir, holly, ivy and pine cones...

Ta Dah!

M and D's front door, handmade festive wreath by mumsy

and our front door
Tomorrow  we'll be getting our Christmas on indoors, tree's going up, Mary'll be hanging up her stocking! I love watching her as she first discovers the tree and starts playing with the balls. 
Hope you're all enjoying the festivities xx


Sunday 9 December 2012

New Girl

Hello! Hope you're having a great weekend!
Man I've missed this! This is how I relax! And I feel like I haven't had a minute recently, you know the feeling when there's so much going on, you can't sleep, you're wrecked and it all gets a bit mad? So it's nice to just sit down, chill out and have a wee ramble here, before it all starts again!
I couldn't believe my luck when I found this beauty a couple of weeks ago in the charity shop, my new girl, sultry 60's senorita. She's up there with my favourite charity shop finds EVER! Her new home on our film posters from the 60's wall, she looks like it was always meant to be. Love her!

Sunday 2 December 2012

Mary Reflects


"May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love."
-   Ada V. Hendricks

Saturday 1 December 2012

The Collector

Hello!
Can't believe it's December 1st! Not many weekends before Christmas left I thought it would be a good idea to brave the Belfast high street today and get some pressies, maddness! I had to rush back to the car before the parking meter ran out! and after having looked through my purchases I've ended up with well not much really, though I do feel a little more Christmassy after that quick jaunt in town, the hussle and bussle, everyone half frozen walking around like zombies on speed, yes, I think I'll take my friends advice and start shopping online.
Back home now in the safety of the living room, and snuggled up on the sofa reading my book The Collector by John Fowles. The main character Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs of them. I'm sucked into this book here's the blurb 'Withdrawn, uneducated and unloved, Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs. A chance pools win enables him to capture the art student Miranda and keep her in the cellar of the Sussex house he has bought with the windfall. The situation is seen first from the collector's point of view: he thinks the chloroform pad no more vicios than his butterfly net, and patiently waits for the barriers of class and taste that inhibit their love to break down the limbo of their isolation. She, the creator, desperate for her freedom, tries to understand him but cannot banish her contempt for everything anti-life that he stands for'
And on a lighter note here is my deer collection, Christmas decoration deer is the latest addiction, a freindly charity shop helper gave it to me for free.


Hope you're all a having a lovely weekend, I'm off to kidnap mary and keep her in my craft room xx