Author: MsWalsh

As I type I'm 40 odd yrs. Sometimes very odd :) I'm separated and now I'm also cat free. I love to cook, craft, read & watch TV. This is to be the place that makes me smile.
Books · Cooking · Home

Book Buying

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Well we went on our first book buying session of 2009 and I think I came away with one or two nice things – well five to be precise.  I managed to pick up the following:

Battles at Thrush Green
Lark Rise
Toast
The Second Irish Christmas Book
The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady

However the absolute treasure of the day came from my Mother-in-law:
Christmas Recipes
I’m looking forward to sitting down and picking out things to make from this as I reckon it could be good fun and to top it off the book is beautifully done – the book is “written out in manuscript form and illustrated”.

On a slightly non-book related purchase – we picked up a duster made from ostrich feathers – it is so funky! It is funny how the little things can make you happy – just the thought of not having to sweep the ceilings – who would have thought it! So now I’m off to dance with my feathers – woohoo!

Christmas · Cooking · craft · Life

Thoughts for the New Year

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I don’t like to make resolutions but I do make lists of good intentions.  Unfortunately for me we all know about good intentions 😦

Anyway Christmas is always December 25th so why this year did it take me as such a surprise?  My preparedness was lacking to say the least and that is such a pity as I absolutely love Christmas.  Throughout the year I have my markers – I’ll recover until my birthday and the look forward from then on.  However I allow myself to think and get ready for Christmas very late – not 2009.  Any festive stitching and other crafty projects that I want to do will be done throughout the year come what may.

The other thing that I am hoping to do more of is baking.  Not sure what or why – do I mean baking or cooking – both I suppose.

I always look to the new year with great hope but then it zips by and I’ve managed to achieve nothing – well maybe not nothing but certainly not as much as I’d have liked.

The one thing I’m definitely going to do in 2009 is lose weight.  I’m nearly 2 stone above my goal weight so I’ve to knuckle down come the new year.

Christmas · Life

We’re off to see the wizard

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We’re not really.  The we in question is myself and my parents and we’re off to Waterford.  My original notion behind this weekend was I’ve to visit my two grandmothers and give out presents and cards.  As the folks were heading I’m getting a lift from them.  One of the reasons for the folks visit other than the usual was that it was Dads 60th last weekend and he’s going out for food with the brothers & sister.  I get to go as I’ll be there and they can’t have me on my own all night can they? 🙂

It will be a little bit odd as himself won’t be there and as mentioned earlier there is that carol concert that I’ll be at but without him 😦

I was talking to one of the girls in work about how this weekend I’d planned to go through the kitchen and make space for Christmas supplies – I’d like to know how the going away part of the weekend managed to slip my mind as I’ve had this planned since something like August!!!  Never mind I can do the kitchen another time – It’s not Christmas yet.

Ok now I’m wittering! I think I still have tonnes of stuff to do – I’m not packed, I don’t have the presents wrapped (I’m not 100% where the wrapping paper is).  However the cards are written and I have another two hours to be ready.  With that in mind I’ll talk to you later 😀

Christmas · Life

It’s almost Christmas

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When the Christmas issue of Good Housekeeping comes out on the first Thursday of November it’s official – I can start to plan Christmas out loud.  Then they start to mess with the dates of the Radio Times and that means it’s December and we’re almost there.  Well tomorrow the Christmas double edition of the Radio Times is coming out and then we’ll know that it is officially ‘Tis The Season.  I’ve my pink highlighter at the ready!  I will admit that I buy two of the Radio Times – one for me and one for him.  Sadly I tend to collect the Christmas edition – even if it’s only a new habit I’ve started – this one will have Wallace & Gromit on it –  Fantastic!!!!

Christmas · craft

National Craft Fair

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This evening we are off to the National Craft Fair – this is not to be confused with the Knitting and Stitching. At the K&S you buy the stuff to make yourself and at the NCF the stuff is done and being sold at fairly hefty prices. The price part is why I wouldn’t sell any of the stuff that I make/do ’cause between the cost of materials and time put into it you couldn’t get somebody to pay that price not when the high street shops cost even less then the materials you’ve used.
So this evening I’m planning on getting some essential oils (Lavender, Juniper & Frankincense) and a hat.  I’ve been saving for the hat so this year I will have the cash.  I was disappointed last year not to have that amount of money spare 😦  The year before I picked up a beautiful hat so I’m looking to add to the collection. Erm I seem to have lost the photos I had of the hat – I will just have to get some of the new one instead.

There is also a food hall.  I’m not going to buy any tea this year – I tend to go oh that lovely lets get some and then don’t use it – I don’t know why.  However there will be all sorts of other foody goodness.

I will post a list of goodies purchased when we get back.

Cats · Christmas · craft · Life

Decembery Goodness

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It’s the first of December – like you needed me to tell you that!

I was away for the weekend with my mother and her guild of the ICA  and I had great fun.  We were doing a weekend course in hand stitched Christmas decorations.  We headed off on Friday and came back yesterday after dinner.  I have to say it was great and you came home with something to show for it!

This is the wall hanging that we did, it is also a introduction to patchwork.

Christmas hanging-1

Santa part of hanging-1Tree part of hanging-1

I am having visions of this house getting overrun with fabric as I have taken a shine to this.

While we were away we went for a walk on Saturday morning after breakfast and before class and I happened to have my camera with me. So as we were coming up to the top of the road this is what appeared before us.
church-1

It really was lovely. However this morning December seems to have kicked in with the weather. As I type I have the heating on and the kettle is boiling for a cuppa ’cause when I got up this morning and looked out the window this is what greeted me:
opposite with frost-1
upper with frost-1

If I’m being honest this is the kind of weather that I’d like to see on Christmas day – wake up and it’s all white and then forget about it as it gradually goes – yes I’d love snow but that really can cause havoc so for safety I’ll sacrifice my dreams for a heavy frost 😛
Mind you even with that frost it can be dangerous – I’m expecting my mother over to me this morning as we are going to get an artificial Christmas tree for me (I think with cats in the house it’s the wisest choice) – anyway mam is coming over but I’ve a feeling that the roads will be slippery so I hope she will be alright getting over.

While I’m waiting for her to arrive I think I’ll hunt out my advent calanders and start opening windows!

Christmas

Carol Services

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Last year myself and himself went to Waterford in December to give out presents to the Grannies.  As a break from all the visiting we popped down the town.  As we were coming up from the clock tower we could hear Christmas Carols, I could see the speakers outside the Cathederal and figured that was nice of them to play music for the shoppers.  However after a minute of two of listening and discussion we realised that it was a broadcast of what was going on in the church itself.  Happily we popped in and stood down the back for a few songs.  Hand on heart – I can say that was one of the highlights of the festive season for me.  It was so unexpected to hear and see this lovely music performed live.

With last year in mind I’ve been keeping an eye out for this year – I’ll be down visiting the two Grannies and as luck would have it the carol service is being held that weekend too!  The only draw back is that this year I most likely won’t have his good self with me ’cause of work 😦  So in a way I’m torn I’m looking forward to hearing the music but I won’t have anybody to hold my hand and appreciate it all with me.

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Filums!

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Yesterday my copy of Love Actually and Under Milkwood arrived.  As I’m feeling under the weather I figured heavy concentration was never going to happen so Dylan Thomas will have to wait a week or so.  This evening however was Love Actually.  It is a film I plan to add to my list of things to watch with great frequency.  That list so far consists of:

Persuasion (Amanda Root & Ciaran Hinds)

Jane Eyre (Samantha Morton & Ciaran Hinds)

Peters Friends (Stephen Fry & Friends)

Miss Marple box set (Joan Hickson)

The Snowman

La Cenerentola & La Traviata

Love Actually

There are others but I can’t think of them right now – I’m putting it down to my cold.

Books · craft · Life

Knitting & Stitching

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I know that it’s been a whole week since we were at the Knitting & Stitching show in the RDS here in Dublin but it’s been a busy week.  Anyway I managed to pick up treasure!!!!!  I saved up my money so I could have lots of carefree spending.

The carefree spending turned into :

A Drop Spindle Kit – I’ve no idea how to use it but I’ll figure it out.  Although this comes with some stuff to spin I also picked up some red felting wool which I can also use for spinning.  I also managed to fill out my collection of Brittany Crochet Hooks so I am very pleased with this.  I am now getting to the point where I’ll have to keep a note of the sizes I have – they are so pretty that you make an effort not to lose them.  I know I tend to pick up the other hooks willy nilly.

So back to the shopping – I also picked up a copy of Traditional Blackwork Samplers by Lesly Wilkins and lots of aida fabric for what the book inspires.  In the stitching end of things I also picked up a cross-stitch Christmas Stocking – I don’t think I’ll start it this year as I’ve one or two things to finish up – however it’s for himself and should be ready for next christmas.

After that it was bits and bobs – a victorian advent calender – but as I haven’t figured out how to use the sewing machine yet it will be project for a later date – mind you I have my own notions on how I’m going to do it and if it turns out right -yippee if not it’s a lesson.  I also nabbed a spiced mug mat – put warm mug on mat it releases spicy aromas (apparently)  However I do love the instruction – hit with hammer to reactivate scent.

There were two non-shopping treats one of them was when we came in himself wanted coffee and there was this stall type thing standing in the middle of the coffee area and it was full of jars of buttons!

undefined Go through the link to see what has to be done with all of the buttons

The other one treat was the crocheted coral reef.  I sat down for a little while and did a twisty bit of crochet which will be attached to the reef for a later show.  I can now point at that and say – I did some of that.  There are a few pictures of the reef here.

Now it’s time to get busy with all of my new treasures because that’s what Autumn and Winter evenings are for.

Life

Forgot to mention

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Tomorrow I’m going down to my sisters to go niece visiting.  I don’t think I’ve seen my sister so much as the last 10 weeks but it’s really lovely to see both of them – must bring cake.