Two good friends...

There’s only one thing we’d fight about.. who has the biggest half of the table when we’re crafting!! We both had ‘homework’ to do for the magazines today so we waited until 4pm then ventured out to the pub for 2in1 pie. As always it was truly delicious – it’s the best pie in the entire world!

Happy flowers, happy face ;-)

Ginger bought me some lovely birthday flowers for next weekend just to say thank you for being the best friend a girl could have! I adore pink flowers and they were such a lovely surprise. I also have some fab papers, heart tins, chipboard shapes, flowers and lots of tiny photographs of ME. Ginger meant to make me a ‘friends’ book but I forgiver her.. she just ran out of time ;-) x

With thanks...

Happy cupcakes

A chick flick for Easter

Temptation...

Girls, luscious is the only word for it! I know you’re with me on this one. How many times have you gone into a shop and spotted something that makes your heart jump? In my case it was a ‘bling’ ring. It was Saturday afternoon, the sun was shining and I decided to have a wander around Nailsworth. I’d perused all the cards in the card shop, smiled at the hen-pecked hubby and bought a pressie for my lovely friend Ginger for her birthday. Next door I found a new jewellery shop. Oh scrummy!
I tried on all the glasses, nothing that suited me. Looked at a few necklaces then homed in on the rings. I have a bit of a thing for them at the moment. I was trying on silver rings and had found one or two that I particularly liked when I spotted a little gem sitting on a twig at the back of the cabinet. ‘Little gem’… slight understatement... you might describe it as a blingtastic wopper! Of course, once I had tried it on and of course, it fit, I knew nothing was going to be as good. Strange but true, it was over three times the price of the others. Comes of having such good taste… ;-)! I spent another fifteen minutes trying them all on… AGAIN. I also had ‘a moment’ when I got one stuck on my finger! Woo, horror… that was a freaky moment. I don't know who I was trying to convince, I'd already made my mind up. And, as I have no one else to please but myself, it had to be done! ;-) BIG smiles.. ;-0 x

The crown at Frampton Mansell

It may be close by but I’ve never been to the Crown at Frampton Mansell. Tonight was the night! Mainly due to the fact that the entire world has descended on the Cotswolds during half term so everywhere else was busy. I used to frequent village pubs a lot in a former life. Now, I rarely visit one, not even for a drink. So we trecked off to the Crown for a taste of their fresh sea bream with salad. It’s the perfect meal for girls watching their weight, which gave us the perfect excuse to indulge in sticky toffee pud to finish!

The way to a girl's heart...

Sticky toffee pudding and two spoons.. as long as she can have both of them!!

Is there a hamster in there..?

No, it's me... shredding my life – or the bits of my life that I don’t want any more. Sometimes life needs de-cluttering. It’s easy to accumulate bills and bits of paperwork so today I had a moment. Lots of moments in fact with my friendly shredder – thank you mum! I found stuff that I've kept for far too long and long deserving of a little shredding. Reminders of a past life that are exactly that - they made me smile though as I pushed them through the shredder.. $%^&*! I managed to shred enough to last a dozen hamsters for a very long time!

Send a smile...

A little bit of love...

Planting friends seeds...

I’ve hit the 21st century!

Ok, it’s taken me a while longer than some but I have just discovered i-player. It’s the means by which you can watch something you’ve missed, as long as you do it within the month. It has meant I could take my laptop up to bed with me, watch half of a programme that I’d missed (Mistresses!) and the other half when I woke up the next morning. The advert I’d seen portrayed this series soooooooo well - what a tangled web they weave! Some great characterization, though how a group of pretty normal girlfriends end up with a such bunch of good looking men, I’ll never know – that certainly doesn’t happen in real life. Dishonesty and deceit abounds and this group of unhappy 30 some-things end up replacing their lack of self-esteem and sense of self with lies and game playing. It’s all going to end in tears... doh!

I’ve hit the 21st century!

Ok, it’s taken me a while longer than some but I have just discovered i-player. It’s just so easy to watch something you’ve missed, as long as you do it within the month. It meant I could take my laptop up to bed with me, watch half of a programme that I’d missed (Mistresses!) then when I woke up the next morning, I could watch the other half. The advert I’d seen portrayed this series soooooooo well - what a tangled web they weave! Some great characterization, though how a group of girlfriends end up with such a bunch of good looking men, I’ll never know – that just don’t happen in real life. Dishonesty and deceit abound – a bunch of unhappy 30 some-things who have lost their self-esteem, sense of self and replaced it with lies and game playing. It’s all going to end in tears... doh!

I have one response to this…

It’s all MINE and you’re not having it!

Another jab!

Oh joy, my second jab of the week. Today’s jab means I won’t feel the pain of the drill on my teeth. I get a pair of splatter glasses – not attractive - but where were the headphones?! It’s one thing not feeling the drill but I have a brilliant imagination. It’s always the sound that makes me cringe. My x-rays were good and I have an appointment to go back for more – hurrah! ;-) x

J&D...

Not Jack Daniels.. jabs and drills...! My little jab yesterday afternoon didn't hurt as much as I'd been led to believe! Believe me, it was nothing compared to walking into the doctor's surgery (you can tell I'm an infrequent visitor!) and seeing that big magnifying lamp perfectly poised at the end of the bed.. oooer! I had to smile, not me, this time! Enough said. I've been making cards so I thought I'd start with WALL-E my gift-giving gadget-loving robot! I'd smile if I received a card like this one. I'm hoping my trip to the dentist today will be equally as painless as my jab experience yesterday and I'll leave with a twinkly, mended smile! x

Time to celebrate...

Nothing replaces the feeling of being home. It was only a few years ago that I used to look forward to being away. I never spent a entire week in my own bed! Hotels were an adventure and it was a way of life. Times change. It's been a very hectic week or so with some great highlights. Now, it's time to stop and just catch up on 'anna time'. I've met Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, helped the MD make a Valentine's card, had a cough, enjoyed a great night at The Ragged Cot, hosted the Industry Awards, been involved in a handbag snatching incident, had breakfast with my cool friends from Devon, met up with some lovely old friends that I wish I saw more often, laughed till my sides split and made the best of every moment. Awards night was 'a blast!'.

Meeting Loz... !

Yes, it was an unlikely meeting. Lawrence Llewllyn-Bowen was showcasing a new range of scrapbook papers at the show so I took the opportunity to meet him. He was completely chilled, chatty and friendly. His collection was predictably LLB with foiled papers, rich colours and embellishments. A good line though and I can't wait to get my hands on some of it! I met him with one of my good friends - it was lovely to see her, it's been ages. When she moves she says she's going to name one of her bedrooms 'The Davenport' suite, and it will be saved especially for me ;-) x

Chirpy Jo wants to know...?

Who's eaten my toast?! Mmm, a good question, Jo! Two loaves of bread, one stale and one fresh. I decided to make Jo's toast first because I know that as soon as he smells toast in the toaster, he starts to chirp. Okay, you might say, he can't smell because he has a beak, not a nose, but I'd disagree. I left the toast in the toaster whilst I went upstairs for a moment. Lo and behold I come downstairs and someone has eaten it! Yes, it made me smile too x

A Ragged Romance..

Here's one of my favourite places. It's elegant but quite understated. You could quite easily bump into one of the blue-blooded locals in this place. It's beautiful but casual, the style of the food is classic and it's always well presented. As soon as you walk through the door you get the feeling of being somewhere special. Wellies in the hallway, wine in the glass and soft, comfy cushions to sit on during dinner. All good meals should end with a treat and tonight... it was apple crumble with a jug of custard. Yummy or what?! Great food, great company, great location, what more could a girl wish for x

Sweet thoughts

Take one of my favourite stamps, fill it with tiny hearts and you have the perfect card. You don't always have to use the words stamp as is.. I cut up the letters and stuck them on individually, just like a ransom note! x

Delicious... my V gift

That's the word I'd use to describe my wonderful Cymbidium Orchid! KN rocks! Long lasting, beautiful, elegant and unique, they say thoughtful, caring, sophisticated and memorable x

Cough, splutter...

Oh, horrid cough! I'm dosed up with cough medicine and delicious sounding hot drinks that are supposed to work in 5 minutes. I blame it on those darned aeroplanes! Worst bit is having to bother doing anything! TLC just doesn't work when you have to apply it to yourself. I've picked up a few work emails, chatted to a lovely Dr on the phone, watched morning TV (which is mind-blowingly dull!) watched a dvd (thanks Fi), had a sleep on the sofa, finished some notes for work, been out in the cold and the rain to get drugs, reluctantly cancelled my evening out ;-( , made a couple of cards, made a fish pie for my supper and got through a whole box of tissues!

Best dvd for atishoo!

Yes, she's dressed up as a stuffed olive! What more can I say other than, thanks Fi for the recommendation. This dvd was just what I needed to while away the afternoon whilst I am feeling so rubbish. I fell asleep half way through but didn't miss a thing. It's a great teens flick, harmless, fun and easy to watch. What can it be? Angus (the cat) thongs (self-explanatory!) and perfect snogging! It's a Bridget Jones movie for fourteen year olds x Just my thing... x

Dad's old car

How's this for an old family photograph? It's dad's Bradford Jowett. He bought it for just over £20 and here it is on a snowy day in March.

Cupboard Love...

Where do you turn when you have the munchies? I've been out for 'Brunch' so I wasn't looking for anything filling, just a tasty treat to keep the hunger pains at bay. My cupboards are filled with an assortment of treats and I just fancied some Xmas Pudding. Not just any Xmas pudding either. Liz bought me a F&M Xmas Hamper the year before last and my lovely xmas pud has been 'maturing' at the back of the cupboard ever since. I found a tin of custard and hey presto, I was made up!

Sunday Brunch...

Today was Sunday Brunch day! I got picked up (that's the 2nd time this week!) and as I've not been to Oldstones before, I was really looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed. We make a jolly group, around 25 of us. Don't you agree, it's always great to walk into somewhere that says 'closed due to a private party!' We had a choice of parsnip and apple or minestrone soup to start. A wonderful spread of cheese, celery, biscuits and grapes for a light main, followed by two delicious desserts and coffee. All washed down with red or white wine. Rita kept us entertained on our table, whilst I managed to catch Delia and Barry, our hosts, for a quite photo opportunity. They are such lovely people. It's Barry's birthday tomorrow so this was their friends and neighbors party. I'm so lucky to live here.. ;-) x

Revels Roulette... I say, bring back the coconut!

It's surprising how much fun you can have on a Saturday afternoon with a couple of friends and a bag of revels! Have you every played revels roulette? Try it and see. Revels used to be maltesers, minstrels, coconut, orange, toffee and peanut. Then "Lord Revel' decided in his wisdom to add a bit of 'love and hate' to the experience by replacing the coconut with coffee. A BAD move, though it makes the game more interesting. They know we hate the coffee flavour - well, most of the population do. In July 08, revels started a 'revelseviction' campaign. I was a little like big brother but featured real, intelligent chocolates, rather than flaky nutters! Guess which flavour got the most votes? Coffee of course, with almost 50% of the votes. So, 'Lord Revel' reluctantly removed the coffee and replaced it with... strawberry?! A slight improvement but it wouldn't have been my first choice. Strawberries go much better with whipped cream or champagne! Now it's 2009 and the horrid little coffee creature has returned. Thankfully, as we found, there was just the one little blighter in the packet and luckily for me... I didn't get it! x

A funny thing happened on the way into town...

Arm candy to grace even the most discerning fashionista. I have been searching for a bright red patent handbag since watching the dvd with Kate Hudson with her gorgous Kelly bag. There it was, a delicious slice of handbag heaven. A FMB, if I ever saw one! It would have been a travesty to leave it in the shop, particularly as I had decided that I wanted it! The lady in the shop was lovely. She found a few more red patent bags for me to look at just in case I needed more choice. But I didn't. I know that once I see something that I really, realIy want, I don't need any more convincing. What a happy bunny I am... ;-) x

Snow-filled sunsets

Snow crunch!

No, it's not a new breakfast cereal, it's what happens when ice crystals break. How interesting is this...?
"Snow is made of ice crystals. Ice crystals have six points. One snowflake can consist of multiple crystals. There are gaps between the points of a crystal that are empty, except for air. When snow falls to the ground, air is trapped inside of that layer of snow. You have probably noticed that when snow is stepped on, it gets compressed. The air gets pushed out of the snow. The sound you hear could be the sound of the ice crystals as they break"
Snow now you know ;-) x

Snow is happy weather...

Snow makes me excited... Me, and the rest of the world!
As I went up to bed last night I peered out of the window and yippee.. it was snowing. It felt like Christmas, and bearing in mind that I missed Christmas, I just felt my stomach flip over at the sight of all that white stuff. There was a healthy covering on the ground and big flakes of snow coming down. It always looks beautiful to me. I awoke in the night and again, I had to look out of the window to see if it was still snowing. It was. In the morning, the trees were covered with snow and there was that eerie quiet that always happens when it snows.
No other weather brings people out together like snow does. I've seen more people out and about today, walking, sliding on the snow, slipping down the bank upside down and holding hands, how lovely... I didn't try it because I didn't want to slide anywhere at the moment. I was just happy to see others enjoying themselves. And there were 3 swans... why? x

A funny thing happened on the way to work...

There's no end to what a smile can do for you... ! Everyone should smile more.. today, I arrived at work and pressed the button for the lift. Within a couple of seconds, the life doors opened and.. yikes! There was a man sitting on the roof of the lift. Not something you see every day. He climbed off the top of the lift and got out of the lift shaft. I laughed because it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I told him I would wait for the other lift "It's up on 14th floor.. but it's coming now" he said. "Did you press the button?"... "Of course" The lift sailed past. "Great... it will be full when it gets to this floor" I said. He peered down into the lift shaft... "1, 2, 3" he said "4, 5, 6" you'll be ok, there are only 6 people" I smiled as the lift came and thanked him. He climbed back on top of the lift saying "With a smile like that, you'll never have a problem getting a lift!!"
Cheeky, or what?!

Resisting temptation...

Mmm... mmm... mmm... mmm... mmm... mmm... mmm... mmm... !!

The trouble with resisting temptation is it may never come your way again. ~Korman's Law The trouble with giving in is that it may change your life forever. ~me! It's all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back. ~Mick Jagger

I never know what the future brings...

Have you ever...?

Been in a store and wanted to buy everything?! I know it sounds a bit kooky, but it happens to me every time I visit my favourite store in the US, White House - Black Market. I seek them out and then spend around two hours (well closer to three if I'm truthful!) trying on everything I can lay my hands on. Their dresses just fit.
Here's one I did get!
You know when you go into a changing room and try stuff on and nothing fits. When you come out imagining that you put on 10 pounds overnight, when the truth is, they just didn't get your fit right. I do that sometimes and it doesn't feel that great. The there's White House, Black Market. I go in there and I try on everything and most of it fits me. The challenge always is what to buy, what I can afford and what size bag I need to buy to make sure I can bring it all home. I have 'what I bought' and I have a wish list of zillions of tops, dresses, coats, shoes and trousers that I will just have to wait for another time.
Here's one that got away!
I love US shopping. There's none of that 'You can only take 3 things in the changing room' nonsense! They take the clothes from you and 'make a room' for me. Then, when they see just how excited I am collecting more and more to try on, they join in. 'We'll just bring things for you to try'.. how cool is that?! It's like having your own dresser - a bit like in Pretty Woman, but without Richard Gere, shame! It's nice to buy new clothes and nice to know that there are things you can't afford. It means I have to come back home and work some more so I can go back and do it all over again! I'll find more 'have' and 'have nots' to add later... x

What does a girl have to do.. ?

Just smile and be the best friend anyone could ever wish for and 'pooof'.. I get flowers and champagne x 2! I love my friends. Fi comes to stay and brings flowers and champagne. J also bought me flowers in return for giving him my sofa and... yes, you've guessed it... champagne! I am a champagne girl after all (sorry dad, I know you don't like it!) which just means there's more for me. I love my flowers and don't want to miss a single minute of them. I'd already bought tulips for Fiona, for her room whilst she was here. Flowers make me smile and make me happy when I'm feeling that life isn't going my way.

Snow conundrums...

I love watching the snow. Not that I've had much time to peer out of the window today because I've been working. I always find snow exciting and fascinating... though there is a downside. I had to stay in when I was planning to go out ;-( x No dental appointment, no seeing mum and dad, no Spring Fair and no KN. But I did make a mean macaroni cheese to compensate for my no show day, yummy!