I am reading..

I am reading The Fry Chronicles right now, and loving every second of them.  I do have a dictionary by my side, as without it i have to admit I'd be a little lost from page to page.  However, i do love Stephen Fry and i do love biographies.

Stephen Fry is one of my hero's, please don't think i love everything he has ever done, or find him without blame-but i do love that he is utterly bashfully British and intelligent.  QI is one of my favourite shows, and i am pretty sure to tune into anything that has him in it. 
I'm not going to write a review for this book-oh goodness, that would be a little too difficult, but i will say that it is such a lovely read, and i am so happy that i have picked up a copy of this brilliant book, its now the putting it down that's the difficult bit.....

Three years ago today

Three years ago today I was woken up bright and early by a text from my fiancé. He told me he loved me and he couldn’t wait for later.

Three years ago today I crept through the hotel suite and woke my best friends. I jumped into the shower and welcomed the beautician and hairdresser. Three years ago today I sat in the middle of the suite feeling very happy and pampered.
My best friends gave me some little presents, first from themselves, and then from my Husband to be.
I was helped to dress and helped down the stairs of the hotel. I was helped into the car and waved to everyone who came to take a peek.

Three years ago today I walked into Church and down the aisle towards the man I love, adore and call The Husband.
When we walked back up the aisle I felt like I could breathe again.

Everything Alice

I got this book a little while ago, probably one of those amazon emails came through the inbox telling me that it was similar to some other things I adore and I caved. Either that or those crafty elves did it a bit too close to payday for me to think it over and decide I could probably get it from the library.


Read the blurb and it definitely whets your appetite:
Enter the magical world of Everything Alice, where nothing is quite as it seems! The tales of Alice in Wonderland provide the inspiration for a charming and original collection of 50 makes, ranging from a hand-sewn rabbit toy and pompom-decorated slippers to a paper craft party invitation tea set and cut-out-and-keep dress-up dolls. Who wouldn't be seduced by a red polka dot frilly apron to wear while baking cupcakes fit for a king or a heart-shaped pin board to house precious keepsakes, all designed and made by Christine Leech and Hannah Read-Baldrey. This book is the creative must-have for any Alice lover, whatever their age.

I am mostly interested by the felt slippers; they are amazing and remind me of little Elvin shoes. The red velvet cake look lovely and I cant wait to get baking, as red velvet cake is something I’d heard of loads, but didn’t have a clue what it was!
There truly are some great ideas, and every person that has either peeked at my bookshelf and enquired what this was, or has looked over my shoulder at it has fallen in love and I'm happy to be the envy of all with 'my' new ideas!
The book is just gorgeous to sit and stare at and utterly adorable. Although I shouldn’t be spending money right now as I need to be buying Christmas presents, it has given me plenty of little ideas. I love books like this in general and I am very happy to add it to my collection.

Reading by the fire

Darker evenings, warm fires, cool clear nights and hot chocolate.  The chair by the mantle is never empty; the nook by the lamp is even more cramped than normal, overflowing with books.  Books that are planning ahead for Christmas, books with ideas for one pot meals, books about warmth and comfort, all looked out and very well thumbed.  Books to shelter within and let me dream. 

Ode to bloggyness

I love that within this blog I can write about things this family does. I love that it, over time, captures what we’re up to and what’s going on. I like that last year I wrote about wanting to move to the country, and then, by the end of the year we had done so. I love that I was so enthusiastic at this time last year. I saw the dark nights as something to escape into. I wrote so very much, and yet this year….

I haven’t found ‘it’ so far. I'm not particularly looking forward to those snugly dark nights. I didn’t really blog about the Summer, or the Spring, or anything at all. And every so often I think…”well, what would be the point of having a glum blog?”, because nothing seems to have had me very excited.

This seems to have plodded along and I haven’t really done much about this. Sometimes we’ve been up to things and I’ve just not had the time to blog about it, but mostly I haven’t got much done at all. I've plodded along feeling like this and its only now that I look back at last year I see that I'm so different.

 

While I'm finishing up at work-because of the new job-its still quite stressful, and I think that the moment I leave it’ll get better, however why wait until then? That’s like bumping your head first thing in the morning and then being grumpy all day long…well NO more.

The camera is coming out, and I'm finding beauty in everything. It’s that or eternal gloom, so I'm making a stand!

Autumn in the country

Rolling fields and mellow sunlight.  Clear sky and flocking geese.  Autumn is about renewal to me. 

I know that Spring should be that time, but Autumn always seems to bring something new to me.  Its the start of the academic year and i guess I've been institutionalised, but that's not all.  All the animals are busy, they are making ready for Winter and getting their homes cosy.  I'm busy doing the same thing here. 

The big blankets, throws and cushions are all coming out.  Wellies are constantly at the front door, as well as the dogs towel.  The changes in the home are being echoed through-out.  I have got a new job...very exciting!

The environment was previously working in wasn't really any good, so i have finally packed in the part time jobs, in the library and in the shop, and got myself a full time position in a school office.  It means that for the first time in ages I've got weekends to myself...and you know what weekends are going to be packed with shortly?  Christmas Fairs!  Yeah, i think I'm finally heading in the right direction and i couldn't be happier!

Trodding on...

Trodding on the squishy mud....

squelching my way through the feilds with the pup to the shoppy.....can't wait for those elusive crisp autumn days!

x x x

CL Fair...waiting game

So I've presented the facts...I've said "isn't it a good idea that we head to Glasgow for a lovely shopping weekend?"

Ive then just not mentioned shopping and have attempted (rather unsuccessfully) to make out like he was always going on about Glasgow.

Ive said that we can take the train, I've said that we can do things he likes...but all of this to no avail.

I have (thus far) been unsuccessful in convincing TH that it is a good idea to go to the Christmas Fair and do all things Christmassy.  He does not want to soak up the glee of the event.  OK, that's probably a wee bit unfair.

 He doesn't want to be pushed and prodded, elbowed and shoved by lots and lots of women.

He doesn't want to be one of those men that follow the women folk around the shops...and i can see his point.  The only thing is that we are so very far away from Glasgow that its really not a day trip, and if it was it would be such a long long and mostly unpleasant day to squeeze such an extraordinary amount of 'fun' things in, that invariably, it becomes the most un-fun thing you can think of.

But just look at all of the lovely pictures and adverts mean to entice folk like us.....

Look at all of the idyllic scenes we...ahem, i always want to buy into...

 I think that I'll be trying to convince very busy friends to come on jaunts to the other side of the country with me...

Yes, i think I'm about to start the persuasion game all over again!

CL Christmas Fair 2011

 Mr Postie brought me the most interesting mail today...the most exciting mail i have received in an awful long time indeed.  Mr Postie brought news of The Country Living Christmas Fair which is taking place in Glasgow between the 17th and 20th of November.
Along with pictures of the most beautiful products imaginable came news of a new VIP ticket....well ladies, did my ears prick up at that!

 Apparently there are tickets available (at quite a cost-£49.50) which means you get to spend any free or down time sipping delicious tea from Brewhaha-a Glasgow based company which i have had the pleasure of sipping on a previous occasion- whilst sitting in a comfy snugly lounge.  Caroline Zoob is giving away some super cute festive bunting in a gift bag along with some other free goodies, including a book, a CK book bag and gorgeous hand cream...now once you add it all up the actual cost of a ticket would be cheaper....however if i was never intending to buy these things anyway....let me think, let me think.....

All i need to do now is convince The Husband!



Um.....darling....