Sampler Update

My enthusiasm was productive and I’ve most of the first section done.  However, I have decided to leave the beading ’til the very end – so some of it will be missing ’til the very end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say I’m really getting a kick out of all of this so I’m going to leave off and get back to my stitching – teehee!

Blue Tones Sampler

I bought this at lunch time:

I’m hoping to ease myself gently back into Cross-Stitch with this beauty!

Time will tell!

 

BBC One Advert / Bring Me Sunshine

It really does make me simply smile!

Can you watch it without singing/miming along?

 

 

Christmas Music – Stop The Cavalry

Ok I’ve tried to hold off from being Christmassy but I can’t do it any longer – if I do I think I’ll burst!

Today in work we were talking about Christmas Films – I’ll keep that for another post ’cause Christmas really does make me smile so there’s LOADS to say about it.  Anyway back to office chat – the Muppets Christmas Carol was mentioned and after that the songs wouldn’t go away – can you hear it?  Does it feel like Christmas?

So I’m now at home playing with iTunes and I have my christmas music split into two – carols (church type music) and songs (chart type).  What I love about music is that there’s nearly always a story behind why you like songs – whether it’s because of a person, an event or a place – well for me the first christmas song that I want to post about is Jona Lewie – “Stop The Cavalry”  I can’t hear that song without thinking of Dad.  Specifically we’re in the car down at the traffic lights in Portmarnock village, we’re waiting for the lights to change, the song is after coming on the radio and he turns it up and we’re singing – Daddy has the same kind of singing voice as Jona Lewie and can hit the deeper notes – me?  I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket but that has never stopped me trying

Now press play and sing “duba-duba-dumdum duba-duba-dum wish I was at home…”

 

I know it’s mad but in my head I’m still singing it with Dad

Hopefully this will be the first of many posts about all of the glorious things I love about Christmas

Favourite Cartoon

If you were to ask me what was my favourite cartoon I would have to answer Yogi’s First Christmas!  Come December I scour the Radio Times looking for it on the Cartoon Network.

There was a time when I was looking to get it on DVD and all that was to be had was a copy of it that didn’t exactly look official and every once in a while I’ll check to see if there’s been any update on it being released.  So while I checked earlier in the year and found nothing, and somehow it managed to slip under my radar – when we were in Tesco this evening I saw it on the telly which could only mean it’s now on DVD.

It’s amazing how fast you can grab a thing off the shelf  so I’m now the proud owner of my favourite Cartoon on DVD.
I really really really want to watch it right now but I can’t – mainly ’cause I’ve to get up tomorrow to go to work and I wouldn’t fancy having to admit to being tired is due to watching cartoons ’til the wee small hours.

Just knowing that it’s there is still giving me little spasms of joy.

 

Delayed Gratification

I love love love miserable weather. I think in some places this puts me in the odd category but I don’t mind. So unfortunately for me I am still waiting. I think we would have been happy to have temperatures like this during the summer!
Today it’s a bit windy and the leaves are swirling and dancing. The entrance into the building is full of leaves – I was sorely tempted to stick around andnkick leaves for the afternoon.
So while I am still waiting for season appropriate weather I am holding off on having a Chai Latte. There is something about that frothy, sweet & spicey tea that brings winter to mind (my mind) – cold noses and cold fingers.
This morning I was going to indulge but it wouldn’t be the same. Yes it would be lovely – it’s lovely any time of year but it’s cosy at the cold time of year.

So like the child in the room alone with the sweets I have to pass the coffee shop every morning – will I have the chai latte now or will I wait for a more satisfying cup when the weather turns? Ok I’m an adult and can have both but somehow I know it wouldn’t be the same.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

I ordered 2 of Persephone Books‘ books from Chapters- Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson & House-Bound by Winifred Peck.

Today, just after lunch, I got a tweet to tell me Miss Pettigrew had arrived in.

As this is a blog about things that make me smile I have to tell you – I read from page 1 – 13 on the bus and smiled the whole time.

I may have to take tomorrow off – after all it’s only for a day – Miss Pettigrews Day.

Memories of Nannan

This evening I was watching River Cottage Every Day and the topic of the programme was Breakfast. Hugh was singing the praises of oats and saying how he loved porridge.
I love porridge and it would be my breakfast of choice this probably stems from my grandmother (Nannan) She always made me porridge whenever I stayed over. However there was one morning that sticks with me and makes me giggle to this day.
Nannan and I were chatting while she was getting the porridge ready. Once it was ready, she got out the two bowls and sprinkled sugar on the bottom of them. So chatting away she started to pour the porridge into the bowls – however it was only after she had finished pouring into the first bowl that we realised it had all been poured into the sugar bowl!!!
I know that it’s not that funny and you probably had to be there but it still makes me smile – we had such great times and I still miss her. Some day soon I’ll tell you about walking on the beach – nothing funny just a happy memory.

Strange Notions

It rained last night – the weather for the last few days has been glorious – continental almost, but last night it rained.  As the title of the post says there’s a strange notion floating around my head – I wish it was still raining.

I know I’ve mentioned previously my love of the rain – when I opened the front door to the cats this morning the fresh air was beautiful after the stuffy bedroom.  I have a rule about rain – don’t get wet on the day you wash your hair any other day go and dance in the puddles.

This morning I’m in a dawdle & dance in the puddles kind of mood so that is another reason why I’d like it to be raining.  Also I love the splashes from the rain drops – I could sit there entranced by it for hours.

However it’s not raining and I’ve dawdled for long enough – time to go out into the world.

How Happy Am I?

Very is the answer! Today we were out and about – we went to Dun Laoghaire (by mistake) so we went into Meadows & Bryne. Whilst browsing around – it’s was amazing the amount of gadgets that you just have to have! Anyway whilst browsing I came across a Pie/Tart dish with a swizzly thing that runs around the bottom to release it – I just had to have it!
I immediately rummaged through my cook books to find a tart recipe – that’s a lot more difficult than I thought. It would seem that all of the books seem to think that apple tart should be the french open tart whilst my grandmothers tarts were covered almost pie like. I did manage to get one recipe and now I’ll cross check it with one or two online (possibly adding a clove or two or cinnamon)
Now all I need is the time to make it