Happy New Year

So, here we all are in 2012 - as Mr DOMADQ pointed out only 3 years away from 'Back to the Future' (am still waiting for the hover boards & flying cars).  This New Years Eve we spent with some very good friends of ours.  A quiet night in which involved a bit of shouting at small people to go to bed, chicken fajitas, a board game (a bit of cheating from Mr D) and ALOT of alcohol.

Tamer than years gone by but still left me jaded yesterday morning - not from hangover (Champagne's amazing, not even the suggestion of a headache despite the quantity that I drank) but from going to bed post 1am.  I really am getting too old for this.  Gone are the days of being up all night, drinking and dancing - at one point we had to occupy ourselves with another game of 'Articulate' to prevent any of us from nodding off before 'the bells'.  Yesterday afternoon post sugary tea & bacon sarnies I was only fit to watch Cinderella for the millionth time with my girlies and sew a sock monkey - Yes, sock monkey madness has begun again.

So, hello 2012, what are you going to bring for us?  Bracing ourselves for the forecasted 'double dip' - although you would never have guessed we were teetering on the edge of economic abyss with those New Year fireworks along the Thames; which were amazingly beautiful but I could just see fivers being set fire to seeing as we're not supposed to have a pot to piss in. 

So is this the year I actually crack on & start writing my book?  Not sure if I want to make resolutions this year as they seemed destined to be broken but maybe I should make a 'TO DO' list instead:

1.  A month of detox - think my liver would appreciate some time off after December's excesses.

2. So I guess if I'm not drinking I should probably make sure I am eating better too (not a diet as diets make me want to eat)

3.  Exercise (naturally goes with 1 & 2...)

4. Less shouting more laughing with my children (I think this should probably come higher up the list but it's not in order of priority)

5. More time for me (this should assist with no 4)

6.  Carry on writing / do my homework / blog more

7.  Sell the stock of sock monkeys I have made / have started to make again.  I don't know if it's just because January is a horrible month; anti climatic after Christmas, weather is rotten, too long to wait till payday so many many nights in in front of the TV (at least Sherlock's back) but I have been searching for a new 'crafting' project (might also be the gorgeous sewing box I got for Christmas from Mr D) and stumbled on several half made sock monkeys which I am now finishing.

(experimenting with sewn on eyes after consulting the gorgeous book I got from my Xmas blog swap)

 'And who is that one for?' my mother enquired, 'Oh, you know, it's just another one I've made' (this is getting ridiculous!)


You think THAT's ridiculous I also started branching out & made a prototype bunny too!

Roll on February.

Christmas Blog Swap Goodies

I received my blog swap parcel (arranged through the lovely Lakota at Faith Hope & Charity Shopping)  from the equally lovely Little Dotty Bird earlier this week and felt like a child on Christmas morning.  What gorgeous gorgeous things she had sent for me.  Packaged with it's very own snow & surrounded by glitzy baubles and chocolate santas (which I had to fight girls 1 & 2 for).

Look what I got! 

goodies just for me

A note book to carry with me for writing ideas, birdhouse hair clip holder (no more frantic searching on a Monday morning whilst trying to round up 2 girls)

 glitzy bird tree ornament, gorgeous hearts, a little piece of the beach for me (bag of shells) 

I can daydream of the seaside

AND a wonderful sock monkey book for inspiration.

These have definitely inspired me to make some friends for these fellas

(I did mention I had a sock monkey obsession)

Along with all these was a personalised card adorned with RPatz which made me guffaw. 

(I am like a superhero, I have to keep my identity secret ;)

Thank you thank you Dotty for such thoughtful presents.  It's amazing to think that I until a few weeks ago we hadn't 'met' and yet you've chosen so well.  I really enjoyed this swap, piecing together what kind of things to get & parcelling it all up (& not to mention receiving this one!), I'll definitely do it again. xxx

You're my obsession....

I was chatting with my mother yesterday who declared, that me & my sister B both 'have quite obsessive personalities'. 

OBJECTION! 

I can see it in my sister who has just purchased a 3rd outfit from ebay for a wedding at the weekend and is fixated by the Slimming World diet, just 2 of her current obsessions.  When we were younger she became fixated on the whole MADchester scene & would be 'listen to this, listen to this' all the time.  Me, being a whole hearted irritated by it all declared I hated it & wouldn't listen (despite secretly quite liking The Happy Mondays).

I'm NOTHING like that I argued (whilst sorting through my sewing bag), and happened upon the 13 odd sock monkeys I sewed earlier this year - erm....I should probably try & sell these or something, several half sewn ones and about another 15 pairs of socks...In my defence, I argued I did sell some of these & I was trying to generate some income from them, at one point I looked into setting up a website to sell them.  See, I had good reason to spend any spare moment with socks & needle and thread in hand...

And then I came across my button collection....ah, I said maybe you have a point