sunshine.

The lovely Kirsty over at sixty one A sent me this award the other day, thank you so much Kirsty! its a little ray of sun shine to brighten up my day, and brighten it up it did. I feel like I've been glued to my loom recently, in fact I'm back off through to it again in a minute, so it was nice to be given this. I get to pass it onto some other blogs who always brighten my day up, so here goes....

Hannah at Seeds and Stitches

R at My spare thoughts

Becky at teacups, cupcakes

Zoe at conversation pieces

Anna at Anna and the Ring

Ray at I will make do and mend

(I'm not doing 12 though, because thats just tons!)

p.s. I'm sorry I've not been around much, like i said, I'm glued to my loom, or my sewing machine at the moment, for reasons which i'll make clear soon but I started writing this post last sunday and its taken me til now to finish it! I'm nearing a point of exhaustion, and I'm starting to cry for no reason, so I've given myself the night off, to, wait for it, DO THE FOOD SHOPPING. yes, I am one of those people who enjoys the food shopping. just another reason to be mental. Oh well. I miss you all, although I am still here reading what I can occasionally.

Pearly pretties.

Just a little gratuitous pretty things post. I don't spend so much time on etsy now as I used to, but I was talking to my mum today about the big veil debate (surprisingly for a mum shes against it because it wont suit my dress - and that's before I get started on what James thinks of the veiling I bought!) and it got me looking at 'hair things'. Aren't these pretty? they're made from single earrings, which I think is cute.

image: missjoanshobby on etsy

Speaking of earrings, James got me these for Christmas, which I've squirrelled away until the wedding. I'd been eyeing them up for while in a little jewellers in town. I know its weird, but the earrings are important to me. I wear big earrings a lot, they make me feel like me, so I knew I wanted to wear big dangly earrings that were just a bit more dressed up for the day, so I still feel like me. AN appalling photo, but meh. It's sunday.

Holy Mackerel.

Nine months today, I become a missus. crazy. this year has a lot of stuff going on.

Frosty walks

There's been a lot more snow, and a thaw, and more yet snow since I took these pictures, but I still thought they were worth sharing with you. We went for a walk in the park, with two, yes two cameras, and apparently I made the walk about 3 times as long because I kept stopping to take photos. (he lies, I'm sure of it)

the cricket pitch:


This is the main (read: ONLY) bridge over the river through town. See that log that has somehow achieved equilibrium on the pillar of the bridge? That was put there by those floods I mentioned a while back. Thats a road bridge by the way, and that log is probably about 8-10 foot long. but I'm no good at judging dimensions. Gives you some idea of the depth and force of the water in this river at times. I can't wait til all this snow melts, and it does this AGAIN.

then I became obsessed with seed pods and frosty Cow parsley:

ebay arrivals

Well aren't you a lovely lot :) thank you for your comments about my poor confused little mind yesterday! I feel a little less confused today, although i had a rubbish day at work, it is a day off for me tomorrow, so there's my silver lining I guess.

Some little things to show you, that arrived in the post last week in various packages, were the results of 'what happens when you spend new years day on EBAY'. Bad, bad Becca. But you know how sometimes things are photographed really well on there, and then turn up crap? nu-uh. I love all of this. Particularly the two at the bottom. I have plans for it all, the cake topper, aisle decorations (did I ever mention this before? oh well, either way, its changed and there's a post a-coming), some dress making, not of the wedding variety! and yes, that is veiling you can see at the back there, i might have a go at a little birdcage veil, if only to see whether I like the idea or not, before splashing out on a proper one!

Its all lovely in real life, I know the photo doesn't show it, do you have any idea how hard it is to light a photo at 8pm in the winter?! There's one more parcel to arrive from eBay, but its not lacy in any way so I think it can wait, it is coming from America too...

my head is spinning...

Over the last week I've thought of the content for at least 4 different posts, but written none of them. I have so much going on in my head that I can't actually focus on one subject. I've found myself standing in work with my hands on my hips, completely forgetting what I was doing because my mind has moved on about 5 times since I started thinking. So please, lovely people, bear with me. I have so much I want to tell you and show you, both wedding related and not, but right now, I want to get into my comfy pj's, even comfier slippers, curl up under a blanket, and read. x

Christmas crafting results.

Here's the bits I managed to make in time for Santa to deliver them:

first up, the stockings. note to self, if you're going to make bigger stockings to replace those which are too small, TAKE MEASUREMENTS. these turned out to be pretty much the same size as the originals, but appreciated none the less. the bigger red one on the left is the one auntie Mary made me in 1986.



Remember the Cath Kidston-esque sewing kit I wanted to make? well, I did it!
needle book:
scissor pouch:

and a muffin sized cupcake pincushion:

And because I just realised I never gave you a full sized picture of the ornament exchange decoration I made, here it is:

I didn't manage to make everything I had planned, scented hearts and some padded coathangers, or the dreaded Christmas tree skirt, so I have some projects for next year. how I'll manage them I don't know, I'll have to sew all through my honeymoon or something!

a few of my favourite christmas things...

Just before it becomes to obscenely late to blog about Christmas, I thought I'd share my best bits of with you all.

Watching rabbits, and pheasants stroll through Mum and Dads garden on Christmas morning, leaving tracks in the snow:

Walking through the snow in my New Shoes:

the Lovely Cushion that ma-in-law also got me, which I'm trying not to squash lest it come to the same fate as the other cushions in our living room:

Our humongous reading pile, which has more to be added to it still thanks to an amazon voucher! the reference books in the pile are James, its amazing how much a good dictionary/encyclopedia aids a crossword...

The two at the top of that pile are 'advice on courtship and marriage' - from James sister - and 'Don'ts for husbands'. my favourite snippet is:

'A good husband will allow his life companion a bank account, and will exact no itemised bill at the end of the month. Above all, he will pay the Easter bonnet bill without a word, never bring a friend to dinner without first telephoning home'

sage advice, I think you'll agree.

My other best bits from Christmas, sans pictures:

• all of us, going to the midnight mass at Hexham abbey, and walking past the park with the trees strung with giant squiggles of lights. (and singing descants in the mass because I just had to)
• Joking with auntie Mary (great aunt Mary if you please) about how she must be the queen because they've never been seen together, and with her cracker crown on it must be true.
• possibly the tiniest camera in the world, outside of James Bond...
• falling asleep within 20 minutes of lunch.
• seeing how much Mum had wanted the book I got her, and how much more surprised she was that it was signed for her!

All in all, a very lovely Christmas.