Snippets of the season

We spent a few days at my parents this Christmas - just a getaway and a refresher from these four walls. Plus my mum makes the best Christmas dinner ever. Here are some little odds that I took of the day with no reason other than "I just liked them".

I quite like taking incidental pics at the moment. Nothing particularly pretty; just - well, incidental. We love party poppers in our house, almost ballistic they are, when fired into the light fittings.
Mateus Rose now comes in fizz.....yahoooooo!
Mark and I in the colander. I love how round we look!
Just about to tuck in to our starters. Mark was met with the realisation of "thinning" when he saw this picture. He is convinced its his own personal solar panel. Hmmmmmm.
Starters - always prawn cocktail, always amazing.

Little Belles. Loves tiger prawns with a passion.

Looking up to Mark, waiting for him to steal a morsel from her treasured meal....ready to stab with a fork! We happen to love this picture very much. As ever, Belle's is peering over her spectacles.

No stealing occurred but instead, a playful nose squishing ensued.
On Boxing day, we took a stroll on the cliff tops with my Dad too and then down on to the beach on the walk back. Mark and I took the pooch for plenty of beach walks this season. He loved it.
We marvelled over the rocks and pebbles (Bridlington bay has chalky white cliffs, providing an abundance of smooth white rocks that have been tumbled a million times by the sea). Mark was adamant that he would find some fossils whilst I searched for pwitties.

Ive always wondered who came down to the beach at night to drill holes in the stones. I mean, how the hell do they just appear. I asked out loud thinking it would fall on deaf ears but Mark explained to me just how they happen. Well, blow me down with a feather...... I was truly surprised.
They start off with a small dent in the rock. Another small rock will nestle in the dent and as the ride washes over the pebble, it spins into the dent, making a divot.
we took one pebble out to show you its progress
Before long, the pebble will swill through the rock to eventually escape on the other side. I mean - how did Mark even now this ???? (girly swat that he is). I just find this stuff fascinating. We named this collection the Holey Trinity. Apt, of sorts. I'm going to find some old rope and thread these as a display in the bathroom. They are as large as Marko's fist.
And sure as eggs is eggs, Marko found his prized fossils. And to think, these are millions of years old. Yeeeeps! This one must have petrified a leaf of sorts.
And this one - perhaps a shell?
And then he posed for me with is winnings even though he looks 8 months gone with my finds hidden in his front pocket!


And so home to our Boxing day buffet where the pooch snuggled under warm blankets. Its such a shame he has such a large snout - I can never get both his eyes and nose in focus. Its either or!
And here is the stupendous buffet - cold meats, pickles, junk.....the kind that fills you up for months and sticks to your ribs FOREVER!

Just got to work it all off now............groan!

Got DSLR?

Did you get one from Santa?
Are you loathe to use it out of automatic because you don't know what those other functions do?

Well, if you feel you could do with some coaching in a language that is easy to understand (ie no unnecessary, complicated science) and with results you will love; I teach One to One photography and explain what those crazy functions mean and how to mash them all up and take GREAT pictures.....rather like the ones below - all taken by some of my one to one students this year.
In 6 hours you will learn to understand the 5 key functions to take super photos with tips on composition, exposure, aperture along with avoiding disastrous results.

I teach it up here in Wigan but can travel to you. Plus if there are 2-3 in your party and want to learn in a group that is do-able too.

To make further enquiries, click here

Michaelmas Walks

Ive never ever been to the coast and walked on the beach in winter. The light is gorgeous for starters and what helps most is the crisp air that fills your lungs to clear out the cobwebs. Having a pooch has pushed me to get out more over the last two years instead of festering on a sofa over the Christmas period and chomping on food. simply "because".

The route to the beach was so pwitty

And the light was dramatic
And we went looking for love. Well, pebbles in the shape of hearts
Even mussels - but Ellie thinks this is more like a butterfly.

And this is she, on Christmas day...opening some of many many parcels.


Its been a lovely christmas so far - how about you?

Hand made Christmas cards - plus FREEBIE

I don't know about you but I only make cards for people who "like" them, does that make sense? Each to their own, I know, but there are people I know who look at hand made cards and think "Oh, she must be so poor that she has to make her own". It makes me scream with laughter.
For the lucky few, here is a taster of the few that I made.Everyone else? You got a bought one, to prove we are not on the breadline yet ;)

No time to make cards? Forgot someone and can't find your emergency stash of cards? I have a freebie for those who can print out at work or at home - HOORAY. This card is printed on Cream card using a cream card blank but it would look just as acevilles on white card. Just trim it with brown ribbon (or if at work, um....a shoelace??!!!) to finish and hey presto!grab the freebie HERE

And the winner of yesterdays giveaway goes to: SUE - hooray x

Merry Christmas from the Ribbon Reel - giveaway

Keilli, the owner of The Ribbon Reel (and a sponsor of my blog) has a wonderful lot of loot for one of my lucky blog readers. Although not able to dispatch prior to Christmas, how about being in with a chance to cure your crimbo hangover with pwitty little pwitties for your craft box?To enter the draw, just leave a comment and if you get a mo - link me to one of your fave quick canapes/snacksters for crimbo/new year.

Talking of which - I made these, today, for my Marky. He is 44 tomorrow and I thought I'd slave for a few hours making these DELICIOUS cinnamon rolls using The Pioneer Woman's recipe from her fab book that Mark bought me earlier this year (its a well thumbed recipe book, make no mistake). Here they are, albeit without so much butter and vegetable oil, as per her recipe and the addition of plump currants to make it, erm.....healthy?. I can't tell you how frikkin amazing they were.
Perhaps my hips will, this time next week ;)

Winter Wonderland

Is it cruel to take a dog, whose belle is 3 inches from the floor, for a walk in the snow? Um, not when his parents are childlike and want to trudge through the white stuff and act like clowns.
We donned Eddy's new sweater and we wrapped up with our bestest winter warmers and trekked over to the Three Sister park (a stones throw from our house). Ellie opted to stay snugged under blankets but then we would have had a hard time pushing her chair around in this lot!

Here is what we did:
At the start of our walk, fairly light before the sun went down. Its gorgeous here.

Dark amongst the hedgerows but poppets of red sure add a christmas tinge to the whole affair.
Run to me Eddy - run, run run

Mark, Im not ready for my picture plus....I am freezing!
These are my favourite walkways at the park, all secretly hidden and not most people know they exist! It was really dark down here.


Ive always loved running my hands through these reeds when I walk past but, um, not today!
The walk back home getting darker and darker.

He heeeeeeeeeeeee - time to warm up a little!

The moon guiding our path, it was quite serene.

Its now a solid lump of ice outside and far to treacherous for dog walking (as from tomorrow, I expect.). Going to do another winter walk this afternoon before its gets too treacherous.

As for the rest of this morning? Im wrapping all our pressies - time to get the crimbo tunes on!

Spoke too soon

Um....tum ti tum ti tum.
I was rather smug when we didn't have snow these past two weeks
But tonight we have 5 inches of the stuff and its still flurrying down in sizeable chunks
WE WILL SURELY DIE.
Come wescue us and bring shovels, food rations and perhaps one of those singing santas whose pants fall down mid sing.

Off to build an igloo..........

Etsy Time

I doubt if I order these, they will be here in time for crimbo but hey - we all like to window shop, don't we? Just spreading some crafty goodness your way ...hope you like:

THIS crocheted scarf needs to adorn my neck

This little lot is GORGE. I distinctly remember using this paper on a layout not so long back. I still have some left ;)

Sigh, THIS is lush too

THIS is good enough to lick - I seriously am drooling over it

Mark is so mean to me. HE HATES FRENCH FURNITURE whereas I lurbs it. Pooey to Marky Mooky Grumpy Bums. Instead I shall dream of owning one of these:
This one is delish

Sigh, Id love to put my feet up and snuggle up with a good book on THIS

The fabric on THIS is lovely

I fancy THIS just for me to stroke and adore

I love clasps purses with all of my heart - I REALLY WANT THIS

And lastly, how could I forget "anything Dachshund-ish?" - like THIS

and lastly, THIS


Show me the way to your fave Etsy things. I just love that store!