Thursday, January 31, 2013

Book Review - Santaland Dieiries by David Sedaris

I decided to treat myself to an early night with a book last night and finished off this one.
SantaLand DiariesSantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So very funny! Exactly my sense of humour. Recommended.

View all my reviews

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Hop - I've Signed Up!

I've signed up to the Bead Soup Blog party again! There are over 500 participants this year.

 I have to send a parcel to my assigned partner which includes:-

 :: One focal ::
 ::  One special clasp (not a lobster claw) ::
::  Some coordinating beads (no need to send a million) ::
No religious items -- crosses, Buddhas, goddesses, etc.
No political items.
 
And I receive a package from my partner.
 
On my given reveal date, I post photos of what I have made from my surprise beads.

I've chosen the 2nd reveal date is possible as most participants are in the USA so the first reveal date might not give me enough time to get my items through the post.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Art Bead Scene Monthy Challenge - January!

I've never really had a chance to take part in one of the Art Bead Scene monthly challenges before due to one factor or another but this time I managed to make time for it. And here it is!

Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons
Jessie Arms Botke, 1940
Oil and Gold Leaf on Panel
32 x 40 inches
 I found the picture to be quite inspiring and when I looked at the random beads on my desk, I saw one which fitted right in.

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I've had the handmade lampwork focal for a while after swapping with Tan Grey on The Swappage Emporium for it but wasn't really sure what to do with it. however when I saw it fitted in with the colour scheme of the monthly challenge I decided to have a good think.

And here's what I came up with!

I decided to use the focal as a base point for a bit of wire wrapping with a selection of beads in my stash which went along with the colour story. Two tone metallic Preciosa Czech glass (From the same pack used in my Memories and Thanks blog hop piece), tiger eye, a selection of seed beads, and some Preciosa glass which was on the front of a beading magazine I bought. Is it wrong to admit that the free glass was the main reason I bought the magazine. They are so lovely!

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TNA Maximum Impact - Nottingham Arena 24th January 2013

After waiting what seems like forever I went to see TNA Impact wrestling live at Nottingham arena on Thursday with Grom and my Dad!

Me and Grom

Me and my Dad!
I'd been to Nottingham arena before and knew to dress up warm. So I wore a skater style dress with leggings, a thick long cardi and a wide scarf that I could use as a shawl if I needed to.

Then I bought a hat.Yay!


Here the ring once they had set up the cage for the cage match. I have to say that this was the most disappointing part of a really good night. There were a few really good matches with loads of great names, but to use Sting and Kurt Angle for a dodgy match with Devon and DOC was rubbish. So much talent wasted.

However the other matches were great!

Chavo and Hernandex v Roode and Aries
Magnus and James Storm as a tag team
And RVD was excellent!



(Aren't Jeremy Borash and Austin Aries short in real life?) hehe...

Friday, January 25, 2013

Organic Veg Box

I've got fed up with all the special offers in the supermarket. In particular, Tesco.

I pick up a cucumber and see that is in the 2 for £2 offer, then spend an age looking for another item with the same offer on it only to find 2 for £3, 3 for £5 or a whole host of other offers but not the one I am looking for. *Insert Star Wars joke here*

So I looked into a local veg box scheme again.

I think everyone has heard of veg box schemes by now, but just in case, you can order a box of vegetables to be delivered to your house and they are generally locally produced, and organic, and in season.

I've tried a couple of different schemes before. With one I ended up with a huge amount of cabbages and kiwis. It was no joke in the end and I ended up giving them away on Freecycle! Not very thrifty but I'd had enough.

With another company, the box never arrived when it was due. Sometimes it would arrive late at night, sometimes the next day. but not really handy when you have been putting off going to the shops as you knew your order was going to be delivered whilst you were at work and left in your designated safe place. We didn't have any veg in so ended up with a takeaway. Also not very frugal or healthy either.!

But I'm happy with the veg box. very happy indeed.

This is this weeks box.

DSC01403

Oops! Manged to get G's shoes in shot there!

This a small salad box, 5kg of potatoes and an apple bag. Not bad for £20 delievered.

You can't see very well in the photo, but hiding in there are jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, red onions, celery, more potatoes, fennel, chinese leaf (I think!), beetroot, and an avocado.

I've been trying out loads of new vegetables and really enjoying it. Yesterday I ate avocado for the first time having tried guacamole and hating it years ago. but avocado on it's own is lovely!

Last week I made some pickled beetroot. I've got to wait a couple of weeks for it to be ready to eat but fingers crossed!




Thursday, January 24, 2013

Shorter Lunch Breaks and Gypsy Boy

I've been having half an hour lunch breaks at work so that I can leave half an hour early. It's been doing wonders for the amount of things I get done at home.

Before G gets in, I'm able to start cooking tea, have a long soak or watch Big Brother (So he doesn't have to!)

But the shorter lunch break means that I'm reading less. but last night I finally finished reading this. Plus I found a duplicate copy on my "To be read" pile, so I get to declutter two books for the price of one. Bonus!


Gypsy BoyGypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed it. I've got the sequel but didn't really fancy reading it straight away after finishing this one, but will do at some point.

A good biography which wasn't amazingly feel good but worth reading despite the trials and tribulations of Mikey's life.



View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

January Clearance Sale

I've never really done an auction before so I figured why not?

I'm aiming for a different look in my Etsy shop and a few things don't really fit in with my idea so I figured that a low low price sale is in order.

I'm running it through my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pookledodotcom

Where there is an album of sale items. Go grab yourself a bargain! I've start some of the prices off at £2.

http://www.facebook.com/events/255330784597929/?ref=22

A couple of items up for sale are



Monday, January 14, 2013

Goals for the Week



Goals for the Week:-

  1. Survive 1st week back at work
  2. Make item for blog hop
  3. Keep decluttering wardrobe
  4. Read a book
  5. Watch the Lovefilm DVD (Lovefilm or Netflix? Any opinion?)
  6. Finish the jewellery repair job
  7. Be Calm!
  8.  
     
    So I managed to get quite a few things done, but didn't manage to post my list! Typical.
     
    I'm still getting there on things that need doing and have put our white boards back into full force. We have one which has goals for the year on it, one with goals for the month, and one with weekly jobs. And it's working! I read about the list method in a book but can't for the life of me remember which one it was. I have an inkling it might be "Eat That Frog" though.

Goals for the Week:-
  1. Keep up with finishing UFOs
  2. Keep cooking from scratch
  3. Pickle beetroot
  4. Read a book
  5. Go to Nottingham bookcrossing meet
  6. Keep posting things which I have promised to post
  7. Finish jewellery repair job

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Year of Declutter!

We started this year off really well by decluttering the downstairs of the house ready for a New Years party, so on January 1st the house was in pretty good shape.

Since then we've kept the house in reasonably good shape. I've even been putting projects away before starting new ones!

Yesterday I went to Plus Size Clothes swap in Leeds which was so much fun. I took 3 bags of clothes along which either didn't fit properly or that I had got bored with and was always shuffling past their hangers in my wardrobe. I was so pleased to have the extra space. But woe is me, I came back with another 3 bags of clothes and shoes.

They are all sitting in the living room at the moment so I can show G what I came back with. I have never tried as many clothes on in my life in one sitting. My arms are physically aching. I figure I was browsing and trying clothes on for 3 hours non-stop! Afterwards we went out for a lovely Italian meal and Zizzis. I shared some tomato and pesto bread and then had some lovely spinach and ricotta not-meatballs with pasta. Yum!

Check out the photos here! http://rebeccasvivaciouscurvaceousblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/today-in-leedsplus-size-swap-4-yey.html

Are you decluttering this year?

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

The story behind the "Memories and Thanks Blog Hop" touched my heart. You can read all about the inspiration for it at http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2012/11/memories-and-thanks-blog-hop.html on Lori's blog.

"This blog hop is both for Marianna and for those people in our lives who mean a lot to us -- a mom, a friend, a brother -- anyone who has meaning to us.  Create a piece of jewelry that tells that story."


Marianna loved cardinals so I choose to have a bird theme in my piece of jewellery. And the friend I have chosen to make for (Who has no idea about this blog hop) loves Turquoise. She's been there for me when I rant and moan about weird stuff that stresses me out for which I am always grateful.


So how could I resist these beautiful turquoise bird beads? I had had my eye on them for a while so couldn't justify them until I saw this swap when I realised that they would be ideal and ordered them to be imported. I wasn't sure how long they would take to arrive but arrive they did and in plenty of time too.

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I found some more turquoise beads in my stash (Actually turquoise howlite and magnesite) and noticed the lovely brown markings and decided to team them p with some shiny tiger eye, Preciosa two tone Czech glass, and some vintage style chain.

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What do you think? Apart from the awful photographs!

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Go see what everyone else taking part has made :)

Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs
 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart
Birgit Klughardt                  Gites Beads
Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods
Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space
Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design
Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams
CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ
Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that
Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas
Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey
Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Elena Adams                      ~~TBA~~
Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant
Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found
Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston                 CSW Designs
Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog
Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier
Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream
Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry
Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne                   josjewels1
Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC
JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs
Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads
Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks
Kayla Potega                     The Eclectic Element
Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue
Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs
Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design


Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry
Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That
Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads
Mallory Hoffman                 For the Love of Beads
Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry
Marcy Lamberson              ~Studio Marcy~
Marie Covert                      Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo                           Ornamento
Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep
Pam Farren                           re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner
Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle
Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya
Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence
Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry
Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art
Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets


Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Goals for the Week


  1. Be calm
  2. Keep tidying and cleaning
  3. Don't mess up the living room
  4. Drink a bottle of wine on NYE :)
  5. Read a book
  6. Finish a blanket
  7. List a blanket
The downstairs if now visitor friendly! To be honest, the upstairs isn't that bad either. The stairs and landings have been vacced and the bathroom isn't too bad either. Obviously the spare room is jammed packed, but it's all in one place and we can close the door on that to hide it. Woohoo!

I drank a bottle of wine and very nice it was too, and the cake I had was delicious!

I still haven't finished reading my book. It isn't that gripping and I keep finding other things to do instead. Quite annoying really as my To be read pile is enourmous!

Goals for the Week:-

  1. Survive 1st week back at work
  2. Make item for blog hop
  3. Keep decluttering wardrobe
  4. Read a book
  5. Watch the Lovefilm DVD (Lovefilm or Netflix? Any opinion?)
  6. Finish the jewellery repair job
  7. Be Calm!