Only me...

I'm feeling comfortably domesticated this morning as have cut fabric to make 5 bags while my thoughts have been wandering to Christmas eve when we (Neil and his children plus daughters boyfriend, Amy and myself) will have Christmas celebrations at my house. Doing it the Norwegian way with dinner before presents for a change. :-) Our respective kids are off to their other parent for Christmas day and Boxing day. Looking forward to it! Not the kids not being with us, but to spend Christmas eve together. :-)

Thoughts has also been wandering to my 2 brothers and my sister and their families in Norway who I miss very much, especially today for some reason. We don't have as much contact as I would have liked, but that is mostly my fault I feel. :-(

Otherwise things are good. Got a cup of 'Spiced Chai', tea with cardamom, ginger, clove and cinnamon, waiting for me. As close to a liquid gingerbread cookie as you can get! :-) Oh, and I have lost 4 kilos since 1st of November! Diet is going well. :-)

Freecycle

I went to the tip today and got rid of loads of card board, some wood, couple of other bits and pieces as have had a clear out so as to not fill my new kitchen up with junk and create some space.

I came back as the new owner of the two pictures in the photo plus a large pine framed mirror with nothing wrong with them apart from that they were the wrong colour for the couple who wanted to get rid of them as they were re-decorating. Even if I might not use the pictures myself, although I will make good use of the mirror in the hall after re-painting the walls and painting the frame white, I will ask friends if someone can make use of the pictures and if not will post an offer on freecycle. I love the fact that things you no longer want can be other peoples 'treasure' or at least useful item. Today I have given away a stainless steel bin, a dinner, breakfast and soup/ cereal bowl set for 8, a knife block with 4 knives, one missing, some stainless steel cutlery, a dish rack drainer, some mugs and glasses, a big bag of books, a roasting tin, never used, but that is too big for my oven now I have got a new one and some tupperware boxes, all through Freecycle. Must admit I was a bit shocked about the pictures and mirror was just going to be thrown away, seeing as there was nothing wrong or broken about them, and was glad to be able to tell this couple about freecycle so maybe next time they want to throw perfectly good stuff away they might pass it on to someone who can make use of it instead. So there you go, my little bit of good for the enviroment. ;-)

Craft fair

I posted earlier about wanting to attend craft fair at Lacock, but that didn't happen as it was booked full! However, I did attend a craft fair in the beautiful Tetbury Market hall organised byDa-Xia at South west fairs on the 26th of June, and I sold 3 things! A purse for £6, a clutch bag for £12 and a dress for £16, so although not fantastic sales it covered the expenses at least!

Since then I have had great sales on etsy! I got asked to custom make a messenger bag. Here shown on picture: (hmm, I wish I knew how to post the pictures so that it comes after what I have written or at the relevant place in the script, but for some reason it shows up above what I have written. :-( )

Anyway, the lovely lady who ordered the bag from me was willing to pay £50 for me to make it, which I feel it was worth as I worked many long hours on it as it was a bit tricky to make. But I was pleased with the result and more importantly she was happy with it too: This is the feedback I got from her on etsy: 'Brilliant bag, well made, fantastic communications.:-)' and she even e-mailed me a few days later to say thank you again and that she loved the bag and would only use if for special occasions and not put chocolate in it or anything! :-D So I am happy to have a satisfied customer!

Since then I have sold 8 more bags through etsy and one more as late as 15 minutes ago to Amy's friend Fatima! So business is going well at the moment! Hope it continues, and on that note I better take those pictures of the bags and list them on etsy. :-)

Cumbria holiday

I am really looking forward to go up to Cumbria with Neil, Amy, David and James on Monday! I have never been to the Lake District and looking forward to explore the area. We also talked about driving across the border to Scotland, and take a look at Gretna Green. You never know, I might be able to trick Neil into marrying me while we are there. ;-) HE HE

Here is some pictures of the family, taken last Christmas. It's Neil and me, one of Neil's sons Nick, David and James plus Amy, and one of Neil's daughter Katie with her boyfriend Karl.

Whilst we are in Cumbria Neil's granddad is visiting from Australia where he lives, so will be nice to meet him too.

Bad back!

Bit of drama for me a couple of weeks back as ended up in hospital in Oxford for about 16 hours after my back caving in on Saturday night. I was visiting my boyfriend Neil in Witney, and we had been to the cinema to see the third instalment of the Twilights saga, the film Eclipse . My back had been niggling me for a few days beforehand, and after painting my toe nails on the Saturday, not only once, but twice as first colour didn't look right, I had pretty bad pains just before going to the cinema, and had to lie on the floor for a bit to calm it down. Getting in and out of the car was agony, and I was sceptical to how it would go sitting in the cinema for the duration of the film and even more sceptical about how it would go getting up again, but thought if worse came to worse I could always lay down on the floor when everyone had left the auditorium so that it would calm down enough for me to be able to walk to the car. I was in pretty bad pain during the film and couldn't relax my back muscles. When the film was over I managed to get up and walk to the car, but in much pain and with difficulty, and it went from bad to worse when getting into the car. My back just went into major spasms and I probably scarred the kids for life with my sobbing. At first they weren't sure if I was laughing or crying, which made me laugh amidst the pain which made the pain worse again, so well, bit of a drama.

Back at Neil's house I couldn't get out of the car due to the spasms and the pain, so it ended up being a 999 call and ambulance with blue lights coming to help me out. Creating such a fuss made me cry even more, so well, lets just say the tear ducts got a proper work out that night! An hour and half with gas and air, morphine and trying to get out, and finally I managed to get out and waddle into the ambulance where they wanted to check me over. The first aim was to get me into the house to lay down so that maybe the back would relax and the spasms stop, but with the pain I was in they ended up giving me even more morphine and as I had been given more, they had to take me into hospital anyway. Which was good, as I needed more pain relief than what we had in the house already. In the A&E I was checked over pretty quick which I was impressed by as had expected to be waiting for ages, which is what you normally hear about when people go to the A&E. Anyway, the diagnoses was just 'back failure'! No x-rays or scans done, but was advised to see GP when getting home and ask for an MRI scan then. Was given more and many different pain reliefs plus muscle relaxant, but wasn't enough for me to get up and walk without pain, so had to ask for more, which I finally got, and could finally be able to walk without howling and crying and got released from the hospital around 7pm Sunday evening.

Neil had wanted to follow me up to the hospital straight away when the ambulance took me there, but I was being my usual bossy self and asked (told) him to stay at home with the kids, as although they would have been able to look after themselves, I would have worried about them, and especially Amy as she was obviously concerned about seeing me in such a state. Besides, I am a cranky bitch when ill or in pain and I am better off without company.

Neil was lovely with Amy, as I knew he would be, reassured her and took her on Sunday late afternoon to Swindon to stay with her grandparents till I was able to get around easier. (I picked her up from school on Wednesday.) He then picked up my stuff and came together with James to see me and take me home.

Back home again I stayed in bed and mostly slept for the next 4 days. Friday I managed to get up and do a few things, but must admit I was glad I could take the time off work and have a proper chance to get better. Normally when I have a bad back I work anyway, as can't afford to take time off work, but never been as bad as this time, so had no choice really. The medicine I was given made me sleepy, so didn't even have time to get bored! :-)

Anyway, enough about my back, (I'm such a drama queen ;-) ), but one thing I REALLY enjoyed about the whole thing was the picture Amy drew for me and posted on her facebook. She doesn't often express love verbally, and it meant a lot to me to see the drawing and read the words. :-) So nothing as bad that it isn't good for something! :-)

Catch up!

Not that I have that many followers of my blog... ;-), but I have for many days now felt I should write something here as I feel much has happened, and well, kind of nice feeling to write it down. But where to start???

Think I will start with the present and work my way backwards.

What I should be doing right now instead of writing on my blog and putting off doing work is, and in no particular order: Taking pictures of the 4 messenger bags I made yesterday and list them on etsy. Amy is coming back today after having stayed at her friend Fatima since Wednesday, and as we are going to Cumbria on Monday to visit my lovely boyfriend Neil's aunt Trudy on Monday I need to wash, dry and iron plus obviously pack clothes etc to last us for a week. My ex father in law, or Amy's grandad has his birthday tomorrow, and we will pop in sometime today with cards and a cake I need to shop for ingredients for and bake for him.

Then the biggest job of all is that I have to pack up everything in the kitchen and preferably in the diningroom area as I'm getting a new kitchen fitted starting Monday! Yippie! :-) My landlady is paying, but she let me choose colours, and I have chosen white units with silver handle bars, walnut block worktop and red tiles for splashback. We haven't talked about painting, but I will offer to do that job, and I am thinking of choosing some kind of light brown paint, one of these maybe? http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/ready_mixed/neutrals.jsp Also thinking of doing one of the walls in the dining room in the same colour and the others in cream, but not made a final desicion about paint yet. The land lady will also put new floor down, and I am hoping she again will let me choose as I'd like something in a brownie-red colour, linoleum most probably. Can't wait to be able to work in a new kitchen! The old one is ok, but bit of a mish-mash and not very practical as there is no worktop next to the cooker, but getting a built in cooker and oven now, so that will be fab! Pictures will follow of before and after when it is all done. :-)

Fathers day

My father, Ole Klinge, passed away 9th of February 2003 at the age of 74, but he is very much alive in my heart and in my memories.

This picture was taken on our farm in Surnadal, Norway, and by the look of it, after finishing some haying in the field. The boy on the tractor is my older brother Ole Erik, and it's me who's holding my dad's hand. I think, if I am not very much mistaken, that I was about 11 or 12 on that picture and my brother would have been about 13-14.

I miss my dad. :-(

Yum!!!

I'm not quite sure what is wrong with me at the moment, but not only am I attempting to de-clutter and get a bit more organised around the house, but I have also baked muffins! Savoury ones with sun dried tomatoes, basil, and cheese yesterday and just now chocolate and walnut muffins which came out absolutely fabulous!!!! Thank God I made a bigger portion than I planned to, as I believe they will get eaten rather quickly!

Here is the recipe for the chocolate and walnut one:

Chocolate Walnut Muffins

• Time 25 minutes
• Serves 6

Ingredients

---

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
• 4 Tbsps. granulated sugar

How to make it

---

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
• In medium bowl, Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In large bowl stir in milk, egg, oil and vanilla.
• Mix dry ingredients to large bowl; beat well.
• Add chocolate chips and walnuts, stir well.
• Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
• Sprinkle muffins with sugar.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

My daughter!

My daughter, Amy, age 12, has been drawing every day since she managed to hold a crayon. She draws by hand and on the computer using the mouse, and I am sooooooooo impressed by her! Here is some of her drawings. :-)

More Ghormeh Sabzi

I haven't been able to get the dish Ghormeh Sabzi out of my mind since I had it at Perspolis last week, and after having looked the dish up online and found loads of recepies to make it, I decided to give it a go. :-)

Here is the result! :-) It was pretty yummy if I may say so myself! You can make the dish with fresh, dry or canned, rehydrated herbs, and I believe there are some variations to the herb mixture used. However, the herb mixture I was able to locate in a Iranian food import shop on Manchester Road here in Swindon was the canned, rehydrated kind. The herbs it contained was chives, coriander, parsley and fenungreek and the aroma when I took the lid off the can was amazing! The other ingredients of the dish is lamb, onion, dried limes or lemons and seasoning of salt and pepper. I added a couple lamb stock cubes for more flavour as think there was a couple other ingredients I missed, one of them turmeric, but didn't have it so I made do without. I would have liked to make the dish properly and with all fresh herbs, but the way I did it and with it being my first time, I am happy with the result. :-)

Persepolis

Amy and I had dinner out tonight. One of the good things about not feeling totally in form is that it is an excellent excuse to eat out instead of cooking at home! ;-)

I managed to talk Amy into coming to this Persian restaurant that has recently opened up in Swindon, called Perspolis. Having enjoyed some fantastic Persian cuisine in the past I was really looking forward to it, and I wasn't disappointed! We got a warm and pleasant welcome, and didn't have to wait long for the food once we had ordered. Amy had a skewer of chicken and a skewer of minced lamb with rice and a grilled tomato , Soltani, and I had a lamb stew with rice which is called Ghormeh Sabzi, one of my favourite Persian dishes. The flavour was lovely, and I am looking forward to go back and try some of the other dishes too.

It's not very expensive. My stew cost £6 and Amy's meal was £10, so not bad at all, although if I shall be perfectly honest, I would rather have paid a bit more and gotten some more meat in my dish, as it was only a couple of chunks and the rest was slivers of meat mixed with the kidney beans and the herb sauce. But, it was still lovely, so, Perspolis is hereby recommended to anyone who wants to try something tasty and different in Swindon!

Fabric has arrived, and here is the first dress. :-)

The fabrics arrived yesterday and they are all gorgeous! If it wasn't for me still feeling ill yesterday I would have started sewing straight away, but had to wait till today. So here is the first dress made out of the new fabrics. Libbie was my model again, and lovely she is with it. :-)

The picture of fabric is one I missed out the other day. Can be mixed and matched with many of the others too.

Hope you like. :-)

Lazy day and a guilty concience

I have taken a day off ill from child minding today. Had a fever through the night and aching most places, and as I didn't sleep well and feel like I have been beaten up, I called Nathan's mum and asked if he could stay at home today. I knew it would be ok as his dad is having some time off at the moment, but I still feel guilty. Women and that feeling of guilt about most things, eh? Oh, yes, I also feel guilty about the house being chaotic and was going to do something about it while having an ill day, but turns out I feel too yuk to do any of that either, which makes sense I guess, so at least I don't have to feel guilty for having a day off from work and be well enough to do something. Hmm, that makes sense to me! ;-)

Got two meters of the ordered fabric to make dresses with today, but can't start until I get the rest. It's looking promising though, :-)

Now, back to the sofa for a nap. Take away for dinner today I think!

Bags, bags and more bags!

The first products I put up for sale on my etsy page, was handbags. I have had some great feedback on them and would like to be able to show them off more. I really, really, really want to exhibit at a D&K arts and craft fair at Lacock village hall, preferably in June, but there is only a couple tables left, so fingers crossed I can get on it. I have heard some good things about this craft fair and Lacock is supposed to be a beautiful place to visit.

I have only done one arts and craft fair before, and I am blaming the lack of customers for a low sale, as my bags looked great on display ;-). This was at the end of March when it was bitterly cold, and the craft fair was held in the Neeld Hall in Chippenham. All doors was open to attracts customers, and I wish I sold clothes instead of bags as I could have done with something to warm myself in. The whole experience was made bearable with the entertaining company of my friend Mandy and I am hoping she will come to the next craft fair with me too. I will indeed be selling clothes at future craft fairs, but I better bring a cardigan or something for myself as it's no way I can get into girls size 1-8 years.

Until I get more of a swing on it with attending craft fairs I'm mainly selling my bags and the girls clothes on etsy. The prices are in US Dollars, but don't be put off by that if you like any of the bags or dresses and really want to buy, as I mail from the UK to anywhere in the world, and paypal works it all out for you.

Now, better get back to planning for my day job, child minding. ;-)

Awaiting these lovely fabrics!

Aren't these fabrics just fabulous!? Most of them are designed by Amy Butler and the others by Kaffe Fassett and Phillip Jacobs, and I ordered them online at the cottonpatch. They sell the fabrics as fat quarters, so me getting excited thinking it was only £2.65 or something per meter was a bit premature until I looked at it properly, as it ended up costing £10.60 per meter at the most. which doesn't leave a lot of scoop for much profit as I'll be selling the dresses for around £16 and will need more than a meter for some of the dresses. But I enjoy sewing and can't wait to mix and match and make them into fun little girls dresses! Now all we need is some warmer weather!

Blogging! Help!!!

Oh dear, this is a bit scary, as struggling to find my way around the world of blogging, but I was recommended keeping a blog so that more people could find my products, so here I am. :-)

Hmmm, I guess this is like keeping a diary, but without the juicy personal bits that makes it interesting? ;-) he he

Right now I should be doing some planning for my main job, being a child minder, but my mind is on some beautiful fabrics I have ordered and which I can't wait to receive! I have recently made a couple girls dresses, and I loved making them! The picture is showing lovely Libbie modelling one of the dresses, and although I like the fabric, colour and pattern etc, it's maybe not very 'now', hence me being so excited about the fabrics I have ordered as they are very girlie and vibrant and I think they should be to many little girls tastes, and in the taste of mums and dads who wants their little girls dressed in something different than the mass produced clothes to be found in most shops. The fabric designers are Amy Butler and Phillip Jacobs. I was very tempted to order some more, but had to show a little bit of restraint!

Here is some of the fabrics! Well, they will be found in the next post as for some reason when I try to post them below the text, it ends up at the beginning, so trying a new post. :-) Fingers crossed it works! :-)