Happy Birthday Tara and catching up.

Edited on Thursday 4th to add that Tara has just passed her driving test, first time too! She hadn't even told us she had a test, she likes to keep us on our toes! She's obviously chuffed to bits and told me that she high fived the instructor! Well done Tara!

I am here at last after nearly two weeks without posting and it was Tara's birthday on Sunday, which is when I should have done this post. And the reason for the delay - decorating! Why oh why do I decide to decorate the lounge just before Christmas? Here's a sneeky peak, it is close up, I'll show more when it's finished. I've just wallpapered one wall, the first time I've used wallpaper in 20 years.

And this is my new light fitting, as you can see I haven't trimmed the paper yet.

Because of this I haven't even had time to get my Christmas decorations up yet. But Lily has made a snowman at toddler group. I think he's looking a bit sad as he has no other snowmen to play with!

Time is catching up with me and taking over. See I'm not superwoman lol re my last post, the secret is I get up early 6.30 or earlier, today it was 5. Jodie sorts herself out in the mornings and Lily has taken to staying in bed until 9 ish, I hear her wake up about 7 and then she climbs into my bed and goes back to sleep for a couple of hours. So I do a lot in that time, I also don't drive so I'm stuck at home during the week, the nearest shops are a 15 minute drive away so no gallavanting around for me! All this means I get lots of time to sew etc. It's a hard life!

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Anyway HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY TARA. That's her at the top of this post with the blinking tattoo on her shoulder.
What do you think a 19 year old would do for her birthday .............. go to see Madagascar 2 at the cinema of course. This is right up Tara's street. She also went clubbing on Friday night and again on Monday night of course just to make sure that she celebrated enough! And as she also had to work, cooking roast dinners at the pub, on her birthday we have to have her birthday tea today. It has to be a 'choosy tea' i.e. party food, my children have always called it a choosy as you can choose what to eat. This is how she dressed for work on Sunday, she's the Leprachaun, she made everyone else dress up too!

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Little Gem received her sparkle swap from me, I sent a pink flower pen, some glitter candles, a silver tealight holder and glitter tealight, a bag of vanilla scented sparkles, a sparkly crochet flower brooch and a pink sparkly heart.

I've finished my Chrismas decoration swap for Monique - Thyme and Lavender, but will post the photos when I know that she has received it.

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I must show you this shaving mug that I ordered from Debbie's English Treasures, their customer service is excellent, the parcel was wrapped in lovely floral paper and inside it was wrapped in pink tissue paper with polka dot ribbon and handmade tags.

Then there was a little thankyou for ordering gift inside, again this was all wrapped in tissue and lace with a handmade tag.

It contained ribbons, lace and handmade labels.

I will definately be ordering from them again for those of you who don't know Debbie you can find her here.

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And on the thrifting front I did whizz aound a car boot on Saturday, I say whizz as it was absolutely freezing, which was quite good as the prices were cheap they all wanted to go home! Everything I bought was either 50p or under.

I've been tagged 4 times in the past fortnight so I'll do the first couple now and the others next time.

Firstly 7 Favourite Albums tag from Sandie -Dancing on a blade of grass.

THE RULES 1. Post your list of the seven best albums, the seven bloggers you will tag, a copy of these rules, and a link back here. 2. Each person tagged will put a URL to their Blogger Album Project post along with a list of the seven best albums in the comment section here.3. Feel free to post the “I Contributed to the Blogger Album Project” Award Graphic (found here) on your sidebar.4. Post a link back to the blogger who tagged you.

It's quite hard to narrow it down to just seven as I like a very wide range of music except for country and western. So here goes all these make me happy, my list of feelgood albums.

1- Insomnia -Faithless.

2- Viva La Vida - Coldplay.

3- Best of Mpeople.

4- Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani.

5- Hits - The very best of Erasure.

6- Ultimate Dirty Dancing.

7- Staring at the sea the singles - The Cure.

I could go on.

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I've also been tagged about homemaking by Sharie from view to the hill

A - Z of Homemaking
A is for Aprons - yes/no? If yes, what’s your favourite?

Yes but very rarely worn they look nice hanging up! Cath Kidstonesque.
B is for Baking - favourite thing to bake?
Cakes and biscuits.
C is for Clothesline - do you have one?

I have 2 a long one and a rotary.
D is for Doughnuts - have you ever made them?

Yes I have a doughnut maker.
E is for Every Day - one homemaking task you do every day.

Clean the bathroom and kitchen.
F is for Freezer - do you have a separate deep freeze?

Yes an upright one and I'm about to buy a chest one aswell as I need more freezer space.

G is for Garbage Disposal Unit - do you have one?

Only a dog.
H is for Handbook - what’s your favourite homemaking resource?

Internet.
I is for Ironing - love or hate it?

hate it but it has to be done.
J is for Junk Draw - yes/no? If yes, where is it?

Yes in the kitchen.
K is for Kitchen - colour and decorating scheme?

White units, black worktops, green dresser, bit of red, some pastels alot of vintage china.
L is for Love - what’s your favourite part of homemaking?
Cooking.

M is for mop - do you have one?
Kind of, I have a Bissel floor cleaner that cleans hard floors as well as carpets.

N is for Nylons - machine or hand wash?

Rarely wear but everything goes in the machine.
O is for Oven - do you use a window or open the oven door to check?

Window as long as you can see through it!
P is for Pizza - what do you put on yours?

Pepparami or ham and pineapple.
Q is for quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?

I wish!
R is for Recipe Card Box - yes/no? If yes, what does it look like?

I have lots of notebooks books that I write recipes in.
S is Style of House - what style is your house?

Sadly it is a 1960's terrace, which is all we can afford in the area that we live in. Shabby chic, country style as far removed from minimalist as you can get! It has 3 bedrooms, bathroom, lounge, kitchen/dining room, extra kitchen, utility room and downstairs loo, very small gardens front and back but we are surrounded by countryside and the moors.
T is for Tablecloths - do you use them?

Yes occasionally, I have lots of vintage ones.
U is for Under The Kitchen Sink - organised or toxic wasteland?

New kitchen so quite organised at the moment.
V is for Vacuum - how many times a week?

Everyday downstairs, twice a week upstairs.
W is for Wash - how many loads of washing do you do each week?

At least 5.
X’s - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?

Sometimes when I'm being efficient.
Y is for Yard - who does what?

I do most things as I'm at home all day except for chopping wood for the fire, my axe skills aren't too good!
Zzzz’s - what’s the last homemaking task you do before bed in the evening?

Straighten cushions and flush the loo.

Gosh that was a mammoth task!
Help yourself if you fancy doing either of these tags.

I couldn't resist buying this at the weekend but do you think any of it will be adhered too?

As I write this they are saying, on the news, that it's snowing. There's none here if you have any please blow some this way, Lily is at that age where she thinks snow and Christmas come hand in hand.