Still alive, still a tad mad & still vegetarian woo hoo ☺

Still alive, still a tad mad & still vegetarian woo hoo ☺

Will be overhauling this blog over the next few weeks to coincide with my impending nervous breakdown & escapades in setting my business up.

On orders to do some 'woman duties' grrrrrrrrrr by OH as we are changing mortgage provider and our Architect mate Chris is coming over @ the weekend to draw us up some free plans, thanks Chris ;-) For the dormer loft conversion we are doing ourselves :-O I kid you not! I will be in power tool heaven ☺

N orf 4 a few days to London on a 'girls only' trip. Talking of which. Just had to double check I'd checked into a four ☆ hotel in Kensington & not a knocking shop in Soho. Was checking health suite classes for Pilates & found Pole Dancing & Aerobic Striptease! Good for the thighs apparently ☺


Orf 4 a coffee and a chill whilst watching 3@three on ITV, errrrr I mean partake in some meaningful 'woman duties' for my beloved.....

Catch you later
Cheers ears ☺

Long time no blog

Wow, where has the time gone been such a long, long time since my last confession, blushes profusely :)

Made sooooooooooo much since my last post in August so I will be uploading those over the next week or so too :) Inc child friendly, healthy, fat free vitamin boosting Ben 10 soup and my new obsesion crochet and tons of sewing and papercrafting makes. Beware, theres LOTS LOL

Got some delicious Laura Ashley fabric destined to be made into something divine and some fab 1950s dresses to make, will blog them in due course :)

Also been sketching again :-0 I know, I was ACTUALLY WORKING, truly :)So I am going to add some freebies to the blog also for your papercrafting or embroidered delights :)and finally get the website up and running I am such a lazy, lazy mare, hangs head in utter shame.

Time to get my 'arse' back in gear and hopefully a lot smaller 'arse' in a couple of months time thanks to the wonders of Slimming World’s Food Optimising :)

I am a woman on a mission and now back in the 'zone' so to speak. So I shall be whining and whinging, celebrating and no doubt at times crying on here for all to see in the coming months. Hopefully it won't be such a bumpy ride, crosses fingers, toes, arms, legs and everything else crossable…

I have made some delicious things over the past week if I don’t say so myself and photographed them too hurrah :)so when I finally track down the camcorder upload wire that has somehow magically morphed into 'the teenagers' iPod wire I'll upload them :)

I intend on being a good 'her indoors' and cook everything from scratch. Even get some Body Magic in with some…. with some…. with some …1950s stylee (almost faints) housework, scrambles to scoop ‘gob, upeth floor’ LOL. The fact that I have just gone Vegetarian seven weeks ago after a visit to the Chapel of Rest (RIP Nana) and living in a house full of carnivores is going to be a challenge in itself! So my recipes will be a mix of Veggie/Vegan meals and adapted carnivorous meals. Basically the same meal split half way through adding meat for the carnivores and meat replacements pour moi :)and lots n lots of 'sweet stuff' :)

The ’young un’ is still off with the Chicken Pox (been over three extremely ‘trying’ weeks now) as he decided to catch them just before returning to preschool after the two week half term break! Not very considerate is it…only joking…ish ….LOL. So I haven’t been getting my usual 40 minutes of walking Body Magic in. This normally saves me from a gain on a Tuesday evening despite the sweet tooth. So I really, really must address this. Jackie @ my local SW group swears that a bit of ‘how’s your Father’ is this best type of Body Magic going. I suppose she may have a valid point and you wouldn’t even have to leave the bed let alone the house then tuck into a nice Cadburys creme egg (9 Syns)

Now according to my calculations a creme egg has 173.6 calories and according to the self professed ‘most accurate calorie counter’ here you’d have to be a blinking nymphomaniac to burn that many cals.

In fact my ‘most useful information snippet of the day’ today is in direct relation to ‘said counter’ and it is;

5 mins of backpacking uses 5 times more cals than foreplay and almost twice as much as 5 mins of sex! So there you go, now you know :)


So my advice for the day would be. If you fancy treating yourself to a couple of creme eggs (as one is NEVER,EVER,EVER ENOUGH) and are running a little shy on the old Syns front and are looking to work in some body magic to work it off then try this for size, wink, wink :) (5 mins each unless otherwise stated)

Fein a headache, have a 5 minute nap (6 cals) , take a shower (31 cals), brush your teeth (18 cals), get a guitar out and play a catchy ditty (23 cals), slow ballroom dance (22 cals) yourself to the kitchen to cook a 5 minute omelette (19 cals) (with a third Superfree don’t forget, wink), wash the dishes (16 cals), do a spot of ironing (16 cals) then get a bit of 5 minute tailoring in (19 cals) and cut yourself out a nice 50s style pinny and hot pad to go with your new 50s stylee lifestyle (patterns and instructions to follow in a future confession), weave a quick cloth (27 cals) to make into a shiny new duster, use duster for a quick 5 min dash around (21 cals) on the way to the front door, making yourself presentable by the hallway mirror coffering your hair into a 50s style peak of utter perfection (19 cals), talk on the phone (7 cals) to your pal to arrange a meet up on then heading on your merry way, rake the lawn (29 cals), after washing the car (33 CALS), walk (20 cals) to the tennis club for a game of tennis doubles (31 cals) ending with a quick 3 minute game of billiards…..RESULT!

Thew I am knackered with a capital K after just reading that maybe Jackie’s suggestion is worth considering after all?

Will be back later to upload some recipes and my ‘Tuesday night weigh in confession’, thanks for visiting :)

Cheers ears
Rachel-Louise :)

Oasis Bridlington Spa gig photos 20 August 2009

At last, well that is if it works. Here are some piccies from the Bridlington gig. Please excuse the picture quality on some of them. I took them with my camcorder. I was due to get a camera for my birthday Saturday just gone, but got Oasis tickets off Ebay :evil: instead and my MCFC season ticket....... come on :) Well worth it though. If this works I'll upload some more. Then see if I can upload some of the vids to You Tube, patience willing LOL

Long time, no blog :)

Good Morning everyone :) Long time, no blog, cheesy grin :)

Well I didn't think the sun that I awoke to yesterday would last too long, it's chucking it down here again,smirk. Typical, on a day when Pickles decides to lie in I have to get up and have breakfast. Probably in my head now but all I can think about is how thrirsty I am LOL and I know I can't do anything about it,sulks. Hopefully the other ops will be quickies ;-) and I won't have to wait until tea time for my turn. Wish I was crafting or sewing or doing mundane things today instead, can't stop worrying. Going to try and track my LGC crochet mag down to take with me, see if I can't finally get it! LOL. Hopefully there will be somebody in there waiting for an op that isn't as thick as me and can help me out LOL. Then I am off for a bath. Silly thing to do really thinking about it, mad thirsty and sitting in a huge container full of lovely H20, LOL. Ah well I have had my instructions to have one, so best had. I hope you are all well and the sun is shining where you are and you all have a lovely day and ((((hugs)))) to those who aren't or can't :)

Cheers ears :)

Hair corsage fascinator sewing projects

Long time no blog. Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry, cheesy grin :) OK I have been up to so much since my last confession so I shall try and catch up with my blog posts and post some photo's of some makes over the next few days. I promise, you do believe me don't you LOL

OK, whilst looking for a book for Pinkpuppy earlier on in my disgrace of a craft room, which incidentally I have still yet to find, shifs about nervously. I came upon two large sweet tins full of ribbons and trims. So I decided that to get back into the swing of sewing again with a few small projects. Pickles has been very demanding during the day so I have decided to get back into the swing of things by making some corsages and then some brooches and other small accessories and then move back onto my beloved bags. I was getting all inspired by the utterly gorgeous creations I have been perusing on here the past month or so. I know, I know, I am rambling on again :red: So back to business :)

I have a very nice but very plain black trench coat. As I have almost lost a stone in the past month I am getting brave :lol: Not quite brave enough to go the whole hog and abandon by usual black attire, but trying to introduce a cheeky hint of colour. I went through my new found stash and have picked out various black, silver and hot pink ribbons, trims and threads etc and I am going to make a corsage for my beloved trenchie. Wish me luck, I have found my invisible thread and I am about to embark on my first sewing project in what must be a year I think. Whenever it was I posted Hunny Bunny on here. (long, boring story) I'll update this post with my progress :)







I am still struggling with uploading pics from my camcorder, so so sorry for the poor picture quality, blushes with shame.

Through the lack of sew in brooch pins and the lighting not being very good in here I decided it can have a dual purpose and try it as a hair corsage in the meantime. I have just spent the past three quarters of an hour running around the house trying to bribe Pickles into modelling it for me in his hair LOL I ended up scrambling around trying to find a what I thought would be my as new Girls World head, smirk. I bought it myself a few years back to practice French plaits in as my DD didn't have the patience to sit there,sulks. I can't have anything in this house, truly I can't. I carefully took her out of her perfectly kept box (even through house moves) and when I turned it around :bug: the little what not (I said a little more at the time as you can probably imagine LOL Her perfect blonde hair now had a bright pink fringe and bright pink speckled face, Kids arrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Arrggghhhh at long last I have managed to update this with photo’s of the actual corsage itself. The lighting isn’t very good though I am afraid. The hot pink is deeper in reality and the shimmery and hot pink ribbons glisten. Now I can actually get around to making some more.







'n' SOME MORE............

Please excuse Goldies hair, rolls eyes. I was horrified when I clapped eyes on her. I had kept the box and the head, I thought in perfect condition. I haven’t used it in years since in our last house. My DD was under no illusion at the time that it was mine (to practice French plaits on) and she WASN’T to touch it. Maybe I grounded her one day and she got annoyed with me ROFL Just you wait until she gets in from college. She has some explaing to do LOL. She will most probably deny all knowledge, huffs. Must have been those peskey house elves again, yeah right!







Heres another corsage a little larger than the last one, definately one for my trenchie rather than the hair this time :) From the same jar of ribbons and threads, but using different ones. This time incorpoating silver with the black and hot pink Please excuse the models hair it’s like straw to brush. Reminds me of my late guinea pigs. Sorry degressing there, cheesy grin.

This one is larger again modelled by the lovely Goldie due to the lack of brooch pins Sorry about the camera glare, on the camcorder again :( The middle bit that is glaring and not quite coming out right in the pics is handmade from individul black and silver sequins
gems and then surrounded by individual pink sequins in a circle. Tried to get a close up but it keeps on dazzling me. I will replace these photo's with better ones when I can get my little mitts on Kevinas digital camera :)








I'll be back...................................................Later :)

Cheers ears :)

Crafts Beautiful online Christmas party

I'd just like to remind everyone that the Crafts Beautiful online Christmas party
kicks off today. It will now be starting earlier at 5pm rather than midnight :) There are going to be tons of activities, prizes, giveaways, competitions, downloads and more. Be there or be square, wink, wink :)

Anyhoo ramble over for now. I hope you are all well and having a lovely day and (hugs) to those who aren’t or can’t :) I hope to see you over at CB, wink, wink, nudge, nudge :)

Ever wanted to ask Dawn Bibby a question?

If you pop over to CB now you can submit a question for her to answer when she joins the party online on Sunday :)

Cheers ears :)

It's been almost three months since my last confession :(

Tut, Tut, Tut, Tut, Tut, hangs head in complete and utter shame. It's been almost three longgggggggggggggg months since my last confession. I kept popping on with the best intention in the World to update my blog but as the seconds turned into minutes, the minutes turned into hours, the hours turned into days, the days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, I think you get my drift, wink wink, nudge nudge. Wow that was original, eh, not. Oh I am such a sarcastic cliché at times I must be back to my old self again hurrahhhhhhhhhh.

I was going to bore you with all I have done but to be quite Frank or Mary, whatever way your cookie crumbles. To be completely honest I can't bothered. Please don't be upset it's nothing personal. I am just slothful and so lackadaisical of late I simply can't muster the energy and thinking about it I can't have done anything of real interest anyway or I would have been on here bragging wouldn't I eh?

To simply condense the past three months so as not to bore myself or you to distraction I made some cards, baked lots of cakes, put on weight, joined Slimming World, lost weight, started cycling five miles a day and taking Pickles for three hour walks, was in a car crash, baked lots of cakes, put on weight, started Physio for crash injuries, went back to Slimming World, insurance company written Jacques off, my Renault Megane. Luckily Pickles wasn't in the car as OH had a day off and the entire back, roof and side where he would have been sat ended up caved in and wrapped around the back wheels :( , baked lots of cakes, put weight on, did some sewing, went back to Slimming World, decided to have a go at becoming a Vegetarian, baked lots of healthy food, lost weight, did some sewing, took some photographs, read a few books, went on public transport for the first time in about ten years due to having no car, cries out loud, attempted to drive OH's Mazda 6 - didn't get on, did some more sewing and eating, was dragged into being an extra in a short film through DD and thoroughly lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvved it, back on Slimming World plan, started writing and designing again, decided I am going to write a screenplay !

I have also become extremely addicted to making my own soup. Thick, creamy spicy carrot, parsnip and coriander being my absolute favourite. Both Vegan and Vegetarian friendly, no fat, low calorie, SW green day FREE and deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious, licks lips, in a lady like manner of course :)








You will find more photos and the recipes (when I can be bothered editing my posts on there also) on my Confessions of a Slimming World dieter blog :)



Ok, I have now bored myself to tears and probably you also so I am signing off for now. I shall hopefully be back on later though so I’ll hopefully see you all then. Oh and before I go I thought I’d let you know that I have now succumbed and got down with the kids n all that and bagged myself a Myspace account . Hopefully see you over there sometime :)

Just before I go I'd like to invite anybody that doesn't already know about it to the Crafts Beautiful online Christmas party.
on the 29th & 30th November. There are going to be tons of activities, prizes, giveaways, competitions, downloads and more. Be there or be square, wink, wink :)

Anyhoo ramble over for now. I hope you are all well and having a lovely day and (hugs) to those who aren’t or can’t :)

Cheers ears :)

Kevina does it again :)

Afternoon everyone :)

Sorry for being such a bad, bad blogger, hangs head in utter shame. I promise to do better in the future :)Been soooooooo busy. Kevina has done us proud again with one of her random cake baking jaunts. Details and piccies below :)

I hope you are all well I have been sooooooooooo lazy. I am still in my jammies at almost 4pm. Pickles must have known his Dad was off work and let us have a lie in. I still woke up b4 9 though, that darn body clock. Got my OH up at 9.30 to watch the cycling on the Olympics. Totally lazed and grazed all day. Can’t honestly remember the last time we did this. We don’t even get a lazy day at Christmas lol. Watched the TV and read and just devoured a gorgeous man sized portion of a sticky lemony toffe steamed pudding Kevina made. Pure torture as it had to boil for a couple of hours and it smelt gorgeous.





Guess I’d better go and get dressed. Not even done any housework yet. We were hoping to go out for the day today with my OH being off for a fortnight but the weather is really icky. Hopefully it will improve by tomorrow. Off to get dressed and go blackberry picking now. Catch you all later.

I hope that everybody is well and having a lovely day and (hugs) to those who aren't or can't :)

I shall be popping bakc on later to upload some cards :)

Cheers ears :)

Chuckle Monkey card :)

The slideshow above may take a minute to fully load and display :)

This was one of my first ever Chuckle Monkey cards. It took a while as all the images were handrawn (they are now available as stamps from Spiral Whisper, see posts below) They were then coloured using Derwent watercolour pencils and watercolour paints :)

With my OH getting back from working away at last and having a good nights sleep,oh and I sooooo needed it. I will be able to buckle down and make some more Chuckles n Giggles cards this evening. Including images you HAVEN'T SEEN YET, wink, wink, nudge,nudge. Off to supervise the watering of the chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers and some other strange things growing in the corner of the greenhouse now (cheesy grin) Not going any where near it until I can be sure that hugggggggggggge dinner plate sized spider has gone, filthy dirty crawling manky creature thing that it is. Urggggggggggggh.

Cheers ears :)

PS I'll pop back on later with my creations and to pop some of the workshop in progress photos on :) 'n' photos of my new yet to be named beloved, already dressmakers dummy I got yesterday :) I'm hoping to catch up on some sewing tonight as well as cardmaking. I have some lovely Laura Ashley fabric I have been dying to attack LOL