I've been taking lots of photos of everything ready to blog about them, but keep forgetting! So I've decided to empty my folder and do one massive post with all the photos to catch you up. Brace yourselves....it's gonna be a long one!
So, my first few pics are of the brass handles from the church front doors that I took home to clean and amazed myself with in the process!
Admittedly it did take a few hours to get from photo 0 (not included- somehow I forgot) where they were both black to photo 1 where it's a nice before and after to photo 2.
And what did I use to get these handles looking shinier than a bald man's head on a shiny sunny day? Lemon & sugar. Mix, coat handles, leave an hour, scrub with a pan scourer, rinse really, really, really well and finish with a quick swipe of brass polish....job done!
What I see laying in bed next to me every night :) (I know he looks like a large headed alien from mars attacks, but he's my large headed alien and I love him very much!)
Next up is an example of how lovely my friend Benny is who does all my labels, banners, buttons etc. He's the man that makes things look good in my life. I send him veryskilful interesting sketches of what I have in mind and he makes it happen. Here's one such sketch.....!
I know you can all recognise that it's a blue background with white polka dots, with a grey linen backed shape in the middle with a blue ribbon perched on the side. As it happens we didn't go with this design....but it's typical of what he has to deal with. Well done Ben!
We did Moses crossing the red sea at Kidz Club a while back...this is the craft I came up with. *Please note I had about 20 minutes to think this up, make it and then make the supplies for the kids to make them. Theirs looked better, much better!*
It's like magic how all those people appear...anyway, moving on.
I've made some stuff....:
And...I cut up a pair of trousers that no longer fitted me....this is all that's left...unwearable I'd say!
Excuse the black spots on the floor. It's chewing gum that's left from previous tenants. I have some tips from Ask Anna to try though so I'll update on that when I get a chance to get my hands on some peanut butter.....
I revisited my pantry which I first organised in the 21 day challenge...it was a mess.....eek!
Admittedly I only retidied the top...it's already a mess again now....but don't fear, I have plans...many plans. Mwahahahaha! *steeples fingers*. In fact, the rate I'm going I might just have to completely re do the 21 day challenge!
We had our leaking bathroom roof fixed (just gotta re paint the mouldy ceiling inside now)
We also had our falling down garden wall fixed.
I helpfully forgot to take an after pic and it's raining now. I'll have to do a specific garden post I think.
We have spent time with my sister and brother in law helping them with their house. They've had a full re-wire which of course then meant a replaster in a lot of places so they thought they might as well undecorate and redecorate too and get it all out of the way. I've told them that if they redecorate now before a full 10 years is up they can find another helper!
On the plus side, Dusband and I have gained a lot of useful experience in DIY we hadn't done before so I guess helping is cheaper than lessons!
Yes, I know we're apparently steaming a section of wall that had already been stripped....we had to get a picture before we started though of us doing something in case we forgot!
Do you like our DIY clothes? We're super hot innit!
Talking of super hot, I did some hot gun stuff on their skirting boards and windowsill. The leather glove on one hand is not a Michael Jackson-esque fashion statement, it's a necessary I discovered when I scraped in front of the hot air.....oops! Oh well, lesson learnt!
We also went back a couple of weeks later and helped them paint this room but I forgot to take any pics....just imagine it. Milkstone on 3 walls (a sort of whitey colour according to my Bro in Law) and Kings red on their back wall. Funny though they didn't choose the colour for the name but their surname is King. Hee hee haw haw. Ok, so the fumes got to me a bit that weekend!
We found, cooked and ate some carrot people.
I made a 'sketch' of some price labels I wanted Ben to make for me...here's the idea.
Sorry it's a bit bright! Here's the actual labels he made for me.
Fairly similar.....ok, much, much better!
I discovered my sister and brother in law were hiding the most gorgeous kitchen tiles in the world. I've requested that when they have their kitchen re done next year we try to remove them all in one piece so they can be used again. Lush!
Even though I've held back on the garden, I just have to share with you about our first lot of potatoes. Dusband had been for a run and when he comes home he runs himself a bath which he lets me have first then he gets in when I'm finished. (Isn't that true love!). Anyway, so then we get into our jammies. One day after said routine Dusband decided that he didn't want the new potatoes we had in the fridge, he wanted the potatoes which were ready to be dug up in the garden. It was raining as usual. Rain coats over jammies we went and dug up the potatoes. Fortunately they were in planting bags, we didn't have to scrabble on the ground for them, we still got muddy though! I made Dusband hold the potatoes so you could share our joy that was so worth getting muddy pj's for!
P.s. did you spot that lush mirror behind Dusband leaning against the wall? £2.50..bargain, just need to get some spray paint to deal with that awful brassy colour!
Anyway, we scrubbed the potatoes, cooked them with some broccoli in the pressure cooker and from soil to plate in 30 minutes, we ate like people who had grown their own taters!
It's green bits of broccoli you can see on them, not dirt! They were the creamiest potatoes I've ever tasted! Unbelieveable...who knew potatoes could differ so much in taste?!
And finally.....at our youth group yesterday we played the game where you tie a balloon to your ankle and you have to go and pop other people's balloons. Whoever has a balloon left is the winner. We had large balloons this time and there were only a few players so they decided to go for 4-5 each. Before we started, Sam did her helicopter impression.
And Dusband did a practise run across the room.
Then I made him stand tidy for a 'nice picture for facebook' Bless his willingness!
As a spectator, I loved it, I couldn't stop laughing!
Anyway, that's it, I've run out of pictures!
Tarraa,
love Mrs H xx
So, my first few pics are of the brass handles from the church front doors that I took home to clean and amazed myself with in the process!
And what did I use to get these handles looking shinier than a bald man's head on a shiny sunny day? Lemon & sugar. Mix, coat handles, leave an hour, scrub with a pan scourer, rinse really, really, really well and finish with a quick swipe of brass polish....job done!
Next up is an example of how lovely my friend Benny is who does all my labels, banners, buttons etc. He's the man that makes things look good in my life. I send him very
We did Moses crossing the red sea at Kidz Club a while back...this is the craft I came up with. *Please note I had about 20 minutes to think this up, make it and then make the supplies for the kids to make them. Theirs looked better, much better!*
It's like magic how all those people appear...anyway, moving on.
I've made some stuff....:
I revisited my pantry which I first organised in the 21 day challenge...it was a mess.....eek!
We had our leaking bathroom roof fixed (just gotta re paint the mouldy ceiling inside now)
We have spent time with my sister and brother in law helping them with their house. They've had a full re-wire which of course then meant a replaster in a lot of places so they thought they might as well undecorate and redecorate too and get it all out of the way. I've told them that if they redecorate now before a full 10 years is up they can find another helper!
On the plus side, Dusband and I have gained a lot of useful experience in DIY we hadn't done before so I guess helping is cheaper than lessons!
Do you like our DIY clothes? We're super hot innit!
We also went back a couple of weeks later and helped them paint this room but I forgot to take any pics....just imagine it. Milkstone on 3 walls (a sort of whitey colour according to my Bro in Law) and Kings red on their back wall. Funny though they didn't choose the colour for the name but their surname is King. Hee hee haw haw. Ok, so the fumes got to me a bit that weekend!
We found, cooked and ate some carrot people.
I discovered my sister and brother in law were hiding the most gorgeous kitchen tiles in the world. I've requested that when they have their kitchen re done next year we try to remove them all in one piece so they can be used again. Lush!
Anyway, we scrubbed the potatoes, cooked them with some broccoli in the pressure cooker and from soil to plate in 30 minutes, we ate like people who had grown their own taters!
And finally.....at our youth group yesterday we played the game where you tie a balloon to your ankle and you have to go and pop other people's balloons. Whoever has a balloon left is the winner. We had large balloons this time and there were only a few players so they decided to go for 4-5 each. Before we started, Sam did her helicopter impression.
And Dusband did a practise run across the room.
Anyway, that's it, I've run out of pictures!
Tarraa,
love Mrs H xx
Eeek! Today has gone so fast and it's still only 9:25am! How I'm going to get everything done today I have no idea, but I thought I'd start with blogging. I know it helps you all through your days.
Anyway, so yesterday was Tuesday....I know you know this, but....Tuesdays I speak to my best friend. Every Tuesday. For about an hour or so. We talk about what we've both done, what we've seen, great sermons we've heard (my bf more than me, I don't tend to download podcasts of sermons....maybe I should start) and generally what we've eaten or planning to eat.
So yesterday it was my turn to call so I went into the garden where it was actuallysunny for once not raining and settled in for the long haul. We got to talking about various bits and pieces and spent a very satisfying 20 minutes chewing the cud. Then my husband comes out. And my BF asks to speak to my husband. Apparently they have something to discuss. So my husband then spends 20 minutes on the phone to my BF talking and chortling (I love that word!), before eventually saying, "ok, yes, good to talk to you too, you too, bye".
Then he hung up. "You too?", "YOU TOO?!"
It's a good job my best friend's name is Peter and they were chortling over his new frisbee. I also know that Peter always says goodbye by saying 'take care'.
Honestly, who ever thought it, my husband and my best friend....
*shakes head*
Anyway, so yesterday was Tuesday....I know you know this, but....Tuesdays I speak to my best friend. Every Tuesday. For about an hour or so. We talk about what we've both done, what we've seen, great sermons we've heard (my bf more than me, I don't tend to download podcasts of sermons....maybe I should start) and generally what we've eaten or planning to eat.
So yesterday it was my turn to call so I went into the garden where it was actually
Then he hung up. "You too?", "YOU TOO?!"
It's a good job my best friend's name is Peter and they were chortling over his new frisbee. I also know that Peter always says goodbye by saying 'take care'.
Honestly, who ever thought it, my husband and my best friend....
*shakes head*
Some weeks I have no idea where they go! Yesterday I thought it was Thursday all day then I had a shock when it came to Kidz Club and I just totally wasn't mentally prepared for it. Today now though, I wish it was only Wednesday as I haven't gotten anything done that I'd hoped to do this week!
When my mother in law and I first decided to do this crafting for money lark I set myself a target of three items a week, one of which to be a bag. Now last week, I knew that I was working part time Monday and Tuesday then all days Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so I made a few extra items. In fact, I made my three items, one of which a bag, then I went on to make another bag....and then another! But the 2nd another isn't finished yet. I had some handles arrive in the post from who, I'm not sure, but if it was you, thank you!!!! Anyway, they were lovely, and I immediately had some fabric and a bag pattern that I knew would go really well with them, but whoever sent them must be a smoker or got them from a smoker because they smelt a little of cigarette smoke.
I've already totally made the bag, and the little loops to attach the handles to the bag, then I cleaned the handles and left them sitting in a sealed bag with a cotton wool pad with cinnamon oil on it to scent them a lovelyness. Anyway, so that's ready to finish off when I get a round tuit.
I also cut out and made enough pennants for another string of bunting, but seeing as my ironing board cover has suffered a fate worse than death (iron cleaning wipe melted onto it....that baby's not coming off in the wash!), I can't turn them the right side and press them and press the tape for the bunting and finish them off. I think at this rate I'll have to be sewing at the weekend!
I don't mind sewing at the weekend, afterall, that's the only time many people have to sew, but I like to sew sticking to a regular 'work' timetable so that I can do the housework/gardening/be lazy at the weekend. I say weekend, I mean Saturday because Sunday we're so busy with church and church matters the break between services is too precious to spend sewing!
Anyway, so yes, I've been working like a proper person this week and it's been good to interact with customers again. I've discovered that I'm quite good at building rapport with people, even if I did accidentally buy some bizzie lizzie seeds on my boss' ebay account while I was meant to be working....oops!
Today and tomorrow my boss has gone on holiday leaving me in charge....eeek! I've had 3 days of training so I should be ok, but there's always decisions that only the boss can make so we'll just have to see how I go about coping with those. As I said to him, I'm sure I can bluff my way out of most things.....!
So there we are, a quick round up of my week. Also, I've been trying to photograph my goodies outside for better colours and it seems to have been sucessful! Let me show you some that I've re taken the photos for.
Better yar?! I also kinda resized/cropped them using Picnik and a couple of the lighter bags that I took pics for in the shade I had to increase the contrast, but it would appear that if you take your pics in the mornings or afternoons, the light is pretty good! Full sunshine is a slight issue and I've got a few I have to re-take but hey, it's a learning curve right!
When my mother in law and I first decided to do this crafting for money lark I set myself a target of three items a week, one of which to be a bag. Now last week, I knew that I was working part time Monday and Tuesday then all days Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so I made a few extra items. In fact, I made my three items, one of which a bag, then I went on to make another bag....and then another! But the 2nd another isn't finished yet. I had some handles arrive in the post from who, I'm not sure, but if it was you, thank you!!!! Anyway, they were lovely, and I immediately had some fabric and a bag pattern that I knew would go really well with them, but whoever sent them must be a smoker or got them from a smoker because they smelt a little of cigarette smoke.
I've already totally made the bag, and the little loops to attach the handles to the bag, then I cleaned the handles and left them sitting in a sealed bag with a cotton wool pad with cinnamon oil on it to scent them a lovelyness. Anyway, so that's ready to finish off when I get a round tuit.
I also cut out and made enough pennants for another string of bunting, but seeing as my ironing board cover has suffered a fate worse than death (iron cleaning wipe melted onto it....that baby's not coming off in the wash!), I can't turn them the right side and press them and press the tape for the bunting and finish them off. I think at this rate I'll have to be sewing at the weekend!
I don't mind sewing at the weekend, afterall, that's the only time many people have to sew, but I like to sew sticking to a regular 'work' timetable so that I can do the housework/gardening/be lazy at the weekend. I say weekend, I mean Saturday because Sunday we're so busy with church and church matters the break between services is too precious to spend sewing!
Anyway, so yes, I've been working like a proper person this week and it's been good to interact with customers again. I've discovered that I'm quite good at building rapport with people, even if I did accidentally buy some bizzie lizzie seeds on my boss' ebay account while I was meant to be working....oops!
Today and tomorrow my boss has gone on holiday leaving me in charge....eeek! I've had 3 days of training so I should be ok, but there's always decisions that only the boss can make so we'll just have to see how I go about coping with those. As I said to him, I'm sure I can bluff my way out of most things.....!
So there we are, a quick round up of my week. Also, I've been trying to photograph my goodies outside for better colours and it seems to have been sucessful! Let me show you some that I've re taken the photos for.
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Ok, I'm back (wipes pineapple juice from lips). So yesterday evening I decided to make some Brainy Brownies from The Sneaky Chef. As an aside....mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmmmm!
Strictly speaking I was 'testing the recipe' for Roy at church...and if he's lucky he might actually get to try some!
Anyway, I digress, that's not the point of this story. So, the Dusband comes downstairs....and he gets that hungry look in his eye....he's licking his lips...a tiny bit of drool escapes (those in church Sunday will know the signs....) HE WANTS BROWNIES! But he decides that you can't have brownies without ice cream.
This is not usual for Dus....we're not really ice cream kinda people. We certainly haven't had any in the freezer for a couple of months now, so I thought it was odd, but who can understand men anyway. So, he pops off to tesco. With the car. Which is odd, cos he loves walking...and Tesco is literally at the end of the road, cross over, walk through a bit and you're there.....I always take the car. Enough said.
He comes home. Tricksy is ALL OVER his face let me tell you that for nothing! And what does he present me with...?
FOUR BUNCHES OF FLOWERS!
Aww the sweetie! I told him off once for sending interflora....*mumbles about waste of money* so he decided to spend the same amount...but in Tesco....hence him needing the car...what a sweet fool!
I kinda ran out of vase type action though so grabbed the water jug from the cupboard....ah, it's artistic, brazen it out girl!
He got me two bunches of crysanthemums cos as we all know, they last a good long time (good man!) and a bunch of brightly coloured roses and a small bunch of heather which he thought I could use to make the crysanths look posho. The cutie!
I think he underestimated the size of my largest vase though so they ended up in a vase on their own!
He said the roses were because I'd done so well speaking at church on Sunday (my 2nd ever sermon! - I made it past 20 mins this time which is double last time!) and the other bunches were 'just because I love you' eeeeeee! I love him down to his brightly coloured socks!
Anyway, so then I have the dilemma of where to put them. I went for roses on the dining table so I can look at them while we have breakfast and read our bibles in the morning.
As for the heather...well.....I wanted them upstairs where I would see them during my working day....but having them on the same desk as I cut out/sew is totally impractical....so I went for the shelves in the hallway that I passabout a gazillion a few times a day in between going for the ironing board or downstairs (our bathroom is downstairs) or back to the office with my lovely big mug of hot chocolate. healthy glass of fruit smoothie.
See....I even pointed it out to you! Behind that door is the office/workroom/study/spare room but it was so dark last night it was better to have the door shut and bounce the light off it!
Also, did you spot my cutie little bookworm hiding amongst the books of high intelligence?
So, long story short, I very loves my husband. xx
Anyway, I digress, that's not the point of this story. So, the Dusband comes downstairs....and he gets that hungry look in his eye....he's licking his lips...a tiny bit of drool escapes (those in church Sunday will know the signs....) HE WANTS BROWNIES! But he decides that you can't have brownies without ice cream.
This is not usual for Dus....we're not really ice cream kinda people. We certainly haven't had any in the freezer for a couple of months now, so I thought it was odd, but who can understand men anyway. So, he pops off to tesco. With the car. Which is odd, cos he loves walking...and Tesco is literally at the end of the road, cross over, walk through a bit and you're there.....I always take the car. Enough said.
He comes home. Tricksy is ALL OVER his face let me tell you that for nothing! And what does he present me with...?
FOUR BUNCHES OF FLOWERS!
Aww the sweetie! I told him off once for sending interflora....*mumbles about waste of money* so he decided to spend the same amount...but in Tesco....hence him needing the car...what a sweet fool!
I kinda ran out of vase type action though so grabbed the water jug from the cupboard....ah, it's artistic, brazen it out girl!
He got me two bunches of crysanthemums cos as we all know, they last a good long time (good man!) and a bunch of brightly coloured roses and a small bunch of heather which he thought I could use to make the crysanths look posho. The cutie!
I think he underestimated the size of my largest vase though so they ended up in a vase on their own!
Anyway, so then I have the dilemma of where to put them. I went for roses on the dining table so I can look at them while we have breakfast and read our bibles in the morning.
The 'mums ended up in the fireplace in the living room so I can enjoy them when we eat dinner.....I know, we are naughty eating dinner in front of the telly, but we have all our fave programs on sky plus and if we didn't watch them during dinner we'd never watch them at all!
As for the heather...well.....I wanted them upstairs where I would see them during my working day....but having them on the same desk as I cut out/sew is totally impractical....so I went for the shelves in the hallway that I pass
Also, did you spot my cutie little bookworm hiding amongst the books of high intelligence?
So, long story short, I very loves my husband. xx
So, I know it's a bit weird, but I really have to share with you the most amazing tool my kitchen contains.
Can ya tell what it is yet? *said in a Rolph Harris kinda way*
It's a pineapple corer/slicer! With pineapples at £1 in Tesco at the moment (they're in season.....) I cannot resist...but isn't cutting a pineapple the most hated task around? I hate it anyway, so I tend to buy a pineapple, leave it, leave it a while longer, make Dus cut it and then it goes off within a day so we chuck it away. But no! Last year I bought this pineapple dudey and check out the goodness we experienced just this week....I can't rightly remember when to be honest, but it was a joyous day.
As you can see, we managed the slices....the hollowed out shell (which we always think we'll do something cool with but end up chucking it away cos it's leaking onto the side), the sliced off spikey top, some core chunks (which Dus loves but I would chuck if it were me) and a shot of pineapple juice....deslish!
It's a pineapple corer/slicer! With pineapples at £1 in Tesco at the moment (they're in season.....) I cannot resist...but isn't cutting a pineapple the most hated task around? I hate it anyway, so I tend to buy a pineapple, leave it, leave it a while longer, make Dus cut it and then it goes off within a day so we chuck it away. But no! Last year I bought this pineapple dudey and check out the goodness we experienced just this week....I can't rightly remember when to be honest, but it was a joyous day.
Why yes my observant reader, that is a grossly wrung out tea bag in the background...and a postman's elastic band....and a tupperware lid poking in from the side....ah shurrup!
As you can see, we managed the slices....the hollowed out shell (which we always think we'll do something cool with but end up chucking it away cos it's leaking onto the side), the sliced off spikey top, some core chunks (which Dus loves but I would chuck if it were me) and a shot of pineapple juice....deslish!
In fact, I know there's some still in the fridge....back soon........
