I'm back- mammoth post for Angel lol- parental advisory there are sweary words!

Gosh- where to begin! Well since my last post, I am healing very well, had to go and have my stitches removed as my body was trying to reject one of them so I thought I had an infection, she couldn't remove one of the stitches, but she trimmed it right back and a week later it came out on its own. So I was thinking I have no stitches when a week ago I found another one! I got the bugger out though lol, so I don't think I have any left now!

Since then I got struck down with this awful flu going round. I was in bed for days (which I just don't do), and it was just horrid- anyone else who had it, has my sympathy. I had such random symptoms with it, earache, which I never get (even when I had an ear infection!), sickness, diarrhoea (TMI lol), aches, shakes, fever, cold, cough, VILE!
So then, before I know it Christmas is right there and I am not organised in the slightest!

Random rant- our sky hd box is bust, so we didn't have many channels, and they can't come out til the 31st even though we rang them a week and a half /two weeks before Christmas. The tv has been shocking anyway- just how many carry on films do they think I want to watch?! The Royle family was FAB though-I laughed all the way through it.

I made this to go on my Grandad's grave for the Christmas visit to the cemetary, I miss him SO much.



I managed to get Simba a cute stocking this year, and as usual his toys wouldn't fit, so they overflowed onto the fireplace! He wasn't too fussed with opening things this year, too much going on bless him. He had some yummy treats too which he has started to demolish!


This is Jessica's stocking, she couldn't wait to get into it, she sat very patiently next to it though and waited for a human helper! She scoffed loads of treats on Christmas morning, forgot to chew them in her excitement and got one stuck in her throat! *rolls eyes*


She went mental over these mice, a set of three leather rodents. We had leaping and twisting in the air with them, she was hiding them under her tummy and all sorts- I didn't realise they had catnip in them which explains it...I thought she was just a bit kinky with a leather fetish! LOL!



I bought this pad of notelets for my Mum, they are a huge hit!
When we go to take my Nan's shopping, we have to park in a small layby, as she lives in a Close with no road. If you park properly there is enough room for five cars, but some eejits keep parking the wrong way round so you can only get two cars in (they don't even live there), which means we often get blocked in, or have to park far away and lug the heavy shopping a long way. Even worse is when we have my Nan with us, and have to make her trek, which, when you are registered disabled is NOT fun.


As usual a mahoosive Christmas dinner, most of the pics are on Mum's camera, which I have here but can't find a lead to upload so will add those another time. So I am not in this pic, mwahaha! We had extra guests this year, which I was a bit apprehensive about- but all was fine, and we all had a lovely time :)


This is Simba tucking into his dinner. He had already demolished his sprouts (he adores them) and yorkshire pud (we have them with everything lol) and had moved onto a turkey bone. It was bliddy huge and he was doing some fab weightlifting with it! Too funny! He managed to balance it on his perch as it was just too heavy for him, the little love! I know it is somewhat cannabalistic, but it is good for him, and packed with calcium (and quite simply he just loves it!) Blurry pic, due to massive excitement levels!



The tree (after most of the pressies were demolished), and some of my fave decs (can you spot the theme LOL it is soooo me)










And saving the best decoration til last *awwwwwwww*



On Boxing day we went over to my brothers, my nephew got two BB guns for Christmas. Now, I think I rocked the boat a bit, as they were coming to mine on Christmas evening, and I asked him not to bring them. I don't like guns at all, in any form, and won't allow them in the house for many reasons, apart from anything, as I discovered on Christmas morning at my Nan's when I was shot with one of them (i wasn't the only one either) as they thought the magazine was empty, it is just too dangerous around my animals and I won't risk it. As it was he spent most of the time in another room on the wii anyway.
So back to Boxing day, we went round and my Mum thought she would get in on the action and shoot some toy soldiers! Hillarious!




As a final note- (I'm tired now and think I have given myself RSI with all this typing) our local pier shop are selling off their fixtures and displays. I snagged this little lot for a fiver plus I have another of the trays too- they are really thick perspex. They have massive shelf units at around £200 depending on the size, spinners, wire bins for a tenner, loads of stuff.


Anyhoodle, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas xxxx

thank you...

...for the get well wishes. Progress is of course a little slower than I hoped for *pfft* but I am doing well. I have to keep reminding myself that although it is fairly minor on the outside, the inside has indeed had major surgery! This is mostly for me to refer to- feel free to skip it!

So, I can bend a very little bit, but things like feeding the cat are impossible (don't worry, Mum is feeding her for me I'm not starving her!), can't lift much yet either, it feels like someone is trying to pull my insides apart when I try.

I am increasing things bit by bit, yesterdays task was to wipe the bars of the parrot cage, which was fine, can't do the trays at the bottom as I can't lift them, but that is todays task, with some help of course.

I can finally lie on my left side, which is the non-cut side, after sleeping on my back for a week (which I never do- always sleep on my right side typically) it is bliss. I have to wedge myself in a little nest of cushions to stop myself twisting and turning too much, that was mainly because when I got onto my side it felt like my organs were falling to the side (and I have to remember I have clips and stitches internally)! It's so bloody fun! *rolls eyes*

Cabin fever got the better of me by Wednesday, so I got Mum to take me over to asda, we had tea there (bonus- no cooking) and hoped to get some pressies...well £70 later and not much Christmas-ness to show for it, I felt so much better for the change of scenery!

My concentration is now much better...anaesthetic has a lot to answer for! So I am doing a bit of hand sewing, and can pootle about online now, I couldn't settle to do anything for quite a while-not even read!
I have just discovered that I now cannot tolerate cheese :( Not happy about that, maybe it will improve with time, I dunno.

Swelling is still ridiculous, my tummy is huge, although it has gone down a bit, my trousers that were huge on me before surgery, I still cannot do them up, so am living in pj bottoms in the house.

Split one of my wounds the other night too, it was a part of my bellybutton wound (typically, as I hate bellybuttons, freaks me out big time!) I think what happened was that I wasn't too careful at keeping it dry in the shower, and this part was glued together and the glue has disolved. Need to be really careful with that now, although it looks fine.

Simba has been a total angel- it must all be very strange for him, for the first time ever, someone else had been making his breakfast, his cage was cleaned differently, various people looking after his Mummy, and he has been wonderful love him. I am sure he knows something is wrong with me, as he has been so very very gentle with me, and listening to my commands first time every single time. *wubs*

Anyhoodle, enough boring waffling!

As I haven't been able to sit at my desk to scrap, I made a digi layout for this weeks ATF theme. It's a touch tongue in cheek, but at least I managed to join in, I haven't missed a single upload yet, and glad I didn't have to miss out on this one. The theme was 'stories'. I haven't done a digi layout for aaaaages, and really enjoyed it :)

This is from the upload before, and was altered art. So I made a photo necklace of my gorgeous wee man

Toodles!

I'm home :)

For those who don't already know (Jen, thanks so much for updating everyone) I am home.
Surgery went well. For a horrid moment I didn't think they were gonna operate when they were admitting me and discovered I had a high temp.
They gave me some paracetamol to help bring it down and the anaesthetist decided to go ahead. Just as well really as my gallbladder was rank apparently! My surgeon came to see me as soon as I came round from the anaesthetic in recovery (I came round really quickly apparently) and basically he said that because my stones were so huge the bile couldn't get in or out and was trapped there and the whole lot was rank and turned to pus (niiiiice!). So that could explain the temp, and meant if I hadn't had the sugery I would have had another very nasty and painful infection soon.
They let me come home the same evening, which was fantastic. Slept lots and lots, and had a wonderful night's sleep at home. Was incredibly sore yesterday, very painful but nowhere near as bad as the infection I had back in May.
Last night was rough, didn't sleep well, couldn't get comfy at all, but I am in much less pain today, much more comfy than yesterday. Can't bend at all, need help to sit up to get out of bed, but other than that it's all good, apart from looking about three years pregnant!
Mum is looking after me and my need for lots of tea, as well as looking after Simba which is a massively huge help, and Amy came to look after me yesterday morning as Mum's boss is a total and utter bitch, and wouldn't let her take the time off even though she knew about this as soon as it was booked, and I had to have someone with me for at least 24 hours.
I had four stones in the end, three whoppers and one slightly smaller one which was hiding when I had my scan. And Mum packed them in my suitcase to bring home- she thinks I should make a nice necklace *barf*
Got four holes in my tummy, and my bellybutton is the painful one (it is the biggest one apparently, I still have all my dressings on, and can't see that far as it is right inside and my tummy is still very swollen). One has been bleeding which I have to watch closely, but no sign of fresh blood today which is good.
Still tired, but getting there :)
Love n hugs xxxx

off I go...

Surgery in the morning, got to be up in a few hours, so will be MIA (though not so much 'in action' lol) for a while. Will blog when I am able :)

things that make me happy...

to avoid stressing too much about my op (although the nerves haven't really kicked in YET!), a couple of things that make me happy...

For the first time, my Mum's bird of paradise plant I bought her has flowered :D It is so darn pretty. I bought it as a thank you present when Simba had to stay at birdie hospital, and she drove me all the way to Swindon every single day to go and visit him :)

My new favest shop in the world. Frankie Doodle's. Man alive this is a total treasure trove. It's only just opened and I found it purely by accident (Amy and I were on the way to a kitchen shop lol) It is full of the prettiest, shabby chic-est, lovely, wonderfulness! As I went in and gasped, the owner told me I would find nothing useful in her shop, everything is for adornment, amusement and self-indulgence- ahhhh my kind of shop! And just how gorgeous is it when you come away with a pretty ribbon tied bag and everything wrapped in pink tissue paper :) I might have added a few more birds to my collection too (shhhhhh!)

stop I wanna gerroff!

A slightly late halloween update!
Life has been so hectic!
Halloween was fab as usual, more trick or treaters than last year- didn't think that was possible! We even had a dog dressed as a pumpkin which was lovely- they were collecting for the dog's trust which was nice :)
Pics-
First our annual trip to the pumpkin farm, major roadworks along their road and in true 'Over Farm humour' we arrived in all the traffic to this...



LMFAO! There was another pumpkin man at the entrance with his pumpkin like arse hanging out of his jeans too- couldn't grab a pic in time though!

Beautiful frosty pumpkins



This years theme was dinosaurs


Choosing our wares- or not, lots of manky trodden pumpkins!


My beautiful Rafiki, who was as gentle and loving as ever, and got kisses galore from me much to Jasmine's amusement, then both the girls joined in :D



And Valerie- as cheeky and hungry as ever!


Onto the big day...bear in mind this is the one and only time of year I 'do' tacky, and after what I have bought in the post-halloween sales, next year will be great ;)

My witches kitchen jars, these look so fab in the dark with a few candles behind, the colours they glow are amazing, and they were such fun to make (mostly left from year, with a couple of new additions like the hands and feet)



Now- I thought I was being a bit excessive making in the region of 50 biscuits (icing them with my naff piping set was a total mare) but they all got scoffed




My pumpkin shaped jellies, these were really cool, and the ones that didn't come out of the moulds properly were mushed up with red food colouring


My nails (heehee)



Uncle Vlad- this years pumpkin (I had some tiny ones from the farm which I put on the stairs too, didn't have time to carve them though)


Jas and Amelia- who were both ace as always :) Amelia kept everyone entertained with the hokey cokey, dingle dangle scarecrow, and five diggadiggares (aka chocolate eclairs, new song to me but so bloody funny to listen to her version)


Molly Cait and Willow


These two were so funny together. Willow was posting smarties into Amelia's mouth, and they kept cuddling- too too cute *wubs*


Other stuff- had my pre-op assessment, all ok for surgery to go ahead (this wednesday eeeeek). Off to the hosp tomorrow to have my blood transfusion levels taken and then it's a case of waiting. There has been so many annoying little things to get sorted. Amy is coming over to sit with Simba to give him a bit of company so that is a huge weight off my mind :)
see ya soon x

back again

hokey cokey and all that!

As briefly as I can...
Victoria was discharged from hospital, I don't think she should have been but who am I to a consultant other than a concerned Auntie!?
Sure enough not long after she was admitted to Gloucester again. Now, this was all quite amusing in a sadistic kinda way!
SIL rang my Mum to say V was having probs, pains in her chest and trouble breathing properly, and whilst on the phone to her my Mum fell down the stairs. Carried on chatting, decided V needed to go to A&E but SIL would call one of the consultants ahead, who arranged the paed consultant to come in to meet us there.
Now, a week before this I started having back pains. More about that in a mo...
So, Mum's foot/ankle was black immediately, and very swollen, so I took charge and decided that she needed to be seen too.
So, SIL picks us up en route, we all bundle into the car and arrive at the hospital. Picture the scene, there is Mum hopping towards a&e, V who can't walk properly at all, but rather than wait for me to go ahead and get a wheelchair SIL decides a piggyback would be quicker. I can't lift her cos my back is hurting, she is 11 and nearly as tall as me (I am 5'10") so SIL has to do it, but can't lift her. We got there in the end!
So, into A&E, booked in, get V into one bay, and get Mum triaged.
V, although in great spirits overall was very teary, and all she could do was reach her arms out to me for a cuddle through the tears- it broke my heart :(
So with wheelchaired Mum, I trot of to xray to get her sorted, apparently no break (I am still not convinced though)
Back to V's bay, and she was so upset love her. The consultant thinks it is Guillan Barre syndrome (hmmm that sounds familiar lol) that makes 5 consultants out of 6 who think it is GBS so why won't they diagnose it as that?
Mum and SIL go off to check an appt that V was meant to have the next day, and the ward sister arrives with pain relief for her. And as usual I am left holding the baby so to speak. Morphine, UP THE NOSE! She was so so good bless her, having to snort half a syringe of liquid is not an easy task!
Shortly after she was on cloud cuckoo land and kept telling me how much she loved me BLESS! SO funny, and so nice to see her out of pain :) She is home again, has her own wheelchair as she just can't manage without one, and is doing two hours at school.

So, last week, after two weeks of back pain and no sleep I went to see the man who is now often referred to as 'THE GOD'.
Mark Lester, my oh so wonderful chiropracter.
Love this man.
I had loss of grip in my right hand too- mobile phone into a mug of tea, mug of tea slipped straight through my hands, and my fingers do this weird juddering thing and I can't close my fingers.
Sure enough I have trapped nerve/s in my back. He got all my muscles relaxed, cracked my spine back to the place it was meant to be, and a good session of accupuncture (so relaxing- odd but true, it was lovely).
By Sunday I wanted to marry the man!
I am so much better, still a bit sore, but getting there. Off again today for another session with the God!

Hence my absence! *takes a breath* Ohhhhhhhhh and also I have my pre op on Tuesday, and surgery at the beginning of November.

So onto a few crafty chic makes...
Made this for Halloween with a 60p broom from asda. The rest was totally made by me, I cut the wood, painted did the glittery lettering etc





I also made the following, which are for sale, gimme a holler if you wanna bag one (or more!) before they get chucked on ebay.

Christmas countdown blackboard. £5 plus p&p, comes with chalk attached already and I can move the chalk for a leftie or righty to make writing easier. (don't panic by the way, it isn't 34 days till crimbo, just a random number lol)



Pearl and crystal hanger, £6 plus p&p



Rosehip and eucalyptus (grown by moi) heart hanger, with a walnut stained gingham tie. (I can change the tie to green or blue if requested) there are two sizes of these small £3 plus p&p or large £4 plus p&p. The leaves are fresh at the moment, but will dry out lovely, plus the rosehips are already dried, so this will last and last :)


If anyone wants more pics, or sizes etc just shout, and I will sort that for you :) Most items are on rusty wire, and may have sharp edges of wire (although I try to cover them as best I can) so please hang them out of the reach of kiddos and pets :)

urgh!

So, as brief as I can make it I shall try to explain my absence!

Apart from being generally manic...
My beautiful niece is very poorly, she has been transfered to Bristol Children's Hospital (over an hour away from home) and although she is making very good progress we still don't know what it is.
Up until Sunday, she was wheelchair bound...just couldn't walk or put any weight on her legs at all. They were totally 'numb' with no reflexes at all. She can walk a very small amount now, but still needs her chair. She has lots of other weird things going on as well (wont go into all that just now). She has had biopsies, needles galore, mri scans, lumbar puncture, and the list goes on, poor lamb.
She has had one diagnosis so far, vasculitis.
She has had consultants, toxicologists, opthamologists, neurologists, physiotherapists, again the list goes on.
Apart from all the horrid painful things they are doing to her, she is in really good spirits. The biggest request has been for Auntie Rena's homemade meringues in assorted colours!
So travelling back and forth to the hospital has been the main part of my life for the last few weeks. Poor kid had only started secondary school a couple of days before being admitted too (she has been in three hospitals over the last couple of weeks!)

I have seen my consultant, and shall be having surgery within the next six weeks too. Have to go to Cirencester to have it done (not sure how long it will take to get there, about 45 mins I guess- but I have my pre op assessment two weeks before so will time it all then) but there are bonuses to me having surgery there rather than Cheltenham. If I have it booked in for chelt, my bed will get bumped for someone else as they do a lot of surgery on cancer patients, so they will take precidence with my bed (and so it should be)- so going to Ciren will avoid that. I will be in for less time if I go to Ciren too- that was the clincher! Mart has been just gorgeous about it all, so reassuring and loving and wonderful. Love that man x

Managed to drop my mobile in my mug of tea yesterday and it is not happy- so if you try to get hold of me and I ignore you that is why!



Lost the second koi :(
Managed to save the remaining koi- fish are all doing well now after two rounds of treatment, took koi over to see my nice chap for a scrape and scope, and he is doing good :) On the way back some pillock smashed into the back of the car. Thankfully no real damage, but a mammoth headache, neck and back ache for me! Koi was fine though thank God!
Spent ages watching the fish this morning and counted NINE babies! Seriously gonna have to extend the pond if they carry on breeding like that!
Bought lots of new stuff for the fish, a pond vac, new pump, new filter, uv light...skint much?!



So our new mantra- one on my mirror that I look in every morning to brush my hair...






One in a frame on the windowsill,





and Mart has one in his van (where he spends the majority of his time!)



ATF went live last week, I can't be arsed to find mine just now so you can see it there lol!
So other than minor stuff, such is my life just now! *See* you all when I can x

for the 'shabby' girls! Image overload!

****edit**** Not sure why but the left edges have been cut off the pics- I didn't do it, it happened when they uploaded...you get the idea though!

I will do a proper blog post soon...let's just say the last couple of weeks have been not only busy but a bit of a 'mare too!

So for the shabby ones!

Here we go- a bajillion pics for you to look at...if you nod off I don't blame you! They are a bit random- I just wandered round snapping some of my faves! A lot of my trinkety bits come from a garden centre called Blooms (part of the wyevale group of garden centres). I like to get bargains so most stuff will have been fairly cheap! You will probably notice that I have a major obsession with birds, birdcages and birdhouses!
ok- just for Maria- the tardis...aka my bath...I had to stand outside the room/on the toilet to get these pics lol!





This hangs in my studio and was from Maria- I totally love it and it inspires me all the time


Also in my studio- Tallulah, who sits on top of my clock which used to be a boring cheapy black plastic horror of a timepiece!


Collection of trinkety bits (birdhouse prettied up by me- it was plain pine before)








This was a mega bargain- in John Lewis/Waitrose, filled with miniature pink rose plants, I took the pots out and am gonna use the basket for something else- cost me about £3


Sewing for those who asked (fabric from the range store, less than £4 a metre)- my doorstop, which is a funny shape at the mo, until tomorrow when I can get some weighty beans or something to stuff it with properly!



One of the draught excluders I whizzed up last night- the other one is the same but over double the length


I don't know what I love about this dove! I really don't! But love it I do, I bought it at a yard sale when I was in the States some 20 years ago! And it has always been out on show ever since!


Onto my bedroom...
Now, this has been a mammoth project. The bedroom before was a horrid mismatched cluttered tiny mess. I wanted to get rid of all the furniture and start again, with the aim of creating something light, airy and a place to be able to relax. I started by choosing the floor (a gorgeous whitewash effect laminate) then everything else kinda followed. It is mainly black and white with the odd bit of colour dotted about. I LOVE IT!
Some of my fave bits...

This was a seriously cheap jewellery box from ikea in plain wood. A lick of paint and a bit of work on the computer to make a bird decal and voila


The matching jug- this was a quid in asda, originally silver, painted with black hammerite, crackled with white emulsion over the top and another bird decal


A few trinkets on my shelf, some were gifts, some from sales (need to get my pics in the frames!)


This was from a fab shop in Worcester called Rhubarb (the earlier pink birdcage came from here too)


Gorgeous birdcages from Blooms (one was a gift)


Doorhandle from B&Q for a couple of quid- it is meant as a cupboard handle but with much swearing I made it work!


The bird collection from blooms- They were a bit too cream coloured for the room so I slapped some paint on them.


This the is actually a soap dish but I use it for reciepts and stuff!




Also from Blooms and again stippled with white paint


Cake stand from homebase about £6, again too cream so painted with white gloss paint


These units were from lidl (about £25-30 each) and were brown wicker with green paint, I redid them with black hammerite and white emulsion


Matalan £15 (I adore this)


The piece de resistance (if you have made it this far!)- my mural. Now the original plan was to buy the same design, which was very expensive, as a decal...I was fully prepared to pay out for it, but they only did it in pink and it was facing the wrong way. So I adapted it and painted it myself on the chimney breast. This makes me happy :D