George

George goes to the vet today for his annual shots. Not something that a normal dog owner, with a normal dog would bother sharing.

 But George is not a normal dog - he's special, in a grumpy, growly, naughty, scratchy, cheeky, must-wee-on-absolutely-everything type of way. And he's very particular about who he lets touch him where - his ears for example are a no go zone, even for me, but he won't say no to a good scratch under the chin.

Last year's visit to the vet ended (after a few attempts at biting off the poor vets fingers) with him being put in a little cage and a tube of gas being poked through and pointed in his general direction until he keeled over asleep - much like you see them tranquilise ferocious rhino's or tigers on those zoo programs.

When he was under he got the works - shots, manicure, teeth check, ear check etc and woke up a lot more comfortable I imagine - although none the wiser about what we had been up to while he was with the fairies.

I dropped him there just now and gave them a reminder about the whole biting issue of last year. 'Oh I'm sure he'll settle down for a little needle once you have gone' they chided.

Hhhm - I'd bet my next pay that it ends in tears again (the vet's that is - not George's)

through the front door

This is the view standing from my front doorway looking in. A long narrow dark hallway.

Our front door is where our 'sometimes' visitors arrive - you know, like when the Queen comes for tea. Theres a big brass knocker on the front door (which is usually always closed) and whenever we hear its sharp echoing tap it startles us a bit - so rare it is that it gets used.

I go out there all the time to garden and check the mail and do other front yard type business, but we never really use the front to come home through.

This is where all the action is. All our 'all the time' visitors come round the back and either sing out 'hello' from the gate or just wander in looking for us. Our back door - the kitchen door is always open (except when we are not here or when the household is sleeping ofcourse). Cats and dogs and people always going in and out.

playing along here!

stuff on the mantel

Today I've got some pics of the lounge room fireplace (tune out now if that didn't excite you, cos it don't get much more exciting than that I'm afraid)

I got that little shell garland from Denmark a few years back- its got beads and seashells and sequins all twisted through wire. I always look at it thinking 'I could make this' but so far I've been too lazy to try.

That vase has aloe in it. I took it from the garden in lieu of a big bunch of orange roses delivered by a secret admirer or some big fat ranunculi from a way more looked after garden than mine.

That picture is from a local art shop - given to me one Christmas from B. It usually lives above the day bed but sometimes it sneaks up onto the mantel.

Tealights in the fireplace this time of year - its starting to get a bit hot. Cushions stacked up ready to be dragged onto the floor.

This is where the Christmas tree will go soon - I'm bursting to put it up but will wait a few more weeks so as not to stir the bad faries.

(do these pics look cut in half to you? I think I've made them too big - will need to sort that out later, am off to work now...urg.. edit: I made the pictures smaller so they all fit in)

crafty

 I've been straightening up in here (some would say 'bout time' - to which I would reply 'sod off')

sorting bits and bobs in boxes and attaching scrawled temporary labels so I can find things again

still a bit of a shambles - but its getting there. I need shelves, I need to paint over that erksome red wall thats driving me batty (no mention of closing gates after bolting horses please), I need more time to do these things.

secret weapons

these little beauties saved the M (see the post below for a look at the finished project). They prevented a tearful last minute defeatist dash to Target in search of some generic one year old birthday gift.

After sewing then unpicking the cover I made for the M and several different attempts at wrapping it. I managed to work it out with a mix of upholstery tacks and a lot of pva glue.

Some one (wouldn't have been me) didn't leave enough fabric around the edges in places so things got a little tight by the end of the process and I ended up searching around for extra pairs of hands to hold things down while the glue dried.

Dogs don't have very long attention spans (or opposable thumbs) and so, were very unhelpful.

These lackies though were life savers! - so I've declared them my latest secret weapon for this game.

Mmmm

a little girl we know turned one the other day. I made her this upholstered initial and the little card to match.

It was touch and go there for a while with this project, I'm not much on the thinking-it-through and planning parts, luckily I'm quite good at the making-it-up-as-I-go-along and bending-rules-to-fix-things-half-way parts. So it was all good in the end.

I like how it turned out and thought about keeping it for myself and changing my name to Maud...or maybe Mildred.

blog HQ

this is where I'm blogging today. Its technically B's desk but its starting to look more like mine.... (my desk is hidden behind me somewhere under piles of cut up fabric, half finished whatsits and the ironing board.

the desk is an antique table I'm looking after for my folks - they're not getting it back - they don't know that yet.

the shelf at the back is an old plank of wood propped up with bricks. The cds are B's  - well a bit of a mix actually. For instance if you find say a 'greatest hits of the 80s' in there - thats mine. the parkway drive - thats Bs, the elvis presley christmas songs - mine, killswitch engage - B's.

I have big plans for this room. one day it will be neat and streamlined and creative and organised. but for now its a hovel.

playing with meet me at mikes.

weddings, babies and joe blake

went to a wedding on the weekend. Lovely sunshiney day. lovely pretty fairytale dresses. lovely little cheese cake type dessert thingos in mini glasses....could've eaten 10 of those.

look who was also there. I didn't ask him whether he was there to celebrate or to play golf. the latter I expect, he was in a hurry..or maybe the former and he was trying to beat us to the bar..

B's sister had another spud on the weekend also - wee little thing. Her other two aren't sure yet whether to poke him with a pencil or give him loves.

on the bedside

this is whats beside my bed today

a cup of water
discarded jewellery
a box of moisturisers and vicks
a shell my Dad gave me
a little pot plant - that gets changed over every now and then and is sometimes a jar of flowers
a favourite birthday card pinned to the lampshade
a pile of books and magazines
a thermos of water
an old boat oar I found under an old house

note I haven't painted over the icky inbetween shade of red yet...

playing along with Pip's game - go take a peek at what everyone else has next to their bed!

apartment therapy!

Ooh look - B will be pleased!