Yes indeedy folks - this will be my last post for a little while. It's my last day at work today - we don't have internet at home and we're away for Christmas and New Year. So I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and do hope that you have a lovely restful holiday.

I have planned 2 weeks of sitting on the sofa. I shopped for my Christmas wardrobe yesterday, 2 pairs of new pyjamas, 2 pairs of thermal socks, 1 massive long wooly cardigan and a big fat fluffy scarf. I'm also packing my blankie and 10 library books.

I shall see you in the New Year when I am hoping to be fit and full of vim and vigour. Wish me well!

Vivien, oh Vivien, oh have you met Vivien?

This is the dress I wanted to buy for New Year. With this petticoat:


And I've been scouring the shops for a belt just like this:


It all started when I remembered I had some pink and red T-Bar shoes that I've never worn. I'm going to a New Year party and I wanted to wear them, so I thought a nice 50's dress with pink petticoats would be fab. Unfortunately I was shopping at the weekend with my mum and bought this:



Which is all very nice and slinky and "now" and sexy and lovely and cheap but it isn't a big swirly fluffy 50s pink and red dress with a cinch waist where I can look all burlesque and pouty.

*pout*

dress and petticoat from Vivien of Holloway

Calling all Londoners!

Please come to a private view of some of my things in a Pop-Up shop in Islington.

"Oblong Gallery invites you to an Art & Craft Pop-up Shop displaying an eclectic range of objects for sale made by various artists and makers."

Preview shopping evening - 10th December (that's tomorrow) 5-9pm

69a Southgate Road, London, N1 3JS

Time to hibernate yet?

My advent calendar is just my way of counting down the days until hibernation. Fortunately I am having a bit of a quiet time at the moment - I just need to bake some cookies for 3 people, make a few pin badges for my kickboxing kids and bake my Dad a birthday cake.

I've had a bit of luck with some of my craftiness - my teacup candles and some printed teatowels are going to be featured in a gallery in Islington up until Christmas. I'm not expecting great things from it though, but it will be nice to have other people see them.

Tonight we are off to a friend's house for sausage and mash. Oh the yumminess comforty food. It will be nice to be looked after for a little while.

"Like a Fox in a Hen House!"

On returning from the supermarket a couple of weekends ago, this is the sight that greeted me in the kitchen! I'd only asked for the new oven to be plugged in!

6 hours later we'd stripped the whole wall! Unfortunately the laminate layer of 70 years of wallpaper and paint was surprisingly adhesive in places. On the plus side I've gained half an inch of kitchen!

The title comes from my husband's exasperation at my Dad! He really is like that in a place that needs a little renovation - I think we were lucky to escape with the walls still standing! Dad starts on the bathroom next weekend...

Happy December!

Diana, looking pretty amazed with my culinary skills!

I forgot to open my advent calendar this morning - I have something to look forward to this evening, along with some printing of cards.

Apart from lying in bed all weekend I did at least manage to accomplish one thing - I baked a cake! Oh lordy is it fabulous.

I do apologise that I have been sadly lacking with the posts recently. It would appear that I have a recurrance of Chronic Fatigue or ME, or "yuppie flu" whichever you want to call it. Things may be a little quiet around here. They are definitely quiet on the crafting front, and they are non-existent on the training front. I am barely keeping enough of my shit together to get to the 2 lessons that I teach each week.