Happy Birthday, Mom!

My Mom was 60 last Friday. She's on a cruise in Dubai with my Dad for her special birthday, and although I found it very difficult to not see her on that day, I spoke to her which was brilliant, although very emotional for me and I did have a few tears when I put down the phone!! My sisters and I arranged for her to have some champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in her cabin, and for it to be decorated with happy birthday things to make sure she knew we were thinking about her, even though we couldn't be with her which I know she loved!!

Anyone who reads my blog will know that my family are the most important thing in the world to me and my parents have been my rock during pivotal points in my life, from petty fallings out with school friends when I was a kid, to the amazing birth of my baby, and the awful time I had when my husband left me and P when she was 6 months old and my consequent divorce and the hard times, both financially and emotionally that accompanied that. Throughout everything, they've put their own life on hold to make sure I was supported, loved and cared for, from taking 10 minutes out to dry my tears whilst sitting on my sister's bed in my school uniform, to cancelling major holidays and making unbelievable personal financial sacrifices to ensure that I didn't lose my mind or house during the worst times. For them, I know that these things are second nature. They would do exactly the same for all 3 of their children, and love us all equally and unconditionally. It's not even a question of whether they would do anything for us, it's a question of how soon they can do it for us to make it all better. My dad's famous quote is "You're only as happy as your unhappiest child." Something any parent can associate with, I'm sure. (Wise old bugger, my Dad...)

I was thinking this morning about how my family knows we love each other and my conclusion is that we show and tell! All the time. When we leave we say 'I love you' and hug and give each other a kiss, when we text we say 'I love you' when we're done, when we do things for each other, the silent 'I love you' is always there behind the action and for me, those acts and words mean the world to me. I know if anything happened to any of us, we would all feel like we'd been totally loved by our family for our whole lives, and I'd have no doubts that my parents, my sisters and my daughter know how I feel about them and how much they mean to me, even if we have disagreements! Our love as a family has no barriers and that's the way I like it. We're not overly exuberant, we just have this energy that says that no matter what, we'll be there for each other.

My parents have taught me a lot about how to be a good parent and it's something that I'm constantly trying to emulate in my role as a mother. My Mom has been the best mother I could have ever wished for. She's my friend, my confidante, my sounding board, my cooking instructor, my childcare, my role model, but most of all, she's my Mom, and I couldn't love her any more if I tried. She means the world to me, and I don't know what I'd do without her constant support, advice, love, guidance and understanding.

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom.

I love you more than you could ever imagine. And then a little bit more. :)

N xxx

Branching Out?

My kit Lola's been spayed today, and when we went to pick her up, she was wearing this! A cat fascinator!

It's pink and sparkly (no joke!) and she has to keep it on for two whole weeks! I think she looks fabulous and the colour is just her! She's not so sure. She's backing up a lot to try and cunningly de-collar herself, and walking around all top heavy with her head dragging on the floor, and I have to admit, sleeping and eating is a bit of a problem, but she's a tough cookie and she'll be bouncing around in no time after she's got used to it. I'm thinking about branching out into cat head accessories... what do you think??! They are obviously all the rage when you've been for a spaying, and cats have loved hats for a loooooooong time...

The vet said 'definitely a calm and quiet house' to go back to... so, what happens? Charlie walks down the stairs, sees this thing with a pink sparkly collar on, all wide eyed and semi drugged up from the anasthetic, dragging her head around and goes completely nuts, sending Lola skidding off into the kitchen where she promptly bashed herself up against the units... the joy of a crazy cat household! Lucky for Lola, she gets to sleep in the lounge tonight, not the kitchen as it was -7 this morning when we woke up, and I think a post-op feline needs some comfort in a slightly warmer room!

P wouldn't go to bed tonight because she was worried that Lola couldn't sleep and that she was in pain. Too cute. My girl loves her kitties.

I, after all the post-vet commotion, managed to cook a gorgeous mushroom and pea risotto. Yes, I of the 'I don't cook' school of finishing, stood slaving over a hot stove for more than 20 minutes to do our tea tonight! It got the "I hate it" vote of disapproval from P, but Kris loved it and said I could make it again! (If this becomes a habit, I may stop altogether... don't want to be cooking things that are actually nice meaning I have to cook more!)

Oh, and Penguin's finished after a bit of help from Lola last night!

 He accidentally supports Aston Villa Football Club though in his claret and blue strip!... good job they're local!

=

N x

P-P-Pick Up A Penguin!

What a strange inbetweeny day. Not Christmas, not the New Year yet. What do you do on 28th December? Not much happened historically today... check out Wiki for some light (?) reading... and so, I decided that 28th December was my 'get out the knitting needles and make a cat toy' day.


I got some catnip the other day for the cats, and to much hilarity, my eldest (that sounds like he's my child!) went totally nuts for it. If you don't know, catnip is a plant that 'pleasantly stimulates cats' pheromonic receptors, typically resulting in temporary euphoria', and I'm not joking when I say that Charlie is on a trip when he smells it! I put some onto a knitted toy that he plays with and he was rubbing the toy all over his face with huge dilated pupils and a proper look of love for that knitted kitty! So, I'm knitting him a penguin with the catnip powder inside with the stuffing now! Lucky Charlie. He's been totally demasculated by being neutered when he was 6 months old to stop him making kitty babies with the local queens, (very responsible), so the next best thing for him is a love toy just like the one below, I think which is a Jean Greenhowe design. I love her knitted toy designs. What a lucky boy!!

Well, I guess I should get on with tidying up the bombsite that is my lounge since P came back and decided to get ALL of her Christmas presents out at once this afternoon! Oh to be 6 again!


N x

Christmas Eve

Wow, I can't believe it's Christmas Eve already! I've been getting food ready most of the day for our little family drinks and nibbles party tonight. I love having my family round altogether. My Grandad is coming too, and a couple of friends so it'll be a lovely night, before we have to usher them all out, sprinkle Rudolph's magic oats on the garden (so he knows where to stop), and get to bed for an early start in the morning!

I've actually baked 3 batches of Christmas Ginger Cookies today, taking inspiration from the blog and programme I watched yesterday! Some are to hang on my little cookie tree from the garden, and the others I boxed up with ribbon and a christmas tree label for my parents and sister as a little extra present! I love making things for people.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it:

*50g unsalted butter
*2tbsp golden syrup
*100g light brown sugar
*1 egg
*150g plain flour
*1tsp bicarbonate of soda
*1/2 tsp ground ginger
*icing sugar to decorate

1-  Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas 4. Mix the butter, syrup, sugar and egg in a large bowl.
2 - Sift the rest of the dry ingredients together and stir into the mixture. Form into a dough, adding more flour if it is too sticky.
3 - Roll out the dough on a floured surface until 6mm thick and cut out your cookie shapes.
4 - Put the cookies onto a non stick tray or one lined with greaseproof paper and use a skewer to make holes in the top if you are going to hang them.
5 - Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and take out of the oven and cool before threading with embroidery silk or ribbon and dusting with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, lovely people. I hope yours is healthy, happy and without hangover!! See you on the other side!

N x

Don't Assume I Cook!...

It's no secret in my family that I don't like to cook. I can cook, but I just don't enjoy it. I'd actually do most things to get out of having to rustle up something from scratch which takes me 30 minutes to chop and prepare then 45 minutes to wait for it to cook. I'm far too impatient! An added problem is that I can't stand mess... or ready meals. The amount of added salt, sugar chemicals and what not in some of those things scares me to death, plus there's the fact that they taste like plastic once you've cooked them.

I'm not a great 'foodie', in the way that food doesn't give me pleasure and I think that's at the root of my apathy for cooking. I recently found out that I'm highly intollerant to cow's milk and whole eggs, with cashew nuts featuring high on the 'eat these and you'll suffer' list of produce. It was a really interesting experiment that I did with a home testing kit from a reputable company that supplies hospitals and clinics with testing equipment and I was in the middle of having one of my frantic searches for a cure for my daily headaches which have plagued me for the last 20 years. So, I guessed that as I consume cow's milk every day in one form or another I'd give it a go and go 'cold turkey' (very seasonally apt!), and guess what... I'm on day 6 of not having a headache or taking pain killers!! I'm not counting my chickens (or turkeys) yet but if cow's milk and eggs are at the root of my headache woes, then I'm happy to substitute them for something else!

So, lately I've had to read labels on food for the first time in my life, and have realised that milk in one form or another is in most products, from tomato soup to Pringles crisps, to nearly every chocolate, so I've been making my own stuff more so that I know that I'm not consuming some sneaky lactose or egg and I've actually been secretly nearly enjoying it! (oh, plus I've dropped a few pounds from having to cut out bakery stuff! Win all round!)

Somthing that I've realised too, is that I might not actually like cooking but I sure as hell LOVE watching cooking programmes with a whistful dreamy twinkle in my eye wishing that I was Nigella Lawson. I lay on my sofa watching her Christmas Kitchen programme last night, and her velvety voice, total passion for food and gorgeous voluptuousness makes me just want to jump up and bake these chocolate cookies and give them to everyone I know with Christmas music playing in the background and twinkly lights adorning every surface of my whole house! You just can't help but fall in love with Nigella. I want to be her friend. She makes me happy and everything doesn't seem so bad once you've spent half an hour with her!


















As I was reading some random blogs last night I came across this one which made me swoon with excitement! Not So Humble Pie is the most fabulous diary of a Seattle Sweetie who takes basic ingredients and transforms them into works of art with a fun element to her cooking. The reason this tickles my taste buds, and nudges my creative gene is that she bakes cookies! Now, if there's anything I love baking it's cookies. Just the thought of baking something special that I could actually decorate makes me have a big smile on my face... although P does all the decorating in our house when we bake cookies so I never get a look in! Have a look through her older posts, she makes some amazing stuff which looks like it would last about 3.2 seconds if she put them on a table and asked everyone to help themselves! I love the layout of this blog and the way she writes, but it's the photographs that do it for me. Talk about visual merchandising! These Snowflake Cookies are to die for!!!

I guess I'l have to make 2010 the year I start to enjoy cooking, using lactose free milk and whole egg substitute of course!... and I'm starting with watching more Nigella! I'm off to buy some cookie cutters!

N x

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

Let it snow... (just a bit though because I'm not that keen...) We woke up to a smattering this morning, but still went out for a play. P loves throwing snow at me for some reason. Can't think why!

The Queen's grandaughter, Zara Phillips attended a wedding this weekend wearing a fabulous fascinator in steel grey which looked amazing. I love it when the royals get dressed up and wear great head wear!

I particularly loved the Duchess of Cornwall's (Prince Charles' wife, Camilla), wedding head piece. An amazing plume of feathers that suited her so well and worked perfectly for her age and for a second wedding. Classy but fabulous showing that fascinators can be worn at any age.

P and I have been on a Christmas baking spree this weekend. We've made vanilla cookies which she had so much fun decorating for everyone, and has made a special one just for Santa for Christmas eve. Bless her!

I've been making presents for my sister and my two friends who I don't see as often as I should. I made Chocolate Brownie Jars! Basically it's the dry ingredients of the recipe layered into the jar, and finished off with Christmas ribbon and instructions on how to bake! I think they look amazing and I'll definitely be doing more of these for other presents throughout the year now. I love home made presents, and you can't beat ones that you can eat!!

I've actually had time to complete all my orders too this week, making a fascinator for Hong Kong, some jewellery and a hair comb for a client in the UK and I forgot to show a fascinator that went over to the States a couple of weeks ago for a repeat client who has lots of children who are all getting married around this time so I'm sure I'll see her again!

For the States. Laura design in English rose with blue and purple feathers:

Jewellery and hair comb for the UK:

Jane design in daffodil yellow with fluffy yellow feathers:

We went to the candlelit carol service in the church tonight which was lovely and walking home in the snow made it feel really Christmassy. Roll on Friday!!

N x

More Pics

John has worked fantastically hard to get me my new product shots within a week! Thanks John! I've finished writing up 95% of the descriptions for the site now, so I'm literally waiting for some artwork to be done for my new look site, then I can put everything together and 'Hey Presto', we're in business for 2010!

Here's the rest of my new shots.

N x

What A Week!

I've had THE best week! Talk about packing it in! It started on Tuesday when I made the 3 1/2 hour drive down to Kent to finally do my photo shoot for my 2010 fascinator range with John at Waterham Studios. After a quick cup of tea when I arrived, we went off to the most gorgeous little seaside town called Whitstable. It genuinely is probably one of my favourite places. Every shop is tiny and a boutique selling flowers, craft stuff, clothing and toys and it was all lit up for Christmas. I LOVED it! John and I went on a hunt for flower props in the fab flower shops, and ended up getting some amazing gerberas and the most beautiful ornamental cabbages! The colours were perfect to compliment my new pieces.

After having a look at the sea and breathing in all that amazing fresh sea air, we went back to John's house to spend the night with his wife and kids who are like my adoptive family when I'm in Kent. They are the most amazing people and I love them to death. I feel very lucky that one of my loveliest friends is also such a wonderful photographer who enables me not only to get some brilliant shots for my products but lets me get totally pampered by a professional make up artist and pose my heart out as my own model! I totally love it! Here's me with my lashes on! These are the second lot, the first lot were so big I could hardly lift my eyes up but they look great on camera!

My make up artist was an amazing young talent called Emily-Rose. She did 2 amazing looks for me which make all the difference to the shots. One 40's style for the big fascinators and a softer look for the wedding pieces. Here's a sneak peak at some of them...

Can't wait to put them all on the site!

Then, as if that wasn't enough excitement, I've just come back from celebrating my friend's 40th birthday at a swanky hotel! We drank champagne, ate gorgeous food and chilled to the max over the weekend... there should be more weeks like this!!

N x

All I Want For Christmas...

... is my two front teeth...

P had her wobbly front teeth smacked out today at school by a friend who was swinging her lunch box around and hit P in the face. Nice! She's now got a big gap, but her new teeth are already breaking through so it won't be long until they're in! What a shock. I had to pick her up from school, and she thought it was great that she got to come home and watch a movie rather than go back to class!

'Gappy Go Lucky!'

N x

Health & Safety!

Someone sent me this today. It's too close to reality to laugh at really, although I did snigger!




Equalities Commission / HSE guidance on 'festive' songs


The Rocking Song
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:

Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur, and for ethical reasons. Therefore faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps micro-fleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.

Please note, only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.


Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from landowners before entering their fields. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.


While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around

The union of Shepherd's has complained that it breaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided, therefore benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year that they should watch their flocks via cctv cameras from centrally heated shepherd observation huts.
Please note, the angel of the lord is reminded that before shining his / her glory all around she / he must ascertain that all shepherds have been issued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.


Little Donkey
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load 

The RSPCA have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load that a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry, also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding period. Please note that due to the increased risk of pollution from the dusty road, Mary and Joseph are required to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of any airborne particles. The donkey has expressed his discomfort at being labelled 'little' and would prefer just to be simply referred to as Mr. Donkey. To comment upon his height or lack thereof may be considered an infringement of his equine rights.


We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star 

Whilst the gift of gold is still considered acceptable - as it may be redeemed at a later date through such organisations as 'cash for gold' etc., gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not appropriate due to the potential risk of oils and fragrances causing allergic reactions. A suggested gift alternative would be to make a donation to a worthy cause in the recipients name or perhaps give a gift voucher.

We would not advise that the traversing kings rely on navigation by stars in order to reach their destinations and suggest the use of RAC routefinder or satellite navigation, which will provide the quickest route and advice regarding fuel consumption. Please note as per the guidelines from the RSPCA for Mr Donkey, the camels carrying the three kings of Orient will require regular food and rest breaks. Facemasks for the three kings are also advisable due to the likelihood of dust from the camels hooves.


Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose?
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy, it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the ruddiness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions - including suspension on full pay - will be considered whilst this investigation takes place.

N x

Aaaaand, Relax...

I've been quite stressed for a couple of weeks, what with putting together the stuff for the impending photoshoot for my website, getting ready for Christmas and generally feeling a bit under the weather. So, when I found this today, I took a couple of minutes out to just sit and chill.

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is located in Japan and is the world's 2nd largest aquarium.

Full screen it for a moment and enjoy watching the scuba diver!




N x

Hip To Be Square

I'm happy with my bridal stuff for my 2010 collection so far, although need to create a couple more to finish off the collection, and I wanted to do something very different to what's available out in the stores and on the net for the Race Day pieces. After trawling through some wedding and fashion pages, I got the idea of doing a square design, and this is sort of it half cooked! I love the colours, and the shape. It needs more tweaking and some more weight at the back to balance it out, but I think it's a great design! Not for the feint hearted, but for someone who wants to be noticed! It's hip to be square, so Huey Lewis and The News told me when I was a kid!

I've used cerise and english rose sinamay with a beautiful false flower and some gorgeous green stripped quills to give dimension and an extra wow factor. What do you think?

I was also asked to make a piece for a client who's purchased from me in the past. The brief was that she had a champagne coloured dress, with black accessories, and wanted something light, not too bold, and delicate. This is what I came up with, and she loved it! (I loved it too, so much I might make it to go on my site!!)

Next week is a busy one, getting all my props and pieces finished for the shoot the week after and organising how I'm going to package them all so they don't get damaged 'en route'!

N x

My Current Crush...

... is Joseph Fiennes. I can't lie. I am in love.

Joseph and I have had a thing since I saw him in Shakespeare In Love in the 90's and my little heart has been pining after him for all these years. So, imagine my delight when my most favourite current guilty pleasure, FlashForward made him a staple of my weekly TV viewing! Excellent casting, ABC!

Yum...

ABC Studios also produce my other guilty pleasure, (what? I'm allowed two? Yippee!) the most fabulous Desperate Housewives! Season 6 is totally fab, as usual, and I'm gutted that for some reason episode 9 isn't available here until next week! The torture!

Just to mention that the amazing hand made heart necklace is by my friends over at Clutterfly Jewellery. They make some fab stuff and I love them! Have a look at their site if you want a great Christmas present for someone you love this year. As seen on uber-chic girls about town, Lily Allen and Jamie Winston this Autumn. :)

Right, must dash, I'm off to snuggle up to Joseph... don't get all jealous on me now!

N x

Pen Pals

When I was a kid, around about 14 years old, I remember we got given the opportunity at school to get ourselves a pen pal. One was through our French lessons, so that we could converse with a French student. I thought it was a great idea to have a friend in France, so signed up. Her name was Nathalie. I remember her sending me a photo of herself, and she had short mousey brown hair. We wrote letters to each other for a couple of years, and I still have all of those letters somewhere even though 20 years have passed. They accepted me for who I was, what I told them and what I looked like.

I signed up for another pen pal called Anita Pearson. She lived in Arkansas, and I had a dream that she was just like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, clicking her red sparkly shoes and being whisked off into another world of adventure. I remember my Dad saying that her name was funny. A neater person. Anita Pearson. Weird how some things stick with you.

Those pen pals mean a lot to me. I never met them but I felt like they were part of my life, and that at 14 years old I'd branched out from my safe family and school environment and had a little bit of grown up in me. I was friends with someone from another country, and I felt like I was finally getting to experience the tiny bit of adult I was craving. I have no idea what those girls are doing now, whether they kept my letters like I did theirs, or whether they ended up on some scrap heap somewhere, blown around by a foreign wind and forgotten.

Things don't change. It's 20 years later, and I have a new pen pal. He lives in San Diego and is probably one of the coolest people I know. We email instead of write, but we chat about our lives, what we do, where we go, who we see. Joe and I met 2 years ago through a social networking site. We chatted, then he left and gave me his email address to keep in touch. We didn't. Then, a few months ago, whilst looking for something else in my mailbox, I found his address. I mailed him. He replied. We whooped that we'd found each other again. We talk nearly every week and I daydream about him living his chilled out life on the beach with his dogs, and how lucky he is that he's able to do yoga and go to beach BBQ's (vegetarian) and playing his guitar whilst I sit here in all my Englishness drinking my tea and moaning about the weather.

What do I know about Joe? We've never met. I know what he looks like and that he's into KISS, heavy metal and music magazines. I know he loves his dogs and that he dresses up at Hallowe'en and gets candy for kids. I know he supports the Boston Red Sox, I know his dad is still alive and in his mid 90's, and that his niece, Grace, rocks! I know we both have pets called Lola, and that he makes me laugh with his American phrasing and that he meditates and works in finance although it's not what he really wants to do. The thing is, I don't know much about Joe, but I know that he's in my life for a reason. We're meant to be talking to each other right now in 2009.

Maybe we'll never meet. Maybe we will fade into each other's backgrounds and one day he'll tell his grandkids that he once had a pen friend from England, long after our emails have been deleted and set free into cyber space. Or, maybe we will meet and our lives will take in another person who we'll physically be able to see and hear, rather than looking at photos and imagining voices.

I know for certain that people are and have been in my life for a reason. Everyone gives me something, whether it's good or bad. I learn something off everyone and those people have allowed, and are allowing me to be able to shape my life into something resembling fulfillment and happiness to the extent that I've never experienced before.

My most precious people are those who accept me as me and don't want me to change. They help and encourage me to be who I really truly am. My true self. They love me and want the best for me. They are unselfish and grateful of my company. You don't find people like that when you're looking, they are attracted to you by the force of nature. You put out a vibe and they find it, like a bee finds pollen. Some people call it cosmic ordering. I call it fate. I believe that my life is already planned out and I'm following a pre-set path. I feel really strongly that in my future something positive will happen. I don't know what it is, but the feeling is always there, wriggling around in my stomach, reminding me that everything I experience is one step closer to reaching it.

Joe wrote this on his blog the other day. It made me really thing about how we should try really hard to surround ourselves with people who love us and want the best for us, and ditch the hangers on. I've done a lot of ditching in the past few years, and my life is far less stressful for it.

Being a parent, this piece is very powerful. It reminds me that I have to love my child unconditionally and accept what she wants to do and how she wants to live her life, not impress on her how I would like her to live it. Big words.

"When I want for you what you want for you, then I truly love you. When I want for you what I want for me, then I am loving Me through you.

So, too, by the same measure, can you determine whether others love you, and whether you truly love others. For love chooses naught for itself, but only seeks to make possible the choices of the beloved other."

-Neale Donald Walsch


Hey, Joe... you rawk! :)


N x

Remembrance Day

It's the anniversary of my Grandad's death today. We always go up to the crematorium to look at his name which is in the remembrance book and lay some flowers for him and my nan. I cried this year. I never cry. Something just triggered my emotions this time and I miss my nan. I never knew my Grandad. He would have been 101 this year if he'd have lived but he died when he was 53. A long time before I was born. I still feel close to him though, because he's my Dad's dad. If I'd have had a son, his name would have been Joseph, after my Grandad.

I often wonder what Grandad would think of the world if he came back today. Mobile phones, the internet, microwaves, digital cameras, Wii, Skype... the list goes on. How weird that I've been able to sit at my computer in the UK and talk to my cousin in New Zealand via my computer. I can see him and hear him, and he's half way around the world! We really do live in exciting times.

It's also Remembrance day. This passage sort of sums up how I feel about today. My cousin has served in Afghanistan and I'm very aware of all the people who are fighting for a better world, and all of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of it, including 3 of my Grandad's brothers...

'It's the Military, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the Military, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the military, pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.'

We had our 2 minutes silence today too. It's important to acknowledge all the people who have lost their lives and loves for us to be able to live as we do today.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,

though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

I'm so lucky. I feel blessed that I get a Poppy day, every day. :) Rest in peace, Joe and Hannah xx

N x

Little White Book

I've been featured in a beautiful blog by a lovely lady called Laura who runs Little White Book which is a wedding and event management company. She's done a really nice job and as ever, I'm so grateful for the feature. Thanks Laura! You can read it by clicking here.

I've worked hard today to finish off 2 of my fascinators for my new collection. I have to think of names for them now so that I can list them on my site after the photos are taken!

Talking about naming things, I often wonder if people actually have the job of naming nail polishes. I imagine them all sitting around a table coming up with the most random names. I bought one the other day that was by OPI and called All A-Bourdeaux The Sled. It's dark wine red. Who actually thinks of these mad names? It's a great colour though, and part of their 'Holiday Season' range so get it whilst you can! I recommend OPI varnishes (I'm a nail technician in my other life) as they are so densely pigmented and give a lovely coverage!

I've decided to abandon Linux and go back to Windows. I can't seem to download my photos easily and it's driving me mad! Does anyone use Windows 7? Is it any good? Hopefully I'll be back to uploading soon!!

N x

Berry Nice!

I was walking back from the school run the other day, and have a beautiful road to walk down. I noticed that all the berries were out on the trees that lined the street and they looked so lovely and I had to take some photos. They reminded me that I have some artificial berries that I'm going to use to make one of my 2010 fascinators, so I fished them out. They are in gorgeous browns and creams and will work really well with some crin or sinamay. 

I've had a meeting with a business advisor today who's given me some great advice about wholesale ideas for bridal boutiques which I'm going to follow up, and I've decided to add a blog to my T&F website to update customers on what I'm doing and what I've made recently, plus photos from people who have purchased from me too to make the site more active. Should be fun!

We had our annual bonfire on Friday night which involved my Dad digging up a big patch of his garden to have the fire, my Mom cooking all the food, and me making a scrummy banofee pie which went down well! We had fun with fireworks (courtesy of my pyromaniac brother-in-law :)) and sparklers and it was lovely to all get together and wrap up warm on a chilly night. If you're not aware why we celebrate 5th November with a bonfire and fireworks in the UK, you can read all about it here :)

Dad, Rachie, P, Pyro, Loz and Mom warming themselves by the fire...

P and Mom sparkling!

Mom scoffing the banoffee pie for a pic to send to their friends in Portugal. Dad looks amused!

I'll write the recipe for my Banoffee Pie for my next post... I dare you not to love it!

N x