It's raining. Men!

I cannot cope with this weather anymore. Came home this afternoon soaked to the skin. Yuk.

But good things have happened today and I swear it's karma.

I went out shopping with the Prince this morning after the school run, to let the husband sleep off a hangover as he went out in London last night. I came home at lunchtime to find him about to leave the house and walk to the train station to head into work. In the filthiest weather. He doesn't own a raincoat and left his umbrella on the train (again. This is the fourth time). What a silly man.

So I drove him to the station. Where he announced "Oh god, I've left my wallet and phone at home" (sometimes I feel like slapping him, he is soooo forgetful!). So I have given him my bank card and if he loses that I'll punch him.

Then I got home to discover he'd left his packed lunch in the fridge. Despite me leaving a note on his bag to remind him. It really is like having three children sometimes.

ANYWAY, he was totally thrilled when I arrived in the downpour with the car, offering him a lift, and he's just found out we've got great Olympic tickets. Never seen him so excited!

The sole reason I went shopping is because I am seeing Bon Jovi on Monday night (and yes I will be mentioning this every single day) and wanted to buy some tattoo sleeves to look REALLY bad!!!

I'd seen some on Amazon for £4.99 (plus free delivery) but they may not arrive in time and I wanted to go to the shop which I knew sold them. I got the train in, hit the cherry tree shops where I picked up the following Ladybird books for 50p each in the British Heart Foundation.

I then headed to the shop for the tattoo sleeves. The staff were rude, couldn't be bothered to show me where the sleeves were, and then I discovered they were £7.50. For the same pair as the ones I saw on Amazon. Rip Off.

I refused to pay it and walked off disgruntled towards the train station and bumped into a mum from the village, who I only really know to say a quick hello.

She was getting the train home too so we were talking and I told her I was desperate for tattoo sleeves.

She looked at me and said "Oh I've got some you can have. Brand new. My husband was given a load at work."

Just like that! She gave me her address and I picked up the car, dropped off the husband and fetched the tattoo sleeves. Let Us Rock.

I am officially the world's saddest blogging rock chick

Look who loves it more than me (so baggy!)

And if all this wasn't exciting enough, I THEN got a text from Cuckoo to say I'd won Pink Milk's giveaway. I am beyond thrilled. Utterly overjoyed and so I raced home to log on!

I am chuffed to say the least. Thanks Heather, can't wait to see it in the flesh. Wish I could make fab things. I just don't find the time. Between raising children, working and blogging and all the housework, I don't seem to find time.

I barely even sit in the front of the TV anymore. Except for Made in Chelsea, naturally. And Embarrassing Fat Bodies, but not when I am eating sausages.

Just visited my neighbour who has a seven week old yellow Labrador. Very cute. The Princess BEGGED me for one. I have asthma which is triggered by animal fur and so the answer is a definite no.

But she is very cute and furry. And I succombed. Then I got all tight chested and wheezy. I never learn. Ever.

Just adorable. A good day, despite the horrid weather.

Hope it picks up tomorrow, I am meeting a new friend in the morning. Then I have an old friend coming over to stay the night with her son, cannot wait for a catch up. Haven't seen her in ages and ages.

Livin' on a Prayer (that the Prince will stop feeding)

Evening all.

I totally forgot to mention I saw Paul Daniels in the cinema foyer the other day. Wearing white loafers...

"Now that's what I call tragic".

Geddit?! Sorry I couldn't resist.

I really did see him though but  doubt he was about to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid like I was. I snorted and guffawed my way through the film and the Princess and I OD'd on popcorn.

Moving on though and today has been Evil Tuesday of course. It came and went rather pleasantly, although I won't rename it just yet. A customer came in this morning and let me spray her perfume after I'd commented on how nice it was a few weeks back. My colleagues told me I smelt of Old Lady. Bad times.

At lunchtime we all decided to eat badly and phoned up the local chippie to place an order. Then proceeded to enjoy a gargantuan scoffathon in the staff room while drinking Robinson's squash. How utterly decadent. I usually cram a sarnie down my throat while wedged between two filing cabinets.

The husband is out tonight at a Caitlin Rose gig in London. I don't mind. On Monday night I am out at a Bon Jovi gig. I am the winner.  I truly cannot wait. I am going to take an inflatable guitar AND wear a tattoo sleeve, just because I can!!!

What do I like about Bon Jovi? Well, it helps that Jon Bon Jovi is a bit gorge. I've loved him for years and years. An old colleague did the below pic to cheer me up when I was heavily pregnant with the Prince. Raised a few chuckles. The husband just thinks I am sad.

How smug do I look?!

On to cherry tree items, I am loving the below book - £1.99. Who remembers it?! I loved all the books in this series.

Off to a few cherry tree shops tomorrow on my way to breastfeeding class. Yes, I am still trying to wean the Prince off. He is two years and two weeks old for heaven's sake. He doesn't need it. Yet it's like a drug to him and he is truly obsessed. I will do my best to stop in the summer hols when everything else is more relaxed.

Here he is ten weeks old on the Isle of Wight. I'd only just mastered feeding properly a couple of weeks before. If anyone had told me two years on.......yikes! I'd never have believed them.

Smiling? Nah, think I was grimacing.
Sunglasses hide the fact I got two hours sleep at night

And here he is below at just under a year old. Like a flamin' limpet.

Again, utterly shattered! He was still waking every hour or two through the night.

I couldn't possibly post a picture of him now with the old bitty. Too bizarre. I'm worried I will be one of those mums on the documentaries who still breastfeeds their child at 14 years old. Please, no...

He is literally draining me. I am on iron tablets now and sometimes feel like I will feel over with tiredness. I blame the feeding but it could also be due to the fact it is gone 11pm and I am still up blogging!

But look at him below, my little ray of sunshine. He is such a happy little boy. He can now count to ten, with the help of the Princess. Very impressed.

This face cracks me up.

He is worth it all though. Most of the time!

Time for Tea (Pot)

I can't see any of my followers. Haven't been able to for weeks. I know there are 20 of you, somewhere, out there but I can't be sure who you are.

Do leave messages and reveal yourself to me so I can be sure to follow your blogs too.

Teapot Clare emailed me today. She of the 40th party "dress up as an indie kid" shenanigans. Poor thing was mortified to read my blog about my "party experience". Can I set the record straight - there were TEN people out of 60 who were dressed up. I missed this. Maybe I was too wrapped up naval-gazing in true indie form by this point or too busy stealing the tattoo sleeve from the banker.

I am dying to see more pics of the night so I can put them on my blog if she allows me to. You there Teapot? Email me some if you have any.

Poor Teapot thinks I am a little offended by the "lack of shapeless band t-shirt on woman" situation. I am not at all. We had the lushest time once I'd pulled myself together (thanks to wine and a mean chilli) and I'm over it*.

She is coming to a little gathering I am having next week. She could write her own blog about it afterwards judging from the sobriety it offers. I emailed around to see who was bringing what in terms of nibbles and drinks. Most people confirmed they would be bringing soft drinks. Think only two mentioned wine.

Me thinks two words. Drink. And Spike. And not necessarily in that order.

No, not really. But I do hope we can let our hair down a bit and slow down on the Kia Ora. My life is way too sensible at the best of times. I can't remember the last time I did anything crazy, other than trying to impress the kids' entertainer merely because I have the hots for him, and look where that got me.

Cherry tree offerings, by the way, are the below book for £1.50 from Oxfam and Buzz Lightyear from Helen & Douglas House Hospice for £3.

"To infinity..." blah blah blah

The Princess was thrilled when I brought Buzz home. I actually bought it for the Prince but didn't have the heart to tell her and I forget how much she loves boys' toys.

She wants to join the local cub group. Not Brownies. No waaaaay. She plays football for the village team and she reads Horrid Henry. Meanwhile the Prince has been walking around all day with a baby doll. A doll dressed head to toe in pink.

Right off for a cuppa and bed. It's Evil Tuesday again tomorrow. Yikes.

*Think I'll tell Teapot Clare that it's fancy dress at mine next week. Mwwwwwwwwwwwwwahhhhh!

Oh the shame...

I've bought myself this little cherry tree shop number. Originally from Next, I got it from Sue Ryder and it cost £2.95. It's nothing fancy but perfect for when we go to France.

I haven't included my face in this photo because...I. Feel. Rough. And it is all self inflicted.

I've been utterly shamed twice this weekend. First time was last night. Me and the husband went to a friend's 40th party. The invite said it was an indie disco with live band and "dress as you would back in 1991/92".

When I got clarification, we were told to wear old band t-shirts, Converse/Docs, jeans and TOTALLY DRESS DOWN.

So we did. The husband has basically never changed from when we first got together 15 years ago. He still dresses like a student. He wears Converse all the time so last night he went out looking like himself, except he wore an old Wedding Present t-shirt.

I wore his old Teenage Fanclub t-shirt. T-shirts don't suit me. I have big boobs and hips. It was a big deal. I slashed the t-shirt neck (a la Cuckoo) and it vaguely improved things but not much.

The Princess took the following pics.




I used to live in these Docs. Note my cherry tree skirt.



Do ignore the washing up in the background...

Actually I took this one, the Princess got bored. Naturally.

The babysitter arrived and off we trotted, five minutes' walk around the corner to the village hall where the party was held.

I looked quite butch. But, I told myself, EVERYONE would be wearing the same.

(You know what's coming don't you...)

We strutted in, feeling confident that we totally looked the part. Only to find we were the ONLY people who bothered to dress up in indie gear.

My friend's hubby, who was having the 40th, wore an Inspiral Carpets t-shirt but other than that, that was it.

My friend, who I refer to as Teapot Cottage Clare*, (because I have zillions of friends called Clare/Claire) had promised me it was a dress down affair. Yet she looked amazingly chic in a chiffon blouse, jeans and heels.  If she is reading this, I shall soooooo get you back my dear.

All the women were glammed up in skirts and heels, maxi dresses, tight jeans and little tops. Like they were dressed to go out on a regular night out. Gutted wasn't the word!

So I had a few wines to calm myself down. The husband loved it though, he said I was dressed like his fantasy woman....(god he's weird, but then he used to fancy Amy Winehouse).

I was also shamed a second time this afternoon at the village fete. The local children's entertainer (who is well known in the area and I have the tiniest bit of a crush on him) was performing and I chatted to him during his break.

The husband and I were telling him how hard it must be to be funny all the time (his act is top notch). I told him I only had one joke in the whole world but that it was a good one. He was dying to hear it.

"How did Bob Marley like his donuts?"






"Wi' jammin."


Geddit? Well, he wasn't amused. It was a pure tumbleweed moment.

He then told me it was so bad he would use it in his second act and see if it raised any laughs, to see whether I was right about it being a good joke. So on he went. And I got there a bit late as the Prince ran off. As I was about to sit down, he said to the audience.

"I have a joke to tell you and I want to know if you find it funny. See that woman over there, the one with the lipstick and Primark necklace? Well she told me it and it was DREADFUL. See what you think."    (and how very dare he, my necklace was from Accessorize).

Anyway he relayed the joke and you've never heard more silence in a morgue. Not one person remotely chuckled and there were about 70 people watching. So he took the mickey out of my crapness, with all eyes on me. Will NEVER use the joke again...ever. Oh my lawd it was embarrassing. Still have the hots for him though. No one knows why. Maybe it's like the husband and Amy Winehouse. You can't help who makes your heart beat.

Only had five hours sleep last night due to going out and then giving the husband a lie-in for Father's Day. Then I made him a cooked breakfast. He started taking photos of his food, obviously because I don't do a fry-up often enough, cheeky swine.

Heart attack on a plate

He obviously really appreciated it!!!

So did the Prince

And the gorgeous Princess

 The Princess had to look at nature in her back garden today and take photos. I think she did a rather good job.

Spot the buzzy bee

So after a vaguely mortifying, action-packed weekend, I am ready for the week ahead. Seeing my lovely friend Kate for a cuppa in the morning, not seen her in ages and it's always good to catch up. Then I need to get on with the freelance work.


* She is called Teapot Cottage Clare because we once went to the most amazing clothes and jewellery sale (with my mum) in a wonderful house (called Teapot Cottage). We drank Champagne, ate cupcakes, wandered around the most stunning house ever (I nearly fell in the swimming pool which had a beige cover over it and I assumed it was concrete). We keep saying we will go back again but we never find the time. Shame really as it sold AMAZINGLY lush things.

These are a few of my favourite things...

Well, today there are certainly plenty of raindrops on roses. When is this weather EVER going to improve?

As a result I am not visiting any cherry tree shops today because it was my turn for a lie-in and I had a luxurious stretch at 10.30am and got up to a house as quiet as a church mouse as the husband had taken the children to football (the princess plays in a team).

And we have two parties to go to later. Ooh, get me!

One is a garden party (sheesh, in this rain?!) for my friend's husband's 40th birthday this afternoon and then we are going to one this evening in the village hall as another friend's hubby is 40 and they are having a live band and we ALL have to dress up as 1991 indie kids. Jeans, band t-shirts and Doc Martens.

As the husband is an eternal student, we're both sorted for indie t-shirts and I have my stash of Docs too! Should be fun. My fab friend is babysitting and I am forever grateful.

So today, as the weather is pants, I have decided to list my favourite things in the kitchen to add some cheeriness. This is inspired by a simple yet very pretty cup and saucer set bought from a cherry tree shop a while back.

But I can't take credit for it, Cuckoo (http://www.talesfromcuckooland.blogspot.com/) bought it for me as a housewarming gift and even melted down a candle inside it.

It goes beautifully with my place mats and coasters and I absolutely love it.

This then led to me looking around the kitchen at other cute things I love.  Why? Because the children were quiet (sometimes they actually forget I exist, and were upstairs in their own little Star Wars world) so I had time to mooch while cooking dinner.

Readers of my previous posts will know I am obsessed with Ladybird books, so imagine my excitement when I had this in my stocking on Christmas Day! I often get bored of makeup bags and replace it after a few months, but this is to stay forever.

And yes, I keep my makeup bag in the kitchen.
Why? Because I am weird.

This sign adds a certain bit of sauce to the kitchen.
And we all like a bit of sauce don't we?

This is my favourite teapot. It usually acts as a vase these days though!

There is my favourite jug, my cup and saucer from Cuckoo
 and a cute carafe from my sister.

Then I started clearing things off my noticeboard and saw more of my favourite things which I always keep on there. Just little pieces of happiness.

I took this photo about four years ago when family came round for afternoon tea.

 And one person who regularly came round for afternoon tea was my gorgeous Nanny. After my mum and sister, Nan is my favourite woman in the world. She and I were inseparable from the moment I was born. She died last February, very suddenly, and if I'm honest, I've never got over it. I look at this photo every morning when I get up. Sometimes it makes me smile, sometimes it makes me cry.

A work colleague took this photo. I can almost smell it.

One of my fave websites (and not just because she is a client of mine!)

When there were just three.

These little things are my favourite things in the kitchen. Now I am heading back to that very room to put some slap on. Because I have slept loads, I have the world's BIGGEST puffy eyes. Never had it before, maybe too much sleep IS a bad thing!

Return of the Mac

Just back from an indoor picnic in the Princess's classroom. It was meant to be on the field but the weather is horrendous just for a change.

I hate the rain for one good reason. Cagouls. Even the word makes me wince. I had the most unflattering cagoul - or "waterproof jacket" as I prefer to call it but realised last month that I resembled a very large blancmange. To be fair, I'd bought it from the garden centre when heavily pregnant with the Prince but have worn it ever since until recently when I caught sight of myself in the mirror.

F.R.U.M.P.

Rest assured, I never get wolf whistles from builders when wearing it. Ever.

So a couple of weeks ago I bought a new one from Primark for £6. A total bargain. It's a poor man's Cath Kidston design and it's much better than my fat pink one. But still not terribly flattering. Why can't someone design one with a little tailoring.

It's pretty and I do get compliments. Cagoul compliments. Now there's a first.

Anyway we had a lovely indoor picnic of fresh pineapple, olives, blueberries, muffins, sushi (for me, I am in love with the vegetarian one in Waitrose), jam sandwiches, cheese and rice cakes. Then the Prince and I came home for he could nap while I blog and then we have to go back to school to fetch the Princess in about an hour.

The kids are being very sweet at the moment, I haven't had to raise my voice in a while (shock, horror!) so I shall enjoy it while it lasts.

I found them in bed together one Morning this week. So cute. Both with their cuddly toys, the Princess has Mao (she named him) and the Prince has Noo Noo AKA Mr Snuggles. Both cannot sleep without their comforters.

Fake sleeping from the Princess here. Oscar winning, mind.

I do wish we could bottle them up so they never have to grow old. Would be magical. The Prince is joined to my hip but he is also a complete Daddy's boy. Every morning he yells "Hi Dad" and they have a special bond.

Onto cherry tree shop matters, I was thrilled to pick up the following. They are currently in my kitchen but am thinking of putting them on the wall in the Princess's room.

Then I thought perhaps I could try sewing simple things like this and turn them into cards...one day. When I get time. If I get time. Like crochet. Ahem...

They were £1 each from Oxfam.

Have a good weekend one and all. We have two 40th birthday parties to go to tomorrow, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. We are all getting old - I remember when it was all 21st bashes. Yikes.