Must. Motivate.

You know how I'm moving from Germany to the UK in 8 days? And how I should be all motivated and stuff. Putting things in boxes, cleaning windows, dismantling beds etc....?

Well, I keep getting distracted. Boxes are AWESOME! You can make transmogifiers out of them....

And robots...

And cars...

Via

Cakes even!!

Via

Now help me get back on track. Before the removal men turn up and find me playing Cowboys and Indians in my very own fort....

We have a HOUSE!!

Baby Boo and I have finally been allocated a house!! With 17 days left until we move. Luckily we've doing this thing long enough and completed enough manic pack moves to know that everything is always left to the last minute with Her Majesty's fine Army!

I can't believe we actually have an address. Bricks and mortar. It's been a long time coming. We were due posting last November but, due a housing shortage in the area we're posted to, we've just had to sit back and wait. That's the official reason anyway. I reckon it's got more to do with the fact that, due to budget cuts, the Housing Office were told they had to downsize from Krispy Kreme donuts to digestive biscuits at coffee break and this was their revenge. Just a theory, mind.

Still, it's all sorted now. The house is small and the garden is about the size of a postage stamp but, quite frankly, they could have allocated us a tent and we'd have found a way to get the sofa in.

Army houses are always painted Magnolia (dirty cream), have either blue, green, dusky pink or claret carpets, heavily flowered curtains and the kitchens and bathrooms often leave a lot to be desired. If there's one thing you learn very quickly as a soldier it's how to make the best of what you've got. We are masters at finding the perfect rug, whipping up the perfect window dressings and covering the walls with as many pictures and photos as possible. Oh, and we always buy plain coloured sofas. I once made the mistake of having the most gorgeous purple sofa and was allocated a house with claret (dark, yucky red) carpets. Two years of walking in to my living room and having to swallow back vomit taught me a lesson or two.

Also, when you move out of an Army house it has to be left exactly as you found it so we don't often paint the walls. Blu-tack is our friend. Painting them back just adds to the stress of the three million other things you need to do including packing and scrubbing the house to within an inch of it's life. If it's not 'Army clean' you get charged.

So what better way to celebrate than with a big cup of tea, a donut (take THAT, housing office) and a mooch through my inspiration folder?

** I've had the majority of these lovely pics for yonks and failed to save sources. If they belong to you or you know who they do belong to please let me know. Credit where credit's due **

Why I blog...

Why do we blog? Do you ever ask yourself that question? I never had until today but after reading Alycia's post over at The Curious Pug I couldn't stop asking myself. I got so absorbed in this one, little question that my cup of tea went cold and I forgot to eat the three Jaffa Cakes I'd just stealthily removed from the biscuit tin! I know! I forgot to eat biscuits! I still haven't really answered this question to my satisfaction but I came up with a few things.

1. I started blogging out of pure jealousy. I saw pretty, inspirational, funny blogs and I wanted one. Simple as that. I still have a long way to go but I'll get there one day. I still very much feel like a newbie.

2. When Baby Boo first went to boarding school I was so lonely and so sad that I completely shut myself away from 'real' people. Not that you guys aren't real but the people I worked with, socialised with - I cut them all off. I just wanted to cry... and you can write blog posts without anyone ever knowing you have tears running down your face. This doesn't work so well with face to face conversations. Funnily enough.

3. I discovered 'crafting' soon after Boo went to school and I kind of hoped that one day I'd be good enough at something to be able to do cute tutorials for the cute things I've made. Still working on this one too. It's not helped by the fact that I'm still in that phase of trying everything because it's still so new and exciting.

4. Once I'd started blogging and discovered how much I enjoyed it, I vowed to get better at it. To build the kind of blog I'd always wanted when I first began reading other people's. I want to learn html and photoshop and learn how to take good pictures and how to write things people will enjoy reading without compromising me and the things I want to write about.

5. It's made me realise what a big place the world is. I love reading blogs from the US and Australia and the UK and Japan and... well, you get the picture. It's nice to throw a little bit of Germany in to the mix. Though with our move back to England I'll just have to blog about the good old North East coast! Stand by, stand by! 

6. To make new friends. I love people. People are awesome.

How about you? Why do you blog? Pop over to The Curious Pug for a little linky party.

Via

Much Love Monday

I'm still loving crochet. I'm also loving that I'm getting more confident and more experimental as each day passes....and I'm loving that every time I manage to make something I want to run down the street, bang on people's doors and scream 'LOOK WHAT I DID!' before thrusting my latest creation in their faces.

Ok, so it's just a bit of fabric and a bit of pretty crochet edging but I made it all by myself! And now I'm giggling because I'm all pleased and stuff!

You watch.... by next week I'll be whipping up something like this!

Too cool - check it out

Sleep? It rings a bell....

I've been awake for 52 hours. I'd like to tell you I'm doing it for charity but, truth be told, I'm just having one of those stressy, worry about anything and everything weeks and I still feel unsettled without Baby Boo. I'm beyond exhausted, slightly on the hyper side and possibly bordering on deleriousness (yes, it IS a word. Well, it is now).

Going without sleep = bad
Discovering new internet goodies as a result = hurrah!

Look what I found whilst googling 'pesto pasta'..... at 3am this morning....

Food Gawker! How have I never found this before?! A website where all the best foody blogs in the world kindly place all their yummy recipes in one spot with links to their blogs saving me hours of searching and RSI!! I found this scrummy recipe and even dribbled a bit at the picture. It's ok, I had my PJ's on.

Gimme some Oven Found via Food Gawker!

I know! Amazing, right? Wait, wait....it gets better....

Dwelling Gawker! Yep, thousands and millions of pictures of fabbity, gorgeous homes. Suddenly 3am isn't so bad though it would be much better if I lived here and could nip out for a night time swim....

Studio Home found via Dwelling Gawker.
Yeah baby!

Oh, did you think I was finished? Nope, saving the best for last....

Craft Gawker! By the time I found this I was almost wetting myself with excitement. Seriously. I may even have jumped up and down on my bed a bit. Maybe.

I'm heading down town in a bit so I can buy what I need to make this!

Between the Lines found via Craft Gawker.
Hurrah!

Happy browsing everyone. Let me know what you think. Just nudge me if my eyes are shut.