Andy and Giza are coming over for Christmas. They had to get separate, and complex, flights. Giza was going Albany - Detroit - Amsterdam - Birmingham. Andy was going Albany - Philadelphia - Frankfurt - Brussels - Birmingham. Andy was supposed to arrive yesterday, Giza today.

The weather prevented Andy from leaving when he was supposed to, on Monday. He left yesterday instead, intending to get to Birmingham about an hour and a half before Giza. Of course that was before the further delays due to the weather and the cock-ups on the part of the airline that meant he was not booked on to the next flight from Frankfurt to Brussels when he should've been, having missed the one he was booked on due to the afore-mentioned delays, and last I heard he was on the next flight from Frankfurt direct to Birmingham. Where his luggage was remained to be seen...

I'll give my dad a shout tomorrow to find out how things worked out in the end.

I made a really nice biscornu for Mrs Gibbs.

I stitched it and I washed it before I sewed it together.

It got monumentally frayed in the wash and is now going to be a pair of patches on a bag. Or possibly just one patch, what was going to be the better side, with a button at each corner. For buttons, I have a pair of quavers, a pair of treble clefs and a pair of pianos. I'm thinking both pianos, one treble clef and one quaver.

No, but I am endlessly amused by the spambots that send me crap offering to "increase" my cup size to a DD.

I'm a K.

Dear Sooty,

No, you may not eat my food from off my plate.
Yes, you may lick my fingers, although it is a little gross.
No, you may not attempt to eat my fingers in the process!

With kind regards,

Female food source.

Started wrapping presents about 9 this morning.

Finished shortly before 8 this evening, having stopped only for lunch (10 minutes) and dinner (slightly longer).

I am tired, I am stiff, I have run out of Christmas paper - despite having some left over from last year, some that I bought in January when it was on sale and some that I bought new this autumn - and I still have to do a present for Anita and finish Dad's. And to wrap up Alison's present.

I had hoped to start on Dad's next coaster after I'd finished wrapping. Having finished wrappy, I can officially say, screw that. Tomorrow's soon enough.

Awesomest Christmas tree ever.

http://www.fresh99.com/can-christmas-tree.htm

Mum's shawl. My shawl now. Came down from mum's aunt, who may or may not have embroidered it herself. It is hand-embroidered, and she did enjoy embroidery, so it seems not unreasonable that she did it.

Bird side


Bird close-up


Butterfly side


Butterfly close-up


I'm going to wear this to my work Christmas party, because I want to show off!

***********FOODOLOGY***************

1. What is your salad dressing of choice?
~ Not a fan of salad

2. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
~ Probably the Red Cow.

3. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
~ Slim Fast bars

4. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
~ Pepperoni, or that Dominos one I like with olives.

5.What do you like to put on your toast?
~ Some breed of jam :)

***********TECHNOLOGY***************

1. How many televisions are in your house?
~ Two. They're both widescreen. One's 17 inches, the other's...somewhat larger.

2. What color mobile phone do you have?
~ Um *checks* the front's black, the back's blue

3. How many computers are in your house?
~ Two that work, one base unit that was Gray's and is in my room.

4. Have any idea how many Megahertz your computer has?
~ Um...no. Apparently enough.

***************BIOLOGY******************

1. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
~ Right

2. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
~ Nope. Tonsils, appendix, etc all still intact.

3. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
~ Bags of Christmas presents. Some of them are quite heavy.

4. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
~ Nope

************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************

1. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
~ Yeah

2. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
~ Maria, or maybe Kesiah

3. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
~ Nope

************DUMBOLOGY******************

1. How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
~ None

2. Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
~ Never

3. Last person you talked to?
~ Gray

4. Last person you hugged?
~ Got cuddled by Gray this morning :)

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************

1. Season?
~ Spring

2. Holiday?
~ Christmas

3. Day of the week?
~ Saturday, aka "day off the diet"

4. Month?
~ May

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************

1. Missing someone?
~ My aim's improving, slowly but surely.

2. Mood?
~ Kinda fed up of the basic necessity of work.

3. What are you listening to?
~ Chuck (it's on the TV next to me :) )

4. Watching?
~ Um...see above.

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************

1. First place you went this morning?
~ Bathroom

2. What's the last movie you saw?
~ Princess Diaries 2. Shortly after Princess Diaries 1.

3. Do you smile often?
~ Fairly often.

***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************

1. Do you always answer your phone?
~ Usually.

2. Its four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
~ Mal. Who is going to get yelled at for texting at such a ridiculous time of night.

3. If you could change your eye color what would it be?
~ Green

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
~ At where?

5. Do you own a digital camera?
~ Yep

6. Have you ever had a pet fish?
~ Yes. We had a pond with them in.

7. Favorite Christmas song?
~ Little drummer boy

8. What's on your wish list for your birthday?
~ Far to far away to think about

9. Can you do push ups?
~ I can probably do one, does that count?

10. Can you do a chin up?
~ Never tried

11. Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
~ Excited, mostly.

12. Do you have any saved texts?
~ Oh yeah. All organised in folders. The three largest folders are Mal (795), Sophie (275) and Gray (263).

13. Ever been in a car wreck?
~ Not really

14. Do you have an accent?
~ Everyone has an accent.

15. What is the last song to make you cry?
~ I don't really cry at songs.

16.Plans tonight?
~ Remove makeup, brush teeth, go to bed and enjoy the beddiness of it all.

17. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
~ Yep.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
~ Christmas ornaments for Giza, coordinating Christmas ornaments for Giza, different Christmas ornaments for Giza. Didn't do a whole lot of shopping yesterday.

19. Have you ever been given roses?
~ Yes

20. Current worry?
~ Not getting the coasters finished in time for Christmas, that'd just suck.

21. Current hate right now?
~ The necessity of work

22. Met someone who changed your life?
~ Yep

23. How will you bring in the New Year?
~ I have no idea

24. What song represents you?
~ I have no idea. Probably something by blink 182, for the silliness :)

25. Name three people who might complete this?
~ Mal...can count as 3 people today

26. Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
~ No

27. Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
~ Yes

28. Does anyone love you?
~ Yep, comes with being family, friends, boyfriendly, feline and fed

29. Ever had someone sing to you?
~ Yes

30. When did you last cry?
~ Recently

31. Do you like to cuddle?
~ I'm a hugaholic

32. Have you held hands with anyone today
~ Nope, but there was sleepy cuddling :)

33. Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
~ Old. Really should consider trading them in for newer models ;)

34. Do you like pulpy orange juice ?
~ Yep

35. Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
~ I'll be 48. That's just terrifying.

Got my fabrics. And my blending filament. My life is complete and I'm much happier than I was.

Also, I'm astonished - once again - at how cheap the fabrics were. ALL THAT for less than £15. Including postage. ALL THAT was quite a hell of a lot. Evenweaves and linens mostly, and a package of 4 inch squares of assorted types, counts and colours that'll be great for cards.

Yeah, annoyed Caz.

Got a package in the post today. One of the two packages I was hoping to get. The other one, the one that I've been waiting for nearly 2 weeks, that I asked to be redelivered today, has not arrived. I am not impressed by this.

Going to go down to the sorting office on Monday morning before work (seeing as it's closed now for the day and doesn't open on Sundays and only opens until 12.30 on week days and I'm in a meeting on Monday that's at a different building further away and I don't even remember when it starts never mind when it might finish) and be annoying until they find my fabrics and my blending filament. It glows in the dark, and it's watermelon pink! Come on, I need this kind of silliness in my life!

Gingerbread house candy box for Christmas candy. Well, primarily for Christmas candy. At the moment it has hallowe'en candy in it.

This is it!


And without the roof/lid on


The inside is lined with self-adhesive felt, which is all sorts of awesome and something I'd never used before.


I had huge amounts of fun making this. Now, on to the next project! (In time I might do another one half the size, got other things to do for now though that are on a time limit because they're Christmas gifty).

Went to Tesco to do the shopping. This is shopping to last us most of the month, it's hard, it's dull, it's a necessary evil.
Saw that the queues were really quite long for the checkouts so dragged my feet a bit to let the queues clear down and stuff. Well, that didn't work.

HALF AN HOUR waiting in line just because I wanted to bloody pay. Turns out the next closest supermarket, which is an Asda in case anyone cares, was shut. Also, Tesco had a whole bunch of new staff who were on their first day and didn't know anything yet, so that didn't help but did mean I couldn't get mad with them.


HALF AN HOUR!

In other news, Heather came in to work today with Kacie and Kai and they both continue to be gorgeous. Kacie is wonderful, very well-behaved (y'know, for a 3 year old) and loves spinny chairs. Kai is just...well, he's 3 months old and happy. And teething, so a little miserable about that, but in general happy. Very squirmy. Kacie adores him and gives him kisses. Kacie makes a very beautiful little (?)witch. Masses of blonde hair, constant smile, great big eyes and a hallowe'en dress. Well done mum you did well there!

So, my fabrics and glow in the dark watermelon pink braiding filament were nearly delivered yesterday...but couldn't get through the door so are now back at the sorting office.

The good news is I remembered to get my other order delivered to work so I now have the plastic canvas to finish the gingerbread house roof (tedious but on its way) and all the fabric and threads to do mum's remembrance.

Finish the gingerbread house (just needs the roof to be finished - second sheet of plastic canvas is on order - then to be lined with self-adhesive felt which is on the same order and sewn together)
Do the Clarice Cliff coasters for Dad and send the charts back to Ilke
Do Giza's sampler for her birthday (it's so pretty!)
Definitively decide on and do Munzar's present
Anniversary card for Gray
Make a start on thank you cards
Continue to weigh the benefits of making vs buying gifts for work friends
Start on mum's remembrance sampler

This is all to be done before Christmas. Well, except the thank you cards, they can wait until January obviously.

Happy happy busy Caz :)

Oh wow.

Awesome prices for linens. And evenweave. And aida. And some glow in the dark watermelon pink blending filament because why the hell not.

Thank you Mabel!

As of right now, the answer would be no, with respect and love. My friends wouldn't ask me anyway, they know that I want to have children so much for myself that it would be unreasonable and insensitive to ask me to have kids for them.

I've just had a really fun evening with dad.

Was going to cook but decided I couldn't be bothered so ordered Dominos instead.

Went over really well and then we talked for HOURS. Well, Dad did most of the talking. No change from usual and always entertaining. He found out he's doing a lecture in Oxford in November which they hadn't actually told him about. They'd talked about it, dad had agreed in principle to do it, just never confirmed a date. Dad found out by accident when he was at Oxford for something else, looking over someone's shoulder as they looked at the upcoming program, the other guy pointed out an interesting-looking speaker, Dad saw that he's appearing with someone else and - oh look - Philip Davies!

Luckily, he's free that day.

I love this. Made me feel exceptionally special.





From a kid who has never met me, just happens to be the son of a lady who is dating my brother, and thanking me for the name plate I made for him.

This is the name plate

Looked really awesome framed but I didn't have time to take a picture, sadly.

There is something spectacularly calming about listening to a cat purr at you through a really big cushion.

Especially at the end of the day when the building got broken in to. The day after we had the big emergency planning meeting where we updated the business continuity plan action cards and no-one realised there wasn't one to cover break-ins.

http://failblog.org/2009/10/06/bracelet-fail/

NOT safe for parents or managers.

Otherwise hilarious.