Much Love Monday - A crisp, new page.

I love the feeling at the start of a New Year. That feeling of being able to start again. It seems to be a fairly common theme that 2011 pretty much sucked for a lot of people. Family, friends, fellow bloggers... I've seen and heard so many comments along the lines of 'Well, thank God THAT's over. Moving on!'. 2011 was a hard one for me and Baby Boo. A lot of sadness, a lot of upheaval, a lot of readjusting. I'm glad it's over but I won't forget what I learned from it. Here's to a fresh start and a crisp, new page.

Via

Much Love Monday

What a funny old day. Both Baby Boo and I woke up this morning with the very definite feeling that we didn't want to get out of our pyjamas. So we didn't. We read books, made a mess with some paint, took silly photos, ate chocolate and drank sweet, milky tea.

Via

Sometimes you just need to recharge those batteries. Bliss.

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

Much Love Monday

I love Much Love Mondays. I love them even more when I find awesome blog posts that I can tie in with the Monday Lovin' theme. Having stumbled across these two fabbity fab posts below I dedicate this Monday to Much Loving..... Yourself.  I know, I know, an alien concept for many of us..... especially those with kids, dogs, husbands, hamsters, cats and laundry to contend with but it only takes five minutes to do something, anything for yourself during the day that makes you feel just that little bit more special.

Healthy Loser Gal

Need some inspiration? Healthy Loser Gal has written a lovely post on the little things she does to take better care of herself. And it is the little things that count. Much as I'd love to pack a bag and hit the backpackers trail, right now this minute it's not exactly practical.....how many hostels will take me, Baby Boo, the dog, cat and hamster? And how am I going to carry the hamster's bag as well as my own?

Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet (probably one of my most favourite blogs) has kicked off Monday with 'One week to a better me' and I love her ideas to improve herself over the coming week using these five categories: nutrition, exercise, relationships, creativity, and me-time so I'm going to have a little go at these myself. Want to join in? Hop over to Sometimes Sweet and read the full post then get listing :)

Nutrition: EAT. I am terrible at remembering to eat. I feed all the animals because they are not all shy about reminding me that I need to top their bowls up but frequently get to bedtime and realise I've eaten nothing bar a packet of crisps and an apple all day. And by EAT I am not allowed to fall back on my fail-safe meal of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. 

Exercise: I love to exercise. My job kind of demands it of me but I am guilty of sticking to running, sit-ups and push-ups. Time to shake it up a bit. I bought a kettle bell that is currently being employed as a doorstop (ahem) so this week I'm going to let that door swing shut and use the kettle bell in the way nature intended (if I can find the DVD that came with it. I'm probably using it as a coaster or something).

Relationships: I've been crap at keeping in touch this last few months. Need to ring my best mate and see what mischief my gorgeous God-Son has been up to, ring my sister and see how her uni course is going and I need to write to my penpal in California.

Creativity: Did you read my last post? I'm making a headband dammit! Why else do I have a glue-gun? If it goes wrong it goes wrong..... at least I tried. Note to self: Try not to glue fingers together as per the Christmas Decoration Making Incident....

Me time: A Pedicure methinks. It's nearly time to break out the summer sandals and I don't want people pointing and laughing at my gnarled, hairy, yellow-toenailed feet. Bleeurg. This may take some time....

Linking to:

Much Love Monday

Today I'm loving starting a new project. I'm about 1/28 through a crochet blanket which, because I crochet slower than a monkey with no hands, is starting to make me feel a bit grrrrrrrrrrrrr. And I don't like to feel grrrrrrrrrrrr. So I'm putting it aside for today and starting on this instead.....

I've not done much embroidery so lets hope it goes a bit faster than the crochet. Ahem. The pretty little house is from The Floss Box which has loads of free embroidery and cross stitch patterns, all of them gorgeous.

Happy Monday, everyone. Don't worry, it's nearly the weekend....

Linking to 'Much Love' because it gives me something to look forward to on a Monday!

PS. Please excuse my shockingly crap picture taking. It's on my 'List of things to improve on' which is growing every hour...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I hope everyone is feeling loved and treasured on this fine day? Doesn't have to be your husband/wife/partner for those of us that are single. My unconditional love is coming from my gorgeous 11 year old who loves me even when I get so absorbed in a book that I burn her dinner. Bless you, Baby Boo and thank goodness for iron-clad stomachs. I also have Mum's dog, Guinness, lying on my feet looking up at me adoringly. It might be because I have a cheese sandwich on my lap or it might just be because he luffs me very much.

Today I am loving that Valentine's Day has fallen on a Monday so that I can link up with 'Much Love Monday' with these crochet hearts I sat and worked my way through last night!

I used the lovely Bella Dia's tutorial and it was so simple to follow. I'm a little bit in love with them, truth be told.

If you are also in to crochet hearts then pop back tomorrow for a completely unrelated post that has nothing to do with crochet hearts whatsoever! I thought it might be time to tell you a bit about me, Baby Boo and our life as a soldier and soldier's daughter :) Some will relate, some might enjoy and some will be so bored that they'll want to pick out their eyeballs bit by bit just for something to do! So something for everybody.... that's always good, right?

I'm loving...

That when I woke up this morning the sun was peeking through my curtains and the sky was bluer than an Eskimo's bum! I haven't been this excited in days! I rushed downstairs, shoved my feet in to my wellies, grabbed the dog lead, opened the back door and shouted the dog before removing my wellies and rushing back upstairs to get out of my PJ's. Whoops. Once I'd managed to master the whole getting dressed thing Sandy Dog and I spent a blissful two hours skipping through the woods and marvelling at the warmth of the sun on our faces. Hurrah for spring! What are you loving on this gorgeously awesome day? Get yourself over to MUCH LOVE and join in 'Much Love Monday'.

Spotted