Buns & Roses WI

Hi everyone!

Now this is something that not a lot of people know about me, and at first I was a little bit hesitant about mentioning it here because a lot of people (me included, before I found out differently) have a preconcieved idea of what the Womens Institute is all about, and I was slightly embarrassed about joining, and attending the meetings, so I kept it quiet.
The WI brought to (my) mind older ladies with blue rinsed perms, wearing twin sets and pearls, sitting around in a village green-type setting, straight out of Midsomer Murders, making jam and speaking in snooty voices.

Nothing can be further than the truth (except maybe the jam making bit!) and since I went along to my first meeting back in November, I have been hooked, I am even joining the Book Club!
Everyone at my particular meeting, is around my age group - members ages range from 19 to 45, have similar likes and interests, (there are a few fellow bloggers :) and all make a newbie feel accepted and at home from the minute you step inside the door, showing you straight to the bar area (incredibly cheap drinks!) and point out the all-important 'cake table' my personal favorite!

Some of the Buns&Roses members

It feels great to be able to talk 'crafts' all night long (outside of Blogland) with like-minded people, who not only know what you are talking about, but get passionate about it!
There are  various crafting or arty activites going on at different tables, with a member teaching new skills or crafts, as well as people doing their own projects while having a natter, a cocktail (or coffee) and a cake or two! What more can a girl want? :)
Everything from sewing, recipes, art projects, baking, knitting, card making, quilting and blogging have all got a mention at meetings, and Buns&Roses even has its own Facebook page, to keep everyone updated on the latest meeting idea's, wine or tea party dates, book club info ect.
Just to give you an idea of what else happens at the meetings and workshops, here is the Buns&Roses 2011 diary and workshops:

Workshops 2011

6 January - Decorate a bag for life

3 February - Card making

3 March - Cake decorating

7 April - Sushi making

5 May - Illustration

2 June - Fascinator making

7 July - Flower arranging

4 August - Quilting

1 September - Knit a cake

6 October Decorate a tea cup

3 November - Sock monsters

1 December - Christmas crafts

Meetings 2011

20 January - General meeting

17 February - Makaton

17 March - Science of baking

21 April - General meeting

19 May - CROP

16 June - Origami

21 July - General meeting

18 August - Home accessories

15 September - Skills swap

20 October - General meeting

17 November - Accessories

15 December - Christmas party

As I will be attending this weeks Winter Warmer Tea Party and (hopefully) all the above meetings and workshops, I will do a regular post after each, so you can follow my new-found skills!
If there is a WI near you, check it out, I bet its nothing like you imagined!

What are your thoughts on the Womens Institute? 

'Use It Up' Challenge

Hi everyone!

I was catching up on some blog posts from my looooong bloglist a few weeks ago, and noticed that a lot of bloggers had decided to set themselves a personal challenge, where they spend absolutely nothing on beauty products that they wanted but didnt need, like cosmetics, bath and body products, hair products etc, when they had perfectly good/numerous quantities/half-used bottles of the same stuff at home, ready to be used up.
Since I have been off work, I have been sooo bored (I cant use my left hand so I cant sew, sob) so I have been spring cleaning, and generally de-cluttering the house. The 'use it up' challenge came to mind when I came to clean out the bathroom cupboard, as I couldnt believe the sheer amount of bubblebaths, showergels, soaps, shampoo, conditioners, bath bombs, crystals and bath melts that I had somehow crammed in there, not to mention the seemingly hundreds of bottles of body lotions that I have also accumulated!

So I decided to do the challenge myself when I realised that I could probably last a good few months without actually needing to buy any new bathroomy type products, and I decided to extend the challenge to cosmetics and haircare (excluding hair dye!) aswell, as although I by no means have the largest hair and makeup collection in the world, I do have many different brands of the same products, ie, numerous foundations, blushers, mascara, hairspray and mousses ect (despite my little sister regularly deciding she 'needs' something, and steals it from my makeup kit!)

I actually think I could go til June (at least) before I need to buy any new products, so that is my aim. I think its just too easy to throw a new design/brand of shampoo ect that catches your eye into the trolley when you go round the supermarket, without even thinking about the amount of stuff you have at home already, I know I do!

So that is my 'new' New Years Resolution/challenge, and im sure I can do it, save myself space in my cupboards and some money, and use up what I already have!

Could you set yourself this challenge?

In my 'Dream House'......

Hi everyone!

When I was a little girl, my sister and I would play a game, where we would look through the Argos Catalogue and tell each other what we would buy when we grew up, and lived in our 'Dream House'.
So now that im all grown up, every time I see something I want, but I know cant have because it wont fit in my small-but-perfectly-formed 2 bedroom townhouse, (like a beautiful grand piano or a walk-in wardrobe a la Carrie Bradshaw, or a makeup/dressing/craft room JUST for that purpose and no other) I STILL make a mental note to myself to purchase whatever that item is or create said room, when I get my 'dream house'

The concept of the 'dream house' was that this house was THE house, the one I would see, (magically in my price range) buy, and move into, to stay there forever and ever, and I always wanted it to be a beautiful (large!) cottage by the seaside.
This house should fulfil every want - in my childhood, I remember dreaming after room upon room of toys, books and games, but nowadays, the more adult me would much rather:

have at least one bathroom that is a beautiful, relaxing girly haven, full of scented candles with a cast iron roll-top bath (in cream) that has jacuzzi function, or something like this:

It should have enough bedrooms for a games room (for Simon!) a dressing room, complete with the walk-in wardrobe (for moi), a craft room, a bedroom that I could kit out in Cath Kidston designs and shabby chic furnature (without Simon moaning that its too girly!) and a sultry boudoir bedroom with a giant four poster bed, decked out in plum shades, and deep pinks with gorgeous fabrics and cushions that I could swap and change to my hearts desire:

• The kitchen would be all shabby-chic and country cottagey, with a big farmhouse style wooden table, a massive french dresser filled with pastel-coloured teacups and pottery, with an aga stove and tiled floor, or something similar to the kitchen on the TV series The Delicious Miss Dahl:

The living room/lounge would have large comfy sofa's with loads of cushions, a wall-length bookcase full of books, a large open fireplace (with a real fire) and bay windows with window seats, or something simple, elegant and beautiful like this:

There would be a beautiful large garden for Lucy to run around freely to her hearts content, and have a pond, a herb garden and a vegetable patch (and a gardner!)

Looking at these pictures, Im aware that if I ever won the lottery and this became a reality (dream on!) I would have he most mis-matched home ever!

What would your dream home look like?

Homemade Christmas Tree Decorations (for next year!)

Hi everyone!

I know, I know, Christmas has been and gone, but as I picked up some fantastic Xmas decoration bargains in the sales (seriously, get next year's wrapping/tissue paper, tinsel, fairy lights, cards and decorations now, they cost literally pennies!) I thought I would have a go at making some handmade decorations (from some bead garlands I picked up for 30p!) for my tree next year. They take literally seconds to make, and you can colour theme them to match your xmas decor! 

This is the finished decoration (sorry about the crap pics, for some reason these were next to impossible to photograph!)

Here is all that you need if you want to have a go yourself:

• Bendy wire, available extremely cheap at hardware shops (this massive roll cost me less than £3)
• Bead garland (or any type of garland that takes your fancy!) in two (or more) colours
• Scissors

All you do is cut a small amount of wire off the roll, and bend it into a sort-of 'S' shape:

 Snip off a length of garland that you're happy with, and loop around one of the curves, so that there is a length of beads on each side of the wire:

Alternate colours until you have about four lengths of beads (two of each colour) and twist the wire around the lengths of beads to secure, and Voila! original handmade Christmas tree decorations!
Now just hang on the Christmas tree (or put them away until next year!)

                      (sorry for the rubbish pics, they are so much prettier in reality!)

Apologies for mentioning the C-word in January!

York Wanderings (picture heavy!)

Hi everyone!

Last Wednesday, to cheer myself up after the accident, my little sister Kaila, best friend Kerry and I, decided to have a  girly shopping/touristy day out in York, one of my favorite citys.

                            Me and my lil' sis on the bus, on our way to meet Kerry

Just like bona-fide tourists, we (ok, I) took lots of photos, and visited all the tourist attractions, (because you just HAVE to!) such as Betty's Tearooms, the ruined castle/abbey (not too sure which!) and the markets

Ooh Betty!

                                               Two of my favorite people!        

Moi!

We passed the Jorvik Viking Centre, where we met two very friendly Vikings (both badly in need of Goks Fashion Fix!), onto The Golden Fleece Pub, reputedly THE most haunted pub in York! then I simply HAD to visit one of my favorite shops EVER - Cath Kidston!!

                                               Kerry & the Friendly Vikings

                           Kaila outside The Golden Fleece, Yorks Most Haunted Pub

The show 'Most Haunted' hosted by Yvette Fielding actually filmed here!

I could live here and never leave!

How beautiful is Cath Kidston designs? I sadly had to stop taking photo's as I was getting funny looks from the staff :(
After shopping til we dropped, we stopped for a much needed caffeine fix ( and snack, because its rude not to!) at starbucks:

                                                   Mmm, Cinnamon Swirl

York is such a beautifil gothic-looking city, I adore the Tudor-style buildings, the walk-along Wall that surrounds York and the stunningly crooked Shambles and Little Shambles, the picturesque streets, that all contribute to make York one of the most visited Citys in Yorkshire.

I managed to spend lots of my Christmas money in the sales (and I bought lots of crafty bits for a project I have yet to post on, so watch out for that!) so all in all, I had a great day out!

Have you been to York? What is your favorite City?

New Year's Resolutions

Hi everyone!

As tomorrow is the start of a new year, I thought I would do a post of things I hope to achieve in the next year, (im hoping that seeing them on screen will help me stick to them!)

I have the usual:

• Lose the post-Christmas bloat (and the rest!) and ditch the ready meals/takeaways and cook from fresh.
• Drink more water (this is a resolution EVERY year)
• Establish (and stick to) a good skin care routine
• Starting driving lessons (finally!)
• Save Money - and stop squandering it on things I dont need and wont use - mini trampolene anyone?
• Burlesque lessons as mentioned in a previous post

The actual resolutions that I REALLY, REALLY hope to achieve this year are mostly more creative or crafty related (surprise, suprise!) and I am determind to follow these through:

• Learn to knit (again) -  I remember being taught how to knit when I was really young, but I didnt keep up to it, so sadly its a forgotten skill.

• Begin a correspondance Writing Course. writing (properly) is something I have been wanting to do ever since I can remember, mainly the creative style of writing - I was forever starting to write 'books' when I was young, only to discard them half finished to start a new story!                                        

•  Homemade Presents - making homemade gifts is something I really love and enjoy doing, and Im hoping that next Christmas, the majority, if not all, of the gifts I give are homemade, as I think they really show the thought and effort behind the gift, which, to me, is what gift-giving is all about. Who wouldnt like to recieve that?

• Learning New Crafts - (kind of important for the Homemade Presents resolution!) Inspired by Kirtie Allsop, and fellow bloggers, I really want to try my hand at soap making and bath bombs ect, among other things, so watch this space!

There are a few other skills that I would like to get under my belt this year, but I dont want to try to achieve too many things at once, the cost would be astronomical (and this post will go on forever!)

What are your resolutions/hopes for 2011?