Deadlines

I've never been much for self-motivation, I'd rather not do what it is I have to do if you don't mind. I'm a real one for running around at the last minute, I work better that way, under pressure, even though I know the lovely feeling of relief I get when I get something out of the way early.

At work I set myself deadlines all the time. My boss works at a different branch to me and only contacts me when she needs to so I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder and that means that I have to be quite strict with myself and get things done early.

The funny thing is that when it comes to jewellery making and crafting, i enjoy it so much that I rarely leave things, I'm still disorganised and chaotic but I get results. That's why I'm confident that I can succeed, because no other profession has ever inspired me in this way. I've never felt this enthusiastic about my career and I'm loving it.

Do you need deadlines or is it just me?

A few more pics from the camera

My monster sized head

a bracelet I made for myself but will probably sell

some rather spangly earrings

Patches all dressed up with nowhere to go

Gluhwein mug from the Kristkindelmarkt



Some pearl and Swarovski Crystal earrings from my forth coming bridal range

and the lovely Paperchase boxes that my Christmas pressies from James came in

Resolutions

Although I love Christmas I also love getting back to normality, de-cluttering the house and knowing what day of the week it is. I love that the 21st December has passed and the days are getting longer and that within a couple of months my walk home from work will be in daylight. I love winter when it’s idyllic, frosty crisp mornings and perfect pale blue skies. Of course the reality is far from that, grey over cast skies, rain, wind and a distinct lack of daylight. It’s at this point that I wait impatiently for the first signs of spring. Bluebells and Snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses. It still rains a lot but at least you have the pretty flowers outside and the new leaves emerging on the trees to brighten the world up a bit. I’m like this four times a year. I love each season but I love the beginning, the change, after three months of it I need something else. Sadly in the UK Autumn lasts a week and winter lasts six months! But the new year begins in winter, wouldn’t it be lovely if the first of January was the first day of spring, that on new years day we could awaken to dewy grass and butterflies.

Still, I love the New Year, this year we will be celebrating it alone as everyone either has other plans or is working. I don’t mind because I find it an exciting time anyway. I always vow to lose weight (which once again I am determined to do despite having never done it in the past) and I always ponder the year’s glorious possibilities. This year’s main ambition is of course jewellery related. I’d love to make this year my last year working for someone else. I realise that it would be an enormous task to build my business to the point at which I can pay my mortgage but I’m confident that it will one day happen.

Photo by Wittyn. http://www.stock.xchng.com/
So yeah, lose weight. I’m not really overweight I’m just a little "fluffier" than I’d like to be. So I’m eating all the roast potatoes and chips that I can until Thursday, which is the start of my New Year, and my same but slightly lighter me, LOL.

This year I am going to force James to go for walks and bike rides with me. My walk to work is about 2.5 miles/4K but my mum gives me a lift home these days. Since I had my seizures everyone else has been way more concerned for my safety than I have. As soon as the evenings lighten I’m going to start walking home again. I feel so unfit at the moment, when I had my seizures I injured my back and it has at times been difficult. I could barely walk at first but slowly it improved but bit’s kind of hit a stand still now. I used to dance in the house all the time and that obviously stopped and now, when I try I get out of breath really easily. I’m 27 in January, I should be able to run up the stairs not drag myself up on the handrail!

Then there is the "diet" I don’t like that word , it makes me think of crazy celebrity fads rather than safe steady weight loss. My younger brother is a fitness instructor and very knowledgeable about nutrition. He is creating a "diet" for me that is based on my weight, height and activity level. I will be eating six small meals a day (I know it sounds silly) which will be nutritionally balanced so I’m not depriving my body of the things it needs. Eating small amounts often makes your metabolism run more efficiently and also your appetite shrinks because you aren’t filling your stomach to the brim when you eat. That’s my problem you see, I don’t snack, I eat a balanced healthy diet, I watch my fat and sugar content but I eat too much. I love pasta and can eat buckets of the stuff, how I’m not obese I’ll never know.

This sounds really stupid but I have been feeling very short lately, I have a lot of tall friends and compared to them I feel dumpy. I have always had an obsession with height, if I see a film, for example, and I enjoy it I’ll Google it and look for the heights of the actors. When I was 11 years old I was the tallest in my year at 5’ 3 3/4" everyone told me how I was going to be so tall, like a supermodel and I loved that. Sadly I never grew again which was a shock, given that I had become so accustomed to the thought of being tall. It sounds ridiculous I know but I’m not too bothered now, I love being short sometimes cause James is tall.

The only way to look taller is to lose a little weight, and then I’ll be short and slim instead of short and dumpy LOL. The only problem is that when I have lost my 20lbs I’ll need to go shopping, Oh no! ;)

My new camera

Christmas in Cleckheaton

I was awoken several times in the night by a small voice telling me that he couldn't sleep cause they were too excited. I didn't know she had kids I hear you think. I don't, I have an over excited husband eager to open his presents from Santa Wife. So James arose at 6.30am and waited until I got up reluctantly at 7.15am. He made me a cup of tea and we began to open the presents. James has been wanting an Xbox for a while now but we couldn't afford one. Luckily the carphone Warehouse were offering free gifts when you renewed your contract so I upgraded my mobile and got a free Xbox 360 deluxe. He knew I was getting it but I still had to wrap it up and send it to Santa. I was very lucky to get the Nikon Coolpix S210 that I wanted so hopefully you'll be seeing a lot more photos on here, Starting today.

Sadly, I didn't see my first White Christmas. It would have been nice to see my unkempt garden covered with snow, hiding the brambles.

But with the tree decorated

naughty treats everywhere

and Jimmy playing with his new toy, it certainly felt like Christmas.

On Christmas morning I also made a new friend. I'd like to introduce you all to Patches..

Original name don't you think! Oh and I got some beautiful shoes from Jimmy

Then we went up to my mums for a few hours and came home just in time to put the beef in the oven. I'm not really a turkey fan. So set the (coffee) table

Roast the beef, potatoes and parsnips in goose fat

Cheat with the pigs in blankets
Boil the only item with a discernible nutrition content

I couldn't miss these out, being a Yorkshire lassy

and don't forget the most important part

The finished, massive meal. I really should buy a gravy boat, the Pyrex measuring jug doesn't quite cut it.

Speaking of Christmas presents, Camera Girl, these are some of yours....

Watch out though, Patches has his eye on this one!
Matching bracelet

and an oceanic blue bracelet. When I think of Australia, these are the colours I picture


So I haven't mastered my camera just yet, although the grey British weather doesn't help!

Christmas Giveaway

Here is my one final Christmas gift this year

and the gift goes to....

Congratulations Camera Girl, the prize is yours. Just send your address to me at apriljaneellis@yahoo.co.uk and I'll get your prize in the post asap. I'll be posting pictures of the prize later this week.

Seasons Greetings

Just a quick post to wish you all the merriest of Christmases. I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I am.

I'll be back later with the results of the giveaway.

XXXX April

p.s. Only 365 sleeps to go!

Merry Christmas

Santa Claus is coming to town, tonight!

I am soooo excited that it's Christmas Eve. It's a shame I have to work but I do get 4 days off which is great and really needed. I always get nostalgic at this time of year and remember past Christmases, they always have a Rosy tint! I remember one year sitting on the sofa and looking out at the sky and thinking that every dark speck was Santa in his sleigh when in actual fact it was probably fly poo on the window. My mum threw away a lot of our old baubles a few years ago and it made me feel really sad. Yeah, they were crap but I have such fond memories of helping my folks decorate the tree with them, I just wish that she had given them to me instead.

James and I are having our Christmas dinner at home tomorrow. We will be heading off to my parents for breakfast after the presents have been demolished and then home to cook the beef and play with our new toys. Boxing day will be spent with James folks and then we'll spend the Sunday home alone in front of the telly.

I Hope you all have an amazing Christmas.

Love to you all

XX April

Reminder - Christmas giveaway

...ends 12pm (GMT) Tomorrow.

Leave a comment on the below post to enter.

Have an Amazing Christmas Eve
XXX April

Sparkly lights, shining bright

I'm looking outside but all I can see is a desk, a filing cabinet and a blond girl in a T shirt that is clearly too small for her, interspersed with orange street lamps and the occasional full beam of an articulated lorry. The rain gets so aggressive when it has the wind on its side it really victimises the trees.

I think I've had too many chocolate liqueurs. hic!

Christmas Giveaway!

I know I promised to do this sooner but things are a little crazy at the moment what with the impending holidays so I'm doing it now.

Christmas Giveaway

I'm giving away a surprise box filled with over £40 ($61 USD/ $73 CAD/$87AUD) worth of Aprilis Jewellery. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post and on Christmas Eve I'll draw the names out of a box and announce the winner.

Good Luck!

Baby it's cold outside

I placed a jewellery order today and I'm ridiculously excited. It's on next day delivery and I'm having it sent to my brothers house so I don't have to wait until Saturday to pick it up. I have ordered some gorgeous lamp work beads. I ordered these beads in green last time and made a lovely necklace and bracelet. This time I have ordered them in dark blue, teal and yellow. The yellow ones are a sunshine buttery yellow. They remind me of spring and knowing me I'll be wishing for spring by the first of January! I'm always doing that, half way through a season I start wishing it away. It's when Christmas is over and the adverts on TV are all about holidays abroad and outside it's cold and wet. It's silly really. Anyway, I never told you how the jewellery party went. It was a huge success! Not just because I sold quite a lot but because of the incredibly positive response I got from my friends. I've been working on a new (to me) wire twisting technique and I sold almost all of the pieces I had for sale that used this method, and one friend commissioned more! She said that she could see how my work has developed in the last year. I was very happy, it means a lot to hear that. I know that this is a never ending journey and I genuinely appreciate constructive comments or criticism. Just not when it comes to pricing. (There's a ranty post about that around here somewhere)
Last night I made myself a jewellery set. I bought a cheap necklace from an anonymous shop and after destroying it turned it into a lovely necklace, bracelet and earrings set.

I'm just so inspired by beauty and one creation leads to another. Making one pair of earrings spurs me on and I make more. I can't wait to get my order so I can make even more! I'll just lock myself away and get twisting.

I'm having a few friends over this weekend for a little Christmas gathering, I was going to do my usual feed five thousandesque buffet but due to financial restrictions (LOL) I will be doing a few snacks instead. Still I'm excited by that too! Now, I need a cup of tea. Bye!

Oh little town of Lee-ee-ee-eeds

Friday night was spent with friends at Wagamama in Leeds. James was a little worried because he doesn't like Chinese food but he had a curry and he really enjoyed it. I thought the food was great and the company even better, all in all we had a great night.

Our intention on Saturday was to get up early and put the Christmas tree up but I couldn't drag myself out of bed so we didn't really get anything done. The wedding was at 3.15 so, allowing over an hour for the journey we started to get ready at 12pm. I had to make some jewellery because I didn't have any that went with my dress and then panicked because I couldn't find the little bag that I had bought specifically for the occasion. After all the faffing was done we set off only to find that Google Maps doesn't have a clue! It sent us off the main road and up some country lanes and told us to take a left that didn't exist! I was really nervous because it was 3.15 and we still couldn't find the church. I hate being late and was telling James that I wouldn't go in if the wedding had started. Eventually after some frantic phone calls to friends we found the church on the main road Google had told us to turn off. There was no sign of a bridal car so we rushed inside and sat down. Unfortunately for the bride the car hadn't turned up to collect her and she had to have a friend pick her up so she was around 30 minutes late. When she did arrive she looked amazing as predicted, the church was lit solely by candles and she sparkled as she walked down the isle. Unfortunately both the bride and groom are tall, as are their families so I really couldn't see anything.

After the service and the photographs we all went next door to the village hall with was again lit by candles. Each table was adorned with candelabras wrapped with eucalyptus leaves and tulips. The meal was excellent and the speeches were very funny and really touching. The whole wedding was lovely and so romantic, a great start to what I know will be a great marriage.

The next day we went Christmas shopping. First we stopped off at Starbucks first for a gingerbread latte (A Christmas essential) and toast and then I braved Primark for some gifts for a friend. I did James' shopping and then we met up with a friend, had lunch and went home. We both felt a bit bluuur from the food so we sat down, had a cuppa and then wrapped all the presents and put the tree up and surrounded it with them. I had bought a rather racist Crooners Christmas CD, with Dean Martin making incredibly inappropriate comments at Sammy Davis Jr. so we were listening to that and skipping the inappropriate tracks. Then it was off to bed and before we knew it it was time to get up and go to work. Joy to the world!

Great weekends are the hardest to leave behind.

Reminiscing

On Christmas day it will be our seven month anniversary, now I don't celebrate every month anniversary but I do acknowledge them. Seven blurry months, it's gone so quickly and I have very little memory of it. I often look through our wedding photos and it makes me smile, even though I can't remember much of it I know that it was the happiest day of my life.

My boy with his boys.

Me with my boy's boy's

It really has been a year for weddings. Two of the guys in the above pic with me have married this year, one in June and one in July and Tomorrow we have another wedding to attend. They are a really lovely couple we met over a year ago when we first started going to the pub quiz. She is a tall beautiful brunette and I know she is going to look amazing.

Sorry I have been away for so long this week has been very busy indeed. I'm very tired today so this post wont be the most exciting ever. I'll be back later to tell you all about my weekend including how my weekend went. I will also be doing the christmas giveaway soon too!

Oh the weather outside is frightful

Why is it that a little snow can bring England to a complete stand still? Here in West Yorkshire we generally have very mild weather, very little snow, rarely have storms just grey all the time but when we do experience a little weather we panic. Busses stop running and people decide not to go to work. James spent a couple of hours on his first bus to work only to find that his second bus wasn't running. Luckily for me he spent a few hours in Leeds shopping for my Christmas presents and then went home and started the housework in preparation for tonights jewellery party. I'm a feeling a little panicy about it actually because I ran out of display pins last night and I still have some pieces to hang. I have to get showered, hair, make-up vacuum the living room, wash the dishes, clean the bathroom in an hour and a half. Honestly we worked solidly last night but there still seems like there is so much to do. I know James will work his little socks off and we'll get it done, I just feel a little daunted. I also really hope everyone turns up!

Snow, Pearls and Freebies

Someone has told me that we are in for some serious snow tonight although the BBC news website says it's going to be sunny all day and rainy tomorrow. The weather yesterday was awful, It had snowed during the night and turned to slippy sludge, my walk to work was extremely treacherous.

I had a rather productive night last night, I made 11 pairs of rather lovely earrings and a black plated metal bracelet. I have started to make the links myself too. I realise that many jewellery makers already do this but in many respects I still think of myself as a novice. I'm really enjoying playing with the wire, twisting it and making unusually shaped links. Sometimes I make some really horrible stuff and other times I'll make something really pretty and work on the technique until I get it right. A couple of pairs of the earrings that I made last night were different to any I have made before and I love that because I often worry about becoming a one trick pony. On one hand I think that threading beads onto tiger tail is hardly difficult and that I need to develop new skills to even hope to compete in the flooded jewellery market. On the other hand I don't want to under value what I do because I know that it is more about having the eye for design and how to put beads together and create something than the twisting of wire and closing of crimps.

Tonight I really need to tidy and clean the living room. I also need to sort my beads out. Down the side of the sofa is a pile of trays with the odd bead on, headpin and tiger tail off cuts, it's a real mess and I think that tidying it up should be my priority tonight, at least then after all the tidying is done I can still make more jewellery because all my beads will be organised and there wont be the huge mess I usually make.

Recently I have been considering launching a bridal line. I have made some beautiful faux pearl jewellery which I would have worn myself for my own wedding had I known how to make them back then. I think I will launch it in January but I will use freshwater pearls and sterling silver. I could make a budget range but personally I'm a little sentimental and like to keep special items for ever. Once it's complete I'll take it to local bridal shops and try and sell it that way. What do you reckon?

Oh and this week I will be having a Christmas giveaway. I haven't decided what to give away yet but it'll be something special ;)

Stay tuned.....

Do me a favour

I have re-written this post at the suggestion of my husband. He thought I sounded a little bullish and he was right so here goes

If you wouldn't mind clicking on the ads at the side I would really appreciate it. Any money I earn will go towards some new silver wire. Thanks

I can't believe it's December!

I can honestly say that this year has been the briefest I have ever experienced. I know it has been a busy one what with promotion, weddings, hospital stays, honeymoons and new businesses but jeez where did it go?

I have been wondering when to put my Christmas tree up. Not this week as it will take up too much space that I need for Fridays jewellery party. It is a shame really cause it would give a great festive feel to the place. Still I'll make some hot mulled wine and get the mince pies out. It looks like I might get a good turn out on Friday, you always get last minute cancellations but that is to be expected. I'm getting really excited about it even though I know I have so much work to do for it. I have enough stock but I want to make more, I need to tidy and clean the house and then I need to set up my displays which I will do the night before having learnt not to do it on the day last time.

I also really need to get baking my Christmas cake. I made one and took it to work as it was my practice cake but it was really nice. Christmas is a coming so I better get on with it.

Are you prepared for Christmas? We did the majority of our present shopping on Saturday. We only bought for others. We can't buy for each other until we know what's in the budget. Needless to say my letter to Santa lists a digital camera and James' lists a screen printing kit. I'm a very lucky lady, not only is my husband the bestestest boy in the world he is also incredibly talented. He has recently designed a couple of T shirts and had them printed up and I must say that they are great. So I think that when he gets his kit he should start screen printing and set up his own Etsy shop.

I hope you made it to the end of this incredibly dis-jointed post.

First sale!

I just made my first sale on Etsy and I am so excited. It was a pair of $5 earrings with free postage so I won't be retiring just yet but that doesn't matter cause I made a sale!!!

I should do a little advertising here

Cyber Monday only Free shipping on everything to anywhere!

Prices start from $5

Can't bring me down today!

Happy Thanksgiving America

To all my American readers I hope you enjoy your turkey or tofu which ever you go for.

It's just plain ole Thursday here in the UK but that does mean that tomorrow is another very lovely Friday and that means weekend Yay! It seems that we are going to be busy every weekend until Christmas now. This Saturday we are Christmas shopping through the day and then in the evening we are going to a charity event my sister has organised at a local pub for a children's hospice, Sunday we are going back to the Christkindelmarkt with some other friends and then later to the pub quiz. The weekend after we are having our pub quiz team annual Christmas dinner. This year as we are all exceptionally poor as most of us have got married this year except one couple who are getting married on the 13th December so we are all putting in a fiver and having the meal at a friends house, it should be fun. The Friday will have been my Jewellery party. The next week is the afore mentioned couples wedding on the Saturday and overspill Christmas shopping on the Sunday. Then on the 20th we are having a Christmas Party at our house and sleeping all day Sunday. I also have to fit in jewellery time around the 40 hours at work! I have to say though, tiring as that might all be, I know it will be great fun!

Mmmm Bean Sprouts

Anyway, as planned we went to Country Baskets on Monday night for the paper bags but we came away with much more. Mum bought a clutch bag (I know, from a floristry wholesalers?) and some Christmas gift bags and I bought some small gift boxes, some lovely blue and green striped carriers and a pack of small black envelopes. The kind that those little florists cards go in. Anyway I just figured that earrings would go nicely into them. The choice of paper bags was poor. They had white ones which were an off white - dirty colour and brown ones. Neither were nice enough. I will post some piccies soon. Before I really got into the jewellery I used to make greetings cards and honestly if you live near a branch get yourself there cause the choice is amazing.

I really need to make some jewellery tonight, I haven't made much recently and I need to make as much as possible for the party next Friday. I just haven't felt inspired this week. I think it might be because I'm low on really nice beads. Sure I have nice beads but no really nice beads, sadly I have no money to rectify this.

So I joined Twitter last week. Seems okay, I went on a mass following spree today and now I haven't got time to reply to all the direct messages. I will, but it may take a while. It's essentially another marketing tool, another way to get your name out there. Sadly I'm not the first to discover this. It's also great from a personal perspective. It's interesting to see glimpses of peoples lives. I'm a big blog reader even if I don't always comment, I love to read about the regular, what some would call, mundane parts of life. I also love to read crafty and creative blogs, there is a wealth of information out there that some generous bloggers are willing to share.

If you have visited through a link I posted on Twitter I would really appreciate it if you left me a comment.


Oh, and I have a severe craving for bean sprouts right now!

Supply shopping

Tonight mum and I are going paper bag shopping to a local floristry warehouse called Country Baskets. I worked there for a while when I first left Uni. I didn't particularly enjoy the job but the people were really nice and they sell some amazing products. I'm going to buy some little bags for my impending jewellery party on the 5th December. It's at my house so it's friends and family who are coming. I like holding these parties but I really don't want to take advantage of their kindness. The are all hugely supportive and I really appreciate that but I don't want to take their money all the time. I tend to have these parties twice a year and always just before Christmas. This time I think people will really be able to see the new techniques I have learnt and how my work has developed.

The main problem with shopping at CB is the range of products they sell. Honestly the place is massive and they sell dried and silk flowers, baskets, glassware, kitchenware, candles, Christmas decorations, floristry supplies, party products, pottery, dolls house furniture. They also sell beads but they tend to be plastic so I don't bother with them. I don't have a lot of money to spend with Christmas fast approaching so I will have to resist the temptation tonight!

Any money I make is going towards another order but this time I'm only ordering sterling silver. I don't think I'll really use plated much in the future. I also need to buy some sort of display equipment at the moment I have cork boards with velvet on them and Jewellery holders from Ikea which are great.

19/30 rubbish score!

Na we didn't win despite being a team of eight this week. Still we had fun, it was great to see everyone, it's ages since we last went. It's even longer since we last won!

the weather has been a little unpredictable today. This morning it was lovely and sunny, then around lunch time it clouded over and started snowing and now it's sunny again! What's going on?

Gluhwein und Haggis

As predicted we had a great time at the German market last night. It was soooo cold though, I must buy some gloves soon or my fingers will leave home.We all had some Gluhwein and I stole the mugs as promised (I will post photo soon) A couple of us had German Sausage with a bread handle. The sausages were about 18inch long and came with a 4 inch bun!! Jimmy and Cathy had crepes.

Then we all had a go on the Carousel, it was ace! My horse was called James and he was the fastest, I won.

After the market we went back to our friends house and had haggis tatties and neeps for tea and stayed over. Over all a great time. Now we are getting ready to go to the pub quiz so I must dash. I'll let you know the score tomorrow.

Frohe Fritag!

It is a lovely sunny day here in Yorkshire, the sun has a warm golden glow to it and I’ve got that Friday feeling. I’m going to watch the Quantum of Solace tonight and I’m looking forward to it. It will be nice to go out somewhere with Jimmy and not think about the dodgy gas pipe or the old electrics.

Mr washing machine repairman came to my house yesterday and magiced my washer-dryer better. He even upgraded my thermostats!


Tomorrow James and I are going to indulge in some Glüwein at the German Christkindelmarkt at Millennium Square in Leeds it’s a great Christmas market, one of the biggest in the UK, the atmosphere is amazing and you get to ride the carousel which is great fun.
There is bar/restaurant called Frankfurter Scheune and it’s great. You get your Glüwein in a cute little mug, you have to pay a deposit of £2 but you can keep the mug if you don’t want your money back. I got a really lovely one last year but it’s lonely and wants a friend so I’ll get another this year. They also serve great food. I usually stick to the frankfurters but I might be a little more adventurous this year.
Here is the menu


Hot Drinks
Café, Coffee £ 2.00
Cappuccino £ 2.00
Kakao, Hot Chocolate Drink with Cream £ 2.50
"Lady´s Dream", Kakao, Baileys & Cream £ 3.50
"Men´s Dream", Kakao, Rum & Cream £ 3.50
"Santa´s Dream", Kakao, Amaretto & Cream £ 3.50
Tee, Tea £ 1.50
Glühwein, Mulledwine £ 3.00
"White Dream", White Mulledwine £ 3.00
"Hot Love", Mulledwine with Rum £ 4.00
"Flirt", Mulledwine with Amaretto £ 4.00
"Snowman", Mulledwine with Amaretto, Rum and Cream £ 4.00
"Bratapfelglühwein", Roast Apple Mulledwine £ 3.00
Himbeerwein, Mulled Raspberry Wine £ 3.00
"Himbi", Raspberrywine with Raspberryschnaps £ 4.00
Kirschwein, Mulled Cherry Wine £ 3.00
"Kirschi", Cherrywine with Cherryschnaps £ 4.00
Blaubeerwein, Mulled Blueberry Wine £ 3.00
"Heidi", Blueberrywine with Blueberryschnaps £ 4.00
"Hot Dream", Mulledwine with honey £ 3.00
Kinderpunsch, Children Mulledwine £ 1.50

Soups
Gulaschsuppe / Goulash Soup £ 3.00
Kartoffelsuppe / Potato Soup £ 2.00
Tomatensuppe / Tomato Soup £ 2.00

Small Dishes
Käsewurst / Cheese Sausage £ 2.50
Feuerschlucker / Hot Spicy Sausage £ 2.50
Krakauer/ Krakauer Sausage £ 2.50
Pommes frites / Chips £ 1.50

Sweets
Omi´s Blechkuchen / Grandma´s yeastcake £ 2.00
Sahnetorte / Cream Tart £ 2.50
Nusstorte / Nut Tart £ 2.50
Biskuit Roulade/ Sponge Cake £ 2.50
Apfelstrudel / Apple Strudel £ 2.00
Apfelkuchen / Apple Cake £ 2.00
Pfirsichkuchen / Peaches Cake £ 2.00
Obstkuchen / Fruit Cake £ 2.00
Marzipanstollen, Marzipan Fruit Bread, 1000g £ 4.50
Butter Mandel Stollen, Almond Fruit Bread, 750g £ 4.50
Slice of Fruit Bread £ 0.50

Main Dishes
Rindergulasch mit Semmelknödel
Goulash and bread dumplings £ 6.00

Käsespätzle mit Röstzwiebeln
Swabian Noodel, melted cheese and fried onions £ 4.50

Semmelknödel mit Pilzsoße
Bread dumplings with mushroom sauce £ 4.50

Rinderbraten mit Spätzle
Roasted Beef with swabian noodles £ 6.00

Spießbraten mit Kartoffelsalat
Spit roasted pork & Mashed potatoes £ 6.00

Gegrillter Schweinenacken mit Kartoffelknödel und Blaukraut
Pork steak with potato dumpling and red cabbage £ 6.00

Krustenbraten mit Sauerkraut und Semmelknödel
Crackling roast pork with pickled cabbage and bread
dumpling £ 6.00

Surbraten mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelpüree
Gammon pork with pickled cabbage and
mashed potatoes £ 6.50

Surbraten mit Knödel
Braised joint of pork with potato dumpling £ 6.50

¼ Ente mit Blaukraut und Kartoffelknödel
¼ Duck with red cabbage and potato dumpling £ 7.00

½ Schweinehaxe mit Sauerkraut
½ knuckle of pork with pickled cabbage £ 5.50

Spareribs mit Pommes
Spare ribs with chips £ 4.50

Zwiebelsteak mit Kartoffelpüree,
Pork steak with onions and mashed potatoes £ 5.50

Gefüllter Schweinebauch mit Brezelfüllung
Pork breast with pretzel filling £ 6.50

I think we are going to be taking a few trips because a few people have asked us to go with them. I’ve not been feeling the whole "it’s Christmas" thing yet this year. It’s still a little early for me. I love Christmas and usually I’ll be the first to be all Christmassy but I am sick of it by boxing day. I think the market will light my Christmas spark! I’ll try and remember to take some photographs.

Now that the washer-dryer is repaired (Yay!) I can catch up on the laundry and make some Jewellery on Sunday and then hopefully it’s off to the pub quiz in the evening. I have missed our outings to the quiz, we haven’t been for a while for one reason or another and I miss it. I enjoy my two pints of Speckled Hen and the company.

Breakdowns and Buses

Do they always have to come in threes? My shower no longer heats the water and having Epilepsy I have to be supervised in the bath so I can only have on on an evening and I will not have a cold shower, bring on the deodorant!! The heating element on our washer-drier went a few months ago but we just used an airer and the radiators and then last night we noticed that the drum wasn't spinning on the wash cycle. So I looked through the manual and followed all the fault finding and that didn't help. So I have had to purchase an insurance plan and they are coming to repair it tomorrow morning and luckily mum and dad have the week off and will sit in my house and wait for the engineer. So I'm waiting for the third thing now.

Our local council have been installing free cavity wall and loft insulation in every home in the district which is great and they came to do ours last Friday. Unfortunately we had to pull the gas cooker out for them to improve a vent that was behind it. I have never pulled the cooker out before and ugh! It took me ages to clean it. Now, I work in the gas industry and seeing our gas pipe (the green pipe) has me worried. It is embedded in the wall when it should be held free of the wall with clips to prevent corrosion. It is suffering heavily from verdigris and is corroded in some areas.

I do like my house but had I worked in this industry when I first viewed it I would never have bought it. It's a mid terrace stone and brick house built in 1900. The central heating system is 35 years old and even though it works fine it is inefficient and we can't make any cosmetic improvements to the house until the big messy jobs are done. So that's the old system and immersion heater ripping out, new copper piping all over the house and like everything else the price has soared recently, new rads and a boiler. The electrics are as old as the heating so they need totally replacing. New kitchen and bathroom are really needed and the solid floor is really uneven in the kitchen and needs leveling, unless it's stone in which case we'll just pretty it up but I have a feeling it will be concrete. And then of course every room has yukky raised pattern wallpaper that will probably be hiding cracked uneven walls and after having the electrics done there will probably be several holes that need covering. Hopefully being an old house there will be conduits running to the light switches for the cables and we wont need to chip the walls out. So yeah, re plaster every room and then we can get on with the cosmetic side of things, that's the bit I will enjoy.

Last night James and I were so miserable, it was just getting on top of us, we work 80 hours a week between us and have no money, it hardly seems fair. We can't afford a car and James travels for two hours each way on the bus to work so he is hardly at home and when he is things like this happen. We both need a holiday I think, just time off work. I shouldn't complain really because there are so many people worse off than us, at least I have a home and a job!!

Mixed feelings

Yesterday was a great day, it was my little nephew Joshua's christening. He was so good, didn't cry once even when he was covered in freeing cold holy water!

Reading about Baby P in the news has me so angry. When I hold Joshua all I want to do is protect him and keep him safe. He is so precious, not just because he is the cutest most beautifulest little boy in the world but because he is a helpless little child. So innocent and pure, so vulnerable and fragile. A new life, and there is nothing more wonderful and awe inspiring than that. We "normal" human beings will never be able to understand how anyone could hurt someone like that. Least of all a child. All the people in this world who go through years of IVF treatment, people who long for a baby and people out there who commit such atrocities. It hardly seems fair does it?

Making craft and music

It would appear that craft and music go hand in hand, whether that is musical skill or just a strong appreciation for it they seem to be linked. I have always loved music, my I Pod goes everywhere with me and I sing all the time, I probably drive everyone around me mad.

So why is this, why do so many musicians also craft? Does the appreciation for all things aesthetically beautiful bring with it an appreciation for audible beauty? I've wanted to be a singer for as long as I can remember but I've tended to go with folk, country, blues and Jazz rather than pop or rock.

Here are just a few examples

Kate Rusby is an lovely utterly creative folk singer who I had the pleasure of seeing in concert last year. We had a lovely day, it was an open air concert, we had a picnic and watched her weave her magical melodies sat on the grass on a perfect summer evening.

Frank is a lovely young lady I had the pleasure of working with a couple of years ago. Although I hated the job I enjoyed her company and the music we'd play when the manager was out. She writes and sings the most beautiful melodies and she is also a wonderful artist. She is one of a kind, not someone who just tries to be different, don't those people annoy you? Frank just is who she is. I hope she doesn't mind me telling you this but She was the Supervisor and I was the Assistant Manager. If the manager was ever unhappy with someone I had the unhappy task of delivering the message. Frank was always humming, I enjoyed listening to the humming, it wasn't like she was humming spice girls tunes badly, they were delicate, sweet little melodies. The manager made me tell her to stop humming and I hated her for it. I suppose the humming did interfere with the Robbie Williams CD playing in the background! As I type I am listening to Dragonflies I recommend that you do the same.

And of course there is Eva Cassidy. Now I don't care what people say about her being too popular now. I don't form my musical opinions based on popularity. Her music and artwork are beautiful. Her arrangement of Over the Rainbow is still one of my favourite songs and listening to I wandered by a brook side makes me feel like I'm floating.

And then there's little ole me. I can't paint (I really wish I could) and I still have only covers on here, I really must pull my finger out and get some of my original music up there.

I was obsessed by music for a long time and then my jewellery kind of took over but today having looked up the ladies above I once again feel inspired. That's what a true artist does to you, they inspire you. Every day I visit the people on my blog list and everyday they rejuvenate me.

So why is it? Is my musical ability in some way responsible for my ability to string beads onto tigertail? Do I see the beauty in todays dark and opressive sky because I like folk music and do my colleagues laugh at me and call me stupid for it because they listen to the Pussycat dolls?

No, the leafless trees and the charcoal clouds are beautiful, and the gentle picking of a guitar accompanying a tale of love and tragedy sung with honesty are beautiful. There is so much magic and wonder out there, you just have to pay attention.

Oooooh I love Etsy

It's so much fun over there on the forums. I have yet to sell an item but I will. I don't think I have put enough groundwork in yet.

I've listed some lovely 9ct Gold and Swarovski Crystal earrings today which I think are a bargain at $30 US, that's about £20 ish. They are the first piece of gold jewellery that I have ever made and I really want to keep them but that is not the aim of this little venture.

This is a lovely necklace using Lampwork glass beads. It's bold but I love it. I think it looks like a little country garden