Blueangel crafts

During the last few months work has been quiet so I thought I would fill my evenings with something I love: crafting. Inspiration hit to start my own scrapbooking/craft meeting each month to share ideas and meet some more people who live locally with similar interests. So Blueangel crafts was born.

I spent many hours preparing craft kits, making ads, I even paid a friend to make me a logo etc. The big night came... and I was sorely disappointed. Only 5 people turned up, and of those only one was really serious about crafting. The other four had never made anything before. I almost wept with disappointment as I'd worked so hard to plan the 'perfect' meeting.

In hindsight the night was really great fun. The people who were there were a real laugh, which is the main point, I guess. Plus since then there have been loads of enquiries so perhaps I'll take the plunge and book myself some more sessions. Next time I might even break-even!

Leaving a job

Leaving my school wasn't going to be too bad, I thought. Anyway it was miles off. Shortly after that it was the last few days already. Everyone was really kind and I got this sick-feeling in the pit of my stomach of how ungrateful I'd been to all these lovely people. What was I doing leaving this great place?
Then I got stuck on my commute to work again. A mere 2.5 hrs after leaving for work I arrived, having travelled 18 miles. Rubbish. THIS is why I had to change jobs. But how do you explain that to your yr8 students (13 yr olds) who are asking you why you're leaving THEM. Not the school: THEM. I actually felt like a grown-up and like a proper teacher for the first time. Weird how that happens a couple of years into teaching. I had begun to wonder if it would ever happen.
We all know that there are other great kids out there and other nice places to work, but it's a shame this is not normally appreciated until you find yourself in a bad place. Fingers crossed I don't find myself in one of those places next term.

Getting Old

Never have I thought of myself as particularly hip or cool. I've just plodded along doing what I fancy and never being a slave to peer pressure etc. (at least that how I felt) Anyway HTB (hubby to be) and I had a week off at home, since we're saving up for our big day. I'd imagined days of lazing in front of the tv, eating junk and staying up late i.e. pretending we're students for a week. But no. Instead we had an exciting week of kitchen painting, mattress buying and visiting relatives. It sounds dire, and yet, at the time it was boring at all. It was only when we talked about what his colleagues will think when he goes back after a week off. No wild nights out getting smashed, dancing, going to cool bars and nightclubs. Oh no.

Is this what getting old is? Is this how life gets? I was really excited about the new colour of the kitchen walls! Please help, I need to regress!

It has been a while

Yes indeed I have been neglecting my beloved blog. I cannot fathom how almost 4 months have passed since my last post but much has happened:
1. I'm engaged! So that has taken up a lot of my time
2. I've finished at my school and am ready to start my new post in a few weeks time
3. I've become addicted to crafting: card making, scrapbooking and digital scrapbooking. I never knew photoshop would be sooooo addictive. I am currently dreaming of digital layouts.

So that explains a lot, really. Now there's just the fuss of getting everything together for the Big Day without offending too many people. Everyone's been really kind and offered lots of help which is great. I'm sure there'll be some fireworks somewhere but that seems to be par for the course from what I've heard. Who knew this is where my life would be!

Naughty cat

On Sunday morning I couldn't sleep. At 5.30 am I got and started watching a film while I did some card making. I thought at least I could be practical since I couldn't sleep. Liam, my cat, was purring around me. I would have been flattered by I knew he was just after food. It was too early to feed him or he'd be after more food by 9am, so I ignored him.

In a strop he dashed upstairs to try his luck with Mr TL. Fat chance, since Mr TL sleeps like a log! So in response to this Liam decided to communicate his disgust the only way he knows how. He pooed on the bed. As if this was not enough he decided to then be sick next to it. Mr TL woke up to see a retching cat right next to him! It's probably for the best that he did wake up though as it would only have been a matter of time before he rolled onto it!!

Ah pets, aren't they just the best?!

Gym guilt

I've done a lot over the holidays: seeing family, tiling, gardening, making cards, cooking etc. yet there is one thing I haven't done. Going to the gym is like my nemesis it seems. When I joined I thought the guilt of wasting all that money would spur me on but I was wrong. Instead I just get a massive amount of guilt even though I've been doing some exercise. It's just not been at the gym. We've been walking!

It's been really great to go out in the countryside and see the land surrounding us. I didn't realise how remotely we live. Although it's just 10 minutes to a town, it feels like we're in the middle of nowhere when we go for a walk. So although the guilt is still there, at least I know I am not turning into a massive ball of fat. There is more to me than that!

So Surrey dahrling

Half way through the holidays. I'd like to say I've been dedicated to tiling and painting the kitchen as I'd promised myself and Mr Tiger Lily (Mr TL). Sadly this is not what has happened. Everywhere I've looked there've been distractions: Bluewater, friends, shopping, crafts, gardening. Anyway THIS week I WILL finish tiling the kitchen and hopefully paint it too.

This week has been strange, particularly in relation to how I'm getting on now I live in Surrey. Mr TL often has hire cars for work and I consider myself his official car tester. This week he had a Nissan X Trail 4x4. Now I loath 4x4s. I think they should be banned from our roads because I can see no benefit in them compared to regular family cars.

Living in Surrey I am surrounded by 4x4s. I usually feel like the poor relation because I drive a small car and am swamped by these huge beasts that are (and this is a giant generalisation) driven by silly women who don't know how big their car is. They drive right in the centre of the road so I have to swerve, block out the sunlight from my windscreen and generally drive me mad.

However, here we were with our own 4x4 to drive about in for 24 hours! I thought it would be fitting to put on my wellies (tres Surrey, dahrling!!)and go for a walk in the Surrey countryside. Zooming about in the car I finally felt like a Surrey person!

Just to note, I am NOT converted to 4x4s. I think they're rubbish and to be honest they arent even that big on the inside. They are just big for the sake of being big and should have huge taxes put on them, or preferably they should be banned. I can't see how we would be missing anything without them.