Beads, Beads and more Beads

As some may know I have been doing a silversmithing course for the last few years and this year I started a beading class as well and it is fab. I now have a new addiction to rival Farmville! Do you have any idea how easy it is to get completely carried away with buying beads online? I sat down on Monday to order some beads and before I knew it I had ordered 3 lots from 3 different web sites LOL. It was a complete accident, I had no intention of spending so much but it just happened, it was absolutely not my fault. They were just so pretty and colourful and sparkly and they called to me!!

Anyway I tought you might like to see my first attempt at beading. It is a bracelet for my DD and I just love the colours, they are so cheerful.



Do you wear jewellery? What sort do you like best?

If you know of any good places to buy beads let me know!

Tagged and an Award - all in one week!

I am really chuffed to have been tagged by Gaelikaa and given an award by MelRoXx.

First the tag.....

All you have to do is pick up the book nearest to you, open it on page 161 and copy the fifth sentence.

The book closest to me is Jamie's America but unfortunately P161 is a full page picture so I will use P162 instead. The fifth sentence reads, "Give it a go." And indeed that is what I would say about Jamie's recipes so hows that for spookyness!

I am passing the tag on to anyone who reads my blog and wants to take part.

The award from MelRoXx is lovely. It's the You Add Sunshine To My Day award. Isn't that such a nice award to pass around, to show all the people whose blogs you read that you enjoy them.



I am passing this one to Ayak at Turkish Delight, and Gaelikaa at Gaelikaas Diary. I love both of their blogs about the countries in which they live cos they really make the people and places come alive with their stories. If you haven't visited them yet DO IT NOW!

The Liffey Descent - action shots this time

OK so last time I posted the fun pics of the weird and wonderful hats from the 50th Liffey Descent and I think it's about time I posted some of the action shots, after all that is what the race is all about. So without further ado here ya go.

This is my OH at Straffan weir and at Lucan weir.

This is my DS (probably the youngest competitor in the race) and a friend.

This is my friend Karen at Straffan weir, right at the start of the race.

If you ever get a chance to try white water kayaking or canoeing, give it a go.

If you want to get ahead, get a hat

As promised I have put together a little collage of some of the weird and wonderful head gear we saw at the Liffey Descent last weekend. The first Liffey race was held in 1960 and 50 years on it is still the biggest, toughest and most challenging river marathon in the world. It is 17 miles of weirs and rapids, with a large lake and a 500m portage thrown in along the way. I first watched the race in 2007 and as I stood in the grounds of the K Club at Straffan weir and waited for my OH and friends to come over the edge my heart was in my mouth, it was truly terrifying. Above the thundering roar of the water the commentator could be heard to say, "There's carnage at Straffan" and that description was very apt. I will post photos of the actual race later in the week, but for now here are some of the colourful hats we saw along the way.

Apologies and an Award

First an apology..... I just wanted to say sorry for not posting for ages, it has been chaotic getting everyone back to school, doing uniform shopping, shoe shopping, books/bags/pencil case shopping etc. We have also been to two canoe races in three weeks down in Dublin (photos to follow) and on top of that I have to shamefully admit to a growing addiction to Farmville on Facebook.

Secondly, I am so chuffed that Gaelikaa from the fabulous Gaelikaa's Diary has given me an award. If you haven't visited Gaelikaa's blog yet then pop over there now. She brings India to life with her writing.



Since all the blogs I read have this award I am not going to pass it on at the moment but it means I will have to get out into the blogosphere and read some more so I can pass it on soon.

I am photoshopping my photos of the Lower Liffey Race and of The Liffey Descent so I will have a post about the races tomorrow (I hope) but for now I will leave you with this photo which made me smile. In case you don't recognise them, this couple are dressed as Smurfs. There are usually quite a few funny costumes and strange headgear at the Liffey Descent so pop in tomorrow to see some more pics.