Signs

Bet you thought this post was going to be about something paranormal with a title like that! Sorry to disappoint but it is actually about signs of the wordy variety. When I got my new kitchen extension two years ago I bought a sign that said BAKE because, as anyone who knows me will agree, I am heavily into baking. Next came the EAT sign, then along came COOK to complete the kitchen set. Then I found a sign that said LIFE IS GOOD which was very apt as it fitted in with the Project 365 digital scrapbooking I have been doing at Weeds & Wildflowers, where one of the kits is called 'Life is Good'. Next came WELCOME, then LOVE in white, then WASH, then LOVE in red, and finally the latest in my collection is HOME SWEET HOME.

Do you think I am a bit of a compulsive buyer of signs?

Here is the latest one.....

And here are some of the others.......

Do you have signs like these in the house? What are your favourite things to decorate a room with?

Getting in the mood for Halloween

Anyone who knows me knows I love any excuse for fancy dress, heck I even had a Wild West 40th. So with Halloween coming up I am starting to think about costumes, I am leaning towards Pirate Queen but who knows what I will end up as! Anyways I thought I would just remind myself of last years costume and here it is..... This is me and my OH at my friend Heather's party (which she will hopefully have this year too - hint, hint!) The fab kit is All Hallows Eve from Weeds & Wildflowers. Just in case you were wondering, OH is wearing a mask (he's not really that old and wrinkly), unfortunately I am not wearing a mask, that is me (but I do have alot of make-up on)!



This year Halloween will be a bit sad for me as my youngest DDs school closed in June and I was very involved in the PTA there and we always had a Fancy Dress disco for the kids at Halloween. Many an hour I have spent doing face painting or serving on the tuck shop, printing out certificates for best costume or best dancer, helping sort out DJ music or clearing up the sweetie wrappers after it is all over.

Do you dress up at Halloween? Do you have a party?

Leave a comment and let me know what traditions you have at this time of year.

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.