Summer Wrap Up and Shop Update

I never really did get the hang of Summer.  Some people are so organised and go into it with a handful of kids and plans for days out and holidays and trips to the beach and they do this with a clean house, a well stocked kitchen, a mountain of stuff in a rainy day box and with a camera in hand so they can show you how much fun their beautiful kids are having every day.  I fail on just about every level.  I end up running head long into it without so much as a notion scribbled on a napkin let alone a plan and my camera has been plugged in for use the last handful of times because I just don't seem to have gotten round to charging the batteries yet ...

Summers are disorganised chaos here, put it that way, but despite lots and lots and lots of rain we've still had plenty of fun.

I can't quite believe we're into the home stretch already.  Just two short weeks and Chloe will go back to school.  This week is the start of her crash course swimming lessons so even though it's tipping it down again ... oh aye it is .... I've actually got something planned, so there, neener neener and all that:)

She starts swimming classes in school this year and although she's pure water baby (it could have gone either way, I love the water, her dad ... not so much) and she's very comfortable in the water so should take to swimming, the last time we had regular access to a pool we didn't seem to get too far beyond this;

See, having far too much fun and none of us thought to maybe whip the armbands or rubber ring off her and see what happened.  With a bit of luck this week will give her a good start at least and then the school swimming lessons will take over and, save us all, I'll even dig the swimwear out and take her myself a few times.

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The shop has been quite tricky to manage this year too.  Way back at the start of Summer I was asked by Folksy if I'd like to be one of the beta testers for the new plus account.  Stupid question .... of course I would.  I figured it would be a great incentive to keep me on track and let me add lots of new stock ahead of Christmas.

Christmas is never a bundle of laughs for crafters, even if we're just making for friends and family as gifts we somehow manage to think we've planned a butt load of time to get everything done and still end up sitting hunched somewhere under the world's smallest table lamp, with the sewing machine on a towel so we don't wake the family at 2am.  I loved the idea of a head start!

 

And cue Summer when I typically get nothing done.

I have managed quite a bit though ... I've surprised myself, but then I've had a huge amount of help from my mum and dad this year as they've whisked Chloe away almost every weekend to let me get on with a few things.

I've really been enjoying making the Kindle cases over the summer, they're a great size so I can cut a few at night ready for sewing the next day, and they're easy to pack away if need be without anything getting so badly out of order that I can't find where I left off.  I'm looking forward to getting back to some larger projects once Chloe's back to school and I've more time and space to play with.

In the meantime I have been motivated by the plus account and have added lots of lovely new kindle cases.

Kindle Case in Coffee House Canvas

Kindle Case in Cherry Blossom

Kindle Case in Harlequin Kaito

Kindle Case in Honey Gold and Flambé Pink - New Season

Feel free to click over for a browse, these are only the very tip of an ever growing iceberg!

Tallships Belfast 2009 - Possibly Part 1

Yes, you heard me right, possibly part one. You see there were two cameras there on Thursday and I've yet to get my hands on the other one. The other one being the one which contains all of the photos of Toots.

Actually, do you know what, I can't be bothered with all that anymore. She hasn't let me call her Toots in months and its getting difficult to remember to call her that here. The other camera contains all the photos of Chloe. As far as she's concerned she's a big girl now and the baby names have got to go. So there you go.

Anyway, where was I....

Yes, well, we arrived in Belfast at 8.40am (much too early) so we had a lovely breakfast (rice krispie squares, brownies and coffee) at Cafe Italia in Hill Street. Obviously Chloe had milk and not coffee, but she really enjoyed the coffee shop because it meant she was able to wave at the bin men. It's become a little ritual for her to stand at the window and wave and smile at the bin men on a Thursday morning and they always smile and wave back. A lovelier bunch of blokes you're unlikely to meet.

After breakfast we walked slowly over to the Odyssey and were lucky enough to be one of the few people already there, meaning that I was able to get nice clean photos of the ships before the crowds started to arrive. Because honestly once the crowds did start to pile in, as I've mentioned before I'm a wee shortarse so the chances of a good photo later in the day went complete out the window.




Now I say nice clean shots with nobody getting in the way, but when I went back and checked the photos later I realised one managed to sneak in. The funny thing is I didn't even notice this guy when I took the photo! I still like it though, one of my favourites if I'm honest.




Chloe's favourite ship was the Bounty. Obviously! Honestly, that child's seen the Spongebob Movie too many times. As far as she was concerned The Bounty just looked like a pirate ship and she was perfectly happy with that. Trust me, there was little point in trying to explain otherwise to her. Pirate Ship, full stop.





Mine was the Mircea. I mean just look at it. It's such a beautiful boat to see. Unfortunately, Chloe was exhausted (as was I) before we managed to make it far enough past the Port of Belfast to see if the Mircea was open to visitors and when we arrived on the dock side we couldn't even see the Bounty because of the crowds around it. Maybe if I'd persevered and given it a bit of the "Mummy Shoulder" we could have made our way through the queues. I must be going soft in my old age.




The obligatory photo of Harland and Wolff or Samson and Goliath if you prefer. It has to be done really, they're what Belfast is best known for.




And, of course I couldn't leave without taking a quick photo of the Human Statue. This guy's fantastic, Chloe almost ran for the hills when she'd been staring at him for a few minute, asking why a statue would have sunglasses, and he bent down and put his hand out for her. You've never seen a child move so fast.




All in told we had a great day. A long, very exhausting day where I spent a fair amount of time emptying the contents of Belfast Harbour out of my silly little shoes, but a great one nonetheless.

We had brioche and candied fruits. I now have a fridge well and truly stocked with salami, cured hams and cheeses.

And I had my paella followed by a maple syrup crepe because nom nom nom.

And, if only because this wouldn't be a true SeetheWoods post without me having a gripe about something.....

Belfast City Council spent seven years and roughly £3 million organising the events surrounding the Tall Ships and just in case anyone from Belfast City Council happens to read this post, I have a little question. Would it really have killed you to have lit a citronella candle or two, because ... wasps ... EVERYWHERE?

We may have to pick Chloe up from her Nana's early tomorrow and head over to Crawfordsburn or somewhere like that to see if we can see them leaving the harbour.

Belfast Tallships (Condensed)

Well I am officially shattered, with a capital SHATTERED. A capital S all on its lonesome just doesn't cover this level of shatteredness(?).

So I will leave you with a couple of photographs from our dizzy day and the promise of a full post tomorrow.




Now I think I may just curl up in front of the tv for an hour and I may even fall asleep there.

Nighty night all.

Menu Plan and Big Boats

This will be a short little menu plan this week. I'm only planning as far ahead as Wednesday at the minute because I know if I plan any further than that, the plans will just end up being changed.

Monday

Baked trout with Parmesan and whole baked tomatoes with crusty bread and a green salad. I still have a freezer full of fish and my brother has already started to add to my freezer stash.

Tuesday

I roasted a chicken on Sunday afternoon so I'll use the leftovers for fajitas tonight. We have Toot's school readiness assessment this afternoon so I don't want to have to do too much on Tuesday afternoon. I can always use any salad from yesterday too.

Wednesday

Toots will be at Nana's house so I'm using the last of the venison for the husband and I'm actually not entirely sure what I'll have to be honest. I haven't went all out eggy for a while so I may have an omelet.

And that will have to do for the menu plan this week. We'll be going to Belfast for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge on Thursday and I've only recently realised that not only will there be the ships (obviously) and a Guinness World Record attempt to have the largest gathering of people dressed as pirates at Queen's Quay on Saturday but there will also be not one, not even two, but THREE continental markets in Belfast.

I know what I'm like and I'll go completely overboard buying brats and cured hams and who knows what else, so I'll just hold off planning any more meals until I see what ends up in my fridge come Thursday afternoon.

I'll post some photos later in the week of all the lovely grub, oh and the ships too (obviously).

I wonder if I'll spot a certain someone, halfway up a ship's mast ready to nail the best photo of the day:)

I wonder indeed!

I'm really looking forward to a good day out now. Bring on the Hog Roast!

Norn Ironisms

You might remember I did this while ago.

We were having a natter in one of the threads over on Folksy a while ago about the things we remember specific to the areas we live in and it reminded me of a few isms that those not from NI may never have heard (or may never have any use for).

But sure if only for the craic, here we go;

Yer whats itchy

Can you repeat that please, to be used when you've missed or misheard what the other person was saying.

He cudn't bate snow aff a rope

(He couldn't beat snow off a rope) Implying that he's weak or not much of a fighter.

Like two men and a wee lad

Actually I haven't a clue. I remember my grandad saying it, usually about anyone running i.e "there they go, like two men and a wee lad".

Aye, yer a big man in yer wee coat

Loudmouth, simple as.

He'd steal the eyes out of yer head and come back for yer eyebrows when his own didn't match

A chancer, we would also say he had a brass neck on him.

A face like a Lurgan spade

Used to refer to someone who looks sad. We might also say "her bake is tripping her".

Mustard

As in He's mustard, meaning he's a bit of a tear away or a bit of a handful to manage.

And there's more, but I'm pretty sure that's enough for now!