Nearly a whole year since I blogged!
Just getting back in to the online world now so watch out, dear blog, I'll update with lots later!
In the meantime I signed up to be in with a chance to win some fabby blog candy,,,,
http://jacquesmagnolias.blogspot.com/2009/11/papilio-and-some-sweet-stuff-for-you.html
A fab blog with fab inspirational cards!
Brrrrr, it's absolutely freezing here! Have the kettle on for the hot water bottle as I write and the two furry hot water bottles are in place!
Didn't get much crafting done this weekend, one card featuring a Magnolia stamp and WRMK and basic Grey papers which I made for a dear friend and regular reader of the bloggo!
Next up was this LO with BG Urban Prairie papers, aren't they gorgeous. The pic is Natasha - my niece - and her boyfriend Neil celebrating their 1st month anniversary, aw isn't life just dandy when you're 14 .... and a half!! They exchanged pressies of perfume and aftershave (LOL!) on this auspicious occasion and a few weeks after their true love hit the dust - aww! They were a cute couple though abd I thought that whilst Natasha wouldn't be too appreciative of my creative efforts right now, maybe in a few years she'd like to have this..
Do you know I think I'm inspired to make a LO of my first love now too. Watch this space!
Maura and I went to see The Changling tonight starring Angelina Jolie, brill movie, really good! But I have a small quibble, in most of the film Ang has her lips in a bright red lipppy and goddamn it but they're BIG! Really distracting! Ewww!!
Two twelve hour days coming up at work thanks to the increase of 1/2% in vat, what joy! Still I have Thursday off ibstead so I guess I can't complain, might get some more crafting done then.
First off a huge thank you and hugs to everyone who sent me messages of support via here, email, text, phone calls etc regarding my last post. Thanks so much girls, it meant a lot. I sometimes forget that other people read this blog as it's primarily my little diary so I was really touched that so many of you contacted me.
As the title says "moving on".... and I am, life is a thousand times better to be honest. It could be a bit better if I got a chunk of the Lotto but we won't dwell on that! There have been a few dips along the way re my ex but I'm not going to dwell on that either. The hardest part is over.
I feel blessed that I am in a happier place emotionally, much more content and peaceful and so lucky to have marvellous friends and of course my two furry hot water bottles - the catz! I enjoy living by myself and the quietness of it, ex was inclined to have tv blaring from the minute he got up. My scrapping mojo has returned, just wish I had the time now to do all the pieces rambling around in my head!
I bought a Canon 450d so I'm trying to get to grips with it, huge learning curve from my compact sony cybershot. Maura and I joined a camera club. Nice crowd going to it. They don't "do" a lot though bar looking at each other's pics so I may join a more proactive club later on.
I am loving Magnolia stamps at the moment. So relaxing colouring them and they're so damned cute!!!! Here's a few and also a Stamping Bella baby one:
The crop on 16th November was fabby!!! Great crowd and oh myyyyyy godddddd - fantastic shopping!!!! I kinda have a rule with myself that I would spend a max of €50 per month at the crop which is the total usually of my craft shopping - ya I know I'm a cheapskate by some people's standards but my crafting has to fit my budget not the other way - budget has to fit crafting!!! heee heee!
BUT this month's crop far exceeded that. CardznScraps aka Cork Art Supplies - www.cardznscrapz.com had some fantastic stash which just had to come home with me! Absolutely loved the WRMK Nonsense range. Got a couple of LO's made last Sunday with it
Then JunieD was having a mega sale of all her crafting gear as she's getting out of crafting - oh to be young and have a life!!! - so there were bargains galore to be had, got some fabbalicious stuff from her, thanks Junie hun!!
This is the LO we made at the crop - Can't believe blogger is letting me upload all this stuff, I've had such problems with it before!
Finally these are the final 2 LO's I made last Sunday, such a bad day, it wasn't fit for anything else except crafting and eating chocolate!
The next crop is SATURDAY Dec 13th and there's lots of crafting that day. A Christmas / winter mini book featuring acrylic and chipboard, a LO from the same kit and a non Christmas themed LO. A few spaces left so if you want in text/phone 087 2925710.
Well, I don't suppose I thought it was going to be so easy that he'd just drive off yesterday at 9.20a.m. and that would be that. He came back at 2.20p.m. Isn't it amazing, for ages and ages I've been asking him to come home after work on Saturdays so we could DO something together or just do nothing and for the longest time he's been telling me he works till 5p.m. on Saturdays (lie!) and then of course he doesn't stagger in till the pub closes. And then when it's too late he CAN do it. Though I have been telling him for the longest time that there is no future for us he is in total shock and denial that his lunatic wife is doing this to HIM for NO REASON. Yep, he is faultless in his opinion in all this. All thats bothering him is where will he go, as to the where I simply do not CARE! He has family,,,,such as they are. he has buddies from the pub that he spent so much time with, there are b&b's, hotels, bloody homeless shelters somewhere!
I refused to let him in again. Helen's friend who's a drug/addiction counsellor told her to tell me that is the right course of action. Right it may be but it's not easy. I wonder what is the damage to my own pysche of acting such a bitch. But then on the other hand I ask myself what is the damage his addiction has done to it already.
He asked for MY brother's number, another roaring alcopop!, I refused to give it, asking him what made him think my brother would be at home on a saturday afternoon anymore than himself usually. I told him to go away or I would be calling the guards. This is something I don't wish to do .... currently. he still wouldn't leave so off with the mad woman and her sweeping brush and started hitting the windscreen of the car, this is NOT pretty and I make no excuses for it, it is something that has to be done. That made him move, his precious car being hurt. So he drove off.
He did arrive at my brother's house and propped up the bar counter with him for a while till the bro had to come home early and recuperate for today's session. He stayed on in the pub. He was not in brother's house this morning so we, my sis and I, don't know where he stayed nor care less either! I could have lived without him going to the small village I'm from. THE CHEEK OF IT.
Anyway on a positive note I had the first Saturday night's uninterrupted sleep for a long, long time. Mind you sleep is sparse enough these nights. No getting up to let in someone who was too drunk to get his key in the keyhole and to turn off the TV, heating, cooker, smoke alarm, take your pick. Yep just me and my two boyz - the cats. Poor little mites, this must be all so confusing for them.
I am trying to focus on the positive that WILL come from all this, I need to dispel all the negativity.
It does help writing it down and not "disowning" it anymore.
Hey Blog, It's been a while and then some so here's the rundown.
The synopsis - this past 12 months have been a bitch in some ways and quite good in some others. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
The job is going grand, even got a small raise a while back, maybe that should read minscule :-)
I can't say that working till 10p.m. on Wednesday nights makes me ecstatic but apart from that it's ok.
I work with a great group of people who have been very supportive to me these last few weeks and for that I'm grateful.
The crop is going great, I do love my croppers! We had a great time at the birthday bash, where did that year go to. I was delighted that Eva and Mireille agreed to do a workshop each for it. Mireille brought her Crafteire shop which was jam packed full of goodies. And of course not forgetting Jeany who is the crop's resident shop, she always has fabby embellies. Angie and Gillian won the challenge, a LO commemorating a birthday or anniversary and it had to have a purple element in it. There were gorgeous entries so I was glad that Mireille did the judging.
Eva took some fabby pics, thanks babes!
One of the girls at work asked me to make a card for her a while ago and since I've been getting card orders every week, some weeks more than others and I kinda look forward to the quiet weeks now! Only 2 to make this weekend. I make them A5 and charge a fiver and no two are evr the same. They're going down a treat so far, bought a Lidl sewing machine with some of the proceeds and I'm investing the rest in going to Annamarie's and Lainey's Megscrap event on Nov 1st. Really looking forward to it as Donna Downey is teaching 2 mini books and Anita Mundt is doing a LO class and a photograhy one. Flying up the night before and staying at the hotel that night.
I got a laptop, a gorgeous PURPLE one, so gorgeous and so much more useful that having to go to the library or the robbing internet cafe all the time. I got hooked up with Vodafone mobile broadband and it's slowish but adequate.
The cats are doing well, RobbiRay was at the vets on Thursday with a respiratory infection, he's always getting int scrapes, he should have come with a VHI card! During the summer he got bitten on the tail by a feral cat and nearly lost said tail. Buster is Buster, a living teddy bear :-)
As some of you know I was moving here cause I was leaving my husband BUT he ended up coming here with me. So though times were fraught I said I'd give it one more go, we even went as far as putting a deposit on a new house in the village here.
BUT my husband has a mistress, I've fought against the bitch for years, I've begged and pleaded with him to give her up to no avail. Every Monday morning he promises to give her up but come Saturday he's off with her again till all hours of the morning and spends most of Sunday with her too. His mistress is an insidious bitch, her name is ALCOHOL.
There comes a time when one has had enough of the lies, the recriminations and the disappointments and literally can give nor take no more and that time is here. I told him he would have to be out by end of this month but after the events of last weekend I brought it forward to this Friday, yesterday. I packed his bags and put them into his car on Thursday night, said goodbye yesterday morning. Got a lift home from one of my colleagues yesterday evening and made myself a cup of tea. Who arrived at 6p.m. - the boyo. I refused to let him in, and i'd taken the house key off his keys the night before. (Be prepapred!) What followed was the usual promises, the pleading to be left in etc but I stood my ground and didn't. No, it wasn't easy but if I gave in now I'd be setting myself up for more of the same, twould be ok for a few weeks and then he'd be off meeting the mistress again and there is no way on this earth I could put myself thru this again, it's done enough damage. Having demanded the sky card - the one bill which goes thru his account - he took himself off to his car. Anyway he refused to leave the yard
and sent a barrage of text messages, most of which I ignored apart from a few saying go away. He spent the night in the car and left this morning at 9.20a.m. I am hoping he doesn't come back this evening but I'm not changing my mind. I know that once all this is over things will get better and I can face future weekends without trepidation and anger.
One of my friends last night told me I have more balls than any man she knows, thanks Julia - I take that as a compliment, it's a pity I've had to grow a pair but needs be when the devil drives!
Special thanks too to Maura and Helen for being there at the end of a phone.
I bought a car on Thursday, it's just a little 1999 peugeot 106, it's silver, very important to get the colour in! Quite honestly thats about all I know about cars. Though when I asked the garage guy to lift the bonnet so I could see under it I make some hmmmmmm noises. Twas Helen who warned me to make sure the tyres were ok and they are, there's 4 new ones under it, I honestly don't have a clue, what was important to me was that it have an NCT, till June of next year, and it's also taxed till May of next year. I got it for a grand having negotiated €200 off the asking price, yah me!!! I got the insurance sorted yesterday and I'll be picking it up after work on Wednesday.
To anyone out there buying a car, getting insurance, buying anything, do please make sure and negotiate a better price, honestly it's well worth it and in these leaner times it will benefit both the buyer and the seller. It might not work at tesco's but you'll know when you can and when you can't :-)
Going to make those two cards and hoping to catch up with some scrapping too. I got a package of lovely papers from CradznScrapz that need playing with and need to do something with the gorgeous pack of Basic Grey Eva papers.
Anyways such is my life at the moment, me and my two cats and Bruce Springsteen playing the soundtrack of our weekend.
Just a quickie to tell ye there's a crop on Jan 27th. Check out Cork Croppers blog for details.
A few places left on the Cork crop on Nov 25th!
Annamarie is bringing along her shop ...way hay!!!
We'll be making a transparent album and it's gorgeous!!
