Day 66 - Nails

7th March 2013

So tomorrow I am going into work dressed up for World Book Day. There is some prep taking place today, for one I have big messy curly hair that I'm hoping will not deflate too much overnight. My nails are the other bit.

I was a terrible nail biter up until a couple of years ago or so. I never knew what it was like to actually have nails, and so didn't paint them that much. I thought I was really bad at doing it, but have discovered since having these talons that it's actually because they were more like stubs. I'm not saying I'm great now, but I smudge quite a bit less. 

For my role tomorrow, I decided to go for different nails. I didn't have enough colours to go different for each one, but that's good because there are a couple I enjoy more than the others. The purple on my thumb is my favourite at the moment, the black and gold glittery one is Lynsey's and I'm going to make a point of trying to find some more or that. The bobbly one is a cheap set I got from Primark out of curiosity a little while ago. I have it on the other hand too, it's actually a pearly colour, but I covered this one to mix it up a bit. The last two were scraping the barrel a bit. The blue is decidedly meh, and the yellow took about 5048 coats to get a solid colour. Never mind, it's nice and bright.

Bit sad I can't show you my other hand, but it's honestly not that exciting. Red thumb, green index finger and the white bobbles. Boom.

Time to go to sleep, tomorrow requires an early start. I am definitely driving in.

Stephie

xxx

Day 65 - Pink Wafers

March 6th 2013

Picked up some biscuits on the way home to help me power through this apparently endless task of packing up all my rubbish. I decided I would allow myself them once I'd made satisfactory progress. This is difficult to quantify. I can't say "once I'm done" because I can't be done. My room kinda has to stay a mess till moving day in some sense, I haven't got the room to be that perfectly organised. So I just decided once I'd made some actual real motions towards tidying.

I moved a few bags through to the front room and organised a few more things to shred. There are a lot. Groo.

Eventually the decision was made for me, Tom came over with a few more things and so we had to have tea and tea without biscuits when there are biscuits in the house is an actual crime against real British law.

Now, don't get me wrong, pink wafers are not my go to tea biscuit. That would be foolish. It's controversial, I know, but Rich Teas just get me. I love a digestive or hobnob in tea, and drinking your tea through a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer is just beautiful. Rich Teas however just hit the exact spot. I quite like the rush between dunking and eating, and taking the miniscule amount of time between the two to observe the tea being soaked up. Mmmm.

But I do really quite enjoy the pink wafer really quite a lot. I think they are an oft-forgot biscuit and this should change.

Next time you want biscuits, get some Pink Wafers, and think of me.

Stephie

xxx

Day 64 - Keep Calm.

5th March 2013

Today has been quite blah. I'm still coughing, I'm still snuffling, and I'm still surrounded by half organised stuff. It's been a long day and I'm scraping the barrels of my energy reserves.

Our framed artwork has changed now that Nich's stuff is gone, and Tom's has replaced it. This is in our hall.

Doctor, if you're out there and checking out blogspot, can I chuck some stuff in the Tardis? Just for a little bit. I'm going mad.

Until tomorrow....

Stephie

xxxxx...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Day 63 - Locked out

March 4th 2013

Idiot Stephanie.

I got into work this morning and realised I had left my keys on the kitchen table. Agh. Samantha and Lynsey don't get in generally till about 6/6:30ish at the best of times, and I get back at about ten past four. Double Agh. I was supposed to be helping Ben move Nich's stuff out and into their new pad. Triple Agh. I meant to get a load of sorting done first. Quadruple Agh. I didn't even have my Oyster card to go and get keys from someone. Quintuple Agh.

Agh. Agh. Agh. Agh. Agh.

I had decided I would go into Ealing, get a few bits I didn't desperately need but might as well get, and then wait it out in Caffe Nero. Luckily for me I managed to get a lift from a colleague into Ealing so that I didn't have to walk past the house which would have hurt my heart deeply.

I realised while I was out that I needed to get myself the makings of a costume for school for World Book Day. I wandered around Primark, looking for something to leap out at me as the beginnings of a costume. I didn't have any luck. I was resigned to finding myself stripy leggings and being the Wicked Witch, and so went into Claire's Accessories. Whilst there I spotted this lovely watch. Now that was an idea.

So now, I'm going as the Mad Hatter. Or more truthfully, 'A' Mad Hatter. Lynsey has a top hat, I now have a pocket watch (ish) and some white rabbit earrings. I have two fascinator hats I'm going to attach to my clothes, and will be trying to dress up generally a little bit mad. I'm looking forward to it, you will get a photo, I promise.

I met the housemates and walked back up to the flat where Ben was waiting. So I wouldn't have any problems getting up again I dumped my bags and started loading up the car, it only took two journeys up and down the stairs which is better than expected. But worse than expected when you're moving out the stuff of someone who apparently doesn't live there anymore. Just Saying.

A parking spot was found not too far from the house, the bits were moved in and a tour was given. I approved and left to get back home.

Upon arriving home Tom joined us to set up the telly and sort some of his stuff. I started putting together something of an outfit for the Mad Hatter to give myself a head start rather than start at half eleven on Thursday night.

Eventually I was able to crawl into bed where I did not sleep for nearly long enough.

Stephie

xxx

Day 62 - Organisation

3rd March 2013

I drove back up to London after Ruthie's party. I decided I wanted the whole day in London, I needed a lie in but I had so much sorting to do for this room move.

It took a long time to get going, I just kept sitting down and staring at it and then deciding I needed tea or a break or some other such nonsense. Eventually I seemed to get into a rhythm and got a whole mess of stuff done.

To make my room less cluttered during the moving process I've been putting everything into my cupboards. This now means I have less and less of my stuff readily available to me in my room, and I have of course required things after they have been hidden away in boxes and bags. Sigh.

Only a short while left. This makes me happy and sad. Happy because I will finally have ROOM! Sad, because to have this room Samantha must leave and I'm not best pleased about that whole situation.

Boo.

The plus side of today was that Lynsey and I have booked ourselves flights to Belfast to visit Claire, yay! This was a seemingly simple procedure, but Lynsey managed to book our flight home a day late. Doh. As this is EasyJet of course it was more expensive to cancel the flights than they were to buy, so we decided to find a Travel Lodge for the last night as Claire can't have us, and pretend like we're grown ups for a bit. Wahey!

Stephie

xxx

Day 61 - Ruthie Pi

 

2nd March 2013

I was up bright and early this morning to shower ahead of Ruthie's parties. I was heading over early to assist at her friends party before the family version. This was so much fun, much more than one might expect of something so close to one's job. The difference there being only 6 children and those children being completely outnumbered can do, eh?

The girls were decorating cupcakes, with the help of the fabulous Mary of Cake Lips, one of my sister's close friends. The frosting she made I could have eaten with a spoon. Drool. We all decorated a cake with the delicious frosting and adorable little icing tiaras and butterflies and bunnies...d'awww.

After cupcakes the girls played a little musical statues and pass the parcel. There was a lot of Call Me Maybe and even a little Gangnam Style. Susie doing Gangnam Style is so cute I nearly fainted. 

After the girls left, the family arrived. It was a pretty awesome day all round. There are a lot of kids in this family, my sort of...niblings once removed. They are all just as wonderful as my very own niblings and I enjoy seeing them all playing together even though that often means refereeing disputes. One such brilliant exchange was:

Ruthie "Auntie Stephie, JoJo called me a willy!"
Me "JoJo, that's not very nice is it?"
Joe "But Luc encouraged me!"
I give him a look the equivalent of an "ahem"
Joe "*sigh* Sorry Ruthie." then, muttering "It's just a willy..."

How jealous are you of that cake? I'm jealous and I ate three or so myself. I'm also feeling pretty envious of the accordion. That was my present to her, and I am now sorely tempted to get one for myself, it was just too much fun. But no. Saxophone Stephanie, concentrate.

Ruthie is such a wonderful girl. She is so happy, all the time, just like her mummy (my sister). Her smile brightens up anyone's day and she is not stingy with them. She is so kind to her siblings, not to say they aren't kind to her but that she has a certain maturity about her kindness. The way she talks to and plays with Susie is the definition of heartwarming. She is so funny, I think you get a good idea of her character from these photos. She says such lovely things to me that make me feel so utterly loved, such as "Auntie Stephie, will I definitely see you tomorrow? Because I just love you too much!"

Well my little Rooster, your Auntie Stephie loves you too too much too!!

Stephie
xxx

Day 60 - Buy & Use

1st March 2013

Today is my darling Ruthie's birthday! My eldest niece turned 5 today and I cannot believe my little girlie is so grown up. Happy Birthday my beautiful girl, I am infinitely proud to be able to call myself your Auntie!

So, to celebrate my little Pi's birthday I headed back down to Kent for her birthday party. Straight after I got home from work I threw some clothes in a bag and jumped in the car. An uneventful drive later I arrived back at Pogles. The birthday girl was there with the family for a quick hello after her birthday dinner at Frankie and Benny's, so I got a big big hug and gave her her birthday present. You'll see it tomorrow. They had to dash pretty quickly, but luckily for this doting auntie as soon as three niblings departed another arrived in the form of Keira.

Who is still too darling for words.

She'd decided to bring along her parents for the ride, so I had an entirely pleasant evening of cuddles with niblings then chattage with siblings.

I'd been so wrapped up in my cuddles that it wasn't until Keira had gone to bed, taking Mummy and Daddy with her. I looked around for inspiration and found Buy & Use.

This sign was put up by Joe at Christmas. After all the present giving excitement the kids set up a shop to sell off all their goods. I enjoy playing shops with them, as they always want to give me money. I wish this was how it worked in reality. Sigh.

They never do things by halves, and it wasn't long before Joe had given their shop a name and Ruthie had sourced bags for life to sell to use, and they had decided on prices for everything. They would have made a fortune...if it weren't for the whole giving me money thing.

The sign has stayed up, and I love it.

Stephie

xxx