Smiley Happy People :-)

Wow, thanks for all your fantastic and helpful comments on my last blog post re green cleaning and corsets :-)  I think I may do some experiments at home with different green cleaning attempts and blog about the results - it seems it has struck a cord with a lot of you.  That really has made me smile as I want to leave this earth with the smallest dent I can on it and it is nice to know others feel the same.  My lovely friend Helen from Little Lambs has lent me a fab book on cleaning with Bicarb of Soda (along with some great craft books, thanks Helen x) so I will let you know any tips I find out from that.  Does anyone know where you can get a big quantity of Bicarb of Soda or white vinegar from by the way ?

Other things making me smile this week is the Stylish Blog Award that was given to me by the following blogs:

Emma Bear Forever - She makes the most gorgeous things and has a lovely blog filled with a mixture of crochet, knitting, felt, lovely buys, inspiration and her cute dogs :-)

Fin and Gabs - This is a new bloggy find of mine, wow she is talented !  She makes to most fab things, writes mag articles, runs a shop that I am frankly rather jealous of (stationery heaven!).

Victoria Plum - She bakes scrummy cakes, makes gorgeous things ranging from cute stockings for Christmas to Sloe Gin all whilst looking after the oh so cute little Plum.

Thanks so much, not sure I am particularly stylish but I am so happy you all love my blog as much as I love reading yours :-)

I also received the Liebster Blog award, this is for smaller blogs with less than 300 followers, thanks to Flowering Cherries for this:

Flowering Cherries - Another new find, this lady is fab at crochet (and has a gorgeous new set of bling crochet hooks), knits, does gorgeous watercolour butterflies and loves nature - how fantastic!

Thanks Flowering Cherries, I am so glad you found me so I could find your blog :-)

Now for one of these awards I have to list 7 things about me, I will add extra one or two as I have the award several times.  I have blogged quite a lot of things about me in the past so I hope I don't bore you :-)

1)  I used to have a pet lamb called Daisy - must try and find a piccy of her.  She was sooo sweet and was left by her Mum so we had her at home to rear her for a while.  I really missed her when she left and couldn't eat lamb for many years after that.   In fact I think I have now gone off lamb again after just typing that.

2)  In fact we had some random pets as a child, we also used to have a partridge called Peter, also a bat called Billy and just for a few hours a Python that someone found in their garden.  Mum was petrified of the latter and I remember her leaping onto the settee in her dressing gown as soon as she saw it being bought into the room by my Dad :-)  My Dad is a vet, hence the random pets :-)

3)  Apparently I am a Rabbit in the Chinese New Year Calendar and am meant to have a great year this year - wahooo!  I am married to a pig (sorry I mean Boar) and we are meant to be a great match thank goodness.  I used to work with a fantastic lady called Samphan from the Philippines who taught me quite a lot about the animals and their traits, it is amazing how close they are to your personality.

4)  I suffered from OCD hand washing whilst at secondary school, it was triggered by bullying.  I did however get myself out of it thank goodness, it is horrid for your life to be controlled by things like that!  Now I am really relaxed about germs, hence why we hardly ever get ill I think.

5)  I have built several web-sites in the past and managed a really big one, I rather like web-design and learning about optimising them, sad but true :-)

6)  I sometimes buy a whole pavlova for my Birthday as I know no one else in the house really likes it so I get to keep it all to myself ;-)

7) I haven't owned an iron since May last year when mine broke.  I did borrow one for a wedding in June but have used the slower spin, shake and hang method since then and body heat gets rid of the last creases :-)  Heating elements consume the most energy in our houses so that is why I don't have one - well that is my excuse and I am sticking to it ;-)  The last time I got the ironing board out the kids thought it was a surf board :-)

8) I have quite a wide range of music that I like from Orbital to the Rolling Stones, I even have the Mary Poppins music CD.

Now for the part I hate, picking blogs to pass the award on to.  I absolutely love all the blogs I read so I would like to pass this award on to a few new blogs I have found recently (pick which ever award you like).

Bear Footprints - this is a blog by a real life friend of mine.  She blogs about making things, her poor hubby's broken leg, her gorgeous kiddies and her chickens and veggie patch - pop over and say hi :-)

Bristol Parenting Cafe - this blog is about family life with 3 kiddies.  It is fun, packed full of lovely photos and craft projects.

Supercutetilly - this lady makes some gorgeous things, be warned if you pop over there you will want to buy something :-)  In fact I want to buy everything she makes. 

Red Gingham - this blog is filled with gorgeous makes, fab bakes, eco washing clay (which I must make and blog about) and her gorgeous garden filled with flowers and veggies.

Wabi-Sabi Wanderings - love this whimsical blog, packed full of eco craft projects (including some fab felt projects) and gorgeous photos of family life living in a century old farm.

Now before I go (sorry if you are asleep already :-)  I want to share with you these gorgeous piccies.  I recently sold a few hair clips to the lovely Pippa from When I Get The Time, they were for her daughters for Christmas.  Just imagine how my heart melted when I saw these photos on her blog.  Pippa has her own little Misi shop, to see her gorgeous handmade dolls click here Pippa's Misi Shop

And then another one of my customers gave me a giggle when I saw her wearing one of the hairbands I made in this photo (I haven't asked her permission to use her photo yet so you will have to pop over to hers for a giggle :-)). 

WARNING PHOTO OF SID THE SNAKE COMING UP (just in case you hate snakes, if you do look away now)  ......

To finish here is a photo of little Sweetpea who was very chuffed to be able to hold Sid for the first time.  Now eldest Sweetpea has had him for a few weeks and got used to him we allowed her to hold him,  He really is a lovely snake.