December 13, 2007

A Blue & Yellow Horizon

How could I go past this momentus day and not post to say finally, FINALLY we can see a lovely blue & yellow horizon not far from our house. Worked it out yet?

IKEA has arrived!!!!!!!!

Not only have we finally got an Ikea here now it couldn't be in a more perfect location, its not even 5 minutes from my house! They must've realised I lived nearby when they were looking for a site. This makes me so happy, I just love Ikea and really missed not having one here. Although' saying that I haven't had time to go yet and I have no money, but I think I will be venturing there for some yummy meatballs very soon!

Posted by Maxine at 05:20 PM | Comments (3)

December 09, 2007

Where to Begin...?

Yes I am still here....but the question is...are you? I have been so rubbish with posting lately that I will be surprised if anyone reads my blog anymore. But I didn't start this to get readers, I started it for myself and to help get myself motivated. I have become terribly disorganised lately and it seems this is all I seem to be talking about. But I feel like I can't see the wood for the trees. Its silly really because I am sure if I took a step back there is not that much going on, but my head is slow clouded that even a small amount of stuff in there seems like mountains.

Anyhoo, I thought I would briefly recap over all the things that have been going on...

...I think I am some kind of volunteering problem because I keep saying yes to people when they ask me to do things for them and this has been getting out of control lately. Even when I had decided that I was already doing too much and volunteering for too much I found myself offering to do the artwork for a DVD of Emilys nativity, I have even dragged Warren into it, who is now filming and editing the video! Just to give you a brief idea of some of the things going on - last week I was an elf (yes an elf!) in a Christmas drama comedy thing, which was a fundraiser for Emilys school. How did I say yes to that one? I am also designing and hand making the invitations for my friends wedding, making scenery for the playgroup (which I just can't get my head around), I joined the pre-school committee and volunteered for fundraising...as you can see I can't help myself...

...I have also got a couple of freelance design jobs hanging about which I have yet to start

...I started working in Marks and Spencer this week. It is such a weird experience for me after not working with the public for god knows how many years, let alone not working at all for the past 4 years. I will be working in the food hall four nights a week, which will be very busy indeed. I had a whole 16 hours of training last week, which I have to say is very impressive and I really enjoyed it. But I did miss the little monkeys when I worked all day on Saturday, its the longest I've been apart from Harrison too.

...as for blogging, housework or anything else for that matter, when have I possibly got time!? So maybe you'll see me about and maybe you won't. I don't think I can give up altogether, but it certainly is taking a sideline at the moment...

xxx

Posted by Maxine at 08:25 PM | Comments (1)

October 24, 2007

Procrastinating

Isn't it such a wonderful word? Well it totally sums me up thats for sure. So much of my life has been spent in this state, which results in lots of ideas and positive thought and no action. I have to try and break out of this, pull my socks up, get my act together and try very hard to do something. Something that I enjoy but enables me to get some kind of income.

I know this past year has been hard with Harrison coming into our lives but I feel like I need to draw a line in the sand and get on with my life now. I have fallen into the trap of completely vegging in front of the TV at night and not getting anything done or anywhere in my life. I think just this week it has come to light more than ever as due to a complete lack of funds I have been applying for part time/evening jobs. These are obviously minimum wage no brainer jobs, but I really need the money.

Anyway to cut a long story short, my name was put down for (but not yet confirmed) an 8 to midnight shift five days a week, Mon-Fri. After feeling positive about this at first I am now starting to get really frustrated and thinking 'What the hell am I doing?'. There are so many things that I could potentially do from home yet I am not utilising my skills at all. I think part of the reason is that I hold my hands up and say, yes, I do need a big kick up the bum and I definitely work better with other people, especially in a creative situation - which is why my painting has been coming along nicely. If I took this job it would be an end to my regular painting evenings, I would y really see Warren properly on the weekend and I would be bloody knackered which I am sure wouldn't be very conducive to being creative.

I really do have to try and overcome this night time hibernation thing that I have got into and just focus on other ideas. Maybe I won't be financially rewarded immediately but long term surely this is the way to go. Its so hard to get going it really is.

Posted by Maxine at 10:11 AM | Comments (6)

October 03, 2007

I've Won!

But not the lottery as Warren pointed out! But I am so pleased to be the winner of one of Esther's (London Mummy) giveaways. I never win anything so I am especially excited. I will soon be the owner of two Rosie Flo Nightime colouring books, which look great (more for me than Emily I reckon hehe). Thanks so much Esther, you have made my day!

Posted by Maxine at 08:32 PM | Comments (1)

July 02, 2007

A Bit of Silliness

Thanks to Marilyn (as I never know what's going on in the world!) I was able to go and have some silly fun by creating my very own Simpsons avatar. I did another, slightly less curvy version but the 'man-hands' just scared me far too much! So this is an honest representation - honest!

Go ahead and create one yourself!

Posted by Maxine at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2007

Perfection

Warren recently rescued this old game from the attic of his parents. It is fantastic and Emily loves it too! Even though I know what is coming it still makes me completely jump out of my skin. I have been having lots of fun with this and I love its retro styling!

Its also quite appropriate in a way, as I am a bit of a perfectionist, but not in a good way. To cut a long story short my first trip to the print workshop last week was a bit of disaster. My plate came apart when I inked it and it just didn't print anything like what I imagined. I think its partly because I am out of practice and partly because its a different workshop and their methods are not what I am used to, so I didn't feel as comfortable as I would've done if I had gone back to my other workshop. I came away quite deflated by the whole experience. But I am trying to not let it get to me too much and I will persevere, even if it takes me the next 6 months to get a decent print.

It also got my thinking about how I really expect far too much of myself and if something isn't perfectly the way I envisaged then I am not happy. I have to try and change this aspect of myself because I really think it holds me back in many ways, it takes me ages to build up to doing anything for fear of failing or being rubbish. I wish I could turn it off in my brain. I also find myself complaining and being quite negative when I'm with friends. Although I am super conscious of this and I really hate it I just don't seem to be able to stop myself! Maybe it is just tiredness.

I am thinking too much lately and need to stop thinking and start doing! Excuse my nonsense, one day normality will be resumed...maybe...

Posted by Maxine at 09:41 PM | Comments (3)

May 17, 2007

Tagged!

Well thanks to Sal I've been well and truly tagged. My brain is not working on full capacity at the moment and I'm surprised I'm even posting, I should be in some floatation tank somewhere, listening to whale music and drinking champagne (can you drink champagne in a floatiation tank..hmmm?) after the day I've had with my two little testing, screaming, demanding monkies! Enough of the rant and on to this tagging business...

The rules of the tag are: 1. Start with 7 random facts/habits about yourself 2. Then write them on your blog 3. Then choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names. So here are my 7 random facts:

1. I am totally addicted to tea. When I say addicted I mean I just can't do without it and will go completely insane at the mere thought of not having any teabags in the house (in fact one such mad morning I knocked on 3 of my neighbours doors looking for a teabag, before locating one across the road). I think I would hyperventilate at the thought of not being able to have a cup of tea in the morning and I am known to make the tea in other peoples houses as well as my own. The mugs I have for my tea are the hugest ones I can find, in order to have as much in one go. I do however now drink decaf and have done for some time, after realising my tea/caffeine consumption was leaving me lethargic and with headaches!

2. I can't get enough of stripes or spots whenever I seem something with these patterns I instantly want it. One time, a while ago I really had to have stripey socks, but could i find any? I searched high and low until I found some. I love those socks.

3. I love reading. At the moment it is the one place I can totally escape from the world and I love to totally immerse myself in my book. Although I only ever read in bed, just before I sleep. It is such a habit that no matter how tired I am (or drunk! and thats not often), I still insist on reading at least a page before I sleep. Reading for me is almost like meditation.

4. I have a botched up tattoo on the top of arm that I got when I was about 18. I don't regret getting it but I do regret the fact that its not great. I often think about going and somehow seeing if I can add to it to make it better, but I'm too much of a scaredy cat these days.

5. As much as I love my house I can't stay in. If I stay in, even for a short while over the duration of the week, you can be sure that I will crack. In fact I think thats what happened today! I am always out, either round someone elses house or out and about doing something. I don't know why I am like this and sometimes I wish I could be more contented, but its just me. I think this probably contributes to my lack of success with my housework.

6. I have quite a big crazy family, with one brother, one step brother, three step sisters and two half brothers. The additional family came when my dad remarried. Also you should not that my step dad is only 41 and takes great pride in announcing me as his daughter! My mom married ten years younger and my brother married 10 years older so Nige, my step dad is the same age as my brothers wife! Our wedding plans were very interesting indeed and also very confusing for my husbands family who are a lot less complicated!

7. I am a roamer in life. Not lazy, just not focussed. Throughout my life,even at school I have never really known what I want to do or what I want to be as a 'grown-up'. Nothing as changed. All I knew back then and now is that I wanted creativity in my life and that, although money is very important in a lot of ways, I have never been driven to further my career or get a promotion. This is probably why it has been so easy for me to give up work in favour of childcare. I have always envied people who knew exactly what they wanted and just went for it, followed their chosen path in life. I feel I am bit of a nomad and drift from one thing to the next, with maybe a subtle connectivity between things but never enough to make me super successful or super rich. I often wonder if I will find my true path or if I will spend my life with a myriad of things going on.

Well I never knew I would end up feeling so philosophical! Now the business of who to tag..its a tricky one but I think its going to have to be...

Karen, Donna, Marilyn, Caroline, Susan (come on and get blogging again!!), Darren ( I know you're out there!), Sara. Hope you all don't mind being tagged!

Posted by Maxine at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)

March 08, 2007

Comments

Just a quick post to say that I have just noticed that I have missed some of your comments over the past few months. Apologies to anyone who thinks I might've been snubbing them and not publishing their comments! Especially Angel Jem and Molly Chicken who has left me a few lovely well thought out comments.

The way my commenting system works is that once you comment it gets emailed to me for approval so that my site is not full of junk. For some strange and completely random reason a few of your comments somehow slipped through the net and I didn't get any notification of them and I hardly ever check my comment list.

So sorry for that and if you have commented and your comment is nowhere to be seen just let me know - there is a link to my email at the bottom of the page.

Posted by Maxine at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2007

When Things go all Wobbly

I wasn't going to post this, as my posts are not exactly full of the joys of spring lately. But you have to take the good with bad I suppose and I can't ignore things really. Also some day soon I will be able to look back and feel so much happier that I got through the harder times!

Yesterday morning I got up feeling rather grumpy to say the least. So when I picked Emily up from Playgroup at 12 I decided to go and treat us to a lovely lunch at my local frequented child-friendly cafe. When I got there I was pleased to bump into a friend who I haven't seen lately, so we joined her and her kids and had lunch and a good old moan. I really needed company so it made me feel much better.

We then decided to go to an indoor soft play park, so the kids could have a run around and we could avoid the the chores that awaited us at home. So there I was standing chatting in the play park when I felt my head go all woozy and I started to feel all wobbly. I realised I was having a vertigo episode (I suffered with this for a while a couple of years ago but I haven't had anything since). I had to sit down, I couldn't move my head around without feeling really sick, its a really awful feeling. I had to call my husband to come and rescue us as I didn't think it was safe for me to drive the distance home. I couldn't believe it and I think it was the worst episode I have had. I have no idea what set it off at all.

Meanwhile my friends boy, didn't make it to the toilet and by the time she got him there he had poo everywhere. She had to strip him down, leave him with me, (while I practically sat with my head between my knees!) while she went to buy him pants and trousers. When she got back she was so flustered that she had left the trousers at the check out! Nightmare!

So as you can see it was one of those days. I feel much better today, just a little queasy. Hopefully thats the end of it.

Oh and thank you for your kind words on my last post I really appreciate it. I mean to reply to all my comments and hopefully I will get around to it, but if not at least I can thank you here.

Posted by Maxine at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2007

Rollercoaster Ride

Lately I have felt that my life is just one long rollercoaster ride with no stops. Everything seems just so relentless and intense. Don't get me wrong, I am not spending my days miserable, most of the time I am in pretty good form, but its hard to see the wood for the trees when the days are spent trying to balance the demands of very chatty and busy toddler and an extremely hungry baby. I don't know how some of you do it, or maybe you feel like me too but never mention it. Sometimes its hard to see when there will be a break or how I can fit in me time or even 'us' time for my relationship with Warren. By the time the evening comes I am just so pooped that it takes enormous effort to do anything except watch TV.

I have started to knit the squares for my blanket project and so far have one done! So as you can see its going to be a slow process. I also tried attempting a pattern. This isn't going so good. Just when I thought I had learnt to decipher the knitting language it well went a bit wrong and ended up nothing like it should. I know I am obviously interpreting it incorrectly, but without someone to ask her its hard to know. So I am going to finish the current square and move onto plain stocking stitch (thanks sal) again until my brain can handle the complexity of knitting patterns! I will take a pic and show you how things are going soon.

At least I managed to get out round my friends house on Friday night. My first night out alone. It was just heaven. Grown up chat, lovely nibbles and lots of lovely sparkly wine. I will have to do that again very soon I think.

Keep thinking positively and everything will be fine.

Posted by Maxine at 08:38 PM | Comments (7)

January 31, 2007

The world has gone mad

Well it has here in Northern Ireland anyway. We have been in our house for about 8 years now, it is the first house we have ever bought and we never intended to stay in it forever. We thought we would move on at some point, I have always had this fear of being stuck in one place forever, I don't know why, but I just don't know how people can stay in the same house for 20 years! But the way things are going unless we move far away we can forget moving on.

The property market here has gone completely crazy. When I say crazy I mean totally CRAZY! I just can't emphasize enough. We got our house valued this morning just to see how much money we would have to play with if we saw something else we fancied. Just to give you an idea, we live in a pretty standard 3 bedroom semi-detached house, with a very very small garden. Its in a pretty good area and is close to a lot of schools and just a 15 minute drive from the centre of town. But I am absolutely sickened at the estimate. The estate agent said he would put our house on for £275,000 and we would probably even get £300,000+ for it!!!!!!!! Now some people might think this is great news for us equity wise but really it isn't unless we sell up and move away or something. It also means that we would be looking to pay up to £400,000 if we wanted to get somewhere a little bigger. Its just crazy. Its not right at all that house prices should be like this. It only seems to be here that they have had such a massive rise and it still looks set to continue.

Anyone looking to buy a house for the first time might as well forget unless they have a top salary. Banks are now letting people have 5 times there salary to try and afford somewhere, which is totally wrong and leaves people with property they just can't afford.

I am bewildered by it all and if I don't end this rant now I could go on forever.

Posted by Maxine at 04:06 PM | Comments (6)

October 18, 2006

Distortion of Beauty

W led me to these following links which are pretty incredible and very thought provoking. We all know that there is some degree of airbrushing and Photoshop retouching to those super beautiful models with perfect figures and unbelievably smooth skin, but these show us just how far it can be taken. It makes you realise that no matter how much people strive for perfection, the perfect figure, spending far too much on beauty products and diet fads, you just simply can't compete with the magic of Photoshop.

From human to billboard in 60 seconds - Dove Campaign
Photoshop trickery on real jobs

On a bit of a separate note, check out this, its totally amazing! I want one!

A vacuum cleaner that kids can ride.

Posted by Maxine at 07:06 PM | Comments (5)

September 05, 2006

A Picture Summary

Thought I would try and fit in a few photos to let you know what I have been up to and what I have managed to thrift from when I was on my hols. Please note that these are done slightly in haste, but its better than not at all in my book.

Look! I finally scored a jar of buttons. You cannot believe how excited I was by this! A lot of small ones but some nice oversized ones too. Also I couldn't resist this tunic dress, I think it would look great over a pair of black trousers and converse boots - although there is NO way it will fit me now and I just have to hope that it will fit in the future - but for £1 I couldn't say no.

I also got this lovely and soft mohair cardy which has one big chunky button which fastens nicely above my bump. I have been wearing this lots. My mom picked up this mammoth knitting and crochet bible for me.

My mom had spent some time crocheting me these flowers so that I could learn and also to use in my cratfy endeavours. I will have to find a use for them! She also crocheted some cute little baby things too.

While I was away I managed to finish knitting this chunky scarf, which despite the fact that its half teal and half cream (I only had a ball of each!) I quite like it. I also had another go at crocheting this pink scarf for Emily, including my first go at a flower. I am quite pleased how it turned out, even if neither of them are that exciting I am happy!

And look what I came back to after a week away! It was such a lovely surprise. I went away with a garden full of rubble and weeds and came back to it completely paved and decked. Now Emily has a lot more space to play and we have a lovely area to sit. As you can see our garden is extremely small so we had to try and make the most of it, so no grass I'm afraid. Please note the washing is for that added touch of realism!

Also a peak at the photo-intaglio/carbarundum print that we bought for our 5th anniversary. It was very hard to get a good shot of this but hopefully you get an idea of what it is like. The print is so beautiful and delicate, I just love it.

Posted by Maxine at 08:49 PM | Comments (6)

Sporadic Posting

Just wanted to say that my posting has become and will probably stay very sporadic for the next while. As you have probably gathered by now I am not having a great pregnancy, I am now in my 31st week and I feel like I will never experience the late pregnancy burst of energy. The baby is perfectly well, I am just finding it very hard. I can't really stand up for prolonged periods (even making a cup of tea is too long a standing period sometimes) as I get really faint, I feel breathless constantly and just want to sleep all the time. I feel like I could stay in bed all day. It really is so frustrating. I can hardly entertain Emily, let alone do any housework, or crafty things. Its Emily's 3rd birthday the end of the month and I was even thinking of canceling her party, but I know I would feel too guilty, so I am going to try at least to organise this.

It was her first day at Playgroup today and she just loved it and had a great time. Although within the hour I spent waiting for her I nearly passed out and had to sit on a chair in the car park. Its really starting to get to me. People keep saying that its not long now but it seems like an eternity to me. Apparently the baby is very big and over the 90th percentile, so they are going to keep a closer eye on me, nothing to worry about (apart from the labour of big a baby!! But Emily was big so I expected this one to be).

So I will continue to try and catch up with the billions of posts that I have floating about in my head. Including some of the goodies that I have been accumulating lately, but you will just have to be patient with me.

On a slightly separate note I am already half way through the wonderful book that Caroline sent me in the Book Swap and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Did everyone else's swap go ok? I would love to know how they all went, let me know if I have missed reading about it on your blog.

Posted by Maxine at 07:59 PM | Comments (3)

September 01, 2006

Check these out

Links courtesy of my lovely hubby, who finds so many amazing things that I never get around to posting about.

All I can say about these is "WOW". Enjoy

The Little Giant Girl
Eric Grohe Murals

ps. I will be mammoth posting very soon...

Posted by Maxine at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)

August 08, 2006

The 'Craft Blog as a Domestic Fantasy' Debate

I have been sitting on this post for a while as I really felt impelled to write something about the subject and join in on the debate that has appeared on various blogs. I read about it here and she has links to other sites, maybe even where the subject originated.

I have thought about the whole process of blogging and the crafty community and what exactly is its purpose on many occasions. Reading this current debate has come at an appropriate time for and was slightly uncanny as Nigella's 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' was just bought for me by husband the day before. Whilst reading this wonderful book it did occur to me that domesticity has become more in vogue than it has been for years and we need no longer be embarrassed to say that we are stay-at-home moms (for some reason the notion of being a 'housewife' somehow has previously given the impression of us being inferior and less able than those with 'big careers'). It gives an opportunity to explore who we actually want to be outside the confines of the commercial world. Although this in itself is not an easy task if you have demanding toddlers or screaming babies to contend with - no-one can push your buttons like your child can they? Not even the arrogant co-worker can raise such feelings inside you as a defiant child - but thats another story.

Blogging for me has come in two separate passes. My husband suggested we start a blog about 3 years ago when I became pregnant with Emily, our first child. I was a bit dubious at the time as blogging was new to me and it did seem odd, keeping a kind of journal online. But its purpose was to keep our distant friends and family (my mom lives in England) up to date with my pregnancy and our journey into parenthood. This has been invaluable to us and will become a precious record in later years - I often think I haven't kept enough or written down enough over the past three years of Emily's life and I often forget just how much is contained on Two Blue Lines. In fact, being pregnant for the second time I am able to look back and compare my experiences.

Noodles and Doodles was born out of a desire to be more creative and my primary goal was that it would give me the motivation to get things done, whilst providing me with an outlet for my creativity. I am a bit lacking when it comes to motivation and being productive without deadlines and timescales has always been a bit tricky for me. Over the time I have kept the blog I have become more aware of just how much of a community it is and I think this is a wonderful aspect of craft blogs. Everywhere I look there is inspiration on many different levels and new people to meet, my RSS list grows daily and its hard to read them all. Who could've know such a network of like minded people existed?

But I do see where other people are coming from and sometimes those wonderfully successful crafty girls can be a real inspiration and other times the green eyed monster can set in and you can become envious of their 'super mom' ability. I know myself I can find my confidence drop quite easily and if I am in the wrong type of mood reading these blogs can make me feel more of a failure than a success. I have had many a conversation about how the hell some of these girls actually manage to do what they do. Firstly their talent is amazing and secondly how do they fit it all in? But then I stop and realise that we only see what they want us to see and of course we only show what we want to show. Who knows how difficult it is, how much childcare other people get and what their financial situation is?

I suppose the craft blogs could be considered a domestic fantasy in a way and really I don't see anything wrong with that. I never delve too deeply into my feelings and I only ever complain about things when I am pushed, because who really wants to hear about that part of my life? Lets face it, that would be pretty dull and depressing! I used to read Dooce a good while back and whilst I found her honesty refreshing at first, it just become a drag and I got a bit bored with reading about her most intimate feelings - I am sure a lot of people know the site as it has a big readership. I found it to self-indulgent - but then isn't that what all blogs are really? Including mine? Whilst I don't want to see everyones lives through rose tinted glasses, there is a limit to how much depressing reality I can take! Is that bad? I don't know. I sit here writing this, while Emily sits in the other room watching a film, the laundry needs doing, the house needs tidying in practically every room and I wonder when I will have the time or energy for my next creative endeavor.

I have many friends who have perfect houses and have the whole domestic thing down to a tee but then, thats all they do. I can't help being the way that I am, being interested in many things and so the house gets fuller by the day with fabric finds, boxes I can't throw out 'just in case', wool, thrifty 'junk' etc. I would love to be perfect but I'm afraid its just not possible. We all make our choices and sacrifices and this is mine. I like to tell myself that Emily's life will be enriched by it all!

So bring on the domestic fantasies that what I say! I need them keep me motivated and inspired and if we looked at all the dark sides of each other we may never want to blog again.

Posted by Maxine at 10:15 AM | Comments (9)