I made a bag

Ooooh I love it. I made it as part of my personal gifting drive, see this post on my blog Gift Me Happy. I found a pattern to work from on Weekend Designer. If you haven't had a look there be sure to it is so inspiring...if you see it, want it but can't afford it, Weekend Designer really puts across the fact that you CAN make it. This is just the concept I have been trying to put across to one keen little girl B I am teaching to sew, but more in the way of toys, hair bands etc. at the moment..somehow I don't usually think to "copy" clothes for myself, but why not? That said I haven't tried any of the clothes on there yet, but I sure would like to.

It's funny really, thinking of the little girl I mentioned...I think the message has got through as her Mum told me that when they were on holiday recently, she ( B ), took lots of pictures of things she liked but couldn't afford to buy so she could show me and when she got back I could show her how to make them...I haven't seen the pics yet, I am both excited to see what she has in mind but feel slight trepidation...which of course I will do my best not to show...after all you can do anything you set your mind to, right? Oh boy oh boy I hope her mentor does not fail her. :o/

Doxie :o)

YAY I did one of Rae's tops!

Okay so I did it a bit late for the Spring Top Sewalong but I did do it!

Some jungle fabric had been taunting me from the stash pile for about a year. It was one of DS's old kiddie duvet covers. It may not be the everyday look for a woman of my age but what the heck I like it! ...and I couldn't waste it on something like a laundry bag that wouldn't get to travel and see the outside world! LOL

I think it will be perfect for a day out at the zoo. I mucked up a bit on the inside of the straps...only because I had a total lapse of concentration during 2 key points... which I shall blame on dear Sharp End taking my concentration away and it being about midnight ...but thankfully it doesn't show or really matter. I just know to take extra care next time and pack in before I get tired...and yes there will be lots of next times because it is such a super adaptable pattern. Thankyou to lovely Rae for providing the pattern, she writes the instructions so well...which you can find here on our much loved SewMamaSew.

and for anyone who has not stumbled across Rae's blog yet, her clever workwomanship can be found here

Doxie who is wearing her new jungle top now!

A first for me...

This afternoon I took the family on their first "long drive" with me behind the wheel. It wasn't the nicest weather for such an outing but it was still a fun trip out. :o)

I felt such a thrill that I couldn't help myself doing a little victory song and dance in the car park at the other end. One young couple gave me a funny look LOL, but I think they realised what was going on after a while because of the "L plates". Still, I don't really worry about that kind of thing these days...at least it gave them a laugh ;o)

I managed to do a few little things that my instructor had been pushing me to do when I have been out with him... so I am hoping that he will see the difference in my confidence during my next lesson. I put my foot down on the NSL roads and resisted the temptation to slow right down at every corner LOL. One thing I did unplanned was a very sudden block change when I realised that the turning I needed was right there and not 50 yards ahead! OK I know that it is not good to do a panic mano but at least I didn't stall after the block change which I did do once in a very inappropriate place!

We stopped enroute at a nice little nursery where they have a pet's corner...I was so tempted by the little baby ratties. I am thinking life is going to be very dicey for a new reason when I have passed my test...if I go out unaccompanied there will be nobody standing there next to me saying " No, we don't really NEED another colony of pet rats!" or whatever cutsies cross my path ;o). Note to self...NEVER EVER drive along to the pet shelter.

The other day when JW came around she offered to be my accompanying driver if I wanted to go out with her and the boys and practice when Mr Doxie is not around or is busy. What a sweet friend, I think I will take her up on that. Who'd have thought that learning to drive could be such a positive experience and one which didn't involve just the family but friends as well. I am blessed. :o)

Doxie feeling quietly satisfied. :o)

New Mano...Bay parking

I had a phone call an hour and a quarter before my last driving lesson...my spirits fell when I heard my instructor's voice, not because he isn't lovely but because I was sure he was phoning to cancel...Thankfully this was not the case...but he asked if I had remembered that he had brought that day's lesson forward by an hour, YIKES!!! No I had not remembered...that meant I had 15 mins to get myself presentable. From planning on spending the next hour doing hypnosis followed by gentle reading so I could start my lesson in a chilled and calm manner, I had to change to full on panic nutter mode! Impressively I was ready in time...He teased me about only just getting up which was SO not the case... I had already done my housework and a step aerobic workout...I was just not ready for my lesson when he telephoned. I had the pleasure of pointing out that HE was the one sat there with toothpaste on his face!!!!!

Mmmm, I'm not sure what to think of this reversing into a bay lark...I totally get why it is wrong to go in nose first, but boy oh boy is this going to take some practice. Doing it with spaces in the bays next to me was okay but I so didn't like doing it with a car next to me. When asked "What must you change when there are cars parked on both sides of your chosen bay?" I was told that the answer

"My pants!"

was not the answer he was looking for... oh well it might not have been correct but at least I made him laugh!

For anyone who hasn't learned this mano yet, the answer is "nothing".

I really wanted to abandon it when he made me reverse in with a car on my left but he kept bringing up that "trust" word again, so even though I was freaking out at how close we were to the other vehicle I went ahead and lo and behold, it all worked like magic...I just wish you could buy pocket sized Mr Patiences to keep in the glove box for times of emergency and tight squeezes.

I tried private practice with the Doxie-mobile the same night but somehow it didn't go quite so well...I kept ending up about a third of a bay to one side....still at least I was straight which is half the battle I guess. I don't know if I am turning too late or too early, ho hum I guess that is what practice is for...it probably didn't help that it was at night in a pitch black car park in the countryside and I couldn't see the bay markings that well anyway, so maybe I am being a bit hard on myself.

I had someone walk backwards into the road in front of me in this latest lesson...now that is an odd one to anticipate LOL. It was a workman...I can only assume he had ear plugs in or something...blooming daft thing to do without looking! Anyway you will be pleased to hear that he is still upright and the only thing that happened was... I stopped, Mr Patience blew the horn and told him what a twit he was, or words to that effect!

Until next time,
Doxie :o)

Doxiemobile I love you!

I LOVE, love, love my Doxiemobile! I've been out in it locally with the L plates and it is all I hoped it would be and more. Sharp End fits in the boot and is quite happy. You'd think he'd been in it a thousand times already. Even though he doesn't have the space he is used to in Mr Doxie's car he doesn't seem to mind at all. His dog guard arrived today so he can go out with us which ever car we use...and there will be room for new puppy too!

She is a delight to sit in,very comfy and still smells new, although I am sure Sharp End will soon take care of that!...She came with very low mileage which I know is genuine as I know her history. :o) With room for friends,dogs,shopping and smart enough for work what more could I want? The future is bright! I am going to have so much fun whizzing about here and there.


Doxie...nearly mobile :o)

Goodbye drug of choice

Before my driving lesson I usually pump myself full of caffeine to ensure alertness ...well this week with Mr Doxie working from home my routine was a bit different and I realised about 10 mins before Mr Patience was due to pick me up that I had not had my usual double if not triple cappuccino...there was no time to throw it down my neck at the last minute so I just had to go out without a boost of my drug of choice.

What a difference...I pulled away quicker at junctions, I did my manoeuvres with absolutely no agitation of self critism at all and was generally waaay calmer throughout the lesson. The only slightly wobbly bit was practising the "hanging off the top of the cliff" bit aka proper clutch control on a hill. Even that went a hundred times better than last week, I froze at the thought of the first attempt but with a bit of gentle talking around I did as I was told, when I was told, and it went fine from then on...it was probably helped by the fact that Mr Patience was determined not to let me off the hook and if the truth be known we spent much of the lesson driving around looking for steeper and steeper hills!

We ended the lesson with a little trip to the river(where we considered stopping at the pub and having a sit in the sunshine, it was so tempting!)...and then back via the local roundabout of doom, but in reality it wasn't really as bad as people make it out to be.

All in all it was one of the least eventful and calm lessons I've had and was told a definite " No more caffeine for you in future Missy!" If next week is just the same I will have to admit that coffee is not the friend I thought it was. Hey ho, you live and learn.

Doxie :o)

Not that sure what all the fuss is about...

Well I have now finished the Agatha Christie too. I didn't enjoy it as much as the Wodehouse. I sussed out "whodunnit" pretty early on so I just kept reading in the hope I was wrong and was going to be shocked and surprised...which I wasn't. Never mind, maybe it was a one off. I will try another one sometime but if the character building is as drawn out and tedious as in Sparkling Cyanide I won't be filling my bookshelf with any more ACs.

On my bedside table I now have "Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick. It is hard not trying to imagine the film as you are reading it, but I expect I will get over that as I get deeper into it.

It is years since I have read novels for pleasure. My bookshelves have been full of nothing but educational stuff really ever since I became a Mother and definitely a home educator. It is thoroughly pleasant going to bed reading for no reason at all, rather than reading as a precursor to lesson planning.

Doxie who will have gone through every book in the local library in a year if she carries on at this rate! ;o)

Edited to say...Minority Report turned out to be a 'short story' rather than a novel...didn't realise when I picked up the book...they did well to make a film out of such little writing...