I found this picture today. It made me smile. A lot.
Can you imagine the pilling?
My sense of humour is restored.
I Can Feel A Titter Brewing
Just to let you know, I woke up this morning, made myself my usual bucket of tea, and halfway through drinking it, could feel a titter brewing (alongside the tea in my unfeasibly large mug). It wasn't about anything in particular, but it was definitely there.
This is tremendously good news. I don't like not finding things funny. I don't like not feeling excited about something, anything.
I have started knitting a scarf. I've knitted another square for my granny blanket. I've got my second guest blogger sharing their sparkle here at Mimi and Tilly this week. And, drum roll please, I've got an article I've written being featured in an online magazine this coming Friday (I'll tell you more about that in a special blog post later this week).
Not too shabby for a woman who temporarily lost her titter.
I'm still experiencing that powerful blend of M.E. symptoms. However, I've been able to accept them for what they are, stop fighting them, rest up, and ask for the help I've needed. It's made a huge difference. I don't find asking for help very easy. I naturally tend towards stoicism and radical independence. I've learned this week that letting someone help you is giving that person an opportunity to demonstrate how much they love you. I didn't understand this until this week when friends and family rallied round. I am very grateful for the love and help I've been given this week. Thank you.
And a huge thank you for all the beautiful words that you left for me in the comments section, after I wrote my last post. Each and every one of your comments touched me, and helped me get my titter back. I wasn't expecting that kind of reponse, and am very grateful for your kindness, support and friendship.
So, for now, I'm taking things easy, saying boo to the blue (Thanks Jenny!), resting up, and being very gentle with myself. I'll be back this week with a gorgeous blog post from Coco Rose who is sharing her sparkle.
Now that's something to smile about.
This is tremendously good news. I don't like not finding things funny. I don't like not feeling excited about something, anything.
I have started knitting a scarf. I've knitted another square for my granny blanket. I've got my second guest blogger sharing their sparkle here at Mimi and Tilly this week. And, drum roll please, I've got an article I've written being featured in an online magazine this coming Friday (I'll tell you more about that in a special blog post later this week).
Not too shabby for a woman who temporarily lost her titter.
I'm still experiencing that powerful blend of M.E. symptoms. However, I've been able to accept them for what they are, stop fighting them, rest up, and ask for the help I've needed. It's made a huge difference. I don't find asking for help very easy. I naturally tend towards stoicism and radical independence. I've learned this week that letting someone help you is giving that person an opportunity to demonstrate how much they love you. I didn't understand this until this week when friends and family rallied round. I am very grateful for the love and help I've been given this week. Thank you.
And a huge thank you for all the beautiful words that you left for me in the comments section, after I wrote my last post. Each and every one of your comments touched me, and helped me get my titter back. I wasn't expecting that kind of reponse, and am very grateful for your kindness, support and friendship.
So, for now, I'm taking things easy, saying boo to the blue (Thanks Jenny!), resting up, and being very gentle with myself. I'll be back this week with a gorgeous blog post from Coco Rose who is sharing her sparkle.
Now that's something to smile about.
Favourite Thing On A Friday - Beautiful Words
I love that words can change how I feel. I love that I can read something and feel lifted, loved or moved. I think words are really beautiful. I'm experiencing a very powerful blend of M.E. symptoms. The past few weeks have been difficult. They've felt really messy. I knew things weren't good when I realised I'd lost my sense of humour around it all. I know. One of the things that makes life fun for me is the fact that I make myself laugh so much. At my own expense. Even when others aren't joining in. And tumbleweeds are rolling across the carpet. You can usually find me tittering at the back somewhere about something I've tripped over/stood in/dropped. I woke up earlier this week with no titter. Instead I was feeling really blue.
I'm resting up in a bid to get my sense of humour back.
Then today I found these words...
It felt good to remember this.
I hope that today, you are having one of the best days of your life.
If you'd like to join in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up below and I'll be over in a jiffy.
I'm resting up in a bid to get my sense of humour back.
Then today I found these words...
It felt good to remember this.
I hope that today, you are having one of the best days of your life.
If you'd like to join in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up below and I'll be over in a jiffy.
Favourite Thing On A Friday - Compliments
Last week I posted about restyling my locks, and, frankly, it did me the power of good as I received so many beautiful compliments about how lovely my barnet was looking. Thank you.
Then this week I had to make some phone calls that involved me sitting on hold listening to music. The piece they were playing was very loud and, to be honest, hurt my ears. I felt like I was being shouted at by musical notes. A tad aurally abused, if you will.
I assume that music is played while a person is sat on hold on the phone so that they are soothed and mollified by said music. I felt neither soothed nor mollified. I'm not generally an aggressive or impatient person. If anything, I'd say I was a bit of a sloth when it comes to getting irritated by the stuff of day-to-day living. But I did find that I had a strong urge to poke myself in both eye balls just to distract me from the electronic dirge that was assaulting my ear drums.
I attempted to resolve this problem by putting the phone receiver on my desk so that it was a little bit away from my head. This didn't really work. Leaning over my desk to put my ear near the receiver, to make sure I could hear if someone picked up my call, wasn't the most comfortable position to sit in. I haven't got an excessively enormous head, but, there is a lot of stuff stored in there and, honestly, it's heavy.
Then I came across this...
How amazing would it be for general woman and mankind if we were given compliments while we sat on hold on the phone? How much more amenable would the conversations be, if the person left sitting on hold for ten minutes was given a litany of reasons why they were the cat's whiskers? Talk about oiling the wheels of general happiness and I'm-having-a-good-day-ness.
In my mind it would sound something like this...
"I'm sorry but all our customer relations staff are taking other calls at the moment. Your custom is important to us. We will take your call as fast as we possibly can... Do you know how hot-to-trot you are? Yowza, that outfit you've put together today is bang on trend. Your bottom is the perfect peachy size and most certainly does not look big in your skinny jeans. And, what's more, you are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. And funny. That joke you told your friends last week made me laugh so hard, I snorted. Don't get me started on your writing skills. Your words... I'm getting a little choked up saying this... Your words... Move me. Thank you for supporting our business. Frankly, we couldn't do it without you."
Pretty uplifting huh? If a little invasive.
So, my Favourite Thing On A Friday this week is receiving compliments. Thank you for the beautiful compliments you leave in your comments. They make a huge difference to my days.
If you fancy joining in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up below and I'll be over in a jiffy to pay you a huge compliment. Just because.
Then this week I had to make some phone calls that involved me sitting on hold listening to music. The piece they were playing was very loud and, to be honest, hurt my ears. I felt like I was being shouted at by musical notes. A tad aurally abused, if you will.
I assume that music is played while a person is sat on hold on the phone so that they are soothed and mollified by said music. I felt neither soothed nor mollified. I'm not generally an aggressive or impatient person. If anything, I'd say I was a bit of a sloth when it comes to getting irritated by the stuff of day-to-day living. But I did find that I had a strong urge to poke myself in both eye balls just to distract me from the electronic dirge that was assaulting my ear drums.
I attempted to resolve this problem by putting the phone receiver on my desk so that it was a little bit away from my head. This didn't really work. Leaning over my desk to put my ear near the receiver, to make sure I could hear if someone picked up my call, wasn't the most comfortable position to sit in. I haven't got an excessively enormous head, but, there is a lot of stuff stored in there and, honestly, it's heavy.
Then I came across this...
How amazing would it be for general woman and mankind if we were given compliments while we sat on hold on the phone? How much more amenable would the conversations be, if the person left sitting on hold for ten minutes was given a litany of reasons why they were the cat's whiskers? Talk about oiling the wheels of general happiness and I'm-having-a-good-day-ness.
In my mind it would sound something like this...
"I'm sorry but all our customer relations staff are taking other calls at the moment. Your custom is important to us. We will take your call as fast as we possibly can... Do you know how hot-to-trot you are? Yowza, that outfit you've put together today is bang on trend. Your bottom is the perfect peachy size and most certainly does not look big in your skinny jeans. And, what's more, you are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. And funny. That joke you told your friends last week made me laugh so hard, I snorted. Don't get me started on your writing skills. Your words... I'm getting a little choked up saying this... Your words... Move me. Thank you for supporting our business. Frankly, we couldn't do it without you."
Pretty uplifting huh? If a little invasive.
So, my Favourite Thing On A Friday this week is receiving compliments. Thank you for the beautiful compliments you leave in your comments. They make a huge difference to my days.
If you fancy joining in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up below and I'll be over in a jiffy to pay you a huge compliment. Just because.
What's your Favourite Thing On A Friday this week? And what's the best compliment you've ever been paid?
Ear Ear
Earlier last week, I mentioned I had some earrings I had designed and made that I wanted to share with you. And here they are. These earrings are made from etched copper sheet and copper wire. They have been shaped into a curve for added "dangle appeal", and have tiny etched droplets attached for further "swing".
What do you think? After I'd finished them, I realised they reminded me a little bit of turtle shells! These earrings are going to be wending their way to the USA, where a friend of mine lives. We met in Japan and have been friends ever since. He wrote to me a little while ago telling me his wife would love my earrings. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to package these up so that he can give them to her as a surprise at Christmas.
What do you think? After I'd finished them, I realised they reminded me a little bit of turtle shells! These earrings are going to be wending their way to the USA, where a friend of mine lives. We met in Japan and have been friends ever since. He wrote to me a little while ago telling me his wife would love my earrings. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to package these up so that he can give them to her as a surprise at Christmas.
Cats in Hats - Part Deux
I've only gone and done it again. Stumbled across an Etsy store that sells hats for cats. These hats for cats, however, aren't chic felt adornments for your feline. They're knitted bonnets. Knitted. Bonnets. These beauties don't sit jauntily on your quietly proud pet's head. They are held firmly and definitely in place with a determined woolly bow. I kid you not. There's no way Stanley, Doug or Frank (made up names I've always wanted to give to cats, after Eric and Ernie of course) could grapple their way out of one of these knitted cat fascinators. .
See for yourselves...
See for yourselves...
If I wasn't already neutered,
the cats on the street would
have my danglers for wearing this.
I... Can't... Breathe.
Does my bottom look big in this?
What did I ever do to you?
Okay, apart from leave furballs on your pillow.
I absolutely love all of them. You can find these beautifully knitted hats for cats at scooterKnits on Etsy alongside knitted cat toys. I have to 'fess up to the fact that I am profoundly jealous that the lady who designs and knits these hats for cats is able to adorn her cat with them. If I could dress up Eric and Ernie, I'd have blog fodder for years. I put collars on Eric and Ernie once. Went out. Came home. I found them both looking stunned and confused in the middle of the carpet. Each with a rear leg pinned under the collar and jammed against their ears. They were like cat skittles waiting to be knocked over. If I wasn't against cruelty to animals, I'd have given them a little shove just to see them topple, but I couldn't do it. I was so concerned, I didn't even get my camera out. I know. I'm all about the compassion.
Story Corps
I love writing and I love stories. The stories I love most are the stories of everyday people and their lives. I am inspired and moved by the bravery and love that people express and experience in their day-to-day relationships. Here are two beautiful stories I found at StoryCorps, an organisation based in Brooklyn, New York, that records, preserves and broadcasts the life stories of everyday people.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
Favourite Thing On A Friday - Styling My Locks
There is one thing that I am uniformly, consistently and impressively rubbish at doing. Styling my own hair. I have been blessed with a full head of hair (I feel very fortunate I didn't inherit my father's male pattern baldness) but it is the most uniquely baby fine hair I have ever personally witnessed. I only have to say the word "balloon" and it leaps into a gravity defying display of static. Say the word "rain" and it falls dramatically into a limp imitation of a wet bobble hat. When I say "In the name of all that is good and great, will you please form yourself into something akin to a chic chignon?" it looks at me apologetically and hangs in a knotty, dry nest, clinging nervously to the back of my head. I don't mean to be mean to my hair, but it requires a lot of work, effort and energy to get it looking impressive.
I've come to the conclusion that if my hair was a person, it would be judged as high maintenance and extremely needy.
Oodles of energy not being my strong point right now, I've resorted for some time to yanking my hair impatiently into a pony tail. And when all else has failed, I've donned... Wait for it... A baseball cap. I can only apologise.
You can imagine my enthusiasm this week, when I serendipiticiously (I've just made that word up, and love it) came across a link to a blog that told me it could teach me how to style my hair.
With a heavy sneer, a dramatic roll of my eye balls and the room ringing with the words, "Well let's see what you can teach me to do with this crowning glory...", I set off to see if I could indeed be transformed into Charles Worthington minus the male parts but with the glamorously bouffant quality to my hair.
After watching several videos whilst making harried mental notes, I let myself loose on my static-weary mop and here are the gloriously volumised, yet casually chic, results.
Yes, my friends, thanks to a lovely lady named Kate, I've managed to learn how to style my hair. And I am happy.
Prepare yourselves for some serious "Because I'm worth it!" head shots. I am shameless.
Kate from The Small Things blog is a professional hair-stylist and beautician. She is bright and full of sunshine. She also just happens to post the most fantastic "how-to" videos I have come across which clearly demonstrate the best ways to whip your hair into a range of quick, beautiful and easy hairstyles. Kate takes you through each style on her own hair so that you can see exactly what to do to tame your own tresses. She is an inspiration. I am totally converted. As far as I'm concerned, Kate has performed a public service. I no longer leave my home sporting a look that shrieks "Help me!" and now leave my home sporting a look that purrs "Get me!"
When Steve saw me with my newly styled "do" the first words out of his mouth were "Wow, you look gorgeous, have you had your hair done?"
Thank you so much Kate...
What has been your favourite thing this week? I'm really looking forward to finding out. Join in by linking up below and posting a link back to Mimi and Tilly in your Favourite Thing On a Friday post.
I'll be over faster than I can fashion a chignon. Which used to mean I'd be over some time next week, and now means I'll be over in a minute or two!
A Quick Reminder
Sweet dreams,
I'm All Ears
I've been at it again. Spending as much virtual money as I can muster. Putting virtual jewels into my virtual jewellery box. I'm really enjoying the fact I'm not actually spending hard coinage. No guilt after the spending fact. And, having bought them virtually, I don't need to buy them literally. I've already experienced my virtual shopping buzz. Everyone's a winner.
I've got some earrings I've designed and made, to share with you this week. And in preparation, I thought I'd have a gander at the earring designs available in the shops right now. Here are the ones that really caught my eye. The designs I would want to wear. Once again, my choices haven't been made on any ethical shopping basis. I do, however, have an ethical jewellery blog post coming up very soon.
I've come over all starry-eyed. And a bit feathery.
Click on the individual earrings to learn more about them. Which ones do you like best? I like my earrings to have a really strong shape and colour. As you well know, when it comes to wearing rings, my style of choice errs towards the honking and mahoosive. However, when it comes to my earrings, I do like a neat stud as well as great big danglers. So to speak. How about you?
I'll share the earrings I've made, alongside a tiny silver band I'm very proud of, later this week.
I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.
I've got some earrings I've designed and made, to share with you this week. And in preparation, I thought I'd have a gander at the earring designs available in the shops right now. Here are the ones that really caught my eye. The designs I would want to wear. Once again, my choices haven't been made on any ethical shopping basis. I do, however, have an ethical jewellery blog post coming up very soon.
I've come over all starry-eyed. And a bit feathery.
Click on the individual earrings to learn more about them. Which ones do you like best? I like my earrings to have a really strong shape and colour. As you well know, when it comes to wearing rings, my style of choice errs towards the honking and mahoosive. However, when it comes to my earrings, I do like a neat stud as well as great big danglers. So to speak. How about you?
I'll share the earrings I've made, alongside a tiny silver band I'm very proud of, later this week.
I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.
Favourite Thing On A Friday - A Story
Hello. I can't believe how quickly these Fridays whip round again, can you? I love it that each week I get to choose what's been my favourite thing.
This week my Favourite Thing On A Friday has to be the story that Kim from the blog Ramblings of the Bearded One wrote in my comments section yesterday, in response to my post about loving your body.
I felt quite moved as I read Kim's comment, and wanted to share with you the story Kim shared with me.
Here it is...
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.
"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."
He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Thank you Kim for taking the time to share this with me. If you haven't already come across Kim's blog, I highly recommend you taking a visit. Thank you everyone for all your beautiful comments on yesterday's post. You have completely blown me away...
If you fancy joining in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up at the end of this post. Bob's your uncle. I'll be over soon.
Happy Friday.
Sending glitter and smiles,
Thank you Kim for taking the time to share this with me. If you haven't already come across Kim's blog, I highly recommend you taking a visit. Thank you everyone for all your beautiful comments on yesterday's post. You have completely blown me away...
If you fancy joining in with Favourite Thing On A Friday, just link up at the end of this post. Bob's your uncle. I'll be over soon.
Happy Friday.
Sending glitter and smiles,
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