By the bye

I have just realised that my hometown (Umea is Sweden) will be the European Capital of Culture for 2014!
I'm not quite sure what this means but you can bet I'll be finding out.
Go Umea!!!!


Actually, now that I think about it, I've actually known this for a while
but the penny seems to have just dropped...

So I think everyone should visit Umea in 2014!

Grattis Ume!

sab x

Don't know what to say...

Been a bit down in the dumps lately...
I think I need to grow a thicker skin.
Not judge everybody by the standards I set for myself.

If I say I'm going do something, I do it.
If I say I'm going to be somewhere, a certain time, I am.
If I love someone, I'll do anything for them.
Move heaven and earth to make them happy.
I can't bear the thought of disappointing or hurting someone...

So I expect the same from everyone else.
I expect them to care as much about me as I do about them.
And then I get disappointed. And upset. And angry.
But what right do I have?
They have to live their life how they choose, who am I to judge?

I have tried caring, loving, less. But I can't.
I don't work that way...

So I have to accept that the people I love don't work the same way as me.
Or bugger off...

Maybe for some people "being tired" is a valid reason for bailing out on a plan.
I always work "late" and I'm usually tired and would never see that as a good enough reason to disappoint a friend. But that's me.
I can't expect others to think the same way, can I?

I need to become more accepting of others.
Grow a thicker skin.
Not judge other by the standard I set for myself.

Now, how do I do that?

sab x

arty farty

Stage one completed.
Big Stamp And Scrapbooking Show today, at Ally Pally, and it was all that I could hope for and all that I didn't.
As usual loads of people - some nice, some not so...
Loads of things to buy and look at (if you were lucky enough to actually get to the goodies).
Lot's of getting bumped into and shoved around.
And loooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaads of money leaving my purse...
This time I also managed to hook up with some of the lovely ladees from DC and discuss chocolate chip cookies!

Came back to James' (friend/ex-something) and went straight to bed for a (well needed) rest.
Up now and starving!!!!
James has gone to the shop to get some stuff for dinner, after I shouted at him quite a bit - I get grumpy when I'm hungry!

(Oh my god, my bag full of stash from Ally Pally just fell over very slowly with a creaking sound , making me run screaming from the room! Yes I scare easily...)

Gonna shift myself to the sofa in a bit to see if there's anything good on the telly...
And stroke my stash!

laters
sab x

Why does everything fun happen the same weekend?

I like my weekends to be relaxing.
Preferably to have one day of doing nothing.
I can't live without my duvet days, I hate going back to work on a monday feeling even more tired that I did before the weekend.
I need to recharge...

How, and when, that's going to happen this weekend I do not know.
This weekend is the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show, Run To The Beat and the London Tattoo Convention and of course I'm going to all of these events.
How? I hear you ask. I'll tell you.
Tomorrow I'm going to get up bright and early to make a packed lunch. Then I will go to clapham junction to drop my laptop and some clothes off to my friend/ex whatever.
Then go to BSSBS.
Then back to his for some food and possibly a dvd.
Sunday, up bright and early again (I hate getting up early on weekends!) to go watch some of his friends run the half marathon. How much do you want to bet it's going to rain?
Then some food (I hope!). Then tattoo convention.
Then back to his again to eat and sleep.
Monday: die.

So now I'm going to read some more of Northanger Abbey, ice a cake with my little angel then go to bed.

Happy days!
Sab x

loving it

my brother recommended this band to me and I love them!
They're on repeat on my spotify now...

Btw, spotify doesn't seem all that big in the uk.
Who's got it?

sab x

Why, oh why?

Why did I ever get into blogging?!
I know how obsessed I can get with things and what a perfectionist I am...
And the more I get into it, the more I want to do.
I want to add this, I want to change that...
Now I've gotten myself into a right tangle where I'm trying to do lots of things I can't do and don't understand!
And everytime I find the answer it creates twice as many questions...
I feel like I've started at the end and I'm trying to find my way to the start.

I'll keep trying though!
I just wish there was a person in my (real) life that knew about these things and could guide me through it...
I think when I go back to sweden for christmas I'm going to book my cousin for a day of tutoring.
He's really clever and studied computer geekiness at uni!

Good night and Good luck
sab x

The dentist hurted my mouth...

I went to the dentist today...
I was kinda freaked out by my sister having to have her tooth pulled and since I was told nearly a year ago that I needed a filling I thought I should prob get on with that to avoid the same fate!
So, booked myself in.
Now, I hate the dentist...
I don't know why, but it just really freaks me out!
I mean there's the pain and all that, and I don't handle pain well, but that's not it...
I can't stand the sensation when they stick those things in my teeth, those pointy things, it makes me feel nauseuos.
And the smell, eurgh!
And I hate how your mouth feels when it's been numbed.
I don't like having a strangers hands in my mouth and they're face so close to mine (it's the same at the opticians, except for the hands in the mouth thing obviously)!
And the drill, but I think everyone feels the same on that matter...
So yeah, all in all, not something I enjoy.
I break out in a cold sweat and forget to breath.
When I was having my wisdom teeth out a nurse had to sit next to me and remind me to breathe...
But today the little angel I look after was home sick from school so he had to come with me.
Now, I try very hard to be a good rolemodel (well occasionally anyways) and letting him see me freak out at the dentist didn't seem very good.
I think these kinds of behaviours are learned and if he sees important adults in his life being afraid of the dentist, well that fear might be passed on to him.
So I had to play it cool.
I think I did rather well and, considering I love to moan about things, I was rather brave....

I just hope he didn't see my knuckle-whitening grip on the arm rests of the dentist chair.
At least I didn't cry, I have been known to you know...

The numbness has orn off and I'm now munching brownies! Yum!
I made myself a cup of tea when we got back but had to drink it through a straw, it's easy to miss your mouth when you can't feel your lip!

Yours etc
Sab x

Eye candy!

Bit of a movie marathon last night.
First up was Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, which reminded me why I love this guy so much


Sam Rockwell!
Gorgeous, great actor and what a cool name! Rockwell!

Next up was Sense And Sensibility.
With the always gorgeous


Alan Rickman
This man needs no description!

But wait! Someone else caught my eye...


It was Mr Willoughby himself.
How have I missed this guy before, was I always too busy looking at Colonel Brandon?!
Apparently his name is Greg Wise...
Never heard of/seen him before, must investigate!

So long and thanks for all the fish!
sab x

There's a rat in my kitchen...

...what am I gonna do?
I used to love that song when I was little!

Seriously though, there is actually a rat in our kitchen...
The exterminators told us it's probably not a mouse (you'd see the droppings).
We've suspected there's something for a while and have been discussing what to do, traps/poison etc, and now it's been confirmed.
My boss heard it earlier and called in the exterminators, she said it sounded huge!
Then this evening when I was in my room I heard lots of shrieking downstairs and went to see what it was all about.
My boss is standing halfway up the stairs nearly in tears and telling the boy not to let the rat out!
Turns out she'd heard it in the cupboard underneath the sink and now she was scared to go in the kitchen.
I bravely (not really, I'm not scared of rats) had a look and determined the rat was no longer in there, it had probably been scared off by all the screaming.
Found a cardboard box in the recycling which I cut up and sellotaped over the gaps around the pipes etc so it couldn't get back in, then sellotaped the cupboard shut (she wouldn't come back in the kitchen unless I did).
While I was doing this she was on the phone leaving a (rather hysterical) message for the rat killers, as she calls them, saying we can't wait 'til next week they have to come now!!!!

I found all this rather hilarious!
I mean they're kind of gross and all that but it's hardly gonna run at you and attack is it?!

It had been gnawing some cardboard boxes in the cupboard so my guess is there's nest with rat babies somewhere...
She's just now asked me to cover any other gaps, a rat might get into, tomorrow...

And yes, I washed my hands thoroughly after fiddling about in, what's now known as, the rat cupboard...

The drama eh?!

signing off
sab x

Snus Glorious Snus!!!

It has arrived!!!!!
I am now sitting here happily sucking on one!
(actually it's under my lip, where it belongs, sucking on it would be gross...)
It's interesting though how it's the one I ordered a week and a bit ago, not the one my friend sent 3 weeks ago...
Guess that one is lost. That's 60 quid down the drain...
But, you know what, I can't be upset about anything at the moment 'cause I have snuuuuuuus!!!!

And my brother's coming to London for a few weeks!
Yay!!!

Now if only I could work out how to embed a little music player in a post (not the sidebar) I would be the happiest bunny in the world!

That, and getting someone to come to the London Tattoo convention with me...!

Hasta la vista babies!
sab x

Brownies or filth flarn

Me and my little darling made his favourite brownies again the other day.
They really are divine, although as my sister would say filthy!

They are a take on Nigella Lawsons brownies (from ...Domestic Goddess)

This is the recipe I use:
(I'll also put nigella's in case anyone wants to make that)
makes approx 48 pieces

375g unsalted butter
300g dark chocolate (nigella's has 375)
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
500g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
100g white chocolate chunks
2 small bars terry's chocolate orange - chopped into large chunks
(nigellas recipe has 300g chopped walnuts in place of the white and orange choc)


1. Heat oven to 180*. Line a pan approx 33 x 23 x 51/2 cm with baking paper (sides as well). I get a piece larger that the pan, draw around it then cut diagonally from the corners to the outline. One side can then be tucked behind the other so you don't get any creases!

2. Melt butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan.

3. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl.

4. Sift flower into a second bowl and add salt.

5. Let the chocolate mixture cool a bit then beat in the eggs and sugar mixture and the flour.

6. Beat to combine well and just before pouring into the pan, add the mix of chocolate chunks and stir quickly to mix.

7. Bake for about 25 minutes.

When it's ready the top should be pale and and speckled but the middle gooey.

Leave to cool for a while then cut into pieces and eat!

A few tips: The terry's choc orange chunks need to be quite big or they will just melt completely when you add them to the mix.
The same applies to adding them: it needs to be just before you pour the mixture into the pan for the same reason.
The first time I made this I thought I'd never get 48 pieces out of it without making them tiny. They do come out quite small but with this version that is a good thing, they are pretty sweet and rich.
*****************

My goodness, I have become domesticated haven't I?!
I think I really need to put on some ridiculous shoes, lots of make-up and go for a wild night out!!!

Off to look for granola recipes now!

chin chin
sab x

Jane Austen update/blah blah bla

Am currently engrossed in Mansfield Park
and my apples and rosehips are in the kitchen, straining overnight.
Tomorrow is jelly making time, albeit without my trusty sidekick...

If you don't hear anything else about it, it means it did't work out and I'm pretending it never happened!

Now it's back to Fanny, Edmund, Mr Crawford and all the rest!

Bonne nuit
Sab x

My brother

My brother is gorgeous.
He's charming, funny and clever.
Basically, he's pretty cool!
But more importantly, he's kind, generous, caring and he has a heart of gold.

My brother loves music.
He loves listening to music, talking about music and making music.
My brother makes great music.

This is my brother
My brother has a band, Tender Hooligans.
They rock.
Remember the name because one day they will be big.
You heard it here first!

sab x

My achy breaky feet

Today has brought no snus...
In fact, we didn't get any post today at all.

I haven't been sleeping very well lately (might have something to do with my withdrawal) and the other day my boss suggested I start doing some gentle exercise in the evening.
Now, I hate exercise. It's evil.
Ok, that's not true, but it's a bloody pain!
Anyhoo, since I had set my sights on trying this recipe I found for apple and rosehip jelly this weekend, I thought: I'll go for a walk down by the river and see if I can find some.
(I had found some in another spot but have been informed by my mum that they're too close to the road to use. Hi Mum!!)
And what do you know, I found some. In fact I found loads...
Only problem was, it was on the other side of a rather high fence.
No problem, thinks I, I can fit my hand through here and grab some.
It worked. I looked like an idiot, and got more than a few sideways glances, but it worked.
At some point I realised I'd started humming to myself, and that probably added to the appearance of madness, so I stopped that.
I couldn't get that many (or rather ran out of patience) so I only got maybe 200g but I've decided to go back tomorrow and bring some sort of implement with me.
You know, to pull the branches towards me...
I'll have to see what I can find.

Oh, and bye the by, don't wear Primark pumps if you're going for an hours walk by the river.
It's like walking barefoot on all the stones and sharp things and general debris...

Hasta la vista baby!
Sab x

grrr

Tired and emotional.
Just been on the phone with a friend who's been upsetting me a bit lately.
And my F***ING snus hasn't arrived yet!

On the upside I'v efinally had my nails done today.
They are now a love dark blue!
They've been green all summer and, although I read somewhere that green is the colour for nails this autumn, I was etting a bit bored with it.
My lovely nail lady Vanessa had hurt her ankle and was hobbling about the place, but she wouldn't listen when I told her that she has to go see a doctor. She told me her friend was gonna give her a massage. (ankle massage?!)
It was very swollen and a lovely shade of purple though, so don't know if that's going to be enough...

There, I've cheered myself up!
With a bit of blogging and some twix...

Mwah!
sab x

Tearin' Up My Heart

Sitting here trying to decide what to do with my blog layout and listening to *Nsync.
Yes, I am the biggest geek in the world.
Just feeling a bit nostalgic that's all...
When I was round my sis' we watched some thing about them on the Bio HD channel and it brought back some memories.
How I used to love them when I was younger!
Before I found my way back to my rocker roots...

I feel a serious (and possibly self pitying) post brewing but will put it off 'til I get some snus.
Don't think these things should be written while in severe nicotine withdrawal...
My snus should arrive tomorrow and if it doesn't I can't be held responsible for my actions.

Yours truly etc
sab x

things to do

1. Get out of bed
2. Shower and dress
3. Have breakfast
4. Go in search of nicotine
5. Buy jeans and maybe dress
6. Go to work

If I don't get some snus soon I think I might actually lose my mind!!!

I think I'll have plum jam today...

Sab x

one track mind

I seem to have become completely obsessed with preserving at the moment!
Which, I guess, is a good thing to get out of my system now while things are still in season and relatively easy (and more importantly cheap) to get hold of...

So off I went to my sis' yesterday for another jam making session.
My sister was not in the best of spirits, as she'd had a tooth pulled that day, but soon cheered up as we started planning and looking at recipes.
We decided to make two small batches of things we hadn't tried before, pick the one we liked best and make a huge batch of it for the christmas gift baskets we're planning.
The problem has been that we've liked the jams we've made so far too much to give them away!

After perusing some discussion we settled on fig jam and peach jam.
The fig jam is pretty straight forward and we used a recipe from blagger.co.uk which everyone should read regardless of your interest in fig jam recipes!

Now the peach jam was another story...
I'd found a recipe on another blog called saving the season for making earl grey peach jam which I thought sounded fabulous!
My sister on the other hand was doubtful...
After I managed to convince her we realised she didn't have any earl grey tea, she did however have some Lady grey which she figured would be a good substitute. It smelled nice enough, and we were off!
We got our fruit form the market, made dinner and settled down for an evening of tex mex food movies and general pigging out.

This morning (I use the word morning very liberally here) we set about making the jam.
We didn't get off to a good start. I'd forgotten to bring the kitchen scales but after doing some maths we were set. Opened the preserving sugar and what was on the edge? Some gross looking kind of larvae!!! Now I don't mind the state of my fruit, you can cut bruised bits off and so forth, but larvae in my sugar? No thanks! So we had to go to the shop and as my sis didn't want larvae sugar (as she named it) in her bin she packed it in a carrier bag to be thrown in a bin on the way.
We get back to find sugar all over the floor, the bag had leaked.
On closer inspection I say: This isn't preserving sugar, the crystals are too small!
Look in the kitchen - we'd thrown away the wrong bag...
the bag in the bin was her caster sugar we'd taken out of the cupboard in case we didn't have enough preserving sugar and the larvae sugar was still on the counter.
Talk about waste!

Once we'd made the jams and tasted them (especially the peach one) however it was all worth it!
The fig jam was yummy which I was surprised at as I don't like figs and it didn't exactly look appetizing.

The peach jam was delicious! The coulour, the texture, the smell and the flavour it was like heaven in a jam! We ended up "licking" the pan (with the help of bits of bread) almost clean...
Whoever came up with the idea of tea-jam was a genius!
And although I can't say anything about the earl grey version, having never tried it, the Lady Grey jam is brilliant!!!

My sister is going to talk to her boyfriend the chef to see if he can't order us a box of peaches at wholesale price and then we're gonna cook up a huge batch of this delicacy for everyone we know!

MMmmmmmm!
I think I'm just gonna nip down to the kitchen to have myself some crusty white bread with jam!

sab x

Panic over!

I have managed to relocate my messenger!
Don't know how or where I found it, just started kind of clicking on things and there it was!
It's now back where it belongs...

I managed to work out who owns the apple tree, apparently it's communal.
Well for the people who live there and part own the communla garden.
But I figured that me being a nanny in such a family and so many apples just rotting on the ground noone would mind me picking some of them...
So I did!
Half a carrier bag full!

Haven't quite decided what to do with them yet, some will probably be made into chutney and I'm thinking of trying my hand at swedish apple sauce!

Also, finished pride and prejudice!
Don't know what I'll do with myself when I run out of Jane Austen novels to read...

So Long!
sab x

Oh messenger where art thou?

I seem to have lost my msn messenger...
It was there and now it's gone.
Can't find it anywhere...
Anyone know how to find it?
I should really do a course in computer geekiness, I can't even use messenger!

:(

sab x

sab battles the pink robots

It's been a tiring day.
In fact it's been a tiring week...
So much to do and so little time.
And even worse, so little energy...
I think I'm gonna take myself off to the dr's next week to check my iron levels.

To top it all off, the freaking Royal Mail, due either to the strike or incompetence, haven't managed to deliver my snus yet...

My darling Hanna sent it last monday and, as it's supposed to take 3-4 working days, I'm starting to despair... so this evening, with the help of my sis' visa card (and her permission)
I ordered some online.

At least I have something fun to look forward to this weekend!
Me and lil sis are making jam again!
Yes, you've guessed it, I'm obsessed with making preserves at the mo'...

I might also look into just who owns that apple tree and see if I can have some.
Noone else seems to ever use them and I do hate waste...

Today I made a yummy vegetable soup for my dinner (and tomorrows lunch).
I nicked the "recipe" from my sis, she made it last weekend.
It's not really a recipe, you just chuck various vegetables in some stock and boil it for a while...
Add some chilli and loads of garlic and it's scrumptious!
Perfect for cold(ish) autumn evenings...
If there's any of it left for tea tomoz I'm going to chuck some beans or lentil in to add interest!

Interesting huh?!

Well, Jane Austen calls!

Cheerio!
sab x

Kitchen adventures

Well the chutney making went well.
It looks gross, smells gross and is maturing in the cupoard...
I kept exclaiming, as I was making it, how disgusting it was, prompting my darling G to ask why I was making it if I don't like chutney? Well...
1.The thought of all the tomatoes going to waste, after I've spent most of the spring and summer rearing them from seed, annoys me no end!
2. I like making things!
3. I'd like to someday (when I grow up?) be somewhat self suffiecient food wise and this is good practise...
4. I'm sure I'll find someone who'll gladly take it off my hands!

This weekend I'm going to organise all my stuff (no still haven't finished that particular project yet!) then get started on christmas pressies and cards...

Now to lemon slicing!

toodles!
Sab x

Garden adventures

Today was the first time this term that I've had to do the school run and I'm already sick of it...
When I grow up and have kids I'm def having a nanny!

After faffing about with various bits of housework I decided to pull my finger out and pick the tomatoes, that are refusing to ripen, and get going on the chutney.
And guess what I found?!
a RED tomato!!!!

After waiting for so long I had completely given up hope...
When I had a better look I found 3/4 more tomatoes that were on their way...
So I left those and picked all the other green ones.
Popping to the shop, after I've ironed the sheets, to get some stuff I need for the chutney!

Be cool!
Sab x


P.s the tomato was yummylicious!!!

living la vida loca

Movie night for me I think... Just went through the dvd's downstairs and found Seven Pounds with Will Smith which I haven't seen... I also brought Stand By Me upstairs. It's a movie I've seen many times as it was a favourite of ours when we were growing up, but it's also one you can watch over and over again... So that's what I have to choose between.
I would say I'll watch them both but I'm itching to start Pride and Prejudice before I go to bed as well!

Was actually hoping to blog mine and sis's jam making session but sice she hasn't emailed me the pics that's just going to have to wait I guess...

See ya laters alligators!

Loo roll flower (challenge catch-ups)

This weeks Tuesday Taggers challenge sponsored by Craft Emporium is butttons and bows.
And the Lots To Do challenge is tissue paper.

Since they are both quite broad themes I decided to combine them both and make this Loo Roll Flower!

I love these cute little things!
I found this link on UKScrappers and wanted to try it out.
As you can tell from the name, I used an empty loo roll, some blue patterned paper and some
light blue tissue paper. The centre bit is a (handcut hence the wonkiness) felt flower and a button. My new project is to make loads of these and hang them all round my room!

Thanks for looking and comments are always appreciated!
Sab x

Hope you like Jamming too

Just got out of the shower and now I'm off to pick up some jam jars
then head over my sis' way for a day of preserving!
Hopefully we'll take some pics that I can upload later...

Last night I went to see District 9 with my dear Seamus.
It was a very good film, if a little obvious in it's parallels with apartheid, but
unfortunately I left with a heavy heart...
Everyone seems to be have all these lovely prospects and their lives are going somewhere.
Not me however, I'm left behind treading water...
Something must be done, a change must be made, if only I knew what!

Now I'm going to stop feeling sorry for myself and get going!
I'm sure a day of good old fashioned jam making will make me feel better!


Here's looking at you kid!

Yummy Plummy Jammy Whammy!

I have become so domesticated... Who would have thought, a couple of years ago,
that I'd find making jam exciting!

Well, we have a plum tree in the garden that noone really takes any notice of.
Every year someone says: look at all the plums, we must eat them all! then we half heartedly
pick a few that sit in the fruit bowl then go off...
So I decided not to let them go to waste this year. And I made plum jam!

It was really easy and turned out so yummy!!!
My sis came over last saturday to try it (and to have sushi which turned into pizza)
and she seemed to like it too.
Of course we also had to have a little photo shoot!


Look how happy I look with my jam!

This saturday me and my lovely little sis are having a jamming session.
It seems the bug is catching!!!

Now my little darling is complaing I'm taking too long
and he wants to try the brownies we made a little while ago...
Then it's back to Sense and Sensibility!

Peace Out!

nah-nah-nah-nah-naaah I'm blogging it

Just realised that in my last post I made it sound as if the damage from the
thunderstorm was the reason I hadn't posted for so long.
It was for a week, after that itwas just a case of me being a bad blogger!

Big mwah!
sab x

A Sab of many talents

So, who's been a bad blogger again?! Naughty, naughty...
The day after my last post (from my mum's house) there was a mahoosive thunder storm
and her phone, PC and modem went kaput...
I had so many more things I wanted to tell you but that was no longer an option...
So I'll just settle for telling you that I had a brilliant time!
Great friends, lovely weather, yummy food and of course the best family
anyone could wish for!
(oh, and a bit too much alcohol the last weekend)

I'll also post some pics of me working in my mum's garden!

Fun in the sun!
And yes I know that a short skirt is probably not the best choice of clothes for manual labour
but it was sunny and I wanted a tan! :)

Now I'm going to watch Ugly Betty and read Sense and Sensibility in the ad breaks!

Rock on dudes!
Sab x