just a random post, but Im becoming obsessed with blog stats, how many views of my page, from where, and by whom, it totally blows my mind when I see that someone has logged in from Germany, or Russia or the US, or what random websites are linking to my blog which seem to have nothing to do with Crafting, parenting or benefits....very odd, but very addcitive to keep checking!!
Friday 30 March 2012
its all a frenzy in my house
so my fingers have been working up a sewing frenzy, in the run up to my first craft fair, not only am I running out of time/space in my flat to work, but my lovely trusty sewing machine decided to have a melt down and require a whole part of it to be replaced! so its been a manic week, not to mention I'm still going to be out on my ear pretty soon, and have no housing to move to as it stands now (this WILL change) and the sunshine makes it impossible to stay in all day.
To much juggling, not enough to show for it! so its going to be a tough week, and I will be putting in all the hours I can to making enough stock, but I'm in very real danger of my fingers not working, sewing for hours on end is impossible, but I should be use to this by now, I was the kind of student who would cram the night before for an exam, in fact I still am!I haven't learnt a single thing about time management in 28 years and its got me this far, as there really are too many nice things to do in life then to be organised.
fingers crossed for the 7th, I have a feeling I'll need it!
To much juggling, not enough to show for it! so its going to be a tough week, and I will be putting in all the hours I can to making enough stock, but I'm in very real danger of my fingers not working, sewing for hours on end is impossible, but I should be use to this by now, I was the kind of student who would cram the night before for an exam, in fact I still am!I haven't learnt a single thing about time management in 28 years and its got me this far, as there really are too many nice things to do in life then to be organised.
fingers crossed for the 7th, I have a feeling I'll need it!
Wednesday 28 March 2012
the office is coming along well.....
Thursday 22 March 2012
just a normal Thursday
Decided to do all my applique first and then 'create' the cushion as it makes sewing easier.
So roll on the Vintage Tea Party and Craft Fair on April 7th!! (still have a million things to make/do/sew/hem....)
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Im not usually 'fashiony' but.....
if there is such a things as the fashion police why oh why were they not on the 210 bus today??Never in my life have I seen such a hideous concoction on a man, I was very tempted to take a sneaky photo, but knowing me, the flash would have gone off and that would of been a bit awkward!...
the guy wore, deck shoes, the brown kind that a science or maths teacher might wear, peppermint green skinny jeans with a faux leather belt, a blue gingham shirt and some kind of knitted nautical cardigan!all topeed off with a kind of blonde Hugh Grant floppy hair cut, the girl who was with him looked like she'd be very happy getting on a different bus. I saw this man at 12 today, I'm STILL thinking about it 9 hours later!! HIDEOUS!
the guy wore, deck shoes, the brown kind that a science or maths teacher might wear, peppermint green skinny jeans with a faux leather belt, a blue gingham shirt and some kind of knitted nautical cardigan!all topeed off with a kind of blonde Hugh Grant floppy hair cut, the girl who was with him looked like she'd be very happy getting on a different bus. I saw this man at 12 today, I'm STILL thinking about it 9 hours later!! HIDEOUS!
Tuesday 20 March 2012
its been a LONG week, what do you mean its only Tueday??
Well hello stranger, sorry Blog for not being finger tapping happy this week in the way of news or updates. it been a horribly stressful week for me, with a combination of family, money and housing all needing attention and me needing a holiday to get away from being an adult.
On a brighter note, I have made this little squrill cushion design, and decided to do my first craft fair in 2 weeks time, so lots of online buying of fabric, bondaweb (I know its cheating but time is precious!)and getting to grips with my sewing machine after a LONG break from using it.
If that wasn't enough to keep me busy, Iv made this Chick/Duckling in time for Easter.....
Tuesday 13 March 2012
just call me Ms Invisable
This blog has basically become a bit of a space where I can rant and rave or show off what iv been up to, Iv no idea why I started a blog, other then I was frustrated with the lack of say I had over my own life. For every avenue I pursue I find a wall has been built up. Since early 2010 I have been in search of a job that will fit around my son, I never intended to be a full time mum, or to end up unemployed for 3 years. My son was my choice, my unemployment was not, yet 3 years down the line I'm still fighting the same battle, stuck in the same damn system.
I have had 4 job interviews and 3 job offers, the first one was for a chain of baby shops when my son was less then a year old, I had applied for a sales role, and yet was offered the assistant manager role, fantastic you might say, but with no family local enough to help with the baby, and they suddenly start asking for a 40hour week, had no choice but to decline the job.The second was for London Zoo as a temp, I did two days work, my son got sick, I forgot to tell the benefits office as I assumed I hadn't earned enough to declare it, and low and behold 4 MONTHS later I'm hauled in for questioning at my local job centre, toddler in tow, and treated like Id killed someone rather then try and earn a living, it wasn't fraud, it was stupidity and a total lack on knowledge of how the system works. The third job was just such terrible hours my son would of had to of lived with someone else to get any level of consistent care...
So I called the job centre, to ask what the system was,because clearly I'm doing it all wrong, do I find child care first,and if so how do I pay for it? or do I find a job first, in which case what do I do about my baby?time and time again I was told, 'you don't have to work until he is 7'...this is terrible, dangerous advice being dished out, no wonder people stay on benefits a lot longer then they ever imagined, how demoralising it is to be told not to bother getting a job, that the state is happy to pay you for 7 years, I don't blame anyone for taking the route when you have a flat you cant afford and child care that would bankrupt you.
I kept searching for a job because being a full time Mum is great, but what happens in 18months when my son has nursery and I'm starting from the bottom of the pile. Iv become very picky, because why should I never see my son, just to earn minimum wage, which would all go on rent or childcare, how is that being a good mother or a good employee. Work isn't the main problem, my housing is. even when I was earning a good wage (pre motherhood) I could not afford the flat I currently live in, and with the rent massively jumping in my area in the two years Iv lived here I know I couldn't even afford a bedsit on minimum wage now. So what are my options? well I have to get out of private rental, its a trap, it keeps you in poverty because you cant afford to work, it prevents you from working because it doesn't add up, and it is the only option most people are given. So Il be giving it all up, benefits, council subsidised living and the 'safety net' of private rental,don't ask me how, because I don't actually know yet! To the system Im no one, just a number, or a 'claiment', but to my son Im a real person, but right now I feel invisible.
I have had 4 job interviews and 3 job offers, the first one was for a chain of baby shops when my son was less then a year old, I had applied for a sales role, and yet was offered the assistant manager role, fantastic you might say, but with no family local enough to help with the baby, and they suddenly start asking for a 40hour week, had no choice but to decline the job.The second was for London Zoo as a temp, I did two days work, my son got sick, I forgot to tell the benefits office as I assumed I hadn't earned enough to declare it, and low and behold 4 MONTHS later I'm hauled in for questioning at my local job centre, toddler in tow, and treated like Id killed someone rather then try and earn a living, it wasn't fraud, it was stupidity and a total lack on knowledge of how the system works. The third job was just such terrible hours my son would of had to of lived with someone else to get any level of consistent care...
So I called the job centre, to ask what the system was,because clearly I'm doing it all wrong, do I find child care first,and if so how do I pay for it? or do I find a job first, in which case what do I do about my baby?time and time again I was told, 'you don't have to work until he is 7'...this is terrible, dangerous advice being dished out, no wonder people stay on benefits a lot longer then they ever imagined, how demoralising it is to be told not to bother getting a job, that the state is happy to pay you for 7 years, I don't blame anyone for taking the route when you have a flat you cant afford and child care that would bankrupt you.
I kept searching for a job because being a full time Mum is great, but what happens in 18months when my son has nursery and I'm starting from the bottom of the pile. Iv become very picky, because why should I never see my son, just to earn minimum wage, which would all go on rent or childcare, how is that being a good mother or a good employee. Work isn't the main problem, my housing is. even when I was earning a good wage (pre motherhood) I could not afford the flat I currently live in, and with the rent massively jumping in my area in the two years Iv lived here I know I couldn't even afford a bedsit on minimum wage now. So what are my options? well I have to get out of private rental, its a trap, it keeps you in poverty because you cant afford to work, it prevents you from working because it doesn't add up, and it is the only option most people are given. So Il be giving it all up, benefits, council subsidised living and the 'safety net' of private rental,don't ask me how, because I don't actually know yet! To the system Im no one, just a number, or a 'claiment', but to my son Im a real person, but right now I feel invisible.
Sunday 11 March 2012
Craftaholic
hello the weekend! its been and gone before I even had a chance to enjoy it!
So Iv become a bit of a craftaholic this week, making a million owls for a baby mobile, designing a Doe for a cushion Iv been having dreams about! and attempting to set aside a bit of time every day to make something rather then hit 3 evenings in a row, make a ridiculous amount of stuff and end up with crippled fingers for the rest of the week, plus is 2 too young to teach sewing too...I'm hoping i can exploit a bit of free labour by getting my toddler involved in making, but unless its mud, grass or play doh its a lost cause...now all I have to do is get people to buy my stuff. x
Monday 5 March 2012
watch out, monster in the house
Have just been looking at days out ideas for my son, he is 2 and a half and train and bus crazy, it helps that theres a very busy train track right at the bottom of my garden! So I have been hearing about 'Thomas Land' this magical place where everything is about Thomas the Tank Engine, now my child has a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to days out, he totally hates the Zoo, even London Zoo with the amazing rainforest's bit,we have attempted Zoo 6 times since he was born and every time we end up going home in silence, appalled and shocked by the level of tantrum he has thrown/(he is usually such an easy going child!) he hates pretty much everything about Christmas and 2 years on the trot has screamed and cried his was around 'Winter Wonderland' whilst I try and drown out with mulled wine! (for me, not him!) and don't get me started on swimming! I pretty sure our swimming attempts has aged me several decades. So days out are difficult, but he is interested in everything and I want to encourage different experiences, but having looked at the cost of Thomas Land at Drayton Manor I fear days out are very much stuck on the feeding the ducks/soft play/library side of things!.....back to the drawing board, or Ikea as he loves that!
Saturday 3 March 2012
Toowhit Towoo
Friday 2 March 2012
Fricking foxy
Finished Foxy. My fingers are about to drop off, but I am really rather pleased with the end result! only a million more things to make before I have some 'stock' to sell!
makes this week....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)