Holly Bobbins, my most beautiful and beloved four pawed side kick, she's funny and cuddly, she makes more mess than the kids with her toy collection and she sheds so much that every week her hair could make an entirely new dog.

It makes me thankful that we have no carpets although we do have a rug in our lounge...

Every morning and evening in her daily ritual Holly likes to sit on the rug, then she rolls over onto her back and moves around the rug like she's doing some kind of synchronised rug dance and all the while making a sound that sounds a little like "omonomonomomnom" . I'm fairly sure it's a beagle thing and it means she's happy.

This brings me to the next part of my story, we'd been for our break at Cross House cottages and returned early afternoon to a delivery of a "Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner with True Pet NV801UKT" try saying that when you've had a couple of drinks.  from what I'd read, this Vacuum cleaner was about to revolutionise my life, never had I been quite so excited to hoover.  Now I should add that my lovely lady who helps with the housekeeping had just hoovered the rug the day before we returned from our soiree so you would expect it wouldn't be all that bad.

What actually happened was that after 1 hoovering run over our rug,  and lounge and kitchen floors where we have no carpets the entire compartment was full, to the brim, I wasn't even sure where it had all come from but it seems like we were living in the dust bunnies favourite holiday spot.  As you know, I also have 2 cats, Poppy and Pyracantha so they add to the dust but never did I imagine that the issue was as bad as it clearly was.

look, I'm sure I could tell you all kinds of technical things but from my point of view, it hoovers like it's an industrial power house without actually making very much noise at all, it's all completely collapsible so you can easily hoover stairs, under chairs, in your car, in the world of hoovers, this thing is at the very top of it's game.  Now far be it from me to tell you to ditch your Dyson but seriously, who wouldn't want a shark around the house and if you have a beagle, this thing is a necessary part of your life.

Go, go now, go get one and you can thank me later...

Don't be lonely this Christmas, come to our house!

Apologies for not blogging yesterday but between work and this sweet little face all of my time is taken up right now.

She's just so blooming adorable and I'm totally in love!

So I was lying half awake this morning worrying about Christmas again, I worry a lot dear reader, my daughters inform me that they will be away from Boxing day until late on the 27th and as Iain is getting new games for his PS4 it's unlikely he'll be coming down stairs very often so there's just a chance that I might be a bit blue, obviously I'll have Holly but it would also be lovely to have some company or have something planned to do and I'm wondering if maybe you're reading this and feeling the same, well my message to you is don't be lonely at Christmas, get in touch and lets do something, even if it's just coming around here and drinking copious amounts of Hestons Mulled Cider.  I'd also like to extend that invitation to Christmas day, if you are going to be on your own, why not get in touch and come here, the more the merrier in my opinion and no one, and I do mean no one should be lonely at Christmas or indeed that whole 2 week holiday period, I literally have no plans for the whole of the 2 week period and I love seeing people, kids, animals so lets do stuff!  Now obviously if you are a serial killer I might not be able to accommodate you but lots of regular readers of this blog I already know so if you're one of them and you might have moments of loneliness during the festive period just get in touch and we'll try to make this Christmas the best one ever.

I'm off to the beach this morning for 4 very chilly photo shoots, I'm thinking there aren't enough thermals in the world for being out there for 2.5 hours today dear reader but someone has to do it and tomorrow I have 6 back to back outdoor photo shoots in Saltwell Park, luckily it's supposed to be a tad warmer tommorrow.  Monday I have another 2 photo shoots and then next weekend I am out on Saturday for my final day of photo shoots and then it's a gradual downhill slide into Christmas, I have my shopping deliveries booked for next week, Christmas and the New Year, quite frankly I have never been quite so organised.

What I want to do now is make enough money to secure the time off without worry, a few more gifts on the wish lists for my children and some of my wish list for me, mainly books which should keep me entertained for the 2 weeks I'm off.  It's funny really, I've always worked on the middle weekend but I found that I just never really relax when I only have a few days off so this week 2 whole weeks and hopefully I will be as relaxed as I was when we went to Gran Canaria.

Whatever you are doing this festive weekend I hope you have the most amazing festive spectacular filled with wonder and magic, send me some warm thoughts!

A short Wednesday cornucopia

After spending most of yesterday with 2 migraines, one when I woke up with it at 4am in the morning and then the other yesterday afternoon I really don't have a lot to blog about this morning dear reader, I did in between times manage to put the first coat of paint on the walls of the loo, we're going Urban Jungle though if I'm honest it looks a bit like urban mould after the first coat, buying more paint today after my one photo shoot of the day which is thankfully in doors at home, it's the best time of year for at home type photo shoots, I also like indoor photo shoots because mostly I get cups of tea and coffee and my toes don't go numb and they're never cancelled due to bad weather!

I didn't even make it to slimming world last night though to be honest all I have been doing of late is really keeping a check on my weight, I haven't really lost anything but it definitely means I'm more conscious of the things I eat so I am at least not ballooning to the size of a large portion of butter!

It's the 26th of November and at that means it's only 29 sleeps until Christmas, as I was saying yesterday I was just sneaking bits and pieces out of storage and putting them where no one would notice, well of course now I'm trying to distract myself in moments of festive need by cracking on with the decoration of the house, one more coat on the loo and then Abigails bedroom which should at least be empty tomorrow after a visit by St Oswalds Hospice to take 20 charity bags and then another visit from the council to take the rest of the rubbish.  The partial end to the decoration is in sight, it's not going to be truly finished until way after Christmas as Iains bedroom needs decorating and the hall on all 3 floors is abominable but I am only 1 woman and though my children offer to help they do get exceedingly bored quite easily, Looby lasted about 10 minutes painting yesterday before declaring mass boredom.  If anyone fancies coming and giving me a hand with some painting I'm open to bribing you or imbibing you with copious amounts of mulled Cider and mulled wine!

Well dear reader that's your lot for today, whilst life here continues on a daily basis it's mostly same old, same old, I'll be back tomorrow with perhaps some news of a black Friday/sofa Sunday/cyber Monday offer, to be honest I haven't actually decided yet but it feels appropriate to do something wonderful to celebrate the decline of society into the free for all that is the proper start to the Christmas shopping period, I'm nearly done with mine, thanks of course mostly to Amazon, I know some people have major ethical issues with Amazon and I totally understand but if you are a busy single parent trying to run a house, a family and a business there's nothing quite like doing a 1 click purchase from a wishlist and having it arrive the very next day!  They have some really great deals on this week too!!

Happy New Year

it's 2009 and I am so excited for the new year, 2008 was such a brilliant year I can't think of any reason that 2009 won't be even better!

As it is the new year I thought I would post a few more personal photos from the festive period, I'm on holiday until 12th of January though I am endeavouring to answer emails so bear with me and if it's urgent call me on my mobile! If you are a bride wanting to fix up a meeting for your upcoming 2009 or 2010 wedding please call me as I am still available on a limited basis for those meetings, I've already received a deluge of new enquiries for this year and next year and hope to meet with each and everyone of you. Can I just ask though that if you are having a prime 2009 date you hurry because I am more than half full for the year and I wouldn't want to miss out on your fabulous wedding would I? call me on the numbers above or click through to my website.

So back to those family photos.




On Boxing day Paul got to grips with Guitar Hero Legends of Rock. As you can see from this series of photographs he's already got the rock attitude!

Thankfully the Rock legend beard has now gone!

Abigail had a touch of the Hannah Montanas during the break, she might even be a rockstar, LOL



I rather think she looks better as a brunette though



and Looby continued, well just being Looby really!



Our cute foster kitten Sally continues to thrive and we'll be so sad when she finally leaves to go to her new home on Saturday

Look who I found hiding behind the livingroom door



It's Pyracantha our youngest cat, she's really still a kitten.
Paul was looking good on new years last night, we went to the Corner House for a couple of drinks and then we came home and enjoyed New years with just the two of us.

Today I made us a splendid lunch and we're just chilling until all the kids return from their grandparents. It's going to be nice to have everyone at home over the weekend and hopefully I'll get the camera well and truly used again, have to make the most of it before everyone goes back to school.