Santa and Mrs Claus are finally home!!

Finally I am able to post some pics of my beautiful Santa and Mrs Claus house, that I have been collecting bits for, over the last year! The house is from Kevin Jackson Dollhouses and is just too beautiful... honestly the pics don't do the house justice at all... but here goes anyway, and of course my Father Christmas and Mrs Christmas and Elves are all made by Julie at Bellabelle Dolls! Just beautiful and no doubt we will need more at some point! The house isn't finished by a long shot so you will see some gaps where furniture etc is needed to make sense of it... but enjoy!

 Santa is out of the balcony here watching all that goes on with his cup of tea.......

 The house with the panels off the front! Bit hard to see the detail I know so more detail below!!!

   

 Baby Santa's bedroom in the attic viewable from the front!

 Father Christmas study with desk and list to be checked twice, and will be a wrapping room too!!!

 Mr and Mrs Claus' bedroom with beautiful four poster complete with real patchwork quilts and pillows! Not much else in here yet!! Beautiful side windows too!

 Mrs Claus hard at work in the kitchen/living room! Hamper for Father Christmas being prepared for his long night ahead!

 Fireplace in the kitchen/living room, awaiting a lovely armchair for the blanket and some sort of oven in the fireplace I think!

 Santa's workshop on the ground floor, complete with wonderful dolls house making table from Kastle Kelm, and all sorts of goodies....

 In the corner of the workshop here you can just about see Santa's workbench with paints on and lovely wooden painted toys! Really need a good stock of toys in here!

 Just an outside view showing the living room, study/wrapping room and bedroom!

 The attic room from the other end, side opening... bedding on the floor for elves beds which havent got yet! Thinking of having something put high up! Maybe the elves mattresses! and maybe making this into a tailor area for teddy bears and maybe clothes too!

And lastly Mrs Claus looking through the kitchen window! You can't see how fab this is from the picture... but it really is!

Considering our mail sorting area, maybe outside under the stairs, although originally planned this to be the reindeers home! We will see! Maybe it can double up!!

Merry Christmas everyone! We must dash as Father Christmas must get off now on his rounds!!!

Much love

xxxxxxx

O Christmas Tree...

Well our tree is looking fab, pressies wrapped, shopping done, Santa
Claus The Movie watched, husband secured firmly to prevent handling of
pressies all check! Bring it on!!!!!

One last thing to do on my list.... Blog the pics of my beautiful
Santa and Mrs Claus dollshouse and workshop!!!

Weight loss update!

Okay week 22 done, and lost another 3.25lbs... this is now 68.75lbs. Pretty pleased with that. Actually had a few low weeks lately so need to step it up in the new year for certain if I am going to meet my May deadline!

Had my followup hospital appointment today with the fertility doctors. Sadly didnt get the evil witch so I could rub her face in it! hehe But did get another lady who was pretty pleased with my weight loss (even though she wasnt singing and dancing which I thought was a poor show!!) Anyway, she has now put me on some drugs which are half of those that I am working towards with my weight loss!! This is big news!!!! These drugs are given to women with PCOS to assist with weight loss, and they are linked to increased fertility rates also! The combination of them and another drug is what stimulates ovaluation in women like me... so we'll see!

Went to my Big Girls party this weekend too, and had a few complements from people I havent seen since those last pictures were taken last october!! Was pretty good fun!!

xxxx

Before and After

 Okay first two are me I think November last year, may have been October, at a party with a friend Sandra! Definitely looking very chubby in the face! I was the same size when I started my diet in July 2010.

Second two are me last sunday at home, before a day out with parents! Less chubby faced I think! Hard for me to tell really... I'll try and get some body shots soon!

Yeah another weigh in update!

I'll keep it brief.. another 3.5lbs down, now at 64lbs lost, which is 4st 8lbs over 19 weeks, so definitely on goal! Was kinda shocked this week! My scales were much worse than my consultants, but then that's often the case! Much better to be surprised that way!

Tried on some jeans tonight that I haven't worn I think in 8 years. They were my clubbing jeans, nice and tight around the bum and legs for dancing in! Yep tight around the big round belly too which was cool for dancing cos you never sit down! Well these jeans are now loose on me, still wearable for everyday wear but definitely not for dancing!!!

Ho hum dancing jeans needed soon!!!

Weigh in Update!!!

Not huge news today, another 3.25lbs down, which is fantastic taking me to 60.25lbs. My aim from the start had been 54lbs by today, this based on my average in the first few weeks so I have definitely beat that! Now just have to keep my game up! The average has dropped slightly so need to keep on focusing otherwise I won't make my deadline!

Daytime Niece Sitting!

Spent Saturday afternoon with my two favourite girls, while my brother
and his wife went to see the England v australia rugby match. They
were so well behaved! Scarlett and I played dolls houses while Amelie
slept then we watched Wiggles and danced and laughed and played! Loved
it! And yes that is a rare pic of me taken by my niece!

Four Stone Four Stone Four Stone!!

Finally have reached and passed the 4 stone mark now with 57.25lbs lost!! It's been a rough three weeks, gained a lb, lost 3.25lbs, then gained 1.25lbs, and really havent done anything differently so hoping I am on the right track again!!

Anyway my target was to have reached 54 by next Tuesday so have beaten that!!!! Could do with the next stone flying off to be on target for end of April!

The Railway Children live at Waterloo station!!

Went with Mum and Matt to see a wonderful performance of The Railway
Children complete with the same train and carriages from the film!
Audience sits either side of platform with cast playing to both sides.
Really well done and very moving! The train is fabulous!!!

Babysitting Ame today!

What a cutie! She'll soon be one!!

News!

Oooh what a few days it's been!

It all started last week I suppose with Mum and I booking tickets to see The Railway Children which is being shown inside London Waterloo station, and me thinking and nearly saying Oh yeah I can go on Wednesday 27th October to the matinee show as long as I don't get an interview! Well I didnt say it because I am getting so worried about the lack of interviews!

So now this week, I have been offered not one but two interviews both on Wed 27th!!!!!! Luckily for me after some begging and pleading, I have managed to move the interviews around... having moved the first to Wed at 9am, the second was scheduled for Wed at 10am!! Luckily I was able to move it to Thursday at 8.30am!!!! aaaah and it's in central london!!!

So this is all brilliant news. One of the Interviews is for a different trade union, a rival one to my last company! Interesting eh! Very excited by it! The other is a local council job, totally new area, also interesting!

And on other fab news I now have a little run around car!!!!! It's old and has done lots and lots of miles but its mine and I get to be on the move again!! Woo hoo!!!!!

Things are looking up... now I just have tons of work to do to be prepared! The Union interview comes with a joyful two presentations to make.. one to prepare in advance, one to prepare within an hour as part of the overall 2.5 hour interview!!!! Oh god! Wish me luck.. I think I will need it!

Weigh in Update!!!

I'm a bad girl and I havent updated on here for a while so here goes...

Last week, end of week 12, lost 3.25lbs.

Today end of week 13, have lost 4lbs more, making a grand total of 52lbs!!!!!!!

Yippeeeeeee! I am thrilled. I had set myself a target of 54 lbs by 16th November, which is 5 weeks away, and will be 18 weeks of diet! This is to be on schedule for 10 stone lost by May.

So I'm ahead of the game as they say, and now just 4lbs off the 4 stone mark! That's the aim for next week's weigh in!!!

xxxxx

Ps. My second size down trousers are now getting humungous and the top that didnt fit, I wore for the first time Friday, to be told it's getting abit big!!! I have no clothes!!!!

Christmas commission!!!!

I mentioned a while ago that I have been working on a Christmas dolls house for a while, collecting bits, to dress up a special old house. More on that soon I hope. I commissioned from a fantastic doll artist, Julie at Bellabelle dolls,  a set of dolls for my house.... of course Father Christmas and Mrs Christmas, and two elves! I gave her lots of details about what I wanted, pics of Santas I love, and ideas for how I wanted Mrs C dressed, looking elegant and pretty whilst in keeping with the big man! The elves I also said I wanted one to be a black boy, and one a blonde girl... somewhat representing myself and G as kids! I wanted them childlike, and with nordic style hats! Well just look at what she has created.......

Aren't they wonderful!! I can't wait for them to arrive home!!

Visit to York

Of course the pictures are all of William, who is beautiful and cuddly and loves a good laugh! He has the most piercing blue eyes ever. My brother and his wife and William, were in York visiting with their friends, so we were invited to take advantage of the considerable shorter journey time to see them! We had a lovely Saturday walking around York, and really enjoyed the weekend... which was over too quickly as usual!

Updated Weigh in News!!!

Forgot to update last week, but just been for weigh in number 11 end of week 11, and have lost another 4.25lbs!! (it was 4.75 last week!) so now the grand total is 45.75 lbs! Or 3 stone 3.75lbs! Woo hoo!!! My consultant is very pleased with the progress which seems to be on track! My trousers nearly fell down last weigh in day after in our local supermarket!!! They have hit the get rid of pile now!

Just also wanted to take this opportunity to say congratulations to Cora and Jim, who are lovely lovely people and I am so happy they have finally found their baby! Really can't wait to see her pretty face!

xxxx

Dolls House Updates!

Look at how far it's come! Yes it's taken me months but it's finally all assembled, apart from the tiling on the roof and the chimney stack! It's moved from our dining room table for the first time since December and it's now in place, in the living room, fully furnished, papered and carpeted! I'll do some better pics soon when I have the roof done! That's my next job... very exciting! Oh and when I say fully furnished... not really but lots in there, but still tons of teeny bits to get for the future!

My next job, is putting together all the bits I have for my Christmas house, which I haven't shared yet but will soon! I didnt build this one... I bought it off a lovely lady who handmade it especially for me.. but it's lovely and will be a family heirloom for coming years, only coming out in Christmas! I also have another wonderful lady craftswoman making me Mr and Mrs Claus and a couple of elves... watch this space!!!!

William at 8 months!

Beautiful pics straight from his Mum and Dad in Scotland! Isn't he a cutie! Off to see them shortly in York, while they are holidaying, and making it close enough for us to pop and see them for the weekend! Can't wait!!!

I just LOVE it so much!!

  

I'm a very lucky girl! I've always wanted a beautiful handpieced quilt, and I now have one!!! It's from Etsy, from a lovely lady in Knoxville, and I am just thrilled with it! It's somewhere between the pictures the lady took, and the pic of it on our bed colour wise... I wish it was a tad pinker than in reality, as our room is lilacy although very pale! I just adore it, and sleeping under it the last two nights has been lovely!  I doubt very much if this will be our only quilt! I've always adored having new bedding, and I have my eye on several on Etsy with the living room in mind!!!!! Always nice to have a cosy throw to snuggle under! Will all have to wait until we have some money mind!!! I also have got big plans on changing our old pine chests of drawers again when we have some more dosh! I would love some white shabby chic furniture in our room... yes we have a black iron bed, and I have a mirrored dressing table, but I love white furniture and I think it will fit in with what we have already, given our white doored wardrobes which are part of the structure of the house!