Diary of a Tinyholder

40 things to do before I'm 40!

2012-02-16T23:32:00.000Z

I saw this on Bumble Bees and Apple Trees blog so thought I'd have a go myself. Ok, so I've got a while yet (almost exactly 8 years as of next week to be precise), but I love to plan and make lists and it's wonderful when you tick a few things off so this is my list of things to do before I'm 40 (some of these are more wishful thinking!):

Run a marathon - Planned for October this year
Learn to speak French - I was always really good at it at school, but I need to refresh my memory
Train to become a personal trainer - start next month
Climb Mont Blanc (4810 metres) - planned for this summer
Complete a triathlon
Wear a bikini - I might actually be able to do this this year!
Go to Venice
Get a six pack (stomach not beers!)
Have a photo shoot done - I'd love to actually have some nice professional pictures of me for once
Buy a pair of Christian Louboutins
Set up my own business
Climb Mount Elbrus, Russia (5642 metres)
Trek in the Simian mountains in Ethiopia (4543 metres)
Go on safari
Climb the North Col of Mount Everest (7020 metres) - on the list for 2014
Learn to rock climb properly
Finish doing up my house
Cycle around Sussex with Tim
Walk the length of the South Downs Way (100 miles)
Climb Aconcagua, Argentina (6962) - Planned for next year
Visit Italy - planned for this summer
Get into a size 8 - I'd say I'm about a size 9 now so this goal isn't that far off!
Take a creative photography course
Learn to love myself more
Go back to Kilimanjaro (5895 metres) and complete that bugger!
Go free diving
Get my pilot's license
Have a picnic in the Ashdown forest
Run a 5k in 25 minutes or under - I'm on 26.50 minutes now
Read one book a week
Visit Yosemite National Park - on the list for next year
Visit the Fat Duck
Go to a fancy dress party
Visit Sheffield Park Gardens
Go paragliding
Give a presentation without having a panic attack beforehand
Realise that if I can even think about doing 4, 12, 15 and 25 then giving a presentation is easy!
Make more friends, especially those who like me for who I am
Learn to play tennis
Write a book

What's on your list?

New hair do

2012-02-15T22:16:00.000Z

What do you think?

I binned the idea of extensions. My hair was in such bad condition after going red, blonde (lasted 30 minutes only), brown and then black I just couldn't put up with it any more. Plus the fact that extensions could basically pay for half a trip climbing Mont Blanc! :-)

Blog advertising opportunity

2012-02-14T10:26:00.004Z

If you want to raise the profile of your blog or business by driving traffic to it, then I have some advertising opportunities on my blog. I’ve had my beloved blog now for 5 years and write on various topics from recipes and decorating to mountain climbing!

Option 1

Hyperlink on my side bar (no logo)

Option 2

Logo 1: 200x200 pixel (or 200 wide x 250 high)
Logo 2: 200x100 pixel

Option 3

Product review – just send me the product and I will review it for you!
The only stipulation I have is that it has to be something relevant.

Prices are negotiable so if you’re interested then drop me a line here: sian.kneller@gmail.com

Happy valentine's day!

2012-02-14T09:04:00.000Z

Saving progress

2012-02-13T21:17:00.000Z

You'll notice I have a progress bar on my blog. This is to save up for my future climbing trips. I have a few things planned for this year - Peak district in March, Dolomites in Italy over the summer, and Atlas Mountains again (this time climbing M'Goun) in August/September. Mont Blanc has been pushed to 2013 now! :-)

I have a sealed pot that I've been chucking small change in as well as trying to not spend much (done fairly well this week, apart from the shopping on Saturday, but then I really didn't have any clothes after clearing out!) and I'm trying to raise funds by selling things I no longer need, including my Cath Kidston eiderdown here.

Last week I was so so lucky - I won an award at work for the person who was most passionate at Corporate Social Responsibility (that's charity work to you and me). The prize was £200 so I have put that to my holiday fund. I was absolutely gob smacked that I won and so thrilled. I also received £40 for blog advertising this month so that is also going into the holiday fund making it £240 in total.

I have for sale a lovely dress on ebay so when that's sold the money from that will also go into the holiday fund.

Ironing on a Sunday afternoon: Philips PerfectCare iron review

2012-02-12T13:57:00.000Z

The lovely people over at Philips asked if I would review their PerfectCare steam generator iron and I jumped at the chance. I really, really hate ironing - it's one of the few jobs I would actually pay someone to do for me so I'll give anything a go that might actually help to improve that task.

My first impressions are that it seems really sturdy and well built, and I love the look of it (very chic!). The real test of how easy it is to use though is whether I can figure out how to use it without reading the instructions. Tick! On that score it is very user friendly - you simply unhook the water tank, fill it up at the tap (no having to decant water into a pourer like for other irons) and clip it back on. The tank holds enough water for 2 hours of ironing (hmm, not sure if I'd want to be ironing for that long, but hey!).

The next thing I noticed was how quick the iron and the steam took to heat up - 2 minutes in and I was ready to go. No faffing about with this machine that's for sure.

There are no temperature settings to worry about either as the iron incorporates Philips' 'Optimal Temp' technology which means that you can iron all fabrics from delicates to linen without worrying about scorching them. I like this as it means I don't have to change the iron settings and wait for it to cool down when I switch from ironing Tim's shirts to ironing a silk scarf.

The other thing I am terrible at is leaving the iron on and burning things (I'm so undomesticated!), but the beauty of this iron is that it has an auto-off feature so that you can leave it on the stand and it auto shuts down after 10 minutes.

The iron also glides nicely across the fabric - I've had cheap irons before where the plate catches on fabric.

Price wise these irons start at £230 - they are not cheap, but I am a great believer in investing in quality products and appliances. If you wanted to buy decent knives you would buy Global, and for me this is no different.

All in all, I would recommend this product, especially for those who, like me, hate ironing!

Debenhams Personal Shopper - The verdict

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000Z

I was lucky enough to receive Debenhams vouchers this Christmas and one voucher had a personal shopping experience on it. I had heard of personal shoppers before, but always thought they were a luxury that only wealthy people could afford. I looked on the Debenhams website and realised that the service is actually completely free! Given that I have gone down 3 dress sizes and pretty much given away all my clothes, I asked friends and family to buy me Debenhams vouchers for Christmas so armed with those, off I went with the idea of buying myself a whole new wardrobe. As I've lost so much weight in a relatively short period of time my brain is struggling to catch up with the idea that I am now slim. Consequently I have no idea what size I am, what fits me and more importantly what suits my shape. After a 5 minute chat with the personal shopper, off she went to source some clothes for me. She'd already realised that I like edgy, retro and bright clothes and I loved all the things she had picked out for me. One outfit was a bit of an experiment and didn't quite work, but the others were absolute winners. The great thing is that we could choose items to go with things I had a home too, which is something I often forget when I'm out shopping. I can't tell you the number of times I've come back with tops or trousers and nothing to go with them. They then end up languishing in a drawer somewhere never to see the light of day. For example, I already have some orange wedges and 2 pairs of black skinny jeans so I only needed to buy the top in the picture below.

I also managed to squeeze in some time to get a bra fitting (all my pre-existing bras are too big) and my make-up done. Result!

So from now on every time I have some money and want to go shopping or I have an occasion and need to pick out an outfit, I will definitely use the services of a personal shopper! That way you are guaranteed to get things that actually suit you and fit your shape. You can find out more about booking in a personal shopper here. I had a great time and highly recommend it!

Retro kitchen items

2012-02-09T22:31:00.000Z

Here are a few retro kitchen-related things I love that I thought I'd share with you:

Smeg gorgeous retro fridge

Tala retro flour sifter

Mint kitchen scales

Lemonade bottle top clock

Dualit 2-slot toaster

Retro Baumatic built in ovens

Things for sale to raise funds for Mont Blanc/new mountaineering boots

2012-02-05T16:34:00.002Z

Hi all,

Well, as you can probably tell from the photos and video I posted in my last post I had a sensational time climbing Toubkal. I realised I can do anything I put my mind to - climbing that last 4.5 hours up 30-45 degree slopes to the summit in crampons, ice axe and a heavy back pack took just about all the mental strength I had. All I could think about was how I 'failed' before in reaching the summit of Kili and that failure was not an option it just wasn't going to happen. By the time I'd got to the ridge just before the summit (rocks with a sheer drop and nothing between me and falling 1000 metres) my calf muscles were absolutely shot to ribbons. Note to self - must work more on my calves! :-)

But, I did it, I loved it and I can't get enough of it. If I have to train every day for the next 6 months to do Mont Blanc then so be it. :-) I've put on hold plans for Ethiopia too in favour of trying another one of the Atlas mountains later in the year. I fell in love with the beautiful scenery and the warm heartedness of the Berber people and would love to go back.

So, to raise some money for the next trip and the expensive mountaineering boots that I need I'll be selling a few things on ebay. If you are interested in anything do let me know:

Stunning size 16 satin Monsoon dress - worn once (paid around £80 for it): £15 + £2.50 UK delivery

Brand new with tags Callaway Ladies size 14 golf Capri pants - £20 + £2.50 UK delivery

Brand new with tags Callaway Ladies size 14 golf trousers - £20 + £2.50 UK delivery

Burberry size 16 golf skirt (used) - £5 plus £2 UK delivery

I bought this on ebay a while ago so not sure about its authenticity, but nonetheless it's a pretty skirt.

Pretty grey evening dress - £15 + £2 delivery (worn once) - UK size 16

This is not strapless as such, but the detailing extends into a cross the shoulder strap (see below). It's a really pretty dress!

Ladies Nike Dri Fit baby pink golf shorts (brand new with tags) UK size 16 - £18 + £2 UK delivery

Although these say size 16, I would say they are more like 14-16.

Ladies Callaway blue golf skirt (used) UK size 14 - £5 + £2 UK delivery

'Next' wool mix pin stripe suit - UK size 14 (petite; used) - £15 + £4 delivery

Black MBTs UK size 6 - £40 + £4 delivery

I've worn these about 5 times maximum and they retail at nearly £100.

Brand new Adidas trainers UK size 5.5 - £15 + £3 delivery

Cath Kidston Eiderdown - Rose Bloom and pink polka dot on the reverse - £80 + £7 delivery

If you like the look of anything then let me know: sian.kneller@gmail.com

I can move on some of the prices. If you don't ask you don't get that's my motto anyway! :-) I accept paypal.

Video of my Winter Toubkal Ascent 2012

2012-02-04T18:09:00.004Z

Enjoy!

I made it!

2012-02-03T20:21:00.002Z

Just a quick note to say I'm back and sitting by the fire in a nice central-heated house (not sitting in minus temperatures up a mountain!). I reached the summit of Mount Toubkal (4167 metres, 3rd tallest mountain in Africa) - there wasn't any doubt in my mind I could do it and the mental strength it took to get there was phenomenal.

I made it up 30-45 degree slopes with 1.5 meters of snow and a 12-hour solid day of hiking. Not only did I make it, but I was one of the first to reach the summit and had absolutely no signs or symptoms of altitude sickness.

Achieving this has helped me put to rest demons I had about not reaching the top of Kilimanjaro. This was far harder, but, unlike Kilimanjaro I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a smile on my face the whole time! I've made some brilliant friends and we are now planning to attempt Mont Blanc this year as well as climb the 3rd largest Atlas Mountain - M'Goun (4071 metres).

Despite eating my body weight in bread, cheese and chocolate I have also now officially reached my long-term weight target of 9 stone 6 lbs (132 lbs; 60 kgs).

Back soon with a full update once I've had some rest and sustenance.

I'm off folks...

2012-01-27T19:00:00.000Z

If you want to follow my progress up Mount Toubkal (assuming I can get a signal) then you can follow me on twitter here @Tinyholder

Wish me luck and I'll see you soon! xxx

Retro curls

2012-01-24T08:43:00.000Z

This must be about 4 years ago.

So, I had really lovely long hair about 3 years ago (when I was massively overweight) and silly old me decided to get it all cut off. :-( Now I'm bored again. This happens often by the way - I won an award at work for most changeable hair styles! Anyhoo, the long and the short of it (hehe) is I've decided to get hair extensions. They last anything from 3 to 5 months and hopefully in that time my real hair should have grown to a decent length that I don't need the extensions any more.

Can you believe this was only about 7 months ago?

So what do I plan on having a go at as soon as I have said hair extensions? Well, being a massive fan of wiling away the hours watching things on youtube (taught myself how to crochet, use iMovie and do yoga routines) I'm going to make the most of some of the fab videos on there and have at go at the John Frieda Retro Curls hair do. I do so love that 1940s look, it's so glamourous.

Me out last Saturday sporting a wig and dreaming of luscious long locks.

Go on, have a go - you know you want to. :-)

Economising and saving in 2012

2012-01-22T20:19:00.005Z

I follow quite a few blogs where economising and paying off the mortgage early is the name of the game and it's so inspirational. While I admire bloggers like Life After Money and SFT, I don't honestly think I could go to the economising lengths that they have gone to (good on them I say). For example, I couldn't not have my nails done every 3 weeks (£22) - to me having beautiful nails is something I love and couldn't give it up. I think partly that's to do with me having hideous nails for most of my life and also the fact that I'm in a customer-facing role. I also don't want to give up the gym, especially as my cheap gym had to shut and they have given me platinum membership for free (I pay £34/month and get an £80/month service), or personal training (£30/week). Exercise is something that is so important to me and it's something I really enjoy.

What I don't need to pay for anymore though is LoveFilm (especially as we have NetFlix), £6.70 a day station parking (I can walk), lunches as I make them myself from leftovers or take advantage of free brown bread and buy cheap beans (used to pay around £5/day).

In other ways I naturally live a very frugal life compared to many - I don't drink at all and consequently never go out, I very rarely go out for dinner (maybe once or twice a year), I don't buy processed food (only pasta and noodles) so my food bills are fairly cheap, and we very, very rarely get takeaway (maybe once every 6 months). At the moment we are pretty much living out of the freezer and eating all the lovely game we got from the farm (far cheaper to buy locally shot game from the farm than the supermarket!) and making pot roasts using our slow cooker (saving on electricity and going to the supermarket!). Tim and I are both mega bargain hunters too - even when I've bought expensive things, they are always significantly cheaper than their rrp. For example, my DSLR was £250 + tripod, which is about half price. :-)

Not only do I plan on saving money, but I also have so much stuff that I no longer need. I have some really lovely clothes, including this stunning size 16 Monsoon dress (now that I'm a size 10 it's not much good to me!), loads of Calloway ladies golf clothes in size 14-16 (most of which are still in the packaging), a Burberry golf skirt, a pair of hardly used MBTs in UK size 6, and some brand new trainers (UK 5.5). I also have stacks of DVDs and books (some that are duplicates) that I can stick on Amazon. I have old skydiving kit that I don't need or use any more (an altimeter and a audible altimeter worth about £150), antiques that I could sell, and a guitar (I bought one and then my dad found one in my grandparents' loft!). The list goes on and the sale of these things and the savings I make could pay for my trip to Ethiopia in October to trek in the Simien Mountains (inspirational photo at the top of this post) or the hair extensions I so desperately want (inspiration photo of me wearing a wig out and getting a feel for having long hair!). :-)

So, when I get back from Morocco I'm going to put up a savings counter on my blog to keep a track of how I'm doing.

In other news, I'm now running 10 hilly miles at 10.5 minute/mile pace (trainer reckons that's equivalent to 11-12 miles on the flat) so I'm feeling confident now that as long as I can stay healthy I should be able to run the Brighton half marathon (13 miles) in 2 hours 10 minutes conformably. Naturally, I want to do it in as close to 2 hours as possible! :-) Depending on how well this goes, I'm considering doing the Brighton full marathon in April. If you want to sponsor me my page is here. xx

Mount Toubkal here I come...

2012-01-17T22:10:00.001Z

So, in less than 2 weeks I will be climbing Mount Toubkal - the highest mountain in North Africa at 4,167 metres (13,671 ft).

I'm so excited as it will be another place I can tick off my ever-growing list. I'm very lucky that I get 2 whole days to visit Marakech and see all the sights before taking in the splendour of the stunning Atlas Mountains and embarking on an epic 4-day trek to reach the summit.

On the mountain there will be over a metre of snow and it could be as cold as -12 degrees C. I'll be wearing crampons and using ice axes, staying in gites with ice on the inside of the window (paradise compared with the tents on Kili) and I probably won't brush my hair for 4 days, but there's nothing quite like that feeling that you are doing something that others might not do - you are seeing views that few others will see.

I refuse to fail this time! I have been training so hard, working my legs, arms, abs, running - you name it. In fact, since Kilimanjaro last September I have lost 23 Lbs (1 stone 9 Lbs). I am taking Diamox (a drug used to prevent altitude sickness) from day 1, and I'm going with a lovely bunch of people who look out for one another.

This time I'm letting nothing get in my way!

New year's resolutions

2012-01-01T23:25:00.004Z

Happy new year! Do you have any new year's resolutions?

Mine is going to be another year of pushing myself physically to the limit. For once in my life it's not going to be lose weight and get fit, but maintain the weight and get super fit.

Me feeling quite happy in my own skin for once now that I am a size 10-12 not a 16! Cardigan, skinnies and pink top all H&M, shoes New Look.

I also want to see a few things in the UK and around the world. I've never done the travelling thing and I'm nearly 32 and feel as though I should really get out more and see a bit of the world.

So here are my plans for 2012:

Get super toned like Davina - a six pack would be nice! ;-)

Join the local running club
Complete a triathlon
Run a half marathon (entered and I'm running in the Brighton Half marathon in February)
Run a marathon (I'm thinking of entering the Seaford marathon)
Climb the Atlas mountains (booked for the end of January)

Complete the three peaks challenge (Snowdon, scafell pike and Ben Nevis)
Run a 5k in 25 minutes
Run a 10k in 50-55 minutes
Climb Mount Kenya and visit the Masai Mara

Worry less and be less anxious
Believe in myself more
Install a new bathroom and kitchen
Do a 30-minute workout every day
Run 4 times a week 20+ miles a week
Learn a new thing every month - maybe a new recipe, a new skill etc
Eat at the Fat Duck

It's that time of year again...

2011-12-29T20:01:00.001Z

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas I know I did! I got a few fab things - a Garmin GPS running watch that I've already used about 4 times, lots of Debenham's vouchers including a personal shopping experience, which is perfect considering I have no idea what suits me now that I have gone down 2 dress sizes.

Apart from a lovely 6-mile run around the countryside this morning I have done absolutely nothing today, but we've been out and about so much over Christmas I've hardly slept a wink so I need a day relaxing. Tomorrow I'm emptying my 3 wardrobes, 2 chest of drawers and ironing pile and getting rid of pretty much all my clothes (apart from 3 jeans that fit, 5 dresses and 3 tops and that's it!). Some will go to my mum and sister, some will go on ebay and the rest will go to the charity shop. I'm hoping that I can instead use the cupboard in my craft room to store only craft things, golf clubs etc rather than having clothes in too and I want one wardrobe to store just my hiking and running gear (it's getting out of hand now - I have ore sports clothes than normal clothes!).

I have lots of things planned for 2012 - hopefully it's going to be a good year like 2011 has been!

I'm off to Marakech at the end of January to climb the Atlas Mountains. I am so excited about it! I've had to order new trousers and tops though as nothing fits! That is the only thing about losing lots of weight - you end up spending a fortune on clothes. My other travel plans for 2012 are Mount Kenya and perhaps the Alps.

So here is my 2011 in photos:

My 2011

2011-12-18T15:03:00.003Z

Now that the year is coming to an end, here is a fraction of some of the things I have got up to in a little video! Enjoy!

Weight loss and fitness update

2011-12-11T21:22:00.001Z

It's been a while since I did a proper post I know so apologies for that! I have a couple of days off later in the week so I'll update you on all things Christmassy!

Since I got back from Kili I had a bit of a wake-up call. I always thought that I was really physically fit and mentally strong, but I was totally in denial on both counts. I was a size 14-16, overweight person who popped in the gym from time to time, ran a 5k in 35-40 mins and did a few long walks. I was kidding myself really. If you want to get really, really fit you have to push yourself beyond your comfort level and completely change your lifestyle and the way you think about food. I had the classic 'Oh, I've run 5k therefore I can have a chocolate bar'. The truth is some people can do that and stay super skinny and some who are less fortunate (like me) just can't get away with that. I'm not depriving myself by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm just being sensible.

So, just to let you know how I'm getting on when I started this fitness regime at the start of October I weighed in at 11 stone 6 (I'm 5'4"; above) so I was in the overweight category, my resting heart rate was fairly high (72 bpm), my waist was 34 inches and I ran a 5k in 35 mins.

Me (far left) wearing my size 10 skinny jeans)

Now, 2 months on I weigh 10 stone 3, I'm wearing size 10 skinny jeans and 10-12 tops, my resting heart rate is good at 59 bpm, I'm running a 5k in 27.5 mins relatively easily (next goal is a sub 25-minute 5k), and I'm feeling happier and more confident. The confidence is not all down to the weight loss, I've also been having hypnotherapy to try and deal with once and for all my major anxieties (presenting in public in particular). I've done things in the last few weeks that I never thought myself capable of - last month I was on the winning team for my work's version of the apprentice where they take you off to a country house hotel, give you a brief from a real client and then send you off to work all afternoon/evening on a strategy and tactics to be presented to the client and the top senior management of the company. I never thought I would ever be able to do this let alone win. The prize is a £400 voucher to eat in any London restaurant with my fellow teammates (4 of us in total).

Me (right) enjoying the Christmas party last week - yes I did eat all 3 courses (chose the healthier dishes) and made sure I ate sensibly the rest of the day).

I didn't do this by myself, but I cut back on things that I didn't need - the station parking ticket, gym membership and a few other things and decided to invest this instead in a personal trainer twice a week + slimming world. The trainer has been amazing and the best money I have ever spent. Sometimes you think you are challenging and pushing yourself and you realise you're not really at all. He's been making me run up hills and all sorts such that I recently ran a really hard 10k in Wimbledon, which was mostly up hill and did it in just over an hour.

Me wearing my size 14 dress, which is way too baggy (I bought it before I realised what size I was!)

I'm so enjoying running, I never thought I'd say that, but I plan on running as much as I can for 2012, including perhaps one or two European or US 10ks and a few trail runs maybe? I'm so dedicated I'm even joining a proper running club and I've even got a 5k on Christmas eve, a training session on Christmas day and a 5 mile trail run on boxing day planned!

What have you got planned for 2012?

World AIDS Day bake sale

2011-12-01T21:43:00.000Z

We made £548.84 for the National AIDS trust! What did you do for World AIDS day?

Raffle 8: DVDs and handmade Cath Kidston kindle case

2011-11-13T15:05:00.004Z

Hi everyone,

Sincerest apologies for having to postpone this raffle back in July (life rather took over!), but I'm restarting it again! Thanks you to those of you who entered - just to say thank you and apologise for the delay, you will each get an additional ticket! x
For raffle 8, I have decided to offer up some DVDs as prizes.

The money raised from this raffle will go to East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) who do an incredible job of rescuing wildlife in need in Sussex. They are a small charity run by volunteers so they have limited funds. Being a bird watcher and lover of all wildlife, this is a cause that is close to my heart.

Prize 1: Girl's night in

A selection of fab chick flicks perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and some biscuits.

DVDs include:

Prize 2: Randoms

A bit of Meg, a bit of eye candy in Ashton Kutcher and some deep thinking. Not films to watch with the kids methinks.

Prize 3: Dramas and thrillers

Prize includes:

Please note, all these DVDs are region 2.

Prize 4: Beautiful personalised Kindle case and tissue holder

Last but most certainly not least is this utterly stunning Kindle case and a tissue holder made by the lovely Sharon at Sweet Pea Embroideries. She hand stitched these herself using the lovely Cath Kidston bird fabric and can also personalise them with the winner's name. If you don't have a Kindle, then fear not as you can use the case to hold a paperback book or baby wipes...the possibilities are endless!!

How to enter

It is super easy, fast and secure to enter this raffle. Tickets are just £2 for 4 (minimum purchase £2). You can buy tickets on my justgiving page (by clicking 'donate now' and paying for the number you would like), which accepts paypal and all major credit/debit cards. When donating on my page please answer the following question:

Question: What type of bird is pictured below?

[Image by David Wilkinson]

Please leave a contact email or if you would rather, please email me here: sian.kneller@gmail.com.

As always, if you grab my button you get a free additional ticket. Please DO NOT select gift aid as raffles do not qualify for this.

ENTER HERE

Or enter via text (for 2 tickets) To: 70070
AENQ58£1

Your ticket numbers will be posted here.

Anyone is welcome to enter this raffle, just please be generous as it is for charity afterall! xxx

The closing date is Sunday December 11th at 8pm UK time.

Calling all crafters: Present ideas needed...

2011-11-13T11:55:00.002Z

I'm looking for some lovely handmade presents this Christmas for friends and family. The more different and unusual the better.

Some of the things I am looking for:

- Unusual costume jewellery - anything with owls and wildlife, vintage bits and pieces etc
- Personalised sewn pieces - quirky and contemporary looking if possible
- Other: anything else that you think I might like

If you could get in touch with your website that would be fab and then I'll be showcasing some of my favourites on my blog next week!

Thanks so much!

Sian x

Passing it on this Christmas

2011-11-12T17:43:00.002Z

We are holding a Christmas party at our house and inviting family and friends to attend. We would do this anyway, but it occurred to me that seeing as everyone will be coming, and we don't ask for people to bring drinks and only ask them to bring themselves why not, in the spirit of Christmas, give something else back?

So we are asking our guests to donate a small token to our chosen charity 'Pass it on Africa' to help children in Africa have a good chance at a decent life and some education. We'll have a raffle and a quiz too so it should be lots of fun and a great way of raising money.

How will you pass it on this Christmas?

Here's one I made earlier...

2011-11-09T21:05:00.002Z

This weekend was my granddad's 85th birthday so I decided to have a go at baking a cake. I always associate my granddad's birthday with fireworks, not least because it's a day after Guy Fawkes, but as when we were children they used to hold a torch light procession in our local town. Consequently, I decided the theme of the cake was going to reflect that.

I love red velvets so I decided to make the cake rather than cupcake version. It's a buttermilk sponge so really light and really easy to make. I use the trusted and well tested Hummingbird bakery recipe here (double for the 20cm cake round). Of course not content with just red velvet inside I decided to also make a layer in vanilla buttermilk sponge this time using a really good Nigella recipe (it was delicious!). I have to say I won't bother in future with the cream cheese filling (waste of time and soggy), but butter icing and jam filling would be nice.

I used ready rolled sugar paste icing (really easy to put on even for someone like me who has never done this before!). For the decoration I used coloured icing pens (can buy these in the supermarket on the cake decorating isle) and some white chocolate stars.

Next up is Tim's granddad's birthday so maybe I'll make him a cake too?

TTFN

My new blog...Worst climber

2011-10-22T22:57:00.000+01:00

I've started a new blog purely following my dieting, training and progress of all the challenges I have planned for 2012. It's called Worst Climber and you can find it here.

Normal service will resume on this blog as soon as I have got my life sorted. It's chaotic to say the least at the moment. I've been keeping myself mega busy (something I usually do when I don't want to deal with something). I think I've lost a bit of confidence after Kili, but onwards and upwards. I will deal with it eventually, but for now my diet and exercise regime is rather taking over my life and that's the way I like it! :-)

Back soon I promise!

xxxx

Dusting myself off and moving on

2011-10-15T10:16:00.002+01:00

Driving around France - probably the best weather we could have hoped for!

I'm finally back to normal after a few weeks away (nearly 2 weeks in Tanzania and a week in France). I'm back to my old tricks again - looking for a big project and something to keep me preoccupied - another trip perhaps and a half marathon? I just feel like I need to get back on it. Dust myself off after excitement and disappointment of Kilimanjaro (in equal measure) and get on with my life again.

Pool all to ourselves.

France was amazing - it was just what I needed after Kili. We had a fantastic time staying in a Chateau in the Loire valley, a golf resort (we were the only guests and had the pool to ourselves) and a pretty little hotel in Normandy.

Omaha Beach in Normandy - looks more like the Bahamas!

I've been doing slimming world now for nearly 2 weeks. I really need to try and get my body weight down for the Brighton half marathon in February. My target is to lose 1 stone and then I'll have a BMI in the normal range. If I can lose at least 0.5lbs a week then I should be able to do it! I am so determined! I am sick of being the mildly overweight friend with the sense of humour like some kind of Bridget Jones caricature.

Things I'm doing this week to get back on track:

2x Personal training sessions (both at hideous o'clock in the morning before work/Sunday)
1x early morning swim before work
1 x lunch time class with work colleagues
1 x lunch time run with work colleagues
1 x early morning run
Learning to rock climb at Harrison's rocks
Hypnotherapy - I've been putting this off for years and years, but the anxiety attacks and stress just has to stop now. I am over it! This is the new calmer me. :-) My appointment is all booked in.
Slimming world weigh in (wish me luck)
Sleep :-)

I'll leave you with a picture from Kili. I've always wanted to be in a jumping shot!! :-) [I'm third from left]. This was taken at about 3950metres (13,000 feet).

I'm running for Passing It On a small charity who help to build schools in Africa. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my fundraising page here.

P.s. I will do a post shortly about crafting and jam making soon promise. We are holding a big fundraising day at work for World AIDS day so I'll be making a few things to sell. We need to beat last year's total of £650! :-)

Have a great weekend! x

I'm back, what an adventure!

2011-09-26T19:58:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I am back from my Kilimanjaro adventure. I didn't quite make it to the top (got to 4700 metres before being sent down by the doctor), but I did get all the way until the last day. I had an amazing time, but it was really, really tough and at times I questioned what the hell I was doing there.

A big thank you to all of you who kindly sponsored me and helped me raise a massive amount of money for Alzheimer's Society. If you would like to donate, here is the link.

Off to France now for a few days of rest before returning to work. When I get back I will do a proper post and let you know of some exiting new projects that you can be part of if you are interested?! :-)

TTFN

Nearly there...

2011-08-29T23:12:00.005+01:00

Well, it's nearly time to make my way to Tanzania and climb that beast of a mountain Kilimanjaro. I'm all packed, I've done copious amounts of training, I've tested all my kit, spoken to people who've been there and done my research. I feel ready to go now.

When I look back over the past year I've had such an amazing time - I've met some great people, got fit, realised just how wonderful it is to fundraise, heard some incredible stories and been utterly inspired. I've decided that having a big challenge is good for me - I'm the kind of person who's felt quite lost since university where you are constantly heading towards a goal. It's made me realise just how rewarding working hard for something really is. So, Kilimanjaro for me, no matter how difficult and challenging it is, will not be my last physical endeavour. I've already signed up to climb the Atlas mountains in January, I'm learning to rock climb in October, looking into Mount Kenya (lower but more technically demanding than Kilimanjaro) for next summer, and considering doing the 3 peaks challenge, which involves climbing the 3 highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales over 24 hours. It's never the things I do in this life that I regret, it's the things I don't do.

Last weekend some great friends I have made, who are also climbing Kilimanjaro, and I took part in the Hike for Hospices walk over the South Downs way (Lewes to Arundel). We completed an incredible 31 miles over 2 days and met some lovely people. One of the things I've enjoyed about training around the countryside is just how friendly everyone is - you certainly don't get a 'hello' or a 'good afternoon' from every passer by in the city or the 'burbs for that matter, but we must have greated by several hundred people last weekend! :-) We even met a really nice girl on the train back who gave us lots of great tips as she'd climbed Kili 2 years ago.

Thank you so much to all of you who have given me support over the last 18 months and have helped me raise a marvellous £2350 for Alzheimer's Society! Thank you also to Neal's Yard for giving me some samples of your lovely Wild Rose balm to keep my skin from drying up the mountain and to Eat Natural for donating some of their delicious cereal bars.

So, Kuagana (Swahili for 'farewell') for now - I'm not going until the 15th September, but I'll be working away before that so I'm unlikely to be blogging before then. I shall be tweeting from the mountain so if you want to follow my progress then my twitter name is @Tinyholder.

P.s: For those of you who entered my last WRAS raffle, thank you! Unfortunately I have had to postpone for now (not enough tickets sold), but will relaunch the raffle again when I return. :-) x

Whirlwind weeks

2011-07-31T18:37:00.004+01:00

I haven't really been on here much - every weekend of mine has been filled to brim with activities, whether it be training for Kilimanjaro (now only 6 weeks away), running in the various running events I've signed up to, or my sister's wedding.

I don't even know where to start really so I'll start in chronological order:

9th July: 17-mile walk around the Surrey hills with Trek Hire in Shere. I met some really great people and got some great tips for Kili. Found the walk relatively easy and didn't get any blisters.

Leith Hill tower

10th July: Completed the British London 10k in not my best time ever, but my legs were still hurting a bit after the walk. I completed it in an hour and 10 minutes. I am surprised I managed to run the whole way as I really didn't feel good on the day, but by 6k I started to perk up a bit! :-)

17th July: Partaay at Tinyholder HQ

23rd July: My little baby sister's wedding. I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of you who sent me pennants. The bunting looked stunning! Thank you all so very much. My little sister looked beautiful and her wedding cupcakes that I made went down a storm (photos to follow). I still have some people to contact about the bunting, so apologies for the delay. This is the first time I've had a chance to sit down for the last few weeks.

Red velvets and lemon cupcakes and hand made butterfly toppers.

My little sister and my dad.

The bunting in all its glory!

July 30th: 21-mile Hike around the Surrey Hills - I had a fab time, met some great people again and I'm now planning a trip to Snowdon before Kilimanjaro with a bunch of the people I met. I may even sign up to climb the Atlas mountains in Morocco next January too. I was so pleased with how well I managed the distance. It was a stunningly hot day, we managed to cover the first 4 miles in an hour which is an incredibly fast pace. The chap who runs the walk seems to think my friend and I will have absolutely no problems up Kili fitness wise, it's the altitude that is the unknown quantity.

Group stopping for a much-needed break.

Over the next few weeks I have a hike up Box Hill, another 10k, a 42-mile hike over the South Downs Way over 2 days, a Snowdon weekend and that pretty much takes me up to Kilimanjaro.

TTFN

Raffle 8: Selection of DVDs and beautiful Kindle case

2011-07-15T21:27:00.009+01:00

Hi everyone,

For raffle 8, I have decided to offer up some DVDs as prizes.

The money raised from this raffle will go to East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) who do an incredible job of rescuing wildlife in need in Sussex. They are a small charity run by volunteers so they have limited funds. Being a bird watcher and lover of all wildlife, this is a cause that is close to my heart.

Prize 1: Girl's night in

A selection of fab chick flicks perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and some biscuits.

DVDs include:

Prize 2: Randoms

A bit of Meg, a bit of eye candy in Ashton Kutcher and some deep thinking. Not films to watch with the kids methinks.

Prize 3: Dramas and thrillers

Prize includes:

How to enter

[Image by David Wilkinson]

Please leave a contact email or if you would rather, please email me here: sian.kneller@gmail.com.

As always, if you grab my button you get a free additional ticket. Please DO NOT select gift aid as raffles do not qualify for this.

ENTER HERE

Or enter via text (for 2 tickets) To: 70070
AENQ58
£1

Your ticket numbers will be posted here.

Anyone is welcome to enter this raffle, just please be generous as it is for charity afterall! xxx

The closing date is August 15th at 8pm UK time.

Absolutely brassic

2011-06-30T20:22:00.007+01:00

For those of you non-Brits out there, the title means 'I have zero funds', no tengo dinero, nada, didley squat! I'm not looking for any sympathy really as I am treating myself (I don't ever go on holiday so this is a real treat) to a safari after climbing Kili, but my wallet is really suffering! :-(

So, on that note over the next few days I'll be listing on here a few things for sale to raise money for my trip. Please let me be clear, this is going into Tinyholder HQ's bank account not a charity. :-)

So, before I list anything on here just a little sneaky peek of some of the things on offer for those of you who want to register an interest:

Cath Kidston eiderdown (above top)
Vintage Brexton 1950s picnic set

Vintage pink eiderdown (repairs to the corners)
Vintage yellow/gold eiderdown (single)
Candy stripe bedding
Cath Kidston rosali single bedding
Carltonware jug and saucer, and matching dish

Cup candles (various)

If you're interested in purchasing anything do let me know: lavenderhearts@googlemail.com

Today's outfit and new glasses

2011-06-25T21:07:00.001+01:00

Today I am wearing a New Look dress which I bought in the sale for about £5 and my mega bargain new glasses. These were £39 for 2 pairs all in at Specky Four Eyes. They are Bench too - I decided as they were so cheap I'd go a bit crazy and get some red ones and I love them.

Tomorrow I'm off for a 15 miles training walk around the Ashdown Forest.

Have a good evening all!

Don't forget, if you want to take part and help me make my sister's wedding bunting the details are here.

TTFN

Winners revealed!

2011-06-22T21:21:00.000+01:00

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the raffle!

Take a look below to see if you were one of the lucky winners:

Prize 1: Retro radio

Rebecca Jordan

Prize 2: Beautiful silk scarf from Joules

Vic Houldsworth

Prize 3: Handmade hen and chicks

Kitschnkarma

Prize 4: Crafty bits n pieces

Vic Houldsworth (again! :-))

A selection of gorgeous and very pink crafty bits n and bobs. The prize contains 4x pink embroidery threads, some pretty pearl head pins, pink bobble trim (love this), some pink beads, a stack of pink felt 2x pink ric rac and loads of pink buttons. Basically, if you lovely crafting and pink then this is pink heaven! This prize was very generously donated by the lovely Annie and is worth over £28.

Prize 5: Pantene Pro-V

Gemma Peacock

Prize 6: Royal gift set

Sharon Kirby

Prize 7: Handmade striped egg cosy

Rebecca Jordan (again! :-))

Prize 8: Cath Kidston goodies

Clare Goddard

Thanks again, and please do tweet, facebook and blog about my raffles and tell everyone you won. The more noise, the more money raised for the charities. :-)

Please do get in touch if you are one of the lucky winners: lavenderhearts@googlemail.com

Another raffle coming up with beautiful prizes (so excited about this one).

TTFN

Darlings - it's raffle time!

2011-06-21T21:28:00.003+01:00

Don't forget to enter my latest raffle for the small animal charity WRAS.

The winner will be drawn at random tomorrow at 8pm UK time and you have to be in it to win it! It's only £2 a ticket and there are 9 prizes so it's a bargain and it helps out a charity (2 things I love).

If you are an international person, you can also enter via paypal. Just click the button below. Details of the prizes are here.

One of the many prizes in my charity raffle.

TTFN x

Decluttering and reorganising

2011-06-19T22:46:00.001+01:00

My craft room has undergone so many changes - I've moved the bed and the desk around in the past, but I still wasn't really happy with it. It felt far too cluttered and the wood can be quite oppressive (lovely as it is). I decided that covering the table with some pink gingham would brighten the place up no end. I saw it in a magazine somewhere and thought I'd give it a try. Not bad for £6 on ebay! I also used up some leftover 'old white' spray paint to brighten up the dark wicker storage baskets and the old kitchen shelf that I use as a letter rack.

I moved the table with my great grandmother's Singer sewing machine by the book shelf and moved the small bookshelf, which used to be my dad's when he was little, next to the sewing table. It now doesn't feel quite so boxed in. When we rearrange the upstairs (when we find the time of course) this room will be much bigger, but in the mean time I am quite pleased with my little tidy up.

The guitar was also another thing that I brought back from my grandparent's - it's an old 1960s acoustic guitar. I've had it restored and it makes a lovely sound. Of course I now need to learn how to play it. One of the many other things on my to-do list that and brush up on my French. :-)

Thanks so much for those of you who have kindly offered to help me make my little sister's wedding bunting - I've been overwhelmed by the response and will be in contact with each and every one of you shortly. I've just invested an iPhone (was holding off until I found a good offer) so now have time during my commute to answer emails and check out blogs. If you would also like to join in, details are here.

TTFN

Bloggers I need you...

2011-06-16T20:39:00.007+01:00

My little baby sister is getting married in July - she's having a wedding on a shoe string. I'm baking the cakes (little cupcakes) and the reception will take place at my parents' bungalow. They don't have much really so I'd like to do something special for them and I really need your help.

I'd like to make some wedding bunting for her and I'm not sure my sewing skills and my patience will extend (not to mention that my weekends are fully booked from now until Kili, boo!) to making oodles of pennants (flags/triangles) and then stitching them all together. This is where you lovely lot come in. :-) I'd love it if you would like to get involved and help by making one or as many pennants as you like, as long as the colours are pastels and whites. The pennants can be as plain or as complicated as you want.

Here's a great little tutorial. Download the PDF and use the 26cm triangle on the template.

It's my take on something old (vintage fabrics), something new (new fabrics), something borrowed (borrowed as in made my others) and something blue (blue fabrics). :-)

If you would like to make a pennant to go on my sister's wedding bunting then please do let me know: lavenderhearts@googlemail.com and I'll send you the details of where to send the triangles. The deadline is 15th July for posting.

I will then sew the bunting together - I think I can just about sew in a straight line!

Thanks so much!

Past winners

2011-06-11T16:40:00.001+01:00

I've done a few raffles now and thanks to you lovely lot I have raised an incredible £2000 for Alzheimer's Society over the past 9 months. I just wanted to show you some of my past winners who have been utterly thrilled with their winnings.

Debbie was one of the first winners of the gorgeous eiderdown and then there was Louisa who won the utterly beautiful and discontinued Cath Kidston bag.

Alison won the utterly beautiful bubs bear and Katherine won the stunning silver beehive necklace.

This gorgeous lot of Cath Kidston goodies went all the way to New Zealand to Cat.

So go on, give it a go and you never know you might win one of the 9 prizes in my current raffle here. Tickets are £2 and all the money raised goes to WRAS.

Sian x

Saturday smile: red velvet delights

2011-06-11T14:41:00.000+01:00

I can't quite believe it...

2011-06-05T19:31:00.003+01:00

...but I managed to run 10k on Friday night. I'm not going to break any records for speed - I did it in 1h and 9 mins. I think Paula Radcliff is safe, but by golly I was so pleased! I have never run beyond 5k before so I thought I'd give 8k a go (only another 3k I told myself) so then when 8k came and went I thought 'only another 2k, right?'. I even think I could have gone on a bit more, but I didn't want to push it. So perhaps the half marathon I have signed up for next year isn't beyond my reach after all? Only another 11k and then I'm there right? ;-)

One of the many prizes in my charity raffle.

Just to let you know I am further postponing the raffle until Wednesday 22nd June. Sorry to those of you who have entered and are waiting for the results, but as this is for charity I want to make sure I can raise as much as possible.

If you tweet, facebook or blog about my raffle I'll throw in a free ticket. It would be such a huge help for this small charity so if you want to help out then £2 would go a really long way and there are 9 prize bundles so there's a good chance of winning something! :-) You can either enter the justgiving page directly here OR pay via paypal (click on the button below) and I pass on the funds. Anyone from anywhere in the world can join in the raffle and tickets numbers are posted here.

Thanks so much! xx

Not long now...

2011-06-02T21:05:00.002+01:00

Hello all,

I hope you enjoyed your bank holiday weekend (those of you in the UK) and those of you in France enjoy your day off today! :-)

In preparation for Kilimanjaro, which is only 3 months away now, I've been upping the anti on the exercise. I've started popping upstairs on the cross trainer after dinner every night as well as my lunch time gym jaunts.

Caroline and I at Birling Gap - I met Caroline at the Kilimanjaro open day a few weeks ago

It all adds up you know - taking the stairs, walking instead of getting on the tube etc. Every little bit helps as that famous supermarket rightly says. The last 2 weekends I've been on some nice long training walks too - I need to get used to being on my feet for hours and walking long distances as for 8 days in Sepetember that's pretty much going to be my daily routine!

To ease myself in gently, I went on an 8 mile walk from Seaford to Exceat up over the cliffs and back again the weekend before last.

The weekend just gone I then decided to cover the other side (Exceat to Eastbourne) which is actually more like 15 miles. I didn't ache afterwards (slight twinge in the hip doesn't count!) and I wasn't too tired so obviously the last year of being a gym bunny has paid off.

Next on the exercise agenda is the village 5k on June 18th - last year (never having run further than for a bus) I came last with a dreadful time of 44 minutes (it is a very challenging steep course) - this year I'm hoping to do it in 35 minutes now that I can run a 5k on the flat in 29 minutes (so proud of myself!).

After that is the British London 10k on July 10th - I'm not even sure if I'm capable of running 10k as the most I have ever done is about 6k, but I'm willing to give it a go. :-) I love running in these events - they are so much fun, the atomosphere is great and you meet so many people.

Anyway, I shall leave you with a hilariously bad picture of me running in the Heroes run a few weeks ago.

I'm number 170 just in case you are wondering! ;-)

TTFN

Raffle 7: Extended...

2011-05-26T20:53:00.002+01:00

I have extnded the raffle as haven't had many takers. Please do buy a ticket or two and help out a really small charity: East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS). Every £2 really does count for these guys.

Reminder of the prizes up for grabs:

Prize 1: Retro radio
This is a retro battery powered radio - I'm not sure exactly, but I'd say it's 70s. This is definitely a cool and very usable retro piece.

Prize 2: Beautiful silk scarf from Joules

This utterly gorgeous silk scarf, kindly donated by Joules Clothing, is very on trend! Use it as a scarf or a headband (I favour the latter), either would look lovely. It also fits in with the wildlife theme beautifully too as it has a picture of a ferret on it! RRP £30.

Prize 3: Handmade hen and chicks

I see something with hens/chickens on and I have to buy it! This really cute little hen and chicks (chicks are removable) was no exception!

Prize 4: Crafty bits n pieces

I have 2 Pantene Pro-V prizes here up for grabs, a set for brunettes and one for blondes. The sets comprise a foaming styling wax for use on dry hair and 2 colour intensive treatments.

Prize 6: Beautiful framed drawing

This enchanting drawing of bears and fairies was created and kindly donated by the fabulous Kazzy. This would look great in a little girl's bedroom.

Prize 7: Royal gift set

The set includes a book on the Queen and a commemorative plate for all you Royalists out there!

Prize 8: Handmade striped egg cosy

Prize 8 is this lovely striped egg cosy which was made and very kindly donated by Christian.

Prize 9: Cath Kidston goodies

Last but most certainly not least is this wonderful collection of Cath Kidston goodies, including 3x ticking stripe flannel mitts, a copy of Cath Kidston 'Make', a Cath Kidston notebook, a Cath Kidston key ring and a Cath Kidston 'Home Ideas journal'. RRP approx £60.

You can enter here, tickets are £2 each! xxx

Closing date 5th June! xx

Rescued baby roe deer

2011-05-21T19:42:00.001+01:00

As some of you may know, I love wildlife and have started helping out a small local charity called WRAS who doing a wonderful job of rescuing wildlife in East Sussex. They rely on volunteers to dedicate their time to helping wildlife who are seriously injured, trapped or abandoned. This gorgeous little baby roe deer was rescued this week - he was found abandoned by his mother badly dehydrated and hardly able to stand. If it wasn't for the fab work that WRAS do I'm sure this little one wouldn't have survived.

Anyway, here's a little video for you.

You can follow the adventures of WRAS and the amazing rescues they do on facebook and twitter.

So if you love wildlife too, please do give a little by entering my latest raffle here, with lots of fab prizes, including a copy of Cath Kidston's 'Make' book and a Joules clothing scarf. The closing date is 25th May and you still have time.

Please do help me out by telling all your friends about my raffle as I'm hoping to raise as much money as I can - they are such a small charity that you really can see where every little bit of money goes.

Have a fab weekend all. xx

Beauty or the beast?

2011-05-07T18:00:00.002+01:00

Now here's the thing - I really don't like 1930s Oak dark stained furniture at all. Nope, I like beautiful Mahogany, Ebony or Yew, but I hate the way they used to stain Oak. Anyway, Tim inherited his dad's bureau - I've seen better bureaus - ones with leather inside, beautiful compartments, unfortunately this bureau has none of those things. It's pretty much a plain old knackered dark stained bureau. Am I allowed to paint it, am I heck!! So what the hell do I do with such a monstrosity? How can I make it fit in?

Well first of all I fixed it - the hinges were falling off so I filled in the broken wood and put new hinge screws in, then I fixed the 2 handles for the supports with 'no more nails', and added two new knobs.

Next onto hiding the broken bottom section - I decided the best way to do that was to make a curtain and fixing the super easy way by making a channel, screwing in hooks and fixing with netting wire.

The other really super quick way of course to desguise it is to put lots of pretty things on it - my GPO phone, a Huntley & Palmer's rose tin and an old rose sweet tin, the lavender hearts on the handles and of course the union flag.

What do you think? Still a beast or a beauty?

Tonight I am going round my next-door neighbour's for dinner. I'm wearing one of my favourite outfits - this French Connection jumpsuit.

Shoes - Next, necklace - Asda, bracelet - Accessorize, Jumpsuit - French Connection

Have a good evening all and don't forget to enter my giveaway here and my latest Charity raffle here.

Vintage Giveaway

2011-05-06T13:31:00.000+01:00

Just to say thanks to my long-suffering readers and to all those of you who have entered my raffles over the last few months, here are a few vintage things I have collected and put in a little giveaway prize for one lucky reader!

Now lets take a closer look at this little lot:

The Awful Dressmaker's Book (1960s) - this is a fab book for all the people like me who are a bit rubbish at sewing! :-)
Lark Rise to Candleford - this is a pocket size book ideal for long train journeys

Vintage wind up clock
2x Pomanders
A handy shoe shining kit

Heart shaped china photo frame in its original box
Embroidered hankerchief
3 packets of Lilly of the Valley seeds

All those who have bought raffle tickets to all of my raffles will automatically be entered, but all entries are welcome. Simply leave a comment telling me what your favourite vintage find is and why.

Don't forget to enter my current raffle here with lots of amazing prizes!

Best of luck everyone! The closing date for this giveaway is May 30th at 8pm UK time! xx

Cheeky chickens

2011-05-02T12:33:00.009+01:00

Don't forget to enter my raffle for East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service here. x

P.s. Please visit my other blog for an update on my training progress.

TTFN

Raffle 7: Vintage, retro, and handmade

2011-04-29T19:46:00.009+01:00

Hi everyone,

Here is raffle number 7. As always there are lots of fabulous goodies up for grabs. I've decided this year to support one human charity and one animal charity.

The money raised from this raffle will go to East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) who do an incredible job of rescuing wildlife in need in Sussex. They are a small charity run by volunteers so they have limited funds. Being a bird watcher and lover of all wildlife, this is a cause that is close to my heart.

Prize 1: Retro radio
This is a retro battery powered radio - I'm not sure exactly, but I'd say it's 70s. This is definitely a cool and very usable retro piece.

Prize 2: Beautiful silk scarf from Joules

Prize 3: Handmade hen and chicks

I see something with hens/chickens on and I have to buy it! This really cute little hen and chicks (chicks are removable) was no exception!

Prize 4: Crafty bits n pieces

I have 2 Pantene Pro-V prizes here up for grabs, a set for brunettes and one for blondes. The sets comprise a foaming styling wax for use on dry hair and 2 colour intensive treatments.

Prize 6: Beautiful framed drawing

This enchanting drawing of bears and fairies was created and kindly donated by the fabulous Kazzy. This would look great in a little girl's bedroom.

Prize 7: Royal gift set

The set includes a book on the Queen and a commemorative plate for all you Royalists out there!

Prize 8: Handmade striped egg cosy

Prize 8 is this lovely striped egg cosy which was made and very kindly donated by Christian.

Prize 9: Cath Kidston goodies

How to enter

It is super easy, fast and secure to enter this raffle. Tickets are just £2 each. You can buy tickets in multiples of £2 on my justgiving page (by clicking 'donate now'), which accepts paypal and all major credit/debit cards. When donating on my page please answer the following question:

Question: What type of bird is pictured below?

ENTER HERE

Your ticket numbers will be posted here.

Anyone is welcome to enter this raffle, just please be generous as it is for charity afterall! xxx

The closing date is May 30th at 8pm UK time.

Good luck all! xx

An inspirational day

2011-04-29T15:53:00.005+01:00

Ngorongoro Crater

A couple of weeks ago I headed off on a Saturday in the direction of my daily commute, but it wasn't for work this time - it was to head on over to Alzheimer's Society HQ in St Katherine's Dock for the Kilimanjaro Trek open day. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow trekkers and get a feel for what the trek will actually be like. It kind of all seems real now and although it's still 6 months away, I think that 6 months will fly by (well that's what I'm hoping anyway as I am so excited!). I came away feeling utterly inspired and so ready to take on the challenge.

I've decided to document the whole trip using my fab Panasonic TA1 HD camera (got it for an absolute bargain too!), my gosh the quality is incredible - you can hardly tell it's a hand held camera and it's the size of an iTouch, only a tiny fraction of the cost. I don't want to take anything with me of any value at all - I shall be taking my cheap but great Fuji digital camera, my cheapo Nokia phone and the video camera and that's it! :-) I'm going to make a proper documentary and put it on youtube afterwards. Thought I'd have a go at editing the video myself using iMovie.

When I've climbed Kili I'll be making the most of the fact that I am there and stay on for a few days taking in the sights of Tanzania. I'll be visiting Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangiri National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. I am so excited as I never ever go on holiday!

I'm already planning the next trip in my head - I'm thinking Everest next year. Why not eh - you do only live once after all. :-) There is the small matter of funds of course (I am not made of money) so I shall be selling off some possessions shortly, including my Cath Kidston Eiderdown. I don't really do anything with it so it might as well go to a good home and I can then use the money to put towards my trip.

This week I've started training for running a 10k - I managed to fit in 3x5k runs. I was supposed to do an 8k run today, but I'm still trying to get the hang of using Nike+ and it wasn't giving me the distances so I only managed 6k, but it's better than a few weeks ago where the most I could muster was 3k. I am getting a lot better - I am consistently running 5k with a time of 31 minutes. If only I could get under the 30 minute mark!! :-)

Anyway, I shall leave you with this beautiful and inspirational video.

P.s: if you fancy following my training progress, do pop on over to my other bog here.

Baking, vintage finds and more...

2011-04-25T20:14:00.000+01:00

Well, I am back to blogging - the return to work after a whirlwind few weeks wasn't quite as calm as I had hoped, but I am resolved to not let it get in the way of blogging and my training regime! So, over the next few weeks I hope to be able to update you with training progress (Brighton 2012 half marathon and Kilimanjaro), a vintage hamper giveaway, a few more raffles for Alzheimer's Society and WRAS, and just general goings on at Tinyholder HQ.

My parents are busily doing up my grandparent's house to rent - it was getting completely impractical for them to live there - the house was surrounded by steep concrete stairs, with open tread stairs inside, it was just a nightmare. Anyway, they have completely cleared the house out and I have inherited quite a lot of things. In doing so I have saved them a few trips to the dump! :-) Want to see some of the things?

Matching 1950s his and her wardrobes that had a makeover (painted off white and new handles).

My great, great grandmother's sewing machine.

A really pretty raspberry coloured double eiderdown. There is some damage, so I'm going to repair that and might sell it.

3 old suitcases used as storage.

Another this time gold single eiderdown, really unusual with a pretty starburst type pattern to the stitching. I will also be selling this.

I also got lots and lots of other things that will be going into a little vintage hamper giveaway soon.

Now onto some baking - I made some Easter cupcakes for yesterday (nothing special, just plain old basic cupcakes), unfortunately some of them got damaged on the way there, but they still tasted good!

This is the little Easter gift I made for my little niece. I didn't want to give her too much chocolate as I know she had enough already, so it's just a little hand painted egg cup I bought in M&S and a Cadbury's caramel egg wrapped in cellophane and a pretty ribbon.

I hope you all enjoyed Easter and I am so looking forward to having Friday and Monday off next week! :-)

The weather here in the UK has been glorious with temperatures up to 27 degrees C! This is my favourite time of the year around these parts. We are fortunate to live in the middle of the forest so the bluebells are now in full bloom, the wisteria is flowering and all is right in my little world.

Blog posts coming up: half marathon training using my new gadget, and an amazing and inspiring day out at Alzheimer's Society.

TTFN x

Sneak peak at some vintage delights!

2011-04-24T00:29:00.000+01:00

The last few bits have bee cleared out of my grandparents' house so here's a taste of some of the things I brought back with me:

1950s Boosey and Hawkes Zenith guitar - currently at the music shop being repaired.

Dressing table set and glass jug.

Lovely old suitcases.

Suitacase to house all my Kilimanjaro kit (more on updates from that soon).

Huntley and Palmer tins.

Another old sewing machine - this is even older than my other one as was my great, great grandmother's.

And finally some wild flowers I picked this morning! x

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service

2011-04-13T20:41:00.002+01:00

Today I took a little trip down to Whitesmith, East Sussex to meet the lovely Kathy and Trevor over at East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS for short). I have pledged to help them fundraise as they are so busy out and about rescuing wild animals in need and answering 100s of calls they rarely get time to do any themselves. I really admire people like Kathy and Trevor who selflessly give up their valuable time to do such valuable work in the community. I didn't realise until I met them just how challenging it is working for a wildlife charity, not least because there is actually very little funding for what they do (government or lottery), and people generally tend to give money to human or charities for domestic animals. What they do is really a great service to both people and animals - often seeing injured animals is just as distressing for the humans who report it as for the animals themselves, and the people who ring up can rest easy knowing that there will be someone to help within the hour.

I have chosen to help this little known charity as I love what they do (being an animal lover myself) and I love to support local businesses so why not a charity?

The old 9am to 10pm job of course doesn't allow for me to actually help with the ambulance service (much as I'd love that) but what I can do is use my time on the train to draft emails to companies, write newletters, blog posts and anything else I can do electronically to help. Don't get me wrong, I'm no mother Theresa (she didn't swear as much as I do), but I do so love to stick my nose in and 'help' people so I thought I'd try and put those nosey busy body skills into action. Please do follow WRAS on twitter and like their facebook page!

Next raffle is coming up shortly for WRAS so keep a look out. Lovely prizes donated by lovely bloggers again and Joules clothing.

If you would also like to help WRAS in some way or you simply would like to donate a prize I'd so love to hear from you: sian.kneller@gmail.com

P.s: I may be on glue or something, but I have signed up for the Brighton half marathon on February 19th, 2012. If you would like to take part for WRAS please do let me know.

TTFN

Sian x

Things you didn't know about me...

2011-04-13T20:20:00.000+01:00

Age: 31
Bed Size: Double
Chore You Hate: Hoovering, it's so boring and I hate dragging the thing around!
Dogs: None
Essential Start of Your Day: A nice cup of tea! One of the main reasons I struggle onsite at European locations - the tea sucks!!

Favourite Colour: Blue and green
Gold or Silver: White gold or platinum
Height: 5'4"
Instruments You Play: Clarinet (haven't picked it up for years mind you!)
Job Title: Medical Writer - think consultant for pharmaceutical companies and you're some way there. Nobody 'gets' what I do so I've given up explaining! :-)

Kids: None
Live: Sussex, UK
Mum's Name: Avril
Nicknames: None, my name's short enough! :-)
Overnight Hospital Stays: None (touch wood)
Pet Peeve: Business/fake posh speak (or bullsh*t bingo as I like to call it) - the likes of low hanging fruit, blue sky thinking and the grammatically incorrect and overused 'Myself and my colleague" - what's wrong with 'My colleague and I"?

Quote From a Movie: Probably something from Office Space, one of my favourite films

Right- or Left-Handed: Right
Siblings: Yes
Time You Wake Up: Depending on how busy I a at work anything from 5am to 7am
Underwear: Cotton shorts
Vegetable You like: Butternut squash, savoy cabbage and raw beetroot
What Makes You Run Late: Power cuts (get them quite a lot in the sticks)
X-Rays You Have Had: Only at the dentists (touch wood again)
Yummy Food You Make: Lasagne, and chicken and leek pie

Zoo Animal You Like Best: Monkeys, just love them!

Simple changes make all the difference

2011-04-12T18:28:00.001+01:00

Today I relaxed, watched a bit of TV, did 30 mins on the cross trainer, munched on some food. Went for a lovely run in the countryside (managed 6 miles!) and made a few tiny changes in the house. :-)

First off, I bought these neutral curtains for our bedroom (they are made to measure) about 6 months ago, but I finally decided to put them up! I wanted rid of the girly florals in the bedroom, in favour of a calm, more sophisticated look. Out with the chintz and in with the velvets, silks, and natural fabrics. Waste not want not though - the Cath Kidston curtains from our bedroom are now in the living room. They do fit so much better than the curtains we had before and make the room brighter too as they are a paler colour. So two successful transformations down, one to go!

Lastly, this plain old cheap cream lampshade had a 5 minute makover - take 1 piece of jewel edging and some glue et voila, stylish new lampshade!

Winners of Raffle 6 are...

2011-04-10T22:20:00.003+01:00

The winners (through random number generator) are ......ticket 40 - Simon Wike for the Fuji camera and the winner of the beautiful beehive necklace (very jealous!) is....ticket 46 - Katherine Heard

Congratulations to you both and please do get in touch with your addresses so that I can post on your winnings.

Thanks so much to those of you who have entered. Next raffle coming up shortly.

TTFN

Sian x

Spring sorting

2011-04-10T17:19:00.003+01:00

More spring sorting this weekend! You remember I told you my grandparents gave me their old 1950s wardrobes? Here they are in situ. I painted them in a Craig & Rose off white and changed the handles to some B&Q jewel handles.

Just a quick reminder of the old fitted cupboards. I know superficially they look ok, but they were so badly built and ill fitting that I couldn't wait to get rid of them! Plus the fact that we couldn't have a lovely fireplace with the fitted cupboards. The amount of cr*p we had in the fitted wardrobes was unbelieveable - things I didn't even know we had. Naturally 5 bag loads went to the charity shop and all the good stuff went to friends, family and ebay. I made £120 on ebay for charity selling my junk.

When we finally ripped them out the room felt absolutely enormous!! Even with the new wardrobes it feels huge so I think we have definitely done the right thing. As you can see it's nowhere near finished - the whole room needs replastering and we need new carpets and the fireplace installed, but it's starting to come together. Eventually I will paint the blanket box too to match. The really elegant picture was given to my mum (it really is so pretty and the frame is gorgeous). So 2 free wardrobes, a free picture and a free bed frame. Not bad eh? :-)

Here are the new bedclothes and the new cushion covers. The Cath Kidston curtains will go in favour of plain more chic cream curtains and a natural blind.

Even the sewing room got a good sort out. I sold on a few bits on furniture as it was getting so cluttered in there. I am much happier with it now.

This morning I got out in the sun weeding the garden. I just love this ornamental cherry tree with its beautiful blossom.

Hope you are making the most of your weekend? x

TTFN

Don't forget to enter...closes at 8pm today!

2011-04-10T11:21:00.000+01:00

I hope you're enjoying the beautiful sunshine here in the UK?

I have a day of tidying the front and back garden, cleaning the chickens out and touching up the paint on my fab new old wardrobes (photos to come) from my grandparent's house.

Just a reminder that my raffle ends at 8pm today so if you want to win a camera or a beautiful beehive necklace you have to be in it to win it. Also, the money goes to Alzheimer's Society so aside from the prizes, the money is going to a great cause.

Charity work: doesn't it make you feel good?

2011-04-05T21:26:00.001+01:00

I'm back in the land of the living. March has been a blur for me (5am starts, 10pm finishes, working weekends), but finally I'm getting my life back - work does have a habit of taking over if you let it!

Anyway, you still have time to enter my lovely raffle for Alzheimer's Society here. I've raised £2000 so far but one can never raise too much for charity!

I'm enjoying the fundraising so much I have offered my services to a local charity - East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service. They do some wonderful work rescuing injured wildlife, which is a huge problem here. On the main road through the village alone there were over 300 deer run over last year, that's almost one every day! So I've decided to help them work with local companies to try and get annual sponsorship deals. At the moment they don't have any commercial sponsors, no government support and rely on donations from private individuals. I'll be going to visit their deer centre soon and obviously will take lots of photos!

Depending on how I well I do climbing Kili I'm thinking Everest base camp next year for WRAS (I always get ahead of myself!!). God it feels good to try and do something useful with my life though. :-) So, the next raffle you see on this blog will be for WRAS.

Does anyone use Groupon? I managed to get 2 half price tickets for a day paragliding. I thought it would be a great way to see the beautiful Sussex countryside and get out and about. Hopefully I'll be able to book us in for next week so they'll also be lots of photos of that no doubt!

Anyway must dash, will blog properly soon! Thanks so much for all the people who have donated in my raffles so far. I'm going to organise a huge giveaway soon to thank everyone. x

TTFN

My day in pictures

2011-03-26T17:25:00.000Z

Items listed on ebay

2011-03-20T10:52:00.000Z

I've listed a few things on ebay if anyone is interested? All proceeds of the sale of these items will go to Alzheimer's Society. I gave away most of my things when I was having a clear out to the local charity shops, but these things were too good to give away! :-)

Off to paint the third coat on my wardrobes now.

TTFN

What dictates your style?

2011-03-14T21:24:00.001Z

I think about this rather a lot as I look back at old photos from when we had our flat in London (very modern), teeny tiny terraced house in Surrey (lost of beige and neutrals) to now in our cottage in Sussex (cottage style). Is it the type of house that changes my taste and style or was it there all a long? I know that I have always loved period properties as I was brought up in Wimpy/Clark new-build estate homes and I longed to live in a home with nooks and crannies, a bit of history and a story to tell. I remember going to visit my grandmother who used to live in this very old (I'd say 400+ years old) grade II listed house in Alfriston that burnt down in 1765 and was rebuilt. Ever since then I craved my very own house with an interesting history.

I do think I am a bit schizophrenic in my style tastes though - I would love a warehouse apartment kitted out in the industrial/minimalist style equally as much as I'd love a thatched cottage furnished in a way that would make my grandmother proud! I am also a real purist though - I think you should always accentuate the best assets of the house you live in. I believe to get the best out of your property why not make the most out of its individual features? I live by the rule that a new build should reflect the current era of modern design, and 1960s bungalows look great with a retro-inspired look and cottages look great with a more simple and relaxed look.

If you are really clever than you can mix and match within reason of course (although I've seen some shockers in my time!). Having said all that a home is supposed to be a home and not a museum. I remember on one of my first trips to the Antique shops (just after my Ikea phase) I wanted 'Victorian' antiques only (not sure why) and the shop owner said that of course Victorian homes would have been filled with much older things as well as new things. My home is now filled with all sorts of things, but the main theme (if there is one) is simple and sturdy design - no flat pack rubbish if I can help it!

I just wondered what style rules you adhere to (if any) and what dictates your style? Do you adapt your decorating style to the setting or do you just decide on a style and say 'to hell with it' and not worry about whether it 'goes' in your home?

Small makeovers

2011-03-14T08:08:00.001Z

In between ripping out the wardrobes and sorting our main bedroom, I have done a few small makeovers and sold some of my furniture and added £28 to the charity pot. The lovely white chair that so many of you admired went to someone in Brighton (fortunately they had friends who lived close to my parents so I could drop it off there rather than trundle to Brighton!). I also sold my sewing box to someone in Nutley Antiques. It's so great to declutter - I want a more coordinated and decluttered sewing room and it's getting there! Just a few more things to do (more tidying and sorting) and we are there!

My little sewing chair (the white one was rather too big) has had a quick makeover - I painted the chair in 1829 Craig and Rose 'Cabinet Maker's Green' emulsion (tester pot) and then waxed. I usually just use eggshell, but wanted a cheaper and quick drying makeover.

I used the other tester pot to paint this firescreen table - I was going to add some wallpaper to the middle, but I rather like the original print now that the frame has been painted green. It looked really yellow and awful before, but I think it sets it off now. Later today I'm popping over to my grandparents to paint the 2 wardrobes a very pale grey so that we can get a man with a van to pick them up later in the week and get our clothes straight in them (can't wait for that then we can get the spare room back to normal!).

Other projects on the horizon include making a few bits of wall art for our bedroom.

TTFN

Goodbye hideous fitted cupboards...

2011-03-12T18:39:00.000Z

Ever since we moved here I've been itching to take out the fitted cupboards in our bedroom 1) they suck out all the light, 2) they take up a huge amount of floor space in our room, 3) they were half full of junk that we never used and 4) it always seemed such a shame to not have a fireplace in the bedroom in a cottage (that is kind of what you expect in a cottage). So today was D-day - out went the junk to the tip, old clothes and shoes to the Charity shop (about the 10th load this year!) and anything worth anything, such as a lovely DAB radio that we can't use as we live in the sticks, is making its way to friends.

Excuse the terrible photos, but by the time we had finished it was dark! Do you remember way back when how the room used to look?

Really badly fitted wardrobes and very dark, mock tudor beams (yuk, this isn't a tudor cottage - it's Victorian!). Well, today we decided to finally rip out the wardrobes to make way for my grandparents' his and hers 1950s utility wardrobes. They look a little bit look this (only much nicer)

and I can't wait to paint and paper them like I did with this wardrobe.

It looks so much brighter in the room already! Obviously the whole room needs plaster boarding, plastering, and new carpet fitted so try to look past the artex! :-)

Do you remember the Victorian fireplace I bought for £50 eons ago on ebay? Well, that's the next job to do (we can install that ourselves) and then the plasterer (coming round to quote on Monday) can come and sort out the dreadful walls. I cannot wait for that - they will be the smoothest walls in the house, well apart from the boarded walls! Carpet wise I'm thinking the thickest and most expensive underlay and then a wool mix cream/beige/grey carpet.

Fingers crossed in a couple of weeks it should all be done and finally one room in this house will be artex/nasty carpet free. :-)

Fear not though eco friendly folks, the wooden cupboards are now up in the loft and will be reused to make a utility/larder cupboard for our kitchen (they will be painted of course). :-)

To be continued...

Corners of my home

2011-03-06T17:46:00.001Z

This weekend again has been a marathon of tidying and sorting. Still, it is so wonderful when it's done and the house is nice and tidy. We did spend yesterday afternoon at the garage - Tim managed to get a free inspection for his car (for enthusiasts and usually costs about £200) so we went along and looked underneath the car, chatted to the mechanics etc. It sounds dull I know, but we enjoyed ourselves!

It is tough when you work full time and are out of the house for 12 hours a day to squeeze in the cleaning and tidying. Most of the people I work with have cleaners, but 1) I can't justify the expense; 2) I'd somehow feel lazy and inadequate if I had to let someone else clean up after me; and 3) I don't think I trust anyone enough to let them loose in my house.

So after my tidying spree yesterday morning and today I thought I'd take a few pictures of some of my favourite corners of my home. Tomorrow I'll be posting about the work we are going to have done on our house this year (starting in April). It seems as though we may well be able to do all the building work if we are incredibly frugal. Anyway, more on that tomorrow! x

Just a quick reminder that I am holding another charity raffle to raise money for Alzheimer's Society and one of the prizes is this beautiful sterling silver beehive necklace (RRP £49). Tickets are £2 each and details on how to enter are here.

Quilts for Christchurch

2011-03-05T21:24:00.001Z

As most of you will know on the 22nd of February the city of Christchurch in New Zealand was rocked by the biggest earthquake in over 80 years. Many families have lost their loved ones and their homes.

To bring some small comfort to those in Christchurch, Cat over at Catalina's Cottage is asking fellow bloggers and quilters to send quilt as you go (QAYG) blocks that will be lovingly sewn into quilts and donated to families in Christchurch. I think this is a wonderful thing to do and shows that people from all across the world are thinking of them and that we really do care.

Currently, Cat has coordinators in the UK and Australia where you can send blocks so if you would like to take part then please do pop on over to Cat's blog or email her - I am sure she will be very pleased to hear from you. There are more details on how you can help here.

Tomorrow I shall try my hand at quilting and send on some QAYG blocks.

In the mean time, I'll send over some virtual hugs to those who have been affected by the quake. ♥xxx♥

Raffle 6 - Prizes include Digital Camera and Silver beehive necklace

2011-03-02T07:10:00.004Z

Ok, so on to the next raffle where the prizes are even better than before!!

Prize 1: Fujifilm FinePix AV100 compact digital camera

This is a brilliant little compact camera - it's perfect for capturing all those blog moments. We always buy Fujifilm digital cameras as the image colours are so vibrant.

The features on this little camera are amazing. I don't know about you, but I often think 'do I need the flash?' - well, this camera takes the same shot with or without the flash so that you can decide which photo works best. Another ingenious feature is that it automatically recognises what scene is being photographed and adjusts the white balance, optimise exposure and adjusts he focus. For example, if you are photographing a landscape it will adjust the settings accordingly so that you get the best image. Other features include 12 mega pixels resolution, a 3x optical zoom, and also captures video. Another added bonus is that it takes AA batteries (included) so it's perfect for going away on holiday as you can buy the batteries anywhere. I will also throw in an SD card so that you have everything you need to get started (RRP £65).

Prize 2: Scarlett Jewellery Silver Beehive Necklace

The lovely people over at Scarlett Jewellery have very kindly donated this beautiful beehive necklace. Isn't it glorious? I have a bit of a soft spot for bees so this is right up my street!

Scarlett Jewellery’s Silver Beehive Necklace features a delicate little bee around a hive on a silver 18” spiga chain. It comes gift boxed with a silver polishing cloth. (RRP £49)

How to enter

Tickets are £2 each (minimum purchase £2) + you get an additional free ticket for adding my charity raffle button to your blog (existing buttons also count).

Please do comment on this post so that I can contact you.

How to pay

Paying is super easy - you can either donate in multiples of £2 on my justgiving page (click link below; do NOT tick gift aid box) or you can pay by clicking the paypal button (tickets are added to the cart - if you want more than 1 ticket change the quantity).

Ticket names/numbers will be added to a list here.

Closing date is 10th April! Good luck everyone and remember all proceeds go to Alzheimer's Society.

Ta da!!! Winners announced

2011-03-01T20:18:00.002Z

And the winners of Raffle 5 are:

Prize 1: 39 (Tracey Markey, Fatcat Felt)
Prize 2: 54 (Karen Wike)
Prize 3: 49 (Lisa Williams)
Prize 4: 41 (Clare Merrett)
Prize 5: 56 (Pink Milk)
Prize 6: 10 (Justine Roberts)

Reminder of the prizes here

Well done everyone and thank you so much for entering and helping me get even closer to my fundraising target. I'm now at £1736!!

Please do get in touch with me with your address so I can send on your prize: lavenderhearts@googlemail.com

I have a HUGE raffle starting tomorrow so please check back! xxx

Sneak preview of next Charity Raffle - starting Wednesday 2nd March

2011-02-27T22:13:00.004Z

The next Alzheimer's Society charity raffle starts Wednesday 2nd March and I'll be offering up for grabs a fab compact digital camera and a silver necklace.

You still have until Tuesday 8pm UK time to enter my current raffle though so don't miss out!

New dress, new hair, new me?

2011-02-26T21:41:00.005Z

I really need to do something about those dark circles under my eyes - any tips? I'm sure more than 4-5 hours sleep a night might help! :-)

As it's been birthday week I've been treating myself to hair cut and colour, and a new dress. I did want bright copper, but my hair is so dark that it's kind of gone a more subtle (and I don't do subtle very easily) auburn colour. I've had red before as I have fair skin (part genetic part cultivated as I hate going out in the sun) it works quite well, but for a long time now I've just stuck to my natural dark brown and I was getting quite bored with it.

Dress: French Connection; Shoes: Zara (via charity shop); pearl necklace: vintage; bracelet: vintage pearl necklaces wrapped around my wrist.

The dress is another French Connection sale find. For years I have snubbed French Connection, but the dresses really do fit beautifully.

Please do enter my raffle - closing date is 1st March and proceeds go to Alzheimer's Society. It's super easy to enter - all you need to do is click on the paypal button and select the quantity of tickets (£2 each) or donate in multiples of £2 to my just giving page. Details here.

You could win yourself some gorgeous crafty bits from the Felt Fairy or some Harrods and Benefit treats.

Secret Restaurants: Salt of the Earth - The Sportsman, Whitstable

2011-02-23T17:52:00.009Z

Well I've had the most marvelous day today (it is my 31st birthday for those who don't know). It's become a bit of a tradition in the last few years for me to have some kind of birthday surprise - one year it was the chickens, last year was a meal at the Le Manoir and Tim had already primed me this morning that this year was no exception.

Off we set to the mystery location.

So, I donned my glad rags and off we went - me completely oblivious to what Tim had in store for me.

We started heading towards Kent and I wondered if we were going to France for the day - still none the wiser where the hell we were going. Then we turned down this tumble-down road, through a small village past the oast houses down towards the sea wall. On the left was a rather ordinary, shabby looking pub and straight on was a row of beach huts. It felt like he'd taken me to the end of the earth as there was nothing else around and we were really rather exposed to the elements at this point as the rain was thundering down. Once inside the Sportsman, it was a different story - the decor was simple and rustic looking and it was lovely and cozy with the log fire roaring in the corner. Tim informed me that the restaurant was very highly regarded as one of the best eateries in the world, with people coming from all over the world to dine (even the New York Times have reviewed the restaurant).

I have to say I love going to posh restaurants - I'm not loaded, I just don't go out much and when I do I go all out - but the food at the Sportsman was something else. The passsion that the friendly chef and all the staff have for the food is second to none. All the produce, even the salt, which they make themselves, is from within a 3-mile radius of the restaurant. The lamb that they use comes from the farm opposite and the seaweed, herbs and sea buckthorn were picked from the beach that very morning. Everything we had was in season and British.

Delicious cured ham made at the Sportsman using their own sea salt

8-Course tasting menu

We had the 8-course tasting menu at £55 a head. I love to have the tasting menus as you get a small sample of lots of different courses and it's a real experience. It may seen a lot to spend, but it really is a whole day out for £55, which I think is worth every penny.

Pork scratchings - hmm, delicious!

Homemade bread - soda bread (malt flour), sour dough (my favourite) and onion and rosemary focacia (so light and tasty)

My favourites were the pork scratchings (best crackling ever!), smoked widgeon (very like duck), the roast lamb main course (the most devine lamb I have ever had - melted in my mouth), the apple sorbet with space dust was a refreshing pre-dessert and last but certainly not least the cream cheese ice cream dessert with smatterings of ginger biscuit crumbs and flakes of meringue was devine.

Breaded lamb belly sticks with homemade mint sauce (we were instructed to dunk them!).

Above photos of the food are all from google images - I'm afraid I didn't get any of my own photos as the weather was abysmal!

So all in all, we had a lovely day out and will certainly return for the summer tasting menu. I want to get there quick before someone puts this lovely place on the map!

As Tim is in the know about all these small eateries I thought I'd start doing a feature reviewing the places we go to. It will also encourage me to get off my lazy backside at the weekend and go out! The features will be listed here.

TTFN

Charity auction: vintage knitting patterns and chair

2011-02-20T16:23:00.010Z

Vintage knitting patterns

My parent's found all these lovely old knitting patterns at my grandparent's house - some are really quite old (might even be 1940s) while others are from the 1980s. There are quite a few baby and children's patterns, gloves and hats, men's and women's knitwear, and sewing patterns for pencil skirts.

There are so many I couldn't possibly show you all of them, but here is a selection.

Many of the patterns are Robin, Jaegar and Sirdir.

Much as I love them, I have decided to sell them and give them a good home to someone who will actually make use of them.

All the money I raise from the sale of these will go to Alzheimer's Society so if you are interested they are for sale here on ebay.

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Pretty bedroom chair

I'm also auctioning off my pretty bedroom chair. I've had quite a few enquiries, but sadly most of the people live too far away to collect. Hopefully I'll have some luck on ebay!

SOLD

Rearranging the spare room

2011-02-19T21:58:00.009Z

Bed frame given to me by my aunty.

Thanks for the replies on my last post. I agree that it should be about the cause and it definitely still is for me and lots of the lovely people who have supported me, but I guess if I want to reach out to people I know and twitter followers who are not vintage and handmade fans then I was thinking of a prize that will appeal to the masses. It's a real shame that I don't have more time as I'd love to do other events, but I have to be realistic and accept that I'm out of the house at work for 12 hours a day and most weekends I have something on.

Grey pot cupboard £10 on ebay.

I've contacted a few companies that have products I love so fingers crossed I can get some more prizes for more raffles.

Wardrobe £12 on ebay - painted in French grey, covered in Laura Ashley wallpaper and new glass handles.

I am so grateful for those who have donated lovely prizes and who have bought tickets for my raffles so far - it means a lot to me! x My current raffle has lovely prizes donated by the Felt Fairy and Freddie and you can still enter here.

Freecycle chair

Now on to other news - I spent all last weekend going through my clothes for charity (7 huge bags to be exact), rearranging furniture, bringing in my lovely 1930s revamped wardrobe (bought for £12 on ebay) and getting rid of a chest of drawers on freecycle. It's made the spare room look huge and I'm so pleased!

All my clothes are beautifully organised now in their own compartments - I love the way old wardrobes have these drawers. It was funny going through all my old clothes and how big they were. I got so big at one stage that I used to hide myself in big baggy jeans and jumpers. I must have looked terrible!!

I'm going to get up tomorrow and go for a run - I'm now on week 2 of freeway to 10k.

Hope you're having a sweet weekend.

TTFN

Opinion needed

2011-02-17T22:20:00.004Z

I've been holding all these raffles and contacting my address book, baking and pestering just about everyone who will listen to help me raise money for Alzheimer's Society - I don't want to bang on about it too much as I bore myself let alone everyone else. :-)

But, it has got me thinking (dangerous I hear you cry) - what would make you sit up and think 'I'd love to enter that'? I'm thinking of doing one last final raffle with a HUGE prize so that I can concentrate 100% of my time on training. What prize would entice you? Would it be a digital camera, Pandora charm bracelet, iPod shuffle...? I'd love to hear what you all think.

Bubs Bears Raffle!

2011-02-16T22:33:00.004Z

Another charity raffle here folks - Abby over at Bubs Bears is giving away another one of her gorgeous bears for St Margaret's Somerset Hospice. Please help her out by buying some tickets.

You still have time to enter my raffle too for Alzheimer's Society (deadline 1st March) - it will be the last for a while now. Instead, I will be doing a lucky dip and various sweepstakes. Might do a few more raffles later in the year when I've managed to convince a few companies to donate (very difficult to!). :-)

It happens to the best of us...

2011-02-13T16:16:00.002Z

You know that feeling of 'how did I get here'? Well that happened to me around about this time last year. I was in a job that was making me miserable and ill, I was overweight and unfit. I was a mess!! One day I decided enough was enough - I got a new job (step 1), was walking more (lost a stone just from doing that), joined the gym last April and have been going consistently ever since. I needed a goal to carry on so I signed up for Kilimanjaro in August and I've got various other sporting events in my calendar for this year, including Davina's DIVA100 50k bike ride on May 8th and a 10k at the end of May.

To remind myself of how far I've come in the last couple of years I just went through the iPhoto archives and dug out this dreadful picture of me!

This was me after I'd been going to the gym for a couple of months plus my daily 2-mile power walk to and from the office. I did a 5k, but very slowly and I really struggled.

And this is me now - I'm now able to complete 5k relatively easily in 35 minutes and I'm doing freeway to 10k now.

Don't get me wrong I'm no skinny minnie (and wouldn't want to be either frankly), but I had a silly set back on Thursday (I was tired) that really knocked me for six. I tried something on in a shop in Spitalfields that was 'large' and it didn't fit me. I then said to the shop assistant 'I don't think anything in here will fit me' and she agreed. It suddenly hit me - am I fat? Has all this hard work been for nothing? Am I ever going to be 'normal'? Of course, deep down I know I'm not fat, but it's doesn't take much to put these silly ideas into your head. I kind of understood at that point how easy it is for young people to become obsessed with dieting and being thin - if I, being a size 12-14, can't even fit into 'large' then who can?

Anyway, it just shows how messed up sizings are in this country as I tried on this lovely French Connection sale dress today (size 8 I might add) and that came home with me today. I know I'm not a size 8, but it made me feel better. :-)

I had some real luck in the charity shop this week too - I picked up 2 pairs of Zara shoes and another pair of leather shoes (not sure where from) and this bag (below) for £15.

New old things and some baking

2011-02-12T13:20:00.008Z

I've been busy again this week (as usual you might add). I got back from Munich on Saturday night quite late and then Tim went away on Sunday morning so we've been like passing ships in the night! I took Tuesday off to make up for Saturday and spent the day with my parents - I went round to my grandparents old house and took away with me some fab vintage things that they no longer want (they have downsized) here are just a small selection of the things I bought back with me:

Gorgeous green glass clock above (probably my favourite thing)

Lots to sort through here (job for tonight and tomorrow).

This lovely fur coat is my grandma's - I think she only ever wore it once and it's immaculate. I've had so many compliments wearing it.

I remember seeing this lovely pin tin in my grandma's 'junk' tin. Alison at Vintage Amethyst has the very same one.

Some glasses and pomanders.

A pretty tin and some of my granddad's old guard badges from when he worked on the railway.

This case is loaded full of 1950s knitwear patterns.

My great grandmother's tea set.

There are many other things, but I need to sort through!

Since January I have been buying various things for Valentine's day in the sale and buying heart-related cake decorations on ebay so that I could make and sell some things at work. On Friday I took in 24 red velvet cupcakes - the recipe says to make a cream cheese frosting, but instead I put raspberry jam on top and then added a disc of white sugarpaste and little silver sugarpaste hearts. If I do say so myself, they tasted amazing!

I very rarely bake, but this has really got me excited and I'm looking forward to making some more cakes now. I love lavender frosting so I might make some lavender cakes next. I also made heart-shaped lollipops, and boxes of cherry liqueur chocolates (above).

Inside the red velvet cake!

I raised an amazing £65 selling my cakes at work so now my total raised is £1420.50 - I am so thrilled!

If you would also like to help me raise even more money, then please do enter my latest raffle here!

TTFN