This is a silly pet hate but... APOSTROPHES.
An apostrophe signifies when something belongs to someone or when words have been contracted: do not to don't etc.
If in doubt, don't use an apostrophe. I'd rather not see one at all than see pointless ones.
If you don't know whether something needs an apostrophe or not... do not use words which would need them.
It is just annoying to see signs, facebook statuses, sentences in books/magazines etc, which have stupid apostrophes in them. Just because there's an s or two, doesn't mean you need millions of apostrophes.
Rant over. :-)
Friday, 13 July 2012
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
This is a blog that I have owed Laura for AAAAGES
Hi Laura!
This is a blog! I do know how to use my fingers, I know how to apply my fingers to the keyboard in order to form words which will form a blog. I know I've been rubbish at keeping up with this!
I've been doing things!
I've been in school completing my placement with Year 2 and doing my first ever display:
This is a blog! I do know how to use my fingers, I know how to apply my fingers to the keyboard in order to form words which will form a blog. I know I've been rubbish at keeping up with this!
I've been doing things!
I've been in school completing my placement with Year 2 and doing my first ever display:
Y Gemau Olympaidd Llundain 2012
The Olympic Games London 2012.
Oh yes, me and a staple gun had a fun afternoon! I'm very proud.
I've been making sock things:
Sock Lion for Vincent's 2nd birthday, sock Tapir for Kyla (she loves Tapirs) and sock monkey for Chloe, with his arms crossed...
I've been here, there and everywhere visiting family and Paul.
I went shopping for an outfit for my cousin's wedding and bought a lovely dress at the outlet place near bridgend. I say I bought it, mummy bought it.
I did a workshop in Bedford which was good, I've got two more workshops booked more locally. I have a craft fair on Saturday... I'm starting my nursery placement on the 23rd. My cousin's wedding is on the 30th of July and Stef's wedding is at the end of August. Lots of things! See!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
My new leaf!
Hi!
I am embracing independence. I have been living on my own since my ex and I split up last June and during this time I have been swinging between hating living alone and loving it. My mum and I spent a week sorting out the front garden into a beautiful space - thanks mummy!- and I have had a couple of BIG clear-outs but I still haven't been quite content with my living space. Having now determined that I intend to stay in this house, I am keeping it tidy and enjoying the independence I have which means I can change things if and when I want to. Kirstie Allsopp is also one of my idols and I am taking a leaf out of her book (literally as I got one of her books for Christmas) and surrounding myself with lovely things, either things I have made or others have. I prefer homemade or handmade but I am working on a budget, so some of it has to be cheaper options. The first room which is prettied is my bedroom. So I thought I'd put some pictures up on here and explain what everything is. :)
My bed is from Ikea and has four big drawers underneath and the headboard is also from Ikea and has little cubby holes on both sides which are great for storing books and make up and all sorts of things! Unfortunately it's also a great place for my cats to hide! I put the bed and headboard together myself as they were new after the break-up, I was very proud of myself and it hasn't fallen apart so far!
Nature's Little Helpers are a lovely company who raise bees and sell honey and wax and also natural skincare products made from wax and honey. They sell their goods at various craft fairs including the Roath Arts and Crafts Bazaar, their website is: http://www.natureslittlehelpers.co.uk/ and they do really interesting talks, we've had them at Aber-Valley W.I. twice, once a talk on bees and once about how they make their skincare products. Both really good!
I have also been trying not to throw things away when they break or are no longer usable. I had a top which was white/cream and I got some resin pigment on it which won't wash out so left a dark blue stain on the bottom of it, instead of throwing it out I thought I'd try dying it a darker colour. I have been wanting to use dye for a while but haven't really had the need, so this was a good opportunity. If it didn't work, I wouldn't have lost anything really. So I bought some dark green Dylon dye and followed the really easy instructions. This is the result:
I am embracing independence. I have been living on my own since my ex and I split up last June and during this time I have been swinging between hating living alone and loving it. My mum and I spent a week sorting out the front garden into a beautiful space - thanks mummy!- and I have had a couple of BIG clear-outs but I still haven't been quite content with my living space. Having now determined that I intend to stay in this house, I am keeping it tidy and enjoying the independence I have which means I can change things if and when I want to. Kirstie Allsopp is also one of my idols and I am taking a leaf out of her book (literally as I got one of her books for Christmas) and surrounding myself with lovely things, either things I have made or others have. I prefer homemade or handmade but I am working on a budget, so some of it has to be cheaper options. The first room which is prettied is my bedroom. So I thought I'd put some pictures up on here and explain what everything is. :)
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| My bed, with two little lavender scented pillows which I got from the Glamorgan Federation Women's Institute Craft Spectacular last November, made by a friend of mine Elaine. |
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| My bed, with some new bedsheets from Asda! Not very expensive but oh so cute! |
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| I think that the silhouette of birds and trees and leaves are really cute and they're neutral colours (greens and browns) which means they don't clash with other things in my room! I also have some bedsheets which are pink and purple with embroidered flowers on. |
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| The pillows have really cute detail of the birds on both sides, which means people like me who turn the pillow over half way through the night get the pattern whichever way up it is! The curtains I made myself last year, with thermal blackout lining, the pattern is little multi-coloured buttons in lots of different shapes and sizes. I made them with a sewing machine which only sews backwards so it was quite an achievement and they do the job. The curtain rail has clips on so there was no faffing with curtain tape and hooks, this also means I can change the curtains really easily as I only have to sew a rectangle of fabric and clip them on! Fabulous! |
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| Headboard. Above my headboard I have a card board. I love greetings cards and there's a gorgeous little shop in Cardiff which sells so many different cards, including rude ones! There is also a guy who designs cards and sells them often at Roath Arts and Crafts Bazaar, he is an incredibly talented artist and has a great sense of humour. His website is: http://www.slightlywobbly.co.uk/ and he also does mugs and commissions! |
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| This is the wall facing my bed and has a photograph I took of some blue pansies in a friend's garden last summer, I think they look like Alice in Wonderland flowers and they are cheerful. The other picture is of a painting which was done at a life drawing class last summer. The model is yours truly and that picture really makes me feel proud of myself, not because I have the best body in the world but because I had the courage to do the modelling sessions, getting naked in front of a room full of artists is not easy but it made me feel so empowered. Having that painting there reminds me of that feeling. In between the pictures is a little wire heart which I got at a Christmas craft market last year because I thought it was cute. |
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| This is a close up of the pattern on the duvet cover |
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| These are some bits on my headboard, my Disney calendar, Keep Calm and Have A Cuppa coaster which my mum and dad got me for Christmas. My phone, couldn't live without it. A lovely wooden box that my brother got me for Christmas, he has amazing taste. On top of the box are two tiny teddies. Bert is the turquoise one and is a limited edition bear, the other doesn't have a name yet, but she's pink and would attach to a mobile phone except I'm too worried she'd get dirty. In front of the box are: a black crystal cat from Swarovski, a brooch I made, some pearl earrings, a hair grip, a ring which was my mother's but I have 'borrowed' it from her. There's also a ladybird on a leaf which Laura also has one of, we made them a couple of summers ago from Fimo. There's a Penguin from Madagascar because I love penguins, a treasure chest I made from fimo and beads, a ballerina mouse which I've had for years and years, a resin dome with sequins in, a pen (as always), a lipbalm and a tin of skin balm from Nature's Little Helpers. |
I have also been trying not to throw things away when they break or are no longer usable. I had a top which was white/cream and I got some resin pigment on it which won't wash out so left a dark blue stain on the bottom of it, instead of throwing it out I thought I'd try dying it a darker colour. I have been wanting to use dye for a while but haven't really had the need, so this was a good opportunity. If it didn't work, I wouldn't have lost anything really. So I bought some dark green Dylon dye and followed the really easy instructions. This is the result:
I'm really pleased as it means I can now wear this top which I wasn't able to with the stain on the bottom. The stain is still there but so much less visible, dying this top has given it a new lease of life!
Well, that's a long blog! Maybe next time I'll ramble about my living room!
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
The Idiocy of me.
Hello!
I have been told by my family that I ought to post some of the stupid things I think, say and do. So here goes.
Yesterday I hit myself in the head with the phone, sort of by accident. I was on the phone to my parents and the line was crackling, I went to hit the phone with my other hand to see if that would help but forgot to move my other hand so just ended up hitting myself in the head. It didn't help the crackling.
While in Cheddar on holiday with my friend Charlene, I had to be told that Buffalo are mammals and therefore produce milk, which is then made into cheese... like Buffalo Mozzarella. I thought that Buffalo Mozzarella referred to the size of the mozzarella, so buffalo mozzarella is big, cow mozzarella is small. Makes perfect sense to me. This conversation then led me on to thinking about the fact that I also thought Buffalo were always male, like a Bull, so I thought there was another name for the female - maybe a Cuffalo.
I only recently (in 2012) realised that food labels have a 'sell by' date and not a 'cell by' date. I don't know what I thought a 'cell by' date was... maybe that after a certain date all the cells in the food just went crazy.
I used to think that the voice overs in lifts were real people who stood behind the panel in the lift and spoke relating to which buttons lit up. I never thought this was an issue, but I did think that the job must be really boring.
And finally (until there are more), Internal logic is about the way you think inside your head. Not (as I thought) the way logic works inside your house. Logic doesn't change depending on where you are, I thought there could be internal logic, inside your house and external logic outside... which might affect how logic worked. I think I understand logic as being a force, like gravity, which works differently in different environments... gravity has less of an effect on the moon... logic might be different outside, right?
I'm training to work with children... scared for the future? Me too...
xx
I have been told by my family that I ought to post some of the stupid things I think, say and do. So here goes.
Yesterday I hit myself in the head with the phone, sort of by accident. I was on the phone to my parents and the line was crackling, I went to hit the phone with my other hand to see if that would help but forgot to move my other hand so just ended up hitting myself in the head. It didn't help the crackling.
While in Cheddar on holiday with my friend Charlene, I had to be told that Buffalo are mammals and therefore produce milk, which is then made into cheese... like Buffalo Mozzarella. I thought that Buffalo Mozzarella referred to the size of the mozzarella, so buffalo mozzarella is big, cow mozzarella is small. Makes perfect sense to me. This conversation then led me on to thinking about the fact that I also thought Buffalo were always male, like a Bull, so I thought there was another name for the female - maybe a Cuffalo.
I only recently (in 2012) realised that food labels have a 'sell by' date and not a 'cell by' date. I don't know what I thought a 'cell by' date was... maybe that after a certain date all the cells in the food just went crazy.
I used to think that the voice overs in lifts were real people who stood behind the panel in the lift and spoke relating to which buttons lit up. I never thought this was an issue, but I did think that the job must be really boring.
And finally (until there are more), Internal logic is about the way you think inside your head. Not (as I thought) the way logic works inside your house. Logic doesn't change depending on where you are, I thought there could be internal logic, inside your house and external logic outside... which might affect how logic worked. I think I understand logic as being a force, like gravity, which works differently in different environments... gravity has less of an effect on the moon... logic might be different outside, right?
I'm training to work with children... scared for the future? Me too...
xx
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Rant
I haven't blogged in ages. And this isn't going to be a particularly interesting one.
A few weeks ago I decided to try and reduce my medication (anti-depressants) so went to the doctor to discuss it, reduced the dose and felt like rubbish for a few weeks. So I've gone back up onto the full dose. It hasn't kicked in yet.
So, here's a rant, because I'm feeling like ranting.
Grammar and punctuation:
Parentheses are to indicate a side note, you don't need to put a space between the bracket and the next word... ( e.g. ) that makes you look stupid. Would you put a space between your last word and a full stop? No, because you would look like an idiot.
Should've is 'should have' not 'should of' so don't say it as two separate words when you mean should've.
Off of isn't interchangeable with from.
When you use Word and right click for a synonym please understand that not all synonyms actually mean the same thing as the original word. For example: according to Word, Familiar is synonymous with recognisable, well-known, common, known, memorable, household, proverbial. These words don't all mean the same thing. If you don't know what a word means, you look stupid by inserting into an essay to make you look more intelligent than you are. "I am familiar with the sonnets of Shakespeare" is not the same as "I am memorable with the sonnets of Shakespeare." You'd be better off using a common word and looking unimaginative than using a word which doesn't make sense and looking like a complete idiot.
Etc stands for et cetera which is Latin for 'and so on', therefore it doesn't shorten to ECT.
Word and other computer software is very clever at flagging up spelling errors. Don't assume that it is always right: if you write colour and are from Britain... it's right, but Word may flag it up because Americans don't use a u in colour. Don't just accept everything that Word suggests as a correction. Think about it. And don't assume that if Word doesn't flag up a word it is automatically correct. If you write form but meant from, it won't flag it up, because form and from are both real words! If you write 'a letter arrived form London' instead of 'a letter from London arrived', you look silly. Proofreading doesn't take long and will stop you looking like a fool. If you are a teacher you need to make sure there aren't silly errors in your presentations. If you are teaching and your handouts include spelling mistakes like partnets instead of parents and chidlern instead of children, these should have been flagged up by your word processor... and you should have corrected them. If they weren't flagged up you should update your word processor, if they were and you ignored it or (worse still) checked it and thought you were right... should you be teaching?
An and a. 'A apple' isn't right in writing or in spoken word. 'An hotel' is. 'An historical context' is right. 'An hospital' is right. This is because historically 'h' wasn't pronounced, just like the k in knight, and so needed an an before it. It is generally accepted that h is a pronounced consonant now so you can use a or an.
Ellipses come in threes. Ellipses are dots used for emphasis, pauses etc. They only come in threes. You can use more than one set of them...... but they have to be in threes. So don't use four, or five, or seven.
Parenthesis, Ellipsis, Hypothesis are singular. An hypothesis is one educated guess. A parenthesis is one bracket. Parentheses, ellipses and hypotheses are plural. You cannot make an hypotheses. That is like saying you are making a guesses.
A verb is a doing word: running, jumping, flying, spelling.
A noun is a thing or an object: Paris, table, book, word, letter.
An adjective is a word which describes a noun: big table, thick book, long word, lovely letter.
An adverb is a word which describes a verb: quickly running, badly jumping, swiftly flying, competently spelling.
And these are what we have been learning with Year 2 at school. These children are 6 and 7 years old and seem to have a better grasp of the concept than many adults.
I know that we don't have to use most of these things every day and that, actually, if we get it wrong no one is really going to pick us up on it, but wouldn't it be nice to try to use our language properly?
Thank you, and yes, thank you is two separate words. Not one.
A few weeks ago I decided to try and reduce my medication (anti-depressants) so went to the doctor to discuss it, reduced the dose and felt like rubbish for a few weeks. So I've gone back up onto the full dose. It hasn't kicked in yet.
So, here's a rant, because I'm feeling like ranting.
Grammar and punctuation:
Parentheses are to indicate a side note, you don't need to put a space between the bracket and the next word... ( e.g. ) that makes you look stupid. Would you put a space between your last word and a full stop? No, because you would look like an idiot.
Should've is 'should have' not 'should of' so don't say it as two separate words when you mean should've.
Off of isn't interchangeable with from.
When you use Word and right click for a synonym please understand that not all synonyms actually mean the same thing as the original word. For example: according to Word, Familiar is synonymous with recognisable, well-known, common, known, memorable, household, proverbial. These words don't all mean the same thing. If you don't know what a word means, you look stupid by inserting into an essay to make you look more intelligent than you are. "I am familiar with the sonnets of Shakespeare" is not the same as "I am memorable with the sonnets of Shakespeare." You'd be better off using a common word and looking unimaginative than using a word which doesn't make sense and looking like a complete idiot.
Etc stands for et cetera which is Latin for 'and so on', therefore it doesn't shorten to ECT.
Word and other computer software is very clever at flagging up spelling errors. Don't assume that it is always right: if you write colour and are from Britain... it's right, but Word may flag it up because Americans don't use a u in colour. Don't just accept everything that Word suggests as a correction. Think about it. And don't assume that if Word doesn't flag up a word it is automatically correct. If you write form but meant from, it won't flag it up, because form and from are both real words! If you write 'a letter arrived form London' instead of 'a letter from London arrived', you look silly. Proofreading doesn't take long and will stop you looking like a fool. If you are a teacher you need to make sure there aren't silly errors in your presentations. If you are teaching and your handouts include spelling mistakes like partnets instead of parents and chidlern instead of children, these should have been flagged up by your word processor... and you should have corrected them. If they weren't flagged up you should update your word processor, if they were and you ignored it or (worse still) checked it and thought you were right... should you be teaching?
An and a. 'A apple' isn't right in writing or in spoken word. 'An hotel' is. 'An historical context' is right. 'An hospital' is right. This is because historically 'h' wasn't pronounced, just like the k in knight, and so needed an an before it. It is generally accepted that h is a pronounced consonant now so you can use a or an.
Ellipses come in threes. Ellipses are dots used for emphasis, pauses etc. They only come in threes. You can use more than one set of them...... but they have to be in threes. So don't use four, or five, or seven.
Parenthesis, Ellipsis, Hypothesis are singular. An hypothesis is one educated guess. A parenthesis is one bracket. Parentheses, ellipses and hypotheses are plural. You cannot make an hypotheses. That is like saying you are making a guesses.
A verb is a doing word: running, jumping, flying, spelling.
A noun is a thing or an object: Paris, table, book, word, letter.
An adjective is a word which describes a noun: big table, thick book, long word, lovely letter.
An adverb is a word which describes a verb: quickly running, badly jumping, swiftly flying, competently spelling.
And these are what we have been learning with Year 2 at school. These children are 6 and 7 years old and seem to have a better grasp of the concept than many adults.
I know that we don't have to use most of these things every day and that, actually, if we get it wrong no one is really going to pick us up on it, but wouldn't it be nice to try to use our language properly?
Thank you, and yes, thank you is two separate words. Not one.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Still going...
On the 6th I went on a mini lunchtime roadtrip to KFC with the girls from college. I was well behaved and had one of the lowest calorie things on the menu!
7th: Slept till 4pm, (which ok, isn't that unusual...) but it's the first time this year I've done it! Then I went over and watched Limitless for the first time, which is an awesome film!
8th: Today I cooked a really nice recipe: Sausage and Apple Toad in the Hole. Doesn't look like the nicest thing ever, because I overfilled the pudding tray, but trust me, it was lovely!
7th: Slept till 4pm, (which ok, isn't that unusual...) but it's the first time this year I've done it! Then I went over and watched Limitless for the first time, which is an awesome film!
8th: Today I cooked a really nice recipe: Sausage and Apple Toad in the Hole. Doesn't look like the nicest thing ever, because I overfilled the pudding tray, but trust me, it was lovely!
Thursday, 5 January 2012
I'm alive!
So, I said I was going to try new things. We'll treat this as a New Year's resolution for 2012.
1st January - paid the £6 (£6!!!!) toll for the Severn Bridge, that in itself is not a new thing, but going through a manned booth is. I don't like face to face contact with strangers so tend to opt for using self-service checkouts and automated machines, hence the coin bins on the toll bridge. Today I went through a manned booth and the lady was nice and I wished her a happy new year.
2nd January - Planned my meals for the week and went shopping (obviously I'm no stranger to shopping but I don't generally plan what I'm eating or buying, tend to just go with the flow. Today, however, I had a list and (another first) bought raw beetroot and a bag of red lentils. oooh, get me! Also did the first day of my new diet.
3rd January - First day back in my nursery placement after Christmas holidays! We had a new starter who was a bit upset when his mum left, but I comforted him and he settled quickly. So maybe that was a first too!
4th January - I ate a lovely meal which I cooked today for the first time. I had grilled aubergine slices with ratatuoille. Sticking to my diet.
5th January - Tried two new recipes today. Aromatic Lamb Flatbreads:
Doesn't look exactly like it did in the recipe book, but it tasted delicious. It was also supposed to have pine nuts on top but I couldn't get any! Will definitely try this recipe again!
The second recipe I've tried today is Squash, Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Roast. I haven't eaten it yet, as it's my tea, but so far it looks delicious!
And we're up to date. Over the next few days I am planning to join a class at the gym (for the first time at this gym and the first time in a loooooong time), try some crafts from my new book: Kirsty Allsop Craft, and make a totally natural facemask! Will try to remember to take and upload pictures!
x
1st January - paid the £6 (£6!!!!) toll for the Severn Bridge, that in itself is not a new thing, but going through a manned booth is. I don't like face to face contact with strangers so tend to opt for using self-service checkouts and automated machines, hence the coin bins on the toll bridge. Today I went through a manned booth and the lady was nice and I wished her a happy new year.
2nd January - Planned my meals for the week and went shopping (obviously I'm no stranger to shopping but I don't generally plan what I'm eating or buying, tend to just go with the flow. Today, however, I had a list and (another first) bought raw beetroot and a bag of red lentils. oooh, get me! Also did the first day of my new diet.
3rd January - First day back in my nursery placement after Christmas holidays! We had a new starter who was a bit upset when his mum left, but I comforted him and he settled quickly. So maybe that was a first too!
4th January - I ate a lovely meal which I cooked today for the first time. I had grilled aubergine slices with ratatuoille. Sticking to my diet.
5th January - Tried two new recipes today. Aromatic Lamb Flatbreads:Doesn't look exactly like it did in the recipe book, but it tasted delicious. It was also supposed to have pine nuts on top but I couldn't get any! Will definitely try this recipe again!
The second recipe I've tried today is Squash, Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Roast. I haven't eaten it yet, as it's my tea, but so far it looks delicious!
And we're up to date. Over the next few days I am planning to join a class at the gym (for the first time at this gym and the first time in a loooooong time), try some crafts from my new book: Kirsty Allsop Craft, and make a totally natural facemask! Will try to remember to take and upload pictures!
x
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