Random Facts About Me (Part 4)

We’re nearly there!  Just 25 more random facts to go.  And here they are:

76.  I always tuck my pj bottoms into my socks

77.  I like tins and I like glass jars

78.  I like taking photos of my feet

[Our footsies - snuggling up together]

79.  I always have a cup of tea and bowl of breakfast cereal when I get home from work

80.  I love warm weather.....

81.  ..... and I love snowy weather

82.  I really don’t like rain, though
83.  I love tidying and organising things

[One of my fabric drawers - all tidy and organised]

84.  Sewing was my first crafty hobby (I started sewing about three years ago)

85.  I like to listen to crafty podcasts while I craft

86.  I LOVE Tchaikowsky's 'The Nutcracker' ballet (as you may have guessed from my last post)

87.  We have over 600 books in our house - I LOVE books!

88.  I love the SMELL of books

89.  I love the smell of baking bread too!

[I'm loving Simon's 2013 goal of experimenting with bread-making]

  

90.  I don't like currants in cakes

91.  I'd love us to have our own caravan one day

92.  I like dresses that I can ‘twirl’ in
93.  I love bright colours

94.  I can’t sing
95.  I have lots of cardigans

96.  I have never broken a bone in my body

97.  My favourite flowers are springtime blooms (snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses, tulips.....)

98.  I feel like I’m not properly dressed unless I’m wearing brooch or necklace that goes with my outfit

99.  I’m scared of spiders

100.  I’m a list-writer (as you can see)

..... aaaaaaand breathe!  Well, my dear blogging friends, that’s it!  Thank you for sticking around for that marathon!  And thank you for all the sweet comments you've been leaving lately.  It seems as though we've all got a lot in common (though fairground rides seemed to divide opinion).  

Now you all know me better than I know myself!!!

I'll be back soon, to let you know what I've been up to lately.....

Hugs,

Carly

x

  

Giveaway Winner

We’ve been having some very strange weather here this week!  It was lovely and sunny last Sunday and Monday, and it really felt as though spring was on its way.  Since then, though, it’s been snowing pretty-much constantly.  BUT the snowflakes have been teeny-tiny, and never enough to cover the ground completely.  On a couple of occasions, it even snowed while the sun was shining brightly! 

When we got home from school on Friday, it started snowing quite heavily.  The flakes were dancing around in the sky, as the sun was setting.  It was so pretty!  It reminded me of the Waltz of the Snowflakes music from 'The Nutcracker' ballet (have a look at THIS).

So, I had to act quickly to draw the winner for my giveaway (before it got too dark to be able to take decent photos). 

I put all of your names into one of my new blue IKEA cups (we bought them a few weeks ago – I couldn’t resist the pretty colour).

I gave them a good shake up.  

Then I got Simon to pick out a winner.  

And the winner is.....

Congratulations, Helen! Your prize (Donna Hay's 'Chocolate') is all wrapped up, and will be on its way to you soon.

  

  

I’ll be back soon, with the final instalment of ‘100 Random Facts About Me’.....

Carly

x

100 Random Facts About Me (Part 3)

You know the score!  Let’s dive straight in this time:

51.  I can’t do shopping at Primark!

52.  And I hate clothes shopping in sales (especially at Next), when everything’s a mess

53.  I can only wear Esprit jeans

54.  I NEVER wear heels

55.  My favourite animals are polar bears - it's one of my big dreams to see one in the wild

 [As I can't have one as a pet, I 'adopted' one - to pretend]

56.  Another one of my big dreams is to see the Northern lights

57.  I like personal space – and don't do well in crowds

58.  I LOVE Christmas  and everything that goes along with it (even sprouts)

59.  I love playing board games - we have an entire games cupboard 

60.  Robins are my favourite birds

[Isn't he cute?!?]

61.  I have to touch something red if I see a magpie (though, otherwise, I’m not particularly superstitious)

62.  I do NOT like dark chocolate!

63.  I love Dr. Seuss 

64.  I’ve always wanted to write a book

65.  I like feeding ducks

66.  I LOVE IKEA!!!

[I always get excited when the new catalogue arrives]

67.  I can’t hula-hoop

68.  I worry WAY too much, about EVERYTHING

69.  I never listen to the radio

70.  I rarely watch the news (it’s never happy)

71.  I believe in love at first sight

72.  I love the feeling when you’ve just had your hair trimmed.  I like to swish!

73.  I love that feeling you get on ‘pirate ship’ rides, when your tummy goes funny

74.  I used to enjoy watching horror movies, but can’t watch them nowadays

75.  My movie choices are always comedies, adventures or fantasies

These were all meant to be random FACTS about me.  But I’m afraid they’re just making ME seem rather RANDOM!!!  Oh well!!!  

That’s it for today!  If you can bare it, I’ll be back soon with random facts numbers 76 to 100.....

In the meantime, don’t forget to enter my GIVEAWAY here.  I’ll be drawing a winner this Friday.  Good luck!!! 

Carly

x

100 Random Facts About Me (Part 2)

Hello again!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post.  I'm glad you enjoyed the randomness!  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then off I go with my next 25 random facts:

26.  I love to LOOK AT fancy German cakes, but I love to EAT good, old-fashioned English cakes

[Yummy banana cake, made by Simon this morning]

27.  I always forget to take my camera with me on occasions when great photo-opportunities arise

28.  My favourite TV show (at the moment) is ‘Downton Abbey’

29.  I couldn’t pick a favourite movie

30.  Nor could I pick a favourite book

31.  I’m shy around people I don't know (though not as shy as I used to be)

32.  I’d love to be able to ballroom dance really beautifully

33.  I have a ridiculously large collection of children’s books (and PRETEND this is because of my job)

34.  I’m TOTALLY un-sporty (and always have been)

35.  The only sports team I’ve ever been in was my primary school netball team (and that was only because I was the 2^nd tallest in the class)

36.  I love quiet nights in.....

37.  And I love big nights out (in Düsseldorf)

[I think you should all visit Düsseldorf - it's great]

38.  I got engaged while I was still at school.  My form tutor said it would never last – she was very wrong!

39.  Our relationship started out as a holiday romance – Simon was a lifeguard at the holiday camp pool

40.  Over the two years before we moved in together, we took it in turns to travel the 200 miles to see each other EVERY weekend

41.  I was 22 when we got married

[This is a photo my cousin took when we weren't looking]

42.  Simon is my very best friend

43.  I have the best husband in the world.....

[Last year, in France]

44.  .... and the best family too (I’m VERY lucky)

45.  I have one sister (9 years younger than me)

46.  I love cheese sarnies – mature cheddar on crusty white bread.....

47.  ..... but chip butties are even better!!!

48.  I once drank three shot glasses full of hot, melted chocolate (at Cadbury’s World) – and didn’t feel too great afterwards

49.  I love starry nights

50.  I passed my driving test aaaages ago, but I don't drive 

That’s all for this post, folks!  Do you feel as though you know me even better now?  

  

There’s still some time left to enter my ‘Chocolate’ book GIVEAWAY, if you haven’t already.  You can find all the details here.  

Hugs to you all,

Carly

X

100 Random Facts About Me (Part 1)

As promised, I’m going to continue my celebration of having posted on my blog 100 times by sharing with you 100 random facts about myself.

I thought that reeling off all 100 in one sitting might be a bit much, though.  I don’t want to bore you to tears, make you go cross-eyed, or put you to sleep!  So, instead, I’m going to do this in four parts – 25 facts per post.

And here we go with the first lot:

1.  I’m a primary school teacher (teaching Reception at the moment)

2.  I keep a note book, especially for recording all the funny things I hear the kids at school say

[this is the book - if I ever need cheering up, reading through some of my little notes guarantees a laugh]

3.  Over the years, I’ve considered the following alternative career paths:  princess, ballerina, trapeze artist, and author  (not sure I'd be any good at the last three, but I'm sure I'd make a great princess)

4.  I tried snowboarding once, but couldn’t even stand up

5.  I’ve tried skiing more than once, but each lesson ended in tears (mine – and quite possibly the instructors’ too)

6.  Despite the above two points, I LOVE ski holidays (for the snow, hot chocolate, tobogganing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and après-ski fun)

7.  I LOVE cruise holidays too.....

[sailing out from windy Southampton with a glass of champers]

8.  ..... even though I’m terrified of the sea (and any water that comes up above my knees)

9.  I LOVE fish & chips (but only from proper UK fish & chip shops) – it’s the food I miss most, living abroad

10.  We’re both English, but have been living in Germany for 9 years

11.  I often laugh so much I cry and can’t breathe – fun AND worrying at the same time!

12.  I used to be a proud band geek (I played the cornet in a brass band)

13.  I also used to play the saxophone.....

14.  ..... and the keyboard (which is the only musical  instrument I still own)

[sadly, it's 'out of order' at the moment, because the adaptor blew up.....  I think it was just sick of my awful playing!!!]

15.  My favourite subjects at school were English and History.....

16.  ..... and my least favourite were Science and Maths

17.  My most detested household chore (and, unfortunately, Simon’s too) is ironing

18.  My favourite styles of music are Southern rock and blues

19.  I prefer dogs to cats

20.  My favourite drink is tea

[yet another empty cup of tea]

21.  I rarely drink coffee

22.  I love Italian and Greek food

23.  I'm a VERY fussy eater!!!

24.  I love to try on big, posh wedding hats in department store
25.  My favourite colour is red

[some of my little, happy red bits and bobs]

  

Well, that’s it for today!  Now you all know me a wee bit better!

Don’t forget about my 100^th post GIVEAWAY.  If you missed my last post, you can find all the details HERE..... 

See you soon, for another instalment of randomness!

Carly

X

100th Blog Post Giveaway

Yay!  Today, I’m celebrating  my 100^th Crafted by Carly blog post!

And, to say THANK YOU to all of my fantastic blog-reading friends (for visiting me here, leaving comments and making me smile, and keeping me motivated to carry on blogging), I’ve decided to hold a little giveaway.

And the prize will be..... 

.....  Donna Hay’s ‘Chocolate’ book.  What better way to celebrate than with something bad for both the teeth and the waistline?!?

I LOVE this book!!!  The fact that it’s about CHOCOLATE is more than enough of a draw for me – not to mention the amazing (and mouth-watering) photography!!!  As you know, I don’t really do kitchens (it’s a matter of health and safety legislation in our house).....  BUT Donna Hay’s recipe books are a just a joy to flick through.  And, if you’re capable of producing some of the delights in the photos, well, even better!

Have a little look inside:

Feeling hungry now???

If you’d like me to put your name into the hat for the giveaway, all you have to do is:

1. Be a follower of my blog

2. Leave a comment under this post

You can enter no matter where in the world you are!

I’ll leave the giveaway open for 2 weeks, and pick the winner out on Friday 22^nd February (that’s 2 weeks away).  In the meantime (and also in celebration of my 100^th post), I’ll be posting 100 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME.  So, stay tuned.....

..... and good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway!!!

Carly

x

My Poor Sewing Machine

Look at this poor, sad face:

It’s my beloved sewing machine.  He’s not feeling too good at the moment.  He’s broken!

I‘d decided to finish off a few unfinished sewing projects over the weekend.  But, just as I was about to launch into the endeavour, on Saturday morning, I discovered that my sewing machine was not up to it.  Every time I started to sew, the cotton would get caught up (around behind the tension dial) and break.  I tried EVERYHING!!!  I rethreaded, changed the needle, changed the cotton, checked the bobbin, messed about with the tension dial, took the front of the machine and cleaned him all out, oiled him, patted him on the head, begged and pleaded, and offered him a dose of Calpol.  BUT, sadly, nothing seemed to help.

So, no sewing for me over the weekend (with all these old projects to finish and heaps of new ones planned)!!!

Right now, my poor machine is at the sewing machine hospital.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll be able to fix him up, and he’ll be discharged soon.....

Have any of your ever had this issue with your machines???  I had a little look on t’internet, but couldn’t find any useful tips.

Hope you have a good week!

Carly

x