I have (finally) made myself a lovely Christmas wreath out of corks and muselets from various bottles of fizz* – mostly Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, and…
Like many people trying to survive during the COVID19 pandemic, I have been doing everything I can to keep myself safe and healthy. And, like…
I dug out my Christmas decorations yesterday in anticipation of decorating the cottage in a couple of weeks. And when I dug them out, I…
I had a fantastic weekend in Glasgow with friends, despite being a bit run down from last week’s trip to London and Surrey for work.…
Regular readers will know that my PhD Dreams have been an important part of my life for a few years now. And excitedly, my PhD Dreams will…
Anyone paying attention should know by now that the gloriousness of plastic is less than glorious. And, in fact, our planet is in quite the…
When I was back home in America on my holidays, I was offered a couple of dresses that didn’t fit just right. But as the previous owners were…
Growing up in a large family, hand-me-down clothing was a regular part of life. It wasn’t necessarily something I hated (after all, I really wanted some of them!) but it certainly…
[Note: This was originally posted on my PhD blog, FrancesRyanPhD. Not all posts from there are shared here, so go on over and check it out…
Sock monkeys, sock monkeys, and more sock monkeys! When I made my first sock monkey last year, I didn’t really envision myself making another. But last…
After several weeks of mulling the idea of purchasing a sewing machine—but hesitating because my meagre budget wouldn’t allow for anything decent—I lucked out and…
About two years ago, I bought a lovely skirt for about £5 at a charity shop. It was ever-so-slightly too large, but it was pretty…
For most of my life, I’ve felt as if I’ve lived on the wrong side of fashionable. And, I’m sure, most of the people I…
I decided to get a bit crafty this Christmas, but wanted to attempt projects using only supplies I had on hand. So, I dug through…
When it was determined that I would be in America for Halloween this year, I began to think about what I would dress up as.…
Last year a friend of mine passed on a lovely summery dress that no longer fit her and I happily accepted. After all, it was…
Faced with a boring weekend of recovering from a mild kidney infection (I’m much better now, thank you) and hiding from the misery of the…
It seems that the craft bug has bitten me again—oh, dear! And, once again, I’ve crafted something that I don’t plan on keeping. I’ve actually been…
I love my knee-high stripey socks and was a bit sad when I wore a hole through the toe of one of them over the…
Yay! One week later and our fabulous papier-mâché pumpkins are done! This was a fun and inexpensive project and requires absolutely no talent what-so-ever. Plus,…