holy fucking shit!

Day 50

today is an important day, subtly so. quietly informing the rest of my life. maybe. changes are afoot, one obvious change being that hellopoppet is going to get a face lift. not only this, but it might even get some new content on occasion. maybe.

my colleague and buddy, dale, has kindly agreed to take on the challenge of making hellopoppet look its best. in return for 2 weeks supply of chocolate. a man easily bought you might say. but after seeing his lovely little travel photo-blog that documents his 21 day trip across the USA, i knew he was the man to do the job. you should check out his blog, his adventure looks amazing, and i'm well jel!

in other, great news, it's the bloody weekend! thank christ. i'm pooped and the hubby and i have two whole days with nothing planned. we aint going no-where, seeing no-one and we cant wait. this type of weekend doesn't come around too often for us so we're planning on enjoying it to the max.

i do have a very small list of things to do though.

to put the final finishing touch on our newly renovated kitchen, i'll be getting the sewing machine out in order to make a curtain to hang in front of our fridge. i'll be doing a before and after post once it's all complete so you can see how we turned this ugly thing below, into a room you'd actually want to be/cook in. 4 long years in the making.

August 9th. What a beautiful day.

ok. so i have been a terrible blogger for the last year or so. since i got married. something happened to my life. when that ring slipped down around my knuckle and nested happily for an eternity on my ring finger my life became chaotic to the nth degree. i was punished me for the 9 months of distracted performance at work and they threw the lot at me.

stressed and frazzled i got completely sidetracked. turbulent times were ahead and the last year or so has been a stretch for my new husband and i. then. we lost our boy. our sweet sweet black bear. that took some getting over and adjusting to, and we're pretty much there although the hole he left continues to gape.

but it's now time for new beginnings and there is no better day to celebrate our new start. today commemorates a very special day. a day where my husband asked me a HUGE question to which i said yes. yes. and yes. this time 2 years ago i got engaged  and hellopoppet was born out of this so it's only right that today kick-starts a new journey in hellopoppets life.

Image source yellowsongbird

Welcome back hellopoppet.

the toughest day of my life

ok. this last weekend was shit. i mean really shit. 

our dearest, beloved cat, Bigdog, disappeared. it's not the first time; he's old - i mean, really old (born 1993 old), deaf and slightly, ever so slightly loopy. he's vanished for days before, and has come home happy as larry a few days later. 

this time was no different. it didn't feel different. he didn't come in first thing in the morning, as usual. not so odd and lately he'd been staying out a lot. come saturday i knew there was a problem. he was hurt, stuck or worse. come sunday we're handing out flyers and less than ten minutes into the job a neighbour tells us a cat matching the description of Bigdog was seen DEAD on the road near our house.

'IT CANNOT POSSIBLY BE OUR CAT'. i thought. 'he's old but not daft and he's never, EVER attempted the busy road near our home before. it's just not him!'.

fast forward to monday and i'm watching some woman from the local authority pull my beloved cat's FROZEN body; dropped in a yellow dustbin bag; out from a kitchen freezer tucked into the back of a warehouse that's hiding on the precipice of civilisation. not even hidden from view. you just dont see it until your pet is there. 

A KITCHEN FREEZER. 

add to this the trauma of having to take your cat in a bag, that you daredn't look into, to your vets to make sure he's definitely yours before you take him home to bury.

HE'S OURS.

HE'S NOT IN A VIEWABLE STATE.

HE'S RELOCATED TO A BOX WITH A BLANKET.

WE TAKE HIM HOME.

CRY.

CRY. 

CRY.

DIG. DIG. DIG.

BURY. PRAY. CRY.

CRY. CRY. CRY.

i lost a part of my heart and soul today and i know that in some way, i'll never, ever be the same again. this cat was huge. HUGE. to me. 

i buried a part of my heart in the garden today. i'll never be the same again.

today has taught me to never. EVER. assume that what you have is permanent. everything is transient and the world is cruel. make sure everyone you love knows you love them and dont EVER let them forget.

for everyone who has ever lost a pet they cared deeply for; i'm so sorry. my heart bleeds with yours.

please wish Bigdog a safe journey.

xoxo

CRY.

sleepy sundays

this is just about how all our sundays start. with a cuddle from at least one of our catsos today mb got spoilt with a three-way snuggle. it's a very pretty autumn sunday so after a mean sunday brunchfast we'll be heading out for a walk in the woods to kick some leaves about. i hope your sunday is a restful one.

                                                                            xoxo

Winter Warmer

i've been on the hunt for the perfect 'snuggly' cardigan or coat for the impending winter months for literally years. and every year. i. get. it. wrong. i've never bitten the bullet and actually paid good money for my winter warmers and so each year i'm faced with the same dilemma. i have to go and find a new one. argh.

perhaps if i splashed out* on this amazing coat i found at TOAST i wouldn't have the same problem for some years to come...i love. just love this photograph - i want to run and jump right into the middle of that coat and not come out until, at least, march!

*never in a million years would my budget stretch to this. but i can dream. right?

sweet treat.

there is nothing else to say, other than i love this cake. and the stand? oh the stand. harrumph.

find this delectable beauty and others besides here.

it's only bloody friday!

i think it would be an understatement to say i'm happy that it's friday. it's time to done my F-Uggs*, khaki slacks, coral hoodie and snuggle the hell up to my husband. 

tonight i'll mostly be making a start on our 'handmade' thank you cards for all our esteemed wedding guests.... {only 4 months late}...... but guess how excited i was to find that the online shop Papermash - where we bought our alphabet paper cups and straws for the wedding from - is now stocking rifle design cards. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. i. am. very. bloody. excited. about this.

i'll be sure to post the results of my efforts with ink, ribbons and buttons soon!

what's everyone else up to this weekend?

xoxo

p.s how ugly is that pen??

*F-Uggs = Fake Uggs used for slipper/indoor purposes only

what an effin sham......rock

ok. i'll be quite open and honest about the fact that i have three very lame tattoos, all of which were obtained before my 19th birthday (10 years ago!! ahem). i have thought on and off for many years about getting new ones and/or covering up the existing lame ones. i always seem to get distracted though and the urge passes. but. then. it comes back. ESPECIALLY after a colleague asked if my hibiscus flower tattoo (the only one visible most times) was a shamrock. a freakin shamrock!! not that i have anything against shamrock tattoos as such, but when your tattoo is anything but this and you already have a huge complex about your tattoo lameness then it's just adding insult to injury.

as such i am now in the throws of searching for a resolution and that includes searching for inspiration. i'm into birds at the moment (a sentimental throw back from our wedding), especially the victorian style prints that you'd find in antique bird watching books.

i'd be grateful for any help.

bird tattoo picture found here

what are best friends for??

my beautiful best friend and MOH, hazel, was a busy girl on our wedding day. not only did she have a million and one MOH duties to fulfill, she also made up as one half of our amazing wedding photographers  and has just uploaded part one of her favourite photos from the big day. if you fancy having a goosey - go and check out the post on her blog. xoxo

© 2010 Think Photography I/S. All rights reserved.