A new year, a new blog

I have to admit that without internet access at home i have majorly struggled to blog at all the past year. Couple that with some major procrastination and the learning of new crafty skills has left me little or no time till now to get back to things!

So here we are! HAPPY NEW YEAR

Since I (and the majority of the normal people in the world) seem to fail at keeping to rediculous new years resoloutions I have decided not to make some this January.

Instead, I will be more realistic! Focusing on things to make me a happier and better person.

So here are a few starting points from one of my favourite stores Lu Lu Lemon:

• Drink fresh water and as much as you can. Water Flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
• love
• A daily hit of athletic-incudec endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress. (REALLY need to work on this one)
• Do one thing a day that scares you.
• listen listen listen and then ask strategic questions.
• Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 2, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
• Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
• Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
• Dance, sing, floss and travel.
• Wake up and realize you are surrounded by amazing friends.
• Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
• The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind.
• Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
• do it now, do it now, do it now! (This goes for all you crafty procrastinators!) 
• Choose a positive thought. The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time.
• That which matters the least, should never give way to that which matters the most.
• Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
• Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
• Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
• Friends are more important than money.
• Breathe Deeply, and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
• Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that slows over the water.
• Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you actually have them.
• Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
• Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.(Must rediscover yoga class and get motivated)
• Successful people replace the words ‘wish’, ‘should’ and ‘try’ with ‘I will’. Ineffective people don’t.
• Sweat once a day to regenerate your skin.
• Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
• Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.

Bargain Of The Century-Part TWO

Ok so it's been a few months since I posted about my great Ikea find and excused myself from a serious lack of blogging and I feel a bit of deja-vu here. So please let me explain!

So I dropped off blogland/wordpress around the time I got the ikea shelves. I spent my spare hours moving furniture and re-decorating my studio....part in preparation for a VERY special visitor from Ireland, and part so I had a more workable workspace.

And then came screen printing....this deserves(and will get) it's own post, but basically I spent ALL my free time trying out this new hobby of mine.

And that concludes my ramblings of why I have not blogged in a while.

My apologies!

The Beginning of Ballyhoo Designs

11pm on a Monday night and I sit here after a dinner of beans on toast…..oh the joys of living with a chef – long empty evenings. Maybe that’s what drove me to craft!
It’s not that bad really, I cook proper food nearly every night but sometimes you can’t beat a quick meal – more time for blogging
Sooooooo where to start? To be honest I have no idea. This all started many years ago when I asked for a sewing machine for my 16th birthday. However there was no space to keep the sewing machine set-up so it was hauled up and down to the attic each time I wanted to use it, which was a LOT of hassle….and so it went away for good and never came down. How sad – I know! That was until college was all done and dusted and the recession hit Ireland and I packed up my belongings and headed to Australia for work.
Once in Australia I got a job and a home and I suddenly had a spare room to fill………… so I got a sewing machine and fabric, LOTS OF FABRIC.
On a trip home to Ireland in November I dragged my mother into this. We rocked up at the Stitching and Knitting Expo in Dublin’s RDS. Mum has knitted since she was pregnant with me HOWEVER….. after knitting me a new Christmas stocking for Australia she had to succumb to tennis elbow and admit defeat with knitting for now. So she signed up for a quilting class and is now WHOOPING MY BUTT at this!
So now I spend my spare time outside of work crafting....nappy cakes, one off t-shirts, screen printing, embroidering, baking general nice stuff.
This blog is a place for me to record my crafty projects as I start out my adventure as Ballyhoo Designs.

I have imported my old blog-TwoHoots.wordpress.com onto my Ballyhoo Design blog so any older posts are from my Two Hoot days!

happy reading and crafting my lovelies!!
xoxo
megs

Bargain Of The Century!

Well I am sorry

No really I am

I have neglected my blog for a long time now... it is my own fault if you aren't even reading this!

BUT OH MY GOLLY GOSH - I got the bargain of the century and that is why i have not been blogging! There was a silent auction at work to get rid of the stuff from the design studio and I saw a set of 5 bookcases and bid $250..... they turned out to be ike expedits that retail at $189 each so as you can imagine I was a very happy camper at this discovery. Since bringing my (HUGE) babies home I have been busy moving furniture around and re-organising my sewing/craft room. Mummy twohoots should be coming for a visit in October and I want it to be a fab room for her! I also want to stop crafting in front of the TV and stop leaving my shit stuff all over the living room. So each evening I have been busy with trips to Ikea, moving furniture, recovering furniture, throwing out junk etc etc. If it makes you feel any better it is not just my blog that has suffered with neglect - the rest of my house is looking somewhat dusty and in need of a good sprucing!

So I promise when I have completed the revamp and all my accessories I have ordered arrive there will be a MEGA post with LOADS of photos!!

In other news i FINALLY posted my mix tape cds. I loved making them and I was a few days late posting them because I had to re-learn how to use photoshop AND i kept forgetting to post them - they have lived in my handbag for a few days.

On a humorous note - i received my first mix tape from sweden....and it was BLANK! must email miss b about that. It gave me a bit of a giggle.

will post photos soon

your slack blogger

meg

There's A Storm A Brewin!

Woke up this Sunday morning to winds howling, rain pelting and gates clattering. Yes winter is definitely here! Chef Boy pulled himself out of our flannel covered bed and get ready for work while I struggled with the thought of waking up while such a commotion was happening outside.

So I decided to stay in bed on my laptop till such a time where the hunger pangs are too strong and I am forced to get up and start my day properly. After half a bag of The Natural Confectionery Co. -"Sour Squirms" I do feel like I should probably get up....but soooooooooooo snug here!

Today I have set myself a task - to start and complete the two CD's for Miss B's Mixed Tape Swap. My current issue is that half of my music is on my old laptop and the other half is on my new laptop so my music collection is somewhat scattered and disorganised...... really need to sort that out.

I also need to do some drastic alterations to a new dress I got: I bought a Kimono styled dress off Asos. It was on sale at like $15 so I thought no harm if it doesn't fit.

So it arrived (alongside my new socks and tights for the winter YAY)

Kimono??? NO - it was more like MOO MOO! It drapes very unfavourably over my body and ultimately looks like I am wearing a sheet. I tried to adapt it with button holes and ribbon but it made the back balloon out something terrible. So today I may attack it with new gusto and see what happens - eek!

Ok - starting the day now - the sugar has settled on my teeth and feels yuk!



snug new over the knee cable knit socks from asos and the remnants or what was sour squirms....

Elephants never forget!

So it was a cruisey Monday evening. Chef boy had cooked dinner and I was in a food coma on the couch. I got up to go to bed (for an early night at last) when I realised: "oh no I was supposed to bake cupcakes for the nephew's first birthday tomorrow. Nooooooooo"

Ok ok there were a lot more profanities then that when I realised I had forgotten!

So I dragged myself into the kitchen an got cracking.
I got out my Magnolia Bakery cook book and whipped up a batch of their great and perfect cupcakes in no time at all. An hour and a half later I was covered in edible glitter and icing sugar and ready for bed- At last!



It was a great excuse to try out my new apron I purchased at the Open Drawer! I felt very Julie and Julia baking with my pearls on!!!
Love my upcycled shirt apron...love it lots!

The Opening Night Of The Hottie Challenge

So Friday night came and at last it was time to head to the Open Drawer for the grand opening of the Hottie Challenge. I brought Miss E with me and we explored the packed hallway and rooms of the gallery. It was filled with people and all the hot water bottle covers were hanging from the walls at different levels.

There was a number beside each hot water bottle and everyone was encouraged to put money in the corresponding tin for the hottie they liked the most.

The hottie that gets the most money will recieve the awesome trophy!!

Then it was time for speaches and then more browsing of the covers.

 After a quick purchase in the shop downstairs off we went for dinner and then home after a lovely evening.