Yup, that's Who!

He's not 'my' Doctor, but he's certainly the snappiest dresser.

Guess Who

The 12th Doctor

Of course. Who else could it be?

A Makie Owner's Guide Part 1

How to tell if your Makies are plotting something:

1) Look for signs of collusion.

Generally there is much giggling, then a thoughtful 'hmmm' before some scampering is heard. 

2) Keep a regular watch on your google search history.

Yes. Well. I don't think I've been searching for shark-mounted lasers, impenetrable fortresses or giant squid toys. 

3) Lock up your credit cards.

Fun with Obitsu

Fil's Magical Parcel of Awesome wasn't just wooly hats and some seriously cool brooches (which I'll show you another day), it also contained Number 11 (aka 'Leggy'), who's here to get assembled and a make-over.

Although it's a little odd to be assembling an entirely new girl from spare and second hand parts, I'm up for the challenge; and Fil's concept for this one is brilliant. Can't wait to see her finally put together.

Plink gave me a hand with the unpacking of the bits.

Yes yes, hello. 

*sigh* Very good. 

You're both little teapots? 

"Taadaaaaaaa!"

I give up.

Makie Inequality

Plink has brought to my attention that as she's approximately 1/6th my size, she should get at least 1/6th of my wine.

No. We're not swapping. 

We Love Rement

We especially love Rement like this, which we got on evilBay for £notalot, arrived in no time at all and which FREAKING LIGHTS UP.

Yes, that's an actual battery-powered light.
HOW COOL IS THAT?!

I think I'm going to have a bit of a reshuffle and extend the lab soon... there might be a little more furniture on the way!

Makies in the Snow

Take two Makies.

Hullo!

Add a good dumping of snow.

Snow angels?!

Encourage creativity.

We call him Mr Slumpy

Allow pioneering.

Taa daa!

Provide cleaning facilities...

Flipping heck... 

...and lots of hot chocolate.

Better.

RED ZONE

What a dramatic title!

The Meteorological Office here in the UK likes to give weather warnings a colour. Yellow is a bit iffy. Amber is look out. Red is... omgwtfbbqroflmao lock up your valuables and hang on for a fun time of it.

They announced a red snow warning for today for the UK. Here's why it's a red warning...

Many parts of the Red Warning area are likely to have 20-30 cm of snow with strong southeasterly winds causing blizzards, severe drifting of lying snow and thus severe disruption. The public should avoid all non-essential journeys.

And oooh look. A map!

RED is BAD

Oh dear. The Welsh Institute for Makie Science happens to be on the bottom edge of the red area... and the hospital where I work is well into the middle of it!

When we woke up this morning, there were a good four inches of snow on the ground and it's continued to snow all day. I must admit, once the traffic news started rolling in, I didn't even attempt to get my car off of the driveway. I'd handed over all my patients to one of the juniors who lives on site yesterday, and my Consultant told me in no uncertain terms that if I did make it to the hospital, he'd just send me home again. 

So I've been sat in the armchair, drinking tea and photographing the wildlife through the window... 

Poor Squirrel

...and then some very wild wildlife showed up...

O hai!

More to come!

Happy New Year...

Oh dear me. Well. I wandered into the study this morning to find the collected Blythes in a flurry of righteous indignation. Apparently, they'd had a bit of an interrupted night and wanted me to know exactly how unhappy with it they were. 

Turns out that after a rather civilised dinner party, Plink and Melchie had decided to go hard rather than going home to watch the New Year in with Jools Holland and had caused a bit of a rumpus... unfortunately, I'd woken up before the Makies, and was able to procure evidence of misdeeds from my iPhone...

Looks like things started off sensibly enough. 

Champagne is traditional, I suppose. 

Oh, good grief. 

Plink... what... that's a stuffed hedgehog.
Where did that even come from?!

*sigh*

Aargh! How'd she even get up there?!

2AM, this was taken. Explains the smoke alarm going off. 

You'll be pleased to hear that they both started 2013 with blistering hangovers and have been rather sheepish all day. Here's hoping for some better Makie Behaviour this year. For once I'd like to be a shining example rather than a terrible warning!

Wrappin', innit?

Goodness, how is it the 19th already?
(Okay, I know the technicalities. The sun rises and sets, the hours pass. But it seems to go faster).

There still seems to be a lot to do, so Plink and Melchie volunteered to help me wrapping the presents.

And actually, to my surprise, the corners were folded neatly.

Labels were written and put on the right presents.

We got all of it done in record time and with minimal use of naughty words.

And we were still friends at the end of it!

I really don't think it'll last.

Cooking with Plink: Christmas Cake Part 1

Hullo and welcome!

A few weeks ago, we make Christmas Cake. Here are the ingredients! 

That's lots of mixed fruit soaked overnight in brandy, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, spices, citrus zest
We used Nigella's recipe from "How to be a Domestic Goddess"

You'll also need to be good friends with some of this...

She didn't get any. 

Lining the tin is terribly important. 

O hai!

See? And apparently I got the wrong idea about what creaming means.

We beat the heck out of it!

I think you're allowed to make wishes when you're stirring Christmas cake... I didn't really have time for that, cause I was licking the loose mixture off of my fingers. Yum!

There was mixture on the Makie, the floor, the ceiling... 

But I guess the one wish I had did come true... the human did all the cleaning up!

And it took *ages*

We'll be marzipanning and icing the cake next weekend. Can't wait! 

O Chrimbly Tree, O Chrimbly Tree!

Hey Guys.

Hooray for Boyfriends that retrieve large boxes from attics!

Come to help with the tree? Okay. Pull those branches out for me.

No, pull out the branches, not show off. 

Check the lights are still working.

Plink contemplating hooking Melchie up to the mains. 

Melchett, gravitating towards the noisiest ornament, as usual.

Jingly bells; ornamental as a well as alerting us to feline climbing attempts.

Plink's got her favourite too.

Shinies!

Ack. No worries. There's always one casualty.

Bother.

Taa daa!

I shall spend the next week rearranging the ornaments.
That owl's already been shifted!

Jinglybells!

Yay, December!

Despite having attained the venerable age of Twenty-Mumblemumblemumble a month and a half ago, I still enjoy prepping for Christmas. This year, the Makies are determined to join in, so I find I've got a helping hand or two... or three... oh dear... and some tentacles... I guess I shall have to rely on the Blythe troupe to provide common sense.

In any case, whether your Christmas preference is for the traditional...

Better than a chocolate one, I reckon :)

...or the unbearably kitsch...

I call this the most epic reindeer ever.
The boyfriend calls it an Abomination Unto Nuggan.

...I hope you'll enjoy plodding along with us. You can look forwards to cooking, dressmaking, tree-trimming, a tutorial or three and a grand countdown to the new year. So keep watching this space!