Let’s play dress ups!

Let’s play dress ups!

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. When was the last time you bought a new outfit for going out? Been a while if you’re like me! Apart from TV shows and the SHACK Shac, nobody sees me! And even then, I could be wearing pyjama bottoms – you only ever see the top half!

That said, I am glad and grateful to have those reasons for getting my make up on and making an effort most days. I honestly don’t think I’d bother otherwise – and that’s got to be a slippery slope if you stop caring what you look like. I know, I know, it’s how you FEEL not how you look. But I also believe that how you look impacts on how you feel.

Today for example, no telly, no SHAC, no lippy. And I feel worn out and tired. I also LOOK worn out and tired.

So. We’re right back to our Nordic Gnomes: Be Güd, Do Güd and FEEL Güd!

Back at 10am tomorrow to dress the Güd family better!

I was scrolling through my photos and found this dress up doodle which I did back in 2014, would you believe! Using the outline of one of our very classy Elegant ladies stencils…

Just goes to show, we’ve been a-doodling for a while now!! Since i was a kid in fact!!

But here’s an old photo step by step, so you can see the image deconstructed. or should I say constructed? All I need is the stencil outline of the lady, and a little imagination….

See which one she is?

Enter the Micron Pen…

Now go back to the other 7 friends and imagine what they’re wearing. Wow. Endless possibilities! Who wants to play dress ups? How about we have a catwalk gallery? If you’ve got the stencils great. If you haven’t I’ve lowered the price on them from £20 to £15, to encourage you to join in! As if you needed much encouragement! Let’s get some artwork posted on Facebook! We’ll find your art and load it into an Elegant Ladies Catwalk Gallery. Yes. Let’s play dress ups!!

I almost forgot. The Elaine Limerick! Remember? So sorry! Been a tad busy. So many lovely limericks! We laughed and chuckled, and eventually had to pick a random winner, who is… drum roll….

Andrea Jenkins


There once was a girl called Elaine

Who went for a walk in the rain.

She found two wet little vikings

Their markings were striking

So she returned them to Barb, down the lane.

A £20 Clarity Gift Voucher is on its way to lovely Elaine – err I mean Andrea! Thanks for bringing the kittens back to us….

Mind you, these two little Vikings don’t speak very good English yet. Earlier, when I yelled “Have you taken leave of your bloody senses today? Get down from there, you nutters!” They completely ignored me, and carried on tightrope walking along the curtain rail. Now ask me if we’re getting a Christmas Tree this year. NOYBN.

What does NOYBN stand for do you think? Answers below….and keep it clean!

Time to go slip into something more comfortable….

Stay safe

Love and hugs

Barb xxx


45 thoughts on “Let’s play dress ups!

  1. Not on your bloomin’ nellie!
    You made me laugh out loud today. We’ve always had cats but I don’t remember any kittens climbing like yours and we always had a Christmas tree. I wonder why. (Perhaps the teacher voice worked on them too!) See you with the gnomes tomorrow. Xx

  2. Not on your blimmin Nellie …
    Must admit though it would be Not on your bloody Nellie if it was me saying it.
    I used to have net curtains in my bedroom until my now 3yr old twin kittens decided to chase each other up them!! We have a slimline artificial tree, we have to tie it back to the wall to stop the cats from toppling it. They’re a pair of hooligans!!
    Take care and I’ll see you in the SHAC tomorrow.

  3. Oh how exciting! I will be using my voucher to buy goodies to use on the cards I make to support Cats Protection. My hubby just wants the kittens! Thank you so much.

  4. Not on your bloomin’ nellie! You are such a spoil sport. The top of curtain rails, the top of doors and lying across the branches of a Christmas tree while you look out the window and spy on the birds is such good fun!! Lol. Hxx

  5. Not on your blooming Nelly.
    Come on Barbara – get that tree up. Our two sibling kittens gave us hours of fun. Christmas up the tree, and the rest of the year one would shin up the curtains of the French door and hang on till the other one, or our poor adult cat walked through, then drop like a stone on top of them. Our ginger Tom would also sit on the mantelpiece and his head would gradually sink down as he dropped off to sleep. Many’s the time he would topple off, but he always woke on the way down and landed on his feet !
    Many years ago, but great memories of our Sandy and Kipper.

  6. Not on your bloody Nelly! 😂 Too much stress with a tree this year! – Mind you, of you google ‘Christmas tree for cat owners’ in images there are some really funny ones that would be suitable! 🤣🤣 xx

  7. I hear ‘Not on your bloody Nellie’ !
    Our two tortoiseshell cats love the Christmas tree and are often found asleep amongst the lower branches! Yes, when they were younger, curtain rail tightrope walking was a passion of theirs as well as curtain scaling .

  8. Well done Andrea! Not your your blimming/bl@@dy, Nellie ! Ours are of the age where one just sleeps under it and the other taps a bauble as he walks by if he feels like it, never had a cat that’s wrecked a tree ! Then again, never had a kitten ! I’ve got those stencils ….. must have a look ! X

  9. I love the way you put in a few lines here and a few lines there, bit of colour and it’s completely transformed. Wish my brain was that creative but I’m learning with your help x I think you said Not on your blooming Nellie!!

  10. Not on your bloody Nellie! I don’t blame you, as it would only make you stressed.
    I agree about readying yourself for the day. Even when I know that I am staying at home, I can’t function until I have my face on and my hair done. It is probably just as well, with all the deliveries at the moment, as I wouldn’t like to scare the delivery/post people when I open the door 🤪 Hugs. Annette X

  11. Not on your bl🙂🙂day Nellie. Congrats to Andrea I’d forgotten that ditty. Must look I think I had at least one of those stencils, be good to use it if I have. Naughty really I can’t remember ever using it. Oh you are making me so jealous, would love to have another kitten or even a puppy.xxx

  12. Don’t have these stencils – wonder why? – have lots of others !!! Shame I didn’t read this blog earlier I could have added them to todays’s order.
    I rarely have occasion to dress up or even go out and haven’t worn make up for years, not that there’s any point under a mask. However I have always liked to co-ordinate my garments, even when there is only the postman to see. I have to confess that clothes buying has gone by the wayside in favour of buying Clarity goodies.
    Love the Gnomes, looking forward to seeing how they turn out.
    Those kittens look very sweet but I’m not up for animals in the house although I understand the comfort and pleasure they give to others.
    Renewed my club membership today. Yippee!!!
    Stay safe, keep well.
    🍒🍒🍒

  13. Yep, 84, might not see a soul all day, but still make the effort. At least The postman is more likely to call at this time of the year, that helps!
    The lady you “dressed” reminded me of going to work in the 60s with dresses so full we could hardly get on the bus! Not allowed to wear trousers then, that’s for sure.Happy days though.

  14. Reading about the kittens on the curtain rail reminded me of when we were looking after our son’s kitten & lost her. We knew she was indoors but couldn’t find her anywhere, then we spied a little face peering over the top of the rail – she had gone up the back of the curtains. We almost thought we would have to take the rail down to get her out but thankfully she saw sense & did a reverse move & wriggled free.
    So I reckon like the others that you said ”Not on your bloomin’ nellie”
    Have they got up on the wreath in the kitchen yet ?
    Off to dig my stencil out as I know I have that set in one of the folders. Would make a good pastime for the granddaughters as they love to doodle.

  15. Hi
    Not on your bloody Nellie.
    We brought an alternative Christmas tree about 4 years ago just planks of wood from large to small cats don’t go near it we also have shutters so no more ruined nets and curtains.
    We are on the verge of putting in wooden stairs as cats have clawed the current carpet to pieces in 10 months. We put down so many new carpets on the stairs in the old house that we visited the shop and asked if they did a cat sick coloured carpet they didn’t see the funny side.
    Hope the kiln is up and running and you’ve done the first bisque firing
    Enjoy
    Ruth

  16. After picking our Christmas tree up three times on one night with Jasper our first ginger cat nearly 45 years ago we have never had another Christmas tree

  17. I try to make the effort each day to look reasonable even though not going anywhere. I went through a bad stage where it was tempting to just stay in bed but got through that now. Just focusing on making our Christmas as best as I can then wait for the vaccine. Kittens have do much energy. We looked after our son’s and our daughter’s kittens when they went away. One of them ran up the curtains. X 🤣

  18. Awww your kittens are a cute pair. My cat is not allowed to be in the front room unattended after chewing through the Christmas tree lights a couple of years ago! Xx

  19. Hi Barb, this blog post really made me laugh, as I work from home anyway. Love the kittens, they really are a handful, but oh so gorgeous. Love the Ladies stencils, will see if I can take part. You make it look so easy. Well done Andrea, great limerick, enjoy spending your voucher. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  20. Not on your blinking Nellie. I remember you doing that demo with the girl stencils – fabulous. I ‘ ve got the set and love them all. I’ve also got the fabulous dancers that you did too. Is there any way they could be made slightly smaller to fit on a 6 X 6″ card? Hope manage to get a bit of a rest after the hectic weekend and ODS. Take care x

  21. Not on your blooming nellie. We don’t have cats we have a dog but have only had a teeny See my tree since we got our latest dog as a puppy eight years ago, think we’ve seen the last of free standing trees

  22. I can’t thank Barbara enough for the SHAC shack during the first lockdown! I know lots of people were the same but I so missed seeing people, talking to people, hugging grandchildren! The SHAC gave structure to my day, gave me the illusion that I was “seeing” someone and taught someone with no skills to draw! I would have been far lonlier and depressed without the SHAC. I’m mostly by myself for Christmas so am saving wreaths and Gnomes to draw over the period and am really looking forward to it!

  23. “Not on your bloody nellie”…….although I reckon such a nail-biting encounter would warrant a stronger expletive under the circumstances! Seeing the culprits curled up snuggly on the chair together, they look like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths! So cute.

  24. lol – definitely “Not on your Bloody Nelly”. I’m a dog person but these two kittens are just adorable.
    Fab artwork too – must look thro my stash x

  25. first year we had the mum and baby the other kittens had gone to new homes, we came in one day and in the kitchen was a bauble and tinsel, then further on more baubles and tinsel, into the lounge and wow explosion, but what a lovely picture, tree down in the center of the room scattered decos all over, but in the tree two sleeping cats wow, soon redone the tree learnt not to put baubles dangling at the bottom leave the last two bottom branches bare

  26. Oh, go on, have a Christmas tree. Think of the fun those two adorable, butter wouldn’t melt, kittens would have. I did warn you about the curtains, Barbara! xx

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