Bloomin' Teenagers

My teenager's computer is broke. As a result, mine is permanently being used to skype a young German gentleman who shall remain nameless.

As a result, no posts for ages, which is rubbish. So here's some photos of stuff what I have been mostly making over Christmas ... and here's to my new year's resolution of retrieving said 'puter on a regular basis!

My Facebook friends laughed at my status yesterday that read " Bethan James-Brunell just got Meg out of bed when she was just dropping off to try on a dress I'm making her. The sense of justice in getting her up now hasn't yet balanced out from the baby years and I still enjoy it every time".

This is, in fact, very true. But I was excited about the dress - I still am.

My reasons for making it are several. I found a pattern on line that looked really good if it worked. It does. So now I can make one for myself. I also had a piece of lovely fabric that was not big enough to make something for me really, but just the perfect size for skinny minny. Also, even though I've always said that my anti-consumerism won't be forced down the throat of said teenager, the thought of paying high street prices for things is even more out of the question now. I also like a challenge. To make for nothing something beautiful and adaptable out of a fairly small piece of otherwise redundant fabric, that is totally unique, bespoke and specially for her.

I introduced the teenager to the joys of charity shop shopping the other day. With their social lives being even more fruitful than us oldies, they, I'm told, require a plethora of garments for every occasion. She's not quite as resourceful naturally as me, so I'm trying to teach her what I can. She's been eyeing up a particular dress for ages in New Look. It's £25, which, admittedly isn't a great deal of money for a dress, but it's very straight forward, fairly high fashion so won't be wearable for ever really and simply not worth it. Exploring the theme of "value" and "worth" in an earlier blog made me even more reluctant to part my hard earned cash. For £15 in the charity shops she had a lovely classic dress, a brand new going out top with the labels still on and a skirt that she'd been looking for everywhere. A few simple alterations and it's all made to measure.

I wish I had me for a mother when I was a teenager, I tell you. And you wanna see this dress ...if I do say so myself, it's rather good.

Teenagers Scare the ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EQAOmJrbw

I'd just like to say, for no real reason, that I love teenagers. They are amazing. So many people are so happy to shout down our "young people", but I love them. I know I'm lucky with Meg's friends, but the teenage development years are the most important and informative of a person's life. As teenagers we experiment, learn about ourselves and our world, things we have control over and things we wish we did. It's stressful and the foundations upon which our adult lives are built.

As adults, we like to belittle our teenagers, with comments such as "teenagers think they know it all" but isn't that the case throughout our whole lives? We can rarely imagine knowing more than we already do, and when we think back to 5 years ago, we thought we knew everything, regardless of our age. We constantly think we now it all and for some reason are surprised when it transpires that we don't."If only I'd known then what I know now" should really be "If only I'd know then what I'll know when I shuffle off my mortal coil".

Teenagers are amazing. But I hated being one myself, so I need to tap into your fountainous head knowledge for my book. I am SO LOVING what I've already had from you all; we are such richly decorated individuals. What pseudo-name would you like me to use for your acknowledgements? Does anyone know anything about getting published?

Lack of Connectivity Creates Connectedness. Fact.

Managing to save myself another £7 per month today was a great thing. Managing to do it without changing from my existing ISP is even better, but it does make you think. If you have to threaten to leave their services in order to get the best deal, why can't they give you that deal in the first place. Crap. Now I sound like that old Alliance and Leicester advert. It is annoying though.

So the existing ISP is taking over the role of the current TSP (if it's ever called that) and sending me a free wireless modem for my troubles. Fabulous, as a new one to buy was £50. They promised that it would be posted out to me today. But I must be honest, I can't help but feel a little sad about it

The thing is, since we've had limited Internet capabilities, I seem to have a lot less to do on a daily basis. To add to that, the Teenager is hanging around us more, instead of engrossed in Facebook/Myspace/Bebo/MSN which is really kinda nice. Every time I want to speak to her, I just ask her, instead of texting her (she's also been sans mobile credit at the same time. I know. EVIL MUM!) or hollering up the stairs to her.

I know it comes as no surprise to realise how much connection is lost when you introduce a TV to the living room, but I must admit the amount of Teenager contact improvement without the Internet was unprecedented.

I've topped up her phone a bit now, which means she has contact with her friends now through text and Facebook. Haven't seen her since.

There's Always Someone Waiting to Help You Part With Your Cash.

Usually, I find, they appear to be approximately 15 years old.

I had to pop into Wilkinson's today to buy some hard backed note books. These are going to be cunningly transformed into beautiful beaded fabric covered gorgeous gifts. The recipients will be able to remove the inner book too, so it will last for years. While in Wilkinsons, I decided that it was time to look at the growing of my veggies for the year. Stores are now starting to get in their gardening stocks. I bought 3 packets of seeds, tomatoes, leeks and onions, all ready to be planted now. I made a gorgeous mess in the kitchen potting them in used egg boxes and I now keep running to the window sill to see if they've sprouted yet. Come on! You've been in for 3 1/2 hours now!

As suggested by the delicious Sara off of www.morethanbubbles.co.uk (do you like my shameless plugging Sara?) I have also "planted" some apple seeds in kitchen towel and a jar like we all did in school. These mini apple trees (Sainsbury's own brand Braeburn, since we've had the food Co-op snowed off for a couple of weeks) may well end up as gorgeous gifts, complete with a photographed "birth diary" to go with them! What a fab idea! Someone else suggested the little trees but that was the first time I'd heard of the Birth Diary.

So, after spending £7.50 on my supplies in Wilkinsons (I looked for little independent traders to buy these things from but I had no choice but to use Wilkinsons) and I was fairly happy with that. Then, said 15 year old needed a hair cut (in fairness, she doesn't have it done very often and she really did need one) so that £7.50 goes up to just under £30. Then, apparently a scientific calculator was needed by the same teenager, total up to £34, and then I had to buy a new data cable for my phone/PC connection as my other one is no where to be found.

That's £44. And I really don't have a great deal to show for it, but on the plus side, the teenager is incredibly happy, and I now don't live in fear of loosing all my data in a freak phone loosing accident. I'll get on with my beading then.