A quick up date...

Blog plans for the week.

In a bid to get organised with my blogging I'm posting my plans for the week on Sundays (hopefully). The inspiration from this came from Maria from First Draft Cafe.

Wednesday I have a post on a really quick and easy sock phone pouch I made. Well it was kind of easy I had a little trouble with the tension of the thread but I'll tell you all about it.

There are 2 posts I need to complete that I have been working on so I need to finish at least one if not both of them ready for publishing.

I need a timetable of all the linky parties which I like to join in with which I can store on Evernote on my phone.

5 on a Friday: some blog goals.

Today's 5 on a Friday are aims for my blog. Blogging is a hobby for me, something when I have chance to do it I really enjoy. I love the interaction you can have with other bloggers and through blogging I have met some wonderful people, many of which I consider friends although we have never met. I like the anonymity of it, I'm not really one who talks much about my feelings, so having my blog gives me a place to talk about stuff I would normally keep to myself, does that sound strange? Only a select few know about my blog and that's the way I like it. It's a separate thing from my day to day life, I kind of like having a secret persona.

The countdown has begun...

Oh hey, remember me?

Wow August was the last time I posted Well the countdown has begun,...

Just to remind you, for the best part of this year I have been doing a non-medical prescribing course which has been a lot of hard work and stress but it's nearly all over. I have passed my exams and the final stage now is the course work which is due to be handed in on the 29th. I'm just making the last few tweaks to the work and I've got a couple of bits to get signed off and then it's all done! I can not tell you how much that excites me!

So a few more days and I can get back to blogging and all the things that I love and enjoy to do. I have had to put so many things on the back burner whilst doing this course and will be so glad to have more time on my hands. I finally hope to have the time to give some TLC to my blog and help it grow! 

Ok, so I'll be seeing you soon, hopefully a slightly less stressed and pressured lady (of course there will still be the pressures of work but knowing my free time will be my own again will really help).

I'm back again!

Hey there peeps,

How you all doing?

I've been laying low for last couple of weeks due to exams. As you may remember I've been hard at studying for most of this year and on the 16th of July was my exams!

Looking back at my year so far...

Can you believe we're zooming through June, half the year already gone by! I swear time just seems to be going faster and faster. So how are your years going for you?

Mines been kind of

Spruce up your blog no 2: adding a blog header.

In my first post of my 'Spruce up your blog'series I told you about how I updated my blog template, which I totally love! Today I'm going to talk about how I added my own touch to the design by adding a different blog header.

Spruce up your blog, no 1: changing your blog template or background.

Lost your mojo?

Time for a change.

You may notice some changes going on with The Tales of Me. I felt it was time to update things a little bit and make some changes to the design. Loving the colours so far but need to finish off the changes so please bear with me, it will all be done soon. In addition to that I'll be letting you  know how I did it all, may be helpful for any newbie bloggers wanting to beautify their new blog...

I'm so rubbish!

Hey guys,  I'm so rubbish. I just can't quite get on top of things hence not getting blog posts up. I really want to but annoying things like university, work and life keep getting in the way. Well, they're not really annoying things they're all rather important things. Every now and again I think I should give up the blog but can't bring myself to do it and although I'm not entirely sure how many people read it, may be no one?or just a few friends, who knows? 

Turbulent times, a portent of doom?

Hello again!

How you all doing?

Well its been a turbulent time in the Rigby household hence my absence from blogging. But I'm back and here to tell you all about it...

Two and a half weeks ago my Dad had a little bit of a disaster, tripping  over, hitting his hip on the stone hearth of our fire place and breaking his hip. This resulted in him having a very unexpected hip replacement from which he is now thankfully recovering, Looking at the silver lining of things, it was his bad hip that had been play up, causing backache due to arthritis so lets hope once he is fully recovered that pain will have gone.

So between hospital visits and my newest course being in full flow now and work is just crazy busy, I've not had time to be posting here or doing anything bloggy, like visiting some of my favorite blogs.

It's my 3rd Bloggaversary!!!!!

Wow today is 3 years since the start of The Tales of Me!

Boxy make-up bag and slim pencil case

I've been at it again, I didn't think I had enough of them so made myself a couple more zipper pouches! Actually I keep making the same thing to practice and try and perfect the skills that I am learning.

The Crafty Side of Me: Mini wallet and pencil case.

I'm desperate to do some more sewing and have a couple of projects planned with some gorgeous material that's been sitting in my stash box for ages. I'm trying to be patient and wait till the end of the month when I can invest in some grid rulers which will make my life so much easier as cutting out fabric neatly is not something I'm particularly good at. my lovely hubby got me a rotary cutter and large cutting board for Christmas which I really wanted so once I purchase my rulers I'll be raring to go, it will be a lot quicker cutting out patterns.

I have done a little bit of sewing so I thought I'd share some of the things I have managed to make recently.

A New Year

Is everyone getting into the swing of a new year?

I am and I'm hitting it head on with determination and gusto! (A bit like Spike)

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Yoo hoo! Anyone there? I'm back!

Hey, remember me? Kate here. Wow, I haven't checked out my blog for ages. It's been well and truly neglected!

Sheesh! My last post was back in October and that was just a quickie.

 So what have I been up to? Well between life, stress, exams and study, it's all been crazy busy!  I just haven't had the time or inclination to get on my computer and write my posts. Well I finally got the good new that I passed both my OSCE's which was a huge relief!

Problem fix for adding blogger images to sidebar

Recently I wanted to change my images I use for my labels in my sidebar, a task that previously wasn't a problem but now frustratingly is.  Grrr! So annoying!  After uploading your image to the gadget, before you can save it you are required to add a title which is not a good look.

Honorable purchases!

It's been a while since we've found any honorable purchases (or ones with in my budget) in our local charity or antique shops, but last week I found several things that I just had to buy and now felt it only right that I share them with you

The first 2 items I bought in a lovely shop called The Emporium in Godstone Surrey.  I love this shop, you can get all sorts of things in there from new to old.  I also like the idea that there are are 14 different people who sell things in there. Not all at once obviously, but they each have an area of the shop where they have all their bits on display.  It reminds me of a book I read by Katie FForde A French Affair.  It's about 2 sisters who inherit a stall in an antiques centre where romance blossoms.  You can imagine all sorts of interesting background stories of the people who work there...

Slightly longer than a mid-year catch up

We're nearly at the end of August and things have been very quiet on the Tales of Me pretty much since I took part in the A to Z challenge back in April, that was a whole lot of fun but also a shed load of work.  Since then things have been pretty manic with one thing and another in the Rigby household so blogging and socialising with my blog buddies and on FB/Twitter has been to the minimum. But I'm going to try for a better work, life and blogging balance and maybe fit it all in...

My essay is written just waiting for feedback from my mentor and then need to do an changes, it will all be handed in on the 29th.  My results for the OSCE came in and unfortunately I failed that.  That came as no surprise as I already blogged about that and how badly it went.  I know where I went wrong and what I need to do so I will be getting as much practice as in possible.  The main problem I had in the exam was a ran out of time so I will be buying myself a watch to keep an eye on the time, we get 30 minutes to see each pretend "patient". I know 30 mins sounds a lot but in exam terms its not.

I had planned to do a a mid-year update when I was going to look back at the goals I set in January but I've kind of missed the mid-year mark but hey better late then never! So all the way back in January I made some Goals! and did a post about what I wanted to achieve this year. So lets see how I'm doing with all that...




I'm on my way to achieving my work goals, as I've mentioned I am doing my physical examination course and although it's not quite going to plan as I failed my exam but I will have achieved this by September!  In February I will hopefully be on my Nurse prescribing course which will be another one of my goals achieved.  Positive thinking! I actually started a 2nd course last month which is all adding to progressing in my career.  An ongoing goal for me is my organisation in life full stop. At work it has been better but I haven't been as organised with my course so definitely room for improvement there!



Ok one of my things as it is ever year is to get fitter and get down the gym!  Well I've managed to loose abour 5kg/10lbs ish. Which is great.  I had been going down the gym regularly, I even made it 4 times in one week! Unfortunately that has gone a little to pot this last 6 weeks due to time with my course and then I have time I have no car as Hubby's has broken down and he has to use mine.  That will hopefully be resolved in the next week or so and I can get back to the gym.

Another goal was to get to grips with my sewing machine, which I've done a little bit of but still got a way to go yet.



One of my money goals was not to make any stupid cock ups when it comes to money.  I suppose we have managed not to do anything stupid but as always money is sometimes good and sometimes bad.  There's been a major change with Hubby at work which is kind of good but has been tough too.  Intrigued? I shall tell you more another day...



I wanted to develop my blog further this year which hasn't gone so well as I just haven't had the time to spend on it.  On the other hand after the A to Z I have a few more followers which is great!



Well I haven't had as much as I'd of like this year.  I'm happy and life's not been all bad but we haven't got to do any canoeing or camping.  We have had a wonderful holiday in Italy and done some fun stuff, so don't get me wrong I'm not complaining but due to boring responsibilities we have been a little restricted.  I shall endeavour to keep at this goal!

So that's my mid-year ish update.  Later this week I'll be posting a new sewing tutorial , acute little mobile phone pouch.