Tell it like it is!

Usually I don't bother with reality too much
I much prefer to live in my own world, playing by my own rules

However, when it comes to my deadlifting I take the reality very seriously
and there are certain facts that I acknowledge and try my bestest to adhere to, 
- the first being good form

so it had been a little while since my gym mate had checked my form, a few months infact, and I had managed to muscle my way up to lifts on 100kg

and I sorta felt that I was doing pretty good

and any boys in on deads day would kindly check out my form and make sure I was doing good

but last week my mate was there, 
and he did watch me, 
and he did pick up on my form 
- yay! thank goodness for that! 
so I wanna say thank you so much!!! (he's the bestest ever! :)

cos I wanna lift as strictly as possible so I can pile the weights on, and that will not happen while my style goes to hell

so luckily he kept me straight, and filmed me

and all I can say is that it makes a huge difference when you see yourself on replay hashing up a lift

because every lift I do from now on will be more focused

(except in this 100kg deadlift I actually lost my grip and it tumbled like a feather out of my hands....  I don't normally look like I'm not trying)

so I went down to reps on 90kg

usually I do about 4 to 6 sets on 90, with 3 reps per set

anyway, here I am, showing all you beginners how NOT to deadlift! ha ha!!

yeah - that's right - my tush is sky high! (I was tired that day, honestly)

so I have something concrete to work away on now, and even though it felt 'right' to me as I was doing it, I can see that in reality I look like a bag of sh* 

and I am gonna have to change my mindset about the feel of doing them, and really start lifting more with my legs at the start of the lift

hmmm.... girls on film....

and ofcourse I wanted my papa to see me (he lives in the Far East), and my brother (he lives in Norway), and my beautiful friend (she lives in Australia), and my mama (she er, lives 5mins up the road :)

so that meant getting a youtube channel and a catchy lil name!

and after much deliberation I settled for Leveret Loves Iron

yeah - had to be a free-weights-loving little hare eh?

anyway, I shall add clips of lifts that are totally impressive and amazing and.....

just joking! I'm past all that bravado stuff - I shall post clips of stuff that I can study in detail, and er, my occasional maxes when I do manage to pull them off, and ones of me when I am having a good-hair-day :) (I am a girl after all :/ )

well, it's not been all rosy here

see that biscuit+chocolate filled plate, the cup of lady grey tea and the warm, comforting sunshine? 

that all equals one thing only = a little bit of a glumness 

but after all those chocolates and biscuits and two cups of tea (because with that amount of chocolate you really do need 2 cups of tea to wash it all down!) I was feeling SO much better! might I even say a little bit sickly...

chocolates and tea really are the thing!!

anyway my glumness was only because I had made a slight misjudgement in this real world and attempted something I'd never done before and thought I wanted to do, but which apparently I did not want to do! ha ha ha!

still, nothing tried, nothing gained

it all comes down to experience and living, and experience has taught me to never be hard on myself, like never ever ever (hence the choccys)

though just beside me in the sun and plate of chocolates is my favourite photo of my little heart

but I never get glum when I look at Wesley. I kept my promise to him good!

All I can feel is unconditional love for him and seeing his photo always makes me smile!

I still love that little beastie with all my heart to the moon and back and back again and...

my little heart surrounds me in my happiness and I bask in his love when I am feeling good

isn't that nice to know?

these little guardian angel hares are in my etsy shop 

and waiting for their forever homes 

where they will sprinkle some unconditional love about

they come with a complimentary angel hare card (ofcourse)

and a wee sheet with some comforting and uplifting words I wrote 

you have * gained an angel *

who is amongst the stars

on wings that will never tire

amongst love that only gets stronger

who will be watching over you

shining down on you night and day

sharing your joy and love

for only in love can we feel love

~so every day from now on~

promise your angel ~ that you will 

celebrate with love, smiles, laughter

and good memories, and in return your

angel promises you ~ to be right there

by your side, deep in your heart

always nice to spread a little love

and hoping that in your reality of fur-less-ness, that any glumness will disappear when you hold something as cute as these little hares and remember your own little heart

~ chocolate, sunshine and tea help alot too!

and adding to the angelic lagomorph culmination on the clouds is now a tiny winged rattus norvegicus!

aren't rats the most adorable ever?

I used to have a little ratty when I lived in Darwin, Australia. I got him (I saved him) when he was tiny and about to be fattened up to provide food for the snakes at a local wildlife park. They let me choose him for free, and so 'Ratty' came home with me, and we had many great adventures together.

I made him a minuscule leather collar and lead and took him with me when I went exploring at the beach. If a brahminy kite happened to fly over then he would make a bee-line for my shoes! He was so adorable, and had a huge condo (alrighty, it was a hutch) that my dad built for him beside my bedroom with an enormous run attached to it. Though most days he was neither in his condo nor his run. Could never find the hole he used to go out exploring but every day he was always there, amongst the grass in the middle of the back garden, so happy to see me as I gave him his daily raw egg.

these little rats are made to order

and it never seems to matter - the size of your little beastie -

because if they have a beating heart, and glistening eyes

then you can be sure that they have made their way deep into your heart

I really like the way he has turned out. This little chap is already on his way to his forever home

Ratty was about the same size, no matter how many eggs he ate for breakfast.

well, aside from deadlifting, eating chocolates and making rats, I rustled up a new baby hare for my etsy shop

this fiery determined handsome chap - on the right - is called War

my hares always tell me their names

(yeah, I can hear my brother asking now exactly what reality I am living in... :)

so here is War, with absolutely huge golden eyes! I painted them myself and they turned out pretty good I think

I also painted Sunlight's eyes too. Sunlight is on the right and he is away to his forever home with his smaller brother Alexander (on the left)

yeah, those two also 'told' me their names. 

That's the thing about being a writer and a creative person - your creations come alive and before you know it, they are dictating their story to you, pointing out all their important and unique traits and characteristics and preferences. 

That is just the way it is.

and I've also been busy with more Drive Safe baby Army Hares!

the latest litter is in German Flecktarn cams. Aren't they handsome little fellas?

Though the flecktarn is rather on the thick side, and I am having a hell of a time pulling out their tiny ears. Infact it is so darn hard that I have to use pliers to slowly prize them out! it's taking like forever!

And I even invested in a pair of some scary looking surgical plier type things to drag the material thru (ugh! the thought of these being used to poke about blood and skin and inside stuffs... euuggghhh!) 

but they are not as effective as the pliers.

anyway in a few more days time I will have my first ever batch of German leverets!

just before I go - did you hear the toons I was deadlifting to?

all good stuff! 

Metallica, ACDC, Motorhead, Disturbed etc etc

this is the stuff that makes my heart beat fast and the blood course thru my veins - just the thing I need when I am pushing the metal

It is after all, a hard-core, old school, free weights gym! 
couldn't be doing with anything poncy like!

so here's one of my most fav Metallica songs! 
*enjoy* :)
oh, did I mention that Metallica is my fav band?  

so LOVE Metallica!!!

Anyway, enough of this reality! 

I have a story to write and War is gonna tell me like it is.....

drive safe with baby British Army hare

well, some really exciting news!

here is my first litter of leverets ~ born in British Army dpm cams!

and a few of them are now in the mail on their way to their forever homes!

em, I mean forever vehicles!

because they are 'drive safe' hares after all 

(opinionated little back seat drivers that dangle from your rear-view-mirror, keeping you right on the roads)

(these ones have a Scottish accent ofcourse :)

I think they are really, really very pretty!

the cams are ever so flattering eh?

and aren't they all so adorable standing to attention on parade? 

ingrained discipline because they came from real service cams that have seen time

and like the stray dogs that they help to raise funds for thru the charity Nowzad,

these little beasties also have scars and nicks and many imperfections

ofcourse that doesn't bother any of them in the slightest

they are just happy to find a loving home and a loving heart

with someone who will accept them exactly as they are

without requiring any changes

or imposing any conditions on them

okay, let's be serious here -

if this tiny lagomorph could breathe and eat 

then in reality 

you would find your curtains shredded to bits (as far up as their hind legs will let them stretch ~ and yes, my curtains are still in tatters from Wesley and Arabella), 

you would find your telephone cable snipped in two (yes, it will happen every single time you leave even 5mm of it exposed), 

your carpets will be 'dug' into and torn up... (yes, sigh, such is the lagomorph burrower), 

you would have your digestives stolen off your side plate in a nick and 

your shoelaces will be nibbled to bits, even the parts between the eyelets.. (yes, true, I have had to replace so many laces I considered wearing slip-ons (uh okay, just joking there..) )

so maybe you have room in your life for a non-breathing, non-eating leveret perhaps?

though non-eating and non-breathing does not mean non-alive,

cause seriously - get a look at that sparkly little blue eye, so full of personality and resolve and determination and...

and for every hare sold I donate approx 25% to Nowzad, around £4 / $6

to help homeless stray little fluffy things like those above

~ yeah ~ puppies!!

and for those stray puppies that have outgrown their fluffyness

but are still adorable none the less

my donations still help the stray dogs that the soldiers take in and 'adopt'

and the strays that 'adopt' themselves to a soldier, because that happens often too

and sometimes the soldiers take in those cute little bundles of pocket-sized fluffyness when they are out on patrol

it's a win-win situation 

and Nowzad reunite the strays, who have been adopted by the soldiers whilst on deployment, thru official means

and you have beautiful, loving outcomes for all involved

glad to be helping!

uh -oh! dissention in the ranks.....

so loving snow deer

can there ever be enough love?

or deer, or hares, or snow? (preferably all together)

I do so love printed fabrics with beautiful images of deer

especially in blues, greys and browns - my fav colours, 

which remind me of the viddes in Norway  ~ it is so breathtakingly beautiful to be on the vidde, I have never felt so at home (um, was I a reindeer in a past life? :)

an Arabella bag is on her way across the pond

complete with faux fur collar and a North American Whitetail

and faux fur ruffles on the rump

with straps adorned with fluff, tweed and ribbon scraps

and ofcourse a tail! 

what self respecting rabbit would not be complete without a white and black tail?

some deer have made their way into my home early this winter

every year as soon as the xmas cards come out in the shops I usually buy a pack of the ones that I just can't live without

12 cards is more than enough for me

3 on display in my sitting room, and em,

9 that will be stashed away for a few more years

last year I think I sent 3 cards (late), it must have been January by the time I got around to sending them

hmmm, not that there is anything wrong in that is there?

(dates are WAY over-rated)

and no, I am not the type of person who waits to see who will be sending me a card before I send them one. Last year I got a few cards, I am sure it was more than 5 (maybe it was 6 at a push) and that was including the free church one that is always put thru my letterbox just incase I have had a bad year and need to find solace in god. Nice to know it/he/she is always there for me :)

I'm a 'Universe' girl myself, and send my love to the stars actually

the stars never judge me, they always shine their light on me and every night, without fail they are there for me

sparkling and glistening and twinkling as I admire and appreciate them

I so love looking up at the ✻  stars every night ✻  ✻ 

okay enough stargod stuff -

here is the fabled Bluebird of Happiness!

well, er, this one will definitely be bringing happiness

I rustled it up last night for my little Norse princess who will opening it on xmas day

every day will be a happy day for her :)

(hey! ~ she has me as an aunty!) and I take my aunty duties very seriously! 

1. make my nieces feel good every day

2. make my nieces laugh by doing funny and stupid things

3. make my nieces happy by giving (aka - making) them anything they want

4. let my nieces get away with hell when they come to visit me

5. spoil them rotten :)

did I get all the main points in??

so, just waiting on some snow coming now.....

(and xmas cards :)
email me - shall give you my add.... and I promise to send one in return, as long as you are not from a church..

calling all Aussie diggers (serving soldiers)

are you a soldier in the Australian Army? 

and do you have an old pair of cams you don't need?

if so, then maybe we could do a deal :)

and you could score a neat lil' hare for your wheels

not so long ago I made my very first 'Drive Safe with Baby Hare' rear view mirror charm for your car 

and put them in my etsy shop

well, I made up a batch of these tiny leverets from my old Army shirt and before I knew it, I had hardly any of my old cams left, from way back when I was a soldier in the Australian Army 

so if you are a digger, and reading this, 

and would like a cute little hare for FREE, (worth 30 bucks!) for your hot wheels, 

(will be an ice-breaker for the ladies :)

and have a set of spare cams - don't matter what pattern, new issue or old ones, then ...

just drop me a line and we can do a deal ~ easy :)

my email:  dhoy@lumison.co.uk

attn: Scottish hare Annette

I live in Scotland, so when I mail your hare back to you I shall put in some snow, we have plenty of it just now!

this one above is my own hare and he loves being in my car as we cruise the streets
... oh okay then, as we make short trips to the grocery store ....
.....and the gym .......
.......and the ....

all my hares are made with heart - I'm good with heart

even my sangers have heart in them!

(Aussie for sandwich)

so if you'd like a purdy lil soldier hare who is very opinionated - and good with the ladies - and is guaranteed to keep you right, when you're on the road, with all his back seat driving -

♥ A tiny baby hare companion to keep you safe on every trip.

♥ When out and about in your wheels hare loves to dangle from your rear view mirror and make sure that you have a great trip. 

♥ Hare doesn’t mind your cursing but remember to smile, no hogging the road or tail gating, and be pleasant to other drivers.

♥ You will get there in the end so just chill. Besides, being on time is overrated! (try telling that to a soldier eh?)

♥ And don’t forget to carry spare batteries for your GPS, though hare is great at map reading and will help out any time, just make sure it is a big fold-out old-style map and not one of those silly books. Hare might get trapped in a leaf.

♥ - and in December hare will appreciate a shiny bauble or two on your dash, perhaps even a sliver of tinsel, to get in the festive mood. 

♥ Hare loves nothing more than being a backseat driver and being admired. 

♥ This little hare wants you to know that baby hares are called leverets.

♥ Hare has been lovingly made from a scrap of Annette’s old Aussie cams when she was a soldier in the Australian Army and is a beautiful keepsake to name and pass down. 

then drop me a line mate, even if you are a choco ....   :)