March 18, 2014

Welcome to Schnizzler!

I'd like to introduce you all to Schnizzler, my new shop selling handmade bags, accessories and jewelry!


Only a few pairs of earrings are currently available in my Etsy shop but there will soon be more items available such as makeup brush wraps, makeup bags, phone/iPad/kindle cosies as well as gorgeous handbags and messenger bags. I'm also able to custom make the products to your specification if you see a fabric that you love but not in the product you'd like!

 Here is an example of the super sweet pleated shoulder bag


And an awesome makeup bag for all your girly needs!








Be sure to check out the super handy waist wraps which are perfect for gardeners/painters or anyone that has a habit of putting their phone down somewhere when they're working on their projects!
They're available in full width and half width, with a choice to add a zipper for extra security if you're carrying money or cards with you (sorry this isn't the best pic but you get the idea!). Some half width ones are hanging to the right hand side of the picture below.

You can see many of the products on offer in this snap shot of my market stall from the weekend and all of the products with measurements and clear photos will be online within the next week or so.


Feel free to contact me on shona@schnizzler.us if you would like details of any of the products or a custom design for you or as a gift. Please also take a moment to pop by the online store and favourite it so that you receive notifications as new products are added.

Thank you!

Wishlist Wednesday #35


Welcome to my thirty-fifth Wishlist Wednesday which is part of the great blog hop hosted by Dani at Pen to Paper. This week I've chosen The Baxter Trust and The Anonymous Client by Parnell Hall.

Sexy young Sheila Benton loses a multi-million dollar trust if she's involved in any scandal, so it probably would have been wiser not to do drugs, run around with a married man, and find a dead blackmailer on her kitchen floor. Defending her from a murder charge is a tough first case for attorney Steve Winslow, particularly since her trustee won't pay him, and he can't afford to quit his day job, driving a cab.


The Anonymous Client – What young attorney wouldn’t be delighted to get a $10,000 cash retainer in the mail? Steve Winslow might have been if he knew who sent it. As it is, it gets him arrested for murder, grilled by the cops, and hauled before the grand jury. And he still doesn’t know who his client is.




I was initially only going to select The Anonymous Client as my Wishlist Wednesday this week but its the second book in a series so I figured I'd include the first too as I'm likely to start from the beginning. At only 49p per book and good reviews all round I think I'll probably have them both on my to be read shelf sooner rather than later!

Want to join in??
  • Follow Pen to Paper as the host
  • Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get your hands on and read
  • Wrote a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist
  • Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post
  • Put a link back to Pen to Paper somewhere on your post with a note about the host
  • Visit the other blogs, follow and enjoy :)
What's on your wishlist this week? Leave me a link to your post, I'll be sure to pop by and check it out!

March 9, 2014

Throwing Caution To The Wind (Beaumont Half Marathon Race Summary)

Saturday was RACE DAY!!

From the moment I started packing my case on Friday I was a big bundle of nervous energy! I didn't know if I was excited, afraid, nervous or just plain scared of getting injured again (my last venture into a half marathon race ended up in serious injury and a lot of hopping). I also had no idea what time I was going to aim for and was feeling a bit lost. Even though I didn't want to put time pressure on myself I still thought I should have a rough idea of pace as a target.

I LOVE the marathon/half marathon in Beaumont, TX. It's small enough so that it's not a crowded race and they don't have to start you in corals but it's exceptionally well organised with an abundance of water stations along the way. I set off tucked in behind the 2 hour pacer as I knew that was a pace I'm usually comfortable with - not too fast, not too slow. Conditions were good (except for the mean head wind in the second half!) so I figured I could run with them for a while and see how I felt and could always drop back if I didn't feel good.

As it happened the pace felt great. However the group fell slightly off pace a few miles in and about the same time that they picked up the pace to catch up, I had to stop due to pain in the knee that I have IT band problems with. Luckily just adjusting my knee brace and doing a few stretches was enough to make me feel like I could carry on without discomfort. From that point on I mostly ran alone with a couple of stops to stretch out my knee when it started to ache. I had no idea how I was doing other than that I could see the 2 hour group not too far in the distance and wasn't caught up by the 2.10 group.
Source
Somehow I still had a sprint in me at the end and my final Garmin time was 2 hours and 3 minutes. I'm really happy with how the race went. I'm a bit like the tin man today (left knee pain and right hip pain are not a good combination!) but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! I raised over $2000 for MND/ALS charities, got over my fear of half marathon related injury and proved to myself that I've bounced back after the illness and operations I had at the end of 2013.

If anything it's got me thinking... if I can do a 2.03 untrained.... what time can I get if I can keep healthy for a full training plan??!! Watch this space: I have a feeling I'm going to feel the need to find out!

March 5, 2014

Race Worries

I've been running for a few years and have run several half marathons and a full marathon. I usually train according to my plan and stand at the start line feeling quietly confident that my training will get me through the race comfortably and in the time I'd prepared for, if not a little quicker.

This is not the case for Saturday! I know that I can do the distance but I have no idea how to pace myself. I usually run with a Garmin and a virtual partner set to my target race time but if I don't know my target how do I approach the race? So I'd like your opinion....

Do I run with my Garmin and virtual partner? If I do, how can I determine my VP time if I'm not even sure myself?!

Do I run with a pace group and no Garmin, with the option to drop back to a slower group if I'm having a tough time?

Do I run with no Garmin at all and just enjoy the race whatever the pace?

Please leave any comments below... I need your help!!

Running For A Cure

This Saturday I'm running to raise money for people with Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Please check out my video below for more info:


If you would like to support me please click this link if you're in the UK or this link if you're in the USA

Thank you xx