Thursday 3 April 2014
My week in pictures
Hello all, apologies for that enormous break in posting- I never was very good at keeping up with journals or previous blog posts. So much has happened but for now here are some pictures of my week so far including pictures of our beautiful new babies Marlowe and Lupin, whom we have had for over six months now though I can't believe it!
Here are my little darlings, Marlowe (top) and Lupin. Lupin was briefly a girl and went from the embarrassing Princess Luna Boo to Lupin within a few weeks. Marlowe was always going to be either Moriarty or (Kit) Marlowe. We are such connoisseurs of literature in this house.
One of my favourite artists of the craft world, Gretel Parker, has just released some kits for her amazing needle felted animals with their unique quirky style. I bought one of her adorable doglets and then attempted one of my own which never got finished - no surprises there- so I can't wait to try my hand at this slinky fox.
After last year's delve into the world of dressmaking, I was captivated by this pattern for a vintage 50's style dress which I could make for the warmer weather. I found this fabulous cotton lawn on eBay and just bit the bullet to pay an extraordinary amount for 4 metres to make the long sleeved version. I also made some cute striped buttons to go with it.
One final shot of Loopy snoozing. Isn't he gorgeous? Shame he could rival Grumpy Cat for genuinely being one of the most anti social and grouchy cats alive today.
Yesterday I tackled a three tiered cake for my mum, using a Tesco recipe card. She was very keen but I became less keen the longer I spent making it. The sponge has blueberries and a lot of yoghurt, which made for a chewy but not unpleasant texture. It has a greek yoghurt buttercream, which I forgot to refrigerate before I applied it to the cake. And lemon curd adds the most flavour, so I was quite liberal with it!
One of my obsessions has always been Disney. And this week I finally got my hands on a copy of Frozen, which automatically became a favourite as it includes: a re-working of the Snow Queen, snow, Scandinavian folk dress, snow, magic, sisters and snow.
One of my favourite artists of the craft world, Gretel Parker, has just released some kits for her amazing needle felted animals with their unique quirky style. I bought one of her adorable doglets and then attempted one of my own which never got finished - no surprises there- so I can't wait to try my hand at this slinky fox.
After last year's delve into the world of dressmaking, I was captivated by this pattern for a vintage 50's style dress which I could make for the warmer weather. I found this fabulous cotton lawn on eBay and just bit the bullet to pay an extraordinary amount for 4 metres to make the long sleeved version. I also made some cute striped buttons to go with it.
Now I love all things piratey so when Simplicity had a half price sale on all their patterns I snapped up this pirate costume in the hopes I might get round to making one of the awesome 17th century style coats with those dreamy sleeves.
One final shot of Loopy snoozing. Isn't he gorgeous? Shame he could rival Grumpy Cat for genuinely being one of the most anti social and grouchy cats alive today.
Tuesday 16 July 2013
A Sad Time
I've been meaning to post for some time and apologise that so long has passed since my post in May. I've been very busy with various projects which I will share in due time.
I'd like to reflect now on a very sad event which occurred just before 9pm last night - I will remember this poignantly as the church clock began to strike 9 as it all came to an end - when one of our beloved cats, whom we rescued 6 years ago this March, died.
Bilbo was only 13 and had been living with liver failure for some months this year. He had degenerated into a walking skeleton and was always filthy after he lost interest in washing himself at all. More recently he was suffering extreme diarrhoea, as his body could not process any food properly and as such he was constantly begging for food and attacking anything left unattended in the kitchen. It was a sad fall for our beloved boy who had been perfectly plump and healthy at the beginning of the year.
He had been suffering in the sudden heatwave and grown very weak over 24 hours, unable to walk properly and unmoving from his preferred sleeping spots. Yesterday afternoon he fell into a coma and when he finally came around, it was only to take his last choking breaths, with his family around him.
We buried him in the garden, as near to our other deceased pets as possible, wrapped in my sister's dressing gown. He had loved to sleep on this and it was his death bed in the end too. Bilbo was devoted to my younger sister and she to him, so the loss is felt greatest to her now she has lost her beloved companion.
None of us will forget him, this beautiful cat who had such a wonderful friendly personality and who brought us much laughter from his antics. I worry now that his sister will begin to pine for her brother and I hope she can find solace in a new companion, perhaps later in the year or in 2014.
Goodnight sweet prince, we will love you and miss you always x
I'd like to reflect now on a very sad event which occurred just before 9pm last night - I will remember this poignantly as the church clock began to strike 9 as it all came to an end - when one of our beloved cats, whom we rescued 6 years ago this March, died.
Bilbo was only 13 and had been living with liver failure for some months this year. He had degenerated into a walking skeleton and was always filthy after he lost interest in washing himself at all. More recently he was suffering extreme diarrhoea, as his body could not process any food properly and as such he was constantly begging for food and attacking anything left unattended in the kitchen. It was a sad fall for our beloved boy who had been perfectly plump and healthy at the beginning of the year.
We buried him in the garden, as near to our other deceased pets as possible, wrapped in my sister's dressing gown. He had loved to sleep on this and it was his death bed in the end too. Bilbo was devoted to my younger sister and she to him, so the loss is felt greatest to her now she has lost her beloved companion.
None of us will forget him, this beautiful cat who had such a wonderful friendly personality and who brought us much laughter from his antics. I worry now that his sister will begin to pine for her brother and I hope she can find solace in a new companion, perhaps later in the year or in 2014.
Goodnight sweet prince, we will love you and miss you always x
Sunday 5 May 2013
Tatty Devine sample sale
Today the whole family set off for London and the Tatty Devine sample sale in Brick Lane. My mum has been a fan much longer than me but sometime last summer I started really paying attention to this amazing British jewellery company and went from one to roughly 26 pieces in a few months.
Now people who know me know I am a bit of a quirky dresser with some unique taste, after spending my teenage years as a Goth and slowly moving back to the bright side as I approached my late teens. I still love the music and darker aspects of life that I did when I was in black full time, but I've also come to appreciate how much more fun it is to develop a unique sense of style and not be caged in by a label.
Tatty Devine is a London based company, the brain child of the amazing Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine. Their main material is perspex but they also create beautiful jewellery using wood, sparkly crystals and leather. Every year we lucky customers are treated to two themed collections alongside the always available 'Classic' collection of popular pieces.
My collection has been built up through many weeks spent trawling eBay for some of the rarer finds, generally pieces seen on other people or in the back log of their blog. I also have a couple of 'name necklaces', which is an exclusive service Tatty Devine offers where you can make up a necklace in your choice of font, size and perspex colour, either with your name or whatever else you fancy.
But today I was thrilled to get the chance to attend one of their famed sample sales, which is a delightful experience of rootling through plastic tubs filled with old pieces, seconds and one off samples, all individually labelled at amazingly low prices!
Here is what I decided on after grabbing handfuls and carefully choosing which ones I really wanted. Even at £10 or £5 a go it adds up quick!
I can't seem to persuade the pictures to be landscape but it won't hurt to just tilt your head or laptop screen if necessary ;)
My mum claimed the planet to be the best purchase of the day but I managed to get some items I had sought after for some time. The roller skate is just too awesome for words, as are the sexy legs. I already have the (much mocked) giant Pharoah necklace so naturally I had to have the ring and smaller necklace. The zodiac bracelet had been much coveted and just how cute is the watch?! I couldn't leave it.
Tomorrow I will also have a moustache necklace, spiked crystals bracelet and tiny wooden ruler brooch, which were purchased for my birthday. I think it may be a very Tatty Devine themed birthday....
Now people who know me know I am a bit of a quirky dresser with some unique taste, after spending my teenage years as a Goth and slowly moving back to the bright side as I approached my late teens. I still love the music and darker aspects of life that I did when I was in black full time, but I've also come to appreciate how much more fun it is to develop a unique sense of style and not be caged in by a label.
Tatty Devine is a London based company, the brain child of the amazing Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine. Their main material is perspex but they also create beautiful jewellery using wood, sparkly crystals and leather. Every year we lucky customers are treated to two themed collections alongside the always available 'Classic' collection of popular pieces.
My collection has been built up through many weeks spent trawling eBay for some of the rarer finds, generally pieces seen on other people or in the back log of their blog. I also have a couple of 'name necklaces', which is an exclusive service Tatty Devine offers where you can make up a necklace in your choice of font, size and perspex colour, either with your name or whatever else you fancy.
But today I was thrilled to get the chance to attend one of their famed sample sales, which is a delightful experience of rootling through plastic tubs filled with old pieces, seconds and one off samples, all individually labelled at amazingly low prices!
Here is what I decided on after grabbing handfuls and carefully choosing which ones I really wanted. Even at £10 or £5 a go it adds up quick!
I can't seem to persuade the pictures to be landscape but it won't hurt to just tilt your head or laptop screen if necessary ;)
My mum claimed the planet to be the best purchase of the day but I managed to get some items I had sought after for some time. The roller skate is just too awesome for words, as are the sexy legs. I already have the (much mocked) giant Pharoah necklace so naturally I had to have the ring and smaller necklace. The zodiac bracelet had been much coveted and just how cute is the watch?! I couldn't leave it.
Tomorrow I will also have a moustache necklace, spiked crystals bracelet and tiny wooden ruler brooch, which were purchased for my birthday. I think it may be a very Tatty Devine themed birthday....
Pashley Manor & Gardens
So I'm trying to keep up to date with this blog and still sort of failing but I'd like to make this first post a bit of a photo dump. Last Sunday I went to Pashley Manor with my mum and her mum, for the Tulip Festival. Sounds uninspiring really but it was a bright, if not very warm day and I like an excuse to get out of the house once in a while.
Not many of the tulips were quite open yet, a couple of days later and apparently they'd be beautiful. But I got some lovely photos anyway.
Not many of the tulips were quite open yet, a couple of days later and apparently they'd be beautiful. But I got some lovely photos anyway.
Mum trying to look slim!
Adorable owl card spotted in the gift shop :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)