a review...and a forecast...

I've been tagged on the 4 things meme by two very talented bloggers Katy and Jen
check out their blogs if you haven't already done so, they are great (you may even notice a replica Ms Bester on Katy's entry of today...now there is this little girl called Ms Bester who lives with me and she has a third birthday coming up soon...)

I was intrigued as to what meme actually means, initially thinking it was simply a meme...ie all about me...by me (they are fairly self-reflective normally it has to be said) however I have been put right and it is all far more interesting than that...check this out if you too are intrigued beyond what is normal by this whole meme lark (thanks Apryl)

anyway, grab yourselves a cuppa and settle in for some looking inwards...


(nice excuse to show you one of my latest thrifting finds...I tell you I've gone berserk on the vintage china of late. So much so we are running out of room to store it (well, not quite yet) but I tell you it's just delightful to drink tea from these dainties...brightens up many a dull morn round milkwood way...may do a post on all my vintage beauties one of these days, or maybe I'll just have to invite you all around to take tea...I have about enough cups now I think...and Apryl can bring baked goodies, my excuse being that my oven is still broken - the reality being that the woman makes damn fine cake)

so, to the meme

4 Jobs I have had::
bookmaker (as in the betting kind) - I was the one who took the money and wrote the results up on the board (in the days before t'internet and technology took over all that and bookies became flash) in London's famous Petticoat Lane - how I loved wandering around there...hated the job though
gin bottle quality checker - I was the one who checked the bottles of gin to make sure there was no gunk in the booze...sounds more glamorous than it was (am not sure that's possible actually) there was much standing around in front of a lightbox and conveyor belt for 8 hours a day...I was young and I needed money, that's all I will say
teacher - english as a foreign language, computer programming, art...take your pick I've done 'em all...still doing the art teaching (my artclub) and I must say I LOVE that job
computer programmer - in the late 80s/early 90s - imagine a huge mainframe computer with tiny black terminals if you will..then imagine yours truly with a permanent hangover (it was my first time away from home and I fell in with a lively crowd - what more can I say) - it wasn't a good combination - I kept knocking the on-off switch with my toe by accident and the whole caboodle would power off and 40 or so programmers would wonder what had happened...I would take the opportunity to make some tea, obviously

4 favorite movies ::
jules et jim (or anything with Jeanne Moreau in)
breakfast at tiffany's (or anything with Audrey Hepburn)
million dollar mermaid (or anything with Esther Williams)
lights in the dusk (or anything by Aki Kaurismaki)

4 places i’ve been ::
Sydney
New York
Scotland
Italy (8 weeks after Ms Reva was born we went to Florence...8 weeks after Ms Bester arrived we went to Venice...I think I need another baby!)

4 places i’ve lived ::
Cork
Dublin
London
New York (state, one summer, with a broken heart...awwwwh)

4 favorite tv shows ::
damages
madman
ugly betty
the late late show in the 70s and 80s (only Irish people will understand this)

4 favorite radio programs ::
I am a radio 4 fan - front row, woman's hour which I get to listen to approx once a year!), used to love the saturday morning family show with John Peel before he departed this world too early and RFN independent voices (of course!)

4 favorite foods ::
king prawns
peas
parmesan
prosecco
(and tea, which doesn't really count as an extra as it is a staple...like water)

4 places i’d rather be ::
hmm, quite like where I am right now (though it is a bit messy, truth be told) but if I had to you could probably persuade me to :
a Greek island or San Francisco or Amsterdam or Rome or or or

I think I am supposed to choose 4 people to invite to join in this so I invite Jo, Asti, Penny and Chloe ...but only if they don't feel that this meme is one which "may prove detrimental to [its] hosts" !

now, to the future...I am currently forecasting...and the future is grey (Rowan Pure Wool Aran)



unfortunately I found myself in Suffolk without a cable needle but with an inviting inglenook which created an overwhelming urge to knit...so I used one of the kids pencils instead...must admit those cables are a smidgen looser than they could have been had yours truly even an ounce of patience and self restraint...

and finally (as if I haven't already ricocheted between enough diverse topics in one post) some earrings I mustered from an old necklace I had lying around...I rather like them...now, if only I could wear earrings...

gosh, that may well have been my longest ever post...I'd be amazed if anyone were still here...

a last post on Easter...and the winner of my heart...

1. serendipitous find inside the church at Stoven, 2. Easter on beach Southwold, 3. snow and headstones in Stoven, 4. Mr G issuing Easter Egg Hunt directions, 5. hunting for eggs in snow, 6. huts southwold easter 2008, 7. goose egg and easter chicks, 8. huts southwold easter 2008, 9. boats southwold 2008, 10. egg hunt ON, 11. boats southwold 2008, 12. easter display 2, 13. easter display, 14. easter snow 2008, 15. easter sunday 2008 southwold, 16. unusual easter bunny 2008, 17. stoven church easter, 18. huts southwold easter 2008, 19. no need for tea cosy, 20. huts southwold easter 2008, 21. easter chick biscuit, 22. easter display goose egg and bunny, 23. in the graveyard easter sunday 2008, 24. grey pier snow easter sunday southwold 2008, 25. egg in snow suffolk easter 2008, 26. easter heart, 27. easter display 3, 28. lichen slate and snow

we went to Suffolk to visit friends for Easter, it snowed, we drank lots of tea and prosecco (as you do), ate lots of chocolate and fish (as you do too) and had an all round lovely time...a wonderful and much appreciated down time for all of us...mmmmmmm

(not quite sure why my mosaic turned out so tiny, but there you go...seems a bit ridiculous when the titles dwarf the image to such an extent but you sort of get the idea I hope)

came back late on Monday, was straight into work on Tuesday and so finally managed to pull the name out of the hat last night (or the number out of the random number generator, it being the 21st century and me being a time-pressed blogger) and the winner of my heart is...commenter no 23 hurrayic who has a lovely blog and left a lovely comment...

but thanks to everyone who commented on the last couple of posts, and indeed on all my posts ever - your comments make my heart sing, every single one of them...I would love to reply to every one individually but blogger doesn't give me details for all comments for some reason, but I do visit every blog and leave a comment where I can...

have a lovely week

miracles of easter...

The Reva Girl's easter bonnet was a big surprise (to me) and a great success, thanks to the amazing partnership of herself as designer and Mr. G (or "Mr. Genius of Millinery Engineering" as I call him these days) as main agent of construction...



Meanwhile we blew some eggs during the week and got painty today...I just had to share this creation of 2 year old Ms Bester...faberge it ain't!



When I saw her ladling the paint on I sucked my teeth and announced "it will never dry"...I was upstairs sometime later when I heard much excitement and commotion below me...rampant scampering, crazy yelping until finally I could discern them shrieking "it's a miracle...it's a miracle..."(or "mirashel"as announced by the painter herself)...yes readers...the paint had dried...

We are off to "the country" tomorrow for Easter, to that part of "the country" where sub zero temperatures and lots of snow are forecast...hmm, should make for an interesting egg hunt on Sunday morning...

have to say I am quite overwhelmed by the number of comments to the last post, in the nicest possible way of course...I've enjoyed reading them all so much...will be back on Monday or Tuesday to draw the winner...leave a comment to this post and I'll enter you too...

in the meantime, enjoy your eggs

belated St Patrick's Day greetings...and a giveaway, at last...

somehow it has slipped my mind until about midday yesterday that it was actually March 17th...I think it may have been the Sunday lunch and afternoon spent with my friend Jane and her family...there is something about fine food, crisp white table linen and glasses of beautifully chilled prosecco that do it for me every time...and on Sunday afternoon did it for me so well that I forgot what day it was on Monday!

anyway, it turns out it was St. Patrick's Day yesterday...I got a late call from my new old pal Marty at RadioFreeNation asking whether I'd go on air and witter about the day a bit and obviously it would have been churlish to refuse...the kids were in bed and I was too hungover to knit...I don't think Marty quite appreciated he would be interviewing the woman who forgot it was St Patrick's day but nevermind that... if you want to hear a bit about the day as celebrated in Southern Ireland in days of yore (that'll be the 70s and 80s folks) click here...

SO...Lá Féile Pádraig Shona Duit, my friends...(you can probably guess what that means, if not email me for a crash course in Gaelic!)

now seems a good time to stop wittering and offer a little giveaway...so leave me a comment to any post this week and I'll put you in the hat to win one of my little hearts...if you can't think of anything else to do with one they take kindly to having pins stuck in them...

tell me Something Nice, about something that makes your heart sing...

my swap to Whizz and Dana's quilt giveaway...

(not feeling very creative with the titles today, as you can tell)

here is a full picture of the Marsupial Eggs I sent Whizz as part of the Easter swap. The tiny eggs are filled with lavender so smell lovely and they can all hop in or out of the motheregg as desired. It makes a great pincushion (as I found when I returned from work one day to find every one of my pins stuck in it by the smallfry - they loved it - but what was their father thinking? pins, tiny children...most unlike him) or a nice wardrobe hangie with moth repellent qualities...

It was such fun to make...and I like those vibrant spring colours...the pale blue fabric is a re-purposed cushion cover in a kind of velour which was a nightmare to get through the machine

Now, get thee here (fast) to look at a beautiful handmade quilt and be in with a chance to win it...(tell Dana you heard about it here and you'll give me even more chances to win...well if it's not you it may as well be me, right?)


I will be back with my own giveaway shortly...this week for sure, but don't get too excited...it's going to be far less extravagant...

a post about other people's blogs...some swap goodies received...and an attempt at cake...

just a quickie...

MeridianAriel is hosting a vintage swap, it'll be fun so go on over and sign up. You've got until Friday to do so...I can't wait to get started...

Meanwhile Dana over at Old Red Barn Co is doing an amazing handmade quilt giveaway really soon...the rules will be announced in her 200th post (next couple of days I think) and I don't think you'll want to miss it (plus, if you go there from here I get extra chances to win...a master at viral marketing is Dana!)

Here is a belated picture of my Easter swap goodies from Whizz



Gorgeous, aren't they? The pretty little keyring is now brightening up my large set of office keys and making my entry to that hallowed portal at 7.30am each morning an absolute pleasure...okay, that was a slight exaggeration I'll admit, but certainly has been less grim of late and the keyring is the only new component in the whole morning ritual so...

My parcel has finally gone in the post to Whizz so once she's received it I'll show you what I made...here is a sneak preview though...



Now, so many crafters are also great cooks and bakers. I love to look at the recipes on their blogs (MeridianAriel and JuanitaTortilla amongst many others spring to mind - hey those guys are wonderful jewelery makers too....hmm, is there some connection between the two types of craft I wonder?) Never being one to shy from a challenge I thought I'd try my hand myself, the kids are still poorly and in need of diversion so today we made....

drum roll....

Ta Dah...

chocolate rice crispie buns....

well our oven is out of action so I couldn't do anything more demanding really (sign of my lack of baking skills being that it has been out of action for months now and has it bothered me once? nope, not even a tiny jot)

Hang on a sec, what's that teeny but malevolent looking van doing there?

Sinister plans for my buns methinks...better run and save them right away...(eats 4)

if anyone wants the recipe let me know, I'm sure I can turn this into a recipe blog with a little application (please note, I am NOT being serious...I have not taken final leave of my senses, yet...)

hmm, turned out not to be a quickie after all...apologies!

FO and thrift...

so, a little FO (finished object of course) to share...from knitting patterns from the domestic sphere - an asymmetrical bulky cardigan and sideways shortrow hat. I stumbled across these on ravelry while looking for something sweet to knit for my friend Maaya's new baby. I've never done this shortrows technique before, once you get used to it it's great. Give it a go. Yes, I know I have already decided to do a quilt...haven't you worked out yet that I rarely stick directly to planA? the quilt will get done too I hope...although baby arrived 3 days early instead of the expected week late so I am under just a bit of pressure now...
I obviously don't have enough babies in my life to say I am crafting 3 goodies for this little one (most of my friends have moved on from baby stage now) ...but hopefully there will be one more very special baby being announced soon..NOT mine I hasten to add, but someone very dear to me is waiting and seeing right now...send her all your positive vibes for some good news later this month...

digression over...here's the knit...

it reminds me of a little kimono, which is kind of appropriate really as Maaya is Japanese...the yarn is Blue Sky Alpaca organic cotton and it is beautiful, soft, warm, perfect...

Meanwhile Saturday saw a bit of thrifting action (have decided to go with the "thrifting" word, so much nicer and more concise than "rummaging around charity shops" to describe the activity). I had to leave the kids at home and drop my bike in for a service and of course the queues were REALLY long in the bike shop (honest Mr G, stop reading now dear) which enabled a bit of a detour and the scoring of the following delicious old skirts which are just crying out for some cutting and repurposing....(or wearing, I just can't decide!)



I also managed to find these glasses (for 25p each) which will hold a long cool drink just perfectly come Summer (assuming Summer remembers Britain this year)


and finally, the darling smallfry #2 was VERY excited last weekend at going to her first proper party as a properly invited quest who received her very own invitation ...so excited she forgot to show her face as she ran out the door...



smallfry #1 wasn't so impressed by missing all the fun due to the pox but that's quite another story...suffice it to say many compensatory DVDs have been acquired...

PS on the subject of ravelry - if you like yarn crafts and haven't yet signed up I urge you to do so now, it is simply the best resource out there...if you are signed up you'll find me there as overmilkwood...

1, 2, 3, 4.....felt

my eldest daughter has now been stricken by the chickenpox...so a day at home for all (Thursday is my day off from work so I could rest easy and not worry about deadlines and schedules while pandering to a sick child, tomorrow will be quite another matter)

we spent our morning making these...




I was in charge of the 4 one, but Ms Reva took total charge of the felt portrait one...she had been asking if we could put a picture of Lara onto the first but my energy/creative/hassle levels were low and I kept saying no I don't think we'd be able to do that (which is very unlike me when making stuff with the kids, the one good thing about having me as a parent is that I'm normally game to rise to any creative challenge) however the girl persevered and in the end she put it together herself. Hats off, she did a great job. I was then left to do the stitching (in a kind of renaissance master:minion operation) while she reclined on her sick-couch, spent from her exertion...

I've been making little badges since the kids were younger...I attach them to a blank card for their birthdays and then keep them on a shelf in their room all year...here is Madame Esther's from last birthday...
do you think there is a name for the disease whose main symptom is the desire to put little tags that say your name on everything? If so I'd like to know it...because I've gone down with it...and it appears to be hereditary as the kids are also showing an unhealthy interest...

(come to think of it I was just like this with labelling things at school too)


I haven't forgotten about the giveaway...pop back next week and hopefully I'll have had a chance to get it together. In the meantime why not pay a visit to LucyKateCrafts where there is a very sweet little critter looking for a home right now...

listen to me say "stuff", a lot...

last week I got an email from a stranger called Marty Owings...on Saturday he called me up...talked to me for half an hour or so...then put this interview up on RadioFreeNation...

when I listened to the interview afterwards it was weird...there is so much that seems really obvious in my mind about what I do but it struck me on listening that of course none of this is obvious to anyone who doesn't inhabit my mind...(those lucky, lucky people!)

so, there is more to be said than "stuff" and Marty has been kind enough to invite me back in the summer...that'll give me the opportunity to ramble even more about things like recycling, reuse, redeployment as well as some things I've been thinking about how the blog'o'craft'o'sphere turns the virtual into the tangible and tactile through the whole swap-thing, I'll be able to talk about the kids artclub I set up and how wonderful it is to watch kids who thirst for the chance making art and maybe I'll even be lucky enough to be able to say something about some progress in my "escape the 9 to 5" mission...who knows...

I love that Marty is out there, looking at "stuff" and being so enthusiastic about it all...the world needs more people like that, being enthusiastic, giving encouragement and saying Nice Things...I'm a great believer in saying Nice Things...they mean a lot...

Check back over the next couple of days, I'm going to follow Marty's generous spirit and do me a little old giveaway...not sure what yet, but some of my "stuff"...my way of saying "thanks" to the craft'o'blog'o'sphere and all those people who pop in and say NT...

in the meantime, here is the drawing of the "Fireworks Dog" that Ms. Reva did which I'll be trying to translate into an appliqued quilt for a friend's imminent arrival...and oh what fun that should be...



look...there are houses in there too...how wonderful, I've been wanting to applique some houses since I saw this

[afterthought: just in case anyone from the day job is about...it was a bit lazy of me to say it is boring (please don't fire me, I have a mortgage and hungry children to feed you know)...a little tedious on occasion and not very creatively stimulating might have been a better way of putting it...]