Introducing Miss Bester

She sleeps with her eyes open (bit freaky, that, isn't it?)


can't see a thing without her pretend red glasses (there's no glass in them - she pretends to be as blind as a bat, daft little madam)


but she makes her bed EVERY morning. And so neatly too.
What a lovely little thing she is.

Miss Bester is going to live with Annie's very own Miss Bester. She's taking her blanky (because she can't sleep without it), and her red glasses. The blanky was my very first ever attempt at patchwork...it's a bit rubbish in places (which I have already told Annie to ignore), but I need to practise. The older Milkwood child wants a astronaughty girl, so I can't send her without a blanket, can I? There'd be fighting and calls for favouritism. Best get on with it.....


Thank you so much for all your lovely comments yesterday. I love this world of blog, where people I have never met take the time to say nice things, to send me hugs and be just wonderful. It's an amazing place, and I really did feel so much better last night when I read all the comments (and shed a little tear...obviously!) It's nice to know I'm not alone, and we would all like to turn back time for just a little bit.

If possible, does anyone have a time travel machine, and could I borrow it?

I spoke to my Nan today. She phoned me (and I am useless at phoning her, so now I feel guilty). When I answered the phone I wondered why my mum was ringing from the nursing home, as I am sure Nan can't press the buttons any more. But it wasn't Mum, it was her, I presume one of the nurses did the button pressing...I didn't want to ask.

Anyway, speaking to her always makes me a little bit sad, because she is old and frail and bed-ridden or chair-ridden, or wherever someone else puts her-ridden. Like a rag doll, floppy and not in control any more.

It's because of my Nan that I love making things, she always made things. We always made things together, out of scraps of wool or shrivelled little potatoes from the vegetable patch and matchsticks, or felt and buttons and bits of lace. She taught me to knit (I promptly forgot how to), she helped me learn to sew. She was, is, without a doubt one of the biggest influences in my life and as she gets older and more frail and a little bit more sick and a little closer to the inevitable I get a little bit more scared and a little bit more upset. Because I love her. And I miss her - how she was, when I was little.

So if, by chance, anyone can make a time machine, could I borrow it - just for a day or so, and go back to being 7 and spend the day with my Nan in the garden catching frogs and mice and big long leggy spiders in the bath.


(sorry Mum - I know you'll read this and it'll make you sad, and then you'll phone me and try not to get sad....)

She's Back To Normal...and I've Been Busy!

Grace seems to have perked up today, after spending the past few days on the sofa. She still looks a bit poorly, but she is answering back and arguing - a sure sign she is back to normal, ha ha ha. I must admit, I quite liked the quiet, obediant little mouse that replaced her...but I didn't like how sad and poorly she felt, so I suppose I'm happy she's back to her stroppy little self. Tweenies, gotta love 'em!!!

As yesterday I was almost childless, the ginger one was at nursery and the patient was pretty happy to just lay on the sofa with me occasionally fetching her more water, I managed to get quite a bit done. Most will go into my shop at some point today (when I have tidied the house - that has taken a back seat recently, and now I am in trouble for it.....I have a to-do list of all sorts of rubbish jobs that I have been putting off for AGES). It's the bank holiday, y'see - it turns my man into some kind of tidying/spring cleaning monster. Oh well, at least I have a month before the next one....

Bunting, Bunting Everywhere...and a poorly girl

I have had an order from a local shop to do some kid's bunting and lavender filled hearts. Forgetting the Easter holidays were about to start, and not taking into account the strong possibility of poorly child (as is often the way during a holiday) I haven't really got very far into the order. But yesterday, after a sudden spurt of energy/concentration/effort (delete as appropriate) I finished the 12 sets of bunting and put them into cello bags, and stamped 'bunting' onto binding to seal the top and finish them off(just in case someone couldn't tell what it was in the bag).

My baby girl is poorly though - she has taken over the sofa, TV on permanently, tissues by her side, and a duvet over her. She actually looks poorly too, and is feeling very sorry for herself. Her eyes have puffed up, her nose is red, she can't sing (that's a great sadness in itself for my little song bird), she croaks when she talks. This is the girl who will get up in the night to be sick in the toilet, go back to bed, and tell me in the morning. She's made of strong stuff, she doesn't 'do' sickly....I think this must be serious.

I got tagged.....

Rebecca over at Hurrah tagged me...so here's the 4 things about me meme.

4 Jobs::

I haven't really had many jobs, I went from school to Uni to pretty much getting married and having a baby but in the bits in between I was;
The person that washes your hair in the hairdressers (not a lot of fun - I hate getting my hands wet)

A box stacker in a factory (it made boxes for trivial pursuit - I stacked lids and bases during the holidays when I was at uni - I loved this job, it was so easy and on lunchtimes I used to go to the shop and get a bacardi breezer and smoke cigarettes in the sunshine!)

Receptionist at a Holiday Inn (crappy - I hated it and the uniform was polyester and static)

A Mummy (what better job is there?!)

4 Favourite Movies::

Blimey. This is a toughy.

The Breakfast Club (in my mind I am Ally Sheedy)



Pretty In Pink (I could settle for being Andie Macdowell though)

The Goonies (I love a good truffle shuffle)

Should I pick a serious one? Nah...

Napoleon Dynamite (I would so be friends with him at High School!)

4 Places I've Been::

Louis Vuitton's house in Paris (what an experience)

The Vivienne Westwood Gold Label Show in Paris

The Supermarket (CRASH - back down to Earth!)

New York (but not enough times)

(Prince St, NYC - Pic originally uploaded by Dan DC on flickr)



4 Places I've Lived::

With my parents

In a flea infested house at Uni

With my friend, Jon (happy times)

With my lovely husband and our lovely kiddywinks (and cats)

4 Favourite TV Shows::

The weather (not that it ever makes a difference - in the UK it'll always be cold and dry but warm with some rain!)

Lost

CSI (but NOT Miami - David Caruso, you are a disgrace!)

Without a Trace

4 Favourite Radio Programmes::

Hmmm, I don't really pay any attention to the radio, I usually have my Ipod on. But I would say,

Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 (am I getting old? Probably!)

Jonathan Ross on Radio 2

The Travel News (to save me getting stuck in a jam)

My friend Annie when she gets interviewed on RadioFreeNation (sorry - I had to do that, Annie, ha ha ha!!!)

4 Favourite Foods::

Whoa - too hard. I love food too much to choose!!!

Um.....

Victoria Sponge Cake

Potted Shrimp

Pasta with lobster and crab

Tea (of course)




4 Places I'd Rather Be::

Right this minute, in bed, sleeping as we had a ginger monkey in our bed all night last night, and I am subsequently KNACKERED!

Melbourne (never been - but I think I'd like it)

Japan (another wish list place to visit - but I think it'd be dangerous - too much stuff to buy)

New York (with the family - we took Grace a few years ago and she loved it, Leo has never been. It's a fantastic place for kids, so much to do and see)

So...time to tag some other folks.

Annie - consider yourself tagged
Fiona - same goes for you
Erika - and you also
Last but by no means least....
Apryl

Fabulousness and Friends

I entered (and thought I'd have no chance of winning) a competition that Meg was having over on her blog. She wanted a new tag line for one of her really gorgeous prints. My entry was....

'just one more minute'
(my daughter's fave saying ever, and it works in the morning when I am dragging her out of bed, when I am trying to get her out of the shower, when she is sat at the dressing table brushing her hair, when it's time to stop reading and finish breakfast, when she needs to get out of the car and stop the doodling in a notebook and get to school, and best of all - when she is having a big cuddle before bed and it's lights out.)

And this is what Meg had to say about it....

I just fell in love with this phrase and the wonderful description that came with it. It creates so many lovely images in my mind, and i cannot wait to illustrate it!

Katy really captured the feeling behind my phrases, simple and sentimental.

How's that for fabulous, eh? I then got the most beautiful print sent to me (pic above) AND the original drawing too (which is hidden away from the incredibly naughty but rather wonderful aforementioned daughter - who wants to colour it in)

It's now hanging, pride of place, right above her bed in her newly decorated bedroom (and I even took it to a real framers to be mounted and made even more beautiful - tho you can't really see it on my rubbishy dark pic)



The girl in the print even looks like my little beasty - which makes it all the more amazing and special. Definitely one of those 'to be treasured forever' possessions. Thanks Meg - I am honoured and so proud to have played a little part in the creation of one of your beautiful pieces.


So, at the weekend (after rushing about like a lunatic) I went to see my mum and dad, and my very best friend in all the world (plus some other friends) in Ipswich (where I grew up). The kiddywinks get more than a little excited to see Mama and Papa - Leo asks to go every day, and gets annoyed and often upset when I explain we can't just nip down for a quick visit because the 3 hour journey gives Mummy a headache.



(found this pic on wikipedia - one of my friends from school used to live in a flat just above the orangey coloured building when I was still in 6th form and she had left to become a full time check out girl at the co-op - it was a horrible damp and smelly flat but it was home to a lot of fun times, and look at the cool building... apparently Chaucer used to live down there somewhere too)

Ipswich has become a little more well known recently thanks to some prostitutes getting murdered last year, which is a shame as it's such a lovely place, so sleepy and a little bit behind the rest of the world. I love going back. Now I have actually moved away I appreciate it and its sleepiness, and the whole naivety of the place.

Me and my friends had a rare and well deserved night out - pasta and pizza first, then some drinks in a bar. All was going well until it was time to go home....and we spent over an hour waiting for a taxi that never showed up outside the bar (in the pouring rain - fortunately sheltered by an awning). After long enough it was decided that Lou and Laura would go and wait in a real taxi queue, whilst Janine and me (we had shoes that wouldn't withstand a lot of water) could wait under the awning. It was a brilliant night out - and if any of you are reading sneakily - I love you so much and miss you even more xxxxx


(I've tried to get a pic of my fabulous shoes - but you can't see them very well. I decided I liked this pic though, because the chest of drawers makes me look like I'm chopped in half, so look...there's me and my special silver shoes....)

Saturday Morning rush rush rush

It's the weekend...why do I always feel like I have more to do on a weekend than weekdays?
So far this morning (and please note - it's currently 8.22am) I have packed the bag to go to my mum and dad's (for me and the kiddywinks - Daddy has to stay behind and cat sit), fed the cats, changed the cat litter, dried a load of washing, got another load waiting to go into the drier, put another load into the washer, made breakfast, washed up, updated my shop (3 new dolls so far....one more to go). Now I have to get his gingerness ready....the moody teenager in the making will eventually get herself ready (but whether it will be for when we leave I have no idea).

Yesterday I mailed out the parcel to my lucylocket bunny hop swap partner (phew - that's a mouthful) - she's over in Canada so my little bunny has a long way to go. I hope you like her, Gigi!!!! :)


Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Anyone fancy a swap?

My friend over at Meridian Ariel is organising a vintage inspired swap.
The idea is to create something with a vintage vibe, taking inspiration from vintage posters, images, vintage knitting patterns, thrifted finds and so on.

It's a cheapy - we shouldn't spend any more than £5 on the creation, and I think it'll be nice to do something I don't normally do. And if you don't want to make something, then you could mail a lovely parcel to your swapper containing vintage bits and bobs. I have a whole stack of ideas, which is making my poor brain hurt!

I'm signed up, and think it's about time a few others got involved - so hot foot it over to her blog and get yourself signed up too!

Birthday Goodies

It was my birthday on Sunday (thank you for happy birthday wishes everyone that left them!) and I did superbly well with presents!!

Grace went shopping again on etsy and my fave prezzie from her was some fabric from Aunty Cookie's shop. It was far too nice to use on something for anyone other than me so imade a doll, of me!!!


here I am sat on my shelf with all my other precious things...


I got some fab things from other people too....

The buttons were hiding in the turtle pouch from my super duper friend Sarah (which Leo has tried - most unsuccessfully - to steal, Sarah also made me a gorgeous card with a mushroom brooch on it - thank you, you gorgeous lady!!! And my other super duper friend Sarah made me a cheque book holder - it's not so painful writing cheques now, thank you!!!
Amongst the bits my mum and dad got me were a Cath Kidston button tin, and pin tin. Grace also got me some buttons from deep indigo's etsy shop, and a lovely brooch from yaelfran on etsy too.

Didn't I do well?!

My parents came up for the weekend, which was lovely. And this weekend I'm off down to theirs for a night out with my friends - a meal and probably a couple of drinkies, and maybe even a little dance about (tiredness permitting).

Swapsies

Meet Madelyn...she went to live in Texas with my friend Beth, who I met on flickr. Of all places. I was swooning over the mobile she made for the elsie marley mobile swap. She returned the swooning by asking me to make her a doll to look like her little girl, Madelyn. I said 'I'd love to, make me something in return'. So she is. I don't know what though, I'm very excited.

New Stuff (just a quicky!)

Orlando, the Pirate Bunny is my anti-cute Easter Bunny, he follows the real Easter Bunny and robs him. I was asked to make a custom Bunny for Easter for a 2 yr old boy by someone on Etsy, and this was what I came up with. I didn't think a 2 yr old boy would appreciate something cutesy cutesy (well, mine wouldn't!).
The other 2 dolls (the 'brown doll' as Grace calls her), and the blonde one with a patched dress are to go into my shop with a few other bits.

Sorry for the short and sweet post - I'm on my way to the shower; me and Leo are going to the play centre this morning for ball pool fun!

Have a great day - what are you up to today? (I'll be fishing socks out of slightly sticky ball pools, and retrieving abadoned trousers from tops of slides....fun fun fun)

Mother's Day

Yesterday, in the UK, was Mother's Day - I hope all of you Mums out there did as well as me!!!



Grace went shopping on etsy (it's my birthday next week - so she has apparently bought quite a bit, so she could decide what to give for which day - she's a super shopper in the making)
She chose (from my list of favourites - see, I told you she was good);
Pete the Horse from Areathriftyone , a felt box (for my thread ends when I'm sewing - so I don't chuck them on the floor) from Picciolo and a bookmark with a girl carrying a tea-pot (ah, tea) from Munieca.



And she made me a really rather brilliant card, with pop-up flowers. (Leo made a card too - the one on the right on the first pic....but I think he got a bit of help with it)


And next week is my birthday - I can't wait to see what she's got for that!!!!!!