Fabric, dust and mould coming out of my ears…

So, anybody paying attention to my facebook yesterday will take note that I was off to the studio this fine *Sunday in May (*read: raining) to have a big old sort through of all my hoarded stuff, fabric stash and general studio de-clutter before the big move!

I will allow pictures to tell the story of my day….

It was obvious I hadn’t been to the studio for a while…

Little wall of thank yous!

The note on the dress says ‘Fix me’… it’s been there a while!

One of my fave finds!

Another favourite! This cost a fortune thus why I only have a smidge!

This pic doesn’t do the colour justice but I love this one too!

And this one! It’s gorgeous and fleecy and makes me want to sleep! The next person I know to have a baby girl is getting something out of this.

The true extent of my fabric stash!

Oh dear…

Free to a good home!

Anybody into quilting? More scraps free to a good home!

So this is a little family heirloom filled with patterns from yesteryear. My Great-Grandma’s stash, My Grandma’s, My Mothers and Mine. Some of these patterns date back to the early 1900’s. Some have come in and gone back of fashion twice in that time! A real treasure I plan on keeping hold and passing on to whichever niece I can convince sewing is cool.

Circa 1930… My grandmas or great-grandmas!

Beaut!

The mothership actually used to make this stuff for us as kids…. I was the spitting image of the blonde for a number of years.

 

So here’s the thing….

The thing….
is….
It’s cold.

I mean its really cold and has been for EVER!!! I am so fed up of feeling cold I’m seriously considering selling everything I own and moving to Crete or Morocco or anywhere hot! Ok maybe not but if the British weather doesn’t buck up its ideas soon I’m going to be pale, uninspired and poor.

AND I’ve eaten more cake so far this year than I have in my entire life! No jokes!

So the main issue I have with this arctic weather is that my studio is basically like a fridge/freezer … in Iceland …. With all 4 walls exposed to gale force winds… In a… You get the picture!

My studio is actually built inside the boys workshop which is in the middle of nowhere approx 13 miles from my warm, toasty home. As I’m sure you can imagine, donning 8 jumpers and heading out there after getting up at 6am and working till 6pm just isn’t quite the most appealing event of the day!

And you wouldn’t believe the GUILT I feel over all of this lack of sewing!

Which is absurd!

The other thing is the whole summer bags in winter. I’m still battling with my next lot of designs and struggling to find the fabrics I want to use to make these aforementioned bags!

Moan. Groan. Whine. Blah.

I honestly don’t mean to sound negative. I LOVE to sew and I really want to turn my bag thing into an entire empire! Employing all of my creative friends while we earn our millions making the ‘next big thing’ (Think Cambridge Satchel Company!)!

So here’s the new plan! (yes despite all the moaning I so have a plan)

1. Move studio somewhere warmer, motivating, inspirational and cosy!

This may end up being our spare room but I’m working on finding anywhere closer to home first! Perhaps splashing out on some antique French style furniture!

2. Find leather, tweed and gorgeous fabric suppliers!

3. Take some time out to create without the pressure of made to order. You heard me right… I’m sorry to say that I’m taking a little sabbatical. Take it as annual leave if you will! For 2 years I’ve been working on life, bags and full time on whatever job I’ve managed to hold down at the time.

I’m going to spend a couple of months working on designs and building up my stock ready for a big unveil, relaunch thing later on this year!

Don’t forget about me now will you! Ill try and keep you all in the loop and update you on my progress but now that the pressure is off I can already feel my creative juices flowing!

Ill be thinking of you xxx

It’s February already!

How did this happen?!  Last time I checked it was the new year and I was failing miserably at all of my new years resolutions!

Well, here I am, again 6 weeks after my last post. Sorry.

I have however added a new bag to my on-line store today which is possibly a first this year.  Here it is!

Unfortunately I have had to take a break from custom orders (I’ve made 4 of those this year!) to enable me to re-stock my little store which is looking pretty bare!  For that reason I have also dropped a few of my prices to try and have a good winter clear out to make way for lots of lovely spring/summer stock!

I am optimistic that I will have some beauty’s online ready for you all before the month is out.  I am determined to get things moving and not allow my proper job to consume my entire week. I love it but some weeks it wipes me out!

Right, enough grumbling and excusing myself, i’m off for a bubble bath and early night to ensure I’m topped up on sleep for the coming week!

I know this quote has been over done for the past 20 years but it’s affective…

“I’ll be back”

x

HAPPY NEW YEAR (and we’re having a sale!)

Wow!  The six weeks since my last blog have literally whizzed by.  I sincerely apologise for the lack of updates from HBT HQ but isn’t Christmas just hectic!  I don’t even have any children and I still resembled that manic woman from the M&S advert (or was it asda?), with a lot of lists of things to do and much too-ing and fro-ing admist all the socialising, dinners & festive drinks events! Phew!

I have suffered probably 19 ailments including hangovers, colds, sore throats, coughs and unexplained bruises over the festive season but I have at least made it through alive!

I sincerely hope all of my lovely readers (and of course any future readers plus everybody else in the world) had a most enjoyable relaxing holiday season. and of course HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I was talking to my BFF yesterday eve about the whole festive season and how much we love autumn and winter (when we think about it in the middle of a dreary summer not when it actually arrives) but actually, when you get half way through the short days, long dark and damp nights and break through to January you actually start to crave the longer days, slightly milder weather and the pleasure of going outside without wearing five jumpers!

I am positively bursting with excitement about 2013 and have grand plans to make it the best year yet for HBT.

For me, Christmas was a most sociable time and obviously was lovely to have our first Christmas in our own home.  The boy insisted we have a real tree which was awesome!

Christmas at The Manor!

I attended my works Christmas bash which was a grand affair with lots of free wine (!).

Gathered with many friends for a good old curry and a catch up.

Took the mothership for a fabulous birthday lunch at a most fancy french restaurant (by now my waistline is already suffering).  Jazz and I had fun with garlic bread (garlic bread!)

Good ‘Tache Jazz!

Christmas was spent at the boys parents and we received an abundance of handy new home gifts which excited me no end (The boy was less excited about my new Pyrex and electric whisk).  Boxing day was the usual gathering at Grandma’s with about 30 extended family members.  Bring a plate kind of thing. I decided onesies should make an appearance for a change so this happened…..

Onesie Boxing Day!

Even the mothership wore one! Genius!

Next year we’re going to get Grandma one for her Christmas present!

The boy and I also attended the third instalment in our very own Come Dine With Me which started in June.  We weren’t keen on doing them all in one week so we dragged it out half a year or so.  I don’t think that’s too excessive!  The theme for this one was favourite movie characters.  Can you guess who we are?

Brilliant ‘Tache!

NYE was spent at a live music event which was rip-roaring and then back to work with a thump.  Although I worked all over Christmas on the non-bank holidays and all of the aforementioned events happened over a period of 10 days so didn’t really feel like I had much of a break but it was brilliant fun all the same.

I made a couple of bags for Christmas presents which were made in such a rush (on Christmas EVE!) that I completely forgot to take photos!

Soz!

I have however added a new bag to my Etsy store and have decided to have a little January Sale all of my own!  So if you pop along to my Etsy store right now (you can click the blue words and it’ll take you straight there) you can enjoy a huge 20% off by just entering the coupon code NEWYEAR2013 when you check out.  How generous am I!  I’m planning to head straight to the studio this week for a good old de-clutter and re-group! I’m really keen to get some new designs together this year and branch out with my patterns so please bare with me if my online store isn’t full to bursting straight away.  I’ll be sure to keep you updated as much as is feasibly possible (as usual i’m ever the optimist!)

So, having just cooked and demolished a monstrous roast dinner with the fam I must love you and leave you as I continue my quest down my ‘January To Do’ List.

Have a brilliant January, good luck with the new years resolutions and don’t forget to tell your family and friends about my online sale!!!  Pop along to my store stat!

xxx

I have a shop!

I know, it’s shocking but yes you did read that right!

My Etsy store is OFFICIALLY ONLINE!

Break out the fanfare, pop the champers darling – I’m in BUSINESS!!!!!

Let’s not mess about though HERE IT IS!

You can also get there by typing the following in your web browser:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadeByTiffanyBag

Or just search ‘Handmade By Tiffany’ on http://www.etsy.com (you can even download the app!)

Fingers crossed they all work!

Now apart from my lovely little store, there are some truly beautiful things on Etsy.com and they are all handmade, some are expensive and some not so but they have all been HANDMADE and from someone who knows how much hard work that is, I am officially requesting you have a little browse, just once at least.

I had no idea it took so many hours to just get a few bags on a ready made site! Although  I may have been a little bit of a perfectionist over photos and descriptions and so on and so forth but I hope it’s worth it and portrays a professional handbag designer that looks like she knows what she’s doing!!!!!

I’m so glad I can finally stop feeling guilty about flaunting snippets of my bags on my social networking sites and not being able to sell them without making you lovelies work too hard!  Alas, all that is behind me and despite 18 months passing by I have finally got to a point of being able to share the handbag love.

I’m hoping that I’m now going to have more time to work on some new designs.  I’ve bought some beautiful tweed that I’m dying to turn into something winter-y!

Now I know there isn’t much there but please go and have a look at my Etsy store, tell your friends, buy someone a Christmas pressy, or just pop in every few days so that my sites stats go up a little bit every day and when I check them on my lunch break it will make me smile!

I’m back to the studio ALL weekend working on some new stock and fingers crossed, I may even have some new bits for you all next week! EEK!

Feedback ALWAYS appreciated, despite the rumours I’m actually not perfect xxxx

 

Festive success!

Hello again, this is a new blog and it’s been less than a week since my last! Shocked?  Don’t be, i’m turning over a new leaf!  Especially since discovering that people (well, Jim at least) are actually reading it!

So, I’m not sure if I mentioned it before now but I was at a Christmas Fair selling my bags this weekend.  Oh? You hadn’t heard!  Well let me tell you all about it then!

Unfortunately the weekend did not start well after waking up on Friday with that familiar imploding head, snot filled face, aching, crap bag feeling which spelled a bloody cold.  I do not have the time or patience for ill.  Perhaps i’ve over done it? My mother would say i’ve been burning the candle at both ends.  I always told her this was not true even if it was. Anyway…the fair!

Smallest sister Jazz came to help as she has just spent 9 months working away using the hard sell/silent close sales pitches that dodgy car salesmen would be proud of.

My stall was festive, strangely nobody else’s was… it was a Christmas fair so I don’t know why everyone else missed the Christmas bit!

Looking chipper at the start of the day!

Jazz and I were full of festive cheer…

Happy helper!

We had the saddest little Christmas tree ever….

97p Tesco value tree….

We bribed small children with the candy canes to allow there parents to browse for longer….. I hope none of them were cursing me by 4pm when there smalls went into meltdown!

I fear I look like the child snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in this one!

Then I got a little tired what with my cold and long long week….

Santa’s little helper needs a nap! (or some Beechams)

Luckily for me and all my efforts (and much thanks to Jazz and the motherships sales techniques!) the stall was looking much emptier by 3pm…..

Where’s (the) Wally!

Jazz and I started a little game during the quiet period… can you guess what the game was?

The new ‘travel’ bag, you can take a whole sister anywhere you go!

Now where did my sales rep get to? I’m sure I left her here somewhere!

I don’t think she’s actually in this one unless she’s exceptionally good at this game!

So that was my Christmas Fair.  I had some great feedback and have a few bags left to get on my Etsy.com store. (I’ll post details of the actual store when it’s ready)  I did attempt to take some nice photos of said bags this evening as promised but unfortunately I’m still working on getting the lighting right so please bare with me for just a few more days while I overcome this technical hitch.  I’m heading out in my lunch break tomorrow to get some lamps and will endeavour to get them up by Wednesday (i’m optimistic as ever but please don’t hold me to this!).

I’m also rather hopeful that now I have got all of the big life changes out of the way, I will have more time.. blah blah blah. You know the drill, i’m going to stop apologising and justifying myself here.  I don’t see you making handbags.

Right, off to my other social networking sites to update the world on my shenanigans   Thank you for listening. And. Goodnight x

Christmas, Handbags and Zombies

I admit it.  I am rubbish at this blogging.  I’m not sure where everybody else finds the time to sit down for an hour and write about stuff when I have to schedule it into my diary. Alas, I’m here now so panic over.

Anyway I have an excuse (as always), i’ve been getting ready for my CHRISTMAS FAIR!!!  “Hurrah” I hear you cry!  Now I am not the biggest fan of Christmas normally, my family is enormous and I usually spend the time broke and drunk but laughing till I wee as my sister and I regress over dinner, however now that I get to sell things at Christmas Fairs I LOVE it!  My favourite bit being decorating my table with festive shenanigans and sending smallest sister off to buy Santa hats!  You won’t miss my table at this one!

So, after you have read this very paragraph, go and get your diary and in THIS ‘Saturday’ (10th November 2012) write down XMAS FAIR, ANTROBUS HOUSE, AMESBURY 10am-4pm. Then come back to your computer and finish reading this blog…. Go on then. Do it. Do it. DoitDoitDoitDoitDoitDoitDoitDoitDoitDoit! 🙂

Done? Good.  Hopefully you made a cuppa on the way back as this is going to be a long one, it’s been forever since my last blog!

Most exciting-ness took place over Halloween, me, my Ma & baby sister were involved in a world record attempt!  I know, how EXCITING! For those that haven’t heard of Thrill The World basically somebody decided that it would be really cool to get as many people together all over the world, all doing Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance at the exact same time.  Somehow it turned into a Guinness world record attempt and happens every year.  MJ himself even knew about it (God rest his soul) and apparently used some of the footage in one of his music videos.  If you’ve never heard of it, check out the website, it’s all in aid of charity and raises loads of money for great causes (and of course is brilliant fun!)

I can safely say that I ‘know’ the dance (I may have had a small reminder of the moves written on my hand which unfortunately didn’t work because i’m a donut and forgot it would be dark when we did it!) and am hoping to do it for many years to come cos it was a blast!

Here’s me, Ma & Jazz rocking the zombie look!

We don’t really do mornings!

BBC’s Children In Need filmed the actual dance so keep your eyes peeled for us on the tele-box and the local paper even popped along….(Love this photo)

A few of the zombies broke away from the group for the paps!

If you fancy seeing our attempt in all it’s creepy glory you can find it HERE!  (I’m at the back with all that hair – possibly my best back-comb ever!)

Strangely I’m terrified of zombies but still managed to join 90 of them for this.  My sister and I actually had this very conversation this afternoon when  she popped round for lunch (she too is terrified of zombies).  We know the odds on a zombie attack (actually we don’t) but then I found this and this!  Now I must confess I haven’t actually read these articles (they just came up on google) because they put pictures all over the web page and it freaks me out to just look at them.  It’s the eyes! Ask aforementioned sister.  I could go on for days about why zombies freak me out but i’m pleased that somebody has written a book on what to do in the event of an attack, I must remember to put that one on my Christmas list.  I have even, on occasion, made the boy switch the light off at night or come to the toilet with me due to fear of a zombie lurking behind the bathroom door.  You know it’s love when your boy takes you for a midnight wee because your scared of zombies (even when you are 28 years old!).

Speaking of the boy….

We’ve moved in together!! It’s taken nearly 4 years together but we got there in our own time. I have now lost at least 6 hours of my life to Ikea (I am painfully aware that I will never get them back), I have thrown away things that I have for some reason been hoarding for years but never thought to throw away before and I’ve gone all grown up and spent ridiculous amounts of money on things like hoovers, cutlery and hand towels which are purely for the guest toilet! I’m broke (until pay day) but I LOVE IT! Waking up with the boy every day is just an added bonus. If I ever tell you that i’m thinking of moving again please slap me and tell me not to be so stupid!

In other, bag related, news I have a new plan!  As I have been so utterly rubbish at getting my website moving and functional so that you lovely folk can buy my lovely bags, I have decided to take a smaller first step to online flogging and start using ETSY.com.  If you haven’t been there before, don’t delay! Click here and go have a browse.  There are some gorgeous things for sale and i’m pretty sure the majority (if not all) are handmade.  I once read a blog on there by a lady who makes handbags from old leather coats and she has managed to quit her day job and works for herself making bags all day!  What a dream, it’s a lovely site and I think it’d be a great starting point for me while I get my head around my website and what I need and want from it.

So the plan is to attend aforementioned Christmas Fair on Saturday with all the lovely bags I have been making this week and then whatever is left will go straight up on Etsy THIS SUNDAY and will be for sale in time for Christmas.  So even if you cant make this Saturday there may still be some bags left over for you to have a look at (and buy) from my Etsy store.  I will post further details on Sunday provided I don’t sell out like last year.  I promise i’m sewing as many as I can as fast as my little machine can cope with.  It’s making an awful noise at the moment and I sincerely hope it doesn’t pack up on me before Saturday!!!

So for now I will stop warbling and leave you with a sneaky peek of some of what’s for sale on Saturday!  Hope to see you there! xxx

Bags in my bay!

Madness I tell you, Maaadnesss!!!

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.

I have had an absolute whirlwind few weeks (with not enough sewing by far!)

Please (once again) accept my apologies for my absolute crap slackness!

Here’s a vague list of the things I have been up to since my last post….

• I went to the opening of a new bar/restaurant…. there was a free bar and free tapas…. winning!
• I went to a ”mammoth” car boot sale in search of beautiful vintage garden things for my ‘ground force project’ which was rubbish and I came away with nothing.
• I went to two of the boys gigs and played dutiful rodey!
• I got my colours done by a hairdresser for the first time in years!
• I went on a hen do dressed as a Barbie (Sailor Barbie to be precise!)
• I went shopping for new work clothes for my new job.
• I left my old horrible job!
• I had a curry to celebrate leaving said horrible job and drank many beers and ate far too much curry!
• I spent 2 days over hauling my sisters back garden while she was away on holiday.  I was Charlie Dimmock for a couple of days but with a bra!
• I lost a lot of sleep that same weekend as I went to collect smallest sister from the airport after she had been away working for 10 whole months!! (Totes Emosh!)
• I started a new, very different but much more enjoyable job.
• I made my Grandma a handbag for her 80th birthday present (at her request! Huuuge target market!)
• I organised and attended (as Captain Pigwash) a Murder Mystery night at a faaaaabulous restaurant in Southbourne called The Larder House!  A-MAZ-ING!
• I attended aforementioned Grandma’s 80th birthday tea party, there was an enormous amount of cake!
• I got told I had to move out of my flat so i’m house hunting.
• I wrote a blog…. well i’m working on it!
• AND this was all whilst doing my full time job, my housework, washing, food shopping, my Dad’s housework, the boys books and learning guitar…
• By the way, it’s been 4 weeks since my last post….

AAAAAAAANNNNNDDDDDD BREATH!

I’m so pooped it’s untrue, but as ever I’M EXCITED and i’m busy busy busy!!!  I’ve booked myself into a Christmas Craft Fair at Antrobus House in Amesbury on Saturday 10th November between 10am – 4pm despite questioning where I will find the hours to make the actual bags that I want to sell!!  But I’ll be there so stick it in your diary and pop along and see me if you’re free!  I’ll be the frantic blonde with bloodshot eyes and a slightly crazed smile planted to my face! (Don’t worry i’ll remind you nearer the time!)

Apart from having to move house in a month, a wedding, a baby sisters belated 21st birthday party and getting my head round my new proper job, I should have a bit more free time to devote to bags in the coming weeks!

If you’re waiting for an order, I promise i’m on it and please accept my sincerest apologies that I haven’t got it to you yet!

I’m soooooo on it! xxxx

My life in pictures (but not necessarily the correct order) below…..

 

G-Ma!

 

My motley murder mystery crew! Snaps for mega effort guys!!

Carnival Dream Barbie and Me!

The boy did a brilliant job as master tradesman (then promptly fell asleep!)

 

Sunday 630am at Gatwick and i’m chipper!!! Just in case she didn’t spot me!

She’s BAAACKKK!!!

 

Auntie Tiffy’s Day Of FUN!!

Phew what a lovely few days of weather we have had (praying it lasts just a little bit longer!!)!  I have enjoyed an utterly splendid weekend although I must confess I haven’t even looked at a sewing machine or laptop since Thursday last week so things (as usual) are still ‘in progress’….  I sincerely apologise for my slacking but let me tell you what I have been up to!!!

So this weekend was my first Saturday off from my proper job in 3 weeks so basically I have been doing 6 days of 9 hour days for 3 weeks with 1 day off plus the hours I spend in the studio or working on my website (yeah yeah I know that doesn’t appear to get me very far!) but nonetheless it’s a lot of man hours and I was/am cream crackered!  So instead of taking the day off I decided to look after a couple of stray children who had nowhere better to go… oh wait… they were my nieces! My sister finally clicked that I’ll commit to anything with enough notice so this was pencilled in the diary some time last decade so no getting out of it, plus they are MY nieces so it wasn’t all bad!

The diary said ‘S & I’ so that means 2? Well somehow I ended up with S & I & L! At least L, at the tender age of 13 is capable of preventing the 5 year old (I) from drowning at the swimming pool!

I spent the majority of the week planning ‘Auntie Tiffy’s Day Of Fun’, I have done this before you know so am well aware that one activity just won’t cut it therefore planning was essential!

So after my 9 hour day at my proper job I whizzed 30 miles down the road to my sisters house for home made pie (you can read her blog about her food fetish here), beers and a movie with the smalls.  I gave up on a lie in when my sisters small holding of beasts all decided to get up at the same time and demand attention/food/freedom, the smalls were all still asleep!

The cats were most put out that the bunny had claimed there bed as her own!

First on the agenda – a Scavenger Hunt!

Running is so much more fun when your age is still in single digits!

I designed it all by myself you know! Cue lots of arty farty shots taken by moi and lots of forced smiles courtesy of the teenager who didn’t like her picture being taken apparently! (just like her mother!)

I = age 5, S = age 7 and L = age 13! *Proud* (and there are more of them!)

By now I had managed to make them all hungry (make ’em work for it I say!) so we plonked ourselves down just in time for the sun to come out and enjoyed a spectacular Teddy Bears picnic! (with real Teddy Bears!)

They’re just so photogenic!

Next stop swimming with Grandma and Grandad (absolute cop out I know but they wanted to come!), fun and frolics in the pool for a solid hour before good old Auntie Tiffy has to ruin it by spotting the FLOATING POO! Seriously, there was a poop in the pool! AND I SAW IT FIRST, I don’t even know how long it was there before I saw it AND I had been swimming near that very spot! AGH! Everybody was very swiftly decamped to the next pool and the nets were deployed!  From my years of Auntie experience I am predicting it was a small baby poo (based on colour & size) and they probably didn’t mean to do it, it probably just slipped out….. Still… Poo! EEK!  Naturally the smalls thought it was HILAAAARIOUS and we spent the next 10 minutes blaming Grandma (“Urgh Grandma was it YOOOUUU!!!”) then it turned to me (“Tiffy it must have been you cos you saw it first!!!! Uuuuurrrrgggghhhhhh). Much hilarity was had!

Most people probably know this but last year I discovered you weren’t allowed to take photo’s at the pool, not that I could have on this occasion as I was in it and I don’t think even Apple have come that far yet but I tried to at one of the smalls swimming lessons once and was promptly informed by a yummy mummy that I wasn’t allowed.  Something to do with bad men and puppies…

We finally left the pool after we were kicked out and made a dash for the park which was bound to be heaving as it was sweltering heat and everybody MUST be in the park on a day like that! NOT TODAY, a near empty park and the other sister was coming to join us with her small (count.. 1, 2, 3, 4) so now we had another L = age 6 and born on my 21st birthday!

The cousins frolicked while my sister and I gossiped about family politics (probably anyway, it happens a lot with a family as big as ours)…

S & I spot L & other Auntie in the distance!

Without even a 5 minutes warning (I think they were all knackered by now) we walked back to the car for the apparently  loooong drive home.  “Tiffy, do you know the short cut home?”, “Errrr… Yes of course!” (there is no shortcut of course, clearly my sister made up this lie to stop bored children whining about the dreadful 40 minutes they had to sit in the car…. as my mother did for us…..)  Mind you I do remember every car journey taking YEARS when I were wee!

Anyway, homeward bound for the small people where I dutifully dropped them off said my goodbyes and quickly ran back to my Micra for a good old chain smoking session all the way back to the boys whilst reminding myself why I don’t have any children and calculating how quickly I could get a nice cold glass of something alcoholic in my hand.  As soon as I sat down at the boys house (half an hour later) I fell asleep….  I sincerely don’t know how people have children, they are HARD WORK! And I don’t even do it everyday! Phew! To my siblings who may be reading, book in advance… I need time to prepare!!!!

Saturday night I was whisked out for a night of ‘letting my hair down’ by the boy who says I work too hard (but moan too much), many ales were had and Sunday was the grand final of Forest’s Got Talent where the boys band came in 2nd out of 13 acts (*proud again)!

By the time I got to Monday morning I had the serious Monday blues, what a beautiful weekend!

So I rushed home from the proper job today full of motivation and ready to get some serious work done on this website.  I changed into my scrots, did a spot of housework, had dinner with my housemate, got all the computers, paperwork and pencil cases at the ready only to discover that my hosting website is down for ‘Essential Maintenance unil 6pm EST’.

I even had to Google EST….

So my lovelies a blog will have to suffice for now but fear not! Tomorrow is another day and I plan to Get. On. IT!

I’ll be back x

P.s – This is what I was sewing last week, a bespoke order for my fairy godmother who is going back to college in her 50’s… You go girl!

The Hermione!

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE the pockets on this one! (Apologies for picture quality, i’m still working on this)

 

Sunday Funday!

Oh dear Oh dear… another 10 days or so has passed since my last post, I really must try harder…

I was going to write an epic exciting fun filled post last Sunday night after an epic exciting fun filled day but unfortunately a glass of Merlot and a DVD got in the way (Friends With Benefits… Nice movie… Mila Kunis is my girl crush right now, can take or leave Timberlake) and I had driven over 100 miles across 3 counties that day so my eyeballs were twitching at the thought of staring at screen for an hour.

Alas, I am here now!  So last Sunday the boy was busy in a recording studio (that sounds mighty grand now doesn’t it… he’s a drummer) and I had various offers on the table over what I should do with my day.  Naturally I should have been sewing or working on my website but I was in need of a creative kick start and it was a nice day so I pleased myself!

First stop – Frome Artisan Market!  My good friend and handmade superstar @gingergeek had previously recommended it and as it is only held every quarter I thought I’d best hop along.  More info here – http://www.stcatherinesfrome.co.uk/artisan-market/

So I poodled along to Frome in the micra, drove through a variable range of weather, spent 20 minutes looking for somewhere to park the micra and then got lost.  I mean proper lost.  Frome is like one of those little puzzle games you have in crackers where you have to get the ball into the hole by twisting and tilting the board. I was the ball.  It’s BEAUTIFUL and quaint and old and the architecture is gorgeous but at a mere 5ft I couldn’t see over the hoards of people milling around the centre and got myself well and truly lost.  I did however smell A LOT of body odour!

The Farmers Market in the centre (you can’t quite see it but it goes all the way down the hill!)

I was trying to find the mothership who was also there with pals and was gasping for a cup of tea after all the weather and driving and walking, I eventually whipped out the iPhone (never ceases to amaze me), phoned the mothership and within 2 mins had received her co-ordinates by text message which I promptly told my little iPhone to show me how to get to and done, I was there.  BRILLIANT!  I am still in awe over what we can do these days!  I was also practically a mile away from where I should have been and quite possibly would never have found her with her pals directions which were ‘go to the top of the hill’ to which I proclaimed ‘which BLOODY HILL!’ (it was hill central!)

Anyway, along the lost path and the quest to find the mothership I found many exciting things…

This big old ball of fur who was soaking up some rays who unfortunately wouldn’t quite fit in my handbag!

This quaint little side street that I now want to live in with the boy! (Although not sure his aforementioned drumming would go down too well!)

Millie Moon! I had a good old perv at the book shelves…

Millie Moon is a brilliant shop filled with gorgeous fabrics and beautiful haberdashery.  I have been wanting to go along for ages as they run all sorts of classes and things for adults and children, I’m all for getting kids sewing and enjoying good old fashion stitching fun.  Kids these days! Pah! (i’m not actually that old but old enough to say that!)  I would recommend checking them out online or following them on twitter even @milliemoon or http://milliemoonshop.co.uk/#/shops/4563394318

So I browsed Millie Moon’s many bowls of buttons, ribbons, pins, fabrics, BOOKS and things and did buy myself a little something despite having a studio FULL to bursting of pretty things….  I LOVE LOVE LOVE these little sew in ‘hand made with LOVE’ charms! I just can’t decide what to put them on yet!!!

Lunchtime arrived (according to my stomach) and yes I had done all of this before lunch and my sister was already on the blower trying to find out where I was as I had promised to pop along to The Great Dorset Chilli Festival (http://www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk/) with her and Big T (he’s my IT department… ha! He’ll like that).  So off I go to find the micra (this took some doing) and after what should have been an hour of driving but what turned into an hour and a half of variable and mildly terrifying weather and dodgy roads and many many wrong turns I arrived in the beautiful village of Wimborne St Giles and the SUN WAS SHINING!!

Locate skin and blister and aforementioned IT dept and realise that I didn’t get any cash out on route.  Sister and IT dept had also run out of cash and the nearest cash point was 5 miles away but they were undeterred in there quest to kill me by going back to the 2million schoville chilli sauce that they had previously found and making me eat it.  WOW. THAT. BURNS! Temporary facial paralysis is an understatement.

Spent the next hour on a death defying chilli session, by now working our way down in heat (1 million, pah that’s nuffin!) with no money for beers, yoghurts, water or food and a tongue that I can no longer feel.  Sibling rivalry is a powerful thing and there is no way I was going to back down and NOT put these things in my mouth, imagine the ridcule! Ha!  I tried it all, my eyes leaked, my nose ran, my lips felt swollen but I can hold my head high knowing I dunnit! Or something.  I won’t go into details about the state of skin & blister, IT dept and myself the following day but we weren’t so smug by then I tell you!

Did you know you can grow purple chilli’s:

Purple chilli’s!

A FUN FUN DAY I have to say!  Sometimes I relish in the fact that I am lucky enough to be alive, own my own car and be old enough to do what ever I feel like just because I can.  This was one of those days! Woo!

I believe @stormplum and @dabigt enjoyed a Chilli themed date night the following Wednesday which involved Ghost Chilli’s sent from our brother in Shropshire.. I haven’t read the results yet but you can find them here… http://stormplum.wordpress.com/ – I predict much hilarity in her writing as usual!

So now I have reached Saturday and the end of my working week (until Monday) so will be spending the rest of the weekend working towards this website actually going live.  Tomorrow I am off to see my mate @gingergeek with a freshly baked Lemon Drizzle for tea and cake and web design discussions (He’s my consultant creative director or something).

Back soon, I promise xx