This week (Monday- Friday) has been very sophisticated! (...maybe other than paddle boarding) I had a lovely birthday day with Traff, and Kirstie came to stay Tuesday- Thursday which was awesome!
We had a chilled out evening in with take out pizza and prosecco on Tuesday night, it was lush to have a catch up.
Kirstie got me the most amazing pineapple jumper for my Birthday. It will be making many appearances once the weather gets cold.
On Wednesday we went to Cambridge to do some shopping and mooching- We had sushi for lunch too!
We went to the Ballet on Wednesday evening at the Theatre in town, We saw the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow ballet.
It was pretty damn good for £26!
It was pretty weird to see ballet without live music- Although theres no way they could have fitted an orchestra into the teeny theatre!
On Thursday We went TK Maxxing - We were both very restrained. After Kirstie ot the train home, I took my 2015 calendar home and recorded everyones Birthdays on it- I am resolved to be better at remembering Birthdays!
Or anything, actually. Birthdays is the tip of the forgotten important stuff iceberg.
Before Traff went to work in the evening, We booked our holidays! We're off to Florida and Sicily next year! and center parks. All in the same 6 weeks. Slight error.
So excited!
:)
Today- Halloween! I bought and extension cord, Did laundry, wrote letters, tidied up.. had a bit of a go at my art textiles project (18/100 hexagons done!) and planned a new project.
Now we're watching Sons or Anarchy and awaiting Karl's arrival.
:)
Hopefully, he has cake.
All in all, it has been awesome!
Friday 31 October 2014
The Story of Dolores Umbridge - The latest short story from JK Rowling
WB
Dolores Jane Umbridge was the eldest child and only daughter of Orford Umbridge, a wizard, and Ellen Cracknell, a Muggle, who also had a Squib son. Dolores’ parents were unhappily married, and Dolores secretly despised both of them: Orford for his lack of ambition (he had never been promoted, and worked in the Department of Magical Maintenance at the Ministry of Magic), and her mother, Ellen, for her flightiness, untidiness, and Muggle lineage. Both Orford and his daughter blamed Ellen for Dolores's brother's lack of magical ability, with the result that when Dolores was fifteen, the family split down the middle, Orford and Dolores remaining together, and Ellen vanishing back into the Muggle world with her son. Dolores never saw her mother or brother again, never spoke of either of them, and henceforth pretended to all she met that she was a pure-blood.
An accomplished witch, Dolores joined the Ministry of Magic directly after she left Hogwarts, taking a job as a lowly intern in the Improper Use of Magic Office. Even at seventeen, Dolores was judgemental, prejudiced and sadistic, although her conscientious attitude, her saccharine manner towards her superiors, and the ruthlessness and stealth with which she took credit for other people's work soon gained her advancement. Before she was thirty, Dolores had been promoted to Head of the office, and it was but a short step from there to ever more senior positions in the management of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. By this time, she had persuaded her father to take early retirement, and by making him a small financial allowance, she ensured that he dropped quietly out of sight. Whenever she was asked (usually by workmates who did not like her) 'are you related to that Umbridge who used to mop the floors here?' she would smile her sweetest, laugh, and deny any connection whatsoever, claiming that her deceased father had been a distinguished member of the Wizengamot. Nasty things tended to happen to people who asked about Orford, or anything that Dolores did not like talking about, and people who wanted to remain on her good side pretended to believe her version of her ancestry.
In spite of her best efforts to secure the affections of one of her superiors (she never cared particularly which of them it was, but knew that her own status and security would be advanced with a powerful husband), Dolores never succeeded in marrying. While they valued her hard work and ambition, those who got to know her best found it difficult to like her very much. After a glass of sweet sherry, Dolores was always prone to spout very uncharitable views, and even those who were anti-Muggle found themselves shocked by some of Dolores's suggestions, behind closed doors, of the treatment that the non-magical community deserved.
As she grew older and harder, and rose higher within the Ministry, Dolores's taste in little girlish accessories grew more and more pronounced; her office became a place of frills and furbelows, and she liked anything decorated with kittens (though found the real thing inconveniently messy). As the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge became increasingly anxious and paranoid that Albus Dumbledore had ambitions to supersede him, Dolores managed to claw her way to the very heart of power, by stoking both Fudge's vanity and his fears, and presenting herself as one of the few he could trust.
Dolores's appointment as Inquisitor at Hogwarts gave full scope, for the first time in her life, for her prejudices and her cruelty. She had not enjoyed her time at school, where she had been overlooked for all positions of responsibility, and she relished the chance to return and wield power over those who had not (as she saw it) given her her due.
Dolores has what amounts to a phobia of beings that are not quite, or wholly, human. Her distaste for the half-giant Hagrid, and her terror of centaurs, reveal a terror of the unknown and the wild. She is an immensely controlling person, and all who challenge her authority and world-view must, in her opinion, be punished. She actively enjoys subjugating and humiliating others, and except in their declared allegiances, there is little to choose between her and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Dolores's time at Hogwarts ended disastrously, because she overreached the remit Fudge had given her, stepping outside the bounds of her own authority, carried away with a fanatical sense of self-purpose. Shaken but unrepentant after a catastrophic end to her Hogwarts career, she returned to a Ministry, which had been plunged into turmoil due to the return of Lord Voldemort.
In the change of regimes that followed Fudge's forced resignation, Dolores was able to slip back into her former position at the Ministry. The new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, had more immediate problems pressing in on him than Dolores Umbridge. Scrimgeour was later punished for this oversight, because the fact that the Ministry had never punished Dolores for her many abuses of power seemed to Harry Potter to reveal both its complacency and its carelessness. Harry considered Dolores's continuing employment, and the lack of any repercussions for her behaviour at Hogwarts, a sign of the Ministry's essential corruption, and refused to cooperate with the new Minister because of it (Dolores is the only person, other than Lord Voldemort, to leave a permanent physical scar on Harry, having forced him to cut the words 'I must not tell lies' on the back of his own hand during detention).
Dolores was soon enjoying life at the Ministry more than ever. When the Ministry was taken over by the puppet Minister Pius Thicknesse, and infiltrated by the Dark Lord's followers, Dolores was in her true element at last. Correctly judged, by senior Death Eaters, to have much more in common with them than she ever had with Albus Dumbledore, she not only retained her post but was given extra authority, becoming Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, which was in effect a kangaroo court that imprisoned all Muggle-borns on the basis that they had ‘stolen’ their wands and their magic.
It was as she sat in judgement of another innocent woman that Harry Potter finally attacked Dolores in the very heart of the Ministry, and stole from her the Horcrux she had unwittingly been wearing.
With the fall of Lord Voldemort, Dolores Umbridge was put on trial for her enthusiastic co-operation with his regime, and convicted of the torture, imprisonment and deaths of several people (some of the innocent Muggle-borns she sentenced to Azkaban did not survive their ordeal).
Birthday: 26th August
Wand: Birch and dragon heartstring, eight inches long
Hogwarts house: Slytherin
Special abilities: Her punishment quill is of her own invention
Parentage: Muggle mother, wizard father
Family: Unmarried, no children
Hobbies: Collecting the 'Frolicsome Feline' ornamental plate range, adding flounces to fabric and frills to stationary objects, inventing instruments of torture
Pottermore.com
Once, long ago, I took instruction in a certain skill or subject (I am being vague as vague can be, for reasons that are about to become obvious), and in doing so, came into contact with a teacher or instructor whom I disliked intensely on sight.
The woman in question returned my antipathy with interest. Why we took against each other so instantly, heartily and (on my side, at least) irrationally, I honestly cannot say. What sticks in my mind is her pronounced taste for twee accessories. I particularly recall a tiny little plastic bow slide, pale lemon in colour that she wore in her short curly hair. I used to stare at that little slide, which would have been appropriate to a girl of three, as though it was some kind of repellent physical growth. She was quite a stocky woman, and not in the first flush of youth, and her tendency to wear frills where (I felt) frills had no business to be, and to carry undersized handbags, again as though they had been borrowed from a child's dressing-up box, jarred, I felt, with a personality that I found the reverse of sweet, innocent and ingenuous.
I am always a little wary when talking about these kinds of sources of inspiration, because it is infuriating to hear yourself misinterpreted in ways that can cause other people a great deal of hurt. This woman was NOT 'the real Dolores Umbridge'. She did not look like a toad, she was never sadistic or vicious to me or anyone else, and I never heard her express a single view in common with Umbridge (indeed, I never knew her well enough to know much about her views or preferences, which makes my dislike of her even less justifiable). However, it is true to say that I borrowed from her, then grossly exaggerated, a taste for the sickly sweet and girlish in dress, and it was that tiny little pale lemon plastic bow that I was remembering when I perched the fly-like ornament on Dolores Umbridge's head.
I have noticed more than once in life that a taste for the ineffably twee can go hand-in-hand with a distinctly uncharitable outlook on the world. I once shared an office with a woman who had covered the wall space behind her desk with pictures of fluffy kitties; she was the most bigoted, spiteful champion of the death penalty with whom it has ever been my misfortune to share a kettle. A love of all things saccharine often seems present where there is a lack of real warmth or charity.
So Dolores, who is one of the characters for whom I feel purest dislike, became an amalgam of traits taken from these, and a variety of sources. Her desire to control, to punish and to inflict pain, all in the name of law and order, are, I think, every bit as reprehensible as Lord Voldemort's unvarnished espousal of evil.
Umbridge's names were carefully chosen. 'Dolores' means sorrow, something she undoubtedly inflicts on all around her. 'Umbridge' is a play on 'umbrage' from the British expression 'to take umbrage', meaning offence. Dolores is offended by any challenge to her limited world-view; I felt her surname conveyed the pettiness and rigidity of her character. It is harder to explain 'Jane'; it simply felt rather smug and neat between her other two names.
Tuesday 28 October 2014
Happy Birthday to ME! :D
I woke up at 6am but I FORCED myself to stay in bed until 8. I'm such a kid, I get so excited that I can't sleep.
I got up, had a bit of birthday farm for breakfast and opened all my cards and presents.
I had to use scissors on Hayley and Randi's parcels- very well packaged!
Randi sent me some amigurumi crochet kits- Which may or many not have instructions in english. I'm sure Tats can hell me figure them out!
Theres a rabbit, a panda and a bear.
Hayley sent me incense and a set of postcards of people with spouts, which I will frame!, amongst other items.
Very cool. I've put the nag champa incense in a mug on the book case so the whole house smells yummy!
My mum and dad gave me a massive new sewing machine. It's actually quite a bit bigger than I expected but it was a Lidls bargain. They also gave me a pattern cutting kit (This will be a sign of my mothers post prima plans to come :S) and a new crazy cardigan and a flamingo scarf. :)
This is me wearing them and being exceptionally over dressed for paddle boarding!
Traff got me a new satnav, so I had to open that on friday for us to stand any chance of getting to Jay's before christmas. 2015.
We went paddle boarding- and the weather was really on our side! bright and sunny- Emma had text on Monday to say it might be a bit windy, she didn't have any qualms about us paddling as she said we were now "experienced" (I think that means we've fallen in lots and haven't drowned) but she did ask us not to bring anyone who hadn't been quite so much.
That said, It wasn't the most windy day we've paddled on, it was quite a work out though. Especially putting the wet suit on.
After paddling, Traff and I ditched the car and went to the all you can eat chinese buffet for lunch.
:D
They had teeny weeny cakes.
And strawberry ice cream.
Which I managed to get in my handbag.
After lunch we went charity shop shopping for our respective zombie halloween costumes- I got a netty white dress, fake blood, white face paint and contact lenses.
Photos to follow on Saturday!
I also managed to get a Vera Wang dress (Brand new, with tags) for £20 in a charity shop in town!
I'm going to wear it tomorrow when I go to the ballet with Kirstie (Who arrives later this evening! EEeeeeee!).
I got up, had a bit of birthday farm for breakfast and opened all my cards and presents.
I had to use scissors on Hayley and Randi's parcels- very well packaged!
Randi sent me some amigurumi crochet kits- Which may or many not have instructions in english. I'm sure Tats can hell me figure them out!
Theres a rabbit, a panda and a bear.
Hayley sent me incense and a set of postcards of people with spouts, which I will frame!, amongst other items.
Very cool. I've put the nag champa incense in a mug on the book case so the whole house smells yummy!
My mum and dad gave me a massive new sewing machine. It's actually quite a bit bigger than I expected but it was a Lidls bargain. They also gave me a pattern cutting kit (This will be a sign of my mothers post prima plans to come :S) and a new crazy cardigan and a flamingo scarf. :)
This is me wearing them and being exceptionally over dressed for paddle boarding!
Traff got me a new satnav, so I had to open that on friday for us to stand any chance of getting to Jay's before christmas. 2015.
We went paddle boarding- and the weather was really on our side! bright and sunny- Emma had text on Monday to say it might be a bit windy, she didn't have any qualms about us paddling as she said we were now "experienced" (I think that means we've fallen in lots and haven't drowned) but she did ask us not to bring anyone who hadn't been quite so much.
That said, It wasn't the most windy day we've paddled on, it was quite a work out though. Especially putting the wet suit on.
After paddling, Traff and I ditched the car and went to the all you can eat chinese buffet for lunch.
:D
They had teeny weeny cakes.
And strawberry ice cream.
Which I managed to get in my handbag.
After lunch we went charity shop shopping for our respective zombie halloween costumes- I got a netty white dress, fake blood, white face paint and contact lenses.
Photos to follow on Saturday!
I also managed to get a Vera Wang dress (Brand new, with tags) for £20 in a charity shop in town!
I'm going to wear it tomorrow when I go to the ballet with Kirstie (Who arrives later this evening! EEeeeeee!).
DIY pompom rug instructions
I'm not totally decided if this project is genius or a death trap (The last rug turned out to be quite deathtrappy because it likes to grab your legs!
I'll probably make one anyway- esp now I know that the cancer research charity shop sells balls of wool for like 25p.
I also expect it to be a disaster!
Small rugs are a great way to add color, texture, and comfort to a room. But they can be expensive and there aren’t always perfect options available. Though it isn’t usually thought of as an item you can make yourself, there is a very easy DIY rug method that only requires yarn and scissors.
To start this project, you’ll need to make a bunch of yarn pom poms. There are also pom poms you can buy from craft stores, but if you don’t want to use pre-made pom poms, you can make your own. Choose a color of yarn and wrap it around your fingers or a fork, then tie a strand around the middle so that all of the yarn is held in place, and then cut the ends of each loop of yarn.
A more detailed explanation can be found here if you need any further explanation.The number of pom poms you need will depend on how large you want your rug to be. The rug shown is about the size of a doormat and uses 48 pom poms arranged in 6 rows of 8. But the same concept of this tutorial can be applied to a larger rug.
Once you have your pom poms completed, arrange them in a pattern that you like based on their size and color. Cut pieces of yarn that measure the length and height of your rug and arrange them in a grid. Then tie each pom pom to its spot on the grid where each piece of yarn intersects. It works best if you start from the outside and work your way toward the middle.
Once all of the pom poms are added, tie off any excess yarn and place the rug with the grid facing down toward the floor. That’s all there is to it – enjoy your new rug!
This project can be very easily customized to match your home decor with different colors and patterns. You can make a pom pom rug that is just one single color. You can make one with stripes. You can make one that’s sort of a checkerboard pattern. And you can change the size and type of yarn. The possibilities for this project are nearly endless!
Monday 27 October 2014
Wales (To mooch about), Poole ( For the Lush Spa) and Chippenham (For an early Birthday tea)
On friday Traff picked me up from work and we travelled down to Wales- When we got in the car, the Sat nav suggested that we'd arrive about 5:30
Traff, ever the optimist was like "Oh, we might be in wales before 5- that'll be good as we'll beat the traffic."
Therefore, I truly believe that it is his fault we got stuck in traffic for an additional 3 hours.Having not learned his lesson the first time, he said something very similar as we drove towards Gloucester, and we immediately got stuck in a stationary queue of traffic for 40 minutes.
The lesson?
If it's a school holiday, just don't even think about going away anywhere. Because the roads will be choked up with people trying to go on holiday from like 2pm-9pm. Or, if you must go, leave your home at midnight and contend only with lorries!
We arrived at Jay's about 8- and he had kindly procured food and beverages otherwise I may have been forced to cook and eat Traff. Sooooo hungry.
Hayley, Dai, Josh and Katie also joined us on friday evening- Which was awesome! Hayley and Dai were back from Germany for a few days and Josh and Katie move to Sicily on Wednesday for 9 months- We couldn't have timed that better!
I'd gotten hold of Hayley on the off chance because she is taking ownership of my old sewing machine- so as I was in Wales I said I'd drop if off at her mums (Actually, in the chaos, We forgot the sewing machine so I'll have to take it next time!) so we were really lucky they were all free.
Katie taught Hayley and I to french plait too!
We had a really good evening catching up with everyone- Hopefully next time we'll all be in Sicily!
On a beach!
woop woop!
Traff and I went up to bed about 2 am- at 3 I got up for water and Hayely, Dai and Jay were still up talking bollocks and drinking earl grey. They went to bed about 5am, so we really didn't get up and go on Saturday!
Traff got up early and went to take a photo of the church his Grandma and Grandad got married in in the 1930s- he even found his Grandma's childhood home.
I was much less productive. I flopped about on the sofa and ate pink wafer biscuits.
By 2pm we were all (just about) awake. Hayely and Dai headed home, and Jay and I went into Cardiff to drop Traff off at James's for a boys night out.
Jay and I walked round Cardiff for a bit, then got some lunch in spoons- as soon as we got in the pub the heavens opened.
urgh
I do not miss the rain in Wales.
On Sunday morning I got up very early to drive to my parents for 10am.
I arrived just in time for a cooked breakfast (Sausage sandwiches!) before we headed off to Poole in Dorset.
(Ray almost ended up in the cross channel ferry port. but otherwise the journey was very uneventful)
We parked in the multi-storey car park by the seafront- Each level has a letter and picture so that you don't lose your car.
C- crab etc (We parked on H for "hammock"
This is the image for E-
We couldn't figure out what it was- "E is for.... Snake?" about half an hour later we were like "Oh yeah, it's an eel!" Then my mum told us about the time her brother caught an eel as a kid and put it in the fridge. Transpires they're amphibious?
We had tea and cake in a pub on the high street
Then we headed to the Lush spa!
It was amazing! Mum had "The spell" and Ray and I had the "Tailor made"- which is a brilliant deep tissue massage to sea shanties and the Captain pugwash theme tune.
https://www.lush.co.uk/shop/poole
After the massage we were served tea with rum and teeny tiny shortbread biscuits. I felt like Alice in Wonderland
.
Following the massage, we went in search of food- And found a chippy on the seafront. This is what £1.80 worth of chips should look like every time!
And when we got home, as an early birthday treat- my dad had done a "Pick and mix" Birthday tea with Crumpets and sandwiches and tunnocks teacakes- and he'd bought me a birthday farm!
:)
Traff, ever the optimist was like "Oh, we might be in wales before 5- that'll be good as we'll beat the traffic."
Therefore, I truly believe that it is his fault we got stuck in traffic for an additional 3 hours.Having not learned his lesson the first time, he said something very similar as we drove towards Gloucester, and we immediately got stuck in a stationary queue of traffic for 40 minutes.
The lesson?
If it's a school holiday, just don't even think about going away anywhere. Because the roads will be choked up with people trying to go on holiday from like 2pm-9pm. Or, if you must go, leave your home at midnight and contend only with lorries!
We arrived at Jay's about 8- and he had kindly procured food and beverages otherwise I may have been forced to cook and eat Traff. Sooooo hungry.
Hayley, Dai, Josh and Katie also joined us on friday evening- Which was awesome! Hayley and Dai were back from Germany for a few days and Josh and Katie move to Sicily on Wednesday for 9 months- We couldn't have timed that better!
I'd gotten hold of Hayley on the off chance because she is taking ownership of my old sewing machine- so as I was in Wales I said I'd drop if off at her mums (Actually, in the chaos, We forgot the sewing machine so I'll have to take it next time!) so we were really lucky they were all free.
Katie taught Hayley and I to french plait too!
We had a really good evening catching up with everyone- Hopefully next time we'll all be in Sicily!
On a beach!
woop woop!
Traff and I went up to bed about 2 am- at 3 I got up for water and Hayely, Dai and Jay were still up talking bollocks and drinking earl grey. They went to bed about 5am, so we really didn't get up and go on Saturday!
Traff got up early and went to take a photo of the church his Grandma and Grandad got married in in the 1930s- he even found his Grandma's childhood home.
I was much less productive. I flopped about on the sofa and ate pink wafer biscuits.
By 2pm we were all (just about) awake. Hayely and Dai headed home, and Jay and I went into Cardiff to drop Traff off at James's for a boys night out.
Jay and I walked round Cardiff for a bit, then got some lunch in spoons- as soon as we got in the pub the heavens opened.
urgh
I do not miss the rain in Wales.
On Sunday morning I got up very early to drive to my parents for 10am.
I arrived just in time for a cooked breakfast (Sausage sandwiches!) before we headed off to Poole in Dorset.
(Ray almost ended up in the cross channel ferry port. but otherwise the journey was very uneventful)
We parked in the multi-storey car park by the seafront- Each level has a letter and picture so that you don't lose your car.
C- crab etc (We parked on H for "hammock"
This is the image for E-
We couldn't figure out what it was- "E is for.... Snake?" about half an hour later we were like "Oh yeah, it's an eel!" Then my mum told us about the time her brother caught an eel as a kid and put it in the fridge. Transpires they're amphibious?
We had tea and cake in a pub on the high street
Then we headed to the Lush spa!
It was amazing! Mum had "The spell" and Ray and I had the "Tailor made"- which is a brilliant deep tissue massage to sea shanties and the Captain pugwash theme tune.
https://www.lush.co.uk/shop/poole
After the massage we were served tea with rum and teeny tiny shortbread biscuits. I felt like Alice in Wonderland
.
Following the massage, we went in search of food- And found a chippy on the seafront. This is what £1.80 worth of chips should look like every time!
And when we got home, as an early birthday treat- my dad had done a "Pick and mix" Birthday tea with Crumpets and sandwiches and tunnocks teacakes- and he'd bought me a birthday farm!
:)
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Celebrity sewing bee
The highlight of the program was Dave from the hairy bikers saying that making a sun dress was "like trying to knit a jellyfish"
:D
That is a quote I will do my best to adopt!
:D
That is a quote I will do my best to adopt!
Monday 20 October 2014
Mobile Zoo from Impeyan Productions, Take 1
I've had such an exciting evening! I went to zoo evening run by Impeyan Productions and I got a Meerkat in my ear.
yes, you read that right.
The EAR.
http://www.charlesanimalencounters.co.uk/
We got to see parrots and hornbills (Like in the Lion King!) and Tree frogs and Gekos- all the normal stuff you'd expect from a mobile Zoo.
We also got to see an armadillo. They're much faster and scratchier in real life and it did roll up into a ball, Twice.
So my evening was more or less prefect then...
But wait! BATS! fruit bats. We even got to feed him grapes.
And, I think I almost died of cuteness exposure- A fledgling Barn Owl. It's still got it's downy feathers.
Have you ever seen anything so adorable and sad all at once?
Tats has a photo of me with the meerkat in my ear. Not dignified.
yes, you read that right.
The EAR.
http://www.charlesanimalencounters.co.uk/
We got to see parrots and hornbills (Like in the Lion King!) and Tree frogs and Gekos- all the normal stuff you'd expect from a mobile Zoo.
We also got to see an armadillo. They're much faster and scratchier in real life and it did roll up into a ball, Twice.
So my evening was more or less prefect then...
But wait! BATS! fruit bats. We even got to feed him grapes.
And, I think I almost died of cuteness exposure- A fledgling Barn Owl. It's still got it's downy feathers.
Have you ever seen anything so adorable and sad all at once?
Tats has a photo of me with the meerkat in my ear. Not dignified.
Sunday 19 October 2014
Tony & Donna's Wedding
Today started with shoe shopping. I hate shoe shopping.
I realised yesterday that I don't have any black shoes. And as my dress is green It was going to be a bit of a challenge to get anything else to go with it.
On my way back from Town I got sarah to make my hair windproof for the day- which cheered me up after my miserable morning of panic shopping:
Whilst I was out Traff sorted out the Aygo as the wedding car, and we helped Tony to get ready before his big day!
*VIP*
It was a bit of a crazy rush- we all got ready in literally 20 minutes flat. I offered Tony a cuppa and he just looked at me with a panicked expression and told me there was "No time". No time for tea. we were truly that flat out.
We met everyone outside the registry office- and Tony introduced us to his Mother, Who critiqued Traff's Welsh and got chatted up by the DJ! In the end, we were there in good time so we were able to chat to the other guests and stretch our legs a bit.
I realised when we arrived at the registry office that I'd been so busy running round sorting stuff out that I hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet, so spent the wedding ceremony trying to get my stomach to growl quietly.
Everything went really well, Traff didn't lose the rings and Nick arrived just in time for the ceremony so I had someone to sit with,
After the service, we had photos outside- and the sun came out too!
Then we headed over to Elstow Village hall for the reception. They had proper pint glasses- the ones you only see in films/on Emerdale!
They're much heavier than I'd expected. Nick was laughing at me for picking it up with 2 hands. Nick and I also ate Sandy's favour before the buffet. we were hungry. and we're not sorry.
I was driving so only on the lemonaid- It didn't stop me dancing like no-one was watching! We had a brilliant night, it was such a good laugh- our only complaint is that the DJ was rubbish and kept trying to play flo-rida when we just wanted trashy 80s!
I have a kitchen full of cupcakes. I ate soooo much cake yesterday I actually don't think I can face eating any more.
I might take some to Tat's and get Traff to take some into work.
I realised yesterday that I don't have any black shoes. And as my dress is green It was going to be a bit of a challenge to get anything else to go with it.
On my way back from Town I got sarah to make my hair windproof for the day- which cheered me up after my miserable morning of panic shopping:
Whilst I was out Traff sorted out the Aygo as the wedding car, and we helped Tony to get ready before his big day!
*VIP*
It was a bit of a crazy rush- we all got ready in literally 20 minutes flat. I offered Tony a cuppa and he just looked at me with a panicked expression and told me there was "No time". No time for tea. we were truly that flat out.
We met everyone outside the registry office- and Tony introduced us to his Mother, Who critiqued Traff's Welsh and got chatted up by the DJ! In the end, we were there in good time so we were able to chat to the other guests and stretch our legs a bit.
I realised when we arrived at the registry office that I'd been so busy running round sorting stuff out that I hadn't eaten or drunk anything yet, so spent the wedding ceremony trying to get my stomach to growl quietly.
Everything went really well, Traff didn't lose the rings and Nick arrived just in time for the ceremony so I had someone to sit with,
After the service, we had photos outside- and the sun came out too!
Then we headed over to Elstow Village hall for the reception. They had proper pint glasses- the ones you only see in films/on Emerdale!
They're much heavier than I'd expected. Nick was laughing at me for picking it up with 2 hands. Nick and I also ate Sandy's favour before the buffet. we were hungry. and we're not sorry.
I was driving so only on the lemonaid- It didn't stop me dancing like no-one was watching! We had a brilliant night, it was such a good laugh- our only complaint is that the DJ was rubbish and kept trying to play flo-rida when we just wanted trashy 80s!
I have a kitchen full of cupcakes. I ate soooo much cake yesterday I actually don't think I can face eating any more.
I might take some to Tat's and get Traff to take some into work.
Saturday 18 October 2014
Wadham college, Oxford & The Sheldonian Theatre
On friday I went to a STEM day at Wadham college, Oxford. I like going to events in Oxford as I really do know exactly where I'm going!
Wadham is one of the colleges I've never been to or had an affiliation with- not even when I worked at The Museum of Oxford (They had an exhibition space and a lecture room, so we'd end up lending spaces to the uni or they'd put together temporary exhibitions or display their archeological finds- actually, it was the coolest job I've had to date!).
We started the day by arriving late (roadworks) and then a lecture on the college and it's famous scholars.
After the welcome lecture we had a tour of the college, libraries, grounds etc and we were treated to an early lunch in the main dining hall.
I love the dining halls at the Oxbridge unis- They make me think of Hogwarts!
After lunch we attended a lecture on John Wilkins and his contribution to science.
Then we attended a lecture on Engineering and it's applications.
After the lectures at Wadham, we were given some free tome to mooch around Oxford- I took Jenni to Ben's Cookies, The Bodlian, The Radcliffe camera and the Bridge of Sighs, before we had to go back to the Sheldonian for a lecture.
I've always wanted to go inside the Sheldonian theatre- To be honest, I was a little disappointed by how 60s it was on the inside- and how horribly uncomfortable the seats were! but that is one thing ticked off my bucket list.
The lecture was on John Wilkin's legacy- It was really interesting, I was pleased to have had the opportunity to have attended it.
Abi managed to attend too so we got to have a catch up afterwards, which was an unexpected perk!
Wadham is one of the colleges I've never been to or had an affiliation with- not even when I worked at The Museum of Oxford (They had an exhibition space and a lecture room, so we'd end up lending spaces to the uni or they'd put together temporary exhibitions or display their archeological finds- actually, it was the coolest job I've had to date!).
We started the day by arriving late (roadworks) and then a lecture on the college and it's famous scholars.
After the welcome lecture we had a tour of the college, libraries, grounds etc and we were treated to an early lunch in the main dining hall.
I love the dining halls at the Oxbridge unis- They make me think of Hogwarts!
After lunch we attended a lecture on John Wilkins and his contribution to science.
Then we attended a lecture on Engineering and it's applications.
After the lectures at Wadham, we were given some free tome to mooch around Oxford- I took Jenni to Ben's Cookies, The Bodlian, The Radcliffe camera and the Bridge of Sighs, before we had to go back to the Sheldonian for a lecture.
I've always wanted to go inside the Sheldonian theatre- To be honest, I was a little disappointed by how 60s it was on the inside- and how horribly uncomfortable the seats were! but that is one thing ticked off my bucket list.
The lecture was on John Wilkin's legacy- It was really interesting, I was pleased to have had the opportunity to have attended it.
Abi managed to attend too so we got to have a catch up afterwards, which was an unexpected perk!
Thursday 16 October 2014
The tedium of being ill
I haven't posted much lately- and I apologise for that.
In honesty, I haven't had a whole lot to tell anyone about because I haven't exactly done a whole lot.
Don't get me wrong- I had a lot of plans for this week. They're just all on the back burner. I've felt rubbish since Friday last week, but was sicky-bad at work yesterday morning so was off yesterday and today.
I missed Tony and Donna's pre wedding meal yesterday night, I missed STEM, Home Ed and an opportunity to go paddle boarding. I am unprepared for the wedding on Saturday because I haven't been able to get out of the house and to cap it all I had a rubbish experience at the doctors yesterday too so spent yesterday evening truly furious.
I also discovered that I've left my debit card at a petrol station near Cheltenham some time last week, so really, it's just as well I'm sick as I can't go anywhere anyway.
All i've done for the last 2 days is watch disney films, Crochet one, solitary, African rose for my Art textiles project (13 done, 87 to go!) teach myself to french plait and sent loads of self pitying whatsapps.
The builder came to fix the fally-down bits of the ceiling, he's called Des, and he likes to talk about the 60s.
So he cheered me up a bit. Although having a solvent filled house was the trade off.
He was laughing at the worn out patch in our bathroom floor, which is exactly where men stand to pee. Excessive peeing has worn out our lino!
Traff took me to tesco this evening to try and get some shoes for the wedding. Unfortunately we were not successful.
I still need to get some black shoes to go with my green dress- I'll be running round the shops on saturday morning at this rate!
We were met with this awesome sunset when we left the house- This must be a sign that my week is improving!
In honesty, I haven't had a whole lot to tell anyone about because I haven't exactly done a whole lot.
Don't get me wrong- I had a lot of plans for this week. They're just all on the back burner. I've felt rubbish since Friday last week, but was sicky-bad at work yesterday morning so was off yesterday and today.
I missed Tony and Donna's pre wedding meal yesterday night, I missed STEM, Home Ed and an opportunity to go paddle boarding. I am unprepared for the wedding on Saturday because I haven't been able to get out of the house and to cap it all I had a rubbish experience at the doctors yesterday too so spent yesterday evening truly furious.
I also discovered that I've left my debit card at a petrol station near Cheltenham some time last week, so really, it's just as well I'm sick as I can't go anywhere anyway.
All i've done for the last 2 days is watch disney films, Crochet one, solitary, African rose for my Art textiles project (13 done, 87 to go!) teach myself to french plait and sent loads of self pitying whatsapps.
The builder came to fix the fally-down bits of the ceiling, he's called Des, and he likes to talk about the 60s.
So he cheered me up a bit. Although having a solvent filled house was the trade off.
He was laughing at the worn out patch in our bathroom floor, which is exactly where men stand to pee. Excessive peeing has worn out our lino!
Traff took me to tesco this evening to try and get some shoes for the wedding. Unfortunately we were not successful.
I still need to get some black shoes to go with my green dress- I'll be running round the shops on saturday morning at this rate!
We were met with this awesome sunset when we left the house- This must be a sign that my week is improving!
Friday 10 October 2014
"The corner shop" art installation made of felt in Brighton!
A grocery store stocked entirely with goods made from felt is now open in Brighton.
The 'Cornershop' installation, brainchild of large-scale artist Lucy Sparrow, 29, is a life-size store, fully stocked with stitched-together goods.
Lucy, from Bath, spent seven months stitching together an incredible 3,994 grocery items, which required more than a quarter of a million stitches, and first unveiled her quirky shop in Bethnal Green, east London, back in August.
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Artist Lucy Sparrow has created a Cornershop conraining almost 4,000 felt grocery items
Charles Woodward, age 2, was one keen custoemr at the Cornershop art installation at the No Walls gallery in Brighton
'I like getting up at the crack of dawn and beavering away at something, knowing that so many other people are still asleep. The felt shop was born out of a desire to make an exhibition that was so all-encompassing that when everyone came in they were just blown away by the extent of the work, the labour involved.'
Lucy took to crowdfunding site Kickstarter with the aim of raising £2,000 to create her corner shop - but ended up generating more than £10,500. She also managed to secure funding from the Arts Council - and a sponsorship deal with sweets manufacturer Swizzels.
The sewing enthusiast only began work on the shop in January 2014, and admits to occasionally feeling overwhelmed by the volume of produce she was committed to making.
Every item, including these Anchor butter packs are made from hand-stitched felt
Audrey Petitt from Portslade, East Sussex picked up some Spam Fritters and Digestives at the store
She added: 'It was incredibly daunting. I remember planning out the making schedule at the beginning of February and it didn't allow for a rest until the October 1. There were so many nights where I would wake up in a cold sweat feeling guilty and panicked that I hadn't made enough that day.
'I fell asleep with pieces of half-stitched felt food a lot of the time. But I never felt like giving up, amazingly. However, there were periods of extreme fatigue where I just felt like I could sleep for weeks. I think I have multivitamins and takeaways to thank for getting everything completed.'
For most of the month of October, The Cornershop is stationed at the No Walls gallery in Brighton for one final seaside outing.
The felt versions of familiar grocery items include fish fingers, cans of SPAM and what is most certainly the softest loo roll ever manufactured.
Lucy, from Bath, first unveiled her quirky shop in Bethnal Green, east London, in August
For most of the month of October,The Cornershop is stationed at the No Walls gallery in Brighton
Everything inside the Cornershop, including the till and the sandwich selection is fashioned from fabric
The pop-up shop features everything from huggable fruit, milk, biscuits, ready meals and squeezable confectionery to stitched felt newspapers, ice lollies and oven chips.
And it's not only the goods on display, everything inside the Cornershop including the till, the functioning pricing gun, the contents of freezers and even the pick 'n' mix stand is fashioned from fabric.
The majority of the contents have already been sold and are on loan for the duration of the Brighton show.
However, there is a handful of new, previously unseen items available to purchase, giving people one last chance to get their hands on some of Lucy's Cornershop goodies, with prices starting from just £30.
The Cornershop will be on display at the No Walls Gallery in Brighton from October 4 - 25.
Even packets of cigarettes such as Lucky Strike and Mayfair Smooth are made of super soft fabric
The majority of the contents have already sold and are on loan for the duration of the Brighton show
There is a handful of new, previously unseen items available to purchase, giving people one last chance to get their hands on some of Lucy's goodies
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2786349/Quirky-grocery-store-FELT-sets-shop-Brighton-Artist-spends-seven-months-stitching-4-000-items-including-chocolate-bars-Loaded-mags-Spam-Fritters.html#ixzz3FjYOZ6NU
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