Beholden

Keeping calm

2009-03-14T14:08:00.001Z

Hello. I have come to realise that running two blogs is rather beyond me and my silly amounts of work at the moment. I have decided to wind this blog down and blog my day to day nonsense on my other blog. Come along and see me there... and let me know what you think...

My happy place from honeymoon... though with hindsight rather a tumultuous sea...

Snow Day

2009-02-02T17:21:00.000Z

The worst weather conditions for decades.

Snowmen in the local park.

No chance of going to work.

Beavering away at my computer.

Choc chip cookies & tea.

When Auntie Helen comes to stay...

2009-01-27T22:36:00.001Z

A weekend in Norfolk coincided nicely with the requirement for 'History Week' costumes for my goddaughter and her sister. Lo and behold, a Brabantia bin-box converts nicely into a castle with turrets and working drawbridge!

All in a day's work for this little Beholder!

And the girls got to finally get their long overdue Christmas presents: corduroy ponchos that look utterly darling, if I do say so myself!

A Family Christmas

2008-12-30T22:37:00.001Z

So... what is a wife of only 7 weeks to do?

Why, open her presents in her wedding dress, of course.

A great few days with my family, with gorgeous food (not going to be getting back into that frock for a little while yet) and incredibly beautiful presents (this link in particular, still to be hung but very gladly received by The Husband). I did incredibly well, with the Husband secretly catching me eyeing up Abigail's gorgeousness and putting an order in for the gold and black beads of joy. Aren't I a lucky girl indeed?

Back to our home via Lechlade (oh the antiques!) just in time for scones and a bracing walk in the cold.

My December

2008-12-22T21:07:00.001Z

Some crafting ... Care of a Christmas present inherited for myself (5 year olds are never going to appreciate something as darned cool as these stamps, surely?)

Some wrapping...(got a bit felt-happy this year!)

Some baking ... (note the additions to the kitchen: namely, microwave, KITCHENAID, toaster, kettle, kniferack, Hen Party Jug, Salt and Pepper Mill... that is everything! God love wedding lists!)

Some renovation work ... (remember the in-law's cottage? My how it has changed!)

Oh and some humiliating attempts to keep up with the relies at their annual pub caroling. Note the row of children with instruments. And then note the baffled looking grown woman.

Yup, ladies and gents... That is me, holding a recorder for the first time in about 12 years. Bring on the wassailing I say!

Interim images from the wedding...

2008-12-22T20:42:00.001Z

Post stolen from my other blog...

Thanks for the requests for more pics of the wedding! The reason for the delay has been to wait for the professional ones to come through to give you the good stuff.

If however, you're happy for the amateur offerings to suffice in the meantime... here goes...

Fingers crossed the professional pictures will be coming by the end of this month so I'll be able to give you much clearer detail shots...

Otherwise...

The bridesmaids dresses were Vogue 8416 in navy blue silk from Hong Kong.

Cake was two layers of fruit, two layers of carrot cake with cake topper of a dressmaker's dummy and a grand piano made from oven-hardening clay.

Venue florals were by a good friend and featured roses, hydrangea, vibernum berry, various foliage and a bow made by my Mum!

Bouquets were ranuncula, roses, vibernum berry hand-tied with antique navy velvet ribbon given by a family friend.

My shoes were from Italian leather from Sniff, adult bridesmaids were navy patent from Faith and little patents were from an online boutique, Panache.

Hair flowers were antique silk from VV Rouleaux and Mum's fascinator was made using one of those flowers along with feathers and beads taken from her dress fabric.

Any other details I've forgotten? Will share other pictures with you as soon as I have them: trust me, as excited as you are, I fear I may be more so!

Thanks to various friends and especially my sister for the above pictures.

Beholden Hits the 21st Century

2008-12-22T20:31:00.001Z

For goodness sake let me know if this doesn't work, but as a final farewell before I run off for the jolly holidays, here's a montage that the Boy made of the Day.

Wowsers... that looks like it might just work!

I've been keeping all my wedding paraphenalia on my other blog but thought you may be interested in the video above and also, if you'd like a butcher's at the honeymoon, the posts can be seen at this handy link!

Enjoy, happy holidays and thanks for all your support, messages and comments in 2008! Here's to my first Merry Christmas as a wife!

Wedding Crafting

2008-10-26T21:13:00.001Z

It's been too long to the point that I fear I have no readership left...

The reasons are numerous, or simple, depending on your ability to bear excuses.

The numerous...

Knitting & Stitching Show

Cocktails in volume...and stitching in moderation

Bridesmaids Presents to make

And collate

And then wrap

Wedding favours to collate & clean...

...label...

...and pack...

According to the table plan...

Not forgetting the flower girl presents too...

Can you see the resemblance?

So in truth, the excuses are stitching and marrying. In that order.

Crafty Crafty

2008-09-14T19:39:00.001+01:00

It's been a while, but I have been a productive little soldier.

Work continues to be busy but rewarding, particularly when turning a corner on a sunny morning and seeing the Waterside cafe as a beautiful oasis rather than a concrete jungle.

The sewing that I created last year for my godchildren continues to be put to good use by a very enthusiastic and gorgeous girl

while the more serious older sister concentrates hard on taking care of the new puppy...

Crafting continues apace at wedding planner central... do drop by and see what I've been up to!

Try to remember...

2008-08-18T17:34:00.001+01:00

When the summer existed...

One day, a long long time ago, we went to Oxfordshire. Hot air balloons laced across the sky as we sat in a garden eating scrumptious salads...

The hostess, parents of a dear friend of ours, is a potter extraordinaire and all of her family tableware is made in her studio.

The studio itself is hidden in the inner corner of a garden full of blossoming flowers, trees laden with fruit and tempting little places to swing, seat, sunbathe and generally relax.

A delicious day in the heat of the summer.

If only I could remember what it felt like to be warm.

Monochrome

2008-08-13T19:02:00.001+01:00

For someone who is usually a veritable rainbow of colour, I am loving the monochrome look at the moment. Maybe it has something to do with the DIRE weather we are having: I just don't feel like wearing bright summery colours and black and white just always looks crisp and right.

Indeed, I'm wearing this dress above for a wedding in two weeks time.

As I sit at the computer in this Noa Noa top, black trousers and gold All Stars, my fingers clicked over to one of my favourite American chains:

White House Black Market.

My oh my, have they got some gorgeous frocks for the fall....

With a black pair of linen trousers just finished and a white linen and crochet top just finished it's going to take something of a tropical miracle to get me back into any kind of technicolour: glorious or otherwise...

Tip Top in Tipperary Town

2008-07-27T13:50:00.001+01:00

A surprisingly sunny holiday in Southern Ireland, visiting the numerous relatives that abound in County Tipperary. My parents have purchased a plot of land and put cows on it while trying to get planning for their retirement home... Much drinking, eating, driving and sight-seeing to be had in the area...

Picnicing at the Vee

Playing sailor on the loch at Killaloe

And enjoying the wonders of the Irish sense of humour...

Highly recommend the area... though perhaps not my photography skills which were woefully absent this week, I'm afraid.

When VV Rouleaux Comes to Town

2008-07-18T10:50:00.001+01:00

All is BRIGHT with the world...

The delectable Annabel Lewis (left) and her handmade fascinator...

Alongside the disgustingly talented Claudia (milliner extraordinaire) who joined in the ribbon making!

Caravan installed in Silk Street entrance for the world to see until Sunday!

Thousands of metres of ribbon draped from antlers on the wall for all the world to fondle.

We learnt how to make roses out of ribbon wire and then pinned them on to my good self.

And then it all had to be packed away.

And that was sad.

But we'll get over it.

With another trip to Marylebone High Street.

Pausing for breath

2008-07-16T11:29:00.004+01:00

The reams of events that have been going on here at Camp Beholden have finally caught up on me and my body is starting to slow down.

Which is rather a shame as my schedule will continue to be busy regardless, at least for the next five days.

We had an INCREDIBLY popular photography and makeup sesh in the gallery for the First Thursday of July

We celebrated OAKFEST 08 at Oaklands School in Bethnal Green

We crafted and coutured our way to stunning sample technique pieces with Ruth

I will be lying down in a darkened room shortly.

But sadly not quite yet...

July Fourth... When You're Not American...

2008-07-06T19:39:00.001+01:00

Good fun, particularly when your guests are only able to sing Bye Bye Miss American Pie instead of the Star Spangled Banner in celebration of the Big Day.

And your fireworks are reduced to one sparkler on top of a pile of cookies...

My ambitions never quite lives up to Martha Stewart's expectations...

Do they??

My Life's Work is Done...

2008-07-01T08:24:00.001+01:00

There was a fayre...

There was a Produce Show...

There was a Lemon Cake category...

I came Third...

I'm ignoring the fact that only Three cakes were on Show.

Herewith my father-in-law (to be) successfully catching a long-range egg in the Egg Throwing competition.

What a weekend...

What a week...

2008-06-19T10:04:00.003+01:00

And the season has only just begun.

The exhibition programme that I have been working on since starting my new job in January is finally kicking off this week.

The opening was glamorous without being intimidatingly snooty: I was so pleased by how many people were happy to chat away with me. I even had a jaw-dropping (well for me!) five minutes with Gok Wan ending in air kisses and hugs! Fingers crossed he'll be working with us sometime in the near future!

The beautiful Ruth's work has gone online and her workshop has sold out in record time!

Tonight sees the launch of the public programme proper so fingers crossed and of course, I'll report back!

England in bloom

2008-06-16T23:14:00.001+01:00

God love the summer sun...

Townies and farmers...

2008-06-08T22:26:00.001+01:00

A gorgeous weekend with great friends in Norfolk.

There were freshly picked carrots that made their way into our roast dinner ...

A restored retro trike complete with trunk for all important storage of creeping crawlies and wriggling worms ...

'Paintfacing' ...

Hard grafting at the computer ...

And general frolicking and frivolity ...

Gosh it's great to give children back at the end of a summer weekend. The playing is great, but the peace is better!

Literally counting the days until our next visit.

Another day... Another exhibition opening...

2008-05-30T08:46:00.001+01:00

A cutting edge duo are exhibiting at the museum I work in... A dress is required... The pressure was on...

And the wallet was empty.

Queue a very old piece of printed silk crepe given to me by a friend's grandmother...

And some scraps of shot taffeta along with a pressing need to jump on the Suffolk Puff/Yo Yo bandwagon that's bouncing all over the internet...

Images are rubbish but hopefully I'm nearly there. Just need to hem it and pick up some cheap-o shoes from some high street somewhere...

Comments on a postcard to the usual address.

Weekend wandering

2008-05-23T20:32:00.001+01:00

Borough Market in all its spring splendour offered a smorgasbord of asparagus and pick'n'mix mushrooms.

The Museum of Childhood made me happy in its floor...

and its cavernous ceiling...

Great cafe too...

It's all about the fabric

2008-05-23T11:47:00.003+01:00

If ever there were a dress to prove that amazing fabric can bely basic construction and possibly even dodgy methods... this is it.

I'm not saying this dress is dodgily made at all. It's a large rectangle of amazing printed silk shirred all the way around the top. No zip, no shaping, it's all in the elastic. Excellent for the summer and a great way to show off the cutest of prints.

If I only I could get my hands on the fabric. Something tells me I shall now be ebaying for flamingo printed cotton.

Stitch / Step / Stitch / Step

2008-04-15T12:23:00.002+01:00

Utterly in love.

Utterly want.

Utterly can't justify four pairs of shoes in as many weeks.

Utterly disgusted with myself for having so much willpower.

Some more stitchin' and some bakin'

2008-04-09T20:36:00.001+01:00

As modelled by the beautiful rocking chair...

An embroidered cushion for my shabby chic friend's 30th birthday...

And a dairy-free baking session for a work colleague's 30th birthday to accommodate a lactose-intolerance in the office, which will only add an element of challenge to my efforts...

Just about retained my domestic goddess crown with this decidedly flat whisked sponge cake by resurrecting the height with the last minute addition of soya yogurt and raspberries...

A pile of bananas muffins on the right made sure that none went hungry.

My parentals have a farm...

2008-04-06T16:53:00.001+01:00

My dad is of Irish descent and has decided to return to his roots. My folks have put their house in the Cotswolds for sale and have purchased a plot of land in the middle of County Tipperary in southern Ireland. In order to get planning permission, they must prove that their land is for farming use.

Queue my parents playing at being farmer Giles, complete with beasts!!

Brilliant! The Boy and I are going out to play in July, so keep your fingers crossed that we manage to catch the five days of the year when it doesn't rain...

An Irish feast and a rainy spring feast

2008-04-02T19:06:00.001+01:00

Well, the weather outside is frightful and the stodge has been just delightful...

Entertaining guests with lasagna and a decadent chocolate mousse

And a St Patrick's Day bonanza chez parentals featuring Bailey's cheesecake and Leprechaun Champagne

A Stitchin and a Rockin

2008-03-30T23:11:00.001+01:00

A pinafore dress from cotton samples and Liberty Tana Lawn offcuts for my god daughter's fifth birthday...

And a bargain (by which I mean entirely free!) find in the wood and refuse pile at the local recycling centre...

All in all, a weekend well spent / saved...

Here to thrifty fun!

The calm after the storm

2008-03-10T18:46:00.001Z

It is 6.45pm on a Monday and I am still wearing my pyjamas.

The reason for this is reviewed here, amongst other places.

The weekend was chaotic but great fun, although I think I have to work on my stamina. Fourteen hour shifts are just plain painful!

101 Reasons why I cannot be trusted

2008-02-24T22:33:00.001Z

Went to the registry office this week to publish the banns of marriage with the Boy. After providing all his details about himself, he was asked by the Registrar to give my full name and age.

I got the giggles that I was not allowed to answer.

A swift look from the Boy and I controlled myself.

Due to a long-unremedied error on my passport, the exchange then went as follows:

Registrar: And the bride's date of birth?

Me: 12 September

Registrar: Oh...it says 2 September on your passport...?

Me: Oh... um... whichever suits you.*

Registrar: Well, which is it?

Me: Tedious explanation which I won't bore you with.

The Registrar sighs, accepts my explanation and fills in my correct date of birth. After reading out the legal ramifications of the forms and the need for care, attention and avoiding prison sentences for incest and treason, she asks me to check the licence.

At which point, the Boy realises that I am not the age that he stated. I am, in fact, a year older.

I never could do maths.

The two marriage licences are destroyed and we have to start all over again.

My giggles have now reached a critical level.

Ten minutes and much glaring from the Boy later, we narrowly escape from the registry office with our licence and £60 worse off.

We are awaiting postal confirmation that all is well.

I am not holding my breath.

*Note to others. If you find yourself in a similar situation in the future, provide detailed corroboration of your birthday. Do not think it will be helpful to allow the Registrar to choose for you. They will think you are illegal. Or lying. Or stupid. Or all three.

** If this isn't an excuse for another showing off of the bling, I don't know what is...

A Valentine's Triumph

2008-02-23T18:35:00.001Z

Bless him. One of the few times that the Boy enters the kitchen with grand designs is February 14th. For better or worse, he had the afternoon off clinic on that day so had a full 8 hours preparation time to brace himself for the culinary onslaught. Three supermarket trips later... and I came home to...

On the table, we had candles, a menu and delicious delights.

In the kitchen, a small hurricane had managed to decimate each and every pot, bowl and utensil that I own.

Mushroom and garlic flan to start and home battered calamari with watercress salad, pan fried potatoes and grilled tomatoes.

Bless the Boy. He was rightly proud and I was rightly full.

Love it or hate it?

2008-02-23T18:22:00.001Z

Really can't decide...

Love the print

Hate the cut

Love the pleating detail

Hate what it would do to my chest

Love the colour

Hate the length

Votes please...

Weekends and lovin'

2008-02-21T20:39:00.001Z

The sun came out last weekend and showed St A off in all its brilliant glory. We fed the ducks who had by then realised that spring was beginning to sprung.

The Boy came up with the goods with a newly planted and installed hanging basket that will certainly last much longer than the sad little roses that wept on supermarket shelves...

Valentines dinner was a triumph over adversity and involved three trips to the shops... Images and carnage to follow...

A week in the kitchen

2008-02-21T20:16:00.001Z

The Boy has been on nights. It's been a rather chaotic time. The food must be good enough to last the night but mild enough to wake up to and be the 'breakfast' of your day. Oh, and it must be cooked between me getting back from work and the Boy getting out of the shower...

Queue stews, bakes and macaroni cheese.

Just what you need for the frostiest days of the year...

The Master of the Universe

2008-01-31T20:17:00.000Z

It's official.

I'm now BAMA... What do I have to do to get the O so that I can join the US election campaign??

House of Paper (& Scaffolding)

2008-01-20T21:39:00.001Z

Further to the request following my last post, here is the exterior of the thatched cottage. The roof was re-thatched before major structural work had been completed so the scaffolding is there as a precaution to reduce stress.

Because it's been lived in for so long by an elderly gent of limited means, the before and after photographs are rather topsy-turvy.

The below is the 'before' shot, taken from a village photograph in the mid-1960s.*

I think the word is 'potential'...!

*Historically, it was usual for thatchers to thatch upon thatch increasing insulation but of course thickening the layers each time. Look at the difference in chimney exposed between the two images once all the layers had been completed scrapped and the thatch started again!

House of Paper

2008-01-15T08:39:00.001Z

My inlaws have this month brought together all the money in all the little pots that they possess and bought and tumble down wreck of a little chocolate box cottage in Kent: the Boy and I couldnt' be more green with envy.

It has one sink, no toilet, ancient electricity and a well to be uncovered in the garden. There are about six to ten layers of wallpaper on every wall in the house and I want them all. It's a bit like dating a tree, where you can peel off layer after layer and date them back chronologically in print design.

My favourite is the birds in the middle. The bottom left is thought to date back to the 1750s.

There is also a Victorian fireplace to be removed, to reveal the Inglenook nestling in secret behind, and five-hundred year old brickwork to restore and protect.

It's going to take some work to get it to a habitable state, but boy, would I love to be the one doing it!

Local shops for local people

2008-01-12T12:37:00.001Z

Oh the gorgeousness of farm shops in deepest Kent...

yum yum scrum

Banoffee Splendour

2008-01-12T12:33:00.001Z

With thanks to Tord Boontje for making it presentable...

Winding down the holidays

2008-01-07T11:16:00.001Z

A trip to the panto and a puppet workshop...

My beautiful goddaughter in denim and her big sister enjoy opening presents before seeing Jack and the Beanstalk at the Barbican.

Good ol' arty children's workshops. We made the most fabulous puppets on sticks using polystyrene eggs and funky foam. God love a good pipecleaner.

Nibbled on the remains of the cake and basked in glow of the tree (in my period bay window - god I love my house!) before taking it down yesterday.

New Years came with Fun Rolls (Summer Rolls to non-antipodeans) and a towed car on New Years Day.

A wopping £300 to retrieve it from the pound. With hangover. Happy New Year indeed...

And for those of you interested, here is the finished gingerbread house. Quite chuffed with it myself! Will certainly be tucking into it later though. January is well and truly underway.

Very Happy Holidays

2008-01-01T16:02:00.001Z

It has been a whirlwind of a year here and December has been no exception.

Christmas passed in a blur of roasted vegetables and cracker innards.

All I have to show for it is a tidy haul of beautiful presents and a fridge-full of slowly thinning leftovers.

I shall share it with you in pictures...

Fondue on Christmas Eve followed by tipsy Jenga and a victorious father-in-law!

Christmas day with presents, preparations and the scrumptious feast

The Boy was a triumph in the kitchen, and sleepy in the afternoon!

Followed by a sunny boxing day walking around Bedfordshire and stumbling upon a delightful working mill with its own secret garden...

Now there's nothing left to do but face the tidy up!

All will be well in 2008!

Best wishes to you and yours

Christmas Around London

2007-12-26T22:36:00.001Z

This month I have been mostly gadding about town, hence the lack of recent activity...

...the new St Pancras International station...

...helping out at my soon-to-be new place of work very early in the morning and marvelling at the calm and serenity...

...and coming across wierd and wonderful installations in the most unlikely places...

Gingerbread Man Frenzy...

2007-12-14T19:54:00.001Z

Well, after the promise of my last post it has been rather quiet around here hasn't it? I can only apologise and blame frantic pre-holiday planning and faffing. Days have been getting shorter and time spent away from my house longer. Not a recipe for frequency of blogging I'm afraid.

I know you've all been losing sleep over the lack of these images so without further ado...

The men were a blinding success:

House got built... eventually...

Final pic will be taken in the daylight at the weekend to fully appreciate the wobbly-tiled roof splendiforousness.

Last Friday was the fabulous Sparkle the Dark Up late night opening at work... I was given the arduous task of leading the 'Decorate Your Own Gingerbread Man' workshop. Sexy singing was provided by the straining vocal chords of Gamine shown below and the Actionettes, an amateur 1960s style dance troupe in red shift dresses accented with white fur. Gorgeously naff!!

The gent who runs the public program at the Museum is an artist in his own right and came up with these card designs using only snowflake punchers and hole punch remnants... They make me so happy!!

Huge apologies for the quality of the pics - the camera was on low-res mode and I didn't realise until now. V frustrating!

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 3 of 3

2007-12-06T12:20:00.003Z

and the Third...

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 2 of 3

2007-12-06T12:20:00.001Z

The second video from Peru!

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 1 of 3

2007-12-06T12:19:00.001Z

Here's the first video from my recent trip to Peru. Sorry about the bad quality of the sound, is a first attempt!

The great bake begins...

2007-12-05T08:13:00.000Z

Sunday saw my first semi-bake of the season with frozen ready-made pastry and jarred mincemeat pies. More of a compilation than actual homemade pies but a move in the right direction.

Tuesday was the grand biscotti baking, pictures to follow shortly. After last year's over-egging, this year was much more firm, and sadly, therefore, verging on the inedibly crunchy side. I'm finding that they are only palatable with extraordinary amounts of desert wine. C'est la vie.

Last night was the gingerbread evening in aid of a colleague's leaving do on Friday. Icing will happen at work on the day as some kind of champagne fuelled extravaganza. I made enough dough to begin the foundations of a gingerbread house and some tree ornaments, both of which will be decorated and constructed at the weekend.

Don't say it very loudly, but I may just be starting to get into the holiday mood...

Inca in Pics... I really should have kept a diary...

2007-11-28T14:43:00.000Z

Freshly washed at the hotel on Day 1 of the trek...

Poised at KM82, the official start of the Inca Trail

The long and winding path that rose up to lunch on Day 1...

... the top of which greeted us with a torrential downpour...

The start of Day 2 saw Mum taken off the mountain with a chronic chest infection and a pulled intercostal muscle...

... puffy eyed from upset and strife, I still manage some chocolate pudding at lunchtime...

Foliage: an excellent excuse to stop to admire and photograph. Most are slightly out of focus due mainly to a lack of oxygen and a pounding chest from the frickin mountains that refused to go flat for us.

I worked various looks over the four days, from poised in orange cagoule, to a thermals/shorts combo that would frighten even the trendy London crowd, to a final 'get out of my way you recently showered tourists or I shall bare my stinky pits at you' Maccu Piccu stance.

An emotional and exhausted reunion at the Sun Gate before the skies cleared for a deliciously warm and toasty Maccu Piccu tour...

Home Safe and Showered

2007-11-27T07:50:00.001Z

Amazing...

Heathrow Terminal Four, Saturday 19 November 2007

On the Maccu Piccu train back to Cusco - sunburnt, tired and victorious!

Safe and Sound in Peru

2007-11-24T21:25:00.000Z

Hello Just a note to say I´m safely back.

Superlatives aside, it was the most challenging thing that i have ever done in my entire life, mentally, but physically, i´m delighted to say that i´ve escaped pretty unscathed.

We´ve walked 26 miles over 4 days at over 4000m altitude. Mum had to leave on day 2 and go back to base camp which was really hard for both of us - her lung infection from the previous week just wouldn´t shift and she couldn´t catch a breath which at that altitude with that kind of work wasjust not an option. She walked up to meet us at macu piccu yesterday for an emotional reunion which was excellent.

Myself, the memory of the endurance is fading fast but it was truly daunting on a daily basis. We walked for twelve hours a day for three days straight. Mum´s walking friend, Rob, twisted his anke on the second day and was hopalong rob for the rest of the walk - not cool for 2,500 inca ´steps´ down in the persistent rain: basically climbing down a vertical riverbed on a crutch.

The next day, I fainted at the top of a mountain requiring oxygen and the four doctors who were present (even at altitude I have docs fighting over me!) to get me vertcial again.Took the rest of the day to shake off the queasy head and then twisted my ankle ten minutes before camp. By that point, Rob and I were crying with laughter and delirious panic at theridiculousness of it all.

I´ve made a couple great friends and met many more wonderful people in the mixed bag of allsorts that made up our pack of 47 walkers. Mum was amazing. She walked her hardest and I´m so sorry that her nasty lungs prevented her from completing what I know for a fact she could have done.Her legs were brilliant, we had two days climbing and one nights camping then she had to endure waqlking all the way back to where we´d started and stay in a youth hostel by herselfuntil she could meet up with us again.

I´m trying to avoid the inevitable dramatic undertones, but it doesn´t quite stand up to explanations or descriptions. I am emotionally drained but delirious with achievement at the enormity of what I was capable of doing. I will bore you all silly with photos and the minifilms i shot on the Boy´s digital camera on my return, but for now, sending oodles of love and thanks to my dear dear friends who have been so supportive.

Thank you.

I LOVE ETSY: Does that make me crafty or nerdy???

2007-11-16T11:13:00.000Z

The most fabulous pins above can be purchased for the bargain-tastic $3.50 from seller buttonempire here.

And the name of the fabulous pins??

The Dynamic Duo.

This has made my Friday.

3 Days and Counting

2007-11-13T13:36:00.000Z

The great packing quest has begun. This morning I purchased baby wipes, anti-bacterial gel and dry spray shampoo. I have blagged me some four sample pots of beauty-counter moisturisers and have stuffed the sleeping bag into its little sack.

In no uncertain terms, I have the fear.

Platterpus

2007-11-12T19:34:00.001Z

Proof if proof were need that our gorgeous platter has a multitude of uses...

Tapas starter platter for the Boy's birthday dinner...

Cheese and biscuit platter for the Boy's birthday party three days later....

Are you sensing a theme here too?

It's getting hot in here...

2007-11-08T07:48:00.001Z

Check out that thermometer to the right! Only a week left to go to our trek and only £350 more to go to our target. Looks like we're going to get there with ease. Financially, I mean.

That mountain may be a different matter...

The wonders of Japanese Wrapping techniques

2007-11-04T10:27:00.001Z

My boss travels. Alot. He requires a lot of organisation. Recently this organisation has stretched to fifteen individuals from different organisations in Japan, India and London working together to ensure that, during his 48 hour window in the UK last week, the Indian Embassay processed a visa application that normally takes over two weeks.

On his return from Japan, he gave me this parcel.

In case you're wondering, the greaseproofed package in the can, in the straw, wrapped in rice paper, in the box, in the paper wrapped in ribbon contained...

...sugared and seasoned walnuts.

Yummy!

Crafty Christmas

2007-11-01T11:53:00.000Z

Just had a quick browse through my old posts looking for a picture of Columbia Road and am flabbergasted by the amount of crafting I got up to last year. You can tell I was a student, can't you?
Biscotti

Fudge

Chutney, Marmalade

Christmas tree decorations

Gift Tags

Ginger cake

Good lord and little fishes... I've got a lot to live up to this year!

Crunchy Country Autumn in the Cities

2007-10-31T18:05:00.001Z

Verulamium Park and St Albans Abbey, returning for the first time since the evening of the engagement. It was a glorious sunshine autumn and we sat on the grass eating takeaway pizza with scarves and sticky fingers.

Then on the Sunday to Hackney City Farm to sample the delights of the chickens, the largest pig in Europe (surprisingly underwhelming for such an accolade, or maybe I'm just used to American proportions of all things, including livestock) and delicious off-menu salad from the very child-friendly cafe.

Blissful heaven of a weekend.

Jack of All Trades...

2007-10-26T19:22:00.001+01:00

Master of One...

It seems that I have now graduated from my eternal studentdom with a Masters in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy.

With Distinction.

Hand on heart...

This (left) wasn't quite my reaction, but it was close. Relief, a very much lower bank balance, and a masters.

Not bad for one years' work.

Image taken from my impromptu sesh with the wonderful Seamus at Sunday Shoots on Columbia Road, now forming the basis of the Boy's birthday present. Now aren't I generous?!

My glamorous glamorous life...

2007-10-17T10:32:00.000+01:00

Matthew Williamson: Ten Years in Fashion opened yesterday at my place of work.

A BBC interview (imagine me, just left to camera) is viewable here and we hosted many a celeb and soapstar at the opening last night. Pictures to follow when the paparazzi get theirs online...*

*Needless to say, I spent the evening stood with a clip board at the door and failed to recognise anyone beyond Thandie Newton. I did, however, have very good hair.

Talent in Bowl-fulls

2007-10-15T12:13:00.000+01:00

A busy weekend of Barbican-ing on Saturday and on Sunday attending the glorious birthday celebrations of the Boy's friend's mum.

The Boy's Friend is currently training in Utrecht to be a baritone opera singer and stunned his family with a series of pieces, accompanied by the Boy on keyboard.

The Boy's mother, Dutch by birth, is an incredibly talented potter with her own studio and various galleries that display her simple and elegant creations.

I helped with washing up, and for my troubles, was awarded two salad bowls and 6 tumblers full of leftovers to take home with me. Oh, what a bit of Persil achieves!

I am planning my next mulled wine party. These are the perfect receptacle.

Thanks, Charlotte, your talents make me very very happy indeed.

Carbooting and Souking

2007-10-09T08:19:00.001+01:00

Semi-related experiences, except in England, the buyer meets the seller's suggested price about halfway. In Marrakech, you say your price and stick to it until the seller comes down from his stratospheric suggestions! Unless you are the Boy, in which case you accept the first offer immediately to escape the terror as quickly as possible.

Carbooting:

Chair, no doubt salvaged from a garage, here seen after several hours of scrubbing and several buckets of water... Still in need of beeswax, but for £1 will do just fine as a sewing chair.

L to R:

Bargain coffeepot with cracked lid for 50p

(Birthday present from scrumptious mummy)

(Christmas present from mirrormirror)

Hand stencilled jug from Irish potter

Bargain transfer printed jug for £1.20

Cath Kidston Milk Jug

My windowsill can take no more. This does not mean that I shall buy no more.

Souking:

Mint tea produced for many a bartering session

Handblown tea glasses made from recycled bottles: The Boy bought the green set for £5. I bought the blue set a day later for 70p. We are equally pleased with our haggling.

Leather satchel to replace handbag combustion while away. The Boy also got a large-briefcase sized satchel for work.

One of four pairs of sandals purchased in the souk. Blingtastic!

Marrakech en Collage

2007-10-08T08:13:00.000+01:00

Riad W

Around the city and the souks

The food in its many and varied forms

The haul...

Words (such as they are) will follow... For now, it's good to be home.

Hair Flare

2007-10-05T22:49:00.001+01:00

A warning to all those poor yet hair-coloured-inclined blog readers out there.

Don't use Boots Colour. Don't use it for 10 minutes longer than the recommended time. Don't think that 'Rich Mahogany' will leave you looking anything like Catherine Zeta Jones. Don't think that Clare Danes circa 1994 is a look worth aspiring to. Don't use washing up liquid in a vain attempt to return to your suddenly-attractive-mousey pre-existence.

Don't find all this out two days before embarking on your first hot holiday in four years.

Anyone in the market for a bandana?

Or three?

Seasons of mists and mellow fruitful baking

2007-09-25T08:08:00.000+01:00

Blackberries sweet from the bush give sustenance during a walk down footpaths in Hertfordshire

Leek and sweet potato risotto give sustenance to friends joining me for a birthday gathering

Lemon butterfly cupcakes in posh silver cupcakes give sustenance to hungry parents, down for the weekend to choose a wedding venue

Farewell to the Mirrors

2007-09-17T13:18:00.000+01:00

Well, after just under a year of working with the fabulous Paola, I have handed on the reins (and storage!) to a good friend of P's in Cambridge, and beholden's involvement in mirrormirror is no more.

It's been an incredibly informative and interesting company to work for, not least of all the delights of giftware tradefairs and sampling and sourcing new products. I've learnt so much about presentation, fudgemaking, giftwrapping and how not to smash £50 worth of product in trans-atlantic postal disasters.

Thankyou for your kind words and for teaching me so much about online retail! I know your beautiful boutique will go from strength to strength, and in the meantime, I'm kicking myself for not unwrapping the new stock before it left my apartment...How gorgeous are these?? How much do I want them for no other reason than to stare and stroke??

Oh, and I'm coveting these monochrome beauties. When I get my mid-century minimalist pad, these will be my first purchase.

Agony Aunt

2007-09-10T22:03:00.001+01:00

It seems that the added bonus of betrothing oneself to a boy is the knock-on effect of betrothing oneself to his family. Despite the tenuous connection while we are still unwed, I am claiming myself auntie to the Boy's nephew, born on August 29 after two days' labour, a failed epidural and the final intrusion of a ventuose suction.

Agony indeed.

However, the beauty of childbirth is maintained in the fact that this is now long since forgotten in the squidgy brilliance that is Jamie George, seen here posing for his first dealing with the paparazzi at the tender age of six days old.

Introducing my new home

2007-09-09T08:33:00.001+01:00

....chancing upon the only surviving windmill in Hertfordshire while driving around the villages...

...savouring the fleeting final days of summer on the patio...

...settling into our new home and its fabulous period features...

....getting used to an electric oven in time for the birthday baking extravaganza...

...acknowledging that shooting into a lit window is pointless but revelling nonetheless in my reading seat in the bay window...

Commissioning Art

2007-09-08T10:29:00.001+01:00

Let’s be honest, I’m unlikely to ever be in a position to ring up Damien Hirst and request he produce me a piece of artwork specific to my requirements. Though I live in custom-made frocks, they’re custom made by me, which isn’t really quite the same as Chanel Couture. I am, however, in a position to commission jewellery, and am now the proud owner of a beautiful pair of earrings, specially commissioned to my specifications by an upcoming designer, currently touring the land as part of the Dazzle exhibition.

My sister’s 21^st birthday party had a very specific theme of ‘A Hint of Pink’. I and the other 80 guests, were under strict instructions that we were to wear a hint and not a lot of pink, lest we divert attention away from the birthday girl. I wracked my brains for details to coordinate with my black and white frock.

While I love the pearl and oxidised silver bracelet stocked by mirror mirror, it was slightly beyond my purse strings. I contacted Abigail Percy, the extraordinarily talented young designer-maker, to see what she could do. She sent me a beautiful ‘hasty scribble’ (her words) of suggested designs and I selected the elegant simplicity of a single pearl drop on a handmade fitting.

They arrived just in time, no thanks to striking postmen, and I felt quite the belle of the ball.

The process was smooth and enjoyable and I highly recommend thinking outside the box when looking at contemporary jewellery designers’ work. If you like their general style but can’t quite see what you want, contacting them for a discussion is free and could result in a truly unique and beautiful piece.

Thanks, Abigail, and I look forward to doing business with you in the future.

retail therapy :: a break from the madness

2007-09-05T12:29:00.000+01:00

:: tube strikes and commuter hell :: overground trains and commuter bliss::

::marrakech beckons :: riad daydreams ::

:: penniless from housemove :: kitchenware idolatry::

Channelling the Prozac

2007-08-30T08:57:00.000+01:00

I love this poster. By all accounts, this government poster from the early 1940s was found in an attic and reproduced by a small print company. It is now on sale at the V&A, Etsy and many other outlets in a variety of hues and framing styles to suit any interior and has even graced the chest of Rupert Grint in its t-shirt form.

I love the austere Britishness of the sentiment. The regal crown implying that the royalty are managing to run the country, so you should be able to manage running your life during this period of turmoil.

I'm chanting it to myself daily. Keep calm. Carry on. Get on the train. Get to work. Breath in. Breath Out. Go Home. Sleep. I hope that one day my life will be more than this commute and this seat at this desk. So I am keeping calm and I am carrying on.

Because otherwise I will be completely and utterly overwhelmed.

Not Gone and Certainly Not Forgotten

2007-08-22T16:52:00.000+01:00

Hello dear reader. Sorry for the extended absence, which is kinda like me, but not intended and very much apologised for.

Life has been pretty hectic at the moment and so I'm taking Ferris Bueller's advice and Stopping and Taking a Look Around.

Conversations have so far revolved around 'Where should we put the standard lamp' and 'How does the hot water work'. When not discussing the furnishing requirements of the new house, we've been wedding venue-viewing and guest-list drafting. Good lord!

For those who are interested, I'll try to keep wedding planning fun to Countryside Wedding and leave this to playing with my new garden, attempting to work out a centigrade electric oven (oh good lord) and any other bonanzas.

So, until the broadband gets set up at home, I'm limited to posting from work without my camera pics. So long and thanks for your patience. Normal business will resume shortly.

xx

I want time to find other beautiful things

2007-08-06T21:49:00.001+01:00

I love this site.

Bonkers name, gorgeous stuff.

All images from I Need Time to Think About Wildlife.

As promised...

2007-07-22T21:54:00.001+01:00

A 1950s natural sapphire and two brilliant cut diamonds in a platinum setting on a white gold band.

I think I may just be the luckiest girl in the world.

A Rather Gorgeous Evening

2007-07-21T16:19:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was rather eventful.

The extraordinary weather conditions affected me only minorly. The Boy had invited me up to St Albans for the evening to house-hunt for our relocation out of the city. Trains and tubes ensured that I arrived hot, bothered and not a little un-gorgeous.

He greeted me at the station gates with a bunch of flowers: totally unlike him, the last bouquet I received was for my birthday two weeks after we started seeing each other.

We viewed the three houses and in an instant decided upon a gorgeous period cottage with what can only be descirbed as remarkable flooring.

Without further ado, we signed on the dotted line.

He had booked dinner at a restaurant on Market Street, chosen for its name: the elusive Marrakech that we have never quite managed to holiday to. This delightful and delicious restaurant compensated for the time being. The Boy was rather more talkative than usual and kept asking about the weather outside, as he was sat with his back to the window and feared more flash floods.

He suggested a little walk after dinner and we strolled to St Albans Abbey, sitting on a bench looking up at the ancient facade.

'New jobs, new house... shall we do something else new tonight?'

He took out a little box and opened it.

'So, do you like it?'

It was stunning.

I sat, stunned, and nodded.

'Will you be my wife?'

It's delicious, exciting, scary and incredible.

When he brings his camera back from work, I will, of course, show you everything.

Anya Bananya

2007-07-20T22:59:00.001+01:00

This morning, a queue formed outside the Museum. Zaha Hadid has been getting some excellent press, but this was not the cause.

The new Anya bag (limited edition, this time from Asia and therefore in Green or Grey) was released and a queue of over 50 giggling girls patiently waited until 10am when the shop opened. They purchased their bags (strictly one in, one out) and then went to the back of the queue. This was where the problems started. People had brought hats, changes of clothes, pulled their hair up, with noisy protestations that they had not just purchased one and deserved to get another. There was ‘Why are you selling one to this girl who’s just going to sell it on ebay, when I’m actually going to use it?’ Then go get a fibre-mesh carrier from Top Shop and use that.

The crazy crazy loons seem to have given no heed to reports following last time’s scrums that these bags are not organic cotton, are made by below-decent wage workers in the Far East and are shipped crazy distances upping the air-miles and carbon footprint of these righteously non-eco bags.

Eco – schmeco. Can do better. x

Feeling gloomy

2007-07-13T09:06:00.000+01:00

Photo courtesy of here.

It's funny what can change in a week. On Tuesday I arrived at my new place of work (Day 2) and looked on a sky just like this over the Thames giggling to myself at how happy I was. I determinedly ignored the brooding clouds which were in no way close to a reflection of my bursting chest and satisfied state of mind. I have a job. My Boy has a job. I like my job. My Boy likes me. All is right with the world.

Two days later and a series of abortive evenings out with argumentative, tired or otherwise not ideal dinner-mates (myself included) and I've swung a full 180. Full days' work where lunch breaks are frowned upon, the concentration required for constantly absorbing a varied and new environment and busy evenings that left me drained and full of recrimination have left me gnawing.

This morning I sat on a bench overlooking the Thames and my spirit was heavy. A weekend of library study, more concentration and a Sunday of work at a vintage shop that I help at does not bode a restful break from the week ahead of the Boy on nights. I can feel myself complaining. I don't like that word or that action. I love to think myself optomistic, but the Boy sees me as the opposite purely because my expectations are so very high that I am always, but always, disappointed at the inability of any mortal to live up to them.

So the buzz of the new job has worn off in less than a week and the prospect of a future here, while exciting in concept actually weighs heavy with me. Have you ever felt so relieved by a situation that the fall out of it leaves you so exhausted that you can't appreciate it any more?

Someone hug me.

A few days in a movable home

2007-07-11T20:02:00.001+01:00

We dined like kings (one pescatorian, one carnivorous)

We fled the rain, which miraculously disappeared the minute the car was packed...

Anglesey was pretty...

...but the drive through Snowdonia was dark and forbidding.

We got home safe, though, and promptly replace the chain to hang the victorian mirror junk shop find...

Happy holidays....

Good news in brief...

2007-07-07T09:21:00.001+01:00

After months of waiting and acres of negative press coverage, I am delighted to claim an end (at least in this household) of the disaster that is MTAS.

In three weeks' time, the Boy will begin his new job training to become a Paediatrician. It's not quite the GP route he had planned upon, but he has always enjoyed paeds and we think he might be able to step sideways into general practice in a few years' time.

Best of all, the job will be commutable, which was for a long time, an absolute uncertainty.

Ah... the sweet relaxation of stability and future employ.

I think I'll go have a long bath...

Holiday Rainyday

2007-06-29T20:12:00.001+01:00

Just before I begin my new job, the Boy and I are taking a much needed break (generously bestowed upon us by his A&E rota) of 6 days away. We are going to the small island on the North Eastern coast off Wales called Anglesey, where nestles a caravan owned by family friends and thus, free! That is basically its most attractive feature.

Having said that, last year, we cliff-walked, thrifted, dined and barbequed for three days and it was very pleasant indeed. I even got me a sunburn from a three hour walk in a boob tube.

As the weather continues to persist from the heavens, something tells me that this holiday will not be quite as felicitous, weather-wise. I therefore give you:

What to pack for a week in a caravan with little hope of sunny excursions or outdoor pleasures:

Poker set consisting of cards, chips, instructions and green baize
Scrabble. Lots of scrabble. And a dictionary. To prevent the squabbles.
Draft dissertation (who said I was going to get it finished before the holiday?! Fools....)
Ipod, charger
Laptop, charger
Camera, charger ]
Phones, charger
Sweatshirts, rugs, sturdy boots
Cake

Any other suggestions received before Monday gratefully received.

Wish me luck!

Busy Busy, Bakey Bakey

2007-06-25T23:23:00.001+01:00

What an eventful few weeks!

Two weeks ago, a flamenco class at the Barbican saw my excessive stamping (an attempt to impress the rather scrumptious workshop leader) give me a damaged foot that has yet to heal. A&E confirmed no bone breakage but the limp is refusing to budge for now. Needless to say, the workshop leader remained unimpressed, particularly when I failed to keep up with the introduction of arm movements to go with a footwork routine. I stayed at the back, pretending to help the little children. Remedial flamenco for one?

Then, a flurry of activity on my dissertation left me slightly winded but rather smug, right up until I hit a wall of writers' block and my tutor refused to answer emails.

Not to worry, I just baked.

And baked.

It wasn't all for the boy, although he has been attempting to make some pretty impressive dents in the leftovers.... No no, this was for the fete. A blinding success considering the noxious weather, which managed to hold off all morning until completely calling off play at the respectable time of 3.30pm, by which point we'd made over £1500. Absolutely incredible considering the fine drizzle that interrupted us on occassion... You can see more photos here, and read up on us in the local press here.

More recently, it has been a busy few days at the Barbican working on their fabulously inspiring children's poetry in schools project, culminating with the Can I Have A Word gala tomorrow. Dropped into the Panic Attack exhibition on my lunch break, to be suitably shocked, hurrying to the shop quickly after to console myself in pretty handmade cards and jewellery, picking up an engagement card for my happy friends, who have finally done the deed on their annual pilgrimage to EuroDisney. I'm sensing a themed wedding: perhaps a red and white spotty dress a la Minnie would be the way forward?

Final week of dissertation bashing until Sunday, then a week in the sunny/windy/remote/cloudy/rainy/isolated/peaceful/rural Anglesey awaits.

So in need of breathing space it's untrue. Will bake me a storm, put it in a tin and drive with the Boy for 8 hours. I can't wait.

Summer Flicks and Summer Picnics

2007-06-22T09:28:00.001+01:00

In front of Barbican Big Screen at Liverpool Street Station.

It wasn't quite Glyndebourne and our picnic was rather impromptu, but the film was perfectly watchable, washed down with a swig of Prosecco...

Vintage Goldmine

2007-06-16T14:44:00.001+01:00

Oh holy heck, look what I found. Paola, it's based in Seattle. Go and spend my wages on any of the following....

Each one is an exquisite example of detail, style, elegance and glamour of yesterwardobe. I want occassions, I want wealth and I want a very tight corset.

Fashion Noir...

2007-06-15T17:43:00.001+01:00

Apparently Literature Noir is the new name for a line from Literature Clothing. I can't find anything about either company online, but I do love a good frock. All of these are utterly delicious, sexy and a little bit dangerous, which is, after all, what Film Noir was all about...

Images from Ready to Wear Autumn/Winter 2007/8 at vogue.com

Charming & Eco

2007-06-12T17:34:00.001+01:00

Maria Helena Spector's semi-precious stone charms necklace

Necklace made of abandoned chair pieces of wood at 'uncommonly beautiful recylced accessories'.

Two of many beautiful things available at Sunday UPmarket, on Brick Lane.

Too much prettiness, too little time.

A Weekend in the Garden of England

2007-06-11T12:31:00.001+01:00

Or the Boy's Parent's Garden...

::water lilies in the pond ::

::garden centre brimming with fuschias and baskets ::

::flying over Dover and Folkestone in the Boy's Dad's microlight::

::Unending ball game with bonkers springer spaniel::

Ah, sweet relaxation....

Homemade Max

2007-06-07T19:27:00.001+01:00

After the excitement of Friday's purchase of the yellow dress, I couldn't help myself to prove that I could have made something similar.

Well, not that similar.

It's not a patch on all those muted, sombre, sensible dresses available out there, is it??!

Ah well, at least I won't get lost in the dark.

One Hour's Makeup, One Hour's Nailbiting

2007-06-07T18:27:00.001+01:00

Having missed E4's airing last night and terrorised by the fact that a visit to the parents on Friday night would miss the terristrial viewing, the Boy very kindly allayed my anguish and downloaded the final episode of the exquisite Ugly Betty first series.

I settled down to watch it as soon as I got home from work this afternoon, painting my nails to ensure my hands couldn't fidget with sewing or suchlike. I wanted to give her my undivided attention.

It is just as well, or my fingers would have been nibbled to shreds.

Oh Good Lord.

This series was originally my one guilty pleasure. My minnow of trivia in a sea of intellectual studentdom. How wrong can one girl be? The final episode simultaneously tied up all loose ends while leaving me shrieking at the screen three times, countless bursts of laughter and at least a few tears shed by the credits.

If you missed this, any of this, watch it now. Get popcorn, get your girlfriends, get the wine. It is brilliantly funny, cringeworthy, extraordinarily camp and fantastically catty.

And hey, when your geek is this cute, can you honestly think of a reason not to watch?

The title is a reference to the one hour's makeup that America Ferrera has to undergo to transform from beauty to 'ugly'. I can't actually say that I prefer her one way to the other. She does look fantastically 'healthy' though. Fingers crossed she doesn't go to the dark side of uber-waif with prolonged exposure to LA.

Beautiful Boudoir Chic, Sri Lankan style

2007-06-03T16:03:00.001+01:00

Pretty dresses and sparkly flats are abundant at this boutique that I found through notonthehighstreet.

I think my favourite are the pyjamas: I want them for my two-years ago self to stay at the Boy's parents' house for the first time: sexy in the bedroom and suitably demure and covering for breakfast in the morning. I have since moved on to this lovely number as we've passed the time where I could claim demure or bashful as either of my qualities. Staying there next weekend. Breakfast will be interesting.

Cotton kimono pyjamas

The red dress is now firmly on my list of to-die-fors though, as it's a limited edition and seems to have sold out in my size already, I fear it will be a dream dress, never to actually enter my wardrobe.

Milly Hand-crocheted Tea Dress

Metallic green strappy sandals

Leather pewter ballet flats

Click on by and let me know what you think.

Oh, and I want the house where they've done the photoshoot. Very jealous.

My new place of employ

2007-06-02T18:46:00.001+01:00

For those of you interested, this is a (video!) interview with my new boss with some really fabulous images of the museum and waterfront location.

Five weeks and counting. Bring on the salary.

Oh, and the responsibility, sense of worth, busy-ness. All that too...

Just make sure I get the salary.

What is it about the Dimple?

2007-06-01T11:18:00.001+01:00

Having spent most of my hard-earned pennies on furnishing my glassware cupboard in Paola's ergonomically elegant dimple glasses, I find myself mesmerised by these beauties.

The strength of porcelain, the imprint of the designer's hands, the refined coolness of her chalky pallette.

Today I am mostly loving Linda Bloomfield.

Humana Humana Noa Noa

2007-05-31T17:57:00.001+01:00

On my way to my meeting with my new boss, I had twenty minutes to kill so popped into a boutique on Shad Thames.

Big Mistake.

Tried this on and am now in love.

Yellow Maxi dress (viscose georgette lined in cotton) £65.00, Noa Noa

However, can't decide if it loves me. I will have to take the sister in hand to a trying-on session to determine if an empire waist yellow dress is actually the way forward for me.

In its defence, the straps were bra-hideable wide and comfortable, the covered buttons kept my modest and the neckline was suitably high so I felt secure, but not like a nun, the empire line actually snugged to my midriff and the length grazed the top of my instep.

It's still, however, yellow.

At the risk of inciting rancour...

2007-05-25T09:33:00.001+01:00

This struck a chord with me. I can't help but feel that the McCann's actions since their child's disappearance have been solely to manipulatethe press into a frenzy which, in the absence of evidence, suspects or leads, could possibly have hampered the tenuous case there anyway.

Of course, I wouldn't wish the not knowing or the grief on anyone, but from the outside, it all feels a bit orchestrated.

My thoughts are with them and I hope the media find some good news to replace the non-news soon.

Revelations Chapter One Vs 1-7

2007-05-24T08:35:00.001+01:00

I have been tagged! Very exciting... I am struggling to come up with seven more to further the previous five....

Each person tagged gives seven random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write on their blog seven facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog.

I am tall, or as once put, 'offensively long': 5ft 11inches. This means that I expose my midriff and my ankles far more than I would like and I tend to be very intimidated by women taller than me. Thankfully, their number is not vast.
My drink of choice is Dry Martini and Lemonade: not particularly rock n roll, but I find it is just the right balance between fizzy pop and alcohol and the lightweight in me stands a little bit more of a chance.
I was hit by a car that I stepped out in front of at the age of 13. Thankfully, I got away with dented pride and a very badly sprained ankle. The amusing result of this is that I have a corkscrew kick when breaststroking and tend to go around in circles when I swim lengths.
I am a little bit OCD. Not about cleaning but about stacks of paper, magazines and washing up. They can sit there in a pile, as long as the edges are straight and the pile is even (ie plates of ascending size etc).
Regarding my impending Inca experience, I am more concerned about sharing a tent with my mum than thoughts of camping, hiking or peeing in the woods.
Chesney Hawkes signed my left breast. It was Freshers' Week, there was a queue, I was wearing a boob tube and I had no idea who he was. My friends, however, were REALLY impressed.
I have somehow evolved into having excellent makeup skills and a concertina professional makeup box to house my propensity to accumulate MAC eyeshadows. However, I am dreadful at styling anyone else's hair. On my brother's wedding day, I had to wash out my disasters on my mum's hair twice until my sister finally got in the game and rescued the day.

If anyone can find any rhyme or reason to the above, I'd be grateful. I now tag Maryam, KenzieKate, Erin, Amy, Anna and Flibbertygibbet!

Looking forward to more revelations...

Loving my Boy

2007-05-22T16:05:00.001+01:00

After three years as a student, three years as a costume girl, two years as a legal secretary, one year as a PA, one year as a student and varying degrees of great expense, I can now confirm that I have a job.

I have been offered a job in an area that interests me, with a reasonably good salary, with great potential for learning, exposure to incredibly influential people, within a twenty minute commute on my bike, with views of the river Thames, a Konditor and Cook cafe (with discount) and a GREAT SHOP.

The downside is that I will yet again be a PA but I will also be a Marketing Assistant, which is very exciting. I don't think I would have this potential step onto the ladder within my grasp ever again so I have decided to clutch at it with sweaty fists while it's there.

My Boy, on the other hand, is going through fifteen stages of trauma in the wake of evil politics and policy changes. We went from uncertainty about my future and absolute certainty (with a flexible geographical location) for his, and have turned 360 degrees.

It's exhausting, upsetting and completely destabilising.

However, he has continued to be incredibly supportive, encouraging, thoughtful, thought-provoking (when I couldn't decide between three different job offers - how obnoxious am I?) and positive. I just don't know what I would do without him, and he hasn't stopped saying how proud he is of me since we decided this morning.

I love my Boy for so many reasons, many of them much less complex than I would like to maintain, but absolutely his unswerving belief that I will be fine and we will be even better than fine has stopped me having multiple nervous breakdowns over the last two years.

Check out the lyrics of the 'chorus' of this little ditty, and weep.

He sent them to me when he was on placement in Ghana two years ago and I was going through costume job traumas. I started crying for wholly different reasons.

Aren't I a lucky girl?

Monsoon season

2007-05-19T21:05:00.001+01:00

Monsoon's website was historically pretty lame. The information took up about the top third of the screen and the images were always tiny. Oh, and you couldn't actually get your hands on a single item.

All this has changed. And even all the hard-to-locate stores with Homeware and Menswear have been transcribed online.

I'm a happy bunny. Lots of 'handpainted' and I'm never sure, with them, how much of it is eco-aware and how much is overpriced not-made-in-a-very-nice-way fashionable tat.

For now, I'll just look and lust...

Handpainted mother of pearl coasters (£18)

Red handpainted glass (for shots, cocktails, candles or flowers?) (£8

Hand Painted Ceramic Canister (£15)

And the crowing glory of the Monsoon Fusion Rangee?

Black embroiderie anglais Adana Dress (£38). I would sell my mother for this dress in white.

Probably just as well, Mum, that it's not an option!!

Lime & Blueberry Cake

2007-05-18T17:28:00.001+01:00

Inspired by the scrumptious offerings at Badger Tea Rooms, I squeezed me some limes and got out my ring tin and this happened.

Needless to say, it didn't last more than three days. The Boy is feeling a little bit sick of late...

Will definitely make this again.

Body Conscious: How to Dress to your Shape

2007-05-16T16:23:00.001+01:00

It’s happened to all of us. You fall in love with a picture in a pattern book or magazine, rush out to buy the pattern, find the perfect fabric, make the garment, then absolutely hate the way it looks when you put it on. Most of us accept this as one of the pitfalls of sewing. After all, you can’t exactly tell how a particular style is going to look on your body before you start to sew. Or can you? Learn how to identify your figure type and choose styles that flatter it and you can leave these fashion blunders behind.

The first step is to determine your figure type. Most body shapes fall into four basic profiles: hourglass, triangle, inverted triangle, and rectangle. To determine which category you fall into, stand in front of a full-length mirror (wearing undergarments or a leotard) and take an objective look at your proportions. Focus your attention on the differences or similarities in the size of your shoulders, bust, waist and hips. Do you have wide hips and a small upper body? Are your shoulders broad in comparison to your hips? Do you have little or no waist definition? Determine whether or not your body proportions are narrow, average or wide and record your answers in the chart below. If you find this difficult, ask a friend to provide an objective assessment.

Flatter Yourself
Once you’ve determined your figure type it’s a simple matter to choose clothes that accentuate your best features and minimize the drawbacks. Vogue Patterns makes this easy by including a Figure Flattery Key (left) on every pattern catalog page and envelope. (You’ll also find them in the “Guide to Backviews and Fabric Requirements” in every issue of Vogue Patterns magazine.) To see if the style will be flattering check to see if the symbol for your figure type (rectangle, hourglass, triangle, inverted triangle) is in the bar. Then follow these tips to make the most of what you’ve got!

RECTANGLE
Boxy figures with little difference in bust, waist and hip measurements fall into this category. Rectangles have balanced shoulders and hips, but lack curves to define the waistline. This figure type is not necessarily overweight. Rectangles can be thin or have a trim athletic build, but their figures have a “straight-up-and-down” appearance rather than a curvy hourglass shape.
Your Goal: Create the illusion of curves and waist shaping.
Do:
•Use button plackets and neckline details to draw the eye upward.
•Choose body-skiming styles with minimum shaping.
•Layer vests over tops that fall below the waistline.
•Place pockets or other pattern details at the hips or bust.
•Wear flared skirts and bias cuts.
•Pair short skirts with long tops.
•Use pleats and gathers to widen the hips. This will make the waist appear smaller.
Don’t:
•Place blocks of color or pattern at the waistline.
•Choose styles with belts, waist shaping or peplums.
•Wear wide or boxy styles.
•Use large patch pockets.
•Allow top and jacket hemlines to fall at the waistline; keep them above or below.

____________________________________________________

HOURGLASS

This “ideal” shape (which few of us have) is balanced from top to bottom with a trim waist in relation to shoulders, bust and hips. The bust and hips are about equal in measurement and the waist is about 10" (25cm) smaller than the hips and bust. Keep in mind that this figure type isn’t necessarily a model-size 6. Hourglasses can be full-figured and curvy as long as body measurements are in proportion to one another.

Your Goal: Make the most of your curves without overemphasizing them.
Do:
•Use contrasting colors, pattern details, and interesting necklines to show off your proportions.
•Elongate the figure with vertical lines.
•Keep upper and lower details of garments balanced.
•Choose slim pants and straight skirts.
•Pair close-fitting tops with full skirts.
Don’t:
•Wear boxy, bulky clothes that hide your shape.
•Overwhelm a petite frame (under 5'4") with big prints, oversized tops, or too-long pants and skirts.
•Choose Empire styles if you have a large bust—they’ll look tent-like.

____________________________________________________

TRIANGLE

Most of us fall into this category (also known as pear-shaped). Triangles are bottom-heavy with a small bust and narrow shoulders in relation to their lower body. Hip measurements are significantly larger than bust and shoulders.
Your Goal: Minimize the hips and thighs and create fullness above the waistline.
Do:
•Add details such as appliqué, embroidery or textured stitch patterns to the upper body of your garments.
•Use wide collars and necklines (boatnecks are great!) or shoulder yokes to draw attention upward.
•Keep top hemlines well above or below the widest area
of the hips; skirts just above the knee or longer.
•Camouflage heavy hips and thighs with dark colors.
•Avoid pleats, gathers, and in-seam pockets (they’ll gape).
Don’t:
•Hem tops and shirts to hit directly on the hips.
•Choose raglan sleeves or halter styles that drag the eye downward, emphasizing your lower half.
•Place patch pockets, bulky side seams, or tight banding at the hips: instead, use them on top to balance your shape.
•Wear short skirts—they’ll widen your rear view.

____________________________________________________

INVERTED TRIANGLE
Broad shoulders, a full bust, and heavy upper arms characterize this figure. Inverted triangles tend to be top-heavy with wide shoulders and/or a large bust in relation to the lower body. They can be curvy and voluptuous on top or athletic in build.
Your Goal: Minimize the bust and shoulders and emphasize the hips.
Do:
•Add details such as pockets, patterning, and textural fabrics to the lower half of garments to balance out your appearance.
•Choose styles with drop waists, peplums, and pockets.
•Use raglan sleeves and V-necklines to draw the eye downward.
•Balance out your figure with full skirts.
•Draw attention down and away from bust and shoulders with border prints.
Don’t:
•Use yokes or pattern details that call attention to the shoulders or bust.
•Place pockets on bodice—they’ll make your upper half appear wider.
•Add details such as ruffles to necklines—instead, keep them simple.
•Layer pieces—it adds bulk where you don’t need it.
•Choose styles with wide lapels or shoulder details.
•Wear Capri pants, miniskirts, and narrow silhouettes—they’ll make you look more top heavy.

____________________________________________________

HEMLINE HELP
The eye is immediately drawn to the hemline, so choose your garment length carefully.
•Keep skirt and shorts hemlines above or below the widest part of your leg.
•Long skirts create a slimming vertical line, but a too-long hemline will overwhelm a petite frame.
•Capri and pedal-pusher pant lengths can make a full-busted figure appear top heavy.
Choose the length of tops and shirts with just as much care:
•A hemline that hits at the fullest part of your hips will make you look wider.
•A hemline that falls below the hip will elongate the body creating an illusion of slimness. Just keep it in proportion to your height—a too-long tunic can overwhelm a petite frame.
•Cropped tops will make your upper body appear wider and draw attention to the waistline.

It's all in the Details

The style and placement of design details such as, pockets, necklines, collars, and sleeves can make or break the figure flattery of a garment.

Pockets

Pockets (especially patch styles) create width and need to be carefully placed. Keep them away from a full bust or large hips.

Necklines

Low necklines, V-necks, and shawl collars slim and lengthen, drawing the eye downward—a plus for broad shoulders, but a hindrance if you are trying to draw attention away from a large bust.
Turtlenecks, high necklines, and rolled collars carry the eye upward, shortening the neck and causing the shoulders to appear wider. They can also make a broad upper body seem boxy.
Square and scoop necklines draw attention to the shoulders, while elongating the neck.

Sleeves

Full sleeves camouflage too-heavy or too-thin arms. They also add width to the overall silhouette.
Slim sleeves narrow the garment’s overall shape for a thinner appearance. Just be sure they’re not too tight on heavy arms.
Raglan and kimono sleeves draw the eye down to the lower body, diverting attention away from the shoulders and bust.
Puffed sleeves disguise sloping shoulders and make shoulders appear broader.
Bell sleeves add width to the lower body, making the top half appear slimmer. They also draw attention to the hips.
Three-quarter sleeves create a lean, elegant line, but highlight
the upper arm—something best avoided if arms are heavy.
Fingertip-length sleeves add length and width to a silhouette.
Use sleeve length to your advantage—make arms appear slimmer by keeping the bottom edge of short sleeves above or below the widest part of your arms, and shorten long arms with sleeves that end just above the wrist.

____________________________________________________

SILHOUETTE SMARTS

Full, or loose-fitting, silhouettes such as roomy tunics, shift dresses and palazzo pants cover up less than perfect features. They also add width, so choose with care.
Slim, or close-fitting, silhouettes such as shaped jackets, body-defining tops, and slim pants and skirts lengthen the body, creating the illusion of slimness. Just keep in mind that close fitting does not mean tight!
A-line silhouettes camouflage the hips and waistline, counterbalancing a full bustline or wide shoulders.
High-waistline silhouettes, such as Empire styles, draw atttention up and away from the hips and thighs, however, they do not flatter large-busted figures.
Low-waistline silhouettes, such as peplum jackets and drop-waist dresses, can help
balance out a top-heavy figure by adding width to the hips.

FIGURE FIXERS

Thick torso: Untuck your shirt and leave the last few buttons undone to lengthen and slenderize the upper body.
Pot belly: Choose flat-front pants over pleats for a slimmer appearance.
Large bust: Minimize by choosing tailored shirts (instead of oversized tops) and tuck them in.
No curves: Feminize a boyish figure with bias cuts and diagonal patterns.
Short legs: Slim-fitting pants, and dresses and skirts that hit just above the knee give the illusion of longer legs.
Heavy thighs: Boot-leg cuts and pants with a slight flare will make thighs appear thinner, but skip the bell bottoms if you’re petite.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

•If you’ve got great legs show them off in short skirts.
•Baggy clothes and floor-dragging dusters make you look like you’re trying to hide something.
•Slenderize with tastefully-tailored or body-skimming (not tight!) styles.
•Flaunt a trim waist with belted styles or cropped tops that hit just above the waistline.
•Showcase shapely shoulders in strapless tops or portrait collars.

With thanks to Vogue Pattern Magazine

The Euro Spread

2007-05-16T08:35:00.001+01:00

Photo courtesy of my sis x

Shhhh....

2007-05-14T20:08:00.001+01:00

Not officially launching it until the beginning of June, but a sneaky peek for dedicated Beholden readers...

Check out my new blog!!

The layout and design is a work in progress, so I would welcome any comments on the colours and layout. Is the white too bright? Is the pink ok against the background? Let me know what you think and pass on my link to any unsuspecting brides or interested folk you know!x

Cast your Votes to Increase my Shoe Wardrobe

2007-05-14T10:39:00.001+01:00

What do we think? Geek chic? Granny chic? Or so cute to wear with pale green summer frock to a Sunday picnic?

£29.50 from M&S

Eurovision goes with a swing and a cupcake

2007-05-14T09:13:00.001+01:00

My parties seldom conclude without some form of baked goods being produced on a cakestand. What can I say? I have a disease.

Orange Broadband was playing up all day and thank goodness I was able to access the fabulous official eurovision site for a moment to download the semi-final winners. The cocktail stick-flags were suitably painted and became the means by which countries were dolled out to guests. The flag-waving began.

Having just come off a week of nights and spent the day stoically burning meat in the garden in the rain, the Boy required a catnap during voting. Obviously the back of the sofa was the ideal place.

The night went fantastically well with staggering levels of enthusiasm and concentration given to most songs. The three trigger items I chose this year were bare chests, leather and fire. The latter was by far the most toxic and responsible for at least one headache this morning.

All eyes were on the Ukraine, which was sadly cheated of its great potential. Do look them up... Einz, zwei, drei, TANZEN!!

Oh, and as promised, two of my booting purchases, both of which received their first outing this weekend:

Beholden

Keeping calm

Snow Day

When Auntie Helen comes to stay...

A Family Christmas

My December

Interim images from the wedding...

Beholden Hits the 21st Century

Wedding Crafting

Crafty Crafty

Try to remember...

Monochrome

Tip Top in Tipperary Town

When VV Rouleaux Comes to Town

Pausing for breath

July Fourth... When You're Not American...

My Life's Work is Done...

What a week...

England in bloom

Townies and farmers...

Another day... Another exhibition opening...

Weekend wandering

It's all about the fabric

Stitch / Step / Stitch / Step

Some more stitchin' and some bakin'

My parentals have a farm...

An Irish feast and a rainy spring feast

A Stitchin and a Rockin

The calm after the storm

101 Reasons why I cannot be trusted

A Valentine's Triumph

Love it or hate it?

Weekends and lovin'

A week in the kitchen

The Master of the Universe

House of Paper (& Scaffolding)

House of Paper

Local shops for local people

Banoffee Splendour

Winding down the holidays

Very Happy Holidays

Christmas Around London

Gingerbread Man Frenzy...

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 3 of 3

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 2 of 3

Great Ormond Street Inca Trail November 2007 - 1 of 3

The great bake begins...

Inca in Pics... I really should have kept a diary...

Home Safe and Showered

Safe and Sound in Peru

I LOVE ETSY: Does that make me crafty or nerdy???

3 Days and Counting

Platterpus

It's getting hot in here...

The wonders of Japanese Wrapping techniques

Crafty Christmas

Crunchy *Country* Autumn in the Cities

Jack of All Trades...

My glamorous glamorous life...

Talent in Bowl-fulls

Carbooting and Souking

Marrakech en Collage

Hair Flare

Seasons of mists and mellow fruitful baking

Farewell to the Mirrors

Agony Aunt

Introducing my new home

Commissioning Art

retail therapy :: a break from the madness

Channelling the Prozac

Not Gone and Certainly Not Forgotten

I want time to find other beautiful things

As promised...

A Rather Gorgeous Evening

Anya Bananya

Feeling gloomy

A few days in a movable home

Good news in brief...

Holiday Rainyday

Busy Busy, Bakey Bakey

Crunchy Country Autumn in the Cities