Spring Cleaning in Autumn

The other day when I was favouriting yet more things on my blog reader of choice, I began to wonder just how many things I had favourited. And I was sure that there would be a few that could be unfavourited.


Well an hour later I had been though and unfavourited the ‘few’.

There was a lot. And I think I decided to keep less than half of them favourited.

The ones that went were all items that I said that I would read later and never did. Or ones that I saved so that I could show them to someone… that someone having seen them months ago and I continued saving them for no apparent reason.

And there were the projects that people had posted that I declared I would try… and never did.

There a handful of posts that I had kept to add new blogs to my reader… the blogger in question was moving blogs or starting something new… or whatever. And I had only just got around to resubscribing.

I think since the clearout I have favourited a ‘few’ more. But I’m trying to be more selective – the ones that I would normally save and never read read later I’m trying to read there and then.

In other news I’m thinking of rearranging my bedroom so that I can (you’ll never believe this) actually use my desk for its intended purpose. Bam bam bam!!!

I first got the desk to use as a dressing table (dressing tables are quite expensive). Then I inherited my Grandma’s dressing table (which it turns out was her Mum’s so it’s actually my Great Grandma’s dressing table) and the desk got shuffled around the room where it has been straining under the weight of all the random crap I stored on it.

Things like storage boxes, books, games, the plastic chest of drawers that used to have wheels on it.

I reckon if I move my bookcase (and my many many books) and sort through some of the mountains of rubbish I can pull the desk in to a position that I can actually sit at it. Then whatever crap is left can go in the corner that the desk came out of.

I think that sometimes, one of the reasons I don’t write/draw/craft as much as I would like to or should is because I haven’t got somewhere proper to sit and work.

However this grand move-around may have to wait until the workmen having finished re insulating the attic… otherwise I’ll have nowhere to dump all my stuff while I shift through it.

I Have Too Many! Part 4: T-Shirts

I've been preparing this for a while. And to be honest I don't think I've taken photos of all my t-shirts.

I've lost track. Every time I wore a different one I took a picture. But I'm not sure if this is the lot. I already know that I'm missing at least one t-shirt - a white one with Betty Boop on it. Never mind.

But I think that this will demonstrate that I have too many t-shirts regardless. Although I'm pretty sure I don't have more t-shirts than my brother. That is nearly all he wears. And 99% of them are black with skulls, skeletons or wolves on.

So without further ado... I have too many t-shirts:

E is For... Etsy

I just have to say I love Etsy... some of you are looking at me strangely...

Etsy is a website. And I decided that for 'E' I would tell you about one of my favourite websites.

So Etsy is a website that sells handmade and vintage items (and supplies for you to hand make your own items). It is a great place to just browse. Sifting through the different categories - in fact it is a bit like a jumble sale... only better!

Now obviously with some of the vintage items it is difficult to judge whether or not they are vintage as you can not physically hold them and check them out yourself. You are going on someone else's description and photographs.

Which is why I am going to impart some advice today for Etsy shopping:

1. Always check the feedback for the seller - see what other buyers have made of their items/service.
2. Check that they will post to your country - if it doesn't mention your country try sending them a message - some sellers will calculate postage for you.
3. Which brings me on to number three - if they do ship to your country without you having to ask check the postage. Some of the postage prices can be a little high and it greatly depends on the value/fragility of the item.
4. And finally, if you are like me, and enclined to go 'I want that!' and buy it straight away, add it to your favourites and wait until later. Just think about whether or not you really want/can afford it. Now I won't lie to you - I have missed out on items by doing that. But the world has not ended because someone else bought those shoes/that dress/that brooch before I could. And if there is an item that you want but you need to wait until payday - again try sending them a message - they will probably reserve it for you.

You can find some real little gems on Etsy - some of which I will tell you about in a later post - this time next week in fact if my calendar (and alphabet) is correct!

I Have Too Many! Part 3: Eye Pencils

I can't believe I forgot about my eye pencils [I say eye pencils because some of them are not strictly eyeliners, but are for eyes].

So I also have far too may eye pencils, however they do take up less room than my lipsticks and loads more space than my nail varnishes.

I would show you my shoe collection [which takes up more room than my eye pencils, lipsticks, and nail varnishes combined]. However that would require me having to get them all out of the wardrobe and then out of the boxes and line them up...and I can't really be bothered...maybe some day but not anytime soon.

I Have Too Many! Part 2: Nail Varnish

And so to the second part of my slight obsession with make-up...nail varnish.

I haven't painted my nails recently...I keep meaning to and then never get round to it. But it doesn't stop me buying more. Now unlike lipsticks you can have just about any colour on your nails without people thinking you are weird. For instance if I wore yellow lipsticks I would get more than my fair share of second looks from people.

Anyway to the picture - they are not as neatly lined up as my lipsticks were...but then you wouldn't have been able to see as many of the colours!

I could have just put them in one long line...but then I would have to stand so far back you wouldn't have been able to see the colours.

I Have Too Many! Part 1: Lipstick

I like make-up...a lot. And the two main areas of make-up I have the most of are lipsticks and nail varnishes.

For those who aren't in to lipsticks and will be horrified at the number that I have I suggest you look away now.

 

I just have the odd one or two don't I? Now for those of you who don't know much about make-up you may think that they are all a similar colour. But to those of us in the know they are all very different.

Same lipsticks, different angle!

As I have always said a woman can never have too many lipsticks [or nail varnishes, shoes or handbags].

Gone But Not Forgotten

When I decided to write this post it took me a while to work out how to start it...and what to call it.

This morning I was deeply saddened to hear that that great British comedy actor, Sir Norman Wisdom, had died. However I have spent the rest of the day chuckling to myself whilst remembering my favourite bits from his films. Which I think he would prefer to everyone being upset.
There are quite probably people who are my age who have never heard of Norman Wisdom, let alone seen his films. It amazes me when I come across people who have never heard of such great people. I know someone who saw a picture of Laurel and Hardy and thought one of them might have been Charlie Chaplin!

Anyway the point of this post is for me to point out some of the classic stars who you should never ever try to get one over on...because they will get you back! They  are gone but certainly not forgotten. And before I start I am not an expert so do not take this as gospel truth, or complain if I get something wrong.

Norman Wisdom was one such person. In his films he may have been short in stature, but what he lacked in height he made up for in heart. He would always stand up for his friends and family, against any opponent, no matter how tall they were...sometimes in fairly childish ways. In some ways he was like a child who never quite grew up.

He was a classic under dog. He didn't really stand a chance, but he somehow managed to work it all out by the time the credits rolled.

My favourite Norman Wisdom film is The Square Peg, set in World War 2, where he plays both a British road mender turned soldier and a German general. Anyone watching these classic comedies will notice that for a little guy he has a very loud voice! :-) May he rest in peace and be forever remembered for making us laugh.

Next up on this list is that man who told us to Smile no matter what - the great Charlie Chaplin. Now I have not seen a lot of Chaplin's films, however I do know that he would stand for what he believed in. I do know that he was an under dog, sometimes described as a tramp, one who poked fun at Adolf Hitler with his film The Great Dictator.
As I have mentioned I have not seen a great many of Chaplin's films...but I couldn't really do a post on the classic movie stars who were good at getting their own back without mentioning him now could I? To put it plainly: No I couldn't.

Now our next star I know slightly more about, my brother being the family authority on the duo that he was part of...yes you have guessed it...Stan Laurel. Now he was slightly different in that you may on occasion have been able to get one over on him...however do anything to Oliver Hardy and you were toast.
In the short film Them Thar Hills the duo are taking a holiday where unbeknownst to them the well is full of moonshine. Long story short they end up drunk and in an altercation with another holidaymaker they have come across. The guy hits Olly, Stan does something to the guy i.e. sticks a sink plunger to his head, Olly laughs, guy hits Olly, Stan does something to the guy etc. It goes on for a while and ends with the guy being covered in molasses and feathers, with a plate of beans down his trousers, and still with the sink plunger on his forehead. And Stan and Olly have no back to their caravan and Olly has had his trousers set on fire!
No matter how badly Olly sometimes treats him, Stan will always stand up for his friend.

And now we come to the most fearless of these stars. One who you only needed to slightly insult to feel his wrath...Harpo Marx. I am a very big fan of the Marx Brothers owning all of their films and being able to name them all off the top of my head. So therefore this bit will have the most examples in it.

You may have thought that the ones to watch was Groucho with his quick tongue and rapid fire insults he was a force to be reckoned with. However whilst you are struggling to get a word in edgewise with Groucho or Chico for that matter you aren't paying attention to the silent one who is stood behind you getting up to all sorts of mischief with his scissors and car horn.

For instance, in The Big Store, a woman claiming to be a journalist tells Harpo to 'Get out of my way stupid'. From that moment she is danger. Harpo follows her and whilst she is arguing with a shop assistant about getting some hat fabric to match her dress, Harpo's scissors appear out of his pocket.
He suddenly appears with a piece of fabric that perfectly matches the woman's dress. However she decides she doesn't want it after all and we see that Harpo cut the fabric out of the back of her dress. She kind of deserved it though she was very rude to all she came across.

Another example is in Duck Soup, where see a loud mouthed lemonade stand owner being slowly driven mad. Whilst he is arguing with Chico, Harpo cuts the guy's pocket out of his trousers, sets fire to the man's hat, squirts him all over with lemonade and, later after a further altercation drives the man's customers away by paddling in his tank of lemonade.

And so the curtain has fallen for the last time for another great star, we must keep their memory alive through their comedy.

Laughter may die down...but it never truly dies...

Another Delivery From Dolly!

A few months I posted about some handmade bags I bought from Dungaree Dolly - The Wonderful World of Dolly's Bags

Well I couldn't resist for long so just over a month ago I ordered some more. And here they are:

Item Number 1

The first item I ordered this time round was the bag known as the 'Perfect Purse', which is a lovely sized bag.
It took me absolutely ages for me to decide which fabric to get this bag in. In the end I settled for owl print fabric, and I'm glad I did. This fabric is absolutely adorable, even better in real life than I thought it would be. And the bag itself is a lot roomier than it first looks- a bit like the TARDIS, only on a smaller scale!

Isn't it cute?

















Item Number 2

Now for my for my second item I knew which fabric I wanted but wasn't sure which bag to have it made with. Decisions, decisions. The fabric I wanted was onyx damask.

In the end I decided to get a 'mini bag', which you can use as a clutch or to put bits and pieces in your handbag in, so they are easier to find.



Item Number 3

Now item number 3 was a little different this time. I decided to get the family dog a new collar, her old collar was getting a little worn, and in my and my sister's opinions we didn't think it quite suited the dog's personality [my brother had bought her a black collar with metal studs in it].

So then we started a minor argument on which fabric to get. We wanted one of the ones with paw prints and it ended with a 2-1 vote for the dog bones fabric, which has paw prints and bones on it. There are loads of fabrics to choose from, and four different sizes - all adjustable - and we got our dog the medium size. Dolly also makes dog leads...and aprons!

So here is the collar, modelled by the lovely Sophie - who is my adorable greyhound.









I had to chase her half way round the house to get a decent photograph of her and her collar. She doesn't seem to like having her picture taken! I think she's a bit shy...much like me. Well they say dogs end up like their owners, or is it that owners end up like their dogs?

And so another Dolly review comes to an end...I use my previous Dolly items all the time. However with summer at an end I think the sunglasses case will be taking a break fo a while.

Having Too Many Hobbies

I have too many hobbies. and not enough time to do them all in.

My current hobbies include:

• cross stitch
• card making
• making/customising clothes
• reading
• 1940/50s vintage clothes/hairstyles etc

Add to this that I also have to work, write [hopefully one day work and write will be classed as one thing], eat and sleep, I don't have a lot of time left...although I do have some spells of doing absolutely nothing, which I also enjoy.

All this and what do I do? I decide to take up sketching again!

The Bargain Hunter Strikes Again!

Although men are often seen as the hunter gatherers, evolution has created a type of woman who can rival the male hunter and get a thrill from it too. They are the 'Bargain Hunters'.

  
And as a bargain hunter myself I want to point out I'm not referring to some TV show where you buy antiques [although antiques bargain hunters no doubt exist – and by that I don't mean they are really old ;-)]. I mean a true bargain hunter, the type who bides their time. Who doesn't just grab the first thing they can find because it's 50% off.

I just had one of those triumphant moments when a good game of bargain hunting has taken place.


Time period: 1 week

Hunting ground: eBay and Amazon

Prey: a pair of boots


I wasn't sure at first if I would really like this particular style of boot. I thought in the wrong colour they would look a little too masculine for me. But then I found them in the most perfect colour. Any guesses? That's right – purple. Well they are actually lilac but I don't discriminate between shades of purple - I love them all! 

These boots however retail at £100! But on Amazon [one of my favourite online shopping venues, along with Etsy] I found a pair for £56. I still thought this was a little high and so, while I waited for pay day to come back round I decided to make enquiries elsewhere.


On eBay I found a pair that were the ankle length version of the boots I had seen [those one being calf length]. At the time they were going for £10.50 with 6 days left. So I put in a maximum bid of £25.


I was immediately outbid…by 10p!


I decided I didn't want to let them go for an amount so close to my maximum bid and so I added a miserly £1.50 on top of my original bid and suddenly I was winning.


Meanwhile on Amazon the price for the calf length boots was running at £53. For two days I kept going back to eBay, praying that I wasn't outbid but knowing that in reality I would have been. For two days my bid was the highest – TWO DAYS!


But inevitably I was outbid with one day to go. More bidding had taken place and I wasn't prepared to go higher than the current high bid.


Dejected I traipsed off to Amazon to gaze longingly at the calf length boots [that to be honest I'd always preferred to the ankle boots – and I'm not just saying that because I was outbid]. I clicked on my 'wish list' and the boots appeared on my screen.


But what was this? The price had changed again. They were now…


£28.50!!!


Needless to say I have bought them…and that bargain hunting thrill has certainly brightened up my day! :D
 

The Wonderful World of Dolly's Bags!

To all those who love handbags...this is the review for you.

I've never done a product review before but here goes anyway. I have also never included photos in a post before so hopefully all will go well.
I first came across these handbags via Lisa Freemont - a blogger and YouTuber, who did a couple of reviews on these bags.

So let me introduce you to Dolly's Bags! Dolly makes all the bags herself, as well as other accessories. And I absolutely love them! This is a review of the products I recently ordered from her - but there are lots more styles, fabrics and items to choose from so you really have to check out her website.

The bags arrived just in time as the handles on my current shop-bought handbag are disintegrating - it took me a week to realise that the bits all over my coat were coming off of my handbag.

Dolly's Bags is part of the company 'Dungaree Dolly's' and is based in the USA. My order included 3 items and including shipping time took about seven weeks to get to me - remember the items are handmade - and very well I might add.

 

I was going to film or take photos as I opened the parcel, however I was so excited it took all of my will power not to tear the pretty tissue paper, it was wrapped in, to shreds so pictures of the products will have to do. It was all very well packaged and arrived quickly.

 
Item Number 1
 

The first item that I ordered was the 'Messenger Bag', which I got in candy heart print fabric. The original lining colour was baby pink, however I asked that the purple pin dot lining be used instead - purple is my favourite colour if you hadn't already guessed!

 

I love this fabric, it is very brightly coloured and eye-catching. I can't wait to use it.
Being short of stature I asked Dolly about adjusting the strap length and she very nicely added an adjustable strap to bag for me. =)

The bag is really well made and stitched together. It feels as though will last a really long time.


Item Number 2

The second item that I ordered was the 'Bella Bag'. This bag is very very cute, and I ordered this bag in black cherry print fabric with red confetti lining. I have a slight obsession with cherry print fabric, I also have an obsession with Mary Jane style shoes but that is a different story entirely.

The Bella Bag will hold a lot more than it's exterior suggests, which is great. I'm a little sick of carrying around a bag that looks like it is the size of a suitcase, just to accommodate everything that I carry around with me.

Both bags have a magnetic closure on them and internal pockets.

Item Number 3

The last item that I ordered was a sunglasses case. I had been looking for a case for my sunglasses for some time. I wanted to prevent my glasses getting scratched or damaged in my bag, but all the cases I had looked at were plain and to put it bluntly...boring.

Of course I had to get it in black cherry print fabric - I also own a black cherry print dress and headband, so all I need now is cherry print shoes for a complete outfit!

My favourite sunglasses are quite big but they fit in this case perfectly.

I will carry Dolly's business card with me wherever I take these bags so that when people ask where my bag is from, and they will, I can hand them Dolly's card.

I may never buy a shop bought handbag again...unless there is a sale on! ;)

The only problem I have now is deciding which bag I should order next...and how soon is too soon to put in another order! =D

Michael Buble and Naturally 7

Just a short post today as I had to tell you all about what I got up to yesterday.

Last night I went to see Michael Buble in concert at Sheffield Arena.There are a number of words to describe the night but the one that springs most to mind is:

PHENOMENAL

It was absolutely fantastic - I expected it to be good but it practically blew my mind with how great it was.

A big surprise were his supporting act who I hadn't really heard of before yesterday - Naturally 7

Naturally 7 make all their music with their voices, which I hadn't realised when I listened to a bit of their music before heading out to Sheffield. If you don't know that there aren't any actual instruments, other than their voices, you can't tell just by listening.

Check them out!

I Did Not Come Here to be Insulted!

In my last post I mentioned that there are at least two films called Monkey Business. One starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, and the other starring the Marx Brothers, the latter being made 21 years before the former.

I am a very big fan of the Marx Brothers, owning all 13 Marx Brothers films on DVD. I believe that the most well known member of the Marx Brothers is Groucho Marx.

Groucho with his quick fire insults and responses to other people's attempts to put him down, and his array of unusual character names and professions: Captain Geoffrey T. Spaulding, Explorer; Wolf J. Flywheel, Private Eye; Rufus T. Firefly, President of Freedonia; Otis B. Driftwood, Operatic Agent. And from my favourite Marx Brothers film, A Day at the Races, Dr Hugo Z. Hackenbush, a Veterinary Surgeon and Horse Doctor who is masquerading as a Medical Doctor.

As I mentioned before Groucho is well known for his insults, that roll easily off his tongue. Insults that go by so fast you don't realise they are in fact insults at first. And quick witted answers to things that other people have said, that when you think about them do make perfect sense...in a way.

'You must fight for this woman's honour, which is more than she ever did.' Rufus T. Firefly, Duck Soup

Naval Officer *looks at passport*: 'Say this picture doesn't look like you.'
Groucho: 'Well it doesn't look like you either.'
                                                                                                                 Monkey Business

*Whilst taking Harpo's pulse* 'Either he's dead or my watch has stopped'
                                                                                             Dr Hugo Z. Hackenbush, A Day at the Races

I could go on and on listing Groucho's best lines, but I would be here for some considerable time. Someone once said (unfortunately I forget who) that they would rather be insulted by Groucho Marx than complimented by anyone else. I sort of understand that statement.

And so, lastly, I will give you my favourite Groucho Marx insult.

It is from Monkey Business, and the scene goes like this:

The ship has docked at the harbour and the passengers are beginning to make their way to have their passports checked. A woman, a well known star of some kind, is being interviewed by a group of reporters. Groucho swiftly steps into this group, takes the notepad and paper off the reporter stood next to him and begins firing random questions at the woman. She begins to look a little irritated with him and then he asks:

'Is it true you are getting a divorce as soon as your husband regains his eyesight?'

May the Marx Brothers live on through our laughter and DVD players!

My Other Hobby...

When I first started this blog I said that it wouldn't always be about writing. So as I stood at my 'mannequin' attempting to adjust a dress I thought why not blog about that too.
Granted some of the customisations are only a matter of adjusting them slightly for a better fit.
For example, the item I am adjusting now is a Jane Norman dress that I got in a sale. The main base colour is a dark grey-purple, with a dotted flower pattern in dark pink, lilac and white. It is a polyester dress that looks like it is made of a satin style fabric. I had seen it in a UK size 12; however this would have been far too big for me. Then one day whilst browsing the racks I found it in a size 8.
Now you are about to hate me. I find that when it comes to Jane Norman I have to get a size 6. A lot of other shops I am a UK size 8 to 10, however in Jane Norman their sizes do appear to be one smaller. So if you are a size 8, you become a 6; a size 10, you are now an 8; and so on and so forth.
Anyway I knew I would have to adjust the dress but I really wanted it so I got it, I have had it some time now and I have only just got around to adjusting it around the shoulders and bust line.
Which brings me on to my other recent project - I made myself a mannequin. To buy one that would adjust down to my size would have cost me a lot.
Making it was the result of my sister wrapping me in duct tape, cutting the result off me, tape it back up and stuffing it. I found the instructions to do this on YouTube, by simply searching for 'duct tape body form' or 'how to make a body form'. I adapted mine by putting a large postal tube down the centre of it so I could attach it to the top of my easel.
And as a result, I now have a 'mannequin' which is my size (give or take 2 or 3 layers of duct tape). If you have a go yourself, be warned:

1. Go to the toilet first
2. You will get to a point where you cannot move the top of your legs or arms very well - don't panic!
3. Put an old t-shirt underneath to stick the tape to, preferably one you don't mind cutting up.
4. Take your time - the YouTube videos may do it in 10 minutes, however they have been sped up.
5. Make sure you have plenty of duct tape - you do not want to run out half way through.

So as I have an immense pile of clothes to customise I may as well tell you what I get up to with it - however I probably won't be putting up pictures of the finished product, maybe one day in the future but not just yet.
Stayed tuned for more writing and customising adventures!