twenty-five

There was nothing blue about my Monday this week because it was in fact my birthday! (Monday birthdays are particularly awesome as they tend, in my case anyway, to elongate your celebrations by encompassing the previous Saturday & Sunday, or, depending on how you look at it, the monday birthday gives you a three day weekend!) The long birthday weekend evolved as follows...

Saturday: House warming/birthday gathering at the flat. The celebratory event also meant people could gaze upon our lovely shelves as well as nosey about the place. Mitch made a rum based punch which went down rather well and I made some cupcakes. Despite the v.wintery conditions and snowfall through the night (and a distinct lack of victoria line) my lovely friends made it to Brixton and we all got a bit pissed! :)

Sunday: After a lie-in and a quick clear up I journeyed to my parents' house. On route to the station I made a slight detour through snow-covered Brockwell park (v.jealous of all the kids with their sledges, for those who don't know the park it's very hilly). Back in Whitton my brilliant mum made a roast dinner with coffee and walnut cake to follow! And as if that wasn't enough I was also showered with birthday gifts from mum, dad, sis and my nan :)

Monday: As I am now officially mid-twenties I, like a supposable adult, went to work in the morning but the afternoon was my own. Met Mitch at Baker Street for a poke around The Sherlock Holmes Museum. It's quite a bizarre experience. The house is laid out as if the fictitious detective had actually lived there (with Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson) in the late 19th Century. There's lots of artifacts and props (deerstalker hats, magnifying glasses and the like) as well as costumed individuals and extremely enthusiastic tourists. At the very top of the house it gets a little too Madame Tussauds for my liking (the collection of life-size models representing various characters and villains in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories is a little creepy). However, also at the top of the house is a book for visitors to flick through, a book full of letters to Sherlock Holmes. Most of the letters are written by school kids but from all over the world and some are awesome. My fav one was from a very ernest child wanting to warn Sherlock that Moriarty was alive, spotted on the child's route to school every morning on the number 154 bus. Inland Revenue were also in the book, wanting to know who was occupying 221 Baker Street if Mr. Holmes had indeed moved on (haha)!

A couple of hot chocolates and a game of travel scrabble (:D), followed by a burger and a moose beer, rounded off with a quick visit to Gosh comics on Berwick Street (and a purchase or two) rounded off my perfect 25th birthday!

That's a rather beardy Sherlock Holmes...

A stroll down the Goldhawk Road

Finally, after many bus journeys passing straight through and much talk and recommendations from friends and my boss, I went to the Goldhawk Road. Why, you might ask. Because it's basically a street of fabric shops. And because they are all practically on top of each other, competition is tough which means good prices and plenty of choice. Although there are numerous fabric shops along the length of the road the largest concentration can be found at the Shepherds Bush end, to the right of the bridge when you exit Goldhawk Road tube station. They range from the tiny, higgledy-piggledy stores overflowing with fabric rolls (massively lacking in floor space to move about in) to larger establishments over two floors with neat and orderly stock, some also offer other haberdashery bits and pieces. One thing that can be said of all the shops we went to, everyone is very friendly and helpful. Purchases included 2 metres of brush cotton in a check...I'm thinking it'd be perfect for some lovely soft pj bottoms...watch this space.

Here's a little sneaky peak at what's in store for February's project...

And here is a beard update :)

Progress

The end of January is in sight and incase you were wondering progress has been made with the To Do list of 2012. Saving has begun,  and in my mind I'm spending the non-existant/meagre amount - a holiday in a hot climate MUST be booked this year. Trainers have been bought and two jogging routes have been founded (a circuit of Brockwell park at the weekends, and a run around Herne Hill during the week). The jogging is killing me and my body aches and of course I probably look ridiculous but at least the initial push has been made, all I have to do now is stick with it. As for the projects January's one has been completed :) something nice and easy to start me off. Also in project related news, I found some amazing typewriter fabric, the only question that remains is what will I make with it...February's craft project probably!

New trainers bought intentionally for exercise, it's a first.

January's project: fabric flower garland :)

Pretty new fabrics from the 30's playtime range, so many possibilities!

Just too cute.

Fancy Tea & The Circle of Life

Earlier this month I not only enjoyed delicious tea and four courses of tea-time treats but also a darn good view of a major west end musical. Lucky old me!

To celebrate my mum's birthday my dad organised (let's be honest) a bloody good day out (well done dad). At 3pm we took afternoon tea at the Savoy Hotel. It's a beautiful place with an exquisite tearoom - glass domed ceiling, incredibly comfortable seats, tea - pages of tea to choose from which is then served and topped up by super attentive waiters/waitresses, plates of posh finger sandwiches, mini scones, pastries and cake (which arrive on a gorgeous little 3 tiered cake stand) all accompanied by an extensive repertoire on the grand piano (classical, jazz even disney stuff - Ariel's Part of that World played as we took our seats!). It's an incredibly indulgent experience (do not eat lunch before) that I would highly recommend, especially for tea lovers. If you're not a fan of tea they have other drinks too including champagne (they call it a Tipsy Afternoon Tea).

Two & a half hours later (and swollen with tea) we went to watch The Lion King on stage. My mum had been wanting to watch it for years, and for years she tried to get us all to decide upon a date to go and see it together - mission accomplished, finally. The show is amazing - the costumes, the singing (it really is a top dollar song list in The Lion King), the dancing, the set. I've noticed that I am always in awe of the sets created on these west end stages and how they combat a otherwise problematic incidents in the plot, for example, a wildebeest stampede (you know, when Mufasa dies)! To whoever comes up with solutions to these: you have seriously impressive imaginations.

Confessions of a Hand Model

The day has arrived - The Art of Quilting is on the shelves (and on your TV if you've happened to see the adverts). As this is my first foray into the world of partworks - in a working capacity anyway, obviously I collected all the issues needed to make the skeletal glow-in-the-dark dinosaur when I was little - I was pretty excited to see the quilting mag in print.

At least twice a month I descend upon a photography studio in Brixton to complete the step-by-step instructions to make the quilt and various other weekly projects starring my hands no less. So, as the novice /accidental hand model, here are my confessions.

1. I bite my nails (and the skin around them). Yes it's a big confession and a problem - a v.bad, gross habit, a nervous/anxiety thing that I've done since I can remember. Potentially career suicide for a hand model.
2. To combat my urges to sabotage my hands I use vaseline hand and nail cream and Leighton Denny slick tips nail oil. The latter is expensive buuut it smells nice (tastes horrible) and it's good for my cuticles too.
3. Occasional free manicures. I'd never had one before starting this job but I would definitely recommend it. Unfortunately I get booked in as a 'men's manicure' which basically means I get everything a 'women's manicure' entails aside from having my nails painted - why the spa place has to keep calling it that to me I don't know.
4. I continue to eat as usual. Unlike almost all other types of models (leg, body, face) I don't need to starve myself, crash diet or deny myself all those tasty things that affect my size (although I probably should for non-work reasons) as I don't gain weight in my hands! Big bonus!
5. Hand cramp is painful. It's rare but sometimes I have to keep my hands in awkward positions for longer than is humanly comfortable whilst the shot in question is viewed, discussed and eventually approved.
6. Ugly hand shapes do exist. I've come to realise that holding scissors as you would in normal everyday life makes for a very unattractive hand shape which is not acceptable for print - cue unnatural scissor holding that's less claw-like and more elegant although completely unrealistic.
7. My hands will visit countries which I have yet to see! As the magazine will be available across Europe (possibly Russia, Australia and New Zealand) my hands will be pretty well travelled - bizarre eh!?

Hello 2012!

So here it is, 2012 and the first hopeful list of the new year (I've decided to not entitle it 'resolutions' as  it sounds waaay more intimidating than 'to do'). 

1. Make (and finish at least) one craft project a month. I've got a quite a few ideas lined-up using fabric, paper, painting, drawing and some will require my excellent sewing machine! Things to come: (fingers crossed) cushion, curtain for the living room, I've got quite a lot of fabric scraps left over from xmas for some more bunting, perhaps I'll try my hand at dress making...

2. Ah exercise, my old foe. 2011 has definitely been a year of great contentment (that's how my dad refers to my shape) so some (a lot of) running is in order!
3. As my savings from last year have all been spent (moving = expensive) it's time to start again. Putting some dollar away for a rainy day is just good practice so it makes the list. I'm mostly just thinking about how I can spend the savings in 2012...a desk, new sofa, a holiday...
Other things to consider for the new year: bake more (attempt to make pie), draw more (try screen printing and design a t-shirt), make lots of use of Brockwell Park, have another fabulous year with friends, family and my lovely beardy boyfriend.