Awards are like buses...

...you don't see one for ages and then 2 come along at once!The versatile blogger award is one I've seen doing the rounds for a while now, and then in the last (several) weeks Reana Louise and Jen but never Jenn both sent it to me. Thank you very much ladies!

So, I need to tell you 7 things about myself. Fortunately I love to talk about myself, so here goes...

1. As well as sew, I also know how to tile, lay lino and drill holes in things (including tiles). I am also the IKEA queen, which would account for the reason our house looks like it was decorated by Tyler Durden. When our kitchen was being installed, it was me who ripped the old tiles off the wall - so satisfying! I am a She-Hulk.

2. I have a very short attention span and trouble sticking to one hobby for any length of time - I normally do it long enough to buy all the equipment and then give it up. This makes blogging (1yr, 5months) and Sewing (2yrs) the longest running activities in my life. There's a reason I don't have a dog...

3. I am a girl gamer - my shoot-em-up skills outstrip most of my male friends' and I spend many a happy hour supporting my husband with sniper overwatch while he breaks into army bases to kill the bad guys.

4. I have been vegetarian for 17 years. As a result I'm not a very fussy eater, veggie options being somewhat lacking throughout the 90s. I do hate quiche though, too many parties where it was the ONLY non-meat item available.

5. I'm pretty body confident - the result, I think, of a very sensible mother giving me a healthy mix of praise and general disinterest in outward appearance. While I would be happy to be a bit thinner, or have thicker hair, or look less tired (this especially), on the whole I love the way I look and wouldn't wish to be any other way.When I was at University I did some amateur modelling. I think that helped to make me more confident in my looks, since with good make-up, lighting and a skilled photographer, most people can look amazing and that's a real boost. When I see photos of myself looking awful it helps to know that actually neither shot really shows the truth.

Sometimes I look like this

More often I look like this

6. I am a compulsive list writer. I have half a dozen in my bag at the moment, and I keep a notebook with constantly changing lists of things to do, to buy, measurements for bits of furniture and other useful lists I might need while I'm out. Nothing happens in my life if it isn't on a list!

7. I have a modest collection of jugs. Most of them are charity shop and flea market finds but there are a couple I've picked up from pottery studios and craft fairs. I don't know why I started collecting jugs, but I love them, and I'm always on the lookout for more!

A few of my jugs (phnar phnar)

My dancing shoes are on...

After months of moaning about the lack of events I wanted to go to and actually had a chance of attending, I've found 2 events, one of which is set to be a regular feature right here in Bristol! I'm chuffed and excited about having some sort of social life in the making.

First up, there's the Blitz Party in Shoreditch this coming Saturday. The tickets for these go like hotcakes and this was an extra date added very recently. Despite London being a pain to get to for an evening out, as it's my Birthday next week I decided it was worth it for a treat! I still don't know what I'm going to wear, but I expect I'll cobble something together in time.

Then I saw this new tri-monthly event in Bristol.

I can't say that the numerous Burlesque acts excite me hugely, nor does the 'fancy dress encouraged' line, but it has to be worth a go. I'm just impressed that there's some interest in the 40s round here finally. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's not all fancy dress. I don't think I'll make the April one but I should be there in July, with my camera!

I'll be pleased to get a chance to try out the swing dance moves I learnt at my class a month or so ago, I just hope I can remember something...

I've been a bad blogger recently and have forgotten to thank two ladies for awards they've kindly passed on, so let me now say thanks to Saphy for the Versatile Blogger award and Paper Doll for the Liebster award.

Thank you very much ladies!

Don't forget that there are 3 prizes still up for grabs on my giveaway till Friday!

Crafty temptations

In addition to my spending I wrote about yesterday, I've been doing a lot of lusting and drooling over various crafty bits and pieces. As well as the cold weather inspiring me to make some warmer clothes, I've been thinking about Christmas (I know, I know, but we are only 7 weeks away now) and reading the Crafty Christmas Club created by Tilly.
So here are some of the shops that have caught my attention.

I'm looking for 2 ply yarn for my jumper that my Mum has promised to knit me, and it's not been easy! Fortunately I don't need much, but what I've found has mainly been baby wool in soft pastels, or very very expensive! I did find 2 good sources though.

The first, Silver Viscount, has reasonably prices new wool in a good range of colours. It's not terribly exciting, but it looks like it'd provide me a good choice. However, I'm not so terribly keen on wool, firstly because I do find it itchy and it can also be a bit unpredictable in the wash.



The second site I found was much more drool worthy. Violet Green sell the most beautiful cashmere, merino, and cotton yarns in a wonderful range of silky colours. These are the ones that made me go "ooooooooh"

I've also been looking at cross stitching charts.Now, I'm working on a sampler I started back in the early summer and I'm still only about 1/4 done. In addition, I have 3 kits waiting to be stitched and 4 books of projects waiting to be sewn. So, in short, I shouldn't be looking at MORE cross stitch projects, but I did. Ooops.
I particularly liked the charts I found from the Historical Sampler Company. I'm a big fan of the traditional stitching styles and these mostly traditional, with the odd slightly trendier style thrown in.

Since I was on a roll, I thought I'd look for woll dressmaking fabrics. I need some warn skirts and dresses and good wool is hard to find. But. I did a search and came across MacCulloch and Wallis in London who sell on the web. It's pricey, looks wonderful and is fair for the quality that's apparent from the photos. I'm itching to get up there and see the fabrics for myself now!

Finally, I wanted to share this photo shoot. It's by a modern photographer in a mix of retro styles and is stunningly beautiful.

And last by certainly not least, I keep forgetting to mention that the very lovely Evie over at La Couturier Dimanche awarded me my first blog award! Thank you very much!

I'm supposed to pay it forward to 15 other bloggers, but I am very lazy and am finding it hard to find bloggers I follow who don't already have the award! So here are my 10 nominees, in no particular order.
1. Welsh pixie
2. Land girl 1980
3.  A Sewing Odyssey
4. Canadian Twenty Something
5. Did You Make That
6. Miss Magpie's Musings
7. Ohhh Lulu
8. Steam
9. Swingin' it in Vintage
10. Vintage Loving Librarian