Dream Country Chat

CARS AND CUPBOARDS

Aha, so you thought you had got off lightly with no more boring info on my car situation - no way jose! Here is my old Honda girl leaving last Friday morning. Her other side has all the damage, you are getting to see her pretty side.

And yesterday l collected the new girl, ain't she pretty! Now named BB2 (Big Bertha 2) she is a Hyundi Tuscon. She has already passed the loadability test as yesterday l took her to Ikea to get another cupboard.

Now those of you who are quick off the mark will recall that l was down at Ikea a few weeks back and bought a new glass fronted cupboard for HQ. A move to foil those pesky mice. Well it appears that l bought the wrong cupboard. Honestly l wrote down all the numbers on that little card thingy that Ikea so thoughtfully provide, it was just at the collecting place that everything went to pot.

Of course l did not build the cupboard right away. Oh no, l put it out in HQ and waited a few weeks for Mr X (ex hubby) to offer to build it. Last week he did. Unfortunately it was at this point that l realised l had bought the wrong bloody cupboard. Totally wrong, not HQ like at all. Hmmmmmmmm what a todo! Opened negotiations with Mr X re Idgy having big new not-for-HQ cupboard. This works fine. Now to get to Ikea for the right cupboard. Cannot go as using small tho lovely little brand new Jazz car until l get mine.

So yesterday as soon as l got BB2 l was off to Ikea for my cupboard. Horrors! It has a sold out sticker on it. Using an unusual bit of initiative l asked the sales person if they could get another. 'No it has been discontinued' Ugh just my luck. She then said l could buy the display one on the shop floor. Great l said, but l would need a removal lorry to get it home. With the best will in the world BB2 just wouldn't be up to the job. Could l have it delivered? Er no, they don't deliver built up items. The did offer a solution. I could borrow an alan key and dismantle it myself on the shop floor. Right. You can just see that happening can't you. 'Well you could try sweet talking the guys in customer services downstairs and see if they might be able to help you'. This seems like a good plan so off l trot

Man at customer services desk sucks on teeth in way of all workmen and garage mechanics when faced with tricky job. 'That'll take you a while to break down' he says. The word 'you' is seriously disapointing for me at this point. However my luck changes, a kindly lady who also works on the service desk joins us and suggests that since the store is quiet two of her boys could help me. Joy of joys! The boys and l trek back to the storage department and they set to work with gusto.In fact they are so good at it they tell me to go and get a cup of coffee. By the time l get back they have flat packed my cupboard and are loading it on a groaning trolly. 'Meet us at checkout' and they disapear.

We rendevous at the checkout and l go to pay for the long awaited cupboard. The checkout girl calls customer services for a price and l am astounded to find l am getting this beauty for less than half price as it is off the shop floor. I am beside myself! They then supply a kindly man to help me get it to the car. I pray the whole way there that it will get in to BB2. Will the new girl be up to the job? I have visions of dragging the damn thing back into the shop and explaining the problem after all the work they guys did to break it down for me. Meanwhile back in the car park my trusty companion hefts the first panel into the back of BB2. Fabuloso! It fits, just in there with about 1cm to spare. I drive home very carefully with my shifting glass fronted cargo behind me.

Mr X visits this morning and looks with trepidation at BB2 and her cupboard cargo. 'Another bloody cupboard' he says............
Karon  x

BLOG CONTENT

Yes he is caught in the act yet again!  Here is Harry stealing Idgy's hot chocolate last night. You know l really ought to get some crafting photos on to this blog and stop showing pix of Hairy Harry etc. Ho hum, l guess l just don't have enough direct focus in one area. When l snapped this pic, my first thought was 'oh l can't wait to share this on the blog', it goes right back to what l was waffling about the other day - the blogging community and how we get to enjoy so much contact over such a wide and diverse area.
 
The contact issue was really brought home to me this morning when l read the comments from yesterdays blog. A friend in America was catching up on her blog reading while waiting at a hospital for news on her daughter. So much better than just looking at magazines and worrying, the blog community were there with support and real life. On a lighter note, someone had just ventured into Blogland for the first time after watching The Gilmore Girls (also for the first time) and found my blog. Obviously a girl with great taste!

Keep on blogging.
Karon x

GILMORE GIRLS

Ok l am giving you an admission here, a bit of an 'about me' moment. I love 'The Gilmore Girls'. For anyone who has missed out on this nugget of daytime viewing let me fill you in;

Set in a perfect small town in Connecticut (Sorry can't spell that one) the story features a Mum in her thirties and her 16 year old daughter. Their relationship and off beat style are the main focus and the crew of slightly whacky characters that abound in the town just spread out the fun. There are touching moments too and the story lines are not heavy going.

I guess you could say it is 'froth', no substance, nothing serious, waste of time for many folks. But you know, for me, l love it. ~It is a dash of lighthearted fun, takes me out of myself and whatever l am working on and lightens things up a wee bit. The music is great too, the photo above shows the cd case of the 'music from the series'. It includes songs by John Lennon, Carol King and Louise Goffin, P J Harvey, Bjork, XTC and lots of others.

I know in USA the series ended in 2007 but E4 has it on just now and started right from the pilot episode just 2 weeks ago. So if you want to escape to somewhere pretty and fun for an hour go look up Channel E4 and check out Stars Hollow where the Gilmore Girls live.

You see this is what happens when you lose your HQ where you work without TV in the background. Where you live in the land of Radio 2 while you beaver away with the sewing etc. Just now l am holed up in the kitchen with laptop and sewing in full view of the dreaded TV.

Now you might just have noticed a few changes to my blog layout. I spent last night trying out different looks and moving things about. Have finally updated the list of nice blogs to visit and even added more books to my list. Have even managed to add categries, but still have to put each entry into the right one. 'About time' l hear you cry, well yes l agree, l have been a tad lax over the past year. Actually l didn't know how to change many things and had completely forgotten how to do others. Now all l need to do is work out how to do my own banner/photo for the top of the page. Can anyone help with info/suggestions?

Ok, Gilmore Girls addiction off chest, admission of inability to work blog also off chest, am now lighter in mind and able to pull on my joggers and go for a run.............

Karon  x

BULBS AND BLOGS

Okay it is the ubiquitous bulbs photo that everyone has on their blogs just now. But hey, mine aren't real! I got this great little set of faux bulbs as a Christmas prezzie. They are so pretty and l think realistic, all that is missing is scent (plenty of that round here) and the fact that l can't kill them. They did start their kitchen life on the windowsill. They looked lovely there, unfortunately Harry didn't think so and started dragging them off and trying to carry them upstairs to his lair. We wondered what the banging noise was, there was our Harry clunking this little round vase up the wooden staircase!

I received the nicest email this morning. I heard from a lady who had just started blogging. She said that mine had been the first she had ever read and was inspired to do her own. This has really started my day with a lovely glow. I really think blogging is a wonderful thing to do. My day starts with my blog, l get up half an hour early so l can get things done and make sure that the blog is done before Idgy goes off to school. It was Jane who got me started in this blogging lifestyle and l can't thank her enough. I have met so many wonderful people through this cyberspace chatting and had an unbeleivable amount of support over the past year. At the workshop the other day there were quite a few people who just didn't want to entertain the idea of blogging. Too new fangled, intrusive, difficult and downright dangerous! Oh what they are missing out on. I would miss my blog friends so much if l didn't do this. So if you are out there reading this and pondering on the 'should l have a go' fence, go on, jump off the fence and join us. You will gain so much from the cyberspace community. Join in............

Karon  x

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Yesterday l spent a wonderful day at West Moss Side farm in Stirlingshire attending the 'Women making a success in art, craft and design enterprises' workshop.

The venue was the beautiful West Moss-Side where they regularly host courses in a variety of crafts from willow basketry to felting and also business meetings etc. Fabulous use of an old byre, a really beautiful conversion job, it really made me envious.

The day involved three workshops regarding crafting businesses and their problems (and solutions)  within marketing, communications, internet etc. I went along with Jane from Snapdragon who gave a really good talk on being an individual trader and the power of the internet in business and how useful blogging is within the crafting business world. There were also talks on The Community Based Business by Camille Dressler from the Isle of Eigg and Barry Horning from the Creative Cairngorm Group.

It really was an interesting day, not just from the point of view of listening to good speakers and being involved in feedback/discussions etc, there was so much enjoyable networking (chatting!) going on as well. I finally met the lovely Gill who runs Purple Coo blog, so nice to put faces to names. It was also really refreshing to meet other crafters/sellers in another atmosphere instead of the usual 'at a fair/shop and selling', people were more open and showed their more vulnerable side, their hopes and fears within their chosen craft path. It put things into perspective a bit and l think that helps us all. We can tend to get bogged down within our ouw little world when we are crafting a business. Our problems (tho very real) can become larger than life through the fact that we are working in a more solitary environment. I think being able to get together and share all manner of issues really does help people in such a variety of ways. I know l have come away with a pad full of notes and a tad lighter on the shoulder load.

All in all a good and productive day out. Only slightly marred by having to drive all the way accross Glasgow to collect my new (well not quite) car and finding out it wouldn't be ready for another day. Ho hum, always something sent to try us l guess..............

Karon x

SAVOURY CUP CAKES

Hi guys, yesterday l did a bit of baking. Sewing those cup cakes put me in mind for making some real ones. Now l wasn't really in a sweety type mood, also l was going to be going up the road (Colette's) for dinner and there would be yummy wine etc so l thought l would try making some savoury cup cakes to go well with a glass of red.

First step was to gather some herbs from the garden. I used rosemary, thyme and sage. Now here is what you need to give this a go and a bit of 'how to' as well.

250g/9oz plain flour
1tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
mixed herbs I used about 4 sprigs thyme, 2 sage leaves and l sprig rosemary all finely chopped
1 cup milk
75g/2 1/2oz melted butter
1 large egg
50g/1 3/4oz parmasan cheese grated
150g/5oz feta cheese crumbled

for topping

cream cheese
grated clove of garlic
chopped rosemary

Sieve flour and mix all dry ingredients (including the chopped herbs) in large bowl.Add the crumbled feta and grated parmasan and mix well. In separate bowl whisk the egg and add the milk and melted butter. Add this to your dry ingredients and stir in.
Spoon into 12 cup cake holders and bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Mix half a packet of plain cream cheese with a grated clove of garlic and spread on top of each cup cake. Drizzle with rosemary snippings. Et voila, savoury cup cakes, perfect with a glass of wine and good company.

I took some up to Colette's last night and we had them after dinner while sitting round the table chatting and putting the world to rights over a bottle or two of red.

Karon  x

SIMPLY RED

Well here we are with the sewing machine at the ready and fabric in place. l am pleased with the new designs. things have changed and evolved over the past few weeks and pared down more and more as time goes on. I have even lost the green leaves of the rose, so now it is just a case of red, black and off white. Wow that is a seriously simple palatte for someone who is usually a mess of colour. I am liking this simplicity tho', it is keeping me on the 'straight and narrow' so to speak. I have less chance to flit off and do loads of different designs and items, at least now they have to 'fit' with my strict colour palatte. The theme element is simple too, old sheet music, french book pages, red roses and hand writing.

Here are the new linen bags, now called 'Linen Love'. Couldn't be much more simple really. Now l am finishing off reworking the cup cake design.

Mmmmmmm think l might have to do some real baking this weekend too. The throught of cup cakes makes me yearn for cake.

Karon x

SOMETHING PRETTY

I may have spent the whole week holed up here cold and carless, but l have been working. I think l have finally managed to solidify my new line for 2009. I am thrilled! I have kept it simple, a strong image and only a few items. Eeek, a few items. This is always my downfall, l get so carried away and do more and more. Then l have too many items and wish l had been stronger and stuck to just a few. Okay, l will be strong and keep it tight - promise.

The pretty flower above is my new corsage brooch. It ties in perfectly with my other items and just adds a little dash of style to the more household items. I have always wanted to have a corsage in my line (l certainly sold plenty of the refab flowers and their related items) but could never come up with something that l really liked or that sort of tied in with other things. This flower ticks all the boxes. Basically it is just a bigger better version of my refab flower but made using only two vintage rose print fabrics and my own music and written prints. The centre is vintage milinery. I really like it and have been wearing it round the house. Okay the look is slightly lost on a tatty old jersey, but hey it brightens me up a bit!

Will start photographing the new goodies soon as poss.

Have a nice Friday.
Karon  x

WRITING OFF

Yesterday the insurance assessor came to see Big Bertha (my Honda CRV) and unfortunately he sounded the death sentence on ger. She is, in technical terms 'a write-off'. I am bereft, Idgy was so upset. She went outside and did this drawing to remember her by. She even smeared it with the cars very own mud for true authenticity.

Last night on the way to my photography course l stopped off at a garage to see if there are any other Hondas looking for a home. There wasn't.I was offered a very nice metro, but since it wouldn't be able to carry more than a bag of stock or a box of shopping, l sadly declined. Hopefully l will have better luck on my search today.

It appears l have enrolled in the wrong class at the photography course. Would you beleive it. The class with more photoshop/computer work (which is where l seriously need help) is on Tuesdays. So there l was on Wednesday wondering why everyone was bristling with cameras and every gadget known to man and not a computer in sight. ~Ho hum, next week l shall turn up on Tuesday.

Hang in there
Karon  x

GETTING SNAPPY

Another snow photo this morning. Promise l shall do some new snaps today. Actually, speaking of snaps l have some snappy news.

I am starting a digital photography evening class tonight. Very excited, it is about 20 years since l studied photography at college so time for a freshen up! The course covers camera work and photoshop. At last l will learn how to work the damn thing. I have fought with photoshop for so long and been pathetically defeated every time. I have the dummies books, missing manuals, you name it, still no joy. I need someone to actually show me how to use it. So at long last l am heading for success (l hope) by signing up for some lessons.

Insurance company sending someone this morning to see the car in all its damaged glory. Hopefully they will also get me sorted with a replacement hire car right away.

News from web site. Almost everything has now been sold. Just have some Christmas hearts left to sell. Will be closing the site at end of the month for refurbishment.

By the way, thanks so much for all your kind emails asking how l am. I really appreciate your concern. I am definately on the mend.

Karon  x