Saturday, January 15

battiness is just around the corner...

the little voice within my head will not be quiet, the cogs refuse to slow down and for the past few days my mind is 'a whirring' with words that need to be penned.
i now have pieces of paper all over the shed with scribbled hasty notes, things i need to record that moment, less two minutes later they fall into the black hole within my head...


i can now see why so many writers hole up in a place where no one can find them, they are not foolish enough to sit at a computer in the center of their nest, grabbing a few hours here and there, whilst all around continue to talk, play music, woof and require feeding and clean undies. no sirree, they have the right idea... just them, their little computer and their booky thoughts.

but that is not an option for me (although i did ponder it briefly this morning as i awoke to my little voice babbling on). so i have now taken to carrying around paper and pencil, i am penning my book the old fashioned way, before the keyboard and the typewriter but after the quill and ink. then i shall transfer penciled words to 'Word' not having to worry about distractions and noisy clan at foot.

my man has suggested i "tell my book" to a little recording device and i thought this might be worthy of some pondering. i saw myself 'Barbara Cartland' style upon the couch (except i would have flannel pyjamas and a woolly sweater on, a little less eyeliner too i am thinking), Little Olive resting by my side and Used Dog offering to be in charge of note making and button pressing. Used Dog is a little iffy these days and so when i suggested this idea to her, she got in quite the tizzy about the responsibilities that come with pressing buttons and note taking, said her little toe pads just do not work the way they used to. then Little Olive pointed out it would be completely and utterly impossible for her to rest by my side because being on the couch is a 'no no' and getting a opportunity like this would be too terribly thrilling she would be overcome by peskiness, jumping all over me and trying to clean out my ears. (dogs are odd like that)


in the meantime, whilst i ponder walking around for the next few weeks with recording device in hand, be it at home, in the car or at the grocery store, i am working on whatever section leaps into my brain. "ah ha" i say to my little brain and hastily search for a pencil with lead and sharp point (quite rare in these parts i have noted) to record my brains "ah ha" moment.

and so dearest readers, this is where you come in today, yes that is correct, i see you sitting up a little straighter, adjusting what ever needs to be adjusted and now perhaps a little fearful of what i am going to ask of you. well it is quite simple really, my recall skills are letting me down, i have come to see i am the kind of person that can ramble away about any old thing, i see this to be true, as taking a look at my blog dashboard it tells me i have rambled no less 530 times!!! this is quite a number of rambles, and within those rambles is quite a lot of nonsense along with a hidden gem or two. so i am thinking as and when the need may arise, i may have to ask for you assistance. (this may not be the case, but i am putting it out there now, giving you time to think about the possiblity, if it arises)


some of you may say
"no, you are on your own there Tif"
and quite rightly so,
"way too many other things to be doing Tif"
and i do not blame you.
but others may say
"actually i think you are looking for this Tif"
or indeed
"you know what i liked best was the time Tif, you..."
and that would be most peachy indeed


so ears back, sit up straight and let us have a little go, a little warm up, nothing super duper tricky nor overwhelmingly time consuming. i am trying to recall all the dottie angelisms from over the past few years... the everyday words that have crept into this blog, the ones that when i press spell check, Mr Spell Check mocks me.

if you can recall any that may have stuck in your mind, ones perhaps that have become part of your daily vocab, i would love for you to tell me so i may make an important note of it, in my 'important note' pile of papers once destined for the recycle bin and now enjoying a few more rosy moments being scrawled upon by me and my pencil.


to get the cogs moving here's an example (and a fine one may i be so bold as to add)
'crappity crap'
surely Darren Dictionary should have this in his vocabulary!
do not fret, nor worry if another has already said the dottie angelism you have a fondness for, just tell me anyway, would be fun to know.

she is quite happy to hand out gold sticky stars all day long, in between the laundry, vacuuming and manic note making moments ~ Tif
footynote: cause its the weekend, hurrah hooray! and i am feeling quite giddy with all this 'cog turning', i have extra gold sticky stars for those that "i spy... a little 'lucky' bunny" :)

54 comments:

Invisible Animals said...

Oooohhh... I spied him! Sneaky critter in his little cape. Dashing little fellow! Is he here to stay?

Renee said...

Crappity crap has always been my favorite. And little lucky bunny is sitting quite perky in your header today. With his new cape, of course.

Renee

sarah said...

Hi Tif,

I have only recently started blogging, but have been reading your back-blogs when I can't sleep (terrible sleeper, not that they help mind you, they make me laugh), but i have already picked up on ' hoppity skip' and it has entered into mine and my kids vocab already, a tif-ism as i have fondly called it when my wonderful mum asked where I had picked up this phrase, she too is now reading your blogs, trying to get her to set up her own blog but she is a techno-phobe, bless

Enjoy your weekend, hope this helps

Sarah

katysclutter said...

I can't think of a saying that reminds me of you, but when i found your blog ( linked from another blog) and read my first of your posts I new you where English?! It must be the general phrasing and the use of words that did it! As for bunnies, I see a Bunny in your banner with his new cloak of Crochet. Not much help in the quest to write your book, but I thought i'd tell you that anyway!! TTFN :)

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

Well, I am just too new for this, but even I can name: "tippity type", "beavering", and "fabby".

Anonymous said...

Yep,bunny is surely lucky there in the tippity type of your blog header! Love, Cindyle

Unknown said...

I spy... a bunny in your header? Can it be that simple? The first thing that comes to my mind when I think "tif" is "peachy". That one should already be at the top of your list but I second it. I even painted my bathroom peach after seeing a shelf that you had. Good luck with your writing... I can't even imagine writing a book.

Charlotte said...

I adore everything about you, Tif...I do wish we were close neighbors. You place smiles on groggy morning faces and inspire me to be whimsical. And, yes, I did spy the "lucky" bunny...

Shelley in SC said...

I happen to like how you find things "peachy" and (even better) the "peachiest of peachy." Such a satisfying way to describe when all things are just right and pleasantly delightful.

Anonymous said...

'pottle' and 'glee' and 'dearies,' <3 and simply when you use your silly onomatopoeia, like 'tippity tap' ...or terms like 'crappity crap' ! :)
these may be quite obviously 'dottie angel'-ish, but i just wanted to mention them to you and maybe just maybe get a shiny gold star and feel happy to have helped. <3

-lian

folk city said...

What a clever lucky bunny to have a way to sneak onto your blog banner. Happy writing, Tif!
-Heidi
in Folk City

Lola Nova said...

Do you mean the little lucky bunny in the smart cape upon your header?
I shall put on my thinking cap but, have already penned my favorite...
Of course I'm also fond of "pants" though Darrin has it in his pages, he says it means something else altogether.

Tara said...

peachy ♥

Unknown said...

I spy a lucky bunny on your dottie angel title.

I am rather fond of "Mr Lurgy" as he seems to be lingering at my front door from time to time. When we actually come face to face he locks me in the green cupboard for days at a time.( Do not fret my dear for the green cupboard is my humble abode )

Charity

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous idea! My mind is void at the moment but did want to get the extra gold star, for i spy the little lucky bunny in your header/banner!
Jo
xoxo

dottie angel said...

ha ha hee hee, little 'lucky' bunny and his cape of crochet is positively beaming to be so 'noticed'... gold stars my dears!

and i am postively beaming for the words you have given me!!! i am so super duper impressed, gold stars all around, top of the class and if i may be so bold, hugs too! for i could hug you all for helping me on this subject... thank you kindly!
have yourselves the 'peachiest of peachy' weekend my dears :)

Tracey@bountifully said...

oh dear, crappity crap has to be the one that jumps to mind daily, oh and dreaded lurgy when I or a loved one is feeling poorly. Do you suppose crappity crap will get past the editors?

little moon... said...

i spied "lucky bunny" when I first clicked onto your page, I scrolled down.....pause....scroll back up..bunny? has that always..been...there..must have....thought no more of it scrolled down and read - got distracted - read - got distracted - read some more (bunny thought from earlier now completely out of my mind) read a little more....WHAT!!! Gold st*rs are being given out for spotting lucky bunny, wow, hooray, i thought i was going crackers for having never noticed the caped one before -

(make sense?)

thank you miss tiff

peachy reminds me of you

Loves miss little moon x

glenda said...

Ho Tif!

I did not even notice the bunny until you mentioned we should look for it! And I cannot think of just one 'ism' you say-I am fond of so many!

I will say that some days I cannot use a verb without putting 'ippety' on the end...like 'snippety' or calling nouns by their proper names...such as Mr. or Mrs. or Miss! So there you have it...of course I love 'peachy', it reminds me of my Mom...who used the word 'groovy' without hesitation!

Most of all we enjoy the laughs and smiles you give us throughout the week!

Sorry...we are not much help with specifics!

Bless you!

monica lee said...

Always such a fun read, over here at Dottie Angel! Funny how a blog can be long but a book cannot just "come about". I am sitting on a proposal and yet I can bring myself to blog quite often. I love your pooch and your stitching!

Mylene said...

Hihi... Missed him the first time. Got him on the way back - our little caped-bunny friend.

Love your blog. I'm new. I'm also inspired. I'll visit often.

Anonymous said...

Lucky Bunny is even luckier to be sitting atop your blog, Tif dear. He should be called "Peach", because when I think of you I think of the word "Peachy" (The term "hunky-dory" also comes to mind, although I don't know that I've ever heard/seen you say/write that).

Also, I have begun your challenge of the utmost kind, and it's going swimmingly so far!!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm... I just adore you and your wordy words. Pottle has found its way into my daily dose. I like to think I tippity type in my own way on my blog!

LOL. {{hugs}}

*mara said...

Hoppity quick... Just like your little lucky bunny.

xo

Naturally Carol said...

I know I am late to the table but we have had a huge week of natural disasters here in Oz and have been glued to the tv trying to make sense of it all with some kind of weird fixation.
The word 'goodness' when describing something special has crept into my vocabulary...eg crocheted goodness...woolly goodness...crafted goodness...thrifted goodness...to give a few examples of goodness!...note...not used as in..'goodness gracious me!' type goodness.
Hope that helped.
The rabbit is looking 'tres good'..oh no...that's another one!!..just slipped out...in your header.
Naturally Carol xox

Unknown said...

I recently discovered your blog. I LOVE the way you write. And I did notice the bunny with the cape...

Vicki K. said...

crappity crap, granny ways and the whole discussion about fringe...

Unknown said...

Oh, I do love "crappitycrap" , you see my iPad refuses to let me print it correctly, it insists on inserting "crap pity"!
That is why I am glad that you are like me, and write lots of notes in pencil (and leave them all over the house). Yes, and I do see the lovely, lucky rabbit and his very sweet cape, adorning your header. I do so love the way you name everything and everyone...

ColinTheComputer said...

Hi Tif,
Since your blog my master has taken up "pottling" quite a lot. Actually he "pottles" most of the time.
Love, CTC

Arthur Ransome said...

Oooh, I hope I'm not too late - and I'm only going to mention the usual suspects - "pottle" (which I love the best, I think), "perfectly peachy", "crappity crap" (which I now use all the time) and the "she" comments at the end, which I always enjoy. Sorry to be so obvious - love from Arthur

Anonymous said...

Wonky! I bet it doesn't recognise mardy, either but I don't think you've used that English/Yorkshire word...

cheers
Lynda
ps you must have seen "Olive, the Other Reindeer" book and cartoon??

Rubyred said...

Tifisms I love,
'Mr lurgy,
crappity crap a
I loved it when you discovered the 'forsaken souls' and made them shiny and new with your' granny knicker pink' and turquoise.
I love the Christmas tree you made when you did 'the challenge of the utmost kind'
My favourite has to be the 'peacheest of peachy'
Do you think I read your blog too much?
Rachel x

Carol said...

Cute bunny to welcome us today!
Crappity crap is a great Dottieism, will try to get the grey matter working on finding other ones.
Don't forget to take notebook and pen to bed for those eureka moments at 3am (obviously you will need a headtorch to aid the somnambulic writing, you can hide it under your nightcap!)
Hope you are having a great weekend, just done my first gardening of the year, feels soooo good.
Carol xx

Kate Shepherd said...

Peachy (of course) and pottling. Not the words alone but the peachiest of syntax she is using to tell us of her new adventures with dear Ethel or Mr Hook. Loving your work as always.

Hoola Tallulah said...

Perfectly peachy in every way. You remind me of Mary Poppins, you have lots of your own little sayings and words, quintessentially British and oh so eloquent. Not like the slovenly Londoners like myself, who are all Bleedin' 'ell and Bloody Nora! Can't wait to read your book....

Tanja from Germany said...

Hi Tif,

I think it is quite "tiffish" too, that you give everything in your surrounding names. Miss Ethel, Carlos, now Colin, Mr Lurgy and so on. The story about your broken iron. And you thought it could be, that it all came from that the iron just named iron...and so on. This is a funny thing, the stories you tell about things so "meaningless", you give them a live!!
This is dottie angel for me.

Greetings from Germany,
love, Tanja.

dottie angel said...

oh you are all so brilliantly brilliant!!! i think between you all we may just have them all!!! i knew you would be able to help me, i said just the thing to my man when my little recall skills were not playing fair :)

gold sticky stars all round this morning!!!

grace! i have you on my sidebar :) delighted to hear things are going peachy so far!

naturally carol, you and everyone in Australia have been in my thoughts for days now... and will continue to be so my dear x

Anonymous said...

The one word that sums up Dottie Angel for me is 'peachy' ! :)
Vivienne x

Trisha Brink Design said...

Tif,

I want to pitterly-pat you on the back for writing such lovely posts! And now a book to add to your stack of accomplishments?! Yippity Skippity! All my faves have been penned...but alas...I did want to say crappity crap is the most useful of ,in this business of thrifting, gathering, and selling. I wish you the peachiest of peachy days with your pencil and paper. You've worn off on all of us, and we love you for it. Enjoy! ...and oh yeah...has anyone told you that you have a mysterious supa-bunny on your blog header???? ;oP

psmflowerlady said...

Bangless. Loved it!

Kerri said...

I must say crappity crap is one of my favourites! Along with anything 'of the utmost kind', dear Mr Shark, pottling, peachy perfect, and of course the shelves of despair! So many to choose from! Happy writing :)

Ticking stripes said...

One more to add "shelves of despair" whic I love .Oh and "high hopes" which means so much more when you type it. Having high hopes is now quite the daily mantra for me!

Anonymous said...

pottle is one of my personal faves-I use it all the time!
I love your lucky bunny's super cape, fabulously cute xx

ReVinyl said...

Hi Tif! I found you in a blogg in Norway a year ago. As English is a foreign language to me, i look most at det pictures you present. I love the pictures of you on top of a chair, I llve your aprons and I love everything you show redesign. This probably wasnt much help, but I wanted just to let you know I`m out here and following your beatiful blogg. Looking forward to the book! Love Siw

sumo said...

Did you come up with the expression "granny chic" or are you just the embodiment of it? Thanks for making being "granny" cool. I'm going to be one for the first time later this year and I can't wait!

Rapunzel said...

Oh, Tif,
Everyone above has mentioned already Lucky Bunny flying across your logo in his fetching cape, and commented about how crappity-crap and Mr. Lurgy (our arch enemy) and peachy keenness have entered our vocab.
I want to add that here in our secluded forest valley Tif has become a verb. I am working out plans to tif my sewing room, and the laundry room really needs a good tiffing-up too.
Love your work!

Lise said...

When my not-yet-two-year-old said "tippety top" the other day, I realized that has crept into my vocabulary, I'm sure inspired by your "tippety type." Not helpful, but wanted to share!

I can't wait to read the book!

Ashley said...

love your blog... im obsessed with writing

Kate said...

I'm commenting to say I'd like to join the handmade for a year challenge! I dipped my feet in over the last few months and i'm ready to go full force! How fun!

DuhBe said...

Crapity crap is all Dottie.
And as I watch the rise of granny chic across the interwebs - I think of Dottie because you were the 1st one doing it in my world.

And for some reason, I always remember the story of the dishwasher cutlery tray replacement - and the way things always work out for the best when you just let them happen. That screams Dottie Angel to me.

Deborah said...

used dog is my favorite, I laugh every time I read it!

dottie angel said...

brilliant i say, again for the 30th time since saturday i am beaming with pride at my lovely readers and their perfectly peachy recall skills :)
gold sticky stars abound this morning... thank you my dears!

dottie angel said...

kate! lovely to have you go full force, i have added you to my sidebar :)

and i have enjoyed reading all your reasons for liking my blog or my words, it really was most kind of you to share, have a peachy tues/weds my dears
Tif

Amy said...

I adore your blog Tiff!
I wrote a whole bunch of these down the other day and forgot about it till just now:
snippity snipping, perfectly peachy,
grandest of grandy, pottling.
That's what I could think of but crappity crap has to be the best of all :)