Monday, November 19

'giving thanks' with a little 'give away'...

you are all too kind about my 'kitschy' lamp cushion...our #4 cannot for the life of him see it as a lamp, he said
"oooh, i see you have started making some monster cushions"
"no" says i "it is a lamp just like the tea towels"
"no, it's a monster with a square head, skinny neck and look he has one eye, two feet and a tail"

can't really argue with that...


so we have reached the week of thanksgiving and what better time for me to say a few long overdue "thank yous"...so here goes (you might need to make yourselves a little more comfy, this could take a while)
thank you for the 'smile' award from here,
for the 'nice manners' award from here (which is ironic as i have taken so long to say thank you),
plus all the lovely comments from you dear readers, that you send my way,
the parcels that turn up unexpectedly in the mail...
the support of my new ideas
and on going 'trials' of trying to move...
you are patient, forgiving and very kind.


when i decided to 'swim' a few weeks back, i did not let on that i am in fact a rubbishy kind of swimmer, the type that flays around the minute they realize they can't touch the 'bottom' and do some kind of strange combination of the 'breaststroke' and 'doggie paddle' all with head stuck right out of the water...so you have truly been my 'water wings' over the past weeks and i really must 'thank you' all...


and as a little reward for 'good behavior', i have a 'give away'...my birdie house tea towel is looking for a home. this little number was the first 'off the press' and if you fancy a chance of winning it then here's what you need to do...


1. locate your 'thinking cap' from somewhere in your home, if you have lost it, i would consider borrowing someone elses, just for a while...
2. make a cup of tea (or maybe something stronger to get the creative thought process warmed up)
3. now here's the deal...you need to think about 'who' your alter ego is...you all know mine by now, and i know Janet has one too...so i am quite sure you all have one hidden away.
4. leave your 'alter ego' in the comments, or email me and your name will be given to Ruby to take care of, who is very responsible...(Ruby comes from a lovely etsy seller called clang clang...she now owns a crocheted pinafore as she was complaining about feeling chilly in my echoey studio...)
5. Ruby with the help of our #4 will draw a name out of the bag on Monday 26th Nov, giving you lots of time with your 'thinking caps'...

so there it is...a little 'give away' to make up for my lack of "thanking you kindly" in the past few days, weeks and quite possibly, months...

she's looking forward to reading all the 'alter egos' out there ~ Tif

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alter ego hey?
Well, she is called Freya and looks like a Pre-Rapaelite, with her flowing auburn hair and velvet dresses. Her children eat their vegetables and use cutlery. Freya lives in a lighthouse and rides her dappled grey pony along the shore every evening, before returning to her dashingly handsome husband and dancing the tango!

dottie angel said...

hurrah!!!

Francesca said...

stanley?
no, actually you may recall my alter ego is pippa bonhomie, the eccentric, pretentious, bohemian, arty magazine editor and celebrity photographer. she's a bit la-di-da and a bit ho-hum. she buys vintage quilts from couverture, and is a big fan of airport chic (includes cashmere jumper worn as scarf). In her spare time, she enjoys quince jelly, french scrabble and urdu.

dottie angel said...

yipee!!!

Lucykate Crafts... said...

my alter ego is called 'boden', she has all the things in the boden catalogue that i covet, and she didn't have to wait up to 8 weeks for delivery of any of it, and has a 50% off discount code. she looks a bit like me, except she's 34 and will remain 34 for ever, has no bags under her eyes or grey hair yet, no stretch marks and her pelvic floor is still intact despite having given birth twice. her children are impecably behaved and do not pick their noses or trump at the dinner table then laugh.

oh and she can sew faster than i can, and unlike me, she will get all of her handmade presents made in time for christmas!.

(ps, thanks for the link tif, x)

Karen said...

My alter ego is nameless. She is however, calm, serene and fragrant. Never too overloaded with things to do that she achieves none of them, always in control, eternally focused and unflappable. She never returns from the supermarket without essentials or more importantly, tries to drive with the handbrake on!

Stephanie said...

oooh let me try...
She is Olivia Rose and she lives on a farm in rural Virginia where she raises angora goats for all her craft endeavors, everything she makes comes out perfectly and is wildly popular and she is therefor a millionaire. She has exotic ducks and chickens that keep her well supplied in the egg dept, she sells the extras (in handmade egg cartons) at the country farmer's market on Sunday. Her garden is full of heirloom vegetables , that she picks from daily making perfect meals for her family every night. She rides her Andalusian horse bareback through her fruit orchard picking the very best apples and pears for a tart she'll whip up that night.

dottie angel said...

fantastic!!!

Sarah and Jack said...

I think my alter ego should have a froofy french name, like Mireille. Her child is a sweet, ever so quiet angel, who never screeches or throws things, who sleeps until 8 am, and allows her plenty of time to read gorgeous french magazines. Of course she lives in the country, in a beautiful centuries old farmhouse, full of shabby chic antiques, on a big hill where she can watch the sun set over the farm fields every evening.

We mustn't forget the husband who is Jon Bon Jovi's twin!

:-)

Unknown said...

My alter=ego is one of the ladies from the Stepford Wives.... perfect in all ways!!!! :)

Kristy said...

I'll look for my thinking cap underneath all the dust sheets but until then please tell me where did Ruby get her friend the owl from?

Anonymous said...

My alter ego is also named Lisa. She is lazy and unkempt. Her house is a total mess. Her children are royal terrors. She has horrible taste in clothes and has no decorating sense whatsoever. She feeds her family nothing but fast food and none of them eat vegetables. She's a glass half empty person and she's rude to just about everyone.

In comparison, I am the most sensational single mama ever! :)

Anonymous said...

name is debi, 50, plump, pink hair, scruffy patchwork dresses, 2 cheeky little grandbrats, living barefoot on an english canal in my rosie and jim narrowboat, sewing all day and watching water rats swimming past tormenting our cats, masses of fabric and vintage trim all over the place, hanging my washing on the towpath bushes to dry in the breeze, goodlooking hubby, barefoot of course, with a bare chest and a 6 pack, (well more of a 4.5 thesedays) cooking wild mushrooms for my tea that he's just picked himself over the fields and humming along to the archers on the wireless..and guess what...its true !!..well.. will be by newyear as we've just sold the house, yipeeee..jacked in our hated jobs more yipeees...and put down a deposit on our dream narrowboat !!! AT LAST...aint life grand when you're 50 years old and just starting over...hurrah for old age and an understanding old fella who shares my life dream (thanks Chris)...RESOLUTIONS; intend to start a blogg in the newyear and post lovely photos of our new life for all you lovely people to share with us old wrinklies...and finish all my sewing projects lying around in messy heaps ofcourse... wish us luck x x x

dottie angel said...

oooh barefoot-no-knickers,
(just loved typing that name) you will have us all waiting on tender hooks for your blog and your new life...be sure to let me know when you are up and running...good luck to you and your man :)

Kristy,
Ruby's friend 'owl' was a secret santa gift from our #3 to me last year (he knows his mother well)...i believe he spied it in urban outfitters with his dad. it reminds me of the old printed cloth kits one use to see...i am sure there must be a market for reproducing those...the label on him says 'the rise and fall' and i am now off to check out if that is the company name...

Gigibird said...

Did you know Cloth Kits is being relaunched in the New Year?
I read it on a blog but I can't remember whos.....I seem unable to even think about my alter ego....but I have to say I am so enjoying everyone elses:)
Barefoot no knickers - what a name:)Respect.

debbie said...

What fun!!!! Well, Eve resides in a stunning Georgian building overlooking the sea. She spurns consumerism but loves frivolity, and does everything with a smile on her face and skip in her step. Eve runs a dance sudio and has the most fabulous bookshop (which is more of a library/teashop really). She has boundless energy, endless enthusiasm and her hair always looks great too! Lucky Eve lives 'green and sustainable' with her charming husband and adorable children.

Monica said...

Ms.M is a poet with an amazing closet full of vintage 60's and early 70's fashions that she wears daily,and lives in a seaside cottage with a garden full of rosemary and lavender. She keeps her parents vintage VW minivan as a remainder of a happy childhood and because it has been converted into a play/clubhouse for the kids, who are so well mannered and behaved that when she needs lots of quiet time to concentrate in her writings, they know the VW is there for them along with the rest of the park-like backyard.She has a housekeeper who makes sure the bedsheets are always clean and crisp, and a personal chef whose main purpose is to fill the fridge with homemade flan, because she can eat a full 8 servings at once everyday (although she is considering cutting back to 6 servings,to avoid sugar or weight problems in the future).
Her husband is always home at 6, in time to give the kids a bath while she watches TV or read one of the many foreign fashion magazines she subscribes to. And they all have dinner at 7:25pm,usually microwave or fast food (the chef is busy making more flan).

Anonymous said...

She lives in a house with really old wooden floors that have neither paint nor varnish. Her house is filled with handmade items that she has bought from different creative people that she think are fab. She also has some furniture made by the local carpenter. She lives with her husband, who has a voice like Ted Levine and whom she loves madly. And he loves her. She works part time at a small museum, that has the works of two of her favourite artists. She also has time to work on her different crafts projects that she sells in small selected cute shops. She watches a lot of tv, loves certain types of chocolates and she always has really great haircuts.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I and I forgot one essential thing: the house has a porch. This is important.

dottie angel said...

these are all such a treat to read :)

Goodbye Eden's Eve said...

WOW! I do have to say that my alter ego sounds nothing like those posted before me, so I just wanted to say for the record I grew up in the 80s, and I'm thinking it has almost everything to do with this alter ego of mine!! Also, mine is someone in many ways that I would be quite frightened to be, yet she possess an inner personality that is perhaps similar. Oh, and did I mention she is a real person?? Her name is Kat Von Dee. She represents all that is fun, wild, sassy and totally punk!! She wears tattoos like they were created just for her (she is covered in them). She is like my inner wild child ... but I would be scared to death to actually get a tattoo :) She has long, HOT, dark hair. She is adventurous, not afraid of failing, and at heart is a softy. She likes walks on the beach, rollerblading and eating ice cream. AND she dates rock stars and has a rock'n pair of sunglasses for what seems like every day of the year.

Anonymous said...

My alter-ego looks just like me. Except she is 6" taller making her weight perfect for her height. We both have pink hair - but hers rarely seems to need its roots retouching and she's developed a nifty Mallen streak, which remains pristine and white.

Whilst I spend time riding about on my motorbike looking like a gaudy sack of potatoes - she has had fashioned a wonderful Cordura jacket which manages to look (in spite of the body armour and back protector) like a Victorian riding habit. Her hair tumbles prettily when she takes off her immaculate Prada crash helmet (where as mine hangs like cold spaghetti) and she's always smiling at memories of her journey and the courteous way that other (male) road users treat her.
I curse like a sailor.
And gesticulate.

She has a life plan and a life coach to match whilst I am happy to find matching socks - mine are stripey and have toes - hers are cashmere. We both like the same vintage clothes but I buy mine from eBay, whilst she spends hours browsing Steinberg & Tolkien. She is slightly scarey and serene; I'm stand-offish-because-I'm-shy.

She wants to paint by the sea and so do I.

I love this game :)

Anonymous said...

Cheetah Velour doesn't spend all day in her ratty flannel pajamas, unshowered and legs all whiskery. Cheetah Velour doesn't sit around all afternoon in front of the computer, hair piled on top of her head and dripping with smelly brown hair dye. Cheetah Velour doesn't wait until 5:00 to take a shower. Cheetah Velour doesn't have a 30+ year old car dripping oil all over her driveway, and she never burns the dinner.

Cheetah Velour is out doing something exciting, probably being the life of the party somewhere. She is quite possibly wearing red lipstick while she does it.

Tracy x said...

mmmm......
claudia lives with THE man who knits (you know the one) in a beautiful house overlooking the sea.
each day the man who knits creates something wonderful for claudia which of course fills her heart with joy!
every evening as claudia skips home from her beautiful, organised and stylish studio, she feels the sea air in her flowing locks and frilly knickers.
of course - parked outside the beautiful grey house is a beautiful airstream - each evening they sit and drink g&t's and eat wholesome vegetarian food
you see - the man who knits also cooks x
life is great for claudia - a man who looks great in a knitted hat and frilly knickers that flap in the sea breeze......
bliss
tracy x

now can i sit in a dusty corner of my cramped and untidy cottage and weep???

dottie angel said...

these alter egos all make for the best reading...everyone of them is priceless, thanks for joining in ;)

Violette Crumble said...

Violette is a petite woman who looks just like I did at age 20 (expect petite of course). She wears all the forties rayon dresses I used to own and owns a stone cottage in the English countryside where she raises rescued animals. Of course Rufus the Shetland pony is allowed in the house. Violette and her husband sell antiques and write children's books with the help of their six children. All of their belongings are well organized and everything they eat is made from scratch. Every morning they eat scones with Cadbury spread on top.

Anonymous said...

This was such a fun challenge. I just might have to post it on my blog, as well.

My alter ego is a junk queen who wears funky clothes, vintage baubles, and a tiara. She drives a shiny red vintage pickup. She occasionally wears red heels. {She likes red.} She sells repurposed junk and treasures for her own little company.

Whenever she pleases, she scours antique shops and the local dump searching for lowly pieces of junk. She rescues things from being thrown into landfills. She's earth conscious and creative. She loves to draw and paint. But she gets her real thrills from repurposing junk. She is very healthy and practices Yoga daily.

And she owns a quaint little cabin on a lake where she and her family take retreats during the hot Midwestern summers. It is decked out in a vintage, beach house style. She lives in Northern Minnesota in the 'gateway to the pines' (because it is a very beautiful place to be) in a home that is completely finished and under absolutely *no* construction. Surrounding her home are a barn and various outbuildings for the purpose of a small farm and for entertaining. Which she does at her annual outdoor Pumpkin Harvest Party each October.

She always has time to work on her projects. She also sews, cooks, and bakes. And tends to her home. Her children are well behaved and polite at all times. She lives in the country in a home that is decorated in a mixture of vintage shabby chic, beach house, and junk style. {Whimsical Junk} style. She is always happy.

Anonymous said...

OK......Mine is
Morgana. She is raven haired and wild of spirit. Lives in a sprawling tumbledown (but packed with the most gorgeous shabby antique furniture)house. This is in remotest Cornwall, overlooking the sea. I imgine the wildest of weather, nothing calm! The house full of tapestries and shadows.
Her creativity oozes without her trying and she sews beautiful, eccentric items. No care if they are well received (although of course they are clamoured over). She lives alone, but has her circle of select like minded souls - tall, dark, brooding ones included!!
By night she reads tarot by candlelight whilst her 2 irish wolfhounds sprawl infront of the blazing fire.

asti x

Gigibird said...

Robyn lives in a Georgian town house which has sea views to the front of her house and rolling hills to the rear.
She has an English springer spaniel called Darcy and a cat called Mimi who live in harmony with one another.
Robyn is a successful watercolour artist whose work is sort after.
She is married to an architect who travels a lot leaving Robyn on her own for weeks at a time which she secretly loves.
Robyn has a small circle of friends who share her love of the arts.
Just in case you find Robyn a little too perfect she can sometimes be found in MacDonald’s stuffing down a Big Mac and fries and although committed to environmental issues is still unable to recycle her pet’s empty food tin

Anonymous said...

let's see..
my alter ego is a beacon of peace and love,has a mother- in- law that's loves her dearly(and thinks she's doing a great job with the grandchildren),can knit a mitten without a hole at the base of the thumb, and doesn't rely on coffee and wine to get through the days..

ahh that was therapeutic..thanks tif!

oh i forget she remembered to finish college :) laura

dottie angel said...

HURRAH!!!!