happy halloween...

from mossy shed

pay attention...

now dear readers i must ask you to try and stay fully alert and awake, for after my usual 'ramble' i will be asking a question...not just any old question but a 'technical' question...(pause)...i have given you time to go off and arm yourself with a coffee, or your favorite tipple to keep you going and your 'brain engaged' for the whole duration of this post...

but first, the rambly bit...my man has been absent for quite a few days, before he left he kindly put into the fridge 10 cadbury's flakes...i think this was due to guilt, choosing not to hear my cries of

"ooh, this would be the last jar of chocolate spread that i am opening" and

"this jar is going mighty quick, i swear i don't eat it all" to

"some one has been dipping where they shouldn't be dipping"

and eventually the faithful day when my last jar was found 'lacking' it's contents altogether...

so there we have it, on Sunday 10 lovely flakes in the fridge with a word to the kids

"now the flakes are for your mother, you each have a 'curly wurly' in the cupboard...whatever you do, do not touch the flakes".

it is now Thursday morning and the flakes are all gone, with my quick mathematical skills i deduce that i have consumed an average of 2 flakes a day (i think that shows great restraint)...however 'consumed' is probably not the right word.

as our #3 said yesterday, "blimey mum", (he's nearly 13 so i have allowed him 'blimey' but not 'crud' or 'crap' in his vocabulary)..."you didn't just eat that flake, you literally inhaled the thing, if we are talking world records for how fast a flake can be eaten...you would win hands down"...

of course the problem i am now facing today is, no chocolate spread and no chocolate flakes...

now the point of me being here today was to ask you a 'v.i.p.' question and also to say i am 'enroute' to my little shop where i will be placing some new 'wares' in the window...i did add a few yesterday and then got 'fed up'...am i allowed to admit that? well i've said it out loud now so it's too late...i think 'listing' is one of those things that obviously has to be done ("dah! Tif") but actually is not my favorite thing to do...i wish the 'elves' would magically do it over night...i tried this with five loads of clean laundry last night...left it in a huge 'dump' on the sofa and went to bed, hoping and praying the 'elves' would visit and i would come down in the morning to find it all folded neatly in piles. it didn't work...it has never worked but there's nothing wrong with trying...

so let's just get a move on here and ask the question...

"does any one of you lovely, bright, smart, clever, talented ("enough of the sweet talk, Tif") dearest readers have a bright idea for photographing 'curtains' for putting on Etsy?"

these pics are my latest attempts but the thing is about Etsy pictures is they are very little and square in the listings...i like the light coming through but it makes for a dark photo that really isn't very eye catching...then i was thinking maybe listing 'a close up' picture first...anyhow i just know you 'lovely lot' will have a few words of wisdom to 'off load' on such a matter...if not then i will have to resort to leaving them out over night, with camera close by and hope a passing 'elf' pays me a visit...

she's off to do her 'listing' and will try to stay 'unfed up' ~ Tif

good for nothing...

please excuse my little 'leave of absence'...i have been struggling with my 'creative' juices.

i believe this is all down to my lacking a daily dietary intake of chocolate spread...it has been five days since the 'horror' of the empty jar discovery.

five days of no 'hearty start' to the day...five days of going to the cupboard to grab the white bread (yes white, none of this healthy brown grainy stuff) only to feel my heart sink when the realization of my cadbury's chocolate spread 'morning moment' was not to be...

day 1 : toast with dark chocolate sauce on top...just so wrong it's not funny, managed two mouthfuls and couple of choking sobs...

day 2 : organic toasted rice flakes (belonging to our #1 and #2)...managed to eat half a bowl but only when covered in two heaped spoons of sugar.

(after 48 hours i am starting to get withdrawal symptoms...my hands are shaking)

day 3 : defrosted croissant (found lurking near the mouse in the freezer)...probably edible if i hadn't caused it 'trauma' with the microwave.

(by now the 'sweating' is setting in)

day 4 : organic oat bran flakes (belonging to my man)...little pieces of cardboard...once again made digestible with several large helpings of sugar.

(by now i have starting 'babbling' to myself and 'twitching' on occasion)

day 5 : a banana, not a nice one, but the last one in the fruit bowl that no one wants and is destined for the compost heap but out of desperation i eat it...covered in milk with plenty of sugar and trying not to look at the bruises...

(and yes dear readers, some strange 'hair pulling' movements)

so there you have it...apparently my man informs me it will take two weeks for my shipment to come...i have 9 days left.

it is quite obvious i am 'good for nothing' without my cadbury's chocolate spread (stop suggesting "nutella" cause it ain't the same)...my ability to ramble on my blog is near on impossible ("technically Tif that isn't true...you have managed quite a good ramble today"...i shall ignore you saying that).

my ability 'to craft' has been jeopardized by my weakening state...my usual 'slips per day' ratio has been greatly diminished...and i am fearing for my 'photographing' skills tomorrow when i start day 6 on a 'rivita crispbread'...

she is hoping the calvary (fedex) arrives sooner than expected ~ Tif

footnote : thank goodness my Dad has had a 'hearty' breakfast across the pond...he is 'on the ball' and kindly pointed out to me that it is not 'calvary' that i need but 'cavalry',

you see what happens without my 'daily dose'...the 'madness' is setting in :)

open for business...

we are all wearing days old underpants,

there's enough of used dog's hair on the floor to craft a small toupee,

noodle and doodle's stink has now permeated through the closed bedroom door to cause distress to unsuspecting passers by,

four children have not gone hungry, although i have not heard squeals of delight when presenting my 'offerings at the dinner table' more like groans of despair and yes, one evening a tear was shed...

my graying roots have been fixed but for the past few days i have been sporting a lovely 'unwashed' quite possibly 'deranged' look

("enough Tif"..."we get it"...oh alright then, i was just doing a bit of scene setting,)

and so the point which i need to hurry up and make before i collapse in a little heap on the sofa with a cup of tea and yarn in hand...("hang on a minute...don't you have toilets to clean and undies to wash?"...) choosing to ignore such outcries, as i was saying, the point is...

i did it, i bloody did it!

it's been over a year since my little head was turned by a certain yellow house and then a certain mossy shed...over a year since i put a new 'slip' up for sale...

you have been the most patient of friends, keeping me going, tolerating my need to feather my new nest and for that i must thank you kindly...

my little shop is open again, with plenty of 'wares' on display and let's hope it stays that way...

she had forgotten how comfy dottie angel's shoes were ~ Tif

footnote: don't want to put a 'damper' on things, but disaster has struck, someone in my little household has been 'dipping' into my chocolate spread jar and not just any old jar, the 'last' jar in my cupboard...heads will roll

ways to wear a 'dottie angel' slip...

might i be so bold as to suggest a few ways to wear a 'customized' slip...

suggestion #1 : AROUND THE HOUSE

(my favorite place to be, my nest)

a half slip paired with your favorite 'T' (i'm seeing an appliqued design here, possibly one you've done yourself) and jeans, skinny (if you dare) or boot cut (my style)...clogs on feet or maybe 'birkies' and a lovely chunky hand knitted aran cardigan to keep the chills away, allowing one to drop the thermostat...energy conscious and looking good, doesn't get better than that...

suggestion #2 : SATURDAY MORNING MARKET SHOPPING

(my favorite thing to 'do' and yet i hardly ever 'do', due to soccer commitments)

a half or full slip will fit the bill here, teamed with a tank and leggings, sheepskin boots or flip flops depending on the time of year...last week's pretty fitted cardie found at the thrift store and if the chills need to be kept at bay, an army jacket. it's saturday morning, no one has time for washing hair on a saturday morning so let's just cover up the 'unwashed' look with last year's knitted beret bought up to date with grandma's vintage brooch found lurking in a drawer...

and finally a french market sac for all that fruit and veg...

suggestion #3 : GIRLS NIGHT OUT

(can't remember having one of these in many a year but if suddenly i was asked, then this is the way to go i feel)

full slip layered over a plain black one...lovely funky woolly tights teamed with mary jane wedges or a favorite pair of winter boots (no sheepskin here, please)...to keep the cold out before the alcohol has set in, a knitted shawl giving the outfit just the perfect touch of 'boho chic'...("that's an exciting fashion term 'boho chic'...getting a bit 'fancy' here aren't we, Tif?")

and don't forget an Edna bucket bag for carrying your 'bits and bobs'...

suggestion #4 : NIGHT IN WATCHING MOVIES AND PAINTING TOENAILS

(not sure what world i live in at times...i can't remember the last time i painted my toenails or watched a movie...)

just a good old full slip, below the knee for sure, any color will do...if chills are once again a problem, pair it up with thermal undies...soft hand knitted socks, striped of course or maybe scandinavian, i'll leave it up to you. and the 'make it perfect' accessory, a vintage kimono picked up from the flea market at a 'steal' of a price ( i wish...)

so there we have it dear readers, i've been living and breathing slips for the past few weeks and my little brain's cogs have been turning as i 'stitch'...i am quite sure you could come up with a few more...

in the meantime i am off to finish up my 'photographing' and 'cataloguing' ("what are you on about Tif, all that 'cataloguing' nonsense?"... you are quite right i have no idea what i am talking about, it just makes me feel like i know what i am talking about, and there's nothing wrong with that)

the funny thing is i feel strangely in control...this is most disconcerting, i am never in control, i am usually running around like a headless chicken at such times...let's hope it's because i am a 'grown up' now and not a 'sign'...

she will see you tomorrow, cool, calm and collected (hah!)~ Tif

footnote: it's just dawned on me, i watched a movie a few weeks back with my old pal Debbie from the UK...we watched 'Flashdance'...what a moment that was, particularly when later our #3 (12 year old boy) asks "what movie were you watching?"

"oh, Flashdance...you wouldn't know it" says i

"oh yes i do, it's a good movie, i've seen 'bits' of it..."

and there is a moment where a mother is left not knowing quite what to say...i do not wish to know how he saw 'bits' of it and also which 'bits' (appropriate words here) made it a good movie...let's just say somethings are better left unsaid :)

three days and counting...

there's no doubting it...my house is going to 'pot'...'noodle and doodle' aren't helping either, keeping our #4's bedroom door shut to protect their little souls from a feline visit is causing a awful lot of 'stinky' build up inside his four walls...

but i don't have time to worry about such things...i have no time for cleaning toilets, sweeping up dog hair, wiping kitchen sides, washing underpants, feeding hungry mouths, standing on soccer sidelines, deodorizing stinky 'mieces' and all those other 'delights' that fill my waking hours...no, i only have time for focusing on my shop update...

i managed one slip over the weekend and to update the banner in my little shop...

not quite the 'amount of tasks' i was hoping to accomplish.

that means i need to pull off nothing short of a miracle over the next three days.

my list goes as so...

1: 'swat up' on Etsy's latest rules and regulations (there's been a lot of changes since i was last there)

2: make 'last but not least' cushion cover

3. finish off two full slips

4. try and pull 'out of the hat' four half slips

5. wash and dry customized slips

6. photograph and catalogue 'slips' and 'cushions' ready for thursday

(this bit makes me want to weep...my camera doesn't like close ups...and now i'm actually prepared to read the manual, i can't find it...sod's law)

7. start listing items on Etsy at 10:00am pacific time knowing i will be as slow as a snail and hoping with a bit of luck by dinner time, something will have appeared...

i'm not popping by again until wednesday, i need to get some stitching done and of course i happen to have a 'hair appointment' booked for tomorrow, which if i cancel will be another month before i can be fitted in...and quite frankly my 'gray' roots can not be left a minute longer...what's a girl to do...

she thinks we can all see where Tif's priorities are ~ Tif

footnote: "get a grip, Tif" i hear you shout "it's only a little shop update"...thank you dear readers for your sensible words of wisdom...

six days and counting...

yesterday Miss Ethel did not get any action...i am quite sure there are a few of us that feel like that these days...("what's that you say?"...) good question dear readers...i shall tell you why Miss Ethel lay idle, after all i have three minutes and twenty seconds left before my tea break is officially over. of course saying that i have never managed to post on my little blog in three minutes and twenty seconds, so it looks like i will be eating into my 'lunch break' minutes and let's be honest here, my afternoon tea break minutes as well...but i think it worth it just to spend a little 'quality' time with you.

and so the story i must tell goes back beyond yesterday (for anyone confused who's on what day, we are talking 'thursday' for 'yesterday').

yes dear readers, we must turn the clock way back to 'tuesday'...(i understand if this causes distress for some, trying to remember a full two, ney possibly three days prior is a tough one).

tuesday evening saw me and our #4 standing in the pet store peering into a tank of around 30 'mieces'...all looking happy and contented totally unaware that they were destined for a tragic end with a hungry snake...

we had the chance to mess with fate and change the life of one little mousey...but how to choose which one to save...

after a lot of 'umming' and 'ahhing', 'Noodle' came home with us...this is the time to shout out loud "are you insane Tif...how much did it cost to send Samuel Whiskers and his posse on their way?" and "haven't you noticed the three cats living in mossy shed?" and yes, you are quite right as usual.

but having loved and lost a little mouse a wee while ago (who is still in the freezer awaiting a decent burial) it seemed to be the right time to make friends with a new mouse...

wednesday morning (some god awful early hour) found 'Noodle' settling in and our #4 mentioning how lonely 'Noodle' looked.

"he's just fine, nothing greater than one boy and one mouse...haven't you heard 'two's company, three's a crowd'..." i quipped

wednesday evening (after some god awful dinner) found 'Noodle' looking like he had landed the jackpot and our #4 once again mentioning how lonely 'Noodle' looked.

"why don't we just get 'Snoopy' out of the deep freeze and practise some taxidermy...then place him in with 'Noodle' as a companion?" (let's just say the 'horrors' of cooking dinner can sometimes lead me to say 'unforgivable' things)

thursday morning (another god awful early hour) found 'Noodle' happy on her wheel with a carefully crafted nest made from shredded newspaper and a ten year old saying "i think..."

and me cutting in with "don't even go there"...

and the rest of Thursday found me sitting in a traffic jam due to every road in the near and far vicinity requiring 'digging up' but do not worry, i had company in the shape of a little box on my lap containing 'Doodle'...

"oh" said the young girl at the pet store "it's so nice to see a mouse being bought as a pet and not food, that's our second this week"...

"aah, yes" said i "that would be me...saving one mouse at a time"...

of course 'the day away from my machine' was all worth it when our #4 came home from school to find 'Noodle' was no longer 'lonely'...

whilst 'Noodle' and 'Doodle' settle into their new life at the shed, (and the kitties are driven nuts by the waft of 'mousey' in the air) i am off to take a spin on Miss Ethel...

she's wishing you a weekend of 'happy events' and 'good things' ~ Tif

count down...

the 'planned' power outage never happened...all day yesterday i was thinking "any minute now" but the minute never came.

i am left wondering if today will now be the day, or maybe tomorrow. it is now an 'unknown' that bothers me greatly, i know it's just a matter of time...whilst there is still power, i will continue my renewed friendship with trusty Miss Ethel...

the slips have gone through the dye bath and out the other side...

ladies undergarments are hanging from various different locations around the house.

and i have started 'customizing' them...

when i'm done i always look at the slip and think "ummm, not sure about that" but once 'said' little slip goes back in the washer, it's like the 'ugly duckling' all over again...from nowhere a 'swan' seems to appear, slightly tatty and a bit loved but none the less it is a 'swan'...

so i have set a date for my shop 're-opening'...i think it is important for me to 'commit' or i will just 'dilly dally' around mossy shed procrastinating, when i really just need to get on and face my fear...

after all i made it to the airport and back, i know i can open my little shop up again...i really have no idea why it makes me so nervous just to think about it.

armed with my camera, no manual...("fool" i hear you cry) and a 'day light' bulb, i will get some photos come rain or shine, thus proceeding to update my shop on

Thursday 23rd October

that being said i have counted my days left...it makes me nervous that four children, nine pets and one man will require my attention in the next seven days when all i really have time for is 'stitching like i've never stitched' before...

she's thinking it might be time to read the panini manual ~ Tif

FOOTNOTE: i can't believe i didn't think of it before...my trusty crock pot has been waiting in the wings for this 'save the day' moment :)

first day back...

i am having a lunch break, thus giving me time to stop by and let you know two miracles have happened.

sadly, neither of them in the kitchen... just when i thought my cremated grilled cheese sandwich was the lowest i could manage, i surpassed myself on Saturday lunchtime...this time the grilled cheese sandwich i was serving up to our #4 looked just about near perfect, i beamed with pride...

until it became apparent it was missing vital ingredients. unfortunately, this happened in front of our #2, giving her more proof that her mother is a 'waste of space' these days...(ah, those heady days of being 15...)

dear readers...the first miracle took place in my studio...yes, i have been reacquainted with Miss Ethel and we have 'sweated' together like we've never 'sweated' before, all for the grand 'update' in my little shop...

and the second miracle to occur (you might have to sit down here) Miss W. Machine and i have been 'dying' together (doesn't matter how i phase it, i sound barking mad)...

there are half a dozen slips, as i type, doing a whirl with Miss W. Machine.

it is a 'trial and error' session for several reasons, first it has been over a year since i have meddled in 'dying' and with the current state of my aging brain i can't remember what 'tricks of the trade' i mastered (not surprising, considering i can't even remember if i put a cheese sandwich on the grill just a few mins ago)...and another reason, i wish to have certain colors for the winter season and of course the 'dyes' that i use do not come in the exact colors i wish for, so i am experimenting by mixing them all up and seeing what happens.

i can tell you are quite fearful at that little bit of info...you are not alone, it is quite possible that every slip i own (and trust me there are rather a lot) will end up one mass of 'sludge' and then everything will be up the creek and i don't have a paddle...

instead of dwelling on the negative i am thinking of the positive...my grilled cheese sandwich may not have achieved a 'rosette' if entered into a W.I. contest but i think my little scarf might have faired better...(not 'first place' better, but more like 'it functions' better)

i found the most lovely teal silk blend yarn at the thrift store a few weeks back and knew instantly it was destined for a scarf...i think this has been the first yarn project in a long time that hasn't been tossed out the window and little old me left defeated and frustrated...

it's just a very simple crocheted shell pattern, not terribly long (due to my ability to get bored quickly) and no surprise here, i added a little detail...

considering Mabel was born in the 1950's her neck (amongst other things) has faired much better than mine, so she is 'model for the day'...

i shall be without power tomorrow, so Miss Ethel and Miss W. Machine will sit idle. hopefully we will have recovered by wednesday to get cracking again...the cobwebs have been blown off and i don't want my little creative brain cells to gather dust a moment longer...

she's off to see what 'color disaster' or 'color delight' is waiting for her in the laundry room ~ Tif

FOOTNOTE: well, it's not a disaster, competely...more a "well, mmm, it's not what i was going for, but i think it's okay" delight...back to the drawing board :)

empty nest...

the shed is very quiet, my 'month of visitors' has come to an end and i am left all alone,

just little old me and a 'old man's' hacky cough which has forced me to stay indoors less someone talks to me and i start 'hacking' all over them...

i have made some progress towards getting stuff together for my little shop, with the help of my pal Debbie ("blimey Tif, we nearly keeled over just then") and Monday is my official first day 'back at work' ("yep, we have keeled over now")...

in the meantime i was inspired by Miss Lola (i miss having little shoes by my door, sniff) and her manic cutting skills, prompting me to decorate the 'stairwell' mirror.

my vision for this mirror was to have a beautiful stencil of some flower painted over it, but as time has gone by my initial enthusiasm has 'wained', so instead i have taken the 'tear outs' from my laundry cupboard doors and reinvented them as a mirror frame.

this 'mirror mirror on the wall' moment gives me the perfect opportunity to showcase my favorite skirt for this season. (doesn't that sound grand, almost like i know what i'm talking about...)

i found the lovely 'marmalade originals' mother/daughter duo at freemont market a few weeks back. their skirts are just perfect...made in the most prettiest of fabrics.

they make me feel like i am wearing a bit of 'wall paper', which for me is a good thing, can't vouch for anyone else but i find my little skirt always makes the day much brighter...you can also find 'marmalade originals' skirts over here too...

so the hallway is at last coming to the end of it's transformation, it has gone from a dark depressing 'walk through' to a light filled 'bright space' thanks to a couple of sun tunnels, a large can of bright white paint (or two), my mirror and the 'cherry on the cake'...a glass lamp that i unearthed on a trip out...

on presenting it to my man, not for the first time he hung his head and sighed...

"surely you can fix it using bits from the old lamp and some spray paint?" i asked, using my 'happy' voice (a tactic, i employ in times of 'thrifty' crisis)

and of course just like always, he comes through in the end...now our hallway has a glass lamp to brighten up the cold autumn evenings (oh, how i love the 'nesting' season)

next and final step to complete the transformation is to rip up the old carpet and think 'flooring'...

she will see you 'the first day' back at work with or without a 'hacky' cough ~ Tif

FOOTNOTE: actually it is glaringly obvious i do not know what i am talking about. on closer inspection of my 'fall fashion' picture, i see my 'fetching pair' of felt slippers are getting in on the action...

and the winner is...

i'm not sure which was the most madcap idea, using mittens as my 'entrants' holder or asking a two year old with the word "NO" as her favorite bit of vocab to do the 'prize drawing'...either way it doesn't matter, the mittens became bulgy (and blurry by the looks of things) and i was forced to bring out a more suitable vessel...

my woolly beret...and before anyone goes "ooh Tif, did you knit that lovely looking beret yourself?" or even worse still "Tif, that's a mighty fine pair of mittens hanging on your lamp, did you make them yourself?"...i confess, i purchased both from 'mass marketed' stores. (i blush with the shame)...

so we must keep moving right along, quickly forgetting my confession and focusing on the 'dottie' give away...it just leaves me to say, "thank you" to all who shared their comments of 'gifts that missed the mark' and

at no expense spared, i give you

Miss Lola doing her thing...

first prize goes to...

Shanda

i quote "My parents gave me life insurance for Christmas one year. At the time, I was an unmarried college student with no family and no debts. I'm not sure what they were thinking."

and second prize goes to...

Kristy

i quote again "My mum always put so much effort into her presents but there have been some serious mistakes over the years. I think the worst was a tooth polishing kit! Just perfect for an over self-conscious 17 year old. I still don't show my teeth when I smile for photos!"

she's thinking it quite true what they say about working with animals and wee children ~ Tif

FOOTNOTE: ladies, congrats...just drop me a line tif@dottieangel.com with your details and your little prizes will be winging their way to you by the end of the week...