a 'granny chic' giveaway...

oh, i do like a little giveaway

and even more so

a 'granny chic' giveaway

up for grabs is my crocheted granny cushion.

i made her at the beginning of the year.

my little heart swelled with pride upon her completion...

since then she has led a sheltered life,

never being allowed to shine in all her glory

for fear of two and four legged members of mossy shed

causing her a blemish or injury to her pretty ways

i'm thinking it is time she found a forever home,

one that will appreciate her crocheted 'granny chic' goodness.

if you think perhaps you are the granny chic loving home for her

then all you have to do is find your thinking cap and pop it on.

now of course, once again we all know thinking caps can go astray.

but do not fret,

nor run around your abode screaming like a mad one,

causing a fright for all that live with you.

take some deep breaths,

and stay calm,

for you have plenty of time to locate your little cap.

this little giveaway is staying open until

Sunday 30th May 10:00pm pacific time

that is nearly a whole week...

see, plenty of time indeed

once your thinking cap has been located

pop it upon your nut

and then ponder,

you may have to ponder a while

but ponder you must.

i'm thinking for some it may require several days of pondering,

therefore you may have go to work,

perhaps do the grocery shop with your thinking cap,

or even the soccer run...

i'm not sure for those that like to keep a little fit,

how yoga, or swimming fairs with a thinking cap.

i see no harm in removing it whilst you 'keep fit' and then popping it back quick haste afterwards.

being sure of course to keep it safely in the changing room locker whilst you 'keep fit'

for losing it so soon after finding it would surely be quite sad

so my dearest readers

all you have to think about is a philosophy or quote,

some words or a saying,

you like to live by...

if it is one that was written by another

(for there are many famous ones out there)

then that is perfectly okay with me

but please do put who the quote or philosophy belonged to originally.

perhaps it is nothing deep,

quite simply along the lines of

"i try to smile once a day at a passing stranger"

or

"i make sure i hug a tree everyday"

and that is perfectly perfect for me.

i have one that i shared a little while back,

it took a little thinking with the help of my cap,

but when it popped into my little brain

it felt quite right.

Tif's Philosophy

"if i go to sleep at night

knowing i have visited my imagination,

however fleeting it may have been,

then i know i have used my day wisely"

you can enter here in the comments

or email me

tif@dottieangel.com

do be sure to have an email or blog address

so i may easily contact you

and with that my dearest readers

i am taking a few days off

i shall be pottering with Miss Ethel,

going on a school trip with a bunch of eighteen year olds,

sending our #4 off on a two day school trip

and with a bit of luck,

some crocheting...

all the usual fun and gripping stuff that goes on around the shed.

i will be back on Wednesday 2nd June

with a worthy winner

granny chic giveaway is now CLOSED,

thank you kindly

she is wishing you a peachy week and plenty of thinking time with your caps ~ Tif

footynote: here's the original post where i linked to the pattern for the lovely crocheted granny circle squares. the wonderfully peachy Yvestown kindly shared her pattern :)

eight months and counting...

oh you don't miss a trick do you my lovely dearest readers!

in the words of my beautiful late grandmother

"there are no flies on you"

for indeed i am most reassured, if ever i need to remember something,

all i have to do is ask upon my shiny place

and you will remember for me.

i have no clue as to what i rambled on about last week,

and yet

you seem to have your recall skills in 'tippity top' condition.

i think i am most lucky indeed to have you as my readers of the utmost kind...

and so it would appear,

i have past the eight month marker for my handcrafted secondhand year.

in the time that has past i could nearly have added to my clan

but instead of a babe in arms

i have a 'ton of thrifty finds' to love,

who do not demand anything of me

other than a place to rest their weary discarded souls.

despite my love for little babies,

i'm a tres weary some days in the mothering department.

i'm saving myself for some 'granny loving'

until then

i'm fine and dandy

with my collection of forsaken souls

i am giving out several gold sticky stars for observing my latest used clippity clogs.

they are indeed new to me.

they came used from the aisles of Ebay,

in the description it said they had a few scruffs.

upon arrival at the shed,

after a well fought battle with another who wished to make them hers.

(or possibly his, but i'm thinking he would have to have small feet, so i'm going with hers)

i had to get out my magnifying glass to find the scruffs...

i found two.

they were in tippity top condition,

just like your recall skills.

when i wear my 'i can't quite believe you are truly mine' clogs

with the pretty painted flowers,

i am transported to another world

a world of folksy things,

dala horses

and other such lovelies.

indeed i have them upon my feet at this very moment

my only regret is no longer having braids to match them...

so my dearest readers,

i must just say to you

not a single day goes by that i am not humbled by the kindness

you bring to my inbox

and

the comments you leave on my shiny place.

you continuously take time out of your busy days

to say hello,

thank me for inspiring you and lifting your days.

but what you will never perhaps fully understand is,

i should be thanking you.

for giving me the confidence

to continue down the path of 'crafty vintage rambling' goodness upon this blog.

the mere fact you appear to read my ramblings is quite extraordinary to moi.

especially as i appear to have taken on a poetry like writing style...

i have no idea how it happened,

perhaps it has always been there

but to me,

i often look at my post

thinking it looks like a poem

and indeed quite often reading like 'a nonsense one' at that

to say my 'thank yous' properly with perfect manners

something i'm thinking 'mrs dull' would approve of.

and to let you know just how much 'i like you' lots...

oh, alright then,

'i love you' lots.

i will be having a 'give away' on monday

"oh yippee!" i hear you cry

until then, she is wishing you the peachiest of peachy weekends ~ Tif aka still mrs dull (according to the creatures in the shed)

mrs dull and her shop update...

little olive and used dog say i am most dull these days with my CCSI.

they have mentioned despite their paws,

they are busy crafting a badge for me.

the badge will say

'hello, my name is...

mrs dull'

they have also advised me to think about renaming my blog to

'the ramblings of mrs dull'.

i also note they are computer savy

i have told little olive and used dog

that it is a temporary dullness

and perhaps i may be forgiven.

whilst waiting on their forgiveness

i have beavered away with Miss Ethel.

taking little rests in between the beavering,

pondering the view

my little shop update will be going ahead tomorrow

friday 21st at 10:00ish pacific time.

alas the shelves will not be overflowing with dottie angel goodness

but that being said,

what i will be putting out

i am most happy with.

below is a little sampling...

she has high hopes her dull ways, may be mistaken as 'quiet and mysterious' ~ Tif

a little bit of Madness...

it must be

love

love

love

nothing more

nothing less

love is the best...

she is thinking a little wooden monkey who sees no evil, may wish to make it a threesome ~ Tif

a spoonful of happy...

it feels like rainy day recess here in the shed.

after several days of sunny temps

we are now back to dull and wet.

i fear i match the weather.

dull, gray and feeling old as the hills...

but that will never do,

no sirree.

as we are stuck inside looking at the rain dribbling down the window

let us pass the time

with a visit to

the wonderful world of Spoonful.

perhaps you know of the lovely Anthea already,

then again perhaps not.

i stumbled across Anthea a few weeks back...

i wish i could recall how i did but i can't.

this very fact has me realizing i need to start keeping notes to cover where my tracks have been. that way i won't lie awake at night being bothered by my lack of recall.

Spoonful is a zine full of happy.

a little read, easily finished in a train ride,

small enough to carry in our pockets

with the ability to take us away from everyday cares

and our insanely busy lives.

upon my stumbling i felt a connection...

all that Anthea hopes for her little magazine

is exactly the hopes i have for my little blog.

a few weeks later Anthea appeared in my inbox

just as i had stumbled upon her,

she now stumbled upon me.

somehow it felt our paths were meant to cross...

i admire what Anthea is doing with her little zine

and was tres delighted she wished to have dottie angel amongst it's pages

as i tippity type Issue 2 is at the printers

just looking at the peachy cover makes me want to take a look inside...

i have no idea how my little bit of blurb will look,

but having seen first hand the loveliness of Issue 1

i am quite certain Anthea will have done a peachy job with my ramblings

and for those of you that wish to see first hand for yourselves,

Spoonfulzine can be found in various lovely stores including LARK

(another perfect place to browse when it's rainy day recess i'm thinking)

best of all though,

Spoonfulzine can be found on Etsy

so no matter what corner of the globe you nest in,

you can add a little bit of happy to your day for very little cost.

i wondering when Issue 2 turns up if i may indeed take a train ride

or perhaps a bus,

just so i may take out my little bit of Spoonful,

knowing as i sit amongst my fellow passengers

within my hands i have a little bit of happy

to get me through an insanely busy life

she is hoping the sun will come out tomorrow so we can go out and play ~ Tif

thrifty thursdays on monday...

on friday Our #4 turned 12.

i noted he was full of beans

whilst i was full of aches...

i marveled at how being 12 was rather wonderful

one appears to have no worries

nor CCSI's to slow one down

in the evening Our #1 insisted on taking me to the thrift store

she said it would do me good to get out and about.

i think right there dearest readers, shows why i shall miss her so.

she drove me there,

found a cart to prop me up

directed me to the household department

and left me to it,

whilst she went to the clothing aisles.

never have i been so glad my thrift store has trolleys.

mine served several purposes as i hobbled around...

to replace my need for a zimmer frame

and to also hold the growing pile of treasures

upon returning home to the shed

i noted to Our #4

that indeed his birthday may be lacking a cake,

but what it lacked in cake

it made up for in thrifty finds...

a Stelton vacuum jug by Erik Magnussen

for $7

and a rather peachy retro quilt

for the couch.

i then broke out my Cadbury's Caramel bar from hiding

and shared it with the birthday boy.

to celebrate his 12 years

which seems so much longer,

and to celebrate my thifty finds

which always seem so much sweeter

when found thrifting with Our #1

she is taking things slowly with Miss Ethel and thanking you most kindly for your CCSI support ~ Tif

one and only just begun...

dearest readers i must tell you

little olive is one today.

i asked her what she would like for her birthday,

she mentioned a thrift store glass with some yellow tulips would be peachy.

who was i to disappoint...

as i have mentioned before,

when little olive came to live at Mossy Shed

i was not convinced i needed a small doggie in my world.

however my children were.

life with little olive is not peachy every day.

she is a pesky little one

who likes to push the boundaries

on any given day.

but all that being said

she is funny

she loves her crocheted blankets,

she sleeps in a suitcase

and

she makes me smile every day with her little ways.

i don't think one can ask much more than that

from a little pesky four legged friend

i have high hopes that being a mature one year old will suit her well.

on another note

i will be gone for a few days.

nothing lovely or thrilling.

no rendezvous with Colin Firth or Johnny Depp...

alas i will be staying put.

for i have a CCSI issue i need to sort

"oooh Tif, what could that possibly be?" you exclaim

i know, doesn't it sound intriguing,

i was rather pleased with that little term...

however i would be more pleased if i didn't even have to come up with the term to explain my absence...

i have myself a

Crappity Crap Sewing Injury

which i must rest.

i am a fool to myself.

so now my neck and shoulders are seized up

causing me to look at the ground more than i care for.

for now the shop update will remain next friday

but may be lacking some what.

do not fret,

nor stay awake worrying about moi and my CCSI.

for i have comfort in knowing the secret location

of a Cadbury's caramel bar within the shed...

i am thinking this may help with

the shakes and the sweats

as i go cold turkey

from the

'ever so lovely, how will i cope without you by my side'

Miss Ethel

she wishes you a peachy few days and will return next week, perhaps several inches shorter ~ Tif

here i go again...

last friday i had a chance encounter of the utmost kind.

i stumbled across a pair of unlikely looking stags,

i hesitated upon discovery,

wondering if indeed i could save them.

i noted others eyeing up my stags,

not in a

'oooh, what a peachy find'

kind of way.

more of a

'has she lost her tiny mind'

kind of way.

for they were tres ugly

but to me it was an ugly of the best kind...

what i like to call

'ugly with pretty potential'.

i took a chance

and now that chance

has me crafting down the righteous and goodly path

of woodland creatures again.

i think i will never tire of

pesky squirrels

wise owls

sweet birdies

and

peachy deer.

i am quite sure for some there is no love affair.

just like some do not care

for chocolate (gasp!)

little dogs (shock!)

or

Swedish clogs (horror!)

but for me

they will always have a lasting appeal...

so for my little shop update,

planned to occur next week

i am once again dabbling with

a woodland theme.

all of which have been inspired by my thrift store finds of recent months...

there is more to come as i've only been 'beavering' with Miss Ethel for a few days

but for now this is where i'm at.

it doesn't help either, that a lamp is distracting me,

i am not supposed to be dallying with distraction.

i told myself to stay on the righteous, goodly path at all costs

and not listen to any little voices who may appear.

i fear i need to turn Radio 2 up

and shout very loudly in a sing songy voice

"i'm not listening"

to the little voice of insanity

that taunts me from within

she is thanking you most kindly for your lovely comments of yesterday ~ Tif

a cunning plan...

this weekend

i was a little dazed,

perhaps even disoriented.

for i had a cunning plan all worked out

but it would appear,

i misjudged my clan

and therefore

i am most delighted to report,

i did not require a cunning plan...

my disorientated day began with a cup of tea in bed,

something i have not enjoyed since my birthday.

i was told not to set the alarm by our #3

he would get up and sort little olive.

i pottered downstairs way after 9am

to a little pile of goodies

all wrapped in homemade paper...

i was not required in the kitchen,

i was asked on numerous occasions

if they could fetch me anything,

or

did i want a cup of tea.

i was given plenty of crafting time,

giving me a chance to

'dottie angel'

a forsaken little cuckoo clock

who came my way.

in the afternoon

we took a trip across the bridge

into the big city,

the sun beaming down on us.

we sat in pioneer square

with our drinks 'al fresco'

me, my man and my four children,

a rare sight indeed.

i looked at each of them in turn,

wondering what paths they will take in life

hoping they will be okay

at the end of my mother's day

i sat quietly reading what our #1 had placed on my facebook wall.

i'm 'crappity crap' at facebook.

but she doesn't let that bother her...

she wrote

"this will be our last mothers day together for at least a few years, so i would like you to know i love you a lot.

you're so charming and odd, but completely influential on me in the best way mothers can be.

eighteen years of mother days. can you believe it?"

and the thing is i can't,

i can't believe yesterday was the last mothers day i will have with all of my children living under the same roof.

so here i go again dearest readers...

feeling melancholy,

counting the days

and

as i watch my children,

messing around,

winding each other up,

being their silly selves,

and driving me up the wall at times,

there is one thing i know to be true

without a doubt,

i have truly been blessed in my life

she is beavering with Miss Ethel, for a shop update is in the makings ~ Tif

the little voice of insanity...

i have come to the conclusion that the little voice that spoke to me earlier in the week,

was indeed the 'little voice of insanity' that lives within me...

upon finishing up the four coats it took to cover up the mocking green,

i held off adding color or paper to the drawer fronts

as was my first thoughts.

for now it stays just as it is...

here's a nice big picture so you can see the whole wall,

you may also care to note little olive's suitcase just to one side

under the kitchen island.

the bowl you see sitting randomly upon the floor,

well that is little olive's and used dog's water bowl.

i thought i would mention that in case dearest readers

you think i keep my kitchen wares on the floor...

it is quite possible, but i don't.

as we are on the topic of my little voice of insanity

i thought i would also mention

i like to keep my printer cozy,

just so she knows i love her.

i have changed out her winter jacket

for something a little more springy.

i have also finished a sewing chair for Miss Ethel,

so i am no longer shuffling my desk chair too and fro

she came with a peachy label,

i'm thinking any label that starts with the word 'utmost'

truly is a label above the rest

for one so old,

i was a little wary

but she's sturdy

she's willing

and

she's looking spiffy

in her new attire

i'm not listening to my little voice of insanity for a while...

despite it's wisdom

it has worn me to an unravelling.

on another note,

one of utmost importance.

it is U.S. Mothers Day this sunday.

this year i'm not taking any chances,

no sirree...

i've devised a cunning plan

she is wishing you a peachy weekend and will be back on monday ~ Tif

thrifty thursdays...

oh yes indeedy!

it has been a while has it not, since i did a 'thrifty thursdays' ramble.

indeed it would be quite true to say

it has been a while since i went to the thrift store,

a whole six days...

i think that shows great willpower on my behalf.

of course now the 'great show of willpower' thought has popped into my head this morning,

i can think of nothing else than leaving the shed

and heading to the thrift store.

i've actually started

twitching,

rubbing my hands

and

pulling my hair.

i am now relying upon every ounce left of my 'willpower' reserves

to stay rooted in the shed.

so let us not dwell on the thought of what lovely finds could be waiting for me

but instead focus on my last adventure to the thrift store.

it was a perfectly perfect thrifty adventure

full of fabby forsaken finds...

if you asked my man he would tell you otherwise,

but we are not going to ask him

for we do not want to spoil our 'thrifty thursdays' post

with 'bah humbuggers' of the thrifty kind.

as i entered the thriftstore

with $15 in my hand

i found many a forsaken little soul looking for a happy home

a nest of russian dolls

who obviously have something bothering them

but they haven't told me what

a few napkins and one pillowcase

always a favorite find for me

a pair of sprightly salt and pepper pots

who have seen many sights in their lifetime

a little wooden monkey looking for a new nose

(and of course we know had a very long journey to find it)

a red tin bowl, just like one i already own

but it would have been insanity to leave it behind

a pretty summer straw basket,

rather battered in a perfect vintagey way

as soon as i saw it, i went off into my imagination,

thinking of the lovely summery thoughts that come from owning such a straw bag.

upon leaving the thrift store that evening,

i pondered a thought...

indeed it was quite true to say

i was now $15 poorer than an hour before

and yet

without a doubt

i now felt so much richer than an hour ago.

i'm thinking i am probably not alone with that thought...

she has been fiddling with things again, she is wondering if others have noticed her fiddling ways ~ Tif