My lovely friend Anna posted a link to this story today about a throwaway comment made by Sharon Stone about Meryl Streep and the relevance to modern women. I have to say that I’m really not one to pigeonhole myself into a label, indeed on first glance I thought, “Hmm, I’m half and half” but actually in reality I have to admit that I recognised a lot of myself in the description of the unmade bed stereotype.

According to the definition in the Times, the only boxes I didn’t check were: drinks red wine (I think red wine is vile. Actually, I think all wine is vile but I’m trying to train myself to drink white) and carries a large handbag (I don’t. I actually still lug around a massive backpack like the eternal student I crave to be). You wouldn’t believe it to look at me, but I’m pretty clued up on current fashions and styles yet I spend the vast majority of my life looking like I’ve just rolled out of bed – and not in that sexy, tousled Eliza Dushku way. More like a yeti. I do occasionally impulsively do my hair, sometimes I even put makeup on but that behaviour tends to be reserved for special occasions like Christmas.

So what about you? Are you an unmade bed or a pristine pillow?

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This week my access to free healthcare, adequate medication and clean water saved my life.
This week, a natural disaster has removed access to the most vital supplies for an entire nation.

The Disasters Emergency Committee collects donations and distributes them to the agencies on the frontline. This is a list of the member agencies. £10 will barely buy you a cafe lunch, but it will save lives in Haiti. Looking at the photographs that have been splashed across the media & the internet my primary reaction is guilt that I can’t be there to provide physical help for the undeniable horror that an entire nation is feeling, but we can spare a few quid.

Please, give what you can to help Haiti.

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My little brother Callum and his awesome girlfriend Teeni are a wise-beyond-their-years couple who are living together independantly whilst both studying. I’m actually immensely proud of the pair of them, they’re dreadfully sensible and are so ridiculously sweet together.

Aren’t they cute?

Anyway, last week after I’d posted the dolly I made for Elise, Teeni sent me a message on facebook to say that she’d also made a doll from the pattern. Apologies for the mobile phone picture:

Not bad for her first attempt at sewing, and by hand too! Luckily for Teeni – who turned 18 on the 2nd January – the birthday fairy sent her a little pink sewing machine which was delivered today.

I think she’s pleased!

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A few weeks ago, I went charity shop shopping (apparently referred to as “chazzing” by the young and trendies) and Erica smashed a cup which was part of an 18 piece set. It’s not the prettiest set in the world but I was obliged to buy it since she’d ruined the sale.

The tape measure is there to give an idea of scale because these cups kind of confuse me. They’re a lot smaller than teacups and I’m wondering what exactly they are. Espresso cups, perhaps? I’m not sure. I haven’t decided their fate yet although I think they will probably become candles. The plates I’m planning to turn into cake stands.

I also got this really pretty set for two. I adore this blue-and-white style!

I remember our teacher in Primary 4 telling us all about the Willow Pattern and I’ve always been somewhat intrigued by it as a result.

Anyway. I paid a grand total of £14 in the charity shop I bought these from, and left with these sets, THREE costumes for the kids and a couple of baking tins. Proof positive that I don’t go chazzing anywhere near enough!

If and when you go “chazzing”, what do you look for?

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Two years ago I wrote this in my private blog:

Once upon a time there was a little girl called Elizabeth. Elizabeth lived in Glasgow at a time when many blue collar workers lived with their extended family, and she thought she was very lucky to live not just with her Mummy, Daddy and little brother but also with her Granny, Uncles and cousins too. Elizabeth was a very good little girl and was very helpful around the house. She did very well at school and very rarely missed a day.

Then, one day Elizabeth wasn’t feeling well. She was so ill that she had to miss school and her Daddy volunteered to stay home to look after her. Elizabeth was eight years old and she was a big girl who could look after herself, so she told her Daddy that the other men at work needed him too and that he should go to work and he could look after her when he got home.

Except Elizabeth’s Daddy never came home. Along with 46 other men, Elizabeth’s Daddy died in the Auchengeich mining disaster on September 18th 1959. A fire, started by a faulty fan which was used to purify the air in the pit, trapped the men in bogies on their way to the coal face. Despite being only a few hundred yards away from safety only one of the men came back out the pit alive. Rescue attempts failed due to the severity of the fire and the decision was made by the Scottish coal board to flood the pit to put out the fire despite none of the men being recovered. Alexander Sharp was only 34 years old and left behind a wife and two young children.

Elizabeth grew up and had two sons of her own with her husband William. Her younger son has a son of his own, making Elizabeth a granny and her little grandson has been the apple of her eye since the moment he was born. His name is Findlay and he is my son.

Bob has just linked me to this BBC news page. The memorial to these miners – which was only unveiled two months ago – has been stolen. Someone, somewhere knows what has happened to this statue and knowing how small Glasgow really is I’m imploring anyone reading this who might have information to do the right thing.

What kind of person would steal a memorial?! Why am I so naive to be shocked when things like this happen?

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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

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I like to think that in the years since I started blogging, you lovely lot have got to know me a little. You’ll know how hard it is for me to talk openly and publicly about Bad Things – I keep all the whinging for my supersecret livejournal where the great wide world can’t intrude. When I opened up about suffering from PostNatal depression way back in September, that was a major deal for me. So hopefully having read this disclaimer of sorts you’ll understand that what I’m about to say means that the Bad Things I’m telling you about are pretty serious.

So as you all know I’m on maternity leave from my job. Friday should have been payday, except I didn’t get paid. After a lot of phonecalls from me to payroll and my boss where I was told an emergency same-day bank transfer was being made, I was finally told on Monday at teatime that in actual fact my work had made an error and I wasn’t entitled to contractual maternity pay so they had simply stopped paying me. This was now two days since I should have been paid. Somebody closed down my file on Thursday knowing that the outcome would be no pay for me but didn’t think that it would be considerate to let me know. In addition to the issues around not being paid (like, not being able to pay my mortgage and bills or buy food for the family!) I have been told that my employer expect me to repay what they see as an overpayment but I am too late to claim Maternity Allowance from the State because it has taken six months for this error to come to light. In other words, not only am I in a shedload of debt because of someone else’s mistake but I now cannot claim that to which I am entitled due to the length of time it took to discover it.

Legally, I’m not sure where I stand on this but rest assured I have it in hand and I have the Union helping me to fight this. Of course being us, this couldn’t be the only thing going wrong. Today, Bob was offered redundancy from the place he’s worked for ten years. Redundancy realistically isn’t the end of the world for him because the place has made him miserable and treated him terribly for the last 2-3 years but as with everything it’s timing that is key.

I just feel utterly useless. I’m finding that my depression is threatening to swallow me again and the prospect of possibly having to go back to work a month early to an employer who has treated me and my family with such disdain is horrifying me. If I wasn’t such a plum and had got my finger out last year, I could have been running my own business and not be threatened with this situation.

So. In short, I’m still here and still around and still crafting. I’m just also trying to sew my family’s seams back together.

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My friend Lewis posted this recently and I thought some of you might be interested..?

CHARITY ART AUCTION, 13TH October 2009

IN AID OF YOUTH PROJECTS & INDIVIDUALS IN TANZANIA

We are an Amateur football team called the Bengal Lancers – predominately made up of former art students and artists who play in a Saturday league in the Southside of Glasgow. One of the Bengal Lancers (Frank Mbise) moved from Tanzania to Glasgow in 2007. Hearing about his contrasting life and upbringing in Tanzania has motivated the team to visit his hometown of Moshi and neighbouring towns. Our Itinerary includes participating in local football tournaments within the rural tribe communities, facilitating a sports skills camp for youth, and a fun day at a local project that provides food, shelter and education to over 100 street children.

The Bengal Lancers are hoping to raise funds which will help to make the trip a success. We plan to take sports equipment, football strips and clothes which will be donated to local projects. In addition we hope to be able to leave cash donations and practical resources in support of on – going work of the different groups and projects that we visit. Most of all we hope to demonstrate friendship through sports and football.

Each member of the team is responsible for covering their own costs of travel, accommodation etc… As a team we are very excited about this trip and the opportunities that we have.

We are kindly appealing to Artists like you to donate a ‘postcard’ sized art work to be part of an auction on the 13th October. You can donate something that you have already completed or if you wish to make something specific to the theme of Tanzania, that’s great. We hoped that by making the auction a postcard size that it would be easier for the artists to make something within the short time frame and hopefully compelling for the public to want to buy!

If you are interested in being a part of this exciting event and donating an art work could you please contact – Neville Rae (07708504897) or Steven Higgins (07909577248) or alternatively email Neville or Steven. They will be happy to answer any queries or questions that you may have.

The guys also have a Paypal fund set up if you’d like to donate

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Recently I read this post and OH MY GOODNESS how much do I want that elephant?! It’s a pattern from a book called Softies Kit by Therese Laskey and I am sorely tempted to buy it. Except… I don’t make toys, really. And I can’t justify £11 on a book that I’m buying for ONE pattern. So I’m turning to you trusty lot – do any of you own this book? Would you recommend it?

Seriously. That elephant has been on my mind for weeks. Upon flicking through my sewing magazines I discovered that I have a pattern for a hippo and I’m sure with a little nip and tuck I could make an elephant but Jempins doing such a lovely job on her elephant has made me want THAT ONE. Total spoilt brat alert.

Anyway. Since I’m rabbiting on about that elephant I thought I should share some other items that I am coveting right now and I think you should do the same on your blogs just for the giggles. Click on the picture to go to the relevant site.

I want this bag in pink

I want this print for the boys’ bedroom

I want this bracelet

I want this thing of beauty

I want this around my house just kind of standing there. Maybe naked?

Your turn. What are you coveting right now?

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So rather than do the names in a hat thing, I decided to use the Random.org integer generator. First, I put in my criteria:

Then it selected commenter #8:



(I appreciate the photos here are teeny tiny, but if you click on them they’ll open up for you).

Congratulations to Drop One! You are the winner of the Namaste needle shell, I’ve sent you an email if you could reply with your post details

Thank you all for your comments and I hope you all have a wonderful Hogmanay and New Year. I’ll be back with lots more projects in January, I promise!

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