e the blog o' moosh
 

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Remember that Shaman song? Love, sex intelligence? It was so shit.

There is so much going on, I haven't time to blog proper.

Here's some things to look at with your eyes until I get round to it:

Adopt A Squid

These are quite the most exquisite things I've seen in a while. Benedict is 15 foot tall! The website is the one from my dreams.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6470621.stm

What a bizarre looking man. I would not pay him for sex. Neither would you, I'm sure.

http://www.sttheresatextile.com/

Cincinnati fabric shop I hope to visit to pick up some of the mexican oilcloths.

http://www.supastarr.com

Members of the Cincinnati Craft Mafia and purveyors of fine garments - and very nice people to boot. They did not call me a psycho when I randomly emailed them to ask about crafty things to see in Cincy.


Things I don't understand

  • Fun Lovin Criminals and their continued popularity, despite only having had one semi-decent tune ever.
  • Lollipop ladies and how they get away with letting adults cross the road with no kids.
  • Rude people and why they can't just be nice.
  • Mortgages and how they work. Lee and I worked out that if we pay back what we borrowed, we should be clear in 12.5 years. So why do we have to pay for 25 years?
  • How ships stay afloat when they're so heavy? Why don't they sink?
  • Why i am wide awake the instant i switch off the light every night. It drives Lee mad.

posted by Claire @ 3/21/2007 05:34:00 pm | 4 comments |

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Treat yourself! Get a colonic!

Wooo, what a weekend! It's been very busy, very fun and very tiring, which is why I am only getting round to posting about it on Tuesday evening. I suppose that is what happens when you get to the grand old age of 21 (plus 7).

The fun began on Saturday evening when we congregated chez Brown for cava and plum wine cocktails. I was assisted into my first pair of proper earrings which only lasted a few hours, but I felt remarkably accomplished for having done it without crying. We headed off to Coopers on GWR and started the evening as it was meant to go on - with quadruple Martinis and shots of tequila. You will have to forgive me for my rather vague account of the evening - I was, as you can imagine, rather drunk.

I was sober enough though to recall the 2 awful bands that were on when we got to the Woodside Social Club (or The Woody, as the hip kids call it) - there were 2 boys on stage singing a rough approximation of Atmosphere by Russ Abbott when we arrived, cue much mirth on our part. The music picked up just before 1am though and we had a great time dancing to Beyonce and the B52s, amongst others.

At closing time, we all piled into taxis and headed back to the court where I opened my birthday present from Lee's mum - which turned out to be Singstar 80s! So of course we had to have a go of it immediately - and as a result got to bed sometime around 4am.

On Sunday morning, we arose late and began perparations for the party - cake making, egg mayonnaise production and the like. Lisa blew up all the balloons and wrapped for pass the parcel, while I organised party bags and Lee made the most delicious birthday cake possibly ever made (I've just had a leftover bit, it is still fab). Then soon enough, people started arriving, and the games began! The photos are here. I think everyone enjoyed themselves - the party kicked off at 3pm and we were still going at 10.30pm, having played pass the parcel, musical statues, the chocolate game and pin the needle on Pete Doherty, as well as bashing the life out of a pinata in the sodden back garden.

I got SO many fabulous presents, including over $200 in cash for our upcoming US trip - my friends are truly the most generous people. I also received, in no particular order, a bottle of wine with OWLS on it, some handknitted hand warmers, 4 bags, one purse, several books, some stationery, 2 momiji dolls, no less than 2 (yes, that's TWO) Paul Frank watches, make up, a whole host of crafting materials including some scissors shaped like a heron, bento supplies and today, a late gift of the cutest bento box in existence.

Lee really spoiled me with a replacement Paul Frank watch, a jewellery box from the Pier (that's Pier 1 Imports, my US friends) filled with lots of chocolatey treats and lotto tickets, make up, foundation, a momiji, my flickr upgrade renewal, a brownie AND a kazoo! If anyone can play the kazoo and would like to teach me, please let me know.

Yesterday should really have been spent recuperating from the weekend, but of course, I had to go to work, which would have been rather dull had it not been for the fantastic boost to Miso Funky that we received on Sunday/my birthday. We were featured in the Sunday Times Style Magazine, which for those not up with these things, is quite a feat! Jo and I were wildly excited all day on Sunday and went round with the magazine showing anyone who would listen to us yet again. We got so many orders that we almost immediately ran out of record bowls and sold quite a few other things. The orders are still coming in on the back of it, as well as other interest from publications, not to mention just generally a gazillion more visitors to the site. It all made Monday morning at work with a hangover so much more exciting than usual.

Yesterday was Rebecca's birthday, so a small group of us went to dinner at Number 16 Byres Road, the New York Times favourite restaurant, apparently. It's easy to see why - the food is quite something. It wasn't somewhere I would have thought of going, but I was pleasantly surprised by the level of service and the quality of food (and the wine was fab too). It was a very pleasant evening, very relaxed and lots of chatting, but I was very tired and so went to bed when we got home almost immediately.

Today saw a return to busy busy work. I am beginning to regret staying there when I had my chance to leave in January. Although I prefer having more to occupy me, I am not necessarily enjoying what it is I now have filling my days and I am still not all that clear what is really expected of me. I am hoping that this week will clear things up for me and that the things we (me and my new boss) discussed will come to fruition before I go on holiday. There's still time. In the mean time, there is always the lotto.

Speaking of holidays, it's not long now! It's really crept up on me. I have been wowing everyone with my Cincinnati facts - did you know that not only is Steven Speilberg from Cincy, but so is Doctor Heimlich, he of the manouvere fame? Fascinating, I'm sure you'll agree. I realised on Saturday that I now don't have a free weekend until after our holiday, so it's shaping up to be a busy period for me, mostly with crafty things. Long may it continue (touch wood).

I am off to scoff that last piece of birthday cake now - fat fighting can wait another day!

posted by Claire @ 3/13/2007 08:49:00 pm | 1 comments |

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Thursday, March 08, 2007

You've got to bear in mind that Germans are 75% water.


Sock Monkey Bag
Originally uploaded by mooosh.
Last nite I had a jaunt to OKO Express on Queen Street with Jo to meet mar-c and her mum, before they went on their own jaunt to Amsterdam this weekend - lucky them.

We had a lovely, chatty evening, I got fabulous early birthday presents and some nice Japanese food. The gyoza though, usually my favourite side dish, were hideously undercooked to the falling apart, cold in the middle stage. And they don't have plum wine! The horror!

The evening was made for me by this fabulous bag from mar-c - I must take a photo of the inside, it has BANANAS in it! It's so cute! It came all the way from Japan too where it was handmade by a lovely gal named Kazumi. I've emailed her to thank her and it turns out we are both obsessed with sock monkeys. You can visit her store here.

Anyway, not much is happening now. My manic business of the past week at work has suddenly stopped, meaning I can catch up with other things. Also, it's my birthday party this Sunday, so I need to get tidying. I want to make some bags for our bathroom, so will hopefully get started on that tonite - I will of course keep you posted on that particularly crafty development, dear readers. I've got my brother's wedding invites to make too this week, but as they are no nearer making a final decision on what they actually want, work has halted somewhat prematurely on those.

The houses are almost all gone round the corner - one lonely block remained this morning which I am sure will be gone by the time I get home this evening. The sky has gone very grey here and the air is cold and still - almost like we could have ... dare I say it ... snow! Fingers crossed!

In the absence of much more exciting news, here are some more blogs for your viewing delight:

I Like

Lots of things that someone else likes - and I mostly do too. Lots of my frequent reads have come from here.

Indie Quarter

Keep up to date with the latest in indie chic here.

Stuck In Customs

A totally stunning photo each day from around the world. Makes my feet itch every time I read it!

posted by Claire @ 3/08/2007 05:19:00 pm | 2 comments |

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Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Is that how you get your jollies?

I am not one to claim my ideas are original, so I am not even going to pretend I thought of this all by myself. But I thought I would share some of the blogs/sites I read/visit on a regular basis in order to spread the joy but that I just don't have room for in the links section.

This will be a no doubt infrequent series, but first up are:

Overheard in the Office

I read this every day waiting for my work to appear. It's a sister site to Overheard in New York, over there in the links. There's also a beach version, which yesterday contained possibly my most favourite quote ever:

Fat lady screaming: Taneesha! Homegirl, get yo' ass in here and see this! There be more sand up in my vah-jay-jay than the Saharia desert!

--Dressing room, Montego Bay, Jamaica

I Did Not Know That Yesterday

If, like me, you are the sort of person who could happily spend several hours engrossed in random articles on Wikipedia, this is a daily dose of random factoids that you might find interesting. I have only just discovered this one, but it has been brightening up my afternoon no end this week.


My Paper Crane

I just love Heidi Kenney's work. Her big-eyed donuts are really something else. Go see for yourself. I like to read her blog and imagine that I was a full time craftstress. Maybe one day!

If anyone has any new blogs/sites to suggest, please let me know!

posted by Claire @ 3/06/2007 06:05:00 pm | 3 comments |

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I don't like the sound that ducks make when they are sad.


Demolition Begins
Originally uploaded by mooosh.

Look! The scummy flats are going! Yay! I managed to grab this snap on the way to work this morning. They really are going for it, not hanging about. It is wise - if they leave their equipment unattended for any length of time it will be stolen and/or set fire to.

Work is mega busy, necessitating some working late-age. My job is either annoying quiet so I have to try and find things to fill my days with or it's absolutely manic. It's the latter just now.



It has meant that crafting has fallen somewhat by the wayside of late, but I did have a bit of a craft frenzy on Sunday evening. I made:

* A bag for my sewing machine cable
* A sock monkey (which just needs to be sewn up)
* Inroads into making a pair of Lee's old jeans into a skirt


I also fixed up the bargain sewing box I found in Dunelm Mill bargain basket in Clydebank on Saturday with a vintage button and doesn't it look grand!

This weekend, Lee and I went to the cinema in Clydebank to see Hot Fuzz. It was not as funny as I expected, which seems to be a common consensus, although it did pick up in the second half. It was still very enjoyable though, I must say. I do find Simon Pegg very funny, but he's not yet surpassed Spaced, in my humble opinion.

The best part about going to the cinema is of course the snacks, as with most things in life. I am a big, big fan of slush in it's varied forms and at the Empire cinema in Clydebank, they stock Tango Ice Blast. I had the lemon and raspberry flavours combined in one cup and it really did rock my world. Given the choice between a liquid refreshment and a slush-based one, I will always take the slush one. Even in the dead of winter. Cold drinks should be cold, proper cold. It annoys me that in this country we still have to ask for ice more often than not.

Anyway! My birthday approaches this Sunday and we are going to having a proper old skool birthday party in the house, with jelly and icecream, sausages on sticks and pass the parcel. We are also going to have a pinata, so let's hope it doesn't rain. Or not too much, at least.

We have some markets coming up which I am not going to drone on about - if you are interested (and you undoubtedly will be!) you can click here for the where and whens.

This week I will mostly be:

* Dining out
* Working late
* Eating cake


for next week, the fat fighting begins in earnest!

posted by Claire @ 3/06/2007 05:46:00 pm | 2 comments |

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