Sole Monday

This week on my new and exciting regular shoe appreciation feature, Sole Monday (thank you Annie for the marvellous name) we have a pair of electric blue patent leather court shoes from Christian Louboutin. Check out those gold heels!
It was love at first sight with these. But I will accept that they are really quite vulgar and actually quite nasty. HOWEVER, if you do think that you are wrong, very wrong, because there was never a better decade than the 1980s - that big hair, those shoulder pads, batwing jumpers, jump suits and a scarf round your head. Oh, I was born too late. My first thought when I saw them was 'oh my gosh, Demi Moore would have worn those in the Breakfast Club', which, for me is another way of saying 'what pretty shoes'. They had to be mine. (EDIT; note to fiberspace - no, Demi Moore wasn't in the breakfast club, she was in St Elmo's Fire, but I like to imagine she would be the cooler, recently left school sister/cousin of Molly Ringwald, and she would so wear those shoes...doncha think? I forget that you aren't all actually in my head where all my fave films merge together, and everyone pops up in each other's film.)

I still haven't worn them, as I only bought them last week, at the sale preview night at Harvey Nichols, Leeds (which was HELL, HELL, HELL I tell you - crazy women scuffling over handbags, but worth it for 60% off). I shall wear them, though, in September, to a wedding. But, blimey, they pinch my little toes.

No pain, no gain, right? As a woman I feel it is my duty to suffer in order to have beautifully dressed feet.

Any body got any shoes they wanna share?

presents, swaps, and more shoe love to come...

Notice the stupid date thing...what's all that about? IT'S SUNDAY JUNE 29th, BLOGGER!!!!

54 As a 1930s wife, I am Average Take the test!

hmm...I don't know how happy I am about that, actually.

I have loads to tell, but I can't remember most of it (blimey I am useless). Husband has been away this weekend, so I am functioning on half full. Although in some ways it is much easier without him, I'll be very glad when he comes home tonight (but football is on, so no doubt we'll have that on the telly - great!)

Anyway....for the news of presents, swaps, and shoe love to come, here we go....


This week brought presents in the post from my friend Beth who spoils me rotten, makes amazing bags, and is just too brilliant for words xxx


Very cute kitchen swap goodies from Leah. I need to do 'triangles' for my 6-12inch mini quilt swap on flickr - houses was my plan, and now I have these I think I can figure out the log cabin ones (I couldn't grasp it before - I am useless with reading patterns or understanding tutes). I have started on the tea already, and have had 3 pots of it. I even used one of my coasters last night, although I was careful to make sure I had no dribbles on the bottom of my cup - I didn't want stains on my pretty houses!


doll quilt swap 4 - progress so far, the top is finished, I need to bind it now. But I hate binding so it'll get put off a bit!!! My words are a bit wonky, so I am not 100% pleased with them, but I think when it is all finished I will be. As long as my partner likes it, that's the main thing, right? And she has mentioned it when I've shown the picture, so that's a good sign (it's a blind swap so I am going by positive comments from her!). It is also a terrible picture, it looks all wonky and awful, it isn't (honest). The side strips are straight, it's the way it was sitting.


June's theme for the 6-12 inch mini quilt swap was 'english paper piecing' and I got this little beauty in the post from Hope, and a spool doll - which completely sent me over the edge of excitement! I love the little quilt, the colours are so pretty. I really need to get all my mini quilts displayed properly - some time this summer I'll decorate my work space and get everything hung up and looking perfect. Watch this space!


I was in a fantastic fabric scrap swap on Tracey's blog and got 2 really great parcels in the mail. This parcel (that I remembered to take a photo of) was from Tracey herself, and is full of great fabrics. I have ideas for quite a few of them already, and the other parcel (which is somewhat depleted thanks to me using up quite a few bits already - they were just so perfect!) was from Sarah. You can see pics of my parcel on her blog here. Thank you both so much - I love my parcels, the fabrics are great, and I can't wait to get stuck in more to them!!!


More swap news.....Chloe is organising a swap for the kids. You don't get new children (before you get all excited), but make something for the kids instead. I am signed up, it's time ginge got himself some swap love. Have you signed up?

There is much progress on the quilt for ginge, I'll share with you later (when I can get a decent pic - what is with the light at the minute? I'm sure winter has arrived)

Plus get ready for more shoe sharing. 39 comments?! You lot are as barmy as me, so I should share my precious shoes with you. Monday will be sole monday (thanks Annie for the name). Are you ready? You may need some sunglasses for these little beauties.....

And finally (phew) I am creeping towards 100 posts. A giveaway will be in order, no doubt. What to make?...

OH - I know what else I had to tell you. There's a half price sale going on at the little fabric shop. £4 a metre. BARGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

something for AnnieB...

I wore these shoes on saturday night, to a ball in a muddy field in the depths of Yorkshire. I am not a ball going type, I would much rather be at home with a cup of tea and a few biscuits...but despite being quite awful, it was a lot of fun.

Annie wanted to see my shoes, and so I thought I'd share them with all of you. The poor babies were covered with mud, but thanks to baby wipes have polished up a treat again.

Back you go, into the cupboard, never to be worn again.

Should I share more of my ridiculously high bought-on-a-whim shoe purchases, or is it just Annie who is interested? (I think it's probably only Annie who is interested...)

More Amazing Things...I am spoiled, I know...

My friend, Mr Postman, didn't ring on my bell today, he just popped the parcels through the open door (maybe because he gets stuck chatting to Ginge for hours usually), so I was busy moaning to myself that he hadn't brought me any presents, when - oooh, what's that? Parcels, for MOI? Surely not....

Oh yes...for me, hoorah!

My friend, the Yankee Doodle Dandee, Beth has a mum (most of us do - it's necessary really in order to be born) and her mum sent me a present in exchange for a tea cosy (I wasn't expecting a present, I was going to send her a tea cosy anyway, as she did give me Beth, and for that I am very happy). Anyway, the parcel contained these gorgeous fabrics;




and some hamsters (or maybe guinea pigs? I'm sticking with hamsters though) for G and Ginge. I don't think Beth's mum reads my blog, but Beth does - so THANK YOU MUM!!! Your tea cosy will be flying your way very soon.



I had ordered some swatches from a shop called dots n stripes because I want some of their fabric, but I'm trying to not spend any money. They have a sale on though, so I think I'll probably go and have a little tiny spend, they do have some rather pretty bias tape, and that's always ever so useful to have around, isn't it? Anyway, if some of you go shopping then I can use the excuse that you made me, and then it's ok. (and they have sale on too)



oh, this picture is in the wrong place, it's a sneaky peek of what I am working on for the doll quilt swap 4. My partner likes the outdoors, and birds and things like that, so I am hoping this works out ok. I like it so far, when I've finished the embroidery I'll show a proper pic, at the moment it looks a bit bare though.



finally...in the spot that the above pic should have been, is a present from Apryl who I met up with yesterday. I didn't take a pic of it yesterday as it was firmly attached to my neck, but this morning before I got dressed I could take a pic. Isn't it beautiful? She remembered I love green and orange together because I had mentioned it once, ages ago. It was lovely meeting up with Apryl again, we went for a little wander about Ikea and drank what they try to palm off as coffee but is really brown water with some grit in. Yum. Next time we are going to Starbucks, They have real coffee there.
Apryl is one of the sweetest and most lovely people I have ever met, and she has the strangest accent - American mixed with Derbyshire. It's very funny, I could listen to her talk all day. Thank you for yesterday, Apryl, and thank you so much for my lovely necklace.

An Amazing Parcel!!!

This morning, whilst I was out visiting Apryl, (and a very lovely time I did have too), my friend, Mr Postman delivered a parcel all the way from Oz........
....which contained this beautifully wrapped (in her very own fabric) package...(with a paper aeroplane note attached - what a fab idea!)



...which (when unwrapped) presented these little delights...a doll made with more of the beautiful fabric (made by Di herself, the clever, clever clogs), some beautiful house print squares (to use on Ginger's quilt - she printed those as well), and some russian doll bookmarks (that have magnets in them so they snap shut and grip your page - GENIUS!!!)




can you read the message on them? Aren't they lovely?



Thank you Di, I cannot tell you how much I oohed and aahed and gasped and sighed this afternoon when I got home to this amazing package. I am in love with everything, and can't wait to show you your house fabric in Leo's quilt (I now have an idea about how to use them without ruining any of the print...but you'll need to wait a little while, I am waiting on some more of Erika's fabric).

And finally...now that I can rotate pics (thank you Monda) I can show you a sneaky peek of what I am making for the russian doll swap (well, part of it)



These bits are done, but I have to get something else finished before I send them off. Hopefully by the weekend, all going well.

It's ME!!!

It's ME!!!
Originally uploaded by imagingermonkey

I got this fab present in the post this week, from Lindsey. She said when she was cutting out the fringe it reminded her of me (well, the doll I have of me that I made a while back) so she'd send it to me as a prezzie.
I cannot tell you how much I was grinning when I opened the parcel, and I keep on grinning every time I look up and see her sat there on my (slightly overcrowded) shelf. I'm off to Ikea monday, so I'll pick a new one up, and give me and my friends a bit more breathing space!

How's everyone going on with the swap? I have started...I'll put on some sneaky peeks when I can figure out how to rotate pictures on this bloody i-mac. As pretty as it is, I am flummoxed by it. Totally. Which explains the lack of posting this week (sorry). I promise to watch a video tutorial, and I promise to be back soon, refreshed with my new knowledge, and able to rotate pictures all over the place. I'll be so good you'll think someone with talent has replaced me (ok, so probably not, the pictures will still be rubbish..I am trying, I just fail miserably at photography).

Just to let you know...

so you can watch out for them yourselves. I have got 2 emails from 'paypal' saying my account has been suspended, and then I am supposed to click on a link to verify credit card details. These are spoof emails, so watch out!!!! (I know that coz my account doesn't have a credit card on it, so how can I have suspect transactions on my credit card, hmm???)

Be careful!!!!

Normal craftiness will resume tomorrow ;)

Russian Doll Swap Edit

Lucky for Michelle, she's got herself her very own partner!!!

So, Michelle is now with Heleen

(I was keeping them both for myself...but that is just pure greed, isn't it?)

Yesterday was W's granny's 87th birthday, so we went out for fish and chips. She didn't want to go too far, or for too long (she may miss something good on the telly!) And the G came home from camp - 2 nights in the lakes, without showering (because they had bugs in the showers, and were 'disgusting'). She'll need a good hosing down this morning...and no doubt after 3 days of activity on the water and not enough sleep she'll be a right grumpy monkey!!! Aparently, she tells me, the king swing is the most amazing thing ever. It's scary when you climb up, but as soon as you start moving it feels amazing. Just in case any of you fancied doing one today. I am not really clear on what a king swing is, I don't think we named things like that when I was a youngster, but it sounds terrifying.

I also spent the evening (late into the night to be quite honest) working some more on ginger's quilt. The first row is now done. Onto the next we go....

I hope everyone is happy with their partner for the swap, don't forget to contact them, have a chat, see what they like and don't like...maybe you'll make a new friend! But if you do have any questions, or problems, then just email me.

Have a good Sunday! The sun is out here, the grass needs mowing, I've run out of bread and I really want some toast. Oh well...

EDIT - go and say hello to our latest (last, but not least) member of the swap. It's Diana over in Oz (not where the Wizard lives, but our Antipodean cousins from Down Under). I'll go and update the list now.....

Russian Doll Swap - partners

(the russian doll fabric is from miko design also - see previous post)



Ok....here goes...in no particular order (other than it's how you were pulled out of the hat/pyrex mixing bowl)



Monda - Tallulah

Apryl - Anna

Sarah - Hope

Claire - Clare

Leah - Christine

Lucy - Emma (pebble)

AnnieB - Jennie

Beth - Sara

Jo - Kath

Marie - Margy

Jill - Tracy (cupcakes)

Lindsey - Emma (Jelly)

Chloe - Claire Payne

April - Megan

Trash - Tracey (itching)

Erin - Susan

(pesky) Sarah - (wise) Rachel

Charlie - Rachel

Candi - Marian

Claire (quiltygal) -Eve

Melinda - ME! (sorry)

Michelle - Heleen

Diana - ME!!!





I also think I am having trouble with some of the email addys, mainly the hotmails/msn addresses. So, if you don't hear from me by the end of today email me and I will try using W's email account instead.

I am out most of today, so I'll send as many emails with your partner's details this morning, and the rest this evening.

Any problems/questions? Email me.

Happy swapping!!!

Looky what I got...

EDIT - names I am waiting on for the russian doll swap - Heleen at dutch colours, and Claire - quiltygal. Please email me asap to let me know either way whether you want to be included. Thanks x






Mr.Postman (who seems to visit my house more than any other person I know) brought me my mini quilt from Lucy and isn't it amazing? The dog, the cat, the fish, the bird, the red and the green - AND polka dots. All tooo much!!! Plus some lovely russian doll fabric and ribbon too. I am so spoilt. I love it all so much, I can't tell you how much. I squealed when I opened it, and then phoned Mrs Locket to tell her how blooming happy I am. I love that woman, she's obviously mental (22 mini quilts - what is she on?), but mental in a good way, not just out of a home and about to stab you mental.......


I am working on a quilt for ginge at the minute, it's taking a whole heap of time. Maybe I'll be finished by the time he leaves home?

EDIT - the screen printed fabrics I am using are from Miko Design and Aunty Cookie. I need more from Miko...dinosaurs, owls, and something else that I can't remember...stars? cars? Ooops, proof I spend too much money and not enough attention!!! Oh well!!!





Must dash, husband is wittering in my ear (oh, and Lucy - I couldn't figure out the photos, so I'm on the old lap top instead. Such a cheat!!!)

If you haven't emailed me about the swap then today's the last day - I need addresses from a couple of you still, will email again later.

Partners coming tomorrow!!!!

And We Name This Ship........

.....Nina.

Nina Bernina. I like it a lot, and it was the only name W and I could agree on (G was no use whatsoever, she kept coming up with randomly awful names)

So, the winner of something I shall whip up on Nina is Tine. Hoorah!!! Well done, Tine, I'll email you........

I'm still waiting on contact details for;


marianedwards
kathleen
lisar
melinda

So if you could email me at katyejones@hotmail.com with your email address and home address too if you want to be included in the swap.

Thank you very much!

Blog Button Thingy

For some reason (don't ask me why/how or any questions - I shall not be able to answer) I can't email the html code for the swap button thingy so kindly made for me by the super lovely Marie (who is far too clever for her own good, and emailed me a lovely selection of codey things - all of which I don't have a clue how they work, but was so impressed by it all I nearly spat out my cup of tea). I am thinking it might have a lot to do with the fact that I now own a Mac, and am even more confused by it than I was on the old PC. So the button is below. Click on it, it you will go to flickr, and you can nick the picture to add to your own blog.

Is that ok? (Is that how it works, Marie?) I am new to this organising of swaps lark.




Obviously if someone with more of a brain than me (not hard, I know, I know) can either give me a crash course in this flipping computer/html coding/blog swap button thingys then I will graciously accept the help.

Another lovely person (this time it was Claire gave me this link to some russian doll love on flickr, so pop along there for some inspiring pictures and ideas.


Righty ho. Back to sorting out the list of names. I think I need a clip board, and a pen around my neck. It'd make me look all official.

Oh, and I've had a couple of questions about restrictions. There are none. You can make whatever it is you fancy, whatever you think up using the theme of a russian doll. Use those imaginations.

Swap Closed

Just a quicky to let you know that the sign ups for the swap are now closed, I have 38 people with contact info and 5 without.


So......


marianedwards
kathleen
hope
lisar
melinda

Could you email me at katyejones@hotmail.com with email/contact details asap if you want to be included. Thanks very much.

I know everyone has quite a bit on their plates at the minute (well, i do!) so I thought I would leave the last mailing out day until Friday July 18th, giving us a little bit over 6 weeks (except for Charlie, who will be late..she knows who she is). If that's a problem and you need a little longer, let me know.

Sorry, I am a bit vague this morning - I am still half asleep!!!

Once I hear from those people above (I'll give it a couple of days) I will assign partners and we can get to work. Expect an email from me by Friday.


Discaimer; being a terribly disorganised person this whole swap malarky is bound to go horribly wrong. Please do not expect a slick operation....



Thank you for all your brilliant name suggestions, we (me, and W - the father of all my babies) will choose a name tonight (with the assistance of G, but not with much assistance because her taste is quite terrible) and I shall announce the winner tomorrow.