'I saw this when I was out and about and I liked it' Saturdays #2

Not a special plant, there was something very beautiful about the colour combinations, especially after a downpour of very heavy rain.

A bid for freedom... and a request for advice

My girl is going away. All the way to America for two weeks, with work.

The monkeys don't want her to leave.


I don't want her to leave either :o(

On the up side, I will have all the time I want to knit, and read blogs, and watch Columbo (the NBM is not a fan - the philistine). But I'm still sad that she's going.

But anyhoo, moving on to the other part of my post title: I'm after some advice from any sewists reading this. I want to buy some scissors for cutting fabric, and I'm not sure what I should get. If you sew: what types / sizes / makes of fabric scissors do you use? And do you like what you have? Any info gratefully received as I don't have a clue :o)

Oops, better go - NBM needs help packing...

Introducing a new Saturday feature...

... that, for want of a better title, I will be calling:

'I saw this when I was out and about and I liked it' Saturdays

Now that I have a camera of my own, I've been looking out for things to snap that I see when I'm out and about, and I've been surprised by how many little things I've spotted that are interesting, or inspiring, or amusing, or just look good.

So without further ado, here is ISTWIWOAAAILI Saturdays #1:


Not the best picture, but you'll see why I like it :o)

Rightio, I need to go and prepare myself for this evening's spectacular cultural event. But one quick thing before I go: Karen Lizzie, I don't know if you'll read this, but thank you for your very moving comment on my last post (and thanks also to others who left kind comments about my 10k run).

Over and out for now,
VCxx

The Vicious Magpie

Some of you may remember that I have a fondness for shiny, shiny things. Some may also remember, however, that my two best shiny, shiny things got reappropriated by various knitted monkeys.

This weekend I succumbed (again) to the lure of the shiny, shiny thing:


This one I didn't have to run quite so far for - just 10k - but it's still lovely and shiny. I plan to keep it well out of the monkeys' reach this time :o)

In other news, the pictures in this post are brought to you by MY NEW CAMERA! Which, in fact, is the same camera that was used to take all the other pics on my entire blog... but the thing is, the NBM has upgraded to a new camera, and so I've inherited her old Canon Ixus - my first digital camera :o)

And in other other news: is anyone else excited about this....?

... because I am! Bit geeky, I know - but I'm not sorry! ;o)

VCxx

PS. Sewing is progressing, but nothing to show-and-tell as yet. Watch this space.

You'll never believe this

... but I'm down to my last box of tea!! Panic stations... must go out tomorrow and buy myself one of these:



In other news, I'm afraid I can't hang about: I've got sewing to do! So exciting! All will be revealed when my project is finished. If you feel like placing bets on when that will be, do please go ahead - based on past form, I'll start the ball rolling with 5th July, 2013... *sigh*

Happy weekend :o)

Birthday reprised

Now, it may have been a little while since my birthday, but I haven't yet had a chance to show you any of the great gifts I was given.

One of my friends gave me a book that I think may appeal to many of you:


I'm really looking forward to drawing inspiration from it - there's something so exciting about sock creatures!

My NBM, knowing my love for a certain raincoat-wearing detective, gave me these:


The lovely Monkee Maker gave me all these monkey goodies:


The picture doesn't do it justice, but I really love the brilliant monkee pouch / bag - and it has secret kitten lining!


And then just this morning, a parcel arrived from Lauren, containing this great card and tasty chocolate:


So, to anyone and everyone who gave me a gift or a card, or who left good birthday wishes here on my blog - THANK YOU! So far, being 25 has been just super :o)

Celebrating...

... through the medium of fabric shopping.


I don't really know exactly what I'm going to make with it... but I didn't want to let such a minor detail spoil a perfectly good stash-boosting opportunity :o)

Nearly there

Hello! If you're still here - thanks for waiting! (and sorry about the thick layer of dust that has accumulated on my blog pages while I've been gone. I do hope none of you have allergies. If so, do please feel free to sneeze quietly in a corner.)

So, as I have been chained to a desk for the past few weeks, I'm afraid the only thing I have created recently, and can therefore show you a picture of, is this:


Two shiny copies of my dissertation, printed and bound and ready for the off on Thursday. It kind of does what it says on the tin. I'd share more of it, if only it was a bit more interesting. I wish I had degree stuff that was as amazing and visually-shareable as Gina's stunning work. But I don't. I do have quite a nice map in appendix K, but other than that - fairly bland.

But the main thing is that it is done, all 17,500 words of it (or 25,000 including the appendices, or 25million including all the thousands of drafts I made, and the bizarre notes I left for myself on iddy biddy bits of paper). And now all I have to do is:

1. make sure it doesn't spontaneously combust before Thursday, and
2. try to stop worrying that I've accidentally typed a really rude swear word on page seven. Which is fairly unlikely, but you never know.

Blimey, though, I have new-found respect for authors - how anybody writes entire books is beyond me. I know I couldn't write that much. Although some of you may find that hard to believe after ploughing through some of my more rambling blog posts ;o)

And on that note, I think I'd better shut up :o)

Might go and check page seven again, just to be on the safe side...