Chutney Dreams

I have a dream.

I have several dreams actually.

Chutney dreams.

I can't remember where I read about chutney dreams, and an intensive (five minute) google search has brought up lots of recipes of varying attractiveness, and a weird site allegedly telling you what it means if you dream about chutney (I didn't click), but nothing about the chutney dreams I remember.

But you know the ones anyway.  The dreams that sit on the shelf, gathering dust.  The ones you take out every now and then, look at and think "I should do something with that", before putting back and reaching for something more sensible and practical.

The dreams where you make vats of delicious chutney (or macarons, or fascinators) at your kitchen table, which is then, quite by chance, tasted by someone fabulously influential, and featured in the Sunday Times Style magazine (among other national media) and before you know it you're the chutney queen of the Scottish Borders, supervising a team of happy employees, making fabulous preserves from fairly traded, locally sourced ingredients in a socially meritorious way, which are shipped (obviously we wouldn't air freight anything) around the world, resulting in you becoming a household name, multi-millionairess, beacon of the community, and all round good egg.

Then you wake up.

Or, perhaps, you're awake already.

I have these dreams.  This blog is one of them, if the truth be told.   I'm still waiting for the book deal.

The millinery was a dream too.  And so were the t-shirts.

And the pudding restaurant (still think that's a genius idea). And the soft play centre (we got as far as a back of the envelope business plan on that one before realising that it wouldn't actually make us any money).  And the wine shop and café (that one's for when we win the lottery and don't mind that it wouldn't actually make us any money.  We've identified the premises and are enjoying researching the stock).  And the macarons, which you may notice are my current fantasy of choice (still rather proud of my Hallowe'en ones). 

 

I think it's the creativity that appeals: the idea of crafting something, of a life spent lovingly making beautiful things rather than shoving bits of paper around in between heating up fish fingers and tidying bedrooms, and of being recognised for it.    The ability to use the bits of my brain that aren't exercised by children, husbands or the Inland Revenue.

So I dream.  As I potter, and bake, and stitch, I dream.  It's a creative outlet in itself. 

But for the moment they remain just dreams.  However real they may look in the pictures.  They're just dreams.

L is three! A birthday gallery of maternal sins (but mostly pride)

It's Wednesday.  Which means it's time for the Gallery.  But it's also 21st April 2010.  Which means that L, my amazingly wonderful eldest daughter, is three today.

Tara's challenge this week was Seven Deadly Sins. She said she wanted it to be tricky, and she was right.  I had no idea what to do for this one.  B suggested I find a stock picture of George Clooney and call it Lust.  This would have had the advantage of accuracy, but the disadvantage of not actually (sadly) being a picture I had taken.

But then I realised what the date was.  And it all fell into place.

So I give you L's gallery.  Or the sins I have committed, do commit, and will continue to commit for love of my daughter:


GLUTTONY

These are L's cakes.  We are postponing the actual party until Sunday, when B can be there, but clearly a birthday isn't a birthday without cake, so we are taking these along to our Songs and Stories group later on today.  I'm not entirely convinced by the home made Iced Gem look, but it was the best I could do with the rubbish piping nozzle I had.

Which leads me on to

ENVY

My friend K has a proper piping nozzle.  I want it.  In fact, if I'd been better prepared, I'm sure I could have borrowed it.  But I wasn't, because of

SLOTH

I have been woefully under-prepared for today.  I've known it was coming up (if had forgotten, L would certainly have reminded me), but I've sort of lost track of what date it is, and so it has slightly taken me by surprise and I ended up doing everything at the last minute. I'm not sure if that's laziness, but the state I let my kitchen get into, at about 9 pm last night, mid-way through 67 fairy cakes and one t-shirt certainly is.

The 67 fairy cakes may seem an oddly precise number, but was how many the mixture made. Probably would have been about 70, but I was eating it with a spoon.

Which probably should take me back to gluttony.  But that's not the sin I'm most guilty of today.  Today, I'm all about

PRIDE

I am so proud.

I am proud of my slightly odd cakes.

I am proud of the stripy t-shirt with her name and the three on it in flowery fabric which I also made yesterday evening.  Even if it's not the best one I've ever done, and I'm concerned that it may not hold together as the t-shirt is too stretchy and the fabric not at all...

I am proud that I actually managed to tidy up the kitchen before I went to bed.

I am proud of the things that matter too:

I am so proud that this time three years ago I was 10 days overdue and not even in labour.  And that by 11.52 pm I had brought a whole new person into the world and was holding my incredible daughter in my arms.  To be scrupulously  honest, I don't think I actually knew she was my daughter until the wee small hours of three years ago tomorrow.  They assumed we knew she was a girl, and we forgot to ask.

I am really proud that I did that all drug-free, stitch-free and mostly midwife free (she was out of the room until L was actually arriving. I panicked at that point - I think I'd forgotten I was having a baby - and thought I was having prolapsed uterus (apologies if you're reading this over breakfast).  The irony is I don't actually know what a prolapsed uterus is.  I'm not so proud of that bit.)

I am proud to have survived not just labour, but also exploding nappies, colic, sleepless nights, trips to South Africa, New York and France, tantrums, the arrival of two little sisters, potty training,  fights, strops and three weeks (and counting) of "why-eee?".

I am proud that B and I have produced this amazing person (does that count as lust?) and that she is a combination of all that is best in both of us.

I am proud of L.  The person that she is and will become. I am proud that she is 94cm tall and 25 kilos in weight.  That she has that intermediate British hair that can only be described as "mouse". That her best human friend is M, and her best inanimate friend is Mummy Sheep.  That she knows to say sorry, and please, and thank you.   That she likes painting, and reading, and dressing up.  That she has a wicked sense of humour.  That she loves singing.  That she's fascinated by pictures of herself.  That she loves her sisters (most of the time). That she wants (and is getting) a scooter for her birthday,  and that despite all my attempts to lure her with a bike she has stuck to her guns.   That she is determined to the point of bloody-mindedness.   That she knows all her letters and spelled her name, unasked, for the health visitor yesterday when we went to say goodbye.  That she makes friends everywhere we go.  That she is entirely happy with who she is.

Happy Birthday, my wonderful girl. xxxx

NEW for JULY !!! Craft Market

Welcome to the Craft Market!!!


Beautiful items made by real bloggers....


This page (and the market) are, like a real market, a work in progress: stalls will be added, change or leave.  For the background to the craft market, click on the craft market tab in my blog homepage, or to see the wares for sale, read on...

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Nicky is new on BMB but is clearly very busy with her stunning handmade paper products which she sells under the name of Gooseberry Moon

Rebecca McLuckie is a fellow twin mum who also makes stunning jewellery which she sells at her own website, (with its very own blog!) Burnished Designs.

Even better, she runs a monthly giveaway! I'm in!

Melisa Moody is originally a textile designer but now makes delicious looking jewellery and accessories.

Helen runs icklebabe.com  producing all sorts of beautiful hand made things for babies, boys and girls, their mummies and daddies...

Fiona makes stunning personalised children's artworks:

 Helen Rawlinson  has two shops.  One on Etsy, selling beautiful fabrics:

 as well as her own website of lighting and textile design

Zoe Grant also has two shops (this time on Folksy): Buttons and Bows, selling beautiful ribbons, buttons and sequins

and Zoe and Drew, which has stylish accessories for you and your home:

Claire Mackaness also has a shop on Folksy, in her case selling vintage inspired gifts:

She also makes beautiful cards and occasionally runs classes in Brentwood, so pop by her website for more information.

Helen McIntyre also makes hand-made gifts for beautiful girls of all ages

Hilary Pullen makes little purses and beadkits for children

 Harriet McAlonan makes bespoke children's jewellery for boys and girls  Click the link for lovely pictures

Monica Strydom sells Accessories, Apparel & Gifts for yummy mummies & rockin' cool kids.  She also has 10% off if you quote BMB10 at the checkout!

Grit doesn't sell her playbags, she gives them away to local toy libraries.  What a star.  The playbag blog is here.

Louise Horler makes funky bibs, tooth fairy cushions, baking bags, activity bags, buggy blankets, aprons and more!

 

Fiona Morris uses pyrography to create handmade wooden plaques, keepsakes and gifts for all occasions as well as personalised soft toys.

  

 

Aingeal at Mum's Survival Guide creates unique one of a kind pieces of jewellery

as well as adorable sock pets

 Tola Popoola makes personalised chocolate bars

Paola Thomas has her own craft market here

 

Amy Lane makes and and decorates cakes and cupcakes for all occasions

Maggy Woodley paints pop art and greetings cards 

Kim at Four Teens and a Teabag makes beautiful bespoke bunting

Sarah Stone makes  fleece hats, scarves, mittens, jackets, jumpers, hoodies, trousers, all in one pyjamas (even in grown up sizes!), baby sleeping bags, blankets, thermals, pillow cases and more...

Fanciful Alice currently has knitted goods (neckwarmers, scarves, ear warmers/hairbands for ladies and girls) but will also, come the Summer,  be making some handbags and felt brooches

 Petra Hoschtitsky (and a friend) make jewellery, knit, sew, embroider, crochet and work with many different materials (textiles often recycled/upcycled). They also organise jewellery making parties for children and adults, arts & crafts and sewing parties in the Manchester/Cheshire area

Sew Mental Mama makes children's clothes

 Anna Allen makes beautiful gift tags and other papery stuff

Steffi loves to knit, make cards and has recently explored felting

Jude specialises in creating personalised nursery art (including canvases and framed, boxed Christening prints)

 

she also turns your children's artwork into masterpieces for your wall ....

and (if that wasn't enough) she's got 10% off on some items for fans of her facebook page...

Suzanne Harulow is a freelance textile artist.  She makes bespoke wall hangings and lots of other stuff

 Mummy Mad at the Madhouse makes all sorts of wonderful crafty things with (and without) her children.  She's also got a new folksy shop. Take a look!

And then there's me.  I make personalised children's stuff.  T-shirts, towels, bedclothes. Anything you like really... 

And I'm also a trained milliner.  So if you need something special for a wedding, Ascot or just running round the park, let me know:

More to come as and when. Thank you for visiting.

A delightedandflattered of awards

I've been very flattered recently to have been awarded not one, but three, awards!  Go me!  I've been sitting on a couple of them for a while, so sorry, but anyway:

RebaMc and Young Mummy awarded me the Sunshine award.  Here it is:

I'm supposed to forward it on to twelve people, but I'm so late in doing this one I think pretty much everyone has had it.  And if you haven't, consider it yours.... In recognition of the fact that yes, for the last ten minutes, the sun has actually been shining!

And then yesterday (or possibly the day before that, I've slightly lost track this week), Chic Mama awarded me the Kreativ Blogger award

 

This one I haven't seen before, and so I'm going to do what I'm supposed to, which is:

  1. Copy the award to my blog

  2. Insert a link to the person who nominated me

  3. Tell you seven things about myself that I haven't told you before

  4. Nominate seven other bloggers for the award

  5. Link to their blogs

  6. Tell the nominees about their award

So:  Seven things you don't know about me - with a creative theme:

1. I might have stopped selling the t-shirts through the shop (note to self, must change the bit on my blog about that) but I'm still up for orders if anyone wants one.

2. I've added another string to my bow: baby towels.  Here's the one I made for my lovely friend E's beautiful new daughter (no prizes for guessing her name)

3. I've signed up for Millinery 2! (Very excited about that)

4. The first thing I ever made was a skirt in blue Liberty fabric in sewing at school. It was horrid.

5. My favourite thing I've ever made is a cheongsam for me out of fabric that my brother bought back for me from China.  I'm too fat for it these days, but here's a (not very good, sorry) close up of the fabric. 

Isn't it gorgeous?  It's lined in cream too, so when I walk you get a flash of cream silk lining. 

6.  Not creative - but no-one apart from me and B knows that I once wore it with no knickers on...

7.  I've got a pile of mending sitting in my sewing box I just can't be arsed to get round to...

And here are some crafty bloggers to whom I pass on this award:. 

Haptree and me  

Fourteensandateabag

Jude at ArtfulAdventures

Mum's Survival Guide 

RedTedArt

Mummy Mad at the MadHouse

and last but not least, Fanciful Alice

They're all members of the British Mummy Bloggers Craft Market.  About which I will be blogging again soon...

A brush with (not very) big business (and an auction for Haiti)

A sad story of the demise of my t-shirt empire...

I have, for a while, been personalising children's t-shirts.  A bit before Christmas I was delighted and astonished to discover that the owners of a posh baby shop not very far from me wanted to stock and sell them.  Wow!!!  This has gone astonishingly well (in a very small scale) and in the last five or so weeks I've sold three t-shirts.

I'm delighted with this, but also utterly exhausted by it. It doesn't sound like much, but what with work, and house-moving and oh, yes, three small children, I found my heart sinking each time they called with a new order.  This didn't seem right somehow and so I rang them up the other day and told them that I wouldn't be doing it any more.

They were flatteringly disappointed, but nice with it, and said they'd send me a cheque as well as the t-shirts that I made for them to display.

Which was when I realised.  First rule of business?  Negotiate your terms.  What had I failed to do?  Erm, well, discuss them..... There'd been all this chat about how much they were going to sell them for (an utterly astonishing (and in the view of some - myself sometimes included - astronomical) £25.99 each.  Sounds (is) expensive, but also given the time each one takes me, and the cost of materials, actually not (if at all) profitable...  And that assumes I get the whole £25.99.  Which, I, rather late in the day, suddenly realised I wouldn't.  And I hadn't ever discussed how much I would get.  oops.

So.  Answers on a postcard.  How much did I get?  Three t-shirts.  Retail price £77.97. 

To you, Mrs Plan B.  £37.50.

Oh.

And that, my friends, is why they make money.  And I don't. 

But it is a story that ends happily.  We were in Edinburgh airport on Sunday evening when I spied these....

Price? £37.50.  It's fate.  And I am the girl with the tartan shoes...with the flowery linings...

And the even better news.  I therefore now have three "display" t-shirts going spare.  An Evie (12 - 18 months), a Jack (also 12 - 18 months), and a Mia (3-6 months)...

And I'm putting them up for auction in aid of the Bloggers for Haiti appeal....  Please put your bids in as a comment here by Sunday evening and I'll put them in the post on Monday.  Please do pass this on as it would be lovely to raise a bit more money to add to the fabulous £4,000 already raised.

Oh, and consider this my apology to the blogging community for being so rubbish about commenting on all the fantastic stuff I've read recently.  Blame whoever didn't put 25 hours in the day...