2009

Major events of 2009:

• Holiday to Rome (April)
  
• Got a car (August)
  
• Holiday to Cornwall (August)
  
• Junior and infant school amalgamated (September)
  
• Moved to a new flat with Andy (October)

Theatre / music / art:

• Fame (March)
  
• Doves (May)
  
• Banksy vs Bristol Museum (August)
  
• Muse (September)
  

Coraline

I've just watched Coraline on DVD.  I read the book a few months ago too.  It's an intriguing story about the dangers of getting what you wish for, and very dark.  The set and animation were fantastic.  I remember reading about the handmade costumes on a few blogs when the film first came out.  I liked the way it integrated 3D and 2D animation. 

Christmas 2009

I came back to my parents' for Christmas. It was the first time I've driven that far on my own (ended up being a 5 1/2 hour drive), but the drive wasn't as stressful as I imagined. Christmas day was the usual lovely late lunch (but lamb this year instead of turkey), flurry of presents and a scattering of games (this year, Bingo and a pub quiz). Boxing day involved lots of leftovers, and then yesterday we took Grandad out for lunch.

I've spent most of the afternoons crocheting, following patterns in a gorgeous book: Super-Cute Crochet (by Nikki Trench), which Andy bought me for Christmas. So far I've made a Buff-Orpington Baby Chick, a hatching egg (with a tutu) and the legs and body of Andy the Alien.

There's loads more cute animals in this book that I want to make, including Sparkles the Snowman, Rebecca Bear, Ned the Naughty Old Goat, Pickle the Puppy, Melody the Kitten, a family of sugar mice, Shakira the Baby Elephant, Kimmie the Koala Bear and Dave the Dolphin.  There are pictures of quite a few of the animals on Ravelry.  Some of the projects are really quick and simple, whereas others are a little more complicated or time consuming.  The book also includes very clear crochet instructions.

I received a new digital camera from my parents, so hopefully there will be more pictures and posts on here soon.  One of my resolutions this year is to finish more craft projects!

Snow

We had a little bit of snow this week - not very much really, but enough for me to get excited about!  It was snowing when we went to bed, and we woke up to find everything covered in white.  So I leapt out of bed to take a few photos.

Filling up my freezer!

I'm finding it very satisfying at the moment to cook huge meals, eat one portion and freeze the other portions individually (usually 3 extra portions). It's the Easter holidays at the moment, so I have plenty of time to cook during the evenings. During term time, I get home late and usually rely on ready meals. It seems pointless cooking for one person (I usually cook when Andy comes over) and I don't like having to eat the same meal the next day. I also don't have the time / energy to do fiddly jobs like finely chopping chillies, garlic and ginger.

So this week I've been cooking - Bolognese sauce, lamb tagine, lamb curry, chicken satay and beef suffatina alla Romana (almost all involving tinned tomatoes, you might notice!) - and freezing it in individual bags. This way, all I need to do is get something out to defrost in the morning, then cook up some pasta / rice / cous cous and reheat the sauce. And I know I'll be getting a home-cooked, healthy meal which will be much better for me than bland ready meals full of preservatives. All the meals I've cooked contain onion, tinned tomatoes and at least one other vegetable so I'll get a few portions of vegetables in each plus a decent amount of protein from the meat.

My only slight problem is a lack of freezer space (only a very small freezer compartment in my fridge), but I reckon I can get 15 bags of sauce in there if I roll them up and pack them efficiently! It's very satisfying to watch my freezer filling up day-by-day and see all the delicious meals I have to look forward to over the next few weeks!

Rome - Wednesday 8th April: Ostia

Ostia Antica














We got the Metro and train out to Ostia Antica and spent most of the day exploring the ruins (and hunting lizards!). I love the way that visitors can walk in most of the buildings, and even down steps to underground parts - we even saw a bat under the barracks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostia_Antica_(archaeological_site)
http://www.ostia-antica.org/
http://www.initaly.com/regions/latium/ostia.htm
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/ostia.htm

We briefly walked round the newer town, with its medieval castle, before getting the train back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostia_Antica_(district)

We had dinner near the Trevi Fountain - a slightly unorthodox combination of a shared pizza then a pasta dish (Spaghetti Carbonara again).

Rome - Tuesday 7th April: Vatican

Vatican Museum
After winding our way along the very slow queue, we shuffled through the museum, which has a vast collection of art, sculpture, painted ceilings, tapestries, etc. and collections from Egypt, Rome, modern artists... and of course the Sistine Chapel.





http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Museum
http://touritaly.org/tours/vaticanmuseum/Vatican01.htm
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Main.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel
http://www.wga.hu/tours/sistina/
http://www.beckydaroff.com/arthistory/scc/index.html

Piazza San Pietro









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter%27s_Square
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Piazza_of_St._Peters.html

Basilica of Saint Peter





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica
http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-peters-basilica.htm
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/St_Peters_of_Rome.html
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/sanpietro.htm
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/pietro.htm

We got the Metro to the Vatican, but walked back past Castel Sant Angelo and across the Tiber.

Dinner that night was at Pizza Ciro - a very tasty calzone.

Rome - Monday 6th April: Ancient Rome

The Colosseum







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/colosseum.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/colosseum_01.shtml
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Roman_Colosseum.html
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/colosseo.htm

Palatine










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatine_Hill
http://www.rome-tour.co.uk/palatine_hill.htm
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/palatinehill.htm
http://www.panoramicearth.com/742/Rome/Palatine_Hill

Roman Forum









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/ancient_roman_empire/roman_forum/roman_forum.htm
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/forumromanum.htm

I was also planning to walk along the Appian Way during the afternoon and visit the catacombs, but by the time we'd stopped at the hotel to work out how to get there on public transport, it was too late. So we went for a walk up the Aventine hill instead and looked at the view of St. Peter's Basilica through the keyhole of the Priory of the Knights of Malta.

We had dinner at a restaurant along Via della Pilotta, close to our hotel. We decided to go for the Italian system of courses - pasta (wide tubes of pasta with Amatriciana sauce), followed by a meat and vegetable course (swordfish and roasted peppers).

Rome - Sunday 5th April: Il Centro

Pantheon

We first walked past the Pantheon while a church service was being held, with very dramatic chanting. We came back later so that we could go inside.









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Pantheon.html
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/pantheon.htm
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/pantheon.htm

Piazza Navona We walked through here a few times and had dinner (Spaghetti Carbonara then Tiramisu) at Bar Navona that night, tempted in by a Howard look-alike (from the Nationwide advert). A large beer turned out to be very large, and I didn't realise how much 1/2 litre of wine was for one person either! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Navona http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Piazza_Navona.html http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/piazzanavona.htm http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome/renaissance_and_baroque/famous_squares_fountains/piazza_navona_square/piazza_navona_square.htm

Trevi Fountain We walked past here a few times during the day and then again on our way to dinner on the last night, when I stopped to throw in a few coins. I stopped for pistacio, meringue and mandarin ice cream nearby at Il Gelato di San Crispino, which is supposed to be the best ice cream in Rome. It was good ice cream! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/trevi.htm http://www.rome-tour.co.uk/trevi_fountain.htm

Capitoline Museum During the hottest part of the day, we wandered through the museum, looking at heads without noses and statues without heads, among other things. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Museums http://www.museicapitolini.org/ http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-capitoline-hill-and-museum.htm

We then walked along the Tiber and across the Island of Tiberius, back to our hotel for a brief rest. and change of shoes. Spanish Steps We walked past the crowded Spanish Steps, approaching it through streets full of designer shops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Steps http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/spanish_steps.htm

Villa Borghese

We finished the afternoon with a stroll through the park, round the lake, watching the terrapins sunbathing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Borghese_gardens
http://en.villaborghese.it/
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/villaborghese.htm

Off to Rome!

I'm off to Rome this Saturday for a five day holiday with my boyfriend. I'm really excited about it, and have spent the last three days since I booked it looking through tourist guides and picking out the essential sites.

So far, the plan is:
Sunday: Wander around the centre - piazzas, Pantheon, etc.
Monday - Colosseum, Forum, Appian Way, etc.
Tuesday - Ostia Antica
Wednesday - Vatican
Thursday - More wandering!

We're staying at the Hotel Bolivar, which had very good reviews and is really well located for walking everywhere!

http://www.enit.it/default.asp?Lang=UK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome
http://www.enjoyrome.com/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome
http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/rome_italy_travel.htm

Fame!

I went to see 'Fame' last night with a group of friends from work. The dancing was brilliant and I spent a lot of the show sitting there wishing I could dance.

• http://fame.binarylab.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fame_(musical)
• http://www.crackerjack.co.uk/bristol/theatre-news/fame-musical-bristol-hippodrome
• Worcester News review

I never went to any dance classes as a child, but started ballet when I was 23. Living in London, I had endless choice of dance classes. I started off at an adult beginner's class which was part of the council's adult education programme. Then I started also going to beginner's classes at Laban dance studio and after about a year also joined the intermediate class. I also did occasional classes at Pineapple Dance Studio. Doing three classes a week meant that I was fairly fit and could actually see improvements. But after moving to Bristol I tried several classes and couldn't find one which was convenient and well taught. However, I'm now inspired to try and do more at home, using the books and DVDs that I still have.

A Mighty Heart

I just watched A Mighty Heart, based on the memoir written by Marianne Pearl, wife of Daniel Pearl, a journalist who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan in 2002. I chose to watch it after seeing a trailer on the DVD of The Kite Runner, which I watched a few weeks ago. I wouldn't say it was a brilliant film overall; a lot of it lacked dramatic tension and cut confusingly between scenes and between short flashbacks and the present. But the end made me cry, which is one of my tests of the quality of films, since I have to have formed some sort of connection with the characters to empathise with them to the point of crying. Films like this that are based on true stories really bring home the human, personal elements of the stories that are in the news. It was also good to see Angelina Jolie in a more serious role, very different to the Tomb Raider character.



http://www.amightyheartmovie.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829459/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mighty_Heart_(film)

Scrapbooking pad

I know I have far too much scrapbook paper that I hardly use, but this set that I bought today is pretty enough that it ought to inspire me to get going again. The first few pages have press-out letters, words, phrases, frames and other accents, then the rest is gorgeous double-sided patterned paper. Now I just need to get some photos printed!



I've also just discovered that the same company does paper designed by Amy Butler, who creates gorgeous fabric patterns.
I've found it online on lots of websites, including Mod Scraps (who also do scrapbooking events in Bristol) and here, and matching embellishments here.

Travel quotes book

One of my friends is about to go travelling round Europe in a van, so I made her a book of quotes that she could use on her blog.

I found lots of quotes and vintage-style pictures on the internet, intending originally to print them out to form a simple book. However, using Microsoft Word and an HP printer made it impossible to print pages double sided and get them to line up on each side. So I ended up printing each page individually.

I then decided to go for a ring-bound format and got to work cutting and gluing, interspersing a few differently decorated pages. I had a lot of travel-related stickers left over from the book I made for my sister a few years ago, documenting our travels round Spain and Portugal. I then decided to protect the pages with sticky-back plastic, since they were printed using an ink-jet printer and even I was beginning to smudge them with slightly damp fingers.



















































I was really pleased with how the whole thing turned out. Even Andy, who only saw it unfinished, said it looked really professional.

First signs of Spring!

I saw this patch of crocuses as I was walking home yesterday, a sign that Spring is on its way!



THE SONG OF THE CROCUS FAIRIES
Cicely Mary Barker

Crocus of yellow, new and gay;
Mauve and purple, in brave array;
Crocus white
Like a cup of light,--
Hundreds of them are smiling up,
Each with a flame in its shining cup,
By the touch of the warm and welcome sun
Opened suddenly. Spring's begun!
Dance then, fairies, for joy, and sing
The song of the coming again of Spring.

The Crocuses

by Frances E. W. Harper

They heard the South wind sighing A murmur of the rain; And they knew that Earth was longing To see them all again. While the snow-drops still were sleeping Beneath the silent sod; They felt their new life pulsing Within the dark, cold clod. Not a daffodil nor daisy Had dared to raise its head; Not a fairhaired dandelion Peeped timid from its bed; Though a tremor of the winter Did shivering through them run; Yet they lifted up their foreheads To greet the vernal sun. And the sunbeams gave them welcome. As did the morning air And scattered o'er their simple robes Rich tints of beauty rare. Soon a host of lovely flowers From vales and woodland burst; But in all that fair procession The crocuses were first. First to weave for Earth a chaplet To crown her dear old head; And to beautify the pathway Where winter still did tread. And their loved and white haired mother Smiled sweetly 'neath the touch, When she knew her faithful children Were loving her so much.

Valentine card

The card I stitched for Andy this year:


My plan was that it would look a bit like a football scarf, and in appropriate colours too! The only bit I wasn't really happy with was the bottom of the U, but I hate unpicking stiches, and I was working to a deadline! The top and bottom edges were folded over and hemmed with a backstitch above the top stripe and below the bottom stripe.

And the envelope, made from a page from a children's book called Albert Le Blanc.

Etsy purchases

I ordered some lovely jewellery from Etsy over the weekend, all from OzBushfireAppeal.etsy.com, so all the proceeds will go to the Australian Red Cross.




















Donated by FantaseaOceanGlass.etsy.com














Donated by vibedesigns.etsy.com




















Donated by realisationcreations.etsy.com

Cards with handmade paper

Some lovely simple ideas for cards!




















http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13029278 by jenniferaboston.etsy.com


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14270543 by lishlash.etsy.com






















http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21102289 by moonmum.etsy.com

Brick Lane

Andy and I watched 'Brick Lane' on TV last night. Although the filming in London apparently caused a lot of controversy, I thought it was a thought-provoking portrayal of a Bangladeshi woman torn between two cultures. I tried to read the book a few years ago, but couldn't get into it. I might try again now, since the book seems to contain a lot more detail about the characters' lives than the film does.

http://www.bricklanemovie.co.uk/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0940585/

Wallpaper envelopes

A lovely idea, made from bin end rolls of Laura Ashley wallpaper. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16609500 by girlindustries.etsy.com
3girlsandagoat.etsy.com has similar hand-made envelopes.

Valentine heart bookmark

A very simple idea that could be easily adapted.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21042698 by www.agapebridal.etsy.com

Paper doll crafts

My creations this week had a bit of a paper doll theme. It was great to have some time to just sit and make things. I remembered how much I used to enjoy creative activities, before I got bogged down with work and being stressed about work.

First a vintage paper doll, found on the internet here and mounted on a very small canvas. She's stuck onto the painted canvas with raised glue dots, so that her dress can be removed, and she has a spare dress hanging in the back of the canvas:

Then a paper dress, again arranged on a very small canvas, in spring-like colours:


















Another paper dress. The frame was a Christmas present last year, too fancy for any of the photos I have, but perfect for this extravagant dress with tiny diamante and sequin details:


















And lastly the paper doll from the first canvas, Lisette, with her entire wardrobe:



















Sorry the pictures on this post are so poor. There's not much sun today, and I'm terrible at holding a camera steady! I need to dig out my mini tripod.