Wake me up.

I've had a nice couple of days, and weirdly both have been spent almost completely on my own. I don't really mind as it's meant that I've been able to get things done. I'm so pleased that I'm basically over this flu, here's hoping it never comes back.

Saturday evening was a fairly non-eventful one, although I did finally get around to making one of my cat-cushions. Hand-sewn, with a zip and everything, I'm really not too shabby at sewing. Admittedly, I did have a little help from this tutorial, but in my defence, it was showing you how to do it with a sewing machine and I did it completely by myself. I have no clue how to use a sewing machine, but can definitely see how it would make this 10 times quicker/easier, it took me a few hours to make my cushion, but if I'd had a machine I reckon it probably would have only taken about half an hour, if I got my skates on.

I picked up a metre of this stripey fabric from Fabric Land as I thought all cats might not look as good, and I'm happy because I think they really go together. I've since realised I'll have a ton of fabric left over whatever I do though.


I picked up this pin wheel from this eBay seller, it's so pretty, but I've messed up the pattern and even lost a pin already.


I used to make cushion covers a lot when I was younger, I don't remember it being as fiddly as worrying about seams but I'm glad I took the time to do this because it looks so much better for it.


Once I'd finished sewing the zip in, I placed the fabric so it would be inside-out and pinned it, before overcast stitching the two fabrics together and then turning the cover back out and inserting the cushion. I forgot to unzip the zip first so I had to re-do the last few steps, but I now know for next time. All while my 'adult 18 year-old' sister went out drinking with her pals...



The rest of Saturday evening was spent with Doll being a hunter, and booting up old-favourite, Theme Hospital. Might have done a super nerdy thing and worked out how to boot it using a DOS programme... It's just as much fun as I remember.

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Today was a lovely day too, it's been quite productive, I've applied to around five jobs, which I think is enough considering it's a Sunday - one inbox was even full so I think it might have been better to hold off until Monday anyway. I've tidied my room and just generally been quite relaxed, it's probably good prep for tomorrow when The Apple store is going to tell me I'll need to fork out £101 for a new battery for my Macbook and I'm going to have to pay a visit to the Jobcentre. It's just been one of those days, and the weather warming up makes me feel so positive, it also meant I could let Dolly into the garden without freezing to death.

This is what I started the day with, really hit the spot, I'm not even sorry, this is what Sundays are for. I'm pretty sure I've shrunk a bit anyway as the leggings I'm currently wearing didn't fit me and now do.


Here's a quick Photobooth of what I wore today. I love this t-shirt but I always seem to lose it, and not wear it for ages. I picked it up when Lazy Oaf had their pop-up store off Brick Lane back in November.
T-shirt: Lazy Oaf
Skirt: H&M
Leggings: Dorothy Perkins


Am I bit silly to like this photo? It was intentional, not an 'oops autofocus' moment so I think I can think it's quite good. She was stalking my neck strap, sometimes she really is a great cat, but my sister and I have been discussing that she wouldn't make a very good human.



One thing I did today was sort out the flowers that Moon bought me last week as they were looking a little bit sorry for themselves. I saved the ones that still had a bit of life in them and transfered them to a smaller vase and I've turned most of the roses into home-made pot pourri. I've also pressed a few of them, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens... fingers crossed that it works.



This is a bowl that Moon bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago. It had the worst candy in it, but I've since mainly used it has a trinket bowl. I thought that I could temporarily rehouse those trinkets just for this, I'm pretty happy with this choice.

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Here's finished cushion number one (I'll be working on number two this evening), sitting pride of place with all my other cushions. It's a bit ridiculous, I think when I have my own house these will be much happier on a sofa than on a bed.



Did I mention I'm pretty pleased with myself, I think this has turned out pretty damn great.


Doll seemed to be very happy that I've moved these to the windowsill, I'm very paranoid about her knocking them off, but she seemed pretty happy just sniffing them.





I'll leave you with this one. I'm printing off a few CVs to hand out tomorrow, but any time the printer does anything she's suddenly right there, I think it's because it makes a similar noise to the hoover but isn't as big or mobile.
I hope you have a lovely rest-of-Sunday. x

Brighton Buys.

I just can't help it that most of my favourite shops happen to be in Brighton. So I might have picked up a few things when Moon and I were down there for his birthday yesterday. Saying that, I still have major sights set on my new fave, Porta and, I'll know I've made it once I can pick up a dress from Get Cutie and not give a damn, they're so beautiful.

I may not have splashed out in the shops mentioned above, but I'm pretty pleased with yesterday's gifts to myself, I mean I'd already bought Moon presents, so...


Cat-print canvas bag, £9.99, AHA Brighton
The shop I bought this from was great, I'd love to go back and buy so much more. It was mainly a Japanese gift shop, so I expected it to be really overpriced but it was actually really reasonable, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm so happy with this bag, I mean for obvious reasons but also because it's a great size. It seems really sturdy so far, so it will be good as either an everyday bag or for overnight.




The Art of My Neighbour Totoro, £20, Dave's Comics
Although this was pretty expensive, I feel no remorse as it's totally worth it, books are nearly always worth it. We turned the corner at the end of Dave's Comics in Sydney Street and were greeted by a whole series of similar Studio Ghibli books. I'm already hoping to grab the others and will be keeping a beady eye on Amazon in order to complete the collection. They might be a bit cheaper on Amazon but I do feel like I've done my bit to help out an independent Brighton retailer so it's not that big a deal.



So this last buy is a bit of a weird one, having semi-fallen for a bluebird print cushion in Get Cutie, I thought I may be able to pick up some cute fabric from one of the many fabric shops in Brighton and make my own animal themed cushion, and fell for this one instantly. I do in fact know how to make a cushion as it was one of the first things I ever learnt how to sew, much to Moon and his brother's surprise! I have a tendency to dip in and out of craft but I can do it. Besides, being the nerd I am, I've been tuning in regularly to Superscrimpers on Channel 4 and I'm feeling inspired. I'm not sure if I'll go for a cushion insert or wadding, but there's no doubt about it that this cushion's getting made. I'm feeling zero shame over the fact that two out of three things I bought today were cat-themed, in fact there's a cat in MY Neighbour Totoro too... haters gonna hate.

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Watch this space, it's a two-blog kind of day. I've got some photos that are actually from Brighton to show you. ♥

Foxy.

It's no secret that I pretty much can't resist any item of clothing or anything that has printed animals on it. I think I'm addicted and it's getting to be a bit of a problem because so much of my stuff has these printed animals on it that I hardly have a complete outfit to put together. I just can't wear my horse-print cardigan with my horse-print dress, and then there's the horse belt, as an animal, horses aren't even close to being my favourite either. Clear issues.

Anyway, despite the fact that I know all of this, I still couldn't resist picking up this cute fox-print dress from Primark yesterday. I feel like a bit of an idiot now, but I'll come back to that later.



Not only was it just £6 but just look at this cute pattern, I thought I was getting quite lucky as well because it didn't seem to look too short like the other dresses that Primark push at this price and of this shape. I was wrong though, the reason this 'dress' was so cheap is because you have to be 3'2" in order to wear it respectably, probably. It is a bit too bummy, which is needless to say a 'bummer' on a day like today because it's the kind of weather that calls for tights and I just can't in this dress. My saviour to this problem was a £2.99 bodycon skirt from H&M, definitely essential. Now I don't need to worry as much, especially seeing as I'm shooting the Flower Festival for Malden Fortnight later this afternoon, and it's held in a church.

What I would eventually like to do, which would be a better way of sorting it out, would be get get some kind of 50's-style petticoat. Stupid Primark, I will never be called tall by anyone and my legs are certainly not long, WHO is wearing these dresses and how?

Shirt: H&M
Dress: Primark
Skirt: H&M
Belt: Primark w/ some chinos
Leggings: New Look
Apologies for not thinking to put on some shoes.

A series called "Breakfast".

This could be an interesting idea to look at, I really want to get some cool fabrics from Ikea to make some neat backdrops.

I think I would quite like to try avocado, it intrigues me.

© Jon Huck, 2007.

I also really like his project, "Couples", it's like a neat guessing game, they have features like this in magazines all the time, it might be a good starting point for my second self-led project, but that's ages away.
I've still got to get the half-Chinese one done, it should be fun, I just have to get some responses as I've only got 5 confirmed subjects so far despite having such a relatively large response initially.... I think it will get easier when it gets closer and I can be better at organising things.