Sorry for rushing off and leaving a half written and almost link free blog yesterday. I don't watch much TV so if I'm hooked on a thing I really hate to miss it.So to fill out the previous post, yes, it was a Spencer Tunick project with all the pale pink UK residents baring all in Newcastle and Gateshead in the North East of England. The exhibition (running until sunday) was at the Baltic Mill in Gateshead. I've not been in the best of health so I never managed the trip down to see it, but apparently it doesn't matter since the news on TV the other day was that the local Police have been selling close-ups taken on CCTV in the local pubs! As long as they don't sell to my granny, lucky for me she lives elsewhere and doesn't go to pubs.
The photo I posted was one of several poses we did that morning and has us in front of the SAGE building which I really loved, I'd never even heard of it before. Here is a photo of the undulating roof, I took about 40!
The Alnwick Castle Treehouse website is here. I'm trying to persuade someone to hire it for a wedding, any takers? I bet it costs a fortune because when I asked they wouldn't even tell me on the spot, they said I had to phone. It would be a fantastic venue as it has a restaurant inside it (with log fire). In the summer the gardens are stunning with formal and informal areas, lots of scented roses, a beautiful area of flowers at the top (stayed there about 2 hours) and the serpent garden shown her (I think that was it's name).
There is also the impressive cascade waterfall and several fun and stylish water features. The day we were there turned out to have record temperatures so the water sculptures were full of children (and me!) trying to cool down and just having a LOT of fun!
Tuesday, self portraits, I forgot last week. Actually, I didn't forget, but it was so late when I remembered and then the moment was gone. Also I finally discovered that they are meant to be themed! I had no idea that there was a theme set and that the current one is TIME. Seems fitting that I ran out of TIME last week.
So to make up for it here is a photo of me that took a long time. Can you see me? I'm the shy one near the back!
I left Scotland at about 2.30am, arrived at the photo destination at 4am and the photographer didn't finish with us tll 9am... and believe me, when you are the kind of girl who doesn't even wear skirts cause she's self concious about her legs (and the rest) then you can imagine this was a long time for a photo like this. But I wanted to challenge myself. And I wanted to have something to email my friends about that didn't involve terrible tales of my house renovation or having no water, no heating etc. So dull. But this wasn't dull at all!
It was a very surreal day but I had the best time. I took lots of photo's around Newcastle and Gateshead afterwards and then we went to Alnwick Castle (pronounced 'anik', it's where they filmed Hogwarts for Harry Potter). I didn't go into the Castle though, it was the fabulous treehouse and gardens that I had my eyes on.
I LOVE that treehouse. It's what I want my house to look like when it's finished. Not the turrets you understand (though we had a house with a turret when I was a kid!) but just the whole thing of different kicds of wood shigles etc. All the sections having their own character and secret little places and hidey holes and windows with shutters. The awful thing was that after a full on day of photo taking my batteries ran out at the treehoues so I only got 6 photo's. I cried, quite a lot.
Want to know more...
The Treehouse Guide
Someone has Flikr photos of the treehouse in winter here
Eek, not finished but got to run, last part of a good TV drama thing has just started and I'm still in the house of no TV!!!!
Too floral for me but I know some of you will like this Cath Kidston limited edition radio. But be warned, it's £200!
I love wallpapers, not all over my walls, maybe just one wall, or inside cupboards, but mostly for making things with (anyone redecorating, I'd love your scraps). Today I'm loving this one, gold on blues always appeals, from Cole & Son. I just love the Classix Exotic Flock range, especially Jasmine, Albany, Rosemary, Woodstock and the Damask flock shown below.
Paola, avert your eyes.
Every evening at the same time (well, I suppose a minute later each night as it gets lighter) the starlings gather and do their dance in the sky outside my house for about 30 mins before landing in the tree. I can gaze at them for that whole time, it's very calming.
I took this photo as the sky behind was so nice but it was getting dim and they turned so they are totally blurry, but I still like it. Also I have a thing about telegraph poles, and I can see lots from all my windows so I'm a very happy chicky.
Ah, back at last. Blogging really is an actual and genuine addiction. I felt quite sick not being able to blog the last two days, though you'll notice I squeezed in a couple while my visitors went for a walk on Saturday.
This is a detail of a collage with a little bird brooch that hasn't reached it's destination yet, Royal Mail is obviously taking the scenic route. When I (finally) get organised enough to send things I want them to arrive at the other end as soon as they are handed to the post office. Sorry the photo is so dull, it was the dreary day when I took it and I was in a hurry to get to the post office.
Impatience runs in the family, my mother can't even wait for her bread to toast, she pops it up after about 20 seconds. I'm not that extreme.
I was horrified to be told by the post lady last wednesday that she thinks they are phasing out stamps!!! Half the joy of post, for me, is sending and receiving nice stamps, like these bird stamps on my post from Sweden...
Instead they are using horribly, sterile, clerical looking printout things. Yuk. I've not managed to get a stamp with a picture on it since Christmas 2004, though that says more about local availablitiy thatn Royal Mail policy.
I planned to post a picture of a lovely big Lindt Bunny but I couldn't find my photo so I had a peek at Lindt.com and look, little bunnies that come with their own milk churn! Now I just have to hint to my nearest and dearest.
Camilla's lamp from this beautiful bear print is on the Moody Buddha site at last!She so talented, I often wonder what her childhood drawings must have been like. And her dreams, art dreams can be so incredible and if they looked like Camilla's illustrations then I'd want to stay asleep.
Or rather, Anna's penny pouch since I sent it to her when I realised it matched her new green bag.
Had to post this to remind myself I can make things, otherwise I'd go to bed feeling inadequate after Miss Clara revelations!
I made this very tiny (about an inch wide) pouch as a brooch to hold my bus fare on days when I don't want to carry a purse around and have no pockets. Or if I'm wearing my favourite 1950's coat which has pockets but I'm scared if I use them they'll go all baggy and get holes.
