Well.....life is still hectic....and is going to get even more so from now until sometime in the new year. There are BIG changes afoot in the AtR household!
After a year or so of planning...changing minds...planning some more....buying stuff....hunting for stuff....buying more stuff...getting in builders...then being let down by builders.... we (as in me and OH) have settled on final designs and plans for the new kitchen and bathroom and we finally found workers we can trust to carry out the work.....so things are finally swinging into action AT LAST!. Our designer/builder friend has already been around to check out what prep work I've already done, what will need to be done...and what bits I still need to get for him and his small team when they decend in the next few weeks.
Stage one will be the kitchen....a fair chunk already done by me which has been to replace cupboard doors and build a few new cabinets for those that needed changing and I'm redecorating the dining room section of the kitchen, replacing skirting, architrave and part t&ging the walls. The rest....the bits I'm untrained and unqualified and totally incapable of doing...ie plumbing, electric work, gas work (having brand new oven, hob, lighting and sink) plus new worktops, splashback tiling and new flooring will be done by the pros! It's been promised to be all fairly straight forward and quick to do...GULP! hope he's right!
Stage two is the big job! and after a break over Xmas, the team will be back in the new year to wreck real havoc! YIKES! the bathroom is being completely gutted...new plastered walls and tiles, new bathroom suit, new shower, fan etc etc etc NEW EVERYTHING....argghhhhhh....this ones going to be messy, dusty, noisy and time consuming....
Worse still.....not only does a lot of the hallway flooring also need to come up for pipe access....the bathroom, being downstairs, is right under my art room and all the wiring and lots of pipework actually goes up under the flooring of this room. I have been warned that most of the floor will need to be taken up for access in that room too!!!!!
ARGGGHHHH.....ARGGGHHHH....AND TRIPLE ARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was a room I was hoping to take refuge in...to do artwork while the demolition goes on down below....but my plans have been dashed. We live in such a small cottage which lacks space as it is...and I've realised that I simply have no where for all my art, craft and jewellery tools to be moved to, so as to continue using them while the building work goes on! There is no other alternative, but to pack everything away. Some will go in the loft...but the rest is being boxed up and stored at my moms who lives just a mile away.
GULP......no artroom......no artwork!...for at least 2months!
I really hope all this is worth it!
Actually, OH has said that by packing all my materials away and taking a real, complete break from my artwork will do me some good...will make me take stock and time to think over what I'm actually doing with my artwork....and where I want to go in my art journey....and then start up again all fresh from new in the new year. He's right I suppose....but it's a bit scary to do....although I've not being doing much of late, and I've taken breaks before, it's been done in a halfhearted way....my artroom and materials have always been there in the house...a comfort zone that I would keep popping back into to dabble with. This time, however I'll be forced to stop all together! ALL GONE...ALL STOPPED!
CRIPES!
I've already started the heartbreaking process of packing away my beloved paint brushes and pens..some stuff is already boxed and gone and the rest will be dealt with next week.
I'll let you know how I get on....how I survive!
BTW - just want to let you know that because I'm packing up the artstuff, I won't be making any Christmas cards this year. Time has flown and I was totally unorganized and didn't manage to make any earlier this year either. So very sorry....but please do not take offence if you receive a shop bought card from me this year....I'd rather you got that than nothing at all!
Friday, 20 November 2009
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Not quite landed yet....
Oh my...is it that long since my last post!?!....well no difference there I hear you all say!
Here's little old me, shot taken by Clive, taking a breather outside the Palacio Real. It's a bit difficult to see the details because the photo has been reduced in size for the blog....sorry!...it's also a bit of a rarity as I'm usually on the other side of the lens! I took over 1000 photos..still wading through them but some of the best so far have been uploaded to Flickr...if you haven't seen them already!
MERCADO DE SAN MIGUEL
Truth is...yep, I'm back from Madrid (only went for a week grrrr not long enough and want to go back!) and may have landed back in cold wet Britain but me feet hit that airport tarmac running...and I haven't managed to stop yet!
Things have been incredibly busy since I got back home and coupled with serious laptop problems I've been off line most of the time. I'm up to my elbows with getting a new kitchen and bathroom fitted, have had no end of family/friends 'dos' of one kind or another to attend and have managed to battle some nasty fluey type virus inbetween...so blogging, although I wanted to...was not a priority...
all good fun...not!
Anyways...I'm on the homerun with my virus and getting better.....but sadly cannot say the same for my old laptop which has died...but worry not - I got a new one...WOOOHOOOO!!!! and a swanky all singing and dancing one at that (still trying to work out if it'll do the tiling in my kitchen for me...it seems to do everything else!) it's LUSH!...am I allowed to use that word or is it 'so last year' LOL!...it's a special edition with a seriously yummy glossy case in black that fades into red with a stunning HD LCD widescreen...makes my photos look pretty darn good if I may be allowed to say so...thanks go to my nephew Dan for sorting this one out, Clive and I are VERY GRATEFUL!
As for Madrid...well all I can say is....I WANT TO GO BACK! the sun, the tapas, the amazing museums and artwork...the parks and gardens, the shops....there was far too much to see and do to fit into a week and have to say we came back exhausted and determined to return one day to see more.
Here's little old me, shot taken by Clive, taking a breather outside the Palacio Real. It's a bit difficult to see the details because the photo has been reduced in size for the blog....sorry!...it's also a bit of a rarity as I'm usually on the other side of the lens! I took over 1000 photos..still wading through them but some of the best so far have been uploaded to Flickr...if you haven't seen them already!Holiday Highs - practically everyday was wonderful, but maybe I will single out the day spent along the Paseo Del Prado, visiting the Prado museum seeing works of Goya, Raphael, Botticelli, Titan and Rubens, and more, and the neighbouring Real Jardin Botanico...then again it could be the swanky art restaurant we spent a fantastic evening dining in....errrmmm....maybe the day we went to the Museo de America?...or perhaps the tapas we sampled and the artisian breads we bought at the amazing glass walled Mercado de San Miguel...or the first time I experienced the Plaza Mayor and the evening we spent there watching the street artists while we munched on bocadillo de calamares...or even the stunning works in an art exhibition we found in a hidden back street!

...and I suppose I have to mention that one of the reasons we went to Madrid was to see Worcester Warriors Rugby Club play in the Amlin Challenge Cup against Olympus Madrid (we comfortably won, by the way) which took place in a beautiful rugby ground in nearby Moncloa. You can see some of my photos here -
we ate a picnic by a pool in a gorgeous nearby park, met up with fellow supporters and players and did a bit more 'cultcha' at the local museum where we learnt about spanish/south-american history.
MERCADO DE SAN MIGUELHmmm, yup, you can see I'm struggling to pick out one particular highlight...and this is just a snippit of what we did...and there was sooooo much more that we didn't get to do...
hence the want...noooo...the need to go back!
Holiday Lows - Coming home! LOL!...no, seriously though...being held back by the joint pain, plus I managed to trap a nerve in my back before we flew out (doh!) which stopped me doing an awful lot and got pretty frustrating...but worse was having the most gorgeous gems and silver jewellery shop right nextdoor to where we stayed...oh the torture of having to pass by this tiny boutique, crammed to the gunnels with delicious gems, everyday!....actually the pain was eased somewhat by Clive kindly buying a number of pieces from there for me as late birthday presents...and I also treated myself to a ring...a stunning piece of silver...bit of a knuckle duster at that but a real statement and conversation piece! Also a bit peeved I didn't take a larger suitcase with me!....shopping is an experience in central Madrid and although I'm really not one for shopping (and we onpurpose chose not to during our stay), we spent a few spare hours after checking out of our hotel on our last day, window shopping before the flight home...oh boy I began to wish I'd more space in my suitcase...and more cash...and more time!...we came across some lovely little art gallery-cum-shops, interesting curio type stores...and for clothes - there were a few familiar brand name stores, but there were many original boutiques that had gorgeous clothes at decent prices...and unfortunately some totally indecent prices too...
...and I'm not even going to mention the glorious pastries and churros dipped in hot chocolate drink...
Oh dear...I did!
Oh....and to my dismay, but Clives relief, we never found any craft shops...BOOOOO!!!!
Despite this...I had a VERY nice time thankyou....
...and despite having a very nice time....it was rather nice to get back and sleep in my own bed!
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
ROSES ROSES EVERYWHERE....AND ONE FOR ALL SEASONS
My inspiration and desire to create has been like a long rollercoaster of late...but not one that whizzes along making you giddy with exhilaration...rather a slow moving tummy turning journey that leaves you exhausted and desperate for the end. After the highs and frenzy of art I've been so busy running about doing other non-arty stuff that when I've tried to sit and give myself a moment to create for myself, the desire has just not been there....it's faded somewhat. It's not that I haven't been making things...I have...but for other people and I've kind of been on autopilot with them...and they're things that are mainly presents for Christmas which means I can't blog about them (so no photos until next year...how frustrating!). It's a blessing that I'm not financially dependant on my artwork so for now I'll sit it out, concentrate on other things, like my garden. I get like this alot nowadays but it doesn't get me down anymore...I've come to realise that inspiration will return sometime...and maybe I'll be even better for it...maybe a bit like the rose in the saying above.
We have the famous David Austin Rose Centre about 30mins drive away from us....I'd been there a few times with my parents when I was younger and only vaguely recall the visits. As a stroppy unappreciative pre-teenager I was more interested in being at the local park with my mates than being dragged around looking at yet more thorny pink showy flowers that reeked like an old aunts overpowering perfume. Lately, however I've been interested in returning there. I've mellowed alot since then...I aquired my parents passion for gardening, I'm still a wildflower gal...but I don't feel so strongly against roses now...
must say though... my garden has been rose free...
...until now!
We were in Worcester visiting Clives rose loving mom at the weekend and she mentioned she was after a new rose for her garden, so he suggested we take her to David Austins (she'd never been before). It was going to take us about an hour to get there and she was a little apprehensive that being the end of September the blooms would all be gone....but we were all game to go. I decided that I'd take the opportunity of practising some photography on the gardens and the offer of tea in a country pub on the way home made the trip all the more appealing!
We pulled up in the carpark to the amazing rose scents wafting from the surrounding fields where the main plants were grown...nothing like the sickly perfumes I gagged over as a child...mellow concoctions floated in the breeze...a hint of lemon here...a touch of musk there.
Peacocks gracefully picked their way around the cars, turning their petite tufted heads inquisitively, greeting and beckoning us to step up to the beautiful timber beamed building...that were well and truely clothed in roses!
So much for the flowering season being over...and we hadn't even got into the gardens yet!
The entrance led you into the main gift shop, which in turn gave you the choice of going left out into the show gardens, or right to the plant sales section and tearooms. We choose the gardens and our first encounter was a small courtyard display of container shrub roses - the idea being to show that roses can grow anywhere...not just in large garden borders but in small places too...even on balconies....and when flowering is over the moveable pot allows the 'less attractive to the eye' form to be placed out of sight until the summer returns...hmmmm now that's up my street!
The Walled garden, a circular layout, was smattered with lovely plinth set square stone carvings of various animals amongst roses, and these encircled a central figure of a maiden clasping a rose bouquet, surrounded by English Roses and other repeat flowering shrub roses...forget the long stemmed gift shop single flower rose...the one show and it's gone...here we found multi headed stems of huge proportions with hundreds of young unopened buds just waiting their turn to burst out into the world
Tour of the showcase gardens over, we made our way back through the gift shop towards the plant sales section. I was so glad I'd returned to David Austin Gardens...older, wiser (I hope) and more accepting, my eyes had been opened and I was now appreciating the versatility of the rose. I'd made a decision during the garden tour...Clives mom was not the only one buying that day...
Purchases made we set off home tired but full of ideas for our gardens....we had a very nice carvery meal in a worcestershire pub during which I suggested, to Clives moms amusement, that I was coming around to the idea of having maybe one more rose...possibly a container grown one for the patio?....
Hmm, maybe...maybe not...but it would be a good excuse of returning back to David Austins in the summer to see the 'real flowering show'.
The rose I picked out is now awaiting the weekend when it can be dug in and although it is flowering profusely in it's plastic pot I might have to cut it back a little to enable stronger growth next year. It'll be sad to loose the blooms, but as this blog post started...
'sometimes things must fade, before they can bloom again....'
I'd like to think this will be true of my inspiration too.
PS
By the way...I've known of this quote for sometime but didn't recall who had actually said it. During my search online to find the name for this blog posting...I came across this other rose themed quote....
it made me smile...hope it does the same to you too!
'I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall'. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
A very nice birthday weekend was had.
Firstly, as I said in my last post I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all my lovely internety mateys who were thoughful in taking time to make and send me cards and gifts for my birthday. I had so much fun opening them all and have crammed as many of them as possible on my lounge mantle piece...where they will stay for a good time....so I can gaze at them and ponder on how nice people can be....
Here are a few of the handmade goodies I received....
Thankyou to Jan, Sherry, Cindy, Maureen, Viv and Yvonne for your cards and gifts...from ATCs to tags, a lovely altered slide mailer, a stunning lavender smellie-bag and an exquisite brooche made from a mahjong tile....such treasures!
From other internet pals I also received a number of cards plus some yummy boxes of chocolates and have been emailing and messaging everyone individually to say thanks....if you've not received a note from me yet....I'll be getting around to thanking more people tonight and tomorrow, time permitting.
You'll also see in the photo (top right) a bound square book.....technically not a birthday gift but it arrived in time for the day so I put it in the photo. It's a bound altered coaster book made by Cindy, and was a giveaway on her blog a short while ago AND I WON IT!!!! WHOOOHOOO!!! We had to comment on her blog to be entered into a draw...but that's not all....it contains a number of ATCs, all different designs but using the same one rubber stamp image. Cindy made a number of these cards which she put on her Flickr photo gallery...then we had to go view them and select our favourites. The winner in the draw got the book with their choosen cards how generous is that! and I'm delighted I won it...it's amazing with so much to look at and the different techniques used with that one image are wonderful. THANKS CINDY!
There are lots of different draws and giveaways going on blogs of late....I've entered quite a few over time but have so far only won two....and I haven't made anything lately so I'm thinking maybe I'll do a giveaway myself here again...return the gesture...soon...hmmmm...watch this spot!
Anyways, I digress, back to my birthday....after opening lots more lovely pressies from family and other friends, Clive and I got ready to spend the day out together. I had originally suggested a trip to Stokesay Castle and a stop off in Ludlow for a meal....but quickly realised the famous food festival was taking place there that weekend, so traffic would have been a nightmare...and although the foodie fest is fantastic...I wanted a quiet day to take photos of a castle of some sort...so we headed off in the opposite direction for 'Plan B'....Kenilworth Castle!
I've been to Kenilworth before, many years ago as a child and barely recall the visit, but this year English Heritage have marked the
end of their £3million project (including refurbishment of the stables and Leicester's gatehouse) with the opening of their new modern recreation of a 16th-century garden originally planted by the earl of Leicester for Queen Elizabeth I's visit in 1575. It was opened to the public in May and I saw a TV docu on its creation a few months ago, including a magnificent waterfountain, oak terrace and arbours...and an aviary....and I've been keen to go see it ever since. So, with the wonderful blue skies, and warm September sun it was a perfect opportunity to take photos there. I love looking around ruined castles...I have to say I was NOT disappointed with Kenilworth...the garden is wonderful and that fountain...a must see! After treating ourselves to English scones and tea in the stable cafe and checking out the exhibitions, we enjoyed a leisurely amble
around the ruins and although I did struggle a bit with some of the higher levels it was worth it to see the views across the Warwickshire countryside. We had a lovely day and so, tired, but with an appetite we headed off home via a very nice country pub in Corely Moor and enjoyed a delicious meal and the most lush chocolate tart! I took many photos that day! Oh boy am I sooooo glad of my digital camera....in excess of 300 shots that, had it been on my old SLR 35 camera would have meant many rolls of film to lump around, then get developed at huge cost and a number of days wait in order to find a large number to be discarded as no good! With one digi camera, one memory card (I even did a bit of videoing - yep my ickle camera
does that too!) I happily snapped away to my hearts content knowing I could then go home, upload and organize the shots with speed and ease. I was pleasantly surprised at how few 'duff' shots there was from this outing...a selection/highlight of my day at the castle can be seen on my flickr photo pages...ok....so maybe a professional photographer might find a few things wrong with em....but to me they are just fine and a great memory keeper of my birthday day out!
You can also see a few of the photos I took, on English Heritages own webpage for Kenilworth Castle...see if you can spot them!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agnesthered/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.16882
It's been a few years since my birthday landed on a weekend...when it's been a weekday, people have been at work....and then Clive and I are usually at a rugby match on the weekends either side....so we haven't really spent time with my family on 'my day'...so this year, with a rugby game being organized for the Friday night...and so done and out of the way (we won by the way...did I tell you that before? YAY! lol!) mom, sis and co made the most of it and insisted on a celebratory meal on the Sunday...so off we headed to our favourite place, our local 'Jimmy Spices' a buffet style restaurant with food from around the world plus good old English Sunday roasts (great for a family, like ours, with diverse tastes and finicky eaters!) I defy anyone to go there and not find something they like! Stuffed to the gunnels, we ended up back at my sisters house where I was presented with a rather indulgent chocolate birthday cake...some piggys managed a small slice....but I have to say I was too full up from the meal and took some home for the next day instead! Sam has taken some snapshots of Sunday, including a rather dodgy one of me blowing out candles on the cake....so if she sends me some copies....I might just add them here....
...I said I might!
Here are a few of the handmade goodies I received....
Thankyou to Jan, Sherry, Cindy, Maureen, Viv and Yvonne for your cards and gifts...from ATCs to tags, a lovely altered slide mailer, a stunning lavender smellie-bag and an exquisite brooche made from a mahjong tile....such treasures!
From other internet pals I also received a number of cards plus some yummy boxes of chocolates and have been emailing and messaging everyone individually to say thanks....if you've not received a note from me yet....I'll be getting around to thanking more people tonight and tomorrow, time permitting.
You'll also see in the photo (top right) a bound square book.....technically not a birthday gift but it arrived in time for the day so I put it in the photo. It's a bound altered coaster book made by Cindy, and was a giveaway on her blog a short while ago AND I WON IT!!!! WHOOOHOOO!!! We had to comment on her blog to be entered into a draw...but that's not all....it contains a number of ATCs, all different designs but using the same one rubber stamp image. Cindy made a number of these cards which she put on her Flickr photo gallery...then we had to go view them and select our favourites. The winner in the draw got the book with their choosen cards how generous is that! and I'm delighted I won it...it's amazing with so much to look at and the different techniques used with that one image are wonderful. THANKS CINDY!
There are lots of different draws and giveaways going on blogs of late....I've entered quite a few over time but have so far only won two....and I haven't made anything lately so I'm thinking maybe I'll do a giveaway myself here again...return the gesture...soon...hmmmm...watch this spot!
Anyways, I digress, back to my birthday....after opening lots more lovely pressies from family and other friends, Clive and I got ready to spend the day out together. I had originally suggested a trip to Stokesay Castle and a stop off in Ludlow for a meal....but quickly realised the famous food festival was taking place there that weekend, so traffic would have been a nightmare...and although the foodie fest is fantastic...I wanted a quiet day to take photos of a castle of some sort...so we headed off in the opposite direction for 'Plan B'....Kenilworth Castle!
I've been to Kenilworth before, many years ago as a child and barely recall the visit, but this year English Heritage have marked the
You can also see a few of the photos I took, on English Heritages own webpage for Kenilworth Castle...see if you can spot them!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agnesthered/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.16882
It's been a few years since my birthday landed on a weekend...when it's been a weekday, people have been at work....and then Clive and I are usually at a rugby match on the weekends either side....so we haven't really spent time with my family on 'my day'...so this year, with a rugby game being organized for the Friday night...and so done and out of the way (we won by the way...did I tell you that before? YAY! lol!) mom, sis and co made the most of it and insisted on a celebratory meal on the Sunday...so off we headed to our favourite place, our local 'Jimmy Spices' a buffet style restaurant with food from around the world plus good old English Sunday roasts (great for a family, like ours, with diverse tastes and finicky eaters!) I defy anyone to go there and not find something they like! Stuffed to the gunnels, we ended up back at my sisters house where I was presented with a rather indulgent chocolate birthday cake...some piggys managed a small slice....but I have to say I was too full up from the meal and took some home for the next day instead! Sam has taken some snapshots of Sunday, including a rather dodgy one of me blowing out candles on the cake....so if she sends me some copies....I might just add them here....
...I said I might!
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