Monday 21 December 2009

My New Pal!


I've got a new pal and her name is Fannie Flagg! Ok, so...I don't actually know Fannie Flagg but I've been reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe for the past couple of months. One could get through it a whole lot faster than I have been doing, but it's so fun and so good I have wanted to make it last and last. This book makes me laugh out loud! Love it!
I've only got a couple of chapters left but I don't want it to end so I've been having a look to see if I can get my hands on anything else Mrs Flagg has written. Are you ready for this fun-ness? There are recipes on her Publisher Profile!

Here are a few reasons Fannie Flagg is my pal:
  • She is a sassy southern woman (from Alabama).
  • She makes me laugh (well her writing does!)
  • She is a wonderful story teller, I just don't want her stories to end!
  • She shares recipes!
What fun! I have discovered that if you want Sipsey's Fried Green Tomato recipe you'll have to buy the cookbook, I would if I could! Believe you me!
OR you can do as I have done and look up one of the FGT fan sites!


A Few of Sipsey's Recipes (Adapted by Evelyn)

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon soda

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup Crisco

2 teaspoons salt
1 cup buttermilk


Sift dry ingredients together. Add Crisco and blend well until like fine meal. Add buttermilk and mix. Roll out thin and cut into desired size biscuit. Bake in greased pan and 450 degrees until golden brown.

These saved Naughty Bird, Big George's daughter's, life.

Fried Green Tomatoes

1 medium green tomatoes (per person)*
pepper
salt
White cornmeal
bacon drippings**

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick, season with salt and pepper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of the pan and fry tomatoes until light browned on both sides.

You'll think you died and gone to heaven!

* I know from experience that a hard red tomato works well too
** can substitue with about 2 inches of vegetable oil 


Sunday 20 December 2009

I'm back y'all! And it's snowing!

I'm back! My time back home in Charleston was AH-MAZING! It gets harder to leave each time :(

{me & my mommy}


{me & my Jessica}
I spent a lot of time with my besties and their babies!(minus my little Mexican honey bun who lives in NY!)! What precious, precious times!



 {me & baby Titus x}



{oh sweet tea and fried chicken...how do I love thee....let me count the ways}

I also got to catch up with my cousins who are 82 and 66! I had not seen them since I was in high school.
{me and my cousin Andy}

My cousin Camille spoilt me rotten! She made fresh fruit smoothies every single morning! I got to spend time with my Aunt Janet making a 60th birthday collage for my mom to surprise her at her party - it went really, really well.
My mom spoiled me too!

and guess what?...



that is the Palmetto Moon, the image from the South Carolina State flag. I fought being southern all growing up. I had no desire to identify with where I was living. My family is from NY and that's how I wanted it to stay! How things change. When I moved to the UK I really began to appreciate the culture that I grew up in and now I can say with pride that I am a Carolina Girl!...hence the tattoo :)

I have so much more to share! In the mean time I am trying to track down lost luggage and get back on UK time!

Here are a few albums for you to see what I got up to!
AND HOLY COW! IT'S 5 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Friday 4 December 2009

FABULOUS FRIEND FRIDAY IS BACK!!!!!!!

Introducing...





....drum roll please....





Thoris Designs!!!!!!!!!!!!!









1. Hello Dejah :) Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us about YOU!
I’m a crafty pirate extraordinaire. When I’m not painting, sculpting, knitting, sewing or drawing, I’m probably playing video games or figuring out how to make a new kind of scone. I love to cook and make up all kinds of recipes all the time. It’s one of my favorite things. The next best is feeding it to people.

I’ve got two beautiful children that do their best to drive me bananas, but that’s as it should be, I suppose. You can see my daughter modeling a number of items in my shop and I’ll be getting my son to do some soon.

I’m in love with everything frilly and girlie. As soon as I get my sewing machine I’ll be opening another shop to house all the clothes I want to sell, mostly focusing on costume like pieces for kids, but I want to be making ruffled, Victorian inspired clothing with a modern flare also. Expect giant purses and nifty clutches that you don’t actually have to clutch.
 Music is always in my life. I don’t even include it as one my favorite things in most cases because that’s a given. Like I don’t have to tell people I breathe I don’t tell them I love music. I have to have it when I’m working, especially when I’m doing work on the computer. Without it I get completely distracted and can’t focus.


 


2. What are your Etsy shop & Blog called? Where did that name come from?

My Etsy shop is Thoris Designs and is located at http://thorisdesigns.etsy.com. My blog, which features items in my shop, recipes I’ve made up, reviews for others I’ve tried, and anything else I’d like to blog about, is located at http://thorisdesigns.blogspot.com. I should really write for it more, but sometimes my computer access is limited. The name Thoris came from an association with my first name. My mom named me for a princess from a science fiction series called John Carter of Mars written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. He’s also famous for writing Tarzan. Dejah Thoris was a princess of Mars and married John Carter. Thoris Designs was born.




3. What was the last treasure that arrived in your mail?

The last thing I bought was from http://dennisanderson.etsy.com. A bar of Once Upon a Blue Moon Beer Soap for my brother (Blue Moon is his favorite beer) and a luscious Maple Crunch Lip Balm. They sent me a free Coconut balm too! I’ll definitely be buying more bath and body goodies from them in the future.
4. Where in the world would you like to visit? why?

I would love to visit Japan. I’m a huge fan of ancient Japanese culture and find the architecture, artwork, and fashions of the ancient Japanese deeply beautiful and alluring. The history of the samurai and the geisha are especially appealing to me and I love learning about their histories and customs.

I would also love to visit China, for much the same reasons. I would most love seeing the Great Wall of China and the tomb of Emperor Chin, who united the various states of China for the first time. He is most commonly known as the Emperor with the Terra Cotta Army. Fascinating!

5.  What 8 records or books {or combo} would you would take with you to a desert island?

Oh goodness, that’s not nearly enough choices. Okay, it would have to be at least eight of each and I’m going to cheat a little.

Music:
Tool – every album
Primus – every album
Rush – “Fly by Night”, “2112”, and “Moving Pictures”
Led Zeppelin – every album
Pink Floyd – “The Wall”
Across the Universe Soundtrack
The Smashing Pumpkins – every album up to “Machina”
And a Ben Harper and Jack Johnson mix album

Books: More Cheating

Lord of the Rings Series and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Narnia by CS Lewis
Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix
Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O’Shea
The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan
All Chuck Palahniuk novels
Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
The Gentlemen Bastards Series by Scott Lynch

Some of those series aren’t finished yet, so my exile will have to wait.
6. If you could go back and live in a past decade or century, when would you choose and why?
We so romanticize so much of the past. I love that I live in a time where things like electricity, indoor plumbing, hot water, and rapid communication are fairly common. I also like that I experience little prejudice as a woman in today’s society. However, I would love to have been a pirate captain at sea during the Golden Age of Piracy, minus the bad teeth and poor personal hygiene. Being a samurai would have been grand, with all the armor and the swords. I also love the fashions of Victorian times, the 1920’s and the 1940’s. I would, of course, have wanted to have all the freedoms I enjoy now during those times. I wish I could combine elements of all those times and make a world of my own, but alas, I visit them only in books. Except for the pirate thing. I really am a pirate.
7. What is your favorite thing about creating something by hand?

The magic! To take a few materials that are raw and unformed and turn them into something new and beautiful. When I’m knitting at the park or somewhere where my children are playing, I get asked by kids, “What are you doing?” all the time. I always answer, “Magic!”
 My second favorite thing is seeing people wear the stuff I make. Nothing is more flattering than seeing someone wear or use something I’ve made. I just made my friend a scarf that she wears almost every day. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside every time I see her in it.


8. Please list three of your favorite things. Why are they favorites?

I think I can safely exclude my favorite people here. They know who they are.
My three favorite things are:


Books: I learn from all sorts of books all sorts of nifty things and get to visit times, places, and people that might not even exist in our “real” world. I read so much it’s almost a bad habit. “Hello, my name is Dejah, and I’m addicted to reading.”

Tea Time: I have about forty different types of tea in stock at my house at all times. I bake scones from my own recipe and love having afternoon tea. Whenever I see a tea shop I HAVE to go inside. There’s just something wonderful, comforting, and timeless about tea and the wonderful circumstances that brought it to our attention so many centuries ago.

Writing: I love to write. I hope to someday be a published author and contribute my own fantasies to the lovely world of literature. To create a world outside of our own that can bring laughter, tears, and wonder to a reader is an amazing gift and I hope that I can someday give that to other people the way it’s been given to me by so many amazing authors.
9. What could you eat/drink every single day and never grow tired of?
I could eat seafood, blackberry cabernet sorbet, and homemade scones every day. I could drink any kind of black tea (especially chai), Jack Daniels whiskey, and strong coffee with French Vanilla creamer and never get tired of it.
10. What is your favorite place? Will you describe it to us?

My favorite place has more to do with the company than the location. It’s with my children and my friends. As long as I have them with me, everything will be alright.






Thanks so much Dejah! Good times! Make sure you visit Dejah's shop and blog! Give her lots and lots of love!!!! Mrs Woo says so!



P.S.



I'll be seein y'all later! I'm leavin on a jet plane! I'm going home to celebrate my mommy's 60th birthday! I'll be back in about two weeks, just in time for the last few days before CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
If you wanna see where my home is google Charleston, SC....nothin' could be finer....

Wednesday 2 December 2009

the giveaway is over....

Woo Hoo! Thanks so much Sweet Tidings! Because of the fun blog giveaway look who was checkin me out and got themselves the chance to win this necklace


Dizzee at Memoirs... La la la la la...

Grace Wong at Sugar Rosies



gomelissago on Twitter

 The winner will be announced later today {I already know who it is!!! eeeeee!}!

Sunday 29 November 2009

So Many Firsts!



I've been given my first Blog Award! I'm so excited!


My first photo in the Chester Chronicle newspaper!!!! Which I will post as soon as I can find the stupid usb cable for the scanner!

AND Monday is our 1st Wedding Anniversary! I can not believe how quickly this year has gone! It seems like we only just had our big day!



Here are a few candid albums of our wedding celebrations...a year ago! Enjoy x

album 1
album 2
album 3

I've just gotten in from my second ever craft fair! It was great! I love meeting other crafters and chatting! A HUGE thank you to Jayne for being my all things crafty mentor! I couldn't be doing the stuff I'm doing today with out your help & support!!!!!

Wednesday 25 November 2009

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Hooray! My first give away! I'm sooo excited! Thanks so much Christy from Sweet Tidings who is hosting the giveaway!

I'm giving away this "Amour" necklace made from 100% vintage bits!




For your chance to win this treasure, that I am having a very hard time saying goodbye to, head on over to Sweet Tidings and follow the giveaway directions! The giveaway is running until 2 December so hurry on over!
I'd love to have your feedback too x

Love,
Mrs Woo x

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Just Wait Til You See This Gorgeous Tutorial!

I came across Holly's blog  Chez Beeper Bebe via Cut out + Keep!
Can you believe she's giving this gorgeousness away?!


 
 
 
 


Head on over to Chez Beeper Bebe to download the PDFs. You'll find lots of other projects to download too you lucky duck you!


Monday 23 November 2009

I'm dreaming of a white Kitsch-mas!


I have a rule, and it doesn't just apply to Christmas.


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO KITSCH!

♥  kitsch!

Kitsch is {technically speaking} "the German and Yiddish word denoting art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art"...but it is oh so much more! Just ask the folks at Kitschy Kitschy Coo!

Many Christmas traditions and decorations in and of themselves are quite kitsch. And when I say Kitsch I mean FABULOUS!






 


My love of vintage started out as a love of all things kitsch...and my grandparents basement was a treasure trove of plastic snowmen,  three feet high "candles", reindeer & elves made out of some sort of weird fused plastic chips that looked like melted fruity pebbles and glasses purchased on vacation in Hawaii in the 70s.
 
Oh how colorful and wonderful!
When it comes to decorating my own home I am torn between tasteful vintage & kitschy goodness. I have lots of "tasteful" vintage treasures on my dressing table but I also have a pink Eiffel tower and hot pink glittery Virgin Mary money box.
I am so sad that all of the super vintage tree ornaments my family came across when I was a kid are long gone. We had some real kitschtastic treasures...but alas....

I shall have to start from scratch collecting pom pom poodles and Christmas tree twinklers!

Kitsch - do you love it or hate it?


Sunday 22 November 2009

One Craft Fair Under My Crafty Belt!

Hooray! We did it! It was so much fun & boy was I tired! We were up late making scarves and chocolates and cakes!
I dragged myself out of bed after a few hours sleep bagged the chocolates & cakes and had a mere one cup of tea!
Bags and boxes packed into the car Jayne & I were off to the Kelsall Community Centre!
The place was already hopping with people setting up their stalls so we unloaded and started setting up our table, number 8 it was. 
And here we are!




Jayne busy crocheting away!


Me at my first craft fair stall!



 Me looking busy....


We might have made it into the Chester Chronicle too! I'll have to check on Thursday!
We were even invited to take part in a fair happening at the same place next Sunday! So if you couldn't come see us yesterday there's still another chance next Sunday!!!!

Thursday 19 November 2009

Christmas Craft Fair



T-minus 2 days until my first craft fair! I'm really ready for Saturday to get here! I've been crafting and crafting and procrastinating so that I wouldn't have to craft anymore! My friend Jayne is partnering with me on Saturday - HOORAY! I don't know how I'd make it through the day without her! Jayne has been in retail for years and has done lots and lots of fairs so I'll be taking mental note of how she does things! Plus Jayne has insisted on giving me half of whatever money she makes. I refused saying it wasn't fair to her as I hadn't done any work and then she said if I didn't take it she wouldn't come....and I am pretty sure she meant it. All she wants is some American cake mix. Devil's food to be exact! I think I'd better take a trip out to SAMs club for an equally generous gift for Jayne!

My ETSY shop will be on vacation for the day on Saturday as everything is going out on the stall! Not only are we going to have a table, but I'm bringing my Christmas tree to decorate with jewelery which will be for sale! Jayne is coming over tomorrow night for pizza & so that we can get our heads together and be ready for Saturday morning 8:45!
If you've gotten to know me a bit by now you will know how I feel about crafts AND Christmas.
Please try to imagine my excitement about Saturday:

  1. A craft fair
  2. A Christmas craft fair
  3. Christmas music
  4. SANTA!
  5. Crafting all day with my friend
  6. The first mince pies of the season (Jayne and I are both waiting for Saturday to have our first mince pies of the year!)
  7. Making money to buy Christmas presents and spending money for my trip home while helping a good cause!  


    This fair at the Kelsall Community Centre  is being hosted by Ashworth Time Bank. Ashworth Time Bank is a charity that assists the elderly and others who live in rural areas and who need a bit of help so that they can remain independent for longer and help to build community. People "exchange" assistance. Some of the examples given as "exchanges" are giving lifts, Shopping or doing errands for people, Doing simple housework, gardening, babysitting, 
    Telephoning people who are lonely, Visiting people at home or in hospital,
    Letter writing and helping with form filling,
    Sharing skills in music, woodwork, fitness, computers, knitting, & sewing.
    How lovely is that?! I really like the idea of neighbor helping neighbor like in the old days.

    SO if you're anywhere near or kinda nearish Kelsall on Saturday between 10 & 4 come on down! Support me & Jayne and AW Time Bank! How can you say "no" to Christmas crafty goodness, mince pies and SANTA!!!!?!

    Tuesday 17 November 2009

    Workin on my Mommy's invites!

    As you'll see it's my Mom's 60th birthday party is quickly approaching! Which invite do you prefer???
     Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the vintage goodies!

     





    or



    Sunday 15 November 2009

    I'd better.....



    shake a tail feather.

    I've got a LOT to do to prepare for the Kelsall Community Craft Fair next Saturday! I'm sooo excited! It's my first craft fair and Jayne has come to my rescue & is helping me! We're gonna have a lotta fun! I have a short list but it's a ton to do....so I'd better


    get my skates on....

    see y'all later x
     
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