moocowhandknits

Random Interview: Chichiboulie

2008-05-31T12:14:00.003+01:00

Hello Random Interview fans, and welcome to the next in the series. This time sees me travelling to the land of the cheese eating surrender monkeys* to meet the beeeeeyotiful chichi.

Have a rummage around her etsy shop at http://www.chichiboulie.etsy.com/ for all your fairy, bookmark, colouring book, cupcake and painting needs.

So, down to business. We meet at a rather pewsh restaurant in gay pareeeeee (OK chichi doesn't actually live in gay pareeee but for blog purposes supsend your disbelief for a moment mkay?) where a suitably camp waiter minces over to ask us if we're ready to order..

'Mesdames?'
'Vin rouge!' we cry 'and be vite about it man!'
The waiter cocks an eyebrow and goes off to do our bidding.

Q: What were you doing 3 hours ago?
A: I was at a home sale held by 4 local artists. Bought a little message board and got some good info!

Q: What's your favourite cheese?
A: A really good camembert, "bien fait" or an excellent parmasean. And there's one more, but I can never remember the name. Very gooey and sticky to spread, just like I always imagined cheese should be when I was little (authors note... I think she's talking about dairylea?? LOL)

Q: My friend anne says people can be divided into two groups - horses or cabbages.Are you a horse or a cabbage?
A: Hmmm..... I do love cabbage I have to admit. But maybe more of a horse? I don't really know. I can see myself as both at times. But I think I most resemble a guinea pig actually.

At this point, the waiter minces back with our wine. We're not ready to order yet. The waiter sniffs, looks down his (quite considerable nose) at us, and goes away again.

Q: Fill in the blanks. I really should have _________ yesterday
A: GOTTEN MORE WORK DONE and not eaten so many biscuits.

Q: Which shoe do you put on first?
A: Well, I've just tried and it was right, but I don't think it's an unbiased test as I was purposely doing it. How about which ever foot is the coldest.

Having had a glass each, we now decide that we are only going to order food that can be prefixed with the word 'boulie'. We summon the waiter.

'I'll have the bouliebeetroot soup to start' I say, and chichi chooses the boulieblini. We order the rest of the meal and the waiter toddles off.

Q: Say something annoying.
A: Whassup..........

Q: What are you having for dinner?
A: Risotto with whatever veg I can find. We had roast chicken last night so left overs and my sister is flying in from the US this afternoon so a risotto is quick and easy.

Q: What's your favourite word?
A: Accapatoio. I just love the way it sounds. It's Italian for Bathrobe. Very useful word as well, don't you agree?

Starters having been swiftly dispatched, our main courses arrive. I'm having beef bouliebourgingnon, and chichi is having bouliebouillabaise.

Q: What are cats for?
A: Drawing and colouring in with flowers and dots. :) (Authors note... SHAMELESS self promotion!!)

Q: What do you call the little black thing on the ends of shoelaces?
A: Uhm.... I don't have shoelaces... I have no idea, but according to Wikipedia, it's called and Aglet. According to Tom Cruise it's called a Flugal Binder, but what does he know? I'm going with Aglet.

The waiter arrives to clear our plates and take our orders for pudding. I decide to go with the boulieblancmange, and chichi has bouliebrulee :) The waiter clearly thinks we're bouliebonkers.

Q: If you were in hell and you were cross with someone, where would you tell them to go?
A: Disneyland or any crowded shopping mall during the holidays.

As we finish of our puds, I ask chichi the burning question.... her verdict on marmite. 'No' she says, 'it's yucky and smells funny too. Who on earth ever though to spread that on toast and then eat it?!'

(My guess is the French)

And as a grand finale to our little outing, chichi expresses herself through the medium of modern dance and then explains what she did:

'Well, I'm listening to Jim Croce at the moment so a little bit of a jig, a bit of jazz and a smidge of "le rock" as we say here in France.'

The waiter applauds.

*France

Random Interview #3 - ColdCell

2008-04-20T12:01:00.005+01:00

Welcome to the thrid in the random etsy-people interview series. This week tis the wondrous ColdCell, aka DruDesigns, aka Andrew :)
Andrew has two (count 'em!) shops on etsy. ColdCell (www.ColdCell.etsy.com) sells photographs on the north of England in all it's northern marvellousness, while in DruDesigns (www.DruDesigns.etsy.com) you can get all sorts of animal cuteness as prints or badges or notecards.
So for this interview, me and Andrew have packed a picnic and are yomping around the northern countryside (as you do). Picture the scene, reader... an idyllic nook in the English countryside, two friends walking up hill and down dale, sheeps, birdies, mices and bees all busy around us.
We stop and sit on a stone wall, unpack our picnic and commence chattage...

Q: What were you doing 3 hours ago?
A: Trying to find my N.O.U.A.S CD, with little success i might add. I am sure somebody keeps hiding it from me.
Q: What's your favourite cheese?
A: I like extra mature cheddar and some stuff sold at Asda (i think) that has pickled onions in it.
Q: My friend Anne says people can be divided into two groups - horses or cabbages.Are you a horse or a cabbage?
A: Hmm, i think Anne is a rather odd person... but i will have to say horse. Big and loveable when you get to know them. ;)

[At this point in the interview, a sheep begins to show rather too much interest in Dru's sarnies]

Q: Fill in the blanks. I really should have _________ yesterday
A: I really should have stayed in bed yesterday.
Q: Which shoe do you put on first?
A: The left one, i am not sure why but i always have.

[Dru looks at me round the sheep, who is practically sitting on our picnic blanket]

Q: What are you having for dinner?
A: Dinner? You big southern born softy. ;)But to answer the question, probably pizza or chinese food.
Q: Have you ever eaten a) a crayon b) chewing gum c) toothpaste?
A: Crayon, no. Chewing gum, yes. Hasn't everybody swallowed chewing gum some time?Toothpaste, yes. Same as chewing gum, hasn't everybody at some time?
Q: What's your favourite word?

[Dru starts moving away from the sheep in a mildly panicked manner]

A: I'm not really sure that i have a favourite word, certainly not one that would be suitable for this informative and serious blog!I suppose if you pushed me i would have to say brevity, although i hardly ever get to use it. haha
Q: Which is wronger? Lorraine Kelly or Judy Finnegan?
A: Judy Finnegan... Lorraine Kelly is more attractive. :P

[The sheep starts following Dru]

Q: How many cups of tea do you drink in a day?
A: None, i hate the stuff with an absolute passion.
Q: If olive oil is made of olives, what is baby oil made of?
A: Babies sacrificed on a stone alter to please the gods! I thought that was common knowledge?

Q: Please express how you feel today through the medium of modern dance, and then describewhat you did.

A: *Dances lazily*Well, i tried to express pain and illness by limping onto the dance floor and then doing the most amazing moonwalk you ever saw (you were squinting at the time). I then seamlessly went into the robot (you are still squinting) and then slowly hobbled back to my chair.

Q: [shouted at Andrew as he quite frankly runs like a girl away from the sheep] And finally,your verdict on marmite?
A: [shouted from a distance]Marmite is the food of the gods, screw ambrosia (from Greek mythology, not the milk based crap you can buy at supermarkets. :P)... Marmite is the way to go!

And with that, he disappears over a hill. If you don't see him for a few days we shall have to send in the St Bernards.

Open letter to Mr McVities

2008-03-24T12:28:00.002Z

Dear Mr McVities

I can't help but notice, as I drive round this fair isle, that you appear to be very busy sending biscuits all round the place on big mahoosive trucks. I also happen to know that one humble employee of the very useful logistics firm 'Gist' does a sterling job of keeping the flow of biscuity goodness going so that no snack attack is left unsoothed.

But hark! What is this? I hear a pitiful cry... 'A hob-nob, a hob-nob, my kingdom for a hob-nob!' and listen! Here's another! 'Alas! the biscuit tin is empty, I demand a divorce!'
Could it be that there are folk in the land who are biscuit-free? What can be done to help the biscuitless?

Well I have had an idea: that you allow the faithful Gist employee to redirect a truck or two every now and then, to go on a biscuit mercy-mission. Biscuits of every type can be lobbed in the general direction of those whose cups of tea are lacking something to dunk, or those too weak with hunger to venture out to the shops. Think of the joy! Think of the adulation as you cry 'Biscuits for the masses!'

The people of Britain thank you for your sheer biscuit genius, and implore you to bestow oaten goodness on the needy

Yours faithfully
moo (and the UK etsy massive)

ZOIKS! I've been tagged...

2008-03-05T19:44:00.004Z

... by the lovely Sian who mekketh the monkeys out of the humble sock.

Here's the rules:

Rules are:1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

so here we go!

1. Sian's bloggage... She is multo multo clever with sockses http://siansburys.blogspot.com/

2. Moocow factoids:

a) I sucked my index finger (as other children suck their thumb) until I was about 23

b) I have a phobia of dogs. A proper one. I actually think I am going to die if I am confronted with a dog, and usually burst into tears, hold my breath or shout at the nearest person (sometimes simultaneously)

c) In 2005 I underwent major life-saving surgery. It was quite bad.

d) on the upside, I taught myself to knit in the 6 months I had off work to recover

e) I like to mispronounce words. My favourite words to mispronounce are 'apologies', 'sponge' and 'crochet'

f) I grew up in Surrey and although I moved to Liverpool in 1993 I have never picked up even a teensy bit of the accent. I still talk posh.

g) my favourite film is Kenneth Brannagh's 'Much ado about nothing'. The music makes me cry.

there. done.

I hereby tag:

Quintessentially http://quintessentiallyenglishphotography.blogspot.com/

Gugaw http://gugaw.blogspot.com/

Kittypinkstars http://kittypinkstars-kitty-kittypinkstars.blogspot.com/

shunklies http://shunklies.blogspot.com/

Romeria http://www.romeria1.blogspot.com/

thenuttyknitter http://thenuttyknittersblog.blogspot.com/

thedevilswallpaper http://thedevilswallpaper.blogspot.com/

Random Etsy Interview #2 - Quintessentially

2008-03-02T20:26:00.006Z

Quintessentially is a rather marvellous etsy seller (http://www.quintessentially.etsy.com/), 'providing etsy with a much needed dollop of Britishness', and charmingly lays out for your viewing pleasure, photographic delights of the sights around our fair isle.

This pic of a doorway was taken during a trip to a spooky graveyard, although we would hope that Quintessentially doesn't frequent such places...

Other examples of Britishness from Quintessentially can be seen on the right ------------------------------->

The lovely Charlotte (for that is the lady's name), kindly agrees to meet me for high tea at the Ritz in London Village, Englandshire to conduct this terribly British interview:

'AIR HAIR LAIR' says Charlotte, daintily sipping Earl Grey with her pinkie up. 'I'm SAY glad you agreed to interview me, it's a RAIL hoot!'*

So, to the questions:

Q:What were you doing three hours ago?
A: Three hours ago I was sitting in Starbucks with my two friends getting some Statistics work done- exciting stuff! Unfortunately i didn't have enough money to buy a coffee :(

Q: What's your favourite cheese?
A: Hmmmm, probably brie with crackers :)

Q: Did you feel the earthquake the other day?
A: YES I DID! All the bottles on top of my wardrobe started shaking (not that theres ALOT of bottles up there..)

Q: Fill in the blanks... I really should have ________ yesterday
A: limited my drinking

Q: Which shoe do you put on first?
A: interesting question, i wonder if its linked to your handedness! I put my right on first

Q: What are you having for dinner?
A: Rice with poached salmon and carrots and spring onions :)

Q: Have you ever eaten a) a crayon b) chewing gum c) toothpaste
A: I always swallow my chewing gum, toothpaste i have accidently choked on a few times, but i hope i havent eaten a crayon!

Q: What's your favourite word?
A: Mushroom!

Q: Have you ever won a competition? what was it and what was the prize?
A: ooh ive only ever won one and it was a pub raffle and i won a Play Station two- wellchuffed!

Q: How many cups of tea do you drink in a day?
A: Usually 2 cups of herbal tea

Q: Belly button - innie or outie?
A: Innie- outie's are weird!!

Q: Your verdict on marmite please?
A: Hate it

and finally, please express how you feel today through the medium of modern dance, and then describe what you did.

My dance routine went something like this: a slow shuffle and plonk onto my bed

Thank you Quintessentially, now take a bow and make a speech:

Thankyou one and all for reading about me, me and more me :) If you would like to keep hearing more about me then visit me blog http://quintessentiallyenglishphotography.blogspot.com/

*this bit is made up

Art by mr moo

2008-02-29T14:29:00.009Z

I thought it was about time I blogged about mr moo's painting because he's thinking of opening an etsy shop - there's some logistics that need figuring out due to the size of his work, but I'm sure he'll work something out.

While he does, here's some of his art that we have hanging around the house:

This one is in our bedroom, it's about 60cm square:

It's made up mostly of paint splashes, one of which looks like a little sperm, and which I have an overwhelming urge to paint a cartoon smiley face on (but I have resisted so far)

The next one hangs above our sofa. It's bright scarlet and it's my current favourite.

...and finally, there's the dark forest green one in our bedroom. We had great fun doing this one - mr moo held the canvas under the bedroom window, and I chucked paint on it. A little touching up, et voila! One very chic painting :)

mr moo not only paints, but also makes the canvas frames so he can paint in whatever size he likes (er...mainly BIG)

We'd really love to hear what you think of them :)

^&%$£&! and !*$%^&

2008-02-27T15:34:00.004Z

Gngnngngnngnngnnnnn

That's the sound of my teeth-gnashing while I'm trying to teach myself to spin. Fair enough I've only been at it two days, but WHY am I not an expert already? WHY? WHY I ASK YOU!!??

Anyhoo, here's one of my two mr moo-crafted drop spindles (the other one's at home being finished while I'm away). Tis lovely innit? And square. The other one's round though.

Now my problem is not so much the spinning bit (well not much) but I can't even get the blinkin leader attached to the spindle properly *sigh*

The other thing is that I can't seem to pull the fibres out of the roving properly, it just breaks. I am going to keep trying though. I WILL master the bugger or die trying.

OK that was maybe a bit dramatic.

This is my first very very poor attempt at spinning:

Bah.

Coming next: less swearing, more interviewing. It's Quintessentially's turn for the random interview :)

Etsy random interview #1 - GUGAW

2008-02-24T18:04:00.003Z

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing ... GUGAW!! (applause)

Since joining etsy in July 2007 selling jewellery (http://www.gugaw.etsy.com/), GUGAW has achieved a whopping 100% feedback for her beauteous things and for generally being a spiffing person. This piece of loveliness for example:

is a bargainous $24 (that's £12 in our british groats).

So we shall let Gugaw tell us a little about herself... (applause)

Q: What were you doing three hours ago? A: Chasing my cat around the house to stop him peeing in the plant pots

Q: What's your favourite cheese? A: Eeek...such a hard question....ummmm grilled halloumi (on a 'lightly' toasted bagel, with sunblushed cherry tomatoes and sprinkling of coarsely grinded black peppercorns ;) )

Q: Fill in the blanks - I really should have _______ yesterday A: I really should have...not eaten indian takeaway AGAIN...yesterday

Q: Which shoe do you put on first? A: Which ever one i unearth first

Q: What are you having for dinner? A: Quorn Thai Red Curry - yum!

Q: have you ever eaten a) a crayon b) chewing gum c) toothpaste? A: Chewing Gum - but then i got really scared that it might glue my tummy together and had to admit to my mum that i had done it deliberately (i was only a wee girl)

Q: What is your favourite kitchen appliance? A: lol - um...ice cream maker

Q: have you ever won a competition? What was it and what was the prize? A: Best Dissertation and Best Presentation awarded by the British Psychological Society - get me! Prize was the kudos, don't you know! (and a teeny bit of cash!)

Q: Did you have a lot of hair as a baby? A: nope - my dad called me 'the bald eagle' (i've made up for my hairlessness now though!)

Q: Belly button - innie or outie? A: Used to be an outie, but now an innie, yey!

Q: Marmite? A: yes please!

and finally... Please express how you feel today through the medium of modern dance, and then describe what you did.

A: I dressed in myself in my pale green cheesecloth dress, found a rope swing, swung it over the branch a few times so the seat was 6 foot in the air, and twisted it like a rubber band lots and lots. Then, i stood on one tip toe and let the rope untwist very rapidly. I span. My hair flew all around me. I looked like a elfin ballerina.

Thank you Gugaw, please take a bow and make a speech in Oscar stylee:

Thank you so much for choosing me...i am astonished, overwhelmed and truely truely grateful.

(Rapturous applause)

Interview with...

2008-02-24T00:09:00.004Z

Coming soon... a series of pointless and random interviews with people who sell their stuff on etsy. Don't be expecting a newsnight-stylee question and answer session y'all, it's just for fun mkay?

Take part in my poll and feel like you're already participating in the randomness :D

That is all

New things

2008-02-23T12:58:00.005Z

Having been slightly rubbish at blogging so far, I'm reviving the poor neglected thing and having another go.

I have been coveting some bits and pieces in shunklies etsy shop (http://www.shunklies.etsy.com/), particularly a drop spindle, cos I fancy having a go at spinning my own yarn. As if I'm not busy enough already.

So as money's a bit tight, Mr moo has kindly offered to make me a drop spindle out of some dowel and old bits of wood, I have purchased the neccessary wool tops from the lovely shunklies, and hopefully it will be the start of something new! When the hammering and drilling and swearing has stopped downstairs, I'll post some pics of my spindle (work in progress at the mo) and I shall fascinate you on a regular basis with my yarn-making progress.

Meanwhile, cushion covers and doggie jumpers are my new knitting thing. Bizzybeetrinkets (see her shop at http://www.bizzybeetrinkets.etsy.com/) recently ordered a custom one, and sent me a pic of her little chap modelling the moocow goodness (thanks bizzy) I am well pleased :)