Sunday, 20 April 2008
Random Interview #3 - ColdCell
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.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Open letter to 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)
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
ZOIKS! I've been tagged...

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/
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Random Etsy Interview #2 - Quintessentially

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
Friday, 29 February 2008
Art by mr moo
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 :)
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
^&%$£&! and !*$%^&
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Etsy random interview #1 - GUGAW
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 firstQ: 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)