Time For the Madness

I kept getting interrupted all afternoon so this post has taken much longer preparing than I anticipated. No matter, I’m here now and ready to party on down (dude)…

I have to give a big shout out in gratitude to my sister for sitting for the photos here. Hosting a tea party outside in the middle of the Irish summer wasn’t one of my most inspired ideas ever. There were other guests invited, but I could hardly fault them for not turning up considering the weather. Put very simply, it was raining. It’s always raining here. Even now when it’s not raining, it really is raining. It’s just not as noticeable.  Anyway, thanks so much missus! 

 

 

 We started off in the garden and later, when it looked like there might be a little respite from the rain gods, decided to move the shenanigans to the park. Sadly said rain gods were enjoying toying with us a little too much and gave us just enough time to sit down and poor a brew before opening the heavens on us.  Charlie was really starting to enjoy himself too!

All in all it was a brief but enjoyable sort of do. Definitely worth getting a little soggy for the sake of all those tasty treats! Mmm, Jammy Dodgers… I’d forgotten how nice these are dipped in tea so that the biscuit goes soggy and the jam is all chewy. I hope I have some left in the cupboard actually, I could do with a cuppa to accompany me on my imminent trip around the mayhem.

Well my friends, now that’s done I’m off to join in the rest of the festivities. Can’t wait to see what everyone’s come up with! First thing first, however. Kettle, on, now. 

Oh, and I almost forgot, thank you so much to Vanessa for being such a fantastic host!

Papier Fantasy

Laetitia Miéral

I don’t know about you lot, but when I hear the words ‘papier mache’ my mind instantly conjures up images of wallpaper paste and messy primary school children. Of course I’m aware that in the right hands it can be put to much more creative use than glittery Hallowe’en masks and pencil cup holders, but I certainly never imagined it could look as beautiful as this:

These whimsical wonders are the creations of  a young French lady by the name of Laetitia Miéral - paper artist, fairytale fan and daydreamer. Mademoiselle Miéral is the girl who never grew up, and thank the Light for it. In her own words:

“Ever since I was a child I have been  drawing, painting and creating the characters from my dreams and imagination. I grew up with the fairy tales of Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Lewis Carroll, Perrault  and Mme d'Aulnoy. I work with paper, a never ending inspiration for me. I create carrousels, mobiles, grimoires, sculptures, marionettes, paper dresses, doll houses…”

 

“…I made my first marionettes in papier mache  when I was seventeen and fourteen years later I am still making my paper dreams come true…”

“…I'm inspired by the 18th century, the baroque era, horror films, botany, operas, illustrators of the 19th such as Gustave Doré, Arthur Rackham, and also  Fussli, Bosch, Brueghel.”

Ms Miéral’s work is on display at La Maison du Roy in Paris, though those of us not lucky enough to be able to pop in for a nosy can check it out on her website. And if you’d really like to treat yourself it’s also for sale online here.  

 

Tea Time with a Twist

Hello, hello. How’s everybody today then? I think I’ve finally managed to get my blogging boots back on, I’ve even got another post lined up for this evening and everything. Nope, it’s not the fairy stories. I know I promised fairies, and fairies I will bring you, but they’ll just have to wait till tomorrow ‘cause I feel like indulging myself in a little geekiness this evening. First things first however - exciting news!

Word on the street is everybody’s favourite hostess, Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist, has announced the date for this year's annual Mad Tea Party. Yippee! I’m especially excited since it’ll be the first one I’ve actually participated in. I remember stumbling upon plenty of the party posts last summer though and, while I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at the time, I thoroughly enjoyed all the madness. Can’t wait to join in the shenanigans this year!

Anyway, if you haven’t already signed up or if you’re wondering, like I was this time last year,  what the hell all this chat about blog parties is about, run along over to A Fanciful Twist for all the info you need.  And now this is where I should tell you to ‘hurry, you’re late’ and call this an important date etc, but I’m trying to hold back on the Alice puns for now so I’m not going to.  Just go sign up. It’ll be fun.

Another Quick One

This post has absolutely no point or purpose other than to appease my own guilt at not having called in since my last post, which was equally short but included a vow to return with a more substantial one the next day. So this evening I’m not going to promise an imaginary post that may never materialise, though the chances are very high that I will be back tomorrow with something a wee bit more interesting than my own inane babbling.

I realise I’m not under any obligation to blog everyday or anything, but I can’t help feeling like a slacker when I don’t. And I hate making promises and not keeping them! I did have an unexpectedly busier than usual week, though, and then we had visitors staying all weekend, and now it’s Monday again it seems like I didn’t actually get anything done for all my flustering about last week and I’ve got even more nonsense to sort out than I did before. Argh! The needs of the bureaucracy are expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy and all that carry on.

On another note, it looks like spring is finally here! Which, of course, means that every speck of dust in the house is jumping out at me screaming to get put on top of my to-do list. Will it ever end? Ah, I suppose I could have worse things to worry about than a dirty house. At least I have a house to live in! Though if I don’t get back to these forms that might not last for long… Nah, I jest. Still, I really should get back to it. Hope you’re all well folks and have a lovely evening!

Fit For a Princess in Wonderland

By Posh Tots

 

I had planned a different post for today, but as soon as I came across these I just had to share! My fiance’s sister had a wee baby girl last week (which, I don’t think I have to point out, is simply wonderful) and while searching for gift inspiration online this afternoon I stumbled across the most amazing shop. Inspiration is definitely the key word here, for these are a tiny bit out of my price range, though if I could afford it I’m telling you now - little Cara would have the most whimsically wondrous room in the land. I’d have to buy her everything on here!

Anyway, the shop in question is called Posh Tots, an American site which I’m sure many of you have already encountered in your travels through cyberspace. In fact, I’m sure I’ve been on it before too but it was only today when I had a proper nosy round that I realised how utterly fantastic it is.  Dressers and drawers that Alice herself would approve of, beds fit for a princess, and, oh, the playhouses! You have to go over and check out the playhouses. They do have a more ‘grown up’ outlet too, but it’s the kiddie stuff that rocks. Never mind the little ones, I want a wonky chest to store my socks in!