Too many fingers in too many pies...

How do.

Those of you that are aware of the phrase of having your fingers in too many pies may have possibly encountered this, by... I'm guessing... having your fingers in too many pies. What a greedy bunch of pie eaters we are!

Our crazy stretchy cat, Marlene

Way back, when my last (blummin') post was... (I did want to post at least weekly, but so far greed and pies have got in the way) I had given up looking for a part time job, made myself a schedule and decided if I use my time wisely and am super-duper organised, I would get lots more off the ground and be mega creative (and stop the constant guilt and fed-up-ness).

Alas... within the second week of January I'd set up a studio to rent from the 1st of Feb for my ceramics, I now work in a sweet baby boutique a couple of days a week, I'm currently setting up running an ebay shop with a seller of antiques for which I'll be paid a commission, work in the little caff down at St Michael's now and again and of course the film I'm making for down there too.

So... too many pies... not quite enough fingers.

Vulnavia Vanity & myself on the way to Riverside Studios in the summer

But... it's fun, I'm meeting loads more great people, I'm still able to socialise and have a lovely time with my little family and friends, I'm making progress (slowly but surely) on the film, I've got a little "proper" job that'll be a nice little bit of regular money coming in and I'm working on a new realistic timetable.

A still from "Oobeeb"

I thought I'd give you a random selection of my online photos today... so there yee have it.

Oh and thanks ever so much for all the comments you all left about the documentary I'm making. It was really great to hear everyones perspective on it and I'm really glad that everyone generally said what I was thinking would be the best way to go about it. So far, I've only managed to film one interview, but I have another two this week. I've got a little niggle in my head, saying the word, ambitious a tiny bit, as there is a lot more to film and then there'll be huge amounts to edit through... (Must remember to put that in the timetable!). Hmmm... I'm sure it'll all work out, but a little bit worried the whole place would have already been demolished and rebuilt upon by the time I've finished...

Anyhow... I hope all your plans for the new year are going as smoothly as you all hoped too!!

Order in the court!

Monkton Wylde back in September

Aspirations, goals and ambition. I should have thought about (or put into place) these things a lot sooner than now, but the beginning of a new year (European new year anyhow) seems highly appropriate...

I have indeed throughout the year, set myself particular goals. And the words hindsight and reflection largely come trickling into my thoughts. I seem to be discovering, (a bit late probably) that I am one of those determined, stubborn people that has a general high ambition... until a simple thing like the tiniest gust of wind bowls me over. Then up we get again.

This past year in particular has had quite a few little and large gusts of wind. And now it's my turn to take charge and be that gust of wind. I need to sort out and order my life somewhat. You lot of organised, grown up people, (only just 27... and still growing.. {i wish...really I do... being 5"2 isn't ideal}) all seem so distant to me. It flummoxes me how anyone in this day and age find it possible to be perfect in every category of their life. How is it possible? I see lots of splendid blogs out there giving so many tips on how to be the perfect this or that, how to organise, how to make this, how to be like that, what can be done with odd bits of string or elastic bands or ripped tights. But what does it all mean?! We're all striving to tidy up any lose ends we have and give advice any which way we can? However, it isn't blogs I have a problem with, or their advice. It's just... life. And choices. Life... and choices.


A friend from 20 years ago & her grandpa. Deserves to be an album cover, I'm sure of it!

The only way I think it'd be vaguely possible (to become perfect in every category), is to become a neat freak. This would entail many a problem. For one, the words, neat freak would go through my head, over and over again in a particularly annoying high pitched voice until my house and life were spotless. My house and life are never going to be spotless I'm afraid. And... I may actually combust.


The daughter that is surely going to be taller than her mother!

So...time to reorder, juggle and reflect. Not that I'm striving for a perfect life, but when yours is a bit lost and you're not such which direction you're going in, s'ppose you gotta strive for something. There isn't such a thing as a perfect life anyhow, but dreams and day dreams (has to be one of my favourite past times) are often wonderful, except that's probably why I'm needing a little bit of order in the court!


Numero 1: It would be wonderful to get on board the exercising regularly routine thang again and not have such a potato head. Or body for that matter. Going from a shapely (by shapely... yes... I mean curvy... a curvy girl's most hated word presumably) size 10-12 to a 12-14 throughout this last year hasn't done me any wonders. Probably by far the opposite. (Note: Yeah... this probably shouldn't be number one... but it's the body I'm in right now and sat here with muffin tops ...well... it's hard to excuse, or even ignore!)


Bad forehead and hook nose shot with every so shiny head... And CAKE baking...

Numero 2: Ceramic studio here I come! And this isn't even a day dream. From sometime in January, I am going to be sharing a ceramic studio space with a few other ceramicists. Ok... it does still feel like a day dream right now, but once I'm in and finally making things again with some good ol' mud, surely life will just slot into place?! I should say clay dream, but that would be too sickly unsweetly sweet.

So far I still don't own a wheel, so work will either have to be done purely with my shovels (hands) or with moulds. I worked a lot with moulds in the last year of my Integrated Crafts Degree, so for now, that is the plan. I'll just have to get me some basic things to get me going and I'm hoping (and praying... to...erm... dunno) that it will begin to fund itself as I sell my pieces. Fingers crossed for this new venture! (If this plan goes caput... I think I'll become a dustbin woman).

Numero 3: I'm really not getting these in the right order. Number three is purely to be more (or better) organised. I've obviously not started to follow this part through have I?! This is where I am quite good... in some ways... Basically I'm a good list maker. How much gets done on the list is another matter. But that goes back to being Mrs day dream. (Moopette day dreams consist of imagining things in such complexities, I'm pretty sure I've completed the tasks at hand, already making them justifiably completed and myself somewhat satisfied, until the bubble is burst).

Maybe I should stop day dreaming.

I doubt that's ever going to happen...

Numero 4: Make some money. Hmmmm. Yeah. Well. Since quitting the part time job back in February, I have had odd free-lance jobs throughout the year, but nothing near to the amount I needed to have. I was also selling vintage tea dresses through my site Isle of Tea, although the tea dress selling part has come to a bit of a hurdle after one bundle of not-so-great dresses arrived and never left again.

So apart from the very busy business of touring The Third Policeman and making, creating and pretty much being the goafer on the project, keeping on top of and organising my kid's social lives and activities, running Isle of Tea and trying to decipher which of my thoughts are best kept as day dreams and which are worth pursuing, I've been applying for jobs here, there and blummin' well everywhere (oh and the odd event organising, music video and other video pursuits for bigger projects!) ...I didn't get any.

The new Fatface in town kindly sent me a letter telling me that my "Fatface recruitment adventure was now over"... (Errrrm.... No comment... before I rudely say anything whatsoever).


The other crazy girl in my life...

So...no jobs = no money. No money = no fun. So here's to being a perfect money maker in 2012 (before the world explodes or flips or does the twist, or tango or whatever those funnyuns say it's going to do!) Which by the way is so conveniently predicted to happen before my next birthday, which I'm not having any of, as I'll be 28 on the 28th of December!

The BIG solution to all my problems...
One word. Timetable. I'll just repeat it, in case you may have missed it. Timetable.

I am splendidly going to become one of those proper people who give themselves a real life timetable and not just do the things you have to do, really willy-nilly.

I am going to become super organised (may have to even adopt the phrrrrase neat freak after all).

I am going to plan everything.

I'm sure all those people that already have super organised lives are saying, "hey, what's all the fuss about"... but ask Ergo Phizmiz ... I'm sure he would gladly tell you.



The devilishly handsome husband aka the last but certainly not least of the crazy people in our house.
P.S. There's the gay cat, banana & carrot the goldfish & Larry David stick insects in the equation too...

So... upon this timetable, shall be every little section of my life... (well...almost...). It's a bit hard to say everything will be there when Mr & Mrs spontaneous live together... so I will have to allow for a bit of spontaneity too. (I don't know whether this plan is such a good idea...).

So there will be, getting & keeping fit and healthy, making lots of ceramics and more films (shall tell you ALL about the big project on the next post) keeping Isle of Tea on the go and expanding, working with the Mr on more Operas (eeeek!), having more time to do making things with the kids, read EVEN more this year, write more (are you begging me to stop yet?), somehow use my day dreams to my advantage, take more photographs (and extra photos of photos with tres cool backgrounds - as above) and start collecting postcards again, sticking things up for inspiration... oh and... keeping the house in some kind of running order.

Wish me luck.... (I am so very going to need it!)

Happy New Year everyone!! May it be what you wish.
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