Wednesday 30 May 2012
Calling All UoB Students!!
if youre a UoB student, and you are or have been jealous of my super cushty amazing weekend job in the learning centre, my bosses are RECRUITING for two more people!! yaaaaaaaaayy. i think its on the jobzone, most prob on the guild website. apply!! its a reet good job, weekends & bank holidays only. £6.97ph unless they put it up. youll start in sept, and you may even get trained by yours truly :) DO IIIIIIITTTTTT
L x
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Dyed My Hair!
Mom reminded me that I had a pack of dye on top of the cupboard in the bathroom. Supposed to be blue. Has turned out lilaccy-purple. One tube has covered 5 dreads (I have nearly 60). Here be pics!
It has worked pretty much how I thought it would - not massively impressed, but not hugely disappointed. Considering I didn't pay for it then it's all good! Shows up well against the other dreads, but is most definitely purple and not blue!
L x
It has worked pretty much how I thought it would - not massively impressed, but not hugely disappointed. Considering I didn't pay for it then it's all good! Shows up well against the other dreads, but is most definitely purple and not blue!
L x
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Allotment Blog: Plot 42
Plot 42 is my second allotment. I spent the afternoon up there yesterday, it's quite overgrown but has been very muddy & boggy so I haven't been able to do much!
I weeded, hoe'd, put an anti-weed growth sheet down and then some pine chippings on top in the greenhouse. Looks A LOT neater! Nearly ready for planting - just needs some plants! We're going to put tomatoes, basil and tagetes in the greenhouse.
I then weeded and dug an extension to the broad bean patch, and I sowed some more.
I also began to weed the plot as a whole. It's got a lot of grass, and a lot of stuff that I don't know the name of. It spreads like there's no tomorrow and it's really sticky! Easy to pull up though. I cleared away the weeds from where Chard is growing, to give the Chard a chance, and I also discovered some patches of Peppermint growing! I loooooooove mint!
Over on Plot 31, the Onions are doing really well! Just hope the amount of leaves is correlated to the size! They still have a couple of months to grow.
Quite good for an afternoon! I hope to get up there again tomorrow while the weather is nice. We're planning a pumpkin patch on Plot 42! It'll have pumpkin, pattypan, butternut squash and probably courgettes growing in it :)
L x
I weeded, hoe'd, put an anti-weed growth sheet down and then some pine chippings on top in the greenhouse. Looks A LOT neater! Nearly ready for planting - just needs some plants! We're going to put tomatoes, basil and tagetes in the greenhouse.
I then weeded and dug an extension to the broad bean patch, and I sowed some more.
I also began to weed the plot as a whole. It's got a lot of grass, and a lot of stuff that I don't know the name of. It spreads like there's no tomorrow and it's really sticky! Easy to pull up though. I cleared away the weeds from where Chard is growing, to give the Chard a chance, and I also discovered some patches of Peppermint growing! I loooooooove mint!
Over on Plot 31, the Onions are doing really well! Just hope the amount of leaves is correlated to the size! They still have a couple of months to grow.
Quite good for an afternoon! I hope to get up there again tomorrow while the weather is nice. We're planning a pumpkin patch on Plot 42! It'll have pumpkin, pattypan, butternut squash and probably courgettes growing in it :)
L x
Friday 18 May 2012
Crochet Hoody WIP
Hello.
For what feels like forever, I have been working on a crochet hoody, following a pattern from Inside Crochet mag. I started this pattern before Christmas, did 20-something rows and undid it all (it was a hodgepodge of stitches and wonky). I finally decided to give it another go - I have done 72ch, but am working it to 71 rows. I thought this would help make it slightly wider.
Currently, it has 1 foundation row, and 39 stitch rows, and measures 18 inches long by 14 inches wide. (Total rows needed is 71). My mom measured my back, from the nape of my neck to my tail bone. This measures 23 inches. Soooo, by doing some quick mental maths, we can concur that in 5 inches time (give or take 10 rows), I'll be at the required length for the back piece.
Also; when measuring clothes, I was brought up to measure seams to the halfway point of your body (eg, half way past hip bones/waist). This 14 inch wide strip of material is no where near wide enough! I know I haven't done the edge for it yet, and I also know it hasn't been blocked and that it will stretch. I just can't help but feel it's all the wrong way round?!
Here are pics:
Length
Width
If I hold it up against my body, it makes more sense to turn it on its side, but then I'm working in the wrong direction. I am SO CONFUSED.
Help.
L x
PS. I'm working it in double treble (UK). I read a blog today that says it should be Herringbone Half Treble. BUGGER. I am not undoing it all again!!!
PPS. Help.
ETA: I have realised I'm using a 4mm hook, instead of a 3.75mm. Will this make much of a difference? I didn't make a swatch either - life's too short ;)
For what feels like forever, I have been working on a crochet hoody, following a pattern from Inside Crochet mag. I started this pattern before Christmas, did 20-something rows and undid it all (it was a hodgepodge of stitches and wonky). I finally decided to give it another go - I have done 72ch, but am working it to 71 rows. I thought this would help make it slightly wider.
Currently, it has 1 foundation row, and 39 stitch rows, and measures 18 inches long by 14 inches wide. (Total rows needed is 71). My mom measured my back, from the nape of my neck to my tail bone. This measures 23 inches. Soooo, by doing some quick mental maths, we can concur that in 5 inches time (give or take 10 rows), I'll be at the required length for the back piece.
Also; when measuring clothes, I was brought up to measure seams to the halfway point of your body (eg, half way past hip bones/waist). This 14 inch wide strip of material is no where near wide enough! I know I haven't done the edge for it yet, and I also know it hasn't been blocked and that it will stretch. I just can't help but feel it's all the wrong way round?!
Here are pics:
Length
Width
Help.
L x
PS. I'm working it in double treble (UK). I read a blog today that says it should be Herringbone Half Treble. BUGGER. I am not undoing it all again!!!
PPS. Help.
ETA: I have realised I'm using a 4mm hook, instead of a 3.75mm. Will this make much of a difference? I didn't make a swatch either - life's too short ;)
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Frog Blog: Developing Well!
I've been to visit the frogs lately, of the three tubs, the white tub has the fewest tadpoles. As such, these are also the biggest! I think these will be getting their frog legs soon :-D
D'awwww. How sweet! Chunky little tadpiddles! The tadpoles in the red tub are tiny in comparison, at least half the size. I'm not sure why - but I may move a few into the white tub. Not sure yet!
L x
D'awwww. How sweet! Chunky little tadpiddles! The tadpoles in the red tub are tiny in comparison, at least half the size. I'm not sure why - but I may move a few into the white tub. Not sure yet!
L x
Tuesday 15 May 2012
Recipe: Uber Fruity Smoothie!
I've gotten back into my smoothie making ways lately, here is one of my favourites - Uber Fruity Smoothie :-)
Ingredients
2 small-med bananas
5 med strawberrys, cut in half
a small handful of blueberries
1 large, or 2 small kiwi fruits innards
a small handful of raspberries
a small handful of blackberries
Method
Chuck everything together into a cup/bowl/jug/blender/smoothie maker and whizz until its all blended and delicious. Add a drop of milk and a huge dollop of vanilla ice cream, whizz again so its thick, smooth and well blended. Pour into drinking receptacles and enjoy! :-)
Yeah, I admit.. the ice cream does kinda counter act the low fat goodness of the fruit and milk! But this is how I like and do my smoothies. You can use low fat yoghurt, soy milk, or freeze the fruit before you blitz it.
I have also concocted a different version of this - banana, kiwi fruit, blueberries, strawberries and a clemantine. Well Lush.
Such a good way to get fruits into fussy people! (I include myself in this - I can't eat blueberries or blackberries, and I'm fussy about strawberries. The kiwi fruits I used were not quite ripe so they have been put to good use!)
L x
Ingredients
2 small-med bananas
5 med strawberrys, cut in half
a small handful of blueberries
1 large, or 2 small kiwi fruits innards
a small handful of raspberries
a small handful of blackberries
Method
Chuck everything together into a cup/bowl/jug/blender/smoothie maker and whizz until its all blended and delicious. Add a drop of milk and a huge dollop of vanilla ice cream, whizz again so its thick, smooth and well blended. Pour into drinking receptacles and enjoy! :-)
Yeah, I admit.. the ice cream does kinda counter act the low fat goodness of the fruit and milk! But this is how I like and do my smoothies. You can use low fat yoghurt, soy milk, or freeze the fruit before you blitz it.
I have also concocted a different version of this - banana, kiwi fruit, blueberries, strawberries and a clemantine. Well Lush.
L x
Monday 14 May 2012
University of Birmingham; Trees.
My University has embarked (hurhuhur) on a tree based mission. To be honest, I'm quite upset - a lot of mature trees have been chopped right back and some have been removed completely. Granted, replacement trees have been planted, and the Uni is doing a lot of work around campus to make it even prettier, but I don't agree with chopping up old trees :-(
Anyhoo! The point of this post is to show you three pictures. A tree that I pass on my walk to and from the building I work in; a tree that is passed by thousands of people a day (quite probably) on the walk from the railway station to the heart of campus. This tree was tres pretty, and now it has been cut down. And stripped. And carved!
Pretty, non? 'Per Ardua Ad Alta' is the Uni motto; the lions features on our sports kit and other places and I can't remember what the words say but I think, if my memory serves me, it's to do with the engineering depts at Uni :-)
L x
Anyhoo! The point of this post is to show you three pictures. A tree that I pass on my walk to and from the building I work in; a tree that is passed by thousands of people a day (quite probably) on the walk from the railway station to the heart of campus. This tree was tres pretty, and now it has been cut down. And stripped. And carved!
L x
Sunday 13 May 2012
Crackly Crackly Nail Varnish!
SQUEEE!!! Honestly, I've wanted some of this stuff since I first heard about it, 9 or 10 years ago. My friends friend in America had some, showed us via a shitty webcam and I _Wanted_ it.
Soooo, 10 years later, on a casual Sunday, post-work mooch around Wilkos, mom spots some and says "Ooooh, that's weird", to which I replied "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGWANTEDTHISFORYEARS". And so, it was purchased. I have painted my nails with my usual pastel colours of yellow and green (though it looks blue), and then put a top coat of the crackly crackly on. HAPPY.
ILOVEIT.
Really really happy! I'm not great at applying nail varnish, at all, but this stuff is really good. The brush is quite fat and wide and allows for a whole-nail application -- on thumb nails (mine are huge) this is pretty useful because repeated strokes disturb the previous layer and affect the crackling. Also, I need to learn to let my base layers set properly properly, as opposed to 'meh, it'll do' which is my standard. I'm currently missing a chunk of nail varnish thanks to my belt buckle. It takes a bit of getting used to, when you apply it, it looks as though it hasn't quite applied properly or evenly. If you apply more coats you'll get thicker areas of black; if you only apply one quick layer you get narrower stripes.
Quite excited about taking this stuff off and using a red base layer...
L x
Soooo, 10 years later, on a casual Sunday, post-work mooch around Wilkos, mom spots some and says "Ooooh, that's weird", to which I replied "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGWANTEDTHISFORYEARS". And so, it was purchased. I have painted my nails with my usual pastel colours of yellow and green (though it looks blue), and then put a top coat of the crackly crackly on. HAPPY.
Really really happy! I'm not great at applying nail varnish, at all, but this stuff is really good. The brush is quite fat and wide and allows for a whole-nail application -- on thumb nails (mine are huge) this is pretty useful because repeated strokes disturb the previous layer and affect the crackling. Also, I need to learn to let my base layers set properly properly, as opposed to 'meh, it'll do' which is my standard. I'm currently missing a chunk of nail varnish thanks to my belt buckle. It takes a bit of getting used to, when you apply it, it looks as though it hasn't quite applied properly or evenly. If you apply more coats you'll get thicker areas of black; if you only apply one quick layer you get narrower stripes.
Quite excited about taking this stuff off and using a red base layer...
L x
Wednesday 9 May 2012
About Me: 50 Things
1. I am nearly 24. For the most part, I still act 16/17
2. I lived in Saudi Arabia
3. I taught myself to crochet last year
4. I was a University student up until 3 months ago
5. I’m taking temporary leave until next January
6. I have the most amazing niece and nephew
7. I love pop punk. It most certainly isn’t dead
8. I base my relationships on music taste
9. I love Geology
10. I prefer rocks to people
11. Acoustic music makes me cry
12. I cannot wait to leave this country
13. I want to do conservation and development based work in countries that need it
14. I like to read, especially stories of the desert
15. I learnt Arabic last year. I’ll be learning it again this year
16. I do peyote stitch
17. I have an etsy shop
18. I have dreadlocks
19. I’m well on the way to becoming a cat lady
20. I love rats
21. I’m quite fond of triple vodka & coke
22. Music makes my world go round
23. Friends mean the world to me. The few that I have are very precious
24. I’m in love :)
25. The smallest things make me happy. Like, ladybugs, and trains, and old cars and romance
26. I love bar work
27. But cleaning was the best job I ever had
28. I don’t talk to any of my ex’s, but they taught me a lot about life, myself and the world. And who not to date
29. I think I’m on the verge of becoming a vegetarian
30. Routine is everything
31. I love field trips
32. I love being in the middle of nowhere, all wrapped up in my thermals and waterproofs, with no phone signal, cut off from the world
33. I love the seaside
34. I’m always looking for my next adventure
35. New Found Glory til I die
36. I have two allotments. They’re currently both flooded and thus useless
37. I can’t wait to get back to Uni and show the world what I can do
38. I’m ready
39. I really like cooking. I make a mean pasta sauce
40. I bake my own bread
41. I used to put on gigs in Birmingham
42. I love sweaty little venues. Give me a shit pub basement over a festival any day
43. I’m slowly starting to learn about myself. I am awesome, I just need to realise
44. I love the rain. I love proper downpours, when they’re sudden and unexpected, and it’s still sunny and you get soaked in seconds. Proper rain
45. The cloudless starry nights make me homesick for the desert
46. I want a VW splitty as my first car
47. I spend far too much time on twitter
48. I love the way my mind works
49. I can’t wait to join the big ol’ world of full time, hard graft
50. I feel so strange. Something inside me is stirring and getting ready for the next step of my life. Something has happened to make me switch, to tune me into life and all it has to offer. Bring. It. On.
L x
2. I lived in Saudi Arabia
3. I taught myself to crochet last year
4. I was a University student up until 3 months ago
5. I’m taking temporary leave until next January
6. I have the most amazing niece and nephew
7. I love pop punk. It most certainly isn’t dead
8. I base my relationships on music taste
9. I love Geology
10. I prefer rocks to people
11. Acoustic music makes me cry
12. I cannot wait to leave this country
13. I want to do conservation and development based work in countries that need it
14. I like to read, especially stories of the desert
15. I learnt Arabic last year. I’ll be learning it again this year
16. I do peyote stitch
17. I have an etsy shop
18. I have dreadlocks
19. I’m well on the way to becoming a cat lady
20. I love rats
21. I’m quite fond of triple vodka & coke
22. Music makes my world go round
23. Friends mean the world to me. The few that I have are very precious
24. I’m in love :)
25. The smallest things make me happy. Like, ladybugs, and trains, and old cars and romance
26. I love bar work
27. But cleaning was the best job I ever had
28. I don’t talk to any of my ex’s, but they taught me a lot about life, myself and the world. And who not to date
29. I think I’m on the verge of becoming a vegetarian
30. Routine is everything
31. I love field trips
32. I love being in the middle of nowhere, all wrapped up in my thermals and waterproofs, with no phone signal, cut off from the world
33. I love the seaside
34. I’m always looking for my next adventure
35. New Found Glory til I die
36. I have two allotments. They’re currently both flooded and thus useless
37. I can’t wait to get back to Uni and show the world what I can do
38. I’m ready
39. I really like cooking. I make a mean pasta sauce
40. I bake my own bread
41. I used to put on gigs in Birmingham
42. I love sweaty little venues. Give me a shit pub basement over a festival any day
43. I’m slowly starting to learn about myself. I am awesome, I just need to realise
44. I love the rain. I love proper downpours, when they’re sudden and unexpected, and it’s still sunny and you get soaked in seconds. Proper rain
45. The cloudless starry nights make me homesick for the desert
46. I want a VW splitty as my first car
47. I spend far too much time on twitter
48. I love the way my mind works
49. I can’t wait to join the big ol’ world of full time, hard graft
50. I feel so strange. Something inside me is stirring and getting ready for the next step of my life. Something has happened to make me switch, to tune me into life and all it has to offer. Bring. It. On.
L x
Friday 4 May 2012
Custom Trilobites!
In between packing to move out of one house and unpacking as I move back into another, and then redecorating a room, I have been crafting! It's been a long while since I've just sat and played with my clay, and after talking with a Geologist on twitter, I was asked if I could make a pair of cufflinks, with a certain finish. I made a few different colours, and between emails and tweets a final pair was decided on. Here they are!
They were sent off yesterday to their new home, and I received this tweet:
Pretty awesome feedback, non?
The picture has also been posted to the Geological Outreach facebook page, and retweeted by another geologist! I'm really really pleased with how they turned out, and clearly Dr Bailey is too :-)
So, if you would like your own pair of trilobite cufflinks, I have some listed in my new Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGeologyShop - and of course, I'm always interested in custom orders!
L x
The picture has also been posted to the Geological Outreach facebook page, and retweeted by another geologist! I'm really really pleased with how they turned out, and clearly Dr Bailey is too :-)
So, if you would like your own pair of trilobite cufflinks, I have some listed in my new Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGeologyShop - and of course, I'm always interested in custom orders!
L x
Thursday 3 May 2012
New Beginnings
Yes, the internet rumours are true! Despite the fact that they're not actually rumours, but I digress.
I have left Folksy! And delisted the remaining two items in my shop! And shall probably put it into permanent holiday mode. In light of this, I have instead opened a shop on ETSY!! Yaaaayy Etsy. I was planning on doing this before, a long time ago, but all the recent changes to Folksy, site issues, listing issues and now fee hiking has persuaded me that there's no time like the present, and I have left.
Hopefully those of you with a shop on Etsy will be kind enough to give me some pointers?! I've got a few items listed, but I'm still finding my e-way around.
You can now visit The Geology Shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGeologyShop
L x
I have left Folksy! And delisted the remaining two items in my shop! And shall probably put it into permanent holiday mode. In light of this, I have instead opened a shop on ETSY!! Yaaaayy Etsy. I was planning on doing this before, a long time ago, but all the recent changes to Folksy, site issues, listing issues and now fee hiking has persuaded me that there's no time like the present, and I have left.
Hopefully those of you with a shop on Etsy will be kind enough to give me some pointers?! I've got a few items listed, but I'm still finding my e-way around.
You can now visit The Geology Shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGeologyShop
L x
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