Wednesday, January 27

the question is...

how lovely i thought to myself when reading your delightful comments from yesterday.
here i am supposed to be doing 'admin mode' day and failing miserably (although it is only 8am so technically i haven't quite failed yet but i know it is not boding well if i'm loitering here instead)

and so i thought to myself how lovely of you all to be so kindly about my 'spring fling' and then i thought about how many questions you asked me not only here but in my inbox and then i got to thinking perhaps to pass the dreary 'admin mode day' we should have a round of Q&A's as i do feel it quite important, far more important than say 'admin mode' day
so without further a do,

what brand are the boots you wear in your 'challenge of the utmost kind' button picture?
they are by London Fly and are truly the boots of my dreams, i found them this past summer when out doing a bit of high street browsing in old blighty with my pal Debbie and our #2. we entered the store and like a diamond in the rough, they 'blinged' to me from the back of the store. i hugged them, they hugged me, i tried them on, they did the fine thing of actually fitting my ridiculously scrawny legs and it was a 'sealed deal'...
not to mention they were teal! for goodness sake, teal boots! i can only imagine they must have fallen down from heaven


what type of yarn do you use?
i like to use acrylic yarn, mainly due to allergies with wool fibres but also because i like the colors it comes in and the amount of yarn i get for my money. i also like the forgiving nature of an acrylic blanket when it has been through Miss W Machine and Mr T. dryer. i take great care and pride over my crocheted endeavors but sadly the rest of the shed does not, therefore it most important said crocheted items can be washed


where did you get the wallpaper in your photos?
the wallpaper i have on one wall in the corner of my studio, following around the corner to the kitchen KNOOK is by none other than our Orla Kiely. i found my wallpaper several years back at anthropologie, i couldn't believe they were selling it for such a good price. when i knew we were moving to Mossy Shed i bought up 4 rolls and the day after we moved in, the wall was papered.


does your dog wear a bib?
no used dog does not wear a bib... although she will be 11 years old next month and i am quite sure as her goatie beard is coming in nicely, drooling will surely follow.
used dog is in fact sporting a rather lovely natty vintage flowery neckerchief.
i have found in my experience that when she wears a flowery piece of fabric around her neck it has the most slimming affect on her, boosting her morale.
also it would appear random strangers who walk past do not fear her, but rather gravitate towards her. little olive can be found sporting a vintage hanky on good days, and let me tell you when walking out and about together in their flowery attire they cut quite the dash


would you mind telling what brand of paint you use?
i like to use Aura by Benjamin Moore on furniture, doors and other thrifted souls.
i have found it to be most nice due to it's great coverage, endurance to family life and best of all, it says on the label it is a 'good for you and the earth' paint. i am tres awful at picking out paint colors, always left 'ummming and ahhhhing' but in the end it seems to work okay. i have discovered that if you have white white walls and lots of white painted furniture then most colors will sit nicely with in. i don't have any walls painted colors in the house except one in our #3's room. he has a very minimal styled room, with one wall painted gray and not a lot else, just the way he likes it. i'm thinking the way he deals with the rest of his world being 'doilified', he deserves his gray wall.


why do you think Australia is exotic?
i am not a well travelled person, i prefer to stay in my nest much to my man's disappointment who loves to see the world. i very much see myself as a Brit who was misplaced abroad ten years ago. it may take me some time to find my way home but one day i will.
in the meantime i see most foreign destinations as 'exotic' for i like the word. i like to say to our #4 when he shows me the latest 'must have'... "why that's a bit exotic!" it's a nice way to describe something that is quite foreign to me. i visualize the loveliness in all the faraway places i've never been to, i never notice the 'crappy horrible' stuff within my daydreaming moments, only the niceness, which makes everything in a faraway land appear most exotic

could we Aussie's perhaps have a 'winter fling'?
i think that is a tremendously grand idea, and truly the bravest thing i've heard in a while. to take yarn on the hottest of hot days and manage to crochet or knit is quite the most risk taking thing i can think of. so yes be my guest, do have a 'winter fling' and thank you for making me smile

do you have a pattern for your granny circle squares?
i found the pattern for the crocheted goodness i've been working on over at Yvestown's
i had to tweak it a little but eventually got it to work. i can't tell you just how much fun they are... and when i made my first cushion, i have to say i 'swelled' with pride and had tears in my eyes, to know that little old me and Mr Hook had managed such grandness


do you have a cupboard of shame?
ha! i smiled such a smile when this question was so kindly raised, oh yes i do have a cupboard of shame, i have several in fact... perhaps it may suddenly become clear why i am such a fan of placing vintage linens behind glass, or infront of a bookcase. i also have a thrifty addiction that needs to be covered up and so there are many drawers and doors that hide my addictive ways.
i also have a fair amount of 'ugly piles' i chose not to look at in my day to day living, i blank them out... you don't often see evidence of such shameless ways upon my little happy space because i like to see only the lovelinees when i take a photo with Carlos. i pop it on my blog and all is shiny and bright...
it's just how i am and how my little blog is. i don't think i need to see pictures of my 'shameless' piles and messes staring back at me on my computer screen and i'm quite sure you lovely dearest readers have plenty of your own dirty laundry without having to look at mine :)





we haven't seen little olive in a while, what's she been up to, apart from digging up dearest reader's front yards?
good question, little olive is trouble with a capital T, but just like our #4, someone up above made her so sweet looking, she gets away with it all. i shall be bringing an update of little olive and her new abode at the end of the week, until then i hope some of the above has gone some way to answering your fabby questions.


she is away to put on her 'admin mode' hat, which is two sizes too small, making for a very uncomfortable day ahead ~ Tif

37 comments:

Char said...

hope the day goes well - i enjoyed getting to know you better

Anonymous said...

I haven't as of yet met your OLIVE...she's adorable! so looks like my GINGER...
have a fabulous day!

A Bun Can Dance said...

Dear Tif
I loved this post!!
The questions were fab and your answers even fabbier !!!
Such a treat to find out a little bit more....
Wishing you a happy week,
Denise x

Emma Angel said...

Dearest Dottie, Thank you for answering all of those questions with such honesty and humour.
I am now however left with a question of my own...
Pretty please can we have your house when you move back to blighty (although why you would want to live here is a mystery)?
It is such a lovely, clean and characterful house and i feel sure that i could quite happily reside there. Of course i would allow you to leave all of your belongings and pets x

Diane and Kelly said...

Hi Tif,
Thanks for answering those burning questions. In regards to wee Olive, why do you suppose the naughty ones are so fetching? I, too have a tiny pooch whom I indulge with abandon. She can be quite willful but because of her small size, she really seems to be no trouble at all.

Kelly
Second Hand Chicks

Jennifer said...

What fun to do a Q & A. Thanks for sharing these extras with us.

Andrea said...

Have Teal Fly Handbag. (thrifted)
We should go out sometime...;)
Andrea

Craftygirl said...

What a lovely way to start an admin mode day.. Hope you survived the admin.

Floss said...

Good luck with the admin, Tif!

I really enjoyed all your answers. I have amused an American blogging friend by describing her downhome cooking of grits and the like as 'exotic'! Sure sounds exotic to me! It all depends on what you're used to...

Vic said...

...and to think, the only question I ever sought to ask was indeed where to get those delicious boots!

I am glad others asked the questions I didn't know I wanted to know the answer to, because as it turns out, I really did want to know... I will keep an eye out for that paint, especially.

Thank you for this little Q&A session Tif, I did enjoy nosing about in your business...! ;)

gill said...

love your crochet, photographs,...IMAGINATION...
and little olive on that blanket...what can i say???

eye candy of the best kind

ripple blanket is looking fab. i am trying my hand at my first 'random' ripple. great fun.

thanks for sharing as you do

gill

emma said...

thanks for clearing up those questions...it is indeed too too hot to be fiddling with yarn at the moment over here, but mine is sitting there looking peachy, waiting patiently for the first sniff of cool air. Oh, and thanks for being so good about telling us where your fabbo boots (and other great stuff) came from. I'm often too scared to ask.

~ Junkyard Jennifer said...

Oh Tif, I am a little late here in catching up, but I'm so excited for you about the Poppies. I just voted--and am sorry I missed the first round for 'favorite handmade crafter' section! I normally stop by every single day and now when you are up for a vote, I lag behind.

I love the new wall hangings you sold in your shop. They're very inspiring.

I also loved catching up on your posts. You make me smile. :)

~ Jennifer

Anonymous said...

i am so glad i found your blog today via artwall via decor8 via a silly question i put in the google! your dog and mine could be cousins :)

Callie Grayson said...

I had to giggle at your response about your boots. I noticed your boots and fell in love with them....

should have know they were London Fly. I too, have a pair of teal green London Fly boots, angle wedge boots.....and I too walked into the store and saw them from afar and walked straight over, picked them up and purchased them right away! placed them on my feet and walked out the store!
LOVE them.

michelle said...

oh tiff, you do make me smile.
i took the liberty of nominating you for a sunshine award because your blog brings sunshine to my day. i have no expectation of comttment it is simply a thumbs up to you

katie hanson said...

awesome, awesome boots!!!

i stumbled across your blog and love it! just wanted to say hi!

xo, katie
http://www.kateandoli.blogspot.com

Rapunzel said...

Oh Miss Tif,
Thank you most excellently for the link to the squared circle crocheted wonderfulness.
I had been trying to figure it out on my own and failed most utterly.
Your De-VOTE-ed reader.
Leslie

Unbuttoned said...

i've always wondered, does used dog have a real name?

Anonymous said...

I am so pleased that you took some time away from that nasty 'admin'. the dogs look wonderful, I think it is a Lab thing for dressing up, mine is 12 and still gets excitied for reindeer atlers (felt ones with lights and bells) our little one looks alot like little olive is a bit on the naughty side as well, you would think at 11 he would grow out of it.
Well even though it has been very warm over here in Australia I have been inspired by you good self to break out the crochet and have started on a granny square blanket, well hexagon actuallly. I agree that the acrylic yarn is the best for the wear and tear of family life not to mention the four legged memebers that seem to covet my creations.

dottie angel said...

dearest readers, i'm delighted that you enjoyed my litlte Q&A... i can tell you i have acheived half of my admin mode duties so i'm thinking that is nothing to be sniffed at :)

as to whether used dog has a real name? i'm thinking that's a whole post in it's self... ooooh, the suspense, not another cliff hanger!

dottie angel said...

oh and LOndon Fly THRIFTED!!! that surely did fall down from heaven and the thrifty gods :)

silverpebble said...

A most excellent Q & A. Little Olive looks like a tiny deer, nesti
ling amongst the crochet undergrowth. Perhaps she is really Bambi.

A dear bloggy friend has taught me how to use my Granny's sewing machine (whom I like to call Joan - the machine, not the friend). It is an important step to prepare me for the utmost challenge. I have also acquired a little 50s basket with which I can skip to Mill Road, where all the thrifty magic I may ever want is to be found. I am getting excited and am about to take the plunge. Oh!

Stace and Joey said...

Thank you for the link Tif!! I am off to Gram's to cook her chowder and make some granny squares!!
Stacie

Eve said...

Thanks for answering those questions for all to see. Still drooling over those boots....I searched, don't think they are around anymore.

dottie angel said...

hurrah silverpebble! for your sewing ways with Ms Joan and your thrifty ways upon Mill Road... ah such memories, that's the road i took my driving test on! what a horrible moment that was for me, the driving instructor and all the poor innocent passers by...

i can't find the boots either now, when looking online, but i did find these sweeties
http://www.shoe-envy.co.uk/Fly_London_Yuna_Shoes_Petrol_p396.html
of course i now have a lust for them which is not good for they are forbidden fruit!

littlechrissy said...

I stumbled across your blog last year and think we must have been twins in a previous life in terms of taste in clothes and decor.
Pleased to find you again in this life!
Chris xxx

The Houseplant Chronicles said...

Great post! I have to say though, I am mesmerized by your photographs! Beautiful!

said...

Um trabalho perfeito. Cheio de criatividade. Adoro. Parabéns.

Unknown said...

That was such a wonderful post! I enjoyed every word. So lovely getting to know you a little better and Olive is just delightful and such a lovely name (my cat is Olive too).
Sophie x

UmberDove said...

I swooned so hard over those boots the first time I happily landed on your site. I think Teal Boots come directly from Jesus.

dottie angel said...

umberdove! i hear you :)

Anonymous said...

I understand how expensive yarn is I crochet myself but acrylic is horrible for the environment and you, it is basically made from oil. A better choice would be cotton or bamboo, organic if you really want to make a difference.

Wendy said...

Just found your blog, and I love it! I have to ask you, the double boiler on your sidebar, with the orange flowers, where did you get that? I have the matching platter on my kitchen wall and I love it!!! I got it at the thrift shop, what a great day that was!

Jenni said...

so why do we cook bacon and bake cookies?! should'nt they be called cookon and bakies!

HeARTworks said...

Aren't you funny, and I love the way you talk, like a ms manners of sorts! I found you yesterday, and today i am visiting you again! You don't seem to have a button to make it easy for us to follow!

ombre said...

bravo , cette ambiance est charmante et tellement créative !