Bank holiday!

Working in retail, bank holidays don't really mean anything to me, but I have a weeks holiday this week, so today I tret me sen to a 'bank holiday',

The sun was shining and so it was time for the annual blackberry picking trip with my mum to the park on the end of my street. We timed it just right this year and found a whole new load of patches.

We also bumped into another mother and daughter blackberry picking combo! We gave them pointers to the best places for the biggest berries! We also stopped by the duck pond and I got a can of fizzy Vimto, bank hol treat!!

Gonna make some jam and most likely a crumble, as I love crumble!!

I spent the afternoon playing with Lego!! I dug it all out from on top of my wardrobe and got going.

I found some cool bits to make my known mini figures, but mostly got it out so I could make myself a little display thing for my minifgs (real and customised!)

There's a selection of mini figs from different series' (mostly the cool lady ones!) and ones I've made myself and finally put up the killjoys ones Kandy got me last Christmas!!.
I love Lego!

 

 

 

Then the rest of the day was spent working on something new, eating and watching TV. Bank holidays are alright!

Monthly mix

So this months mix is dedicated to Kandy's 30th birthday and all the cool things she did, from seeing the B52's to having a circus themed party, hanging with her bffs and going to NYC!!!!

Diamond days! from Sugar Paper Zine on 8tracks Radio.

Party down!!!! Birthday weekend!

As I previously mentioned, last week was a full on birthday week. Last weekend we had some full on party action, here's what went down!

Friday was Katie's (my only friend remaining from school) birthday. She was hoping the rain would hold off (it never does this time of year) and have a tropical party!
Sadly I had to sell moderately priced soap late that day so didn't get round there til later on, but fear not there was still plenty of cocktail sausages left (my favourite buffet snack!) and pizza in the oven.

I also made a rainbow cake* and made her wait until I got there to cut it. I got some sparkling candles that I mis-read as sparklers and they were a bit of a let down!

Then there was present opening, I bloody love present opening! Although my mum rescued a kitten the other week and gave that to kitten, so the rest of us shouldn't have even bothered, we weren't gonna top that!

Then, as always at Katie's we danced to some hip hop beats 'til late, with glow sticks, who knew glow sticks were so much fun.

We left at a semi reasonable hour as we were driving over to Kandy's the next morning.

Saturday saw us collecting Katie bright and early (despite her having birthday hangover) but we had to because as a birthday surprise we were taking a slight detour en route to Chesterfield to visit Hadfield AKA ROYSTON VASEY!!!!

We had a walk round and tried to go to the café called Café Royston, but it was closed, instead went to another one which took like ten hours for our order to arrive, but £5.30 for 4 teacakes and 3 brews, winners! But this meant we couldn't wander round to much as we had to get to Kandy's to set up the party!

Kandy, carrying on from her trapezing birthday last year, (and Sugar Paper 12) decided to turn her house into a big top for a circus party. Complete with coconut shy, hook-a-duck, snake charming, hula hooping, baton twirling, popcorn, candy floss and cinder toffee oh and snacks galore!

There were some ace costumes, from a mime, to a jester, snake charmer, ring leader, Pierrot and a hook a duck outfit!
I used the big top skirt pattern from last Sugar paper issue 12 and the cape pattern from issue 10 (I think ha!) to turn myself into a big top and Kandy rocked the cape a s a ringleader.

I even mastered vegan baking and made a pretty awesome cake*, if I say so myself and used the rest of those disappointing sparkling candles!

Think we all party too hard/early and got sleepy by past midnight, no time for Heartthrob game and face masks. But who cares, we had a ball.

I love birthdays!!

*I will put up the cake recipes as soon as Kandy is back from holiday and can send me a picture of the cake I made her!

Birthday lions!!

I've been a bit quiet lately as I'm preparing  for birthday madness (I've also been procrastinating about procrastinating!). One down, three to go!
those upcoming three (that happen within 8 days of each other) are all birthdays of  some of my oldest and closest friends, so you know it's a skint month for me.
I've been making a few bits and need to sort out an outfit for Kandy's big birthday bash (the 'ol 3 0!).

Anyway...
Happy birthday HOLLY, KATIE & KANDY, you are all AWESOME!!! here are some birthday related videos...

Indietracks 2013!!!

So I am pretty rubbish at writing about going to see bands and stuff, and the fun stuff we do because I just go 'yeah it was ace' (I don't even think I did an Indietracks blog last year) so I'll put a few words and more pictures here!
 
This year we decided to camp, so Friday afternoon Kandy, my oldest pal Katie, her sister and myself drove down to swanick and set up camp, we bagged a spot near far from the showers and next to our professional camping buddies Mel and Amy (it was really hot when we put the tent up so didn't do a great job, something we regret later!)

We had a tea of pasta and sauce cooked on the mini camping stove and made it down in time to see a bit of The Tuts.
Then headliners Bis came on, I was all I'm not that excited, seen Bis a bunch of times and how many times can you see a band reform and play. Plus I'm still not down with them having a bass player AND a drummer (I miss you Roland!).
But do you know what I really enjoyed it, and they played the Powerpuff girls theme, I've never heard that one live! I still think I'm the only Bis fan ever who doesn't really like euro disco though!

Then we had a bit of a disco in the shed and headed back to the campsite for that disco but we were early so hung out in the games room, played pub quiz games, won some stuffed toys.
We decided the  Indietracks campsite disco wasn't really doing it for us so found the  permanent campsite disco (complete with DJ that shout outs requests in that DJ voice) we got some hits played, and despite the fact everyone was dancing in a big circle (why do people do that?!) so we were shoved in the corner and our requests taking ages to come on (and the DJ playing 3 yes THREE J and Duncan songs, one hit, one album track and one cover of Gangstas Paradise) we had a blast.

Saturday was the day of my cheerleading workshop and I was being all moany about it. But we did all the indietracks touristy things today, museum, train and stuff. we may have caught some of Tunabunny whilst having lunch, but we didn't see anyone until like 7pm, we're not very good at this festival business!

I missed Whimpy Milkshake as it clashed with my workshop. But the workshop went really well and I met some lovely people (the lady with the nice dress, Naomi from Martha, the little Dutch girl, lovely Charlotte and her awesome Mum and Dad). So I wasn't too upset! I really enjoyed it after all that stressing and nearly passing out from the extreme heat!

We caught some of Cars can be Blue, who I really enjoyed before heading back to camp for tea. On our walk back it started raining a little. We had intended to eat tea, have a drink and come back for The pastels and Camera Obscura.
On our walk back the thunder started and the rain poured. We cooked tea in our semi leaking tent. then it started to leak more and more and it started lightening and we reassured Katie it was fine the lightening was getting further away. then one struck and illuminated the whole tent. we all got a bit scared then.
so left the tent and spent some time in the games room and later outside the café.No more bands for us today!

Mel and Amy returned and told us Camera Obscura had been moved to the indoor stage. we waited for the campsite disco, which didn't disappoint. returned to our tent at 3am, more of a flood, used some frat party cups to get rid of it and all squashed into the 'back room' of the tent.

We awoke to a dry day yeah, we survived the storm!!!
We packed up the tent and headed down. I treated myself to a pancake and decided what I was gonna treat myself to for tea (A quesadilla!).

Today was double workshop day. first up was Kandy's pom pom pets, which was a roaring success. I didn't manage to make one myself but saw some of the lovely people we met in my workshop. We packed up and headed for a quick lunch to make it back for the Lego workshop, but had a milk spillage so missed that too.

Then it was Mel and Amy's 'Wild Apple' wet felting workshop, which was also a roaring success, I managed to make myself a piece of checked felt, but got shown up by a lady who was making an awesome elaborate piece!

I think we might have gone on a ride on the BIG train then. (I got stopped by a young girl who tole me my MCR tote bag was awesome, I joked that it was Helen Love's daughter, it totally turned it it WAS!).

Followed by a triple whammy of awesome bands. First were Martha, who I'm not just saying because my cheerleading workshop got a shout out on stage, but because they were great.
Followed by The Lovely Eggs (love a chatty northerner on stage). then Kandy and I went for a quick tea, only it turned into a mini disaster. The Mexican stall ran out of wraps so no quesadilla for me. The little caravan ran out of halloumi so no second choice of veggi fish fingers and chips. I just wanted CHEESE. So I settled for chicken nachos. Wolfed it down and ran over for Helen Love.

Helen Love, what can I say. I was worried it might be awful, it might be anticlimactic. Last year Indietracks saw me seeing a band I never thought I would see (Go Sailor!) and this year it was Helen Love.
They took to the stage, I got nervous, then BAM glitter cannons. I nearly wet myself, It was a nonstop dance fest from there on in. I particularly enjoyed the dude rocking out in his Muderdolls tee.
Then more glitter at the end as people took to the stage and danced like a big glitter army to Does Yr Heart Go Boom!!!!

What a way to end. There was someone else headlining, Katie and Charlotte sat on the hill enjoying them, but they were too chilled for us on the Helen Love high. We tried to compose ourselves sitting on the train before having one last boogie and driving home.

A rollercoaster of weather, food and good times. We had a blast.

Alison Erika Forde: The Tallest of Tales

So last weekend saw the opening of the ever awesome Alison Erika Forde's latest show at Manchester Art Gallery!

We missed the big day as we were at Indietracks festival, but I got went as soon as I got back.
I passed by on my way to work yesterday and shall be going back again tomorrow and next week and probably every week after that until it ends!!!

I love Alison's work and not just because she is one of my best buds, but because it's awesome. This show is no let down, from the amazing paintings the bright sickly yellow wall, the shrooms, the cardboard hut to the totem, the giant doll and fancy lamp.

EVERYONE MUST GO!!!!

more information HERE

Monthly mix

So this month saw the 12th birthday of my cat Ned! We love cats, who doesn't (fools that's who!!) and it is totally kitten season right now, so what better what to celebrate all this than with a bedroom dance cat party!!

Cool Cat. from Sugar Paper Zine on 8tracks Radio.