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B&B Transcript Thursday 10/24/13

The Bold and The Beautiful Transcript Thursday 10/24/13

Provided By Suzanne
Proofread By

Brooke: Somebody's missing his daddy.

[Will cooing]

Bill: You think?

Brooke: Yes, it's obvious.

Bill: I need to see him every day. I mean, even if it's just for an hour, just to, you know, play like this, that would be great.

Brooke: Well, then you should talk to Katie. She's working so much, I don't see why she would object.

[Cooing continues]

Brooke: [Chuckles]

Bill: Come here. Get 'em! Get 'em!

Brooke: [Chuckles]

Katie: Get these changes to Jarrett, and c.c. Liam, as well.

Adele: Of course.

Katie: And I'm gonna need more options from graphics. I don't know why they bothered with that. Did they even read the article?

Adele: I'll schedule a meeting with them for first thing tomorrow. You should leave now if you want to get to Will on time.

Katie: [Sighs] All this shuttling back and forth -- it's not what I wanted for my son.

Adele: Should I call Mr. Spencer, see if he can keep Will a little longer?

Katie: No. Thank you. Bill made his choice. If he wants to be with Brooke, then let him. I am not gonna have my son around that kind of dysfunction for one more minute than necessary.

[Crickets chirping]

Hope: We need to entertain the buyers?

Pam: That's what Rick said. He's counting on you both.

Wyatt: I mean, I can juggle.

Hope: [Chuckles]

Wyatt: I guess. [Chuckling] I don't know.

Pam: These are rich businessmen with very discerning tastes -- kind of guys who only like corner-piece lemon bars, like Eric. You have to take them someplace really classy. So get planning.

Hope: I like that juggling thing.

Wyatt: I can juggle like a pro. You want to see it?

Hope: [Chuckling] Yes, please.

Wyatt: Let's see it. Let's see if I can do this. He doesn't need that, right? No? Okay. Here we go. Oh!

Hope: Oh!

Wyatt: Oh, I had it!

Hope: [Chuckling] That was terrible.

Wyatt: It's good! Watch.

Hope: The worst.

[Computer beeps]

Liam: [Sighs]

Hope: Steffy knows that about you, too. She's not gone. She's right here. Because if she were gone, she wouldn't be right here.

(Present time)

Pam: Uh... [Clears throat] Excuse me?

Liam: Hi.

Pam: You looking for Hope?

Liam: Uh, no. I was -- I was, um -- she said I could use the computer.

Pam: Just so you know, Hope and Wyatt are going out this evening, uh, to entertain some of our buyers.

Liam: Good. That's -- no, that's good. Gives me time to test my theory.

Pam: What theory?

Liam: Pam... can you keep a secret?

Pam: So, somebody e-mailed Hope this video?

Liam: [Scoffs] Yeah, somebody. I think it's pretty obvious who.

Pam: It is?

Liam: Yeah, I mean, who -- who benefits? Who's taking Hope out tonight?

Pam: Mr. Hashimoto?

Liam: Who?

Pam: Oh. Or one of the other buyers?

Liam: No. Wyatt. Wyatt -- Wyatt benefits. He's...

Pam: Ohh.

Liam: Yeah.

Pam: Ohh.

Liam: Right? See, 'cause he acts all innocent, but he's actually manipulating things just for his own benefit, and I am gonna get the proof.

Pam: Ohh.

Liam: [Sighs]

Hope: So, would you like to start with a tour of Forrester Creations?

Man 1:  We had a tour yesterday.

Man 2:  We just want to enjoy the Los Angeles nightlife with you.

Wyatt: The nightlife. [Chuckles nervously] Like take them to a club?

Hope: Uh -- uh, Othello is deejaying in Hollywood. I can text him.

Man 2: Not Hollywood. Uh, how about the beach? Maybe someplace we could sing?

Hope: You want to sing?

Man 1: You know, karaoke.

Wyatt: [Chuckling] Karaoke. Actually, I-I-I know of a good place in Malibu, actually. Karaoke it is. Huh?

Bill: Go see her, go see her. Go see her.

[Cell phone rings]

Brooke: Here we go. [Groans] Oh, you want this?

[Cell phone beeps]

Bill: Hey, uh, I was just about to call you.

Katie: Yeah?

Bill: I imagine you're up to your neck in work.

Katie: Yeah, that's why I'm calling. I -- I'm not gonna be able to pick up Will. I'm gonna send my assistant.

Bill: No need. Will can stay here.

Katie: No, he'll be asleep by the time I get there. I don't want to wake him up.

Bill: You won't wake him. Let him just spend the night with us.

Katie: No, I'm not comfortable with that.

Bill: Katie, come on. I mean, we had a really good conversation today. We were relating as parents. I thought we were making progress.

Katie: We are, but there are some ground rules. Adele's on her way over.

Bill: I'm not giving him to Adele. He's staying here.

Katie: Be reasonable.

Bill: You're the one who's n-- Katie, you're working late. Let him just stay with me.

Katie: Your time is up, Bill.

Bill: Send whoever you want. My son is staying here.

[Cell phone beeps]

Katie: [Sighs]

Bill: Come here, you. Hmm. [Chuckles]

[Indistinct conversations]

Hope: Alyssa, hey. It's good to see you.

Alyssa: Thanks, Hope.

Hope: Where have you been?

Alyssa: Jury duty.

Hope: Wow. Well, it's good to have you back. Bikini's not the same without its MVP.

[Indistinct conversations]

Rachel:  Alyssa, I think we have a little bit of an ant problem.

Alyssa: Ugh, I guess we'll have to call the exterminators.

Brendon:  Scotch, neat?

Wyatt: [Sighs] You remembered. [Chuckles]

Brendon:  I try.

Wyatt: Yep. Yeah.

Brendon:  Your drinking partner was in here earlier, with your brother. Uh...

Wyatt: Liam was here?

Brendon:  Oh, no, no, no. He's not anymore. And Oliver is definitely not coming back. He hates karaoke.

Wyatt: [Chuckles]

Brendon:  You still down in the dumps about that girl?

Wyatt: No, actually, uh, she came with.

[Glasses clink]

Wyatt: Tonight's kind of a celebration.

Brendon:  Right.

Wyatt: So, when's karaoke start?

Brendon:  Actually, Howard just finished setting up now.

Wyatt: Nice. We are here to sing.

Brendon:  Right.

Wyatt: Oh, yeah.

Howard: Who's ready for some karaoke?!

[Cheers and applause]

Wyatt: Whoo-hoo!

[Indistinct conversation]

Liam: It had to be Wyatt.

Pam: Well, did you ask him?

Liam: Well, he -- he denied it, but Hope seeing that video stopped her from marrying me and opened the door for him, so...

Pam: Right. Well, then, why are you in here, again?

Liam: Well, which office does Wyatt use the most?

Pam: This one.

Liam: Yeah, and whose computer?

Pam: Ohh. Gotcha.

Liam: You see? So, Wyatt was here at Forrester, working, the night Hope got that e-mail, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out if this was the computer the e-mail was forwarded from.

Pam: But that still doesn't really prove that it was Wyatt.

Liam: Oh, you forget. I used to do this for a living. I can get the proof.

Pam: You keep digging. I'm gonna go get some lemon bars. Between the two of us, we're gonna solve this tonight.

Liam: [Sighs]

Brooke: Oh.

Bill: I'm just not handing over my son.

[Will giggles]

Brooke: You deserve to spend time with him.

Bill: I mean, it's -- it's ridiculous. She's working. What difference does it make?

Brooke: It is strange that she wants somebody to pick him up instead of him spending time here.

Bill: Oh, come on. It's ridiculous. You know, I-I might understand if it was cutting into her time with him. And it would piss me off, but I get it. But it's nothing to do with that. It's just Katie being Katie, having to say no.

Brooke: Yep. Custody issues bring out the worst in people.

Bill: There is no issue. Katie's working, and Will's staying here tonight. Period.

[Cell phone ringing]

Bill: Ohh, speaking of working. Somebody else unhappy with Katie's leadership.

Brooke: Mm. Mm-hmm.

[Cell phone beeps]

Bill: Hey, Lawrence. Look -- Lawrence, hey. Just calm down. Calm down. Now, listen to me. There's no need to worry. No, I'm still a shareholder. No, I'm -- I'm not making the decisions, but I, uh -- I'm aware of everything that's going on. Yes, I'm on the distribution list. No, no, no. Come on, now. Now, d-don't say that. Soon, I'm gonna be back in charge. We're -- we're gonna renegotiate. Listen to what I'm trying to tell you. Just hang in there with us. I will be back in charge, and we're gonna work all this out. Okay. Call me if you have any questions.

[Cell phone beeps]

[Will cooing]

[Doorbell rings]

Bill: Here we go.

Brooke: [Sighs] Let me handle this.

Bill: No, no. I'm gonna handle it. You'll be too nice.

Katie: I've come for my son.

Bill: I'm just about to put him to bed.

Katie: I'm taking him home. Try to interfere, and I'll call the police.

Man 3:  You want a man to hold you so tight who won't disappear after loving all night oh, oh-oh-oh I'm your kind of man

Man 1:  Thank you. This place is great.

Hope: Yeah, this is, uh, what we do...pretty much every night.

Wyatt: Yeah.

Man 1: Love songs? [Chuckles]

Wyatt: Uh...

Hope: No.

Wyatt: Well, I mean, it would -- uh, rock 'n' roll, mostly.

Hope: Uh-huh.

Wyatt: Mm-hmm.

[Both chuckle]

Wyatt: Yeah!

[Cheers and applause]

Man 1: Oh, my turn is next.

Wyatt: Ah.

Hope: Get it.

Wyatt: Get in there.

Man 1:  Ahh. Excuse me.

Wyatt: [Chuckling] Yeah. Whoo!

Hope: [Chuckles]

Man 4:  Yeah!

Men:  Whoo-hoo! [Grunting]

[Cheers and applause]

Wyatt: Get it!

Hope: This is not how I expected this night to turn out.

Wyatt: [Chuckling] No. But you're having fun.

Hope: Yes, I am.

Liam: Man, I thought I'd find something. It made sense he'd do it from here, 'cause he wouldn't have had time to -- would he do it from his cell phone?

Pam: What was on this video, anyway? Was it suitable for all ages?

Liam: Yeah, no, it was a -- it was a tribute video. That's all. Photos, happy memories, that kind of thing. Steffy -- our marriage was being annulled. She wanted a keepsake.

Pam: So Hope was just overreacting again?

Liam: Ye-- and no. I-I probably shouldn't have made the video in the first place but definitely shouldn't have titled it "Love, Liam."

Pam: [Inhales sharply] No. You're obviously not a girl. No, I can -- I can totally see why Hope would be [Chuckling] upset by that.

Liam: Yeah, thanks. I-I know that now.

Pam: Oh. Wait, wait, wait.

Liam: [Sighs]

Pam: You're into Hope's e-mail account.

Liam: Oh, it's -- we have each other's passwords. See? Okay, this is the e-mail, and it's a -- it's a phony address. I mean, he deleted the account right afterwards. Maybe -- maybe there's a clue in the I.P. I mean, I doubt it, but... you have got to be kidding me.

Pam: What? What?!

Liam: It was him.

Pam: Oh, how the heck can you tell?

Liam: Dude should have realized the domain name "Quinn Artisan Jewelers" would give him away.

Bill: So, this is what you want to do now, Katie? Really? Call the police?

Katie: No, I don't want to call the police, but I will if you try to keep me from my child.

Brooke: It's his father, Katie.

Bill: Come on. He should be able to spend the night with me.

Katie: If a judge decides that, then maybe.

Brooke: Oh, my gosh, you're getting worked up over nothing.

Katie: This is none of your business. Stay out of it. It's about the well-being of my son.

Bill: Your son's well-being? You're gonna take him home, hand him to the nanny, and go back to work, and that's for your son's well-being?

Katie: Well, I am single, working mother. I have been known to utilize a sitter from time to time.

Bill: Right. Let him stay here with me, Katie.

Katie: No, Bill.

Bill: It was so important to you to take my job, so you team up with my sister to accomplish that. That was your choice. Single, working mother? That's a joke. You're not sacrificing your time with Will because you're trying to make ends meet. You are sacrificing your time with Will simply to spite me.

Brooke: Will is innocent in all of this. You really shouldn't keep him from his father.

Katie: I'm not keeping him from Bill. Bill has time with Will, and now his time is up, so give me my son.

Bill: Katie, let him spend the night with me. I promise I will bring him home first thing in the morning.

Katie: I-I can see it was a mistake letting him come here in the first place. No. No, Bill. He's not sleeping in this house as long as you're sleeping with my sister.

Pam: Well, yeah, but that domain name could be associated with any device over at Quinn's company, right? It doesn't necessarily prove that it was Wyatt who did it.

Liam: No, I can. I-I can prove it, because Wyatt had to forward himself the e-mail from my original, right? And then he deleted it. Here's what he can't delete. If I start a new e-mail, my account's gonna remember his address and fill it in automatically.

Pam: Oh, right. Right. That's like when I try to e-mail Donna, and I press the "D," and then all these options pop up.

Wyatt: Uh-huh.

Pam: You know, like debbie@thecrochetclub, donna@forrestercreations, and dobermanfan...

Liam: What?

Pam: Dobermanfan -- that's just one of my online buddies.

Liam: No, I -- this. I mean, I'm typing his name in, but there's no record of me ever sending an e-mail to him.

Pam: Well, you know what? Maybe he doesn't go by "Wyatt" there. You know, maybe if you tried typing in president@quinnartisans, or, you know, whatever title he goes by.

Liam: Not bad, Pam. Not bad. Whoa.

Pam: What? Quinn? His mother sent the video to Hope?

Man 1:  I really should be working somewhere but I forgot that's what I do I only know how to be with you

Howard: Hey, you two. Hey. I don't see your names on the list. You up for the challenge?

Hope: Uh, not this one. [Chuckling] No.

Wyatt: Well, it might boost sales.

Hope: No, it would plummet...

Wyatt: [Chuckles]

Hope: ...Sales.

Howard: Well, if you change your mind, let me know.

Hope: Okay.

[Both chuckle]

Man 1:  Why? Ohh

Wyatt: Well... [Clears throat] ...I'm glad we're here.

Hope: Everything worked out.

Man 1:  I-I-I-I-I lo-o-o-o-o-ve yo-u-u-u

Bill: We have to figure this out, Katie. Find a way to coexist. It won't be long until Will is old enough to sense the tension.

Katie: Yeah, I think you're right. That's why I'm taking him home. I need to protect him from this situation.

Bill: Brooke and I intend to be together, and Will doesn't need to be sheltered from that. If he could just see that you're accepting of it...

Katie: No. No, that's not gonna happen.

Bill: The three of us are going to be raising Will.

Katie: [Scoffs]

Bill: You don't have to like it, but I suggest you learn to tolerate it. This is the result of divorce. This is what you asked for.

Katie: Oh, I see. We're back to singing that tune. "It's all Katie's fault."

Bill: All right. Then give me back my job.

Katie: [Scoffs] What?

Bill: You want to move on? That's the first step. You're in my office. You're playing C.E.O., calling the shots. Come on, Katie. I mean, what are you doing? You don't need to be working at my job. You need to be taking care of Will. But we're not doing that. It's his bedtime, and instead of worrying about him, we are fighting about where he's going to sleep. It's insane. I mean, you do see that, right? I mean, is this what you want for him?

Katie: No, this is never what I wanted for him.

Bill: Then let's talk about a monetary settlement.

Katie: [Chuckling] Excuse me?

Bill: You want to hurt me. I mean, come on. That's what this is all about. You want to hurt me. Well, I'm Dollar Bill Spencer, so hit me in the wallet. That hurts.

Katie: This was never about money. I'm C.E.O., and you're not, and I'm his mother, and you're not. The three of us are not going to be doing anything together. I'm taking him home.

Bill: Take my company. That will really hurt, but I'll man up. I'll handle it.

[Will cooing]

Bill: But you try to keep my son from me -- that I will not tolerate. I really want to keep this civil, so if there are nights when you're working late, Will stays with me.

Katie: Maybe down the line, after Brooke's moved on to the next guy.

Brooke: [Sighs]

Katie: But not tonight. Not here. It's out of the question.

[Will fussing]

Bill: He's staying with me.

Katie: I'm taking him home, and I'd like to see you try and stop me.

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Mood of Color

Raise your hand if you like to play it safe and go with neutrals. I do. Sometimes. In some rooms, beige or grey feels right.

But, some spaces demand color. Why? Probably because you're trying to convey a message. To communicate a feeling - or better yet, to bring on a mood. Certain colors and combinations of colors contain visual cues that trigger certain responses, like excitement, comfort, or peace. Think about it - most people want their bedrooms to be a calming or soothing retreat. That room demands a hue that elicits those feelings, like sky blue.

Whenever I'm feeling uncertain about a color combination I turn to a book that's been in my library since my early days as a graphic designer. It was printed in 2000, but its content is classic. It's called Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color. The book's focus is on using color in printed design, like magazine advertisements, but its theory applies to home decorating, too.

It's fascinating really - reading about color and the subliminal human reaction we have to it. Color wields power - in both marketing and in your home. The color red causes excitement because upon seeing it a chemical message is sent to the brain and releases the hormone epinephrine. I know, that's a lot of mumbo-jumbo to me, too. Basically it increases your heart rate. Neutrals impart a message of dependability. They're seen as timeless, enduring - probably why people who love the traditional style of decorating like neutrals.

So back to this book - when I'm feeling ambitious about color, and want to go for a combination that shouts - look at me…I open this book. Check out the pages here. They include color combos with specific non-verbal messages.

Here black with yellow rivets the eye and makes us think of stinging insects. It feels pretty powerful to me!

Oh my, this is adorably romantic! Soft pink - I'd do this color scheme in my own bedroom if hubby would allow it!

Purple creates a sense of the surreal. Probably why so many churches have purple stained glass, and lighting.

This certainly elicits a calming feeling for me!  I have this same color paint in my sunroom, where my office is. It helps me concentrate.

What kid wouldn't love to play in this room!!

There's no doubt about it - color is awe-inspiring. Thank God we see in more than just black and white!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

May is National Pet Month

I'd be remiss if I let the month of May slip past without mentioning National Pet Month!  So, I'm going to bring back a post I did two years ago - in honor of our beloved 4-legged babies!  Even if you've read it before, take a moment to get through the whole post, because at the end I have added some new content.  Enjoy!

There's no denying that pets make a home happy. Hairy too! But, I overlook that for all the joy and love my dog brings our family. In honor of National Pet Month, here's a post devoted to our furry friends - especially Charlotte, my 8-year old yellow lab baby.

Char-Char at 9 weeks old...

These days, there's all kinds of designer decor to glamify your pet's space in the home. I personally love the idea of giving your 4-legged love their own space. A place to eat, a place to sleep (if your spouse is against them sleeping on your bed - good thing for Char that hubby is overseas a lot!), and a place to just chill during the day. And why not make those places lovely by coordinating them with your decor?

This is Char's dining area in our laundry room. I wish she had a room all her own, but this little space gives her a quiet place to eat away from the activity of our kitchen and our 5-year old.

The vent keeps it nice and warm in the winter and cool-as-a-cucumber in hot weather. She likes laying on the vinyl floor in the dog-days of summer. (I know - dog puns - stop already.) The aluminum food storage pail was purchased at HomeGoods, and definitely looks more stylish than a big ole yellow bag of Pedigree slumped in the corner. (To be honest, we keep the food pail in the garage. I brought it in just for the photo. If you keep your dog food in the garage, a tin container like this is the way to go. It will keep the mice out of your dog's food. Lesson learned - do not use a plastic container - mice chew through!)

I bought this painting at a HomeGoods. This epitomizes Charlotte - the tennis ball-obsessed girl that she is!

I like the little rug under her bowls - keeps the area tidy and coordinates with the curtains. These curtains were hung purposely just above the floor -to keep them clean and from inadvertently dragging into the bowls.

It's a dog's world! This adorable plaque was a gift from my bestie, Sharon.

And here is Charlotte's bed in my office/solarium. She usually chooses to lay in here when I work, so I was giddy when I spied this doggie bed at HomeGoods that completely matched my color scheme: sea-foam blue and brown.

From this perch she can sleep in the sun or keep watch on what's going on out back.

And pose for mommy's pic!

When she isn't lounging on her bed, there's one other place she calls her own. Even hubby has given her reign of this couch. The zebra throw protects the couch (well, not really, it still gets hairy) and looks pretty cool too!

When I was thinking about this post, I surfed the net for doggie decor, and found a lot of inspiring ideas. I love this pet bed made from recycled pallets!

And I thought this was a great idea for providing kitty with indoor activity, while still looking architecturally cool!

And beds! Wow - there are sooooo many unique, stylish and inventive pet beds out there. Kind of makes Char's bed look like she's sleeping on a Flintstone slab of bedrock! Check these out!

Aqua lucite - for the posh pup!

 Kitty can still sleep next to you, without actually being on the bed! Awesome idea!

Wish they made this basket-style bed in big dog sizes! I would so be snapping one up for my big girl!

And I can't forget our fish-friends... I love this modern fish condo! Except it needs some rocks and plants. A fish has gotta feel at home too!

The pet decor available on the market is endless. There's no reason Fido and Fifi's digs can't coincide seamlessly with your style. And the options look so comfy. Heck, I'd sleep in some of those beds! Charlotte is looking over my shoulder, silently making her picks right now. Ahh, if only we could read their minds!

And here's something new to honor the pups and kitties in our lives - Simply Said has wall quotes for them too! There's cute sayings for dogs, cats, even horse-lovers!

Or dog, in my case!
Give your pets a hug!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Applying a Simply Said vinyl design to chalk painted furniture

When I was painting a lot of furniture, I loved putting designs on them. Chevron was very popular. So was anything french, Paris or script-inspired. It still is. The problem for me, was that I was relying on stencils to achieve the look. With stencils, I always had a little paint bleed-through and could never achieve the crips, clean edges I desired. Transfers were another option (using tracing paper to imprint a design onto a painted surface), but they took forever to fill-in with paint. And again, my hand wasn't steady enough to get the crisp edges I wanted.

BUT NOW - there's a solution to the edge issue. And a big time-saver. It's vinyl designs. I just applied my first Simply Said design to a little side table and I LOVE it! It took a whole 3 minutes to apply!

Here's the easy steps to applying the design:

1) I applied it over a piece that was painted with Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Old White, with clear wax.

 I ordered the design in a grey color that looks a lot like Annie Sloan's Paris Grey. Look how pretty it is!

Next, I laid it grid-side facing up and ran the application tool across the entire surface to rid it of air bubbles.

 Then I began in the top corner and slowly pulled the grid paper back and down to remove it.

Next, I laid it over my table.

Then I used the application tool again by running it over the whole surface to remove air bubbles and flatten it to the table.

I started at the top left corner and pulled the paper back and down to remove it slowly.

And there she is! Pretty!

It really looks like its painted on! I couldn't be happier with it!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Wallscaping! Examples and the step-by-step to creating your own beautiful gallery wall.

So what is wallscaping you ask? It's my made-up word for dressing up your walls. You've probably heard of gallery walls, where you group photos into a pleasing arrangement on your walls. Wallscaping takes it to the next level. Like landscaping where you plant flowers and greenery in various heights and colors to achieve a cohesive look, wallscaping follows the same principles.

You can use a variety of photos, mirrors, frames, collected items, antiques, sports equipment - really just about anything - and arrange it on the wall in a pleasing manner. Wallscapes can be coordinated by color, theme, size, or shape. Sometimes the groupings are symmetrical, others haphazard. Always completely interesting!

Here's some examples from the Pottery Barn catalog that inspired me to create my own wallscaping.

Of course everything Pottery Barn does looks great and the above example delivers. Love the Americana theme, and use of items in a variety of shapes. The oars are unexpected, yet create the rectangular shape and draw the eye across the top.

Here they keep the look consistent with black frames, and throw in a few circular pieces to keep it interesting! This is one of my favorites - its like a museum exhibit!

Again, this space makes use of the black frames, but throws in a few antique-inspired pieces to keep it interesting.

A few of my friends have wallscaped their spaces, too. My friend Tara did this wall in her rustic-themed basement (it's so cool, there's real whiskey barrels down there serving as side tables!). I love the use of large and small pieces.

Tara is a professional photographer (you can see her work here), and takes full advantage of her gorgeous children as models. Here she created a gallery wall along the staircase. Awesome frames!

My friend Hillary is a master of wallscaping! Check out the nursery she designed for her new baby. Of course, the theme here is little-boy inspired with a fishing rod, antique toy cars, alphabet letters, and more. Isn't it downright adorable!!

Here's a pretty display in her living room, too!

So, after all the drool-worthy inspiration, I was motivated to create my first wallscaping, too. I thought I would document the process for you here, so you can create your own wallscaping.

Steps to Creating Your Own Wallscaping

1) Find your space. I have a 2-story great room with really, really large walls. They are an overwhelming blank canvas, that I have fretted over for 3 years. It was only recently that I felt I could tackle a big project like this. So, I decided this wall was it!

2) Gather your items for the wall. You may have precious family photos you want to display, or heirloom antiques that deserve some spotlight. Maybe you have a movie-theme in mind for your man-cave, or boating items for a nautical theme. Put all your goodies in one area and look at them to determine how much space you need vs. how much space you have.

3) Take your piece that you want to be the focal point and hang it on the wall. For me, its this antique frame I scored for a couple of bucks at a yard sale. Then map out the remainder of the space you plan to use with painters tape. Don't worry about getting the lines straight. You'll use a level when hanging the items. Measure the height and width with a measuring tape.

4) Using your measurements, layout the same sized space on your carpet with the tape. This is your staging area.

5) Start experimenting with layout. Move items around. See what you like. At first, I thought I wanted my big frame off-center. I laid it down first, and began adding items around it. I started with the circle basket on the top right corner, then went for balance by adding the circle mirror on the bottom left next. After I had everything in my space, I took a photo to remember the layout, in case I changed it and wanted to go back to what I had originally done. This layout didn't float my boat. Something felt "not right."

6) Then I tried another layout, in which I put the focal point in the center. I liked that better.

7) Items to gather before you start hanging to keep the process moving: a level (make sure you level everything, especially big pictures and shelves), hammer, drill, screwdriver, pencil, tape measure, nails, wood screws, drywall anchors, and those easy to hang wall hanger things that are hook-shaped. They are a breeze for hanging light-weight items in drywall without a stud. Where there are studs you'll need to use nails or screws, and where there's just drywall, the hook things are great. Or use the anchors. Measure and remeasure or you'll have one too many extra holes in the wall. (take my word on that)

7) I started with my focal piece (the big frame) and worked from the 4 corners in. I slowly added pieces by holding them up on the wall and adjusting the spacing as necessary. Be flexible and adjust your layout as you deem necessary. For some reason, things might not look as good on the wall as it did on the floor!

Here's what I ended up with!

I've got a mix of family photos, mirrors, an art canvas, metal initial, and other odds and ends. I wanted a variety of textures in neutral tones to match my decor, along with an accent of yellow.

My black and white family photos were taken by Tara Sutherland, who I mentioned above. So beautiful!

Inside the frame I plan to hang the piece de resistance - a Simply Said vinyl design. It looks like this!

It's the big one that says "Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen." I had it designed in a chocolate brown color to match my accent wall across the room.

I'll be hanging it as a demonstration at my Simply Said business launch party, scheduled for June 6! I am super excited about it - because this new opportunity fits right in with my love for decor. The Simply Said designs are perfect for wallscaping - in fact, I think its the perfect way to showcase their wonderful messages, or to personalize your space. Look for a lot more ideas using Simply Said designs in coming blog posts - my brain is overflowing with fun things - wait and see!

Speaking of wait and see - as soon as I have the design hung inside the frame, I'll update this post with a final photo - so you can see just how striking it becomes.

And here it is!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for a link to my Simply Said website! Coming May 28th!

Thanks friends!

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Monday, May 3, 2010

Introducing Emma Victoria

I would like to introduce you to my Emma Victoria, she is my middle child even though she is a twin! I will tell you if you are ever down and out or sad and need some lifting up this is the person to see!!! Emma is very funny and always smiling, she wakes up smiling and goes to bed smiling! She looks, acts and thinks like her father, she is a far left brainer! Most people consider Emma to be very serious because she normally is making a serious face but she is actually just studying people and taking it all in! And she normally has the right take on people! Very sensitive to the Lord, always singing the songs from church, prays for everyone she can think of that's my Emma!! She loves going to church and will have a prayer meeting by herself anywhere. A lot of times it's at the grocery store!! She also loves Bro. Brown :) A lot of times Emma speaks in a monotone voice which adds an even more comical effect to whatever she is doing! Emma is probably the most sensitive of my children, very loving and always giving hugs and kisses. Her main love language is touch even when she has just woke up in the morning but has not brushed her teeth!!! Emma also has a laugh that is so very contagious!! Always asking questions she is my "why mom?" child! She is also my patience tester, we all need one right? I can remember one day we were trying to get out the door for an appointment and everyone else had gotten dressed except for Emma, she did not have her socks and shoes on. So i walked over handed her the socks/shoes and told her to put her socks on. I got busy doing some little things around the house and about 30 minutes later I remembered to check on her. So I called out to her "Emma did you get your socks on?" " Yes, mom look I have them on... " She lifts up her arms to show me she had put them on..... her hands. So I took a deep breath and tried to calmly say"Emma please put your socks on your feet" Her reply "Oh not my hands?" Whatever Emma is thinking goes straight to her mouth, she has yet to develop a sensor!! One time we were in Toys R Us and they all three had to go to the restroom. As we get to the restroom there is quite a line formed. As we are waiting in line, it's quiet mind you, a lady comes out of the stall. She has long hair that is very curly and it is dyed a bright orange color. As soon as I saw the lady I tried to stand in front of Emma and divert her did not work. "Hey Mom" I try to ignore her "HEY MOM" "yes Emma" "Mom look at that lady's CRAZY hair" Of course you know she is not whispering. I try to change the conversation but she just keep repeating herself. The lady, thank the Lord she was a mother, turned and smiled and walked out!! I could go on and on about all the embarrassing situations she has gotten me into!! She is constantly speaking loudly when someone is not dressed like she is use to seeing, "Mom why is that person naked?" "Mom they need to go get some clothes on" Anyway you get the point, there is never a dull moment around Emma. She is the sunshine that brightens our home!! I will share this last thing with you that happened today while we were at the grocery store.. I am pushing the cart and she walks in front of me and I accidentally ran into her so I said Emma watch where you walk, her reply "Mom watch where you drive that thing!!"

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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Daily Look: Hand-me-Down

Shirt: Ann Taylor Factory // Shorts: J. Crew // Shoes: Me Too via Marshall's // Bracelet: Gift // Ring: Madewell // Sunglasses: Ray-Ban // Lips: MAC Rebel // Nails: UO Basics Hot Tub // Toes: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Pep-Plum

When I came out dressed in this outfit, my husband asked, "Is that shirt new?" I told him that it's new to me, but that it's actually many, many years old. Sam bought this shirt from the Ann Taylor outlet store while we were in college (I think), back before I even knew what a peplum was. She passed it along to me because she doesn't wear it any more, and I've always liked it. Yay for hand-me-downs! I tried to wear it earlier this year to work, but I actually got completely stuck in it when the side zipper caught on a loop of thread meant to hold a belt that this top originally came with. I had to literally cut myself out of the shirt and find something else to wear, and ended up being a leeetle bit late to work. I finally got the courage to try it out again, this time making sure there were no threads to turn it into a straitjacket, and now I'm excited to try it again for work.

Do you get hand-me-downs from any of your friends or family members?

1 comment:

Alexandra Marie said...

Such a cute outfit- love the white and burgundy combo <3 Alex


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Thursday, February 23, 2012

a little booklet

So I had all those cute photos of the bump, etc. and I wanted to be able to share them with others who aren't on my Facebook or know about my blog. So I decided to use the cute Starbucks mug as inspiration.

I had made one of these books before and got the idea from this gal. So with a bunch of
matching and
cutting and
printing and
sewing and
gluing and
this is what I have...
a cute little book that will fit in my purse or pocket to share how excited we all are!

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thanks for stopping by...


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There is no doubt Philadelphia is a thriving metropolis steeped in deep, rich history. Everywhere you turn, you will find exciting tourist adventures — but why not try something different? Venture out of your hotel in Philadelphia and head off the beaten path for a day of excitement while visiting one of the following fun, quirky places.

Pizza Brain

392424_311983668872505_141237420_nPizza fans should head over to the world’s only pizza museum, the Pizza Brain. The museum houses the largest collection of pizza-related exhibits in the world, and has even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. After touring the museum, you can enjoy a slice at the attached pizzeria, and then head back to your hotel to relax. The eco-friendly Wyndham Philadelphia Hotel is located in the city’s historic district not too far from the Pizza Brain.

Drexel University College of Medicine

At the Drexel University College of Medicine’s bookstore in East Falls, you can view a unique piece of artwork created from the remains of the college’s cleaning woman, Harriet Cole. Cole willed her body to the school after her untimely death from tuberculosis in 1888, at the age of just 35. At first glance, it appears to be a masterful presentation of string art — but it is actually created from the many nerves and nerve pathways of Cole’s body, immortalized and preserved in a unique work of art.

The contemporary Inn at Penn Hotel is located near the College of Medicine, and is an ideal retreat after a day of exploring the bookstore and college grounds.

Pennypack Park

History comes alive at Pennypack Park, with numerous structures that date back to the 1600s. Bring your walking shoes, because the park stretches for nine miles and covers over 1,300 acres for you to hike, bike or explore on horseback. You can tour numerous historic buildings, and even see a working livestock farm that features daily educational programs.

Every Wednesday during the summer months, there is live music in the park, so pack a blanket and picnic lunch for an evening of music before heading back to your hotel. The Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast, near Pennypack Park, has six guest rooms in a gorgeous three-story Victorian structure that dates back to 1865.

Whether staying in Philly for a day or a week, you won’t run out of things to do. The city is home to a wide array of historic and memorable destinations that are sure to keep you entertained, and leave you with tales to share when you return home.

Philadelphia image source. Pizza Brain logo and Pennypack Park photo from their respective websites.

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Jewelry Auction To Raise Money For Hearing-Impaired Children

Sep 15, 2013

The Advance Health Spa in Hillcrest is accepting Jewelry donations this month, to benefit children affected by hearing loss.

The business is partnering with Sertoma, an organization that works with the hearing impaired, to raise money for the deaf and blind school’s hearing aid costs.

They will accept all types of jewelry in any type of condition, including broken watches and single, lost earrings. Event organizer Connie Carbary  says the donated items will be fixed.

"We have people that are remaking it at the Arts Center.  So they're making new jewelry out of the old jewelry, and then we're having a silent auction," says Carbury.

The silent auction is Thursday, October 3rd at the Advance Health Spa.

Deliver or mail donations to 615 Beechwood St (Hillcrest), Little Rock, AR 72205.


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• UCL Twitter account
  • UCL YouTube channel
  • UCL Facebook page
  • UCL SoundCloud channel
  • UCL iTunes store

Information for Staff

Select dates to view past and future events

18:00 - 20:15 2 November 2010

UCL Mishcon Lecture 2010: Simon Jenkins - Do we need defence at all?

Cruciform Lecture Theatre 1 | Cruciform Building (link Map)
Gower Street | London | WC1E 6BT | United Kingdom

Open to: Academic | Alumni | Public | Student
Ticketing: Pre-booking essential

Speaker information

Simon Jenkins, Speaker, Journalist, author & Chairman of The National Trust.
Professor Vernon Bogdanor, Chair, University of Oxford

Simon Jenkins is a journalist, author & Chairman of The National Trust. The evening will be chaired by Professor Vernon Bogdanor, University of Oxford.

6pm Reception (North Cloisters, UCL) 7pm Lecture (Cruciform Lecure Theatre 1, UCL Cruciform Building)

The Mishcon Lectures were established at UCL in 1990 in honour of Lord Mishcon to mark his 75th birthday and in recognition of his achievements and service in the fields of law, education, religion, government and politics, both central and local.

Lisa Penfold
+44 (0) 20 7679 1514 | lisa.penfold@ucl.ac.uk

Click here to book
All UCL Laws events

Simon Jenkins


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Were working through the Life Without Limits project quite nicely now. The first shipment of parts arrived. This included the breadboard and Jumper wires (for protoyping), along with our two Wii Remotes. The reason for these is inside is them there is a pc compatible bluetooth controller. We will extract this and use that. I’ve already take apart one remote and prepared it to take out the Bluetooth transceiver. This wasnt hard there were simply four screws on the back which had to be removed, and then the case was pryed off. It was a bit tricky to remove the case without breaking the clips in the front though. The case also had Tri-winged screws holding it together but I was able to remve those using a 2.4X20mm flathead screwdriver as I did not not have a Triwinged screwdriver.

We are still awaiting the arrival of the microcontrollers which im sure will arrive soon.

-Manbir Gulati


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Aidan Gillen & Charlie Murphy Join The Peaky Blinders

Aidan Gillen (Game Of Thrones) and Charlie Murphy (Happy Valley) have joined the cast for series four of Steven Knight’s gangster epic, Peaky Blinders, directed by David Caffrey (Line Of Duty). Charlotte Riley is also set to return.

In series four, Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) receives a mysterious letter on Christmas Eve. He realises that the Peaky Blinders are in danger of annihilation so, as the enemy closes in, Shelby flees his country house and returns to the streets of Small Heath, Birmingham, where a desperate fight for survival begins.

Writer and creator, Steven Knight, says: “We have a dream team gathered for series four of Peaky Blinders, coming to us for love of the series which is great. Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen and Charlie Murphy give us a wealth of talent to work with, and with Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley returning we couldn’t have hoped for more.”

Tom Hardy (Taboo) will return as Jewish gang leader Alfie Solomons, alongside series regulars Natasha O’Keefe (Misfits), Packy Lee (The Frankenstein Chronicles), Helen McCrory (Skyfall), Paul Anderson (The Revenant), Joe Cole (Green Room), Sophie Rundle (Jamestown), Finn Cole (Animal Kingdom), Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Detectorists), and Kate Phillips (The Crown).


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Jun 19, 2011

I love Germany T-shirt

Black, red and yellow are the colours of the German flag. At the end of June the World Women Soccer Championship will begin, and the German team is one of the favourites. What about watching the games and wearing this stylish T-shirt?

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Uncommon Grounds: Specialty Coffee, Roasted Fresh Every Day

Berry Berry

A full flavored berry tea containing black and red currants as well as raisins making this a naturally sweet tea.

Tea is bagged loose and priced and sold in half pound (8oz.) bags.

Roast: No
Region: Herbal Tea
Buy Coffee Now
Buy Online | Call 518.581.0656 | Login


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bad news/good news

Hi Folks-

So today I’m starting early on the post and we’ll see if I can finish by the time Sharon gets home at 6. Traveled to Burlington today with Sharon and the colors are mostly gone, with the notable exception of the row of maple trees across the lawn in front of the capital. These trees are still magnificent.

So we went to an appointment I had with the Retina Center of Vermont where I’d been referred by local eye doctor Jay Kimberly. The doctor today confirmed that I have a condition called macular pucker. It’s when there’s scar tissue on the macular and it can cause problems with your sight. He said mine was “light to moderate” in its severity and since I can still see fine he recommended that I didn’t need any treatment or intervention. I asked him, and this is the point of me telling you all this, I asked him if the condition got progressively worse and he said no, not generally. To have a physical ailment that is not expected to eventually get worse was such a relief.

The bummer of the day was that the appointment took so long that we couldn’t have lunch before bringing Sharon back to work. While she was waiting for me to get done she had used a Google app to find the restaurants nearby to where we were and she found this really cool sounding place called The Spot. It’s a converted gas station on Shelburne Rd. and it sounded like an awesome place for breakfast or lunch. Anyway, Sharon had to get back so we’ll hopefully check out The Spot some time in the future.

Fish arriving tomorrow:

  • Alaskan Cod, flash frozen at sea
  • East Coast Halibut
  • Dayboat yellow tail sole
  • Sustainable Shetland Salmon
  • Dayboat Haddock
  • Swordfish
  • Icelandic Arctic Char
  • 16/20 Wild Gulf Shrimp
  • 10/20 Dry Scallops
  • Pemaquid Oysters

See you at the Store!

The Uncommon Market

The store worth walking to.”

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Friday, 30 September 2011

Our cheeky Forest Friends

With autumn fast approaching and the dark nights drawing in, I’d like to introduce our new paper Forest friends.
Foxy Fox, Barry the Badger, Scotty Squirrel and Hannah Hedgehog can be found hanging around my back garden waiting for the cob nuts to fall from my trees so they can eat a tasty supper. They are all a little cheeky, especially Scotty!! He’s always stealing the birdies food. And Foxy,…well you have to be quick or you miss her. She likes hanging out at the bottom of my garden next to the over grown pond. She’s been basking in the last of the summer sun today! And Hannah…well she’s normally snoozing somewhere….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And Barry, we only see him when he’s hungry!

These 2D treasures are quickly transformed into these 3D gorgeous animals simply with scissors, a ruler and glue. Perfect for Kiddies and Kidults alike.
Designed by Madeleine Rogers for Mibo, they are printed using vegetable dyes and printed on recycled paper.
Madeleine founded her company Mibo in 2001, first designing dashing lampshades. Her signature modern and clean designs quickly gained recognition with Habitat, The Conran shop and Heals snapping them up.
Where possible all Mibo products are made in the UK, using organic and recycled materials.

Snap them up quick…they are a fast bunch and will be gone quicker then you know!

Thursday, 29 September 2011

To Breast Feed. A simple choice?

Breast Feeding.
Naively before I had my two terrors I thought you simply made a choice between breast or bottle. Simple. Choice made.
Only mummies with poorly babies, or babies with poorly mummies had the choice made for them.
How wrong was I!!

Why does nobody ever tell you how hard breast feeding is?
With the naughty I was totally confused with the different advice that I was given, and upset with what I felt was my body failing me.  To become a mummy and not be able to feed your child naturally (if that is how you have chosen to feed) is an emotional wrench. Your baby is so tiny and one of your first duties as a Mum, you have failed at. You feel helpless.

Now I am not going to give any advice or fast fix as I struggled too. I found it very hard with the naughty. I'll never know if quantity or quality is the problem with me. Who knows! Without being able to inspect the milk myself I was left with the quandary of what to do for the best. We are all told breast is best, but other than that the advice given seams to contradict it’s self.

Through my struggles with feeding Ida and Sam, I have heard the following…you’ll see why I have been in such a muddle!

-Never feed from one breast for longer than 30 minutes.
-Feed as long as baby wants to feed even if this means constantly (impossible when you have a 14 month old daughter to entertain and look after)
-Feed baby only from one breast at each feed.
-Feed baby from both breasts at each feed.
-If quality or quantity is poor top up with formula.
-Don’t top up with formula; instead try to increase milk supply with expressing.
-Try to increase your milk supply by first breast-feeding from each breast for 30 minutes, then formula feeding (takes another 20 minutes) then expressing for 20 minutes. My baby was feeding every 2 hours at this point meaning I had exactly 20 minutes after doing this before feeding would start again!
-Do not give expressed or formula from a bottle, use a cup!? But don’t waste a speck!
-Improve your diet. (I’m a greens and fruit eating vegetarian that eats a balanced diet…. I love fresh healthy food! I found this insulting...maybe my over emotional hormones)
-I even have a friend who’s midwife told her that her daughter was obviously repelled by her breast. Poor Mummy and Naughty Midwife!

So with all the advice above, i am sticking to my own advice for once, Mummy knows best.
I am again sticking to my guns and working on the basis that if the way I choose to feed my baby suits myself and my family then that is what I will do and I will not be made to feel guilty about it!
Especially by other Mummies that have breast-fed easily and don’t understand the emotions and difficulties you have agonized over to make the decision to move to the bottle.

My Man Sam

 **I was told this amazing fact by a supportive friend when i was trying to decide whether to switch to bottle with Ida....over 75% of the English Rugby team were bottle fed! And look at those strapping, healthy looking fella's! It didn't do them any harm, did it!

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

The tradition of gift giving- Baptism and Christening

Sarah is busy squirreling away with the function and layout of our new website. It’s all very exciting and is looking fabulous already. Well done Sarah! Tweeking to be finished very soon!

As  we have introduced a new section to the new, sleek website called “Special Occasions” I thought I better do my research about what is traditional and appropriate for a Christening gift. All I knew was silver was always a suggested gift but I have never known the reasoning behind it. So I set about looking up exactly what, why, when!

In the similar way that couples getting married are given a Trousseau (a bottom drawer gift) or money for there new life together, Christening or Baptism gifts were given with the same agenda. A small token of money or a gift with a value was given as investment for the child as he or she grew. Many people know the tradition of giving a half a sixpence or a lucky sovereign to a child as a suggestion of a nest egg.

However there are many many other traditions in the UK that we can follow if we choose to.

The Victorians strongest influence on traditional gifts was again the emphasis of the “token” of a gift of financial value, therefore introducing the silver sterling gift. Many gifts of this time were eggcups, spoons, napkin rings and cutlery all in silver sterling.
The tradition of the silver tankered or christening cup dates back to an earlier tradition of drinking vessels in Northern Europe.
The tradition that I am most accustomed to is the giving of a silver spoon at a Christening or Baptism.  This originates from the Tudor time when an Apostle spoon, a spoon with a figure of one of the Apostle’s on the handle, was given.  This is thought to be the origin of the phrase “born with a silver spoon in your mouth”

But the tradition of giving a gift to a little one for their naming ceremony dates back even further then that.  The importance of Marriage, Death, Birth and coming of age in pre-Christian Europe were all given as equal importance as the changing of the seasons. As a very new religion of Christianity developed, it adopted many pagan traditions like Christmas and the Easter, all coinciding with the pagan traditions of Saturnalia, Winter Solstice and Spring equinox. The pagans also had a tradition of giving new born's gifts that precedes the well-known story we all know of the three Wise men giving Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. In the pagan story of Magi in their Christmas story, the gift given to the new born child were the same gifts given to Christ, and date back a lot further than the birth of Christ.

Now please don’t be scared. As a non-believer myself,  I just like to know the reasoning behind traditions and then choose whether to follow them. If for you the above has some other symbolic meaning, fantastic.
But what I think this shows us more importantly is that new born's and little ones are meant to be treasured and celebrated because even though they squawk a lot, they are VERY special.  And really any gift, in my opinion, is suitable as long as it is chosen and given with love.
So if you choose to keep to tradition and choose a silver spoon or a simple hand knitted teddy you can rest assured that it is received and loved in the true spirit it is given with.

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

A follow up to it’s a kind of magic: Hands on teaching and learning

 As Sarah mentioned in her blog of yesterday, sometimes you need to be able to touch and physically see things in the flesh to be able to know how things feel, how they work and how special they are.

Through Baby Led Weaning Ida, I have taught myself that the best way of getting Ida to understand and communicate is through play and repetition. She leant to squash, smudge, squelch and drop a piece of sweet potato long before she leant to eat it.
We sit for what feels like hours after meal times with Ida pointing at her plate at the animations of the “sunshine”, “cow”, “sheep”, “flower”, “cloud” as I repeat the words over and over again for her. Then I break the repetition and I say, “where is the sunshine?” to which I am awarded with a smile and point at the correct yellow circle. Hurray! Progress.
The naughty is also very good at asking for the dingle dangle scarecrow song by signing, “cow”… “when all the cows are sleeping”… I wont’ sing it all! So when a daytrip with all the other antenatal Mummies to a farm was mentioned I thought yay!!

We all went to the marvelous Bocketts farm at the weekend. A lovely farm that has been opened to the public for Children and Adults to learn about farming and animals all through play. With the last of the summer sun shining brightly, the bags of animal feed ready to be used, wellies and waterproofs at the ready (just in case) and a packed lunch ready for all the babies to share amongst them (our BLW friends understand that babies who are weaned this way are very good at sharing thier lunch, as long as you share yours!)
We fed the Sheepies, we watched the Piggy’s race, we laughed at the chickens and I was an ever so happy and proud Mummy as we strolled up to the Big Cow and her calf with feed at the ready and Ida chuckled to herself and them signed, “cow”. She knew that this BIG animal was the same thing as the black and white Fresia on her plate at home.

Children learn through play. Your can sit and sit for hours with the TV and Books and teach them but sometimes you just need to get outside and feel, see, smell and touch the real thing.

Our next sign to learn is “elephant”. In honor of the Fluffy Companion Ida has decided is her favourite. Then when her bespoke handmade Breakfast set by Helen Beard is completed we’ll be able to play spot the Elephant with her. Her forever reminder of her Special Elephant friend through her early years, reminding her how very special he was. We may even nip to the Zoo to she how BIG Elephants really are!

Monday, 26 September 2011

It's a kinda magic...

Although a picture says a 1000 words, it is very hard to show the quality of handmade goods in a photograph or two. You could have the perfect light, the best model, the most up to date megapixel digital SLR and a sales copy that should cause people fall at your feet begging to own one, but you still would be missing out on that one to one touch experience that really shows the quality of the goods.

I've tried, and come woefully short, to explain the softness, the sheen and touch-ability of the Nyoki bonnets and booties. There's something in the handmade process that doesn't carry across through pictures or words, but pick up just one little bootie and the feeling is universal. You want to pick it up again right after you have put it down. It's hard to let go. The same goes for the Shuktara blankets, the knitted Micies, Squishies, and Softies – they have a need to be loved. Probably because they are made with love, by people who care about them.

Our less cuddly pieces are just as irresistible; the wooden Markus Kempe pieces exude a warmth on an emotional level that just speak to your inner child. They make you want to sit on the floor and go brrrrmmmm or clip clop depending upon which toy you pick up. You're already half way through an adventure in your own little world by the time you pick up a piece. It's almost as if there's some kind of invisible mini you whispering into your ear.

Actually, it's magic. The magic of handmade. The love and care that the artist or creator puts into each of their pieces is the same kind of love that a parent gives a child. So the hours spent making a handmade piece weaves each loving minute into the material, breathing warmth and love into it. The finished product is not only made of cotton or bamboo or wood, it's seeped in love and it is this magic that you feel on an unconscious level.

Like the fairy who brought Pinocchio to life for Geppetto, our handmade pieces cast their own spell over people. It's just a shame that unlike the world of Harry Potter, our website doesn't have the ability to let you touch and feel our pieces using some kind of magic... Perhaps we'll find a way to bring these lovely pieces to you... [watch this space].

Friday, 23 September 2011

We love Bunny Rabbits!

A blog dedicated to Bunny Bunny our constant companion

This Sunday is International Rabbit Day, I kid you not – there is a whole day around the world where our long and short eared furry friends are celebrated. The official wording behind IRD is “International Rabbit Day is an international day which promotes the protection and care of rabbits both domestic and wild.” So it's not all carrot crunching and washing of ears, then?!

At 1 day old
Rabbits play a big part in my life, DangerBaby can always be found with BunnyBunny or both BunnyBunnies (she knows there's two so there goes my 'backup bunny' plan). She will not sleep without a Bunny, BunnyBunny has been with her since the day she was born and I can't see a day where he will not feature in her life (I still have Panda and I'm over 30!).

Her two favourite things!
We read stories with bunnies in them, and when she points at a picture the phrase is always the same – 'BunnyBunny hop hop!'. They're a firm favourite. It's not surprising then that as soon as I started to knit animals the first thing I tried after a panda was a rabbit. It took me a while to find the pattern that I loved the most and can't stop knitting. I found Barbara Prime on Flickr and was hooked from the sheep to the rabbits onwards. I use her patterns as a basis for the u-ni-k bunnies (deviating when my experiments show me that her pattern doesn't always suit the yarn I am knitting with).
BunnyBunny at the Drs
with chickenpox

I've just finished Dirty Dorris, the little sister of the u-ni-k Bella Bunny. I'm knitting her jumper as we speak... so she can be photo'd an put on the website along with the Micies, Squishies and other Softies. I'll of course put the results of the photo shoot on this blog and on the Facebook page as an exclusive sneak preview, once she's dressed.

Bella and Dorris are not the only rabbits we have over at u-ni-k, Anna has two (real ones) called Seth and Primrose and we of course stock the lovely letterpress limited edition prints by Mandy Suttcliffe of Belle and Boo, and just Boo. Rabbits also feature in our framed vintage playing cards, as breakfast boards (the one photographed on the site is actually Kathryn's) and pull along toys.

So celebrate International Rabbit Day with us at u-ni-k and bring one of these lovely creatures into your life!

If I'm going then so is BunnyBunny!

Thursday, 22 September 2011

When children don't play's tough on Mummy & Baby

Uh oh! Woman driver!

I've started taking DangerBaby to social activities like toddler groups, play areas, and swimming! She's 16m and craves the company of her own kind; children. It doesn't matter if they're older or younger just not adults. So when we can't organise a meet up with one of the NCT Mummies and their little ones we head out.

I'm trying very hard not to be a 'helicopter parent' hovering over my child protectively, as she toddles about at high speed exploring the world and rejoicing in other children. I have a lovely little girl who is happy and sociable. But she has very big feelings and can be upset by the smallest of injustices. So it breaks my heart when she's the victim of one of less sociable children.

Without exception, everywhere I have taken my child (including the church toddler group) she has been pushed over, hit or otherwise 'rough and tumbled' out of the way. It's usually the older girls that do the pushing or shoving. The result is always the same, my little one on the floor.

Playing nice
My little one sits there with a bemused look at first wondering how she ended up there and then realisation dawns and a sad bewildered look at the child that pushed her over. Why would a fellow child that she wants so much to play with ...not want to play with her?

If the shove was really hard we'll then have some silent tears. It's heartbreaking but also a tough lesson for us both to learn. I can't chastise and put a strangers child on the naughty step and usually my cry of 'hey!' has alerted the other child's Mummy and punishment occurs in their own way.

However, if the shove came from an older child who should know better I do fight for my child in the only way the other child will understand. A serious whisper from adult to child “Santa doesn't visit naughty little girls /boys [delete as appropriate]”.

When my Daughter can speak I'll teach her that sentence so that she can fight her own battles. Until then, all I can do is reassure my child, put her back on her feet and send her back out into the world.
2 seconds before this photo both were happily playing together

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

A World of Imagination! PUFF PUFF ROAaaaaarrrrR !

I was watching Cash in the attic the other day (I know, I know- rubbish TV, but I was feeding Samson so I had to pass the time somehow when he’s on the wrong boob- I can’t type with my left hand! ) and they stumbled across a collection of weebals! For those of you who weren’t children during the eighties, - weebals were roly-poly funny egg shaped things with faces that couldn’t fall or be pushed over as they were balls. They were pretty ugly but definitely had a likeability factor. I can’t remember why I loved mine so much. The collection on TV were a small family that created quite a stir with an abundance of bids at auction. Who would have thought that the funny little round faces would be worth something in years to come. They are simply made of plastic!

You can never decide what your children will learn to love. Ida has a fascination for cardboard tubes at the moment because they are also secretly a trumpet and a telescope if you have a little imagination! She is also partial to a blusher brush!! Who would have daughter Miss Vain!

I love to watch her intently moving objects round the room, making little hoards of certain things and disregarding others. Opening boxes up and removing the contents then putting it all back in.  Reading an upside down book to me in a jibber jabber Ida language. Be warned, don’t ever turn that book round the right way! Squawk squawk how dare you!

A world of imagination is important. It makes play time come alive and makes a simple tent in your garden into a pretty home with  an elaborate window box with a purple stegosaurus who comes to tea every Tuesday for plum jam and scones and a cup of chai!

We have a steggie visiting us soon on the u-ni-k website. Be warned, she’s of the unique variety and a little naughty! Lets hope she can fill lots of little ones imaginations as they play!

Welcome steggie!

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

A newly named GREEN & NATURAL section

We support and love unique makers.
We support and love handmade products and those that make them.
We support Mummy, Daddy and Grandparent makers.

We also support all that is GREEN, all that keeps our world turning in a healthy happy way so that our children and their children can live in a healthy environment. What we do today supports and maintains a healthy world for our families in the future.
So when Sarah mentioned that the Planet Friendly section on our website was the least favourite section I was shocked and surprised.
So I am dedicating this blog to promoting all products on our newly named NATURALS section and will explain why the products on this section are GREEN and ever so lovingly special.

Shuktara kantha blankets
Hand stitched (kantha) blankets made in Calcutta from recycled Sari cotton’s. Not only are Shuktara supporting the local community by giving the skilled women jobs to stitch these beautiful blankets, the profits of these blankets also go towards the Shuktara children’s charity; Helping Indian children who have been disowned due to their disabilities. Not only does Shuktara support and educate them, it also homes them for life in a “home” environment rather than an institution. So not only are you helping the environment by buying a upcyled product made with hands and no machines, you are also supporting a fabulous charity run by my very good friend, David Earp.
We love it when each blanket finds a happy home, as they are truly beautiful.

Old Rectory sleep wear
Beautifully soft bed wear for children created by two sisters whose grandfather’s sketches of local nature spots and wildlife have helped create these timeless pieces. All have been made using only quality controlled and insured cottons, healthy working environments and Oeko-tex certified dyes. This means kinder to the environment as well as kinder to our children’s skin. We have a gorgeous collection of blankets, sleep bags, rompers and PJ’s. I only wish they did the PJ’s in my size!
Daisy Bridgewater from the Telegraph also recently caught the green bug and noticed how beautiful and special this collection is.

Belle and Boo letterpress’s
These special editions (editions of 50) are beautifully printed using the 20th century tradition of letterpress printed onto 100% cotton fibres recycled from the garment district. Letter pressing gives a rich and distinctive appearance to the print. A feeling of a product printed with care where you can almost envisage the person who has worked the beautiful press machine to create the captured print. The simple method works by pressing a raised surface onto paper to form an image. Not only are these Belle and Boo prints a beautiful finished product, they have also been made using a beautiful and hopefully not to be forgotten method of printing. The printing process itself is a work of art.

Recycled silver spoons
Using recycled silver-plated spoons and capturing a moment of birth by personalising the naughty spoon with a name and date of birth. Organically upcycled vintage silver spoons.

Marcus Kampe Wooden Toys
Beautiful toys handmade using traditional methods of carving the wood, made in the deepest darkest woods in the Teuroberg forest. Made from sustainable Birchwood, Cherry and Alder trees. Marcus and Britte believe in following the natural lines and quality of the wood to create a beautiful finished piece. Each piece has been lovingly nurtured and made with love by a true craftsperson.
We were spoilt for choice when selecting our u-ni-k collection.
We finally selected a beautiful collection of vehicles & pull along toys for children to play with, coat hooks and racks to embellish a nursery and breakfast boards to make any meal time fun. The naughty ‘s mealtime is always made more enjoyable when a little animal on her plate is noticed and both her and I moo like a cow or baa like a sheep while eating her tasty meal.

Soon to be launched: TaDaa’s simple clothing shapes.
One of our newest makers- TaDaa are a duo team that have created a collection of children’s clothes from up cycled shirting fabrics made with 100% natural fibres. They have incorporated many multicultural influences when creating this collection as well as keeping the key features of the shirt when making the clothes, Meaning every piece is a one off.
The shirts that finally become the TaDaa collection are all collected from Le Relais, the French charitable recycling organisation.
We are looking forward to receiving our first delivery of clothes next week.

So now you all know how special our little family of GREEN and NATURAL makers are!! Not only do they care about making wonderful products for our children they are also looking after the environment by doing so.
Something we all should be doing just a little bit more!

Choose Natural!

Monday, 19 September 2011

Parenting methods: Unconditional Love and The best piece of advice

We are two Mums.
We both have similar parenting methods.
We both have Baby Led Weaned our girls.
We have both let our girls get their clothes covered with strawberries as they learn to feed themselves.
We have both let our girls splash in puddles and get covered in mud as they play (good clean mud only!)
We both don’t iron our children’s clothes (I don’t iron my own clothes let alone my children’s clothes unless we visit Great Nana and Granddad, as that is a little like visiting the queen…I was once scorned for dressing the Naughty in denim!! Girls in denim! Great Grannies eh!!)
We both didn’t give our daughters dummies. Danger baby didn’t want one and I chose not to give Ida one.
We both get on our soapbox if riled!
We both rarely brush our hair! Never enough time!
We are both a little bit mad! Well….Sarah’s crazy…me a little odd perhaps!?
We both have decided to start a business while our children are small.

Crazy! I know!!

As new parents we all receive advice from fellow mummies, our own Mums and professionals about how best to bring up our children. Cultural differences, personal choices and learning as we go along all mean we make different choices when bringing up our children. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong. My choices have been made for many reasons.  Here are a few of them,

Because the way I have been brought up.
Because of the lifestyle I live with my partner
I want the best for my children.
Because I am a little hippy and like to be abit different

All I know is that through being a Mum and meeting other Mummies, we all have one thing in common. We all have the best intentions for our children. We may not agree with how other people decide to bring up their children, nor may we agree with the methods that they do it.  Sarah and I met at our anti-natal classes amongst three other couples. All of us have bought up our children very differently (the debate of last week...mucky pups!). All of them I respect for their choices even if i choose to parent in a different way.

Whilst tweeting (working!) this morning I stumbled across a tweet from a fellow mummy blogger about her 11-year-old boy who has started lying. Only small white lies, but lies all the same. Now I am not there yet. My two are both under 2. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to tackle the lying subject with an 11-year-old. I am still learning and struggling now that the naughty has leant to say NO!
(Such a horrible word. If I say it we have floods of tears from her…. if she says it, it means I am in for a BAD day!! She’s Stubborn!! No- can’t be from me!)
This Mummy was asking for help…how should she deal with her son lying so blatantly?
So I sat…and thought about how I could help. Then I remembered the best piece of advice I was ever given from a friend. Don’t judge or advsie another Mum until your child has been there.

So I tweeted back my support and wished her luck instead. Who am I to judge or advise when my two naughties are yet to get there.
We are still struggling with NO!

Help! Anyone!?

Friday, 16 September 2011

Mucky Pups have more fun!

Mucky Pups vs. Pristine Princesses

There aren't many things that will make me stand on my soap box [apart from the lack of British apples in the supermarket, all the issues Hugh's Fish Fight is championing, and a whole host of other things I'd like to mention but really must get back to the point], but people disciplining their children for being dirty is one of them.

To keep this simple – would you chastise your toddler if they came home from nursery looking like a “street urchin”?

For example if the 'street urchin' look was clothes are covered in food, play doh, a grey smear you have no idea what it is, and what looks to be mud or compost or leaf mould – some kind of nature muck. Hair is a mess and fingernails are black.

Would I be pulling my hair out dragging the toddler away from the nursery screaming at the staff about the lack of care?

Nope, quite the opposite. Each of those marks has a story to tell:

DangerBaby is learning to eat with cutlery and in the process of bringing spoon filled with baked beans to mouth, more often than not 80% of the beans don't make it to the mouth. Nor do the beans stay on her bib, they run off the bib and on to the trousers quicker than Mr.Bolt. I don't notice, I'm too busy saying 'Woweee clever girl you are a good nummy numnumer” and scooping more beans up onto her spoon. Result – Food on clothes.

We recently went to a toddler morning organised by our local leisure centre where as well as soft play there were crafts and other activities for toddlers. Not something we do at home, so DangerBaby had never seen paint covered paintbrushes, glue or glitter before. She happily toddled over to the paint, picked up a sponge, covered her hands rolled the sponge on a bit a paper and then dipped it in every paint colour going to make a nice brown smudge thing. Still holding the brush, she laughed with glee and ran at the glitter table. I only just had time to rescue the genius child's masterpiece before she put the paintbrush into the glitter. So with paintbrush rescued the obvious choice was her hands... in they went to the glue and then into the glitter and after a brief visit to her hair... on to the paper it all went. Two masterpieces later and I conceded to wiping the worst of the glue off her hands. Result – Strange grey stuff on our trousers (glue).

The glitter kept us amused for AGES [about 5 minutes] before she noticed the play doh table. Now cleanish, this strange stuff was sniffed, tasted [and I wonder why we both have horrific colds at the moment] and moulded about. All and any models Mummy tried to make were squished with a triumphant belly laugh and a huge smile. Result – Play Doh under our nails and in our hair.

All this fun tired us out and we headed home for lunch and a nap. [I'm still finding glitter on her bedroom floor and it's a week later].

Once she'd charged her batteries, we took to the garden to hunt for vegetables / strawberries / the last of any crop we could find. But this meant passing the leaky water butt with the bucket of water catching the drips. Splish splash! Wet hands over to the veggy patch to see if there are any strawberries, pull away the plants Mummy has just picked up, see a strawberry – quick wipe wet muddy hands on top/trousers and POUNCE. Yummy yummy. Pick up HUGE snail and poke it and wipe off all the dirt... go to put in mouth... MUMMY TO THE RESCUE! I chase her around the garden shouting 'No chew chew!' hoping that she'll put the poor snail down and find something else to keep her amused. She rockets off towards the greenhouse screaming with joy. Result – compost, water, muck, leaf mould all over her hands & clothes.[no snails were harmed in the writing of this blog]

By the time CBeebies bedtime hour and supper came along, we were both liking a bit like Stig of the Dump - or 'street urchins'. What a fantastic day we had!

As you can see I measure the success of our day by how my child looks after her supper.

Last Friday, her hair was spiky and glittery with a little smear of brown paint, she had bits of baked bean juice on her sleeve, glitter, paint, grey stuff, red play doh, and garden muck on her trousers.

But most importantly of all she was wearing a very very big smile all the way to her bedtime bath.

My little mucky pup:

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Quick panic only 99 days left

Quick panic, only 99 days ''til Christmas.

Yep you heard it here first folks, we've passed that magical date in the calendar that lets retailers start the frenzy that is the lead up to Christmas. Pop to your local supermarket today and I tell you they'll have some of their Christmas decoration (cards, wrapping paper etc) and perhaps even some Christmas chocolates on the shelves. It starts now peeps.

So let's think about this, 99 days is a little over 14 weeks. If you want something extra special, made by hand by a talented artisan, you may have to order your purchase up 6 weeks beforehand.

So you actually have 8 weeks shopping time before Christmas.

But this is not factoring in the Royal Mail deadline date for Christmas parcel post, and let's admit that you need to add a few days just to make sure it arrives to your nephew in South Africa on time:

International Airmail
Mon 6 Dec 2010
South & Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Far East (including Japan), Australia  and New Zealand
Fri 10 Dec 2010
Eastern Europe, USA and Canada
Mon 13 Dec 2010
Western Europe

Let's be safe and say you post it on the 3rd December. That's another 3 weeks of lost shopping time.

Oh oh you have to gift wrap it before putting it in the post. Do you remember how long that takes? How many weeks do your presents sit, hidden before the dreaded 'gift wrapping' evening can no longer be avoided... 1, 2 weeks? So let's factor that in as well.

Then you run out of sellotape [other brands of sticky back plastic are available] and so have all your local shops, so you have to wait until next week when you're in town to pick some up. There goes another week.

All of a sudden you only have 2 weeks to find the perfect present, wrap it and post it to make sure that it arrives looking all beautiful for opening on Christmas day.

Feeling the pressure? How's that heartbeat? Need a cup of tea/coffee/wine?

And breathe.

Anna and I are here to help. We're helpful people {it's in our nature, no really it is... along with being bossy [me] and a bit hippy [Anna]}

So panic not, drop us a line we will navigate through the maze of children's advertising to find you a present that will stand out from the crowd and be the favourite present of the holidays.

Oh and we gift wrap and post for you.

Stay Calm and Panic Shop with u-ni-k gifts at

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Celebrate illustrators as well as authors!

Yesterday was the official “Roald Dahl Day”, it's celebrated on the 13th September as it was his birthday (he would have been 95 this year). While this year's celebrations were overshadowed slightly by the uproar surrounding his families request for money to save his writing shed, the meaning behind the day should still be celebrated.

I remember reading James and the Giant Peach underneath the covers with a torch after lights out. I was forever being told off for reading after lights out, but I still read myself to sleep every evening [usually found asleep with book still fast in hand by Daddy DayCare] and reading to DangerBaby is an important part of our bedtime ritual.

Roald Dahl wrote over 50 children's books and you can't fail to have missed one of his stories (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG...) or the equally iconic images that accompany them. While the author is celebrated, the illustrations are as just as famous but can you remember the name of the illustrator...?

Quentin Blake! His style is synonymous with the Roald Dahl stories. In fact for many, the drawings that accompanied the stories were more than the 'icing on the cake' as they brought the words to life. With Dahl and Blake it is hard to imagine a Dahl story one without the Blake illustrations.

DangerBaby currently likes to hear the words but it is the illustrations that capture her the most. Illustrators like Quentin Blake make the bedtime story enjoyable for both parent and child. But the illustrator's contribution is often overlooked. We don't have a Quentin Blake day, which is a shame.

Anna and I have been trying very hard to bring original children's illustrations to u-ni-k gifts. We found and partnered up with Colin Petty for his Victoria Plum pieces, and I've recently discovered a lady who rescues illustrations from damaged vintage children's books and frames them for prosperity. Hopefully she'll agree to work with us and they will soon feature on u-ni-k gifts.

So in honour of all the illustrators out there (including the talented Kev Brett [@kev_brett] the man behind the hilarious eBook The Monkey & The Mouse [@tmtm_comic]), I am declaring 14th September 'Illustrators Day'. Hurrah for these people who help bring the words to life.

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

There's not much difference between a Mum and an entrepreneur!

I saw a quote on Twitter that tickled me.."an entrepreneur is someone who works 16hrs to avoid working 8hrs for someone else". How true, especially recently as I've been working on our new look website:

[same address]

It also made me think.. what makes entrepreneurs so different to those who work 9-5 for 'someone else'? I trawled the internet and found the following reasons why:

  1. Entrepreneurs are not merely"self employed" but rather individuals who have a grand vision and a strategy for a particular idea.
  2. Individuals who work for someone else enjoy the security of a steady income and a structured environment [to a degree]. Your part of an established 'team'. An entrepreneur is out there pretty much on their own.
  3. Entrepreneurs relish in the fact that they can grow their income in proportion to their hard work and success [fingers crossed].
  4. Entrepreneurs and corporate workers both work hard, but entrepreneurship requires a 24 hour work mentality [especially at the beginning when it's tough].
  5. Most corporations provide a safety net, so if you miss a task or fail to do something there is a network in place to offset the error; as an entrepreneur you will need an extraordinary skill set and extraordinary stamina to rectify any mistakes made.
  6. Many entrepreneurs are not interested in gaining resources (or making money) as quickly as possible; rather they are interested in long term growth and continually re-invest money back into the business idea or product.
  7. Corporate works have a life and enjoy weekends off, dinner with the family, and paid holiday (in addition to a defined pension program or a employee sponsored pension plan).
  8. Entrepreneurs are stubborn.
  9. Corporate workers can they can enjoy hobbies, sport, entertainment, music, etc., while a successful entrepreneur is busy.

So if you are thinking of starting your own business, you need to ask yourself a few questions and answer them honestly.

Can you live with much less income [initially I hope ]?
Are you strong enough to 'go it alone' or do you have a supportive partner to help you through the tough mental, emotional, financial times ahead?
Are you willing to sacrifice all your 'you' time?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above then you are prepared to become a mumpreneur! You should have answered yes because these would have been the questions that you asked yourself before becoming a Mum.

Having a child is very much like taking a business idea and turning it into a business. Both my babies (DangerBaby and u-ni-k gifts) occupy my thoughts 100% of the time and I can't remember when the last time I had some 'me' time.

I'm not earning the superpennies of a global programme manager and thankfully the loving Daddy DayCare is looking after us while we build ourselves up into the business we want to be, or at least until we are on our feet [unik not DangerBaby who is already running around]

Is it all worth it, you ask?

I'll let you know a year from now, but suffice to say it's hard work but enjoyable so far. [Being a Mum and an entrepreneur]

Tomorrow's blog will be celebrating Roald Dahl.

Many thanks to Vincent Scordo who wrote the inspiring article on February 9, 2009

Monday, 12 September 2011

Now I’m BIG on service. I don’t moan or shriek if I don’t receive the service I expect but I most definitely won’t shop or use the product again if I don’t get the service I feel is correct of the product I am buying.

For instance I used to shop on line with a well known supposedly slightly more expensive supermarket before the terrors came along. The quality was fantastic. Hardly ever was my chosen shopping substituted.  The driver always called if he thought he may be late, They bought the shopping into my house wherever I choose for it to be dropped, were always polite, took my plastic carriers away from my last shop and left with a polite friendly farewell. The only time my shopping was late was because the heaviest snow fell in an hour in decades.
Since moving and having Samson, the purse strings have been tightened and budgets set so we can make the Kircher bungalow into the home we always wished for. As a result I no longer use the same supermarket. The supermarket that now delivers my shopping is frequently late. I nearly always have between 4-6 substitutes, the drivers smells of BO, and they must have a company policy of as soon as they step on your property they will not touch the carrier bags any more. Even when I was 1 week off my due date with Sam the driver expected me to lift every bag off the dirty cartons they were loaded on and carry them into my kitchen. This I actually complained about!!
Some may think my attitude is a little snobby! I personally think we have become a little too accepting of sloppy customer service.

I am equally as impressed if the service I receive is good. My ex-local pizza take away company always amazes me by their efficient, clean and professional service. Now you may say they are just a take away Pizza shop but to watch them work is like watching a finely tuned car. Their standard of service with seamless precision is streamlined due to the team knowing who was responsible for what. They are fantastic. Highly recommended!

Service has been drummed into me from an early age. My Dad worked from home so whenever the phone rang and we were big enough to answer it, we were expected to answer with a polite telephone manner and take a clear message. One of my first p/t jobs was as a shoe shop advisor for an exclusive shoe store where clients couldn’t shop without being served. My favourite clients were the old ladies that couldn't reach their toes, so needed my help and advice.... I loved to natter to them! The boss used to have us running round the stock room as a forfeit if we didn't reach targets at the end of the day.... obviously all in jest! And targets weren't all about money made. It was a reflection on cleanliness, quality of service and knowledge of stock. All integral to a good customer service.
We all know what it's like to be ignored by a shop person who happily takes your money but doesn’t actually look up to acknowledge you are there.

My last company I worked for was renowned for it’s service. If you arrived at opening or teatime you would be offered a cup of tea (builders and herby) or good proper coffee served on a beautiful tea tray! We carried your shopping to your car, hand delivered it to your home, called you a taxi to take you home, offered to alter the length or take in or out your purchased clothes to make it perfect for your body shape. We made to order, especially dyed things a certain colour, washed your clothes and called clients when something arrived we thought was made for them and always smiled. We even sent Christmas gifts to our loveliest clients and made our own packaging behind the scenes! Service is second nature to me now.  It’s a simple thing to offer…it’s free…and it’s something that goes a long way. It’s simple. When the economy is struggling and stores are finding it hard to meet targets, a simple smile goes a long way.

At u-ni-k Sarah and I will always offer a friendly, smiley service. We’ll happily advise you with your shopping. We can personalize, make a different size or colour or even make something totally unique when you can’t quite find what you were looking for.  We’ll even send it to your friend or family member and remind you the following year when the new baby that you bought for turns 1. And we make our own packaging too! We try to make your shopping experience special, as we are just as happy when our gifts find happy homes as you are.
We were even a little sad to say goodbye to our favourite Victoria Plum original drawing last week, when she found a happy home!

Bye Bye Victoria!


text:
Saturday, August 23, 2008

The rocket's red glare

Our local paper reprinted this fascinating Washington Post piece by Philip Pennicott on the arrangements of the various national anthems that have been playing at medal ceremonies in Beijing.

I've been struck by the interesting, often unusual orchestrations you've heard as athletes stand on the podium, especially by the lovely strings and nimble, light arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner. And those with a better ear than mine probably recognized it, and maybe others, from the Athens games in 2004. The article mentions that in that improbably distant age, the podium version was criticized by conservative commentators for not being jingoistic enough.

The anthems have been a bit more on my radar screen than usual, thanks to this NPR story I heard a few weeks ago in which a music critic discusses the aesthetics of the genre.

1 comment:

the secret knitter said...

Interesting links. Is it me, or does NBC show a lot fewer non-US medal ceremonies than we used to get in Olympic coverage? I remember hearing other countries' anthems more. Now the ceremonies we see are almost exclusively for US gold medal winners or high profile events with US medalists (gymnastics, for instance). Seems like we're losing a significant flavor of the Games without them.


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The Dansko Professional is a great work shoe in the collection, made for those who spend long hours on their feet. It has become a favorite in the restaurant industry and the medical profession. It has two adjustable straps with durable buckles. Web statistics track the usage of specific websites, both in terms of overall popularity and how surfers are using the sites. The traffic a website attracts (nowadays in the tens of millions for the most popular destinations) is the net's version of television ratings. Web statistics evaluate the amount of traffic to Golden Goose Mid Star Sneakers a site and other estimates of popularity, like time spent surfing the website.

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Cards from far off lands and bygone days!

Unread postby Eoghann » Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:37 pm

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Several users and I have created this subforum because aside from the fantastic, modern decks we love and collect; we share a passion for playing cards from days of yore and from all corners of the world. This niche is to display, admire, discuss and discover vintage playing cards from all over and we welcome anyone willing to share them with us!

Guidelines on how to format your posts aren't set in stone, but here are a few tips:

- Images: The more pictures the better! UC allows four attachments per post. But you can always upload them to any image server for a much larger limit.
- Format: Show at least one suit of courts and a representative pip card. Include the identifying card that has the maker name, and the card back. If it's a particularly beautiful or interesting deck, or the pip cards are unique, feel free to show as much as you want.
- Information: Tell us as much as possible: Country, region, year, printer, publisher, artist, etc. If you don't know much about the deck, post it anyways! We have compiled several useful resources you are welcome to check out that might help you or someone else identify them.

Thank you!
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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Saturday 23rd April at Old Market Gallery in Rotherham

We came to run a workshop at the Old Market Gallery in Chris's home town of Rotherham as part of their pop up weekend exhibition with A Small Cinema. Suffice to say, this was a big deal for Chris who was running this workshop with Mark and Jo, with many old friends and their families coming along to have a go on the film and say hello. There's a few pictures here of some of our younger participants -Charlie (2), Nicole and Amy (both 9 months) - adding their small contributions of handiwork to the vast trail of film we've amassed over the past six months.
It was very exciting to see the investment and enthusiasm put in by Old Market Gallery's curator Peter Martin and all the local volunteers to inject Rotherham with a vibrant and vast contemporary art space in a town centre that has suffered in recent years due to the decampment of it major shops to Meadowhall shopping centre, and
 earned the controversial patronage of Jamie Oliver. Particularly great was the exhibition detailing  the histories of Rotherham's now defunct cinemas leading to engaging inteviews documented, as always, for our soundtrack that will accompany our final film.
'Thatcher should be trialled for war crimes against her own people' was a particularly stand out line from the day, in reference to the problems facing South Yorkshire in the 1980's with the loss of the coal and steel industries.
We had a great time and met new and old friends who all offered us their unique perspectives and histories as well as creating a truly great ten minute film. Thanks so much to everyone who came down and made this event a very special day for us.

Peter Martin's film 'The Angry Silence' which was made especially for the Old Market Gallery
 about the old cinemas in Rotherham can be viewed below:

                                          The Angry Silence from Small Cinema on Vimeo.

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