Houses and Trees, Inside and Out

Outside I saw this huge dolls house in the window of an Eltham charity shop.

The shop is great for really old books, often from the 20s, 30s or 40s (and a couple recently from the 1890s) and for weird conversations with the people who work there, especially while they get to grips with the till. This time I was paying and instructing the woman serving me how to spell 'ornament', when the woman next to me at the counter said hello in a warm and affectionate manner. I couldn't recall who she was. It turns out I taught her two children in the nursery-one of them over 11 years ago. She did look familiar and I remembered the children once she started telling me about them. She gave me a hug and a kiss goodbye and it was actually really touching and pleasant to be remembered in such a nice way. I didn't buy the dolls house!

 Inside I am engaging in Christmas crafts, trying to get in the mood. I am reading 'The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year' by Sue Townsend at the moment and really enjoying it. I have just read a part with a brilliant description of the main character Eva's last Christmas, as she tries to tell her husband Brian what he will have to do to prepare for this year's, as she is staying in bed. Very funny in a depressing way. Anyway, these little trees which will be my cards are pretty untaxing to make. I am using brusho paint which I love and this brilliant children's glitter glue with loads of stars in it which I rub on with my finger once the paint is dry.

 This little house was an ebay purchase from a while ago. I was painting a branch with white gesso and thought this would benefit from being white too. I am going to add white glitter and things in the spaces. Not sure what things yet but I am sure they will appear.

This tree is in Greenwich. It was very windy on the night I was there and it was wobbling a lot and looking pretty lopsided.

A Night Away

This week has gone by so fast and now it is Friday night already! We went up to Edinburgh last weekend to celebrate Andy's Mum's birthday. Here is a quick whizz through the trip.

Kings Cross station. It has totally changed since whenever I was last there and has this interesting ceiling and a Harry Potter tourist attraction on platform whatever and a half it is. People queue up to have their photo taken and a smiling young man greets them as they do.

This made me think of you Anne! (Hope you read this one or you won't see it!)

We stayed at the Hotel Missoni which is very fancy and designed down to the last little detail. I couldn't help being impressed.

Our room had a floor to ceiling window that looked down on a nightclub. I sat for some time behind the curtains watching the comings and goings. I would love a window where I could do that all the time. It makes me think of Jane Eyre right at the beginning where she is sitting behind the curtain looking out on the grey November day.

''A breakfast-room adjoined the drawing-room, I slipped in there. It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one stored with pictures. I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close, I was shrined in double retirement.

Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the drear November day. At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before a long and lamentable blast.'' 

From my window seat I saw this group of superheros. At one point Superted seemed to look right up at me. 

All hotels remind me of 'The Shining'.

The turreted building across the street looked perfect as a secret city hideaway. 

The sun was so bright on Saturday morning. We went for a quick look at the charity shops and I took loads of sunny pictures.

This is on the Royal Mile. 

The restaurant where we had lunch. All delicious. I can recommend it!

On the way back to the station we walked through the Princes Street Gardens. The Christmas fair at the top  was heaving so we walked down a level. They had extended the market down here too.

I loved the colours of the hydrangeas, earth, leaves and stone here.

Just before we left the hotel, I got Andy to take my picture in this very silly chair. Silly but comfortable.

The End. 

Leaves of the Week

The Autumn has been so beautiful this year and other trees and leaves have been attracting my attention too

so here they are. Below is a Rowan tree and another red berried tree in the top of what used to be Forest

School and is now going to be part of our garden. It really did look this bright!

Sunshine at the boot fair on Saturday morning where I popped after going to the tip with my gardening cuttings.

                   Sunshine during the above gardening.

                  

A living wall on a fancy hotel on Park Lane. Inspiration for school.

Yellow leaves seen in a very posh residential street in Kensington where we went to the pub. It is just away from all the lights and traffic and is lovely-and no doubt extremely expensive, but looking is free!

A blurry Christmas tree in Kensington. 

Sloane Square looks so pretty with this lit wall and the sparkly trees. 

A bit nearer to home-Plumstead Common just near school. It is surrounded by Plane trees and the leaves have really come down a lot over the weekend.

Twinkle Twinkle Expensive Star

Christmas window in Harvey Nichols where we met a friend on Saturday night.

Ponding, Painting, Pencil and PJs

This is the lake that develops in our playground when it rains. At its worst it covers the whole width of the area. On this particular day I decided it was too huge to sweep away as we have been doing up until now. (Not that there is anywhere to sweep it as it doesn't drain even on the muddy areas as there is an impermeable membrane under everything.) Anyway, I went to tell the Head about it and he came round a little while later to look. Then there ensued the classic scene of many builders standing round looking thoughtful and talking about the situation. I think that common sense should have told whoever designed this area that if you have no drains, no grassed areas, and a membrane under everything, then water will collect. But then I am not an architect or builder, so what do I know? There have been some holes drilled in the bottom of the wall at the edge of the playground (producing fascinating cores of amalgamated stone, one of which I must grab before they are thrown away.) This seems to have lessened the problem a little. Then in our meeting this morning we were told that the problem with the 'ponding' (apparently the technical term for this happening-laking would be better) could be because they may have used the wrong type of slabs and stones, ones that are not up to British safety standards. That has not been confirmed, but if it turns out to be true they will have to re-do the lot! 

 Doodling painting in my journal. It is a moleskin watercolour one and has lovely thick paper. I have been using brusho ink which is lovely stuff. The colours are so rich. I used a piece of gold wrapping from a Christmas pudding ( I have started early!) and some children's glitter glue which has stars in it.

 This one looks Greek or Viking.

 And this one just stopped at pencil. I saw a girl this morning when driving to work who had a hat like this on. My favourite sort of hat!

 This is me wearing my pajamas for Children in Need. Nearly all the kids wore theirs. It was a very cute looking day! Also very comfy. Walking round the school at lunchtime it reminded me of Hogwarts-seeing teachers and children in nightwear is quite surreal. Like we have all suddenly been transported to a public school!

Pink Evening

As I left work, the moon was shining softly in a pink sky. It was beautiful. 

I finished the little doll last night. I didn't realise until I was taking a picture, how wrinkly her chin is. A bit like mine!

She might grow some wings and be the fairy on the tree this year. We didn't have a tree last year but I want one again this year. So it needs a fairy. Perhaps I will leave my decorations wrapped up and decorate the whole tree with dolls. That might be fun.

Have a happy weekend!

Little Hats

The little hats are finished. I wondered if they needed heads to sit on. So I painted them. They looked like colourful Christmas puddings until the faces were on.

I still couldn't decide so I made a face. It was too small for the hats so I made a slightly smaller hat. The ears were an added extra made by doing a chain and adding a row of stitches to it before continuing to crochet the circle.

But I didn't like a head without a body so am now turning it into a doll. The little hats will not have faces.