The Brunette's questions

Lisa-Jane at the Brunette Diaries- she of floaty light-coloured prettiness has nominated me for a Liebster blogger award so I am thanking her graciously for it: "Thank you Lisa-Jane!"

The Rules:

Share 11 things about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions that your tagger gave you.

Choose 11 other blogs to nominate.

Think of 11 questions to ask the bloggers that were nominated. 

Thank the person that nominated you and link back to their blog 

Well, I'm probably not going to nominate anyone- sorry but I can't decide who, computer too slow to find links and you probably have already done it, and probably don't want to, but feel free to nominate yourself!  I always enjoy answering questions so I thought I'd do that bit!

1) Have you already broken a new years resolution?

Well- I didn't formally make new year's resolutions- every day has resolutions in the sense of trying not to do the things wrong that I have done previously and I fail at this regularly.  But, in my mind, I decided a couple of things- which meant phoning family and friends more regularly, particularly my Grandad and Dad every week and whilst I have done that- I haven't actually got to speak to my Dad these past times- I've talked to my stepmum and sister but not caught my Dad. Also, we decided we were going to go Lindyhopping every Wednesday, despite school work and stresses because you have to have something for you. However, we've not managed until this Wednesday- the 29th- we decided to go and I phoned up to check the class was happening and it's not happening at the moment- typical!! Anyway, we went to an East Coast Swing class instead and that was fun!

2) Did you celebrate on new years eve?

I'm not really that bothered by the new year, since every day is a new year technically but this year, we did actually do some fun things- we drove out to Mersey Island in Essex and went to the Company Shed for dinner- we had fishcakes, baked oysters and salt and black pepper tiger prawns and they were delicious!! Nice location too.  Pity the weather was awful! Must go back.

We then went round to CBC's old flatmate's house and we ordered pizzas from Papajos and then played Cranium, drank some prosecco (I didn't) and I slept in a chair whilst they watched the fireworks on TV etc!!! Get me- such a party animal!

3) Do you worry about what the New Year will bring?

No- why worry about tomorrow- tomorrow takes care of itself- just look at the birds in the air, they don't worry and they cope and find all they need (paraphrasing Jesus!) - I worry when worries occur- not about what might be.  Always happy to plod along in my life and have sudden stresses rather than a long-term anxiety.

4) Are you booking a holiday sometime soon and where to?

CBC and I contemplated Spain- maybe Barcelona at Easter or May, but not sure.  We'd like to visit a Greek island in the summer maybe.  Oh, and applying for Music Camp!

5) Was 2013 a good/bad year for you?

2013 was an excellent year for me- I got married in August, moved into a rented house with my husband and obviously planned a wedding. The house finding was ideal- we didn't have to look as our friends were moving out of this house, round the corner from CBC's current house and the dates lined up perfectly with ours.  I wont deny that wedding planning was very stressful- in the sense of agreeing on budgets and things but the year was great. School was also very successful and I enjoyed many occasions, a wonderful honeymoon in Die Schweiz and lots of fun.  Moving house- the actual process- not so fun and I still have a black lumpy toenail from the bookcase that was dropped on it accidently!

6) If you could buy one thing now with £20.00 what would it be?

Accck- can I have £35 please and I'll buy one of the lindybop dresses on EBay! With £20.00, maybe I'd buy a knee-length tulle petticoat- a black one or a blue, to go with my swing dresses.  Wish I could buy a more expensive one though, so it's not itchy! (ha- edited since beginning: And now, I'll have the Greater Plains Velo dress that Char wickedly put into a blog post!)

7) If you could buy one thing now for £500.00 what would it be?

Not a clue- I never spend that much on one thing! If it were school, I'd buy a really nice Bass Metallophone chromatic and diatonic sets combined- they cost about £500 or more! 
(Ha- also edited because I just ordered one from Music Village in their special offer section for £138!!! Hope it's a good one and not some rubbish!)

8) What month is your birthday?

In the month of leaps

9) Have you ever been to Devon/Cornwall?

Yes, been to Cornwall- Penzance to IMS Prussia Cove with my orchestra and family holidays when I was young- that's where my name comes from.

10) Have you got a best friend and why are they your best friend?

Sadly, I don't have a best friend currently, not had one since I was at Uni really. I just have friends. I guess CBC is like my best friend, but I'd love to have one again. I adore my Uni friend Kathy and wish she lived nearer as she's my ideal best friend. Also my church friend Margaret is a good friend I value highly!

11) Do you like your job?

I count my blessings every day that I work in the school I work in, with (most of) the colleagues I work with, with my unique job.  I love so many aspect of it- my choir, orchestra now the children behave, my recorders, my lovely year 6 recorders. I get so much delight from my job.  And yet, despite all that, I still dread going back after the holidays, wish I didn't have to, and count the wake-ups until the next holiday!  Funny, isn't it!

If you'd like to answer my questions, please do and leave me a comment with a link, saying you've answered them:

1.  What is the meaning of life?

2. Favourite sweetie?

3.  Princess Jasmine or Belle? Why?

4.  What do you like most about blogging?

5.  And what do you like least?

6.  Who was your favourite childhood stuffed/cuddly toy and why? Do you still have them?

7.  Favourite board game?

8.  Would you rather be a sheep or a cow? Why?

9.  What word do you have issues with spelling?

10.  What pet would you love if you could have something?

11.  What question would you like to answer that you've never been asked?

Jolly hockey sticks! Tales of school times.

I adored the Malory Towers and St Clare's books by Enid Blyton as a child and I always bemoaned the fact that there were only 7 of each!  A couple of years ago, I delighted in discovering that someone had written some sequels and prequels but then that was it!

When I was younger, in my local library, when I searched for Sweet Valley High books, I always used to see books called 'Trebizon'- has anyone read them?  Do you recommend them? I regret not giving them a try then as there seemed to be lots of them!

Finally, the first Christmas that CBC and I had been going out, he bought me a Vivien of Holloway voucher for Christmas and put it inside one of those book cards from Foyle's that looks like an old hardback book entitled 'The jolliest term on record' by Angela Brazil!  For a couple of years, we were both longing to read that book and finally found a copy when we went to Hay-on-Wye last year! I read and enjoyed it!   I also picked up another Angela Brazil book, named below but only just read it!

|Finally, I found a couple of Chalet school books in a charity shop (some already read and reviewed!).

I am very happy to discover that both authors wrote a myriad of other titles, so what delights I have in store if I ever find any of them!
So, what did I think of these?
Images from www.amazon.co.uk- if you want to read the books, just click on them!


1. Angela Brazil For the sake of the school
This story had the familiar school-story formula of: rough diamond girl turns up and is gradually assimilated to the ways of the school! Even though it is stereotypical, I still love it though!  You always like to think someone can change!  The school sounds a lovely place which I'd love to be a member of, and it has all the key characters such as kind, honest prefect-type who helps out (in this case, Una Stanton) and total class-snob (Stephanie).  It's set in Wales and includes lots of fine description.  If you loved the Chalet school books or St Clares or Malory Towers, then I'd recommend the Angela Brazil series!


2.  Elinor M Brent-Dyer Mary-Lou of the Chalet school
The 4th Chalet school book I have read, this one was just as fun as the previous ones.  Likewise this series, Enid Blyton lovers will get on with it!  A lot more excitement happens in this book, as usual, a rebel member of school is reformed by the end. The description of the setting is beautiful as useful with lots of activities and old familiar characters mentioned!  I think that's what I like best.  I am a real one for nostalgia and things not changing so I do like the constant references to past pupils.  A great, fun book which I would have great pleasure in recommending!


3.  Noel Streatfield Apple Bough

I was first bought this book aged 8ish and I adored it then.  Of course, it has been lost or given away in the mists of time so I was quite sad, given my recent Noel Streatfield interest, not to be able to find it so of course a happy charity shop discovery was made!  This story tells the story of a family who have to leave their beloved home, Apple Bough, because of the eldest son, Sebastian's genius at violin playing.  The child prodigy travels the world for 4 years and all the time, longing for home.  Finally, Myra, the eldest, and seemingly the only one without a talent, conceives a plan called 'Operation Home' to ensude that they can stay in England.  Like all Streatfield books, it has the showbiz world firmly embedded in it and you gain an idea of how the music, dance and acting industry was for children in the era the book was written.  The Madame Fidolia dance school is a part of the story, as with many of her books (Mentioned first in Ballet shoes).  I think I like this book so much because of the message of needing a place to call home.  I love the sense of the family wanting to be together but being realistic at realising that they still love each other, regardless.  And most importantly, the message of the parable of the talents- finding what your talent is and nurturing, appreciating and using it, like Myra in the story, who seemingly has no particular talent.  Streatfield's books will continue a good sense of working for what you really want, a message that would do any young person good these days and I still find them to be very relevant!


Do you know of any books of these sorts that I might not have read?  Leave me a comment with a title and an author if you are so willing?  I'd love to discover more!

Oh, and here, by the way, are my questions for the Liebster award.  Thanks, Val Sparkle, for reminding me!!!

1. What would you find hardest to give up for Lent, if you had to give something up.  Why would you find it so hard?

2. What's the most controversial thing you have ever eaten?

3. What was your favourite book and TV programme as a child?  Why?

4.  If you could have a dress made for you by the most skillful dressmaker around, what would it be like?

5.  Which animal are you most like and why?

6.  Which invention are you most appreciative of in this century?

7.  Tell me about a new blog you have recently discovered that you are really fond of!

8.  Is there anything you can't do, that most other people can do?

9.  Conversely, is there something you can do, that most people can't?

10.  Which blog post are you most proud of or pleased with in the past? I'd like to have a look!

11.  How did you first discover blogging?


I'm going to be taking part in Floss's A pause for advent and I am going to try to have a fast from negative comments and moaning particularly  about school so instead of saying what I was going to say about children's behaviour today, I will say- it's really hard on the children, being in, without playtime and time outside, which they have been for 2 days- it then makes them irritable and highly chatty.  It's good to try and understand their perspective, even though at the time, they are infuriating!!!


xx

Did it originate in Germany?

I always wonder that when I see the Liebster blog award! I have been nominated by three seperate bloggers and I finally give in and am writing my post in response! (I apologise, I can't remember who the third was- it was age ago and I've had a look over past posts but can't find it!

The following rules apply:




1. Answer the eleven questions that your nominator has given to you

2. List eleven random facts about yourself

3. Nominate nine other bloggers with less than two hundred followers to win the award

4. Ask eleven new questions to your nine nominees

5. Visit each of the bloggers blogs to let them know that they have been nominated

Mel's rules seem to be different and seem to involve passing the award onto just another 5!



 Here are my random facts:

1.  As a child, due to what my Mum called things, I thought that eclairs (as in the choux pastry) were called, "Naughty but nices" and fuscias were called "Prima Ballerinas".
2.  I have never lived in a house with a properly functioning shower.  I've had baths every morning for most of my life! I look forward to living in a house with one when I am married!  It IS tiresome having to always run baths!
3.  I am not overly fond of many biscuit varieties- In a normal school day, I  would rather go hungry than expend energy on a garibaldi or malted milk!
4. My sight-reading skills for music are possibly one of my most useful skills!  The ability to wing it is most useful!
5.  I have been proposed to by 4 different people- 2 joking, 1, being a bit rash and one whom I accepted!
6.  My recurring bad dream is that my teeth fall out!  I hate it and believe it's true every time I have it and that the previous dream was a portent of what has happened!
7. I was petrified of a certain Doctor Who episode called The curse of Fenric  as a child, and lived in irrational (in that I KNEW it couldn't be true, but was still scared!) fear that the haemovores lived in my Mum's room and were going to get me!
8.  I have really bad visualisation skills for size/perspective and anytime anyone asks me to compare sizes of things, I have no idea and really cannot invisage things.  Which is crazy, as I otherwise have a really visual memory!
9.  In a previous blog-award, I stated that I had a piece of music published aged 12.  I don't really know what happened about it and any earnings as the man who published it died and his company was taken over. Last week, one of the kids at school came up to me and told me that they were playing my piece in her woodwind ensemble!
10.  I really don't like spiders but I can deal with them and have now perfected the brandy-class and card manouvere!
-----

Rebecca's questions
1. Which came first the chicken or the egg?

The chicken.  If I am to look at Genesis, God created the animals first!

2. If you were trapped in a lift for 36 hours with one other person and 2 items, what/who would they be?
I guess with CBC and it would have to involve a keyboard and a big book of piano duets! OR a cello and a flute! We'd keep ourselves occupied for hours


3. Favourite read and why? be it book or magazine
There are so many books I adore!  It's very hard to choose but a book I dearly, dearly love is Phillippa Pearce's Tom's midnight garden or Northanger Abbey.


4. If you could be any TV/Film character who would it be?
Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey- technically a book but ah well!


5. What is your favourite era of clothing?
The 50's definitely!  So pretty and modest!


6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?
(not the best person to give advice! It's taken me 7 years to gain my 88 followers!)
Go and explore and always be nice- there's no need for unpleasantness on blogs- blogville is mostly a lovely place where everyone is kind to everyone which is refreshing! If you can't say anything nice, then look and try harder for something to say- there's always a positive! Also, write what is important for you, even if you aren't sure it's going to be popular or makes you feel silly!  Where else can you write what you want? Oh and choose a blog title that isn't your name!
7. What has been one of the funniest moments in your life?
Do you know, I can't seem to think of a single thing but I am sure there have been many!  One memory that does make me laugh was when I was in the Sound of Music and we were rehearsing the scene in which Captain Von Trapp and Maria dance together and look into each other's eyes.  For the life of me, I could not stop cracking up whenever I had to look into his eyes and burst into hysterical laughter every time!  It was terribly funny!
Also, we were on a holiday riding in the back of an old Datsun Sunny and my sister and I decided to try and sing 'Any dream will do' from Joseph staccato (i.e. all the notes and words,incredibly short)- we spent hours trying to get past the "Ah-" echoes in vain as it sounded so ridiculous saying "Ah, ah, ah!".   To this day, I can't do it without laughing!
8. If you were an alien what would you want to look like?
I'd like to be furry!
9. A recent UK weather related question - How do the guys who drive the snow ploughs get to work?
I have TOTALLY been thinking about this question myself, for a while!  And the grittting guys!  I imagine their vehicles have some sort of distributer on the front and the back of them that grits in front of them! They park the vehicles outside their homes!
10. Of all your crafty makes which has been your favourite?
Ooh, hard to choose, but I was really really pleased with the wedding card I made for my sister!  She didn't seem overly fussed by it, it being her wedding day, having over priorities to worry/deal with, not least, me being haplessly disorganised and slow, but I really liked it!
11. How do you eat your Cadbury's cream egg?
Oooh, disgustingly!  When I was little,we had these long-handed plastic spoons with a tiny scoop the size of a cocktail stirrer and I used to nibble the top of and then scoop out all the cream, scraping it clean and finally eating the chocolate.  I do something similar nowadays- usually involving a spoon!

Mel's questions, at the Follybird are...
What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?
1.  The last book I actually finished was 'For the sake of the school' by Angela Brazil, written well over 80 years ago!  I adored it!  Currently re-reading Apple Bough by Noel Streatfield which I loved as a child and also Angels- God's messengers by Billy Graham which is very interesting!


Andy Warhol claimed "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes". Have you had your fifteen minutes?

2. Hmmmmmm, doubt it!  I was on Bali TV for about half an hour playing the klenang for Arja (a Balinese style of operatic singing)- the klenang is a small knobbled pot which you hit with a wooden beater wound in cotton to dampen it. I played on the off-beat (every other beat).  Apparently, I looked really really really bored and people came up to me for weeks afterwards saying, "Nang, nang!" (the Balinese onomatopoeic word for the sound that instrument makes), laughing hysterically after they said it! Not a good claim to fame!

Is there a past fashion trend, (let's say pre-1962) that you find absurd?
Fake beauty spots!  I had a real dislike of them as a child!

Are they any vintage fashion 'icons' that you really just don't like?

To be honest, I don't really know any so I can't really answer this!


What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Isn't it ridiculous that I can't think of anything!

Have you met any famous people?
Yes- Tom Baker, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy,  Peter Davidson, Nicholas Briggs (The Brigadier), John Leeson (K9), Lalla Ward, Sophie Aldred, Cy Town (Dalek), Tim Brooke Taylor, Jasper Carrott, JJ Feild (swooon- Mr Tilney in Northanger Abbey!), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Michelle Dockery (before she was famous!), Jeremy Paxman (he unexpectedly helped me up the stairs when I fell flat on my face on a staircase the Underground), Belinda Lang (2 point 4 children) and a whole host of other Doctor Who actors I can't remember!

What was the last thing you purchased?
Well, if we are being totally to the letter of that question, it was a portion of mature cheddar cheese! It was about 2 hours ago and I headed to the corner shop to buy some milk and bread.  It was snowing and there was a scary, slippery mixture of mush on the ground!

What's in your handbag/purse right now?
Inside my cartoon handbag is an assortment including: snow-grips, purse, Touche eclat, hand-sanitizer, kleenex tissues, yellow hair ribbon, keys, book, Bible!

What is your favourite television programme?
Well, technically, I don't have TV now- I have 3 tvs in my house but have only used them to watch VHS videos for the last year or so (DVD player is evil and doesn't work so have to watch on the laptop) - the only thing I have really watched with any regularity is Home & away on the channel5 website, but programmes I have loved in the past include: The Good life, The Crystal Maze, Neighbours, Home&Away, Downton, Ugly Betty, To the manner born,


Is there something that most people can do, that you simply can't?
Drive, read with my left eye, swing on monkey bars...


I would like to award the award to lots of people but the majority I read have more than 200 readers and some are signposted as 'blog award free' and others have already had the Liebster award- eek! Let me have a think about it for another 5!!!! Otherwise, I am just going with Mel's required 5.

1.  Val Sparkle: http://latebloomingsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/

2. Vanessa: http://mylifemywaymyopinions.blogspot.com/

3.  Louise: http://roachling.blogspot.com/

4. Millie at New World  http://varsitygurl.blogspot.com/

5.  Helen: http://oopsaccident.blogspot.com/

Some of them might not blog all the time, but I always love visiting their blogs and they are all genuinely lovely bloggers!

Versatile blogger

I very rarely get around to doing the blogger-award thingies that do the rounds, I was good at first but lost the will!  However, Gemma, the Pink-haired Princess (shoe queen extraordinaire) nominated me for this Versatile blogger award.  Here's her blog:  http://pinkhairedprincess.blogspot.co.uk/ and you can link to her shoe-girl diary where she faithfully plots the exploits of her myriad shoes!  Thank you for nominating me Gemma! 

The Rules:


1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who's blogs you enjoy the most

2. Let them know you nominated them

3. Share 7 random facts about you

4.Thank the blogger who nominated you

5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award Picture to your post

My random selection of 15 lovely bloggers!

Green tea and cupcakes:  The lovely Luan!

Someone like you:  the gorgeous Lauren-my favourite blog of all time!

Country girl does Norfolk  the lovely Sophie! Fun and fashionable and always refreshingly honest!

The two birds boutique:  make my Mondays something to look forward to again

Ramblings of a roachling  my lovely fellow teacher Louise who enthralls me with her country photos!

Annie the felt fairy  for inspiring me to make monthly!

Bethie the boo  Lovely fellow inspiration Monday fashionista!!  One of my favourite international blogs!

My thrifty closet  Gorgeous, fashionable with the most generous, sincere spirit!

Faith, hope and charity shopping  The hilarious Lakota who is an organising genius!

Dial V for vintage Gorgeous and a dress-altering genius!

Tales from the faraway tree The lovely Lucy who colours my life with her vibrant blog!

A daisychaindream  The beautiful Laura

Postcards from the PP  for inspiring me to do something different!

Vintage Vix One word:  vintage GENIUS! (er that's two!)

Tasha's treasure trove this girl has the most beautiful viewpoint on the world and inspires my with every word she writes!


(Agrh, finding all those links took ages!  I've remembered, that's the reason I never finish these things! And also, tis hard to know who to pick!!!)


7 Random Facts About Me:
I struggle to share facts I haven't shared before- what comes to mind is always what has been there before!

1. I really really dislike playing the music of famous British composer Edward Elgar (or listening to it). (he that wrote Pomp and Circumstance, Nimrod (that said- Nimrod is the one exception to the rule!), In the South, Cockcaigne, and other things which get played at Last night of the proms style concerts!)  I get people telling me off (other musicians) when I am rude about him but I find his music dull and dreary- plus he does not get flute players- if you want a flute-player to love you then write them a big meaty solo in each piece- do not just make them double the tune with all the other woodwind! (That's why we flautists love Ravel!)

2. Like Gemma, I don't drink alcohol...it's not that I haven't ever or don't ever, but I rarely do because I don't like the taste of it- it ruins a nice fruit juice and it's expensive and I don't like (unintentionally) making a fool of myself!

3. I can only see properly out of my right eye. My left-eye has morning glory syndrome which means if you look at my eye with an optical picture, there's a sort of firework explosion going on over the lens.  It actually (to an optometrist) looks very interesting and beautiful but could also double up as the DeathStar being blown up at the end of Return of the Jedi!  I don't use my left-eye consciously at all because I can only see vague shapes and colours and no details and this can lead me to have serious accidents if I don't look what I am doing and point to my left....

4.  My favourite perfume is CK Be and my absolute loathing is Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers!

5. I am a total hoarder!  To my detriment!!!! Unfortunately, since I have lots of interests, this means my house bursts at the seams!

6. I'm not a technolover!  I really like using my computer, camera, phone etc but I cannot be bothered with the whole 'latest model'.  I still don't have digital TV and I've still got a hulking-great (it's a tiny portable 12" inch one but it has a big bottom!)TV that I will use (when I get digital) for as long as possible as I don't see why I have to have a flatscreen! I have my sister's old swivel Nokia phone from about 6-7 years ago which I am perfectly happy, old laptop from 4 years ago (from school), really old CD player and no sight of an iPod (please don't anyone who knows me and might be reading this, think this means I want one- I really don't!!!!!)  The only real new technology I love is my gorgeous Camera bought by WOMOTM and J which I never expected but adore now I have it!
7. I hate horror-films!  I really do!  If I watch one, I will have nightmares and the images will stay in my mind so I don't want to take chances.  I see no point in filling my mind with things that alarm, scare, perplex, and scar- I want to look at and read things which are edifying and beautiful and make life seem better!  I also don't like horror-ish books now! I read Agatha Christie's (and this is mild, believe you me! I love her normally) And then there were none in the bath once and I had to stay in the bath until I had finished the entire book, I was so freaked by it!  That was one cold bath by the end!

 And just sharing a random couple of shots that have been hanging around! I love this polka-dot dress I got free from Joy with an order! I knew if I bided my time to buy the cat jumper, that they'd have a free-dress offer!

 This was my first buy post shopping ban! I have adored the Alex Monroe bee-necklaces for ages but they were way outside my price range.  All the cheapy ones around had really evil looking bees so I was so pleased to find this Simplysilver one which is a brilliant match!

 And one of the problems of the Circle-lines.  Fare dodgers!

So how was your day?!

Best blog award?

The lovely Sophie of Country girl blog, very kindly awarded me the above blog! I like it very much because it involves flowers, headbands, someone with brown hair and tenuously dots!

Very kind and not really deserved in any way, shape or form!

So, I obey the rules of receipt:

Write seven facts about myself: 1. One question people ALWAYS ask me and have asked me all my life is, 'How many instruments can you play?' This question always caused me issues- for instance, I can play 8 different types of recorder, but do they count as seperate ones or just the recorder. Anyway, for the record, I can play:

Properly: flute, piccolo, alto flute, fife, Irish whistle (various), recorders (various- 8 types- I own 6 types), viola, violin, piano (and variants), guitar, alto saxophone, clarinet (fairly badly but enough to get through a musical 'reed 1' part), ocarina, cornamuse, Most Balinese gamelan instruments (Kendhang- double headed drum, suling-Bamboo flutes, metallophones, gongs etc)and quite a few Javanese instruments.

I can play the Djembe, various percussion instruments (enough to play in an orchestra) and I am always willing to try anything! Er- so how many instruments is that? I haven't got the foggiest!

2. I like to relate facts. Related to the above point: I have taken an awful lot of music exams! Before the age of 18, I took exams in the following:

Violin: Grades 1-4,

Viola, grades 3-8,

Flute, grades 2,3,5,6,7,8, Recital certificate,

Recorders- treble: grades 5,6,7,8, Performer's certificate,

Descant recorder grades 1,2,5,6,

Voice-grades 3,4,5,6,8,

Saxophone- grade 4,

Piano, grades 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,

Theory of music,- grades 1,2,3,4,5,

Guitar grade 1,

So that was 45 instrument exams plus GCSE music, A level practical music and A level theoretical music!

3. I was an absolute crazy fan of Paul McGann when I was a teenager after seeing him in Doctor Who the movie. I wrote sad letters to Doctor Who magazine stating how much I loved him! Cringe! I loved Doctor Who after that point and ended up owning hundreds of videos at one stage in my life (until CBC made me freecycle them last year)

4. The only place outside Europe I have visited is Indonesia (Iceland and Lanzarote are in Europe right?). As you may have guessed, I am useless at Geography!

5. I have performed the veternary surgical procedure known as castration on a black cat called Truffles. I was eight at the time and wanted to be a vet. (I was supervised in this procedure. )The cat lived to the ripe old age of 18!

6. I dislike reading non-fiction unless it's really story-like.

7. I talk in my sleep sometimes! You can sometimes understand what I am saying.

Answer these questions:
Favourite colour: turquoise and purple
Favourite song: Ahrgh-choices!! Think of me from Phantom!
Favourite dessert - chocolate ice-cream or proffeterols.

What is p*ssing you off: my inability to keep my house tidy.
When I'm upset: I cry. I pray, I phone friends,
Favourite pet: my darling silver tabby Sophie (sadly deceased)
Black and white: Love wearing both shades!

Biggest fear: seriously no idea. Grieving my maker.

Best feature: Quite like my smile as it stops me looking grumpy, like my narrow shoulders even though they make coat-buying a disaster!

Everyday attitude: optimistic

What is perfection: The hand of my maker.

Guilty pleasure: shopping!

I'm passing this award to some very cool people!

Vintage Vix! Your blog makes me really happy!

Someone like you! Truly my favourite blog!

Pink-haired Princess: She got me back into blogging with her fab fashion blog. Amazing shoe collection!

Alex at Odd socks and pretty frocks I love her blog!

How are you?

Tea and roses and a rather lovely award...

This is soooo pretty! The lovely Sophie at Country girl does Norfolk nominated me for this award, which is very sweet and definitely undeserved- I don't think I make enough effort to even come close to any other of the fab blogs I read, like hers! But thank you! Again, I am not sure I read enough blogs to participate properly and I am not quite sure what the rules are! I think there's something about linking to other blogs and sharing random facts. However, this is sooo pretty, I just have to display it!!

So... er....those random facts. HOW random are we talking. I shall let my mind, which ends up meandering all over the place, do the leading...

1. I can speak Indonesian pretty well! (having studied/lived in Bali.)
2. This reminds me that I have been in the vacinity or avoided being in the vacinity of several major accidents and notable incidents- I was in Bali for the bomb in 2002 a few miles away, I was on a train that was on the tracks earlier before the Potters bar railcrash, I should have been using the tube lines around the time on the day of the July attacks on the tube in 2006 (was that when they were?) but for going on school work experience at the last minute that week.
3. I had a piece of music published when I was 12 years old. (true it was a small publishing company, but it seemed pretty cool at the time).
4. I have very big feet! Size 8!
5. I love TEMPEH. It is a delicious sort of solid mixture of fermented soya beans a bit like tofu in its ingredients but a TOTALLY different texture! There is a lovely warung in Solo, Java that cooks the most amazing fried tempeh in batter for about 2p a piece!!! It is a staple of Indonesian diets, is incredibly versatile and I miss eating it regularly!!! There's even a site dedicated to it!
6. I am scared of bunsen burners!
7. I was a runner-up in a Blue Peter competition in which you had to design a new character for a cartoon called Oscar's orchestra which was a cool cartoon about animated musical instruments voiced by Dudley Moore. Apparently there were 28,900 entries. Proudest moment of my life!

The blogs I nominate are:
Lauren at Someone like you - she is an amazing styler! Her blog is always lovely!
Monique at Lady M -one sassy and very lovely blogger!
My style- vintage and me who is very cool!
Laura at Daisychain dream for being so inspirational and delightful not to mention pretty darn fab in the style stakes.
Lakota at Faith, hope and charity shopping -only recently become acquainted with her blog but love it!
Dial V for vintage -she's sooo cool!