I've moved!

Heyo, I've started a new blog here: http://aracelisrandomness.wordpress.com/

Sorry Blogger, you were just not doing it for me.

Introducing Lord Percy Percy

Growing up we always had pets at home. By pets I mean more than the usual, dogs, cats, fish... We had everything you can imagine, both in cages but also running/flying around our various houses: from every single type of bird you can image (parrots, finches, canaries, hummingbirds, robins, chicks, galahs, budgies, a mina, a tucan) to iguanas, chameleons, a snake, turtles, frogs, a porcupine, hamsters and even a monkey at one point.

Since leaving home 6 years ago I'd always missed the company of a pet and now that I am living by myself, I was craving the company of a low-maintenance pet, preferably a bird, who would sing to me in the mornings and keep me company. Last week I had some good friends over for dinner and they brought Lord Percy Percy in lieu of wine. Such a great present, I am taming him in earnest and hopefully within a few weeks he'll be able to fly around and perhaps, if lucky, perch on my shoulder.

Before and After - the Met

First in what I hope will be a series of "before and afters" - one of the many pictures I took of the Met last Christmas in NYC and then my interpretation of the building.

I do hope Messrs Vaux and Wrey Mould wouldn't think my version an aberration of their glorious museum...

Third time lucky?

It's time to remove the cobwebs of this blog for a third time - it seems that spring is the time my body craves creativity and sunshine in equal measure. I have very exciting craft projects waiting to take off and would like to write as they come along... hopefully.

Also, I ended up moving across the Atlantic last autumn and Canada is my new home.

More to come soon....

Leighton House Museum

On Monday my long-dormant Stendhal syndrome made itself present when I visited the Leighton House Museum. (picture is taken from the street as the gits don't let you take any photographs inside, and I apologise for the quality of some of the photographs, the best I could find on the internet but still...)

In what appears to be a rather plain facade in Holland Park, lived and worked the brilliant Frederick, Lord Leighton. My curiosity about this artist came about when I first saw an image of Flaming June - not the original as it's in a museum in Puerto Rico, or was it Costa Rica? Anyway, it is a beautiful painting nevertheless.

Back to Lord Leighton, he was also a sculptor, became President of the Royal Academy of Arts in1878 and is the only British artist to have been ennobled - he is buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

His house in Holland Park is true to the Aesthetic Movement Lord Leighton has often been associated with: gilded ceilings and walls lined with peacock blue tiles, as well as rich and colourful silks, with countless paintings and drawings.

In his dining room Lord Leighton was host to some of the greatest names of the Victorian era: Robert Browning (for whom he designed his memorial), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris and even Queen Victoria herself!

The centrepiece of the house is the Arab Hall, decorated with over a thousand tiles he purchased in Syria which date back to the 17th century.

Above the Arab Hall, on the first floor, is a Mashrabiya, an Egyptian latticework window, that overlooks the Hall.

The studio has changed somewhat...

Leighton House is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm, although it is closed on Tuesdays.

Archway Market

Now that I have come to grips with my crochet addiction, I decided to actually make a profit out of it... How? By selling my stuff at Archway Market!


Less than 2 weeks ago I brought into work the crochet hair clips, bobbles, etc. I had made as presents for my nieces. Amazed - in an almost Stendhal syndrome kind of way, no kidding - my colleagues asked me if I had considered selling my creations. We considered the possibility of selling them to shops but quickly decided they'd pay me peanuts so the idea of having my own stand at a market seemed like the best idea. Archway Market is a very new market in North London selling great organic products, but also furniture, books, and now... handmade-with-love (and lots of it) crafts! After sending through my application and being accepted, I got to work and spent days crocheting like mad. I also asked my lovely and talented sisters Reyes and Rocio to send me the stuff that they make so I'd sell it in the stall as well - Reyes makes absolutely beautiful jewellery and Rocio is a seamstress goddess, and her waterproof washbags are brilliantly versatile. Then, a friend from work was so excited about the stand that she made gorgeous cards, purses and brooches (it can also be spelt broaches, we checked) and helped me on the day! The final product is a lovely stall called "Mamás & Bebés" which will be at Archway Market every 2 Saturdays (next one is 1st May) from10am until 5pm.

Playing with food

Finally a post which isn't about cooking! Just about food...

In early January, just as my addiction to crochet was begining to develop, I decided to buy my first ever crochet book: Tasty Crochet. It's a truly excellent book, with the easiest instructions to follow and the final product just couldn't be any more awesome. It's one of my neice's birthday's next week - she's turning 4 - and I thought it would be a cool present to send her some play food for her pretend picnics.


Ice-cream sandwich mmm! And the piece of cake is an exact replica of the one my mother makes, with pastry and a delicious yolk and sugar topping with strawberries and kiwis.

I never in my life thought I'd make a crochet burger... and chips!

Or a drumstick?! The book is just priceless!

Mmmm fried up breakfast! I literally just had a real version of the below, minus the bagel.