Recent Bits & Pieces

This term is over, results are out and I'm trying not to think about my retakes for now. I was absolutely shattered after my exams so I've been spending the last week or so recuperating and getting things together, hence no blogging.

Luckily we're not moving so I don't have that to worry about, but I have relocated to the much sunnier upstairs front bedroom. It's a bit smaller and the ceiling's much lower but it's definitely cosy and I have a sink! It did look a bit bigger but I own a lot of stuff! Most things have found happy new homes but I may have to be brutal with the little things that remain to be sorted - things such as leaflets, small change in Euros and a flock of paper cranes.

Tortelloni + salad = excellent easy dinner

 

Scalloped tomatoes again, too bready this time! The emphasis should definitely be on the tomatoes.

Someone on Aberdeen Road has a nice meadow-y sort of garden

 

A week or so ago I had coffee & cake with Ceilidh at Papadeli, she had mango cheesecake (below) and I had one of their wonderfully squidgy brownies. There's a coffee/tea and cake for £4 deal in the afternoon which is definitely a winner. We talked Maths, post-exam freedom and photos, and generally set the world to rights. Good cake and good company :)

Papadeli also do tasty salads, fancy cheeses and everything you expect from a Clifton deli. Oh and they do cookery classes too, not something I've tried but they sound good for those with the money/leisure for such things!

One Saturday that nice boy of mine took me for a drive down to Chew Valley Lake to see the ducks, it was a lovely sunny evening - these photos were taken at around half past eight GMT! On our way we spotted maybe five hot air balloons taking advantage of the good weather. I like seeing them, they're a very Bristol thing.

We stopped by the lake and took photos of it, of the ducks, the plants and each other, watched the sun go down a bit, then returned to Bristol in time for a quick dash round Sainsbury's before it closed.

 

 

Sunday Summary - Delayed by Algebra!

This post didn't appear yesterday because I was busy revising for my algebra exam today, argh. It was complicated, as expected, but not too bad I don't think. I'm really really hoping to avoid resits this year since I've put in much more work and have a ticket for the End Of The Road festival in early September, which is when resits normally happen!

Besides my exams I've been up to a few things:

Crochet! This is the blanket of epic ugly. It started out being the colours on the right, but when I reached the end of the two balls of wool I was in Suffolk, and the Wilkinsons in Great Yarmouth didn't have the right colours so I found the two in the top left at a little independent craft shop (which was rather nice). When I got back to Bristol I took a trip to the amazing shop on Gloucester Road which sells everything made of plastic and has a surprisingly good range of wool, and I bought the bottom left colours. So far I only have a couple of stripes but it's going to be GLORIOUS in its pink clashiness. It might even be finished for winter!
I also have a red velvety snood on the way. I don't know how well it'll work, but we shall see!

 

 

 Wandering! These photos were all taken just around the corner and up the road from my house. I live in a very pretty area and the light, warm evenings just make me want to wander and take photos. Walking is also a nice post-exam activity as I can clear my mind and just enjoy my surroundings. I'd very much like to have the house in the first picture. Almost South-facing with a balcony and a lovely garden.

I didn't take my camera this evening but I have discovered a very pretty road to go back to some other time.

Flickrmeeting! I took a break from revision and went down to the Grain Barge (a pub on a boat!) to the monthly Flickr meet, where the tables usually look like this. I've been going to them for a year and a half now, they're great fun and an excellent way to explore more of Bristol('s pubs). I even met the boy at one :)

Ebaying! I've managed to get myself another one of this dress. I intend to take apart the first one with my seam ripper and use it as a pattern. It feels a bit like sacrilege to be taking a dress apart but the first one isn't in the best condition, and I can always trace pattern pieces then reconstruct it. Just need to keep telling myself this. I am sentimental.

Growing! I finally bought a plate (19p from Oxfam) for my bucket of freesias to stand on. My flatmate gave me the kit for my birthday (2 months ago!) so it really is about time. They're doing pretty well so far, despite being meant to be outside. The longest shoot is now about four inches long. Hopefully they'll look and smell lovely :)

And finally, cowering! This terrifying bit of art has arrived at the Royal Western Academy of Art on the Clifton Triangle. It's some sort of social commentary by Damien Hirst... Bit creepy if you ask me. When they were unloading it from the lorry it looked like it was being hung!
Modern art, tut!

Now it's time for bed, night night interwebs!

Jar #146

Last week I was walking over to the boy's house when I spotted something shiny on the wall behind one of those electricity box things. So I took a look.

It was a jar, but not just any jar; it was an art jar!

It said "if you like me, you can take me", so I did.

It contains a piece of paper with pins stuck through it, not in any recognisable pattern but pretty.

The bottom of the jar said "please record your find on the website", it's at http://365jars.com along with the other 153 that Kirsty Hall has released in and around Bristol this year. I think it's a lovely idea as I love both street art and finding things. I haven't spotted any more but I haven't been checking the website or anything - it seems a little unfair to purposely hunt them down as I like the idea of someone coming across them unexpectedly and being as happy as I was!

I intend to release my jar into the wild, and will be interested to see where it ends up next :)