In which some new books have arrived

 Before Christmas has entirely slipped away from your memories I thought I'd share a little bit of what I got in my Christmas haul. There were lots of little things and chocolates and make-up and some corn-forks, but I always love books and I got some particularly beautiful ones this year. Technically the top 2 books were presents for Andy but as we share everything I thought I'd put them in the limelight too.

So we have from bootom to top:
1. Dungeon Masters Guide (2nd edition).
It's for Dungeons and Dragons and is from the very origins of the game. We have it very nicely sitting next to our fourth edition books, but now means we want to get the Dungeon Masters Guide for every version.
2. Black Orchid.
I have nearly everything Neil Gaiman has ever done, but yet this was my first time reading through Black Orchid, despite it being on of the very first things he did. It has absolutely stunning art work and a rather post-modern super hero story.
3. Locke and Key Book 4
If I was to persuade to you to read one comic book series, it would have to be Locke and Key. I am fairly sure I've mentioned them here before. The series is dark Lovecraftian inspired horror-adventure. It's a little viscous but I still have hopes of a happy ending.
4. The Pink Fairy Book
We got 2 folio edition books, adding to our slowly growing collection of these beautiful hard backs. This one has Japanese fairy tales, lovely illustrations and looks gorgeous on the bookshelf.
5. DSLR Handbook
This is what I actually asked for as my Christmas present. Having got my DSLR in the Summer it is about time I learnt how to use it properly. It's quite funny because the books is written with a really smug male tone. The author is absolutely certain of all the things you have to do in his way.
6. Moonfleet
Also a lovely boxed Folio book. I'm waiting for Andy to read it first before I do. Despite it being a classic I've never read it so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into an adventure story.
7. Sleepwalkers
This is the other non-fiction of the set. A look at the causes of World War One

That wasn't quite all the books we got for Christmas... There was this little stack as well: 

 A full collection of Meg and Mog books. When we opened them we weren't sure if they were a hint of things to come or merely a recognition of our childish side.

The Fairy Tail book goes perfectly with the bookends I got for my birthday too.

I got a little something else to go with my DSLR handbook. Finally a tripod too! So now maybe I'll do some outfit photos when Andy isn't around.

And of course it isn't Christmas without a little bit of Lego.

 I hope you had a good Christmas too! Did you get any good books? I already read most of mine so if you have anything good to recommend I am really looking for some new stories and authors to get into this year.

In which there are peeks at my antiques

Well I failed my plan for the first time since new year of blogging twice a week. Usually when that has happened its because I suddenly got into a new computer game. This time though I have been working my socks off all week at work. Every day I came home I was shattered and more typing just felt  like more work. So I've been watching Star Trek most nights or playing Civilisation IV.

On top of the general business. this week all of a sudden I was doing things I've never done before. Next week I'm giving a talk at a conference and also going to be interviewed on a podcast. Both of these things are nerve wracking and I started to feel really down about how I've been in this job for months now - and I interned before that - but I still don't know enough to speak about what we do confidently. The thought of them is keeping me stressed but there has to be a first time and I hope that one day I could just get up and to an event, give a talk and do it all without aeons of self-assessment and confidence building.

I am not one to mention my work on here much. It seems kind unprofessional and blurs the kind of lines I am trying to create between my work and home life so all of the above probably seems very vague! It's a thing I keep considering - the issue of sharing everything I am on the internet and being an honest blogger.

Moving on! A couple of weeks ago I did a blog post about my pocket watches and the haphazard way my Dad gave me an antique. I thought I'd share some pictures of another couple of lovely little things that Andy and I own, both of which came from my Dad. 
 

 

 

 

The penknife is a beautiful little gold one, with two knives and the inscription you can see. Dad passed this on to me when I was looking for a penknife for something. I think he looks for these random opportunities to give things on. Sadly, like the silver pocket watch they are things he has inherited but doesn't know the story behind. They generally came from my Grandparents who collected a lot of antiques but didn't pass the stories on down with them. That's why I am hoping to make new stories with them. 

The netsuke does have it's own special new story! So the little carved man is a netsuke, made from ivory and it belonged to my Grandma. (Whole wiki explanation of what a netsuke is here) She was really interested in Japan, specifically in ikebana which is a kind of flower arranging and had a close friend who was Japanese who gave her many lovely things. We think this was one of them. However we have a story for it now. When Andy and I got engaged his parents gave him the engagement ring I wear. It was his mum's ring which she sneaked to him. I love that sense of history. My parents were touched too and so they said that they wanted to give something with a little family history to Andy. So as an engagement present to him my parents passed on the netsuke. It is something very familiar to me, always been sitting on a shelf in my parent's home and has now moved on to us. I love it so much and it is especially appropriate because both of us love Japanese things too.

P.S. Just realised I haven't done a toy update in so long! I have a whole new thing to show you soon if only there can be some good light here soon. 

In which time is beautiful

 In my last post I was wearing a pocket watch necklace, and this is the pair-post to share a little bit of the story behind it. I didn't draw too much attention to it last week, but it is in fact one of my most worn and beloved of pieces. I even took it to the Antiques Roadshow! This is because it is a genuine Victorian pocket watch transformed into a necklace for every day wear.
I want to say something like 'my parents are really into antiques' but that makes them sound all official and posh. It's more a love of not getting rid of things has passed on in my family. Meaning that no one thought to remove a collection of slide rules, copies of the Odyssey or pocket watches. So we have a lot of family heirlooms. One of which is this ladies pocket watch.
I can't even say that it was ceremoniously passed on to me. The manner in which it came to my possession was typical of my family. I was building up a steam punk femme-Indiana Jones outfit for a party. It needed a pocket watch and Dad produced this one. Not a modern one or the least loved of the collection, he just chose that moment to say 'have this'.

It is from the 1890s, a ladies watch, still working, still has it's original box and original key. Both the back and the front clock face open up and it has such beautiful patterns on the back and inside. Sadly Dad doesn't know who it belonged to. He just knows that his father collected pocket watches so we are not sure if it originally came from the family or not, but I hope so. I absolutely love it to bits. And then just at Christmas Dad gave me another one! So now maybe I am developing my own version of my grandfather's collection after all.

 The guy from the Antiques Roadshow liked both the pieces we showed him and most of all loved that they were used all the time rather than just kept away like so many other antiques he must see.

I really enjoyed photographing and sharing my pocket watch. If this was interesting to you I have a bunch of other family antiques that I could share with you? I hinted at least one other from my trip to the tv set.

In which giants have invaded and brought toys

I have something new to show you. I literally whipped the below thing up in half an hour. I probably could have made it a lot better, but I am being urged to go play Fluxx with my parents (I am visiting), which I love. Hence, quick bit of fun. :)

Seriously best purchase ever. Andy got an award from work of £200 John Lewis vouchers and we bought so many things. We actually were in John Lewis for 4 hours. We did have tea and cake part way through, but 4 hours to decide what to buy. We got a blender, wok, printer, pillows, a headband and these awesome storage boxes. Although I also have a Lego lunch box in a similar style it can't stack with others like these can. We can now go back and buy more and actually build with them. :)

Also, tomorrow I will be in Edinburgh arranging my wedding dress. So I shall do a photo montage of all the wedding-y bits put together. I thought people would groan with the self-indulgence of wedding posts and the sickening happiness of it all. But people seem to like it, so I shall indulge a little more next week!

In which I list my childhood obsessive collections

When I was a kid I had an obsession with collecting things. I also felt that if you gained a number of things, no matter what they were, they became A Collection. Once a group becomes A Collection it gains a sacred status in which all effort and money spent on it is totally justifiable.

I blame my Dad for this. Honestly, last time we moved I unpacked a box full of slide rules. There were about 5. He claims this is a collection. I think maybe 20 is a collection, 5 is just 4 too many of a mathematical instrument you just won’t use.

I thought I would have a look at some of my own childhood collections whilst poking fun at myself (and doing lists again!) I am not of course including my proper grown-up collections like hats, buttons and Bunty annuals.

1. Packs of cards.

A small pile of some of my favourite packs of cards and some jokers

I have collected cards for a very long time and this isn’t entirely a childhood thing. I love playing cards and usually carry a pack around with me in my handbag in case of spontaneous boredom. However it is not even souvenir cards I am interested in. My particular obsession lies with jokers. For some reason I am scared of clowns but love jesters. Really. I love Harlequin from Batman and medieval jester figures and joker cards. I keep a look out for interesting ones.

2. Frogs.

Ok, this one is weird. When I was younger I thought frogs were cool. I mean they are pretty cool now right? You know little jelly eggs, turn into tadpoles then become colourful things that leap around… no? Perhaps you don’t think so. Anyway I also collected frog things. Mostly various plastic toy frogs. I have more around somewhere but this little frog pencil sharpener was all I could find. Oh and frogs are cool because that’s where we get froghoppers from!

3. Postcards.

I collected these almost by accident. I don’t think I ever viewed them as collection but last week I actually halved this pile. I have so many partly because they are a cheap holiday memento (it’s a picture of that place we went! I must have it) and partly because a LOT are from relatives. It is also because my high school had this thing with giving out free educational postcards at the library. I quite liked a lot of them, particularly ones with Shakespeare quotations on them. It’s those free ones I’ve generally thrown out.

4. Metal Historical Figures.

This is another one of my holiday buys. When we went to castles or historical houses I liked to buy a matching figure. My sister had lots too and I was probably partly copying her. However some of them I really loved. One in particular was a Boudicca figure –a woman in a dress with a sword. I used to carry around a tobacco tin with a picture of a snow leapard on the front and inside I kept a carved wooden spoon I got in Kenya, a pack of cards and my little figure of Boudicca. Sadly I lost my lucky box on holiday and have mourned it ever since.

Well there you go. What things did you collect when you were little and what now? Anyone still have bizarre collections going?

Oh and I will stop posting about my room and do outfit posts and things again soon. Im just not living with the boy anymore and so don't have a willing and beautiful photographer.

In which I talk about the things in my room

You may have noticed that there is a new banner at the top of the page. It still doesn't look amazing I know but I thought a quick statement at the top that explains why this blog doesnt make any sense -as in there are crazy adventures and fashion in one made place- might help people who come here for the first time.

A while ago I did a post about things I love and today I thought I would do a little post about the things in my room I love the most; mementos, playful toys and things that generally make me happy.

-Representing my playmobil collection that has been featured here a few times:

Yes that's right. A toy wizard. And behind him? A copy of Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales. He guards it well.

- Foam practice nun-chucks on the corner of my bookcase. What every hero needs

-My two Japanese style dolls. One from my sister and one from my boyfriend.

-My plate of shiny. The little plate where I drop my jewellery before going to bed.

-My painting given to me by my boyfriend which I tried to put it here but it is only available HUGE from the artist's page. So I would reccommend looking here to see a beautiful piece of art.

-My record collection.

So there we are. Hope you liked some of it.