Mix Tape

After a Daddy/Daughter movie date to go and see 'Guardians of the Galaxy', Ruby has become slightly obsessed with this film. This includes the soundtrack. Mind you, her little musical antennae  were twitching just watching and listening the trailers for it. There is a score soundtrack, but what hooked Ruby's interest was the 'Awesome Mix Vol.1'. The mix tape belongs to the character Star Lord, and it's a gift given to him by his mother. It's his link to her after she dies. The music weaves it's way throughout the film as if it is an extra member of the cast.

The cd is now a permanent member of the Scott family, and has been played non-stop in the car. Since then, I've needed to listen to mix tape style music. That perfect little capsule of tunes that will suit the moods I'm in. Soundtracks are perfect for this, has to be the right mix though. Almost Famous, Northern Exposure and Get Shorty have hit the spot in the last couple of days.

Ahhh, the Mix Tape! Goodness, I LOVE a mix tape!! The mix tape is such a beautiful gift. The fact that someone has spent the time choosing those specific tracks for you *sigh* It's a beautiful thing.

I still have the first mix tape that someone gave me. It was made for me by a friend of a friend's boyfriend. He was in the 6th form and very cool. I wanted to hear the new Blue Aeroplanes album, so he taped it for me. On the other side of the cassette was a mix, and to be fair the Blue Aeroplanes didn't really get much of a look in after hearing it. Some of these tracks were to set me off on great musical adventures to record shops far and wide. Yep, this is it - 'Buy An Anorak'.

The 'Not the Blue Aeroplanes Side' track listing is as follows:

Bambi Slam : Awful Flute Song

Bambi Slam : Hit Me With Your Hair Brush

Bambi Slam : Bamp Bamp (12 inch version)

Bambi Slam : Don't It Make You Feel

Wire : Mannequin

The Fire Engines : Candy Skin

The Pop Group : We Are All Prostitutes

Pulp : My Lighthouse

The Servants : The Sun A Small Star

The Monochrome Set : Jet Set Junta

Josef K : Sorry For Laughing

The Chills : Pink Frost

The Seeds : Pushin' Too Hard

The Go Betweens : A Little Romance

That Petrol Emotion : Zig Zag Wanderer

Sonic Youth : Star Power

Swell Maps : Let's Build A Car.

 

Making a mix tape is a serious business. The mix tape is a labour of love. It takes time. The person you are making it for is special. It takes planning, and the meticulous counting of seconds. Each length of each track you list has to be added up, and made to fit on the blank C60/90. Take command of your back catalogue, know where those juicy little one-to-two minute tape fillers are. Mix tapes are about spreading the word.  If you love music as much as I do, there might be something on this compilation that sets you on fire. Something you want to take into your heart and want to hold on to forever. It's my gift to you to take as your own. Each song is selected with care and set next to it's neighbour with the fastidious care of a jeweller setting precious gems. Together the collection will make up my brilliant gift to you. The gilding on the lily is the snappy title, homemade cover and handwritten insert and A/B side stickers. Bless Letraset transfers and the spare magazine!  

 

Time and technology move on, and to my astonishment so did the mix tape. I still have the first cd mix that a friend made me too. How can this be? Sorcery! Witchcraft!! It was like magic. It was called  'Hell in a Handbasket', and included some fabulous stuff from Stevie Nicks, Phyllis Dillon, Wedding Present, The Pixies, Etta James and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Yep, took me a while to get even a little computer savvy.... but by gum, being able to make the cd mix erm, tape made me feel like a GOD!! A little different, but still the time taken and aspect of love remain a constant. I even found a nifty little programme that could make cd cover inserts for me too. When I first met my beautiful husband, I wooed him with mix cds. They remain on our playlist even now, 12 years later. I also compiled mix cd for the guests at our wedding so that they knew we loved them, and that they could share in the music we love.

 

Billy May : So nice (Summer Samba)

Nelson Riddle Orchestra : Theme from Route 66

Brian Setzer : Sleepwalk

Wayne Newton : Shangri-la

  Reverend Horton Heat : Martini Time  

Dean Martin : Cha Cha D'Amour  

Cherry Poppin' Daddies : Come back to me        

  Count Basie : April in Paris 

  Frank Sinatra : How About You?          

Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald : Gee Baby, ain't I good to you

                   Gloria Lynne : Bali Ha'i        

Louis Prima : Chili Sauce

Luis Oliviera & his Bandodalua Boys : Chihuahua

Elvis Presley : Surrender

Tony Bennett : With plenty of money and you            

 Les Baxter : Whatever Lola wants

Royal Crown Revue : Hey Pachuco    

Julie London : You'd be so nice to come home to         

Doris Day : Close Your Eyes
 Henry Mancini : Lujon

Yma Sumac : Gopher Mambo 

Brian Setzer : Jumpin' East of Java
Dean Martin : Ain't that a kick in the head
Etta James : Sunday Kind of Love
Louis Jordan : Knock me a kiss

Frank Sinatra : You're getting to be a habit with Me

  Brian Setzer : Sing Sing Sing

 

I think I will start making Ruby some mix tapes. Show her what I know about music. Help her find her way through tunes old and new. The lyrics will tell you a thousand stories about life. What I am saying to you is "I made you a mix tape. I love you."

Midsummer Moths

 

The fear of Moths is known as Mottephobia. I used to be mottephobic. When I was a girl, a bunch of my family went to stay in a little holiday cottage in Weymouth. Hey, it was the 1970s! One evening during our stay, my folks and Aunt went out and my big grown- up cousin Fran (I thought she was sooooo cool!) was in charge of baby sitting my brother and I. I remember going into the kitchen because I heard a noise. Something was tapping on the window. I thought it was my parents returning early. But no! When I pulled back the jaunty yellow gingham curtain, I was horrified to see moths battering the window with their little fat bodies. Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

It has taken a good few years for that feeling of horror to leave me. One of the turning points was in my early teens, when I found a White Ermine moth resting on the back of a door. I didn't know that moths could be so beautiful. It has incredible tiny feathery antenna, and a fabulously regal furry ruff at the top of the wings. Hmmmm, maybe moths weren't so bad.

 

Original image URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gails_pictures/4770458669/



One summers evening a few years ago, I found this gorgeous beastie in my bathroom. Wow! A delicate primrose yellow Swallowtailed Moth. I spent a long time just looking at him. I was able to coax him onto an envelope and took this photo before setting him loose in the garden. I knew then that my fear of moths was gone. Yes, I'm still not particularly keen on having them flitter around my head, but I would have to say I have become a bit of a fan.  





 

Mind you, all these years I didn't know that the splendid little scarlet and black Cinnabar was a moth. I always remember as a child, our garden being filled with them. My brother and I used to collect the caterpillars in jam jars. My cat, Sebastian, used to catch them in his mouth. He used to bring them to me as a gift. If I used to wiggle my fingers around his head, he would open his mouth and amazingly the Cinnabar would fly away free and unharmed! Perhaps, just maybe, I was a fan all along.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/springfieldhomer/8731127563/

It is easy to see how moths have a reputation as creatures of the darkness. It's not solely due to the fact that most moth species are nocturnal. Moths have a creepy, sinister, otherworldly quality to them. In some cultures they are seen as the bringers of evil omens , or that they can turn into witches. In Jamaica, the Black Witch Moth is seen as the embodiment of a soul not at rest. According to myth, the Hawaiian Black Witch Moth is seen as the spirit of a loved one's soul returning to say goodbye. There are even places in Mexico, where people joke that if one flies over your head, you'll lose your hair. Coooooooooooool!

 

The idea for this post once again came from my trusty copy of the Collins Complete British Wildlife Photo Guide! The names of the moths are fantastic. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do

Mother of Pearl
Ghost Moth
White Plume Moth
The Lackey
Puss Moth
Sallow Kitten
Lobster Moth
Broad-Bordered Bee Hawkmoth
Chocolate Tip
Iron Prominent
Pale Tussock
The Vapourer
Ruby Tiger
Rosy Footman
Mother Shipton
Heart and Dart
True Lover's Knot
Hebrew Character
The Shark
Grey Dagger
The Miller
Nut-Tree Tussock
Old Lady
Lunar-Spotted Pinion
Angle Shades
Straw Underwing
Burnished Brass
Beautiful Golden Y
Peach Blossom
Pebble Hooktip
Lilac Beauty
Scarce Silver Lines
The Herald
Figure of Eighty
Blotched Emerald
Foxglove Pug
Canary-Shouldered Thorn
Scorched Wing
Mottled Umber
Oak Beauty
Peppered Moth

Birthdays and big celebration days are easy to remember. There is a strange kind of proximity alert that goes of in my head that will remind me to pop a card in the post in the nick of time. But amidst the washing up, school run and supermarket, the smaller anniversaries get missed and forgotten. A sad little feeling of regret and guilt comes with it. I  am belatedly remembering an anniversary of mine that is very important and close to my heart with this post.

 

Fifteen years ago on the 10th of May 1998, I got my first tattoo. It was one of the best days of my life! I decided on a nearby studio close to where I lived in South London. My friend Doug came with me for hand-holding and moral support. Doug was one of the first heavily tattooed people I'd ever met. Before I actually decided to get tattooed, he patiently answered all of my questions and concerns. Good to have an 'expert' on side :)  It took a while to settle on the design I wanted. I had borrowed a book of Albrecht Durer's woodcuts from the library for some research on an essay. The minute I saw  "Woman clothed with the Sun..." I knew that she was the gal for me. The work was done by a young lady called Michelle Collenette. Two hours later, I was a tattooed lady!

Albrecht Durer

Nobody told me that tattoos were moreish. I hadn't really occurred to me then that I'd ever get another piece done. Well, along came a second piece. This one, red hibiscus, I designed and drew out myself. To this day, it remains the piece that gets the most love.

The first tattoo convention I went to was in Dunstable, Doug again holding my hand. I've not been to many since, but this was a wonderful eye opener. I was amazed by the feeling of 'family' that came with it. It was here that I encountered the man who would tattoo most of my work - Mo Coppoletta . It's amazing how he translated my ideas into poetry on the skin. My sleeves, back piece, chest piece and feet are all by him. He has an incredible talent. I have garnered a huge portion of my tattooed education through working with Mo. The people, tattooists and tattooed, are fascinating for all sorts of different reasons! The gossip is fabulous.... When I first met Mo he was working up in Camden, at Bugs' fabulous studio 'Evil from the Needle' (Yep, some tattoo studios have erm, epic names......). He then moved to Into You, before setting up his own studio 'The Family Business' in 2003. It has to be one of the most exquisite tattoo shops in the world.



Mo Coppoletta

For the most part, my experiences of being a tattooed lady have been wonderfully positive. Because of my ink, I am in the design archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum. People are fascinated by tattoos. It's wonderful to see a barely controlled, child-like curiosity sneaking out when someone is desperate to ask a question, or wants to touch them. I am happy to enlighten.

Back piece in progress

Finished piece in the V&A Calendar

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 Of course, as with everything, there are the nay-sayers, party poopers and ignorant. I remember once at work in the library, being verbally abused by a colleague's father. Ugly. I understand that there are those who may not like tattoos. Don't look. I am not hurting you in any way. The colour of my skin does not affect my ability to do my job. Nor does it impede my ability to raise children, teach, do charity work, fight social injustice, go to the moon..... you get my point.

 

A tattoo day is a happy day. I wake up with a big smile on my face. It's a strange thing to say, but I feel so much more like myself with tattoos than I ever did without them. It's like my skin already knew what it wanted to look like. My 'self' explains itself on the outside. I have so much to tell you about how exciting and beautiful the world is! Happy 15th Anniversary skin! I love you! Here's to many more tattoos! 

 

My latest piece, a pinwheel by the divine Nic Garrod-Smith at Songbird Tattoo

  

Sure fire morale boosters

Ughh! January! Grey, cold, damp and dark. New year has never been a favourite of mine. I can feel the weight of all those 365 days pressing on me. Rescue remedies at the ready! Here is a short list of things that always make my day better.

Hearing a favourite song on the radio

There have been some beauts recently. I have started listening to a lot of 6Music when I am about the house. Some of the DJs really know their onions and play a delicious mix of old and new. My ears have been smiling to the sounds of XTC "Senses Working Overtime", Jeff Buckley "Last Goodbye", 808 State "Pacific 707" and the delights of new Nick Cave material.

 

Something unexpected in the post

Most of the stuff that comes through the post box nowadays is junk, bills or some random catalogue I never signed up for. (Dammit, it's the same with my inbox. Ugh!) But sometimes the delight of a handwritten note, card or postcard graces the doormat. It's such a joy to receive! It's knowing that someone out there is thinking of you. That's why I like sending postcards when I am on holiday. So you know that I love you. Look what arrived the other day. Je suis un lapin tres heureux! Thank you Hellcat for my fabu Betsey earrings and Boris brooch <3
 

 

Proper butter on hot toast

Actually, proper butter on anything! (This is why I especially love hotel breakfasts, yeah, the butter and the whole being in a hotel thing.)

 

Writing in pencil

This feels especially hopeful.  An exciting idea, a sketch, a recipe, a piece of poetry, a brilliant thought. Things waiting to be actioned!

 

Afternoon movie matinee

Finding a peachy film on television in the afternoon is heaven. The combination of mouthwatering costumes, fabulous hair dos, a cup of tea, nice biccie, and blanket if need be are guaranteed to make me smile.

 

First green shoots of Spring

How can this fail to make you feel better?! The daffodils are sprouting in my garden already :D

 

New Books

One of my favourite things about working in the library was the proximity to all those lovely new books. The smell, the smooth clean pages, being the first person to enjoy that particular copy of the story. I got some lovely new books for christmas including Pip Lincolne  "Meet me at Mike's", Vladimir Propp "Morphology of the Folktale", Mike Giant "Muerte", Guiseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa "The Leopard", Judith Magee " Art of Nature" and a very wonderful Wellcome Collection exhibition catalogue about the art of Death.

 

 

 

Clean sheets

If I won the lottery I would have clean sheets every night. The sweet smell and crisp freshness of soft new sheets is just blissful. 

Something vintage in my size
Rare as hen's teeth. Thank heavens for handbags.....

Queens Of The Stone Age
LOUD. That is all.

The most wonderful time of the year

Well, at last, we are finally here-Christmas proper. There are only a few minutes of Christmas Eve left. It's a magical time of giddy anticipation, and a strange kind of peace. What is in the house is all we need, stockings are filled, there is a snack ready for Father Christmas and his reindeer, and so, I can do no more.

I haven't felt very festive this year at all. Not really sure why. Something has gone missing from my idea of what christmas is and feels like. In a bid to jumpstart my sugarplum visions tonight, here is a short list of my failsafe festive favourites guaranteed to make me smile. Merry Christmas!

The Nutcracker
Christmas telly isn't complete without a showing of this ballet. The music is wonderful. I love watching a really traditional sugary production of this. But my absolute vourite rendition is Matthew Bourne's.

Stollen
Thick slice, with butter. Cup of tea too if you're making one.

Wreaths on the front door
They look so beautiful and welcoming. They make a house look happy and loved.This year ours has pine cones, moss, greenery and some wonderful multicoloured berries in it.

Tree Ornaments
I love my collection of tree baubles. In fact, I am probably a bit precious about them. I have spent years collecting them, picking a couple of special new ones each christmas. Christmas almost begins for me the moment I find the first new ornament for that year. When the tree goes up, getting the baubles out of the decorations box is my favourite part. It is like seeing a long lost friend again. I smile myself silly at catching up with them again. I love them all, but my favourite favourite is a painted wooden ornament of a snow maiden that I got in Prague.

Troika
To me, this is what christmas sounds like. It is a part from a piece called Lieutenant Kije by Prokofiev. Joyous!

Stockings
A well filled, carefully thought out stocking is a true delight. Every little treat in there is a hug and kiss in present form. They say 'these goodies are especially for you because I want to see you smile'. I think a stocking is as important, if not more, than a big present.

White Christmas

I love this movie. I bought it on dvd to ensure I get to see it every year. It's a big ol' cheesy schmaltz-fest with some gorgeous costumes and lots of great tunes. My best bits are  the Danny Kaye number "The best things happen when you're dancing" ( swooningly romantic *sigh* ), the colour of Rosemary Clooney's hair, and that Vera-Ellen has the figure of a wasp!

Folky Christmas Traditions

I wish I was German, or Italian or Scandinavian. These countries/cultures have some wonderful folk traditions throughout the holiday season. My fasvourite, food aside, is the Krampus. Companion to Saint Nicholas, the Krampus is a christmas 'devil' who does St. Nick's dirty work and  punishes the naughty children. www.krampus.com 

Favourite Words

Minutia posts have been a little thin on the ground recently. Busy, busy, busy! Doing what I cannot even remember! This is one of my back up posts, an idea that I have had brewing for a while. It is a list of my favourite words.

I am very picky about the words I use. I like to mean exactly what I say. I can get into a bit of a tizz if I can't think of the correct word to use. This has become particularly important since I've has children. My brain has turned to mush, and there are days that I struggle horribly for coherence. On occasion I have even made up words! These strange hybrids are little mixtures of two words that describe what I want to say. They are my word mutants- they LIVE!!!! My favourite is made up word is one I used to describe how splendid my fabulous (honorary) big sister looked one day. My brain couldn't decide between glamorous and lovely, so I said she looked 'glamly', I still use it :) Enjoy this selection of my favourite words.

 

 

cannula

 

dreadnought

 

steadfast

 

polyp

 

impediment

 

adamant

 

flimflam

 

ungulate

 

wretched

 

dewlap

 

nincompoop

 

libation

 

berserk

 

hearth

 

wrasse

 

ruminant

 

smut

 

falafel

 

ocelot

 

concur

 

efficacy

 

dulcet

 



 

 

Forest Holiday

The summer holidays are nearly over. Thank heavens!!! Goodness, I never knew six weeks could feel like so long! It hasn't been all squabbling and whinging though. A few weeks ago we went to Center Parcs in Longleat Forest for a few days. It was lovely. Being surrounded by all those trees is wonderfully calming. We got to swim every day too! Smiley days in the forest.

 

Greenness

 

Swimming every day

 

Watching Esther's delight as she splashed around

 

Seeing a deer in the 'back garden'



 

Muntjak Deer in the forest, spotted by Ruby!

Eating at the table together

Treehouses

Late night sewing



Embroidered hand of Fatima.
 
The Jurassic Park feeling you get when you first drive into Longleat Safari Park

Feeding the deer at Longleat

Giant Anteaters

Meerkats at my feet

 

Car parts on the road in the monkey enclosure

The incredibly satisfying feeling of schadenfreude on seeing an idiot driving a Jag and watching the monkeys rip it to pieces.

 

 

Playing in the treetop playground with my girls

Ruby and Esther pretending to play Guitar Hero