Autumn.........is upon us

Well after what has been a busy time yet again.... I have plunged head first into the studio. I have been painting Cocks........ Not the Pink variety but our feathered friends. I must say it has been a laugh and great ice breakers for those a bit stifled! You can only imagine. I call this baby The ANGRY COCK. I have been listening to the new albums by Muse and Kasabian on loop over and over.. haha


The week before last I attended the Goodwood Revival. I have to say it is on my top ten list of things to do. It was truly magical and like stepping back in time. Even chivalry was alive there. I loved the men in their uniforms and the ladies in their hats and gloves. There was even the Mods and Rockers with their mopeds and bikes. Anything was a go, as long as it was in the past. The old motorbikes and cars were amazing. But they even had the old planes there performing. I was in my element. The only thing missing was Steve Mcqeen but there was alot of merchanise with him on. We were able to go into the paddocks right up to the cars, and they smelt lovely revving their engines. It was Stirling Moss's birthday so it was extra special. I could have people watched all day there sipping champers on the lawn....... I took well over 285 photos. But I wont bore you with them all. Well actually I might, so here is a link..

photos of Goodwood

Enjoy!

kxx

Spring cleaning

Well whoever came up with idea of spring cleaning obviously overlooked autumn cleaning. Why dont we ever say this instead? I mean what with the fly carcasses, shit, spiders and their cobwebs this is a huge job.. It may been over looked by me this year if it wasnt for the massive cobweb hanging from the ceiling to my grandfathers clock. Oh and there was that spider that scurried across the floor that I heard before I saw. My nan used to say it had boots on. This time of the year they are all finding their way in to nest for the winter I swear! I awlays seem to notice them coming in before it rains as well. They are my little weather forcasters. Well today I decided to get the hoover out and oust them all. And that I did.

I have yet to delve back into the studio as I have been getting all the jobs that I wanted to all summer, finished. But this week I will be in there. Creating.

I am also in the process of having a tattoo removed. I got this particular one years ago after having broken up with a boy. He hated them and in my rebellion I decided I was going to get one. Of course being a stupid idiot, rather than research the whole thing, I just dove right in and let this woman do what she wanted to me. After I found out I was one of her first clients! I mean you could tell looking at the work. Shaky lines and just awful. But I stuck to my guns and wore it like a badge. The girl I was with kept egging me on to get it as well. Gullable and stupid was I! And yes I even bought those cream and scrubs that did nothing to get rid of it. . I even poured TCA on it. I was not wanting to do the laser thing as the scarring is just awful and very painful so I hear. But still it is there to haunt me. Then I saw a wee ad in my local rag. Caroline who is a gem, uses a process called ERASE. She injects some gear into my skin which reacts with the pigment and my body breaks it up. It forms a scab which then draws the pigment out. It hurts no more than when I had the tattoo done. And it is up to you the way your body handles it. I am left with a pink line where the skin has healed, and I know that will turn white over time. I have had another area done and already I am noticing it healing diff than the last. I keep putting scar and oil creams on to aid the healing process. It is quite intersting to see how it is progressing really. I just cannot curse myself enough for getting it in the first place but at least now I have an option.

xx

Summer closing

Well I have arrived home after a lovely break in France. We have recently aquired a lovely house in need of updating shall we say. Our voyage over the channel was not without mishap as I get terribly seasick, and did so! The weather was fantastic and the house even more special. I feel even more inspried and can't wait to boot the children into school so I can finally have some me time. Of course I do love them but ..............my sanity is looming!

In the evenings in France we sat on our terrace and looked over the rolling hills. We watched Eagles soar and listened to the squirrel like creatures rustling around in the attic. The bats venturing out and flying about. Hummingbird moths appeared and let us know their presence, as the odd snake and many a lizards. We drank wine and soaked the sun. The children explored and splashed in the pool. We ventured off exploring the neighbouring villages and lakes, even the neighbours. We tried all the cheeses we could find and the bread did a fair turn as well. We dipped in the cascades and lakes. It was truly magical and I cant wait to get back there. But for now I have to tend the flock and sort things out here.

I have paintings which need to painted and projects that need tying up.. Time will go quickly and with the fullmoon only a few days away I feel my energy levels will peak soon so I better get cracking!

The whole time we were gone we didnt read any newspaper or see any news. We never missed it either. Void of all the negative energy it brings.

Yesterday, as I sat in the back garden I looked up to the sky. The first sign of the v shaped formation the birds have made. To me this signals the end of summer. The birds heading south, on their way to pastures warmer. THis saddens me but I suppose if we never had winter , we wouldnt appreciate summer as much. Its whole balance thing again.

words to live by

Well I have been a busy bee yet again.. Organising events for the children and getting up to mischief myself.. Everyone should do this once in a while. One note that I would like to point out is very important for all parents to listen to. When taking a 7 year old into a public toilet, try and divert her attention away from the graffiti on the cubicle wall. Or you may be quizzed on ' what does (suck my dick) mean mummy?' All while trying to keep a straight face and gently brush the topic away to , 'Yes you can have that lovely DVD you wanted.' Bloody Sainsburys!

If its not enough with this Swine flu lark, sick bugs blah blah blah, ................Surely there is someone holed up somewhere creating all these things! I blame the pharmaceutical companies for this. 'Lets make something that we only have the cure for' grrr

Anyway, A few days ago we were filmed as a family to do a recycling campaign.. It all went very smoothly and we had a tremendous time doing it. The kids lasted all day , as did I.!! It is funny how many old ladies would queue behind the til we were filming at thinking it was real.. They really are oblivious to anything.. I must say this particular day it was most definately pensioner day! People drifting through the scene in the background and cars revving and wrecking the sound. But the fantastic bit was Busta and pong. Busta being a HENSON puppet. He was puppetiered by Mark and his daughter did Pong. I am sure in a few weeks you will be able to view it all.. Here is the site for the campaign. Schools are encouraged to get involved. Katy, in charge of the shoot for wastebuster is fantastic! In controll the whole time and kept things running smoothly! A real pleasure!

wastebuster

It is a brilliant idea and if we all did it, well things would be so much better.

Lennon particularily loved the day.. He got loads of attention and even showed Mark how to wee on the Mint in the garden! Kate took lovely photos of the day and I cant wait to see them, she is currently in the process of making her own site so bookmark it.


Kate griffin


I enjoyed it alot since it has been ages since I was in front of the camera. I am more behind the scenes girl these days. Shooting the kids and painting. shooting the kids as in taking photos and videos not actual shooting of with a gun, although, these holidays are somewhat dragging out! hehe..hmmmmmmmm

Well I am going to crack open a lovely bottle of wine and go and watch the sunset in my back garden.

cheerio for now.

kxx

Glitter in the air

Well I really do not now where to begin>............ it has been a very busy time as of late. School finishing and lots of playing going on as well as trips here and there.. The sun has become somewhat elusive after wimbledon. Perhaps it lost its way? Anyway, I have just come back after a mini girly festival.. We have called it Beckfest. This basically consists of posh frocks, wellies, drunken stupor, tiaras, wings, glitter, naked dancing and feral children. All of which happened.

In the day when we were setting up the tents, which I might add was a feat in itself. HMMMMM wonder if we remembered to mark out where the bits go for next year. I really must not go into too much that went on because like Vegas, what happens in Beckfest stays in Beckfest! But there was lots of giggling. must remember for next year to shut the tent so the damp does not get into it.

It was funny listening to the night sounds,, the odd animal, birds, things foraging in the bushes...that might have been me. And every once in a while you could hear another festival taking place on the downs up chanctonbury ring! The stars were bright and the air was cool.

I think alot of lessons were learned but we can use that for next year.

I am off to France for a couple weeks soon so not sure if I will get a chance to write here again, but you never know.

Still working on getting this book sorted as well as a few other projects for the fall. I have been busy painting commissions lately.

Oh I have been watching TrueBlood on the telly which looks good so far.

cheerio for now xx

Race for Life

Race for Life..
Well today I ran the race for life for Cancer research..

We stared off in Stanmer park in Brighton. Mind you first Ginette and I had to find it and after a few wrong turns we finally did.. We would so end up in another country if we were to go farther than Brighton I am sure.

Anyway, I am not sure but I think there was more than 3000 of us all together. We were put into groups as in starting order. like the runners first then the joggers then the walkers. We went with the joggers as I knew we wouldnt be able to keep pace and do the whole way running. Besides all I had on was flipflops anyway.. Me and my competitive spirit hey? haha But I must say they held up rather well and I stayed the course with all the others who had proper shoes on.. which was all of them.. But Ginette did assure me she thought she another one wearing flipflops as well. The race started off a bit slow , but you try and direct 3000 through bottle necks and taped lines.. By the time we got half way we were on a steady pace and were able to keep the course.. I did have a mishap along the way where I thought I was a goner when a dog tried to trip me up. He had the look in his eye i could tell. It was when we were all going up the hill and everyone was walking it, you couldnt have passed them if you tried. But I noticed when we were all breaking with the brisk walking people were taking the time to read the girls backs in front. Each one donned a picture or name of a loved one that had fallen to cancer.. or even themselves. It was a reflection period.. I did find my mind wander a bit and giggled when I wondered if any of the girls had stopped along the way to do a Paula Radcliff. But I didnt see any, just the odd one stopping to take layers of clothes off.

Anyway, when you could hear the crowd cheering toward the end and it just gave you that little bit of extra push to finish.. As I finished I threw my arms in the air and yelled, "I did it in flip flops!" haha we were then given a bottle of water and a goodie bag of girlie bits..and a medal! I poured the water over myself to cool down as my face was on fire. But my old body held up! We then wandered over to the icecream van and got an icecream. As i looked down at myself I noticed it looked as though I had wee'd all down my leg. Then I remembered I had watered myself! Twat!

It was a fantastic day.................

Then I finished the day off with a cold beer in the garden and a BBQ.

ROCK N ROLL BABY!
kx

hot

teapots

three days left to grab yourself a one off teapot by myself or others.

there now I have that out of the way..

SO here in the Uk we have been enjoying the sun. Perhaps not so much up north but down here it has been lovely..

I am sitting here in my smalls with a monster bowl of walls icecream by my side, as any good girl should have! Wimbledon looks like a great game on friday as thereis loads of eye candy for me!! NOt Murray I must say but Federer and Haas ! I for one will be glued to set! Nice!

I have been trying a different technique of painting lately.. I am doing a painting for a friend and thought I might try it out so when I have finished I shall post it up..

I have been spending vast amounts of time dossing on the beach. It has been so amazing.
Well except for the speedos. Why do men still insist on wearing these. I mean come on. If I wanted to see their two meat and veg I would just ask. I certainly dont want it thrust into my face. Mind you, saying that, it does give you a great topic to chat and giggle about when you are there gapping at it!

Right have to dash now as I am about to watch the last episode of THE TAKE.

If you have not watched this I highly recommend it. mafia, blah blah blah and some smashing acting by some british blokes! Best I have seen in ages. Not for the young as some of it is pretty harsh..,

kx