ZOMG! Deliciously Geeky Nintendo Birthday and Wedding Cakes
/Some of these are just amazing!
This is What it Looks Like When I'm Allowed to Design T-shirts to Sell to the Public
/In 2004, 2005 and a little of 2006 I worked in one of my favourite jobs I've ever had. I was part of the coolest gang in town, The Liberty Blue crew. Liberty Blue is an independent boutique store, an Aladdin's Cave of quirky dresses from little labels, locally made jewellery trinkets and back then we also had a t-shirt printing service.
When I worked there with sisters Emma & Fiona, Timmy (now of Gertrude Anna) and Sean, Liberty Blue owner Nigel gave us a chance to have some fun with the t-shirt printing. We had stacks of American Apparel tees in every colour of the rainbow, a file of genuine 70s' t-shirt decals as well as crisp, shiny bright tee transfers by local designers like Steven Quinn, Heather Sloane and Andy Henry.
Our fun job was to snip and collate the transfers into new patterns and prints for a series of our own unique tees. These were then sold in store, which was great craic when someone liked your crazy design enough to buy it!
Here are some of my designs from that year, 2005, I wonder if anyone out there reading this has ever seen them being worn by a friend or even did you buy it yourself?
A Thorntons' Tea Party on a Sunday Afternoon
/Thorntons Continental chocolates always have happy memories for me. When I was a young teenager, my Mum would take me shopping for the day in Belfast and we would always get a little bag of cappuccino delights from Thorntons. It always felt a bit grown up, rather than getting a bar of chocolate from the shop on the way home.
When Thorntons offered some delicious treats from their online gift selection for me to try, I instantly thought of sharing them with my Mum. These days though, my Mum is on a low sugar diet, due to finding out she had diabetes a few years ago. Worry not, the lovely folks at Thorntons replied, and they showed me their equally tempting No Added Sugar Selection Box!
Their gift boxes and hampers make ideal gifts for any occasion, and they offer a service of personalising a chocolate box with your own photograph.
I decided that I definitely couldn't eat all these by myself, although I could have given it a good try. Instead I brought the selections round for dessert after Sunday Lunch at my parents' house. It was a lot of fun choosing and tasting the different chocolatey concoctions, especially with the Continental Chocolatiers Tasting Selection and my brother reading out the colourful descriptions from the box. A lovely and interesting alternative to a cake or regular Sunday lunch dessert, Maybe you could try it next time you have a family gathering too.
Project 24- Bangor's Art Pods
/http://project24NI.com
1990s' Badges from a Charity Shop- What I bought Today
/My brother & his soon to be wife Nicki held a coffee morning to raise money for the missionary work they are heading off to do this summer, straight after their honeymoon. I must see if they have a Just Giving page or the likes, so any of my readers who would like to help them can donate.
They've done this particular Methodist mission a few years before too. They go to Ibiza in the busiest season and work on the streets helping those who are worse for wear. Picking people up, getting them medical help if they've been injured, making sure girls who lose their friends get back to their hotel safely etc. It's a mucky type of modern missionary work, cleaning sick off clothes and dealing with aggressive party goers, but its nice to know young people like them are still willing to give up their summer to support their peers. And it gives a much more positive image of Christians than just standing outside nightclubs shaking their heads and forcing people to take pamphlets.
Anyway! The coffee morning to raise money was in Carickfergus, a town about 40 mins drive from us, where Nicki's Dad is the minister, and where they will be getting married in a matter of weeks' time. Carrick is filled with grotty charity shops. I use that term affectionately as shops like Oxfam and Heart Foundation are sleek and usually have a manager on a salary, which is why they don't have tons of crappy ornaments or gypsy paintings any more. Well, Carrick still has the old fashioned junk shop style charity stores, and I am so happy about it.
Lots of weird bits, but my one purchase was the very cool 1990s' badges. My son didn't come browsing with me. He stayed to man the book stall at the coffee morning, where he was a mini-Apprentice, putting the pressure on the elderly to buy novels!
Hula Girl Banana Boat Lamp, Tretchikoff Era Lighting for the Home
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View item: Vintage Retro 1950's Hoola Girl in Canoe Original Hat Shade- Tretchikoff Era
President George W Bush the Artist by Dan Lacey
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View and perhaps buy Dan Lacey art via eBay: PAINTING Artist President George W Bush Barney Scottish Terrier US Dog Art Lacey
