While the kat's away..............?!

So Alpha male has flown away for two weeks on New Zealand based best man duties - MANY HAPPY WEDDING RETURNS JAMIE & BROOK!! XX - and while he's away there are two creative projects I am planning. Firstly I want to paint one of the walls in the bar with a shiny black paint, ooooohhhh lux!! Then I would like to tackle the wooden floor in the 'family' room. Not sure what the exact plan is there yet but I think it may involve a fern design of some description. Who do I turn to when I need a bit of interior inspiration? One source that never fails to inspire has to be http://kellywearstler.com/ Ultra cool and always fabulous!!! Kat x

Bon Viveur

Emma's new business card, definition: A bon viveur is a person who enjoys the good things of life, especially food. The phrase is derived from the French bon vivant, meaning good living, a bon viveur being a "good liver", or one who lives well. The phrase is not derogatory but conveys a sense of overindulgence, Kat x

Grabba's visit

So Emma finished her fabulous new bathroom this weekend just in time for the visit of her friend Grabba. It looks amazing and she painted practically everything in it. The floor is amazing and its something to behold even on one of the colder, darker spring days. 

 

I was also amazed by the guest bedroom ready for Grabba. We have developed this concept called Wifey Week which involves you doing as many things to please your husband in order to gain brownie points in return. She had adhered to this way of thinking in the following ways - a hand painted matchbox and accessories for his visit, a selection of magazines including the Worlds Best Football magazine and a room with candles burning and a secret sweet stash in case he desires a chocolate moment, lucky him! Kat x

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

I was moved to here of the death of the British born actress Elizabeth Taylor. She was an icon of her time and I have held a fascination about her relationship with Richard Burton, the heavy drinking Welsh actor and poet although he never received much attention over the matter. This well put together selection of clips, taken from the film Cleopatra, illustrates some of the powerful and ultimately destructive chemistry that they had together. Wow is all I can say, Kat x

Tour of White House

Amongst other things I spent the weekend preparing some copy and pictures to send around various interior magazines who I thought might be interested in doing a photo shoot of White House. I'll let you know if we get any responses, in the meantime I invite you to take a mini tour of our home, residence for the Stubbs family for over a 100 years, Kat x

Who dun it??

Yesterday we all went for an evening stroll to exercise various random children and dogs. On leaving I discovered a shocking sight in the garden, mutilated beyond recognition was Anya's toy rabbit. Chief suspect could only be our newly adopted border collie cross Shirley. No toy was safe in her company that was for sure.

Yesterdays stroll was also a good time to illustrate Emmas love for cock, or that should read Hen (SEE PICTURE BELOW). She bought three bantam chickens (mini chickens with long legs and a funny walk) several months ago and sadly only one is now surviving. To make up for the loss of her friends this hen is treated like royalty which involves going everywhere with Emma including on country walks, on the dashboard of the car for weekends away (accessorizing with a scarlet satin cape of course) and out to dinner parties with friends. Every evening the chicken strolls around Emmas kitchen table like she owns the place and frequently infuriates Emmas staffordshire bull terrier Tyskie, by eating out of the dog bowl, the cheek!! Personally I am more concerned about the fact that lowly hen has won the egg race several times over as my brood of seven huge hens that Alpha Male bought several months ago eat me out of house and home, defecate all over my patio daily and STILL NO BLOOMING EGGS!!

Katryoshka's first blog award!

How surprised was I to open my e-mails this morning. It was a super foggy day and I was concerned about rain as I had planned spurts of painting the yellow caravan that's sits on my driveway. Well, I discovered Katryoshka had been given an award by Lucy aka Lucewoman http://lucewoman.blogspot.com/, a canny wee Lass who has been following us for several weeks now. The scenario as I understand it is if you get a blog award, you are able to award three blogs you feel most deserve recognition. Its also good to post the award with a link back to the blog of the person who have you the award, simple!   ish?!

Next question, who should we give an award to?

First up, extremely talented Patience of http://blog.isavirtue.net/. She makes without doubt some of the most beautiful stationary I have seen and I feel inspired when I read her blog.

Secondly, another Stubbs in the form of Percy, Alpha Males cousin and his blog http://caseyandpercy.blogspot.com/. He writes about his adventures while travelling the world on his gap year and its his flair with words that keeps me smiling :)

Last but by not means least I have chosen My Tasty Space, http://nhmom.blogspot.com/, a fantastic place to get food ideas, especially for the kitchen allergic types like me who generally have a strong fear of cooking.

All the blogs above including Lucy's are brilliant and original , the web is defiantly a better space for having them there, Kat xx

Izzy and Daphne - a marriage made in heaven

I just had to comment on the news that my girl-crush Daphne Guinness has bought the entire clothing and hat archive of the late, utterly fabulous Issabella Blow. Both women shared an absolute devotion to high fashion without compromise and with little if any commercial gain. Both never failed/fail to speak their mind about the fashion world they were submerged in and I love their absolute dedication. Daphne has spent the last five years co-designing a glove, a wearable sculpture, why take so long? In her own words 'I'm hopeless!'  Issabella and Daphne, I salute both of you and am so graful for your inspiration! As I bumble along spending too much time creating things no-one will ever see, I feel assured that its about much more than money or recognition, Kat x

She must love her self, that one!

I was attempting to engage i some BORING housework this afternoon when I came across a box of old photos. Unfortanatly there had been some kind of a leak that had festered away on most of the pictures but i did rescue some. They were from 'back in the day' when I was 21 and trying to keep my head a-float with various jobs and projects. As I made my clothing collections I documented them in various photo shoots around my hometown of Southport, Merseyside. From derelect mental institutes to the beach, Southport was rich with opportunitys so if I had a spare couple of hours I would hyjack a aspiring photographer from the local college and drive off with a bootful of my designs in search of inspiration. I don't think I ever saw myself as a model but as a natural poser I loved trying to project the images I had in my head. Oh nostagia is a wonderful thing especially as an antidote to housework but must get backto it before any notices my detour! Kat x

 

Happy Birthday Emma!!

A major booze fest was had by Katryoshka yesterday. Friday evening we all tramped down to North Cornwall, with lots of kids and dogs, to Emmas brother / Bens uncles Patrick's farm. Saturday morning we bid goodbye to our little darlings who spent the rest of the day hanging out at the farm with their fabulous country cousins Camille, Winnie and Maisie. Meanwhile the adults leapt aboard a minibus Padstow bound. Speed forward nine hazy hours and we are now in the legendary 13th century Bush Inn witnessing for the first time Patrick Stubbs and his folk band Blind Brother Stubbs. It was a real treat and topped off a superb weekend, living like Kings all weekend thanks to Patrick and Anns kind hospitality. Although we all feel predictably terrible today we have been totally inspired by the experience to hold a mini folk festival at White House so watch this space for more details!! Kat x

Out with the old and in with the new!!

Last weeks lambing really was the straw that broke the horses back and led to the day when I realised my Doc Martins boots were no longer suitable for public viewing (this may have occurred some time ago but you have to allow at least two months for the denial period). These boots have been a trusted friend for three years through many caravan club nights (dogs, drinking and karaoke in and around a caravan in a muddy field), many painting projects (the worst of which was the Tarotvan which saw them splattered with red metal paint) and lots of generally ungracful stomping around the countryside. Where many boots disintegrated this pair kept themselves together and saw me through any difficult situation I presented them with. R I P dear foot friends!!

Next dilemma, which of the many Doc Martins available should I choose next?? May I present the Lorna boot, no where near as practical as their predecessors but funky as hell!! Patent and canvas tartan spells trouble but I think I can get another year out of my old faithfuls for strictly work scenarios anyway! Kat xx