Polly's Four Stone Up & One Stone Down...

I recently received a comment from Mike over on The Wine Buff. Simply put, Mike was wondering if I was ever going to pull my finger out and actually post on this blog at any time in the future...? Oooops!

The simple answer to that question is errrr, yes, that is my intention! It has always been my intention, but sadly it's something I haven't been doing for a while. Thinking about this, it occurred to me that my waffley bad blogging schedule started sometime last May, around the time I returned to work! The truth is I've been doing too many things (or maybe not in this case) and to be honest I've been advised by more than one source to slow things down a little but surely that doesn't mean grind to a halt, does it?

There have honestly been times when that's pretty much what I've done. In the past year I've spent much of my time when not working resting either in bed, having off days or sitting in zombie like fashion infront of this very pc (actually, it's more likely that it was the one I killed or the borrowed laptop that went back when I resigned as secretary of the dyslexia group!!!) Alternately, I may have been working like a beaver to fill orders for greeting cards - as time is at a premium these days I have to slip this in in between scouting, etc...

Cooking hasn't exactly been high on my list of priorities either. I've cajoled 'the boys', any or all three of them to whip up culinary delights on my behalf, persuaded DG to bring home disasterous takeaways or worse still resorted to the occasional emergency bottle of readymade sauce! Yuck - at least that's what my conscience tries to tell me on these (bottled) occasions.

The boys really are quite accomplished cooks, the youngest concocts a presentable panna cotta from memory. Only the eldest one, ie the 40 year old is truly accountable for his actions though, he actually clears up afterwards. I shame when he arrives home after a long days work only to make dinner for four because the lady is out in the shed making greeting cards! I sometimes wonder if it's worth it, and I'm quite sure he does so regularly...

This said, there is perhaps method in such madness. The whole house has suffered in this past year, more than any other, to the extent that teenage boys have discovered the delights of bargaining and persuasion alongside those of vaccuming and lawnmowing. My partner in life has realised that maybe we do need a new cooker. The gas pressure steadily drops off while he's in the midst of something requiring crucial timing - ie it's got to be cooked by bedtime!

How many times have we slapped medium rare best Irish beef steaks (from our beloved Aldi) onto our plates only to have to whip them back off again, wash the plates and recook them under the ailing grill, while the veg stews? We no longer eat roast meats, roast potatoes or yorkshire puddings anymore, unless my Mum rushes to the rescue which is typically on a Monday evenings due to my involvement with scouts...

Okay, I did purchase a brand new microwave rice & pasta cooker recently. Actually, it was a freebie due to the fact that the blessed thing went missing in the post and then promptly arrived on my door step the day after the company had reimbursed my credit card. They insisted that I kept it by way of compensation for the extraordinary nine weeks in transit, which was mighty decent of them, especially as their promotion had promised free shipping, the cost of which was promptly added to the price after we'd reached checkout!

Ah yes, life in the Pierce household has been 'interesting' over the past year or so. My inactivity and penchant for fine red wines has led to me gaining an extra-ordinary four stone over the past five years. The last one has yoyoed horrifically. Each time I've congratulated myself on losing it I've celebrated this by adding to the fortunes of my local vintners (including Wines Direct) and master chocalatiers...

Yesterday I treated myself to a brand new copy of this months "Weight Watcher's Magazine" and a double decker! And yes, my intentions are once more GOOD...

Polly Says Wanna Learn How To Quickly Put Together A WordPress Membership Site?

A lot of people have dreams of owning a membership site. It really isn't all that hard with the tools we have now compared to those we had only a few short years ago. But, that's not was scares most people. Most people are put off because they *think* it is very technical and they are also overwhelmed by the many moving parts of membership site.

Talk to those who already own membership sites and they will tell you. In the beginning it was all very intimidating for them too. But once they have the first one set up, the next one becomes easier because they know how to lay it all out and how things connect to each other.

What if you could get this blueprint from them? I'll tell you where to get it - TechBasedTraining.

They have a new training course out that walks you through the various steps of setting up WordPress as a membership site and they have also included a theme that can be used as a schematic to lay out the membership site in a manner that flows well and makes sense to your members. They really understand that part of the game is in a well designed membership experience. And the training helps you achieve that.

The best part, it is very affordable. In this day of over priced training products, this is certainly very refreshing. Don't let the low price fool you though. A lot of thought and work has been put in here so you get a solid training. Use it yourself or purchase a copy for your assistant. Details can be found at TechBasedTraining...

Polly Plays Along With PaperPlay Challenges & Waltzing Mouse...

Phew! I've just checked over on Paperplay Challenges and they haven't quite closed the doors on last week's challenge. So it looks as though I might be in with a chance to win one of Claire Brennan's beautiful stamp sets afterall!

The challenge is to create a wedding card using one of Claire's stamp sets. So here is my card made with the 'Celtic Heritage' set, I have used two of the ornate bird images to create one over lapping heart...

The sentiment comes from one of Claire's more recent sets; 'Fancy Phrases' and I think you'll agree that it is fitting for a wedding or any number of romantic occasion cards. All cardstock is from The Paper Mill Shop and the images are stamped in Memento's Tuxedo Black and then coloured with Pro-Markers.

So, fingers crossed that Sandie hasn't locked the door while I've been writing this post. Wish me luck...

Polly Pierce

Polly's Garden Rockets...

Just a little over fifty years ago the British government launched its favourite slogan "Dig For Victory!" Here we are, in the fully modernised 21st Century being encouraged to do the same again during one of the worst recessions in since the war. It just goes to show how human beings can adjust to circumstances, returning to the basics during times of need...

In the video below Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall introduces The River Cottage Instant Vegetable Garden from Rocket Gardens. Safely ensconced in a box packed with organic straw to protect and keep its contents moist, your bounty is delivered right to your door. Eliminating the especially vulnerable stages from germination to becoming a fully fledged seedling, Rocket Gardens provides you with an advantage over your local flora and fauna.

Image via Wikipedia

So, what’s in the box?

The following baby plants suitable for filling a plot approx 10m square.

•  Rocket x 20
•  Mixed lettuce x 30
•  Dwarf French green beans x 12
•  Runner beans x 8
•  Kale x 5
•  Courgettes x 3
•  Potatoes x 10
•  Giant red mustard x 10
•  Tomatoes x 3
•  Peas x 10
•  Basil x 2
•  Parsley x 2
•  Borlotti beans x 8
•  Chard x 10

All you have to do is prepare the soil in advance by digging it over, weeding it and turning the soil into a fine tilth ready for planting! Rocket Gardens certainly provides peace of mind, taking away the uncertainty of the germination process and night time raids...

If you'd like to know more head over to River Cottage, meanwhile Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tells us a little bit about this great idea:




As you can tell, I'm a bit of a Hugh Fearnley fan! I just wish I had the energy that he has to turn my somewhat overgrown jungle into a productive kitchen and ornamental garden. Still, one can dream...

All the best for now,

Polly

Vinca Cards

Polly Launches Dungarvan Brewing Company In Dublin...

Just a quick update on the recent post I did on the Dungarvan Brewing Company who produce a range of Bottle conditioned beers - Black Rock Irish Stout, Copper Coast Red Ale, Helvick Gold Blonde Ale their micro-brewery down in Co Waterford.(just typing the names has my imagination salivating!)

I recently received a message in my Facebook message box which informed me that they are expanding! Yes, for those of you lucky enough to be living in Dublin they will be having a launch party in the 'Bull and Castle' on Lord Edward Street in Dublin on Thursday 3rd June starting at 7pm.

I have to admit that I am just a wee bit envious and wish that I live in Dublin. By the time this date comes around I'll be back in the workforce for the first time in four years or so, so I definitely won't be in a position to join the party! Still, there will always be another one...

Meanwhile, if you'd like to keep up with their exploits they now have a blog or rather their chief brewer now has one. This is a good read which is full of useful information for would be real ale drinkers not least because it contains the link to their map of stockists!

Meanwhile, despite the beautiful weather I'm just going to have to content myself with a lovely pint of tap water...

Polly

Vinca Cards

Polly's Having A Giveaway...

Sorry to disappoint you, but the title of this post is just ever so slightly misleading, rather than having a giveaway myself I'm showcasing two friends of mine who are having giveaways!

Nice and quietly I've known these ladies for at least a couple of years, through my membership of the Irish Business Women's forum and more recently on Facebook. I suppose it was inevitable that I should become friendly with them, not only because of my own craftiness, but also because each complements the Wedding Industry in some way.

Carol Shaw makes fabulous jewellery by hand, which retails at affordable prices. This of course makes her an ideal referral for the bride to be, the bridesmaids or indeed the mother of the bride. In fact Carol Shaw Jewellery appeals to all ages and pretty much all tastes, as there really is something for nearly everybody on her site.

A perfect example of Carol's work is this Swarovski Crystal pendant, which she is putting up for grabs this weekend. This is an event which is designed to Carol's fabulous jewellery and to increase her fanbase. All you have to do is become one of Carol Shaw Jewellery's fans on Facebook and then send invitations to your girlfriends (or boyfriends) to do likewise...

Lorna Sixsmith, on the other hand is an interior designer and the owner of Garrendenny Lane Interiors. Her online shop is just fabulous, stocking all sorts of lovelies ranging from Designer Guild bed linen to wrought iron wall sconces, many of which would make fab wedding gifts.

This week, and every week from now on Lorna is holding Freebie Friday. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a beautiful Lene Bjerre cheese knife with a Selwyn pearl handle, which comes in an inscribed black faux velvet case. I'm sure you'll agree that this would make a fine addition to anyones formal table wear. 

For your chance to win this weeks Friday Freebie head over to Garrendenny Lane Interiors blog and leave a comment. While you're there you should have a good look around her online shop and see what else she's got in stock...

Meanwhile, I'll leave you by wishing you luck with both of these fab giveaways while keeping my fingers crossed that I win them myself!

Polly

Vinca Cards

Polly's At It Again - Rope Ladders and Blog Waltzes...?

Yes folks, it's fast approaching that time again! Claire from Waltzing Mouse Stamps is running her monthly blog hop again, only in her case it's more of a waltz...

I missed last month due to my committments with Scouting Ireland. I spent the weekend camping in gorgeous weather conditions out on the lovely Charleville Estate near Tullamore, Co Offaly.

Setting off from the den with great intentions and no firm venue for our camp, we started off with just five scouts and two leaders. Having arrived up at the castle and been given an impromptu tour of the place we still had nowhere to camp, because our kindly hosts already had an event on that night. Seems that the spirits aren't too keen on the company of young people during a paranormal investigation!

Eventually we struck gold! The land owner of the estate allowed us to use what is affectionately known as The Shinfield. So called because my partner in crime somehow managed to rip his shin open in this very spot this time last year, resulting in a scar that took well over three months to heal...

Thankfully this years camp took place without any great drama's, and my partner in crime's shin remained intact. The scouts and leaders spent many happy hours setting up camp and gathering wood of all shapes and sizes, stacking most of it in preparation for this years County Challenge in an adjacent field. They even brought some of the smaller stuff back to our camp so that we could use our alter fires to cook on and practice making rope ladders...

Funny thing is that this all started off quite innocently. Within a couple of days it transpired that for the County Challenge I was to take charge of the rope ladder base, whereby I taught the scouts how to prepare and make one. This entailed engraving their names onto the logs that they prepared and it was very much a challenge! Over the course of the following weekend I taught 85 scouts how to do the honours...

I should have some nice pics later on, if I can locate the disc and figure out how to upload them. As some of you already know, it seems that I blew my mother board up so am having to reinstal all my lovely programmes onto my son's pc and the laptop. Of course that wouldn't be much of a problem, only I seem to have mislaid some of the discs in amongst the chaos that I like to refer to as my filing system. (Cough, splutter, blush...)

Polly Congratulates Glenisk On Latest...

Early this afternoon I logged into my Facebook account to catch up with the world, his brother and sister and basically to have a good look around. Amongst the regular updates about Farmeville and the like (all of which I studiously ignore!) I came across the latest update from Glenisk.

Regular readers are no doubt aware that Glenisk is in fact one of my neighbours. In rural Ireland, if someone lives within a couple of miles as the crow flies, they are your neighbour and I am thrilled to have the pleasure of having watched the Cleary family from Newtown, Killeigh expand their business over the past three decades. Time after time I'm proud to say that this family business has been nominated for and received top awards and this week is no exception...

Glenisk is the overall winner of the SFA National Business Award 2010. Winning the Food & Drinks category, Glenisk also beat off competition from 35 other finalists to take the top prize. The award was presented to finance director, Gerard Cleary by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, TD, on Thursday, 4 March.

While we're on the subject of the latest from Glenisk, why not have a look at their new TV advert. Apparently, this was filmed in the middle of a particularly chilly December which meant that it wasn't practical to film au naturel, ie out on the farm. If you want to see how they did it head over here for more details...

So, congratulations to Vincent, Ger and all the lads over in Newtown! Keep up the good work and carry on bringing national and international awards back to our parish, making organics and sustainability hip, and the nation healthier...!

Polly Pierce

Vinca Cards - Handmade Wedding Stationery & Greeting Cards Made In Offaly

Polly's Plastic Lakeland Bags...

My Mum is great. She's kind, generous, funny, warm, a good cook, a great babysitter, Mum, Granny, friend, etc. Sometimes however, she can be somewhat over enthusiastic about certain things and when presented with the result of this enthusiasm, I don't always know quite how to react.

One of the latest objects of this enthusiasm is a simple storage device called the Bread Bag produced by Lakeland Plastics. Little more than a white cotton draw string bag which is lined with plastic, this item received little more than a cursory glance. Horror of horrors, she'd actually bought four of the blessed things and presented me with two of them, one medium and one large sized.

In the same breath I was informed that she no longer needed the fancy stoneware bread crock that I'd bought her once upon a time and that I could have it for whatever I decided to do with it. Fair enough, I thought, as we'd both had similar problems with the storage of bread in said article - ie the bread went mouldy within a couple of days occupation. Currently my bread crock holds enormous quantities of rice, keeps it dry, pest free and easily accessible. To be honest, it's a godsend!

So, without more adieu, I decided there and then that the newer, slightly larger stoneware bread crock would make a fantastic place in which to store root vegetables like spuds. These too have proved problematic, in that they're inclined to sprout at the slightest opportunity, so far the bread crock seems to have this particular issue under control.

So what of the plastic lined cotton bag? Well, eventually I decided to try it out. I did so somewhat relunctantly, as I truly didn't have any faith in the things but didn't want to upset my Mum. Rather than be accused of spurning her generosity I stuffed a Tiger Loaf from Tesco's into it and hoped for the best, nearly one week later it remained soft and fluffy, no evidence of age to make it taste stale and certainly there was no sign of mould. I was surprised, no actually I was shocked!

My next experiment was a soda bread cake. As delicious as it was, I deliberated and decided that out of sight was indeed a case of out of mind. Wholewheat soda bread is delicious, especially with a layer of butter upon it and reeks havoc on any healthy eating plan, so it had to be vanished - or else face the consequences. Where better to stuff it than into Lakeland's bread bag, whereupon it languished for the best part of a week before being rediscovered. Aw, so what? Well, normally soda bread lasts no more than 24 hours before it becomes stale and unpalatably dry but not in this case. I was actually amazed this time...

Over the past few weeks I have stuffed various different bread products into my Lakeland Bread Bags ranging from soda bread to pitta bread, tiger bread to donuts and each one has remained soft and fresh for inordinate lengths of time. I don't know how they stay fresh, they just do and whoever invented this solution to an age old problem needs a pat on the back and a round of applause.

My recommendation would be for anyone who likes their bread, especially if they live alone or as part of a small family, is to go out and try the Lakeland Bread Bag for yourselves. It works for me and hopefully it'll work for you!

Pollys Wedding Crasher!

Earlier this morning I was checking out my FaceBook page and noticed a great entry by my good friend Bláithín O'Reilly Murphy of Distinctive Weddings. Her latest entry on the blog has certainly come up trumps with some good old common sense and easy tips on how to choose colours for your wedding party. This instantly brought to mind a tale recently told of a wedding party witnessed at an exclusive hotel north of Dublin last week.


The bride who'd arrived in a stretch hummer(?) was spotted mounting the stairs for the obligatory photo shot. Witnessed by some twenty male guests from the balcony above the bride was observed holding her oversized meringue in both arms; the brides-maids were obliged to actually wait upon their bride. Assisting in this enormous feat, was the groom.

What made this event spectacular was the ladies in waiting. Donned in almost fluorescent orange hot pants and matching cropped laced halter-neck top top they made the bride appear demur; the bridal gown was the epitome of taste. To complement the ensemble peplums/trains of turquoise-blue voile flowed elegantly to the floor, having emerged like like a tail from the hot pants derriers!

So taken with the scene observed, my reporter neglected to remark the ladies footwear he did however notice one nice touch, often forgotten these days is the wearing of the mantilla. In this instance the ladies concerned each wore one in a delightful matching turquoise-blue accenting their outfits perfectly.

Sadly due to circumstances the decision taken by my intrepid reporter was not to acquire photographic evidence of such splendour, rather to leave without making any sudden movements and breathe a sigh of relief when he was able to open the throttle and re-enter life on the road.

Apparently, the young lady concerned did not have the opportunity to read the Distinctive Weddings blog!

Polly Pierce
ps.

A friend of mine left the following remark on my Facebook page:

"you're making that up Pauline!! or else your reporter just crashed a film set surely?"

Just to put the record straight this is a real life event witnessed by someone reliable, who chose to smile, just like the poor hotel receptionist and take their leave without drawing attention to themselves. Laugh? I nearly cried...

Polly's Holiday From Hell...?!

So, after a three week break I am back! Well and truly back to the world of blogging. While I haven't posted here on my Peri-wrinkl'e & Piercing's! I have been busy elsewhere (oh, yes I have!)

As well as being rested and relaxed, as in very, our holiday in the north west of Ireland has done us all the world of good. Not only is my skin, especially that on my knees(?) a lovely shade of light brown, my legs, arms, neck and face is now almost fully recovered from the onslaught of the midgies, horseflies and virtually every other kind of wild life imaginable.

Ah yes, we had a grand time. We survived the rain, floods, attacks, injuries, insults, etc and at the end of it we got home in one piece.

BB looking out at the North Atlantic Ocean from Mallin Head

1. The rain - yes, I had foolishly booked us into a new campsite this year. I did not want to spend all fourteen days beside the Atlantic Ocean, so I booked three nights in a village just west of Gweedore. Less than a week before this Gweedore had experienced heavy down pour, flash foods and all that this entails but lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice. Right?
2. Floods - escaping the beach with moments to spare the heavens opened. Unfortunately they decided not to call time and didn't close. We drove to Dungloe and discovered a nice little takeaway, whose name escapes me, that produced proper fresh, battered fish - shame about the frozen chips which accompanied it! After we enjoyed our finger food DG drove us all back to our luxury accomodation, whereby we sheltered from the rain in the car for roughly half an hour. Eventually there was a slight reduction in the volume descending upon us allowing only the most intrepid to venture hurriedly towards the tent...
3. Attacks - "Oh My God...!" Six inches of brown, brackish water below sea level stood the boys room. It's contents ranging between drenched, damp, barely damp and miraculously dry. Action Mommy sprang into action without another word! Simply taking the brand spanking new spare groundsheet from its bag and spreading it out inside Mommy & Daddy's room, much to the amazement of DG. Now we had a second layer of waterproof protection on which to bed down.Sometime around here words became harsh and unkind as other members of the party began to panic...
4. Injuries - not withstanding the fact that the previous day I had ventured onto the back of a

rather stout mechanised bull and promptly dismounted in an equally un-lady like fashion, or the fact that I'd fallen asleep on the afore mentioned beach in a curled up ball over my ruc sac I just got on with it! No problem was too big or small for Action Mommy. Sadly, this entailed inviting the two boys to
share our sleeping accomodation while theirs dried out.This of course meant that both they and their rubber mats/airbeds, sleeping bags, and themselves all had to squeeze into our room along with Gypsophillus the dog! No problem, after all it is an eight man tent which means that our
room is intended to hold four fully grown adults. Hmmm! This obviously does not take into account the fact that LB sleeps like the proverbial starfish - with his knee in the small of his Mum's back.

5. Insults - not only did this result in broken sleep; my being squashed against the side wall of the tent invited further disastrous downpour INSIDE the nice warm, dry tent! Actually, no this is not what happened. Two things: a) I woke with back pain and stiffness which still is proving problematic nearly three weeks later and b) later that morning LB announced that he'd discovered two nasty looking ticks on his stomach!

All I can say is that despite all this, and a very nearly broken foot courtesy of the mechanical bull this was NOT the holiday from hell! We had a great time and survived all kinds of adversity, proving that we are made of hardy stuff.

My only regret is that at the time of the great flood, which was quickly dealt with I was unable to locate my camera and get some pictures taken. After all, who would believe it? While all of the above is absolutely true and accurate much of this is written in such a way as to obtain maximum dramatic effect, why not drop in another day and find out what we really got up to...?

Polly Van to Camp

As many of my regular visitors to this blog will already be aware I am hopelessly disorganised. This sad state of affairs extends to many, if not most areas of my life not least blogging! Unlike my cyber friend Amanda from Feelgood Organic Hampers I do not follow through on my good intentions regarding gardening and producing my own food or scheduling blog posts for when I am on holiday!

Holidays you say? No it's not going to be anything exotic, in our house it seldom is. The most exotic holiday I've ever taken was the visit to the troglodyte cave hotel in Guadix, Spain. That of course is another story...

751 metres of Mt Errigal

No, it's camping yet again for us. Although I have managed to commandeer the plans and use them to my advantage much to everyone's disgust. Yesterday I booked us into Sleepy Hollows Campsite, which is a new one for us. It's still in Co Donegal, but it is also a few miles from the beach and only yards from the foot of Mount Errigal which I have determined to surmount during our well deserved rest from routine!(I wonder if this will count towards the mountaineering badge for the boys?)

After three days in the heart of the Donegal gaelteacht, (irish speaking area) where my children will have ample opportunity to practice their native language and gain confidence in using it for everyday things like shopping, we will move a little closer to the Atlantic Ocean. So much so that you can hear the waves lapping onto the shore from your berth nestling behind the sand dunes.

Downings, Co Donegal on a bad day - still no rain though!

My Mum describes Downings as being one of the last places that God created (presumably by then he'd learnt from his previous mistakes) and it's easy to see why. The sea is almost as blue as that of the mediteranean, the sands silver and the sun never ceases to shine - at least we've been lucky on that score. Last year as the rest of Ireland was doused in freezing cold rain the sun was splitting the stones on the north west coast of Donegal!

My only regret is that I still haven't saved enough invest in hiring a campervan. Compared with an average cost of between €20 & €30 per night and an overall investment of perhaps €300 in tents, airbeds, sleeping bags, etc the lap of luxury doesn't come cheap. Let's face it folks, Polly likes her bargain priced holidays!

I'm not exactly sure how I'd adjust to the confines of an RV after so many years of camping under canvas anyway. I dare say the children would be delighted, especially as it would have all mod cons and a telly! They'd be able to charge up their hand held computer gaming consoles and thinking about it, I'd be able to indulge my internet addiction and post while on holidays, listen to music and stand up while cooking or washing up.

There's generally a bathroom/shower area, which of course would do away with the midnight trips to the loo and a built in refridgerator too (strange combination of thoughts there?!) I'd also be able to indulge in my creative whims and use the electricity supply to heat emboss while making cards to send home, read by a good light and in the eventuality of the weather breaking keep warm and dry.

Me thinks I dost protest too much! Some very good friends of ours are heading in the opposite direction in one such vehicle at the same time as us and I really do have to admit that I am just a little bit jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be? Imagine getting up in the morning and piddling in your own loo at a time that suits you, rather than having to make yourself decent and then pluck up the energy to walk to the shower block. Yes, there are many advantages to hiring/owning a camper van and yes, I'd love one! Scratch that: I want one!!!!

Anyway, with all this beauty and my (too many) plans for excursions and mountaineering, it's quite unlikely that you'll be hearing much from me in the next couple of weeks. Then again, if I can get into the community centre beside the camp site I might even spend a couple of bob on logging in and posting some photos...

Camper Van, or no camper van, I still have to locate, prepare and pack for our excursion. So, if you will excuse me, it's time to get moving before we have to head off into town for the last Scouting activity of the summer. We're going bowling, having a sleep over, eating pizza and kayaking with Van Gillesan and the Tullamore Canoe Club at their open day tomorrow... (action packed weekend!)

Polly Plays Paper Challenges

Okay, so this week after a well earned rest from exercising my fingers I have managed to squeeze in a few minutes to enter another PaperPlay Challenge 09- Week 14. To be honest, I'd love to do this every week and I do have good intentions, it's just that life has this peculiar habit of getting in the way...

PaperPlay Challenges was set up by Sandie, who also runs the Midlands Craft Club (MCC for short). I prefer to use the full title, as some of my erstwhile friends would be happy to point out that the MCC is also short for Motor Cycle Club. This may have been more appropriate during my younger days, but sadly 'the beast' is resting up, in the same position it's been in for a little over fourteen or so years!

(for more info click on the pic)

Anyway, this week's challenge is set by Elisa ... "The challenge is complementary colours, that is, to use colours that are opposite to each other in the colour wheel , such as red/green, yellow/purple, orange/blue, etc. Elisa"

Purely by chance, or maybe not, I put together a special card for my good friend George. During the deluge drumming on the roof of my studio (aka garden shed) I consoled myself with pretty butterflies, flowers and ribbons for a special lady in his life - his Mam! It just so happens that when I looked up the colour wheel, which I really should consult more often, that the yellows and blues used on this card are on opposite sides, directly "opposite each other"

My PaperPlay Challenges 09 - Wk 14 Card

Hurray! At last, I remembered to scan the card in and it meets the criteria for another challenge. Isn't it a shame I forgot all about it last week when I might have won a prize for my efforts, still, the more the merrier, eh? Regardless, there are some lovely entries for this weeks challenge and hopefully mine will fit right in...

Maybe one of these days I'll be able to call on George for his excellent services as a business coach, let's face it folks, I need some help with my time management - don't I...? Either that or a lotto win, so that I can afford to employ a house-keeper and spend all my time crafting...

Polly Pierce

Polly; Let The Tagged Alone!

Oh no~I've been tagged again! This time it's Donal over on TheGoodMoodFoodBlog . I suppose it serves me right as I seem to have been hogging his blogging all afternoon; yes that's right, all afternoon. The reason being very simple; I am obsessed by the pantomime and he's starring in the one I love...

Anyway one thing obviously led to another and hey presto I am to reveal seven little known facts about myself for public consumption. Actually I don't mind that bit too much, the problem is trying to think of folk I know who haven't already been tagged this time around or even the last time around! So; for the easy part!

• 1) I speak with a very mixed up English accent - sorry to shatter any illusions folks! That is until really cross in which case a few of the colloquial profanities may be uttered in a slightly softer but more menacing accent!
• 2) I am half Irish and a little less than half English, with some Scottish blood and heaven only knows what else coursing through my veins!
• 3) My complexion is so sallow and my hair so dark that I am easily mistaken for a local when on holiday's/vacation abroad; whereas DG is paler than your average milk bottle with deep auburn hair! I have steel blue eyes.
• 4) Despite the above I am not well travelled; preferring mostly to holiday around the islands of Ireland and the United Kingdom, usually camping in my own tent, cooking for four on a camping stove or meths burner. (finances dictate!)
• 5) I have developed some very diverse reading habits which vary from short novella's and poetry to classics such as Dracula and Alice in Wonderland to the Avoca Book of Soups. I enjoy reading aloud to my children and anyone else who will listen.
• 6) My taste in music is eclectic to say the least. My first concert was AC/DC at the Hammersmith Odeon and the most recent a Recorder Quartet Recital at a local hotel - I went to both voluntarily! I have met Lemmy from Motorhead.
• 7) As a child I was very active. I won several medals and awards for both swimming and gymnastics - at (very) amateur level. Today I lead a sedentary life-style. I'm sad...

Now for the difficult bit! Who on earth am I to tag; without causing them to tear their hair out, that is?

• Claire Brennan
  
• Amanda
• Lorna
  
• Niamh
• Ruth
• Blaithin
• Kate

Sorry girls; but I am sure you understand!

Polly Pierce
Hand Made Wedding Stationary & Greeting Cards from Ireland

Polly Villifies Staunch Professional

One of my cyber-contacts; the lovely Geri D from IBW started a thread entitled Rude Competition Winner On Late Late Show and of course this attracted my attention. I was rewarded with a link to a YouTube video of the said incident starring Mr Pat Kenny on Ireland's longest running chat show.

Like him or loathe him Pat was obviously taken aback by this lady's response to her good fortune and in my humble opinion was rather rude himself. As a professional entertainer one would hope that his professionalism would prevent him from reacting in such a petulant manner; after all it is possible that the lady was in a state of disbelief at receiving the call.

Perhaps it was all too much for her; and to be honest she did sound as though she might be of an age-group which mightn't be too pleased to receive such an invitation. I do however think that perhaps she could have been a little more gracious about not wanting to attend next weeks toy-show; though Mr Kenny could have prompted her. That way he would have saved face for them both while allowing another competition entrant to benefit by her refusal.

We all go through difficult times in our lives and yet we seem to forget this in the face of unexpected circumstances; whether good, bad or indifferent. When things are going hard for us we sometimes forget that other people mightn't be having much of a good time either and yet we automatically expect to be treated with respect and courtesy; while at times forgetting that the other person concerned is also worthy of such treatment.

It takes very little effort to at least try and be nice rather than indulge in selfish or spiteful behaviour. Mr Kenny's remark that he would save the tickets for someone who would appreciate the opportunity to go to the toy show wouldn't have been offensive had he not ripped up the tickets concerned and made unpleasant remarks to and about the lady on the other end of the phone.

Personally, I would not like to be in the shoes of either party concerned. The poor woman whose good fortune it was to be offered tickets to the toy-show and €10,000 will forever more be referred to as 'The Rude Woman Who Humiliated Pat Kenny On The Late, Late Show'. Mr Kenny on the other hand will weather the storm as always and his latest faux pas will no doubt be forgotten by all except the lady called Barbara who lives in Cork.

Surely it should be remembered that she did have a right to refuse part or even all of the prize being offered to her. Did she deserve to be treated with such disdain on national television; by supposedly seasoned professional who should have been able to rise above his obviously battered ego?

That; I'm afraid, is my two cents on the subject let's hope that this incident dies a death quickly and that Barbara enjoys spending her prize money! I, for one, offer her my hearty congratulations on her win. I would however; recommend that in future she refrains from entering televised competitions; lest she win another and finds herself being vilified once more...

Polly Pierce
Vinca Cards:- Handmade Wedding Stationary & Greeting Cards

Is Polly Hooked On Panto?

Just this morning I decided to check my stats and was pleasantly surprised to notice a number of visits from Donal Skehan's 'The Good Mood Food Blog.' In my infinite wisdom to check Donal out out; probably, well almost certainly because he's playing Peter Pan in this years Cheerio's Panto at the Tivoli.

The following video was posted on his blog and it's well worth watching; by the way his steak pie looks good too!

Anyone who has been following this blog from the beginning will know that Vinca and family are big fans of the panto; especially those starring Alan Hughes as Sammy Sausages! In the beginning; well, since the beginning of LB's young life, Sammy's panto was performed down at
the quays in St Anthony's church hall.

Sadly; some of the older members of the cast departed to higher planes, while younger fitter actors followed in their stead. One of these is the ever faithful Joe Conlon; appearing as the demur Miss Buffy Minogue he/she has become a family favourite.

Initially the change was hard to swallow; Buffy's youth allowing an altogether more provocative side of the ugly sister to prevail. Compared with the octogenarian panto stars of the past his/her behaviour was shocking; however he/she carries this off with such aplomb that the audience has come to love this essential member of the cast.

A while back we saw the venue change to the more modern Liberty Hall Theatre above the head offices of SIPTU. Not only did the venue change; so did the sponsor's. This lead to all new costumes and an altogether brighter image for Anthem Productions. Despite the increased professional back up; the show must go on showcasing Karl Broderick and Alan Hughes dream's of old fashioned nostalgia combined with modern wit and up to the minute music. Remarkably the show gets better each year...


2008 sees another change of scenery. This time the audience must find their way to The Tivoli Theatre in Frances Street, The Liberties; early booking is advised as this is a small venue with limited seating capacity. This fact was announced from the stage by Sammy himself and thankfully we were lucky enough to secure our usual front of house seats; whereby we shall heckle the cast and soak up the infectious spirit of post New Year's merry making spectacular on the stage.

Purely by chance young Donal, whose scrumptious food blog will leave all but the die-hard's salivating led me to discover that Peter Pan has many talents. Not only is he an accomplished cook and food photographer, he has produced radio shows, presented TV shows, appeared as a prospective Euro-vision representative earlier this year and has even worked as surprise, surprise; a chef in a Scandinavian fortress...

So, who else is appearing in this year's epic production at the Tivoli? Aside from the regulars ie Sammy & Buffy we will be watching Brian Dowling starring as Captain Hook and Jenny Lee Masterson in the role of Tinkerbell; doesn't she look cute?

The only mystery left now is who exactly will play Wendy...

Personally; I can't think of a better way to start the New Year than to sit and shout at some of my favourite stars in the hope that they will loose their lines and crack up laughing! It's happened before and believe me; they are every bit as ruthless as they pick on unsuspecting members of the audience!

If you'll take my advice head over now to the Ticket Reservation office before the last tickets are sold out; I've already come across an agency touting for tickets at whatever price you command! Really folks, this is the best show in town over the festive season; so much so that competitor's have been sighted in the audience consistently year after year. Maybe they want a few tips on how to do it properly?

Polly & Bogart's Secret Shared

A couple of weeks ago I made a promise to one of my many cyberfriends; I know Evelyne through the Irish Business Womens Forum aka IBW. Like many people I am quite partial to the odd drop of wine which is where my friend comes in; Through The Grape Vine is an on-line wine merchant specialising in fine wines, personal and corporate gifts, personalised wines, hampers and all manner of sumptuous gifts.


Just browsing through the site makes me want to whip out my credit card and place an order immediately. Sadly; for me this is not to be recommended as my social calendar is whirling out of control. With two weddings and two significant birthday's to celebrate; plus the cost of accommodation, travel and presents it's very much a case of budget cut back's this month!

That said perhaps I didn't have to drink DG's poor wallet dry last Friday night! (Oh yes, I did!) Having always been a sucker for classic cocktails and a nice venue; I was in my element. Having been invited to Ms T's wedding; which was celebrated at none other than Middleton Park House it was in my interests to be on my best behaviour for the evening. (Speaking of wedding's Through The Grape Vine do wedding packages too!)

Not only did I have to look good, it was important that I felt good too. Dressed in a mixture of classic cream teamed with a striking blue cashmere and silk wrap, matching leather gloves and six inch sateen heels in the same striking blue I looked and felt a million dollars. It would be a shame to spoil this illusion by lifting a pint of the black stuff to my pretty pink lips...

Instead I taught the barman a new cocktail; consisting only of the fruit of the vine, ie brandy and triple sec I figured this would be a safe bet for the evening. Not only did it look elegant; it tasted divine!

Side-Car
1 Measure Cognac
1 Measure Triple Sec
1 Measure Lemon
Ice

Very simply this cocktail is shaken not stirred! Just the way James Bond likes it; which is quite fitting considering that the Groom, his junior Best Man and Groom's Man arrived by helicopter!

For anyone who's not familiar with triple sec; this included me until relatively recently, Kieran over at Ice-Cream Ireland recently solved this most elusive of puzzles. According to the Wikipedia link in his article Triple Sec is any orange flavoured alcoholic liqueur. Considering that a Sidecar has been my favourite cocktail since my early twenties I felt a bit of a chump when I discovered this tantalisingly simple fact!

Until Friday I would always have recommended the clear Cointreau, which has a lovely sharp tangy flavour that added little to the drink other than its clarity of flavour. As Middleton Park House is such a classy establishment they prefer my mother's favourite liqueur; Grand Marnier and boy does it make a difference.

Not only does it lend a luscious glow to the finished cocktail, but the flavour is simply divine. What Cointreau adds to this cocktail is sharpness with an over-riding sweetness; Grand Marnier is quite the opposite offering a subtle softness to this classic cocktail. While this may be advantageous in the short term; it certainly makes this drink one for the long night, whereas its slightly less demur sister generally retires after just one or two appearances.

Better still is the fact that there were very few ill effects following a subtle blending with fine white table wines and champagne. My grand-father always swore by sticking to either the grain or the grape; as did my father and with good reason...

For more information on this classic cocktail, which also happened to be one of Humphrey Bogart's favourites why not head over to The Cocktail Spirit for a quick heads-up with Robert Hess?

Meanwhile, my lips are smarting just at the thought of our evening at Ms T's wedding. The food was fabulous, as was the whole production. The venue is romance itself and with a handful of your closest friends I can't imagine anywhere else in the world that I'd want to get married...

Polly Pierce
Vinca Cards Hand-Made Wedding Stationary & Greeting Cards
ps. I've been invited back to exhibit at their next Wedding Expo on February 8th next year!

Bright Lights For Polly

Swiss Chard Bright Lights
Originally uploaded by Botanical Interests

For more information on Swiss Chard, Bright Lights and load of other things that interest Polly Pierce of Vinca Cards - The Irish Hand-made Greeting Cards Company why not head over to Vinca's-In-Tha-Kitchen. In her latest post Polly exposes long-time cyber friend Jean on her path to self sufficiency...

By the way, this plant which resembles Rhubarb is a vegetable!

Take Care!

Polly Pierce
Maker of beautiful Hand-Made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

How Amanda Made Polly Feelgood!

As you may already know by now I love to promote products that I believe in and I have a great interest in Organic and Free-Range Food. For some time now I have been following Amanda Webb's business Feelgood Organic Hamper's with great interest.

I first met this lady at a joint networking event being held at Castle Durrow, Co Laois. This was quite some time ago; my first time at anything like it and I was very unsure of myself, as did several of the women I spoke to that evening. I took her business card and a copy of her brochure; I'd good intentions but little cash to spend.

Amanda's special interest is in everything organic and the environment; which led her to offer Ireland's only organic hamper service. Some eighteen months later I placed my first order with Feelgood Organic Hamper's and was delighted to learn that I had qualified for a free bottle of organic champagne too!

With its recently extended range Feelgood Organic Hampers looks set to take off just in time for Christmas; offering luxurious packages of organic food and drink, pamper packages and so on. I just wish that I could justify the expense of sending one to myself with Christmas in mind! Organic wines served with delicious plum puddings, luxury chocolates, and so on. Yum!



You know what? Why not visit Amanda's website and see for yourself, only then will you be able to see how much hard work has gone into making Feelgood Organic Hampers the business it is today...

...By the way Amanda has a lovely food blog as well! It's called Organic Yum-yum!

Polly Promotes Blog Candy

Depite the title of this post it involves very little food! However, it is promoting some of Karen of Simply Embellish's art work. Karen from Hawaii produces cards and various other forms of art work...

She has just recently introduced a new range of sticker sets available on her ETSY shop; some of which are customisable, while others are definitely suited to certain themes such as Home Baking, Christmas, Thanks Giving, etc.

To be in with a chance of winning a complete sticker set click here to be find out how...

Good Luck!

Polly Pierce
Hand-Made Wedding Stationary & Greeting Cards