Polly's Gone Automatic...

Looking around the house today I feel as though I've managed to get so much done over the past few weeks. The truth is that being organised is the biggest part of the job, the next part is chipping away at things slowly for a few minutes at a time. Fifteen minutes at a time actually...

On a good day I can move mountains, on a bad day I can move molehills. Whichever day it is, whether with the assistance of pain relief or not I find that putting a load of washing in when I first get up has to take priority over everything else bar letting the dog out. Once that's done, I'm on the right track and can move onto completing the other niceties like heading down to the bathroom, cleaning my teeth (during which time I swish & swipe with my homemade vinegar cleaner), brushing my hair, taking my tablets, getting dressed and of course making my first cup of tea for the day.

I don't recal just how long it's been since fate intervened and decided that Polly should buy a new washing machine but it's been a while now. I distinctly remember that DG & I went looking for one in the nearby town of Newbridge on afternoon. Heaven only knows quite why we decided to travel 27miles to select a washing machine, when we could have visited the local branch of the same store just 9miles away!

The 'new' washer is just that. It's a washer! This said, there are only three programmes I've yet to use; these are both of the economy settings because they take forever when a non-economy setting at the same temperature takes half an hour less (yes, I know!) and the sportshoe wash programme. I am one of those rare beasts that uses my washer to the absolute best of my ability...

DG's work jeans usually get boiled alive at 95C - it gets stubborn agricultural dirt out and makes them last longer. His shirts are allowed to cook at around 40C. His & the boys socks go in on a 60C programme and are pretty much the only items persistently tumble dried, life's too short to be hanging them out on the line! Most of my pretties (I can no longer refer to them as smalls) are delicate and are treated as such. I use the silk and the wool cycles interchangably depending on which I've got the most of, fabrics and synthetics I'm not sure of get the 30C treatment, despite the fact that I've got a synthetic cycle at 40C & one at 50C and by far my favourite setting is the 30' mini-cycle for lightly soiled things.

By far the best thing about this machine is the fact that it is indeed automatic. It's an energy saving appliance which fills from the top and is also water saving in nature. One thing I'm not crazy about is that I need a man to help me undo the cover when something like a plectrum or a penny get caught in the filter, I'm just not strong enough to open it. DG has suggested using a mole/vice grips but the opportunity has yet to arise!

By far the best feature of my all singing, all dancing machine is the fact that I've recently discovered that there is indeed a need for pre-setting a delayed start. Yep, this is what I've been doing over the past couple of days before going to bed at night. Why? Because I don't want to be the victim of my appliances bursting into flames while unattended. Drama queen? Perhaps, but I did once witness my friends dishwasher doing just that, luckily it was during the day while we were around and able to deal with it.

So why have I all of a sudden become paranoid about this? It's largely thanks to another friend nagging her Mum about the same thing, Flylady's essays on the subject and a new acquaintance of mine who just happens to be an insurance claims assessor/adjuster. As a result of all of the above my washing had been growing - again - to Mt Washmore proportions and my frustration with it. I read something about using the delay start on Flylady.net and obviously it struck a chord as now I'm ahead of myself at last.

And hey! Guess what? If it happens that it's going to be a pain filled bad day I don't end up feeling bad about not keeping up with the washing! I can go back to bed and wait for my pain relief to kick in in the secure knowledge that the house is in the process of looking after itself.

And that ladies & gentlemen is just perfect...

Polly Goes All Neon...

One day last week I got home from work and discovered not one, but two bubble wrap envelopes from Letraset on the hall windowsill. Great excitement ensued as I demanded of BLT if he knew anything about them. Of course he admitted that he'd been shopping on my account while I was out one day and that these were the spoils of his efforts! Utter twaddle...

He was quite insulted when I called him a little blighter, promptly dismissing the idea as soon as it had emerged! Being quite the big kid I had to rip the packages open excitedly and discovered a pack of six bright neon markers (x2). Very mysterious, especially as I haven't purchased anything from the website for some time now.

Anyway, it turns out that as I'd registered to be an affiliate a long, long time ago; the company had very kindly sent me a present (or two!) Presumably the idea was for me to review the new product here on the blog, or maybe have a giveaway then display a couple of links and hey presto, more sales? I'm not very good at that sort of thing and the mind boggles.

As I had insulted BLT (aka son #1) I decided that he could make good use of one of the packets of Neon markers, given that he's a budding artist with aspirations of producing manga and comic illustrations. What better use could they be put to? "Great I can use them as highlighters, I s'pose!" came the reply! Next thing I noticed that he'd drawn on his Little Brother's hand and demanded the packet back, I mean REALLY!

What struck me then was just how bright the ink was on the back of LB's hand. It really glowed brightly, presumably due to the depth of pigment included in the ink. I have to say that I am impressed by the product, not the fact that an eighteen year old decided to scribble on his younger brother! By the way, the colour used was Neon or Luminous Yellow and it certainly knocks the socks off your standard yellow highlighter if it was visible on LB's hand from across the room - so maybe son #1 had a point after all...

Obviously my curiousity then got the better of me, so I tested each of the markers in turn. The colours really are striking, my favourite one being the Volt Blue which oddly enough isn't anywhere as luminous as the other colours. With this one possible exception these markers really do live up to thier name, as in they are truly NEON.

While I have yet to give them a proper run for their money, as in £13.78 for the pack of six, or just £2.48 each I can't help but think that these markers are the business. One psychological draw back for me is the fact that they are water-based, however this is merely due to the fact that I am just a little addicted to the alcohol-based range of Pro-markers or Tria-markers. I'm pretty sure that these will come in handy for accenting cards intended for kids though...

Meanwhile, Letraset have two delighted peeps in this household and hopefully a few more as a result of my sharing this with my readers!

Post Budget Homage to Brian Cowan...

Hi there! Long time, no see! I've been missing in action for a few weeks now and for that I apologise. In truth I seem to have been so busy organising stuff for various charity events and groups that my family's involved in that I seem to have lost track of the other important stuff that I do for myself.

Admittedly, I've still been getting a little bit of exercise while surfing the net; sometimes for my on-going projects and just occasionally to let off a little bit of steam. I have however occasionally found something that tickled my fancy, whether this be safety warnings regarding car-jacking or something a little more light hearted. You see, I have been thinking of ye after all...

Anyway, one of the bits and pieces that caught my eye is the poster below. In short I found it on my i-Google desk top where I display the various RSS feeds of my favourite sites and blogs amongst the world clock, currency calculator and on-line time clock that I forget to use with alarming regularity. Nestled amongst these fascinating gadgets are the RTE Breaking News widget and several other similar things; but, right there in the midst of this is Laughing Lion Design.

Laughing Lion Design, owned and run by Jennifer Farley, offers graphic design, illustration, photo manipulation and photography services. Having worked as a designer for ten years, producing websites and graphic design for companies in Ireland, U.S. Australia and the UK Jennifer also works as an instructor, training clients in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Flash – the tools of the web trade.

This of course is where I come in! I enjoy amateur photography, with designs on creating professional quality photo's. Laughing Lion Design is a wealth of information for folk like me, ie those who have the interest, maybe even the means but haven't a clue what to do! Her Photoshop tutorials have proven invaluable.

One of the other reasons I subscribed to Laughing Lion Design is Jennifer's sense of humour which is clearly demonstrated by her artwork on this posts homage to our Taoiseach Brian Cowan in the wake of our most recent budget. Although a parody in nature, Jennifer has managed to produce this cynical piece of work without resorting to the usual unflattering caricatures that we're all so tired of by now...

Polly Learns: Distinctive Folds...

A friend of mine was recently tidying out her hot-press/airing cupboard. Being pressed for space she took it into her head that she ought to learn how to fold a fitted sheet neatly and googled the subject! This is what she came up with:

Since she found this and posted it on her Facebook page she has been the object of ridicule. In a way I understand why she found it necessary to research the subject; flat sheets can be folded neatly and fitted sheets always make a mess of things. Don't they?

I give Bláithín O'Reilly-Murphy, author of Distinctive Weddings: Tying the Knot without the Rope Burns!10/10 for researching the most annoying subject of subjects known to woman kind; she certainly came up with the answer to this predicament, didn't she? Folding the laundry will never be the same after this and I for one say "Thank You!" (with one eyebrow raised) to her for solving the mystery of how to fold a fitted sheet neatly...

Have Fun!

Polly Pierce
Hand-made Irish Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationery

Polly Tartan

Funnily enough I spent the other day querying my stats and was delighted to see that Donal of The Good Mood Food Blog had kindly put my name up amongst other Irish Food Blogs for all to see.

Being a polite sort of person; I left a comment on his blog thanking him for his kind attention and went on to spend a considerable part of my day hogging his blog! You see, I discovered a thing or two about our host and am now looking forward to seeing Donal in all his glory 'flying' around the stage at the Tivoli Theatre on New Year's Day!

In fact, I was so excited about the whole thing that I dedicated a whole post about it! Let's say no more about that particular subject, shall we; especially as my reward was being tagged by Donal! Being tagged is something I don't really mind and the more often it happens the better you get at remembering what people don't know about you and the stranger the better!

The difficult thing about being tagged is not tagging the same people each time; or indeed the same people who tagged the people who tagged the people who tagged you! Phew; that's a mouthful if ever there was one. One of my tagee's is Lorna who owns Garrendenny Lane Interior's contacted me yesterday; exclaiming that she was unable to find the afore mentioned post on either of my blogs! Whoops!!!

The truth is that I completely forgot; what with the excitement of the weekend and the various other commitments, to press the publish button - how embarrassing! So, thankfully, I'd only contacted Lorna in advance and I must say many, many thanks for informing me of my gaffe; anyone who's interested in reading it can do so here...

Just this morning I received a comment from George which in turn led me to check out the links on the published post; after all I'd already made one gaffe and I didn't fancy discovering that I'd made another. The first link I tried was Lorna which took me through to her lovely blog and yesterday's post about tartan, which included this lovely picture of a tartan corset...
While I'm sure you'll all agree it is quite out of the ordinary; no doubt most of us have visions of whalebone's and a maids foot in the small of the back or indeed pictures of lace and ribbons. This peice may not be for every day wear; but it certainly is different and worn with the right choice of accessories could be absolutely stunning for a formal occasion. If only I had the figure...

This reminds me; the other day I came across a fine example of MacKenzie tartan, which of course Lorna's post reminded me of. This is one of only two items over the past forty odd years and sadly I didn't have my wallet on me at the time and now I can't remember where I saw it! It was a lovely angora scarf which of course would have gone beautifully with pretty much any coat in my wardrobe; drat!

Lorna'a post got me wondering about the lovely highland clan tartan hanging in my wardrobe. Originally made for my grandmother; it was passed down to me some twenty-five years or so ago, and has been worn only occasionally. Unlike most 'Kilts' this is the real McCoy, constructed in the traditional way for a gentleman rather than the longer skirts usually sold as kilts to the unsuspecting female.

As a result of my researching the internet I have found a few examples of this lovely tartan, many of which were not shown in a complimentary light due to printing discrepancies. I did however find a traditional Kilt manufacturer who has many fine examples of this unusual colour scheme. I also discovered that my brooch, the lesser of three, being rather plain and dowdy by comparison is the pewter coloured one with a stags head in the centre which is apparently the MacKenzie Seaforth Highlanders regimental crest.

Of course all of this now has me wondering about my right; as the descendent of a MacKenzie, to wear the afore said tartan. Already this morning I have trawled through the Clan Website looking for fine examples of this tartan. What I discovered is that the tartan I have is the modern version; as worn by the Seaforth Regiment, and that there are a number of different variations on the theme.

I suspect that if any, I should be sporting the muted colours of the hunting tartan as opposed the Seaforth; after all it was my great-grandmother who bore the name. That is until she married a gentleman called Smith from Yorkshire, much to her parents disgust...

Polly Pierce
Vinca Cards - Offering You The Gift Of Time

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

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?

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

Polly's Simply Embellish Blog Candy...

I was just checking out my


page before logging off to make dinner and I came across this little gem from one of my friends. Karen is making gorgeous sticker sets and selling them in her ETSY shop.

Today she is also offering what is known as blog-candy to anyone who visits her shop and leaves a comment as to which set is your favourite. I would suggest that you check them out as her stuff really is lovely...

Funnily enough; this is my favourite. What's yours? Answer's here please...



Polly Pierce

Handmade Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Article Marketing For Polly

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you will have noticed a couple of underlying themes; one of which is the need for me to make some money. At the rate I'm spending it, I need to replace it soon!!!

One way of making money on-line is to sign up for affiliate programmes. By this I mean that you join a programme which gives you the tools and a dedicated link to promote products supplied or provided by another company or person. One example of this is of course Lynette Chandler and

her Blogging Starter Pack; which is something I have subscribed to myself and am certain that it will provide me with very useful information. I just have to find the time to implement the steps she recommends so that I can start up my very own Wordpress affiliate blog.

Another affiliate programme that I signed up for is Alice Seba'a Internet Marketing Sweetie Course.

In this Alice teaches how to kill your competitors with Kindness! It's actually a great programme, I should know I have signed up for this and another couple of her e-courses. It's no wonder I don't have much time to spend on the house, is it?

My Tesco link is another example of affiliate marketing and so is my Amazon link, ie Polly's Peri-wrinkled Pages or Amazon Shop. Unfortunately, neither of these have been too successful and I am still waiting for my first cheque, however this isn't going to happen in either case until I have passed the £10.00/€10.00 mark! Still, it will happen. I am convinced as to the validity of this type of passive marketing/income and know several people for whom this has worked very well.

Another way of generating revenue is to submit articles for publication. This can prove quite lucrative in more ways than one; as your name becomes associated with articles published in a variety of places it lends more credibility to your name. In turn this should indicate that you are a reliable and trustworthy source and might even lead to increased sales in whichever area you are concentrating in.

My problem has always been what to write articles about. Sure I make Handmade Greeting Cards and Wedding Stationary; but who am I to profess to be an expert. Self confidence is an issue here! This morning I slept in; I woke up properly just before 10am and oh, it was so nice unlike last week when I wasn't feeling very well at all. The two boys are both unwell this week, so there were no school runs to get involved with and I could just take it nice and easy, just like this young lady!

photos courtesy of ©D.M.Williams Photography

With LB snoozing in my nice warm bed I sat down at the PC with some freshly brewed leaf tea and hot buttered toast with homemade raspberry jam. Heaven! Now all that was missing was the morning news and correspondence; this of course was the IBW Forum; which is never dull.

Six hours later, I have seven unopened letters behind me and a parcel from America which cost me €20.20 in customs charges. My tea is long drunk and the crumbs on the plate are calling out for company; it has indeed been an interesting morning largely due to a lady called Susan who introduced herself and her new website to the forum. So far I have contributed two 'articles' to the forum and now have a clear idea of where my niche lies; so thank you Susan!

In case anyone is wondering just what is so exciting about this I will briefly explain myself. Having breast fed two wonderful babies, who are now big strong boys who drive me insane from time to time I developed a keen interest in the topic of breastfeeding. As a student I was drawn towards Midwifery but decided against it in favour of Operating Theatres instead; in latter years I was privileged to attend many births - by Caesarian Section instead!

Unfortunately, since my return to Ireland my interest in helping other new mum's succeed at what should be easy; but often isn't has been thwarted by my lack of Midwifery qualifications. At a time when I needed support myself I attended La Leche League meetings in the physio department at the local hospital. Eventually my schedule became so gruelling that they had to stop!
Happily; despite my lack of physical activity, today has not been wasted, in fact it has been very productive indeed!

A cheery-bye for now! Polly Pierce

Hand-made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

photos courtesy of ©D.M.Williams Photography

Polly's Arctic Bunny Suit

OOooh! There's so much to do and so little time to do it in. Last week in the run up to the half-term break I had visions of spending long hours in the house with the two boys finally rescuing it from the quagmire of accoutrement's built up over the years. Like all good magpie's we live in the middle of a pile of clutter which we simply cannot bear to part with; perhaps this is the reason for the various members of the crow family building their nests within spitting distance of the house...

What I wouldn't give for a visit from Aggie and Kim to de-clutter and deep clean all those hidden corner's for me! Meanwhile the fantasy continues in the form of a written contract binding my eldest dear son to my side for the whole of this week; in performing his various neglected chores - without protestation - our nest will soon be ready for decorating. Once this is done we'll be out of the CHAOS phase of our lives and he'll be able to invite his friends over. Hardy, ha, ha - LOL!

CHAOS is an acronym coined by Marla Cilley - otherwise known as Fly Lady. It represents that horror of horror that all teenager's are so prone to; which is the double standard of can't be bothered + won't be bothered but want my friends over too = Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome!

The news so far is poor. BB has finally completed the extra-delightful task of providing his pet ferret with a clean and warm environment for the winter; lucky thing! He was also persuaded to bring in fuel for the in the stove; LB was coerced into taking the ashes out and the result was that the fire was lit hours later than intended - at nearly 7.30pm!

Meanwhile, Mum; the intrepid Scouter was lounging on the sofa in the sitting room complaining of stomach cramps and abdominal tenderness. The kids have diagnosed appendicitis; personally I think it probably has more to do with the copious amounts of draught Guinness consumed at Ms T's hen party & Mr T's stag party on Saturday night.

That wouldn't have presented too much of a problem; except for the fact that by 1pm Sunday; I was on my way to Charleville Estate for a winter camp with the Scouts! Yes folks, it was -2C on Sunday night and we'd no running water or toilet facilities; let alone central heating or electric blankets to keep us warm...

It was about 1am when eventually my tired body decided to call it a night. My feet were warmish; so I was alright for the night! Mr B; in the adjacent tent was much the same as myself - only he took his socks off! I replaced mine with wool, angora and Lycra thermals purchased in Lidl on Thursday. In fact my whole body was swathed in fluffy bunny; I was lovely and warm - that is until I started to fall asleep...

By 4am I could tell that Ms M was awake; the rubbing noises coming from her double layered sleeping bags were a dead give-away. That was my opportunity to rustle my way quietly into the huge over sized bin liner called a survival bag; while she tip-toed out into the cold, cold field in her bare feet.

Happily my rustling had relieved one bladder and brought warmth to another pair of feet in the next tent; yes I'd also woken Mr B! As the two of them rustled their way into their respective space blankets I snacked as quietly as possible on a chocolate digestive biscuit to quell my rumbling tummy. Soon I luxuriated in a rosy glowing sensation; then sleep finally took over...

Would I do it again? The answer has to be a definite "Yes!" The kids had a great time; and yes they too were cold; although they got to snuggle into one another like kittens in a basket! It was an experience and it was fun. We'll all be better prepared for the conditions next time; ie I've already put a new four seasons sleeping bag on my list for Christmas - my existing one is as old as the hills and needs to be retired!

Next time we'll all remember to bring the magic ingredients for our supper and an extra layer of clothing for warmth; but hey we survived this camp and we'll be recovered from it by the time the kids go back to school!

Like I said, so much to do and so little time to do it! One thing I have noticed though; is that I am much tidier at home in the immediate aftermath of a camp; so much so that I was able to work at the kitchen table yesterday afternoon. Things are looking up; and even though yesterday was definitely a day for pj's and sweats, I got so much more done - just because I'd tidied the kitchen upon my return from our Arctic exploration...

I somehow doubt that my fantasy of being able to redecorate the house at the end of the half-term break will be realised. The week is already half gone; the rest of it filled with social engagements galore including breakfast BNI meetings; overnight ghost hunting at Charleville Castle on Halloween followed by a 50th birthday party...

At least the kitchen is tidier and my 'Appendicitis' symptoms should by well on the way to recovery by then; just in time for the next round!Meanwhile; we continue to live in a state of organised CHAOS. I continue to build my empire from the kitchen table and fantasize about paying someone to come in and do the rest for me!

Anyway, that's a quick overview of the past week from your favourite card making Scouter! I've got to go and ring Martin and confirm my participation in Friday's adventure now; wish us luck...

Polly Pierce
Hand-Made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Polly BNI

Members of the Irish Business Women's Forum may be aware that I was recently invited to attend a meeting of the newly formed Offaly Chapter of Business Network International (more commonly known as BNI).

Of course being both curious and cynical I went along to the meeting. I'd done a little bit of research, ie Googled BNI; but still wasn't quite sure of what it was I was going along to! The early morning wake-up call was a bit of a shock to the system. Offaly members of the Chapter get up early every Thursday morning for a meeting which commences at 06.45am...

The mere fact that I woke up before the alarm had sounded at 06.10am bode well; and by the time the members of the chapter had started their meeting, I was washed, brushed and dressed. With eyes bright and an open mind I approached the meeting in much the same way I'd gone to the famous Bridal & Debs Exhibition the other week. I had little to loose, apart from a couple of hours sleep that is; and oh so much to gain.

For starters I met a girl I'd been friendly with as a young teenager in the village of Geashill. My fondest memories comprise of the two of us dancing to John Travolta and Olivia Newtronn-Bomb in a spare room above her aunts public house. Of course our energy flagged and we abandoned the black vinyl disc in search of rest and probably a coke or two! The following day the sunlight buckled the disc out of all recognition, resulting in a somewhat bumpier ride for our two hero's...

I know that my friend, with whom I'd lost contact many years ago; had pursued similar career interests to myself and took comfort from her enthusiasm and her firm handshake. There were one or two other faces which I recognized; all of which made it easier for me to integrate myself into the group comprised predominantly of men.

I even had the courage to stand up and introduce myself and my business to the meeting; for sixty seconds I took the floor while my business cards and artists trading cards circulated around the room. Phew! Sixty seconds can be a long time; but there's nothing like nursing to help you through it...

By the end of the meeting, which included a typically Irish Breakfast my only concern was the joining fees. Admittedly they are not cheap; in fact they are anything but! They do however accept Visa/Mastercard and the monthly fee can be taken by standing order...

Compared with the cost of regular advertising BNI is cheap. At a cost of €164.00 a week, I wouldn't get much change out of €2,000 per year, would I? The only problem is that it is difficult to quantify how much an investment of that type would return in terms of new business.

My investment with yourlocal.ie has proven to be an expensive mistake - after one month I haven't had a single click through as a result of advertising through them. Regarding my three month agreement; I was guaranteed business which has so far not been forthcoming, so I'm not going to worry about the other two months of the trial. There's no point in throwing good money after bad...

So; with regard to BNI, where do I stand? I'm sold on the principal; but I am very concerned about the cost involved. Also, the annual fee is non-returnable! Can I really expect a middle aged concrete pre-cast manufacturer to promote my handmade wedding stationary to his customer's? Well, maybe I can - afterall; he does run a golf club too!!!!

I do have the opportunity to visit one other meeting before committing myself. I wonder though, if I will be able to get up so early next Thursday? No doubt you'll find out later in the week; whether or not I did!!!

Polly Pierce
Vinca Hand Made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Polly Conomy

Damien Mulley, whose blog I have bookmarked is presenting the Irish Web Awards this evening at the Radisson SAS Royal Dublin Hotel and fair play to him! There's been a lot of work involved in this event and he's the man to do it...

In particular I'd like to wish Good Luck to Deborah Hadley and Darina Loakman; both members of IBW; both of whom has been nominated and shortlisted to the top five in a total of three categories. That is some achievement ladies; and I'm proud of you!

Elsewhere in Damien's blog I discovered this rather cynical take by Jonathan on the present state of the World Wide Economy. As commentator's have already mentioned it is succinct and to the point...



For those of you with delicate sensibilities; I apologise, however this is what the dog's on the street reckon and for once it seems that they agree with the experts...

Polly Pierce
Vinca Cards - Handmade Wedding Stationary

Polly's AMa'amWAHM

A week ago today I plugged my work phone in to charge it and noticed that I had missed a call the previous day. Seeing as it was my work phone and I am of a nosey nature I rang the number; identified myself and enquired about the missed call.

In short I had missed the advertising editor of a local newspaper whose circulation figure exceeds 16,000 with a potential readership of up to 70,00. Okay, so I know these figures probably seem like small fry to some; but to me living in the heart of rural Ireland this is huge exposure potential for me.

Needless to say, I demurred a little, picked the poor woman's brain and demanded extra exposure in the form of an editorial/press release in the forthcoming Wedding Supplement. After all €164.00 inclusive of tax is a big investment for a cottage industry such as Vinca Cards.

After a lot of deliberation and discussion I decided to plough ahead and book a place in the Annual Leinster & Offaly Express wedding supplement. As everyone keeps telling me I have got to get my name out there and make my brand known. This morning I came up with this little classified ad:)

© PollyPierce at VincaCards2008

With literally a couple of hours until the copy deadline; it seems I managed to do the advertising editors job for her and it will be going in just as it is!!! I really have to say that I am extremely proud of myself as this is my first attempt at anything like this...

Now all I have to do is wait until next Wednesday for the paper to publish my ad alongside an editorial about WAHM's like Polly Pierce at Vinca Cards!!!! You know; I wonder if I should just get on and write it up myself and save them the trouble of sending out a journalist to interview me...

... or am I just getting too big for my boots? Ha, Ha!

LOL

Polly Pierce
Your friendly local Wedding Invitation Making Diva

Championing Polly

In just a few day's LB will be competing in the Men's National Gynastics Championships; taking place at the Phoenix Gymnastics Club at the De La Salle College, Dundrum, Co Dublin starting at 11.00am on Sunday 25th of May. Meanwhile, LB and his young mates; representing LSG (Leonard's School of Gymnastics) are getting very excited. They only have one more training session to go now!

It was touch and go yesterday evening as he'd tripped and fallen during a game of footie with his friends at Cubs; thankfully our Cub Leader had applied ice and a crepe bandage.. The damage? A badly sprained knee!

This morning I anxiously sent him to school wearing a tubular bandage and with strict instructions that there was to be no football until Monday. I ran into an old friend at lunchtime; outside the school. We sat; for an hour and a half, catching up on things, reminiscing about old times. I spotted my little darling limping theatrically across the yard; no doubt for my benefit.

Within moments LB was spotted running after a ball; caught up in the excitement of the lunchtime match there was no sign of his 'injury' troubling him. At this stage of the game; I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

As LB is only ten years and five months old; I am pretty chuffed(yorkshire for absolutely delighted) with him and his gymnastic achievements to date, not least of which is because he's only been training for a little over eighteen months. His natural ability is a blessing; but at times it can be a curse.

Many of the skills he is learning now are having to be re-learned using the correct techniques! His enthusiasm is both catching and dangerous; which is why he needs proper training in a custom built facility locally.

Meanwhile; it will be a case of making sure that LB's leotard is clean and ready to go for the big day. I'm wondering if I should send him in shorts and a t-shirt on Friday? And I guess it's time for the dreaded hair cut and probably a much needed bath too...

Wish me LUCK!

Polly Peirce
Purveyor of Fine Handmade Irish Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Secure Polly...

Jean of The English Armchair Abroad left an interesting comment on my last post.

If, like most people, you have occasionally tried to book an excursion on the internet I should imagine that at some stage you have encountered a well known internet travel agency known as e-bookers. Like many people; I decided to use this company when booking my fortieth birthday present to myself - the famous trip to Spain.

I found the site very easy to use; in relation to booking the flights. I navigated my way through the various pages and was pleased with the results. The price was reasonable enough; affordable at least, and everything had gone better than expected, bearing in mind that this was my first time.


Imagine my horror when; having gone ahead and booked the various hotels and a car rental for the week, I discovered that the credit card payment hadn't gone through and that I was being held to ransome by e-bookers. I had limited time to provide them with details of another credit card or they were going to cancel the booking.

"Fair enough..."; except for the fact that I had used my Mom's card to place the booking and there was no way she was maxed out! Eh-hmm! One investigative telephone call later revealed that there was actually no problem but that they had asked the offending travel company to ring for authorization on the card.

This is another example of how careful the security services at credit card companies are; and I for one am thankful to them. The request for authorization had been sent to the travel company because Mom's credit card was being used in an uncharacteristic manner...

10/10 for Ulster Bank Credit Card Services and 0/10 for e-bookers

To cut a long story short; being a typical Aries; ie a bull in a china shop, I got cross with the travel company; whose attitude I deemed somewhat cavalier. I took my custom elsewhere; vowing never to return.

In doing so I discovered Club Travel; which turned out to be very much to our advantage. Club Travel charged me €1.00 less and managed to get us on a direct flight; which hadn't been offered to us previously. When we reached our destination we were tired from being up early; but at least we hadn't endured a five hour stop over en route!

We had a super holiday, we missed all the infamous Easter Break traffic at the airport and discovered the delights of Spanish public transport, deserted beaches and a heat wave in May! We even went skiing...

Imagine that; Skiing on Sunday morning; lounging on the beach Sunday afternoon! And no problems with my own bank as I had advised them of my intended spending pattern whilst on holiday...

Bye for now,

Polly Peirce
Purveyor of Fine Hand-made Irish Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Deadly Swarm Conjures Granny's Memories

While browsing the web aimlessly I called in on Jean at The English Armchair Abroad, as I often do these days. In doing so I came across two posts which are of particular interest to me.

The first being Granny’s blog. Jean’s mother in law; a respected artist of advancing years has recently taken up blogging.

Due to failing sight; this remarkable woman has found another outlet for her creative energies. Granny’s blog is intended to be of assistance to the blind or partially sighted.

I enjoyed reading her anecdotes so much I thought I would publish a link to them here.If you have any friends or relatives who might benefit from reading Granny's blog, why not put them in touch with her?

The second item of interest was posted a while ago, but, I only scanned through it. I had intended to return for a proper read about beekeeping; a topic which is particularly close to my heart. A word of caution; for those with emotional involvement with the family Peirce; don't cry...

Shortly after my return to Ireland; almost thirteen years ago, I was delighted to discover bees in the flat roofed extension to the front of our three bedroom bungalow. Having never been afraid of bees, often working unprotected on the small patch of flower bed beneath their home; I considered this a blessing indeed. We were privileged to share our lives with these mystical creatures, and it was a sign our new home would be a happy home…

A skilled woodworker; my late father enthusiastically made me a special hive. Knowing very little about the lifestyle of the honey bee; this was completed hurriedly, following the arrival of our first swarm on the June Bank Holiday Monday 1996. The help of a local bee keeper was secured and soon after they were happily installed into their new home.

Unfortunately, Noel; the bee man, took me to his apiary and promptly forgot to tell me the most fundamental lesson of bee keeping; which is not to stand due south of the hive. Upon my return to work the following day, I passed quietly in the corridors; unnoticed by my normally chatty colleagues, the result of this omission slowly became obvious: facial disfigurement bearing a strong resemblance to Plug; of the Bash Street Kids! I later discovered that I had been unrecognizable until I spoke…

Not to be deterred by this initial misfortune; I went on to purchase my Sheriff beekeeping suit, two veiled hats for nearest and dearest, foundation (where the bees live) and other essential bits and pieces. I learned how to subdue the hive using smoke; allowing me to inspect and identify the different members of the community. I was to mark the queen bee with yellow enamel paint for ease of identification.

Around this time my father became unwell. Always a stolid man, he had been driven in recent years to show more of his emotions, especially over the past months; since my return to the locality. Instinctively he knew what lay in store for him and delighted that my mother would have my strength to lean upon in the coming days.

My trips to the North Circular Road; Dublin became more frequent as my father became frailer; Eccles Street lay just around the corner. In those day’s money was precious; in short supply. As my father’s health declined I invested more and more time, energy and money in my new hobby; it was a form of escapism.

At the back of my mind, however; lay the memory of my first disastrous encounter with bee venom. I was cautious and sensible. My trust shaken; my confidence also. My relationship with apis mellifera mellifera; the European honey bee was growing shakier by the moment.

My father’s condition became serious, terminal; prognosis poor with the anticipated longevity of six to ten months. He was discharged and returned home to die; much sooner than expected.

My passion for the bees was almost as short as my renewed relationship with my father. Within five short months we had celebrated one homecoming, three birthdays’, one newfound passion and my father’s death.

That was a long time ago. The bees in the roof are still there; a constant reminder of times past. The precious hive lies broken in an abandoned chicken shed, my suit and smoker at the home of a consultant surgeon and my love for my parents; ever present, charged by memories evoked by the strangest of things.

Thanks Jean; for making me remember, especially now that the snowdrops are about to provide the bees with their first crop of the New Year.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Chapter 1 (The Bog Doesn't Smell of Roses)

Good Morning; one and all!

Have you heard my most recent tale of woe? Well, even if you have I am going to relay some of the high points for your entertainment. (It's not as bad as it sounds, honest!)

First of all let me excuse myself in advance for any spelling mistakes; the fingers on my right hand are, at the moment, quite numb & very cold! Great start to the day, eh?

Last weekend; not the one just gone, the previous one, LB announced that there was 'faeces' everywhere! Ummmh! This was unfortunately confirmed by BB a few minutes later. The inspection pit for the septic tank was indeed overflowing - AGAIN!

Needless to say this required immediate attention, resulting in DG spending the best part of his Sunday Knee deep in smelly stuff. Thankfully; his sense of smell isn't great at the best of times, so this wasn't too much of an ordeal for him.

Several hours later; having retrieved a laundry marker and a stubby permanent marker (both black), he came across what resembled a huge wad of what was once toilet paper. Triumphant we tested the offending article, ie the toilet and much to DG's disgust not a lot happened.

Meanwhile; Polly dressed in her favourite outfit, a knitted hoodie and pyjama bottoms was hammering away on the computer, indulging her favourite hobby indoors where it was warm, scoffing copious quantities of forgotten Christmas pralines and slurping numerous mugs of steaming hot tea. She did concede; however, to hand feeding DG through the window and providing numerous flushes - for testing purposes only.

Actually, I was attending to the other casualty of last weekend. The dishwasher died and was steadfastly refusing to drain. Luckily; being computer literate, I was able to conduct my research on-line before having to venture out into the cold & order the new machine.

Anyway, going back to the septic tank and its problems with drainage; it was necessary for DG to cut the pipe, remove some gravel and calcified water(?), patch it up temporarily and cover it with a sheet of corrugated steel. As if this wasn't bad enough; temporary meant for the best part of seven days, which unfortunately resulted in liquidity only, with no solids please.

There are two solutions to a problem of this nature:

1. A slops bucket in the bathroom for the collection of faecal waste and solid matter (unfortunately ours wasn't as pretty as the one in the photo below, which; is a compost toilet) OR
2. Frequent visits to friends, family and anyone who owns a functioning WC

This situation has continued for the best part of a week, resulting in abdominal cramps, constipation and the occasional near accident.

One family member; myself excused, found it necessary to use the silver coloured plastic compost toilet seated beside its non-functioning modern equivalent. Great difficulty was reported regards concentrating on the job in hand. Apparently, it is very difficult to do one without the other; and he nearly washed the floor at the same time!!!

I am pleased, no PROUD to report that dearest DG has saved the day, once again; completed the repairs and the bathroom is once again FULLY functional. Thank you, very much!


Without mentioning any names, I suspect not everyone followed the procedure outlined above; judging by the frequent visits to the great outdoors! I wonder; would this same person be the the one responsible for the laundry marker, permanent marker and the wad of what-was-once-toilet-tissue?

Just for your information, I would advise anyone planning on visiting VINCA Cards in the near future to wear wellington boots. The ground is already water-logged due to amazing amounts of rain. Not only is the ground boggy; lurking in the undergrowth, there may be those members of the poo family who managed to escape the tyranny of the dreaded slops bucket.

Anyway, the good news is that we are all sitting pretty once more and the stomach cramps are now a dim & distant memory! LOL

Cheerio!

Polly Px

Fun Monday!

Evenin’ y’all!

Now then, this post really is going to be just a quickie, especially considering that I have to make a quick Spaghetti ala Bolognaise, serve and eat it all before 7.10pm, which gives me little more than an hour to do both! As much as I love food and cooking there are times when it really is a nuisance and this is one of them.

Anyhow, the reason for this little post script is because Deborah at The Humble Housewife is hosting Fun Monday this month, which for anyone who isn’t aware is an event hosted by a different blogger each month. This month’s theme is family holiday traditions unique to your family, which means it could be any of the public holidays throughout the year and even as embarrassing as the inevitable Aunt Polly falling drunkenly over the Christmas tree.

In our family we have two quite different traditions, one is 'new'; the other 'old'. Both are of equal importance; representing bonds with tradition which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Our Newest holiday tradition is to attend the first matinee performance of the year at three o'clock on New Years Day. Either with; or without the optional hangover, the whole of our family make the annual pilgrimage sixty or so miles to inner city Dublin. Next we invade the seats nearest to the stage and boo-hiss at the cast of the annual Pantomine at the Liberty Hall Theatre.

Since LB was a babe in arms, suckling, oblivious to the hilarious antics of Sammy Sausages et al, this has been our way of ringing in the New Year. It is always great fun, although last year, while feeling a little bit blue; due to ill health; the cast shot me concerned looks of astonishment. For once I hadn't actually succeeded in putting them off their lines.

At one stage I laughed until I cried, and how did I cry; Buffy announced to the whole audience "...ahh, look; Mammy's crying!" With old friends like that I can't imagine a better way to bring in the New Year, especially as it unites three generations in a good Old Fashioned Family Way.

Our next tradition is probably one which is celebrated in most households around the world on the Eve before Christmas. I am sure that my family isn’t unique in our attitude regarding Santa Claus; although at times it certainly feels as though he may have taken a wrong turning. In Ireland, where we live, there is a tendency to large, exotic gifts being delivered under the Christmas tree.

I sometimes feel that our kids are disadvantaged; when the inevitable “What did you get…?” is asked of them. However, I have it on very good authority that Santa’s a cool dude cos he always gives my guys the best presents. This can range from a woollen hat and matching gloves, to action figures, magnetic stones called Oids, bulging eyeballs, caps, mandarin oranges, musical instruments, chocolate, snot in a bottle and so on; you get the picture.

It’s not that Santi, as he is known locally is mean; he just delivers what they really want; generally not the sort of things that stuffy old grown ups approve of. Oh yeah, he always manages to find a mankey old stocking or sometimes a pair of tights (panty hose) which is much more fun than a shop bought felt reproduction. The contents, due to the fact that the bulkier items are sheer hell to extract keeps the rug rats busy for hours on end.

Unfortunately, they do some times decide to blow bubbles onto me as I sleep; followed by all manner of chaotic mayhem on their new instruments, which will range from maraca’s and castanets to tin whistles and harmonica’s.

The absolutely worst of all gifts that the bearded man in the rotund red plush outfit has ever delivered; except for the sea monkeys, has to be the afore mentioned Oids. These magnetised haematite or iron ore ovoids make a horrible cacophonous rattling noise when thrown into the air. I still shudder at the mere thought of being woken up at 4.30am by that! It frightened me witless!

Like I said earlier; Santa is a cool dude, he is the MAN; loved by us all, young and old. Thirteen year old BB; standing behind me reading this as I write, recently told his granny all about him. I think he even claims to have heard sleigh bells last year, or was it the year before?

Anyway, duty is no longer calling me; it is impatient and screaming for attention, knawing incessantly at my right shoulder, so that’s it from me folk’s; dinner is calling!

For more Fun Monday and seasonal traditions go here.

Polly Px Polly Peirce

ps Having frantically & magically created what the English so fondly refer to as 'Spag Bol' in just under an hour, BB & I managed to eat it and arrive almost punctually at the Scouts Den for our weekly meeting. Unfortunately, BB really did eat on the run, with a tea cloth stuffed inside the collar of his uniform shirt in case of spillages and bumps in the road. May God forgive me, for I have sinned...

I can't imagine how MM, our Group Leader can possibly hold down a full time job, and do a degree course as well as all her Scouting Committments; I am worn out at just the very thought of it! Px

Good Morning, Good Morning!

Dear God, What on earth have I done to upset you today?

Welcome to the real word and the bemused rantings of the disparate housewife...

I dare say that from time to time most of us have uttered words to that effect; I most certainly have, as recently as this morning. DG was truly my knight in shining armour today, in so far as he took BB down to the village & the school bus. Such a small thing can have great impact on the life of Polly P, ie I get to doze for another few minutes under the luxuriously soft goose down quilt I got from Santa last Christmas.

Sometimes, however, such niceties unwittingly open the door to disaster. This morning, for instance, everything should have been going swimmingly well except we were running late; looking for the disappearing schoolbag. To make matters worse our lovely neighbours were in the process of moving cattle and had blocked the road for the duration.Thankfully Mrs MiF is one of the kindest of teachers and appeared to be quite forgiving of our situation, and LB did at least bring a healthy lunch to school!

Of course, were I a proper Mum this situation would simply not have occurred. The offending article would have been located the previous evening and packed accordingly; along with clean school uniform, underwear and shiny shoes. Unfortunately this is not the case in our house. Hopefully no-one noticed my nightgown; hanging beneath my inside-out cardigan, over my combats, or for that matter the fact that my dessert boots were trailing their laces behind me as I crossed the school yard...

Immediately upon my harried return I set about ransacking my own home; an act made necessary by the fact that I am no longer a domestic goddess, rather an exasperated wretch of a slob & layabout. Perhaps I exaggerate the extent of the disorganisation within the confines of my country cottage, but at times I do feel quite beyond despair.

Meanwhile; as a measure of my desperation urgent telephone calls were made to several unsuspecting innocents; firstly there was BJK - after all it's not unusual to be (loved by anyone...) down there of an evening, completing after school assignments [very posh phrase for homework] ,
next was the poor man at the Nissan dealership [my little black baby required serious fixing twice in the past week and is still on its hols there], then our lovely headmaster Mr HD; [who promised to check that the offending bag hadn't absconded to the classroom during the hols] and finally the poor beleaguered mother of LB's friend, [who wasn't in but got the OH to ring me back]. I'm out of breath after all that; phew, what a long sentence!

Needless to say there is a limit to anything, and soon I reached mine. Let's face it; two hours of ransacking the house over and over again is enough for anyone. It's well to tell that I am an amateur, as a professional burglar would have located said bag in less than three minutes; along with anything of value!

Anyway, feeling just a little crest fallen, at my failure to prepare my baby for school properly I decided that I should nourish my ailing body. LB had flatly refused to eat microwave porridge this morning, and so, in an effort to be frugal I reheated the sticky offering for myself.

Served up with a tablespoon of homemade strawberry syrup and a well deserved cuppa rosy lee (tea), all signs of self-reproval instantly vanished; it was delicious! Heartwarming & healt'y too, (around here we like to pronounce our T's wherever possible).

I then decided that I had a business to run and fought my way towards the computer at the end of the darkly strewn hallway. Having steadfastly ignored the rule that one should never take out more than one can comfortably put away in one hour; the house remains like a bombsite. Nevertheless, I was able to reach my destination with relative ease! Yeah, right...

With one flick of a switch I was transported to another world. The age of computer science really has changed the face of humanity; I had seventy four new e-mails awaiting delivery. Imagine the face of the poor postie, had he delivered as many snail mails, whatever about his legs straining under the sheer weight of it all!?

Bye y'all!

Polly Px Polly Peirce
http://www.freewebs.co/vincacards/index.htm