Polly Says "Take A Stroll Down Garrendenny Lane..."

Last week, you may remember me telling you all about Lorna Sixsmith's Garrendenny Lane Interior's fabulous Friday giveaway. Last weeks prize was a Lene Bjerre cheese knife with a Selwyn Pearl handle which is inlaid with beautiful silver bands. Without a doubt this was a gorgeous prize, and it was with true delight that I read an e-mail from Lorna advising me that I was in fact the lucky winner...

As happens so often with these things, the photograph didn't do this lovely piece justice and I am well and truly looking forward to using it alongside my dinner service and coffee set at some time later in the year. I've to find the house first, which is burried underneath all manner of detritis belonging to its eight inhabitants! Better yet, add a dining room to my wishlist and somehow make it happen.

Lorna has asked me to tell my readers that Freebie Friday is going to be a weekly event from now on and on that happy note I'll just tell you a little about this weeks giveaway. To get everyone into the summer mood, alongside the glorious weather we've been having Lorna is offering a lovely napkin holder and a pack of pretty Greengate napkins to start the lucky winner off.

All you have to do is leave a comment on the Garrendenny Interiors blog and/or on their facebook page. Once this is done, you'll have to wait patiently till Monday to see if you're the lucky winner which will give to plenty of time to browse through Lorna's online shop...

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 Watched Pan's Giveaway Grow...

Some time ago I had the pleasure of witnessing the fabulously talented Donal Skehan of the Good Mood Food blog in the role of Peter Pan during our annual family pilgrimage to the Cheerio's Panto. For many years  my family have enjoyed the company of Alan Hughes aka Sammy Sausages and Buffy, starring alongside established and emerging stars on New Years Day.

Once I laughed soooo hard that I cried. Not one to miss an opportunity, although often a line or two, Buffy took the advantage and announced to the audience at large that "Awwh, Mammy's crying...!" I suppose I was fair game. I've lost count of the amount of times that the heckling from the front row has taken its toll on the slightly hung over cast, resulting in snorts, guffaws and the giggles. It's a grand relationship and in hind sight I am sad that it has probably come to an end, my boys consider themselves too old for childish toys and pantos now...

This year (2010), poor weather conditions saw an expedition, halted by the snow and ice. It took us only as far as Dunne & Crescenzi's L'Officina at Kildare Village, where we consoled ourselves with a super Italian dinner for five. Meanwhile, I watched the surrounding tables with eagle eyes, seeking my prey. I was looking for a family who might be heading towards the big city and might be glad of a crazy womans New Year's gesture of tickets for the panto. It was not to be...

Anyway, as I reminisce, I also digress. Returning to Donal Skehan, he may have played Peter Pan alongside Jenny Masterson's Tinkerbelle, but in real life he is growing up. His foodie blog has really taken off, he's written and published one cookery book and is in the process of a second one and he's becoming something of a household name here in Ireland. Good on yer, Donal!

So, how do you fancy a trip to one of his favourite restaurants? Meet the owner and head chef of SABA in the video below and see for yourself why Donal loves this place so much...




Okay, so didn't that look just scrumptious? Now, for my Irish readers why don't you head over to the Good Mood Food Blog and see how can you win yourself a table for two at one of Ireland's finest Thai & Vietnamese restaurants (and don't forget to tell him that Polly sent you)...

Good luck!

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

Have A Bash?

You know thinking about it, I really do have a thing about kitchen gadgets. The fact that I don't use the most of them, despite it being a matter of life and death if I didn't get them is entirely beside the point!

One such gadget is the humble pestle and mortar. I do however use mine with alarming regularity and surprisingly enough so does my twelve year old son. Sadly my version of the pestle and mortar is not what it could be. A present from my erstwhile ex-husband many years ago my love for this object has endured despite the fact that it is of green Connemara marble. Ungrateful? No, not at all. I just prefer the more traditional stoneware type...

Perhaps then, it's just as well that George from Culinary Travels is only able to offer her present give-away to our American readers.

"I have the team over at CSN stores (who have more than 200 online stores that sell everything from cookware to yoga accessories to bamboo flooring to barstools) to thank for allowing me to give away this great prize.

To enter all you need to do is leave me a comment here, making it clear if you are in the US, by April 29th and I will pick a winner on May 1st. I’ll then contact the winner directly and pass their details on to CSN stores so that they can arrange dispatch of the item."

So, best of luck and if you're the lucky winner try not to think of me and my Connemara marble while you're busy bashing away with your lovely new granite pestle and mortar!

Happy bashing...

Polly Pierce

Hand Made Irish Cards For All Occasions

Dungarvan Brewing Company

t's funny how having a bad day can turn into having a good day all of a sudden, isn't it? Sometimes when the body and/or the spirit doesn't want to play I turn to my trusty computer for solace. It's better than pain killers or valium, somehow managing to suppress whatever is bothering me sufficiently to take away the desire to vent at the children, or whichever innocent might happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The medicinal effect of the computer is proven in its efficiency. A number of years ago my youngest son had both of his large toe nails operated on (Zadek's Procedure), under local anaesthetic. At the time he was sitting up on the operating table munching on chocolate (much to the anaesthetists disgust) and playing his beloved Nintendo DS. LB was considered too young to tolerate the discomfort of the local anaesthetic injections and was expected to require full anaesthesia.


Anyway, I digress. During one of my less enthusiastic moments, ie today I went surfing on the net and am delighted to say that this has truly lifted my spirits resulting in several important discoveries and a lighter mood. Not only am I now the newest proud member of DCWV's Facebook page, (I just love their stuff), I'm also wiser regarding the existence of Lin Yu Chun, I've come face to face with the woman behind I Married An Irish Farmer and what's more I've discovered the existence of the Dungarvan Brewing Company. Wow, what a day...


Regular readers know that I am passionate about supporting the local economy and promoting local businesses. Some may even know that I'm fairly enthusiastic about what is fondly known in the UK as Real Ale. Actually, it's more than that. It's a passion for hand-crafted beers, sadly in Ireland these are few and far between as the majority of beer drinkers lack the appreciation of the craft to seek anything but the high pressured cold fizzy stuff sold in most public houses these days.

Like lambs to the slaughter the modern beer drinker accepts the latest fashion of ultra chilled liquid devoid of flavour in the belief that this is the best way to serve their favourite tipple. In reality beers are served like this to disguise the reduction in quality due to variables cellar conditions and general lack of skill on the part of the average bar person (pc for bar man or heaven forbid maid.)

Having grown up with Guinness of the highest standard, served at room temperature in deference to the average age of the customers being well above sixty years it was with some degree of revulsion that I discovered what the English call 'Guinness'. This was quite a different beast. It suffered the indignities of poor bar skills and travelled poorly. I once was advised by a sage bar man of the New Forest, (in the deep South)  that the lumps of black stuff snaking slowly down the inside of the glass were supposed to be there. Needless to say it wasn't long before I was introduced to something far more palatable...

While I have yet to enjoy the experience of the Dungarvan Brewing Company's wares it fills me with absolute delight to be able to extol their virtues here on this page. Ethically they are the epitome of the stuff that I came to love during my time in the United Kingdom. Being Ireland's latest addition to the micro-brewery industry  they are producing a range of bottle-conditioned craft beers which are brewed and bottled on-site in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.

What's so exciting about the Dungarvan Brewing Company then? Simply put it is the return to proper old fashioned brewing techniques which the larger companies have abandoned:

Brewing and bottling on-site means that we can oversee the complete production process, from grain to finished bottle, so we can assure the quality of this hand-crafted product.
Conditioning in the bottle means we have a naturally carbonated, unfiltered and unpasteurised beer that doesn't need any further enhancers or additives to stabilise or improve them.

Anyway, for those that share my passion the Dungarvan Brewing Company is having their official launch tonight at Downey's in Dungarvan, Co Waterford from 8pm onwards. I wish they were a bit closer to home! Maybe if you're in the area and love real beer you'll take a couple of hours out of your busy schedule to drop in for a pint or two and get these guys off to a flying start. For more information check out their Facebook Page...

Slainté

Polly Pierce

Irish Hand Made Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationery

Polly Says Feel Your Boobies...

During the past twenty odd years I have seen many things involving the human breast. Ranging from breast reductions in men to radical mastectomies and breast reconstruction using muscle tissues normally located on the patients own back...

I've comforted elderly ladies whose sense of decency prevented them from taking much notice of their own breasts. The resulting fungating tumour's purulent discharges expunging the contents of their mammaries finally forcing them to notice them.

I've celebrated the negative, the results of urgent fresh frozen section examinations while the surgical team waited back in the OR. I've sorted specimens, applied dressings, cut the sutures and provided the necessary equipment for all sorts of breast related surgeries - and I've faced my own mortality.
Strangely it took me weeks to pluck up the courage to consult anyone the pea sized lump in my breast, despite the fact that I was working in an area with a special interest in breast surgery. Those weeks could have been the difference between life and death had it turned out to be anything more sinister than a harmless cyst. I knew this and still could'nt face the reality of having discovered my own breast lump...

At the age of 25 I was lucky. My lump stayed with me for a few years and finally disappeared when I'd fed two children for nearly three years (in total) - quite obviously they had sucked me dry!

Two things I've identified that prevent many women from completing self examination are modesty or embarrassment and fear. Despite strong media campaigns on television, in newspapers and magazines many women still find themselves uncomfortable with idea of breast examination.

In other cases these women are frozen in fear of what may be. It's so easy to stand in judgement; though having experienced this for myself it's easier to understand. This is why I appeal to all my readers to promote breast examinations. Ladies; it's time to feel your boobies! Visit Feel Your Boobies.com to find out more...

Happy Birthday Darling!

So, I slipped up. I've been told off by a number of my loyal fans (aka BJK!) that I haven't been writing my blog posts up recently. I'm not sure if they (she) will approve of this post, as it is my entry for the PaperPlay Challenge Blog this 27th week of the year.

The theme is to produce a card which is suitable for a male recipient, in this case take your pick! The slightly racy stamp hails from Bombshell Stamps. Coloured with a combination of Whispers Watercolour Markers, Sakura Gel pens and the new ink from Colourbox, ie Smooch in Gold Lamé, I think that this definitely hits the spot.

To say that thi is a departure from my usual style is something of an understatement!? Life is for living and taking risks; especially seeing as I decided to stay at home in celebration of The Phoenix Festival, I can probably be forgiven. You see I originally purchased this line of stamps with the express intention of selling temporary tattoos to festival goers...

Ah well...

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 RelatesThe Tale of Squirrel Nutkin...

I recently had a conversation about Squirrels. Initially it was the Grey Squirrel and then the convo turned to the by now endangered Red Squirrel, aka Squirrel Nutkin the cute fluffy hero of Beatrix Potter's books. Now the reason this all started was a tale told to me by my own dear DG. To protect the innocent I won't mention any names or details which might just make their identities obvious...

Once upon a time there was a lady, who decided to have a short break in a seaside town with members of her extended family. The weather was fine, the company good and all was well.

Back at home this lady had left her husband in charge of the house. Being a good and considerate husband he did his very best to keep the place spic and span for his wife's return. The weather was hot, so the considerate husband decided to air the house and opened the windows. Then he went out to do some shopping, to replenish the supplies for his wife's return home...

Upon his return he was shocked, nay, horrified to find that his home had been trashed in his absence - by a squirrel. Now anyone who knows a thing or two about squirrels will assume that this was one of the grey variety, who are well known for their untidiness and their destructive tendencies. The place was a mess and the good wife would soon be home.

Hurriedly the considerate husband did his best to repair the damage, tidied up and closed the windows so as to ensure that he had no more unwanted visitors. Again, he went out, this time confident that all was as well as could be expected...

Again the considerate husband returned to his home and was confident that he could finish off the tidy up operation and settle things down before his wife got home from her short break. Alas, this was not to be for the place had been trashed for a second time!!!!!

Now as if this wasn't bad enough, the considerate husband then discovered the culprit, curled up and fast asleep on the sofa...

Laugh, I nearly cried! This is a true story, which happened only last week. Goodness only knows how the considerate husband got the critter out of the house, because grey squirrels, as I already hinted at are vicious brutes and well able to stand up for themselves...

What I do know is that the lady concerned returned from her short break at the seaside to find her poor husband traumatised and her lovely home a mess. Luckily she has got a good sense of humour and can now see the funny side of things...

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