Category Archives: Saturday Spotlight

Every Saturday (or most Saturdays, anyway!) I publish a spotlight on one thing or a group of things that have held my interest that week. Often, this will be craft-related, or food-related; otherwise, it might be a book, a film, an album… anything, really, that’s caught my eye.

March 5, 2012 · 11:16 pm

PinAddicts Challenge, March 2012

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!

Did you miss me?! I missed you. All of you. A lot.

So I went to Italy for a week and it was totally crazy. We were so busy all the time, seeing things and doing things and eating things and photographing things… Then yesterday morning we arrived on our international bus at 4:30 am and the trams hadn’t started yet because it was a Sunday and it was kind of awful. Plus, from all that close proximity with other people, I have developed a nasty cold. It really is very unfortunate.

BUT! Glad tidings, my friends! I am proud (and relieved) to announce that today I completed the most appropriate project possible for this sad news I just recounted to you. It’s the first Monday of the month again, which means #PinAddicts  is go! So I made a big push to finish this Grecian Rib scarf I’ve been working on forever. I will now be warm and toasty even in this cold, miserable Strasbourg weather. :) (It’s actually a fair bit warmer than it was before I left, but Italy was scorching so I’ve been spoiled).

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February 18, 2012 · 11:33 pm

Saturday Spotlight Ten – Apps That Made Me A Better Person

Hello readers! Have you all had excellent weeks?

I had a very busy day today: my Tarot group met at midday and I had to teach the complicated rules, in French, to two new joueurs; then I cooked soupe à l’ognon and ganache for some friends, after which Nicole and I were so sick of French food that we had to book a week-long trip to Italy to escape it all. Yes, it’s February, but I have a week off classes and I intend to make good use of it!

Now, here’s something about me you might not know because I haven’t had cause to mention it: I love apps. It amazes me how they can be so cheap yet sophisticated, simple to use yet intricately designed. There are probably millions of apps out there and I’m sure half of them are useless, but these ones in particular deserve a spotlight because they go beyond ‘useful to have around’: these apps have truly enabled me in many ways to be the sort of person I want to be. Does it reflect badly on me that I need an app in order to grow and evolve as a human being? Possibly. But the apps really are great.

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February 12, 2012 · 2:00 pm

Saturday Spotlight Nine: My Crafty Valentine

From one holiday to another: today I’m going to play right into your hands with a predictable Valentine-themed post. Grant has pinky-promised me (over Skype, of course, but I’m holding him to it!) that he won’t read this, so I’m free to share with all my other devoted readers what I would love to have waiting for him when he comes to visit. Bear in mind that this is totally all for me. Grant’s not a mushy guy, but I am certainly mushy enough for both of us. I can’t help it – I’m going overboard this year.

Plus, maybe by setting a good example I can train him to do such lovely mooshy things for me somewhere down the line :P

This great combination of wire and embroidery techniques comes from Camilla Fabbri at Family Chic.

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February 6, 2012 · 6:33 pm

PinAddicts Challenge, February 2012

Hi everyone. Good weekend?

 

A few weeks back I came across this blog post about the PinAddicts challenge, and I thought “Fantastic! I’m not the only one out there who bookmarks dozens of cool craft projects and never realizes any of them!” So I signed up on the spot.

The basic idea is super simple, although I’m not all that clear on the ins and outs of the blogging part of it. You just pick one thing that you’ve pinned, every month, and make it. Then I think you blog about it and link to the original post. Which is what I’m doing now! I’d already made my geometric shape garland when I moved in, but it was about time to cross something else off the list. Continue reading →

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February 4, 2012 · 4:52 pm

Saturday Spotlight Eight – Brilliant Christmas Gifts

It’s Saturday again: I can hardly believe it! The week sure does fly by when you only have class two days out of seven… :P

I’ve been thinking of writing about this for a while, but wasn’t sure how. Then I realised, I could do a Saturday Spotlight about it! You see, at Christmas I got a bunch of amazing gifts I was really excited about, for various reasons. I got a really cool Scratch Map from Grant, some delicious shower gels and some cozy cozy slippers, and I am loving them all : ) But the ones I found myself saying ‘Thank goodness I have this!’ are, above all, the ones that I find really, really useful. And though of course all my family and friends know how much I appreciate their gifts, I wanted to gush a little more about how glad I am to have so many people around me who know just what I want and need : )

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January 27, 2012 · 10:05 pm

Saturday Spotlight Seven – On Bucket Lists (Part B)

What’s up, everyone! How are those reverse bucket lists going?

As I mentioned last time, I don’t actually take objection to the idea of writing a list of goals. It’s a good way of staying focused, keeping your priorities prioritised and reminding yourself what you’re saving up all those pennies for. Yes, listing your goals is great: maybe you just don’t make one called 500 Things To Do Before I Die. That’s just setting yourself up to be overwhelmed, disoriented and, ultimately, unsuccessful.

So, I’m keeping my own list short, relevant and to the point. I have more than my usual five for you today, but significantly fewer than 500! These are all the things I want to achieve during my semester in Strasbourg.

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January 21, 2012 · 11:42 am

Saturday Spotlight Six – Sprucing Up Strasbourg!

Hello, hello, hello.

I’m in a very good mood because today I am off to Germany! That’s right, this place is so near the border that I can actually go to one small town on the other side using my public transport pass for Strasbourg! So, we’re going to pop over to Germany for some cake and coffee, maybe wander around a little, and then come back all in time for dinner. And I have a Skype date tonight with my favourite man, so I’m feeling pretty upbeat.

CRAFTzine does it again! This would be perfect to spruce up my new Strasbourg place.

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December 10, 2011 · 11:29 am

Saturday Spotlight Five – Restaurant Faves in Edinburgh

Hi everyone.

For those of you in Scotland right now, I hope nothing horrible happened to any of your possessions. I believe there have been remarkably few injuries and no deaths so far, so that’s nice. Hope all your trampolines are still where you left them and that.

If the predicted snow is anything like last year, our arrival date may be subject to change...

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December 3, 2011 · 8:25 am

Saturday Spotlight Four – Meine Lieblingsblogs

Note: If any of my Allophonic readers would like to correct my German definite article use, I’d be grateful. Danke.

Wait… Isn’t an allophone something else? Jenny, I need your help!

So today I’m going to write my Saturday Spotlight on Wednesday, and keep it for later. Why? Because on Wednesday (today for me, three days ago for you), I received yet another boost to my blogging confidence. The first was that I was invited to be a contributor to a much bigger and more widely-read blog than my own, Raxa Collective, to which I’ll probably be posting again on Saturday (today for you, in three days for me). Continue reading →

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November 26, 2011 · 9:37 am

Saturday Spotlight Three – Christmas Card Inspirations

Hi everyone!

I mentioned that I was considering taking a trip to the Río Celeste or even the Osa Peninsula weekend; but it looks like I’ve gouged out a good portion of my left cornea and will instead be nursing that back to health (somehow..?). I can’t wear my contacts like this anyway, so I’d miss out on all the natural beauty even if I did suck it up and go. Continue reading →

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