My mom always said that one of the reasons she named me Beth (other than that she just liked the name) was for the character from Little Women. Which we all then laughed at, because I was nothing like the character.
No, I was more an amalgam of Jo and Amy - a stubborn, headstrong, artist and writer with grand aspirations.
It’s a funny thing because in some ways it’s like a Victorian version of Sex and the City. Every little girl identifies with one of the four sisters at some point in thier lives.
What’s surprising is that in the meantime I’ve been growing up to be more and more like Beth:
I knit, I cook, I sew, I prefer to stay at home and play with my dollies.
It’s kind of strange, and feels a bit regressive, but I’m not unhappy at at all.
Marbelized teal Manos del Uruguay, lemon drop Lambs Pride bulky and 10 mm aluminum needles - soon to be my first (human sized) long and stripey scarf.
I loved winding the Manos wool (which came in a twisted hank) into a centre pull ball by hand, and then pulling the strand out from the middle while the outside stays a pristine orb. Magic!
We went antiqueing at the St. Lawrence Market yesterday afternoon (yes, we as in me AND Liam - and yes, he enjoyed it - he likes - as he calls it - “old timey” stuff).
These little teacups were a steal. They’re confetti melmac (if unmarked as such - but you can’t have everything) and came with their original saucers.
I am becoming addicted to melmac.
The good news?
I got quoted in the National Post.
(That’s a national newspaper here in Canada, for those of you who weren’t aware - although it is admittedly the lesser one.)
The bad news? (get ready there’s a bit of it).
They misspelled my name (I’m not Beth Mather, if you weren’t already aware).
And I didn’t actually know they were gonna quote me, since I just commented on something on Torontoist, and they slapped that together into an article. (Which is pretty much the most lazy and lame way of writing something, I have to say. In fact, I think they told us not to write our essays like that in University, or we’d get kicked out.)
And I’m on the wrong side of the argument, apparently. (Obviously I don’t think so, but whoever it is at the City desk does - which doesn’t actually surprise me, because my whole point was that Toronto media is a select group of sheltered individuals who don’t reflect the people of their city in the slightest. So I’m not surprised she’s shocked at a little criticism, and sides with the elitists.)
At least they spelled my name wrong.
Maybe I should move that one up into the good news column.
The other day was Liam’s birthday.
I made him a crispy panchetta covered roast chicken, with a balsamic rosemary and shallot reduction, served on a bed of roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, potatoes and red peppers.
It was as good as it sounds, and pretty as a picture. But then my camera stopped working. So I do not actually have any pictures.
I also got him a 1975, hardcover, first edition copy of: this. Stan Lee’s commentary is hilarious.
Then we headed out to see some sketch comedy at the Rivoli, specifically the fabulouso Imponderables who, (just like OK Go) we discovered years, and years, and years ago, pretty much before anybody else, so there.
And I would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Liam now has a fully fledged blog and website - even though it’s not finished yet, and there’s nothing really on it.
It can be found: here
Liam worked on the set of an ad for for a juice company a couple days ago, and now our fridge looks like this:
You know, you really think you’d love having a bushel of free ripe raspberries around… until you actually do have a bushel of raspberries in your fridge and realize that you will be eating nothing but them (and the bushel of concord grapes, and the box of oranges and apples) for weeks.
WEEKS!
And we don’t even have a deep freeze.
What can you make with concord grapes anyway? Manischewitz?
See,
I told ya I knitted something cute for my blythe girl.
I designed the pattern for the hat all by myself. Which is pretty impressive for a beginner, if I do say so myself.
I’ve been on a thrift shopping kick. Ideally, I’ve been looking for a collegiate outfit for my first day back to school. But my recent trip wrought the above beautiful vintage pillowcases instead.
Soooo sweet, huh?
My favourite types of vintage fabrics are either the funky, graphic, brightly-coloured Scandinavian-style, prints from the sixties (think marimekko; or the sweet, little, silkscreened, fifties-homemaker specials (like those cases).
On my most recent trip to my super-secret special thrift shop I found stacks of perfect, perfect cottons: HAND PRINTED table cloths, cases, and raw upholstery for very, very cheap (Now you know why I don’t share my secret).
But alas, I seem to be having more success knitting at the moment than sewing. Or, actually not alas at all.
I can knit! Really and truly! It’s pretty exciting for me, since my first attempt (in the second grade) didn’t exactly go as smoothly.
Wait ’til you see what I whipped up for my blythe doll!
Ooooh, look. My first completed knitted thingy.
It’s a headband.
In Tiffany blue (my grandmother had very classy taste in yarn colours).
Plus: you can see my new haircut in this pic (and one more on Flickr, if you clicky-click).
Things that are new ’round these parts:
- Liam, working
- Liam, working on the set of fancy commercials
- Liam, getting fed by craft services
- Liam, making some money
- Us, buying new DVDs (this and this - both I highly reccomend)
- Us, having money to spend
- Me, drinking coffee - not tea
- Me, taking up knitting
- Me, writing for Torontoist
- Me, with a new haircut
- Me, feeling relaxed enough to do creative stuff
- Me, getting excited about going back to art school
- Me, scouring thrift stores for a back to school outfit - because that was always the best part of this time of year