A collection of animal feelings

Well last month I was busier than a bee, and new years day I was limping and sick as a dog with the flu, so next month I'm aiming for the cat that got the cream, and then progressing onto happier than a pig in shit. I might as well be optomistic.

Between sniffles and sneezes I posted some stuff on etsy.

Post Christmas post

So how was your Christmas? Mine was suitably full of food, presents, and christmas cheer, sprinkled with family and love. It's been such a long time since I've been home, September-eek I'm such a bad daughter, it was lovely to see my family again. All the kids look so grown up, my dad looked really well, and everyone seemed so excited that we were together for a happy reason after the crappy year we've all been through. Santa brought me some lovely things, some great books, and easily the most comfortable pajamas I have ever worn(and am wearing right now). I think the biggest surprise was my present from John. He got me a voucher for Danny Bulmans tattoo studio!I already have a large tattoo on my back that for years I have been saying I would finish and bring all the way up to my shoulders. Now that I have the funds I'm half excited/half aprehensive, which is odd cos I'm always black and white about everything. I think it's cos I'm such a wuss when it comes to pain. Either way it was a very thoughtful present.

In other news, keep an eye on my etsy shop over the next week as I now have time to update it after all the holiday madness. I also have to get it looking extra fantastical for all those hits I'll get from being on RTE this coming Monday. In case you don't already have it pencilled in, this Monday 5th Jan I will be on RTE1 on Nationwide at 7pm.

Bleary eyed but happy

I did it!!!I finished my first order for Olive, the new shop in Ennis that is selling my clothes. I wanted to have pictures to post, but it was down to the last minute...I was still sewing in buttons in the car on the way there. So hopefully that will be the first of many deliveries. Within an hour I sold 2 coats, which I must say is pretty exciting. So the first hurdle is over, now I just have to get over this weekend and then I'm free to sleep and drink as much as humanly possible. If the sewing fairies would arrive early that would be the best xmas present ever. I've been awake now for 32 hours(and working for most of it), I'm gonna stay up for another 4/5 and finish a few things for tomorrow.

On a happy note I woke up yesterday to find that my wonderful boyfriend had walked across the whole city with a christmas tree on his back just for me!! So I took a wee break to decorate my beautiful mini tree. Whenever I walk into the dimmed sitting room I get a little flutter in my heart, the lights, the smell, it's all so evocative of another lifetime.

Ruth is not Dead

No I have not died, or ambled into an unseen ditch, or climbed into my wardrobe for a very long sleep. I'm still frantically spinning my xmas plates.I've let a couple drop, missed a deadline or two, stopped blogging, let my etsy shop go to crap. But I've also started 2 new markets, been captured by the magic of television, and the BIG NEWS, got an offer from a local boutique to sell my clothes, cards, and mirrors. As thrilling as the whole tv RTE thing was it has been eclipsed by this. I'll actually be selling in a real shop, with other real designers. It was a proud moment when I rang my mother and told her about it. It's been a crazy month. In fact now that I think of it it's been a crazy year.

Year in Review:
Quit my Bar Job
Got waitressing job
Started my business making clothes
Did a diploma in graphic design
Did a cetificate in web design
Friends got engaged
Dad got Cancer
Big sis returns from New Zealand
Went to electric picnic
Went to Edinburgh
Taught art to kids at Summer Camp
Friends got married
Siblings got pregnant
Got a credit card
Opened my etsy Shop
Made my first online sale
Was filmed by nationwide for RTE
Invited to start selling in a boutique
Was featured in 1 newspaper and 2 magazines
Taught John how to use photoshop

Things not achieved;
Didn't learn to drive
Didn't win the lotto
Didn't get a weeks holiday away with John
Didn't bake a cake

RTE Nationwide

Part of my mad busyness lately is due to a recent email I got aking if I would be interested in being on Nationwide. For those of you not in Ireland I'll explain. It's a programme that has been running on national television forever, and it showcases different business and community topics around the country. Most friends that I told admitted to me that they secretly are addicted to watching it. It has the image that only grannies and watch it, but it's actually watched by a huge amount of people. So you can understand my bewildered excitement at hearing this, and for the past few weeks I've been in a bit of a tizzy trying to get things organised. I got a phonecall today saying that they will be filming this Sunday at the market. So if you ever wanted to pop down and have a look, Sunday is the day to do it, I need bodies at my stall, please. Also in a couple of weeks they will be calling to my apartment and filming me and some models in my apartment. So the first thing on the list was to get the place organised. So after 6 hours of myself and my sister cleaning yesterday, we got about half way there. I'l post photos later in the week to show you how beautiful it looks, at present it looks like it was attacked by bears.

Busyness pre Christmas

Well it seems I've turned into a crazy busy worker bee, and a few things have suffered because of it. First to go my will to clean the flat, it was never that strong in the first place so I'm no too surprised. Second was my love of blogging, which I gave up unwillingly. I suspect I will be working 7 days a week until Christmas. Between now doing 2 market days, working in a busy restaurant and making all of my stock I definitely won't be idle. Somewhere in there I've to squeeze in a a design for a brochure, a single cover, and I may be doing 2 additional Christmas fairs in the University of Limerick. During last week I got some amazing news that I will be featured on tv with my clothes. More news will follow later when I have concrete dates. But lets just say I have to transform my flat and studio into a presentable place of work, at the moment it looks like its post burglury. So at present I'm really excited that things are going so well and my stuff is selling. But I lie awake at night stressing that I won't be able to keep it up and all my dizzying spinning plates will crash to the ground.

In short: I'm happy but stressed to the gills.

facebook

Oh no I have caved to the evil pressure.
I joined Facebook
I don't even know how to use it. I'm told I will be totally addicted, my life will end, and I will become a wizened old lady sitting at my desk waiting for new friends.
Link

Dino-phwar,I'm in love

I just found this shop,Carrot Fever, online and fell in love. I just need to fugure out who to give it to for Christmas. Is it ok to buy lots of them for myself, even tho I've no space for them and no money?

Saturday Market

It's been a good week for this little 'nice day' girl. After recovering from the aforementioned wedding, and the nasty cold that followed it, I had a pretty productive week. I made 4 jackets, and eventually organised my display for my handmade broaches. The best piece of news is that I have at long last gotten a stall at the Saurday market. For those of you who don't live in Limerick I'll explain. The Saturday market is seen as the real market, everyone goes to it, and it's thronged with people over the Christmas season. I was told that there is a waiting list of 120 people to get a full sized pitch there, and people wait years for it. So since I don't have a car, I got a half size plot where I'll be selling my handmade cards, broaches and other little bits and bobs. It looks like I'm going to have to turn into a crazy little worker bee for the next 2 months. Between the 3 days in the restaurant, 2 days of markets and somewhere in there I've to make all of my stock. Well it's better to be too busy rather than looking for work. I can't wait to get started, this week will be my first time selling there. Fingers crossed I make some cash.

The broaches are 15 euro each or a bargain at 3 for 30 euro!

A Long morning and 5 minutes

Just a short hello to anyone who had the misfortune to call down to me at the market today. It was a late night after the wedding on Saturday, so that made for a very grey and grumpy Ruth. So sorry to anone if I seemed a little rude or green in palour. It was an amazing night, a very big congratulations is due for Jenny and Brian. More news and shennanigans of that night will follow soon when my brain decides to start working again.
Another thing, I've been featured as the '5 mins with' interview in the limerick event guide, check it out if you want to find out more silly things about me!