Robert Ryan

I know I should be working right now but I am really, super tired and I really can't get motivated. So instead I'm going to write a post about this artist whose work I love. Robert Ryan is a London-based paper cutting genius. I have drooled over his Etsy site since visiting his shoppe in La La La London. But the best is that he created a lot of very cool stuff for John Lewis. I want this vase! The prices aren't too bad considering it is JL but I still can't afford any. Stupid being skint.

Almost Legal...

I sent out my application today for my "Indefinite Leave to Remain" visa. Basically it means I can stay in the UK permanently but I have no recourse for public funds. I've been in Scotland for just over two years and my current spousal visa is about to expire. I think this is how they deter people from becoming residents because you have to pay 900 pounds for the sucker (on top of the 500 pounds I had to pay to get my first visa).

In three more years I'll be eligible to get citizenship. I can't wait to have a British passport because then I can live and work in any country in the European Union. I'd love to move to Paris or Madrid.

But there is something terrible scary about sending my two passports (the one with my visa expired so I have to carry around two), Billy's passport, our marriage certificate and all of our financial information out in the mail. Eek. And to top that off, the postal service here is backed up because of the weather.

Anyways, here are the ID photos we took. For some reason they keep Billy's photo on file as well. In the end we had to go to one of the booths because the photos I took at home kept printing weird. We're not allowed to smile and we both had hat hair. I think Billy looks like a bible salesman in his tie.

Knitting Project #6

Okay, so I don't usually put up more than one project in a day, but I am really trying to catch up with all finished stuff. These are constellation fingerless gloves from Lion Brand. I love the cabled ones in Gap but I wanted ones that didn't go over individual fingers so that I can wear my leather gloves underneath. I used two skeins to make the wool chunkier and they are really super warm. They fill in the gap where my gloves end and my sleeve begins.

Sewing Project #10

I have to send out my momma's presents tomorrow so I photographed the gardening apron I sewed last week. My mom is the greatest person ever and she deserves much more, but I'm skint this year so instead I made something using leftover material.

She, being a mother and all, always loves home made gifts the most. Momma spends most of her time in her garden in Florida and since she started it she has stopped feel arthritic, lost weight and is happy. I made this apron using the basic dimensions from this tutorial, but I figured the rest out my self.

PS It is really hard to take a photo of yourself wearing an apron when you're too lazy to dig out your tripod. Its not the best photo, but you get the idea.

Knitting Project #5 & Sewing Project #9

This is the dress that I made in my sewing class with Lubi. I finished it about a month ago but I've been too busy (or lazy) to put up my studio lights and take a proper photo. Well tonight we had to set up the lights to take id photos for my visa so I thought I'd tick something off my long list of things to do.

This is based on a New Look pattern, but we really didn't keep to it that much. We changed the front and we just used some maths to figure out the skirt. I don't really like dresses with these sleeves, but I wanted to do the hardest ones in class so that other sleeves with be easy for me on my one. I want to make either one with three-quarter sleeves or sleeve-less with a boat neck. I really think it would look great in a tweed and quite fitting as I'm in Scotland.

This scarf is a quickie I whipped up when my husband needed to keep warm. It really is too short but I only had a little bit of man acceptable colors available to me. I tried to convince him to wear a cowl but that was a bit much for him. I really like the pattern for a guy and I think I will make it in gray when I can afford more wool.

I still have fingerless gloves and a gardening apron to photograph and put up. I really should keep up on these things better.

Oh and I found a shop in Edinburgh that sells my favorite winter tea! Yay.

Knitting Project #4 & Sewing Project #8

Billy and I trekked through the 2 feet deep snow today and happened upon a Christmas tree seller. We were going to go for a fake tree as we thought we couldn't afford a real one this year, but they were selling four feet tall trees which are really just the tops of bigger trees. So we bought one with a stump to put it on and they delivered it to us tonight. I love this tree. I think it is my favorite that I've ever had. I can't really explain it but all the ornaments on it were either made by us or had some significance.

I have been knitting little stockings since October. I think someone saw one and thought I might have been 'expecting' but the only thing I was expecting was a tree! I used super cheap yarn I bought my first Christmas here from Pound Stretcher, similar to a dollar store.

While waiting for our tree Billy and I made our ornaments from book pages. I sewed and he cut them out from an old book. He was quite pleased to cut up the Dan Brown book and I wasn't sorry to see it go. I saved the rest for future projects so books purists shouldn't worry.

Our star was made our first year we lived in Scotland together. We were super poor and couldn't afford a proper star. We made it out of tin foil and cardboard and we will probably keep it for the next forty years. We like it so much that we made one for my mom's tree last year when we were in Florida for Xmas. Though that one was spiced up with some amazing glitter glue!

{A} Gap Cowl Scarf, {B} A Kanken Classic, {C} Gap socks, {D} Interchangable Knitting Needles, {E} Gap ribbed tights, {F} Old Navy Beaded Cardigan, {G} Old Navy Cardigan in Silverback, {H} Old Navy Cardigan in Cocoa

My mom usually requires our Christmas lists by Thanksgiving, but since I'm so far away she gives me a little leeway. My birthday is in November and she bought me every single thing I put on my birthday list and all were for my freelance photography business. What can I say, I have the best momma ever! She always spoils me rotten.

So this year Billy and I didn't want anything for Christmas excepts contributions towards my visa that we have to renew in January. But of course momma wouldn't have that. She says she doesn't care if she gets anything because the fun for her is in the giving.

But I am a bit stuck. I have been on all my favorite sites... Anthropologie, Gap, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters... but there haven't been many things that struck my fancy. Grr. So the list above was the best I can do. I have a lot of cardigans on there because it is one of the few things I can wear year round in Edinburgh. Usually there are hundreds of things that I want and as I am just starting out freelancing funds are not that abundant for Billy and me. Billy had his list done well before me. But his birthday is on Dec. 23rd so his was a combo list.

For my mom this year, I want to make her a few things. I know its getting late in the game but I haven't had time to think about this. I think I will make her this makeup brush bag or something else sewn. I embroidered her this months ago and I have a skirt I bought in Madrid and tulip bulbs in a naff porcelain clog from Amsterdam. But I can never have enough stuff for my momma. She loves to garden so I guess maybe a gardening apron like this.

So much to do.

Thanksgiving

We celebrated our Thanksgiving on the day after the actual turkey day as it is not a holiday in the UK. Boo. They are still mad we got away from them! But Billy got to learn all about US history when Ted (Edinburgh via San Francisco) and his 9 year-old daughter Keara joined us for the meal.

Which president made it an official holiday? Abraham Lincoln! See you're learning too. But this year I decided to try and make a few things that I usually get shipped over from scratch.

First was the all important pumpkin pie. I wrote the recipe down without bookmarking it so I'm not sure which one it was. But I bought a pumpkin, roasted it for an hour, peeled it and pureed it. I made the dough from scratch too. It came out a bit too jiggly but it tasted amazing. Definitely much better than using the canned stuff. The taste was more authentic.

The crescent roll are a must on my Thanksgiving table. At one point in my life I remember having a sliver of turkey, a small heap of mashed potatoes and corn and about 6 crescent rolls! I love it so much that I eat the raw dough straight out of the pack. I know its gross but mm so good.

Well my first batch of dough decided it didn't want to rise. So my lovely husband stepped in and used his bread making magic (he makes us pizza from scratch on a regular basis) and made the perfect crescent roll. It was much bigger than the store bought kind and oh so good. Everyone should try and make it themselves. Billy had to switch around the recipe a bit as it came out too wet when I made it.

And to top it all off it started snowing just before Ted and Keara had to leave. It was a perfect Thanksgiving. The only thing that would have made it better is if my momma was there to enjoy it with us. You can see the rest of my photos from the night on my flickr account.

Birthday and Incompleted Items...

Friday was my birthday. 31 is a very very scary number especially when your husband is still 29 (for another month anyway). But I got two huge boxes shipped over from my momma in the states and as always she thoroughly spoiled me rotten. My darling husband baked me lasagna and cupcakes mmm.

But I feel bad because I haven't added much to this blog lately. I feel guilty crafting when I should be a) trying to get freelance jobs and b) studying for my "Life in the UK" test that I have to take in December in order to get my Visa renewed. Boo. But I have done some things.

I finished my first dress in class on Thursday but I need to photograph it still. I have made three mini stockings for my Christmas tree (I know I'm starting early but it will take me ages to make the 12 I want to complete). I am working on fingerless gloves and I completed one sock for my husband. The first one was for our anniversary and I'll make the second for Christmas or his birthday (its Dec 23rd).

So hopefully I'll have photographs to add soon. But for now I'll just have a photo of my birthday cupcake.

My new job!

Well, this is my first official week of freelancing. So far I've spent hours at my computer sending out emails to pr companies. I love pr people because, gasp, they actually reply to my emails! I've gotten quite a few replies and they are all really positive. I'm used to sending stuff to press people who rarely bother to reply.

So I am registered as Su Anderson Photography with Her Majestsy's Revenue and Customs. I have public liability insurance and I even had a meeting with a guy about advertising. So business like!

Now I just need to actually get work. Fingers crossed.