Product Review - Schwarkzopf Hair Dye

I don't usually do product reviews, but when I colour my hair I throw the packaging away and can't remember next time which one to buy again. Some work well, some wash right out, some have toxic fumes. So here (mostly for personal future reference) are my cons and pros:

SCHWARZKOPF LIVE #88 - BROWN ALLURE

- Colour tube was difficult to squeeze into mixer bottle.
- Applicator bottle was difficult to use - I found it too big and hard to squeeze the gel out of.
- The plastic gloves were completely useless - huge, floppy, my hair tangled around them and pulled them off my hands.

+ The product was not as stinky as some others! Good ventilation is still a must though.
+ There seemed to be lots in the bottle. I always buy two packs because of my long hair, but it seemed like one and a half would have been adequate (better than other times when I've nearly run out).
+ The conditioner comes in a tube with a screw top! This is a big plus, as you will know if you have ever been in the shower, trying in vain to open a plastic sealed sachet with your teeth...
+ It rinsed out quickly and stayed rinsed out - no staining the towel or continuing to rinse out the next three times I washed my hair.

There you have it, and three cons to four pros mean I'll probably buy this one again. I'll make sure I have some disposable latex gloves on hand too. On the subject of hair dye, here are a couple of things I'd like to see:

* Half size packs for touching up your roots... it's so annoying to buy a full pack, knowing you'll have to throw half of it away.
* The actual conditioner they use in the packs available as a full size bottle.

If you dye your own hair, what brand do you use?

Tif, the lurgy and a pair of curtains...

it would appear that Mr Lurgy has invited his friends Miss Sinus and Master Bronchitis to join the party...


so despite the lovely sunny weather i will be remaining indoors, behind closed curtains... reclining upon my 'lurgified' bed and trying to stop my 'little creative' cogs from whirling around and around...

she will see you in a few days ~ Tif

finally finished

hello, my tags are all packed and ready to post. Don't forget to enter my giveaway in the previous post. Thanks so much to all those that have commented already, there are so many to check out for Giveaway day!! Have a lovely weekend! Leah

laying low...


i'm staying quiet this week, the lurgy has got me in a full headlock grip.
i'm just going to hang around the shed, try to take it easy and give the lurgy it's marching orders once and for all...


she will see you at the end of the week with news of her top secret mission ~ Tif

Giveaway Day!


Hello, it's almost May 27th here in Australia, so I am posting my giveaway now while I have a spare moment. Please leave a comment at the end of this post if you would like to win a granny square pot holder just like this one. The winner will be chosen at random on June 1st 2009. International visitors are welcome to enter. Many more giveaways will be posted right Here! Thanks for popping in! Leah

Another Swap


Hello, I am taking part in
this gorgeous swap. I need to start creating!! I just love these tags! Have a happy Monday! Leah

Potager

Last weekend we had perfect weather. Warm, sunny and summery. I spent the entire weekend in the garden - weeding and tidying up on Saturday, chipping more branches on Sunday (pictured). Saturday was the most fun day - Sunday got old very fast! But as I worked, I dreamed. And I thought about what I want to do in my garden. And I think I've got a plan.

I'm going to make a potager - similar in design to this one. I like the concentric circle layout of the paths, which gives a strong structure to the whole thing. It means that when the broccoli is flopping around, and the cabbages have all been harvested leaving a big bare spot, there will still be a strong design element at work.

Especially if you plant diagonally!

Of course I'll still have flowers and flowering herbs scattered throughout...

And something decorative in the central bed.

I also think raised beds are important - building curved ones will be quite the challenge!

I definitely want brick or stone paths.

The above images are from "New Zealand Potager - The Ornamental Vegetable Garden" by Diana Anthony. It's a really helpful book if you are planning a potager!

This is my rough sketch. I'll be keeping the existing concrete paths for now (far left and bottom right). The rectangle shape in the lower right corner is my glasshouse, and the circle above and to the left of it is the cherry tree - I've designed the path to veer around it. (Should I leave this in do you think? I don't want its roots making the paths buckle, or sucking up the water from my veges. But I don't want to just chop it either...)

Anyway, that was last weekend. This weekend has been nothing but rain, gales, and the two mixed together. Much better to just curl up on the couch and forget about it all....

A couple of handmade links

Hello, my blog has been broken, it's working again now, I don't have any new pictures so I will share a couple of links. I have been featured on Cuteable very exciting! Here is another lovely blog feature and giveaway Handmade Kids. I am having some labels made for my toys which are similar to Ollie Rose can't wait for them to arrive in the post! Have a lovely weekend! Leah

wall doilies...

for a moment there i was beginning to think you had all locked your 'thinking caps' in a cupboard and thrown away the keys.


i do however thank you lovely readers that did come up with some suggestions...
in the end i have come up with the name
'wall doilies'


seems a nice little play on the words
'wall flowers'
it all sounds pretty and sweet (hopefully not too sweet, but perhaps 'little girls vintage bedroom' sweet)...


the rain has moved aside for sun and it's all warming up a treat around here...
i have no thrifty spoils to show this week but i do have to tell you tomorrow i head off on a top secret mission. ("oooh, Tif... such intrigue, such suspense")
i know... you can always rely upon moi to be up to something. a while back a friend commented to me "why do you always add something into the mix when things are ticking along just fine"... and it is a good question one should ask one's self on occasion and then not dwell on the answer.
a little clue for you would be to say my man said "this is it Tif, this will be the last for a good long while." to which i replied
"yes, of course... at least until our #1 leaves the nest, because then i will have a whopping great big hole in my life to fill!" (and we all know that isn't so very far away, sniff)

on the chicken front, we hold our 'chicken coop' christening party on Saturday...
not a huge grand affair just a few friends around for drinks and a wee game of 'footie' in the back yard. the weather is suppose to stay peachy all weekend long so i'm imagining a wonderful alfresco affair, that is until i focus on the fact i must prepare some 'nibbles' (and no, i will not be preparing 'chicken anything' as that would be plain wrong)...

she will see you on Tues, as it's a bank holiday here... she's taking a wee break to soak up the sun and hopefully get over her hacky 'not nice in public' cough
(which Tasha experienced first hand in the Bank today, "oooh, which Tasha would that be, Tif?"
oh, that would be 'the Tasha who recently tied the knot' eeek!) ~ Tif

Quilts in progress


I am having so much fun with my "Granny a day" blanket, it's growing, I'm becoming addicted to sitting down with it every night and adding a little bit more! the second pic is a quick one for Gillian, it will eventually become a larger patchwork chenille, rag quilt. Thanks for stopping by! Leah

doily picture thingy~me~bob...

i have had a wee embroidered pesky squirrel sitting on my sewing table for several weeks now.
when i found the little doily place mat at an antique place i knew exactly what i wanted to do with it, i just had to figure how to do it...


yesterday, whilst struggling to focus on the bags, a little bolt of inspiration hit me with regards to the wee squirrel.


so with the help of trusty Miss Ethel and a piece of cardboard, i have created a doily picture thingy~me~bob...


who tomorrow will be placed in the window of my little store, but not before i have actually worked out what to call it. any bright suggestions of wisdom here would be appreciated. i fear my little inspirational brain cells are mute this week and as i have another two i would also like to put along side this wee pesky squirrel, i really need all the help i can get...

she's got to get out of the shed... oh, well fancy that, it's thrifting day ~ Tif
footy note: having just been out to feed the chickens, i have come over all hot and clammy (and not in a good way i can assure you) so i shall forgo my thrifting ways (shock, horror) and stay home with used dog and a cup of tea instead...

Another "girly" giveaway!


Pop into the Australian Kookie blog for your chance to win some super sweet hairclips created by VanillaPixie. Have a great day! leah

the cogs turnieth no more...

just as i get into the swing of things i am laid low by a cold, i'm not complaining, just frustrated by the continuous cycle of flu and cold bugs that seem to be coming my way of late.
i had thought that i may achieve some 'great things' this week in the way of sewing but it does not appear to be... i have noted that when 'under the weather' my ability to 'create' is greatly hampered. everything takes longer to do and nothing seems to 'flow together' as it should...

that being said i did manage one bag yesterday. this was an experiment of sorts... i took my bucket bag design, made it bigger and added a quilted strap for comfort.
it is constructed entirely out of recycled finds...


a linen tapestry piece (for the front)
a large doily (appliqued over tapestry)
a retro tablecloth (for the back)
a shell button (placed on doily)
a small doily (for detailing on side)
a bed sheet (for lining and quilted handle)
a wee vintage placemat (for interior pocket)


i am now working on some larger bucket bags for the shop, but not quite sure how well that is going to go... i keep getting distracted by
nose blowing,
chicken watching

she is thanking you kindly for your 'picture' support ~ Tif

Win Ruby the Babushka!

Visit Australian Etsy for a chance to win Ruby. I have another give away to tell you about tomorrow. have a great day! Leah

me, winston and used dog...

we are basking in sunshine at the moment, in between eight loads of laundry and laying a gravel pathway around the veggie patches i took the opportunity to get some pics done for my Etsy store...
for two years on Etsy i have managed to keep myself out of the frame but alas my need to 'wow the world' with my 'summer apron wraps' has caused me to rethink my styling.
my girls have been most gracious at weekends by giving me a ten minute period of time to set up my little 'patch' in the yard and then 'model' for the camera. (any longer then ten minutes and they double their charge)


i can hear Tyra Banks wise words in my head, "then you do this, then this and little bit of that" but alas i look more like Flat Stanley then america's next top model...
over the past few weekends of 'shoots' i have got a wee bit more happier about standing in front of the camera. i'm not saying i'm any better at it but i am starting to feel like i have a 'style' of picture that works well for what i am selling.
this all accumulated in me being most reckless, and throwing caution to the wind and deciding to 'record' this moment of time in my life for prosperity's sake...


as i stood on my wee stool,
our #2 muttered "oh lord, let's just hope no one drives by"
then our#1 pulled up with her boyfriend who then muttered "your mom is barking mad" (or the american version of barking mad, to which i do not know but surely should learn one day).
next my man questioned the sanity behind needing to stand on a stool for a photo shoot. (after 24 years together does he really need to question anything, anymore?)

for the second photo, i proposed to the camera person we involve a chicken.
said chicken (Fatty) was most co-operative and dealt well with the 'moment' considering she was under intimidating circumstances... just out of the frame was 'used dog' licking her lips...


i am most happy to know that in years to come when my grandchildren are perhaps going through my effects, they will happen upon my little photos and marvel at their granny, who in her youth (ha, ha, ha)
kept chickens,
had a trailer named Gladys in the backyard
an old Ford truck named Winston on the drive
had an alter ego named dottie angel
and tried to convince the world to wear 'summer apron wraps' and 'slips' everyday...

her creative cogs have started turning, causing her little sleep... but it's all good ~ Tif

A lovely tutorial


Hello, I am still crocheting a granny a day and loving it! I really want to try this tutorial. We had a wonderful weekend, I hope that you did too! Leah

a parting of the ways...



i have two gripping pieces of info to share with you today...

gripping piece of info #1:

in my despair at graying rapidly and feeling a frump, i had a close inspection of my coif. i have discovered a small slither of hairline that shows no wisdom yet. this fantastic, ney brilliant discovery has aided me greatly in breaking up my hair wearing routine. for four weeks i shall part my hair on the side, when those pesky gray hairs come back to haunt me i shall then part my hair in the middle, thus adding a eclectic vibe to my 'hair wearing' and a 'will she or won't she' feel to my morning routine.
(doesn't get more gripping than that does it!)

gripping piece of info #2:

my sweet chickies are in the coop.
for mother's day, my gift was a finished coop, i can't think of a nicer gift in the world then a finished duck egg blue chicken coop with some natty bunting...
i am pleased to report, my little chickie peas have settled in most well, and after a day or two have figured out the ladder as well.







she will see you on monday ~ Tif

The Ruby Pear

Hello again, I thought that I would share this lovely blog today The Ruby Pear Some of my toys are now available from this lovely shop. Vintage chenille products can now be purchased from little boutiques in Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Queensland! I really do need to create a label! Have a wonderful weekend, thanks for dropping in! Leah

thrifty thursdays...

you always get a 'feeling' the minute you walk through the thrift store door as to whether it will be full to the point of over flowing with 'great finds' or totally 'crappity crap'.
last night it was a 'keep yourself under control Tif' type of thrifting night, someone somewhere, god rest her soul must have passed onto something better because what was on view hadn't probably seen the light of day for many a year...
half way through my 'trawling' i realized my thrifting ways were getting out of control... and so i did what i always do, pile my cart full and then at the end go through and select my 'absolutes' and put back the 'not today' items.
so for your perusal i give you...

a heavy cook pot ("what unearth does Tif need a cook pot for?" i hear you gasp, and perhaps even experience a wee tingle of fear for my loved ones).


that's a very valid question, after all we know my strengths lay elsewhere than in the kitchen. well i saw it and i noted how lovely the color was, then how hefty the weight was, then the sweet handles on the side and then it dawned on me that if i had such a cook pot in my possession then surely my cooking would improve. whilst i ponder what delight i am going to conjure up in it (and don't say it's the size of a small chicken) i have placed it safely on top of my dresser to gather dust.

the linens were looking especially lovely last night and i really did have to be selective, i found several tablecloths that will end up as curtains, a nice selection of pillowcases that i need not tell you their destiny, for you are always super duper clever at remembering things.
and then perhaps my favorite fabricky find was a tablecloth in lovely sludgy retro colors.


i can't decide whether it will get the chop in the end, something i will ponder on for a while...
next, a little orange cup thingy-me-bob that i felt most suited to live on my desk for keeping tags and cards in.


my thrifty find on Etsy this week is some wonderful vintage wallpaper squares. you just dip and stick, i have enough to cover one wall but alas i have no walls left to cover. now i am thinking i could perhaps cover a door or cupboard, then again my ugly filing cabinet could do with a lift and it would look just peachy covered in a little retro print, yet another thing to ponder upon.
i tried two panels out on my trash can in my studio as a trial run and it worked just brilliantly..


so that's our thrifty thursday round up... i am off to make our #4 feel super special on the day he has turned 11. to celebrate the up and coming event, a few days back he decided to embrace his maturing years by having his long flowing locks removed.
it was not unlike shearing a sheep, as i have never actually sheared a sheep i am only guessing, but i did break out into a wee sweat and was quite concerned at one point that i had unearthed a bird's nest. he is now sporting a rather natty little do most befitting for his 11th year...

she will see you tomorrow with grand news about the chickie peas ~ Tif

playing along with another game!


Hello, I have joined in on Pip's game this week. Words and pictures remember. I remember, collecting swap cards! I found this old book in the shed recently! Click on the link to visit other lovely memories. Have a lovely day! Leah

Happy Mail!

Hello, I recently entered a competition on the kookie blog, and won these, oh so sweet, little felt cookies, which were handmade by
FeltFoodCreations. Please pop in and have a look, visit the wonderful Kookie blog too for lots of great features and giveaways! Have a lovely afternoon, we are all off to swimming lessons, bye! Leah

a question of crafting...

Janet Clare ~ part two

i don't think a roving reporter of 'worth' loses their notepad, so if you give me a minute to turf out my desk drawers i'll be right back...in the meantime, make yourselves comfortable and take a wee moment to reflect upon the fact that Janet had no prior screening of the questions and had to answer on the spot...it was a truely lovely sight, three women huddled around the kitchen table, one very professional with notepad and pencil posed, one with her best knitted frock on to impress and one trying on her collection of hats. i shall leave it to you to put the name to the description...
okay, notepad located and my best interviewing voice is in order.
let the questions begin...

if you were to host a 'yak and yarn' afternoon tea party, which famous people would you invite to your 'bit of a do'?
obviously i would invite Elvis ("me too!" i squealed) and Colin Firth for decorative purposes. Nigella Lawson will provide the refreshments. the best person i know for indiscreet gossip is my hairdresser Colin, so i'm inviting him too.

what is your ultimate thrift store find to date and what are you still on the look out for?
i'd rather choose the dump than a thrift store, my local dump is Aldershot and is full of great finds. my best find there has to be a two seater leather sofa from Laura Ashley for twenty pounds, all i need now is to get some feet for it.
i am still looking for a dresser top to display ceramics in the kitchen, perfectly distressed with layers of paint chipped away

what's in your secret 'crafty' address book?
i get my blankets that i use in my work, from military surplus stores online

what's your guilty craft secret?
never starting a new project in an old book. even if i have only a few pages used, i'll still start fresh in a new book.

what inspired you to start crafting?
i can't ever remember a time when i didn't do it. i have an Irish mother who never allowed us to be idle, so we were always busy with something. "why are you sitting there with your two arms the same length?" is something my mum always used to say. i do remember my granny teaching me to crochet.

a sunny day is perfect for?
going to the coast, sitting on the beach and ending it with fish and chips

what skill do you wish you had that you don't?
i'm not accurate enough, i would like to be more precise with cutting

what's your favorite chocolate bar? (such quality questions don't you think)
milk chocolate...i do like Green and Black. and if i had to make a choice it would be Galaxy over Cadbury

staying in or going out?
staying in, i'm a nester and a real home body

favorite book and movie?
nothing too intellectual, an 'aga saga' type of book, something feel good and uplifting.
as to a movie, any romantic comedy that i can sit and watch whilst sewing away

how do you feel being 'online' has helped you and your crafting?
i would not be where i am today without it.
i came across Heather Bailey's blog by accident and thought perhaps i should have myself a blog, it just took off from there. being online makes it easier to get work and for people to find me. it's lovely to be part of such a great crafting community and to received such positive support. i made my connections with Sew Hip and Pfaff through having my blog and i also find that blogging helps me to appreciate the little things.

favorite pronked outfit?
my spotted coat and knitted warmers

how many hours a day do you spend crafting?
as many as i can fit in

how many hours a week do you spend thrifting?
one or two hours

could you save the world in your underpants if needed?
yes! most definitely

would you run a marathon naked? (question courtesy of my 9 year old godson and probably the most revealing)
no! i couldn't, i don't run, not even for a bus

favorite crisp/chip flavor?
sweet chilli

what did you want to be when you were little?
a ballerina

how old were you when you completed your first quilt?
in my early 30's

if the queen came to tea tomorrow what would you give her to eat?
ginger cake, what's left over from today. i'm quite sure she wouldn't mind a bit

what lift's your spirits on a 'low' day?
tea, chocolate, music, romantic comedies, thrifting or just having time to myself

if you had three chickens in your backyard what would be their names?
Hfer (h for hen)
Rfer (r for rooster)
Cfer (c for chicken)
"do you mind Janet if we just pause there, so the readers have a mo to study the names and have a wee chuckle?"...
"no Tif, not a problem... perhaps we should pop the kettle on while we wait"

do you perfer warm giant undies or slinky skimpy knickers?
oh, definitely warm giant undies, remember i may need to save the world one day

stripes or spots?
stripes

knitting or crochet?
knitting

bagpuss or trumpton?
bagpuss

high street or thrift store?
thrift store

favorite all time fabric?
1950's cherry red with roses on it

what's your absolutely 'first love' in crafting?
knitting, my granny taught me, it was 'love at first sight'

what's your best eco tip for cleaning?
there's not much you can't do with vinegar. i also use baking soda and soap flakes

do you have a 're-use' bag with you every time you go out?
yes, it's one of those things i really try to do

have you ever cooked a fish in your dishwasher?
no! i never have but now i am wondering if perhaps i should try

so it leaves me now to just thank the wonderful Janet Clare for being a 'guinea pig' extraordinaire to my very dubious 'roving reporter' skills.
thanks goes to my lovely assistant Debbie who has still 'got it' and thus able to tell me things about my life that left my memory long ago.
and to you, dearest readers for humoring me.
so until next month's spiffy installment of 'a question of crafting' it will be back to normal ("ha! what's that Tif?" i hear you cry) tomorrow.

she is off to help 'orla and little eva' pack their bags as they take the midnight train to georgia very soon (no tears, we must be strong) ~ Tif

Glorious Loot day 7


Hi, this is my final day of playing the 7 days of Glorious Loot game, which has been lots of fun! Here is my lovely loot for day 7. This was a gift from the most recent swap that I participated in which was The Lovely Ladies Vintage Ephemera Swap This loot was sent to me by Julie. Thanks so much Julie, I love it! Leah

a question of crafting...

Janet Clare ~ part one

are you ready for this one dear readers, after talking about it weeks ago i am at last getting around to starting my new monthly blogging series 'a question of crafting'.
now if you are sitting quietly and have finished rustling your choccy bar wrappers then i shall begin...

a few weeks back (okay, a couple of months but let's not mention it) i had the greatest of pleasures in meeting the lovely Janet Clare.
i have been a buddy of Janet's for several years now, we both launched ourselves upon the cyber world at about the same time and fast became 'friends' and i will always treasure a picture of used dog and myself she so kindly gave me...
Janet is a mother, wife, crafter, and designer. she is fast becoming in demand for her tutorials and often has work featured in publications, you just need to take a look at an issue of Sew Hip to realize what a talent she has.
and so it was, on my wee visit back to old blighty, i told her of my whereabouts and she so wonderfully responded with a "please do come and have elevenses" rather than ignoring me, which a sanier person may have wisely done.


we arrived on Janet's doorstep, i believe wednesday morning (it's been a while remember)... she so very sweetly had baked a ginger cake, in return i had to confess i did not eat ginger cake (i can hear you all gasping at my bad manners, i can't help it, turning 40 has made me say things out loud without thinking).
but this little detail did not worry Janet, for she had stocked up on choccy bars (how well she knows me)... and so it came to be that one very lovely morning was spent in the company of my friend Debbie, (bought along for documenting purposes and 'cause i like her) and my friend Janet.

now may i just digress a little here and perhaps go back to the beginning, so we really understand just how fortunate i was... to be invited to some one's home is always a kind gesture but to be invited by someone whom you know in the cyber world but have never heard their voice or seen them is quite an extraordinary event.
i felt most honored and interestingly not at all nervous, it was like we had always known each other and perhaps only lived two doors away and not seperated by a gigantic pond...


moving on back to the lovely Janet, who i knew to be gifted in the ways of 'crafting' but until you really feel and see textile work in front of you it can be hard to have a complete appreciation of the work involved.

Janet kindly took me and Debbie on a tour of her beautiful home that she and her family have worked so hard on renovating.


the best moment for me was seeing her new studio space, a dream of Janet's for a wee while that had come true at last. we stepped from the kitchen, over the threshold onto hallowed ground, it is bright, light and just stinks of 'crafting'. (that's a good thing in case anyone thinks 'stinks' is a bad thing)...the defining moment was seeing Janet's lovely shelf of her animal figurines and there standing, pride of place is her Hugo... my very first stitched delight i saw of Janet's and a huge inspiration to her work.


and this is where i shall leave it for today, ("oooh, Tif, why would you do that? i hear you ask)
i wish to give you time to visit all of Janet's lovely places and then tomorrow i shall return with my interview, which Janet so graciously allowed me to perform.
it went most swimmingly, with me asking the questions, Janet replying, me then exclaiming "me too!" and then Debbie sitting recording our conversation in shorthand and using her 'corporate skills' that i can only sit and marvel at...

she will see you tomorrow with the 'telling and most revealing' part two of Janet Clare ~ Tif
footy note: please note that all pics in this 'gripping' prologue and interview were taken with Tif's spiffy camera but are of Janet's lovely abode and creations... please do not use unless you have asked permission from the lovely Janet herself as i don't want to get into any trouble however small... thanking you kindly