It’s a dull day here in Dublin, but it has just been brightened up considerably.
Picture quality could be better, but you can see what I just received in the mail. Our fan artist extraordinaire, Ani, has gifted me this gorgeous brooch that she made. Love it so much – from the choice of image (season 1 Guy) to the black rose. The dangling sword is the icing on the cake. Ani had made a few more of these gorgeous pieces but they are already sold out of her Etsy store. Who knows, maybe she might make more if there is demand… In any case, a huge big thank you to Ani for this wonderful surprise.
The Covid developments over here are worrisome. So much so that I spent the morning doing some panic buying. (The German word for it is much more descriptive and appropriate: Hamsterkäufe, which translates to “shopping groceries like a hoarding hamster” 🐹 😂.) I have stocked up on staples such as pasta, flour, sugar, rice and tea. I took the opportunity to buy some German specialities because Lidl has the “Alpenfest” on offer at the moment. So Nuremberg saussies and spaetzle noodles also found their way in my shopping trolley. I even bought a whole salami sausage and lots of nuts, porridge oats and seeds for my bread-making. All this, because I fear that Dublin may be heading for another lockdown. The 14-day incidence of Covid-19 infection in Dublin has risen significantly in recent days to 70.8 cases per 100,000 people. Last week the rate was 53.2. The R number for Dublin is now 1.4 whereas it is 1.0 in the rest of Ireland. Of course, Ireland is *the* large city in Ireland – with a population of 1.2m. That is 44% of the total population of Ireland! Thus, half of the recorded cases have been in Dublin so far (see above right). The National Public Health Emergency Team apparently is meeting today to consider whether restrictions are needed to stop the virus from resurging any further in Dublin. Based on what I saw in the supermarket where several shoppers did NOT wear a mask (even though the rule is that shoppers need to wear masks every time they enter a shop or use public transport), I think another lockdown is inevitable – and needed. But hey, Sonja is now prepared 😁. And I won’t be bored, either.
A couple of meters of my whimsical RA fabrics have arrived today, too. So I am going to go back to sewing more face masks with the new fabric. It’s great timing because I spent yesterday with an overdue tidying up session in my craft room/office. I noticed that I now have 25 different mini book brooches on offer in my Etsy shop, and my old system of storing them was not working for me anymore. Every time I needed to ship something to a buyer, I ended up having to pick through the plate rack to check the mini books one by one. I needed something with lots of small compartments where I could keep the books separate.
In the end I customised a cheap paper-maché advent calendar: I gave it a coat of paint and then attached the label pulls to the drawers. It sits now on my favourite shelf.
I also finally received a shipment of a piece of material I need for a RAPS that is currently in planning. The recipient has been waiting for it for a loooong time. I better get cracking on that.
Hope you are all well where you are – and people are complying with the rules better than they are here.
Guylty Pleasure 
Yay for happy mail and your redecorated little Adventskalender. Ingenious! I made a trip to the Swedish Store™️ of the four letters with my sister today to get some storage. Next up is a Marie Kondo-ing of my closet and shoe storage (yikes!) and I need to put my craft room back to rights since Mr. Kate has vacated the premises for a proper home office curtesy of my lovely parents. Now I need to move the things that have encroached on the living room back and use the chance to find homes for the (many—sigh) new things I have since purchased for my crafting. (Send help!!!)
Yay for your happy mail. Guy is gorgeous!
Re Hamsterkäufe: The love of our youth, WÜ, just broke the ‘magic‘ number of 50, so we are headed back that way as well. I hate being right about this, but when my senior boss said “nice that Corona is behind us“ last week I just started at him and said “not by a mile“ and here we are.
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Oops, I yayed twice for Guy, but let‘s face it—he deserves ALL the praise and jubilation.
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I have absolutely no problem with double praise for Guy. *sigh*
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Hooray for the designated craft space. Fantastic news – it’s going to totally reinvigorate your crafting. It makes such a huge difference to have SPACE. And space that doesn’t need to be tidied up every evening – or shared with someone. It’s fab that your parents can provide some space for your hubster.
Good luck with Marie Kondo *coughs*. Totally not for me. I haven’t even tried. I just love *stuff* too much, and need it to be happy. (Although I usually feel quite proud and happy when I *do* declutter. My dear hubs is right, though: Decluttering mainly only serves as a way for me to make space for *new* clutter 😂. So I have resolved not to declutter, in an effort to avoid buying new stuff…)
And carramba, WÜ is also turning into a hot spot? Damn. And meh, your boss truly is an arse. This whole thing is SO *not* over for a long time. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll be out of the woods for at least another 6 months. Eejit!
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I like stuff, but it also stresses me out. I need to find a balance. I can’t let go of crafting stuff, but I think my shoe shelf is in for a serious overhaul. And the closet (clothes) as well.
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True. I get stressed by stuff, too. So in that sense, I also purge every once in a while… Only for the stuff to kind of creep back eventually 😉. But yeah, clothes and shoes really need regular purges.
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Yeah, I mean, I’m never gonna be a minimalist. Especially when it comes to crafting stuff. But everything else needs to be just—fewer.
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Oh I am SOOO jealous!!!!
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It’s pretty cool…
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It’s gorgeous.
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In England we have new rules from Monday, only six people can get together either inside or outside. The media leaked some ideas some time ago when they were speculating about the period when schools would reopen one suggestion was everyone over 60 to remain at home and I think this new rule is a compromise.
Instead of clamping down on those people who have carried on regardless we will all suffer, I just hope nothing happens to stop my small local holiday, My brother who was self shielding until recently has already squeezed in four holidays!
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I think we have had that rule (six people) for several weeks now, and it hasn’t really worked afaik. The schools have all started last week, and frankly, I am worried how that is going to pan out.
A little holiday OTOH – I think that should be fine, especially if you stay in the country. We just all need to be careful and comply with rules, then we can beat this thing.
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Happy mail is always good! Especially when it’s Guy.
David and I have been straightening & cleaned out a shed. I tried to throw away some junk, only for him to dig it back out of the trash bags. I finally gave up. That man hoards worse than I do.
As for mask-wearing, maybe half of the customers who come in wear one. Frankly, I feel naked without mine now. I’ve even had a couple of (rude) customers fuss about the employees wearing them (if we do wear them, we can be written up). And one very loud male customer who complained about us not enforcing masks when we have signs up. I told him until our governor signs legislation mandating them, we really can’t do anything. *Sigh* I sometimes hate working retail.
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That should be “written up if we DON’T wear one.”
😐
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Congrats on managing some tidying together with your other half, Lady! When I do, it usually works out in such a way that I want to throw away the stuff that himself likes – and vice versa 😂.
You know, I have the outmost respect for anyone who is working in retail right now. It’s really a frontline job. And for you then to be exposed to ignorant customers who are complaining because YOU are protecting THEM by wearing masks, is just the irony of it all. – I have to admit that I wished the employees in the grocery store today had enforced the rule on the people who were in there without masks. But at the same time I really think it’s unfair for them to actually have to deal with confrontations. Over here, we also do not have proper *legislation* but only *recommendation* as regards masks. If there were laws, at least they could be enforced.
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I love the brooch (Ani, you are as talented as Guylty and that’s saying something!). And I adore your repurposed advent calendar ❤️❤️❤️! I have a bit of a thing about storage and sad to say that sets my heart racing even more than RA 🤣🤣🤣 (well, maybe that’s going a bit far… depends on the incarnation… 😉)
Sorry to hear you may be heading for another lockdown. We certainly aren’t out of the woods yet. Yve has mentioned new rules in the UK… I’m still being very cautious especially as Norfolk is still heaving with holiday makers 🙄 I certainly don’t blame them for wanting to come to the countryside but I wish they weren’t here in such numbers…
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Oh, I totally am the same, Helen. Beautiful storage is something I really love. So much so that I sometimes simply can’t work until I have organised the storage first. 😂 Well, I guess it helps to clear the mind and provide focus. Or that’s what I tell myself… any excuse…
The whole situation with Covid is just so tricky. Like you, I understand that people needed a change of scenery. I mean, I was among the people who took the first available opportunity when hotels reopened at the beginning of July, and went on a short break in Donegal. And yet I myself was miffed at the large numbers of people there… like myself. I literally wish that some of the rules were compulsory right now – so that the police could enforce it. Like social distancing or wearing masks or no private gatherings. If we all worked together and actually stuck to the rules for a month, maybe we could eradicate the virus. Sigh.
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We should have another lockdown (or rather, we should have stuck with the last one) but the GOP is opposed, so we won’t.
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No words. I really have no words when I see what is going on there with the GOP and how they wilfully endanger people.
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Last night, we had the chancellor of one of the state university campuses in the southern part of the state begging the city it’s located in to institute some kind of regulation on entry to bars off campus as the uni can’t regulate that and tests on campus are now running 17% positive. The city council refused. Five against to one in favor. It looks like that campus will have to go to total quarantine very shortly, as that will be the university’s only option, and that will more or less kill the bars. As does the only other option they have, which is to send the students home. Honestly, I don’t understand what people are thinking. We also havea group in court to oppose the mask mandate, which only about 80 percent of people are observing, and which the local law enforcement officers refuse to enforce. Of course, we no longer believe in either law or science, so …
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I thought that drawers looked like a advent calandar! We took a interest in them years ago as a option with my chaps laser business but we couldn’t compete with Chinese made ones on cost. Good Upcycle idea though and you’ll have a better idea on your stock too.
Masks in Wales from Monday aswell as no gathering of more than 6 people. Glad about the mask thing
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Spot on – yes, anything that is small and has 24 or 25 drawers, is an advent calendar. I specifically looked for something like that once I had noticed how expensive small storage units were. It works for me, but I have to say that the drawers are actually tiny…
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It is a beauuuutiful brooch, Ani is very talented and I will be keeping an eye on her Etsy store. And your new storage idea is ingenious. My friend lent me her Marie Kondo book when I was moving and one phrase stuck, ‘Don’t consider what you want to throw away but what you want to keep’. I’m trying to bear that in mind surrounded by boxes of stuff, with nowhere to put it, after my move. I think you are wise to stock-up, it is so depressing that the numbers are rising again and worrying that in the UK it will be illegal to gather in large groups. I understand the reasoning, to prevent parties and raves etc, but wonder if it will be revoked in better times.
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I am seriously worried by the introduction of ‘new’ laws , these are not debated and we seem to be living under the Tory’s version of marshall law.
I am a law abiding person but some of these ‘laws’ have me grinding my teeth because it seems only the law abiding are playing by the rules.
And the announcement of mass testing has me wanting to bang my head against the wall, wasting billions on pounds on a test which will only show if you have the virus on that day! What will he do; put all the positive people in a concentration camp!
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Yes, I agree, well said Yve.
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it’s impossible to achieve the mass testing they were talking about-it’s all pie in the sky stuff.
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That brooch is lovely, and making use of the Advent calendar in that way is brilliant! Count me in as another with a thing for storage. The shelves of my spare built-in wardrobes are full of labelled plastic boxes. I’m much happier when I can put a dozen things in a container rather than have them lying loose on a shelf. 😉
We are currently in the process of doing up our sun room extension which I’ve commandeered as my own. My husband had plans for it but since he has a huge “man shed” I figured I needed the space more to have my sewing and craft permanently set up. The room has been painted, and I’m waiting on window blinds and new flooring. Am looking forward to putting in the finishing touches – storage!
While the rest of Australia has been getting on with things, my state is finally coming out of a second wave of the virus, although that was mostly in the metropolitan area courtesy of inept management. The metro area is under curfew and severe restrictions. Most of the country areas have had few to none cases, but we have been in lock down for a second time, less strict than the city thank goodness and no curfew. Hopefully restrictions will ease for us next week. Masks have been mandatory and will be many weeks to come it seems. At least we are over the worst of winter and coming into the warmer months hopefully we have a better chance of getting back to some kind of normal, for the sake of people’s mental/physical health, and the economy.
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Love the pin and your workspace is so cool!! Fabulous!
I’ve been cleaning and painting kitchen cabinets. Not as much fun, but finally finished and it looks much better. Now I can actually find things (when I remember where I moved them-lol) At least I can see them. And I discovered my hubby had bought 10 bags of gluten free oatmeal. It is sometimes hard to find that so when he sees it he gets it for me. Life as a celiac in the US can be hit or miss. Sometimes there are tons of products and others the stores are out of stock. I guess we’re set for hurricane season!!
Take care and have a great weekend!
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Congrats on your own interior improvements. Yep, a lot of work. But it’s so worth it when it’s done and you can say that you actually did it yourself. (Not to mention the money saving, too!)
Oh, you are celiac? Celiac disease appears to be more prevalent in Ireland than in other (Northern) European countries. So it is actually pretty easy to find gluten-free products in Irish supermarkets. Every tiny store, even my local small supermarket, have shelves dedicated to gluten-free products. But good to know you are all set with the oatmeal now!
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I have Irish and Scottish ancestry along with Alsatian, so I come by it naturally it seems! There are many gluten free products available now in the US as well, but certain things, like the GF oatmeal, can be hard to find. When I was first diagnosed 20 years ago, I had to order bread and flour and any other GF items from Canada. The Schar products from Italy and the German brands of GF products were not available in the US then. There have been a lot of improvements, which is good. The biggest improvement was medical schools here teaching all the new doctors that they should test babies for celiac and that they should test anyone with chronic gut problems for celiac. There are a lot of inexpensive blood tests now for celiac.
Anyway, thanks again for your wonderful posts!
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Such a lovely brooch! Also loved a peek into you RA collection with a “Sonja with love” signed picture by the man himself too. Very nice! Looks like you have everything in order for the next lockdown, well done. Here cases are also slowly on the rise again (but still under control, they said here today), I wonder where that will lead for us as well…
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Hehe, eagle eyes. Indeed Sonja with love… One of my early tumblr friends sent that photo in to him with a request for a signature. I was never that keen on autographs, so this one is the one that I will definitely keep.
I have to say I am really disappointed with the government here. Instead of doing the right thing and imposing some proper restrictions on Dublin in order to stop the virus in its tracks, they are just making lukewarm “recommendations” and vague appeals. Well, that’s not going to work, as we are seeing right now. We’re heading for another surge, and I am pissed off that it has to go that far before they decide to shut down for a couple of weeks. Grah.
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Be glad you don’t live in the US, where our so-called leader ignores all the close to 200,000 people who have died from coronavirus and claims that masks do no good.
At least our local government requires masks for everyone outside their own homes, but restaurants and bars are allowed to serve indoors now, which is very unsafe. I pray we don’t reach 500,000 dead, but it could happen. It’s tragic. I hope things improve there. Europe in general has been so much smarter in how it has handled the virus restrictions. One of the main triggers for more cases recently has been students going back to university. Apparently even fear of death can’t keep teens from drunken parties.
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I know – there are some places where it is really worse than here. But I also wonder what will happen once students are back in college. Schools reopened last week. It’s too soon to see any effects yet, but I am worried all the same.
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