Author archive

:: Quick poll: too creepy?

Posted by Vanessa on August 20, 2008 | Permalink

At the moment, I’m harbouring several ideas for children’s stories (did I mess up that apostrophe? I’m REALLY tired) at the moment - most of them fairly simple. The trouble is that good books for small children are illustrated, at least as much picture as word, generally. And I can’t draw very well at all. Would it be weird and creepy if I story-boarded and handcrafted my story collage-style? I’m thinking about a story revolving around a witch with two small (non-magical) dogs who rescue a large, mean (magical) black cat. It probably sounds silly in outline, but I’ve got a fairly clear idea where I’m going with it and could hobble together the visual elements in a fun, crafty fashion. Should I try, or should I just give up and write it and see if anyone out there is interested in partnering up to illustrate?

And - by the by - what was/ is your favourite book aimed at children? I love ‘The Little Prince’, all of the Mog stories, ‘The Tiger that Came to Tea’, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and all the Enid Blyton novels that took place in boarding school. To this day I’ve never had ginger ale and sardines at midnight, but I’ve always kind’ve wanted to.

Categories: about us, books, challenge, craft, design
Tags: children's books, Mog

7 comments

:: Triangle Pizza!

Posted by Vanessa on August 11, 2008 | Permalink

MMMMMmmm… this is probably at least the second home-made pizza post at four good corners, if not the third. I’m sorry! But I love home-made pizza. Today’s creation was:

-wholewheat dough
- parmesan cheese (fresh grated)
- prosciotto ham
- eggs
- tomato sauce

Roll out your dough (or stretch into a weird triangle shape - so long as it’s thin enough, right?), spread with tomato sauce OR tear up loads of fresh spinach and add a little olive oil and garlic; cover in the ham, then grate on the parmesan cheese. Finally, crack two eggs on top. Shove it all in the oven at 450f for 15 minutes. Et voila! Delicious home-made pizza. Oh food network, how I love your silly shows with excellent recipes.

I was tempted to also make my Secret Comfort Food of Shame which is just cheese sauce. I eat with bread, or a spoon. Fairly inexplicable I know, but it works. What are your best and weirdest comfort foods?

Categories: recipes, tutorial
Tags: , comfort food, pizza

6 comments

:: Pretty(ish) in Pink

Posted by Vanessa on July 30, 2008 | Permalink

Here’s my friend Kayla with John Crier - Duckie! At a screening of Pretty in Pink at the New Beverly. It was the last screening from a week of programming set by Diablo Cody, and it was fantastic fun though I’m pretty sure I was the only audience member who hadn’t seen the movie before.

It’s a film full of mad home-made creations that the heroine hobbles together with her sewing machine out of Goodwill finds and so I was absentmindedly noting the 80s outfits and crazy creations throughout the film, UNTIL the big reveal; the pretty pink dress itself. The audience knows that it’s going to be a combination of two prom dresses that she’s going to adapt herself… and… it’s horrific - just the ugliest, baggiest dress possible. Much worse than the two donated dress it’s ostensibly crafted out of. I’m wondering if this is the worst craft-disaster in a popular film? And whether it’s charming, because the film is full of not terribly attractive people and not terribly sane outfits, which is very sweet, or whether it’s just a thoroughly odd choice by whoever did the costuming. She is definitely NOT pretty in pink…

Categories: about us, art, craft, los angeles, style
Tags:

7 comments

:: The Museum of Jurassic Technology

Posted by Vanessa on July 23, 2008 | Permalink

One of my favourite places in LA is the eerie, uncanny Museum of Jurassic Technology located in Culver City. I think I read that it has won an award as a work of art, and once you visit, it’s easy to see why. Locked behind a large steel door that gives it a perpetually closed look, upon first entering you watch a very bizarre video on the ‘Jurassic age’ and then meander through a series of strange and wonderous exhibits which include a room based around Napolean; a display of model trailer parks; a room dedicated to old wives tale cures made in sculpture form and a display of cat’s cradles. Phones dot the walls and make strange noises. Lifting the receiver of one you hear odd wailings that turn out to be the voice of the opera singer whose story you later encounter, another will be the barking of a dog.

Read more…

Categories: about us, adventure, art, local guide, los angeles
Tags: , adventure, gothic, jmt, jurassic museum

3 comments

:: Homesick for cheese and pickle

Posted by Vanessa on July 16, 2008 | Permalink

Some days I can track being homesick purely through my stomach. On the days when I’m most missing all things British - my family, friends, changeable weather, red phone boxes, cities with clearly defined centres - I also start wanting chocolate digestives, monster munch, heinz baked beans, fish and chips, my mum’s bread and butter pudding… Things you could basically get in any local co-op ‘back home’ (home is always where I’m not as well as where I am - I’m going home when I head to Bradford and I’m heading home when I get on the plane back).

If I wanted a good meal out, fabulous LA food abounds. On Sunday I went to the Bastille Day festival in the West Hollywood park and had a fantastic mozarella, tomato and basil panini. Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian; there’s excellent restaurants every where. But none of it is as comforting as my stodgy British favourites.

I could spend an arm and a leg buying the imported versions, but somehow that’s not the point, although I’m always more delighted when Stephen puts pickle in the fridge than I would be by flowers. Yep, I’m looking forward to a trip back home this winter, accompanied by some mince pies, salt ‘n’ vinegar chipsticks, mulled wine and if I’m lucky, some snow.

Categories: about us
Tags:

1 comment

:: Four good cheers for crafty Kirsty!

Posted by Vanessa on July 9, 2008 | Permalink

So, I’m a little off with time zones, but here in the USA it’s Kirsty’s birthday. It was probably yesterday by many watches, but indulge me - it’s plenty Tuesday here. This is a picture of Kirsty looking lovely at her 50s style hen party (with confetti in her hair).

Not just a birthday shout out, I realised today how much of what I owned had been made by Kirsty. I have a knitted pink cat, a He-Man bag that is big enough to carry my books and is my weekend favourite; a crochet blue-flower scarf that got me four random compliments the last time I wore it, and a hand-made clutch that is perfect for evenings…. just from taking stock quickly. Now, obviously four good corners shouldn’t be a big love-in but I really am quite impressed with how craft is no longer at all synonymous - in my head at least - with weird hippie workshops [no offense to hippies] or something you do when you retire. It’s stylish and satisfying and (thanks to some very talented friends) fits into my wardrobe, jewellery box and house. Arts and crafts? Crafts is art, more like!

So I hope Kirsty is having/ had a very lovely birthday and that it didn’t rain - and thank you for inspiring me to keep crafting! x

Categories: about us
Tags:

4 comments

:: You know what’s exciting?

Posted by Vanessa on June 12, 2008 | Permalink

- I am dogsitting a bulldog called Vito. He is very shy and very sweet and he does not like walks at night time.
- Stephen made a pan rack out of a rod and some nails and hooks. Now all our pans hang from the ceiling. This is a good storage solution.
- I got my first copy of ‘Believer’ magazine today; my mum got me a subscription for my birthday. Once I’ve read it I’m going to use the text to decorate glass plates and make the match the table we collaged with Believer back issues. Hurray literary-hero themed crockery!

Categories: craft, design
Tags:

2 comments

:: Prawn and asparagus risotto

Posted by Vanessa on May 22, 2008 | Permalink

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Last night I accidentally made a really tasty risotto - so I’m sharing the recipe (and the method). This photo is from scottish cow on flickr… my own asparagus is a bit, well, frozen.

Anyway - here goes. First of all, you need the arborrio rice which may actually be called something else. It’s proper name. Y’know, risotto rice. Anyway - fry in olive oil for two minutes and meanwhile put together a nice stock with lots of white wine in it. If you like, have some white wine too. Go on, I would (did). Then start adding the liquid in small quantaties and let it absorb; stir almost constantly. Then get a bit annoyed and add quite a lot of the stock all at once and shove a lid on it and check your e-mail. Wander back and think it’s time to add the prawns (I defrosted mine but maybe fresh is better). Bung them in, throw in a bit of basil, wander off again. When you sense the rice has about five minutes left, snap up the asparagus (frozen, again) and chuck that in. Add some more white wine. Bit more. There you go! Then, once the water has pretty much left it all risotto textured and lovely, throw in a handful of parmesan (again, I’m guessing fresh would be wonderful but the dried stuff added something), some butter, pepper, salt and stir. Ta-da! Unusually tasty dinner. Make sure to cook plenty as I didn’t make quite enough. An unusual mistake for me!

Categories: about us
Tags:

5 comments

:: Happy Birthday Jamie!

Posted by Vanessa on May 19, 2008 | Permalink

This is a post dedicated to my little brother (pictured here in a coffee shop somewhere en route to Yosemite). I spent today making a chocolate cake for our friend’s 30th birthday in the horrible, cloggy LA heat, but if I could I would have also made a big cake for Jamie’s birthday today in the UK. I think he’s having a tea party on Friday which will be fantastic, and has got me thinking about theme parties - again. I’m desperate to have a dinner party here and make a big roast chicken with potato salad (yeah, okay I’ve been watching ‘Chic and Easy’ on the food network - so what!) followed by strawberries and shortcake. But I also want to host something silly. Ideas?

Categories: about us
Tags:

2 comments

:: Button it!

Posted by Vanessa on May 16, 2008 | Permalink

Alright everybody - a genuine question here. I’m about to use (by ‘about to’ I mean ‘before the weekend is out’) the button-holing function on my sewing machine to reattach an annoying button. Hardly thrilling stuff I know, but any tips? I’m slightly puzzled by the whole set-up. And I’m stick of hurting my thumb trying to sew it on by hand with a blunt needle.

Categories: about us
Tags: buttons, household tips

9 comments