For the past month I have been a student in the classroom of Blog with Pip and I have a folder full and a notebook bursting with ideas.
Now we have graduated, we have been invited to write this post by our fearless leader, Pip Lincolne of Meet Me At Mikes, so here I am to chat about me over a cup of tea. If you pop over to Pip’s blog, you can read posts by the other lovely students. I got to spend time with some creative, inspiring folk I can tell you.
Today’s cup of tea features a gorgeous vintage pink willow pattern teacup and saucer. My youngest picked it out from a flea market while we were on holiday in Cape Cod last year. I must admit, I don’t drink out of it, I need a big mug of tea, but big mugs are not so pretty.
Being from the UK originally, I should be a tea drinking monster, but I tend to gravitate towards coffee more and more since I have lived here in the States. I do still need a mug of PG tips first thing in the morning though, then a nice frothy coffee mid morning, usually when I get back from the gym and I am starving!
I tend to spend my days making and writing.
The making part of my day includes creating jewellery for my CatsEatDogs shop which I love to do, I enjoy gathering the beads together and creating a piece of jewellery or two from the pile of colour and textures I have selected. I also use vintage components like buttons, beads and charms which I find at yard sales, thrift shops and antique shops. I love to ‘treasure hunt’ and my kids like to come and find stuff too!
When I am not making jewellery, I like to sew and this summer I have promised myself to stock up on fab fabrics and make more clothes for myself, and maybe add scarves and bags to my CatsEatDogs emporium.
The other thing I love to make is pom poms and then make other things from the pom poms! Like vegetables or caterpillars or a heart and even a fox. I have made all of these things and I am planning more pom pom makes, they are such fun to make and then work with! I highly recommend pom poms!
Baking and cooking also fall under my ‘making’ umbrella, muffins for weekend breakfast with lots of blueberries in them, fresh bread to eat with soup for dinner, or to put a homemade bean burger in, all made by me. I love to cook and try new things, some are yum, some are politely asked not to return to our mealtimes!
Some great cookery blogs I follow are London Bakes, The Veggie Mama, Smitten Kitchen and Shutterbean. Lots of great recipes here as well as fantastic blogging.
The writing part of my day is my blog and cards I send to friends and family. I like to write letters and postcards and I should do it more. Do you send letters? Aren’t they the best thing to receive? A letter or a postcard in the mail is one of my favourite things. I also write lists and lots of them, lists of ideas, lists of food to buy, lists of jobs to be done, lists, lists, lists.
Most of the day I am listening to BBC Radio 2 or BBC comedy shows via the iPlayer or to music or an audio book. I am really liking the band ‘Milky Chance‘ at the minute, I heard them on the radio and I can’t stop listening to their album ‘Sadnecessary’, it really is great.
I like to listen to books while I am making jewelry or a craft idea. My favourite books recently to read or listen to have been ‘Tell the Wolves I’m Home’, ‘The Shining Girls’ and I have ‘The Goldfinch’ next in line when I finish ‘The Shining Girls’. I am a super slow reader and I borrow most of my novels from the library, I just have to renew a couple of times! I gave in and bought ‘The Goldfinch’ as I am not going to be able to read that giant of a book in the time I am allowed it from the library.
I am now going to make a cup of tea! What? These posts take me a while, I might even grab a biscuit.
Thanks for reading, what do you like to do? Share in the comments if you like. Tea or coffee?
Clare Davis Etheridge 
Loved your post Clare. I’ve started making pom poms recently but so far I just give them to the cat to play with! Love your pictures too.
Thanks Michelle! I bet my cat would love pom poms too!
Coffee first thing in the morning, then tea thereafter for me. I also love real mail. Have 2 x postcards to put in the post today actually, so thanks for the prompt! BTW, what is ‘a mug of PG tips’?
Hi Rachael, postcards are the best! I would like to make my own. PG tips is a British brand of tea. x
I too love audio books. They are so relaxing. Though, I am a bit picky about who is the narrator. Do you have favs?
I like ones read by the author, Tina Fey read Bossypants and it was hilarious!
Oh, must check that one out – thanks 🙂
It’s coffee for me too, and definitely a daily ritual. And books are the best, I sometimes read too fast and can’t keep all the fine details in my head once I finish, so I could afford to slow down a bit. Losing yourself in another world is so incredible. I guess making is like that too, but my making skills don’t extend much beyond the kitchen or creating a cosy living room.
I’d love to try baking bread, hopefully you’ll post a favourite recipe soon.
Great to get to know you a little, I’ll be back!
Hi Annette! I read books and forget what they are about almost immediately! I remember whether I liked it or not and and that is about it.
Yes, you must make bread, it is easy peasy, just takes time to rise in between the interesting bits, my favourite thing at the moment is pretzel rolls. I use the recipe on A Beautiful Mess blog, I think I link to it in my ’10/52 weekly photos’ post.
Clare x
Hi Clare –this was a nice way to get to know you –what a lucky coincidence, just as we’re exchanging bead soups 🙂
I’m a big coffee drinker, and at different times I like it different ways –in the winter I want lattes and cafe au lait, but in the summer I prefer it black. I’ve never cared for the taste of tea, although I like most other things British!
My daughter makes pom-poms, and has made them into monsters, but she tells me she just likes how fluffy and soft they are really. The current cat resident is ancient, and blind and deaf, so she doesn’t play anymore.
Hi Cassi! Coffee is taking over for me I must admit, I make coffee ice cubes in the summer for iced coffee. Monsters from pom poms, that is a great idea! I am thinking giant pom poms made into monsters. Ha!
Looking forward to making soup with you!! Clare x
Cup of tea first thing for me then coffee at morning tea time. I’ve loved ‘meeting’ you via Blog with Pip and have been mighty inspired by your beautiful photography and colour themed posts. See you again soon 🙂
It has been a great course hasn’t it. So cool to meet lots of new people with great blogs to read.
Definitely tea for me – although I do love the smell of coffee, I’m just afraid once I start drinking it I may never stop 🙂
You are right, once you get a good cup of coffee, there is no looking back!
Lovely post! I’ll have a tea first thing in the morning, then a coffee mid morning as well (usually post gym!). Love your tea cup and tray! Ohh and I’m a bit partial to a list (as is my mum and was my grandmother…something in the genes!)
We call that tray the ‘grandma tray’ as my grandma used to have a tray on legs too! Lists are a must.
Your youngest has brilliant taste in teacups! I too love the smell of coffee but drink green tea. Your pompom creations sound like fun
Thanks! He loves to come treasure hunting with me and often finds good stuff for me and him!
I love the way you spend your days! Making, baking and writing. Lovely!
A bit of sunshine helps too!
What a beautiful cup. I really love reading your blog and especially the Six Word Saturdays.
Ohhh thanks! Six Word Saturday tomorrow!
Hi Clare, I really enjoyed reading your post. I’ve recently been enamoured with pom pom garlands that seem to be springing up and have been waiting to find the time to get started. I haven’t made a pom pom for about 25 years. Do you recommend just using wool?
Hi Carolyn, thanks for popping by! Pom poms are the best, I use all sorts of yarn to make them, wool works well and a fluffy wool like a mohair makes a super soft, full pom. Clare x