Friday, December 07, 2007

The Good Life

Being a woman of mystery isn't my usual style. Time to come clean about my much anticipated day yesterday. I went to London to meet up with Alice of The Magpie Files. Which would have been enough excitement in its own right (especially as she had promised a visit to the Champagne Bar in the new St Pancras - the woman has style). But she had other plans up her sleeve too. After a quick stop at Liberty, we jumped on a bus and arrived here:



Any guesses yet? Perhaps this will help:



Persephone + fairy buns - it could only mean Jane Brocket of Yarnstorm. She was speaking at a
Persephone Lunch about the domestic arts (knitting, crocheting, baking, quilting, a great deal of reading) as practised by her. And she made cupcakes (to match the books of course) for afternoon tea.

Jane is an amazingly gifted speaker and I was totally engaged (well, apart from the part of my brain that was busy wondering who the other people in the room were, because I had already spotted Julie Arkell and Janet Bolton in the audience). She brought along a load of her quilts, tea cosies and embroidery for us to see.

Perhaps it's only me, but it is so weird seeing in real life, something you've seen on a blog. New, yet familiar. Much the same as meeting bloggers in the flesh, which, in my experience, has never been anything other than delightful.

Alice and I made a new friend too (Hi Kristina!). She SO needs a blog, she knits, she sews, she bakes, she's charming. I've spoken before about my personal crusade to indoctrinate all crafty folk into the wonderful world that is blogging. Come on Kristina, dive in, the water's lovely.

And as we sat in the Champagne Bar of St Pancras, sipping our bubbly and nattering yarn, sewing, life and the universe. I had a moment of blinding clarity. Life is good, very good.

25 comments:

Kitty said...

That is the classiest cupcake I've ever seen! So glad you had a lovely time. I've met up with people I first encountered online, and they were, without exception, as lovely as they seemed.

Take care :-) x

PS. *wave* to Kristina ... I look forward to reading your blog!

Patti said...

wow. Just can't think of a better day than that. Cake, Yarnstorm, Persephone and champagne.

lucky girl

Mrs Moog said...

That sounds like a perfect girlie day out! Beautiful cupcake and how brave to risk grey icing. The champagne sounds particularly good!

Unknown said...

ooh, lucky you! I can just imagine what a wonderful time you had.

Lindy said...

poo! I wish I lived closer to London!! Ok, can you tell I'm jealous!! fairycakes AND champagne!!! *looks at her now cold cup of tea*

Junie Moon said...

What a fantastic day and such a marvelous experience.

It's another bit of life's synchronicity as I have blogged about my opportunity to meet a fellow blogger this weekend and I also mentioned how life is so good. We must be on the same wave length--I love it!

dragonfly said...

You lucky, lucky girl! It sounds like a perfect day. I'm v. jealous...

Kristy said...

Going green here!

Locket Pocket said...

Oh what a fun day! I'm very jealous too! Lucy x

dottycookie said...

Oh, it sounds perfect! Is the champagne bar as wonderful as it looks on the website? I'm glad you had such a lovely day (and actually a bit relieved I didn't come as I am coming down with something that feels particularly horrible today - would have hated to pass that on)

pinkgreen said...

Sounds like a fabulous day. I love Persephone books - I went to a talk about them at Cheltenham Lit Fest last year and just love the endpapers and the look of them (the stories are pretty good too!). How lovely to meet up with other craft people there too.
Cathy X

julie said...

Sounds like the perfect day - knitting, sewing, cake, books and being surrounded by like-minded people.

Bev and Ollie "O" said...

beautiful cake!mmmmm

I have so many friends who are crafty, maybe I should harass them into starting a blog?

Anonymous said...

How lovely to share your passion for all things crafty with blog friends. Too bad I live on the other side of the ocean!

meg said...

sounds like a wonderful day. I'm bummed we can't get her book in the states. I've read such great things about it.

Charlotte said...

Sounds like a great day out, Ali. I'm not a craft blogger, but I would love someone to post a tutorial on how to make a perfect-looking cupcake like that one. Did they taste as good as they look?

The Coffee Lady said...

I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your blog after lurking on it for a while.

And you have made me think of champagne again on the day I have just ordered some, which is good timing. How dreadful to have been reminded when there was none on its way.

Louise said...

Nice to see you had a special day to yourself too! And what a day - all the best things in the world mixed into one lovely experience!

Di said...

Sounds like you had a fabulous day! I love the look of the cupcake! I'm glad you enjoyed the talk and meeting new people and I am jealous of the champagne in St Pancras - I visited the station when I was in London recently just to see it!! But as I was alone and it was 11am and I was going to a work meeting in Cambridge I didn't think a champagne was a good idea!!

the pesky bombolino said...

sounds like a christmas present of a day!

Anonymous said...

Just what I needed, another reason to wish I lived in the UK... or at least could visit! Someday. My own version of 84 Charing Cross Road.

Thanks for sharing the loveliness.

Anonymous said...

Awsome post, my friend. Thanks for the reminder.

tiel said...

champagne+craft+funny women=my kind of a day. glad you had fun.

Sarah said...

A day at Liberty & Persephone - what a dream day

Angel Jem said...

Lucky you! I read that Jane was going to be talking in my Persephone biannual & wished that I knew a sensible way to get to London and back between the hours of 9.30 and 3.30 pm. No can do from Liverpool, so I'll just live vicariously through you! Hope I enjoyed the cupcake?