Merry Little Moomins ❤

Hello chums, back again. I was going to run a brand new post t'other day but I got shaken up by some not-so-good news (I lost my job, if you must know...) and it knocked me off kilter a smidge. But i'm here now so lets get on with it shall we!

Today i'll be wittering on about the eternally brilliant and (in my opinion) hilariously adorable creatures that are... Moomins!

Those of you that have followed the blog for a while might recall me having mentioned Moomins before (namely HERE) but today I need cheering up so I just felt like posting nice pictures of something I like.

And since i'm pretty sure you'll all stop following me if I just post a stream of photos of Benedict Cumberbatch or Tom Hiddleston (although I think we can all agree that they truly are quite lovely) I figured Moomins were less likely to drive you all away from here, also making me less likely to turn this blog into a Fangirl one (like I accidentally did to my Tumblr. You were warned, click at your peril).

Don't worry i'm not about to embark on a gargantuan explanation or a detailed history of Moomins, maybe some other time, today i'll just be posting nice pictures and rambling on a bit. That's all.

 
As i've also mentioned before, I have a terrible habit of ordering piles of junk (or treasure) on the interweb, well a recent purchase (was it a week ago, or two... or three! I forget) included some brilliant little goodies that came winging all the way to me from the HOME of the Moomins aka Finland...

That's right... I bought myself some little Moomins! Here they are all lined up on my desk ready to say hello to you.

And I also got some v pretty postcards and super cute badges to go with them. Because if there's one thing better than a Moomin... it's a Moomin reading a book! Yay MOOMINS!

The teeny tiny little Moomin figurines that I got from Finland are far too adorable! They all have movable arms and come with little accessories, just like the characters in the books and animations.

So now Moomintroll, Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Snorkmaiden all live on my desk. Oh I do hope they'll all be happy there, I don't know maybe they can go hang out with Loki or the Ghostbusters sometimes if they get bored!

I'm not too sure precisely what it is about Moomins but i've always liked them since I first saw them on the telly box. I remember avidly watching the (admittedly rather creepy and at times a bit spooky) cartoon when I was little, and Ialways enjoyed it even when the slightly scarier characters made an appearance on screen (i'm looking at you Groke, you creepy bugger).

Maybe it's because their Moominhouse is so sweet, or because Moominvalley looks like such a nice place to live and they always have such fun adventures with their friends! Whatever it is about them, they're kind of twee and I like them. 

There's something so charming about their simple design and cute little faces. They never seem to let the world get them down, even at times when things are going a bit wrong.

I think it helps that the books by Tove Jansson are so brilliant as well, there are a full set at the Library where I work (or where I used to work) and I have spent many a happy lunch hour flicking through them reading the stories and comic strips chuckling at stories about Sniff and Snufkin, Little My and the Moomins and of course the peculiar little Hattifatteners.

 

I think perhaps the appeal lies in the fact that Moomins live a simple but fulfilling life, finding enjoyment in even the most mundane tasks and pastimes.

 

But then I mean it must be impossible to be unhappy when you look like this, right?! 

 

Okay that's enough wittering for today. I seem to be all about the sudden stops lately, it's almost as if the tap in my mind just switches off and the flow of sentences and words immediately ceases.

I have a thrilling flotilla of post ideas meandering around inside my mind so hopefully i'll be able to type some of them out over the weekend or next week.

so until next time, that's all folks and thanks for visiting! 

don't forget to leave a comment if you feel like it, I always reply, it's not like I have anything else to do!

bye for now

Sweet Ginger Strips ★

so yesterday was quite possibly one of the nicest, warmest and sunniest days i've experienced in a long time! i was supposed to spend the day in college essay writing but when i stepped outside i knew i couldn't stay cooped up indoors all day so i spent the day wandering around Douglas town centre instead!

you should know that the weather here in the Isle of Man is almost typically windy/rainy/kind of gloomy, true some years we get lucky and are blessed with smashing summers and lots of sunshine, some years. . . we're not so lucky!

but yesterday. . . it was just sublime!

but unfortunately i left my camera in the car so i couldn't take any pictures of how pretty it was!!!!!!

anyway, do you remember this lil' lady???

well yesterday afternoon i popped up to Sweet Ginger to say hi to Julie and Ciara and i was delighted to see that they'd put up the 'Sweet Ginger Strips' posters 

there's a big ol' poster behind the shop counter and another one in the shop window!!!

but that's not all because they'd also set out all of the 'Sweet Ginger Strips' bags as well!

these are little bags chock full of gorgeous fabric strips that you can use to make whatever the hell you want! 

for example. . . you could plait them together and make cute bracelets or a hair tie, you could stitch them together and make a funky rag purse or scarf, you could sew them into ruffles or roses for handmade rosettes or charms in fact. . . you could use them to make all manner of super duper things!

anyway these bags are super duper awesome and super duper cheap (if you ask me!) so if you live local and fancy a little TT race week project or just fancy some little strips of fabric, head up to the shop and get yourself a bag or two! and just think. . . you'll get your very own 'Sweet Ginger Strips' tag featuring my artwork as well!

oh there are also 'Sweet Ginger Strips' and 'Polka Dots' greetings cards as well :)

i gotta tell you though, it's crazy seeing my drawings printed up on tags and posters in a shop! there are actually 3 posters in all though seeing as the lovely Julie and Ciara also got me a poster of my very own!!!

she's already pinned up in my room (helping to cover up some more of the hideous 'skin disease' wallpaper!!!)

* * *

oh i snapped this pic of Pepe and Sophie as well, they're now happily cooped up in one of the shelves on display in the shop

* * *

while i was in 'Sweet Ginger' i also decided to treat myself to a set of Moomin badges!

i've wanted these badges since i first visited the shop back when Ciara and Julie were still unpacking all the lovely stock, i figured it was about time i got a set, the only thing i have to do now is figure out where i'm going to pin them!

does anyone else remember the Moomins from their childhood?! i know that myself + my friend Courtney have spent countless afternoons attempting to draw them and reminiscing about how cute and slightly scary they were!

most of the people i know that remember the show only seem to remember being freaked out by some of it's characters but i used to love watching the Moomins animation when i was little!

i remember there was a Tove Jansson Moomin comic/story book in the library when i was at primary school and i used to read it over and over again

i know that they recently made a new Moomins film but i've yet to see it, if any of you have seen it let me know what it's like!

and now i'm going to stop going on about the Moomins and go and make some tea!!!

* * *

that's it for today i think, tomorrow i plan to blog about some awesome new artists i've just been told about by an old college student, i think you might like their stuff as much as i do!

bye for now, that's all folks . . . ◕‿◕ ★ xX