I shall kick my own bottom on your behalf.

Hello again,

Well, after a few days of fannying about I've come to a decision.

I started My Crooked House because I'm really interested in home design. I imported templates, struggled with html, spent days fiddling with the design and the widgets.

I met (well, virtually met) some fantastic bloggers, many of whom have been extremely supportive as I farted about and generally acted like a complete technical dimwit.

Then I hit the snag. The snag is I keep wanting to tell you all about things that aren't related to home design. So I'm writing about tea towels, but I'm thinking about this funny conversation I heard on the bus. And thus I realised my 'home design' bracket is too freakin' tight.

Fellow bloggers warned me that this might be so, but I am nothing if not tunnel-minded and I thought I'd be alright. I should have heeded the warnings of those who actually know what they're talking about. In short, I buggered up, chaps.

I love subject-specific blogs - the enthusiasm (bordering on obsession) which draws you in and makes you excited about things you've never before considered. What I don't like is a blog which says it focuses on one thing (eg spatulas) but ends up dotting around all sorts of others (parachutes, bananas, Spain).

If I don't act now, that's what My Crooked House could end up as - a mish-mash of all sorts masquerading as home design. Now I'm aware that this is the over-tidy, anal person in me making an appearance, but that would piss me right off.

So, I'm going to say goodbye to My Crooked House and hello to Cowdy Calling. This is my personal blog, where I get to talk about spatulas, parachutes, bananas, Spain and anything else I want.

My Crooked House will stay live (at least for the moment) but I won't be adding to it any more. And I'll probably be talking about a fair bit of design stuff over on my new blog, but I can't say for sure.

If you'd like to pop over and join me at Cowdy Calling, I'd be absolutely delighted. However, I can see that home design afficionados may not give a monkey's maracas for my general musings, so if you'd like to comment here and outline exactly how much of a flaky, irritating cretin I am, that's good too. I'll try and kick my own bottom on your behalf.

If you've landed here looking for home design inspiration, I'd seriously recommend you check out The Crooked House library (down a bit and right). There you'll find many excellent blogs that cover all things home design better than I ever could.

And finally, if you've been kind enough to add My Crooked House to your blogroll, you might want to remove it. Sorry - more bottom kicking required.

My sincere apologies,

Serena

Still thinking!

Hello all,

I wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about My Crooked House, or anyone who is kind enough to read it!

While on my self-imposed blogging ban, I've been thinking about changing things a little bit.

I started My Crooked House because I love home design. The problem is, lots of other things excite/anger/make me happy as well, and sometimes I want to tell you about them.

But I feel I can't, because I sort of boxed myself in with the 'home design' angle. I think maybe I need to widen the bracket a little bit. Mmm.

I'm still thinking. But I'll sort myself out soon, I promise! In a couple of days I think.

In the meantime, a musical interlude.

Except there isn't any music. So here's a silly picture of me on holiday, instead.

I'm not a fat terrorist. It was cold and that's layers, I tell you.

See? Nothing to do with home design! Bah...

And now for something completely different: A short break

Hello campers,

There will now be a short break while I have a rest.

Dominiqs' photostream on Flickr

Nothing sinister (I'm not actually going anywhere) - it's just that My Crooked House has loomed large over my life for the last month and I need to stop dreaming about wallpaper, lampshades and teacups.

I shall hopefully be back - in about a week - revived and bursting with splendid home design thingummies.

Pip-pip for now!

Stationery and noticeboards: Magnetic attraction

I've totally fallen for these scrabble tile magnets, found over on the excellent Aquamarine blog:

Look at the William Morris-style patterns on the ones in the middle!

You had me at 'buttons' - but 'orange' and 'shiny' put the icing on the cake.

The pink ones are actually tempting me to eat them.

Aquamarine's Tara has created these as part of her Maisie and Munch collection.

They've been made by sticking patterned papers onto the tiles, then varnishing them with Diamond Glaze and embellishing them with buttons and other decorations.

I think they'd look fantastic in My Crooked House hallway, holding all my to-do notes on a big magnetic board.

Stationery and noticeboards: Nesting instincts

I write for money, as well as for fun - and I spend a lot of time staring at the ceiling, the walls and my own toes waiting for inspiration to dawn.

That's why I need this little beauty in My Crooked House study:

The Birdie Paper Clip Holder costs £30 at EcoCentric. It's handmade from powder-coated, recycled aluminium - and it comes in black and red, too.

I know it's a bit pricy, but think of all the fun you could have when you're meant to be working...

Here's what the blurb says: "The paper clip holder works magnetically to attract your paper clips in towards the bird, forming a cosy nest shape around it".

Yey! Building a nest for your bird! Throwing paper clips from across the other side of the room and seeing if they stick!

I'm tellin' ya, for sheer entertainment value, that's up there with making a rubber band bouncy ball... Whooop!

Oh, and I know I said I'd swear off birdies for a while. Well, YA BOO SUCKS to that. Birdies rock. Ahem.