tis the season

The kindness of strangers always delights and amazes me. Tonight I was standing waiting for the light to change, when an elderly lady asked me if I was cold. I told her I was freezing but my hood kept blowing down. She took a bobby pin from her own hat covered head, pulled my hood up and stuck the pin into my hood attaching it using my hair. My hood stayed up and I was warm. In a town as big as New York City you meet angels in the most unexpected places.

pregnancy blues

I feel like a big lump. I'm 6 months pregnant now, but feel about 9! It brought me some joy to see the fabulous Jennifer Lopez, rumored to be in her fifth month, looking so big and beautiful. I don't usually like to read about celebrities, but it's comforting to see pictures of Christine Aguilera, Mama Lopez and Halle Berry taking the weight gain in their stride. I'm doing a pregnancy shoot the end of January. Instead of a typical nekkid one, we're going for pin-up 40s/Hollywood Glamour. I can't wait for some flattering light to make me feel better again :)

RIP Marina

I was saddened to hear of the death of the lovely Beluga Whale from Coney Islands New York Aquarium. When my parents were over last year I dragged them along to the Aquarium to see my beloved white whale, only to find it had been transferred to another aquarium for a breeding program. The cause of death remains unknown.

Snow fell during the night. As I look out of my window I see around an inch has accumulated in my garden. They're predicting more snow and freezing rain this afternoon. This would usually make me very happy, however in 30 minutes we have to drive in it. Argh. Today is the second day of my show, and due to that fact we left most of my things there last night. So even if I wanted to I can't call it off now! I am still so content knowing it's truly winter at last. Oh and Happy December to all!

Ewe

The employees Swansea Community Farm, in South Wales, UK Must have not believed their eyes when a CCTV camera in place to watch over the sheep, a modern day shepherd if you like, caught Lottie a Llanwennog sheep using her tongue to unbolt the gate. Apparently Lottie, now nicknamed Ewe-dini, and 3 of her sheepy friends would escape every night! Staff have had to put a brick in front of the gate to stop her and her friends from eating all the hay and causing other mayhem.

RIP Evel Knievel

October 17th 1938 - November 30th 2007

Have a dram for me

Happy St Andrews Day to all my fellow Scots. My parents are at a ceilidh tonight, and I feel a tad bit jealous not to be there too. And what with being sperminated there's no water of life for me either!

last show

This weekend will be my last show of the season. I will be at the Holiday Bazaar at the Queens Farm, NYC. I have been making some Christmasy earrings, along with ornaments and wreaths. Hoping to sell some of my regular jewelry too. It's forecast freezing rain Saturday night, but it's indoors thank goodness! We put our tree up last weekend, I love how suddenly the house smells fresh and looks warm. Just 2 weeks until we fly of to Scotland. I'm feeling really happy just now, despite my bump being so big it's impossible to do things easily. I'm still managing to jog though, so alls not lost :)

not a mitsubishi

On this day in 1859 the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, by Charles Darwin, was published in England. Darwin's theory argued that organisms gradually evolve through a process he called natural selection. His Origin of Species, the first significant work on the theory of evolution, was greeted with great interest in the scientific world but was attacked by religious leaders for its contradiction of the Biblical account of creation. Yes I know - it's Julianne Moore, and she has nothing to do with Darwin other than appearing in the film, Evolution in 2001, but her Mother's Scottish and she's in my top 5 most beautiful women in the world list, so here she is... enjoy.

stop... turkey time

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! We watched the parade this morning - Shrek was fantastic! I finally have a minute to type this as everything is well underway in the kitchen, and my last minute run to the store for chestnuts has happened :) Here's a run down of our feast - in the oven is the big bird itself (now turned breast up following my domestic goddesses instructions ie yay an excuse to post her pic!), and now it's in its last stretch it's covered with bacon . There are mini sausages wrapped in yet more bacon, roasting parsnips and potatoes, chestnuts and stuffing (separate from turkey). On the stove are my brussel sprouts which will be, along with the stuffing, mixed with the roasted chestnuts. There's gravy a plenty with added all spice to give it a festive kick. On the side there will be delicious cranberry sauce. For afters I have some homemade pumpkin pie (not made in my home, I might add!). Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys their dinner, I have to get back to my duties. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Lupercale

The underground grotto which was believed to have been the place where a wolf nursed the city's founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus, sons of the God of war, Mars, was unveiled by Italian archaeologists yesterday. The vaulted sanctuary lies buried over 50 feet deep inside the Palatine hill, which is the palatial center of power in imperial Rome. Fearing that the delicate grotto, which is already partially caved-in, wouldn't survive a full-scale dig, experts have been probing the space using laser scanners for the past 2 years. It is believed that thanks to the wolf, the twins survived, with Romulus going on to found the city, becoming its first king after killing his brother Remus in a power struggle.

Let it snow

We visited the Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo last night. They had hundreds of life sized animal light fixtures and all the trees were strung with fairy lights. It was magical and I absolutely recommend it to everyone young and old. We ate in the Dancing Crane cafe while watching a choir sing, and my 2 toddlers clapped enthusiastically after every song. There was ice carving and story telling along with a big fire pit to make your own smores, it was fabulous. When we came home it started to snow. Wet and not for long, but it snowed. What a wonderful way to end our night. The first snow also fell in the UK last night. We'll be in Scotland over Christmastime and apparently the odds on snow in Aberdeen on December 25 are now 7/2. Although my Mums house is further south I am taking every bit of snow news as good news! There's nothing more magical than a white Christmas, and I for one am praying for one. I took these photographs in Central Park in the winter of 2004. They are available for purchase as mounted prints size 8 x 10 or as a mixed pack of Christmas cards in packs of 10. Please contact me for pricing.

and...

new me - ie more pin-up

Furze-pig

One little thing I miss quite a lot about being in Britain, is seeing hedgehogs stumbling around at the side of the road. They are to me one of the most appealing creatures on earth. The not so little thing in the picture above is a hedgehog called George. He has been placed on a crash diet to try to reduce his weight from a very unhealthy 5 lbs down to a normal hedgehog weight of 1.5 lbs. The sanctuary that took him in are considering finding the worlds smalled treadmill for him :) Apparently he is so fat that the vets will need to do a tummy tuck to remove his excess skin, if his diet is successful. After what happened to Kanye Wests mother, I hope they can think of a better solution! Obesity in hedgehogs brings on the same kind of problems it does in humans, so staying prickly and porky is sadly not an option for George.

baby numero 4

Weighing in at almost a pound already, I don't think this is going to be a small baby! Oh and joy - it looks like she has her Fathers nose :) Here's Liliana's small screen debut.

love love love

I adore the feeling of being in love. The music that fills your heart and the compelling need to sing, hum, shout out loud "I love you" at every opportunity. The magic that still gives you butterflies after many years. The lust that fills you every time they raise an eyebrow. Love is pure, love needs no boundaries, love is love.

lateness

I can't believe I didn't have time to post a Halloween message, but hope everyone had a great one. I'm super crazy busy just now getting ready for a 2 day Holiday Bazaar in 3 weeks. Heading to Scotland around Christmas time so lots to do. Have an amazing wedding to attend in a castle there New Years Eve which promises to be fun. I'm 5 months pregnant now, it's just flying by. All in all I'm feeling chipper despite my various ailments, pregnancy hits you like a truck most of the time, but it'll be worth it in the end :)

in the pink

strike a pose 2

strike a pose

happy days

So my shoot went well. We did 3 looks, a 40s dress, burlesque corset and Hollywood swimsuit - all of them looked amazing, so I'm very happy. I can't wait to post them but the photographer's going to Berlin, so I won't get the photos back for a few weeks. In the 80s today, ugh. Soon be Halloween, just won't seem right if there's not a touch of frost in the air. Ordered our costumes last week, now just have to work on turning the basement into a spooky 300esque set. Should be fun.

big 60

So this being my 60th post shouldn't someone be buying me a diamond? I can only hope right? Sunday is my photoshoot, so I should be able to post the images within a week. I'm doing another show at the end of October, so I'll be busy over the next month organizing that. Today is my littlest brothers Birthday - Happy Birthday Tom! Miss you. What happened to my nice crisp Fall? Today is muggy and hot. Boooo.

RIP

I was very saddened to hear of the tragic death of Colin McRae and his young son (and others) in a helicopter crash near his home in Scotland this weekend. He was one of Britain's greatest sportsmen, and one of Scotland's finest men. My sincere condolences go out to his wife and daughter. On the way to my show this morning we drove past an accident with dead bodies laying on the road covered with sheets. It's days like this make me hold my children a little tighter and breathe a little lighter.

current mood - chipper

So I'm busy getting ready for my show this wkend. Can't believe it's already the afternoon, where does the time go? Fingers crossed for good weather. I can feel the baby moving now, which is exciting. My friend delivered her little bundle of joy on September 11th. I think it's a sign of hope, rather than an unfortunate birthday. Life goes on. Anyway back to the dull task of packing stuff up, sigh, at least I have my wonderful husband to keep my spirits up. And keep my stress levels low.

seasons

Today I awoke to singing in my head. I could hear the song from Rent - Seasons of Love. You know the one, I quoted below for those who don't. I loved that musical the songs were so energetic, and so memorable obviously. Maybe this is in my head because it's cooler this morning, the seasons are a changing. Now I've got Dylan "the answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind." Must be the lack of sleep, that's got me all hazy, or maybe the late night rendition of Twinkle Little Star with my 2 yr old.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments So Dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do you Measure - Measure A Year ?

In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life

How About Love ?

9/11

Six years have passed, and yet the images splashed across the media seem as raw as that day. My thoughts are with everyone who lost someone that day, and to all who were affected in other ways, if it is true that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, then in my eyes you are all truly some of the bravest and most robust people on earth. If it is possible to have a favorite funeral poem, without it being too morbid - then this would be mine. To me, it seems as appropriate for a memorial, so here follows W. H. Audens Funeral Blues/Stop All The Clocks.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

busy days..

Time just flies past me at warp speed. I can't believe I'm already going into my 4th month of this pregnancy. My two toddlers say more words everyday, and grow taller, and I like to think wiser too. My Malamute puppy now dwarfs my Lab. Suddenly the trees in my street are turning orange and red. And I hear there might be a cold front sweeping through soon - hooray! My pin-up shoot with Viva was postponed until the 23rd, so I'll have my pics up here by the end of the month. Saturday was a crazy day for me. A film crew, reporter and all arrived to interview me on what I've been doing since I left Scotland. They filmed me with my family and took lots of footage of my jewelry, so I hope to sell loads when it airs! This weekend I'm on the road selling my wares at the Queens County Fair, Saturday and Sunday - come see me - mention this blog and get a free Vargas print!

Rockaway

Spent the late part of the afternoon and the early part of tonight at Rockaway. The beach is fantastic. We collected sea glass and some amazing shells molded into perfect pendant shapes by the lashing Atlantic Ocean. I took this pic along with plenty others, so much opportunity there, I only wish my camera was faster!

August in NYC

I wish there were more air. August in NY - who'd have it?! I know it's not so long before Fall rolls in, so I can just about hold out until then. I'm going to most likely be on a local television show back home. My Granma loves the show, so I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it. The reporter will follow me around on my daily life here in NY, as an ex-pat. I'll have to start doing interesting things immediately, so my friends back home think "wow what an interesting life she has now" - haha. I was never voted most likely to succeed in school, we don't have that kind of thing in rural Scotland. But I always promised everyone I would get out and see the world, which I have, so all is calm. I'm almost finished designing my new shop site. Just a few more pages to go, then my wonderful husband has to put everything up, yay for having a computer whiz in my bed. I'm rescheduling my pin-up shoot to mid September, so my other site won't be up til October. Hey, at least I can think on, that when that's finally done the cold might actually have returned to the City - what a lovely thought!

Not waving

Being single, for me gave me a constant feeling of drowning. Being married is like coming ashore. I still get to sit on the sand and look out to the ocean, and remember the times when I was able to keep my head above water. But thank goodness I'm not gasping for breath anymore. One of my brothers painted a picture for my Mum a few years ago of a guy with his arm up, in the middle of the ocean. He called it "Not waving, but drowning", after the poem by Stevie Smith. For me being on my own was definitely like this. He recently ended a longterm relationship with a good friend of mine, and I worry for him. It's funny how I feel great about my other 2 brothers, both in relationships, but feel scared for the one who's single. Is it ever possible to distance our own feelings about something enough to see others can survive in that situation? I hope as I get older and wiser I learn to, because it's hard worrying about someone who is only 2 years younger than me.

EDIT: My single brother is not single anymore, so much so that he's on holiday with his girlfriend on a remote Scottish island - WHY AM I ALWAYS THE LAST TO KNOW!?! Hey but at least I feel good about him again :)

I need a phonecall

"These train conversations are passing me by
And I don't have nothing to say
You get what you pay for
But I just had no intention of living this way
I need a phone call
I need a plane ride
I need a sunburn
I need a raincoat
And I get no answers
And I don't get no change"

secret gardens

I've never not had a garden. The rowhouse shoebox I live in now, with surrounding apartment buildings blocking the sky, and undesirables throwing their daily trash onto my property certainly doesn't allow for one. When I was a child, and also when my eldest daughter was younger, we had wonderful gardens to exhaust ourselves in. My daughters favorite movie is still The Secret Garden. There's something magical about being able to let your children out the back door and watch them run off to smell the flowers and check on their vegetable patch. Or seeing your dogs get rid of their energy outside of your livingroom. The parks near me are full of people who've never heard of taking turns on the swings, and who let their children happily knock mine off the slide or the stairs, without telling them that's wrong. And with the majority of them not being able to understand English, it's a little hard for me to ask them kindly not to do that. When I was little I loved having a climbing frame and swings in my garden. I adored my little garden my Mummy planted with me. Watching things grow, learning to feed and water the plants. I did the same for my eldest. She was in heaven picking her own flowers she'd grown from seed. Being able to have a bbq in your garden, letting your kids laugh loudly and run around on the grass, your dogs bark, without worrying about complaints from your 2 feet away neighbors. These things aren't important to City types, but they're important to me. Children are only little for such a short time, when they hit the 8 or 9 yr mark, none of this matters so much anymore. It just makes me so sad to know that my little children will never have what they should have - freedom to be themselves.

puppies

Where the hell's the rain? Bring it on, and with it bring Fall. Who wants to be in NYC in August - not I. I hate not being able to breathe when I walk out of my AC-ed home. It's not the heat I can't take it's the damned humidity. I was in Alaska this time 3 years ago, it was warm but crisp, the air was clear. Oh how I wish I was there now! Speaking of the North - I got my Malamute puppy on Wednesday, havn't slept since! She howls all night, it's like sleeping amongst a pack of wolves, but without the danger. Sort of. News on a personal front - I'm expecting my 4th child in March. Easy way of announcing to all my friends, who I constantly spam to read this thing. My Pin-up shoot is 3 weeks tomorrow - I'm going to have to use and extra strong corset to keep bubba in check ;-)

book worm

It rained so hard yesterday my walls leaked.. not pretty. The air today was still muggy though - go figure. I'm longing for clean, crisp Autumn, and it's only mid-July. I've had a lot of positive response in my search for motorbike pics for the book. Out of over a hundred, only one or two were looking for "what's in it for them". I guess I was naive to believe everybody who owns a bike wants nothing more than to see their pride and joy in print, for all the world to marvel! It's my idealistic world, and I'll live in it if I want ;) Maybe if those type of people actually look into the amount of time and work it takes to create a photograph book and also the amount of money one has to pay to have it published, they would go back under their rock long enough not to spoil this idea for others. Rant over. I caught 2 kittens in my garden this week, in one of those things trappers use - guess it's true you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl... (oh and I took them to the shelter.. just realized that trapping them sounded kind of bad hah)

tigers

I entered this into a competition for a vintage poster - didn't win but I still love it! Yay for tigers.

all about me

Here is a small (literally), taster for those of you eagerly awaiting my August pictorial, hehe - I know there are MANY of you! Oh and some good news for my design career - a banner I designed came into the top ten in a competition on a model site I'm on, so yay for me for a number of things today!

So... a reporter in Homer, Alaska is running a story on my whole book thang! Yay for me! Now a little bit about beautiful Homer. When I traveled to Alaska in the summer of 2004, I only ventured as far as Seward, but after reading up on Homer, I'll be sure to go on my next trip! The phrase on their tourist site says "Welcome, to where the road ends, and the sea begins..." and this is a perfect way of describing this wonderful place. Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet waters are world renown for halibut fishing. I had a Halibut sandwich in Anchorage, it was amazing! Some little known facts about Homer - Archaeologists have uncovered stone tools that date back more than 5,000 years and were left by the Ocean Bay people. Hey I'm Scottish and 5000 years is a long time even for me! - Maps of Kachemak Bay from the 1800s identify the rich coal deposits embedded in the bluffs on Kachemak Bay’s north shore. The abundance of the coal drew the North Pacific Mining and Transportation Co. and the Alaska Coal Co. to develop a coal mining industry. I had no idea Alaska was known for coal, oil seems to stand out more than anything else. As for many peoples belief that you can't go to Alaska in winter time - Snow can start falling in October. Serious snow comes in November, and in the higher elevations can last until May. Beluga Lake and other ponds can be safe and ready for skating by December. In town, snow rarely gets more than a couple of feet thick, while in the hills the snow pack can reach 10 feet or deeper by winter’s end. Sounds no worse than New York! Then there's the Homer Spit - a naturally occurring phenomenon extending four miles from the mainland into the depths of Kachemak Bay, which is a busy port and the center of Homer’s sport and commercial fishing industry. Overhead, bald eagles take to flight in the fresh air circling high above and bear, moose and wolves keep to the peninsula’s forested areas. Sounds like heaven on earth to me. I've been trying to persuade my husband that Alaska is as close to Scotland as we'll get without leaving the US, maybe Homer's the place for us. (All facts from various sources, please correct me if I'm wrong)

Happy 4th everyone! Have a great day, and stay safe.

I'm currently compiling a series of three coffee table books which will contain Diners of America, Bikes of America and Trucks of America. I'm asking people all over the US, to email me photographs of their local Americana diners, fantastic motorbikes, and big trucks. The email addresses for submitting the photographs are:-

diners@bellebramble.com
motorbikes@bellebramble.com
trucks@bellebramble.com

So long as the photographs are clear enough they will be included in my books, alongside the name, town and state of the person who took the photograph. The person can be in the shot if they like. Please feel free to email me any questions you may have.

It's the best feeling in the world when things seem to happen for a reason, out of the blue, serendipity. Confession time - I read Martha Stewart Living magazine. This months has a wonderful article about Montana - big sky country, I love it! There was a paragraph that stopped me in my tracks; it read "It is important to Hazel's father, Howard, that she experience the life as he once knew it: in a rustic setting where there are no computers and cell phone service is spotty at best. But there is the great outdoors to explore. There are cousins and grandparents, neighbors and friends. There is good food, and there is laughter."(credit to Kimberly Fusaro) As I read that article and looked at the photos of the huge trees, and vast space, I longed once again for my country life. I had a fleeting thought of heading for the hills, and all that entails. Then I put it to the back of my mind, and left it there. Got on with my big city life. Then tonight as I moved my husbands jeans, a quarter hit the floor. I picked it up and casually glanced at it - Montana 1889 Big Sky Country; call it a coincidence, I call it perfect.

I lasted three whole days haha.. I miss running (no energy). Looking after 2 toddlers is just too much on this food free fiasco! I will stick to the traditional exercise and moderation in what I eat thank you very much. Oh and the dizzyness, I fainted once and almost 2 other times, so alas this fast is not for me. I just started a new myspace page for my pin-up modelling - look out for belle bramble - and I found a great photographer who specializes in retro pics so all is looking bright. And I can eat a proper meal again - yay!

In preparation for my pictorial, and to be honest, because I like to try gimmicks - today is my first day on The Master Cleanse. Ten days of consuming spicy lemonade and nothing else - hmmm. I won't give you specific starting numbers and inches, but I will next Friday post how much weight I lost and whether I feel good or bad etc. I have detoxed before, and always felt better, but it's the sluggish days in the beginning I can't stand. So we'll see if I go the whole hog.. oh hog, pig, pork chops, bacon argh..

Why must there be an answer for everything? Why must everyone be classed as something other than plain ordinary. When I lived in Los Angeles, I couldn't believe how many people would tell me they were in anger management class, in Alcohol Anons or had a therapist to "handle childhood issues". When they went deeper into explaining the need for a therapist, turned out it was their therapist who decided they had childhood issues, they were blissfully unaware of this until their first session. After my cousin hung himself following years of drug addiction I did feel that serious things needed to be handled correctly - but why can't we handle the little things ourselves anymore? It seems half of young Hollywood is in Rehab, then they come out and they're back to their old ways, so what was the point? I read recently that child molestors and rapists are being classed as sex addicts. Whaa?! Why on earth do we need to class the creeps as anything other than in need of a bullet in the brain. I love sex, and all that goes with it, does that make me a sex addict too? Who was it.. Michael Douglas, I think, famously admitted he was a sex addict. Hang on, he is or was a hot actor living the life of Riley in LA, why can't he just be a cad, a cat, one of the guys? I am a hot headed Scot, with a big mouth to go with it, do I need anger management? Do I hell. Rant over.

When your child is very sick, it's like the world stops turning, and all that matters is holding your baby. I've been MIA of late due in part to my baby girl being in hospital with pneumonia. Being aged 1 with a 106 fever is no fun for anyone concerned. Neither was the 3am text of "I don't want to lose her" to my husband. Suddenly my world revolved around her and I didn't care about anything other than being able to take her home. The waiting of course is the hardest thing about anything. We waited for a test to come back for 2 days, that would say "take her home she'll be fine" or "there's a chance she won't make it". It's strange how suddenly I was able to stay awake for 48 hours without collapsing. And every time she made a squeak I was able to jump to her every need. Even though in my heart I knew it might not, I was able to look in her hysterical face and tell her it would be ok, when they were taking blood for the umpteenth time in the middle of the night. I compare it to my fear of flying. For days, weeks even, before I fly I am scared rigid, heart palpitations - the works. Then when the plane takes off, suddenly I feel a calm wash over me. It's out of my hands, whether I live or die isn't up to me anymore. When my baby was at her sickest I felt calm in the knowledge that their was nothing I could do to save her. So I closed my eyes, and held her close and told her all would be well, and fortunately it is.