Monday, March 15, 2010

Green fingers.

No this is not a post about gardening.


The preparation for St Patrick's Day started a couple of weeks ago with making cards to send our friends and family in Ireland. Ever the unprepared I couldn't find any green paint in the house and ever the impatient I couldn't wait for another day to buy some so I decided to use food colouring instead. "No problem" I thought until it dripped and dribbled everywhere.


I have spent the last two weeks with green skin around my fingernails and trying to bleach out green stains from our stone benchtops.

Note to self : "Next year send e-cards"  cheaper and cleaner...!

7 comments - click here to leave your comment:

  1. I think i will be having myself a Guinness on Wednesday...

     
  2. On my daughter's 4th birthday she took cupcakes with deep green frosting to preschool to share with her class. We cannot home make goodies for her class. They have to be store bought and I have no idea what they used to color those cupcakes, but their little fingers and faces were green for many days after eating them. I was "that" mom, who ruined clothing and stained fingers. Oops. At least your fingers will be green for St. Patty's. I actually painted my nails green today.

    I would love to hear more about how the "real" Irish celebrate St. Patrick's day. Here in the states it is all about claiming any amount of Irish heritage you have and drinking (often profusely) at the bar. We also pinch people if they are not wearing green. Do you do that? In case you didn't gather as much from my post, my birthday is on St. Patrick's day and I am 1/4 Irish. My Great-Grandfather's last name was O'Corkrum before they changed it when he immigrated to the states.

    Anyway... This year we are going to a party in Chicago hosted by my dad's friend whom we have dubbed the (unofficial) Irish mayor of Chicago. It should be a lot of fun. St.Patrick's with the "real" albeit American Irish. but do I bring a gift, a card? A bottle of Jameson? See it is all steretypes here. Help me!

    Was that your longest comment ever? I got a little carried away, sorry! Happy Monday to You!

     
  3. HaHa! Possibly one of the longest comments!

    But if you truly are 1/4 Irish then you are allowed to talk incessantly, it is in our genes as I keep telling my long suffering hubby!

    Happy St Patricks Day birthday. I laughed at your traditions. I have never heard of pinching someone if they are not wearing green! Genearlly paddys day does involve lots of drinking but not for me as I am sick as a dog after more than a couple of glasses of wine. As for what to bring to the party...???

    If you can find some shamrock that would be great! If not I'm thinking a card with a funny Irish verse it in. If you search Google you will find tons of websites full of verses and toasts. All you need is a printer and, hey presto, a fabulous card. Just avoid the Irish Curses websites. They'll have you laughing so hard you will have tears running down your face.

    Especially the one about poor Mary Malone and her nine, blind illegitimate children....

     
  4. Oh, I loved this post...and the comments! I have always wondered about the pinching thing, Gina...but have never thought about asking a real Irish person. It is true...and probably one of the first traumas that school age children experience in the USA...not wearing green to school on St. Patrick's day and being pinched by anyone who realizes it. I guarantee it only happens once...then you remember! Who knows where such things come from?!

    On Saturday while taking a walk, I happened upon the most bizarre St. Patrick's Day parade I've ever encountered. Yes...in Okinawa, Japan. I'll be posting about it very soon! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

     
  5. You do realize that the first thing that I did was google Irish curses. WOW! I had no idea. Thanks for the giggle and advice.

    By the way, I knew the pinching had to be a dumb American thing.

     
  6. I made the mistake one time of coloring oobleck (a mixture of cornstarch & water) with green food coloring before filling the water table with it in my preschool classroom. We were doing a unit on Dr. Seuss and th ebook we read that day was "Bartholomew & the Oobleck." The kids loved the sensory table that day...thier parents did not. They were all dyed green right up to their elbows when thier parents picked up! Oops...

    Those cards are very cute! I never even thought of doing potato stamping with my son! Guess what we'll be doing tomorrow...

     
  7. My you sure are craft girl. How do you do it all? It's really not fair that you have so many talents and you are "the sweetest girl that ever was". Loved the pictures of your little darling in school. What a doll. So happy. As far as the toilet paper, been there. Ha. I came home from the store with pink toilet paper and Sophie just about jumped for joy...."Oh Mom, this is soooooo pretty". Next thing I know, she has tied a bow (out of pink toilet paper) around her lamp in her room. Love her! Happy St. Pat's Day girl (a little late) xo,Gina