Guest Post: The Real Maggy of Red Ted Art Fame!

Right last guest post of the week, you'll get me back the next time you stop by (is that good or not?). So this time we have the lovely Maggy, who normally resides over at her uber organised and efficient crafty blog Red Ted Art.  Maggy can always be found at the top of all the parenting charts nowadays and quite rightly so, not only does she run a popular and great craft community blog she is also a really lovely person.  Having met her a couple of times and found out just how 'normal' and un-scary she is I thought others might like to know a bit more about the person behind Red Ted Art.

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Wow, what a title… when Michelle asked whether I would like to Guest Post with the title being something like “The Real Maggy W.”, I felt like a minor celebrity….. Wow indeed.

Sadly, I will have to disappoint you all terribly, as I am, uhm, just like everyone else. And uhm, my blog (Red Ted Art), is just like everyone else’s… Recently, people have been referring to me as “one of the big blogs” and all that, and I find it all a little embarrassing. As REALLY.. it is just the same as yours. I have just got a neat homepage and a crafty schedule I stick too. Oh and I have noticed that I take much better photos than a year ago. But they still need improving.

Anyway I digress.




So.. what would people maybe find interesting about me?

• I am half Austrian/ half Spanish. Grew up with my (Austrian) father and therefore speak German and very little Spanish (which I regret). I am therefore obsessed with teaching German to my kids, no language opportunity lost here, I hope. Which also means I preach to others about not missing out on teaching their kids two languages, which I know can be annoying. 
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The Englishman and I, the day after our wedding

• At school I loved sciences, so did a degree in Mechanical Engineering. SWOT that I am, I (almost) enjoyed my exams, but disliked all practical elements, so did not pursue engineering as a degree. Instead I became a Management Consultant (eek, yes). Whilst on the topic of school, I was never in the cool gang, but happy with my lovely circle of friends, that I am still good friends with now.
• I have been bored stiff in all 5 “proper” jobs I have had since leaving university (actually, bar one, but that only lasted 6months as the company folded). They were all in London. I did enjoyed most of my student ones – which included being a dish-washer in a pub and a food-carrier in an Austrian Gasthaus. Nothing too glam for me. I guess I just like being busy… Having said that, I do believe that said 5 boring jobs shaped my future self – especially setting me up with some of the skills I use on my blog (i.e. being thick skinned when trying to get new advertisers on board).
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Photo taken on my "favourite" commute home - walking along the South Bank to catch the train

• As one of life’s achievements I class my solo 3 week trip to China. I was scared stiff on landing in Shanghai and just wanted to go back home… but within a few days and a technique of writing characters, drawing pictures and trying to speak Chinese I made my way round all by myself… one or two scary moments, but all well really and very proud of self!
• I have always LOVED crafts.. and was probably at my most creative (but one) between 14-16yrs – when my creativity was nurtured by our adoptive Gran and having a crafty best friend. All that has been revived by Red Ted Art and my craftiness is most definitely at a peak: I have two small children to torment with it, no distractions such as school or work and a fabulous crafty resource call the internet. Onwards and upwards. So.. if you have a young person in your life, see it as your chance to nurture something wonderful, as my adoptive Gran did for me – she taught me the basics of sewing, how to knit and bake cakes… sometimes just taking a genuine interest in what they are creating can be enough!

As to my nature:

• I cannot sit still and I hate wasting my time. Nothing more annoying than an hour badly spent (e.g. commuting - so a book is always at hand). Though an hour spent sitting on the floor playing with my children is never ever time wasted.
• I am a 80/20 kind of gal – I like getting lots done, but I do get bored with the niggly little finishing bits. You will find that lots of my things are “rough around the edges”, but lovely all round (I hope). (and example of my 80/20 approach is here…)
• I think I am ambitious (linked to wanting to make the most of my time) and like to do well – but I am not THAT ambitious that I will exhaust myself getting there.. 2^nd or 3^rd place is plenty good for me (back to that 80/20 thing)!
• I worry about green issues (my personal bug bear is “waste”, hence a staunch support of cloth nappies and early potty training, as well as composting and recycling and using cloth bags), but am a hypocrite when it comes to flying (I love exploring the world), buying new books or using acrylic paint and PVA glue!
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• I worry about our children growing up spoilt. Already my kids have far too many toys and yet they have less than some of their friends. I worry what impact consumerism will have on their future. I *try* to make their childhood about experiences instead (crafting, going blackberry picking, going to the seaside, family traditions at Christmas, Birthdays and Easter – all things that are virtually cost free but hopefully full of tons of value and happy memories).
• I hate being labelled a housewife: people assume they know who you are and what you do. They don’t. AND I believe housewives are massively underappreciated – people always notice the things you DON’T do and never the things you DO do…

A list 

1) I love fairground rides, though I get vertigo.
2) I love going to the cinema.
3) I always go to bed early (10:30pm).
4) I am never late, even when I try to be.
5) I am very untidy.
6) I love trying new things (food, activities, skills, places..).
7) I need social contact and am always seeing friends.
8) I am always busy busy busy – though sometimes I am not quite sure with exactly what?
9) I hate driving on motorways and cannot shift into 5th gear (don’t ask).
10) I talk a lot (no, really?!).
11) My spelling is atrocious.

So, uhm. Hope this was interesting. And uhm not “too much” about myself.

Yawn.

Maggy x