Try out these games, they're much fun!! And remember, don't feel embarassed ;-)

Footy Oddie likes the last one best, Angel Oddie told me she likes the first one best... Which one is your favourite?

Honey, do you love me?

Players form a circle with one player in the middle (it). The middle person must approach players in the circle and ask, "Honey, do you love me?" The person being questioned must answer, "Honey, I love you but I just can't smile." If s/he does smile or laugh, s/he becomes "it" and the previous middle person joins the circle. The person who is "it" is not allowed to touch other players but may make as many funny faces as s/he wishes.

Quaker Meeting
One person is "It". All the others must sit down and be the audience. It says"Quaker Meeting has begun, no more laughing, no more fun. If you dare to crack asmile, you may have to walk a mile.". Then It makes funny faces, or sounds, or tellsjokes or does anything except touch a member of the audience, to get someone tolaugh. The first person to laugh is at the mercy of It. It can decide some horrible orembarrassing punishment (like walking a mile) for the laugher. After the laugher hascompleted the punishment, s/he is the next It. One variation - all players can decide ifthey want to set a time limit for It to make them laugh. If It does not get someone tolaugh within the allotted time frame, then the audience can decide on a punishment forIt. The next It is then chosen by a picking game (eenie meenie, etc).

Koosh Ball

How to play:

Start with small groups of about 10 people (or smaller). Form a circle.

One person starts with the koosh ball. He/she names a particular person in
the group and throws the ball to him/her.

That person must catch the ball then names another person of the group and
also throws the ball to him/her.

Everyone in that circle will throw the ball to the person they have each
named. This implies that everyone will receive the ball from the same
person and throw it to the same person. (ie: A always throws the ball to C
and C always throws it to G, etc...).

Once the students have completed a full circle of ball throwing (3-4 times)
without dropping the ball, The students will become more familiar with
the activity. The add a second ball and repeat the motion. Then go to 3-4
balls...

Once the students are comfortable with this pattern, form a bigger circle
by integrating all the students, and start throwing 1 kooshball. Make a
complete pattern. Every student will have the opportunity of receiving and
throwing the kooshball. Once the ball has gone around without being
dropped, introduce a second ball, then a third, and so on.
This game creates a pattern of motion, involving concentration, focus and a
lot of fun. I have gone as high as 9 kooshball with 27 students; it's
quite challenging.

A variation:
Students number themselves and call numbers instead of names. The ball can
be thrown up in the air and the number called must catch it before it falls
to the ground.

Have you heard about Cub Scout Oddie? - Wizzo is stuck in Verruca Woods so Sock Fairy sends for Cub Scout Oddie - but will he be prepared for the job and prepared to help?... find it out in our Special Series book "Cub Scout Oddie"

This is a joke I just picked up around the corner:

Two pieces of string meet one day in the park and while one goes on the slide the other goes on the swings. They're having a great time until one string decides to go on the roundabout.

After a while, the string feels really dizzy and falls off, scraping across the tarmac and making as tangled mess of one end and falling in a heap. The second string looked at him and sighed "you're not very good on that roundabout are you?"

The first string looked at himself and said "I'm a frayed knot".

We are enjoying the sun and we hope you are too! Spring is behind the door and everyone in Oddieworld is celebrating as well with some recipes from Chef Oddie.



Banana bonbons

One day Chef Oddie cut a banana into slices, but because the banana was little bit sticky he decided to put it into the freezer for few minutes. He had too much work to do that day so he forgot to take the slices out. The following day he found frozen banana bonbons in the freezer! And from that time on hot days he made frozen bonbons for all the Oddies.

Sweet carrot and apple salad

Chef Oddie likes to use fruit and vegetables in his cooking because they have a lot of vitamins in them. To make this salad he washed and peeled carrots and apples and shredded them into small pieces. He added a little water, a tiny bit of sugar and also lemon juice. Carrots give you vitamin A (which is good for eyes) also C, E and B6 and many more. Apples give you A, B, C and E. This is a lovely sweet salad you can enjoy all year round!

Always ask an adult to help you when preparing food in the kitchen!

Idea of the week:

Sock Puppets!

What you want your sock puppet to look like up to you. But there are a few key ingredients:

Clean old socks! No one wants a wiffy puppet!

Markers and felt tips.

Buttons, wool, coloured paper, scissors and glue... It all depends on what character you're making - glitter for Disco Oddie, wool for Rasta Oddie, leaves for Eco Oddie... The possibilities are endless!

---Then just pull the sock over the hand that you do not use to write.

---Draw a face - remember that your thumb and forefinger will naturally make a “mouth” from which the puppet will talk, sing, recite poetry, yodel.

---Glue on buttons for eyes or ears, added a paper tongue or even glue on wool for hair or a beard. It depends whether you want your puppet to be an animal or monster or ghost or anything!

---Then it's time to start playing... make a theatre out of a cardboard box, get your friends over with their puppets and put on a silly voice!

Have fun! And if that's not enough, there's some colouring in below!

xoxox from Oddieworld

I met up with Pirate Oddie over the weekend and he had a message… and a task for you…

“Ahoy there!!

Shiver me timbers! It’s been a rum day at worrrrk fer me, arrrrr. Luckily that mango smoothie I “borrowed” of Prrrincessss Oddie be fine fine grog! It’s been keepin’ my energy levels up… which I need fer all that piratin I be doin’! It’s been hard steerin’ The Odd Pearl now it be airborne… and I have to meet up with me ol’ hearty Capt’ Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver later this eve.

This morn, I met me ol’ matey Diver to talk about the treasure we be seekin’. Can yer find the differences in each picture? Aye, I can find ten! But I’ll not be tellin’ yer what treasure we be seekin’!”

Email me with all the differences you can find and tell me what YOU think Pirate Oddie is searching for. One thing he’ll be certain to find, though, is mischief!





Can't wait to hear what YOU think Pirate Oddie is seeking - and I don't think it's a missing odd sock!

Lots of hearty love from Oddieworld! xoxox

So I'm back for the New Year and back to work! It's time for you to get back to work too!

Find as many Oddie related words as you can in our word search... they're forwards, sdrawkcab, diagonal, upwards, downwards so it's all very gnisufnoc...oops...confusing!

Email us at pressoffice@oddieworld.com to tell us how many Oddie characters, place names and other Oddie themed words you've found. You may even spot some we haven't spotted!


Keep checking the blog because we'll be adding more games and fun over the next few weeks.

Lots of love from Oddieworld xoxox

Last post before Christmas!

We've both been rolling on the floor laughing at all the jokes you've sent it. We'll know exactly how to entertain everyone at Christmas dinner... if our mouths aren't too stuffed with turkey and mince pies!

So... I know you can't wait to find out... Who are our lucky winners?

Tom Siddiqui who's 6 years old and from Bexley Heath.

"What do you call Fairy when she hasn't had a bath?
Stinkerbell!"

And Sarah Rowley, who's 7 years old and from Manchester.

"Why was Witchy late?
Her broom over-swept!"

So they'll be getting their prizes in the post very soon!

Rita is now off to Portugal and taking a whole suitcase of Oddies to show people how great they are!

Fleur is going to China for Christmas and can't wait!


So what are you guys doing for Christmas? Write in and let us know!

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Love,

Fleur and Rita.

More Christmas games!

Click on the image and link all the points! And you could even colour it in after!

You just need to print the image as landscape. Have fun!

To all those budding Leonardo Da Vincis out there – get your brushes (and felt tips) out!

Print out Angel Oddie and colour her in! She's looking a little peaky and needs some colour in her cheeks - and silver on those wings! Or you could really go for it and jazz her up with stars, swirls and stripes – it's up to you!

We're really looking forward to seeing your version of Angel Oddie so, once you've worked your magic, send your masterpiece to us by email (at pressoffice@oddieworld.com) or by mail (to Oddies, Maritime House, Grafton Square, London. SW4 0JW). Who knows, you might get a surprise yourself, in the post, later on!












A tip! We would print the horizontal images on landscape format (change the printer properties).

****Oddies' Competition!!!****

MAKE US CHUCKLE WITH YOUR BEST ODDIE JOKES AND WIN THE SANTA AND ANGEL BOOK AND SOCK SETS!!




When Santa is not busy wrapping Oddie presents - shhh! Ballet Oddie is getting a new tutu - he’s telling jokes… and usually about other Oddies!


"What do you call Witchy when she’s nervous?
Twitchy."


"What do you get if you cross a bird with Wizzo?
A flying sorcerer."


"What did Police Oddie say to his stomach?
You're under a VEST!"


Needless to say, out of all the Oddies, it’s Santa Oddie who laughs the loudest at his jokes “Ho Ho HO!” That reminds me… what goes “Oh Oh OH!”… It’s Santa, when he’s walking backwards!

So what about this competition? Email us your funniest Oddie jokes and the one that makes us chuckle the most will win the Santa and Angel book and sock set.


Just send them in with your contact details to oddieworld@googlemail.com.

Love, Fleur and Rita

Santa and Angel Oddie - finally - arrive!






We’re just back from Oddieworld and what a time we’ve had! The weather’s a bit skew-whiff and it’s not Wizzo’s fault! They’ve also had a few technical difficulties with the fun fair.

But luckily two new Oddie characters are in town!

Welcome Santa Oddie and Angel Oddie!

Our old friends are still getting up to mischief (I’m pointing no fingers… Pirate and Robber Oddie!) but the two new arrivals have still managed to shake things up a little. Santa sorts out the weather as well as being a comedy genius - see the following post for our great new competition.

Angel Oddie arrived just in time to save both the day and Ballet Oddie from her fear of heights – en pointe is as high as she’s normally willing to go!

But we won’t say more and spoil the ending. You’ll just have to pull your socks up and get reading to find out what happens to Santa and Angel Oddie… whilst we’re still trying to guess what Santa Oddie will give us for Christmas.

Hello all, and welcome to the blog. I would like to say that the blog will be continuing but I just can't, I'm afraid. As usual the Oddie office is in such a state of rush and panic that no-one has the time to stand, or indeed sit, still for one moment. Jin is taking a break from designing Oddies characters to travel, but will be coming back soon to help with all the new characters! Sabina is leaving forever though, which the whole team is very sad to hear. I will also be leaving shortly, which I'm sure you will agree is also a tragedy of epic proportions. As such it is all change! New people will be arriving and we can only hope they will enjoy Oddies as much as we have.

In other news, I believe all is well in Oddieworld at the moment. Wizzo was planning some ambitious magic when I last spoke to him but I am sure some good oddie will step and stop him turning them all into feet or turnips. I believe everyone is pretty happy.

We are at the moment contacting publishers and distributors so it may not be long before you see Oddies books on the shelves of your local bookstore!

For more information go to www.oddieworld.com.



Tom out.
x

Hello!

To those of you still checking this blog: congratulations! You have proved yourself very persistent and are now being rewarded with a new post.

My name is Tom and I am yet another new intern, although unlike all before me, I am sure I will keep this blog going.

Oddieworld is as hectic as ever. Popstar Oddie is almost ready to be shown to the world, and the office has been busy with the sound of pencils scratching as we all designed new Oddies. Some were better than others!


Oddies are also all speaking Italian now. Books are being shipped as we speak to the land of Pizza and leaning towers. Don't worry though- the English books are continuing so there is no need to learn Italian just yet.


Thats all for now, check out www.oddieworld.com for more information and games.

T

Dear Oddies Friends

The changes at Oddies headquarters don’t stop…

Last week Michael left us after two fantastic months. I am sure that he will not only be missed at Oddies but also by all the blog readers. Thanks Michael, it was great to work with you!

What else is new? Ah yes, two new Oddies characters are planned for Christmas 2008; Santa Oddie and Angel Oddie.
On top are pictures of the Italian version of the anticipated Oddies books. I don’t know about you, but I really like them. It they are not a reason to looking forward to Christmas!!!

Have a great day!
Salome

Oopf! The other interns are writing the blog today. I am merely in charge of pictures. See below for photographic evidence of the Oddie office team. More exctitingly, I asked for Swiss chocolate yesterday and look what appeared on my desk this morning. Good form.

ODDIES TEAM!


SWISS CHOCOLATE!

All change at Oddie towers.
You’ll no doubt be as disappointed to hear that my time is up at Oddies. Yup, two months have passed and its time to hand the baton onto the next in a long line of Oddies interns. Also departing over the next few days is office supremo Salome “Swiss” Egger who has been handling and packing up your orders for nearly six months now. And an excellent job she’s been doing of it too.
Replacing us is Sabina, who like Salome is also Swiss. I don’t know about you but I’m expecting vast amounts of nice swiss chocolate before I leave. Yum.

On the Oddies character front we’ve been seeing a few designs and covers for new Oddies characters, possibly for release around Christmas. I’ll see if I’m allowed to put the pictures up here tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, there will be a bumper photo post tomorrow. And that’s a promise.

Dear Blogettes, it has been too long, and the fault is all mine. Things have been getting hectic in Oddieworld. SO what is new at Oddie HQ? Well, samples for our new socks continue to pour through the door at a rate of knots, which has been keeping the Oddies staff toes warm during this cold snap.

A big "hello" to those we met at the Basildon Book festival last week. I hope you had as much creating your own Oddies as we did. Admire the selection below [NB: pics will appear ASAP]. A good effort all round I think.

Advanced notice as well for those in the Hampshire area, the Aldershot News & Mail will soon be running a competition to win no less than four (4!) Oddies book and sock sets as well as a free book promotion. Aldershot: Home of the British Army, this Oddies blog writer and fans of the Oddies - Wonderful place!

Word of the Week answer.

Oh dear, I've left you all in suspense rather by forgetting to inform you what the word of the week actually meant.
The answer comes from Gullivers Travels where Gulliver travels to a strange land called Brobdingnag which is full of giants. The word has since come to mean anything of colossal size.

I wonder is Gulliver ever went to Oddieworld?

Another word of the week for you, and its a beauty:

"brobdignagian"

A hearty Oddies round of appluase to Matthew Edwards, aged 9, who sent us the picture below. Matthew explains: "His name is Super Sam, he can fly and is also heat proof so he can rescue Oddies from fires. He has a super power to sense Oddies who are in trouble." Pretty impressive Matthew, we like your drawing skills. Designed your own Oddies character? Send it to us at oddieworld@hotmail.co.uk and it to could be up here before you know it.

Well, I promised the Oddies Office attempt at doing something funny with our socks. This really was the best we could come up with! Send us your far, far, better attempts to oddieworld@hotmail.co.uk and we'll stick them up on the facebook group and a few of the best on here.

Evening Oddies friends.

In celebration of the amusing adventures the Oddies are always up to we want to hear about your Oddies Socks adventures. In picture form. We're looking for the best photos of your Oddies socks in crazy places or doing silly things. The most odd and crazy will get posted up here and at our facebook group page. The Oddie office's attempt will be posted up here later! Send your photos to oddieworld@hotmail.co.uk with "Oddies group pics FAO Mike" in the subject line. And if you haven't got your own Oddies Socks feel free to improvise with your own!

Hello there Oddies Bloggers! Many apologies for the lack of activity here. I promised both fun posts and serious posts last week and have so far provided neither.

So, first things first: BORBORYGMI – who guessed what it means then? As ever, using google doesn’t count. The answer was (of course) that it means the rumbling noises your tummy makes when you’re hungry. So next time you hear someone’s belly rumbling impress them with your knowledge: “Bad spot of borborygmi you’ve got there old sport”.

So, an update on things we have in the pipeline for the blog. We’re working on an exciting competition. The prize is still to be confirmed, but needless to say it will be excellent.

Finally, many thanks also for those who have now joined the Oddies facebook group – just search for “Oddies” on facebook.

Keep it Oddies,
Mike.

An early "word fo the week" blog update today. We're working on some fun things to update with later this week and then some more interesting, serious (surely not?) pieces next week.

The word of this week is therfore:

"BORBORYGMI"

And you have a whole week to guess what it means. Any guesses in the comments section please.

Go go go!

So did you manage to guess what "Slubberdegullion" meant? Using google doesn't count.

Well for those that didn't the correct answer is: "a slobbering or dirty fellow".

Luckily there's none of those in the Oddies Office. And if there were then you can be sure Police Oddie would deal with them.

Bye for now.

Good Afternoon Oddies Fans!

It is of course Friday in Oddieworld which, as any grown up will tell you, is the best day of the week.

I will leave you with a word for the weekend. Do YOU know what it means?

"slubberdegullion"

Answers on Monday!

Exciting times at Oddie HQ! New prototype sock designs have been coming in for us to check out (and try on!)and say "yay :-)" or "nay :-(" to. The main change in design on the prototypes we've seen so far is a change in shape to a new "tube" shape of sock which should help the socks fit better on the foot. Some may even come with a special non-slip sole as well!

Good Morning Oddie Friends! New blogger here at Oddies HQ, its Mike the new intern! And what better way to start than to present the oddies spoiler in glorious technicolour below?! A round of applause to whose who manage to count and name all the individual Oddies featured.

Ooops, I just realised that I did not keep my promise – I have not yet showed you the Pirate Oddie book cover - I am very sorry! I have been very busy during the last week letting people know about our Oddies 'sizzler' – the short animated cartoon on youtube (click here if you still havn't seen it). Of course, there are always many other things to do in the office as well. I was looking at the customer orders the other day and it seems that the character that is the most popular at the moment is Robber Oddie – many Robber Oddie books and socks have recently left the office. His antics at Oddie Castle have obviously been entertaining you all and the stripy socks are obviously a fashion item!

Well soon there will be a contender for Robber Oddie's number 1 position in the Oddie charts. With Pirate Oddie on the way I am sure you will love this character just as much as the loveable rogue that is Robber. I was very fascinated by the adventures of Pirate Oddie who sails through Foot Sea with its sharks and many other dangers. You will learn about Princess Oddie's yummy super mango smoothie – I love mango! The smoothie that helped her in a difficult situation and made Pirate Oddie furious.... I'll say no more. Have I already told you too much about the story? Do not worry - there is much more for you to find out when you read the book.... We hope you like the picture of Pirate Oddie as a taste of what is to come - I also saw the Pirate Oddie socks last week and they are brilliant!

Speak to you soon,
Barbara

Hi there

Today, I was giggling in our office – I've just been watching the latest animated Oddies cartoon. It is great fun! Witchy swishes on her broom through Oddieworld and Wizzo's spell produces a big bang as usual… ;-) But I am not going to tell you further details - you must see it for yourself! Go and have a look at the short 'sizzler' of animation here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFBmyXQ_j-c

We put this online because we are working hard to make sure you see the Oddies on TV as an animated series very soon. Feel free to leave your comments on the site (you will need to register if you've not done so already) and send to your friends to see what they think too.

I can't wait to see what you all think about it. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Have a good day!

Barbara

Hi there!

Oddies have got great news – soon have two new books!! PIRATE ODDIE and PRINCESS ODDIE will soon be joining the fun and games in Oddieworld. They will pop out of their bubbles on October 1st – so make a note in your diary now so that you will not miss this new milestone in the history of Oddieworld. I am very curious myself because I have not yet seen any of the manuscripts, only the book covers. But I am sure they will be very funny just like all of Grant Slatter's other books. I am bursting with excitement about 1st of October and I think I will make a special calendar and counting days until then. How will you be spending the time between now and then? Any ideas about what happens to Pirate and Princess Oddie in their adventures?

Have a nice day!
Barbara

PS: I will show you the book cover of Pirate Oddie next week! ;-)

Today, it is a very sad day - it is Arielle’s last day at Oddies! I can not believe that she is going to leave us already - *sniff*… :’(. Therefore I did an interview with her which you can read below. Hope, you will enjoy it:

Barbara: Arielle, it is already your last day at the Oddies. How are you?

Arielle: The time went by very quickly and I am sad to leave Oddies and London.


B: Is there something you will miss?

A: I will miss the responsibility I had at work and I will definitely miss the blogs. I really loved to write those.
(B: and I have enjoyed reading them ;-) – Arielle’s blogs are very funny and entertaining, aren’t they?).


B: You have been in London for more than 3 weeks. What did you like most in the English capital?

A: I really liked the general atmosphere of the city because I come from a suburb and not a bustling, big city. Although, I do go to New York City all the time.
I liked seeing the tourist attractions as well as the night life and going out for dinner.


B: What was your favourite place for having dinner?

A: I loved going to Pizza Express. In fact, I think that I will go there once more before I go back home.


B: You went sightseeing to several places but you did some shopping as well, didn’t you? You told me that you bought lovely gumboots. Which one of the Oddie socks will you wear with them when you are back in New York?

A: Ballet Oddie socks!


B: Why are they your favourites?

A: It is the most enjoyable story to read. And Ballet Oddie is a very cute character.


B: Actually, what are you going to do in New York? I guess you have got summer holidays? Will you go on holidays abroad?

A: Well, I am going to visit my sister at Camp Robindel, a sleep-away camp, which is in Hampshire. I will go there on a little road trip with my friends.
Afterwards, I will fly to Italy and visit several cities with my family.


B: That sounds very exciting. Italy is known for its ice cream, isn’t it? (Mmmhh…. both of us love ice cream! Arielle and I often ate a delicious dish of ice cream after lunch ;-) – we regarded it as our wage for the working day. The ice cream shop is a little French place and it has got MANY different flavours of ice cream. So we just stand there without knowing how we should decide. And there was no Mum who could help us with our decision…)

Arielle, I say thank you very much for the interview and for your work with Oddies. It would be nice if you could stay longer but I am sure your family and your friends are really missing you?!

A: Yes, I miss everyone at home and they miss me as well. But, I am really going to miss all the new friends I made while in London.


B: I wish you all the best and take care! Oddies will miss you!

With Arielle back in America, I will try to post on the blog. I hope you enjoyed the interview!

I will be back soon.

Barbara

Hi Everyone!



My last day at Oddies, where did the time go? I can not believe that I will be returning to America at the end of the week. I am going to miss my time spent surrounded by Oddie characters and colourful stories. It is not everyday that one gets such an experience.



I must thank Kate Bright for the opportunities I was given while at Oddies. She entrusted me with numerous tasks and let me make decisions on my own. I never felt as if I were only "interning" but rather holding a prominent position in the company.



I also want to thank Barbara, the other intern, who I have been closely working with for my almost 4 weeks here. In fact, Barbara will take over the blog when I return to the states. Look out for an interview featuring... Me! Luckily, no photo shoots were involved.



This post is beginning to sound like an award-show acceptance speech!
"And last but not least, I would like to thank..."



Although I miss my bed, my family, and my friends (Did I mention my bed?), I am really going to miss London. I loved the nightlife, the restaurants, the tube, and all of my friends that I made while overseas. Oh, and what am I going to do without Pizza Express and Harrods?! I guess I should bring some tissues with me to the airport... it could get a little teary in the terminal :(



Since this is my last Oddie post, I thought I would tell you about my favourite things while interning at Oddies...



1. I know this is a given but... the hot chocolate, sandwiches, and ice cream from the Boulangerie Patisserie. I come all the way to London and my favourite lunch place is French. What are the "odds"?!

2. The 2 Starbucks that are close to the Oddie headquarters. I felt like a real working woman with my (iced) coffee in hand in the mornings.

3. The shoe store, Bullfrogs, that is directly across from the Clapham Common tube stop.
Yes- I managed to find a "favourite" store for this list... then again, it is me who is making the list. Of course, I found my favourite local store!

4. Sending out all the orders to dedicated Oddie fans. I loved familiarizing myself with the post codes and addresses. 3 weeks later and I can finally spell some of the town names... G-L-O-U-C-E-S-T-E-R-S-H-I-R-E... (just kidding, I peeked to spell that one)

5.My lunch breaks with Barbara. We would discuss all of the Oddie going-ons as well as our exciting London lives.

6. The Oddie office. What am I going to do without being able to gaze up to Oddie characters?! I guess this is a hint, "Barbara, would you please pass me a poster to bring home with me"?

7.ODDIES, ODDIES, ODDIES, AND MORE ODDIES...

8.And finally, this blog and its many readers!



I hope you have all enjoyed reading my posts because I have certainly enjoyed writing them. It is a pretty cool feeling to be able to Google your name and have your very own blog-posts to pop up. It is as if I am famous... well, that could be pushing it.



I plan on staying in contact with Oddies and hopefully I can continue to help with getting Oddies to America.



Speaking of America... See you on Friday!



Anyway, thanks for following my time in London, and more specifically, my internship at Oddies. I loved sharing it with all of you!



Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Wow... I can not believe that today is my second to last day of my internship. My time at Oddies flew by. It was as if one of the Oddies cast a magic spell to make time go by quickly. The possibilities...
For a laugh, let me tell you all about my morning: My friend and I usually wake up around the same time, and since I never pay attention to my alarm clock going off, she knocks on my door to get me on my feet. Well, I, completely forgot to set my alarm for the right time and she, completely, forgot to remind me that she is done with her internship. When I actually did open my eyes at 9:20 a.m... well, you can all imagine the rush I was in. A 40 minute commute and a workday that begins at 10. I could have really used some help from Sock Fairy this morning. Sigh.


But, don't fret, I am at work and posting on this blog. I could never leave you all hanging, as I said, on my second to last day at Oddies. And, it is actually sunny today! It will be just my luck if London begins to have "summer" weather. But, if my last few days here are nice, I certainly, will not complain. And my pocketbook would be so much lighter.. an umbrella and/or raincoat can be quite heavy to carry around 24/7!


Speaking of rain, yesterday was extremely rainy :(. And, out of all days, I had tickets for the London Eye. Lets just say, my pictures had more rain drops in them than scenery.


I am just finishing up some "odds" and ends at Oddies in these last couple of days. Sending out e-mails and updating and completing databases. I, also, must snag a few Oddies for myself. I could never go all the way back to America without Oddie stories and socks... and maybe even a poster!


Hopefully, however, Oddies will be all over the United States and not just in my possession. I can see it now: "Oddies, Oddies, Come and get your Oddies".


Well, that is a nice image to leave you all with...

Blog you later,


Arielle

Hi Everyone!



Sorry about the lack of posts in the past couple of days... it has been quite crazy around here!



Kate Bright is going to be on holiday for my last week (I can't believe that this time has come) so a lot had to get done during these past few days. Oddie books have been sent out all over America to book reviewers. 36 press packages later and I was rather tired! I even thought to include a slip saying, "Also, please check out our blog at..." Hopefully, this blog will get lots of hits in the next week.



With Kate away, the office is going to be quiet. Luckily, we have our ever-reliable XFM online to keep the office "rockin". Don't worry Kate, things will stay under control! I will, personally, make sure that this office follows the standards of Good Oddie Island... we won't have any Bad Oddies around here.



Yesterday, I had quite the suprise. Kate took Barbara and I out for lunch to a delicious Italian restaurant on the main road. It was a real treat to lunch with my boss. I was full until dinnertime after a lunch consisting of an appetizer and 2 desserts for the 3 of us... I really am always talking about food on this blog (uh-oh)!


After a great day at work, I went to the theatre to see Billy Elliot. The show was phenomenal! I would reccomend it to all of my readers.


I can not believe that this is going to be my last weekend in London. Time, certainly, flies when you are having fun! It is, officially, now crunch time for shopping and dining. I feel as if I have lots to do and see in a little amount of time. Then again, I manage to always shop until I drop... London should be no different (Sorry Dad !).



Lets all cross our fingers that London sees more sun than rain this weekend.



I know, "Keep on Dreaming Arielle"...



Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Well, here is the post that you all have been waiting for.


THE ODDIEWORLD PHOTO SHOOT: STARRING... ME!



(this is so embarrassing!!)



Unfortunately, Kate Bright was not in a picture-taking mood and left me on my own :(. So, here are the awkward-alone pictures of me at Oddies... Enjoy!!


Here, I am sitting at the desk on the computer. However, I usually work on the computer that is hidden in the corner. The far computer is the one that I am most often on.

If you can get over how awkward this picture is, you will see the Oddie characters hanging on the wall behind me. In my hand is the poster that we send out when you sign up to be an Oddie friend. So, if you sign up for an Oddie membership, you will get this adorable Oddie poster as well!! What more could you want?!?

Directly behind me is the map that was put up when Oddieworld was just created. All the different colored pins symbolize some of the locations of the schools, nurseries, libraries, scouts, and guides that participate in Read With Me Week. Hopefully, one day, there will be a map of the United States right next to the one of the British Isles!



Ok, I think that is enough pictures for one post...



Last night, I was privileged to see the show: Little Shop of Horrors. It was fantastic! I have only ever seen camp and school productions of it so I wasn't really sure what to expect. However, it was a "lovely and brilliant" (how British!?!) show and I would recommend it to all of my blog-readers! And, I can't seem to stop singing the theme song.



"Little shop, little shoppa horrors. Little shop, little shoppa terror..."



Hands down, though, the actors voices are better than mine. And, that, my readers, is a fact. (My family can, MOST certainly, attest).



Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the photos and captions. It is not everyday that you get to see an insider view of Oddies... (and I am quite thankful for that :) ! )



Blog you later,



Arielle

Hi Everyone!




Hope that all my blog followers had a good weekend. I certainly did. These past couple days have really made me feel like a tourist with all the sights that I saw. I was even fortunate enough to experience high-tea: Harrod's style! What a treat! It is a tough call to decide what my favorite finger food was... a scone with strawberry jam, a miniature chocolate tart, or tea sandwiches (smoked salmon!). Well, now that I made you all hungry...



Besides Harrods, I went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and I visited the Tower of London. The crown jewels really put all other gems to shame! They are breathtaking. But what is even more of a sight to see are the guards who look as if they aren't even breathing! However, my friend managed to get a guard to smile. Believe it or not, a smile is huge!!



And then, to top off my weekend, I saw the Harry Potter movie. It was a really cool experience to see the movie in the country that it takes place in. When the characters were in the tube station, we all had a little yell... "We've been there!"



Oh! I also happened to run into Orlando Bloom. What a surprise! As my friends and I were leaving dinner, he was leaving the play that he currently stars in. You can never complain about bumping into a major British celebrity... especially a good-looking one!



But enough about my going-ons, let me tell you a little bit about Oddie World. The office is quiet now that it is only Barbara, Kate Bright, and I that are working. All the other interns have finished their time here. This week will be one full of anticipation as we are awaiting the response of hundreds of schools to Read With Me Week. I am also going to be sending out emails/ press packages to various Book Reviewers all over the United States. Hopefully, they will have positive things to say about these creative books!



I was very excited to see this morning that my mom had placed an order for oddies. I hope that others are encouraged to do so as well. And.. for all those adults that want Oddie socks, we have them! Such a fashion statement!



Imagine yourself reading the Oddie stories in adorable Oddie socks...




Blog you later,




Arielle

Hi Everyone!


Back by popular demand... I hear that this blog is quite the "hit" back in the states. Since many of you are from America that have been reading my posts, how about you check out the Oddies site at www.oddieworld.com.


Here, you can find Oddie books and socks as well as some online fun. I would love to send out orders to familiar addresses! You wouldn't believe how confusing it is to write out a British address. The postcodes are quite different!


Although today is a Friday and the weekend is right ahead of me, there is a lot of work to be done. We have already had a few New York schools sign up for Read With Me Week, which is very encouraging. However, hundreds and hundreds more emails must be sent out (especially if we want all of the US to be introduced to Oddies)! With all the resources provided for free, I can't see why American schools wouldn't want to participate in such a fun week. And, the Oddies are just SO adorable.

Another Oddie story that I really enjoy is Footy Oddie. In this edition, Sock Fairy needs help from Footy Oddie in order to stop Witchy. Witchy is sending all the rain clouds from Bad Oddie Island to Good Oddie Island and it just won't stop raining. After all this rainy London weather, I really can understand why Sock Fairy wants the sun to come out!!!




A fun fact about this Oddie story is that Footy Oddie is a "footballer". However, for us Americans, he plays soccer. If you check out the picture above you will see that he has a black and white ball rather than a brown and white one. It is funny how there are still so many differences in context despite the same spoken language! Then again, I don't play football or soccer.. so I think that I will be just fine!

Before I forget, today is a very big day at the Oddie headquarters. Sabrina, the intern who posted before me, came back for a visit! She just couldn't get enough Oddies to only say goodbye once. And... there will be a photo shoot at 4:00 pm in the Oddie Offices. Yes, I said photo shoot! A representative from IEI, the intern program that I am on, will be making her way over to Clapham Common to take pictures of me at work. Kate Bright and I both had the same thoughts in mind when we got dressed this morning... we must look nice! Luckily, we even coordinate. Great "Oddie" minds think alike!


Maybe, just maybe, I will upload pictures onto the blog for Monday. That is, only, if today is a photogenic day... easier said than done!

I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend and that good weather comes my way! I could use a little tan...


Blog you later,

Arielle

Hi Everyone!

Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Arielle and I am the new intern at Oddies. However, there is a twist. Unlike Sabrina and Dan, I am not from Europe but from America. New York, in fact. And, I am just sixteen years old. Bet you don't know many sixteen year old Americans who intern so far away from home! Although, I do know about 150 others because we are all part of a program called Intern Exchange International. Why don't you check us out at http://www.internexchange.com/.

Almost 3,500 miles away from my home, Oddies has been very welcoming. Kate Bright, Sabrina (who has left us), and Barbara have made it an easy transition for me. However, the rainy weather hasn't eased my forty minute (so long!) commute to and from work. Who ever knew it rained so much in London?!! I have already purchased Wellington boots and am looking for a new raincoat... any suggestions?

Being the youngest one in the office has both its positives and negatives, as you can imagine. But I definitely think the pluses outweigh the minuses. For one, I get to listen to all the "grownup" going-ons and chats around here -- mortgages, life in London, and the like. I also find that my advanced computer skills (it's what happens when you constantly instant message and facebook) are benefiting me with all the emails and databases that I have to compose. Just in my first day of work, I put almost 200 names into Excel... my hands really needed a break after that!

Luckily, lunch breaks suffice (and I get off work by 4... can't complain!). I have accustomed myself to the Clapham Common area and have even found my favourite little French place to get delicious hot chocolate and ice cream. See, I really am adjusting! Good thing I go to the gym everyday when I get back from work.

I am currently contacting American schools asking if they would like to participate in Read With Me Week (a huge success in the UK from what I hear). I certainly never knew how many elementary schools were in New York alone. I will really be sending out lots and lots of e-mails. I am getting tired just thinking about it!!

Well, since I am new to this blogging business, I don't want to bore you. I will make sure to update you with all of my adventures and going abouts while I am here at Oddies. But before I go... I absolutely LOVE Ballet Oddie. And, America would completely fall in love with her. Just think about all the little girls in pink tutus who love to dance (I actually used to be one back in the day... only for a short time though!).



Now, it is time for me to be a true "Londoner" and make myself a cup of tea. My mom isn't going to know what has gotten into me by the time I return home to New York.


Tea, Wellies, and Oddies...


Blog you later,

Arielle

Creative Partnerships Conference June 28 & June 29 2007

Creative learning: crossing boundaries

“Creativity takes courage”
Henri Matisse

Being creative – that is what we all want to be, right? I was fortunate enough to spend two days at a conference in the north of England (in a remote place called Keele, near Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme) where everything was focused on creativity and how to make learning at schools more creative for both pupils and teacher (yes, although they are grown-ups, they like to be creative as well - sometimes you kids just need to remind them of their creative potential!).
Creative Partnerships (http://www.creative-partnerships.com/) aims to put schools in touch with artists or Creative Practitioners as they are called. The Oddies are involved and Oddies author Grant Slatter and Oddies director Kate Bright regularly visit schools that have joined the Creative Partnerships programme. Maybe Oddies has already been to your school?
As an introduction to the conference, the leader of the conference showed us some examples of definitions of CREATIVITY. My two favourite quotes come from children, no surprise! :-)

“Creativity is when stuff is everywhere”

“Being creative gives you a nice feeling inside”

I like the first quote because it excuses my chaotic trait and it unmasks me as a creative person rather than a messy one, well that’s how I justify it to myself. I like the second quote because it does not use any complicated words to describe one of the nicest things in life… It keeps it simple. Yes, being creative gives you a nice and cosy feeling inside – everyone must remember their childhood paintings, completely absorbed in producing your piece of art, and forgetting about the world around you… your imagination took over!

On the second day of the conference, we had a chance to listen to an interview with Paul Collard (the National Director of Creative Partnerships). He told us a very interesting story about a woman who went to the North Pole and claimed that the power of imagination actually saved her life. Imagine that! In order to stay alive in freezing cold water surrounded by polar bears, she imagined a raging fire inside of her. Obviously, the extent to which your imagination can impact on your life should never be underestimated!!

Then, Jonathan Hare, a well-known physicist (he featured in the programme Rough Science, BBC) gave a speech about creativity from a scientific perspective. His work can be found at: http://www.creative-science.org.uk/ and for all the bookworms among you there is a selection of Jonathan’s ‘good books’ (see “Jonathan’s ‘good book’ guide” under “STORIES OF SCI.”). Don’t worry - they are not all about science! :-)
Jonathan Hare also spoke about Astronomy and the Chemistry between the stars (he did not mention Oddieworld though… maybe he does not know this planet yet!). He informed us that planet Earth would not be here today if the stars had not exploded a very long time ago. Human beings are – to put it in Jonathan Hare’s words – all stardust. What a nice image!!

I really enjoyed this conference as well as my time here with the Oddies and as I say goodbye to you, I hope that each of you all go to the stars and back in whatever it is that you do. And remember… Creativity is key!!

Take care.

Sabrina.

“Herzlich willkommen!”

Ooops – this is German and means “a hearty welcome” to all of you!!
I’m new at Oddies and my name is Sabrina and no – I’m not German – I’m Swiss (and yes I do love chocolate – how can you not? Yummy!). I’m sure you guys know Sabrina the teenage witch??! Unfortunately, I don’t have a talking cat like Salem, Sabrina’s tomcat! That would be fun…

But I can assure you: I am not a naughty witch like Witchy and I would prefer to live on Good Oddie Island and be a friend of Sock Fairy and Wizzo rather than living on Bad Oddie Island and being badgered by Witchy!

I know that I’m challenged by the fact that Dan the superstar of the blog was my forerunner! However, I will try to keep up with his exquisite and bright blog entries!!
Speaking of bright: I’m sure you have always wanted to get to know Kate Bright, the director of Oddies a little better??? Well, I certainly have! That is why I decided to interview her!
Are you curious? I won’t let you wait… Here we go with the questions for Kate the Bright. This is another part of our series "Meet the faces behind the Oddies". But now let’s walk the talk! :-)

Hi Kate. May I ask you some questions about you and your history at Oddies? The readers of our Superblog can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Katie, where were did you grow up?

I was born in Manchester in 1978 and I grew up in Haywards Heath in Sussex, 20 minutes away from Brighton. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister, one brother is younger than me and I am in the middle. My youngest brother rowed the Atlantic ocean last year. When I was 18, I moved to London. I became fascinated with this city when I used to go on daytrips with my family and I thought it would be very glamorous to live here. The glamour has started to fade slightly 10 years on!

Which profession did you aspire as a little girl?

When I was 13, I was obsessed with maps and I wanted to become a cartographer. But I then while I was studying for my A-Levels I became interested in Marketing & PR and really wanted to work in that field.

What have you done before you started working at Oddies and above all how did you become the director of Oddies?

After university, I worked in children’s TV working for the CEO of Fox Kids TV. I then went to work for a TV presenter doing PR and Publicity. After that, I worked freelance and represented clients I had met throughout my time in London. Then I did an internship for 6 months in an agency in Notting Hill with a former colleague from Fox Kids. This agency specialised in PR for children’s products. When the internship was over, I established my own business and then I was approached to work at ODDIES!

Have you ever been to Oddieworld? If so, which is your favourite character?

Ballet Oddie is my favourite Oddie character as pink is my favourite colour… Also I did ballet myself when I was a girl. I like Popstar Oddie as well because I am absolutely addicted to music!

If you could invent a new Oddie character, what would it be?

I would invent Rockstar Oddie who would have similarities with Mick Jagger. I am a big fan of the Rolling Stones and – believe it or not – I have met Mick Jagger once in person! He is a really nice man and I even managed to make him laugh!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to do Pilates and Yoga (relaxing sports – yes, sports can actually be relaxing too – this is no contradiction J) and Mountain biking. Apart from that, I dedicate a lot of my free time to music: I have been playing the piano for about 20 years (and I used to play the violin) and I love going to concerts and music festivals! More than anything though I like spending my free time with my family and friends.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Food! And even more important to me than food is my Sky Plus. I am addicted to it!


Last but not least, a picture of Kate Bright…with her brother Tom after he had rowed across the Atlantic Ocean!

Take care!

Sabrina.

Some of the geekier socks in Oddieworld aren't happy with simply having two websites and a blog, oh no!! They're invading the net with their very own myspace page - it's exciting news but try to contain yourself!!

You can check it out at www.myspace.com/theoddies

Now, for those in the audience who are (gasp) thirty plus, myspace is the place where all the kidz hang out on the web and check out all the cool new stuff that's jumping onto the scene (so the Oddies will fit in pretty darn nicely!!).

Okay - so facebook is the new myspace, but who can keep up?? And you try typing with your heels!!

So have a look!! Any technophobes can ease themselves in by checking out our other sites first - www.oddieworld.com and www.readwithme.co.uk

Happy Friday!!
Quite a sad post today!! (For me anyway!!).

Next week is my last at Oddies!! My internship is over and some lovely people have offered me a proper grown up job!! Yay!!

I'll be sad to go though, not least because I wont get to keep you good people informed as to what's going on in Oddieworld!! I will, of course, check in from time to time to make sure that the blog has been maintained to the exacting standards that you have come to expect....stop sniggering please!!

But!! I have a week left, so I have a few days of posting to look forward to!! That's it - breathe a sigh of relief!!

The question is...who will I leave the mammoth task of writing the blog to?? Who could hope to even go part way to replacing me?...It's a toughy, leave it with me!!

Have Fun!!
Dan.

Pic: Pirate Oddie and his crew having a bit of target practice.

Arrgh! Ahoy Mateys!!

Ever since I saw Muppet Treasure Island I've had a hankering to be a Pirate (Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley have got nothing on Kermit and Miss Piggy) but then again I tend to get sea sick and am petrified of parrots - talking birds just aren't right!!

Oddieworld has its very own resident Pirate crew who fiercely patrol Foot Sea aboard the 'Good Ship Oddie Sock' and this got me thinking.... There a certain things that every good Pirate Captain has to have; a Parrot (preferably called Polly), a beard (usually blue (?) or black), a hat, a hook and most importantly... a peg leg!!

Now peg legs don't require socks....so our Pirate sock must of come from the remaining foot (stay with me) which means...if you see a one peg legged, one bare footed Pirate on your travels - firstly, hide any gold/treasure maps/potential booty that you have on your person and secondly, give him a nod in the direction of Oddieworld to let him know his missing sock is happily plundering the Good Oddies treasures - that should make him smile!

Fancy finding out your Pirate persona?? go here - www.piratequiz.com

Mine's below!

My pirate name is:

Dirty Morty Bonney

You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.

Have Fun!!
Dan.

Pic: He might have super powers, but is he strong enough to escape Princess Oddie's flirting?

Grendon Primary School in Northampton have been in touch and asked Grant to come and officiate over the grand opening of the newly refurbished school library!! - get us!! (I say us, I of course really mean Grant - but I have decided to bask in his reflected glory!!).

We have a bit of a special link with this school as Matthew Tatum (one of the lads who penned Cub Scout Oddie) is a student there. So it' s great to be asked back - not only does Grant get to feel like a celebrity for the day but we get to see the work of a school that really invests in providing the essential link between fun and literacy!! So, thank you Grendon Primary School (especially a nice lady called Lynne) for thinking of us!!

When the great event takes place I'll be sure to post a couple of photos!

Have Fun!!

Dan.

Pic: Postman Oddie.

I heard a few discontented rumblings in Oddieworld of late - I'm not going to name names but it's come to my attention that some of the less well-known Oddies think it's about time that they had their moment in the sun and I have to say that I agree with them!!

So...Super Hero has a flying cloak and X-ray vision, Policeman has a whistle and a snazzy hat but there are a lot of other Oddies who do jobs equally as important - its just their accessories aren't quite as glamorous!!

Postman Oddie is up with the larks (and larks get up early!) and out delivering all the Oddie post while most of Oddieworld’s inhabitants are still tucked up in bed. Come rain or shine Postman is dedicated to make sure that all of Oddieworld’s correspondence is delivered promptly and efficiently. This dynamic odd sock makes an appearance in the Robber Oddie book, so next time your leafing through the pages give him a wave just to let him know that you've noticed him!!

Who else??

Mayor Oddie does a fantastic job at running Oddietown (She also has some serious bling draped around her neck!). Politics might not be glamorous, but if wasn't for Major Oddie's relentless efforts to keep Oddietown and its inhabitants peaceful and ordered there would be a lot of miserable odd socks out there!! - and you don't want Ballet Oddie miserable, if she's not happy no-one is!! - except maybe Witchy.

Mayor Oddie can be seen placating some very stressed socks in the Brownie Oddie book which you can get through the website - www.oddieworld.com

Now...there are too many unsung Odd Socks in Oddieworld to mention each individually, so have a look at the books or on your poster and see how many Oddies you hadn't noticed before!! I bet you'll be suprised!!

Have Fun!!
Dan.

Pic: The inside of Grant's sock drawer!!

Who wouldn't want this smiley lot (apart from Robber who is admittedly moody) as friends? Well, now's your chance!!

Sign up as an Oddies Friend on the website - www.oddieworld.com and not only do you get a poster, birthday card and regular Oddies newsletter but (!) now you get the first book in the series - The Story of Oddieworld, absolutely free!! (Apart from postage - we're generous, but we're not silly!!)

Sign up now to be the first to find out all the gossip from Oddieworld!! Well, go on...you know you want to!!

Have Fun!!

Dan

Pic: Beaver Scout Oddie

Beaver Scout Oddie is always eager to get involved, whether he’s singing in the Oddie choir or helping Farmer Oddie wrangle the animals down at Darn Farm he’ll be trying his hardest and grinning from ear to ear! This enthusiastic young Oddie is always on a mission to gain new badges and make new friends along the way, so if you need someone to help carry your shopping or just fancy a chat – this is your sock!!

But with the Oddie circus in town and a ferocious beast on the loose it will take more than good intentions sort this mess out! Check out the book to see if Beaver Scout Oddie is "prepared" to save the day! www.oddieworld.com

Have Fun!!
Dan