Creating Paper Dreams

A little love story

2012-02-14T10:30:00.000Z

This story starts a few years back. Back in 2008, back when she was 15 and young and very happy go lucky.

They went to the same school and each day she would wave goodbye to him as he sat on the wall waiting to be picked up to go home. Each day she saw him with his purple head phones plugged in, she figured he liked his music, she didn't realise for several months just how much.

She went through a succession of different crushes as only a fifteen year old can. He was pretty shy. Until you got to know him.
She got to know him. She realised that he had a rad sense of humour, that he was thoughtful and mature beyond his years.
They became friends and she tried to sort out things for him in her chatty, laughing, exuberant way. (I don't think it helped much!)

The end of the summer term approached and they headed off for army camp.
Admist the mud and the weapons and the camping and the boots that hurt, they grew closer and she realised that this was a boy who was really rather special.
She got home from army camp and wondered what to do next. As any fifteen year old would she texted him.
He texted her back.
They agreed to meet up.
He took her to a movie and they realised that the feelings were mutual.
He said goodbye on the longest street in Bath as he picked up her hand and kissed it.

And from then on in their love story properly began.

circa: 2009

Since then we have dealt with long distances, with serious exams and uni applications. We have bridged the gap between teenagers and adults. In just four short years a lot has changed yet we still laugh like we did, he is still the mature, kind and funny boy I knew at fifteen and there is still a whole lot of love. I love the beginning of our love story. I love that we were young and that we have grown up as a couple and as people.

2011

Happy valentines day T, here's to another four years!

xxx

Wordless

2012-02-09T17:26:00.000Z

Each week. One picture. One captured moment. No words.

Tutorial Tuesday- Knitted patchwork quilt

2012-02-07T19:04:00.005Z

Hi

So week two of tutorial tuesday. This tutorial is a bit of a mix because it is something I am working on at the moment. The first place I found it was, you guessed it, on pinterest...

Source

The colours are beautiful yes!
But, the pin didn't come with a tutorial.

At the same time I saw that Elise on her blog was making a very similar quilt in a lovely checkerboard design.

I put two and two together and decided that it couldn't be too hard. I picked five lovely colours and am knitting away as we speak-well not literally!

Rather than cleverly knit the squares together (a feat that I feel is beyond me) I am simply going to sew them together much as I'd make a fabric quilt.

I wanted my knitted squares to lie flat therefore I made up this pattern to achieve that. For those knitters out there it is basically 1 by 1 rib.

To make your knitted square: 4mm needles
DK wool

cast on: 36 stitches.
Row 1: K2*K1 P1* repeat from the star until you reach the end of the row.
Row 2: Slip first stitch over *K1 P1* repeat from star

Repeat the pattern in row 2 until the square measures the same on each side. Cast off and start the next one!

This quilt can be large or small as can the individual squares. So simple but so many variations and I promise my finished article will be posted, hopefully soon!

Thanks for stopping by

Storytelling Sunday- The story of the royal nits

2012-02-05T15:27:00.004Z

This story is in conjunction with Sian's storytelling Sunday monthly series.

Part of my job as a "gappy" is to help in the boarding house. Most of the time I love spending my evenings in there, helping put the girls to bed, listening to their funny stories and doing prayers before the lights are turned out.

One of the not so nice aspects of the job though is the joy of the head check. Yes, you guessed it. Each week when the girls wash their hair a teacher has to comb through it afterwards to check for nits; a pretty important job in a houseful of girls .

So, as usual I am standing in a bathroom with the steam rising around us and a small girl of ten in her dressing gown standing at the sink as I run a nit Comb through her hair. The conversation went like this...

Me: "It doesn't look like you have any nits, thank goodness!"

Her: perusing her own train of thought "Miss Beach, do you think the queen gets nits?"

Me trying hard not to laugh: "I don't really know, I suppose she must have done at some point."

"does she have a nit check each week? Who would do it for her?"

fighting back the smiles: "I would guess her lady in waiting. But you know that nits come from being close to people and I think the queen doesn't get close enough for nits to jump onto her hair, she justs shakes hands, she doesn't give lots of hugs like we may do."

"but what if her husband has nits. They are close together?"

"I'm not really sure how much hair prince phillip has!"

"oh, but what about Kate middleton, she has lots of hair. Could the queen get nits from her?"

Needless to be said the head check was finished swiftly so I could go outside and roar with laughter at the idea of having "royal nits!"

Oh the joys of small children and their inquisitve minds!

Lessons learnt from a week in a reception class

2012-02-03T20:53:00.002Z

(For those not in the know, reception children are four years old, in their first year of school.)

Getting changed is a major operation. Getting undressed takes at least ten minutes and don’t even talk about the socks!

Small children are incredibly tactile. They are what we may call “Leg strokers.” I have had innumerable hugs, kisses and squeezes.

A reception class in February is dominated by red cheeks and snotty noses.

Small children cannot sit/stand/walk sensibly. Everything is done with a bounce and a leap.

Lunch time is an occasion in itself. I never realised that a child could contemplate a plate of rice and curry and choose to eat it with his fingers.

Laces should not be issued under any circumstances to a boy who is four years old.

Reception teachers must have backs of steel because the amount of leaning over is incredible.

However many times you repeat a letter, there will always be one who does not get it.

Play-dough is an amazing tool for making words.

If in doubt, sing.

A child may come to school with a hat glove and scarf but will leave with two hats, one glove stuffed up a sleeve and no scarf to be seen.

Never except a hug from a child with a cold and runny nose unless you want the evidence of said cold to be on your jumper.

One look can quell a child of four. Power!

“Mrs Beeeaccch” According to reception I am married…news to me.

The biggest lesson I have learnt though is that however bad the day can seem, twenty or so bright, shining and happy faces really do make it all worth it.

Thanks for stopping by x

2012-02-02T11:30:00.001Z

Each week. One picture. One captured moment. No words.

Tutorial tuesday- How to get your mojo back

2012-01-31T17:41:00.004Z

Hi

I haven't been around here much. I am sorry. But, when the mojo is gone, it is gone and that is something I have really been struggling with these last few days. I had got to a point where i couldn't really see what to blog or where to go with this.

So. I sat down. I wrote. I wrote a list of things I like when I see other blogs..
-humour
-honesty
-tutorials
-beautiful photos
-real life

I then wrote out a list of ways I could achieve that.
Putting the two together wasn't the hard part. The hard part was finding the missing ingridient...STRUCTURE.

I admire bloggers who can post several times a week. With working I thought this just couldn't happen. Then I thought about the many women out there with children, a house, a husband and work. They blog nearly every day. Why couldn't I?

What I was missing was a clear guidline to follow, a structure so I knew when and what to post. I sat down, thought and wrote one out.

So. In the coming months that is just what will happen. Each week (God willing) There will be a core number of posts around things I love, things in the above list that I like to see in other blogs. There will of course be the random post thrown in here and there-can't let things get boring can we!

This starts today with Tutorial Tuesday. This is my tutorial. How (according to Abi) to get your blogging mojo back!)

Thanks for stopping by (the picture has no relevance. I just love it!)

loves xxx

(These are just my thoughts, not a difinitive answer just my way of solving a problem. Please tell me if this inspries you in any way! Love to share the love.)

Several little projects.

2012-01-22T15:15:00.003Z

Hello

The issue of being busy and away from home is that I have little time and little equipment to make what I want. Some would see this as a disadvantage but as part of my "glorious 2012" I am seeing this as a blessing in disguise.

I have been forced to research and look into crafts that I can do with very little equipment or resources and that can be picked up and taken around.

Pinterest has as usual come to my aid so I thought I would share several sunday projects that I might try and tackle in the near future...

Source

So, quite a few to be going along with I think! If anyone has any more simple sewing or crafting tutorials I would be so grateful. My hands have to be kept busy!

Thanks for stopping by after an inexcusiable blog break on my part!

Loves xxx

On blogging

2012-01-13T19:32:00.000Z

I love blogging, don't get me wrong, I love being able to share with creative like minded people. I love sharing photos and stories.

But. I don't enjoy the guilt at not posting (although this is irrational). I don't enjoy the viscous cycle of looking at pageviews and numbers of comments and readership.

So, as part of my Glorious 2012 mantra, I am going to put aside those things I don't like. yep, this post has no photo, yep it isn't greatly planned, yes, it is a combination of things on my heart. But once in a while I need this. I need the outlet a blog is, I need it as my journal and my stream of conciousness.

So today..

I am writing this post in a room surrounded my children, with noise on all sides.

I am exhausted from the first week of term but exhilerated with seeing the children again and getting back into working.

I am loving documenting the best thing in each day.

In any spare minutes I have I am gaining inspiration from all those beautiful blogs out there.

I cannot get enough of talking to the boy.

It feels weird to be a thrid of the way through my time as a gap student.

I am planning some big blogging/craft/ inspiration goodnes for the coming months- if time allows!

As I write I am planning my next post which will I assure you contain photos and a better structure.

For now though I am happy to leave you with me. With no frills, no pictures, just the bare bones of what is on my heart.

I think I will leave with this for now though. thanks for taking the time to listen to a ramble! What are your views on blogging?

Glorious 2012

2012-01-07T19:44:00.000Z

source

Hi

So, as you may have seen the blog has had a bit of a makeover. I wanted to make it simpler, cleaner and more grown up-maybe! I have also made a facebook page so please do check that out if you have the time! I would love your opinions on any of it!

Back to the title of the post. The beginning of a new year always makes me feel odd, like I need a bit more get up and go. I knew I needed a project but didn't know where to start or what to do.

Inspiration came in two forms and I want to put this out now..the web is an awesome place for inspiration! The first came from Elise on her blog where she picks a word for the year. The second came from Ashleys "best of my days" project.

In short, I decided to choose a word that would sum up my year.

Glorious

(Bev will love this!) Glorious, is how I want 2012 to look. I've come to realise that I have a- what I believe-is a God given talent for creativity. I have the ability to make my space, my life look glorious through what I can create and photograph.

Naturally after deciding my word I needed to start brainstorming it. Enter Pinterest.
Man, I love this tool! These are a few of my favourites that sum up my mantra for the year.

Source

The project I needed was inspired from Ashley's idea of writing down the best part of each day. So simple yet genius. This is Glory in action!

I wanted to make something pretty that could contain my best moments but also be practical. Thus, I cut up kraft paper, got out the sewing machine and made twelve little envelopes. I then decorated each with the month and pretty paper and filled with some lined card.

I hole punched the top of each and the tops of pretty prints I found on the web. I then joined the whole thing together with twine. Each month I can take off the appropriate envelope and it can very easily be carried around and written in. On the back of each envelope I have also written a small goal for that month- cannot wait to look back at these in a years time!

This is where I am at the moment, trying to find the glorious things of 2012. The blog redesign is part of that. It needed a facelift and what better time to do it!

Do you have a resoution or goal or word for 2012?

Thanks for stopping by

xxx

Jelly roll floor pillow

2012-01-04T12:30:00.002Z

A while back I found this tutorial from the lovely Laura.

I immediatly had to have a go at making it but time was short, funds were low and it was a bit of a non starter. I put a moda jelly roll of fabrics on my list to santa and low and behold guess what was in my stocking!

This has to have been one of the most rewarding and easy tutorials I have found. For those not in the know, a jelly roll is a roll of eighty fabrics cut into 22" strips. They come in sets so the colours coordinate.

The tutorial is very self explanatory but I want to go over some points- just things that helped me-in case you are thinking of making one!

Firstly, the top piece looks hard. It isn't. If anything it is so simple it is boring. The cut, pin, sew iron thing became a bit waring after the 60th piece! The tutorial suggests just adding piece after piece to make the circle. I did mine in 10 piece segements, then ironed the segment then started another. it broke it up a bit and made sure that my segments all met in the middle.

To keep costs down I bought a double sheet from Ikea and two single duvets. This came to just over £10-amazing! The sheet was used for the backing and I undid the duvets and used the stuffing to fill the pillow. You definitley need two duvets, three at a push!

On the tutorial, the author uses a beautiful patchwork piece for the back. Trust me after so much piecing for the front I used one piece of material and it was a blessed relief.

I have never done piping before, but it was very easy, don't let it put you off. The middle of the pillow is pulled together with a fabric covered button and really does look good.

The bottom line is-this pillow is HUGE! It is around 44" across. It is amazing to put at the back of your bed to lean on when reading or to throw on the floor as an extra seat. You can stuff it with anything too. Beanbag filler, proper stuffing, duvet etc etc!

It really is an impressive sight. the middle brother even deemed it "proffesional". High praise indeed!

And you know what the best thing is? Little mistakes get swallowed up into its hugeness so they aren't noticed. Win, win I say!

Have you created anything exciting over the holidays?

xxx

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T16:41:00.001Z

Happy New Year.

I don't do resolutions but I do do goals. I also do goals from the heart so that is why I am linking up with Stephanie for her blogging from the heart series.

In 2012...

I want to laugh a lot.

This is the one year really I am totally unburdened with work. Yes, I have to literally go to work but holiday is free, family time is free. I want to relax and laugh and chill with the ones I love.

I will make more.

Scrapbooking I have to admit has taken a back burner. That is cool until I find my mojo again. In the meantime I want to create, I want to be further inspired by blog friends and pins. On the note of pinterest, I want to pin and create, not just pin and look at later.

I want to truly engage and build on my relationship with the boy.

I have this theory that if we nurture this year, if we set up such a good foundation of when we can talk to each other when we can see each other, next year when we are both at uni will be so so much easier.

I need to focus on the people who matter.

Finishing school has brought a huge complication in who I spend time keeping in touch with. I want to make the effort this year in contacting and sharing with those who really do matter and not stressing over those who really don't.

I want to continue learning.

Before I head to uni in september I want to have done lots of reading, I want to have really filled my brain and absorbed myself in history so I am ready to tackle academic study again.

I want to take more photos.

Doing my year in photos this year was, I have to admit, harder. I had taken less pictures, less moments. I had missed opportunities. This will change.

I will grow in my relationship with God.

I want to read my Bible more, pray more. I want to find a real time in my day to do this as well.

These are my new year goals. What are yours?

Thanks for stopping by xxxx

Favourite photos//moments of 2011

2011-12-30T14:00:00.000Z

So, the final installment of my little trip through this years album.

A final week with close friends. I just love the happiness in this photo.

I think my favourite picture of the year. Enough said really.

Our leavers ball. Such a joyous occassion.

Our family holiday to Cyprus. I think Hot best describes the experience!

Getting my A level results outside a cafe in Polis. The best news to hear I had got into Durham.

This photo makes me laugh . Grandma had just been marched up a hill! ha ha!

I still don't know how we managed to capture this picture but the motion blur is fantastic.

Starting life as a working woman. Probably the biggest moment of 2011.

Getting used to the boy being away at university.

Isn't the expression wonderful?!

Our traditional christmas photo for our parents. It turned out well this year.

Thank you for sharing in my nostalgia!

xxxx

Favourite Photos//moments of 2011

2011-12-28T18:21:00.000Z

So, the next installment in my favourite photos of 2011.

Easter term brought much laughter and friendship.

You knew the boy had to make an entrance soon! I love this picture because it documents his passion for music and his passion for God.

The end of our time as a christian union. So much fun and a little sad.

One of my favourites of us.

Not a favourite moment at all. The revision dominated that term.

Doing a photo shoot for this happy couple was such fun.

One of the only days of summer weather. This picture sums it up really.

Enjoying spending the last few days as a year group.

Family photos during half term. These turned out so well.

2011 spelled lots of ending. This is a picture of one of the last races I coxed.

The trunk being packed for the last time. A very poignant picture.

Thanks for stopping by

xxx

Favourite photos//moments of 2011.

2011-12-27T15:10:00.002Z

This is a tradition I started two years ago and totally love; looking through my albums to find my favourite pictures or memories of this past year.

So...we kick off in January 2011- which incidently only feels like yesterday.

The snow came thick and fast and we enjoyed plenty of family walks.

My christmas present that year was a lomo camera. Amazing for shots like this.

I can't remember when this was taken but the view of the valley is stunning.

I made another skirt.

A big crafting landmark for me- my first quilt. I also love the depth of field on this picture.

One of my all time favourite photos of me and my brothers. It also documents that spell of crazy hot weather we had in spring.

The royal wedding. I loved this. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful bride and so much fun.

I love this photo because I just love these girls.

Our annual trip to Nantes for rowing camp over Easter. My thrid and final trip. I love the size of this candy floss-amazing!

Thanks for stopping by

Part 2 to come.

xxxx

The day after

2011-12-26T20:09:00.002Z

Boxing day. A lovely restful, cosy family day. Christmas was over in a flurry of paper, laughter and love.

I was truly spoilt and got many lovely presents. We had a glorious family day with highlights of charades and Downton Abbey in the evening in front of the roaring fire. What a way to end.

Today we chilled. We stopped. This morning we went out into the cold and joined the crowds to watch the hunt. Very traditional and what a photo oppertunity!

I leave with the snapshots.

Hoping your christmas was blessed and relaxing.

xxx

Right Now.

2011-12-23T15:53:00.002Z

Right now we are...

Welcoming our posada figures from church.

Watching

Warming.

Walking

Coffee shop-ing!

Creating

Boiling

Tempting

Playing

Photographing

But really we are waiting.

Have a blessed and very merry Christmas.

Abi xxxx

Place names//star packets DIY

2011-12-20T18:34:00.002Z

Hi

Hope you are all enjoying the festive run to christmas?

It is a tradition I have with myself each year that I will create the place names for the table on christmas day. To be honest the rest of the assembled family enjoy looking at these but aren't too fussed either way. For me though it is a chance to create something pretty and a bit different. Win win I say.

Last year I created these and the year before I created these.

Now, I try never to repeat myself so the week leading up to christmas I trawl the web looking for inspiration and ideas. I try and avoid the typical place name ideas like the small folded card etc etc!

The other day I stumbled across this.

I have developed my own idea with a few alterations on the original. Therefore this is not strictly my own idea but this is my tutorial on how to change the original design to suit my purpose.

First up grab a star template. It needs to be realtively large as the middle will hold the goodies but the pointed edges cannot really hold along. Go along the lines of the more I want to hide in the star the bigger it will have to be!

I think these look lovely on kraft but having nothing to hand I used old brown envelopes. Draw your star on the outside. Cut out and you have two pieces. Turn them inside out and voila, lovely textured brown strong paper.

Next, decorate the front of your star. I used an inital stencil I cut out from paper. I painted this on and then added two strips of coloured paper. I tried to keep to a simple colour schemes to bring unity. Don't put too much on at this stage because when you stuff them, the paper will bend so bigger items will just fall off. Keep it simple.

This is the most exciting bit. Sewing the star up. I used a zigzag stich around the edge making sure the foot was slightly off the edge so the sides were sewn up. REMEMBER to leave a gap to fill your star.

I filled each star with a celebration and a little note telling the recepient where their cracker present is hidden. (rather than toys in crackers my mum buys small presents she knows we will like and hides them around the house. After main course you go to the hiding place and find your gift.)
A little tip- don't put anything too big in as it distorts the shape of the star. I tried to add a lindt chococlate at first. Big mistake! looking back a chocolate coin would have been perfect!

Once your star is filled to your liking sew up the gap. It doesn't matter if it won't fully close, it will look fine.

I then finished my stars off with some bakers twine. I like the idea that one each plate there will be a lovely christmas package with the recepients inital and a treat inside waiting to be torn open.

Do you make anything for christmas day?

Loves xxxx

Christmas Traditions- decorating the tree

2011-12-18T16:56:00.000Z

A few days late with the next installment of christmas traditions but hey! This week I want to focus on our traditions for decorating the tree. Probably the most traditional thing we will look at!

The tree is big in our house. Literal and metaphorical.
It doesn't go up until all of us are home for holidays. We all broke up on Friday so the excitment of going home was added to by the excitment that soon the tree would go up.

We always get a real tree. Nothing beats the smell of pine when you come into the lounge or the ecclectic mix of short and long branches! It is our little tradition that my dad and I go together to choose the tree. Just the two of us. I am normally very fussy about what one we get but this year there was only one left in the right size! Shock horror!

So, the tree is pushed into the back of the car with much umming and aahhing. At its destination it is hauled out and the umming and aahhing starts again as it is balanced in the holder and screwed in...only to find that it is on a tilt.

Once it is inside the house we have the time honoured task of seeing which set of fairy lights work. There is always one set yes? The one set that are put away fine but come out not working. Typical. At this stage we all donn the christmas hats and antlers and I make myself busy with the christmas music.

Then, as it has always been. Mum sorts through the decorations and passes them to the rest of us. We choose where they go and there is much critical comment along these lines...

" The left side of the tree looks bear."

"well put the next decoration there."

"T, stop putting them so low."

" A, no one will see that decoration at the back!" etc etc.

But the job gets done with much laughter. The last thing to go on are the chocolates and the littlest always insists on putting his in its "secret place" which he promptly forgets five days later. ( In our house, christmas tree chocolates aren't allowed to be eaten until christmas eve!)

So, the fire crackles, the camera pans around and laughters falls through the air.

Yep, christmas at it's best.

Do you have traditions for decorating the tree?

Thanks for stopping by

xxxx

Christmas Traditions- Christmas books

2011-12-09T09:52:00.001Z

Thank you all so much for your response on the advent post. I loved reading about your advent traditions. All so different but clearly so special to you.

So, today I am moving on to another tradition in our family which is the christmas books.

Books are big in our house. Each room has at least one bookcase and I have known my family to spend an hour or more in a bookshop- just browsing. My Mum has even given a book away to a charity shop, promptly forgot what book it was and subsequently bought it again the next week. True story.

You get the picture. It then only follows that we have a plethora of christmas books that come out in December. With mum being a teacher, most of these are childrens books. I have to admit though, they still come out every year and we still read them. There is a strange sense of cosy familiarity that comes with reading a book year after year.

Very simply I just want to give a list of my favourites. My favourite christmas books that I come back to year after year.

First up is Letters from Father Christmas by Tolkein

This is a truly beautiful book. In it's simplest form it is the collection of letters Father Christmas wrote to the Tolkein children. The book is complete with pictures of the original envelopes and letters. As time went on and the children grew up, Father Christmas writes longer and longer letters as he expanded his household to include several elves and a very naughty north polar bear. Tolkein included beautiful hand drawn sketches in each letter.

A really magical book that honestly lets you believe in santa again.

The Christmas Mystery.

A book for older children and a fictional tale of a young boy who recieves a magic advent calender. Each day a piece of paper falls out with the continued story of a young girl who makes the pilgirimage back in time to the birth of Christ. The mystery centres around whether this actually happened and who in fact made the calendar.

I am reading this to the girls in my dorm and they are enthralled by it. There is a chapter for each day of advent so it is keeping them well and truly hooked.

Mary's first Christmas.

This book has the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen. A childrens book with a difference. The story follows the boy Jesus as he starts asking questions about his birth and Mary his mother gives her account. Very biblically sound and a beautiful message.

A Wayne in a Manger

Not a childrens book but about children. Gervase Phinn gives a true and very amusing account of life in the dales as a school inspector. Very very funny. Typical antics of a childrens nativity. Below is a short introduction to it..

"Every teacher of young children has a story to tell about the Christmas Nativity play. There was the time the Innkeeper, when asked if there was any room in the inn, answered, 'Plenty', and ushered the startled Holy Family inside; the occasion when Mary dropped Baby Jesus, immediately bursting into floods of tears as the large pink doll rolled off the stage; the time that the Archangel Gabriel informed Mary that he had tidings of great joy to bring but had completely forgotten what they were; and the memorable moment when the giant cardboard star, which had been suspended on a wire above the stage, fell on Joseph who, very much out of character, rubbed his head and exclaimed, 'Bloody 'ell!' Then there was the time when the little boy playing Joseph strode confidently onto the stage and asked the small figure in blue who was cradling her baby, 'And how's our Jesus been today, Mary?' 'He's been a right little so-and-so!' came the blunt reply."

So. What are your favourite christmas books. I would love recomendations. Are there any new christmas books you have found?

Thanks for stopping by

xxx

Storytelling sunday-The story of the backwards christmas

2011-12-04T15:59:00.001Z

It's funny isn't it as you grow older? Christmas sparkle is tinged slightly with more stress. Presents need to be bought, money to do so is not forth coming and finding the elusive gift for your Dad gets harder as the years go on.

I am totally and irrevocably in love with christmas. I am going to put that out there. My christmas music gets played on the first of December and I still have an advent calendar. But.. as the years have rolled on and the idea of santa moves further away, I am seeing christmas from a more grown up perspective...

That was until this year. This year when suddenly I was thrown back into a world of children, of uncontained christmas excitement. When suddenly Father Christmas was real and very much alive, when the putting up of a tree made the little ones squeal and when each little face every morning pressed his or her nose to the window in the hope of snow.

That my friends is christmas as it is meant to be. I always get excited at this time of year but this year it is different. I am full of expectation, of joy. I am loving seeing christmas again through a childs eyes. I am loving talking to each of them about their christmas traditions.

I feel I have gone back in time. I am a grown woman living a childs christmas and that is the best thing ever. For when else do you get to cut out paper snowflakes, turn "let it snow" up on the speakers and dance around with a group of nine year olds.

Yes, this is a backward christmas but one I am heartily enjoying.

I want to finish with a story about a little girl I know that really made me chuckle.

A small girl aged nine decided that this year she was going to prove that Father Christmas was real. She therefore set a cunning trap on christmas eve night. Sneaking downstairs she grabbed a bag of flour and brought it up to her bedroom whereupon she shook it gently over the floor. The effect was lovely- rather like fake snow. Smiling happily she turned off her light and fell asleep.

The small girl was incredibly excited next morning to find large footprints in the flour. Santa was real then!

Mum and Dad however were less happy that the small girl had not told them of her plans and now had a mass of flour to clean up on christmas day.

True story.

Finally huge huge thanks go to Sian. Storytelling Sunday has been such a joy to be part of . I have loved having an outlet to write, loved connecting with new people and have loved hearing many beautifully told tales. Thank you.

P.S I would love it would you would take a look at the post below and help me document our christmas traditions!

Christmas traditions

2011-12-03T19:35:00.001Z

Hi

Apologies for being away so long but I have some exciting things to share...

Over the course of the next few weeks in the run up to Christmas I am going to share a few Christmas traditions. I am unashamedly excited by Christmas and the more I talk to people about it, the more I realise how special our own traditions are. Each tradition makes our Christmas what it is.

So, I figured that during the season of goodwill it would be great to share some traditions with each other. Maybe we can give ideas or maybe we can just really enjoy connecting over a really special time of year.

I am going to start with the theme of advent. The theme will be “live” from now to next Thursday. What are your advent traditions? How do you start preparing for advent? Do you have an advent calendar?

My advent traditions are ingrained into Beach family Christmas. In many respects my family are traditional and so for many many years advent calendars were strictly non chocolate. Mind you as a child finding a picture every morning was still very exciting.

My two brothers and I would each receive a calendar from our two sets of grandparents and they would arrive in the post at some point through November and remain on display waiting for Advent. It was always fun to admire the pictures on them and assess who had the most glitter on their calendar. It was fun to see them sitting on the sideboard just waiting to be opened on the first of December.

Even now I still go to bed on the 30th of November feeling excited that soon I can prise that little door open. The first day of advent duly came and we would rush downstairs to find the number one. One at a time we would open the door and admire the picture behind the window. I always tore my doors off while the littlest brother kept his open. The middle one went through a stage of tearing the doors off and keeping them in a box in his room! Even in opening the advent calendar we had our own traditions!

As we got older my mum discovered that there was such a thing as a playmobil advent calendar. Well, let me tell you that the excitement reached fever pitch. A plastic figure in each box! Far far more exciting than a picture.

Not only did we have an advent calendar each but also an advent candle on the table. Each breakfast it was lit and we watched the number slowly burn down.

Over the years the advent calendar excitement dimmed, yet we all still receive one in the post from my grandma and we now - much to our mothers consternation- buy our own chocolate ones! The candle is still on the table each December and the cat still tries to knock it over!

Advent for us was always about preparing, of waiting and of expectancy.

What are your advent traditions?

If you blog about them please leave a link in the comments so we can all share and feel free to take the christmas traditions picture at the top of the post!

Thanks for stopping by.

xxx

I will thrive

2011-11-19T18:31:00.001Z

The other day I read this from one of my favourite bloggers.

What really struck me was her desire to thrive rather than just survive.

Ok, so I know the boy isn't on deployment etc but the truth of those words really hit me. So bearing that in mind I write this letter to my man.

Dear T

A lot has changed in the past few months. We are a long way from each other. We have gone from seeing each other every day to seeing each other on average once a month. This is the one year we will be furthest apart.

More than anything I want to come out of this strong and confident. I want to mature and grow and understand more.

I want to come out of this year with a deeper realisation of you and us. I want to use this year to trust. To trust in God's timing and plans and trust in your love. I want to grow as a woman to be the best I can be for you.

I don't want to just survive this year.

Even in three months we have grown. We have communicated more, shared more, loved more.

More than anything I have learnt to accept. You do not find this as difficult as me but I am learning to accept a situation that I have no control over.

In short we have grown up.

We are learning that Happy comes from knowing each other are in the right place. I am blessed that you "get" me, that you love that I am loving my job. I am blessed to know that you care so much that I am happy.

On paper this year is not ideal.

In reality we are thriving.

Me and you; we are doing just fine.

xx

Storytelling Sunday: The mud pies

2011-11-06T14:49:00.003Z

Hi, today I am joining in with Sian and her storytelling sunday.

This is a very simple story that makes me smile.

The location: The school woods.

The time: A sunny saturday afternoon.

The culprits: Three eight year old girls.

On a saturday afternoon the boarders who are in for the weekend either have matches or they have time to play. Time, to run around, make things, ride their bikes or build dens in the woods.

It was my turn yesterday to supervise the children playing in the woods. I hasten to add that this is one of the childrens favourite activities and my least favourite especially when it is cold.

But, the sun was shining and the children were keen and excited. So, donning the wellies we marched into the wood and there opened up for them a world of leaves, branches and superb den building space.

Half an hour passed and the shouts of the children echoed around the beautiful space. Squelching along I soon came across three of the girls. Each girl was standing in the muddiest place they could find and were picking up huge sloppy lumps of sticky black mud.

On asking what they were doing they gave me a time honoured answer "we're making a mud pie."

And what was I to do but smile and take the photos? The sleeves weren't rolled up, trousers were coming out of wellies, mud was plastered over jumpers, arms and faces yet they were having the time of their lives. The didn't need expensive playstations or tv's. All they needed was a mess.

And at the end of it all, they were popped straight into a bath.

Who was I to stop them?

The corner chair

2011-10-31T16:58:00.001Z

When I am at home I like to sit in the corner chair.

Here by the window in the armchair with the light streaming in.

The chair closest to the window and closest to the radiator.

With the door propped open I can hear the ebb and flow of family life. I can hear the laughter, I hear the piano, I hear the questions and the answers.

I sit still yet things change around me. Brothers move in and out, the tv is off and on, newspapers are pulled out and then folded away.

Sometimes I am joined by the cat who snuggles close into my legs asking for affection.

I sit in my favourite chair watching and listening. Watching the world pass outside the window. Watching the light change as the day passes.

The room starts to feel smaller as curtains are closed as lamps come on and the heating fires up.

My favourite place to go when I want to be still. In the hub of everything the chair is an island.

A place to read for hours on end, a place to knit and feed soft yarn over the needles, a place to doze.

The corner chair. My favourite place when the clocks go back and the days get darker.

What is your favourite place? xxx

October summed up.

2011-10-29T17:44:00.000+01:00

I cannot believe it is the end of October and we are soon to approach those dark mornings, cold winds and November bonfires. How the months fly!

October has been a very busy month, looking like this...

Enjoying family time in half term. The adventures of two boys and very very sour sweets. Hilarious.

Watching the season slowly turn. Autumn has to be the most beautiful.

Visiting the boy and my best friend at uni. So good to put names to faces etc and very interesting to see the life of a student!

Visiting Sherbourne with the other gaps on our day off. Stunning.

lots of sewing and a lovely finished quilt.

Visiting a quarry with the year eights on their field trip. Surprisingly beautiful and the size of those dumper trucks! phewww!

More crafting with material. Tutorial to follow.

What has your October looked like?

Loves xxxxx

Things learnt from quilting on a major scale.

2011-10-23T16:50:00.003+01:00

A while back I tried my hand at quilting. It was a small first attempt but I was happy with it despite the fact that the littlest brother still refers to it as a "foot blanket."

Maybe I was naive or just very unrealistic but this half term I decided the time was ripe to try a full sized quilt. Yep, one to cover my whole bed.

There are several lessons learnt from this experience.

1. You need serious arm muscles to feed a single duvet sized quilt through a machine. I had no idea how heavy it would get!

2. Be careful. When quilting with such large pieces of material it is vital to go slowly. I ended up having to unpick all four sides of quilting because it was gathering up all over the place simply because I had not taken the time.

3. Pin to an inch of the quilts life. It will save so much time later.

4. When sewing keep checking that the machine is actually sewing. I got to the end of the longest side having happily chugged along, when I realised that the bobbin had run out and the machine had sewn precisely two inches. cue expletives and much shouting at the machine for not informing me of this.

5. Although quilting ( going across each square on the patchwork) seems to take an age, the end result is so worth it.

6. Thick batting is a love hate relationship. I hated working with it. It was heavy, puffed up, didn't lie flat and was generally annoying. That said it hid a multitude of mistakes and has resulted in a very thick and warm finished quilt. Bonus for when I live in Durham I think.

7. Machine sew in the day and handstich in the evening. That way Downton Abbey and quilting can be combined. Result.

8. No matter how much you talk to your little brother he will insist on calling this quilt the "body blanket." Hmmm.

Honestly though, it was such an adventure to make. For the first time I made a quilt using a set of fat quarters rather than material I had chosen. This was so much easier because the quilt is coordinated, has similar colours and all the same weight material. I am no expert but learnt so much through trial and error. The next step...double duvet sized?? Or not.

What crafty things have you been up to recently?

Loves xxx

10 things on the 11th?

2011-10-11T19:25:00.000+01:00

So, I am a day late with Shimelle's challenge; to post ten things on the tenth but hey, that I posted at all is a miracle.

My ten things could be titled "out of the mouths of babes" " Ten funny things children say or do" or perhaps "overheard in the staffroom." Either way these are all true, all have made me laugh in the last month and have to be written down.

Trust me, you are witnessing the beginnings of a bestseller. Count yourself lucky.

1. A year four class, we are looking in a thesaurus for other words to use instead of "old". We are describing a building. One little girl pipes up with "The building was advanced in years."

2. I am getting a group of four year olds changed after swimming. This has been a long and difficult affair as none of them can stand still long enough to be dried. We finally have them all dressed and all looking fairly smart. I check the floor for towels etc and find... a pair of pants. One child has got dressed without underwear. Panic ensues while we try and find said child.

3. " Miss Beach, you are the best mummy." me; "But I'm not a mummy." The child: "but you're a grown up." Gosh, how to shoot down a four year olds logic!

4. "Miss Beach how are twins made?"

5. We are at supper and discussing how old parents are. One bright spark tells a story of a girl who was very young and had a baby. The smaller child asks if she was married. Apparently not. The small child then looks at me " but, it's impossible to have a baby and not be married!"

6. I come into the dorm to find a girl dressed in a dressing gown, shawl, towel over her hair and shower cap holding it in place. When asking who she was she replied without a shadow of a doubt, "Mary of course." (That is the virgin mary unless it wasn't obvious!)

7. The "Virgin Mary" (See above) Then proceeded to give an account of Jesus' life with Jesus illustrated by cuddly toys. Call be a traditionalist but I had no idea Jesus was born as a hedgehog and ended his life as a pink teddy bear.

8. "That was unsuspected" Translation: "That was unexpected."

9. Whilst on the hockey pitch, "Miss Beach, the other girls say I don't like hockey, but I do." me: "so why are you standing still?" The little girl: "because I'm bored!"

10. "Miss Beach, I love you."

Thanks for stopping by

loves xxxx

I'll always be the girl

2011-10-09T15:48:00.001+01:00

Time is limited at the moment and that means that I get far more reading of blogs done than I do posting or commenting. This is I think an unfair balance of my time on the web but it does come with advantages.
One of those is that I can collate a lot of ideas about my next blog post when I will eventually get time to sit down and write it.

I think it is safe to say that one of my favourite blogs to read is Stephanie Howells. If there is such a thing as a blog crush, hers would be mine. Her blog is light hearted and funny and was also the first blog I ever found.

The other day she wrote this post and I knew I could create something similar. You know when you have an idea and it simmers for a while until you feel you can write it down? Yep, it was like that.

Because from a new place and a new environment I have come to realise that wherever I go I will always be the girl...

who worries far too much other the smallest details.

Who likes to plan and organise and manage and create rotas. who in short likes to know what she is doing. (I found this out after arriving at my new work place and for three days not having a timetable, to say I was stressed is putting it mildly)

I will always be the girl who has to sit down when she laughs too hard and no sound comes out except wheezing. Guranteed you know someone like this.

who enjoys a night in with chocolate and a duvet far more than hitting the town.

I will always be the girl who is loyal to those closest to her and likes to take time to talk.

I will always be the girl who finds it far easier to talk and far more difficult to listen.

who tries to put on a smile each day even when she is upset, yet is rubbish at not crying when feeling unwell.

I will always be the girl who cries at soppy films and laughs uncontrallably at good comedy. Who can devour a good book in a day and has to read at least a chapter of something before she can fall asleep.

I will always be the girl who takes far too many pictures and cannot bear to delete them because one day she might just need them for something. Who plans so many crafty things in her head that she cannot remember them when she has spare time

I will always be the girl that appreciates family, who will take the time out to go back home or enjoy sitting in the lounge one evening playing games together.

I will always be the girl who dreams, who comes up with unrealistic but exciting schemes (involving the boy and her ) until she is told that they might not be possible and begins another.

I will always be the girl who loves Jesus Christ and has as much chrisitan music on her i-pod as secular stuff.

I will always be the girl who works hard and appreciates a few free minutes for a cup of tea.

This is me.

xxx

Why I love Autumn

2011-09-25T12:12:00.002+01:00

Autumn has to be my favourite season. There is something magical about the colours, about the crisp coldness of the mornings and the promise of warming fruity puddings.

Autumn will forever have me in its grip simply because of the beautiful afternoon light.

Autumn also signifies the harvest, the collecting of summers riches. Large cooking apples, dark blackberries and sweet berries. Foods that make me feel especially british and homeley!

Autumn means warm layers, knitting in the evenings and thick socks.

Autumn brings more time to craft and create. I will have the time to make a new quilt whilst sitting in the lounge watching the return of Downton Abbey.

Autumn is sitting snuggled up on a sunday afternoon with a good book.

Autumn in a strange sense is often seen as things coming to a close after the summer but in other ways it signifies new beginnings. A new school term, a new job, new craft ideas and a change to what we eat.

Autumn is definitley my favourite.

What about you?

Loves xxxx

Blogging from the heart.

2011-09-18T19:52:00.005+01:00

Hi

The other day Stephanie Howell posted this and it got me thinking. I loved the fact that she felt able to post things from her heart, real life everyday things. It is all too easy really to think that a bloggers life is perfect just because they leave out the nitty gritty. So, here, I will say it now, is my nitty gritty, quirky and downright mad thoughts from the heart! You have been warned!

1. If I am being honest I find it hard that my friends are moving away to university and I am on my gap year. In a strange sense it feels like I am on page one and they have all moved on.

2. I know the above is irrational because God has placed me in this school for a reason and therefore my moving on to here is just as significant as my friends moving to university.

3. I never realised how many cups of tea a teacher can drink.

4. I also have noticed that within a day there are so little breaks that on average I visit a loo twice. In one day. Mad I know!

5. My faith has got stronger since I have started working. I think moving out of a christian environment had a lot to play on this.

6. Several children have now asked me if i have my own house. I can't decide if this a need for concern on my part of just the general ignorance of children on the amount of money a teenager has!

7. I cannot wait for payday.

8. The boy and I are moving into our fourth year together and I couldn't be more excited.

9. I have had two awkward conversations with children in the space of a day.

No. one went something like this. A little girl who is a twin turned to me and said "Miss Beach how are two babies made?"

No two. A different child was talking at supper and said "but its impossible to be pregnant if you are not married!" I didn't even try to explain why it wasn't.

10. It is my birthday in six days and yes, I am still overly excited despite the fact that I will be 19!

11. Despite being a working women and getting paid and having responsibility but sadly not a house (see 6.) I still don't feel grown up!

What is on your heart today?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Confessions of a gap.

2011-09-14T19:41:00.000+01:00

I am now a working women. Gosh! I am also a terrible blogger but I hope you will forgive my laps from the internet as the result of two weeks of pure chaos, new faces, new names and working life!

I am working in a prep school for a year under the role of a "Gap". In other words I help in lessons, on the games pitch, in the office and support a lot in the boarding house. I am a link for the children between them and the teachers. I am still on the staff but am more like a big sister.

So far it has been great if a little daunting. There is so much to take in and understand. It has been a complete shift of normality. Suddenly I am looking at school from the other side and being called "Miss Beach" rather than Abi. It has been scary moving out of my comfort zone, becoming entirely independent and have children look to me for help and guidance.

On the other hand it has been a wonderful and rewarding two weeks. Seeing the children smile at me and then grow to trust me has been so rewarding. I really enjoy working in the classroom and know that this is what I really want to do. The staff are lovely as are the children and all in all I have been made to feel very welcome. The botttom line is of course that at the end of this I am getting paid which to a poor 18yr old, is amazing!

From frequent facebook status updates, I have been keeping the world informed of the amazing things children say to me everyday. I honestly think that I will have to publish this at the end of the year becuase some of the things they do are just priceless.

A Few examples:

After lights out a little girl walks out of her room "Miss Beach, my bottom itches." I had no idea what to say to that one. I mean, what did she expect me to do?

Another time I walk into the dorm to find a girl spraying her toy sheep with hair de-tangler. It took quite a bit of pursading on my part that de tangler really wouldn't be the best thing to put on a toy animal.

The girls are also brilliant at coming out of their rooms to tell me they can't sleep! I mean, honestly, who could, standing up and talking!

My best moment has to have been though when I took reception for swimming. They were naturally very nervous and one boy decided he was going to wail rather than get in the pool. It got to the end of the session and I was in the water with them. I looked up at the boy who was watching from the side, put out my arms and asked if he wanted to come in thinking he would tentatively get in the water. Seeing my open arms he decided if he had to get in the water he best do it quickly and launched himself from the side to me. I therefore was engulfed by this four year old, clinging arms and legs to my body, his face inches from mine. He looked at me and just said "Your my best friend".

I am sure plenty more stories will come over the next few weeks. Blog posts will be here and there as I barely have a moment to make a cup of tea, let alone get on a computer, but I do have holidays so I will be blog more then. Thank you so much for your support on facebook etc.

What have you been up to these last few weeks?

Loves xxxxx

Today I am thankful

2011-08-28T18:01:00.000+01:00

Today I am thankful for:

Celebration and parties and the chance to catch up with friends before they head off to uni.

I am thankful for good weather and a chance to chat and laugh.

I am thankful for people willing to smile for a photo!

I am thankful for the boys family and the fun they created with a barn dance.

Thankful for lovely slow shutter speeds!

Thankful for beautiful warm bonfires and marshmallows to toast.

Thankful that the skewers for the marshmallows were left out so we could play silly games in the morning.

Thankful for cuddles by the fire and oversized jumpers to snuggle in.

Thankful for friendship

Thankful for this boy and a celebration of his birthday.

What are you doing over bank holiday weekend?

Loves xxx

Dear L and J

2011-08-25T18:35:00.000+01:00

Dear L and J

You two falling for each other has been one of my highlights this last year.

L, you are my best friend and J, I have known you for so long that I think of you like a brother. Seeing you two getting together therefore is like having to strands of "family" unite.

It was such an honour to take photos for you two. You are so comfortable around each other that I managed to capture some lovely and genuine moments without too much hard work!

Your relationship is flourishing and it is beautiful to watch as I see you bring out the best side of each other.

It was lovely to spend a few hours in the sun with you two on that bright day. J, I have to confess that although you thought (and still do) that this was simply a picnic with a few snapshots, it was actually me and your girlfriends ploy to get your camera shy self into a "photo shoot" We know that if we told you our real intentions you would never have come in the first place! I apologise for our deception but I think we kept the secret rather well!

Thank you for both being so willing to smile for me. I pray that as this new phase in your lives comes you will stay true to one another because if these pictures are anything to go by, I want to be at the wedding!

All my love

Abi xxx

P.S. For you photography minded people I captured most of these with a fixed 50mm lens set with an aperture of f1.8 and a shutter speed adjusted accordingly. I edited them in a program called "be funky" with boosted contrast/brightness and a vintage effect.

Holiday moments

2011-08-24T10:30:00.001+01:00

First, I want to say thank you for all your congratulations about my results. I have an amazing group of blog friends who on a wet and miserable day made me smile every few minutes as your comments came in!

Although it is tempting to fill the blog with holiday photos, I thought that for your sanity I would share just a few of my favourites.

For those of you who like the detail we visited the west side of the Island; a place called Polis which is near the city Pathos. It is quite rural and tends not to be too touristy.

We stayed in a beautiful villa with a pool in the back garden. The littlest one (who isn't really so little) is a fish in another life. He lived in it!

The Island has some lovely fishing ports; a great place to capture detailed photos.

Enjoying the sea and the sun.

There were plenty of archaeological sites including some stunning mosaics and ruins.

Beautiful and magnificent buildings. Inside these churches were the most stunning icons and paintings.

The weather was so hot so an icecream was a must have. This posh little ice cream shop had a mouth watering display. Given the chance I could have eaten most of those flavours.

Greek signs. I have no idea what this says but it looks nice!

A fun action shot of the "fish"

The villa overlooked the sea. A beautiful thing to wake up to.

Turtle nests.

We visited a waterpark. Those are slides you are looking at and incredibly both boys went on them...and enjoyed a vertical drop down a wet piece of plastic! mad.

A brief glimpse of a lovely holiday as a family.

What have you been up to?

Loves xxxx

And the results are in...

2011-08-23T10:06:00.000+01:00

On the 18th of August I got up to a beautiful sunny, hot day feeling just a little nervous.

Unlike many of my friends though I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn as for the last week I have been on holiday in cyprus.

This meant that I could check my A level results sitting outside a cypriot cafe, eating breakfast at the civilised hour of eight thirty.

I am pleased to say that... I have got into my first choice; DURHAM university!

I got:

English literature: A*
Religious studies: A
History: A

I am thrilled as it means that I don't need to worry about my university place while on my gap year.

We celebrated the day with cake and a lovely family meal.

More holiday pictures to come!

Loves xxxx

God, worship and camping

2011-08-09T11:00:00.001+01:00

Hi

Just to stop by and say I am off to Soul Survivor christian camp for the next five days so if no blog posts come, rest assured I am getting wet and cold in a field!

Have a great week.

Loves xxxx

The story of the Cat Flaps

2011-08-07T14:24:00.000+01:00

Hi

Today I am joining in with Sian's Story Telling Sunday.

There are two parts to this story

The first takes place around fifteen years ago when the middle brother was around two years old. I hasten to add that he was a two year old with a keen sense of adventure, not scared of much and rather full of himself as only a two year old can be.

We were staying at my Grandmas house and she had, much to our delight, a cat. For a two year old this was immensely exciting for with a cat came a cat flap. The middle brother never having seen one of these before promptly saw how it worked and experimented.

You can see where this is going. The adults in the lounge heard a “help” from the backdoor where they found the two year old with one arm and head through the cat flap while the rest of his body was still inside. He looked like a slightly perverse superman. My parents went on the assumption that if he got an arm and his head through he should be able to get them back and after much pushing and pulling he was free.

It is with great regret that I don't have photographic evidence of this!

The second part of this story is based loosely on the first because it again involves a cat flap. We have just moved house and one of the jobs we had to do was install a cat flap into the back door. This presented a slight problem at first owing to the fact that the backdoor keys had been left at the locked old house.

When the keys had finally arrived my mother set to ringing around half of the yellow pages in an attempt to find as she put it a “cat flap man”. The slight issue came when she tried to ask for this on the phone. Try saying “I would like a cat flap fitted” quickly! It came out more as “I would like a fat cap flitted.”

Eventually “cat flap man” came having deciphered my mother’s request and the cats natural way of life was resumed and they could once again reach the outdoors.

That was not the end though. With a new cat flap came new friends for our furry creatures. A certain furry friend that insists on sitting outside our bedroom windows after midnight issuing his cries of greeting.

My mother has naturally taken umbrage and now stores a flower sprayer filled with water by the back door in order to try and ward this cat off. Our new neighbours, I have concluded, must now have deemed us positively crazy. For two weeks we reached the back garden by going out the front door and now at about two o clock in the morning on any given night a small lady in pyjamas runs up the road spraying a cat who has decided to exercise its vocal cords.

The cat flap in short is more trouble than it is worth.

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Album artwork inspiration

2011-08-06T19:52:00.000+01:00

Hi

Today I thought I would introduce something a bit different. Something I hope to continue for a few months.
I sometimes find it difficult to get inspiration and sometimes need a picture or sketch in front of me to boost my mojo.

It was only the other day when listening to music did I realise that album artwork is incredible. Such time and effort has been put in to create that music sleeve.I decided therefore to try my hand at using one album cover as the soul source of inspiration for a layout.

It was such fun and really focused my creativity into one area. There are so many oppertunities to try this so i would LOVE it if you would join me once a month to play around with album artwork.

The rules are simple:

I will post an album cover and it is from there you can take inspiration into ANY crafty area you wish. It could be a layout, it could be a card it could simply be a blog post.

Use something from the album cover to inspire you. It could be the colours, the shapes, the photograph, the concept.

The crucial one. Use a song title from that particular album on your layout, craft project or blog post. This could be a really good starting point from which to bounce from.

Leave me a link to your post or project in the comments box so we can all gain inspiration from each other.

You ready to play along?

So. This month is All things bright and beautiful by Owl City.

I was really drawn by the shapes and minimalist simplicity of this album cover as well as the beautiful colours. I tried to incorporate this in my page with accents in a darker colour. It was great fun to do and really made me think outside the box.

"Dreams don't turn to dust" is a track from the album and seemed a fitting title for this happy couple.

So, how does this inspire you?

Loves xxx

P.S Album choices are made by artistic capability not by music taste. That said, Owl city are very good.

P.P.S The font for the album was found here.

I am Blessed// Layout

2011-08-03T14:57:00.000+01:00

I don't know if this happens to anyone else but every now and again I print a photo that means a lot. It may be because of the time it was taken, the quality of it or just simply that it is of someone special. I find myself wanting desperately to scrap this photo but because it is so precious I put far too much pressure on myself to create the "right" layout. Sound familiar or is that just me?

This picture of me and the boy was just that. It records an end of my school life, the last time I celebrated with friends and the relationship the boy and I have shared at school for three years. Knowing what I could be like I told myself there were no strings attached with this photo. I therefore went into making this page hoping to have fun rather than do the photo justice.

I have NEVER done a page like this before. There aren't many elements to it, the embelishments are scattered and what is with those leaves coming from the side of the page! That has never happened before! My mind surprised me with what I came up with. It was fun to create a page with a bit of a difference.

Along with a no pressure layout I told myself it would be a no pressure journalling page too. Therefore I steered away from what the picture means and literally let my pen flow writing about

me and the boy.

I was going to call this page I am lucky but only once I had done the journalling did I realise that actually rather than be lucky I was really blessed.

The journalling reads:

Lucky to have had your for over three years, Lucky to feel a part of your family.

Lucky that you have such a sense of humour, I am lucky to have someone who excepts my quirks.

Lucky to be so loved, lucky to call you mine.

But looking at it rather than be lucky I am really blessed.

Has a layout ever surpirsed you in how it has turned out or the direction your journalling went?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

P.S I have now framed this layout as it is a new fav. Top tip, Urban outfitters sell 12x12 black frames, two for £18. Go get! I have never found 12x12 frames before now!

A crafty life. Transition from enthusiastic toddler painter to scrapbooker.

2011-07-29T16:36:00.000+01:00

Hi

Over at High in the Sky, Sian has been doing a lovely series on her crafty life, detailing turning points in her crafty adventures. It has been a pleasure to read so I, inspired as I was, set out to create something similar.

Now, I only have eighteen years to look back on, most of which I can't remember so this may be considered a concise version of my crafty life. Or to put it a different way, there is photographic evidence to suggest that giving a paintbrush to a baby will mean they will be a crafter in later life...maybe.

So, to begin. I have always liked paper. A good start I think.

I liked paper so much that I insisted on playing with those gold paper stars. I think this may have been my way of saying "mummy, please can I have a die-cutting machine?"

My creative talents though stretched further than paper. Paint. I liked the colour blue. What? You can't tell what it is? Neither can I but I'm sure my three year old self could.

I loved drawing. I clearly remember having a draw in my bedroom just full of plain white paper which I would draw and colour on endlessly. I still find drawing very relaxing.

See that amazing blue line of sky at the top of the page? I have a very vivid memory of my Dad showing me at about this age a painting in the lounge. He pointed to the sky and showed me how it reached right down to the ground. From that time on I never drew the sky just along the top of the page.

I have never had a problem with getting messy.

This was a favourite christmas present. A box of pens, pencils and coloured paper. I spent christmas day sitting in my room drawing.

A year later and I got my first craft book. A wealth of new craft ideas was born, demonstrated in my multi coloured version of a pencil tree!

Another christmas and another craft book. This time art attack and the joys of papier mache. I was a papier mache addict for several years much to my mothers constination.

The pinnicle moment. Christmas age thirteen. I opened my present and it contained a digital camera and a scrapbook set. A hobby was born. For the first time my creative streak was chanelled into something. Over the next five years I had made five albums and countless pages.

I still indulged in my other crafts though...say nothing.

Craft slowly moved from being paint and pencils to wool, sewing and more layouts. I got published in scrapbook magazines and started to discover more scrapbooking on the internet. I completed my art GCSE and took up photography A level. I also got my first DSLR camera.

My eighteenth birthday. Most people ask for a car, jewellery etc. I asked for a sewing machine and if I am honest I have used it, loved it, shouted at it, cursed it, listened to it and enjoyed it far more than anything I could have asked for. I have discovered quilting, I have made my own clothes again and sewn on scrapbook pages.

My craft has moved around a different corner in the form of blogging. I am able to share creations, write tutorials, pick up advice and find new projects. Blogging has opened up a new world of people who share my love of all things paper and glue who have steadily become not only fellow enthusiasts but also friends.

I am so blessed that my parents encouraged me in my craft. It means that I will always have the tools I need to make a house a home, to record memories and express myself. It also means that for the forseeable future my room will always be littered with pieces of cotton and torn off scraps of paper.

Where has your craft taken you?

Thanks for stopping by and a big thank you to Sian for the inspiration.

Loves xxxx

A few little projects.

2011-07-28T19:24:00.000+01:00

Hi

I have been busy in terms of crafty projects this week. I find the summer is a great time to embark on some of those bigger projects I have seen and saved up.

On my last post I blogged with a set of photos I had edited. I edited them in a program called be funky which was so simple to use. It has rad. effects like that instant camera frame. Minor love affair over here. I chose around seventy ( I know, I couldn't help myself) photos and applied a vintage effect to each one as well as the instant frame effect.

I printed off this collection and got started on a new wall display in my room based on something I had seen on pinterest. It was very straight forward to do if a little fiddly. I chose my favourite photos from the last few months. The result is a colourful collection of memories.

Yesterday I sat down with mum and we embarked on another little project. Every now and again I decide to update my wardrobe and that normally involves buying fabric then trying to conceptualise the idea for the new garment. My mother could have been a seamstress she is so good. I simply told her what I wanted; a gathered skirt with a fixed waistband and a zipper and she sat down with me and we had whipped it up in under an hour. No pattern. Honest.

A sweet little dolly skirt.

Finally another, yep, another, bracelet. Seriously who doesn't love summer bracelets? This tutorial can be found here. Uber simple, very effective.

What crafty projects have you been up to recently?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxx

The days of my youth

2011-07-27T11:03:00.001+01:00

Looking back through recent pictures it has struck me how blessed I am.

Blessed to have had two whole weeks after exams to enjoy friendship and sunshine.

Blessed to have enjoyed my education

Blessed to be able to document that in photo form.

Looking at these photos my youth looks idyllic and if I am honest for those last two weeks at school it was.

More than anything I want to hold onto this, enjoy the days I have as a teenager in all their sun drenched glory.

When I am older I hope I can look back at this period in my life and know that it was one of the happiest times.

I am blessed to be having so much enjoyment in the days of my youth.

This quote really sums it up. I wanted to attach it to a photo of those carefree days. Feel free to copy or print this photo and words for your own private use.

How do you look at your teenage days?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxx

putting the pictures into action.

2011-07-24T13:13:00.001+01:00

Pinterest. My love affair ( the boy doesn't really understand!). I have a whole board devoted to craft DIY. There are literally hundreds of projects I see everyday and think "oh, I could make that."

I figured though after looking at this that I had better stop browsing and dreaming and actually put some of those pictures and ideas into action.

Source

So, I saw this and fell in love. It isn't actually a DIY but a canvas for sale. It is beautiful but rather expensive so I decided that it couldn't be too difficult to make myself.

Source

I simply stuck a piece of 12x12 on thick cardboard and got out my letter stickers. Thickers work very well for this ( I grudgingly admit) as well as large chipboard letters. I also used fairly flat stickers for a more subtle effect.

A word to the wise, try and use pale coloured stickers otherwise covering them in cream paint is a long job! I stuck my words on in vague heart shaped patterned and got to covering them in magnolia wall paint. Really easy and relaxing and voila a simple wall hanging which I am intending to frame for a fraction of the price of the original.

This was something else that I saw and fell in love with. This is linked to a comprehensive DIY.

Source

A very easy make. I used coordinating patterned papers on the wooden blocks and then rather than put photos on them I put letter stickers. The pictures would be a cute idea though!

Is there anything you have found on pinterest and made? I would love to know!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Going Postal

2011-07-19T17:17:00.001+01:00

The other day when browsing blogs I came across this lovely project from Julie Kirk. The aim is to create or blog about something postal and then it will be pinned and shared on Julie's board on pinterest. It can literally be anything!

Well this got me excited because who doesn't love old postage stamps, air mail envelopes and paper parcels wrapped up in string (cue "sound of music")

I did ponder a post on old letters however I stumbled across this old photo when clearing out the photo albums. It was crying for a page and although there is nothing remotely postal attached to it, postal embellishment looked really nice with it.

There is something timeless about decorating a page with postage stamps. The airmail edging on an envelope made a lovely border. I continued the postal theme with my own handwriting and flowers made from book pages. It is quite a simple page but the soft elements give it a dreamy quality which is what I was aiming for.

Because there is no real story attached to the picture, the postal theme gave me some direction and in my opinion makes the layout unified. Reuslt me thinks! Thanks for the prompt Julie!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

P.S I showed the picture to my Mum and she told me it was taken when we were on holiday. Yep, so there is a tennuous postal link. sweet!

Garlands and Tutorial

2011-07-18T16:26:00.000+01:00

Hi

I have recently moved house and when a girl is faced with a new room she has to decorate right?
As seen from previous posts my addiction to bunting knows no bounds.

Well the addiction for garlands I think may be eclipsing that, especially now I have joined pinterest and seen so many lovely things to make.
Garlands are light, easy to string up, pretty and quick to make.

This is my take on a really simple pinwheel style.

1. First to make the strips. I used a second hand book and took a page at a time and cut it in half lengthwise. You will need quite a lot as three strips make on pinwheel.

2. Concertina fold the strip until it looks like this.

Then fold in half and glue together.

3. Once you have made three of them you can see that together they make a nice circle. Again glue the outside fold of one to the other to join them up.

4. Any sort of twine or string works for this project. There should be a small whole in the pinwheel so push the twine through this.

5. For added colour I then cut out circles of a floral patterned paper and sandwiched the twine inbetween them like so.

6. Voila! A pretty garland.

Garlands look beautiful strung up above windows so when the breeze blows they flutter gently.

A lovely summer addition to a room.

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxxxxxx

Scrapbook secrets.

2011-07-15T18:05:00.002+01:00

I have a confession. In fact several confessions regarding scrapbooking.You ready?

I stick EVERYTHING down with prit-stick. I have tried other things, tape, glue dots etc, Prit stick is so much simpler. Wipe on, turn over, stick. And, it stays. the same cannot be said for re positional tape. I should know.

I get overly excited walking into a DIY store. There are a hundred and one things to use on a page. Don't even get me started on the wall paper section. The trouble is, my enthusiasm for hardware stores has lead my Mum to be overly enthusiastic too. Today we walked into habitat (homeware I know but close enough) and she found this incredible roll of alphabet tape. She got very excited showing me especially when it was only 50p! Good find mum!

I order my photos online. I know it is perhaps easier to print them out myself but the quality is awful. I also don't think I can effictively pursade my family that getting a 12x12 printer is an "investment piece". Online is cheap, 10p a picture and on most companies if you sign uop you get forty free anyway.

I organise my paper in colours. Cardstock and patterned together. Each section is neatly labeled. All the scraps are also colour sorted. Slightly OCD I know, but hey, it works for me.

I have a speical box of my favourite paper. I don't know if anyone else finds this but if I put new paper in with the old I tend to forget it. Therefore this box contains all of my new pieces so I can really make the most of them! Reading back, this is strange. You can be forgiven for thinking I am barmy.

I don't own a single paper punch. Therefore naturally no photo! I think it is because they are quite expensive. If I had one I would probably use it quite a lot but I have coped without for so long that I can never see the point of getting on. I prefer cutting by hand.

I scrapbook listening to Harry Potter. Stephen Fry reads so well and it is lovely to listen to a novel whilst I craft.

I cover my desk in newspaper so it isn't wrecked by paint etc. I scrapbook and lots of ideas come to my head so I scribble these on the newspaper around the edge of the page I am making.

I don't use or really like thickers. There, I said it. Shoot me.

What are your scrapbook secrets? Are mine totally outrageous or are there those of you who are actually similar to me?!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Big Changes

2011-07-10T10:51:00.000+01:00

With the end of school come some seriously big changes. I have never been one for change and this is change in its biggest form.

Not only do I lose a sense of security in not being at school there is also a sense of change for the boy and me. We have been together three years and for most of those three years we have seen each other every day. Next year I am taking a gap year and he is off to uni. I have had to come to realise that it won't be as straightforward as being at school.

Thankfully we have had a lot of practice with being over two hours away from each other on school holidays. Still, it is something that is going to take a bit of getting used to. At first these changes really scared me but I have come to realise that this is a natural transition. Life has to move on and I have to adapt to that.

One form of therapy for this is to scrapbook it. I wanted to make a totally different page with lots of journalling. I wanted to document the memories and good times the boy and I have had as well as addressing the changes that are up ahead and the list of "safety mechanisms" we can use to make sure we still keep in contact.

The page came together very easily. Just three simple pictures and then different journalling spots. I moved these elements around the page until I was happy with the composition. I then added scraps of paper to add colour. Allthough the page is quite girly I tried to grunge it a bit with staples and distressing.

More than anything the page represents a turning point and recognition. Rather than running away from the worries of the next year I have tried to put them down on paper. In a strange sense it is a form of rationality for a very irrational person!

There are big changes ahead but also really exciting ones!

What big changes have you had to face recently? Advice would be grreatly appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxxx

New Layout//pinterest love.

2011-07-08T14:40:00.000+01:00

Hi

News flash, I have made a new layout! I didn't realise how long it was until I went through my albums. I think what with revision and exams my mind was not focused enough to sit down with pretty paper. In any case it would have felt wrong not to give a new box of paper the time and attention it deserves!

Thankfully my mojo hasn't totally disappeared and this page came together really easily. For the first time I used a patterned paper as a background. I love the effect. It actually gave me much more freedom to lay off the embellishments as there was less empty space to fill.

I also experimented with "clashing" colours and patterns. I wanted a fair ground feel to the page hence the tickets, raffia ties and colours.

I have also discovered paper bunting. One major love affair. The boy better look out!

On a totally different topic, I have joined pinterest. I know I am slightly late but figured joining in the middle of my exams would be a mistake. That was confirmed when I spent the better part of this morning pinning and re pinning. It is very addictive but also very useful. I can collate a lot of ideas, inspiration and layouts in one place. Amazing and so aesthetically pleasing.

So if you are around please stop by and follow.

Hope you are having a lovely few days.
Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Fill us up and send us out.

2011-07-04T19:38:00.000+01:00

Hi

My first post as a school leaver! My school did a fantastic leavers weekend. Prize giving, leavers lunch, a ball and a chapel service. It was a lovely way to go out. Very emotional and daunting but also exciting!

So, i thought I would share a few photos of the ball because who doesn't love a beautiful dress?!

The boy and I. The best occasion to get lovely pictures when we are both dressed up.

Beautiful hair, sunshine and pimms.

A last chance to chill with great friends.

The boy cracks me up.

Cream was a popular choice! We look like four bridesmaids!

The girl leavers.

My boys. The Boy and the middle brother.

The theme was Parisian so there were purple and red balloons everywhere and this sweet bike outside the marquee.

The family. It is a shame that the littlest couldn't be there but as he isn't in the sixth form he cannot come to the ball.

My favourite picture of the night. Taken by my school nurse who is an incred. photographer.

These literally only give a snapshot of the night. It was such fun to spend a last evening with what I hope will be life long friends. The ball ended at midnight and my year then went round the bonfire till the early hours of the morning when we watched the sun rise. An incredible evening and a lovely way to end.

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

P.S The title is in reference to a Tim Hughes song called God of justice. The lyric "fill us up and send us out" I think sums up how I feel about leaving school.

A small person far away

2011-06-29T16:09:00.000+01:00

Yesterday for the last time I started to pack up my trunk.

Seven years ago I brought my trunk home from the school shop. It was so large I could fit inside it. (yes, it is a fun game!) It had classic metal locks and a dark green finish.

Together my Dad and I sat down and painted my name across it in large wobbly gold letters. As my Mum got through the mountain of name tapes I sat down and wrote out my kit list, sticking it to the inside of the lid in case we forgot anything.

We then started to fill it. Fill it with the regulation number of shirts and skirts, shoes and games kit. Books were piled in along with things that might be needed to help a small person far away from home.

Over the years that trunk has been unpacked and packed numerous times. It has been heaved up stairs and dropped on toes. It has had serious arguments over, namely as to how I can possibly take so many clothes and do I really need them all. It has been forced closed on more than one occassion.

All those memories came back in a flood when I opened it again last night. The same trunk smell and the same kit list remain. There was the typical mulch in the bottom; old posters, pens and secret notes.

For the last time it will be filled to be taken home, The duvet will be popped in the top on the last day of term and the treasures and momentos of my last year at school will be placed around it.

And at the bottom of the trunk is a stack of letters, neatly adressed. Letters from my Mum to me. Letters spanning those seven years. Letters to her small person far away. A small person who for the last time is coming home from school.

Thanks for stopping by.

Loves xxxx

Sunday Storyboard.

2011-06-27T09:40:00.000+01:00

Thanks for stopping by.

Loves xxxx

The moment

2011-06-24T14:38:00.000+01:00

Stephanie wrote this post the other day and reading it really hit home.

As a scrapbooker I think I do get hung up on the photo, the composition and the light. In my head each picture needs to say a lot, needs to have great depth of field.

The bottom line of this is it doesn't. That in actual fact that fleeting moment on film is what I want to record. I want to document the moment not the photo.

Looking on these photos I won't remember the shutter speed but the laughter.

Rather than see the bad composition I will see the face that for a fleeting moment is pensive before he cracks into another joke.

Rather than hate photos of me I will treasure the fact that the boy takes an interest in photography and took the time to point the lens at me.

Rather than see the shot of the back of my head I will see the moment when he pulled a face and I creased up.

Rather than record the poses I will record the candid scenes.

Rather than focus on the photo. This Summer the next goal is to focus on the story.

More on these photos the day, the story and the sweet couple I took photos of later.

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxx

Crafted bracelets

2011-06-20T17:03:00.000+01:00

True to form I have started on my summer goals.

Red nail varnish- check.

Crafted bracelets- check.

I have had such fun playing around making these the last few days. All are so easy and in most cases super quick.

Blue fabric bracelet- my own design. Simply make a tube of fabric right sides together, turn inside out. fold in half lengthwise then half again. Tie and knot.

Square knot bracelet- tutorial here. Very quick and easy.

Nut bracelet- here. Bit more fiddly.

Friendship bracelet- here. takes quite a long time.

You may have noticed the blog has had a little facelift. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by

loves xxxxx

The end of an education// goals for this summer

2011-06-18T17:09:00.000+01:00

The end of my education. I officially finished my exams on Thursday. I cannot explain how weird it feels to wake up in the morning and know that I have no work, no revision and no exams to prepare for.

The boy and I were discussing the fact that we cannot remember a time in the last three years when we haven't had something on at school or work to do! For me I will have no work for a year as I am on a gap year next- a very bizarre thought.

The end of the last exam was a typical rush of hugs, huge grins, shrill squeaks and champagne. Then we did what girls do best...open the chocolates and watch films!

With the end of exams comes a whole set of summer goals. Little things I have been saving for this time of freedom:

Make a new patchwork quilt possibly to cover my whole bed!

Document my summer in a mini book.

Go strawberry picking- lots!

Take more pictures in the sun. Play around with different shutter speeds and effects.

Make a new skirt or dress.

buy some espadrilles.

Paint my nails red.

Fill my wrist with crafted bracelets- as you can see this one is in the making! Tutorial here.

So... a few things to keep me busy then. If anyone knows any great sites for tutorials could you drop me a link? Thank you.

On a side note you may have noticed the new button in my sidebar. This is link with love. A new movement set up to try and credit images and artwork to their owner. On the Internet it is so easy to take other peoples work and forget that time, money and thought have gone into it. Hopefully through this we can encourage people to link up with original owners and thus share work with love! More info can be found here.

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Variation on the theme of Bunting

2011-06-12T11:13:00.000+01:00

Hi

This is a post I was meaning to do at the end of half term however revision and exams came in the way!

I am an unashamed bunting lover and as seen on this post, I am finding ways to make mini bunting because in my opinion mini bunting is sweeter and cuter than the full sized version! And miniature size things are always better aren’t they? (yes I am a small person!)

So... in a form of experimentation from the first set of mini bunting I set to find a way to make quick bunting that was slightly more durable because while the last set was nice, it won’t last for long!

The result....

It is so simple to make and fairly quick too.

1. Take your chosen material and fold it in half. My triangles were literally cut by eye- life is too short for measuring!

2. Cut the triangle so the shortest edge is on the fold like so.

3. Keep cutting triangles until you feel that that is an adequate amount to string around your room.

4. 4. Keeping the triangle folded (you could iron it down but again, life is too short) sew the two long edges making sure you leave about 1cm before the fold.

5. This will become a tube to push the string through.

6. Sew all the bunting pieces like this and then thread the string through the little tunnels.

7. Sew the bottom of the tunnel under the string. This is an optional step. I just like how it finishes them off.

8. Voila! One string of bunting.

The other advantage with this sort of bunting is that it is far easier to tie somewhere!

Hope you are having a lovely week?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

The day the laundry bag died

2011-06-05T12:25:00.000+01:00

Hi all

Today I am joining in with Sian's storytelling Sunday.

Over 7 years ago I was getting ready for my first real adventure that was boarding school. To an eleven year old who was an avid Harry Potter fan, the thought of boarding school was exciting and daunting to say the least, enhanced when her parents brought home a trunk with metal locks (I know- exciting!)

In typical boarding school style, a kit list arrived in the post and on that list was..One laundry bag.

My Mum knowing that the transition to boarding school would be difficult decided that we would make a bag together.

I hasten to add that my Mum could have been a seamstress I swear. She rarely needs a pattern and can make a skirt in an afternoon! So, mother and daughter sat down with the bag of fabric scraps. Scraps from old dungarees, curtains, trousers and torn skirts.

Together we chose material, material that felt nice, looked colourful and fitted together. We sat down and pinned, cut and pieced. Then her feeding the material through the machine and me on the pedal we set to making my laundry bag her shouting stop every time we came to a pin!

Once the patchwork outside was made we made a simple lining out of jolly yellow fabric and threaded a lovely purple cord through the top- voila! One laundry bag.

But... how to name it. I hasten to add that in the boarding school world every thing has to be named, from your hockey stick to your underwear. My Mum then came up with the idea of applique initials. Out of the same yellow fabric I drew large childish letters and clumsily sewed them on in... you guessed it...purple cotton! ha ha!

For seven years now that laundry bag has hung in various boarding school dorms. Filled up periodically with dirty washing to be sent to matron and as I've got older to be washed myself. Each holdiay it has come back home brimming with dirty games kit. It has been accidentally left at homes numerous times and thus has been posted on more than one occasion.

This holiday I picked it up and realised that it was little worse for wear. In fact it probably would only survive a few more weeks . I think it is a fitting end that the end of my school career coincides with the end of a bag that a little girl and her mum made to bring a personal touch to a slightly scary new world.

Bring on a new project for uni!

Loves xxxx

The boy

2011-06-03T15:46:00.000+01:00

Happy Friday

Today is a combination of ideas of thoughts and pictures. I have been talking about the boy on here from day one and he makes occassional appearences in the odd picture or two. That said though he rarely gets a whole post to himself. (yes, I am about to do a post on the boy and if you wish to switch off that is cool by me!)

*The boy is called that because he wishes I keep some form of his indentity hidden but also because he is younger than me. months not years but still. The boy he has been.*

This Boy:
Was fairly quiet
Didn't really like having his photo taken- he did not know what he was getting himself in for!
Was one of the most gentle people I have ever met.
But had the most rock hard faith and morals.
Had a rad. sense of humour.

This Boy:
was all of the above
was more confident
introduced me to his family
did the most incredible impressions
could pick me up and spin me round.
kissed me in the rain

This Boy:
was all of the above
had enough meds to stock a chemist
worked so hard but found time for me too.
humoured by need for photos.
listened to indie music

This Boy:
Is all of the above
makes me laugh till I cry
laughs and mimicks me when I am unreasonably grouchy.
plays the bass
still beats me at pool
is the perfect gentleman- carrying my bag to my boarding house each day.
finishes my sentences.

And looking at three years worth of pictures, this boy isn't a boy anymore. He's my man.

Love you.

Thanks for stopping by xxxx

Simple equations

2011-06-01T17:18:00.000+01:00

The problem: Bunting is beautiful
Bought ready made is expensive

The Solution: Crafting is fun
Making is quick and cheap.

Simples!

I am an an unashamed bunting lover and also an unashamed teenager who's bunting love does not extend to her purse.

What to do? raid the box of fabric cut offs and russle something up.

The result is a new love affair with miniature bunting. Envision tiny little triangles trailing all the way round the room! In love!

This bunting is so simple to make. I didn't use a template just simply cut out triangles from eye. The result is a quirky mix of sizes and patterns. I then fed them one by one through the sewing machine in exactly the same way I did this tutorial.

*warning- limit yourself on the number of sweet little triangles you cut out because if you are anything like me, you will keep feeding them through the machine until you have miles of bunting (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!)*

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

My idea of bliss

2011-05-30T19:39:00.000+01:00

Hi

Back home, in my own bed, good food, hot chocolate and time for me. playing with paper, feeling soft fabric and hearing the clean snip of the scissors. I have so many creative ideas buzzing around my head at the moment and hopefully they will materialise into something that can be posted up here.

For now a document of hands at work doing what I love most (Take that last statment out for revising though!)
This post inspired by this

Pinning

Cutting

Piecing

Clearing

Playing

Revising

Folding

Flying

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Snapshots of life

2011-05-22T21:36:00.000+01:00

Hi

Posts have been thin on the ground lately, revision and work is being piled on and the best this shameful blogger can do is take hundreds of pictures in the hope that she will find a slither of time in which to post them.

Taking Snapshots. A record of a final term at school. A frozen moment of laughter. recording the details.
One day I figure I will look back on these posts and be glad that I took the time to record the memories, take the photos.
Little details of life as an eighteen year old...

Rounders fun with the boarding house

silly faces, good friends, fresh air. Summer 2011

Pancake making on a sunday afternoon-boarding school style (yes, we were making them on the ping pong table!)

Competitive male dominated table football!

Spending time with this man and forcing him relunctantly into photoshoots!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

I promise me..

2011-05-11T20:50:00.000+01:00

This last term of school I promise me that...

I will take time to do the things I love, I won't stress over the little arguments, the disagreements, the stresses and the chores.

I will appreciate where I am, the people I am around, the comfort of somewhere I know. I will appreciate the pastoral care I get at school.

I will focus on work. I will get the grades I need but I will find time to relax. I'll work and not feel stressed and play and not feel guilty.

I will find the time to go and shop in my favourite places. The small unique shops where I can run my hands over bolts of beautiful fabric.

I will fall more in love with my family. I'll look out for my brothers and not take home for granted.

I will make time for the quirky, the funny and the eccentric.

I will decorate with beautiful paper.

I'll make sure I go to bed with a clear head each night, trying not to worry.

I will find time to snuggle up in bed and read.

I will appreciate the fact that I can see the boy every day. I'll appreciate every moment we have.

I will be creative.

I will worship my God.

I will laugh.

Thanks for stopping by

The royal wedding

2011-05-02T16:55:00.000+01:00

One amazing day, a stunning bride who's dress I love, a very sweet groom "you look beautiful" a crazy amount of people by the palace and TWO balcony kisses. I loved the royal wedding- especially watching it in a room full of girls! there were a few clearing of throats and lots of ooohs and ahhhs.

Here are just a few snapshots from our fun day at school- yes we still had a few lessons!

What did you do to celebrate the wedding?

Loves xxxxxxxxxx

Highlights from rowing camp

2011-04-26T12:07:00.000+01:00

Hi all

Well I am back after an amazing ten days in sunny hot France. In typical fashion I took hundreds of pictures so have just included some of my favourites here...

wash from the speedboats, a lovely symmetrical line of moored boats, cooling those feet off and rowing, the main point of the ten days!

The big room in the boathouse where we worked and eat; yes revision did happen! oh look the boat picture again..oops!, an amazing wall in the way into town, a lovely tree lined avenue.

One big cathedral, crazy rides at the fair which I felt sick just looking at! A HUGE candy floss-this wasn't the biggest size! The castle which in my opinion looks like a disney one!

It was a great ten days. lots of rowing, lots of shouting for me (I am a cox), plenty of work and a nice time to relax and get a tan!

Back to school this evening...booh!

Hope you have all had a fab week, what have you been up to?

Loves xxx

row your boat.

2011-04-13T18:00:00.000+01:00

Hi

Just a brief note to say that over the next ten days I will be spending a lot of time doing this in Sunny France.

Rowing camp is a great chance to get away as there are no phones, internet or tv's. I will therefore bid goodbye to blog land for the next week and a bit. Have a great few days!

loves xxxx

Sketch challenge for Sarah's cards.

2011-04-12T15:43:00.000+01:00

Hi

I want to share a Layout today that I have been making the last few days in stolen moments from revision!
I followed the sketch on Sarah's cards blog which can be found here.

I don't tend to use circles a lot in my pages so it was great for me to move out of my comfort zone. I flipped the sketch 90 degrees clockwise and worked from there. I started making the Layout with just a circle base but after finishing I found it needed a bit more depth to stop it looking crowded so I stuck it on a sheet of Kraft.

I have been meaning to make a page about blogging for so long and needed the perfect picture before I started. My old Blog header was perfect and had such deep colours so it was fun to pair it with these pale colours.

I tried to include aspects of my blogging in the elements of the page. therefore like my background i focused on it being shabby chic. I put buttons in there to emphasise the love of sewing, the stacked up paper for lots of ideas. Letters to emphaise all that typing and paint for a tad of mess! A few butterflies crept in there as well! Oh, and top tip, to make lovely glossy embellishments, coat them in nail varnish (I used a light bronze on the butterflies) Works a treat!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Dear Abi

2011-04-10T19:08:00.000+01:00

Dear me of nearly a year ago. Regarding this post

Stop stressing. I know exams are just around the corner but they come and they go and the world will keep turning. I promise.

Trust me in a years time there will be more exams, oh and a word of warning. Work for that history exam because trust me it is paying off now having only two subjects to revise for.

From experience as well, don't wake up so early to finish an essay. yep, it needs to be done but sleep is just as important. You will feel that early morning for the rest of the week. Sunday is your chance to lie in so use it! In a years time you will have far more on your plate than you do now so make sure you get your "down time". If you don't know what I am on about have a chat with the boy who is a master of it.

The RS will be fine and you are right to keep practicing, it pays off, trust me.

Keep going on the those pictures. They are lush. The video for photography turns out great. Try it in black and white- will save a bit of time!

Oh, and those prefect interviews, keep cool. It works out great ;)

A few lessons for the coming year...
you will get to the middle of september and life will come on top of you faster than you can keep it going. Breathe, count to ten and don't stress over the little things.

Take time for the boy and don't worry if you can't see each other. He is still thinking about you despite the fact you delude yourself into thinking he isn't.

Your blog will get periodically blocked by the school most of lent term. Don't scream or cry despite wanting to. Vent to the boy by all means and utilise friends who have computers at home! It will get unblocked eventually.

Biggest lesson you will learn this year though is to RELAX. hence why during Easter in 2011 you will get up to this...

this.

This

and this..

and yep, it is April and yeah you are in shorts! Incredible!

Love your older (not so much wiser) self. xxx

Thanks for stopping by. Can't wait to read this post a year on!

A Patchwork in numbers

2011-04-08T12:11:00.001+01:00

3 different materials

49 handcut squares

each one 5x5 inches

40 ish pins

2 cotton reels

6 days start to finish

1 piece of batting

4 border strips sewn together

1 old sheet used for the backing- genius!

3 bobbins of cotton used up.

2 different tutorials combined. Found here and here.

1 major calamity regarding a border and uncooperative corners!

1 understanding mother who fixed said calamity.

3 very pin-pricked fingers.

2 (ish) hours hand sewing the back of the border

10.30 pm, 1 finished, slightly wonky, nice and soft, colourful quilt

and...one very chuffed girl who has plans (much to her mothers constination) to make one to fit her whole bed. Watch this space!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Right this moment.

2011-04-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

I am..

Loving the sunshine that I woke up to this morning.

enjoying the temperature rise

amazed that the blossom I photographed a few days ago is now nearly gone.

loathing being stuck inside revising when I would love to be outside enjoying the unexpected weather.

benefiting from ten minute bounces on the trampoline in revision breaks.

laughing a the state of the table after three children decide to work there.

expectant for a parcel of sewing things to arrive in the post. Which it has just done! Miracle!

pondering when the flip flops will break out (worn with jeans obviously!)

experimenting with a bracelet tutorial online- more to come on that.

stuck on a scrapbook page.

jealous of our cat!

Thanking you for stopping by! xxxxxx

The story of the audio tapes

2011-04-04T12:15:00.001+01:00

Hi, Today I am joining in with Sian's storytelling Sunday. For the observant of you, it is now monday but I love stories and this was too good an oppertunity to miss, Hope that is ok Sian?!

When we were very young, to while away a long journey in the car we would listen to audio tapes. This was back in the days when CD's were new and hip and an i-pod hadn't even been thought of. Story books are big in our household. Bed time reading was a ritual that happened without fail after baths in the evening. It was only natural then that our favourite tapes in the car were stories.

We all had our favourites. Maximus the church mouse was high up on the list as was Tintin when we got slightly older. My favourites were Anne of Green Gables and The Railway Children but naturally these were not often listened to in the car with two younger brothers!

The Story that we all loved most though was Winnie the Pooh. I hasten to add that this wasn't the disney version. This was the original text by AA Milne and read by Alen Bennett. The stories in their sweetest most simple form with brilliant voices for all the characters. Our all time favourite part of the audio tape though was when Piglet believes he has caught a heffalump in the trap he and pooh makes. His squeals of alarm had my brothers and I howling with laughter for minutes.The tape was played so many times that we could often recite large sections.

The story of the audio tapes doesn't end there.

I still have the tape in my room and every now and again put it on.

Winnie the Pooh is an icon in our household and it is normal for a family member to enter a room and cry "hello everybody" in a very good impression of tigger.

The story of Winnie the Pooh is one that traced through my childhood and one that still makes me smile!

"Owl," said Pooh. "I've thought of something."

"Astute and Helpful Bear," said Owl.

Pooh looked proud at being called a stout and helpful bear, and said modestly that he had just happened to think of it.

The House at Pooh Corner

"I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words bother me."

Thanks for stopping by xxx

Mothers Day and Patchwork progress

2011-04-03T21:39:00.000+01:00

Hi

Today we had a really lovely time celebrating Mummy's! the boys and I treated her to a new necklace, a card and then we headed to church where we gave her a flower! Such a nice day in my opinion!

I made the card with my favourite October afternoon papers and love the way it turned out. I am really into "clashing" colours at the moment like pink, orange and red. Don't you just love the little girl and boys!

Yesterday I started on the patchwork. The cutting the pieces has to be the most boring thing but hey! I figured the neater I was here, the easier it would be later! I then took over half the lounge lying the pieces out...

I used squares that were 5x5 inches. It is a square patchwork with alternating colours to my design. I juggled the pieces around and found I was most happy with them in a square 7 squares by 7.

I then started sewing them in pairs and then in rows. At this stage the youngest brother belived I was making a, in his words "foot blanket"! So that is now what my patchwork quilt is being called! ha ha!

After I had pieced the patchwork in rows I started pressing the seams. Necessary but oh so boring!

The next bit was so exciting: joining the rows together! I am pleased with how it has come out. There are perhaps a few wonky seams but it looks neat and at the end of the day it will just be thrown on the bed for myself.

I am now waiting for the wadding to arrive in the post and the binding fabric. This will be the fiddly bit but it is a learning curve and I am enjoying it. I am glad I started on a small patchwork, anything bigger would have been quite daunting!

What have you been up to this weekend? Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

Walks among the blossom

2011-04-02T17:46:00.000+01:00

Hi all

Home at last! So far, I have made and started eating an awesome coffee and walnut cake, made a mothers day card that I will share soon and started a revision timetable. Productive I'd say!

We have this lovely tree in the back garden that comes out in the most beautiful blossom at this time of year. Naturally I was out with my 50mm lens snapping some depth of field shots. they turned out well and after a bit of playing around they are some of my favourites...

But...I have a dilemma. I like them so much that I have made two possible blog headers! One (the feet) is at the top of the blog and the other is here. Which one do I pick??? I really have no preference so would love it if you could give your opinions!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Inspiration from English

2011-03-31T16:05:00.000+01:00

Hi All

The end of term is fast approaching and the moods are turning slightly fragile! I think a lot of people need some time away from school! Including me!

The other day I was sitting in english talking over revision and these four words came up. Besides being very good indicator words for an essay they are also fab words to create something a bit special. I think this may be turning into a layout soon!

Please feel free to copy this and use it for your own use.

Off to finish the packing now and hoepfully the next post you will hear from me will be back at home!

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxxx

Patchwork dreaming

2011-03-28T15:35:00.000+01:00

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxxxx