lighter, brighter

And so it is, I find myself drawn back here. To my little journal of makey bakey capers and random mumblings. I’ve been so long away that I hardly know how to dive back in.

The chaos of mamahood has been as ever, all consuming shades of overwhelming loveliness....and exhaustion!

Forever spinning plates and drinking cold cups of tea.

lemon, mint, lime & teal

Today has been the coldest day that I've felt in my bones for ages. 

We shuddered and held hands tightly as we quick stepped to school, braving the snowy drifts and icy winds. 

Snow? It is March. MARCH! I tell thee!!!

Anyway, still feeling defiantly springy I'm surrounding myself with springy colours, mothers day daffs and some recent 1970's treasures which have been cheering and brightening these dark wintery days.

Mint green teapot {no mark} £2.50 

J & G Meakin 'Galaxy' casserole pot £2 

Mushroom pot {no mark} £2 

✴ the unintentional vase, part two

I really can't resist looking out for unusual, or unexpected, vessels for pretty florals.

There is something so charming and quirky about filling an old tin can or bottle with a bunch of delicate blooms. 

And such nifty, thrifty chic to boot. 

I found this decanter {cut glass, or dare I wonder, lead crystal, perhaps??} in the local charity shop the other day. 

I only nipped out for cat food. 

It was missing it's stopper which I think contributed towards its very respectable price tag of £1.

I gave it a good clean in hot soapy water and tied a scrap of pointe shoe ribbon around the neck, filling it with the prettiest rose tinted lisianthus.

Keep a look out in charity and junk shops for anything imperfect. That is, missing a lid or a stopper, or a handle or perhaps even has small chips and cracks. They make the loveliest and thriftiest of vases.

In case you are wondering, part one was these pretty milk/cream jugs which I filled with bluebells. Although these are perfectly perfect and are also used for their original purpose, they sometimes like to moonlight as flower vessels! 

Who can blame them?!

Taking part in Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

✴ happy monday

I've been flower mad recently. Dismayed at the lack of floral prettiness in my garden I've been researching the diy option and along the way have discovered a vast array of paper and fabric flower tutorials on t'internet. 

I'm normally crafting fake fabric flowers and twirly, ruchy, frilly bits for hats and headdresses so it was quite pleasing to find some ideas of the paper variety and the larger and more decorative the better.

So on friday afternoon me and the little lady sat at the kitchen table and buzzed away in our little creative spaces, me with cutting and pleating these petals while she got messy with paint and brushes.....

{we are still trying to comb dried paint out of her hair...}

This giant poppy was made from a Martha Stewart tutorial. I changed it slightly, using fabric as well as paper and stuck a large vintage button in the centre. I must say it was a sheer delight to make and pretty simple and quick too. 

This one ended up as a gift for a birthday girl. It was such a calming and relaxing pastime that I'm sure I'll be making more, watch this space....

Happy flower filled week. x

✴ start of the season

I think we can now most definitely say that wedding season is upon us. As someone who works with beautiful brides and spends most days looking lovingly at wedding inspirations I think there can be no better kick off with all things weddingy than with the recent nuptials of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Did you watch? I spent the day with two lovely hat wearing ladies and we supped bubbly and ate breakfast and supped bubbly and ate lunch and then just supped bubbly. 

We gasped and we oohed and we ahhed at the sublime beauty of Miss M in her beautiful gown. 

Imagine how hit-the-roof excited I then was to discover that my dear, and oh so talented friend, had been a special stitcher of that most famous frock. She was one of the embroiderers from The Royal School of Needlework. How gobsmacked was I?? The BEST KEPT SECRET bar none! 

You can read all about it here.

So, buzzing with this knowledge and therefore reckoning that if I spent the weekend congratulating and stroking the arm of said friend and royal stitcher {ok not the whole weekend, that would be weird} then indeed I could conclude that I am only one very petite person away from that most famous frock......that's how it works in my head anyway....

Not surprising then, that my space is of the bridal kind this week. 

With finishing of some pieces and the beginnings of others. Working on new brass pieces with vintage lace and quartz crystal, ideas brewing for these teeny tiny brass lockets, baby blue grosgrain ribbon, cinderella style tulle bows and finding inspiration in delicate forget-me-not flowers.

I feel compelled to doth my feathery fascinator style cap in awe to the brit style front cover of Grazia and the utterly brilliant headline "Arise McQueen Kate". Well done Grazia.

More Creative Spaces at Kootoyoo.

✴ light & space

I'm still milking this sickness with a hacking cough which is keeping me awake most nights. So not good. Especially now the weather is turning a rosy pink and sunlight blue of springy perfection. Today was glorious, although perhaps less so with a bad nights sleep and a morning meeting to discuss pensions...followed by a meeting to discuss building plans { the trials and tribulations of which are a post in itself which will have to wait for another day - yay! lets talk building regs.......Zzzzzz......}.

Did I mention I have a new desk...? I can't recall........maybe I mentioned it just once.....?!! 

Anyhoo, I'm just loving my new space the light around which is just divine and makes me wonder if BD {before desk} I wasn't just stitching away in a little gloomy cave in the dining room. Like a hobbit.

Note to self~ check quality of stitching in new well lit space on work done BD.

I'm finding in my current state of 'below par' that the simple and quite relaxing task of glueing resin flower cabochons onto hair grips is about all I can muster. But I'm loving in nonetheless.

My Creative Space at Kootoyoo.

✴ happy monday

I think to call this a happy monday may be a bit of an overstatement. With a bad nights sleep thanks to a wide awake toddler, a croaky and disappearing voice and a desperately gloomy dark day, this is not a great start to a hopefully happy and productive week! 

My friend gave me this lovely bunch of narcissus flowers at the weekend. So beautifully delicate and heavenly scented they are, sitting innocently and unassuming on the mantlepiece. I keep catching wafts of their perfumed loveliness as I walk past and it is indeed lifting my spirits and sending a message that spring is just around the corner.

I wish you all a happy monday. x

✴ seed heads

Autumnal walks on bright crisp days collecting seed heads. Always amazed at the beauty in the dead and dying flora at this time of year. 

I think these spidery seed heads just look so beautiful in their dark skeletal form simply placed in a pressed glass vase on an off white vintage doily and rare October sunlight casting delicate shadows. So pretty, so simple.

I'm so in awe of the beautiful prints by Angie Lewin, of seed heads, feathers, grasses and other natural forms. Love the fabric from St Jude's. I'm dreaming of cushion covers and framed prints in a bright new kitchen destined for next year....

 Always inspired at this time of year for it's design inspirations, colours, textures and influences.

✴ she says...

It's turning chilly, she says.... Not so. Today was glorious. Oh, bank holiday weekend weather, how I doubted you.

At Wisley today, because, well, we thought the weather would be rubbish and didn't plan anything spectacular. Hooray for RHS membership and only a hop skip and a jump away to the gardens of loveliness!!

There was much walking running after an energetic toddler, quack quacks and dribbly chin ice-cream eating, yum. Hello Summer!

I was just in love with this gathering of purple alliums outside the glasshouse. Just shrubbery last time we visited, and now look! I love their fuzzy pompom-ness!

I love that Wisley changes every time I visit.