#BEDM - The Final Day

 

So it's the last day of May, which means the end of Rosalilium's Blog Every Day in May challenge - and I made it! I didn't use the prompts every day but I have indeed posted every day - something I honestly wasn't sure I'd achieve!

I thought I'd use this last post for May to talk about what I've learnt from the challenge...

1. That I love writing and want to get better at it - I sort of knew this anyway, but the daily posts have reinforced this. I plan to work more on my style of writing, and I'm looking forward to developing it. I find writing incredibly relaxing, so it's definitely something I want to do more of!

2. That blogging is really hard! As much fun as I've found it, there's no doubt that giving myself the head space to write a post for each day has been a challenge in more ways than one! It's easy to become really overwhelmed by some of the amazing blogs that are already out there, and I admit I had a few 'what's the point?' days. Luckily I worked out that 'the point' is that I enjoy doing it!

3. It's given me lots of ideas for more regular features I want to include as I move forward with my blogging adventures, and I know I need to sit down and give myself some space to think about content. I haven't written much about crafting this month - maybe because I haven't been doing anything very creative - but I know that's something I want to write about more!

A big thank you to Elizabeth at Rosalilium for putting all of the prompts together - and for giving me the motivational kick I needed to really give blogging a try!

See you in June lovely readers! (...can we just pause for a minute to acknowledge that it's almost June already...how did that happen?! Christmas still feel like it was yesterday!)

Bye for now

Kat xx

That Friday Feeling!

It's Friday! Friday evening is my most favourite part of the week - the weekend is stretching in front of me like a mini paradise full of lie-ins, fun times and most importantly - some good old fashioned down time (currently being spent catching up on some Youtube videos).

I have a few things I need to get done this weekend that are of the not-so-much-fun variety but I'm planning on making sure I fit in some awesomeness too!...

I'm having a big stash busting drive at the moment. To use up some of my wool I'm planning to make some of these little guys...

The pattern for these crochet cat nip mice can be found here. I'm planning on donating them to a local cat charity - I thought they could either give them to the rescue kitties, or sell them in their shop. Now I've just to work out how to make them without my cats tearing them to pieces (they go crazy for catnip!)

I'm hoping to visit Totnes - one of my favourite places to be. It's a little market town in Devon and is home to some of the best independent shops and cafes. I always feel peaceful and relaxed when I visit Totnes, so I'm looking forward to some chill out time...and vintage treasure hunting!

Yep - I'm now addicted to Divergent. It's the first book to completely draw me in for a long time, so I'm planning some time curled up with a cup of tea and my Kindle.

I'll also be working on a few cross-stitch patterns so watch this space for some geeky stitching! If you have any requests just let me know!

I hope that your weekend is a good one, whatever you may have planned!

Bye for now

Kat xx

Tiny Treasures - The Snowglobes Edition

Have I mentioned how much I love tiny things? Because I do. Really.

If something comes in miniature form I have a strong desire to own it (and please, don't get me started on miniature pigs)!

I was very happy when Nick met me after work this week with a little box of cuteness up his sleeve - miniature snowglobes! Here they are in their box...

And out of box...

I love snowglobes and these are no exception - a lil bit cheesy but all kinds of awesome! These are made all the more amazing by the fact they contain a miniature Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Statue of Liberty with every so pretty gold glitter sparkling around them

Oh, and did I mention that they're tiny? Here's my little mischief of a cat proving that fact...

If you'd like to own your own mini vintage city snowglobes you can get them from Paperchase.

Bye for now!

Kat xx

#BEDM - Share the Blog Love

I love today's BEDM prompt - there are so many awesome blogs out there and a favourite past-time of mine is to curl up with a cup of tea and catch up on some blog reading! Here are some links to a few of my favourites...

Habitual Homebody - Alycia at Habitual Homebody is one of my favourite bloggers - her previous blog 'Curious Pug' was one of the first blogs I read and it inspired me to have a go at writing myself. I love the honest style of Habitual Homebody, and can resonate with some of the challenges Alycia is currently going through. It's an honest blog which can make a refreshing change in the world of perfect lives some blogs portray, and has some awesome crochet thrown in for good measure!

Wild Olive - Mollie's blog encouraged me to try embroidery and I'll always love it for that. If you're looking for adorable embroidery patterns and some amazing free craft projects then this blog is highly recommended (Mollie's recent Star Wars craft projects were amazing!). I also always sign up to the stitch club - it's super cheap and means I receive a very cute little embroidery pattern every month - amazing!

Life Outside London - This blog is a fairly new discovery of mine (through the Blog Every Day in May challenge) but it has quickly become a favourite - beautiful photographs and a funny and engaging writing style make this blog a real treat to read - I defy you to do so without a smile on your face!

McMaven Haven - I was lucky enough to do a craft swap with the lovely Blair from McMaven Haven through Craftster and have followed her blog ever since. I love all of the craft projects Blair shares and always come away feeling a little bit more inspired to make something!

Sprinkle of Glitter - Probably the most popular of the blogs on my list and I just had to include it even though I'm sure most people have found it by now! I love Louise's style and enjoy her blog posts as much as her vlogs on youtube. Louise very rarely fails to bring a smile to my face and reading Sprinkle of Glitter is a pleasure.

So that's my list for now - if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them - I'm always on the look out for another blog to add to my reading list!

Collection Crush - Cath Kidston Budgies

What happens when you take Cath Kidston's pretty and vintage styling and add the adorableness of budgies?

You end up with my perfect collection of items - that's what! I'm not sure how long this collection has been available (I've been very slack in my stalking of the Cath Kidston website recently!) but I know that I have to own a few items from it.

Here are my favourites...

1. Big Budgies Boudoir Cushion

2. Big Budgies & Bright Daisies Letter Writing Set

3. Big Budgies Embroidered Peg Bag

4. Budgies Vest and Shorts Set

I think my absolute favourite has to be the peg bag. I've just treated myself to a new washing line (I know, I know - I like to live life on the edge) and this bag would bring a little bit of budgie magic to laundry days - perfect!

I'm now going to go and self-analyse why it is that I love things with budgies on so much!

Bye for now!

Kat xx

#BEDM - Bank Holiday Fun!

Hello lovely blog readers! Today was a Bank Holiday in the UK which meant a day free from work - woohoo!

I was full of exciting plans for today but ended up feeling like I wanted nothing more than some sunshine and relaxation, so I went to a little Devon town called Tavistock which is one of my most favourite places for recharging my batteries. 

I find running water to be super relaxing, so I often walk to the stream that runs by the town and soak in the calm! The town was holding a garden festival which was lovely to wander around and see the pretty displays...

I'm slowly but surely turning my little garden space into a mini cottage garden so I loved getting some inspiration from the displays. I'm starting to find myself drawn more and more towards gardening...I think I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm really enjoying the process, and it's brilliant for sorting out my stress levels!

I aso love all of the visitors I'm starting to get in my garden, like this little guy who was hanging around today...

My afternoon was spent planting some flowers and then buying some bits and pieces for my new nautical lounge (both activities to be blogged about more soon)!

I really love bank holiday weekends and today was no exception - they're made for relaxing with the people you love (and maybe catching up on a few jobs...maybe!). If you find yourself in Devon I would highly recommend a little trip to Tavistock - it's a really pretty town, full of cute little shops and an indoor market which always holds some vintage treasures. 

I hope your Monday was a happy one, whatever you did!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - The Best Thing About Childhood

Following on from Monday's post which focused on the best things about being an adult, today's post is a nostalgic look at the best things about childhood.

I had an amazing childhood, full of lots of love and happy memories. I know how lucky am I am to be able to say that.

I'm not sure what is says about me that I had to work to find five great things about being an adult, but could quite happily write a list of 50 reasons why childhood is so awesome!

Rather than write a dissertation on the best thing about childhood I thought I would take a little trip down nostalgia laneand put together an Etsy treasury of some happy memories...

Nostalgic Treasury

Ok, time for me to go and watch vintage cartoons and listen to their theme tunes (The Racoons anybody?!). I hope the weekend has brought happiness your way (how is it almost Monday already?!).

Bye for now!

Kat xx

#BEDM - Healthy Living

Today's blog prompt has inspired me to commit to making some healthy changes to my lifestyle. I've mentioned before that I love making lists, so here's my list of healthy living goals for the next month...I'm planning to update in June to see if I stick to them (eep!).

1. Drink 5 glasses of water a day - I feel so much better when I drink lots of water, but very rarely manage it so I'm committing to 5 glasses a day for the next month (and hoping that it will become a habit after that!)

2. Do 45 minutes of exercise 3 times per week - I'm not a natural when it comes to exercise - I tend to feel uncomfortable and lacking in any level of coordination, but I have to overcome this, even if I just go for a decent walk!

3. Sleep! - I know what you're thinking - surely I do that anyway? The problem I have is when I feel stressed I avoid going to sleep and so then just feel more tired and more stressed the next day. Time to break that cycle with some early nights this month.

4. Meditate each day - this kind of links to the point above - I need to relax and get my mind to unwind - meditation is the key here, I just need to give myself space to do it!

5. 5 portions of fruit and veg a day - this is a classic on any healthy living list but it totally needs to go on mine - I manage 2 most days but it's time to change that because I love all kinds of fruit and veg and there's no excuse!

So there we go - lots of healthiness to focus on this month, and I'm really looking forward to it. Have you got any goals at the moment?

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Date Night

I've spent a significant portion of today sat in a car in traffic jams....welcome to bank holiday weekends in the UK. 

Unfortunately this has left little time for a date night, but does leave me feeling like hiding under a blanket and watching a film (and lets face it, that is a pretty awesome date night activity). This leaves the dilemma of what film to watch, so here are my absolute favourite date night movies (with no spoilers, just reasons why I love them) in case you haven't seen them already.

Failure to Launch was an unexpected favourite of mine...partly because it features Matthew McConaughey, Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper who are some of my favourite people, but also because it has some seriously quirky moments which are quite rare for rom coms.

Midnight in Paris is a beautiful film. I'm not necessary a fan of Woody Allen, but love how these film is directed, think Owen Wilson is really engaging...and it contains The loveliness of Tom Hiddleston which is always a bonus.

Well Dirty Dancing is just a classic - I'm not sure what else I can say. Perfect in every way and I love it dearly.

I toyed between choosing Notting Hill or Love Actually but the tale of love between a Hollywood star and a book shop owner won in the end. There are lots of parts of the film I love - but the scene in the walled garden is one of my favourite moments from a romantic film. Oh, and Spike - I love Spike.

I saved my absolute favourite until last. This story about love may have a more bittersweet feel than your traditional date night film, but the telling of the relationship between Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel's characters is so beautifully acted and engaging that I can literally watch this again and again...and again.

Have I missed any? If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them!

#BEDM - Out of the Comfort Zone

Today for Blog Every Day in May the prompt is to blog something completely different to my usual style. Today has officially kicked my butt so I'm feeling a little bit like hiding under a duvet...for that reason my post is going to be a poem from my favourite poet Emily Dickinson. I've loved poetry from a young age but it's something I literally never talk about because I worry it's seen as a bit ...erm...snobby?

Anyway, I love Emily Dickinson's way with words, she describes things beautiful. So with no more waffling from me, here it is:

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me. 

Emily Dickinson

#BEDM - Workspace

Preparing for today's post I became acutely aware that my office space (aka where I spend a significant amount of each day) is in desperate need for some new stationery.

This led me to browse www.modcloth.com which is by far my favourite source of random stationery. Here are a few of my favourite finds (now I just have to resist buying them all!)...

The Alma Otter Tape Dispenser - seriously - has tape ever been so cute?!

Ideas take flight pushpin set - I'm not sure how I feel about real dead butterflies trapped in glass for eternity...but pushpins I adore!

Sharp image pencil sharpener - I have a vintage camera quite like this and would love this to go with it!

Start to fin bookends - In keeping with my current Whale obsession - I love these bookends so much - I think they might be the item I can't resist!

Any other stationary fanatics out there? I think I might spend more time browsing stationary online than anything else!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Being Adventurous

As a special treat, today's blog post is brought to you by my better half, Nick, who has chosen today's prompt to talk about Adventure Time (something he does a lot...)

Hello!

Yes, I do like to talk about Adventure Time, but only because I worry that people might be missing out. Here are just five of the reasons why I love Adventure Time, in the form of a solid bulleted list:

• Finn and Jake - not just bros who are legends, but true brogends, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog are the main focus of the show. Jake is a magical dog who can stretch himself into any shape, and Finn is the last remaining human who was found on a mountain by Jake's parents and raised as their son. From the mystery of Finn's real parents to Jake's recent status as a father, their changing dynamic keeps the show from getting stale. Not that there's much chance of that ever happening.

• Simon and Marcy - If you were only to watch the first few episodes, then you would think that Adventure Time is a pretty silly cartoon about a boy and his dog protecting Princesses from the bumbling (and crazy) Ice King, who wants to make them his bride. Marceline the Vampire Queen was at first one of the few female characters to escape his notice, but in more recent episodes, we've found out that before he went completely insane and permanently became the Ice King, Simon Petrikov (his real name) and a tiny Marcy wandered the post-apocalyptic Earth which eventually became Ooo, the land where the show is set. 

• The supporting cast - From the simplicity of Cinnamon Bun, to the feminine wiles of Treetrunks the apple-pie baking elephant, to the raging crazy of the Earl of Lemongrab, the supporting cast are just as interesting as our heroes. That's not even mentioning the Princesses, like Princess Bubblegum, who might just be as dangerous as the Ice King, and Flame Princess, who Finn loves but can never touch.

• The complexity - Adventure Time is truly a show for all ages, with layers of complexity that would put most other TV to shame. That said, it seems to be taking an increasingly dark turn as it goes on, with the most recent episodes to air in the US featuring some pretty harsh stuff. It's still amazing, though.

Well, thanks for your time, but I think I'd better bring my gushing to a close there.

If you're only going to watch one children's cartoon this year, make it this one!

#BEDM - The best things about being an adult

The Blog Every Day in May prompt for today is 'Best thing about being an adult', so I thought I'd put together a little top 5 reasons why being an adult is all kinds of cool...although as you'll discover later this week, I also get incredibly nostalgic about childhood! On the surface adulthood can be full of stress and responsibility, but there are some little pieces of joy to be found...

1. Home Sweet Home - I love having my own place! That's not because living with my family wasn't great but there's something totally amazing about having my own space which I can decorate as I choose

2. Coffee and alcohol (and alcohol in my coffee!)..not that I indulge too often, but it's nice to have the option

3. Maturing relationships - as I'm getting older I'm definitely seeing changes in my relationships - I take a lot more time to really get to know and understand people and the relationships I have with family and friends mean a lot more to me

4. Freedom to explore the world on a larger scale - childhood exploration can be limited to a local woodland, but as an adult there is more freedom to jump in a car or hop on a place, and get yourself somewhere completely new to explore - I want to make it a priority to do more of this over the next couple of years

5. You can eat a whole swiss roll  (a long cake for anyone not familiar!) anytime and no-one can tell you off - reason number 5 comes from my boyfriend - apparently the moment he realised he could eat a whole cake without anyone telling him off was the moment he realised he was an adult. Thankfully he doesn't choose to do this, or I might worry about his health!

Have I missed any? Let me know in the comments if I have!

Bye for now

Kat xx

Sunday Best - A Whale of a Time!

We're having a bit of a theme change in our living room at the moment. In the lead up to Christmas it became a bit of a snug den - lots of warm browns, woodland animal items and snuggly accessories. Now the sun has finally come out (hurrah!) it just felt too warm, and so we're packing away some of the accessories and transforming it into a blue and white haven of calm and relaxation for the summer.

As part of the transformation I've been looking into nautical/ beach themed prints and cushions and have discovered a love for a new mammal - move over foxes, pugs and squirrels (at least until next winter) and make room for the whale!

In honour of my new found love I've put together this treasury:

You can see the treasury in more detail here (and check out more information about the items!) should you also wish to add a bit more whale to your life.

Bye for now!

Kat xx

#BEDM - Favourite Decade

I stitched this Twiggy hoop for a craft swap on Craftster a while ago, and have to say that ever since I've been tempted to stitch another one for myself.

Which is probably a fairly major clue about what my favourite decade is - the 1960's baby! I love the style of the 60's...

and love, love, love this make-up...

And perhaps most importantly, The Beatles are pretty much my most loved band of all time...

I grew up listening to my mum and dad's old Beatles vinyl and it will always hold the most special place in my heart, and so I guess the 1960's always will too.

That said - there is a lot to be loved about pretty much every decade in the 20th century - each one brought with it its own style, music and history.

Ok, I'm going to go and feel a bit nostalgic for a while! I hope your weekends are full of sunshine (it's sunny here at the moment - which is a genuine miracle)!

Bye for now!

Kat xx

TFI Friday!

It's that time again...have you got that Friday feeling yet?

The sun is shinning in my little part of the world and I have a weekend of sorting out my garden and catching up on a few jobs planned. True, it's nothing that thrilling, but I honestly can't wait.

Here are a few things that have been keeping me sane this week:

This youtube video from danisnotonfire...I honestly love the deep philosophy going on here about what it means to be free and follow your dreams (and I have a huge soft spot for hamsters, so that helps!)

I've also been loving catching up on Gossip Girl on Netflix. I gave up at season 5 when it was originally on TV and so decided to try again and watch it to the end. Sometime I love watching things that don't challenge me even slightly ... and Gossip Girl is one of those things. You know you love me ...xoxo

I've also started reading Divergent. I know I'm late to the game here, but I'm loving it so far and can see I'm going to need the next book in the series very soon!

What things have been keeping you sane this week?

Today is my first deviation from the Blog Every Day in May prompts - because today's prompt was to take a photo on the hour, every hour. If I had done that today it would have pretty much been lots of photos of meeting tables and paperwork - not very glamorous!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Blog Chat

GoodOldDays1 on Etsy

I don't feel experienced enough to offer advice on blogging. Although I started this blog a few years ago now I think it's fair to say that my writing on it has been sporadic. I could gives lots of different reasons for that but if I'm completely honest the biggest issue that has impacted on my blogging is confidence.

It can be easy to compare yourself to other blogs and feel interior. I'm certainly guilty of that in the past. I've stopped doing that now and have come to the conclusion that every blog is awesome in its own little way.

So my advice? Don't stop writing unless you really want to. Enjoy your blog for what it is, and for the little outlet it provides.

That said - if anyone has any blogging advice they would like to send my way I would be very happy to hear it!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Home Sweet Home

Hello love reader! A quick little post today due to factors I will not bore you with (nothing serious - just a serious case of not enough time in the day)!

This prompt has made me realise that I have shared literally nothing from my home - granted that is because it is quite often in a state of mess - but in tidier times it's a joy to live in.

I thought I would share three current favourites from my home...

This is my adorable owl totem - and he's the start of a new collection I feel - more to be posted about this little fella in the future!

My woodland clock (currently in my lounge) - this was a birthday present and I love it so much!

And lastly - my slightly wrinkly duvet cover - pugs feature at several points around my home. This is a close-up because ...well...our bedroom is a total tip!A little job for the weekend maybe!

What are your favourite treasures in your home?

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Fashion, Beauty and Grooming

I'm going to conveniently ignore one part of today's prompt for Blog Every Day in may...fashion. That's not because I don't love fashion, because I do, but more because I know absolutely nothing about it. I think I'm still trying to find my own sense of personal style...I'm aware that I really need to do this before I reach pensionable age!

Instead I thought I'd focus on the beauty and grooming side of life. Treating myself to beauty products has turned into a fairly essential part of my 'keeping sane' routine.

I don't smoke, or do drugs and hardly drink....so make-up is an ok vice....right? I thought I would share my  May beauty/ grooming purchases with you...

Benefit 'The POREfessional' - this face primer helps to smooth the appearance of pores. I've used it for the first time today and haven't been hugely impressed - it kind of seems to have made my face oilier than normal, but I'll persevere in case I'm just having an oily day (nice!)

Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash - honey, almonds and oats make this an absolutely gorgeous body was - it smells like heaven and leaves my skin feeling smooth and lovely - highly recommended!

Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar - This is a firm favourite of mine and a genuine life saver when my skin is feeling tired or dry. It contains an interesting mix of ingredients, including portabello mushrooms, and I often use it as a nightcream when I need a boost!

Lastly, I bought the Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation and Powder - and I'm loving both of them so far - long lasting and help give my complexion a bit of a boost - bonus!

So that's it for May...so far. Now I think it's time to celebrate today's prompt by visiting some beauty blogs and putting together a bit of a wish list!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - Walk to Work Week

Today's prompt for Blog Every Day in May is 'walk to work week'. I would love to be able to walk to work - getting stuck in traffic is pretty much my idea of hell, so the idea of having the freedom of walking is very appealing. Sadly I live a little bit too far away, and am generally carrying a little bit too much stuff (think big laptop and various folders).

As an alternative I've decided to name this 'Walk after Work Week'. I've started making a habit of this for the last couple of weeks. I don't live in the countryside (yet!) but have some pretty beautiful fields and forest within a stones-throw of my house and I've found a 20 - 30 minute walk can help de-stress me a lot.

I decided to take some  photos on my last walk, which actually helped me to relax even more, and appreciate the little pieces of beauty (unfortunately the photos were taken on my phone, so a big sorry for the quality...I'll take my camera on the next walk!). The top photo was taken on the walk as the sun was setting through the trees, and here are some more...

This is the path I walk up - I love how the trees have formed a tunnel...

There are gaps in the trees to the left with views like this...

And more horses (so cute!)...

And lastly - towards the end of the walk...this beautiful tree!

So if you can't walk to work (or there is no work to walk to) get out there for a little stroll anyway - take some snaps of the little things you might not normally notice and enjoy every moment.

There's no motiff Monday for this week, as I'm a bit consumed with other crafty projects this week - but normal service will resume next week!

Bye for now

Kat xx

#BEDM - British Sandwich Week

I have a confession to make - I'm not the biggest fan of sandwiches. I'm not sure if it's because I'm vegetarian which limits the selection slightly - or if it's because I tend to steer away from having much bread, but sandwiches feature very rarely on my lunch time menu.

However, in honour of the fact that it's British sandwich week I made a special trip to Marks and Spencer today as they are renowned for being excellent purveyors of the lunchtime sandwich. This proved to be a good choice as they had this bad boy waiting for me...

This was a roasted vegetable and red pepper falafel sandwich (with sweet potato crisps) and it was incredibly tasty. I don't normally do the whole photographing my food thing...but made an exception today...it is British Sandwich week after all!

Anyway...this sandwich could persuade me to consider others of its kind in the future - if you have any good veggie sandwich ideas I'd love to hear them!

Today I'm building up my strength for a really busy week so I think some chill out time is needed - I hope your weekends are going well, whatever you may be doing!

Bye for now

Kat xx