--My Week in Pictures Too--

My good-blog-chum Amy does a post called 'My Week in Pictures' every week (er obviously) and I love the photographs she takes and seeing these little snippets of her week, from the every day-to-day things to the special-one-offs that take her by suprise. I love that weekly post, so thought I'd give it a go myself, see what my week looks like through the lens...

- letter writing - art journalling - sunsets 1 - finishing embroidery- coffee date - first day for flip flops - dinner with a sea view - coral blossom - snack time - free bubble wrap - late night Netflix and Arrested Development - Year 9 machine embroidery class - body pump - sunsets 2 - second hand treasures - the newest addition to the family -

Looking at the week through a lens makes me see the small things. How amazing my life looks in this way when usually weeks flow one into the next without me stopping to take notice of what is happening.

What have you been up to this week?

Love, me x

I am Enough

Being 'enough' is a real issue for me. Being vulnerable has been a challenge. I have had to learn to be gentle with myself. To accept my limitations, to not push myself to the limit all the time. I need to tell myself I am enough. I am loved and capapble of loving deeply from the heart. I need to practice gratitude and joy, the antidotes of shame. I want to live an authentic life that means something. I want to feel like my sould is clean, that I can breathe freely, I want to be weightless. Shame makes me feel weighed down, heavy, laden. It gets stuck. I feel shame when I compare myself to others and wish my life to be like theirs, when I fail to see what I have or take care of it. I feel shame when I let myself be trampled, my dreams dismissed - I don't like myself when I don't stand up for me. I'm having a thoughtful couple of weeks, things are up and down. This is helping me a lot.

Fabric Shops

Hello you...
I have been taking a bit if a break from online activities for the last week or so. I got busy in my 'real' life and was finding it hard to get a healthy balance. I'm feeling much better now you'll be glad to know, after much rest and many early nights I have a few blogs lined up from my time away :)

Fabric shops are like sweet shops for me. I want to have everything and can never decide what I actually need or want. I sometimes forget completely what I went in for, only to come out with some spangly thread or gorgeous printed cotton and a dress pattern.
I found a new shop recently. The Treasure House in Southbourne. It was a beautiful day so I thought I'd capture the juicy colours and eye-candy of the products on display.

I love this one above of all the eyes. Makes me want to buy all of them and attach eyes to everything!
Have you got any local shops that sell weird and wonderful things?

Love, me x

p.s - I had orders for three commissions this week for my canvas hearts. I am so happy to have come up with a product that people want to buy. The latest one I am making is to include some fabric from the wedding/ bridesmaid dresses, can't wait!

Coffee Date - Crooked Book

Hey Pals...
I tried out a new coffee place a little while ago and it is quite literally ER-mazing! It is called The Crooked Book, and is in Boscombe. I have told you about Boscombe before, it's this weird little in-between place that has always struggled to make a name for itself. In recent years it has been doing so much better, with vintage markets, a whole vintage and second hand quarter, a surf reef and some delicious and groovy places to eat (both on the beach and in town).
So this new place I have found is loverly because it is part cafe, part book shop and part antique/ vintage interiors store. Uh...what else could it sell to make me love it more?

I had coffee with my very cool and creative friend Bisi who you can see through the glass.

So, yeah...if ever you are down this way, check it out or if ever you fancy a cuppa you can suggest we go there together (because quite frankly I'd be jealous if you went without me).

Do you have a favorite place to chill?
Love, me x

New things in the shop

Hey y'all.
Last week I dropped off the biggest heart I have made so far! I haven't even measured it but it is BIG. (must get better at measuring, photographing, logging - note to self).

It is such a pretty piece and I am really proud and thankful to Coastal who helped me with the colours and sizing. Things are selling like little heart shaped hot-cakes down there and I am soon to launch the canvases in my Etsy shop (just as soon as I get this measuring bit down). May take me a couple of weeks to sort that out but eventually I will get them online. They have sold all but two of my Heart Lyric Cards, so I did a major re-stock of those and as I walked in Rachel said 'oh we just sold one of your canvases this morning'! Eepsters! I get so excited thinking about my little artworks going home with a lovely new owner :]

Here are some peeks of the latest pieces.

These are some of my Mothers Day hearts.

What are you doing for Mothers Day?

Love, me x 

Ever and Ever

I am happily singe at the moment (doesn't mean I don't dream of finding that super-special someone). If I ever did, I would want to hook up in this fashion:

Just gives me so much inspiration and joy to see a wedding that is about love and togetherness, as part of a family and network of friends. I love that. I love this ceremony so much!
Now to find me a man....

What wedding dreams did/ do you have?
Love, me x

Coffee Dates - time to do girltalk

Hello blog chums!

I love it when I have a little bit of extra money to take my daughter (12) out for a coffee and a girltalk about life/ worries/ silly stuff. It is my absolutely favorite thing to do, which is good because I think it is HER favorite thing to do too.
We have many favorite places to get out coffee-on. Last week we stopped off at Red Rooster in Ashley Cross to soak in the retro/ American vibe.

Things we love about coffee dates: sharing a warm scone, real butter, teeny pots of jam, sachets of sugar (or better still sugar cubes), good music, funky design, reading material, snuggling up, quiet moments.

Things we love to chat about: boys, friends, big ideas about existence and God, poetry, art, human spirit, life lessons, silly in-jokes, working out what other people are like in the coffee shop, and Olivia's favorite question - 'what would you do if...?

I'm going for coffee with a friend tomorrow in a new place. I'll report back soon chumblies!

Where do you get your coffee-on?

Love, me x