a Spring Wedding

Hi again chums!
Following on from my travel tales of yesterday I wanted to share a few snaps I took at my cousin's wedding in Essex. It was such a happy occasion, full of love and laughter, hope and funky dancing. Weddings are such fantastic times to see people at their best and its great to catch up with family and friends sometimes from such a long time ago it is frightening! One cousin I saw there I hadn't spoken to or even seen since the 1980s, for flip-sake!

I had a great time. Here are some of my highlights:

Outfit details for me: dress (gift from Moma), tights H&M £2.99, shoes Ebay £10.00 = bargain! Nails by my Mum :)

Ahhh...wedding are great. I am a massive fan of positivity and I defy anyone to not be uplifted after witnessing two people declare their commitment to each other. I feel the same after a good rom-com...speaking of which I watched The Switch last night, and it is so lovely - I defo recommend you watch it. Especially since it is such a dreary day today. I got it through Netflix (which we are loving in our house)!

How do you like to catch up with family? Do you have giant get-togethers...I'd love that.

Grandma's House

Hi Friend! Long time no see. I have been galavanting up and down this rock over Easter, visiting family an friends so please forgive the lack of blog posts. I have been feeling pretty uninspired to write or read blogs for a little while, but I recognised this as my need to have a break from it all. I have recharged the batteries (and watched all three seasons of Arrested Development on Netflix), and feel just about ready to share some of my travel stories.

First up - a Looooong overdue visit to my Grandma in Cambridge.
Most people call her Mrs G, Mother or Ellen. I have always called her Nanny. She is an absolute force of nature, strong like you can't believe in mind, body and spirit. Grew up in poverty in Hoxton, lived through the Blitz in East London. Had 5 children (two of which died in adulthood - one of which was my Dad). Took in countless waifs and strays over the years including my Mum, me and my sister when we fled my Dad's violence, alcoholism and adultery - she always supported us.
She lived with my very poorly Grandad until his death earlier this year, and he was not exactly an angel, more like a lovable rogue. She cared for him selflessly for years. She is an absolute inspiration, and this is only half of the story!

I took a few pitures around her house, to remind me of my visit and also as I have long been fascinated by her and want to document as much as possible.

I was so pleased to find her in high spirits. Full of love and laughter, generous as ever - and with a new spring in her step from her new found freedom. In her own words she is going to - live her life exactly the way she wants to. This will perhaps be the first time she has been able to do just that.

I feel incredibly lucky to have her in my life, and especially in my family.

Do you have any inspirational people in yours?

--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