Young Blood

She...

 

Loves shakes and smoothies, bike rides to the beach.

 

 

Talking about big things, acting stupid at the park.

Finding ripe berries, watching herself grow up.

Bedtime tuck-ins and long talks of plans.

She is my everything and without her I would have achieved nothing.
She is my driving force, my comfort blanket and my home.

I'm glad she is with me for the journey, here's to the next chapter kiddo!

My Block

 

Yesterday I took a walk around the block to get a coffee. I do this many times a week, but the light was so beautiful today I wanted to capture it. 

I have only lived in this area for a short time but have loved it the most of all the places I have lived in Bournemouth and Poole. I will defo live here again when if I return. There are so many huge trees and beautiful streets.

 The shopping area has great coffee places, grocery stores as well as many, many charity shops...which I frequent like a territorial animal *wink*

 The buildings are full of character and history.

 And this is the only place I have ever been to where the traffic stops for you EVERY time at a Zebra Crossing. I love the staff at my local Costa, they know me a bit too well :)

I have a spot I like to sit and drink my soya-sugar-free-syrup-latte and do some Art Journalling.

 Is it wrong that I fall in love with things like this? A manky drain and a cul-de-sac sign...Nicola seriously?

 I pass this sign on the way home, I love the fonts. My street is so pretty, I find a little walk really inspiring and often just what I need to kick start an idea or some creative project.

This shadow was spooky looking, but the light was so lovely through the trees, I wanted to take a billion photos.

 What is your local area like? Where do you go to get inspired or just to re-connect with you?
Love, me x

Ps - photos taken with the awful camera on my Blackberry for purposeful poor quality, then transformed into Polaroids using this FREE software which I heard about from another blog I love to read.

A Free(ish) Lunch

Ello me Mateys...
I haven't blogged in a while I know. I am not sure I am the sort of blogger that can do regular posts and stuff, keep to a schedule and all that...I wish I was, I would love to have a career blog...but alas poor reader you will have to make do with my intermittent and sporadic blogging regime!

Today I wanted to share with you my love of  'free food'...the kind you can find in the wild. I am a massive fan of foraging. This love of foraging went into OVERDRIVE when I watched a fabulous series on TV, hosted by a woman that I want to be actual friends with in this world - Alys Fowler. Teamed with my deep love of Ray Mears, these two are my foraging hero-gods and make me want to live in a hammock and grow carrots in the tree-tops.

So here, I offer my own recipe, in which the star ingredient is foraged for free.

Noodles with Wild Garlic and Wild Leeks - serves 1
Sharwoods fine egg noodles (2 layers per person)
handful Three-Cornered Leeks
handful Wild Garlic
1tsp Sesame Oil
1tsp Dark Soy Sauce

note :: wild garlic flower heads and stalks used. Wild leeks stalks, flowers and leaves used.

1 - bring home your awesome smelling free foods and wash them, chop them into smaller pieces.
2 - boil up the noodles as instructed (they take about 5 minutes), half way through, throw in the garlic and leeks.
3 - take off the heat once the noodles are cooked and drain, add 1tsp sesame oil and mix in evenly (I find tongs or chopsticks are easier for this - lifting the noodles to distribute the oil).
4 - plate up, drizzle the dark soy sauce over to taste (I use 1tsp as it is very strong but you can add more to taste).
5 - sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like.
6 - enjoy!

This is quite literally one of my favourite meals of ALL TIME. I eat this simple dish with broccoli when the free foods aren't in season. I have this at least once a week :)

Maybe when you are out you will also find some lovely lilac flowers, bring them home and put them around your house. Not only do they look so pretty but they will fill your home with beautiful perfume.

Do you ever eat wild food? I'd love to hear about it...
Love, me x

February Art Journal

Morning...
I am currently listening to a bit of Radiohead and drinking coffee, and talking to you. Today is grey and melancholy...so cold for April (and I'm sick of saying it). Snow imminent.
What better way to while away an hour or so than to share my February Art Journal with you...there is no better way, and by-the-way I have moved on to candles, incense and Buddha Chants at this point in the blog writing process. Snow is now happening.

For February I wanted to use pink quite a lot, it being the month of Love and all...so you'll see a lot of that. As for last time I wrote about my monthly journal I'll comment below on approaches and materials...

Enjoy...

Materials: paint colour strips from B&Q, catalogue cover which was painted in black acrylic an scratched, masking tape, black marker

Materials: collaged papers, black ink

Materials: red and black pen, white acrylic on top of postcard and collage + stitch then scratched

Materials: other peoples shopping lists (I collect these from around supermarkets), stitch, black marker

Materials: pink marker, black marker, blue marker, glitter picked up on  sellotape

Materials: masking tape, black marker, pink marker, graphite pencil, date page, blue pen

Materials: washi tapes, blue marker, black fineliner, tipex

Materials: pink marker, blue pen, keri smith's 100 ideas 

Materials: red pen, photographs, black marker, washi tape, keri smith's 100 ideas



Materials: white acrylic, pencil, pink pen, black marker, black ink and pen, tip ex, tea  label, staples

Materials: tracing paper, ink and pen, date stamp, watercolour paint, grey marker, black marker

Materials: newspaper glued and ripped back, washi tape, grey and pink markers, keri smith's 100 ideas 

Materials: catalogue painted with black acrylic and scratched, washi tapes

 And there we have it...sorry it took so long I have been head first into a major project which I can now reveal to you, lovely reader:

YES!! For reals!!
I got a job in an International school, and we're off in August! I still can't quite believe it and keep having to pinch myself (not literally of course), I am still in shock. I have been thinking about it for many years, dreamed about travelling to SEA since I was a teenager, and after my travels to Cambodia the last few years it became and even more urgent desire. I am so delighted. We both are.
Don't worry, I will still be blogging for as long as I feel like that's what I want to do. I love my blog being something to look back on in years to come as well as interesting for you (of course).

It's Easter break for me, and this week I have done lots of sorting and practice packing (yes, I know...I like to get right on to things like this as soon as possible, there is so much to organise!). I guess for the rest of the time we will hang out, go to the library, have coffee dates and wait out this cold weather. What are your plans?
Love, me x

Byesie Bye February 2013

Good morrow to you reader :)

This has been one heck of a hectic month! It wasn't supposed to be but by golly it was. I am in the middl of a project that I can't really tell you about right now but will soon, and it is taking up any spare moments I have (and there are never many of those anyway). My February journal suffered somewhat - you'll see that soon. But I kept it going and have started the March one.

Today I thought I would get creative with my random snapshots, using Pixlr Photo Editor image layering tool which is what I use for most of my photos for this blog, to make them all pretty for you...you're welcome dear reader:

 Street signs and student work

 a second hand suitcase and my desk

 me and the snow and outside a window

 spring flowers and a local church

 winter trees and an office sign

 sunset at the beach and art with a friend

looking up and down at the arcade

 

 

How was your February?

 

Love, me x