{monday muse} do more

Source: belabrava.tumblr.com via Sam on Pinterest

Need I say more? Happy Monday x

{little details} spring is here

{part 1}

This weekend I welcomed home my lovely husband after 2 weeks apart, we went to the seafront and flew kites and I treated myself to tulips. Oh and I had lots of cuddles with my lovely nephew.

Hope you all had lovely weekends. What were the little details that made it special?

This week I loved...

:: fresh bread from Suffolk Food Hall

:: listening to this song again and again and again. And check out Adele's Radio 1 Live Lounge performances. Amazing.

:: getting this fabulous cookbook in the post that I've been lusting over for ages.

I've found my passion - have you?

Have you found your passion? I think I have at last but I've had a bumpy journey. So this post by Scoutie Girl really resonated with me.

I wholeheartedly agree with her statement that you have to experiment to find your passion. I certainly have - a glance through my blog archives shows all the things I've tried...

- I've had two etsy shops - and started two others I never told you about
- I tried illustration
- and printing
- I tried crafting every day for a year
- and a photo a week
- I gave scrapbooking a go
- and sketching.

I'm sure there are even more things I've tried. I've discovered over that time that there are two things I'm really passionate about:

- being creative - it doesn't matter what I'm making as long as I am
- and writing.

I've been lucky enough to not only write here (even with the occasional wobble) and 52 crafts in 52 weeks but also for UK Handmade. Plus I guest posted for whipup.net and I'll be guest-blogging elsewhere very soon (will let you know more shortly). And in my day-job I'm never happier than when I'm writing.

So as long as I can keep combining my passions I think I'll be a very happy Christine.

So, I'll ask again, have you found your passion?

I want this print please... {part 2}

part 1

Source: etsy.com via Christine on Pinterest

{from the archives} make a bird mobile

As I've been writing this little blog of mine for so long I thought it would be fun to go back in the archives and find some old projects, thoughts and plans.
Today I'm turning the time machine to...

{30 August 2008}

I made this little bird mobile back in August 2008. And you can too - go take a look to get the full tutorial.

{little details} fresh bread

A little series inspired by Lucy from attic24 who recently said:

"When I first started reading blogs, it was more often than not the small details of other people's lives that I found endlessly fascinating. I just could not get enough of it. I found the simple snapshots of ordinary days and ordinary things incredibly intriguing and inspiring to see. The Little Pleasures of life." 

I took myself off to Suffolk Food Hall at lunchtime today to get a few bits for lunch and I was seduced by this beautiful loaf...

I also got gorgeous meats, feta, olives and salad. Once combined I had a perfect lunch plate...

What's made you happy today?

{crafty help} I have no talent...

A week or so ago I conducted a mini-twitter survey to see what crafty problems people faced. I had lots of great answers from too little time to not enough space. And I plan to cover all those issues in future posts. But this time I'm tackling another issue: I have no talent.

Well I don't believe that for a second - everyone has talent. But it's not the first time someone has said they're not talented, or creative, enough to craft. So if you think you need oodles of talent to make things, think again.

Can you fold paper?
Whilst bored in history class age 11 did you ever make a paper aeroplane and chuck it at your mate two rows in front of you? Well in that case, you can practise the art of origami.

 

All you need to make pretty folded paper things is, obviously, some paper (preferably pretty but any will do) and your hands.

With these tools you could make a load of cranes and string them up to use as decorations or pretty flowers like the one in the photo above. It's easy to get the hang of the folds after you've tried it a few times. You can make so much with just paper and your hands.

Give it a go today!

I'll have some more simple crafts to help you dip your toes in the crafty waters soon.

Have fun and be creative x

My signature is .... what's yours?

This post is entirely inspired by Smaggle.
Do you have a signature? I don't mean the way you sign your name when you pay for groceries (not that we do that so much now with chip and pin I guess. I can't actually remember the last time I signed my name) - but what are the things that are just very 'you' at the moment? Here are my signatures...

Source: breakfastatanthropologie.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

:: I always have porridge with bananas and blueberries for breakfast - I recently added cinnamon on a friend's recommendation.
:: My absolute favourite perfume is YSL Parisienne. It's the only one I wear. And the only perfume I've ever bought a second bottle of.
:: My makeup is nearly always the same - light eyeshadow base with a bit of dark powder added at night, brown eyeliner and brown mascara plus a neutral gloss. Plus YSL Touche Eclat and Clinique foundation if I feel the need. Might be time to shake that routine up actually.
:: I have to read before I sleep. If I don't read I get snarky and can't nod off. My husband gets pretty grumpy about it to be honest but you can't break a habit of nearly 30 years that easily. I used to read by the light of the hallway outside my bedroom long after my mum and dad thought I'd gone to sleep. Might explain my myopia.
:: Hey Ya - the song I will always dance to when it comes on. No matter where I am. There is a hilarious (for some) video of me on Facebook dancing to it. I won't be sharing it. Sorry.
:: Coffee of choice right now is a skinny decaff latte - or lemon & ginger tea.

{monday muse}

I'm not sure I succeeded in living up to last week's muse - I felt quite grey all week. I wore way too much of it and whilst it's a versatile colour to have in the wardrobe, I really should have tried to add some colour somewhere. I will try harder this week.

I spotted yellow daffodils in my back garden trying to emerge from their wintery hiding place so this week's muse is about spring. It's just around the corner.

Source: dustjacketattic.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

This week I loved...

:: the lovely feedback about my last post in the comments and on twitter. Thank you x
:: eyeing up the beautiful appliqué by Dear Emma
:: doodling
:: eating too many gorgeous cakes at my friend Shuv's baby shower

I've lost that lovin' feeling...

I've been feeling a bit lost with this blog of late - I've been writing it since 2006 but I feel like I've wandered off track a bit, especially since I stopped selling on Etsy.

I've lost my blog love.

But I have some ideas to bring back that lovin' feeling (I'm not as old as that cheesy song reference makes me sound).

I want to interview fellow crafty types (any ideas who you'd like to hear from?), I want to solve your crafty problems (an unscientific twitter survey suggested a lack of time and space are your main ones) and I want to keep talking about things I love and the ups and downs of life.

How does that sound? Anything else you'd like me to write about? Can you help me fall back in love with my blog?

Source: a-love-train.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

I want this print please...

Source: etsy.com via Christine on Pinterest

{monday muse} colour

Source: designspongeonline.com via Alex on Pinterest

I need more colour in my life I think so this is my inspiration this week. Have a great week - what's inspiring you today?

{recipe} lentil salad with roasted vegetables and feta cheese

I recently mentioned my love of lentils. If you're not convinced, try this delicious salad that I made this evening for dinner (photos via instagram on the iphone).

Adapted from Cook Yourself Thin: The Delicious Way to Drop a dress Size
Serves 2

{ingredients}
- about 250g of mixed vegetables such as aubergine, courgette, peppers and tomatoes (I didn't weigh mine by the way, just chucked it all in)
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper (to taste, I didn't use either)
- 200g puy lentils
- 300ml of chicken or veggie stock
- 50g of feta cheese (as it was all I had left but you could use more. The original recipe calls for goats cheese)

{this is how you cook it}
- Preheat your oven to 200ºC.
- Chop up all your yummy veggies and chuck into a roasting dish. Mix with one teaspoon of oil and one of the vinegar.

- Roast the veg for 15 mins or so.
- Meanwhile rinse and drain your lentils (they don't look very appetising I know) and put in a pan with the stock.
- Bring to the boil and leave to boil for about 20 mins or until all the stock has been absorbed.
- Put the lentils and your cooked vegetables along with the rest of the vinegar and oil in a mixing bowl.

- Give it all a stir and leave to cool. If you've got any herbs like basil you could add that too - plus any seasoning.
- Once it's cool, crumble in the feta. I also chucked on some pumpkin seeds as I like a bit of crunch with my salad.

- Enjoy! And pack up the other half for lunch tomorrow.

love is all around

This morning I waved my husband off on his boys' holiday - he's gone snowboarding in Japan - with a Valentine's card tucked inside his suitcase for him to open tomorrow. So I'm without my Valentine this year. But it doesn't mean I'm not feeling lovey dovey. Here are some romantic inspirations for your Valentine's day...

:: make a card...

Source: samanthahahn.com via Christine on Pinterest

:: and a pretty wreath...

Source: thehybridchick.com via Christine on Pinterest

:: and a garland too!

Source: ohsocrafty.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

:: write a love letter

Source: weheartit.com via Cici on Pinterest

:: make a romantic candle (by me)

Source: weddinginbali.com via Melanie on Pinterest

:: and watch a romantic film (one of my favourites).

Source: offbeatbride.com via Soleil on Pinterest

Have a wonderful Valentine's day everyone. x

This week I loved...

:: making gorgeous lentil salads with ready-to-eat Merchant Gourmet lentils. I mix them with veg like tomatoes, celery and cucumber plus fresh coriander, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Then top it all with feta cheese. Or I used left over roast chicken the other day instead. Yum!
:: watching Inception on DVD with my husband (he's only home for 2 days) on the sofa last night - I think I understood it.
:: picking up our wedding album! It's gorgeous (yes we got married 18 months ago, you can't rush these things).

Have a great weekend!

{monday muse} friendship

Source: thestwrd.com via Christine on Pinterest

This week I loved...

:: finding out how easy it is to etch glass
:: playing imaginary house with pinterest
:: porridge with bananas, blueberries and cinnamon
:: this so so so cute video via yes and yes
:: singing at Lucky Voice for my best friend's hen night - the theme was Sex and the City (so of course we sang this).

The bride to be. With a Carrie-inspired bird on her head (courtesy of me)

Happy Sunday x

Walking on the mooon

One of my challenges for the year is to complete the Edinburgh MoonWalk in under 8 hours.

The MoonWalk is a 26.2 walk that starts at midnight- oh, and as if that wasn't enough, participants wear decorated bras as they walk to raise money for breast cancer charities.

London May 2007

Regular and long-time readers will know I've taken part in the London event twice and I even organised a decorate your bra contest in honour of the event. But this year will be my biggest challenge yet as not only is it in Edinburgh (I suspect it might have a few hills - if you have any experience of Edinburgh and can allay this fear please do) but I also had surgery on my back last year so I have quite a fitness hurdle to overcome.

via Flickr

I'm very excited about the theme for the event though - Moulin Rouge. I predict a lot of feathers and sequins will go into my outfit for the night and much fun will be had with my trusty glue gun.

In the meantime I've got a tough training schedule to follow that will see me working up to a 20-mile walk two weeks before the big night. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Is anyone else taking part?

Blog of the week...

It's time again for another misleadingly named "blog of the week" post - I think the last one was about a month ago!

I've only recently discovered this popular blog - A cup of Jo - but I really enjoy reading about the joys of being a newish mum (or mom I guess it should be) and drooling over Joanna's style picks such as these fabulous bookends and gorgeous clothes. I'm particularly enjoying the photos and memories from her mum when she was pregnant with Jo and her twin sister in Paris.

 

It's highly possible I'm the last woman in the world to know about this fabulous blog but if you haven't seen it before either make sure you pay Joanna a visit.