N is for... not thinking about it

Happy Birthday mum

I'm not thinking about something so as a bit of a distraction I broke out the quilling tool and paper and made this card for my mum's birthday. The pink makes me happy :)

Hope you're all having lovely weekends. x

M is for... mum

It's my mum's birthday soon so I thought I'd send her birthday love from me, Ben and Toby x
This photo is from our wedding (what do you mean, you'd figured that one out?!) - the champagne was flowing and I was dancing my little socks off (in fact, I was barefoot by this point) with my Mum.

I was watching something earlier about whether we turn into our mums. I don't know if this is something that becomes more evident once we're mothers ourselves - we'll have to wait a while to find that out - but there are early signs already! Which is no bad thing - for a start I think I get my kindness from my mum.

What did you get from your mum?

L is for... love

Ten things I love:

1) ben of course.

2) and Toby.

3) my friends and family.

4) my sewing machine.

5) pink.

6) paper.

7) flowers.

8) skiing.

9) cake.

10) making things.


What do you love?

K is for... kindness

You know those tests which ask you how your friends would describe you? Well I'd like to think mine would say that I'm kind. It's something that is important to me - I strive to be kind to others (and myself) every day. I'm not a saint - of course I bitch and moan sometimes ummm quite a lot - but I try to live up to what I hope my friends think of me.

So I get sad when I see that other people aren't so kind. People don't give up seats any more, or hold doors open enough, or just smile at someone. Everyone is in such a rush all the time.

So, slow down and smile. And let's all be more kind. x

J is for... jars and jugs

I think jars and jugs are my most used items in my home. I fill them with flowers - from big fake gerberas and pretty fresh narcissi to delicate grape hyacinths and chrysanthemums.

Or I fill them with pretty threads...

Are you a jar & jug addict too?

I is for... island paradise

A few years ago we went on an amazing holiday to the Caribbean - two weeks of sailing to desserted islands around Bonaire, Curaco and Venezuala. This photo is of just one of the beautiful places we visited. It's also where I learnt to snorkel, saw dolphins, a turtle and ate fresh tuna (straight from a fisherman).

'I' could also be for ice cream (white Magnum please), Internet (I spend too much time on it), ironing (I avoid where possible), ipod (I have an old-fashioned pink classic), iris (I have three outside my kitchen window) or indigo (one of my favourite colours).

H is for... husband

My surprise

I was going to do H is for Home but I decided on Husband. Yesterday he surprised me with a trip to London to see a West End musical that I've been wanting to see for five years: Billy Elliot. It's been a standing joke that every birthday and Christmas I've been making very strong hints about going to see it yet we never have. So yesterday we got in the car and set off to destination unknown. I will admit, I had an inkling of what the surprise was but I didn't dare say in case I was wrong. By the time we were on the train London-bound I was pretty certain I was right. Of course if was all confirmed when we left Victoria tube station and I saw the theatre.

I've seen quite a few musicals but Billy Elliot is now up there with my favourites (Phantom, Joseph & Hairspray) - it was really funny (loved the topical jokes after the interval during the miners Christmas party); it was tear-jerking (the letter from Billy's mum); the music was fabulous; and the dancing was spectacular.

The only problem is, I want to go again!

THANK YOU BEN! x

G is for... green

1. Living wall in Anthropologie, 2. Chillies, 3. Peas, 4. Just to Say, 5. Succulents on my windowsill, 6. Green buttons brooch, 7. Green shrub & new fence, 8. Four Green Buttons Pin, 9. Nigel Slater broccoli & bacon soup

F is for... feet

I realise I'm running the risk of attracting the wrong kind of attention here but when I was looking through my photostream the other night I spotted quite a few feet photos...

All different seasons and footwear are featured here, giving you a snapshot into some aspects of my life!

Skiing - I'm a relatively new skier - I've been going for five years now. I've really missed not going this year. We do have a trip planned for next season though and I can't wait.
Gardening - I'm not very good at gardening but I do have some gardening boots - and some pretty flowers.
Toby - he has a foot fetish (uh-oh I really will get some attention now!) and one of his best tricks is to do 'high-five' with our feet.
Summer - I love summer, the next two shots are me out and about in the countryside enjoying the sun.
Walking for charity - in the last photo my feet are a blur as I reach the 26-mile mark in the Playtex MoonWalk a couple of years ago.

E is for... elephant

Just one of the hundreds of safari photos

I realise I haven't said much about our honeymoon or shared any photos. How remiss of me. We stayed at an amazing safari camp in a private game reserve for the first half of our honeymoon. We saw elephants in the watering hole right outside our "tent" (tent is in inverted commas as quite frankly, the canvas roof and sides was as close as this luxury accommodation got to an actual tent). And there were warthogs, cheetahs, leopards, lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, hippos, *pauses for breath*, hyenas (who broke our toilet - a story for another day), impalas and eagles.

It was an amazing week - I think we need to get saving so we can go back one day (maybe for special anniversary - one is special, right?).