Open studios...

Last weekend we took a short stroll from home to our local open studios at Spike Island.

Opening once a year to the public, it is a treat to wander from studio to studio and feel so inspired.

The studio collective houses a great mix of painters, sculptors, contemporary and classic art all under one roof.  Each studio a real working space, warts and all.  I loved the paint splats and the crazy objects everywhere.

The boys ran from studio to studio, shouting out 'come and see this!' - we couldn't help to find their enthusiasm infectious.  

Leaving, scooting back across the bridge to home, Rufus told me he wanted a studio to paint and draw and make a mess!

Lets hope he does.

Have a wonderful weekend...

Image via pinterest

It is like someone flicked a switch.  1st of May, and hello Summer.  These past few days have been glorious.  Days spent sitting in the garden sipping cool drinks, kids bounding around the park, dreaming of holidays and festivals with friends. I feel lighter and happier, the sun does good things to the soul.

This weekend here in the UK is a long one.  We celebrate May Day on the first Monday after.  Many friends are heading to the coast, to camp and have beach side fun.  We are pottering around the neighbourhood, taking it slow yet again.  Our friends have just opened a brand new cafe here in Bristol, so we need to pay them a visit.  A local art studio collective is having open doors this weekend, I love to potter around there, nosing in studios.  It's good to feel inspired by the creativity of others.  

Boringly, I need to tackle the boys bedroom, it has hit an all time low. Remove winter clothes and clothes that too small.  Bring out the shorts and tshirts.  Paint a couple of walls and re-organise. (get rid of toys!!). This will be monthly entry for Lottie's Project Simplify.  And do I need it!!

So whatever you are doing this weekend, have a wonderful one.

Oh and congratulations to Em on the birth of her baby daughter. Well done!! She's a beauty.

x

have a great weekend...

Image via Darling Magazine.

So it's Friday... hands up who is happy about the weekend?

ME!

Sun is shining through my window - although April is behaving as it should and giving us short sharp showers between bright light.  It's not as warm as it looks - but I am being brave and wearing my sandals regardless!!  (yes I do have cold toes, but pretty feet).

This weekend we are planning:

* dig some more at the allotment

* go shopping for summer clothes

* picnic with friends

* make this fruit cup recipe

* Chill it....

Yes this weekend is being spent pottering, relaxing and being a family.  We have busy few weekends coming up.. including a trip to the most awesome campsite Coldatnight and off down to Cornwall to stay at this beautiful Barn at half term.  Partying to celebrate a 40th Birthday too.  HALF TERM! Where does the time go, surely it was only Easter last week?

Whatever you are planning this weekend... enjoy.

Weekend...

Hello,

Its Friday and I am mightily thankful for that.  It's also the start of the Easter Holidays - hurrah!  Two whole weeks of chilling.  And chilling we are going to do.  Charlie was up last night with an ear ache, crying in pain.  And Rufus is still drained from tonsillitis last week.  So this holiday I am going to enforce rest, good food and building of strength.

Speaking of food I love this film above.  Such gorgeous details and her take on life is so inspiring.  I need some big pink blousey blooms for my table... I couldn't take my eyes off them.

So what are your plans this weekend?

This evening we are off to Bristol Zoo for a special preview of the DinoZoo2 - it's going to be exciting!

Saturday night, Dan and I have a night together as the boys are staying at my parents.  I am feeling relaxed just thinking about it.  We are staying close to home and going to enjoy a slow relaxing time, lie in, coffee and papers - bliss!  I must remember not to drink too much on Saturday night, I tend to get a bit heady at the thought of not having children in the house!!! Memories of a fun misspent youth still come back to me when I have no responsibilities!

Easter Weekend we are off to West Wales for a very special stay here - I cannot wait! (I am of course hoping it doesn't snow!).

In other news - I am planning to take a 'blog break' over the next two weeks.  I will of course pop in with 52 portraits and Nature in the Home - but that's about it.  So see you on the other side!

So, have a lovely weekend and if you are having a break over Easter, have a wonderful one.

x

Weekend...

Hello!

How you doing? Good I hope.

Yesterday whilst walking home from a day out, Lottie spotted these Violets growing in the garden of a run down house (squat) - pretty aren't they.  So we each picked a few to take home.  The glass I found in a skip a couple of years ago it's 1950's I think.  (I've just realised this makes me sound like I frequent squats and skips - I don't honest!).

This image is my entry for this weeks Nature in the Home.  I look forward to seeing yours.

So, it's Saturday, I love Saturday mornings, slowness takes over the house, hanging around in pyjamas listening to music, drawing dragons and drinking coffee - what's not to love.

But the lure of family fun will soon drag us outside.  I think as the weather is grey, wet and cold we are going here, and then soon after I am going here (I wish!).

Tomorrow it's Mothers Day... so we will be visiting grandparents to take flowers and homemade cards.  And then I am having some quality ME time (whatever that means?!)

So whatever your plans are - do have a lovely weekend.  And if you get some pretty booms take a photo, blog about it and add them to my Nature in the Home link up on Wednesday... I can't wait to see what you come up with.

x

friday...

Ahh it's Friday... how nice does that feel?  Good I can tell you.

The image above was taken whilst walking into work on Tuesday.  It was one of the magical golden moments. With the sun hitting the Matthew ship... making it glow.

Beautiful!

This weekend we are doing some bits of home improvements, walking in the woods, having play dates and for me, getting stock ready for my first Christmas market next weekend!  eeeek!

If you look up there on the top header bar, you can see a tab called Events.  On this page I've listed all of the  Christmas Markets and Shops I am involved in over the Christmas period... do pop by if you are in the area.

Also a little reminder that the Cable and Cotton giveaway ends on Sunday.  So there is still time to enter or re-enter if you like!

So... there you go!

Have a wonderful weekend, lovelies... are you up to anything fun?

x

forest school...

Last weekend Rufus was invited by his good friend, Wilfred, to celebrate his 5th birthday party.  Wilfred's  party, just like Ru's, was held up in Leigh Woods.  Unlike our crazy Indian adventure, Wilfred's was an organised party - all about woodland survival.
Set in the Forest School clearing - the children made their own tribal jewellery, followed a treasure hunt to find the food, made goblin dens, and had the perfect morning.
Rachel , the leader, gave them each a  potato peeler so they could whittle their own sticks for the fire.I loved watching these small boys bond over sticks and marshmallows.
Woods, 5 year old boys and a fire - what more would they want?
x

weekend life...

So that was the weekend...

Gorgeous autumnal weather, made for long walks in the woods, great breakfasts and gardening with grandparents.

Autumn on days like these are my absolute favourite... soaring blue skies, crisp clean air.. each day a perfect gift and one we cannot waste.

Saturday we wandered through the woods.  We took a packed lunch of delicious bread and cheese, crisp local apples and our little burner to brew coffee.  Shame we forgot to pack the cups!  Coffee drank straight from the pot it was then.

For breakfast this morning I made 'Oeuf en Cocotte' or Baked eggs in crusty bread - a recipe I saw in the lastest issue of The Simple Things Magazine.  Super easy and super delicious too.

After our hearty breakfast we spent the day at my parents helping them to clear their front garden ready for a new design.

Good simple pleasures... 

How was your weekend?

x

lino printing

This morning I spent a few hours carving intricate print blocks out of lino with limb severing tools.
Printing in neon pink and marvelling at the wonders of Lino Printing.
My lovely friend Mel, was running her ever popular Lino Printing workshop at Paper Village -(my local craft and workshop space).
Mel guided us through inspiring images, the tools and techniques of her trade, before she let us loose on the blank lino.
I had been drawing feathers for a couple of weeks now and thought this would make a great print.
I had under estimated the amount of detail and time my illustration would take to transform into a printable image. So several hours later I had cut and dug out my feather and it was ready for the printing.
I choose Neon Magenta Pink - of course I did!
And played around with the amount of ink and pressure til I was happy with my final result.
Others in the workshop managed to print birds, cats, a crab, peas in a pod and a bike - all looking marvellous.
I might have a go at printing more at home... the feather could make an appearance in my shop.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

For more information on workshops at the Paper Village please visit their website here.. up coming workshops include:  mixed media, knitting, cross stitch, needle felting & rubber stamp making.

Thanks Mel and Vic for a fun morning.
x

P.S. - don't forget to enter my giveaway!  You could win some loveliness for your wall.

LegoLand..

Yesterday we travelled across country to LegoLand... or should I say we travelled to another land!
It was our first time to the adventure park and to be honest I was a little worried about the queues and how crazy it would be.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The rides were fantastic.
Both boys passed their Lego Driving Test and now are proud owners of a driving license.
We screamed with shock and delight at the dragon rollercoaster.
Got drenched on the rapids.
Squealed under water in a yellow submarine.
Wowed by the pirate stunt show.
Immersed ourselves in all things StarWars.
Met a hero (yes Darth Vader is pretty cool in this house).
And dreamed about the next lego model to build... the Christmas list suddenly became a mile long!
If you have lego-mad kids, then this place is awesome... go!
x

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Source: etsy.com via littlegreenshed on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via littlegreenshed on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via littlegreenshed on Pinterest

It's the weekend sweet people!!
And the start of Easter School holidays here in the UK.
Tomorrow we are off to Legoland which the boys are super excited about.
I am a little worried about queuing for hours with over excited small boys.. I will let you know how my temper goes later!
The above images are from the most lovely shop I have discovered on Etsy called French 76.
I really fancy a large beaded necklace and there are plenty of delicious colours to choose from too!
Go have a look!

Hope you guys have a great weekend planned.
Have a good one.
x

our spring weekend...

An epic weekend.
The sun has shone its heart out... most unseasonally for March, no I am not complaining, just saying!
This weekend we have:
♥ picnicked,
♥ drawn,
♥ pretended to be dinosaurs,
♥ painted my toenails coral red
♥ wore my birki's all weekend
♥ planted onions at the allotment, weeded thistles and cooch grass,
♥ Swooned around the Bespoked Bike Festival,
♥ climbed trees
♥ Eaten cake,
♥ Jumped on a trampoline,
♥ Charlie went to his bestie's birthday party and saw a giant millipede (Pete the Bugman was in attendance),
♥ cleared the back garden of all traces of toddler toys,
♥ tried on vintage dresses at the mshed,
♥ bought a pair of 70's sunglasses, a mid-century plate & a 70's tea towel,
♥ ate choc ices in the back garden,
♥ made a grapple arm out of lego technic,
♥ ate homemade lasagne,
♥ drank red wine,
♥ laughed at Rufus dancing.
♥ lapped up every - single - ray - of - sunshine........

how was yours?
x

good morning...

Good morning lovely people!
The sun is streaming through the windows today.
The last day of Winter here in the UK... thank goodness!
Yesterday we celebrated Mothering Sunday, I was treated to handmade cards, bunches of tulips (my favourite flower), breakfast in bed and the morning to wander the local flea market - ALONE!
Bliss!
I found a West German mid century floor vase, something I've been looking out for, for a while.
Looks pretty good sitting on my sideboard I think.
This weekend also gave me some sweet mentions on my prints.
Here - thanks Emily.
Here - thanks Kerry.
And here - thanks Etsy!
Off to the doctor's in a moment with Rufus - his tonsil's are the size of new potatoes!
x