simple sunday pleasures

As iv mentioned in previous posts I'm currently training for my attempt for Race4Life in July, In planning do this and realising I'm so out shape since spending half of last year on crutches I'm trying to be really strict on my diet and fitness regime. Sundays are my days of simple pleasures .. I'm aloud my treats iv denied myself on week days and go for a leisurely stroll along the beach instead of a run. Today my treat was a naughty calorific yogurt, which was yummy and made even more sweet by the little message i discovered inside the pot ... i never knew they printed this sort of thing on the inside.. a good idea that was even nicer for me, as i really did make the moment last as tomorrow starts a new week and no more treats for me until next Sunday.


im a sucker for the little things in life

<3 lifes simple pleasures <3
xx

matt smith ... yes please

Along with probably most girls i have developed a little crush on Matt Smith. He has certainly brought a new element to dr who which i have never watched untill i saw Matt in his little blazer and bow tie. My gosh he is one handsome fellow! ( daisy lowe is a lucky lady!) .. Not only incredibly beautiful he is one ace actor! Last night i settled down with a glass of red to watch his latest drama ''Christopher and his kind'' which highlighted the troubles of being gay when it was classed as a sin during the war. Naturally i loved watching it for the fashion and my love of the 40s but he played his character brilliantly, and the drama was both interesting and moving.
I am defintley a fan of mr smith.

all praise the palazzo pant !

Sooo it was a good friend of mines 30th birthday recently and after months of planning a surprise party i had not given any thought to my outfit .. sounding like a typical girl i wanted something special and abit different to mark this occasion.
Its a running joke within my friendship group about my love affair with dresses .. yes I'm afraid at the age of 24 i do not own any trousers ... that was until i discovered the palazzo!! As a fuller figure girl with womanly hips and definite curves i always wear dresses as its easier than trying to find two pieces to suit my shape .. however, on a wonder through town i started to spot alot of these wide leg trousers knocking around and in one particular shop i spotted a pair with a cute wee cherry print .. ''oh there really sweet'' i thought so skipped off to the changing room more for a giggle of seeing myself in trousers after what must be around 5 years since the last time ... i was pleasantly surprised!! more so in fact! .. hung nicely .. didn't cling .. didn't emphasis my thunder thighs .., whats going?
i now have a 2nd love affair to rival tea dresses ... all praise the palazzo pant!!

Sundays are for walks along the beach ...

Sundays are for walks along the beach ... I'm very lucky to live close to the coast and love nothing more than a Sunday stroll along the waters edge. Today was a little grey and windy but that doesn't stop me .. nothing feels better than the fresh sea air in the lungs while pondering over life. Now that iv signed up for ''race for life'' i want to incorporate my Sunday strolls into my training plan. Pounding the pavement in preparation to running for a good cause blocks out the sight of all the couples that's depressing to a singleton .. haha not that I'm bitter ... however the amount of cute puppies i saw today really made me want a dog! that's not such a bad running companion.

day two of training and i have to say I'm feeling it in my legs already. bring on July!! xx

RACE 4 LIFE : Cancer research

Running in memory of Grandma Lillian and aunt Pauline (above). . . & Grandad George (top left) . . . x

An event that happens on a yearly basis and i never quite get there ... last year i was close .. signed up even did a little training them BAM ankle incidents x2 i end up on crutches for 7 month and unable to do it .. so this year I'm move determined than ever. Sadly i have lost several relatives to cancer and the work this organisation do can not go on without our help and support.
Today i dusted off the trainers and went for my first run .. boy did it hurt..good job i have a few months to practice! The Newcastle race takes place on the 10th July and i will be running in memory of my Granada who 15 years on i still miss terribly .. and for my grandma Lillian and aunt Pauline .. both who i never had the chance to meet. For anyone else thinking about doing this great event ... please do!!
I will be posting on my training progress so be sure to have some photos of comical value. If anyone wishes to sponsor me for the race that would be grand , it truly is for a great cause!!

xx

time to go north of the boarder. edinburgh bound

My love for Edinburgh is no secret and i cant wait untill its my home. My trip this week was a family one, my sister was north of london for an escape so while she was home we rounded up the family and jumped on the train. Was really nice as we only ever seem to be able to get together at christmas and birthdays as we all lead such hectic lives. A Fun day was had by all and i took some great snaps! Of course it was a bit of a business trip as well and i may have secured some outlets in the capital. Progression which is super exciting :)
watch this space for more news on the move xxx

Birds flying high ...

As you have probably noticed iv become a little obsessed with my new camera .. i love the rustic look it gives images and i have become a little bit snap happy. Last night i saw the strangest thing in the sky .. sat in my window spot pondering over recent events i noticed the birds in the sky moving around in an odd formation. Something iv never noticed before but found myself in a trance watching them swooping in clusters then fanning out and closing into clusters again .. such a strange but amazing sight. Looked as though they were all tied together by string and being pulled out across the sky and then instantly pulled back together tight .. i grabbed my camera to snap the scene before they disappeared. iv later discovered that these are starlings and the flocks fly in such a manor to distract potential pr editors.
- '' visualise a bird has to have a zone around it to fly and it don't want to be on the edge.when the bird near it moves to the centre of the swarm to stop being on the edge.the new bird that's exposed whether it be from the side above or below that bird will then move to gain cover in the swarm.hence the shapes you get and the sudden change in direction of the swarm you see in the sky.''

i find this quite fascinating and its very peaceful to watch.
xx

pause for thought ...

We all have our own little places we retreat to when things get a little too much and we need space ... my little spot is my windowsill in my bedroom at my parents house. My mum often tells me before us kids came along that was her spot, the view from the window stretches far out into the hills and i guess, to my mum the view has changed alot in the last 24 years of my existence. I often sit here (although as i get older it becomes more and more of a balancing act) and try and get lost in the view, in the hopes that what ever is troubling me will become clearer ... its often does.
whilst sat in my spot the other evening trying to come up with strategies to get me up to Edinburgh i couldn't help but notice how pretty the sky was .. sunsets often associated with love and romance ... they can still be enjoyed by us single folk ... this particular night as i watched the sun go down it washed over me with a calming sensation, yes things may not be going my way right now, but watching the sun go down, knowing the next time i see it is a new day i should be grateful of and that all is not lost, my life is still in its early days and I'm sure i will get to where i want to be.
xx

j'taime la moustache

Im a vintage gal at heart and i love nothing more than to see a guy embracing the old fashioned world, im partial to the glad rags of the twenties, cant beat a guy in a good suit! with this i have developed a bit of a 'thing' for moustaches .. i guess its not every girls desire but it certainly floats my boat. Today i recieved this rather grand gift .. hes soooooo cute. . . as there is no significant other in my life right now he will have to do.

Robot avec la moustache necklace : Topshop : £10.00

Tattoo part Two

I know its a bias view point .. not only because this is my tattoo design and a part of my body now .. but im totally in love with it
this week saw only one hour of needles sadly as Mel is such a busy and sort after artist but still it saw my rose buds get added, some leaves and the highlights to the tailors mannequin.
I have to admit i have been pretty impressed with my bravery so far, however, im not going to lie .. the line work on the back of my arm did make my eyes water!!
So with a bit of luck and teeth clenching my arm should be finished within a week, just got the big rose to fill in which i think will really pull the design together.
Tattoos can be such a bugger sometimes, the more you look the more ideas you have and this is already starting to expand. I really love the natural element and interesting shape and tones to the rose buds (and they are not even finished yet!) so have decided to have a few more added at the bottom of my arm to fill in the back and balance out the design.
Im soooooooooo excited to get it finished....then time to plan the next one :)
what do you guys think?

xxxx

Merci Beaucoup mes Amis!x

A real french macaroon and a cup of tea .. what a treat !x

Recently some friends of mine flew off to Paris for their very first time!! my attempts to hide in their luggage failed and they flew off without me .. ( i couldnt go due to work)
Me being me and secretly wishing I was Parisian . . . gave them a good prep talk on my beloved city and handed over my Bible (- not an actual bible but the best tour book i have ever bought which successfully saw me around paris without getting lost three years straight!)

Off they skipped and judging by the photos had an amazing time, and i do believe they have caught the Parisian bug and plan a second trip later in the year which i am determined to go on.
As a thank you for letting them take said 'bible' they bought me back these amazing little treats, an old print of the moulin rouge on a tea towel which will look grand in my new kitchen and ... hold it ... yes a MACAROON .. nom nom deeeeeelicious.

MERCI BEAUCOUP MES AMIS !!!

XXXX

welcome to my world

The whole reason i set up this blog was so people interested in my work could get to know me more and see behind the scenes into what makes me tick as an artist and how my work develops from ideas into finished pieces. . . alas i owe an apology to being slow in posts and not consistent. As followers are aware the last six months have been hit and miss for me as i have a mini pre-mid life crisis and ask myself that ever puzzling question ''what am i doing with my life?'' ... an answer I'm still yet to find. . . although I'm yet to work out the destination on the map I'm heading to, to plant some roots one thing that hasn't stopped is my thirst to be surrounded by inspiration and all things ''me''.

Whilst clearing out alot of my old uni work and starting to whittle down my belongings to a move able amount i have brought new life into my studio with bits and bobs i thought id lost and things i have recently acquired (old family photos and gloves from my grandmothers etc..)

I like the way a studio or any working space can represent a person and it interests me to see how people perceive you, and define characteristics, just from objects.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some snap shot of my desk/work area and see what you all think .... enjoy
xxx

Imelda May 11/02/11

Imelda May .. 02 academy 11/02/11

<3 Imelda May in action <3

my lovely ladies! ashleigh and louise .. aww so cute <3

(Me .. classy as ever .. sporting the new accessory of clingfilm .. a must for a fresh tattoo)

For a while now i have had a girl crush on a lovely lady called Imelda May .. for those not in the know shes a stunning irish singer that just ouzes with class and glamour. A 1950s throw back from clothing to sound .. she is amazing!! luckily myself and a few fellow ladies who love her had the chance to see her sing live .. a slightly bias view point as i adore her music but it was by far one of the best gigs iv been to. She makes it look so easy and sings effortlessly.
It was a rather grand day all round as i got some tattoo work done in the morning, lunch with the brother and then off for afternoon tea with the sidekicks prior to the gig. . . wish all days were this fun!
xxx