Sunday Stroll

 Today I followed the advice from Hands free mama, I went for a walk with my husband and left my phone behind.  In the name of being authentic I will tell you it was a little weird and I did have the momentary panic of "what if someone needs me" but I ignored it and you know what it was amazing.  After ten minutes I felt so calm, in a way I haven't felt in years.  I looked at Stuart and said "my soul feels soothed".  

 Searching for beauty in every day life sometimes seems daunting, there can be times where you feel overwhelmed or blinded to beauty.  My goal is to show that it can be found anywhere, today I found mine on a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll with my husband.  

Currently...

A snippet of life lately...

Tying...So. Many. Knots. I've been wrapping my headphones this week, mainly because they look awesome but also because it stops them from getting tangled in my bag. I watched a couple of videos on youtube (this one and this one) and then just went for it. I'm nearly done and they look super cute!

This is how my headphones are looking so far...cute no??

Cooking... So, in a bid to eat more home cooked fresh food I am continuing on my little chef journey this month and these yummy burgers from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cookbook are what we had for dinner tonight. They were delicious and really easy, which is my favourite kind of cooking :) I have no idea why there are cream crackers in these burgers or what purpose they serve but all I can say is it works. We've had these twice now and they are really tender, not at all greasy and packed full of flavour.

Watching...In the spirit of learning how to cook I've been watching the Food Network channel which I have recently discovered has been added to our freeview box. I'm a little bit addicted I think, I love "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" simply for the weird and wonderful food (it literally makes me hungry every time I watch it!) and the awesome cakes on "Amazing Wedding Cakes"

Reading...This book by Tess Thompson. This is the third in her River Valley Collection and I really enjoyed the first two (one & two & both) which I read over the summer. These are the kind of books I like to read before bed, nothing too heavy, just a bit of light hearted, mushy romance and a wee bit of a mystery thrown in. Don't get me wrong, I love a book with depth that really grabs you but sometimes you just want to zone out. Romance novels or "chick-lit" are my version of watching reality tv.

Buying...I go through phases of not really buying much make-up or any beauty products and just enjoy using what I have for ages but eventually I will yearn for new products to play with. Lately I have been on a make-up spending spree, I've bought a ton of new stuff and I'm really enjoying playing with it all. I've also been eyeing up some new make-up storage (maybe this to keep my favourite things at hand) and some new brushes. I've asked Santa (aka my hubby) to buy me this Sigma set for Christmas but in the meantime I've been eyeing up these Real Techniques brushes. I keep hearing soo many good things about them and most of my brushes are ancient and are falling apart so I might be naughty and order them this weekend. Has anyone else tried them? 

Enjoying...catching up on my favourite youtubers! I've been on a youtube bender this week haha ;) I have so many subscriptions but my favourites are sweet little Zoella, a British beauty blogger/youtuber, her brother ThatcherJoe, Jim Chapman who always makes me laugh, his fiancée make up guru Tanya Burr and the always funny and adorable Tyler Oakley, an american blogger who just happens to be friends with all the awesome brit bloggers. I also love Jacklyn Hill and Nicole Guerriero, two american beauty gurus that are so inspiring and fun to watch. There are so many great youtube channels, these are only a handful of favourites. Anyone else have any recommendations for channels or vloggers I just have to watch? 

So that's what I've been up to lately. How bout you guys? 

Am I the only one who's loving the food network?

Holiday clothes

I am going on holiday in October to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I'll be visiting my sister and brother in law.  It's a great excuse to treat myself to some Autumn clothes.  Something I haven't mentioned yet is that I am a plus size woman, a UK size 20-22.  Since I had to put a lot of effort into finding clothes that make me feel fabulous, I thought I should share with you guys where I was able to find really nice things in case anyone else out there is having the same problem.

1.  Obviously need boots - I love shoes, so much easier to find!

www.very.co.uk

2. New Look - they do some fabulous clothing for plus sizes, it's on trend.
                           Some of my favourites for this season are

 

3. Peacocks - have some really cute basics

4. Simply Be - I love this website, you can return items if they don't suit you but so far I've never had to return anything

5. Debenhams

They had a great selection especially of dresses, I've got quite a few dresses for weddings here recently.

There are a lot more places now available for plus sizes.  It just takes some effort to search for them.  Now the problem is stopping myself from spending all my money before I go on holiday.

Currently reading.....

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

I've been thinking a lot about seeing beauty in everyday life and enjoying what I have, so Ive been reading about the subject.  I am re-reading Happier at Home.  I love the way Gretchen Rubin sees the world, its so inspiring.  I've also read the Happiness Project and I believe that Happier at Home is the natural progression from the first book.  I find both these books very inspiring.

Rubin sets specific goals throughout the year to enhance her happiness and to eliminate bad feelings.  This seems to be vital in making us happy.  When I am decorating I am guilty of adding more and more but reading this I realised I need to remove the things and habits that make me unhappy.

Rubin points out that while possessions shouldn't drive our life, they are important because we are surrounded by them everyday so they have some influence over us.   I think we ahould attempt to allow out belongings to add value to our lives. As someone who loves Pinterest and lifestyle blogs I know how easy it is to caught up in how things look but reading this book reminded me that my home is my sanctuary, my playground, my shelter from the world.

So has anyone else read Happier at Home?  Or have you made your own resolutions to improve your happiness?

I'd love to hear from you!

How to be more creative

8 ways to be more creative

I've been thinking a lot this week about creativity, or the lack thereof.  I have been suffering from a block of sorts.  Partly because I've been feeling unwell and been extremely busy at work.  What I'm really interested in is how to get through it to the other side.  I'm relying on the things that have always got me through before.  I thought I would share some of them with you.  

1.  Spend time with friends 

2. Spend time alone

( I know these two ideas are the opposite but bear with me.  Sometimes we need to bounce ideas off each other, to be inspired by others, and to relax and forget about the creative block.   Other times, it's important to spend time alone, with space to think and allow ideas  to develop )

3.  Keep a scrapbook - it doesn't really matter if its real or digital but it its invaluable when you need inspiration.   I love Pinterest but I also keep a selection of my favourite magazines to have a flick through when i need a few ideas.

4.  Practice, practice, practice - sometimes the only way to get through a creative block is to work through it, ideas can pop up half way through a project.  

5.  Keep a notebook - ideas come at any time, you need to be prepared otherwise they can float away and you've lost them.

6.  Take a walk - nature is inspiring, a beautiful sunset, autumn leaves,  the first footprints in crisp white snow,  any of these things could spark off your creativity again.

7.  Take care of yourself - I'm not sure about anyone else but I always feel more creative when I'm not stressed, tired and hungry.  

8.  Tidy your workspace - before I start a new project,  I think its important to clear my desk off and start afresh.  

Does anyone else suffer from creative block?  Any suggestions for overcoming it?  We would love to here from you. 

Currently...a little snippet of life around here lately.

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Reading...

The Simple Things...a fairly new magazine filled with beautiful pictures and inspiring words. I really like the ethos of this magazine and the notion of embracing a simpler way of life, finding daily beauty and cherishing the moments that really matter.

Watching...

The new season of Mad Men....who doesn't enjoy a little bit of Don Draper?! I'm totally coveting Megan Draper's fabulous 60's wardrobe this season. 

Listening...

to Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes' from John Cusack's 1989 film 'Say Anything' (worth watching for the boombox scene alone), one of my absolute favourite date-night movies. Am I alone in being more than a little bit in love with 'Lloyd Dobler'?

Planning...

a kitchen makeover...much to my husbands dismay. I have plans to paint my kitchen table and add a gallery wall using Ikea's Ribba picture ledge shelves. Sometimes I really love the planning stages of decorating, so much more fun than all the hard work that follows!

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Enjoying...

learning a little bit more about plants and gardening, I've made it my mission to incorporate more houseplants in to our home this year. I'd also like to learn a bit more about container gardening in an attempt to beautify the outdoor spaces of our rental home. I'm considering buying The Balcony Gardener by Isabelle Palmer to get me started. Has anyone read it? Any other container gardening book recommendations or other resources out there?

Pinning... 

Inspiration for our kitchen makeover...       

                          

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...and some pretty macrame style hanging plants. Love the neon pink!

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What has everyone else been up to lately? Any new tv shows on the horizon?  Has anyone actually tried make one of those macrame plant hangers? I would totally love to try!!

Flower Power

Since this blog is about the little things that can add beauty to your everyday life, I thought I'd share something that makes me very happy.  I love fresh flowers.  I know some people think its better to have plants around and I have lots, but there is something special about a few perfect blooms in a vase.  They don't have to be very expensive and it only takes a few to brighten up my day.

My favourite at the minute are Peonies, they last for ages, have huge blooms and smell amazing, what more can you ask for.

My husband has very quickly learnt that buying flowers earns him a few bonus points so I got presented with these the other day.  Sooo pretty!

A little about me

So far......

courtesy of Catherine MacKenzie Photography

I got married three months ago, this photo is really special to me because it shows the one moment in the day  when it was just us (oh and the photographer of course!).  Im learning that no matter whether its your wedding day or just a hectic week, the most important thing is to take a moment in the middle of the chaos to remember why you are there.  Its easy to get overwhelmed and forget what's important.   We moved in to our own little (rented) home just after the wedding.

I wanted somewhere to talk about all the ideas that rumble around in my head all day and the projects I want to try.  Over time I want to show you how I put my own stamp on this house even though we can't paint or decorate so I have to be even more inventive.

I love reading, crafts, diy, baking, learning new hobbies, staying up late, coffee, learning to live a simple lifestyle, peach iced tea, curling  up on the sofa with my new hubby.