Kezzie AG Post isolation fantasy choices challenge

Join me in a creative writing or choosing challenge!

I'm going to post some categories which you need to write about for what you will/would do post isolation, post when the horrid Covid is finally vanquished and returns to Mordor.

Write about your choices for the following categories- feel free to be brief or get your descriptive skills out in their full glory!  Do it in one post or in many! Your choice. Some of them may not apply to you or be appropriate but I thought I'd post them anyway!
I'll also do the same. (Please someone do this so I don't look a complete saddo! :-) )
Leave me a comment with your URL and I'll definitely come and read and perhaps I could post my favourites from everyone for the different categories (maybe? Is this a good or bad idea?) If you could link to this post too, in order to give other people a chance to join in, that'd be lovely.

But it would be lovely for us to all give this a go!  I remember telling my friend Thomas in Bali what I would eat or do or wear when I got back from living in Bali! He always loved this game!

Enjoy!

1. Restaurant you would go out to.

2. Friend you would meet up with first.

3. Place you would go.

4.  Shop you would go to.

5.  Food item you would buy/eat

6.  Cake you would eat.

7.  Show you would/will go to see

8.  Concert you will go to watch.

9.  Relative you will hug first

10. Holiday you would go on.

11.  Other activity you would take part in.

12.  Thing you would do at work.

13.  Item you would buy.

Three bloggers go mad in Ipswich!

Totally stole Hazel's pic!

It has taken me ages to write this post, for reasons which I will explain in a minute but I was really fortunate to meet up with Sophie at Sophie in the Sticks and Hazel at World of Joy for a blogger meet-up in Hazel's home town Ipswich.  I was very excited this because I've been reading both of these blogging ladies' blogs for several years now and been writing to Sophie for at least 3 years so it was really exciting.  CBC said, "Wow, you're actually meeting Sophie!" (Sophie is the ONE blogger he remembers and talks about when he talks about my blogging friends!).  Hazel was very efficient in organising our meet-up and I was so pleased to meet her!

I jumped on a train ridiculously early and Hazel was waiting for me at the gates and Sophie appeared literally seconds later!  Utterly surreal and great meeting them in real life!

We headed off down the road on Hazel's charity shop tour of Ipswich. I must say, she had a brilliant route planned.

We walked along chatting and devastatingly, the heavenly sounding charity-shop with attached tearoom had shut down!!! Not to be  easily defeated, we simply headed into a  tasty-looking coffee shop for beverages and a good chat!



And then,  we headed on through Ipswich visiting a good 10 or more charity shops. I was impressed by lots of them. There was a brilliant Salvation Army which I found loads in (and everything I bought was marked down) and then the best was a £1 Cancer Research shop in which I found 3 items I liked and 2 books.




At some point, we stopped for lunch, Hazel led us towards a great place that was quiet, tasteful and quick. I had a delicious fish-finger sandwich (Aren't I terrible- manage a picture of a sandwich but not much else!)

The adventure continued, I managed to sneak a little picture or two!


I was actually planning to gather together all the things I bought (lots of them-eek!!)  to add into this post but I've worn most of the items and they are scattered around the house in various washing baskets, clean or dirty, in drawers, hanging on banisters or lying on the spare bed. Yes, I'm no domestic siren!

Hazel had a great idea for a challenge for our outing. Two of us had to buy an item for the third to style up, so essentially we each ended up with an item to style, bought by the others.

Hazel and I managed to sort Sophie in the first shop, we saw a turquoise polka dot knitted mini-dress that we thought was just her.
Sophie and I, knowing Hazel's love of stripes, found something a little different, a sort of coloured stripy maxi dress.

And what did they buy for me:

Well, the reason I have taken so long to write this post (apart from BEDM) is that it's been rather too cold for the item I was bought. They chose me a beautiful red, sleeveless, frilly mini-dress with an adorable umbrella print all other it. red-check, fun print- check, ruffles- check!  It was a great item, very, very much in my style!

I finally got around to wearing it on the bank holiday Sunday as we paid a visit to RHS Hyde Hall.

How did I style it?

A hat of course- charity shopped straw with red band, black cardie and grey leggings as it wasn't THAT warm, sensible black Rieker shoes for walking around and a black necklace given to me by my friend Ellie


It was nice to be bright in this setting, against a backdrop of foliage.

I loved the item they bought me, it will be great for sunny days that I hope are coming! Thanks for a great choice! It was a great day and I am very pleased we managed to meet up. Huge thanks to Hazel for being an ace host!

You can read Sophie's styled post here and Hazel's one here to see what we bought each other and how they styled it!

xx

P.S. Thank you, thank you,thank you for all the kind comments- you are wonderful.I was out swing-dancing last night and had a headache on Monday  so haven't had a chance to visit everyone yet!

Linking to Hat Attack with Judith, the one and only StyleCrone

#BEDM 31: The end is nigh!

And so this 31 day unrelenting stint of blogging is at an end! 31 days on the trot! Kind of a relief it's over but I am really glad I have done it. Any sort of talk of going on some sort of emotional, mental journey leaves me cringing and thinking of the X-factor/Strictly and over reality TV shows so I won't go down that route, I don't think I've been on a journey but I've poked my nose into a few more doors than usual, but it has been an interesting experiment. I largely stuck to the briefs each day with a few digressions into other posts

I did try to set out with the intention of visiting the other participants and I probably managed about half of them (that's about 60!) and left comments on those who had comment settings that allowed me to but in the end, I just couldn't.  I had a few, not a huge amount of other BEDMers coming to reciprocate, but I appreciated those who did, most notably, the wonderful Zoe Pennyblossoms , Lizzie Cole, Janet B , Liz, Zoe Splodz, Laura Lojo.   I even gained a few followers which for my slow moving follower list is astounding!  Thanks to Laura, Zoe Splodz, Liz, Lynn Holland, SENCO Cat Herder, Rebecca, Carville, Two Squirrels and HI! Special thanks to my regular blog friends who have unrelentingly commented, especially Ivana and Denise who have literally been daily on here with insightful, caring and supportive comments and there's more of you too!

I followed a few, including Liz at Distract me now please, Zoe at Splodz Blogz and Laura at Lojo versus the world, all of whom are great, so please go and say hi!

In doing BEDM, I had a look over my past posts and realised I didn't have as much variety as I thought, quite a lot of mediocre outfit posts, over time I've got a bit lazy, though I have consistently waffled for England so I think it was good to make myself consistently blog about a few other things.

In trying out beauty blogging, I didn't find it quite as dull as I thought it would, so you never know, I might just occasionally post about something I like, I definitely would like to do some more collaborating as I loved my interview reciprocally with Zoe at Pennyblossoms and I think it would be fun to collaborate more.  It was fun to think about travelling with the A-Z of travelling post and I liked trying to link things I wanted to post about with the briefs such as a bluebell expedition turning into a philosophical discussion tenuously linked to healthy living.  The worst post was about my work space. If it isn't pretty or doesn't create a story, it doesn't excite me. My favourite post was probably my photographic visit to Mersea Island and I LOVED sharing the talents of the wonderful Ang Almond with my question mark shirt!

During the course of BEDM, I've met up with 3 bloggers (2 still to be posted about), been to a wedding, disappeared off to Devon for a week as well as normal life!

So, onwards and upwards- I've got a ton of things I want to post about so whilst I would relish a kind of break, I really don't want to, I'm a glutton for punishment or an addict-delete as appropriate!

BEDM, it's been a blast!!!

xx

There's a blog that I love: #2 Lizzie Dripping

Last week, I said I'd like to highlight blogs that I think are great or bloggers that I think are super because it is nice to share and important to show appreciation for what people do. Last time, I shared my love of Char's blog. This week I'd like to introduce you to Lizzie who posts over at Lizzie Dripping (did you read that book as a child?).

I've known Lizzie a few months now and I think she is a super blogger.  Over at her blog, she writes a true diary which I really applaud- what a great way to document what you have done. She's very modest about it- even her tagline is 'This blog is my diary, a short series of daily updates to let anyone reading, plus friends and family, know what is going on in my uninteresting life.'  I don't find it at all boring, I like it- her's is the only blog I know like that- it is unique in that respect.

Her daily posts include what she does each day, what she feels, reviews games and episodes of shows she watches and, my favourite, shares what she's been eating. It is a long and standing joke amongst my family that when we talk on the phone, I always ask about what they've been eating or if they've been out, what they had. I really do like to 'eat vicariously' (if I can coin such a phrase- hopefully it gets across what I mean) through other people and the fact that Lizzie eats out lots and shares what she had is something I LOVE!  I sit there and drool over her dinner! Lizzie has strong links with her family and I love that, I've loved getting to know Alan (boyfriend) and Matthew (brother) through her blog.  She's a teacher like myself and she's is really motivated to progress and become a better teacher, enrolling on BSL courses, summer programs for youth (she actually wants to use her school holidays to work with kids- WOW!) 

 And, one of the things I think is really special about Lizzie is she is a REALLY supportive commenter and has been to myself and other  bloggers I like. I wrote a post about tips for feeling disheartened about blogging and Lizzie is the ultimate antidote to that- she is caring and consistent with commenting and showing she liked your post. I absolutely do not deserve all the kindness and support she shows me.I long to comment on Lizzie's blog but her comment settings are Google+ which I made an active decision not to sign up for a few years ago (which I wont go into) but please go and say hi to this wonderful, kind blogger.  Do you know Lizzie?  I hope you go and visit her!


For a few posts I liked of Lizzie's:


Tuesday 10th February -  I think this reflects Lizzie's great motivation and care towards her pupils

Liebster award- great to know more about Lizzie's motivation

30 days tested -  Lizzie is not a dedicated  beauty blogger but I love the fact she tested this product dedicatedly, not seen that too often in beauty bloggers.

A regular post with exciting food piccies! Mmmm....

And for a few other posts I loved this week:

An amazing Kale and tofu dish from Herbs Spices and Traditiom

Janet's cool cloud cushion

Hazel's wedding invitations post. I love how Hazel is documenting her wedding prep in a really fun way without it feeling too overly wedding, wedding,wedding, which I know many engaged bloggers often worry about! Don't worry, it's fun to read about!

Louisa's attempts at Duck-shaped fried eggs amused me even if they did go wrong. Plus there was lots of other goodness in here.

Sophie in the Sticks is a very talented photographer- these are just beautiful!

Gemma lets us vote for what she features next week. When The 5 choices are dwarf, bunny, unicorns, dolls or gummy bears.,you know you've got to visit! 

Donna visited the Coronation Street Set and very good fun it looked too!

Shamu wrote a beautiful poem

Discovering magic hexagons thanks to WOMOTM via WKWTTG's birthday card

In the navy

It was pretty much a no-brainer that when I heard that Miss Papelicos's Share-in-style challenge this week was Sailor, that I would be easily compelled to join in. One of my favourite style outfits which I have indulged OH so many times here on this blog- be it with my plethora of sailor dresses or a top or two!
I've shared the reasons behind it so I won't repeat myself (Mentally, I can hear my husband scoffing in the background saying, "WHAT, you don't want to repeat the same story to the world for the millionth time?!")

Today, being the first day back at school, I figured a nice casual novelty outfit would do the trick in making me feel better. This cardigan is hands down, my most favourite buy ever at Primark and I paired it with these Tescos white linen sailor trousers- they have the flat fronts and buttons of your stereotypical sailor pants and are very comfy though as you can see, they are very creased after a day of sitting, bending, crouching, kneeling whilst doing menial tasks. And yes, I won't be doing a backwards shot like that again! Not flattering!

Notice my bad editing skills- the middle me is really titchy, flanked by two giants. I'm trying to 'pull the ropes' in the middle shot (I know my sailor's hornpipe you know!)

Never yet it be said that I don't pay attention to detail- note the earrings. And of course the excessive messing around with nautical stereotypes in Picmonkey!



Go and check out the other able seamen (or ladies) over here.

Eeek, an outfit post two days running- something I usually try to avoid but didn't want to miss the boat (ho ho ho) with the link party!


Oh, and you get two for the price of one, here's CBC rocking a nautical look Dubrovnik:
Nautical shoes, red trousers and stripy shirt! He just needs a parrot!


At ease shipmates.

xxx

Caught on Camera

Here's a really simple card idea you can make out of very few things!

This card was made for WOMOTM, my Father-in-Law who is into photography and I imagine might make a good card for any photo-happy blogger or man of photos!

You will need: Long, thin base card in colour of your choice,Black felt-tip pen, ruler, scraps black/dark brown card (mine came from a Green and Blacks easter egg box), scraps of silvery/holographic card (could easily come from Christmas crackers or other festive metallic packaging) three medium/small black buttons, 3 small white pearly buttons, scissors and circle punch (can be done free hand), PVA glue/doublesided sellotape

1. Cut three identical small rectangles out of the back card.

2. Cut 3 circles out of the silver mirror card and stick to the centre of the rectangles.

3. Stick the black buttons centrally onto each of the mirrored circles.

4. Stick the pearly buttons on top of these (double sided sticky tape works well).

5. Cut three thin strips of mirror card to the length of your 'cameras' and adhere to the button.

6. Cut three pirate hat type shapes and adhere to the top of the camera. Draw on a little black rectangle for the view finder.

7. Stick the three completed angles at equal intervals, at a jaunty angle, along the middle of a long card.

8. Get your black felt-tip pen and draw 2 black lines close together above and below your cameras (like negatives). Draw in little thicker lines to join these at 3mm intervals.

9. Draw 2 vertical lines between the three cameras to complete your 'film'

10. Voila, finished and made very cheaply indeed! This card could cost you less then 10p if your cards were cheap!

(11. You could also add a little loop of black ribbon to the side of each camera to make handles (you could use the hanging ribbons that come in many tops or a clothing label string or wire) but I chose not to!)

Linking up to:

Creative Mondays with Claire Justine

IN and out link party with Feeding Big

On a branch of a big tree, sat a little bird- Peter's friend

This Saturday just gone, my orchestra held its annual children's concert. Once a year, we put on a matinee, shorter-length concert for the younger members of the community. The pieces are chosen carefully in order to really capture the children's interest and imagination, there is always audience participation, lots of fun and stacks and stacks of cake! This time, the main item in the programme was Prokofiev's Peter and the wolf.

Our conductor, ever the imaginative one, asked the woodwind to avoid their usual coloured attire (rats, I was looking forward to wearing a turquoise silk dress!) and to don clothing fitting to our character! As the flute, I was the Bird, and luckily for me, had items of clothing that would work. Poor female-bassoon player who is Grandfather.

I donned a Dorothy Perkins electric blue dress with a turquoise Monsoon shrug (brand-new with tags in charity shop!) alongside a Primark bird-necklace.

The shoes are my slightly guilty item here. I bought these Trinkletina low Irregular Choice shoes a while back on sale and in the magic way that Irregular Choice seem to do- they seemed to go with the dress despite being a motley collection of patterns! I really don't need any more shoes, especially novelty ones but somehow I gave in to temptation...

As I pondered the costume a few days before the concert, I worried that the costume wasn't really visual enough from a distance to the children so I borrowed the awesome Coast fascinator my friend wore to my wedding to go with it. I can recommend their fascinators. It was really comfy and didn't grip my head uncomfortably being a headband, nor did it feel insecure like I usually find the comb ones.

The concert was a tremendous success. We had a large crowd of children and adults. Many friends and past members of the orchestra came (with babies and children in profusion!) and a lot of members of the local community in Dulwich village where the church, St Barnabas was. Kathy Clugston of BBC Radio 4 was our brilliant narrator as usual and the programme also included a world premiere of a version of What shall we do with the drunken sailor, arranged superbly by Danyal Dhondy(which has fired me up for ideas for what to arrange for my orchestra at school!), a wind quintet by Malcolm Arnold of the same tune and a movement from Beethoven 3. If you have the opportunity to go to a special orchestra concert for kids, I recommmend it- they are very well thought out. Only the day before, I took my children to a special LSO concert and they adored it!

Remember my charity-shop flute bargain of some weeks ago? I am so glad I bought it as a long line of fluffy-haired girls asked to try my flute out and I really don't like handing over my precious main flute to children, so it was good they could try this one!

On the way home, we were caught up in the most dreadful traffic (sort it out town planners of Forest Hill!!!) and we had only reached Thurrock by 7.45. We decided to nip into Ikea at Lakeside to buy a salmon lasagna for tea (they're really nice!) and Christmas jumpers in Primark. We didn't buy the Christmas jumpers but I did buy an outfit I really like- jumper, skirt and hat (!). Again, guilt...

There's a hat link-up!?!?!! (thanks Val for the info!) Why did I not know this! I'm linking to Style Crone's Hat attack. She has an awesome hat by the way!! Linking up to the beautiful Patti at Visible Monday, who I haven't linked up to for ages, but really wanted to! I love her positive vibed (if such a word exists!?) link-up!

Here's a recording of the beginning of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by David Bowie! That chirpy flute- that was me (not on this recording sadly!)

#BEDN 5 Bonfire night

Anticipation as excited feet tramp towards the place. Treacle toffee overflowing in crinkled paper bag gorged on in advance. A Warm coat buttoned to the top, scarf wrapped mummy-style around a cold neck. Hat pulled close over ears which strain to hide in your hair. Wellies squelch in the obligatory mud. Getting the prime position: close enough to the bonfire to be warm, far away enough to make a swift exit. The match is lit! A flame dances its way bidding welcome to all flammable matter. Chattering and reminiscing on memories of last year. The first explosion, whizz, bang! Collective oohs, ahhs and gasps of appreciation. The feeling of 'Surely, there can't be more!' which is pleasingly dashed! The ever-continuing quest to write your complete name in a sparkler stroke. The final rockets take a flamboyant bow at curtain call! Excited revellers make their way home. A hasty dash for the kitchen. Marshmellows in a steaming mug of squirt-cream topped hot chocolate. Warm soup, bed and lively chatter Going to bed and snuggling in a warm duvet with hot water bottle. **** I did none of these things today. I was going to light a sparkler in the garden but I'm too chilly!! But it's nice to think of these memories in the warm!

#BEDN 4: Food Glorious Food

Good evening to ye! It's appropriate that the topic for today is food as CBC and I have just had a minor disagreement over dinner. I, in my mind, planned a lovely big plate of roasted veg (butternut squash, carrot, courgette, onion, sweet potatoes, new potatoes, pepper,) with curly kale (and sweet corn) to accompany. CBC has now taken over and he has taken out the sweet potatoes from the mix (I took the courgette out too) and he has added lentils. I am very lucky in the respect of food because CBC is not your typical 'meat and two veg' guy that many, many of my friends are married to or go out with etc. He rejoices in vegetables, pulses and makes really tasty food and really isn't bothered about meat. He does like fish though. Because he IS so good with food, it tends to make me a little insecure about my cooking ability. I enjoy variety and love many many foods. Yet, I will quite happily eat really random concoctions or a random selection of foods shoved together with the only prerequisite being that I like lots of ingredients (I think that's why pasta dishes in lots of restaurants make me cross because you are paying lots of money for like ONE topping or TWO on your pasta!). Thus, over the last 5 years of living alone and indeed cooking for myself over the last 8 years or so, I probably don't make things that excite other people (Except for a few dishes). I thought I'd share one of two of my rather more eccentric habits (or perhaps some of you will laud me as a misunderstood GENIUS!?) that I have taken to over time and quite enjoy.

1. Add frozen peas to your salad in the morning. When I worked at the Academy, I used to make myself a nice healthy (also puritanical in terms of lack of meat and sauces) salad. I used to buy Tescos organic frozen peas which I would sprinkle into the salad. By lunchtime, they would be nicely defrosted and it would be like having fresh peas in my salad.

2. Add sweetcorn to ANYTHING! Any dish, stew, dinner can have frozen sweetcorn added to it as an extra portion of veg!!!!

3. Do you ever buy those nice ready-made soups from Tescos or supermarkets like the Covent Garden soups or the own brand ones? CBC and I have discovered a DELICIOUS range of soups in the COOP called Glorious Soups with our favourite being the West African chicken and peanut one. (Oh my, I have just looked at the website and am SALIVATING over all the types of soup!) Well, we have taken to making a delicious dish out of this by adding a large block of noodles to this plus pak choi chopped and red peppers in thin small strips and then cooking them all together in the soup for 6-7 mins or so on the hob and it makes an even nicer dinner than the soup on its own (which is pretty amazing!) for two people and is super easy to make! Of course, I add sweetcorn to it too (CBC doesn't)

In case you are wondering about the pictures at the top, tonight's dinner finished by CBC is to the right and was delicious. CBC was away on Friday so I made myself a random concoction: Southern fried Chicken goujons (on seperate plate) and then on the bottom: curly kale, peas, sweetcorn, Jacket sweet potato, Chicory, avocado with balsamic vinegar! Random mixture but all delightful if eaten seperately and not mixed! Linking to Mag's at Fraise Lachrymose

Mag's Nov challenge and #BEDN 2: Something you've made and 3 Light

I apologise for the delay in day 2 of one of my November challenge but I had the most stonking headache all day yesterday and after singing at the church centenary service (which was lovely), all I could do was stumble blindly home in the dark (this is what it feels like when I have a headache)against the tide of revellers going to the Rotary club fireworks and lie down.

 However, with Elizabeth's 'Blog every day in November' challenge for yesterday was about something you have made. I mentioned I had still a few things to post about the wedding and I am really disappointed and cross at myself for failing to get virtually any photos of all the things I had made and set up for the wedding, which really, is one of the most interesting parts for other people to look at (did you SEE Megan Bird's wedding posts- BEST posts ever!)

 I found one or two terrible shots amongst my files which will have to suffice.

 Thank you cards:

The first thing I had to do was make 38 different thank you cards for all the people we had to thank for taking part in the wedding. Yes, really that many. Musicians, caterer, coordinator at the venue, friends for helping out in setting up and adjusting dresses and the such like. So the week before was spent making these. All of them were a pretty simple design but one I was pleased with. Here's how you can make them:

 You will need: Cream cards, Edging Punch, Glue stick, silver outline stickers, ruler, scissors.
 1. Select cream textured cards. Use a Martha Stewart (or other similar- Fiskars are good) edging punch and punch all the way along the top and bottom of the card (they have handy lining up patterns). Be sure to start directly in the middle on the fold so the front and the back match in pattern)

 2. Take some old yellowed music that nobody wants anymore (charity shops are great for skanky old piano music. I, however, have lots anyway) and measure the length and the width you want to make a panel for to go in the middle of your card. Cut the edges to either side of the music but using a ruler, RIP the paper above and below the music notation so you have a nice, uneven-edge.

3. Stick it roughly in the middle of the card.

 4. Buy some silver outline stickers (The Range is good for these!)and place a 'Thank you' in the middle (You're supposed to use Tweezers but I don't). Stick hearts at a jaunty angle to the thank you.

5. Voila! Write the envelope in fancy swirly writing.

6. Now do this 37 times more!

 Actually, of course, I did ALL the edging for all 38 in one go and ALL the cutting of music in one stage but you know... I did have aching wrists and HATE edge punches by the end of this- they hurt!

  Hanging hearts

 The next thing I made in copious quantities were these music notation paper hearts. I believe I made about 100 of them and I WISH I had got CBC to take a picture of them when he had carefully put them into one massive box- they looked cool! We hung them on every available wall sconce and hangy surface in Valentines and they were hung on the handle on the end of every pew in the church. I had loads left over but they got totally crushed in the post-wedding clear-up.
 
 They're super easy to make. Indeed, I made about 49 one evening. Again, you should do each stage all in one batch as it makes it more efficient.
 You will need: Patterned paper of your choice (IDEALLY thicker, not too thin! I used the remainder of that Gustav Mahler score I have been using for months!), Scissors or Guillotine, Stapler, ribbon,
You need to cut strips of your desired paper in three lengths. I believe my lengths were: 14cm, 18cm and 22cm. Mine were 2.5cm in width. Each heart requires 2 of each length.

1. Take a 14cm strip. Put the 18cm strip on top of it and the 22cm one on top of that ensuring that the ends are neatly next to each other.

 2. Curl them over so they make a sort of EAR shape (because the small strip is underneath) and the ends all meet with the other ends. You can either clamp them with a bulldog clip to hold in place, or if you are lazy like me, you can try to keep them in your pinched fingers whilst doing the same with the other 3 strips. 

3. Pinch all these ends together and put these into the bulldog clip to hold in place. (You'll see it is a heart shape)
 4. Cut a length of ribbon long enough to make a nice loop for you to hang the ribbon and enough that you can tie the ends at the bottom in a bow. Fold it in half so the ends meet (and you have a loop at one end)

 5. If you want the loop at the top if you can hang it from a hook easily, then at this stage, put the piece of ribbon between the two ears with the loop at the top and just enough poking out the end that you can tie them in a pretty bow. STAPLE 1cm from the base of the heart.

6. If, like me, you have to tie the hearts onto non-hooky surfaces (like a washing line or a wall-light), then catch the LOOP in between the staples so you have the free ends coming out the top of the heart.

 7. Hang them wherever you can!
 It's not very clear, but you can see them vaguely hanging from the pew ends!

     Table names:


 There are MANY more stylish ways to do this for your wedding that are out on the web (which I wish I had attempted!) but to make simple table names for the reception, a friend had loaned me some heart shaped wire- holders for table numbers. I however cut A5 sized pieces of Turquoise card and used the Martha Stewart Punch to cut a pretty patten into the top and the bottom of them.
 I then used a nice Berol feltip to make fancy swirly letters which I coloured in black to give a calligraphy-pen feel to them and then went round them lightly with a glittery silver gel pen with vines so they sparkled at a certain angle.
 Finally, I punched some butterflies from the same music paper as the name cards stuck 2 of them on just in the middle.

 If you're wondering, we named our tables are places we have visited together: they included Portmerion (Yes, I know, we spelt it wrong!!!!), Florence and Hydra.

 And there you have it: wedding crafts made very very simple (and cheap!)

  #BEDN 3. Light: Well, I have lots of things I could say about this, but this post is long enough already.

 I love how architects strive to get the lighting right in their buildings. A well-crafted building which makes use of natural light is something special and it just works. If I could recommend a place for you to visit in London, I would recommend The Sir John Soane Museum in Lincoln Inn Fields in Holborn. It was his home and aside from the amazing treasures inside (Sarcophocuses, Holbein paintings and more), the way the house is lit is beautiful. Soane was an architect and he was really interested in the use of light in houses and he built his home beautifully. The museum has some beautiful windows in it, particularly some coloured ones and the house just WORKS in terms of the light. The great thing about the house is that it has been left just as when he lived there and he managed to get an act of parliament to allow it to remain so for the nation! DO go if you can. It's free to go in but choose your time as only a certain amount are allowed in at a time and avoid school parties!

 If I get a chance, I'd like to say more about light another time.

 Good night my dears.

 Good luck if you are back to school! xx

 

Lady in Flowers (SIA)

It was Style Imitating Art with Salazar of 14 shades of grey. This week’s SIA inspiration is “Illumination” by Colette Calascione:    Aren't I silly, I feel a bit silly putting up a naked lady picture, even though she'd covered in flowers and has nice wallpaper, shawl and crocheted chair! In retrospect, I could have gone with hairflowers, floral crowns and pearls but ah well!!!





I bought this blouse from a vintage shop in Nottinghill gate in February and at the time, I kind of regretted it because I didn't try it on and was suddenly aware I looked like a bit er- like I was an octegenarian! Combined with these White Stuff tweed shorts, I didn't mind it so much! I love it in summer where I can wear my collection of straw hats- this one was from TK Maxx a long time and was one of the Mum's wedding hat quartet!  The floral brogues don't really photograph very well but never mind!  I have very pale legs.  However, not even that will convince me to try fake tan- no way!

This afternoon, I unfortunately didn't get to teach music as the year 5 teachers wanted to do a Greek food afternoon.  I was a little miffed about it as they've missed music lessons for 2 weeks now and I am on another trip next week so they wont have it again.  I had got all my resources ready and didn't have the time to go through the lesson.  Plus, I wondered why they used today to do it but anyway, such is life.  However one of the activities was tasting Greek foods.  Each pair of children had a plate with Greek olive bread, olives, feta, dolmova (the vine leaf thingies), marinated peppers, and a tomatoey dish and a aubergine dish.  It was really funny because apparently, the other class were all saying, "Urgh, it's disgusting!" and being complete drama-queens (one says it and the rest follow suit).  Whereas, in our classroom, they were a little more open-minded and tried everything and saw it in a positive light and liked most of the items and were raving about them.  We had various 'hoover' children who went round and ate up all the scraps of their favourite item.  A adored olives and ate all those up for grabs, J loved the vine leaves and happily munched his way through them, U loved the peppers and swiped those and the majority ate the lot. Everyone liked the feta!  I told them that they obviously had more sophisticated taste-buds than the other class! They liked that!

Hope all is well with you and thank you for the recent spate of kind comments!  Welcome to the lovely new following people as well- tis so kind of you to visit my little ol waffly blog!!!
xx

FffffFlotsam but no jetsam (SIA)

From Flotsam, by David Wiesner
Watercolor on paper, 2007

HOW awesome is this painting!?!!! I adore it!  What is going on with Robofish on the left?!?!

Anyway, it's the inspiration for this week's Style imitating art with Jess at Animated Cardigan blog






I was all set for plain orange and turquoise and then remembered this awesome t-shirt I bought from Primark in the sale for £1 last year!  They're all unique and show an underwater scene!

T-shirt:  Primark, Skirt- Per Una at M&S, Cardigan- thrifted
Orange and turquoise is a nice colour combination- it always makes me think of dancing costumes from my childhood.  The Tuesday school (I was the Wednesday school) always got the best costumes and the best dances (and they always got props like umbrellas, canes etc!!!!) and one year they did a dance to Greased lightning with amazing 50's jive skirts in different colours with halterneck tops and ribbons in their hair!  I really wanted the turquoise and orange combination that a girl called Janine was wearing so my friend Lucy and I managed to persuade our parents to pay the dressmaker to make us a turquoise skirt each for our birthday present! I wore it for stacks of parties! Who'd have thought that 20+ years on, I'd still be loving poufy 50's style skirts with petticoats!

You're wondering about the fish? Well, when I lived in Indonesia, my university provided the opening ceremony to the Bali International Arts Festival- the president came and everything.  We were in a massive parade across Denpasar in costume with dancers and instruments galore and some of the dancers were on a massive float (and dancers appeared from inside human-size, fake flowers.  At the end of the ceremy, I and some of my fellow musicians, didn't want to walk back to Uni so we hitched a ride on the float which was covered in these very cleverly hand-made fake fish (out of foam, wool etc) and as we alighted from it, they totally trashed the float, taking off all the fish and decorations (I think it needed to be cleared) and so I took my opportunity and ripped off this big fish.  I then shipped it back with my instruments and books etc! I love to think what the customs-guys made of my inventory, 1 bronze metallophone, 1 double-headed drum, 1 fake gold-fish....

The crab is totally cute- I bought him during my final placement of my PGCE when I was in a year 2 class doing the topic, The Seaside, past and present. The crab was an item 'for sale' in my seaside shop!!!  He was a charity-shop purchase- he's so cute!!! His name is Crabbe (as in HP!)

x

Linking to Visible Monday with the fabulous Patti and a whole host of lovelies!

Captain America!

Hello!  How are you?

It was Style imitating Art with the lovely Salazar of 14 shades of grey.  This week's inspiration was the superb Captain America by Alex Goss!  Have you seen his paintings?  He painted loads of heroes and icons from TV programmes onto vintage canvasses! I find them hilarious!!!!
We all had a lot of fun with it but I tend to think anything incorporating red, white, blue and/or polka dots is always going to be great!

(Outfit is:
Dress- Dorothy Perkins, Cardigan- Monsoon, Necklace- handmade by me, flower behind ear (part of costume for Bali arts festival), belt -vintage shop in Notting hill, shoes - Cath Kidston)

I don't need to say much about it, you probably get what I was trying to do!  I think I got a bit excited with the sun on Sunday so wore a dress with bare legs! More about that in my next post!

A pause for Lent 2013 #5

Hello there!  My focus for this post is the two following fasts:

Fast from problems that overwhelm; Feast on prayer that strengthens.


Fast from shadows of sorrow; Feast on the sunlight of serenity

I have had an extraordinarily difficult week emotionally and mentally. Not on the scale of difficulties that others experience but for me, it has been very hard and emotional and I have felt sorrow and anxiety. 

When I first encountered difficulties this week, my first reaction was utter misery and despair, I literally felt overwhelmed by panic and misery.  I didn't do what the above suggest- I instantly gave into the problems without resting on God and trusting in him and praying.  I couldn't pray, I felt like I couldn't, but I should have. I felt the sorrow and didn't choose to rest and try to be peaceful.  And it consequently led to my having an incredibly difficult time, not being able to think, speak, comprehend and hear.  Finally, I was able to and rest peacefully and not be overwhelmed and was consequently able to think and speak rationally..  It's a lesson I must relearn over and over again, and now is the time to be mature and remember that.

Rest first, pray intelligently and then wait in peace

Take time to rest first on God and think then you can pray intelligently and then hopefully wait in peace/serenity.

God bless you all this Sunday!xx

Singer/song-writer

Hello there on this fine Monday!  I do hope you are well and happy! I have had a good day on the whole!  The day is always good when year 6 are not badly behaved! They were so focused on their group composition task, that they didn't have a chance to mess around as they had to write a piece in binary structure, consisting of two contrasting sections of 8-bars incorporating longer and shorter rhythms in the two halves.  It took them all that time to get that done, no time for mischief!  I suddenly had ideas for a maths investigation based on music rhythms for them!!!

It's inspiration Monday today and up for the inspiring is the rather pretty Elizabeth Olsen wearing this rather smart outfit!


Featuring the Olsen triplets- no really, there's three of me! All this time I've been tricking you with my blog, masquerading as one person!

Here's my version of it involving Primark dress, H&M beret, necklace- gift, boots- eYe, cardigan- Zara, jacket- thrifted new, earrings- thrifted vintage.
It's always typical, that on the day I wear heels and a smart outfit, that we end up having a PE inset (staff training) and I was having to play netball in this get-up! It was quite funny really! Well, it was funny until, after the warning from the ICT coordinator, to be careful of the projector (we had the training in the hall), I accidently thew my netball straight at the projector and caused it to twist!!! Oh my goodness, really hope it;s not broken and I don't get a £2000 bill!!!!!!

Sadly, I didn't get to meet my friend on Sunday as she had had a night out and was feeling rather worse for wear but I did get to see her this evening which was lovely! She hasn't changed and she seems really happy, I look forward to her wedding party in May!!!!

You're wondering about the post-title, yes?  Well, when I first wore this dress and boots together, not long after CBC and I started going out, he told me I look like a singer-songwriter in it and he liked the look! I've not worn it many times since, for shame!

So, here's my album cover, since I was obviously destined for song-writing fame!



Soon not to be found at a music store near you!

I'm linking to the Twobirds boutique with the lovely Megan and Nora- go forth to find more Olsen tributes!

I'm also linking to the lovely Patti at Visible Monday with this look that makes me feel confident, despite being a dress-shape outside my usual comfort zone!  Go there to see lots of beautifully dressed lovelies!

A pause for Lent 2: Love so amazing

I used to read a lovely blog by a girl called Chris Macfie when I first starting blogging.  She had such a beautiful heart.  She suffered from Crohns or something similar but she was such an inspiration and she was only a teenager. I wish she still blogged. I'd love to know what she's doing now.  Her blog had a motto (like my terrible alliterative description above) and it said:

Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

I used to find it so beautiful.  I was a new Christian at that point.  It seemed so right, so important, so true- a real motto to live your life by. Every time I read her blog, I looked at those words.

And then at Easter a year or so later after reading her blog first, we were singing 'When I survey the wondrous cross' and there I saw where those words had come from- in the last verse.

 
When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.


Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God!

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.


See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?


His dying crimson, like a robe,

Spreads o’er His body on the tree;

Then I am dead to all the globe,

And all the globe is dead to me.


Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

And for me, this song is what is all about.  This song makes me pause, reflect, wonder, stand in awe.  It is for nothing unless it is for him. 

I wrote my own version of this one Easter with this last verse as a chorus such is the importance of that last verse to me.  I've never managed to finish the piano accompaniment and get it written down so we can sing it at church.  Perhaps this year, I will manage to sit down and finish it. Perhaps that should be my final pause for Lent- offering that?

A pause for Lent 1: positivity

 

Hey!  Greetings from a happy Kezzie, though rather tired, huddled round a warm laptop, trying to imagine a roaring fire!

I decided to take part in Floss's A pause for Lent.   I really enjoyed the Advent one so I thought it would be lovely to have a go again.  She mentioned a series of things you could fast from including the following:

Fast from discontent; Feast on gratitude.


Fast from anger; Feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; Feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; Feast on divine order.

Fast from complaining; Feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; Feast on affirmatives.

All of these are things that anyone, Christian or not, would understand and feel it would be fruitful to fast from- or at least try to work on.  One of the things I decided I wanted to do for Lent is to focus on the positives and actually try to have a fast from moaning if I could.  I used to rarely moan (well, less so) until I became a teacher and somehow I end up having a big moan-fest when I've had a difficult class. Does it help?  Well, apart from being slightly cathartic and making me feel like others understand, well no, not really.  I ALWAYS feel negative about myself and regret moaning, I am aware in retrospect, what a bore I sound and somehow, I find it so easy to get sucked into the moan! In general, I am a positive and bouncy-person, I do try to be the ebullient one, because I know that this is important- my Father tells me to be joyful in all things, but in teaching, it is hard.  Thus, I really do want to try and work on that this Lent.  I have not been totally successful so far- I was a right misery-guts on Saturday, not enough sleep made me irrationally gloomy but we really managed to dispell the gloom by playing music- CBC and I played through a variety of music on flute, cello and keyboard and I felt that cloud rising.  I mentioned this before, but I do believe that God gave me the skills, love and appreciation of music- to glorify him yes, but also because he loves to give us good things that bring us joy and playing music really does that for me!

We went swing-dancing tonight at the 100 club in London and had an absolutely smashing time, I laughed and smiled and CBC's having-to-go-into-school-at-half-term blues were dispelled.  So I am grateful for that!

Here are some other things I am grateful for:
1. My dear sisters and their patience and time today.
2. Knowing what I love
3. Knowing and acknowledging my skills and not hiding them.
4. Having my own bed to return to after staying away at family.
5. The joy of dance!

Beloved: Five minute Friday

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.




2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.



3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

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When I think of the word beloved, immediately what comes to mind is that I am beloved of my
Father in heaven.  He knows me and he's there for me.  Or so the Bible tells me.  Sometimes, it is hard to feel that- I sometimes feel that I wish I could hear his voice clearly, knowing that he's definitely with me, hearing clearly that I am where he wants me to be and I am not just doing my own thing. I sometimes doubt whether I am doing what I should be.  Is he there with me?

And yet, I see and feel and have felt through my life, that I am his beloved:  I have been extraordinarily blessed in my life.  I have had so many opportunities to do things, to try things, to go to places, to meet people and I have been safe in many situations that could not have been so.   He has nurtured a side of me that has kept me safe, a caution from a young-age, that is in-built. There is a comfort, deep within me, a sense of being beloved.  I don't necessarily have to have a loudspeaker message saying, "Kezzie, you are mine," to know that I am beloved, that he loves me.  I feel it any time of despair.  Any time I feel I need to run, to be away from things, a calmness comes over me in the knowledge that I AM beloved. I've felt this extraordinary sense of being watched over and loved right from a young age.

One of my favourite songs when I came back to church as a 22 year old was, He brought me to his banqueting table.  The second verse begins with the lines:
"I am my beloved's and he is mine."

CBC said to me once that he didn't necessarily need to say, I love you for me to know that he loved me- it is there in the way he speaks to me, looks at me and in other ways.  That's how it is with God. There is a comfort in knowing that I am his beloved.  And he is mine.

All things red

Jewellery red:

 Hello there!   Sorry, I have felt a little lacklustre and not much to say in a blogging sense.  Well, I have got stuff to say, but lack the energy!  I made some poppy earrings to wear this weekend. Made out of mere scraps of felt and some black buttons on either side.  They certainly look 'home-made' so these wont be featuring in an Etsy-shop near you!

Hat red:

Here I wore them on Monday with red beret!

Outfit red: (er, not so much!)

Saturday, I wore these ancient Falmer jeans that actually came with four poppies on them (they pop on and off!) Sadly I've lost one!  Worn with red-edged converse!

Here was a simple outfit with touches of red.  I found this Collectif sailor top in a charity shop a while ago for £3 after really liking the exact same top for £20 in Collectif a week earlier in Spitalfields and wishing I'd bought it! Can't believe I forgot to put the red hat on I'd been wearing out all day! A different one!

Blog red:

The lovely Lauren of Someone like you is celebrating her 3rd anniversary of her blog- check out the pretty red dress someone sent her!

Creative red:

Beautiful displays by the talented Sonja at church on Sunday.  That amazing lady makes so so much out of so little and she is so humble.  She even composed Christmas songs of praise whilst being a PoW in Malaysia as a young child.  The kids focus talk had a really important, simple point, "Loving our neighbours as ourself".  If we all did that, there would be no war. 

Nature's red:

Look what you gain as a reward when you actually get out of bed at 7am instead of panickingly leaping out of bed at 7.35!

Poetry red:

A Poppy haiku

Red Poppy stands tall,

Reminding of sacrifice

Sign of Peace to come.

***

Linking to Lakota's Tah Dah Tuesday.

and Annie the Felt Fairy's Make a month 2012