A ME DAY AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS

A few weeks ago in the midst of all the chaos of work, childcare, chores, meetings and life in general, I had a rare moment, one that doesn't come along that often, a me day. F was at my parents house for a sleep over, Paul was abroad on business and I decided to clear the diary and jump on a train to London to just hang out.

Well it just so happened that the lovely people over at Chestertons who are in partnership with the RA, thought I might like to visit the Anselm Kiefer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts and they were not wrong.

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FANCY A BLOG HOP?

What is a Blog Hop?

When I was first invited to be part of a blog hop I wasn't really sure what it meant, but I soon found out it's a great way to share some of the beautiful bloggers out there and spread creativity/inspiration, while giving a little insight into the people behind the blog. Effectively you are tagged by a blogger to answer a set of questions and then you tag bloggers to hop on to afterwards, and so it continues, pretty cool ay. I was tagged by the lovely lady Katy Orme over at Apartment Apothecary, where you can discover the delights of interior design, along with a good dose of Liberty prints and DIY projects. Katy's eye for detail is fab and I love her London home.

My Answers

1. What have been the doings/makings/scribblings at your desk/making table in the last week? 
As the sun has been shining down, I've been taking advantage of the light and spent most of my waking hours outdoors, only to return as dusk settles in. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. At the moment I have been focusing on photography, taking my Nikon D90 Digital SLR, iPhone 5c and Lomo Diana F+  out with me wherever I go, in the hopes that something magical might happen. My desk is piled high with magazines, interior design books and scribbled notes for projects, alongside some freelance work I've been commissioned for. At the moment I have found this Pom Pom garland I want to and recreate, and thanks to my lovely friend I have plenty of wool to get me started.

2. Where are you currently finding your inspiration? (influences, heroes/who, sources of inspiration, paths exploring)? 
My love of films and books are high on my inspiration list, not to mention freshly cut flowers and the hours lost to Pinterest. As I mentioned above I have magazines galore piled high on my desk and blogs bookmarked to read, I love to flick through the pages and drink it all in. Some of the things I'm reading at the moment are: Oh Comely, Frankie, Lionheart, Cereal, The Circle and my new Jane & Serge. A Family Album book. I am totally in love with this book and the photo's capturing their life together, it's all so dreamy – I feel a separate blog post coming on. Tonight I'll be settling down to watch The Great Beauty and all the wonder that it holds.

Another big change in the last month has been my diet and general well being. After a huge health scare and many tests and hospital visits, I have recently been given the all clear for cervical cancer after finding high grade pre-cancer cells had spread to the glands. I can't begin to express my relief, however this has given me the jolt I needed to look after myself in a way that I hadn't been before, so I have been trying to 'eat clean' which means to eat food as close to its natural state as possible, jacket potato yes, chips no. So all my cooking has been from scratch, creating my own sauces and I have avoided processed foods where possible. I have also given up wheat and have been eating a mixture of organic and vitamin rich foods to give my immune system a natural boost, as well as practising Yoga Nidra, exercising daily and seeing an amazing acupuncturist.

Image source

3. How important is being creative to you & how do you blend this with your work/life/family balance?
For me creativity, whether it's through words, images, crafts or even the music my feet moves too, is the essence of life. To see and discover new things, to create and imagine is to feel alive and always gives me a buzz. If I stay stagnant or stuck in a routine too long I start to get stir crazy, and due to this I try to be creative wherever I can in my day to day, be it taking photos on a walk, trying new recipes, playing new games with F and discussing topics that have captured my imagination. The small window of 'me time' is cherished beyond measure, where I can really let my hair down and get the creative juices flowing, but until then I am constantly juggling and looking for the extraordinary in every day life.

Now Meet My Hoppees

My first hoppee is the lovely Abigail from Abigail and the Future, a space filled with found treasures, Montessori crafts and wonderful photography documenting her adventures with Theo. I recently fell in love with her posts on Barcelona.

My second hoppee is Victoria from The Owl and the Accordian, I love her sweet and simple style of home, adorned with crotchet throws, plates, pots, prints and love. But mostly I love her Found series, which always introduces me to new reads and beautiful creative communities.

Both wonderful ladies will be posting their Blog Hop posts on Monday 7th July, so do stop by and enjoy. I'd love to hear what has been inspiring you recently?

GO GET INKED

 

Image source Inks

I already have two tattoo's, they are small, discrete and most certainly happened during a much younger/rebellious stage of my life, and even though if I had been given the choice again the outcome might be different, they are a part of me. Over a decade on and I feel the desire for one more. A considered choice rather than an alcohol fuelled afterthought, one that means something and I can hold dear forever.

Until then I will adorn myself with these awesome temporary tattoos by Tattly.

TAKING SOME TIME

You may have noticed a few weeks ago this post which spoke of hardships endured. Once again I have been silent on the blog as my small family has struggled through the last few weeks with heavy hearts and a fighting spirit. After loosing Alex mid-pregnancy last year it left me shellshocked and heartbroken. I struggled for what felt like an age to grasp a sense of myself again as life carried on around me. F was my driving force, if I couldn't be OK for me then I would do it for him. Pulling myself together with the help of friends, family and counselling, I faked a smile until it came back naturally with time and carried on. I never quit my dream of a large family, house bursting with energy and noise and the idea of those cosy winter nights all together. So we tried again.

For fourteen months nothing happened – maybe this was how long my body needed to heal – until last month. I pee'd on a stick and saw those two beautiful lines. I was pregnant. Finally. Our little flat once again filled with excitement and optimism. I was so confident that this time would see me with a babe in arms and I happily gave up on my love affair with coffee and focused on my belly. But for some that is not the way life unfolds and nature can be cruel.

After a week of pain, I was admitted to hospital for a potential ectopic pregnancy which after three days was ruled out. But something was amiss. The doctors told me to hang in there and be positive but it was clear within a few weeks that I had suffered a silent miscarriage. A silent heartbreak.

With no sign of my body doing its job, I underwent surgery to have everything removed and sent home empty. As I sat sipping my beloved coffee once more, people chatting around me, I wonder if they can feel this weight upon me. I lift my cup and take a sip. Autopilot engaged once more.

I will pick myself up, dust myself off and be OK. These things just take time.

A LITTLE LESS CRAZY

Hello again. You might have noticed that I simply dropped off the blogosphere last week without a typed goodbye or see you soon, and to be honest I felt a bit guilty. I've come to look at this blog as a place of reflection, a place to share my thoughts, to feel creative, a diary of sorts and I felt that I had let myself down by stepping away. But after a long month full of: tiredness, change, heartache, sickness, arguments, tantrums, deadlines, demands – of everything and nothing – I finally crashed and burned. So I decided to unplug and take some much needed head space.

Feeling a little less crazy and a lot more energised, I feel a change is in the air. A change for good. Nothing momentous but a shift in perception. So for now here is a snap shot of my lost week.

FUN TIMES AND FOUNTAINS

 

 The sun blazes down upon us, as we peer outwards from sun hats and shady nooks.

Oh how fun and frantic this last week has been: I have partied with my oldest friend, managed deathly hangovers, strolled hand in hand with my boy, ate ice creams without care, cradled glasses of wine on a balmy eve, enjoyed family visits and anxiously waited for news as my dear friend laboured her way through the heatwave to produce another beautiful little boy.

It's been a slight struggle to keep my toddler's temperament happy in this heat, and I've been struggling with F's lack of appetite – insert my mama anxiety here – but it turns out that ANY type of water works wonders. So we've stopped pretty much at every fountain, pool and pond we could find to ensure fun times.

How have you been celebrating summer?