▲ seventy tree ▲

Two

2012-01-26T21:30:00.001Z

Yes, Bertie is now two! He's had a fun-filled day, visiting the Museum Of Childhood, had grandparents to stay, opened lots of presents, eaten delicious cake, and now, he’s sleeping soundly (not for long though I suspect).

And I am shattered! Plus, all the pictures I have taken today have been terrible! What happened Kerry?! Hmph.

Thank you for so many anniversary wishes - wowzers, you’re all very sweet :)

▲ Happy Anniversary ▲

2012-01-25T07:30:00.011Z

Four years ago today, I married this young man here (this picture is a few years old), and I think I’ve done alright for myself :) He has cooked my dinner almost every day from day one and he’s very good at DIY! Ha, there are plenty of other super-cool things about him too (amazing dad, he's my personal encyclopedia, oh, and he has a nice face). I won’t mention his atrocious sense of direction (never known anything like it!)....

In other news/enough of the soppy stuff, thanks to my friend Amy Walters, I have discovered Snapspeed, and I blimmin’ love it!

Also, wow, what a mega response to my new postcards and pocket mirrors! I’m almost sold out of some designs, so I’d better order more. Fast. Thank yooooooooouuuuuuu!

p.s. Tomorrow, a little blonde-haired boy with a bowl hair cut is turning 2! It’s all happening. Word.

New In My Shop

2012-01-23T08:51:00.000Z

Hellooooooo, I hope you are all well? You are welcome to come have a browse around my SHOP to see my new postcard designs. There are quite a few new ones - I hope you like them :)

Wednesday

2012-01-18T07:30:00.008Z

Good day to you all. I thought I’d post these photos as they seem to go quite nicely together - Bertie’s monster pyjamas are from H&M and my Jessica Nielsen cushion (a Christmas purchase). I’m quite into green at the moment. I also wanted to capture Bertie’s bed-head yesterday; it was a good’n! If only the bed head was a symbol of a good night’s sleep eh? Unfortunately not....but I always moan about that, so I’ll say no more and keep smiling :)

Have a nice day.

▲▲▲

All Things Nice...

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000Z

Howdy! You may have already seen this, but if you haven’t, I’m sure you’re glad you have now. A handmade Dot Cup, designed by Camilla Engdahl for Fine Little Day. There are several other colours too. Love them!

Eva’s Valentines Greeting Kites are sweeeet. I loved them last year and am really pleased to see them back for another Valentines season.

I really like this Origami Poster by Dottir & Sonur. Well worth a browse around their site.

I’m a big fan of Louise of Super Duper Things' work. Icicle no 26, a metallic leather brooch is my current favourite (although it’s hard to pick just one) from her shop.

Satsuki Shibuya is one very talented lady. Her screen printed Winter Wonderland collection is utterly beautiful. Take a look at the look-book she has created with the help of fantastic photographer/stylist Dabito. Very inspiring.

Hello Monday

2012-01-16T07:30:00.024Z

Welcome to a new week. I hope your weekends were fun-filled. I spent most of mine working on a little illustration project and packaging up wholesale orders. I’m gaining quite a few stockists around the world now, which is good :) Fortunately Dan took Bertie out for a few hours, which meant I was able to be a bit productive for a change. I am working on some new shop-related things/products, which I look forward to revealing to you all over the next few weeks.

In other news, I am seriously behind with replying to your comments and emails, I’m so sorry! As always, I just can’t keep up with life :( Hopefully it will be a bit easier now that I have changed my comments settings so that I can reply directly to you in the ‘comments’ section (although oddly, all the text is really close together....hmm, what’s that all about?) Anyway, it might mean I will be a bit better at communicating!

Busy busy!

Bye for now and have a lovely day ♡

p.s. There’s always time for a bit of Pinterest though - you can find my pins here, over 3000 of them - woah, that’s some serious pinning/or a serious addiction? You decide......

p.p.s. I should make it clear that the little Tree House picture is by Jen Collins :)

Views

2012-01-12T15:27:00.000Z

At home with some afternoon winter sunshine. So nice. A week of challenges, a week of changes....but all is and will be good (even better when Bertie finally decides to sleep at night...Come on boy, it’s been almost two years now!)

I wish you all a perfect, sunny weekend ♥

p.s. Back next week :)

Finds

2012-01-10T07:30:00.002Z

Hello friends. This is my first wish list of the year...I hope you enjoy some of my new favourite lurking-on-Etsy finds! Beginning with this Panda felt pin by Hanako. Lots more lovely things in this shop. Go!

I do like a nice notebook for recording my many lists. This ‘Shapes’ one would do nicely. By Julia Kostreva.

I’m sure most of you will be familiar with the very popular Fieldguided. I’m rather fond of this vu de l’exterieur screen print.

Love these ‘Three Bears’ mugs from KoKoKoShop. I already own their Fox Plate, so would highly recommend anything from their shopedy shop.

Super-cool wallet made from a recycled billboard banner (hows about that then?) Good colour combination. Fresh and spring-like....it’s almost spring isn’t it? from Notty Pooch.

And finally, I recently ordered this Totoro case for Maisie. We gave her an Ipod Touch for Christmas, so for her, this is the perfect case. From Rabbit Smile Shop.

Bits & Pieces

2012-01-09T07:30:00.005Z

Hello everyone. A few random pictures from over the weekend. We have hung up our new Rob Ryan bunting - very pleased with it, yes.

I bought the little buttoned tank top for Bertie (how could I resist this beauty?) from Whitney’s shop, Little Reader Vintage. Have you visited Whitney’s blog? One of my long-term favourites. She takes great pictures.

Do you like our foxy cushion cover? I got it from The Modern Baby, a brand new, super-cool online store (which just happens to stock some of my prints). Well worth a visit, especially as there’s a sale on.

That’s Bertie under his dinosaur play mat - he’s mega into dinosaurs, and can tell you all about them, their names...apparently they eat ‘nuts!’

Finally, that’s the bunting I made. I prefer Maisie’s though.

Have a happy day :)

p.s. Thank you for your nice comments regarding my new year grump....it would seem I’m not alone, although I am feeling a bit better now. Having a good clean up at home has helped, as the general mess/grime was getting me down. Onwards and upwards eh?!

Sky

2012-01-08T14:19:00.000Z

Hello on a Sunday. I captured the most beautiful sunrise a few mornings ago - January 4th, at 8am I believe it was. My bedroom was glowing. Lovely.

I hope you’re enjoying your weekends.

Popping In...

2012-01-06T09:51:00.004Z

Woah, it’s been a busy week here - with wind and rain like I’ve never seen before! Actually, I probably have, but thought I’d be dramatic! Well, for 2012 so far, I have been Mrs Grumpy. No idea why, but I must sort that out before I set the world on fire!

Anyway, I didn’t want to leave you hanging without wishing you all a super, lovely weekend. I hope you are all getting into the swing of a new year? Unlike Mrs Grumpy here.

Thanks for your positive responses to my new print :)

Above - Mr Moustache from here (think they’re all gone now though*). We gave him to Bertie for Christmas, but have all been enjoying his neck-cushioning qualities. And my sweet daughter Maisie made me the washi tape bunting - she’s going to be like her mum I reckon.

See you soon x

* Update - I believe there are more of these coming soon to Minna’s shop :)

▲▲▲ NEW ▲▲▲

2012-01-04T07:30:00.005Z

Hello, hello, hello - I have a new print in my shop (in fact I have lots of new things coming soon...I’m having a huuuge creative stint - woooo!). Yes, I still love triangles, so here are lots of hand drawn ones for a triangle fan’s triangle fix! I hope you like it :)

Available in A3 in my shop now.

The Climber

2012-01-03T10:03:00.002Z

Good day to you! Bertie has become a big climber. Chairs, tables, Maisie’s bed ladder, anything he can climb on, he will try it. I should have asked for an extra pair of eyes for Christmas!

Trousers by Bobo Choses (bought on sale - I can’t afford them prices maaan!).

P.S. Happy Birthday to my brother Daniel. He’s turning the big 30 today x :) An uninteresting fact for you here - I have a brother called Daniel, and I’m married to a Daniel, and now my Mum is also married to a Daniel - gets a bit confusing for my brain!

Have a nice day.

New Year

2012-01-02T09:27:00.004Z

Helloooooooo It’s 2012! Here’s a smiley, cheeky-faced picture of Bertie, framed by a beer bottle and a wine glass (well it was christmas day *cough*!). So now it is January, please have a look at my new January Links in the sidebar. Hopefully you’ll find some lovely new blogs to follow (although if like me, your language skills aren’t great, you’ll need to use 'translate’ with most of these!).

Happy January! The sun is shining - no January blues here (ok, there were yesterday, but today feels better!)

Any resolutions?? Mine are just the usual - be more organised, tidy, have a more structured week, blah blah blah....(crikey, I sound like the dullest person ever!) My husband Dan’s are usually food related - one year it was ‘get good at making bread,’ another year was ‘learn to make cakes without following a recipe.’ I believe last year’s was ‘eat more good cheese.’ I lose track, but I think this year’s is to 'follow a recipe from a cookery book once a week.’ We are so alike in almost every way, but when it comes to cooking, we are very different - Cooking makes me MOODY!

Happy New Year from us Seventy Trees!

Almost The End, So I’ll Say It Now....

2011-12-31T15:36:00.001Z

Wise words, Kerry Layton 2011.

On Boxing Day

2011-12-29T15:49:00.002Z

Hello Folks! I hope you all had super duper Christmases! I must say, that ours was one of the nicest yet; very relaxed, just as it should be :) On Boxing Day, we made some Christmas leftovers sandwiches and took them onto the Heath to eat. It was so nice to be out in the crisp air, strolling under dark, moody skies - just what we needed. Bertie tried out his new tricycle (which as you can see, he takes very seriously - that’s our Bertie!). In fact, he is almost nodding off to sleep in this picture!

I think we’re going to make this our new Boxing Day tradition (along with 500000000 other Londoners!).

I hope you enjoyed yours.

(Info in case you’re interested, some people are - Maisie’s star top and knitted leggings are from Monki, and Bertie is wearing a wonderfully soft, striped Ada Ada scarf, a gift from Miriam. Thanks Miriam!)

A Quick Hello....

2011-12-26T20:26:00.001Z

I hope you are all having the loveliest of Christmases. A few pictures from the last couple of days, plus, I just wanted to tell you that I have a little guest post on Anne’s super-cool blog 11.54 today if you fancy a peep.....I’m aware that I may just be talking to myself as not many of you will be around! Hellooooooooooooooooooo if you are :)

Happy Boxing Day!

Wishing You All A Very.....

2011-12-22T07:30:00.004Z

Dear Friends,

Have the happiest, cosiest Christmas ever! Thank you so much for coming to visit my little world, for all your lovely comments, messages and support. Here’s to the best new year ahead!

See you again very soon.

With love,

Kerry :) ▲▲▲

Wednesday

2011-12-21T10:22:00.001Z

Hello, it’s nearly Christmas!! Just dropping in to say a quick hello to those of you still out there! I think I shall do one more post before the big day, so I’ll see you in a day or so with a Christmas card - I hope you’re all feeling Christmasy and stuff!

Byeeeeee!

Until Next Week....

2011-12-16T08:25:00.001Z

Hello on a Friday! Very busy here, as I’m sure you are too, but didn’t want to let the week disappear without wishing you all a Happy Weekend and thanking you for all your lovely comments and messages :)

Photo of my bedroom from a recent roll of film. The 1971 print is by Iso 50.

▲ Around My Home ▲

2011-12-14T07:30:00.002Z

Hello friends! So in the end, our whole family have been down with the sickness bug. Horrendous (!) is the word I would use to describe the past few days. However, onwards and upwards; we are all feeling much better and stronger now. Dan even made cinnamon buns - yum!

In case you wonder where some of my things in the pictures came from, here’s some info - Second picture, Barbara’s new book Like A Butterfly in Your House 2. Fourth picture, Knot Print by Hanna Konola, Paris Map by Famille Summerbelle, Sokeri tea towel designed by Hanna Konola for Kauniste from here - too nice to dry my dishes with! Fifth picture - postcards by Me, Fanja and Darling Clementine. Sixth picture - Badger Plate from Jimbob Art, Treehouse gocco print by Jen Collins, Stitched Canvas by Laura Amiss.

Have a lovely day :)

The Ladies + A Mountain

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000Z

Good morning/afternoon/evening! Hope you’re feeling happy on this December Monday? Unfortunately, there has been a sickness bug in our house....both Bertie and Dan have been pretty bad, and I am now trying to work my way through Mount McWashingpile - much of our home has been hit by the Bertie sick! Sorry, too much information....

On a jollier note, looooook - we have some new ladies in-da-house. Light Up Your Mood stickers :) A very affordable and fun way to brighten up your light switches! We’re getting lots of enjoyment from ours, which came from Hello Bubba.

Getting Ready!

2011-12-09T07:30:00.001Z

Christmas has begun in the Seventy Tree house! We’re using the same tree as last year - she’s done well in her little pot! Maisie and Dan made some garlands the other night, as she was looking a little sparsely decorated (I have no idea why I am referring to a Christmas tree as ’she;’ slightly ashamed of myself there - that’s not to say that any of you should be ashamed if your Christmas tree is a ’she’ or even a ‘he’....just saying)! Aaaanyway, the tree looks much better now with these additions.

This year’s advent calendar, in the second picture, is a pop-up Eric Carle one, which we are very pleased with. Bertie assisted me in filling a pot with some branches (I had to rearrange them to look reasonably presentable), and we hung our wooden nativity decorations on them. Sweet. I just need to start feeling Christmasy now. Best go and put my Jackson Five Christmas record on, or maybe The Temptations Christmas Collection...decisions, decisions! What’s your favourite christmas song/album?

Ho-Ho-Ho-ly-Moly, it’s Christmas time!

Have a nice weekend y’all!

p.s. Thank you so much for Maisie’s lovely Birthday wishes. She was very happy to read them all :)

Eleven Years!

2011-12-08T07:30:00.003Z

Happy Birthday Maisie! Eleven years old today and I’m a very proud mama! From being master of the monkey bars (freakishly strong at aged five), to wearing that Baloo suit (keeping him for Bertie)! This all seems like yesterday......yet today she is almost as tall as me, wears the same shoe size and wants her ears pierced! How did that happen? Time = fast.

Have a nice day Maisie (she reads my blog from time to time), and have a nice day everyone else!

Christmas Post Information!

2011-12-06T10:52:00.005Z

Hello, hello, hello.

A quick note to say that if you want to order anything from my SHOP or ETSY SHOP for Christmas, the last date for European postage (with a chance of it arriving before Christmas....I can never guarantee this unfortunately), is this Friday 9th December, so get your orders in as soon as possible!

For UK orders, I need to receive them by Sunday 19th December.

I’m afraid the rest of world’s last date was yesterday (sorry).

(Tray from here)

Hi!

2011-12-05T09:03:00.000Z

Good Monday morning. Matching blanket and socks from Monki. That’s all for today - I’m tired as we’ve been in Devon for the weekend. Hope you’re all well :)

A Few Finds On A Friday

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000Z

Love this! Brown Bear Head! By Herman Marie.

Love this too! Red Orange Bear, also by Herman Marie.

This is fun! Yes/No Pillow by Showpony.

My friend Amy Walters' new Running Fox print, from here. I like him a lot!

Felt Garland. I’d like this for my Christmas tree (and for general brightening up of the home). By Erin Dollar, from here.

Houses Of Colour print, by the very talented Judy Kaufmann.

Sweet 'Little Foxes' calendar, by Gingiber.

And, I still like me a bit of Chevron! This cushion is niiiice. By Moxie Mandie.

Enjoy your weekends, go on!

Autumn/December

2011-12-01T08:15:00.001Z

Hello folks - are you all doing good? I hope so :) We had some unbelievably beautiful days in November, so I tried to make the most of it by getting outside as much as possible. Much needed when you have a toddler as I’m sure you’ll agree! Bertie will pretty much chase anything that moves (hope that’s not a sign for the future). I spend much of my time getting flustered as I chase after him, while he chases after some sort of animal/bird/leaf - Chasing the chaser. He certainly keeps me fit (ish)! These pictures were taken on a walk through Finsbury Park, towards Green Lanes for some Hot Nuts action (!) they sell a huge selection of roasted nuts and dried fruits...in case you wondered.... But now, IT’S DECEMBER! I cannot believe it!

My December links are now in the sidebar - the last of 2011 - Woah! Have a look at some great new blogs!

p.s. Thank you for all your nice comments of late and for liking/pinning/buying my new prints!

Good Post

2011-11-29T07:53:00.001Z

Hello friends! How’s it going? We have received really sweet gifts in the post of late - what a nice blog world we live in?! Lovely Miriam sent Bertie this little outfit, which I love! She is one of three sisters behind Ada Ada, who design super-cool, totally-up-my-street clothes for little people with lots of greys and moons making an appearance. The clothes are very soft and comfortable too; Bertie seems happy causing havoc in them anyway :)

p.s. Yes, my son needs a haircut.....but can I even get near him to try? No. Any tips? I don’t mind it being longer, it’s just getting in his eyes a lot.

Have a good Tuesday!

Watch Us Eat Breakfast...

2011-11-28T09:19:00.005Z

Good morning! Pay a visit to Paul & Paula, where you can read all about breakfast in the Seventy Tree household (which in this instance was a little burnt - my fault). It’s a great little series that Peggy has featured on her blog before, with contributors from all over the world, so it was great fun to be a part of it. Thanks Peggy! GO!

p.s. We don’t normally drink orange juice from wine glasses - we just hadn’t done the dishes from the day before, so had no glasses :)

Oafing Around

2011-11-27T18:39:00.000Z

That’s what we’ve been doing! We went to the Lazy Oaf pop up shop in Shoreditch yesterday and if I’d had a fortune, I certainly would have spent some of it in there! Maisie got a t-shirt (which I may have to borrow), so she did alright. On the wish list, is that burger pass case, and maybe a hat, a notebook, some tape..........etc etc

When we went to Devon a couple of weeks ago, my dad gave us some coins in a little money bag labelled ‘Doughnut Fund.’ He knows how much we like the St John custard doughnuts, so we had planned to grab a few whilst in the area. BUT THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY! Mega-hmph. Another time... I hope you have all had nice weekends :)

B Is For...Black Friday...

2011-11-25T09:35:00.000Z

.....And B Is For Bear! Get 10% off in my shop today with the code BLACK. A couple of new prints in there too :)

Have a lovely weekend!

New Print In My Shop!

2011-11-23T15:49:00.001Z

Ok, so I have been taking a ‘beginners’ knitting course, and to be honest, I am pretty cr*p at it so far! I wanted to see what all this knitting lark was all about, and I am determined to become a ‘knitter’ so I can make a few bits and pieces for loved ones and perhaps myself (not sure where all this time on my hands will come from....). I know I will get there in the end, it just doesn’t come very naturally at the moment. However, it is fun! So, feeling all yarn-inspired, here is my new print! In the shop NOW!

P.s. If you saw this post before, you would have seen the ‘styled’ photo version....well....typical me, I wanted to make a couple of tweaks to the print and this is what it now looks like now - photo coming soon :)

On Film Part 3 (Line Up)

2011-11-22T09:01:00.000Z

More photos from my recent roll of film. Looking up to blue skies and pigeons!

Grandpa Cat Moves In!

2011-11-21T08:10:00.000Z

Hellooooo! We received a very special gift from a very special lady recently. Grandpa cat is in da Seventy Tree house and has already made himself at home. Thank you Alessandra (who also made the cloud). We love him! And Bertie adores him too, although I feel I must supervise Grandpa and Bertie’s time together, for fear of over-enthusiastic-heavy-handedness! He is so beautifully made. Such a talented lass :) Look out for more in her shop.

And how good is this? I’m off to meet Alessandra for the first time this afternoon. Yay!

Devon Brunch

2011-11-19T16:41:00.000Z

We had a lovely brunch at my folk’s house when we popped to Devon in the week. Bertie was happier zooming cars along the table than he was eating of course! I hope you’re having cosy weekends. I have walked so many miles today. My legs and bum are aching!!

On Film Part 2

2011-11-18T08:41:00.005Z

Hello. Here are some more photos from my recent roll of film. Some nice light captured and my first Frankie magazine (thanks for that Famapa)!

Have lovely weekends! I hope you’re doing something nice :)

p.s. My Pink Smile print is on the UK front page of Etsy today! Woooooo! My Etsy shop is open now alongside my main shop.

To celebrate, you can enter the code SMILE for 10% off anything in my Etsy shop. Go!

On Film Part 1

2011-11-17T11:45:00.003Z

Hello strangers! Ok, so I didn’t post anything while I was in Devon, when I said I would. Sorry! It was a nice little break. Good to see the family and some friends (plus a tiny, new baby). Home again now :)

I just got a roll of film back, and wanted to share one photo first of all. I was pretty excited (or perhaps, hopeful) when I heard the 'click' that this picture would come out looking this way. Sometimes you just have that feeling when you've got it right (well, I think so anyway). Any clickers agree?

At The Weekend

2011-11-14T08:10:00.000Z

Hello y’all. How are you feeling on this November Monday? We had a pleasant weekend, a nice brunch yesterday and some more sunny and very mild weather for the time of year. Now I’m not complaining, but I will say, that I am seriously struggling with my garms at the moment! I keep making the mistake of wearing too many layers (November expectations are of the colder variety) and ending up in an uncomfortable sweat! Not nice.

I am about to wave goodbye to Maisie. She is going on a residential with her school and will be back on Friday. She is uber-excited! I can’t believe the amount of stuff they have to take with them; her suitcase looks like it’s going to explode! I will miss her :(

As there will be no school run this week, Dan, Bertie and I have decided to head down to Devon to see my family for a couple of days. Dan has some holiday that needs using up, so why not? I have a couple of posts lined up, so no change here - just saying!

Anyway, enjoy your weeks :)

Eleven Things On 11/11/11!

2011-11-11T08:21:00.000Z

A post with eleven finds seems fitting for today! ▲ Number 1. Vintage Lake Cabin knitted cardigan (looks nice and cosy) from here. ▲ Number 2. A rather cool bag, from here. I am still on the hunt for the right bag. Will ever find ‘the one’ ?

▲ Number 3. Mountain notebooks from Little Alexander. ▲ Number 4. Linen Tote Bag from SleeWay Studio.

▲ Number 5. Squirrel pin badge (’tis a cutie) by Elizabeth Pawle. ▲ Number 6. Snowy Mountain brooch. one of many beautiful pieces from Iveth’s shop The Angry Weather.

▲ Number 7. 'The Skateboarders’ print by Ashley Percival from here. ▲ Number 8. Knited hat (I would reeeeeally like to own this), from here.

▲ Number 9. 1980s Gianni Versace jumper from here. I like it a lot! ▲ Number 10. Print your own Dala Horse Garland, (fun, fun, fun) from here.

And finally ▲ Number 11. Sorry, couldn’t resist popping one of mine in there ;) ! Buy it here. You know you need some neon pink in your life....

Anything good/interesting happening on the 11/11/11 for you? I hope so :)

Happy weekends friends!

Bundle Of Joy

2011-11-10T08:10:00.000Z

I was the very lucky winner of Maria’s giveaway recently :) Look what arrived in the post, all the way from Australia! Maria has a beautiful blog, one of those blogs you can easily get lost in for hours. She takes great photos. Thank you Maria, I love everything. Such a thoughtful selection :)

Up There

2011-11-09T08:03:00.000Z

Helloooooo, how are youuuu? A few pictures from recent wanderings, when the sun was still warm and glowing. I am missing the light and not enjoying these darker days. It happens every year, but still I am mentally unprepared for the change. Must work on that! Any tips? I love September and October, but past that.....well, it’s just a bit meh really. Was thinking I might hibernate this winter, but yesterday I realised that Maisie’s birthday is in a month, so I need to get busy. No hibernating for me. Time is a-flying!

Looooook!

2011-11-08T08:43:00.000Z

Yo - Have you seen the new Babiekins Issue 7 Magazine? It’s fab! Full to the brim with beautiful photographs, super styling and must-have goodies. Lots of festive inspiration for the looming ‘C’ word! Oh, plus, I did an illustration for this issue, as you can see above. Have a look here (my kittens are on page 75)! Well worth a read; and not just because I contributed :)

P.s. I have been updating my website. You can see my Kittens illustration, larger in size, alongside more of my work in the ‘Portfolio' section. HERE!

P.p.s. I have also updated my blog ‘About Me’ section as people keep asking where the name 'Seventy Tree' comes from. HERE!

P.p.p.s. My neon pink ‘Good Times’ screen print is now in my shop. HERE! :) (It is much more neon in the flesh. Neon is so hard to photograph!)

Ribbon Squirrel

2011-11-07T12:11:00.000Z

Some lovely, calming (much needed) images from new print shop, Ribbon Squirrel. I hope you are all having a nice day/night :)

Bits & Bobs From The Week

2011-11-04T09:44:00.001Z

I hope you have all had good weeks. It has been very busy over here, so I’m wishing for a calmer weekend (which won’t happen, as Dan is working and then doing something on Sunday). I need a holiday! Who’s coming?

Wishing you all very lovely weekends and thank you as always, for your comments, orders and messages. It is sooo nice receive them....especially as I’m being pretty rubbish when it comes to replying and visiting blogs at the moment. I am trying to catch up, honest! A few extra hours in the day would be nice please :) Can anyone lend me a few of theirs? Or does somebody want to come and babysit a very lively 21 month old who only wants to eat rice cakes?

♡ Orange

2011-11-02T10:51:00.000Z

I am very much enjoying the colours of autumn. I can’t get over how beautiful the past couple of months have been weather-wise! Definitely my favourite season :) Bertie is looking the part, in his new rust-coloured cords. At the moment, he likes to play with the camera tripod - he thinks he’s lining up a shot (not sure he realises there should be a camera on there first)!

♥

2011-11-01T09:44:00.000Z

Just a few pictures from yesterday. Bertie in the laundry basket (he likes it in there), my new plate from here, Dan baking some biscuits and Bertie whizzing around on his bee. Maisie is back at school today, and Dan at work....boo, it feels a bit empty here now.

Check out my November links in the sidebar :)

2011-10-31T21:33:00.000Z

▲ pumpkin ▲ zombie ▲

Maisie+Churros=Yay!

2011-10-31T07:36:00.000Z

Good Monday to one and all. I hope you are all feeling good today. Its Halloweeeeen! Looks like we’re dressing Bertie up as a pumpkin (not my idea).

Anyway, I am sharing some pictures from Saturday, when Maisie and I spent much of the day together (minus Bertie taking up all of my time/energy/patience etc). He had a daddy day.

I surprised Maisie with tickets to see her favourite author, Jacqueline Wilson give a talk and book signing at the Foundling Museum. It was thoroughly enjoyable and Maisie was over the moon! Afterwards, with a signed book and a smile, we stopped off for some lunch, followed by a shared portion of churros with hot chocolate sauce. De-li-cious to the max! It was so lovely to be on our own together (and to sit on the top deck of the bus...what a novelty?!) We had such a nice time, and I know it meant a lot to Maisie too. She is extremely patient and understanding about the amount of my time Bertie consumes. Later that day we even managed to fit in a mother and daughter trip to the hairdressers. First time in over a year (although I still hate my hair, dammit)! All in all, a precious day.

All About The Chair

2011-10-28T08:30:00.003+01:00

Just discovered - the joys of sitting on a ‘big chair’ (and dragging it around the room, tipping it over/general trashing of the home using the chair). Hours of fun for Bertie it would seem! Glad I captured his dimple in the last picture :)

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Enjoy those weekends of yours :) Thanks for visiting this week!

Oh, also, I forgot to mention, I have reopened my Etsy Shop in addition to my main shop (some people prefer a bit of Etsy shopping, so I’m giving you the option of both...why not eh)? I am in the process of taking new photographs of my products so you will see jpegs at present before the photos appear. I have revised some of my prices to reflect the new, superior paper and printing quality...don’t hate me :)

You Might Like These, Because I Do...

2011-10-27T08:27:00.001+01:00

Village wall plate by Zuppa Atelier.

Pyramid recycled plastic brooch by 10am Shop.

Ponytail Girl bound notebook, also by 10am Shop.

Placemat and Napkin set (hand printed) by Arcelia Home.

Clan Bear Bravelette (mini spirit bear figurine) made from polymer clay by Royal Mint. (notice Iveth likes this little bear too)!

Well I think they are all niiiiiiice! How about you? :)

Feast

2011-10-25T22:24:00.004+01:00

Yum is the word I will use to describe the meal Dan made this evening. I bought him the Ottolenghi cook book recently, and am pleased to say he is finding it quite inspiring.

We strolled over to Green Lanes this afternoon (a bit of a walk from our place), but well worth it for very reasonable and good quality foods; mostly Turkish influenced. I couldn’t resist a few cubes of Turkish Delight to snack on (actually, I felt a little bit sick as I ate too many pieces....never know when to stop - that’s me)! And have you tried dried mulberries? Bloody lovely! Bertie thought so too. We also ate some of the best olives we've ever tasted from a funny, eccentric little shop, where the man gave Bertie a banana because apparently he 'looks like he should be on the TV’!

Sunlight/Shadows/Bed-Head

2011-10-25T07:30:00.000+01:00

We’re still getting some lovely sunlight here. This autumn has been beautiful so far, so it’s not all doom and gloom thankfully. I’m sure we’re all set for that to change any day though!

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The sun always comes streaming into our bedroom by mid afternoon. Bertie awoke from his nap the other day (ate some cheese) and had a good old bounce on the bed. Also, as you can see, I don’t iron my bedding (ahem). Is there any point? I suppose there is, but I can’t be doing with it. I’d get in too much of a rage trying!

High Five For High Tea

2011-10-24T08:03:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone. I hope you all had nice weekends :) I enjoyed a tasty morning teacake and Assam tea at High Tea (Highgate) with a friend the other day. Fortunately, Bertie fell asleep on the walk there, so I was actually able to sit, talk and enjoy a (warm) cup of tea without him throwing teaspoons around and trying to stir my tea for me. What a novelty!

Have a nice day!

I Like These...

2011-10-21T07:52:00.000+01:00

I discovered this great little Etsy shop called Things Like Diamonds, through Iveth’s blog. I really like their hand-printed clothing line, which predominately features triangular patterns. They’re certainly a win for me :)

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Wishing you all very lovely weekends! It’s half term next week, so I have Maisie home, and Dan has booked the week off too. Family time :) See y’all soon!

P.S. Loving today’s Google!

Wednesday

2011-10-19T13:27:00.002+01:00

Hello folks. We have yet another beautiful, sunny, autumn day here in London. Bertie and I wandered down to the local park earlier this morning for some fresh air and exercise. It was so nice to inhale the crisp, clear air and watch the leaves dancing in the breeze. Perfect. Not a cloud in the sky...just the moon. I like that.

Lots of pictures of Bertie (I get carried away) wearing his new beanie. I mentioned previously that my blog friend Ulrika (in Sweden) was very kind in sourcing and sending me the Plattan tray. Well, she tucked a little extra something into the package - this super-cool beanie for Bertie. Ulrika has just opened an online store selling these sweet, little hats. Have a look here.

Recoup...

2011-10-18T10:31:00.002+01:00

A much needed tea break this morning. Good Lordi-o, we are experiencing some tough nights at the moment. I’m wondering if it’s actually worth me bothering to go to bed at all :(

I hung the doll Dan made a while ago, on the wall; this little fella can’t hold up his massive head without assistance.

Bertie has got really into drawing/scribbling. It’s so nice to be sticking up his works of art alongside Maisie's :)

A Day At Home

2011-10-17T08:02:00.001+01:00

Good Monday. I hope you are all well and happy :) Yesterday, I didn’t leave the house at all. And it felt really good! Sometimes a home day is just what one requires. I did some cleaning and pottering and I’d like to say that I made English muffins and bread.....but gah, it was Dan of course darn it! He rustled up that tasty lunch you see there - poached eggs, bacon, English muffins, hollandaise sauce., plus some dark chocolate for moi (Green & Blacks made that) - fatting up on a Sunday! Bertie even swept up afterwards, see? Well trained (hmmm). The River Cottage ‘Bread' book is highly recommended by Dan, for those of you who like to bake bread and other bread-related goods.

Completely irrelevent, but I thought I would share a little conversation I had with Dan (who is three years younger than me) yesterday...

Me - “I’m worried I look too old for you and I’m going to out-age you.”
Him - “Don’t worry, I like mid-century.”

!!!

Have a nice day! And as mentioned before, you can enter Em of The Beetle Shack’s giveaway to win one of my prints :) What yo' waiting for?

S-S-S-Sunday

2011-10-16T11:41:00.000+01:00

The sun is shining and we’re just chilling on this autumn Sunday (with Bertie running riot behind the scenes). Oh well, we can pretend....Hope you’re enjoying yours.

If you pop over to The Beetle Shack, you can enter Em’s giveaway for a chance to win one of my prints :) Go on!

Additions

2011-10-14T10:57:00.003+01:00

Howdy! It’s Friday and almost the weekend, wooo! I have been a lucky lady of late. My recent birthday led me to acquire some rather nice bits and pieces, so I thought I’d share a few here. The Marimekko ‘In Good Company’ bowl was on my wishlist from the minute I laid eyes on it. It’s so nice to finally own one.

I am happy to have two Donna Wilson tumblers in-da-house now. A bit too nice to use (and scared I’ll break one) they’re just kind of ‘around’ in the kitchen at the moment! Also, the Marimekko tin is housing my biscuits (I was having a biscuit tin nightmare before). Solved....or maybe I should just not eat biscuits....ummmm, meh!

Finally, the Plattan tray. Like the Marimekko bowl, I had admired it from afar for a long time. Unable to find anywhere that delivered to the UK (it’s hard when many of the things you like are only available in places like Sweden and Finland), I had a brainwave and contacted my blog friend Ulrika. She very kindly got hold of one and posted it to my London home. What a nice lady! She sent a little extra something too, which I will show you next week (it’s unbelievably cool)!

So there we are, a few bits and bobs. Enjoy your weekends :)

P.S. If you head over to m’friend Famapa’s blog, you can see a few pics from our lunch yesterday :)

An Evening Stroll

2011-10-12T08:35:00.004+01:00

Some pictures taken on an early evening, autumnal stroll around the hood. I was enjoying all the brown and orange tones (and not having to be the one chasing around after Bertie). It’s nice when husbands are around; you get to appreciate your surroundings a bit more. Nice. Have a lovely Wednesday :)

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2011-10-11T10:09:00.001+01:00

Helloooo! Yesterday, Dan had a day off, so whilst Maisie was at school, the three of us headed to Selfridges, where 1. there is the new Monki store and 2. the 'Museum Of Everything' is currently situated there. Can I say, that if you are in London, you HAVE to go to the Museum Of Everything! It was fantastic! It features work from studios for artists with developmental and other disabilities. There were so many amazing pieces that I would love to have on my walls! I was quite blown away. Go soon if you can as it ends on the 25th!

Over to Monki! I had some birthday money to spend, so I’m glad I went, as I picked up some cool (to me) bits and pieces and was able to get a feel for their sizing (which comes up on the larger side). I had to order a few things online as they didn’t stock everything I was looking for. At least I know my sizing now, because I really don't want to have to set foot inside Selfridges again! Not my cup o’ tea. In other news...see that font on my collage below? I made that I did. It’s called Seventy Tree. My own personal font. Created here.

▲ Renegade Craft Fair ▲

2011-10-10T08:01:00.000+01:00

Good Monday to you :) Last week I received an email from Eva (of Misako Mimoko, whom you may know for her famous fake watches). She was going to be in London town at the weekend, and asked if I would like to meet up and hang out at the Renegade Craft Fair. Of course!

I recognised Eva straight away, and it was great to meet her (and her chappy, Gabriel too)! We were joined by Sofia (of Hey Sosi... I have featured her work on my blog before; love her style).

It was nice to catch up with the lovely Amy and Christian of Robin & Mould again and see some of their new pieces. Their stall looked fantastico! I thought the stuffed dolls and monsters by Ninon were amazing; such skill! Jess Quinn’s creatures almost had me reaching for my purse, but sadly it was a look-not-buy trip for me (maaan, that was hard)! I loved Kate Sutton’s work. A true talent and her stall was definitely one of my favourites. Of course I was rather struck by Hazel Stark’s cushions....geometric patterns and brights = win! She was a very nice lady too :)

All in all, a very enjoyable couple of hours spent in great company and a visual delight. It was so lovely to meet you Eva, Gabriel and Sofia :)

Bits & Bobs On A Wednesday

2011-10-05T13:31:00.001+01:00

Howdy friends. I want to share a few finds with you today. I have been looking forward to the opening of the Studio Meez shop for some time, and it is now open. Yay! Fab brooches and prints for sale. Very much worth a look.

Also by Studio Meez :)

Cushion/pillow covers by Jessica Nielsen. Her shop is wonderful, go and see for yourself! The cover on the left may have to be a purchase.

I spotted this jersey, hand printed scarf on Etsy yesterday. Instant love of course. By Bark. Also very pleased to see Depeapa’s prints in her Etsy store. I’m always very partial to that panda. I just need some more wallspace...

Have a nice day!

Sunshine

2011-10-04T08:16:00.002+01:00

On Sunday, we took an autumn stroll, in blazing hot summer temperatures to nearby woods. The heat felt so bizarre and slightly wrong (not that I was complaining...actually, I may have a few times...)! People were basking in the sunshine whilst autumn leaves and acorns fell to the ground! I think autumn is returning now, so I’d better look out my jumpers again.

P.S. Happy Cinnamon Bun Day to any Swedish readers!

On The 29th

2011-10-03T11:24:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! How goes it? My birthday was lovely and an absolute scorcher. Usually it is celebrated in dreary weather conditions, so this year’s was unbelievable! We had a delicious picnic in the grounds of Kenwood (second time there in a week) and next to a ‘Happy Birthday’ bench too - perfect spot! It was so hot that I didn’t really feel like taking many pictures, plus I seemed to be stuffing my face much of the time! In the third picture, Bertie is holding a little flower that he'd picked for me; so sweet. Changing the subject slightly, Bertie keeps licking flowers! I think he thinks he’s smelling them, but what if he ends up eating a bee or something?!

The day ended with a tasty meal, made by Dan; which we ate at about 9pm as we were so full up from lunch. Oh and he also made a lemon drizzle cake (and pancakes for breakfast). I ate a lot of food the day I turned 33!

P.S. Please have a look at my October Links in the sidebar :) ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒

On A Sunday

2011-10-02T13:45:00.002+01:00

Hello sunday! Wow, what beautiful weather we are having here? I can’t help but talk about the weather, look at it out there! Sorry if it’s not warm and sunny where you are. We’ve been hanging out on the balcony, reading the paper, eating a bit of lunch while Bertie naps. Thank you all so much for your Birthday wishes. How lovely to receive so many Happy Birthdays from people all over the world :)

Sharing a few pictures today....I thought the skirt hanging up to dry looked nice, my new Depeapa bag, a birthday gift from Francesca (sooo chuffed with it...thanks again F)! And, my Ingrid tumbler (Donna Wilson). Ridiculously pleased with this too.

33

2011-09-29T09:25:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all feeling gooooood! Sorry for my lack of posts this week. I have my folks staying, the weather is beautiful and I’m having a birthday! I’ll be back next week. Have very happy weekends! Byeeeeeeeeee :)

Yesterday

2011-09-26T08:14:00.002+01:00

We made our annual trip to Tent London yesterday. Battling Bertie’s pushchair through thick crowds of Shoreditch ‘trendies’ and inhaling various around-the-world cuisine aromas; which made me very hungry, so we got two vanilla custard doughnuts from St John Bread & Wine. Oh my, they were delicious (I didn't eat both)! The best doughnut you will ever taste in my opinion.

Anyway, we made it to Brick Lane and had a pleasant browse around this year’s show, which I feel didn’t live up to previous years...but again, that’s just my opinion. It was great to see Famille Summerbelle there, and lovely to watch Bertie playing with Miller Goodman’s famous shapes. He wasn’t keen on leaving the table (he kept saying “mine, mine”) but a rice-cake bribe did the trick!

After this, we stepped back into our spaceship and flew home....(referring to the Gherkin there, in case you didn’t get me...I’m so hilarious.....). I hope your weekends were fun and you have a great week. I turn 33 in a few days. Yikes! :)

WTF? (What The Frank)?

2011-09-24T21:23:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have seen this place, or even ‘pinned’ it by now. I was going to post this next week, but have decided to get it out there right away before it’s old news! I will let the pictures do most of the talking and woah, there are lots; so hard to edit these beauties down. I’ve featured homes styled by and for sale through Fantastic Frank before. Here’s the latest (via Anna G again). I am all over it! Would soon get trashed if we moved in though....

☁

2011-09-23T14:16:00.000+01:00

I finally got around to hanging Alessandra’s cloud on the wall, and am so pleased with the results.

Wishing you all a very happy weekend! I hope to be a bit more present here next week. Thank you for all your comments/orders/messages. I am trying to get myself organised and caught up with everything (including cleaning my house, washing, ironing clothes that have been in a basket for over a month....that’s why I wear the same trousers all the time etc etc.... ) I am just a bit tired at the moment (as I keep telling you)! How dull! I promise to be less dull next week :)

Byeeeeeeeee

Bertie ♥ His Bike

2011-09-21T12:31:00.003+01:00

Helloooooo. How are you doing? We are very tired over here. This little Bertie is up several times at night, so I am still very much Zombie Kerry!

In other news, this is Bertie’s new balance bike, which my hawk-eyed husband spotted in a charity shop for just £5 last week. It looks like it has barely been used before - Score! I thought Bertie might be a bit small for it at the moment, but he seems quite happy trotting along. He is yet to perch on the seat, but it’s all good practice isn’t it?! I am also enjoying snuggling up with Bertie in his stripy jumper (also picked out by daddy). ’Tis getting chilly....

Yes....

2011-09-20T21:03:00.004+01:00

....this will do. Nice find, Anna G :)

Random Views

2011-09-20T11:16:00.002+01:00

Some views (and a Maisie) in analogue and digital, taken over the past couple of months. Anyone recognise where they are taken? I am definitely feeling the change of seasons :(

Get better soon to my dad! He managed to break a couple of bones at the weekend being a big kid! I’ll say no more father-dear (if you’re reading this)! :)

Pinspiration ✿✿✿

2011-09-19T12:28:00.000+01:00

Hello all. I’m showing you some ‘pins’ from my ‘Spaces’ pinboard. Have you joined Pinterest yet? Very addictive, I warn you, but such a great invention. You can follow me here. I pin all sorts I do!

(Photo credits - Stella & Henry - Philuko - Love Creative Rooms - Moa Og Kaffekoppen - Bungalow 5 - Storage & Glee -)

▲ On Saturday ▲

2011-09-18T16:21:00.000+01:00

Yesterday with Books and Shed was lovely. Blue skies above meant we had a pleasant (and dry) stroll along Camden Passage, browsing in the little shops and seeing about 50,000 ’nice things.’ I took barely any photographs. We were mostly chatting and eating, so I didn’t feel like snapping away. Nice to meet you Lou! Bristol next time innit :)

▲ Friday ▲

2011-09-16T11:10:00.000+01:00

Hello Friday and hello friends :) I bought this T-Shirt by Lizzie Stewart the minute I laid eyes on it...one of those impulse buys.....No money? Well I’ll darn well find some somewhere (legally of course). Very happy that I did too. I might wear it tomorrow, when I will be hanging out with Books and Shed; child-free I will add! I won’t know what to do with my arms! Does anyone with little ones get that? When Dan is around at the weekend and he pushes the pram, I really don’t know what to do with my arms/hands or where they should go! I must look like a right twit.

Haven’t met Shed in the flesh before and am very much looking forward to it....Lou, I’ll be the lady in the bear :) Unless I decide to wear something else of course.

Also, a little picture of my sweet birdy card from Aina. She very kindly went out of her way in getting me a copy of Swedish Family Living, which one of my prints was featured in. Thanks nice lady!

Enjoy your weekends!

p.s. I can now make triangles, look ▲▲▲ want some more? ▲▲......▼▼▼▼ upside down aswell. These things please me no end.

Byeeeee

Fly Away

2011-09-15T11:06:00.002+01:00

Hello. Just popping in today with some paper planes. I would so love to be on a real plane right now. A holiday would be most welcome....Hmmmm, where would we go? I keep seeing gorgeous pictures of people’s travels on their blogs and it makes me crave an escape even more. Some nice ones here, here, here.

I am very tired this week. Bertie’s sleep had finally started to improve, but now for some reason, we’re back where we were; he wakes frequently, I feed him, he’s in and out of our bed, I can’t sleep as he wriggles constantly and kicks me...never known fidgeting like it! Oooh, fun.

Wandering around in a daze is what I have been doing most of the week; tripping over toys, saucepans, sliding on baking trays, spoons (the latest play things). Yesterday Dan put a saucepan on the hob, switched on the gas, lifted the lid ready to add Bertie’s food and discovered a plastic pig inside...beginning to sweat. Pork for dinner? Admittedly we did have a chuckle as it really summed up my day!

And don’t get me started on Bertie’s eating habits...awful, barely eats a thing, only wants to eat rice cakes.....ho-hum.

So anyway, who’s coming on holiday with me and where shall we go?

Nice!

2011-09-13T08:12:00.001+01:00

Hullooo! Thanks for all your nice comments on my home details. I will show you more very soon. Time for a wishlist, me thinks. I like to share my favourite things with you all :) Lately, I have been spotting some very appealing children’s garms. I guess all the new autumn/winter collections are out, so they are popping up all over the place. I have a few favourite brands, but to be honest, they are all a little on the pricey side for me. We’re more H&M here, but I can dream....Anyway, it’s no secret that I love Spanish brand, Bobo Choses, and if my daughter Maisie was a little bit smaller, I would certainly be hankering after the above burnt orange umbrella dress.....

.......and this owl dress (I wish they would make it in my size)! These pictures came from French store Guapito, which is full of great kids stuff and the autumn/winter Bobo Choses styling looks so good.

Next, a sweet fox-on-a-bike-with-a-baguette plate. Yes, I would like this plate to display on my wall please. From Ko Ko Ko Shop.

In Wild Waters, a screen print by John Alan Birch; he’s Jen Collins’ boyfriend did you know? Nice work in his shop. This one is my favourite.

Mini Rodini are a Swedish brand, and I love pretty much all of their designs. The horse sweatshirt and bear leggings are my favourites, but their whole collection is very strong; I would hapilly wear the sweatshirt if it came in my size.

Love these Chevron necklaces, laser cut from wood and plastic, and inspired by the ‘colours and patterns of South Western and Navajo cultures.’ Available from Finest Imaginary.

And finally, Louise posted about this shop recently and I instantly fell for these gorgeous origami bear and fox pins. Find more origami animal pins in Etsy shop, Hug A Porcupine. Sweeeeet.

Well, that’s all for now friendlies. I hope you like at least one of my choices! x

Home Details

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000+01:00

Gooood day to you. Nice weekends? I sure hope so. I took a few photos around my little flat. It’s nice to appreciate the smaller details sometimes....There is certainly more of a chill in the air now, so I’ve been stomping around in my cosy slippers and cardigans when at home; actually, when am I not in my slippers?!

Also, my brother-in-law has been doing some design work for Burt’s Bees = freebies galore! I hadn’t used their products before (too expensive for me), but they are super-duper. We have mainly been using the baby bath/skin care range, which have been lovely for Bertie’s skin. On Saturday however, he’d nabbed me this hand cream and it’s A-C-E.

In case you would like to know where some of my belongings are from - / Cloud and drops sticker - by Me / Teacup (LOVE) - a gift from Francesca / Badger print - by Alice Potter / Kitchen postcard - by Amy Walters / Garland - Weekday Carnival / Postcards - Ninainvorm, Lizzie Stewart and Me /

Have a nice day :)

The Beach On Film

2011-09-09T08:03:00.001+01:00

Ah, summer.......These were taken during our weekend in Devon, on Sidmouth beach. The weather was constantly changing and every minute we saw a different sky! Again using Kodak Ektar 100 film. (First set here).

^ That’s my little family there in the sea, plus my dad and step-mum. Sadly, I am fuss-pot-don’t-like-the-sea-Kerry. It’s the seaweed...can’t cope. Ok, I’m actually scared of seaweed; always have been, always will be. I capture the moments instead :)

The weekend is almost upon us. My mum is visiting tomorrow, so I need to find us some things to do. I wish you all a good one, full of lots of fun stuff :)

See you next week and as always, thanks for hanging out here.....you are all very nice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad! Woooo x

Autumn Arrived, So We Ate Ice-Cream

2011-09-07T15:57:00.001+01:00

Yes, autumn certainly seems to have made itself known here. The leaves are crisp and golden, and I keep tripping over conkers. Bertie loves conkers, so watch out if you happen to pass us in the street and he is armed with one!

Yesterday was Maisie’s final day of the holidays. The weather was hideous, but we decided to make the best of it and headed to Camden for ice-cream. And I don’t mean any old ice cream. I’m talking about Europe’s first nitro ice-cream parlour; Chin Chin Labs! We had been meaning to visit for a while, so Tuesday seemed an appropriate day for a treat. It was actually just Maisie that had the ice-cream, but Dan and I had a good delve in too. Delicious.

As you can see from the pictures, making this ice-cream is a science. Your ice cream is made to order with liquid nitrogen, so you get to watch the whole process; exciting stuff! Maisie went for chocolate flavour with honeycomb sprinkles and salted caramel sauce. Quite a rich combination, but she managed it (this child can eat, I tell you)!

What’s that? You see sugar doughnuts there too? Er, that was our lunch. We took a long, blustery walk up to Primrose Hill (which we had pretty much to ourselves) and realised in all the liquid nitrogen excitement, we’d missed lunch. Please note, we do have a wholesome, healthy diet most of the time!

A good day.

The (Final) Answers (Part Three)

2011-09-07T07:37:00.000+01:00

Hej! I’m back with Part Three (the final part) of my answers to your questions. See Part One here, and Part Two here.

Which famous person would you like to have dinner with?

In all honesty, I wouldn’t be keen on having dinner with a famous person. I’d feel silly, plus I’d prefer to have dinner with my husband any day over someone famous :) However, I’m going to contradict what I just said (sorry Dan). I know my answer doesn’t have to be about going on a date with a famous person but what the heck, I’m having dinner with Gael Garcia Bernal!

If you could be an animal for a day, which would you choose?

I really wouldn’t like to be an animal for a day as I’m just not great with animals. But for the sake of the question, I’m going to pick something slow and lazy like a sloth, or just a cat. Purely so I can have a day of lazing around and catch up on some sleep. Actually, not a sloth, they freak me out....urgh. Cat it is then...but not one of those cats with no fur....what happened there? My husband isn’t a cat lover, so I’d have to hide...

Astonished to see your lap top dangerously close to the table edge! How oh how do you keep Bertie from reaching out to it?

In case you haven’t seen it, the question is referencing this post. Yes the laptop was dangerously close to the edge of the table. It isn’t usually, and Bertie seems to be pretty uninterested in it thankfully. Or maybe we’ve just been lucky so far?

What’s your favourite book?

My all time favourite is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

What are your favourite shops?

I very rarely shop :( If I do, it’s most likely to be online these days. I like children’s boutique Hello Bubba, and of course various Etsy shops. High Street-wise, I like H&M, Uniqlo and I’m very excited about the new Monki pop-up store opening in Selfridges. Happy Birthday Kerry!

What’s your favourite candy?

Chocolate = Cadburys Double Decker. Sweets = Haribo Tangfastics Sour mix.

What is your favourite pasta dish?

I like pasta with chorizo and a tomato sauce. We spent our honeymoon in Northern Italy and ate a lot of fresh ravioli over there; often with a simple homemade tomato sauce (by Dan) and fresh basil. Delicious.

What jobs did you do before you were an artist?

There have been a few. Before Maisie, I worked in a craft workshop decorating glassware. Since having Maisie, I have worked in a couple of bars, part time, but mainly (alongside mummying) I was doing my music, which was almost like a job for a few years. Once that came to an end, I worked for Children & Young People’s Services as an Intervention Worker (family support work with children in foster care and their families). I did this for a few years until I had Bertie.

Where did you study?

As said in Part One, I didn’t go to uni. I did of course go to school (!) and I went to Exeter College where I began studying Music, Art and English Literature, but changed to Health & Social Care, which sounds quite random.

What song makes you kick off your high heels and dance like crazy?

Ha! I really don’t do high heels (think ‘man in drag’ that’s me in heels)! So I’d be dancing in my flats* to (*cough-Crazy-In-Love-by-Beyonce-cough*)! Hey Ya! By OutKast is another...I’m pretty stuck in the mid 00s, as that was when I was out making shapes. Just thought of another 'I want You Back' (Jackson Five)

* read - shaking my booty

(Can I add, that I don’t actually listen to Beyonce and OutKast at home. These were just tunes that got me out of the corner and onto the floor. I do love the Jackson Five though).

What is the recipe you cook better?

Oh shucks! I really can’t answer this as I don’t cook. It’s not even that I can’t cook. I just don’t. Shameful.

What was the last dream you had?

Do you know what? Since I had Bertie and have been surviving on up to few hours of sleep a night, I can’t ever remember my dreams. That’s pretty sad.

What is your favourite food?

Roasted butternut squash risotto. Or any risotto (as long as it doesn’t involve seafood).

What do you like best about London?

I like that I can look through Time Out magazine and know that I can go along to pretty much anything that takes my fancy. There is so much choice, so much going on. I can’t see us ever being bored here.

Where is the best coffee shop in London?

Food Lab in Islington is nice. But I certainly haven’t tried out enough places yet to say where is best.

Can we hang out someday?

Whitney, Yes! I would love to....Tayvee and Bertie could play together too :)

What makes you happy in summertime?

Sunshine! It really lifts my mood and fuels my motivation. I also love summer picnics.

Where do you find inspiration to make these sweet prints?

See Part One, question 9.

If you could only eat and drink one thing forever, what would it be?

That’s hard! My drink would definitely be tea, as I couldn’t live without it. Food is harder though....I think it would have to be savoury rather than sweet.....I don’t think I could live without Marmite, so it would have to be Marmite on toast. A pretty cheap date eh Gael?

There we are. The end. I hope I haven’t bored you all too much with my answers. It has been lots of fun, and I hope you’ve enjoyed learning some funny facts about me! Thank you for all your questions!

Recent Randoms On Film

2011-09-06T08:54:00.000+01:00

I tried Kodak Ektar 100 film for the first time (inspired by this lady) and I'm pretty pleased with the results. More to come...

^ Enjoying a bit of Yo Sushi.

^ The red engine at the Southbank, selling sausage-related eats.

^ Neal’s Yard.

^ Dan.

^ Hoxton station.

^ Bertie (love this one). Nice to capture him sat still for a change (ok, he may have been watching tv....)

An All Day-er

2011-09-05T09:48:00.001+01:00

Hello friends :) Looking in last week’s Time Out magazine, I realised that a lot of the things I had planned to go and see during the holidays (but hadn’t yet made it to) were coming to an end at the weekend - Zoikes! So on Friday, with the return of summer, we crammed most of them into one day! And it was great!

We began at the Southbank with a quick picnic on the green under the London Eye, then moved swiftly on to the Royal Festival Hall for the Museum Of 1951 exhibition. I’m so glad we managed to see this, as it was full of 1950s typography, posters, furniture and really nicely laid out too.

Next, we walked alongside the river to the Bankside Gallery, for the 'Best Of British Illustration' exhibition. Also excellent and enjoyed by Maisie and Bertie as well as me.

Off we wondered again, past Tate Modern, towards London Bridge where we reached our final destination, The Scoop; an outdoor, sunken amphitheatre. Here we were joined by Dan and watched a super performance of 'Around The World In Eighty Days.’ There was just enough music and movement to keep Bertie engaged throughout most of it too. I only had to chase him around a couple of times!

So those were the three things to catch before they came to an end, and all were free!

It was such a beautiful, warm day and the evening light was glowing. Before heading home, we grabbed a bite to eat and decided to make our way back along the river, stopping for some late night Tate Modern action. Such a good time of day to visit, as it was practically deserted.

Once the darkness had really set in and with Bertie finally asleep, it was time to go home. We enjoyed the lights of London from the riverside, walked over Blackfriers Bridge, along the embankment and into town to catch our bus home; arriving back at 11pm! What a long day! We had walked for miles and boy were my legs aching. Worth it though. So yeah man, I am loving London!

(p.s. Pleased to hear a lot of you liked my Monki choices below)!

Monki Madness

2011-09-04T10:30:00.000+01:00

Stopping by on a Sunday. Hi! Yes, I have gone slightly Monki-mad. I was extremely excited to learn that the first UK Monki store is now open within Selfridges in London. It’s my birthday soon, so if I receive any gifts of the ‘pound' variety, I am there! Oh, but I want everything I have posted here; which means I will need a lot of pounds.....hmph!

For any male readers out there (Rob)? I’m sorry if this is a super boring post for you, but I had to indulge in a bit of Monki time. Likewise, to any ladies that may hate my style!

I hope you’re having nice weekends.

All Dressed Up/Craft It Forward

2011-09-02T09:20:00.002+01:00

This is what happens when I’m packing up orders and ask Maisie to occupy Bertie! He takes things pretty seriously, does Bertie, and makes a rather convincing girl!

So, it’s Friday. Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my Craft It Forward post. I’m pleased you wanted to play and I can confirm that the people who will be receiving something handmade from me are -

Kylie - Crystal - Planet Fur - Studio Meez - Heidi/I’m with Leia - Email me your details please craft buddies! Make sure you pass it on to your five; let’s keep this going around the blogworld!

And I’m really pleased to hear in the comments that some of you are going to start up your own Craft It Forward anyway. Yay! :)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

In other news, on Sunday, my husband and his brother will be taking part in a sponsored bike ride from London to Windsor to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. Here’s a link to their team sponsorship page if you fancy making a little donation to a good cause.

Now all that’s left to say, is Happy Weekends! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

The Answers (Part Two)

2011-09-01T21:10:00.001+01:00

Hello it’s time for Part Two of my answers to your questions! Read Part One here.

What is your secret talent?

Aaaah, questions like this are really hard. I find it so hard to think of anything! Hmmm, I’m not sure I have anything that’s a secret.....but, I once borrowed my dad’s harp and could instantly play it. I wrote some tunes and became addicted for a while. I knew so little about playing a harp that I found out I had been playing it backwards! It sounded pretty though. So my secret talent is, I play the backwards harp! Aren’t I wild?

What is your biggest dream in life?

My biggest dream is to be successful in what I do and to inspire my own children to believe in themselves and what they do.....Of course I would also like to see more of the world, but that depends on my own success.

What’s your favourite cake recipe?

I love cake! If you’ve read this blog for a while, you may know that I do not excel in the kitchen. My husband handles this aspect of our life. One of my favourites is Jamie Oliver’s Lemon & Poppy Seed cake. It is delicious. Bake it, you won’t be disappointed :)

What has been your unexpected bonus in making the move to London?

There are a few.....

Realising how close together everything is. London seemed so enormous (which it is) but kind of isn’t, if you know what I mean? Contradicting myself there! Everywhere links up and is so much closer together than I thought. We’ll be in one place, walk on a bit and I’ll suddenly say “Oh, we’re here?” That happens a lot.

Being so close to Hampstead Heath = mega-bonus!

Another bonus and surprise, is how much I don’t feel homesick for Devon. I really thought I would struggle at first. Of course I miss my close family, but I have settled in so quickly. Meant to be innit.

Having friends here! It is so nice meeting up with Famapa and Francesca (both whom I have met through blogging) and live nearby. It makes such a difference when everything is new. Yay to blogging!

What is your favourite tea?

Just a standard cup of tea with soya milk (I don’t like cows milk - fussy) and half a sugar. Nothing fancy. I drink an awful lot of tea. A few years ago, I drank copious amounts of green tea. I was soooo much healthier back then. I must get back to that again. I must, you hear!?

Who is your favourite artist?

I don’t have a favourite as such, but I do love a bit of Bridget Riley. Her patterns, use of colour and perspective are right up my street.

What is your obsession with dala horses?

I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, but I do think they’re pretty darn coo-el! I can’t claim it’s related to their history, or any ties I have with Sweden either. I simply like their form/proportions and think they’re fun.

What’s the first memory that comes to mind when you think/see neon pink?

The neon pink jelly bag that I owned in the 80s. I loved it and really thought I was the coolest! I would pretend I was going to the beach and put my towel, shades and swimwear inside (much of that would have been neon too)! Can I also add....Bermuda shorts! I wore them, in various neon colours. Woah!

How are you so awesome?

Haha, what a question! Ask my husband.....I couldn’t possibly answer that myself!

Did you screen print on fabric as well?

No I didn’t, but that is coming sooooon! Watch this space :)

Where was the print workshop held?

It was held at Print Club London in Dalston.

What makes you belly laugh?

Mostly things my children and husband say and do. Things that other people probably wouldn’t find funny!

Part three (the final part) coming soon.

Thanks for all your Craft It Forward comments :)