Craft attack: Easter

Better late than never - here is a little tutorial of what we gave as Easter gifts this year. The idea could work for any occasion, with any candy, and any message.

You will need

A small ramekin of some kind - I bought the pink hearts from Ikea

Tissue paper in fun colours

Craft paper with fun patterns on

Fabric or another kind of paper

Pinking shears or wavy blade scissors

Glue

Candy to fill ramekin with

 Pen, fabric pen or something to write your message with

First - line your ramekin with tissue paper and fill with enough candy so you can fit a flat lid on top

Draw around a spare ramekin on the back of craft paper - cut with funky siccors just over the line so you have some room to go wrong! If you are just doing one - do this step first!

Write out your message on contrasting paper. I used my typewrtier but you could handwrite, print out, anything you fancy.

Assemnle your  item - fold in the tissue paper and apply a little bit of glue just around the top edge of the dish. Stick your message onto the fabric section, and then the fabric onto the lid. I also added a little string bow for extra cuteyness. Then stick the whole lid onto the dish.

Voila! Finished product.

I made about six in an hour - a quick, cute last minute craft.

Relaxing weekend you seem so far away...

I had a rare weekend alone at home.  I do need the odd recharge weekend, and do like to spend a little bit of time toute seule, even if it is just to pad about in my pjs. I did lots thinking in bed, made and ate a whole banana crumble and went in a convertible for the first time. I also did a very rare bit of shopping, as my usual frugal enforcement could be relaxed for the first time in months. It is now Tuesday, and snowing (at the weekend I got a little sunburnt) so this feels like ever such a long, long time ago!!

Honesty rules : Travel

So today I was thinking about things about myself, that I hide from other people because I am embarrassed to admit them. I find so many blogs are filled with seemingly perfect people, with perfect lives. Flaws are normal, they make us individual, so I am going to write about and start to accept mine.

Here is my confession: I don't really like travelling.

Yes, I swoon over pictures of norway, but actually I quite like being at home.

In New York I felt lonely. In Europe I struggle to eat because I can't explain my allergies. Spicy food makes me so ill. Acid comes out of my nose. I always get sunburnt and flying just exhausts me. I have mega passport paranoia and I am not good at asking for help when I am stuck. I have no desire to wander with a backpack. I feel awkward in other people's homes and I have nightmares.

I like my pillows and bedsheets, my pets and my favourite mug.

Confession over. I know that my love of home and distrust of travel comes from my need to be in control, uncertainty is stressful for me. I do however, love travelling to see my family. I adore my brother's home in Kentucky and love walking his dogs. At my sisters apartment in Berlin I feel cosy and love to borrow her clothes. What makes travel worthwhile for me is people, not places.... and I'm not too ashamed to say it.

Mr Parrot: Step by step

This last few months I have been working on a pottery project at my local pottery studio.

This is my parrot's journey from hollow tube to creature.

Wanderlust

Wanderlust [ˈwɒndəˌlʌst]

n

a great desire to travel and rove about

[German, literally: wander desire]

 

 

 

This week I have had a serious case of wanting to rove about. It started with a colleauge going to Port de Soller  in Mallorca. It has cute trams, beautiful beaches and lovely food. Sigh. And I was stuck at the office, feeling moany about work. I realised that my wanderlust actually didn't have so much to do with travel. 

It has to do with my life, and if I am roving through it, or setting out with intention. I wanted to be home, working on creative projects and finding my thing again. Finding the thing that makes me want to get up early and create. I read a blog this week about how we are all perfect, we just need to find our thing. We have the gifts and ability to do well at whatever it is, we just need to grab it and go.

I have long read and liked Jess Constable's mantra of desiging a life with intention. 

It is another trick to live that life with intention. 

Rape prevention...

This scheme launched in the UK yesterday and I felt an overwhelming feeling of relief that something is finally being done to challenge what the definition of rape and sexual violence are, especially for young people.

There is, what some may consider to be a shocking advert that directly shows a young girl being forced into sexual activty after having said no. There is a clear strategy about how this will target 13-18 year olds.

Hooray home office.

When life gives you hair clogs, buy a drain snake

This might just become my new motto.

I have learnt quite a bit about myself in the last week because of a clogged up pipe under the floor in my bathroom. Yes really, a clogged pipe.

Intially I ignored the fact that my bath didn't drain well [probably for a few months] and thought it would go away. Then when I was standing in a foot of water and couldn't ignore it any more, I decided to do something. Phase one began with harsh chemicals not really making a dent in the problem. I then looked at the problem for a few days figuring out what to do next. Last night I took the side panel off my bath and carefully worked out how all the piped connected, and unscrewed and cleaned them. I then realised the issue is below floorboard level and felt annoyed I couldn't fix it. I then went away and researched the problem, bought the tool I need and will try again on friday when it arrives.

This long winded tale of disgusting drain issues really brings out a big messgae for me - how do we deal with problems and setbacks? My pattern looks something like this.....

Ignore problem

Attempt resolution

Procrastinate

Take Action

Setback

Equip yourself

Try again



I have realised that my pattern would be more helpful like this and this could continue in a loop until the problem, be it emotional or drain clog, is resolved.

Acknowledge problem

Attempt resolution

Setback

Equip yourself

Try again