lovely little deer

crafting with what??

2012-01-17T01:43:00.005Z

OMG, OMG, OMG, OOOOH,HH MYYYY GOSH!!!

I am so excited!

Ok, so I made the mushie below out of a wee craft pack I already had, I found it after I had a big sort out the other day. It only contains a small amount of roving inside the kit.
Then it occurred to me that it was wool!! Not very vegan friendly, SO I know you can get vegan roving BUT....we have 3 cats and one of them, my little baby bear Oreo is long haired and when he gets groomed loads of his beautiful chocolate brown soft hair gets groomed off. I always hated to throw it away and would often say, oh if only I could do something with this!!!

THEN I SAW THIS BOOK!!!!

OH MY!!!

I HAVE to get this book :)

Does anyone have it, do you like it?
Has anyone tried to needle felt using their pet hair??

needle felting

2012-01-15T15:52:00.002Z

I tried needle felting, and this is what I made, a widdle mushroom!

It was good fun, now I need to try something else!

Baking wonderful.

2012-01-14T16:25:00.002Z

Can you believe it is January 14th already!!

Where has the time gone!

Just thought I would swing by, say hi and show you a couple of things.Hubby bought me this adorable cream pie dish with a teeny little bird bird to go in the middle, sweet!

I made a pretty aqua vintage inspired fake cake, yum!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T20:20:00.003Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Levi and Captain hope, as do I , that 2012 is YOUR year and that all of your dreams come true!!!

Loads of love!!!

This blog is going to get loads of love next year. I am going to concentrate on promoting wonderful designers for you and lots of fun giveaways too!

Peach <3

My Christmas in photos

2011-12-29T14:54:00.010Z

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas or lovely and happy whatever you celebrate :) I sure did. I got so many lovely things and had lovely times with friends and family.

I have a little white tree and decorations in my bedroom.
I adore this purple glitter stag, so beautiful.Downstarirs we have a little pink tree decorated with real looking little cupcakes and glitter candy shapes, I adore it.
I had always wanted a big white tree but they are so expensive for a really nice one, so when I went shopping with my Christmas money I found this in Next home section HALF PRICE!! I snapped it up, bought 4 boxes of Next baubles that were in the sale too.
It isn't decorated fully as we need some white cable lights still and some more tinsel but I couldn't wait to put it up in our living room and I love the fact there is plenty of space left to buy some really special ornaments each year to fill it.

Ok, on to some of the gifts I got.... I have lots of nice clothes and lovely home items, no pics of those though but here are some cute things I received below...

Bread bin from Next. I got this half price, so pleased with it.

French fancy cake decorations from Next.
Cupcake sugar bowl from Debenhams.

Cupcake teapot and icing sugar sifter, bothe from Debenhams.
I HAD to have these.
They look so perfect in my vintage 60's sideboard.

Red herring bag. I adore it, vegan friendly :)

On to family pics...

We went to My Mum and step dad's house for Christmas dinner.
They made everything vegan apart from the turkey, so we could eat all of this and more!!
The sausage rolls were Linda McCartney vegan friendly.
Roast potatoes were even done in veggie oil for us, so we were in heaven and so full and happy afterwards :)

Mum's black xmas tree, so pretty.

Me, Mamma and Captain.

My brother, you can just see his arm, didn't want to be in the pics as he didn't feel very well.
In the pic, my step Dad, sis, Mamma, Bro and me, Dave took the pic.

I loves me some brussel sprouts. Funny feeling someone is watching me...

I made the most delicious mince pies, if I do say so myself. They were gorgeous!!

I got a hair wand for my birthday and only just figured how to use it. Now I adore it. Goodbye to annoying heavy uncomfortable rollars and hello lovely wavy hair in 20 minutes!!

Davie has a problem keeping his eyes open in photos, so after many attempts I just told him to look down and then what happened CAPTAIN now has his eyes closed, oi vey!! ;D

Me and Julie <3

Me and Mamma in law..and Captain ;D

Sis in law Sue with Lucy my niece.

Bro and sis in law Barry and Julie with their daughter Izzy, my littl niece. She is so cute
and really into art and lover of hello kitty, we get along great :)

My lovely woofs, enjoyed their gifts and being fussed over and fed loads of yummy food by everyone.

Thank you to anyone that read all of my waffle :)

Hapy Holidays!!!

2011-12-24T14:09:00.003Z

It's a marshmallow world in the winter
When the snow comes to cover the ground
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day
I wait for it the whole year round.

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly
In the arms of the evergreen trees
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head
It's shining so your nose wont freeze.

The world is your snowball, see how it grows
Thats how it goes whenever it snows
The world is your snowball just for a song
Get out and roll it along

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts
Take a walk with your favorite girl
It's a sugar date, what if spring is late
In winter it's a marshmallow world.

The above is my most fave holiday song :) I bet I posted it last year too, haha.
Anyhoodles I'm busy over here making the house nice and baking yummies and looking forward to seeing family tomorrow.
It has been a lovely month, full of seeing friends and buying gifts.
I feel very lucky this year.
I am really looking forward to 2012 and feel it will be a fantastic year, 2011 sure has been eventful for me in many ways.

I hope you have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday <3

Butterscotch and Beesting candy review!

2011-12-22T14:15:00.001Z

Butterscotch and Beesting candy review!!

All this wonderful candy below is made by a very talented lady called Camilla and this is what she says..
"Butterscotch & Beesting follows the adventures of two of my characters, Betty Butterscotch & Bumblewick Beesting who are best friends and run the quite remarkable and ever-so magical Butterstings Circus. Lovely, kind (and sometimes slightly moody) Betty Butterscotch keeps the Circus Sweet Shop stocked full of delights, while the ever-eloquent and dashing Bumblewick Beesting pedals his magic potion kits, wands and spells in the Magical Supplies Shop. Then there are the many troupes of unusual and yet highly gifted animals that work in the circus as acrobats, clowns and performers.

Everything I make is part of the Butterscotch & Beesting adventure, so the candy bags all have stories on the back that tell you a little bit more about the circus, and the muddled-up animals are all part of a Magical Menagerie created by Bumblewick's dastardly monkey, Solomon the Simian. All the drawings are by me too"

First of all I was so attracted to the wonderful modern/vintage style candy bag toppers.
They all have a little story on the back and weird and wonderful illustrations on the front, basically, this candy had me at hello!!

HUMBUGS!!!

I adore humbugs, always have but the other humbugs I have had in my life are nothing compared to these.
These are rich, creamy with sweet cooling mint to accompany the creaminess.
I loved how big they were too, huge for my little gob and kept me quiet for a long time!

These are like eating the most delicious bowl of sweet strawberries and cream, total heaven and very moreish.
I can't imagine anyone not feeling better with some of these in their mouth!

These were my least fave I'm afraid, only because even though I do have a sweet tooth they were
just a bit toooo sweet for me and not a huge fan of fudge.
A layer of sweet fudge with icing and then sweet coconut.
My friend absolutely adores these, so if you are a coconut and fudge fan you are likely to adore these!

Aniseed balls have a special place in my heart as I remember getting fun mix ups as a kid with my pocket money and putting loads of these in and I would save them until last and enjoy how numb they would make my tounge!
These are wonderful, full of my childhood memories.
They are delicious!

I am a little red faced about this.. as you may notice in this photo there isn't a piece of candy with it, that is because these were my favorite and I basically ate every last one :(
I will be ordering a couple of new bags of this after this review :P
See below for the stock photo that I nicked from Camilla's website, sorry Camilla!!

THESE ARE UHMAZING!!!!!
sweet fruity flavours with a delightful fizz that isn't at all tart, more like a very tasty sour and sweet effect, just wonderful and my mouth is watering so bad now!!!

Because the candy is so retro and the packaging so fun, these would make wonderful gifts and if anyone wants to buy me a packet I won't turn them down :)

Go grab your very own delish yum yums and find out more with the links below
Why not become a fan on facebook too! :

butterscotch and beesting facebook

butterscotchandbeesting blog

www.butterstings.com

ButterscotchandBeesting folksy

Happy Holidays and my new pink hair :)

2011-12-20T16:16:00.002Z

Happy Holidays to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week is all about connecting with myself, meditation, journaling, gratitude lists, positivity, crafting Xmas gifts, writing cards, Xmas shopping, seeing friends, pampering myself, enjoying being with hubs and furbabies and watching Christmas movies, seeing family, giving gifts, love, fun and some magic thrown in.

I hope whatever you are doing that you have a wonderful time <3

Christmas has really pounced on me this year. I have LOADS to make still and even on Xmas eve, I have baking to do.

I want to make some nice vegan mince pies this year, mmmmm!! I bought some cute boxes to put the yums in, to give as gifts.
I've bought the woofs some prezzies and I am making the kitties some cute catnip toys, you shouldn't forget the fur babies this time of year :)

My hair is pink again :) I am so happy I did it. It was last pink about 2 years ago. I am very whimsical and one day I just thought that would be the day I go pink again!
I am hiding in this pic so you can mostly see the hair and the pretty Cath Kidston wallpaper and not my bad skin, seriously the worst it has been in ages.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!!!

<3<3<3

Perfume-Click.co.uk review!

2011-11-18T14:54:00.001Z

www.perfume-click.co.uk

They say:

Perfume-Click.co.uk is one of leading online retailers of designer and celebrity fragrances in the UK.

Unlike some online retailers, all of our products come in the original manufacturer packaging and are 100% genuine.

All of our staff, suppliers and partners are committed to our philosophy of:

Always offering our customers 100% customer satisfaction through unparalleled low prices, choice of fragrances and customer service.

I say:

I have to say I am impressed. Huge range of fragrances. I picked Hard candy perfume, as they are bunny approved, cruelty free, yay!

I love the site and the prices and will buy from them again.

It is easy to shop there, very user friendly.

One thing I loathe about online shopping is the long registration process. This store is great, you are 4 simple clicks away from checkout, so simple, quick and easy.

The prices are impressively low too. Great online shop to buy genuine fragrances at a steal.

My perfume arrived very quicky and was packaged well.

Perfume-Click.co.uk sells gift sets, perfume, aftershave, etc, all at great prices.

We all need our Christmas gift money to go further this year. Perfume-Click.co.uk are a great way to do that, without compromising on quality.I love my perfume!!

Halloween

2011-11-01T15:14:00.002Z

Did you have a good Halloween?
Mine was a bit of a wash out really.
I won't bore you with the story, instead I'll show you the pre party pics.

My hubby as spock

We bought a wig of ebay that was more like a beatles mop hair, so I cut it for him and did his eyebrows, did a pretty good job I think :)

I was a showgirl type gal.
I had a feather boa and gloves too. I did not feel good in this outfit at all. I felt fat and naff.
Sadly I didn't finish my cool Halloween outfit, which was going to be amazing, but I'll just finish it for next year.

I look miserable in this photo because Captain kept jumping up at me trying to ruin my fishnets, as he is always super clingy when I am going out, so I had to carry him for all photos taken by Dave's mama bear, she was kind enough to dog sit :)

We went to the crappiest Halloween do, that was a total dud, oh wells.

The next night Dave wanted to see what I would look like as Spock, I think I make a pretty cute boy, haha.

Next Halloween will be better!!

Hope yours was better! :P

camo woofs

2011-10-26T11:48:00.003+01:00

I made my lil woofs a nice raincoat each.
Now they can go on walkies even in light rain.

I'd like to make them little camouflage harnesses to match, that would look cute!

I made the coats with a nice waterproof camouflage on the outside and a white towelling material on the inside.
The fasteners I used were white sew on Velcro.

I think they look adorable!!

Pals at play review!

2011-10-22T07:18:00.001+01:00

It's play time!!

Independent jewellery designer Rowan Grant aka "kitschen sink" kitschensink.com has teamed up with graphic designer Paul Jamie Kidd kidd81.com to create a colourful, fun and wearable jewellery line!
Pals At Play!

Lucky me, I got to review the "Candy Rain" necklace!!

Oh how I love it! *strokes*
The Candy Rain necklace is big, sturdy and looks and feels very high quality.
The enamel on the cloud and rain is flawless! This necklace looks like something you would find in a super cool boutique. This is quality people!!
The design is fun and cute. Great design.
Retails for £18
The stars retail for £15

I have a good feeling they (Rowan and Paul) are going to doing very well with their line.

Here are some more of the designs!!

How cute are the faces????

This is "Candy storm" and my fave after my Candy rain necklace.

The colours are just perfect together.

The designs make me feel happy and like I want get dressed up and go play :)

Do go check out the sites and visit Pals At Play on facebook to get a code for money off!!
Please go check out their cute website too!

palsatplay.com

Swizzels Matlow Trick or Treat Lolly Mix review by Diana Zeferino.

2011-10-14T20:00:00.004+01:00

I received a big lolly bag to review but sadly couldn't do the honours as they were not veggie friendly so I am really excited and grateful to introduce guest blogger Diana Zeferino, old friend of mine and a darn good writer.

Enjoy!

When one of the ladies I’ve known since 2004, Peach, asked if I wanted to review some sweets my reply was a quick “hell” followed by “yeah” because let’s face it, who would say no to an assignment like this?!
The sweets in question are Swizzels Matlow Trick or Treat Lolly Mix. I must confess before we go any further, new friends: I ADORE LOLLIES! I may not look ladylike with one in my mouth, but who cares about that when the young girl within, stuck in a dreary office, gets a second to come out and play whilst the adult continues doing job type activities. So, when my package from Peach arrived I quickly grabbed the first lolly and tucked in, followed by a second which was when I realised that I really should pause, grab my laptop and get typing otherwise they’d all be gone and no review would be written up!
The packaging is suitably spooky with cobwebs on the “Trick or Treat” writing, a witch flying a broom over the moon in the corner and bat wings placed on each lolly pictured with black and orange as the main colours for a real Halloween feel.
The pack indicates that contents may vary and I received drumsticks, sherbet lollies and two boiled sugar flavoured lollies.
I began with the Orange flavoured boiled sugar lolly. I’m not always the biggest fan of orange, it tends to be chemically, but these lollies were very fresh tasting and quite natural. It’s quite a clean taste that doesn’t leave your mouth or teeth feeling like it’s had too much sugar but instead just like it’s had a fun treat. The packaging was orange and had jack-o-lanterns on it so they looked like little mini pumpkins. Very cute!
I followed it up with the Blackcurrant purple version of the above so I could compare how that tasted and, again, the flavour tastes really natural. They are sweet without being overly cloying. They last quite a while (10-15 minutes) in terms of ‘sucking time’ but don’t play too much with the stick or it slides off. Did it happen to me, I hear you ask? *looks innocent* Noooo…O.K. it did! :D They also stain your tongue slightly, which let’s face it, is part of the fun! As with the Orange ones, these also have jack-o-lanterns but this time the wrapping paper is a deep purple.
I moved on to the Drumstick next. As a child I always chewed them and nothing has changed. These taste like a normal drumstick when you put it in your mouth, that is quite milky and sweet but with no strong flavour but as you’re eating it an orange taste begins to develop which really lifts them. As with standard drumsticks it has the stripy wrapper but this time in black and orange and inside the sweet is a ghoulish orange and grey.
I saved the best for last (as far as my taste buds go) which meant having the sherbet lolly. It was white and yellow two-tone and featured an octopus-like monster cartoon on the top. This one was exactly as I remembered from childhood; soft and fruity, berry flavour, almost powdery in the mouth with a tang. It also lasted the longest for me but perhaps that’s because I savour them and try not to have it too quickly! Part of me did wish that they had changed the colour of this sweet, too. Maybe a nice deep red for Halloween to entice all the wannabe Drac’s (or Edward’s/Bella’s, as I’m sure will be plentiful come Halloween)

happy days

2011-10-01T16:50:00.003+01:00

Me, hubby, the woofs and kitties are all settled and happy in our new home and the weather has been glorious!

Levi

Captain.

They didn't want to do much yesterday, they were too hot!

Preview for a review coming soon for "Pals At Play!"

I had a St. Tropez spray tan for the first time in my life this week.
I was so shy getting it done, oh my gosh!
You have to stand in a lit booth with a weird disposable thong on, haha. I felt so exposed.
The result is lovely though, nice golden brown and I had a lovely pedicure too.
They were both gifts from hubby for my birthday.

I had a lovely birthday (27th) I received some wonderful gifts, and had a lovely day, very grateful!
Another year older eep, BUT another year wiser!

Hope where you are the weather is lovely!

hair and sneaks

2011-09-27T11:51:00.002+01:00

Do you see just how long my fringe is?
Do you see the bunches? I've been resorting to the baby bunches a lot as my cute haircut has grown out to a frumpy mess.
I am in desperate need of a good haircut BUT I have been so busy I just haven't had the time.
Now I am all moved and near settled here I can get this mess taken tare of, that is if I can make my mind up what to have done!
My colour, do I go dark honey blonde or be high lighted again?
I cannot decide.

I had, or should I say I am having a big time skin break out right now due to the stress of the move and I photoshopped out all my sexy chin zits as I didn't want to put you off your cake :)

Oh HOW I wish my skin was this clear right now :)

Ok onto prettier things, some sneak peaks of my bedroom:

I wake up looking at this every morning, the word love, the pale pink walls are super calming and the aqua and pink bunting was made by myself, I adore it.

My feature wall with Cath Kidston antique Rose wallpaper.
the wallpaper is really hard to put up I found and was a total pain but glad I used it as the pattern sure is perfect!

That adorable cupcake pillow was a great find at Tesco of all places!

I'm loving getting the house just as I want it.

Kate Magic/raw living product review.

2011-09-22T06:45:00.003+01:00

I have the pleasure, and, oh, how it is a pleasure, to review two products from:
www.rawliving.eu!

So, without further ado, first up is the Submerge Bath Salts;
supersalts for superhero baths!

Contains: Epsom salts, Olive Oil, Mallow Flowers, Purple Corn Extract, Lavender Oil, Chamomile Oil and Calm and Clear Essence.

Epsom salts are amazing for detoxing through your skin; they help pull out the toxins from within the body, whilst topping up our magnesium levels, too! Whilst lavender and chamomile soothe your mind, which let's face it, in this crazy world any help is a good thing!

Submerge also contains cosmetic grade glitter for extra sparkle, how cool is that?!
At £3.95 for 250grams you can afford to "splash" out, harr harr. :P

So, what is it like?

I suggest you run the bath, light some candles, maybe pop on some soothing sounds and inform everyone in the household "do not disturb". This is your special time.

To your steamy tub add some Submerge; it is purple, sparkly and smells simply incredible. Once this rejuvenative wonder powder is in your tub, agitate around and then....step in, lie back and relax as you breathe in deeply.

Breathing in those aromatherapy scents whilst the Epsom salts detox you, you will likely to slip in to a wonderful place of blissful calm whilst you soak. When you feel you have rejuvenated enough and step out, you will notice that your body is sparkling in the candlelight. I couldn’t help thinking, "Mmm, how wonderful," to myself as I patted my body dry and glided out of the bathroom in a blissful state. Sound good??? That IS how good it is; it’s wonderful and I never want to be without it!

I’m going through a stressful move at the moment and it was a much needed pick me up.

Being a huge fan of lavender and chamomile, they are the two oils that I always have in the house, makes this product perfect for me. I am also a chamomile tea addict; heck, I just love chamomile anything! This product could have been designed just for me and I bet you will love it, too. Between just us, I confess that I sometimes open the jar it is in, just to smell it and gosh it smells heavenly!

OH, and here is a fabulous tip for you for a wonderful foot spa:

Fill a bowl, or if you have one your foot spa, with as warm as you like water and add some Submerge for an amazing, detoxing and relaxing foot soak; after a hard day, it is just what your feeties need :)

Magic Mix-life is magic.

A delightful trail mix, perfect for low sugar/healthy snacking.

Contains: Goji Berries, Mulberries, Carob Chips, Coconut Chips and Yacon Root.

Usually, in these kind of mixes, either cooked or raw healthy mixes, there manages to be things I won't eat, or don't like or that don’t like me but with this one, it is all good!!

I opened the bag and the smell is so coconutty and yummy; well, not so yum if you are not a coconut fan like me but I love the stuff. I even apply coconut oil all over me after a bath. It smells so tasty and is so good for your skin - in and out! The goji berries and mulberries are sweet and chewy; natures candy and I love them. *eating now* Mmmmmmm!

Everything goes so well together; what a well thought out mix. That Kate Magic, she sure knows what she is doing the clever minx!! “Are you sure this is healthy?” My brain is thinking, as this is just too good! The yacon root is sweet like the berries.
Gosh, the coconut is so crunchy and creamy. Ooh, now those carob chips, whoa, they taste like chocolate! I haven't had raw carob before and now can’t believe I waited so long! There are TONS of nutrients in carob and if you avoid choc. due to migraines, etc. do try raw carob as it doesn't have any of the migraine inducing things in it and contains all the goodness.

I can’t help thinking as I am munching and writing, JUST how many nutrients, good oils, vitamins and minerals I am getting whilst enjoying a truly delicious and moreish treat!

As I’ve said, all the different tastes are spot on together. They work very nicely complementing each other and it’s VERY moreish. So much so that you won't want to share it with anyone and if you decide to buy some, make sure you get two bags in case anyone wants to try.

The great news is that all products are vegan friendly too!

Anyone started to think about Christmas gifts yet? These would make fabulous gifts :)

If you have anything you would like me to review, please do get it touch (email is on sidebar to your right) and please do go visit Kate Magic's website. The prices are super reasonable, products are well thought out and well made and loads of love go into everything.

Kate also does consultations for a ridiculously reasonable price; if you are thinking about a raw living food diet and would like some guidance from a down to earth guru with loads of love in her heart, she is your woman.

Thank you for reading!!

I love cath Kidston

2011-09-12T15:28:00.006+01:00

I love Cath Kidston so much. There isn't one item on her wonderful website I don't like!
I'm decorating my new bedroom next and having been really stressing out over it.
First I painted it pale pink but got the wrong finish, then decided on hot pink but hated how bright it was. Then I decided on aqua polka dot wallpaper and changed my mind. I sat and thought, OK, what is it I want!

Then I thought, I'm sure cath Kidston does wallpaper..... and she does!!!

Maybe you knew that, but I didn't :)

So I picked antique rose to go on my feature wall.
I want a pretty, shabby chic room, kinda like a modern grandma bedroom.

Anyway I got to looking on the site and picked out some yummies that I would just LOVE!

My new wallpaper!

Sewing basket. WANTS!

Gorgeous floral bedding, with polka dot lining, gorgeous!

Tea set!
You get all 4 cups/saucers and this pretty teapot. How nice for afternoon tea, I can almost taste the hot tea and slice of fresh homemade cake :)

I'd love to see any items you love too from the site!!
website

Moving progress

2011-09-10T22:29:00.003+01:00

My gawd moving is stressful!
We move a week on Monday and whilst we wait for moving day we are doing up the new place which is coming along nicely, albeit slowly, as I can't help as much as I would love to.
I got so sad missing my dogs like crazy whenever we had to go to the new house for hours on end, so begged hubby if I could take them.
So, seen as the living room was now finished and safe for then, we took them :) Happy me!

Captain was cautious in the new garden, he could hear dogs barking nearby.
This is his "Mum, are we OK here" face .

Levi went out briefly but wasn't sure with the sounds around him.

They really enjoyed sniffing around and chilling out but cried whenever I left the room.

I am so happy with the colour of the living room and love the wallpaper we picked out. I just cannot wait for the real fun stuff when we move in like seeing all of our furniture in there and new rugs and curtains etc.

We got the ercol chair above from my family and I want to refurb it and make it gorgeous again.
I am going to sand and varnish it and get new cushions made. I LOVE my "new" vintage sideboard. The make is Nathan and it is perfect for the retro living room it is going to be :)

It is lovely to be able to decorate again and have a house that feels inspiring to me. I have been living in a cream "rented" hell for 4 years now and it sucks the life out of me creatively, to be in a bland space.

My new bedroom is bright frosting pink! I cannot wait to show pics when finished.

I love the way colour is really back, for decor. For years everything was cream and beige, now greys, teals and reds and pinks are hot again, yay for colour!

winner of my giveaway!!

2011-08-24T13:40:00.000+01:00

Congrats VA!!! I will be emailing you to get your details :)

2011-08-20T15:33:00.003+01:00

We are moving house!
We are only moving about 15 minutes away from here but it is nearer family and we will have a garden!
It needs a lot doing to it so we are decorating whilst still in our present home, talk about tiring!
It is fun though, making it just how we want.
I am painting the living room in teal and grey and making it a retro 60's feel, can't wait to show he finished look :)

Moving is stressful though, yikes *breathes*

Vegan samosas!

2011-08-20T13:57:00.002+01:00

This was the very, very first time that I ever made my own samosas.
I used my own veggie recipe for the filling and vegan store bought pastry.
I used a fantastic youtube video to help me!! Video
I refrigerated them over night to try the next day and they were AMAZING!!! Better than any store bought samosas.

All I used as a filling was onion, peas, potato, carrot, curry powder.

So simple, so yummy!

LOVELY LITTLE DEER GIVEAWAY!!

2011-08-16T06:02:00.003+01:00

To celebrate the fact that I have over 100 Facebook fans I am doing a fun giveaway of a yummy that I make, YAY!!

You can WIN a jammy dodger biscuit necklace or brooch!!!

RULES FOR ENTERING!

1. Leave a comment here telling me what your fave cookie/biscuit is, with your contact email for 1 entry.
2. Like me on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. facebook

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

3. follow my blog (comment to say that you do) for 1 extra entry.

4. Twitter tweet, starting with @lovelylildeer (comment to give link) for 1 extra entry.

5. Link to this giveaway on your facebook for 3 extra entries! Comment with the link and make sure you make it open to everyone or I won't be able to see it! :)

6. Blog about this giveaway for 3 extra entries! Comment with the link.

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!

Winner will be picked: August 23rd!!

Winner of Aselfportrait cupcake necklace..

2011-08-01T14:22:00.002+01:00

CONGRATS Mila!!!
I will forward your deets on to Jessica, hope you will love your necklace, maybe send us a photo of you wearing it!!

It would be so cool if people would send a photo of them with their giveaway wins, I never ever get them and it would be lovely to show you off on here :)

Aselfportrait GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-23T14:31:00.002+01:00

I am super excited to do this giveaway with Jessica of

Aselfportrait

fame!!!!
Here's me wearing the BEAUTIFUL telephone necklace I received. Isn't it beautiful!! Seriously so well made and Jessica is an absolute delight to deal with.

Let's get to know her better!!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your creations!
My name is Jessica and I'm a new yorker, born and raised.
I graduated from the School of Visual Arts [SVA] in New York City, with a BFA, majoring in graphic design.
I work full time in fashion industry as a graphic designer, creating graphics on clothing, patches, hangtags, etc. Crafting lets me have more fun than my every day job because I can do whatever I want and I can make my brand, aselfportrait whatever I want it to be.
I started aselfportrait in January of 2008, I believe my brand aselfportrait is made for girls that are young at heart, who like to make a statement and be noticed.

2. What/who inspires you and why?
I'm inspired by other creative people. Original, fresh and new art/designs/designers. I get inspired when I see others being inspired and people that love what they do. It makes me what to strive and pushes me to be creative in my thinking and designing.

3. If you could take a 2 week vacation anywhere this summer, where would you go and why?
I would love to go to France and spend time with my grandmère. She comes to the states to visit every year, but I think that it would be really amazing to go her apartment, since I have never seen it. It would be so lovely to spend time with her in her hometown and see her everyday routine.

4. How would you describe your wonderful style?
Very girly. I am big on accessories, which makes sense that I would start an accessory line! I really love all types of jewelry, bags and shoes [what girl doesn't!] From vintage pieces, to funky bright things, I know if i like something the second i see it!

5. Do you have a website/blog/folksy/etsy??
etsy
facebook

6. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?
It would be pink, covered it in glitter, hearts and bows! I don't think that describes me necessarily, but next to other cupcakes, I'm pretty certain my friends will know that one would belong to me. :)

7. What’s your fave place to be?
Snuggling with my boyfriend Rob on the couch watching movies and laughing together.

8. What is your biggest dream right now?
To be successful in whatever I choose to do with my life. To have my art known and be recognizable. Whether it's my graphic design work or aselfportrait pieces. Eventually getting married and starting a family. Really, all I want is to be happy in life, and that's what matters most.

9. What makes you laugh??
My family, my boyfriend, and my friends. Such a silly bunch of people. I like to surround myself with people that make me happy.

10. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
An elephant! They are my favorite and I find them to be quite adorable, loveable and intelligent.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Win this GORGEOUS CUPCAKE necklace!!!!

RULES FOR ENTERING!

Leave a comment here with your contact email for 1 entry.

Tell me what colour was the box the necklace came in, in the video for 1 entry.

Go to Aselfportrait on etsy and let me know what you fave item is.

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

follow my blog (comment to say that you do) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Twitter tweet, starting with @lovelylildeer (comment to give link) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Like aselfportrait on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. aselfportrait

Like me on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. Alovelylittledeer

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!

Winner will be picked July 30th!!

Genius reward system for kids tutorial

2011-07-22T14:55:00.004+01:00

Tutorial

I had to share this with you guys that have kids, it is GENIUS!!!

It is for the wonderful blog Running with glitter

Basically it is a fun reward based system for controlling the kiddos ;D

Please go take a look. If I had a kiddo I'd totes use it.

WINNER IS........

2011-07-21T18:17:00.004+01:00

Winner of the tote bag is..........................

aldelei89 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yay!! congrats!! I will email the artists your email address.
Thank you to Kimberley-Jayne for working with me :)

Thank you everyone that entered and please watch out for the next giveaway of a CUPCAKE necklace, trust me, you will not want to miss out :)

Add me on facebook to get a heads up on fun haps! FACEBOOK

You shall go to the ball...

2011-07-18T17:00:00.002+01:00

We went to a wonderful masked ball at Lytham Hall
Lytham Hall is a beautiful place.
The mansion is a grade 1listed 18th century manor house on the lancashire coast.

The ball was a fundraiser event to raise funds to repair and renovate the hall and also the vast grounds.

Me, hubby and our two woofs visit the grounds every week. It is a wonderful place to walk. There is a huge field to eat picnics, 2 lakes, woods and in late summer BLACKBERRY PICKING!!

There is always plenty going on there, weddings, parties and plays, you name it.

Lytham hall is truly in my heart.
As you can see from the pics, I never wore my mask!

Me and hubby in our best clothes :D

It was so nice to get really dressed up!
I loved seeing hubby in his tux and I got to feel like Cinderella that night in my beautiful ball gown.

It was a packed ball but me and Hubs sneaked around a bit to different rooms to look at the beauty :)

Goofballs :)
We got on so amazing with one particular couple on our table (Gary and Christina) and Gary told us to say cheese ;D

OMG OMG, this man is the sweetest man!!
We totally fell in love with him.
His name is Peter and he is so FUNNY and fun and silly, he made us crack up!
We have kept in touch with him.
Father figure I think, for us both.

There was all ages at the ball, from 20's up to 70's!
There were professional photographers there and we had our pic taken so hope to get a copy and also a lady from lancashire life was there too, she took a photo of us for the magazine, fingers crossed that we are in it as it will be really lovely to see that :)

The night was brilliant, we had canapes and reception and chatted to people,
then dinner, and THEN we got to dance, we danced and had a blast getting to know new people and Dave's mama bear had been kind enough to doggy sit that night so I could really relax and know that the woofs were getting loads of cuddles at home :)

Ahh, what a night. There should be another next year there, woo hoo!

I felt like Cinderella.

I bought my stunning gown from Vibe in Blackpool.

I never got to wear a wedding dress that was fancy, so this was wonderful for me :)

Yummy Marshmallow Sticks : Guest Post

2011-07-13T18:36:00.005+01:00

Hi lovely readers, my name's Sophie and my dear friend Peach invited me to do a guest post on her sweet blog - of course I said Yes Please! At first I didn't know what to post about but I knew it would have to be something as tasty & cute as the lady herself, so here is a simple but yummy 'how to make your own Marshmallow Sticks', hope you ejoy :)

1) Thread your marshmallows onto wooden skewers
2) Break up your chocolate & melt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiled water
3) Dip your marshmallow sticks into the gooey chocolate
4) Cover with sprinkles, candy or nuts

Experiment with different toppings, try adding food colouring to melted white chocolate or thread several mallows onto one stick for a extra treat.

You can buy vegan marshmallows from Sweet Vegan, they even sell flavoured marshmallows to make your stick even sweeter :)

Thanks for reading & if you fancy winning a bottle of Harajuka Lovers 'G Of The Sea' Perfume checkout my Blog Giveaway xoxo

Kimberley-Jayne designs feature and giveaway!!

2011-07-11T20:27:00.002+01:00

This shows just how hard it is for me to concentrate ADD!!! ;D
10/10 if you can understand me!
Also the pic of me looks bitchy but I was trying not to laugh! :)
I LOVE THIS DRESS!!!!!!! I have had so many compliments in this. It fits me like a glove and is so well made.
Let's get to know the lovely artist Kimberley-Jayne!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your creations!
My name is Kimberley-Jayne and I LOVE making cute dresses. As long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be creative. As a 6 year old I dreamt of being a hair dresser, like I imagine most little girls did. As a teen I set my sights on being an interior designer after obsessively watching ’changing rooms’, before finally realising that my love of beautiful fabrics and intricate design always led me back to one place, fashion.

Everything and anything can inspire me, from interesting cities, to photographs, vintage dresses to ‘people watching’ in a coffee shop.

I currently live in my hometown of Swansea where designbykimberley-Jayne was created in 2009 since graduating with a BA in Fashion Design and Technology from Manchester Met.

2. What/who inspires you and why?
Vintage clothing, eighties music (love blondie), New York, Photography, Paris, Surrealism, interesting books, charity shops, french films. The people who inspire me are Alison Goldfrapp, Anna Friel, The Olsens and Isla Fisher, I would LOVE to dress any one of these ladies.

3. If you could take a 2 week vacation anywhere this summer, where would you go and why?
It would have to be New York, I went there in 2009 and fell in love with everything about it. The hussle and bussle, the overwhelming atmosphere, the enormous buildings, the culture, broadway...Macys :-)

4. How would you describe your wonderful style?
Vintage Inspired, very girly, floral, 'girls just want to have fun'.

5. Do you have a website/blog/folksy/etsy??
Website
Folksy
Facebook
US Trendy

6. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?
There would be four different sections to the top of my chocolate cupcake. The first would be a sunshine (as my boyfriend calls me sunshine girl), the second would be a tent as i love festivals/music, the third would be a teapot as i LOVE cups of tea and the fourth a sewing machine.

7. What’s your fave place to be?
After a long day in work there's no better place than the settee with a good film and cuppa tea (simple things), in an ideal world it would be walking around Paris on a cold winters day; its such a beautiful city.

8. What is your biggest dream right now?
My biggest dream would to have my garments stocked all over Britain, with a successful website in place.

9. What makes you laugh??
My friends, family and lovely boyfriend Tom...oh and Sex and the City for def

10. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Very hard question as I LOVE micro pigs and sausage dogs but I'd say a chow chow as they're so cuddly and cute, they look just like a teddy bear :-)

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!Gorgeous floral tote bag up for grabs!
Perfect for summer with your pretty dress.

RULES FOR ENTERING!

Leave a comment here with your contact email for 1 entry.

How many dogs were in the video for 1 entry.

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

follow my blog (comment to say that you do) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Twitter tweet, starting with @lovelylildeer (comment to give link) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Like Kimberley-Jayne on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. Kimberley-Jayne

Like me on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. Alovelylittledeer

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!

Winner will be picked July 19th!!

Pics and Video!

2011-07-07T13:04:00.007+01:00

Me and my Hubby David celebrated our 12th year wedding anniversary on July 1st :)

David bought me 12 Peach roses and a beautiful bracelet. Also we both went shopping and treated ourselves to some great new clothes.
We had a wonderful day!

David even arranged the flowers :)

I LOVE my bracelet. It looks like something you would find in your grandmother's jewellery box. It looks so vintagey and pretty.
David has the best taste and knows just what I love.

On June 10th, my Hubby turned the big 4-0!
I cooked him a slap up vegan meal. Vegan pizza, oven baked chips and tons of nibbles.
Cake and vegan custard was amazing for dessert!

We had family over too and had a wonderful time watching Davie open all of his gifts and then we all went out to the The Olive brasserie in St.annes for a nice meal.

Me on the carousel at gay pride in June with Jason, a friend of mine.
I loved this so much, we had a great day!

Me and hubby are going to the ball tomorrow night!
We are so excited. This is the back of my ball gown, i will reveal the front after the event when I get some good pics.
Isn't it pretty!

The ball is at a local mansion called Lytham Hall and the ball is in aid of raising funds to renovate the grounds.
We cannot wait!!
Dave looks handsome in his tux :)
I feel like Cinderella :)

The chef has made us special vegan canapes and main course, can't wait to see what he has made.
I'm looking forward to meeting new people at the ball and dancing too!

Lastly..

We went to Kaos Bar in Blackpool last night. Amy Lame was the host (swoons)
We had a lovely chat with Amy and her lovely partner Jennie too. They are such a cool couple, so friendly and fun!
Not much footage in the video as we were having so much fun, then we get to come home to our gorgeous fur babies!!
Like my dress?? One of my new outfits. Jasper Conran, love the pockets.
I wanted to show some friends the dress, so Dave took the video of me but it was so adorable how the dogs greet their mama bear coming home, wanted to show you guys.

The glasses I'm wearing were given to me that night by my friend Jason, the are just like the ones Amy wears, although she looks WAY hotter. I don't think I get away with the look.

We had a fab night :)

Have you guys heard of the luscious Amy Lamé???

Winner!

2011-07-06T18:37:00.000+01:00

Congrats!!

Fur baby picture post :)

2011-07-01T07:59:00.005+01:00

Levi

Captain

Captain

Levi

Cuba

<3

Sally Ayling feature/review/giveaway!

2011-06-29T04:22:00.004+01:00

Sally Ayling!
Sally's products are all handmade, Sally even makes the findings!
My brooch pin is very well made, looks very expensive and designer and with it being a natural wood, goes with so many things, I adore it!!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your creations!

I am Sally Ayling a London based jeweller. I started my business this year 2011. Over the past 3 years I've become a bit of a twitcher and so have used British birds as the inspiration for my latest collection.

I use a range of materials such as silver, wood, fabric, acrylic, reclaimed metal from tins found objects and other collected items.

I make all my own fixings/findings and take great care and pride in producing pieces that have a consistent quality throughout all their constituent parts.'

2. What/who inspires you and why?

Charlie Harper the wildlife illustrator because his images of animals have the essence of the animal by using the smallest amount of information. This is something I try to achieve in my own work.
Barbara Christie. She is a wonderful contemporary jeweller and taught me for 5 years.

3. If you could take a 2 week vacation anywhere this summer, where would you go and why?
I would love to go to Japan to see all the fantastic design and also visit a friend who lives there.

4. How would you describe your wonderful style?
Fun, Colourful, Simple.

5. Do you have a website/blog/folksy/etsy?? Please give links to all your social networks and stores.
folksy
facebook

6. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?
Ha ha that's a great question as I love to make funny shaped cakes for friends birthdays. A friend of mine once made a cake for me in the the shape of our allotment. It had all the different beds nicely ordered. As I love growing things and really like things to be nice and organised, I think it's probably a good representation. It wouldn't fit on a cupcake though, so maybe I'd have to put a different plant on each cupcake.

7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I either wanted to be an artist, an athlete or gymnast.

8. What is your biggest dream right now?
For my business to grew enough to support me and also my slightly smaller dream to have an allotment again or garden big enough to grew some vegetables.

9. What makes you laugh??
Birds washing in bird baths, and when they fight over food from bird feeders.

10. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A bird. As you can probably tell I'm a little bit obsessed with them. I would probably be a duck as I love swimming.

Giveaway!!!!!!!!

Goldfinch Fabric Brooch

This cute bird brooch is inspired by the Goldfinch and made from vintage fabric. With a silver pin on the back. It is filled with wadding so sits proud ever where you pin it.

RULES FOR ENTERING!

Leave a comment here with your contact email for 1 entry.

Spot the mistake in the video for 1 extra entry.

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

follow my blog (comment to say that you do) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Twitter tweet, starting with @lovelylildeer (comment to give link) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Like sally on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. Sally Ayling

Like me on facebook, this will give you 1 extra entry. Alovelylittledeer

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!

Winner will be picked July 6th!! xxxxxxx

Hair talk

2011-06-22T17:15:00.004+01:00

I used to be able to use any old shampoo/conditioner on my hair and never a problem, then I started to buy vegan friendly shampoos and got a really itchy scalp, it drove me nuts. At first I had no idea what was causing this, it couldn't be this vegan, natural shampoo, right?? So finally I could take no more of this awful itching, and I went to the doctor and got some soothing shampoo and some antihistamines. I didn't want to be using the doctor's shampoo for long or be on more drugs!
The vegan shampoo/conditioner I used first was called faith in nature, so I thought maybe it was just that shampoo and switched to Jason's vegan shampoo/conditioner I use their cocoa butter hand and body lotion with no issues so I decided to try.
The shampoo from the doctor had soothed my scalp, I wasn't itchy anymore, so on I went with Jason's lavender shampoo/conditioner.
I was itching like CRAZY withing 24 hours, HORRIBLE itching, straight away I took an antihistamine and washed my hair with the doctor's shampoo, now I had 4 bottles of pricey vegan shampoo/conditioners and an itchy scalp and I was feeling frustrated.

I was frustrated in so many ways, not only at the waste of my money but I wanted vegan shampoo but I was using a shampoo that was not vegan and likely TESTED on animals :(

Then I decided to go look in the store and see what else there was available and saw this weleda shampoo and conditioner. I have used weleda for years and love them, not all of their product are vegan though.
The shampoo and conditioner both have honey in, so what do I do, use this, my doctors shampoo?? At least with Weleda, I am supporting an ethical company that never tests on animals.

I don't know what else to do, I can't afford to keep buying shampoos to try.
I am just about to try this Weleda shampoo and hoping it doesn't cause a reaction.

Anyone had any problems with the natural/vegan shampoos/conditioner??? Is there an ingredient in them that isn't in non vegan shampoos??

What shampoo do you love to use?

The Crib review

2011-06-15T21:23:00.003+01:00

The Crib

I had been suffering from bad hair for a while. I had been suffering ever since I got frumpified by a local naff hairdresser, BUT NOW I am all better, thanks to Tracy at "The Crib" in Lytham, St.Annes in Lancashire.
I felt super comfortable straight away thanks to the lovely friendly staff.
I was impressed by a detailed consultation with Tracy.
I was very impressed with their disposable towels!! VERY hygienic!!
I loved how everyone seemed to care about their clients and the atmosphere was upbeat and relaxed.
I was really impressed with the time taken, nothing was rushed at all.

I am so happy with my new hair do

Isn't It great when you find someone talented and that actually listens to what you want!
I told Tracy "I felt like my hair had been listened to" ;D

Pride events!

2011-06-14T16:20:00.003+01:00

OMG we had the best time at the pride events in Blackpool!!

We saw a few acts , Sinita, TOYAH who was so fabulous i <3 her, we met lovely people and there was tons of talent on throught the day and night and the next day (which I have a separate video for) we went to Frankie's Lounge to watch some great talent which I cannot wait to show you guys!

The carousel was vintage from 1880!! It was so beautiful and I was a tad excited to go on, haha!

It doesn't take much to get me excited ;D

Have any of you guys been to local pride events??

Kate Magic product review!

2011-06-13T13:09:00.002+01:00

I <3 Kate Magic.

Please visit the website SO many fantastic products, all made with love x

We went to the ball!

2011-06-06T17:48:00.001+01:00

Blackpool pride ball.
It was so much fun, met lovely people, listened to fabulous singers and ate yummy food, plus I got to dress up!

computer says no

2011-06-01T01:49:00.003+01:00

Hi there, just a quickie.

There are about 4 blogs I want to unfollow and I've un-followed via blogger (manage blogs) but the blogs are still showing up on "blogs I follow" on my dashboard.
I've unsubscribed using Google reader too and they are still showing up!!
I know other peeps have had this issue too, so frustrating.
Been trying to do this for ages.

Please if anyone out there can help me on how I remove these blogs from my follow list that would be amazing!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

oh baby!

2011-05-28T15:01:00.004+01:00

Thepaintedsky

Wonderful art on etsy by the painted sky, a must see shop!

Me and hubby are finally trying for a baby, I say finally as he is 40 next month and I am 36.
For many years we just did not feel ready, the whole idea of having a child scared the bejeepers out of us. Then time slipped by and all of a sudden I started getting really broody!
I started fantasising about being pregnant and what it would be like and breastfeeding and picking cute outfits out for him or her. HOPEFULLY we will end up with a cupcake in my oven very soon, haha!

I'm doing the whole folic acid and iron, b vits and calcium thing. I never took so many vits in my life!
Eating very healthily, even gave up chocolate!

So wish us luck and any tips, do let me know :)

Life is just a bowl of cherries!

2011-05-27T14:03:00.002+01:00

I adore cherries. I love the way they look, taste and the memories of picking the cherry tree in the summer months as a child, heaven.

Goodness in cherries:

* Vitamin C
* Vitamin A
* Bioflavonoids
* Ellagic acid
* Perillyl
* Anthocyanins
* Melatonin

Health Benefits of Cherries

* Help fight cancer
* Aid in prevention of heart disease
* Relieve Pain of Arthritis, Gout, Headaches
* Ease the symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia Syndrome
* Provide a healthy and safe way to produce melatonin

Cherries are a delish way to increase your health, I try to eat a huge bowl of them at least twice a week.

What is your fave superfood????

Review for progress in health

2011-05-20T17:02:00.002+01:00

Here is a review of the progress in health regime I use.

This skin care regime was a life saver for me!

Let me know your tips and tricks for great skin!!

My fave spring/summer colours

2011-05-17T14:34:00.005+01:00

If you took a peek inside my closet, you wouldn't see one item of black clothing anywhere. The darkest shades I own, is a nice charcoal grey or a chocolate brown.
The colours below have to be my most fave.
I am a pastel gal. I love them to death, with aqua,, mint and pink pastels being my most favorite.

I love all the pastels my wardrobe has them all.
Pastels feel vintagey soft feminine and sweet.

New sandals. I squealed with delight at finding summer sandals in this shade!

I need a better photo of this adorable dress from Primark it is so retro 50's with an adorable beach scene print, flattering cut to both the bust and flares at just the right places. I am so impressed with Primark's spring /summer offerings.

The weather here has been terrible, cold wet and windy. More like autumn than summer. I miss the sun!! Yesterday I even wore my winter faux fur out! There is talk of a heatwave coming and I cannot wait for it. I am solar powered. I love the warmth and the sun.

What colours are mostly in your closet??
xoxo

hair

2011-05-05T19:08:00.003+01:00

I know some ladies just adore going to the hair salon to get their hair cut etc but I HATE it.
I have had so many bad haircuts that I have lost count.
I am always looking for a GREAT stylist and I am yet to find one.
I am lucky if I find a good one that can cut well.
Because of this I brave the salon just 3 times a year, yep, 3 times per YEAR.
So my time of hair salon hell was here so I went and explained that I wanted a graduated layered bob and came out with a ONE length no layers bob that looked like a 90's do, YUK.
So I went back WITH PHOTOS of a graduated, layered bob and got one, not the one I asked for of course but very close and so therefore I am happy :)

The after, layers, check, graduated, slightly, so check.

What is this? It is the 90's bob before!

What are your experiences with the salon??

Am I the only one that struggles?

some recent makes.

2011-05-01T23:18:00.003+01:00

Been working on quite a few things craft wise lately so I thought I'd show you a snippet of some x

I've painted some plates!

I've made smartie bracelets!!

I've been painting wood.

More to show you soon.

I'd love to create a tutorial for you guys that are crafty too, jsut trying to think what to do with that.
I also have some more reviews coming your way.

In other news I am now taking GUEST BLOGGERS!!!

If you would love to be a guest blogger on here, just hollar lovelylittledeer@hotmail.co.uk

It can be about tons of things from fashion to poetry to veganism to diet, tons of subjects!! :)

So yeah, email me with what you would like to talk about, with a link to your blog.

I LOVE FEEDBACK

I do I adore it, what artist/crafter doesn't right?? So lemme know what you think of things I have made, It makes my day and also lemme know what you would like to see. I am always listening to you guys.

MUCH LOVE Peach xoxo

Gluten free vegan cupcakes

2011-04-30T21:06:00.003+01:00

Vegan Cupcakes

The very first I think I have ever made.
I also tried to pipe buttercream frosting for the first time, haha, didn't quite work out.
The consistency of the frosting would have been fine to frost a cake but I wanted to pipe it to look pretty, I am clueless about that, no idea what I am supposed to do ;D
The last photo is after the frosting had been in the fridge for a while, which made it better to pipe.

Recipe
These cupcakes are gluten and sugar free though.
I used dove's gluten free self raising flour.
I used xylitol (natural sugar from birch tree balk) and in place of the canola oil I used vegan margarine.

I ate one and it was yummy, very impressed!!

So no matter if you are a vegan or on a gluten free diet, you don't have to go without a nice naughty treat :)

fur babies

2011-04-28T22:44:00.002+01:00

I seriously do not know what I would do without my wonderful animal friends.
Here you see my two beautiful woofs, Captain and Levi having a cuddle with their mama bear.
We were all tired after a trip to the park, gorgeous hot day but they still want a cuddle :)
My wonderful fur babies keep me smiling and make everyday more beautiful.

EASTER yummies

2011-04-23T19:01:00.001+01:00

How much do I love Easter!!
Excuse to eat chocolate, well, that is my kind of holiday.
Here is the last of my Easter posts.
I decided to show my love for the Vegan goodies I had gotten and make a wee video to spread the word of these yums on youtube.

I have actually eaten all my Easter yums now, so greedy.

I have some crafts I have done to show you guys and I also have a skin care video post coming soon.

If you have pets did you get them an Easter treat too??

raw watermelon ice lolly and summer daze

2011-04-21T17:03:00.004+01:00

Take a watermelon, scape out, de-pip etc, then add contents to blender, now you have a pulp, add pulp to your ice lolly makers, freeze, voila, you now have raw vegan ice lollies, yay! These are SO yummy!!
Sugar free, healthy summer treat!

We are enjoying the most wonderful weather here and my fibromyalgia LOVES this weather and I am always in less pain when the sun is shining. I <3 sunny days.
Sunbathing is medicine, isn't it?

I have enjoyed many days out to the park with hubby and woofs and sunbathed while they all play, we take two big bottles of water with us, one for us and one for woofs. It is so important to keep hydrated in the hot weather for all things great and small.

PLEASE do not leave your fur babies in a car or tied outside while you shop in this heat, it is very cruel and potentially lethal.

To end on a happy note, no matter how old you are, go make a daisy chain and play in the sun and enjoy life!

Easter!

2011-04-19T07:56:00.000+01:00

Wishing all my beautiful readers a very happy Easter!!
The trees are getting greener by the day the daffodils are everywhere, lambs are leaping, bunnies are hopping, it is a wonderful time of year.

Food colouring creates an amazing result if your little fur babies have light fur.

My Easter chicks, in my fave colours.

VEGAN Easter goodies I am enjoying this year, so spoiled!!

The last one is from my darling little friends Mily and Lottie, precious daughters of a friend of mine who is just as precious, Lynn, love you guys!
So thoughtful they bought me a dairy free and gluten free egg :)

The little cards say happy Easter we love you!
Very humbling, isn't it, the love from children.
I seriously cannot wait to be a mama!

My little friends, the prettiest girls in the world, both inside and out :)

The Easter feeling does not end.
It signals a new beginning,
Of nature, spring, and brand new life,
And friendship, peace, and giving.
The spirit of Easter is all about
Hope, love, and joyful living.

Do any of you guys have special Easter traditions that you do with your family???

donate button

2011-04-16T18:54:00.005+01:00

Hi, this is just a quick message to let you all know the purpose of the donate button recently added to this blog. The button is for people who like what I do, wish to support me aswell as helping with our planned move to Brighton.
THANK YOU!!

HUGE thank you goes to those who comment on my blog, you make my day, knowing people are reading and enjoying what I do x

Quernus Crafts feature review

2011-04-13T17:08:00.004+01:00

As soon as I set eyes on the enchanting creatures made by Quernus Crafts I knew I had to share with you guys too!
Quernus Crafts was created in 2009 after the artist chose to leave a 15 year career in law to pursue her life-long passion for arts and crafts, how awesome is that :)

Siamese fatty cat £10
This lil guy looks like he leads a bit of a luxury lazy life, fed naughty treats by his human person, days sunbathing and nights snuggled in front of the fire, kitty bliss.

Pigling £8
This is the cutie that I have, isn't he precious??
I need to come up with a cute name for him.
I adore pigs and would love in the future to have a pig in my life.
More intelligent than a dog you know, sweet and affectionate and FRIENDS not food :)

Love mouse couple £18
These two sweeties would make a fantastic wedding topper or gift for a couple you know that are about to tie the knot.
So in love they even share a heart.. d'awww :)

Easter bunny £18
She is so sweet, born this spring in time to get in on the fun of Easter, how sweet!
What sweet paws!

My lil Pigling is very well made and has so much life, I adore him.
Do check out/ support this wonderful British artist.

Quernus Crafts

Become a fan on Facebook

I met one of my heroines today!

2011-04-09T22:48:00.006+01:00

As a lot of you guys know by now, I am a vegan and really into the raw food diet and believe in it strongly for healing the body.

One of the raw food gurus out there is our very own home grown Brit, the amazing Kate Magic!!
Miss Magic has been a vegan for decades and a raw vegan for many years.
Kate was the pioneer of raw chocolate in the UK and I think Kate's first book "Eat smart eat raw" was the first raw food diet book coming from a UK author!!

Kate holds talks where she educates newbies on the raw food diet, the benefits, pitfalls with clear sound advice with a refreshing non-judgemental attitude.
Kate also holds raw food preparation classes too, so you can learn to make your own fabulous gourmet raw yummies at home.
These talks and classes are held all around the UK and overseas too.
Take a peek on the website for dates/venues, see if there is one near you!

Kate has written a fair few books , giving advice on the raw food diet.
My fave books being "Eat smart eat raw"- a great starter book, "Ecstatic beings" -a fantastic, happy and playful book with fun stories, poetry and photos that Kate co-wrote with Shazzie, who is another raw food guru from the UK!
I also love "Raw magic" which gives TONS of recipes and superfoods info.

Kate of course has a website

Raw living website

The site holds a great range of products, from "dream cream" moisturiser to superfood packed
raw chocolate, mmmm, I love, love raw living choccie.
Kate also offers raw food one to one coaching.
I do recommend you check out the site.

When I first got interested in the raw diet I read "Eat smart eat raw" , I knew very little and I found the book very user friendly, easy to follow advice and great recipes for a newbie, as I know how confusing it can be when you first get into the raw food diet, you don't know where to start and what to eat, this book helps make it simple for you.
So If you fancy learning more about the raw food diet do check that book out.
Of course there are plenty of websites on the raw food diet but after reading a few that tend to contradict eachother it can get rather confusing.

So why a raw food diet???

Ok so briefly, raw food contains enzymes, we need enzymes to live, they keep us young, able to heal, help us digest our food and absorb nutrients, cooking food kills the enzymes and therefore raw food is considered much more healthful.
The more cooked food we consume the harder our body needs to work to create enzymes which is thought to tax the body and age us more quickly.

I was lucky enough to be invited by Kate to a Manchester, UK talk earlier today and Kate made a two hour talk feel like 10 minutes, time flew!
I know a fair amount about the raw food diet, I have done my share of reading and practical research and still I left with pages of notes in my cupcake notebook with great tips and information.
Kate was dressed in a beautiful pink and black Grecian-esque dress with fierce hot pink sequins heels, she looked rather larger than life and radiated health and vitality and looked many years younger than her 40 years, without a scrap of make up on.
I wish I had gotten a photo of her fab outfit.

Kate as a speaker is eloquent, confident, engaging and relaxed. Her constant smiles and giggles make you feel so happy and motivated:)

Below are two snapshots taken from a flip video, hence the poor quality but I wanted to show you Kate's smile, it lights up the room!

That dork next to her is me, LOL!

Thank you Kate for a lovely afternoon :)

Who do you look up to?
Who would you love to meet??

Vegan Easter!!!

2011-04-06T13:22:00.006+01:00

Easter is on It's way and being a new vegan I don't want to feel I'm missing out and one thing I do miss is Cadbury's creme eggs, seeing these delights everywhere in the shops at the moment makes one feel a little left out. I thought there was no alternative.
So imagine my utter delight on hearing about the VEGAN cream eggs being sold by the
Chocolate wendy house

So I get to indulge in a cream egg and keep my VEGAN resolve, awesome, right??
But what if they taste like a poor substitute for the real McCoy??

Well they taste AMAZING!!!
I wasn't expecting anything from them, in fact I was worried they wouldn't be up to much.
I was so happy when I bit into my first one and it was heaven :)
I don't think anyone would be disappointed with this at all.
The chocolate is sweet and creamy and the fondant center is rich and sweet.
They may be too sweet for those who prefer bitter darker chocolate but for me they were a fantastic cruelty free treat!!
I know tons of vegans that will be overjoyed with these.
The center even had a yellow "yolk"!!

They cost £1.20 per egg.

Wendy also sells chocolate bunnies, Easter eggs and truffles and much more.
I do recommend you take a trip to her site and try some of these yummy cream eggs :)
I'll be buying these for my vegan pals, for sure!!

Chocolate wendy house

Onto those of you who maybe interested in having a RAW VEGAN chocolate Easter!!

Briefly for those of you who don't know what raw chocolate means, It just means chocolate made from completely uncooked ingredients. Chocolate and all the ingredients never experience temperatures above 45 °C.
Why? Because Chocolate contains lots of nutrients and when you cook it in high temperatures you lose all the goodness, so raw chocolate has all the goodness and the yumminess of cooked, but is so much better for you!

So onto this fabulous Easter box by RAWR chocolate Easter box!

I must just tell you that not only are they raw and vegan but they are organic too, certified by the soil association.

First of all you notice the delightful packaging.
The eggs come in a little blue egg box, wrapped in a pretty yellow ribbon, tied in a bow, you open that to find the 4 foil wrapped eggs inside.
The eggs themselves are solid chocolate, heavy too.
After Dinner mint, orange Zest, dark Purity, and Intensity.
I love minty choc so I tried that first.
The chocolate is rich, took me 3 days to eat a full egg!
You are satisfied quickly with raw chocolate, I have noticed.
The chocolate is creamy, melts easily in your mouth too.
I have tried a fair few raw chocolate now and this has to be one of my all time faves.
It really is good.
I think people who like regular cooked chocolate should give raw chocolate a try, guilt free as you are getting so much goodness from it :)
It is sugar free too, sweetened with agave nectar. I think that is OK for diabetics but don't quote me on that as I am not sure.
Of course they are dairy free, being vegan, that makes it fab for those who cannot tolerate eggs or milk in their diet.

Being an Eco-conscious gal I LOVE that the packaging for all chocolate eggs are fully recyclable :)

Because the packaging as well as the chocolate is so lovely, this would make an ideal gift for a vegan family or friend for Easter.
Please do visit RAWR to find out more and to purchase an Easter box of your own!

Vegans and even raw vegans needn't miss out on the fun this Easter :)

Thank you for reading. xoxo

journey

2011-03-24T12:42:00.006Z

Hi guys!
I wanted to share this with all my readers.
The before pic is me over 7 ish months ago, very underweight which has been a nightmare problem in the past for me. I used to (all my life) find it impossible to gain healthy weight unless I filled my body with fatty garbage food like crisps and chocolate cake etc. The weight wouldn't be healthy weight but at least I didn't look malnourished.
Then I decided, for the sake of my health, my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, to go healthy raw and vegan!

I won't bore you with huge amount of story but in a nutshell by eating 2,000 cals per day, consisting of of raw fruit, veggies, some seeds along with a small amount of cooked food, I managed to gain healthy weight and the weight that came was gradual, healthy looking and went to all the right places.
I actually fill a bra :)
I actually have a butt!
I feel good about my female body. I feel like a woman and not a little girl.
I feel like I just went through puberty again :P

I eat about 4 of these fruit smoothies per day, along with other fruit, maybe pineapple, apples or whatever other fruit I fancy at that time.

My smoothies contain mango, bananas and raspberries, my fave combo.

It is my wish that everyone care about themselves and their animals friends and the planet to adopt a healthy, vegan diet.

I take a b12 sublingual supplement daily and had my blood tests checked and my B12 stores are fantastic.

My iron levels were a tad low, but they always have been (due to menstruation) so to help that I am eating 2 Brazil nuts a day and raw spinach in larger amounts to get the iron from a food source.

I get a lot of questions about my diet and it is really nice and love answering them, so feel free to ask me anything :)

painting

2011-03-17T15:18:00.002Z

Just some projects that I finished up :)

I loved painting these boxes like cupcakes :)

Spruced up a plain burner with some 'shrooms.

Working on some fun things at the moment!

Flowery

2011-03-15T19:33:00.005Z

We had a week of amazing, beautiful, sunny days and I really thought spring had sprung.
Now we are back to freezing temperatures with word in the weather air that snow maybe on the way again, booo.
I am so DONE with winter!!
I long for spring/summer days, picking blackberries, picnics in the park, beach trips with the dogs, wearing nothing but a little summer dress and sandals, walking on the beach barefoot, bliss.

This was my outfit on the very last warm-ish day we had recently.
I loved it.
I am however not so in love with my hair, thinking about going shorter and much blonder again, it is looking a bit blah for me.

Pretty sweetheart roses. My hubby and I started having fresh flowers in the house every week, what a difference it makes to have that beauty and life in the house on these cold days.
It doesn't have to cost the earth either, you can buy some really beautiful and cheap carnations once a week for a few quid and it really cheers a room up a treat!

We are starting to prepare to move from the North of the UK to the South and we are very excited about it.

We are aiming to be moved by June to Brighton!!
I seriously cannot wait to move from the North.
So much more to offer a vegan artist than the north, more places to eat, more like minded people, classes for all kinds of crafts and even better they have a ballet school for adults that I am looking forward to going to, always wanted to try ballet. I think it would be fantastic for posture and toning, so much excitement about moving!!
We will be a mere train Ride from London too for fun nights outs etc, our life is going to change dramatically as there just isn't much to do here, unless you want to go to the pub!

Oh and I created a facebook page, please add me on there :)

A lovely little deer facebook page!

Bitsnbobs feature/interview!

2011-03-13T18:19:00.003Z

Bitnbobs is the brand name by artist Kit Barrett for her wonderful line of novelty soaps and cosmetics, she also creates some jewellery too!

Kit's goods are so reasonably priced that you will want to treat yourself or someone else with some of her wonderful goodies.

Bitsnbobs folksy shop

This light, sweet fragranced lip balm is vegan, very soothing and you get a really big pot for your money!

I was blown away by this packaging, isn't it fab? Doesn't it look edible!!
I had to fight with my brain to not eat this, smells just as good as it looks, the only bad thing about this is the use of the aluminum foil, would love to see a baking type paper being used instead but it was a lot of fun, left my skin super duper soft and it is vegan, of course!!

How cool are these??? They are life size Lego dudes, so fantastic for encouraging a little one to wash or would look amazing as guest soups in a little dish, love these too death, so fun!
Unscented and vegan.

How sweet are these bracelets? What a charming idea, perfect for an add on gift for someone special. Or something sweet to send in the mail to a friend!

These are my total faves!!
Jammy dodger and custard cream, two British classic biscuits.
Vegan but sadly unscented, would have loved these to have smelled as good as they look, maybe that will change in the future.

Let's get to know the artist, shall we?

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your creations!

I’m 24 and live in southern England with my boyfriend, cat, chickens, mice and cockatiel!
I started making my own bath products about a year ago, after becoming frustrated at the lack of vegan and eco friendly products out there that didn't cost a small fortune. I got hooked on making weird and wonderful creations and the heaps of praise I received about them- and now I can't stop!
I'm a very strict veggie/failed vegan so none of my products ever contain ingredients that have involved the suffering of animals. I do occasionally cheat however and use known animal-friendly ingredients such as spare eggs from my chooks. My background is in Environmental Sciences so I'm pretty picky about where I source my ingredients from. This year I'm hoping to start growing a lot more herbs and flowers of my own to use in products. I also hate packaging with a vengeance, so apart from where I need to for hygiene reasons, I avoid it at all costs.

2. What/who inspires you and why?

My main inspiration is food- I love baking. Plus I have a very dull day job- snacking and food treats are the only thing that keep me sane(ish). I guess I spend so long staring longingly at yummy treats each day that it was only inevitable that the ideas would take over!
I’m also massively into animals and the environment so that tends to influence my products a lot. From design ideas to material sourcing. I particularly love the challenge of converting a traditionally animal-based product into a cruelty-free vegan one.

3. If you could take a 2 week vacation anywhere this summer, where would you go and why?

Well this will sound very cheesy- but I’d probably go to Wales and see my sister and mum. Because of the zoo-like nature of both our homes I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like. Either that or America- sun and craft supplies for cheap- yay!

4. How would you describe your wonderful style?

Eccentric, childish, yummy, hippyish. Basically a bit weird, but hopefully fun!

5. Do you have a website/blog???

Currently I only have my Folksy shop.

folksy

6. How did you come up with your design name?

It was a lazy accident. I kept telling people I made bits and pieces. My nickname was Bob. And thus the two got merged from a lack of any other inspiration. I’d quite like to re-brand to ‘the crazy chicken lady’ or something similar one day though….

7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

A vet or an eco-warrior. I certainly didn’t imagine getting an office job with an eccentric hobby

8. What is your biggest dream right now?

For my little business to start earning enough for me to quit my day job and focus on it fully. I’d love to own a shop one day, or stock lots of little shops! Plus to have more space to make stuff in, my kitchen is tiny! I guess winning the lottery has gotta be pretty high up on the list too.

9. What makes you laugh??

Lots of things! Animals doing daft things, bad jokes, cheesy TV shows, farts and their silly names (eggywoofter has to be my fav).

10. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

A koala. All you do is sleep all day and then wake up to eat. Heaven!

Thanks Kit for doing this interview and I wish you all the best with your fantastic creations. I urge others to visit Kit's shop on folksy and go and treat themselves or a loved one with some of the goodies in her store, enjoy!
If you want to stock Kit's yummies in your shop, please get in touch with her via her folksy store xxx

ARBONNE REVIEW

2011-03-05T20:08:00.001Z

Arbonne Cosmetics review.

I had the pleasure of reviewing some fantastic cosmetic samples from Arbonne, such a luxurious high quality brand, vegan friendly and not tested on innocent animals!
I also have the pleasure of getting you 35% off your first order! (see the end for deets)

First here is a bit about the American based company;

The vision to provide skin care products unparalleled in quality and effectiveness developed in Switzerland in 1975, when one man, Petter Mørck, together with a group of leading bio-chemists, biologists and herbalists, fulfilled his vision and founded Arbonne.

Arbonne's skin care products, based on botanical principles, became a reality in the United States in 1980 and are now shared throughout the world through Arbonne's network of Independent Consultants. Building on these same founding principles, Arbonne's product line naturally enhances your beauty and well-being with phenomenal products.

Arbonne personal care and nutrition products are Vegan-certified: Our formulas are never tested on animals and do not contain animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.* We firmly believe that consumers have a fundamental right to know every ingredient in our products and we will continue to offer full disclosure through our published materials.

Arbonne personal care products are
formulated without:

• Animal products or animal by-products
• Formaldehyde-donating preservatives
• Petroleum-based ingredients

• Benzene
• Mineral Oil
• Petrolatum
• Phthalates
• Toluene

• PABA

As part of our ongoing commitment to ingredient excellence, we have been successful in replacing parabens by using other safe and effective preservation systems. We have also put into place an ingredient policy to screen out gluten and ingredients that contain GMO. We will continue to bring to market top-quality products that are carefully reviewed to meet our high standards of purity.

So now you know a bit about them, let's get to the review :)

Here I am wearing Arbonne lip polish in coral and foundation in porcelain, the foundation made my skin look flawless and was lightweight but gave good coverage which I need as I have annoying acne.
I had a nice fresh, clean look with the lip polish and I felt like I wasn't wearing any face make up at all!

Underneath the make-up I used their make-up primer and before that the corrective eye cream, regenerating toner and restorative day cream, my skin looked the best it has in ages!
Talk about pampered!!

Arbonne uk
arbonne usa

About the day cream, I have oily skin but this sunk right into the skin with no greasy residue, loved this, made my skin silky soft, I even used their intensive serum under the cream and my skin drank that in too, wonderful stuff!
The eye cream is a really thick consistency and feels nourishing under the eyes felt very pampering, could almost feel myself getting younger, haha!
Their night cream feels so luxurious on and this isn't greasy either.

I sometimes break out when I try new facial cosmetics etc but my skin was really happy with everything. I guess it is because it is just so pure.

I got to try a fortifying hair masque too. The sample was so tiny that it barely covered my hair but I can tell you it did smell lovely and i didn't need a conditioner after rinsing.

I seriously cannot wait to make a big order , the lip polish is calling my name for starters :)

AWESOME DEAL!!

Arboone rep Sheena would like to offer my readers ( you!) a special offer - 35% off their purchase until March 31st!!

All you have to do is email sheena at slouie@myarbonne.ca (with subject line: "Totally Rawsome Promo")to place your order, and then Sheena will email you back to confirm your total before getting your credit card information & mailing address.
This deal is available for bloggers/readers in Canada/USA/Austrailia/UK.

Spring has sprung!

2011-03-03T08:23:00.002Z

Spring has finally sprung in my neck of the woods
Out come the dresses and cardis with the trench coats again instead of being wrapped up under 3 layers of winter woolies with a big coat for the freezing cold UK winter, yay!

I am LOVING the spring fashions this season.
So femminine and my cup of tea.

my outfit from yesterday, I got lovely compliments in this :)

Not the best pic in from of the mirror but showing a new floral dress that cost a mere fiver.
It's lovely and lightweight with cute bows on the front.
The floral pattern is lovely and when I get bored of this I will use the fabric to make a cushion cover or something else, waste not, want not :)

My FAVE dress right now, bought it yesterday £19 from Primark, a steal!
It has a great fit and I am digging the beach scene, how 50's can you get :)
The cute teal cardi is also Primark.
I had really gone off their fashions but this spring they are really redeeming themselves, nicely made, cute clothes are back again.
They have gone up again in price though.

Davie bought me a valentine's card with french fancies on it so afterwards I put some of the card in this pretty pink frame.

I am loving all the 50's ladylike fashions, kitten heels and pretty dresses with cute cardis, it is as if it is just for me!

What is your fave style this season??

KABLOOM seedbom review!

2011-02-23T03:26:00.000Z

Hello there!!

Is that a grenade in my hand??
YES it sure is, it is a kabloom seedbom!
FLOWER POWER!!!

What the heck is a seedbom you might ask, well I'll tell you:)

This is how kabloom's website describes them:

Seedboms are friendly bombs that contain all the necessary nutrients to grow flowers virtually anywhere! Tools for eco-warriors and guerrilla gardeners in the war against neglected neighbourhoods and weary wasteland. So get outside, join forces with nature and revive dull and lifeless places with an explosion of life and colour.

SEEDBOMs are handmade from a mixture of eco-friendly, locally sourced, organic and recycled materials such as used egg boxes, shredded office paper, organic compost and a selection of easy to grow flower seeds.

kabloom is a small design led business based in Scotland, UK.
They create products in an ethical, eco-friendly and socially responsible way. They say that 'green' and 'ethical' should be a part of our everyday lives.
Support this fab company!

Throw it, grow it!
The seedboms from Kabloom come in a cute pack of 4 and cost £9.95
Each seedbom has an adorable name and a different flower mix.
How cool is that!!!!

You could pop them in a big pot outside your front door, throw them anywhere that needs some flower love and colour, anywhere at all.

Find them here:

kabloom.co.uk
Kabloom folksy

FLOWER POWER!!!!!

Throw it Grow it

I am so in love with the idea of this.
I can't wait to go on a grenade rampage and throw the four I have :)

WINNER of senor picklesworth giveaway!

2011-02-23T00:46:00.004Z

Congratulations to Commenter number 22, Brooke, you are our winner of the Tote bag
from the amazing Senor Picklesworth, yay!!
I will send your details to the artist x

Thank you to everyone who entered!!!
I have more giveaways lined up for you guys x
Peach xoxo

birthday and pretties

2011-02-22T15:43:00.004Z

Hi guys, just some pics I wanted to share with you :)

Me with my fave new accessory, my flower headband.

My fave gift I received at xmas from a dear friend.
I love this so much and it will become a family heirloom. I shall give it to my daughter when I have one that it :P

Faux french fancy cake I made.
I am pleased with this attempt number 2.
Great for a necklace.
Let me know what you think.

My yummy woof Levi lemon pie, he turned 3 last week.
Here he is in a party hat that I made.

Beautiful faux cupcake note holder made by creativeabot on etsy x

I painted the plate myself :)

Lastly (i lub these) some fake candies called love hearts.

I will be announcing the winner of the giveaway soon!!!
xoxo

Welcome to my new followers. I will endeavour to make this blog worthy of following!!
xoxo
Peach

p.s.
Please do show some love and grab a LLD button to put on your blogs etc
You can see then to the right on the page, thanks so much :)

Katie Piper, a true inspiration to us all.

2011-02-20T13:28:00.005Z

Many of you at first blush will think this blog entry doesn't really fit in here but I myself LOVE an inspirational story and wanted so much to share this with you.

Last night I watched a documentary called "my beautiful face" which centers around a former model and tv presenter Katie Piper who was a young , beautiful blonde bombshell with the world at her feet. She met a handsome guy on facebook and met up with him shortly after, they became romantically involved.
Katie was living away from home In London and her career was really taking off, she had an enviable life and loads of friends, the boyfriend seemed to be the icing on a very fabulous cake.

The couple booked a hotel room one night after going out and when they got back Danny, then tried to initiate sex, Katie felt too tired and told Danny that she wasn't up to it and just wanted to sleep. She expected him to except this and go to sleep himself, she was wrong.
This is when things got terrifying.
Danny starting to hurl abuse at Katie, calling her all the names under the sun, asking her who did she think she was and then he viciously raped and beat her, she went through this ordeal for 8 long hours.
There was her blood all over the bed, on the bathroom tiles and using her wits (as she was convinced he was going to murder her) convinced Danny to let her clean up the blood or the maid would call the police and also convinced him that they could still be a couple, all so she could make her escape, which she did.
She ended up alone at her flat and didn't tell anyone what had happened to her, she didn't contact the police either, she felt ashamed and also terrified as Danny has told her that he would kill her if she told.
During the time she was hiding, Danny had left many facebook messages and many phone messages to her.
Finally she started to answer the messages on facebook, he begged and begged for her to go to an Internet cafe and finally she gave in.
When she was outside her flat he called her on her phone to ask where she was and what was she wearing, Katie thought it was a tad strange but answered anyway, next thing she remembers was a hooded young guy coming up to her holding a coffee cup, thinking he was begging for money she went to get some money out of her purse when BAM he threw the contents into her face which was later to be discovered to be sulphuric acid.
Katie's face was literally being eaten away by the acid and she ran to a cafe and called for an ambulance.
Katie then went through what can only be described as total hell.
The next part is taken from Katie's website:

The acid destroyed all the skin on Katie’s face, neck and hands, and left her blind in one eye. It also burnt her nose and throat so severely that she needed to be fed through a tube in her stomach and now regularly has operations to dilate her esophagus as the scar tissue reforms and restricts her ability to eat and drink.
Surgeons, led by Mr Mohammad Ali Jawad FRCS, performed pioneering surgery on Katie. He chose to control the damage by removing the dead layers of skin from Katie’s face and rebuilding the foundations using a dermal substitute called Matriderm along with huge skin grafts from her back and buttocks. It’s the first of its kind in the world to be done as a single stage operation.
Katie spent seven weeks in the burns unit at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She was placed in an induced coma and spent ten days in intensive care. She wore a special plastic pressure mask for 23 hours a day for two years, in an effort to flatten her scars.

Brave Katie whilst going through her rehabilitation had to also deal with her rapist and her attackers court cases, thankfully both the monsters got long sentences and justice was served.

She also suffered agoraphobia, nightmares and had to deal with the stares from people at her new face.

This young lady not only dealt with her rape, attack, facial disfigurement, constant surgeries with dignity and grace but she also allowed people to document it all for us to watch
"My beautiful face", you can watch on this truly inspirational story on you tube
The documentary also won a BAFTA!

Katie before and after the vicious acid attack.

Not only did she make the documentary but she also created the "Katie piper foundation" to help others with scars and disfigurements .
This young lady is a true inspiration to us all.
She has dealt with so much and come out of it stronger and helping others too. My love, compassion, gratitude and respect go out to you Miss Katie Piper, you are a goddess. :)

http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk
youtube my beautiful face

Fab tutorial

2011-02-19T13:55:00.002Z

I had to show this to you guys, saw this amazing tutorial

I have always love the sheepskin rugs to look at but NOT what they are made of!
I am a vegan so this faux sheepskin rug is so perfect and darling and you could do any shape you wanted and any colour or size.
Soon as I have some money to throw at some high quality faux fur, I will be making this for sure!
Vegan's rule :)

Senor Picklesworth review/feature.GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-02-15T03:30:00.003Z

Have you heard of Senor Picklesworth?? I am very pleased to introduce you to the creations that Gemma (the artist) makes.
Her work is so fun and largely centers around the adorable chihuahua character, Senor Picklesworth.
With me having two chihuahuas of my own, the designs really caught my eye.
The creations look so professional and wouldn't be out of place in any nice little boutique.
Great presentation and so cute!
My hubby made the comment that he should be made into a cartoon as he is so cute and has loads of personality, I agree!!
The prices are very reasonable.
There is a fridge magnet set that disappointed me slightly, it looks adorable on my fridge but I was kinda hoping to dress him up in the different hats and bow tie/necklaces provided in the pack but sadly they were not strong enough to stick over eachother.
It maybe my fridge, not sure but I thought that was sucky and that it would be loads of fun to dress him up.
My faves were the badges SUPER CUTE and the cupcake toppers. I love these and will be using them in my next tea party, for sure :)
I love the drawer hanger, makes me smile each time I look at that cute face, hehe.
i loved everything.
Looking forward to writing to pen pals on my ahoy paper!

I recommend you get yourself to Gemma's shop now and go buy some sweet and cute creations!

Get to know the artist a little better during the interview and better still, you get to enter the giveaway to WIN the super kawaii tote bag!!!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your wonderful creations!
I completed my Textile & Surface design degree in 2007 and started working as a freelance designer for children’s wear and by 2009 Senor Picklesworth was born.

I have always been interested in art & design but never really studied it throughout school, I only realised I wanted to study design when I left school and started looking at college courses. So when I went to college I decided to take a course in art & design as it was quite broad and I wasn’t sure which area I wanted to specialise in. By the end of that 3-year course I decided that my main area of interest was textiles and surface design.

I mainly create paper products but my training also allows me to work with textiles, interiors and fashion products, I like this diversity as I get bored easily and find that juggling different projects helps keep my mind occupied.

2. What/who inspires you and why?
Well Senor Picklesworth is a concept brand that was inspired by my Chihuahua Pixie and all the other various pets I’ve had throughout my life.

On a daily basis I am inspired by something whether it’s something in a paper/magazine on TV or something one of my pets do. I also take my inspiration from other artists and designers like Julie Verhoeven and I always feel inspired on my trips to New York and London.

3. How would you describe your wonderful style?
I would describe my style as fun, colourful and quirky. I love coming up with odd colour combinations and I always try to give every product my own quirky twist, I also like to give my customers something that they haven’t seen before.

4. How did you come up with your design name?
I get asked this question all the time, and to be honest I’m not sure myself. It started with my Chihuahua character as I knew he would be from Mexico so I tried to think of something typically Mexican so that’s where the “Senor” part came from but the “Picklesworth” is still a mystery to me!

5. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a vet; I think it was because when I was a kid we always had lots of pets from cats and dogs to chickens and axolotls. It wasn’t till I left school that I knew I wanted to do something creative.

6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would be a goat as they always look like they’re having fun and always look happy jumping and playing on little hills.

7. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?
This is a good question as in my spare time I love to bake in particularly cupcakes! So I would cover it with bright pink butter icing then decorate with multicoloured glitter!

8. As a designer, what are you most proud of that you have accomplished to date.
I would have to say that everyday is my biggest accomplishment as I am a “one man band” business so if I don’t do the work then no one else will. Also setting up my own business was a pretty big accomplishment, as I had no previous business experience or practice.

9. What makes you laugh??
The one thing that is guaranteed to make me laugh is watching my Inbetweeners DVD box set; it is the funniest TV show I’ve ever seen!

10. Do you have a website/blog??
Yes I have a website, blog, Etsy Shop and Senor Picklesworth has his own Facebook Fan Page.
website
blog
facebook
etsy

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

You get a chance to win this super cute tote bag!!!!

RULES FOR ENTERING!

Leave a comment here with your contact email for 1 entry.

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

follow my blog (comment to say that you do) that will give you 1 extra entry.

Twitter update (SEPARATE comment to give link) that will give you 1 extra entry.

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!

Winner will be picked Febuary 22nd xxxxxxxx

Winner of PIPINOPOLIS giveaway!!

2011-02-08T14:33:00.004Z

Congrats to ligata comment number 7!!!
I will send your details of to the artist now.
Enjoy your yummies!!!!

I just bought (couldn't resist) a toast pin from PIPINOPOLIS and I cannot wait to get it.

How cute is this!!!

Pipinopolis feature, review, interview and giveaway!!

2011-01-30T15:25:00.009Z

Have you heard of Pipinopolis?? I am so excited to introduce you to the yummies that Catherine (the artist) makes.
Her work is such a high standard. The biscuit set I got are all made from felt and I swear they seem real!
The designs are so good that you just want to eat them!!
I am so impressed by these yummies!!!
I recommend you get yourself to Catherine's shop now and go buy some yums!

Get to know the artist a little better during the interview and better still, you get to enter the giveaway to WIN three gorgeous French Fancy yum yums!!

On with the interview!
The lovely artist herself!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your wonderful creations!
I live in Swansea, South Wales with my husband and 2 cats. I love all that is vintage and retro and am quite a traditionalist at heart. I grew up in a small town close by, where I was always trying to make something out of whatever came to hand. My parents used to run a newsagent and I used to use the boxes from the stock to create little rooms for my old Sindy doll, once I made her a space station, with a command chair, control pads and everything (my dad and I used to watch a lot of Star Trek). The family sewing box was always fascinating to me, with odd bits and pieces of fabric and buttons, I loved to play around with all the embellishments. Although I went on to art college, I oddly ended up taking my degree in accountancy but kept my creative work as a hobby. Around two years ago I got into felt food and haven’t really stopped. I set up my Folksy and Etsy shops and have kept going since, trying out new ideas and constantly being inspired. Selling has given me a lot more confidence in my work, as people always comment on it and I love to see it intrigue someone.

2. What/who inspires you and why?
I get inspired by random foods or activities. I can be in town one day, look into a bakery window and be inspired by a cupcake or custard slice and then see someone in a cafe look cheerfully at their beans on toast arriving and think, how perfect would that be to sew! I’m always thinking, how can I break that down into shapes to sew together to make it 3d? How can I make it desirable? What day to day things do people have a bond with and love? I was always inspired by Andy Warhol as a teen, and his use of iconic people and items that everyone recognised as well as the bold colourings and use of repetition that just drummed it into you mind.

3. How would you describe your wonderful style?
I would have to say Pop art/kitsch/geeky, I recreate items that everyone is familiar with, that we see every day or that we have fond memories of. I like that everyone can associate with them, adults and children alike. They are usually things that I obsess over too, whether its eating them or cooing over the packaging!

4. How did you come up with your design name?
I wanted it to be a place where all my creations live, a little town of fun and innocence. I also wanted it to be cute and small sounding, so after a night of throwing around ideas with friends, Pipinopolis was created. Pipinopolis is a town in a world of cute looking things, it’s made up of all the nostalgic sweets of childhood, all the comfort foods you’d love to eat and the most beautiful looking foods you could only ever dream of.

5. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a fashion designer, with really quirky outfits, working in all the capitals around the world, but I was put off in college where I found there was too much competitiveness between everyone going down that route and that’s just not something I wanted to be part of. I was always a bit of a loner, so I would have always liked to be somewhere where I could work on my own thing. Although there was a time when I wanted to be an inventor too and had a little book of ideas I used to take everywhere with me, I am such a geek!

6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A squirrel! I work near a large park, and we get some really cheeky squirrels there that get up to no good every day, it looks like a lot of fun. Once, I saw a squirrel being chased by a cat, it ran into a tree near a pond full of ducks, and, I swear this is true, it made a noise at the ducks, the ducks then got really rowdy and scared off the cat. Clever little thing!

7. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?
It would have to be black swirly icing on a chocolate cupcake adorned with a green glittery rose. A bit dark, a bit glam rock with a love of vintage. it would also have to be served on a vintage cake stand with a cup of tea too, ‘cos I’m very old fashioned like that!

8. As a designer, what are you most proud of that you have accomplished to date.
Oooh, that’s a difficult one. I get so proud when I create something new, then move onto something else quite quickly. I would have to say my biscuit collection. They get the most comments by people and have been known to fool the odd person into thinking they’re real. I am also proud to be getting my work recognised, I never thought it would be anything more than a hobby but then it grew and allowed me to expand my imagination.

9. What makes you laugh??
Anything that’s so cute it could make you cry! Sausage dogs and pugs dressed up. My fluffy cat Jelly when she walks into the house grumbling to herself. Eddie Izzard. The epic drama of the neighbourhood cats. My husband, he always pulls the best jibs at just the right time!

Pipinopolis party rings LOOK yummy and delicious but DON'T try to eat them, hehe!

10. Do you have a website/blog???
pipinopolis blog
Pipinopolis etsy

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

You get a chance to win all three of these yummy french fancies!!!!

RULES FOR ENTERING!
Leave a comment here with your contact email for 1 entry.

I WANT MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!
follow my blog (SEPARATE comment to say that you do) that will give you 1 extra entry.

link to this blog giveaway in your twitter or blog to get an extra 2 entries (SEPERATE comment with the link)

GOOD LUCK!!!

OPEN WORLDWIDE!!
Winner will be picked Febuary 7th xxxxxxxx

Belated happy new year!

2011-01-15T19:08:00.002Z

Happy new year to you all, sorry this is so late!
I wish you all to have a wonderful 2011 and for many dreams to come true!

Above is the crummy looking but only pic I have on my new hair cut.
I love it so much, this crummy pic doesn't do it justice, my new stylist did a Stella job!

2010 was a really stressful, drama filled nightmare of a year for me, with albeit some really nice happenings too towards the end but mostly I was so happy to be done with it!

2011 is already fab!
This is going to be a crazy, crazy busy year. So much is going on, mostly I cannot talk about yet but the things I can tell you are as follows, new awesome friends in my life, looking forward to moving to Brighton, trying for bambino, modelling for statue and bust with amazing sculptor!

I am still a proud vegan and still working on being fully rid of my fibromyalgia :)

I am going to try to remember to take more pics as I have been so involved with life that I just forget, I guess that is a good thing though.

May your year be amazing!

Belated CRAFT 52 week 48-52

2011-01-15T18:42:00.002Z

It has been an age since I blogged!
I keep up with friends mostly on facebook these days.
I made tons of things for xmas, party hats, bookmarks, necklaces, tees, tons!
Sadly I just didn't photo much of it.

Here are two photos of the end of my CRAFT 52 project :)

I love these so much :)
Licorice allsorts and dolly mixtures, yums!

More blogging soon xoxo

CRAFT 52 WEEKS 41-47

2010-11-29T13:40:00.006Z

Annoyingly I didn't remember to take photos of many of the gifts I have made and sent off, but I do have some fun things that I made to show you!

First attempt at a stack of pancakes with maple syrup and butter.

Oreos!! These are vegan though, unlike the real ones.

Gingerbread men. I usually make these every year, slightly different, this year I have made them with raisin faces etc :)

One of my new pieces, Faux food in a jar!
This time a festive bunch of candy canes.

A delish chocolate bon bon with a nibble taken. I have been making choccies for years and years
but I like this one the best so far!

A cake that is full of love and faux fruit :)
I made this piece for the raw food guru, Kate Magic :)
It is very similar to one of her raw chocolate and fruit cakes.

More crafty posts to come!

WINNERS!!

2010-11-27T12:36:00.002Z

Using random.org the winners were picked!!

The number 9, 19 and 24 came up.

they are:

Taylormade

Jen

Susanmeep

Congrats you guys!!!!

I will be sending your email addys to the designer, thanks to EVERYONE for taking part!!

lINKS TO TWO FAB INTERVIEWS WITH TWO AWESOME VEGANS!

2010-11-22T22:02:00.002Z

Video interview with John Sakars, vegan superhero!

Video interview with Noel Polanco, vegan superstar!

Above links are a must see for all of you. 2 vegan superheros, interviewed in video form, by moi, go watch and support!

Love you guys!!

I have so many things I have made recently to show you guys soon!!!

Enter the giveaway in the last post toooooo xx

Giveaway time!!

2010-11-19T14:22:00.003Z

Meet the lovely and talented Sandra who is the genius behind

teaandceremony.co.uk

1. Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and how you got into creating your wonderful creations!

I predominantly make paper goods as I have always loved stationery. I am always happy to receive a new notebook, unusual pencils or pens and am genuinely never tired of receiving these as presents which makes me very easy to buy for at Christmas!
I studied art and design throughout school, college and university. My technical background is quite varied and I have experienced everything from textiles and bookbinding to oil painting and screen printing. Although I may not have enjoyed some of these things as much as others, I think that it is very useful to have a range of skills as you never know what will come in handy.
Ever since my late teens, I have moved towards graphic design although I do not think that I would ever call myself a graphic designer. I do favour the term designer-maker as it gives you more flexibility in what you do.
I do have days where I decide that I want to print tote bags and then others where I just want to sit at my computer all day and design a set of greetings cards.
I’m a bit of a scatter brain and jump from one thing to another and I dislike the idea of creating things in one style. This can be a problem if people struggle to recognise your work but I think that versatility is an asset. You need to adapt and evolve to keep you on your toes. I can’t imagine churning out the same things over and over again. It may work for some people, but not me.

2. What/who inspires you and why?

Bright and bold designs are always an inspiration to me whether it is on fabric, ceramic or paper. I spend a lot of time looking at blogs and I come across a lot of pieces that I find truly wonderful. I also love buying vintage craft and home decoration books from second hand shops as you come across some amazing colour and pattern clashes. I think that I must have bought all of the Seventies craft books there are to buy in the UK because I only ever seem to come across ones I already own!
I like the work of Olle Eksell and Shinzi Katoh as their pieces are so vibrant, exciting and happy. I always try to create things that don’t take themselves too seriously.

3. How would you describe your wonderful style?

I would describe my style as a little bit of sunshine on paper. I know how excited I get when I buy a lovely piece of stationery and I hope that when somebody buys something of mine they get that same feeling.

4. How did you come up with your design name?

I came up with the name in a bit of a teenage moment. My favourite band is New Order and one of their songs is called Ceremony. I added the tea part to give it a sense of home. Tea & Ceremony also makes me think of how formal stationery used to be where as now it is something that can be quite fun. Also, I do drink a lot of tea!
5. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

I never imagined being something specific like a doctor or a solicitor or even a designer. I wouldn’t even introduce myself as a designer now despite my training and background. I’ve worked in a completely unrelated field for the last ten years in my day job and my creative side is something that I have always done for myself in my free time. I like the freedom of making something because it popped into my head and I feel like making it.

6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I’d have to say a hedgehog because they’re a little prickly on the outside, soft on the inside and also a little bit clumsy (that’s why they’re run over by cars a lot!)
7. How would you decorate a cupcake to represent your personality?

My cupcake would be covered in yellow butter cream icing, hundreds and thousands, purple sprinkles and a little sparkler.
8. As a designer, what are you most proud of that you have accomplished to date.

My recent success through selling on Not on the High Street. It was big gamble selling through them because there’s quite a substantial joining fee and I also paid for a slot in the current winter catalogue. It was a lot of money to pay up front when there’s no guarantee of a return. I’ve just recently made all of the money back and the exposure of selling through the site has given me some wholesale orders and one of my notepads is due to appear in a national magazine as it was seen on the website.

9. What makes you laugh??

Pretty much everything! I can think about a scene from a comedy film I watched six months ago and start chuckling to myself. I do watch an awful lot of comedy programmes including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and The IT Crowd and can always watch an episode of Blackadder no matter how many times I’ve seen it before.
10. Do you have a website/blog???
My website is www.teaandceremony.co.uk. I did have a blog on there but although I see lots of things I want to blog about, I’ve never become disciplined in keeping one up to date. I really admire anybody who has the stamina to maintain a blog!
Giveaway item!!!

Sandra is kindly giving away 3 manchester bus prints!!

Simply leave a comment on what your favorite drink is, good luck!!

Winner will be announced Friday November 26th!

Don't forget your contact email addy x

Winner of halloween giveaway!

2010-10-27T13:27:00.003+01:00

Hey peeps!

Well done to commenter 37 who said;

Love the Mummy! My dream costume is an Ice Fairy, like in the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe. Jo

Well done JO!!!
I'll email you tonight for your postal addy to send your goodies out to you xx

Guys, sorry about doing the lazy way and using random.org BUT I was so sick last night with a migraine and fun vomiting, lol, sorry for the info, so today, didn't feel like writing all your names, hope you will forgive me!
I way PREFER to write it all out and pick a winner, makes it way more fun but needs must.

Having another giveaway real soon with an AWESOME designer, eee!!!

One person can make a huge difference.

2010-10-25T03:07:00.006+01:00

Whether you think you should eat meat or not I bet not many of you , if any would want any suffering inflicted on animals, right?

What I want to talk to you guys about is animal cruelty.
The cruelty that happens is unimaginable, what the cats, dogs, rats, mice, rabbits, cows, etc must go through.
There are no words that could describe how it kills me to think of it.

They feel emotions and they also feel pain!

We can change this!

We can be compassionate and get our heads out of the clouds and KNOW this goes on but not to sit and feel upset for 10 minutes and then carry on ignoring it, but to make changes that will help these defenseless beings.

You could become a vegan, but even if you don't there are things you can do to greatly lessen the suffering on innocent animals.

Find out about cruelty free/animal friendly make up and cleaning products and use them, not only will this reduce the cruelty but it will support the GOOD compassionate ethical companies that give a shit, sometimes they may be more pricey, other times cheaper!

Join in on "meatless Mondays" You'll save a ton of lives and help the environment!

One person can make a huge difference!

You'll save tons of lives. You'll lessen the suffering done to your animal friends.
They need you!

Here are some quotes I love.

Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: "Because the animals are like us." Ask the experimenters why it is morally okay to experiment on animals, and the answer is: "Because the animals are not like us." Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction. ~Charles R. Magel

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. ~Thomas A. Edison
The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham

I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her. ~Ellen DeGeneres

Cruelty is one fashion statement we can all do without. ~Rue McClanahan

Thank you for reading.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

I am not high and mighty, I am purely speaking for the ones that cannot.

xmas tree

2010-10-23T11:09:00.003+01:00

First of all thank you to all of you that
have entered my giveaway in the last post, if you haven't please do!
Thank you also to those that promoted it for me too, you rule!

I put my Christmas tree up the other day!
I usually have a big fake green tree in the front room and this one (pictured below) in my craft room, but this year I decided that the green tree, along with the decorations were just not me anymore, so this is now my front room tree!

I'd love to get (eventually) a bigger gorgeous white tree with more faux food ornaments but right now this is near my dream tree as I can get right now.

The decorations fill me with glee.

I love xmas!!

My fave thing about Christmas are the decorations.

What is your favorite thing about Christmas??

HALLOWEEN GIVEAWAY!!

2010-10-20T17:39:00.002+01:00

HI WEENEYS!

I have made you a cute wee mummy plushie and got you some Halloween candy to put in your candy bag, woo hoo!

Little Monty the mummy wants to come home with YOU!

To win Monty the mummy and the delish candy, simply leave a comment with your email addy, telling me what your dream Halloween outfit is!

Comment here or on my twitter;

Name will be picked out of a hat on October 25th

good luck!

CRAFT 52 week 39 and 40

2010-10-11T20:10:00.003+01:00

Hey hi,
just some pics of some recent makes,
hope you enjoy looking at them :)

Sweet tees.

I adore all these cushions I have made, they have really cheered up my living room.

Doggy bed for my lil woofs.

Bear tee that I made with felt,
terrible photo, didn't get a pic of the full tee before I sent it off to a friend.

painting and mice CRAFT 52 week 38

2010-10-06T03:56:00.006+01:00

Hi guys!
I seriously can't believe that it is already October 6th, like what the hell? Time is flying at a cray cray speed it seems, maybe because I am old now?? ;D

Anyhoo, briefly this is what I have been up to;
visiting family and fun birthday shopping with mama bear, birthday shopping with hubby and generally enjoying awesome gifties from friends. Visiting the chiropractor twice a week (who has really helped me) painting, drawing, walking in woods, eating candy, sewing, booking xmas vacay with hubby and buying cute crap that makes me happy ;D

So xmas is coming!!! Me and the hubs have booked an awesome xmas vacay that I am counting the days until we leave and Davie's mama bear is so awesome because she has agreed to look after our mini zoo of fur babies for us so we don't have to put anyone in an animal hotel, yay and the woofs really like her so I am relieved, plus it would have cost a Small fortune too!

Been making cute things and I will have some pics to show off soon, hope everyone is a-ok and lemme know what you think of the cupcake painting as I am not sure at all, also any critique is gratefully accepted as I want to improve!! Lucky me has art college on Thursday and artsy day with talented friend who is helping me, yayness!

Lemme know, your comments rule xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More party hats and haircuts! CRAFT 52 week 37

2010-09-24T18:37:00.003+01:00

Hello!!!

This was my very first party hat that I made 2 years ago for my little dog's Captain's 1st birthday, hehe!

Here is one that I made this week, I can't stop making them, they are so cute.
I've made a ton for friends.

I had my hair cut and highlighted this week, man I feel so much better now, my silly fringe is still too short, I swear I will never again cut my own fringe!

It has been a very busy week, with appointments here there and everywhere, different treatments for my fibomyalgia and other therapy and my cat being sick and today my woof was at the vets, it has been one of those weeks :) Not a bad week, just very on the go, so I am poopled.

I've not slept well this last week, mind has found it hard to shut down with all what has been going on I think so tonight I think I'll have a home spa and give myself a mani pedi and facial etc :)

What is your best chill out tip?? What do you do to unwind??

CRAFT 52 week 36

2010-09-15T16:22:00.004+01:00

Well hello there peeps!
Peach here :)

So, my creative juicies are still, well, juicy, hehe, so here are my recent makes.

Give me a P, give me an A and a RTY, what does it spell?? PARTY!!!!

Party hats, yeppers, been making lots of party hats. I made one for Captain, my lil wooflet on his first birthday and decided to make some for my birthday and also for friends etc.

This lil guy was FUN to make. I enjoyed everything about designing him to seeing him come to life.
However I can't think of a name for the lil gnome dude, and he really needs one, poor lil guy is sad without one, so PLEASE name him and make him happy again :D

What shall we call him????????

Name change.

2010-09-11T22:22:00.004+01:00

Hi lovely peeps!
The pic above is one of my fave balloon pics and I am so obsessed with balloons at the moment, so just wanted to share!

The hubby and I changed our last name years ago to something that means something spiritual to us and have recently been talking about changing our first names too, we are super whimsical people and just go with the flow of what we feel like doing.

I am changing my name to Peach Nia, it is so authentic to me as a person and it feels cute and right to me for now, and if I ever want to change it back or change it to something else, I will, I know people who change their names to something that they feel better represents them.

I know some people will hate it and laugh at it, or think it is dumb and then there will be people who will think it is cute and fun, however it is how I feel about it that counts and I LOVE it and you, in your life should always do what you want to do, without fear of what others will think of you, or you end up living in a box of your own making, Ive seen people who live that way and it is so sad.

I love it when people are the leading lady or leading man of their own life movie and live their dreams, no matter what.

Another thing is (as one of my birthday gifts) I am getting a tattoo!
I haven't got any tattoos at all and always worried that because I am such a whimsical person and super fickle that I would like one thing one minute and regret it the next, haha, BUT I am sure about what I am getting and I cannot wait!!!

Do you have a tattoo?
Do you have any regrets?
Do you want a tattoo?

CRAFT 52 week 35

2010-09-10T18:28:00.002+01:00

Hollar, my friends!!
How are you??

Creativity has been flowing and last night I designed and made this owl cushion :)
Not 100% happy with the design and would do it differently next time around but he sure is cute and brightens up the living room :)

He looks at home, already ;D

What do you guys think?

doodle bug

2010-09-08T21:54:00.002+01:00

I told you I would post some doodles :)
I and a woman of my word!
They are just some silly fun doodles that make me happy.
I can't wait till my art class in 2 weeks time so I can finally start learning how to draw and paint!

It is my birthday later this month, hehe, you can see what is on my mind from my doodles ;D

Getting my hair cute tomorrow, eep, scared and excited all in one, till not sure what I am having done, cut wise yet but I am going lighter with my colour, brighten me up for fall/winter, yeah!

Everyone I know, it seems are getting their hair done this week, there is something in the water!

Awesome day today, so hot and sunny, went thrifting and went to the forest to pick more berries, took the woofs and they were really naughty barking at innocent people,lol, they love embarrassing me and Captain rolled in some poo, eww, had to give him a bath soon as we got home, thank you dog!

Thrifted.

2010-09-07T19:34:00.002+01:00

Hi Guys!
One of my all time top fave things to do in life is shop ;D
Not just any old shoppin' though, THRIFTING!
Seriously I love it, having a really good rummage though an icky lookin' thrift shop can sometimes produce the best stuff! Or having a great look through the nicer thrift stores for a cute designer outfit for cheap, what ain't to love!
I also have a real love/hate relationship with ebay, haha!

Now I don't think I could ever be one of those minimalistic types cos I loves ma knick knacks too much :)
I have been known for this since being a wee one, going to car boot sales with my family I picked up awesome bits and bobs (as my family says)
It has always filled me with glee, not just the bargain price but getting vintage things that are usual and rare, you know, just does it for me.
I think maybe I was just ahead of my time because this is now totally the thing to do but I, like many thrifty and individual chicks, we have been doing this for yonks.

Even if I was stinking rich I would love to thrift :)
One mans junk is another's treasure!

Awesome cat planter that I LOVE!

I LOVE this lamp base, so me!
I don't love the shade so much, not sure if I should change it altogether or If I could revamp it a bit.
Any ideas??

My all time fave thing I ever thrifted was awesome, it was a wacom tablet for around £4!!! WHOA!

What was your thrifting gem recently or from forevers ago,
that made your day???

Craft 52 week 34

2010-09-07T19:10:00.004+01:00

Hi guys!
My creative juices have been flowing lately and I have been mostly drawing and sketching out ideas. But here I have a goodie to show you that I made last weekend.
I had some cute owl fabric in my stash for a while and my living room cushions are so boring (apart from the kitty cushions, hehe) and totally not me , so I whipped up this to brighten up the room. I have bought some more darling doggy fabric to make some more sofa cushions too, eee!

I made my friend Teevs a cute bear tee, too but can't show a pic of that until she has it as I want it to be a supreeeze! :D

There are so many cute handmade housey things that I want right now!

What handmade housey thing is making you drool right now??

CRAFT 52 week 33 dog toy tutorial

2010-09-03T13:14:00.003+01:00

Hi guys!
I just wanted to share something with all you peeps who share your house with pups.

As you know from reading my blog, I am a thrifty chickadee. I like my money to stretch and I if I can I will make something, rather than buying it.

SO, my woofs really needed some new chew toys but we are saving as much moola we can for moving so buying them was out of the question.
I remembered I had some fleece in my fabric drawers, so I dug it out and wondered what to make.
My dogs will destroy anything in 10 mins flat, so I didn't want to spend hours making stuff, so I just cut strips of fleece and plaited it!!
It is perfect! The woofs LOVE these toys and keeps them quite for ages.
They sit there chewing them, playing tug of war with me and eachother and roll all over the place with them, haha!

To make, simply cut three strips of fleece, knot one end, plait as you would plait hair, then knot the other end, done!! Cheap and cheerful dog toy that they love!!
If you have a big dog, maybe you could try 6 strands of fleece, but for small to medium three is plenty :)

Just wanted to share xoxo

Please lemme know if you know of any thrifty doggy or kitty toy makes too!!

Don't you just LOVE being thrifty!!

What is your best thrifty tip to share??

birthday shout out!

2010-09-01T01:36:00.002+01:00

I just wanna say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby sis :)

My day.

2010-08-31T21:53:00.004+01:00

Super cute pupper pic from today.
I love my boys so much :)

We all went for a fantastic walk in the forest today, the boys had a great time and so did I .
Saw hares, squirrels, butterflies etc
I had butterflies flying all around me, magical.

I picked some beautiful fresh blackberries to eat, yummo!

The forest was abundant with these sweet treats.
Don't you just love food for free :)

Most of you know I have fibromyalgia, right?
Well, I heard that Licorice root was super good for the pain of it, aswell as a ton of other things, so I thought I would give it a try, hope it works :)

I swear by some herbs, like slippery elm for an upset tummy or Valerian to get me to sleep.

What do you use that you swear by??

I also got some coconut water too, yummy drink, have you ever tried it??

I am applying for college , yay, Art and design course, fingers crossed I get in!
Wish me luck!

The above is a pic of the prospectus, made me laugh with the 3d glasses and pics inside, glad to see them using college money super wisely, lol!!

I have been doodling like crazy lately. I bought a lovely watercolour pad and some pens, should be able to show you guys some stuff soon!
That is mostly what I've been up to lately, drawing, reading, enjoying summer, spring clearing and cleaning the house, getting rid of things, all ready to move next summer to Brighton, woo hoo, so exciting!

I know summer is coming to an end very soon, boo but I am so happy and excited by what is ahead, so can't be too sad, got my birthday next month to look forward too!

I think the best thing about this summer, for me , this year was going out to eat on nice days.
Sitting outside on a gorgeous day eating delish food and being served, not having to cook, hehe, heaven!!

What was the best thing about summer for you this year???

Love and embrace you!

2010-08-15T22:23:00.002+01:00

Well hi there peoples!

I just wanted to share something with you.
I have been a gal that has struggled with feeling good about myself.
Constantly comparing myself with the perfect media images etc.
Lately I have been doing internal work on myself and it is working!

I know LOADS of us girls suffer with feelings of low self esteem etc and I just want you all to know, YOU ARE UNIQUE!
There is only one of you, just one, so please, as corny as it sounds (I am a corn ball though, deal with it,lol) treasure yourself!!!

I had a hair mishap, I cut my fringe too short and a bit wonky, haha!!
It is just typical me.
I thought it would be a good idea to cut my fringe while closing my eyes so I wouldn't get hairs in my eyes, I kid you not ;D

Oh and I also dropping my dinner all over the floor tonight was funzies, clumsy, moi???

Celebrate yourself!

Healthy bit o' narcissism!!

Me and my hubby are just playing around on the flip camera, trying to get comfortable in front of it so we can start our show on you tube!

Not ready yet, as you can see from how nervous we are ;D

I have had THE best weekend! Hope you have too!

CRAFT 52 week 32

2010-08-12T16:12:00.003+01:00

I was inspired to draw the beautiful mademoiselle robot www.mademoisellerobot.com/
so here it is!
I am pretty happy with it. I am dying to go to college and learn this arty farty game though :)
I just ordered some ink pens and beautiful paper so I am really excited to draw some more fun things soon!

More fun crafty things to show soon.

Leme know what you think! xxxxxx

Happy birthday Mama!

2010-08-10T12:49:00.002+01:00

Today is my Mama bear's birthday, happy birthday Mama bear!!

Cute old pic of little me with Mama.
I love this old photo.
My hair was purest white for years.

Going for a visit soon, so I will take some nice new pics of us together.

Kate is magic!

2010-08-05T21:32:00.003+01:00

Those of you who are into raw foods will know who this lovely lady is but for those of you who don't, let me introduce the lovely Kate Magic!!!

Kate Magic is modelling my cupcake necklace in these pics, she does look cute rocking it! :)

Kate Magic is a lovely lady, she is down to earth, sweet, kind, and very, very creative!!

She is an author, Mum, cake maker,chocolate maker, speaker, and much, much more.
She believes that we are the creator of our own reality and that we can live in peace and harmony and she works towards that every day, being the change that she wants to see in the word.

She inspires me, motivates me, makes me laugh and makes the world a better place by being in it.
A strong, independant woman role model!

A true cupcake and I hope to get to know her better!

Please visit her website Kate's website

CRAFT 52 week 31

2010-07-21T14:13:00.002+01:00

Hi de hi me hearties!

How are you?

The weather here in the UK has been pretty dismal of late, and because of this I have had to amuse myself indoors, for the most part.

Even the poor woof woofs have been having wet play time for the last three days.

So I cracked open the clay, so to speak!

I had something I had been meaning to make for my old bestie for ages and so it I thought the wet weather was a perfect excuse to get cracking with that.

Well, after making her an ice cream miniature, I set about making these yummies.

It was loads of fun and I cannot believe how long it has been since I made anything with clay. I think around 8 or more months.

I know I could do better with practice but I was pretty pleased after such a dry spell that I could make anything at all, haha!

Sometimes it is very frustrating to be whimsical, I would love to master a craft but I flit and fly between so many.

Maybe one day I will be truly good at something ;D

Iced Bundt cake and xmas cookies, yummy, wish these were real!

Notice the shapes?
Heart, star, xmas tree and gingerbread man!

More iced cookies, this time in a miniature glass jar.

This is a gift for a friend, think she will like it??

What shall I make next?

A few of my fave things.

2010-07-15T21:57:00.001+01:00

1. A lovely little deer, 2. Untitled, 3. Osoka the Sleepy Kitty, 4. WIWT, 5. My new painting., 6. blogged x, 7. "Gorgeous Gal" pink (original collage/painting by Everyday is a Holiday), 8. "Ferris Wheel", 9. Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Learning to draw. CRAFT 52 week 30

2010-07-13T04:03:00.003+01:00

The above is just a fun sketch I did earlier today.
I am just playing around with some looks for a portrait for the beautiful mademoiselle-robot, LOVE HER!
The finished result will be very simple and dreamy in ink and water colours, can't wait. Just need to await my inks and paper!

I get inspired by so many artists out there and Jody being a firm fave and Amy, vintage Barbie illustrations and retro 50.s and 60's art are just my cup of tea too.

I have 0 idea how to draw arms or legs, hence why the image is only up to the chest, haha.
My 2 arty friends ( in real life ) said they will teach me some art, they are amazing at it.
So I am pretty lucky there. Also the lovely Jody gave me some great links to good paper and pens.

I was also considering an art course this September, just don't know if I have the guts. It seems like a really big deal. Dealing with so many new people would be a huge challenge for this shy little hermit crab. Challenges are good though. I'll definitely look into it!
It would be amazing. I also start my sewing class again this September, can't wait. I just love learning new things and I feel really lucky that I get to do what I want.

I want to get to the point when I can just make anything and draw anything. That would be unreal!!! I'd feel like a real artist! ;D

Looking forward to...........

2010-07-12T11:45:00.002+01:00

Life on Earth.

2010-07-12T01:55:00.005+01:00

When I was in high school, two of my best friends and I used to roast eachother, It was done with just comedy in mind, no ill will at all and it ruled!!!!

I was chatting with my hubby last night and we were kind of roasting ourselves as we both take ourselves far too seriously sometimes, really isn't about making the other feel bad, just laughing at how serious we think it all is sometimes.

Here we all are floating in space on this rock, It is nuts! ;D

Sometimes all we need is a greater perspective when we are having a rough time, nothing like that realisation for me, that we are on a rock in space! You don't have to go that far, maybe you just want to be grateful for the haves and not the have nots and look at others less fortunate than you, we got it good and if you don't feel that way, it can always be improved.

Lesson of the day.
Don't take yourself too seriously, life is far too short, laugh at yourself, play, be silly and goofy!
Who cares what anyone thinks of you, the only real opinion of who and what you are is you.
Know your faults and improve on them, know your awesomeness too!

This is a lesson I like to take a refresher course in once in a while, I am so guilty of taking life too seriously.

Lots of love, hope you are all having a great summer.xoxo

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”

C.R Swindoll.

P.s I REALLY want to have an online garage sale, I have clothes and books, jewellery etc, thinking of doing that soon!
Just not sure where to do it. I guess my blog here is the best place?