Charismagick

Blue skies...

2012-01-27T12:34:00.001Z

Life has a funny way of picking you back up doesn't it?

I woke up this morning to blue skies and sunshine, a lovely text from my dad, reassurances from a couple of bloggers that I'm not the only one struggling with January, & a comment from the amazing Laura letting me know that I have won the Bohemiantown giveaway she'd held on her blog back in December. Below is the gorgeous ring that I'll be getting through the post...

I'd popped over to Laura's blog last night for a bit of a catch-up & this post resonated with me. Balance is something I'm struggling so much to achieve at the moment and something that Laura has also been wrestling with. Her closing paragraph was just what I needed to hear...

"I am just like any of you reading this. We are all in this together. This life. All on different paths. All in different timing. Embrace each other right where you and those around you are. And if you find yourself on a path you are not wanting to be on, search within yourself to find out how to steer your boat in the direction you want it to go. You are the captain of your life. And know that things take time. Healing does not happen overnight. But it does require you to take the first step."

I often find myself wandering away from my path. It usually takes me a while (read as months) to realise and then I steer myself back to the best of my ability. So this morning, having awoken to positivity in various forms, I feel as though I am finding my footing again, preparing myself for the next stage of my journey.

Caz

January Blues

2012-01-26T19:36:00.000Z

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I don't know about you, but for me, January has been a tough month.

I am one of those people who need time to themselves. Quite a lot of time, it seems, the older I get. One thing I have hugely missed out on this month is... my 'me' time. It has been in short supply & boy does it show! I feel short on time to blog, and apart from my couple of days with dad, I've barely had time to get my camera out.

I have also been feeling extremely run down. Tired, irritable, drained, struggling to focus and emotional. I have booked myself a doctors appointment next week as I'm wondering whether I have a low iron count. The other reason I could be feeling so drained is due to my 50 hour working week. When I last worked as a restaurant manager doing about 45 hours a week I do recall quite often feeling the same. I have worked in this trade for almost twenty years & it could quite simply be that the stress really is getting to be too much.

When I have had time off work I've unsurprisingly not felt very inspired so I haven't been doing much creating. This weekend though I'm going to visit my mum & I almost always end up making something when I'm there and we're bound to take the camera out and about. I haven't seen her since last year so I can't wait!

Oddly, for me, the plus side of feeling so drained this month is that I'm considering taking up some form of exercise! I'm thinking yoga (helps deal with stress too!) or jogging. If you know me in real life then you'll know that the thought of me going out jogging is absolutely hilarious. But I am seriously considering it. I blame Bangs and a Bun. She makes running sound attractive.

Well I hope that if you've got the January blues too maybe you can also see a silver lining in your cloud!

Caz

PS. Don't forget you can still enter my giveaway here.

50,000 Giveaway!

2012-01-24T12:51:00.000Z

I have been blogging (on & off) for about three years now & I'm about to hit 50,000 page views. To celebrate this milestone I have decided to host a giveaway as a thank-you to all you readers out there.

I am having a triple giveaway.. one lucky person will win each item pictured above, all handmade by me.

This upcycled turquoise cross pendant hangs from triple strands of lovely lightweight pale aqua wool which is threaded together with interspersed felt beads & finished with a knot, ready for you to simply tie behind your neck. A fun & completely unique necklace.

This mini 4" embroidery was made using multi-coloured thread from the lovely Cymberrain & some curtain fabric offcuts! Again it is completely one of a kind.

Last but not least I'll be giving away this hand felted owl brooch. The owl buttons are vintage (I seem to remember them being on a cardigan or similar when I was little & I'm a 70's baby, so very vintage, ha ha!) but the rest are modern. I only made one of these and I doubt too many of these buttons have survived so this really is a unique little brooch!

One person will win all three items!

So, now that you're all clapping your hands together with glee & drooling with excitement, here's how to enter:

*Follow me on GFC (see sidebar)

*Follow me on Blog Lovin' (see sidebar)

*Follow me on Twitter

*Like me on Facebook

For each & every one of these that you do, please leave a separate comment, so that I can count each as a separate entry.
The giveaway will close at midnight BST on January 31st.

Good luck!

Caz

A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000Z

I don't know about you but I have an ongoing 'To Do' list stored in my phone. For everything I delete off as it's accomplished I always seem to be adding more! I seem to always be doing laundry, cooking, loading & unloading the dishwasher & tidying up (admittedly mainly after myself!). I have a full-time job, I blog and I am trying to get my camera out more. Around all of this I obviously spend time with my lovely boyfriend and every other weekend his daughter too, and of course, I like to try to make time to see my friends (easier said than done).

This painting, currently on display at Turl Street Kitchen, kind of sums up how I feel sometimes. A bit of a blur, constantly on the go, doing something, somewhere! the painting is part of an exhibition we have on by a local school, unfortunately I don't know the name of this particular artist. He/she is very talented. The painting caught my eye immediately when I walked in to our restaurant yesterday morning. If you're in the Oxford area make sure you drop by & have a look at the artwork.

Caz

Lets Talk About Us...

2012-01-23T19:26:00.000Z

Yes,yes, you're eyes are not deceiving you. The young lady on the right is me. In a corset-style top. Erm, dressed as a cowgirl allegedly. The young lady on the left is an old friend, Claire, who is away travelling and has just reached Sydney, the lucky girl!

Anyhow I thought I'd share this picture after confessing a couple of days ago that you were unlikely to see me in a corset. This photo is at least 10 years old, maybe a bit older! But after my last two body-related posts I decided to come clean about my body shape & issues. Even at 20-something as you can see I had a bit of a cheeky belly. I have a small frame & at school I was so thin I was labelled as anorexic which I certainly wasn't & never have been, but girls can be bitchy if you're thinner or larger than them.

A few years ago after years of an unhealthy lifestyle (rubbish diet, no exercise, lots of alcohol) I went up to a size 14. I didn't hold the extra weight well at all. Some women are gorgeous at a size 14. I had a bloated face & stomach which on my petite frame just looked awful.

These days I'm a comfortable size 8/10. I personally wouldn't to be any thinner.. I recall having to buy children's clothes as a teenager which really wasn't ideal. The concept of size 0 does worry me as unless you're naturally thin it must be incredibly hard work to remain at that size & it doesn't look particularly healthy.

Kate Winslet, Jessica Simpson and Tyra Banks all look great when they are a size 14. Renee Zellweger looked healthier & happier when she put weight on for Bridget Jones than she normally does! Women should pay more attention to what suits their frame & build and less to the media and other women's snide remarks. You know in yourself whether you are overweight or under, whether you are perfectly fit or need to tone up a little (moi!), so listen to yourself.

We should be more accepting of ourselves and other women and we could certainly stop reading magazines that encourage us to mock other women's shapes & criticize our own. Be honest with yourself, eat healthily and be happy!

Caz

Skinny v curves

2012-01-22T08:10:00.000Z

I came across this on Facebook last night. It seemed kind of appropriate after Friday's post so thought I would share it here too.

Isn't it funny how perceptions of women and what is or isn't attractive has changed so much? Women definitely appear to have 'shrunk' in the media but the inverse is happening in real life the average British woman being a size 14. If you look at vintage 40's/50's dresses the waist sizes are so tiny that I have wondered how on Earth they got themselves into them!

I think women need to be able to define for themselves what is attractive & healthy and less time looking at TV & magazines.

As Baz Luhrmann said... "Don't read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly..."

(Although I don't see the harm in the odd glimpse at Elle!)

Caz

(Un)Dressing for women?

2012-01-20T21:58:00.000Z

Whilst at the dentist yesterday I absent-mindedly watched a couple of music videos on their television whilst waiting for my appointment.

The first one was Justin Timberlake & Madonna. Justin was fully attired. Madonna was wearing a corset. Beyonce was up next. In a corset. When she did get dressed she appeared to have forgotten her bra.

I'm genuinely curious as to whether it sells them more records. Do you buy music based on what the musician looks like?

The saying goes that women dress to please other women but I think most of us tend to appreciate other women's dresses or shoes as opposed to their undies! Beyonce looked gorgeous & Madge did indeed look to be in great shape & I think we can all appreciate that they put a lot of effort into staying that way. And admittedly most of us might feel the urge to remove our clothes if we were around Mr Timberlake. But seriously why are they doing it?

I for one am actually fairly comfortable with my body & how I look. Admittedly, you are highly unlikely to see me in a corset but y'know, I'm happy in my skinnies. I do wonder how many out there though who are really self-conscious are affected by celebrities getting their booty out. Does it make them feel worse about themselves? Or does it make them feel empowered?

Are these famous women doing it because they want to make money? To shock? To show off? Or to make other women feel better? Are they saying look at me, I sing, I look great, I'm proud of what I am and you could be too? Are they doing it for the men? For us? Or for themselves?

Caz

Five Images

2012-01-20T19:40:00.000Z

I took these out at Port Meadow on Monday with dad. It was absolutely freezing but it's beautiful there.

I'm really pleased with the duck shots as I had the camera almost on full zoom to take them.

Well today I've managed to cross one of my 52 in 52 off the list... I went to the dentist. For the first time in about 15 years! To be honest it was fairly uncomfortable (15 years of plaque build-up being scraped off?! wince wince) but it was OK. The dentist is lovely & was thoroughly impressed with my teeth.. still no holes, thank goodness! It's actually a relief having finally gone & having them checked. I've been meaning to go for the last couple of years but just hadn't gotten round to it.

As mentioned yesterday, mum & I are putting the wheels in motion for another one of my 52 goals, no.2, so I've been researching t-shirt printing companies. I'm considering Green Tee Prints as they are fairly local being based in Bristol, use water based inks and organic cotton all of which is fantastic. I'm going up to Norfolk to see mum next weekend so we'll hopefully be able to start scanning my step-dad's artwork and really get the ball rolling.

I'm pretty tired today so am signing out now to chill & munch pizza with Tom & A,

Caz x

Non Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD)

2012-01-19T08:20:00.000Z

This is me with my mum. You'd never guess that we are related would you?!

As I mentioned here & here mum & I are working on something together. We have decided to print a line of t-shirts with my step-father, Simon's, artwork on them to raise money for NEAD a condition that he suffered from. Simon was a fantastic artist (see here) and would have loved the thought that his artwork could help raise awareness for NEAD.

Non Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD) mimics epilepsy and a few years ago was still barely heard of. Even now a number of sufferers go undiagnosed. The NEAD Trust raises awareness and helps support the people with this condition and their families.

Pop over to my mum's & read her post about it.

We'd really like your support :)

Caz x

Oxford

2012-01-17T12:04:00.000Z

On Sunday me & dad had a wander round the outside of the Old Ashmolean (now the Museum of the History of Science) & the Sheldonian Theatre and whichever college it is that is behind these (I just cannot work out which one it is!) and took lots of lovely photos.

On Sunday evening after three hours of Poirot & a very tasty spaghetti bolognese (if I do say so myself!) we watched Lewis, which involved me going "Dad! Look! There's the Bodleian, we were there earlier..." whilst dad got more & more bored. He is, apparently, not a fan of Lewis. Oh well!

Yesterday we took a walk down to Port Meadow & took more pictures (I did anyway!) which I'll share in the next day or two... hope you've had a lovely weekend,

Caz

Pepperoni Pasta Recipe

2012-01-15T11:15:00.000Z

Yes, yes, this is the recipe that I promised to give you on Friday.. I know it's Sunday now but sometimes life just gets in the way of intended blogging schedules! Without further ado...

Ingredients:

dried pasta

125ml single cream

shiitake mushrooms

garlic

2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard

parmesan

pepperoni

vegetable oil

(serves 2)

*Dice the garlic

*Slice the mushrooms into chunks, not too small. I used these mushrooms specifically as they are quite meaty in texture & flavour so they match the pepperoni well

*Cook the pasta according to packet instructions

*Put a splash of vegetable oil into a frying pan & fry the garlic gently

*Add the mushrooms & cook on a low heat

*Add the cream & mustard and stir them together to make a sauce, turning the heat up a little

*As the cream heats up it will thicken slightly, keep stirring but do not boil

*Shred or rip the pepperoni if sliced (If you have a pepperoni sausage then dice it into chunks) & add to the pan, as much or as little as you'd like according to your taste

*Drain the pasta & add to the pan to coat

*Stir for a couple of minutes until the pasta is nicely coated & then serve with parmesan on top.

We had this with a rocket, watercress & spinach salad and it was delicious!

Caz

Bathtub Gin

2012-01-12T13:16:00.000Z

Fear not, I haven't suddenly turned into an old soak, hitting up the gin by lunch-time.. in fact I can't stand gin! I just love the packaging (& the name!), isn't it absolutely gorgeous? We sell this at work.

Speaking of work, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex paid us a visit yesterday. He was very articulate, a natural speaker, had very shiny shoes & still looks rather young! You can read about it here.

I've got a lot of things going on this week, lots of balls to juggle so I'm off to tackle some of it now, tomorrow I'll be back with a Foodie Friday recipe for you,

Caz

My lazy day with Poirot

2012-01-10T21:25:00.000Z

I have had a perfectly lazy day today. Last night was the Jamie's Christmas staff party & it was a fantastic night, I had so much fun, I saw so many friends & danced quite a lot :)

I'd booked today off in case recovering was in order, but actually I'm hangover free, just a bit tired. So I have spent pretty much all day in my pajamas reading the Agatha Christie's Poirot novels that Tom rescued for me... blissful!

This is Tom & I on my birthday night out, I'm sure pictures from last night will surface eventually :)

I've got another recipe post on it's way for you soon, perhaps I'll reintroduce Foodie Friday & post a recipe a week?

I am off to reacquaint myself with Hercule Poirot...

Caz

Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese

2012-01-08T19:22:00.000Z

I made cauliflower macaroni cheese for dinner yesterday as macaroni cheese is one of A's favourite meals and cauliflower cheese Tom loves so I merged the two! I've never made my own cheese sauce before, I usually use Colemans' packet mix but I decided to try anyway. Tom was quite worried about this so we had to buy some too as a back up in case mine went wrong which I can happily report it didn't!

I worked from 2 different recipes this one for cauliflower cheese & this one for macaroni cheese, referring to them here and there but mostly just doing what seemed about right! This is my version for you...

Ingredients:

100g parmesan

250g cheddar

1 pint milk

1 cauliflower

5 handfuls dried pasta (traditionally macaroni!)

2 heaped dessert spoons plain flower

2 soup spoons butter

black pepper

sea salt

(serves 3-4)

Method:

*Preheat oven to 220 degrees

*Cut cauliflower into smallish florets

*Steam for ten minutes, drain & put to one side

*Cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain & put to one side

*Grate the cheddar

**Tip ~ Steam the cauliflower over the pasta whilst you grate the cheddar to save time**

*Put the flour & butter into a large saucepan, cook on a low heat, stirring the flour & butter together to make a paste

*Pour a good glug of milk into the pan, turning the heat up to medium & give it a good whisk so that it starts to thicken

*Add the rest of the milk & continue to whisk for approximately five minutes, by now you should have a thick smooth sauce

*Add your cheese (reserving some of the cheddar & parmesan to sprinkle over the top) taking the pan off the heat & continue to whisk

*Within a minute or two you will have a glossy cheesy sauce, put to one side

*Put the cauliflower florets & the pasta (give this a good shake first so that it isn't stuck together) in to a casserole dish

*Pour the cheese sauce into it covering everything

*Evenly sprinkle your remaining cheese mix over the top & place in the oven

*Leave in for 25 minutes or until the top is golden & bubbling.

We had ours yesterday with sweetcorn just to get some extra veggies in us but it would go just as well with a salad or garlic bread.

Caz

Confessions of a Cheesaholic

2012-01-07T15:51:00.000Z

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I'm wondering if perhaps maybe possibly it could minutely be possible that I eat too much cheese.

Yes. Too much cheese.

Is one able to eat too much cheese?

Perhaps I need to research the repercussions of this cheese addiction of mine.

Breakfast this morning was two cream crackers with Philaedelphia. Lunch (which I'm munching now) is crusty rolls with pepperoni and cheese. For dinner tonight I am making cauliflower macaroni cheese. I've already bought the ingredients & it's one of A's favourites.

That's a whole lot of cheese.

In fact by the end of the day I'll have eaten five different types... cheddar, soft cheese, marscapone, parmesan & Red Leicester.

I do feel like I could probably shift a couple of pounds post-December so perhaps rethinking my eating habits would be a step in the right direction.

I'm sorry Cheese but the affair is over. Let's just be friends.

Going Green...

2012-01-05T17:00:00.000Z

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One of my 52 in 52 is to make my life 'greener' over 2012. I'm never going to be the greenest gal in the world but I think that by making simple changes & informed choices I can certainly reduce my carbon footprint.

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We recycle, as do most households in the UK, but as much as I have flirted with the odd bit of greenism that's the only thing I've ever really been consistent with. However I think that over this year I can create new green habits that will last a lifetime.

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I've reintroduced my Eat Seasonally list to my sidebar which I'll update every month to help myself & maybe even you eat seasonally. As much as I love peppers & merrily put them in to everything I do feel pangs of guilt when I spot that they've been shipped all the way from Israel... Peruvian asparagus, New Zealand apples... oh yes, take a look in your shopping basket! So I have decided to try to stick to using British produce at it's best.

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In a bid to cut down on my excessive beauty spends & the number of chemicals that my body absorbs I've completely stopped buying shower gel & have converted back to soap. I have the Dr Organic Rose Otto soap which is gorgeous & also a tea tree one with natural antiseptic properties.

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I'm switching all of my household products gradually too. I picked up some Bio D bathroom cleaner from Oxfam which is inexpensive & solvent free and actually does a great job. I'm going to give some of the Ecover products a go too.

I think I'm making a good start with this particular goal & I genuinely believe it will be easier than I would have expected... we'll see!

I'm planning on doing a 52 in 52 round-up at the end of each month to keep you up to date & me on target!

Got any good green tips you want to share?

Caz

Balance

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000Z

I think 2012 needs to be the year that I achieve balance.

I have a lot to think about and put together at work... but also out of it.

January is a very busy month for me this year.. places to be, belated family Christmases, training programmes to get sorted, product knowledge to learn, items to be made, plans to be put into place for the project with mum & even a couple of parties to attend! And that's not including my 50 hour working week.

I think that I'm finally going to learn how to manage my time effectively, I'm going to have too, ha ha! I'm going to pick up a diary as well as using a calendar and the calendar on my phone.. & a To Do List. No half measures here any more! If I don't learn to juggle I'll sink & I have absolutely no intention to do that.

I made a promise to myself that I'd spend more time with family and that is something else I tend to keep sight of and stay true to this year... & of course, everybody needs 'me' time.

So, yes, balance is where I'm at this year... getting it right so that I can enjoy the ride & not exhaust myself.

Any secret tips you guys have for achieving balance?

Caz

(pic from google images)

Five Images

2012-01-03T10:43:00.001Z

Five snaps taken with my new camera. The macro setting on it is phenomenal. I just need to keep practising now so that I can actually take a good picture!

I don't know about you guys but the festivities are over for me now & I'm back at work, which is where I'm off to now,

Caz

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T19:29:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone!

Here are a few pictures of the last of my 2011 makes...

I don't seem to be able to resist turning stamps into pendants.. although I think less ornate ones would work better. I'll have to have a little think about that. All will be available in my shop soon!

I bought myself a new camera in the after-Christmas sales so will be getting even more snap happy than I have been.. I'm planning to reshoot most of my jewellery pictures so that I can update the shop & also to try my hand at food photography.

I think I've come up with number 52 for my 52 in 52 list... I want to be in featured in a magazine this year! My thinking (read scheming) cap is on ;)

By the look of it no 10 will be easily conquered with a little bit of help from Fran & Mazz so it looks as though I'm off to a good start with my goals for the year... how about you guys?!

Caz

52 in 52

2011-12-30T17:27:00.000Z

I am pinching this idea from Multiple Mum whom in turn pinched it from Kelly.

I know that this may seem like an odd thing to say but this year went by soooo fast & I'm fairly certain that unless I make myself accountable by posting it here there will be stuff from this year that still won't get done next year!

Some of these things are fairly mundane, but that's why it is easy to not do them.. so on my list they will go!

52 things to achieve in 52 weeks (2012)

1. Regular tutorials here on my blog

2. Get my 'secret' project with mum up & running & successful!

3. Making my life more 'green'

4. Learn to drive

5. Go to the dentist

6. Learn to knit

7. Go to opticians & get new glasses

8. Learn to cross stitch

9 Get boots & shoes reheeled

10. Meet some of my online blog 'friends' in real life

11. Save £25 per week for a holiday

12. Go to silversmithing classes

13. Go swimming with Tom & A

14. Do a craft fair with mum

15. Get a collection of recipes together this year so that this time next year I have a book filled with them!

16. Go on holiday

17. Master my new camera

18. Find & attend an exercise class that I like.. yoga, pilates, dance?

19. Take a self-portrait once a week for every week of the year

20. Make art.. regularly.

21. Go to the seaside at least five times this year

22. Buy flowers for myself at least once a month

23. Go to the Tate Modern

24. Go to the Eden Project

25. Post at least five times a week on my blog

26. Get and actually write to a pen pal

27. Do the Waendal Walk in May & raise money for the NEAD trust

28. Read (or reread) as many classics as possible

29. Donate blood

30. go to the ballet

31. Go to the cinema at least once a month

32. Go to Scotland again

33. Put together a realistic business plan

34. Learn to ride a bike

35. Make jam... & chutney!

36. Have a girls night out at least once a month

37. Gradually reduce my overdraft to zero

38. Make pickled onions

39. Spend quality time with family

40. Go camping

41. Go blackberry picking

42. Take sponsors here on the blog

43. Go ice-skating

44. Take an insane amount of photos of Byron, my nephew!

45. Post more about Oxford.. once a month at least

46. Go to some gigs.. I used to go a lot!

47. Grow my own herbs to cook with

48. Get the tattoo on my right ankle updated

49. Use my local library

50. Go to a few museums...

51. Attend the Goodwood Revival!

52. ? Be in a magazine before the year is out! Ambitious!

~~Admittedly right now I can only come up with 51 goals for 2012! I'm sure something else will come to me given time.~~ Edit: 52 came to me eventually.. see above.

I don't really do New Years' resolutions but I liked this idea & hopefully with the list here to refer back to it should be easier to achieve everything on it!

Charismagick Badge!

2011-12-29T22:03:00.000Z

As the beady eyed amongst you may have spotted, I have a new header.. & now a badge too!

Tom's sister Rosie actually took this picture on her iphone on our family Boxing Day walk. I had a play around with it on Picnik & made the header and then with the help of this fantastic tutorial made the badge too! If you want my badge on your blog all you need to do is grab the code underneath the image in the righthand column.

~~What is puzzling me though is how to make the code box smaller? Blogger doesn't appear to do it naturally & it looks wrong at the moment. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to fix it?~~ The lovely Fran helped me fix this so now everything is neat & tidy... *happy dance*!

Caz

Shop Update

2011-12-29T17:33:00.002Z

Just a quick post to let you know that I have a necklace sale on in my shop for the next 48 hours!

The sale will end when 2011 does... in time for some new pieces in the New Year!

Caz

Five Images

2011-12-29T09:30:00.000Z

All taken over the three days of our family walks.

Very proud of the mushroom shots. A spotted them in the tree. I'm waiting for my new camera to arrive & then it'll be photo's galore for you guys, ha ha ha!

I've added a Bloglovin button to my right sidebar so if you're a Bloglovin kinda gal/guy sign up!

Caz

Our Room Mini Tour

2011-12-28T18:00:00.000Z

Here's a glimpse of our new room.

I think there may be some minor reshuffling as we go along but I think it's pretty much how we want it.

All the skateboards are Toms & the teeny tiny shoes are A's from when she was a baby. I have Buddha's & handmade goodies snuck in where I can. In the bottom right picture you can see my desk (just!) which I'm so excited about... a place to blog & craft that is entirely my own :)

The white miniature drawer was a gift from the Jamie's crew for my birthday.. they've written all over it & in the draws too so that I'm always reminded of them! Great gift.

Caz x

At The Aviary

2011-12-28T10:50:00.000Z

A few shots from the aviary... my camera doesn't focus too well on zoom. Aren't the birds such pretty colours? This little aviary is in Cutteslowe park but I hadn't come across it before. We wandered up there yesterday afternoon with A before heading home for biscuits & tea in front of the fire.

Dear Santa...

2011-12-27T13:06:00.000Z

Dear Santa, we think you got everything pretty spot on this year!

1. Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin. I've wanted this for a long time!

2. Liberty Hello Kitty nail polish (& lip gloss) for A. I am not at all jealous. Honest.

3. A Kobo... similar to a Kindle. Tom took a risk buying me this, he wasn't sure that I'd like it, but it's perfect! I'm halfway through Dorothy & The Wizard In Oz.. it's like having my own personal library.

4. I got Tom a remote control helicopter. He absolutely loves it & flies it round the whole house.

5. Elephant ornament... dad this is what you bought Tom with the money you sent up! Tom collects them.

6. My Week With Marilyn.. dad got me this, I've yet to see the film, & a Christmas crafting book. Awesomeness!

7. Cath Kidston wallet, key ring & badges. There were also tea towels, a locket for me, a Swarovski heart for A, a bathroom set for Mazz & a shopper for Amy!

There were more gifts but I thought I'd share just a few.

I hope that all my readers have had a lovely Christmas... ours has been full of family & I'm grateful for some extra time off this year to wind down a little before going back to work. I'm going to get a lot of reading done over the next few days I think !

Boxing Day

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000Z

These photographs were taken by Rosie, Tom's sister, on her iphone.

The first is A, Tom & me, the second is Tom, Chief, B, Jason B, Renata B, me & A. The B's are the Beaumonts, Rosie's boyfriends family.

We went for a walk through Port Meadow this afternoon. There were quite a few families & dogs about.

Photographic evidence of pressies to come,

Caz x

The Christmas Day Walk

2011-12-26T11:10:00.000Z

Yesterday myself, Tom, his brother Matt & A went for a Christmas day walk with grandma Sue's dogs Rufus & Grace. Rufus loved it & tore off like a crazy tornado. I found some mushrooms growing, Tom discovered the tiniest rope swing which puzzled Rufus no end & Grace got rather muddy.

We took them out prior to lunch to burn off the dogs excess energy & it's just as well we went then because after all that turkey & roast potatoes I wasn't able to move for a while!

I'm not sure what our plans are for today, Boxing Day, but it will involve editing more photographs, working on the upcycled corsage I started last night, remote control helicopters, more food & probably general silence from A as she learns to navigate her Blackberry.

I hope you're having a lovely Chrimble,

Caz x

2011-12-25T19:19:00.003Z

Our tree with Tom & his sister's traditional family decorations.

What a lovely day it has been... gifts galore, plenty of Cath Kidston, a remote control helicopter, walking dogs, eating turkey dinner, christmas cake, beer, crackers, paper hats, children, christmas pudding & a fart machine or two!

Very entertaining indeed.

Now it is time to get all of the gadgets working & watching Doctor Who.

I hope you've all had a lovely day!

Coming soon will be a mini-tour of our new bedroom & some (very floral) Christmas present peeks!

Caz x

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:10:00.002Z

Gizmo (the cutie from Gremlins!) & I would like to wish you a very very happy Christmas!

The presents are under the tree, mince pies are to be munched, A is here & rather exciting indeed, ET is on TV this afternoon! Christmas is all set here :)

I hope you all have a fantastic festive holiday!

Caz x

Restaurant Etiquette...

2011-12-21T22:46:00.000Z

I am constantly amazed by people when they are in a restaurant/dining environment.

Seemingly well-balanced intelligent people appear to behave extremely oddly as though their brain has turned to mush.

(Not everyone you understand, just a small minority in fact, but enough for me to write this post.)

Say, for example, that you walk in to a cafe with ten tables. Six are clean. Three are sat and one is dirty. Would you sit on the dirty one? Nooooooo.... but that is exactly what people seem to want to do.

The other favourite is to spot the one table that says 'reserved' and sitting there. Then looking annoyed when someone explains that it is reserved and that you need to move.

Food complaints do incur in my industry and I take them very seriously. If someone complains that there food is too cold this is completely justifiable and I will go back to the kitchen & get the chef to make a replacement. But when someone complains that their food is too hot?!

The first time I had to bite my tongue so that the phrase "Blow on it then..." didn't slip out!

(That's what my mum taught me anyway.. if it's hot, blow on it. Dead simple.)

I could go on.

The people that say they are a group of six and you explain that they may have to wait a few minutes demand to know why they can't sit at the empty table right there (imagine frantic gesturing). It's a table that only sits two.

Or the people that need to see the coffee list before they order coffee. Why?! Latte, espresso, macchiato, cappucino, mocha, americano, filter, flat white... they're the same everywhere!

The people that sit at a table for two that they sat themselves on but then call you over and tell you that they are a four... whilst looking vaguely irritated as though it was your fault...

My personal favourite still makes me smile to this day.

I once had a gentleman ask if the hanging prosciuttio legs where I worked were real. I assured him that they were... "Yes sir, those are pigs legs, we slice our prosciuttio from them."

"Wow" he said "Did I eat that?"

"I don't know sir, what did you have to eat?" I replied.

"The lamb chops." he replied.

Caz x

Things I Did This Year

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000Z

This year I made these...

and these...

I went to Cornwall...

& attended this wedding. It was an amazing day for me watching my best friend get married. I was so proud when she asked me to make her bridal necklace. Doesn't she look so radiant?

It's been a pretty good year. There have been some significant changes... Claire got married, my brother & his wife had their first child, I left Jamie's & am moving in with Tom. I'll share some more pictures in another post before the year is out... I can't believe 2011 has flown by so fast!

Caz x

My Favourite Christmassy Things...

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000Z

Here is a list of all things I love about Christmas...

*mince pies

*Christmas trees

*crackers

*Christmas cake

*Advent calendars

*Tinsel

*Christmas pudding

*seeing your loved ones faces when they open something they love

*time off work!

*spending time with people you love

*Christmas dinner

*movies ~ ET, Gremlins, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

*dreaming of snow (it never actually happens)

*opening presents!

Caz x

Polish Folk Art

2011-12-18T22:20:00.001Z

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Polish folk art or wycinanki (pronounced vee-chee-non-key) are traditionally paper cut art with layered coloured paper. Based on geometry & nature it became popular in rural Poland in the mid 1800's. I'm already a fan of Scandinavian folk art but now I've discovered the Polish style I'm feeling very inspired indeed.

There's just something about bright bold simple shapes that I find irresistible... I think that's why I like working with felt so much too. Perhaps in the New Year you may seem some Polish folk art-inspired embroideries appearing!

Caz x

Friend Envy

2011-12-17T12:44:00.000Z

You know what I mean don't you? Friend envy. It rears it's ugly little head once in a while.

When you realise that a couple of your friends own their own houses & you still rent.

Or even better when your best friend moves to Cornwall, gets married & builds her own house!

Or when you catch up with friends who all have beautiful daughters (oddly all my friends have girls!) & you don't even own a cat.

Or when your friend gets an incredible new job.

Or loses loads of weight & looks fabulous in her new skinny jeans!

Or goes travelling around the world for (please delete as appropriate) six months/a year/18 months making your six weeks in Cambodia pale in comparison.

However these flashes of friend envy are nothing. A dose of healthy jealousy... gone before you even notice it & replaced with genuine delight for your friend.

I am suffering from a slow burner. Friend envy has been gnawing at me for a year. In fact, longer. A friend of mine who was always quite unhappy, always very skint and rather difficult to get to come out DID something. Almost 18 months ago she relocated to New Zealand. Where in all honesty she has positively blossomed!

Thanks to Facebook I have seen the photographic evidence of this... there she is at a party! There she is running a marathon! There she is at a craft group! Ohhh according to her status she has lost even more weight! Oh my gosh there she is at the Sydney Opera House!

Oh yes. I have the greenest of green eyes.

I think part of my envy is that I'm not there doing it with her... I'm not part of her life as she finally becomes happy & settled and does things she would probably have never done here.

Part of my envy stems from the quite simple fact that it isn't me over there doing those things... I've never been to NZ or Oz.

But this morning when I read her status saying she'd just done her first MightyMighty craft market I felt proud for her instead. Moving to NZ was a massive decision for Angela* & her fella and it gave her the opportunity to reinvent herself, to step out of her comfort zone, to be the 'Angela' she had always wanted to be. The friend envy is over. I am inspired instead... Angela has become my reminder that no matter who you are you can start over if you want to. You can reinvent. You can pretend that you're not scared of this & that and just do them anyway!

If you choose to believe in yourself then you really can make your own path in the world.

I guess I owe Angela and my bout of 'friend envy' for reminding me of that.

Caz x

*Angela isn't her real name. However if she reads this post she'll know it was about her anyway... darn! :-)

Five Images

2011-12-16T21:09:00.000Z

I know that these five images are rather random! I've got a lot of new pictures to share with you but at the moment I don't seem to have time to upload & edit them...

1. Blue ER bottles in the dining room

2. My foxy Topshop ring

3. A handmade by me headband complete with vintage owl button

4. A black & white shot of a display in my room

5. A random baby doll one of my friends gave me!

Today I packed up my room almost completely. I'm sleeping there tomorrow night & then will get everything moved out on Tuesday.. then I'll officially be able to call Tom's house home!

I also got all the Christmas presents wrapped up and under the tree this evening. I'm starting to feel quite Christmassy now!

Caz x

And The Winner Is...

2011-12-16T12:04:00.003Z

The lovely Elizabeth has won!

Thanks for entering guys,

Caz x

It's Crazy Round Here!

2011-12-15T10:24:00.000Z

(Me, my friends Eduardo & Daisy at The Duke of Cambridge, Jericho... home to the delicious Lemon Meringue Cocktail!)

It's been a little bit crazy round here of late with so much going on! However a couple of you asked for the recipe for the Lemon Meringue Cocktail & whilst I've not had time to nip back in there to get the exact measurements I can tell you that they use just Limoncello & Hazelnut liqueur (ie. Frangelico) shaken with lemon, sugar & an egg white. They are absolutely delicious!

We had the Turl Street Kitchen & Oxford Hubs staff party on Tuesday night which was fun. There was about fifty of us out & we had the function room at Copa, on George Street, to ourselves. We had our Christmas dinner there but to be quite honest I wouldn't recommend eating there if the opportunity ever arises! However despite the not-so-great food there was a really good atmosphere & it was a good night.

I've gotten almost all of my Christmas shopping done thank goodness! It's been a mixture of handmade, new from Oxfam, a sale in Cargo (shhh!!!!) & online shopping this year. Just need to get everything wrapped & under the tree.

Tomorrow I'll be shooting off to the post office to mail out the Vintage Fashion Sourcebook to the winner of this giveaway (open until midnight tonight BST if you haven't already entered!) and then packing up my room ready to move house. Hectic!

Caz x

Vintage Fashion Book Xmas Giveaway!

2011-12-12T20:53:00.000Z

Today I went Christmas shopping. In amongst the fairtrade chocolate, jewellery & wrapping paper, and the handmade cards and array of vintage clothing I found this gem.

The book is completely sold out on the Oxfam website

With beautiful photographs & key looks from each decade starting at 1900 right through to the 1980's it's a gorgeous book.

(Source)

It contains a glossary of designers & fashion terms, how to shop for vintage and where to find it. All in all a beautiful book... it would be great for fashion students, fashion lovers and vintage lovers alike.

So... would you like to get your mitts on a copy?!

To win this book simply follow my blog & leave a comment to let me know you'd like to win.

For extra entries 'like' my Facebook page & tweet about my giveaway & leave an extra comment to let me know.

This giveaway will close at midnight BST Thursday 15th December in time to make the last post before Christmas. (International readers may enter but please be aware that if you win I cannot guarantee the books arrival before Christmas.)

Caz x

Today I Am Mystified By.... Celebrity Hair.

2011-12-12T13:16:00.000Z

You & I have hair. Normal, everyday average human being hair. Some celebrities have normal hair too... Kate Moss. Alexa Chung. Emma Watson.

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Then we enter the world of *celebrity hair*... think Jordan (aka Katie Price) who spends half my annual salary every month flying to the US to get her hair touched up. Her hair, which incidentally looks like it needs a good wash & cut & a break from the bleaching, costs in the region of £120,000 per year. Has her fabulously overpriced hair bought her happiness? Erm... no.

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Think the poor always-miserable-looking Victoria Beckham who once had shiny bouncy healthy looking hair until she got extensions. Permanently. Beauty magazines gleefully point out their suspicions that her extensions have weakened her hair around her crown.

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Think Tulisa. Poor Tulisa. Just because you are a judge on the X Factor does not mean you can let the stylist attempt to strip your colour back & then spend 3 weeks walking around with the most ridiculous blonde roots I have ever seen. Last night she had a weave in. I only know this because the really quite witty Bangs and A Bun said so on Twitter. And she knows a lot about hair. Anyway the weave apparently looked quite heavy. In every sense.

(via)

I do dye my hair & have done on & off for a long time but this obsession with making your hair bigger & longer just strikes me as... daft. It's obviously rather expensive, can damage your hair and won't make you any happier!

Now that I have voiced my bewilderment I have a busy day ahead... catch y'all laters!

Caz

Sale Coming Soon...

2011-12-11T18:25:00.001Z

I am absolutely cream crackered right now. Very exhausted indeed.

However... I a have a day off tomorrow so after catching up on my sleep I've got a lot to do... starting off with a sale in my shop!

These are a few of the things that I'll be putting in to a Sale section... there will be a bunch of clothing patterns going in as a bundle, this embroidered flower wall hanging, an old-style camera, as well as some other bits including some clothing which will probably be added ~~on Monday~~ this week. As I am moving house I figured I should have a big clearout. All the money I make from the sale is going to be used to get the project with mum off the ground. Anyways keep an eye out you may be able to score a bargain!

Caz x

Ten Things

2011-12-10T09:00:00.000Z

For this months Ten Things on the Tenth I'm sharing ten goals for 2012.

1. To use my own photographs as much as possible on my blog.

2. Attending silver smithing classes. I'm really excited about this! I've never tried it before but I absolutely yearn to try.

3. Learning to knit. I've added this to goal lists before & never gotten round to it but with awesome day classes available at The Make Lounge this is the year I will make it happen!

4. Driving lessons! I've got to admit that the thought of learning to drive is still terrifying but with my family and friends scattered about the UK I really do think it's about time I learnt.

5. Watching my nephew grow. I know it may seem odd putting this into my goals list but I don't see my family much and this year that needs to change. My brother and his wife only intend to have the one child so I really don't want to miss out on anything with Byron.

6. Learning cross stitch. Who doesn't love Emily Peacock's designs and how her success has shaken up the genre?!

7. Becoming more sustainable. I have already started this journey but I fully intend to continue it into 2012.

8. Making more jewellery.

9. To get new glasses.. as I've said my hair is at a stage I'm quite happy with so I can get some new glasses that suit my look & I'll finally be able to see!

10. I have a project that I'm working on with my mum. I'm keeping it under wraps for now but it is something I'm very proud of and will be putting a lot of energy in to.

Gonna Party Like It's My Birthday...

2011-12-09T20:30:00.001Z

...well didn't I just yesterday!

I may have had a somewhat rather painful head today. Apparently Lemon Meringue cocktails + white wine = massive hangover. Who knew?!

Tom took this picture on his phone. I wanted to show off my new pink dress from Next that I bought myself for my birthday! The necklace was a birthday present to myself too from Roots and Feathers.

I got some great presents yesterday including a beautifully scented candle in a glass holder with a feather print on it, a brand new owl print bag from Paperchase (mine broke a couple of weeks ago so Tommy thoughtfully bought me a new one) and... a printer! I'm very excited about the printer because I'd really like to do a series of postcards soon. I think you can print stickers on it too so me & A should have some fun with that!

It's My Birthday!

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000Z

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I'm turning 34 today & I'd like to tell you a little something I've come to realise...

I love being in my thirties.

I am so much more confident now than I was in my twenties. I am so much more comfortable in my skin. I finally have my own style and a haircut that works for me (the latter being nigh on almost impossible).

I have worked out what I'm good at and I have identified what I'm not so good at!

I am in a loving relationship that feels totally & utterly right.

I am in a good place.

Caz x

Snapshot: Right Now

2011-12-07T20:30:00.001Z

Right now I'm insanely excited about the fact that it is my birthday tomorrow!

Right now reading: Hotel California by Barney Hoskyns

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Right now listening: Christmas music randomly at work

Right now watching: X Factor (Although gutted now because Misha B is out.)

(via)

Right now eating: Chinese (Tom's treat!)

Right now wearing: As many layers as possible. I get cold so easily!

Right now working: I've done three days at the new restaurant. I'm settling in... I think I'll enjoy it there.

Right now: Looking forward to seeing lots of friends tomorrow

Caz xx

From The Archives..

2011-12-06T09:00:00.001Z

I made this little fella a couple of years back. He has a magnet on the back & looks adorable on the fridge. I may make some more magnets from felt in the new year. I do love working with felt, it's so versatile & just so... well... bright!

Caz xx

Busy Busy Bee...

2011-12-05T22:21:00.001Z

Ahhhhh.... December. Mulled wine, twinkling fairy nights, cosy evenings in wrapping presents, snow, decorations, anticipation, family... OK we know that actually it isn't quite as idyllic as that. For most at some point there is at least one terrifying shopping dash (present shopping on Christmas Eve? Food shopping in December full stop?!) so y'know, December isn't quite as picture perfect as we all like to lull ourselves into believing. However... changing jobs, moving house, having a leaving do & celebrating multiple birthdays all in the run up to Christmas.. surely nobody is that crazy?!

Yep, you guessed it, I am.

It looks like I'll be moving in with my other half, Tom, earlier than anticipated here... I'll be moved in before the end of December. It's my birthday on Thursday and that's when I'm also having my leaving do. And today I started my new job! It's at a new place called the Turl Street Kitchen. It's been open a few weeks and is doing really well. The menu changes daily, the food is all sourced locally (mainly from the independent butchers & fishmongers in the Covered Market), they recycle (this is the first place I've ever worked that really recycles!), they have a huge array of teas, they bake cakes on site (today is the first time I've seen a Red Velvet cake for real!) and they source as many of their drinks as possible from the UK. I actually have a products book to wade my way through full of information on where & why we source what we do. Have a look at the website as there is even more to the place than that but right now I'm so tired it's difficult to think straight! I'm pretty proud to be part of the team that will help this business grow :)

So, yep, I'm a wee bit of a busy busy bee right now!

Caz xxx

2011-12-04T09:26:00.001Z

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I love this piece by artist & entrepreneur Jen Ramos.

I'm a little nervous today. It is my last day at Jamie's... I have been at the flagship restaurant since the very beginning. Three and a half years blood, sweat & tears.. so many friends. Wow... it's going to be hard to say goodbye.

Caz xxx

The Weekend Rewind

2011-12-03T12:11:00.001Z

Today I'm joining in The Weekend Rewind with Multiple Mum & Diminishing Lucy with one of my favourite posts from August, my visit to The Sarah Wiseman Gallery.

On a different note, it's this lovely lady's birthday.. Happy Birthday CK, I miss you! xxx

Caz xxx

Night Night Necklace

2011-12-02T18:00:00.000Z

I made this upcycled necklace a couple of nights ago. I am enjoying my buying no craft supplies challenge that I set myself for November so I have extended it to December too. It makes me challenge my brain a little bit more, looking at what I've already got & figuring out a way to use it.

The Night Night Necklace is now available in my shop.

(& my shop is now on the tabs above!)

Five Images: Donde Esta La Musica?!

2011-12-02T09:00:00.000Z

I snapped all of these whilst at my brothers earlier this week. He loves music. Oddly I am surrounded by musical people but I have zero talent myself! We had quite a sing-a-long in the car on the journeys to and from his... Alice Cooper, Queens of the Stone Age, The Drifters, Idlewild, The Streets, System of a Down, Stone Roses.. it was fun!

Caz xxx

I Heart Felt

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000Z

I LOVE felt.

You may have noticed my penchant for felt before. You may be a new reader & could therefore be unaware of my need for brightly coloured fuzziness in my life.

Felt beads in particular are fun. Mucho mucho fun!

As you can see I have rediscovered my stash, so, in keeping with my promise here to not buy new crafting materials throughout November & potentially December I'm going to get crafting with my felt beads so keep an eye out for new creations!

Hugs, Caz xxx

For The Love Of Blogging...

2011-11-30T19:10:00.001Z

I first started blogging back in October 2008. It was the year that I lost my step-dad, started working at Jamie's Italian and began experimenting with crafting. I think I read an article on the awesome Twinkie Chan and it opened up a whole new world. Blogging and crafting has become my thing, my hobby, a part of who I am. Sometimes I lean more towards one than the other and a few times I've abstained from blogging all together or my crafting has faltered almost to a stop. I enjoy them both though and therefore I always come back to them.

Blogging is so much bigger in the online community now than it was when I first started. Beauty and fashion bloggers grace the pages of well-known magazines. Craft magazines have sprung up out of nowhere (believe me Mollie Makes & Oh Comely were not about in 2008!), PR companies have built relationships with bloggers, magazines run articles on how to boost your online sales and how to become a successful blog author.

Some bloggers offer advice on how to blog and others point out the pitfalls of bad blogging etiquette. It's difficult to recall why I started blogging in the first place and to define what my blog is. Is it a diary? A way to stay in touch with people on the other side of the world? Somewhere to share images that I like? Somewhere to display my talent? A place to meet other like-minded individuals? Somewhere to share ideas?

I don't think I've ever had a clear idea of what I wanted my blog to be. At first it merely went hand-in-hand with crafting and by reading other blogs I found other people who had similar interests. At some point I became intrigued by the statistical aspect of it and compared myself to other blogs. Perhaps it would be right to say that I went as far as mimicking other blogs. I think I emulated them to see if I could achieve the same level of success, after all, it's fairly natural to want to compete, to be the best.

For the last couple of months my blog has confounded me somewhat. I've been blogging more often but at times that has left me with virtually nothing to say. I have started pushing myself to get my camera out more though and so my photography has begun to improve, something I may not have pursued without my blog.

Now I'm at another new chapter in my life. I leave Jamie's Italian this Sunday. I'm an older, (possibly wiser!), different person to whom I was when I first began this journey. I am more confident than I was then, I dress differently, I look different, I have an amazing partner who has a child, I am an aunt and I have fallen in love with my camera.

Whatever my blog is now, it has become, and will continue to be, a reflection of me. I don't need to be pigeon-holed or to compete with myself. This is my journey and it is a privilege and a joy to share it with you.

Caz xxx

Hand In Hand

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000Z

I wanted to share this piece of art work with you today. Entitled Hand In Hand it's a pen & ink drawing by my step-dad, Simon, whose birthday it would have been today.

Wasn't he talented? He did a lot of pen & ink mainly of dragons and fairies. I love this drawing in particular as it reminds me of Escher.

He loved fantasy art, nature, and Native American Indians. And us!

Simon, I miss you xxx

Quality Street

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000Z

This beautiful little Quality Street tin houses my button stash. I wish I had some more of these tins, they're so perfect for storage & are incredibly hardy.

They make me think of cake and Sundays from my childhood as well as being synonymous with Christmas... do they bring back memories for you? Do you use them as storage too? My mum used to bake most weekends and at Sunday teatime out would come the Quality Street or Roses tin with a delicious sponge cake inside... Mmmmm!

I've seen all the chocolate boxes appearing in shops for Christmas already it's just a shame they no longer come in these beautiful tins!

Hugs, Caz x

Five Images

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000Z

All of these shots were taken out and about in Oxford. The monster graffiti is near my bus stop & makes me smile each time I see it.

Hugs, Caz x

Sunday Shopping

2011-11-27T09:30:00.000Z

Isn't this fella absolutely awesome?!

He was on the Etsy front page and obviously caught my attention! He is hand drawn by James Ward and you can buy him from James' shop Jimbobart which is full of absolutely awesome goodies including plates, mugs, teapots, cake stands and illustrations. best of all he is based here in the UK, in London.

Go and check out his incredible animals in underpants!

hugs, Caz x

Know Your Coffees

2011-11-26T09:00:00.001Z

This gorgeous print is by Kate Moore and is available here. I don't know about you but I'm an Espresso girl myself.

Hugs, Caz x

The Money Saving List

2011-11-25T09:00:00.001Z

1. Try cleaning with Bicarbonate of Soda, lemons and good old vinegar. They're all free of unnecessary chemicals and are items you're likely to already have in your house.

2. If you shop somewhere regularly and they offer a loyalty/rewards card then it's worth getting it. You usually incur points for every pound you spend and you'll get money off vouchers and loyalty offers.

3. Join your local library. Who can say no to free books, CDs and DVDs? A lot of libraries are struggling to stay open so you'll be doing yourself and your community a favour by using one.

4. Buy secondhand. You really can get good quality clothing and homeware through charity shops and Ebay. If you're worried about buying second hand clothing make sure you check the quality carefully. Check the seams and for any stains that may not come out.

5. If you do have a carrier bag stash then make sure you reuse them. take them with you when you go shopping. Many shops charge you for carrier bags now.

6. Bulk up meals with rice, lentils and pasta. These are cheap staple items that go along way.

7. If you have a garden or patio try collecting rain water to use to water your plants with. And try growing your own herbs and salad leaves!

8. If you're a proud mum to a wee one try using cloth nappies instead of disposable ones.

9. Join Freecycle. It's a great way to get furniture, white goods and stuff for children for free.

10. Check out sites such as Groupon for 2 for 1 deals at your favourite local restaurants.

I hope that some of these are helpful to you... I'll do another ten at some point so keep your eyes open!

Hugs, Caz x

Textile Jewellery

2011-11-24T09:00:00.001Z

This piece is a lasso style necklace that I made a couple of years ago. It's definitely a very unusual statement piece! I made it using wool, felt, crystal chips and ribbon. I think perhaps I was more adventurous then than I am now?

Hugs, Caz x

Bargain Bounty!

2011-11-23T09:00:00.003Z

I popped into the British Heart Foundation shop yesterday & picked this little lot up for £11! Bargain!

The Water Babies was one of my favourite films when I was a child but I've never read the book.

An illustrated version of The Twits by Roald Dahl? Yes please!

The RSPB book of birds is lovely and will come in very useful as I can now practise drawing birds realistically.

Cider With Rosie I read at school and remember really enjoying it so when I spotted this copy for £1 I couldn't leave it sat on the shelf!

The McCalls Sewing book literally has everything you need to know in it! Plus some rather adorable illustrations which of course I'm going to have a go at drawing myself.

Last but not least is the General Science book first printed in 1937 and reprinted in 1938. I'm fairly certain that a few of the scientific theories in here are now deemed incorrect but it has some beautiful illustrations in it so I thought it was worth it's £3 price tag. It even has exam questions in the back!

The carrot illustration I've done from the General Science book. I'm sure when they printed it over 70 years ago this isn't quite what they had in mind but at least I'm still learning something!

Hugs, Caz x

PS. If you're on the hunt for Christmas decorations the British Heart Foundation shops are selling some quite adorable (new) ornaments this year!

Salvaged Roses Necklace

2011-11-22T20:23:00.002Z

I made this necklace this evening. I named it Salvaged Roses because the main piece is actually a broken cabochon that I've had lying around for ages. It is so pretty I wanted to salvage it somehow & this evening I figured out what I was going to do with it! I have sewn & glued it onto five layers of felt so the backing is very sturdy. Then I've simply slipped it onto a silver ball chain. What do you think?

*Now available here*

Frugal Beauty

2011-11-22T09:00:00.001Z

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Do you, like me, have a large collection of beauty products? I spend approximately £80 every month on toiletries. According to Google in the UK most women spend between £50-100 each month. I have to confess that I almost have a heart attack when I'm doing my shopping in Boots & the cashier cheerfully says "That'll be £83.72 then please." I finally got a Boots Advantage card a few months back which has come in handy upon occasion. Need some Iburofen but you're completely broke? Use the points on your Advantage card, yay! Also they send you out vouchers which are obviously useful. However I feel that I really need to bring that average monthly spend back down.

I'm a sucker for a deal as much as the next person (read: woman) so sometimes I end up buying more than I intended. Buy one Body Wash & get the second half price? Awesome! Except.. why am I buying Body Wash in the first place? What's wrong with good old fashioned soap? It costs less, lasts longer & is naturally antibactericidal to boot. Basically soap just isn't fashionable! Body wash, bubble bath, shower gel, make-up remover, cleansers & toners are. The honest truth is that these overpriced & over packaged products just aren't all necessary.

I know that some women choose to spend their money on beauty products as their luxury. I've had my moments of coveting beautifully packaged and smelling products but I can't afford them. For me money is tight and I've set myself on a path to living a more sustainable lifestyle so spending money on toiletries is something that I need to think about.

Going back to basics doesn't have to mean completely missing out on luxury though.The variety of beautiful handmade soaps you can get these days is astounding. I'll wait until my three (yep, three!) bottles of shower gels & creams run out and then I'll replace them with soap. I'm already out of bubble bath so I'm now using sea salt and essential oils such as lavender or lemongrass. Yes these can be expensive but as you only need to add a couple of drops to running water they last for ages.

I have a few other tricks up my sleeve for my product declutter including using body oil as moisturiser (it lasts forever and leaves your skin silky and soft) and make-up remover and a flannel instead of disposable wipes.

How about you? Are you a Luxury Beauty Junkie, a Green Bathing Queen or somewhere in between like me?

A Collection

2011-11-21T16:34:00.001Z

I'm trying to get in to the habit of using my camera more. These shots are of the nature collection I have by the bed in my room. Shells, crystals and a conker... the one in Tom's room has fir cones and feathers.

I have previously mentioned that I want to use more of my own photographs on my blog and I am thinking of making it a goal for the New Year. Have you started thinking of New Year goals yet? I've already come up with a few, I'll be posting about them in December.

Using other peoples photographs on your blog is always a grey area. I think that most people are OK with it as long as you link back to them which is something I always try to do. However there are some out there who request that you ask permission first and others who do not want you to reproduce their work, both of these positions are fair enough! People often use photographs and don't credit them at all which is thoughtless. Since the subject of using photos has become a bit of a minefield & because I want to push myself artistically I have therefore reached the conclusion that using more and more of my own photographs is important to me and my integrity.

How about you? Has blogging made you a better photographer?

Hugs, Caz x

A Guide To Dining In Oxford...

2011-11-20T09:00:00.000Z

*Al Andalus, Tapas Bar, Little Clarendon Street, Jericho*

This Tapas bar is a real favourite of mine. My friends from work & I gohere quite a lot! The food is delicious, with a huge choice of meats, cheese,and fish. It's unpretentious, has a really nice garden area at the back &occasionally has live Flamenco! It's not the best place to go if you'revegetarian but they are very accomodating if you have food allergies.

*Pierre Victoire, Little Clarendon Street, Jericho*

This family run French restaurant is another real favourite of ours. Thefood here is always fantastic and the service is great. It gets very busy so itis advisable to book, however if you do chance it, they'll give you a waitingtime if there are no free tables & are more than happy for you to get adrink elsewhere during that time.

*The Oxford Retreat, Hythe Bridge Street*

I've included the Retreat for three reasons. Firstly, they serve great foodand their dining area is lovely.

Secondly, if you're hungry at 1.30am they stay open until 3am on Friday& Saturday nights and serve pizza after midnight!

Which leads to the third reason... we are there virtually every Friday andSaturday night after work! It's perfect for us because we don't finish tillgone midnight and actually having somewhere we can go, grab a pint, and sharepizza after work is fantastic.

*The Mission, St. Michaels Street and The High Street*

If you're hungry and want good foodon the go then this is my recommendation! They make the most amazing Burritos.My favourite is the Chicken Fajita Burrito, Tom's is the Vegetarian Burrito.Awesome.

*Cafe Coco, Hythe Bridge Street/Park End and Cowley Road*

These guys serve a great Full English Breakfast. At the Cowley Roadrestaurant the pizza's are great. For some reason at the City Centre restaurantthey aren't so good, but the Chorizo & Mushroom salad is delicious. Theservice in both isn't so great but if you're after somewhere casual to getBrunch then they're pretty good.

*Mario's, Cowley Road*

We went here on our anniversary. It really feels like a proper Italianrestaurant, it's a great place to people watch and the pizza's are amazing.

Have you got a favourite eaterie in Oxford? If so please share!

Keep an eye out for more in the My Oxford series,

Hugs, Caz x

The Pink Post

2011-11-19T19:39:00.001Z

Click the numbers below to link to the source.

1, 2, 3, 4

Final picture is Oscar my new owl! Tom bought him today for me as a surprise present!

All Change!

2011-11-19T09:50:00.000Z

It's all change on the job front for me! I handed my notice in on Thursday at work as I've interviewed for and been offered an Assistant Manager position in a different restaurant. I'm very excited! I'll wait until nearer the time to share more with you but suffice to say it's a great opportunity. I am however very sad at the thought of leaving somewhere that I've been at for so long and not being able to work with all my friends anymore. Like I said though it's a fabulous chance to do something new and I'm really looking forward to a new challenge!

Mixed Media Art #2

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000Z

I absolutely love mixed media art so thought it was time I shared some more with you. These artists all sell on Etsy so if you click their name it'll take you to their shop. Sarah Ogren also makes the most beautiful jewellery.

1 & 2 Bobbi Lewin

3 & 4 Patti Ballard

5 & 6 Sarah Ogren

7 Shyama Helin

Hugs, Charis

The Green Thing

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000Z

My mum sent me this email which brought a wry smile to my face with the truthfulness of it... so I thought i'd share.

"In the line at the supermarket, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the shop or off licence. They sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized and refilled and re-used. So it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have lifts and escalators in every shop and office building.
We walked to the local shops and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go to a supermarket.
We bought fruit and veg loose - and washed them at home. We didn't have to throw away bins full of plastic, foam and paper packaging that need huge recycling plants fed by monster trucks all day, everyday.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power and hand clippers for the hedges.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a brightly lit, air conditioned health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity and then drink millions of bottles of that special water from those plastic bottles.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new plastic pen, and we replaced blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole plastic razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their parents into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest fish & chip shop.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?"

Isn't this just so true? So many of the things that we use that are strangling our planet are unnecessary and we used to manage perfectly well without. I think it's time that those of us that feel we are doing our bit because we recycle, like myself, need to really take stock. Is what you/I are doing really enough?

Five Images

2011-11-15T09:00:00.000Z

All recent shots of mine.

Marilyn Fever

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000Z

My Week With Marilyn.. yep, I really really want to see it! And yep, this is now my chance to post some gratuitous Marilyn pictures.. well, she was gorgeous.

Shop Update

2011-11-13T20:00:00.000Z

These two necklaces made it in to my shop today.

I've also added an About Charismagick page & a News & Updates page.

Berlin Street Art

2011-11-13T17:06:00.001Z

A few years ago I went to Berlin for my birthday. I'd never been before & would definitely like to go back! I found these photos the other day, to be honest they're mostly just graffiti, however the street art in Berlin is actually pretty awesome so, sit back, put your feet up & enjoy!

(A couple of these are a bit blurry... back in the days of SLR...)

DIY Christmas Felt 'Paper' Chains

2011-11-12T16:00:00.000Z

Remember making paper chains every Christmas when you were a child?

I've come up with a couple of variations for you! Here's the first...

Felt 'Paper' Chains

Cut out felt strips approx 1/2 inch wide & 7" long. I've made mine in two varying shades of pink as I intend to keep them up in my room but for a festive feel try green, red, silver & white felt.

Once you've cut up what you think is enough strips to start your chain (remember you can always add more) stop cutting!

Get one strip, join the ends with an approximate 1cm overlap and stitch together with either matching or contrasting thread, your choice.

Voila!

Pick up the next strip and thread through the first strip before stitching the ends together.

Repeat until your felt chain is at the desired length.

The beauty of making this felt Christmas 'paper' chain is that you can pack it away carefully & bring it out year after year!

The alternative paper chain idea I had is to use up old magazines, advertising leaflets (ie from supermarkets) & newspapers to make your paper chains instead of using tissue paper as is traditional. A good way to recycle!

Murder Mysteries

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000Z

I have a confession.

I have an obsession with murder mysteries.

It came to light after a conversation with my dad. I mean, I knew that I liked murder mysteries but once I started listing the ones I like to watch we realised just how bad it is...

Poirot, Murder She Wrote, CSI (all three), Midsummer Murders, NCIS, Cold Case, Columbo, Lewis, Diagnosis Murder, New Tricks, Inspector Morse, Silent Witness, Death In Paradise.. we watched an episode of Foyle's War. I liked it, that'll be added to my list now too!

I'm not sure why I'm drawn to them, it's definitely not for the gore... I like the suspense, following the clues, trying to guess who it was that 'did' it I guess!

What is your secret obsession?

Ten Things

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000Z

As my Ten Things on the Tenth post for November I thought I'd share with you ten blogs that I've found really inspirational this year & why...

A Beautiful Mess I know that a lot of people will have come across Elsie's blog and may well be familiar with her. I've been reading it for 3 years now and I still like popping over there for fun tutorials, peeks at her life (yes I'm nosey!) and her business tips.

Roots & Feathers I love Laura's blog. I think that she makes gorgeous jewellery and her husband makes great tees. Her blog is so earthy and real and honest. She shares quite a part of herself on it and I think that's why I keep going back.

Keri Smith If you read my blog often you might have seen me refer to Keri before. I really like her artwork, her website is interactive and I love her blog. As I said yesterday she encourages people to think outside the box, to look at things in a new way. Oddly enough I first came across Keri after a college tutor recommended her!

Katie's Pencil Box I adore Katie's blog because of the colour! Her photography is fantastic and her use of colour is just incredibly inspirational. Plus admittedly I love the shots of her & her family!

Skunkboy Creatures Another Katie I love to visit... She makes incredible plushies, puts together great tutorials and I always find her blog a fun place to visit!

The Art Room Plant Hazel's blog is like visiting an online art gallery. She finds the most amazing artists and posts their work up and I am just one of many people who visit to see who she's discovered!

Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping Lakota's blog is witty, well written, and unique. She shares her charity shop finds as well as entertaining us with her thoughts on Ebay and Mollie Makes amongst other things.

Vintage Vixen I love Vix's blog... she shows you how easily you can throw together an awesome mainly vintage outfit for hardly a penny (minor exaggeration) but she can show you how to put together one of todays fashion trends for a fiver.

Skulls and Ponies Fran is a diamond. She's a fellow crafter who genuinely likes featuring other crafters to her blog, is refreshingly honest about depression and migraines and because of her I now know all about Lionheart Magazine!

Tiny Happy Melissa's blog is just beautiful. She's a crafter who is greatly inspired by nature and she shares photographs of her creations and the plants and flowers that inspired them. A lovely slice of the Blogosphere.

I hope that if you haven't read any of these blogs before that you pop over and have a look because, believe me, they're worth it.

100 Ideas no.83 (Keri Smith 100 Ideas)

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000Z

83. Write about your day in an encyclopedic fashion. (i.e. organize by subject.)

Family: Dad, my brother Grant, his wife Mel and my newborn nephew Byron. He's beautiful! He's two days old & I cradled him on my lap for 20 minutes.

Food: Breakfast ~ Philaedelphia on toast, Snacks ~ Salt & Vinegar French Fries, Sainsburys cornflake cakes, Dinner ~ Homepride cheese & bacon pasta bake with chicken. Tea.

Reading: Mollie Makes, Keri Smith ~ particularly this post & the blogs I have in Google Reader.

Shopping: At Sainsburys & the Co-Op.

Travel: From Kettering to Northampton & vice versa.

TV: a James May programme, Death In Paradise & a Simon & Garfunkel documentary (whilst writing this post).

Well, that was my day yesterday! This post was actually quite difficult to write.. firstly you need to list everything you did & then arrange it by subject, an odd way of trying to convey what you did throughout the day. That's why I'm such a fan of Keri Smith though as her lists and posts, as well her artwork, make you think differently. She encourages you to think outside the box and her website is a fantastic place to visit if you are suffering from a mental block of pretty much any kind. Check her out!

Happy Birthday Mum!

2011-11-08T09:13:00.000Z

Today is mums birthday, I'm not seeing her unfotunately, but have sent her a present I'd have happily kept for myself (tee hee) and a beautiful card... & of course her first grandson arrived on Sunday!

Like myself mum is also a keen crafter, her passion being papercrafts, although lately she has also taken up beading and I love that when I go and stay with her we almost always end up being crafty!

I am so like her it can be scary... our temperants are very similar and we look so alike, especially when I wear my glasses :) Of course that means my mummy is beautiful!

The last few years have been difficult for her and I want to use this opportunity to tell her that I love her, I'm proud of her and she means so much to me.

Happy birthday mum, I love you xxx

How Green Is Your Crafting?

2011-11-07T18:57:00.001Z

I'm aiming to try and be greener with mine. Due to cashflow issues I have decided that through November I won't be buying ANY new crafting supplies. I bought quite a bit over the summer due to the bridal necklace and bridesmaids gifts I made and starting college, however with that and all the other stock I've accrued over the last few years I think I've got plenty!

I've got felt beads waiting to be turned in to necklaces, balls of wool for pom pom making, two huge bin liners full of fabric, findings and beads all over the place & two pencil cases full of embroidery thread. Don't even get me started on art supplies and an oddly large range of glue! I have piles of magazines waiting to turn into collages and maps to go into pendants. The list goes on.

The idea is, especially now with an imminent house move, to use up as much as I can of the stock that I already have through November before reassessing at the beginning of December... I may decide to continue the challenge till the end of the year.

I'm one of those people who stashes used jiffy bags so that I can reuse them to post stuff out in myself. Now that I'm selling my jewellery I am a little unsure about how far I can go with recycled packaging... a reused jiffy bag can easily be prettied up with coloured paper, doodles, stickers and patterned tape (don't worry I already have these in my stash!) but what else is usable as recycled packaging? Bubble wrap & polystyrene chips are good ones to reuse as is tissue paper. I have been known to store my earrings in the plastic eggs you get your gloves in when you buy a box of hair dye... with pretty shredded paper as inner packagiong and a ribbon on the outside would they be deemed as acceptable packaging?

What do you think? Do you try to recycle and upcycle? Is it something that you look for when you're making a purchase? Is it something that you do naturally?

My beautiful nephew, Byron

2011-11-07T09:47:00.001Z

This beautiful bundle is my nephew, Byron, with his parents Grant & Melanie.

Blog Update

2011-11-06T18:20:00.000Z

Just playing about with the new Dynamic Views template as I really like the magazine style.

What do you think? If I keep it then I'll re-add my lovely blog header from Kathryn, but I can't do that at the moment as I'm away from home at the moment and am blogging from my dads laptop!

Very excited now as my sister-in-law has gone in to labour, my little nephew is on his way! (Yep that's my brother & his wife in the pic.)

Anyway I have an evening in now with my dad, a curry & the Beatrix Potter movie so good times ahead!

A Home

2011-11-06T12:09:00.001Z

Good news!

It looks like in January I'll be moving into Tom's house. The lodger there is going so I can actually move in. Having all of my stuff in one place is going to be such a nice feeling. For the first time in over a year I will finally have all of my belongings under one roof and have one place that I can call home. As any of you that have read my blog for a while may know I've been living over two houses and generally feeling quite discomforted by it.

Most people take their homes for granted, but believe me, not having one place that is your home, your sanctuary, is a difficult thing. I really do think that it causes a stress all of it's own and will be one that come January 2012 I can lay to rest.

It will be so great to have enough cupboard space to actually keep a decent stock of dried goods and spices and to have more than two shelves in the fridge. I will be able to plan meals and we can cut back on takeaways! As much as the odd Indian or Dominos is nice the urge to cook for the people I love is stronger.

And it will be great not having to disappear off into the middle of the night every time A comes to stay. I'll be able to get up and have breakfast in the morning with her.

It's those little things that make a home and I'm excited about moving in to mine!

Awesome Tutorials

2011-11-05T09:45:00.000Z

I thought I'd share some of the fabulous tutorials I've seen dotted around with you in case you haven't spotted them yourself..

This jumper is AMAZING!!! Um, also, this one isn't actually a tutorial but if you pop over to Tiny Owl Knits you can buy the PDF pattern & make your own! If you can knit. Which I can't!

How to sew all those fiddly felt bits without them going wonky over at Future girl!

A cute spool necklace tutorial over at Wild Olive.

Bright colourful friendship bracelets over at HonestlyWTF

Lovely necklace over at Elsie's...

And this gorgeous felt-leaf garland on Instructables.

I'm off work for a week so I might give the friendship bracelets a go... and maybe the leaf garland.

Have a great weekend,

Hugs, Caz x

We Need To Talk About Kevin

2011-11-04T16:47:00.001Z

I don't know if you've read this book. I have. It is brutal and harrowing and heartfelt and unusual.

Obviously I was sceptical about seeing the movie as films of your favourite books end up being a disappointment as a rule. However with an endorsement from the author herself, Lionel Shriver, "A stunning adaptation..." how could I not go and see it?!

The film is incredible. Charlie & I had read the book, Itsa & Matteo hadn't and we all thought that it was a well-made film. The acting is beautiful, Tilda Swinton, John Reilly and Ezra Miller absolutely nailed it. It's very cleverly done & as it neared it's climax my heart was in my mouth.

It will leave you slightly sad but eager to discuss it. Go watch it, it's worth it!

On a lighter note we saw the trailer for this...

...which I'm definitely planning to go and watch in December!

Hugs Caz x

Shop Update

2011-11-02T13:52:00.000Z

I added some more pendants to my shop today... if you're thinking of getting a pretty necklace for someone for Christmas, pop over & take a look!

Hugs, Caz xox

The Pink Post

2011-11-02T10:02:00.000Z

Some random pinkness for you... I absolutely adore the little girl doing her embroidery! Click on the numbers below for sources.

Hugs, Caz xox

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

*Charismagick*

Blue skies...

January Blues

50,000 Giveaway!

A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

Lets Talk About Us...

Skinny v curves

(Un)Dressing for women?

Five Images

Non Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD)

Oxford

Pepperoni Pasta Recipe

Bathtub Gin

My lazy day with Poirot

Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese

Confessions of a Cheesaholic

Going Green...

Balance

Five Images

Happy New Year

52 in 52

Charismagick Badge!

Shop Update

Five Images

Our Room Mini Tour

At The Aviary

Dear Santa...

Boxing Day

The Christmas Day Walk

Merry Christmas

Restaurant Etiquette...

Things I Did This Year

My Favourite Christmassy Things...

Polish Folk Art

Friend Envy

Five Images

And The Winner Is...

It's Crazy Round Here!

Vintage Fashion Book Xmas Giveaway!

Today I Am Mystified By.... Celebrity Hair.

Sale Coming Soon...

Ten Things

Gonna Party Like It's My Birthday...

It's My Birthday!

Snapshot: Right Now

From The Archives..

Busy Busy Bee...

The Weekend Rewind

Night Night Necklace

Five Images: Donde Esta La Musica?!

I Heart Felt

For The Love Of Blogging...

Hand In Hand

Quality Street

Five Images

Sunday Shopping

Know Your Coffees

The Money Saving List

Textile Jewellery

Bargain Bounty!

Salvaged Roses Necklace

Frugal Beauty

A Collection

A Guide To Dining In Oxford...

The Pink Post

All Change!

Mixed Media Art #2

The Green Thing

Five Images

Marilyn Fever

Shop Update

Berlin Street Art

DIY Christmas Felt 'Paper' Chains

Murder Mysteries

Ten Things

100 Ideas no.83 (Keri Smith 100 Ideas)

Happy Birthday Mum!

How Green Is Your Crafting?

My beautiful nephew, Byron

Blog Update

Charismagick