A Catch Up

It has been such a long time since I did a blog post that I thought it was time for a catch up! The last things I wrote about happened in January.

 

 

I had a few days in the sunshine in Tenerife in February, it was lovely to see some blue skies and feel some warmth.

 

My big brother also turned 30 in February. What's a better way to celebrate than with an M&S Colin the Caterpillar cake!?

 

March was a busy month, it began with my friends hen do, which involved some spa treatments, a night out dressed as various animals, and cocktails served from teapots!

I also had a trip with work to Hungary, which allowed me a small amount of time to see some of the beautiful city of Budapest.

 

 April begun with the beautiful wedding of my friend Anna, the bride looked beautiful and it was a happy and emotional day. Here is a photo of the table centrepieces from the day.

 

That brings me about up to date. Now I'm enjoying the Easter holidays, with not much planned apart from enjoying myself, catching up with friends and family and attending another wedding. I'm enjoying a spot of sewing and signs of Spring.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Rachel

xxx

 

Newness

I know it's been ages since Christmas and New Year but I haven't had chance to write so this is my Happy New Year post.

Christmas feels like months ago now and I've also had my 27th birthday since then!

I got totally spoilt for both Christmas and my birthday and I thought I'd share a couple of my presents which have become some current 'favourite things'.

I was lucky enough to receive some Dubarry boots for my birthday. They are very expensive, but fantastic, comfortable, warm and sturdy. They'll be great for snow (if we get any!) and alongside my new wax Barbour jacket, I'm all setup for the great outdoors :-).

 

In my last post, I mentioned my new found love of Anthropologie and shared a picture of my plate. Well for Christmas, I got two new Anthro items.

 

I LOVE the mug, so much that I'm having to force myself to give it up to the dishwasher for washing :-). It's a current simple pleasure to drink a nice cup of tea out of this.

The other item is the gorgeous pair of tights. They're gorgeous, but at the moment I'm struggling to team them with an outfit, and I'm on the lookout for a plain black skirt to wear them with. As soon as I get that problem sorted, I know I am going to love wearing them!

 

What are your current favourites helping you to get through January?

 

Thanks for reading.

Rachel xx

 

Recent Times

Well we're already in the middle of the half term holiday and it seems Autumn has landed. It is surprisingly nice to feel a chill in the air as it has been weirdly warm recently. However, I'm not too keen on the dark evenings that are creeping in. Before we know it, it'll be Christmas!

I spent a lovely couple of days in the Lake District this week, but as usual, was greeted with rain! Here are some of the things I enjoyed while I was there,

 

 

This photograph was taken in one of the rare occasions when it wasn't raining!

Derwentwater is beautiful and I could spend all day sitting on a nearby bench looking at the scenery.

 

 

Food and drink! There are some really lovely coffee shops, tea rooms, and traditional English pubs in Keswick. One place I really loved was Temporary Measure. A gorgeous little tea rooms/knitting shops selling a mixture of delicious cakes and beautiful wool.

 

 Shopping! I got a few nice bits and pieces as there are some lovely, individual shops to spend your money in. This photo is of a most stunning chair in the window of a shop called The Orchid House. They sell a super range of homeware, accessories, and lots of other nice bits from designers such as Greengate and RICE DK.

 

 

Hope you've been up to some lovely stuff.

Thanks for reading.
Rachel xxx

 

 

Beauty in Bulgaria

I have spent this week in a small town named Velingrad, in Bulgaria. The week was part of an educational project, linking a range of school across Europe.

It was a shock to me to find a country so poor and lacking in amenities close in proximity to Britain. It is humbling to return home and realise how lucky we are to live in a successful country where the children in our schools have a good time and are well resourced.

Even though the country was poor and infrastructure was shabby, I believe beauty can be found everywhere and I managed to find some to share with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week in Bulgaria had difficulties, but I have returned feeling thankful for the life I lead, the culture I experienced and the people I met and formed friendships with while I was away.  

 

I am looking forward to seeing the next country I will visit, wherever that may be.

 

Thanks for reading.

Rachel xx

 

 

Before and After

I had wanted a new chair for my sewing table for quite a while when I came across an old, battered, wooden one in a reclamation shop which for some odd reason, I liked. A fiver later, I was trying to squueze it into the back of my little Corsa :-).

It stayed in the garage for ages until the summer holidays arrived and I had a bit more time than usual to give it a little TLC. Someone with woodwork knowledge very kindly made it sturdy again and sanded in down, in a much better way than I could. Here is what the chair looked like after the first couple of steps.

 

 

From here, I gave painted it with white undercoat, and then two coats of my chosen coloured emulsion. I had my paint mixed but it's still not the ideal colour. I'd have preferred it to be a bit more green.

Once it was dry I used a decorating knife to scrape off parts of the paint to reveal the wood underneath, giving it an old, battered effect. Finally, I painted it with quick drying emulsion and upholstered a drop in seat pad with some nice, new fabric.

 

The photo isn't the great quality and you can't see the colours very well but hopefully, you get the idea. I must admit, it was quite a bit of work to get the chair to this point, but I'm happy that it's completely individual and it does look lovely in my sewing room :-).

 

Thanks for reading.

Rachel xx 

 

Sensational Scandinavia

After returning from Tenerife, I was home for a few days before going away again! Although trips to Tenerife are lovely, I was desperate to see somewhere different this Summer, and so I booked a short, five day Scandinavian cruise. It's difficult to find a friend who can afford the money and time to be a travel companion in the summer holidays, so my Mum kindly joined me.

 

 

I had never been on a cruise before and didn't really know what to expect! However, I must admit that I experienced the best, most professional and personal customer service. The food was also exquisite, with a wide range of choice and tasted far better than any Michelin starred food I have eaten. Evenings on the ship were really lovely.

 

I visited Norway as a teenager and fell in love with its cleanliness, outdoors way of life, stunning scenery, traditions and politeness. This time, I came away loving it even more! We went up mountains, discovered the spectacular fjords, ate in Bergens famous fish market and explored the cities gorgeous wooden buildings.

 

 

The Orkney Isles were equally as gorgeous, but unfortunately it poured with rain while we were there. Of course, it wouldnt have been a holiday without doing a spot of shopping. We bought some real traditional Norwegian goods!

 

Overall, it was a fantastic holiday and I would love to do it all over again!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Love Rachel xx

The Summer So Far

Although we've had some nice weather in England this Summer, this term did seem to be a long one and it took me a while to unwind and feel back to normal (if I ever really feel "normal").

I have got a few projects underway which I will hopefully show you soon, in the meantime, I'm going to share a few other things I've been getting up to. 

 

Some baking...

Bertie and I have made friends with lots of dogs of all shapes and sizes.

 

...and currently, I'm enjoying some sunshine and family time in our Tenerife home...

 

 

 

...eating tonnes of fresh, tropical fruit, frozen yoghurt, and drinking Sangria and Mojitos.

 

 

It's been a great start to the Summer and there's still more to come!

What have you been up to!?

 

Thanks for reading.

Rachel xx