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Friday 31 August 2012

urgh...

feeling really sick and low today. My lack of immunity is really bugging me and being weak anyway just hasnt helped what so ever! oh well!
Spent most the day in bed, after a restless night where I achieved a great thing (well for me!) and sewed up a quilt cover from some new patchwork squares bought yesterday in Tavistock.

 put into the oven some slow roasted garlic new potatoes...smelled yummy and very much looking forward to eating!
 The quilt cover sewn up in a couple of hours...im real pleased with it. A great first attempt!
 My dinner tonight, bought by the hubby! Yummy!
Being ill sucks balls big time, least i snuggled up under the quilt cover, doing a little work to it as i watched most haunted and angels and demons...its a really good film and i recommend it, way better than Da Vinci Code, both the film and book!

I hate low days, i just think "why is happiness so hard?" and wonder if I will ever forget/put to rest the pain and feelings and move on. I want to, i really want to. I just can't help but look back and look now and feel so disappointed and let down. Plus as ime goes by and more evidence comes to light, I just think "wow...You're really messed up aren't you? Glad you're not my problem in a way..."
Just need to give myself a good, strong slap to snap out of it dammit!

Ever had one of those days?

Birdie Love
xxx

Things I'm afraid to tell you...



This is a post share of a circulating theme going around blogs at the moment where I've taken inspiration from AdaLou's Blog (thank you!) and actually typing this is a little bit of self therapy in a way. So go ahead and enjoy...


  1. I always want to help other people even if it ends up destroying me in the process.
  2. I will always believe I will never be good enough
  3. I am scared of the idea and notions of commitment and commiting to things, I hate being trapped.
  4. I don't really care about money much when really i should.
  5. I made my peace with being a girly-girl, i genuinely believe if other women say it in a negative or pointless way they are jealous or uncomfortable with my confidence to wear a skirt/dress!
  6. I am motivated by the wrong things in life in the vain hope it will work out ok...it never does!
  7. Relationships mean more to me than I understand them to do and wish them too.
  8. I miss my brother everyday but admire him for standing alone.
  9. I have an irrational phobia of crabs which is funny as, as a child i spent ages rock-pooling for them and now...i run the other way...they actually take my breath away with their yucky-ness!
  10. I actually hate telling people i'm deaf.
  11. A lot of people know me for having great speech but it isn't my real voice, I actually have a "Deaf voice" which i rarely use and am greatly embarassed by it. If you want to upset me right there and then, analysing my speech and voice is the way to do it!
  12. I don't think there ever has been or ever will be a nice photo of me, I don't think i photograph well.
  13. I'm impatient but am more patient than i give myself credit for.
  14. I lack great confidence in myself when it comes to things that mean something to me
  15. I hate compliments and i'm uneasy to accept them. I don't like drawing attention to myself and getting praise or the likes. I like to put myself "out there" for me and nothing else.
  16. I like to deliberately give the impression i'm a hard-nosed bitch and the whole "don't mess with me aura" when actually you're likely to find me shaking and crying just before I tell someone to go fuck themselves. I guess I mastered the fine art of faking confidence - i had to as had no choice.
  17. I will never again love in that way no more.
  18. When I go out, I rather not drink. I'm not fussed about drinking alcohol. I hold booze too well that by the time I get drunk I'm sober or I'm broke!
  19.  I'm very open-minded. It takes a lot to shake me.
  20. I would love to have singing lessons
  21. As much as I don't mind playing games online and on consoles, I will admit I do not understand how people waste so much time of their lives playing it day in and day out...it's not real and there's a life outside your front door, you need to live it dammit even if it is sucky!
  22. I'm a closet nerd...and i seriously doubt i be coming out!
  23. I'm very self consious about the things I make, sew or create.
  24. I find it really hard to let go of the hurtful things, no matter what i do
  25. I know I can achieve great things for me if I got on and did it, I'm just very, very scared too and I don't know why
  26. I desire a vespa ever since I was 13...a mint green one!
  27. I love christmas at my parents house, my family really does make it into a big thing and we take the time to really enjoy it!
  28. It absolutely kills me when someone i care about deeply is dissapointed in me.
  29. I cannot stand bullying, I walk away even when others think I shouldn't. I think a bully is a shallow person and deeply unhappy and insecure in themselves and its easier to divert it and blame it on someone else than actually be an adult and deal with it.
  30. I miss having a dog, Floss was one of a kind and I miss her badly.
It's been great to see many bloggers opening up and showing we are all not perfect, we are all beautifully flawed! If you decide to do a list like this one (please do!) please feel free to leave in your comment below, your blog address so I can have a read too!

Birdie Love
xxx

Thursday 30 August 2012

Tavistock













browsing today in the little town of Tavistock with a friend, streets full of boutique and wonderful independant shops. Local goodies were sold in the pannier market at reasonable out-of-cities prices.
My favourite cheese shop of all time jammed full of cheeses both made on the premises and from all over and the southwest. No supermarket produced stuff here! And it is easy to see why there is often a huge queue out the door!
The wonderful Deli in the centre of town was full of food goodies and curios across the small shop, full of vintage displays and wonderfully colourful bottles of soup, jars of chutneys and chocolates too!
Tavistock is a nice place to go to wile away a few hours, in the sunshine and enjoying this lovely old town. And make sure you enjoy a slice of blueberry and sour cream cake if you find it - it's delish!
I tell you something, the evenings here are getting cooler and shorter and a part of me is very sad to witness this really....i mean, we didn't even have a summer as such!
Also a part of me is now really craving for a holiday, one abroad to satisfy my wanderlust and a few proper weekends away, enjoying a new place to discover. At the moment it is pipe dreams but oh well!
I guess I kind of hit that limit within me where I'm like "sod it, just do it and enjoy it!"
I'm eyeing up a course I really want to do - Parapsychology! I'm so interested in this subject and how the human mind works under these conditions! And I guess in a way I would be a legitamate ghostbuster! Oh yeah! Yeah, go me...such a nerd!
I think the key to life for me and for anyone is to be open minded and look for new experiences to enjoy and be true to yourself, something I'm keeping in mind right now!
This blog is keeping me going, it is the one thing I love to focus on and it has already pushed me out and about, even on days where I don't want to, just to experience somehting to share here and for me to read back and realise that actually I am fighting back and getting stronger!

Go me!

Birdie Love
xxx


"Bee"craft share





Today's craft share is based on bees. "Why?" I hear you ask? Well, my recent trip to The Eden Project highlighted just how much we need them in our lives and on our planet. There's is a world-wide decline in the number of bees and although reading it at first you'll be forgiven for thinking "Well, so what?" the more you think about it, the worrying this is.
We need bees. Simple as that.
Without them, we would have no food as they are the main reason why plants pollenate and turn into fruits and vegables and grow evermore via spreading seeds.
Without bees, it would even impact meat production.
It has been said that if bees was to disappear, man would have four years to live. Whether or not this is true we just have to hope we never come to find out. eek!

So this craft share is to show respect to the humble bee and to glorify how such a little critter can be so beautiful in many ways, and to also showcase some beautiful works of art by craftsters across the globe!


Gold Bumble Bee Bobby Pin Set - Made to Order
http://www.etsy.com/people/shopelizabethperry?ref=ls_profile
What a lovely shade of gold! It really does stand out and look so bright yet delicate no? I have dark brown hair (at the moment!) and I can see myself wearing these, so dramatic against such a dark background. Little golden bumbles peeking out to see! I got a little crush on these!


Love Card - Bee Vomit
http://www.etsy.com/shop/witandwhistle?ref=seller_info

OK, there are so many cliche cards out there..."bee mine..."...."You're sweeter than honey"...."you're the bee's knees!".....and so on...you get the idea!
This one is in-your-face-startling-cute-yet-different!
Perfect for the liks of me who want to express my love but not in the total cringe-fest of ways!

....wonder what bee vomit would taste like anyway?....

...........can bees actually vomit?.......



....the mind boggles....

Dog Hat -  Bumble Bee Hat - The Original Pug Hat
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicalynneart?ref=seller_info

Every pug lover just cant wait to turn their little ball of pug love into a bumble bee no?! Though I have no pug (but I will soon in september!), when it's cold and dreary outside, my pug would be wearing this...oh yes! These can be made for other breeds of dogs too! But there's something about a pug dressed as a bee that gets you right there...*chokes up!*



Tiny Bee Stacking Ring, Sterling Silver, 18k gold bee, Made to order
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PatrickIrlaJewelry?ref=seller_info

Wow! I am in awe of this little ring! look at how small, fragile and dainty it is! And did i mention fragile?!

I love this little ring a lot! These are apparently stack 'em rings and they would look amazing grouped together but I would just wear this little guy on his own to admire all day long. That gold there is so warm and bright! I actually keep coming back to this image as I like it that much! Wow! The shop is worth checking out as there are some beautiful and I mean beautiful piece in here!

One Porcelain Yellow Bee Tea Cup
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FaithAdamsCeramics?ref=seller_info

Bees and yellow just go hand in hand together no? And I love the soft yellow on the outside of this cup with the heavy featured bee inside. I can see myself drinking warm herbal tea, sweetened with a little bit of (what else?!) honey, on a cold, grey day. This shade of yellow makes me warm and happy!

"Each tea cup is wheel-thrown and made of mid-fire porcelain. The exterior is glazed with a buttery, slightly transparent yellow and the interior of the cup features a bee, painted in black underglaze with clear glaze. Each bee is painted by hand using a graphite transfer process.

There is so much wonderful symbolism and myth connected to bees. They are associated with immortality, resurrection and fertility. The facts about bees are even more fascinating than the myths: the Queen bee is the sole mother of all the bees in the hive; all worker bees are female, and male bees, called drones, are only birthed when the Queen needs them to fertilize her eggs; the Queen is often the only member of the hive to survive the Winter, and she rebuilds the hive in the Spring."


 As nicely pointed out by faithadams ceramics, I completely forgotten about the mythology and stories behind bees. It seems they were admired and respected as long as there's been humans! I admire how such a dainty little cup has been wheel-thrown by hand from a heavy ball of lifeless clay - such a patient skill! Nice one! I could snuggle up to this cup! :)

WOMEN'S Bee Mandala Printed in Honey Yellow on a Gray Bella Soft 100% Cotton Slim Fit Screen Printed T-Shirt
http://www.etsy.com/shop/astrolaboratory?ref=seller_info
I like this t-shirt, again the yellow really pops against the grey and to be honest, a lot of bees do in reality don't they? A bright ball of colour against the grey skies and green grass!
But what more,  Adam Stare who created this lovely t-shirt has this to say -

 "This Bee Mandala was made to bring awareness to the devastation of Colony Collapse Disorder and to lend support to the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.
The Bees offer their hard work to us and I wish to do my part to help Protect them."


Adam, nice work! I think it's great to see craftsters like yourself making goodies and raising awareness as well and money for a great cause! I wish you well in your success dude!

Bee's World Crewel Embroidery Kit
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Theflossbox?ref=seller_info

Awww! Look at that fuzzy-wuzzy bee! Don't you want to just reach out and stroke this embroidery?
And what is great is, this is actually a sewing kit you can purchase! This could be lovingly made by yourselves! Craft that is promoting others to make a piece of craft? Love it!
Lovely colour way used and a great variety of textures!

Set of 2 - HONEY Bee - Multi-Purpose Flour Sack Bar Towels - Renewable Natural Cotton
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZenThreads?ref=seller_info
 Ah! I can't get enough of this yellow! Mustard yellow I'd call it! And I'm liking these towels! I'd be doing the dishes and drying up just to have the excuse to use and admire these all day long! (well....maybe not all day long....the dishes that is!) Screen printing is something I know very well and these images are so clear and bright - nice work! I'm liking it!

Frog & Bumblebee Print- Bee and Frog Art Watercolor Illustrationt- 'Go Fly A Bumblebee'
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tylersworkshop?ref=seller_info
" A frog contentedly whiles away the afternoon with his flying 'pet' bumblebee in this humorous frog and bee print/ watercolor illustration. A whimsical work of art to grace your home, or give as gift."
 Awwwwwwww! I will admit now that my favourite animal is frogs! And look at this little guys face! He looks so relaxed and happy to be taking his pet bumble out for a fly!
And why not? frogs can have a pet bumble bee! ( in my world that is!)
I'm loving the whole look and total contrast to seeing a frog doing something we humans do, as mundane as walking the dog has been turned into something so cute and awesome! It's a nice feel-good piece and I bet you're smiling and having a little fuzzy-wuzzy good vibe feeling going on right now looking at this!

little plate honey bee (creamsicle orange) - Made to Order / Pick Your Colour
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CircaCeramics?ref=seller_info
 Yup, the yellow is back again! But by god, I love this plate! So bright (BRIGHT!) and cheery! I just want to stare at it and soak it all up! I love how this little plate is so tactile, shiny and chunky in your hands with such a bold yet detailed and fragile looking bee on it! Oh how I love it!
This would be the plate I would pull out to eat my toast off, on a bad depression day...you can't feel down with this little guy around can you?

Queen Bee Steampunk Crown
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FernStreetDesigns?ref=pr_shop_more
 If I were a queen bee...this would be my crown!
As you know, I love all things steamy and this crown is rocking the look! Its so sparkly! You could spend ages looking at this, admring the sparkling gems, the delicate clock faces and the heavy metal details. It has a nice ambiance and colour-way to the whole piece too! Hell i would sulk around the house all day wearing a big dress with this on my head!

You're the only bee in my bonnet -- TMBG "birdhouse in your soul" lyric in small cross stitch
http://www.etsy.com/shop/aliciawatkins?ref=seller_info
" Bee in bonnet cross stitch -- "Birdhouse in your soul"-inspired cross stitch, completed and framed in small square or round frame.


---The Story---

This is a small ode to They Might Be Giants' song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" -- and to your geeky sweetheart, if you choose. I broke away from my usual zombie madness to stitch it because the song is Just. That. Good. They'll need a crane to pry me away from any stereo playing this song."

 
Ok! You have me curious now! I'm now going to go and actually find this song and listen to it!
I wasn't aware there was a song out there that featured this comment but we in Britain use a similar phrase from time to time. Often said to someone who appears to be agitated or in a bit of a tizz, I like the whole english/Austen vibe to the crosss-stitch but now that I read the comment above, I'm loving the geeky referance! Thumbs up!
Stuffed animal Plush long Bee  Soft Safe Baby Toy for Children Polar Fleece Cotton
http://www.etsy.com/shop/baraqada?ref=seller_info

"Hey...how you doin'?" I posted this as, as much as I'm liking the little bee plushie, I adore its pose! You can almost hear it talk to you in Joey Tribbiani from Friend's voice cant you?!
Look at this guy's slinky yet sultry debenoir air to him!
He's so cute and well-made!
Men's - Beard of Bees t-shirt
http://www.etsy.com/shop/futurelint?ref=seller_info

 A beard of bees! As a child I had a fascination of watching men trying to break the world's record for the most bee in a beard o'bees!
Its a real testament to how friendly and gentle bees actually are! They very rarely sting and rarely agressive too! Its wasps that give the poor bee a bad reputation!
And yes! That yellow is back again! Check out the shop's Lady's Beehive T-shirt as well! They are both stonkingly cute!

Bees are an under-rated yet amazing creature! I hope I raised a little awareness in this posting! We can't all go out and change the world over-night but the next time a bee come nears you, please, please, puuuurlease think twice before whacking it to death with a newspaper!
Bee's are simply...*ehem*...the bee's knees!

Birdie Love as always!
XXX




Wednesday 29 August 2012

graffiti

Today I bring you street graffiti!
Forget that spraycan, messy mess and unreadable tags in random places...these are quite witty, stylish and simple but well thought of!
What do you think?
street art photography
Aha!

street art photography
If you're talking about 50 shades, then nothing...!
street art photography
Loving the Pink Floyd Vibe here!
street art photography
Reasing this as you're going down the stairs = accident waiting to happen!
street art photography

street art photography

street art photography
True!
street art photography

street art photography
Indeed!

Images found via here - http://theskunkpot.com/index.php/street-graffiti-art-by-mobstr/

Birdie Love
xxx

Radford

Hey peeps! I just wanted to share with you a special place in my heart, a place I spent alot of my childhood playing and walking around. I would take my dog Floss who was a border collie with the most prettiest white face and the most amazing friendly bouncy personality to the point she was loved and adored by many in the neighbourhood and she was a bit of a local celebrity. Everyone loved Floss.
But I disgress, Radford Park is a lovely big park to walk aound, seeped in history and Floss and I would spend all day here in the park, climbing over trees, bathing in the lake...

 Part of Radford use to be old railroads as you can see from the old sign above and the straight paths below






 Hooe lake is pretty and is an expensive area to live in due to the wonderful views of the waters and the countryside and seaside all in the sae view!



 The lake still contains very old wrecks of boats and ships long forgotten




 This park has ruins of buildings where monks use to live, houses from the 17th century, an old castle boat house, history of being the residents of the likes of Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh and even has its ghosts too!

Its a fascinating and beautiful place to go. Wild garlic grows in the spring where locals harvest it for consumption, the fall season is amazing with trees raining its gold, red and yellow leaves down below as you walk through its archways, christmas you find people gathering holly, ivy and evergreens.
I fished here with my brother and dad and catching only crabs.
 My brother and I climbed the steep banks, swining from tree to tree all year round.
My mum would take me looking for conkers in the autumn
Its a wonderful place for me, I will admit i havent been here much since Floss died.
But I never forget it and occasionally take a walk through it.


Birdie Love
xxx