Inspired. #22. Love is a many splendored thing.

inspired #22.

I think . . . if it is true

that there as many minds

as there are heads,

then there are as many kinds of love

as there are hearts

Leo Tolstoy

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How could today's post be inspired by anything other than love?

have a happy valentines.

{ inspired#21 . Let it Snow . Let it Snow . Let it Snow }

. inspired#21 .

" I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently?

And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt;

and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again'"

. Lewis Carroll .

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The first of a few festive mood boards, and with the weather we have at the moment how could I not be inspired by all the snow?

Those cosy looking snowflake mittens were captured by Marion of basic hus, and have me searching furiously for a similar pattern to knit myself a pair.  And that lovely last illustration, by the very talented Meera Lee Patel, is the perfect snowy scene. Though it does also remind me of how my early morning runs in the snow have felt; achingly beautiful, but uphill all the way!

{ have a cosy day }

{ inspired#20 . Birmingham . Artists . & . Creatives }

. inspired#20 .

Be immersed in her diversity without effort

celebrate the many who give in principle

to follow forward

52° North

. Roi Kwabena .

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Being my home city, I've always had a fondness for Birmingham, even through the years when it's reputation wasn't the best. When I was little a trip to Birmingham was a small adventure, with best coats being worn, and the train journey making it seem that it was a far and distant place. It was the place where we were treated to fancy cakes at Druckers, visits to Father Christmas at either Lewis's or Rackhams. Later trips into town were with friends on a Saturday morning, spending pocket money, or money earned babysitting in Boots, Chelsea Girl, and at the original Oasis.

Like many cities it's changed hugely since those early trips to see Santa. The Bullring is no longer  the place to hunt down a bargain at the markets, now home to the infamous silver disc clad Selfridges. New Street Station has been transformed from dark, and slightly seedy, to the shiny and bright Grand Central. Birmingham can also hold it's own as a city encouraging creatives, designers and makers. Alongside the more established art galleries and museums, there is a thriving street art community in Digbeth, with the Custard Factory playing host to many independent traders, and supporting the ever growing foodie community.

And we also have our fair share of pop-ups, craft and artisan markets, which is how I'll be spending my next few Saturdays.

 . PaperDoll Handmade . The Custard Factory . 25th November .

This Saturday sees the PaperDolls return to The Custard Factory as part of the Digmas celebrations, hosting a vast array of super talented makers and designers. Entry is free, and they'll be a Santa's Grotto, a host of street food vendors, story telling and cookie & cake decorating for the little Ones, and a mulled wine and cider bar for all the bigger Ones.

. Winter Seasonal Market . The Bond . 2nd December .

Now in it's fourth year, the Seasonal Markets have become a regular feature on my calendar, none so more than the Winter one, which always feels like the start to the Festive season. A slightly smaller craft market than PaperDolls, but with a courtyard packed full of street food, cocktail and gin caravans and much more, it's definitely as much fun. Entry is £2 on the door, and if the weather is dry it can get super super busy, though somehow that just adds to the cosiness of it all.

. Etsy . Made Local . The Custard Factory . 1st/2nd December .

Also taking place on that first weekend in December is the Birmingham Etsy Made Local, hosted by IDEAS Birmingham. Returning to The Custard Factory for the third time, it's part of the Etsy pop up markets being held up and down the country that weekend. Playing host to over 50 Etsy sellers over two days, including the super talented Brumhaus, featured in today's inspired board. Entry is free and with different sellers each day take a look at their blog posts here and here for the lineup on each day.

{ have a happy day }

{ hooked on crochet }

One of the many ( many ) things on my Fifty before 50 list, was to learn to crochet properly.  It's something I've dabbled with now & then, but not something I've ever felt I really knew how to do. I've been keeping an eye out for a crochet workshop, and was especially pleased to find happening not too far away from me, and even more happily, taking place in one of my very favourite coffee shops, The Steamroom.

And so, on the past three Sunday mornings, I've sat in the company of Clare, of Clare Gets Crafty, being taught how to chain stitch, how to execute a double crochet, a treble crochet, getting to grips with the magic loop technique, all accompanied by a cup of the house batchbrew. Happiness, as it turns out, is simply coffee and crochet on a Sunday morning *sigh*. Clare made the best teacher; calm, with infinite patience and a yarn and crochet book stash to make you more than a little envious. Looking back, each week was structured in ways that made the most of the time we had, teaching new skills each week with time to get to grips with those new skills during the workshop. It's safe to say that I was a little hooked after the first lesson. A brand spanking new Pinterest board pays testament to that! Week two saw us fall in love with Granny Squares - or maybe that was just me ♥︎ ? And in our final week we crocheted an amigurumi cactus, which I enjoyed, but I'm not sure that it will grab my heart in the same way that granny squares did. 

As I don't have an abundance, just yet, of crochet loveliness to share with you, here is a little of the inspiration I've been busy pinning. I think I've a way to go before I reach this level of crochet craftiness, but I'm guessing practice makes perfect. 

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I can't thank Clare enough for the past few Sundays. You can find Clare over on Clare Gets Crafty, and read more about her workshops here. And for any of you local to Brum, she'll be at Etsy Made Local on the 2nd and 3rd of December, and at the Harborne Handmade Christmas Market the following weekend, on the 10th December.

And look, that pile of granny squares just keeps on growing #hooked.

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#19 . Sheep . Lambs . & . a week of Wool }

. inspired#19 .

Baa, baa, black sheep

Have you any wool?

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full.

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Yesterday, over our Sunday lunch, my sister and I were reminiscing about our childhood, and in particular our costumes for the street party for the Queen's Silver Jubilee.  I was six, she was a toddling 18months. I was Bo Peep, and she was my sheep, complete with a hand knitted loopy lamb bonnet. Photographs do exist, though, possibly to my sister's relief, I can't quite place my hands on them at the moment. I still have fond memories of the crook that my Dad made for me, complete with crepe paper streamers. It turns out my sister's memories are less fond, though I seem to remember her making a particularly cute little lamb on the day.

Our trip down memory lane coincidentally coincides with The Campaign for Wool's annual Wool Week. A week of exhibitions, events, activities and initiatives, by amongst others, Wool and the Gang, Brora, and Jack Wills, who are celebrating their obsession with wool with a rather sweet, specially commissioned film, which you can take a look at here.

Not quite in the same league as their film, today's post is my own small celebration of wool, and those sweet sheep for whom we have to thank for so much lovely yarn, and cosy knitwear.

Now, off to knit my sister a brand new loopy lamb bonnet 🐑 !

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#18 . Autumn . Leaves . & . the Woodland }

. inspired#18 .

" Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree "

Emily Bronte

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I don't think I will ever tire of that lovely Emily Bronte quote.  Nor will I tire of beautiful autumn hues. How can we not be inspired by such a lovely season?

There's a little more Autumnal inspiration on my Pinterest board here.

But for now . . . 

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#17 . Llama's and Peruvian polka dots }

. inspired#17 .

Advice from a Llama

Llisten to your heart

Llook on the bright side

Llaugh more

Llive and let Llive

Llove Llife

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Llama's are the new Unicorns.

You heard it hear first.

Lots more Llama love on my Pinterest board here.

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#16 . jane austen . reading & love }

. inspired#16 .

It isn't what we say or think that defines us

It's what we do

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This year marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death.  Whether you have read her novels or not, you can't help but be familiar with her work; Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice { Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her }, the Dashwood sisters of Sense and Sensibility { I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way }, Fanny Price of Mansfield Park { A fondness for reading, properly directed, must be an education in itself }, the matchmaking meddling Emma { If I love you less, I might be able to talk about it more }, Northanger Abbey, and her last novel, Persuasion { None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives }.

There was so much love for her on Instagram yesterday, the day that marked 200 years since Jane's last, and I'm going to borrow the caption from this picture, which sums up Jane in a way in which I think the author herself would approve.

photo credit // janice mier

' Ardently remembering a badass woman who has taught me so much. There were too many lessons but if there's one thing I'd like to share with your ladies, it is that we should love using our heart and our head. Do proper assessment of character. Know the difference between a man who has a plan and a boy who just wants to waste your time.

Thank you Jane for your books. For who you are. For everything you've done. I'm grateful you existed. '

You'll find lots more Austen inspiration on my pinterest board { inspired#16 } and to read more about the anniversary take a look over on Jane Austen 200.

{ have a happy day }

{ hello . Miss Smith }

For the past couple of years I've had a yearning to start something for me. A small business, designing, creating and making things that I was passionate about.  A designer for more years than I care to say out loud, I've always worked and designed for others. Whilst I've prided myself on doing my best to meet the clients brief, that doesn't necessarily mean you spend your days designing things that make your soul happy.

It took a long while to decide what that small business would look like. Pages and pages of scribbles, doodles, notes, talking myself into and out of ideas as quickly as they came to mind. Although I am a children's wear designer by profession, and have toyed with the idea of my own collection many times over the years, the idea of this no longer held the appeal it once had. Slightly intimidated by all the amazing small companies that have sprung up over the years, designing the most amazing children's wear, and more than a little fazed by the idea of finding and dealing with manufacturers, I was looking for something a little simpler, smaller.

The idea that eventually took hold, was something I'd been interested in since I was young, something that pre-dated my children's wear designing days. My mum taught me to knit when I was small, and the fascination for the craft has never left me. I knitted through art college, originally applying for a Knitwear degree, before choosing Fashion, yet knitwear played an integral part of most of the collections I designed, including my final collection. Whilst not the most fashionable of things when I was at University, knitwear has seen something of a renaissance over the past few years. Companies such as Loop, We are Knitters, Wool and the Gang, and Purl Soho, have helped to elevate knitting from a singularly unfashionable past time, to an über cool hobby, helped in part by the move towards a slower, more mindful, way of living.

The scope that knitting now offers is vast, but I was particularly intrigued by the extreme knitting which I'd seen around the net, something which definitely hadn't been around in my Uni days. I started building Pinterest boards, for mood, for knitting, for colour, and started looking for yarns, for gigantic knitting needles, and I started knitting again.

And whilst progress has not perhaps been as quick as I would like, progress, of a sort, has been made. The images I collected have been sorted, and a selection made to give a snapshot of the impression I would like my business to make. Words have been written to define the brand I would like to be, and a name has been decided on. lily&Bloom has been my moniker since I started freelancing and blogging. Though I feel a great fondness for it, it didn't feel the right thing to take forward into this new venture. And so, and to my Dad's great delight, please say hello to the beginnings of Miss Smith.

I've loved my first go at knitting with jumbo yarn, and have loved discovering new stitches, techniques, and a whole community of like minded knitters. I've been playing with developing my own knitting patterns, and feel a style, and knitting handwriting of my own is starting to develop, though perhaps not quite there yet. I'm trying hard not to get distracted by all the wonderful knitters out there who are already selling their wonderful wares, knowing that I need, and want to offer something different from everyone else.

This post is, in part, a note to self to stop procrastinating further on this project. And perhaps to stop calling it a project, and start moving forward at a slightly greater pace than I have so far. There is a fear in putting yourself out there, in putting things you have designed and made out there, the fear that no-one will be interested, no-one will want to buy what you are selling. But if I never try, then I will never know.  I read an interesting post on Instagram, posted by @lisa_king_consultancy about how Starbucks began, and whilst the 'how it began' story was still interesting, for me it was the fact that it began back in 1971 that held a fascination. Whilst undoubtedly a hugely successful company for many years, when you read over their history, it took nearly fifteen years for the company to resemble the coffee stores that we now think as typical of the chain. Now I have no pretensions or desire to build a company as big as Starbucks, but I do think it serves as a reminder that things don't happen overnight, that it's easy to look at companies that are doing well, and are growing, and think that that has happened overnight. The word I used when commenting on Lisa's post was patience. Having the patience to take it step by step, moving forward slowly, yet surely.

I would love to hear your thoughts on all I've written today. Whether it's sharing your experience of starting a small business, or your thoughts on what I've shared above, a few words of encouragement, or even words of warning? 

In the meantime, full of optimism, and renewed enthusiasm, I'm off to scribble down a few more ideas and thoughts.

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#15 . strawberry fields . pick your own . & . summertime }

. inspired#15 .

She was a curious girl, a wanderer, who spent her summers

chasing fluttering pieces of prose, and eating strawberries.

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Tomorrow I'm going strawberry picking.  It has been many many years since I went last, but it was a regular trip for us when I was a child.  Loading up the car with the empty fruit baskets, a picnic packed to enjoy after the picking, never really knowing which fruit farm we'd end up at, or whether it would be a bountiful year, or a less than blessed year for Summer fruits.  There are perhaps, few things in life lovelier than a freshly picked and eaten strawberry, and those few lovelier things perhaps being the lovely things you can make with those freshly picked strawberries.  My mum is planning a jam making session with her few baskets worth, my dad will make a few bottles of strawberry wine with his.  And me? I'm thinking a few jars of jam, and then a wonderfully indulgent strawberry cheesecake, and if the sunshine stays a while longer perhaps a homemade strawberry icecream. 

I could perhaps go on, but lets see how many strawberries we pick first eh?

There is a little more strawberry & summer inspiration on my pinterest board { inspired#15 }, pretty prints, nostalgic images of strawberry picking, and more recipes than you could possibly pick fruit for.

Oh, and happy first day of Summer ☀️

{ have a happy & sunny day }

{ local ♥︎ . meeting makers at the Makers Market }

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Writing about my first Summer market seems strange, as I'm listening to the wind gusting, and the rain lashing against the window.  Then again, isn't this what we expect from a traditional British Summer?

That said, I'm pleased to say that the sun shone for most of Saturday, and I strolled along to the Quartermaster's Artisan Makers Market wearing sunglasses and eyeing up the coffee and croissants being enjoyed at the tables set up outside most of the Jewellery Quarters coffee shops.  The market was held at the very lovely 1000 Trades.  My first visit to this friendly neighbourhood bar and kitchen, which is housed in a converted jewellery workshop, and does much to support local artists and crafts.  

Whilst the market may not be a big one, there was a really lovely mix of artisans there;  painters, embroiderers, ceramicists, illustrators and sign makers.  Set over two floors, it was busy enough not to feel conspicuous, not so much so that you couldn't have a good look at all the goods on offer.  The makers were wonderfully friendly, chatting and taking time to tell you a little about their crafts, and very obliging of my ( slight ) re-arrangement of their stalls in order to take some pictures for this post.

Dolly and Beau is Georgia, or as she describes herself on her Etsy shop, one mama and her sewing machine.  Named after her daughters, she makes baprons ( it's a bib and it's an apron ) in an array of super soft oil cloth prints.  However, it was these cute, monochrome cushions that caught my eye. Perfectly soft and squishy, and doesn't that panda almost say 'take me home'?

Emma Blue seems to be a girl after my own heart, and my denim jacket is now adorned with 'dream' and 'bookworm' badges courtesy of a small purchase at the market. Making things from paper and fabric, she is inspired by books, libraries, music, tea and maps. Another book inspired maker was Tigerlily Makes, who's Alice range I fell a little in love with. Inspired by the classic Alice in Wonderland, is a range of cards, clothes and china.  I particularly loved the china mugs, and teapots, all illustrated with either Alice, or the White Rabbit.

One of the first stall's I stopped by was Chloe's.  Her quirky illustrative style can't help but draw you in to look further, and I was very tempted to buy her 'Do What You Love' print for myself. And probably would have done, if not for treating myself to a fabulous floral embroidery hoop from The Barmy Fox. Tory's stall was full of tempting delights, with the sweetest, and sassiest, embroidered badges sitting alongside more embroidered hoops.

Now to save my pennies back up again for the next Summer market which is just next weekend! Shall I start praying now for another sunny day?

{ have a happy day }

{ four I adore . flowers of instagram }

On Friday's there is a popular hashtag on Instagram, #fourIadore, where people share four accounts they particularly love.  Because of my happy friday posts, it's not a hashtag I tend to join in with.  However, I felt it was a lovely prompt for a series of posts right here on lily&Bloom. And what better way to start than with four of the most floral instagrammer's I follow.  Oh, and this is probably a good time to mention that I have a strong suspicion that flowers are going to take over all my posts for May. 

🌸  🌿  🌺

@circleofpines

Laura is the photographer behind @circleofpines, and is also the author of another favourite hashtag, #littlestoriesofmylife.   As deputy editor of 91, the quiet aesthetic of the magazine is reflected in Laura's IG feed.  She also finds the most gorgeous, and perfectly fitting, quotes to accompany all those photos. 

@harryandfrank

I will admit to having a touch of the green eyed monster whenever I see one of Emily's posts.  Not only does she live in the lovely Derbyshire countryside, and manage to forage the most beautiful wildflowers, she has the most amazing collection of vintage goodies, not to mention a rather cute dog, the Harry of @harryandfrank.  Luckily she does share those vintage goodies, selling at local fairs and markets.  So for that reason, we will forgive her her envy inducing life!

@ivy.cottage

I found Rebecca's feed after discovering her at her Etsy shop, and though she may be a recent addition to my IG crushes, she has quickly become one of my favourites.  When I tell you that her signature hashtag is #seeingthepretty, I think that will give you a very good idea how very lovely her feed is.

@lillalivetandme

My final floral crush is niina, of @lillalivetandme.  This account has a beautiful simplicity about it, unfussy, yet able to capture light, and shadow in the loveliest of ways.

I'd love to hear about Instagram accounts that you adore, the ones that make you want to step into that world, ones that make you look at your own life, home and community a little differently?

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#14 . frida kahlo . fiesta . & . flowers }

. inspired#14 .

I paint flowers so they will not die

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A moodboard for Monday, inspired by Frida Kahlo, Fiesta and flowers.  I feel I should be writing this post whilst adorned with a floral crown.  Unfortunately that's not so.  Messy hair, don't care, might be a better quote for today, but I can dream can't I?

For a little more fiesta, flora and frida pop over to my { inspired.#14 } Pinterest board.  Then pop off and make yourself a floral crown.

{ have a happy day }

{ inspired#13 . the garden }

. inspired#13 . the garden .

how lovely the silence of growing things

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A midweek mood board, inspired by the garden.  My garden has been a little neglected over the past couple of years, and the only things growing have been a vast amount of weeds.  I'm hoping that with a little more time on my hands this year that it might be a different story.

Tell me about your garden.  Do you love gardening or loathe it, is it a haven of tranquility, order and calm, or a haven of wildflowers and wildlife?

For a little more garden inspiration pop over to my { in . the . garden } pinterest board.

{ have a happy day }

{ fabulous finds at the Spring Market }

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On Sunday I spent a very fabulous day at the Derbyshire Spring Market.  Having visited before I was looking forward to seeing some favourites of mine, plus discovering which new and lovely people would be showing their wares.  Whilst I usually potter along on my own, I had company on Sunday, which was lovely, though meant I was far too distracted with chatting, and shopping, to remember to take many photos of my own.  

On the upside, I think it led to us discovering many more lovely people than I usually seem to.  A few more than I'm showing here today, but I'm sure I'll get around to sharing these at some point or another.  An eclectic mix of jewellery, homeware and handcrafting, which I think exemplifies the diversity of product you'll find at one of Deb's markets.  Now in their seventh year, and held in the very fabulous Roundhouse, they are a wonderful mix of food and drink, flowers, homeware and much more.  With a pop-up Tea Room and a Prosecco Bar, not to mention an array of food trucks parked just outside, there are plenty of opportunities to take a break, eat, drink, and start shopping all over again.

{ shop . tea . chat . repeat }

There were a few jewellery stalls that caught my eye, in particular Amanda Brawn { 1 }, and Jo Irvine { 2 }.  One of Amanda's pebble rings is now sitting on my finger;  she tries to reduce waste as much as possible and all the silver left over from filing gets collected and used for these little pebbles.  Each pebble turns out different, making each one unique.  Jo's jewellery has a very different, but equally lovely feel.  She mixes precious metals in a simple, contemporary way, to produce stunningly simple pieces.

So Satsuma was incredibly popular, mainly with us adults trying on the cutest of bunny hats meant for slightly littler people!  Alongside some beautiful hand knits, were The cutest scissors, and The cutest enamel sheep pins, both of which are now on my ToBuy list.

Also on that ( quite long ) ToBuy list, were these concrete letters, from Koncrete Jungle.  One of the new stallholders at this Market, their stall was a treasure trove of concrete loveliness.

And last, but by no means least, we have Raine&Humble.  After chatting with them, I discovered that Raine&Humble are an Australian brand of home furnishings, originating in Melbourne.  They use colour beautifully, one of the things that attracted me to the stand, this season using a muted palette of charcoal and grey, with pops of peach and sage.  Their style is a mix of geometrics, alongside hand drawn and block printed conversational prints, with products trimmed and decorated with pom poms, large and small.  And how can you not like a product with a pom pom?

If this has made you feel wistful for missing it, fear not.  Deb's is hosting a Spring Fair on the 2nd April, held in The Walled Garden at Beeston Fields.  Nor is there too long to wait until the next market at the Roundhouse, with the Summer Market on the 2nd July.

You can find out more about Deb on Fabulous Places, and she's more than worth a follow on Instagram too { though be prepared for serious flower envy as she always seems to be buying the prettiest bunches for her home! }.

{ have a happy day }

{ little ladies of literature . twelve books to inspire bold little girls }

Today is International Women's Day, bringing with it the theme of #BeBoldForChange.  Originally I'd planned to share with you women who had inspired me, but then I spotted an instagram post from Some Kind of a Library, sharing the classic "Little Women", talking with fondness of it's central character, Jo March, and I thought how much nicer it would be to share a few of my favourite books, all with strong female lead characters.  There's a mix of classic stories, right through to some modern day heroines, but all would inspire a new generation of little ladies to be bold & chase their dreams, no matter how big, small, silly or sensible.

{ Pippi Longstocking // Heidi // Madeline }

" 'I don't think you have a very nice way with the ladies,' said Pippi.  And she lifted him in her strong arms - and carried him to the birch tree and hung him over a branch.  Then she took the next boy and hung him over another branch. "

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

{ Anne of Green Gables // Little Women // Alice in Wonderland }

" If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you may find yourself believing that's all that you really are.  Time erodes all such beauty, but what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind:  your humour, your kindness, and your moral courage. "

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

{ Miss Rumphius // Rosie Revere, Engineer // Clarice Bean }

" Life might have it's failures, but this was not it.  The only true failure can come if you quit. "

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty 

{ Coco Chanel // Audrey Hepburn // Frida Kahlo }

" A girl should be two things: who and what she wants. "

Coco Chanel

#BeBoldForChange

{ have an inspiring day }

{ miffy & me }

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Last week I read the news that Dick Bruna had died.  He was the creator of a little white rabbit, originally named Nijntje, who became more commonly known as Miffy.  A bunny drawn in a starkly modernist form, always white, with a painted black outline, with pops of stark primary colours;  red, blue, green and yellow.  She's remained virtually unchanged, with only subtle improvements made by Bruna himself.  As he says himself, "It seems a little bit silly, but I find it very hard to do even Miffy.  I've done so many drawings of her, but every day I try to do it a little better than yeserday."

The first two books, "Miffy" and "Miffy at the Zoo", were published in 1955, with Bruna having written & illustrated more than 120 titles by the time of his death, and having sold more than 85 millions books, translated into more than 50 languages.  The simplicity of the character, and her timeless quality, are driving factors in her popularity.  Whilst Miffy now graces more than just books, every product has the same quality & stylistic cool as Bruna's illustrations.

Reading the many obituary's written about Dick Bruna, and articles written whilst he was still alive, you have an image of a gentle, quiet man.  He is described as unassuming, living a simple life, marked by a love of routine;  from his early morning cycle along the canals of Utrecht, coffee at the same cafe, to the picture he drew for his wife every day.  He admitted to being slightly perplexed by the success of Miffy, "When I see children, I think, yes, that is wonderful, but then I just come to the studio and do my work like everybody else.  Of course I'm happy that Miffy became quite famous, but if she hand't I would have carried on working just the same."

Bruna retired in 2014 and announced that the rights to Miffy would not be sold.  Happily, she will continue through all those wonderfully drawn books.

{ have a happy day }