. a lOvely . { free + perfectly printable } . 2017 calendar .

i'm absolutely sure that you're all a lot more organised than me . & . already have calendars and diaries for 2017 all sorted out . bUt . just in case you haven't then { in the words of BluePeter } here's one i made earlier !

i'm working on giving lily+Bloom a bit of a new look . she's starting to look a little tired and in need of a new image . this may take a little while so please don't hold your breaths . in the meantime next years calendar gives you a little sneak peek into what the future may look like .

the calendar comes in two sizes . little + large . { well it's that between christmas & new year time when thinking any harder than this is just . well . too hard . forgive me ! } . the little one is perfect for taping up on the wall at home . one month at a time . or . every month to view the whole year ahead . it's also a great size for keeping to hand on your desk . just pop into a card holder and switch the months as they go by .

the larger one works well on a clipboard . or in my case . a piece of cord board cut a little bigger than the calendar with a bull dog clip to secure it in place . or . you can punch holes in the top and string with some { neon } ribbon to hang anywhere you have a little wall space .

. 2017calendar . the little one .

{ four months to a page . print on A4 cardstock }

. 2017calendar . the large one .

{ two months to a page . print on A4 cardstock }

i'd love to know what you think of the calendar . & . once you've downloaded it and printed it would love to see how you display it ?

i will leave you to enjoy { or endure ? } the last few days of this year . & . i think everyone will breathe a collective sigh once we start to welcome 2017 into the world .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. my festive five . { giftwrap } .

. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 .

don't you just lOve days where your To-Do list reads . 1 . trim the tree . 2 . bake mince pies . 3 . play christmas songs . 4 . wrap gifts . 5 . make christmas cards .

{ i have a feeling they'll be a trail of glitter & crumbs all over my house by the end of today }

just as much as i love finding the right gift for people . i love wrapping those gifts to be as gorgeous as the gifts themselves . some years it's a little more successful than others ! this year i'm being a little bit more eco with my gift wrapping, making use of the copious amounts of paper . ribbons . & . trimmings that i've collected over the years . which may make my gift wrap theme a little on the ' eclectic ' side this year . 

i'm also trying not to get distracted by the lovely wrapping inspiration shown above . but . hoping that this may give you a few ideas & thoughts . 

. have a gOrgeous dAy .

. tIs the season to spArkle .

without wishing to sound as if i'm collecting my pension . is it me . or . has christmas started ridiculously early this year . i know that it's now expected that the tinsel and baubles start making an appearance in the shops as soon as the easter eggs have rolled off the shelves, but i have been spying christmas trees . fairy lights . and . decorations galore in sO many people's houses near to me . it's still nOvember folks ?  a wonderful month of bonfires and autumn leaves, pumpkins and pies . can we not enjoy each month for the loveliness it brings, rather than wanting to rush headlong into the celebrations of the next ?

so . for the last two days of nOvember i will be embracing all that autumn loveliness still . & . then once dEcember arrives i'll feel we can start to enjoy lots of festive faffing . tinsel . glitter . gift making . gift wrapping . & . all that christmas sparkle . 

just two days . we can all hold on for just two more days can't we ?

. 'tIs the season to spArkle .

. december 2016 .

. december 2016 .

. have a spArkly dAy .

. it's a spOoky fridAy .

. 1 . bOo . it's nearly hallOween .

. 2 . i think i could cope with this { playful } haunted house !

. 3 . in need of last minute { DIY } halloween costumes ?

. 4 . perfect pUmpkin pOp tart { yummy } loveliness ! 

. 5 . a beautifully haunting hallOween film .

. 6 . sweetly scared looking cats . for our sweet hallOween witch .

. 7 . cute pom pom bats . for these sweet hallOween cupcakes .

. 8 . hAppy hallOween .

. 9 . cute spiders web cookies . for all those trick Or treaters .

. & . finally . rather than painting a pumpkin this year . i'll be making this pumpkin sOup instead .

. have a spOoky dAy .

. mAke your own mAgic .

at the moment i'm feeling incredibly lucky . i'm enjoying quiet days & a break from working . i'm loving the beautiful aUtumnal weather we're having . the ombre shades of colours in the trees . the cosy darker nights . & . the lovely seasonal flavours of pumpkin . apples . blackberries . aUtumn has brought with it a wonderful slow way of living, that for now, i'm making the most of .

nOvember feels like it will be a month of getting ready . getting ready for * whispers * christmas . but also getting ready for something bigger in the NewYear . after a year of feeling like i was standing still in the middle of a busy road, watching everyone else carry on with purpose, i'm feeling a little more purposeful . that nOvember & dEcember will be months to take tiny steps towards something a little more in the coming year .

for now though i will leave you with nOvember's calendars & my quote for the new month . . . 

. we all have magic inside us .

. november 2016 .

. november 2016 .

. have a mAgical dAy .

. it's a gOod day to have a gOod day .

Warning . this post contains ramblings which may be considered slightly self indulgent & of a melancholic nature !

i caught myself wishing the year away yesterday . this continued feeling of a lack of purpose / of mojo / of direction is starting to weigh heavier on my subconscious . i have the sense of standing still whilst everything & everyone around me is whizzing around with a known intent & purpose . in my more rational moments i know that this isn't true . & . in that same moment of rationale i know that to wish the year away is to waste the opportunity that the remaining 94days offers . & . that suddenly sounds a lot of time . time to put to use even if it's only making small steps towards something bigger, something with more purpose & direction next year .

whilst looking for a quote for octOber i came across this { annonymous } quote . 

{ this is the beginning of a new day . you have been given this day to use as you will . you can waste it or use it for good . what you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it . when tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever . in it's place is something you have left behind . let it be something good }

so this year i still have 94 opportunities to do something good . something to make someone smile . something that makes me happy . something small . or . something a little bigger . 94 days to read more . watch more . see more . & . now, suddenly, 94 days just doesn't feel enough ?

. it's a goOd day to have a gOod day .

. october 2016 .

. october 2016 .

. have a very gOod dAy .

. hAppy fridAy .

. 1 . a beautifully illustrated list of aUtumn essentials . { blankets & boots are ready } .

. 2 . think i'd be happy spending my aUtumn wrapped up on a blanket & bonnet .

. 3 . a perfect aUtumn outfit . { puts bow blouse & braces on to buy list } .

. 4 . i lOve gOrgeous has gone wild with a boys cOllection launching this aUtumn .

. 5 . Fall . 2016 . { illustrated in a wonderfully surreal style } .

. 6 . how incredibly cosy does this lUxe blanket look ?

. 7 . note to self . { mUst learn how to crochet } .

. 8 . hEllo aUtumn .

. 9 . to add to my " to read " list . { " to read " snuggled up under blanket . see above } .

. & . finally . it's bOtanical week on the BakeOff .

. & . i'm being inspired by this Quinntessential woodland wonderland cake .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. do All things with kIndness .

i feel i may have lost a little of my blOgging mOjo this month . & . my healthy eating mojO . oh . & . my running mOjo . there's a distinct lack of mojO at the moment .

Oh . except for my eating cake & cookies mojo . yep . still got that { and a few extra pounds to show for it too } !

in this wonderful digital age { which i love for sO many reasons } it can be hard not to keep aiming for that image of perfection that we constantly see . the perfect clean diet . the perfect fitness regime . the perfect family life . & . so it's all too easy to give yourself a hard time for indulging in one too many slices of cake . for skipping out on the running & working out . for not blOgging more often . for not being enough . for not being our own image of perfect . & . yet we all know { deep down } that life isn't perfect . but . actually . that's ok . it doesn't have to be perfect to still be wonderful .

so i'm making sEptember a time to be kind . to others . but . also to myself .

. do all things with kindness .

. choose joy . 

. be you . be love .

. september 2016 .

. september 2016 .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. cElebrate { All } the little things .

jUly has been a blur . a fun filled blur of baking . cocktails . & . dancing . but a blur non the less . but the blurry month is nearly over . & . thinking ahead to aUgust which brings with it celebrations;  of birthday's . of summer . of holiday's . of { hopefully } sunshine & sunny days . 

at the moment i am down in lOndon most weeks & walk past Liberty on my way to the office . a beautiful building on which i seem to notice something different each time i pass by . last week i spotted . for the first time . the quote under the clock at the Kingly Street entrance . which reads ' no minute gone comes back again . take heed and see ye nothing do in vain ' . words that have stuck by me . & . words i remembered when choosing this months quote . so in the same spirit . this month . lets celebrate all the little things . the happy moments . the sunny days . the simple pleasures .

. celebrate the little things .

. august 2016 . 

. august 2016 .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. yOu're One in a melOn . { twelve ways to make . eat . & . party . with a watermelOn } .

last friday i took a short vacation to Kellerman's . courtesy of the Secret Cinema . there were a lOt of watermelOn's in the shape of beachballs . dresses . hats . bags . & . a few real life watermelons . given that the watermelon has only one small reference in the film { the film being Dirty Dancing if you hadn't already realised } namely the line spoken by Baby { I carried a watermelon } . just shows what an iconic line that has turned into .  & . it's also the line that i haven't been able to get out of my head since . it was an incredible night, one i'm hoping to be able to share a little more of in the coming weeks, but for now i'm sharing a few ideas to make . eat . & . party . all inspired by those infamous watermelOns . 

. 1 . 2 . 3 .

{ isn't that umbrella just the sweetest thing ? }

. 4 . 5 . 6 .

{ lovely limeade . chocolate bark . cutest cookies }

. 7 . 8 . 9 .

{ party . party . party }

. 10 . 11 . 12 .

{ pretty plates . party props . pinatas } 

. have a hAppy dAy .

. drEam . bElieve . dO . rEpeat .

as you may be able to tell from the very significant lack of blOg pOsts, this month has been a busy one . busy . but . such fun . i was lucky enough to travel north & south . catch up with family i'd not seen in a long long time . meet family i'd not met before . revisit places i'd not been to in a long time . visit new places that i'm already longing to return to . & . it's safe to say i lived up to my jUne quOte in enjoying the journey .

so into jUly we go . midsUmmer has now passed . but . i don't believe it's too late to dream of what the rest of the year may bring .

. drEam . bElieve . dO . rEpeat .

. july 2016 .

. july 2016 .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. enjOy the jOurney .

this year is turning into a funny year . on the one hand i { still } feel slightly lost & the vagueness i felt when i wrote my beginning of year post hasn't entirely left me . on the other hand this year feels as if it's flying by so sO quickly . which means my days must be being filled with something to make the time feel it's passing by too fast . 

i think jUne will be a time of looking back at that pOst & seeing if i can be a little clearer on where the next six months may head . but in the meantime the next month will be a month of visiting travellers & of travelling . of sight seeing . & . memory making .

and . i will take it all one day at a time and enjOy the jOurney .

. find jOy in the jOurney .

. june 2016 .

. june 2016 .

. have a happy day .

{ wherever it may take you }

. crEate your own sUnshine .

as i was sitting at my desk yesterday . beginning to put the mAy calendars together for this post . i looked up just in time to see the snow start to fall . 

we are in spring . it's the end of april . very nearly mAy . earlier the skies had been blue & although it was bitterly . unseasonably . chilly . i really did think that we had moved on from the snow showers . a minute later it was all blue skies again . soon after that a flash of lightning streaked the sky . followed by the rumble of thunder . a darkening of the skies . and then the rain . but then over almost as quickly as it began . 

strange weather indeed . but i think it's also a sign about taking your chances where you can find them . about searching out the moments of blue sky & sunshine . the breaks between the rain showers & snow showers . 

. sOmetimes you just have to create your own sUnshine .

. may 2016 .

. may 2016 .

. have a sUnny dAy .

. bE silly .

sO . the eAster bUnnies have been & gone . { although i'm guessing they'll be some easter eggs still lingering on . & . if that's the case there's some great ideas here . & . here } . the clocks have jumped forward . & . whilst we might not be looking out the flip flops & shorts just yet . there's a promise of { slightly } warmer, lovelier days to come . lets look forward to spring flowers . sunshine & showers . & . just a little bit of silliness . 

. bE silly . bE hOnest . be kind .

 . aPril 2016 .

. aPril 2016 .

. have a hAppy dAy .

. eAster eggs & bOb-tailed bUnnies . { twelve lovely dIy's for easter time } .

a very chocolatey blOg post from a good friend pOpped up this morning & reminded me that eAster isn't too far away now . for the past few years i've liked the idea of making my own eggs & as this year i'm cutting down on sugar & trying to eat as cleanly as possible, it seems the perfect year to have a go . & . to be honest when they look as good as these ones do then i don't think i'd be missing out by not buying one from the shops .

but whilst i'm waiting for my easter egg moulds to be delivered i thought i'd share some of the easter dIy's i've spotted whilst busily pinning eAster ideas to pinterest . from simple monochrome black & white . to . the brightest of neons . i'm hOping there's something there to take your fancy & make you want to pull out your paper & scissors & get creative for eAster .

. 1 . 2 . 3 .

{ black . & . white }

. 4 . 5 . 6 .

{ gilded . with . gold }

. 7 . 8 . 9 .

{ copper . & . neons }

. 10 . 11 . 12 .

{ bright . & . colourful }

i think a glittery gold eAster with pOps of neon colour would be perfect this year . a few eAster decorations around the house . & . a few homemade gifts to send out . & . that should brighten up these still dull days wOnderfully .

. have a hAppy { hOppy } dAy .