December.

Hello December.

Ten lovely things.

The snow-day edit

1. '. . . there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.'

    John Ruskin. Beautiful image by Circle of Pines.

2. Running wild and dreaming free. 

    Our Free Tribe, reconnecting children with nature through visual storytelling.

3. A snowy city, beautifully illustrated by the O'Hara sisters.

4. A snowy city, captured by Melanee Kate Thomas for Junior Style.

5. Read about the folklore of snowdrops on Creative Countryside.

6. Knitting and crochet inspiration from tipsy tessie. *pops onto my to-knit list*

7. A compendium of inspiration from Sibella Court. *pops onto my to-read list*

8. Support your sisters. Loving Holly&Co's fabulous new theme for March.

9. The sweetest snow scene from Jam and Ginger.

& lets just stay inside and perfect our pastry skills by baking these comforting Danish Pastries.

Stay cosy and have a happy day.

A seasonal shift.

'Winter teetered on the verge of succumbing to the returning sun,

but today the breeze still preferred the touch of snowflakes'

 from left to right and top to bottom

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Never has an Instagram hashtag been more appropriate than #aseasonalshift is at the moment. Behind the clouds the sky is a bright blue, the clouds dotted here and there with pockets of silver grey, from which the snow is falling, slowly, gently, and appropriately, onto the snowdrops and crocus that have just begun to show. I'm still sitting huddled in layers of knits, hands wrapped around comforting mugs of hot chocolate, yet keeping me company as I work are daffodils, just beginning to open, and I'm wondering how I'll enjoy the first of this year's rhubarb. If the snow continues, the rhubarb might be baked slowly under an indulgent coating of crumble, eaten with an equally indulgent topping of custard, whilst reading the seed catalogues which have just popped through the door.

'I hear the sounds of melting snow outside my window every night

and with the first faint scent of spring, I remember, life exists'

Whilst it may be easy to wish winter away, I'm enjoying this mingling of seasons; in some ways it feels we have the best of both. The lingering cold and light snow make for the perfect winter walk, yet also give the perfect excuse for cosying up at home still. And those first signs of spring encourage the making of plans; for the garden, for the home, for all the months ahead.

'Because it's still winter' shopping

// Flint Gotland Wool Blanket, from the future kept

// Daydreamer Soy Candle, from the future kept

// Jasmine Scarf, from Purl Soho

// Fingerless Gloves, from Laurimuks

'Because it's nearly spring' shopping

// Copper plated gardening tools, from Cox & Cox

// Gardenista, by Michelle Slatalla

// Green cardoc twine, from Petersham Nurseries

// Amber blown vase, from The Forest & Co.

Have a happy day.

February.

Hello February.

Ten lovely things.

1. Kids Down Under #1. Dazed but Amazed. Collaborating with artists to produce beautiful bedding.

2. Kids Down Under #2. Yoli & Otis. And a look at their new collection Secret Garden.

3. Kids Down Under #3. Tutu du Monde. And a look at their new collection A Parisian World.

4. If you're looking for books to pop on your To Read list, head over to Thistle Harvest.

5. Etsy find of the week. Wakako Senda. Such lovely ceramics to drink your coffee from.

6. Thank you to Mabel and Mole for leading me to these darkly beautiful Thank you cards.

7. Artist crush of the week. Gurilla. Such wonderfully abstract portraits.

8. A gentle rebellion. Wise words by s.r.w.

9. Creative crush of the week. Gooseberry Moon. Such delicate botanical illustrations.

&. Cranachan Cookies, from Scottish blogger Rosie, in honour of last nights Burn's Night.

     Though I have a feeling they'd taste just as good on any other day, or night too.

. have a happy day .

Ten lovely things.

The inspired edit.

1. Lots of creative business inspiration thoughtfully collated by 91Magazine.

2. Inspired by the glimpses of new collections from Rock'nLullaby showing at Pitti Bimbo86.

3. 'Sunday's are for dreamers' via Mini Mavens.

     This has me dreaming of a Sunday spent knitting a cosy cardigan *sigh*

4. Etsy inspiration of the week. Didress. Just love this beautiful oversized dress.

5. The Petite Knitter has the most beautiful IG feed, full of yarn & knitting inspiration,

6. whilst Eleven Handmade will inspire you to get super creative with your crochet hook.

7. 'Herbarium' by Cristina Amodeo.

    *sigh*

8. Have the courage to step forward.

9. Inspired by the colours in this piece by Melanie Severin, called 'Weathered'.

& a Banana, Chocolate Chip & Walnut Loaf to inspire my weekend baking.

. have a happy day .

Ten lovely things.

1. I have this thing with plants. Even printed ones like these.

2. 'And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane

     by those who could not hear the music.' Friedrich Nietzsche via Little Creative Factory.

3. Still the weather for cosy coats and pretty pinafores from Oaks of Acorn.

4. Still the weather for chunky knits and hats and scarves from Handsome Badger.

5. Etsy find of the week. 2of2. Little houses, little forests, and other handcrafted goods.

6. To Do. Fill a jar with things To Do this year, via {vinegar&brownpaper}.

7. A perfect Winter bouquet, via Holy Gallery.

8. A few words of encouragement from Letterbox Lane.

9. Picasso's 'Girl in a Chemise'.

& a 'not as naughty as they look' sweet treat from The Kitchen McCabe.

. have a happy day .

January.

Hello January.

{ happy friday }

The cosy edit.

1. Snow has fallen. All around us.

2. It's the weather for bundling up in beautiful boots.

3. And staying cosy in the cutest coats.

4. For comfort baking with coffee, chocolate and caramel.

5. Etsy find of the week. host&toast. Simple and beautiful things.

6. Knits + lace + botanical cuppas = keeping cosy in the most stylish of ways.

7. Cosy knits. Part 1.

8. New Year resolutions. To have a kind heart, fierce mind and a brave spirit.

9. Cosy knits. Part 2.

& a cosy coffee cocktail to say goodbye to the old year, and hello to the new.

{ have a cosy day }

{ my december }

The quietest of months.

I wonder what next year will bring?

{ have a happy day }

{ happy friday }

1. Just three days left. Are you ready?

2. Folksy find of the week. Handmade Over Yonder. I wonder if Angel Mouse is destined for someone's stocking?

3. The sweetest skater scene which, almost, makes me yearn to go skating.

4. I have to agree that this is the most beautiful dress of the season *sigh*

5. Christmas gift wrapping goals right here.
6. Christmas reading goals right here.
7. Christmas knitting goals right here.
8. Winter is the time for comfort. The wisest of words from Edith Sitwell.
9. Spicy ginger treacle cookies are always a good idea. ( see above No.8. )
& so is Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast.

{ have a happy day }

{ happy friday }

1. The epitome of a simply beautiful Christmas from Tea with Ruby.

2. The epitome of loveliness by Gemma Booth for Milk Magazine.

3. The epitome of style with that hat & that coat by Nikolia.

4. Christmas cookie goals right here.

5. Tips for a minimal Christmas by Jessica Rose Williams over on 91magazine.

    Including a link to these beautiful botanical cards.

6. Though I'm also a little in love with this snowglobe card by My Lovely Thing.

7. Christmas gift wrapping goals right here.

8. Stardust, wishes and magical things.

9. One cup of sparkling goodness for me please?

& Gingerbread Hot Chocolate sounds the perfect drink to dunk homemade gingerbread in.

    Doesn't it?

{ have a happy day }

{ 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 .

clockwise from centre

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

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 }

{ happy friday }

1. Finding so many lovely new Insta feeds through Me and Orla's Gloom and Grow.

2. This weeks new knitting crush. Pampirion. And how incredibly lovely is that leaf stitch?

3. Dressed to impress. And how incredibly cute is that collar?

4. Christmas crochet goals right here.

5. Folksy find of the week. Flower and Fable. Heather; solitude, protection and beauty.

6. This garland would look so pretty paired with the festive foliage I've buying.

7. We are all made of stardust *sigh* *pops this on the Christmas List*

8. There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long. 

9. Dottie Angel has a shop. Who knew? P.s. I heard a shop update is happening today!

& let the Christmas cookie making commence, beginning with these.

{ have a happy day }

{ four I adore . Etsy Made Local & a weekend of loveliness . Part Two }

And so, on Monday I mentioned there were two Etsy Markets happening in Birmingham this weekend. After featuring the market hosted by Ideas Birmingham, it is now the turn of the Winter Makers Market hosted by Birmingham Originals. Held on Saturday and Sunday, in the beautiful Banqueting Suite at the Council House, it was full of even more local makers, artists, and craftspeople. The festive spirit was alive and well, and there was a hum of people buying gifts for others, and quite possibly a few for themselves too. 

For the full line up of all the creatives who were there, pop over to Birmingham Original's Facebook page, but for now, here are four that I particularly adored.

 . Charlotte Clark Designer Maker .

Quirky, macabre, and curious, are the words that pop up on Charlotte's about page, and I'm not sure I could sum her work up any better. Using beautiful bone china, Charlotte makes pieces for the home, both useful and decorative, all having a wonderfully dark edge. Skulls and skeletons adorn the most seemingly innocent of homewear, giving an unexpected twist to the simplest of things.

Oh, and I can think of more than a few people who would appreciate her range of greetings cards, in particular her 'I love your ( resting bitch ) face'! 

 . Salt and Sail .

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is not the first time that I've shown a little love for Salt and Sail. A mother and daughters knitting team who hand knit some of the most beautifully simple babywear, that make this fellow knitter sigh a little with envy. Their stall on Saturday didn't disappoint, and the box full of these bootees adorned with pom pom's couldn't fail to make the hardest of hearts coo just a little. 

 . Doricica Dolls .

I've admired Doricica Dolls from afar for a while now, so to be able to see them on Saturday, and have a brief chat with Doriana herself, was a real delight. I desperately wish I had a little girl to buy one of these darling dolls for. The detail, and the workmanship is just lovely, and the dolls have such wonderful personalities.

Doriana's stall looked equally lovely, and I doubt I would have been the only one to stand chatting whilst wishing desperately that I was either five years old again, or had a vaguely justifiable reason why I needed one myself.

. Little Penn .

Finally I'm sharing the very lovely Little Penn and her beautiful illustrations and prints. Her work has a simplicity about it, and is wonderfully delicate and illustrative. Birds and botanicals are a recurrent theme, stamped in monochrome onto paper and cloth. One particular little print caught my eye, and is that one thing that I now can't stop thinking about, and wish I'd now bought.

At the moment her Etsy shop is on a short break, but as soon as it's open again I think I'll be popping that particular little print in my basket to buy.

{ have a happy day }

{ Etsy Made Local . & . a weekend of local loveliness . Part One }

Birmingham was awash with makers and markets this weekend, with not one, but three Christmas Markets taking place.  The Bond, the Council Chambers and the Custard Factory were humming with Christmas carols and the scent of mulled wine. Although the German Market was it's usual busy self, it was heartening to see so many people taking time out to visit these smaller markets.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 

We're lucky enough to have two local Etsy groups in Birmingham, each hosting their own market at the weekend. When you pop along to these markets you start to realise how many wonderful creatives there are in and around the city, many managing to squeeze in all that making around their other jobs.

Ideas Birmingham were the hosts of the event at the Custard Factory. This was the third event held by the group, and this year's event looked set to top the 2,000 that flocked to Digbeth last year. Held on Friday and Saturday, with a line up of sellers that included artists, potters, makers of jewellery, macrame and much more.  When I popped along on Saturday the market was nicely busy, and it was lovely to find new makers that I'd not spotted before.

BPiancaCeramics and HannahKyriakouDesign were both new to me. Barbara's ceramics and Hannah's jewellery are both inspired by nature, and have a beautiful simplicity about them. I particularly loved Hannah's silver poppy rings, which she makes in three complimentary sizes that are just perfect for stacking and wearing all together. Just lovely.

Also inspired by nature is painter and paper artist Lottie, of PaperInkAlchemy. Her amazingly intricate and detailed moth is sadly sold out on Etsy, but fortunately there are still lots of lovely things to find, such as this Silver Lining's Papercut.

One lovely maker I didn't see, but wish I had, is Alli of LCTLY. Selling at Friday's market, her wonderful woven wall hangings are all individual, one off, creations. They are also lovely enough to make me start thinking about adding a handloom to my Christmas wish list!

I always feel that I shouldn't have favourites at these fairs, though invariably I do. Ideas Birmingham very kindly gave me some vouchers to spend at the market, and as soon as I stopped at Rosario's stall I had an inkling they'd be spent there. Originally from Chile, now living in Birmingham, Rosario is a printmaker, producing the loveliest prints and cards from woodcuts. Many are inspired by the landscape of her home country, others by nature and botanicals. And one is now happily sitting on my desk at home.

{ photo credit . paper ink alchemy }

And so another marvellous market is over. I'll be posting a few of my favourites from the other Etsy Made Local market later in the week, and I hope that if you've still got Christmas gifts still to buy these posts might inspire a few ideas.

{ have a happy day }

Disclaimer: Ideas Birmingham very kindly invited me along to the market, and generously gave me some vouchers to spend whilst there. However, all ramblings, musings and thoughts are my own.

{ hello December }

. hello December .

{ have a happy day }

{ my november }

I have been sitting here staring out of the window wondering how to sum up November. I'm failing miserably at finding the words. It was a month of being busy, but there were also moments of quiet. It was a month of feeling productive, and yet at the same time feeling that things had somehow stalled once more. My running mojo returned, my creative mojo seems to have disappeared. There have been days when Autumn felt it would stay forever, yet more recently it feels Winter has already arrived.

{ knitting }

The first few days of November were spent in a flurry of knitting and readying myself for my first festive market. Blankets were adorned with bobbles and beanie hats topped with pom poms. It was exciting and scary all at once, but I loved every minute of it.

{ selling }

The thrill of making my first sales was on a par with running my first Half Marathon. And anyone who knows me even slightly will know how much that meant to me. Life has taken over in a rather annoying way since the market and has meant that the long planned Etsy shop is not quite up and running yet, though an afternoon spent photographing these, now finished, beanie hats sparks a glimmer that it may not be too long. 

{ hibernating }

I have enjoyed being a bit of a home bird this month. Autumn days are made for hibernating at home, keeping cosy under blankets, and making the most of the dark mornings, and nights, by lighting the many candles dotted around the house.

{ feeling festive }

Whilst you will never find me even contemplating putting the decorations up until December is well under way, I have been enjoying a few Christmas markets that have started to make me feel all festive. The Paperdoll's Handmade Market on Saturday was particularly lovely, and keep an eye out for a blog post coming very soon. In the meantime I will leave you with these beautiful blooms bought from Bloom Collective, soon to be turned into a wreath, and decorations for gifts.

And so, onto December.

{ have a happy 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 .

clockwise from centre

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

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 }

{ hello March }

. hello March .

{ have a lovely day }