The Bibliophile

Daffodil for Valentines

2012-02-13T12:08:00.000-08:00

I was in the supermarket on Friday night (after bailing on a night out with some co-workers, well, there's not much a tee-totaler can do at a cider festival) when a man in front of me in the queue struck up a conversation. After the usual small talk (mostly focusing on the recent snow) he asked me what I wanted for Valentines day.

Daffodils 5 x 7 print by brianbergstrom

I'm sure most women would go for the obvious things, such as roses or chocolate or a nice meal out. But I'm not dating anyone and haven't been for a few years now, so I said I would like a daffodil. A bit of an odd choice I'll admit, but I like daffodils because they remind me of sunshine, and it would be more of a simple statement of "I quite like you and would be interested in dating you" rather than the "I LOVE you!" statement that one gets from a dozen red roses.

Daffodils in Glass by star8278

Clearly though this chap didn't understand that, because as soon as I said "a daffodil" he looked at me as if I was completely insane, then turned around and pretended I wasn't there.

Oh well, he was definitely on the wrong side of 40 for my liking.

But it got me thinking; what's wrong with daffodils? In England it is often cloudy and grey and daffodils are beautiful and bright and cheerful and are a lovely reminder that spring is on the way!

Yellow Spring Flowers Print by SeeLifeShine

So here's to the daffodil, a thoroughly under-rated flower! And a Happy Valentines Day to you all!

SNOW!

2012-02-05T06:01:00.000-08:00

My first year living in London and I've been lucky enough to get some snow! My main worry about leaving Hertfordshire was that I would miss one of the best bits of winter, the village I grew up in gets snow and in previous years me and my siblings have had a lot of fun building snowmen in the garden but London is always a little bit warmer than the rest of the country so snow isn't that common.

I will confess to staring at the weather forecast all week waiting for the good news. Then on Friday afternoon everyone was announcing that it was meant to snow this weekend. On the one hand I was incredibly excited and on the other I was very worried that it would miss us and hit the rest of the country, my luck has been terrible recently so I expected lack of snow to follow suit.

Imagine my excitement last night then when a few flakes fell, and then a few more, and then the snow started properly. I was bouncing between my bed and the window on a regular basis to see the progress of it settling. I even slept with my curtains open last night so I could occasionally lift my head up and see the snow falling, although this didn't work very well as I'm short-sighted and don't sleep with my glasses on so every time I tried it all I could see the orange blur of the streetlights XD

When I woke up this morning it was already starting to melt, so I downed two cups of tea and ate a biscuit, pulled on a multitude of layers, grabbed two cameras and went to Kew Gardens. I took quite a lot of photos with my Dad's old Canon Digital Rebel and two with my aging pocket Nikon, the Canon ones are in RAW and will need to wait until I get a new PC before I can edit them, the Nikon ones are simply awful quality so I won't be posting them up on here. However regardless of photos the actual Gardens were beautiful covered in snow.

I also ended up going to Marks & Spencer to buy a scarf as I don't have one and since the cold is due to hang around a while longer I figured I should get one, and then I also ended up buy 2 cheese scones XD

I've already had chicken soup and a lovely fresh roll and more tea, this afternoon will feature baking some cookies and then I'm doing roast beef for my dinner tonight!

Have a lovely weekend everyone and if you've got snow, have fun with it!

Treasury and Listing!

2012-01-29T04:23:00.000-08:00

Bit of a short post today because I'm being very naughty and having a little lazy day today. If I ever get dressed it will be so I can go and buy cheesecake from a shop XD

Despite being lazy though I've just listed a new book, The Travellers Handbook to Paris from 1937!

Along with the usual itineraries one gets in these travel guides it all has thirteen maps and a whole load of adverts for shops and hotels one could visit in 1930's Paris. What makes this book special to me though is it's date; 1937. Two years later the second world war broke out and in 1940 the Germans occupied Paris. How many of the shops and hotels, immortalised in these pages, were still around by the time the war ended?

I've also been included in a Treasury this week! Everything Must Go features my vintage book "The Romance of Modern Electricity", thanks to LinniR for including me!

Have a nice week everyone!

Happy Birthday YLS!

2012-01-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Mini post today, it's a very special day because it's my Youngest Little Sister's birthday!

As an explanation for the way I describe her, I'm the eldest of four children. After me comes my brother, and then two sisters. Since both of them are my little sisters I end up referring to them as Eldest Little Sister (ELS) and Youngest Little Sister (YLS).

YLS is turning one year older today! Doesn't matter how old she gets though, she'll always be the baby of the family.

Trying on hats in Hyde Park

She'll also always be the adorable one (ELS, if you're reading this, you'll always be the fashionable one!) it's just a shame that only 50% of the photos of her come out fine, the other 50% she's blinking or pulling a silly face XD

Happy birthday baby sister! x

The Flying Sock

2012-01-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Just before last Easter I packed up most of my life (about 20% of it stayed in the old stables at my parent's home) and moved to south west London. I rent a small room in a small flat. There's a small kitchen, a small bathroom, no living room because it's used as a storage room instead, and three housemates in two other bedrooms. It's actually quite nice, I have my own space (which I love) but if I need company there's generally always someone in the kitchen I can talk to.

It also means that things can't go missing in the flat. It's too small for you to lose something (although I do occasionally misplace one of my QPR mugs at the back of a cupboard). Sooner or later something will be found. And in my case I'm constantly losing track of my socks. It's rather embarrassing actually, I rarely wear matching socks simply because the other half of a pair will wander off somewhere (generally to the bottom of my laundry basket).

This evening this happened;

Housemate Mon- Biiiiibliophile?
Me- Yeeeeees?

Suddenly it came through my open door, flying through the air with all the grace and aerodynamics of something foot-shaped made of cotton and elastic. It hit the floor like a the lightest potato known to man, and sat there accusingly as if to say "why did you leave me in the storage room? Aren't I good enough for your feet?"

Housemate Mon- Hehehehehe.

Snuff

2012-01-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

It occured to me the other day that despite the title of this blog being "The Bibliophile", and despite me claiming to love books, I haven't actually said that much about books recently.

But that is changing today because I got a great one for Christmas that I really struggled to put down!

Snuff by Terry Pratchett on Amazon.co.uk

Snuff is the 39th Terry Pratchett set in his alternate universe, the Discworld. Commander Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes of the Ankh Morpork City Watch goes on his first holiday in years, visiting the country estate of his wife Lady Sybil. But all is not right in the countryside, and soon he becomes a one-man policeforce against murder, smugglers, and the persecution of the goblin race.

Ankh Morpork iPhone Sleeve by Flaming Watermelon

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett and I really love the City Watch series. I read Unseen Academicals (not a City Watch one but set in Ankh Morpork) and struggled to get in to it. It didn't seem to flow as well as Pratchett's previous work and given his health problems I had to wonder if things were finally taking a toll, would Snuff actually be any good? Well I'm very happy to say that Snuff was brilliant. I took it to work to read during my lunch break and then wished I hadn't done so because it was so difficult to put it down and return to work!

Wee Free Men (and Woman) by LunasCrafts

Yes the Nac Mac Feegle even get a tiny mention, as do Carrot, Angua, Nobby, Fred Colon, and Vetinari of course! If you're a Terry Pratchett fan then you really must read this book. Really. Just go to your nearest bookshop and buy it now, unplug the phone, abandon work, sit down and read it.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

12th day of Christmas

2012-01-05T02:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the 12th day of Christmas and the last day of this blog theme. Today is the day where you take down your Christmas decorations and put them somewhere safe until next year. If you leave them up then spirits that cause bad luck can hide behind them and curse your home! Or at least, that's the myth I heard.

So it seems like I should end on a high note, and what higher than the very top of the Christmas tree?

Christmas Tree Angel by careybrett

Well, maybe this little lady won't be able to perch on the top of the tree, but she'd look lovely wherever you put her! I love the shade of green for the tree, the lovely fluffy wings, the little beaded Christmas tree in her hand, basically I just love this doll!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who has been able to put up with this blog so far this year, normal ("weekly when I remember) service will resume shortly!

9th, 10th & 11th days of Christmas!

2012-01-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Whoops, you take your mind off things for a day and suddenly you've missed more than you realise.

Catch up time then! Today I bring to you the 9th, 10th and 11th days of Christmas!

Cardinal Christmas Stained Glass by windows2thesoul

A really gorgeous window decoration, a beautiful bright red cardinal surrounded by holly! Lovely and festive and the perfect Christmas colours!

Porcelain Snowflake Ornaments by LaNiqueHOME

These ornaments are adorable! If you decide to have white and blue for next year's Christmas theme these would look absolutely gorgeous as part of it!

Bird Mobile Robin by SweetBauerKnits

This little guy is so sweet! A little knitted robin on a little knitted branch, can you imagine him perched on your Christmas tree?

Last day tomorrow! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

8th day of Christmas

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

I know I've already made one post today, but that was a New Years one, where as this is a continuation of the 12 days of Christmas theme! What I'm going to do after this I have no idea XD

Since it's the New Year, and New Years Eve tends to involve fireworks, I thought you'd like something sparkly today!

Christmas Tree Pin by Pinderella

This pin is simply gorgeous, the combination of silver and pink is really pretty! Other festive pins in this shop are snowmen, and santa going down the chimney!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012!

I've come up with my resolutions! Along with taking up tap dancing (which is my big one this year) I'm also resolving to remember to post on here more often XD My Dad also gave me his old Canon Digital Rebel over Christmas so there might even be a few photos actually taken by me!

I hope everyone reading this has a happy and healthy 2012!

Happy New Year!

7th day of Christmas

2011-12-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

It's New Years Eve and I'm drinking lots of tea in an attempt to stay up till midnight! My 2011 was full of changes, from moving to London and starting a new job all the way through to my trip to Ohio for my friend's wedding, it was a very interesting (and just a tiny bit stressful) year XD

Since I'm drinking so much tea I thought that today, for the 7th day of Christmas, I would bring to you a Christmas mug!

Christmas Reindeer Coffee Mug by InAGlaze

This mug comes with an adorable reindeer in the middle! Her shop has some lovely items, including gorgeous handpainted cookie jars and candy bowls!

I'm going to drink more tea. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

6th day of Christmas

2011-12-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's the sixth day of Christmas so we're halfway there! And as usual I'm about as far away from the carol as you can get, instead of geese you get crochet!

Custom Crochet Christmas Stockings by BlueWaterGifts

These christmas stockings are really cute! BlueWaterGifts will let you customise the entire thing, you choose the colours, which christmas picture and the name along the top! These would be great as a gift for next year!

Merry Christmas!

5th day of Christmas

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

It feels a little odd to be doing this AFTER Christmas but I'm doing to continue anyway! It is the traditional period for the twelve days after all.

If you were expecting five gold rings today then you'll be sorely disappointed. So have some Christmas pudding to cheer you up.

Christmas Pudding earrings by GiraffesKiss

Or rather, have some pudding earrings! This shop is all about food themed jewellery and the attention to detail on each piece is simply amazing!

Merry Christmas!

4th day of Christmas

2011-12-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

And the theme continues with the fourth day of Christmas. Traditionally it should be calling birds, but I'm not sure what a calling bird is. Perhaps a parrot that's trained to shout "come here!" at people?

So instead have a handmade christmas card!

Blue Bauble Christmas Cards by TheBearprint

Frankly I love this card purely because of the shade of blue used for the bauble XD And the golden yellow swirls make a lovely pattern. Get them now and then you won't need to worry about buying cards next December!

Merry Christmas!

3rd day of Christmas

2011-12-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm really not very good at this "posting every day" thing am I? XD

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Pinecone Ornaments by JPwithLove

Hang them on the tree, along the mantlepiece or off your door handles, these pinecones will add a lovely extra festive touch to your home!

Merry Christmas!

2nd day of Christmas

2011-12-26T06:02:00.000-08:00

I did say two posts in one day! Today is Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas. According to the Christmas carol I should be waving two turtle doves at you, but it's lunch time and I'm hungry so you can have some Christmas food instead (I'm well aware that you could eat a turtle dove but I've decided it doesn't count!)

Mince Pies by Marmalady

How does Marmalady manage to make everything look so yummy? If you're in the UK and a bit fed up with the mince pies you get in the supermarkets, give hers a try. If they taste even half as yummy as they look then you'll never stray from homemade again!

Merry Christmas!

1st day of Christmas

2011-12-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas! So I thought I'd do a little theme for the next twelve days, called (oddly enough) The Twelve Days of Christmas! Featuring a different Christmas themed item every day! Except I'm a day late because I slept in late yesterday and then didn't have enough time to write this first post XD

So you get 1st day and 2nd day today!

Winding Ivy by silvermason

In honour of my maternal grandmother's favourite Christmas carol, The Holly and the Ivy, I bring to you a pair of ivy stamped silver earrings!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Alice in Wonderland

2011-12-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

This post is brought to you by Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland, because I'm watching it right now!

In all honesty I wish I had seen these earlier as a friend of mine loves Alice in Wonderland, someone remind me about this blog post next November as it'll make my gift shopping a lot easier!

Drink Me Vial by EsaNany

Alice in Wonderland Altered Journal by AnistaDesigns

Alice in Wonderland Drink Me by EnchantedWonderland

Alice in Wonderland With Her Friends by PaintedByRenee

If I don't post again before Christmas Day, have a very merry Christmas!

Christmas decorations!

2011-12-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

It's now properly December! I have been reliably informed by one of my sisters that it is two weeks until Christmas day (and a quick calendar check told me that this is true), and at work last week me and a coworker spent a couple of hours with a ton of tinsel and a lot of sellotape to decorate our work space.

Therefore this Sunday seemed to be the best time to highlight some of the decorations you can buy from Etsy!

Merry Christmas banner by BekahJennings

You can hang it over your fireplace, up your stair bannister or over the door, either way this is a really pretty banner for the season!

Victorian Mistletoe Wreath by CreativelyNew

You need a wreath for your door! This shop has a whole bunch of different ones, from this Victorian one, a Norway Skaters one and even one with a fairy!

Felt Christmas Trees by DarnedLovely

And then you need things to put on your Christmas tree! These felt decorations are really pretty, I love the button and ribbon embellishment. Some lists are for a group of three but this seller also has individual listings as well so if you only want one or two you can buy them individually.

Robin Christmas Decoration by StitchedWithLoveUK

And finally, what would Christmas be without a cheerful little robin to hang on your tree?

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Funky Notepads

2011-12-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned last week, I have been participating in NaNoWriMo this year. It's the 6th time I've done it, and I'm pleased to say that for the 2nd time ever I managed to complete it! I came in with 50079 words late on the evening of the 30th, and heaved a massive sigh of relief. I ended up writing the last 15k words over the final three days, after spending the weekend desperately catching up and writing just over 14k words in two days.

Part of my procrastinating involved browsing Etsy and favouriting lots of random things. This included some very pretty notepads that I came across. I'm a big fan of stationary so you will probably also get a post on pens coming up in the next few weeks as well XD

Quit Procrastinating by modernemotive

I love this simply because the title line is one I really should heed; quit procrastinating!

Personalised Family Notepad by itsybitsypaper

The cute birdie pattern along the bottom right caught my eye for this one, but I also love that it is personalised so you can have your family name at the top and the names of family members along the bottom.

Meal Planner by mikiodesign

If you're like me and like to make a little menu each week then this is the notepad for you! Not only does it include the days of the week down the side but it also has space for you to write your shopping list, so you can keep everything on one sheet of paper each week!

I Will Get It Done Soon by papersquid

Another one to help you stop procrastinating, with the bright green base for this notepad it is definitely not one set of lists you are likely to lose in a pile of paperwork!

Have a lovely week everyone!

Remember November

2011-11-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is horribly overdue :( Got eaten by NaNoWriMo and then a week of work.

So for everyone in Britain, 11th November is Armistice Day. It is the memorial of the day that the first world war ended, at 11am on the 11th November 1918. In Britain we mark this day, and Rememberance Sunday which is the nearest Sunday after the 11th, with poppy wreaths. And in the days before it the Royal British Legion sells paper poppies for people to wear.

So it seems like an idea to feature some poppy-themed things from Etsy.

Felt Poppy Brooch by ZMFelt

Red Poppy Landscape by drobart

Simple Red Poppies by Sidereal

ACEO Red Poppy Flower Painting by DreamON

We will remember them.

Snuggle Time

2011-10-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here, the clocks have gone back today so it’s getting dark early in the afternoon, and I keep finding myself feeling chilly during the day. And for some reason this in turn makes me feel a bit sleepy, possibly because I can’t help but want to snuggle down in bed and hibernate like animals do in the winter.

Summer Afternoon Quilt by CarleneWestberg

Obviously one needs a quilt to curl up under. Personally I prefer a nice thick duvet but patchwork quilts can give an extra layer that adds to the warmth.

Sweet Candy Cushion Cover by lisaghove

Cherry Blossom Linen Pillow by HomemakerMovement

You need a nice cushion or two to prop up your head. Actually you’d ideally need some pillows but I love both these cushions so I decided to pop them up on here instead.

And then of course you need something to cuddle while you’re napping.

Alexander Skarsgard

Hmm, very nice but I don’t think he can be called “cuddly”. At least not with the fangs he has in True Blood!

Ben Barnes

Again, lovely and I’m sure he’s snuggable but it’s still not quite what I’m looking for.

Blue Steel Bear by clarebears

Ah, perfect! The best thing to cuddle while you sleep is something that doesn’t snore, move around in his sleep, or complain that you snore/fart/mumble while you’re asleep. Although sadly this lovely fella won’t make you a cup of tea when you wake up, but some sacrifices have to be made for comfort.

And finally I think it’s nap time! Have a nice week everyone! Now, where did I put Ben Barnes?

Ohio!

2011-10-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

I would like to apologise now for the lack of posts in the past two weeks. I went on holiday to Cincinnati in Ohio because a friend there was getting married and I was invited to the wedding. This meant that I didn’t make a post because I was on holiday and then when I came back I went straight back to work so spent the following weekend catching up on my sleep and chores.

However I am happy to say that I had a lovely time in Cinci! I was staying with my lovely friend Meg, who was one of the bridesmaids, and also got to see Ames (maid of honour) and Beth (the bride). I left London while it was in a heatwave and found that Ohio was in one as well. It was a good thing I had packed a pair of shorts with me “just in case” since I would have baked to a crisp in my jeans.

Cincinnati Museum, photo by me.

We went to the Cincinnati History Museum, which was very cool, it’s made out of an old train terminal (we don’t have anything the same size in London as we’re still using all our train terminals). We ended up in the natural history wing where we found Native American artefacts, stuffed animals, and a cave! I’ve never been in a cave in a museum before, it had running water and everything, suddenly I wanted to close down Waterloo and turn it into a museum complete with a very nifty cave!

Ice cream! Photo by Meg.

Ames, Beth and Tim The Groom took me to Skyline for a Cincinnati Three-way, which is chilli on top of spaghetti with grated cheese. The cheese was orange! Cheddar cheese is not meant to be orange! As far as “comfort food” (my uncle described it as such when I told him about it) goes I think the British can do much better, if any of them come to the UK I will be sure to make them a nice toad in the hole to prove what comfort food really is. Thankfully the next day I could forget all about their strange orange cheese because Meg took me to an ice cream place and we had cookie dough ice cream that was AMAZING, even better than Ben & Jerry’s (creamier and less sugar-stuffed).

Me and Liz at the Reception, photo by April Besl.

There was also a bachelorette party (which was fun but ended in true legendary “we won’t talk about it” style) and a rehearsal dinner and before we knew it the wedding day was here! It was a really lovely wedding, and along with only being my second ever wedding it was also the first time I had seen a Catholic mass. The reception was a lot of fun, I haven’t danced so much for quite a long time. Every time I sat down for a breather I was pulled back up to my feet again. I had to have quite a long lie in the next morning. Between the rehearsal dinner, the wedding and the reception I managed to get to know a whole bunch of people, so a big thank you to Cheryl (poppet XD), Manny, Liz, April, Morgan, Kirk (aka "Ames' bloke") and Karl (aka "Ames' brother") for being fantastic company!

It's not traditional for the Beefeaters in London to kill people with spades,

but apparantly it's common in Ohio.

And then on Sunday, the day before I was flying home, Ames took me, Meg, Liz and Liz' husband Brad to a renaissance faire! We don’t have anything like that in the UK that I know of. We spent the entire day there, live music, people in costume, jousting, the whole nine yards and it was completed by perfect weather, it was an excellent day out! Monday was spent sleeping, packing, seeing some parks in Cinci and having one of the BEST burgers I've tasted before Ames dropped me off at the airport and I had to say my goodbyes.

So a big thank you to Meg, Ames and Beth for a fantastic week in the USA! And many congratulations to the bride and groom, Beth and Tim, and here's to many happy years!

The Tudors

2011-09-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have recently been re-watching the TV series The Tudors. Admittedly it’s riddled with historical inaccuracies but I love the costume and jewellery design. I had a little search on Etsy using the term “Tudor”, and was stunned at some of the super-talented people that have shops there.

Shakespeare in Love by RomanticThread

This gown is simply gorgeous. The colour catches the eye but it’s the level of detail, especially the beading around the bodice, which really makes this a gown fit for a Lady of the Tudor court!

Renaissance Nobleman Hunting Outfit by MattiOnline

Because not everyone can wear a dress! From the wonderfully baggy sleeves to the bright red breeches, this makes a wonderful costume for the historically-inclined gentleman.

Tudor Dress Girdle by RecycledRockstah

We all know that the devil is in the details. This girdle means that the details have suddenly become a lot easier! Pearl cabochons and gold filigree really add to the beautifully opulent feel of this piece, a worthwhile addition to any costume.

Henry VIII Costume Set by midnightbreezedesign

And last but certainly not least, if you’ve ever wanted to dress up like a king then this may be the costume for you! This is a full set; hat, breeches, doublet and, mostly importantly, the coat! The use of faux-fur is what draws the whole thing together for me, making this a very regal costume.

I bet you’re now all looking for renaissances fairs in your area!

Have a good weekend!

Autumn Part 2

2011-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

I have a cold, so today I'm curled up in bed with lots of tissues and lots of tea. But even though I've got the first illness of the season I'm still celebrating the fact that it's autumn!

Glass magnets by TrendyTilesbyTara

The cute designs make these magnets thoroughly adorable. I must admit I never think of an owl as an "autumn" animal but the colours are perfect and make it fit in with the rest of the theme.

Autumn Leaf by TCaponePhoto

Let's face it, this photo sums up autumn perfectly! A fallen leaf in red and orange, is there anything else that could sum up a season so well?

Autumn Fall Colours by accessorarti

I love pearl charm braclets, and this one is so full of the colours of autumn that I had to include it! I especially like the little leaf charms you can see peeking between the pearls.

Autumn Leaves Book and Box by PhoenixFinery

And finally a lovely origami book and a beautiful box. The paper colours suit the theme well and the gold glitter used to embellish the leaves makes them stand out beautifully.

I'm going to go and dose myself up with lots of tea! Have a nice weekend everyone!

Autumn Part 1

2011-09-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the tenth anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers. To all Americans, my thoughts are with you. Today is also the 14th birthday of my first sister, Sarah, so if you're reading this Sarah; Happy Birthday.

It’s September and autumn is pretty much here! The conker tree (“horse chestnut” if you want to give it it’s proper name) has had it’s leaves turn brown for...er...well most of the summer actually because this is England and summer never really kicks off. But still it’s made me go and look for some nice autumn themed items on Etsy.

As it turns out there are quite a lot of nice autumn items on Etsy and I had quite a hard time choosing between them, so this is Autumn Part 1! Part 2 will come next week.

Stained Glass Panel by DesignsStainedGlass

So I find stained glass pretty anyway, it’s one of the few reasons why I go into churches nowadays. And this is really pretty, the fact that they’ve managed to get the glass into mottled shades is really stunning.

Falling Leaves earrings by whimsydaisydesigns

I think the crystals are what really make these earrings, they bring out the colour of the leaves and make them look properly autumnal.

Autumn tree save the date cards by PrettyWithInkInvites

Perfect for an autumn wedding! I like the fact that two of the leaves are falling off the tree.

Colourful Acorns by Fairyfolk

These cute felt acorns would definitely give your home a hint of the season without you having to find actual acorns outside and bring them in (difficult if you don’t have any oak trees around you).

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Florals!

2011-09-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Today it's been nice and sunny outside, and I've remained indoors. I've hoovered, I've written a letter in support of my old Classics department (they're trying to close it down and merge part of it with the history department! To call me miffed would be an understatement), and I've baked fairy cakes.

Given the good weather outside and the fact that summer is now drawing to a close it seems like a nice idea to wave goodbye to the flowers with some pretty floral patterns.

And the really funny thing is while I'm posting about delicate, pretty things I am in reality listening to Slipknot in an attempt to drown out my housemate's RnB choices. He's a nice guy but he has no idea of volume.

Let's Get Cooking by homesweethome23

Vintage Inspired Coasters by BurlapandBlue

Floral purse by Tacitashop

18 inch pillow by iWunderSews

No comments to go with them today because they're pretty enough!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Postboxes & Food!

2011-08-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

I actually wrote a blog post last week, and then completely forgot to post it up, so I'll save it for next Sunday.

This week I'm just going to bring you some totally random stuff that's been going in my life recently.

I really, really wish I hadn't been an idiot yesterday as I went to visit a National Trust property called Osterley Park and it was GORGEOUS, it's such a lovely house and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone. Unfortunately the idiot part comes from me forgetting my camera. But no matter, it's an excuse for me to make another trip there in the future.

Obviously a few weeks ago there was rioting in London. I'm happy to say that I live in a nice, safe area of south west London so there were no riots here, but one morning I was greeted by this sight on my way to work:

Yes, someone painted the postbox opposite Kew Gardens Tesco gold! It actually looked really nice, they'd done a very good job making sure there was an even coat and there didn't appear to be any drips or overspray on the pavement or road around it. I haven't actually heard much about this, there's one other mention on a blog and two people on Twitter sent me photos when I mentioned it. I'm assuming it was some random artist. Especially since this was the back of the postbox:

"be nicer to other londoners" was stenciled in black on the back. I'm assumed it was aimed at the post-riot feeling around the city. And to be honest I think it's a message that needs to be taken to heart, I've found a lot of Londoners to be quite rude (someone hit me with their umbrella the other day and didn't apologise, I know it was an accident but it was still THEIR accident and an apology would have been appreciated instead of glaring at me). Oh well, that's people for you.

Oh and it's now been repainted Royal Mail Red so I'm afraid if you're hoping to see it in it's gold state it's just not possible.

I've also been baking recently! I like to take fairy cakes or cookies into work as part of my packed lunch because they have nice cakes for sale there but I can't really waste money, and I'm less likely to buy cake when I have my own with me. Last week I also decided to try my hand at an old favourite, but one I haven't made since I was a child, flapjacks!

They were lovely! Very tasty. But they were falling apart by Wednesday (I made them Sunday afternoon) and by Friday the last one ended up being a strange oatey sugary mixture in a sandwich bag which two of my colleagues laughed at. Tasted delicious though! I need to consult with my Mum about how to stop them becoming a crumbly mess in the future.

I also made roast beef and dauphinoise potatoes for the second time every last night! But I took a photo on a plate and when I went to edit it last night the whole think looked rather unappetising. So have a plate of spaghetti bolognese I made instead.

Have a nice week everyone!

Pretty In Pink

2011-08-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

It’s all pretty in pink today!

Pink Sugared Angel Wing by thegardencafespa

This soap is simply amazing, the feather pattern and the pink colour are nothing short of gorgeous!

Tender Love by Rumina

These gloves will see you showing off spring colours in winter, and look simply fabulous in the cold season!

Handmade Thank You Tags by luvs2create2

These tags are really nice, I like the vintage feel they have, as well as the shade of pink used to stamp the image and decorate the deckled edging.

Butterflies Fluttering by ScrappingArt

And finally, cute little pink butterflies for your handmade cards, scrapbook pages or ATCs. Not just pink, but a hint of gold around the edges too!

This theme was brought to you by someone who’s feeling a little bit girly today XD

Chickens!

2011-08-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

Today I want to talk to you about chickens. A few years ago my Mum finally got six chickens, which were given a large piece of the back garden to run around in. I’m not much of an animal fan myself, but it was nice to look down the garden and see them clucking around at the end.

In the end one was stolen, four were killed by a fox and the remaining two were adopted by a veterinary nurse. But my Mum still likes chickens (and occasionally talks about getting more in the future, if my brother can find a way to fox-proof a fence) and things with chicken patterns or pictures, so I thought I’d use this post to show you some of Etsy’s chicken items!

Sleeping Mother Hen and Chicklette by LilaRedFox

I love this felt chicken and the little chick, they’re such an adorable pair. The wings have wire in so you can pose the mother chicken cuddling her chick, or otherwise. And they come in several different colours!

Stoneware Chick Figurine by ConceptsInClay

This little chap has been cooked twice, but he isn’t a pie! He’s a stoneware clay chick! He’d look lovely on your windowsill in the kitchen.

Chicken soap by PureHeartSoap

This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen chickens in soap! It’s scented with lemon for a lovely fresh smell, and the chickens are embedded in the soap so they won’t disappear after a few washes, but will be there for a good long time.

Chicken Earrings by lizglizz

I must admit, chicken earrings aren’t something I’d wear myself, but these are so cute that I think I’d have to someone who would wear them, just so I could have an excuse to buy them. And the fact that they’re based on the chickens from the game Harvest Moon is an added geeky bonus!

And finally, from chickens we get...eggs!

Carton of eggs necklace by lucindascharms

As soon as I saw this necklace I just had to include it, because it’s so quirky! At least you wouldn’t need to worry about the eggs breaking XD

Have a nice week everyone!

Sarah's Picks!

2011-07-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

There was no update last week because I completely forgot about it!

This week is slightly different. I asked my teenage sister, Sarah, to pick some things off Etsy for me to feature. She recently had her ears pierced so it seemed like earrings would be a good thing to go with. She's even written her own comments about what she's chosen.

If this goes well, or if I become very lazy, I may ask my other sister Tilly to pick some things as well in the future!

So here we go, Sarah's Picks;

Earrings - Heart Spots by AmaltheaCPH

I like these earrings because the colours are really nice and they remind me of summer! Also they are very cute ;D

Elegant Leaf by iloniti

These earrings are.....AMAZING!!! I love the how the gold leaves go with those pastel pearls. Very vintage and very pretty. I want them........ !

Emma Earrings by tamar

These earrings are very pretty and very summery <3 I love them!

Little Birds by smallhappinessdesign

I like these earrings because I think those little birds are cute and sweet :] I love those little beads, really nice colour! I'm thinking maybe Spring and Summer earrings ;D

And that's Sarah's Picks! Have a lovely week everyone. Normal service will probably resume next Sunday!

The Walk!

2011-07-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've just stumbled through the front door with knackered legs and worn out feet, because today I did a five mile walk for the Motor Neurone Disease Association around Bushey Park, near Richmond/Twickenham/Kingston in London.

When I woke up this morning the first thing I did was look out my window. Yesterday it rained a lot so I was praying that it would stay dry, and while it was cloudy that didn't necessarily mean that it would rain. I just had to cross my fingers. My first stop, before getting the bus to Richmond, was to the bakery for breakfast. The original plan was to get cheese straws but I realised that while they're tasty they're not exactly filling. So I also bought a flapjack too.

A flapjack like this by Marmalady, except mine didn't have fruit.

The bus journey was interesting, I've been driving for nearly 7 years now so I'm not used to buses, so the trip consisted of me worrying that I had got on the wrong bus and was going to end up miles away in the wrong direction. When the display showed my stop was next I nearly threw myself out of the door then and there XD

The set off point was the Stockyard Entrance to the park, marked out with blue and orange balloons and a bloke in a blue t-shirt who pointed me to the little tent set up where I could register. I was already wearing the MND t-shirt I was given when I went to cheer at the London Marathon, but they gave me a second one ("this one has extra feet!") and a little two orange feet badge. After that there was nothing to do but stand around and wait for the 11 am kick off. I was on my own and knew absolutely no one, but one of the marshalls wandered over and had a chat with me and explained the route. It started to rain so we all ran under cover, but it quickly cleared up so we all hoped that that would be end of it.

By 11 everyone was ready so we went to the "starting point", the gate to the Park, where a man with a megaphone gave us a few quick details and then we were on our way!

There were quite a few people ahead of me, and my intent was not to stride on ahead like I normally do but to stroll along. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone to talk to and match paces with, and I had Metallica in my ears and some of their music has quite a fast beat, so I slowly but surely began to overtake people until I was well ahead, with only two people in front of me.

The walk was very nice along a path that wound it's way through the park. It's obviously a very popular space, there were lots of cyclists and joggers and a few other walkers as well. The problem with being in front was that I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction so I occasionally glanced back to see if anyone was following and felt very relieved when I saw the line of other blue shirts, until I ended up going a bit too far ahead and lost sight of them completely but by this time one of the marshalls, who was on a bike, realised just how fast I was walking to he gave me directions for the next section so I knew where I was going.

I spotted a deer like this! (Photo from petekdesign on Etsy)

I eventually caught up with the couple ahead of me when they slowed down to look at some deer that were in the park and talked to them as we walked. And then the rain started, properly. They paused to pull on coats and take cover under a tree but by this point I was in my stride so I carried on walking, even though the rain was rather on the heavy side. It soon stopped but by that point my clothes were quite wet, however I simply bore the damp (I HATE walking in wet jeans) and strolled on regardless, still listening to Metallica who proved to be a very good motivator.

Bushey Park by...me!

And then suddenly the sun came out! And it was at that point that I remembered I had my camera with me so I dug it out of my bag (still walking) and shot my only sunny snap of the day (again, while still walking) as I rounded a corner and found a nice green space. At this point I was starting to slow down as my energy was flagging but I knew I couldn't be too far away from the end. I had been overtaken by two people jogging (jogging five miles!?) but apart from them I was still well ahead. I finally got to the final stretch, which is always the worst part. It was about two thirds of the way up the original path from the main gate but it seemed much, much longer! The end was in sight but it looked like the longest distance in the world!

Me, massively frizzy hair is totally in fashion this season XD

Except obviously it wasn't the longest distance in the world. I walked through the same gate I had started at and wandered back to the tents. The problem with being the first walker to finish (I have no idea where the jogging people went) was that I had no idea where I was going, no crowd to follow, so I stood around like a lemon until someone in yet another blue t-shirt spotted me, asked if I had finished and sent me off to a barn where food had been set out! As soon as the word "tea" was mentioned I nearly collapsed on the floor from relief before getting a sandwich and some sausage rolls.

The next people to arrive were the couple I had spoken to, and then other people began to arrive back and wander in as well. I had a nice conversation with a lady called Kim, who is part of one of the fundraising groups and has now added me to their newsletter and who took the above photo for me, and then I headed home.

In total I've raised £275 for the MND Association! My target was £200 so I'm ecstatic about thoroughly breaking it and owe my sponsors a big, big thank you for contributing on my Justgiving page. This is a charity that is very close to my heart since my Grandad passed away from MND and is always going to be close to my heart, at least until a cure for MND is finally found. It says a lot about this illness that the first two questions I was asked this morning (and several times throughout the day) were "What's your name?" and "Who did you lose to MND?", and those weren't official questions for the registration.

Me and some of my family in Italy in 2005, with my Grandad on the far right!

Have a nice week everyone!

Ham House!

2011-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a while I managed to get a weekend that was dry and warm, but not excessively hot and humid! To me this is a rarity so I took the opportunity and joined a little social group in their trip to the lovely Ham House.

Ham House is a beautiful red brick building just east of Richmond in Surrey, set near the Thames. It was built in the early 1600's and was owned by Elizabeth Maitland, the countess of Dysart. It stayed in the line of the Earls of Dysart until it was given to the National Trust in 1948. Oh, and it's apparantly haunted but luckily I didn't see any ghosts while I was there.

Obviously, this is the front of Ham House. There's a walk up a paved road to get to the main gates where you pay to go in (or wave your National Trust membership card and get in for free like I did). They don't have a ticket office but they do have a National Trust branded van, where they can also sign up new members if you want to join! Once you get through the gate you're free to wander as you wish, you can go into the house, round the gardens or to the cafe which is in the old orangery. The group I was with decided to go into the house first before going on a short garden tour.

Yes that's me (spot the iPod earphone wire XD) outside the very large front door! This led into the main hall, a lovely big room with a nice tiled floor and various pictures on the walls. There isn't a guided tour, like most NT properties nowadays you just wander as you wish, but we were given a nice mini guidebook which had a suggested route for us to take and gave a bit of information about each room. We got to see some rooms on the first floor and the basement before we returned to the great hall and went back outside.

The main staircase was decorated with beautiful wooden carvings such as this one of a cannon! Unfortunately you can't take photos using a flash and my camera is rubbish in the dark so that's the best picture of several that I took in the place. But the inside of the house really is lovely, my favourite room was the library which was filled with vintage books! The basement was interesting too, although I must say that I think my time at Wimpole Hall spoiled me as some of the basement was on the bare side when compared to that at Wimpole. It was still nice to see though, the best part of these houses is seeing how both sides of the household lived.

And finally we went on a short garden tour. There was a nice "cherry tree orchard", which was missing it's cherry trees because they were removed long before the National Trust took over. At the back of the house were some lovely lawns that then led down to the "wilderness", which is a semi-cultivated space with lots of hedges and tucked away corners for picnics. And there was also a statue of Hermes! Of course, the classical theme is strong in these kinds of places.

Once we were done with our garden tour we had tea and cakes from the cafe and sat outside near the kitchen garden and chatted. It was a really lovely day out, if you're a National Trust member and have to visit Ham House then I thoroughly recommend it!

My next weekend is going to be just as eventful, not only am I working on the Saturday but on the Sunday I'm going to be doing a sponsored walk for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. This is a charity really close to my heart and I've set myself a target of raising £200, you can read more about it at my fundraising page!

Have a lovely week everyone!

Pretties

2011-07-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I live in a small block of flats. Last night one of the other flats decided to have a very loud party until well past 1am.

As a result I am completely exhausted and in a horrible mood. Rather than pass my negative thoughts on to you lot by whinging I'm simply going to give you all a bunch of pretty things to look at while I go and plot my revenge.

Sucrees Fine Art Print by honeytree

Keishi Pearl Earrings by livjewellery

The colors of the market by RebeccaPlotnick

Pearl Cluster Necklace by NFergusonJewellery

Have a nice week everyone!

Oh dear, I'm Irish

2011-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today in England there are people on strike. The country has no money and is asking public sector workers to a bit more towards their pensions and work a bit longer in their jobs, just like everyone in the private sector has to do.

I'm a public sector worker but I don't agree with the strike. I'm not even in the Union. Instead I had a minor row with the Union guy at work when he tried to recruit me. Am I ever going to join the Union? No, in fact I'm hoping that if I continue to argue with the recruiter then they'll ban me for life, and then I will be happy.

So rather than elbow my way through the picket (if there even was a picket) I booked the day off work and decided to do 2 things;

1. Have a lie in. I love waking up, looking at the alarm clock, and then rolling over and going back to sleep because I don't have to get up.

2. Visit the Family History Center in London.

I'm Living Proof notepad by CrossEyedCatGifts

The FHC is a wonderful place if, like me, you have an interest in your roots. It's in the basement of a building belonging to the Church of the Latter Day Saints, you might have to dodge a bloke trying to convert you but to be fair to them as soon as I tell them I'm just here to use and abuse their access to genealogy websites they stop converting me and wave me in, and they're very polite about the whole thing.

I also want to apologise, if you're in London and were expecting sunshine today and were disappointed by the cloud then you should be aware that it's my fault. I wore shorts today for the first time this year, of course it was going to cloud over in response.

So yes, the FHC, if you're like me and don't want to fork out a lot of money on Ancestry then this place is very useful, their basement has a bunch of computers with full access to Ancestry, FindMyPast, and the 1911 census, and it doesn't cost you a penny. The only problem is that if your laptop has a dying battery, like this poor old thing I'm working on at the moment, then you won't be able to plug it in to a socket to keep it going, because there aren't any. And you can't log on to Ancestry yourself if you have an account, so you can't update stuff on there until you get home.

However they do let you bring in as much paper and as many pens as you think you'll need, and if you have any problems the people that run the place are very knowledgable and really helpful, one day I might even throw myself at their mercy and beg them to confirm whether or not my family was ever Jewish. Oh, and they also have a load of microfilm and the readers, so you can use those too.

I already have my family tree uploaded to Ancestry, so while I couldn't use my laptop I at least still had a reference point (albeit not a very up to date one) so kept that open in one window so I could click back when I needed to confirm birth and death dates.

I remember Grandma and Grandpa by MademoiselleChipotte

Last time I was at home my Mum brought out a few old birth certificates that she had requested back when she had time to do this kind of research, and asked me to find out a bit more about my great grandmother's side (my maternal grandfather's mother). Her name was Catherine, on her marriage certificate she is named as "Catherine Wilkinson", but on my grandfather's birth certificate she was put as "Catherine Smith formerly Anderson". According to family story she was informally adopted by "the Anderson sisters" in the coal mining village my grandfather grew up in. My Mum found her birth certificate, where her mother was named "Mary Wilkinson formerly Harraughty", with no father mentioned on it. Where was her father? Who was Mr Wilkinson that Mary apparantly married, and where the hell did the Harraughty family come from?

We also won't mention Avery, the brother that Catherine had who was the "black sheep" of the family, mostly because I can't actually find any trace of him anywhere.

Once I got over the fact that there are half a dozen ways to spell "Harraughty" I decided to spend today investigating them further. It turns out that there is only one Harraughty family that ever lived in Northumberland, and they are my ancestors!

Bernard Harraughty was born in 1830, his wife Bridget was born in 1831. Bridget was born in Barrington, Northumberland and Bernard was born in...er...Ireland.

Ireland Map Jigsaw Piece necklace by TemporalFlux

I should stop at this moment to mention that I have no problems with finding out I have Irish ancestry. In my ancestry I already have English, Italian and Scottish roots. I also have ancestors who died in the workhouse, who owned acres of land and had it nicked from them, who were coal miners, and there's at least 2 women who had children out of wedlock at a time when such a thing was considered completely despicable. But I'm mostly English, and if there's one thing the English do well it's take the piss out of other countries, especially those neighbouring us. So if you're offended by my jokes about being offended by my Irish ancestry, then please go away and read a different blog.

Right, onwards! I don't know where in Ireland Bernard was from, but Ireland it definitely is according to his census records. He was a coal miner in Northumberland and had four daughters with Bridget, Jane, Bridget (the second), Catharine (who died when she was 14), and then Mary was the youngest. Bernard died in 1891, but Bridget lived on until 1909, proving once again that the women in my line are tough old birds who manage to live well past life expectancy at the time!

The bit where it gets confusing is the 1901 census. Mary? No idea where she's gone, Mary Wilkinsons are a penny a dozen in Northumberland and I was already getting a headache when I got to this point. Her daughter Catherine also appears to be a bit of a pickle. In 1901 Bridget was still alive and kicking and living with her daughter Jane Wilkinson, a widow.

Wait, Jane Wilkinson? I thought Mary was the Wilkinson bride?

Yes, it turns out that Jane and Mary both married Wilkinson men in 1888. I have no idea if these men were related, but it certainly does my head in. Especially when you factor in that that Bridget was also living with four granddaughters, Ada Johnson (where the Hell did Johnson come from!?), Catharine Wilkinson (possibly not our Catharine though as this one is around 8 years too old!), Hilda Wilkinson, and Mary G Wilkinson (another bloody Mary!!!).

At this point I had a screaming headache and my eyes were hurting, so I gave up and went to Bella Italia for lunch and then came home to drown my sorrows in tea.

Happiness Mug by Brookish

So what have I discovered today?

1. I am part Irish.
2. My Mum wishes I had never discovered this XD
3. My uncle is going to curse a blue streak when I tell him.
4. Wilkinson men are apparantly quite attractive to Harraughty women.
5. My ancestors are bloody irritating.

I now need to find time to go back there again and delve further into the Wilkinson side of things. I never got round to the 1911 census, and I still need to find where Mary has disappeared to in 1901. And if possible I'd like to try and find this annoying Avery Wilkinson who apparantly did some bad things during the course of his life time?

And now I have to go and break the news to my uncle.

Kew Fete

2011-06-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an event I’ve been looking forward to for weeks! The Kew Fete. I’m a big fan of fairs and fetes, most of them are focused on the local community so it’s quite interesting to see which small businesses are around in your area that you may not have realised existed!

Unfortunately it rained in the morning while I was there, but this is England and it’s summer so I pretty much expected it.

Along with stalls hosted by both businesses and charities there were also some traditional fairground rides!

Tibidabo Carousel by bomobob

I love carousels, but I’m 25 years old and I think it would have looked very odd if I had gone on it all on my own. And sadly my family were in Cornwall this week so I couldn’t persuade them to visit me and go to the fair as well (I could have dragged my sisters on easily).

Since I couldn’t splurge my money on rides I decided to fill up my stomach instead!

Crepe Divine by LipSmackinCreations

One thing I’ve been craving recently is crepes, French pancakes. Not quite like the one above (which also looks delicious) but simply filled with sugar. You can imagine my delight when I found a stall making them fresh!

I also had a delicious homemade burger from the stand run by “The Naked Turtle” (and ended up walking down to Richmond feeling like I might explode if I ate much else).

Candy Floss Lip Balm by morganstreet

And then finally I bought a bag of candy floss, which I am currently eating (well, letting it melt on my tongue) as I write this.

Overall I had a lovely day. Obviously the appearance of sunshine in the morning would have been good but frankly I was walking around on my own so even that wouldn’t have kept me out much longer. Everyone there was very friendly, while I was waiting for my crepe to be made (by the company Opera Ice Cream) I had a nice chat with the owner’s wife, who’s an opera singer, and a gentleman passing by told me he’d had a crepe last year and it had been “brilliant”. And he was right, it was seriously delicious, if you ever see this stall at a fete, fair or market around London I really can’t recommend them highly enough!

I’m now desperately Googling to find more similar events in London XD

Have a nice day!

Summer!

2011-06-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

It’s now June and the summer is here and it seems like a fine time to have a look at some summery items on Etsy!

Even though I live in England and summer lasts for about 3 days before it rains.

“Celebration of Summer Colors with Fuchsia Base" by cottonpurr

Let’s face it, summer is all about bright, bold colours and this purse has them! And the pattern is lovely.

“Surfboard cookies" by lorisplace

So summer = beach and beach = surfing. Or it does if you have an ounce of co-ordination and balance. Which I don’t. I do however, have the ability to eat lots of biscuits. The icing on these is just superb. And it’s not just the summery colours used, it’s the fact that it’s SURFBOARDS!!

“Custom ice cream party invitation" by khudd

Summer is a great time for parties, especially outdoor ones, and with this lovely invitation with it’s ice cream theme everyone will know that you’re looking the summery party of the year!

“Journey to the sea" by Rozibuz

And last but most certainly not least, this beautiful box has got the most lovely beach images on it and the colours used just scream summer. I especially love the shell pictures on the bottom drawer, I used to collect a lot of shells like that as a child.

Have a nice day!

Gorgeous jewellery

2011-06-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Back in April I started a new job in London, and started in the middle of the month. The downside of this was that I didn't get paid in April, so when payday finally rolled around last weekend I was ecstatic to see that I had received my backdated pay. Once my rent and everything else was paid off I could finally go shopping for the first time in 2 months!

I should point out that I'm not normally much of a shopping fan, so a 2 month break isn't unusual, but it's annoying when a break is foisted on me and not chosen by me ;)

There were various things I needed to get; I needed some bubblewrap for my books as the little scraps I had were not going to be enough for everything I eventually want to have listed on my Etsy shop. I also wanted some posters as I moved into a room in London for my job and with bare walls it didn't look that homely at all. So eBay was already on my list.

But of course as an Etsy seller I just couldn't pull myself away from the idea of spending a little there. I used to wear necklaces all the time but after my favourite one (a vintage cross with a blue stone, I'm not a Christian but it was pretty) broke I stopped wearing them.

However there are many jewellery sellers on Etsy so I decided to have a browse and see if anything caught my eye, and quite quickly I came across the beautiful shop of Rose and Raven.

Turquoise Bird Nest Necklace

Rose and Raven is an Etsian in the UK, and her shop is filled with beautiful jewellery. I'm a big fan of silver, and there's a lot in her shop, so I had quite a tough time working out what I wanted to get. I was looking for a necklace but as I browsed I kept seeing things that would be good gifts for my Mum or my friends.

Aqua Glass Silver Starfish Necklace

I made my purchase on a Saturday night and was faced with a long Bank Holiday weekened where everything would be closed on Monday, and assumed I would have a long wait for my new shiney. But I got a convo on Tuesday to tell me it had been posted and before I knew it I had a nice padded envelope waiting for me when I got back from work on the Thursday.

When I opened the envelope I found a beautiful black giftbox with "Rose and Raven" embossed on it in silver and a baby blue ribbon wrapped around it and a pretty blue and white business card discreetly tucked in the back with a little note offering me a discount on future purchases (and boy am I going to have a hard time narrowing down what to buy for people for Christmas!). And in the box itself, nestled on a little pad covered with soft black velvet, was my lovely new necklace.

Origami Crane Necklace

Yes, I went for an origami-style crane. As soon as I saw it I just had to take it out and put it on, and then only time I've taken it off since is to shower or sleep. I must admit I'm worried about damaging it at work as I already wear a staff pass around my neck that gets caught on boxes a lot, but I just can't not wear it. Photos really do not do it justice, it's a gorgeous piece of jewellery, and is something I don't plan on losing any time soon!

If you're looking for some beautiful jewellery at very reasonable prices, I would certainly recommend that you head on over to Rose and Raven and see what she has that could tempt your eye!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Kew Gardens

2011-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's another Bank Holiday weekend! Sadly no Royal Wedding accompanying it so it was only 3 days off rather than 4 (I think we've been spoiled by that this year XD), but it's still nice to have a Monday off work.

So I went home (aka back to my parent's place) for a few days. Which meant that they brought me back to Kew yesterday (Sunday) and since they were here we decided to make a little trip to Kew Gardens.

And as it turns out, there's several people on Etsy who have been to the Gardens and received a bit of inspiration from them!

Kew Garden Gates by lindabutterfly

Palm House Kew by FlaxInk

Palm House at Sunset by 4artssake

Clearly they're not the only ones, we saw several photographers and at least one artist (complete with paint and multiple sketchbooks) as we were wandering around, although potential visitors need to be aware that Kew does not allow "commercial photography" without prior consent.

It's a lovely place to visit, there's more information on their website. If you're in London (namely south-west London, it's a bit of a trek from the center) then check it out!

Tea Time!

2011-05-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

You know what my favourite time of day is? Tea time! Whether you have it at 3 in the afternoon, or four thirty, or even extend it as late as five, it's a ritual that everyone can enjoy.

Derby Quadruple Silver Tea Set by TheVintageParlour

First you need a teapot! It can be pottery or, in this case, silver. I highlighted this one because of the detail but my teapot at home is sky blue with big polka dots!

Hand Blended Tea Sampler by teaman

And then you need your tea! I prefer Tetley, but some like herbal and some want decaf, so it’s your choice what you drink!

Cup and saucers from JustSmashingDarling

It goes in a mug or, in this case, a lovely cup and saucer. Add your milk and sugar if you want, or a slice of lemon if you’re like my grandmother.

Lemon Drizzle Cake by Marmalady

And finally, top the whole experience off with a nice slice of cake!

Bon appetite!

Artsy Post

2011-05-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

I will happily admit that I am one of those people that just doesn’t “get” art. I like drawings, I like colours, I like looking at a picture and being able to go “Yep, that’s the British countryside” or “Oh, Big Ben in the fog”. But abstract and other terms tend to get lost in the big empty cavern that’s my head. Last year I went to the Great Exhibition at the Tate with my parents and sisters and while there were a few things there I liked, there were quite a lot of pieces of “art” that made me go “eh?”

So it’s with some trepidation that I present to you some pieces of art I’ve seen on Etsy and actually liked. Well, liked enough to add to my favourites. I can try to explain why I like them but don’t be surprised if a lot of is simply “it’s pretty”.

“City Lights by ruralpearl”

I like the little bits of colour used against the black silhouettes.

“The Bunny Tree Print by thepoppytree”

Just a very cute piece of art.

“Happy Love Birds by shannacreations”

The pretty colours are the main thing here for me.

"Pink Spring Dawn ACEO by konyskiw"

And again, I just love the shade of pink used, I think it goes really nicely with the black sillhouette of the tree.

So there we go, some of the pretty pieces of art I’ve found on Etsy. Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

A Celebration!

2011-05-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon everyone!

I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend!

I spent yesterday (Saturday) in west London at a little place called Loftus Road, the home of the football team Queens Park Rangers, also known as QPR. They were a Championship club. But as of yesterday they are A PREMIERSHIP CLUB!! It was an afternoon for celebrations!

There was champagne! (MyFrenchCuisine)

There were fireworks! (journeygirl13)

We got a trophy! (Edith & Evelyn)

And overall, we are QPR! (The Knitted Duck)

WE ARE TOP OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!

Tasty Treats

2011-05-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

I wasn't planning on making another blog post so soon.

Today I was planning on baking some fairy cakes to take to work in my packed lunch this week.

But then I realised I don't have any margerine. And the only shop that's open today doesn't sell margerine :(

So instead have some pictures of tasty things on Etsy! And help me mourn my lack of cake.

Artist palette biscuits by REC1008!

Chocolate raspberry cupcakes (vegan) by bethyscakes!

Organic orange chocolate chip shortbread by inkandpaperarts!

Chocolate espresso cake truffles by lollidreams!

And now I'm feeling a craving for tea! Happy Monday everyone!

Welcome!

2011-05-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Bibliophile!

The blog about books and paper and papery things and anything else that I can think of that may, or may not, involve books and paper (and papery things).

Today is the first day of May! It seems like an auspicious day to start a blog. The sun is shining, people are out having a nice day, the trees are green and many are covered in blossom.

Therefore today I bring to you some beautiful things with blossom in mind!

This journal was created by Labyrinth Leathercraft on Etsy. I love the way the colours of the flowers show up against the dark colour of the leather. Just imagine what you could write in a journal like this!

The simple colours and design of this businesscard by ArtsyNikki are very fresh and have a lovely spring feeling to them. She also does some lovely wedding pieces as well!

This photograph comes from the gallery of lauri. This subtle pink against the grey background make this photo simple but beautiful. There's lots of similar photos available in her shop!

And last but most definitely not least, this pendant is by resinpop and would look lovely on a little piece of leather cord or a sterling silver chain. Putting this little trinket on would definitely give you a smile for the day!

Welcome to The Bibliophile. Have a lovely day!