tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059340778205488672024-03-14T02:15:47.486+00:00Goldlion DiariesAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-57424280644827644502014-05-16T14:15:00.000+01:002014-05-16T14:15:48.243+01:00all the young dudes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfj6fIqfHDqdZeOHO3sgTzV3n0CQNB3mKRhPAbetxdufRK7JO0OU0BYWTadozjsxHUrG-qRFP9COFS9pxjTUrvbwtdIyeqD1k_RlxmHsIxARa7KeNDPoKkspIu8jvs5dzgq-zW_h6PrWa/s1600/all+the+young.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfj6fIqfHDqdZeOHO3sgTzV3n0CQNB3mKRhPAbetxdufRK7JO0OU0BYWTadozjsxHUrG-qRFP9COFS9pxjTUrvbwtdIyeqD1k_RlxmHsIxARa7KeNDPoKkspIu8jvs5dzgq-zW_h6PrWa/s1600/all+the+young.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finding the time to produce any new artwork has been hard recently. Priorities and other work commitments have made my relationship with my pens, paper and Photoshop a distant one. But look, I've managed to make something! And I made it mostly standing up cos I've got a bad back! I'm pretty pleased with that. It's helped that I've had extra help with the kids from my parents this week. Thanks to them I could do a little extra work. It's surprising what you can fit into a few hours here and there.</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I wanted something bright and cheery, maybe for Griffy's room. That's when he actually gets a room and moves out of ours. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It feels good to have made something new. I'm feeling motivated right now. Guess I better ride that feeling and get shit done!</span></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-37809197138991038252014-05-08T22:08:00.002+01:002014-05-08T22:08:59.959+01:00it's always me and her and him<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I miss being on my own. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And I feel weirdly guilty saying that, as I'm blessed with lots of wonderful people around me, people that light up my heart and who help make my world a beautiful place. I love those people. I need them, adore them, would do anything for them but...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">...but I'm never alone. Those of you with small children will understand that it when I say I'm seriously never alone, not even in the bath, not even on the toilet. If on a crazy whim I close the bathroom door for a few minutes you could set a 20 second timer to the first calls of 'MUMMY?! WHERE ARE YOU?'</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I need alone. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A little space for myself, just for me. That's normal. That's more than normal, that's absobloodylutely necessary<i>.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">When I'm not with the kids I'm working with a roomful of students, or joining in with some group event, or watching a film with David, all of which I love and which I wouldn't change for the world... but oh to be given a couple of hours which no one else around. At all.</span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Maybe it's a post small baby thing; Griff has turned one and as his need for independence increases so does mine. Otherwise I'd be heart broken everytime he took a step away from me. He's still very clingy right now but every now and again he gives me a little shove as if to say 'Back off, I'm busy'. Kids. They do stuff like that. Soon he'll be saying 'Mummy, why are you still here? Go home, I'm seeing Nanna on my own today', just like his big sister does. </span></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">And now I've kind of talked myself around. I'll have plenty of time alone soon enough I guess. But u</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">ntil then maybe I should get a lock for the bathroom door, I think that's an acceptable compromise.</span></i></span><br />
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-50750465447463880572014-05-06T13:38:00.000+01:002014-05-06T13:38:08.648+01:00doing it not right<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Griff. He's happy even when I'm feeling like I should be doing something else, so I guess I'm doing something right!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You know that feeling, that insidious, stealthy feeling that whispers you're not doing it right? You get it too, don't you? The one that makes you look at your life, at your home, at your job and at your reflection and think 'oh, bloody hell...'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm always trying to work out the best way to live my life; I sometimes feel like I'm doing a crap job of it, I always feel like I'm doing a crap job of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">something</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">. Maybe I am. Probably I am. Yep, I am.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What should I do next, what should I do now, what should I have done this morning when the baby was asleep and I had an hour 'free'? (I did some ironing. I'm thinking I should have done some pilates or started writing a novel or something...)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I often feel like I look a wreck. I often feel like my house is a mess. I often feel like I don't earn enough money, that I don't exercise enough, that I should read more, that the kids should be eating more fresh vegetables and less pasta, that I should be living somewhere else and that I should sit on the floor and sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle' with the baby more often.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Christ, it's exhausting. And I could make some bloggy comment now about how I'm going to walk away from that way of thinking and go easy on myself and make a cup of tea and eat a piece of cake and go and cover some pine cones with glitter with the kids but that's bullshit cos I'll still be feeling like it's not enough and I know it would take at least 5 years of therapy to stop thinking that there's a better way to do everything all the time and even then I guess I'd still have my moments. Because I'm human, and I'm female, and I'm a mum. That's why.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So what can we do? Anyone? Why do we do this to ourselves?</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-81944236784512230202014-04-16T15:46:00.000+01:002014-04-16T15:46:00.984+01:00Griff is 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I can hardly believe that it's been year since Griffy was born. A year! I can remember the day he came to join us so clearly; how can a whole twelve months have passed?! Although, in another way it seems like he's been here with us for longer, to think back to when we were a 3 is to cast my mind back to another era, long gone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He such a dream boat. That's what I call him, and then Edie laughs and says he's her dream boat too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Griff's birthday was yesterday and we had such lovely day. We went to a children's petting farm set in the most amazingly beautiful landscape and stayed outdoors till bedtime, riding the toboggan ride, taking the tractor tour, bouncing on trampolines, eating ice-cream and lying back on the grass looking up at the blue blue skies. We stopped for chips on the way home and found a lovely spot in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Brecon</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Beacons to eat them. Edie made us all laugh all day, she was so excited that it was her brother's birthday and to be honest I think she enjoyed the day a little more than the birthday boy did; he was content to sit his chubby bottom down on the picnic blanket with a welsh cake and watch his sister hurtle around the place like a bouncy mad thing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And so Griff's second year begins. I look forward to watching him grow over the next 12 months, time will fly by once again no doubt but I'm so happy to be spending that time with him by my side.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-71312028043162452162014-03-24T21:51:00.000+00:002014-03-24T21:51:34.579+00:00I like this stuff...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I don't think I've ever posted about a clothes label before but I'm liking the look of this easy to wear stuff from Hush lots right now. I'm not sure on the styling they've used on this shoot, it's not really calling out to me, but I can look past that and there are several items I could really do with for spring/summer 2014. Like the slate trousers below... Don't they look comfy?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm a newcomer to Hush clothing, I own only one item of theirs, a grey cashmere beanie that I wore every day through the winter. I LOVE that hat. It's so soft and warm and the perfect slouchy shape. I sometimes worry that at Edie's school I'm known as the 'one who always wears that hat' as it was seriously stuck to my head throughout January and February. Now I've started talking about it I'm tempted to go and get it and put it on right now, yes, I love it that much.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I may get those trousers... And the shorter black dress... Ahh, decisions...</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-50286782571897268052014-03-20T16:17:00.002+00:002014-03-20T16:17:36.537+00:00just a Thursday afternoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Edie is home ill from school for the second day this week. She <i>is</i> ill with a nasty cold but I have the sneaking suspicion she's laying it on a bit thick. It's so hard to judge when kids should stay home and when they should just battle on. She's only 4 though I guess and we all feel rotten with a bunged up nose and a cough don't we? Even a cough that has an element of RADA, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And it was my day off. I had so much planned, but hey ho.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've been sorting out my prints for an art fair I'm doing on the weekend. Luckily I had lots already prepared or I'd be panicking right around now. I've just made a last minute order for more printer paper so I can produce more of the 'Reading Makes Your World Big' print and also 'The Alphabet' print; I've sold a few of these recently and my stocks are running low.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I hope this art fair will be worth it, the last one I did was very slow. You can never tell with these things. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anyway, it seems my ill daughter is in desperate need of a snack so I shall leave you now and go and attend to the invalid. The constantly hungry invalid who miraculously feels better when she is playing on the iPad. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-62477162131689194972014-03-18T20:54:00.000+00:002014-03-18T20:54:19.288+00:0010 signs of spring; collected, photographed and noted<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>1• </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">there are buds on the trees and they're starting to blossom. Soon they will be bouncing pink and white bundles of beauty! Fleeting but all the more magical because of that.</span></div>
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<b>• </b>daffodils. They are the front line of spring flowers, their bright and cheery yellowness makes the world a better place, don't you think?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>birds getting crazy. Something is going on up in the eves of our house. Every year we have a little nest there and we watch the comings and goings. Last year a fledgling's first attempts at flying were unsuccessful and we had a stressful morning trying to keep our dog away whilst trying to coax it out of it's hiding place in the wood pile so it's mum and dad could find it and encourage it to try to fly again. Happily they did find it and it did manage to take flight. Happy ending!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>bees. There was a bee in the house; a HUGE one. I picked up a pair of socks I'd left on a radiator by the bedroom window and my hand began to buzz... there was a giant bee in my fist and I didn't scream much at all.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>pussy willows. I've just discovered we have them in our garden and I'm so pleased about that. They're fluffy and full of the promise of growth and new things.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>ice cream (especially ice cream in the park).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>light. Light in the morning and light in the evening. doesn't it make things so much easier?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>there are clothes and accessories in the shops that I really like and they are not black, white, navy, grey, sparkly or metallic...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>blue skies and bird song</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>• </b>and finally (but this is maybe my favourite) that smell you catch in the air, the one that smells green and woody and earthy and full of life and sunshine. Oh my goodness, when you catch that smell it's so beautiful.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"> dirt.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></div>
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―</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3472.Margaret_Atwood" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Margaret Atwood</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/487639" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Bluebeard's Egg</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Spring! The beginning of new things. The awakening of sleepy things. The goodness that light and warmth and new life bring to us all. And it's all happening right now all around us. Enjoy it!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Okay, time to tackle the blog bio.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is hard for most of us but especially so for those of us who struggle with bigging ourselves up. Those of us like me. I get red faced whenever someone asks me about my artwork, my writing, or my blog, I almost apologise for it. Yep, I'm that girl. I'm much more confident about the things I create than I used to be but I still have a long way to go.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Basically, I'm rubbish at showing people the things I'm proud of. That sucks right? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So I'm trying to change that, and my blog bio is as good a place as any to start.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The blog bio is an introduction, a way of telling people quickly and succiently who you are, what you do and why you're here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There's no room for being coy or running yourself down. You need to lay your cards on the table and tell people what you've got that they would like or be interested in.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But what should I include?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I began by writing a list of reasons why I blog; why I bother putting all these words and images onto the world wide web for anyone to see. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And here's that list:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it for social reasons; to meet wonderful people who are a lot like me and amazing people who are very different. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it because I love to write.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it to promote my artwork, my writing and my shop.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it to create a record of our lives.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it because I believe it makes me focus on what makes me happy and gives me pleasure. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•I do it because it motivates me and gives me the momentumn to make good things happen. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What do I need to include in my blog bio that faithfully represents all these aims? What do I need to mention?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So with that question in mind I started typing...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I had a few false starts...</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm Anna, I'm a mum, I'm a wife....</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Um, nope, I was bored already. Start again.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm Anna. I make things. I like peonies, walks on windy beaches and Scandi design...</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Gah, that just makes me want to slap myself.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And then, just to confuse things, I thought 'do I write in the first person or the third?' </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anna is a British artist, designer and writer living in a leaky </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1920's h</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ouse in South Wales.</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But no, I didn't like it. It's not right for me. I want something more immediate, less disconnected. So I went straight back to first person...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>I'm Anna, a British artist, designer and writer living in a nearly renovated 1920's house in South Wales.</i></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Well, that's all true I guess. Makes me cringe a little but that's my problem, right?</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have a business called Goldlion, through which I sell my artwork and products. You can find it <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/goldlion" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My prints are bold and colourful and aimed at both kiddies and adults. I like to make stuff that brightens up walls and makes people happy.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yep. </span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I also run community art groups, a part time job that I love.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I write here, on my blog, as often as I can about my artwork, my children, my home and whatever else takes my fancy.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I try to be kind, to live in the moment, to keep things simple and to laugh as much as possible. I love my family.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In my past lives I've completed an art degree, an MA in Writing: Practice and Issues, and I worked as a freelance writer in London before coming home to Wales.</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Now I can bring in the peonies, right?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>I love swimming in the sea, starry skies, cheese boards, dancing in the kitchen with my kids and big bloomsy peonies.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>I'm a feminist, a vegetarian and a leftie and I'm proud to be all three.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>I love that this blog is my online diary, my portfolio, my gratitude journal, and my place to meet people like you.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>If you've got something to say or would just like to say hello you can get me here:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">hello@goldlionstudio.com</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Okay. It's a start. It's a work in progress. Anyone got any tips or is there anything else you'd like to know about? I'd love to hear what you guys think. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And would any of you like to offer their bios up for inspection? So I can have a nose around? I've checked out quite a few but the more the merrier.</span></div>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-4785412254256989722014-03-04T13:47:00.001+00:002014-03-04T13:51:31.114+00:00out of puff<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgZw2sMNynysJBg33PNIe6JlfQ0de-IL7vXjWwqa6BMdlAE4yTW-aTwQR7_9Js_BG4SNII50spvpiggIK2neX15D8N38pSTlnoXPk-HH_iJXsGwc_cFn1seQUhzCtRa3032L_OyW1GeDg/s1600/hula-hoop-craze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgZw2sMNynysJBg33PNIe6JlfQ0de-IL7vXjWwqa6BMdlAE4yTW-aTwQR7_9Js_BG4SNII50spvpiggIK2neX15D8N38pSTlnoXPk-HH_iJXsGwc_cFn1seQUhzCtRa3032L_OyW1GeDg/s1600/hula-hoop-craze.jpg" height="400" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image from Life magazine (found on Pinterest)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We had this little routine going over the weekend. We get ready to go somewhere outdoorsy and just as we get in the car it starts hammering down with rain. So we go somewhere where we can drink hot chocolate or lattes and eat cake. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If we were hardcore outdoorsy people we wouldn't let the lashing rain stop us, would we? No, we'd make ourselves miserable and wet and I'd lose the feeling in the toes of my right foot (that always happens when my feet get cold, it's not nice). </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But we're softies. And when it's tipping down we like sitting down. Inside. With cake. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The facts of the matter, however, are that I'm not getting enough exercise. The other family members all daily get their heart rates up by various means whilst I'm getting out of puff just popping out to the kitchen for a look in the fridge. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've always been *quite* fit but this wet winter combined with me having a baby has seen my opportunities for exercise diminish vastly, but enough excuses, I need to get my wellies and waterproofs on and get out for some early morning dog walks. Or maybe I should do a exercise dvd. Although that sounds more improbable than the dog walking. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We shall see.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What do you do to get your exercise? I like dancing around the kitchen, maybe I should just up the ante on that and work up a bit of a sweat whilst cooking dinner? Ew, that sounds a bit gross, so maybe not whilst cooking, but dancing in the kitchen, that's the best idea so far.</span></div>
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Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-6858469264025176392014-03-03T11:37:00.000+00:002014-03-03T11:37:34.445+00:00 this baby boy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL4EN6gekTOorI3ciB1jZ1AGn0vXtv5Tu5909IRlgAhs7hT7Z_W4u7dJsV-owGh3tNXeCbbOBIkuZbm_uA8i1cSu40nTJEbQr1lhk__6l_HAWbSMbQvAikeAZuCHSkqQ9GWRwcM9N-n-f/s1600/griff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL4EN6gekTOorI3ciB1jZ1AGn0vXtv5Tu5909IRlgAhs7hT7Z_W4u7dJsV-owGh3tNXeCbbOBIkuZbm_uA8i1cSu40nTJEbQr1lhk__6l_HAWbSMbQvAikeAZuCHSkqQ9GWRwcM9N-n-f/s1600/griff.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's been more than 10 months since this fella came to join us. He's growing fast; look at those teeth! They took a while to pop through but there's no stopping them now. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Everyone says what a chilled out baby he is and it's true, he's so laid back and smiley, and it's so easy to make him laugh.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Griff loves dancing, bopping away to any music he hears. Then he gives himself a clap and has a little chuckle. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He's a slow crawler so when he makes a run for it I've not got to panic. He's a very determined fella, just not a sprinter... Bless his chubby legs.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvZ6d8KDwMuVmpz2AT7Nkz35LbIlbzLe8d7S1vgzwPgmE_Jf81x_2M11XKyH97dm3xE8sCa7BvX1LoLUz68kHewx-t5uLRxmN1J9D_NBoY0iVSS6uzh_xiug1Adb5UsMA2P1TH4zi_Dd3/s1600/griff2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvZ6d8KDwMuVmpz2AT7Nkz35LbIlbzLe8d7S1vgzwPgmE_Jf81x_2M11XKyH97dm3xE8sCa7BvX1LoLUz68kHewx-t5uLRxmN1J9D_NBoY0iVSS6uzh_xiug1Adb5UsMA2P1TH4zi_Dd3/s1600/griff2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He finds Lola, our dog, hilarious and cracks up laughing whenever he sees her. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He's terrified of Edie's little rocking horse. Terrified. It's really the only time I see him upset. So we've hidden it out of his way for a while. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And I, of course, am as madly in love with him as ever.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-61654096533409916082014-02-28T22:48:00.000+00:002014-02-28T22:48:21.730+00:00with open arms<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>March</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">• bluebells •</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> green shoots • longer days • shorter nights • new things • </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">in like a lion, out like a lamb •</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> daffodils • a touch of warmth in the air • but still the chance of frost (or snow) • flasks of tea • woolly jumpers • colour • buds • catkins • lambs • waterproofs • wellies • walks in the woods • goodbye winter • sunsets after 6 • bright things • optimism • light • mud • frogspawn • red sky at night • salty sea air • plan making • green fingers • breton stripes • more outdoors, less indoors • busy days, cosy nights • </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">March is here. And about time. </span></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-61945693404467204642014-02-20T22:07:00.001+00:002014-02-20T22:07:39.338+00:00a song to get things done by<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's been a long, hard week. I've not been outside since Sunday. The kids have been ill, I've been ill, we've all been flopping around the house with aches and pains and runny noses. I've had more than a few moments when I've felt a little stifled; sometimes my patience has been a bit short, sometimes I've had to give myself a kick up the bottom to get myself motivated to cook for the kids, to bath them and keep them in clean pyjamas. So I put on some music that helps me do that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Like this one here.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pmGNo8RL5kM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's one of those getting things done songs. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And you gotta love Karen O, don't you think?</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-25880102276625251572014-02-19T14:33:00.001+00:002014-03-03T11:38:27.867+00:00bleurgh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkCBytdNXUmnhqvRG50l5vJeDopv5JAcLqP3kwryKzoHGDKWp4cvgTXyjoc0Z8BuQUiWLDT4xzAa5oqq6aj8AnDseggQf2nPcHQ40_xnPRdRbwpPgtXHWqxpt1bcdZ0qccYCiTQonewnv/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkCBytdNXUmnhqvRG50l5vJeDopv5JAcLqP3kwryKzoHGDKWp4cvgTXyjoc0Z8BuQUiWLDT4xzAa5oqq6aj8AnDseggQf2nPcHQ40_xnPRdRbwpPgtXHWqxpt1bcdZ0qccYCiTQonewnv/s1600/1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">How is it the 19th of February? HOW?!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm constantly surprised by the date, the time, the year even.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Winter is almost over, and I'm hoping that's going to mean the weather is going to get better. I'm naive like that. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What do you want to do when the weather gets warmer?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last summer I had a tiny baby and so the gorgeous weather we had kind of passed me by. I was in baby mode, I remember a few barbecues in the garden, I remember a couple of days out... um... I remember a baby mostly. Which was clearly the important thing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But this year... do you think we'll get a little sun for s/s 2014? Because I want to get outdoors. I want to drink wine in the garden, I want to swim in the sea, I want to sit in a beer garden, I want to go bike riding, I want to make the most awesome picnic ever and spend the day in the park with the kids. Normal stuff, but normal stuff that doesn't involve umbrellas (unless they are in a cocktail) (no actually not even in a cocktail, just give me a bottle of wine or a pint of lager, sod the umbrellas full stop).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Because right now it is certainly not looking much like spring. It's looking like it's raining outside and there are ill children lolling around the house wiping their noses on their sleeves. It's looking like it's been 4 days since I've been outside. It's looking like me in a pair of leggings and a stained hoodie trying to sort out the house insurance online. In short it's looking a bit bleurgh.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />But these days can't go on forever... we'll get better soon and the weather will get better soon and I'll throw my leggings into the sea and dive in like a mother fucking mermaid.</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-40541131487408283072014-02-06T21:37:00.003+00:002014-02-06T21:37:32.507+00:00slap it on<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOR3VaeDHG0HSxCfz97e4Ihjz75v-D8lw5WVuDytjiLCg6wgJTo1ocDILtscuHhGDfUv1Ar-GVivbq_odFkzOEqz2YIFxyS_x4sKP8UW7kXZXaoeYYCMUNkPqKwotyfhQmjpUUnU1Bjoc/s1600/paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOR3VaeDHG0HSxCfz97e4Ihjz75v-D8lw5WVuDytjiLCg6wgJTo1ocDILtscuHhGDfUv1Ar-GVivbq_odFkzOEqz2YIFxyS_x4sKP8UW7kXZXaoeYYCMUNkPqKwotyfhQmjpUUnU1Bjoc/s1600/paint.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm painting again. In little snatched doses. I can coat a canvas in 15 minutes, leave it to dry, return to it later (or even the next day) for an hour or so. It's fine; that way of doing it suits me although it's tough dragging myself away when the baby starts grizzling. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You know that slogan 'do what you love' (which actually annoys the hell out of me, if only life were so simple), well, I love painting. Just getting stuck in, not thinking about the outcome too much. It's my meditation. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I get a little high while painting And I don't think it's the fumes. It's the marijuana (note to my mother- that's a joke).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Paint; beautiful, colourful and responsive to my every impulse. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's just lush.</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-4627253434361509262014-02-05T21:33:00.000+00:002014-02-05T21:33:44.347+00:00the killer draft<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxaMEUoVmFuMg1BsGHdovSpI4z6TcpNPZhV9hnN6iGUwnwoaHIx89W2gzU-brmnJqpjU_DmCgXVkrr0unM31SmYX2qo-sMWxPnkquls3OrtiRODCvDVgr0KhaLe80wSmSA5KbuGNyt92u/s1600/whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxaMEUoVmFuMg1BsGHdovSpI4z6TcpNPZhV9hnN6iGUwnwoaHIx89W2gzU-brmnJqpjU_DmCgXVkrr0unM31SmYX2qo-sMWxPnkquls3OrtiRODCvDVgr0KhaLe80wSmSA5KbuGNyt92u/s1600/whale.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image by me, illustration by me...</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So my new plan is to work in the evening, to design, blog, make, plan, do and organise after the kids are in bed. And it's tough. I'm lucky to grab an hour or two a couple of evenings a week before I have to drag myself to bed. Griff is teething and not sleeping well right now, which of course means that I'm not sleeping well either. But it is lovely, having an hour or two in the evenings for myself. I feel so content sat at my little desk in a quiet room with a candle on and no one shouting 'MUMMY! I NEED YOU!' Bliss. Our new desk is in it's place in the corner of the middle room. It's very compact and leaves much more space than the last desk to use the rest of the room as we want. But the draft there from the floorboards is beyond cold. It's Arctic. The other night my feet got so icy I got chilblains. And I'm not a person who feels the cold now that I'm a dress size up on 2008. Bloody baby weight. And, erm, bloody cheese.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anyway, the cold corner. Tonight I'm clever enough to wear slippers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And a cashmere cardigan helps.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And a hotwater bottle.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And a cup of tea.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And now I'm toasty.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And ready to work...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So I guess that's the cue to sign off.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bye!</span><br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-14401514344871598572014-02-04T14:28:00.000+00:002014-02-04T14:28:34.576+00:00lipstick, cigarettes and car keys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0zLxuiuzaJrR-sscIIVUUksNzv9LM4zvCqi3oGD2F5poR2zIXVQan5DzlZgKPNqS_vEdzU0tunQZ5IeWXqYJlpUibzMPDwuD9UDZd7vKVi07QwBvlJIDKiyWC9zzjCmiSHEbTpirvUuo/s1600/paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0zLxuiuzaJrR-sscIIVUUksNzv9LM4zvCqi3oGD2F5poR2zIXVQan5DzlZgKPNqS_vEdzU0tunQZ5IeWXqYJlpUibzMPDwuD9UDZd7vKVi07QwBvlJIDKiyWC9zzjCmiSHEbTpirvUuo/s1600/paris.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When I was a small child I loved watching my Nan get ready for a night out. The smell of her perfume (Yves Saint Laurent Paris), her lipstick (Estee Lauder), the cigarettes that she held but rarely puffed on (Regal king size) and the drinks her and her friend Winnie sipped as they chatted (vodka? gin? Not sure), these things make up such strong memories for me. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To me she was the height of sophistication. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Remember when you were a child and you got to peep behind the curtain into what you thought was the adult world, that glamorous grown up world that you eventually realise doesn't actually exist at all? The smells, the silky petticoats, the snatched fragments of conversation that only make half sense. For me, the symbol of adulthood above all others was a set of car keys. I wasn't interested in actually using them to drive, I just wanted to jangle them about in a self important way. Of course they had to be my keys, not my dad's or my boyfriend's, that just wouldn't have the same impact. I managed to achieve my ambition at the age of 33, just 16 years after passing my driving test. And yes, it does make me feel like a proper grown up holding those keys, I'm in the club now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Things that make me feel grown up. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My kids</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My car keys</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Having a pot plant that hasn't died yet</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Radio 4</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Having a dog</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Things that make me feel like a kid</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My hair</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My mess</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My parents</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In fact, mostly everything else</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Is that the same for most of you? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Do you feel grown up most the time? Or just like me it it only really when holding a set of car keys? </span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-90514649291319669942014-01-28T15:33:00.002+00:002014-01-28T15:33:58.416+00:00half an hour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This afternoon the weather can't make up its mind about how it feels. Dark brooding skies, heavy rain, howling wind, blue skies, hello sun... and repeat. I have so much to do. You know that feeling when there's so much to do and so much you <i>want</i> to do and you just don't know where on earth to start? That's my general default feeling at the moment. I have a baby, a job, a little girl, a dog, a house to run etc etc and yet I still feel like I'm never getting anything done. Just getting 'life' done should be enough shouldn't it? Feeling bad cos you haven't covered a chest of drawers in vintage wall paper is a little dumb really.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Griff is having a nap and so I'm taking the time to write this. A quicky.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Blogging can be a trap I think, taking time away from the thing you really want to do. If I have an hour 'free' do I want to spend it writing here or should I be doing something else? I don't think I always get this right but I do know that I enjoy writing and this is the only place I get to do that right now. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Annnnd... he's awake.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bye.</span><br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-80432997400644850672014-01-22T22:03:00.003+00:002014-01-22T22:03:33.686+00:00 the second half of winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Edie asks me every few days if it's 'still winter' and counting the weeks until spring has made me realise how short the seasons actually are, how they fly by and how in just six weeks it will be March the 1st. This winter's been a mild one and spring will soon be upon us, so with this in mind I'm trying to embrace this second half of winter. Even if I have an actual chilblain on my toe. Even if I hate getting up in he dark every day. Even if last week everything felt a bit rubbish.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Perhaps last week was a bit like that for most of us?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've been thinking of ways we can enjoy the coming weeks more. Thinking of things we can do when it's darker and wetter and colder and you feel half human half slug. And not a healthy slug, a slug with a nasty cold.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm hoping for some dry evenings as the dark nights mean that you can see the stars before tea time. Edie's got the star gazing bug from some Cbeebies' show she's mad about so I'm going to wrap us up warm and take a flask of hot chocolate out to the garden on a clear night to look up at the twinkling stars. She wants a telescope for her birthday but it's hard to tell what's a passing fad and what could be a real interest with a four year old. Although the same can be said for me I guess, perhaps she's just like her mum.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJekCrzEtTp1jbH1_DZt79rwSbmiYTh7Ttwc8u8_TE0HzWKQTvWHciSDSj44zgQNFV6NjNzSLzw-fRihLFXUGjVimdjZq4lyr5DLk5JQCVVPvwrvCkr9e_L4yIEhsmFKZHAx8mv7qLpsFB/s1600/starmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJekCrzEtTp1jbH1_DZt79rwSbmiYTh7Ttwc8u8_TE0HzWKQTvWHciSDSj44zgQNFV6NjNzSLzw-fRihLFXUGjVimdjZq4lyr5DLk5JQCVVPvwrvCkr9e_L4yIEhsmFKZHAx8mv7qLpsFB/s1600/starmap.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've always loved looking up at the night sky. That feeling is nuts, isn't it, when you've been staring upwards for a while, amazed by the beauty of our solar system, and then... boom, it hits you, how colossal the skies are and how minuscule we are and the ground kind of shifts beneath your feet and you have to go inside for a sit down and a cup of tea.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">These few weeks will pass quickly as all weeks do these days and I want to snap out of this little funk I'm in. Perhaps the stars can help me to do this a little. Here's hoping for a twinkly, cosy, happy, second half of winter. X</span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-56761094089223644052014-01-20T22:21:00.000+00:002014-01-20T22:21:29.193+00:00monochrome print <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOE2-CD_Lh9I_JKRYgss9Q-9yPpQSZA4dJm-5RR451_radmbUrISmf3VF6gk06BesPa3pbM3PDZ9t6qnOwTAun679_kcvp4tB5Pg4m5uM1n93gkcve2YhPbwv5Qxdx2iA8BqEwEvXeChwN/s1600/circles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOE2-CD_Lh9I_JKRYgss9Q-9yPpQSZA4dJm-5RR451_radmbUrISmf3VF6gk06BesPa3pbM3PDZ9t6qnOwTAun679_kcvp4tB5Pg4m5uM1n93gkcve2YhPbwv5Qxdx2iA8BqEwEvXeChwN/s1600/circles.jpg" height="400" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is one of the monochrome prints of mine I mentioned in the last post. I made it a few months back now but it hasn't made it into the shop as of yet. In fact the shop has been generally neglected for quite some time now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I don't think I've mentioned it here before but I have a part time job as an art tutor. S</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ince having the kids i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">t's just been a few classes a week but it's the best fun. I had a class today and we made dream catchers. Getting paid by the hour to help people make dream catchers makes me do a little happy dance. BUT this lovely little job of mine is under threat and I fear it'll bite the dust very soon. I'll be lost without my classes, my students and my time away from the kids. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I would love to say I'll have more time to do my other work, my design work, my Etsy shop, write, that kind of thing, but it's not easy with a nine month old baby and a four year old... But people do it, don't they? Somehow they manage to get the stuff done. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's 9.30pm right now and my children are both in bed. My husband is on his way home from London and the dog is asleep on the sofa. And I have time right now, this time, evening time. So I guess I sacrifice Netflix and baths and books and early nights and instead work every night along with any time I can snatch in the daytime and on weekends. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And we'll see. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Do any of you guys work on stuff in the evenings or weekends? What do you sacrifice? </span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-69100758408530029012014-01-16T14:44:00.003+00:002014-01-16T14:44:57.249+00:00dreaming up a monochrome wall<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Black and white. It's been a 'thing' for ages now (like triangles and teepees... imagine a monochrome teepee in a trianglular print. Too much? Or bloody lovely? Probably bloody lovely.). But it's a 'thing' that I still love the look of. Perhaps black and white will never really look outdated if you do it right. Black and white with a 'pop' of colour (the 'pop', let face it, usually being a cushion).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anyway , I want a gallery of black and white prints. With maybe a 'pop', or maybe not a 'pop'. I'm unsure on the 'pop'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And when you have a hankering for design inspiration you turn to pinterest and get blown away by the lovely homes that people have and how clever and not lazy at all they are. *sigh*</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So here you go-</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/annarmassey/monochrome-gallery/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmLfRJjFSRbw5bECFhGz6za3izSKxU5kCahxRnstk99z8lImxoqVCIQVJJDi07jNPvcbWsDhMF3-8SBd241IzJcV7UA5oywDDthotrfjTj69-wI5SCGRijO0qXSDo8So9WW2YH-LCOmpW/s1600/Picture+2.png" height="215" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/annarmassey/monochrome-gallery/" target="_blank">all these and more here at Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have some black and white prints of my own that are good to go but if anyone has any black and white print recommendations they'd like to share then please do! </span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-57838881929886474742014-01-09T13:09:00.002+00:002014-01-09T13:09:16.491+00:00this year, last year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSduDnMEYxlWQSvKJCkssm45aPA9UqO2R-PKyVFQPeZDcz5RPJ4MxS3Yu4AK2U3P5mCH5KDx-87BR7iorCB03GnNwbv1BXAI1D5A9coPKGFCx-vmBKNAYWOBsKRgVfhFpA1Pzy1mpTxxrZ/s1600/griff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSduDnMEYxlWQSvKJCkssm45aPA9UqO2R-PKyVFQPeZDcz5RPJ4MxS3Yu4AK2U3P5mCH5KDx-87BR7iorCB03GnNwbv1BXAI1D5A9coPKGFCx-vmBKNAYWOBsKRgVfhFpA1Pzy1mpTxxrZ/s1600/griff.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mostly did a baby in 2013</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm only now getting my head around the fact that it's January and that it's a brand new year. Well, not brand spanking new, but still pretty fresh out of the box. Last week I was still catching up on 2013 so I guess I'm starting 2014 a week behind. Sounds pretty right for me these days.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Last year was a good one. Our family grew by one. Having a baby boy was clearly the stand out moment. A peg to hang the whole year off, 'What did I accomplish in 2013? Well, I made a human being!' I'm pretty sure I won't be making any more human beings in 2014 and so I'm going to have to make a little more effort to make this year's big events, projects and general ambiance special. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's the stand out moments that stay with you and make memories. And those moments usually have to be made, they don't happen when you spend every evening in front of the telly and every weekend at the shops, do they? So I'm going to make a list of what I'd love to happen in 2014, and I'm not going to hold back because I know we haven't any spare cash or because doing stuff with a baby is hard. I'm just going to write it because even I'm not sure of what I want to do, and that's no place to start making moments.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I hope you all have a wonderful 2014. I really do. </span></div>
Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-2611155096467851872013-11-08T12:33:00.001+00:002013-11-08T12:33:05.508+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYagyK4WxRJSUG6CEl7IuRthGX3_6ab1UqmzU3xIQkf67U8oLWpal2ePCQGklPK50uwIaMkuM89sk-Wxc5xGS5sy_Lf4SKrj7uwO5JmzXtQJhJx5XecVLq9v9X2kT72YWiz58QvNGfdRA/s1600/summer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYagyK4WxRJSUG6CEl7IuRthGX3_6ab1UqmzU3xIQkf67U8oLWpal2ePCQGklPK50uwIaMkuM89sk-Wxc5xGS5sy_Lf4SKrj7uwO5JmzXtQJhJx5XecVLq9v9X2kT72YWiz58QvNGfdRA/s400/summer.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hello.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">These last four months have been good ones. I've been happy and busy. Busy with a baby boy who I'm madly in love with and busy with my big girl who's growing up fast. I've been busy with work too, a little too busy with work perhaps.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've not been busy with this blog.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But I hadn't forgotten about it. Just laid it aside for a while. Predictable really, I kind of guessed I would back <a href="http://goldliondiaries.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/40-weeks-one-way-or-another-this-baby.html" target="_blank">here</a>. People who have babies and carry on seamlessly blogging I salute you. Jesus Christ, where do you find the time? Do you sleep?!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Not blogging has been good for me but hand on heart I can honestly say that it has had some negative affects too. I missed the act of writing most days but also I missed how blogging makes you look around you and notice things, it makes you take extra care with your time, makes you notice the days as they speed by and makes you focus on how you spend your time and construct your life. And I missed taking photographs, I haven't been taking enough.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I missed reading all your blogs too. I sometimes dropped in via my phone or iPad but just fleetingly, now and again, not commenting or engaging with anyone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I've got a lot of catching up to do.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And although I strongly suspect I'm talking to nobody I hope you've all been well and happy and it's very nice to be back. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">X</span><br />
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<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-51698090394473327542013-06-20T19:39:00.003+01:002013-06-20T19:39:41.955+01:00rain at 2pm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36qnCnkw4o5MKtH0vOpqASASkxtOX5C-TV-GEFU_Nw8lOKKUpIc2_VNqZjBT_BV_E3M0AOhm6xxtr5BnnXPyJtOWML64dKmnEeX9VDQ2wwt-y5ixFNRetUV0AjQpFwZKLdc63fCnuBSif/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36qnCnkw4o5MKtH0vOpqASASkxtOX5C-TV-GEFU_Nw8lOKKUpIc2_VNqZjBT_BV_E3M0AOhm6xxtr5BnnXPyJtOWML64dKmnEeX9VDQ2wwt-y5ixFNRetUV0AjQpFwZKLdc63fCnuBSif/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rain drops falling from the sky, making puddles outside and damp patches inside (gonna get that fixed soon...) If my hair wasn't already a complete state I'd be peed about that too. A messy top knot is my hair do of choice, well, necessity, these days. My roots are a crime scene. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After yesterday's post about our summer bag today has blown a big raspberry at me by being all about the torrential rain. But days indoors are lovely too. The radio is on, the kettle's constantly on the boil and a sleepy post 8 week jab Griff is stretched out on my lap. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iGd0O1r76ppMAGLiq6nkrGR5ZeedmXASENdOPRXcO74Qik1LfQ28VixgegNpGtSLXaHcLOS1JbWnB3GD5akC3PkC27W-PeYfeSLXEWVANJNXJlPTHMVcdX0ZBxnfyu7525s3p-VOmBZg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iGd0O1r76ppMAGLiq6nkrGR5ZeedmXASENdOPRXcO74Qik1LfQ28VixgegNpGtSLXaHcLOS1JbWnB3GD5akC3PkC27W-PeYfeSLXEWVANJNXJlPTHMVcdX0ZBxnfyu7525s3p-VOmBZg/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's clear I won't get much done today but I'm happy to let it slide. Sitting here with the baby, taking iPhone pictures and blogging with one hand, I'm happy even though it's hammering down out there. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hope you guys can keep smiling even when the skies are grey and heavy with rain. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">X </span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-75317315476597061882013-06-19T15:52:00.001+01:002013-06-19T16:41:09.025+01:00the summer bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2KOiZ7vECxmHb5mBpHmIyxroT2ZK9I1jdKvOEOX4cAQB6iORCD46c6W2g2ArB2_j3YFZVpb4qdfJ6g5-tel0LR662l8i-Din9_0IXDRfxLn77tBIcSkyFAjbN33Ol1VPo39dgeBXnZiW/s1600/summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2KOiZ7vECxmHb5mBpHmIyxroT2ZK9I1jdKvOEOX4cAQB6iORCD46c6W2g2ArB2_j3YFZVpb4qdfJ6g5-tel0LR662l8i-Din9_0IXDRfxLn77tBIcSkyFAjbN33Ol1VPo39dgeBXnZiW/s400/summer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Remember when summer days were gloriously sunny and stretched out from breakfast to bedtime full of long lazy wanderings, butterflies, bumble bees, bare toes in grass, the ice-cream van, sticky tarmac, splashing about in streams and water fights with old washing up bottles? It seems to me now that I spent the whole summer holidays outdoors, running riot and having a ball.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I was lucky to have those days. I fear my girl, and of course now my boy, wont have those hazy, golden, sun drenched memories that I have. We have these little burst of gorgeousness but no whole season to speak of. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">That's why every single warm and sunny moment must be snatched up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm on a constant sun watch (no good relying on the weather report, these sneaky afternoons, like yesterday's, are often not expected) and when the temperature rises a little and the sun peaks out from behind the thick layer of perma-cloud then I'm running around the house like an idiot grabbing sun hats and bathing costumes and sandals and lotion and money for ice-cream before rushing outdoors to get me and mine some summer fun. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And so I've decided to pack a bag. A summer bag which will hang in the hall ready for me to grab and go.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>the contents</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Edie's bathing costume</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sun lotion</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Alcogel</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Baby wipes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sun hats</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A towel</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Water</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Money (for ice-cream and last minute picnics)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A sarong (for lazing about on, instead of a blanket which is too bulky for impromptu escapes)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Then I can just grab it and go, straight from the school run, to ensure no one has to walk through town in just a pair of leggins because their mother let them go in the outdoor pool in the park in their knickers and t-shirt. Next time their bathers will be there, ready, in the bag. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Can you think of anything else I need to add?</span><br />
<br />Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705934077820548867.post-38240982418701675352013-06-17T11:00:00.001+01:002013-06-17T11:00:44.795+01:00last week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-4XRzEe3xcPZVE0-cbxxfMn5HPR4CoVNAg8VmzabfHwONWs3juUmJ-Flc36i4nwGwyqZKb349jgbTGRT-YHzPcCJYp_muOAkG87qgyJOk44j3vxqyNM7e7O3FVEUkKE42wL1CgbKks8N/s1600/june14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-4XRzEe3xcPZVE0-cbxxfMn5HPR4CoVNAg8VmzabfHwONWs3juUmJ-Flc36i4nwGwyqZKb349jgbTGRT-YHzPcCJYp_muOAkG87qgyJOk44j3vxqyNM7e7O3FVEUkKE42wL1CgbKks8N/s400/june14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">alking in the sun </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•m</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">aking <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/154225553/hello-cloud" target="_blank">this</a> for my little one •ly</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ing in bed and laughing with my girl •s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">olar powered fairy lights •s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">altwater sandals in tan •p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">lanning trips to the seaside </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•Lola's new haircut</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">picnicing in the woods •i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ce-cream and ginger beer •b</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">eautiful peonies •w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">atching Girls on DVD •losing my voice </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Griff's smile </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•getting caught in the rain •having 4 sips of beer and feeling tipsy •singing 'Firework' at top volume in the car on the school run •big crunchy Greek salads •being barefoot •breakfasting with friends •driving through the mountains in the golden hour •more ginger beer (obsessed with ginger beer) •dreaming of a perfect garden •designing and ordering a new iPhone case •Cos clothing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•letter writing •fresh mint tea •carousel rides •banana pancakes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">•waking up every morning bright and early and feeling HAPPY!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706705991752123362noreply@blogger.com1