Reasons I am happy today...

1. I have the worlds most wonderful family
2. I just had some delicious home made veggie burgers for dinner
3. I have had a long week but doing a job I enjoy which earns me more than enough money to pay the bills
4. I can go to sleep in my home tonight safe - not as common as we think in the world
5. I am warm and cosy snuggled on the sofa
6. Today I saw a double rainbow:)
7. Tomorrow I get a lie in!
8. I am healthy and well
9. I have kind friends
10. I get to spend the weekend with my lovely boyfriend

You don't miss what you've got until it's gone...

It is a bit of a cliche saying but in many respects - SO true. We have all had those times when we wished we hadn't taken something/someone for granted and now they are gone you miss them so much. Well this weekend I had that very feeling. John and I went down to Bournemouth to see our wonderful 8 friends from University. We lived and studied in Bournemouth for 3 years with this incredible bunch, and god do I miss them! We are now all dotted around the country in our various jobs, and the fact we now only get two days off a week (rather than 7 as a student!) we rarely see each other. In fact, it was the very first time we had all been back together since leaving Uni over a year ago. It was just like it always is, ridiculous amounts of fun and laughter and really great to see them all so happy in their lives. On Friday, John and I went for dinner with Abi and Chrissie, the others didn't arrive until Saturday. We went to La Tasca for some tapas, and a good catch up. The others all arrived on Saturday, and despite the weather forecast predicting grey skies and rain we got some great weather. We relaxed in the gardens and had dinner together in the evening. I managed to catch up with everyone on how their jobs were, how Iain's holding out- he is training to be a barrister (hard work), how Becky's travels were and what her next trip will be, where will Lauren move to next, Abi's holiday plans, George's career options, Chrissie's moving plans and what we will do when she lives only an hour away. It was truly lovely. Sunday, John and I had half marathon training to do (no rest for the wicked) so we headed down to the seafront nice and early and had a fantastic 60 minute run. My ankle has been quite sore the past week, I am not sure what I have done to it and it was starting to worry me, but a nice long run seemed to blow the cobwebs away leaving my ankle feeling stronger than ever. There were plenty of people down at the beach, even at 9am they were all cycling, swimming, running, or just relaxing in their beach huts while the kids frolicked in the sand. It was a peaceful atmosphere at that time, nothing like a couple of hours later when the crowds decend! We all had breakfast together before we each had to depart on our respective journeys back home. We did all say we must do it again, and sooner this time. For me, it was a bitter sweet weekend, so absolutely wonderful, but it did make me miss being around the corner from them all, it made me miss giggling in lectures, popping in for dinner, or to watch a film, or to go to the beach. I am so unbelievably lucky to have had three years with them and down by the sea :)

Bye Bye M25

 I am no longer a resident of the M25 area! Woooooo! I cannot express just how happy it makes me not to have to drive on that dreaded road every weekend! So, as part of the graduate scheme I am on I am doing a new 9 month placement in Bristol. As John already lives in Cheltenham, we decided it would be nice to live together. We know the area now as John has lived there a while, and its a lovely town. We got ourselves a nice little flat close to the M5 to enable me to get to Bristol promptly. It is still really close to John's office though he only has a five min walk. The move was, well, a bit manic to say the least. I hired a man with a van - can't go wrong. Loaded all my stuff, of which I have far too much, in Crawley, drove four hours to Cheltenham, drove to new flat, unloaded my stuff, drove to Johns flat, loaded Johns stuff, drove to new flat, unloaded Johns stuff. Phew. Lots of heavy objects, lots of stairs and 28 degree heat. It was exhausting stuff. Our nice van man left us to it, and we thought it would be wise to decorate before unpacking. So Friday evening and Saturday was spent doing a lot of painting. I think it will be a while before I take a career as a painter/decorator. I managed to get paint in a lot of places it shouldn't be (skirting boards, plugs, lights etc) whooops. Although hard work, it was so worth it as now the bedroom is a bright white with one blue wall rather than sicky green! No sicky green headaches for us in the mornings. On Sunday, Janet and Neville came to help us build the wardrobes. Well, Neville helped John, whilst Janet sorted screws and did our ironing (star!) and I made cups of tea (essential to any DIY task). So come Sunday evening we were pretty much exhausted. We had sorted the bedroom though and unpacked all but our clothes. It felt so nice to be in our first home together - one that we can make ours. We have had a great first week, both a little tired as still lots to do, and I have started my new role too. I've been to Crawley and Basingstoke in my first week so again, a little manic! But at least we wont be bored hey. We have had lots of cards from friends and family with well wishes for our new little home, which is so lovely. This weekend brings a trip to Ikea - for those much needed home items, oh, and Dime bars mmmm.

A trip up the M1

This weekend I have taken a rather long trip, around the M25, and up the M1 to see my lovely family. By family, I mean Mum and Nana as Fraz is currently in Thailand and Russ was busy working. The trip up was a bit of a ballache. M1 on a Friday- I should have known better really. 5 hours it took. I got there in the end though. As much as I love the south, there is something really homely and special about Sheffield. I love how you can be so close to the Peak District yet still be so close to the city centre too. I love all the little independent restaurants and shops, something you don't see a lot of in many cities these days. So what did we get up to? Well Friday night I was pretty shattered so we got an early night. Saturday morning, John, Mum and I went to a cafe we found last month. One of our wonderful friends Hazel recommended it and it was nothing short of brilliant! They do a delicious brekkie so we all tucked in; that set us up for the day. I had to go into town to collect my photos from the exhibition as it ends today (sob). So we did that, and had a mooch around town. We went to the winter gardens and had a browse around the museum at the back. All over the city centre there are yellow bikes placed, to mark the start of the Tour De France in a few weeks. That will be the next time we are up north, to watch that! Sheffield is a city that takes pride in its heritage and people from the city, as well as what is happening there, so it was great to see the Tour being promoted in such a creative way. We headed home and had a simple but tasty dinner,even Mum enjoyed my veggie cooking! Today we met up with the lovely Mark and Liz, and went for a walk with our cameras. This was the first time we had met Mark and Liz properly, so it was great to put a face to a name and have a good old natter. And even the weather was good! On leaving Mark and Liz we met up with Nana, Mimi and their brother, Uncle Anthony and his wife Elaine for some lunch. The 5 hour drive there and 4 hour drive back was so worth it. Nothing can compare to spending some quality time with loved ones, in a city you love, enjoying good food, walks and laughing lots :)

Cravings for Tempeh

Ah Tempeh! I would love some right now. Tempeh is a delicious food found only in Indonesia, it is made from soya beans and then fried. Last year when I was there on my travels I ate it every day for lunch. I actually found a place online here in the UK that sold it, I ordered some but it just wasn't the same- maybe as I was eating it in dreary Crawley and not on a tropical Indonesian beach with the waves lapping at my toes! Yes, that could be it! I was driving home earlier and started to think about my travels last year. I was wondering what Rony the surf instructor we met is up to, and Felice who ran one of our favourite restaurants along with an orphanage. I so want to go back. Get me back to Indonesia! It is such a beautiful place, with such happy people. People who have very little but are still honest, kind, and most of all, happy with what they have. I want to see the black sand again, the rice paddies, the bright colours of the offerings to gods. I want to eat tempeh and square rice again, and taste the delicious pineapples. I want to feel the warmth of the Indonesian waters while I'm swimming with their beautiful fish. I want to talk to the locals about their lives and how things are for them. I want to see the kites again. I want to feel the homely feel there, and just walk for miles along the shore watching the world go by. I want to smell the eclectic fragrances at the market and buy batik sarongs. I want to sit on the deserted parts of Kuta beach and watch the locals fish when the tide is out. I want to see the banyan trees and their crazy roots. I would even stretch to getting chased by monkeys if it meant I could go back. One day, one day soon, I will be back in the beautiful Indonesia ....

Super powers

Hello hello! Long time no write I know, I'm sorry! It has been a very busy few weeks here. There are just not enough hours in the day for all the glorious things I want to do. If only I had a super power which meant I didn't need to sleep. Then I could get it all done! What is this long list I hear you ask? Well, I'd like to write more, take photos more, sew more, paint more, crochet more, I have a list of odd jobs to finish my bedroom as long as my arm, read more (long list of books waiting),cook more, bake more, walk more, exercise more, talk to friends more, ride more, learn french more.. the list goes on! Unfortunately I have boring tasks to do as well, such as a day job, food shopping, washing and so on. I do get time to do some of these nice things among the compulsory ones but only for an hour or so each evening. I need a clone of me! Or someone to invent this super power- imagine the things I could do! The other super power I would choose would be teleportation. I am sure there must be some clever physicist out there who has invented this already, but could he hurry up please so that when I fancy a pizza I can go to Italy, or I could go back to Bali to surf for a day, or to Beijing and walk along the Wall of China at sunrise before work. What with teleportation, and the need for no sleep, life would be incredible. Even more so than it already is :)

International Women's Day

This weekend, Saturday March 8th 2014, is International Women’s Day! This is basically a day dedicated to women around the world (sorry boys!) to celebrate achievements by women and raise awareness on how we can empower women and make lives better. Many events are held all over the world by women in order to celebrate this fantastic day from relaxation evenings, craft workshops, lectures and so on. So, are there any women who inspire you? Here are a few of mine (no particular order)…

  -  Jack Monroe- Jack is an activist, single mum and author of recipe blog and now fantastic book! She started off blogging about her struggles as a single mum and putting food on the table for her son. Her blogged recipes and food ideas which were cheap to make but still nutritious. She was scouted by penguin and asked to compile her recipes into a book which has just gone on sale. She now also stands up in parliament regularly and campaigns about the poverty and food crisis in the UK. I have so much admiration as she is actively campaigning about something which affects so many people in the UK, a highly developed society, a fact which is quite frankly ridiculous. Go Jack!


 -  Malala – Malala is a young Pakistani girl who campaigns about education for women and girls. She was shot in 2012 whilst travelling on a bus in the town of Mingora in Pakistan. She was shot purely because she was standing up for what she believes to be right, and the Taliban didn’t agree with her views. She was transported to Birmingham in the UK to be rehabilitated after the shooting. A petition was named after her, aiming to have all children in the world in school by the end of 2015, quite a mean feat, but definitely a fantastic thing to be aiming for. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, the youngest person to have been nominated. What a wonderful and strong young lady.


- Felice Fanny – Felice is a lady I met on my travels last year whilst in Lombok, Indonesia. We were in a small town called Kuta on the south coast of Lombok and found a tiny little shack of a restaurant. This belonged to Felice. We ate here three or four times during our stay in Kuta, enjoying the delicious tempeh burgers she made whilst watching the women cooking. It was a wonderful restaurant and whilst we ate we discovered that Felice used some of her profits to provide food for the children of the community at the weekends. She did this to ensure that they got one good meal per week, and also puts on activities for the children, so they get a break from work and enjoy a little fun. We donated some of our clothes to the children and I am now looking at a way to get money to Felice on a regular basis to help her continue this excellent work that is vital to the community. She has a huge heart and is a beautiful woman.


-  Zara Philips – Zara Philips is a lady I admire massively from an equestrian point of view. I have watched her event since I was a little girl, and always loved her determination and courage. When I worked in eventing and evented myself I warmed up alongside her several times and was just in awe of how skilled she is and the kind way she rides. Some people criticize her and say that she is bound to be successful due to her background and support, both financially and expertise. I partially agree with this, and think she does have great support, however, from riding myself I know it would be impossible to get to where she is
today without copious amounts of incredible talent. What’s more is she does all of that, and achieves results whilst in the public eye and scrutiny which cannot be easy. She is just a normal person like you or I when you meet her and that is surprisingly refreshing.


- Karen Lynch – Karen Lynch is CEO of a bottled water company named Belu Water. I first discovered Belu Water a few years ago when looking into ways to fundraise for Wateraid. Belu produce bottled water which is now stocked in many UK restaurants and supermarkets, and all their profits are donated to Wateraid. Karen has grown the business to enable it to be as successful as it is today- something which is not easy in the recent economic climate, especially with a ‘luxury’ product such as this. I love the ethos of the company, and the charity they help, Wateraid, is one of my all time favourites. Water is something that we all need, and many of us take for granted but after a week without running water in the Sahara desert I can tell you- it is something of huge importance and influence in our lives! I now hear that Belu are moving into other areas such as recycled glass and so on, but I have no doubt that with Karen’s influence they will do well!



-  My Mum – My mum! Of course! Where do I even start? She is just the most wonderful woman ever really. If you have had the pleasure of meeting her you will know exactly what I mean. She has always been there for me- she offers advice when it is needed but gives me space to be myself and live my own life, and always has, something I appreciate massively. She brought me up on her own with some help from our family, which I know was a tough few years for her, yet I never wanted for anything. She once even let me eat apple pie for tea! Mum is a very kind woman, and would give you her last penny if she thought you were in need more than her. She is peaceful and grounded and still is the one I turn to when I need someone. I can’t imagine how things would be without her, and I admire her immensely for what she has achieved throughout her life, both professionally and personally. If I grow up to be half as resilient, talented, loving and wonderful as Mum, I will be happy.


- Anita Roddick – Anita Roddick is a bit of an obvious one, but my gosh - I do love her! I spent a lot of time with people who work at The Body Shop and have many friends there, and her values and aspirations still run deep within the company- a wonderful achievement to create a workforce who believe in the company so strongly. She started the company back in the 70s, based on strong values. These values are reflected in the products and as a company they are extremely hot on ingredients being sustainable and working with individual farmers to give something back. The Body Shop has regularly campaigned and partnered with charities and NGOs to change the world and attitudes little by little. One lady I know personally, Jessie (hello Jessie!!) and her team managed to get laws changed on sex trafficking – incredible! The Body Shop now also have their own charity, The Body Shop Foundation. They do fantastic work with the environment, people and animal based charities, and were also responsible for starting The Big Issue. Although Anita is no longer around, here is to you Anita and the wonderful legacy you have left for us.


-  Emma Wade – Emma isn’t famous like a few of the others, but she is just as wonderful! She is one of my oldest friends and she really does inspire me. I have never told her this so she may be a little surprised reading! I remember days when we were younger galloping around fields on our ponies and having numerous sleep overs at weekends. Now, she is a young mum and training to be a midwife. She is currently part way through a college course before hopefully heading to uni to get qualified. I know in my heart of hearts she can and will do it, I know it is something she really wants and has found her place in life. Her daughter, Isla is one of the cutest and funniest children I have met- so for Isla only she should be bursting with pride (and I am sure she is!). She is a resilient young woman who has had an incredibly tough few years, bringing Isla into the world and more recently has had some life changing health issues. But hopefully things are on the up for Em, and she’s stronger than I have ever known her. Em you are an inspiration to all young women, stay as you are.

-  Lucy Caslon – Lucy is the founder of a charity called Msizi Africa. I found out about Lucy and her charity through a friend of a friend and looked at their website. She started the charity back in 2007 after volunteering at The Mantsase childrens home in Lesotho. She saw how little nutrition the children got from meals, as there was simply not enough funding, so on her return home started the charity. They raise money each year to fund feeding programs in Lesotho, as well as support the Mantsase Childrens Home. Many children go to school hungry, that is if they get to go at all. This may be because they don’t have parents, or if they do, there is not enough money for education and food. Lucy and her team ensure that children get healthy and nutritious meals so they can do better in school and generally be healthier. Back in November I helped at a fundraising event for Msizi, selling some greetings cards for them- it was such an amazing night to be in a room with people that have made such a difference to the lives of those children in Lesotho. Incredible work Lucy.

Ah, feeling rather emotional now, speaking about all these inspirational women! On Saturday I will be celebrating them and every single other woman on the planet, not just the famous ones, or the ones we know to be inspirational, but all of you as you are all inspirational in your own little way! Happy International Women’s Day!

Who is thee Worlds biggest lover of Cornwall?

Any takers?! Well, I beat you to it! Ask any of my Cornish friends and they will tell you that I love Cornwall almost as much, if not more, than the Cornish folk themselves. I have just returned from a wonderful weekend down there with John, Janet and Neville. Janet's brother has a cottage in St Just and kindly let us stay there for a long weekend. So last Friday we headed down there. One of my good friends, Abby and her husband Will live in St Just too and this weekend they were having their little girl Florence christened. That was really the primary reason for going down, if any reason is needed at all! I hadn't met Florence yet and was rather excited. She did not disappoint and I am pretty sure she made it top of the list for cutest babies ever. It is so nice to see them happy as a family and enjoying their first baby so much. They are both fantastic and natural parents and seem to be really enjoying their new jobs as mother and father to Florrie. We had a quick catch up with them Saturday morning, before heading to Sennen for a walk. After the recent storms, the Cornish coast is looking a bit battered in places, but still as terrific as ever. The sea at Sennen was so crazily rough, I have never seen waves as big, I think even bigger than we saw in Indo. Sennen is one of my favourite beaches of all I have ever visited, it has lovely clean sand as well as some rocky parts and its more of a cove than a long straight beach so tons of character to it. Sunday we went to Florence's christening, a lovely service and a big thanks to Abby and Will (and Florence) for letting us share their celebration with them. She was very well behaved and didn't cry at getting her head wet :) After the christening we had a walk around Penzance. The coast here is particularly bad after storms, such a shame and is going to take a lot of work to get it back to the way it was. Monday we headed to St Ives- I found a brilliant textile artist who has her own shop, among many other artists. St Ives really is an arty hub so I did enjoy it :) Also bought some clotted cream fudge, a must when ever in Cornwall! In the evening we met with Abby,Will and Florence to go for dinner and have a proper catch up. Which was lovely. As they live right down in south Cornwall I don't see them too often but they are always cheery and never change when I do see them, such a blessing to have friends like that. John and I both adore Cornwall and the lifestyle and are praying we can one day find a job down there! The hunt might need to start soon, after this trip I think we are both itching to get there now. I love the scenery, the cliffs, the coves, the minack, the sea, the fudge, the people, the pastys, the accents, the cows, the markets, the air, the colours, the breeze, the scones, the ice cream. Just everything about it really! We have another week booked to go in September which will be our holiday this year, and I am looking forward to it even more now. Even after travelling to far away and exotic lands, Cornwall still snatches the top spot of my most favourite destinations :) If you haven't been... go!!!!

Feeling Blessed

So I have the day off work and I am sat on a train headed to Cheltenham to see the wonderful Mr Hobson. I have a cheese and celery sarni and listening to the genius that is Bon Iver. Lovely! I visited my step mum and brothers for the evening last night, which as always was lovely. Kim cooked us a delicious dinner and we got to spend some quality time together- a rarity now they are all growing up and off doing their own things. They have had a rather rough six months or so and I am just so so lucky to have them. All three of my brothers are unbelievably talented and bright, and I know in my heart that one day they will be doing wonderful things with their lives. I hope they believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. Last weekend I visited my beautiful mother over in Malta, who is another one who has had a bit of a crap time lately. She is such a clever and inspirational woman, and she will be fine again soon- she just needs to get her sparkle back. But on this train, just thinking about my loved ones I remember just how lucky I am and now I am feeling very blessed. That doesn’t even mention the rest of my family whom I love dearly. Or my truly magnificent friends who never fail to make me laugh – dotted around the country I am never far from one of these people. My job is going swimmingly and I really am a lucky girl. I hope in my heart that one day everyone will experience a little of this happiness for themselves, and to all of you who are in my life who add to these feelings and make me so lucky, thank you xxx

Friends in Expert Places

I spoke to a very lovely lady I know the other day. I dropped her an email asking for advice as her husband is a rather talented artist and together they have created their own fashion label- how fantastic! I wanted to know if either of them had any tips for someone getting interested in art, as just recently I have been considering many things around motivations, style, creations etc etc. She gave me some grounded advice : everything you do, do it from the heart not with selling in mind; when people don't like/buy your work it isn't a reflection of your work just a reflection of where they are at; PERSEVERE. Her email resonated strongly and re-affirmed thoughts and feelings I already had about the direction of my little arts venture. I have decided for the future that I will no longer create items for sale- but purely for my own enjoyment and work on developing my skills. I found selling things took away my creativity and added way too much pressure, thus removing all enjoyment- which is why I am doing it surely?! If anyone does ask to buy an item I would be more than happy to sell it - however, only at cost price which is usually between £1-£2 - I have decided to suggest to purchasers when they buy something that they also make a small donation to their favourite charity, but ultimately this is up to them. I would absolutely love for this little venture to one day turn into a social enterprise, spreading the joy and colour of arts and crafts whilst also adding value in other places too. But for now I can just enjoy the journey, and as dear Kate advises- do everything from the HEART <3

music memories

Ever been somewhere and a certain song comes on and it takes you straight back to another place?! Amazing isn't it! I love it when this happens, especially songs which are attached to happy memories. I was just painting away with the iPod on, and a certain song came on - Backseat by Atlas Genius. This song takes me back to the summer. For those who have read my blog for a while you will remember 'that journey' from Hanoi-Hue in Vietnam where our bus broke down. We were 3 hours from our destination and on our second break down of the journey. We hadn't eaten for almost 24 hours and ended up spending 3 hours at the side of the road in 35 degree heat before managing to hitch hike on another bus. I was laid in my bed-seat a bit squashed up as the bus was over-filled and rather peckish I must say. We were hot and bothered and spirits dampened. I remember laying there and thinking 'Thank god we are finally on our way'. This song by Atlas Genius was the first song that came on, and I was filled with elation. Elated that we were no longer stranded, elated we were on our way to Hue, elated we were on our way to food! It still fills me with that euphoric feeling- odd that I could feel euphoric in such a bizarre situation?! Another one, is Def Leppard- Pour some sugar on me (and any other Def Leppard/Bon Jovi/Thunder). This takes me back to younger years sitting in the back of mums car, while she blared this out with the windows down and we both sang along. I can still remember all the words to the whole Bon Jovi album 'Crush'. All of these songs mum used to play just transport me immediately back to that care-free feeling when music is playing, you're singing along and there are no troubles in the world. Beautiful . Just in case you haven't had the pleasure- both songs mentioned are linked :)