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