Thursday, July 30, 2009

Back on the wagon...


When speaking to my Mum on the phone today, she remarked she was tired of looking at my bowl of rice crispies and to 'get blogging, baby!'...as always, she was right. It has been far too long.

I can't seem to keep up these days - my weeks are now split travelling between Glasgow and Belfast {where my lovely man lives}...between managing and making orders, running my business, creating new work AND, most importantly and challenging of all, forming a new business with said lovely man - so it's no wonder something had to give. It was my poor neglected blog, and I feel bad...and rather silly too, if I'm honest. After all, my blog helps me hugely in processing my thoughts and work and keeping me feeling like I have accomplished something each day/week/month.

I'm going to try and let this be a lesson to me, because, I know I have been hellishly busy over the last weeks and months, but feel I have less to show for it somehow {sans regular blogging}... and so it all feels a little 'where did the time go, what happened?'...

I guess life is about balance, and it's not always easy to keep, or to find.

Anyway, putting that aside, I can share a little of what I have been up to when over in Belfast for the last two weeks {not much, mind, as it seems I was even too busy to pick up my camera that often ;)}...one of the highlights of the trip was catering a party for the misters parents 30th anniversary. I was a lovely night - and we were so pleased with the feast we created. The savory food was demolished before I had a chance to photograph it {but believe me, it was yummy!}, but my glossy wee pearl meringues managed to get snapped... my first ever meringues in fact, I think even my granny would be proud, they were delish and were ALL dispatched pronto! ;)

...I really enjoyed arranging masses of californian bluebells along with some stock and pink roses, and lavender plucked from the garden just before everyone arrived..all presented in mis-matched glass beer mugs, it turned even a vase-less bachelor pad into something fit for a pretty partaaaay! ;)

...and finally, a sneak peek at just one of the drawings I have been working on, which are forming the basis for our textile pattern designs. It's like a dream come true to see this collection come together and I am loving learning about transitioning hand drawings onto the computer and editing them there. This one is amazing at it, and I am so lucky to have him teach me as we work together... especially, as you know, I am not the most technologically minded gal on the block...

So, really, I think that is me just about up to date. In between I have developed a passion for Project Runway {said bachelor pad has a digi box!}...Camera Obscura and a strong craving for fish and vegetables {I am tired...I need fuel, clearly}...I even took today off in the end, some time to clear my head was sorely needed.

Lastly... thanks to my lovely Mum for giving me the push I needed today. I love you. Always.

And here is to striving, every day, to find that balance needed.

More soon, and that's a promise!
;) xo

p.s. the summer necklaces I have been working on are almost ready, I just need to photograph them...so stay tuned for those over the weekend...I am so happy with how the juicy gemstones look against the silver... :)

Sunday, July 12, 2009

On a Sunday...


One should really be totally relaxing, but I have some work to do today.
Procrastinating, a little, is okay, I think ;)

I am eating a lot of rice crispies just now - too hot, and too tired to think about cooking, and still fascinated all these years later by the snap, crackle and pop! Admiring my new sandals...the old ones were on their last legs after getting a good two seasons bashing!

Drinking nice cups of tea out of this lovely cup that my boyfriends Mum sent me a few weeks ago - with all the flowers in bloom in my birth month. So lovely. It is her birthday today... so, a very Happy Birthday, Jacki! {xox :)}

...a little more progress on the summer rose necklaces, and some new colour graded faceted line ones too. I am *loving* these juicy gems!

Listen to this version of You've Got the Love by Florence and the Machine... {one of my very favourite songs of all time}... so good.

Bon weekend to all. xo

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Summer Roses in store...

Wednesday already...my, my! ;)

...as promised, a wee sneak peek from the workshop today where I am working on some new summer necklaces using those gorgeous juicy gemstone beads I bought the other week. I am so excited by them - I just loved the colours! I have decided to team these beads with an old fashioned rose motif that I found a long time ago in a Botanical illustration book - the drawing dated back to the 1800's...and, after being surrounded by the most stunning roses at the park in Belfast at the weekend, the colours made me think these two would make a perfect team...

Mmm! Can't wait to get them finished and in the shop :) I am imagining these teamed with floaty summer dresses on balmy summer nights...!!
My third post over on DesignSponge is now up - the Transitional Wallpapers of Lene Toni Kjeld ... really gorgeous!

Speaking of which, I found a beautiful photography site today and I wished I read Japanese! The styling is BEYOND stunning... enjoy! ;)


In other news - my lovely chap is celebrating 100 facebook fans with a 100 hour sale!
Enter the code FBFANS100 for a juicy wee 10% off any order in his store...

Now off to get ready as I am heading out for dinner with my folks and to ikea to find a frame for this beauty!! wheeeeee ;)

Back with more tomorrow, xo

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Hop on over...


...to my design sponge guest blog post to see my wee ramblings about Lucienne Day!!

I actually picked up a piece of her fabic up at a small sale the centre for advanced textiles were holding a few weeks ago - for a pound no less! {and a little scrap for 20 pence, seen on the workshop wall here}...and I am planning on making it into a new cushion for the sofa...

I'll be sure to share it when I'm done! ;)

I'm back home in Glasgow today, so will be workshopping tomorrow. Back with some more bits then...

G'night all, xo

Monday, July 06, 2009

Guest Blogging and Roses...

...just stopping in quickly this evening for a wee hello! It's been another busy week and time, I am afraid, is continuing to run away from me. I am in sunny Belfast at the moment with Mister Bell, but fly home tomorrow...

We have spent the weekend doing all sorts of lovely things, such as attending a wedding on the Antrim Coast with gorgeous views, and a lovely family picnic yesterday at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon's Park left us with hundreds of photos of stunning roses {it's coming up for Rose week soon!} and indeed a touch of sunburn! ;)

Here are just some of our shots!

In a little bit of news - Mister Bell and I are in the process of setting up a textile pattern design and home-wares company, and as I was scheduled in to Guest Blog on Design Sponge this week, I thought discussing pattern design we loved would be a perfect topic to run with!! Read my first post right here...

Details of our new venture {which we are VERY excited about...as many of you will know, pattern design has always been a huge passion of mine!} will be coming shortly. In the next few weeks we will be able to share some sneak peeks here on the blog as samples arrive and products develop! {I can barely contain myself!} ;))

Happy Monday, all xo