Weekly Roundup 16/06/19 – 22/06/19

23rd Jun 201922nd Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

weekly roundup 120519 - 180519

Sunday 16/06/19

I woke early to cuddles and kisses from my niece and nephew which was a lovely start to the day! It was fairly grey and miserable morning and I spent the morning coloring and drawing with my nephew while my niece helped my brother and sister in law do cooking in the kitchen. We had lunch and, as the weather was starting to improve, we all decided to go out for the afternoon. My brother drove us all to William Morris’ Red House. We had a lovely time walking around the house and looking at the gardens which were full of beautiful flowers and plants. In the evening my brother and I went for a walk and phoned our Dad to wish him a Happy Fathers Day. Once we returned to the house, my brother, sister in law and I played a few board games after the kids had gone to bed.

Monday 17/06/19

We woke early, my sister in law had to go to work and my niece and nephew had school. We had breakfast, showered and got ready for the day. My brother and I walked my niece and nephew to school and returned to the house. We had a coffee and I sorted out my things as I had to catch the coach home later in the day. We headed out, taking my luggage with me, and headed to the Tate Britain. I checked my luggage into the baggage point and we went on a journey through time looking at art through the years. Once we had been “arted out” we went for a walk and stopped off at a park for lunch before making our way back towards Victoria Station. On the way, we passed Westminster Catherderal, my brother had his graduation ceremony there years ago and we decided to have a look around, it was amazing to see, and so beautiful. After looking around we got to Victoria Station, I had a while to wait for my coach so my brother left me as he needed to get home to pick the kids up from school. The coach was delayed by 45 minutes but I was quite happy to sit and read my book and drink the Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino which I’d treated myself to. I arrived home around 9:30pm and Roxy was so excited to see me!

Tuesday 18/06/19

I had the day off from work and slept in til 11:40am, I was soo tired! It’s surprising just how much traveling can wear you out! I spent some time browsing the internet getting some ideas for flatlay props…the workshop at the Bloggers Bash has really ignited something creative in me. I think I now have an idea of what sort of things I want in my flatlay props kit and where I want to head with my blog and social media photography. It will be nice to get back into taking photos and using the knowledge I have, as well as putting to use skills that I learned from my photography degree! I went to my parents in the evening to collect my car which Dad had serviced and cleaned for me.

Wednesday 19/06/19

I worked late today, until nearly 6:00pm as I had a load of paperwork to sort through. Work was really draining, it was really noisy and hard to concentrate which really affected my mood. I got home from work and just locked myself away in the silence which made things a little better. I had an early night as I really didn’t want to do much else.

Thursday 20/06/19

I woke early, partly because of my early night, but also because a cat and a crow were staging a street fight by my house, I think the crow won as the cat made a yowl and ran off. I couldn’t see the crow but he made a heck of a racket after the cat had gone. I decided to get up and start my day at 5:30am! I had a shower, made lunch and breakfast, had a coffee and caught up on some blog things. I headed into work and got on with all the things I needed to do and managed to get everything done and my desk cleared by 5:15pm. I got home and played with Roxy, did some housework and then headed to bed.

Friday 21/06/19

My car is running weird, I thought it could have a bit of air in the system where my Dad had done a full oil change. I drove it to the fuel station and put some fuel in it, and then, driving to work, the engine management light started flashing. Once I’d arrived at work and parked I phoned my Dad who said that my wiring loom was starting to break down and that could be the cause. I headed into the office and worked until 3:00pm before heading to my parents (via B&M Bargains for a few things) as Dad said he would look at it for me. Dad dropped me off after he got back from work and later my friend came over, we are watching Killing Eve (the second series). I treated myself to a bottle of wine from the Co-Op (I had a 40p off voucher to use) and we had cheese and chips from the local takeaway.

Saturday 22/06/19

I think I have an allergy to wine…my head was really achy this morning and my mouth was drier than a desert. It has taken me much of the day to start feeling more human. One of my friends popped by earlier which was nice, we had a good catch up over a few cups of (much needed) coffee. I put the hoover around and did a load of washing but much of the day has been spent not doing anything much.

How has your week been? What have you been up to? I’d love to hear so leave me a comment!

Garden Update

21st Jun 201920th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

If you have been following my blog for a while you may have seen me mention that I have been working on my garden. Today I thought I would share with you what I have been doing in my garden and my plans for the future.

When I moved into my home, nearly a full year ago now, the garden was so overgrown and the grass was taller than me (and I’m 5 foot 5 and a bit). Luckily the housing association sent one of their maintenance people to cut the grass for me with industrial mowers and strimmers otherwise I’m not really sure how I would have managed. Once the grass had been cut all I needed to do was to rake up all the cuttings and get rid of them.

It took 7 bin bags to get most of the cuttings off the lawn. The grass was really patchy and dry but after a week or so it started to turn green again.

I didn’t do much with the garden in the first year but, since the weather has started to get warmer and drier I have been weeding and digging and getting it into some sort of shape.

I started by weeding and de-brambling the top of the garden which took me a few days and filled my green garden waste bin to the top!

I have also dug a flower bed at the bottom of my garden which is going to be a wildflower and lavender border.

It has been pretty hard work, all of the stones that you see have been dug out of the soil and at times, it seemed that every time I put shovel to soil it was coming into contact with a stone or paving slab or other garden waste.

The good thing about finding so many stones, and large ones at that, is that I have enough to edge all the flower borders that I want to put in and even, probably, to make a stepping stone path.

At the top of the garden, in the large bed that I weeded and dug over I now have a hydrangea, rhubarb and a gooseberry bush planted. I am planning on creating a compost heap, an area for growing my own veg and some other fruit bushes.

To the right of my garden, as I look up from my house, I am intending to dig a border to go right along the edge which will be planted with wildflowers, honeysuckle and rose bushes, sweet peas, and other scented flowers. I have included a plan of how I want my garden to be like below!

My lawn is not particularly level and has a weird lump in the center of it which I am intending to attempt to flatten at some point by digging out and redistributing the soil over the whole garden. The only problem with this is that I have no idea what is under the mound so I think I will need to dig a few tester holes to see what is below it first!

What is your garden like? Id love to hear what sort of things you have in your garden, let me know in the comments!!!!

veg patch

Top 10 Flat Lay Props

20th Jun 201919th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

top 10 flat lay props

Since attending the Flat Lay Workshop at The Bloggers Bash I have been thinking about flat lay photography and creating a kit for myself so that I can use it in images for this blog in the future. Today’s Top 10 Thursday post is a list of items I am considering in creating my kit.

A ring light for my phone.
A background, though at the moment I am unsure what I want to use as my background.
Fake flowers and foliage.
Ribbon and lace.
Patterned fabric, card, and papers.
Shells and pebbles.
Confetti.
Fairy lights.
Letters and numbers, though I’m not sure what style yet, though scrabble tiles are an option.
Wooden shapes.

What sort of things would you put in your flat lay kit?

The Bloggers Bash Review

19th Jun 201918th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

The Bloggers Bash

I was going to write this post as a run through of the day but have decided to tell you all about my favourite parts of the day instead.

On Saturday morning my brother accompanied me to the Annual Bloggers Bash which took place in the Grange Wellington Hotel in Westminster in London. We got the train from Lewisham to Victoria and walked the last part of the journey to the hotel which wasn’t too far away. The weather was warm but overcast and there were dark rainclouds on the horison but the day remained dry and warm.

2 guest speakers had been invited to speak with us, Laura of Full To The Brum, a food blog based in Birmingham, and G X Todd, an author. Both speakers were really interesting. Laura spoke about how she has evolved from writing about food and drink on her blog to writing features for magazines and newspapers, her love of newsletters and about the struggles related to social media. G X Todd, (also know as Gemma) took us through her journet to becoming an author, her inspirations and how things have changed for authors in the modern, internet and social media age. I found both speakers to be really interesting and have given me food for thought. From Laura, I left thinking about my personal brand and making my blog my own and from Gemma it was that we should all take what we do seriously.

There was a question and answer session with Esther Chiltern – a writer, tutor and blog tutor, Shelley Wilson a self help, motivation, holistic health and personal development blogger, and Laura (from above.). Questions posed to the panel were varied and the answers given were really interesting. There was a question about blog awards, such as the Liebster and Sunshine blog awards that are given by bloggers to other bloggers, and the panel gave answers that they found the awards to be motivational, fun, encouraging, a way to network and find new content. Another interesting question was with regards to newlsetters and what they were. I was a bit unsure about what a newsletter was so the answers were really useful to me – they are a way to share interesting things, content that has not been blogged about, a bit like a parish newsletter. Newsletters can be more personal and contain things that are important or personal to you, they can take the form of a letter and be written in a chatty, informal way. Newsletters can also provide a way to provide extra content and add value to your blog.

A Flat Lay Workshop had been organised for us, hosted by Sacha Black and Suzie. We were talked through the basic concept of the flat lay, Suzie and Sacha both created an example to show us before we were challenged to create our own.

Once we had the basics down, it was just a case of tweaking the layout and moving things around slightly, taking photos along the way to check how everything looked through the lens. We spoke about lighting and filters to improve our layouts and really make them pop.

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This was my favourite image which I then lightened using Instagram (you can view the image here). The workshop was really useful and even my brother enjoyed it!

I also got to meet some bloggers, some that I follow and others that are new to me! I do struggle with meeting people and get super anxious due to my aspergers but the people that I met were really lovely! I met Simon from Planet Simon, my blog friend since I started this blog and now a real life friend! he was lovely, and it was so nice to be able to meet the face behind the blog. I also met Adam Dixon of AdamDixonFiction, Marje of MJMallon, Marian Wood of JustMuddlingThroughLife, Willow Willers of Willowdot21, and Jemima Pett of JemimaPett.com. All were really welcoming and friendly and lovely to speak with!

I had a really brilliant day and I can’t wait for the next one to roll around!!!!

Current Interior Trends – Summer

18th Jun 20191st Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Current Interior Trends

Just like clothing trends change from season to season so do interior trends, today I am sharing a few trends that are set to become fairly big over the summer months.

Colour

Colours which are going to be popular in the summer are neons, the brighter the better! These will pair well with colours such as grey, sand and lighter natural colours.

Another colour that is going to be fairly big this summer is sunset reds, pinks and oranges. Again these tones will work well with neutrals and also neons. One thing though, try not to clash your neons with any kind of pinky coloured walls, rather opt for pink and orange neons to mix and add pops of colour to give a more thoughtful effect.

Texture

Plain rustic wood which is left unfinished, added as furniture items (think tables and shelving) is perfect for a light, relaxed, casual summer vibe in the home.

Crochet texture is also something to consider adding through the addition of throws or cushion covers, think bohemian chic and you are well on the way to embracing this trend.

Shape

Spring was all abut geometric shapes with sharp edges but summer gives way to softer, more rounded shapes, think scallops on chairs, more natural forms and less sharp edges.

Fabric

Think tactile as far as fabrics go, whether it is curtains, rugs, cushion covers or upholstery, anything that looks or feels touchable. Velvet is still a popular choice along with suede and other soft feel fabrics, however, rugs and mats can be made from seagrass or other natural fibres should be considered too.

Print

Tropical print is really having a moment right now, think accent walls with covered large green leafy printed wallpaper or windows accented with printed curtains. Animal print has never really left us but is making big waves in the home this season, the easiest way to add this is with bedding, add a bit and see if it is something you like then add more. Mixing animal prints can create a bold, statement area and is worth thinking about and experimenting with.

Accessories

Anything pearlescent or finished with a pearl effect will look lovely and add a summery, on-trend feel to the home. Look for ornaments, vases, picture frames, mirrors and other little accessories that you can easily incorporate into a room. Silver, gold and rose gold, brass in the matte finish are also set to be big additions.

Anything that has an arts and crafts feels is also going to be pretty big this season, with vases, catch-all dishes, to homeware such as plates and mugs in ceramics with a hand made feel are perfect for this.

Look and feel

When thinking about pulling a room together take inspiration from 70’s Scandi style, the bohemian movement and anything that is light and airy. Textures and fabrics can make a room, and having several different textures going on, in the same colour pallet is a simple way of creating a style. Even if you don’t go full out on a style just switching things up here and there, adding elements that you like can bring about a different feel to space!

As with all trends, it is about finding things that you like and having fun with them!

Let me know what summer interior trends you are loving in the comments!!!

Weekly Roundup 09/06/19 – 15/06/19

16th Jun 201915th Jun 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Sunday 09/06/19

It was one of those really lazy days today. I woke late and eased myself into the day with a coffee. I sat and worked on some blog posts for much of the day, in between getting 2 loads of washing done and some cleaning and tidying. My friend surprised me with a visit in the early evening which was nice. We sat and watched some things on Netflix and chatted. Roxy got spoiled as always with lots of cuddles and treats!

Monday 10/06/19

Work seemed to zoom by! I spent much of the day collating statements ready to send out to our payees and I still have more to finish tomorrow before they go in the post. After work I headed home, my friend came over for food. We didn’t do much but it was nice to sit and watch tv. After my friend had gone home, I prepared my lunch for the following day and headed to bed to read for a bit with Roxy.

Tuesday 11/06/19

Finished collating the statements in work and got them all into the post today, I then worked on a pile of stuff for payment next month. It’s weird doing a payments job sometimes, I always seem to forget which month we are in, I process pay that is based on things from the previous month to be paid for the following so never really “live” in the present month. Right now we are processing items that happened in May for pay in July. No wonder I can’t keep track of the days or months at times!

Wednesday 12/06/19

I worked today but got to leave at 3 because I had built up enough flexi-time! I got home and packed Roxy’s things as she is going to stay with her hooman Daddy while I am away in London. He came to collect her when I got home from work. Spent the evening sorting out what I wanted to take with me to London for my trip and starting to pack my things! It was really odd not having Roxy at home with me.

Thursday 13/06/19

Had work again today which went by without anything interesting happening! After work I had to drop my car down to my parent’s house, my Dad is going to give it a service while I’m away. My friend followed me down to Mum and Dads to be able to give me a lift home, we had a lovely evening with them, had a nice catch-up and a cup of tea before heading back. I finished packing and had a shower and went to bed once I’d got in.

Friday 14/06/19

Up early this morning, 4:30am, as my friend was sticking me up at 5:30am to take me to the bus stop for my bus to London. It rained a lot in the night which kept waking me up but, weirdly, I don’t feel too tired at the moment! Got to my brothers at around 11:00 and had a cup of coffee, lunch and then went for a walk. We came back to his house and chilled for a bit before going to collect my niece and nephew from school. We came back and played with the kids before my sister in law came home from work. My brother cooked us dinner and then we went for another walk and a visit to the local pub rounded off the night.

Saturday 15/06/19

Woke up from a lovely sleep and had a shower before we all sat and had breakfast of banana pancakes! We got dressed, my brother and I got ready to head to Westminster. We got the train from Lewisham to Victoria and then walked to the Grange Wellington Hotel for the 5th Bloggers Bash! We had a really lovely day and learned a lot, it was really interesting to listen to all of the speakers and their experiences. We also had a flat lay workshop that was brilliant! We headed back to Victoria and back to the house. Feeling tired now!