So it's Shrove Tuesday this week...which means it's Pancake Day in the UK...woo!
I flipping love pancakes (see what I did there? Yep...it wasn't subtle).
In honour of this most tasty of days this Sunday best is dedicated to the little yellow pieces of yumminess, and all items (and photos) are from Etsy.
Stitchrovia is my favourite Cross Stitch designer on Etsy, and this pattern is no exception.
I love the design of this plate by jimbobart so much...perfect for eating pancakes on!
Can't get enough of those flipping pancake puns? Then this adorable card by Buttonbela is for you!
Just looking through the gorgeous pieces of jewellery in NeatEats is making me hungry...and this pancake necklace is no exception! Love the little heart shapes of butter.
I should be getting some house tidying done right now...but instead I think I'm going to go and research pancake toppings...that's time well spent...right?
Friday...Friday...gotta get down on Friday...(yep...that song is going to be stuck in my head forever now)
I'm so ridiculously happy it's Friday this week. I intend to revel in every single lovely minute of the weekend ahead. Before I get started here's a few things I've been using & loving this week...
What I've been..smelling...
I found this range of candles by Urban Apothecary in my local Boots and have been a little bit in love with smelling them ever since. I bought the Carrot Cake and Mint Creme scents but also have Bakewell Tart, Custard Cream and Lemon Meringue on my wishlist...they smell so good I think they're actually helping my diet and keeping cake cravings at bay!
What I've been wearing...
I treated myself to a Bellabeat after hitting a health related milestone...it was a little 'yay me' present for myself. I haven't stopped wearing it and tracking my steps, sleep patterns and meditation habits. I think I'll do a full blog post on this little gadget at some point but I've been so impressed and it's definitely helped me keep my stress levels in check this week.
What I've been watching...
I love every manic inch of Billy Eichner. I think I would panic and run in the other direction if he ever ran up to me in the streets - but I can watch his clips for hours through the safety of youtube!
I have a weekend of viewing houses (we're thinking of moving home...scary and exciting all at once!), crafting for a craft swap and getting some jobs around the house finished (because...ya know...potentially selling our house) so nothing super exciting but I'm really excited to get started. For now it's time for sleep (if someone could teach me the technique to get my cat to stop using me as a trampoline in the middle of the night that would be fantastic).
Whatever you're doing this weekend I hope it's a happy one.
I've found a new source of amazing ceramic homeware...and it is packed full of bird and animal themed items...woo!
Quail ceramics make a number of homeware items...egg cups, mugs, vases, jugs, salt and pepper shakers...and more, all themed around animals and birds of all shapes and sizes. I actually own a piece of Quail Ceramics already...a budgie egg cup...which I flipping love. For today's crush I thought I'd pick out some of their woodland/ forest animal and bird items. I'll be back on another Wednesday with some more of their items with a slightly more exotic animal and bird theme (giraffes...lovebirds...camels...lions...amazing!).
The photos above are from http://quailceramics.co.uk, and if you'd like to see more of the items click on the links below...
My love of cacti started at a young age when I discovered they were a plant I could keep alive despite my tendency to forget to water them.
I still have some cacti I planted as a teenager which have been faithfully carried from home to home.
I would definitely love to bring a bit of a cactus theme into my home decor to celebrate my super spikey friends...here are some of the best home-related cactus items around at the moment (although there are so many to chose from!)...
This week has been full of relaxation, catching up on my to-do list and spending time with loved ones (ie a week out of the office..hurrah!). Pretty much my perfect week in fact. I'm feeling recharged and ready to tackle some new challenges.
Here are a few things I've been loving this week (not including the lie-ins, lazy breakfasts, long walks and evenings hiding under a blanket while crocheting...they're a given).
What I've been watching...
I like to have background chatter when I'm working or doing little jobs around the house. Recently I've been watching a lot of vlogger videos on Youtube. However - I think I'm not exactly the target demographic for a lot of vloggers and have struggled to find many I connect with (come on thirty-something vloggers...you must be out there). However - this week I've been listening to a lot of the TED talks which focus on psychology and have been loving the fact that they totally tick my 'background chatter' box but they are also incredibly engaging and have taught me a few things too.
My favourite so far has been this talk by Amy Morin on building a stronger mind. Really powerful.
There are so many TED talks on so many different subjects that I feel like I've got hours of entertainment at my fingertips (no more boring washing-up sessions...yay!).
What I've been playing...
I downloaded this game from the app store this week and I'm finding it to be a little joy to play. It's basically a 'Where's Wally' (or Where's Waldo in the States) style game - but with a little point and click puzzle thrown in for fun at certain points. It's not easy...the pictures are all black and white and incredibly detailed, and sometimes the things to look for are literally tiny...but the graphics are so cute and funny, with lots of hidden animations, so it's keeping me engaged. Highly recommend this as a game you can jump into for a few minutes here and there, and after the one-off payment (£3.99) it's not going to keep asking for money like so many of the freemium games.
What I've been listening to...
I watched Suicide Squad for the first time this week...which led me to the soundtrack...which led me to Twenty One Pilots. Love this song so much (and really enjoyed Suicide Squad...although more on that in another post).
I have a weekend of DIY and de-cluttering planned (fun!....well...sort of). Whatever your weekend brings I hope you find some time to do something you love.
As a child I used to spend hours reading my way through natural history books and think that has added to my love as an adult of prints in this old school style. I absolutely adore the style of Magpie's new collection 'Birds'. I'm planning to buy a couple of items from the range to add a little vintage feel to a couple of rooms which need a bit of colour (I love the pink of the flamingo design). They'd also compliment the current trend for large green leaf prints and all things tropical really well. Here are a few of my favourites from the range:
Today's Sunday Best is for anyone who may have left buying a Valentine's present until the last minute...hurrah for downloadable prints from Etsy! I've bought a few downloadable prints in the past and have always been really happy with the quality (and with the fact they've helped me get out of a few last minute present scrapes!). Here are some of the best downloadable prints on Etsy at the moment with a 'love' theme...
I'm still loving the galaxy/ space trend, and this print is no exception - so cute.
I wasn't sure that Friday was going to arrive this week...it has seemed like such a long week! But we made it...hurrah!
This week has been full of very non-blog worthy activities and I'm intending to make up for that this weekend. I'm hoping for lots of sun and outdoors adventures this weekend (and maybe a bit of crafting thrown in for good measure).
Here are a few things I've been loving this week...
What I've been watching
I've found a new guilty pleasure TV show in Riverdale. A teen angst and mystery show based on Archie Comics...what could go wrong? I love how the style of the show...super dramatic with a love triangle thrown in for good measure...and the colour palette is gorgeous, so it's a win for me!
What I've been listening to
Rag 'n' Bone Man has been on constant repeat on my iPod this week - perfect voice and lyrics...love!
What I've been playing
I may have made a big mistake in downloading The Sims 4 to play this week. The Sims has been another guilty pleasure of mine for many (many) years but I've managed to resist for the past couple of years. That all changed this week...it's on my laptop...my first character is created and I'm ready to earn some simoleons. Now I just need to balance the amount of time I spend in Simsville and everything should be fine. Addicted? Me? Never.
I'm looking forward to this weekend so much. Have a fantastic time, whatever you're doing, and I'll see you soon!
Something a little bit different for my Collection Crush this week. I'm always on the look-out for more modern cross stitch designs, and I stumbled upon these amazing designs by Stitchsperation on Etsy.
I love all the designs in the shop which can be bought as kits. They come with handpainted fabric and the thread needed to stitch the black designs. These are some of my favourites, but there are some pretty amazing not safe for work designs there too.
I've got a few crafty projects on the go at the moment but I'm definitely adding one (or two) of these designs to my to-do list!
I'm currently shopping for some homeware to move my home from its current snuggly winter themed state to a brighter and spring-friendly theme. I'm loving the mountain theme that's popping up in a lot of the spring/ summer decor, and that has inspired this week's Sunday Best. If you need more mountains in your life, here are a few suggestions...
These landscape prints from Next are so gorgeous. We're currently redecorating our guest room and I have a sneaky suspicion that these prints are going to be a feature.
I love this mountain range shelf decoration from Not on the Highstreet. Perfect for adding a bit of landscaping to any shelf.
And this brooch will ensure you have the spirit of the mountains with you wherever you go... also from Not on the Highstreet.
This cross stitch pattern would make a great addition to the Next prints so I think this might have to be bought and made.
And lastly - any room needs a mountain cushion ... love this felt cushion from Jelly Bean Decors on Etsy.
What themes are you loving for Spring/ Summer? Are you tempted to bring some mountains into your home?
So I'm a month late to the Teapigs Matcha challenge but I'm not going to let that stop me! I've used this magical green powder for energy on and off for a few years but am going to use February as a chance to really start to build it into my daily diet.
I decided to treat myself to this set, which includes a tin of matcha and 'The Book of Matcha'. I'm only half way through reading the book, but I've already learnt a lot and it's way more interesting than a book about powdered leaves should be!
If you're new to matcha, here are some fun facts...
Matcha is powdered green tea - and unlike normal green tea you drink the entire contents - rather than throwing away the good bit (the leaves!)
It's fab for slow release energy - I sometimes drink a shot of matcha in the morning and it really helps me feel more awake for longer
It's green tea which means it's packed full of antioxidants
It can help your skin look healthier
It makes a gorgeous latte!
The recipe for a lovely latte is in the matcha book (along with so many other recipes...I've never tried matcha for anything but drinks, but am going to have to break that tradition...matcha macarons anyone?)
After buying the set I quickly regretted not buying a traditional matcha whisk. Luckily amazon came to the rescue. To make a lot of recipes using matcha you need to turn it into a paste first, by adding warm water. The whisk has definitely made this really easy to do (I found a lot of my other attempts just left it a little bit lumpy) so I'd recommend one if you're thinking of using matcha more.
I really love the taste of matcha, which is good news, but I think it might be an acquired taste. It's like normal green tea but with an earthier flavour. It goes really well with almond milk and is amazing as a latte with some cinnamon mixed in.
What healthy foods/ drinks are you trying out for 2017?
It's that time of the week again! Time to put your feet up and look forward to the weekend ahead (unless you're working over the weekend...which I am...but hey...it's still the weekend).
Here are a few bits of loveliness that have been entertaining me over the past week...
What I've been listening to...
Sometimes I find a song that has been around for years and just fall in love with it. At the moment, this is that song - so, so beautiful. It's on pretty much constant repeat!
What I've been watching...
Uncle - as the title suggests it's a show about an Uncle and his nephew, expect that the Uncle is completely dysfunctional, the nephew is the quirkiest kid in the world and there is one amazing musical number in every episode. I've been watching this show from episode one and absolutely love it. It's made me laugh and cry (and cringe...so much cringe) and the last couple of episodes of season 3 have been perfect. If you feel like watching something that is equal parts funny, emotional and toe-curlingly awkward than I'd highly recommend it!
What I've been reading...
Paulina and Fran by Rachel B. Glaser is the February book for the Poppy Loves Book Club. I've only just started reading it but am already hooked by the writing style. I'm hoping to do more book reviews on here now I've caught the reading bug again and if you'd like to be part of a really friendly online book club I can totally recommend this one. The online chats with authors are a brilliant way of gaining a bit more insight into the books as well. You can find out more here.
What have you got planned for the weekend? Whatever it is I hope it's a happy one!
Household items shaped like animals are just so much better than boring old normally shaped items. Over the years I've tried to tone down my collection of animal themed items, but I'm not sure I can resist these mugs/ teapots from Urban Outfitters new season.
If you want to bring a little more animal into your tea drinking then follow the links below to find the items above...
