Wednesday 4 June 2014

Let Go





It has been a year since I last updated my blog, but after some encouragement from family - I finally decided to start again...
I thought I would start it off with a quote which seems to be applicable to more than one area of my life at the moment. 




Wednesday 12 June 2013

Father's Day



In preparation for the coming Sunday - I have made a card for my Daddio! Not great photo's at the moment but will try and get some better ones and update them. Also I now realise that I need to add some apostrophes here and there!

I could write many a blog post on stories about the man who is my Father but this weekend I'm going to show my appreciation for everything he does for me. My Dad is one of the most determined, ambitious and hard working people I know and he has always fought for me and been there to make me smile! Love you Dad xxx







Sunday 2 June 2013

For the love of books... Part 1






I happened to go to a literature festival on Friday where one of the authors was discussing the merits of  a Kindle over a traditional paper back or hardback book. For me personally there is absolutely no contest. I hate the idea of Kindles. There is nothing more beautiful or precious than a book and I would hate to see them die out. I have many happy memories of reading in bed, on a beach, curled up in a chair. I love keeping copies of my favourite books that have been re read so many times they are dog eared and fat, to share a favourite novel with family and friends.

And what about all the wonderful art and design books that are still available in our book stores? Beautifully illustrated children's stories with colours so bright that they stick in your memory more than the words themselves. 

Photographic books showing nature and all the wonders of the world. I am no cook but even I linger over the huge section of cookery books which always look so appealing with hand drawn illustrations or tempting photographs. 

And don't even get me started on the smell of books! Not just old ones either... one of the best parts of re starting school in September was the anticipation of getting your brand new books with crisp white pages and that new book smell.

Books are for collecting, sharing, loving and passing on.

Some images and wise words of wisdom from other bibliophiles:




"Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?” Mo had said…”As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells…and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower…both strange and familiar." - Cornelia Funk, Inkspell



"Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." - Carl Sagan








Saturday 25 May 2013

Pushkar Camel Fair





It seems inevitable that after just accepting my place on a new university course (which means making a committment to staying put for another two years), I seem to have gotten a seriously strong bout of wanderlust and itchy feet...


There are so many magical and exciting places I want to visit that I have no idea where I would even go first! However I was browsing through a Selvedge magazine when I saw an advert for art and textile retreats/tours in India and this alongside watching the brilliant film 'The Darjeeling Limited' has got me seriously wanting to explore India!


Pretty much all the trips offered through the company Tulsi Travel sound amazing (I have no idea of the prices mind you - they seem to have tactfully omitted those on the website) but the one that looks especially great is a craft tour of Rajasthan including the Pushkar Camel fair!


I did some research and this camel fair sounds pretty awesome! It takes place on the first full moon of November every year and is a time for all the tribal groups to gather and pay respects at the Brahma temple, to bathe in the holy waters of Pushkar lake, to arrange marriages and of course to trade camels!


For five days over 25, 000 camels (!) converge at the festival and are decorated and dressed up, entered in beauty contests and races and then traded. There is a huge carnival with musicians, magicians, dancers and snake charmers. 


Here are some more images I have found from searching - clicking on them should take you to the original  websites/sources which also provide a lot more information on the festival.

The only downside that I can possibly think of is that 25,000 camels probably smells pretty bad?! But that doesn't put me off and it has definitely been added to my long list of places to visit and experience first hand.












Friday 10 May 2013

Music I love...







Last Friday I was lucky enough to see Laura Mvula perform at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, which was such a great gig. She sung all the tracks of her recently released album 'Green Garden', as well as doing a surprise duet with Jamie Cullum and as an encore a beautiful version of Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature'. Her band (who were equally brilliant) were made up of her brothers and sisters so I guess she comes from a pretty talented family!

To be honest I wouldn't class her music as Jazz - (it has such a unique sound that it's difficult to put it into any sort of genre) but I was very grateful that she was at the festival performing none the less. She seems to be getting lots of publicity so to have the chance to see her in such a small and intimate venue was really good. Thanks to my Mom for getting tickets!

Also on a separate note she looks so good with a shaved head! I wish I could get away with such a bold (no pun intended) hairstyle but I fear that I have a massive egg shaped head under my hair.


Another musician that I discovered this week is blues/soul artist Valerie June.
I saw her album recommended by a staff member in a record store and just by chance decided to give it a listen and I haven't stopped playing it since.

The song below (Workin' Woman's Blues) is probably my favourite but Somebody To Love is also a beautiful track. She is actually touring the UK at the moment and plays Birmingham on Monday... tempted to get a last minute ticket!

Listen and love :)