by Carla Louise | Jul 30, 2012 | Creating |
There was a part of my weekend not connected to the Olympics, though London 2012 is assuredly a once in a lifetime kind of event.
Bluebell and I have been getting to know each other better – after our loooong ride with Emily last weekend, I’ve been much more confident this week. So much so that I took her instead of Poppy to my parents’ new house on Sunday, to help them with another stage of moving… there’s still a way to go, but they’re getting there! Was a lovely half hour ride over, and then I stayed for dinner and we put Bluebell in the back of the car and Mum drove me home. Which was also very lovely!
I went to get my eyes tested and contact lenses sorted – which was well overdue. Chose new glasses, had a catch up with the lovely Vickie who remembered me from my last visit in 2010 (this is my first ever 2 year call back – I feel normal! Used to have to go every six to twelve months to keep up with my changing eyes, and it’s wonderful, not to mention much cheaper, to visit the optician the same amount as a normal person!)
Saw the coolest corgi ever in the window of River Island…
I have also been web designing and finishing the last bits for the Polka Dot Swap (yes, I know, last minute dot com!) and will be posting the swap parcel Tuesday when I’m back in the office. Working tomorrow, but from here to avoid some Olympic madness in Stratford. Pics once it’s been received – don’t want to spoil the surprise! The new website (actually there are two) are also surprises, although watch this space!
And that was followed by a lovely cuppa, natter and chocolate cake at Mimi’s house, with Christina who I haven’t seen since I left the library. Lovely. Had my first cup of Ceylon tea and I love it – much more than normal tea!
Finished my weekend curled up with my laptop, a book, tea and chocolate biscuits, just as Sunday evenings should be.
by Carla Louise | Jul 30, 2012 | Memories, Photography |
Last week my weekend started on Thursday really – I arrived in London at what felt like silly o’clock, ready to battle the crowds to watch the Olympic torch. Except there weren’t any crowds, because I was too early! I had the privilege of watching from the top balcony of this gorgeous building, next door to St Paul’s Cathedral, with Bucks Fizz and pain au chocolat, at the invitation of my friend Caroline who lives there –
People thronging the street, waiting for the torch to arrive –
Party buses!
Slightly blurry, but I was very excited to see a girl on skates in the procession. White quads, no less – squee!
Torch holder approaches… 
And lights the flame of the waiting holder, who then started to run and was quickly out of sight …
It was surprisingly emotional to watch, and certainly kick started my excitement for the Olympics, which had up to then been rather lacklustre!
by Carla Louise | Jul 25, 2012 | Thrifting |
Haha… 100 days of no spending… with the few weeks I’ve just had my resolve has been sorely tested. My bank balance is still looking a bit sad, but certainly better than it would have been if I’d been spending with complete abandon. Good.
Wedding week was a write off – I knew that when I started the challenge. Loads of expected and unexpected expenses, so just tried to be sensible. Charges still cropping up and my credit card bill is horrific. And I may have indulged in a magazine or three for the flight home. Oops.
Otherwise I’ve been very good – had one slip up for a grey maxi dress which I can wear to work, and have totally failed to keep my three-dinners-out-a-month rule – it seems more like three a week at the moment! But you only live once.
I’ve been exercising on skates and on the bike, both of which are free – and really looking forward to burlesque class tonight, I missed a week for wedding, skipped a week due to tiredness and there was a week with no class so it’s been AGES since I danced!
Camping weekend yielded much loveliness, most of it free/swapped – which is brilliant. By the end of this year Poppy will be sporting a badge-free exterior, a spoiler, red engine bits and maybe a twin exit exhaust. Excellent.
I have sold some makeup on ebay and will be adding more makeup, clothes and other things as I clear out, and the DF shop is slowly building sales too. Mainly in stationery, oddly!
I have also taken part in two craft swaps and the things I received were amazing – will definitely be doing more of these, it’s so lovely to receive presents and is challenging me creatively too 🙂 (my polka dot swap is yet to be sent to its recipient – that’s this weekend’s job!)
Not much on my wishlist – have been too busy to notice much besides the things I want for Poppy!
So overall for these first six weeks I’d give myself a 6 out of 10 for achievement and an 8 out of 10 for effort. Definite room for improvement – and I’m planning a nice gentle August!
by Carla Louise | Jul 24, 2012 | Creating |
Emboldened by the success of the first swap, and polka dots being among my favourite things EVER, I was quick to sign up for the next Popular Crafts swap. I had completely misjudged how manic July was going to be for me though (best friend’s wedding, camping weekend away, parents trying to move house…) that I haven’t finished my side of the swap yet! We have till the end of July but I was hoping to post this weekend… bad squishy!
However, I received my parcel from the delightful Jenny at The String Empire last week and it made me smile so much – arrived on exactly the day it was most needed!
Gorgeous, no? The card is painted and will be going on my wall, I adore teacups… the duck portrait is already adorning a shelf in my living room, the fish is no longer, he was yummy, and the purse is so very me, I adore it 😀 Thank you so much Jenny – I hope you like yours as much when it arrives!
by Carla Louise | Jul 23, 2012 | Creating |
I signed up, at the very last minute, to the Popular Crafts Union Jack swap a couple of months ago, and very naughtily, haven’t blogged yet! I was paired with the lovely Virginia of Virginia Creeper, and I must admit that when I first got her details through I just spent quite a lot of time gawping at the beautiful things she makes… 😀
It was my first swap, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but had a fab time making a needle case and cross stitching a Union Jack heart (in pink and baby blue!) for the card to go with my parcel, plus choosing treats. Was very excited when my parcels turned up – here are all my bits, aren’t I lucky?
The sock cat is now proudly sitting on my bed awaiting a name, the scooter cushion on my desk, the corsage on my favourite black velvet jacket and the ribbons and sequin shapes added to my ‘for me’ craft stash 😀 Thank you Virginia!!
by Carla Louise | Jul 22, 2012 | Creating |
Very quick post before I dash off to enjoy more of this sunshine while it lasts!
Yesterday I had a catching up sort of a day before Emily arrived and we went on a looooong bike ride to Wivenhoe. It was lovely… a little hairy in places (my cycling on the road is really not that hot!) but great fun, lovely to chat and good exercise too. (Hmm, bikes, cars, rollerskates… I’m clearly a wheels kind of a girl!) Here’s Emily, then me, posing with our empty glasses in the pub we found on the way (gigglesnort – I’m sure the other patrons thought we were nuts)
Me with Bluebell on the way home… there was a sunset, but apparently my camera didn’t like it:
Then today, I found myself in my studio with a huge box of beads and a pair of shoes I rarely wear. They now look like this and might well be my new favourites…
Today I have also discovered that Lush do makeup (squee!), my little camera has decided to work again (double squee!) and that I’m capable of empting my entire craft room to find one piece of fabric… oops!
Have a fabulous rest of the weekend! xx
by Carla Louise | Jul 22, 2012 | Creating |
Very quick post before I dash off to enjoy more of this sunshine while it lasts!
Yesterday I had a catching up sort of a day before Emily arrived and we went on a looooong bike ride to Wivenhoe. It was lovely… a little hairy in places (my cycling on the road is really not that hot!) but great fun, lovely to chat and good exercise too. (Hmm, bikes, cars, rollerskates… I’m clearly a wheels kind of a girl!) Here’s Emily, then me, posing with our empty glasses in the pub we found on the way (gigglesnort – I’m sure the other patrons thought we were nuts)
Me with Bluebell on the way home… there was a sunset, but apparently my camera didn’t like it:
Then today, I found myself in my studio with a huge box of beads and a pair of shoes I rarely wear. They now look like this and might well be my new favourites…
Today I have also discovered that Lush do makeup (squee!), my little camera has decided to work again (double squee!) and that I’m capable of empting my entire craft room to find one piece of fabric… oops!
Have a fabulous rest of the weekend! xx
by Carla Louise | Jul 21, 2012 | Adventures |
I have no idea how it’s Saturday again already! This time last week I was in a field with a group of people who, two years ago, I met for the first time. With no reason to meet except they all had the same car as me, I ventured to Duxford to meet them en masse and camp for the weekend. I took one of my best friends for moral support, in case it was horrific.
Three camping trips, many meets and hundreds of ridiculous conversations later, I count them among my dearest friends. I don’t see them as often as I’d like, because we’re scattered around the country, but I cannot imagine not knowing them… and I look forward to the meets when I can see them, chat, catch up, drink and relax. It never fails to amaze me what a fabulous bunch they are, and how accidentally I met them. (and how nearly I didn’t meet them – I almost chickened out of that very first meet!)
Anyway… here are some pics of the weekend for anyone who hasn’t seen them already – some stolen from others as I was driving solo much of the time, and misplaced my camera for half the weekend. It turned up with some brilliant photos on it, very few of which I’d taken!
Fitting many MR2s onto Rob’s driveway…
A line of cars driving to breakfast on Saturday (not my photo)
My Poppy at breakfast after a gorgeous drive through the Yorkshire moors 
I found a pony at breakfast (of course I did, I find ponies everywhere. I did however miss the real ones on the treasure hunt!)
Setting up camp. This is Pete’s take on a camper van…
(more…)
by Carla Louise | Jul 17, 2012 | Memories |
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGH0YMBWJiM]
I promised a friend I’d look into embedding videos on WordPress, and the only ones I had to hand were these of my cousin and I riding her horses four (FOUR!! Where does the time go?!) years ago. It’s made me desperately want to go riding again! Anyway, here we are with them. I’m in purple on Floyd, the bigger horse and Mimi is on Arnie, the smaller. Happy memories 🙂
by Carla Louise | Jul 15, 2012 | Memories |
I have been ridiculously busy for the last few weeks, and each of the events deserves a proper post. However, as I’ve just arrived home from CAE 2012 (camping with the car club in Yorkshire) and I have washing and other such glamorous things to do, I thought I’d do a bit of a sneak peek with some photos, and link to the posts when I write them over the next couple of weeks 🙂
Here goes:
The first weekend in July, I did a stall at the Maldon Motor Show with the fab Annastasia Midorigreen and her other half Dan – we sold handmade, vintage and Star Wars figures. It definitely gave me the bug and I came home all inspired. The classic cars that showed up (all 700 of them) were amazing too.
Then on Wednesday I flew out to Jersey for my best friend’s wedding. I was one of four bridesmaids and it was a fraught lead up but absolutely gorgeous day, despite the pouring rain. Julia is now a Wilson and it’s still not quite sunk in!
And this weekend I have been to Yorkshire camping with my car club. This is always a highlight of my year – you couldn’t hope to find a lovelier bunch of people, and I always look forward to the meets we have throughout the year. This one is the biggest by far, with usually around 40 cars. Much eating, drinking, talking and laughing goes on…
Friday morning: How many MR2s can you fit outside one house?! (black is Rob’s, blue is Russ’s, red is mine, silver is spare)
Anna and I when she arrived, catching up and looking cute:
Laughing despite the rain with Ally and Luke:
Dan, Brad, Nige, Karine & Jim demonstrating that rain will not stop us having fun… 
More on all three later – now I’m off to find food and catch up on sleep!
by Carla Louise | Jul 6, 2012 | Memories |
My oldest friend is getting married tomorrow – quite literally in the morning!
I’ve been over in Jersey (and MIA from the internet) since Wednesday evening and it’s been gorgeous – very busy but lovely!
She, me and the other bridesmaids are now in our hotel suite, painting toenails, trying to order room service and putting on face masks.
The dresses are ready, the rehearsal was this afternoon – and silly though it might sound, I’ve only really just realised the wedding is tomorrow -and she is marrying the most lovely man ever and i am SO EXCITED for her!
by Carla Louise | Jul 4, 2012 | Uncategorized |
I need a better title for my links collections – like Kate’s Stuff From All Over… Anyway, here are some lovely and/or useful things I’ve spotted in my internet travellings this week, before I disappear into radio silence for Julia and Ed’s wedding!
Gingerbread ice cream sandwiches – perfect for a summer dinner party dessert. Yes, I know it doesn’t feel like summer yet – I live in hope though!
Intriguing article on the daily commute – from the States, but just as relevant here, I think. I disagree with their 10 minutes theory though – my commute is among the longest of the people I know but I think I’m probably one of the most social!
MakeShiftSociety – Rena Tom’s new venture in San Francisco. I love this, it’s something I’ve wanted to do in Chelmsford with the old Law Library building for a long time. I wish her every success!
London Pin Up School is coming… subscribe here
Corsets UK are offering a free boudoir shoot if you use one of their corsets in it so they can choose an image to use on the website…
Gorgeous looking garlic butter tilapia recipe (which you can replace with cod or any white fish if you prefer)
Naomi’s white chocolate frozen raspberries. I am reliably informed they’re sinfully good, and will be trying them the moment I’m home from the wedding!
Strangely accurate horoscopes from astrostyle.com
Amy Butler patterns at Backstitch – I really need to learn to sew from a pattern
The O2 business centre at Tottenham Court Road where our course was held a few weeks ago – it’s a great space and can be used by anyone
Webstagram for viewing Instagram feeds on your computer.
Have a fabulous week lovelies!
xx
