by Carla Louise | Apr 15, 2012 | Uncategorized |
I have no idea how it’s already Sunday again, this year is whizzing past! So the main thing that’s happened in the past week is that over the Easter weekend I managed to relaunch my Etsy shop… but despite my best intentions this week, I have not managed to add anything to it! This afternoon I’ve been photographing new stock though, so hopefully will get some up this evening.
Things that have made me smile over the past days and weeks included…
Dashing Magazine and 91 Magazine – online, inspirational craft magazines which I can easily read in my lunchbreak from work. Gorgeous.
Instagram for Android – just in time for my new Sony Xperia S. So now I’m snapping away and posting furiously to Instagram all day long – follow me, I’m @duckingfabulous!
Someone telling me at the roller rink that they thought I was a professional (I am in no way professional, but it’s nice to think that I at least look like I know what I’m doing!)
A corset party I went to a couple of weeks ago, and signing up for burlesque class – squeeeee!
Dinner at Sophie’s with Ellie
National Cupcake Week
Seeing Toria for the first time in two years
MagCloud – how useful is this going to be for catalogues?!
Mum & Dad’s new house – it’s four miles from mine and is utterly gorgeous.
The four day Easter weekend
My bed – it’s genuinely one of my favourite places inthe world, though I don’t spend much time there
Experiments with new jewellery being a success
Lovely colleagues buying me chocolate (and ironically, then cutting down drastically on it and actually shifting some weight)
Successfully making pork belly and fennel mash despite an oven that wouldn’t play ball. It was lush.
Sales to friends and family, and my first Etsy sales
Changing my pin up name to something that suits me better
I’m a lucky girl, no?!
by Carla Louise | Mar 13, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Ok, I know, it isn’t Thursday, but I’ve had a very productive morning in the day job and decided it was time for a well-earned break. So here are some bits and pieces from around the web and the real world that have made me smile…
I’m wearing this dress today. It’s possibly the most pin up thing in my wardrobe apart from my corsets, and I LOVE it. Would never have gone for the bodycon trend until I tried it on by accident, but it does wonderful things for my curves.
My logo proofs have arrived, from the very talented Jamie at Fresh Lavender Designs. So exciting! Go and have a nose at her Etsy shop, it’s lovely!
Why I am at work, battling spreadsheets, when I could be at home with a kitten and a tortoise is beyond me…
Adding to my Pinterest board – some favourites…
*EDIT* Oops, something bad happened when I tried to embed my Pinterest favourites… *runs off to try and fix*
And adding to my Project Pin Up alter-ego’s style scrapbook – inspiration and bits and pieces that help me form and maintain her persona. I’m planning a paper scrapbook, too.
And not forgetting: rediscovering strawberry water * reading actual fiction books * dreaming and planning for Ducking Fabulous’s relaunch * lunch with my lovely manager * catching up with old friends * puppy goodness * chocolate cheesecake * finally getting to grips with my temporary phone (it’ll be gone by April!) * a sense of happiness and contentedness that has stolen over me in the last week or so.
by Carla Louise | Mar 1, 2012 | Uncategorized |
How can it possibly already be Thursday again?!
Happy moments this week:
~ a perfect weekend seeing friends unexpectedly
~ finally getting a chance to test-run bottlecap pendants – I have been meaning to do this for an embarrassingly long time
~ learning (well, remembering – I already knew) that good friends really are infinitely precious
~ anticipating meeting this little chap next week, and the kittens at the end of the month (no photos of them yet – they move too fast!)
~ leaving work on time twice and having a proper evening, including cooking
~ demonstrable geekiness
~ making decisions about Ducking Fabulous and Etsy – keep your ears peeled 😛
~ getting my artwork up, finally – it’s all round the flat and it really feels much more like home all of a sudden 🙂 just the studio left to do!
by Carla Louise | Feb 23, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Today’s been a good day, despite being the first day back at work after my trip! I am knackered but still alive, just… heading for bed the moment I’ve finished this post! Unrelated images from the trip throughout – I have 5GB of the things so will be spreading them through many posts 🙂
Nashville skyline at night from the General Jackson paddle boat.
It was fab to see everyone at work – not so great to be actually working, but holiday is always going to be more fun than work I guess 🙂 Was a really nice day, although it took me most of the morning to catch up and get back into the swing of things. I’m sure the usual madness will kick in soon, it’s permanently busy, but I have a much better sense of perspective for the break, so hopefully it won’t be so stressful for the rest of this year!
Me on the world’s biggest spur in Fort Worth’s stock yards. Working the pin up cowgirl look with the boots and the red lipstick.
Have been really good from a healthful (is that even a word?) slant too – cereal on the train, no snacks or caffeine till after 12, then I cracked and had a kitkat. With hot squash, because I’m so super-sophisticated.
Have also managed (accidentally) to avoid carbs all day, this is not something I usually do but I think the lack of veg on holiday has kicked in, I’ve eaten almost my own body weight in peas this evening, lol!
Oh man, I might have been healthy today but I’d kill for this cake again!
Things that are making me happy today (cos it’s Thursday, after all) –
- Reading a fab book I bought for the plane called the Happiness Project, which so far I can highly recommend
- Giggling with the girls at work
- Western boots (and Mum’s utterly genius suggestion that I buy more online when I want to add to my collection, now I know my size in a couple of brands I like)
- Getting to grips with my new phone (still sad about the old one, but the more I use this one the more ok it is)
- Discovering that Ocado will deliver a full shop tomorrow evening (uh oh, I’m in danger of being old and/or boring – but this saves me so much hassle it’s unreal!)
- Val & Matt telling me they’re coming to the zoo on Saturday so I can see them after, squeee
- My new sense of calm and relaxation – let’s hope it lasts]
- American Milky Ways (like our Mars Bars, but less intensely sweet)
- Realising I have 12 potentially workable business ideas. (Really should narrow that list down soon and stop planning them all simultaneously, but they do make me happy even if at least two are financially impossible without a windfall of several million)
- Making healthy choices about what I eat and drink – I think this is the first time in my life I’ve done this without a sense of loss/resentment
- Watching St Trinians & St Trinians 2 in succession yesterday while recovering from the flight
- Driving abroad and driving at home – abroad was fun, I still love Poppy the most
- Plans to start and finish the R2R collage this weekend – and send the bloody photos to the other teams, it’s been a ridiculously long time now
- Sketches for new jewellery, I’ve been muchly inspired by the trip and the things I’ve been seeing and reading
- Last but definitely not least, how loved I am – without sounding completely sappy, I am firmly resolved never to forget how lucky I am to have so many people in my life who I love and who love me too – friends are a very precious thing 🙂
This is probably incoherent and rambling (what do you mean all my posts are rambling?!) but I’m now so sleepy I can’t focus on the screen, so I am off to bed… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
by Carla Louise | Jan 11, 2012 | Food & Baking, Personal Development |
Ooops, I don’t appear to have done one of these since before Christmas! So, the run up to 2012 and the first couple of weeks of it… They have made me smile muchly…
Catching up with family over the festive break
Having a festive break – in my adult life I’ve never had more than four or five days off in a row due to work, and this year I had ten!
Getting unexpected Christmas presents
Celebrating New Year for the first time in a long time
Experimental cocktails with Rob’s new blender (notes: lime is good in SMALL quantities. Do not always follow the recipes to the letter. It is perfectly acceptable to mix two litres of lychee daiquiri, take it to a party and drink it all yourselves.)
Cooking from a Jamie cookbook. Several times. And succeeding!
Starting 2012 how I’d to continue it
Swapping socks with Holly
Seeing Anna on new years day 🙂
Enjoying the commute with my new toy
Dan not recognising me from behind because my hair’s so long
Amanda’s zombie app comment
Wearing floral trainers
Two of the girls who keep me sane at work going permanent
A label on a pack of ibuprofen tablets instructing me to remove all packaging before microwaving. Sure.
Catching up with Val via email
Making my resolutions/hopes/thoughts/dreams list for the year ahead
From the sublime to the mundane to the ridiculous and back again!
by Carla Louise | Dec 22, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Missed last week again, so here’s a bumper list of some of the things that have made me smile in the last couple of weeks 🙂
Buying a box of tissues that looks like it’s been cable knitted. Impressed, Kleenex, it’s an improvement on pastel colours.
Christmas cards, tags and wrapping paper – so festive!
Sunshine unexpectedly in the middle of a spectacularly dreary day
Parcels!
My gorgeous swap from Ann, and how pleased she was with what I sent too
A parcel from Chloewoo
the Curious Christmas Curiosity Box – sending, receiving and my recipient getting in touch with me – I completely adore the project and will be continuing to do it for as long as it runs! Here’s the one I sent and here’s the one I received
Seeing a man carrying an antique globe on the train
Going to see my friend Caroline’s choir singing in a carol service in London
Sparkly eyeshadows and wearing glitter in the day
Christmas earrings – Mum and I love them!
Finding out my friend Wendy is moving home from Germany for good in September – so excited!
Excitement about Mum & Dad’s new flat, they’ve been choosing colours and things for it
Lovely Cat passed all her accountancy exams
Dinner with uni girlies where we all swapped business cards – it’s like we’re real adults or something!
Seeing a man walking around Selfridges in just his boxers – was hilarious!
A gorgeous weekend with Julia
Buying and putting up Christmas decorations
Fresh bursts of inspiration for Teasets to Typewriters – 2012 is going to be my year
Making lists and being able to cross stuff off them
Making New Year’s resolutions
Wearing glittery shoes
Randomly meeting Caitlin on Tuesday
Having dinner with Lou tonight 🙂
by Carla Louise | Dec 9, 2011 | Uncategorized |
This week, like the few before it, has been utterly insane. I haven’t had five minutes to do anything, and being December, the number of social events has soared very suddenly. I’m also battling insomnia and really not sleeping very well, but on the plus side, there have been some lovely things that have happened 🙂
being called ‘endearingly odd’ by a colleague
new year plans
vintage tea party happiness
seeing old friends and making new ones
old work’s christmas do
sparkly shoes officially make days better
an email from my boss appreciating effort i’d put in
Christmas decorations, Christmas music, Christmas earrings, Christmas lights
Having Floyd as my background photo (although I miss him)
people caring whether or not I make it to CAE this year
discovering Jasmine’s back at Ancient Lights and reinstating a proper cocktail menu
Zen and cocktails with dear friends
my love story theory
seeing Mum & Dad on Wednesday evening
by Carla Louise | Dec 2, 2011 | Uncategorized |
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind couple of weeks, but here’s my list (one day I swear I’ll get round to writing these in advance and illustrating them with photos and things)!
- Two days off last week and spending the long weekend with Anna – it was glorious
- Pinterest – in among the madness at work, I’ve spent some time soothing myself with the gorgeous things people have found
- Driving to ease my stresses – it really is better than therapy
- donating to Movember – I’m so proud of the guys I know for growing ridiculous facial hair for charity
- wearing cowboy boots to work
- exploring new places
- successfully shopping on a budget
- making a Christmas wreath
- finishing my Curious Christmas box
- a lovely person suggesting a swap – I love swaps and am very excited for this one
- candles – they’re sparkly, they smell nice and there’s something very calming about candlelight
- twitter – my twitter mafia and other twitter friends have been so utterly lovely (not that they’re not normally) – a beacon of happy in the frankly ridiculous week i’ve just had
- late night texting
- a rare moment of almost silence in the Barbican tunnel – you could hear people’s footsteps, it was spooky
- my Twifts from lovely Louise (craftyguider)
- watching a pigeon fighting a paper bag and losing
- seeing the start of a possible romance on a broken train, while we all waited for it to get going
- my amazing sparkly shoes
- and very late this evening, a visit from one of the girls who lives in the flat underneath mine – she’s really lovely and I think I have a new friend in the making! 🙂
And after a pig of a day, writing this post has made me smile so I can go to bed happy. This is why I love blogging 🙂
by Carla Louise | Nov 10, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Seeing a woman talking into one of these on the way to work on Tuesday:
Kitten album covers at thekittencovers.tumblr.com
Completely rebelling and wearing polka dots and daft jewellery to work
Seeing Hannah at the weekend, eating vast amounts and persuading her onto Twitter
Discovering (via Hannah) the wonder of Rocky and Balls (honestly, go and listen, they’re brilliant – my two favourites so far are I Heart You Online and the very appropriate Mo Song,for Movember)
Signing up for A Curious Christmas, just in time!
The return of Wispa Gold (and eating one sneakily in bed)
Wearing stripy purple tights under my boring business dress (it’s clearly a rebellious clothing kind of a week)
MAC lipstick in Lady Bug – it’s the perfect daytime red
Planning a vintage tea party with Louise
Having my hair cut, it feels amazing!
Unexpected drinks with Sophia
A MUA metallics mini-palette, I’m a little bit in love
Meeting Caitlin for floozie shopping 😛
Accidentally finding myself in Selfridges at 9pm on a Wednesday evening with Julia
It’s been a fabulous week and a half 🙂 (but I apologise for the lack of useful photos)
by Carla Louise | Nov 1, 2011 | Adventures |
Happy November, y’all!
I have no idea where 2011 has gone… but it’s been one hell of a year so far. Fingers crossed the last two months are as good as the previous 10 have been… minus the bad stuff, obviously.
In other news, StreetSafari’s 2012 season opens for registration at 10am today. They’re only running two rallies this season – Staples2Naples 10th anniversary, limited to 100 cars, and BABE rally (New York to New Orleans). http://www.streetsafari.com/ if you’re interested.
I shall be on neither of those – I’m going to do Ireland with some of the teams from R2R, I hope… Christmas project is to see just how possible it would be to take the Micra… 😀
Right, back to work – and to daydream about Christmas!
by Carla Louise | Oct 13, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Wow, what a weird week it’s been! No photos, I’m rubbish… but photo-filled posts coming shortly!
First and foremost, launching Project Pin Up – more on that later 🙂
Posting my Life List and the reaction to it – everyone was overwhelmingly positive, which was amazing!
Crossing 49 things I’ve achieved this year off The List (which is what led to me posting it in the first place) Note to self: must find a way of showing the crossed-off things on Google Docs
Opening my National Trust magazine to find PG Tips samples – tea is a great soother
Reading the Burlesque Bible magazine all over again – it’s inspirational
Wearing a vintage dress to work (I must do this more often)
Starting to sparklify a battered pair of heels
Spending a whole evening crafting – it restored my sense of self
Making a necklace and wearing it the following day – I’d forgotten how good this feels
Staying with Julia last week, it was so lovely to see her and catch up rather than being passing ships in the night. She has awesome ideas for her wedding, too
I have friends at work… actual friends, it’s such a lovely feeling!
Rollerskating in the dark without falling over – it’s much scarier but feels like much more of an achievement afterwards
Sending my curiosity project box – more on that in another post
Meeting Dad unexpectedly for drinks after work today
Typing letters on my typewriter (all thanks to Dan)
Furniture hunting at the weekend, I had no idea it could be so much fun
And finally,wearing red lipstick on the way home as well as the way into work – it has unexpected effects!
by Carla Louise | Sep 22, 2011 | Adventures, Collecting |
Skating with Jess – and the first picture I have of me on wheels since I was about twelve 🙂
Fizzing with excitement over a new project with Mimi from Little Sips of Tea… watch this space for details
Finally settling on my pin up name… to be revealed along with the new project launch 🙂
Having my gorgeous uni girlies over for the weekend, it was so lovely to see them… and then seeing Val & Matt on Monday on their way to the airport for an impromptu dinner and drinks – was exactly what I needed!
Reliving the rally through showing family & friends photos and videos… bittersweet as I still want to be there, but lovely to remember all the little details
Cake!! Bought by lovely Sophia to make work better this week
Speaking to lovely friends and knowing I’ll see some of them soon
Catching sight of my blackbird just as I was feeling a bit down – he always pops up when I need him 🙂
Completing my first bit of freelance design work in ages – gave me a real sense of achievement!
Booking a vintage hair & makeup workshops with Lou, Mimi and Anna at Make Do and Mend in Chelmsford- it’s going to be SO EXCITING!
Bunting in London, most unexpectedly
The glow after the rally and the feeling of knowing I can do absolutely anything – it’s liberating and a little bit scary!
Wearing beautiful shoes to work
Finding this picture of Rusty online – taken by a complete random when we were on our way to Dover. Muchly exciting!
Talking business ideas with friends and being taken seriously, which is always a good thing
Seeing this lovely little Figaro parked in the smallest space ever – I’m fairly sure it wasn’t a space, but it made me smile. And there’s a Banksy/Robbo rat behind it, which made me think of the rally, which made me smile wistfully.
Two new ponies arriving… one that I’d ordered and one that I’d bought on impulse… whoops! Rather nice to have some new faces on my shelves, even if my shelves are ridiculously overstuffed now.
Janine being on my train entirely unexpectedly 🙂
Making a new friend at work via emails about the staff day – we’re going for lunch and drinks when she’s back from holiday, yay!
So many happy things this week… and it’s of course lovely to be back in the blogosphere! Still not used to not being on the rally, my adventuring spirit has well and truly taken hold, but I have plenty to keep me occupied and plenty to plan 🙂 (edit – have updated with some bits I’d forgotten – apologies if you get this twice!)
