Liebster Award Nomination

A big, big thanks to the lovely Becky Mortimer of Bex Morts who nominated me for the Liebster award!

The Liebster Award is a way for new blogs to be recognized, and to spread the word to others so they can check it out.  A lot of work goes into creating a blog, and it’s nice to be noticed!

These are the rules:

- Post the award on your blog
- Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog
- Write 11 random facts about yourself
- Nominate 11 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 250 followers
- Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter and ask your nominees 11 questions
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11 Random facts :)

1. English is not my first language

2. I love tea...I got to love the traditional tea drinking over here on the island

3. My boyfriend Ryan is also my very best friend, who I love, admire and would do anything for

4. I am incredibly calm in nature. 

5. I'm an undercover introvert

6. I have a fair few tattoos

7. I'm nearly 30 and I still get asked for an ID

8. I get excited about some very random things

9. I'm a self-taught crafter/maker/creative 

10. I'd love to write a book

11. I'm very impatient

11 Answers to Bex :)

How did you come up with your Blog name?

Quite randomly! I wanted something that will flow and be fairly memorable and sweet, but without committing to anything in particular - as I like to talk about many different thing. Also - I love birds.

And honey - on pancakes ;)

Why did you start a Blog?

I wanted to write. I'm also in the process of creating a number of things which I will sell online - I'm currently reviewing different websites to sell on.

But really, I read so many blogs, it was going to happen sooner or later. And I love it.

What is your favourite meal?
That is really difficult. I am partial to pasta, fish, seafood and of course - all of my mothers cooking. I will share some recipes at some point.

Your favourite music band/singer?
I am rather eclectic. My all time, always and forever favourite - Nick Cave.
My playlist is huge and ranges from Jerry Lee Lewis to Outkast. It all depends on the mood.

Which famous person would you most like to meet?
This may be sad - but definitely Robin Williams. I grew up watching his films and he always seemed like a genuine nice guy. Also - Stephen Fry, David Attenborough, Prof Brian Cox....

Describe the perfect day for you
Waking up to the sun shining through the curtains on some peaceful tropical island, having breakfast on the wooden porch overlooking the beach, following a lovely stroll with Ryan and our dog. Hopping over to a nearby town for a spot of lunch later on, talking to the locals, artists, random people you meet... then a lovely dinner back in our place with plenty of wine and fresh fruits under the stars.

Your favourite clothes shop
I don't have one! For my "work stuff" I love Next, Warehouse and sometimes H&M. For my own stuff - it's really random. A lot of my stuff is off e-bay or local charity shops. Thrifty!

What blogs do you like to read?
Hmmm.... ok so obviously there's the A Beautiful Mess. Then, One Sheepish Girl, DesignLoveFest, etc. I also follow ILoveTypography and Creative Bloq

Your favourite past time?
Scheming on what's my next make going to be.

What is your favourite post so far?
This means my own? This one although it is rather short, it's from the heart, to myself more than anyone else. I sometimes put too much pressure on myself.

Your favourite memory as a child?
I have so many :) My dad was an amateur videographer and I used to follow him around while he was filming. We also used to go hiking and we planted lots and lots of trees where the fire burned them down on top of a hill close to my home.
I also cherish the trip my mum took me on with her work, we went onto a fast boat to one of the most gorgeous set of islands for the day, enjoyed the scenery and lovely fresh fish for dinner. It was gorgeous, us girls had much fun.
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11 Questions to my nominees

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. Who/what inspires you? This doesn't need to relate just to the blog.

3. What's the last book you've read? Any good?

4. If you could choose to do one thing for the rest of your life, what would your work be?

5. Do you have any unusual habits?

6. What makes you feel confident?

7. Can you recommend 5 blogs to watch?

8. If you were about to be on a cover of a magazine, which one would it be?

9. What would be your super power if you had one?

10. If I gave you a time machine, where would you travel to and why?

11. If you were directing a movie, who would you cast as the two leads and what would it be about?

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and.... the nominees are:

• @Beautohs http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4898575
• @curvyGfashion http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/12653953
• @LovinglyKate https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7137401
• @CharSwinhoe http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12015021
• @Beverbeee http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12629519
• @JessicaLSuchon http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/11464503
• @LaraDeMercy http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12655691
• @Artdicted2 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12427643
• @Erinperin9 http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12418297
• @flame_delacure http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12543371
• @alexemily94 https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12202731

Much love to all of you :)

xoxo

Starting up - notes to self

I have read blogs about blogs. Blogs about crafts. Blogs about Etsy. Blogs about keeping your finances right. Then of course, blogs that randomly caught my eye.

So I've been at it for a little while. I have found and read and stored inspiration and information. I've written a few things so far...I've made a few things so far.... I've been chatting to fellow writers and makers.

And after this little time, I feel I'm learning.

And sometimes it's hard.

Sometimes, I had a long day at work and all I wanna do is eat, have a cup of tea and slump on the sofa. Sometimes I feel there are other things to do - around the house, usually. Or, go see someone or go food shopping. And so on...

Life, eh...

But then!

I made a little mental list of things to keep in mind for these kinda times:

1. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Sometimes, it simply won't happen.
2. It's ok to be tired. Mentally or physically. It's called being human.
3. Never compare yourself to anyone - you are unique and you may still be searching for "it" whatever "it" is
4. Have fun. Always have fun with it all.
5. This is a part of your future and as a future thing it will take time to grow and develop. And on the way there, there will be mistakes to learn from.
6. Occasionally, try and get some sleep. Tell the brain to shut up.

Because things worth doing quite often take a little extra time.

Have you had such thoughts? Do you have your own list to adhere to? A mantra maybe? Leave a comment or get in touch on Twitter :) @honeysweetbird

Weekend Inspiration - making and writing

Friday. Finally. This has been a long week. I am so happy it's over... nothing that bad about it, simply one of those tiring never-ending ones. But - yay! We made it through. Those on the other end of the pond - nearly there!

So, weekend.

There is always the "making" side of it. I'm nearing a point where I will have enough items made to present them to you. And I am very mush looking forward to it. 

Although. there is that little bit of fear that comes with it I guess, I've never publicly displayed my makes (except maybe as a kid at a school craft fair). It's all been kind of hush hush and kept just for me and those close to me. So to suddenly open it up and go "this is what I made" is kinda weird. I am fine with criticism. It's the non-constructive comments that I dread.

Well, that and ending up with the lot stuck in my cupboard forever.

I am also going to a nearby Craft festival (as a visitor) on Sunday. This will be the first time I go to anything like it. I have always just done my own thing and not really thought about it. I heard about this one though and it's not that far away + there are free gifts involved so... I have no excuse. I will share more about it sometime next week.

Source - Etsy

These past few days I have been thinking about writing more. Not in a sense of blog writing or story writing as such. Just - writing. 

Have you ever had that feeling you just wanna sit down and write something? You may not know exactly what it is or why it is, you just feel the urge to do it? 

Source - Flickr

That's where I'm at now. I'm kinda trying to figure it out, see where it takes me. So I will shut up and.... oh... wait...

~~~~~ Come and say Hi on Twitter @honeysweetbird ~~~~~

Something's in the making

Hi!

Had a good weekend? I sort of decided to do nothing on Saturday. We went for a nice big field walk with Al (of course, it rained) sometime in the afternoon, but other than that I really just did nothing.

Today though, I made a lovely breakfast and maybe because of my "total day off" yesterday I felt rested and ready to take on the day. Of course, it's not quite as exciting, but sometimes doing the chores can be quite rewarding as it is. Don't you think?

So now I'm looking at my gorgeous new pieces of fabric and my little chest of scraps dreaming up new pieces to make. I've shared a couple on Twitter already, but there are more to come. And I truly believe having had little to nothing to do with making and blogging for a couple of days inspired me. Letting your brain wander through ideas whilst you're going through your simple daily tasks really does help the imagination :)

But, for now a couple of pictures of what I'm staring at (yes that is a huge mug of hot chocolate in the background):

In honesty, there is another box, much larger, full of goodies.... but not as photogenic as this little thing. Shhhh

As for the hot chocolate, I make my own little mix. I promise I will share that soon, and you'll never look back, so watch this space.

Inspirational Wednesday - what I'm reading

A couple of years ago I was working for a design and print agency. Although I was familiar with the workings of a design place, I haven't really had any real experience other than some readings on the subject and a few magazines.

So, as one that is already a fan of all things design, I found myself falling in love with typography. As in - fonts themselves as well as the art. And then I found THE BLOG ILOVETYPOGRAPHY

The name itself appeals. To be honest, I found it while I was looking for a great desktop background for my big ol' monitor at work. There's plenty of free ones to download, my personal fave being this one:

I won't go into too many details as I'm sure you're dying to go and browse through their archives, but what I will say is that what I always go back to is the article about the importance of choosing the right type - not only for what its looks are, but for the ease of reading, it's function and if you're combining several - that becomes quite difficult. Not all typefaces are the same, nor should they be mixed without thought.

This of course includes blogs. I spent most of my time scrolling through what's available and I'm still not fully satisfied with it, but for now, I'll see how I feel after I've set up my routine. Any opinions on this?

Speaking of typography as an art, I have recently stumbled upon this:

A great way to sketch out some words of wisdom. Nourish your creative mind, keep track of where it's taking you - ALWAYS keep a notebook and a pen with you.

It's so simple isn't it?
Do you have any favourite typefaces?