Trick & Treat {& Tutorial!}

Cute and crafty chicas Julie and Kirsty are having a Hallowe'en Blog Party today and I am feeling oh, so honoured *blush* that they have invited me to join in the celebrations and create a little crafty 'trick' for everyone. And - once you've worked your way through the tutorial - there's a couple of treats for everyone too!

Trick - Customisable Cuff

In the spirit of Hallowe'en, I made a cuff in gothic goddess style with a rich, burgundy satin, black lining and some chunky looking buttons in gold and black. All of which will work very nicely with my little black dress and goth girl make-up for an outfit that nods at the occasion, but makes me look stylish not scary. And since cuffs are bang on trend, it's the perfect accessory.

But, if you've already got tonight's outfit all worked out; goth isn't your style; or you've found your way to this tutorial well after Hallowe'en, fear not. This cuff is really easy to customise. You can change the fabrics, add some lace or ribbons or choose some super cute beads and buttons to make your fastening. Now, since this is my first machine sewing tutorial, it's picture heavy in the hope the pictures will help where my directions may be a bit 'fuzzy'. Feedback and questions will be most welcome! (Don't forget to keep reading to the bottom for the Treats!)

To Make Your Cuff, You Will Need:

Fabric(s) - Choose any fabric that you like. I've chosen a satin finish, which means I need to use interfacing. If you choose a cotton or heavier weight fabric, you can skip the interfacing and the ironing. Result!
Interfacing - You'll only need this with lighter weight fabrics.
Threads - Match or contrast.
Pins - For temporarily joining your fabrics.
Iron - If you're using interfacing. Once you've finished making your cuff, a press with the iron will also make it look super professional!
Elastic - Just a small piece.
Buttons, Ribbons or Lace - To decorate your cuff.
Sewing Machine or Lots of Patience - Hand stitching is perfect, but I'm so not patient enough.

1. Choose the fabric(s) that you want to have visible on the outside of your cuff and cut six pieces approximately 1 1/2" x 3". You don't need to be too exact!

2. If you're using lighter weight fabrics, you will need to back them with interfacing. Cut the interfacing into pieces just smaller than your fabric pieces and adhere to the fabric following the instructions on your packet!

3. Once you have all of your fabric pieces ready, start joining them together. With the 'right sides' together, pin the 3" sides together and, using your machine, sew together. You'll need a seam allowance of 1/4 inch.

4. Keep adding fabric pieces, keeping the 3" sides together, until you have five pieces joined together.

5. Test the length of the joined pieces by wrapping it around your wrist. It will need to overlap by at least an inch. If it's doesn't add the last piece of fabric.

6. Once you have all of your fabric pieces joined together, you'll need to add a backing. Cut another piece of fabric to the same size as your patchwork pieces and pin to your patchwork piece with the 'right sides' together.

7. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, stitch around the outsides of the fabrics - but leave one end of the fabrics open.

8. Turn the fabric cuff inside out through the open end. Use a pencil or knitting needle (I used the end of a paint brush) to really push the corners out.

9. Fold the frayed ends of the cuff inwards so that you have a nice straight edge and pin in place.

10. Take your length of elastic and knot. Trim the ends.

11. Place the elastic into the open end of the cuff - with the knot on the inside - and pin in place.

12. Now 'top stitch' around the outside of the cuff, again leaving about a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I went around the outside of the cuff three times, quite roughly, so that the stitching looked more decorative (and so that I didn't have to match my ends up!) This has the added advantage of closing the open end of the cuff and really securing the elastic in place.

13. All you need now is a button closure. So, wrap the cuff around your wrist and mark where the elastic comes to rest. This is where you'll need to put your button! I just added a few for extra gothic goodness!

Treats - Goodies & Giveaway

Goodies - This weekend, anyone who signs up for Julie and Kirsty's rather lovely looking Twelve Days of Christmas Workshop, will receive an extra download full of goodie goodness. Since the workshop will be crammed full of projects that use up your existing stash, leaving you with some special presents for your friends and family (or for yourself) it's just another reason that you should have a peek and sign up. Go on! You know you want to!

Giveaway - As a little extra thank you for coming over to my corner of the party, I'm giving away a customised cuff - one made especially for you! In order to be eligible for this most covetable of cuffs, you'll need to:

a) Be a follower of my blog. So add yourself now, if you haven't already. I can promise you more fashion, craftiness, scrappiness and giveaways very, very soon.

b) Old and new followers alike will also need to leave me a comment below and make sure that I have a way of contacting you about your win. No-one wants to win and then not find out about it!

I'll choose a winner on Monday 2nd November. Until then, head over to The Copy & Paste Project to see who else has come along to the party. Gatecrashers are so very welcome :)

Sneak Peek {My Creative Space}

I've been busy in My Creative Space today, rustling up a little, 'something something'. You see some lovely friends are having a little bit of a Hallowe'en (Blog) Party on Saturday and, of course, I just have to have the perfect accompaniment to my outfit.

Here's a little sneak peek -

But, don't feel all left out, you're all invited to the party too! You're a 'cool, crafty, kid after all! There'll be craft projects; tutorials and - maybe, just maybe - there'll be a bit of a giveaway. So, I'll be seeing you all on Saturday. Bring your own bottle x

Head on over to Kirsty's at Kootoyoo and see what everyone else has been doing in their creative spaces this week.

Stupidly Cute {Flickr Favourites}

I'm not normally a *cutesy* kind of person, but even I can't resist the lure of a cute little, furry thing. And I mean little. The Steve and I bought a Chinese Dwarf Hamster a short while ago and while I was searching for 'care instructions' (Dry Clean Only, that kind of thing) I came across the website of hamster breeder Hesedetang, and became rather smitten with this video.

If you don't laugh when you watch this, you're dead inside. Seek help.

So, I put together a few Flickr Favourites, inspired by my love for these little cuties. If you'd like to see more sets of Flickr Favourites or share your own, head on over to Artmind to join in.

1. Catching her Zs! Sashimi, 2. one lump, 3. Munchtime! Scone + Bagel, 4. Untitled

If You Go Down To The Woods {Fashion Forward}

Woodland. This weekend I have been hugely inspired by woodland. Or at least, I have been inspired by a desire to up sticks and move to a woodland. When you come across somewhere truly beautiful whilst browsing Virtual Tourist it's very difficult not to be inspired by a desire to up sticks and move to a woodland.

I'm not going to tell you that the woodland trend is a new one. It's been filtering through for quite a while now, inspired by an increased desire for all things handmade and homely. Here are just a few of my own favourite pieces -

1. Pendal Sofa available from Pinch Design. You cannot possibly visit their website without swooning. 2. Sweet Leaves Wreath available from Jane Joss whose Etsy store is brimming with beautiful botanicals. 3. On The Third Day, Pressed Botanical available from Pressed Leaf. Anyone who happens to think that pressed leaves and florals are outdated, needs to visit this store. Immediately.

For more Fashion Forward clothes, accessories and interiors please visit Katherine at Paper Pocket and remember that you can join in as well.

Next week it's me hosting. I'm so, so excited!

Edited: Oooh, and just a reminder. I am giving a wee surprise to one of this month's lovely participants, so be sure to join in this week!!!

Getting Into Shape

I'm taking today away from blogging, commenting and tweeting. Honestly. This is a scheduled post! I'm having a little break from it all. I need to focus on a few personal projects and I've been finding myself a little distracted by information overload.

So, all being well, I'll have woken up by now (it is nine o'clock after all!) feeling all refreshed; I'll be having a bath and dressing myself for the work focused day ahead. By lunch time I'll have completed half of my 'to-do' and the rest will be tackled after a little walk around the park and a hearty lunch.

Very Important Things To Do List by Forget-Me-Not

I'll be meeting The Steve in Liverpool when he finishes work and we're going shopping for some jogging pants. Sounds terribly exciting doesn't it? But since this whiny little blog post, I've lost a fair bit of weight (hurrah!) and when I ran up the stairs the other day, my cargo pants fell down. Um ... awkward. Holding them in place while trying to keep up with Davina McColl's DVD is just not an option!

Though considering that Katherine has promised to send me copious amounts of chocolate if I manage to complete a full day away from the computer, I may hold on to the cargo pants, just in case.

Have a great weekend x

Friendship, Fun & Fimo {My Creative Space}

Today My Creative Space has actually been over at Mel's from I Speak Melsh. Since realising that we're within crafting distance of one another (it's like spitting distance, but for polite crafty types) and meeting for a spot of jumping around in the park like crazy people we decided it would be nice to get together for a bit of cake, crafting and conversation.

We've had a lot of fun today - making little things out of Fimo. We both had some stashed away in our...um...stashes and decided to try our hand at making some cute embellishments, charms and pendants. It's so good to finally make use of something that's been hanging around for a while (and I don't mean you Mel, honest!)

Just as yummy as it looks!

Watch out for more Me & Mel creations. I have a feeling that this is only just the beginning! (Especially if she's going to let me have Fruit Cake and Malteaser Cake!)

For more creative spaces, head on over to Kootoyoo

Turning Point

A turning point is, by definition, a moment when the course of events is changed; when there is a change in direction; or an event marking a unique and important historical change. And we all have them, don't we? I'll bet that right now, having only really read a sentence or two, you are already thinking of a pivotal event in your own history. A moment in time when everything shifted. It might have been a major event like graduation; marriage or the birth of your first child. Or it could have been a smaller, less seemingly significant moment like someone giving up their seat for you on the bus; a compliment from a stranger or the purchase of a new winter coat that makes you feel special.

Whatever your own turning point, All About Me is challenging you to get it down on paper for our second challenge of the month and here's my own interpretation -


In my penultimate year at university, I travelled to Namibia to conduct a socio-economic study of a small community in the Northern Kunene Region of the country. This was in so many ways, a turning point in my life - or series of them - I left the country by myself for the very first time; I met my first ostrich; I started eating meat again after ten years as a vegetarian!

I could fill a whole album with layouts about the things I learnt, discovered and stumbled across while I was studying, but the thing that I remember the most clearly was asking to live as part of one of the community's family groups for a while. My pre-conceptions disappeared and I learnt more about life in that short time than I had ever experienced before. I learnt about laughter, beauty, pain, hardship and courage. And I learnt about myself. I came to a turning point and when I glanced back, everything looked different.

The rest of the Design Team have really rocked this challenge, so head on over to All About Me to have a look at their interpretations and, if you're interested, take a look at the Design Team Call.

Not So Shabby Chic {Flickr Favourites}

I've moved all of my craft activities downstairs into our dining room this week. Thankfully, the room faces south and from lunchtime onwards, it's filled with a warming, golden sunshine - blissful as the autumn sets in and the dark nights get earlier and earlier.

Now, although I haven't got a photograph of my own dining room to share with you (because we haven't bought curtains or carpet yet!) I can share some of my Flickr Favourites with you - ones which have that same sense of light and air - and perhaps you'll understand why I am so grateful for these last days of sunshine before the winter truly arrives.

1. My kitchen table, 2. Corner of Living Room, 3. Untitled, 4. Pretty Summer Reading

Aren't these spaces absolutely gorgeous? If you'd like to see more sets of Flickr Favourites or share your own, head on over to Artmind to join in.

Cut The Mustard {Fashion Forward}

So, last Wednesday afternoon I was in Liverpool City Centre and I just happened to walk past Hobbs. Okay, if I'm honest, I engineered the walk past and had my nose so close to the window that after several minutes of clothing induced panting, I could have written my name in the steam! You'd understand if you caught glimpse of the new NW3 Collection.

Amongst the plaids, checks and tweeds - my favourite kinds of 'neutrals' - there were a few hints of mustard and I was immediately hooked by it's warmth. If ever there was someone who could benefit from a little bit of clothing induced warmth throughout the winter months, it would be me - winter weather hater that I am!

Determined to find a few indie items that could bring some sunshine to my rainy days, I started sleuthing on Etsy as soon as I got home. Here's the winter warmers that totally exceeded my expectations -

Cut The Mustard - Meaning: to succeed; to come up to expectations.

Centre: Vintage Mustard Party Dress by BarneyBee. Left To Right: 1.Knitted Mustard Bow Neck Warmer by TheSnootyPoodle 2. Fashionable Rabbit, Suede Journal by Kreativlink 3. Vintage 'curry' Leather Etra Satchel by ScottieinaCanoe 4. Honey Rosette Brooch by SewLola 5. Crocheted Ring by TomBjornDesigns 6. Frankincense Vegan Body Soap by Daisycakes Soap 7. Mustard Poppies, Hook Earrings by Jewelry by Natsuko 8. Silk Necklace by Sleek 9. Set of 5 Wool Wrapped Stacking Bracelets by MysticFibers 10. Mustard Floral Suitcase by Hindsvik Vintage, 11. Mustard Deer Heart Stationery Set by Ali Design 12.Yum! Tea Mug Cozy by KnitStorm

Aren't they all a little bit of sunshine for the soul? Just a couple of these little lovelies would see me through the winter months with a smile on my face - though it seems the 'diminutive' dress and I will have to remain on swooning terms only! Before I send you all off to search high and low for mustard loves of your very own, I know that several dedicated Followers of Fashion (Forward) have asked for a Fashion Forward Button - and who would I be to deny them? So, here it is -

<a href="http://paperpocket.blogspot.com/2009/10/ff-im-lumber-jillis-that-okay.html"><img
src = http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4015894043_2bd7474e57_o.jpg></img src></a>

You'll need to add a HTML/JavaScript widget into your sidebar. Then just copy and paste the HTML above into the widget and save. Your button should look like the one in the top, right hand corner of my blog - which takes you directly to the first Fashion Forward post on Katherine's blog Paper Pocket.

And don't forget to visit Katherine today and link in if you're playing along x

All About Me Design Team Call

I just wanted to pop by and let everyone know that All About Me is looking for a new Design Team Member. Sadly this is because the lovely, lovely Mette Kallander is leaving the team (the combination of a new job and work for several creative teams meant she had little time for anything else!) So, if you're at all interested, head on over to check out the AAM DT Requirements.

I'm Good For Inspiration, Aren't I?

"I'm good for inspiration, aren't I? You will find." ~ Fifteen Minutes Old, Snow Patrol ~

And so are Julie Kirk and Kirsty Neale from The Copy & Paste Project, who every so often like to challenge (and I mean, really, challenge) folks to create something by copying and pasting from their own ideas. Each and every thing that these lovely ladies create is so chock-full of inspiration that sometimes it's quite difficult to know which spark of thought to follow through to completion.

Challenge No.5 - A Flawed Work Of Art was no different. Starting with lyrics from another Snow Patrol tune, Julie and Kirsty came up with a couple of radically different projects and I had to give it a bit of thought. (It seems I've taken so long thinking about it that Challenge No.6 is already underway.) I had a few ideas but finally settled on.....altering a frame to make an earring holder.

Um.....yeah! How that popped into my head I have no idea but it did and I'm loving the results. I normally hang all of my own necklaces on my wardrobe handles, but I have had absolutely nowhere to hang my beloved earrings - even though I don't have that many of them. (I do have a few more than in the photo though!)

It was all fairly easy to do. I started with a copper coloured frame which I took apart, setting aside the glass. I then cracked open a pot of acrylic in my favourite colour, slapped it onto the frame roughly and left it to dry. Meanwhile, I covered the back piece of the frame with a bit of an old map and attached a couple of pieces of ribbon. (It's important to choose a ribbon or lace, so that you can hang your earrings from them easily.) Once the first layer of acrylic was dry, I painted on another rough layer, then sanded it down once that was dry. The roughness of the paint layers means that it will come off in patches - just what you want for a distressed look.

And now I have somewhere to hang all of my own little pieces of art!

A Hard Day's Work (& Shop)

So, a huge big thank you for the feedback about the changes I'd started making to the blog this morning. There's still a few things that aren't working with some of my older posts; the sidebar pictures still need turning into buttons and there's some more additions/changes that I want to make.

Overall though, I'm really pleased with my little self. I've managed to work my way through html, photoshop and blogger templates without wanting to kill anyone (though the air was quite blue yesterday afternoon.) That's quite the achievement for me - I didn't understand any of it when I started blogging back in April.

As if that's not enough, I managed to find some shockingly neon pink hoop earrings today - and bought them. (Shame on me!) What can I say, they were 75p. A bargain, I tell you. Yay for me!

Under Construction. Mind Your Head

I know that most of my pictures are showing as too big for the posts - I'll be working on that later (after I've had coffee with my mum in town!) In the meantime, could you guys please let me know if anything in the sidebars looks out of place, too large, etc? Thanks peeps x

Fringe Benefits {Fashion Forward}

Fringe. It's in. Big time. Who would have guessed? And, perhaps more to the point, who would have guessed that I'd be jumping onto the wagon, instead of falling off it for a change? But I couldn't resist the temptation to style up these beautiful Alexander McQueen boots. They have tassles on! I mean, tassles!

I'm fairly certain that the rest of the outfit looks a little whimsical, but give me a chance to explain it's practicalities. Ignore the huge cost of the rather aspiration products I've used and think, for a moment, of the items you already have in your summer wardrobe.

Cute vest tops, prairie skirts and gladiator sandals, combined with a beach bag and oversized sunnies, made the perfect lazy summer afternoon outfit. But, as the weather becomes a little chillier, you can ensure that your summer wardrobe still works for you just be adding in some new accessories - brown leather boots, an oversize cardigan, a waist cinching belt and some opaque grey tights. All of which will carry you through the autumn/winter season and are, therefore, excellent investments - but I'm guessing that you probably have them already. (I will not let you blame your shopping splurges on me. Oh no!)

You can click directly into the Polyvore set, for additional details about the items I've chosen. (If you want to see just how much that particular double breasted cardigan would cost and work out whether you'd still be able to eat!)

For more information about Fashion Forward and to join in, please visit Katherine over at Paper Pocket - and remember that at the end of the month I'll be choosing a random participant for a little surprise. Just in case, a love of shoes wasn't enough.

Wordless Wonder

It seems that along with a loss of my real voice, my blogging voice will suffer as well. I cannot seem to summon the energy to type; spell and put sentences together. (It has taken me at least half an hour just to log on.) I'm hopeful that after a weekend in bed, I'll be back to full strength and raring to go for Fashion Forward on Monday - at least I have an excuse for staying in bed and looking at clothes on the internet!

Just briefly, while we're on the subject of fashion. This beautiful cloche hat from Kirby Vintage was my pick for the #myetsy gift guide. How beautiful?

Blogtober-festering

It's tickled me for some time now that taking part in Blogtoberfest does make me a Blogtober-fester and that every day I am Blogtober-festering. Which makes me sound as though I should have some sort of open wound, or at least a terrible (but certainly curable) illness. Which I have. I'm losing my voice.

Those of you in the real world will know that this does happen every so often - and I'm sure you all believe that it's programmed in, just to give you all some peace and quiet every now and then :)

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post. It's nice to know that there's people out there feeling sympathetic while I whimper (quietly) in my corner!

I'm feeling a little fragile today. We've succumbed to the lethargy lurgy in our household and, though there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with us, there doesn't seem to be anything right with us either.

So, today, I've been sorting through some old photographs and thought I'd just pop in with an old picture from my university days. Funny isn't it, how sometimes you can remember so clearly what you were thinking when you took a photograph? It felt as though the day was filled with possibility and I could do whatever I wanted with the rest of my life. Good to remind yourself of that feeling occasionally!

Who Do You Think You Are?

The third All About Me challenge has been revealed today and I'm so, so excited about our wonderful Guest Designer, who happens to be one of my favourite scrapbookers - Kara Haupt. Oh my!

For the challenge this month we're digging a little deeper and asking whether you feel like you've been pigeonholed, misunderstood or labelled; and it's a subject that I feel quite strongly about. I really hate it when people try to categorise me. It's always made me feel as though, to that person, I will never be more than how they originally saw me - extrovert, moody, just another 'suit'. You get the idea.

So...with all that angst - that I hadn't even realised was there - out in the open, I decided not to focus on one particular label and focused on that more general feeling of "You dont know me!" (Honestly, AAM is better - and less expensive - than therapy.) Admittedly, I have come over a little dark and mysterious in my journalling. So, I think I need to tell you all that the 'terrible things' I'm referring to aren't 'dead body under the patio' terrible, just 'terrible to me' terrible. And that's enough, believe me.

You can see all of the details, and more examples over on the All About Me site. And, if you're all happy with your labels be they mum, wife, lover, tinker, tailor....then that's all for the good and we'd still love to see what you make of the challenge.

Busy Doing Nothing {Flickr Favourites}

I've managed to accomplish absolutely nothing today. I stared at the rather large pile of laundry for a while before attempting to make a start and then? Then the iron - which is admittedly past it's best - decided it was time to stop working. I'd only managed to iron a couple of t-shirts as well. What a shame!
All this means that I didn't feel at all guilty* for perusing flickr to make a mosaic for Flickr Favourites on ArtMind (just a little bit of cutesy, girly softness) and then watching my new favourite television programme on-line. (Another bit of cutesy, girly softness.) But, oh!, honestly, this programme was made just for people like me who wonder about how different life might have been, if only they'd made different decisions. And, I love the theme tune by Lily Frost.

I blame the weather for all this cutesy, girly, softness that's come over me today. As the weather gets colder, windier and wetter, I become more inclined to sit around in comfy, oversized jumpers and watch daft television programmes with a cup of tea in one hand and a wistful expression on my face.

Winter's coming. Don't say I didn't warn you...

* Um...okay, a little bit guilty. But not guilty enough that I didn't also have tea and biscuits!

Fashion Forward!

Oh, oh, I am so excited to bring you my very first Fashion Forward Collection. It's a small one, but I actually think that I might be on trend with this one, so don't hassle me about adding more items, okay?

I used Polyvore to put my collection together, so that I could easily pick and choose my items, re-size them and add an arty-farty background. It's absolutely fantastic for this kind of thing, but it's highly addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Free Love by OPCreative featuring Rebecca Taylor dresses

Anyway, onto the drool-worthy items that I've chosen -

A Rebecca Taylor Metallic Party Dress; a Beautiful Boyfriend Blazer from Topshop; Ballet Flats from La Garconne; and a super cute kilt pin brooch from a selection at MyWardrobe.com. Could someone please see fit to add these to my wardrobe by the end of the week? Thank you so much.

For more information about how Fashion Forward is going to work, please pop over to see Katherine from Paper Pocket who is our lovely host for October. And just to give you a little bit of an incentive to join in, at the end of the month I'll be choosing a participant at random from October's entries and will be sending them a little surprise.

Heads Up Fashionistas!

Eeeee! I am just a little bit excited. Tomorrow, I'll be joining hands with the lovely Katherine from Paper Pocket to launch our new Monday Meme - Fashion Forward. The idea is simple. We want you to share your favourite new trends with us from the worlds of clothes, accessories or interiors. Feel free to keep it simple with a few links to your favourite on-line stores or vamp it up and show us your Etsy Treasuries or Polyvore Sets.

Now, because this is a bit of a collaborative project, we'll be taking turns to host the meme and everything is launching tomorrow over at Paper Pocket. So do pay Katherine a visit and link yourself up so that we can come by, swoon over all of your finds and leave you some blog love.

We're both really looking forward to seeing what everyone chooses to include in their sets. And let's be honest here, although Katherine doesn't need any help being fashionable, I'm kind of looking forward to being pulled sharply into the here and now. Old lady that I've become!

It all went downhill when I had that job with the Civil Service!!!

Time Is Ticking Away - Clocktoberfest

Amy over at Badskirt has put together a cute, little list of Blogtoberfest Ideas - just to help everyone get the party started - and on the list today, Clocktober. (I should admit right now, that I almost missed the 'L' out of the title above and today's post could have been somewhat different. Too funny.)

Anyway, moving swiftly on. In fact, that phrase along pretty much nails it. Everything seems to be moving swiftly on. I'm still in shock that it's October. I feel a little bit disorientated - like when you're sat on a train at the station and the train on the opposite platform starts moving, and just for a moment you can't tell whether it's your train or the one opposite that's started? Well that's how I feel. Am I making any sense?

This little lovely sits on the windowsill in my craft room and reminds me that I need to get a move on.

There seems to be so much that I need to catch up on - blogging friends, works in progress, housework. Okay, maybe I can ignore the housework. And I just can't seem to stop taking on more projects. I think it's an odd form of procrastination. How can I possibly finish that project if I have to start this one? You see?

So, I'm looking for organisational tips and advice from all the wonderful people that successfully manage to work from home, keep the house immaculate and still have a life. Please. Help me.

Followers & Commenters - You're Awesome!

Um...so I just wanted to write a wee, little note to all the people who follow my blog or leave me comments on my posts. I think you''re all wonderful (and it's obvious that you're all people with excellent taste.) But, in all seriousness, I still get a thrill every time someone adds themselves as a follower and it's great to come back to my blog posts and find that there's comments on them - it really makes me feel all happy and squishily, lovely inside.

I just wanted to tell you all this because I know that I don't always join in the 'conversations' in the comments, but I do want to let you know that I'll always follow up on your comments by e-mailing or visiting your blogs and leaving you some comment love of your own.

So, there you have it. I'm grateful and I just wanted you to know.

Have a good weekend folks x

Meeting Mel - Blogtoberfest Day One

Oh my! I cannot quite believe that it's October already. Where exactly did September go? Honestly, my months are just flying by and I feel a little out of breath from trying to keep up with it all. But, to celebrate the beginning of October and what has been the beginning of my autumn - a bit of belated sunshine at last - I'll be trying to keep up with the Blogtoberfest organised by the lovely TinnieGirl.

And what better way to start a blogging festival that to meet a friend from the blogging world in real life? Mel from I Speak Melsh and I have been following each other's blogs since we both started Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day Class. It was only when I posted to our local Freecycle Group that Mel spotted my e-mail address and, asked whether I was local, that we realised were within meeting distance. Which just goes to show that sometimes using your real name on the internet can be a good thing and doesn't just bring out the oddballs.

We decided to meet up today in our local park for a chat and some cake. I must admit that there was a fair bit of cake and quite a lot of talking. We're both talkers, it seems, so next time we meet we may have to allocate talking time in five minute intervals! We also had lots of fun attempting the 'jumping' photographs that everyone seems so keen on recently, but I couldn't find my remote release and somehow our timing was off. All we got were blurs and...um...pictures of us landing. We may need more practice.

Mel was on the right of the screen. Truly. It could be that she's only blended into the background because she was wearing light coloured clothes, but then I'm wondering if, when she was telling me that she's angelic, I mis-read the smirk on her face?

Edited: Mel's, ever so slightly, less blurry photographs.