The Big Picture...

One of my New Years resolutions was to take more time on doing creative things. In order to further this I decided to sign up for an online class. I think I've mentioned that back in October I won a giveaway on the wonderful blog A Beautiful Mess, and part of this was a gift certificate to 'Big Picture Classes', a site which offers online classes in things such as scrap booking and photography; and thus I signed up for a photography class called Picture Winter.

Everyday you get a prompt which gives you an idea with which to take a picture, and there is also an online class room where you can upload your pictures too.

Because of work commitments and other things I haven't quite managed to take a picture every day, but below are some of the ones I have done already.

Looking Out

A Little Sunshine (Orange)


Cracked Open


Warm Your Heart

Intended for Every Day Use

Bundle Up

Seeking Balance

Although work constraints mean that most of the photos I take are done inside because the light has gone by the time I get home, I'm finding this an excellent way to at least try to do more artistic things every day, even if it is just as simple as taking a photo.

Happy Wednesday

Lindy xxx

7 Good Things Vol 7

This weeks 7 things are a little truncated because I have to rush out to a school Governors meetings I'm afraid. But hopefully I'll be back later in the week with news of my latest project (in a crafty sense that is!)

1. Warm mugs of tea to wake my brain up mid morning.
2. Loading my iPod with loads of music I haven't heard for ages.
3. James making us an Indian feast last night for dinner.
4. A really good work out at the gym, I would never have believed that exercise could feel that good.
5. Getting to hold my newest cousin for a whole afternoon. He was gorgeous. I could have held him forever!
6. Fun embroidery projects (I will share later I promise!)
7. Excellent new books to read on the train ( We Need to Talk About Kelvin I'm looking at you!)

Hope everyone is having an excellent Monday

Love Lindy xxxx

Perfect Day...

Or perhaps I should title this post perfect week, because thus far it has been just that! Today has been particularly amazing as James brought me a body wrap and facial treatment at the Centreparcs Spa for Christmas. I couldn't recommend this more highly. I'm currently all soft and relaxed sitting in our villa with a cup of tea. Perfection.

We're just about to go out of a evening swim before heading home to watch a movie and have some tea. On the subject of movies we've seen some pretty amazing ones this week. My favourite thus far being Scott Pilgrim vs The World. One of the most random film, yet one of the more entertaining I have seen in a long while. Is everying Micheal Cera does that good? And yes I know most people managed to see this in the cinema, but I am just not that organized. Plus the cinema where I live is pretty crappy and very expensive, I just feel cheated!

So the purpose of this post, which I will agree is a little hidden, is just to check in and hope that everyone else is having an amazing start to 2011 too. I promise, back with many photos next week!

Love Lindy xxx

7 Good Things Vol 6

Well once again I am blogging from the iPad so we shall be sans photos for today. Since it's the first Monday in 2011, I am determined to start the year off with the best intensions and be more deliberate in writing these down! So without further ado my 7 good things are....

1. I'm currently on my way to Centerparcs! Love it.
2. It's starting to snow, and what could be better then staying in a villa in a forest in the snow? eh?!
3. At centreparcs they have chalk boards in the kitchens to write messages to each other on. I need one of these for my house!
4. Singing along to Disney tunes in the car at the top of your voice.
5. A whole week off of work within which I get to go to a spa because James brought me a massage for Christmas.
6. Did I mention the week off of work and the spa?
7. James, especially when he is being extra nice to me after I'm grouchy because I did a night shift.

Hope every one has a fantastic week

Love xxx

Ps: did I mention that nightshift was murderous?!

Saturday Steals Vol 20

Ahh the joys of blogging from my iPad? No photos. So you will just have to flex your imagination. My Saturday steal this week comes from the wonders of the January sales.

Now I have a favourite pair of brown boots. Comfortable. Good colour. Fleece lined. Pretty much perfect. Unfortunatly this perfection has recently been marred with the sole starting to disintegrate and the zip breaking. Making my once favourite pair of boots unwearable! Not so good.

Usher in the wonder of the January sales. These boots were originally meant to be £79. For £79 I would want my boots to be able to make me fly or something. For that amount of money I would want them to have magic powers and to stop me getting lost. In my world £79 is an awful lot of money for shoes.

£29 however is more my kind of price. For that I don't feel ripped off and indeed I feel as though I got a deal! £29 for cute brown boots with swanky purple lining that will go with large proportion of my wardrobe? Now that is my kind of saturday steal!

Hope everyone enjoyed their New Years celebrations, me I stayed in with James and watched the fireworks on the TV. Nice quiet night in because I had to be up for my mega crazy day at work today (1000- 1800 and then 2200- 600) yes I know I am mad!

Lindy xxx

2010

I have to say that 2010 has been a bit of an up and down year for me. Obviously there have been some great highs- James and I brought our first home together, I finished my degree, I got a proper job; these are all good and exciting things. Yet amid all of this I have struggled with unemployment for a time, I mostly hated the last semester of my degree and I have over stressed and worried about just about every decision that I’ve made. Grown up life is scary. And after writing that it sounds to me like it was the process of this year that I have struggled with whilst I enjoyed the outcomes, which is possibly a good description.

All over the blog sphere there are plenty of inspirational posts from amazing women who are reveling in the goals which they achieved in 2010 and setting themselves new ones for 2011. This is a laudable process and I truly, truly admire people who have the self discipline and will to make these things happen for themselves on their own. I am not that girl. I struggle with motivation and general all round laziness. I need a good kick up the butt from our old friend motivation to get me doing things.

Thus I have decided to make myself small goals. Achievable goals. But goals which I think will be beneficial to me none the less. Goals where I will have help getting there. A hand to hold on my way. I am guilty of not taking the time to care enough for myself, I get too wrapped up in working, stressing and letting tiredness overcome me, so my goals are designed to help me overcome these traits.

With this in mind my aims for 2011 are centered round the idea of happiness. I want to be happier. Less worried and more accepting of ‘what will be will be’. Not complacent. But to get a greater appreciation of the idea that there are things in this world which I cannot change and that worrying about them will not help. To be generally more at peace with the world.


Photo Credit

So without further ado in 2011....

1. I want to take the time to nurture my artistic side. I love drawing, taking photos and creating things. But this often takes a back seat. I want this to change for me and spend more time making myself happier by letting myself feel free to do this sort of thing.
2. I want to create myself some ‘downtime’ one evening a week. Some time just to relax and not worry about achieving anything.
3. I want to drink more water and exercise more.
4. I want to create myself a regular posting schedule on this blog and be more disciplined in my writing.

There we go. No where near as far reaching as some of the goals I have seen people try to attempt, but these are goals which I really think will help me be happier and more focused in 2011.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and safe New Years Celebration planned. As I am working tomorrow I don’t think James and I will get much further than a bottle of wine and some time on the sofa, but still, sometimes those evenings are the best!

Its been a pleasure to write for you in 2010 and I look forward to continuing this conversation in 2011.

Stay safe, Lindy xxxx

Bath time...

Apologies for my absence over the last few days. Christmas and then going back to work have monopolised my time pretty effectively. Stupidly I have volunteered to do a double shift this Saturday, so I'm working 1000- 1830 during the day and then 2200-600 in the morning over night!

In order to put a buffer up against this particular brand of insanity I'm off to have a nice relaxing bath with some of my new spa bath things (a thoughtful Christmas present), a favourite book and a specially made playlist.

Bliss.

Happy Wednesday my friends

Lindy xxx