Mori girls like cameras

Mori girls are avid photographers who love to wonder around exploring, camera in hand recording their solitary adventures and introspective journeys, Mori girls also love to be creative and photography is the perfect outlet for their creative spirit.


Take a look at these wonderful camera related finds from Etsy:

Click on the image to visit the shop.

Stylish Blogger Award

I was absolutely thrilled yesterday to receive the Stylish Blogger Award from Tabbyroo.  How wonderful!  I had seen people getting this award for their blog in the past and thought how delightful it would be to get it myself, but never thought it would happen, so I really am very happy to have been give it.

As a receiver of this prestigious award I have several responsibilities:

1. Thank and link back to the person to gave me this award,
2. Share 7 things about yourself,
3. Award 15 Bloggers,
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

So, 7 things about me!  Here goes:

1. I met my husband on the internet in 2000 when I was 17!  I was planning on going to the Reading Music Festival with my friends and visited the chat room on the Reading Music Festival website with my friend at school.  She started chatting to someone in the chat room and added him to her MSN.  One day when I was at my friend's house I chatted with the boy she had met on the Reading Music Festival website on her MSN, and later on added him to mine.  We chatted loads over the internet, and exchanged phone numbers.  One crazy day when my friend was over braiding my hair we decided to give him a ring.  I chatted to him a few times on the phone after that and we decide to meet up at the Festival.  I wasn't looking for a relationship, I mean I was only 17 and still at school.  But my friend and I thought it would be fun! (We planned on meeting a few other boys we had met on the internet at the Festival...the world was a different place then, I certainly wouldn't do it now and I must point out that we went as a group to visit these people and were not on our own!)
So we met at the festival, we hit it off instantly, I knew there was something special about him because we hugged and I let go first.  That had almost never happened before. Nearly 11 years later we are married and I am more in love with him than ever.

2. After finishing University I worked as a photographer for 6 months for a portrait photography chain called Olan Mills.  It was incredibly stressful, the hours were bad and the pay was appalling so I decided to leave and do a normal job. I worked for the accounts department of a catering company for about a year and a half as an accounts assistant.  I really enjoyed the job, the office banter, and pay and the normal hours but I really wanted to use my fine art degree and do something creative.  That is when I decided to be a teacher.

3. Actually I have almost had too many jobs to count, here is a list:
             Worked in an old peoples home, doing tea and washing dishes,
             Worked in a green grocers,
             Coached gymnastics,
             Cleaned canal boats,
             Worked at a primary school running a breakfast club,
             Worked in a chemist as a counter assistant, (two different chemists)
             Worked in a bakery,
             Worked in TKMAXX
             Waitressing,
             Worked behind a bar,
             Photographer,
             Accounts assistant,
             Art teacher.

You better believe it!

4. I love doilies, I mean I really really love doilies.  Especially vintage ones, or lace ones, or crotched ones, or paper ones or coloured ones or, or or......

5. I am a Christian and have been a Christian for my whole life.  I am afraid I didn't have a "born again" moment or a day when I could say I "became" a Christian.  It has been a very gradual thing where over time I have become closer to God and developed a thirst for knowledge and truth about Him.  I have finally come to a point in my life where I feel it is time to confirm my faith and am going to be taking confirmation classes at my church, I will be confirmed in March which I am excited and nervous about but looking forward to.  I feel it is something I need to do, not because it makes me an official Christian, the change has already occoured in my heart, but because I was to stand up and say to people "yes, I want God to be in charge of my life" and that is not always something that I could have said.

6. I play the Clarinet, the Piano and the Drums and when I was in high school, the orchestra I was in toured Prague in the Czech republic and Florence in Italy, it was brilliant and such a fun time, I was officially a band geek and hung out in the music room at break and lunch times.  My best school friends were all in the Orchestra or Choir, so we had a great time together.  At university I played the drums in the Christian Union Band but I no longer play my instruments any more.  That probably sounds really sad but I don't mind, I have got plenty of other creative things to keep me busy.

7. On Saturday I have my very first back, neck and shoulder massage.  Hubby gave me a massage voucher for valentines day last year and I finally decided to cash it it.  The massage was wonderful and I am now with lovely oils, candles relaxed music and a very lovely massage lady.  Slightly worried that I will want more, which I clearly can't afford!



So now I am passing this award on to:

Sweet Bee Buzzing

Blighty Boutique

Scraps the City and Me

Ruby's Mamma Made it

Erin Kenepp

Amanda Makes

Lotties Artful Journey

Little Owl Arts

Concrete and Honey

Istar Olivera

Emma Lamb

Bella Bag's Blog

Gemmipop Designs

Tales of  junkaholic

Belle and Burger

Hope you can check them all out they are all fab and stylish blogs.

Hope you are all having a good week, I have done another page in my wedding scrapbook so will share that with you in the next couple of days.

TTFN
xx

I won a giveaway!!

Amazing! A litle while ago I won this gorgoues brooch on a blog giveaway from Mantahay. 

I received it in the post on my Birthday!!  It was so beautifully packaged as well.  Her blog is so cool and check out her awesome Etsy Shop.  I love her brooches so much, her use of vitage paper is right up my street.

Hope you area ll having a lovely weekend.

Hels

Things I would like in my new living room

As you can probably tell by the title post, here are some beautiful things from Etsy that I would just looooooove in my living/dining room:

LucillesAttic

happybdaytome

ricracandbuttons

prettydarncute

joevintage

sugartowne

winkinpossum

22BayRoad

irenesuchocki

sovietvintage

boqinana

WhiteDoily

Featured Blog

Hi everyone,
As promised, here is my featured blog of this week.  Meet Brittan from littleowlarts, I have been folowing her blog for a little while now, and she is so sweet and real.  She sells her own handmade jewellery, beautiful felted items, handmade paper and artwork in her gorgeous Etsy shop I hope you will have a little look at her blog and her shop, I am certain you will enjoy them as much as I have:

Tell us a little about yourself:
 
I love birds, especially owls, parrots, ducks and chickens. I dream of having my own farm house and many soft and furry critters running around outside of it. I am a bird in the woods with leaves in my hair. I love wool, paper, gardening, and soft rain... I am a multi media artist, gardener, herbalist and educator! Currently, I live in the seaside town of Gloucester, Ma with my boyfriend, Andy, shepherd Jacob, muppet pup Veda and wild parrot, Miss Posey Bird. If you would like to contact me my email is littleowlarts@yahoo.com
 
 
 
 
What is your idea of the perfect day?


I don't know, that is tough to answer, but I love days where I am totally engrossed in creating. When I feel totally inspired and motivated and can't stop working, that makes me happy. Also being outside on a really nice day that isn't too hot or cold working in my garden or going swimming off the rocks at high tide, these things all make me happy. I also love going on outings with my man and our animal friends for the day or weekend. I think these could all qualify as perfect days for me.

What wouldnt you leave home without?

A sketch book and pen or pencil, also my watercolors... I usually bring a bag with me everywhere that has pens, a sketch book, my ipod and wallet in it...
 
 

What are your favorite shops?

I don't know if I have a favorite shop, I love the flea market that goes on around here on sundays during the nice weather. We usually go every weekend that we are able!
 

What is on your wish list?

I would love to be able to have my own space... some land with a house or yurt to live in, no crummy landlords. I would also love to be able to go on a really nice vacation.
 

What is your favorite bargin find or product?

I am not sure, I love going to the flea market and finding things that I have been looking for really cheap!

Who is your favorite artist and why?

I would have to say georgia o'keefe... her art has always grabbed and inspired me, it is so flowing and smooth and the colors are amazing! I also love Monet, I adore his water lilies, they are one of my favorite plants!
 

Where do your find inspiration?

all over the place... nature (we live in the woods up the street from the ocean), but also from other people, art, music, there is alot that inspires me. Also my family, my boyfriend is really encouraging, and my dogs and bird are also inspiration for me!
 

Do you collect anything?

If so what? ugh, loaded question. I have lots of little objects and things from nature that I have collected, stones, sea glass, leaves, etc... I also tend to collect things that have something to do with my art, such as supplies (like wool or paper), although I am not sure if that is really collecting... However, I am trying to downsize, so I am trying not to really collect anything more until we know where we will be next.

 

Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?

I don't know, there are a great many people that I would love to have time to have conversations with. Georgia O'keefe, of course, also maybe Tasha Tudor, she was so fascinating and independent, I would love to hear some of her secrets! I would also love to have some more time with my Dad (he passed about 10 years ago), he loved having good conversations.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

I think I have become addicted to etsy and facebook, but I am also such a girl, I really love clothes.

What is your idea of a living hell?

Living on Mars in an artificial environment.

What are some of your favorite websites/blogs that you like to visit?

I love poking around on etsy and just found this site called we heart it that is really fun. Also I love reading Danielle's blog Dinosaur toes, Micaela's blog Dolce Vita, Coles blog Adventures in Love and Happiness, Patsibu, floddertje, and many others! I also like finding new and interesting blogs with great photos.

Hoping you are having a beautiful day!

xoxo

Brittan

Thanks so much to Brittain for answering my sfgirlbybay inspired questions, see you all tomorrow.
xxx