University

It has been a long time since my last post and I have been pretty busy!
After moving house and starting my course I feel I am still not quite on top of things. I am writing this from the library at university where I am gathering sources for my essay due in next week. Although feeling ok about it, I am not sure I have left enough time! I am sure everyone is saying that whatever stage they are at though.
The course is going well so far and I am enjoying it. We are doing Maths, English, Science and Professional Studies before we go on our first School Experience and it has been an intense period of phonics, addition, subtraction and lesson planning to say the least. Having had a taster of what we can expect to be teaching at school, we will be going in on 2nd November for a 6 week block where we will develop to teaching 60% in the last week. We all feel a bit like we are being thrown in at the deep end. Tomorrow and Friday we are back in school to complete our preliminary days where we have been collecting info on the school policies as well as getting to know the children and teachers. I feel quite lucky as this week we are going to the cinema to see Monsters vs Aliens as a class outing!
Apart from being busy at uni, I have been to a bead fair and stocked up on supplies and will be having a jewellery party at my flat on 19th November. Feel free to drop by anytime during the evening. It is a relaxed event so you will be able to try on jewellery, look at buying gifts and have a nice evening chatting and relaxing. Hope to see you then.

What's been going on?

Hi everyone,
I thought I would give you a quick update on what I have been doing lately as I know I haven't really done any proper blog posts to give you any clues.
Since coming back from my holiday in July, I have left my job, been working in a school and bought a flat! It has been pretty hectic.
The reason I have left my job is because i will start a Primary PGCE (Teacher Training) on 21st September and I have been volunteering in a primary school for a week so far in preparation for that. This course is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now and I can't wait.
I have another week left in the school where I have been doing observations of the teaching methods and strategies before starting at the University of Winchester.
It has also been our friend's wedding at St Mary's Church in Portsea and it was beautiful I will put up some pictures in time.
We get the keys to our very own flat next Friday so I will be packing all our things away this weekend and our current flat is getting very small as the boxes pile up. We are very excited!
What have you all been up to?

French Holiday Part Two

It seems so long ago now but our holiday in France is still fresh in our minds, reminding us to relax as times get busier for us.

We stayed with friends in a village, Castelfranc, close to Cahors, on the river Lot. Despite our journey being long and tiring we eventually arrived - and I mean eventually! after being given wrong directions - to the welcome of a home cooked meal.

We relaxed into the evening and slept well before taking the hire car to Cahors. Cahors in a lovely lively city with lots to do, we were lucky enough to catch some live jazz as we sat with our coffees outside.

We then went on the 'beach' on the riverside. We sat and enjoyed the sunshine which by this time was quite warm and pleasant.

The weather got hotter throughout the day as we joined some friends playing Petanque and drinking beer before a dip in the pool when unfortunately the clouds came over and the sun disappeared! But it just made our appetite grow and we dined on Cassoulet for hours!

Over the week of our stay we swam in Lac Vert at Catus, a very green refreshing lake.We swam in the Lot and fished in the Vert that passed by the house. We didn't catch very much, a few fish and one lonely crayfish, not enough for dinner. We took a boat trip down river to an island in the river for a picnic and fishing. We enjoyed delicious pizza in a nearby town and took punting trips downstream.

Overall we had a great stay in a beautiful place with lovely people.

Questionnaire - Buying For Yourself

Hi everyone,
Hope you all had a great weekend, ours was busy visiting family in sunny Kent.
On Friday my colleagues and I had a lunch out as this is my last week at work!! I am starting a Primary PGCE at the University of Winchester in September. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time - it has been a long time since I have done any studying!
I will tell you more about that in another post - this post is meant for other things - a questionnaire for you all to complete, please :)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDR5R3lpU0ZjNWJqWFhJLXpBbkladkE6MA.. You can find the spread sheet here and it is quite simple with not many questions. I would really appreciate your answers so I hope you will take the time to complete it for me.
Everyone who completes the questionnaire will receive an entry into a prize draw to win an item of jewellery from my collection.
Thank you in advance.

Wedding Gift Guide

Now I have reached my mid 20's, the theme of the summer seems to be - weddings! A few of our friends are now getting married and it has reached the all important time to choose the gift.
I have compiled a small wedding gift guide that details a few gift ideas for either the bride or groom and a few gifts for both. Most people, will buy a gift for the couple together but I know from personal experience that sometimes you may want to buy one of the couple an extra gift as well.
When I got married two years ago, one thing that sticks out in my mind from before the wedding was choosing our wedding album. My husband was quite clear in what he wanted – a massive album that had it’s own box. We searched high and low to find one we both liked and in the end we didn’t find one until about a year after the wedding and suffice to say, the photos are still not stuck in! On my search I did find this website http://www.centralcrafts.com/ that sells beautiful photo albums and a range of guest books.
One in particular that I like is this one pictured that is £54.00 for the 33x40cm size that holds up to 450 4x6 photos (the product code is 04424 if anyone is interested!).
Another gift idea for a loved up bride would be a keepsake box and I have found the perfect one for keeping all your secret things hidden away.
This cute box is available on Dancing Wired's Etsy shop priced at $23.95 and as they say - it would make an ideal wedding gift.

A great idea as a gift for the groom (or even a bride!) is a pocket watch, to ensure they make it to the church on time. I found this one at Tempus Fugit's Etsy shop and love the detail on the outside.

The blue on the dial is gorgeous and deep, it seems like an ideal man's watch, but I still want it for myself.

A little extra gift for the bride and groom would be some gorgeous pampering treats - Lush have so many luxurious and fun bathtime treats, including massage bars, bath bombs, shower jelly and lots more to pamper yourselves with. Of course you could always treat them to some luscious candles to help them unwind after the big day, Yankee Candles have some amazing smells.

These are my limited ideas on gifts for the happy couple - have you any more ideas?

French Holiday Part One

During our stay in Normandy the weather was actually typically British! - some sunshine mixed in with rain and grey! Despite that fact we had a wonderful time and enjoyed visiting the local towns.

We visited Le Phare de Gatteville which is situated on the north east point of Normandy. Le phare means lighthouse in French and what a lighthouse it is! With it's 365 steps to the top, I was a little bit pleased it was too windy for a trip to the top on our visit, but at the same disappointed not to experience the great views from high above.

On the same day we visited a nearby town, Barfleur. It was a lovely sleepy seaside town with picturesque views and a distinctly fishy smell - it is a fishing town after all.

We stayed in a great 3 bedroom gite located only 30 minutes from Cherbourg. The owners were really friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The website here shows some good pictures of the gite, including it's location.

Near to where we stayed, was a town called Bricquebec which has a castle in it's centre where we enjoyed a gorgeous lunch of paella. After a slight mix up with obtaining a fork we were sat in the sunshine eating our lunch. After a walk around the market we strolled back to the car and came across a beautiful stream leading down someones drive way, what a great sight to see on your way home!

We did visit a few beaches while we were there and even had the opportunity to pick our own mussels from the rocks and take them home for tea. The beaches were great, so much sand and space but unfortunately the pictures make it look like it was a grey day with no sun - that was not the case. On the sand it was really hot and bright, by the water it was cooler in the breeze but I even went swimming one day! And if you know me, that was an achievement!

Zoo de Champrepus

Having just got back from a two week holiday in France, I am sure you can imagine i have lots to share with you. Today I will tell you about our visit to Zoo de Champrepus in Normandy.

This zoo is much like any other with the park split into different sections. On arrival we crossed over the bridge to visit the Farm Animals. Here are the usual farm breeds; goats, sheep, cows, horses and donkeys.

We went on through to the Tropical Zone to find tiger, leopard, chmipanzees, a marmoset, Scarlet Ibis, Chilean Flamingo and macaws.

We passed back over the bridge and progressed to Madagascar in search of the lemurs who we then saw being fed. These cute creatures do let out a terribly loud cry from time to time though!

As you round a corner you are greeted by three lovely giraffes! We sat and ate out lunch gazing at them eating theirs! Their funny faces made us smile as they munched on their grass. Keeping them company in their enclosure were Oryx, Ostrich, Blesbok and Zebra. These active animals kept us entertained on our journey around the enclosure. the baby zebras were so cute! The meerkat's watchful eyes followed you as you passed by, they want you to look at their cheeky antics.

The lions were sleeping when we walked past them - as soon as we left them, they got up and promptly lay back down again as we turned back!

Overall the day out was lovely, lots of animals to view and see in their own environments (as much as possible). if you are ever nearby and love animals, it would be worth visiting.

Bakerella

I am back from my holiday and in the mood for cake! I have been subscribing to Bakerella's blog for a few months now and am very impressed. The recipes are in depth and the pictures are amazing, you want to reach into the screen and pick up the cake to eat it right away.

I have not attempted any of the recipes yet but am planning to over the weekend, I think I will need a whole day to do any of them justice.

Take a look at her blog, but beware - it will leave you hungry and craving cake.

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

The 10 Novels I Have Most Enjoyed Reading

Today I would like to share with you some books that I have really enjoyed reading. I am part of two local book groups so you can imagine that I read quite a few books!

The two groups work in different ways:
The library group - the library buys in sets of books and we are allowed to choose each year 5 books from the list and then a final list is compiled for the coming months, usually including every one's number 1 book. I often have to read books I never would have chosen, I mostly like them but at times hate them!
The social group is a group of girl friends that meet about every 4-6 weeks and we do aim to discuss the book and mostly we do - for the first half an hour anyway, then we get on with catching up, eating cake and drinking wine! We each take it in turns to choose the next book and host the group.

I will get back to the original topic of the post now: The 10 books I would recommend reading

1. Out by Natsuo Kirino
This thriller is written by a Japanese author and is written brilliantly. With lots of twists it will keep you reading til the end.

2. The Girls by Lori Lansens
This moving book was a great read, told through the eyes of conjoined sisters, the two very different lives of the conjoined twins.

3. The BFG by Roald Dahl
One of my favourite children's books, this lovely story really captures the imagination.

4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The film fits perfectly with this book, while reading it you can imagine everything in great detail and on seeing the film, you realise that how you imagined it is correct. The author really tells the tale well, allowing you inside the character's lives.

5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
One of the very few books I have read twice. I read this as a teenager and obviously missed a lot of the meaning behind it. On re-reading it for a book club I found it a remarkable story and thoroughly enjoyable.

6. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Another children's book that I really loved reading: the stories are so imaginative and take you to another world.

7. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Having read this a very long time ago, I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it - so much so that I read it a few times, something that is very rare for me but shows that I must have enjoyed it. I think it would be interesting to see if I still enjoyed it now.

8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
This was a very thought provoking book, the subject matter is touches on events in the future that may or may not be too far in the future.

9. The Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
This surprising story has so many twists and turns you won't know what is coming next.

10. What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt
This booked is packed full of artistic references and snippets of history from across the water. It had some really interesting pieces of information that kept you reading. The characters were varied and realistic, and you wanted to find out what happens to them.

In my list, I have forgotten two other books that were really good:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Morgan and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. But don't read these if you don't want to cry!
Have I missed any great books? Or do you disagree with my choices? Let me know!

Butterfly House

Today I visited Cumberland House Natural History Museum in Portsmouth. They have a butterfly house at the back and between May and September it is butterfly season. This was the first time I have visited this year and the butterflies were quite different to last. Obviously a lot of them were the same, but there were a few I don't remember and one amazingly beautiful bright blue butterfly that unfortunately just wouldn't stop still for a photo.

Here are a few I managed to capture

After seeing these beautiful creatures this morning I then joined some friends on the common for a BBQ and a few games of rounders. The sun was lovely and warm, and it was good to sit out and do nothing. After eating we started out rounders tournament which was not helped by the light weight ball being carried by the wind unexpectedly and not very helpfully! Overall it was a very fun day. I am now recovering my aching legs and red shoulders.

Weekend Wonders

I always look forward to the weekend, it is the time I get to lie in, relax and do whatever I want! Well mostly anyway - the past few weeks have been really busy and I am very much looking forward to laying in bed all morning tomorrow.

The weekend is also a time to indulge, whether it be in food or purchases, it is a good time to do whatever you want.

I have chosen 5 things from around the web that are particularly wonderful to enjoy this weekend. I am pretty hungry so the main theme is food!

These gorgeous little things are a massage bar from Lush that smells divine and leaves you skin oh so soft when rubbed in. It really does leave you smelling good enough to eat - while buying this in the store, the shop assistant advised that as well as smelling good enough to eat, you really can eat the chocolate within! I am not sure I would want to, but if I got desperate enough, who knows!This brilliant orange sunset is over the Solent from the Isle of Wight. This amazing photograph was taken by my sister who is lives on the Isle of Wight and photographs in her spare time. This such sunset can usually be seen over the summer and is a typical view of the beauty on the Isle of Wight.

I have the perfect recipe for a chocolate cake that I would like to share with you - unfortunately you will have to wait as I don't have it with me to write up now. This pictyure will have to keep you going until you can make your own.
But, please note, this cake was not made by using the recipe I will give you - it is just a picture from Google!!

Although not food, this lovely shrug would be an indulgence. Having an occasion to wear something like this would be an indulgence!

I found this while browsing on Etsy and have discovered this seller - Angelina Design her work is very individual and I await the day I have an excuse to buy this shrug.

My last indulgence for today is a picture of my favourite crumble... ever! Using up the last of our fruit, I created a Cherry and Apple Crumble. Although I am sure this is something many people have eaten and made themselves, it was new to me! Now I make it whenever I can.

Enjoy the weekend, and let me know what you enjoyed doing.

Summer Wedding

Last weekend saw the first family wedding since my own and it was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly and we all looked stunning in our posh frocks. My sister and I (shown below) kept getting called each other's names! We don't look that much alike!

The bride and groom looked very happy and we all enjoyed catching up after so long. The wedding was in a small church in Wilford, Nottingham with the reception at a local golf club. The weekend went by very quickly and in no time at all I was back at work on Monday.

On Tuesday, I found myself accompanying my friend to spend a day in the secondary school observing Year 7 classes. It served to confirm why I want to teach at the primary level!

After an already tiring week, we have some friends visiting this weekend so we will be catching up with them and hopefully enjoying the sun. Have a good weekend everyone.

Live Music - The Fat Fox, Portsmouth

I apologise greatly for the delay in this post, back in April we went to see a few bands at a local pub and I have been meaning to write something about them for some time now.
I won't embarrass myself too much as I am not that good at writing reviews, all I will say is that I am giving my honest views on the gigs!
The first act on were You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons who are a local band to Portsmouth. Their music is as they quite rightly say - hip, sexy and magical. You enter another world when listening to their music, allowing you to imagine what you will. It was a performance appealing to all tastes and with much to look at was most enjoyable.
The next act on were Wilberforce Malaise and The Family Disco and as you can tell by the name it was an act of many talents. If you like the interesting and different then this is one you should see. The exciting sound of Wilberforce Malaise and The Family Disco will please both your eyes and ears with their technicolour show.
Thomas Truax was the last but by no means least, act of the night and what an act to finish on. As well as writing his own music Truax makes his own instruments which you can only imagine until you see that they are straight from his own imagination! He was a pleasure to watch and enjoy the sights and sounds that came from his creative mind.
Updated to include Thomas Truax's website 27/07/09

Chicago

After my rushed post last night, I thought I would write something more substantial on this bright and sunny day.


As I mentioned, I went to see Chicago last night at the King's Theatre in Southsea and I really enjoyed it.

Billy Flinn was played by Jimmy Osmond which attracted most of the audience to the show. He was good as this character.

I did find myself, unfortunately, comparing the show to the film which I have seen many times and love. After I had got over the differences, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The actors and actresses really shone and took to the characters well.
The additional songs in the show to the film were new and different, the show had some unexpected aspects that really added something special.

Overall it was a great night, I would definitely recommend seeing it if you get the chance.

The sunshine is amazing today, so bright and warm, I don't want to be indoors doing work on this nice day. I hope you are all outside too, enjoy the weekend.

Purple Jasper Ribbon Tie Necklace

I have just seen Chicago at The King's Theatre, Southsea... It was brilliant! Well worth going to see :) Had a really enjoyable evening.

Also just listed this necklace which you can find here

Dragonfly Earrings

Just a short post to say that I have just listed these lovely Dragonfly Earrings on Etsy - find them here, I am off to do some Wi fit exercise.

Long Time... No See

These past few weeks/months have been too busy to explain! Suffice to say that hopefully over the next few weeks I will be able to write some more blog posts and get more organised with my jewellery business. I am already thinking ahead to the autumn when I will begin having jewellery parties and getting ready for the Christmas period.
One thing I would like to share with you is something that I made for a gift but will be making more of in the future. This purse is handmade by myself using partly new material and partly material from old clothes (washed of course!!).I will be making some similar purses to sell, so please look out for them at http://shootingstar27.etsy.com They will each be one of a kind so you can be sure no-one will have the same as you.

Daisy Millefiore Bracelet

I have just listed this lovely bracelet on Etsy at www.shootingstar27.etsy.com

These cute round daisy millefiore beads are strung on a contrasting purple cord. The yellow and white daisies really stand out.

It can be found at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24851777

Etsy Shop

With new items being added weekly to my Etsy shop, it is worth taking the time to look - you may find something you like!



The newest item is the Starfish Necklace

The blues and greens of the glass beads echo the colours found in the sea and compliment the starfish charm.

This beautiful necklace would be a lovely gift for any sea lover and would match a casual outfit or even dress it up with black clothes for a stunning evening look.

Etsy Shop Now Open

Please see my Etsy shop for current items for sale. More items will be added in due course.
Thank you in advance.

A beautiful bunch of flowers

Following last weeks feature on flowers from other artists I now present to you my work that has a common theme of flowers.

Each piece is handmade by me and is available to purchase. The items will be available shortly on etsy.com and I will keep you updated on my shop there. You will be the first to know when it opens.

If you have any questions about any items you see and like, please feel free to contact me on star_027@hotmail.com

Featuring Flowers

I would like to begin this month with a blog post I hope to continue with. This time I am featuring other artists who have grabbed my attention with their flowery work - the theme being flowers!

Firstly I have come across a few different artists on the website http://www.deviantart.com/ and I would like to point out two whose work is really lovely.

Katty Kins

These beautiful roses are handmade and would look perfect on a charm bracelet, key ring, mobile phone charm, necklace, bag charm.... anything!

You can find more work by KattyKinns at http://kattykins.deviantart.com/ and her Etsy shop is http://www.kattykinns.etsy.com/

As she says her work is individual and one of a kind, you would be sure to step into spring with a bunch of these roses.

Albur Lily

The next artist is one that I also found on Deviant Art and I am particularly drawn to her Autumn Dusk bracelet. You can check it out at the link and you will soon see why I like it so much. The vivid purple really stands out against the other beads and the clasp really sets off the design. Albur Lily has other designs on Deviant Art that cover a whole range of different skills, crafts and mediums.

Snapping Rosie

This charming rose has been captured by Rosie Wibberley, a photographer based on the Isle of Wight. You can find more of her photographer on her website and you can purchase some of her prints from her Deviant Art profile. The stark colour against the very black background really caught my eye when browsing her work. The edges of the rose are really crisp in contrast to the blackness but the softness of the rose is still captured.

Photobeads

I have also come across this website that has some really cute flower beads. They would really look great as they do on their suggested projects or on a new design. They look very natural and appealing to the eye, they are simple yet stand out.

RachelleD

Last but not least, I would like to introduce another artist whose work I found on http://www.etsy.com/. All RachelleD's work features beautiful, brightly coloured flowers.

This amazing example shows just how attractive her jewellery is. Each item is individual with a striking personality to suit your own. These have certainly captured me and I am inspired by the designs.

Her work can be found for sale at her Etsy shop where I am sure you can find something appealing.

I hope you enjoyed browsing these artists work as much as I have done, I would like to continue to bring you the work of other artists as well as my own. The designs are inspiring and hopefully add some brightness to your day.

Links:

http://www.deviantart.com/
http://kattykins.deviantart.com/

http://www.kattykinns.etsy.com/

http://albur-lily.deviantart.com/

http://www.freewebs.com/snappingrosie/

http://www.rosiewibbs.deviantart.com/

http://www.photobeads.eu/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5139840

April Fool's

Hope no-one got too badly fooled today!
I have put some books on Ebay to sell so please take a look
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/star_027
Thank you

Aveeno Review

Over the past few weeks I have been trying out The Aveeno Moisturising Range sent to me by Aveeno Skincare Solutions. I do not suffer from particularly dry skin but I do love my skin to be soft and smooth. I was keen to test out the Aveeno products as they claimed contain naturally active ingredients, designed specifically for all types of dry skin. The colloidal oatmeal is such a natural ingredient that the Daily Moisturising Lotion contains. This was my favourite of the two products I tried for the following reasons:
Although it took a while to soak into my skin, it almost seemed to melt into it.
The lotion was not greasy and once absorbed into the skin left it feeling fresh and clean.
My skin felt smooth, even after the first application of the lotion, and stayed this way for most of the day. I did reapply the lotion in the evening but only as I was testing the product. Again the lotion took a while to soak into the skin but it didn't leave any residue or make my skin greasy or sticky.
The lotion also lasted well overnight and kept the moisture locked into my skin. I didn't need to use it as often as I did as it worked very well at keeping my skin soft.

The Aveeno Moisturising Cream is a thicker, creamier version of the lotion and I did prefer the lotion out of the two. The cream definitely did what it said on the tube, it kept my skin soft and smooth. I just preferred the lightness of the lotion for all over body use. I found the cream to better suited for hands and feet.
I would recommend the lotion and handcream to anyone really, as I said I do not have very dry skin but it did benefit my skin anyway.

I made a purse!

Just a quick update on what is going on with me.... not much really! Well not much relating to jewellery anyhow.
We visited family in Kent a few weeks ago which was very nice to see everyone and catch up on what they are all doing. We then went to Wales for a friend's birthday for the weekend. That was really fun, our friend had hired out a Youth Hostel for two nights and with 30 of us you can imagine what the party was like!
Then last week we took a trip to the newly opened Ikea in Southampton which suffice to say is very big... and busy! We did get what we wanted though and after our new chest of drawers being delivered on Sunday we just need to put them together and I can have a tidy bedroom for once (or for 5 minutes anyway).
This coming weekend we are having some friends over for dinner but I am out of inspiration with what to cook. Where we have been away for a few weekends and had busy weeks in between we have not really cooked proper meals, just cooked to eat rather than cooking a delicious supper. So I am out of practice in the kitchen.
Back to this purse - this year I am trying to think of different ideas to give people as birthday gifts. I am trying to steer away from buying things that people don't want or won't use. So far I have made a variety of sweets/chocolates that have gone down very well and this time I thought I would try my hand at making a purse. I found a tutorial on this great website that is full of crafty ideas posted by others who seem to be just as into crafts as I am. The tutorial itself is http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=101026.0 but I would recommend checking out the whole site as there are many good ideas on here. The tutorial was easy to follow and I made my purse within an hour (that's an over-estimate on time) and I did make two in case something bad happened to one!
Unfortunately I am in the library so cannot post any pictures of the purse, but will do over the next few days when I have finished the second one. I may keep this one for myself!

New Logo

You may all have noticed my new logo which has been specifically designed for me by Rosie Wibberley of Snapping Rosie Photography.
Please check out her blog to see her profile and more about her work.

29 Days Of Giving - The First Week

For the past five days I have been taking part in the 29 Day Giving Challenge and to be honest I have found it quite difficult! The first day was easy - I was going to a book club and took along some blueberry muffins I had made. The following days presented no extra ordinary opportunities to give something a bit more than I normally do.
I feel that I am quite a friendly, kind and caring person anyway so when I signed up to the 29 Day Giving Challenge I did think it would be easy. Although I do give a lot to others in my job, i.e. help, attention, time and thought, I do this almost every day and it is something that I do because it is my job. I signed up to the challenge so I could make a more conscious effort to be a better person. I don't know if anyone else ever feels that they are just going through life doing the same things day in and day out and not really appreciating the people around them, but I do at times. The challenge has prompted me to think more about how I speak to people and what I do for others and actually I do more than I thought. It has been eye opening to actively think about my actions and how they will impact on others.
Most of the things I have given this week have been kind words, a smile to a stranger and an ear to a friend, but I have felt good about giving these things and I know they were appreciated. perhaps making myself feel good about giving is not part of the challenge but I know it will help me keep giving for the remaining days in the challenge.

29 days of giving - Day 1 (9th February 2009)

Yesterday I signed up to begin 29 days of giving. I stumbled upon this idea by chance as I was looking at other's blogs. It seems to be a very popular idea in the US and hopefully will develop worldwide. Here is the website to explain a bit better than I can what it is all about http://givingchallenge.ning.com/ the basic idea is that you give something every day for 29 days and I imagine by the end of 29 days you will be so used to giving it will become natural to do so.
So yesterday was my number 1 day and I made some blueberry muffins to share with my book group. Although I do love baking and sharing my baked goodness, this proved to be quite a mission! I worked all day, got home at 5.30pm, waited til after dinner to start the muffins, prepared all the ingredients and then realised I had no eggs! I then had to run out in the pouring rain to buy some, all the while keeping an eye on the time. The muffins were only just ready when I had to leave my house but by the smiles on those eating them, the muffins were a success.
I will be updating my blog to keep up with my progress on the 29 days of giving, so please check back.

Valentine's Gifts

Valentine's Day is less than a week away, so come and buy your gifts here!

To buy any of these gifts, please email me (at star_027@hotmail.com) with your choices and how you will pay. You can either pay in cash or via PayPal.
If you choose to pay via PayPal I can post the item first class to you the next day so it should reach you the day after that.
Postage is £1.50 per item and each item will be individually wrapped in tissue paper before being packaged in a protective envelope.
If you have any queries, please ask.













White Bone Heart Necklace £7.50












Pink Glass Heart Necklace £7.50












Black Millefiore Heart Earrings £3.00

Blue Heart Bangle £5.00

Turquoise & Black Heart Necklace £7.50

Strawberry Phone Charm £2.00

Red Heart Pendant £15.00

Purple Heart Bracelet £5.00

Purple Cube Bracelet £7.50










Black Millefiore Heart Phone Charm £2.50

Blue & White Heart Bracelet £5.00

Black Heart Pendant Necklace £15.00