What I'm Loving - June 2014

I always find June to be quite an exciting month, because to me it definitely feels like the first month of summer. This year is no different, and I'm already planning and anticipating lazy summer days ahead. I always notice that in the summer months, my crafting habits change and I tend to lay off anything involving wool. Maybe now would be the best time to start knitting, in order to finish for winter, but at the moment, my brain is just too preoccupied with florals and sandals to even think that far ahead.

Nail It: Pastel Checks

At the moment, I am loving checks on absolutely everything, so it was only a matter of time before they appeared on my nails. Instead of using a dark base, I used a pastel base to make them more summery (and because I am just obsessed with pastels at the moment). If you want to try them out yourself (and probably do a neater job than I have!), read on for instructions.

Free Printable: Sycamore Notepaper

Who loves free stuff? Everyone loves free stuff. I'm treating you all today by offering you the chance to print out your own sycamore notepaper, as designed by me. Read on for the printable freebies (woohoo!).

My Five Favourite Watches

As an avid watch wearer, you will hardly ever find me not wearing a time piece of some kind. Even when I forget to put a watch on in a morning (a rare occasion), I'll be glancing at my empty wrist throughout the day. To celebrate my love for watches, I thought I'd share my five favourite watches here.

Llandudno 2014

Hello all! Although I've been back from my mini break for a few days now, I've decided to post some pictures in an attempt to relive the holiday mood. It was a lovely early surprise for my 21st birthday (eek - I sound old), where I headed up to Llandudno with the family.

My Next Sewing Project

I have a confession to make. Remember when I said that I wasn't going to buy any more fabric until I'd used up some of my stash? I might have bought some more. But it was worth it. In my defence, I have been eyeing up this certain fabric for the past three or four months. So, when I completed my first major sewing project in a long while, I caved in and treated myself.

Mid-Week Treat: Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner for £2

Happy Wednesday, friends! Need a mid-week pick me up? Look no further than my latest favourite bargain - an Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner pen for the mere price of £2. This eyeliner pen normally retails at £16, which means an absolutely whopping discount of £14. So, with me being an advocate of winged eyeliner, I snapped it up in a heartbeat.

Making a Dress or Skirt Longer

I'll just come out and say it. I am super fussy about the length of dresses or skirts. For me, the difference of a couple of centimetres is all it takes for a skirt to be too long or too short. Making a dress or skirt shorter is easy - all that is required is a simple re-hemming. But what about when you actually need to add fabric? Hmmm...

Packing For A Mini Break

I'm heading away for a couple of days, to destination unknown (it's a surprise!). We all know that there are no rules when it comes to packing, but I just thought I'd share what I'm taking, as well as some personal packing habits I like to stick to.

Craft Books I Love: Dressmaking by Alison Smith

Sewing is something I've always aspired to, yet only recently got around to trying out properly. I think the problem I've had is that sewing something from scratch just seems very scary, a problem I've never come across when knitting or crocheting. When learning to knit and crochet I built up my skills very slowly, starting with the basics (scarves, of course) and working my way up. For me, there seems to be a large jump between the easy sewing projects (like sewing a tablet case) to the harder ones (e.g. sewing a coat - eek!). Some sewing patterns don't help the situation either, and I felt like I needed guidance as to mastering the basic skills. Which is where this book (and my mum) come in.

What I'm Wearing - Checked Denim and Cut Out Flats

I had a spend up in Primark this weekend, which is great because a spend up in Primark never actually comes to as much money as you think it will. For me, it's one of those places that's either spot on, or has absolutely nothing that I like. At the moment however, I'm having a little love affair with some of their stock - particularly their range of denim dungarees and dresses. Denim is my go to saviour, so I naturally fell in love with this checked denim dress.

Sewing A Dress For Beginners

Alternative post title: LOOK - I'VE MADE A DRESS!! Can I get a *whoop whoop* please? Thank you. I've been hinting at this project for a while on here, and even used some of the left over fabric to cover my headphones. Now that I've finally finished sewing it, I thought I'd share it on here, along with some tips for beginner's sewing that I've picked up along the way.

Morecambe @ Theatre Severn

*Bring Me Sunshine*

I go to the theatre nowhere near as much as I'd like to, so when my mum won some tickets for a show recently, I was only too happy to accept an invitation. Even more so when the show in question was Morecambe, a stage production which tells the story of Eric Morecambe.

Mid-Week Treat: £1 Pastel Blue Nail Varnish

I'm always a bit wary when buying very cheap nail varnishes. The nail varnishes I normally buy are made by well established brands, albeit it not the most expensive ones. Sometimes though, if I see a real bargain in a great colour, I'll pick it up anyway, thinking that at the very least I could use it to do some nail art. So, when I found this gorgeous pastel blue nail varnish for a mere £1, I figured it was at least worth a try.

A Cheat's Guide to Beading

Beading was something that I always aspired to you when I was young. The delicate beads, the glittery end result - it's a ten year old's dream. When I tried it though, I was too impatient to see the project through to the end, mainly because the fiddly nature didn't suit me. I still don't fancy trying it now. But where there's a will, there's a way, and I have recently discovered an incredibly quick and easy way to create your own beaded jewellery. Don't believe me?