Scarlet Pyjamas

Sculpture Day is 30!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 21:19:00 +0000

Happy 30th Birthday to the Gateshead Sculpture Day!

I've written a lot lately about the fun that can be had at this awesome event, and this year certainly did not disappoint! The weather was unseasonably glorious and the families of Gateshead were out in force - I don't think there was a patch of grass unoccupied in the Grove!

Rather than babble on about everything that went down, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking. So settle yourself down and enjoy some crafty creativity!

Behind the scenes - all the tools you need to create your masterpiece!

Check out that sky! Uncharacteristically beautiful weather for September.

Just some of the families out getting their sculpture on!

One of the school groups' beautiful reed work.

As you'd expect with a theme of 'Home', there were a lot of dens and forts - this one was impressive in scale!

A welcoming front door, complete with knitted wreath.

The view from the top of the hill. By the afternoon, many of the sculptures were in the 'embellishment' stage.

Tents and wigwams, a perennial favourite.

The Mayor and Mayoress joined the festivities and I had the pleasure of accompanying them round the park.

I think these tortoises were my favourite interpretation of the theme of 'home'.

A sweet representation of our region's famous landmark - the Tyne Bridge.

An impressive cityscape (with moving parts!)

A spider in its web - another awesome interpretation!

For some makers, the theme of 'home' had a very pertinent, global resonance. With so many refugees travelling around Europe, trying to find a new place to call home, the subject of welcome (or lack of it) was a very moving one.

This, to me, looked like a very serviceable shed!

A sweet literary interpretation of the brief. This one sat very comfortably amongst the trees of the park.

The creativity and resourcefulness of people never fails to impress me. Need a table to have your lunch on whilst you take a break from sculpting? Why not make one!

The Mayor and Mayoress cut the cake.

So that's it all wrapped up for another year! I've already heard a few rumours of what the theme may be next year - all I can say is, it's going to be a fun one!

Were you there? I'd love to see a picture of your creation.

If you build it, they will come...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 21:09:00 +0000

Man oh man this week has been crazy.

With J away in Sweden once again and wall-to-wall deadlines for me, I am literally counting the hours until the weekend when we can all kick back and take a breath!

Luckily, we have an awesome weekend of fun plans ahead of us. On Saturday, my lovely friend Becky is tying the knot up in Northumberland. She's been crafting up a storm to decorate her venue and I can't wait to see the fruits of her labours. (Seriously, I've never seen someone crochet so hard!)

A hive of activity!

Sunday brings an awesome opportunity to get outside and blow away those cobwebs - it's Sculpture Day time again, hurrah! As I mentioned in my last post, the theme this year is 'Home'. I think it's a really lovely one with tons of potential - not to mention a great opportunity to celebrate the awesome place we live! (For those of you reading outside of the North East, you should know, Geordies have a tremendous amount of pride in our part of the world!)

As we'll have an extremely rambunctious 2 year old in tow, this year we will be spectators as opposed to builders, but I just couldn't resist revisiting some of our team's creations from years passed!

How it all starts, a big ol' pile of wood and some speedy brainstorming!

Our first year, the theme was movies. We went down the 'classic' route with our fire-breathing Godzilla sculpture (complete with tiny little stick people round his feet!)

The following year, the theme was silver. Admittedly, this one was a bit of a head scratcher at first and it was tricky to settle on an idea that everyone was on board with (though, to be fair, we are an opinionated bunch!). In the end, we took a mythological direction and created a werewolf being defeated by a silver bullet (by the light of a silver moon). This guy stood at nearly 7 feet tall and was pretty darn intimidating!

Our third year was probably our most polished sculpture - a showjumping horse (the theme was Sport - we were celebrating the United Kingdom hosting the Olympics, the whole country went sport crazy!)

- - - -

If you're feeling inspired, the Sculpture Day takes place from 11am at Saltwell Park in Gateshead. Bring a picnic and some ideas (tool hire and nails are available on site) and I'll see you there!

Farewell to Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 20:22:00 +0000

Summer and I have a bit of a complicated relationship.

I mean, of course I love the long days and the endless opportunities to eat ice cream. However, as an extremely pale Northern British person, I have a borderline vampiric reaction to the sun. After 10 minutes in the sunshine I can practically feel myself starting to smoulder. It ain't pretty.

So, when September rolls around and autumn is on the horizon, I can feel myself starting to relax. Autumn I can do. The knitwear, scarves and the universal desire to put cinnamon on everything? Yeah. Autumn is pretty much the best season out there.

Autumn is also a season clustered with fun. Obviously there's Hallowe'en, Bonfire Night and (if you're so inclined) Oktoberfest. But also, round our neck of the woods there's a ton of other stuff I look forward to all year. The illuminations at the coast, the Lumiere Festival and the annual Saltwell Park Sculpture Day.

The latter is just around the corner in fact (it falls on Sunday 27th September this year) and - if you can believe it - is in its 30th year (just like yours truly ;) ). It's a really cool set-up - at the beginning of the day, a huge pile of wood is arranged in the centre of our beautiful park and families come and build something on the year's theme. And it's all free! In my pre-baby years, my family and I had a regular meet-up there, armed with tools and ideas. It really was so much fun and I can't wait to start building there again when our little dude is a bit older.

Our 'Sport' themed entry in 2011.

This year's theme is 'Home', which I think is a rather lovely one for their anniversary year. Even though we'll only be attending in a spectating capacity, I couldn't resist a little brainstorm of the kind of things you could build around 'Home'...

• Your house / a house

• A place an animal calls home e.g. a bear's cave, a dog kennel, a bird's nest

• Something that represents the region/town/country you call home - such as a landmark ie. the Angel of the North / the Eiffel Tower etc

• Something that makes you feel at home e.g. your bed / your sofa

• Someone who makes you feel at home e.g. your parents / children / family / pet

• A doll's house

• The home ground of your favourite sports team

• A little town or village

• An unusual example of a home i.e. a houseboat / tent / caravan / castle

• A habitat for an animal / creature e.g. a tree / seascape

I'd love to know - what would you build on the theme of home?

Draw Lent: Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 19:53:00 +0000

Day 43: Experimenting with repeating pattern. Might have to get this one made into something real on Spoonflower.

Week 7 - the final week (not like that fake final week we had...). Part of me is sad to see the back of #DrawLent, though another part is a little bit pleased to have reached the end of the project - drawing every day is tiring! But mostly, it's been a hoot. Going to give my Wacom tablet and pencils a much needed holiday for a few days now though! Thanks for following along!

Day 44: Mike Wazowski. A firm favourite in the SP household.

Day 45: Was feeling a bit scandal today. Wondering if this one would work as a repeating pattern?

Day 46: This pretty much happens every time we read a book.

Day 47: Pretty much explains itself. Happy Easter y'all!

Draw Lent: Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:46:00 +0000

Day 36: Just can't keep away from birds. Today a British garden regular - the blue tit.

Week 6. Drawing every day just feels part of my routine now - it's been a really wonderful exercise. I feel myself loosening up, not overthinking drawings and just letting myself doodle without pressure. It feels really, really good.

Day 37: The last ever episode of Glee. I loved this show, even saw the live tour back in the day. It may have had its ups and downs in terms of quality, but it's definitely one I'm sad to see the back of.

Day 38: Nichelle Nichols. A living legend. Was really happy with this one...

Day 39: An evening out does not mean an evening off! You gotta work with what you've got!

Day 40: Megara from Disney's Hercules. An underrated movie in my book.

Day 41: The mandarin duck. Hands down the prettiest of all the ducks.

Day 42: I went digging through some of my old teenage notebooks and rediscovered Emily the Strange. Man that took me back!

Draw Lent: Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 17:30:00 +0000

Day 29: 'Mingo! (My son's current obsession)

In week 5, I truly believed I was on the home stretch! We were so close to that magical 'Day 40' (of 40 days and 40 nights of Lent fame). It was a very satisfying feeling. Until head #DrawLent honcho, Gary, informed me that we didn't stop at 40 and instead went through to Easter Sunday. A whole extra week. Apparently I don't understand how Lent works...

Day 30: The inspiration just didn't flow today - but an illustration was still completed!

Day 31: We had a partial solar eclipse in the UK. Which it was too cloudy to see. So I drew Ursa Major instead.

Day 32: Oh help! Oh no! It's a Gruffalo!

Day 33: The Clangers are coming back (with Michael Palin on board no less)! I'm super psyched.

Day 34: Little dude grew out of another pair of shoes today. Bittersweet.

Day 35: Set myself a 5 minute pencil sketch challenge. Frankly I'm amazed it's taken this long for a Disney Princess to turn up!

Draw Lent: Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:30:00 +0000

Day 22: Had this one in the ideas pile for a while. These should be a real thing, am I right?

Week 4 was a funny one. I got a bit ambitious. Perhaps over ambitious. I found myself trying to do something intricate and full blown every single day - which was great, until it started to feel overwhelming. I was (for the most part) really happy with the drawings, but I was starting to put pressure on myself, which is so far against the point! So I pulled back, went for a more simple approach and balance was restored.

Day 23: Personal hero - Caitlin Moran

Day 24: This one seemed to resonate with a lot of people over on Twitter. Nice to know I'm not the only one!

Day 25: Nature is an endless source of inspiration. Believe it or not, this bug is based on a real insect!

Day 26: Jareth. I'll level with you guys, I'm not 100% happy with this one, but that's kind of the point of #DrawLent - no preciousness, just get something out there!

Day 27: Mary Poppins - after a few days of very intricate drawings, it was nice to do something stripped back and simple

Day 28: Maneki Neko. Because we could all do with a little luck.

Draw Lent: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 17:15:00 +0000

Day 15: On this day I was reading 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' - here's how I imagined Precious Ramotswe

By week three of #DrawLent, the ball was officially rolling. Instead of wracking my brains when it came to sit down and draw, I was finding that I had ideas in place for days ahead! Did you guys hear about that theory Jerry Seinfeld has about turning creativity into a habit? It totally works! By this point I was in such a groove I couldn't imagine 'breaking the chain' as he puts it. I would definitely recommend trying it if there's a creative habit you want to grow.

OK, enough waffle - here's this week's drawings!

Day 16: I couldn't imagine drawing Audrey Hepburn in anything other than black and white

Day 17: This day was a great example of being completely unwilling to break the chain and powering through. I was exhausted, with what seemed like zero creative space in my day - yet I managed to fit in a mega quick little doodle whilst I was waiting on the tea to come out of the oven. And the chain remained unbroken!

Day 18: I think I'm going to turn this one into a free cross stitch pattern - what do you think?

Day 19: This day was Mother's Day. I completely neglected to draw anything maternal and drew Maleficent instead!

Day 20: Foxes. Cute and hip until they wake you up with their nocturnal fight club.

Day 21: This day I learned that in Australasia, they have pink breasted robins. Wonderful! (Can you guys tell I have a real thing for drawing birds yet?)

Draw Lent: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:56:00 +0000

Day 8: Today coincided with the Parks and Rec finale. How could I draw anything else?

Week 2 of #DrawLent was a good one.

I really started to get into the groove of drawing every day. Honestly, it's been a great exercise - I'd definitely recommend it. After a first week of mostly hand-drawn stuff, I decided to let my commercial style creep in. It feels natural and comfy and there ain't anything the matter with that!

We're almost 3/4 of the way through over on Twitter if you want to follow the project live. If you want to see everyone's efforts, just search for the hashtag #DrawLent.

Day 9: Magpie. Symbol of our local football team and all round beautiful bird.

Day 10: I have thought this many times and often...

Day 11: Found this beauty on Pinterest. Nature is amazing.

Day 12: My folks just got back from Mexico with a boatload of Frida swag. They get me.

Day 13: Designed this for a friend, inspired by Satsuma Street's awesome designs

Day 14: A super mega-quick sketch of Aang - lead in one of my all time favourite shows.

Draw Lent: Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 17:25:00 +0000

Day One: Setting the Scene

My dear friend Gary set me a challenge just over a week ago.

Instead of giving something up this lent, take something up. Namely drawing. One drawing for each of the 40 days of lent. I totally loved this sentiment, taking something up seems so much more productive and enriching.

Yes! I was in. I do illustrate fairly regularly for clients, but this was a fabulous opportunity to do drawings that were quick, no opportunity to overthink or dilly-dally. (As a result, the drawings I've submitted are rather sketchy and, at times, a little rough around the edges, but honestly I could be happier about it! Goodness, I can be so precious about my illustrations sometimes...)

Here's a digest of the first 7 days. We're posting over on Twitter using the hashtag #DrawLent. You can follow my submissions here. Alternatively, Gary's doing a regular summary here.

Oh! And it's not too late to play along. Tag your drawings, we'd love to see them!

Day 2: Janelle Monae

Day 3: Sarah and Duck (for Milo)

Day 4: Suzy and Sam from Moonrise Kingdom (I think I'll be revising this one in later weeks)

Day 5: A mid-century modern experiment

Day 6: A typographic doodle whilst watching the Big Bang Theory

Day 7: A musing on the fact that my little dude loves T-Rexs but is terrified of penny whistles.

Every Day is Pancake Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 20:50:00 +0000

I love pancake day. In our house, it's regarded as one of the high holidays.

This evening, Little M and I tucked into an enormous stack of pancakes (seriously, it might have been too enormous. I'm Christmas levels of full). It all got me thinking - why are pancakes confined to one day of the year?

I'm serious. We're all grown ups here. Why do we wait until our calendars tell us we're allowed? Every day could be pancake day if we wanted it to be. I guess I'm using pancakes as a metaphor for a larger issue here. We should be in the habit of treating ourselves a little more often. Wear sequins to the supermarket. Go out for ice cream on a school night. It's these tiny little things that bring a little joy to the every day.

So, go out there and - as Donna and Tom would say - treat yo' self!

Scarlet Pyjamas + Mr XStitch

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:30:00 +0000

Hey guys! Just a quick one from me today!

Last week I was thrilled to be featured on the awesome Mr XStitch website - and if you head over there you can read an interview with me by the awesome Jess, who runs the 'Loadofol'bobbins' section.

The idea of being featured on such an awesome site still blows my mind. It's such a treasure trove of crafty awesomeness and to be featured alongside the artists they show there is a real honour.

Here's a little snippet of the interview (you can read the full article here).

What is your earliest stitching memory?

I’m sure I dabbled in crafts as a child, but my first real memory of sewing was trying to learn blanket stitch at Girl Guides. My effort was, frankly, shocking – something only a mother could love (in fact she still has it!)

My Top Ten Awesome Things to Do on the Internet (now your tax return is done)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 16:47:00 +0000

If you're a self-employed type here in the UK, January brings a special kind of dread. For 'tis the season of the tax return.

It's a bleak time. One where many of us will procrastinate like absolute pros to avoid thinking of the dreaded task. Today, however, is the deadline. Whilst I would never encourage you to dilly dally when it comes to settling up with HM's R&C, I have compiled an awesome list of super fun shenanigans for you to binge on once you're free from self-assessment's icy clutches. Go on. Fill yer boots.

1. The Benedict Cumberbatch Name Generator

Quite literally hours of fun.

2. Find out how much life on Earth has changed since you were born

Stats nerd like me will love this. The BBC's service works with your date of birth to tell you how far through the galaxy you've travelled and what species have been discovered (or lost) in your lifetime - plus so much more that you didn't know you needed to know!

3. Watch The Ultimate Showdown (of Ultimate Destiny)

If you're not singing this for the rest of the day, I'll eat my hat (which I knitted whilst avoiding my tax return...)

4. Read an awesome magazine for women, by women

OK this one is a bit of a shameless plug, but if I can't do that on my own blog where can I? Some of you may know that by day I'm a designer/illustrator. One of my latest gigs is as a regular illustrator over at Standard Issue magazine. I love it and I love them - and I have a feeling you will too!

5. Relive your misspent youth with Strongbad

If you were a noughties teen (I know, I know, I hate that phrase too - if anyone has a better way of putting it do let me know), you'll know Strongbad. If you weren't, educate yourself.

6. Take a class, learn a thing!

I bloody love Skillshare. It speaks to both the geeky school kid in me who took extra classes (oh yeah, I was cool) and my curious (read nosy) side that wants to peer over people's shoulders and get the skinny on their process. And what posters they have up in their studios. I'm just starting out with Jessica Hische's lettering class and it looks amazing.

7. Find out where Beyoncé gets her ideas from!

Did you guys know that the infamous 'Single Ladies' dance was actually directly inspired by a Bob Fosse choreographed piece from the '60s? No? Me neither. Jaw on floor.

8. Take a lesson in pronunciation

Hilarious. But now I've forgotten how to pronounce it properly...

9. Take this quiz to find out which element you'd bend if you lived in Avatar: The Last Airbender

It's certainly solved some debates in this house. I still regret never dressing Milo up as Aang whilst he was still a baldy baby. C'est la vie.

10. Stop a song from being forgotten

4 million songs unlistened to! That's insanity. Let's spread the love a little.

What's your number one internet time waster? Come on, we've all got one!

30 in the year of 30!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 21:29:00 +0000

A month ago I hit the big 3-0.

We packed up the car and a gaggle of lovely friends to have a fabulous weekend at Center Parcs. I think this picture pretty much sums up the vibe - excited children with equally giddy 'grown ups'. (Oh and this is pretty much what passes for a family portrait with Milo. The kid is an unphotographable blur).

Before the big day, people kept asking me - 'Oooh, how does it feel to be getting old?' My response?
Honestly it feels about right. I feel 30 and I think I like it. It really feels like the start of something good. My twenties were full of some wonderful ups and some serious downs. All in all, it's just fine by me to be drawing a line under them and moving on up.

I found a ton of blog posts where people had listed their 30 thirty things they wanted to do before they turned 30. Uh-uh, not for me. That sounds far too much like as soon your twenties end, it all goes downhill. Nope - I've decided on a '30 things I want to do NOW I'm 30'. Much more positive!

(Actually it's part of a much bigger list of goals for 2015, but 30 in 30 has a ring to it doesn't it?).

So, here comes the list!

1. Start blogging again (tick right off the bat!)
2. Do a self-portrait
3. Learn how to make macarons
4. Open the bottle of Kamaritis I bought in Santorini years ago and drink it!
5. Take a family holiday abroad (somewhere sunny with fabulous food please!)
6. Launch Scarlet Pyjamas gift certificates
7. Watch Game of Thrones (I appear to be only one on the planet who hasn't seen it!)
8. Try 5 new local restaurants
9. Visit Yarndale
10. Take a 24 hour internet detox
11. Beautify my back yard
12. Re-read a favourite book from my childhood
13. Try a 'Write or Draw Every Day for a Month' challenge
14. Make my own granola
15. Design a pattern and get it printed onto fabric
16. De-stash my craft supplies by only using what I've already got for new projects
17. Have a fondue party
18. Buy a proper grown-up pair of shoes
19. Finish 3 of my craft kits
20. Get a manicure
21. Have a date night with J
22. Learn 3 songs on my ukulele
23. Have a mega clear-out at home
24. Do something awesome for J's 30th birthday
25. Eat more fruit
26. Launch a new line of Pixel Portraits
27. Buy a bunch of flowers for each season
28. Take a road trip to Edinburgh
29. Cook 1 recipe from every cookery book I own
30. Make a new quilt

I feel excited about this list. Just writing it down makes me itchy to log off and get started - so off I go!

Do you have any big resolutions or goals for 2015? Let's make it great guys!

Not Your Grandmother's Samplers...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 18:15:00 +0000

When you think of samplers, I'm guessing this is the kind of thing that comes to mind. Cross stitch in days of yore, whilst pretty in a folksy sort of way, isn't going to get the modern stitcher all a-flutter.

As a champion of all thing cross stitch, I've been thinking about this a lot recently. So many people think of this awesome little craft as something stuffy that old ladies do! Not so! There are hosts of amazing designers who are using their boundless creativity to turn this notion on its head.

Check out these bad boys. I bet you'll never think samplers are dull again...

http://andthenshewaslike.tumblr.com

"When Someone Asks If You're a God, Say Yes!"

A Ghostbusters sampler? Er... yes please!

http://etsy.me/1rYb1jD

Oh I Do Love to Be Beside the Seaside by Stitchrovia

This one is seriously tempting me and could very well be one of my next projects. Seriously lovely.

And it's on sale at the moment for £9.99!

http://thefrostedpumpkinstitchery.bigcartel.com

Once Upon a Time Sampler by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

These ladies are the absolute queens of kawaii cross stitch. The super cool twist here is that each panel is a surprise! If you sign up, a new panel will be emailed you on the 1st of the month.

http://etsy.me/WLEQZy

Superhero Alphabet Sampler by weelittlestitches

Samplers don't have to be flowery and girly. This one kicks ass!

Feeling inspired to pick up your needle? I know I am!

Do you have a favourite sampler pattern you can share?

Stitchy new-ness!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 18:00:00 +0000

Man, oh man you guys like to keep me busy!

Maybe you've been wondering why there haven't been any cross-stitchy updates lately? Well, in short, I've been too tied up sewing them to talk about them!

It hasn't stopped me filling up the Scarlet Pyjamas shop with basket loads of lovely new things for you lot though, oh no!

You've probably already guessed what the first item is from the picture above - yep, a Frozen portrait. I think I may have *actually* been the last person in the world to see Frozen (babies + cinema trips = hmmm) but once I finally did I absolutely had to stitch this. And the best bit? It's a instant download pattern so you guys can stitch it up yourselves for an incredibly bargainous price...

This next one I'm super excited about. And the best bit - you guys asked for it! Over the past year I've had a host of enquiries to the tune of 'This may be crazy, but we have a HUGE family - is X too many people?'. So for you lot who want to include the whole clan, I've created an extra giant super duper large portrait. I absolutely love stitching these. It's so much fun recreating family reunions and special occasions.

For the rest of the new-ness I'm going to have insist you head over the shop and take a look for yourselves! Ooh, wait, before you go - watch this. Cracks me up every time...

Music Video Monday: Mapei

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 May 2014 10:22:00 +0000

I woke up this morning annoyed.

Annoyed because of this. And this. Plus a host of other lesser irritants. On days like these, where nothing can be done, all that remains is for me to try and soothe my troubled mind. So, thank heavens for my beloved 6Music who introduced me to this gem of a tune.

So if you're feeling like me this morning, grab a pair of headphones and spend a quiet five minutes letting this loveliness wash over you. And it might just make you feel a little bit better...

A Letter to Myself as a New Mother

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 21:23:00 +0000

Tonight, we put to bed an eleven month old. Tomorrow, we wake up with a one year old.

It's a strange feeling. Remembering where we were this time last year. A two, waiting to become a three. Curious as to who this little stranger was going to be. So much has changed in the past year, it's like our lives have been struck by lightning. Electrified.

In a rare bout of nostalgia, I've been wondering what I would say if I could pass on any words to myself, as I was a year ago. A letter to myself as a new mother...

L,
Are you sitting down as you read this? You should be. Don't convince yourself that you should be up - you've just been through something seismic. You've earned a sit down. Rest. The cleaning/ cooking/ work emails can (and will) wait.

Take the time to drink in this new little person. Remember how he looks, how he sounds, even how he smells - like cinder toffee, how deliciously strange - it sounds like a cliché but this little bundle won't be like this long. He's a wanderer, your Little M. Curious, off on his own little mission of discovery for much of his days. Those precious, snuggly moments are fleeting.

You're confused and that's OK. Honestly it is. I know you've 'done the reading' - absorbing every piece of literature put in front of you. You've memorised the complex dance of clothing, layers and temperatures for perfect baby sleep. You planned out how your routine would be, unwavering from day one to create the best atmosphere and the happiest baby. But newborns and routines, they don't go together do they? You're starting to doubt. The advice now seems contradictory, complex and confusing. Trust your instincts, L. You know more than you think. If he's not crying, you did your job. Hell, even if he is - chances are you've done your best. Sometimes babies cry and there's not a damn thing you can do.

You're lucky. Being your own boss means you can be around him longer than many other mothers can. But there will be guilt. Guilt when you're working that you should be with him. Guilt when you're with him that you should be tending to your business. Unless you work out a way of cloning yourself, there's no perfect solution - so let the guilt go. If you can. When you can. It's not easy, but you'll be all the happier for it.

So much seems new and totally unmanageable. The feeding, the sleeplessness, the (shudder) colic. It all seems like an unscalable mountain right now, but hang in there. None of these things are a life sentence. Yes, you will hurt. You will cry with him. You will be so tired you hallucinate. But these things, that seem like they control your life? They get easier. Some will disappear altogether.

When they do disappear, and they will, they'll be replaced with moments of wonder. Seeing the world from his eyes is, literally, the most fun you've ever had. The sheer, uninhibited delight he will experience at seeing things for the first time. You'll feel it too. His enthusiasm is contagious - allow yourself to be swept up in it. Relax, put off the to-do list, enjoy being spontaneous.

You can do this, L. You can. This fierce, crazy love you have for this tiny guy will carry you over any obstacle. You are his, he is yours, you'll figure each other out sooner than you think.

Oh, and one last thing. You know how people keep telling you to sleep when he sleeps? Do it. Just do it. Like, now. Go.

Music Video Mondays: Retro Special!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 16:10:00 +0000

(Spice Girls in a No Doubt box. Behold my excellent filing system!)

I apologise in advance for this post, but it simply had to happen.

Herein lies some seriously cavity inducing sugary pop.

Whilst busy-ing myself on the Internet the other day, I was absent mindedly flicking through the music channels in the vain hope of finding something good to listen to. Whilst I failed in that task, I did happen upon this little 'gem' by S Club 7...

So cheesy, so catchy. Damn. There it was in my head for the rest of the day.

After that I just couldn't resist diving headfirst into the rabbit hole and off I skipped to that strange corner of YouTube where songs from your tween years live. Songs that, whilst they seemed awesome at the time, are rather cringeworthy in retrospect.

So, rather than brushing it under the carpet I am embracing my pre-teen uncoolness and presenting some choice '90s/'00s hits for your delectation...

Ah B*Witched. So much denim...

OK, I confess, I had this one on in the car the other day...

Actually, I'm reclaiming this one. Holds up I think!

The only dance routine I ever knew!

And to round off, the piece de resistance - to my mind the best '90s tune there ever was...

Is there a song you're willing to admit you still like from your tween years?

New Year, New Look

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 21:23:00 +0000

The eagle eyed among you will have already spotted this,

but Scarlet Pyjamas has an all new look!

As we stride into 2014, I thought it was time for a new set of digital clothes for the SP Blog - though it's not 100% finished, I was way too excited to keep it from you guys! (Those of you reading in RSS readers, please do come and take a gander). We've now got a much cleaner, sleeker look. More white space, fewer distractions - ah! I can breathe a sigh of relief just looking at it. I've had this styling in mind for so long, I couldn't be happier that it's finally here.

There are a couple of little additions coming soon, though I'm not launching those until I'm completely happy with them - all part of my resolution of refinement don'tcha know! They're going to take some learning!

I think my favourite part is that the comments section is now bug free! To celebrate, why not leave a message - just a quick 'Hi!' would do! I'd love to make your digital acquaintances...

Taking Down and Taking Stock...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 21:41:00 +0000

I don't know about you but I just can't focus on the year ahead before

I've taken down the Christmas tree...

Even after the big day, as long as it's up I live in a kind of festive limbo. Never quite allowing the new year and all of its promise (and commitments) to permeate my little bubble.

When I'm in the bubble, I can totally justify spending a morning watching old movies and pottering about till noon in my PJs. Lebkuchen becomes a completely acceptable (and encouraged) breakfast food. "I did a bit of knitting and then dithered on the Internet" is a typical answer to the question "What did you get up to today?"

But then January 2nd rolls around.

It always sneaks up on me a little bit. How can a day so ordinary, so back-to-work, be so close to the celebrations and fun of New Year?

To combat those January blues, you must, must, must get a pen and paper and plan! Honestly guys, I swear by it. Knowing all the awesome things you have in mind for the next 365 days, seeing them all in one place and (this is the important part) choosing to be excited by the prospect instead of overwhelmed...

This year, my head was literally so very full of dreams and goals I'm breaking them up into separate resolution lists for the different parts of my life I want to improve. To get the ball rolling, I wanted to share a few personal things I'm going to be working on in the year to come...

:: Refine ::

I'm going to go into more detail about this in a later post, but in brief, instead of my usual "I want to learn a million new things" attitude, I'm going to revisit some of the things in my life that I've dabbled in and hone my skills a little bit. Hopefully a lot more than a little! It's something I've been guilty of my whole life. I've always wanted to be into everything, but now I'm a bit older, it's time to become more of a master, than a jack-of-all-trades!

:: Let Go ::

This is probably going to be the hardest of them all, both to do and to define. It's about feeling happy with what I have, about accepting that I can't be good at everything and not beating myself up when I perceive some as being better than me at something. It's about choosing to either let the feeling go, or channeling it into motivation, to push myself to be better. It's also about relaxing more, if I possibly can, by pushing the things I really don't need to do out of my schedule. Inactivity has never been my strong suit, but I definitely think there should be more room to breathe in 2014!

:: Moisturise More! ::

OK, this one maybe doesn't have the gravitas of the others, but in all seriousness, I'm staring right down the barrel of the big 3-0 this year. I really need to up my game and get a proper skin care routine!

Have you got any personal resolutions you're working towards in 2014?

Project 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 10:58:00 +0000

Happy 2014 everyone!

I'll be checking in very soon with everything that's been going on around here lately, but first I wanted to tell you guys all about a really exciting initiative that's just started over at OhMyHandmade.

They're encouraging folks to start something amazing in January 2014 - whatever it might be - for themselves, for their crafty business or for the community around them.

In their own words:

"Project 2014 is a month dedicated to exploring what we want the year to hold and charting plans to make it happen."

Inspiring right? Personally, I woke up on January 1st with a head full of ideas (and once I'd given Little M his breakfast I was even able to jot a couple of them down!) Ideas for my businesses, ideas for personal projects, ideas for adventures - you name it!

I'll be back soon to tell you about them all in due course, but for now I'm turning it over to you guys! What are you planning for 2014?

Music Video Mondays: Pentatonix

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Image: Last.fm

This week I'm dangerously close to becoming a total fangirl for a new band I've discovered.

If you're reading over in the US I'm sure you're well aware of these guys but they were totally new to me over on European shores.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you - Pentatonix.

Amazing right!? In this post-Glee world, we're accustomed to hearing a cappella versions of well known songs, but this takes things to a whole new level!

Oh and just to prove that the awesomeness isn't all created in post-production, check them out live!

Did you discover any new bands lately?

Breaking Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 19:30:00 +0000

These past few weeks, I've been catching up on Breaking Bad.

As it stands I have 5 episodes left before the big finale (no spoilers please!). I know I'm a little late to the party on this one but it's not really appropriate family viewing so I haven't been able to binge watch. But guys. Seriously. It's getting insanely tense. Like, edge of your seat with gritted seat tense! I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the end without having to watch a Disney movie in between each episode, just to lighten the mood!

I have my theories on how it all might end, which are strikingly similar to this little masterpiece. It's pleasantly light and refreshing compared to the real deal...

I genuinely believe the kid playing WW might have Tony Awards in his future. Talk about committed to the bit!

Has anyone else not seen the big ending yet?

Erm... yeah... blogging...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 19:30:00 +0000

So. I kind of went away again for a while didn't I?

It seems that maintaining a regular blogging schedule, raising a baby, running two businesses whilst also remembering to do things like eat and shower has been a bit beyond me of late. I genuinely don't know how all those pro-bloggers with kids do it! I swear they must have Bernard's Watch or something...

(for those not in their late 20s and living in the UK - this here is Bernard...)

But I haven't forgotten about you guys - I promise! In fact I've been jotting down a whole bunch of ideas and draft posts for a while now. Apparently it's National Blog Post Month (or NaBloPoMo - much more fun!) - the idea being that you write a post everyday during November. As it happens I only found out about this on the 6th. So I sort of missed that bandwagon. But, it encouraged me to blog a little more frequently than I have been. Which lets face it shouldn't be hard!

So, yeah. Let's catch up! What have you been up to over the summer? Anything fun?

And for now I will leave you with a picture of Little M in a sailor's hat. Can't say fairer than that...

(If you *do* want to hear from me on a much more regular basis, have you followed Scarlet Pyjamas on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram? Come join the social network-y fun!)