Give Me Magical

I've Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 18:40:00 +0000

let me begin by wishing you all a very happy new year...i hope 2014 is incredible for you. this is just a quick post to let you know that you can now find me over at wild honey, my new blog. i keep getting notifications that people are following give me magical on bloglovin' and various other places but all of my posts from here on out will be over at wild honey.

come and have a little look? you can follow the new blog on bloglovin, follow me on pinterest or for more snippets of my life, you can find me fueling my instagram addiction here

Wild Honey

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 21:07:00 +0000

i have some news...whilst this blog has been perfect for letting me get my feet wet, i feel like the time has come for a fresh start and a clean slate. i feel a lot more focused, inspired and confident about what i'm doing and where i'm headed than i did when i started give me magical. it's been a long time coming and i feel like i need to grab hold of it while i can. therefore, you'll now find me over at my new blog wild honey.

whilst you'll still see some of the same things there as you did here, i have a clearer image of what i want this new space to be, i have a stronger sense of myself now than i think i ever have and i think this new little nook of the internet will be the perfect place to channel that. it'll be a cleaner, more stripped back, more open version of give me magical and i love it already.

i really appreciate all the lovely comments and support over the last year or so and i'd love for you to come over and have a look at my new pad! i really hope you follow along, i've got a lot of exciting things planned.

you can follow the new blog on bloglovin, follow me on pinterest or for more snippets of my life, you can find me fueling my instagram addiction here ♡

Cornwall {Pt. 2}

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:02:00 +0000

last week, i promised another bunch of photos from our trip to cornwall...i went with a beach theme before so, today i'm going to show you some snapshots of the all pretty villages, blooming summer flowers and little nooks and crannies we stumbled across. we visited st kew, tintagel, wadebridge, padstow and port isacc...and each one was as pretty as the last. so that's the last of our holiday photos (that's a lie, i took hundreds)...if you ever get the chance to go to cornwall in the summertime - go. you won't regret it.

and of course, not forgetting the famous cornish cream teas - i would die very a very happy (and young) girl if i could live off a diet of clotted cream.

oh. so. good. ♥

Sip by Sip No. 5

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 06:30:00 +0000

sip by sip is a little feature where, every now and again i make myself sit down, have a cup of something and have a bit of a catch up with you. i'll let you know what's happening over here, something i've recently discovered that interests or inspires me and i'll share a song that i love with you as a soundtrack for our little tea date. for previous 'sip by sip' posts, click here.

what i'm drinking: good old cocoa, because it feels more like october than august.

what's new: i've finally finally opened a paypal account, set up a society6 shop, a facebook page and finally (seriously.) bought myself a domain name for my blog. now i just need to get them all ready - i'm determined to get it all just right before i launch them.

what's inspiring: being at the seaside the weekend before last has left me feeling refreshed and inspired. i can't wait to get all the ideas in my head down on paper. i follow a lot of beautiful blogs and instagram accounts but seeing the lovely tiffany from offbeat + inspired's gorgeous fashion illustration never fails to make me want to sit down and draw.

what i'm listening to: my lovely cousin recommended the paper kites - st. clarity to me - this video, in particular, is so touching...just watch it ♥

Cornwall {Pt. 1}

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:52:00 +0000

last friday, we made the last-minute decision to escape to cornwall for the weekend. i've never really been but it's always been tom's family's go-to place for holidays and i can definitely see why - it is stunning. it was a spontaneous decision so we didn't manage to stay where we wanted but it was gorgeous nonetheless. we packed our bags on friday evening then set off at two o'clock in the morning in the pouring rain - me all wrapped up in a blanket in the passenger seat, tom happily driving along as, slowly, the rain stopped and the sun rose.

we managed to cram in an amazing amount considering we were only there for two days - there were blustery winds and sea spray, bright sunshine and carnivals, lush gardens and craggy rocks, vintage campervans and 40's crooners, surfers and seagulls, ice cream and cafes, cornish pastries and cream teas...everything you would have imagined there to be on a quintessentially english trip to the coast.

i'll share a few more photos of pretty villages and beaches over the next week or so. in the meantime, i'll be dreaming of little white clapboard houses with peeling blue-green doors and mile after mile of craggy coast and choppy waves ♥

p.s. this is what happens when i'm in front of the camera as opposed to behind...i flail my arms around and flounce about like an idiot. that's all.

Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 09:02:00 +0000

- theodore roosevelt

today you can find my thoughts on comparison and perfection over at bright and illustrious whilst the lovely claire is away on her travels...pop over and say hello? ♥

Sip by Sip No. 4

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 06:57:00 +0000

what i'm drinking: green tea with mango and lychee - still getting my little caffeine kick in the morning, just in a slightly healthier way.

what's new: not too much to be honest - i'm doodling and painting all the time at the moment, feeling very inspired and i can't stop sketching out flowers at work on my lunch then coming home and spending the weekend painting them. i'm still learning but i'm learning a lot.

what's inspiring me: wedding season - there are beautiful weddings happening everywhere and my blog reader is overflowing with snapshots of gorgeous little details. jen huang and tyler knott's lovely treehouse photography blogs are two i can't get enough of.

what i'm listening to: kt's tunstall's new album - i always loved her but i don't think i'd have known this was the same girl who sang 'suddenly i see', she's grown up a lot and gone back to a cleaner, folky sound - 'invisible empires' is pure, unadulterated magic and it soothes my sleepy head every morning on my way to work.

do you have anything you think i'd like to see or hear? leave a comment and let me know.

happy wednesday, i hope you're having a lovely week ♥

Stratford-Upon-Avon Farmer's Market

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 19:40:00 +0000

farmers markets are one of my favourite things in the world. i love the atmosphere, the colours, the love and heart that goes into everything. stratford market was no exception - with endless tables of antiques, vivid colours and fresh produce, i was in my absolute element ♥

i also found this little tinker along the way...

Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 06:30:00 +0000

before heading down to the beautiful love wedding this weekend, we took a break in our journey and stopped off in stratford-upon-avon, shakespeare's birthplace.

as a youngster, we never really holidayed in england - instead, we skipped the big skies, rolling countryside and quaint little villages in favour of the wild mountains and rivers of scotland. however, having lived in northern england for almost seven years now, i have a new-found love for all (or rather, most) things english. stratford was no exception - lively and brimming with history, its sweet little cobbled streets came to life with street theatre, artists, musicians and magicians.

the familiar tune of 'greensleeves' rang out across the river avon and we spent a beautiful evening amongst all the tudor houses and willow trees, basking in the quintessential 'englishness' of it all ♥

Join Hands And With Your Hands, Your Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 13:44:00 +0000

this weekend, we had the pleasure of attending what was probably the prettiest wedding i have ever seen. greg love, a friend of our family celebrated his marriage to the beautiful charlie with the most stunning reception in the english countryside.

with a gaggle of lively friends around them, a gorgeous wooden tent, a tipi, some hay bales, a wooden arch and bucket loads of wildflowers, they tied the knot in glorious sunshine. it was the perfect wedding - easy, natural, honest and completely enchanting.

it's hard to describe something so special so i'm going to let the photos do the talking and just wish mr and mrs love a lifetime of love, happiness and adventure together ♥

for anyone who's uk based and interested in these gorgeous tents, you can find them at funkymonkeytents.co.uk

Sip by Sip No. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:30:00 +0000

what i'm drinking: a good old mug of yorkshire gold. our friend james came to stay last night and he works for taylors of harrogate tea and coffee merchants so brought us a huge bag of tea - i can't tell you how excited i was.

what's new: summer has well and truly kicked in...it is hot here at the moment. this weekend we have four days off so this afternoon we're heading to stratford upon avon, shakespeare's birthplace, for an evening before heading down to buckinghamshire tomorrow for a wildflower wedding. i'm so excited for both, so watch this space for a lot of photos next week.

what's inspiring me: my new lens - it is pure magic. it's a nikon 50mm f/1.8 and i am completely in love. i'm still getting used to having such a full frame but i love that it lets me focus on the little things and has made me fall in love with my camera again.

what i'm listening to: i am completely addicted to 'sinners' by lauren aquilina, it's just stunning and will no doubt be played over and over again on our little road trip this afternoon.

have a lovely weekend ♥

Ella-May

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:09:00 +0000

last week, my boss asked me if i would design some business cards for his daughter, ella-may. as soon as i heard her beautiful name, it was a yes. she was described to me as a bit of a dreamer who knows what she wants. so i spent the weekend listening to kt tunstall's new album alongside some amazing thunderstorms, writing her name out over and over again and painting flowers which, to be honest, is my idea of a perfect weekend.

out of three designs, ella chose the roses below. although it's not quite my usual style, i quite like the circle design and i think i'll be keeping the anenome wreath (also used for this quote) for an upcoming project. ♥

In Search Of Silver Linings, We Discovered Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:43:00 +0000

henri j. m. nouwen

i've mentioned that i turned twenty-four a couple of weeks ago...i failed to mention that it was also the first birthday of my little blog. blogs have birthday, right?

if not, they do now.

i started 'give me magical' when i was struggling a bit with my health. i needed an outlet for the frustration i felt when i wasn't feeling like myself, and i needed a way to remind myself to look around me and see just how lucky i am to be surrounded by such a lovely little world. by looking at my life through a lens, i could see it in a new light; i could zoom in and focus on the things that make me happy. this blog does well to constantly remind me of all the magic i have in my life and has proven to be the perfect place to document it - hence the name 'give me magical'.

there have been a few hiatuses, a few bursts of confidence and a lot of learning. i've learnt a lot about myself, how i deal with situations, what i'm capable of and what i want out of life. this little corner of the internet is somewhere the romantic, daydreamer in me can thrive and something i can look at if i'm ever struggling again and see that, actually, life is pretty great.

so here's to the next year and all the exciting things it's going to bring ♥

Out Of All Its Goodness, Summer Sent You

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:39:00 +0000

we're going through a bit of what they're calling a 'heatwave' here in britain. i don't think it's actually a heatwave, i think it's just summer doing what summer is supposed to do - we wake up every morning to blue skies, bright sunshine and heat...real life, honest to god heat. i feel like i haven't felt warmth like this in an absolute age, like the sun on my bones is thawing some kind of permafrost. and when it's warm like this, all i crave is fresh salads, juicy fruit and ice lollies - lots and lots of ice lollies.

there's a very canny ice cream man who patrols the area where my office is every single afternoon and, if it wasn't for him and the six or seven fans in our studio at the moment, i swear i would have melted by now. always a country girl at heart, when temperatures peak and there isn't a lake or river nearby, i get flustered and flounder until i find the safety of some shade and an icy drink to sip.

a few months ago i started blitzing fruit in the blender before bed each night, pouring the smoothie into mason jars that went into the fridge for an easy, on-the-go breakfast for the following day. this recipe is just that but taken to a whole new level to get me through this sweltering heat.

simply blend a handful of peeled and chopped kiwi with a half a cup or so of apple juice and pour it into the bottom of your moulds. freeze as they are for about an hour or so until the layer is firm to touch. follow the same steps with some chopped pineapple then a handful of strawberries. once you've poured the strawberry layer in, you can pop the sticks in and leave them in the freezer until they've frozen completely. the already semi-frozen bottom layers will keep the sticks upright.

you can do this with any fruit you like, separate or all blended together. just use your favourite smoothie combinations and you're good to go.

personally, i loved this healthy take on a bright traffic light lolly - it took me right back to the long, lazy summer days of my childhood ♥

Believe You Can...

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 07:48:00 +0000

- theodore roosevelt -

from a girl who often needs to remind herself that she can - some words of wisdom for this sunny morning. have a lovely day ♥

p.s. you can download it here, if you like :)

You Can See She's A Beautiful Girl, She's A Beautiful Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 11:45:00 +0000

a little painting i did of tom's sister meg - a pretty girl and her pug. i got new watercolours for my birthday and need a lot of practice, so watch this space ♥

The Wave Found Its Way To The Shore

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:20:00 +0000

we're currently experiencing a rare heatwave here in the uk and, when it's hot and sunny, the country girl in me comes out in full force. british summertime makes me nostalgic and, for me, nostalgia comes with 'hiraeth'. 'hiraeth' is a welsh word that has no direct english translation - you could roughly define it as a longing, homesickness or yearning for a place in your past. and that is exactly how i feel. despite being what my parents call a 'city girl' for the past few years; in the summer, there really is no place like my childhood home.

so when temperatures reached highs of over thirty degrees last week, i needed lakes, rivers and greenery, i needed peace and quiet...i needed my beautiful little welsh valley. so we jumped in 'fossil' (our little mini) after work on friday and sped away to north wales and its cool mountain air.

I Had A Dream We Went Away, Left This City For A Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:17:00 +0000

the second stop on my birthday day out was howarth - a small village in a steep valley at the edge of the pennine moors in west yorkshire, the heart of what is known as brontë country. after a bit of a search and a bumpy drive up the side of the valley we parked up in the depths of a woodland and traipsed down a gravel path to find this gorgeous little main street sat at the top of a steep cobbled hill.

there was the 'rose & co apothecary' who sell handmade soaps and frivolously frilly knickers, a small linen shop full of dried lavender and lacy doilies, a second hand book shop selling all the brontë classics and countless cafes and shops with beautifully creative window displays. with a few shop assistants dressed in period costumes, at times it felt a bit gimmicky but that didn't matter. like hebden, it was alive with history, community and local pride.

'wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed: one may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun.' - emily brontë, 'wuthering heights'

I'm Going Up The Country, Babe Don't You Wanna Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 18:56:00 +0000

on monday, tom and i took the day off for my birthday and ran away to the beautiful caulder valley in west yorkshire. i've never really spent any time in yorkshire and i completely fell in love.

our first stop was hebden bridge - a village full of gorgeous art galleries, boutiques and cafes with secret sun-trap gardens out back. i was completely in my element and honestly, i never wanted to leave. i was given a gorgeous new 50mm f/1.8 lens and this was the perfect place to learn my way around it.

relics from the industrial revolution are bursting from the seams - the tall chimneys and tiny cottages that surround you are quintessentially northern and make the area feel quite quaint. quaint is good, i love quaint, but in hebden all of the 'quaint' was nicely balanced out with a vibrant and exciting sense of community. with fantastic local food, contemporary art and charming homemade, well, everything, the place was refreshing and inspiring.

as a girl living in lancashire, going out with a mancunian boy, i probably shouldn't say this but

yorkshire, i love you.

Oh, Baby, Baby, It's A Wild World

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 19:47:00 +0000

i turned twenty-four yesterday. i'm trying not to focus too much on that number - it feels far too grown up for me. but then i stop and check myself - i live in a house...with a boy...that i pay rent for (the house, not the boy)...with money that i earn...in my proper full-time job. we have a car, we have bills, we have a king size bed and a sofa suite that belongs to us, we have to cook, clean and care for ourselves, we are grown up.

and with being grown up comes freedom - the freedom to choose the paintings that hang on our walls, the freedom to eat what i want, the freedom to spend my weekends and evenings how i like, the freedom to spend my birthday weekend with people that i love to bits, rummaging through art galleries and thrift shops, eating pie and listening to buskers in the city that i've chosen to live in.

...with a life like this, growing up ain't so bad ♥

huge thanks to this lot for making my day so magical:

Feel The Ocean Floor Fall Out Beneath Me, Feelings Without Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:36:00 +0000

after a long first month at work, we finally finally had a weekend that felt like a real weekend. new routines are tiring, learning the ropes is tiring and a breather was much needed. i know i've been quiet on here, even my little 'sip-by-sip' idea of a weekly catch up over a coffee didn't pan out, but our lives have taken on a new pattern of sleeping, eating, working, eating and sleeping some more - and, somehow, blogging has fallen by the way-side a little bit. i think that now i'm getting used to it and feeling a bit more energetic, i can spend a bit more time on here.

i'm happy, i'm healthy and i feel surprisingly refreshed. i just needed to recharge my batteries with a little bit of mountain air, good food and some good old parental love and fuss. we left our busy little lives behind and ran away to wales for a couple of days and came home ready to face the world again.

Sip by Sip No. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 20:17:00 +0000

what's new: my first week of work was brilliant. i am one very happy girl! i won't drone on about details but it's so good to be working with a group of like-minded people and spend my time doing something i love. full time work is a bit of an ~~overdue~~ shock to the system but i'm embracing getting into a routine and doing something worthwhile with my time. the only thing that's a bit strange about it is doing work on christmas clothes in june. that means i'll be working on a summer theme at christmas. i'm not sure how my ridiculous enthusiasm for the festive season is going to deal with! that's pretty much been the focus of my entire week but it has been amazing.

what i've discovered: a new life-saving, end-of-a-busy-work-day recipe - a one pot wonder from the apron strings blog. you just throw everything - pasta, veggies, herbs and all - into a pan and cook it for as long as the pasta takes. it is pure magic, saves on washing up and the leftovers make a delicious, gourmet-spaghetti-hoops-esque (yes, that's a thing.) lunch the day after. what's not to love?

what i'm listening to: thanks to the riff off in 'pitch perfect', we spent the day cruising about in the sunshine listening to 'hit me with your best shot' (very loud.), 's & m' (sorry. ~~i'm not sorry.~~) and 'no diggity' (the gorgeous chet faker version). enjoy!

the lovely angie from lariats and lavender suggested last week that i include what i'm drinking so here's a little addition to the feature

what i'm drinking: i found caramel flavoured instant coffee last week so it's hidden in my desk drawer at work (i am ridiculously giddy that i have my own desk! simple pleasures...), my mum also found this charming little mug at the top of a cliff when she was abseiling with work, so this is my new favourite.

happy first of june by the way! what are you up to this weekend? ♥

Sip By Sip

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:27:00 +0000

"come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things"

- chaim potok

good morning you lovely folk! i'm back with a new feature to help me find my way back into spending time in this space - once a week, i'm going to make myself sit down, have a cup of something and have a bit of a catch up with you. i'll let you know what's happening over here, something i've recently discovered that interests or inspires me and i'll share a song that i love with you as a soundtrack for our little tea date.

what's new: this is my last week of work at my current job before i start as a junior creative copywriter next tuesday. i am so excited to start, this has been the longest month of my life. i'm also a little bit petrified so have immersed myself in trying to find some pretty work clothes and trying to find a way, any way, to give my ridiculously fine hair some volume that will stay put all day...i know, i've got my priorities so well sorted.

what i've discovered: the beautiful hand painted work of artist and illustrator, rebekka mann seale. i want her pretty prints all over my future home.

find her here: shop | blog

what i'm listening to: alys williams' cover of 'the cave' on the voice is just pure magic. she's from a town not far from where i grew up and the catatonia-esque welsh lilt to her voice gives me goosebumps every time.

have a lovely monday!

p.s. feel free to share your news, discoveries or your current musical faves in the comments below. or if any of you are interested in a hosting your own virtual cuppa and a catch up sometime, drop me an email or leave a comment ♥

Wishlist Wednesday No. 9: A Spring Picnic

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:54:00 +0000

belted cotton maxi | chet faker's 'no diggity' | 'nagoa' pumps c/o blowfish | always rooney | elderflower cordial

whilst we may still be having hailstorms and torrential downpours, it is spring outside. it is, it is, it is. it's midway through may, it has to be! and while i'm cooped up in the house recuperating from my little adventures last week and hiding from said hailstorms and downpours, i am back with another little daydream - a lovely spring picnic.

last weekend i broke out my beloved jersey maxi skirts, something i lived in last summer. i have one in olive green, one in coral and a new one in plum and, paired with a light cotton tee and a chunky necklace, i am good to go. i am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a fashion blogger and outfit posts or style column-esque posts just aren't going to happen here on give me magical, i'm just not qualified. my style, if you can call it that, is simple. comfortable, muted and simple. for my spring picnic i want something pretty which will keep me covered up and warm enough in this still-not-fully-cooperative weather and this maxi dress is right up my street. modest, loose and beautiful. teamed with my blowfish pumps with their summery raffia trim and pop of bright turquoise, i have a perfect outfit for the transition to a warmer season.

with chet faker's gorgeous acoustic cover of 'no diggity', some inspiration from courtney's beautifully boho blog 'always rooney' and a glass of icy elderflower: i am prancing about in a daisy filled field somewhere, i am dozing under an oak tree swatting away bumblebees, i am soaking up some much needed sunshine and thawing my poor little bones. i am not stuck inside folding laundry listening to the never ending rain drumming away at the roof ♥

where are you wishing you were today?

for more wishlist wednesdays, click here!

When It's Cold Outside, I've Got The Month Of May

noreply@blogger.com (Ffion McKeown) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:24:00 +0000

whilst we don't really celebrate cinco de mayo here, last weekend was 'may day' bank holiday in britain - may day is a traditional celebration of springtime fertility, often bringing festivities in the form of village fetes and community gatherings. and whilst we didn't see any may poles or morris dancing, it was lovely to spend a long weekend at home in the hills where i grew up. we spent some time with both our families, in my little village and basking in the sea air and sunshine at the beach. unfortunately the weekend ended with me in intensive care but, until then, it was beautiful! i'm on the mend now but am just a bit worn out so bare with me and this little quite period here on give me magical, i'm just having some much needed rest time. in the meantime, over the next few days i will be sharing the photos i managed to capture between galavanting round north wales and my little stint in hospital ♥