THIS ENCHANTED PIXIE BLOG

lucky dip bags!

2012-06-01T09:50:00.000+01:00

if you read my post the other day, you'll know i'm re-evaluating things. so.... in order to clear out some old stock, i've put together ten lucky dip bags. these contain at least 5 items from my shop - a selection of rings, necklaces and earrings worth at least $40 - AND they come with free shipping!! fancy one?? go get one quick!

plus... i'll be shutting the shop in a week while i give it a major overhaul SO just for blog readers you can get 50% off everything with BLOGLOVER {excluding lucky dip bags}. many items won't be coming back, so if you have your eye on something grab it now!

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sponsor love

2012-05-31T17:25:00.000+01:00

WAKE UP, LOVELY

Hey there! I'm Kate from Wake Up, Lovely. I'm a writer, a blogger, a crafter and a woman on a mission; out to spread positivity and some serious self-loving. I blog about everything from my favourite books to pretty tattoos to my favourite tips & tricks to build a pretty life. Stop by and say hi sometime!

MY LIFE IN LAVENDER

Hello Lovely Ladies! My name's J and I blog over at My Life in Lavender. I'm completely addicted to coffee, funky jewelry, and indie movies. My blog is a culmination of my daily life, photography, and fashion musings. It was started back in January, and it's been great getting to know more amazing people as it grows, come by and say "Hi!".

MY THREE BITTLES

Hey. I'm Amber. I live in Alaska. I blog about life, my 3 babies, my husband, the cats, the dog...just life in general. My husband is in the Army so we are about to get sent to Georgia after spending 4 years in Alaska.

LIVING D.I.N.K

hey there, dolls! i'm yael. newlywed, dog-parent, and soon-to-be 25-year-old from ottawa, canada. i spend my days working in communications and marketing, and my evenings writing, dreaming and catching up on lost (yes, i am 8 years behind). zombies, tattoos and cooking are my favourite things, and more than anything i wish my life were a musical.

NEWFOUNDLANDER AT HEART

I'm Margot, a wanna-be Newfoundlander who spends her free time baking, gardening and crafting. I'm due to have my first babe the 16th of this month, but who knows when little Pip will actually arrive. Feel free to stop over and check in to see how things are with our growing family our coming along! :)

LOVE ME COLLECTION

hi my name is jennifer, mother of 3 beautiful children, and married to a wonderful husband. visit me and my shop over at love me collection. no matter what you wear, be loved in comfy in it, you dont have to shop at expensive outlets to feel good, be you..... be LOVED :)

DRAGONFLIGHT DREAMS

Hi Pixie readers! I'm Amanda from Dragonflight Dreams. I'm a graphic designer, screenprinter, puppy mama, honorary Texan, huge bookworm, subtle geek, aspiring cook, and wannabe seamstress. I love stories, dragons, sweet tea, pretty things, old movies, writing, my boyfriend and my puppy, shopping, cooking new things successfully, decorating our house bit by bit, and screenprinting. I blog about my ongoing screenprinting adventures, and anything else that catches my fancy (generally along the lines of outfit posts, recipes, fun things around Austin, etc.). Dragonflight (both the blog and the shop) is a work in progress, so check by often to see what's new!

THE CITYBIRDS NEST

i'm a stylish biker, surfer, avid thrifter and tattoo designer and city birds nest is where i show all the adventures i go on with my husband. i love to sew, am obsessed with flowers and vintage fabric. i run my own shop filled with fun original illustrations drawn by me!

MANIC MRS STONE

Offbeat hippie life and motherhood with my two Goddess girls Eden and Ostara. We are a [super] young, vegan, environmentalist, homeschooling, gardening, minimalist family living in Seattle.

SASSY LEMONADE

Hi There Friends of Polly! I'm Shannon a Mother of 4 and a Military Wife, who makes Pretty Sassy Jewelry over at Sassy Lemonade. Whenever I have a chance you will find me working away.

Sassy Lemonade has been open for about 9 months. I feel very blessed for all the lovely people I have met along this journey.

IMPRACTIAL COMPOSITION

My name is Alyssa, I'm 23 years old married to my sweet red-headed husband, Brand. I blog all about my life and let me tell you, I have quite a lot going on! Currently I'm going to school full-time earning my degree in Social Work at ASU, I work as an administrative assistant, I have a side job selling crochet baby blankets, an etsy, a blog and a social life that I am failing miserably at. I have lots of hobbies and find myself to be a pretty normal person. Some of my favorite hobbies are: watching The Office & Teen Mom (totally different shows but I can't resist either!), crocheting, rock-climbing (I'm a recent lover), couponing, being crafty, hanging out with the hubs, holding babies (not in a creepy way haha!) and being around people.

So, come on by my blog and check me out! I can be pretty entertaining at times, or maybe I just entertain myself!

THE OWL CLUB

Hi I'm Suki and my blog The Owl Club is a little space to reflect upon the creative, crafty side of my life. I love collage, sewing, using recycled/vintage/salvaged materials, cooking and anything to do with owls! I have a little Etsy shop where I sell one-of-a-kind badges and upcycled sewn items.

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happiness is....

2012-05-31T14:00:00.001+01:00

'happiness is...' - each week we'll meet two lovely ladies to find out what happiness is to them.... if you'd like to take part please drop me an email :)

Blog

What makes you happiest:

I would definitely say a day off. Don't get me wrong, I love both of my jobs but there is nothing like waking up (sleeping in) and not having a care in the world for a whole 24 hour period. I love having a slow morning, making coffee, catching up on blogs, doing some errands and chores and maybe meeting up with some friends for a drink or two! I also cannot wait for the warmer weather, that makes me happy :)

Do you have a 'happy place':
This makes me think of a therapist saying 'Go to your happy place...' haha, but um I guess I kind of do. It seems cliche but my house is my happy place. I love going out but I can also be a bit of a homebody. I love staying in, making a yummy dinner and getting my snug on with Mikey and our cat :)

Do you have a favourite happy song:
I have a bunch...so I won't name them all, I'd say ever since I heard 'Electric Feel' by MGMT many moons ago, that has been my go-to happy song since. I instantly get a smile on my face and want to dance!

What gets you past a bad day:

This is a good question and one that I recently kind of 'conquered'. I used to let one little thing ruin my entire day...but that is SO silly and downright stupid, really...especially because it was always something so minuscule. Anyways, making a mental (or physical) list of all the things I am happy/thankful for...that always cheers me up!

Blog

what makes you happiest? Weekends at home with no commitments. All of us (my husband, children and I) together doing our own things yet harmoniously interacting.

do you have a ‘happy place’?
Home is my happy place. But when I need a mental happy place it's my grandparents home. I grew up there, it was always my safe place. I was always no matter what, happy there - discovering the world and my childhood. I miss it very much but it's always in my heart and in my minds eye so I can visit whenever I want. Having a photographic memory is sometimes a very lovely thing!

do you have a favourite happy song?

If I had to pick just one it would be "Home" by Depeche Mode... it is my husband and I's very first song

what gets you past a bad day?
Chocolate, a ball of yarn, and if I can get it... a nap :) I may be an mixed media artist but crochet is something that eases me like meditation would someone else. It's mindless and mindless work feels relaxing and comforting.

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send something good - reveal day

2012-05-31T09:44:00.001+01:00

i meant to post this the other day, but seriously, i am so out of the loop after enjoying the sun of the past two weeks that i lost track of things! but here it is.

First up - a HUGE thank you to gentri, kaitlyn and kristy for organising this - you guys rock :)

the blogger i was sending to was brielle - i loved stalking her blog and figuring out what to put in her parcel... but the doofus i am, i forgot to snap lots of pics of what i sent her. doh!

the day the postman broght my parcel, i was so excited! mine came from the lovely loren. she sent me some amazing goodies that were tottally perfect!

a gorgeous owl hook, a beautiful journal, lavender rainbow soap, a couple of cute charms, a sweet little guy to keep my pins safe, and lots more bits! i loved the quotes on the envelope and tag.

so happy i was a part of this!! i loved getting to know brielle and loren - looking forward to the next round of send something good ;)

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dreaming big

2012-05-30T09:00:00.000+01:00

i've spent the past ten days or so soaking up the sunshine, living life and dreaming. i've been away from the computer for the majority of each day, and that's given me lots of time to think. i've been trying to figure out what it is i want, where i want to go and how i'm going to get there. business wise i have a few ideas and i feel like it's time to refocus a little.

a couple months back i was throwing myself into my little shop and working my ass off. while i love designing and creating jewellery, i find the selling side hard. i want to sell, but i don't want to push it down peoples throats. also, i found that too much time focusing on that side of things created a cranky mama.

i want to spend my days with my kiddos... not focusing on figures. i've been trying to figure out a better way to make things work. happiness to me is not selling a zillion pieces of jewellery.... it's not being uber rich{though a little extra moolah wouldn't be unappreciated!}. happiness is living this life of mine, spending my days crafting and learning along side my girls. taking them on adventures, creating, making, LIVING, spending time with friends, and enjoying the ride.

i figure that i have all that i need. i get to spend my days doing what i love most, with the people i love the most. i get to create and design the jewellery i love. and that is key. I LOVE MY LIFE.

i've made some decisions on how i want my shop to be - it will always be a love of mine, but i don't want it to rule my life, at least while my kiddos are little. you can lend me a hand by helping me clear out some of the current stock - enter bloglover for 50% off everything here

thanks for reading my rambles :) i'm focusing on being happy and the rest will surely follow!

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holidays

2012-05-29T13:06:00.001+01:00

all this sunshine has got me thinking about planning a summer holiday. the past few years we've been to centre parcs, but we fancy a change this year. our holidays are always uk based - we can't afford to go abroad, even if we'd like to. we've been looking at the possibilities of going camping. it's not something we've really done since we had the kiddos, but definetly something i'd like to try.

i was looking at woolacombe, my sister used to live in devon and it's such a beautiful place. i'd love to go camping in devon and take the girlies.

i have to admit though, i've gotten used to my creature comforts as i've gotten older... hot baths, comfy beds and a {proper} roof over my head in case it's raining!!! and also as a car free family, we'd be travelling by train, and i don't know how easy it would be to cart all of our camping gear down on a train! so i was thinking of looking into holiday lodges in devon instead.... we get to appreciate the beauty of the area without having to rough it ha!!!

have any of you been camping with kiddos?? i'd love to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of it all!!

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diy // old tin to business card holder

2012-05-29T10:00:00.000+01:00

i've been meaning to make something to keep some business cards safe in {instead of just having a handful running wild in the depths of my handbag!!} sitting at my desk one day... trying to concentrate on some work, my eyes fell on the collection of tins i've been hoarding - and i realised the altoids tin was exactly the right size for my business cards to fit in. so a little washi tape later, and a pretty stamp for the top and voila! my business cards have a home and i no longer have to fumble around, muttering expletives quietly to myself when trying to find one to hand out ;)

i stamped the owl on a piece of card, then covered it in clear book covering before gluing it in place {i had a little helper for this stage - hence the air bubbles in the book covering ;) }

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giveaway // spontaneous reality

2012-05-28T10:43:00.000+01:00

this month's featured sponsor, spontaneous reality are offering today's giveaway. nicole is offering for one super lucky winner this stunning crimson summer goddess beaded headpiece

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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saturday sun

2012-05-26T17:18:00.003+01:00

source

hope you're all having as good a weekend as we are :) we've been soaking up every drop of this sunshine all week long. i've managed to clear a huge 3 square metre section at the top of our woods ready for getting chickens, and we have a pile of pallets ready to build a house for them!! i've also repotted some of my herb plants today too... now we're off to eat a picnic dinner in the garden, then tomorrow we're having a big bbq here :) happy weekend!

pretty lavender

pallets waiting to be turned into a chicken house!

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down by the river

2012-05-25T14:00:00.000+01:00

yesterday was a much needed break from the daily grind. some time out from work of any kind. fresh country air, lots of walking, lots of laughter and fun with my family. we climbed up to castell dinas bran, we had a picnic and then walked back down and sat by the river cooling our feet off. i came home feeling refreshed and full of ideas!!

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smoking + plain packets

2012-05-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

out and about yesterday, miss lola commented on some teenagers smoking {and how nasty it was} and asked if i had ever smoked. i started smoking at around 12 {occasionally} mainly down to peer pressure. there was a definite 'image' to smoking.... i used to smoke golden virginia, and we thought we were way cooler than those who smoked other brands {esp lambert & butler!!} at 12 and 13 i would proudly display my golden virginia packet, feeling incredibly cool and grown up doing so!

there is currently a new plain packet campaign. this campiangs' aim is to make cigarette packets look attractive to children, each year 340,000 children are tempted to try smoking. would plain packaging discourage them?? from personal experience, i think it would certainly discourage many of them. if all brands looked identical, they would certainly look at lot less appealing to a image conscious teenager. the current cancer warnings tend to wash straight over their heads - at 16 you have a tendency to think that you are invincible!

i was honest with lola as to why i smoked, and how much i wish i'd never started - it's a difficult habit to quit! you can find out more about the campaign here. if we can remove the 'glamour' image that still surrounds cigarettes, then hopefully we can prevent our children from ever starting smoking.

Protect our children. Visit the Plain Packaging Campaign for more information and to pledge your support.

What is your thoughts on plain packets?? Would they have stopped you smoking?

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happiness is....

2012-05-24T14:30:00.000+01:00

'happiness is...' - each week we'll meet two lovely ladies to find out what happiness is to them.... if you'd like to take part please drop me an email :)

Blog

what makes you happiest?

My family and few close friends, including my dog Suki and the family cat Rusty. A cuddle with Suki or Rusty can really transform a bad day. I find generally that the people I love being happy, makes me happy too.

do you have a ‘happy place’?

Hampstead Heath in London, where I take Suki for walks every day. No matter the weather, it is always beautiful and inspiring and I feel great when I get back after a vigorous walk.

do you have a favourite happy song?

Not really, songs make me smile though like the Spongbob theme tune and hearing old songs that I used to like when I was a kid (Spice Girls, anyone?)

what gets you past a bad day?

I like to take Suki for a long walk which really does help clear my head, make myself a nice cup of tea or pour a glass of wine and chill out on the couch with either a good book or some trashy TV (Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures right now). Planning something really tasty to cook and eat helps too!

Blog

what makes you happiest?

on a general level, having such amazing people around me makes me happiest.

do you have a ‘happy place’?

i think i have a few happy places, but my favourite one is on the couch with spence, with hot coffees and blankets while watching the morning news.

do you have a favourite happy song?

our wedding song! let it be me - ray lamontagne

what gets you past a bad day?

venting to my best friend, chocolate cake, coffee, walking the pups, and boogie dancing the stress away

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guestpost // The children’s books that shaped your life

2012-05-24T10:00:00.001+01:00

The children’s books that shaped your life

My entire life, I’ve been a huge reader. As a kid, spending time with a book was my favourite thing next to recess. And while I can’t remember about 90% of the books I picked up, a select few have stuck with me through the years. Whether they introduced me to a topic or genre that I developed a passion for, inspired me to try something new, or encouraged me down a certain path in life, I will forever hold them close to my heart (as silly or badly written as they may seem to be now).

What books did you read as a kid that shaped who you are today? Here are mine:

Anne of Green Gables

This book is a Canadian classic. Most of my friends found it too difficult to read (it can get a little wordy and heavy in description), but I loved it with a passion I’ve rarely experienced for anything else. The stories of little orphan Anne and her boundless imagination and excitement for life inspired me to find the joy in the everyday.

I Capture the Castle

I credit this book as being the reason I started writing stories as a child. It encouraged me to start a diary (which is beyond hilarious to read all these years later), which in turn got me into making up stories and characters.

Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House

I’m a huge ‘fraidy cat. No shame. But I worship the ground zombies walk (shuffle?) on. And I love a good ghost story (even when each and every one leaves me sleepless and terrified of creaking floors). This classic Goosebumps book is the reason for all of it. I read it once a month for the rest of my elementary school career after first picking it up. And it scared me every time. I heart it so much.

Little Women

I was 8 when I read this book for the first time… in less than a week. At over 550 pages, my mom was pretty impressed. It was my first “big girl” book, and it made me want a sister like nobody’s business. It also introduced me to one of my favourite characters of all time – Jo March. She was everything I wanted to be as a woman: opinionated, independent and strong. I like to think I did her proud.

Harry Potter

I know. But I’m pretty sure this needs no explanation. HP4life.

**********************

thanks yael! i haven't read harry potter, but all the rest were firm favourites when i was little. my eldest daughter is a voracious reader too and she loves little women! yael blogs over at living d.i.n.k. what were your favourite books as a child??

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diy // make your own aromatherapy sleep spray

2012-05-23T08:58:00.001+01:00

i occasionally get hit by bouts of insomnia, but even on the nights that it doesn't strike, sometimes it can take me a little while to switch off once i get to bed. as a working mama, i often find myself working in the evenings after the kiddos have gone to bed. while thats great for productivity, it's not so great for me switching off enough to sleep!

i've used various aromatherapy sprays before, to spray on my pillow before bed, and while they certainly help - they can get a little costly if you're on a tight budget. so here's a quick way to make your own - and much more cost effective.

fill your spray bottle with water, and add the aromatherapy oils - I used 12 drops of lavender and

6 drops of geranium. shake well, keep by your bed and spray before you get in!!

{i usually also spray a little when i'm making my bed in the morning, so the scent sinks in}

these are some good aromatherapy oils to pick from:

•Chamomile for calming effects.
•Jasmine if you are suffering from depression. This is also good as an aphrodisiac, usually good for post-natal depression.
•Lavender is for calming insomnia and mild depression.
•Eucalyptus if you have a cold and have difficulty sleeping.
•Marjoram to relieve menstrual pain, sore throat and headache. This helps fight off insomnia and helps in good blood circulation.
•Neroli is a mild sedative and is effective for nervous depression, anxiety, back pain and menstrual pain.

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shop clearance!

2012-05-22T13:30:00.000+01:00

i'll be doing a craft fair on friday, and i have some new plans for my shop - SO right now you can everything at half price!!! just enter 'junebug' at checkout :) - please share this offer - it's good until midnight GMT on friday!

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diy // flower loom

2012-05-22T10:00:00.000+01:00

at one of our home school groups a few weeks ago, somebody had brought their flower loom in for the kids to use. kiki especially loved it and asked if we could buy one. the plastic ones looked pretty flimsy and easily broken, and i figured i could probably make my own fairly easily.

what you'll need:

a piece of wood - around an inch thick and 5inches square

24 nails

hammer

circle templates to draw around

step one

find two circle shapes to use as templates, the largest should be almost as big as the square, and then the second needs to fit within the first. draw round the largest first, then the smaller circle, like so:

step two

mark lines across the outer circle to show you where to hammer in the nails. mark the inner circle in between each of the marks on the outer circle {see below!!!}

step three

hammer nails in on each of the marks you just made, i used nails that were around an inch long, and hammered about a third into the wood.

that's it! your loom is ready to use.

to weave a flower on your loom is fairly easy -

using your first colour yarn, leave a tail and wrap in a figure of eight the yarn around two oppostie nails on the outer ring, two or three times. work your way around the whole loom, always wrapping in a figure of eight between opposite nails until you've covered them all. leaving a tail again, cut the yarn

then, switch colours and repeat, this time on the inner circle of nails - figure of eight wrapping around oppostite nails.

when you've covered all the nails again, cut the yarn off leaving a tail.

then you need to take a lenght of the first yarn you used and a darning needle and sew through the middle of the flower. up through the centre and down between each 'petal' that you have created, it's very important to make sure you catch all of the loops so that your flower doesn't unravel!

once it is securely sewn you can remove it from the loom. carefully lift each loop over the nail. these flowers make great brooches, can be sewn on to headbands or bobbles or used to decorate clothing etc...

i hope you've found this tutorial helpful - if you have any questions feel free to ask!

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bits + pieces // lolas birthday

2012-05-21T14:16:00.002+01:00

miss lola's ninth birthday celebrations were spread out over two days. as her actual birthday fell on a tuesday, she decided to have her party on the saturday so her friends who go to school could come :)

her actual birthday we hopped on the train to chester, we did a little shopping {paperchase & lush!!!} and walked around the old roman city walls.we also took a walk down by the river and fed some ducks and a friendly swan.

she had 13 friends rounds for her party - i was a little concerned on saturday morning at what i had let myself in for! i needn't have worried, as it went without a hitch.. the girls all had a great time, we had a pinata, played pin the tail on the donkey and planted sunflower seeds for the kiddos to take home. they ate lots of party food and bbq provided by the mr and no-one wanted to go home ;)

pssst..... have you entered todays giveaway???

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giveaway // sassy lemonade

2012-05-21T10:00:00.000+01:00

morning! i hope you all had a good weekend?? I'll be back in a while with some pictures from lola's birthday party. first though, i have a fantastic giveaway from sassy lemonade. one lucky winner will get $25 to spend in their etsy shop! here are a few of my favourite items:

you can find sassy lemonade here: etsy // facebook // blog // twitter and if you can't wait to buy something, or you don't win you can get 20% off with code PIXIE

enter below!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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party time

2012-05-19T08:33:00.001+01:00

source

party day!! it's a bit wet and grey out there but i'm hopeful it will brighten up! i've just made four extra party bags for last minute guests... now to decorate the house and garden, go buy the last bits of party food and then wait for 16 girls to arrive O_O wish me luck!! i'll be back later to share some photos ;)

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pretty things//birthday inspiration

2012-05-18T10:17:00.001+01:00

one // two // three // four // five // six // seven

today we're spending finishing off party preparations for tomorrow. the kiddos are pretty excited now - we have an extra 13 {!!!!!!} girls coming to party tomorrow! fingers crossed we're planning a bbq party... but the weathers a little wet so i'm not sure if that will happen. my back up plan is a pizza/movie/makeover party indoors if the weather lets us down.

we've jelly and cupcakes to make today, a few party activities to organise and party bags to double check. i'm pretty pleased that i managed to get 16 party bags and the favours all made. pretty little fabric bags the girls can reuse filled with some cute goodies :)

we're planning on having a fire in the firepit and friends round tomorrow evening after all the kiddos have left - then sunday will be spent recovering!!!

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happiness is....

2012-05-17T15:00:00.000+01:00

'happiness is...' - each week we'll meet two lovely ladies to find out what happiness is to them.... if you'd like to take part please drop me an email :)

BLOG

What makes you happiest?

What makes me happiest is being with my husband, son and our two kitties. All of our time spent together means the world to me. I'm certainly happiest when we are all healthy and in good moods. I love listening to music to get my spirits up. Painting, yoga, reading, meditation, sketching and being outside on a nice, comfortable day make me so happy as well. When I really think about it, more in my life makes me happy than makes me sad. It's hard to remember that sometimes, but I'm so blessed.

Do you have a happy place?

I do have a happy place... Many, actually. Physically, as I said, I enjoy being outside on a nice, comfortable day. My husband, son and I like to go on drives, too. We get to see beautiful new places (we make sure to always take our camera!) and sometimes end up driving for hours. We've ended up in other states before. We just have so much fun driving. We can sing loud and be silly and we can also be super serious and talk about everything. It's just... It's one of my favourite past times. I'm so glad to have a husband that enjoys the same things I do. My dad and I used to take drives and talk a lot when I was younger and it has made our relationship much stronger over the years. I feel that it definitely does the same for my husband and I and hopefully our son in the future. What else... Oh, I also have a nice little mama haven that I really enjoy being in. I have a beautiful, HUGE, maiden, mother and crone tapestry on the wall and a small altar with various things on it that make me feel great. And on the other side of the tapestry, I have a little stand with all of our art supplies. It's such a beautiful, inspirational little area and I adore it!

If we're talking mentally... I do have a happy place. Just letting go and listening to music and / or meditating and doing yoga make me feel amazing. Watercolour painting does wonders for me as well. It really is forgiving and I just feel like I can create without worrying about perfection.

Do you have a favourite happy song?

My absolute, of-all-time favourite happy song is 'Pocketful Of Sunshine' by Natasha Bedingfield. That song cheers me up every. single. time. I listen to it. It doesn't matter what mood I am in or how my day is going. I hope to one day get a tattoo inspired by the song as a constant reminder of the feeling I get when I listen to it. I've yet to come up with a proper design but I'm working on it.

What gets you past a bad day?

What gets me past a bad day is being able to be with my husband, son and our two kitties. I really feel good when we can just relax and talk things out. Of course, doing any of the things that I have mentioned help, but nothing can replace time with my family.

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what makes you happiest?

Simple things, like having a 'run around and play' time with my cats, or writing a chapter of my novel, or seeing a classical concert. Sometimes I need a hug or nice words from my friends, and luckily they are usually around to supply me with these demands. :)

do you have a ‘happy place’?

Mentally or physically? haha! I love going to bookstores to journal. I just feel comfort by being around all of those words on pages. Coffee shops are fun too, but they can be a little noisier than a library or a Barnes and Noble. I actually have a "mental" happy place that I go to when I need to relax (I got the idea from Happy Gilmore, lol.) It's a spot in the forest where there's moss on the ground, flowers everywhere, huge shady trees completely blocking out the sunlight, and soft rain with the smell of lilies of the valley.

do you have a favourite happy song?

I very rarely listen to mainstream or any kind of cheesy "happy" music, and rarely music with lyrics!! Being a writer, I like to have soundtracks on a lot of the time so I can focus on the emotion of the piece and use it to influence what I write. So I could sit here and list off music soundtracks or symphonies that are happy, but if we're just talking about a single song, I'd probably have to say "Wild Eyes" by Mariee Sioux. It's great acoustic, good for relaxing, and the Native flute plus her really enchanting lyrics make it almost impossible to not get a good feeling just by listening. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28yuWPnX33w

what gets you past a bad day?

Well, if it's a small fix, usually raspberry chocolate or a bubble bath with incense. My cat is an absolute must. Despite the fact that he's a turd typically, he always knows when I am sad and he will snuggle with me until I feel better. Sometimes a drive can help too; I like to be in control of the vehicle and lost in my thoughts, it's a great combination for some reason. Other days are just meltdowns, and I can usually sense when a day is beyond fixable, and those days are just necessary sometimes. Sometimes, you have to spend all day in your jammies with blankets over your head. Sometimes you have to have cake for breakfast, and then sit and watch Bruce Willis in the Fifth Element....ahem.......all better!!!!

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advertise in june

2012-05-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

june spots are starting to fill up.... now's the time to grab yours! i switched to passionfruit ads at the begining of may - so now it's even easier to sponsor! check out my sponsor info page for rates. You can purchase your spot below! enter 'junelove' at checkout and you'll get 10% off all ad rates for june :)

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what i {we} wore

2012-05-16T10:00:00.000+01:00

mama wore:

jeans - new look

boots - thrifted

top - thrifted
glasses - c/o tumbleweeds

lola wore:

top - vintage

tights - primark

boots - george

kiki wore:

dress - next

boots - george

baya wore:

dress - thrifted

jeggings - ebay

boots - clarks

here's what the kiddos and i wore yesterday. we headed to chester for the day, miss lola wanted to do a little shopping with some of her birthday pennies. we took a walk down to the river and through the park. the squirrels there were so tame! they kept coming right up close to us :)

thank you for all of the sweet birthday wishes for lola yesterday - she had a fantastic day and now is counting down the days until her party on saturday!

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nine

2012-05-15T10:00:00.000+01:00

this sweet little baby is nine today! i can't believe how grown up she is now :) we started the day with a box of krispy kreme doughnuts and a huge pile of gifts! her party isn't until saturday, so today is about cake, family and lots of fun!

happy birthday lola

we love you squillions

xxxx

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giveaway // ad space & forever21 giftcard

2012-05-14T15:00:00.000+01:00

today's giveaway comes courtesy of two of my amazing sponsors - amanda from dragonflight dreams and amber my three bittles

amanda is offering a medium ad space on her blog for june and amber is giving a $10 forever 21 giftcard!!

one winner gets both - enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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