Let's escape

Today was spent all day working. Lots of crafting, filling in forms, and of course lots of cutting and sticking. I woke up super early today and jumped into the shower. I got dressed, and I wrapped my hair up into a ponytail. I then sat at my desk and worked. Going through all my found materials, old stamps, paper, sheet music, and old books. Sipping juice from a pretty straw, while creating work.

It's good to take some time for yourself, to do the things you love, or throw yourself into your work. Today was a pretty good day. 

I love you

Valentines day was a nice quiet one this year. I had to work until 3:30, but I was greeted by David. Which put a wonderful smile on my face. Plus seeing other friends starting to fall in love with each other on this special day was magical.

I was given beautiful pastel pink and red roses. These were so gorgeous, and made me very happy. I also got Wish I Was Here on DVD. I am very excited about finally being able to watch this movie. Searching for cinemas to watch the movie was so hard, they didn't want to show it near me. I know this film won't be Garden State, but it's still wonderful to finally watch another Zach Braff film.

We had Chinese and snuggled in the evening. It was nice to just have a relaxed day. Plus I finally got to use my Star Wars lightsaber chopsticks, which are A-MAZING!!

Valentines Crafternoon

On Saturday I went to my friend Charis's monthly Crafternoon. This months theme was Valentines. Of course I was very excited about this one. The table was decorated in beautiful pinks. Pretty glasses of water with fruits and berries inside were laid out for us. Scrabble name places and cute teacups also were on the table.

We started with yummy soup, which was so nice. Afterwards we had lots of delicious treats to enjoy. Little tiny chocolate hearts, heart cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, and mini chocolate loafs.

In this Crafternoon we were going to decorate mugs. We used different types of paper, and then special glue to make the mugs dishwasher proof. Which is amazing! So we had lots of fun choosing paper, cutting, and creating our designs.

It was a lovely afternoon with super people. I'm really looking forward to the next one!

'Mystery, magic and midnight feasts- The many adventures of Enid Blyton

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of going to see the new Enid Blyton exhibition at The Beaney in Canterbury. I grew up with my Nan reading Enid Blyton's stories to me. The Magic Faraway Tree was always my favourite. I loved the idea of ever changing lands above the Faraway Tree. Lands such as; Land of Do-As-You-Please, Land of Dreams, or Lands of Presents.

So as you have guessed, I was very excited about this exhibition. 'Mystery, magic and midnight feasts- The many adventures of Enid Blyton'. When I walked through the door, the first thing that caught my eye was the giant Noddy car. I watched children get really excited by Noddy's car. Still to this day, many years on Noddy is still alive in children's hearts.

The exhibition was also interactive as well as informative. There are toys and all different activity stations for children to enjoy. I liked wandering around the exhibition and feeling happy inside. I adore my Nan for reading her stories to me before bed when I used to stay over. Her stories made me dream. Her books take you away to a magical place, if only for a little while. But those stories remain deep inside you.

My favourite part of the show was being able to see Blyton's tiny nature diaries. Her diaries were about what she was doing, rather than her feelings. When you see someone's private diaries and books you are slowly stepping into their inner thoughts.

I found out lots of facts about Blyton in the exhibition. She wrote quickly. She typed with just two fingers. She only ever used her two index fingers to type on her typewriter. She could produce a full length novel in a week. Blyton wrote books for all ages, so children could grow up with her books.

The show is laid out in lots of tiny rooms. Each room contains so much wonder. It's like you are stumbling through her private diaries or stories she created. There is also a giant Faraway Tree, which made me smile and instantly feel young again. I mean, an actual Faraway Tree in front of me?! Younger Nicola would be jumping around from excitement.

I had ginger beer while I was at the exhibition. Drinking ginger beer gives you that warm feeling inside. That's what her books do. As soon as I had finished looking round the exhibition, I just wanted to hurry home to find my Enid Blyton books. I could then re-live all those childhood stories and memories in word form.

'Mystery, magic and midnight feasts- The many adventures of Enid Blyton' is running from now until Sunday 19th April 2015. In the special exhibitions room at The Beaney House of Arts and Knowledge. Oh, and PS, the gift shop is perfect! So many gorgeous treats to enjoy!

Little list

Valentines Day is just around the corner. So I have been making lots of heart shaped decorations and feeling loved. Valentines Day cookies and cupcakes by a colleague at work have made everyone very happy. 

Recently I have: 

- Enjoyed a trip to IKEA with friends. Which was actually pretty fun, and also kinda sad. Mostly because it made me want a super cute house to be able to decorate. 

- Played Animal Crossing quite a lot. I have fallen back in love with it again.

- Watched episodes and episodes of Community on Netflix.

- Planned trips to see different friends.

- Brought Valentines presents and cards.

- Listened to old CDs.

Listening to old CDs that I used to love has been interesting. Sending me back in time. Also I realise that I still love a lot of the old music I used to listen to. Let's all go and clean the dust off those old CDs, and re-live those memories.

Windy day in Margate

On Sunday I went to Margate for the day with my gorgeous friend Laura. It was a very cold and windy day. But it was still wonderful. There's something about being by the sea in the winter. I love it. It's quiet and calm.

We first visited the Dreamland exhibition. I saw this in the summer, but decided to visit again. Bright light and pinball tables light the room. It's very much a step back in time.

We then decided to have a nice warm drink and a pretty cupcake. So off to the Cupcake Cafe we went! I love this little gem in Margate. Delicious cupcakes and warm coffee and tea was wonderful.

After the yummy cake, we went to see the new Self exhibition at the Turner Contemporary. I know that I will be spending a lot of time looking at this show, so it was nice to go for the first time.

I really enjoyed the show. I was really impressed by the artwork they had on show. It really made you think about self, and the meaning of self. I enjoy seeing artists express them self in their work, so self portraits is a perfect way. I liked seeing Sarah Lucas' work. It reminded me of being a 6th form art student. I mean, that was over 11 years ago. That time when her work and others was so new to me. So surprising and not the art I had been used to at a young age. I always think back to when I first saw hers and Tracey Emin's work. It changed my idea of art. Seeing the Van Dyck was a wonderful experience as well.

After the gallery we decided to grab a bite to eat, and visited the Greedy Cow for giant sandwiches. These were amazing!

It was a lovely day. I was so sad to see Laura leave. However I'm looking forward to going to visit her soon.

Stationary collections -Erasers

Stationary is something that I am very much addicted to. I enjoy walking into a stationary shop and browsing all the cute bits and pieces. Whether that's washi tape, pens, stickers, cards, erasers, pencils, and other quirky stationary. Erasers have become a little obsession of mine. I collected them when I was a child. When you used to go on trips with the school to different museums, I would always buy one from each place. This has carried on into my adult life. So now I am still drawn to super cute ones. From mini rabbits, letters, to cute little 3d animals, my collection is growing. Of course these erasers will not be used, they will sit happily on my desk, smiling back at me. My desk is a happy place where my little collections can be seen.

Follies

While I was in Folkestone I fell in love with a pretty little cafe. I kept walking past it everyday and every evening. Beautiful fairy lights and heart shaped decorations adorned the windows. This kept making me want to take a peek inside. The wonderful place was called Follies.

Finally on the last day I went in. I was greeted by a lovely lady with a smile and kind words. I went upstairs to get a seat. As I walked up the stairs it was clear this wasn't a normal coffee shop. It was an antiques store. Coffee and antiques, what could be more perfect? The decor was beautiful inside. Plus everything was for sale.

The coffee was delicious as well! I really enjoyed the overall feel of this place. It has so much character. You can always hire the place out for parties, so I am eagerly wanting to plan a party there soon!

Hello February

So it's now February. The first month of 2015 is finally over. I guess January did go very quickly. I felt like I worked all of January, until this last week, when I actually had time to relax and enjoy. January was a interesting time. I have been thinking about lots of things. Also making lots of lists to think about over the next year. 

I love Valentines Day. I know that you should just tell the person you love everyday that you love them, rather than once a year, but I love the happy vibes of Valentines Day. It's nice for that one day, everyone looks to that person in their life that means everything to them. And of course, it's another wonderful excuse to buy cards.