tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22561896038991749622024-03-05T04:35:12.312+00:00Something I MadeAlexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.comBlogger417125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-19016349342536245832016-02-29T22:55:00.003+00:002016-02-29T22:55:22.241+00:0007/52 A Portrait A Week 2016<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMsZTGyrO3t282r7K8DBHchCJayYrHfX0vjrn1CduSzgsquySseQ-MmGrHseRMwU9FlsMxg_i6ucQbiRVVaTdkPeAvqlh_mtuC2aVlgG3PHO06ptJ1uDR2DZB9cW4z5xxjfwztHk6iQVO/s1600/coco-07-52-3829.jpg" />
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I'm behind on my portraits... (of course I'm behind) these two photos were taken during half term. Coco being her dreamy self, she does do a good stare out into the middle distance.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BzY0mtxLP0bygNXqiY52wYrzrXFmSwdEO1C9ueuTSWGDf5JPHzZi12VsePll3zpnPlUF8Kgi5sxv5lHuMHSRx0X4uw3cL06d3_vMC6EUODaQh8a0y-lcBtvgumBqtLD3eWvsdEm3Zqmy/s1600/henry-08-52-3848.jpg" />
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Henry watching over his lego corner - I was really impressed at how well he shared his lego with the other children we met on holiday; it seems we might be out of the years where we had to say "share, share... SHARE" <i>constantly</i>. <br />Having said that; these do are perfecting their somewhat clichéd sibling bickering skills.<br />
<i>C'est la Vie!</i><br />
<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-22147477576925441332016-02-22T19:07:00.003+00:002016-02-22T23:14:20.868+00:00Videos of our Family Holiday in Essaouira...We've become proper creatures of holiday habit - we've just come home from our third trip to <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/02/morocco-holiday-portraits.htm" target="_blank">Morocco</a>, staying in the same hotel and having just as much of a good time as we've had on previous visits.<br />
Although the temperatures aren't high, the skies are (mostly) blue and the air is definitely warmer making it a real treat at this time of year. Returning to <a href="http://www.jardindesdouars.com/index.php?langue_site=3" target="_blank">Le Jardin des Douars</a>, a place that we all loved has some major plus points; for children especially the familiarity is wonderful, but a year is also a long time for little people so there was real joy for them in re-discovering the haunts of last year. We were also completely swung by the fact that Easyjet are now flying direct from Luton to Essaouira, so a short trip of five days was totally doable and returning to a place we knew meant that no time was wasted on getting our bearings, we even got the same room so we were straight in the holiday mood, in fact we were in the pool within an hour of our plane landing.<br />
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While the children made and re-made friends - another family had also decided to make a return trip - I decided to try to capture this years trip on video. I've been really enjoying the <a href="http://learn.xantheberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Make Films</a> course I'm doing with <a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Xanthe Berkeley</a> but I haven't really had the time to get totally stuck in so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to practice... I shot a bit on my big 'proper' camera - but I also wanted to do some editing while I was there as I'm finding that's the bit that takes me AGES so I also shot a lot on my iphone and edited it with the iphone iMovie app... in fact editing my iphone movies was a great way to kill time on the 3hr flight home (although also means they are all without audio).<br />
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So here are some videos made on the hoof as it were - small memories mostly cobbled together while I pretended to my kids that I'm not scared of flying at all; honest.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/156196803" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/156196803">From England To Morocco</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/156197024" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/156197024">Wandering In Essaouira</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/156197246" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/156197246">Holiday Games</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-90567934662915279232016-02-08T22:48:00.003+00:002016-02-08T22:54:46.895+00:00Henry & Hugh's Granola Recipe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL82jIPPiorB97mo621k8_9cA7M_DuO0TvIN2ngVKTl3Z_ub6BwcLWSTpzAMOGi9Z2Wn7sm6LXNEi3ZKW2olSJMeL-wMmIy0Pq8ss3rCRvfry7LWppu3ga3ozMSRdiw_YKwYO2GsoHckOy/s1600/henry-mixing-crunch-1893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL82jIPPiorB97mo621k8_9cA7M_DuO0TvIN2ngVKTl3Z_ub6BwcLWSTpzAMOGi9Z2Wn7sm6LXNEi3ZKW2olSJMeL-wMmIy0Pq8ss3rCRvfry7LWppu3ga3ozMSRdiw_YKwYO2GsoHckOy/s1600/henry-mixing-crunch-1893.jpg" /></a>Granola, or crunch, as it's known in this house is generally our breakfast of choice (when I'm not trying to <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2014/09/weekend-breakfast-our-family-campaign.html" target="_blank">mix it up at the weekends</a>).<br />
More often than not Hugh makes batches of granola in the evening, but every now and then Henry gets in on the act and they make up a batch on a Saturday morning.
Now for some reason our family granola recipe - which really is very simple - has taken a lot of experimentation. We used to buy a well known brand and Hugh wanted to re-create the clusters of crunch that you got in it. There was lots of recipe development but in the end we all decided that actually we preferred it without clusters.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM1fvChszLjzvsnup6D8JVnBmJHaIb8Q8kayGJ1nZDqLM_-9AjBWuiiozCATgJ3bT1BUf5XQeL018yNmWJ_Y8b-_47mgnA_zW-mWsaF7W-F-pSgrl79hQmXYKm6mR1HL0z-q1krW-c_iy/s1600/henry-pouring-1200198.jpg" />
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Ever the scientist, Hugh tweaked and tweaked away at his recipe - the notes above show only one of three pages - but now it's so simple that even Henry has it down to a fine art... well you know under Hugh's supervision.<br />
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Ingredients are approximately:<br />
1kg jumbo oats<br />
250g sunflower seeds<br />
150g pumpkin seeds<br />
250g nuts<br />
200g raisins<br />
75ml agave nectar<br />
50g maple syrup<br />
A large dollop of honey<br />
1-2tsp vanilla extract<br />
150ml of fruit juice (cranberry is good but anything goes)<br />
200ml sunflower oil<br />
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...and here's the method:<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HUoB91ZJdpVs_lRsoi0ScnECrVrqQHXAl8b3xgnVVkMNNNW2V9aInBqt76ws8hX7bY6FazJ1OR2GbkBWOCMqoZOIki82wEUJzS-WXsgcpki7BDear3uDOA3ptDACAeS_QyZaSWMlyeRM/s1600/henry-crunch-add-oats-1802.jpg" />
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Pour a full bag of jumbo oats into a mixing bowl
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIQpkmBvC-RfWcbWsF6v4Zb7RGG0VNcixgwJzzpXP3hm5I7lQbG_ej-TeuGxo3g3xUXBeMZK4jD52TPXyKMK1eR4yG4VSLQW6oWcAklFuX0kMPGZPanAwBWFQFSsAwBbn8EkQ3_2tVDfL/s1600/henry-crunch-add-almonds-1812.jpg" />
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Add your nut of choice - in this case a bag of flaked almonds<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7k54pdGYwYhLo0feXUFHPI7sgamk3lo-FDgMCvLUtpOrPZc8_mVOeoUqugt9WvLX_tBIIdQk4CTaoTrJVHOq3D7yQo7q9L2Ywdm9mmnH8PZ5MZb46zfl5B1lDvbZKiO9fP1IiDrPshWJ7/s1600/henry-crunch-add-seeds-1824.jpg" />
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A good couple of handfuls of seeds - we like pumpkin seeds -<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsTyJACIliCPpByUZ2oqRjMPJLV1cjW6PawfJH43lOytCAECTV5VAFFJR0m4rmk1HdjxagWn-zo4Db0vPi1-MHdmrQfx7kLch5UEGji2mWtgIaPwqo6G2xjEgowcpmeU-5-hKgy8KuQR_/s1600/henry-crunch-add-seeds-1828.jpg" />
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... and sunflower seeds <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TZ8kefWD9m_dCz20Up3iSenJtLhWVECFq3PY143RWilkqzACW2wx8oIHCs2AQVYmhSAtT1x4ABtAWe-KgbN1gKymiGn-gmlhIFUmpL8hcxGl4za_rN-xMIzyARUJh3Ur0b9b7Z5MEca5/s1600/henry-crunch-mix-well-1833.jpg" />
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Give your dry ingredients a mix.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjZSUSNhl3F6q2k1piIPODCg7KModthEB7Q0fztPudzueqLrRmAuQ-yIKKBt82lSBLDN_Su10li4kp8ScszPy57hLbdlzjeFP6SnyKdLK4MAHEmL7YqavRjlLY8JMuWpxrgwSiHmJaEyP/s1600/henry-adding-liquids.jpg" />
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Then put your wet ingredients in a
measuring jug - we use a mix of agave syrup, maple syrup (although are
using less and less of that as it's pretty £££), a tiny bit of honey and
then cranberry juice... and a very carefully measured teaspoon full of vanilla essence!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAqPVvM-AUVX73pVPgzvD5JMic75uRc2gDSpxs9btbxcmsiJvzGtnzNrES017t9Gs5xm94ixac5dpylw_26Bw1alN_OFy4QyVEIUl8xJ1XOGWAWjpIq21y92BA7C4RwL_p9KsWuzRYuPx/s1600/henry-crunch-adding-liquid-1878.jpg" />
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Add your wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and give it a really thorough mix.... <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07h-C587XJbZ-pkhc1N7nWJ_PIItqh_KvJC7QJdghdhtGT_J54WsYBFpMx4HmzWFuh6cg1J4BnhReYckPHTGGrGXHJM3Vih9GQw0eU59wrzLDHvJYXzJn7RIYUrElLMNqJFFyk_P7-TWj/s1600/henry-measuring-pouring-oil-1908.jpg" />
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Measure out your sunflower oil<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXkuozBYq8Qg4-9Zv2IYeL9dJaNW2YlK0nY2JayYSxqtrHK2XJGfEKstGDJ7DxN1nYbB7fyN5zTRsgh9vVVlLgabFB3MSw3kZxhxZghIKwRaQd2mx1m5t9GqsdtgnGqzeD4kVaI5LLLu3/s1600/henry-pouring-oil-1916.jpg" />
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... and pour it in...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EjFkkCP2_FsjqRzOlKcgkIQpbKGngQ6CDJkbdsbcr87nSvbd-npViVJcDfjQeToYu47ouglIAAzrpcwGmcfsN5bPBXIKYPfuUqjJ_t2AkJQnojyR1YIWRmb5MiU-KODXN4IJL_gXwvxr/s1600/henry-mixing-crunch-1896.jpg" />
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Mix until everything is well coated! Can take some effort...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWUKwNBA4S_q_Y4NdHAYcBCKvahFZQeQCwR-lROHsRMjDYmNtw8TzI_eWa6KBxyHInBQkoZ4T2E-ygBtVfXjOmN3e6fRjwW6TniagaETbm6HTWB9B8vk8Z2dJ8qrP47DEvdYrHhZ-oGo9/s1600/henry-sitting-finished-crunch-1920.jpg" />
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Optional: take a rest once it's all mixed together. <i>I know I didn't do a great job of editing down these photos... I am indulging myself.</i><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiici5IgEpoykh1Ru_YqVxj6hTtzI_yDVsirljU5BYoHh03DvDdQD3qCBRVLlQP_xDrpYa1PNW0tFgzXR05d4NRTFeDiRykP0vrE3QAQ2vKTIf3xV_7vMY7RVeZac-fsn7jgAZ3D47Ee-/s1600/henry-pouring-finished-crunch-1935.jpg" />
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Pour the mixture into a baking tray and spread it evenly<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VQgXVYM0wViW4BqIR-Xtgzkpmhm1j6DQ-goK3PZw3hxh-j9ddkKmUnt_qRB4ruHbVrHMx3jZCtx4HZuCNw3oBCC1YkZc33AMLegr0wEKT_uqhR23L4XycRQY3gJs4zGtW5qA22NdmDMq/s1600/henry-setting-oven-temp-1944.jpg" />
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First bake is for 30 mins at about 150 degrees - and keep an eye on the edges - they can burn if you're not careful or lucky. Once it's toasted around the edges, mix it over and put it back in for a further 15 mins or so.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTNAreW-T0BgFhjwTt0TLGRSQyFW-m9fu0yp3I22F2IV0y75EngVPA5p97nXR15b5oQ6D8kLL_TBp3UbA3XCHmQ-gQiJuhe46XtXo-c21VLXPPer18HQUgsYvrUevMbfPmRmnyPJg7qhV/s1600/henry-crunch-weigh-raisin-1982.jpg" />
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Once that is done you can add your raisins... if you put them in the first bake then end up too hard, so we add them half way through.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ILeuS7YZtPJ_PsOQq8MyqRTCrYubUv5fQ2e-_6QePf8cXlkJt5-bXom8Md4gD8tB1LXuQ_l1t410P3W8xdGRu94SDFDLKPH3xcVWQAetbYLJKpSl7SN1_5n7p15hWfiMpbqi6wTKinuC/s1600/henry-crunch-add-raisin-1991.jpg" />
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Scatter them about and put your crunch back in the oven for a further 10 mins.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nndcTP_C10ndXAHvEl7jvttVYy8QZnZhd8CiGy7IfqqBgwIWyzTdqMvsumYg4E195pA008-_iW3uXF5JYfY49Bw_vUGBRzDZziS1SH6wYPeH1mNrZmG_W4uJr2cv5kFpMvJk1cNOc4xb/s1600/henry-crunch-finished-2000.jpg" />
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Then turn the temperature down to zero but leave the fan running for a good 20 mins to dry it out and get it crunchy. Then covet until morning... or if you are like us maybe have some for pudding!?<br />
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We like it best with plain yoghurt and chopped fruit... although the kids seems to like adding it to any other cereal and just eating it with milk too, but it's definitely a much lower sugar option than supermarket cereal. I'm on a mission to keep an eye on how much sugar the children have (without jumping on any crazy bandwagons...) I don't think I'm doing them any favours if they grow up with a sweet tooth but it's a hard line to tread; I don't want to do too much straight out denial in case that just make the urges stronger. It's work in progress. <br />
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My friend Hattie is being much more systematic about the same mission and is sharing some great recipes over on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thetwohatties/" target="_blank">instagram account @thetwohatties</a> - this is one you need to be following people!Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-26118915321173638072016-02-04T14:45:00.000+00:002016-02-04T14:45:06.031+00:0005/52 A Portrait A Week 2016<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsssjXOm178Huad0dIPe_tnWxrK1rWNWdRq_s9rObS2wwxgPffY9rv0G_AbulrrPgyLPuYCISNj9ztfqbr7EK4JvHJMZwM2DqmffR08PgiT9ZVToEn_KjfE0RRGjAJh-RiHHlXE3M0UAkU/s1600/Coco-assembly-picIMG_1098.jpg" />
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I hardly got my camera out last week it seems which leaves me with very little choice of photos - but actually this snap of Coco taken on my phone is a good record of her right now. It was taken after her school assembly. She raided the dressing up box and my wardrobe for her 'outfit' (I think I'm resigned to giving her this old Topshop poncho that I never wear but she seems to love). Considering how much I like making things I'm pretty awful when it comes to costumes, so I'm quite happy for her to concoct them herself... and luckily so is she. Watching her assembly is always very heart warming and I often find myself on the verge of tears (the teachers know what they are doing - last year I heard her teacher bragging that she 'even had the Dads in tears') her class has a lovely bond and seeing them growing together is something quite special.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hpELHcwg1fdnZIvYlMdaX4HvGGX5fDx3NQjpwwh8mocF5sbT4L6HsQJ7XYQ1fQJ_7VCg05fCanVswwnfaS-38spChf52Nt0S0XmUpeDISqc4w4DA41mUqSqMcP608Y4seErz4LrAOnzq/s1600/henry-pouring-1200161.jpg" />
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For Henry it's another one at the kitchen table - it's not often where he is, but maybe it's where he is most still? He got given a water filter experiment kit for his birthday and he had been bugging us to do it all week so finally on Saturday morning we mixed up some dirty water from the garden and Hugh sat with him to 'experiment'. It's safe to say he LOVED it. I wonder if/when he'll grow out of his water obsession?Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-39799542890935074182016-01-24T22:29:00.001+00:002016-02-04T13:35:10.961+00:0004/52 - A Portrait A Week 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzNY2g3Ct-MpTNFgR8ux0HebmGkqafQFKwoVxl0OC4430TITdYrh8QUOFB3thv-2TTvjWhiCeFhvS5q2YUScZBU0fpXXVrhHQaFV-jFTSpNaD5v08y-PW2gErKpCmQHQQCOjY5Uq2JP3N/s1600/coco-3747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzNY2g3Ct-MpTNFgR8ux0HebmGkqafQFKwoVxl0OC4430TITdYrh8QUOFB3thv-2TTvjWhiCeFhvS5q2YUScZBU0fpXXVrhHQaFV-jFTSpNaD5v08y-PW2gErKpCmQHQQCOjY5Uq2JP3N/s1600/coco-3747.jpg" /></a></div>
Coco - wellies, puddles and a fancy skirt - and very rarely aware of consequences...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxsh_47GUJfnAD1p4UcNIPNJ3uy1kWeN3F2iQdHpB5g400N9RkoyDV9TN4X5-NC4Ibsq75jpjdDzU__i05HPAfRCkWSSAsVc4JyP84T3sGNigEixmol363z1sME0OlB2QhAsz9Z_PbDal/s1600/henry-3630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxsh_47GUJfnAD1p4UcNIPNJ3uy1kWeN3F2iQdHpB5g400N9RkoyDV9TN4X5-NC4Ibsq75jpjdDzU__i05HPAfRCkWSSAsVc4JyP84T3sGNigEixmol363z1sME0OlB2QhAsz9Z_PbDal/s1600/henry-3630.jpg" /></a></div>
Henry - the joy of lego. Enjoying the making and then once this fire engine was complete he brummmmmmed it everywhere!<br />
<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-134322818241483012016-01-18T22:49:00.000+00:002016-01-24T22:31:12.181+00:00On continuing to record the everyday... & other grand intentionsOh my poor old neglected blog. It's been so long since I logged on here I'd almost forgotten my password...
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But I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to blogging yet - this over-shared record of my life is five years old; practically a pensioner in internet years, and although it sometimes feels mad that I put so much effort into it when I look back I don't regret a moment; so for now the blog stays and I'm going to try to get back into the habit of updating this space - my aim is for once a week; we'll see how it goes. I might even do that re-design I've been planning EVER SINCE I LAUNCHED!
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So for a brief update: Life has been busy (I know, that old excuse!) mainly with <a href="http://www.cottontwist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cotton Twist</a> mum boss stuff; Christmas at CT HQ was brilliant but meant that everything else on the to-do list got pushed aside in favour of picking and packing up orders everyday. Not something to complain about <i>at all</i> - I now need to shout about (sorry - do some marketing) about all the other new things we did - like a whole RE-BRAND (with the help of Teri from <a href="http://www.thelovelydrawer.com/">www.thelovelydrawer.com</a> ) and a number of new little activities too... Can I rave about all that in another post?
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And in family life Henry has started school, Coco was eight in November, Christmas came and went without me making any cards - for the first time in like-forever - (still planning on taking a family silhouette image though to keep up the series - if you don't know what I'm on about see my cards from 2014) and then Henry had his fifth birthday in January. Any self respecting family-lifestyle blogger (aspirations...) would have been posting as if their lives depended on it through that little lot; and I wanted to but, you know, time, busy. Urgh.
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So I may post some very out of date stuff regarding all/any of the above - but I'll probably just move on... which brings me on to my grand intentions.<br />
1) I'm going to try to do the 52 project again (taking a portrait of each of my children once a week) despite the fact that I'm three weeks behind already - I may end up using iphone photos, they may not be of the finest quality, but looking back on when I did the project before in 2013 I don't think it always matters if the photo isn't the best; it's the changes and the moments that get captured which are important.<br />
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2) I've signed up to <a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Xanthe Berkeley's</a> 'Making Films' course with the intention of making some more little films of our weekend life*. I love the couple (<a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/06/one-saturday-in-may.html" target="_blank">here</a> & <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/07/styling-seasons-july-faffing-with.html" target="_blank">here</a>) that I did last year and I know that the more I do the better (and quicker) I'll get - so it's a really good excuse to practice and I'm sooo much better when I have a deadline - we are meant to post our 15 second films on a Monday, so Sunday night is editing night from now on; although I'm hoping it won't keep me up until 1am every weekend.<br />
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So - here's to the grand intentions. <br />
Come on 2016 I'm ready for you (even if it has taken me nearly three weeks to embrace you)!<br />
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<u><b>Scenes from our weekend; 18th January 2016</b></u><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/152100620" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/152100620">Making Films Wk 1 - Scenes from the weekend</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<u><b>The 52 project; Weeks 1-3</b></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTmNRUlYnWp_aaBZ0ta7lUwgvmzvAIokNQTSygs8p4jA-bT_lzpa5hrj3Foh8QdoZBd2kVBBnFgOMlZ3NYAPyPoIgMr7XFUpFn5KHKRaxXgAHCiZNNYIimo2ZXDoiA9nopcZeTSSfgXAL/s1600/wk1-coco-henry-2731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTmNRUlYnWp_aaBZ0ta7lUwgvmzvAIokNQTSygs8p4jA-bT_lzpa5hrj3Foh8QdoZBd2kVBBnFgOMlZ3NYAPyPoIgMr7XFUpFn5KHKRaxXgAHCiZNNYIimo2ZXDoiA9nopcZeTSSfgXAL/s1600/wk1-coco-henry-2731.jpg" /></a></div>
01/52: Nice to start with a photo of Coco and Henry together - the last day of the school holidays opening belated Christmas presents with bed hair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpzAwI7Z6iWDci4TMhUlMVg9Qq45DpW9xxwRMT_441dc9wIjchEt9tVvWIHdGhvkjQtmhlOYWDnHnllBs-mWHFM-jAtefnUYDaxPRLeZJbrG_DPylQbRT-7nwAi7d3uXU-oamQdlFh84q/s1600/wk2-henry-5-1190163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpzAwI7Z6iWDci4TMhUlMVg9Qq45DpW9xxwRMT_441dc9wIjchEt9tVvWIHdGhvkjQtmhlOYWDnHnllBs-mWHFM-jAtefnUYDaxPRLeZJbrG_DPylQbRT-7nwAi7d3uXU-oamQdlFh84q/s1600/wk2-henry-5-1190163.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzV_jrVrBvCMXZOExqar1M_eWMEDneDFc9c9CXjEAIS1z-HdQVQYKXWcpCgYPV5gLUA2eg_2fw0fKRym0qsfPfGAgywAgV9faUhKbHYYAvPm2TuHN55R9ddiIg4T1ti0FsqC31qbLJMDg0/s1600/wk2-coco-1190144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzV_jrVrBvCMXZOExqar1M_eWMEDneDFc9c9CXjEAIS1z-HdQVQYKXWcpCgYPV5gLUA2eg_2fw0fKRym0qsfPfGAgywAgV9faUhKbHYYAvPm2TuHN55R9ddiIg4T1ti0FsqC31qbLJMDg0/s1600/wk2-coco-1190144.jpg" /></a><u><b></b></u><br />
02/52: The birthday boy - with the (seemingly) obligitory birthday balloon and a lego areoplane. Yes, we are in the lego-underfoot-everywhere years. <br />
Coco and my Mum at the pub. Coco and I went shopping just after new year and she begged me to buy her this hairband/hat... I'm still not quite sure where I stand on it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3bRduLet8eEvO7B-OfgcBuPh8B9bo-XFGvXmlxlj_V-5fMO3eofl4y3klgTRTmZ03nOPbNnjQpVovCffQ_uL0lOBHRI_A5helpp2SDIJ9hxlI7BHQu5MontfiTOlaD6Rl5SKxDNTKD2O/s1600/wk3-coco-1200060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3bRduLet8eEvO7B-OfgcBuPh8B9bo-XFGvXmlxlj_V-5fMO3eofl4y3klgTRTmZ03nOPbNnjQpVovCffQ_uL0lOBHRI_A5helpp2SDIJ9hxlI7BHQu5MontfiTOlaD6Rl5SKxDNTKD2O/s1600/wk3-coco-1200060.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURc__Z3llPigl3S9c2u-muYJG7BCLpGmDufIvGPW1FT_d_Qk8JCUN1VSYAKvxpb_3mfZhJ16UnqOmxVjOF3vkRtxNHlXPx7n8CqDWBquaXhidbPX9thD45xfEjGq_tR7qBNejfLdsT_xR/s1600/wk3-henry-1200054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURc__Z3llPigl3S9c2u-muYJG7BCLpGmDufIvGPW1FT_d_Qk8JCUN1VSYAKvxpb_3mfZhJ16UnqOmxVjOF3vkRtxNHlXPx7n8CqDWBquaXhidbPX9thD45xfEjGq_tR7qBNejfLdsT_xR/s1600/wk3-henry-1200054.jpg" /></a><br />
03/52: A very cold walk on Saturday to the top of a hill in Windsor Great Park. Determination and sticks and lots of stops to climb or swing on trees. <br />
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<i>One portrait of each of my children every week in 2016. The 52 project was started by Jodi of <a href="http://www.practisingsimplicity.com/" target="_blank">Practising Simplicity</a> - join in on your blog on over on instagram...</i><br />
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See you next week folks. Or before; just maybe before!<i> </i><br />
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*I also have a TOP SECRET mini project that I've been <s>talking to everyone</s> thinking about for the last two years - that might well work really well in film; so if I get quick at editing it may well be featured here sooooon! Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-79680240324501369572015-10-13T23:45:00.002+01:002015-10-13T23:45:41.212+01:00My Last Day with a Pre-SchoolerOn the final Friday before Henry started school we went on a day trip to Margate. I tried to capture the day on film (well, memory card) and I finally got around to editing the clips together. It was all shot on my phone as I had a camera-no-card fail day, so the video stops rather abruptly on our homeward journey. We actually finished off the day with crepes at one of our <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2013/05/a-little-french-place-i-know.html">favourite places</a>.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/141158826" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/141158826">margate with henry</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.
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Despite how it appears it wasn't just the two of us... we hooked up with quite a few insta-pals at the Turner Contemporary and had fish and chips followed by enormous ice creams on the beach. Even when I set out to record the day I still always manage to miss all the major events... but then the little moments look pretty good too.
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I've got a lot of other footage from the summer that I need to edit together. Something to keep my busy on the dark evenings to come. I may try a do some better shooting tomorrow as it's my very big, very fat, birthday. As I type I only have 22 minutes of my thirties left. I thought I might manage to write a load of navel gazing posts in the run up to the BIG-END-OF-THE-WORLD-AS-I-KNOW-IT-DAY, but lucky for you guys I didn't actually get around to it.
There's nothing to report really. Business as normal. Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-19040313981048144842015-09-04T14:00:00.000+01:002015-09-04T14:00:06.877+01:00Our Summer in Handstands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wwtdeD4hgcjn9XrSi2uTX8UwYpklYU3J_jqFEaMZjCkYVfzNSlLI0boKaRMQRf3yrleqzODU_WcEDZfmmHO3_ueMeB0YA040A0VoVTa193yVJiz5oualx0CX-SAwCGLUw39BfZP2FoXD/s1600/11-kings-cross-1018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wwtdeD4hgcjn9XrSi2uTX8UwYpklYU3J_jqFEaMZjCkYVfzNSlLI0boKaRMQRf3yrleqzODU_WcEDZfmmHO3_ueMeB0YA040A0VoVTa193yVJiz5oualx0CX-SAwCGLUw39BfZP2FoXD/s1600/11-kings-cross-1018.jpg" /></a>Coco spent the summer perfecting her handstands.<br />
Everywhere we went she'd be up-side-down within seconds.<br />
Although at times it drove me mad (she'd say "I can't help myself Mummy" like some kind of addict) I admire her perseverance and she really cracked it over the summer... <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0mn4H8tg-N4mIYd4OrAcVJSAoDnMKOrLVNlPZpzfdxCxBGI-XZ-0yCl0pKVSbRx7-lruLeXmj6O-yHSVMCJ1wfTppNZNCDZ17SCyN1shbT0nWI6LdlssF0TMYl5KPu6mOj9vp3G_7Car/s1600/starry-skies-0043.jpg" />
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Of course it's the way that I don't have many photos of her handstand 'before' - this is maybe the closest - a slightly fast and unstable version at Starry Skies right at the beginning of the holidays...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8O31BX7o8fBwxUSpb1aLk8PefDy2DAbl_wQmMo5YodjX1COqCtb7JCN1soMBdxHcgNCi-CaBkcbS8rFL5UIPNhBACPPS4dBHfJYqCSjK-NaQ5Qg8rwPsrpxF-XdVnSX097C9SBdYFh6J/s1600/02-garden-0151.jpg" />
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In the garden<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAjDv27z8a70YxmOdLgXiyRYQndqET_NIP4MHL_e-yfFKxuaaHedmLeY2ATlx3PeXgzu3P8auhV6aZzlWrnNBdsqAYDiDSyjWf9gWvzkyr4c08OgTdOY84BDEqaZWNfoVDzsl168Y9WeL/s1600/04-durdledoor-0262.jpg" />
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On the beach<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNj54ecQrD2MGsrk_UsnrG0R2_pScgZLJuWnHYGotInhiRZF9AIoyaFlDqqdy-KdPlvTtoROdt7a_ENb9HCV3LAiZ5Ctg_5FRV3Tdkkb-yHL7Zl-ao_7UMhBa4r0UdIhFXoOgdoBV65KQ_/s1600/03-camping-0195.jpg" />
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At the campsite<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84rT-bSA6HBf1e5czXn9rA7E_V3MY_ZEybxI2bTt291_cmVplZ0LVZY417VA4LJiN9CefEaAMueqbR-Zyx8B8HFYyD5Air2nlNI-Ti8e26dJSUfBHOhKKhv7p72kReLHjVFlTxwP0Ed-u/s1600/05-durdledoor-0275.jpg" />
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Beach again - but this time with a view...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvsbXUoZvYeworywVyhrWMwhpNkDamzogg-Ov77E-Bg2J4f-TH91ToI5ffCIoPTj1hMbSIRqR-jEPbX_6tiO3I6n7LybsGR0xMwSm4krSDxAwLR-E4f5ffQuElQKq37OZzCsbStH2g68S/s1600/06-atcamp-0316.jpg" />
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An early morning pj handstand at camp<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIPOVy_BCvarNc6rcJfEYatHqn0nzNQ4l7VUZ5jt39e08FQ6LoUCAi5eg2Hjs0qPI6fjGDbe0BZf2fPh-b7TwLgpbSJQA-ZVyhaXWFvccDDulBckBTx0_BsoVlJoR24BySRhLkP1dd_oa/s1600/08-trebah-gardens-0700.jpg" />
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Trebah gardens<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO6wosuGVU-AjLn9Hi4qchvgjt4z04dB5rsFmUq_6x1eUZg894Ln7h2sX0BKJdW2DY155Ahd1csDiLbnACZNvrMooYtsmPEHXI9BRNrTAmJlrFgVaBv_iBfwUNAYbTfm1d0WCnolCshGE/s1600/07-beach-0579.jpg" />
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St Ives<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNM6Xms_4ld86WWlAe96ND-cChrcFstA0xehbSVZ9NdnZQBFyhaKtVDxDaCDOAoNRtKJ1O1kM20dSWhNNB_fr5cHJYBKjwit7CRFNuAK8c7Qnlv3Z53TMqPBUY5lrdEekb5PPlSvQRQTV/s1600/09-polurrian-bay-hotel-0758.jpg" />
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Polurrian Bay Hotel; indoor handstands are generally a no-no...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjwA-nlJ09HZ97EzHNAAyR3xSYcmRf6dAvaYY-aERtx2Aq8wHjgCdG9BapkDeJoR6e_uTMrXlvOPjpVItTl4jZ6ygu3Llmz0ygc385WORLIip7k3nklVIlYyqXN0IxiAzawW3BPpPlhwM/s1600/10-brutalist-1180294.jpg" />
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... except when there is a brutalist playground indoors... (at RIBA)<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSs_gDWmnbnGUSArSwSIzgqCF96LgincBZ_3Rrboq4IHJx1wWivyDtT85TaVsnScxqG-nYDddnuOHzDDUbgNRbhJ947hykCvYa0VEXI9W6k8dHTRS_gX_Bd9b8BXMZyCuhyphenhyphenUxUvfJlT8C/s1600/10-brutalist-withfriends-1180293.jpg" />
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In tandem.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bjC6KiKTIK3h6bCCWXRHL8Z6enlAjuft1D-m7-mTQpyI09ZLwABDYitmAWFwH1BTT5joRE9p99B-C83i3QhRpAL84Jb2WmNEo3RzYZYMAC3RnhdMWwsWEnsDexzAGHVh0ekzA2xiIJGB/s1600/10-southbank-0886.jpg" />
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In the fountains at the Southbank<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm29TBObQBW5kNCdwsZp8IuU6g72m3bg4Z1feDy1ExX0Ui3PYyKsKKlYdNBl_rnfPOVte2-oaVIBf4oPxZkhxyLyRyVx2rbKMbtsDkAx4fLpcLKW03X0ubNp7tP9PfP_qXH0-EuyQGNxS/s1600/14-kings-cross-1080.jpg" />
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Near perfection at Kings Cross<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi070c_b2IbP5JOO1aXxOXW-sJLNNbxT0FYoM-wzMz2D9UJJJQFRvHqROCwmcRvNgiaUBRLQVaqS-DxkDaMd-e7zdJWh2oQLa2eI66Ni7dxbokmyYtE5W1JNMRwo8TvL6-Lp5L_bMTe_qLj/s1600/12-kings-cross-1019.jpg" />
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Although they still go awry sometimes<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvczeEmqvplynD_h9B2W7pO4-k76Eo0NeKuWMRUhpAjqZwsmQwzhbxLFUk69ZoeJFw6tiMF5Bjf0G6Hi-a305lOHeMf6q8KWi3m10kN3wXIbzn5ONzRB8IRsdPl1TiCoskh-Q7hHiiwFm/s1600/southbank-roof-garden-handstand-1367.jpg" />
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At the roofgarden on the Southbank<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJetPxo-rwr38ZEYy2-HwkdTSYMgqUvwHieqblcDuWBWgGUaEyjZ3wjBAOdjLdOO10WuYvW8B4fxZt9xXCy4OUYyAaQ-Jr23K9vXhyT9iSpS3QPPAOuXpcVwsXCZkBnsUkifwH1gH6A4a/s1600/kew-handstand-1728.jpg" />
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And then at the end of the holidays we were a little bit more house-bound thanks to the gorgeous British weather and the handstands slowed down... until on the very last day of the holiday at Kew Gardens when I had to ASK for her to do one last handstand for me.<br />
She hesitated and resisted a little... but eventually obliged.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZclI-mYLyUdzeGTqZM4VvQO36FJpqZIRidE-jVL7vssISCIIj3cdoiVG0lBxnF19tXfEk4eCGHFHHWVwhDYaPtYrizPCwZ5zyp9NPhd2GTDDR4MFxlnidAklhqQhU2yuvuNXwrsCLyWb/s1600/kew-handstand-1730.jpg" />
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One last 'stand.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPqKvjzHGOjOyUMwFJb6u3z1UPPBJHer5g5fYsW8-ThnX0j1PekIdp_2W9pPDmWxj7aVxAelX0xs8NvAKt58-JwxDdz0Ul2bC8LSMSx5wfq2EtseBGrerU2ATdHZ6N2ad5bPpw5Fn2zDf/s1600/kew-handstand-1778.jpg" />
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Now she's moved on to cartwheels...Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-65591233090419259582015-09-02T20:13:00.000+01:002015-09-02T20:13:17.390+01:00Mermories of Summer: Swimming at Kings Cross Pond<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRp0zmgclMHtAGjNcEyvB_QpcemynM9GDHs94MrR8fGCCiQgGuKZI48NHrKIOM2E38ujwFpbrHoeh98UAidjiTQHmLRqYp23YtQeZ2jTbde7-IuDT4lIcknuupQIdi1lAHlr3fWBDn3HB/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1302.jpg" />
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It's back to school for Coco tomorrow and as summer begins to draw to a close I'm left with a million photos to edit and a lot of happy memories. One of the best days we had in London over the holidays was also one of the hottest. A Saturday of sun in the midst of a couple of dull August weeks. We decided to have a mini holiday day and got up early to go swimming at <a href="http://www.kingscrosspond.club/" target="_blank">Kings Cross Pond</a>.
The sun was hot, the water was fresh and we lazed on the grass by the man-made pond - our immediate surroundings filled with nature and flowers against the back drop of a building site. We watched another crane being constructed as we swam; Kings Cross is crazy right now.<br />
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I took masses of photos. Wanner see? Scroll on down... <br />
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You have to have a shower before going in... they were colder than the twenty degree water in the pool. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7wgIcXNgjdWAO5Gpg34QsuaadumFaB6keuc5lC843ZBxWIECzLDQc6LST6ZdzixUpGA6ZB2op_hX8BdkOFp5n0MKF_dKNsLt8dEG8aHZS4_z7T5up6089gn30mDZL-zfgjQmFT_iqy3-/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1206.jpg" />
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One end of the pool has all the planting that naturally filters the water. No swimmers allowed here which makes for a nice photo...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fqFysyfZidccO4BCTtKGGqsWfyD4J8uluOLzAEc2ABNfAm5AOdCrZx5fpOHaXATjV9Ebcd-puwWp4uE2BKnAQ09W86-uZZQG8w7Y79sXwICzy_EkWG95eseWICNNWSk9j1-K3aVpHejK/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1234.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygCmK4V20uRySbEqe7qTKGzF4D12J7TU6N4U9JfYBHk2oXMnSIAN1iOvW3p6tJp3Xizc3AytC2TAYC7mq2fmLJBHK1vRn7nNjZbWEJIqxNB1D5mTmWPrT5XrUAt0RTm9agpl1e-hamzI4/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1277.jpg" />
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There is something quite special about swimming in fresh water in the middle of a massive construction site. The tickets are limited so even though there were quite a few people there it didn't feel busy (as you can see). If you get the chance then I'd highly recommend it; it's on my next summer list already.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitogDDcqGt9LdMR1auhZ34K2o5VUrAdnttAbCBoAZw5FlnGuzJZqv4KtOhKApaTMg9HGXQm9JS4DM5oHLSPlCieviYoR-Z9169_nClIG9it7set3XFU4l9Y6D9JzqekQ2g2Izqf-8hFhPO/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1348.jpg" />
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Before heading to <a href="http://www.caravankingscross.co.uk/" target="_blank">Caravan</a> for brunch (so, so good) we had a quick lesson from Coco on how the natural filters work.<br />
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Then our mini holiday continued with a sing-along at the Southbank (part of <a href="http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/david-byrnes-meltdown" target="_blank">David Byrne's Meltdown</a>), more fountain fun and takeaway in the garden for dinner. It did feel like we packed quite a lot of holidaying into about twelve hours; which was lucky really as it poured with rain again the next day.<br />
Oh London. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0YCjzlLN8KXyXJG8Mqy5YqZHawWIrfDh-TyjW_Bi4c4QIeWAZnL2ToGsU0PszYAiw1uALmHOJDrEviT-QcznM1fL-mjke3b1iTbkfne_Q_Yj4iqwU1rRpJhmsn8MNU9WkBfYDYY0gz5c/s1600/kings-cross-pond-1353.jpg" />
Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-75014077290957783482015-08-20T19:07:00.003+01:002015-08-20T19:07:41.081+01:00Our British Summer HolidayI was hopeful for gorgeous weather for this summer - after our trip to Venice at Easter we decided to stay in the UK over the school holidays and try to keep our plans spontaneous.<br />
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<img alt="Bubbles at Starry Skies festival in Wales " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdvRuoSqhv_3i1eaPT0dTG4J9PjrBxCMow484dnbW0O3_W_R9y6O7unoDUcl0JrnnSg0dS9NdBHQFdrn94nl8eISYKZu2dxPR9q9mF2LpX9AxNiYD8ZgD821aEDekkPefrUWch9De_p0t/s1600/starry-skies-bubbles-0050.jpg" title="Bubbles at Starry Skies festival in Wales " />
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We started off well with a trip to Wales for <a href="http://www.starry-skies.net/" target="_blank">Starry Skies</a>
festival where we had a wonderful few days, despite the rain. I think it
would have been a lot better to have had three days of gorgeous
sunshine, but the one day of sunshine was lovely. And we had as much fun as
you can hope to have while camping at a festival on the rainy days*;
making lemonade bread to bake over a fire in the woods and spending a couple of
hours dancing to a great selection of throwback rave tunes in a
beautiful tent, plus a wonderful yoga session run by <a href="http://sallysyoga.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sally</a>.<br />
*As my camera stayed dry in the tent I've no rainy day photos! <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNpTjU5nhC_HMgdvosiUQCwDFKzUz3hKoD95YcJHwBnjxNGs-E5CqU5vfXJaSpYDGNFoEx1e4fbPAhbqT0vJQr-rxrlqphgu0zwmruA_-Zj2rBhyEtnD0DKzSSbSxxeoWzE_X4VS8J5r-/s1600/starry-skies-coco-0039.jpg" />
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<img alt="Camping at Starry Skies festival in Wales " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XmtyiV71uHb1weU0v8Cbemn6Hbf9qiSeg5nDuqv3gfXgDsfaGW3VQfgdjpnxY04H1HrgeR6UHkz8ccDIQxqHN9ov3UFXo1a-h-NctrwXcXZlBTOSuKgzRqSb4j1pWpQFSnNyKbItkVO3/s1600/starry-skies-henry-0116.jpg" title="Camping at Starry Skies festival in Wales " />
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Hugh had the week after Starry Skies booked off work and we had plans to carry on camping but with rain forecast for the week ahead we had a re-think and came back home hoping to re-schedule a trip for when the weather got better. Only it didn't really get better. By the following weekend we'd decided to just go with the flow so we packed the car up again and headed down to Dorset where we had a wonderful time at Jim's Place - the campsite made infamous by the wonderful <a href="http://www.junkaholique.com/" target="_blank">Artemis over at Junkaholic</a>. The sun came out and we enjoyed just hanging out together; it was the only the second time we'd ever camped as just the four of us and it was wonderfully gentle. The site is tiny but there were only a few other campers - families like ours and the children all played together. We cooked on the fire and read together in the evening (Goth Girl by Chris Riddell).
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<img alt="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXOLRCqqowFvbvoSV7lDJae19MvorenwBysoVCR8Xlbww87WUDbO5wd360O8e1Jwno9Ia4T_Z0_hyY4XBUUXF0upFhx2Gs7RaG5lbZM5cU18hxAOmy02AY8IsfXwFm8UwS36entc1yGVw/s1600/camp-belltent-up-0181.jpg" title="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLXmRIMmLh5BudQ33KEQYt5NCl4XxYOUBKZ4LUHULRnyjEfqZ4kiFExAG7_dNVxEwmMVDfkdWXld4PF7YWnLtGzDQYdVs37SAk7t2-ylQjaNtyNmOBWP9bvJxGeJ6DZdYiJ_mRjvI43Cf/s1600/camp-exploring-0198.jpg" title="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" /><br />
Exploring the campsite <br />
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<img alt="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25yDzVd_tVWm5JVvooWh6Mhyny7d7lfZ8VnVcHP7xooOi_SkmkCt-f_6jYDYrU8bHMJSFfwLRH1S6PkwEomETeW9w-21CVT7xKC_sB1RZoTJNCsQb8I45bKKuOdG7vsLy6CcWKzKocmbm/s1600/camp-dinner-0302.jpg" title="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Home-grown tomato salad with red peppers and Dorset farm-shop steak cooked on the fire for dinner <br />
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<img alt="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn-CKcXeXriSoC8TxKWqfsphwGcVANgurSTGzegBkmnvhKbEpB95nSY5_tqZIa1NJIJsjqlfuvYm2GNO0NSqztBspeyCXv2bZIqaG7RhN3zXehat5qtstwHAGceKBLnXXwxVn9wl4D_Kq/s1600/camp-view-0237.jpg" title="Camping at Jims Place in Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Typical camp view - socks and birkenstocks plus fire with kettle on.<br />
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We had a glorious day at Durdle Door - now nicknamed Dumbledore by Coco - where we stayed on the beach all day and cooked sausages for lunch, swimming in the sea. I've never been to a British beach where I've head so many foreign languages spoken - it really is on the tourist trail, but it's not surprising as it is beautiful. We all got a little colour that day...<br />
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<img alt="Clear water at Durdle Door by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnSKHzHTBoCRu14G3l3-p4AD-3seKz-wQ8Agv4Yw-ydBTv36JAl9529IAymADZ-Fl4ISB5Sn-6qsPv1AXLp-wGFip-hMniM4wpsAZpAd1TZXtI3yPsT4EdNDunRmVy1Sj2tsmvdKh4cIs/s1600/durdle-door-clear-water-0272.jpg" title="Clear water at Durdle Door by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Coco - braving the cold water
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<img alt="Clear water at Durdle Door by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkAVD7MBuIeRWjjzG4lGuOKXFVb4_njZqe4u7AmMEz-eBxKX31OSvTE7OkiCDj9zG6uEjNgF0ZJi6IDFd-SM0DvFf-StH1imLEYhcK9ofnMGkifJShUOkrzs_LcghJU_PS0eWXtoBIhcN/s1600/durdle-door-henry-0268.jpg" title="Clear water at Durdle Door by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Henry - not quite so sure about the chilly seas!<br />
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<img alt="Beautiful Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xppiJhr_HXjK9DxG0LHgbvvP02tArP3ze4kZLE-FE2ec0DRNrKDUIBERa3g_2zUnHerJc27bZbh7bTXjHhEiOUxPDlHia3IarVb1NAiFoRDxNg9W4nDlT7E7BgAyL0gyi5H0-tXALBGN/s1600/beautiful-dorset-0243.jpg" title="Beautiful Dorset by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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After a lunch stop-over at Hive Beach (where we went at half term) we left Dorset and headed further west to Cornwall where we explored the Lizard - one of our favourite areas. We had one more sunny day which we spent on Kynance Cove beach before the weather turned a little more unstable.
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<img alt="Kynance Cove" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AJ0mp5p33aLGRsEAP9KuQqN_FRPbGf2mh3tAr7MXBcqeFiES59MrihV2PEJy5m4RmW6vmjSC4DzvsQtSSfOmduqMm1fGAAmjNm9ubHEpAGppQw_w5NXb-BqsuUlqNdP5kzAH324DLCGB/s1600/kynance-henry-0336.jpg" title="Kynance Cove" />
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I just love this beach... we got there just as the beach was beginning to appear as the tide went out.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bpRgCSHYRQmsq9QP4jGbiFlk01BMvj6r4Cjg95l5jhANMBI7AH6KPAXwpa1N5i1vxpyzpNwmmXfwHfEOkQQ5JGBosnbXyd8Aj9TsznyAku_ZrHQ70OEneOPdlOY0QMbQCCy3IAyhggt9/s1600/kynance-henry-0338.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP37_7RkG9Dsy_4cF2VRogovxShT59w_OU_ZL9Giig02jc2NM-Ofv8CvVmuH14GxbYAWCrKrMiSS5Zii9U0WP0vJt3t7DfLUR9G9-OwDqKH7SsfTfUMl2Uy8mrDVy5rHPDgD4bKw7uX_rj/s1600/kynance-coco-0363.jpg" />
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We booked ourselves into the <a href="http://www.polurrianhotel.com/" target="_blank">Polurrian Bay Hotel</a> - which we went to a couple of years ago and loved. There's nothing like a family hotel to give you a real break. No hassles at all and very happy children who insisted on going to the kids club every morning; no talk of beaches or swimming could dissuade them from having their two hours of play at the hotel; we didn't argue too much but instead played tennis every morning; which was quite comic in the wind but good fun and meant I didn't feel so bad about having a blow out meal everyday.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8pGFFnC8rvc0Cb6hHXMP_Zafg3hWHMoABm8EqSX6ZtVixi_d-5dhD8jlmxn9bzDJlRoEGfX2THP-oaIictuxzUSJvhKribAoxYOhCRfp17DM-ZIQMpDYoBF-jp-3ea0CH7zOO3Gqjeq0/s1600/polurrian-picnic-0491.jpg" />
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As much as the hotel is great for the food and childcare and all the attention to detail that make it so relaxing for parents (evening activities, kids meals, Sunday morning club meaning you can have lie in, treasure hunts around the hotel and grounds, playground, swimming pool - I mean really, what is not to love?), the absolute best thing about this place is the location. The views of the sea are restorative on their own plus it's an easy walk to the beach - only five minutes to the nearest; Polurrian Bay itself and then about twenty minutes to Poldu beach - a huge expanse of sand at low tide with rock pools and a beach cafe. We borrowed bodyboards at the hotel so Coco could have a go... there was moderate success. She loved it and then quite shortly after stating that it was BRILLIANT, a wave knocked her under and then it was more of a hate thing. The first day she tried the sea was quite rough though and I was pretty impressed that she even gave it a go.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMHtC04lPzSPne1onAKodoAfzCvPhOSYVqeWzs6St_UXGMn6d0e1pzxoqMNCjEhDWaWxNGAeFJfS39MUwWfHzMtlSi1MNdDZiOqoSL7ptgxgbusK8uaV1p9W6BB7D1Qrt8DLifXMrEc2E/s1600/coco-poldu-loves-bodyboarding-0662.jpg" />
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The moment she loved body-boarding... (and getting good use of the <a href="http://www.saltskin.net/" target="_blank">Saltskin</a> wetsuits)<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BgP1pjgSw_FttYtek7JJjaTi2__yev_kK-kxbVGJFTvKesUiQxtB0Z0reONkb7rg_D2URpDOBuplaWaibPCRIdoPiCht3aG-lTiO-V8rCmzEMuLdyDetJCPh3g6pWUcL-l6OoTJGrBf3/s1600/henry-poldu-0677.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaAGi3g21wI_g93BZZ8_9azfR483U5KpqUBkUBkyAdv3tOdla5hwiFAxSzZgszi3mqVBw1ZFmp0OFuBQEgwwTaZ3GqLVsdONhOn-f8nRmCzMJlTApTKzVdINN-i2swJyOhfrNmHhFIPLZ/s1600/walking-poldu-0621.jpg" />
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The day of the rough sea meant the beach wasn't as much fun as it had been so after lunch at the beach cafe at Poldu we got in the car to explore some other beaches nearby - the children both promptly fell asleep so we decided to take the opportunity to drive for a little longer and we headed to the Helford river. We found ourselves at Trebah Gardens an hour before closing time but we bought tickets anyway. We were all delighted by the gardens, plus they don't actually chuck you out of the garden, they just close the cafe and visitors centre so we actually did have time to make the most of our tickets after all. I love seeing impressive gardens - Trebah is mainly a woodland garden which stretches out down the valley to its own little pebbly beach on the Helford. There were agapanthuses galore and so many hydrangeas - the children loved the tunnel through the gunnera and discovering the bridges and brook-side pathways and the playground in the woods at the end which we really had to drag them away from.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlTyPB6piQGw9ZOxHwjjcwHYbsQ9a1yShNOcl_o_Y08SKxl32ZjWQlv0G4RSstrXDvM3QdgJtLBTSDuZV30QBE9WueY8LkLoPhDij7I3AKhnl_uk0pJBbMEJVgdjg-io8NgWK32ll8IDh/s1600/trebah-agapanthus-0697.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjBX5kyMk3IfFQo_eeRUKAp6iQudlulQIUBcfjX8YxDl2gxheBNhlJA2FQGq1Dv8Yy-qVxFQeYNiyORBvfqk5KWRAptgHsfuODKwkAoW-yFAty5_WRDfr0lXZjjVc4JXs2fAbHsMBgVG-/s1600/trebah-water-garden-0690.jpg" />
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Henry was still in his wetsuit - so we took it off and he wore one of Hugh's jumpers instead. Made him look very monkish.<br />
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<img alt="Pretty bridge at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEeIEjS3GeHY-NG5vAwN2HKCfQ-PKchJYRFD8l3-UR3wixszSNX4uNBJSN4Syc6T20oz_79YiGHVveQ0Mv9YrNz56NvrqvA4NZr_OATpMMXnGev8HtDeM6gxsbBjpkqPAJUYJsi8oJwmX/s1600/trebah-bridge-0716.jpg" title="Pretty bridge at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Hydrangea Valley at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CGKHo4BVEVFof_8_NiDGlcyDSP4FsgP0BI-vOAqvYBHEODnPiUJiP_BYgs04fbKYSinhiu5Hy2ZXtuecNChs-RKL1QQEV4jEyRJFaL7B0V17zoiLdY_0ZCbFzcy3-RjBPfZHFMGKpC68/s1600/trebah-hydrangeas-0739.jpg" title="Hydrangea Valley at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Hydrangea Valley at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4Qdbge2DkruhBQhAz_8thl9MGoAIr73bM90Jn4JgdTKJ-ODHnkhSgvQk845Z68a0p9LehOjUaVbyWy3ztFLnpLWh72IkgE3LHCQcN6mtbYIeUzX-BlrZaQsw6RJOQ07teL4cbDZfD2It/s1600/trebah-hydrangeas-0704.jpg" title="Hydrangea Valley at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Gunnera at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcW9DdWp5FxpJV4Gy4Kin6heW82YwtxyiW1hA061L_aMzUO0YyKMYxTB7zUNu0xcg9uURepb1WsjcrNXiDuB2xL2qFaY3qpfPfMchnslCzIfmWpgSgfN6al3mNx8FG81dXCXkfsdelit8P/s1600/trebah-gunnera-0698.jpg" title="Gunnera at Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith Cornwall by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Coco pictured for scale purposes only.<br />
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Being dedicated food tourists meant we couldn't resist having one stand-out meal and we decided it was about time we tried <a href="http://porthminstercafe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Porthminster Cafe</a> so we had a great day out in St Ives - well I say St Ives but actually we just went to Porthminster beach. With an unpromising weather forecast we set off for St Erth and caught the train along the coast to St. Ives. It was stunning. The tide was at its lowest - the creek at St. Erth was exposed with the odd boat stranded on the mud and then as the train weaved around the edge of the coastline there were golden sands everywhere. Once we arrived the sun was out so we set to sandcastle building - Hugh and me probably more enthusiastically than Coco and Henry; perfect for working up an appetite. Lunch on the terrace at Porthminster was brilliant, I could see us trying to make it a summer tradition<br />
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<img alt="Low tide at St Ives - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkTuU1Ac8w-UMJpV_clCbteBSDjMFfxxwjGXUsu_jpZQxgdsPWgQgt8Nz9qqh3pl5vWkQv8sLh9hclgoxxJ_uvWTZHDRlzSnar8_WBC1ctXR8_z9EeVeOocYuZAZ9zT52s6gsqgKQJifL/s1600/portminster-beach-low-tide-0541.jpg" title="Low tide at St Ives - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<br />
View of Porthminster beach from the train window.<br />
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<img alt="St Ives from the train - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFvSW8vyYnL8JdBEAjfiRAq0ncwW72GTxqn6eZ-3Qem6TYzdDTLcCzq4k54XQl_KHYi8OuIyRaAqN5vEls5hlbRV2keoUP_uP4M754i9YWvVq8MWEGq7T3cjA4rMpUxwqMOG61maQTESw/s1600/henry-train-st-erth-0613.jpg" title="St Ives from the train - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<br />
Henry loved the train journey (this is actually on the way back again - you can see the difference in the tide from the pictures above and below).<br />
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<img alt="Porthminster Beach St Ives - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeMLakCiUyf4it9mU3hnp0JO8Mt28Pa5S4fr1PFrjmfNBZLh6MZzZiZI3ipQWO1ZdbRidHEljhw5pBS1Ye20-sASUoejdxOuwMngfKgYnrcFUnxNf2S5ddmXi0aFGpt1t94pkeynvEhAI/s1600/henry-coco-portminster-beach-0554.jpg" title="Porthminster Beach St Ives - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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The very beginnings of the sandcastle, pre lunch...<br />
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<img alt="Building sandcastles on St Ives beach - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRRHbCrx05L44gnNS3iljY-75CHvciTieV5opSEvxefhTHxxADE9l3ol-OLKTRSvNmSKl-7czIaMPRGKZEfKG790EtiNZ_kXve2pgPwcarfX0UgKvEGQWJ0yhQ52Pi0-I_2lJFHD6r2e9/s1600/henry-sand-castle-0586.jpg" title="Building sandcastles on St Ives beach - by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<br />
... and the end of the sandcastle post lunch.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEo2ozn71jZckA3naPAfBf4aOI5VjzMWFZFnb73pBch3E484ffSbYH6s5-ONlZYr7lDS2jx_5nQ-9zm5qg90Thdv9gCwO2Sfkzadf3rJ86jgVlgL5jcNgvMDwczB2gQq7bWQP4i7Db2Ru2/s1600/porthminster-0582.jpg" />
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<br />
Sort-of the best summing up picture I could have hoped for - Coco doing a handstand and Henry too busy to stand still and look at the camera. All in all it was a lovely holiday - just the kind I'd love to have every summer.Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-91498023367664520902015-07-24T09:45:00.000+01:002015-07-24T09:45:00.603+01:00Paris to Venice with Kids Part 2: Things we Loved in Venice<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pDnK6Mtm3eRrtElpAEtlImyd2LoTYFhYptFxY8E9epE3BtA_BSJzhGm3hqeFD9Hkr7lv6SSm8paDPAipE-NwUgH38n9MaUQlvWyyLCQt7i8c6P5QIGeyv5M_nqot79VOMj1JseglVGfd/s1600/venice-with-kids-1160675.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Basically, we fell in love with Venice.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZiNwcXHOb_g9xd7QBtDlrrLmy-paGJ7WN4zXzz7Izy9edGzDiK4br9xaiMs4HbGY0XabWnMJnslsTY_GvTtsvid8XeX3Sc4UGBIVxAQJlRGUrMqjc77BoiuhVLcMDqtGd3TYV2WGpxju/s1600/neighbourhood-1160700.jpg" />
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We arrived on the overnight train from Paris at about nine in the morning. The train crosses the water on the tiniest strip of land and you are so surrounded by water that you feel you must really be on a boat after all. We'd hit our holiday stride by the time we time we got to Venice and were all feeling pretty relaxed and excited, but I still think we were surprised but how much we all loved the city.<br />
<br />
Here are a few things that made it for us... <br />
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<br />
<u><b>Our Apartment</b></u><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4Y-1XHw60gPMmtuvDQTeBtbmYlTCRxhl5VmaxBvLoWCATjI7F5q6ovmOvYf2JLqh0dsKaKXrVPNbOkLcDXKXRiCFQ4aCTDXMpHERaRuGwiyajES_t56H-MaP7ytaeduVLRQe_h2DrO5o/s1600/venice-with-kids-5050.jpg" /><br />
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We loved our apartment for its view of the canal and its quiet street but most of all we loved the
location. It was tucked away in the Dorsoduro district in an area that
you probably wouldn't spend much time in unless you were staying there. We loved the
little bakery on our road, the bar around the corner opposite one of the
fruit and veg boat sellers, the square where we could sit in the sun
and have breakfast and once we got our bearings we found it pretty easy
to get everywhere we wanted to go.<br />
My tip would be stay somewhere
quieter and get to know it. Venice is surprisingly small so it's easy to reach most
areas but you don't want to be staying on any of the main drags. (<a href="http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p1211411?uni_id=3279959" target="_blank">This</a> is where we stayed.)<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKfjLqeu6Jv7vnSp1Ljo2Cgym4UiPjios8XleXGx2MZrxmQPooFs_4G_8qv0ie9jcvD_eZiSUHeLRddHRCCcw2r-uL4Z-bGv8Wi3JAs6CFZCZvwsWVYHgykHMWoSZNhi9PLjE4FUx_YZV/s1600/our-neighbourhood-1160800.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxMQy4h-0lxDls2h9KTS22R4SMWkRFJOsSQL5sdMDUh9kkeRE299loLfqKpsDTApQMupW681BgpBCZEdyLfGEIxtXbtAmsDqRyCNIg8A9e4fxA1TQ5klm_G2wW8ymcea1TY_qvFBVwN6-/s1600/coco-1160788.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnETtDnl9Yck8dUWV5QfsGEnx0jX6x6ymKrI_LPIVv3YtE7YLQY5ka8UPxDDf-L3G6y0IU0XCjJwqj1pi3ju2KlBpdKcSepVaUXNCovAQVD-YJPEWq2ZVd8zdc0WjDgpAGvmvXFf4mqIhY/s1600/neighbourhood-1160712.jpg" /><br />
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Our little street - Calle Lunga St Barnaba
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwR29if6nNCzDd500bv6Ebq_CUjGGLSUvHhv_iKqsGuxGnvdTinR0oOeXw5OzWHHfI1ka2w5i222p_0DBOBQjyK0ijt3zaFdHWWBmRihk4bUNYT98Qr2G6hDlB4d6GOooA5_R1aLfWreW/s1600/venice-with-kids-1160179.jpg" />
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<br />
Breakfast in our local square... which brings me on to...<br />
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<u><b>The Food</b></u><br />
Venice gets a bad press for food which I think is why we did lots of research of places we wanted to go before we left the UK. We used the list of bars at the back of the <a href="http://www.polpo.co.uk/" target="_blank">Polpo Restaurant</a> cookbook and <a href="http://www.frommydiningtable.com/" target="_blank">Skye McAlpine's blog</a> as our main sources of information and when we ate out we ate very very well. <br />
I've already touched on our <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/05/spritz-snacks-inspired-by-venice.html" target="_blank">spritz habit in a previous post</a> - but in a nutshell we ate in bars a lot. We ended up choosing cicheti from the counters at bars at least once a day, either as specific destination for one of our meals or just to fuel us on our sightseeing. The ones we loved most were Cantina do Mori at the Rialto market (a challenge to locate but worth it), our great local bar Osteria ai Pugni, <a href="http://www.cafferosso.it/" target="_blank">Caffe Rosso</a> on Campo Sta Margherita for huge sandwiches and great coffee and the two places within 10 yards of each other, opposite a gondola workshop in Zattere - Cantinone–già Schiavi and Osteria al Squero.<br />
Other places we loved were:<br />
40 Ladroni - we had lunch here on Easter Sunday, we booked (or at least we thought we'd booked), the place was packed when we arrived and they didn't seem to know about our booking - they slightly grumpily fitted us in but the experience went up hill from there. For about €60 all-in we had a fantastic family meal including a bottle of prosecco! Pasta, shrimps and polenta - all delicious. Kind of wish we'd gone there again.<br />
Ca D'Oro all Vedova - another lunch spot. We had the meatballs here (as they were an inspiration to Polpo founder Russell Norman we had to try them) and to be honest they really were as good as the hype.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFuT0wmMPh1BIIiG7FDy3BSAMUSsYhnNLA2IP3rfzViwD1YgYZMTVvBXZQPgyLNY958Fj6YfAXTZ49dmMyTg4FnFicGHePRu2bLxYRI-nZPSPid_NwAFfEYTrkK5pkhnpYO-oKNU6d6Zs/s1600/food-pizza-1160782.jpg" />
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Birraria la Corte - for children pleasing pizza at a very good price - I also loved their cheese ball thingys (pictured) it's more expensive to sit outside but the upside is the kids get to run around in the huge square.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEjge0fJGrtJNbFkIUZff_GWVDUlnZo_a8fr7X5gwbZq4ViZPK6w-hHitC23JmmThKyj4VHV_XW3JFYskBNFNq81jOmcrZqMBudkpnm4-HjhyDJI1s8FTwOIT5ytxyug4VWpBjO3-wBp1/s1600/venice-with-kids-gelatto-1160140.jpg" />
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<br />
And of course Gelato - gelato everyday. It's compulsory on an Italian holiday isn't it!? We tried to keep an audit of our favourites but really they were all good.<br />
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<u><b>Meandering by foot</b></u><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnicZkjNAipMEBsjDX22tA3NMuK-vc-4bj-Z4MIndApyB6FZ8huWnD42b5qwbescKWcQKG7jLmAlfSsQC82fgzse_uY5WPGRuQng9XYEF5NoMMgGHzme-rvjpgHq-MhzCPLi9-Z7aR_4l/s1600/rialto-market-5398.jpg" />
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<br />
We didn't really attempt to DO much with the children - we just enjoyed exploring.<br />
When we were on foot we generally had a destination in mind (normally a lunch or supper spot) but we tried not to hurry and we also did our fair amount of bribing with gelato stops to keep the children going when they were flagging.<br />
We played various games too - starting out with counting how many bridges we crossed... we lost count after about day 3.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5372yHBfo8v5dcPYjHFHLkTzCy13c54UoJWWlSMZY4gp5gK1N4clqhJKci8FG8WHq5jd7Wgx-ens6PXwZ-JTFTud_h7b11nMA1WzsXyH2uGAqMzYiUS_J7SHLhnAjjFmOcC0lP5bs6pDt/s1600/venice-with-kids-bridge-count-1160092.jpg" /><br />
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This was bridge number 13 on day two I think. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLI6Bn8wdmcd1X53ozm4-vmIEKvZhbR4ajLLI2trTYhj5go6iF5ipMdltXL1HL6AGm8dsjqCrcTjg-W2mms9nw4BCo-dWd7Q4y-BVn_tB9Pldm-pTWZwaovcoW7MCcwm0Sw7r3B_mUDwzG/s1600/venice-with-kids-animal-spotting-1160383.jpg" /><br />
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We also found spotting animals everywhere was quite good...<br />
<br />
I made a googlemap before we went which had a couple of playground
locations on along with restaurants and other things on so that we could
wander aimlessly but also find places near to where we found ourselves
if you know what I mean. It sort-of worked (saved maps on google aren't
brilliant on phone unfortunately) and it meant we found playgrounds when we needed them...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzTqXgBJGGGleN3XMCVjOCBxQXf8gTZVDkc_9iB6j5lmaakh0FnKy3UJhWWXhrgj_Er-Ac3iYc3BdLMQCZa4E9V1i6MIhX0vFfZF6rXOcZxKFxOT9rX1eUkp-ZeCVlrFVPw8Pg4aIGiJa/s1600/venice-with-kids-playgrounc-5083.jpg" /><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0UKKe_Lz4JIn05sAgOjW7L6OnEr1biRC5BSy07GizSJIUpTXpy1UarENqZSrtU_GaCZec_RaXOG812jFxARV5Mot48-UrNMFL59xy_GE352KxjTNdLDPamfVfIkodl-OQRbTWo8zA5Hv/s1600/venice-with-kids-playgrounds-1160085.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
...and we looked out for all the different types of boats we could find; ambulance, police, refuse, fire brigade etc. I think we ticked off every kind, even the DHL one.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHsRB07-yAeTrrLT0nHKEQvDXbeQW_MXsnKTxqyVbzFty_2R8Hv18ngFNmrQ5vEFYEuq1rIvpA60Z3vLLgC3lVepMS9jt7AMTKtQJxyRQTI0Ak74RGvHXf8CthO6arDzx8rHL4cgaP_DK/s1600/venice-with-kids-1160541.jpg" />
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<br />
And of course we stopped on nearly every bridge, just to hang out...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAKfYmMAcMp-PkEAEHAILkC_j6VwDz858m2HnXxh0lkjsUubtfCMAPDZGclBOQFn97maEzEnsm0h4YDQIPxO5wb7tNhMnecl9y05JUbTmr9rMfCLaI3MijjoYKju7PjQbER206qoQTt5l/s1600/venice-with-kids-1160422.jpg" /><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhOJ-7-yXnLswPfICo6PrnoAUvGpfTHtguIjpHt1xlt9TSCBOiHcEEdotf459k88NN44jpzFOquut-mkpscEMeBGc0R9ahxjBFoBmxdv-DZBj_yDPdspq40Ki4siPzJ7Iq71hnO3Uv_J8/s1600/venice-with-kids-1160426.jpg" /><br />
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<u><b>Exploring by boat</b></u><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqNoBDfD1kBzNe1yXhYufGe9QNvVT4v2nN4r7g1sv-2QhO9ZgrwfoTIVHVazjmfpJoK77cEu9ODT1RDmK6_nlEjyqz4Q2RzwBEid0FwDGKpFAZnggS_P_iU1A5yU0J_gsV5va9Nci8nKg/s1600/venice-with-kids-gondola-4999.jpg" />
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<br />
Probably our biggest expense after our accommodation &
food was on boats. We had to have a gondola ride, it was the one thing
that the children were really dying to do. We chose to hire a gondola
from very near our apartment and we got to see our digs from the canal.
It was perfect and peaceful and we all loved it. Unless you are
desperate to see the underside of the Bridge of Sighs then I'd highly
recommend doing a gondola trip away from St Marks Square.<br />
We also bought Vaporetto (water bus) tickets which although they are crazily
expensive (We got 48 hour passes which were 30€ each - including for
Coco) were worth it. You can cover a lot more ground - both within
Venice and getting out to the other islands, we went to Burano and to
the Lido. They are a lot of fun too once you get used to the crowds and
the bossy boat conductors. Being able to hop on a boat even for one stop
often saved tired little legs.<br />
The one thing that we meant to do but didn't get around to was taking the gondola ferry - it only costs 2€ and there are a few around - the one we were intending to try was from the Rilato market but time got the better of us. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaA2dL5ccByVCzezqtlW7vq8B99mem1fpWoXlhyFhTZejuWda3stShI4NsO1UPDmEQAuYjutT54I46SLUUZvG1yOnJhlVuEO-Sg7jD8g1jtbKNzVP42QZbgSFoKBW2iy9lTg3lrbV6zeA2/s1600/venice-with-kids-gondola-5180.jpg" />
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Coco spotting our apartment from the gondola...
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHRh-_ZCOxm30LLXkAsu49_FahyT9c0cgrct-ZR_t_n_oiEU5ztmXRSmCs8XobJOyUKPfsCFemImb01Nq3te1sjJWrKCYGe4GpG1FRkU15Ktx905NDmW6iJLNhSHCppS93TH8SzDJsbpx/s1600/venice-with-kids-vaparetto-1160439.jpg" />
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<br />
Views from the vaporetto... <br />
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<u><b>Macaco Tours</b></u><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJeXMFqc8w5h5e2Z3_NqZi1aqPrIrC450gbbjoni_3TWySod8GPGV9Rb180lxkBysKUSRtSIvS56_MTMTu5q0WR6FCWNKRk9jU1XmnRqD7dvqb7ObsodFtYNDEOLmLpmpX8Bh_7H1hPgt/s1600/venice-with-kids-macca-tours-1160518.jpg" />
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I'm not sure how I found this little kids tour company called <a href="http://www.macacotour.com/home.html" target="_blank">Macaco Tour</a> but we had a brilliant morning exploring Venice with a lovely young guide who created a treasure hunt for the children. For 35€ we all got to see another area of the city at our children's pace and to find some wonderful hidden treasures. I would highly recommend this company - they were great and I think I'll always try to look for this kind of thing in other cities now too.<br />
Coco loved it (and got quite competitive towards the other little boy who was doing the tour with us) and it really opened her eyes to some of Venice's history in a much more exciting way than just reading it from a book...<br />
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<u><b>Quirky Books</b></u><br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAEuILActU4YVwjvbvwRJkjymxvV9Pq5X1sjYujDlYO8nlJEvLt2rlG1z4ziEMqiOMptp_3xHEH-C2SLQ68H0WaVTAVD98ES8NzRGxGShyphenhyphen_MJ4q1RIDjkI88CMt_ESEUoek0_u2k3-2F5/s1600/venice-with-kids-books-1160236.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
...Which brings me onto the two books that we bought in the bookshop at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Both these guide books for children helped us to engage Coco and Henry - Venice is so much about its history and uniqueness and yet the children really have very little context within which they can appreciate either of those things. Both of the books helped us in finding little spots that were of more interest to them.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kids-guide-Venice-Allegra-Agliardi/dp/887874199X" target="_blank">A kids guide to Venice by Alberta Garini</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/VENICE-KIDS-Tullio-F-Altan-ebook/dp/B00XN0188W/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437641027&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=venice+guide+book+for+kids+stickers" target="_blank">Venice for Kids - a guide with Pimpa</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>The Lido & Burano</u></b><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKydIpqzW5t_IFVa5aPVdxrFI7EaO-om1f4FbSbnVZ_FaCv27Jg2tjPsnscvwDE7DCcFSSEGnitqEAy4WnTjGbTGc6pp7Wu-YFgLatdRT9FJCeyAHC6Avv87el0uVJtSN27lzv6-x3Jziv/s1600/venice-with-kids-burano-1160587.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Doing day trips from Venice was great - the children really loved our
day at the Lido in particular. We took a picnic and just sat on the
beach pretty much all day. After a few days of lots of walking and city
stuff we all appreciated having a low key day. I think we were quite
ambitious to have such a city based holiday - it worked, but only
because we didn't rush and we had calm quite days where we really didn't
do much at all.<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvPhLayYE66lponA70L6spv4BppXRJHUhi-Llp5An3AgncvKsl7bgVByNSLlxkaomN4qpvFSs8MooVgN0Y9048PAr1kzYW9-nuR79mSrwACxIiy_b7GSHJHg22fdaXlPET5icRsJJ5lrh/s1600/venice-with-kids-burano-1160584.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DXmjz74b-dHJKsZIgpJTT0EKKS3RWdwX2OTYrhhnjxqQO65gi9U9YIGKH2gSBVRg8-7jRyj6dzU1R-f3tRKnxxGJ_PrW7-gfQTmJaQSrOEN3x-8KvXJfP2WqdE_85gZe01nk4OIOBPF-/s1600/venice-with-kids-burano-5255.jpg" /><br />
<br />
And the best part of not rushing around 'doing' everything is that we'll definitely have to go back.<br />
<br />
For Part 1 of our trip to Paris and Venice by train from London - <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/05/paris-and-venice-with-children-part-1.html" target="_blank">click here</a>. I had great intentions of blogging more about our holiday, of course I haven't written half the posts I hoped to - but as my lovely friend <a href="http://through-the-round-window.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Flora</a> is heading off to Venice over the holidays I thought it was better late than never to do this round up...! Have a great trip Flora!Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-59179863848959143702015-07-23T09:23:00.001+01:002015-10-02T12:02:10.547+01:00Last SummerI love summer and as I sit here, up early with my cup of tea while everyone else sleeps, I'm feeling so in love with the school holidays that are stretching out ahead of us, full of plans. <br />
<br />
It's taken me a while to get to this point. My first long six week summer with both children was ok - when Henry was still a baby he just came along with us wherever we wanted to go. Coco got to call the shots a lot more and I was still on maternity leave... The following year was hard. The days had to be filled with activities but Henry and Coco were in completely different places and wouldn't do much together... I remember some very long days (which I had a rant about <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2013/08/today.html" target="_blank">here</a>). <br />
<br />
But as the years have slipped by each holiday has got a little more fun. Hanging out at home has become easier (meaning I get to do my stuff sometimes too) and leaving the house is less of a logistical nightmare when the children pack their own bags and organise their own snacks, even if that does backfire sometimes.<br />
<br />
In leui of much real time blogging over the summer holidays - that's still a little too ambitious for me to hope for I think - I've done a round up of some of the best of last summer. I didn't get around to blogging about it at the time - see previous sentence.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the holidays I made a list of things we wanted to do. It went like this -<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Sea swimming // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Scrap book making // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Camp fire cooking // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Seeing the Matisse exhibition // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Farm vegetable picking // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">visiting the Llanffylin Annual Show // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Olympic park cycling // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Sitting outside under the stars - with friends & wine // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Outdoor cinema visits </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">// </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Meeting Hugh at work for lunch // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Evening picnics // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Sleeping under canvas // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Running through city fountains (it </span><a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2014/06/food-fountains-at-granary-sq-kings-cross.html" style="color: #a0231d; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">looked like fun</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, so I want a go too this time) // </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Honesty box shopping </span><br />
<br />
Here's how we got on -<br />
<br />
SEA SWIMMING...<br />
With a holiday to the Med sea swimming was easily ticked off the list... this year we are staying in the UK but we've already managed some sea swimming. I might try to get Coco and Henry to try some outdoor wild(ish) swimming in London - Hampstead ponds or the Serpentine maybe?<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8J-qk9V2_H3WKuFTI0kr0iwSTrS3gNYppvRy_18xTr14kcRwaG47ayOp1ygsX252yVY7JGUNmoNOLgJ38R47KJYZMz2xprbI36cesUZqiXL2ET1U88C8-fouUgnGl5ugVeoeEZ7PYa_q/s1600/sea_swimming.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgme59mP6_HOzRds_buLU4cIq_h6nVMp7ZI6KvCcnntC9adID3-c0IMEdIYOLesH9yKABbDxwgZ65QPGWQP2mXtx01JAyMEDLNaZpk-35qNn1-4tiRiOusoK6_PRZ9c73qHRYuPWzj0rRC/s1600/sea_swimming1.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
SCRAP BOOK MAKING<br />
I loved putting together materials for <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2014/07/a-holiday-scrap-book-kit.html" target="_blank">Coco's scrap booking</a> last year - and I ended up doing some bits in my sketchbook too thanks to a hashtag on instagram started by Jennie Maizels. This year she is launching her <a href="http://www.jenniemaizels.com/sketchbook-club/" target="_blank">Sketchbook Club online</a> so I'm definitely going to join in with that and I'm hopeful that I can encourage Coco to do a bit of sketching/scrap booking everyday... or maybe every other day (keep it realistic)?<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujKK3nT3Y4IRdwYB52kdznr9HVj7_Cra-96Ar0jWfv_9whn9BfFvOb5XUHEjjo0FYtesh5E_x7lgAFUute5r169mMjNTsyZ12XTJZvkocgyu8k9PsjvVWyn3yrZVBZZS28LaR2UnGicnP/s1600/scrap_book-4900.jpg" />
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<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk6nW9iBLBu2bplreGf-R98sZcSzmYn3iZFU0YHfcBVkchEwFse_WvexF1_KgHzy9EjPRq0kCD0kE1Kz84WZ42E0ZDzlulXScA7fAfsuzNmPAjVyN6DlXPCcd1MunZZngPFsEtFSHzmod/s1600/scrap_book-4903.jpg" />
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<br />
CAMP FIRE COOKING / SITTING UNDER THE STARS / SLEEPING UNDER CANVAS<br />
Ah - we had some good camps last year - but lots more planned for this summer too, in fact pretty much our whole holiday is going to be under canvas, starting with tonight as we're off to <a href="http://www.starry-skies.net/" target="_blank">Starry Skies </a>in Wales.<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDvTUlMGD4OkDFDD3b3d23Pe6uRmyg65UEPyFO5e-GobpDbCILVkpTEDwU5IZLVElBt0RKPKUaNqoqg8tSmrhx7P6P_CcJG2dHsIegzLydz4A57uUJBRnd_BAR0dfV3gL1Chw2R5Ehc-u/s1600/camp_IMG_1544.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
SEEING THE MATISSE EXHIBITION<br />
We did this - it was good but quite hard with Coco and Henry having completely different attention spans and frames of referance. This year I would quite like to take Coco to some things on her own... I'm sure we'll join the masses by going to the Carsten Holler which looks fantastic and we always love a trip to the Hayward and the Southbank.
<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgau-MloR4ReooWpDx1yYaolGdMW4dP_jGqLOo2QJDN9MrYeQ8mJjgfy74cmoyI6t23JJu2wpHp2vB7zj_dP2D0QOOVO1w6bqwakAOYV02RgqjSifHyFjGAj9i1nZGlyaGDSdXj8n7K-wxS/s1600/matisse_P1120072.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
FARM VEG PICKING<br />
We didn't mange this one last year... but maybe this year!?<br />
<br />
LLANFFYLIN ANNUAL SHOW<br />
Great success at the show when we visited my sister last summer. The sheep shearing was still a hit with Coco and Henry (as with the previous year) but the highlight for Henry was the daredevils on motorbikes doing loop-the-loops and for Coco she was pretty pleased to win £2 for her garden in a seed tray.<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7-9se2HxiyscnSkmAnO4TtANwp13OLr0zJFU3HH0DRzb17x7HHMWi6t4ZQyFmRtRuH4ZjOal_SklEUrfsi75L1MGa-5kd78NnrKkEIH-aLgR-RCCd_kYC284NnsqhXPo5UTSfyaJNISm/s1600/welsh_show_P1110708.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jg2yUuNSxbzABoLz5IDcPUEllLPRC4QBLoUOT2c4uUZOMsC66QaP3Kk10RKqB-aNh_gyvSZEWMHFYQ9iWzXr9jRKZxFglqKLQBjSMlwU8_uWedx-w4oxcmdiYYPT2j6jutV73HetRjD-/s1600/welsh_show_IMG_2719.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RPaIh-yeMOLo5v9gSKsL2evZNyS5brhOUQuoNuoxpmxFVslRIui6HcSn3Gzhg8vrVir4Nn00QrgSGuGaJd4Hwi8lAfLq_ZlnYcK9XDnxGHH0MZqG-hA1VBUS9SupK_tyb6rk-YsNa_dD/s1600/welsh_showP1110740.jpg" />
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<br />
OLYMPIC PARK CYCLING<br />
Didn't manage to get to the Oympic park but we did do a lot of cycling including a couple of trips to Richmond - going to try to have a day at the Olympic park this summer.
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<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVndAq2WprGAYVM-LrILDoUZUmFaG4va5ddwsU47U4NShUE0ufn932zfkkzCvufibheZ3K1yoIlTkxBFEmY6-mQ_48LDDN8JDQ9z-XSJEwF_rusaK55hxmVYH-eToDhGqro7f-T0FQKf6V/s1600/bike_riding_P1110541.jpg" />
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<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWgiwJstYoleFWvHfzDCO7m8n2LwEpupaXSYutLI8_f4A8FRWx_Z5es-eaYGHnJdEBAK35QQIeZWwibFMvKca0dcQGyUUiQRYhkIsMTBvkb_cKMxkdAt8bEEjuW_jDtE0p7ePgBZJt7is/s1600/rich_park_bikesP1110547.jpg" />
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<br />
OUTDOOR CINEMA VISITS<br />
Hugh and I managed this - not the with the kids though - which isn't a bad thing.<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckkDAuymSIgYlnq146nWdFWEMGOJoQwR5cdjD7lzohU-3CYBBPpMeHoRdFmBWeqCAOTz6Sy3R3RKWVBG6u1jIhz9af0hoIsgusLlRQSCi2DPMpz3MEUMfsW2kIMjuUZZHEC9Oji5mGzpZ/s1600/outdoor_cinemaIMG_1402.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
HONESTY BOX SHOPPING<br />
We didn't manage to do this but we did make our own honesty shop - which I think should count!? Coco loved setting up her little shop, as we live on a cul-du-sac I felt a little guilty that our 'customers' were only really our neighbours and I'm sure they would have been able to get much bigger courgettes for 20p in Sainsburys - Coco was insistent about pricing things - I guess that is half the fun of a shop though.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8CGBE0pcxrpJbKmb-WM0rpKFEQauvdQH1h0THddJ7u6RwkQxL3SgL17hOEOckKla4yV2VqCUT5qRqmblgJffrSZXEo5Sby1Dp5jL1hfxXW5PdX8dKRiVfeDkdmY2nxlegsRQm4LYbiHW/s1600/honesty_box_IMG_1512.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
MEETING HUGH AT WORK FOR LUNCH<br />
Nope
- didn't manage this. I think I'm permanently lusting after a lunch in
the courtyard at Rochelle Canteen which is near Hugh's work so might try
to make that happen this summer. It's one of my favourite restaurants
in London (if you are also into the St. John ethos of nose-to-tail
eating and cooking that really lets the ingredients sing then I would
highly recommend Lyles - Hugh and I had the most inspiring meal we've
had in a long while there the other night).<br />
<br />
EVENING PICNICS<br />
We
didn't do this either! However if I do add it to the list for this year
I could cheat a little and tick it off as a couple of weeks ago I took
Coco to see Peter Pan at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and we had a
picnic in the park with Hugh and Henry before hand. It was lovely
although I did spend almost the whole afternoon prepping the food...<br />
<br />
RUNNING THROUGH CITY FOUNTAINS<br />
Coco and Henry did more of this but not me... if the hot weather hits though I'll be there this year. Summer is a good time to discover London's parks though and go a bit further afield - it's great finding new playgrounds. Oh I wish I was little sometimes.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe6ZJkndZLBGW_sKveEQqFsxIUHNRSTDtew-oJzLrqngmMIBS5ZcYY9UVa5KR0pJPUjBf0DYkOmItNtyZoG_oaMXVSG0YF5v62yOG5SQW1Pv5_FWwiashJHmu9uiaPMpR3cB5z0AMeNND/s1600/P1120592.jpg" />
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Hope you all have a good summer whatever you are doing.
Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-33695195826942345982015-07-03T12:06:00.003+01:002015-07-03T12:06:35.609+01:00Styling the Seasons: July - Faffing with Sweetpeas<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6kfvGZoSucSL0icSbIJeT4MRC0fxh2w06n5xUTc0eVS9nt7ERIHbFTxQ5PCYAu2vwcQU1NKj90spgSKothZ8UhsUxk_Rcv9Bl1XQAVzF-1B4P0PH3s1PjKOmmrwxvPgpvB80Dr46CytP/s1600/sweetpea-bunch-7393.jpg" />
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<br />
I'm so fickle when it comes to the flowers in my garden. In January I'm loving hellebores and they are DEFINITELY my favourite... but then come the tulips, then the alliums and the huge bearded iris and I cannot choose which is my favourite between them. But currently I'm in love with the sweetpeas. They are just beautiful in their abundance, their delicacy and their scent. I'm not totally happy with the colours I planted this year, the pink is a little too coral and the purple a little too light, but still, right now they are my favourites (just until the agapanthus come out)!
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7wp-UY6I1uwIb0RPF6jcYqE33c4V8z8UaOWnvudwdxOk0QRg2mVPHWf6xeiw1N1YZ3_gzbOWYOWr6JOU78_M48oAB3jvyKj4OBKBMzx3FKBcMf91SkPvrwAw1Cqq-N_58tRqD29lAnnF/s1600/sweetpea-bunch-7385.jpg" />
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As they are busy doing their thing I'm dutifully cutting a bunch of them everyday (the more you cut the more they flower).... and I can't help snapping a picture every time. My camera roll is full of sweetpeas. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QrVI4tHqd3OKYuCfb7DEnyk_9ijgAWRBF7hYvlzw2Vh7YKMtSVJeS400nnhxX7NvNxfQJ9528cGikSC-8bCLhouX44xVHM_CkxXaQy3WFs78vPZlSfAVQ5LJcgSyq4e5xN3SejTo8qRa/s1600/sweetpea-bunch-7407.jpg" />
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For this months styling the seasons post I decided it was about time my
kitchen mantlepiece had a little comeback so I filled it with flowers from the garden.<br />
Yes, it's totally over the top... but I can only do this once a year... or maybe twice if my dahlia's start to get a move on!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJepoSBKYiY4MkBD9u47W0FCQR-hdYo4VpFiSPZgmF0kn9cUdr1-jACsuN78ZaqnKGQQ_CJjl4_UUt3NYCI8ifMHOHIRoom8FY8c2MJEIns2NUqsgOuw_JdXN5YaQ9ivjtfjzKQmc4bI6/s1600/sweetpea-mantlepiece-7382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJepoSBKYiY4MkBD9u47W0FCQR-hdYo4VpFiSPZgmF0kn9cUdr1-jACsuN78ZaqnKGQQ_CJjl4_UUt3NYCI8ifMHOHIRoom8FY8c2MJEIns2NUqsgOuw_JdXN5YaQ9ivjtfjzKQmc4bI6/s1600/sweetpea-mantlepiece-7382.jpg" /></a></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvp_ugKWjuSIs8hwkiQUiVwyruYvMeU0vSGPTt9D6pow85zabhSDiWZCkFSJWKKaepnWu5LVJqlitvUKpjrlf66PjVE_TPjXIg6YT-NMJ_3s9hrXhUAEFXpIu_yfps6vy07MDR9GS0gJ2/s1600/sweetpea-bunch-7402.jpg" />
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I made a stop motion video while I was faffing. I'm kind of having a love affair with video right now and have always loved a bit of stop motion/time lapse or whatever the proper name for it is.Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/132374661" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/132374661">Mantlepiece - Faffing with Sweetpeas</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<i>Styling The Seasons is a monthly challenge run by <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/" target="_blank">Katy</a> and <a href="http://lottsandlots.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Charlotte</a> - anyone can join in - just show an area in your home styled to show
what the season/month means to you. </i><br />
<i>#stylingtheseasons </i>Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-76697849074804305272015-07-02T14:10:00.001+01:002015-07-02T14:20:41.544+01:0030 Days Wild in June<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpQ1CRtvSYJp66flBKiIjCjUC3isLCawewCmS9OSGqjYeBbWCpFh5pkp0z7ZMUqKWdy9VKmm2TQ1sHJwRvd_IRlOlRhkiV1Yx4CMMkyLJ19_RX7zX-1iF8gmELKJaiiwGP-91hCwNrJ1h/s1600/duck-egg-2.jpg" />
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I like to fool people and pretend we live in the country... well not really but I do occasionally look over my photos (or glance at my <a href="https://instagram.com/alexis.allan/" target="_blank">instagram</a> feed) and think who am I kidding? My photos carefully crop out the hustle and bustle of London - and probably most notably the tube line that runs behind our house. But we do spend a lot of time outdoors - we may not have the silence/birdsong of the country, or the rolling views or quiet lanes but in our pocket of London we do have a lot of great outdoor spaces to explore and of course we still have wildlife, plenty of it to discover right on our doorstep in fact.<br />
So when I heard about the Wildlife Trust's 30 Day Wild project I thought we'd give it a go... the idea was to try to do something involving nature everyday.**<br />
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Here's a few of the things we got up to. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WLK1FYl2NUukecYYvK8V-YVs-abhXY9gBqIl-4nhKbb-AeXOjYH-T2SFKpkogrrP3SA9NEe76rBZlmmPWz5yfLo45IvGMn4KHqLQ8NhLE5DNxaMEV_6s0TcgGPIsmLpsBybmEmA0aDn7/s1600/mud-kitchen-1170807.jpg" />
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We set up an area at the back of the garden with buckets and water shoots (old drain pipes) as a designated mud-kitchen. The kids LOVED it and spent many a happy hour there. We often see a frog or two in this area too so happy for it to get a bit of a soaking. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83e_vJrifxEOa7nOWsL8kJjQuG09uSDOxppyrkYSiyHvYki1AYtlKofiCSrxTFvE9l-KkMp7MNMsZtCHtTMVmR1lkU6mxHdqX6v4nS3MMEblIhJ4kCcjcla_se-gnLzwPa5T-a9Tay-5L/s1600/bugs_and-spiders.jpg" />
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I encouraged lots of bug finding... and we did attempt some identification too. Now everytime they find a bug/spider/bee/caterpillar/worm they want to come and show me...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQfDxWkHQR59SOsSeRlsQ0VYf5Z5z9y8rHkhJh8ffz-QG-AqUJf-S4AmSEUwIamSfNKoYbzLhjaVPZIDopXsiCvC9V90G1cgfoLm12-ZEjEjnU33bDjIV6ExuUcqvILK3Y4nc0OTt-xyC/s1600/bugs-7137.jpg" />
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We spent a lovely afternoon on the Thames path just the other side of the river from us with some friends - they showed us a den they'd found and the children added some new sticks to it.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER__fLvI3p51v_WVG10zjRBxgNe84SJJA5OWYTDHBv6ITxTI7P6U_gtDWAFY0BhEbST63auojErowAv2xSnrTNh6B8ndje5tIZJqdqElFiJLg4iBVf9Fjv95f6aazbGDTYbQkjgpUP9at/s1600/den-building-7109.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8wvUYDkRakjF0GBGDpCPpf7BrWGflbLKMj-b-J_TOEQuPOgyHamfUD_GPwjzsvA54GouByv8FaWVCKQYx_qfos5qUUy-8-7KMyyIFv2tGYdew1EhB1inNaIT4XUuVdrzs0TFst2kn2eg/s1600/den-building-7091.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjWZFTOxmvjyOFSTbYjwWXWP-9hcxu9tDnh8_e-jLwE8_oJLlYQq55YsDCi2xA6aDG5xcpOgVpJ_KvkBqjuuhifqz0p5iQdyGxUvHPFnptMLJPdwRJvJqdzyj4qc90mYkZE7LizIkUfnD/s1600/river-7128.jpg" />
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River watch....<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJz2srw7miKi6mIp9FrF6UHKS91LRWpLqckJuILQGcezSEg9oO-b36yLAqrf3gOUYCMhn3h7qiwMvvrMt05AyYQIJLHxyy2I_euPLkH_nzGd5XbBEGd1fOhrcQpFBIIwRVK7gMJC6rlCv/s1600/elderflowers-7061.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnFDG4hT3IyJM8x9i6z11p41NUz54FPAwo9DkyDJstAxrv9ZQ6C60z5KtRlsa3YUn9BjwMG0uVkG-TWm93KF1dxT47870kl_OvALoqLM1WxdzduM51e-uIxY1CA8IG2Hsyg8MNWzbx7fb/s1600/elderflowers-7119.jpg" />
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Picking elderflowers for cordial making...
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJh7YXFpp6gTlYq0yZdvoJGgUtaTl0rTOy56fKVH7fBZCzC5x_97jFT4HH7fYNrFpzlnnuyf3f7lzc0WIkB-83uHT2n72kg01U88Z_j0AVyJRXNZjnT9N1lZ5ZbiLdn_Ooe-Mrvo4f5F_y/s1600/explore-2.jpg" />
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About five minutes walk from our house there is a small Wild Life Trust nature reserve, we don't
visit often enough but we got there a couple of times over the month - the first time we found the duck egg shell in the top picture. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSZ-zwdohsAKKwUN8X9d67WUK2M_un1G-YdKNZx9nTuoY-fznEY8fhiET-8fbupmihZKPK7GauMMJITg9JM9pZ2Vcw2ws-PPmspR7HysEXfoumiWwM2IVuTRYKuY3AI6OCbMeYEMgcwmf/s1600/tree-climbing-1170850.jpg" />
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Coco climbed trees... although I'm not sure she was really meant too.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4xg0hjkkqKaUUyWql-7azRvsDLVde3zmLZx4aolWHlZcrtPYWj3rPweCPhVzuCXPw-pY0TfSbiCBkMycp8m7eDUHpivpA7j42heeUenhXoy54c6dPC_pl-TswEs0k84q-alK8V75VxF-/s1600/pond-life-2.jpg" /><br />
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Amazing how much you see going on in a pond when you really take the time to look...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhg8pbqOKBu0lXHjFegn6lAxbOfcBzVugb0oj-eIqqGjrGZXNvWvWoEoWgp7nVZxW18PrhRVrtASfKPHCupghkm35pdFvUcJH0wfJdwSv7ZUGMM4cx8PATEtH-ysQY37SZPEtq1_1n_Oxr/s1600/wild-food-6003.jpg" />
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Eating food straight from the garden... the first of the peas. Henry and I also made a really good batch of strawberry ice lollies from our very own strawberries. If we make another load I'll have to take some photos but they were basically puree strawberries with some condensed milk and a some real milk - delicious.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrbORUh_wGMBA5EEl9e3uOUqjxnaNjcXvUKq97_fifYQl8idHAi1QRpG5YVGTTYyDUayelhM_AuEvKkNfjKYSiXt6DVySj4CjC3BLEv3TAxUYlxRdhxob_v1ZqFTQg-JhZEqs0tfP4lSi/s1600/leaves-5883.jpg" /><br />
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I tried to get the children to do a leaf audit in the garden but we didn't get very far...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4wa6HZvC547PoKi7P6K4bd-qMKxwHkGzO6lsY0cl5COelWu9GFuUDwLsZNoVYD9-EGakkVHGy__sIhNl2B9GCbeqL7zqtjX0_rJQaFkO7c-ggG3_Y-PQaywqiqJUoYg4MYKz9JjB5DKR/s1600/roses-5939.jpg" />
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Taking time to smell the roses...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiKz83nDd6SDNRqJJrbzQqKrJb2ehu1a54i8DJWgJg1I_w7Zhqbb-TVedadnsv9j0fz8xGWgKB2pJSquRO6TFQFP1E8OpkQRmOwetSPwZ_J818oSDum3R-lzsbhPEKIitqOdMfzbA_ORR/s1600/henry_jumping-1180045.jpg" /><br />
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Finally - finding hidden beauty in London is such a treat - this was taken in Regents Park where we had our <a href="http://papermashblog.com/london/blognic-london-2015" target="_blank">blognic</a> picnic last Sunday. If you're feeling adventurous go and search for the Garden of St John's Lodge, it's a proper secret garden, so beautiful. The perfect location for a picnic. Also, due to the rain my kids ended up eating in a little woodland den - I just failed to get a share-worthy photo. sorry internet!<b><br /></b><br />
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So, we wished farewell to June - but with the summer holidays about to start I'm definitely going to try to keep joining in the new tag from the Wild Life Trust which is #staywild - I'm booking a couple of sessions at the Holland Park Ecology Centre in the holidays and we are looking forward to some UK adventures in the next few weeks in the <i>proper</i> countryside. <b> </b><br />
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<b> </b>* If any of these photos look familiar it's because I shared a few of of them on my new fledgling <a href="https://instagram.com/cotton.twist/">instagram</a> account that I'm running for <a href="https://www.blogger.com/cottontwist.co.uk" target="_blank">Cotton Twist</a> (have I mentioned my new venture to you yet...!?)<br />
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** I should probably confess here that I'm not a true
naturalist. I love our garden and have got quite into flowers and food
growing over the last few years, but I always wear my gardening gloves.
That kind of sums it up I think, I like it but not enough to really get
mud under my nails. I'm no good at recognising wild flowers - I
definitely don't know the names of half the bugs we find in the garden
and I'm no fan of snails and slugs. However; having children means you
sometimes just have to get over yourself, so that's what I try to do.
And sometimes in pretending it's really fine to hold a spider it
suddenly is <i>actually fine</i>. So that's pretty good too.<br />
<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-83544683111068343122015-06-27T09:50:00.002+01:002015-06-27T09:50:31.186+01:00One Saturday in MayI've long been an admirer of <a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/making-your-own-films-online-courses/" target="_blank">Xanthe Berkeley's mini films</a>. I finally signed up to her mini time capsules course yesterday and I stayed up until long past my bedtime last night editing a little film of one day in May.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/131932784" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/131932784">One Saturday</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user5244440">Alexis Allan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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The children have watched this over and over this morning already and I must say that I too am rather pleased with the results. It was a lovely day and I'm glad I captured lots of it - there was a trip to Maltby Street market in the morning followed by pottering in the garden while Coco was at a party and then hanging out in the pub garden before Hugh and I went out to the cinema. Saturday's like that are pretty good. And the weird side effect of the video is that it sparks off lots of images in my memory that I didn't manage to capture. Maybe that's why I like it, because my mind is filling in the gaps<br />
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Hope you all enjoy your Saturday and thank you <a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/">Xanthe</a> for being an INSPIRATION!<br />
The course is brilliant - needless to say I'll be shooting what we get up to today!<br />
<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-19143936960352494612015-06-23T12:29:00.000+01:002015-06-23T12:29:02.642+01:00Children in Animal Print - Wearing Saltskin <img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFDxduZEXYStuKSCRrSgRbOXIyBlrBhewmTd48ghMPOOCflw8l9G3mouvgW-V1HlGrVF3UKPEeF9zuxAlx_rAzxayoHmEken2hEb_g5w-Bi1-2EiWyKuugQZ7UlmAsnGRLPExi6KTyCSL/s1600/beach-house-5807.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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Coco loves the water - and is pretty tolerant of cold British seas, swimming pools, paddling pools, ponds or sprinklers (you get the picture)... but despite this over the last few years we've got into the wetsuit habit. If she is in a wetsuit it just means she can spend that bit more time in the water before she starts going blue. <br />
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We are lucky enough to have a good wetsuit connection - one of Coco's school friends <span class="hvr">entrepreneurial</span> parents saw a gap in the market and decided to create a collection of animal print wetsuits. Their company <a href="http://www.saltskin.net/" target="_blank">Saltskin</a> is breaking the unwritten all black on the beach rule. The wetsuits are excellent quality with the all important extra long zip pull - which both my kids love.<br />
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When we went to Dorset <a href="http://www.saltskin.net/" target="_blank">Saltskin</a>
kindly lent our friends some samples too so the kids could be matching
on the beach - they absolutely loved it. Coco and Maja were in giraffe
print all week and Henry and his friend Zefi had shorties in bee and
leopard print.<br />
They looked so good... so I took masses of photos (naturally!). But keep scrolling as Saltskin have kindly set up an offer for you readers... <br />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7omfrIEkWdc2ZtM-vF9e3zSM-d1xTJE8kv73Fs3ut2u7wYsXS91Ymi9yVnVF8NNwn0UzkzHOnSUd3n2ZLw-HJfjrnsYfh9Y6P-F3vJBMPwvzI0kx3fpQQ4M2PVOlv1GNiJGaVgPXIPKo/s1600/saltskin-5961.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uSXtAk3QfCeG_666NsZTfov0CXCR204W0NPzJOGlmQd6cuCZeLdUqU01B6FUOjx_k_1aXr2T5Y83VxSYMmlN4mQAE6gjpuY9LgfVuSdtgrKKr7sd6X8_e4iLCddgAyF5vhqPnPGq0-fB/s1600/beach-house-5679.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87hDzgQnWdkhHTWcWV1UipKy8i_xXqRuD7jRxBMhGZitmMC0u62pSERfNd9jGNYBveXV-Dl_On-rhywzYKQgjv0HMDDVvVXKFZMDFmpyTxsiyPd78S46Fwq_5wuipgA6WXEkUnIn46pF7/s1600/saltskin-5745.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ9uAw1EvnOGGmFVaLv9WFQLesTufYSidVifA2RIE7QdsqaYR_gRhP0z2vzlREjbeISGU9FsEy5Iop82a-mqwANwQWnFcipZBGXdmJYm0T45iuT5sqGvrpP-4vzBnakb7KoqhR_Fle4Ou/s1600/saltskin-5761.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnCJ6BYTzTHa6kk7CD0FrLClWqryXv0ojlqrvTg0Hy0Z_nusD9u7xw-XlkKUk9QRr35gsiHni2mUz5vMv-3fSaA5ZQoMJ9kfIcitrf35ny8VezutSUF4ujstRe8Zjai2AVknZDYMHhmzG/s1600/beach-house-5751.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for children" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJWL4XphHtK56Gu3mTtm6aPCTgw5tOEpcStAs0GHDDARvnTVcGAVuAe8aa2JzQR7uniOglpEFj2gMleAUI6HF9X0j1kbCpr6T0UHJntBcDo6seOBAu9u4rBNvhBLAlkOm7QQ7P5U45Wm3/s1600/beach-house-5733.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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This one is not so sure about the cold water. <br />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6zYWOVe3arGtZrZzyAReHjhV7sJIW6JaeWcEjmZI-_tJRhzrXrdhBigZsAwYsNWn_JpCONev6pe5km0Fu1ZU1z5OGxN5Aq66qQM8a_oYGdNU3NK9pMWb1PwTBvVTqHbdJr1heWdHfgq4/s1600/beach-house-5786.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmK6RfrstUaGYr-sdrb9NLYzWO2Uo12Cvy9qJPLLZseaRECuqTz2bgUY06ZEy5PIn2wHg5UQwKRtdogQvSemxGxxz6vg4IY9w4bVjbZtD_9sdhgBkXTHX6SaSxc1YSno55Yw1WFGAiWiY/s1600/saltskin-5765.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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They also make animal print sun suits for hotter climates - much more
interesting that the normal pink or blue options that are the only ones I
ever seem to see in the shops. Both Henry and Coco have typically
English skin - we tend to use all day
sun lotion but when the sun is high it's good to just be able to keep
them covered up. <br />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk8Ilf-e45iQ2GUd7d-DC1WOsO2guX7mFRqavNlt_nh8MC73HK48pgHLKcb0kRJg6OOcjyroVQWex1OyuWchm31KwTR9z72kdNh1LXloyKaJvY3ruXJomw28qn0zGVj_IBt5S77WvSyWN/s1600/saltskin-5831.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" /><br />
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This is what happens when you ask children to smile for a photo... <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uOxTternxxAWvszk5x4F6tSPy8lqwcRSuBqjKcs_7G48m7_bEUbXsp1BHFIVkT90-0ML_KDc30T-Qxf3OwzOywcs4-qq8wAwAGlOq0RA3Ru63WAoy8_aPbn_L64VkmjRxjihKJUMu8km/s1600/saltskin-.jpg" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ_fm0dAlSFEaX-XKO8HLSvANVR5pSGgm5TGUQgj4ra1MDP1v12LoJAKYdOJZzn-O9Avj0l9wUInTdMoWjWsrtTtejevfbfEe2_L0zogk8vTd_1pk_FOWgumJCskgfgeZ_1gG6RMPLZ3J/s1600/saltskin-5993.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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<u><b>15% Discount on all Wetsuits </b></u><br />
Saltskin have kindly set up an offer for you lovely people! <br />
For <b>15% off all wetsuits</b> and <b>free delivery</b> for wetsuits and sun-suits use the discount code 'SUMMER15' on <a href="http://www.saltskin.net/">www.saltskin.net </a><br />
There are lots more prints to choose from as well how about having a zebra or tiger on the beach with you?<br />
Offer is available until midnight on Sunday (28th June 2015). Lets get ready for the scorching summer we're about to have!?<br />
Hopefully.<br />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYX9RfqkaWrDpxLQe5cqX5RNiLAc48Xc_p7BQBg8diNDKBkH6MixYVwJ3USNbMOFkSycCgLv5vsEdPR3CN5bwFFiniYzOZcuJCLgq2FJ4u5DYrL0Hu7HHur8tfhXfAmIDge409DeIgUNH/s1600/saltskin-5769.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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<img alt="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fCjkvbJpHqlaOx2zDy3H5IVNstmiq9tUg6V6_39dRIF5P1kQO67mHWHk7qWqo7wJZ9Eq3wlpwhUHA-SUSHGWEmeEO_pKfHEDdEKfL_IjZP9U58vzwJDF0Vl7rlsGYKn30fZGX2WR4t1f/s1600/saltskin-5774.jpg" title="saltskin animal print wetsuits for kids" />
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<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-12027899065267201112015-06-22T11:31:00.000+01:002015-06-22T12:08:10.842+01:00A British Beach Holiday - Our Half Term in Dorset<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhrfsH4EfSpmUthZ1RV8u4pt4NuHB3f8cl0vZxg7GeX0qsDsgVz2TsEz-7spqTqXPEiXeQKvx5b6d0XlN3KqhF8MDo9R5ovMWGKpQa_koEXTLNbB9thTtHjuabhh-slFFfgLKOyjnwbnD/s1600/beach-house-1170590.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Over half term we spent a few nights living the dream in a tiny house right on the beach in Dorset.
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mhzNDmiQTeQ9vGBtBcEq4IyzF2gp2ZpJPHSQca1NeVPU2T_OZ8oXpQ5rFron0X6otIUEaZ13MbkWQMj_n_1CdvEKWrmGLLRh8gSCkrfPkHV7j2aiYlLguxdR2mghFt1tR6nYFEhdZIY9/s1600/beach-5897.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Views over Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJq2k702TLrOvG5rDOrI_bo4XFokFDcTtG5JVcYI9nJlNQ5R7MszL3RRfvq0VqGKRwz-hRt3qr32HiPVTnE9AyFaQBcmjsPGaoLJI-6W2YB17jRGFU898B3U_7VufQSuTmSqa2bgEzyzL/s1600/beach-5955.jpg" title="Views over Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" />
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We had an amazing week, Henry & Coco did not stop the whole time. We swam in the sea, flew kites in the field behind the house, built rock sculptures on the beach, we cooked fresh fish on a fire as the sun dipped down and had a delicious gourmet lunch a few meters from our door at The Seaside Boarding House.
And although it all sounds action packed I feel like I also managed to totally relax.<br />
We went away with our friends so workloads were shared and the children entertained themselves - spending a lot of time in the hot tub (yep, our kids now has hot-tub expectations of holidays... what have we done!?).<br />
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<img alt="A fire on the cliff above the Beach - Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTHBYaGorF1i4FBi7YIqOnvFCs-vNOgYloU_xPNzReJ6Nx3aS7hskYEIe155GpnvEUxZuBvoksXHcH5U9IQI_NFku9MidlkejFjvZERwD0e_OjAZNJXW-LeQwfprOwMgSIKORaZ2M9qyD/s1600/beach-5953.jpg" title="A fire on the cliff above the Beach - Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" />
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35Q4M1lXtKRdMdwgzPjzNsslmUgJ3QBm5EpfQEF9iwpZoerMOLQCPn97xdmdzB6vkNnYYGaGLOySGFIqPT1qVPovk7__OWLYaLjQyvIGTU52IP0A6TUrQiQyU60K9jpTPzofcyBFHnd4x/s1600/beach-5957.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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An alfresco breakfast with a view...<br />
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<img alt="May Styling the season - Hive Beach House by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdga3H_AzHUHy4JQYUMvyb1a2DF0qOCJ67Cid4OJEy-KmQ1EKmtSONpUMxmy7Cidsxy6rJrTR5-y2sL0PYTDPe82C5QPonl6gvM8RUnvAuGmVCs94ukEIuMrcLZjR5hKAYUPzyn2Wh0Lkd/s1600/cowslip-6063.jpg" title="May Styling the season - Hive Beach House by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Staying right ON the beach was quite a revelation, no time wasted
packing bags to go to the beach. In fact at some points we parents
hardly knew what to do with ourselves (I guess we're out of practice at
doing nothing)... so much so that on one afternoon we took our little
gas burner 400 yards up the shore to make a cup of tea on the beach;
just because we could.
I did spend some time faffing with a cow parsley posy picked from the
meadows on the cliffs - I was planning on posting this as my May Styling
the Seasons post but kind of missed the boat with that one.<br />
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAQlbyBhIJ-fihz-c4fnsZ2UpWEawxFukBSZDs9oOlRfrEfEQ8a8XxvgSg5QNp7_9V-OBb_jpoCMHuTlS5eWokCrNgZfqpACPBLs0QYZsSHX_tZ-qcOuj0qALwM0-MXF49lnYPzbfU_Bb/s1600/beach-2.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Coco wearing a giraffe print wetsuit made by Saltskin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0m8ouRrWYTlbUM-wCMMTTuioRhQ6G9s1k4qp7aIGJK9_nioRggbCI8VBSdwXas712041LY-UACTF_S6rgy45nWTvIKJTQPYJfpzjRqe8G2-fHhuPuCkxfePGKwCGHmSYNrzFp2iHZZ2C6/s1600/beach-house-5675.jpg" title="Coco wearing a giraffe print wetsuit made by Saltskin" />
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<br />
Sea swimming made much more bearable for the kids in their <a href="http://www.saltskin.net/" target="_blank">saltskin</a> wetsuits. <br />
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<img alt="Henry wearing a leopard print wetsuit made by Saltskin" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrNYC8-QjK8Xfo5mmeJgioNEk6ZCj702vMFTRbBce08-vj6OPYJFh62gByijb2d0Ry3BkHxb9sZkXlMC1x_s6qZ3odJBbLEb5kQg0LDSaqmLspTsYOTgyzC2rbEbTRXkCXlSVb17PtczR/s1600/henry-rocks-5797.jpg" title="Henry wearing a leopard print wetsuit made by Saltskin" />
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<img alt="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AcxnMX_Uf6UI-K2zubSMQTeKBV7MbQRaKp7tUh_SbTHh5w9u-UUVwPTXxHvcU1I-V4Lbukgg0jID4V05H4RyEH7w8YQl3q0V3xyofElsrI3f2_01SDUlhyphenhyphen_5Dna8jGyO5Ztjoorkkffe/s1600/kite-flying-5862.jpg" title="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" />
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<img alt="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfe4pygw6V1kWiesQVIQbKt57zNT4IecOUTuspbXn05_q6PMLuOZ243bmREfOnDOYZPG6Odffu42RGueyU_3HwhVUmNhMWwUaYDyNd0T5TtE4q6puVO_H2uJpV2shr3RxCicm1RDh1r_Kz/s1600/kite-flying-5868.jpg" title="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" />
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Henry taking the controls.<br />
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<img alt="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHmqLTPaqWcvtXielTivyBVb-GwIBvV2V1x6NCD1e-A_OeR98Kcjkk-B9jNxqmalvZjlcPM-hXVzN08ZZvDsieN_9j184vih9aT-5NdLsFyO_4Mq6Ptd3K9wDGqhx14bPyBLTLqfjTVsQ/s1600/beach-house-5861.jpg" title="Kite flying near Burton Bradstock Beach" />
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The countryside was deliciously lush with buttercups and hedgerows full of wild flowers - I do think May is my favourite - it's the time when you can really see the summer stretching out ahead of you. <br />
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<img alt="Walking near The Seaside Boarding House, Hive Beach, Dorset" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOPs6X3trR2TZTQa0zuNoR8ai9FY9q_p8gG5Jt43IQLxdxGOhyDt4zeOwkxLXXFGxy1JS28yyeIvLSPXoNekDF3vyWhS9NG0UDHlDVRe4ph0-JWGS10pp_3La7oDubhYMx1mfc-EM7kSE/s1600/view-1170635.jpg" title="Walking near The Seaside Boarding House, Hive Beach, Dorset" />
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<img alt="Beautiful English countryside - Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKGtTiPGRsIlGqHDE6YbFcTP6FOwFlEaFt9ZbPsqUCkh0xFTcq8rXPxEFqlCTsMVIimsKIMm5TIn0RACel2aVy0H_TDWk9YMf7yceHMMBd75YG_Jyz1-2XB9McM319_igr78qL3LPnBwK/s1600/country-view-2.jpg" title="Beautiful English countryside - Burton Bradstock Beach - Hive Beach House, Dorset" />
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<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>The Details</b></u><br />
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<b>We stayed at </b><a href="http://hivebeachhouse.com/" target="_blank">Hive Beach House</a>
where there were enough beds for all eight of us with all the kids
sharing the loft bedroom. The living space is a bit on the wee side but fine if you have good weather, it would have been too small
if we'd have had to be inside, but as it was we were mainly outside on
the deck above the beach (feeling a bit like lords of the manor)! The house itself is really nicely done, it has a classic beach-hut feel, with warm wood underfoot (and lovely heated tiles in the bathroom). There is something so nostagic for me about padding around on wooden floors with sand between my toes.<br />
The
kitchen was really well equipped for all eight of us - except in sharp knives but that is always the
same in holiday homes I find. <br />
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRzwZfLfNg9GQm6NI9qG03dQFnAYwdscjpGWH1E5JkdeXTeJxjqsc2jK_CW7fzYSKGL014AlmEYuA04q16oT6_KAAqCj7NovZihLvDRVm9GPqNjcmtHHiYX5SXXcqzzgE_FnBCXoDBbdX/s1600/coco-at-the-window-1170592.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDUrNynvbyvq2BZP8J1u2kDDlLfaHJ8wNjEs6mLEQ7s4dOSrj2O006bPtqZgYsOnb57xUX7d1IfC3mw-HYgW64q6h-ysoJvV24VMiaRA40-uEHsMgMzFl0WBuY5yohY4hng06UmZQoNg/s1600/IMG_5701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDUrNynvbyvq2BZP8J1u2kDDlLfaHJ8wNjEs6mLEQ7s4dOSrj2O006bPtqZgYsOnb57xUX7d1IfC3mw-HYgW64q6h-ysoJvV24VMiaRA40-uEHsMgMzFl0WBuY5yohY4hng06UmZQoNg/s1600/IMG_5701.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" /></a></div>
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnxFuhwStetfn_nL2M0we2ZYpz_jf_I5XI_MGu4OGpD1OhC91C9fI4tGHEwY4dUG9fQCNFzX4MesH6dDHjLDMy9_N7zjeS01Cm8I8UDletP0wGV4pVjp9Q3kaE4JWkgrhvkjYYc6in3Eq/s1600/munchkins-6154.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<br />
<b>We ate in: </b>We bought supplies for our BBQs in the fish shop at West Bay and the fish was wonderful. Loads of people fish along the beach and one guy offered us some of his mackerel - next time it would be great to try to catch our supper. The rest of our shopping we got in Bridport a couple of miles away where there are two fab butchers and <a href="http://palmersbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Palmers</a> for locally brewed beer - they also have a very good wine selection in their shop.<br />
We got our daily bread from <a href="http://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Hive Beach Cafe</a>
and it was delicious - the sourdough loaf in particular, we also bought
a mouth wateringly good Dorset apple cake from there to go with our
beach tea.<br />
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<img alt="Eating bouillabaisse soup at the Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock Dorset" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdZ-BoZ4t1jzTiRC_IRrVJVsiUX-GeY66aEgO1Tny2pnKIMxDce4TJJRUTgdPoWlPwz_i3iTrsCFeqvpDUvzEyCNbzE8Wnea9MdLfpYyYFsqVqdaHX3OjlKfZutyFwDBbsegcOH5mx1b-/s1600/beach-1170615.jpg" title="Eating bouillabaisse soup at the Seaside Boarding House, Burton Bradstock Dorset" />
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<b>We ate out: </b>On the one day when the wind was really up we retreated to <a href="http://theseasideboardinghouse.com/restaurant/" target="_blank">The Seaside Boarding House</a> for a long, boozy and very delicious lunch. Prices are pretty steep for the area but the food was very good and the ingredients all really fresh and seasonal. The bouillabaisse soup was particularly good. The children were made very welcome too. I would have loved to have a nose around the rooms, would be a great spot to escape to for a weekend, right by the beach and with beautiful views across the bay. <br />
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<img alt="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RWwe3sP_5mkZ2HMNhstZ6DGY5Rn2TrmBNsT-LOTuOXjKwklA1J-a_ahyphenhyphenvNQQslWKwtFphwe5NPYj1w6zR43ukLnYOA3Jdyh2CfYtFiNAhISgSWtLDfcktXA3qj1hZt8rbHifRmQeoP3D/s1600/IMG_5706.jpg" title="Staying at Hive Beach House in Dorset by Alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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All in all a very good week - and at the end of the week <a href="http://through-the-round-window.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Flora</a> picked me up for the Sisterhood camp which I've still got to write about in full... but in the meantime you can read all about it via some of the other people I was there with...<br />
By <a href="http://www.lapinblu.com/sisterhood-camp-2015-important-encounters/" target="_blank">Sarah Lou</a>, <a href="http://geoffreyandgrace.com/journal/sisterhood-camp-2015/" target="_blank">Melanie</a>, <a href="http://meandorla.co.uk/a-glimpse-of-sisterhood/" target="_blank">Sara</a>, <a href="http://lobsterandswan.com/starry-nights-at-sisterhood/" target="_blank">Jeska</a> or <a href="http://circleofpinetrees.com/sisterhood/" target="_blank">Laura</a>, or by <a href="http://emmabradshaw.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/sisters-from-another-mister.html" target="_blank">Emma B,</a> <a href="http://through-the-round-window.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/postcards-from-sisterhood-camp.html" target="_blank">Flora</a>, <a href="http://www.growingspaces.net/2015/06/sisterhood-magic/" target="_blank">Heather</a>, <a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/sisterhood-camp-2015/" target="_blank">Xanthe</a> or <a href="http://www.seedsandstitches.com/blog1/2015/6/5/sisterhood-camp" target="_blank">by Hannah</a>, <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/photo/weekend-inspiration-sisterhood-camp/" target="_blank">Katy,</a> <a href="http://www.scrapsofus.com/2015/06/sisterhood.html" target="_blank">Caroline,</a> <a href="http://blog.decoratorsnotebook.co.uk/on-the-road/on-the-road-sisterhood-camp-2015/" target="_blank">Bethan</a> or <a href="http://craftandcountry.com/2015/06/01/shibori-tie-dye/" target="_blank">Emma</a> or of course by the sisterhood camp leader <a href="http://littlegreenshedblog.co.uk/2015/06/sisterhood-camp-2015/" target="_blank">Lou</a>! <i> </i><br />
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<i>This post is NOT sponsored - just genuine views on stuff we've done...</i>Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-19958376976727312612015-06-04T15:12:00.000+01:002015-06-04T15:12:25.512+01:00A Blog Roll Update: From M - Z (and numbers too)<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_C3DDDHaBLSOy3kuCd5vLVUsgcu7TLJsZb81jgcR7WGDl2I5xAWeusawZaEL_ZdvExUEk8wxrVuHUYEDVQX378OSKSbcXrIvKe5fj9n_myafF2Huduym9qSIGSdlmio5jGRdY28R9v_zz/s1600/IMG_2359+copy.jpg" />
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<br />
The second installment of my blog roll update - (<a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/06/a-blog-roll-update-from-l.html" target="_blank">see here for A-L</a>)<br />
.... follow the links and enjoy! You are welcome... x<br />
<br />
<a href="http://meandorla.co.uk/" target="_blank">Me & Orla</a><br />
I
like the way Sara writes, it's honest and sometimes quite raw. She is
also pretty funny. Her posts are always illustrated with her signature
style images from her forever home in a very dreamy looking Yorkshire.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://minieats.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Mini Eats</a><br />
Phillipa's
blog is full of recipes and the family stories that come along with
them, a great heirloom for her daughter Lexie and new arrival Finn.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://onlysayingwhatyourethinking.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Only Saying What You're Thinking</a><br />
Charlotte's blog kept me nodding along from 2011 and I was gutted when she stopped <strike>ranting</strike> blogging - I was very happy when she started a new blog <a href="http://www.babyimtherealest.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Baby I'm the Realest </a> -
but as of a few weeks ago she's returned to her original blog - I for one am very happy she couldn't
keep away from this blogging life for long. She says it how it
is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://onthefirstdayofmarriage.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="http://onthefirstdayofmarriage.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">On the First Day of Marriage</a><br />
Nell's blog is very much a diary of married life with children, I've been reading her blog since before her oldest Phinny was born. She distills her life into beautiful photos which seem to capture a happy, simple home. It's kind of relaxing to visit.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.babyimtherealest.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"></a>
<a href="http://www.oysterandpearl.co.uk/" target="_blank">Oyster & Pearl</a><br />
Lottie weaves a story of life with children, home inspiration and recipes into her blog and oftens points me in the direction of some new place to visit - both real & virtual.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://papermashblog.com/" target="_blank">Papermash</a><br />
Lynne's
old blog was one of the first I started reading - this is the place to
go if you love stationery. You will find a kindred spirit. And her <a href="http://www.papermash.co.uk/" target="_blank">shop</a> is awesome.<br />
<a href="http://www.peoniesandpolaroids.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.peoniesandpolaroids.com/" target="_blank">Peonies and Poloroids</a><br />
Raw honesty, reading Cara's blog often makes me feel like I'm not alone in being confused about how to be a grown up (in a good way, Cara!) We're currently on a cliff hanger to see where Cara, Nye and family end up living after leaving London... at present they are somewhere in the French countryside.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scrapsofus.com/" target="_blank">Scraps of Us</a><br />
Beach combing and family life combined; a sort of behind-the-scenes of one of the most stunning instagram feeds around. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.seedsandstitches.com/" target="_blank">Seeds & Stitches</a><br />
When
Davina & Hannah decided to combine their blogs into one I think
I may have squealed, or clapped... or something. This is the place to
find eco-inspiring ideas for decor and making - always creative and
often on a shoe-string. Just the way I like it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://tangerinecanteen.com/" target="_blank">Tangerine Canteen</a><br />
Lia's
blog makes my mouth water - so much so that I often have to go
shopping, buy obscure ingredients and get in the kitchen. I have her to
thank for spicy sweet potato wedges and our regular taco nights.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://through-the-round-window.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Through the Round Window</a><br />
I just met Flora last weekend and with a cup of tea in hand I've had a good read of through the last few months of her life - I'm now dreaming of a studio in a county town by the sea and developing a craft skill (Flora is a decorative stained glass artist). The beauty of blogs - they transport you briefly to someone else's life. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wildandgrizzly.com/" target="_blank">Wild & Grizzly</a><br />
Graphic
designer Lori shares tales of travels and city life in Bristol. Her
little boy has an enviable collection of picture books - a great place
to look for some children's book inspiration.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.xantheberkeley.com/" target="_blank">Xanthe Berkeley</a><br />
The place to go for an injection of colour. You'll also find amazing video time capsules that capture Xanthe's life with her gorgeously gangly sons. Her site makes me want to video everything.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.5ftinf.com/" target="_blank">5ftinf</a><br />
Philippa's instagram feed is beautiful and her blog is a wonderful backdrop to her feed. All she needs is her kitchen table and some flower petals - her compositions with objects and colours are much imitated, but somehow, you can always tell which is an original 5ftinf.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://940sundays.com/" target="_blank">940 Sundays</a><br />
Fiona is a sporadic blogger, - much like I feel I am too these days - but her blog posts always bring a smile to my face. <i>Always</i>. ALWAYS. <br />
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I dip into loads of other blogs - I'm going to move my complete list to a permanent home linked to from over there <<<<<br />
somewhere I can add to as I remember who I've forgotten and make new finds too.<br />
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Also; in this late spring cleaning frenzy I'm updating <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">my 'about me' page</a> - a lovely way to spend a few hours cringing at yourself. I've put in links to lots of old posts because, you know, I'm self indulgent like that. One day very soon I may get around to updating that old banner at the top. One day. <br />
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Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-22198580926646159322015-06-03T15:33:00.003+01:002015-06-03T15:33:53.074+01:00A Blog Roll Update: From A - L<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34gz3-ugGaQnDHx9jlyfYPipUIgmIdfh8K0LqDHxwUIwZqwDs5WFDpb0gmac-cEzqrRxyN46t8MoVWKxYAsDuTCsMZnItGtq9tAPlGOXOEsSIHsYvSxMJi94FVFGNnDgIZe4CdfElxlbY/s1600/me_writing_my_blog.jpg" />
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I've been writing my blog for nearly five years and have found so many great blog-reads along the way; some have come and gone while new ones are created everyday... so I thought it was about time I shared a little love for the blogs I read and gave my blog roll over there on the left an update (in that area I've been meaning to spruce up forever).<br />
(I never write my blog on a laptop in the sunshine, but you know, an opportunity was there so...)<br />
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Here are some of the UK blogs that I love; a few I check out everyday, others I dip into occasionally... but they are all good. I sometimes feel like in the blog world I've found my tribe - women (yep - for whatever reason this is an 100% female shortlist!) who create: some on a small scale and some on an impressively large scale. They write beautifully, create great images and inspire me in all sorts of ways.<br />
It's quite a long list so I've split it into two. A - L today and the rest of the alphabet to follow... so if you have some time on your hands make a cup of tea and have a look... <br />
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<a href="http://abigailandthefuture.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Abigail and the Future</a><br />
I think I first got drawn into Abigail's blog because her little boy Theo is the same age as Henry... her photography is fantastic and she shares some great idea on activities to do with pre-school age children plus thoughtful musings on family and photography which always seems to strike a chord with me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/" target="_blank">Apartment Apothocary </a><br />
As
the name suggests Katy's blog is interiors focused - her and her
partner have tackled some big projects at home - you get really good
before and after shots here and also a good dose of practical decorating
ideas.<br />
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<a href="http://emmabradshaw.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/campfire-cooking.html" target="_blank">A Quiet Corner</a><br />
A
photographic journal of life with four big children - more often than
not documenting the quite moments in what must be a busy household.
Woodland and hilltop walks and lovely photos of England at it's best.<br />
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<a href="http://www.aquietstyle.co.uk/" target="_blank">A Quiet Style</a><br />
Exactly
what it says... a gentle and simple blog full of beautiful and peaceful
style, more often than not involving flowers. Her monthly posts with
the florist Wild Rubus are inspiring tutorials.<br />
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<a href="http://emmabradshaw.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bradshaw & Sons</a><br />
I think of Emma's family of kind of the opposite
of ours, they are are country family making the most of their
surroundings. Lots of DIY's to do with and for children - DIY's
& recipes I've actually done too (<a href="http://emmabradshaw.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/campfire-cooking.html" target="_blank">this one was a goodun</a>).<br />
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<a href="http://circleofpinetrees.com/" target="_blank">Circle of Pine Trees</a><br />
Another
girl with three boys! Laura's
blog is full of simple pleasures - of camping and stomping through mud
and leaves with her three small boys. She has a monthly link-up 'A Year
In Books' if you're looking for a book recommendation then this would be
a good place to start.<br />
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<a href="http://foundnowhome.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Found Now Home</a><br />Leigh is a uber sewer - I'm in awe of her sewing crafts. I also wouldn't mind moving into her house. She has loads of nice <i>things</i> and gives good tips for places to go in her 'hood too (South Londoners)!<br />
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<a href="http://www.gatheredcheer.com/blog/" target="_blank">Gathered Cheer</a><br />
Ruth's blog is full of stylish ideas on interiors and celebrations - she also organises amazing social gatherings where she connects people together - she wants to get us all inspiring each other IRL!<br />
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<a href="http://geoffreyandgrace.com/" target="_blank">Geoffry & Grace</a><br />
A little piece of vintage heaven. Lots of making, a cute little one and thoughtful words - I love Melanie's '<a href="http://geoffreyandgrace.com/category/rooms/" target="_blank">rooms</a>' series too. <br />
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<a href="http://www.growingspaces.net/" target="_blank">Growing Spaces </a><br />
Heather's blog is one of my favourites. With a definite interiors edge; Heather takes on styling challenges, does DIY's and she seems to have a knack of finding the best interiors images to round up (she is an interiors journalist... so I think she's had practice) She also shares tales of her five year twins. <br />
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<a href="http://www.junkaholique.com/" target="_blank">Junkaholic</a><br />
I
think I can safely blame Artemis of Junkaholic for getting me hooked on
blogs way back in 2009... consistently lovely images, creative and
inspiring projects by someone who just seems to love making things, for
herself, her husband and now for her adorable looking toddler too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lapinblu.com/" target="_blank">Lapin Blu</a><br />
Sarah
Lou and her family are creating a gorgeous home in Sussex - lots of
nice ideas and her home has a healthy mix of old and new. I just want to
see more! She also runs the Everyday Spruce project with Heather of
Growing Spaces - lots of practical ideas for updating your space.<br />
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<a href="http://www.littlegreenshedblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Little Green Shed</a><br />
Lou is one of those amazing bloggers who blogs almost everyday bringing me my daily dose of swoony images and tales of adventures with her boys. (Sorry, is swoony a word? You know what I mean; dappled light, flowers, friends, simple pleasures...) Lou also runs the weekly #natureinthehome hashtag on IG.<br />
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<a href="http://lobsterandswan.com/" target="_blank">Lobster & Swan</a><br />
A whimsical seaside life & dreamy styling by Jeska - plus her and her husband run a shop so there's always the opportunity to <strike>copy</strike> be inspired by her style.<br />
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<a href="http://londonloafing.com/" target="_blank">London Loafing</a><br />
Lucy
is a fellow Londoner who has as much of an interest in interiors as I
do and writes a very good monthly to-do list which often sparks off some
adventure or other over here. She has dreams of opening her own coffee shop and is sharing her research (you know, her visits to nice cafes)!<br />
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<a href="http://lottsandlots.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lotts and Lots</a><br />
Charlotte
shares lots of pretty stuff on her blog - the jewellery she makes and
lovely home projects too. There is a lot to be inspired by here!<br />
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Next up - from M - Z (and numbers too...)Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-56366824808437815232015-06-02T22:28:00.000+01:002015-06-02T22:28:01.549+01:00Sisterhood MojitoI'm decompressing from the most amazing few days - first in a beach hut in Dorset with my crew and then in a field with 25 inspiring women. I was lucky enough to be invited to the first Sisterhood Camp which was organised by <a href="http://littlegreenshed.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lou of Little Green Shed</a> and her beautiful partner in crime <a href="http://seedsandstitches.com/" target="_blank">Hannah of Seeds and Stitche</a>s. It really was a magical weekend and my camera is, in theory, full of the most wonderful blog content... but I'm on a bit of a come down and don't know where to start...<br />
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So first things first. A drink.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIEQil3SBIUesyH7opbYgQHqXGiVil1-u6fZkQArO2-_K_WgxwE4bt1xThiU2PPKILSb-bcjpx-JKlkRnpnXafVjc15KIxADjR6pnhe7H23gUwmAc6rLMxfXxUz_OiRqZ21xEjrextFOx/s1600/mojito-sisterhood.jpg" />
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My new road trip / waterfall swimming / pod buddy <a href="http://through-the-round-window.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Flora</a> had the genius idea to make some mojitos with her freshly made elderflower cordial. I assisted and tried to record the making - which was lucky as now I can share it with you... it made a mighty good drink.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXX7zY9TUrqdGVpNgK0FiAx9ur7TDDT0GK_96c_XB91YsD_-6jg1qhVQTljjtZhI1BcDmV4N8NfRWlwIIa4uxCIkz7TKejFcCxW1qTQ03EdFBSoMkbn-kUPX08tc10_0nksW9zgXpdvsX/s1600/mojito-sugar.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKUKrST8CkSx3Fl1XLyhTdlCXA0l-WT9kgF-wBAJw-xRTb4ZtYexM3c-wmS_D5dmSyAMBipTEOH7hce8t5nUmhzcfGF_IVTtvyMbia5kZSgRv-xS58gajceHR3ecCUd7mszuoswuj66ZS/s1600/mojito-lime.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOTIHSQW9fHV8gwPTuyTZ8IyayJd6fzZxqGqzrTzkbfCqvFggUzVH3VcbteLpY7dy5vsmcdwgzWuh24O553qWsSYu70XiZD8NJOdEBIIvFjO9BVliL1iKcv1sc_vQmq0EAQSZCOhqAkD2/s1600/mojito-mint.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPX5VqEjqO3cou2vluTL3zgToj1xwRjN3erFQhVAcqzefsISE0bqFlK1peZdYsei3O7HraHncJ7td0cIeIvAwbJbvmmLzLudQH12Le5DEaU3AsHtZ64fRdEHQ4Q8347X-sTfmK6fvJuEN/s1600/mojito-rum.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aYHD78JQ9aeuM71oxAStILK7L3LswDU5d14morI0XSUgLIGHTXi__DT3UQegd9mK1XFILpiWlv5gz8zehb7-tX9IojQX9732IShad3r3-0dv4zdJ4kDMfCK9r5oYgK-aN8hcOw6kSrxO/s1600/mojito-elderflower.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xfGDiHh42gIVpB2Sl78KMaSsSkl1vCBS3e60S0_fvLw9F1_VVo1ZxoSgpn08B5E502QeAoDQE1Xcge2cDr92Y9QcfG4pdlFCkzXvLWfdQUdjvSj_Kzk5fhti3ftuyLpwt5OcTOdaHK3p/s1600/mojito-water.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm0UVCZBpxdN4E3KweskeLTq1WD3grxrkQTBOq8ioQbaNqV1FfmfIzXLc9ikRCxx0tpcFBsSUhuS5vRzfovVP2k39qlvQnFRhS3NKbtjJS7fpEJhOitwa2E0ze4tYiIsBgeMHOW1pnn36/s1600/mojito-taste.jpg" />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTcMDgPR8CqYtHwFLY5JJWCvvF_dSq_M6MEpR3dFYt6NThUQtXnzQw0-l2RlRvAAAnrdS84lZ4Wh1EXZ-Eq4p83ByXwhKkPrH03WapgNFsaf_BZ48dnO41aUz2M9_C9PC9pDe2eGX3T_T/s1600/mojito-drinks.jpg" /><br />
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I already shared this recipe on <a href="https://steller.co/alexisallan" target="_blank">Steller</a>
(and it was selected to be featured in one of their collections - is that normal)? I've just joined up - because 1) <a href="http://geoffreyandgrace.com/" target="_blank">Melanie</a> and <a href="http://meandorla.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sara</a> were raving about it and 2) I really need some more social media in
my life.<br />
I don't know why I was resisting it as to be honest
it's right up my
street. Words, images, story, bookish page turning. The graphics above
are <strike>a total rip off</strike> inspired by one of their lovely templates.<br />
Oh, if only I had
more hours in the day. <br />
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<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-57193382300940998662015-05-25T08:57:00.002+01:002015-05-25T08:57:47.062+01:00Spritz & Snacks: Inspired by Venice<img alt="aperol spritz and virgin spritz by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hVogkD7AIvEKewZMOcRkmqlyIttN7o7L_OHdovtvwczvePfGWcS2Ln-eWgJ7pFovMnyRLo_kcrhsNRjDsmR7SvJA4RzAbnb_b1P1FzP6RKhAyl13GTbcXTk819jp30A45sK91wwUolEn/s1600/spritz2.jpg" title="aperol spritz and virgin spritz by Alexis www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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One thing that we brought back with us from our trip to Paris and Venice was a spritz & snack habit.
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<img alt="Cantina del Mori - cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMkeRrnawa3CfPewU5Xii-AiSb5wQMhMviN4dfXsAsFoWkyPCgmKrZFStVOBotwB6ZSB3uSrLYxY7r4kK-HCp5KjDTuDQMOs0upPfhfJ_F5_FMT4JT9_JRVFa0OujuvPIgNSl8Zx7wTDp/s1600/spritzs_and_hugh.jpg" title="Cantina del Mori - cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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In planning for Venice we used the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/feb/13/venice-bar-snacks-cicheti-wine" target="_blank">Polpo cookbook</a> as a culinary guidebook and once we were there we sought out quite a few bars that are recommended in the back of the book. Most evenings - and some lunchtimes too - we'd stop in a bar, often the kind that you might otherwise pass without looking twice, order a spritz (or glass of wine if it was the second bar of the day) and choose some snacks from the bar.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cantina del Mori - cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh49Foytx7DKd0ybguz8ecSKYckYY85GHAQDomS40LNeLcMzYBfzsIHDUdBmAEU_BikH1mgK-rXGzjBlQxW6eReleho5N1WPHAXIt9gDfEI-K_rJxv9N5XKpcaUtfq1Zeg56zIaXRQXEi/s1600/catina_del_mori.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cantina del Mori - cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cicheti near the Rialto Market at Cantina del Mori</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Cicheti, as they are known in Venice, snacks to our children, are most often made from really simple ingredients in bars where kitchen space is limited or nonexistent. Mostly they are mouth sized bites, quite tapas like, with a cocktail stick in for easy serving from the counter. We'd choose a couple that took our fancy and let the children choose theirs too and then sit or stand in the evening sunshine pondering the day... or what we were going to do for dinner (always easier when when you're not completely starving).
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Canalside cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKzNBwlTeStMbVC2B2nEps0lbpQlYc4dfk3cujpY9hAip9qpCQGjT2Crgdh4HyRWjXJAtULpdmlSgfc_FFvg5XI2YOfagou5DIhnfICO1Ek4FNVjfmgPvXrAx5-GtVLI8QQaNv8hrZ8Mq/s1600/spritz-and-snacks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Canalside cicheti in Venice - www.somethingimade.co.uk" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canalside spritz and cicheti - food tourists!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This was on our last evening where we had a mini bar crawl along a canal opposite a gondola workshop - and some of the best cicheti of the trip.<br />
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<img alt="Making an aperol spritz - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNn5V0L4g0qdxHas17pHy6kUAA1co32vNdU63eqFO6bhiLffNma-25vhqnCPrnHsnKhswlH4gONxmjKiGZDAv8QY7F1lKqmSg3quym5Z3HGoOVmqOzl9sm9vEKa-vidMRYD4b-m0wp06X/s1600/spritz-5612.jpg" title="Making an aperol spritz - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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So back in our kitchen at home this is becoming a typical Friday night scene. An aperol or campari spritz for adults and a virgin spritz for the small people.<br />
We make ours with two parts aperol, three parts prosseco and a splash of soda water. Ice, a slice of lemon and a green olive are also compulsorily.<br />
The children's versions are made with some still lemonade, soda water and some blood orange San Pellegrino - mainly for the colour, although they do taste good. Coco and Henry love olives but for other children we've added grapes on a cocktail stick instead.
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<img alt="Coco having a virgin spritz - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9e8VrDeJdFGUfrMhYQgWHnbH2CmQhLC7Iwl1IU93UKJX08weZrUWZkRNfnV-KlxtZMMbwKZXA5YBUp-UWPZyqQULmM-G-hx4fLfVCJfYpOQ9JBxGJXL8pdZE1VtcXNW9XpKVKZUfrp2n/s1600/spritz_coco-5622.jpg" title="Coco having a virgin spritz - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="cicheti needs fresh seasonal ingredients! www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaIHtg3EMp6mAczilfFluuHAlruD8z7A5c8qt443WuHK1UVQRN2ct_6viDoapSUSK_UyCLYERHCJHUEf2OyR9cTRaXk3oufL4XGROrvyiXTpKWGzfgSyLmTnoPjtEFIOFynvdi3-n4J7L/s1600/radishes-5641.jpg" title="cicheti needs fresh seasonal ingredients! www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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For the snack it's meant to be all about what's local and seasonal - so radishes from the garden (I know - so right on... please take this with a bucket full of salt)!<br />
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<img alt="An english take on cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0IAiKMJdeFz4fQ7mfYVIiOGpTzyU5hSoiyz-WGp8zOq7UmBJBng4lG3UA5jVJoZoqEAfaja1leCtk7ITUczCM7BioqQy58_o7-hOtpvGalRPDreAM8BES8HaC3yzGxThOKfZgM8-7Pvk/s1600/food-5649.jpg" title="An english take on cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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<img alt="Homemade cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tg1-rlukbZgfgKTjY5A3Gj0l5g2hT8ccXyOChNFiyBYvJ3GhVQ8YJyoPjVAMR8FTuqJu4G8IRLROZGVkaDrLAQEpLfd3inXUJHp7ynPDFpxnm6drI_iaLu4eDA9Oe6bEICobHN39-bcN/s1600/food-5655.jpg" title="Homemade cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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We've had a good variety of bits and bobs so far, it really is anything goes. Sometimes we just take things out of the fridge and lay them out so we can create our own combinations<br />
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Hugh says a max of two ingredients per item... Coco and Henry often dream up their own and make us try them, turns the tables a bit!<br />
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<img alt="An english take on cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC30B91eRQiacY_sIK4GpezxN0Y3iGb-2UxfVqXMTu79G-Dr9Nlx9Qs59dZ_GBVz7Dj2dWLALFVEOyDTyqraiEmcyNeyP6BPK63H6GzclxLJhFftZcxZpzkcZhw555afjTwTjplJOomkLb/s1600/henry-5662.jpg" title="An english take on cicheti - www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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An English take on cicheti with glutney chutney, chedder and cucumber. If you're lucky you might even get table service!<br />
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<br />Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-69435942452186024262015-05-22T11:13:00.000+01:002015-05-22T12:06:05.229+01:00Snail Mail #2: A Month of Letters<img alt="on my desk - letter writing by alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7SElQi0CGyeuqLSzSU1Ks430PHQrbPTzNa4VzVOz5Cd7TJiYyF5gKzjgN6BK3vByybIGTZghf5Z40jgGGgAWazRmT3fmsad0ghfwEZsU_WMxye1fEKYgBHGIaiMzI9DQs1Nv1kr5lqES/s1600/desk_view_2-5605.jpg" title="on my desk - letter writing by alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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One of the side effects of having been to boarding school is that letters are inherently exciting. News from the outside! <br />
We used to collect our post at morning break time, we'd all go to the dinning room for a drink and biscuit (still love a custard cream) and the post would be laid out on tables for you to collect. Oh the boxes of letters I have... and books of them too - I bound old envelopes into books at college. I developed some strong and lasting friendships via letters back in my teens. They'll keep me entertained in my old age for sure. Yes, I definitely have a <i>thing</i> for letters, especially letters in brown envelopes (I blame a prolific letter writing boy for that one).<br />
At risk of sounding like Julie Andrews can you imagine how happy I was about a brown envelope arriving with that feather in from <a href="http://littlegreenshedblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lou</a> and <a href="http://bristolparentingcafe.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cathy</a>? My new tribe (and I'm basically talking about all the people I follow on blogs and instagram here...) really know how to do post.<br />
Anyway I digress...<br />
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<img alt="on my desk - letter writing with tea and irises by alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95G5QbHucaPqK-szz7NpLMqlDOrmxxoZoxZ8sQikPaVEkzZPi0Viws8w4NIRUxVzjNN_h9kuvGiWXQlQ6P5gahz-4Obs4ueK-U_NeVJgPRCV3rVd8_xJjsuMq5Mq2HUC91QgiMN8ALo1Q/s1600/desk_view_2-5598.jpg" title="on my desk - letter writing with tea and irises by alexis at www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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After signing Coco and Henry up to the <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2015/03/snail-mail-1-little-letters-project.html" target="_blank">little letters project</a> (back in Feb!) I decided I also wanted in on the letter writing.
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So in February I tried to write a letter a day - I didn't get that far, but I wrote a lot more than I've written in a long time. I sent some long over due thank-you notes and a moving card (also over due) plus I started to action a plan I've had for a while of sending people photos - good ones that they might have forgotten were taken. <br />
The idea was sparked by seeing my instagram friend <a href="https://instagram.com/ridasj/" target="_blank">@ridasj</a> using the hashtag #ourmonthofletters - her project was slightly different in that she spent the month communicating with one friend purely by letter... something I'd love to have a go at some time.<br />
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I'm slowly continuing down my long list of people to write
to - writing daily was a bit too much - but a couple of letters, or realistically; one letter, a week is doable. <br />
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<img alt="Alice in Wonderland stamps www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt0_1yj1z5eiQdv5fY6KzbMo8HbWkSrdIFg10KH8GVgTHK-JooVCXaJioy5fJkLi92tdbivXGJu2s8wZJC9ICprO7B4aURP-3DhwWgP3FTbzbS7uTrqILy_xxky2DlRIDEQ-xrG_hrUe_/s1600/stamps-5592.jpg" title="Alice in Wonderland stamps www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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Plus this project is a good excuse to indulge in buying picture stamps. Not that I really need an excuse...<br />
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<img alt="A pressed flower card www.somethingimade.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2uXqeV1tdRKjTuc1mhxoScALq4rJd6Tw5T2DKwLrVeg1iSMzIXxMN5LZqn_aV_aKU_inU3fCpQRgt0PgKeK5-YMIidlcfqQp1XIAK3yePJyd8qp8ivTFolrKGPL_exf5XYaup7JWwz1j/s1600/my_lettersIMG_3852.jpg" title="A pressed flower card www.somethingimade.co.uk" />
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And occasionally a way to share some pressed flowers too.<br />
Sending is definitely as good as receiving. My next aim is to get people birthday cards on time - I need to get organised and do something like <a href="http://www.growingspaces.net/2015/03/theeverydayspruce-5-ways-to-be-a-better-friend/" target="_blank">this</a> that Heather posted about a while ago. Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-20244908379016746852015-05-19T12:27:00.001+01:002015-05-19T16:05:33.009+01:00Paris and Venice with Children: Part 1Over the Easter break we embarked on the kind of holiday we haven't done with children before; the (slightly extended) city break. We traveled overland to Venice - first by Eurostar to Paris and then after four nights in Paris by the overnight Thello train from Paris to Venice. <br />
Overall the holiday was great - probably better in retrospect in some parts (as I think things involving children sometimes are...). But I think Coco and Henry had a pretty good time and it was lovely to get almost a full two weeks together just the four of us.
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I thought I'd just do an overview of the holiday and what worked for us. I've optimistically called this post 'part 1' as I intend to gradually go through what we did (but my blog is getting a little neglected at the moment so that might not happen)!<br />
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We didn't try to cram in lots of activities, in fact we hardly did any 'culture'. Almost as soon as we got to Paris we decided not to charge around trying to do a million things but instead to make sure we just go there more often... it is so easy!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYlVFyamHuQYlgauH3QpX6c9wAY5U-ZDrvgbWqV4deq5-8UiXXiZlbhMsBrRKNeHv5zwEYRxBf2WPGpfq7QIzH2yZXt4J1znhZXOMR2lwrdM-v9uqhgSpZFeykFZNIws6XeVcA8EYqDg_/s1600/heading-off-4724.jpg" />
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Setting off from home on a Monday morning
- we left early enough to be in Paris for lunch. The major drama of the trip happened as soon as we were in the queue for security at St Pancras and Coco realised she'd left Teddy at home. There were lots of tears and she missed her throughout the trip too, "Teddy was <i>so</i> looking forward to seeing the Eiffel tower" etc etc.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd19ey0NQJgMkF94UOeLT_yDlbs-6iBi7bV_qYynocYKkBMo_KXnu93v91kwGuT2b8tX_JEt6HbA_zbTb6oTMu8ztNxehPt3f8x7ZAZeaAB8MUp58cqtOWs5z0cg4qgY8VFue7TNoIz9x/s1600/flower-street-4741.jpg" />
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On our first day we checked into our <a href="http://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/635238" target="_blank">perfectly located airbnb apartment</a> and then headed out for a bite to eat. We ended up in the not so French <a href="http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/" target="_blank">Frenchie</a>, a kind of French/American deli, but it was delicious, hit the spot perfectly and fueled us for an afternoon of wandering. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhWIe8hl-oHixjQzkA3SAdJIWZHEVD_jb7e_ZwKtmFOE1l9q4yjfE_yeJ_046JlXJQ4RMp2KH7ylEIIQbVYzIIZUSTkZoCQdvu7bwPmLxcWmLhuGGrFCOjZoI2S662vuEwojhh_5zCFlm/s1600/cafe-tab;es-4755.jpg" />
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Rue Montorgueil - right near our apartment, perfect for food shopping and people watching. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1aOmm58HuWzVsDUG81u5CFHdd86r6LycG5unMwOIEuUxQgWU6Pe0BLc-TG6_YtvJOXN1OrKcu50MVtFtsYgU6Ny7_BEsDaKjI3x2Q1__bWpQ_MuyV_3PpOTRMLS_xQdvZ6pxG8YYjfsv/s1600/louvre-1150506.jpg" /><br />
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We walked through the courtyard of the Louve... Coco was intrigued by all the people taking just these kind of photos so we jumped on the band wagon and had a go too.<br />
I was intrigued by the sheer number of selfie sticks we saw. Slightly unreal.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvIQK5OB9zNr2ASxoCNKzUkWYYId_Q1TXS-xI5QEdQpr_5g8YTP5Lwp4yCvc-jqPoieQO4BoB97NNRl2_UfgMMCAUUs6qD7koZ21LvUynZA_1MtfButFWoJn8GA-pPo9EmqlhmAcsUNfU/s1600/tuileries+garden-1150566.jpg" />
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We made our way through The Tuileries Garden where the children spent a good hour in the playground while we sat with take away tea perusing our guide book and admiring all the immaculately dressed French children.
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Eventually we coaxed the children away with the promise of a carousel ride...<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbmJnmqeqiOWsu5qXYrEMWeHbAXj8iG5AhU8sTQ8OxmA6fknK_7XU-ahqmgH_jQbiYxjB1BiqvIkSvxGSmRgw0UI5pb_F829jCiH3vOno2ahgoH4GOcCH3xK7JbBgesPXGTX_P5qrWU-g/s1600/blossom-1150582.jpg" />
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More wandering... Paris was starting to bloom, we didn't really get the best weather, it still looked pretty stunning.
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2nU4TTQ0o-PPbHS_8sCQ_8eGDwjAnqwmRXT6vImlpYp_O4p4AgNrepSJRVpwL-AM6P59pAbZkQNzxc46ds9itWRdOXXVobM015S35SZdjMqun6Njwmam6SyjWQSgQQSezPp5vv2rY7rM/s1600/food-shopping-4758.jpg" />
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Then we shopped for supper, taking home a medley of gorgeous quiche, salad, cheese and bread (not actually a supper of sweets as Coco and Henry would have liked).<br />
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After a busy day of travelling and walking and a nice bottle of French wine for me and Hugh we all slept very soundly ready for the next day of our adventure...Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-48637285184811546732015-05-15T12:11:00.000+01:002015-05-15T12:11:40.859+01:00Purple & Blue in the Garden<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmZOS9RRlFAgKBUdynRazH_Vl2HBuDLe7y80YHQVF2gCl0YDAyWLzINvY2KCcrKvA5whlYLA0oUHkIBzHAvsc6zyrcMllR9au0yxJoJiD5M6DWidBU6JyGzBPoGaB-wMOGqcCGp8fmcxk/s1600/purple_flowers-sm.jpg" />
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Like last month I wanted to make a quick record of what is out in our garden - and have another got at some modern calligraphy. <br />
It's all about purple and blue at the moment... the orange tulips and daffs are all but gone. The bearded iris are blooming, there are enough buds coming that I didn't feel too bad about bringing one stem in for a vase. These iris' were transplanted from my parents garden and have expanded so that now that have a quite a patch.<br />
The alliums are almost at their best, the salvia just coming into flower along with the nepeta (which always reminds me what a great backdrop it made when I hosted <a href="http://www.somethingimade.co.uk/2013/06/the-nursery-photography.html" target="_blank">the nursery photo course</a> a couple of years ago... )<br />
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So it's been busy in the garden and busy with me too. Hence the lack of blogging... I'm hoping to get a chance to catch up - but I think I'm always chasing that dream!<br />
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<a href="http://cottontwist.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cotton Twist</a> (my new business venture) is taking up lots of time at the moment - which is mostly a good thing. Orders from our website are starting to pop up - some from readers here which makes me very happy so THANK YOU - you know who you are! We've also just launched a storefront on <a href="http://notonthehighstreet.com/cottontwist" target="_blank">Not On The High Street</a> and I've broken my longtime aversion to Facebook and we have a <a href="http://facebook.com/inspiredbycottontwist" target="_blank">Cotton Twist page</a> there so please come and show us some love if you feel inclined!<br />
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I'll be back soon - I promise. In the meantime, happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend.Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256189603899174962.post-88024861856475516132015-04-14T17:02:00.002+01:002015-04-14T17:02:48.527+01:00Styling the Seasons: April<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3tL7k0XwY-AKiWaDUnvFiEjNjgVv0ArA_sixqvH0kpmQGKD3jOpSlvqbGAWmEFIjlzVxh9eLlEI37HrW4ZG7ItkGjhuW_64sOJmJy3r6cBv1bi0wUknUELzTA1JIfDBWMOTgl7eomaJi/s1600/set-up_with_text_1.jpg" />
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In an attempt to be organised I took these photos a couple of weeks ago with a plan to actually schedule this post for while I was on holiday... but I'm obviously not destined to be an organised blogger and so it is that already these photos feel out of date... <br />
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The blossom buds, cut from a tree in the garden have bloomed and the petals have blown away already. The chionodoxa (just seen on the left) is all but gone and we have a lot more muscari out than we had a couple of weeks ago - when I could hardly bring myself to cut what I wanted for this photo.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBHB4RTir9g9kAOSEp4EE2UlUoJUyaMiEVT3ztZ-LD8vgjbhb2kosaGhpUHJmtJJWSK_2OJcZqu32_9Sc_QUdpufDtIsXjmwGvukW1TLIf5MQacAEKtypAV-wWBtj3y1z_Cmd5-XYe8M9/s1600/seeds-5055.jpg" />
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But change in the garden is what April is all about... it's coming to life. It's the time to plan the veg patch and to start sowing seeds for the season ahead. The potting shed would be the place to be - if only we had one. Instead we pot up seeds outside and keep them inside on windowsills or on the floor by the doors out into garden where we can watch them germinate and grow before planting them out.<br />
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I'm a bit in love with botanical drawing. I keep thinking I'll try to draw some of the plants in the garden - but I still haven't got around to it.<br />
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As a sort of nod to the documentary nature of botanical drawings I thought I'd photograph what was out instead and maybe the act of writing down the names of the flowers will help me remember them too (plus it was a good excuse to practice my calligraphy). I used to love <a href="http://www.nicekindofblue.com/search/label/monthly_moodboards" target="_blank">Polly's monthly garden mood boards</a> and I have wondered if I should do the same one year... but the last thing I need is another project... what I really need to do is get out in the sunshine and do some weeding/digging/potting up/planting out instead!<br />
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<i>Styling The Seasons is a monthly challenge run by <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/" target="_blank">Katy</a> and <a href="http://lottsandlots.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Charlotte</a> - anyone can join in - just show an area in your home styled to show what the season/month means to you. This month they are running a competition too - see their blogs for all the details!</i><br />
<i>#stylingtheseasons </i>Alexishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06663064254395287855noreply@blogger.com4