Bright Spots

I seem to be filled with a certain inertia when it comes to blogpost writing these days. I can't decide whether to keep plodding along with this, talking to just the few of you who stop by, or whether to try something new. The dying days of my PhD studies are taking up plenty of brain-space at the moment too. When I started blogging I certainly never had any aspirations to be A Famous Blogger, but I'm not sure what my motivation is any more. Anyone else out there blogging to no one for no particular reason?! Perhaps I just need some more fun in my life so I feel like I actually have something to talk about...

Well, for now, I shall leave you with some pretty pictures from my recent visit to the beautiful Kew Gardens in London. If you're in the big smoke between Feb 7th and March 6th get yourself there for the Orchid festival, which will be full of gorgeous colour to distract from the dreary grey winter outside (and look out for the resident iguanas too!).

And we'll see if I manage to post more than once in February!

A Year in Photos 2014

Happy holidays to you all! Slight unplanned blog holiday there, that life thing getting in the way once again. Inevitably, I of course resolve to blog more in the new year, but with a thesis to write, we'll see how that goes... Anyhow, here are my favourite photos (from on and off the blog) from 2014, here's to a good 2015!

The year started with some epic weather, but beauty can be found in the wintery Dorset countryside

Crisp bright days in Febuary

Company from a black panther on a domestic March afternoon

New life in spring

An early summer day looking down the spine of Dorset

Posers on the sands

Time to disappear...

Pirates in Portugal?

Trying to make the most of the autumnal bounty

The benefit of shorter days in October - capturing the sunrise at the highest point of my commute

A return to the delights of Kew, nice to hang out in the jungle again and forget about the November chill

An excellent reason to get out of bed - probably the best sunrise I have ever seen

Happy New Year one and all!

Bright Colours Wild Textures

Well hello there, things are still pretty hectic around here! I have just got back from a conference in Portugal (pics to follow!), and am still in between moving, although I hope to finally be settled and reunited with my sewing machine some time next week. In the meantime, here are some pretty close-ups from Northumberland; I have tried to identify the species, the geek in me insisted ;)

Monkey flower of some kind I think

Grasses

Heath Bedstraw

Yellow flag iris

Possibly wild Thyme

Bird's-foot-trefoil

Common spotted orchid

Lichens are difficult to identify!

Green seaweed? Looks like the Grinch's back to me...

Turn Right at Nowhere

I'm back to bore you all with holiday snaps! I spent the last two weeks up in Northumberland, right on the Scotland/England border. It might not sound very exotic but it was brilliant and beautiful and the first proper holiday my boyfriend and I have had together for a fair while. We stayed in a lovely house literally in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation and nestled in amongst the very green hills. It was stunning and I wanted to stay there forever! We did re-enter civilisation occasionally when exploring the local area, but we also spent a good amount of time rambling in the wild from straight out of the back door. The best day was walking to Scotland up the tallest hill we could find. I was pathetically excited about going over the border, as I had never been to Scotland, and there is a certain amount of novelty in being able to walk right there! Plus we had a friendly chat with some Scottish people at the top, over the fence that marks the border, which tickled us a little as they were on Scottish soil and we were in England. Good times, can I go back please?

The home valley - our house is in those trees at the bottom

Our lunchtime view looking down at Scotland

Always bringing up the rear!

At the cairn at the top, looking at Scotland

The Green Grass of Home

I had a lovely May bank holiday weekend looking after my grandparents' house and pooch whilst they were at a wedding. The Saturday was particularly glorious; sunshine, luminous green grass and spring flowers. There was plenty of wildlife about, including a sparrowhawk who decided to join us for breakfast on the patio - I WON'T have what he's having...

Let the Dorset tourist board advert commence!

Spine of Purbeck - Poole harbour on the left

The stick muncher herself

Both sides still alive!

Fetch Cara!

Not so native wildlife

Sparrowhawk having breakfast

International Woman of Mystery

I lead something of a double life. On weekdays, geeky scientist at the lab bench, and being a good girl eating healthily and exercising. Weekends are generally a completely different situation, country living, baking cakes, wandering wistfully in the fields...it can be quite a contrast. There are good things in both lives; I love beautiful Bath, I know the city so well and it really feels like home, but my actual house doesn't really feel like a home, and I miss the countryside and a certain gentleman that resides there. I have lived such a double life for quite a few years now, so the concept of a single living seems quite alien to me, although perhaps I will grow up eventually.

Musings of a sleepy mind, but the point, if there is one, is that inevitably many of my favourite pictures come from the idyllic country life. Here are some recent snapshots, most of which can be found on the dreaded instagram, helping me pretend that my life is some sort of picturesque perfection, although there is the occasional muddy bike pic if you fancy some entertainment!

Bows and Arrows

At the start of this year I gave the Grainline Archer shirt pattern a go. I know I should probably try and build my skills with more simple projects, but the fabulous sew-along and the rave reviews made me want to give it a go. I figure (possibly arrogantly!) I can achieve anything if there are good instructions and I take it slow. This is only wearable muslin status really, but I am quite pleased with how it turned out; I think the main issue is I used a pretty cheap polycotton so there are some frayed edges and it doesn't feel too nice to wear. I'll definitely be making another version in better fabric, and with shorter sleeves, it appears I have short arms!

Prepare now for some silly photos :)

Selfie, like all the cool kids

Not quite sure about my rear view, trying to show the very long sleeves!

 And some construction pics, I am excessively pleased with some of the neat top stitching I achieved!

 Hope you are having a lovely sunny weekend, it is beautiful here in Dorset :)