Blog Love - Beautiful Blogs to Visit

I'm once again going to have to start my post with a sorry I'm super busy and not posting properly - it's terrible I know - but if you'll put up with my excuses a bit longer I'll soon be back in the swing of things! (Yep, I've also said that just recently too!)



I thought today I'd share some links to some other lovely blogs that are well worth a visit. Nothing wrong in my book with sharing a bit of bloggy love - and basically if you haven't popped by these blogs, then I think you're missing out (so what are you waiting for - head over quick! :))

In no particular order...

A Place for Tea

A Dream House for Trish

Life in the Country Lane

Nana Diana Takes A Break

Miss Sew & S0

White Cat Vintage

The White Shed - (yes, I know it's my sister's blog - but she is tres chic and well worth a visit!)

Our Park Life

Hope everyone is having a splendiforous week xx

Pink posies and some thank yous!

I've managed to crawl out from under a mountain of sewing and uni work to do a quick post today. I've promised myself that I'm going to take a break from uni during the next study period, because it all seems to be getting a bit too much just at the moment. I'm being a bad blogger of late, but I will get back into the swing of it once this crazy rush is over!

I want to say a big thank you to Laura at My Summerhouse for her lovely blog post this week about my cushions - you can view it here - and don't forget to check out the beautiful things that she makes in her Etsy shop here.

Thanks also to Rebecca at Life in the Country Lane for sending some folks over to check out my competition on Facebook (if you haven't joined there, is not too late - still one more prize to be drawn!)

I've been wanting to do a flower post for ages - so here are some of my favourites.

Hope you're having a lovley week xx

If I Were A Rich Girl (& Lullilloo at The White Shed)

First of all, my apologies for being a very bad blogger this week. With so much going on I've just not had two seconds to sit down and write a post.

One of the most exciting things that has happened this week is that some of my cushions are now for sale at The White Shed. This lovely homewares shop is now also a super duper online store as well - and sells many handmade items alongside the regular homewares in the store. You can find them online at The White Shed Store or by visiting The White Shed Blog.

If I were a rich girl - lalalalalalalalala....

I would wear one of these....

And maybe one of these....

While sitting on one of these...

I'd surround myself with these....

And maybe bag me one of these...

The End! x

Red Carpet Gala Dress - $760; Liason by Kat Swank - Luxe Alphonsa Headband - $1,200; 50s Hollywood Regency Gold Lounge Chair - $1,250; Cushion Cut Diamond Engagement Ring & Band - $7,699 - All handmade items via Etsy (click pictures for source)
Roses via Google Images

Hope you've had a fabulous weekend! xx

I ♥ Handmade

Well, I would wouldn't I - I did name my blog Hand Made Me after all! :) I know my fellow handmakers know exactly why handmade is so beautiful and important, but I thought I'd share a bit about why I love handmade so much for everyone who is perhaps not a maker themselves.


1. I ♥ handmade because it is unique - Handmade is not mass produced. The chances of walking down the street and seeing someone else with the same bag, scarf, necklace etc are very slim.



2. I ♥ handmade because it is made with exeptional attention to detail.



3. I ♥ handmade because it is environmentally friendly. Locally made and upcylced handmade items are stylish and reduce our environmental footprint.



4. I ♥ handmade because it doesn't limit others from achieving their potential. Handmade didn't come from a sweatshop in a third world country only to be sold at a vastly inflated price. The person who made it didn't have to move hundreds of miles from their family to take up the only job available to them. They didn't have the profits of their labour taken away from them. A handmade item is made by someone who has control over their work (possibly someone in your own community), and who receives all the financial benefit for the work they do.




5. I ♥ handmade because it is exclusive. Handmade can be tailored to your particular specifications, you can have something that is made to fit, incorporates your initials or made unique for you in any number of different ways.



6. I ♥ handmade because it makes me happy. Handmade lets me bring my ideas to life. I love sketching something, thinking through the process of making it, cutting out a paper pattern, cutting into a new piece of fabric and stitching it together to create something new (yep, this last pic is one of my designs!)

Handmade is beautiful because it is original, unique, fabulously well crafted, better for the environment, shows respect for the person who makes it, chic, charming and individual.

Each of the images in this post is from handmade site Etsy. If you've not explored this incredible community of handmade designers and makers, I urge you to do so. If you're not sure where to start, you might like to look at some of my favourites on the side bar here, or click on the Buy Handmade tab above to see more chic handmade and vintage items on Etsy.

I'd love to hear what everyone thinks of these and other handmade items - I hope you're having a fabulous day xx

Tuesday Treasures - Fairy Lights

I love shiny, sparkly things - and fairy lights are no exception. I think these charming images capture just how beautiful and unique fairy lights can be.

Hope you are having a wonderful week xx

Click on photos for images sources.

Blog award and bloggy love!

I got a fabulous surprise on Friday when I received this 'One Lovely Blog Award' from the gorgeous Laura at my summer house. If you haven't visited her blog before then I definitely think you should. It is full to bursting with wonderful images, photos, thoughts and posts. Laura also has a lovely shop on Etsy - which you can find here.

Having been given this award, I now get to pass it on to a few more people, so (if they will accept it) I would like to pass on this award to the following blogs.

Buttons and Bows - for sharing lots of great tips and helpful advice (and for being all round awesome crafty types!)

Chair Up - Ange does absolutely amazing things with fantastic fix ups of unwanted chairs - pop by and take a look, I'm sure you'll agree she does a brilliant job!

BaggieAggie - Crafter and fiction writer extraordinaire! If you haven't read Fast Friday Fiction then you are missing out!

The Pink & Blue Blog - For a little bit of cool (I'm resigned to the fact I'm not - but this blog is!)

Miss Sew & So - A fellow Aussie living in the north of England. Her blog has absolutely beautiful photos and inspires me to try to make my blog better.

Wrapped Up With String - For sounds of Sunday tunes, for being a fellow 'Gleek' and for being a very clever crafter.

Lemon and Lavendar - Another blog that inspires me to work on making my blog better. Lots of lovely photos and posts that you won't want to miss.

Here are the seven things that I know absolutely:

1) We ALL have the power to do extraordinary things - we just have to decide to do them.

2) Adversity truly does make you stronger.

3) Sewing your fingers with the sewing machine HURTS!

4) If you can envision it, you can create it.

5) You should always treat others how you would like to be treated (always!)

6) Life can take you to places you never expected.

7) Any day spent sewing is a good day!

All images sourced from web, source location via embedded links

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Whatever this Sunday has in store - I hope you're having a fantastic weekend xx