i designed some cards

We always like to send homemade Xmas cards, but in recent years that habits slipped and we've been sending bought cards. This year I thought I'd design some to be printed professionally [I used moo], rather than by me in the kitchen, as I've done in the past. I can't quite believe how organised I've been though [I actually got these back from the printer a few weeks ago], I'm just trying to minimise the stress nearer to Xmas! Still have to write them and find a nice pen for writing on those fancy gold envelopes. I love trying out pens in stationary shops though, adding to the scribbles on those little pads - don't you? 

november

It's been a funny kind of month, this November, I know we're not quite at the end of it yet but it feels to have flown by. The weather has been pretty yukky, so cold and murky, the darkness so long and stifling I almost want to skip straight to December, yet I really don't feel ready for the month of Xmas quite yet. These images are from my Instagram (@nicekindofblue) a bit of my November. I'm still really enjoying Instagram, are you? The darkness seems to stop me taking as many pictures though, still I love flicking through everyone else's.

Clockwise from top left
• misty mornings
• fireworks
• train pattern
• flowers from the greenhouse

change

This past week there has been a turn towards winter. The start of the week was frosty and cold, followed by torrential rain and then last night the wind, gusty and strong. It's been a busy week too, busy with work, finally one of the books I've been working on went to the printer yesterday, a relief that was. Now I can concentrate and get on with the other book I'm designing, still lots to do and that too must make it's way to the printer, all before Xmas. 

lately

• Leaves keep falling.
• Bright eyes.
• Wet seats.
• Arch is up.
• Bit more path.
• Tit and Pie hanging out at their temporary pool.
• Pie says " h e l l o ".

Pictures from earlier in the week. We managed to get a bit done in the garden over the weekend, but leaves and the constant need to rake them up hinder our efforts with the veg patch. There is still more to clear, another bed to build and then a fence to go round, we'll get there just not as quickly as I'd like! Tit and Pie's shell pool cracked, they are on their second inflatable of the week and it seems Argos is all out of shells - lets hope they restock soon. 

Friday tomorrow and nearly the weekend again, I can't wait to get outside again and carry on where we left off. 

hoard or collect - plates

Hoard or Collect is a little series, sharing the collections that fill our home. It crossed my mind to dedicate a day to this, "Hoard or Collect Wednesdays maybe? but I don't think I will, I've enough routine without adding more. So every once in a while I'll share a little more of the joys [joys to me, feel free to disagree] around our home.

Today a few of my mis-matched plates. I've collected them for years, some have been passed down to me and though perhaps they don't 'go', they'll stay. I've remembered more in the top of the cupboard - I'll save those for another time, along with the bowls, the cups, the pyrex, the storage jars and umpteen other collections of this and that.

So what do you collect?

the other day

I'm lucky to work from home somedays, lunchtime picking flowers in the garden with Mr Mouse. Isn't he lovely, smelling the flowers? My favourite picture.

chocolate

The past weekend I celebrated a friends birthday, She decided to celebrate her birthday in different ways with different people, small groups of friends that know each other - I like that. There were just six of us, we went to a Korean restaurant for a delicious lunch and then we made chocolates. We did a little course at this place, the six of us wearing our plastic pinnies and gloves. We dipped, we dunked, we swizzled and we swirled, we laughed and we cursed (a little). We all came away a little wiser, a little chubbier and with a whole bag full of very tasty chocolates! This is all that's left. It was fun and I think I might try making some for Xmas pressies.

love locks

Spotted these in London last week, near the entrance to Shoreditch High Street Station. So romantic and pretty.

city brights

I always enjoy a little day out in London, the streets are generally grey but there is always colour and creativity bursting out. From a couple of weeks back.

1&2 ) Hoxton Square
3) Redchurch Street
4) YCN shop
5) Flowers, Calvin Street

Shepard Fairey

Last week we popped along to the StolenSpace gallery and had a nosey at Shepard Fairey's latest exhibition, Sound & Vision. Fairey is the artist behind OBEY as well as the guy who designed the famous Barack Obama 'Hope' poster. We'd seen his previous exhibition at StolenSpace back in 2007 and were impressed by the scale and detail of his works. The current exhibition is pretty huge, taking over two spaces in the Trumans Brewery complex, as well as another space for a pop-up shop selling his increasingly popular clothing range. I've picked my favourite bits to show here, if I'm honest I think there was perhaps a bit too much on show and I wasn't keen on everything I saw, some seemed a bit too much of the same, but I guess that's the nature of his art.

Pop in if your passing, it's on till Sunday.