fab freebies - ii

 Another little round up of some sweet and nice goodies I've found around the web these last few weeks. A few printables for Valentine's day, some wonderful sets of free fonts, a brilliant free ebook about body image, a calendar, a desktop for February, and a video which will hopefully raise a smile.

Very sweet (and unhealthy!) clip art.

I love puns but my other half really doesn't, so I will, with regret, not be using these free printables for Valentine's day from Jenn & Tonic, via My Owl Barn. (Do explore this site further and you'll also find free printables here, here, here and here. If you like owls and printables, you'll love this site.)

Free romantic fonts here and here. Better than a bunch of flowers. And no obligation to use them in any romantic way at all - they're just great fonts.

Check out the free download of The Body Stories on this page. Wonderful reading from inspiring women. The Bear Manifesto is very good too.

Still not sorted a calendar for the year out?  Ahem ... Then take a look at this template. All you need are your photos of choice.

Ladies - we all forgot to check. Check out this video and consider downloading the free reminder app. (Don't forget to watch the credits at the end!)

Casting around for an inspiring desktop for February? Check this one out. I adore it, and found it via this great site.

Quirky, even geeky Valentine's printables.

Some free romantic printables to say you love someone ...

Fed up with traditional Valentine's cards? Or just fed up with Valentine's day? Take a look at this selection of cards and feelings from the heart ...

Hope you find something that makes you smile this weekend - have a good one :)

to live in a tiny house

A big house would be great. Lots of room, and rooms, open spaces and heaps of light through vast windows. But it would also be, well, too big. I'm not sure I would want a big house, even if I could afford one. And, horribly practical as it sounds, wouldn't it just take ages to keep clean? I can only imagine all the dusting and vacuuming needed. Or, money permitting, you'd need a cleaner. But, of course, you'd still have to clean because you just can't have a cleaner coming into a dirty house...

Anyway, that's just one reason why small can be better when it comes to houses. That and the simple fact they look wonderful, and make you focus on exactly what you need and what is useful, and beautiful ...

Here are a few tiny homes I would love to live in -

Masses of pictures from the inside of a very small abode

A q&a about a tiny house

This tiny house still has room for masses of books ...

Ten tiny houses all tied up in one post - immerse yourself in tiny homes!

A week by week guide to building a little house starts here

And, perhaps most importantly of all, how to live with someone in a very small space


Of course, all the images included in this articles and posts provide masses of inspiration for design even if your house isn't officially tiny - most homes have limited space, and many people have too much, all trying to be crammed into that very same area. Imaginative use of space is just what's needed ...or an intense declutter ...which will be the topic of another post very soon!

Interestingly, most, if not all, tiny houses, are lived in by people who either ruthlessly prune their possessions, or just don't own that much ...

Hope you enjoy your own living space, large, medium, or tiny.

the day it didn't stop snowing ...

The view the day it didn't stop snowing

On Sunday it snowed for nearly twelve hours. Small flakes, mind, but still a stunning sight to see.

Much of the UK has had a lot of snow this last week or so. My little part of it has had its share too, and while it's been bone-numbingly cold at times, and I'm on the verge of running out of clean jumpers and long socks, I still love it.

I've not been out much to take photographs, but I've enjoyed looking out of the window and taking a few snaps, and taking a few more whilst in a moving car - most of them are very bad but, hey, it's fun, and you occasionally take a gem.

From a moving car. Proving my point. Just.

I'm not the only one who's been taking photos - lots of blogs I read are full of images of snow. Here's a few of my favourites - do click through and comment, I'm sure your visit will be most welcome.


Trees and snow and light and beauty!

City snow, nature snow, and a happy snowman.

Snow and sunshine. And playing.

A hoar frost amongst the snow.

Frost and snow in the English countryside.

Mad, crazy bird claw prints

Snow by the sea.

A very, very small lady enjoys the snow.

How to dress for snow in Paris!

London in the

Snowy fields

All the photos in this post are mine. You'll no doubt find better ones if you click on some of those links, but I hope you enjoy these all the same.

If you need more snowy images, then check out this post I did earlier. Officially proof I can't get enough of snow.

And I hope the weather with you, whatever it is, is just what you want and need. The sun has come out here today ...

snow

It's Friday again. And it's that time of year.

It's cold, it can easily be miserable, and it can be wet. But snow ... something about snow stirs deep emotions in many people. For me, it reminds me of playing out when I was a child, and never feeling the cold, and it also makes me think of shared memories created with the one I love...

Wintertimegirls on Tumblr is full of beautiful winter images ... well worth a browse if you love the winter, as well as snow.

Such a beautiful image. Photos of snowflakes are so hard to take, let alone make look this wonderful. It's from a beautiful web site as well.

The ideal dress to wear when riding in the snow ... I wish ... from this great fashion blog.

Stunning photograph, from this blog.

Snow so soft, you could sink into it...



If your snow photos always look a bit, well, "it was better in real life", then check out these simple tips to improve your images ...

If you have issues photographing people in snow scenes in particular ...

And if you fancy something a little more advanced to really improve your snow photos ...


I've had a little snow this week, and can still see if from the window as I write this. Not much, but it's that cold it's not melted. If you have some snow, then do enjoy it, and if you don't, then I hope these photos help instead ...

Best music to listen to whilst watching snow fall? 50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush

Best book to read in a snow storm?  Lavondyss - Robert Holdstock

Any other ideas?

free owls throughout 2013...

A little something I came across on my web travels which is just so beautiful and generous I had to share it ... it's a complete 2013 calendar to print out, with your own choice of some delightful owl prints to adorn it, and it's totally free (ink and paper aside ...).

Here's the link, and I love it so much I'm putting the button for it into my sidebar. Oh yes.




For other free 2013 goodies, check out this earlier post I wrote.

make my own ... bag

I love bags. Adore them. Far more than shoes or boots. A bag will never pinch your toes, give you blisters, or make your feet ache.

They. All. Fit.

And I never throw a bag away, so I've had to be far more careful about buying new ones. Instead, I keep all my old ones (much to the horror of my other half), and bring them out when I need a certain look, depending on season or mood, or just fancy a change.

At the moment, I am (re-)loving a vintage Gap red berry suede slouch bag, but I have also discovered a world of bag-making opportunities and know that, when I eventually get a sewing machine (and figure out how to use it), more bags will be mine again ...

Here are some bag patterns that I've discovered, and that I'm holding onto, for when my sewing get-round-to-it is sorted out...

The pleated tote bag created by Ellen at The Long Thread


The reversible tote bag designed by Novita at Very Purple Person


The Grandview bag created by Emily at The Boy Trifecta


The Monk's bag designed by Mari at The Purl Bee


The bow bag created by Nat at Made By Night

Any favourites here? And anything you love that one day, some day, you just know you'll make your own? Do share!

the gifts that go on giving...

Christmas is well past now, and we're into the New Year, but some of the gifts I received towards the end of last year I will have with me a long while.

Here's a selection of a few...

... a necklace from a loved one, a tub of sweets that I must (must!) make last, scented hearts to sweeten drawers, and cup cakes that melt in the bath and make your skin so, so smooth...

Hope your Christmas and New Year were both sweet for you too.

PS. My photos look awful - believe it or not they were as sharp as anything before I uploaded them. Hmm. Not has this problem before but shall look into it, see what I can do...watch this space!