The Creative Initiative #4

Posted on November 30, 2013 by

This one is a little late, so apologies.

This weeks theme was ‘gratitude’ – I swear they are getting harder every week!

I’m not the most sentimental type, in general. There is a lot for which I am grateful for, but it’s just not my style to gush about it, or admit it even, so this was a pretty hard post for me. I’m not saying that being vocal about what you are grateful for is a bad thing, far from it – I’m just not very good at expressing myself in that way.

What I did eventually settle on, and decided that I am the most grateful for, is my job – or more specifically, the people I work with. You will not meet a nicer bunch of people; there’s a lot to be said for working with lovely people, I’ve had some crap jobs in the past and had to deal with all sorts of unsavoury colleagues, so working with these lot is pretty much a dream come true.

funny post-it notes

We have a lot of laughs at work. There are many in-jokes between myself and the others who work in the studio, and the best ones get documented on my post-it wall. Obviously, because of the nature of my job, a lot of the humour is quite childish, and often based around whatever products we are working with that day. I can look up at it when I’m having a bad day and it instantly cheers me up. Visitors often give us strange looks when they walk in, but no-one has questioned the wall… yet!

The theme for next week’s creative initiative is ‘dreams’ (another tricky one!). If you would like to join in, then the rules are very simple:

• create something in based on this week’s prompt

• post about your artistic endeavour on your blog and link it up to this post

• comment on other bloggers’ posts – the prompts leave a lot of room to use your imagination and we should all support and encourage each other as we explore!

Bagel Boy, Bristol

Posted on November 27, 2013 by

I think I have just found my new favourite place to eat in Bristol.

Reuben bagel

On Saturday me and Tom were taking a stroll through town from the fountains up towards St Nicks when we saw a sign which stopped us in our tracks. I’d heard of Bagel Boy before, but always assumed they were up on Park St. Well, they’ve moved!

Exterior of bagel boy

Window sign

The new shop is tucked away on St Nicholas Street, the road opposite Photographique’s new premises (or if you are approaching from the other direction, it’s the same road as Vodka Rev). It’s a very clean and tidy, welcoming looking shop, with rustic wooden tables inside and the most awesome sign hanging in the window. Hot salt beef, anyone?

Bagel boy menu

The menu is amazing. Not only do they offer up a wide selection of bagels, all of which sound incredible, but they do bagel burgers, and a huge selection of awesome sides (chicken fingers?! As a side??!!). I went for the Rueben bagel – pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, gherkins and leaves. I can’t remember what Tom ate, probably because it wasn’t as big or as tasty as mine.

Rueben bagel

It was quite hard to hold a bagel in one hand and a camera in the other. It was that big. I ate the whole thing and it was delicious. I didn’t need dinner later in the day. That is some serious sustenance.

This photo even got a on Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show on Monday, which was very cool (she also commented on how nice my nails were, to which I let out a little fan girl squeal – me and Laverne are totally best buds now).

Bagel boy tshirt

They even had some pretty sweet looking T Shirts for sale, which I will most definitely have to own when I’m next in there. They had mysteriously disappeared when I was in there earlier.

Halloumi and peppers bagel

YES THAT’S RIGHT.

We were so impressed I met Tom after work in town this evening and we went and had another! This time I went for a veggie option (at a very reasonable £3.50) – halloumi and roasted peppers, with mayo and leaves.

And yes, it was delicious.

South West Bloggers Meet!

Posted on November 25, 2013 by

#southwestbloggersmeet

Well hasn’t this been a long time coming! The Saturday before last I had the pleasure of attending the South West Bloggers Meet in John Gandy’s in Exeter, hosted by the lovely Liza and Kerry.

(all of the photos in this post are courtesy of Kerry – I’ve had a major camera mishap!)

Liza and Kerry

I’ve been to Exeter a few times before and always enjoy going back. John Gandy’s is situated on rather picturesque Gandy Street, just a short stroll from Exeter Central station. Supposedly Gandy Street was JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley, and you can certainly believe it, walking down the narrow little cobbled street, it is beautiful.

Victoria and Jo of She and Hem

I got there a bit early, and so whilst waiting in the bar downstairs I recognised the very friendly Jo and Victoria from She and Hem, who I ended up following around for most of the day, even following them to dinner and following them home too! They very kindly put up with my stalking, and we happily chatted about our love of Bristol over some very tasty cocktails from the bar.

swblogmeet-3

As well as the awesome cocktails there was a whole table of Lush goodies too, as well as very friendly and helpful Lush staff on hand to give product demonstrations. As well as their tried-and-tested Christmas favourites they also have some very inventive gift packs this year – including their shower and bath putty ‘FUN’ re-packaged as massive sweets!

#southwestbloggersmeet

The fun didn’t stop there – there was also a lady from a place called Pearlys, offering complimentary teeth whitening. I could certainly do with a treatment, but didn’t quite make it past all the other eager bloggers willing to give it a go!

sw-blogmeet-5

The day ended with a raffle (I didn’t win anything, sad face) and then we were handed our fabulous goody bags, which were STUFFED full of the most wonderful products. I couldn’t believe my eyes!

All that remains is to thank both Liza and Kerry for organising such a wonderful event, I had such a fun day and met loads of really lovely bloggers.

The Creative Initiative #3

Posted on November 22, 2013 by

I have to admit, the theme for this week’s creative initiative really threw me. It was ‘go outdoors’, and the more I thought about it, the more I seemed to panic, and eventually came to realise that, apart from my day to day work routine, I really don’t spend much time outside.

I’ve always been a bit of a hermit; when I was little I would much prefer to stay at home and read a book or paint something instead of roughing myself up on my bike outside. Don’t get me wrong, I really do love riding my bike, but in the dead of winter I like nothing more than hibernating indoors, preferably with a mug of ovaltine and a jacket potato.

One thing I do enjoy doing from time to time, however, is taking a little stroll down the canal path at lunchtime. I love boats (obviously, I live on one) and it is mine and Tom’s eventual plan to buy a narrowboat to live aboard permanently. During this time of year this stretch of the Kennet and Avon is home to a fair few narrowboats, and I like to take a little walk and peer jealously into the windows lamenting the fact that we don’t own one.

I am also completely perplexed by locks. I kind of understand how they work in principle, but the more I stare at their cracked and creaky Victorian working parts the more they seem to completely baffle me. There’s also something about their lack of water-tightness (it is obviously not crucial) which makes me even more distrustful.

Nevertheless, I enjoy my lunchtime strolls. I would have liked to do something more than take a few snaps, such as a sketch or a little painting or something, but my half-hour lunch break doesn’t seem to stretch that far. There is always next week!

If you would like to join in with the creative initiative, the rules are very simple:

• create something in based on this week’s prompt

• post about your artistic endeavour on your blog and link it up to this post

• comment on other bloggers’ posts – the prompts leave a lot of room to use your imagination and we should all support and encourage each other as we explore!

The theme for next week is ‘gratitude’.
It’s not too late to join in, and if you do create something be sure to post the links in the comments section so I can have a look!

Stitchin’ and a-Bitchin’

Posted on November 20, 2013 by

Last night was Lovehoney’s very first Stitch and Bitch!

I arranged the session after mentioning it to a few people at work and getting a pretty enthusiastic response. I’ve always wanted to join a Stitch and Bitch group, so starting one up at work is just all kinds of awesome. Last night a group of about 6 or 7 of us gathered our crafty bits and sat down for a couple of hours of crafting and nattering.

Heart decoration for Christmas tree handmade DIY

Stitch and bitch group at Lovehoney

Box of craft supplies

We didn’t have an agenda as such; myself and another S&B-er had set up a Pinterest board to gather together ideas for the first meeting, and I found myself gravitating towards the cute little DIY decorations for the Christmas tree. I wanted to cater to all abilities too, and with a project like that it’s completely up to you how complex or how simple you make it.

I ended up making my little heart from a kit I had picked up from Wilko. It came with a few pre cut bits of felt, some embroidery floss, stuffing and ribbon, plus easy to follow instructions. I ended up stitching this little guy in about an hour or so, and am pretty pleased with the results! I can’t wait to get stuck in and make more festive felt creations – I’m thinking foxes and mini Christmas trees.

Jars of buttons

Gingerbread man decoration in the making

What was so nice about the evening is everyone’s enthusiasm; everyone pitched in and brought something along, and really got stuck into their projects. It was amazing to see what people came up with. We even had a little gingerbread man in progress! Initially I was going to suggest monthly meetings, but everyone enjoyed themselves so much they now want to do it weekly and I am more than happy to do so – any excuse for cute Christmas crafting.

Watch this space for Stitch and Bitch updates!

Are you part of any craft clubs?

November Birchbox Review

Posted on November 16, 2013 by

One of the benefits of being a full time product photographer and having your parcels delivered to work (it’s quite hard telling the postman to deliver to a boat) is that you can take sneaky blog photos on the fancy pants set up at lunchtime.

uk november birchbox

In other news, my first Birchbox arrived, hooray! This is the first subscription service I have taken out, and despite being a little apprehensive at first about the cost, I’m pretty impressed. The first impressive thing was the packaging, it is absolutely beautiful. It may seem a little weird but I am a bit of a packaging design nerd, and this ticks all the boxes (ha!) – inside the little brown box is a branded drawstring bag full of goodies. It’s the little things which make a nice touch.

uk november birchbox

Inside my box this month was:

Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Lotion – sample price £2.50 (30ml)

Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo – sample price £0.89 (19ml)

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara – sample price £9.25 (it’s about half the size of a full price one)

Chella Highlighter pencil – from what I can see, this is a full sized product – £15.95

English Laundry Signature for Her Eau de Parfum – not sure of price, full price bottle £47

Pukka Herbs Tea – full box is £2.29

Birchbox Pencil Sharpener – £3

So if we add up the total of the products of which I am sure of the price, we get a total of around £31.50, which I don’t think is half bad for a subscription of £12.95!

So, what about the products?

The stand-outs for me this month are the highlighter pencil, which glides on and blends so effortlessly, and the Laura Mercier mascara. I’ve been using the pencil under my brows, but because of the pale peachy colour of it, it could be used for all sorts – concealing, brightening dark circles, or on the inside of your eye as a highlighter – it really is a versatile product. The mascara is exactly what I have been looking for; because of the fine textured bristle brush it coats every lash and gives a really natural look.

Pukka teas are also a huge favourite of mine – I keep a box of their three ginger tea in my drawer at work, and cannot wait to try the three cinnamon! As you may well know, I am a fan of cinnamon things, and so this tea is pretty much my dream in a cup. I am also very grateful to Birchbox for sending me a new pencil sharpener, as mine died a death last week. It’s as if they can read my mind!

So, all in all, I am very pleased with my box this month. I’m glad I finally took the plunge and took out a subscription, it’s nice to be treated once a month and get to try out new things.

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes?

The Creative Initiative #2

Posted on November 14, 2013 by

Hey, I know it’s childish, but the theme for this week’s Creative Initiative is ‘what did you do today?’ and this sums up how I feel perfectly. I’m off work sick, and so haven’t actually done anything today, except lie down and feel ill.

While being sofa-ridden I thought I would try my hand at something which I haven’t done since school, so I picked up my hoop for some embroidery. I have to admit I think this could be somewhat of a new obsession; I’m ridiculously impatient, and so enjoyed how quickly this whole thing came together. It only took an episode of Bargain Hunt to complete.

A while back I noticed this awesome piece of embroidery on Etsy, which I think was the subliminal inspiration for this. I’m also a fan of things which mix the innocent and cute with something a bit naughty, much like when you see old ladies swearing or smoking. This could be the first in a series of embroidered swears, who knows.

The Creative Initiative is a fabulous new invention I discovered whilst reading Lyzi’s blog Being Little. The theme changes week by week and you can use any medium for expression you like. The rules are very simple:

• create something in based on this week’s prompt

• post about your artistic endeavour on your blog and link it up to this post

• comment on other bloggers’ posts – the prompts leave a lot of room to use your imagination and we should all support and encourage each other as we explore!

The theme for next week is ‘get outdoors!’
It’s not too late to join in, and if you do create something be sure to post the links in the comments section so I can have a look!

Date Night: Cinema Time

Posted on November 12, 2013 by

Don’t you just love last-minute plans?

Last night me and Tom went on an impromptu date night to the cinema, not before stopping off at Start the Bus for a beer and some food. Start the Bus, just off the fountains in the middle of Bristol, is home to Ruby Jean’s Diner, serving up some tasty diner classics, such as fried chicken, mac and cheese, burgers and pulled pork.

We had a ‘meat basket’ – four teeny tiny beef and pulled pork sliders, hot ‘n’ spicy chicken strips and a pile of fries, plus a Catina mac ‘n’ cheese with guacamole and jalapeños. I’m always in the mood for dirty dirty junk food, and this was exactly what we needed on a gloomy Monday evening.

The burgers were awesome, especially when slathered in what appeared to be dijonnaise (I smothered everything in this, to be perfectly honest). The chicken was cooked really well, but could have been spicier. But, oh em gee, the mac and cheese. The cheeeeeese. It was delish – green in colour from the guacamole, with loads of jalapeños. Amazing.

We walked off our full bellies up to Cabot Circus where the lights had already gone up, and to my surprise and absolute delight, the German market has begun! I swear it gets earlier every year, but I am certainly not complaining; I can’t wait for Christmas this year, and have been feeling very festive as of late.

I had a hot chocolate in an awesome festive German mug. Tom had his with rum, which was the strongest thing I have ever tasted. It was lush! Also it took me absolutely ages to spot the massive moose above the bar, it was even moving around and signing carols!

We went to the Cinema de Lux in Cabot and after a mini argument in the queue (I wanted to see Thor 2, he wanted to see Gravity) we settled on seeing Rush – documenting the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt in Formula 1 during the 1970s. I think this was a pretty nice compromise – it has Chris Hemsworth, for the ladies, plus is about Motorsport, for the gents. I happen to quite like F1 so it was a win-win for me, plus it is an amazing film.

A reason to love Mondays.

Are you feeling festive?

The Creative Initiative #1

Posted on November 8, 2013 by

The main purpose of starting this blog was as a motivation to be more creative. Working 9-5 plus a long commute means there’s little in the way of energy left at the end of the day, plus there’s always a slight fear of failure at starting a new project. Creativity and inspiration work in a kind of snowball effect, it just takes the initial leap of faith to get going.

Which is why I got excited when I was reading the ever lovely blog Being Little (written by fellow Bristolian Lyzi) and came across a scheme called The Creative Initiative – a blogger link up with a focus on creativity. The theme changes week by week, and during this week you have time to work on and submit your artwork in whatever format you choose, be it photography, sewing, pencils, paint – whatever you like!

The rules are:
• create something in your sketchbook based on this week’s prompt

• post about your artistic endeavor on your blog and link it up to this post

• comment on other bloggers’ posts – the prompts leave a lot of room to use your imagination and we should all support and encourage each other as we explore!

Miss Jessica holly in Bertie dexter dress

This week’s theme is an open submission, so I thought I would share with you one of the images from a shoot a did recently with a friend of mine – the superbly talented Miss Jessica Holly. It was nice to use the studio for personal work, and we are already planning another shoot, although it looks like it won’t be until the new year.

The theme for next week is ‘What did you do today?’ and I’m already full of ideas!

October Favourites

Posted on November 5, 2013 by

Hey, I know I’m a little slow off the mark with this one, but here are a few things which have made my October happy, through the medium of Instagram.

atomic burger bristol

We went for some filthy (but delicious) junk food at Atomic Burger.

giant lotto ball

I saw a massive Lotto ball smashed into the side of M Shed.

flamingo on a train

We went for a trip to Coco de Mer in London and I made a new friend on the train home.

treats from coco de mer

We were also given some lovely goody bags.

text from landlady

We got a visit from a pirate boat, which was moored up next to us for a couple of days.

cinnamon rolls

I made some cinnamon rolls.

pretty nostalgic gathering

I went to the beautiful Pretty Nostalgic gathering at the gorgeous Kingsweston House.

roller derby referee

We had a Halloween roller derby scrimmage – even the refs were dressed up!

sugar skull make up

I dressed as a sugar skull for Halloween. I had a full sized sombrero and everything.

invisible circus bristol

And last but not least, we went to an absolutely amazing show at the Invisible Circus for Halloween – Under the Dark Moon. It turned out my friend Dela was in it, and she was awesome!

October is by far my favourite month and despite a few stressful weeks at work I’ve had some pretty fun weekend adventures!

What did you get up to last month?

Lily Doughball

Bristol-based fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog

Monthly Archives: November 2013

The Creative Initiative #4

Bagel Boy, Bristol

South West Bloggers Meet!

The Creative Initiative #3

Stitchin’ and a-Bitchin’

November Birchbox Review

The Creative Initiative #2

Date Night: Cinema Time

The Creative Initiative #1

October Favourites