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TRIP TO LONDON

Big Ben
Adam and me in London

Hello! I recently visited London with Adam and I wanted to share a few moments with you. First of all isn't London amazing? It was our first e v e r visit to London and we had a fantastic time being tourists. Adam caught the "can we relocate there" bug, which i find tempting.

We made a list and ticked almost every box! To name a few things, Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guards, 10 downing street and China town. We also shopped in Liberty of London, M&M world, ate in a really cute cafes, my favourite was called Bella Maria and we also visited Battersea Dogs and Cats home. Not forgetting that we walked around St James Park a few times, feeding the ever so tame squirrels and birds. Adam really enjoyed seeing the parakeets and pelicans there. We walked everywhere which we enjoyed but our feet did not. Next time we visit, I've made a mental note to brave the underground!

Breakfast at Bella Maria Cafe
Tea and cake in another cafe (forgot the name!)
Liberty of London was heavenly
Whilst visiting Battersea Dogs and Cats home we met a handful of rescues that tugged our heart strings. A Jack Russell named Charlie and a deaf Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Scarlett were our favourites from the kennels (Scarlett has now been re-homed, YAY!). They both had lovely personalities, so much so that we actually walked round a couple of times. We also visited the cattery and fell in love with a Bengal cat who was later that day adopted! I was amazed at the facilities that Battersea have, every rescue has their own pen with plenty of space with toys and home comforts like cushions and blankets. We bought a few things from their shop and also stopped by their cafe.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
Palace of Westminster
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
China Town
Next time we visit we are going to travel via the underground, go on the London eye, visit the zoo and Hotel Chocolat (Rabot 1745) restaurant and see what the night life have to offer.

Have you been to London? What was your experience and can you recommend anything?

Amy Lou xoxo

Friday Favourites



First up is an adorable screen printed tote bag, made by Hello Harriet. You can visit her shop here and also her blog here.



Second is a minimalist pair of white gold, geometric earrings made by Minimal VS. They thread through and look super cute! You can find Minimal VS's shop here.



Third is Katty, she makes chunky, vegan knitwear. All of her items are beautifully crafted but this custom cat beanie is my absolute fav! The hat is tailor made based on your cats fur pattern. For all you crazy cat lovers out there... you can visit her shop here.




Fourth is a limited edition enamel pin made by Charlotte Farmer. She's a screen printer who uses low tech methods, accidental imperfections and gestural mark making. You can find her shop here and her website here.



Finally, fifth is a vinyl skin made by Lauren Leggatt, it's inspired by agate decal. There are plenty of designs to choose from, I think i need help deciding which one to buy!! You can visit her blog here or her shop here.

xoxo


CHANGE OF DIRECTION

January 2016 has taken me in a new direction, I have known for some time that i had lost interest within textiles and began to detest my hobbies within crafts. I can't remember the last time i picked up my knitting needles or made a garment from scratch. I recently made a massively, scary decision to defer my placement at university for a year whilst i figure out what to do with myself.

My reason behind deferring uni is because i have keen interest within animal care and i feel the urge to tick a few goals off my list for this year, such as driving and moving house. I have always been torn between arts and animal care. At college i applied to do a diploma in animal care and a diploma in art and design. I took the art pathway and that lead me to university (which i am massively grateful for as it gave me a reason to move away from home and taught me how to live independently). I feel that now is the perfect time to try another option which leads to animal care.

Throughout my childhood i have had a whole range of pets and i constantly pestered my parents to let me feed the strays on the streets and rescue more. I even researched into my pets behaviours and their care, to convince my parents that i was responsible enough to be a pet owner. I devoted my childhood to caring for my pets, i even went as far as walking my house rabbit on the beach and boy, Smokey loved digging it up! I love to watch animal documentaries on Animal Planet such as Animal Cops, The Blue Planet, Dogs 101, to name a few! I also like to read books about animal breeds, training, behaviour and their health. For work experience back a few years back i volunteered at a cattery called Snuggle Puss in Filey and loved every minute of it. I don't know why i didn't pursue this further at college.

I have this belief that, if i can make a difference for the better, then i will. I am known for taking injured birds such as seagulls to the vets or care for them myself. Folk see them as a nuisance, to a point i can understand but i have also witnessed cars purposely drive over them and this breaks my heart. A few months ago Adam and i noticed a wild rat crawling away from some magpies that had attacked it on our driveway. The damaged had already been done and it was dying but i couldn't bare to watch anymore so i immediately ran out and gathered the poor mite into a shoe box, wrapped it up in a blanket and placed it in a quiet area. Sadly, it passed away that night. I imagine that my friends and family think i'm crazy but its an instinct that i cannot ignore.

Steering back to the point of this post... I consider myself a caring person and because of my interests, skills and experience i feel that i could pursue a happy and rewarding career within the animal sector. Whether that be as a Cattery Socialiser, Animal Care Supervisor or even a Veterinary Nurse!

I have been applying for volunteer vacancies at Dogs Trust, RSPCA, PDSA, local farms and vets. I have done my research on Veterinary Nurse and animal care courses at colleges/universities and I plan on attending open days within the next couple of months. Because i am not certain of the sector i would like to purse, i hope to gain experience working with different animals, within different environments before i take another huge leap and commit.

I hope that biting the bullet will pay off and that something good will come my way!? For now, i am dreaming about future possibilities.

New Years Eve


Best nine photos from 2015
Adam + Me on NYE 
Having a cheeky drink for NYE
New Year's Eve was good! I was working till close at Hotel Chocolat but it didn't feel like work. I was quiet happy to welcome the new year surrounded by my collages and Adam. Afterwards we went for drinks at the Maven and Headrow House. We tend to stay in one place for a while if the music and drinks are flowing!! Overall 2015 has been a fantastic and positive year for both me and Adam. At the beginning of the year we adopted our darling (netherland dwarf), Ruby. She's been a joy to love and care for. We visited Betty's Tea Room in Harrogate for the first time and was blown away by it's vintage appeal and cakes (canny forget those gems!). We both got new jobs, I started working at Hotel Chocolat back in March and Adam started working at Tesco's in October. Over the summer we went to a handful of gigs, including Mumford & Sons, Fall Out Boy, Fink and The Script. I visited the Manchester Craft Centre and met some amazing like minded people. University has been a mixture of emotions, mostly good but i have been second guessing my options.

2016 is going to be a year of travelling when there's chance to. I'd like to find my roots in Ireland, take Adam to Berlin and be a tourist around London (as we've never been!!). In February I'm going to Paris for a couple of days, with my university to take part in the Indigo Trade Fair. I'm currently designing a handful of designs to sell there. Ekkkk!

My new year resolutions is to do more of what makes me happy, travel when i can, move into a cosy and bigger home and find Ruby a suitable husbun.

Amy xoxo