Bangladesh Jess

As of two days ago I am living in Dhaka, Bangladesh for a summer internship. I am therefore not sure how much I am going to able to post while I am here but please do stay if you are a follower as I will be back to the UK in 3 months and will continue then. If you are interested in following my progress here in Bangladesh my new blog about living here is:

www.bangladeshjess.wordpress.com

I am loving it so far. Hope to see you over there.

The Liebster Award

I am very happy to say that I have been nominated for a Liebster award by who has time for the gym. It is awarded to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers to help promote their blog and translates to dearest from German. Thank you!

When nominated for a Liebster award,  you must: 
- List 11 random facts about yourself
- Answer 11 questions from the person that nominated you
- Nominate 11 new bloggers and tell them on their page
- Write 11 random questions for your nominees

11 random facts about myself: 
1. I play trumpet, piano and drums.
2. I wanted to join the territorial army when I was 12 but we moved to Switzerland.
3. Scallops are probably my very favourite food.
4. I love horses and desperately want to be able to ride well but am a little bit nervous on top of one going faster than walking pace..
5. I really really want to live in Africa sometime. 
6. I've always wanted a pet tortoise.
7. I've been skydiving and bungee jumping (go skydiving - I do not however recommend bungee jumping!)
8. I really want to go scuba diving and get my PADI. 
9. I am doing a Tough Mudder this year and the Brighton half marathon early next year to raise money for charity:water and to get fitter.
10. I don't particularly like cats.
11. I'm working in Bangladesh for 3 months this summer on prison reform.

These are my answers to who has time for the gym's questions.

1. What is your favorite song?
I have a lot of close seconds for this question but I've got to go with a song I loved since I first heard it when I was about 8; I'm going to make you love me - The Jayhawks. 

2. What is your favorite movie?

This one changes a lot, but I have always really loved The Squid and the Whale and Children of Men. Oh, and Avengers.. 

3. What is one place you want to travel to that is off the beaten path?

I want to travel EVERYWHERE off the beaten path! Anywhere in South America or South-East Asia is at the top of the list to go next.. but if I had to pick one country I'd probably start in Nepal.. do some horse trekking.
4. What is your favorite way to get exercise in?

I play Ultimate Frisbee for fun and competitively and I love it. It's a really great game for all ages and fitness levels and teaches great sporting spirit as it is self refereed and has a spirit of the game aspect to it. Plus it can be tough!
5. What is your favorite book?

I've probably most enjoyed the Africa House by Christina Lamb or Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Stewart.
6. If you could change your career, what would you be?

I don't yet have a career as I'm a student but if I don't end up going in the direction my studies are taking me I would love to become a fine-dining chef.
7. What would you tell your 7 year old self about your future?

Not to give up dance! One of my biggest regrets.
8. If someone offered you a free trip to the moon would you take it?

I probably couldn't turn down an offer like that but I'd be absolutely terrified. Planes are worrying enough.
9. Name one person who you would most like to have lunch with. Famous or not, alive or dead.
My grandad who died when I was 9. I never got the chance to know him but have heard what an interesting person he was. I'd like to tell him about what I have done.

10. What is your favorite animal?

It's a close call between dogs and monkeys/apes. I've had a slight obsession with monkeys since I was a kid but dogs are just amazing.
11. Who is your favorite blogger?
Adam Roberts - the amateur gourmet. He's kind of who I would love to be in a few years time. His cookbook is amazing, I got it recently and can barely put it down. Highly recommended.

I am nominating the Liebster award to:

1. Miss Demeanor

2. Rediscovering Lost Arts from Our Mothers

3. The Adventure of Lady Smijubug

4. LoveJoy Junction

5. Life Away from the Office Chair

6. Knits 'n' Bobs

7. Jennalyn Abroad

8. Dottie Doodle

9. Delectably Yours

10. BeanyJane Cooks

11. A Good Talking to

My questions to them are:

1. What's your favourite flavour of ice cream?

2. What country would you want to live in most for one year?

3. What is your favourite season?

4. What is your favourite flower?

5. If money were no object what restaurant would you eat at?

6. Countryside or city?

7.  What is the worst Christmas present you have ever received?

8. What is your most prized possession?

9. What is your biggest regret?

10. What is your happiest memory?

11. What food can you just not say no to?

My first exam of my final year is tomorrow! Wish me luck..

Foodie Penpals - April

Last month I stumbled upon the concept of Foodie Penpals - every month you are paired with someone in Europe (or the US if you are in the US) who you send a box of goodies up to £10 worth and you get a box of goodies sent to you by someone else. You are meant to post about your box on the 30th of the month but I've been home in France until today and so came back to a lovely box from KayTea's Cakes. 

She sent some shortbread, wasabi peas, dark chocolate, ramen noodle soup and tomato and cheese oven baked crisps which look really nice. I love wasabi peas and everything there really so very happy with my box, thank you KayTea!

If you want to see what other people recieved here is the reveal day for April. You can see what I sent my foodie pen pal in Holland Tamara at her blog. 

I think it's a great concept and will sign up for another month in September when I come back to the UK!

Morris Dancing on May Day

Happy May Day everyone. This is an ancient Spring Festival and a public holiday in many countries. In Britain traditionally it is celebrated with maypole celebrations, folk music, crowning a May queen and morris dancing. 

I am home in eastern France for a week or two before my exams start and early this morning we went up to the castle in the hills behind our village with the Morris Dancing group of the area, a collection of British men and a woman who dance together regularly at ex-pat and British events in the area to begin the day.

It was a really foggy morning (and week!) and I snapped a picture of them up by the castle as they danced bringing in the morning and 'spring' (?). The photo is available for purchase in my etsy shop along with my other photographs from various places in the world. 

On with the studying.. I hope everyone has a wonderful May Day.

2013 re-SEW-lution: Focus on Enjoyment!

I have been spending more time recently enjoying being by myself and taking time to look through other people's blogs and plan my own projects. I came across So I sewed this's post on 2013 re-SEW-lution: focus on Enjoyment and immediately wanted to take the pledge. So many pledges this year; 2013 is the year! So without further ado;

I will focus on enjoyment this year!

Sewing related, I will be taking more time over my projects to end up with something of better quality, I will not cut any corners like I have done in the past. I want to really love my creations and want to feel proud of them. And, in accordance with the Stashbusting Sewalong, will be using fabric already in my stash so I don't spend any more money on fabric I do not need.

However, I am going to extend my pledge beyond sewing and just to my life in general. Within reason, as I need to pass my law degree this year (!), I will make time for my friends, the things I enjoy and for myself. I won't be convinced into doing things I do not enjoy. I will do things that make me happy and make others happy.

That is my pledge!

Spread the enjoyment!

First house - my room

I apologise for it being a while since my last post. I have started my second year at university and it's been quite chaotic - still is! I have a few things coming up that are not quite ready to blog about yet so I thought I'd show you what I've done with my room in my first ever house! It's not quite finished yet so I won't picture the whole room but until then..
Before..

After.. so far!

I got this fabric from a fabric shop in Brighton - much cheaper than curtains :)

My matching duvet set and storage boxes from ikea

 The painting on the top shelf is a special birthday present I got last year from my parents. One of our close family friends became a painter after moving to New Zealand and is becoming increasingly successful in her area. I love my painting - Talulah asked what colours I liked and painted it for me in her unique style. Check out her other paintings here.

Flohmarkt

This weekend I did a flea market with my friend Christine who has done them before. It was so nice to get rid of useless stuff that has been hanging around for too long. Even though I was mostly selling everything for 1-3chf, I made over 100chf! It was a lot of fun.

Our stall from behind: 

From the front:

Christine with her flee market purchase (the glasses, the dress is hers..):

My first purchase (6 chf). I originally bought it to do something with as it is a bit shabby but I think I like it like that now.

Saving the best until last.. I saw this bag hanging and I fell in love. The price tag was 125chf (which isn't wholly unreasonable for a real longchamp leather handbag in a flee market) but I didn't have that much money. Christine was checking it out and asked if the woman would take 50. She heard 30, and accepted! Consequently this is the new love of my life and what's better is that the lady guessed it was 30-50 years old. Vintage!!!

Blessing Bags

I just stumbled across this idea online and I think it is so wonderful.


http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html


I will definately be doing this at Christmas down in Brighton.


Just thought I'd share..

Already Made

..I just accidentely deleted my entire, nearly finished post on things I have made throughout the years.. pictures and all. I am not even going to try and do that again!!!
In short, I have been partaking in crafts ranging from cards, scrapbooks, cupcakes, knitted hats, birthday cakes and many more for some years now and love it. I have recently acquired baileyb's sewing machine and have started buying fabrics - becoming obsessed! Successful ventures soon to follow, I hope.
Here are two of my favourite people with my first ever two knitting creations:

       

My first post

This blog has been a long time coming. Initially inspired by my hugely talented and creative blogger friend baileyb (whose blog is solely about knitting/sewing etc but whom has expertise in many other areas). She hasn’t posted in a while but she is doing well at school so I suppose that is a legitimate reason..

I have enjoyed making things for some few years now. This year in particular I have been searching through countless blogs getting so many inspirations I wish I could just make things all day. I have many passions, some of which include cooking, photography, crafts and travel. I am also an avid ultimate Frisbee player for the Sussex University Mohawks so this will be a bit of a mis-match of craft, food and pretty things!

This blog is not a cooking blog, nor a knitting, nor a photography, nor a craft blog. It encompasses all of these things plus much more. Many of my “makes” will come from others blogs or ideas from friends, and many will be made for gifts or to be sold. Just watch this space.