Monsters for bookworms

I recently learned how to make these fun, little bookmarks, so I thought i'd share it with you so you can get crafty too.

Its supposed to be a rubbish weekend of wet weather, so make some of these instead and keep warm inside my little bookworms!

1. Pick your colours!

 

 2. Fold your paper into 4 small squares and cut one out.



3 Fold the left and right squares in half

 



4. Pick another colour and make a triangle, stick onto square.

 

5. Cut out the teeth and stick onto the edge of the left triangle, fold the 2 triangles and stick them together leaving a pocket between the bottom triangle and the square (this is for your page corners)

 

 

 

 

6. Make some eyes and stick them on the top, you could make a tongue aswell or decorate them however you like

 

Now it's your turn! - enjoy!!

In Bruges

 

 

Bonjour! Dag! Hallo! Hello!

Oh the many languages spoken in Bruges,we must cater for them all!

If you havent guessed or dont already know, I went to Bruges this weekend! I spent the weekend eating naughty food, drinking beer and wine and laughing ALOT with my pal Jenny P and our favourite inflatable travelling companion Mario!

We went on the Ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge with P&O, I'd never been on a ferry so it was extra exciting for me! Although it is expensive on board, you dont pay alot for the travel so I guess thats how P&O make their money. The food in the Brasserie was nice, not a huge choice but we managed a couple of courses and we washed it down with some prosecco so we were happy campers!

We arrived in Bruges at about 10:00am and ended up walking from one end to the other with our suitcases, not really knowing where we were going but it was lovely to explore a little whilst looking for our hostel. One of the things we noticed were lots of faces on buildings and the rooftops were all different, the sun was shining for a while and we managed to find our hostel with the help of a map and in about 20 mins!

Jen wanted to take a trip up the Belfry and I wanted to explore the streets a bit more and have a little wander so we split off for an hour or so and just enjoyed the surroundings.
The Belfry tower is in the Markt, this square is where you can find horse and carriage tours, Segway tours, lots of people taking photos aswell as the Historium (which also houses the Duvel bar)

We didn't go around the Historium, instead we headed straight to the bar (obviously) Duvelorium Grand Beer Café
The room is pretty amazing, I really enjoyed taking photographs of the stained glass and the Duvel walls at either end of the room. There was also a chandellier made up of Duvel bottles.
I dont actually like Duvel so I had a Liefmans Kreik and sat overlooking the Markt.

 

 

 

 

 



We headed down one of the streets off the Markt and went in the hunt of some food. Food seemed pretty expensive in Bruges, and the Beer seemed pretty cheap, we know your game, Bruges!

We parked up in a lovely cafe/restaurant (They call all their restaurants Tea Rooms) and tucked into a croque monsuier and some frites and mayonnaise (It would be rude not to in Belgium) There was a lovely little court yard out the back and a big bird cage with 3 birds singing in the window!

We also came across a bar next to the fish market where we ordered a white wine and a BelleVue Kriek and is only cost 5 euros! We met a chap in there who told us to try the Westmalle Triple and advised us that it is the best, he also told us he speaks 5 languages, which triggered off a bit of a conversation about how lazy we are in England in general about learning other languages. We met another guy later on who told us he knew a bit of Russian but when we challenged him on that it turned out he just knew how to say "hello, how are you" etc Liar!

After a freshen up and a costume change at the hostel we headed over to the St Anna Windmills These windmills were where cereal grains were ground for flour originally, 2 are museums and the others you cant go inside but they are interesting to look at!

 

The picture above was a sign outside this small cafe/bar which we stumbled across on our travels back towards the main square, I loved it so much, it basically says "If we're open, we're open, if not then tough" They had some nice wine and Jenny and I propped ourselves up at the bar and enjoyed an intelligent conversation about life and other worldly things (Thats a lie, we actually talked about our weirdest celebrity crushes because we are girls and thats what we do over a glass of wine!)

Lovely little spot though!




 

 

The rest of the evening we bar hopped and went to a little restaurant for dinner, I ate Steak and Jenny had a Femish Stew. Amazing chunk of meat covered in garlic and herb butter and accompanied by chips (we had chips twice in one day, dont judge we were on annual leave!)



 

 

On the second day our first mission was to find the Chocolate Line, Jens guide book said it was the best, and we wanted the best! When we walked into the shop the smell was heavenly, absolutely divine! You could see right through into the kitchens where they were making the chocolate aswell! www.thechocolateline.be I bought a couple of gifts in there, they were also selling a book called shock-o-latier by Dominique Persoone  (He founded the chocolate line in 1992) - he is famous for stuffing chocolate with tobacco leaves and wasabi amoungst other ingredients!

 

After this, we headed down the street to a cafe and ordered hot chocolate in a tea room. The tea room was gorgeous, and the hot chocolate came as a massive bowl of milk a chocolate cup and chocolate buttons, you could choose which chocolate you wanted, I went for the 60% Dark chocolate and Jen had the Milk Chocolate, both were delicious

 

 

Felt a bit sick after this so decided to walk it off and when we felt like we had room again we got on the  Kreik and Brugge Fromage, as you do!

There is so much to see, even just walking around all the buildings are different and they are all so interesting! I managed to get a few photos of some letterboxes to add to my collection, I love them!

We ate and drank our way around pretty easily and really enjoyed a few days getting away from lifes routines! - All i can say now is, I NEED FRUIT!

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.O.V.E

Well since its Valentines day I thought i'd theme a blog around it! - it'd be rude not to!

I did some swotting up today and discovered that the word Valentine derives from the word Valen which means worthy, strong and powerful. I also discovered that Geoffrey Chaucer (the saviour of English Literature) wrote a poem called "The Parliment of fowls" through which Chaucer invented "Valentines Day"

Saint Valentine, thou art full high on loft,
Which driveth away the long nightes back,
Thus singen smalle foules for thy sake,
Will have they cause for to gladden oft,
Since each of them recovered hath his Make:
Full blissful may they sing,
when they awake.

Written in 1392 Chaucer linked Valentines day with the notion of romantic love.

So for anyone wondering why we celebrate this day of love, theres a little explanation. If you want more, go to Wikipedia!

For those of you still here, I have a little story for you and some appreciation!!

Although I dont think I've ever been "romantically" in love with anyone, (I know, I know) Im not incapable of loving, I love my close friends and family so much and, like most people, I would do anything for them and vice versa in most cases (unfortunately not all, but what can you do!)

My first memory of a valentines day experience, I was about 12 and I fancied a boy in my class, I decided to send him some chocolates and a little love letter signed with a question mark instead of my name! I asked my friend to take it to his house and give it to him because valentines day was on a saturday and I wasnt going to see him that day. So she did and I remember telling her to ring me once she had done it from the payphone outside her house (She didnt have a phone at her house and this is before mobile phones) She didnt ring me all weekend and I couldnt ring her because she didnt have a phone so I spent the entire time feeling really silly and wondering whether I should've even bothered sending him a valentine. I mean, what did I think was going to happen? I was 12 we were hardly going to fall in love and live happily ever after. Anyway the week after I saw the boys sister at the park after and she started on me! Shouting "what are you sending stuff to my brother for, and if you look at me like that again i'll slap you" - if only I had the strength then to have squared up to her and seen what she would've done, instead I cried and fell out with my friend because she didnt stick up for me! - So ive never really liked this silly day so much!

Well that was a drain!
Enough of the woe. Im very fortunate to have met some super lovely people so far and I want to dedicate this day of love and gratitude to them. I wont list them all because they know who they are but just a big fat THANK YOU for being you and being such amazing inspirations and support systems.

If you havent shared the love yet, think of 3 reasons why you love your nearest and dearest and tell them before you go to sleep, I can guarantee you will feel great and so will they ... night night lovely heads xxx

Live Out Loud

 “If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will tell you, I came to live out LOUD.” ~Émile Zola
I have been pondering this quote for a few days.

After reading some bits and bobs about what it really means to "Live Out Loud" I've decided to share some of the points with you.

Live your life on purpose. Ive left life up to circumstance in the past which has made decisions for me but surely we should be doing things by making deliberate choices?

I have decided that making deliberate choices will enable me to combat fears and reach my potential.  I talk about moving away and starting a new adventure all of the time, I think talking about it and aknowledging that it is going to happen is the first step of the journey and the more I talk about it out loud the more excited I become to continue with the journey and grab the opportunities that come my way. I feel in control and as if I am living my life for a purpose!

Take yourself on a date. I do this one all the time, it usually involves a book, a cafe and people watching, listening to snippets of peoples conversations can sometimes inspire me and if it doesnt inspire me it usually makes me laugh! Living out loud is playing out loud if you have someone to join you or not! You never know who you might end up striking a conversation with!

Live in the question. Dont allow youself to put up limitations. You can be, do or have anything you want, instead of saying "i cant do that" ask yourself "How could I do that?" There is always a way!

Know your own value. There may be people who are more skilled, intelligent or more talented that you but you have something to offer too.Do not diminish your worth and dont let anyone else do that either. Stop idolizing other peoples gifts and start idolizing your own, OUT LOUD!!

Give yourself permission. To make mistakes and to shine, to accept, to get angry, to go to sleep early, to scream, to take the day off. We all have mood swings we win some we lose some, life is now.

Be authentic. The most successful are the ones who are authentic, the ones that dont follow the crowd, the ones who declare who they are regardless of who agrees with them. Fortune favours the bold

Stop waiting. You are here and this is now, be creative with what you have right now, dont put your life on pause.
March to the beat of your own drum, hear your own music, no one elses!  Your task is to find your own Om! Your life force vibration, life pattern or purpose, your song or melody . Find it, claim it, express it. (I think this is my favourite)

Inspired? I am! x

Bento

Kon'nichiwa!

I've been familliar with Bento for a while but very recently I was given a Bento Box of my very own and it is SUPER! If you google Bento you will see an array of very artistic food which doesnt always look appetising but you can appreciate the efforts gone into the creations!

For those of you not familliar with Bento, heres a little background blurb for you!

Bento is common Japanese cuisine, it comes in a Bento box, which is like a lunch box but a posh one compared to the ones you might buy in your local supermarket. I think you can get it as take out in Japan and probably in big cities here in the UK and across the world, some other countries also have their own versions.

Bento's traditionally hold Rice, Meat or Fish. Elaborately arranged in styles such as "Kyara-ben" which means character bento or "Oekakiben" which means picture bento. The Japanese even have Bento contests! - Amazing!

 

"Bento" is a derivitive of a slang term "Pinyin" which means convenient.

I haven't been so elaborate yet with mine however with the help of my new book "The Just Bento Cookbook" I am going to try out some new and fun creations and no doubt I will share some with you!

Aswell as being very decorative and cute to look at, they are economical and pretty healthy on the whole.

Some popular Japanese recipes include, Chicken and Three-colour pepper Stirfry Bento, Fried Shrimp Bento and Ginger Pork Bento. You can get lots of recipes and ideas from websites such as www.justbento.com www.cookingcute.com www.lunchinabox.net

You can buy boxes from a number of websites, www.amazon.co.uk or www.monbento.com You can also get lots of accessories such as chopsticks, cutlery, egg moulds, sauce bottles, dividers, belts, bags, cups and cutters to name a few!

 

They are Microwave and dishwasher safe and they do not leak!! Perfect!

 

I will keep you posted with my creations if any are worth of sharing, so far i've made barbeque crispy tofu noodles with beansprouts, brocolli, edemame beans and water chestnuts and Lasagne! (haha im aware that isnt very japannese!)

 

Sayonara!

Inspiration

First of all, I cant believe its been almost a month since I last blogged, its been a really good month aswell! I stepped out of 27 and into 28 and celebrated with a nice lunch joined by a select bunch who really made my day a special one (Thank you loves) I also really enjoyed the small tea party my housemates and I had in the evening when we all had cake mmm. I love the way birthdays make you feel, I felt so loved and appreciated I wish I could feel like that more often!

The last couple of weeks I have been super busy studying and working towards becoming TEFL qualified, I decided I needed a new challenge and I've wanted to live abroad again for a number of years now so teaching was a good option. Its tough going but I can't wait for the adventures that await me. Im so surprised and thankful for all the support i've received from friends and family, maybe they think it'll be a good way of getting a cheap holiday somewhere!! It's always been quite important to me to feel as though i'm living and going somewhere and not just exsisting!

Although I plan to run away at some point this year, I still want to feel comfortable where I am whilst Im here so Ive decided to spruce up my bedroom, ive been promised a new carpet and I've started collecting paintings/frames/pictures to put up on my feature wall. So far I have a pencil drawing, a photograph of Doris Day sitting in a car from the film "By the light of the silvery moon" which was given to me by one of my housemates and my favourite J H Lynch painting which is called "Nymph" They are all very different styles but I think that my favourite artistic subject is "people" so there is a constant theme, It might feel as though im being watched when its finished!

 

 

I think for alot of people the beginning of a New Year allows them to start a fresh, i've never really seen it that way for me before however this year, I feel as though it's time to grow more and make changes to my every day life. I feel inspired by the people around me and by other people stories and I want to inspire other people too!

My motto this year is Live Well, Laugh Often and Love Much

 

Just picked a few photos of this year so far to brighten up the place!

Music of 2012

I love music, who doesnt? I love it so much that if it was taken away from me I dont think I would be able to function and I would definitely get sectioned and probably go very very mental! (none of your jokes about how im already mental please!)

I cant possibly say that I only like a certain genre because thats just too restrictive and specific!

At the beginning of the year I was given an ipod and the person who gave it to me had uploaded some music that he thought I would like. Some of that came off (mainly Glee stuff) but most of it stayed on and provides me with a lovely soundtrack on my way to and from work on most days (when im not cycling)

The first album I became obsessed with in 2012 was Doo wops and Hooligans - Bruno Mars. I am aware that this came out in 2011 but I didnt get it until 2012 so we shall just go with it!!
I mustve listened to the song Runaway Baby more times that ive eaten caramlised onion chutney this year and thats alot. I love the pace of the song and the layers, the riff, the drum and the police siren at the beginning really gets me moving, its hard not to start wiggling down the street. Its a really good, jump out of bed and shake it kinda song!! I urge you to try it, you'll be smiling from ear to ear! Its the kind of song that you dont really care what its about its just a brilliant catchy tune.

The song Count on Me is also a beaut, the lyrics make me think of a friend of mine. "if you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea, i'll sail the world to find you, if you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you cant see, i'll be the light to guide you" awwww such lovely lyrics. I think its one of those songs we can all relate to and it will make you think of your bestfriend and how much you love them! Its also got a beautiful melody, theres also a few harmonies in the bridge which are really soft but give these bits a bit of depth.

If you havent listened to the album, get hold of a copy and enjoy it!

Other albums ive been listening to this year include:
The Overtones - Higher, this is a mover and shaker too, my favourite tracks are Love Song, Keep me hanging on and Higher.

 


Emeli Sande - Our version of events, this one came out when I was going through a bit of a downer so I didnt like to listen to it too much as it made me feel worse but I really enjoy the songs Lifetime and Where I sleep. Read all about it Pt 3 is absolutely beautiful, im sure if you have heard it, you will agree.

Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials. I dont mind admitting that I used to really dislike her music but this album has been played so many times this year. My favourites are, only for a night, no light no light (oh emm geee I could listen to that 10 times in a row! and so loud I would probably lose some of my hearing) I think theres a running theme with alot of these songs, they are built up, layer upon layer and they just make me feel full of something, I dont know how to describe it! its as if I could burst! I dance around my room when no ones looking and just throw my arms around as if im playing the drums!
Moving swiftly on...

Foster the people - Torches, brilliant album from start to finish, I love every song. I used to listen to this if I had to walk to work last winter, it really annoys me when the songs are used on TOWIE haha! Pumped up kicks is probably their most famous song, but, there are so many gems on this little, beauty of an, album.

So thats the albums that I have been listening to this year.

Other songs that made my year (in no particular order):
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
Laura Marling - Sophia
The Lovely Somethings - Lazy Daisy
Little Mix - Wings
Train - Drive By
Glee Cast - Shake it Out
Kyla La Grange - Been Better
Daley ft Jessie J - Remember me
Nicki Minaj - Starships

Im sure there were more!

Whats your song of the year?