Cat Doodle

It's no surprise that I've taken to doodling cat's!

Products used
Muji 0.5 Black Gel Ink Pen
Iconic Essay Book V2 from The Journal Shop

LOVING : IconClub

It's no secret that I'm hugely inspired by Barbara Hulanicki, I even named my daughter after her iconic '60's store! 

I love Barbara's illustrations, I wish that I could produce a drawing even half as amazing as the ones on these scarves from her newest venture IconClub.

A perfect Christmas gift I recon...

And if you are a fashion lover, Barbara's new book, The Biba Years, is an absolute must have.

Moleskine Sketching : Cat Doodle

I've been making a real effort to take time offline recently and I've discovered a real love for doodling.

I always loved art class when I was at school but I didn't have the patience (or the time) to dedicate to producing even a mediocre piece of artwork, I was too busy dancing. I'm making up for that now. 

I'm challenging myself and it feels good. When I've completed a pic, I really feel as if I've achieved something.

Products used
Muji 0.5 Black Gel Ink Pen
Reeves Water Colour Pencils from Craft Merrily
Iconic Essay Book V2 from The Journal Shop

Teen Boy Christmas Gift Guide

I have to admit that I find shopping for my daughters a hell of a lot easier than shopping for my boys but I think I've pulled it off with this ultimate teen boy Christmas gift guide. Do you have any must have items that you think I should add?

1. Xbox One Console with Halo £349 - The time has come for an Xbox update in our house and this Halo bundle from Amazon ticks all the boxes.

2. Genuine USA Military M65 Fishtail Parka £115 - We picked up one of these for Sonny in our local army surplus store. it's oversized, toasty and really cool, especially good for channeling your inner Kenny look.

3. Wallet Ninja Multi-Tool £8.99 -  I'm possibly drooling over this just a little bit too much... 18 handy, everyday tools housed in this ultimate credit card sized instrument. Every wallet should have one.

4. Xbox One Play and Charge Kit £17.99 - Charges whilst you play thus saving you from never having any AA batteries when you need them.

5. Urban Electric Socks £4, Calvin Klein 3 pack of Trunks £35 - No festive season is complete without the obligatory Christmas pants and socks. You can't beat a practical gift.

6. Hype Navy Speckle Backpack £29.99 - I'm loving Hype bags right now, the range is awesome so choosing between them can be painful when you want them all!

7. Pebble Smart Watch £99.99 - I LOVE my Pebble, it's the best watch I've ever owned. Sync it with your phone so that you can receive texts and emails without having to get your phone out of your pocket. Geeky and cool.

8. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 £6.99 - The ultimate geeky read for game lovers.

9. Nike Blazer Hi Vintage £69.99 - Retro and cool, what's not to love?

10. Mouse Taxidermy Kit £29.99 - Nothing says Christmas like a family project and taxidermy is apparently a hot trend in the capital. The kit contains full instructions and everything you need to preserve your rodent (mouse not included).

Teen Girl Christmas Gift Guide

Stuck for Christmas gift idea's for the tween / teen girl in your life? I've pulled together some fab pressie ideas that my fashion loving, geeky girls would love!

1. BaByliss Brilliant Shine Brush £30 - The girls have seen this advertised on TV and keep dropping hints. If it does what it says i will be impressed.

2. CIAK Notebook £13.50, Iconic Essay Book £7.95 from The Journal Shop - I'm a compulsive notebook hoarder and it seems that both my daughters have inherited that awesome trait. As you know, a new year calls for a new notebook and my new favourite store The Journal Shop has so many to choose from. I recently fell in love with the iconic Essay Book, it might even have stolen my Moleskine heart!

3. Dr Martens Jadon Boots £145 - No Christmas is complete without a new pair of DM's (well not in our house anyway). I LOVE these 80's Rewind theme boots, chunky, raving, awesome.

4. BaByliss Curl Secret £120 - Promises to 'effortlessly create beautiful, free-flowing curls with long-lasting effect'. That is a challenge on Biba's very long, Chinese hair but you know how it is... if you are curly you want straight and if you are straight you want a curl.

5. Multi-colour Bean Bag £79 from Made.com - This giant bean bag is perfect for inside and out. It will make a perfect addition to our beautiful Bell Tent in the summer!

6. Midori Swingbird Glue Tape £7.95 from The Journal Shop - Every stationery lover needs one of these little birds bobbing around on their desk.... surely?!

7. Washi Tape Set £8 from Paperchase - You can't really go wrong with a wash tape shaped pressie.

8. Polaroid Socialmatic Camera - This eagerly awaited retro styled, social camera is promised to make an appearance before the end of the year. You can sign up for launch info updates on the Polaroid site but in the meantime, the new Polaroid Cube HD Video Camera £99.99 from Amazon looks like loads of fun. Wide Angled, mountable, shockproof with a range of accessories it's a fun, affordable alternative to the GoPro that the kids will love.

9. Penny Board from £99 - Both my girls LOVE their Penny Boards. Granted, they seem to have lost the ability to walk anywhere however,  the poor dog seems to have developed intermediate skateboarding skills. A Penny Board is worth investing in. Not all skate boards are the same and if you opt for a cheap version, they will quickly outgrow it's ability to deliver what's needed.

10. Primark Gift Card - This is a sure win in the eyes of my girls. They love Primark spending spree and anyone giving them a gift card would be popular indeed. They are available for any amount between £5 and £500. Can you imagine what £500 in Primark would buy you?!

11. Hype Grass Cupcakes Backpack £24.99 from Hype - Because one new bag is never enough and let's face it, everyone needs a backpack. The girls have been lusting after everything Hype for a few months and I can see why. Check out the lucky dip packages on their webstore, they look fab.

12. Barbara Hulanicki Tote Bag £12 from IconClub - The kids are all about their Superdry bags but I haven't come this far to let my girls shrink into the sea of personality-less drones. These shoppers are classy, cool and perfect for school.

Do you have anything else to suggest?

Coming soon : Teen Boys Gift Guide

#Seethemiracle

At lunchtime today I watched on a live Google+ hangout as a grandfather in rural Malawi received a life changing cataract operation that will allow him to see properly for the first time in 12 years. Blindness in a western country is devastating but in a developing country like Malawi, it brings a whole different set of challenges.

Sightsavers are campaigning to make a million of these miracles happen over the next three years. This life changing surgery costs just £30. That's someone's life completely changed for just £30.

You can find out more about the Sightsavers' Million Miracles campaign and donate, using the widget in my sidebar. If you live in the UK, the UK government will match every £1 you donate to the campaign before December 31st this year.

It is said, that eyes are the window to the soul. These two get me every time I look into them, their depth and beauty takes my breath away. I wish I had eyes like theirs!

For The Gallery.

Moleskine Sketching

I'm a big fan of Moleskine notebooks and since I started Bullet Journalling I've been adding doodle pages to break up my daily notes.

Here's my most recent piece.