London: Journalling

The title kind of gives away the little secret I was keeping from the internet world but hey who cares, you know now! Next Thursday myself and Shane are taking a little holiday away together to go spend some time in London with some close friends and dear family and essentially get to be a London tourist again as it’s Shane’s first real time in London (it’s been years since he was last there and 2yrs since I last returned to the motherland..) not to mention it’s our first proper holiday away together, which will be exciting! I can’t wait to return and see my lovely family and friends again. London will be lots of fun as it always is. We’re hoping to visit the Natural History and Seaworld again as I heard their Shark walk has expanded and it’s getting lots of good reviews.. Eek! Apart from that the rest is left unplanned, the main goal is to have a good time together and make it a really great long weekend with everyone we spend time with.

So in keeping with my Travel journals I started on my last trip to South Africa I made another Scrapbook to document our time away together. I used lots of recycled materials again for this one and have kept it down to the rustic look with the cardboard and union flag really scratchy and faded. With my last travel journal I basically made it colourful but left the majority of it blank to fill for when I was there, painting some pages or leaving little doodles on each page. It’s what I’ve done for my London travel journal. The first page when you open is my favourite so far (obviously as everything else is either blank or has paint splats!) I really hope to fill this up with all sorts of things, beermats, ticket stubbs, mementos and anything else that will stick in even in the short amount of time we’re over. I’m still yet to show my SA journal so no doubt the finished version of my London journal will be something to see in the far future.

I should really get started on scanning my other scrapbooks so I can show them all in one spot rather than just little snippets here and there.. Another thing to add to the list! XO

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Serenity

Hot sand on toes,
Cold sand in sleeping bags,
I’ve come to know that memories
Were the best things you ever had
The summer shone beat down on bony backs
So far from home where the ocean stood
Down dust and pine cone tracks
We slept like dogs down by the fire side
Awoke to the fog all around us

The boom of summer time

Mozambique,2012.

 

Sunsets over South Africa

During my first few days in Africa, Lewis took me to this beautiful dam that was only a few minutes drive from where they live to give his dog Dante a nice long walk and a swim. It’s HUGE and stretches so far and wide. It was such a hot evening, we had just eaten our body weight in yummy trifle and went to the shops to stock up on drinks and food for the Braai we were having later that evening, I tried this new Mango beer brand called Brutal Fruit (and it was brutal..when mixed with rum!) and we made vegetable burgers from scratch. I met some new wonderful friends, Kevin and Danni on this same day. It was one of my favourite days from my first week in this beautiful country, I wish I could go back and re-live it all again! ♥

Hey there! I’ve started to realise just how mammoth of a task it will be to go through all my photos from my travels, there’s just so many. Every day was awesome and filled with fun but I can’t possibly talk about every day on here, so I think I’ll have to go through my favourite moments and days and choose what to post. This week has been quite chilled at home. I’ve been readjusting to ‘normal life’, reading a lot, seeing friends and catching up on my 365 project. It got abandoned whilst I was travelling so I’ve been squirrelling away getting it up to date with it this week as my boyfriend promised me dinner & a movie if I get it done before Friday…Challenge accepted!:) As well as this I’ve been getting things organised and preparing myself for work next month in The Nightmare Realm. (starting rehearsals tomorrow!) I’m so excited to be returning there and seeing how everyone’s been, as well as spend the month scaring the life out of Cork..Yay! xo

 

Spiral out.. Keep going.

I’m finally back and settled in from my travels around South Africa, it’s taken me a long time to find the effort to update you all on what I’ve been doing because I’ve been doing A LOT. I tried this whilst I was away with pre-written posts but alas the internet was minimal, if not at all. In all honesty the last thing on my mind was how my blog was doing or whatever, after all I was in Africa exploring! Every new sight was a different and new experience for me, all five senses were constantly bombarded with awesome things. So you’ll have to forgive me on my lack of internet.

Things will never be the same and this is good. Whilst I was away I pushed my limits and left my comfort zone. I did things I never thought I would and achieved a lot of my goals and dreams, all because I took a chance and had such amazing family to be there for me. If you asked me at the beginning of the year if I actually thought my plans for SA would happen I would have wanted to say yes but deep down I was expecting to mark an X next to it come the end of the year. It was a pipe dream to me, not something I thought would actually happen. Franci, Lewy.. If you’re reading this. Thank you for everything, I love you guys.

All in all, South Africa was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life, one that I will never forget.
More on SA later though.

Now that I’m home and slowly getting used to being back to reality (and back to screaming little sister and tiny brothers evergrowing list of random questions/facts) I’ve began noticing changes that have happened within myself whilst I was away. Things that used to stress me out, now don’t. Things that might have upset me before now seem stupid and not worth the effort. I have a more positive mindset and so much more seems possible for me. I’ve had a virtual clear out of all things internet-wise.. I’ve removed myself from Tumblr-sphere and all that pointless shit that used to consume me. I feel free. Lewis has had a big part in this transition of mine, without going into too much detail- he helped me with so much, made me realise a lot of things about myself. Even taught me a few things I didn’t know about myself!

I plan to blog all about my travels but it will take a long time, especially since I will be updating on daily things too.. Not just travelling. I took over 5,000 photos and was out there for roughly 6weeks. So there’s a lot to show and tell. Also, I need a media space upgrade before I can post any photos so this must happen or my SA photos will be non-existent! (and we can’t have that) I’m also returning to the Nightmare Realm this October in Cork city, jumping back into my role of being a zombie nurse..or whatever they have in mind for me this year! So that will take up a lot of my time next month as well. It might take a while to get back into the swing of things here on My Fabric Heart but it will happen! :) XO

South Africa: Journalling

Hello! I just wanted to share with you my little travel journal I made up before I left on my trip. Originally I wanted a moleskin journal but two problems came with this idea; one – as much as I like the idea of having a pretty moleskin journal I knew I would never fill it and it would end up in my shelf of other pretty but unfilled/unloved journals! and two, they’re pricey.

So being the crafty little devil that I am I decided to re-style a notebook I found in Vibes and Scribes a few months back. It had about 40 lined pages inside so it was perfect, nice and small. The cover is funky, lots of little men in black suits all looking the same looking like they’re falling through the sky. Strange but perfect for me! Knowing I wanted to personalise it I unhooked the staples and added some plain,squared and map sheets inside for a bit of a mix. Squared paper is fun to draw on!

I’m hoping to fill this notebook with my thoughts and daily going’s on whilst I’m over there as well as some little goals/mini bucket list I’ve made for myself inside. I’ve also added a little pocket at the back for any memorable keepsakes, maps,guides,postcards etc. I really want to cram this one full of my adventures and not give up halfway because I hate my writing. (it happens so often) So when I come back hopefully I should have a ton of scrapbooky-memories to scan in and show all of you! XO

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My Week in Pictures #31

I KNOW I KNOW I’ve been so bad for not keeping up with regular weekly post. I’ve been such a busy little bean lately but I feel like I’m really over using the “I’ve been busy” excuse a little too much so I’m sorry!

Witnessing Ellie take on the swings like a boss! She had a play date with her new best friend, whom she calls Banana (I assure you she is not a banana, it just rhymes with her name!) and they had a good few hours of trampolining and chasing chickens around the garden. // The best picture I have ever taken of Tiggy, he’s actually smiling NATURALLY which is an achievement in itself, Tigs always pulls funny faces and his idea of smiling normally looks like something from the Chuckie films.. // Cooking for the family! I made vegetable lasagne for the first time with aubergines and peppers. I’ve already been asked to make it into a regular weekly meal by xbox boy which I’m sure mum has no arguments against the idea! // Sneak shot of one of my many holiday dresses for Africa // Packing literally took three days and many many double checking did I actually need everything. I’m still not sure and I’m leaving in 5 days! // Ells Bells being awesome with my fake Ray Ban look-a-likes. // Goodbye drinks and lots of card games with my Budapestian and xbox boy.. Ended up being one of the funniest/randomest nights we’ve ever had! // Hangover food- Katie really makes the yummiest cookies.

Well there’s the over-view of my week! I’ve left home as of last night to spend my final few days in Cork with Shane before my flights on Wednesday afternoon. Today I learnt that two massive suitcases are great for seats when there are none on the train but are not good when lugging up the MANY hills of Cobh.. My poor legs! And that Audiobooks are the way to go in life! But they too come with their own problems, two chapters into listening to The Hunger Games on the train and I found myself fighting back the tears. I swear there’s something about the way the voice tells the story that had me welling up. Which would have looked REALLY weird if I did, balancing on a suitcase in the middle of the train, crying into my earphones surrounded by the many tourists visiting Cobh.. Yep. Glad I held back this time! XO

July Recap (hello august!)

Waaaaaa It’s finally August! I’ve been waiting for this month to start since May, thinking it would take forever but lo’ and behold it’s crept up on us faster than the blustering hurricanes outside (thanks for never letting us down, irish Summer!) I’m so excited for this month to happen because I get to achieve my biggest dream & number one destination spot on my Bucket List, Travel to South Africa!

Things I have Achieved Since July 1st:

• After years and ears of lusting after a canon camera, I finally have one to call my own! How I ever lived without one is beyond me. Best investment ever!
• I sponsored the beautiful Lyzi and her blog, beinglittle last month! Love. Her. Blog!
• Bought new books and read through three last month, fastest reading session in a long time!
• I’ve kept up exercising but if I’m being truthful I haven’t been for a run in a while, due to doctors orders. I think it’s time I took up cycling/swimming again to save my poor knees!
• I completed the photo-an-hour challenge last month! More on that later this month though :)
• I’ve grown my own veggies! And last night I even harvested my first Courgette and ate it, it was delicious.
• My blog has risen from height to height and I have only you beautiful readers to thank :)
• It’s not on my resolutions but I’ve wanted to branch out on my cooking more, last week was my first attempt at making vegetable lasagne for the family and it went down a treat! It’s definitely something I want to continue cooking regularly.
• I managed to organise a trip of a lifetime to South Africa (in 8 days time!) mostly by myself and all with my own money. Surely that’s an achievement?!

Things I’ve Started since July 1st:

• I started what is turning out to be the longest DIY ever, I did plan to have it finished before I leave the country but honestly, I don’t think I’m going to have enough time!
• Planning things to do in South Africa with my cousin, from what’s already planned I know it will be a trip of a lifetime!

Things I Haven’t Started but Should because They Aren’t That Difficult:

• As usual, driving lessons. But as I said last month, these things will  have more of a chance of being completed once I’m back from my trip!
• Been to the zoo/theme park (non-existent in Ireland!..Funderland doesn’t count!) or seen a band live this year.

Last month was so jam packed with getting everything organised and sorted for Africa that not much else ‘resolution wise’ got a look in. It’s been such a busy month but it will all be worth it, in a few shorts days I will be experiencing my ultimate dream and realising that with a little planning and careful savings, anything is possible. God that sounds SO cheesy! :) XO
(you can see my other monthly recaps, January, February, March , April, May and June and my resolutions here!)

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flipped

Just a quick post as the Olympics opening ceremony is far too distracting, I had to share these photo’s from early this morning. The kiddie-winks decided to join me out in the garden during my yoga session and I couldn’t help but snap some pics little ells bells impersonating poses, it was just too funny. At one point she even flipped herself fully over without meaning too! The rest of the morning was spent trying to teach Tiggy how to do a forward roll and a hand stand..which proved to be impossible. That boy hasn’t an agile bone in his body. Today made me realise just how much I’m going to miss these goons.

I’ve been putting off packing (hate doing it!) for days but today I decided to just bite the bullet and get on with it. It’s such nice feeling packing cute shorts,dresses and pretty summer clothes knowing where I’m going I will be needing them. Knowing me I’ll need to double check everything before I fully seal the suitcase but it was a start! Even though I have just under a week before I leave the homestead. Starting to get really excited now! XO