16 loves {August 2016}

Welcome to the next in the series {16 loves} for 2016.

For the last few years, I've been sharing my loves each month - a little bit of everything that has caught my eye or been enjoyed over the last month. So, a new year and new inspiration. I hope you will come back each month to see if there is anything in my list to inspire you. 

To see what's inspired me in the past, click to find all my {13 loves}, my {14 loves}, my {15 loves} and my {16 loves}.

I hope there's something in here to inspire you or maybe just make you smile.

One day late but here we go...

one

My little brother graduated from Central St Martin's. A proud moment for us all. I couldn't be there but was thrilled to receive a few photos.

two

I pinned this particularly lovely A5 print - Never Stop Looking Up - here and discovered a gorgeous website which is so inspiring. Beautiful photography and such gorgeous lettering. Check it out!

Lamplighter blog here

three

I finished some classes and received flowers and notebooks and orchids. This beautiful bouquet graced my desk and made me happy.

four

The August Scrapabilly Kit des Monats was full of beautiful Echo Park Party Time collection papers and embellishments so it seemed fitting to use it for a celebratory page about being in German for 15 years. This was my favourite page with the kit even if it took me hours!

Scrapabilly Kit des Monats Design Team Gallery for August here

five

I know, I know! I write about delicious recipes all the time and never do anything with them but they always grab my attention. I've never heard of Buddha Bowls so I'm really interested to give this a go...

Recipe available at A Spicy Perspective here

six

Yep, this little one is growing!

seven

I had a road trip down to the city of Worms which is south of Frankfurt. We travelled a bit further on to Mannheim where we visited the gorgeous Baroque Schloss there. A fun afternoon taking in some history.

eight

Another road trip back to the UK and I knew I would hit 10,000 km on the clock. I monitored it and realised it would be just the other side of the UK border. Then promptly forgot when I drove off the train! I noticed a little later. Doh! 

nine

Back home in Birmingham, I thought it was time to check out the relatively new Grand Central which is the shopping centre they've built on top of the main New Street Station. This metal clad frontage made me realise how much Birmingham has changed and modernised over the years since I left but also that much is the same. The reflection here shows the iconic Rotunda building that is surely a symbol of 60's Birmingham and the back of the Odeon. Now a cinema, in my day it was THE place in town to go and see bands play live. Duran Duran, Adam and the Ants, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet - I saw them all there. Happy memories!

ten

My mum and I persuaded my 94 year old granny to come out to the Botanical Gardens for an afternoon cup of tea. It was nice to see her out and about and this particular shot is a favourite. It will definitely appear on a page soon.

eleven

A brand new, tiny, gorgeous nephew. *sigh* 

twelve

And I got to be there at this little dumpling's naming celebration. One happy auntie!

thirteen

My brother pointed this out to me at the Victoria & Albert Museum. I think I see a trip to London in my future for my engineering husband to get a bit of engineering geek!

The V&A here and Engineering the World here

fourteen

I *might* have a washi problem. I have NEVER managed to finish a single roll but yet, keep buying more! These are beyond cute. Lora Bailora on Etsy. 

Lora Bailora on Etsy here

fifteen

I'm not a sports fan really. But I do like zapping in and out of the Olympics when I can. Team GB have done amazingly well. So proud of them.

Team GB here

sixteen

Along with washi tape, I *might* have a problem with all things gold. Yes, these goodies came home with me too.

Hema here

I’d love you to share your own {16 loves} lists with me. Why not link up in the comments below?

{16 loves} is a series that will feature on my blog each 16th of the month

Missing things from back home

I was in the UK last week seeing family, friends and "home".

After 15 years living in Germany, it's always interesting to notice what things I miss the most when I'm back there.

Of course, I miss the people - that goes without saying. But apart from that, most of the time it's Marks & Spencer's, Sainsbury's supermarket and British TV.  Funny, isn't it?

There's always a moment when I wish I could bring a little bit of that culture with me and while I was there, we'd reminisced a little about a classic comedy sketch that is surely one of the UK's favourites by The Two Ronnies - very old now, but known by young and old alike. So it was particularly sad tonight to find out that the second Ronnie (Ronnie Corbett) died today. It's been a hard year so far with the loss of so many much-loved figures.




Many international readers might not get this British humour with all that word play but it never fails to make me laugh.

I had a wonderful time in the UK, meeting old friends and making new ones in real life. There were many, many photos that I forgot to take (as a scrapbooker, that's a bit embarrassing!) and I will have to record those meetings in words as soon as possible so I don't forget the details.

But it was fabulous to meet fellow Master Forger Jemma and a much-missed ex-Master Forger Lesley in person and I received thoughtful gifts from both - thanks to them for thinking of me!

So after feeling a little sad with the loss of a prominent figure this evening, I will end with a couple of photos that make me happy - a new, special friendship and somewhere that earned a special place in my heart when I worked there back in the 90s.

Cambridge - King's College

This trip made me realise that next time I have more than a weekend there, I need to be a tourist again - both in places I know well such as Cambridge and Birmingham, but also places I've always wanted to visit. A layout in the making I think.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the new Counterfeit Kit Challenge April kit reveal. It's an interesting one this month and I can't wait to share.

Looking for a hero

Our friends over at Counterfeit Kit Challenge have asked us to think about those people we look up to - a bit of hero worship is called for.

Well, I have two confessions to make.

First off, this is a challenge I've actually done twice relatively recently with three layouts, so finding a new angle to take was a little difficult for me. I've already done my other half and my grandfather, and then a little more tongue in cheek with Jacob, my werewolf hero. (here, here or here).

And then second confession... Once I had decided what to make my layout about, I realised that both my CKC kits that I have here (June's Subtlety and July's Beach-house) didn't really have any suitable supplies for my layout. So I have to say that I "cheated" and added in a whole load of product to my July kit so that I could make my layout how I wanted it!  BUT I did use the red tape from my July kit and also a teeny tiny alphabet I had in my June kit so it's not like I didn't use ANYTHING! *wink wink*

But let's face it, anything's allowed, right? There are no rules!

So, onto my layout. And in this special GB year - I'm currently sitting in front of the opening ceremony for the London Olympics, feeling very proud of the show they've put on - it only seemed appropriate to go into a little more detail about someone I'm very proud of. Someone who I consider to be a true Heroine.

's

 So, if you've got this far, I hope you don't mind my self-indulgence, my immersion in my British pride and my "twisting" of the rules!