Freedom to Express yourself

A lot has changed over the past few decades in terms of the freedom we have when it comes to expressing our individuality in the way we dress and decided to present ourselves to society. I'm 32 and even when I was younger things like excess piercings and tattoos in the eyes of my parents generation was not something educated family people delved in but rather it had connotations with some less desirable groups of society. I however always loved the Bohemia side of things (think Woodstock, travelling the Silk Road etc) and I had a lot of persuading to do to just get my ears pierced at 15, to be honest it was more a peer pressure decision on my part and even though my parents eventually said yes when I actually did it they were not particularly happy. Moving on from that ever since I was about 16 I wanted my nose pierced, I loved that is was something steeped in Indian culture and I had dreams of backpacking through Goa or hitting the road as a music journalist in the vain o......

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Puffin Rock Signed Print Giveaway

As some of you may already know the wonderful and educational animation Puffin Rock has arrived in the UK, showing on Nick Jr at 6:50pm every evening and is aimed at 2-5yr olds with its soft and gentle storylines that follow Oona and her adventures exploring the small Irish island she lives on. It's great for the bedtime hour and Mr A loves it as it provides such feel good wholesome viewing. The lovely people over at Penguin books who helped co-produce Puffin Rock have been kind enough to offer one of our readers the chance to win this limited edition Puffin Rock print signed by the illustrator and comes with a certificate of authentication it's super easy to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway ...

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Mothers Day gifts for the home + Giveaway

Enjoying some Tea Pigs tea and a new book Mothers day is one of those wonderful little celebrations of gratitude, a chance to show our mothers that we care, to give a little back to all the years they have given to us so if your stuck for what to get your mother on mothers day here are a few last minute suggestions that may help. Glass Bird stopper bottles  Mollie and Fred have an array of cute home wears and quickly little gifts including these sweet little glass bird stopper bottles which would be perfect on a dresser or in a kitchen and are only £5.99 and offer something a little bit different. They also had an array of pillows, plates and things for the home. I love this heart map The Handpicked Collection is another great site that offers a huge selection of original and interesting pieces including this personalised trio of hearts framed maps which would be perfect for any travel loving mum. Debenhams Flowers Okay so some people my think ......

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Creative tips for working with Acrylics

Mr A loves to paint Acrylic painting is a fantastically rewarding hobby and is popular amongst beginner painters including young kids and children as it's a great medium to us as well as those who have been painting for years. It’s fast drying, can be mixed with thinners and very versatile. During my college and University years studying various art courses I thought I would share some tips on how to get the best out of this great medium. Blending Blending can be tricky business when it comes to acrylics as the paint dries very quickly. Act quickly, however, and you should be able to get the desired effect. Layering A benefit of the quick drying nature of acrylics is that the fact that layering paint on top does not disturb the original paint as with watercolours. Mix Using a Palette Knife One of the plus points of using a palette knife rather than your brush to mix colours is that you do not get surplus paint hidden in your brush which will surprise y......

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Bringing Art into the home

Such a creative way to display a cable ( image ) The walls in our home are feeling really bare at the moment I am really keen to bring more art into the home, our life and walls, as well as bring colour and creativity. I just thought I would share a few inspirational images to inspire you to do the same Great way to display children's artwork ( image ) Simple natural style ( image ) Love this fun and colourful room from OhJoy studio ...

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Cardiff Fashion Quarter

So it's official, Cardiff Fashion Week has started! With loads of fashion inspired events happening in and around the city, there is a real buzz around town. On Saturday 20th Oct it was the official launch of Cardiff Fashion Quarter in Womanby Street, which is housed in a former cinema. The outside of the building has been adorned with amazing spray painted artwork and the inside is just as bohemian and creative with lots of different and eclectic stores filled with vintage fashion, art work and oddities. Cardiff really needs something like this, an alternative to the high street and I really hope it does well. There was a a great atmosphere with artists, students, fashionistas and the DJ spinning some good tunes in the background it's a place you want to stay for a while and spend your time looking through the treasure trove that is Cardiff Fashion Quarter . I really wish the best of luck to this venue and I will be visiting this haven of i......

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