My Aunty Joan...

...isn't really my Aunty at all actually but I kinda wish she was! Aunty Joan is in fact a designer/maker on Folksy with a variety of lovely gifty things for sale such as this heart which I'm now the proud owner of.

Cute huh? I love it. It's so kitsch and is going to look great wherever I decide to hang it whether it be on a door handle, a knob on my chest of drawers or as a small wall hanging. The great thing about her shop is that practically everything is pocket money prices so whether you're a little kid wanting to buy something nice for a parent or an adult on a tight budget there is something for you for any occasion and you will struggle to come away empty handed!

Whilst I was investigating this lovely Folksy store I wanted to know more about the woman behind it all and enjoyed reading her biog too. Chatty, engaging and to-the-point is how I perceive her to be and definitely someone I'd like to know.

You can peruse and purchase her wares here. Enjoy!

Folksy

Folksy has been around since 2007 but many people still don't know about it. For those of you in this position I'll tell you a bit about it. Folksy is a centre point to sort out all your gift buying problems. It is bursting with talented designer makers  - some of which sell their creations as a sideline around a salaried job and others that make a full-time, decent living from the fruits of their labours. Either way Folksy becomes an addiction.

I have taken a peek on there many a time and suddenly realised hours have passed and I simply haven't realised due to the fact I have been mesmerised by all the interesting and innovative wares on there. I've bought things in the past from etsy.com which is more or less a U.S. version of the U.K. based Folksy.

The concept is brilliant and lets all the talented people who might not be able to use it as a fully sustainable income, showcase their talent for all to see and enjoy. Somethings you will love and have seen similar things before, somethings you will love and will be a totally new concept to you!

Here are some of my favourites:

Taken from MadBrilliantIdeas Folksy shop

Or these:

Taken from lovesagoodyarn Folksy shop

There's plenty more to see but I'll blog about those at a later date. I just wanted to bring to your attention the wonder of Folksy. Not only will you be supporting British genius but you will never have to look anywhere else for gift ideas, accessories or finishing touches to your home!

An update (Weeks 4 and 5)

I am yet to take photos but essential work is progressing.

Our bathroom suite arrived and has been put together to check all the pieces are there! The bathroom seriously was unusable. Everything we've ripped out has been unsalvageable (we have been told by numerous family and friends and tradespeople) that the bathroom suite definately needed to be replaced. I know no-one likes to use someone elses bathroom but it's the way it goes. It's a cost I would have preferred to avoid but like the electrics and plumbing it is sadly a necessity.

In this process so far we are managing to save the kitchen and the built in cupboards in the second bedroom. They're actually pretty good sliding wardrobes so I'm relieved the last people left something for us to keep!

The rewire is nearly finished too! The electricians have found really shocking DIY disasters along the way including someone replacing fuse wire with copper wire!? Mental. It's making me more and more pleased and reassured that although it's been a massive outlay, it would have been ignorant if we hadn't. I don't want to burn in my bed, no siree!

The plumbing work is finished for the time being too so we're nearly at it being an actualy place to live. As long as we have a place to eat, sleep and go to the loo I'm happy. The rest can be done as we can afford it :) 

Time to get fit.

I have in my posession the new book by Matt Roberts  which I'm hoping does exactly what it says on the tin. "I Will Make You Fit Fast" offers two plans. One is a slower, gradual 12 week plan; the other is a 2 week blitz! If you're anything like me you would want to do the 2 week one for fast results, but on closer inspection you have to remember how much harder the work would be.

I'm 27 years old and I've never ever been into sport. Down to some hellish genes (thank you parents) I've managed to maintain a respectable size 8/10 figure thus far. However, I'm under no illusion that lots of food + little-to-no exercise  does not equal an ideal habit to be in. Irrespective of managing to maintain a figure I'm pretty happy with, I've only recently stopped to consider what a kicking my insides are probably taking and this is compounded by how unfit I find myself to be these days. I won't lie. I've NEVER been fit. The closest I've got to a level of fitness is during the senior school years when P.E. was forced upon me and I participated under duress.

So, I thought I'd give this book a bash. The 12 week plan of course. Nothing too hardcore. And only the exercise bit just to see how effective half the plan is. Look forward to an update on how I get on and how user friendly it all is. I might even surprise myself!

Comfy Heels? Could it be true?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these beauties. A gorgeous shoe that's meant to be comfortable - surely not???

Taken from raphaelyoung.com

Claims like these get a shoe addict like me tres excited because I'm too rubbish at being a full-time heel wearer due to foot pain after about one hour. I've heard positive things about the Melissa shoes and up until a couple of weeks ago, I'd never had the pleasure of placing one on my foot. My friend owns the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes that I've coveted for over a year. Here they are in all their comfort and beauty...

Anyway, I digress. Here's what they say the R-Flex shoes can do:

The R-flex™ patented technology is a milestone in the evolution of high-heeled shoes’ manufacturing techniques. Dramatically improving the comfort and flexibility of the shoe while keeping an external look similar to any other standard shoe, it brings maximum softness and sets a new standard of comfort for high-heeled shoes.

 I am hoping the R-Flex range from http://www.raphaelyoung.com/ are really deceptively comfortable without having to compromise on style and elegance like many other brands on the market. Although I'm not currently in a position to afford either type of shoe, I'm sure that as soon as I can, I'll be desperate to get my hands (and feet) on some sharpish!

Week 3

Week 3 A lot more progress has been made. The electrics are really taking shape, we've moved some things about in the garden and we took the executive decision to get rid of the fitted wardrobes in our room to free up space and so we had more options regarding how we could have the furniture positioned.

Week 2

Week 2 and the garden is starting to be cut back a bit and we're pulling endless amounts of crap out of the loft. We've also removed some leaking pipes from the kitchen wall and cut up and binned the pink carpet! The entire bathroom suite is getting ripped out too!

The electrics work has started courtesy of Electrically Minded who have been great. I would recommend them to anyone. Right from the start they offered an honest price and were very easy to talk to which I think is a rare thing with tradesmen. They didn't try to charge us for things we don't need. They don't talk in gobble-de-gook so you know what they're on about. They've been working hard all week and are making quick progress!