Secrets of a Butterfly

Love & Starlight

Happy new year my friends...i hope 2009 brings you every happy thing and much love and light. Days of health, happiness, peace, healing, fun and special moments wherever you are in the world.

i look forward to what we will share in the year ahead and to spending time with you. you all inspire me, and help me, and it makes my heart happier that i can read about how you feel,where you go,who you love and what you find - and i am thankful that i have a place to share the same with you, love and starlight tonight kat xox

Parcels from the Christmas fairy

 

I Hope you had a nice christmas with your loved ones. Here the christmas parcels were full of goodies and shared with love. Can you see the snowflake biscuits above, they were sent in the post by my lovely friend Mary, and arrived intact thanks to alot of bubble wrap! they are as yummy as they look-wish i could pass you one through the screen to have with your tea/coffee. The snowman is a softy and comes out to sit on my chair this time of year. take care,stay warm, its been v frosty the past few nights, i am glad of my cosy brushed cotton duvet cover! kxx

My year in pictures

 

I thought it might be a good idea to do a mosaic of photos from my own flickr collection,to reflect upon my year and pick out the things that touched me,helped me,things i made,special handmade gifts i was given,happy times,the beach,flowers and major achievements. You know that i like to do mosaics of my contacts photos on flickr but often i overlook my own images and so it was nice to go back and remember the gifts and joy that i experienced. it was a full and rich year despite the bumps in the road ( : If you click on the mosaic it comes up larger or you can go to my flickr stream and see it here

if you happen to do a mosaic of your year too using big huge labs, leave a comment here with a link so we can all go and see it too,love kat x

A little 'wish poem' for you

 

A gift for you.......a  little 'wish poem'

( for those not familiar- a wish poem is traditionally something left by fairies upon magical evenings such as this,or at solstices, celebrations, like weddings,birthdays and childhood milestones, such as losing a tooth,or achieving a dream. it is most often a poem or a few lines that encapsulate dearest held blessings and wishes for the recipient, and is often repeated yearly-it is the sprinkling of fairy dust that enables the wishes to be carried to the heart -of human or fairy,and there deliver love, lightness, friendship and a touch of the magic that we sometimes forget exists, but most definately need)so here is my wish poem for you on Christmas Eve

The colours of a rainbow, the light of a star, the magic of a moonlit sky,

the joy of new beginnings, the peace of a woodland, the strength to hope,

the love of someone close, the prescence of an angel by your side,

all these i wish for you at Christmas and for always.

I hope whatever you unwrap tomorrow, it is a day full of love, wishing you a happy Christmas,love n wishes Kat xx

A walk through fairytale land

 

I have just put up a few mosaics on my flickr. this one is close to my heart so i thought i would share it here too, please see my flickr for the credits. I have discovered polyvore.com and have been creating collages in my spare time...i think it may even replace my flickr habit, but i am not sure. There is a link now on my blog down on the right hand column if you want to see what polyvore is like click through. I hadnt realised that you could be so creative with it.  Does anyone know how to display the polyvore creations on typepad blogs? It gives a code but i don't know how to then put that onto a post? your help would be most appreciated if you have worked it out, Kat xx

Mr Red squirrel

 

dear Mr. squirrel i cannot get to see you in the snow or in your forest, but i have this picture and when i think of you,you remind me that life is not just about hustle and bustle,and humankind, it is about quiet moments and nature, and belonging to something. i will remember........ 

i am just doing small posts at the minute,because it's what feels right for me.there are other things going on, but by posting small snippets i am keeping in touch with you all,my friends out there, near or far,human,angel or fairy,small animals and all, L&T, kat  (L&T=love and thoughts)

A cute little mouse

 

Today's Grazia (UK) has a shoot with Diana Vickers, she's styled in the cutest of outfits. here's one i wanted to share Xx

Blossom on snow,may you bloom and grow

Holly over at Decor8 shared her mood board last week and invited everyone to enter their own inspirations. This is mine its called Blossom on Snow (more pics are on my flickr, or you can click on this one and it should come up larger so you can see the detail if you'd like) for some reason the song below came to me when it was completed...

Edelweiss The sound of music 1965

Edelweiss edelweiss every morning you greet me

small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me

blossom on snow may you bloom and grow,bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, Edelweiss, bless my home land forever

link to see the film clip

I hadnt realised at first that i would call my board after a Sound of Music song lyric. In a similar way to Holly using the song My favourite things,to go with hers.

I find lately i have been drawn to delicate white flowers like snow drops and paperwhites and snowberries, and then combined with green, such as the soft pale lime of hydrangea heads i find that so fresh and beautiful.

It seems to capture the essence of winter white with the promise of spring time green. Over christmas i have never liked to use red and green, so i think this mood board shows what my ideal dinning space would be like. It would also work for my birthday with it being in January.

I feel this is like a winter version of a mid summer night's dream.a romantic woodland feel.

Edelweiss is not a flower that we have in Britian,but blossom with snow certainly is.

I dedicate this collage to Jes who's collages,and mood boards on herblog and flickr always inspire me, and who i got a box of vintage goodies from in November on her Etsy. and have used some of those on the board today.

Credits:

The centre image is from a Living Etc supplement that featured photos from Tricia Guild's books.

The dinning area photograph is from a recent edition of Red magazine.

The hellibore with snow upon it, is from a Country Living magazine.

The 2 candle arrangement photos are from Red, one features a candle from www.Designersguild.com

The couple is from the movie Stardust.

The star in the bottom left is a brooch from www.Plumo.com

The butterflies are magnets and are from www.Rocketstgeorge.co.uk online.

The bloom on the top right is made of hemp and is a magnet also, avaliable from www.Bloom.uk.com

I surrounded it with green velvet leaves that were part of an estate lot box called Nature walk, that i got from Lobster and swan on Etsy.

The green paper flowers that reminded me so much of the green hydrangeas that are within one of the magazine shots, were also in the box, as was the gold sequin trim which i hope to add to a headband eventually, and the vintage flowers on the left which are a burgundy color

The tag underneath Sienna Miller is one i made,it features a picture in paper of a vintage brooch, i love the green of the stones upon it

The joy letters were a gift from a friend one christmas-i always like to add wording on a mood board if i can fit it in

The magnetic fabric covered board i got from www.lulus.co.uk

the deer magnet is by www.belleandboo.com

I hope you have enjoyed our 'virtual' walk together through nature and as the song says 'may you bloom and grow' through winter into spring, see you soon, kathryn x

Christmas joy

 

The decorations are up! Joy! I just made this mosaic up to show you some of the christmassy things around my home. I am a little tired today so i cannot chat with you for as long as i would usually. But i just wanted to share these and upload some more to flickr, before this evening's tv. There is the semi final of Strictly come dancing (known as Dancing with the stars in the States and one of my favourite shows,i like all three couples and wish they could all win it this year!)and the final of the Xfactor tonight too,which i think Alexandra deserves!

I am tired because i was out yesterday for the first time in ages and it was very special indeed. Just a garden centre trip, seeing the bunnies for sale and choosing a few extra christmas decorations but it reallly meant alot to mam and i. I am ok, just need to take a rest. will be back next week, have a pleasant weekend won't you. love K x

oh and btw Holly is asking for us to share what's inspiring us, on mood boards this weekend,send her your pics before the 15th if you'd like to join in.You know how much i love doing them so i hope to be up to having a go at putting one together. If its not done till after the closing time, then i'll still post it here next week.

Mally's beauty

   

Celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal learned at an early age the importance of accepting – and loving – who you are. Growing up in upstate New York, her parents instilled in her the philosophy that “the things that make us different are the qualities that make us beautiful.” This statement has become the mantra by which Mally lives and the power behind it has led to her incredible success -This paragraph is from her website which i have just been browsing,and isnt it a lovely quote.If we believe in ourselves it shines and you certainly have to say that about the beautiful Mally.

Reading about her background and about mally beauty i wasnt surprised to learn that she looks after her inner self just as much as her outer self. Listing yoga and meditation as things her father taught her while growing up. Along with her business which she runs with her husband, and being a celebrity makeup artist to the likes of Beyonce and J-lo (think of that glow and sparkle they have- its so often down to Mally's makeup and technique!) she also has twin 2 year old girls Pilar and Sophie! Her boundless enthusiasm and joy for life, touched me when i saw her on QVC here in the Uk this month. I tried some of her makeup and have been so impressed with its colour and finish. Thats the beauty of Qvc though. You can try it all out at home, and still return it if it doesnt suit your skin. I have found alot of my all time favourite products this way. what are your favourite makeup/beauty products?...lets share and see if we can come up with some collective favourites to recommend to each other! post a comment if you'd like to join in.be you,youre beautiful! Kat x

“Makeup is simply the accessory that allows someone’s true nature and beauty to outwardly manifest itself.”   Mally