Secrets of a Butterfly

Diversity dance to victory

 

Congratulations to dance group Diversity who won Britian's got talent last night. click here to see their performance if you'd like to. The diversity of the group especially in ages and sizes(hence their name) didnt stop them from forming such a close unit and moving as ONE. All there dance moves were in sync,and on time,their varying heights were used as an advantage within the routine rather than seen as a stumbling block. The energy was awesome,and it just shows what can be achieved when people are doing what they love, their inspiration touches everyone. i voted for you boys and am so glad that you won,here's to great things coming your way in the future, especially Ashley who's choreography is A-ma-zing!! kat

Simple magical things...

 for image credits please click

 

Unicorns, bunnies, blossom and books.

the sky, falling leaves, sunlight through the trees

and little dancing lights that could be fairies

....all these are some of my favourite magical things

you know the song raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favourite things. i thought of this when after making up this collage, i found myself wondering upon a subject to blog to go with it. i realised its my version of that song. what are your favourite,simple, yet magical things? kat x

Little fairy parcels

 

Fairy parcels....some mini presents for my friends, becca, emily, mary, annie, and zoe who are all facing things that at the moment. we've been friends for a long time, starting with a connection through having the same ill health but spreading out into real friendships. we like to swop little things in the mail sometimes to keep each other's spirits up. and here's a picture too of one of my new moo cards,(this is one of Kayo's pictures)and a belle and boo tagged gift, the other vintage tags were some i made a while ago, sent with love to you this week lovelies, kxxx

i heart Whistles

 

I love the clothes store Whistles...i liked it before, but was limited in what pieces i could really see on me,as some of them just didnt seem to work, now i like practically everything. This season, well, ever since Jane Sheperdson took over, its gained that something extra, maybe its the quality of design or material, the cut, the patterns, i don't know, its lost nothing, but gained an extra edge. i love it!

 I did a little polyvore tribute as you can see! I am lucky enough to own a few pieces,a boyfriend jean by them, the pale pink jersey vests (above)and some knitwear (the little oatmeal colored shrug on the left here). And i can highly recommend their website,next day delivery is just £1 more and the returns are free which i think is such a bonus compared to other sites and means you can easily try things, without the concern of paying a lot of postage to get them back safely if they arent right. 

Oh how gorgeous the cocktail dresses are and the Chie Mihara shoes! A girl can dream of course and thats what Polyvore sets are just perfect for. They stock Alex Monroe jewellery too! One thing is i wish they'd bring back the Lookbook to give us extra ideas of how to combine their seperate pieces. I have chosen to highlight my favourite colors here,soft peach, pink,grey and oatmeal, naturals... But they are also carrying alot of brights this season, fuschias, yellows and blues. All gorgeous. love kat x

Mary's blessings

 

I found this postcard i'd made up for myself to help me when ever i was feeling low upon my healing path, i did it a few years ago,but think i needed to see it again as things have been a bit hard.I thought too maybe someone out there would need to see the words and that it might share the blessing to post it up here. Things we stumble upon online are never without reason i find.

So here it is,my writing and a picture of Mother Mary from a magazine,i am not catholic by religion but i do feel a comfort from Mary and her unconditionally loving, divine feminine energy. As far as my health and healing goes, i know i am processing quite a bit of stuff and that though tricky it will be worth it, even if its set me back a bit in the shorter term. sometimes it feels like it'll be this way forever, me, seeking to make it through a phase of healing, that is in some way intensifying symptoms, be they physical like exhaustion-where i can't leave the house or within the emotional or energy field area. Always seeking to reach a more normal way of living, where day to day tasks are more easily achieveable, and even become routine!

 But deep down i have a sense that its worth keeping going. Always there is a chink of light and i know like my words written above that i am being helped with this whole journey. I need to trust and i think accept, this way that i feel as a necessary thing at the minute. So often in seeking to get better i am focused on how to change how i feel or lift out of it,by using my mind or theraputic techniques to affect a shift or progress in some area, that i can forget that equally there is a place and a need  at times to just Allow, and to feel the feelings as they are. To accept how it is can be just as benefitial and sometimes just what's necessary.

At these times when improvement doesn't come so easily then there is little use in pushing against the flow, its best to ride with whats going on. In healing as in life itself,there are times when we can't always have a full say in its direction, and that's ok. There's a wisdom that's there,in working with the current rather than against it, and above all it is a flow we can trust in. Help is avaliable when we ask, let go and let it come to us in whatever way it appears. I am writing these words in reassurance to myself, but i thank you for listening to them this evening. Blessings in love and light kathryn

Dandelions and daisies

 

there is something i just like about dandelions and daisies, is it because they are such a part of childhood, so remind me of fun carefree times, making wishes on the clocks and chains from the daisies. sweetpeas also bring back happy memories as we grow them in the back garden. what flowers do you associate with your childhood? with good wishes to you today,kat   (click here for image credits)

Vintage lace

 

This is the beautiful living space of designer Pearl Lowe as featured in The Style magazine (that comes with the Times on a Sunday) a few weeks ago now, there was also a shot of her bathroom, both heavenly spaces don't you think? Pearl is very into vintage lace and makes these curtain panels, dying them in an array of colors. Due to their delicacy and rarity they are very expensive and on sale in places like The Cross and Coco Ribbon,both boutiques in London.

 

I love vintage lace too and make cuffs or bracelets from time to time,i made this one the other day to go with the Noa Noa dress..love kat x

 

Kayo's magical art

 

Just over a year ago i did a post mentioning Kayo Tamaishi a Japanese illustrator who's designs full of detail and originality, are avaliable through Moo cards, as postcards,mini cards,stickers and greetings cards.click here to see her range. And here to visit her website for more of her pieces such as that above.

 Recently i heard from Kayo herself and its been wonderful to email with someone who lives so far a way in Japan but who likes the same things as me. Kayo very kindly did an illustration for my blog banner, which features butterflies obviously! but also you may spot a certain pair of bunnies on the right hand side too. Its an honor to have such a sweet hearted person, who also happens to be an amazing drawer, do a design just for me. I love it,and it makes me smile everytime i see it. THANK YOU Kayo

My blog is just over 2 years old now, thank you to everyone who visits and adds their vibe to it,it wouldnt be the same without you. i hope you find it like a secret place in a woodland, where you can come and chill,lie beneath a tree,enjoy the flowers, be yourself and ask the butterflies and fairies to sprinkle you with a bit of their magic....love and good wishes kat x

Soft, delicate blooms

 

I adore the photography of Shana-Rae on flickr. Perhaps its because most of the colors she uses are my favourites too,(palest pinks, mint,aqua,white,lemon...) or maybe its that so many of her pictures are of the delicacy of blooms capturing perfectly the softness, yet vibrancy and strength of nature. It really makes you look closely at the intricate detail of the petals of a simple bloom and marvel at how Mother Nature creates such beauty.

Also as a mother herself, the way she captures the essence of her children's character and spirit is inspiring. It makes me want to really develop and use my Nikon camera to its full potential,so that maybe i can do photos that do similar one day.

Thank you Shana for sharing your work and your family ( Sophie Lu, Sasha Lili,and Oliver)with us on flickr and your blogs, i know it probably does not feel like work to you,when you are taking pictures of what you love, more like pleasure, but you know what i mean i am sure. You can purchase some of the pictures above from Shana through red bubble here and visit her flickr stream here.  I love the enrgy of Shana's work so much i will be ordering from Redbubble very soon, love and wishes kat

The magic of fairylights

I always associate the lovely Jeska of Lobster & swan(one of my favourite blogs) with strings of fairy lights for some reason. i think its the way her beautiful photos of them have stuck in my mind, no doubt you have seen them too but here is a reminder below.  anyway i finally tracked down some clear daisy shaped lights on thedotcomgiftshop and have put them round my mirror in the bedroom. they also do some tiny pin lights that don't need to be plugged in which i could imagine being very handy outdoors... I just love fairylights at anytime of year don't you. kat x