Secrets of a Butterfly

Enchanted wood - Carousel girl

Simon Filip

Intuery

funkyflower

Rockienolan

schram crackers

And the forest whispered to her, "to breathe in the light of the present, it would help her to let go of the pain of the past"

Whistles for Spring

 
Whistles new lookbook came out for Spring/summer. There are some really pretty pieces and plenty of mid length skirts like this gorgeous pale coral coloured one above. I also like the bag here, it looks to be a soft olive green. Whistles have been quietly developing their leather accessories. They come in a great price points and use exceptional quality leather for a High Street range.

 
I am taking inspiration from these colours together. Beige and light coral, i think it works so well don't you. Feminine without being too girlie. I also like the pleated skirts, though i'm uncertain about the length of this one above. I can't tell yet, if it would work with the ballet flats i like to wear.

Whistles ship worldwide for £10 and their collection is also stocked at Asos who also ship worldwide

Love and spring sunshine

 

 

Sharing kindness... featuring Ruby blooms

 

 

I remember back some almost 4 years ago, when i first started my blog here at Secrets. I was initially inspired by Jane's typepad blog called Posy, and she and some other lovely girls ( Julie of Little cotton Rabbits, and Meliss, Ez and Holly) showed me such kindness in those early months when i didn't know many bloggers. I felt so welcome and valued as part of a community that i had only just uncovered via flickr.

Blogging is first and foremost built upon reaching out to others who we have a connection with and who share the same passions we do. Its important to me to strike a balance between spending time on my own posts and also partaking in what others have to say and share, around my "blog village".

I find its nice to have a selection of different types of bloggers to call in on, say hello, have a cuppa with, while catching up on their latest news and finding shared inspirations. I have a core selection of blogs i visit regularly and a scattering of blogs i visit maybe 2 or 3 times a month. Then there are the new blogs that may get discovered and added into my list week to week.

I tend to visit sites through my iphone so i have these little boxes (see left) on my homescreen and can click them to get straight to each blog in no time. This is just one page, i have about 3 full screen pages like this {smile}

 This has helped me no end with leaving comments. If i had to rely on being online at a computer to comment, then i wouldnt be able to do half as many as i do.

As you'd expect this list of blogs, tends to get rather long, so i have lately started a little note book to jot down who i know and what their blogs are named so that i don't carry too much of this information in my head.

I know there are sites such as bloglovin to help with this sort of dilema but sometimes its just nice to return to pen and paper and have a little book to refer to.

After starting my blog back in 2007, I vowed to pass on the same type of kindness i was shown.  Simple things like leaving a comment for a new blogger. Or listing a regular visitor to my blog upon my sidebar, to spread the word on theirs.

Julie (top photo) is one such new blogger i have had the great pleasure to "meet" recently.
Her blog Ruby Blooms has just begun, but i can tell she is going to continue to have such wonderful things to share there. I'd encourage you to take a peek if you have a moment. Julie's style is very much "my thing", plenty of flowers and vintage interiors, including these pages she shared from a magazine,in a post named My heart is vintage

 

 

She also did a post for me "Step into her secret world" on my birthday! in which she shared a series of beautiful hydrangea and butterfly shots that she styled.
Thank you for this Julie xox

 

Enjoy scattering a little Love and kindness wherever you go in your blog village or world today,

 

 

Pretty gift tags

Today i wanted to share some of the most beautiful handmade gift tags at the etsy shop Paper Pot Pourri. You may remember that my Mam found this store and got me a few little treats from it for Christmas.

I wanted to share the friendship gift tags above as i think they are perfect for all sorts of gifts at any time of year. If like me you choose to send little presents to friends on Valentine's day then these would work so well on those too.

There are plenty of birds and butterflies to choose from as well.

and these with a vintage fabric feel

The thing that touched me about these little tags, was they are made with so much care and love, you can really sense it, and that to me makes all the difference when purchasing handmade,

Love and wishes

 

Thank you dearly

 

My birthday was not quite as i had hoped, i was not so well as i would have liked, but at the same time, i still had a nice day. That was largely because i have such dear dear friends and family, who sent me cards and wishes, gifts and packages in the post and i spent most of the day gently opening those and having cups of tea here upon my bed. My Mam got me some lovely lovely things from etsy, little fabric purse, and a Sarah Hardaker bag, and i got some brown suede moccassin boots, which are so soft and all beaded.

Hope to share some pictures in time, but mean while i want to see if i can get posting again as i need to express. I needed too, to create a little, so i made this polyvore collage to thankyou for your messages of warmth and for all my friends as a thankyou for bringing love to my birthday and melting any loneliness i could feel.

I could not go out, party or really make it special, but i have special friends and that made all the difference, big hugs and thank you, xox

 

 

Trees and cupcakes

1. Untitled, 2. Cupcakes, buttercream, 3. Untitled, 4. I'm going to marry you in butterfly red

Trees and cupcakes, two of my favourite things!

I really did not want to let my birthday pass with out a post.

I am so glad to be able to come on and thank you for the wonderful support and care you have shown me the past few days.

by confetti network

Imagine being at this perfect birthday table and have a cupcake with me,{smile}
i feel a little better, hope to be back with you for more posts soon, in the meantime i shall soak up the magic a birthday day brings

with love & gratitude

by blossomtree photography

Being gentle with my heart

Hello dear lovely readers

Thank you for the kindness you have shown me over the past week. Your comments & letters have been so lovely.

I have been absent as I have been going through a more poorly spell and it's rather taken it out of me.
My spirit has felt dimmed and I have found tears ever present in my heart.
I am sitting gently with myself and allowing this.

Tonight I found some music on YouTube set to beautiful pictures and it touched me. I shall share once I'm back to posting properly.
I am writing this from my phone {smile} and it's limited what I can link, I just hope it posts up ok.

I thought if I didn't stop by and say, you may begin to wonder about me.

here is a little collection...to find the full images visit my pinterest board. (you can go there via the Secret inspirations box on my left hand sidebar)

Miss you, soon I hope to be stronger & here at Secrets, think of me Sunday (it's my birthday)

Love and serenity to your day,

Kathryn x

Nadinoo's woodland dress

 

 
 

You know i love woodland and maybe you also know i love liberty fabric, so a combination of the two, and all in lovingly handmade creation, well, it captured my heart from the moment i saw it. i like to think of it as the woodland dress.

It all began when I caught a post over at Nadia's blog about her first Nadinoo muse, its Rhiannon of Leibe Marlene Vintage who's beautiful style i have always loved.

The photos (above & in the mosaic) show Rhiannon in THE dress i speak of, its named Lula's fairy tale dress , and has deer, swans and butterflies within the liberty print. How magical!

 The others in the mosaic are of Nadia at work in her Uk studio and behind the scenes of her photo shoot for the latest range.

 Find her handmade clothing at her online shop here and at Etsy.

She ships everywhere {smile}

For the full interview with Rhiannon and all the pictures see the blog (entry on Dec 24th '10)

Love and wishes

 

 

 

Secret Inspirations - Follow that which you love

These are the secrets i hold dear.
The secrets that keep me strong, that keep me inspired.

(by sophiee's world)

(by Gingerlillytea)

(by coco sunday)

(by our lovely Eadaoin)

(photo: my own)

Do all you can to gather inspiration.
It adds something magical to an ordinary day.
It's as simple as following that which you love.

And remember, your heart will always help you find your way.
Love

(originally posted as part of a guest series i took part in at Eadaoin's blog City of blackbirds)
sources for images in the collage

Step into a dream house

 

credits here

Firstly, thankyou thankyou for all the lovely feedback on my "You are good enough" post. I can't tell you how much it has meant, especially over the last 4 days or so, as things were less well, and your kind words were such a wonderful thing to recieve. {smile}

I havent done my usual making of posts this week as i have needed a lot of extra rest. I have been finding prettiness on flickr, through the App on my phone (i think that and facebook are my most used apps!) and adding these above, to my favourites. Some of them i found via the favourites of ~Romantic~vintage~home~

I cannot decide quite which i prefer, finding favourites at flickr, or pinning things at pinterest.

Either way, there is inspiration everywhere it keeps me going. I think i will share here, the guest post i did on finding inspiration. I'll post that maybe tomorrow, incase you missed it at City of blackbirds.

 Today, I am reminded of the quote....

"Listen and be inspired, for in everything you see and do there is a gift"

love and wishes