This year on emuse

This year was a big one for emuse, because back in February it was the 10th anniversary of starting the blog, and I thought of lots of ways of celebrating including a big wall-art display and self portraits, various craft projects, gifts to myself, sending postcards, a video tour, a day out, and lots of celebratory blog posts.

In September I collaborated with my friend Chrissie @storiesfromthesummerhouse and we held a hashtag challenge on Instagram, called #happyseptemberhappyme. This was a way of celebrating the little things that make you happy in life, and it was a great success!

As well as meeting Chrissie for the first time at the Edinburgh Blogger Conference, I've met some other bloggers and Instagrammers this year: There was @holliewemyss, who I also met at the blogger conference, Emily @franklymsshankly, who I chatted to after she'd taken part in the Grassmarket Vintage Weekend fashion show, Helen of @jollygoodstudio who I bumped into in a charity shop, Elizabeth of @fayreearth who recognised me in the shop, and @bluebellebombshell who recognised me in my local Asda!

Other big things that have happened this year have included my primary school's 40th anniversary, getting a new car, redecorating my living room, the closure of my local library, getting my Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, and having a hysterectomy.

I went to the Edinburgh Blogger Conference, to my first Comic Con here in Glenrothes, and to the Meadows Festival. I explored Backhouse Rossie garden and Dr Neil's Garden, as well as the glasshouses at the botanic garden in Edinburgh, and the butterfly exhibit at St Andrews Botanic Garden. I went to Aberdour. And I've taken lots of photos on numerous trips to Falkland and Edinburgh, and started a little project to photograph interesting doors.

I subscribed to The Simple Things magazine at the start of the year, and it's one of the best things I've done. It's a lovely surprise when it drops on the doormat each month, and it usually arrives on a Saturday when I've got time to relax and enjoy it. I thank Past Emma for the kind gift, and I'm giving the same gift to Future Emma!

Craft-wise I've been working on a crochet blanket which is nearing completion, I won a prize in a card design competition at college, I've been buying a lot of Copic markers and learning to use them, and I've started a bullet journal!

This month on emuse

At the start of this month I returned to blogging after taking a month off when I had my hysterectomy.

One of the things I did when I was off was some drawing with my Copic marker pens:

Moleskine drawings

Leuchtturm sketchbook and Copic markers

I also joined the world of bullet journals! I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm mainly using it for long-term lists and records, rather than daily or monthly plans.

Another way that I filled my time was working on my crochet blanket. This was a great way to relax in front of the TV. Which I did a lot of!

I talked about my obsession with buying things with faces, and I also decorated some pots with faces!

I haven't had a chance get out and do a lot of shopping, but I have been doing a bit of pin shopping online, some thrifting, and updated my look for winter with some new hats! And, of course, a bit of Christmas shopping.

This month I have been mostly...

Watching:

I kept my Netflix subscription going, so I've been watching more Gilmore Girls, and Manhunt: Unabomber. I've also been watching Armchair Detectives, Knight Rider, Witnesses, NCIS:New Orleans, Dave Gorman, and I finally caught up on the last few episodes of the previous series of Call the Midwife, in time for watching the Christmas special.

Doing:

I've been keeping on with my crochet blanket and my bullet journal. And been on a few Christmas nights out.

Reading:

I've been continuing with my Chalet School reread, and have also enjoyed Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn, and The Summer Seaside Kitchen and The Little Shop of Happy Ever After, both by Jenny Colgan.

Pin purchases

When I was off work last month I couldn't get out to do much shopping so I found myself browsing and buying online! Here are some lovely pins that I bought.

The Bunnygirl pin by Holly Jayne is one that I've had on my wishlist pretty much since I started collecting pins, so this was the perfect time to treat myself. I love her cute face and the rose-gold finish. Because the pin was cheaply priced and the postage from Australia reasonable, it cost less than most pins I buy from the UK!

The vintage Tupperware pin was from Dirt & Truth, an Instagram pop-up shop. I also got a couple of freebie pins from them, and the collaged envelope was the best ever! Having grown up with lots of Tupperware in my house, including the Quick Shake container commemorated on the pin, I just had to have it!

The silver jumper pin by Hello Sunshine is the perfect way to accessorise my winter uniform of Scandi jumpers.

Yellow Coat Crew pin by Wren & Wilson was a second, but I actually forgot that until I went to leave my review, because it looks perfect to me! With it and the jumper pin and my previously bought Dungaree Appreciation Society one by Zabby Allen, nearly all my standard wardrobe items are covered - all I need is a stripey top pin now!

Although turquoise is one of my favourite colours, I didn't have any pins this colour until I got this heart pin by heartzeena. Again, I'm loving the rose gold!

Sunday self-portraits: Winter hats

One of the big trends this winter is the pompom hat, and I like them so much that I bought two, both from New Look. The mustard one goes perfectly with my new Lucy & Yak mustard cord dungarees, and the grey and pink one matches a little rucksack that I have.

Another hat that's in fashion is the baker boy hat. I found this one in Dunnes, and really liked how it looks on me.

The hats were all between £7 and £8, so it was an affordable way of updating my look for winter!

Recently thrifted

Here are some of my recent secondhand purchases. I saw the male doll with the moustache one day at my local charity shop, took a photo because he looked so hilarious, then just had to go back and get him the next day as I knew I would be unlikely to see anything as ridiculous again! I got him a girlfriend too! Now I just have to get round to making outfits for them, and choosing suitably daft names for them!

When I was at the charity shop I also saw a great idea for displaying pins - putting them on the clothes of a large doll. This is something that I'm thinking of trying as my pin collection keeps growing!

My parents and I also recently went to the antiques centre at Doune, where I got a little Wade Fern plate that I thought looked like stylised Christmas trees. I also got a lovely vase that is exactly the mid-century look I was seeking, and is in great colours too.

Pots with faces

I told you the other day about my love of buying things with faces, so the next logical step was to produce some of my own. Luckily I'd found some face stickers at Flying Tiger, and most of my plant pots are white, so it was a simple process to add some cute faces to my plants!

I particularly love how they look peeking out between the greenery. I tried to make the faces as cute as I could, because I didn't want to get a fright seeing any scary ones!

And if I ever get bored of them, the stickers can be easily removed!