This month I have been mostly...

Doing:

I had an adventure themed day with a walk following the route of an underground stream, wearing adventure themed jewellery, listening to an adventure themed playlist, doing lots of online explorations, making and eating trail mix, making mountain shaped stamps, designing and ordering a photo album of my Vietnam trip, sewing on an adventure patch, putting on adventure themed temporary tattoos, reading a book about Kyoto walks and an edition of The Procrastination Paper about adventure, taking a line for a walk in my sketchbook, and doing an indoors type safari challenge by Sarah Hyndman of Type Tasting.

I didn't manage to fit watching the northern lights webcam into my day of adventure, but I looked at it first thing the next morning and was amazed to see them immediately! I spent a few hours just gazing at this spectacular sight!

My next themed day was my virtual book sale day which I'd been planning from the moment I realised that my annual trip to the Christian Aid book sale in Edinburgh would not be a possibility. I dressed in the same outfit I always wear to the sale, took my daily exercise to and from the bus station where I'd usually catch the bus to the sale, made and ate the lentil soup, home baking, and tablet that I'd usually eat in the cafe there, made a donation to Christian Aid, looked at some of my favourite books I've bought there over the years, used the vintage Viewmaster that was one of my best bargains, started reading some secondhand books I'd bought recently online, and opened an ephemera pack I bought from Laura Howard as the ephemera stall is always my favourite!

Frida Kahlo is my latest obsession, and if I was blogging to my usual schedule I'd probably be basing a whole month's posts on her! I bought a jigsaw based on her art, which was fascinating as it came with a sheet explaining all the symbolism. I've also done an online tour of the Frida Kahlo museum, a photo shoot dressed as her, and am reading a book about her life.

I've also reached 900 followers on Instagram and reached my Google ads payment threshold (which means I get a payment from them!), attended an online leaving do, taken Rosie the Riveter selfies, written postcards to friends, done the pillow dress challenge, dyed my fringe pink, 

Making:

I've been using a few printables - the Rainbow Queen paper doll by Poppekins, the jumpsuit cut-out by Leonie Flower which lets you experiment with using any background as a pattern, and I made a paper prawn from Lisa Lloyd's template.

I finished sewing two dresses - one, a retro pink one made from vintage bedding using a pattern from a magazine, and the other also from secondhand bedding using the Clothkits swing frock pattern. I liked the shape of this because it reminded me of some of my Seasalt dresses. I also filmed a fashion show for Instagram Stories of some of the clothes I've sewn.

I also decoupaged pressed flowers onto a candle, took part in a flower crown making workshop, made monsters from a knit fabric scraps kit, started a 100 day embroidery project, and sharpened every coloured pencil I own!

Eating:

I made my own version of toast toppers. These are something I remember from childhood caravan holidays, and in this weird time nostalgia is something I'm clinging to, but Heinz don't make them any more. I used this recipe and tweaked it a bit. I've also cooked okonomiyaki, salt & pepper chicken wings, and have made French Toast Friday a thing!

Watching:

There has been a lot of viewing related to creativity. I'm loving Grayson's Art Club and the latest series of The Great British Sewing Bee, and I also watched and drew along to Life Drawing Live. And Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting ties into the nostalgia idea, and is incredibly calming to watch!

I've also been watching a lot of stuff I recorded, including Paul Hollywood in Japan, some Vietnam travel and food programmes, and the films Hidden Figures and The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, both of which were wonderful!

Listening to:

Tracks which is a really gripping conspiracy thriller podcast starring Romola Garai.

My favourite band, Hue and Cry, was one of my picks from my music jar. I am such a terrible fan that I'd only bought one of their CDs since the mid 1990s! Listening to them on Spotify I found that I really loved the latest album, Pocketful of Stones, so I bought that and a few others!



Reading:

I haven't read much this month, but I did read Normal People by Sally Rooney then watched the series, continued my reread of the Malory Towers books, and finished reading Kindred by Octavia E Butler.

Buying:

Snag tights, sewing supplies, the Great Indoors patch by Finest Imaginary, and a Scraps 4 Crafts kit by Knit and Destroy (only 50p!) to make a wee monster from scraps.