Trying to move on...

Happy Monday...

Thank you for everyone who has messaged or left a comment for me about Jasper. We are starting to feel a little better about it all. It still feels weird him not being around, it's the little things that are hitting me hard. 

 We have spent lots of time reminiscing and telling funny stories of things we remember Jasper doing. One story which sticks out in my mind was when we were taking him for a walk around the streets one evening, Ian needed something from him car so opened the passenger door and leaned over. Jasper must of got a little excited thinking we were going to drive to the park, so he randomly jumped onto the passenger seat and climbed across to the drivers side, whilst Ian was still reaching for whatever it was. So random! It made us all laugh though. 

We are all dealing with his passing differently. Mum and Dad of course upset but are already talking about getting another dog one day. It would most likely be a Labrador as they are such a lovely breed. They've also been searching online for young rescue lab's on the Battersea dogs home website. I would like for them to get another dog but I feel like it’s too soon for me to even start thinking of another one. I just feel like that would be cheating on Jasper?

My young brother Alex has taken it the hardest, as he up with Jasper and can't really remember a time without him. He hasn't been eating that well since, we are hoping it will get better in time. We've been trying to distract him a little. He's always been a football fan so we're trying to get   him into those Royal Mail Football Heroes.       He loves to collect things so hopefully it will give him something to focus on in the mean time.  
Gemma x

Jasper

We sadly had to say goodbye to our big old puppy Jasper this Wednesday. He was diagnosed with Leukemia a few weeks ago, so we knew our time with him was limited. At the beginning of the week we began to see signs of him deteriorating. With him at his worst on Wednesday, we phoned the vets in the morning to arrange him to go and to be put to sleep. His appointment was that evening. He didn't make it to the vet and sadly passed away at home that afternoon. 

We are absolutely heartbroken. We all miss him so much, he was such a lovely boy. All I want to do is give him a big cuddle and a kiss right now. I keep forgetting that he is gone. I keep hearing little noises thinking he is going to come bounding in the room.

 I'm trying to think positively about it all. Jasper detested the vets, so for him to slip away in the comfort of his home was the best for him. He is no longer suffering and is at peace. We love you Jasper. I'll always remember you. Rest in peace Jiggy.

Gemma x

* I say puppy, he was nearly 9. He always had such a puppy face, so he will always be my puppy dog.

My New Plant

My nan gave me this Aloe Vera plant for my bathroom recently. I have to admit it's not the most attractive of indoor plants but I've read it has many health benefits, including that it purifies the air quality.

 

I had a look around to see if I could nab a spare plant pot from my parents, but they were either way too small or too big. You see i've always been an outdoor plant kind of girl so I've never bought my own indoor plant pots before. I wanted something pretty yet simple. I had a look on the high street but they didn't come up trumps as per usual, so I had a quick look online. After a lot of surfing, I found these beautiful second hand tin pots. I managed to get them at £3.50 for all three, so I snapped them up instantly! Do you like them?

 

 

I've never really ordered anything big before online but the seller assured me and happily sent it to me through the courier Parcelforce. It was delivered to my doorstep in perfect condition a day or so later. I was chuffed! You wouldn’t know they were second hand! They barely look used. These pots were exactly what I had in mind and added a little touch of shabby chic to my bathroom. 

 

I'm loving galvanised tins at the moment. I’ve seen a lot of them on Pinterest in the wedding section. Hopefully we can use these pots as part of the decor for our own wedding.

 

A little update:  We are still saving every penny for our deposit for our one day home. It’s so hard at the moment because all I want to do is start planning our big day, but it is more important to both of us to get our own place before we book a date for it.

 

Gemma xXx

London

A weekend or so ago we spent the day in London. As a belated birthday present to Ian, his parents paid for us all to do a boat tour down the Thames! It's something i've never done before so I was really excited to see the sights from a different angle.

We arrived around lunchtime so went to a little cafe by the Savoy hotel on Embankment. It was absolutely gorgeous as all the spring flowers were out.

The colours were absolutely amazing! 

Soon after it was our time to go on the Rib boat. The weather wasn't all that great so we bundled up in our hats and coats, plus a life jacket just in case.

First of all we started off slow with the guide telling us all about the different sights.

 
Then, once we went under London Bridge, the fun really began. We sped down the Thames at 70mph whilst the driver twisted and turned and tilted the boat (like in the James Bond films!). 

We got a good splash or two in the face from the water (Yuk! I hate to imagine what's actually in that water) but it was so much fun. We reached the Thames Barrier, turned around, and sped back down again to Embankment with James Bond music blaring from the Boats stereo. So much fun!

As i've mentioned before, we only live on the outskirts of London with a 40 minute tube ride into the center. We don't go that often but when we do we have a great time. We really should make the most of living so close to it.

I hope your having a great weekend so far!

Gemma x

A Review : Cherry Menlove's 'The Handmade Home'

I have been lucky enough to be able to review Cherry Menlove's new book 'The Handmade Home'! I've been so excited to see this highly anticipated book since she announced it, so once it arrived I put the kettle on and devoured it.

Something that I love about this book is that it goes over possibly all celebratory days throughout the year. From Valentines and Christmas to the smaller things like a summer BBQ or cosy Autumn evenings with the family - Cherry covers it all ! 

The book includes crafts, recipes, gardening advice and some great tips on how to create a homely welcoming feel on all occasions. 

If you're mostly looking to make the crafts from this book, there are few you can sew by hand , however use of a sewing machine is vital for the rest of them, so please keep this in mind! The instructions are step by step, so they are very easy to follow - even if you are a novice.

The book is packed full of photos, which I think is great as I am a very visual person. They allow you to see what the end result of each tutorial should look like, plus they are gorgeous to look at!

As I have read Cherry's blog for a few years, I was a little disappointed to see some or very similar projects that have been featured on her blog. A few of the photos have been taken straight from her blog and aren't of great quality in print (such as the Valentine Sweethearts).

Overall I think this book is fab! As time passes by I can see myself delving into it again and again for ideas and inspiration on how to celebrate each season. A year can pass by in a flash so it's great to have any reason for a celebration!

'The Handmade Home' is available from the 25th of April. Thank you Orion Books for this opportunity & providing the photographs!

Gemma x

Currently...

Happy Easter!

I am currently...

Thinking: about chocolate. 

Worrying: About my essay. I've got essays to do for my Interior Design course and i'm not looking forward to writing them. They are seriously on my mind. The last time I wrote as essay was years ago. I had better get planning ...

Watching: The Walking Dead. Do any of you watch it? The Governor REALLY gets on my nerves..I hate him! I'm hoping there is going to be a lot of action  in the last episode.

Wearing: Bright pastel colours for Easter. 

Getting excited about: Easter! We don't really have any plans for the long weekend but i'm feeling so excited. Hopefully we'll be having a nice family meal on Sunday and we will of course eat our body weight in chocolate. Fingers crossed it will be dry so we can go for a long walk.

Happy Easter everyone!

X

Cough be gone!

Cough cough...sniff sniff...

That's all I've been doing these past few days so it's just a short blog post for now. On Friday I had the odd tickle in my throat and now I am coughing all over the place! I hate feeling like this.

The weekend was spent keeping warm indoors. It was pouring with rain and I just felt so bleh so we reverted back to winter mode again and put on a film.  Aladdin is the Misters favourite Disney movie. It was so fun to watch it after all this time...we got all nostalgic and sang along to all the songs! I think 'A whole new world' is his favourite...HA!  I love that guy.

X