DONE LIST // DECEMBER 2016

If you caught my Done List May 2016 post, you'll know that in a bid to be a bit healthier and more mindful with my list writing, I've started a monthly 'Done List' sharing snippets of the past month. These snippets might simply be things that made me happy, things I've done, things I've made or things I've achieved.

I still can't quite believe that it's January 2017. Is it just me or did December completely fly by?! I had such a great December (with a few Doctorate-related exceptions) but generally I found the time to catch up with my friends, do lots and lots of crafting and spend quality time with my family (and cats!). Although I did of course spend much of this time with a cold (it always happens whenever I stop!), I still managed to make the most of my time off. Here's what I got up to in December...

1. Making this pom pom choker with a very stylish friend of mine

2. Going back to the family home for Christmas

3. Decorating the tree as a family in early December

4. Having friends over for a Christmas crafternoon

5. Managing to post my own mini countdown to Christmas; 7 Days of Blogmas

6. Spending a very festive weekend away in Norway with friends

7. Giving some old baubles a new lease of life

8. Decorating my own wrapping paper with a handmade stamp and handmade gift toppers

9. Having THE  best countdown to Christmas with a surprise Ciate advent calendar from my boyfriend

1. Finding time to paint my nails in various festive ways

2. Reflecting on 2016 for Isoscella and sharing the DIY's I was most proud of

3. Finally sharing these clay christmas tree ornaments from last year

4. Being lucky enough to get a One Sketch A Day Journal for Christmas

5. Enjoying the Christmas lights up and around Brighton

6. Stamping a copper christmas tree pattern for a festive cushion

7. Repurposing an old coffee jar into a decorative christmas jar

8. Snapping away on my brand new Canon G7X Mark II

9. Doodling every day (well, most days!) in my visual journal

I hope you had a great December and Christmas!

♥

DONE LIST // JULY & AUGUST 2016

If you caught my Done List May 2016 post, you'll know that in a bid to be a bit healthier and more mindful with my list writing, I've started a monthly 'Done List' sharing snippets of the past month. These snippets might simply be things that made me happy, things I've done, things I've made or things I've achieved.

It's been such a long time since I did a Done List, which is a real shame because I really enjoy the process of looking back at the things I've made or done over the past month. I had a pretty busy summer with lots of opportunities for crafting and although I had already put these collages together they got a tad forgotten with the move of the blog. So that I don't miss any months, here's what I got up to in July and August and in my next post I'll share September and October. Once I'm up to date I'll get back to doing a Done List at the end of each month.

1. A weekend in beautiful Abergavenny for one of my besties weddings

2. Making these air dry clay keepsakes for my sister's hens

3. Taking the time to remember the important things in life whilst practising handlettering

4. Treating myself to a pair of Carvela shoes from Kurt Geiger in the sales

5. Drawing some of my favourite beauty products

6. Enjoying some of the sunshine on the beach with the boyf

7. Combining my copper and cactus love to create this candle votive 

8. Being completely honoured to be a bridesmaid

9. Loving using my art and crafts skills in an art therapy session at uni

1. Making this pineapple storage pot inspired by Oliver Bonas

2. No more commutes to London on #SouthernFail

3. Enjoying the sunshine in my parents nature-reserve-of-a-garden

4. The joys of realising you're half way through the week and having a cheeky doodle

5. Continuing with the pineapple obsession and making this pineapple print card for one of my besties

6. Eating the most amazing paneer starter at Indian Summer in Brighton

7. Summery walks with iced lattes along the seafront

8. Managing to keep my only surviving plant healthy enough that it sprouted a flower 

9. Watching Eastbourne Airshow on the beach with my family like the old days

Well, better late than never, eh!

How was your summer?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥

WE'VE MOVED!

Wow, it has been such a long time since I actually wrote a blog post. It probably seems like I've completely forgotten about my lovely little bit of the internet but in reality my mind has been full to the brim with ideas and I've been beavering away designing and creating a new site for ISOSCELLA.

No doubt, Blogger has been good to me over the years. Google Adsense approval was a breeze, you can easily sync with Google Analytics and the user interface is intuitive. But as I approach my final year of the Doctorate and quite possibly the end of my 23 years in education (I'm not even exaggerating), I'm getting to the point where I want to spend more of my free time focussing on this blog, my art and on crafts. And who knows, with all that time, maybe I'll have time to make enough stock to have my own stall at local craft fair...!

I love how easy Blogger is to use, but call me a perfectionist, I want a bit more freedom and flexibility to create blog posts that look and feel exactly how I want them to. So, in a bid to do this, I've spent the last 2 months (in between essays and deadlines) creating this website on Squarespace. Although a lot more expensive than Blogger, Squarespace is a drag and drop blogging platform which I'm hoping will give me the flexibility I'm after.

I'm really pleased with how the blog is looking now. I'd love to hear what you think - so please do leave me a comment below - it will be my very first on here after all! :)

On with this next adventure... do come and join me on it!

♥

DONE LIST // JUNE 2016

If you caught my Done List May 2016 post, you'll know that in a bid to be a bit healthier and more mindful with my list writing, I've started a monthly 'Done List' sharing snippets of the past month. These snippets might simply be things that made me happy, things I've done, things I've made or things I've achieved.

If you caught my Done List May 2016 post, you'll know that in a bid to be a bit healthier and more mindful with my list writing, I've started a monthly 'Done List' sharing snippets of the past month. These snippets might simply be things that made me happy, things I've done, things I've made or things I've achieved. And what a busy month it has been since then! June was super stressful and exhausting; with long long commutes to London (#SouthernFail), clinical case report writing, a persistent sinus infection and frantic hen and wedding art and crafting. Although it was a bit of a struggle (and sadly July isn't looking much easier!) and there were many 'to do' lists written, there were several things worthy of taking a moment to reflect on and add to my June 'done list'...

1. Persisting through the disasters to finish my pom pom wall hanging

2. Jetting off to sunnier climes with my sister (this time Spain!)

3. Date night with the boyf at the Curry Leaf Cafe

4. One of the besties is simply THE best study buddy

5. Still practising my hand lettering and loving it as I go

6. Feeling completely in awe of what an amazing job one of my oldest and dearest friends is doing with her gorgeous newborn baby

7. Decorating and filling nine hen party gift bags (blog post coming soon!)

8. Taking a sunny stroll along the Thames with friends 

9. Discovering lychee and elderflower ginfusions

How was your June?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥

DONE LIST // MAY 2016

I love lists and write them all the time. But the thought occurred to me the other day that most of the lists I write are about things that I need to do or things that I want to achieve. Even blog post ideas - lots and lots of them - that sometimes I don't have the time or energy to actually produce. I write them again and again, either as a reminder of all my 'ideas that are too good to forget' or as a way of motivating myself. 

And this got me thinking; how helpful is it to consistently make lists of things I have yet to do? 

How psychologically healthy is that?

Sometimes I wonder if 'To do' lists do more to reinforce my inadequacies and highlight the distance between my current position and where I want to be, than they do actually motivate me. And if I'm reminding myself of this, consciously or subconsciously, what room is there to appreciate where I am right now? Or how far I've come? I'm certainly not saying I'm going to ditch my 'to do' lists (I would be lost without at least some!) but maybe I can be a bit healthier with my list writing; more mindful. 

To help me do this, I've decided to start a new monthly 'Done List' post showing snippets of the past month. These snippets might simply be things that made me happy, things that I've done, things that I've made or things I've achieved.

Hopefully the first of many, here's May...

1. Pom poms make everything look better so naturally this cushion is now my firm favourite

2. A fun filled weekend in Lisbon indulging in the best custard tarts

3. Drinking tea out of my homemade monogram mug after a long day at work

4. Walks and afternoon tea in the sunshine with my parents

5. Cuddles and unconditional love from my cat

6. The Friday feeling

7. Practising hand lettering

8. Living by the sea on beautiful sunny days

9. Finding beauty in the most unlikely of places

What do you think of 'Done lists'?

How was your May?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥