it's been a while...

Hi Ladies

It's been a while...actually nearly a whole year & so much has happened in between posts.  I got a little off track if I'm honest.  At the end of last year I had a little break & then the beginning of this year went by in a flash because I was working on a beautiful beading project for the West End.  I literally worked on that for months & right up until 24 hours before my Miami holiday....which caused manic packing :)  Then, when we came home (roasted & covered in mosquito bites) a little post holiday crash because I'd got so used to working like a crazy person that the free (or freer) time freaked me out a little.
I've taken some time & now I'm back into my most favourite thing...beading, but this time my own designs.  I have loved beading since that very first day (a Tuesday) when I met the tutor at the London College of Fashion who came to teach our costume class beading & embroidery.  As soon as I finished that first class I was hooked...
So flash forward 22 years & I've got lots of projects on the go.  First things first, a beach bag for my upcoming holiday with H (I'm taking vitamin B1 & drinking endless glasses of tonic to hopefully avoid the mosquitos...) & then lots & lots of one of a kind pieces for my etsy shop www.etsy.com/SeasonalSisters :)
I'm not working in collections any more.  I have so many options working with beads that I find it hard to restrict myself to a colour combination or theme.  I love to work on whatever comes to me on the day :)
I'll be adding extra pieces without beads too, at the moment there's a 'bubble' twirl skirt for very little ladies.  I'm hoping the shop will become a lovely mixture of all my loves :)
So on this 'back to school' day (surely all the kids are back now...no more inset days?)  I wish you a peaceful day....watch this space for new listings...I'll keep you posted :)
Victoria xx

Let the tears flow 😰

Hi Ladies

Have you ever noticed how sometimes you can cry at a movie 

waaaaaay more than you expect to? Yes, the movie is sad but maybe 

not as sad as the millions of tissues scattered around you would 

suggest?  

We all have emotional days & even super emotional days but crying 

whenever you feel the need is not always convenient.  Crying while 

walking around Sainsbury's could be a little uncomfortable for the 

other shoppers (I've actually done that) & even crying at home in 

front of the ones we love can be a worry for them.  

Holding in those emotions actually feels uncomfortable in our 

bodies so us Seasonals have come up with a plan to let it flow!  Once a month,

or whenever the need arises, we should be kind to ourselves.  Stay

in our pjs & watch that weepy movie (even if we've seen it a 

million times before) The Notebook is my favourite but we could 

go with Love Story, or basically any movie with that feel good 

music that builds & builds when someone does something they 

thought they couldn't or they fall in love - you know what I mean!

The same works with a favourite song or book, whatever or however -

Let the tears flow...

Go through the entire box of tissues....

Look like a puffa fish!...

So the plan for not making our loved ones worry is to wear a 

beauty pageant style sash with the message 'I'm crying but I'm OK'.  

Of course we don't want you to feel sad but we encourage you to let 

it all out when you do feel it.  

Tears are healing. 

Embrace your inner puffa fish!

Victoria & Ally xx

A little palm tree obsession

Hi Ladies

Just a little thing to share today, I'm a little obsessed with Palm trees! Everywhere I go I'm seeing these beautiful trees but best of all with the fabulous blue California sky behind them.

 Greetings from the sunshine!

Be back soon

Victoria xxx

Welcome Spring, we've been expecting you!

Hi Ladies

Flip Flop season officially started 1 March but today was my first trip out with my toes on show ☀️ The skies looked very grey so it was only a little trip to the butcher in the village.  Looking down at my feet got me thinking about the new season colours for nail varnish. I'm a 24/7/365 painted toe nails kinda girl so no start of season panic for me but I didn't love my last choice of paint! I'm leaning towards candy colours this early in the season. It's like having daffodils in the house, encourage a little 'pretty' into your life. 

I'm absolutely not strict about matchy matchy (toes & fingers) but coming out of winter & getting into flip flops does make me consider the combination a little more carefully. My favourite brands are NYC & Collection 2000, perfectly on trend colours which are friendly to your wallet.  Go on.... Go candy!  😀

I just had a message from my very fabulous mate Steph asking me what I'm giving up for Lent. Not being a religious girl, I've never joined in before but this year I think I will. It won't hurt me to give up chocolate & sweets for 40 days & may even help me feel a little more fabulous in my summer clothes at the end of it. So after my pancakes tonight (shop bought, I don't have the inclination to get mad at the frying pan) I'll be dropping the sugary treats (only for the 40 days, don't worry) & stepping out in my fabulous purple walking shoes a little more. Gently does it! 

Enjoy your pancakes ladies & get those toes out!

Victoria 

Hi Ladies
So, the holiday season is well and truly behind us and we've stepped into 2014 ..... I'm not really a 'make and stick to' kind of girl when it comes to resolutions but I have made some changes!
I am sticking to my no caffeine rule and feel so much better for it! I've explored different varieties of herbal teas, my favourite two being camomile and peppermint tea pigs. I had read about the benefits of warm water with lemon and wanted to add this to my morning routine (as long as I remember to buy lemons!)  The juice of one lemon in boiling water every morning, before the usual mug of tea with breakfast, is great and most certainly makes me feel awake!!! 
I am making sure I get up earlier to make an effort for the day. I always feel better after I've done my hair, chosen something nice to wear and put some lip gloss on, so I'm making sure I give myself enough time to do this every morning so I feel good. I really can't bare it when I hear 'it's only the school run' why shouldn't we feel great doing the school run, or the food shopping or even walking the dog? I plan to continue my feel great routine....
My main change, on a health, cost, clear conscience move, has been to shop locally and support our small businesses, avoiding food miles.  I find that I don't buy half as much food, I know where it's come from and the service really does come with a big welcoming smile! The produce tastes amazing too. And for me, going home and opening up all the brown paper bags adds to the glory!!
I haven't gone down the 'cleaning my surfaces with bicarbonate and lemon juice' route yet but certainly when it comes to fruit, veg and meat I am making good, clean choices.
I personally believe that happy food makes our tummies happy and we should all be more aware of what we are eating.  I think it's really important that children know where their food comes from, what cuts of meat the animals give us and how best to source their food.  E will go in to the butchers and ask for a piece of steak, very specifically a big piece, that can be cooked rare! A girl after my own heart!!!
Do you eat with the seasons? I have been reading one of my favourite books 'River cottage year' learning about what to eat throughout the changing seasons, really enjoying and putting to good use the limited selection available for that time. 
I have spent the week making lists for food shopping and meal plans... Now to put it into practise!


I have turned my attention to baking today though, thanks to Mary Berry, this recipe is the easiest cake in the world to make, great for kids to do as it's weighing, pouring and stirring and eating! We vary the toppings from just plain white icing, melted chocolate, apricot jam or the one below is equally yummy.  I like to have a treat in the tin during the week, you never know who might pop round for a cuppa or when you might feel the need to eat cake......... A whole one!
 
Basic traybake


225g soft butter or margarine
225g caster sugar
275g self raising flour
2 level tsps baking powder
4 large (free range if poss) eggs
4 tblsp milk


Topping - warm 4 tblsps raspberry or strawberry jam and spread over the cooled but still warm cake. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut, around 2-3 tblsps or till it looks enough for your tastes!


Pour all the ingredient into a bowl and mix, or into a food processor. Blend till smooth. Pour into a lined 39x23cm (12x9in) tin, bake for 35-40 minutes.
Leave to cool and cut into generous chunks and store in your favourite cake tin. This cake is particularly great with custard too!


Lots of love and remember to do one thing everyday that makes you happy, dancing to your favourite song, painting your nails or having a bath! We deserve to spoil ourselves with the simplest things!


A xxx

Too dressed up???

  
Hi Ladies
I've found myself a little distracted lately by Pinterest. Actually, when I say distracted, I really mean obsessed! I've always been a 'gatherer of images' (scrap booking is just too organised for me) & I've spent many happy hours with my scissors & a glue stick filling books with pictures from magazines that inspire me. Now though we have the online version & a whole world of inspiration! Try it ladies, I know you'll love it.
The question I ask Supersis time & time again when I share Pinterest pics of beautiful clothes is 'I could wear that to tescos couldn't I ?'  It's usually a picture of a fabulous Dior gown, which actually wouldn't even fit into my car to get me to tescos, but it got me wondering.....when are we too dressed up?  Who made the rules about what clothes are too dressed up for which occasions? I totally know that it's not practical to wear a gown for your grocery shopping but wouldn't it make the whole experience just lovelier somehow?
Now I do wear my jeans an awful lot (a habit I'm trying to break) but I also usually wear a lot of jewellery & sometimes a fabulous pair of shoes to 'overdress' myself. It's definitely true that when I'm grocery shopping & I look down at a fabulous pair of shoes, my day seems just that bit nicer.  It seems a shame to keep a beautiful pair of shoes shut away in a cupboard, it makes me wonder what we're waiting for?  Why are we saving our best for best? And really the question I'm asking is
'what is best?' Shouldn't everyday have lovely things in it? Shouldn't we use our best wine glass or tea cup just because? What are we saving it all for? I have a glass that belonged to my Gran & for a while after she died I was scared to use it in case I broke it. Then one day a book fell over on the shelf & nearly knocked the glass on the floor. I was so sad to think that I could have broken it without having ever used it. Now it's my Friday night wine glass (because I used to chat on the phone with Gran on a Friday evening) & if it does get broken, I will have used it & enjoyed it.

So ladies my new mission as we head towards Spring (hurry up please Mother Nature) is to add a little sparkle.....use the good lotion...drink the Harrods coffee.....be randomly dressier than is necessary...will you join me?

Happy dress up!
Victoria xxx

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas........

Hi Ladies
I can't believe it, Christmas is nearly here again!  Us Seasonals are busy making lists of gifts & baking & sewing & we're already playing our favourite Christmas movies on repeat :)  Ally's Christmas iced biscuits are literally the yummiest biscuits you will ever taste & we'll need a big stack of them for when we make about a million Christmas pom poms!
We feel a little sorry for our husbands but really, they knew this about us when they married us!
The first project of the season is helping Mum to plan her Christmas Fayre 1st December in Dial Post Village Hall.  They have planned all sorts of fabulous stall holders for the afternoon (2 till 5.30pm) & entertainment for the evening(7 till 11.30pm). Its sure to be the most fabulous way to kick start your Christmassyness (is that a word??).  Santa will also be making an appearance to collect the letters the children write for him during the afternoon. 
Keep an eye on our facebook page to see who's joining us https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/424341670952180/  then afterwards for fab pictures of the event. 
Me & Supersis are in charge of Christmas sparkle & roast potatoes!

So, quick catch up, October was super fun, we visited our fabulous friends in California (always great to see them), Paulina was very pregnant with her second baby.  We were there for her amazing baby shower, my first experience of a shower ~ it was as beautiful as a wedding!!  We had a lovely time decorating their garden ready for the party.  It was lovely to catch up with lots of ladies in one day & to meet a few new friends. 
Then an amazing weekend in Palm Springs.  I've been wanting to go for ever & I LOVED it, so so hot & so much fun.  We even had a little taste of England....but that's a whole other story!

So now the MOST EXCITING NEWS ~ Paulina had her baby Danni Ava Brown 9 November!!!  CONGRATULATIONS!! Hurray!  And what a beautiful baby she is!  I'm really feeling the distance this week with Danni being so tiny & wanting so much to visit my friend.  I'm so excited for our next visit for a hug with Danni :)

Well, I absolutely won't leave it so long before the next news!
Hopefully we'll see lots of you on 1st December for lots of Christmassy fun.
Victoria xx