Goodbye June, Hello July....

Well July has arrived in a heatwave, and as I am typing this I am sitting in the shade of a tree in the park. June started cold, but temperatures soon picked up and it felt like summer was kick started from its hibernation.

Although I didn't have a much planned for the month it turned into a busy one filled with catching up with friends that I haven't seen for an age.

• Lovely to see the sun on many of my morning commutes
• Sweet Williams - my flower of the month. reminds me so much of my gramps, the allotment and back of the greenhouse was filled with these.
• Taylor's trips in the sunshine for lunch with an old friend that I haven't seen in ages from Scotland  - so lovely to get the sunglasses and birkenstocks out 
• Fathers Day - 2 trips to the cemetery with Taylor and mum; followed by coffee and breakfast at the cafe.
• June saw me catch-up with another friend Ali, where we dined on the roof of Selfridges followed by an evening at the top of penguin books celebrating the book launch of Giovanna Fletcher's new book. Fab night filled with authors, popstars and cupcakes!
• June's book post was one of the most read posts on the blog and on social media.
  
• A beautiful day off was spent in the glorious grounds and castle of Hever in the countryside of Kent./Sussex. Filled with sunshine, roses and cake!.
• Commute was filled with glorious sun-rays and fabulous fluffy clouds.
• British flower week was filled with bowls of sweet williams and gardens of poppies.
• A gorgeous hot sunny day was spent in a beer garden catching up with another friend that I haven't seen in over 10 years - so much fun.

June also saw the kitchen-aid come out to play for some assistance in making a 3 tier engagement cake for my god-daughter. She loves pink and black so I used this to decorate the cake along with some diamonte initials and a blingy engagement ring.

• As you can see my baking bits complimented fabulously with this months blog styling.

Work was busy in June, but I also got a chance to spend some time with work friends and a little sale shopping!

• A trip to Dorset was spent reviewing the Christmas Hamper range for 2015.
• Enjoyed the summer sunshine on the roof drinking mock-tails and enjoying the view.
• Coffee time spent with friends under the shadows of Mr Selfridge himself in Harry's bar. 
• Taylor's first sale at Selfridges and he coped admirably with the yellow bags!
• Office festooned with yellow bags on sale day!
• New train provider hasn't eased the delays and cancellations in June... Liverpool street on a particularly challenging commute home one night in June.
• Sale wouldn't be complete without a little treat!.... gorgeous ox-blood Lily added to the collection - another successful sale ~ birthday and christmas presents stored away.

June certainly turned out much busier than I planned, lovely catching up with some old friends, new and have some fun in the sunshine..... roll on July for more fun with friends, birthday treats and some lovely things planned.

Life's stories...

I am a firm believer in Fate and sometime it works with us and sometimes against us and it seems this weekend Fate tested my emotions. This weekend I saw the date of the loss of my beloved Gramps's fall adjacent to Mother's Day, a day equally emotional. I grew up with my grandparents and their loss although not so 'gut-wrenching' is still felt every day.

Last week I hooked up with my friend Ali for drinks and a burger as she was in London for the RNA book awards ( Ali is the author Ali Mcnamara) Ali has just started writing her 6th book and as always we end up talking plot lines and stuff.... this lead to me talking about dealing with loss. It's 5 years this weekend since Gramps passed and later this year it will be 10 years since Nan passed. Growing up with both as an instrumental part of my life their loss was hard to deal with, it took me down some very dark paths but also opened up a whole new world to me which probably wouldn't have happened.  My blog evolved from a scrapbooking online forum that I joined shortly after loosing Nan, this became a saviour and my blog became an outlet for life when the outside world was a little hard to deal with. From this I have made and met some fab online friends. One of which is Ali. It also led to me working for the Big Yellow Store on Oxford Street, I took some time out about a year after Nan died to spend more time with Gramps and get my head sorted, Mr Selfridge came knocking just at a time when I need to de-hermitise myself.  So even though this weekend has been emotional, it has also been filled some happy memories, some of which we shared  in a trip to the cemetery with my mum. I will never have the daughter/mother relationship with my mum that others, but we are finding some middle ground and if that's sitting on a bench under a blossom tree at a cemetery sharing a coffee and reminiscing then that's fine by me.

This year I received my first Mother's Day card!.... yes I got one from the Kits!.... bringing a much needed smile to my face this morning...

My Nan always said that your life is like a book, some people are in it for the whole story, some just for a paragraph and others for a chapter, however long they share your life story, be blessed. So thankyou all for sharing this book so far....

Remembering the heroes

Over the last 10 days London has been awash with poppies and men in uniform!.. It has mad a dull commute a little brighter. However behind the jokes and banter with the men in uniform each day is a serious message. We cannot let this generation and the generations ahead forget what a poppy is for. We owe so much to those brave men & women who didn't question their loyalty to Queen & country to put their life on the line to protect us and keep us safe. My beloved Gramps was one of those who stood on the beaches at Dunkirk waiting to be rescued and would never share the atrocities that he saw and the friends that never came home. He lived with those memories with a quiet dignity that is so lacking in today's generation. I have 2 special boys in my life who have spent time in Afghanistan and feel a sense of pride and relief every time they come back safe. I have in previous years visited the Rememberance Garden at Westminster.
2 minutes silence and a £1 in a poppy tin is a small sacrifice today to pay to say thankyou, and remember, we remember those that fought, those that live with horrific injuries and ultimately those that never came home. We do it with Pride, Dignity and we should never forget.

London has so many war memorials in close proximity of the cenotaph that I discovered recently which I am going to share on this Remembrance Day. I hope that the next time you are strolling along the embankment of cutting through Whitehall you too discover these hidden gems.
Battle of Britain memorial

The monument is a beautiful 3D bronze which set against the backdrop of the Thames & the London Eye is quite stunning.

Just along from the Battle of Britain memorial is the Royal Airforce memorial Royal Air Force
First put up in 1923, to remember the men of the Royal Flying Corps of WW1, this column faces across the river, towards France. The ‘I Bare You On Eagles Wings And Brought You Onto Myself’ carved on it is not a misspelling but a biblical quotation.

Along from the Cenotaph is a memorial opened in the last few years to honour the women who served in world war 2.
It is a stunning sculpture, simple but so effective.

Hidden down a side street on the corner of Whitehall is the Royal Tank regiment memorial.
‘From mud through blood to the green fields beyond.’ This modern bronze sculpture by Vivien Mallock faces the building where the first ever tank was designed in 1916. The two trees behind the memorial were shipped from Canada to mark the close links between that country and the regiment.

As you can see in a small lock of London there are some beautiful monuments and sculptures complete with heartfelt inscriptions that are worth a visit.
Over the last couple of weeks London has got behind the poppy appeal and done a number of things to remind us of the sacrifices made; from giant poppy at Kings Cross, to a spitfire in Covent garden to a fleet of poppy buses to military bands accompanying commutes....

I hope that where ever you are today you stop and reflect at 11o'clock and say thankyou.

Remember....

Friday afternoon I headed over to the Garden of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey. Every year since it opened I've promised myself to go, and this year I finally got there. The garden is a beautiful tribute to our military services past and present. It's carefully thought out and even though it's busy it's designed to allow people the opportunity for some quiet reflection. This year I planted a cross for my gramps at his regiment. Thankful that he came home and could be my hero for remaining years.

 On leaving the garden I walked up Parliament road passing the Cenotaph and finishing at Trafalgar Square, where I sat for a quiet drink looking at the poppy wreaths that had been left in the water pools.

 So today on Remembrance Sunday... We will remember...Thank you to all our service men & women that have given us our safe today and tomorrow.

One year on.....

and so very missed......

thinking of you today Gramps
It's hard to believe that you have been gone a year.
Thankyou to all that have helped me through the past year, I couldn't have managed without you all.

all my love.... Tx

2009 ~ A Rollercoaster of a Year......

well it was for me anyway. As 2009 draws to a close and before the bells of Big Ben chime to welcome in 2010, I would like to reflect on the past year.



2009 saw me loose one of the most loving,
generous, and inspirational people in my life with the kindest heart, my grandad. There isn't a day go by where I don't miss him, but i am learning with time to move on with my life, because that is what he would have wanted. Looking back now i am so thankful that I had the strength to make his flowers for the funeral, my parting gift to a very special man.
This year saw me try new things and strive to build a life without him, and amongst the grief I have accomplished some things and had some fun.... here are my favourite things of 2009:
Chelsea Flower Show ~ sites and smells were amazing a beautiful day.
David Beckham in his Armani pants! ~ no explanation needed!
Take That Circus ~ rode into wembley and was spectacular! Cakes & Bakes in the Lakes ~ weekend at Cooking school in the lake district
Learnt to Crochet with the fabulous Jane from Tea & Crafting
Met Simon Le Bon & family ~ teenage idol lived up to all expectations
Spandau Ballet @ the O2 ~ thought I was 14 again... pure Gold
New York New York... so good they named it twice....
and finally, you my blog friends, You do wonder when you post things if anyone reads them, and surprisingly they do. I have made some lovely friends with people in blog land, some of which i have been lucky enough to meet (V&K)!
The messages that you have posted to me this year have been much appreciated and on some days have been like a ray of sunshine amongst a very dark day.
A heartfelt thankyou to you all......
I the I look forward to 2010, where not only are we entering a new decade I will also be joining a new decade in this coming year! Over the next few days I will be sharing some more favourite things of 2009 & some things to look forward to in 2010!
I wish you, all the love, goodluck, happiness and best wishes for 2010.
Tx

Back & Birthday Wishes..

I'm back from the fabulous NY!.... thank you to everyone that has followed my daily updates and left such lovely comments... I stuck quite close to my itinerary and my friends knew where I was planning to be on those days... so if that had to contact Jack Malone from Without a Trace they knew where i had been.... my trip involved lots of walking and I am now in need of new feet! so a much needed rest today before my return to work tomorrow.
I will update you more, but today I'm off to the cemetery as it's my Gramps's 91st birthday, so a difficult day for me today...This photo was taken last year at his 90th birthday tea. Happy Birthday Gramps, thinking of you with much love.
xoxo T
ps.. don't forget that Kirsties back tonight and for the next 2 nights for her Homemade Christmas... Channel 4 8pm

We must never forget....

Saturday and Sunday saw Remembrance services take place across the nation. Saturday the Annual Festival of Remembrance at the beautiful Royal Albert Hall and Sunday the Service at the Cenotaph. Both incredibly moving and even more poignant this year.

I didn't realise how difficult I would find this weekend, until it was upon me. It didn't help that I've been fighting a head cold all week which broke Saturday, sofa, duvet and hot lemon in a plenty for rest of weekend and lots of tissues!

Remembrance weekend was always time spent with my grandparents. This year without them both has been really hard, especially without my beloved Gramps.

Early Saturday morning I headed to Westminster to lay my cross in the field of remembrance. The heartbreak of seeing the remembrance field for the boys lost in Afghanistan this year, was incredibly moving.

I was incredibly blessed and lucky to spend the time with my Grandad that i did, His storey will be passed down to future generations but we must always remember the sacrifice that these men have made and are making for us all. This is a layout that I made a couple of years ago... thought it was more poignant this year.

Two weddings and a Funeral

As the title suggests, my life over the last two weeks.... a real roller-coaster, a ride that I am still on and will probably be for some time.
I would like to say a heartfelt thankyou for all the comments, emails and cards that I have received on the passing of my beloved gramps. I am constantly amazed by 'blogland' and the fact that people that i don't know read my blog and take the time out of their busy lives to show they care, so a really big THANKYOU x
My days currently fluctuate between complete denial that he's gone to an overwhelming sadness that he's no longer here, and dealing with this huge void that he has left in my life. I know with time that my life will re-adjust, but for now the roller-coaster continues to go through loops.
After my nan passed i took some time off and completed a floristry course, my gramps was extremely proud and loved everything that I did.
So with a heavy heart I made the decision to do my brother & I's flowers and flowers from my niece and nephew,the great grandchildren.



Our final goodbyes were said with military honours last wednesday in glorious sunshine.
xx