Bringing memories to life with Cheerz - and an offer code for you

February 22, 2016

Last week on Instagram I shared with you a couple of snaps of the products I received from Cheerz, a fun way to get your favourite photos printed. You can upload your photos using an app or a website and create fun photo projects. When they got in touch and asked if I'd be interested in seeing what they could do, I was keen to see how easy it was.

The products I choose were the fun photo strips and the La Boîte à Photos - quite literally a box of photos.

Really pleased with how these fun #photostrip prints from @cheerz turned out - will be sharing more on my blog soon.

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Feb 14, 2016 at 7:53am PST

I'm a sucker for a pretty box! And this one from @cheerz is definitely that. It's filled with my photos too! #moresoon #laboiteaphotos #funtimes

A photo posted by Stephanie Robinson (@lifeat139a) on Feb 16, 2016 at 2:26am PST

The photos I wanted to use were on my PC so I used the Cheerz website to create both items. It was easy to use - and easy to load pictures from my social accounts too - and there were some fun filters to apply too. For the photo strips I liked that I could add text to the bottom of the strip.

I plan to use these in a few ways: as a bookmark, pinned to my desk at work and on my desk at home. I chose a theme of blue and yellow for these and have mixed pictures from our allotment, cycling days out, Norfolk, Cornwall and our trip into London before Christmas. The results, are I think fab. MOH has had his eyes on the Cornish blue strip (second from the right in the shot above) and he now has that as his bookmark, he's a happy boy!

La Boîte à Photos

So far I haven't shared with you what was in the box, just that it was a pretty box, and isn't it? But that's about to change, I'd read the description on the website and was keen to see if it lived up to that. The short answer is yes, it did - it's total inspiration in a box, and with your own photos too!

As you open the box you get a glimpse of what's inside:

While I was keen to check out how my photos had printed, I was also keen to see the little pegs. They are seriously funky. I have some small silver coloured pegs, but hadn't seen the wooden variety so miniature before (and yes I really do need to get out more!)

And how apt that the washi tape in my box was yellow?

So having checked out the inspiration, what were my photos like... Good, they're printed in the polaroid style and I was pleased with the quality and how the filters turned out.

The photos I chose for this selection were from our visit to Cornwall in September 2014. Following a relatively warm summer, our holiday followed a couple of weeks of rain and we were fortunate that for our week in Cornwall the weather returned and we really did have a magical time. We had visits to Bosvigo Gardens, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Tintagel Castle and many more gorgeous places - some of which you can read about here. I say, some because I've still some stories - and photos - to share from that trip - ahem!

Adding memories to our house

All too often we take photos digitally and that's where they stay - on our phones, PCs and/or online storage and we rarely look at them. That's what I like about this box, I was soon thinking about how and where I could display these photos.

And I have just the place.

I'm going to add these to the curved wall in our Top Bedroom using the pegs and the twine and most likely some little brass tacks which I'll pick up easily from the local hardware store. They'll bring a nice pop of colour to the room, and will be a great way to display just some of our memories around our house. I think it's the touches like this that make a house a home, don't you?

An offer code for you

The fabulous people at Cheerz are keen for you to try this out for yourself. All you need to do is browse the Cheerz website or use the app to upload your photos. Using the code STECUP will save you £4 off orders of at least £8. It's easy to use, the delivery was quick so with Mother's Day just around the corner, what are you waiting for?

Planning our plot

February 18, 2016

So far this year I haven't purchased any seeds. I probably should have by now I suspect. But all is not lost.

Well I don't think so anyway as this year my gardening bug is showing signs of appearing earlier than normal though, so I think it bodes well - last year it didn't start to twitch until early March.

What I have done though is sat down and started to plan where things might go. From that, I hope I'll have a concentrated seed spend.

Despite plenty of digging only part of our plot is functional; that's the large band at the bottom of my plan above - which currently is hosting the purple sprouting broccoli, some cabbages, a single cavolo nero, onions, garlic, some optimistic potatoes and some more promising broad beans.

We've already planted lavender, sage and mint (in a pot) at the far end of our plot, along with the pink flowering plant which we split into three. As they grow they'll start to form a plant border to stop the foxes running through the crops that we've planted.

The other section that's almost functional is the section just in front of the new compost bins, where we moved the small apple tree to last October. As you can see from the artichoke picture below, the grass has grown back in that section...

My plan

I'm hoping that once the onions and garlic are done I can replace them with my usual "farm" of tomatoes.
Where the purple sprouting broccoli is, I'm planning to plant a row of rosemary cuttings I've cultivated from the large plant I have in my garden.
In the middle right-hand section, as a border I plan to plant some chrysanthemums from my dad's garden, but I'll need to clear some space for those - as well as dig over the rest of that section.
I want to use the far side of the middle left-hand section for my beans this year. This may be a tad too optimistic as there's some large branches from who knows where there, and a grassy mound from some of our first digging attempts there. In its favour there is a metal "goal post" in place which will be ideal for the beans. And to hang some bunting from if I get my act together.
The plan for the bed in front of the new compost bins is for plants we won't need to move. The small apple tree is already there, so are the artichokes. I've got some more strawberries and some rhubarb to move over there once we've re-dug this whole section.

For now, I think that's enough.

What I'll grow

This year I want to grow: tomatoes (of course!), sweetcorn, enough salad to keep us in lettuce, spring onions, pumpkins, spinach and potatoes. I want to grow some flowers too and last September at the Geffrye Museum I left with seeds for Nasturtium and Heartsease - I love their alternative name of Love-in-idleness!

I've also got some Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes douglasii) seeds which I plan to grow to attract the bees over to my plot. The flowers are supposed to look like poached eggs, but I'm guessing not so good on toast...

Fox-like visitors

On our last visit to the plot we checked, as we always do the state of the compost bins. The old ones hadn't got any worse and it seems the foxes hadn't been in them again. Good we thought, that was until we saw the new compost bins.

The foxes it seems have found the new compost bins and have had great fun gnawing and ripping out the cardboard I'd stuffed down the gaps in the pallets. So when I visit next with some time to do some work, my job will be to try to beat the wildlife again. And clear up the mess they've made, if the wind hasn't distributed the cardboard stuffing too far and wide!

I'd thought the foxes had given up with our plot and moved elsewhere. I think they've sensed (or smelt) we've not been around much and so our plot has once again become their playground. I've made a mental note to walk around the plot more often next winter just to discourage them. I hope just being there will dissuade them...

WHAT THE NEW COMPOST BINS SHOULD LOOK LIKE

So that's the start of my gardening bug re-awakening. I know with my north-facing garden I can have a slower start than some of you, but this year I think that'll leave some time to get ahead on the digging.

Have you started to plan what you'll grow this year yet?

Things in 3s: The final three from Made London

February 15, 2016

It's been a while since I visited the Made London show at One Marylebone and today I'm sharing the last of the fabulous makers I met there. In fact it's a timely end to this series as last week I had a day at the Spring Fair at Birmingham's NEC and I plan to start sharing more of what I saw there soon.

1. Head and Haft's functional and beautiful wooden homewares

Wood. Isn't it gorgeous, and who knew you could make such gorgeous bowls from it. These boards too were gorgeous and as smooth to touch as they looked. In some ways they're too beautiful to use everyday, but would I think look great with a nice hunk of English cheese on. Head and Haft are based in Cornwall and as well as these items make some fabulous furniture. Their website isn't live yet, but they say it's coming soon.

2. Theo Wright's silk symmetry scarves

These scarves were just lovely - my favourite is the green and red one on the left. I'd been on the lookout for a non-wooly scarf for MOH and these still are serious contenders. Theo, originally from Derby acknowledged his "latent interest in textiles" while travelling in the late nineties. After acquiring a loom and weaving in his spare time he opened his textile design business in 2011.

These scarves are pure class.

3. Victoria Clare Dawes' hand thrown tableware

Victoria is currently based in Sheffield but her work represents her history which involves travelling and living in New Zealand, North America and the UK. Her designs stand out and she uses simplified icons and repetitions from the Maori kowhaiwhai patterns.

And although the cheese and the cheeseboard were what caught my attention initially - I mean, cheeeese! - it was this jug that I thought was her most beautiful and stunning piece.

There were many more makers at Made London, but the ones I've featured throughout this series are the ones I spoke to and who had plenty of time to speak to the people viewing their wares. It was a pleasure to meet you all, understand more about your craft and share that here on my blog.