Wishing you the best for the new year.

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post, my 365 project was one I was exceptionally proud of at the end - I love projects where individual failures and successes are nothing compared to the overall outcome.  

However, during my procrastinating on the internet, I have found that where ever a daily project appears, it is followed by a stream of comments mentioning their size, the commitment involved or simply how intimidating they seem.  But they are not!  Once again my mother's, slightly bizarre, wisdom is relevant - it is like eating an elephant, look at the whole thing and, sure, it's going to seem like a lot to manage, so just take it one bite at a time.

And it is true, each day is just one photograph.  One simple little picture.  I bet most of you reading take pictures on your iPhones, perhaps you use instagram or share them on your own blog.  Heck even if you don't, it takes less than thirty seconds to take a snap of your shoes in the crunchy leaves or the steaming cup of tea that might be in your hand right now.  One picture a day can hardly be intimidating, right?  

Anyway, it is the last day of 2012 and much like the last few days, I am sat on the floor drinking coffee and watching the rain.  Really I should be packing as in a couple hours I will be leaving my flat to go on a mini-break (to the seaside!!) for new year with my closest friends.  I am super excited!

I hope to see the new year in (no matter how heavy the rain) with Prosecco in hand standing in the sea, so I better pack my mac!

I will be back on the second but until then, I am wishing you all best wishes for the new year and thank you all for reading my little space.

My photo-a-day 365 project.

In 2011 I embarked on a photo-a-day project with my shiny new point-and-shoot, the Canon Powershot.  I knew very little about photography aside from the rule of thirds and how to take very unattractive pictures of sweaty friends in clubs, but I had endless enthusiasm (and an ongoing desire to procrastinate from revision).

I loved having a reason to take pictures every day, to appreciate the small things in my house and life.  Some of my pictures were horrendous and some were the first photos I have ever felt proud of.  But most of all I learnt - I learnt about angles and colours, the use of flash, the use of lines and how even the most mundane household object has an interesting angle.  

I am not going to do this project again (a few memories of sitting up in bed in the wee hours thinking oh my gosh I forgot to take a picture promptly followed by desperately trying to make an unwanted cup of tea look artistic keep me certain of this decision) however for furthering my skills, I could not have done anything of more value.

Now I have a posh camera, I have a vague understanding of what is meant by f-stop and I have dabbled in the world of manual settings but nothing has taught me as much as actually forcing myself to take something novel every single day.

Have any of you done a 365 project before?  I'd love it if you could link it to me!

Contemplating a new year and new resolutions.

 

Well I am finally back home in Cardiff; the presents are unpacked, food stolen from my mother's fridge has been distributed into cupboards and the windowsill has been replenished with birdseed once more.  Now Christmas is over I am thinking of the new year ahead and how best to use those three hundred and sixty five days (besides writing my tedious dissertation) - what are you guys doing? Any 365 photo projects about to be embarked upon or perhaps courses like Ali Edward's One Little Word?  I would love to know your plans, I feel the need for  a little inspiration!

ps - these pictures are from my first dabble in the world of macro filters and whilst they have absolutely no bearing to anything else on this post, I kinda like them.

Closing up on Christmas.

So Christmas has finally started to wind down; my mother is back at work and James and I are once again sat at our respective books studying.  It is always a little sad when the magic finally starts to wear off and the guilt-free-cocoon of Christmas is no longer an excuse to do nothing but sit and eat and read.  But that said, I am still at the family home for a couple more days, the fire is lit and my toes are toasty, so I'm not quite done yet!  

Although as I write this my younger brother and step-sister (who is more than eight years my junior) have just rolled in, bleary-eyed and muddy, from some all-night field rave-thing.  I can honestly say I have never felt quite so middle-aged.  I think I might put my hot water bottle down now and go to the pub to reclaim my youth...

(or just snuggle a little deeper into this blanket.  I mean, who am I really kidding?)

December's Songs: Merry Boxing Day.

Merry boxing day.  I hope you all are full and contented and that your Christmases have been peaceful (or if not, at least the non-stressful-and-fun kind of manic).  

Just a short post today as the fire is lit and there are books to be read and family to talk to, so here are my cosy, long afternoon songs (best listened to with mulled wine in hand).

Making Christmas: the finished product.

Merry Christmas eve all.  I hope where ever in the world you may all be, you are all feeling festive and snug. 

There is not a lot to say today, I just wanted to share the finished product of my making Christmas series - I have put it after the page break in an attempt to prevent my mother from having a peak before Christmas day!  

Making Christmas #8: Chocolate Spoons.

Another last minute project for chucking into the hampers and it is so simple it almost feels like cheating!  I bought a spoon mold at a local kitchen shop but you can also buy them here on amazon.  Then to make these beauts you literally just melt the chocolate of your choice, pour it into the molds and let them harden overnight.  To make them a bit special, once they are hardened flick melted chocolate (of a different colour) over the surface, wait for them to dry and wrap them up.

I am going to wrap mine up in grease-proof paper and twine and slip them into the hampers .  (Apart from the one I currently using to stir my coffee (a proper mocha) and the one that James has stolen for eating ice-cream)!

Learning lino-printing.

So I have finally learnt to manage the whole scheduling posts in advance malarkey (hence my organisation with all my Christmas projects) however it has left me feeling like a strange automaton has taken over my small corner of the internet.  So this is my rebellion, an impromptu post as I procrastinate from writing my assignment!

Apologies for the shoddy photograph, I completely forgot to take a proper picture when I was done so I just pulled this one off of my phone.  This is my first properly finished lino-print of my mother's very handsome dog!  There are a million mistakes and imperfections and there are a lot of changes I wish I could make (the permanent nature of printing to a girl who lives with one hand on the Ctrl+z short cut and has an industrial eraser in her bag at all times takes some adapting to) but I do like it.

Have any of you guys tried lino printing?  Any advice you could impart for next time?

Making Christmas #7: Christmas Cranberry Chutney.

I think that Chutneys are some of the loveliest presents to receive for Christmas.  Initially I always overlook them in favour of more exciting gifts, but then, when boxing day arrives and you are feasting on cold leftovers, Chutneys are the make or break factor.  This recipe makes a very tart chutney, so do feel free to add a little more sugar if you feel it necessary.  I literally cannot wait to have this spread thickly in my cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches.

You will need:

     1kg Bramley apples

     500g of fresh cranberries

     450g finely chopped onions

     75g of finely chopped fresh ginger

     1 tbsp of whole black peppercorns

     500g granulated sugar

     250 ml red wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients into a heavybased saucepan and cook on a low heat for about an hour.  You want to chutney to have cooked off most of the watery liquid but for the fruit to still have some bite.  

Spoon into sterilised jars and give all (except one jar) away.

Making Christmas #6: Ombre-effect dipped candles.

As you can find instructions for making pillar candles all over the internet, I don't feel I have much to add regarding the basics.  I used this website here, but made some adaptations following much trial-and-error.

My additional hints and tips are:

- Instead of using a proper double boiler, putting the wax base (whether beeswax or paraffin beads) into a heatproof heavy-based jug into a large pan of boiling water works pretty darn well.
- It can be a nightmare to get the candle out of the mold!  The website I have linked (as with many others) suggest putting the candle in the fridge for 15 minutes - use the freezer!!  15-30 minutes in the freezer, then run the mold under the hold tap and the candle slides out peasy.
- Don't worry about a 'wick-rod', an old chopstick is a much more money efficient tool, and as for the 'sealer' just use a bit of blu-tac!

We trialed several different brands of wax-dyes and did not like any of them - the colours looked very artificial and plasticky.  Then I came across a Martha Stewart tutorial for Dip-Dyed candles which uses bog-standard wax crayons to colour the wax.
We dipped our candle according to her instructions but only for 5 seconds, then allowed the wax to harder.  Then we dipped the candle in the coloured wax again (another 5 seconds) but only half of the depth that we had previously dipped it.  Once cooled, we did this for a final time, but only dipping the bottom 1 cm of the candle into the coloured wax.  The building up of the coloured layers created a lovely ombre effect.

Making Christmas #5: Peppermint Creams.

These little packets of peppermint creams are the perfect last minute addition to any hamper or given as small treats with your Christmas cards.  They are super super simple, look pretty and taste awesome.

You will need:

     1 egg white

     60 ml double cream

     About 500g icing sugar (plus a little more)

     Peppermint essence

     A big bar of dark chocolate.

Mix the egg white and the cream into a bowl.  Sift in the icing sugar gradually and beat it in until it forms a stiff paste.  I added the peppermint cream at this point, I can't tell you how much to use because it depends how pepperminty you want them to taste.  I like them strong so added a teaspoon and then some more (and then a little more).  Just be aware that the more you add the stickier your dough will become, so the more icing sugar you will ultimately need.

Dust your work surface with icing sugar and then dollop the paste out onto it.  Knead it a little, using more icing sugar if it is too sticky.  When it is not too sticky, roll the dough out into a sausage shape and cut into slices, making disks about one centimeter thick.  Place the disks on grease-proof paper and let them dry for several hours or overnight if possible.  When they are dry enough, melt the dark chocolate in a deep bowl or mug, then dip half of each peppermint cream into the chocolate - dunk them quickly though so they don't re-melt.  If needs be you can always double dip them.  Let them harden again on the grease-proof paper then divvy them out and wrap them up.

I made pouches out of presentation paper I bought from a kitchen shop.  I picked two festive threads and hooked up the sewing machine and sewed along three edges, popped in five peppermint creams per packet and then stitched the top, adding a label and a ribbon for good measure.

Easy Peasy deliciousness.

Making Christmas #4: Limoncello recipe.

So there is just enough time to squizz this one in before Christmas - a cheats Limoncello recipe:

You will need:

4 unwaxed organic lemons

75cl bottle of vodka

550g caster sugar

525ml boiling water

Stage one, zest the lemons making sure you don't get any of the pith with it.  Drop the zest into large, sterilised jar and pour the vodka over it.  Shake vigorously for a couple minutes and then shake a couple times every day for a week.  

After 7 days stage two commences; put the sugar into a bowl and pour the freshly boiled water over the top and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.  When the sugar syrup has cooled, pour it into the jar with the vodka and lemons.  Again shake for a couple minutes and then shake a couple times everyday. 

Ideally leave it for a week, however I am fully aware that would take you past Christmas... so at the last possible moment, strain it and pour into the decorative bottles (or into mason jars as is the current trend) and give as a lovely, boozy gift with a couple of pretty glasses.

An old adventure - Nepal dreaming.

Life round here the last couple days has been a little essay filled and lacking general excitement.  Don't get me wrong, things are good; stew is cooking in the oven, James is making an apple crumble in the kitchen and the Christmas lights are twinkling, but things have been a little unphotogenic.  So I thought instead today I would share some old adventures.  The ones that these cold, quiet nights make me nostalgic for.  

These pictures are all taken on my old Nikon point-and-shoot, so the quality isn't always great and I can't size them the same as other photos on this blog (which is driving me a little mental) without making them all pixely, but I love each and everyone of them and I feel they deserve their moment.

Disclaimer: I really don't want to become one of those people who endlessly discuss their worldly experiences as - firstly they annoy the hell out of me and secondly I still have a long way to go before I can feel worldly.  For the most part I just wanted to share these photographs.

 

From endless leeches and monsoon rain to washing elephants and climbing mountains, Nepal is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  We outran landslides and ate more bananas than I ever thought possible, befriended stray cats and got mugged by a monkey and had the best adventures.

 

We were fortunate enough to stay with the most wonderful family in the Himalayas, three days walk from civilisation whilst we helped teach English in the local school.  The family lived in one tiny room and cooked all their meals on a small woodburning stove, they ate nothing that they couldn't grow or trade (think pumpkin curry three meals a day) and maybe once every couple of days, for thirty minutes they would have electricity.  

In celebration of our arrival they had traded rice for dried yak meat (if you're curious - try chewing on the oldest pair of leather boots you own) and from that moment on we spent long, dark evenings sat around the log stove talking in broken English and our even more damaged Tamang.  

There is one moment especially I treasure.  Within minutes of our arrival, Maya asked us endless questions about how big our ovens were, how many rooms our house had, how many clothes we owned and how many 'technologies' we owned.  Eventually (using the small English-Tamang dictionary we all coveted at such occasions) I managed to ask Maya why she shook her head at each of our answers.

She responded that we would die young because of all our worries and stresses.  If you have less you need less choices and become happier.  

 

Nothing like being direct I suppose..

 

 

Yes, more pictures of frosty plants.

There might come a day when I grow tired of sharing frosty pictures...but it might not be for a while!  Something about crispy, crunchy ground never fails to make me contented.  I went home to visit my mother for her birthday and we walked the dogs in the morning, or more I lingered trying to picture every moment as my mother marched on leaving me behind to do the dangerous speed-scamper across the ice to catch up.  It was, as ever, beautiful.

I feel like today I have run out of words.  I have spent my whole day at the library, typing endless dull and meaningless words and now all my meaningful words have run out, or are sulking or something.  I'm sure they'll sort themselves out by tomorrow.  Plus, who needs words when you have mulled wine, a hot water bottle and a bath bomb from Lush in the shape of a snowman?  

That's me settled for the evening.

The hunt for the perfect calendar.

Sources:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I am on the hunt for the perfect calendar for next year and it is turning out to be quite the challenge!  There are just so many, incredibly talented individuals I found it impossible to narrow down these from the hundreds I initially bookmarked.  Currently I am torn between the calendar with the eggs on (they are so beautiful) and this one...

I keep coming back to Megan's work time and time again.    Her drawings are slightly dark and wholly magical - I suggest you go and have a peek.  I think as I am typing this I have actually made my decision...

Happy Birthday Mumsie.

Happy Birthday Mum.  I love you tonnes (which obviously explains why I feel the need to torture you by sharing these pictures).  Thank you for everything.

A plea for help.

Okay, so I have finally caved and joined this twitter thing.  I feel practically middle-aged - this newfangled platform has me stumped!  I am @jaibess if you fancy sharing any twitter based advice with me to get me started :)  thank you!

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas.

So this year, very proudly, I have made most of my gifts (I still have a few more projects I want to squizz in here before the big day).  This was in part because I am a poor, penniless student and also as in general I loathe shopping; I'm no good in crowds, I find endless shops filled with identical wares really frustrating and I would always rather support independent makers over big chain stores.  However, it dawned on me - the huge mistake I had been making - my lack of Christmas shopping meant that I had forgotten the few joys associated with town.

Cardiff hosts the best and tackiest German themed market which I love.  Plastic glasses filled with sugary mulled wine or mulled cider, standing at the freezing outside bar, donkey spotting and people watching - guessing what kinds of presents may be in their overfull bags, all the time surrounded by tinny Christmas tunes and twinkly lights.  I can't believe I nearly forgot to go.

So I made a special detour.  And accidentally bought sparkly nail polish, which is why I should never go to town.

My father (and the tree).

I apologise for the erratic posting, things are going to be getting calmer from now.  Today I traveled half of Britain and I visited my father.  He is part of a tree, you'll find him 20 rings deep I believe and I cannot tell you what a revelation that is.