Los Angeles 2013

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

If you follow me on any of my social platforms (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr etc) you will no doubt know that this month I flew out to LA for 10 days to attend Vidcon and also to have some well deserved (ha) R&R with my friends in a house that we rented together.

Latest insta-snaps.

I took so many photos on my phone and vlogging camera and scattered them across the net as I shared them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr and I wanted somewhere central to have them all together.

Aside from a few that I am holding back for future instagrams, this is them. I mostly vlogged the experience (which you can check out on Sprinkle of Chatter) but I love a quick snap here and there.

If I went again (and wasn't filming it), I would take my big girl camera out and photograph everything to buggery, it was such a beautiful place. 

 Alfie and I make our pretty faces. 

For the lady who ends up with Joe- you are lucky. He is an absolute gem and was so lovely to me the whole trip. I want to squish him 24/7. 

My BFF Sully. 

 My real BFF Zoe. We're like peas in a pod- the petite pois and the broad bean ;) 

The gang. Can you tell who's who?

It was lovely to catch up with Kandee Johnson again after meeting her this Spring. She was such a doll and I loved being blonde hair twins. It's the simple things. 

You know those times when you want desperately to be cool? This was one of them. You know those times when you just come across as a babbling clutz? This was also one of them. *Sighs*

I have been watching Karen on YouTube for a little while now and admiring her creativity and enthusiasm and looking forward to potentially bumping into her at some point during my trip. Unfortunately, the point that I did bump into her was after one too many complimentary cocktails at a party and proceeded to rapidly say (very loudly) every single thing that was in my head, including, 'My husband and I can't NOT see the fedex arrow now!!!!'. -If you watch her videos, you'll get that joke. 

Basically, I think Karen's channel is BRILLIANT. I have learnt so much from her craft/tech tutorials and find her really entertaining to watch. I could go on and on all day but this isn't the time. Karen, if you do ever read this, it was such a pleasure to meet you and I hope one day to have a better (aka more sober) chat! Thank you for having a picture with me. NB- Drinking too much isn't cool. Always drink responsibly.

Tyler looking like the Don. 

My newest chum Nikki Phillippi. I've been a viewer of Nikki's channel for quite some time now and always admired her peppy personality and ability to make EVERYTHING interesting. Seriously, I've sat through 20 minute grocery hauls before haha. 

We met at Playlist and planned to film but time escaped us so this time we made fixed arrangements and a video will be with you very soon. Be excited, I am. 

Nikki and I had so much in common and instantly hit it off. I look forward to spending more time with her at future events. :)

 Louis and the LA Sunset. 

Guess who got lucky and was offered a ticket to see 1D open in LA? Yeah, you guessed it, ME! Joey, his friend and I had an absolute blast and if you stay tuned for the vlogs, you'll see how crazy things got. 

The view from the house we rented. Amazing. 

Too much fun was had in this pool. Ever ridden an inflatable whale? I have. 

Always time for a spot of shopping before you head to the airport.  

Golden light and 1960's structures. Be still my beating heart. 

Reading your beautiful letters at the departure gate. 

Naturally these pictures don't reflect all the special people I met or the amazing moments I had but they are a fun representative of my trip. 

Corny as this sounds, I learnt a lot this past fortnight. I learnt that whilst stepping out of your comfort zone is incredibly frightening (and can lead to secret sobbing in airport toilets) it usually results in good things. I learnt that going with the flow allows adventures to happen. I learnt that having no wifi can be extremely liberating and I learnt that I am stronger than I thought I was. I also learnt that the most interesting things in the world, no matter where you go are people. No matter what they do or where they come from they all have stories to share and they are worth listening to. 

LA, you were great. Let's do it again sometime. 

Would you like to hear more about the trip, LA or Vidcon? Leave a question and I'll do a follow up Q&A post. 

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Toodlepip!

xx

A Hidden Gem

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Last week I was looking through our backup drive searching for some blog photos that I have lost. 

Whilst I was searching through I found the sweetest photo that Matt took when Darcy was less than a week old and couldn't not share it.

Life goes so quickly. It seems like a second and an eternity since she was this small. I feel like I have been a mother forever and can't imagine a life without my sweet baby girl. Saying that, it still feels like just yesterday that I was graduating university or that we were buying our house. Time is confusing and hard to put your finger on.

I love this picture because it's un set-up, un complicated and full of love. I wish I had a picture like this of me and my Mother. 

More and more I find myself wanting another little human in our lives.

What is your favourite memory with your Mother or with you babies?

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Toodlepip!

xx

Wicker Chair Upgrade

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Why oh why did nobody tell me sooner about the wonders of spray paint?!

I bought this wicker chair for Darcy from a vintage emporium (see blog post and pictures of it HERE) for about £15 and whilst the colour is inoffensive, it didn't look very special in my living room.

Add a can of spray paint and some elbow grease and wowee, wowee, brand new chair. 

Before you spray, it's best to lightly sand (or get your little sister to do it for you, heh heh), wipe off any dust and debris and take it into a well ventilated space. 

The spray paint I used was from a craft store and under £10. Be sure to check the label to see if it is suitable for the surface you are using it on, ie. wood, metal etc. 

I decided to leave it at one coat but if you wanted a completely covered look, with no natural wood colour showing through, I would go for two. I prefer the shabby chic, slightly aged effect. 

The chair now fits perfectly into our lounge which is where we spend the majority of our time. Darcy feels very special to have her own little place and if we decide it doesn't work for the space anymore, it's small enough to fit in lots of other nooks. 

This was such a fast, affordable project that I am now continually on the hunt for new things to paint. I have been doing more and more projects around the house lately and can't wait to share a full tour with you soon. 

This last tour I did was Darcy's room whilst I was pregnant (link), so I am well overdue!

What do you like to do to spruce your rooms up? Have you done any projects lately?

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Toodlepip!

xx