summer skin.

we've been experiencing a heatwave here in england. we're into the high twenties and hopefully staying for a while...

also of note - there's no air conditioning here. i mean none. large office buildings might be, but not mine. and definitely not our house. one can cope with a fan and open windows, (thank goodness for allergy medication!) but anyway you cut it, it's warm. so now, a completely frivolous post about summer make-up :)

i don't want to wear heavy foundation in the heat, and while i normally go for a powder (bare minerals, yes please!) it can be a bit tricky when droplets of perspiration wet your brow. in comes, the tinted moisturiser. i've been using this one for years, i love the coverage, and the dewy but not wet look it gives. keihl's ultra facial tinted moisturiser with SPF 15 is my summer go-to.

allergies and itchy, watery eyes can spell disaster for mascara. well unless it's blinc and it's amazing. it only comes off with warm water and slight pressure, so it also means an end to eye makeup remover!

personally, i look better with a little colour on my cheeks - something that suggests i have health and vitality, even when i'm not sleeping very well because it's so darn hot! clinique blushwear cream stick works very well with the tinted moisturiser and blends well in the heat. a slightly bronzy glow is preferred so i like shy blush.

and finally, don't forget those lips! staying with natural look i choose a pink lipstick from laura mercier - aptly named rose. but on days i want a little extra punch i take a cue from marvellous and go all out with a fuschia from mac.

this is my bare bones daily summer look - i don't really do much in the way of eye shadow or eyeliner in the summer - creases and smears just don't wear well - and i like the fresh faced look.

now let's just hope this fabulous weather continues and i'll be all set!

wednesday wanderings.

the sun has finally broken through! this momentous event deserves recognition. as someone said to me yesterday, all this weather tracking just tells us what we already know - this has been the wettest spring ever. and it really has, rain and rain and COLD. yesterday there was not one, not two, but THREE hail storms. not pretty, particularly seeing as i was caught in one as i dashed from bus stop to train station.

i read this blog post today and thought, yes, i should go for a walk. so instead of rushing to the gym for a lunch time workout, i strapped on my trainers and took to the streets. who knows if this weather will last - it would have been an injustice to mankind to bury myself in the basement of a building sweating it under florescent lights.

i popped in my headphones and listened to my bible readings for today. have you ever listened to scripture instead of read it? it's a completely different experience. i'm not sure i concentrate as well, i learn very well from reading - all those masters papers i suppose - but hearing the word changes it. makes me hook on phrases that i might miss otherwise. not a substitute - just a different manner of engaging with god.

so i wandered around, and remarked to myself how amazing it is that i work in the centre of iconic london. from the staff room window i can see st paul's, down the street is trafalgar square, next door is the royal courts of justice and over the bridge is the london eye. it's pretty spectacular and it's worth remembering. i'm sure it won't always be this way.

what a day for a walk. for the word.

let your steadfast love, o lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. psalm 33:22

for bebe.

we all know how much i love babies, and maybe more than that, i love making for babies. in the past couple of years i've made dozens of little items. there are a few good things about making for baby. it's fast, the wool is soft and the stuff is cute. i never look at a baby item and not swoon. well except for maybe weird things with monsters - what is it with monsters on baby items?

i digress. in a few weeks another of our clan will welcome their first babe. it's an exciting time. and while i pretty much make something for any baby i even hear of appearing on the scene, there are some babies who are just that little bit more special. they tend to fall into the category of 'family, or might as well be family we are just that tight' this babe is of the second order. and because i've not yet made a baby blanket that hasn't been well received (no pun intended) i thought i'd do it again. seeing as this wee-one is to be a summer child, we needed something a bit lighter and more airy. and because i actually did much of this while travelling last month, i opted to crochet instead of knit.

i worked off this pattern on purlbee.com - just sized it down to be about 22" x 26". i finished the edges with a single crochet edge. this was very simple, if not a little repetitive. the colour, well, i went with a grey because the gender is, as yet, unknown. i think the element of surprise is so much fun! and i'm all about neutrals anyway. the yarn is drops baby merino. it's my go-to for all baby projects, great feel to the yarn and fully washer and dryer friendly, which is so important with baby items.

we hope the wee-one will snuggle up with the blanket for years and years to come.