Aug

06

Avril’s Big Adventure

Business Footsteps / busy / Camper Van / Deliveries / Durham

Two weddings this weekend, both gorgeous. Both Durham graduates, living elsewhere, but returning to the homeland of their affections to seal the deal. Both weddings, surprisingly, had beautiful midnight blue bridesmaids dresses. One wedding was at Durham Castle, the other at the Cathedral. Snazzy. You’ll just have to wait for the lovely shots of those flowers, but if you’re desperate for some, then check out these lovely images by Karen McGowran of Friday’s wedding.

So Avril the van has had an exciting time recently, travelling around the county delivering flowers. Usually, I persuade the ‘handy man’ to do the driving, but this weekend, I drove her myself. Why I chose the weekend to drive through the town centre and up the narrow streets of the busy Bailey, I have no idea…

As I drove along, shrieking slightly, somewhat calmed by my helper for the weekend, Bryony, we wiggled our way along the streets, and onto Palace Green. We enjoyed a brief lap of honour around the Cathedral grounds before squeezing our way through the Castle gates, whilst onlookers laughed, and whipped out video recorders to capture the sight of a neon-yellow van driving prestigiously through to Durham Castle Keep. I wound down the window (squuuueaaaak squeak) and leaned out to say to the groom “I always like to make an entrance”, before parking the van in the courtyard. (Little did he know, as I stepped out of the van, shaking and pretty wobbly from the whole experience, I grabbed my camera in a matter of urgency and asked the lovely Bryony to take as many photos as she could, before cooly asking the chief usher where the chapel was and pretending that everything was completely normal.)

So here’s the shots of that memorable morning, and Avril’s great adventure to Durham Castle for the first time. For shots of the lovely flowers (including coveted David Austin’s) you’ll have to wait a few days…

Posted by | 0 comments
Jun

11

Commitments

busy / church / community / Durham

Been working hard recently, not on the stuffs of weddings, as such, but on a full time Christian project based in Durham City!  The local church is very important to me.  I’m a committed Christian, and I believe in the local church community.  It is, after all, what gave me reason to start this very business I run today.

My church is Kings Church Durham, a vibrant, fairly large church meeting in the centre of Durham.  For the past 6 years (and I’m proud to say I’ve been involved every year!) our church has run a community outreach project, creatively named the June Project.

This year, I volunteered from Wednesday through to Sunday (with plenty of prep time beforehand) to help make the June Project happen. Over 130 people, mainly students at Durham University signed up full-time for the project this year!  We go out all over Durham City wearing our “June Project” T-shirts and volunteer by clearing gardens, singing on the streets, ran fun-days, youth sports events and much much more.

Probably the best way to explain the project is to watch this video, created overnight by some good friends of mine: June Project 2012 Video.

As ever, I kept my camera close – and snapped away at unexpecting participants of the project… It might give you a little overview of what we were up to.

The project always involves lots of gardening.  We clear people’s gardens for free.

One team of delegates from the project worked all week with some youth in one of the local estates.

We had a team of clowns and face painters in town and on the fundays, who entertained children and chatted to them about their lives, and about their faith.

There was also an Acoustic Night as part of the June Project this year, with some very talented people from the church playing a few songs each. It was a great night!

It also rained. A lot. But it didn’t stop us…

Posted by | 1 comments
May

15

Investing in the Future

Business Footsteps / busy / Deliveries / Reflection

Sorry for the quietness of late.  I’ve been ‘investing in the future’; gathering, collecting, researching, ordering, sorting, planning, spending, saving and resting.  The busier ‘wedding season’ approaches, and I have been scurrying around behind the blog curtain preparing and collecting nuts.

I’ve recently invested in a new camera and some new equipment (currently on it’s way half way around the world!) and looking forward to the new climbs this could take Floral Footsteps photography to.  The new camera works a treat.  You might not be able to tell the difference… but here’s a few shots with the new Canon.  Yes, I’m a Canon girl.

This is my friend’s beautiful baby.  Here he is at 10 months having just woken from an afternoon nap:

This is what he used to be like at just 3 months; October Baby Photoshoot.  I love watching him grow up, he’s utterly gorgeous.

And this is my friends cat, Rhino:

Here he is sleeping on the freshly tumble-dried laundry.  Apparently it’s a pretty cosy place to kip.  I don’t think my friend is entirely happy that this is his new favourite thing…

And, because a Floral Footsteps blog almost wouldn’t be complete without some reference to flowers, it’s Peony season, yay!  Here are some beauties I’ve had in my home this past week:

Nature knocks my socks off.

Have you seen the latest baby photoshoot on the website?

Also – what have you been up to, this ‘rainy season’, people?  Have you too been collecting nuts for the Summer Season of business?

Posted by | 1 comments
May

02

Late April Catchup

busy / flowers / Home Life / Spring

I turned 25 this late April.  It rained, a lot.  But it was okay, because I got new wellies without holes in for my birthday.  They’re striped black and olive.  I’m a fussy welly wearer, but these I am very happy with.  Maybe I’ll post pictures of them one day.

We ate a big dinner at my house.  We moved chairs out of the lounge and borrowed a big table.  For the first time in a long time, I held a sit down dinner party for 8.  It felt great.  We used the silver cutlery my grandparents saved up to buy us for our wedding, but have never found a ‘special’ enough occasion to christen.  Food tastes nicer when you’re using new, special cutlery.

Late April also sees the season for bluebells and other wild woodland flowers.  I’ll be able to tell you what they are soon, because I received a wild flower identification book for my birthday.  It has also been very rainy.  Walking the dog has not been a pleasant experience.

I’ve thought about starting to use Flickr again.  Only I don’t like the layout anymore.  After becoming aquainted with Pinterest, and seeing so many Tumblr blogs, Flickr seems a bit outdated.  I want them to revamp it, so I feel cutting edge using it again.  Any of you folk still using Flickr regularly?

And Robinsons flowers are going well. Nearly selling through every week, and I bought some gorgeous tissue paper to accompany it.  I want to frame it and put it up in my house.  Or use it as wallpaper.  Can you use tissue paper as wallpaper, I wonder?

 

 

Posted by | 0 comments
May

19

The Studio

Business Footsteps / busy

Welcome to my new studio, aka the borrowed garage.
This is as glamorous as my pictures get. But beautiful Gloriosa, Lily of the Valley, Oncidium Orchids and a pinboard with pictures on prettify it it, making it a lovely place to spend my time. Actually, I’m so grateful for this new workspace, it’s really quite perfect. I no longer have to pick my way through my kitchen and bathroom with oasis and buckets of flowers anymore. I can return to a normal house, and shut the garage full of pretty creations.
The Floral Footsteps team have been hard at work for the past few days. We’ve a big wedding in Leeds on Saturday that we’re comissioning Avril to help us with. Pictures of our creations to follow. It’s going to be glorious!
Posted by | 0 comments
Apr

03

Wonderful & Exciting New Shoots

Adventure / Business Footsteps / busy / News

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a blog.  That’s because there’s been a lot happening, and I’ve been saving up a whole bunch of exciting news to tell you…

For those of you who know me in person, this may not come as a surprise, but I have big news to share about my life and Floral Footsteps…  Currently, I work full time for an ethical web company based in the North East.  You might have heard of some of the websites; Ethical Superstore, Natural Collection and OneGoodMarket.  You might have even read my blogs on them?(!)  Alongside this, the Floral Footsteps seed was planted about a year ago and has been growing ever since.  I have squeezed in as much floristry, illustration and photography as I can, but there really is only so much you can do when you work elsewhere full time.  So I took the plunge.  I’ve handed in my notice at work and I’ll be leaving on Maundy Thursday(!).

This has been brewing for some time, but handing in my notice was incredibly daunting and yet totally relieving.  Floral Footsteps will now been taking up much more of my time – I can’t wait!  I’m not plunging into full time self employment right now, and hoping to work part time in the week, but I’ll be able to fulfill orders without needing to stay up until Midnight preparing them, be able to take on more work and be able to blog more of my adventures!

Here’s to the beginning of something beautiful.  If you’re reading this – I hope you’ll stick around and read again.  Bookmark me, follow me on twitter or follow this blog (that will make me very happy). It’s going to be quite an adventure – I’ve got so much to share with you!

Posted by | 0 comments
Sep

09

There’s Always Time for Creativity in the Midst of DIY

busy / Craft / DIY

As I explained a month ago, Phil and I delved into a little DIY. Our lounge is currently back to brickwork, with beams, falling plaster and lead covered lighting cables (!). With this enormous ongoing project, reducing us to just two working rooms (a kitchen and a bedroom) we also decided to entirely revamp our bathroom. In hindsight, perhaps this was a bonkers decision.

It used to look like this:

For a while, looked like this:

And now looks a little something like this:

There’s still more to be done, but it certainly feels much nicer!
My Dad (hero of all things practical) and Phil (developing hero of practical things) worked on fitting the floors and plumbing in the suite, and summoned me out of their way. Seizing a small creative opportunity, I grabbed some leftover mosaic tiles, a tube of superglue and an old Amaretto bottle and put my ideas to work, creating a matching vase for the bathroom tiles. I finished it with a silvery ribbon around the top and popped a collection of dried grasses Phil and I borrowed from an obliging beach. It now sits on the windowsill, amongst the tubs of bathroom sealant and decorators caulk.

Creative need satisfied.

DIY Tip from hero Dad: don’t buy expensive border tiles for your bathroom, buy cheap mosaic tiles in the clearance and cut them up. Works a treat!

Posted by | 0 comments
Aug

09

The Latest Project

busy / DIY / projects

I haven’t kept up with blogging as much as I would like. It’s probably because Phil and I come up with all sorts of crazy new projects which take up lots of time! The latest project: knock all the walls down in the lounge in our little cottagey house and then re-do the entire bathroom. Hurrah!

I probably won’t be posting too much over the next few weeks, because my lounge looks a little something like this:
But I’ll try my best to do what I can!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted by | 0 comments
© Copyright Floral Footsteps - Theme by Pexeto