Live it . Love it . Make it.: February 2012

Love it: Marie Claire S/S 12 Runway Edit

This week my lunch hour has been filled with McQueen, Jacobs, Vuitton and Chanel! I love a good magazine fashion edit, mostly the pretty pictures, but also getting to know key trends. I am not a 'trendy' dresser I wear what I like, but I always enjoy looking at fabrics and colours and cuts.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one, I love the layouts.

It is great to get ideas for designs, customising clothes in your wardrobe and even for colours combinations to use for all sorts of craft projects.

Love it

Sammy xxx

Love it: Oscars Red Carpet Style 2012

Octavia Spencer

I am a big movie fan, to be more accurate, I am a big movie star fan, I love a good red carpet fashion parade. I adore a show of sequins and ruffles, and there is no better red carpet show than the Academe Awards! I stayed up late last night watching the event and wanted to share some of my favourite frocks and suits with you. Great to seeing some delicious curves rocking the red carpet this year.

Sherri Shepherd

Melissa McCarthy

I adore Octavia Spencer's dress by designer Tadashi Shoji. Super flattering!

Love the electric blue of Sherri Shepard's gown, and I liked the style of Melissa McCarthy's Marina Rinaldi gown although I don't think the colour was the best choice, but gorgeous hair and make-up.

Then there are the boys, my favourite, Mr Quinto was rocking his DJ! Mr Clooney looked his gorgeous self, didn't need to pick up an Oscar, he already had Stacy Keibler Looking HOT in Gold Marchesa.

Zachary Quinto and J.C. Chandor

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler

Lots of love for the Peplum this year with Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera and Michelle Williams in a red Lace Louis Vuitton.

Tina Fey

Michelle Willaims

My Husbands favourite Anna Faris sparkled in Diane Von Furstenberg,

Unfortunately doing what her character did in Bridesmaids, Rose Byrne outshone her in a backless Vivienne Westwood creation.

My Favourite Lady was Glenn Close In Zac Posen, with the exception of the embroidery on the train (perfect example of guiding the Lilly), I LOVE the colour, the fishtail the detailing in the bodice, the jacket.... need I go on, Divine!!

Images Courtesy of http://oscar.go.com and http://www.dailymail.co.uk check them both out for more divine red carpet action.

Love it Red Carpet Style!

Sammy xxx

Love it: Sharing my Birthday

Tonight I am off to my Mum and Dads for a lovely roast dinner with my Husband, to kick of the week long celebrations that are our Birthdays.

Let's start at the beginning, next Friday is My Grandpa's birthday, he will be 91, and he is the most awesome Grandpa in the world... Ever! Then on Saturday it is not only My Birthday (lets not mention that it is a big 30 type birthday) but it is also my Husband's, and to make it more expensive for my Dad, the next day, the 4th, it is my Mum's Birthday! Yes we love the first weekend of March in our house!

This year my Mum said that she would really like a day in London with me for her gift, We work together everyday, but it is so sweet that she wants to spend quality time with me too, so I have made her a little gift voucher to put in her card, I can't wait to spend the day with my Mum, looking at pretty things and eating cake!

Birthday fun, Love it!

Sammy xxx

Make it: Loom Knitting

Last night, I went to a Loom Knitting class that Tea and Crafting held at Craft Central, in London.

So we started with Tea, which is always a great bonus and were given our loom, wool and crochet hook. The loom we were using is good to make square or rectangle shapes - good to make your granny squares quickly for a blanket! You can also get circle looms to make hats, mittens or even socks! Using the loom means that the knitting you do is thicker than usual knitting and so whatever you make is even warmer! Good for those blankets I mentioned!

Anyway, to the process. To start with we had to make a slip knot to put over one of the pegs, we were not using the whole of the length of the loom for the workshop so that we could learn all of the skills in the lesson, or we may have been there all night! Once the knot is over a peg you put the knot and the tail down the middle of the loom and the start to do a zig zag across the pegs to make 'V' shapes to the desired length, then put over the top a length of different coloured wool - all will be revealed later! It's then back to the zig zags - which is a reoccurring theme in loom knitting! Once you have 2 stitches as such on each peg, you use the crochet hook to pull the bottom stitch over the top one on both sides of the loom and then you do the zig zags again and repeat the stitches part and that as they say is as simple as that!

When you have done quite a few of these rounds the knitting will start to come out through the middle and you will see that your different coloured wool is easy to see and is holding the end of the knitting together. You can then use your crochet hook to finish off the ends by pulling the stitches through, just like crochet.

The teacher Jane was really good, very patient and making sure that everyone knew the steps. She was very friendly and chatting to us about crafts and good places to look for wool and looms. There was plenty of tea and cakes to eat to keep us going and even if you don't know anything about knitting, the loom is a great way to be able to knit and not have to worry about dropping stitches or counting!

I think I am going to try and make lots of large squares and perhaps make a baby blanket for my new niece who is coming in March. I know its quick and easy, but I think I should get on with it! Otherwise It may be her baby's blanket! ha, ha.

So thanks go out to Tea and Crafting for teaching me a new skill and giving me a new obsession! Or maybe I should not thank them!!! ha, ha, ha.

Love it

Live it: Teaching Abroad

Photo courtesy of www.teflengland.co.uk

So its been a busy week this week for us at Live it. Love it. Make it HQ! With Sam checking out the Valentine's Pop up shop in Maidenhead and H doing a few days Study to take on a TEFL course - Teaching English as a Foreign Language - with TEFL England.

On Monday, I took myself down to the Holiday Inn in Mayfair - It was nice to walk the streets of such a lovely area. It was 3 days of intensive Classroom training to give you skills and knowledge in speaking in front of people and practising Lesson plans. It also gave me an update of my English skills! Being a native English speaker, I mainly rely on the fact that I know the words and I don't remember as far back as Primary school to help with how I learnt it in the first place! well who does!

I met some lovely people, a real mix of cultures and stories of why they were doing the course and what they wanted to do. One couple had just packed up their home and were just about to move over to Cambodia next Wednesday! Yep, that's right, next week! What an adventure. Some people planned to work in English language schools here in Britain and others wanted to use it to do some travelling, a bit like me.

We had some great help from a little teddy bear we aptly named Teddy, to help us show each other what we meant using actions, rather than words all the time. You don't have to speak the language of that country to work there and I think that really helps to open up the opportunities. I think most people would want to learn the language while they were there though at least!

The great thing about the opportunities available as a English teacher abroad is that you can teach all levels, from beginners right through to advanced, although I think the beginners might be a good place to start for me to build up my confidence! One of the things our teacher told us was to get over feeling like a fraud when it comes to teaching. The best thing to do is to immerse yourself in it and the culture you are living in!

So next for me is the Online part of the course, which helps me to use all that I have learnt for some writing skills and show that I have taken it all in! I think I might let it all sink in for a few days and then start that part. I have up to six months to take the Online part, but I think getting it done while it is fresh in your mind is probably better!

But today, is something new, I thought I should use my creative side of the brain tonight, so have booked on a Knitting Loom course with Tea and Crafting! I shall tell you all about that tomorrow!

Live It

Love it: Grammy's Red Carpet Dresses 2012

It was the Grammy's On Sunday, and as I was surfing MTV.com today I skipped over to spy on the best bit of any glamorous event, the Red Carpet looks!

This is my pick of the US v's UK Ladies, showing us all how to do Metallic fishtails Taylor Swift and Jessie J, and looking Smoking in Black Rhianna and Adelle... I think proving that you can look AMAZING in every size!

Photos by Getty Images Via MTV.com

My far and away fave has to Kelly Osbourne, a vision in Gold floor length sequin, not sure about the lilac hair but I don't hate it, is that wrong??

Photos by Getty Images Via MTV.com

I cannot wait for the Oscars, anyone having an Oscar night Party???.......

can I come ;)

Sammy xxx

Love it: Valentines

"For this was Saint Valentine's Day,

when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."

Geoffrey Chaucer

Being a married lady I quite like Valentines day, which I'm sure wont surprise you, but even when I was single I never hated it as some people seem to, I always look at it as a way to show all the people I love how much they mean to me.

So today, St Valentines Day, maybe take some time to tell your loved ones how important they are to you, whether its your Mum, Dad, Brothers or Sisters, Friends or Partners. Valentines should really just be about sharing the LOVE, whatever form it may take.

Love it

Sammy xxx

Love it: Craft Coop Valentines Pop Up Shop

What better way to spend a lazy Sunday Morning than strolling around a lovely indoor craft fair.

I tell you what I was super proud to be a Maidonian yesterday, with such amazing talent getting together and putting on such a great Valentine's Weekend Pop Up shop!

Bravo to all involved in the Craft Coop.

I managed to have a little chat with most of the stall holders and the thing that came across most was how nice it was for them to connect with other artists and designers.

As for the shoppers, they said how lovely it was to be able to meet the artisans face to face and that they were really excited to be buying from locally established traiders.

There were some amazing goodies on display, I could not resist a resin flower ring from Yolande Dennis and I just had to try the Lemon Drizzle Cake from Happy Cakes. It was so divine, I just Had to buy a whole tray to take home to the Husband, well it would have been rude not to!

I had a delightful morning and met some really lovely people, some who I had met before and some who were new to me, all of whom I look forward to meeting again soon.