Jubilee Tat...

As you may already know I am really excited for the Queens Diamond Jubilee next weekend, I am sure you have also not failed to notice the sheer amount of tacky tat jumping on the Queens celebration band waggon.

And the highly publicised disgust many of us are feeling in relation to where these cheap tacky reams of bunting, crockery and crowns are being made and the terrible conditions people making them are working in. 

I found this possible Banksy image on makewealthhistory.org A fantastic website that highlights the problems with trying to maintain such a wealthy lifestyle at the expense at others.

I cannot single handidly stop the use of sweat shops in production of some things (although I do try to avoid things I know are likely to have been made in less than ideal conditions, and it is partly why I am a champion of charity shops)


Something that we can do is to avoid the sweat shop made tat and to buy some British made tat ...

How do you fancy your own Jubilee lava lamp!

 There have only been a thousand made by Mathmos and at £75 each, I declare they are a useless but exciting piece of British Tat.

Or how about a commemorative mug...

Made by one of Britain's best home ware designers of the moment Emma Bridgewater it is a steal at only £19.95 and if your not clumsy you could keep it forever!

And of course you need bunting...

 This is awesome Jubilee bunting made by British bunting and flag makers Flying Colours 10m for £23.75


or you could just buy something awesome that is made completely in Britain, I think I may buy some Kinky Knickers...

Some hand made undies from Mary Portas, sourced and made in Britain.
Only £10 check here for stockists and news. 

Let it be known I am flying the flag and wearing the knickers for British made products.

10 Awesome things about summer

Please be warned. 

I get quite excitable about summer. 

IT IS AWESOME. there may be a few too many !!!! within this post.

 I can make no apology for them. 

The mood I'm in right now warrants that many.

1. The SUN!!!

2. Awesome fruit (the photo below is a few years old but well worth a re-visit. -I LOVE pineapple)

 3. Camping trips!!!

4. Getting to wear pretty dresses (and flouncing- I flounce a lot when I wear nice dresses!)

5. Which leads me to weddings

6. The eccentric nature of the British really comes out in the summer. (seriously who else would play croquet?)

7. BBQ's (Natch I am English after all!!!)

8.Going in the sea!!! (I've done it on new years day- its not to be recommended, far tooooo cold!!!)

 9. How much better we all look in the sun! Which kind of goes hand in hand with the sun making my hair blonder!

 10. Last but definitely not least BANK HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

and thank you oh so much lovely Queeney for having been on the throne for 60 years. 

I am really happy about this extra bank holiday.

 I will be celebrating your reign with a tea party at church on the Sunday and hopefully a lovely gathering of friends over a barbecue on the Tuesday!

 I will be raising my cider filled glass to you and exclaiming heartily "Long live the Queen" (because if for nothing else,I 'm afraid old prince Charlie will not be patch on you!)

I've started "Running"

So this is one of those- If I put it on my blog I have to do it- posts.

I have started going for irregular runs recently and even though it is a bit of a chore, (I hate having to shower and change more than I need to- Is that gross?) I have so far enjoyed it. 

Let me clarify exactly what I mean when I say "running". 

The last thing I want is for someone to get the wrong idea... By running I mean- jogging for a few minutes, getting a stitch, walking briskly whilst trying to stop myself hyperventilating then repeat over and over for as long as I can deal with - then hobble home. (I don't go far from home, just in case I want to give up after two minutes)

I would also like to point out that I have NEVER been good at running. At school I always got out of the cross country race, my friends and I did win the relay a few times because I had 3 good friends that were brilliant runners and they made up for my slow amble.

This is a 30 before 30 post because I am aiming to run in a 10k race. I have no idea which one, There is one in Winsford on the 28th October but we are considering going to Morocco, (which I have decided is going to be my 30th 30 before 30) or somewhere just as exciting during October half term so we may be out of the country (what a shame!) Another reason I am unsure about when or where I am going to run is i don't know if I am going to improve quickly or not...

 I will keep you updated on my progress. 

Our wedding Day

 I hope you don't mind my indulgent nature in wanting to share some of our memories form our wedding day. We had an amazing day surrounded by so many people we love and we were able to worship and thank God for the wonderful gifts he has given us in each other, family and friends.

It was a cold and windy day there were a couple of dramas and my hair got battered in the wind. But I wouldn't change anything!

There are so many bits to every wedding so I am going to spilt it up a bit in to a few posts. I'm starting with the church and group shots...

 Our proud parents

 

I absolutely love the big group photographs! they look great as a whole but are also a bit like Wheres Wally? because they are loads of different stories and scenarios within them. 

Look out for my mum looking lost on the edge, and try to count how many people are being distracted.

 Its fun.

It Rained. 

For some reason I haven't seen that umbrella or my pashmina since, it is still a mystery...

My family...

Love this check out Arianne's dubious face!

But they did manage it!

30 before 30 reading the whole Bible

As I said in my original 30 before 30 post, I have already read the whole Bible a couple of times. But I have never read it in any specific order. In the past I have written a list of all the books of the Bible and crossed them off when I have read them, or started at the beginning and tried to read as far as I could without getting absolutely mind numbingly bored in Numbers or Deuteronomy. During my degree I read a few parts in great depth, but i have never really followed some sort of logical plan or scheme. 
Until now.

 In 2009 when at Soul Survivor with Jamie's youth group, I bought a Bible in One year. I started reading it on the first of September as instructed with great intentions to keep up and read the whole Bible within the year. I didn't, I couldn't cope with the pressure I put on myself to read large passages every day, when sometimes I would be too tired or hugely rushed to have enough time to read it all that day. So I gave up.

 I picked it up again from where I left off this year. As I was already well out of date, the pressure was relieved and I read at my leisure.

 It has been great I can really recommend it. I have noticed things I haven't before, and have been able to soak up more of the realities of God's gracious nature by reading a passage from the Old testament and a passage from the New testament next to each other every day. (People in the Old Testament messed up A LOT!) Also it is mind blowing to read the Prophecies that refer to Jesus and give great detail about what he will be like, and what he will do, along side the Passages where they are being fulfilled!

I am about three quarters of the way through my Bible in one year now. I will be writing some of my further reflections and personal revelations on here so I can always come back to them and compare them with my future musings.

The day we spent in Oxford

Last weekend Amy and myself went to visit the lovely lady Lucy of Bicester. Bicester is close to Oxford so we day tripped with the best of them and took in many good sights and tasted many a good beverage!

I took on the role of pesky tourist with a camera, Lucy was our tour guide and Amy came up with the jokes...

Amy and Lucy were looking for punters on the water. Unfortunately it was a little too cold to be on the river in a boat!

 There are hundreds of bikes all over Oxford!

 And a random horse

We ended the day in a trendy cocktail bar that was housed inside of a church.
The cocktails were amazing, the stained glass windows exquisite and it also had a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Amy and I were pleased to discover this street sign. To Lucy it was old news but she obliged in taking our picture.

It was a lovely weekend- Thanks ladies.