101 Things in 1001 Days #59

Go Without Chocolate for 2 Weeks

 I am not overly sure what I was thinking when I was putting together my 101 Things list, but this one is a cruel one! I am a great lover of chocolate, as is Nick. Although I don't eat it everyday, we usually have some form of chocolate in the house so that if we want it we can have it (not that it stays in the house for long when Nick sniffs it out). Anyhow, after eating all sorts of rubbish at Glastonbury, I am currently working on eating healthier & exercising more, so now would be as good a time as any to cut chocolate from my diet too! So here is my journey of not having chocolate for 2 weeks...

Day One:

Day 1 of no chocolate - I met my Mum for Lunch & almost ordered a luxury hot chocolate in M&S. Ooops!

Day Four:
We had dinner at my Parents house this evening, as my Aunty & Uncle are visiting from America. They handed out After Eight Mints & I almost had one but Nick reminded me (rather smuggly might I add) that I couldn't have one. Damn it!!

Photo Source

Day Six:
Treated myself to a Blueberry Muffin - I forgot these existed. They are so yummy & such a great alternative to standard chocolate. Definitely my new favourite!

Day Seven:
Just finished my lunch & I am dying for a yummy, sweet, chocolatey treat to help get me through the afternoon. It is actually really difficult to find a sweet snack in the shops that doesn't contain some form of chocoalte. 1 week left.

Day Ten:
I got Nick some chocolate for our Anniversary - he is now sat eating it & keeps offering me pieces. I can smell it. It smells amazing.


Day Twelve:
I'm baking cupcake for my friends birthdays - they are chocolate cupcakes & include a nice big tub of Betty Crockers Chocolate Fudge Icing. This is the worst kind of torture.

Day Forteen:
Final day of this nasty challenge! I am praying that I haven't developed some sort of chocolate intolerance because of this!


And we're done - Go without Chocolate for 2 weeks. Tick. Although I didn't miss chocolate as much as I thought I would, it was still quite hard. Especially during the afternoons at work. I can confirm that I probably won't be doing this again but I think I will definitely eat less chocolate from now on...

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #33

Happy Thursday!

Another week that is flying by so quickly!

Image Source

I love this weeks Thursday Thoughts. It is completely true that those who are happiest make the best of every situation in life. No one has a perfect life. Perfect doesn't really exist. But you can make a happy life by staying positive.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #93

Go to a Flea Market

 I have never been to a Flea Market before, but it is something I have always wanted to go to. Luckily I have the Shepton Mallett Flea & Collectors Market about 15 minutes from me, so no excuses to not cross this one off my list. So off I trundle last Sunday with my Gran, who was more than happy to come along with me (although I'm sure it had something to do with the cheap upholstery fabric)!

 

 

I had no idea what to expect really or even how much money to take. But I knew what I was going for - a chair & some fabric - & made sure I only took cash for the amount I was happy to spend. I saw a few nice chairs, but most of them had already been painted & upholstered. I wanted something that was going to be more of a project so picked up this little beauty. It needs to be sanded, varnished & the padded seat needs covering but it's perfect. Just what I was hoping to find & at £25, I really did pick up a bargain!

There was so much other stuff to see & although we weren't there for the Jewellery, Paintings, China or Retro Phones(!) we still had a browse before moving on to the fabric. I knew it was going to be cheap fabric as a friend had mentioned how cheap it was when she went but I didn't expect it to be £1.50 a meter! At first, I thought "you can see why some of the rolls are £1.50 a meter" but then the most beautiful fabric caught my eye. There were three different varieties, all the same pattern but slightly different colours. One blue, one green & one blue & gold. I opted for the blue & gold as I thought it would match my chair perfectly. I would say I only needed around 1/2 a meter for my chair, but at £1.50 a meter it would be rude not to get more...so I got an extra 2.5 meters to keep safe in my fabric stash! You know, just in case.
 

It was such a successful morning & I am so excited for the next one. There was so much more I could of purchased, but I didn't want to go too crazy. I am hoping to make some new cushion covers soon so this would be the most ideal place to pick up some fabric for these. I will definitely update you on my next trip. Have you ever been to a Flea Market before? Did you pick up any bargains?

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #47

Sell Something I Have Made Myself

 If you keep up with my blog posts, you will know from one of my previous posts that I have recently set up my own Etsy Shop. I wasn't sure how it would go, or whether I would even sell anything but it is something I always wanted to try, so decided to take the plunge. Two weeks ago, I actually sold an item. Little old me. I was so pleased it even made it into my 100 Happy Days! And it is another thing crossed off of my 101 Things...

I am so pleased & am hoping that this will lead to more sells in the future (fingers & toes crossed) as it is very exciting sending out handmade items that people like enough to actually buy. It is definitely a proud moment & even if this is the only sell I make, I am still really pleased.

Have you ever sold your own handmade items?

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #32

Happy Thursday!

This week is flying by, which is great for me as it means I am getting closer to starting my new job.

Photo Source

It sounds crazy but this was written on the wall when I worked at Disney & it has always stuck with me. There has to be some element of fun in my work. Whether it's in my job, blogging or my crafting hobby. If you're the same as me, then just remember these wise words from Mary Poppins & create a bit of fun in your day!

♥  

ZoFlo

#CraftBlogClub // Pimp My Wardrobe Upcycling Challenge

Time for another #CraftBlogClub Challenge! My second one of the year & I was super excited about this one - Pimp My Wardrobe Upcycling Challenge! As I am sure you have already guessed, this involved raiding your wardrobe for any old clothing that needed revamping. You could pick anything you wanted & use any technique you felt neccessary to give your chosen item a new lease of life! Straight away, I loved the idea of doing Decoupage on some old shoes. I had recently purchased some Decoupage bits from The Creative Crafts Show so felt this would be the perfect opportunity to experiment. I found some 4 year old Primark Flip Flops that I haven't worn for a few years, covered in dust at the back of my wardrobe. They are cute, but quite a safe bet in terms of colour. They definitely needed "jazzing up" so they could become summer ready..

I visited my local Garden Centre to get some more Decoupage Paper that was more suitable for flip-flops & found the most beautiful purple, blue & gold patterned paper! I wasn't sure if it was a bit of a wild choice but it actually worked really well. I tore the paper up into small squares & chose to stick them of quite randomly. I was a little worried at first, but it turned out much better than I expected. I found the Bow really tricky to cover so used slightly smaller strips.

I am so pleased with how they have turned out & think it is quite a cheap way to make a massive difference to old flip flops. I expected to use atleast 1 whole sheet of paper, but I only used half which amazed me! I have done a bit of research & they obviously aren't going to be waterproof, but I figured as they are flip flops I probably won't be wearing them in the rain. I am so eager to try it out on another pair of shoes - perhaps a pair of dolly shoes / pumps.

Have you ever Decoupaged footwear before?

♥  

ZoFlo

Kirsty Allsopp Themed Card Pack // Review

I have been so busy recently, but last week I finally had some time to have a play with one of the crafty sets I won in the Sykes Cottages Craft Competition. As I was feeling lazy (it was a Sunday), I chose the Kirsty Allsopp Themed Card Pack - I also had a friends birthday coming up so it was perfect! The pack came with everything you need to make 5 cards, all with a cupcake/birthday theme! Everything was pre-cut so no fiddly bits & it even came with foam sticky pads. These were great as it created a 3D effect, which immediately makes cards look more interesting & brings the designs to life. 

I only chose to make two cards for the time being, but the two I did make I am so pleased with. It is such a great pack & is perfect for card making beginners. Although everything is the same, which limits the design of each card, there is nothing stopping you from raiding your craft box/cupboard/room (delete as appropriate) & adding extra bits to them to make each design a little different. I added a cocktail stick to one of mine to create a little flag on top of the cupcake. Cute!

What card making packs would you recommend?

♥  

ZoFlo

100 Happy Days // Update #3

I can't believe I am over half way through my 100 Happy Days - it's speeding by! The last few weeks have been amazing. So here are my photos from the past few weeks, taking us up to day 60 of my 100 Happy Days..(Very photo heavy, real sorry)!
 

Note: I realised after uploading these that they aren't in order really - eg. I didn't leave Glastonbury Festival to go home & have cuddles with Humphrey!!

Hopefully you are enjoying these updates. So much has happened since my last update. I wonder what the next 40 days will bring me...

♥  

ZoFlo

Catch up on update #1 & update #2

Thursday Thoughts #31

Happy Thursday!

 This week has been a fantastic week for me as I have had a new job offer. When I applied for the position, I really didn't expect that I would even get the job, so I am really excited & eager to get started. It is amazing how innocently completing an application form & not expecting to get anywhere with it has now led to something completely new & exciting in my life...

Photo Source

 So don't ever forget, that a new day can always lead to new things. You are responsible for your future.

♥  

ZoFlo

Handmade By ZoFlo ♥

I don't think I have actually blogged about the fact that I have finally taken the plunge & set up my own Etsy Shop. It is something I was considering doing for such a long time - literally months! I don't know about anyone else, but for me it is quite a scary thing to do. Blogging & Crafting is something I do in my spare time, alongside a full time job, so obviously I was worried if I would have the time to keep my Etsy Shop up to date with new products. However, after encouragement from friends, family & fellow bloggers, I decided to give it a go. Below are a handful of my products available on my Etsy Page:

 I am beginning with some cards so I can ease myself in to the selling world. It's a completely new thing to me as I wasn't one of the eBay Queens, so I am a complete newbie to the selling world. I am currently working on some new card designs & I have so many ideas for the future so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. 

Are you an Etsy Seller? If you have any tips, please let me know! 

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #27

Fundraise for a Charity

 If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me sharing a JustGiving link every now & again, as I was Fundraising for Cancer Research UK. As I am sure many of you will agree, it is a very worthy cause that needs our support to help find a cure & put a stop to Cancer! But how was I Fundraising? By doing a 5k Pretty Muddy run! I absolutely love being able to raise funds & awareness for such a fantastic cause as well as the personal challenge of taking part in fundraising activities. It turned out to be a really hot morning in Bristol, which made it a little more difficult but also much more enjoyable when we reached a muddy obstacle as it cooled us down slighlty - now I understand why Pigs wallow in mud! 

Me in the middle!

I know this sounds a little silly, as it is called Pretty Muddy, but I didn't quite expect to get as muddy as I did. Being part of the Race for Life, I thought perhaps if would be quite tame, but when we reached the last few obstacles we really got caked in thick sludgy mud! It was heavy to run in & not particularly pleasent when it dried into my hair. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic morning & I really enjoyed taking part & after a long hot shower & 3 hair washes, I was squeeky clean again. Luckily, I have lots of lovely family & friends who very kindly & generously donated to my page, allowing me to reach my target - so thank you to all of the lovely people who donated. You're all amazing! Maybe next time, I'll do the Tough Mudder....

Have you done any fundraising for charity recently?

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #30

Happy Thursday!

Keeping it short & sweet this week...

Photo Source

 

I love this one - pass me my positive pants please!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #76

Send a Postcard to Someone

 This seems like a simple one, but who even sends postcards these days? I don't. Unless it's just me being mean. And I never seem to recieve them either.

Whilst I was at Glastonbury I noticed there was a Postcard Tent, where you could send a Postcard to someone. I love sending nice things in the post, equally as much as I love recieving nice things too, so I decided to do one for my parents. There was loads to choose from, but I settled on one that was colourful & slightly unusual. Very Glastonbury-esque! I kept my message short & sweet, as there was a big queue for the pens/stamps, but nevertheless my Mum & Dad loved it (I think).

I definitely want to send people postcards more often! Even if I am not on holiday. Is that weird?

♥  

ZoFlo

Glastonbury Festival 2015

Holla Everyone, I am back!

And of course I cannot go to Glastonbury Festival without uploading a post about it! I think I find going to Glastonbury more exciting than Christmas Day - really! So here are a selection of my favourite photos from my best Glastonbury Festival yet!

Yaaaaaay!

Alice in Wonderland

  

Chicks!

Frappos!

When the sun was shining for Lionel!

Wouldn't be Glastonbury without rain...

Postcard for my Parents!

Dress Up!

Sunday Evening at The Other Stage

 

Breakfast

Team Photo!

Until next year....(Hopefully)

I had the best time & am really suffering with "Glasto Blues" this year. Do you like Festivals? What ones do you go to?

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughs #29

Happy Thursday!

  

Image Source

If you're having a bad day/week, I hope this makes you feel better!

 

♥  

ZoFlo