I decided quite a while ago to move from my old wordpress.com blog to a self-hosted space and now I’ve finally done it – welcome to And She Made!
The main reason I wanted to do this was because I wasn’t happy with the old blog name. I started it as a university project back in 2011 and came up with the name quite quickly. Initially I wanted the blog to be more fashion based but it evolved into a craft and sewing blog quite naturally and so the name didn’t fit anymore.
I’ll be posting the same content here as I was posting on Street Style Wales, plus a little extra lifestyle, so nothing much will change.
After having an unexpected day off at the weekend, no plans and the house to myself, I thought I’d take myself off for a walk and enjoy the day. I thought it might make a nice change to document what I got up to, lifestyle style. So here are just some snippets of my day. All photos are taken using my camera or iPhone. I hope you enjoy!
Eating honey and banana porridge while watching Youtube videos
I know you’ve probably seen these round up posts everywhere by now but let me get in on the act here too.
Last year I wrote a crafty round up, but this year I thought I’d celebrate my achievements and concentrate on my activities as a whole. Sound good? Then let’s get to it.
In January, I made my first pair of trousers. Granted it does look a bit like I’m going to play golf in them but they were so easy and I’m surprised I hadn’t tackled trousers sooner to be honest.
October was another exciting month as the blog celebrated three years in existence. This month is also when I started planning for its future and overhaul (coming soon hopefully). I also dreamt a lot about making co-ords this month.
In December I got back home and have so far been enjoying the Welsh countryside. I’ve also been spending time with friends, enjoying quality time with family, while relaxing and eating quite a bit.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this round up and, if you’ve actually clicked on all the links I’ve posted about, well done to you. Have a great New Year and I’ll be back soon with some proper blog posts!
Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the day I set up this blog, or its 3rd birthday. I almost can’t believe it’s been that long, but on the other hand it feels too short. I suppose it’s because I’ve been blogging for far longer than that – since 2007 in fact – that blogging has almost become like second nature by now.
When I first started this blog, I was a journalism student and on an adventure to a career that I knew I’d love as soon as I got to practise it. 2011 was such a year of change for me in so many ways (not all of them good, sadly) and one of the main reasons for that is because I stepped out of my comfort zone, from a secure job that was paying the bills, into a career and a city that were both new to me.
I’d worked so hard to get to that point and I was determined to make the most of it. Living in Cardiff was such an experience and gave me a great set of friends and I really enjoyed my time there.
The blog started as a university project although I was so excited to get back into blogging. I wanted it to be a change in direction from my previous lifestyle blog and I first set out to make it a street style blog. It soon became something completely different though and now I write about crafting, independent designers and fashion, mixed in with a bit of lifestyle.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the direction I’d like this blog to go in and I will soon be updating it and changing its name. Street Style Wales has always been a little bit restrictive and it hasn’t been a street style blog in a long time. I want to keep all things crafty, as that is my passion at the moment, but I’d also like to throw in some more lifestyle and other things.
Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when all these changes occur (in the next month I’d imagine) but, I think, after three years, that it’s time to spruce things up.
The weekend before last, when it was still incredibly hot, I went along to a lovely, not very well known, festival close to my family home. Despite this only being the second year of The Dinefwr Literature Festival, it has already built up quite a reputation locally and in Wales, although it’s still small enough not to be overrun by people.
As I’m lucky enough to live nearby, it wasn’t much of a trek to get there every day and I could go back to a warm bed and hot shower every night too, which I secretly loved, so I didn’t have to give up any of my luxuries.
Although mainly a literature festival, there was also a good selection of music and other activities there, not to mention the amazing selection of food places (there was one place which sold the most amazing cake with carrot, apple and various nuts and spices in!)
I really enjoyed the variety of artists and bands who were playing; namely Cate Le Bon, Climbing Trees and Gruff Rhys (who was worth a watch just for his act in-between the songs) and discovered a whole load of newer bands that played my kind of music.
A replica of the Dylan Thomas shed even made an appearance, to celebrate the centenary of the poet’s birth
Climbing Trees were one of the new bands I discovered while at the festival
Dinefwr provided the perfect tranquil backdrop for the festival
Perhaps the highlight for me though, was Laura Bates, journalist, founder of the Everyday Sexism website and author of a new book, also called Everyday Sexism, who gave a brilliant talk about sexism and the situations that she and other women have found themselves in, that unfortunately a lot of women can relate to. Perhaps because that was the first talk I went to, but it really put me in an empowering mood and I really enjoyed the rest of the weekend at Dinefwr.
Apart from the many bands I went to see, I also enjoyed the literature and poetry events, like the poet Gillian Clarke. Gillian, the current National Poet of Wales, performed a few of her poems and, although I’ve seen her before, she is really good and has such a stage presence that makes you want to watch her again.
If you’ve never been to Dinefwr, it should be somewhere to put on your wishlist straightaway. The setting was spectacular and the festival was so relaxing and lovely that I’m sure it will be a success in the future. I hope the next one isn’t too far away!
After having an unexpected day off at the weekend, no plans and the house to myself, I thought I’d take myself off for a walk and enjoy the day. I thought it might make a nice change to document what I got up to, lifestyle style. So here are just some snippets of my day. All photos are taken using my camera or iPhone. I hope you enjoy!
