Abdelkader Rhorbal

Another artist that I love, and one that I am actually fortunate enough to say that I own a piece of his art is self-taught Abdelkader Rhorbal, also know as "the Moroccan Dali", I saw his work when I was in Morocco with my mother, Mat and a couple of friends celebrating her birthday. His work was being exhibited in the hotel we were staying at and I knew I had to have one. So after persuading him to unpack them all and after an agonising decision, I chose one and it now hangs proudly in my living room.

Check out more of his work http://www.art-maroc.co.ma/Peintres/G/Ghorbal/

Jacek Yerka

I've always loved Dali and Surrealism and have been on a quest to collect original artworks of varying types since I can remember. I've found a new piece of meat. Jacek Yerka is a 50-something year old Polish painter who takes his inspiration from Bosch, van Eyck, can der Goes, Bruegel and Cagliostro. He has some awesome paintings and let me tell you, I wouldn't say no to owning one or two. http://www.yerkaland.com/

Leaving Sainsbury's!

So last Wednesday, 5 days ago in fact, I had an interview with the University of Portsmouth for the chance to study to become a teacher, a Spanish and French teacher to be more precise. I am so damn excited, I can leave Sainsbury's and actually get started on my career! Hopefully this means that I will actually be independent before I'm 30 *eyeroll*. No this is brilliant, I am so excited that my life is getting to be on track, FINALLY something is going right. So my last day is September 9th and I should be starting uni sometime around the 20th, provided I have my grade confirmation from my school otherwise I'm screwed.

I'm seriously worried about money though, if my student loan doesn't come through in time I have no idea what we'll do now I'm not going to be working. And I had so hoped to have two accounts paid off my New Year too :(

Baby Stuff

OK, so there is no way I'm having a child for a good, long time but I am constantly looking and cute baby stuff. It really doesn't help that a girl I work with has just had a baby and 2 girls I went to school with had babies and 2 really, really close friends have had (or in one case is in the process of growing one) babies through IVF.

Anyway, I am loving Rock The Cradle Baby Clothes they have some of the funkiest, coolest stuff that my future, hypothetical child will be dressed head to toe in this stuff.

Check out this cute Tuxedo onesie, which I would totally use for a girl or boy.

Etsy Finds

OK, I absolutely love hair stuff, mostly because I'm really lazy with my hair as it is thick, curly and has a mind of it's own so most of the time it stays up and has very little attention, BUT with hair adornments you can still make it look like you really did make the effort. Here are a few of my favourites from GardensofWhimsy on Etsy:

Rain

I used to love the rain and now I remember why.

I was sitting outside, it's 10:30pm and raining. Not heavily, not thunder, just the gentle pitter patter of light rain on the roof. Sitting outside reading, inhaling the gentle and comforting smell of lavender. Now that's something that takes me back to a calm time, a happy time. The thing about the rain is that it is such a powerful thing, heavy rain can destroy cities, destroy lives but yet it can put out a blazing fires. Rain gives life just as easily as it takes it away. It feeds plants, provides water and yet in an instant can take it all away.

I don't understand why rain is so disliked, to me it's almost hypnotic, the gentle pitter patter of rain drops like a lullaby whilst leaving drops of crystal on everything it touches; but yet the torrential downpour whilst you are inside, cozy and happy can make it feel like you are in a fortress.

I love rain.

sparkles

and it brings out these little cuties :)