Image from Seeds and Stitches.
I’m building a few minutes of blogging back into my day. I’m rather ashamed to say that this gentle, lovely, inspiring activity amongst online friends of 7 years or more had been all but squeezed out by the bright lights and instantaneous banter of Twitter. This mysterious and frenetic social medium has led me to some ace new places to visit though, so I think it has redeemed itself a little. I have added to my blog roll for the first time in an age.
Image from Seeds and Stitches
I came across Seeds and Stitches via Laura of Circle of Pines. It’s a brand new blog resulting from a creative collaboration between maker and artist Davina Drummond and writer and stylist Hannah Bullivant. I was drawn in to the bright yet relaxed photographs immediately. One post catalogues the joys of an impromptu takeaway with friends and this image of Davina and some clogs in the Netherlands made me catch my breath. Handpainted clogs have been on my mind for some time.
Image from Seeds and Stitches
It’s a beguiling and lovely mix of eye-pleasing images, creative parenting, homemade food and craft projects. Pop over and see.
Image from Urban Gardening by Clueless people.
My dear friend Margo has just secured an allotment. She was on a waiting list for THREE YEARS. She is a crocheting genius, makes me cackle uproariously and doesn’t like lemon cake, but I’ll forgive her for this small transgression as her determination to grow leeks on an inner city allotment is earnest and lovely.
Image from Urban Gardening by Clueless people.
I can’t quite work out whether it is called ‘Damn Hippies Growing Stuff’ or ‘Urban Gardening by Clueless People’. Either way her new blog about her allotment adventures is here and a comment would make her 1) jump out of her skin and 2) possibly make her cry with joy. If the comment contains tips on starting an allotment and growing things then she may have to have a lie down in a darkened room, such would be her excitement.
Image from Teen Granny.
Who remembers Teen Granny? It was the diary of a teenager called Scarlett who adored knitting and making cupcakes that looked like knitting. She was the brains behind the world famous Twit Knit club who raised oodles money for v. good causes though the joys of wielding yarn and needles. Need I say more? I was an avid fan.
Teen Granny went rather quiet around a year ago. It turns out that Scarlett wasn’t feeling great. Her passion for crafts and baking was a means of dealing with the agonising pain that a botched operation had caused in her back. She had a second operation. The pain went away but the years of being brave had taken its toll.
Scarlett began a new blog a few weeks ago. She tells of her struggle with anxiety, her continued love of baking, her valiant fight with depression and her Emma Stone fandom. It’s one of the bravest and most astonishing things I have read. I have never mentioned it here but in the early nineties I was a teenager with depression. The stigma associated with mental illness was horribly difficult then and has not disappeared. There is still a great deal of fear and shame associated with this subject which makes a grim disease even more challenging. Rarely do people says unkind things about those suffering from influenza.
Image from Teen Granny and ScarlettCurtis.com
Scarlett faces the stigma head on. In my opinion she has disarmed it. She is honest, frank, funny and not only that there are recipes, little garden cakes baked in flower pots and pictures of dogs. I only wish I could have read it in 1992 as it would have reassured me that I wasn’t alone. I am cheering so loudly about this blog that I have gone slightly hoarse. It’s here.
I’ve just realised that I wrote my first ever blogpost six years ago today. Happy Birthday silverpebble. Six is a good age. Massive handmade thanks to absolutely everyone who reads and comments on my posts. Your gentle and lovely encouragement, your blogs, community, online and real life friendship has helped me to build a small jewellery business and, I suppose, to be a sort of writer which is something I’ve wanted to be for a very long time.
Here is a picture of some flowers I picked from our garden on Saturday. They’re for you xx
All images except this one are from the blogs mentioned, used with permission.
Ah! Thank you. I'm so excited about both the growing and the blogging. The leek seedlings were teeny tiny little leeks, just waiting to become huge. Deep and meaningful isn't it.
Happy blog birthday hugs!
What a lovely read – and lovely blog links too (2 new ones for me, I'd already found fabulous Scarlett's new one).
Sending you a wibbly panna cotta in celebration *cackles loudly*
C xxx
Happy 6th blog birthday and thank you gorgeous the flowers. I shall go and investigate your new blog links now
Have a nice day
Jackie x
Happy silverpebble blog birthday Emma 🙂 6 years is brilliant! Thank you for the lovely blog links, I'll go check them out now, Safxxx
Ooh such a lovely post Emma, thank you for all the exciting blog links. I haven't tried Twitter yet .. to be honest I'm a little confused by it! But I can see that its a more immediate form of communication. After a year's absence I'm enjoying being more 'blog organised' .. setting aside time for quality reading and commenting, and generally posting more often. Its lovely to find fresh new blogs to add to this wonderful little community we share:-)
Happy Blog birthday!
Jeanne
xx
A great post Emma, real strength and confidence. Inspiring for lapsed bloggers also!!
Happy blog birthday.I shall follow those links up.I need some new followers.I have been stuck at 76 for months.Maybe I'm not interesting enough or don't post often enough!!
Happy Birthday SilverPebble! I fear many of the blogs I've loved over the years have succumbed to the instant nature of Twitter and Instagram. It's so nice to see you back posting. Thanks for all the great link recommendations!
LOVELY BLOG, always filled with inspiration and style. ive been less of a blogger since instagram, but then i missed how a blog is more thought led and enjoy reading other bloggers posts than quick instagram picks. Never got the buzz of twitter. its nice to have variety in life though. i find im on Pinterest wayyyyy too much… ;0) hehe
I wonder if Instagram is the cause of my blog-neglect. It's as instantly gratifying as Twitter with added eye appeal.
Thank you for those lovely links -all new to me, and (thank you very much) a good idea for a blog post.
Scarlett Curtis is a complete hero – everything about her blog is just sensational and everyone who suffers from some sort of mental illness needs to read what brilliant things she has to say. She is phenomenal.
Happy Birthday to your blog!
Lovely writing Em.
Mmmmm, now I am tempted by the gentle loveliness of the world of blog.
Lisa, DO IT DO IT DO IT xxxx
Well, happy anniversary and thanks for such an inspiring post!
Emma, a very Happy Blog Birthday to you! Yes, six is a very good age.
Thank you so much for giving us introductions to all these interesting other blog sites…I am going to go visiting very soon.
May I also tell you how much I like your garden bouquet! xo
Happy sixth! I do love your blog and i fear i don't say it often enough.
I've succumbed to Instagram but still managing to blog a couple of times a month.
Thanks for all the lovely new links.
Happy blog birthday Emma! What a lovely post with super links- thank you. I can't get to grips with Twitter so still hang around here on the blog which has become part of my life whether people read or not!
I too need to build some blogging back into my life Emma – I miss it! This was such a lovely post with some great links. Thanks & happy birthday! xx
Happy blog birthday, love the flowers
what lovely flowers, thank you. And congratulations on the anniversary. It is good to see you back.
Funnily enough I have gone the other way. Time has been very squeezed of late and I have determinedly kept on blogging, if less frequently, and let twitter go. I do enjoy it but I like the sense of having something more to show for my time which I get with blogging. Twitter just seemed to eat up my time yet the words disappear into the ether. Glad you are back!
happy blog birthday Emma xxx I hope there was cake x