this week I am grateful for



























lots more gratefulness 
over @ maxabella loves


what are you grateful for?

This week I'm grateful for... oranges


Fruit and I are wary of each other. Every time I start to think I kinda like it, it tosses me a frigid manadarin or a wanton pear. When it's good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad it is just so darn awful that I start to realise that the thing about a Snickers Bar isn't that it's convenient or addictive 'cos of the high salt/sugar/fat combo... no, it's successful because you always know what you're going to get.

Fruit isn't like that. Yuuuummmmm.... Snickers Bar... sorry, where was I?

But, this week I'm grateful for...

139. Oranges - sorry, Ms Winterson, but they actually are the only fruit that seems to be tolerable most of the time.

140. Baking - flour puffs, oozy dough, greasy hands, fragrant warmth, spoon-licking goodness. Substituting wholemeal flour means it's all good for you, right?

141. My pathetic little heater - yeah, yeah, I know I said last week that I really love the cold. But that was cold days. Not, you know, later at night when you're freezing through your four layers and your feet just won't warm up without a little help. Not then. So, we thought about getting ducted reverse-cycle air-con and I got it costed up and then I realised that my pathetic little radiator heater wasn't as bad as I thought...


So, what's making you smile today? Add your I'm Grateful For post to the list below (and please, we love you, but it really does matter that your post is a Grateful one and not just a random), add the button (grab the code from my sidebar and paste it into your post) and pretty-please add a link back to me. Then pop over to visit other bloggers who are spreading a little sunshine. 





[Image from How About Orange - another fabulous orange that I love to indulge in as often as possible! Thanks Jess!]

Friday Feature - Kirsten Jones

Kirsten Jones
Kirsten Jones

Welcome to my new series of posts, Friday Feature. This week I am sharing with you the delightful work of painter, Kirsten Jones. I first discovered Kirsten's work at the Affordable Art Show on King's Road several years ago. I treated myself to one of Kirsten prints called "Blue Bikini" as I was designing swimwear at that time. I can't wait to hang it in my new laundry room!

Kirsten Jones was born in Hartlepool in 1968 and grew up on the island of Jersey before moving to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England where she gained a B.A. Hons Fine Art Degree.

"Kirsten is inspired by 'collections' of treasured objects and their remembered or imagined histories. Each piece has a subtle narrative,which she creates by collaging vintage envelopes, stamps, dictionary text and maps. These clues evoke memories of the places objects were found or bought. Once the collage stage is complete, Kirsten paints over the richly layered surface using gesso, inks and washes of acrylic paint."

She currently resides in Berkshire where she also runs Barn Acre Gallery, holding biannual exhibitions showing her full collection of prints and new paintings along with up to 50 other invited artists.

Happy Friday sweets!