Mikey & Mia the macaws

On a beautiful, sunny morning in my favourite Wimbledon park a few weeks ago I met Nimal and Claire and their wonderful pet macaw Mikey.

Mikey definitely stops you in your tracks. He’s a large, tropical parrot and not what you’d expect to see in the park at 9am.

I explained to musicians Nimal and Claire that I’d love to take photos of them with Mikey at home. They very kindly invited me round for tea a few days later and let me capture their lives at home with not only Mikey but new arrival Mia the macaw too.

The following week I joined them in the park where I watched Mikey once again enjoying a gorgeous Autumn morning flying through the trees.

Mikey and Mia are blue and gold macaws and can live for over 50 years old. As well as being super bright birds they are also YouTube stars! Their bond with Nimal and Claire is beautiful to see.

All images © Katie Collins for Empics

Book Review - The Forgotten Forest

There's something pretty magical about personalised picture books. And there's nothing like a personalised story to capture the attention and imagination of a 4-year-old.

As we tucked into bed, ready for some bedtime reading this week, I produced a surprise new story to read to my eldest daughter for the first time.

What my daughter did not know was that she was the star of 'The Forgotten Forest' . She couldn't believe it when she heard her own name mentioned along with where she lives, her favourite colour, her cousin's name and birthday.

'The Forgotten Forest' is a personalised book and also a Kickstarter project.

It's the brainchild of Katharine & Matt Harbord. Together they set up the brand Oh Zoe to create personalised picture books focused on high quality writing and illustration. 

 

So what makes The Forgotten Forest so special? It's not just the story that's personal to your child but the illustration too. For the main character you can choose from 8 skin tones, 6 eye colours, 25 hair colours and there are options to include a wheelchair, ear defenders, hearing aids and glasses.

‘Sas and Yosh’ (Sarah Bellisario and Yoshie Allan) are the artists behind the design and illustration. What I particularly love about this book is the beautiful use of colour and nod to Japanese art.

 

The story is written by Victoria Richards who won the Oh Zoe Rising Talent Award in January 2017 to find new picture book talent. It follows the main character (in our case our daughter Alice) who is challenged to help save the forest from the frost spirit who has stolen the key to Spring.

The book has really captured our daughter's imagination. It is definitely encouraging her love of reading, particularly as the book is so individual to her.

The Forgotten Forest will be available on kickstarter.com until Friday 28th of September -  kickstart.ohzoe.com

The team at Oh Zoe kindly sent me an advance copy of The Forgotten Forest in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and views are my own personal opinion.

8 ideas for creating a New Year Mood Board

In the corner of our bedroom sits my little office.

And one of my absolute favourite things in this corner is my wire mood board. 

I love gathering together pictures, cards, little notes and drawings from my girls. Sitting on my bed and looking up at this collection always made me smile.

I don't get round to changing it as much as I'd like but I use it to help me come up with ideas and inspiration.

If I take a picture I am really proud of, I clip it on the board and this helps boost my confidence. If there's a place I'd like to visit, I'll add a picture too so the idea is never too far from my mind.

I'm also a big believer that by writing things down you have a clearer focus and get more done. It's the same with pictures.

So as we begin 2018 I've updated my board and I have some ideas if you want to create your own.

1. Wire Mood Board - The board itself is a great modern take on the cork pinboard. It's made by Block Design and is available from Amazon or Black By Design.

2. Quotes - Kikki.K do great quote cards perfect for attaching to boards. I've also recently discovered personalised gift wrap. Instead of using it to wrap presents, I've personalised the paper with my own quote 'Seek the Light, Take the Picture' and added it to my board. The gift wrap is by a lovely new company called Prettygifted.co.uk and the Quote cards are by Kikki.K

3. Photos - I really learned the hard way a few weeks ago when my main external back-up hard drive just simply failed. I'm still trying to figure out how to save the data which includes a huge stash of photos of my girls. So printing for me is more important than ever. I've just tried a company, based in the UK called Inkifi. They have an app and produce these wonderful photostrip prints (as seen below). They are well priced and have a range of other high quality products.

4. Inspiring pictures - I'm always keeping an eye out for pictures that inspire me and I collect these together for my board. It could be an image that has great composition or that evokes an emotion. Having great pictures on my board helps me learn, makes me work harder and keeps me passionate about photography.

5. Places to go - I really want to go on holiday in 2018 and keep getting drawn back to stunning Fjords of Norway. The main picture on my mood board is taken in the Fjord town of Olden. Both of my girls and my husband are sitting beside the lake with snow capped mountains in the distance. It was a really special trip and having this picture on my board is not only a lovely reminder of a great holiday but it's a reminder to book another one!

6. Children's Drawings - I just love to wake up and look at drawings by my girls. Alice (3) is just learning to draw faces and each new picture is an amusing, quirky treasure!

7. Hanging Ornaments - In my case it's a palm tree as I just love palm trees. I've seen some mood boards with real hanging plants and this looks great - (see Pinterest for ideas). It adds a bit of colour and fun to the board.

8. Lights - Definitely not just for Christmas. Fairy lights are great for finishing off a mood board. In the evenings, if I am working at my desk or reading in bed, it adds a gentle warm light and cosy feel to our room. 

I've also put together a board on Pinterest with more mood board inspiration. You can find it here.

10 books to read in 2018

At the start of 2017 I promised myself I would do more reading.

I've kept a list of the books I've read this year - a real mix as you'll see below.

I'm not saying I'm racing through the classics or anything but I've picked books up that have been recommended to me or well reviewed. 

I'm realising the more I do sit down to read that it’s a wonderful feeling to get lost in a book for hours on end.

I always seem to sleep better too if i read a chapter before bed (rather than faffing on my phone!).

So here are some of my favourites from over the past 12 months:

If you like...Real Life Stories

How To Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell

This is one of the first books I read during 2017. It's a memoir by 30-something Beauty Editor Cat Marnell (I had never heard of her when I picked up the book).  She lands her dream job at Lucky magazine in New York but her life spirals into addiction. She loses her friends, her self-confidence and strains family relationships along the way. Sounds bleak, why read it you may say? Well there's something in the way that Marnell writes that kept me captivated through the book. It's a raw, unglamorous account of life with an addiction to medication and drugs but I found it a fascinating read.

If you like...Productivity

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

This concept has really taken off in the US and basically involves starting your day earlier. By doing so you make more time for yourself so you can exercise, do a hobby, meditate, read etc. In a time when our lives can be rushed and stressful, this could just be what is needed. I managed my first earlier start the other day and even if the kids did wake up just as I'd taken my first few sips of tea (typical), 5 minutes to myself was pretty amazing! You can read more about The Miracle Morning here.

 

If you like...True Crime

The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrere

A family are murdered in a small French town and the author seeks out to unravel why it happened. Without giving too much away, it's fair to say he comes across much more than he bargained for in this gripping real-life murder mystery. 

If you like...Photography

Street Photography Now by Sophie Howarth

At the beginning of 2017, I decided I would spend more time during the year reading about famous photographers and their work. I have so far read at least 15 photography books, many borrowed from the library. A couple of those really stood out for me. Street Photography Now introduced me to a range of different street photographers. It taught me more about great composition, brilliant use of light and about observing all around you, all the time. After reading this book, I booked myself onto a street photography class in London with Paul Russell - one of the photographers who features in the book. 

All That Life Can Afford by Matt Stuart

This great book is by photographer Matt Stuart, who is now a member of the Magnum photo agency. Matt's book is full of humour, witty observation, great use of repeating colours and shapes. I look at his work wishing I had taken many of his great shots. A really inspirational book for keen photographers out there.

If you like....Travel

The Worrier's Guide To The End of the World by Torre DeRoche

A few years back Torre DeRoche wrote a great book called Love With A Chance of Drowning. It's a feel good, funny book about her travels on the high seas in a sailing boat with a guy she met one night in a bar who became her boyfriend. In the aftermath of the book and while there were talks about it being made into a Hollywood film, her relationship broke down and her cherished father died. The Worrier's Guide to The End of The World sees Torre setting off to travel again, this time solo and to explore Italy and India. It's an emotional and soul searching trip with humour and unforgettable memories along the way. Torre's beautiful description of Italy will have you booking plane tickets in a second.

If you like...Inspirational Reads

The Little Big Things by Henry Fraser

Author Henry Fraser had a swimming accident at 17 which has left him paralysed from the neck down. Henry talks us through what happened that day in Portugal, his time in hospital, rehab, moving back home and how he turned to and developed his art (he uses a paintbrush in his mouth to paint). This is far from being a weepy book; Henry is incredibly positive despite all he has been through. It sounds like he has a wonderful, fun family and as a team they have adapted together. This book is about the importance of loved ones, about being positive, about appreciating everyday. It's a very special book I'd urge everyone to read.

If you like...Confidence Boosting Books

Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa

I wrote more about this great book here. This is a wonderful read if you are stuck in a rut creatively, desperate to start a new hobby but lacking the confidence. Or maybe you are simply having doubts about your own work. This book will give you the confidence boost to get back on track, simple as that.

If you like...Quirky Children's books:

 Eat Your People by Lou Kuenzler

My favourite book as a child was all about a Hippo who sat on a roof eating cake. It was quirky, strange, weird, full of bold colours and images and I remember it vividly from my childhood. Eat Your People is equally quirky, weird and funny. The story is set around the dinner table of a family of monsters. Monty, the boy monster is fussing over his food (a plate of small people) as the rest of the family encourage him to 'Eat your People.' It's a funny take on fussy toddlers at mealtimes and our eldest (3) loves it!

If you are thinking of....Blogging

My Blogging Secrets by Amber McNaught

I decided earlier this year to get back into blogging. It's something I started six months after my eldest was born. Blogging can be puzzling to some people and everyone has their reasons for doing it. For me, it's a creative outlet and one which I really enjoy.  My Blogging Secrets is written by Amber who writes the blog Forever Amber. I raced through this book and learnt so much from it. It helps that Amber runs a successful blog herself but the fact that she's put in years of dedication to get to where she is now is a great inspiration. Million Dollar Blog is another read I'd highly recommend if you are looking to go down the blogging road or make improvements.

Got any suggestions for good books I should read in 2018? Let me know in the comments below. 

Books of the month - November

 

Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk  by Danielle Krysa

This is a book for Creatives.

Think you're not creative? Author Danielle Krysa believes we all are and should embrace our inner child.

If you enjoyed drawing as a kid, why not pick up a pencil? Enjoyed playing around with your polaroid as a teenager? Pick up a camera and get exploring. It's never too late.

This book is also for the self-doubters out there.

Maybe you have days where you question yourself, your abilities, feel like you are ‘winging it’ or take an overly critical look at your own work?

Danielle is a successful collage artist, but she was once told by a professor 'You should never paint again'.  Instead this spurred her on and led her onto the path she’s on today.

I think a lot of us have doubtful moments about our work. Are we good enough?  Or maybe we compare ourselves to others doing something similar.

Let's face it, platforms such as Instagram are incredibly inspirational for photographers and artists but also a bit overwhelming sometimes. There is so much GREAT content out there.

Danielle’s book is uplifting, encouraging and full of wise words. I had a lecturer once who didn’t make me feel great about my work. Reading this book reminded me of that but most importantly it's made me realise I must not let it hold me back.

The book also includes a Thirty Day challenge - subjects to get your creative juices flowing when photographing/drawing/writing stories.

Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk is available here or on Kindle.

 

Little People, Big Dreams - Audrey Hepburn  by Isabel Sanchez Vegara 

This beautiful hardback book is a short snapshot of the life of Audrey Hepburn so young children can get a flavour.

From tough beginnings to a successful movie career and on to a charity ambassador role for UNICEF, this charts Audrey's life in a short bedtime read.

Our eldest is three and a half and loves this book. It holds her attention, isn't too long and she loves the colourful illustrations.

This is the second we have bought from the series - the Coco Chanel version was read many nights for months!

The Little People, Big Dreams series of books are available here.

I'm on the lookout for good books to read this month. Got any suggestions? I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.