I love this calendar; it hangs in the kitchen, and is the to go to place if any of us needs to know where someone else is…pretty handy in our house! Every month is something different…and I love a lot of them, so some may get featured during the year… Hope you’ve all been having a good Sunday! It’s been slow for me, as I’m trying to kick this cough in the butt once and for all…or, well, until the next one grips me…

On Friday night, the boy and I went out with his sisters, cousin and respective other halfs. It’s not something we do very often, so it was a great night. One of his sisters organised everything; we started at a pub, then moved on to a bowling alley, that also had pool tables, arcades and kareoke… This was on the other side of the night – Saturday morning, at about 1am! The boy’s sisters are very close, even more so, I think, because they’re twins and I think this photograph captures a moment of that closeness. Sisters are wonderful people to have in your life…

The boy and I went to a shopping centre near where he lives, and this was in the car park, which was a multi-storey. I love looking out at the view from multi-stories; more often than not, they overlook residential areas, and I often wander what is happening on the streets below us… It was a lovely day on Friday; clear blue skies, with a burst of sunshine, a perfect winter’s day.

Sunny side up…

Write to a friend…

Laugh every day…

Doodle…

Do something different with the ordinary…

Colour your life…

Go for a walk with balloons…

Even the best, most sophisticated, can be silly too…

Find the small things that make you happy…

Sing along to your favourite songs…

Drink tea…

Smile…

Collect interesting bottles…

Don’t be a number…

Watch one of your favourite films…

There’s a certain language that is beautiful to watch…

Keep hope…

Hold a cup in your hand, and think for a while…

Have a great week, full of love, and inspiring moments. You are your own inspiration. Hugs.

This afternoon, I looked out of my bedroom window, and what did I happen to see? A rainbow. It made my day. Of course, the camera had to be whipped out, and here’s a rainbow for you.

A big bye bye to the old house. I’m going to miss Number 27, and all the memories it holds. It was cosy, and it was like a second home. But now I have a new second home…and it is beautiful. One chapter closes, and another chapter opens; I am so excited for all that this chapter holds…

On Tuesday, I helped Mona‘s family move house; I took this photograph in Mona’s old bedroom, which she has had since last year. Before that she was mostly in the back bedroom, which overlooked the garden, and in which we had lots of childhood memories. This bedroom overlooks the front garden, and it looks out over a beautiful sky when the sun sets. Bye bye, old house.

This is a little glimpse into my room, in the morning. I adore Lily Flame candles; they are a tad expensive, but they smell gorgeous and I think they’re little luxuries that are worth the price tag… Whenever I light one, I feel a little better…and my room smells great, what more could you ask for?

The other day, I was so excited to receive my second ever blog award! Aspire. Motivate. Succeed. has given me the Versatile Blogger Award, and I am so grateful. Back in 2008, when I began blogging here, I didn’t foresee any of these awards coming my way, and I blogged mainly for myself. As time has gone on, Stars and Rainbows has evolved into a special place for me; it’s a place where I gain support, a place where I can explore my thoughts, and a place where I can play around with my photography. In 2008, I was still using my beloved Sony point and shoot (which, sadly, died on me…I think I pressed the shutter too much!) and I was on the verge of starting a new adventure at University. Now, I am using a Canon DSLR, and I’m exploring different areas of work this year, before going back to studying in September. What a difference; yet, some things are still the same.

So, a HUGE thank you to A.M.S., and here’s to a whole year full of blogging, and the possibilities it holds. And now, for the rules…

RULES

As per the rules of a nominee adopting from the Versatile Blogger Award, I will:

1. Add the Versatile Award photo on a blog post

2. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.

3. Share 7 things about myself.

4. Pass the award along to 15 favorite bloggers.

5. Contact the chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

7 Things about Myself:

1. I adore rainbows. If I see one, the camera gets whipped out of my bag, and I’ll start snapping away to my heart’s content. One of the best pictures I took of one, was on Southbank in London, and the rainbow was over the river, above St. Paul’s. It looked beautiful.

2. Pasta, pasta, pasta…if there was one food I had to live off, it would be pasta. With cheese, tomato…anything, and everything, apart from meat!

3. My favourite colour is blue, and it has been for as long as I can remember. My bedroom walls are painted a bright blue colour, and I’ve had them that way since I was 7. One reason was because the paint colour was called “Pop”; and we used to call my mum’s dad Pop, and he sadly died when I was 6, but I still have some lovely, vivid memories of him. So, I saw that the paint was called “Pop”, and I told my mum that that was the paint I wanted. And I haven’t looked back since!

4. One day, I will owe a VW Camper Van. I will. I don’t care how long it takes me to save up for one, I will get it. Then, we will do lots of work on it, to get it up to scratch, and make it a sunshine yellow colour, and decorate the interior in a seaside theme. It will be fantastic. It’s one of my biggest dreams.

5. I am a Gemini, and proud to be one. Although a lot of people roll their eyes at the mention of horoscopes, I really like reading them. I know to take them with a pinch of salt, as most of the stuff printed in magazines/newspapers aren’t accurate, but I enjoy them, and get a giggle if they’re true in the slightest way. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure. But Gemini’s can go from one extreme to the other, in the space of seconds, and back again; and that definitely describes me sometimes. Most of the time, I will strive to look for the positives, and I always wear a smile.

6. My camera is like one of my limbs; it comes everywhere with me. I’ve even gone to the bathroom with it still hanging around my neck, and laughed at myself! Whenever something nice is placed in front of me at a restaurant, I might have to take some pictures before I eat, I run to my bag and grab it if I see something that needs to be photographed…not a day goes by when I don’t take a picture, and I know that is now partly due to the 365 project, but I take so much more than one photograph every day.

7. I am a wanderlust. I cannot stay in one place for too long, before I start to think about where I want to go and what I want to see. It seems that every month, my travel wish list grows…and grows…and grows. This year is looking so exciting in terms of travel plans, and I am so excited to set these plans into motion.

And now, to choose 15 bloggers to give the award to…where do I start?!

Bloggers I love:

1. Alex Beadon Photography ~ I simply adore her blog. It is full of inspiration and a certain type of energy. Her photography is beautiful, and her soul really shines through her photographs. I believe that photographs show a lot about the person who takes them, and so I think Alex is wonderful.

2. Cats and Chocolate ~ Liz is an inspiration; she is following her dream, and she won’t give up. Her dream is to be a writer, and this year is holding many exciting adventures for her. I feel so lucky to have a big sister who is as lovely and loving as she is; over the last year, she has really fought for me, especially when I was feeling too low to do it myself, and I am so thankful. Of course, she is there for all the good times too, and we can have such a giggle.

3. Milly’s Wonderland ~ Mona hasn’t been blogging as much recently, but she’s had to write her dissertation, make sculptures for University, pack her room and house, move house, unpack…there’s been no time for anything else! But, oh, when she does blog, I love it. It’s mainly things she loves, and things that inspire her, so I like to see what is going on in her eyes in terms of inspiration!

4. Redhoneyz ~ this is Sam’s blog, and like Mona, she’s not had much time to blog either. University is taking up all of her time at the moment! I’m looking forward to reading/seeing more from her in the coming months, so, here’s to you, and your journey with your blog

5. The Phoenixplains ~ Kate’s blog is lovely. It is full of interesting insights on things around her, and her outlook always makes me think about things. I can have great conversations with Kate via the comments on our blogs, and it’s been a privilege to “meet” her in the blogosphere.

6. Charlotte’s Web ~ wow, this girl’s blog is wonderful! Lots of lists, and plenty of inspiration – two things I love. She has a penchant for lovely images found on the internet, just like I do, and she likes to string them together with words…sound familiar? If you like whimsical, girly things, infused with cups of tea, books and curling up with cats, then you’ll love Charlotte.

7. Who is Scout? ~ he’s one of my old friends, and he’s simply lovely in real life. His blog is a combination of all the things he loves: films, music, photography, travel, women and men…and the result is almost like a magazine in a blog format. It is bold and brave, with writing and images that strike a certain chord.

8. Sparks Fly Up ~ I have found myself chuckling on many occasions when I’ve visited this blog, and her photography is inspiring too. The peaks into her life, and her candid humour, make this a blog that I won’t stop following. We have similar ideas about some things, and one similarity is that we both want to do Europe this summer; going from place to place, and just exploring, with our camera in tow; I’m sure that when the summer gets nearer, we’ll be swapping ideas and notes!

9. {dear friend} ~ I adore this blog; the quirky pictures, the writing that accompanies them, and the reflections on life. It’s dreamy, and positive, and reminds me to appreciate the little things. Her photographs always make me long for a trip to America, and when I finally do, I hope to see some of the lovely places she captures!

10. Bended Spoon ~ this blog helped me to get back into blogging last year. It was here that I found the 31 Days of…challenge, and I set about doing my 31 Days of Happy Moments. Whenever I drop by, I am sure to find a dose of inspiration to take away, and her life philosophy is so empowering.

11. The Cherry Blossom Girl ~ this blog is full of dreamy photographs, and a mix of French and English narratives, what’s not to like? I pop over from time to time, and take away a bit of energy that I can inject into my own life; whether that means capturing dreamy photographs myself, or dressing up nicely for the day…

12. Dollface is Candysweet ~ this blog is adorable. I love her style, and she always looks so good. Whoever says style is restricted to the catwalk and super skinny ladies…well, then, they’ve never met any gorgeous big ladies. They know how to rock a look, and they’re not scared to flaunt it. Beauty does not correlate with the number on the scales, and fashion does not stop at size 16.

13. katie did it ~ I really love her style, too. She’s got the fringe, the colour and the personality to really rock her outfits. I think that’s important; it’s important to make sure the way you dress suits your mood, your personality and the way you live your life. Katie knows how to do it. And she does it with style. Her blog is awesome too!

14. Next Stop ~ always find something to take away from this blog, and her journey is truly inspiring. The amount of places she has lived makes the wanderlust in me long to travel… The pictures give me lots of ideas for my own photography, and I always go back for more!

15. Tastes Like Glitter ~ well, I started following this lovely lady on Tumblr, and we had the most loveliest conversations the other night, staying up into the early hours – her, because she couldn’t sleep, and me, because I was sucked in to the wonders of the internet, and preferred that, to going to bed! But this blog is full of inspiration in terms of make-up, and glorious nail colours…I’m in love with it.

1 ♥ Giant cookies, to eat with tea…

2 ♥ Helping others…

3 ♥ Duvet days…

4 ♥ Dreaming…

5 ♥ Magazines, full of inspiration…

6 ♥ Finding notes from people in my notebooks…

7 ♥ Daydreaming of summer days…

8 ♥ Pasta…

9 ♥ Rainbows…

10 ♥ Fridays…