cookies.

on tuesday, i decided to make some cookies to take to bible study with me in the evening. i made some plain and some with chocolate chips as i know a few of the girls have given up chocolate for lent. these cookies are probably the simplest cookies to make and you're done within the hour. they melt in your mouth and only need to go in the oven for 6-8 minutes. if you'd like the full recipe, i'd be happy to share it. it's a slightly different recipe from the one i used for my cinnamon christmas cookies, and although they aren't as good as them, they're still super tasty.




on another note, i've been having some problems with my dslr - all the photos i've taken over the past month or so have been incredibly grainy and slightly out of focus, even when on auto focus. i don't know if the problem is me or the camera, or maybe it's just the settings. i can't wait for spring and summer so my house is filled with light rather than being dimly lit and dull like it is now. 

loving lately.

brogues // cleansing oil // tshirt // handwash // sandals // cuticle oil pen // cup 

delete.

last night, i did one thing i've been too afraid to do for the past three years - i deleted every photo from my camera roll (after uploading them onto my macbook) and my heart is still in my throat.
i feel like i made a huge mistake, but know that my phone will probably run slightly faster now that storage isn't on the brink of being full. we'll see how tidy i can keep my camera roll from now on.

drying flowers.

i've always been interested in drying and pressing flowers for many years. i even attempted to press a rose when i was much younger. not too long ago, i came across this book on my mum's bookshelf and knew that once spring came around, i would try drying some flowers. 

i currently have the white flower pressing in between pages of the book and the tulip and daffodil drying in the airing cupboard upstairs. 

if i don't forget about them, i will share my results with you. 

have you ever dried flowers? i'd love to hear some tips and tricks! 

♡

p.s i also tried blood orange sanpellegrino for the first time and wowee it is beautiful - if you come across it, try it. 

a few of my favourite things.

tulips, sun and my goob. it's only over the past year that i have really begun to appreciate spring and summer. i have always been more of a autumn and winter kind of person, and while i still love autumn, the perks of the sunnier months are popping up with every coming spring day.

spring tips.

as i'm quite the nail varnish enthusiast and pastel lover, i always look forward to spring nail varnish colours. today i thought i would share my 10 favourite colours for spring finger tips.
i can already bet that mint candy apple and lilacism will be the most worn.

celestial // pacific blue // pool party // mint candy apple // green room // lilacism // fiji // chubby cheeks // beach party // blanc


what are you favourite spring colours?

beer: sierra nevada.

i was so looking forward to this beer. i saved it until i had no other beers to choose from because of three things; it's american, the bottle is cute, and it's a completely natural ale. but, alas, it was too good to be true, and it sucked.
the one beer that i've never liked and had steered me away from beer for my whole life was stella artios. i hate the stuff. it tastes bitter and tangy and i've never wanted to drink it. and sierra nevada tastes just like it (as did the bottle with the owls on in my very first post, but i didn't post about it as i didn't like it, but i thought they can't all be good, eh).
one thing's for sure, i still love the bottle and label. but the taste, i don't like. if you like heavily hopped beer, you'll probably like this though. it's pale, but not in taste - for me anyway.

have you ever tried sierra nevada? what beer should i stay clear of?

first.

nope, that's not a comment on a youtube video/instagram picture; i'm referring to the first flowers of the year.
i'm a complete girl when it comes to flowers. daffodils and tulips are my favourite (slightly weird that they're my parents favourite flowers?) and i think one of the cutest things a man could do is spontaneously buy his lovely lady flowers. swoon. 
anyway, the first two bunches of flowers in 2013 have died. they lived a long (not really) and colourful life and it just makes me so excited for spring and lambs and the light. seriously, guys. light is one of the greatest things ever.

happy thursday, everyone! 

liebster.

on sunday, the lovely maria told me she had nominated me for a liebster award. i was actually really surprised that anyone would even consider nominating me for any award at all, so thank you, maria!

the liebster award helps to promote and learn about other bloggers with below 200 followers. nominees must link back to the blogger from whom they received a nomination. the nominated blogger must write 11 random facts about themselves, then answer the 11 questions their nominator has set for them. in turn, they will nominate fellow bloggers whom they think deserve some recognition and pose 11 questions to them. 

11 facts about me:

1. i have no idea what i want to do with my life - i have a few options for the future but i've put all my trust in god and i'm waiting to see where i'm meant to be. all i know is that it will all turn out well.
2. i'm a total dog lady. any dog, if it's a nice dog, it will steal my heart.
3. i love seeing other people happy. if i can make someone's life a little better, i will do it.
4. i would love to live a proper minimalist life, but i'm still too much of a hoarder. i'm getting better though.
5. i am a worrier. i worry about everything, even if i know the odds are impossible.
6. i believe in soulmates. it sort of makes sense that if god took a rib from adam to make eve, everyone needs to find their missing rib, am i right!?
7. i hate when people look at me. it makes me feel insecure and self conscious. it's one of the main reasons i don't like crowds.
8. one day, i'd love to have kids. biological and adopted. i'd love to adopt siblings that are between the ages of 8 and 17 so they wouldn't have to split up.
9. i'm an infj - the rarest personality type in the world. i'm super super introverted and keep things bottled up a lot.
10. i have a very low opinion of myself - i assume people hate me and never feel worthy enough to have the amazing people i have in my life.
11. i have really bad eyesight. in reality, i should wear my glasses/contacts 100% of the time, but i think i look silly in my glasses and i'm allergic to my contacts so i can't wear them.

11 questions from maria:

why did you create a blog?
to keep a record of my gap year, to have a place to blurt out all the things that i keep in my head that i never feel are insightful or interesting enough to say, to share photographs i've taken, to share things i've found that inspire me. 

what do you prefer; jeans or skirts?
i used to be a complete jeans person, but over the past few months, i've worn skirts and dresses way more than jeans. in all honesty though, unless i'm leaving the house, i will just wear pyjamas. comfort is key to me.

do you have any phobias?
oh yes; loose hair (i can't even explain it akjnfdsjnfdsjkn), heights, escalators (especially in tube stations. by the time i'm at the top, i'm at a 45 degree angle because i'm scared of falling). 

what hair colour do you prefer?
on me: i prefer when my hair is more auburn than brown. on others: i've got to admit that i'm not really fussed. probably brown though. 

what is the nicest thing you have ever given to someone?
i used to make all sorts of little crafts for family members when i was younger, but more recently, i bought my grandma a coat for christmas - it was the first gift i bought with money i'd earned from my first ever job. she always seems to be wearing hand-me-downs from family members and the only coat she had was a fleece, so i bought her a nice warm coat and it almost brought her to tears, so that was hopefully a good gift. 

what's your dream job?
something that involves improving other people's lives in some way. as long as i love it, enjoy it and i still have time for family, friends and church, it will be perfect.

the last movie you watched?
the perks of being a wallflower! i got it yesterday (eager beaver) and watched it as soon as i got home from lunch with friends. it's fabulous. 

what holiday do you look forward to the most?
there aren't that many holidays in the uk; easter, christmas and halloween are the main ones, as far as i'm aware. and i'm pretty sure christmas is my favourite. i love the festive cheer, the sentiment of family time, the films, and of course, the celebration of the birth of jesus! 

do you have any skills or talents?
i'm not really great at anything. i'm mediocre in a few different things, like photography and piano but i don't have anything i excel in. 

what's the last thing you bought?
i guess it was my next piano lesson, that or my dad's newspapers. 

do you know any foreign lanuages?
i know a tiny bit of german and spanish and slightly more french. i'd love to speak another language fluently, though. 

my nominations:

charlotte
jess
marissa

my questions:

1. how has blogging affected your life?
2. do you wear socks to bed?
3. what's your favourite colour to paint your nails?
4. favourite quote?
5. what are you five favourite songs at the moment?
6. what is your fondest childhood memory?
7. if you could have caught one moment on camera during 2012 that you didn't, what would it have been?
8. what is your favourite thing about yourself? (you can't say nothing!)
9. three favourite things on your bucket list?
10. what's one thing you want to accomplish this year?
11. how do you see your life in seven years?

on my mind: verses.

today, i am sharing some verses that have really stood out to me recently and talking a bit about my faith. if you would like to read it, please follow the link, and if you don't, then feel free to keep scrolling.

sunday.

february on film: one.

so, the first week of february is coming to a close and my february on film goal is a little harder than i anticipated. i knew i used my phone camera too much, but boy, i've found myself longing for that little handy iphone camera more than once.
of course, it takes a little getting used to. i normally save my instax for special occasions (the film is pretty expensive, even from amazon) so i've never had to use for things other than portraiture. hopefully, i'm getting better at the settings and that dreaded flash, and by the end of the month i'll be a pro. saying that, i've had my instax for nearly two years and i'm still like a fumbly beginner.
i've taken lots on my konica too, but i'm yet to use up the current roll of film, so they will be included in next weeks recap!

have a lovely weekend! 

recently: mop chop + blank.

i love jake with short hair (well, i guess in his case it's fur, but it looks like hair) and my favourite time of year is definitely haircut time (for him, not me). after hinting about booking him in at the kennel to have a number two, he finally went today, and boy does he look better (like a rat/mutt), smell better and he's even better to cuddle now (no allergies from the long fur).

my february on film is going pretty well. i'm planning to do weekly recaps so my blog doesn't become no man's land. which, you know, it seems to have become. lately i've been so busy with church stuff and life stuff, and if i'm honest, i've not even thought about therosyfreckle. i've been so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing people over the past month and my diary has been pretty much full since the start of january.

a few days ago, i started one of my "brain fart" posts, where i just open up a new post and typed (like i've started to do here) and i ended up talking about some of the bible verses that have really helped me and struck a chord with me over the past year or so. i nearly posted it, but something held me back. i know that this is my place to let it all out, but i also don't want people to be uncomfortable with things that i post. i want to be open and honest and being openly honest, my faith is a huge part of who i am. i try so hard every day to live my life as a disciple.
i am going to post the blog post, but i'm going to have it as a jump cut post so you don't have to read it. i don't want to bash people over the head with a bible, but i'd love people to feel the grace and peace that i get from knowing and loving jesus. (seriously, when i was "too cool" to talk about my faith, i thought people who said that were weirdos, but being able to see others feel that sense of peace is amazing) i want the post on my blog so that it is there for people to read. i am going to put it out there, and you can do with it what you want.

see you tomorrow!

♡

p.s one of my favourite things is hearing from people who read my blog. 99% of the time, i will reply to your comment - even though blogger doesn't let you know when someone replies to a comment you make - so if you leave a comment, make sure to check back to see my reply!

loving lately.

vase // mirror // ring // shelf // bed linen // coffee table // blanket 

once again, i am lusting after lots of things for the home. i'm still loving the things i've posted previously, but instead of posting the same things again, i decided to share some things i've been keeping open on tabs in my browser. my favourite brand this month is definitely normann copenhagen. they have a new collection out and i'm seriously swooning. 

if i were rich and had my own house, i'd buy everything on my loving lately posts, but as i'm not and i don't, i'm happy just looking at them.

have a lovely weekend, all!