Happy Halloween Little Pumpkins!

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Sometimes when you've got a long to-do list and know the day is going to be full of juggling tasks, it's nice to get a little time out before you start. So I got up a little bit early today to give myself 20 minutes to paint. I've been drawing digitally a lot lately and felt the need to see paint on a page again. I had the radio for company and a good coffee from the cafe down the road and just 20 minutes made me feel as relaxed as if it was a Sunday : )

Happy Halloween to all little pumpkins!

Monday Movie - Serendipity

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You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died, "Did he have passion?"

Serendipity is the perfect film for when the clocks go back. Yes, it's a romcom and yes, it's totally predictable but as the days get shorter, I love a cosy movie and this one manages to be romantic without being totally saccharine. John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale have great chemistry but Jeremy Piven and Molly Shannon as their two friends really make it for me. Plus there's a great soundtrack including this beauty by Nick Drake.

Pea, Leek & Turmeric Soup

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I've been reading a lot about the benefits of turmeric lately and have been adding little bits to my diet here and there. It's used a lot in Indian cooking and known to be anti-inflammatory and also to help with brain function and possibly depression. 

I make this super simple homemade recipe when I want a quick and warming lunch.
Ingredients
400g frozen peas
1 leek
1 tsp ground turmeric
500ml vegetable stock (I use Kallo vegetable stock)
Method
Chop the leek into pieces and pop all the ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the leek is tender. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand-blender. Serve with chunks of bread or rice cakes with hummus also go surprisingly well.
Serves 2 - 3

Makelight

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I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Emily Quinton's Makelight studio earlier this year to attend a watercolour course. It's such a beautiful place, absolutely full of light and inspiration. Meeting Emily and seeing her studio really made me think about how you can create your own creative life. Emily runs courses, teaches photography and blogs / writes about her experience and life. I find her really inspiring and love her newsletters arriving in my inbox. Have a little nose around her website and blog, I hope she inspires you too. After all, who wouldn't want to make light?