LIFESTYLE: Taxidermy and animals

It's almost a contradiction on the face of it. 

I'm an animal lover. I love David Attenborough documentaries, (is there anyone on the planet that wouldn't  want to listen to him talk all day, I think not) I have two pet cats whom I  love with all my heart, and just adore animals in almost all shapes and sizes.

But I also collect taxidermy. As you can see in this post, i have quite the collection growing, including stuffed birds, framed moths and butterflies and an assortment of bones and skulls.

Basically I love animals, dead or alive.

Many animal lovers don't agree with taxidermy because they feel animals shouldn't  be used for human display or entertainment. I can see their point of view, but I see taxidermy in a different way. I see it as a celebration of their life, and a way to teach others about animals. It almost seems a waste for the, to be put in the ground to rot away when they could be stuffed and their bones used for teaching. 

We intend to use our bones and skulls to teach our future children about animals and anatomy.
Our taxidermy birds and framed butterflies decorate our home and support independent businesses in the UK.

LIFESTYLE: Take Back What's Yours After Miscarriage.

A couple of weeks back I was nominated by Katy at The Lilac Scrapbook to take part in this little campaign. 

As the start of a new year everyone is about making personal change.
Now I realise we are almost a month in to 2015 but I was all scheduled up for January (check me out getting blog organised), but I still think this is pertinent. 

The 'Take Back What's Yours' campaign is about motivating people; you, me, bloggers, writers, everyone, to take back an aspect of their life that they've  lost. It can be happiness, confidence, positivity, anything that you've lost that you want back about yourself.

For me, I want to take back my drive for success and my love for life after my miscarriage in 2014.

LIFESTYLE: What to do in Paris for a weekend

As a birthday treat, hubby took me for a long weekend to Paris... i know, lucky girl.
So i thought I'd  share some of my hints and tips for a trip to Paris, and share some of my photos. 

TATTOOS: The sternum tattoo - the new fashion statement

If you're  like me, you'll love looking at tattoos on Pinterest and Instagram,  and being inspired by others tattoo work.

 
And you will have noticed over the years that there tends to be a trend within tattoos,  especially in the more mainstream community.  The 90's saw the rise of the tribal armband,  and the 00s saw a lot of love for the lower back or affectionately  named 'tramp stamp'. 

Recently I've noticed a trend in sternum or under-boob tattoos. They are cropping up on Instagram and Pinterest in all sorts of styles, from neo-traditional full colour,  to intricate black and white dot work.

LIFESTYLE: Look around my home

My little flat shared with my husband and two cats is my favourite place to be. It is filled with mementoes from our lives together. As we are currently looking for a new house to buy, it seemed the right time to share what my last rented flat looks like, before we take the leap to a grown up house!

I like to think of my flat as a cross between an art gallery and a natural museum. Of course we have the usual family photographs, especially from our wedding and bits and pieces from our travels.