Sheena Khu

The start of my 2018 has been surprisingly busy. I mean, I haven't done anything majorly exciting as of yet, but I've certainly been making the most of my time off. It's been a hectic few months since summer - graduating from university and being thrown into the deep end at work by starting during the Christmas period. But now that I've come out the other end, my hours have been way more manageable and I'm still in the midst of coming to terms with the fact that I don't have any assignments looming over me anymore. It means my time off is actually my time, and it's been pretty awesome if I'm being totally honest!

I think one of my favourite things about having my own place now is hosting the fam. My mum and sister visited Belfast at the beginning of February for a girly weekend and while mum has already visited a number of times (which is totally like a seal of approval), it was my sister's first stay at the new pad. Funnily enough as a teen, I used to get away to her Dublin apartment for couple of weekends during the summer holidays as a mini city break, and I love that I'm now able to return the favour. Our aim for the weekend was to sort ourselves out for my brother's upcoming wedding but we also managed to squeeze in juuust a couple of gins and a quick trip to the seaside.

I really took living in the countryside for granted when I was back at home for the summer. Even when I went to uni, there was a massive park FULL of greenery that I could wander through whenever I felt a little homesick, but I find that around our apartment, trees and plants are few and far between. Adam and I had a rare correlating day off together, so we headed into town to grab some long overdue Korean food, followed by a walk through the botanic gardens. It's a place we often used to visit during the early stages of our long distance relationship, so it felt quite nostalgic returning after a couple of years. It also opened my eyes to how ignorant I had been towards plants back in the day - so sorry plants!!

Although I have a lot of free time, I’m finding it difficult to fit everything that I want to do into my day. For example - going to work, unwinding watching TV, reading a physical book, drawing drawing and more drawing, blogging and freaking exercise. Sooo, I’m becoming a serious multitasker. While watching TV I’m constantly working on my lettering and just small doodles which I can later digitise on my iPad Pro. Nothing fancy AT ALL to show but here are a couple of bits n' pieces I’ve been working on & I'm sure I'll show you more once I improve at a later date. Was delighted with how my Chinese lantern, red pockets and new Oliver Bonas mugs turned out!

So there's just a little update as to what I've been up to. I want to make my blog way more personal now as I think I'll be more likely to keep up with it. Oh, and since writing the bulk of this post, we attended my brother's wedding and had the most magical weekend in an apartment by the sea, then in a castle where the ceremony took place. It was a super emotional few days and I'm honestly quite sad now it's now all over. I'm definitely the kind of person who needs a lot of family time to recharge butttt I guess that's okay because we've got a a lot planned throughout the upcoming year that I am living for and will be sure to blog about. Until next time!

March 17, 2018
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What I got for my 21st Birthday!

birthday

So I recently turned 21 and it’s come with all sorts of feelings and new adjustments in my mind. Sort of like rearranging the filing system in my head I guess. I’ve never been overly conscious about my age, but I guess the hype around your big 21st has got me thinking. Like, I feel as though I’ve already achieved so much in certain areas of my life, but I’m lacking in others. For example, I’ve finished uni with results I never thought I could've achieved, got my own apartment and a job to fully support myself, but there are still major milestones in life that I haven’t even touched yet - like learning to drive or working for a major company in my field. But I guess the important thing to remember is that the right time for these things will eventually come and it’s best to not compare myself to what everyone else is doing.

Ok - reflection time over. Time to get a grip. My family threw me an amazing little party back home with prosecco, cake, balloons, confetti and of course, presents - and lots of 'em. So I shot a few pics of my faves to share and here they are in no particular order!

I did actually ask for a couple of these pressies, and my most practical request was probably this bag, which was like a total necessity. I’ve been toing and froing between work and home with a backpack as my usual handbag just isn’t big enough (yes, I probably do overpack for work but anyway). I asked for this semi circular, bottle green, cross body bag that I had been eyeing up in Marks and Spencer. Bottle green is my current obsession and I swear I already own almost every item of clothing in this colour, so this bag without a doubt fits seamlessly into my wardrobe.

I also asked for a book solely based on lettering. I’ve got a tonne of Photoshop files filled with my own prints and patterns but I’ve been seriously lacking in the lettering department. It’s an area we barely managed to touch on in uni but I've always admired and wondered how it was done. I’ve spent the last year perfecting my faux calligraphy but I figured that it was now time to branch out from just one style and to start studying different lettering combinations and layouts. So far, I feel as though I’ve been extremely lost in this world of typography and Jessica Hische has just taken my hand and is currently guiding me in the right direction, through her book 'In Progress', from her initial hand drawn sketches to the final, digital print. So I guess it’s just down to me to practice!

This cushion was a total surprise from my sister. At this point, everybody knows how much I adore Roquefort, our aptly named cheese plant, so this cream canvas cotton cushion from Elizabeth Scarlett featuring embroidered monstera leaves is ideal for the flat. I really admire the attention to detail paid in the design with the the glitzy gold threads, adding a little bit of sparkle to the couch!

Next is this gold edged, mirrored jewellery box. It was a complete surprise from my mum and although she claims that it didn’t cost much, it’s an extremely personal present. I’ve whinged about how expensive these little glass and brass boxes are almost every time we've gone shopping, but she managed to find me the perfect one in Dunnes Stores. I honestly think this one has so much more character than any of the others I’d seen before and I adore it’s rustic look and the fact that it features mirrored sides rather than glass so no one can see in. The dividers in this piece have been such a help too as I can separate my earrings from my rings etc. I’ve placed it near my plants now because it reminds me of a tiny greenhouse among the trees - v cute indeed!

And last but not least, I received some wall art!! I’d been looking at the Rifle Paper Co. prints for a super long time before Adam got me their cheese plant one, and I am now SO happy to have the toucan print now so I can hang them up side by side. I can't wait to see how this is going to look in our apartment, just gotta get matching frames and some 3m strips!!

So that’s a wrap! I did get a few other bits and pieces for my birthday but I thought I’d just share a small selection so as not to bore you! Here’s to a happy new year and fingers crossed, to a happy 21st!

January 18, 2018
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Happy Halloween!

Halloween

It's been a whole month now since I've moved to Belfast and I’ve managed to bag myself a dream apartment, a new phone and a new job. All within a month, all within my budget and all exactly what I wanted. It’s always a scary feeling when so many things go to plan, especially all at once, but I'm trying my best to savour this time, make the most of it and just hope that it lasts.

It’s been a month of changes for sure and it makes me feel a little nostalgic and self aware but I’m just telling myself that there’s no rush and things will fall into place.

Asides from stressful-real-world-adult-stuff, I’ve been trying my best to make this October as ~spooky~ as poss. October for me has never really been what I've wanted. I've just never felt as though I could really make the most of it. During school, there were midterm exams, and assignments at uni. But now that I'm free from education for the first October ever, I've been LOVING it. You're probably thinking wait, why wouldn't you just take a weekend off study/assignments? And you're right, why couldn't I just do that?? Back then, even when I'd take the time off, I'd constantly have the thoughts of my assignments looming over me to the point where I couldn't really enjoy living in the moment anymore. It's sad, but I guess the pressures of school and work can really get the better of you. BUT - not anymore. This year I'd gotten my priorities straight early and started my Halloween celebrations on October first to make up for lost time.

As you may have seen in my last post, Adam and I decked our (new) halls with pumpkin lights and skeleton candles quite early on in the month and the following weekend, we managed to get our hands on some Halloween cupcakes from J-bird. They came in toffee apple, chocolate orange, s'mores and not only were they deeeelicious, (possibly the best cupcakes I'd ever eaten) they even looked the part. The webbed icing, the burnt effect of the meringue, the hard toffee shard, and of course my personal favourite, the green alien from Toy Story, they were suchhhh a great Halloween assortment.

A week later, my mum came to visit and we really got our spook on with some pumpkin carving. Usually, we'd just get one pumpkin, someone would scoop out the insides and I'd end up carving Jack Skellington's face into it and this had somehow turned into an unspoken annual tradition. This year however, we got a whole freaking family of pumpkins; small medium and large and we each totally free styled them. I'd been using Jack's face as a template for so many years now that it was time try something different and just have fun with it, so I ended up giving my pumpkin some evil eyes and monster teeth.

This weekend, we went to the Belfast Halloween Fireworks for the first time. I always seem to underestimate how exciting seeing fireworks are - usually I'm like -yep seen 'em a million times before- but when I'm actually watching them, it's always super magical. I mean, the fireworks were in no way Halloween-y or anything (although we did see some dude wearing an actual pumpkin on his head and I can't get over why he would put himself through that) but it was the perfect way to close the month.

It was definitely the best October I've had in years, I think we managed to pack every weekend with something Halloween themed which is exactly what I'd hoped for. Now that university and all of that education is over, I feel like I can finally start doing things the way I want to and so far, it's been great. Hope you all have the Happiest Halloween!

October 31, 2017
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Suitcases and Spooky Faces

Halloween

My life as of late has just consisted of packing, wrapping and unpacking. Yep, I'm currently moving to a new apartment - Gulp. I know that everybody says moving house is meant to be one of the most exciting things you do, especially now that Adam and I are ending the ~long distance~ part of our relationship but honestly, this whole moving business is so damn stressful. Our flat is FULL of suitcases, bags and boxes and for some reason it's taking me ages to get my head together and just decorate the flat. I don't understand, this is SO unlike me - I've waited years to have a place I could call my own, and now I have it I just wanna lie on the couch all day watching loose women and the chase. BUT I guess moving to a new city is daunting enough - setting up a new bank account, a new phone, JOB hunting. Agh. Maybe my brain is being sensible by focusing on the bigger picture and saving my tiny breakdown over where I'm going to place all of my house plants for later.

Anyway, I'm not a total failure - whilst packing, I managed to cram all of my decorations into one special box. My -festive- box if you will. SO, all of my October goodies were at the ready for our grand arrival. Over last few of years, I've gotten SO excited about Halloween. I mean, I don't even do anything on Halloween night except get cosied up on the couch, carve the pumpkin and throw on a spooky movie, but I've seriously bought into the whole Halloween hype.

Maybe because it's an excuse for my suppressed inner goth to pay an annual visit from my early teen years. Or maybe because it's a cosy mini festivity to get excited over just as summer ends and right before the Christmas razzmatazz. Whatever it is, as soon as it strikes October first, every image in my mind is overlaid by a warm orange filter with crisp autumn leaves in the corners. Sort of like a snapchat filter, or tinted glasses. So yeah, I just wanted to check in and show a few of my Autumnal pieces that I've planted around the flat so far!

Have you guys started putting up your Halloween decorations yet or are you waiting until it's closer to the date?

October 11, 2017
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Autumn Flower Arranging

arranging flowers

Now I'm no florist but I do know two things;

1. Bouquets are pretty and
2. Bouquets cost an absolute fortune

If you follow me on insta, you've probably noticed my love for flowers creeping it's way into my gallery every so often. Totally disrupting ~ the theme ~ I know, but I just can't help it, they're too damn pretty. But what graduate has the cash to splash on a brand new bunch every week? Not me anyway. So, my mum suggested we buy a couple of cheap bunches in Tesco and grab a few bits and pieces from the garden in an -attempt- to jazz up a very average bunch of flowers from the supermarket.

Before we ventured out into our soggy garden in our wellies and raincoats (yes like paddington bear), I did a lil research and found some ahhhmaaaazing tips and tricks to make a successful bouquet. Basically, you need four types of plants to balance out the height, shape, colour. Here's what you're looking for:

Foliage - Lots of green. Leaves like laurel frame the bouquet and act as a backdrop for the colours to work against.
Height - Next step is height. Taller flowers go towards the back to give the arrangement more dimension.
Focal - The main flowers, the pop of colour. The focal point of the arrangement! In our case, the flowers we bought in tesco.
Fillers - Check out where in your arrangement is looking a lil sparse and throw some 'fillers' in. Baby's breath (Gypsophila) seems to be the go-to filler but we also used berries of similar colours to the flowers, which resulted in very seasonal outcomes for each arrangement.

We made sure to give the foliage a good shakin' to get rid of the creepy crawlies before heading back inside. I was extreeemely adamant about this, to the point where I was still paranoid about sleeping with either of the end products in my bedroom.

Ok, so now that's all sorted, it's time to get arranging! Before Pinterest, I was under the impression that everyone just plonked everything into a vase and messed around with it until it looked half decent. But surprise surprise, I was wrong (& trying to make my life harder than it needed to be). There's a system guys. A GRID system, where you stick a couple of strips of sellotape over the top of your vase, creating a grid-like template. This is mainly for people who weren't prepared enough to have pre purchased oasis, but it's a super effective quick fix.

I understand this may look reallllly silly to some of you, but for someone who could do with a little order for their first time round, I'd recommend it. Plus, if I tried to freestyle it, it would probably end up like a mini rain forest. And I know bouquets aren’t always meant to be totally structured but it's a good guide.

So we starting filling our vases, being sure to cut each stems at a 45 degree angle to increase the surface area, allowing each flower to absorb as much water as possible. Taller foliage goes in the back, smaller ones at the front, you get the picture.
This time, I wasn’t too sure if mixing the focal flowers would work well so we stuck to jazzing up our original bunches. Because of this, our arrangements turned out looking rather seasonal. Orange for Halloween and red for the winter months. Of course, additions like berries and dark greens contributed to the -festivities- of it all also.

Next time I'd like it to be more spontaneous, maybe try a variety of flowers per arrangement and experiment with mixing colours. I think the orange arrangement is my fave, probably because I'm SO ready for Halloween. Which one do you guys like most? I'd love to hear!

October 05, 2017
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Manchester Gems

Snippets of my Month!

What I got for my 21st Birthday!

Happy Halloween!

Suitcases and Spooky Faces

Autumn Flower Arranging

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