The 10 Year Challenge: Getting Older & Growing into Myself

If you're on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you've probably seen the 10 Year Challenge popping up a lot in your feed lately, with people posting photos of themselves from 2009 vs 2019.

It's really interesting seeing how much (and how little) people have changed. All those sweet fresh faces! Old friends looking just how they looked when you first met, and new friends looking sort of not yet fully formed, a sort of pre-them from before you knew them and they grew into their wonderful current selves! So many lovely faces! Such fun!

I love looking back at old photos - if you've been reading my blog for a while you might remember that I've been assembling self-portraits to represent each year for a while now - so I thought I'd join in the fun with this challenge. But: could I find a photo of myself from 2009? I absolutely could not. I don't have a lot of photos of myself from around that time anyway and I think that might have been the year my computer died a sudden death when I hadn't backed up my files for months. (Oops). (Always back up your files, you guys!!).

Sooo... here's me in 2008 (modelling a headband I'd made for my shop)...

... and me in 2018 (modelling the denim jacket I customised for Sticker You).

Ten years of taking crafty selfies and sticking them on the internet! Woohoo!

This pair of photos is kind of cheating because the light in the hallway where I took that most recent photo is VERY FLATTERING but apart from my glasses getting bigger I'm not sure how I look has changed that much?

I mean, obviously, I can see time making its mark on me when I look in the mirror in the morning. I've got a lot more wrinkles and crinkles than I had back in 2008, I'm developing a pretty strong frown line right in the middle of my forehead, and my first grey hairs showed up last year (I'm not sure exactly when as I'd not noticed them until my youngest sister helpfully pointed them out to me this summer!). And on mornings when I've not had enough sleep? Oh my goodness. A bad night's sleep ages me about a decade these days.

Mostly though what I see when I look at these photos, and which may not be visible to anyone else but me, is how much happier with myself I am these days. Happier with who I am and how I look, and generally just so much more confident and content to be myself. I'm lucky to be healthier and fitter than I've ever been, too (one of the excellent and unexpected side-effects of falling in love with walking).

People talk (slightly creepily) about girls "blossoming" into young women, but here in my late 30s, with 40 on the rapidly approaching horizon, I feel like I'm in full bloom inside and out.

When we turn 30 (if not even earlier) we start getting hit with so many messages from our youth-focused culture that we, as women, should be freaked out about "losing" our looks as those dreaded "signs of aging" start appearing. We've got over the angst and body confidence issues of our teens, gone through our messy "what am I doing with my life??" twenties, and just as we're starting to relax into ourselves and, I think, beginning to really grow into our power... all of a sudden the world says "woah, settle down there ladies, have you considered that there's all these new ways to hate yourself?"

Well, I refuse. I refuse to hate the gradual way my face and body is changing as I'm aging and I absolutely refuse to hate myself even a tiny bit because of it. I am going to continue to bloom and I hope you guys will, too xxx

Getting Older, One Photo At A Time

When I turned 30 a few years ago, I thought it would be nice to make a photo collage: one photo of me for each of my 30 years.

 
It was so fun seeing all the photos together that picking a new photo to add to it has become an annual ritual. As well as continuing the "Laura slowly ages in photographs" project, it's nice to take time to look back on the previous year (the ups and the downs) and to choose an image to remember it by.

When I turned 31 I chose a photo of me playing board games at Christmas, which was perfect for a year that was all about family. When I turned 32 I picked a blurry-but-who-cares selfie from the morning of my sister's wedding. 

For my 33rd year I opted for a photo taken at the end of my volunteer shift for the Tower of London's incredible Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation. This was such an amazing thing to be part of and something that a few years earlier I'd not have had the confidence to sign up for on my own, so this picture reminds me of the day but also to say "heck yes!" to more awesome things in the future. 

Then last year I turned 34 and didn't blog about my choice of photo. I still picked one, but when I looked back at my year I realised that most of it had been focused on my move back to the southwest and I wasn't quite ready to announce that yet! (It sounds daft, but I thought I might jinx the whole thing by revealing my plans before they'd come to fruition).

A large chunk of my 34th year was spent looking up properties on Rightmove to work out what I could afford on my budget, visiting towns and cities to see if I'd like to live there, narrowing it down to one place that ticked all the boxes, going flat-hunting with my dad (who helpfully radiated a zen-like calm while I practically vibrated with anxiety), then putting in an offer on a flat and beginning the process of Actually Buying A Flat (OMG).

I hoped the purchase wouldn't take too long and I'd be able to do a dramatic reveal in a "hey guys, guess what I've been up to this year..." blog post but - alas! - the process dragged on and on and I finally ended up moving in December by which point I thought I might as well wait and blog about two years at once.

Sooooo... what photos did I choose?

For my 34th year, I couldn't resist this TIGER SELFIE taken at the Jewish Museum's excellent Judith Kerr exhibition.

When I wasn't busy flat-hunting that year, I was spending my days off going on trips and lots of highly enjoyable Nice Days Out and this exhibition was definitely one of the highlights. I adore Judith Kerr's books, and how often to you get to take a selfie with a character from one of your most beloved childhood books??

Now to celebrate turning 35 this month my photo for the year simply has to be this ridiculous snap of me wearing my rainbow blanket as a scarf.

As well as making me laugh, this photo is a perfect reminder of the past year as it was a) taken by a lovely friend on the beach in my new hometown and b) showcases the magnificence of my rainbow blanket which I finally finished last year, was one of the first things I unpacked when I moved into my new flat and has been on my bed ever since (a little cosy corner in the chaos of DIY projects and piles of boxes).

All The Threes (33)

When I turned 30 a few years ago I had a nostalgic look back through old photo albums and chose a photo a year to make a "30 years of me!" collage. It was fun choosing a photo to represent each year and seeing the progression of haircuts and outfits as the years went by.

In fact, it was so much fun that I decided to keep going and choose a new photo each year to add to my collection. I picked one when I turned 31, one when I turned 32 and now it's time to pick another as I turned 33 last month. It's turning into a nice little personal tradition and a great opportunity to have a few quiet moments thinking about my year just passed, with all its ups and downs.

This year has definitely had its downs. I've not been in great health, which is always frustrating - not least because of the knock-on effect it has on my business. I've been working part-time for big chunks of the past year, taking on fewer new projects and earning less than I would have if I'd been working my usual hours.

Of course there are few things more important than your health and I'm very lucky that my job (and my current living situation) allows me to be flexible: to take care of myself while also continuing to work, just at a slightly slower pace and from the sofa instead of my desk. But it still sucks to be ill and to have to scale back my creative plans and press pause on so many things on my "plans for my business" To Do list.

On balance though, 32 was pretty great!

It was a year of family and friendship and meeting new people. Of travelling (near and far) and adventures (big and small). Of decluttering unwanted things and letting go of all the emotional baggage that went along with them. Of saying hello and yes please to some exciting new projects. Of being more confident (and of not being afraid to admit when my confidence has failed me).

I took a trip to Birmingham (which turned out to be so great I'm going back there for my summer hols this year) and another to Liverpool (which was also awesome - I really need to get round to blogging about it sometime!). When my health (and my deadlines) allowed I went on lots of relaxing, inspiring, de-stressing, energising and generally awesome Nice Days Out to parks, gardens, museums, palaces, churches, ships, galleries, exhibitions and more. Plus my diary was peppered with days jam-packed with crafty and creative goodness - at the V&A, the Festival of Quilts, the Handmade Fair, Blognix, Thread, the Knitting & Stitching Show, Renegade London, and London Craft Week.

It was also another highly enjoyable year of making and blogging (despite the odd patch of blogger's block!). I celebrated 8 years of blogging (woohoo!) and worked on lots of really fun projects during the year. Some of these I've blogged about - like these felt houses, these mini felt jumper Christmas ornaments and this happy box of sunshine - and others are still under wraps as I wait for them to be published. I got to spill the beans about some earlier projects though, like the Halloween designs I contributed to Felt-o-ween (such a cute book) and the retro cassette phone case I stitched for Mollie Makes (I still pinch myself sometimes that something I made was the featured project on the cover of a magazine).

And as if all that wasn't enough for one year, I am also now an aunt! Yay!

My chosen photo for the year?

This one, taken at the end of a long, hot shift planting poppies at the Tower of London for the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation.

The poppy installation was such an amazing thing to be part of.

I have to admit that it's also something that just a few years ago I wouldn't have been confident enough to sign up for. I would have wanted to do it, sure, but without anyone to go with me I wouldn't have had the nerve and I wouldn't have signed up and I would have regretted it. I was still a bit nervous about volunteering on my own (and it was a bit weird when almost everyone else was showing up in pairs or in big groups from their work) but it was, of course, totally fine! I chatted to people, they chatted to me, we all took part in this amazing thing together, it was all good.

So, this year's photo is me doing something awesome and a reminder to future me to not be scared and to say "yes!" to more awesomeness in the future.


P.S. I've not added the new photo into a collage/mosaic yet, but here are the photos from years 1-32 :)

32! Woohoo!

I turned 32 this week which feels a bit weird because I'd kind of forgotten that I wasn't 32 already. It's been such a busy year it feels like it can't possibly just be 12 months since I turned 31.

In the past year...

...  My new book, Super-Cute Felt Animals was published (yay!).

...  I decided to stop selling handmade things to focus on designing and writing and blogging, and since then I've worked on a whole bunch of exciting, interesting, fun and challenging freelance projects for books, magazines and websites (lots of which I am still dying to tell you guys about as soon as I'm allowed to). This has been a bit stressful at times (deadlines, aargh) and has made blogging more of a challenge as I'm often working on things I'm not allowed to share, but overall it's been hugely enjoyable and a very welcome change after years of repetetive "production-line" sewing.

...  I went on my first solo holiday ever (awesome) and my first trip abroad since my mid-teens (also awesome - remind me to actually blog about it sometime!)

... I made what may be one of my best decisions ever and started getting out of my studio for Nice Days Out, having cuppas with fellow crafters and bloggers, meeting up with old friends, and visiting parks, museums, art galleries, exhibitions, historic buildings, craft fairs, and more.

... Oh, and my sister got married! (It was lovely. I cried.)

30 was a hard year for me, it's great to look back at 31 and think "yup, that was a good one". Fingers crossed I'll be able to say the same this time next year.

I'm continuing to add to my photo-a-year collage, and have picked this (slightly-blurry-but-who-cares) photo to represent me at 31: a pre-wedding selfie.

 And here's all 32 years :)

 

Thirty Years

I'm turning 30 next month (eek!) so I thought it'd be fun to do a bit of looking back through old photo albums. I picked out one photo from each of the last 30 years to make a mosaic & I thought you guys might like to see the pics :)

1. Pulling chunks of hair from a very long-suffering kitty! 2. Wearing some very snazzy red dungarees. 3. All dressed up ready to go to a wedding. 4. Visiting an awesome local model village. 5. With "princess" make-up at a local fair. 6. Ready for my first day of school (very exciting).

7. On the swings in our garden. 8. First day of junior school. 9. Dressed in rainbow colours for a friend's parrot-themed party. 10. Opening presents on my birthday. 11. Trying horse riding on a family holiday. 12. Another birthday, wearing a very Blossom-style hat.

13. Pulling a serious Judo face. 14. Dressed in 90s double denim & Doc Martens. 15. Explaining an apparently quite complicated handmade birthday card to my sister. 16. Eating an apple (om nom nom). 17. At a picnic with friends in London. 18. On holiday in Devon.

19. Revising for my History A-Level. 20. Making trifle with a friend at University (I remember this being hilarious but I have no idea why). 21. Dinner in my Uni flat. 22. With short hair at Uni.  23. Last year of University (I think this photo was taken at about 5 or 6 in the morning). 24. At my graduation.

25. At a wedding. 26. I don't have many pics from this year, but I eventually found this one (I have no idea why I am pulling a face like a duck!). 27. Wearing a necklace made for my shop. 28. With a DIY haircut. 29. Having tea with a friend. 30. At another wedding, wearing what is apparently my "wedding necklace".

Ah, how time flies!

A Self Portrait

A big rainbow of felt and a new dress, what more could a girl want?


Working with all that colour will never get dull!

An English Summer

It is absolutely chucking it down with rain outside (as it has been all weekend) and it's making me very glad to be stuck indoors with lots of sewing to do! Not great weather to take photos in, but luckily it was quite sunny for an hour or two yesterday morning and I managed to take a few product shots and also (finally) get some pictures taken of my beard disguises being modelled (this is what happens to you if you owe me a favour...) :
It was actually so sunny outside that when I tried to take pics of myself modelling one of the necklaces I made with all those circles (well half of them anyway) I ended up scowling into the sun rather too much (less "fierce" and more "slightly frightening) so a dark and grainy indoor shot will have to do: In half decent light, this is the full necklace:
The black cord is elastic, to make it easy to take on and off. I rather like the collar effect - it's not shown off very well on my t-shirt but it would look ace with something with a scooped neckline. And then this is the necklace I made with the rest of the circles - the've been sewn onto a long loop of ribbon, very dangly and fun: The observant amongst you will notice that I skipped a day's blogging (sorry about that). I was going to write about those necklaces yesterday evening but we went to a BBQ instead (an indoor one, obviously, given the rain!) and then afterwards I watched Doctor Who and did some sewing and forgot all about it (oops). I didn't actually get that much sewn during Doctor Who because I was a bit absorbed in the excitement of the finale (literally can't wait for the Christmas episode now...) but I did manage to get a few teacup brooches sewn and to try them out in blue which I've wanted to test out for aaages and just not got round to it...

Shiver Me Timbers! (365/278)

I may have made a couple of eyepatches...
(I made a plain black one as well - you know, for that utilitarian look - but I couldn't really be bothered to take a picture of me scowling in that one as well!)

Next time International Talk Like a Pirate Day rolls round I am sorted. Arrr!

365 / 259 - Covered in Felt!

Last night I spent a lot of time doing dull things like catching up on Etsy feedback, but I did manage to watch the end of America's Next Top Model and finish this:
I like to think that watching 10 whole seasons of ANTM has instructed me well in the art of modelling... but perhaps not!
Hopefully (fingers crossed) I may have some volunteer models soon so the rest of the designs I'm planning can get listed without me pulling silly faces at the camera and relying on a bit of blur to hide many a blemish!My boyfriend thinks I have gone off my rocker (110% loopy bananas) with this one, but I think it's pretty awesome. It's designed like a garland, so you can loop it round yourself or hang it in your house (I wanted to make one of these for a felty Christmas but never got round to it).
Smaller and simpler versions of this should be coming soon but you've got to start with the showstopper, right? (in ANTM vocab: this one's couture, ready-to-wear is coming soon!).