One of my favourite little moments in London wasn’t inside a museum at all. It was walking into The Admiralty in Trafalgar Square and taking in all the history, the atmosphere, the woodwork, the brass, the stories hidden in the walls. 🥰 For many of you from across the pond, a traditional British pub is something you’ve only ever seen in films, so I thought I’d bring you along with me. It’s a lovely reminder that creativity isn’t confined to galleries or studios. Sometimes it’s in the architecture, the design, the signs above the bar, the conversations, the worn wooden tables, and the centuries of stories a place quietly holds. Curiosity has a funny way of rewarding us when we look beyond what we expected to find. So here’s a little peek inside one of London’s iconic pubs. I hope it feels like you’ve stepped through the door with me. 🇬🇧❤️ Have you ever found inspiration somewhere completely unexpected? I’d love to hear where. 🥰 https://youtu.be/XtSDrvysSTk?is=NPxmAfdRs_rN5DEq

It’s been very hot here in Cornwall this week, and my body has definitely let me know about it. 🙈 If you’re new here, I live with a few health conditions, so when the temperature climbs, everything slows down. Even the simplest jobs suddenly feel like climbing a mountain! 🫠🫠🫠 That means I’m a little behind with Around the World in 80 Sketches. If you’ve only just joined us, it’s our weekly creative adventure where we “travel” to a different country using Google Street View no passport required! We sketch, paint, write poetry, collage, or create in any medium inspired by that place. It’s become one of my favourite parts of our community because we get to explore the world together from our own homes. ✈️🌍 The good news is I have a very exciting weekend ahead! @Kane Andriunas and I are heading to St Austell, where we’ve rented a beautiful old cottage, and then we’re off to see Mika perform at the Eden Project. 🌿🎶 If you’ve never heard of it, the Eden Project is one of Cornwall’s most iconic attractions. Built in a former china clay pit, it’s home to enormous biomes that recreate tropical rainforests and Mediterranean landscapes from around the world. It’s a fascinating blend of nature, conservation, art and architecture and one of my favourite places to visit. Pic below 👌 Normal service will resume very soon. Until then, I thought I’d share a few little moments from my garden this week. Sometimes, when life slows us down, nature has a lovely way of reminding us that slowing down isn’t always such a bad thing. 💚🌸

Today the sea looked as though someone had ironed it flat. Not a ripple. Not a rush. Just endless shades of blue meeting the sky, with little bursts of yellow wildflowers dancing in the breeze. Nature has this wonderful way of reminding us that beauty doesn’t have to shout. Sometimes it whispers… and if we slow down enough, we hear it. I hope wherever you are today, you find a tiny moment to pause, breathe, and notice something beautiful. It doesn’t have to be grand. Sometimes the smallest moments stay with us the longest. 🌼 🌊💛https://youtu.be/_nOgiJL50nA?is=r_KiN9cy6b5gc411 🥰

It’s the end of a very warm day here in South Cornwall, and just before the sun disappeared for the evening, I reached for my camera. 📷 There’s something magical about that last light. It doesn’t shout for attention, it quietly slips through the garden, kissing petals, leaves and stems goodnight before the day comes to a close. 🌅 I stood there for a while, simply noticing. No grand adventure, no destination… just a few peaceful moments watching ordinary plants become extraordinary in the golden light. Sometimes creativity isn’t about making something at all. 🧐 Sometimes it’s about slowing down long enough to truly see. 🥰🙌🏻 I hope these little moments remind you to look up, look closer, and find the beauty waiting quietly in your own corner of the world. 💜🌿

When I started Smidgen of Calm I never imagined we’d become a community of over 100 creative souls. ✨ So rather than celebrating me, I’d love to celebrate us. 🙏🏼🙌🏻❤️ Here’s the challenge… Create one tiny square of art ! It can be a doodle, painting, collage, photograph, poem, pattern, pressed flower… absolutely anything that feels like you. Keep it small. Keep it joyful. Keep it unapologetically yours. Once everyone has shared their square, I’ll stitch them together into one giant artwork that represents this wonderful little corner of the internet. One hundred people. One hundred different stories. One beautiful piece of art. I genuinely can’t wait to see what we create together. 💜