Build Up

It is the last week before we take the stall to Glastonbury and my brain is feeling a bit scrambled ( see the picture above).  I know I'm getting a little stressed because I keep walking around exhaling in an exaggerated fashion for no good reason. I also have to keep un-hunching my shoulders and breathing deeply.

I should take a leaf out of Teddy and Kittys book

I took this photo last week after my yoga class in my friends garden while drinking mint tea (nice).  The sun was shining, the chickens were clucking upon the lawn, the pets were basking, I was feeling relaxed and life was good. Life is still good, but y'know just a bit too busy.

I also managed to squeeze in a much needed walk on the beach with Katy and my eldest Louie.  It was a bit windy and chilly but totally worth it.

Anyway, enough talk of stress, shoulder hunching and walks on windy beaches, lets talk about who won the Beatnik Giveaway!

I won't lie, I wasn't expecting a deluge of comments.  I didn't think for a moment that I would be having to use some kind of raffle system to pick out a name. 

Which was just as well, because luckily for me I was spared all of that kind of nonsense.  So I can reveal, without further ado, cue drum roll.... The winners are....

Holly and Harry!

I hope you enjoy the music, and Holly, email me your address 

(mandykirkman@hotmail.co.uk)

Glastonbury 

Beatnik is

(almost)

ready!

Give It Away

I've been writing this blog for a year.  A year!  I have now blogged my way through all the seasons and gone camera crazy.  I've tried writing in a few different styles, some have worked , some haven't.  A friend once said to me, 'I didn't really like that past tense third person thing you did' (Thanks for that)

I want to do a little give away to mark this bloggy occasion.  Now don't get excited, it's nothing fancy.  I haven't got any beautiful hand drawn flower pictures to give, or, for that matter, a lovingly hand crafted silver necklace.  Nor have I knitted a cushion or painted a whimsical bunny.  What I have got however, are two cds.  The first one is a mixture of songs from some of my blog post titles, the other is a comp of groovy sixties stuff put together by my boyfriend-partner-fiancee (BPF) and our lovely friend Andy Spaceland. ( I know, you want the bunny, what can I say).

Thank you for stopping by to read about the amazing adventures of Beatnik and looking at my photographic experiments.

Comment below

to

let me know

If you would like some music

to fill your

soul

Thank you James and Andy for all your great tunes


x

Golden Years

This last week has been full of golden moments.  

I came across some lovely bits and bobs.  They were all kind of golden, I didn't plan it.

A pretty display to show it all off....

I also found a Snoopy mirror.....

Wishing you a lovely week full of 

golden days

joyful moments

and

time to

dream

There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis

We were honoured with a very special visitor at the shop this week.  I must say Elvis that you're looking pretty good all things considered.

The life size Elvis gave me an idea for a new window display

I like our Elvis impersonator, I'm not quite sure which Elvis-era he's pulling off, a bit of a mixture I think.

I love that when I start taking photos outside the shop our customers join in too

With.....

..... Or without The King


This customer was without doubt one of my loveliest of the week, and what style! Great summer colours.

Other news of the week.....

We are very busy getting ready to trade at 

this festival

We received a lovely note posted through the door from one of our customers

I went to the cinema to see   this  It was a kind of cross between Indianna Jones, A night at the museum and Amelie (in other words weird)

I saw some stunning flowers and secret doors

Well that was some of the weekly happenings.  Life is busy especially with all the festival preparations, but that's what keeps everything interesting and exhausting fun.


Some Joni to keep with the hippy vibe


Peace 

and


Love


x

God Save The Queen

The glorious day is upon us. (Are you just a teensy bit tired of hearing about it ALL THE TIME?)  Well I must admit I am, but at the same time I've enjoyed dressing our God save the royal wedding window.  Oh go on then I'll show you some photos, you've twisted my arm....

It all started with a mohican

He's a bit mean and a bit camp at the same time

Grrrr!

If you feel the need to pogo at any point in the proceedings then 

click here 

A small giggle

Let the madness

begin

sunshine blue

I can't stop taking photos of flowers.  They are everywhere, showing off all over the place.  The dandelions are looking perfectly formed in every way, one o'clock, two o'clock.....

Summer has landed early.  the sun is warm and the blue sky dazzling.  my favourite place to sit and daydream is just a couple of minutes walk from my house.....

If only I could while away the hours by a reedy river bank mucking about with different photo settings on my iphone everyday, but sometimes I do have to go to the shop.  Today was no exception and phew, it was hot hot hot.  I could feel the heat rushing in through the door, trying to coax me outside, wanting me to lean against the doorway with my face upturned, my eyes closed and my mind somewhere on a riverbank, with wild flowers and all the time in the world.

However, I was far too busy for that kind of nonsense.  For one thing, I had to make a start on our window display for the big event.

More window photos to follow.  

Happy Easter

Eat chocolate

Soak up 

The rays

Cheerio!

See The Leaves

I can't help it,  I'm loving the leaves, the flowers, the sun, the whole springtime vibe man

I love being able to prop the shop door open and have a sense of the sunny street smells and snatches of conversation hanging in the air. I was taking a photo of our window (sneaking in a crafty sun fix) and I was accosted by two, well shall we say, tipsy young men, who on seeing me with a camera demanded that I take their photo. I couldn't quite work out the point of me taking their photo on my camera, but hey, I just went with the drunken flow (and silently prayed that they wouldn't stumble into the shop)

    
The inebriated young chaps... You're blogged!

The shop window (that's much better)




I also have a few photos of some beautiful pieces of jewellery that Sas managed to find, but alas my computer is playing up and I can't get to them.  Which was actually the whole point of this post.  Doh!




Here's some blossom instead...springtime heaven

I'll leave you with my springtime music selection for last week

This one is my current favourite


Enjoy 


the


colours


and smell


the sunshine


hopefully