Book Launch - Tales from the Woodpecker Tree

Morning! This week is starting well for me as the children's book 'Tales from the Woodpecker Tree' that I absolutely loved working on is launching today!

I really enjoyed reading and illustrating Lesley's stories (there are seven in total) and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs to add a bit of magic in their children's life. You'll find a bit of fun, a bit of whimsical, and above all, a lot of inspiration in these beautiful stories.

It's been one of my biggest jobs so far and the illustrations were sometimes a bit of a challenge, but it was so worth it when I look at the result. Illustrating children's books is a dream job for me and I can't wait to get my hands on some more similar projects! I'll obviously share more about the book on my website very soon :)

If you'd like to order your paperback copy, click RIGHT HERE!

Oh and here is Lesley's website if you'd like to know more about this fantastic author.

A Holiday in Dordogne - Part 2

Get ready for a whole lot of photos! This beautiful place you can see on the photos above is St Cyprien. There was a local market happening on Wednesday morning so we all happily went to buy some delicious cheese and dried ham that we ate for dinner. It wasn't cheap, but my goodness, it was SO good. We also bought some fresh veg and fruits, of course ;)

I fell in love with the tiny streets, the traditional buildings with their yellow bricks, and the view was amazing from up there! Also, we can't resist stopping to pet a cat when we see one.

The following day, my brother, Jason and I visited one of my favourite places in Dordogne: Les Jardins de Marqueyssac. If you're following me on Instagram, you must have seen a few photos of this stunning place already!

This was definitely on the list of places I wanted to show to Jason. This renovated garden is so unique, and the fact that it's perched on a hill makes it feel quite special. Once you've passed the main garden, you end up in a little forest with a few points of view that you can't miss.

Never without my suncream! Honestly, it hurts me to see so many people not caring about their skin and having massive sunburn! Plus, my skin is sensitive and I have a lot of beauty spots, so it's super important for me to protect my skin so that I don't get flippin' skin cancer.

PS: Did you spot the lizard on the photo before last? :)

We were canoeing on that same bit of river a couple of days before! What a view, eh?

Thomas was really pleased to find these massive net hammocks, right at the end of the hill. There was also a proper elevated forest walkway (there surely is a real term for it but I actually can't find it haha!). It went quite high at one point, and as I'm afraid of heights, it became a bit scary for me!

I told you, just stunning :)

In the afternoon, Jason and I visited Beynac with my parents, and let me tell you, going up and down these steep streets under the heat wasn't super easy! But it was worth it, for sure.

There's a castle there that I would love to visit one day, but discovering this village by foot was already such a nice treat.

And in the night (it was a full day!), we went to the Marché Nocturne of Sarlat, which is on every Thursday night during Summer. It was buzzing with small stalls, restaurants full of people sitting on the streets and performances from artists. Sarlat is the first place I remember visiting all those years ago and I always have fond memories of that place. The atmosphere when the sun goes down is just amazing!

Not pictured: the delicious ice creams we all ate at the end of the night. Yum!

Part 3 (and the last!) of our holiday coming soon!

Wallpaper Giveaway - I Got You Babe

It's time for a giveaway! I've been pretty busy lately, but I really want to get back into doing more personal projects and 'working' just for fun. With everything that's happening in this mad world at the moment, I feel that we need to concentrate on the positive as much as we can.

The one thing I'm always so grateful for is that feeling of having somebody that cares about me. Knowing that there's at least one person in this world, be it a parent, a best friend, a partner, etc. that is ready to share everything with you is just amazing. I'm lucky enough to have a big loving family, really good friends I can count on, and of course, a man that means the world to me. I've realised how much he always takes care of me, no matter what I'm doing and how crazy/over-excited/loud/hysterical I can be. I keep telling him that most men would have left me after a year! Haha. Anybody else in the same situation as me?

Anyway, I wanted to celebrate that feeling and heard that old song by Sonny & Cher the other day and thought it was perfect. Plus, I thought it would be quite nice to share a gif of my process with you for once! I still do my sketches by hand before starting all my projects (professional or personal) and I'm not sure I'll ever stop!

Download:
WHOLE SET // PHONE 1 // PHONE 2

A Holiday in Dordogne - Part 1

Hey guys! So yes, I'm finally sharing my photos from Dordogne, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy to select just a few! I've organised them in three parts (just thought I'd warn you straight away!) and here's the first one.

We arrived at Le Camping Les Charmes, close to Sarlat-la-Canéda on a Saturday, and after almost 7 hours driving, we were quite happy to take it easy and stay close to the pool. And because the weather on Sunday wasn't really nice, we decided to just spend some family time at the campsite and eat loads of food. But on the Monday, it was time to explore as the sun was showing its face (finally!) and we were itching to go on little adventures.

The photos above are from our afternoon at Les Eyzies, a beautiful town built on a cliff, where searchers have found plenty of prehistoric remains, which is what the town is known for. We didn't go to any museums there as we preferred to walk around, taking photos and looking at all the local products the artisanal shops had to offer (one thing is for sure, we DID NOT lose weight during this trip!).

In the morning, my brother and I took Jason to a site that I always love visiting: La Roque St Christophe. More photos below!

Obviously the photos don't really do it justice as you really have to be there to apprehend the immensity of it all, but I had to share it with you! Promise me you'll visit it if you're around the area one day.

Its story is fascinating as the natural caves have been used from the prehistoric times up to the Renaissance. During medieval times, it was a fortress which was destroyed by the English, and rebuilt as a fully working village of more than a hundred people. There was even a church!

The only thing my brother was sad about is how very few structural remains there are on the site and we all think that if the fortress was still there, it would have been really impressive to visit.

Canoeing! One of the highlights of our holiday. I don't think I need to tell you which company we used as you can't miss it on the back of my life jacket! We went for it mostly because the 14km stretch that they suggest let us do a lot of sightseeing of the landmarks on the edge of the river Dordogne, but also because the canoes look like Pocahontas' one and I felt super cool in it.

We were just passing La Roque Gageac when Jason snapped these photos and it was still quite early in the morning so I kept my denim jacket on at the time.

Thomas was in an individual kayak and because he was always quicker than us, he often had to wait! Not that he was complaining, he was actually quite happy to relax on the water :)

We also saw the Château de Castelnaud far away (which is still on my bucket list!) and Beynac. I think it took us a bit more more than 3 hours to do the 14km, but to be honest, we had a few breaks and we were really just taking it all in instead of rushing through. I think that's the best thing to do and it was such a great experience!

Stay tuned for part 2 of the trip, where I'll be sharing some photos of a walk at a local market, a visit to some beautiful gardens on top of a hill and much more :)