8.31.2012

Copycat Friday August edition :)

So for this months Copycat Friday hosted once again by the lovely Sarah from Frills 4 Thrills, I thought I'd copy a more autumnal look. I forgot my sunglasses which is annoying, because they are actually identical! Proof here.

Light-blue-vintage-shirt-gray-sheer-american-apparel-tights-charcoal-gray-me_400Light-blue-vintage-shirt-gray-sheer-american-apparel-tights-charcoal-gray-me_400



{via}

And here is my interpretation:

(I apologise for my odd profile!)



I have just got back from holiday in the lake district, so I had to take the pictures yesterday. It was so awkward, standing in this field by this lake taking pictures of myself whilst couples and families walked past enjoying a nice evening stroll!

I thought I'd go for jeans instead of that incredibly revealing skirt :P

See y'all around,

Say x

FrillsforThrills CopyCats

8.23.2012

Taking pictures in my new skirt :)






Today I thought I'd whack out the old camera and go for a proper photography trek. I cycled to all the places that I used to take photos before I moved house, hung my camera precariously on my bike handlebars as a make-shift tripod and took a billion self portraits. I took off my shoes as soon as I reached the woods and, as you can tell from the last picture, I completely wrecked my feet. But I don't really mind!

The very last place I wound up was the aqueduct as I knew I would. I always end up there, even if I don't intend to go. I fell in love with it the very first time I biked through the woods, watching the sunset over the speckled concrete and iron beams had some sort of 21st century romance about it and I have been attracted to it ever since. Seriously, don't ask me why.

When I go to South Sudan (in less than three weeks! AAAHH!), I have to wear skirts which go below my knee every. single. day. So when I saw this awesome stripy maxi skirt in Primark (I shop in classy shops :P) I knew that it would be perfect. Even my mother loved it!

And... that's all.

Oh and I'm pretty excited to go on a photoshoot tomorrow where I get to model for someone else :P This whole self-portrait thing isn't quite as fun as when you are shooting with other people!

Love,
Say x

ps. I would still love it if any of you guys would donate to my trip to South Sudan! My justgiving page is here and I'm nearly half way!

8.21.2012

A creative flurry :)


When I first got my sewing machine I set to work on a few projects that I had wanted to do for a long time, like this one. However, when I tried to take in this massive shirt, I managed to break my sewing machine. I had had it for all of what, four weeks? So my projects were put on hold and any hope I had of finishing the Kite Project kind of went.

But at the weekend I took it to the shop I bought it from and FIXED IT! Out of celebration I made this tshirt that very same afternoon :) I love it. I used this tutorial and I thought it turned out rather well :) The material was a remnant I found in C&H fabrics a while back and it was just the right size!


I was in such a creative mood that when I asked if anyone wanted a CD of photos from Cornwall, I decided to make CD cases (I found a tutorial on youtube) and decorate them with different things. I haven't put up the pictures of the other side because the people I have sent them to haven't received them yet and I want it to be a surprise but believe me, they are awesome. I also spent ages on one of the guys from PFM's birthday card- I knew I wouldn't have time when it is actually his birthday because I am in Sudan. 

It was good to feel like I did something productive with my time!

Oh and if anyone would like to donate to my trip to South Sudan, I have a justgiving page here :) Even £5 would be greatly appreciated!

Love,
Say x

8.16.2012

Called.


I was first called to mission when I was around 8 years old. We got to write to children at a partner church in India and I knew, then and there, that one day I would be the one delivering the letters. I knew that one day I would be a missionary. Every time after that when someone in my church came back from serving abroad, I would feel the pull again, and God would tell me once again that I should do mission work. So when I gave up my law degree to go on a gap year, mission work was my first thought. But I got depressed really quickly when I realised that most of the "amazing" gap years were full and that I should have applied for the months ago.

And then God gave me Sudan.

A man came to talk at my church about Flame International, an organisation which gives not only physical aid, but spiritual aid. They hold healing conferences in war-stricken Africa and teach forgiveness. Something in his talk spoke to me and I approached him afterwards. He told me that there was a "youth" trip in September to South Sudan but that they don't really accept people under 20 and as I was only 18 I probably wouldn't be able to handle it. It wasn't a cookie-cutter mission project, a trip to do some aid work and some tourist sights; this was going to be unbelievably tough.

So I forgot about it and got on with my exams. But God didn't. Through friends and people at church, I was prompted over and over to go back to Flame and look into the trip further. I met with the man who had spoken in the service again and spoke to the lady who was running the Sudan trip (Jan) to try and ascertain whether I was really being called to go. But I was busy, crazy busy, and I didn't hear from the organisation for a week until I text Jan to explain that I was going to Cornwall the next day and that she wouldn't be able to get hold of me whilst I was there due to poor signal, I explained that I really needed to know whether I was going to Sudan. On the train down to Polzeath, she phoned me and told me that she'd love for me to join the team.

Cut to shot of me frantically trying to sort out jabs with my mother, money transfers with both my dad and Jan, trying to arrange some sort of fundraising, all from beach mission. Everyone there was great, so enthusiastic about the trip, praying for me and generally supporting me when I thought was going to go mad (mainly when I broke my phone by going into the sea and couldn't access my emails or contact either my parents or Jan).

On Monday this week I got the first two of eight jabs.

On Saturday I have a training day and I get to meet the team.

On Sunday I get to speak to my church about the trip and pray that people sponsor me.

It is all happening really fast and is kind of scary. How am I going to raise £750 by September 8th? - just one of the many questions wizzing round my head. But at the same time I know that God is at the centre of this trip and has placed me here very carefully. I can see it in the little things, like the fact that the travel nurse only had slots free when I needed them, every other time was fully booked, and the fact that our holiday is perfectly timed to be the one week when I don't need any jabs.

I can't wait. It is going to push me to my limits and change my life.

I want to serve and to see people's lives change. I want to find a new identity solely as the child of God, founded in love. I want to put aside my own needs and comforts and just get stuck into the work of the Lord.

God has called me and I have listened. I wonder what else he has in store.

Say x

8.14.2012

They cut my field!


So there I was, wandering around the beautiful Surrey countryside in my straw hat and heels when I reached my field (I say "my" kind of loosely, but I think of it as mine) and it had gone yellow and been hacked down!! Autumn is definitely coming and I kind of can't wait. It is my favourite season, with the best colours and the best weather- fun to layer but not cold enough to wear a coat.

Appologies for the random shrinking Say in the collage, apparently I cropped them all different sizes!

One thing that I really appreciated at Beach Mission was the number of people who commented on my style. It was really awesome because when I set up this sort-of-not-quite fashion blog, I really wanted to develop my own personal style where I felt happy with most things in my wardrobe and where I actually liked the clothes I wore. I have felt a lot more secure in how I dress and it was really cool that other people noticed this too! You may see a bit more of this hat, too, I found it in Cornwall and bought it with my fatface vouchers. It is a good way of making an outfit look more put together and IMO it works with my hair :)

Something pretty cool to tell you guys tomorrow...

Say x

8.13.2012

What I Learnt: Serving.


1. I should spend more time with God. On mission we were given a set period of time for a bible study, another for "quiet time" with God and we prayed at every single opportunity. It really challenged me to really look to God for everything in my life.

2. Children's work really isn't pointless. It's not that I ever really thought that it was, I just doubted how much of an effect Sunday schools and holiday clubs had on children because my experience of them has been kind of about time filling while the parents receive biblical teaching or work (in the holidays). Seeing children grow in their faith, decide to follow Jesus, pray for the first time and really seek God is just amazing. God did so much in the last fortnight.

3. When you try to explain complex ideas of heaven/hell/freewill etc. to an inquisitive, very intelligent child, you actually learn more about what you believe.

4. God answers prayer! Again, I already kind of knew this, but to really see God in action is amazing. Any small problems cleared up, it was dry enough to perform the roadshow on the beach every. single. day. and just generally you could feel that God was really working the whole week.

There are loads more things I have learnt, but these were kind of the main ones. It was an awesome two weeks with great people who were really there for me. It has given me such a peace about next year and reconfirmed that I should trust in God entirely and that he will get me where he wants me. I also think I know where I am aiming in life, where I am supposed to end up and what God wants me to do with my gifts. I don't want to share on here just yet, I will continue to test my calling, but it is pretty exciting to be given even a glimpse of the amazing plan God has for my life.

I will miss the community and the amazing people, but I am pretty sure I will keep in contact with quite a few of them :)

Love,
Say x

8.12.2012

Rekindling my love affair with Cornwall




This is where I have been. Jealous?
More later, must sleep.