Brighton and Worthing, England and a day's layover in Boston...

A couple weeks ago I found some really great ticket prices for London and for my birthday got to go on a little spur of the moment trip. My trip was pretty uneventful and I spent the majority of my time there sick in bed. I did manage to get some halfway decent pictures though. So, to chronicle my time in Brighton, Worthing and a day Boston here are a few photos from my trip:

I had about day to pack and get together everything I needed. Jane was not helping, though she may have thought differently.



A loooong Monday evening in Logan International...
This is what a major airport looks like at 3am... I never thought I'd say this but thank goodness for 24 hour Dunkin Donuts.

I finally got to go to bed after a day and half of solid travel. Planes, trains and a bus and a LOT of walking... ugh.

The hostel was in a really great spot, right around the corner from almost everything you might need. Too bad all the payphones around it were almost completely useless. This is a view from the dorm window.

I made my way through the North and South Lanes to check out the the beach.

On the Boardwalk, down by the sea...


I was in love with this color - and the fact that the paint was peeling everywhere you looked.


This one just amuses me.



Finally made my way to Brighton Pier.


The sky was amazing that afternoon.



Through the Pavilion Gardens...




Back in my bunk... it was time for a rest before dinner.



Meandering through the Lanes at night... it's really amazing how safe I felt there, even walking around at 10:00 at night by myself.

I finally stopped for a drink at The White Rabbit before heading back to the hostel.



Back at the hostel I ended up hanging out in the common room talking to a few of the people who happened to be bunking in my room. All in all it was a lovely first day.

The next couple days are kind of a blur. No pictures were taken since I ended up getting pretty sick. After three days in bed I just needed some fresh air so I decided to walk down to the beach and actually see some of Worthing, just around sunset.






Sunday afternoon I finally went into the city.



I had gotten so frustrated with the damn pay phones and stupid phone cards that wouldn't work that I broke down and bought a pay as you go...



Sunday evening sunset...



Walking through Worthing to get to Megan's house for an evening... a pretty time for pictures.


Went to the Pier on Monday where there were some fantastic murals... I think the mermaid is absolutely gorgeous.


I love how you can see all of the brush strokes and grit on the wall with this guy.


That afternoon I was lucky enough to get to take a walk with Bink, Noah and Sarah.



We all know how I love a good lamp post shot. The sky was once again just amazing. I loved how dark and gray the water looked in contrast to the waning light and pale yellow sky.


Heading back through the city for some window shopping... I want this outfit... :)

Again, I have this fascination with grubby walls and peeling paint... I guess I just have an affinity for textures and decaying structures. :)


I left Worthing Tuesday afternoon and spent one more day in Brighton. I didn't get any pictures unfortunately, as my camera was starting to die and I didn't have a way to charge it. The adapter I had brought had fried my hair dryer and I wasn't about to chance my camera being next.

I then made my way home on Wednesday afternoon. I had a full 24 hours to spend in Boston so I got a train pass for the day and went wandering... first along the Long Warf near the Aquarium.

Then to Fenuil Hall and the Markets...


I also went to check out the Holocaust Memorial. I wasn't really sure what to think about it.



I was both moved and to be honest, a little shocked and I would even say slightly appalled at the way it was presented.

Still being pretty tired from being sick I hung out in the area a little longer before deciding to go check out Boston Commons to see the old Burying Grounds.



I made my way back to the train station and took one more short stroll before heading back to the airport.

I saw some really cool street art on my way to the station...

All in all I'd give it a 6 out of 10. To date it's probably one of the worst trips I've had to be honest. I did manage to see some lovely sights but even still... can I get a do-over...?

Jane Austen Swap

This is my second Jane Austen Swap... needless to say she's quite a favorite of mine. :) For this swap I decided to go big. The requirements were a large item and two smalls but since my partner had decided to make me a period gown I wanted to make my package to her reflect my thanks.

The first items are a simple pearl beaded necklace and bracelet. Nothing too fancy, as simplicity was a key theme in the Regency period. I decorated a small round box to put them in.


Next, one of the items that was requested was a journal. Yay! One of my favorite types of projects! This one was fun too because I got to find a Jane Austen quote. She's so sassy! I'm always surprised when people think of her as prim and proper. :) It's a bit mixed media (once again trying to branch out here). I used a print out of the silhouette that is supposedly Miss Austen herself, acrylic paint, gel medium, rub ons (thank you 7 Gypsies!), and a few bits and bobs.

Finally for package #1 is the large item - a shawl. It's my very first completed knitted shawl so I'm pretty proud of it. It's a lovely color and pretty cozy. It's large enough to keep your shoulders warm when worn as a shawl and small enough to wear as a neck kerchief for a more modern look.



So here it is, part one of two! Somehow the color red became an ongoing theme in this package, which I guess is appropriate since it is Valentine's Day weekend. :)



I have two other items to send out but I didn't want to hold up the whole package so I shipped this one off on it's merry way. Part two will come as soon as I've finished the final piece!

Not crafty but it's cool!

Evan came over tonight to trim my hair a bit. Well, I got a little more than a trim. :D He was talking about ideas he had for my hair so I said just do it!


Here's the boring before:


Here's the sassy after! I think on Thursday we might do some fun color.

Both sides are short like this , but with the top pulled over to the left you can't tell from these pictures. Basically I could mohawk it if I wanted too. hehe It'll be really sweet in a couple weeks when it's grown out a teeny bit though.

Altered bits and bobs...

I made this little tin a while ago. It's full of mini BH sketches and it's made from a Camel cigarette tin.
I love the way it came out, and it's great to just toss in my bag for when I go to crops.

A little modge podge, a little emphera and we're good to go!


An oldie but a goody, it even won "Best of Craftster 2007"!!



I'm cheesy, yes, but this is a 4x4 minibook of cutesy texts from the ole boyfriend. Back in the day people would send love letters... now we flirt via email and text messages. My, how times have changed!
At least when I'm old and gray I can look through this little book and remember how silly we were when we first started dating. :)



Aaaahhh... from the crazy altered clipboard craze!!




This is one of my favorite pieces in my room. It's from the Scraplove Altered Puzzle Swap. My theme was medieval romance. Not surprised, are we? I think my friends did a wonderful job with the theme and I love having a little piece of everyone's art hanging on my wall!