A Quick Update

We thought that it was high time that we gave you all an update on things, but I have been waiting for my most recent scan in order to do that.

On Monday this week, I got the results from my mid-way scan, and it came up PET negative - I am officially in remission! As you can imagine, this was a ginormous relief, especially because I had been staged at Stage 4 with suspected bone marrow involvement. I still have to undergo the next 3 months of chemo, but there is now light.

All being well, my last treatment should be at the end of July, and then I will need to build myself back up again, which will take a couple of months, but the end is definitely in sight.

We really wanted to share this positive news with you all, and thank you for your continued support and encouragement - we cannot wait to get back into Leaff!

Temporary Closure

It has been a while since we last posted, stating that we might be quiet for a while.

I (Kate) have been unwell since early December with a suspected nasty virus, but after a lot of investigating and testing, 3 weeks ago we received the devastating news that it is in fact Hodgkins Lymphoma (lymphatic cancer). As you can all imagine, it wasn't the news that we were expecting and our world has been turned upside down.

Having worked so hard to re-brand Leaff recently, it hasn't been easy to consider pausing things with the business, and we were really trying not to make any big decisions until we knew the full picture. However, having just met with my treatment team and gone through everything, unfortunately the treatment regime is to be very intensive and will see me quite poorly for the next 6-8 months, so we have been left with no choice but to pause trading until this is over and I'm in remission.

We can't stress enough how grateful we are for all of your support over the last 5 years, and we really want to make clear that this isn't the end of Leaff. If I feel able, I will continue to blog and post on the social pages, but I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to do this - it really depends on how I feel. We hope that you will all be able to support us throughout this break, and during our return at the end of the year.

New Year Inspiration 2015 // Creative Living

January is a month that is overlooked - often thought of as a dull, dreary, depressing month, despite the sense of energy that we all seem to begin it with. Here, we are challenging that!

January is a joyful month - a time to appreciate the true depths of the winter season, to honour resolutions to look after ourselves, and to start the year as we mean to go on, doing more of the things we love.

You can find all of the above and more on our New Year Inspiration board over on Pinterest. So grab that brew, and get inspired.

On an entirely separate note, posts may be few and far between (maybe even non-existent) over the coming few weeks. We will update you on this more as soon as we can, but just so you know we haven't disappeared and we would really appreciate you just bearing with us - things will return to normal as soon as possible.

Winter door display (unknown source), winter arrangement Aesthetic Nest, calming sugar scrub Savy Naturalista, detox water Top Inspired, outdoor winter picnic (unknown source), memory jar (unknown source).

Christmas Inspiration 2014 // Creative Living

It's Christmas! And what better way to spend the run up to the big day, than browsing through some festive inspiration, and trying your hand at some homemade treats; simple and sweet decorations, gorgeous gift wrap, delicious treats and clever handmade gifts for family and friends...

You can find all of this and more on our Pinterest board, to really get into the spirit of Christmas.

From our family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas, and look forward to sharing more inspiration with you in the New Year.

Roasted cinnamon almonds Southern Fairytale, pine cone bow decoration Make It & Love It, DIY gift box (unknown source), cinnamon candles (unknown source), Christmas cookies The 36th Avenue, gingerbread sugar scrub Mommy Musings.

A Special Commission // In the Studio

We are currently working on a special commission for some wedding stationery - the couple are marrying in a castle and dining in a treehouse.

We have been exploring the charm of rough illustration, the softness of watercolour, the delightful effects of papercutting, and the exuberance of modern script typography - inspiration for which you can find above.

The playfulness of the start of a project is always the most exciting, with it's endless possibility. We will look forward to sharing more as the project unfolds.

Autumn palette (our own), ink drawing Johanna Basford, typography Jessica Hische, paper work Sarah Louise Matthews, robin watercolour Jean Haines, tree house sketch Squirrel Design.

Winter is a Season of Slumber // Creative Living

It is official, we have entered the deep dark months of winter - a season of slumber. Lazy mornings in bed, festive tipples, tasty treats and plenty of soft light and warmth.

Join us as we browse through winter inspiration over on our Pinterest board, to make the most of it this season.

Decorating inspiration Decorology, apple-cinnamon winter sangria Better Homes & Gardens, kahlua hot chocolate Damn Delicious, homemade winter lotion Frugally Sustainable, comfy & neutral Posh Home, winter tea cookies Seventy Nine Ideas.

Self Promotional Notebooks // In the Studio

Since launching our new brand, we have been working around projects to finish some really special promotional material. Part of the packages for this self promotion are beautifully bound notebooks, which we are giving as gifts.

We really wanted to capture the sense of possibility that a beautiful notebook brings; of what big ideas and inspiration could fill it. You almost form a relationship with it and embark on a recorded journey.

Our books were litho printed using Pantone ink, onto uncoated, recycled stock, and specially bound using the singer sewn technique, in contrasting thread.

Design Leaff Design, printing Lemon Press, binding Allsopps.