The tale of a very special Buttercup!

Paige's beautiful handiwork - A Girl Can Dream and Buttercup

One of the happiest things that can happen to me is stumbling across something that unmasks a hidden memory. Every so often I'll find a song - this forever will remind me of one of my absolute favourite TV series, The Wonder Years, and, more specifically, the Valentine's day episode - or I'll come across a forgotten book online - which is what happened in this instance - or I'll, lets be honest, be wasting my time on Buzzfeed and something like this appears (from teenage-hood) and a whole host of memories all pop into my head at once, demanding attention!

Something we can be guilty of as adults is neglecting the playful and creative parts of ourselves, in favour of being proper 'grown-ups' (I'd say even more desperately as teenagers), yet it's so important to embrace it and satiate its appetite. Turns out I've found something perfect to do just that; Buttercup - Paige's newest venture - is a zine based on childhood nostalgia, packed full of beautiful illustrations, wonderfully thoughtful words and, even, wait for it........a dress-up dolly (with stickers, yay!). I couldn't help but be swept up and through its pages, whisking myself back to the days when adventure was something I did more often than I didn't, and the company of books, dolls and my own vast imagination was something I found myself keeping on a daily basis.

Flicking through its warm and welcoming pages, memories were evoked from childhood and beyond - reading Disney books with my cousins when they were little and dancing with them to a ridiculous animated exercise video we had (I need to find that!), exploring the Magic Kingdom and flying in our very own, pixie-dust powered ship above the lights of London (Peter Pan will always be a favourite of mine!), bouncing along with Tigger in Pooh's honey-pot, dancing the macarena in various holiday locations through the years, visiting the Eiffel Tower (and near-on collapsing!) for my 21st with Moom, snorkelling with Dodge and Mikey in Don Pedro (Majorca), reading The Hungry Caterpillar with my favourite monkey, and cuddling up to Bear on the sofa. The list could go on forever. It's amazing, really, how something small - with its creators own memories projected onto the pages - could ignite a spark inside of me that took on a life of its own, and me down a path I had long since tread.

 I purposefully set up a 'creative space' for the big unveiling, surrounding myself with favourite items of clothing, books from my childhood and magazines from adulthood. I then went on to play dress-up with the clothes and read the books and magazines, allowing myself a good-old catch-up with not only my younger self but the side of me that likes to flirt with fashion and pretty dresses!

Buttercup is something I shall treasure - not only because it has frozen in time the talents of a fantastic friend - but also because its pages are a springboard from which memories sprout; from the long-forgotten making of daisy chains and playing of hopscotch in the school playground, to my first adventure away from home as an adult in 2010 and my first day at university last October.

A big thank you needs to go to you Paige; the time and effort you put into Buttercup means so very much to me. You have an amazing talent - the world better watch out!

Opening my new zine! 

Reading Paige's sweet words

Soaking up every inch of the illustrations

With both my gorgeous zines (and using the ribbon for dress-up fun!) 

Oh, and look - you are never too old to be transfixed by the magical wonder of rainbows!