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i am sitting in my favourite place (see below), sipping cold ginger ale, eating turkish delight, listening to some good music, painting my toe nails so they look pretty for an outing tonight, and finishing presents for new babies and new houses. You could say I'm having a good afternoon. (I'm trying not to think about how exhausted my parents are with the kids).
It is like the world has shifted all of a sudden. Do you feel a change? The air and light is different and a new season is approaching. For me it is Spring. Already the days are hotter, the position of the sun has changed and new garden life is shooting through. My parents came down yesterday and have offered to take the kids for the week. Bliss. It is so peaceful here. Kind of strange too, but I am enjoying it. The clivia flower in the photo was given to me by my mum. I planted this in a house we had in a different town many years ago. Before moving , I gave my mother and mother in law clivia's and freesias galore. And now they are coming back to me.
So for the next few days I will be enjoying my space on the verandah by myself, making lots of new things, browsing furniture shops for a corner table, and getting through a very long list.
i've always wanted to make silhouettes of my children. Even for each year of their life. If I can find the photos I might do it one day. For now I'm happy with this. There is something old fashioned and elegant about capturing time in this way. Trying to get them to stand still was funny, frustrating and Miss M's hair was typically unruly. Yes I had to change this. Next stage is to frame and hang them.
has begun.
here on the left you have my dining room table as it has been for several weeks. It was even left that way when our friends came to stay. That is how much I put off cleaning it. Underneath the ironing spray, whiskey glasses (they are clean) felt squares, children's books, catalogs and sewing are a bunch of receipts and paperwork waiting to be processed in order to hand over to the accountant for tax....
here on the right is my very clean dining room table that has survived yet another dumping horror story. This is what it looked like at the end of the day. Now when we bought this furniture, neither my husband nor I said, 'wow that is a nice table. that would look lovely with piles of paperwork and family junk on it. yes, let's get it.'
After completing this task, I vowed and declared to myself that I am more than happy to go through life without knowing anymore about tax and accountancy then I already do. Life is too short and there are too many illustrations and quilts to make. I have this same theory about hanging socks on the washing line....but that is for another day.
every spring I feel a little frazzled. I feel exhausted, like I need a holiday. yet I'm also feeling edgy. I'm unable to concentrate because I'm getting bored and irritable. A hubby that works 12-13hours a day and cranky kids haven't been helping. And as I am posting this I'm feeling a little sick because school hols are about to start again. YES AGAIN! Even the daycare mum who has them one day a week is taking a week off. Grandparents are away so I can't even send them there.
I'm in a real 'couldn't be shagged 'mode of thinking. I have piles of things in my house that need attending to. Most importantly is the tax that is on my dining room table...somewhere under all the other stuff that has been dumped on top of it. I just hate doing it. I've also been lazy with blogging. I haven't really been visiting anyone or commenting. I feel like I could post about something, then I just don't get to it.
I guess I've lost my blogging mojo. I know that I'll get it back if I just clean the house, finish some projects and organise my life. Bit of spring cleaning.
I really want to finish my daughter's quilt, but I need to finish this one first. It is my first attempt at hand quilting. And I have to say that hand quilting is a little like mowing your lawn. It is a chore. It is somehow methodic yet soothing, boring yet pleasurable. Mostly it is slow and I refuse to buy anymore safety pins for the other quilt. Honestly, there has to be a limit to how many I own especially when they are not being used. So before the hot weather sets in, a quilting I must go.
sometime ago...and I say that with a smile on my face.... Tine and I decided to make a swap. I sent her this illustration and it arrived safely to her home. That is her photo on my flickr page. Because we sent them framed, Tine decided to post it via seamail. Anyhow, months and months went by and still no little box on my verandah. I remained positive, but I felt that Tine was getting a little despondent. Lots of emails to and throw right up until last night when I replied to one of her 'anything yet' mails.
But then this morning when I opened my front door there it was. And inside this lovely little spot. I chose it because I too have a lovely little spot on a hill and I'm an earthy girl.
Thank you Tine. It was worth the wait.
hi! well it has been a very jammed pack and hectic week. So glad to catch up with our friends, but I can't believe a week has gone. I've had a few spare moments to be continue my wips and complete a few illo jobs. I opened the windows of my study today to let the spring air in and all these new ideas started flowing in! So I am in a crazy artistic mode again. I'm painting horses, matryoshkas and birds, updating my collection site, getting frustrated with Etsy, listening to my children get hysterical about ridiculous things, painting pet rocks and going to 5 year old birthday parties. Maybe it is the change of season that is sending me batty! These new cards are now available.
I'll be spending this coming week with an old work friend who has been living in New Zealand. She, her husband and daughter will be moving here soon, so they are looking into a few things. I'll also be filling in orders, updating my Etsy shop, responding to outstanding emails, enjoying the Spring sun, completing my tax, and quilting. (what does Etsy mean by the way?) I'll be back soon, when I can.
there are so many people in 'blogland' (that sounds a bit like noddy world) I would like to meet. Some out of simple curiosity. Others out of that certain feeling you get about someone. A likeness. Some I would like to have a good laugh with over a drink whilst others to talk about their passions and get more of an insight into their mind.
Since beginning this blog there is one person I have always been drawn to. Its like I can hear her voice through my computer screen when I read her comments or her posts.(don't worry I'm not obsessed)
Every time I visit her world I feel a need to return to mine at a much slower pace. To simplify myself. Have less and appreciate more of what is around me and at hand.
I bought this top the other day from her shop and I even when opening the parcel, I felt as if there was a whole lot more to just linen and thread. Well there were a few extra goodies, but just this top alone made my day. I'm hanging in my wardrobe with my best! thank you Paula.
And then, there are those people who appreciate what I have made. Reading this post gave me goosebumps and a boost of overdrive to keep on making. Especially when they create such goodness themselves. thank you Jennifer.
Yes that is correct. winnerS! You see I have 2 unhappy kids with coughs and colds and foul tempers today. To avoid a major fight over who was going to pull the name out of the jar, they both were allowed to have a turn. So I have decided that there should be two winners. Congratulations to Martina and Gebah. You have won yourselves a ABCme. I'll get in contact with you very soon. Sorry to all of those who missed out. And I seriously did not mean to colour coordinate the papers with my kids or vice versa. I only realised when putting the photos together.
