tsk tsk

1000 filing cabinets in my head

so, it's Wednesday. It seems to be the first day of my week that I can concentrate on work without all the usual suspects interrupting my day. I sat down this morning keenly ready to work. But when I looked at what I had on the go, I couldn't get going. Where do I start?

I have so many ideas again. I just cannot focus. I lack that ability. I feel like I have a 1000 filing cabinets in my head all full of things to do and make. I open one, look at it, play around with it, don't file it, get another out, put that away......And before I know it I have several folders of creative mess giving me a headache.

I made these fabric leaves last week. I visualised in my head how they should look, and actually sewed some. Now I wouldn't have a clue as to what to do with them next. Then I seem to jump over to another idea in my head of illustrating a children's book. This has been sitting on my desk for several months. And I've been designing new patterns..why? who knows? I'm trying to clean out my studio to see what it is I have on the go. I have 9 paintings lying around the house in various stages...they need attending. 

But finally, finally the flying ducks that have been living on the dining table are up and flying. It only took 10 minutes!

homeward bound

I have been saying for far too long now that our spare room needs a bit of TLC. It consists of a bed, some daggy bedside tables and a lamp and a pile of clean laundry that only gets removed when people come to stay! I'll take a photo one day to prove it. I'm in the process of making a quilt from vintage kimono fabrics, but based on my track record that could take a few more years to complete. It is a dark room with little light so I'm thinking of keeping it simple with whites, greys and a touch of yellow.
Maybe a mirror to make it appear bigger and brighter.

Perhaps I might get to look around this week for a few things in some real shops. But in the meantime I've been flipping through mags and online.


These three pics are kind of the look I had in mind....well that will probably change, because I can never make my mind up about these things.




Top left : discovered at Far Out Brussel Spout

Top right: discovered at Swish and Swanky

Bottom: discovered at Glimpse of style

Wishing Tree

A little while I ago I commissioned some artwork by Becky Blair who resides in the UK. I have admired and been influenced by her work ever since seeing it in a Real Living magazine some time ago. Anyway, I took the plunge and asked her to paint a canvas. Isn't it lovely? It is titled Wishing Tree and the colours are so warm and rich. The sun (not much today) filters through my verandah doors and draws out the most amazing honey hues.

Mr N has been wanting a new TV for ages, but even he admits that this is way better than any TV.

More photos can be seen here.

I'm also loving natural and organic shapes at the moment. Pears and seeds are timeless favs.

amy butler to the rescue

a quick, last minute dash to the fabric store today. While away I've asked my mother-in-law to recover the kitchen chairs for us. That is 4 years of kid grot you see on the old one. Spilt milk, pasta sauce, sticky fingers.. I had to see what they were going to look like. I chose an Amy Butler design. let's see how long it will stay clean for!

And whilst there I bought some new thread...because I needed to restock.....

and also grabbed these fat quarters. This is from the urban chicks range, called swell. Haven't a bloody clue what I am going to do with it, but fell in love with it! Now I really need to stop procrastinating.

Bring on the night..and curtains too!

do you ever write a post, then read it, and then delete it because it just seems too long winded? I started typing all this info about how I want to decorate  with curtains, then thought to myself, "who really cares?"

So I'll just include some pics with a few basic words.

Firstly, I want to replace the blinds in our room with curtains. I'm thinking of this sample here. Bottom left. The rest of the shots are just elements from the room. I'm boring conservative when it comes to colour in my sleeping space.

Secondly I need to add new window dressings to Miss M's room, because the blinds just aren't working very well. It is so hard to choose..I'm not good when it comes to deciding on a big scale. Maybe the dotted one? I made the new cushion with the black flower, just have to sew it up and found the stripy sheets on sale for 50% off! Bargain.

And now for something completely different...... this is where Mr N and I'll be tonight. My first concert in over a year!!!

flipping through pages

I received a copy of Inside Out in my mail box today. After a quick flip through I spied this page and fell in love.  Just beautiful so thought I would share. Makes me really want to finish Miss M's room.

hanging space

I was going to clean my studio today before I started working. It was simply too hard, and I'm simply too lazy. So I decided to locate my paints and canvases to the kitchen table. Miss M painted at one end and me at the other. Due to my mess, I had no where to place these almost finished pieces......so I just moved some family photos off my wall and utilised the hooks. It has made my hall entry look quite fresh and I think I will now continue to swap photos for art as I need and want to. I work in this way alot. If there is no room in the spot you want to use, move the mess to another empty spot and clean it later.

change is as good as a holiday

this time last year we were running away to Hayman Island for a child free holiday. No plans as yet for this year. I'm even having to twist Mr N's arm to book in  a January holiday for next year. What is it with some men and not knowing how to slow down and take a break from work! So I'm venting all my no holiday frustration into decorating. And I have shocked myself into what I am about to do!

You see I'm not an overly girly girl. I like simple lines, muted colours, I don't wear much makeup, and I might slip on a pair of high heals once a year. When Miss M was born I vowed and declared that she would never wear pink. This lasted for quite sometime, and fortunately she doesn't look good in pastels and pinks anyway.

This also meant no pink in her room! I decided to keep it a little soft, by incorporating lavender and sage decor. (you remember the quilt saga right?) But I'm over that. Now I want red in her room. Except we just painted one of her walls a pale sage green. And then I saw this wonderful linen embroidered cushion on the net from Room Seven.... If fell in love.

How can I combine red and green in her room without it looking like a Christmas table setting?  Well maybe, I could soften the red and make it a little pink! WHAT!!!! PINK!  Well, actually I'm calling it raspberry red, that sits with me better. And adding a touch of black makes it not so girly. Right? So now I am stitching and sewing away with any spare minute of the night and day to make it all happen.....and of course to get it finished before I change my mind AGAIN!