in our {old} city

Last week we were in Brisbane for the wedding of my brother-in-law to my new (finally!) sister-in-law.

Our week was busy and rushed, with lots of wedding prep, sewing ring pillow, shoe-size changes for the little ones flower girl outfit, and my wedding-guest dress outfit disaster needing to redo my whole outfit two days before the wedding.

In between all this we had some lovely moments exploring our old city of Brisbane. Sometimes lovely to be tourists in a place you know fairly well. We stayed a few nights (for wedding purposes) in serviced apartments in the city; always good to 'need to' stay at a lovely hotel. And especially considering our bedding & bathing conditions back at home (one big room, where the kids sleep less than a metre away from us; and an outside shower, which while lovely and hot isn't the most luxurious).

The view from our big balcony was quite lovely. I actually was up at 5am with the camera to capture these images. They are mostly a bit sort of blurry or "moody" as they are all shot hand held and with super slow speed, and I've done nothing to edit them. Didn't get up as early the next morning (big night at the wedding, and then a bottle of sparkling bubbly finished off at the hotel later on!).

While walking along the riverwalk, the kids and I came across the enchanting HMB Endeavour anchored in (is that what you say?). We really wanted to go aboard, which you could do (for a reasonable fee), but our Brisbane days had run out, and the opening hours were over. We enjoyed watching the setting sun between those spectacular masts, and talked about all that may have gone on while on board in the olden days. Make sure you visit their website, as it seems Brisbane was the start of the Australia-wide tour, and you may find you'll be nearby a port one day. If you happen to hop on board, please take some photos and share the moments with us as well. {Perhaps we could plan a holiday around a future port call? Hobart? Melbourne?}.

I must admit that I was very impressed by the fact that the whole Riverside area had been totally fixed up since the January floods. A lot of damage was done there, with many restaurants having to be closed for the past three months.

Sometimes it really is fun to be a tourist in your own city. You must try it - do take us along on the journey, won't you!

{books} colour inspiration

Going through the shelf of library books; making sure I've read them all before they go back.

Lots of beautiful rich lush full colour and pattern inspiration here. Images above are from Shannon Fricke's book "Sense of Style - Colour". Images below are all from Tricia Guild's "Pattern".

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kids clothes week challenge

Elsie Marley has her KCWC (Kids Clothes Week Challenge) on again. I'm trying to decide if I can commit to doing it or not. Perhaps it'll be the perfect boost to getting something done. 

I've been playing on Pinterest these past few days, and have started a board filled with inspiration for clothing for the little ones.  There are some very very pretty things over there, do have a look. Lots of girly things, of course. So, I am on the search for some boyish things too.

When I got the Weekender pattern, I also bought the Little Splashes pattern as well. I plan on making it into a dressing gown for each kid, as well as a raincoat - in this wet, cold Wintry weather we've been having these will be worn lots. I've yet to get fabric for both those projects. Do you know how hard it is to find boy fabric that isn't babyish or grey/car/guns/etc? Especially in laminated oilcloth and flannel fabrics. 

Both kids also need some more warm long pants + tops, for our just.about.on.us Winter cold. They've both suddenly gained a  lot of extra  length in their legs. Ari particularly has grown out of his pants; while Mishi's dresses are just much shorter (and look very cute over colourful tights). I found some stretch cottons at the op-shop last week, that would be good for making into tights for them both. {Am currently having conversations about how boys actually can wear tights if they want, and it's not just for girls!}. I may also aim for another nighty like this one I made last year, that's still being worn even right now as I'm typing. And these pants look like they'd be worn quite a bit by my boy - they're very similar to some I made a few years ago for one or other of the kids.

Seeing as how the challenge is to encourage about an hour of sewing each day, I know that realistically this is even more than I can make in a week. So, really, it's no use planning or listing more, is it? The kids will be back at school and (3 days per week) preschool by the time the challenge starts; which makes it much easier to know I'll have time on my own with fabric and a sewing machine. I'll cut out the patterns / fabric in the evening on our kitchen table, then up to my dads once the school drop off is done (and the second coffee of the day!) to sit and sew for a while.

Are you joining the challenge as well? I'd love to see what you've got planned, and how you progress throughout the week.

planning the Weekender

Since we've moved out of Brisbane, I think we've been away for more weekend (or longer) trips in the past few months, than ever before. Sam + the kids have been to Brisbane (without me) at least 2-3 times; I've been with them another 3 or so times. That's 6+ times (in the past 3 months) of packing clothes for four people into a random assortment of bags, baskets, totes. 

I decided, last time, while packing all the clothes (do you always take more than necessary for a long weekend visit?), that I really needed to change the bag situation. You'd think, wouldn't you, that we'd really have enough bags in our belongings. But none seem just suitable for a weekend away.

Finally, after a little bit of research, I decided to actually buy a new paper pattern. I normally don't like buying single patterns, as they are so much more expensive than a whole pattern book. But I've heard (read) good things about Amy Butler patterns, and really wanted this very specific Weekender Travel Bag. {I got mine from Kelani Fabric, who always has excellent speedy and free postage - within Australia. And a lovely website to browse through as well}.

I've read through the pattern about twice now, and it seems quite easy and very do-able. I must admit I've scared about the piping/cording - as I know I won't sew it as perfectly as I want to. There are some excellent tips from other sewers around. The scarier thing is that most of them say how hard, and what a challenge, this bag was to sew, even for experienced sewers. Not because of the pattern or the bag, but because of all the layers of fabric, interfacing + Peltex / Timtex that has to go through the machine. The excellent thing is that everyone says that even after the challenge (and swearing, unpicking, ripping out, hours of cutting the fabrics) they still love their bag.

I'm hoping I love it so much that I want to sew more than one. As I'm planning one for myself, and one each for the kids. And I've already been asked to make one for someone else (she even offered to have my kids while I sewed it). 

These are some posts that have really urged me on. here. here {love the fabric}. here. here {cute styling}. and here {great idea; extend zip so bag opens wider}. and here as well. oh and here and here as well. There are a lot of Weekender Travel Bags out there; I do hope at least some of them are going on regular holidays and not languishing in the wardrobe (though this is pretty languishing, isn't it).

My biggest challenges right now are ::

:: I can't decide what fabric to use. 

> I'm thinking of going with this Heather Ross Sleeping Beauty in grey linen. But only using it for the main outside pockets, and using a darker linen (which I have yet to find) for the rest of the bag body. But I'm really not sure if I'll get bored of the fabric after a short while; is it too cutesy?

> I've also been thinking of some Ikea fabric (though I don't even know what may be in store when I get there). But this involves going to Ikea; which I dread dread dread and don't have time to do on my next Brisbane trip. Ikea fabric is such an excellent bold design, cheap in price, but good quality woven fabric. But, I sometimes feel.think that it's sometimes just a bit too obvious. Is that a bad thing?

> And right now, I've just seen this Poppy fabric, over at Tree Fall. It's so pretty, and vintagey. I'm not at all sure if it's my colours - but then, does that really matter too much for a travel bag? Using piping in any of those four colours (yellow, light blue, dark blue or grey) would make a big difference to the finished look. {It's grey and raining here today, and cold.cold; this fabric is making me sunshine happy. Plus it's only about $9 yard}.

> Oh, and this is organic cotton, and such a great print. All Heather Moore's designs are excellent, aren't they.

> If you can suggest anything - please let me know. I think I'll never start the making, due to the planning!

:: Setting up my sewing machine involves finding the sewing foot in a box in the shipping container. I'm quite sure it's just there, out of reach, under something else. At least I know that I did label all my boxes.

:: It also involves going up the hill to my dad's house - as he has electricity and we don't. Which involves waiting until the kids are somewhere else, or with someone else (and not on school holidays). 

:: I have other sewing to do that NEEDS to be completed this week. A little tulle underskirt for Mishi's flower girl outfit, and the ring pillow that Ari (the pageboy) will carry down the aisle. Both for my brother-in-law + sister-in-law's (to be) wedding at the end of this month.

Until I start the cutting and stitching - there's a lot of dreaming and wishing happening around here. And lots more 'research' (you know the sort.... hours lost in looking for just the right fabric).

*Images from each fabric website listed. Others are Amy Butler images.

in the countryside

Good morning. Sunshine. The view from the car window.
Life in the countryside has some pretty scenery.

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and the sun streamed in like butterscotch....

just as i was strolling out the door to pick the boy up from the bus stop,
the sun streamed in the window
like butterscotch.

do you know that song? {you can hear it here}*
i think of it at moments like this. with the sun coming out from behind the dark clouds that have been dotting our skies lately. and the strong light shines in. if only momentarily.

this was the scene on our table. with the sun shining on it. and me heading out to the bus.

and of course, the kids come home from school / preschool and things change.shift.the sun goes away. the afternoon fades towards evening.bed.sleep. tomorrow.again.
and some times some moments during that time we have a moment.one little moment, perhaps two or more of contentment or peace or just to be. but sometimes not.

{these lovelies are from outside, in our 'garden'. the yellows are weeds, which burst open. the seedpods are the most amazing little shapes that look like woven baskets holding their seeds}

*I have just decided that I need to now get all of Joni's music, some how or other... raid my Dad's CD draw perhaps!

one of the best things

One of the best things of all is standing in the warming sunshine. Letting it soak into your body and soul and essense. Just stopping and letting it happen. And breathing.






And stripping all the beds, hanging bedding out to air. New freshly made beds to climb into tonight.

Enjoy your day my friends.





{what intense images from the sun, from the glow around it.}

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about today

this morning did not really go so well.
the big boy (my nephew who has been staying with us for almost three weeks now) and i had some not so nice words with each other, in not so very nice voices.
i did not react to his behaviour the way i knew.know i should. i forgot to breathe. to stop and breathe. to stop and remember the little quote on the side-bar of my blog {it's in the side-bar of my brain as well}.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. 

In that space is our power to choose our response. 

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

 

 

I have to keep reminding myself about how to respond to all situations. Right now, that is my journey, my lessons. I am trying. To remember. Trying to breathe. 

We did hug, when I dropped him off at school. I saw the tears in his eyes, and felt the tearing in my heart. I tried to smile with my heart, to his heart, with my eye to his eye. 

Later, when I was home, in the few quiet hours between the preschool committee meeting, and then the back to pick everyone up afternoon routine, I did stop and breathe. On my own, in the quiet of the house, by myself. I let the quiet, rainy day wash over me and ease me. I let the guilt go, the anger, the upset at the situation having got to the point it got to. I tried to remind myself that I need to breathe, when I'm in the situation. {And when this afternoon came, and there was still some anger from the big.little boy, I did breathe, and talked to him in a good and calm voice}.

 

Right now, bed is calling me. There are two little children and one cat in there, waiting for me. (With Sam in Brisbane for a few nights, the kids have clambered into bed with me; and let me tell you, I love it - their warm little bodies, feeling their dreams skitter about in their sleep. I have such wonderful memories of sleeping in the bed with my own mama). The rain is falling on our tin roof. A good sound, despite the fact that it means the outside will be muddy, and the grass too wet to mow, too high to run easily in. (And more more more rain means house building ideas slip week by week along....). 

Tomorrow will start all over again. And tomorrow, I will try harder to breathe. To remember my response and reaction.

These are some photos that I took today, while having my lunch. My eggs were slightly more than the just slightly soft boiled that I like them; I think due to stopping to take photos and not peeling them straight away. But they were still nourishingly good anyway. Isn't that an intense orange - need I even say that they are local and free-range (though not our own, yet. I am still waiting to build a chook pen and bring some hens home).
This little purple lilac bloom was the only one of the whole plant. I told the girl to not pick it, to let it be and enjoy it, to see if any more would grow. I was watching while I walked past each day. But she picked it - she does so like picking little blossoms and blooms and bringing them in to place in a glass, jar or other vessel for us to look at. And you know what - each day I was walked right past looking at the mass of flowers (all three blooms that there are!), but not appreciating the detail. Now that they are sitting on our table, I am looking and so enjoying seeing those delicate petals.lines.shapes.colours up close. One looks as if someone has done the most delicate of embroidery stitches along the petal seamline, with the prettiest of thread colours. I keep expecting to see fairy silver dust sprinkled upon it!

frost

The girl and I are having hot cocoa. We whiz the milk up with a little battery whisk machine. Frosty cocoa is very good.

In NZ they call them 'fluffies', here in Australia we call them babycinos. Well, when you're at a cafe anyway.

At home we made simple yummy hot cocoa. We just use Cadbury cocoa powder, would love to say that we use organic, but really our budget doesn't stretch that far for cocoa. We mix it with a little sugar and warmed half milk / half water.






Just so you know, the girl posed and directed all these photos, she wanted me to take more and more. She is a little poser, that's for sure!


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oh toasty toasty {inspiration}

Last week, Sam came home from town, with the mail*, and handed me the two new catalogues from Toast. I know I've mentioned these lovely lovely catalogues before. Check them out, please do. They send these for free.

The styling is so so me. I love every bit of it. The mood, the colours, the light. And oh those settings. One of the big things about living in this country of mine (Australia), is that we are so far away from places like Morocco, Spain, France, Italy.... 

Toast, being a UK company, can just flit off there for their photo shoots. Oh. Oh. Oh. Those locations. 

I really love the styling, and never realised before my Shannon Fricke workshop, that it was by Twig Hutchinson. Oh, have a look over at her site. Now. I'm waiting here for you to look.

Anyway. I'm loving looking through the Toast catalogues, both the house&home and the Early Spring fashion one. Simply lovely. And so so continually inspiring. I have the Christmas one on my bookshelf, and flip through it often - to gaze at the luscious deep velvet dresses and shoes and.....

* Now that we live in the 'country' we have a mail box in town, at the main post office. This means no daily mail box check, only whenever we go into town once or twice a week. Sometimes I miss that feeling of hearing the mail delivery (wo)man driving down the street and stopping at our mail box, and running outside to check. But, then the up-side is that there's the anticipation of waiting to open the mail box with our key and peer inside the box. Sometimes a parcel slip means we have to head into the post office and hand the slip over, stating our box number, and then waiting while the ladies go off to find our parcel. The anticipation of a parcel......
HA - I just thought..... Does anyone want to do a parcel swap with me. Something little, something special, something thoughtful, something crafty, or a magazine from your country/town...... something something something. Email me if you like this idea {redseedstudio@gmail.com} or leave a comment.

{collecting} fuyu

this beautiful tree sits quietly in our garden. 

going through it's seasonal changes moment by moment.

providing cooling shade during the hot summer months.

loosing it's leaves to allow sunlight for winter.

it's autumn now.

the leaves are turning.

the colours changing.

the fruit.

oh the fruit. 

we sit at our kitchen table 

and spot bright orange balls of colour 

amongst the leaves.

some too high to reach. 

left to the birds.

 {Sam's going to hate me putting this photo up, but I do think it's fuzzy enough to be ok? Plus, I just wanted you to know the fruit picking help I have around here!! The fuzzy in the centre of the photo is my camera being cold in the humid/cool/wetish mornings around here; she takes a while to warm herself up. Some of the fuzzy photos are turning out with a beautiful moodiness.}

We got out our ladder and climbed up to pluck the firm round fruits from the branch. Persimmons. This is the variety known as fuyu. Can be eaten firm, or soften more. None of us here in this house actually like persimmons; but I must admit that I have been thinking of the other variety (known as hachiya), which is squidgy and stringy, and not at all what I like to put in my mouth. So - perhaps I really do need to retry this fruit. Not now, though. These few we collected we taken this weekend past to Grandma's house (Sam's mum), as she does really like them a whole lot. I hope she gobbled them up with a smile on her face!

If you happen to have a glut of persimmons, you could make them into a jam, I believe. But we had only a few fruits on the whole tree, and even less that we could reach with our ladder. 

This tree will turn from green to yellow to orange over the next few days and weeks. Even now as I look, I can see more yellow leaves on the bigger tree, and the little tree has less leaves than last week. For some strange reason, the little/younger tree has shown it's colour earlier; Sam told me he saw the other day a big gust of wind come along and shake a big handful of leaves from the little tree. Isn't that a lovely little image to this about. {Have you read this book? We love it, a good one to add to your Autumn reading list.}

more words?

I don't have more words today. 

There are more words from other days, other years, other memories, other..... lives. Some years I've written lots of words. That was good. At that moment. {this, this, this or this one if you feel like having a little sob about your own losses}.

But right now. On this overcast, rainy day (the sun is trying trying trying to peek out), with the birds around me as company. Not so many words. 

eight years. a long time. a blink of an eye.

I do think that being here, on this land. Her land. Is good. For me, right now. It's good. Of course, there's moments when really it's not good either. When the what ifs, the not fairs, the what abouts come bursting forth in my mind. Trying to make a different reality. Can't be done. This is the reality. 

Living here. On this land. Without her. With thoughts, and memories, and dreams, and wishes. But without her.

there is much loss in the world, today, as every day. there is grief, and heartwrenching pain, there is throbbing endurance, there is understanding and knowledge, there is mis-understanding. there are wishes, dreams, what ifs, perhapses. and there is knowing that this is just the way. on this day. this day of my days. 

i send my love to my dear ones, my family. my long big wide laughing crying crazy beautiful family. all of those of you who are my family. my close, my far, my near, my distant family. those i've had connections with.

i am thinking also of others who are feeling loss today. shared loss. personal loss. 

there are many of us who have a moment in our lives.life where something happens and we are forced onto that other existence. to become our parallel being. to not be ourselves anymore. to be the other person that we are. i am myself, but not myself.

in my mind and heart right now. dear friends who are facing.have faced moments of becoming a different person.woman.daughter.mother.father.son.lover.man my love to you today, for today, but also for the future, for the strength, the courage. i am naming you in my heart, my mind, my soul, my love.

"How can we compare sufferings?

Each person's suffering is the most important.

But what enables us to go on?

Only sound, which comes and goes

like water amongst the stones."

Goran Tunstrom 

(found in the book "The Mark of the Angel" by Nancy Huston)

important things to do to remind yourself you're still a girl

> Give your man a really big, long smooch goodbye (cause he's taking the kids away for the weekend, and cause giving your man a big, long smooch is a good thing to do!).
> Pack your basket of things for a night away on your own.
> Remember to include a good book or two to enjoy. And some fresh lemons for your grandma.
> Turn the music up nice and loud.
> Put your sunglasses on. Enjoy the look of the road behind you, in the rearview mirror. And look forward to the road in front with a light heart.

> Drive nice and fast*, with the wind in your hair. Sing as loud as you want, and make sure you tap and bang your fingers on the steering wheel.
> Swing past the post office, in town, just in case there's a nice little treasure for you. (Ooohhh, there is.) Ignore the phone bill that came with it.
> Head on up the coast. Wind, music, sunglasses, mountains all about you. Doesn't the car feel just that little bit lighter without the car seats or the kids.
> Stop off for a dip in the ocean. All on your own. At the best ocean spot in the whole wide entire world. Jump about in the waves for just as long as you want. Feel the sun on your back, as you sit on the sand. All on your own. The sand under your feet as you look for rocks along the water's edge. (Ignore the fact that your body doesn't look exactly the same as it did when you where a girl. Or even a bit younger than you are now....). Wrap your sarong around you, and head on back to the car - don't have to worry about drying/dressing/cleaning sand off any body but yourself.
> Head on further up the coast, just a little bit. To your grandma's house. Visiting your grandma is a good thing to do. You still feel like a girl, even though you are the one now cooking the dinner and cleaning the dishes, compared to her doing it for you when you were a girl.

Being a woman is really really good, of course. But sometimes, being a girl again (of indeterminate age) is really really important.

Enjoy your weekend. I'm staying at my grandma's for just one night, then heading back home for some peace and quiet until the noise arrives back on Sunday afternoon. I'll be lapping up every moment of the quiet that living in the bush brings.

*though of course, not too fast, stick to the speed limit please. One of the good things about country living is those road signs that say 'drive to suit conditions'....

Saturday at our kitchen table

Food is very important in our family. But more so is the sitting down together and enjoying a beautifully, lovingly cooked meal.
Spending time talking, laughing, enjoying.

Right now, Sam is impressed, surprised, incredulous that I am blogging while I'm cooking pancakes. I tell him I'm a modern woman!

It's never quiet at our kitchen table.

Enjoy your weekend, my friends. And take care to enjoy your loved ones, wherever you may be in this wonderful, scary world of ours. xx
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Friday night at our house

Dinner made by Sam :: ratatouille, rice + corn chips.

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thoughts from here

It's the second day of glorious sunshine here - though the rain keeps creeping in.
Washing sheets, towels, tea towels while we can.





We will go to the creek later on; when the boys get off the school bus.


We are sending thoughts, prayers, care, wishes to all those affected in the Japanese earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdowns. Our love to you Dan + Aya.

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afternoon tea & a few good books on the back verandah {or what would you call your autobiography....}

This is my little styled scene from the Shannon Fricke workshop last week. We did a theme board, using magazine tearsheets. I really like the colour tones.moods I've used; though a lot of the elements aren't quite right. The cushions should be much bigger, it really is out of proportion. And the white pebbles on the ground were putting me off quite a bit (though looking at the image on Shannon's blog they don't look too terrible).

Isn't that old metal tambourine just amazingly beautiful. Shannon had pulled some fantastic treasures from her collections for us to use in our styling. The cushion is from Cloth Fabric, and the little red vessel is from Shannon's new Free Range collection. That piece of blue cloth really reminded me of my mum, as many years ago she hand dyed some similar colour tones onto similar weave fabric; and we had pieces she'd made (cushions and things) around our home while I was growing up. And of course, that roll of twine is so very us - as we use jute and hemp twine in our packaging and always have a few rolls about. Though none of ours are on such pretty wooden spools. Note to self: Must look out for pretty wooden spools.

This is Lea's corner, which didn't quite get finished. A long day ran away from us too quickly and we didn't have time for all that we wanted! I love her tender little colours and attention to the smallest details - those budlets sitting in the vases, and the sparkly theme running through it all. And let me tell you - that piece of fabric sitting there was the most sublime piece of almost costume-like theatricality of perfection. I saw many woman stop and be enthralled by it during the day. I'm sure I've shown you scenes of Lea's home before, perhaps I'll have to search my archives and show you again and she does have a wonderful knack for styling in a real warm sense, and beautiful collection of special pieces in her home. {You see, I told you she was our sister by interest and talent and such}.

This was Sylv's corner. Afternoon tea and a few good books on the back verandah. Ha - that could be the title to Sylv's memoirs. No.....? Those green colours are just perfectly Sylv. Well, actually I think perhaps she's actually really a bit of a deeper green, but it's not far off. And the rambling shelf of plants with that beautiful touch-me-touch-me-but only ever so gently teapot. It has translucent spots on the lid. Oh, it was lovely. {Both Sylv + I spotted it on the kitchen counter as we walked into the room at the start of the day}. I'll just let you know, though, Sylv doesn't read Country Style magazine - not quite her cup-of-tea; just so you don't get different ideas about who she is, and all......

Looking at these three images now. I do quite like that in some way they somehow each vaguely represent each of the three of us as people. Maybe I'm just rambling now, or maybe my tired thoughts are making some real sense. {It is almost 9pm people, and now that I live in the county it's quite my bedtime! Though I do have some new library books I'm going to curl up with....}.

This is Take One, well, Take Two actually, but the top (first) picture is Take Three which is really Take One. If you get what I mean. ie - I just wanted to try something different, but went back to my original first setting, after having to check that less really was more and took out those play matchboxes.

One important thing that Shannon made us remember/realise was that even though you may have an excellent theme.idea.storyboard.location it might all go to pieces on the day of the styling shoot. So, be prepared for Plan B, which is to fly by the seat of you perfectly knowledgeable stylish pants.

*Shannon wrote a lovely little post about the workshop day on her blog too. And look.look.look she included the styling corners of both mine + Sylvs. Yah to that!

the process of making things look beautiful

 {This was the props table, full of all the things we could use to 

make our own little scenes. What a glorious collection of beautiful pieces}

Last week I went to a styling workshop, with two of my sisters*. 

It was with the lovely, talented and very friendly Shannon Fricke. She has a beautiful, open, light and dreamy studio space in Bangalow; where she works on her styling for magazines (such as RealLiving, InsideOut, Country Style, and many many overseas editions), her books, as well as her interior designer business. She has also just launched her first collection of ceramic pieces, which are made locally, and were dotted all around the studio space with a perfect feel of touch-me please glaze.shapes.colours.

We all had such a fun day - though boy was it tiring sitting and listening to Shannon talk about her amazing life, and all that she gets up to! The lunch was delicious; with some very yummy tastes and nice care and attention to the food. Always good to enjoy well prepared, healthy yet delicious and luxurious food.

These scenes really do look like a proper styled home / studio, don't they. I so like that Shannon's styling is clean, neat, and beautiful, yet very real, livable, a place where you feel you can mess things a little bit, and there is space to curl up your feet on the chair and read a book or two in the afternoon light. 

 {this is the 'after' image of that beautiful table laden with styling props}

I came away from the workshop quite inspired to get myself into some new projects. Also, with the big reminder that both Sam + I need to be more focussed on certain particular things about Red Seed Studio. The fun part of finally getting all my inspiration images / tearsheets into some sort of order, so that I can actually look at them is a start. Making theme boards is also a really worthwhile process that I'm going to try to do more often. Pinterest is an excellent online way of keeping inspiration images in one place, and organised too; but often I really need the tactileness of some magazine pages to touch.

*for those of you wondering, about "two of my sisters". Yes, I do only actually have two birth sisters; but have another sister by love and common interests. She is the mother of one of my nephews and I've known her since I was about 13 or so.

{one word} breathe

somewhere in the bloglands i've seen some people who have taken up one word. i can't find any links right now (and with limited internet time, i'm writing about it instead of web-hopping).

anyway.

lately i've been consciously thinking on, trying to live by, be & do by my one word.

{breathe} verb;
~ to pause, as for breathe, take rest
~ to live; exist
~ to express; manifest.

consciously i am stopping and breathing before actions, thoughts, reactions. especially when dealing with the children, and their 'pushing the boundaries' behaviour.

i am trying to remind myself that

Between stimulus and response there is a space. 

In that space is our power to choose our response. 

In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

                                                                                                           Viktor E. Frankl

 

i took these photos around our little home, the other day. when i was home alone. we'd had rain for most of the day, so the sky was cloudy and grey, and the sun was only dimly filtering through. in that afternoon moody light, these textures and colours shone out. i do love love love those green.yellow.chartreuse.moss sorts of colours on the post; the colours slowly mixing together around the wood.

 

* our days are slowly going by. in a happy contented way. i am trying to find a routine, rhythm to get settled into. 

things are good. simple. breathe.

monday things

am sitting here,
remembering the quiet i had over the weekend, while sam+kids were in brisbane. now they are home, and that little four-yr old girl of mine cannot stop the chatter.

more house plans filling my pages. and random drawings of trees, branches, berries, leaves in my sightline.










it's been raining again. winter seems close, cool nights and mornings - we must get our new fireplace connected in soon. and get firewood. it will be quite cold here in a few short months; or even a few long weeks away.....

i am planning on getting back into knitting; will have to be retaught. these patterns are inspiring me; there are at least five or six jumpers/cardigans that i want to make.

other things are slowly bubbling away. slowly simmering. we are talking new ideas, projects, plans.... just waiting to find the headspace + housespace to start new projects.