Love my way

Happy Valentines Day!

I don't know if you buy into it or not but for me on this day of love I come over all gooey, giddy and cheerful.

I don't run out and spend a load of money on pop up heart cards and boxed choccy though for me it is a chance to finally get around to making that something special from the heart for those I love most, my boys - big and small

Here are my valentine offerings to them

A washi sticker succulent message for my man - saying it with succulents this year

For my biggest little man a mini version in the colour of the day

I have also been super keen to make wreaths because I was excited about the idea at Christmas but time got away from me so when I saw these heart rings at a craft supplier the other day I was inspired to take my beautiful berried brush cherry foliage and have a go

It turns out teething babies don't care about valentines day so my ambitious start ended in just the one - wonky but wonderful wreath of love for my loves

I am pleased how it turned out for a first kind of rushed attempt and can't wait to think up an easter wreath idea.

I hope you feel the love today wherever you are and whoever you get to share it with.
Love is all we need, but some pretty plants are good too.

A new years play on words

Happy not so New Year! I'm doing well in 2014 I'm only a month and a half late.

Have you had a great start to 2014? Did you have a great new years? We spent ours travelling between friends and family visiting 3 different places to make sure we saw those we loved one last time in the year that was 2013. It was tiring but really nice too. The year seems to have continued in the same vein hence my neglect here.

I also made a new years resolution this year, nothing too grand, ambitious or complicated just one word

A simple word to mean a lot of things and nothing too serious at the same time.

A reminder to allow my boys as much play as possible, to join in as much play as possible with them but also to take time out with my partner and have fun together - just us - which doesn't happen often enough. It's a word I will place at the forefront of my mind to remember to experiment, participate and find the fun side of life - so simple but so powerful for me right now.

Happy belated 2014 everyone I hope you also get to play all year - whatever that means for you.

Found Friday

Time together and patterns in rock pools - great day to find yourself at the beach.

Not quite finding Friday

I know i have missed Found Friday again and I swear it was going to turn into Sourced Sunday but the last few weeks have given me a walloping and i just needed some days off from everything except my boys - with a trip to the Steam Museum Open Day yesterday and today being a nice day for a family mini bushwalk and a trip to the beach it has been just what I needed. I will be back on deck next week I promise as I do have some lovely finds I would like to share with you. I hope your weekend was leisurely and sunny too.

Found Friday

Today's Found Friday is a little different - I didn't think I would get one in again this week bit I needed a break from my assignment backlog craziness so managed to do a little second hand retail therapy. I also decided I needed a little break this afternoon to capture them but someone in our house had other ideas. As a result I have clipped this weeks images into a little slideshow I like to call Look What Mummy Found Friday - I hope you enjoy my un-cropped, un-reworked, interrupted images as much as I enjoy sharing with you a glimpse of my afternoon.

Oh the finds? There is a needle point, OK there are 2. I just can't stop. There is also a new addition to my milk glass collection and some tassels and sequins of course.

Scissors - She cuts it fine

I could hardly do a week of scissors and not mention hairdressers - but not just any - my big sis.

Hairdressers are oft undervalued artisans. There is a lot of technique and artistry that goes into being a hairdresser, not to mention science and business skill. I think most women feel much better with the perfect do - and it doesn't just happen.

For my sister it was definitely a calling - just check this picture out - I think she was only about 5 here - styling my other sisters hair.

She always knew she wanted to and could do it - and she does - cut it fine that is, and colour and style. 

I was hoping to show you a selection of my favourite styles she has given me over the years but haven't managed to dig those up but they've included a favourite nineties do - a short cut with a blonde fringe ala Suze Demarchi of the Baby Animals - below

If you ever find yourself in the NSW Northern Rivers in need of a seriously good snip (and a tint, highlight, foil and style) - I can recommend, without bias, an artist I know - KulaByTara - look her up - she's been practicing a long time.

Found Friday

Oh no I nearly let a 2nd Friday go by without a mention of a single find. Last week's excuse was I was feeling a little less than inspired and I was sure you would know I was faking it if I even attempted. The reason I was feeling uninspired is very much related to this week's excuse - I have been flat on my back with a compressed disc in my spine and loaded up on my friends pain killers 1, 2 & 3.

The first incident occurred on the 20th and while I thought I was on the mend a little task like putting a pram in the car a few days ago reminded me that it was definitely not the case. I am not telling you this to feel sorry for me and I indeed have been trying my best to not feel sorry for myself as well because despite my pain and incapacitation there have been worse things going on in the lives of people I know and in the world generally - I will get better. I am also very grateful that I have had a major help in doing so with the support of my family - how lucky am I? So in light of all this my favourite find this week - and last - is this garland.

I don't necessarily go in for a lot of positive affirmation slogans and especially am not one for displaying them - the occasional print out stuck to the fridge maybe, but this says it for me right now. It sums it up beautifully - I am thinking of making one myself for the house because it is good to be reminded every now and then and as far as I see it today really it could be - worse that is.

A Cuppa with mum

Happy mothers day to all the mummy's.

This is my second mothers day and today I was feeling very blessed. We had a great day despite a false start when we went in search of a cafe for breakfast - without booking - only because we didn't know if my assignments would be complete but 1.30am took care of that. Looking for a place for breakfast on mothers day without booking is never easy and there aren't a lot of nice ones where we
now live.

However this mishap lead to an unexpected exploration through the local botanic gardens with coffee, banana bread and croissants alfresco and tumbles in the grass. Sometimes things not going to plan have the best outcomes. We even found the gardens has a nice cafe with a playground which only equals more fun times to come.

I sadly couldn't be with my mum today as she lives too far away but we will be hanging out soon enough.

One of the things I like to do best of all with my mum, even from when I was a little girl, is have a cup of tea together on the verandah. We still try and fit in a few quiet cuppa moments during my trips back home.

I once described to my friend Ben, a fellow tea appreciator, that tea with milk was like a warm hug and a good chat with your mum while black tea was like a chat with your dad where he cuts to the chase and helps you sort stuff out. I think we need both in life (whether we get it from our actual mum and dad or other people who fill these roles).

But today is in honour of mums. So here is my tribute to mine. All milky tea and verandahs.


A Pride and Prejudice quote for mum

The Beatles for mum

I have always liked dunking

A little selection of beau-tea

And while I would gladly sit on any of these verandahs for a cuppa with mum my preference will always be home.

Found Friday

This week's finds Top 3

• A foxy new collection of images
• Finding out good news
• Many ways to procrastinate

A foxy new collection of images
I have always loved imagery of foxes. I know that they are not native and indeed are a general bad ass pest in Australia but gosh they are cute. I started a new board on Pinterest to collect the most foxy finds I could find - 'What a Fox'. Here is a favourite to get you feeling foxy too. This foxy lampshades is from Radiance a UK based 'glowing light and craft boutique'.

While checking out their products I also found another fabulous designer - House of Chintz - these beautifully layered lampshades
are to die for.

Finding out good news
My very talented partner Craig was named one of Capture Magazines 2012 Top Emerging Photographers in the Advertising Category. You can check out the winning shots in the latest issue of the magazine or via his website craigproudford.com as part of his Wish series and while you're there check out his other beautiful shots. While I love them all an all time personal favourite for me is the ninety K's series - so named because I was driving and was on my P's and could only travel at 90 K's. They are painterly and dreamy. I couldn't be more proud.

Many ways to procrastinate
I have several assignments due in the next 2 weeks and subsequently I have found many many opportunities to procrastinate including much pinning on Pinterest - yes even more that my prolific norm (see this week's find #1) - an appropriate favourite pin this week.

One of the main reasons for the procrastination, apart from it being the usual order of things with me, is that I have been feeling a little inadequate. I have been comparing myself to others and coming up short and have been avoiding even starting for fear of not liking the results. Nothing like a deadline fast approaching to snap you out of that. So today I tried to remember why I am studying interior decoration and design in the first place. BECAUSE I FIND IT FUN. I am not the best at what I am tackling currently and don't expect to be - hand rendering interiors and materials - but I am OK at it and I can get it done. I just have to have fun with it (and remember that it the real world there are computers too).

I remembered today some unsolicited advice a psychic gave me many many years ago (I knew she was a psychic because even though I was just her waitress she knew way too much about me). She told me to 'Have fun and the money will follow'. Insert anything you are seeking here - Love, career progression, friendship. If you forget to find the joy on the way what is the point in arriving.

Here are some of my (unfinished) fun scribblings from today. Now enough procrastinating with writing this post and back to it.

Watercolour Playtime

These are the beautiful food colouring watercolour creations me and my nephew made together today at his suggestion. He is very crafty and his mum always has some amazing 'build a whole world' project on the go with him. This was my easy contribution - I have also done this with my little one before and loved the effect. I would love to translate this to fabric and see the results. The 2nd one down reminds me of a Japanese mountain scene with blossoms. My favourite part is picking up the paper and watching the colours merge and run down the page in channels to create something unexpected - happy messy times - Thanks C-Bear.

Found Friday

This week gave us Anzac Day - a little mid week bonus day feeling like a weekend. I had great plans of baking Anzac cookies but an unexpected late night followed by an early morning wake up for the dawn service quashed my ambitions. I did however have some spirit of adventure. What we found this week? A new place to explore as a family, and my little man found a new place to run and run and run - there is nothing he loves more. We went for a walk along Avon and Nepean Dams and a stroll around the picnic grounds and while it felt like we had arrived at the whole of winter in one afternoon gusting at us it was pretty and quiet and we had a great time. Finding time together - the best find of all. (Thanks Craig for the pics)

 

 

Home grown inspiration

Looking around my parents garden I found inspiration everywhere - here are some snippets of my favourite things growing there (plus a flower that will never grow but it was made by my Dad and is beautiful none the less). There is so much more and I was lucky enough to come back with home grown pumpkins and sweet potato plus my mums awesome choko pickles. I also scored chilly jam, quince paste, chillies, tomato seeds and ginger plants from a friends farm. Now I really have to get cracking on that veggie garden as I have a head start with the above plus pumpkin and marigold seeds and potted herbs from Mum and Dad. Nature really does do it best - I hope I can do it justice in my own patch of dirt.

Found Friday

Well I haven't found as much time for finding as I would have liked on holiday - nor time for anything else - where did it all go? I have fit in a few swims and beach walks, an early morning river stroll with the first chills of autumn, some great catch ups with old friends and a revisit of some favourite finding haunts (my jollys further afield will have to wait for the next visit as Easter festivities take over for the rest of my time here).

I did manage to find some great fabric remnants - 2 are big enough to probably warrant a little more respect than that

Here they are in my folks backyard - perched on their found object bean trellis. The one on the left is a grey, purple, orange and turquoise chinoiserie fabric featuring foo dogs like the ceramic turquoise ones I am fond of - like these at Ada & Darcy

The middle is an 80's esque multicoloured pattern that grabbed my eye and I hope to use in some pattern clash cushion creations. Lastly sunny yellow diagonal stripes - so 70's Swedish - my yellow obsession for the new loungeroom continues.

I also fond this sweet handpainted doily

While we are on the subject of my folks garden I love this other bean trellis made from bed springs - I think I know where I get this from. I have been snapping away at all their plants as well and will show you the inspiration I have found in pots and planters some time next week. Off to catch some zzz's now to enjoy the bagpiping tomorrow. Ooh I feel a tartan feature coming on - Vivienne Westwood wallpaper anyone?