Vintage Goodness

I have always loved old things. Our house is filled with rustic, antique, second-hand stuff. Even our house is old.
A fantastic day for me is rummaging through antique and second-hand stores looking for treasures and bargins. Or heading to an auction or garage sale. We've had great success at those. I have even rummaged through Ebay looking for old and rustic wares. Timber boxes, glass jars, lace dollies, old sheet music, clothing patterns, fabric, books (love second-hand books), tea cups, photo frames, old suitcases, kitchen wares, furniture, etc etc.

Here are a few photos of some recent finds:

Can't wait to play with this last one. Clean them up, put photos, patterned paper, fabric, other special things into each section then hang them on the wall.  Vintage goodness.



Life is...

Tonight I have a heavy heart. A friend's marriage has broken up. Another dear friend is moving interstate. These things amongst others are making life just a little bit blah. Just a little less cheery. A little less happy.

I am being reminded daily that life is not always rosy. Not always easy. Not always just how we like it to be. People break up, move away, get sick, die, act unjustly, refuse to be gracious, etc, etc, etc.

I am also being reminded daily to enjoy the small moments. Delight in the unexpected. Take the opportunities when they present. See what is right there. Say yes to the things that deserve a yes and no to those that don't.

And so I endeavour to snuggle with Timothy and Sarah for just a bit longer at bedtime even though sometimes I just want some 'me' time.  I read that extra bedtime story even though it means bedtime will be later. We have 2 marshmallows instead of 1 in our warm milo on a cold afternoon. I sit in the garden and soak up the warm sun while doing study instead of in the office. I ask the visitor who just popped in to stay for a cuppa even though I have a million things to do and really shouldn't sit by idly and chatter.

Life will keep on going whether we are paying attention or not. It will keep churning away even if we are too busy to notice that the pretty little pink flowers in the front garden have never bloomed on that bush before and are delicate and beautiful. Life will push on even if we are busy and hurried and rushed.

Sometimes life is to be endured and something to struggle through. However life can also be savoured, noticed, enjoyed, experienced and explored. Life is to be lived.

Life is............?

Today I am....

Enjoying: the cold weather we are having in my part of the world

Listening: to the wind and grateful that I am warm and cosy inside my home.

Marvelling: at how athletic my boy Tom is. Two firsts, a second and a third at the district athletics and now onto regionals.

Appreciating:  the creative time in my space.

Loving:  my husband and so grateful for his fathering of our children.

Doing: a lot of baking and cooking of soups and casseroles. Yum.

Knowing:  I am so blessed to be free and loved.

Anticipating:  all that this weekend will bring to our little family.

Space

After a busy few months of study, prac and life I am now enjoying some creative time. It has been so good getting back into my creative space and playing.  I spent some of today working on one of my canvases. It is starting to resemble what I can see in my head.

This piece is called beauty and freedom. Both of which I have recently discovered.

Colour

I made these cards a couple of months ago. And then as I was loading them onto my blog I noticed that all 3 cards had the colour green somewhere on them. I went through my stash of 'handmade' cards and there it was, more green. I thought to myself maybe green is my favourite colour. Then I started to think about other colours realising I have favourite colours for different things. For example, I don't usually wear green. I love it on a card, or scrapbook page or as part of my home decor but not so much as part of my wardrobe. Blue on the other hand is at least one third of my wardrobe, if not a half, but around the house, there isn't as much to be seen. Red, well it is both. I love to wear it, decorate with it, eat it, craft with it and in my dreams, drive it (my dream car is a deep red Land Rover Defender). Maybe red is my favourite.

Balance

I am struggling at the moment with balance. So many interests, relationships, responsibilities, all pulling me in different directions. I often feel like I am not doing anything well. Creativity is even taking a battering. I went to a craft night last night. I had been looking forward to it. I packed up some supplies and headed out. Some free time to play. No responsibilities. Just the company of other women creating together. Guess what? It was a flop. Creatively speaking. I just had nothing. I sat there fiddling and trying to piece some things together and....... NOTHING. It just wasn't happeming. I was disappointed. So at the moment I am trying to let it go. Trying to give myself permission to just take one day at a time. In fact just one moment at a time. Keeping a very close eye on Miss Anxiety who continues to try inviting herself in. Just one moment at a time. Do what is right in front of me. Stop worrying about the next 3 or 4 things on the list. Just look at right now and live this moment right now.

Space

'It's not the space you live in, but how you live in the space that matters' - Anonymous

Today I am....

Loving: that it is Friday and I can sleep in tomorrow morning just a tiny bit.

Embracing: life, despite how busy I am.

Noticing: that my kids are getting taller and this scares me.

Enjoying: the quiet and stillness.

Feeling: contented right here, right now.

create x 7

The following creations have a very similiar feel to them. I had a couple of stamps that I hadn't used yet and I wanted to try them out using various techniques, products and inspiration from other artists. Similiar colours are used as well. In fact green is the common denominator in all 7. I am trying to build up my stash of cards as it has dwindled significantly.
And I am still working on a couple of canvas projects. These are taking quite a bit of time as I am really going outside my comfort zone with those.

I am really enjoying creating at the moment. It is a lot of fun and very relaxing. As I usually spend time creating in the evening I have noticed I am sleeping more peacefully. Creating something at the end of the day appears to be helping to clear my mind of the daily work, stressors, concerns, and busyness that the day had brought. I am trying to remember that being creative or artistic isn't only about using paint, ink, stamps, paper, fabric, etc. It can be lighting some candles, editing photos, writing in a journal/blog, baking a cake, writing a poem about a beautiful autumn sunset. It can be whatever soothes mysoul. Whatever brings peace to my heart. Whatever helps me to see what is.

create x 7

So my challenge this week was to do/make something creative everyday. This may sound quite easy to some but I am a busy mother of 4, helping run our business and studying at uni. Add to that all the other things I have/need to do and I see why for me being creative everyday is sometimes a challenge. Especially giving myself permission to do it. There is a pile of laundry there to fold, some dishes to wash, an email to write, a family member to call. And I am tired. ALL OF THE TIME. I am tired of being tired.

Anyway, the reality is I am a mother who desires to create and so I am trying to allow myself a little time each day to do something creative that feeds and nurtures my heart and soul. This process doesn't necessarily involve paper, ink, stamps, paint or fabric everytime. Sometimes it involves creating a mood or ambience with freshly picked flowers or candles. Sometimes it involves creating some delicious choc-chip cookies for afterschool snacks.

To me being creative is about playing, enjoying, experimenting, sharing, loving and so much more.

The following photos are a sample of my creative week.

Was I disppointed that I didn't finish my blue painted canvas? No. Was I disappointed that I didn't complete 8 scrapbook pages, 12 cards, 3 pieces of artwork and 2 books? No no no no. I was satisfied with what I achieved. I was blessed by the few moments I had. I enjoyed being creative and I feel full.