25.2.14

drama and cherishing


Last night I dream't there was water pouring through the electrics. The house was on fire, caused by the boiler. I was trying to open the locked doors to let the mouse out, yes the very same one that's nibbled through my phone cable!
I was furious with my son who wouldn't leave his room even though the house was full of smoke. I was trying to throw the electric switch so we wouldn't be electrocuted.
None of the doors had keys in them, but I did notice one small open window,
thank god.
I woke up in the early hours.
Always a good time for imagining the worst.

Do you do this? Responsibilities build up. The house will surely fall down if I can't hold it up, myself. 

So, the boiler needs servicing, I think the roof has a leak. I need to call the electrician about my light switch. The phone engineer is supposed to be coming right now.
I saw the mouse last night, having a stroll around. Only humane traps here. I think he likes here, he gets to eat all the bits of veg I drop. I mean why bother going in the trap!
Even the dog watches him. I think she thinks he's a pet.

Sometimes it's over-whelming.
But this time it feels like a call to action.
I can do this.

a new display on my mantle, still needs a bit more colour I think.

At home I have been pottering around in the process of re-discovering lost treasures. Opening things up. Cleaning them, shifting things around. Redefining who we are now and how we live.
A new (old) suitcase has been found, together with another vintage chocolate box. I have a little collection of these, I must show you. Please ignore the cable in the background, who put that there!

wooden plank boats and a hand mirror which belonged to my Mum.
I remember the sanding and making of these little boats and the sailing adventures they went on in the bath!
vintage tea and cigarette cards
In my craft room, a few things are waiting for the moment to strike. I love these little cards. I have a whole box of them. I've opened the box up over the years and peered inside, now I have some ideas of what to do with them. One things for sure Tetley tea and Wills cigarettes were a staple at my grandparents house!

buttons and beads! 
   I've put my buttons and beads where I can see them. I emptied some strands of beads into the pot. We are never to old for beads! Love these.

little handmade jumpers
In the corner sits a little colourfull pile of handmade children's jumpers, made my Mum. I can't bring myself to part with these. I've given them a wash, it was so nice to see them out drying. Just like yesterday!

vintage and handmade brooches on my dresser
 On my dresser I have made a little arrangement of all my brooches pinned onto a small mannequin which no longer has it's stand. It's nice to be able to see them and not have them hidden away in boxes. A little picture of my Dad's Mum on her wedding day. You can see another vintage chocolate box in the background and the picture of the crocuses I adore. The velvet flower was given to me years ago by my Mum, I think it goes well there.

a fabric covered jewellery board
I have made a fabric covered jewellery board and hung some things that would normally be tucked away in draws. I've polished and shined, silver polish makes a huge difference. I feel like I polished a small part of soul, bringing things back to their former shine is very satisfying. I'll let you know more about the board in my next post.

 pretty kitsch artwork from a craft fair
I went to see an old friend, just for the day. To catch up and help remember the parts we had forgotten. It was so nice. So much time has flown by since our days of hanging out, traveling and partying! Life has changed a lot. But it's still us somewhere. A deeply creative friend who's home has always inspired me. I snapped some little glances to share here. I love this idea. A three dimensional box covered in fabric, with a picture, lots of glitter and sparkly things, just what we need. Nice.

inspiring chairs!
These two wicker chairs are gorgeous! Fabric from South America? I think. Cushions from India. A lovely heart. The cat cushions are fun.


Real colourfull gorgeousness. Aren't they lovely.
We have a next adventure planned. Meeting in London for the day. Exciting. So nice to have a partner in crime. Even if all we do now is drink tea and eat cake! and maybe check out an art gallery. Looking forward to it. Must make it happen!

And how are you all? I'm sorry if I've been a bit disjointed here. I feel like I have been limping along here slightly, not quite keeping it together. If you have a conversation with me in real life at the moment it's the same thing. Slightly disjointed, wandering obliviously past people I know in the street. Feeling very sentimental really of late. Lots of random tears and then feeling quite together again.
It's mixed bag right now!

Hope your week goes well.

♥♥♥


15.2.14

stormy weather and new hearts

Good morning all! I have just spent the night listening to the most ferocious gale! I dream't that my windows blew in, but thankfully they didn't. It was a night of very loud wind and rain. I felt for my hardy cabin folks, who must surely have been waiting for the cabins to lift off in true Wizard of Oz fashion! And it must have sounded so loud under those cabin roofs! Up on a hill in Gloucestershire means we have no danger of flooding, but instead have been whipped by the rain and the north westerlies coming up the valley. The news has shown waves coming up the high street in Cornwall and I feel so sorry for the people who's houses have been flooded out, and the farmers trying to cope with their cattle on the somerset levels. Such challenges.
I hope you are warm safe and dry wherever you are.


I am a little late with my hearts post! we have been having a few internet problems here. I think it may be due to a little mouse who might be living near the cable!.....something else to have to solve!...... I am enjoying this burst of colour from these daffodils and also the lovely scent too.


I followed the pattern from Sandra at Cherry heart for the hearts. I think I got it, although each one is a bit different.


like Sandra I decided to string them together with some beads and make a dangly decoration. You can see it here against the lovely blue of this cupboard. Which I don't think I've shown you before. This is our games cupboard. It's still full of all the games and puzzles we have played over the years, like a time capsule really.
I found this cupboard about 10 years ago in someones garden after it was thrown out.


Can you believe it! The story goes that one day they left a visiting artist friend for a few hours with some paint pots and when they came home it had been transformed to this. It had been in their hall for a long time.
Well I can tell you that I moved heaven and earth to get this home and save it from the rain. It's really rather magical. 

♥♥♥

Can I give a quick mention to Hesta at Clover Clogg. Are you good at making up names? Hesta is running a competition to guess the name of one of her lovely dolls. The winner will receive one of her whimsical mermaid dolls and it's open until the end of March.

Have a good day,



1.2.14

home

It's been a while. The time went by. I become a reader, and I enjoy that. I try to wait until I feel moved to write here. To feel what I want to say. To feel the inspiration arrive. It's like a little challenge for me, to wait until it happens. And it always does. Even when I think it won't. So the time has gone by, and January is  over and I've been thinking about home.

Right now, in this two person and one little dog family, home is very much where it's at. Our daily lives are here in the warmth of home. It's where we shelter, where we rest, where we play. Where we remember who we are. Where we dream up the new. Sometimes we need to do this for however long we need to before we are ready to step out again into life in a new way. It becomes our anchor.

Lately I have found myself trawling through forgotten boxes, dusting things down, bringing things in from the cold. Polishing, shining, remembering. Giving things center stage for a while, and receiving what they have to give us. We have to know that, everything that is in our lives, is part of our lives. Even the things pushed into cold unloved corners. We can bring them out into the light. Allow them a place. Let them warm up to the tempo of our lives now. For a while perhaps. Choosing what to keep, what to let go of. When to let go of it. Finding the message in their story. How they came to be here. What joy did they bring. What sadness. Seeing what is here, right now. Acknowledging. Making whole, sewing in all the lost and forgotten parts.
 This is the work of home.

a favourite piece of thrifted quilt
I think there is sometimes a difference between saving things and cherishing things. After all what are we saving them for? How do we really know they will be needed. We can't really see into the future. We save and store things, and they can become cold things in our lives. Or perhaps we don't know what to do with them, and they become a forgotten pile somewhere. I feel like I am in a process, letting it all be a part of us.

Thinking of ways to cherish, honor and acknowledge all the parts. Maybe making little memory tables, changing them around. Celebrating a moment of your life, or someone who has been a part of it.
A place you have been, an accomplishment. Remember who you were at different ages, school, college, first job, first boyfriend! Let that part work it's magic. It's all played a special part. Look for the lessons and learning in the difficult times.

Make a space, dedicate a whole room if you can, or just surround yourself in memories. Build them into your life. Appreciate them. Just like this family here have. Do watch this if you have a couple of minutes.

   

Aren't they sweet! I love the way they are sitting together, him with his typewriter, her with her sewing machine and clay work. Cherishing all the parts.

I think ultimately for me, it's not just about de-cluttering, it's about re-connecting, with all the different aspects of who we are and then making space for this in our life. Maybe I will end up with less stuff. But I feel sure I will find space for my life, creativity and new ideas.

Creating home is the most important thing I do. 

♥♥♥

p.s. sorry if you have a problem with the vimeo! It was working and I think there is a problem with vimeo right now. Unless I have done something wrong! Hopefully it will come back on.If you click on the link below the film it may work!