May

Autumn lingers in this place, the leaves hang on stubbornly to their branches.  

Some favourite things right now:

1. Toadstools outside the cottage

2. Fabric finds

3. Feijoa crumble

4. Rosehips for syrup

At the op shop

a little cutie for a friend that collects

tags on.  I'm determined to style up this summer dress - boots...chunky cardi....a bright slip

here

Perceptual Adaption

Thanks all - I took some good advice (as a result of the winy whingy wobbly post a couple back) and got a chocolate hit.

And a magical mystery Fairy called "M" left me a little box of feijoa and white chocolate truffles* and wholemeal bread** - and she loves me!  See - says so on the parcel:   Bless

Had an epiphany while I was trying to figure out some crochet thing.  I'd been working on the wrong end, approaching the piece upside down.

Perceptual adaption (I feel I should go some way to explain the title of this post) was an experiment conducted in the late 1800's where a scientist wore a pair of glasses that inverted his reality for 8 days, after a time he claims his eyes adjusted and he saw the world the right way up.  Thing is - many since have tried to replicate the experiment, none have succeeded.

Maybe I'm clinging to upturned reality hoping it will right itself, when really there ain't no going back to the way things were.  *sigh* gosh - change is hard sometimes, especially when you are forced to it whether you like it or not.



* first feijoas of the season - man I love them
 **seriously better than vogels - M can you flit back with the recipe pretty please?

Sharing the {Crochet} Love

Please forgive the {not-so} flash photography - I took this at 7am one rainy morning before delivering it to this lady (who was feeling a bit pus about the whole earthquake situation).

I even caught up with another lovely at the library for an impromptu crochet lesson (although she really didn't need me - she was almost there herself).

Have I missed something?  Crochet seems the craft du jour...yay!  I'm teaching crochet classes at The Make Cafe and they seem to be really popular (the next one is at the end of the month - a Queen Anne's Lace scarf as featured here a few weeks ago).  

Or you could always pop over to Louana's blog for some tips.  She makes the most amaze-balls crochet stuff - just recently I was lucky enough to host her for the Blogger Conference and she gave my daughter a headband

and me this scarf.... 

among like a zillion other cute handmade things which I shall have to photograph better! I feel bad I haven't blogged about it till now *hangs head in shame!*

:: Joining in with Leonie ::

From here

This week - well, I have had a week.  The house* flooded - and I woke up to mega soppy carpet.  To be honest I spent the whole day on the verge of tears, vacuming up the water and saying to myself over and over 'Its not fair - come on!  Don't I work hard enough already?'

I'm sure we all have days like this - its just that this happened to be on the back of  months and months of 'days like this'.  I reckon I'm pretty hardy, but Monday I wanted to give up.  And cry.  And be pitied.   And have someone for once stop harping on about there problems and listen to mine.  For once.  Just once can I not be one the receiving end?  Errrr 'no' is the answer to that.  Whatevs.

Yup - I think its pretty obvious my emotional tank is empty.

So for the rest of the week,  I plan to sleep more.

What else can you recommend for refilling your emotional tanks - help a girl out here - with the proviso that it doesn't cost anything and it doesn't take lots of time - neither of those things I have in abundance.

Wow - did I write this?  Nevermind, its probably just a blip in the system- usually upbeat crafty posts will resume by and by.

*earthquake munted - would take a paragraph or five to explain why and how....just take my word for it

What to do with milk tins {A tutorial of sorts}

Soooo this DIY is from the declutter files.  My husband gets a little frustrated at me keeping, what he lovingly terms 'crap' but I've always had a plan for these tins, it was just a matter of getting on to it.  Now with a declutter in full swing I have to be honest with myself and either use it or lose it when it comes to 'maybe, someday' projects like these.

Anyways - this was relatively easy and a great holiday project to do with a helpful 4 year old.  There is lots of glue involved - Lala was sooo in when she saw the brush and the jar of homemade modge podge.

Op Shop Showoff {and a vintage giveaway}

I had a blimmin good day at the op shop yesterday - yes I did.

 Basket love, and some kitchen essentials....

 the perfect lasagna dish.....

play kitchen bits

 A couple of silks scarfs for my collection

Craft bits to put away for Lala's craft stash

and some super cute sandals/clogs.

I left behind a vintage tin first aid kit with some of the original contents and a pair of cute burgundy suede peeptoes with a little bow on the front.

Hummmm - keep thinking about them, maybe they'll still be there at the end of the week.

In other news I have this gorgeous ripple crochet baby blanket to give away.  I found three recently, have given away one and kept one and so this one is looking for a new home

If you're keen for it, just let me know in the comments.  I'm happy to post anywhere in NZ or further afield if you're happy to chip in for postage.  If there is more than one person keen for it, I'll draw a name out of a (vintage) hat on the weekend and let you know this time next week.

The negative space

Right here, this blog is the negative space.  Life is full and heavily detailed and rich in family obligations, study and school holidays.  This is the breathing space - the calm that contextualizes that and its so nice to return here - I've had withdraws these last couple of days.

In this last week I've:

• Had a cold
• Blocked some knitting

• Started an essay for my business course (due this Wednesday - eeeeeep)
• Visited my poor Momma heaps - she has another bout of infection, just 6 weeks after getting out of hospital, boooooo!
• Taught a crochet class
• Made half a dozen crochet hats for Made.It
• Come up with an ambitious plan for the teeny tiny blocks I mentioned last week
• Finished a quilt top I started last year (I'll photograph it later)
• Sewed and sewed and sewed for the label
• Done some crafty stuff with the girl:

How are your school holidays going?  I'm hoping to get caught up on some favourite reads, but I know this next week is going to be a challenge balancing mothering with that essay deadline, various work commitments and a creative longing to progress certain projects.  

Full throttle {BTMIWTB}

I don't know about you but when my kiddo skins her knees my stomach turns itself in knots - but that's my girl, living her life full throttle, not thinking about yesterday's 'ouchie' nor worrying about tomorrow's.

In an effort to distract Lala, Ange pulled out her photo to snap a picture: from meltdown to smiles in under 10 seconds.

Sometimes I think we as adults would do well to 'shed' matters in this manner.

Also it has occurred to me many times that my role as Mama is not only teacher but pupil.  This little person has so many great lessons to teach me.

Teeny Tiny Possibilities

Friends, I can't tell you how freeing its been in the pass few weeks decluttering.

I've been working really hard at getting rid of tiny scraps of fabric that I may or may not use.  That process has created me a tray of sweet little 1 1/2 inch squares

Who knows what these might become - but I am inspired by a couple of Pins on the Scrap Bag Swap group board this year.

I had in mind to link up with Leonie's show and tell - but its not a finished project.  For now I am tantalizing myself with possibilities.