Five things...

Whilst browsing through other people's '52 lists' yesterday I came across this post on the Lariats and Lavender blog. It was started off by Angie at my so called chaos and it was so much fun that I decided to post my own 5 things too. 

So here are five things that...

...you’ll find in my bag:
What bag?
I don’t carry one

...you’ll find in my bedroom:
-    my snuggly, red, pillow covered bed with Bear sitting waiting to give me cuddles
-    my Nan’s sewing machine, the one that made my school uniforms, my wedding dress and so many other things and memories
-    Damascus, my adorably cute chameleon
-    Felicity, my orchid who still refuses to flower
-    My Eiffel tower ring holder with all the rings that mean something to me resting on it

...I’ve always wanted to do:
-    live in a treehouse
-    visit the pyramids in Egypt and in Peru
-    own my own home (yes, a treehouse would count)
-    get a freefall licence
-    be able to draw

...I’m into right now:
-    Grey’s Anatomy
-    the amazing city that I live and work in
-    quilting, especially EPP and hand sewing
-    going to the gym and working ‘til my muscles scream at me to stop
-    dried mango

...quirks I have:
-    my bookcases and dvds are sorted by colour and by size, not in alphabetical order or by topic. And yes, that means that book 2 of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is not between books 1 and 3, because I lost book 2 and the replacement is a larger size
-    I like my cupboards to be sorted in a particular way: cup handles all the same direction, labels all to the front, clothes & towels neatly aligned. I don’t think that’s a quirk but the rest of my family seem to
-    I really, really dislike feet
-    some of my best friends are trees
-    some of my best friends are ex-boyfriends

52 Lists - Week 3

Moorea's week 3 list is "Things you should be proud of". That made me smile because the people who love me are forever telling me I have so many things I ~should~ be proud of, but I often just don't see them. Even when they are pointed out to me. 

You probably can't read the list too easily from the photo so here's what my third list says:

- my daughters (that's the bit in the heart: love them to pieces)

- making it through three and a half years of studying, whilst working a full time job for the first time in my life, bringing up four kids, leaving my marriage and starting again with nothing, having my heart broken and being totally financially unstable 

- forgiving my mum

- trusting someone again, even though it's scary and I can see so many reasons not to

- starting again everytime I think I've failed

- realising that little hiccups are NOT failure

- curl up on the sofa with coffee and a good movie

- bake all day

- walk through the rain with my good down just to feel the water on my skin

- jump in puddles

- have a long hot bath, then do all the pampering things I usually forget: face mask, body lotion, paint my toes pretty colours

- put on my favourite music and sew 

- play piano 

52 Lists - Week One

A whole new year and a whole lot of new starts, including actually posting here again. In an attempt to keep me on track I have decided to join in with not one, but two versions of 52 lists. The first is run by Moorea Seal - List One is words that touch your soul. Moorea has cute downloadable list sheets that you can add to your Project Life scrapbooks, or anything else that you use to keep memories. This is mine:

The second is run by UK bloggers Ema and Jen

For my body:

• Walk up the stairs at work instead of taking the lift (yes, I know I’m not going to walk up to the top floor straight away, but a floor extra every couple of weeks will get me there by Easter)
• Drink at least 4 pints of water a day
• Eat halthily. Or just regularly. Or even both!
• Lose weight. No change-my-diet or get-thin-quick plans. Just actually change my life, step by step, so it’s something I can live with forever
• Get those saggy muscles back in shape 

For my soul:

• Accept that people love me for who I am – they’re good people so trust their judgement
• Spend one-on-one time with each of my daughters at least once a week
• Make time to be creative every day
• Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what can easily be done today
• STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

And just things I want to achieve:

• Look after my garden & extend the planting so it is always a place of beauty & peace
• Learn to bake bread as easily as I bake cakes
• Finish at least six quilts over the year
• Update my blog every week
• Learn to play Bach on the piano again

Wordless WIP Wednesday

 

Talkative Tuesday

Write about myself

Hmmm...

Where to start...

Well, I'm a me really. I'm 47 years old and a mum of four wonderful, and very different girls. I live with my two middle daughters - the Glitter Girl and the Leggy Giraffe Girl. My eldest, the Goth-type Girl, is living on her own in her childhood home (more about that another day) and my baby, Fed-Ex, lives with her dad a couple of hours drive from us. I really should miss her more, as she only moved up there six weeks ago, but we talk online lots and she's learnt the almost extinct art of writing real letters, on real paper, and putting them in one of those strange red metal lumps that grace the edges of so many English pavements. I adore getting letters, or postcards, but hardly anyone seems to write anymore as email is so much faster.

Oh look, there's another thing about me - I write in long, rambly sentences because my thoughts always tumble over each other like kittens trying to find their mother's warmth. 

My house is also home to our lodger, the Barista, and our pets:

• Willow the cat
  
• Cosmo, her odd-eyed ginger kitten (who belongs to the Barista)
  
• Damascus, my adorably cute and funny chameleon
  
• Dino, the Barista's bearded dragon
• Buffy bunny
• Loki and Lizzie, the leopard geckos
• Severus Snake, the king python

The last four all belong to the Glitter Girl. She likes animals.

We all live together in a happy, but rather mad harmony, in May Cottage. 

A Chickummyjig day

A while ago I discovered a absolutely inspiring blog. It is no longer updated, but I read it from beginning to end, or rather from end to beginning as that's the way blogs work really. Mrs Myrtleandeunice writes with clarity and humour and the craft that spreads through her blog is undeniably beautiful. 

Chickummyjig a pattern that I downloaded from myrtleandeunice. He's a present for a dear frind of mine - I do hope she likes him. 

I found some adorable 'hand made with love' ribbon in my local market. Isn't it just perfect!
 

PS - if you click on the original chickummyjig picture below it will take you straight to the pattern and tutorial that I used. 

PPS - today I visited Wolf and Word and was both calmed and inspired by her her love of, and use of, words. 

Six thoughts on a Saturday

1. It's been a glorious day for early October. I sat outside the Old Orchard pub in a t-shirt and admired the view. Beautiful!

2. Weekends are wonderful.

3. Sewing straight lines is therapeutic. I'm quilting my Spice Trail quilt, which I've nick-named my Technical Challenge quilt because I've never sewn long straight seams like this before. Making clothes never requires them. 

4. When I'm sewing I adjust my sitting position from time to time if I get uncomfortable. Then I look at my machine expecting it to sew and it doesn't. Just because my foot is tucked under my chair. Hasn't the daft machine realised I expect it to read my thoughts and work anyway?

5. Starbucks shouldn't have stopped selling white chocolate & raspberry muffins. They were amazingly good.

6. What does the fox say? (YouTube it. It's worth it)

Today I visited Darlene who makes the most amazing fabric art. I'm so in love with her revived bag.