Freedom Garden...

good afternoon!

it's been a beautiful day here

and what is better

is that i feel free.

yesterday my thoughts were tying me up in knots

and making decisions seemed impossible...

i felt like the father in 'fiddler on the roof'.

i should do this...

no,

on the other hand...

etc etc etc.

then my amazing little sister rang me

and the advice she gave just freed me up...

i think she knows me better than most

and she told me just how i was thinking

and where i was screwed up!

boy was i screwing things up...

i was like a large knot.

so even though i cut these out on saturday,

i couldn't sew them

'cos i wanted happy thoughts

to be in my head while i sewed..lol.



sunday they just sat there

then this morning i was happy!

have i sorted everything?

not really..'cos this one's a journey.

but now there is hope.

now i am thinking about the freedom i do have

to make choices...

not what i should do

but what i could do

it's my choice...

&

i can choose anything!

are you feeling boxed in today?

by circumstances...

or the people around you?

it's your choice...

what kind of person do you want to be?

{in your heart of hearts}

people perish without a vision

that's true!

start to build a picture of who you want to be

from the inside out...

it's your choice.

today will be the day you choose to be who and what you want to be...

so will tomorrow....

and the next day!

etc..etc...etc...

naturally Carol xox

Just Grateful!

good afternoon...

here's the other bit of the dog

whose tail was on the couch yesterday....

this is mr max

for those that haven't met him yet.

he is normally placid

but if he's hungry

the other dog's had better watch out...

he reacts a bit like all the males i know when they're hungry..hehe!

he is quite possessive as well

which i think normally gets called loyal in dog circles.

he is now peacefully lying at my feet as i type...

ellie and kara are off doing other things.

today i am grateful for...

the company of my little pack of dogs,

'cos when the others are involved in their own stuff

these three are always by my side

no matter what.

today

the grateful links are up at

lioness lady

see you soon...

naturally Carol xox

Oranges and Lemons...

good afternoon!

it's friday again..

it comes around so quickly!

i seem to say that every friday,

but it's true.

this week i've finished off

a couple of very bright cushions...

big pops of colour...

but with a woodsy kind of seventies vibe...

doesn't that colour just explode right at you?

normally i would edit this photo

and crop it to make max's tail disappear

but i  just thought i'd give you a peek

at the general chaos that usually accompanies my photo shoots!

so take good note of the crinkles on the black lounge,

the curtains stuffed into the back of the couch

and the unkempt affair of a tail hanging around

..hehe.

now you can pick up the seventies vibe..

the wooden daisy buttons

and the coffee bean brown contrast.

this is the edited version of lemon sunshine woodland fern...

where the decor or tidiness of my loungeroom doesn't matter!

max has been banished offscreen!

in the light of early morning

the glow in the dark factor seemed to multiply

in the pics taken

on the black couch...

the cushions really don't glow like this in real life...

really!

i was led this week

in my creative endeavours

by the sunny days

and growing warmth of spring

and these bright shades

epitomised the look of summer to me.

what has led your creativity this week?

have a great weekend!

naturally Carol xox

I Want to Play Too!



good morning!

i was taking the washing down the stairs

and spotted kara just above me...

hanging out mr p's bedroom window.

'i want to play too!' she said.

{she really does think she's talking sometimes,

whenever she wants something

she comes and sits in front of me

and makes noises and moves her mouth

just like she's talking..hehe}

miss b...kara sends her love!

hope you're having a wonderful thursday

and get an opportunity to play today...

naturally Carol xox

Whatcha Up To?



good afternoon!

just thought i'd type up a few thoughts

and let you know how things are going here.

it's school holidays

so although i haven't any kids at school

all my regular 'during the week' activities halt

and we all relax

just as if we did have kids on holidays.

on monday i did a bit of sewing

but i haven't done any since..haha!

yesterday i pottered around sorting out a few magazines

blogged a little..just dropping comments

willy nilly as they came to mind..as you do...

strewn like little daisies on a green lawn...

well perhaps not that poetically!

today

i dropped off my reread and sorted home decor mags

to one of my favourite cafes

and of course had to stop for a large cappucino,

though i did take my study notes

and made a good headway on writing down some notes for a test after the hols.

yay!...that clears my conscience somewhat.

i also bought one of their delicious quiches..

handmade on site,

and brought it home for my dinner tonight.

we have decided on a run of doing meals separately around here.

my dilemna was that i really need to lose some weight...

not that quiche was necessarily the best choice there..oh well...

and mr t and s like a smattering of takeaways

and meals that are a bit heavier than i should eat...

and mr p likes to either pick up something on the way home from work,

or eat after going to the gym, which is too late for me.

so we are fending for ourselves

and doing separate grocery shopping...

we'll just have to see how it all works out.

at the moment

i am just enjoying the freedom

of only having myself to look after.

it means i'm totally responsible too,

for what i buy and cook and eat...

just what i need at the moment.

if you live with other people

do you find it hard to eat what you should

like i do...

or are you very strong minded

and health conscious anyway?

i'd love to hear your thoughts...

have a brilliant day!

naturally Carol xox

Grateful for...Strauss!

hi & good afternoon!

on this happy sunny weekend

i am grateful for strauss

{all of them}

and the vienna philharmonic orchestra...

there was a repeat performance yesterday on sbs

of their new years day concert

& 

 i have loved the music of strauss

ever since i heard the enchanting 'blue danube'.

when i was about fourteen

i remember asking for a cassette tape of strauss' music...

especially the waltzes.

it was the first bit of classical music i ever loved.

so yesterday

my joy was full

as i listened to the orchestra,

took in the sights of austria and the surrounding european countries

&

sewed.

i realised as i sewed

that the pattern on the fabric

of swathes of pink roses

matched the pink roses that were decorating the great hall

that the orchestra was playing in.

the vienna town hall

 is always exquisitely decorated...this year was no exception

 with 30,000 rosy hued blooms

and greenery to cheer the audience up

in the snowy austrian winter

&

dozens of crystal chandeliers swinging and sparkling

sending light

from the painted and moulded ceilings.

dressed formally

the orchestra played,

beautiful ballerinas danced

&

the audience

in all their best finery

cheered and clapped

enthusiastically!

not quite austrian...

but a 'parisienne apartment',

oh, well.

hoping you're enjoying your sunday!

naturally Carol xox

Pretty Special!

hi..

i can't believe it's already friday!

i don't really know what has happened to this week

it' just flown by...

and here we are at the end of it

again!

i started the week off with a few dreamy blues

well,

i'm ending it in the pink

with two pretty special fabrics

which were whispering in my ear...

make me into very cute cushions

for a girl somewhere.

having ignored them for a few weeks,

wanting to savour this fabric and it's sweetness first,

i could put them off no longer

&

got out my ricrac to match

&

a length of pink bobbley bits

and sewed them all into these...

these cute little vespas

are already to go...

vroom, vrooming in amongst the pink polka dots

big and small

orange and pink...

sewing in the bobbles

all the way around was a bit tricky...

but lots of fun

&

i just love sewing anything pink

which i think goes back to having four boys

and being surrounding by blue,

with only one daughter,

who, of course, i couldn't make wear pink all the time..could i?

she tells me now

she didn't really like her pink painted room...

but i must say i did

and she didn't say very much at the time.

oh, that's right...

i painted it when she was away on holiday!

{i must have been a bad, bad mum!!}

i hope she doesn't feel scarred for life

by pinkness.

although i am absolutely certain

she'd love these cushions

and the vespas and spots, ricrac and bobbley deliciousness...

aren't you?

i hope you have much deliciousness

planned for your weekend...

and knowing there'll be blue skies here

helps a lot!

naturally Carol xox

My Blue Heaven!

hi!

this fabric

is as close to blue heaven as i could get...

romantic and dreamy

and just adore blue and white stripes,

they are a match made in heaven...truly!

want a closer look at the stripes?

and the back?

now just imagine yourself

lying in amongst this trio of comfy blue goodness

on your freshly painted verandah...

under blue skies

this summer!

yep...

i'm just imagining it now...

hang in there...

summer's coming to oz...very soon!

naturally Carol xox

The End of a Weekend...



it's closing in on sunday afternoon...

mr w was home for the weekend

so i've had good company with my coffee

and my back got scratched in just the right places...

the washing is done and dry..thanks to the wind yesterday

the gutters are clean...

the grass is mown...

the paths are tidy...

church has been attended...

the pot plants are fed and watered...

it's all good!

how was your weekend?

naturally Carol xox

Changing My Mind...

good morning!

if you want to see some pretty pink cushions..

scroll down to the previous post,

it is less than 24 hours since i posted,

but i've something on my mind.

identity theft.

it suddenly occurred to me a week or so ago

that some parts of my identity

i think i have hidden well on my blog...

but other things i have been foolish about.

one of those foolish things

was celebrating my birthday when it occurred.

i've just deleted that post.

i've just visited another blog..which i won't identify...

but it is a common occurrence...

where people celebrate their childrens' birthdays

or wedding anniversaries etc etc

and i'm just wondering if these would all add up to

unscrupulous people using this info to profile you

and lead to identity theft?

what do you think?

are we too careless with information?

the banks and other lending institutions or even telco companies etc..

should be a lot tighter in demanding identification

but in my opinion they're greedy and will sell their product rather than make these demands.

so should we have to help ourselves in this area more?

these baby staghorns multiply abundantly

given the right conditions!

crime does too!

concerned today...

{i don't think i'm being paranoid, what do you think?}

naturally Carol xox

In the Pink!

good evening!

i know this isn't my usual blogging time...

at least not usually the time i write posts anyway,

but my mind just wasn't in the right space to write earlier...

too much going on around me!

my little 'madeit shop' needs some new covers

&

lately i've made some things for me and my sister

but not for the shop.

these two will spruce things up

and add a splash of pink spring fun to any space!

by the time i fiddled around and got them made

the light was beginning to fade.

so i took them outside to get the last of the sunlight

and found a lovely flat rock to sit them on beside the fence.

i love this one particularly

'cos i started off by making a mistake

and put buttonholes on the large square of fabric

that was originally the front.

i didn't realise it til i'd joined the two pieces together

and they were nearly the same size!

anyway i had one scrap left over

and ended up joining them near the base of the cushion

with the last of my white bobbles in between.

funny thing is ...

it's now my favourite of the two

as i love the way the bobbles just sit perfectly on the bottom

echoing the top beautifully!

some mistakes were just meant to be made...

next time i'll do that manouvre purposefully..hehe!

this one's teamed with black

a smart look...

with clear buttons.

a pair of cushions for a bunch of pink fun...

wouldn't they be great teamed with lots of white

on a lovely front porch

or taken outside on a warm day

for a relaxed and comfy picnic

or a reading session on soft grass...

well at this stage with my grass growing at enormous speed,

with a little bit of spring sunshine and a few spring showers,

i think i may get lost out the back if i lie down in it!

just as well mr w is coming home this weekend...

we'll trade him some belated father's day pressies

for some lawn mowing skills!

you'll find some more creativity

over at 'ourcreativespaces' with kootoyoo.

whooppeee..it's almost friday!

have a wonderful weekend too, everybody...

naturally Carol xox

Clean Corners!

good morning!

over the last week or so

i have had a rare rush of desire..

probably brought on by springlike signs...

to clean up some corners

in my house.

over winter a hibernating urge

usually overtakes me to some extent

and my corners become creepy with dust and debris

and general neglect...

so when the light changes in the spring

all of a sudden those corners

look very dreary indeed.

these are a couple of corners

i've focussed on in the last few days....

this little corner at the end of the kitchen bench

was overrun by dust and cobwebs

&

random bits of paper with recipes scrawled out upon them

and then tossed aside...

dusty books and dusty tins.

all is organised with my coffee making bits,

{coffee machine donated by my eldest son upon moving to taiwan!}

chopping boards neatly lined up

and my sweet blue blender ready for action!

this is the newly organised home of my fabrics...

it beats a plastic box on the floor...

kind of colour sorted...

not to the nth degree yet!



some of my eclectic collection of china and glass!

a few of my favourite artglass items...

isn't it great when you rediscover your treasures,

reaffirm just how much you like them

and wash them and they're fresh and gleaming again

looking just like the day you got them!

this little jug and the deep blue vase

were the first pieces of artglass i ever bought.

i saw this amazing glass shop in parnell in auckland,nz

and my sister and i got there just after closing time.

the shop owner saw us with our noses pressed to the window

and opened the shop again

letting us in to browse

among the amazing glassware.

after carefully choosing the little crystal, colour studded jug

and the inky blue vase also shot with fabulous colours

i guarded them carefully

and with a sneaking song of joy in my heart

brought them back to australia

to cherish forever!

i love the memories of a perfect sisterly day out

&

 treasures found,

made possible by an act of kindness

from a shop owner tired from a day at work already...

i am hoping

today

you may find an opportunity

to make someone's day

by being kind or thoughtful...

&

it will make your day too!

naturally Carol xox

p.s...the red bowl trimmed with orange and the vase at the back with the clear top were subsequent gifts from my parents for birthdays.  the small green and white bowl was bought on my last trip over to nz..i love all of them!

Gratefully...

enjoying a wonderful saturday morning!

thank you to all who've visited me this week

&

left lovely comments behind for me to read.

thank you to all my recent followers,

i'm going to enjoy getting to know you better,

thank you to all those i have got to know

over the past year...

i look forward to your company

every time i log on here!

one of the joys of winter

here in australia,

is an abundant supply of fresh oranges...

&

just before we move into the warmer months

&

leave our winter goodness behind,

i want to write an ode to these golden orbs...

i love

their fresh tangy-ness

&

sweet

deliciousness!

i buy the big 3kg bags through winter...

plenty to peel and eat

&

plenty for juicing too...

practically effortless with an electric juicer.

mmmm! juicy...

a glass of liquid sunshine.

oranges

...i love you just the way you are!

have a great weekend everyone...

eat an orange..hehe!

naturally Carol xox

Missed It!

well wouldn't you know it...

yesterday was my blogs first birthday

and i missed it...

not due to my own lack of diligence though,

my computer wouldn't function.

it wouldn't even turn itself on for me...

well, i pressed the 'on' button but there was no response,

just a little flicker from the monitor,

that was all.

fortunately we have at least one computer savvy person

in this household...

and mr t took a look

got me another video card

&

voila..here we are again.

{though i think the colour needs a bit of adjustment!}

i did a bit of crocheting this morning....

it's the first time in ages that

i've even felt like doing some...

then i just had the urge to create something in green and cream.

i don't quite know what it's going to turn into yet either...

but while the urge lasts i'm going with it!

i'm still going to have a giveaway for my first blog birthday

but as 'madeit' is having problems

i will delay that and let you know when that will be.

i took part in a 'pay it forward' exercise

and being one of the first three commenters

on shez's blog... 'enjoying life'

she sent me a beautiful black bag that she made!

...thanks shez!

i love it!

it is soft and textured,

fully lined with pockets inside for keeping keys or other knick-knacky things...

i'm thinking it will be perfect for taking out in the evening.

now it is my turn to pay it forward.

the first three people who say they would like me to make them

something just for them...

will get something during the next year...

yes you have a whole year to pay it forward...

then when you receive something from me,

it's your turn to pay it forward

to three people on your blog!

if you want to play..then just say it

with a comment!

if you don't say specifically that you want in

then I won't take it that way...ok?

sounds like fun doesn't it!

see you over at 'our creative spaces'!

naturally Carol xox