Monday, September 26, 2011

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

Saturday, September 24, 2011

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

Friday, September 23, 2011

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


Thursday, September 22, 2011

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



Wednesday, September 21, 2011

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

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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


Friday, September 16, 2011

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



Monday, September 12, 2011

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



Sunday, September 11, 2011

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

Friday, September 9, 2011

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

Thursday, September 8, 2011

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



Monday, September 5, 2011

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!





Saturday, September 3, 2011

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





Thursday, September 1, 2011

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