Paint, Crochet and Cake

Hello.


Today is Ta-Dah day, of the painty kind.  I don't know if you will remember as far back as November, but I began a painting which I was going to call Heading for Home and it didn't see the light of day again because life became very busy because of Christmas and all things related.


Today, after a long, long absence I retrieved it from it's unplanned hibernation, stuck Jack Johnson on the stereo, made a nice cup of green lemon tea and slowly...oh so slowly, sank back into that happy place of mine that I haven't been to in a long while.
It felt very, very good to pick up the paintbrushes again, to daub them in soft acrylic paint, to layer and draw into the picture...to have a random idea which finalised the whole thing...and then hear the new name of the painting from somewhere very quiet deep inside emerge:  And it was 'Home'.  Just that.  Plain and simple.

I am very contented with how this one has turned out.  I like the warm, peaceful ambience of it, and the colours (which are quite a departure from my usual colourful palette).  I like the migrating birds, you can almost hear them calling in that far off way that you occasionally hear - it's lonely and wonderful all at once.

I know this is an Autumnal scene, and at the moment I am feeling the first optimistic sensations of Spring being around the corner...so I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you if you are also looking very much forward rather than back.

(getting there...pausing for a very necessary tea break at this point)

This painting will soon be available to buy on my website - and as a print too, and I will keep you posted as and when.

Well...since my last post I have been doing a bit more hooky stuff of an evening, working on my long standing Rainbow Ripple blanket.  And I've also been busy ordering some new wool for a New Project...I wonder if you can guess what that might be?  Aha!! You ought to, you are responsible for it coming about if I'm honest - I noticed that quite a few of you who kindly posted comments left very encouraging messages about my Summer Shawl idea.  It doesn't take much persuading to get me started on something exciting and woolly, so for now let me say, it is most definately on the cards and something I will be sharing with you soon.

In the meantime, here is a picture of the Small Blanket I did, and silly old me forgot to post this pic on the last post!  OOooops!

Just look at that yummy stripy lovliness people!! Isn't it zingy?  Just looking at it makes me feel like getting hooky again, right now, right this minute!

But I have more pressing matters to attend to.

I need to go and eat one of these:

Me and the Little One baked these scrumptious chocolate brownies a couple of days ago.  Now I must admit, no, they are not strictly part of the GL way of eating as they contain flour and sugar etc; but I do think that one of life's pleasures is allowing ourselves a good treat here and there.

For the most part, my diet is very good - better now than it has been in years, but I cannot turn my nose up at organic chocolate brownies, made from good ingredients in our own little home.

Well, would you?

It's all about balance - and just before I go, I want to try and answer a question a few people have asked me since my last post.  It's the one about time, and creating more of it for yourself in a busy, full life.

A simple answer to this is to think carefully about how you spend your time.  Count up how many hours you veg out in front of the TV in an evening, how many hours you spend online, how many hours you devote to doing activities that don't really fulfill you etc.  Then make the necessary changes: Par down your TV and internet time (seriously, get an alarm or something to remind you to turn it off), cancel things you don't enjoy, stop going running if you hate it, and use that same time to do something you do enjoy!  It sounds ridiculously simple and that's because it is.  We each of us have 24 hours a day to play with - and it really is up to us how we do that :)

I hope your day is a blue sky one, full of sunshine ~ thanks for popping in.

See you soon,

Julia x

Simple Things

Hello there! Is the sun shining on you today? From the 1st of March, Yorkshire turned a new leaf weather wise - well, this little corner of the county seemed to anyhow - and we have been basking in sun filled days with high, white cotton wool clouds scudding gently across an impossibly blue sky. Ahhh, we are hoping this is a taste of what is to come, and isn't the sun warm already? Just around lunchtime today as I stood in the back garden, it was just warm enough to feel upon the skin which filled me with a huge sense of optimism I can tell you!

Little things are what keep me afloat - like this jam jar of buttery yellow daffodils. I stopped at the lovely little florist/gift shop 'Hacketts' in nearby Penistone earlier this week and was rewarded with 3 generous bunches for just a couple of pounds. They have filled two jam jars in an abundant manner and are showing off all over the dining table and kitchen windowsill! But aren't they glorious?

Another flowery thing to fill me with delight this week, was the sudden opening of these darling irises, which never cease to astonish me each year that they appear. I love their colours, the blue is quite stunning and such a gift after all that gloomy weather! We have been teased for several weeks by their juicy green buds that didn't seem to do anything, until one day I happened to glance out of the window and 'voila!' there they were!!

And in our kitchen, on our sunny windowsill, the seeds our Little Daughter planted just a few weeks ago are growing in their propagator home at an alarming rate!

These are her dwarf peas, their neighbours, minature cucumbers (La Diva from Sarah Raven should you be curious or tempted to sow your own) are competing height wise, as are the munchkin pumpkins...and we still have seeds to sow!! Where are we going to put them? ( I do wonder out loud, and frequently as it goes), as we have nothing resembling a greenhouse and it is but early March - but I think in a couple of weeks time, these green babies will be taking over the kitchen so I need to get my thinking hat on, regarding a halfway house type of spot for them to go to when they outgrow their current abode!


But all will be resolved, I don't doubt it - most likely over a cup of tea and a nice bit of cake. Oh yes, we've been at it again. Baking. This time: Chocolate brownies crammed full of walnuts and pecans...

It is getting to the point where the Little Baker is demanding we make something every day, which is all well and good but Im running out of tins and slowly getting fatter. Im also out of butter until I visit the next village to do a spot of shopping and so to placate her we had a very messy finger painting session yesterday, instead.

And, Ive been doing a bit of painting myself! I finally found some time to make a start upon my next piece after a rather busy time of it doing lots of other things. Ive been heartily inspired by spring flowers of late and felt I must paint a picture which included a cheery jug of daffs - yet I also had a whim to do a bit of a coastal scene too...doodles and sketches followed and Ive set to work...would you like a peek? Its a work in progress with far to go as yet...but I don't mind showing you how its looking...! Would you like to see it?


Oh, alright then, here you go!

Ive not got a name for the painting yet, but for some reason it had to have a blackbird in it. As I progress, the blackbird will look as if he's spotted something tasty to eat - at the moment Im pondering what that might be! So, for now it just looks as if he's come to have a nosey at the rather nice pebbles doesn't it?! Im quite happy with it so far - any ideas of what treat the blackbird might be finding on the windowsill would be appreciated, so let me know your thoughts!


Well! Another week has passed - (doesn't the time go fast these days), and I want to let you know that next week, I will be officially announcing my Spring Giveaway! The reason behind all this, is that it is my own birthday on the first day of spring (21st March), and to celebrate I wanted to do a little givaway to coincide with my spring birthday celebrations! Hurrah!!
Im planning some lovely treats for you, so do make sure you stop by next week to find out more!


That's all Im saying for now, Im going to do a little bit more work on my painting before I have to go and collect the child - toddlers and acrylic paints don't go very well together you see :)

So I hope you have a delicious weekend, oh - and thank you to everyone who is stopping by to leave such nice comments - I want you to know that I read each one and really appreciate the time you take to pop in and read. Im endeavouring to visit all of your blogs in turn, and look forward to catching up with you soon!

Till next week...sending you a nice cup of chai tea, your favourite song, a spring walk and drifts of snowdrops to smile at!

Much love
Julia x