Happy Monday to you!
On the weekend I was commissioned to make a Small Blanket for a certain person's new doll. It's been a while since I did any crochet - and oh I did enjoy it! Whenever there has been a long absence in between hooky times, I often ask the question "Why?" I mean, it's relaxing, it's exciting, it's inspiring...and addictive - so how come I forget to do it of an evening?
Well, seeing as how I'm on a roll to free up my time (and oh people, it's actually working!!!) I reckon I can let another hour of dull TV go in order to be more productive. I've got an idea for a summer shawl - and I'm wondering if I can construct one of my own design using 100's of circles...
I'm thinking along the lines of these sorts of colours, which are hugely inspiring at any time of year for little old me, but never more so than in the depths of a gloomy, cold January:
Can you imagine it? Lots of varying shades, lots of little circles, or different sized ones come to that - Oh I can see it in my mind, it's so very lovely.
But will I get the chance I wonder? Because I want to paint more too and there are only 24 hours in each day after all (and one must be realistic). Even if I don't get round to the shawl, I'm delighted that the ideas are flowing again!
Anyway, I must tell you that the de-cluttering lark is going very well so far. Not wanting to blow the proverbial trumpet too much, I must confess it's mostly down to the very good guidance of dear Tsh who I wrote about it my last post.
Her book is very good.
Today, about three years worth of old papers were shredded and the sideboard cupboards emptied and ruthlessly sorted. Oh the relief! I actually know where things are now!!
I am terrified I'm sounding like the most untidy creature to all of you. The thing is with me, whilst my little abode is pretty neat all things considered, it consists of lots of neat piles of Unnecessary Things. Clutter that we don't need, use or even see anymore come to think of it.
I squirrel things away...Just In Case.
But not any more. We are sorting ourselves out! The hard work is obviously in the sorting and the organising parts, but it's so worth it - it can feel daunting when you think of tackling an entire house, yes - but with a bit of planning and enthusiasm anything is possible.
And whilst I'm on the subject of organising, another fabulous thing I've discovered online is this:
For people like me, who like to make lists, and have bits of floaty paper here and there with Important Things written on (and that get lost more often than not), this is just fantastic.
It's like a little online notebook/journal thing, you can write information down, and even clip inspiring web pages to a note to look at later. Perfect for a decorating project, or an online Inspiration Book me thinks!
It's free, and you can get yours here.
Before I go today, I just want to take the opportunity to say Hello to some new Followers - I do hope you're enjoying your visits here.
And last but not least, my little website has had a bit of a new years makeover. It has a nice fresh new look that I'm most happy about, not to mention a lovely new portfolio page with click to enlarge photographs of most of my work. You are very welcome to visit by clicking the link in the sidebar, or here. To compliment the new look, I'm also going to be adding some new prints within the next couple of weeks - so exciting! I hope you like the new design, do let me know your thoughts!
Have a sparkling day, thanks for visiting me,
Love Julia x x x
Showing posts with label tsh oxenreider. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tsh oxenreider. Show all posts
Monday, 17 January 2011
Friday, 14 January 2011
How to Find Time for the Good Stuff
Hello!
I'm so glad to see you today, it's lovely that you stopped by!
I've been busy in my sketchbook this week, the ideas are starting to come back - and what a relief it is to feel the flow again! I must thank each of you who shared your own theories on how to restore a weary/missing mojo - I think I will be trying a few of those out myself next time I have a quiet spell.
So, this week I've been squeezing in a few drawings of seabirds, harbour window ledges, boats, pebbles and the like but I keep coming back to a garden with washing billowing about in a spring breeze. I wonder if you can make out the sketch above? I'm thinking of drifts of snowdrops, blossom laden trees - that kind of thing; an optimistic, bright little picture.
And I cannot wait to get this onto canvas...but here I discover another problem: Time.
Which is why I'm reading this book.
The author of this book is Tsh Oxenreider, and she is an ordinary Mum with an ordinary family yet she has a canny ability to make life in general much more simple so that there is more time to enjoy the fun stuff. Brilliant plan!
She also writes a great blog called Simple Mom which is worth a visit.
To say that my life and home are cluttered at the moment is an understatement.
So I have started to tackle almost four years worth of accumulated Stuff. I cleared out a few drawers and bagged up some old clothes for the charity shop - we also have lots of baby toys that we are putting on one side for a car boot sale in the Spring. I'm feeling much lighter, releasing old stuff is a Good Feeling!
I am also becoming more concious of how I choose to spend my time. I watch tv and surf the net, and then complain I haven't time to paint! What??! Yes, it would appear I haven't been making the best choices when I think about it. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those activities, it's just that both of them can swallow up lots of time without you even realising it.
But hey ho, I can make some changes, and a big one Im looking at right now is this:
I have to change my (somewhat expensive) habit of buying 3-4 glossy mags each month. I am planning on donating my current piles to the local doctors and dentists waiting rooms.
I save them because there is usually an article or picture in there that I want to keep...but as the months float by I forget all about the article, or even which magazine it's in and then I don't have the time to look for it and these small magazine mountains sprout up around my house.
So my solution is to stop buying so many, maybe just one now and again as a treat - and I promise to cut out the article I want to save when Ive read it, and stick it in my Inspiration Book for safe keeping.
And just before you start thinking, oh listen to Mrs Virtuous here with her tidy house and her nice diet plan...oh please - let me tell you that the other night I demolished half a packet of Oreo cookies topped with generous dollops of dulce de leche...that's right, and my lounge looks like a branch of Toys R Us has exploded all over it. That's how it goes, I'm only human after all and am fabulous at being messy and falling off the healthy eating wagon :D
But it's good to tidy up and climb back on right? :D
I hope you all have the brightest of weekends - will you share your decluttering secrets here? I'm on a roll at the mo and would love to hear your tips and suggestions please!
Sending love
'til next time...
Julia x
The author of this book is Tsh Oxenreider, and she is an ordinary Mum with an ordinary family yet she has a canny ability to make life in general much more simple so that there is more time to enjoy the fun stuff. Brilliant plan!
She also writes a great blog called Simple Mom which is worth a visit.
To say that my life and home are cluttered at the moment is an understatement.
So I have started to tackle almost four years worth of accumulated Stuff. I cleared out a few drawers and bagged up some old clothes for the charity shop - we also have lots of baby toys that we are putting on one side for a car boot sale in the Spring. I'm feeling much lighter, releasing old stuff is a Good Feeling!
I am also becoming more concious of how I choose to spend my time. I watch tv and surf the net, and then complain I haven't time to paint! What??! Yes, it would appear I haven't been making the best choices when I think about it. Not that there's anything wrong with either of those activities, it's just that both of them can swallow up lots of time without you even realising it.
But hey ho, I can make some changes, and a big one Im looking at right now is this:
I have to change my (somewhat expensive) habit of buying 3-4 glossy mags each month. I am planning on donating my current piles to the local doctors and dentists waiting rooms.
I save them because there is usually an article or picture in there that I want to keep...but as the months float by I forget all about the article, or even which magazine it's in and then I don't have the time to look for it and these small magazine mountains sprout up around my house.
So my solution is to stop buying so many, maybe just one now and again as a treat - and I promise to cut out the article I want to save when Ive read it, and stick it in my Inspiration Book for safe keeping.
And just before you start thinking, oh listen to Mrs Virtuous here with her tidy house and her nice diet plan...oh please - let me tell you that the other night I demolished half a packet of Oreo cookies topped with generous dollops of dulce de leche...that's right, and my lounge looks like a branch of Toys R Us has exploded all over it. That's how it goes, I'm only human after all and am fabulous at being messy and falling off the healthy eating wagon :D
But it's good to tidy up and climb back on right? :D
I hope you all have the brightest of weekends - will you share your decluttering secrets here? I'm on a roll at the mo and would love to hear your tips and suggestions please!
Sending love
'til next time...
Julia x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)

